And now to summarize my summer:

4 weeks of camp....Rewarding

2 conferences focused on CA...Refreshing

2 family weddings...Precious

1 family (well, someone else's family) vacation...Amazing (like Quik Trip) ;)

1 girl's weekend in the Lou...Fabulous

1 set-up and another random date...Umm...Memorable?

Numerous moments of shared laughter, conversation, dreams, struggles, hopes, and love with people very dear to my heart...PRICELESS


Now I find myself sitting here thinking: there's still a few more weeks left of summer!

Whatever will I do?

Words to melt my heart...as said by the sweetest 2 year old boy I know:
"Bobby, Wee-Wee."

Translation: "Thank you, L"

Little C,
You had me at your adorable, little 2 year-old face, ok?!

My 2nd week of 3-5th grade camp is complete...one more to go!

As I was talking to Trix the other day, I said, "Man, where did our 'Anything and Everything Summer' go?"

She cleverly responded, "Well, yours went to summer camp."

Ain't that the truth! ....But just look at these faces....It's soo worth it.

"Later...I remembered the seasonal showers in the desert,
how potholes in the rocks fill up with rain.
When you look later, there are already frogs in the water, and brine shrimp reproducing, like commas doing the macarena; and it seems, but only seems, that you went from parched to overflow in the blink of an eye."

~Anne Lammott, "Plan B-Futher Thoughts on Faith"

It's the middle of July as I type and with 90 degree temps and 80% humidity at 11:20P.M, I know that I am a long way off from the desert. (If there was any doubt in this matter, you should have been with me yesterday as I ran from my car to the store during the monsoon torrential rains of KY!...You would have thought I bathed fully clothed!)

But I digress...
Have you ever had that feeling? The "parched to overflow in the blink of an eye" feeling?

I know I have. It seems like over these past few months I've done a lot of wandering in the desert (even though I blatantly claimed 2006 as "The Year of Clarity!"). There have been periods of dryness...sun scorching heat...living...being...and then, all at once...the floodgates of heaven opened up and poured down rain so hard that in seconds, those desolate potholes were overflowing with water and life.

This week His "showers" came in the form of a group of 3rd-5th graders who so willingly gave of their snack shack money (even when it had been won as a prize)....who proudly introduced me to their parents as the "m" who lives in CA...who blessed my heart with their worship and memory verses...and who gave me tangible proof of a God who's in the business of changing hearts and minds and the world with His love, no matter the age!

So as the weather forecasters are predicting another squeltering week of sun and humidity (of which I'm going to do my very best not to complain)...I personally am looking forward to the rain.

I leave for another 3 weeks of camp in the morning. I think I'm beginning to understand why I'm drawn to the nomadic peoples of CA. While I'm a long way off from the camels and tents of that dusty landscape, I sure do seem to be "one" with my luggage and car. That, and my iPod.

And since music is such a vital part of any travel, I thought I'd give you my very own "Celebrity Summer Playlist."

1. Summertime--DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince
2. Crazy--Gnarls Barkley
3. Put Your Records On--Corinne Bailey Rae
4. Turn Your Lights Down Low--Bob Marley & Lauryn Hill
5. MmmBop--Hanson
6. Dusk & Summer--Dashboard Confessional
7. Flake--Jack Johnson
8. Nothing Left to Lose--Mat Kearney
9. Colorful--Rocco DeLuca
10. Soak Up the Sun--Sheryl Crow
11. Life is a Highway--Tom Cochrane
12. Hangin Around--Counting Crows
13. Greatest Day--Bowling for Soup
14. Over My Head (Cable Car)--The Fray
15. Single ('06 Remix)--Natasha Bedingfield
16. These Are the Days--Jamie Cullum
17. Gone Going--Black Eyed Peas (w/ Jack Johnson)
18. Swallowed in the Sea--Coldplay
19. Beautiful--Shawn McDonald
20. High--James Blunt

Whew! I'm tired and need to go to bed. I'll try to write my reasons for these selections at a later date. Check back later!

Why is it that even though I seem to be ok with my singleness, those around me are not in agreement?

Is it really coming to this?

