Created for His Glory

Things I Have Learned: Intro. to the New Testament, Week 6

2012-02-18T21:31:00.003-07:00

Wow this week has flown by! I don't know how the week went away so fast. :) This week we were discussing Romans 14 and how to handle differences among fellow believers. It was amazing all the different topics that surfaced this week. :)

Week 6 Summary:

As I finish up this week I have learned that I will often come across fellow believers who will share in different convictions than I do. It isn’t for me to judge my brother/sister in Christ but instead to love them and live in a way that doesn’t cause them to stumble. Not all of us are in the same phase in our walk with Christ, some are stronger then others and I believe we should meet people for where they are and help them grow in their relationship with the Lord. I pray that I would always be aware of the convictions of those around me and that I would respect them and live in a way that builds them up instead of causing them to fall.

Please keep me in your prayers this week because I have my normal discussion time during the week and assignment but I also have my paper due which is worth 1/3 of my grade! I have been trying to finish the reading assignment for it and I should be finished tomorrow and my goal is to write my paper on Monday (when I am off) so that I have a week to check grammar and make sure the paper makes sense. Then I can focus the rest of the week on my discussion time and weekly assignment. The other 2/3 of my grade is the discussion time and weekly assignments. So far I have an A but this paper can sure change things. I really want to do a great job so please pray that I will meet my goals and do well on my paper. I hope everyone has a wonderful week!

Valentine's Package

2012-02-18T21:23:00.003-07:00

My sister Alanna and her family sent me this wonderful Valentine's wreath. There were 4 cookies though one is missing from the picture. :) The kids are into Angry Birds (that is the Valentine's Card). I sure did have a great Valentine's Day! Thanks Chris, Alanna, Rachel, Luke, Kate, and Wade! I really enjoyed my package :)

Things I Have Learned: Intro. to the New Testament, Week 5

2012-02-18T21:15:00.002-07:00

This was a wonderful week though a bit challenging since I was on a trip for camp. I had a great week of school, time with the people I serve with at camp, and meeting new people in camping. :)

Week 5 Summary:

This week I learned a lot about conflict and what we could learn from Acts 15 about dealing with conflict. It was interesting that while working on the discussion time I had shared that I needed to work on confronting conflicts instead of shying away from them and then the next day I was presented with a conflict. I desired to put the things I was learning into practice right at that moment and I found that the conflict I faced this week was dealt with quickly and without a lot of drama involved. I think it is so neat how God knows what we will be going through before we go through it and prepares us for those situations ahead of time so we can handle it in a healthy and godly manner instead of in a sinful way. This was an encouraging and challenging week for me and I was thankful for the focus we put towards Acts 15.

I tried to get started on my paper but was only able to get my assignment finished. I still have till Week 7 so it will be alright. I hope that yall have a wonderful week!

2012 CCCA Rocky Mountain Sectional

2012-02-18T20:01:00.006-07:00

Last week I went to Colorado to Crooked Creek Ranch just outside of Fraser, CO for a Christian Camping Conference Association (CCCA) Sectional. The drive was a 13 hour drive! We arrived a day early and some of us decided to go shopping between breakfast and lunch in Winter Park. My friend Heather and I found a moose statue close to where we were shopping and I got a picture. I almost jumped on it's back but decided that wouldn't be a good idea. :)

Our sectional was at Crooked Creek Ranch and the camp was absolutely beautiful! There was a lot of detail in the structures, decorations, and service. It was more of a retreat center then a camp. :) Camps from all over the Rocky Mountain area come to the conference. It is a great opportunity to meet people who work in camping also. We attend different seminars, go to a vendor show, have worship, meal times, sleep time, free time, movie time, tours, and an auction (to help raise money towards scholarships for people who may not be able to afford it to come to the conference).

This year was a bit more challenging for me compared to last year with working on class work. There were a few times that I decided to work on school rather than participate in the fun things (movie time, free time, etc...).

This is where I spent my class time since this was a hot spot for Internet

Where I ate

Where I slept

View from the window where I slept

We left for Colorado on Monday morning early so I took Wreckless and Daisy to the vet on Sunday (where I boarded them). The guy meeting me wanted to meet me early that day so I had a quiet Sunday without them. Thursday we drove home from Colorado and after talking with the vet's office I decided to pick them up Thursday night after we got back. My camp director was nice and said that he didn't mind stopping on the way home at the vet to pick them up. Nikki (she works for the vet) told me that they were really missing me and Wreckless and Daisy both quit eating and drinking. This is normal for Daisy but it was really odd that Wreckless wasn't eating and drinking. Nikki was kind to come in after hours so I could pick up the pups but she didn't have a car so Bill was kind to drive to her house to get her and take her back home. :) We had a very sweet reunion. Wreckless decided once he saw me that it was time to start drinking and he found some really yummy water in the restroom (for those of you who may not know Wreckless gets car sick but he did have his medicine but still we weren't in my car, plus you can only guess what he wanted to do right after he finished with his long drink). :) They were very happy to get home and instantly claimed their spots. Daisy started eating within 24 hours but Wreckless didn't eat dog food until Monday night. All he would eat is dog treats. I was relieved when he finally started eating again. After Nikki and I talked we think that part of Wreckless' problem was that the last time he stayed with them overnight was when we had our fire back in the summer. As he stays more and more with them he should settle down and act normal (whatever that is for Wreckless). Wreckless did escape one time from his kennel they said but thankfully the blinds were still there. They found him a more secure kennel after that. :)

Things I Have Learned: Intro. to the New Testament, Week 4

2012-02-04T18:02:00.003-07:00

Wow I am halfway through my first class! This week we have spent time in Galatians and James. Our discussion time was spent looking at Faith and Work concerning salvation. Our teacher played "devil's advocate" to challenge us to think beyond our "church learning" answers. :) He wanted us to dig deeper into God's word so that we could give a defense of our beliefs concerning faith, works, and salvation. This was a very enlightening week for me.

Week 4: Summary
This week was met with some wrestling with God concerning faith and works. This subject is so important because of the value it brings concerning eternity. I learned that faith brings salvation and that works is the product of perfect faith. Just as Abraham lived by faith so are we to live by faith. There are many examples of godly men and women in Hebrews 11 that set beautiful examples for us to follow. As I finish up the journey I am on in this lifetime I pray that I will live in faith being a doer of the word and not just a hearer of the word (James 1:22-25).

As I head into Week 5 please keep me in your prayers. I am heading out of town Monday morning at 530am with camp to a CCCA Sectional Conference in Colorado and will getting back on Thursday around 8pm. This is the time frame that we work on our discussion time with class so pray that the internet there will work beautifully. :) Pray that during both 12 hour drives that I will be able to remain focused and not get too distracted by conversations around me. We are going to have a full van so with all the ladies that will be in there I am sure we will have some fun discussions. :) I also need to begin work on my Critical Thinking Paper that is due at the end of Week 7. It is a 5 page paper and I have some reading and research to do to get ready to write the paper and then checking for grammer/spelling problems etc... This is going to be a big part of our grade too.

Thank you all for the love and support I have received from you and for your prayers. This first class is going smoothly so far and I am loving it! I hope all of you have a great week. Take care

It's My Birthday and I'll Bark if I Want To!

2012-02-02T21:44:00.006-07:00

Today is Wreckless' 5th Birthday! I can not believe that he has grown so much. I got together some pictures of my little blessing in disguise and as you can see he is very entertaining and always looking for a good time. :) Him and I do have one thing in common for sure we both love our sleep and my bed. :) Hope you enjoy going down memory lane with me.

2007

This is the day I got him

He is helping me make the bed and boy is he a lot of help :)

2008

He is deciding if it is time for him to wake up or not

I can't believe how skinny and awkward he once was

2009

At Ceta Canyon he loved his swimming pool every year

2010

2011

He loves the wood pile in my backyard here in Sacramento

After we moved to Sacramento Wreckless hurt one of his toes so I fixed him up

2012

Helping me with my online class

Happy Birthday Wreckless! :)

Things I Have Learned: Intro. to the New Testament, Week 3

2012-01-28T12:23:00.003-07:00

This week has been so amazing! We have been looking at Acts 1:4-8 in our discussion time and what the significance of power, prophecy, and evangelism was. I learned a lot from our discussion board that our class participates in and I leave this week intrigued, encouraged, and challenged! I am so thankful for the Holy Spirit and the power that the Spirit provides for us. God is so amazing! :) Here is my weekly summary:

It was interesting to study about power, prophecy, and evangelism. I learned about how the disciples were to wait on the Spirit before going out to witness. I was challenged by the definition of witnesses and desire to follow Christ in boldness not worrying about suffering for His kingdom. I desire to keep before me the coming of the Lord and to live like it will happen at any hour. I was encouraged in that the Lord has a plan and a purpose for each of us and that He has so many disciples out there proclaiming His Word. As I walk out the plans the Lord has for me here in NM I am going to keep all my brothers and sisters in Christ in my prayers from those who I serve with here at camp to those who are in foreign countries. We serve such a big God and all I can do is stand in awe of Him.

I am loving the college life! I never really liked school growing up and now that I have had some time away I have found I love it. I love the fact that I am able to study things that interest me and I have a real desire to do great and make the most of each class. I sit back and wonder what I could have done in High School if I just would have applied myself and had the same desire. I feel so much joy when I study God's Word. I feel alive!

Things I Have Learned: Intro. to the New Testament, Week 2

2012-01-21T19:12:00.003-07:00

Wow this was a week full of information. Our discussion time was interesting as we looked at the kingdom of God/heaven. We were challenged to define it according to the book of Matthew. I learned so much through the discussions that my classmates and I had though it was a challenge to define it.

The assignment for this week was a very loaded assignment that took more time then I had anticipated but it worked out just fine and I was challenged by the things I learned in the assignment.

I wanted to continue to share the summaries with you that we are asked to do at the end of the week. Here is Week 2 Summary:

As I reflect over what I have learned this week I am overwhelmed by what the Lord has shown me. I learned so much by discussing the kingdom of God/heaven with the class. Though defining it isn’t an easy thing to do the Lord showed me that the kingdom is for those willing to humble themselves as children (Matt. 18:4). I have much to learn and I trust the Lord to reveal the mysteries in His Word as He sees fit.
In our assignment I was challenged by the 5th question concerning responsibility for others. I always desire to serve the Lord but I want to continually grow in ministering to those in need. Working in camp ministry there are so many walks of life that come my way and I desire to love like Christ and follow His example.

