Cinderella

I think Coralyn got confused last night. I think she thought she was Cinderella and that at the strike of midnight she needed to be a totally different person than who she was just hours before. She had a "ball" at the Women's Free For All. I was kind of nervous taking her, figuring she would be squirmy and loud. However, she behaved really well, as long as I let her walk around in the back. No problem; I was able to sing and worship and hear everything that was going on and was really blessed. We had lots of fun too. For about twenty minutes Coralyn would put her head down on the ground with her butt up in the air, like she wanted to do a headstand or somersault. So, I would pull up her legs, make sure she was pointing her toes (gotta make her daddy proud), and then flip her legs over. Almost immediately she would roll over and get into position again, ready for another headstand. After about 10 headstands I thought she might be getting tired of having the blood rush to her head, so I switched it up and helped her do a somersault. She seemed to like that just as much. I seriously think we might have a future gymnast on our hands. Anyway, she was all smiles and having lots of fun and being super cute.

We get home, get ready for bed, and she went to sleep with no problem. Then, mysteriously, at the strike of midnight, she wakes up. We figure she will go back to sleep right away since she had a full day and has to be tired. Nope. She starts screaming. She has figured out how to reach her arm out of her crib and open the door (it doesn't really latch that well), so we hear her loud and clear. It's as if she is just waiting for us to come and rescue her. We wait. After a bit, Lawrence goes in to lay her back down and remind her that it is time to sleep. I say a quick prayer, Lawrence comes back to bed, and all is quiet...for about 5 minutes. Then, Coralyn's up again, screaming her head off. I mean, she was M.A.D. When she didn't quiet down, I went in to console her and then lay her right back down. Somehow she had managed to take off her pajama pants. We got those back on, rubbed some salve on her chest to help with her congestion, and said a little prayer. As soon as I lay her down, she rolls over and pulls herself up on the side of the crib. I lay her back down, tell her I love her, and leave. Again, we wait for her to calm down and go to sleep. She doesn't. Lawrence goes in again and repeatedly lays her down. As I wait in the bedroom, I think to myself, "where did my sweet little girl go?" She is royally ticked off and letting us know it! I mean, she was a completely different child. I don't know how she went from all smiles and being so cute and funny to yelling at the top of her lungs. I have no idea where she gets this stubbornness or fiery temper! ;) Finally, at 1 am, she surrenders and goes to sleep.

This morning she is her cute, adorable, happy little self. Let's hope that tonight she doesn't hear any clocks chiming.

Forks and Spoons

One thing that God really taught me this summer was that He doesn't actually need me. Yes, He does use me to accomplish His plans, but He doesn't really need me. He can get everything done that He wants, without my help. I like to think that God does need me though, that I play an integral role in fulfilling His plans. I want to be important; I like to be important. But it's not about me, now is it? Nope, God says, it's about Me and and My glory. I am the Potter, you are the clay. I am the Carpenter, you are the tools. I am the Chef, you are the utensils.

I read today, "If you keep yourself pure, you will be a utensil God can use for His purpose." The thing is, we don't get to decide what kind of utensil we are. We might be a fork or a spoon or a toothpick. The important thing is that God accomplishes His plans, not how He uses us. The fact that even uses us is amazing!

This summer at Ponca, Lawrence and I had very different roles than we have had in the past. Usually we are counselors at least one week and then direct together one week. This year I couldn't counsel at all since Coralyn came with us. So, the first week we worked in the kitchen as cooks. We had absolutely nothing to do with what happened in the cabins or at chapel or anything really except what the campers ate and when. Yet, kids from the Liberty area were saved! To emphasize the point that He doesn't need use to get these types of things done, God reminded us that we hadn't even invited those campers -- former students had invited them! We had absolutely nothing to do with these boys coming to camp or their accepting Christ as their Savior! The next week, we were directors, so we had a little more involvement with the campers, but yet again we really didn't have anything to do with what happened in the cabins. And once again God showed us He doesn't need us to get things done. 4 girls trusted Jesus, and we had nothing to do with them coming to camp or being saved. As before, a former camper (a sister of a former student) had invited these girls to camp.

I like to feel at least partly responsible for almost 60 kids coming from the Liberty area, but I can't take any credit at all. God is the One who gets all the glory, and the only one! He is the reason why each and every one of those boys and girls went to Ponca this year. I'm not sure if I was a fork or a spoon or a toothpick, but I am just thankful that I got to be a part of the work God did this summer at Ponca Bible Camp. It's an amazing place, and God always blows our faces off with everything that He accomplishes in the lives of the campers who set foot on that holy piece of ground. I am already excited about next year!

Home Sweet Home

We are back! After being gone for a month, it is soooo good to be home again. We spent 3 weeks at Ponca Bible Camp in Arkansas and then headed straight to Michigan for a week of family vacation with Lawrence's parents and siblings. So much has happened in the last 4 weeks, I don't even know how to sum it all up!

Camp was different for me this year since I wasn't counseling. I cooked 2 of the 3 weeks, and 1 week I helped Lawrence direct. Really I spent most of my time taking care of Coralyn and making sure she didn't get too adventurous. She did learn how to hold onto the back of the chapel seats, pull her legs up to the seat part, and then proceed to climb her way up the back of the pew. She also got quite good at walking the length of the tables in the dining room by holding onto the individual seats. Once or twice she actually let go and took a few steps on her own before falling. She attempted to climb up the high chair and wanted to do pull ups on the edge of the tables, but somehow I didn't think either of those were good ideas. She loved swimming in the Buffalo River and probably would have jumped off the bridge like all the "big kids" were doing, if I had let her. She loved playing the drums and dancing to the music. She did her part at meal time to get someone to tell a story, as she joined in by banging on the tables. She got to go on the Lost Valley hike 3 times, going through the natural bridge and then to the highest point of the Amphitheater each time. I will have to post pictures soon! In Michigan, she got to play at the indoor water park, ride a ferry, go on a carriage ride, and pet a horse. Too bad she slept through our time at the Butterfly Gardens, but it was probably best for the butterflies! Then on Friday, to celebrate turning 10 months, she walked all by herself at our hotel. Now it's only a matter of time before she is running all over the place.

Like I said, a lot happened in 4 weeks.