I've had two instances this summer that have made me stop and rethink this whole "contentment" thing. The sad thing is that if I tried to change my status, I wouldn't be doing it so much for myself, as I would be for others to leave me alone!! Uggh.

And if you are wondering what has led me to draw these conclusions, allow me to expound...

Scenario #1--Picture me being drug out onto the dance floor of my cousin's wedding to catch that STUPID bouquet, with my great aunt (the one who was dragging me) yelling the entire time, "We have to get YOU married off before 37!" Upon arrival, I looked around to find that I was the only "single" girl over the age of 13 in that entire joint. ARE YOU KIDDING ME???? It's me (age 31) and a bunch of girls 13 and under, waiting and hoping to catch that bouquet so WE could be the ones to marry next. Riiigght. (FYI--I've caught bouquets AT LEAST 10 times before and it still hasn't worked!! GIVE IT UP!! Brides, don't put your single friends through the torture!)


Which leads me to...
Scenario #2--Picture me sitting in church this morning, when my mom passes me a note. (I figured this would be good, since I can't remember the last time she wrote me a note during the service. She usually just leans over to point out who's there or not.)

The note said this: "I should introduce you to this guy from work and his wife--and their cousin."

My Response: "WHY?"

Mom's Reply: Smile.

My Response: "Would this cousin, happen to be male and single?"

Mom's Reply: Smile.

At this point I automatically got a stomach ache.

Fast forward with me to the end of service...
Mom: "I really need to introduce you to this guy."

Me: "No Mom. Really that's ok." (Looking for an exit out, as I noticed these people walking towards us.)

What follows is somewhat of a blur, but I know that there were the introductions, small talk, and then "the cousin" asking, "So do we want to go to lunch?"

Me: "Ummm.....Mom, weren't we going to go to the movies this afternoon."

Mom: "Well, we could just go to lunch and skip the movies."

Me: Speechless and out of other options for escape....so I politely excuse myself to go see some other people...leaving plans up to mom.

I knew what mom's plans would be, so I found out that a huge group of people were going to the mexican restaurant in town and said, "Hey, let's all go there." (Knowing full well in my mind, that there's safety in numbers!)

We get in the car to head that direction and the dialogue went something like this:

Me: "Mom, why do I feel like I'm being set up?"

Mom: "Well..."

Me: "Did you know about this before hand?"

Mom: "Not exactly."

Me: "What did you know?"

Mom: "Well, they asked about you and said they should get you two together. I told them you would only be at church this Sunday and they said they would see what they could do. (Side Note: "Cousin" is from out of town).

Me: "So he came down here just to meet me?"

Mom: Smile


Me: Proceed to have increased stomach pains


Lunch wasn't that bad, thanks to my reinforcements. "Cousin" was nice, but I SERIOUSLY hate being set up...especially when I'm the only one out of the loop on the whole thing!!


And so I end my night with this question,

IS THIS WHAT BEING SINGLE IN YOUR 30'S LOOKS LIKE?

If so, my response is this...
Come Lord Jesus, come.

I just returned from a week of family vacation.

OK, so the "family" wasn't my own, but they invited...and I went! To express in words the fun I had would be too difficult. But to give you an idea...my original plans were to leave on Wednesday. I had a lot to do and the responsible side of me kept saying that I should get back to work. But we all know that the sanguine side of me often outweighs the responsible side, and since there was so much laughter and merriment of which to partake, I couldn't tear myself away until Friday afternoon.

So...I'm a bit behind on the "To Do" list and I'm feeling a bit sleepy as I type. But honestly, I wouldn't trade it for the world.


MEMORIES THAT ARE MAKING ME SMILE RIGHT NOW:
Racing on the jet skis...laughing so hard and thinking we were going to die
Waking up next to one of the twins every morning
Late night conversations
Amazing Quick Trip pit stops
Road trips--starting a "Thumbs Up" revolution and returning at 4am
Family worship
4th of July fireworks
Boat rides...lazy river...screaming competitions on the water slide


Below are just a few random pics from the week...

I've been on the road a TON in the past several weeks. Luckily though, I was back in Ctown long enough to have lunch with these sweet friends who were passing through on their way to visit family and then they're off to Asia.