I pray that everyone has had a wonderful week. I found myself this week more tired then last week but I am really enjoying class. Please pray for me that I would have the wisdom and discernment needed as I continue with this class. I really need to get started soon on my critical thinking paper which is a big part of our grade and is due at the end of Week 7. The topic is very thought provoking. Well I guess it is now time to get started on my Week 3 reading assignment so I will have it done by Tuesday. Have a wonderful week everyone! :)

Things I Have Learned: Intro. to the New Testament, Week 1

2012-01-14T21:41:00.002-07:00

This first week of online classes has been wonderful! We looked at the intertestamental period which is the 400 years that took place between the Old and the New Testaments. This is a period of time that I never really understood and had minimally looked at. At the end of each week we have to submit a 75+ word summary about what we have learned and I wanted to share these summaries with you (this is an 8 week course). I hope everyone has had a wonderful week!

Week 1 Summary:

A few of the things I’ve learned from the intertestamental period is how important the translation of the Torah to Greek was, not only for the people of Israel but for all because Greek had become the common language among many. It opened up the Scriptures to a vast variety of people instead of just a select few of one nation. It was interesting to see the changes that took place through the changes of empire leadership. It was a hard time in history for the Jews but it was a time used by God to prepare them for things to come which He does in our own personal lives. I was convicted about the influence that the Jewish leaders had such an impact on how the Messiah was received by the people and how their teachings had misguided the way the Jews imagined the King.
As press forward in my walk with the Lord something that the Lord revealed to me is to be aware and precede forward studying His Word so I will know the signs of the times. To trust the Lord with the joys, hardships, strongholds, etc… that comes my way that it is a stepping stone for what is next to come. While I serve in camp ministry to encourage the campers/guests that cross my path who share their stories with me, that the Lord may be preparing them for the next step in life which could be the return of the Messiah.

Online Class Officially Begins

2012-01-09T23:31:00.003-07:00

My Online Class has officially started! All this for one question. The first pile is one of my class books, my Bible, and my binder with the second reading assignment that I had. :)

My pups have their own study spots. LOL!

Wreckless hangs out under the table and Daisy hangs out in the chair next to the table. :)

A New Journey Begins!

2012-01-02T21:36:00.006-07:00

My Christmas Card/Picture table has been cleaned off and transitioned to...

A study table! :)

The journey has officially started!

For those of you who don't know I have decided to go to College. Over the last year I have had a yearning to go back to school and get a degree in camping. In September I was on the Internet and decided to google "Camp Ministry Degree" and it pulled up a school located in Pennsylvania, Baptist Bible College & Seminary. I started looking at the website and researching about the undergrad that they had in Camp Ministry. It looked like an interesting program so I emailed the person in charge to find out more about it, what it would take for me to get the degree and if I could remain here in Sacramento because it required a 1 year internship at a camp. I will be honest I have been very hesitant about going to college because of all the basic classes so I wasn't sure if I was going to decide to go back. He emailed me immediately and gave me his phone number and asked if I would call him because he had questions for me before he could give me the best answer possible. I visited with him and after he researched all the hours I had for EMT classes, Fire Fighting classes, and Challenge Course Certs he found that I was short 6 credit hours from qualifying for an accelerated grad program that they had set up for adults who are already settled into a career, want to better themselves in their career, and it isn't the best thing for them to relocate. We also found out that while working towards my grad degree that I would easily be able to get my undergrad at the same time. So in approximately 3-4 years I will be finished with school and have and Undergrad in Camp Ministry and a Grad in Organizational Leadership (both degrees are camp ministry degrees too). I was so excited and from there I started the application process and my first class starts on January 9th. We have been encouraged to start as soon as possible on our reading assignments because our first discussion starts on the 10th and it is based off of our reading assignments (after looking at the reading assignments there is a lot of reading to do). So tonight (January 4th) I have been printing out some online reading that we have and I am praying that the book I am waiting for in the mail will be here tomorrow. I ordered it about a week ago and it was shipped out the next day but with the holidays and post offices being closed it is running a bit behind.

This first semester my advisor said it would be a good idea to take care of the 6 credit hours (2 online classes) so I can get into the accelerated grad program. And to take light courses to get use to the online class system in place and get an idea of how the Experience Base classes will go too. So this semester I am getting my feet wet by taking 2 online classes and 2 experience based classes and then I am going to take off and do as much as I can starting in the fall. :)

Please pray for me as you think of me. This is a real challenge for me and school doesn't come naturally for me. I have to work really hard at things like this. Plus I will also be holding onto a normal work schedule too. Pray that the Lord will provide the wisdom needed and that I would grow in my relationship with Him in this process. Currently the class I am in is Intro to the New Testament and it will last 8 weeks. Starting March 12th I be taking Intro to the Old Testament which will be 8 weeks too I believe. I am also going to be taking 2 Experience Base classes this semester. I am waiting to hear back from my advisor to see if these are the best ones for me to take but I have put in to do 2 Programming classes: Learning Act Games & Events, and Ropes Course Skills and Certification.

Thank you for your prayers and support! We will be doing summaries each week to share what we are learning in my online class so I may post summaries at the end of each week on what I am learning during this entire journey. :)

"For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you. You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart."
Jer 29:11-13 (ESV)

PS: I guess a new staple for Christmas'/Birthday's (besides long underwear) is going to be printer paper (I just printed approx. 50 pages of reading material and the class hasn't even started yet). LOL!

Christmas 2011

2011-12-31T20:38:00.008-07:00

This Christmas I received my Christmas wish we had a white Christmas on the mountain! We received 24 inches of snow! It was crazy to see a blanket of white everywhere but it was beautiful too.

This Christmas I stayed home with my pups so I made plans to do all the things I always wanted to do but never got to.

I read out loud the birth of Christ from the book of Matthew and spent some time thinking and reflecting on Him and the gift He was for us. I was thinking about how on my birthday family and friends bless me so much with gifts and words of encouragement. On a day we have set aside to celebrate Christ's birth it made me think about how He came to give not to receive. Yes I know the scripture said that the wise men brought gifts but even those gifts were chosen for a purpose. :) I have done this many years but this year I was thinking about what gift could I give Christ on the day we set aside to celebrate His birthday. The gift I desire to give Him is a life consumed by HIM! I want to know Him like I never have before. I want to leap for joy literally when He delivers us from the various things that we face. I want to know Him intimately as a Bride knows her Bridegroom. As much as I desire marriage in this world I desire to prepare myself for the marriage of the Lamb when He returns.

The picture below is where the pups and I slept on Christmas Eve. I have always wanted to sleep under the Christmas tree but when I was a kid my parents never let me for obvious reasons. :) So I made up a bed and put in The Polar Express and the pups joined me on the floor for bedtime. It was great but I don't know how many years I will be able to do this. I have found that my aging body doesn't handle the floor like it did in my younger years. LOL!

On Christmas day we got up pretty early and opened our Christmas presents. I had been saving the gifts from my sister's family and what I had received in the mail so I could open my gifts with the pups. The pups opened up their stockings first. :) They were more interested in the treats then the actual gifts. I put in A Christmas Carol and we opened up our gifts. The pictures below are of the pups opening up their gifts. It was quite entertaining.

I put all my opened gifts under the tree for a picture. Thanks everyone for all the wonderful thoughts.

For my Christmas dinner I had Papa Murphy's Pizza. I had their Cowboy Pizza and Cinnamon Pinwheel Pizza. It was so good and such an easy clean up. :) I have been wanting pizza for Christmas for so long and this year was my first. I love pizza!

I also received a lot of phone calls starting out first thing in the morning when my Dad called me. It was wonderful how the calls were all spread out. I didn't feel like I was home alone for Christmas with my pups. I also had a fun Skype time with a friend of mine on Christmas evening and we saved our gifts to each other and opened them up on Skype. I know technology has done a lot but this really is a wonderful thing to have. You can have a video call with people on the internet and so you can see them while talking. It is like they are in the chair next to you. I am hoping to talk some of my family into this over the year so that I can Skype with my family next Christmas.

The picture below is of all the cards and pictures I received from family and friends for the holidays. I love this time of the year because of all the pictures, cards, and updates. This is the time of the year that my mail box has mail waiting that I really look forward to!

From my home to yours I hope that you had a wonderful Christmas and that you have a wonderful 2012 :)

It's Beginning to Look Like Christmas! Yay

2011-12-22T21:49:00.004-07:00

It started snowing at 4pm and now we have 4 inches of snow! I think it will be a white Christmas for Sacramento. :) I am so happy for the snow though I can't get out of my drive currently but that is alright I still have 2 legs right! :) Here are a few pictures the first two are of the deck to my home and the Christmas lights I put around it. I would have tried to get a picture of my tree in the window but the front of my home is on a huge hill and I didn't want to fall down it.

"It's the most wonderful time of the year"! :)

Baby Goats!

2011-12-17T14:36:00.002-07:00

One of my friends from camp raises goats and her goats are dropping babies this winter instead of in the spring. It was so much fun to go and see them and hold them. It really is true that all babies are cute. :) While we were there 2 mommas went into labor and we saw 3 out of the 4 babies born. The first 2 pictures are of 2 babies that we saw born and they were twins. It was a fun experience for me to have. I wish my nieces and nephews were a little closer so they could come and see them too.

Thanksgiving/Christmas Vacation 2011

2011-12-13T20:08:00.004-07:00

I just got home from my vacation in Texas and it was so much fun! While I was there we celebrated Thanksgiving with my cousins so here are a few pictures of them with my nieces and nephew. It is always so much fun to see them together they always have a good time just being kids. :)

Luke, Jacob, and Kate

Kate and Rachel

Julia and Kate

While I was there I enjoyed a couple of days with my sister Alanna and her family. One of the days I went down I spent some time with my oldest niece Rachel who is 10 years. She is growing up so fast and I wanted to do something fun with her for Christmas so I spent the afternoon with her and watched her Volleyball practice, we went to lunch, and then we went shopping for a Christmas Tree for her bedroom. She did a great job picking out the tree and decorations! It turned out beautiful!

I went back a second day to spend some time with my sister. Time went by so fast and before we knew it time us up and we hadn't spent time with each other. So my Mom and I drove down to spend the day with her and then the evening with the rest of the family. We had a wonderful visit and got some pictures but most of them were with her camera. It is easier then trying to do all cameras especially with kids. LOL! I may post some later when I get some copies.

