Queenies Little Kingdom

I have waited to post about my adventure to youth camp this summer. Why? I don’t really know. I went as a chaperone (not my first time doing this…) but it was my first “mission” camp. We were in Greenville, South Carolina……or as the old song goes…..over the mountains and through the woods…… about 12+ hours away. I was lucky enough to be on the “hot” van (No, people. I don’t mean the one with all the beautiful people!!!). I’m talking about the one that the air-conditioner was kapoot! Not a good thing for this forty-something old lady, and I was in the front seat too. I was still on fire hot! I’m not complaining! Just trying to give you the full mental picture.

This van also did not have a working radio. Any of you who spend any time with teenagers know…..there MUST be music! I love music! You have to know that by now….but not a boom box rigged up on top of a tool box and several pillows right by my face (BLARING AS LOUD AS IT WOULD GO!!!). Get the picture? I wish so badly I had one. You would really enjoy it.

I was co-pilot with our fabulous youth pastor, Mark. Mark is great! He’s extremely ADHD (not a big deal as I am married to the “ORIGINAL” poster child of ADHD!). He’s wild & spontaneous! He’s hyped up and loud! He’s fun & crazy! He’s a ball of excitement! Which really means….he can also be annoying! In a good way! I, along with the rest of my family…LOVE Mark!
I wanted to totally be able to help him however he needed me. I’m a people pleaser by nature! Let me throw in here, we were traveling far away with little to NO SLEEP! With two vans full of teenagers excited to the max about going to camp. I was ready! Need the map read? Need this? Need that? I wanted to make sure Mark was NOT distracted with anything so as not to wreck and kill us all. Mark wanted to act not only as driver, but as head cd digger-outer/DJ to the boom box that was BLARING (have I mentioned that yet?)in my face.

Directly behind me in the seats were 3 big teenage boys. Who were very loud, playful and not so sleepy! One of whom took a liking to me right away. His name was Christian. He was just a sweetheart of a kid. He talked and talked. I had to turn in a weird way to participate in all our conversations, therefore me old neck got a crinky. I wanted so badly to sleep..but to be honest, I just couldn’t do it with that boom box blaring in my face. Once we arrived at camp, it was a whirlwind of activities that consisted of go, go, go the entire week. It was exhausting, but in a good way. Free-time was not on the list of activities.

One morning, Christian came to breakfast with a gift for me. He was so proud to give me my very own duct tape purse that he made with his own two hands. It even had a wallet and a place to put my cell phone. He was beaming with pride. I was touched! I really thought he was joking with me at first, but he was serious as could be. He wanted me to wear it and use it all week. I was all like….”Well, Christian…..I don’t want to mess it up!”. We had some rain during the week and honestly it wasn’t broke in quite right either. It hung all cattywonka and stayed gaped open….anxious to spill out all my personals. I told him…I’d hang on to it and keep it forever! Also, that I loved it and was very thankful he wanted to share his gift with me. What an honor! It had taken a lot of time to create…and to make it even more wonderful, he wrote my name on it. What a sweet kid!

I want you to know that I learned a great lesson from Christian. It was unconditional love stuff. He hooked onto me and he genuinely liked me. He wanted so badly to show me just how much. He spent his time (and when he had free time to construct an elaborate duct-tape purse I DON’T KNOW) putting this gift together to show me his love. I am really blessed because of it.
What is it about us that we are so careful to show love to people? Why do we live so reserved? Protecting our image? Wouldn’t it be nice if more of us were like Christian? Loving, accepting and looking for ways to bless others? I remember how everybody was laughing at his gift (they thought he was playing around) but he wasn’t. He thought it was amazing! Maybe that’s why we hold back, we’re afraid someone will laugh at us or think we’re weirdo’s. I want to be someone who blesses others. Lucky for them, I do not have the gift of duct-tape art. Maybe I have something else they need…..just to be a friend.

Acts 10:34…”God does not show favoritism, but accepts men from every nation who fear him and do what is right.”

My latest obsession! Is this guy! I cannot find a song that I do not loooooooove! For those of you who know me…..I have a Leeland thang too! I’m a whack when it comes to music…..I know I am! It takes me somewhere amazing! I love this first video (it is obvious this dad got super creative to a most wonderful song by MR. AMAZING, Phil Wickham), these sweet kids and even the family dog. Just precious! I heart this song! The second video……I can’t even explain how very beautiful this song is. It is beautiful! I’m thinking this guy surely could possibly wait and marry one of my daughters, don’t you agree? Go see him….he’s precious!

Can\’t Preach That

To follow along with lyrics, go here first:

http://newcreation-phil.blogspot.com/

Scroll down to May 21 entry (TommyInTheBox’s Music Interlude)
You may recognize a few names. If you are not familiar with them, try googling their names.
Joel Olsteen, Creflo Dollar, Fred Phelps, Dave Hunt, Robert Schuller. Watch out! Know the truth for yourself.

2 Peter 2:1 “But there were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you.”

Remember him? From yesterday? Well, you won’t believe this news! He’s in Ms. A’s German II class and guess what? Yes, he’s sitting right beside her…..ASSIGNED SEATS!!!!! For-EVAH! Need I say more? I think not!
Ohhhhh isn’t God good? Teehee!

What are the chances??? Oh so funny!