I love you guys and know that He's going to do great things in and through you!! Thanks for taking time to see me!! I was/am so blessed.

Here's a thought in response to "The Bearded's" comment concerning stepping out in faith or staying in the boat....

From Erwin McManus', "Seizing Your Divine Moment"

********************************************************************************************************

Ayden waited as Maven sat patiently by the fire. his silence only made the time pass more slowly.

What was he listening for? only the wind dared speak. Would his commission come from the mountain's breath? Would the north or the east call his name?

How would he know when to leave and begin his pilgrimage? How would he know which way to go?

When he could bear it no longer, he chanced to interrupt his mentor and blurted out, "When will I begin?"

"Now," Maven replied.

"Then which way do I go?" Ayden could not hide his frustration in his asking.

Maven instructed, "Anywhere there's not a path."

Suddenly Ayden realized that all through the night it was Maven who waited on him.

Girls Weekend Out--A.K.A. "More than just a pretty face"

Starting off the trip with my drink of choice for this summer--Java Chip Frappuccino


"The Girls"--Let the good times begin



Sippin' frozen fruit drinks poolside....Ahh, the life!



Dinner out on the town...This is my favorite Trix face! :)




Celebrating my new Mac!--OK, the hotel gave us a free bottle of champaigne because we bought the "Girls Weekend Out" special--not because I bought a new computer.

Camp Pics

So this is me...in Starbucks...sitting in front of my NEW MACBOOK!!!

Yes, I finally broke down and bought a new computer...and a Mac nonetheless. It's pretty much the coolest thing ever. It has a built in camera so I can take pictures like this whenever I feel necessary! ;)

And now that I have a laptop with a working battery and wireless capabilities, you can expect to hear from me on a more regular basis.....or not. I may be too busy playing!

I have a million things I could write about from the occurrences of the last week and a half. A million snapshots of joy. A million reflections of His goodness.

But as my brain is tired from waking up at 5:30am the past 3 days, this evening I will simply say this...

I should NEVER be allowed to own a karaoke machine...especially one that gives you an actual score. For if this should ever come to pass, I guarantee two things:

1. No one else would ever have a turn with the mic.

2. I would never leave my house, but rather, I'd be forever lost inside trying to get a higher score..trying to remember the lyrics to those songs long forgotten...and trying to live out all my childhood dreams of being a celebrity.

Campfire...vespers...dorm life...Friends Are Friends Forever...

Ahhh...All of these words are swirling around in my head as I take a moment to pause amidst the frenzied preparations for my first of a few weeks of camp that begin tomorrow.

I could be wrong, but I have a good feeling about this week. :) (And NO, it's not because I plan to get a boyfriend to walk me to campfire!) I really am excited about all the prayers and preparation that went into this time and I'm even more excited to see how God answers.

So while I'm in the middle of nature and a big group of high schoolers, I'll be working on my response to all of your topics of discussion from my last post. (P.S. It's never too late to send in your idea! ;) I was thinking I'd get things a little more...oh what's the word...light...so these other ideas need some time to percolate. Don't worry though, people, you have been heard. :)

And on one last note, I will leave you with a recommendation.

The free download this week on itunes is my new favorite! Corinne Bailey Rae's song, "Put Your Records On" is the perfect summer tune. A cross between Lauryn Hill and Norah Jones...what more could you ask for?

I'd actually heard this song on the Starbucks satellite radio station on the plane ride back from CA. I wrote her name down. Looked her up. And found nothing. Well, she's from the UK. Go figure! Her record comes out June 20th. I give it 2 thumbs up! Go download it...open your window...and soak in the summer. You'll be glad you did.

So I just read back through my last year and a half of blog posts and I have two thoughts...

1. On this day last year I was really missing everyone and everything here in the States and anxiously looking forward to leaving. (I find it funny that today I'm so badly missing everyone and everything in Ktown...OK, maybe not EVERYTHING...and if I knew when that date would be, I'd also be anxiously looking forward to leaving. )

2. After reading through my old posts, I feel as if I have digressed as a writer. Maybe it's where I am in life right now? Maybe I just don't try as hard? Maybe I'm zapped of the creativity it takes to adequately express myself? Hmmm. I'm not really sure.