Alanna and Me

Me with my youngest nephew Wade who has the same color hair as me

While I was in Texas we got a wonderful snow! It was so beautiful to see at my Grandma's place before any tracks were made in it. I loved it! Early Christmas present to me!

I decided it was time to get my dead ends cut off my hair but then I decided that it was time to go ahead and just donate my hair again to Locks of Love so I went ahead and cut off my hair. I am liking the change though it is taking some time to get use to. :)

My parents, aunts, Grandma, and I had a small Christmas before I headed home. I opened their gifts and my parents (I saved the gifts my sister's family gave me for Christmas day). My parents opened one of mine that I wanted to see them open and here it is. I had found some older pictures while going through my things that I thought they might want to have. So I framed them and gave them back to them. The first is my Mom in her younger years, the second is my Dad and Mom when my mom was pregnant with my sister 37+ years ago, and the third is a picture of my late Grandma Cartwright (my Mom's Mom).

I got home a couple of days ago and am heading back to work tomorrow. After being off for 3 weeks I am thankful to be home and heading back to camp. I sure have missed being here! I hope everyone has a wonderful Christmas and may the Lord bless and keep you always! :)

2011 Chrismas Tree

2011-11-06T19:45:00.006-07:00

On November 3rd I broke down and put up my Christmas tree. :) I was watching some Christmas movies that I bought online to make sure that they were working and when I got to the movie National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation I just couldn't wait any longer. :) So here are a few pictures of my tree and decorations.

These are my first shoes and I decided to put them up on my tree :)

I found this tree skirt at Hobby Lobby and fell in love with it

especially since I had just seen a bear previous to seeing it.

Here is our Christmas Stockings

(my childhood stocking is in the middle, Wreckless' is on the left and Daisy's on the right)

It took 3 days but I finally got a picture of Daisy sitting next to the tree :)

Stripping and Waxing Gym Floor

2011-11-06T19:31:00.003-07:00

This last week my co-worker Beverly and I stripped and waxed the gym floor. It took 3 days to strip the wax, 2 days to put down the wax, and a half day to buff the gym floor. Here are a few pictures of Beverly and I stripping the wax off the floor.

My First Trick or Treaters!

2011-10-30T18:57:00.003-06:00

After almost 13 years of living on my own I finally had my first trick or treaters! :) Every year that I lived in the city that is I would always be prepared for them to show up but no one ever came. Here at Sacramento we have 2 little boys Caleb which is the airplane and Elisha who is the spaceship who showed up to trick or treat (these are Aaron and Nicolette's children). I got 2 pictures which has at least one of them looking at me. LOL! Next year they will have a little brother to come with them too. I bet they are loving being the only 2 kiddos on camp they really hit the jackpot at our homes I am sure. :)

It's Beginning to Feel Like Christmas!

2011-10-29T10:54:00.004-06:00

I have been working on getting my Christmas shopping since August in hopes to get it done by Thanksgiving and now my Christmas shopping is completed! I have been getting some decorations for my home too so here are a few pictures of them. With the snow we had a couple of days ago it really felt like Christmas around here and I almost pulled out my decorations but I held off which is good because today you can't hardly tell it snowed except for a few patches of snow. :)

Fall or Winter?

2011-10-27T19:33:00.009-06:00

Do You See What I See?

2011-10-27T19:22:00.000-06:00

My First ATV Ride

2011-10-25T21:53:00.005-06:00

On September 26th our staff had a going away ATV ride and supper for my friends Terry and Vicky. I had never driven an ATV except for one time which was during our 4th of July parade and all I had to do was drive in a circle 2 times. My friend Cindy from work took me out on the 25th for a little over an hour on an ATV on our camp trails to teach and show me what to do so I would feel more comfortable about going on the 26th. After Cindy and I had our ride around camp and she showed me some things I did feel a lot better. I am so thankful I was able to go and spend the day with our staff. They are all such a blessing. I also found out that I really loved going on the ride. We took a 60 mile ride on the Forest roads. It was just as the trees were starting to change color and it was beautiful! :) Here are a few pictures from the ride and dinner.

Wreckless and Daisy didn't get to go on the ride

so this is where they spent the day :)

ATV Ride

Here I am all dressed up and ready to go

Vicky and Terry

Lunch Time

We stopped at Bluff Springs

Terry and Vicky opening up their gift at the dinner

Wreckless and Daisy sure did earn a treat so they licked the cheese ball bowl :)

Good thing Daisy can fit in the bowl :)

Some Wildlife at Camp

2011-10-24T23:09:00.004-06:00

Here are a few pictures of some animals that I was able to take pictures of around camp as I found them and if they were slow enough to get a picture of. :)

horned toad

(found by my pups while hiking and they weren't too sure about this animal)

turtle that lives in our pond

rhinoceros beetle

Fox

(while trapping skunks close to the dining hall we caught this fox instead)

Hummingbird that I rescued at our maintenance shop

(it is on my deck resting close to food)

Joys of Camp Life at Sacramento - Summer 2011

2011-10-05T15:20:00.004-06:00

Hello Everyone!

I am working to try and catch up my blog from the last few months. I am very sorry but when summer hits camp life gets busy and a bit crazy at times and free time is limited. At times I wake up and spend my day at camp and then come home take my shower and go to bed right away. I love camp life and when it gets tiring it is always a good kind of tired. So I want to share with you a bit about my perspective of camp life. :)

This is my first Summer at Sacramento Camp and Conference Center. I loved my first summer here and learned a lot too which is always a blessing! My days are filled with variety which is wonderful. Some of the things I am privileged to do is cleaning rooms, laundry, dishes, programming, snack and gift, collecting trash, etc... There is always something to do and you can never wonder what to do next. Fridays and Sundays are huge turn around days in the summer (which means we are cleaning the rooms that were previously used before the groups come in to use them that day). About mid summer we experienced a close call with the Little Lewis Fire which you can read about in the previous post. We had to evacuate camp for a few days and while we were waiting to find out if we would be able to reopen in time for the weekend groups the Lord opened the clouds and blessed us with a huge rain fall and the evacuation was lifted. We then provided for the firefighters who were fighting multiple fires in our area as well as cleaning up from the fires too. Our camp was hopping during meal times. Our kitchen staff had meals at 6am, 8am, 12pm, 530pm, and 7pm plus preparing sack lunches for the firefighters for the next day. In late July and August we had more rain than I had ever seen! It was wonderful! This is only a glimpse into camp life just know that but I hope that yall will enjoy learning a bit more about what I do here in the Sacramento Mountains. I love camp ministry and feel so blessed that the Lord chose me for this ministry and not just in any camp but in the ministry at Sacramento!

Here are a few pictures from this summer that I wanted to share with you. Enjoy! :)

Savannah (Program Intern) on the Zip Line at the Challenge Course

Me on the Zip Line at the Challenge Course

Kevan (Operations Summer Help) all dressed up and ready to do dishes

Mount Forrest (we cleaned all the linens at the end

of the summer in Forrest Lodge which is a hotel style lodge we have

and it literally felt like a mountain of laundry)

Little Lewis Fire

2011-07-10T18:43:00.002-06:00

"The Lord is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler, and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower." ~Psalm 18:2

At the end of June Sacramento was at risk of being burned by the Little Lewis Fire. The Lord was so wonderful to camp and decided to place a hedge of protection around it and not allow Satan to have his way. We had a precautionary evacuation for the Sacramento staff and the group that was on camp at the time. By the end of the evening and after evacuating the group I visited with my camp director and decided to remain on camp because the risk wasn't that night but the next day. I had loaded up a couple of things in a hurry before helping to evacuate our group which mainly consisted of a few personal things, and making sure I had what was needed for the pups. That night when I decided to stay I went through my home and took out some extra time to pack up some irreplaceable items. The next day is when they came up to us a little while after lunch and told everyone to leave. I told Bill where I was going and picked up my pups and we headed out with a couple of my friends on staff. We were told the fire was headed for camp. The Lord was so wonderful to provide for me a place at the vets for Wreckless and Daisy-Rose for a couple of days. Poor Wreckless was really scared and the vet was able to calm him down without having to use meds. Daisy just wanted to be held but was doing really good though she was a bit nervous too. The next day we called Bill and went back to work to prepare for the group that was coming in that weekend. My car remained packed for a good 5 days with all but my clothes and computer I think. God was so good to Sacramento! He provided plenty of help to fight the fire and air planes as well as helicopters were flying and dropping water and fire retardant. It sounded like a war zone for a few days but there was no structural damage to camp outside of some red areas around camp. :) The day I decided to pick up the pups we had 270 firefighters coming in that we were going to start cooking and making sack lunches for. All the way to Cloudcroft there was rain clouds so close to camp but weren't coming. I prayed the entire way there and all the way back. By the time I got home the Lord opened up the skies and the Lord dumped buckets upon buckets of water on camp. It came the day that our group was suppose to come in and the decision was to be made a couple of hours from then. When the rain came they opened the roads and the evacuation was lifted! God is so amazing and all I can do is stand in awe of Him! Here are a few pictures that I took and 2 that camp had emailed us. The firefighters left camp 2 days ago and it is so strange not having them hanging out around camp. It was so much fun to see them laid back, relaxing, and having fun by the time they left.

Grandma - 93 years Later

2011-04-17T21:55:00.007-06:00

My Grandma is an amazing woman that I want to share about. I was named after her which has been such a blessing to share that with her. Her full name is Ella Dena Faye Stirling and she goes by Dena Faye. I found some old pictures that I had of her and my Grandpa as well as her and myself. When I think of my Grandma I think of Proverbs 31: Who can find a virtuous woman? for her price is far above rubies. The heart of her husband does safely trust in her, so he will have no need of spoil. She will do him good and not evil all the days of her life. She seeks wool, and flax, and works willingly with her hands. She is like the merchants' ships; she brings her food from afar. She rises also while it is yet night, and gives meat to her household, and a portion to her maidens. She considers a field, and buys it: with the fruit of her hands she plants a vineyard. She girds her loins with strength, and strengthens her arms. She perceives that her merchandise is good: her candle goes not out by night. She lays her hands to the spindle, and her hands hold the distaff. She stretches out her hand to the poor; yea, she reaches out her hand to the needy. She is not afraid of snow for her household: for all her household are clothed with scarlet. She makes herself coverings of tapestry; her clothing is silk and purple. Her husband is known in the gates, when he sits among the elders of the land. She makes fine linen, and sells it; and delivers girdles to the merchant. Strength and honor are her clothing; and she will rejoice in time to come. She opens her mouth with wisdom; and in her tongue is the law of kindness. She looks well to the ways of her household, and eats not the bread of idleness. Her children arise up, and call her blessed; her husband also and he praises her. Many daughters have done virtuously, but you excel them all. Favour is deceitful, and beauty is vain: but a woman that fears the Lord, she will be praised. Give her of the fruit of her hands; and let her own works praise her in the gates. ~ Proverbs 31:10-31 My Grandma is such an encouraging woman that loves the Lord and has served Him so willingly over the years. She is such a blessing to those who she comes into contact with and everyone loves her. I have been blessed to have a Grandma who has grown old gracefully and that has taught me so much over the years and particularly during my time in Texas. She has passed on to me the ability of being able to quilt too. I am so thankful she did because now I can pass it on to the next generation. I pray that the next generation will want to learn this heritage that has been passed down over the years. I hope that you enjoy all the pictures and Grandma I pray that you will be able to experience many more years. Thank you for coming to see my new home! I love you and Miss you very much.

