Day Uno

So, this wasn't all that bad.  It was a pretty normal day except that we drank our meals.  Mike had to make two of his before he left for work so he had his "to go" and I made mine fresh.  Or rather, Anson made mine fresh.  What is it with boys and things that plug in?  He just wanted to "play" I'm sure!  I did, however, get my meals made for me, so that was GREAT!  Alright...so what was the line-up? Well, I sort of charted our course (or courses...HA) so that we would have a different juice each meal.  This is how it went down:
Breakfast: Apple, carrot, lemon
Snack: 16 oz of unflavored coconut water
Lunch: A "Garden Variety" it was Kale, cucumber, parsley, and apples
Snack: "Sporty Spice" Beets, lemon, orange, celery, carrot, and basil
Supper: "Mean Green" cucumber, celery, apples, kale, ginger, lemon

I am supposed to have "dessert" but Mike isn't back from the store, and I'm actually not feeling like eating. I think I might be hungry, but I can't drink these fast.  It's strange. With most any other drink (like my favorite Coca Cola!) I can just guzzle them down, but not these.  I put them in a glass with a straw and end up sipping on them.  I don't mind the flavor of them at all, I just can't "eat" so much food so fast.  Which makes me wonder why I'm able to guzzle a Coke in a minute.  Probably because it's not real.  (Just real good! :) ) It took me an hour and a half to get the 16 oz of Coconut Water down.  It was strange.  So, day one was fine.  I heard that many people have horrible days, usually day 2 or 3 and I'm just not anticipating that.  I know that my body is in need of a reboot, but I haven't been out lately and had already started to clean things up a teeny tiny bit.  So, I'm hoping for a somewhat uneventful weekend as far as that goes.  I did tell my children today that if I seem grumpy, I'll excuse myself to my room until it passes.  I didn't need a nap (I'm not a huge napper, but I feel like I want one) and I was not groggy or ill tempered. I took the opportunity to read to my boy.  He's so great.  So, now Mike is home and we're going to top the day off with a "peach pie" there will be no flaky crust, but there are peaches so we've got that going for us!  What else, I'm finding I feel fine and don't need to eat, but I'm a constant eater.  For instance, I caught myself SEVERAL times today NOT putting my hand in my mouth.  Like handing Caroline some Mini Wheats, I'm a "one for you, 2 for Mommy" kinda gal.  That was all day.  NOT taking a spoonful of peanut butter when it was out or a Cheez-It at a friends house, or Caroline's crust...that's a lot of random food...or calories anyway that I don't "need" I just put stuff in my mouth. HOLY COW I'm a toddler!!!! That's seriously what happens.  I just wander around putting things in my  mouth.  That's the hardest part, really.  Also, my teeth feel really dirty.  Is that normal?  Like, I need to brush more often.  Hmm.  Caroline LOVES the mean green.  She kept asking for a "sip" and then it cleared things up just before bed time if you know what I mean.  The rest of the children all like the "orange" and "red" drinks, but Julia likes the green juices as well. I'm thankful because we will be incorporating this into our daily diet...somehow.

In other news...a short blog...a "blogella"

My children are like Mary Poppins' carpet bag.  They carry random stuff with them all over the place.  Every place we go.  It's books, and little animals and legos...if they can put it in their pocket, they have it with them.  I am constantly asking them to leave it "in the house."  Mostly, I insist on this because it will inevitably end up in the van and it's a mess.  Well, last night on our big night out Anson lost his altoids box. I know, right, why an altoids box?  Well, apparently you can store some pretty awesome things in this little treasure box, and when it gets lost, it's a super big downer to a 10 year old boy.  So, I humored him and walked back through Kroger and looked through all of the bags...no altoids box.  The real treasure is what was in the box...a "custom" Lego figure.  It's actually Anson as a college graduate. I promise that's what he said it was!  So, he was downtrodden and I went ahead with the speech anyway, "I hate to say it, but this is why Daddy and I ask you to keep things in blah, blah...." so we got home and put the large quantities of food away and he showered.  Well, while Mike, whom we all refer to as "Eagle Eyes" was emptying the van, he found the treasure!  Mostly, he found it because he looked for it.  Anson's little face (well, not so little anymore...he's growing up so fast) lit up.  We'd already talked about the parable of the lost sheep and how we can understand how the shepherd rejoices, how Christ rejoices, when that one lamb is found.  So, when his treasure was returned we remembered that the angels rejoice.  It's a big deal when a wandering soul finds rest in the One who left the 99 to find him.  I pray that my children know how the Lord celebrates over them.  You know who else I want to know that?  Me.  God loves me.  He thinks that I have a treasure in my fragile clay vessel.  I do, too.  His Spirit.  Leading, guiding, changing...keeping me close to the One who sought me when I was astray and using His merciful right arm pulled me back into the green pasture that is His.  There was much rejoicing over the altoid box...and much more over the truth that resonates with us all regarding that Amazing Grace that saved a wretch like me.  I once was lost and now I'm found...rejoice, my friend...you are in good company when you sing His praise!