First day of school is always exciting. New classes, clothes, friends and the best part a whole new school-year! Today went great! Gates only had one complaint, her new choir teacher “didn’t even know her!”. It seems that she missed a little camp day that the new teacher held a few weeks back in the summer. Oh the pathetic memory of a mom! I put it on the calendar and everything! I still forgot it! So, not only did Mrs. Thompson not know who Gates was (personally), but the other kids knew the songs and the dance moves! Ahhhhhh! What is the deal with me? I had that sick mom feeling that I knew there was nothing I could do to bring back July twenty something???!
Does this stuff happen to any other moms? I am obnoxiously anal about stuff like this….how did we miss it? It’s just crazy! Surely, it happens to everybody some time or another.

Ally had the greatest lunch day. Her BFF had the same lunch as her and oh-mister-wonderful-I-have-a-crush-on-you did too. Guess where HE sat? Oh yea, at her table! Can you say exciting? Oh and as she and BFF were getting up to go to the french fry line, oh-mister……. asked BFF to buy him some fries and handed her dollars from his very own pocket (the pockets that he stuck his very own hands in and retrieved said money!!!). Wow! Then as soon as they were in line (out of oh-mister’s……. view) BFF handed the touched money to Ally and she was forever grateful!!!! (SHE STILL HAS THE ACTUAL MONEY!!!!). I saw it with my own eyes in the car as we peeled out of the school parking lot. Ahhhh, remember being a sophmore? Still sweet, yet trying everything in your power to GROW UP!!!

Gavin is a total dude! He blew in only to blow right back out. He was heading to a cool after school hang out session at the youth building at church. Which is where I might add that he had to park today. Our school is under MAJOR construction and it’s full to capacity for parking. Lucky me, staff can still park there. Most of our students are being bussed from different locations in town to the actual campus for school. They have to park at two other school’s and the perk is that they are only charged half the permit cost for their trouble. He will have an actual permit to park on campus by Monday (only Jr’s & Sr’s that have extracurricular) will be given permission to park at school. So he won’t have to hoof it across a highway from church for too long. Oh and he also dropped a class today. He has been on an engineering track heading to Purdue……not anymore! He made a total life decision without even asking ME!!!! What!? So, it begins. My journey of stepping back and letting my first-born go. It’s hard, ya’ll! Really hard! He’s ready…..but am I? I’m way too deep into this mom thing, I’m afraid. God, please help me!

All in all, we all survived and tomorrow is another day. We’ll be right back at it. Singing new songs and dancing new dances, hanging with BFF’s at lunch, and making life choices without even asking me. Oh me, time just seems to fly. I better hang on. We only have 179 more days to go!

Gavin, Ally & Gates 1996   (How do you yike us, mommy?  We ahhh tigurs!?)  Notice the ink stripes?

Gavin, Ally & Gates 2008 They grew out of their stripes!

Ok. For those of you who have the privilege of living with teenage girls, you’ll appreciate this. Today has been a bit hectic with getting ready for the first day of school. My girls (13 & 15) are trying to plan out their outfits for the big day. While shopping yesterday, both picked out some really cute dresses. So one would think that a cute little dress number would be the choice for tomorrow’s big debut back at ye ole schoolhouse! Naaaah, I don’t think so! This would be way too soon to dress “too” cute!
We must, afterall, not appear too dressy and showy. Our first outfit must be subtle, not too new and not too fancy! Do you remember your first day of school? Way back when? I do. I was so excited to wear those new Erf shoes (I slept in them!)….so new shmew! I couldn’t wait to be seen in my NEW stuff! That’s not how they roll these days.
I do remember the….”let’s be fashionably late” to all extra-curricular events. In hopes of gaining all attention as one enters. It was cool to not get there when everyone else did. You were some VIP if you moseyed in “as if”……obviously you were so important that you were somewhere else before arriving at this hot spot! It gave you status! Whatever! Looking back, what a bunch of insecure snots we were! But that’s just the same as planning out your outfits today.
My HS sophmore girl told me today that she had it all planned out. I’ll wear my new dress from PacSun on next Tuesday (that way I won’t look like I’m being too excited to wear it!). Oh the hysteria! I love it! There is a ton of pressure on teens (I see it every day working in a high school) and they have a hard time managing it. I wish there was a way to tell them the truth about these years. The teen years are not as critical as they think! The stuff they worry about….will be so stupid to them later in life. If only they could see the stuff that really matters. Like having a relationship with Christ and trusting Him with all their worries. Or even being a good friend to others. It all comes back, someday! I went to school with mean girls too! Nowadays, they are trained from birth to be “mean” girls. It’s a survival tactic, I believe. It’s heartbreaking!

Here’s my prayer for my three teens as we begin our new school year!

God, let my teens seek you in all they do and say as they enter into a new school year. Open their hearts to loving and accepting those around them that you send their way. Touch them and show them how to be more like you and not like the world. Fill them with desire to tell others about you and your incredible forgiveness and promise of salvation. Make them hunger and thirst for your word and for time to spend with you. Let them feel safe, secure and confident in who they are and to whom they belong as they walk day-by-day. Give their dad and I wisdom and courage to parent them in a way that honors you, Lord. Show us when we fail and correct us when we fall short that we may stay in sweet harmony for what you have in store for each of us. Protect us, shield us from the enemy and guard our hearts and minds. May we be Christ in our schools. We love you, our heavenly Father. Wherever you lead, we’ll go! In the name of Jesus, Amen!