August 9th

What a great day today! It's Monday morning, and all my little chillens are home today! Yea!

They're all sleeping, which is a good thing, because I've been able to have some quiet time - and then I need to get busy proofing my job I had over the weekend.

But it's also a great day because they're all home now! Of the last 11 weeks, they've only all be home together for 7 of those weeks - I am NOT ready for my family to get smaller. But, alas, I know that in just two short years - and probably every summer from now on, my home will be growing smaller and smaller.

As I look at that future, though, I am filled with joy and pride. Jonathan came home from his two week training at Nehemiah and was changed. I don't know what it is really, but he was nicer to Daniel - I could just tell it. He left for camp counting his money to see when he could buy a new x-box - and he came home wondering if that was something he really wanted to do! I thank God for all the people at NLF the last two weeks who helped shape my young boy into becoming more of a young man! God is so good!

Then, I see my wonderful Joy, who spent two weeks at Nehemiah training and then 3 weeks on a missions trip this summer. Wow! What experiences she has had! She comes home from Nehemiah having learned out to physically work hard all day long. She had a wonderful time there. She came home from Ecuador with so much more learned in her life.

She learned more about working hard no matter what. She learned much about going with the flow and just doing what you're told without any questions. She learned much about getting along with people. She learned much about trusting God. And the one thing that stood out in my mind after she got home about it all was this statement:

"Mom - I learned so much more to appreciate missionaries. I always thought that missionaries were 'neat - but I never realized that they gave their lives and comforts to go to another country to live like them and tell them about Jesus. So many Christians in America just don't do anything - we go to church and have our friends, but we are not all about God every day.'

When she said those words to me, I realized that she had learned a most valuable life lesson that probably will be with her for her life! God - do your work, now!! Keep her close to you!!

Charis spent a week at camp, and who would have thought that at the Friday night service where the kids come up and share what God had done in their lives, that my shy little girl would be one of the ones up there! And then, what she said was so meaningful...that she had learned more what it meant to really be a Christian and that she had been just living her life without any thought about that or really believing....something like that. I started to cry - my little 12-year-old was maturing, and I could see it happening that night. She was starting to think differently and think thoughts that were more spiritual. It was one of those eye-opening night for me - to kind of experience this "knowing" - of my daughter growing up like that - was surreal.

However, thank God, she is still just 12 and so much fun and silly!!!! I don't think she'll ever outgrow her adventuresome and creative spirit, for which I'm so thankful!

Daniel was funny this year (but I think this happened last year, too!) We went to find him on that Friday night because his group had already had their service. When he saw David, he just starting crying - almost bawling! He said it was because he was "happy" to see us, but I know he missed us and I know that he was ready to come home. I know he had a good time, but I think there were situations that might have made him feel lonely or insecure, and he really missed his parents who love him no matter what! He did have a great time, though, and I think camp for him, still, is just loads of loudness and fun! I'm not ready for him to grow up so fast!

So - that's the summer camp in a nutshell. Great and fun days for my children, and I thank God so much for that.

Looking forward this week to another beginning - school! I must say that looking forward may not be the best option for words, but in keeping in step with the Spirit - I must look forward to it with high hopes and high desires of teaching my children to love God and to love their neighbors more than I ever have before. This will be my mantra for this year - we'll see how it goes!

It's going to be a great Monday!!!

(And I forgot to even write that today begins my 3rd volleyball season at Cookson - amazing!! More about that later!)