So, back to the juice.  Mike just served up a super tasty treat!  It's peaches, blueberries, 1 apple, a sweet potato and a dash of cinnamon.

The verdict after day 1?  I'm looking forward to Day 2.  My belly already feels less bloated and I'm glad for the opportunity to change.

This is breakfast.  

This is the breakfast maker.  He was able to make 4 juices total in very little time thanks to this awesome juicer on loan!  

These are not juices. :)  They are excited to try everything and I'm thankful that they want to be in the kitchen...but were on the other side at this particular time. It gets CRAMPED!

So, we are juicing, not the children.  They made their own lunches because Caroline was with my Mom.  There's my "Garden Variety" amidst the variety!  This is lunch.

This face is sort of honest.  It wasn't horrible, but the cucumber is pretty strong.  I'm sure it's an acquired taste.

Also sort of honest...it's really not bad.

Here's my Sporty Spice for my snack.  It's weird that they are all the same size.  There is no "snack size."  I liked this one.

This is what went into supper.  This is the Mean Green.  The lemons were huge!  Even though we cut them in half it was still pretty tart, but a nice change from the Garden Variety.

Now this is TASTY!  Caroline just harassed Mike for "more, more, more" from her bed!  This is the peach pie dessert. I think we'll sip these and then call it a night.  Thanks for checking in!

We're Totally Doing It!!!

So, we've been home from camp for not even two weeks.  In that time I have planned and started school and Mike and I caught a documentary this week that has inspired us!  I know that beauty isn't what's on the outside.  I'm totally for that.  With 3 girls, I try to keep my personal critiques to myself, but let me say that Camp Marannook serves some AWESOME desserts...and sometimes they show up twice a day.  Now, I didn't want to miss out on any of them...so I didn't.  So, um...anyway...I don't feel well.  I feel bloated at the end of the day and just plain blah.  I am NOT BLAMING MARANNOOK!  They didn't make me eat them.  So, I love Camp and it didn't make me feel blah.  Promise!  Also, Ella has been complaining of chronic headaches and we feel like it's time to do something.  She does have an appointment early September, so I wanted to try to see some improvements before we went a medical route.  So, the documentary that we watched?  Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead.  The quick and dirty is that Joe Cross was just that, Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead.  He went on a 60 day juice fast and is currently living a happy and healthy life pain and medication free.  It makes sense.  If you put good things in, your body will function properly.  We've not been fabulous about putting great things in.  So, after the documentary we both looked at each other and said, "Let's do it!"  That was Wednesday!  So, we are borrowing a juicer (Thanks, Marti!  You're next!!!) and just took all four children on the grocery run and are now having, um, Peanut Buster before we go to bed!  Don't judge me!!!  I'm afraid I won't want it when this is over, so I'm enjoying it now. (Funny thing, it's a Marannook recipe!) In the quiet of the night.  So, I thought since I hadn't blogged in a long time, I'd do my own little documentary right here.  That will be a stretch for me, but I want to share this little adventure, hoping maybe someone else will get up the courage to "reboot."  So,  I was going to blog this and then publish it when it was over so that if I crashed and burned no one would know.  I think that's part of the adventure...so welcome!  I'll be back tomorrow with the verdict on Day 1.  If you are interested you can watch Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead for free with Amazon Prime, or I think you can pull it up in pieces on youtube.  Also, the   website where you can get details on a juice fast and even a pretty planned out day to help with the level of success!  So, here's to loving the Lord with my heart, mind, soul and strength!!!

We have a bit of a "storage issue" so food that doesn't need to be refrigerated...lives here.

I cannot tell you how thankful I am that Mike's brain doesn't work the same as mine. I told him I'd do bedtime if he'd organize the food!  I totally got the better end of that deal!  Except I did end up washing the dishes from the leftovers.  But the fridge...  

Looks great!  Doesn't it.  Look at all that Kale!  What the Kale?  HA

This should get us through the first 6 days.  The milk is for the children, that's not part of the fast.

So here is the frontal view.  Mike was sad that it's not a typical "before" picture.  