Family Visit to Sacramento-Last Day

2011-04-17T21:36:00.003-06:00

I started out my day with morning dishes and my one of my boss' said that my niece Rachel could come back and help me if she wanted to so Aaron started training her on dishes that day. She is starting young but we are training up a future summer staff member (she caught on really fast too). It was fun for me to have her helping me and able to have that time with her. :) After dishes I took Rachel back to her cabin and then we went to say goodbye to my parents because they headed home after breakfast. After that Alanna, the kids, and me went on a hike on the Serenity Peak trail before they left.

I thought this picture was too funny of my sweet pups who spent the entire time (except for bedtime) outside in the yard. This is after everyone had left and they reclaimed their chair and slept all afternoon. :)

Family Visit to Sacramento-Smores

2011-04-17T20:57:00.003-06:00

To finish off the day we decided to build a campfire and have smores. It was a lot of fun and it was so nice sitting next to a fire again. It has been a long time since I have done that. The kids had a hard time roasting their marshmallows due to how hot the fire was. The last time we made them we did it in a small grill. They did a good job though with making the smores. Afterwards we smelled wonderful! :) It made me miss the camp I went to as a youth in Washington. So many camp memories then and so many being formed every year now. I have decided to work on the fire circle so I am putting rocks all around it to make it a bit more safe for the future. I am just bringing home a few rocks at a time so it will be a little while before it is finished.

Family Visit to Sacramento-Pedal Go Karts

2011-04-17T20:41:00.005-06:00

We had a lot of fun on the Go Karts too. The kids were taught how to ride them and brake with them too before they could try. They had a lot of fun riding around the parking lot. My sister had fun as much as they did I think.

Family Visit to Sacramento-Play Time with Wreckless

2011-04-17T19:54:00.004-06:00

This trip is the first time that the kids really played with Wreckless. Wreckless has always had so much energy and I was always afraid that he might knock them down so I haven't really let the kids into the backyard ever to play. I was watering and feeding them because they spent the time my family was here outside. I asked Luke if he wanted to come with me and he said that he did so I gave him some treats for each dog and we gave it a try. At first Wreckless wanted to jump on him but after being corrected the one time he stayed on all fours and played really well. Luke had a lot of fun and later wanted to play with him again so Rachel gave it a try also. I am so thankful that it was fun for them and for Wreckless too! :)

Family Visit to Sacramento-Tether Ball, Vollyball, and Soccer

2011-04-17T19:02:00.006-06:00

After dinner with the family my Grandma and Aunts headed back to the Snyder area because my 2 Aunts lead the music at the Churches they go to. The rest of my family came back to camp and we spent some time playing games on camp. We played Tether ball to start out and it felt good to beat my sister (who is older) at it. :) She always beat me at everything growing up and so it was fun to play her game after game and win. :) She did come close once but I still won.

Later we played Volleyball of which I am not very good at all!

I think I spent more time chasing the ball then hitting the ball. :)

Even Baby Wade played ball. :)

We had a youth group on camp that weekend and

a couple of the boys took out time with my oldest Nephew Luke and

my youngest Niece Kate and kicked a soccer ball around with them

and tried to teach them how to play.

It was so encouraging to watch them work with the kids and do so well with them.

Family Visit to Sacramento-Birthdays Celebrated

2011-04-13T17:49:00.005-06:00

Part of our family time was celebrating my Grandma's 93rd Birthday which was the 2nd and we also celebrated my 32nd Birthday which was the 5th. We went into have dinner at Mayhill Cafe which has absolutely wonderful food and they bought a cake for us too. The waitress at the cafe was wonderful to offer to take a picture of our family. It really was a wonderful day!

The cake says:

"Happy Birthday Antique Dena & Modern Dena"

Our Family Picture

My Mom with Rachel, Luke, and Kate outside of the cafe

My Grandma and Me

Family Visit to Sacramento-Hanging Out

2011-04-09T20:53:00.002-06:00

This is my niece Rachel with my baby nephew Wade

My Dad took Luke and Kate to look at the fish in the pond

Some local cows came to have breakfast at the dining hall

and my Grandma and 2 Aunt checked it out. :)

Family Visit to Sacramento-Family Pictures

2011-04-09T20:27:00.005-06:00

My sister Alanna, my Mom Linda, my Grandma Dena Faye, my Dad Bob, and myself

Mom, Grandma, and Dad

Me, Dad, Mom, my niece Kate

my niece Rachel, Alanna, my brother-in-law Chris

my nephew Luke, my aunt Lorita, my nephew Wade

Grandma, and my aunt Joy

Me, Grandma, and Alanna

Me and Grandma

Rachel, Luke, Grandma, Wade, and Kate

My Grandma with all her kids on her Birthday

Lorita, Joy, Grandma, and Dad

Joy, Dad, and Lorita

Who Is God: Part 1

2011-04-08T23:50:00.006-06:00

One night I was struggling with sleep much like tonight and I opened the precious Word of God and while I was opening it up not really knowing what I was going to read or anything a piece of paper fell out that a wonderful friend of mine gave me in Canyon. It is a HUGE list of names, titles, and descriptions of God. It is amazing how long the list is. As I was looking at one of the verses there was a description of who God is that jumped right out of the pages to me and I really wanted to take out time and share this with you. The verse given was in Nehemiah 9:17 but I really would like to give some context so it will make more sense. The children of Israel took out a day and were confessing their sins and here is part of what the Levites spoke: "Moreover you led them in the day by a cloudy pillar; and in the night by a pillar of fire, to give them light in the way wherein they should go. You came down also upon mount Sinai, and spakest with them from heaven, and gavest them right judgments, and true laws, good statutes and commandments. And made known unto them your holy sabbath, and commanded them precepts, statutes, and laws by the hand of Moses your servant. And gave them bread from heaven for their hunger, and brought forth water for them out of the rock for their thirst, and promised them that they should go in to possess the land which you had sworn to give them. But they and our fathers dealt proudly, and hardened their necks, and hearkened not to your commandments, And refused to obey, neither were mindful of your wonders that you did among them; but hardened their necks, and in their rebellion appointed a captain to return to their bondage: but you are a God ready to pardon, gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and forsook them not." ~ Nehemiah 9:12-17 (The part in italics is what I am focusing on to describe the God I serve and I pray that all of us serve). As I read this I just sat back and was humbled by who God is for me. Israel has made mistakes but guess what I have made mistakes too. I look at this and I am so thankful I serve a God who will show me the grace and mercy needed so that my sins can be forgiven. He is a God who died for me on a cross so that I would have the opportunity to experience the forgiveness of the Father first hand. I am so thankful that He is slow to anger and my prayer is that He would provide me the ability to be slow to anger as well so that others might see Him in me. I deserve to have Him give up on me and yet He has chosen to be kind to me and that is how I should be to those who I want to give up on. I feel so thankful to have a God so forgiving towards me and my prayer is that He will teach me how to forgive like Him! I have a strong desire to delight God the Father and to bring Him glory in all I think, say, and do. I hope that the Lord encourages you today and that you (nor myself) would return to the bondage that He has freed us from but instead that we would be "mindful of His wonders"!

My Morning Surprise!

2011-04-03T16:34:00.006-06:00

This morning when I was getting ready I went to get some things from my sock drawer and noticed that a slipper was chewed up. I had seen some signs of a little friend living in that drawer so I had a couple of traps set hoping that I would catch it and get rid of it. When I went to get rid of the slipper low and behold this is what I found!

The little friend had babies in my sock drawer! I didn't know what to do but I knew I couldn't handle it on my own so I called Randy and Karen for help and Randy came to save the day. Randy pulled out the sock drawer and we took it outside to dump it out on the ground. We were afraid that the momma might still be in the drawer. The momma wasn't in the drawer so we decided to look for her by pulling out all the drawers. When we got to the 3rd drawer the momma mouse jumped out from behind the drawer and I jumped up with a gasp and I scared poor Randy. :) We continued to pull out the final drawer and reset the traps in a better spot. As I was bringing in the sock drawer I heard a noise from another drawer and told Randy and we found one more baby mouse in the second drawer. So we dumped out all the drawers on the ground to be safe but there was only 3 baby mice in the drawers. I haven't yet found the momma mouse since she jumped out at us so maybe she left to finish having her babies and is now living there. :)

Poor Wreckless is Having a Rough Time

2011-03-19T22:49:00.003-06:00

Tonight I was on the phone with my Grandma talking and while we were visiting Wreckless was walking around and all the sudden a saw him pull up really hard on it back left leg and then he was holding it up in the air. I got up to see what was going on and he came straight to me and his toe nail that I talked about in the last post about his vet visit got caught on the carpet and when he pulled up it made it worse by ripping part of the nail and it started bleeding really bad. I had to get off the phone with my Grandma and I picked him up and carried him to the bathroom that way it was easy to clean up the blood and called my Camp Director to see if he knew what I could do to stop the bleeding from getting everywhere and to help poor Wreckless. He told me to wrap it up and asked if I had anything to help him sleep and I still had a pill of the sedative that the vet gave me for the move to Sacramento so he said to cut it in half and try to keep him from pulling off the bandage.

So here are some pictures of the wrapped up foot. It was bleeding to bad to take a picture of the paw but I will take one when it stops bleeding. I used a piece of gauze and wrapped it around the toe that was bleeding then I took elastic wrap which is the stuff that the nurses use when they take blood from people (it isn't tape it sticks on itself) and wrapped it around his whole paw to hold the gauze in place and then I had a little sock and put it on his paw so he wouldn't rip off the elastic wrap and then the sock was a bit too big so I folded it down and used some elastic wrap on the sock to hold it up. It has been holding up and he hasn't tried to chew it off too bad. He even went outside for a while with it to go to the restroom. :) I guess the First Responder class I am in is doing me some good with the guidance of Bill my camp director. :) Thanks Bill!

