God is so Cool!

We have been doing a Bible Study for the past 8 weeks, and every week there's always SOMETHING. I have to admit that I was a little apprehensive about this particular Bible Study because it is about the ....gasp...Old Testament. Eww, who wants to purposely study the Old Testament, and the tabernacle, no less!!! Well, let me tell you how cool it has been!! I will never look at the Bible the same! God is so awesome and complex. But I never realized how deliberate EVERYTHING in the Bible was. Even the endless description of the tabernacle and how and where and when it was to be built, all has a purpose! And I mean every detail! And the coolest thing is, is that it was all to be able to be with us. The tabernacle....a place for God to meet with us. Just a reminder that God loves us and is constantly in persuit of a relationship with us.

One year later....

I wasn't sure how I wanted to handle this.

Yesterday was one year that my dad has been gone. Wow. Doesn't seem real. My mom has been reading and studying a lot lately and she shares a lot with me. Recently she brought me an article about how we should celebrate my dad's life and not his death. So, I was trying really hard on not dwelling on the "one year anniversary" or whatever. But all weekend, my thoughts were going to exactly what I was doing one year ago at this time, one year ago at this moment...all that stuff.

So, I woke up yesterday not sure of how I wanted to feel. Do I get up and try and act like it was just another day? Or do I recognize how I really felt and be sad? Well, my feelings won out and I was sad. It was moment by moment, in the morning, of almost a play by play in my mind of what happened that day. As the day went on, and I got busier, it was almost as if I had had my time and was then ok.

If you would have asked me last year, where do I think I will be now, I don't know how I might have answered. I might have said that surely in a year, things will be easier, better...whatever that word is. But I don't know that it is. It's....different. I do remember in the days that followed his death some words of a family member that had also lost someone, they said...."It doesn't ever get easier" and I was like, uh, how sad. But now I think I know how she feels. It's almost a daily reminder of the fact that God is in control. My tummy still does those flip things when I think of the reality that he's gone. I miss him so much. And I hope, to some degree, that it never goes away.

Pre-Teen Camp 2009

It seems like I just can't get everything together at once. Now I am missing the cord that downloads my pictures from my camera. So, I can tell you all about the good week at Pre-Teen camp, but as of right now, I can't show you!!!

We had 3 girls go, plus, Travis who was in charge of the Teen Workers. One first timer. They seemed to have a great time! I wasn't able to go this year because of my job, but Tyler, Tucker and I drove up every single day and spent the day at the campgrounds. Tucker just couldn't bear the thought of not being in Ms Marie's Pre Camper class!

So, I do want to say a big THANK YOU to Samantha Sellars who took in my girls like they were her very own! They had a great week with her!

There were 48 salvations this week and that's awesome! That is one thing that I missed was being there for the services at night! But the cool thing was that there were also kids getting saved at the morning devotions and everywhere in between!

Also, Travis and I spent our 15th wedding anniversary at Camp Niangua! Where else! Everyone sang "Happy Anniversary" to us, and it was nice.

I promise that when I get my cord, you can see all the pics!