      He said I should take my jewelry off and not smile.  You know, like they always do in those makeovers.  Also, if you are looking close you'll notice there are no floors in my bedroom.  One thing at a time around here! :)

Some people look like this when they've just found out the gender of their baby!!!  I'm NOT pregnant (I wouldn't mind...but that's not a baby!)

It's weird seeing my bedroom on here.

So, that's all for now, folks.  I'm really putting myself out there.  What if I look the same in my after pictures!  Even if I still have the same clothes on? Maybe I'll wear the same clothes so that we can see a difference.  It'll be a surprise!  Well, I'll be glad that we gave it a shot.  And I don't think it can hurt!!!  Thanks for stopping by!

Camp, Camp, Camp It Up!!!

So, I got my children back last night.  I think they were all on the brink of tears, even though we live here.  I think they were insanely tired, and really sad that their experience is over.  Y'all.  I'm a fan.  I certainly have an advantage over other parents who are SCARED TO DEATH to send their children to camp because I practically interviewed all of the counselors over the last few weeks.  For every meal we have the privilege of dining with these incredible young people.  So, I've talked with them and told jokes and laughed and even cried a little.  I trust them.  I was glad that my children got to spend a week with them. I'm sad that they can't spend a week with every. single. one. of. them.  Because they are just that incredible.  Let me tell you what they have to agree to in order to come here and learn about Jesus.

First of all, this is a position that they are "sponsored" for.  The training staff is just that...trained.  They have some of the most incredible tools at their fingertips and will spend at least 100 hours studying the Word.  This is not a paid position.  They are not making any money being here.  And, they keep. coming. back.  They WANT to be here.  They GET to be here.  They get it.  Jesus is worth investing in.

Second they have standards.  Have you ever seen a full group of 20 somethings with their shirts tucked in and belts on?  The girls wear clothing that covers all the stuff that needs to be covered and the guys wear shirts and ties to church. It's NOT legalistic, it's refreshing.  All of the girls have said how much they have enjoyed the standard.  They said that they are far more comfortable and glad that they don't have to worry with their clothes.  They agree to this.  They buy clothes to come here.

They have a schedule.  Their days are scripted with work that needs to be done.  They have bedtimes and chores and they SMILE.  They love being at Marannook, which means God's Resting Place.

They turn in their electronics.  They have their phones at certain times during the summer and have a place to make calls when they have time.  Many of them didn't want their phones back.  They are glad to be unplugged.  Because they have all found that unplugging from one thing means they can plug into the Main Thing...the Lord.

They spend HOURS making daily action plans, or DAP's, so that every minute that they have with these children is planned and points to Jesus.  They wrote their own tract to share the Gospel in an age appropriate manner.  They came up with their idea, based on Romans, and colored and laminated and presented these treasures to their sweet campers.  They work really hard.  Really.

Why would I tell you these things about the counselors?  I feel like these days this is a lot for some young people.  The fact that these folks are willing to submit to these reasonable, but uncommon requests speaks volumes about their willingness to seek the Lord while He may be found.  They are giddy with excitement when it's time for campers and last night one counselors who had 5 little guys said, "I miss them already. I had to walk over here alone."  They want to share the Gospel.  By the time they get campers they have spent so much time with the Lord that they are excited to tell these children the Great News.  They have been captivated by His love.  It makes Marannook what it is.  A place where we know God and make Him known through the vehicle of camping.

So, my children said that they wanted to read 1 and 2nd Samuel because they loved hearing "the rest of the story" of David and Goliath.  I thought I taught my children.  We read and discuss, but we don't typically spend an entire week on a few chapters. I asked Anson what he'd like to "take home" and he said, "Private Worship."  Really?  Well, probably because the waterslide into the lake isn't an option!  Every thing that they did pointed to Jesus as our Savior.  For an example, they had a mud fight with water and mud (how else would we get mud...it conveniently rained for 3 days...so that got us some mud!) and they wore trash bags.  The mud represented sin and the trash bags were to prove that no matter how hard we try, we cannot keep ourselves clean.  We need Jesus to cleanse our sins.  They had AAA time which Anson loved.  That's "analogy and application time" where you try to see how your activity connects to the Gospel.  Anson said it was like a puzzle to see how it fits.  They saw, this week, that it all fits.  It is all Jesus.

So,  I need to read a book to them all and enjoy this quiet, but I just wanted to let you all know what camp was like.  I was hoping to update more often, but there is really a lot that goes into this sort of awesomeness...and I only play a small role.  (Well, small if you think groceries that come on a truck is small! :) )  I know that this blog is a place where I write what I'm learning and how I see the Lord in all things, but I thank you for letting me take a little bit of time to tell you what THEY are learning and how Marannook is coming alongside us and fitting them for the kingdom.