My poor pup he is taking medicine for the tendinitis in his front right leg and now his back left paw is bleeding. He sure is falling apart it seems. I hope that he feels better tomorrow. If not I may have to take him to the vet on Monday to see about it.

Things I Have Learned Since Moving to the Mountains

2011-03-14T18:36:00.008-06:00

I have been so amazed by all the things I have been learning since my move to the mountains. So here are some of the things that I have learned: - Satan is very determined to tear us away from the will of God - I have learned to build a fires in my wood stove and outside on the first try - I have learned that I am able to stay for long periods of time in the mountains without going to town - I have discovered ways to limit my trips to town by ordering online and from Schwan's - we are more remote here then I was at Ceta living in a hole. - you can't see beyond the tree or the curve in front of you unlike Texas where you can see for miles and miles in front of you - I love living in the mountains - at work I learn something new everyday it seems like - no matter how much fabric softner I use it is never enough to keep the static out of my clothes - there is a need for a humidifier in multiple rooms in my home - I have learned that determination helps when going through major changes - I am more afraid of mice then I thought I was - I get sunburned easier - it takes longer to unpack then I thought it would - God is always faithful! :)

Wreckless

2011-03-10T23:26:00.002-07:00

Today I had to take Wreckless in to see the vet in Cloudcroft because he has been limping now for 3 weeks. At first I didn't take him because I wanted to watch him and see if he would get better on his own and also because my car was still broken. He was still getting around alright but the limp just kept getting worse and worse. Daisy was coming due for her yearly shots so I took both pups hoping that Daisy would settle down faster and socialize a bit with the vet. Unlike Wreckless who meets no stranger Daisy on the other hand is not a social bug at all. :)

Today I found out that Wreckless has tendinitis in his front right leg. The vet told me to not let him run and jump on it as much as possible for the next few weeks. I kind of snickered and told her that was all he knew how to do. :) I asked her if it would be enough to leave him in his kennel verses outside while I was working. I told her he generally was outside when I wasn't home and she said it would be best to leave him inside in his kennel. So I guess my pups will have to be caged up instead of enjoying the beautiful weather and yard. :( She also gave me some medicine that I am to give him 2 times a day. Poor Wreckless he always seems to have something go wrong.

The vet said that both were very healthy outside of Wreckless' leg and his back paw that started randomly bleeding and she looked at it and he also has a split nail that is all the way down to the wick. He is having a rough time.

I really liked this vet. They had a door that she closed off and she just sat down on the floor and I was able to let the leashes go and let the pups wander and smell and she just loved on my pups. Wreckless started licking her on the face and I told her that I would make him stop but she told me not to that it was a good thing for pups to smell, lick and socialize and sure enough Wreckless fell in love with her. I could really see her love for dogs. Daisy never really warmed up to her totally but by the time she left she was getting close enough to let the vet pet her. The vet said that Daisy will get better as time goes by and I really think it will. She did better then I expected.

I am thankful I found a vet in Cloudcroft instead of having to drive all the way to Alamogordo. :) God is good!

My Car is Home!

2011-02-28T15:50:00.002-07:00

Yay! My car is home and it appears to be fixed! I drove it home from Alamogordo after church and it made it the entire way! We stopped in Cloudcroft and checked to make sure there was no leaking and there wasn't. When I got home we checked it one more time and it still wasn't leaking. :) I am so thankful to have my car back and to have freedom restored! :) I am excited to be able to get out and explore the new area that I am living in.

My Car is Going to the Car Doctor

2011-02-22T23:39:00.002-07:00

Today we took my car into the shop or I should say that Aaron took in my car to the shop and I went with him and his family. This is the first time that my car has ever gone to the shop on a trailer and I am praying that it can be fixed!

It broke the night we drove into camp when I moved up to SMA. We didn't know it at the time but it overheated when a friend from camp and I went into town. We weren't even halfway there when it started acting up. When they came to get the car they had noticed that my car spilled out most of my radiator fluid at camp where I had parked the night before when I let them know I had made it. We didn't notice it then because it was dark. Thankfully my friend was with me because she had a cell phone that actually worked in the mountains. :) God is so good!

Wreckless - 4th Birthday

2011-02-02T17:00:00.003-07:00

Happy 4th Birthday to my sweet pup Wreckless! It is so hard to believe that Wreckless is 4 years old already. I have been waiting for this day because I have been told multiple times that my little blessing in disguise would calm down and be the best pup ever. He has appeared to calm down a bit and he is easier to manage now. He has become a really good pup and is very sensitive to his surroundings. I think if he had some good training he would be really good for someone who is handy cap. When I have been sick he follows me all around and watches me very closely (he has also done that when my Grandma has been sick too). :) He loves to cuddle and thinks at times that he is a lap dog and sadly he is a really big lap dog but I don't mind. I love it when he wants to cuddle with me.

Wreckless the night I got him

(isn't he so tiny and cute)

Wreckless always wanted to be where I was.

Here he is helping me make the bed.

Doesn't it look like he is a big help. :)

Here he is today!

I thought this picture was so funny because of how relaxed he is. :)
(normally he sits really pretty but for some reason he wasn't this time)

Isn't he still such a cute pup!

Wreckless is such a blessing to have! I won't lie those puppy days were tough at times but it was worth it. He is such a sweet pup and has so much fun. I am thankful that the Lord provided him as my pup! He really is "man's best friend". :)

Snow at Sacramento!

2011-02-01T20:05:00.003-07:00

Here are some snow pictures from one of the first snows I experienced here which happened during the record breaking temperatures. I was ready to run back to Texas where it was warm at one point when it hit -24 degrees. I am just kidding! :) Come to find out Texas was having a very cold spell too. :) These are pictures around my home and not far from my warm house. They are out the front door and from the deck of the house.

Kaiser's Cabin - My New Home (Before Pictures)

2011-01-22T16:23:00.006-07:00

Here are a few pictures of my new home at Sacramento Methodist Assembly (SMA) in Sacramento, NM before we unloaded the truck. You will see a few things here and there because the pups and I spent the night before we unloaded and we brought in some necessities for the evening. I got up early enough to get pictures before everyone showed up to help me get unloaded. :)

The Guestroom

The Bathroom

This is a very tiny Bedroom and I will be using it as a Walk-In Closet

(it is next to the bathroom and the washer/dryer)

Hallway to Dining Room

(the door on the right is my front door,

all the previous pictures are on that side of the house)

Dining Room/Kitchen

(Wreckless & Daisy-Rose's dog kennels aren't staying there)

(door on the right goes to the Living Room)

Living Room

(the doorway goes to my bedroom)

(doorway goes out to the deck)

My Bedroom

(the door goes out to the backyard)

The Backyard

(the shed is Wreckless and Daisy-Rose's new mansion)

Car Broken Again

2011-01-22T16:22:00.008-07:00

My precious car made the move to Sacramento just fine but when Vicky (a staff member) and I headed to Alamogordo to Wal-Mart it overheated. We didn't even make it to Cloudcroft. After giving it some time to cool down we started back to camp. The one thing about moving to the mountains is that it is even more remote then Ceta was. We don't get mobile reception till Cloudcroft which is 45 minutes away from camp or at least I don't because I have AT&T. Vicky has Verizon so she has scattered reception. We drove off and on till we got reception to call Sacramento for help. My car just couldn't not go up the mountain so Aaron and Bill came with Aaron's trailer and carried my car back to camp. When Aaron and Bill were getting the trailer they said that the spot that I had parked the night before when I went to the office had a huge puddle on the ground. So we figure that something happened between Mayhill (which is just down the mountain some) and camp. I hope that we can get it fixed! The guys are going to check it out and hopefully I will know something soon.

Moving Expedition

2011-01-22T16:22:00.007-07:00

January 17th and 18th was a busy for me! Moving day arrived after 7 weeks of preparation for this day. I got up at 630am and finished getting all my things together while I waited for the sun to rise. I finished with all final prep work before the U-Haul arrival. I finished at about 8am and the U-Haul was due about 9am. I had one final hike I wanted to do before driving out of Ceta and that was to hike to the waterfall around sun rise. My wonderful friend Nikki took this final hike with me and we were able to visit the entire way and enjoy the view and time together before I left. I took this picture on a rock that I have spent much time sitting on while thinking, praying and just spending time with God. This was my hiding place during my time at Ceta. It was so relaxing sitting and listening to the waterfall while sitting on this rock. It was the best place on camp!

My Dad and Aunt Lorita arrived with the U-Haul around 930am and with the help of all who are in the picture (the little ones came to say goodbye I didn't make them load the truck I promise) plus the current Food Service Director Dave (he took off before we finished because he needed to check on his moving truck, he was moving in as I was moving out). We did pretty good on time it was completely loaded before 12pm. People in the picture are: Mark and Nikki (top), My Dad, Aunt Lorita, Myself, Charlie, Aaron and Elijah (middle row), and Sophie and Matt (bottom)

Before I headed out the Food Service Director's wife, Marty came up to say goodbye to me. She is such a wonderful lady. Though they were moving in as I was moving out I spent 2 months with them in the summer because Dave came in to help out Ceta in the summer when we lost our Food Service Director Bob. Marty was such an encouragement to me this summer and I am so excited they made it before I left. At one point they were due to arrive the day I was leaving but they arrived a day earlier.

Please pray for Dave and Marty as they work in the dining hall. They have my position posted but it wasn't filled when I left. Pray for Ceta too as they hire new staff and are preparing for summer as well. Pray that God would place the perfect people in place for them as they serve the Lord. Here is a picture of Marty and Me.