SO to change things up a bit, I was thinking that maybe you all in cyber space could give me some topics upon which to write? Maybe I'll pick a day each week to highlight them? What do you think? This could be my chance at making it big! :) HAAA!

Seriously though, if you have thoughts, let me know. I'm trying to write more these days.

PS--Even if I don't know who you are...or you just randomly read this blog...feel free to comment.

A gentle whisper amid the chaos.

These are the words He's been speaking to me...

radical dangerous adventure
wonder community faith encounter love
broken dream untamed unpredictable wild dance mystery risk beyond believe

"I would believe only in a God that knows how to dance."

~ Friedrich Nietzsche

I love that quote. Maybe it's because I personally love to dance...therefore I imagine God does as well. ( OK, so I know there are some theology issues there!)

Yet I know there are people out there who don't like to dance. (Don't worry, I won't give any names ;). In fact, I find it hard to imagine that there was not some point in everyone's life when they loved it too. Right? I mean, think back to your earliest years. You loved it...admit it.

Well, even if you didn't, here are some of my favorite personal memories...

in the playroom with my sister making up routines to "Flashdance" and "Fame." ...dreams of becoming a "Solid Gold" dancer (and yes, I just dated myself) ...watching Dirty Dancing at least once a day every day for the entire summer after my 7th grade year.(Who didn't have those routines, and famous lines, memorized?!)...high school dance parties...college dorm room dance parties...our team dance for the talent show back in 'Nam...dancing at my sister's wedding...dancing in our house in Ktown...the secret routine choreographed by myself and Suz...and the "dance off's" between Jenni, Cliff and myself...all just begin to name a few of my faves.

So maybe this is why the disappointment of the day was lifted off my shoulders as I watched the 2 hour premier of the new season of "SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE?" Although, without Cliff and Jenni, I missed our routine dance off's, I may or may not have twirled a few times on my way down the hall. :)

Did you watch it? Do you think YOU can dance?

Even if you don't think so now, I'm positive there will be dancing in heaven. Just you wait!

I found a quiet, private corner in Barnes & Noble the other day where I could indulge the needs of my monastic self. I could barely hear the music of the store. And as I sat down on the floor (which Trix thought was so funny) with my pile of magazines and java chip frappuccino, the rest of the world seemed to disappear.

I was transported to another place (or rather, places) for at least an hour. Then, out of nowhere (OK, it wasn't really "NO" where because obviously she was just walking the store), this elderly woman began perusing the books in "my" section. I hardly noticed her presence as I was deep into Oprah's decorating secrets, until I heard her soft voice say, "You look happy."

I looked up, a bit off guard as I was suddenly thrust back into the real world, and smiled. I was happy. I am happy.

Still, I wonder how she knew?

Simple pleasures...abundant life....
May your days be full of these.

It's funny to think that this time last year I was getting anxious to leave CA and head back to the States. I was dreaming of all the things I would be able to do and the people I would see. Of course the summer months (which meant July and August for me) flew by and I was a bit sad to think that I would not be around the coming year to accomplish more.

Well, here I am...nearly 11 months later and I'm still Stateside. Looking at my current situation, I realize I have a choice. I can either choose to be anxious now about leaving this place or I can be content with having another opportunity to soak up the blessings of yet another summer.

I decided to choose the latter.

So in honor of this decision (and as a result of inspiration from her posts about seizing the moments here in America), my new motto is...

"Anything and Everything Summer."

Here's a beginner's list of just some of the things we have to accomplish:

1. Concerts in the Park
2. Farmer's Market....followed by ice cream
3. Sand Volleyball
4. Baseball Games (plural)
   
5. BBQ's (plural)
6. Frozen Drinks
7. Millenium Park in Chi-town
   
8. Zoo trip
9. Road Trips with the perfect soundtrack and the windows down
10. Swimming, sunbathing, and pointless magazine reading
    
11. Shakespeare Festival
12. Eat popsicles

Any other ideas?