More to come on how Marannook has been fitting ME for the kingdom....

Oh, if you are on Facebook (or like me know someone with a password that you can use) you can find Marannook on facebook and see pictures from the week.  If you know a Wessner, you'll see their sweet faces!  Not my face, though...I was making sure those faces had food to eat!  And boy do campers eat!!!

Poor Vision?

I don't remember ever seeing clearly.  We think it was caused from an accident when I was very young. I started seeing double and we called it a "lazy eye" and some pretty intense far-sightedness.  I suppose I get along just fine these days.  Thankfully the years of my ENORMOUS, red, Sally Jesse Raphael glasses are over!  My parents invested in some contacts when I was 15 and I was a new gal!  However, since arriving at Camp Marannook, I've noticed that my vision isn't what I thought it was.  My children's vision is WAY better than mine.  Sort of frustrating.

For instance, today at "The Rock," our favorite after dinner hang-out to catch tadpoles and frogs,  Julia mentioned that there were, "a million" tadpoles swimming in one certain area.  I went to look and didn't see one.  Then, tonight, the girls asked to go catch lightening bugs, of course I said yes.  I finished up my Amazon order (I love my free Prime trial membership!) and headed outside.  They said that they could see them all over the place.  Me?  Notsomuch.  I have forgotten.  It's like in Hook when Peter Pan is confronted with the cold hard facts about growing up.  He forgot how to imagine.  I think my vision has failed because I stopped using it.  I stopped looking.

So, tonight I looked.  In fact, I did look pretty hard for those tadpoles, I think she scared them away and they were hiding under the algae.  But I was looking for the fireflies.  Shoes off, age aside, I was running after them.  I haven't caught one, but it's a victory to see them, isn't it?  Then, after we had spun each other around until we fell down giggling into the wet grass (that is SO AWESOME...even more AWESOME is that the maintenance men from camp cut it!  Those of you who know us know what an ENORMOUS deal that is!!!) we lay there watching the stars come out one by one.  I saw them.  At first I could only see 2, but as the night wore on and my eyes adjusted I could see them appear.  It was like we showed up for one of God's daily wonders that we have ignored for quite some time.  I almost wanted to clap and sing, "Again, again...do it again Jesus!"  I didn't sing or clap because Anson was going on and on about the stars fitting into other stars and galaxies and blah blah blah :)  that finally I said we should just be still and listen to the night.  As the night got darker, my sight got clearer.  Probably just another miracle, huh?

Something I have noticed as I've been here almost 4 weeks, is how nervous I get of time.  I think I have trained my children to enjoy down time, but I don't like having "little" to do.  I think as adults we might schedule our children for our own sakes, not theirs.  They are happy laying in the grass...are we?  I'm finding that being here is giving me what I say I want, time with my children, and it's an adjustment.  It's easy to be with my children and never really speak to them...or listen to them. (although Mike just took them to Camp to listen to Mr. Charles read to the staff, they just finished The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe and have started the Magicians Nephew...he reads to them for 30 minutes before they go to bed) I'm enjoying the QUIET!

So, I think I'm going to read my new book, Exploring the World of Mathematics, but I just wanted to encourage those of you who read this (I think it's neat that you do) to have your vision checked.  Go to the Great Physician and find out if you are seeing things clearly, or at all.  I'll tell you what, if you aren't seeing things clearly, you are missing out.  Lay a blanket in the yard, spin your kids around until they can't walk straight, my best friend counted how many times they saw fireflies light up in a minute...that's counting God's glory!  Imagine...counting God's glory...did I just make that up?  I think I did, but what a great idea!  Look for it, listen for it, His word promises that if we seek Him, we WILL find Him, if we seek Him with all our heart.  So, I guess I can't remember seeing clearly, until tonight.

Camp by me, Love

I love that movie with the adolescent Patrick Dempsey doing the wild ant eater dance!  Only it's, "Can't by me love."  Well, this summer I'm putting a little spin on it as we are settled in a small town in Alabama at a camp with a big heart for a Huge Savior.

The sad thing is that, as usual, there will be no pictures. I hate that about my blog and yet I do nothing about it!  At some point there will be some. I need to check with the CEO to find out what can be posted and what should not be posted...so until then, my words will have to do.  This will not satisfy family, I'm sure...but I'm doing the best I can.  Onward!!!