I love this spot in Happy and had planned to one day take the pups so we could get a picture next to or in front of this sign but never did so I got a picture on the way out. So long good ole Happy, Texas and Sacramento here we come! :)

Wreckless' sedatives worked miracles! He was a zombie all day and it made the trip very smooth. :) Daisy was in the back seat in her kennel and the plans for the future is that my next car will have a big enough space in the back for Wreckless' kennel so that both dogs can ride in their kennels when we travel but until then Wreckless still enjoys his freedom that is unless I knock him out and after this trip it is very tempting to do it everytime. :)

We left Ceta Canyon at 1230pm central time and we arrived at Sacramento Methodist Assembly (SMA) at 730pm mountain time. We drove for 8 hours! This was the longest drive of my entire life or at least it seamed like it. When we arrived at SMA I went to the office and used the call box to let them know we made it. Terry and Bill came to greet us and to welcome me to camp. They drove us to my new home and helped me get the couple of things I needed right away unloaded (dogs, kennels, perishable food, overnight bags and bedding, etc...). They showed me around the house of which I couldn't figure out which door I came into. I got all turned around. It was quite sad that I was so confused. :) That evening we went to where my Dad and Aunt were staying and we enjoyed milk, banana bread, and brownies for summer and visited about the day. When I got back to the house I just walked all around looking at it and trying to figure out where I was going to put everything. The home is set up a bit awkward but after walking all around and thinking it through I fell in love with it! I can't wait till it is all put together so that I can show you pictures! I also have a wonderful deck that I can't wait to fix up!

The next day (January 18th) at about 9am people started arriving and we started unloading the truck. Something my Dad, Aunt and myself realized immediately was that it is a lot harder to breathe 7500 feet up in the mountains. There is a good amount of stairs to my front door (I will blog photos of the house later). We had a good group of guys come and help us out and I am telling you we were very thankful for the help. It is amazing how when you are moving you realize how much stuff you really have. I never knew how much I had accumulated over the years. When I moved to Texas 12 years ago all I had was 1 bag, 2 boxes, and a carry on luggage and I moved by airplane. What happened where did I get all this stuff? I moved with a 17 foot U-Haul. :) God has really blessed me over the years and it was humbling as I thought about how gracious people have been to me also!

In this picture we were taking a break and I couldn't help but get a picture. The people in the picture are: Terry, Bill, Tracy, and my Aunt Lorita

Wreckless and Daisy helped us unload the truck from their new yard which they love! They talked to us while we unloaded and gave us a lot of instructions. :)

Now isn't this a beautiful site? The 17 foot truck is finally empty!

Here is everyone who helped with the unloading except my Dad (he was a bit tired and didn't get in the picture): Terry, Bill, Aaron, Tracy, and my Aunt Lorita

Now it is time to unpack! :)

Friend or Foe?

2011-01-15T08:43:00.004-07:00

I was dog sitting my friends Mark and Nikki's pup Rocket and while he was visiting I got a hilarious series of pictures and couldn't help but share them. When I was looking at them I kept wondering if Rocket was a friend or a foe. So what do you think? LOL!

Wreckless showing his teeth

Rocket showing his teeth

Daisy showing her teeth

Rocket decided Wreckless needed his ears cleaned so he is helping Wreckless out :)

Wreckless protesting to a group picture

Wreckless giving in to the group picture but not willing to look at the camera

Everyone getting into position and the boys are waiting patiently for Daisy

Alright we are all in position but Daisy is a little camera shy for the first time in her life!

This was all in a process of maybe 20 minutes! :)

So are we friends or foes? That is the question.

Christmas 2010

2011-01-04T08:53:00.007-07:00

This year we had a few Christmas' of which we just made the rounds. It was different from normal but still really good. We had Christmas first at my Aunt Joy's house on the 23rd. My niece Rachel was the reindeer who got to pass out the gifts. The little boys got along so well and that was so much fun to see. Rachel played my aunts keyboard for the family which was fun to listen to.

I had Christmas with my pups at Grandma's before heading to Midland on Christmas Day to spend the day with my sister. Yes, my pups get Christmas too. :)

We had a wonderful Christmas at my sister's. The kids were really enjoying the gifts they got from Santa. Kate got a trampoline from Santa and due to it being cold he decided to put it in the living room so she could enjoy it on Christmas. Good thing Santa did because Kate as well as Rachel, Luke, and even my sister was able to enjoy it. :) My Dad and Mom got all the kids pillow pets and they loved them. My Grandma came with us too and while we were fixing dinner she helped out by holding baby Wade and boy my Grandma has some sleeping arms. He fell asleep and she held him for a long time while he slept. I am glad she was able to enjoy time with him.

I have sure been thankful to be in Camp Ministry because it is so much fun to be able to enjoy the holidays with my family. When working in retail you never really get to enjoy them because you have to work it. In camping I get to have off and spend the time with my family and that is something I always wished to have. God is amazing! I am so thankful for that time especially so close to moving farther away from all of them.

As I was preparing to come home I went into Snyder and on the way back to my Grandma's house my car overheated and so my Dad and I took it in to a maintenance shop to get it fixed. Needless to say the car didn't get to come home with me to Ceta. The head gasket in my car busted. My poor car isn't feeling very well. All I can do is give thanks to God because I had been all over seeing friends and family in it due to the move I am getting ready for and I am also thankful it didn't break on the way home with the pups in the car. God really did protect me over the holidays. I am going to head back to camp in my Dad's car and so we will be covering the car with blankets to keep dog hair off of the seats. My Dad is pretty particular. I am thankful he is letting me take it though to help me out.

I hope that everyone has had a wonderful Christmas!

Gingerbread Houses 2010

2011-01-04T08:52:00.006-07:00

Mark and Nikki Andrews had our staff over for a Gingerbread House making night and it was so fun to watch everyone create their homes, cookies, and forts. :)

Jalie and Sophie Crawford and Mark Andrews

Matt and Elijah Crawford

Jalie Crawford

Nikki Andrews and Sophie

Darren, Charlie, and Mark with their fort

My Car is Beautiful Again

2011-01-04T08:52:00.003-07:00

Today I got my car back finally from fixing my bumper that was damaged in the fender bender I had back in November. It is so beautiful and looks like new. Now my car is ready to go on Christmas vacation and get ready for the move to Sacramento. :)

Midland Trip - Denise Visits

2010-12-05T00:14:00.004-07:00

This weekend was filled with a wonderful visit with an lifelong friend of our family. I have known Denise for 23 years of my life and when growing up she was like a second mom to my sister and myself. I remember spending many evenings watching movies, having dinner, going shopping, we laughed together, cried together, etc... I spent summers at her home in Friday Harbor, WA after she moved from Pasco (where I was raised) until I moved to Texas.

This weekend she was on her way to Dallas for a conference with work and so she came a bit early and spent the weekend with our family at Midland where my sister lives. I took off some time from Ceta and made a quick trip up so I could have some time with her while she was here. My sister's children fell in love with her! My sister and I went for a walk in the morning with her and was able to have a wonderful time of catching up. Denise and I later was able to make a Starbucks run and she treated us with all sorts of goodies which was so much fun.

Denise with Kate after our walk

We all got ready ready so that we could have a girls day out and go shopping, have lunch, and just hang out. My brother-in-law Chris was wonderful and kept my nephews at home with him. It was such a fun girls day out. Here are a few pictures before our adventure:

While Denise was here we had some of our all time favorite meals that she made while we were growing up. She prepped some cinnamon rolls that are absolutely fabulous and sent a few home with me which I really enjoyed having. :) I am so thankful for the time we were able to have together and I can't wait till the next time we can all get together. It is so nice to have lifelong friends that you know will always be a big part of our lives! God is so good!

A Transition in Life!

2010-12-02T13:43:00.002-07:00

Today it was announced to all the staff at Ceta Canyon that I was resigning effective January 16th.

God is so good and I have been led to switch camps after much prayer and a few visits the Lord has provided a place for me on the team at Sacramento Methodist Assembly (SMA). I went up for a vacation back in August and that was all the trip was but then after almost 2 months the Lord placed SMA on my heart and all I wanted to do was go back again. I shot the camp director there Bill McCuaig a message through Facebook and asked if there was a position that camp open I would love to be considered to join his team there. I explained what I was making, what I would like to do in camping, and my needs all the way around. I wasn't expecting a reply right away because jobs don't just happen to be there whenever it pleases a person but Bill responded immediately and from there the prayers started with Bill and I because he was thinking of adding a position at SMA and needed to get approval from the Board of Trustees for it to happen. Our prayer was that the Lord would do whatever was best for SMA. Bill went to work on planning what the details would be of the position for the Board and myself and the Board approved the position. I waited to hear back from Bill for about a week (I didn't know the Board had approved it at this point) and then curiosity was about to kill me so I shot him a message and asked about how the meeting went and what the Board decided. I also shared that I understood that if the position was approved that he needed to make the right decision for SMA and that I trusted him to do what was best for them and me. About a day or 2 later I got a phone call and he had been checking references with past Ceta staff about me and the possibility of hiring me. The position was offered the week of Thanksgiving and during that time I prayed and spent much time in the Word desiring to tell Ceta as soon as I was able. I wanted to be sensitive to them and that this wouldn't be what they were expecting. I have seen much change in my time at Ceta and change is really hard to go through.

God is so good and throughout time, prayer, guidance in His Word, and counsel from family/friends the Lord led me in the direction to accept this position and leave Ceta to move onto a new adventure at Sacramento. My last day at Ceta is January 16th and my family shows up with the U-Haul on the 17th to help me load up and move. Please pray for Ceta as they transition and work through this change. It is always hard. Pray for me in the transition period (packing, planning, moving, adjusting, etc...). I love Ceta Canyon so much and am going to miss it!

Thanksgiving 2010

2010-11-28T22:13:00.006-07:00

This Thanksgiving was a whirlwind of things! I took off a week from Ceta and went to Snyder to spend some time with the family. On the way the pups and I stopped at Greg and Wendy Lavo's house to visit for a bit where the pups made 2 new friends. Greg and Wendy have a goldendoodle whose name is Roo and Hayden and Callie (their son and daughter-in-law) also have one and her name is Bernadette. The pups took a while to all get to know each other but after a few hours visiting outside with them they started doing really well together. The goldendoodles really enjoyed Daisy-Rose because she isn't quite as hyper and she was small so they would lay down and play with her. Wreckless is just so full of energy and wants to play so bad that it can be overwhelming at times for other dogs. :) Our visit was a wonderful one and I am so glad that they have a big yard for all the pups to hang out in.

The next stop made was Snyder and then the next morning my Mom and I took a day trip to Midland so I could help my sister get her house cleaned up before her company all showed up for Thanksgiving. She has her mother-in-law's side of the family come every year on Friday to have Thanksgiving together because she has a home that will fit everyone. I offered to help my sister due to having a baby and she was feeling very behind. She worked really hard though to clean up some before we got there.

