Summer birthday, summer Bible school

My elation in summer is tempered only by the sense of it inexorably slipping away.  June into July, July into August, August into fall...

Dinner out with Jason, belatedly celebrating the end of the school year.

The birthday boy specifically requested waffles for his breakfast, so I had to carve a "7" instead of the usual pancake numbers. 

He had a very specific cake request as well:  chocolate cake, chocolate frosting, chocolate chips on the sides, and marshmallows on top.

Consider it done.

VBS was a big hit this year--easily the most fun I've ever had at it.  I wish I could say exactly why, so I could bottle it up and repeat it every year.

The kids didn't have a bad time either.

I know some factors were loving the people I worked with, often having riotous good times at our meetings; feeling more comfortable in my role, having done it a few times now; loving the curriculum; and feeling like we as an admin team finally have some good systems down for pulling it off.

Plus, no personal crises hit me during the week, and no stomach flu epidemic spread through the hundreds of children, as in the notorious "Pandamania" year.

"Rejoice, pray, give thanks" signs.

For that, I rejoice and give thanks! and pray that God continues to use our VBS every year to open little hearts to trust in Him.

Gook and glory

It's VBS season, and we're up to our eyeballs in that happy task.

I am helping to direct the program again, and Jason is gearing up to act out Bible stories in one of the classrooms.  It was he who had the creative idea to use chocolate pudding for the mud that Jesus smeared on the blind man's eyes [John 9].  Pop open a single-serve, smear, wash, pop open another single-serve for the next group, repeat.


So I suppose he soon will be literally up to his eyeballs in VBS.

One of my favorite things about VBS is how much time it affords me to work with our children's ministry director and friend Lisa.  This morning I made her cry.  I had reminded her of a Sunday school talk she gave once on helping to prepare our children for worship, and I told her that we had been following her suggestions.  Using the "All About Sunday" email our church sends every Friday, we choose one song from the upcoming service and sing it together.  Then we read that week's Scripture passage, helping the kids to read their parts of it.  Then we pass around a yellow vase in which I've stuck a whole bunch of jumbo popsicle sticks and we all "pick a stick."  On each stick is written a person or aspect of the worship service or concern of the church to pray for.  We each pray for what is written on our stick.


This morning my six-year-old prayed for our covenant children, that they would "recognize" Jesus and "learn more and more and more about Him."  My eleven-year-old prayed for one of our pastors.  My eight-year-old prayed that our Sunday school teachers would have a refreshing break over the summer.  It was sweet and glorious.

Yet, it was interspersed with ugliness and frustration.  Lines from the hymn were replaced with reprimands to keep-yourself-to-yourself-and-pay-attention.  Someone randomly started asking questions about their chewable vitamin in the middle of hearing God's holy Word.  Somebody was kicking someone else during prayer.

Isn't life a mixture of muck and glory?  Come to think of it, maybe that's why Jesus smeared mud on the blind man's eyes.  He could've healed with a touch or a word, yes, but maybe we're meant to learn that Jesus is comfortable working His healing beneath our mess.

Our sins they are many,

His mercy is more

-Matt Boswell and Matt Papa, "His Mercy Is More"

This is why summer is awesome

Not technically a summer picture.  Caleb lost a tooth and also lost his tooth pillow.  So I suggested he send Ears to wait outside his bedroom door as an overnight sentry to explain to the tooth fairy that Caleb did lose a tooth, but he couldn't find it, and could the tooth fairy please use Ears's pillow instead of Caleb's. 
Ears did his job well.  There was a dollar on his pillow in the morning.

Peach jam, peach bread.

Caleb and some of the friends he inevitably attracts whenever he brings his crocodile to the pool.

Caleb and croc enjoying the backyard water feature that is Jason's work in progress for the summer.

Crocodile at the pool again, probably drowning under the weight of four big kids.

Good friends

sharing their ice cream on a hot July day.

Backpacking

Autumn's long-cherished wish that I would go backpacking with her finally came true.

It was also my gift to Jeddy for his 14th birthday. 

Buddies since their 2nd birthdays.

Buddies since before birth.

Yes, out of love for my friend and my son, and in celebration of his life, I set aside my dislike of uncomfortable sleeping arrangements, close encounters with bears and rattlesnakes, pathogen-carrying ticks, and poison ivy on personal parts of my body.

Admittedly, I do like campfires, and trees, and the sound of birds all around me, and sticks.

And eating something cooked over the fire while sitting in the dirt.

And seeing my kids with their besties.

And hiking and sweating and mountaintop views.

Jeddy's headlamp.  (Not an angelic vision.)

💜

So, all things considered, since I haven't yet come down with Lyme disease (again) or West Nile or rattlesnake poison or even poison ivy from peeing behind trees...

...and we got to be with beloved friends...

...nor did we get struck by lightning...

...I have to admit the trip was a success.