For several YEARS Mike has battled with the Spirit as to what he is supposed to be doing and where.  We've taken the Perspectives on World Missions course, and that confirmed that we are not headed overseas, we've looked into teaching abroad...still nothing...and then we spoke with a friend about camp ministry.  After a few years of struggling I finally said, "Alright, if you could do ANYTHING what would it be?"  His response, "I love camp. I'd love to raise our family at camp."  Alright, I thought, now we are getting someplace.  So, last year we sent out a few applications to camps and again...nothing.  So, we moved into our house.  You remember my new countertops and the bookshelves.  Well, an opportunity popped up for us to spend a summer at camp sort of investigating if this was for us.  So, here we are.  Our summer adventure at Camp Marannook.  I think I can put the name of the camp, in fact, if you are looking for a top-notch camp to send your children to, look no further!  So, I wanted to give everyone sort of an update as to what we are doing and what our days look like.

Every day is different, yet they have elements that remain the same. We wake to Secret Worship.  That's a time where we read our chapters for the day before we "begin" our day.  We are reading through Romans and Acts, all of Psalms and some of the Epistles...I think, I'd have to check my schedule.  Then we get everyone ready and head out the door a mile down the road to have breakfast at Manna.  We arrive only a few minutes early and the Training Staff trickles in to start their day as well.  The Training Staff are college students from as far as Indiana and as close as Auburn who have come here to study the word (over 100 hours total for the summer) and share the gospel through the camping experience.  These students are AWESOME!  They are intelligent and funny and passionate about knowing Jesus and making Him known.  So, we circle up (picture roughly 57 people holding hands on an open air deck) to thank Jesus for our food and the day.  After a clap confirming it's time to eat we start through the line.  The high school girls, "kitchies" as they are aptly named, provide service with a smile. We eat GOOD!  We find our places at our picnic tables and enjoy some sweet food and sweeter fellowship.  Roughly 45 minutes into breakfast a deep voice with a charming southern drawl belts out the first line of scripture signaling to everyone to stop their conversation and listen to what Spurgeon has to say from "Morning and Evening"  sometimes we read the Word, "On the Rocks" that's straight up!  Once the reading is finished we get the plan for the day and within minutes the deck is cleared and everyone is off to their business.  Our children find sticks and rocks to play with the other children who are family staff (their Dad is the maintenance director).  I might meet with the Kitchen Director to finalize the menu/grocery list, maybe we'll take a walk with our neighbors (the maintenance family) around the lake and hit the low ropes course.  Perhaps we'll catch some frogs or tadpoles at "The Rock."  Some mornings I leave to grocery shop with sweet, Mrs. B, while a kitchie babysits my children.  Either way, we're back at 12:30 to circle up again and to fill our bellies with food while the Spirit nourishes our souls as we talk and share.  You see, we have many "traditions" here at Camp and 2 major traditions are, "No gossiping and No complaining."  Do you know how pleasant an atmosphere is when those things are not tolerated.  Like, seriously, not tolerated.  After lunch it looks a little like after breakfast, only naps are pretty strictly enforced.  My children are EXHAUSTED and they haven't even had their week of camp yet!  I suppose it's all of the fresh air and good food!  So, an afternoon of rest, sometimes this is where I grocery shop, and then it's back to Manna (our cafeteria) for dinner.  We listen to reading after every meal and no one is excused until it's over.  It's INCREDIBLE. Sometimes we might sing a hymn that "wafts" (as Mr. C puts it) up from our heart.  It makes my heart so full.  So very full.  Usually after supper we are ready to head home and call it a day, but maybe we take a trip to the pool first for an evening swim, just the 5 of us.  Mike is busy with the Training Staff, learning and growing and watching.  Then we come home and shower and the kids head to bed while I start my little (sorta big) task of ordering the food.  Mike makes his way home a little after 9:00, we have a little bit of a "debriefing" and it's off to bed.  This camp thing is no "walk in the park" or "woods" for that matter!  It's FULL!!!