That day I had a little helper that followed me around and cleaned right next to me. Thanks to being around my dear friend Wendy Lavo like I had when I lived in Lubbock I had learned how to have a 3 year old help me. :) Kate and I cleaned the bathrooms together as well as kitchen, we dusted, cleaned bedrooms, etc... While we were cleaning my mobile phone rang and it was a camp director (Bill McCuaig) at Sacramento Methodist Assembly and he asked me to join their team full time at the first of the year. That was such an exciting time for me. I contacted him about it a while back and told him that if he ever had an opening to please consider me and after receiving approval to add a new year round staff member he called (I will share more soon). I was able to share the news immediately with my sister and Mom and I am so thankful I was able to enjoy that time with them.

My Mom's job in coming to help was to watch baby Wade and her job was made easy because he fell asleep and stayed asleep (something that doesn't happen to my sister). My Mom picked up the dusting rag and pitched in till Wade woke up wanting his bottle but then right back asleep he went. He was such a good baby that day for us. We got a lot accomplished and I am so thankful I could go and help her out. This is a huge perk to being in camping ministry to be able to have off time during the holidays. :)

Kate decided she wanted to come home with my Mom and me when we got ready to leave. So Kate came and spent a few days with Pepaw and Memaw. She sure did have a good time and she has won the heart of my Dad by looking at him and saying to him, "I sure do like your car!" He loved that and she has wiggled her way into his heart. She also said that about his Total Gym too while he was working out. :)

This is where Wreckless and Daisy spend their time when visiting my parents. It is a really good area for the pups. The yard is sectioned off from the main yard and they are much easier to control. We use to let Daisy run free but then we learned that Wreckless doesn't bark hardly at all or say much if she is with him so she has been booted out. :) Poor Daisy but she does really well out there unless she sees me through the back door window then she feels the need to remind me they are still out there waiting patiently. :)

Over Thanksgiving we had a really bad stomach bug hit the family. My Grandma and Dad were the first to get it and it was a couple of days before Thanksgiving. After the bug ran it's course I cleaned up Grandma's bathroom for her and then I got it right after my Sister and her family left on Thanksgiving Day. It really was a vicious bug. I am telling you. I was feeling alright and then it hit me hard. I went to Grandma's house, took the pups out to use the bathroom (she doesn't have a yard and I didn't want to mess with taking them out), and locked myself in my room which has a bathroom off of it. I didn't come out till I was finished with it. Wreckless and Daisy were so sweet though. Wreckless followed me every step and just kept an eye on me. My sister was texting me and keeping an eye on things from a distance. Thankfully none of the children picked it up. Kate was around my Dad when he was sick and Luke was around me a lot before I caught it. God was so good to my sister.

The pictures below are a couple my sister got on Thanksgiving. The first is of my parents with the kids (Rachel-9, Luke-6, Kate-3, Wade-3 almost 4 months) and the second is them with my Grandma.

I hope that everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving this year!

Family Pictures

2010-11-10T13:32:00.004-07:00

There was somthing interesting happening that kept the pups attention :)

Finally they are looking at the camera but I guess Wreckless got bored he decided to take a cat nap (his eyes are closed) :)

Okay, Okay everyone decided to cooperate! :)

The joys of taking pictures with my pups! Thank God for the invention of digital cameras because it takes about 20 pictures to get a good one.

My Poor Little Car!

2010-11-10T13:28:00.003-07:00

I was in a little accident while picking up a friend at the college in Canyon. So sad!

This is what my car looked like at the scene of the accident

Thankfully my little dent popped out all by itself! :)

Charlie's Pounding

2010-11-06T13:27:00.007-06:00

Today we took out some time to welcome Charlie as a full time staff member. Welcome Charlie!

Do you feel the love? :)

Sacramento New Mexico Vacation

2010-08-16T14:03:00.005-06:00

I just wanted to share a few pictures from my vacation at Sacramento Methodist Assembly. It is a sister camp in New Mexico that is about 30 miles south of Cloudcroft.

View from the Cabin I stayed in

The Cabin I stayed in

Cows taking a stroll outside my cabin :)

If you look close this is a picture of where where the forest fire stopped that almost took out the camp

Yes this is some snow I found while driving through the National Forest and this is in August

Poor Daisy was worn out after all our hiking and walking :)

Steve Wade Stansell

2010-08-05T23:00:00.005-06:00

My little nephew made it into the world screaming his head off! :)

His name is Steve Wade Stansell but we will be calling him Wade.

Finished and Just in Time

2010-08-04T14:08:00.003-06:00

I am so excited I got the quilt done and just in time! I finished it on the way to the hospital in the car. I had half to hem and an hour and a half to do it in and I finished just as we got into Odessa. :)

Ceta Canyon Parade

2010-08-01T21:50:00.003-06:00

Mate, Carly, Josh, and Matt coming from the Ceta Glen side to the Ceta Canyon side.

As they passed us Matt who is at the very end on the golf cart started waving and acting like he was throwing candy to us.

It was so funny!

Ceta Summer Staff Memories 2010

2010-07-30T22:11:00.007-06:00

Meet Our Summer Staff

Kitchen Staff

Kitchen Staff with Christina (far right) and Me

All of our Summer Staff

Ty, Hope, Lindsey, and Beata found a new way of washing the dishes!

Oopsie Christina forgot to put the mixer on low before turning it on!

Hash browns everywhere to show for it. LOL!

Aleyne and Niki grilling up the grill cheese which would take over an hour.

They were always so sweet to come and let me eat when they got to work

Beata and Anett doing the never ending task of pots and pans

Girls night out

Anna, Hope, and Ty hard at work

Hope and Ty getting ready to mop

My friend Amber who Wreckless loves

Ty ready to enter into the freezer

Anett's creative rain attire

Someone decided to Saran wrap the cars one night

Though we love the morning shift it isn't easy to get going in the mornings :)

This is our halfway mark!

Last Dinner Before Summer Staff Leave

2010-07-27T21:40:00.003-06:00

Before the summer staff left they wanted to have dinner together and we celebrated 3 birthdays while we were there. We ate at Cheddars and it was absolutely wonderful and fun!

This is my pre-summer roommate Julia

Josh, Anna, and Matt (birthday kids)

Mate from Hungary turned Texan while visiting :)

Roof

2010-07-23T22:15:00.003-06:00

Today Mike Wentz brought out a man to check on my roof! I am thankful my roof may be budgeted to be fixed by winter! They didn't say anything about it though when they were finished. We will see what happens as time goes by.

What an Encouraging Morning!

2010-07-22T18:33:00.003-06:00

Crossroads week has been a rough week for me to say the least. I am so ready for it to end and out of all the weeks of camp it is the hardest and today was the topper. My morning crew encouraged me to much though and made the day so much better.

I don't hardly ever do this but I slept in by accident this morning and was late to work by at least a half an hour. I set 4 alarms every morning to help me accomplish the difficult task of waking up in the mornings. I woke up to 3 of the alarms and then low and behold the 4th one I missed. Usually I have moved around enough that I don't have to worry about it but this morning that wasn't the case. At about 6:15 I heard Wreckless give an "I am bored sigh" and I looked at him and asked him to wait for the alarm. I guess he heard it and knew it was time. :) I jumped out of bed when I realized what had happened, picked up the phone highly confused about why I wasn't called (because all of them where shown where my number was if they needed me) to call them and let them know what happened. When they didn't answer I hurried up and did the bare minimum to get ready and got to work by 6:30 I wasn't sure what I was going to walk into because the breakfast we were suppose to do that morning was the most time consuming one of the week. I looked through the window of the door and walked in and was looking when I entered into the kitchen and they were all doing what I had taught them to do over the summer for that meal. Brittany and Sarah were doing their hostessing stuff, Ty had warmed the sausage and was working on the cold treys, Anna was doing the breakfast bar, Anett was doing the eggs, and Beata was doing the hash browns! I wanted to cry because it was so neat that they had come so far is such a short period of time. My goal for them had been exceeded. My goal had always been that they could come in and not have to ask me what they were suppose to do but be able to know and by the 2nd week they were already doing that. That morning could have started out way behind with challenges from the start but they totally did what they had been taught and didn't have to be told to do it or have me there to make sure it was being done. I asked them why they didn't call me when I wasn't here when they showed up and Ty simply responded, "Well, you have never been here after us and we just figured you had a good reason to be late so we got together and put our hands in and had a 'go team' moment and got to work." It really was an encouraging time for me!

Girls Night Out

2010-07-18T22:32:00.002-06:00

We had a girls night out at camp and it was so nice, refreshing, and encouraging! The married women got together and shared with us about dating, marriage, submissiveness, what they liked most about being married, what was the hardest about being married, etc... They brought a woman out to camp who did spa parties and sold different products to come and pampered us. I am not much on being touched but I did do some of it. The women pretty well prepared the girls to go to bed. :) Thankfully no one was leaving camp. All makeup was off and they had on a face mask for a bit of time. :)

My feet being moisturized

The girls with their masks on :)

Phase #2: Baby Stansell #4's Quilt

2010-07-16T22:10:00.004-06:00

I have all the blocks cut out now it is time to get the border cut out and then it will be time to sew it all together. :-)

When It Rains It Pours

2010-07-15T20:52:00.002-06:00

This has been a rough week for the trailer. It started with my dryer going out and starting to over heat. Then today my ceiling finally fell in that had water damage due to the roof leaking. So now my trailer is patched with a tarp, duct tape, and 12 cinder blocks. Please pray for me as I face challenges with patience concerning this. I am not sure when it will be fixed. I am not sure how long this fix will hold up. The entire back of the trailer (the side that the yard for the pups runs along) is damaged really bad because that is where the sun hits it the most. We have been having so much rain and with the hard winter this year it has had a rough couple of months.

Wreckless Makes a New Friend :-)

2010-07-14T22:57:00.004-06:00

This is my friend Amber who I work with in the dining hall. She came home with me during the thunderstorm tonight. She was so sweet to let Wreckless come in out of the rain with Daisy-Rose. I armed her with a book for protection but he settled down really quick and by the end of the evening he climbed up in her lap and cuddled with her. I wasn't going to let him but she assured me it was alright. He loved having all the attention.

Phase 1: Baby Stansell #4's Quilt

2010-07-11T20:18:00.002-06:00

I have been trying to work my my future nephew's quilt before he gets here on August 4th. This is the 1st phase of it. My goal is to have all the pinwheel blocks finished by the 17th so I can get started on phase #2 which is cutting out the 8 1/2 inch squares of the vintage cowboy material that I found at Hobby Lobby as well as cut out the bordering. I hope I get this finished in time with all the chaos of summer. :)

Anett Creating a New Style for the Rain

2010-07-08T20:16:00.006-06:00

We have really experienced much rain over the last couple of weeks due to the hurricane in the gulf. Today the rain was pouring down so hard. We still got drenched from the dining hall to the car.

