Family Camp- The Best Week of the Year

Ahh Family Camp.  It really is the best week of our year.  Every year.  Nothing else even competes.  Trent and I get great time together to talk about our marriage and our kids, the kids are entertained and poured into by the coolest college students in the country, and we have a blast together.  This year we had an incredible speaker in Tim Kimmel and I walked away with several books on the reading list.

Now for the grandparents (because I know it is boring to look at other people's vacation pics unless they are your grandkids), here are some pictures from our week.

Night At The Zoo

Our Zoo hosts a night every year for the kids who are patients at Shriners Hospital.  The families are given free admission to the zoo with lots of hands on experiences.  It really is an amazing night and we make it a point to go every time we get an invitation.  Once again the kids had a blast.  Here are a few pics from our evening.

He is No Longer in Elementary: Things I Learned Along the Way

Well my first born child has now officially graduated from elementary school and somehow survived my parenting through it.  I am sure it is tough being the oldest where you are the great experiment in parenting at each new stage.

 I cannot believe this precious child who hid behind a chair on the first day of Kindergarten is now headed to Jr. High.

So here are a few lessons I learned from parenting my first born through elementary school (with a little pictorial trip down memory lane):

#1. Sending your child to private school to protect him from the real world is an expensive way to learn that it can't be done.  Our role as parents is to prepare them for the real world instead of sheltering them from it. 

#2. Room moms are amazing.  I deeply appreciate all they do.  I originally thought they existed to help the teacher but have learned that they are really there to keep the parents in line and make sure we are where we need to be and with what we need to bring.  I often think that the room mom deserves just as big of an end of the year gift as the teacher does. 

#3.  Teachers and school friends have an almost magical capacity to lift the spirits of a child who just underwent surgery.  Their cards and visits can do twice as much good as any pep talk from mom or dad.  It is also in those moments that you realize your child has established their own community  apart from you, and that is okay.

#4 When your child takes an interest in something, embrace it. Go the extra mile to make it your own.  You never know, it might bring you snow on Christmas.

#5 Take all of the pictures you can of your child as an animal in the 2nd grade musical because by the time 4th grade musical comes around, they might have decided they don't want to be on stage and hide behind the curtain instead.  In that moment it will occur to you that you have likely seen your child dressed up in a costume for the last time.

#6 With your first born you feel at a disadvantage because you don't know any of the teachers coming up.  God has a way of working it out though and giving your child just who he needs to take him to the next level.  The right teacher will then motivate him to do things you didn't know were possible.

 

#7 All of those things you wanted to be when you were in school are completely different from what you want for your kid.  For example, my desire for him to be a nice person is much greater than my desire for him to popular.

#8 You have to capture in your head and cherish the moments that seem to fly by like first play dates,  first field trip, first crush on a teacher, first time they rode their bike to school...

Oh and don't miss them for something that seems more important at the moment.  Whatever it is will wait. Those moments will not. 

#9 The best conversations happen at the most unexpected times.  Be ready for them and be ready to drop what your doing when they come up because you might not get another chance to hear what they want to tell you in that moment. 

#10 Don't wait to become friends with the other parents in the school.  They are a great resource and being known is not as scary as you might have thought.  Okay so I know this doesn't apply to everyone but if it applies to you (like it did me) then you will understand.

#11 The PTA is a great organization if you can avoid the mama drama.  If you cannot, it is best to pay your money and serve in other ways.

#12 Being able to walk your children to school with your neighbors is a gift and makes this big city feel like a small town for just a moment.

#13  Push your child to sign up for and get involved in those things that are outside of their comfort zone.  I did not do this enough, and I regret it.

#14 Beware of the arrival of hormones.  Somewhere around 5th grade it all changes.  They change. Their friends change. Their emotions will hit crazy extremes.  When you think it has all fallen apart, they will show you a glimpse of the kid you know just long enough to get you to the next unexpected outburst.

#15 Don't Blink.

The Ladies at my Church are AMAZING!