A quick idea of what I'm doing.  I am ordering food. It's no different from what any other Mom does, it's just on a much bigger scale!  We needed 495 buns!  How do you even get that???  We shop from 2 places and then order from one place twice a week that delivers our nosh on a truck.  I told Mrs. B last night that I don't remember the last time when I didn't get good at something quickly.  This is going to take some time.  Everytime my phone rings I think, "Oh dear, what did I forget?  What are we missing?"  Yesterday the Kitchen Director called and in her super sweet voice, "Mrs. Ali, I was looking at the forks and we have 6 or 7."  Me, "Boxes?"  KD, "No, forks."  With the Saturday picnic to look forward to the children and I loaded up and headed to Kroger.  That was after I had forgotten feta and pepperoni earlier.  Thankfully I was already out! The Lord has been kind to have me where I needed to be when I get these calls, but I feel frustrated that I'm not perfect at it.  Enter my kind Savior.  I think it's been a long time since I've really been stretched.  I mean, homeschooling 4 people will stretch you, but do you know what I mean?  That kind of stretch that comes from the Holy Spirt that confirms you belong to God and He will not allow you to be complacent.  The good stretch that causes you to look to Heaven and praise Him for filling in your gaps...for revealing them...for increasing in your weakness.  It's a good thing...no, it's a great thing.  Each week I am getting a little bit better...but I'm nervous at every meal. I feel like I'm the food police.  Last week everyone was pleasantly surprised that swiss cheese showed up.  I panicked!  Swiss cheese was for the ham quiche...would there be enough?  AHHHHH!!!!  The ham quiche was today, all 14 of them, and they were delicious and there was plenty of swiss cheese!  Tomorrow I'll meet the food truck with Mrs. B to see what we ordered (or what we should have ordered) and hopefully that will help me do this better.  I want to give a shout out to Mrs. Barbara and Mr. Charles...have you ever been around people who know Jesus forgave them their sins?  Like, really have dwelled on it and have given their lives to responding to His grace?  It's a pleasure to struggle to learn something under them because they understand our frailty and help you become what Jesus wants you to become.  I still put a ton of pressure on myself, but their gentle leading and guidance excite me to do better...to trust in Jesus to enable me to do my job...and do it for His glory.

So, that's us.  We got to go to the library last week.  What a refreshing day that was!  Our kind neighbor,  fellow homeschooler and book lover, loaned us some books when she found out we didn't bring any (Camp has a library, we just haven't made it there yet) so we were THRILLED when the librarian at the local library allowed us to have cards to check out books.  I was so very thankful that she didn't run a background check on our ability to return books on time.  Or, maybe she did and she's hoping to make some cash for their library while we're here running up fines!  This sweet place is a TON different from our library.  It's smaller, it's actually in a room of the old Presbyterian Church.  It just says, "LIBRARY" out front.  They have a counter that they use to count the folks who enter.  I don't know why that is so cute to me.  We headed home with 30 books and the best part is that our neighbors came over to read with us.  God has been kind to provide people that we never thought to ask for, as partners in this summer.  Only a few days in, their mom said, "Do your children ask to come over to my house as much as my children ask to come to yours?"  It's a fact...God has provided good friends for us for this adventure.  He also provided some small "pets" in the form of Chad and Chase, our box turtles.  The children built a little pen outside with bricks they found in our yard (scavengers) and it's sort of fun to watch those little guys.  We toss fruit out there every now and then.  They certainly don't replace Sonny who is romping on the Graham Fam Farm, but they are sort of fun to have.

I think that's about all.  That's a long and broad overview of what the Wessner's are doing this summer. Perhaps one day I'll post pictures.  Perhaps.  If you've got children that need a break from the world and  want them to have a Christ centered week...send them our way...we'd love to see some familiar faces!  I checked with Charles and Barbara and for 1-4 graders for the week of June 30-July 5th it's not too late and for the week following there is also a bit of room, just not as much.  Y'all, these counselors are PRECIOUS!  Your children would be so blessed by their time here.  We also have camp for 5-7th graders the last 2 weeks in July.  I'm telling you, I've watched one group of campers come and go and it truly is a blessing to be in this place.  Here is the link again to Camp Marannook.

Oh...our house.  Picture an old brick house on a country road with white awnings over the windows...that's our house.  We have just what we need and are enjoying our home away from home. I was slightly disappointed at our inability to keep tidy a place that doesn't even have 1/10 of our belongings.  I suppose we are the problem and not our house or our stuff...we just aren't a "neat" crowd.  Oh well, Jesus loves me of this I am CONVINCED!!!  The 3 older kids are bunked together, Mike and I (of course) and Caroline has her own room.  A Marannook Miracle is that we were really having a hard time with Caroline in a big bed, so much so that we put her back in the pack n play at home, we brought one with us, set it up, but she wanted to sleep in the PRECIOUS bed provided.  She stays in that bed and SLEEPS THROUGH THE NIGHT!!!  We are so thankful and are trying to figure out how to sneak the bed home! :)  Not really, there's not a single place for it...I do wish we could, though.  So, we are doing well.  Clearly God has placed us here for such a time as this and as we find our way, we find Him.  It's a privilege to be here, to serve and be served as the Spirit ministers to us all calling us to lay it all down, consider it all rubbish that we might know Christ.

May it be so.  Amen.

Double Dang Wait Time!

