Growing up and learning to let go...

I am having a day of sighs... As I sit here at my favorite place, I am alone, and it is different. My children are here, but at the end of the day, one will stay and continue his adventure. This is hardest on me. My first born is grown up enough to not need me to care for him. He is enjoying time of independence. I know, I know, he is 9, and it is summer camp, and it is only one week (ok, 2) but I am learning that I need to change. He IS capable, and I need to let him be capable. I am reminded of a bible passage in this time: "⁴ “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, theLord is one.⁵ You shall love the Lordyour God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. ⁶ Andthese words that I command you today shall be on your heart. ⁷ You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. ⁸ You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. ⁹ You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates." 

I feel like this experience at camp is me trusting that we have trained him in The Lord and that he will be absolutely perfect at the end of the week, and will even have grown some, but I will miss the goodnight kiss, and a hug. He may be grown, but all of his firsts are all my firsts  and sometimes firsts are hard to dive in to, but, they are almost always rewarding! 

Caleb on his way to camp!

When life gets in the way, you live it!

A lot has happened since my last post, and I have to say, none of it has necessarily been expected, and none of it has been without great appreciation, and all of it has humbled me. 

Prayers are answered in many ways...at a meeting earlier this year, an opportunity arose that I am so excited to share. I will be working this summer. I know, me working? Well, I actually work a lot, but never talk about it. Well, I want to scream this work from the mountains! I will be the craft person at Camp Canonicus this summer. So what? S,this means a summer of sharing God's word and his spirit with children and teenagers from all over and deeming my own faith. It means my children will meet new people, and have experiences we could only have hoped for, and it means that I will get a chance to be in a place I grew up loving...Camp. 

There is something about spending time with nature that just makes me feel alive. I have energy, passion, and a love for being at one with all around me. The camp theme from our camp song is "to sense my belonging with all God has made" and I tell you, the experience is just that, grounding and mountaintop, and everywhere in between. 

I also have been asked to serve on a team for our denominations state chapter, and I have discovered a renewed love of outreach to the younger generations. I feel that I want my children to grow up to be strong grounded men, and full of the love and compassion of Christ.

So, if I am missing, If I am distant, if I do not wish you a happy birthday, please forgive me as I will be helping young hearts and minds to remember and/or know Christ.

What a blessing...

"For I know the plans I have for you, plans to prosper and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." - Jeremiah 29:11