Off To Camp!

Yesterday I drove these three kiddos to West Coast Camp...

at this beautiful place...

I have always had a soft spot in my heart for Lassen Pines. I love going there because (I know it sounds silly) but I feel so close to God when I am there. I cannot give financially to support Lassen Pines at this point in my life, but I support them with prayer. I pray for Lassen Pines and each member of the Luff family on a daily basis. I so enjoyed walking around for awhile, even though the place was NUTS with all those kids running around! :)

I thoroughly enjoyed the drive home by myself. I drove slow (and kept having to pull off to let cars go by :) ), spent time talking to the Lord about some things that are heavy on my heart right now, and SANG, SANG, SANG so loud (and probably off key!!). I sang through the alphabet, which is one of my most favorite things to do. Examples:

A -- Amazing Grace
B -- Blessed Assurance
C -- Come, Now Is The Time To Worship

D -- Do Lord

E -- Everyday with Jesus

F -- Fairest Lord Jesus

You get the picture!! I almost made it through the alphabet twice.

Thank you, Lord, for an awesome day!

Picture of the Week #5

What happened to my taking a roll of film in each week to get it developed? I don't know!! Well, this week I got "back on track" and took a roll in. So, here's the Picture of the Week:

This is Lyle (7 years old) all dressed up in his tux for Ben and Nicole Sprague's wedding. What a cute little fellow!!! Yes, I'm his mother and I'm prejudiced and basis!!!! BUT...don't you admit he is cute?

Quote for the Day

Life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass...

It's learning how to dance in the rain!

Changes

Life is full of change! We change schools, careers, homes, relationships, etc. Most change is hard and usually causes stress. Tragedy can strike, and our lives are changed forever -- a marriage dissolves, someone we love dies, a career change can disrupt our lives, or financial losses sweep away our security. Even a geographic change can be stressful! If the the truth was known, I would just as soon not take the above exit!! :)

How hard is it to adjust to change? I think it depends on whether or not the change was your idea. When we decide to change or change something in our life, we usually jump in with both feet, excited about the possibilities that lie ahead. When change is forced upon us, we rebel. We look for every reason that the change will not work.

After having a pretty "boring" life for so many years (I wasn't complaining!), I have had a multitude of changes happen in my life over the last three years, not all wanted. Some of the changes have brought tears to my eyes, pain to my heart, and questions to my soul. Other chances brought joy! I liken some of the changes in my life to removing a band aid, which can be quite painful and there are only two ways to do it -- peel it slowly or rip it off quick. Some of the changes in my life these last years have happened quickly and some have or are happening very slowly. Either way, it is painful!

How am I surviving all the changes? By taking it one day at a time and remembering that it's my perception of change that affects my thoughts, my feelings and my reactions. While I trust God with my eternal fate, I am ashamed to admit I find it difficult to trust him with the "here and now".

It is sooooo comforting to cling to the promises of God and remind ourselves that God does not change! He's the "constant" in my world right now.

"I the Lord do not change." Malachi 3:6

"Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever." Hebrews 13:8

Happy Birthday, Wesley!!

Check out this cute little baby!!!

Happy 53rd Birthday to my brother, Wesley!! Wes is in Malaysia visting some friends, and I hope he is having a wonderful vacation and an awesome birthday.

If we were together, I would bake you a white cake (and then drop one of the layers on the floor. Ha! Ha!). I love you! You are the bestest brother in the whole wide world!

Happy 4th of July

Hope ya'll are doing something fun with family and/or friends!! Happy 4th of July to all my blogger friends!! Love you all!

Let's Shred!

We’ve all heard about the economy
And construction companies are feeling the heat,
So my hours at Hudson Mechanical
Were really taking a beat.

More hours, oh please, more hours
I desperately, frantically pleaded.
More hours at Hudson Mechanical
Is exactly what I needed!

So for the girl in the office at Hudson’s
The one that is wearing red,
There’s a new job to do on Wednesdays
It’s SHRED, SHRED, SHRED, SHRED, SHRED!!

Yes, I am thanking the Lord for providing me with more hours at work. I was only working 3-4 hours on Thursdays, but I am now going in on Wednesdays for 5-6 hours to SHRED, SHRED, SHRED old files. The picture above shows this week's hard work -- 11 (10 gallon) bags of shredded files!!