So, I very zealously signed up for the yearbook task for our homeschool group, Classical Conversations.  Mike is pretty good at them, and I thought it would be fun.  Which it was.  However, ordering makes me so INCREDIBLY NERVOUS!!!  I had to collect the money, which in hindsight I probably would have done at the beginning of the year, or at least not at the end.  I had to count the money :) and I still need to deposit it.  So, I set a deadline so that Mike and I would get it done, and of course the deadline came and went, but at least we knew that it came and went and so we were working somewhat feverishly to get it completed so that it could be ordered and the year would be wrapped up in a pretty book.  SO...Monday and Tuesday nights were very late because we were working, but last night...I did the deed. I ordered the book.  I had boosted confidence after some of the ladies were like, "Ali, order it.  We don't care if there are mistakes and typos...just go ahead and order it!"  Hooray, I will. So, I came home after another evening out and finished a few things and then proceeded to order the book.  First of all, Shutterfly is an excellent site as far as customer service.  They are available until 9:00 Pacific time...that's midnight here, HIP HIP HOORAY!  So, I had to call someone because Mike was asleep (although I did make him wake up to kill a roach...no judgements please) and they are so nice, even at 11:45.  One person was in Charlotte and then when I called back I got someone in Arizona.  I found myself a little weird as I was waiting on things to save and whatnot, and there was a little bit of silence.  I was like, "So, is it busy this late?  Where are you anyway?  Do you mind waiting until I finish my transaction or do you need to go?"  It was a little strange.  So, I got them ordered and finally tried to settle down and go to sleep.  Which, was nearly impossible because I had just been with a bunch of other moms talking about school stuff and then the yearbook had me all keyed up...then there is a wedding this weekend...a food show next week...my brain wouldn't stop.  Then, I thought that there was a spider on my pillow (strange dream? or fear that my half asleep husband wasn't quite the pest control man I needed him to be earlier in the evening).  So, it was bad sleep which was stinky news because the night before I had gotten no sleep.  So, I suppose I had finally  fallen into somewhat of a sleep and then I popped alive with this thought, "Kimberly ordered 2 yearbooks...I only ordered one for her!  DANG IT ALL!!!"   So, then I couldn't do anything but lay there and recalculate and figure out what would happen.  So, all I could do was wait until Shutterfly was available to help me in this teeny debacle.  So, after a short nap on the couch where I did some awesome half asleep parenting I called Shutterfly.  There is a 29 minute wait time.  WHAT???  Did 753 other people make the same mistake?  UGH...I was thinking of all of the things I could do while the phone was on speaker just listening to some awesome music when I thought, "I wish Jesus would give me a wait time."  You realize how much more patient you are when you know, "How much longer."  It's like the question of all times from the back seat, "Are we there yet?"  Like, I can handle 29 minutes because I know what to expect.  I can work with that.  Then, to beat that they came on and said that they were experiencing longer wait times than usual and would I like to hold my place in line and have them call me back as soon as they were available.  Sure!  Why not?  I'll get some things done around here and then they'll get back to me.  Lord, you could totally learn something from Shutterfly.  Look how calm and cool I am because they gave me information that I needed.  Look how fine I am with waiting. I'm such a good waiter. You know, patience is one of the fruits of the Spirit, I must have gotten a double portion this morning from my nap.  WHAT???  I suppose that defeats the purpose of TRUST.  I suppose if the Lord said, "Hey, Ali, you've got a wait time of roughly 2 years on more children.  Do something fun while you wait."  I'd just wait patiently, like lazy river style...just enjoy the ride.  Or, "Hey, Ali, you and Mike have about 1 more year of teaching and I'm going to move you on."  Hey, alright...party on!  We'll do it for Jesus!  Go out with a bang, right?  Right on!  I could totally do that...and nothing would be worked out in me.  I would remain probably the same.  I would never look for His hand. I'd never seek His face...beg Him to reveal himself to me (Shutterfly just called me back!) I'd never struggle to be content with His right now.  I'd never get creative with my wait time.  I'd never wait again!  I'd be a spoiled rotten tantrum throwing child of God.  That's not necessarily a fragrant aroma to Christ, now is it?  So, I'm off the phone now, and I couldn't just add a book, that would be super easy, but there is currently free shipping, and the books are on sale...and Robin (a man with a movie voice) said that he'd give me priority shipping so...what's a few more dollars right?  When your Dad is the King of Kings.  Hopefully I'll rest easy now.  Until the next unexpected wait!  I want to share one more thing with you while my children are not doing their school work and are happily playing something that will probably result in either a big mess or a creation that I need a power nap in order to listen to the explanation.  Here's the verse...