Several weeks ago Trent and I were talking about ways we could serve the community.  Somewhere in that conversation we came up with the idea to make end of the year boxes for the lower income kids at our church neighborhood elementary.   I pictured something like the operation Christmas child boxes with a snack, some undies, and maybe a book to read.

Well, he presented the idea to the church and the ladies took it and ran with it.

They collected donations from the church family and didn't stuff shoe boxes but duffle bags instead!

Each kid will get bags of toiletries, socks, undies, and enough snacks to last the summer.

One incredible University also donated some balls for each bag.

These kids are going to be so blessed and it is all because of the work of some incredible women I get to share life with every week.

I LOVE when the church steps up and acts like the church. 

Maggie Takes T-town

Over Memorial Day weekend we went to Texarkana to introduce Maggie to her Papa and Bee.

During my 3 days there I failed to get a picture of the kids with their Papa and Bee, but I did get one of them with their GrandMary and Melo.

My sister came over from Shreveport and brought her boys to meet Maggie.  The kids played Clue and Ruthie loved it most of all.

Finally, we went to Spring Lake Park to play and feed the ducks.  I think Jack is having a stand off with one in the bottom pic here.  I bet Jack won.

Maggie didn't quite get feeding the ducks and would consume every other piece herself.  She would them say, "Mmm" as to rub it in that she was getting the bread and not them.  We are still not a fan of having competition for our food (even if the competition is a duck).

For every ounce of toughness that Ruthie has, Maggie has 2 ounces of caution.  She doesn't like slides, being hung upside down, or apparently swings either.

It was a great trip.  My kids love Texarkana and we don't get there near often enough.  

Faithful Waiting

We have been talking about hope in Sunday School and today it prompted me to deeper thinking as I am praying for a good friend who is waiting with great hope right now.  

Most of the time we think of hope as being directed toward a circumstance. We have hopes for our children, hopes for our future, hopes for relationships.  We direct our hope toward a desired end.  

I would like to pose a couple thoughts and questions:

First, how as Christians do we hope well?  In other words,  what separates what we call hope from what the world calls a wish?  I believe the answer is FAITH.  Hope is faithful waiting. 

*As we wait faithfully we look to see God in our current circumstance and trust that He has that which we hope for under His control.  Hope is faithful waiting. 

*We thank Him in all circumstances because we trust His sovereignty.  A friend today even referenced thanking God that she DID NOT have enough money to pay her rent.  She trusted so deeply in the sovereignty of God that she could be thankful in all circumstances as she waited for God's provision.  Hope is faithful waiting. 

1 Thes 5:18 Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.

*We remember that the point at which it appears most "hopeless" is the point of greatest opportunity for God to do something incredible.  

*We remember that the Christian walk is often more about the journey than the end and we wait faithfully. 

But here is the really hard part my friend.  The part where our hearts ache most deeply and our faith is tested at its core. 

What do we do when we wait faithfully and then our desired end does not come?  What do we do when the marriage fails, the job doesn't work out, or the family member passes?  

*I think first we cling to the truth that God is good and He loves us.  His goodness does not change with our circumstances.  He is Good all the time.  

*Then, we hope again.  ...But this time it is different. 

We no longer hope in a circumstance.  Instead we hope in the character of a merciful and redeeming God. When we can't have hope for our circumstance we have a deeper hope and while it is not the hope we think of most, it is the hope we see most in scripture. 

Ps 39:7 "But now, Lord, what do I look for? My hope is in you."

Lam 3:22-24 "The Lord's loving kindnesses indeed never cease, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness. "The Lord is my portion," says my soul, "Therefore I have hope in Him."

Rom 15:13 "May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit."

Now we hope.  We faithfully wait.  This is not just for our circumstances but it is rooted in Him and His character.  He is good.  He is redeemer.  He is sovereign.  He is true.  He is Love.  He is provider.  He is the way maker when there seems to be no way.  

May your days be filled with hope.  

(Thank you to the ladies of my sunday school class for challenging me.  Love you girls)