Every night Mike reads to us from the New Testament.  We are now in Galatians...that's a pretty awesome book.  (Anson just brought me my Bible, update...they are playing restaurant. Hopefully no real food or water is participating...I should be folding laundry, unloading the dishwasher...or playing restaurant) So, last night we were reading from chapter 4.  Listen to how this ends, I almost cried, "Therefore, brothers, we are not children of the slave woman, but of the free woman."  WHAT???  That struck a cord deep in my spirit.  It was like cold water to my face.  "Ali, you are not a slave.  You don't come from a line of slaves.  Your mother was Sarah...not Hagar...you are a child of the Promise...you are not children of the slave woman."  Y'all...do you know how much differently that would cause one to live...cause one to wait.  Knowing that you are free.  I have been walking with God for roughly 16 years and still, freedom surprises me.  I hope it surprises you, too.  I am reading Uncle Tom's Cabin and I think that may be way it was a little bit more powerful.  To picture how slaves are property of their master.  They were considered only as valuable as their bodies and even considered soulless.  I don't know what slaves were like in the time when Paul was writing, but I'm sure it wasn't a much prettier version if prettier at all.  So, now I do have some things to do. I have to get our sub for Sunday School lined up, do all the other stuff and walk like a free woman...it's going to be a great day!

Look UP!

It's mostly quiet around here.  As usual Mike has beaten me to the Land of Nod and left me all alone in the mostly quiet.  Just turned off the weird TV that was Jay Leno, now it's more quiet.  I've been scratching out my plan of attack for school and I'm excited about it.  We'll start a new routine on Monday (which I'm sure will be promptly interrupted by life, but I'm ready for it!) and so fresh notebooks and checklists.  It's rather exciting.  We also had a quick trip to see my Dad and Pam in FL and it was nice to have a little get away.  Some pool, some sand, some golf...some time with Dad and Pam...everyone was a winner!  So, this post has been in my head for quite some time, so since Mike will be home to help out with the kids, I'll stay up a little later to get it out of my head and onto this...paper?  Well....anyway....

"Guys, let's try to find a spot in St. Andrews, this is my favorite day of Missions Conference."  We were all packed in pretty tight, but I wanted to see the flags.  I love belting out a 100 year old hymn and watching the flags from around the world find their way to the front of the sanctuary.  I wanted to make sure that we could see it in person rather than on the monitors. (Our church is old and getting a facelift and so we're all scattered about right now in different rooms and buildings.)  I wasn't the only one that wanted their children to see.  As the flags were making their way down the aisle a Dad just in front of me hoisted his little guy onto his shoulders so that he wouldn't miss this grand entrance.  I really almost cried.  It was a perfect picture to me of what biblical parenting should and could be.  Our kids are short.  They miss the action.  They see our knees and stay busy with their bulletin, but it's just as much about them as it is us (and ultimately about Jesus!)  Our responsibility is to pull them from where they are and let them see that God is at work.  There is a big plan, bigger than us, and it is INCREDIBLE and we get to be a part of it.  Every nation, tribe, language...representatives from places we'll NEVER see, but when we get to heaven our brothers and sisters from those remote regions will be there...because the Gospel is for them too.  When that Dad pulled his little man up and placed him firmly on his shoulders I felt like the Lord was pulling me up onto His.  With a sweet fatherly gesture He was saying, "Ali, look!  Don't miss it!  This is what I'm up to.  It's scary down there where you are living, but look UP!  Look at what I have been doing and will continue to do.  Look UP!"  I get nervous with the news.  I think we have way too much access to way too much information and it makes a gal nervous, I call it the church of fear.  A place where we want to crawl into a hole and wait there until we hear that trumpet sound.  That is a super bad idea because God is at work.  A mighty hand is governing all things and it might be scary for a spell, but when I look up to where my help comes I get excited!  I get thankful that God is still seated on His throne and He is NOT a nail biter!  He's not nervous about how all things will shake out. He is kind and compassionate, but He is also just.  All the crazy will not go unpunished.  His name is a strong tower, the righteous can run to it and are safe.  I memorized the Lord's prayer this year with a song and my first grade Sunday School class and when I feel like Chicken Little I remember that I have a Shepherd and He is good and His rod and His staff will comfort me.

I bet someone reading this also gets nervous.  Even if I'm the only one that reads it...I get nervous.  But I want to look UP!  I also want my children to look up.  I want to teach them how to see past the mess and look for the glory. I want to point them to the bigger, greater, grander picture so that they will be able to take heart.  I want to take heart.  So, I'll look up and encourage you to do the same.  Take heart, He has overcome the world.