We Have a Car Wrapper in the Camp

2010-07-08T20:16:00.004-06:00

Suran Wrap has multiple uses :)

Texas Play

2010-07-02T23:45:00.005-06:00

Mike Wentz dancing with his daughter Hope

Sarah, Carl, Anna, Aleyne, and Wayne

Savannah (Ohio), Sara (United Kingdom), and Brittany (Virgina)

(these 3 work in Concessions together and it has been so neat to see such a sweet friendship develop between 3 girls from 3 different places)

Halfway There

2010-07-02T23:45:00.003-06:00

Groom, Texas Part 2

2010-07-02T23:44:00.006-06:00

Bug Ranch

The Leaning Water Tower

Groom, Texas Part 1

2010-07-01T05:09:00.005-06:00

Aunt Shirley, Mom, Dad and Me

Aunt Janice, Aunt Shirley, and Mom

Cross-Stitches From My Aunt Lorita

2010-06-27T14:45:00.006-06:00

I have framed the cross-stitches Lorita had made for me! The first one she did thinking about us with summer approaching and I thought it was so cute I took it to the kitchen the day after I got it and showed everyone that was there that day. The second one she did as a house warming gift for when I moved into the Delaney House. I am not sure now if I will ever get to move in but I sure do love the picture though and I had been wanting it for some time now and I was so excited when I received it. :)

"I Am Boring"

2010-06-27T14:45:00.004-06:00

Today at work it was so funny my precious new found friend Beata who is from Poland said something so cute. We were standing there and I looked at her and said, "Isn't it nice having a small group so we can breathe?" Beata then looked at me and said, "Yes, but I am boring." Anett who is from Hungary was standing close by and she looked at me puzzled and I just couldn't hold it in. I started laughing and looked at Beata and said, "Oh Beata, you are anything but boring!" Anett and I just laughed then I told Beata that the correct wording would be "I am bored." She started laughing too and now it is a joke for us when we see each other. It has been fun to help them learn our language and how to make sentences that are correct and things. They are always wanting to learn and ask questions all the time. They are all wonderful! The 2 phrases going around with different international workers is "Howdy Partner" and "Hello Sweetheart" :)

Palo Duro Trip

2010-06-20T08:40:00.006-06:00

I took out some time to hang out with some friends from camp and we went to Palo Duro to go hiking. I think we picked the hottest day to go though. It was 110 degrees. We just had lots of water with us and went anyways. It was fun just hot!

I made it!

Beata made it!

Beata

Anett, Beata, and Niki

Niki

Me, Beata, Anett, and Niki

Anett, Niki, and Beata

Anett (Hungary)

Niki (Hungary)

Beata (Poland)

1st Week of Camp Completed

2010-06-13T08:45:00.001-06:00

Week one has been completed! We had a wonderful week! The summer staff listened so well and were willing to learn but the week did come with challenges. The week started with my Food Service Director Bob quitting on the first day of camp. The Lord provided though and we were able to end the week with everyone happy and they all had a good experience. The one comment sheet I did see left nothing but compliments.

The Camps we had here were Camp New Dawn (adult mentally challenged), MDA, and Camp Villa (visually impaired). These children helped me to keep focus and encouraged me so much. These precious people face so many challenges daily and when Bob told me he was quitting it felt like the world was falling in around me. I was so scared and nervous about what would happen with us having an all new staff and having to train them all on my own but as I watched these precious groups the Lord revealed to me that He was in control and that He was able to walk us through this time as a staff. The Lord has blessed me with a sound mind, eyes to see out of, strength walk, and a for the most part healthy body. These children struggled but still had a smile on their face and joy in their hearts and I realized that though there were challenges ahead that the Lord would provide and things could be a lot worse. God is so good!

As the week has come to an end please pray for us as our summer continues with each new week.

Progressive Open House

2010-06-04T10:58:00.004-06:00

We had a Progressive Open House for our summer staff to welcome them and also give them the opportunity to learn where all our year round staff lives and give us an opportunity to get to know them better and for them to get to know us. We prepared little gifts for each of them for when they came by and while they were here we shared a bit about who we were and we were able to ask them questions too. It was a neat idea and a lot of fun also. They broke them up into small groups to send around so it wouldn't be so overwhelming for the trailers. :) As each of the groups hit I took a picture of them. Meet our summer staff:

Carly, Josh, Zakk, Wayne, and Julia (she usually stays with me a week or 2 before summer)

Sarah (United Kingdom), Lindsey, Niki (Hungary), and Beata (Poland)

Ben, Jon, Savannah, Brittany, and Rob

Anett (Hungary), Liz (Columbia), Anna, Aleyne, and Charlie

Ty, Justin, Cindy, and Amber

Canyon Museum

2010-06-04T10:57:00.003-06:00

Today I took a couple of our international workers to the Canyon Museum. It was so fascinating to spend that time with them. Beata from Poland shared something that her Grandfather experienced during World War II when we were looking at our history. She shared with me that her Grandfather fled from Poland during the war and then when it was complete he came home and has been there since. She shared that they have preserved 2 concentration camps that are in Poland and that she had been to the most popular one to see it. She said that they still had the pile of shoes in the rooms where they put the Jews to stay. She was describing how they labeled different areas and what they were used for. She said that it was a very sad place to be at and that you could feel the sadness even after so long.

Another thing we had ran upon in our history was the integration period and she was asking me what that was. It was interesting for me to describe it to her and yet sad when I thought about that part of our history. I realized that all of us have sad areas of life but it is what we learn along the way that matters.

They were really fascinated with the outhouse and the gun collection that they had there. Beata asked me if it was true that every home in Texas had a gun. I smiled and said not everyone has a gun in their home because I don't. :-)

After the museum we stopped at the gift shop where they both purchased a straw cowboy hat. Then we headed off to have lunch. It was such a fun outing. Beata and I have been planning a trip to Palo Duro to go hiking and I have been telling her about the Texas play also so we may try to plan a trip to see it. There is another girl we work with from here in Texas Aleyne and Liz are wanting to go too so we may all try to go one night. It is so exciting to have them here and so much fun!

Here are a few pictures from our outing.

I sure am glad that I don't have to cook on this at Ceta! :-)

Beata (Poland) and me
Liz (Columbia) and me

Beata and Liz

Pool Opens for the Pups

2010-05-31T12:02:00.004-06:00

Crawford Pounding

2010-05-31T12:01:00.002-06:00

On the 23rd we had a pounding for the Crawford Family. This is the last one till the next time we have a new staff member again. We have officially caught up with welcoming all of our new staff members.

Matt came to camp to work on landscaping and is a year round full time staff member. He has a precious family. I tried to get pictures of them but they didn't turn out. Matt is in the picture below helping Chapel with the grilling. It has been so much fun to have Matt, Jalie, Sophie, and Elijah on camp. The children are so sweet. Sophie is a bit shy and but she is adjusting and getting to know us now. Elijah is always full of smiles. He is never upset and is always happy. They are living in the house next to the trailers. It has been nice to hang out with Jalie outside when the kids are playing. They have been a wonderful addition to camp.

Summer Staff Arrives

2010-05-31T12:00:00.002-06:00

Yippee! Our summer staff has been arriving since the 23rd. They have been doing orientation since last Monday. Half of our staff has arrived and the other half should be arriving soon. We had some high school students who needed to finish school and were last week.

The staff we have already been working with has been great. They are sweet and a lot of fun to be around. They tackle any task given and accomplish it with amazing speed. It will be exciting to see how this summer will play out. They are a good group of people and summer is soon to arrive. :)

Chapel's Pounding

2010-05-13T08:40:00.003-06:00

Chapel is the young woman in the middle. She came to camp in October and is my next door neighbor (trailer next to me). She works in the office full time and helps with booking our groups and taking care of them when they come into camp. She is a sweet young lady with a joyful personality. The 2 people with her in the picture are part of a family that she has built a wonderful relationship with and she spends many nights at their home and goes to church with them. They are a second family to her and they have blessed her life so much. I am so thankful the Lord has blessed her so much with this relationship. It really has helped her to adjust to life here at Ceta.

Total Gym

2010-04-21T06:53:00.003-06:00

My income tax check this year went to the purchase of a Total Gym. I know this is a picture of it in the box but it has made it out of the box and I have really enjoyed using it. It is a smaller version but it is good for my height. It fits perfectly in the back room even with it being used as a storage.

Officially Welcoming Will and Vonda

2010-04-14T21:23:00.004-06:00

I would like for yall to meet Will and Vonda who both work in the office. They are 2 of the nicest people and full of joy and smiles. They have been such a breath of fresh air. Welcome to Camp Will and Vonda!

This is Will he works in the office registering our summer campers. He came to Ceta at the end of the summer last year in August.

This is Vonda. She works as our Business Manager and she joined Ceta in the fall at the end of October/beginning of November.

Chapel and Genia

Brain Family

"Lord, What Shall This Man Do?"

2010-04-11T16:23:00.002-06:00

"When Peter saw him, he said to Jesus, 'Lord what about this man?' Jesus said unto him, 'If it is my will that he remain until I come, what is that to you? You follow me!' ~ John 21:21-22 (ESV)

These verses have been going through my mind very heavy for some time and I have found much encouragement in them as I continue with working in Camp Ministry. Sometimes it is difficult to be called to do something or even to watch those around you and question why they do something while someone else does another.

My encouragement from the Lord is not worry about the person next to me and what they are doing but to only worry about what the Lord has for me to do. He has a plan or a purpose for all of us and if the Lord decides for me to do something different from someone else that is alright and good and it doesn't matter what the Lord has someone else doing as long as I am in His will and His will alone.

Spring is Here!

2010-04-07T22:19:00.007-06:00

The Tulips that I planted last year. It was so much fun watching them grow and pop up one at a time.

Easter Weekend Trip

2010-04-07T22:19:00.004-06:00

For Easter Weekend I went to Snyder to spend time with my family. My Grandma's Birthday was the 2nd, we had Easter the 4th and then my Birthday the 5th. It was so nice to be off for a few days.

My roommate from the last couple of summers Kelsey came to the trailer and spend the weekend with Wreckless so that I didn't have to travel with both pups.

While I was at my Grandma's I finished up the quilt I was working on for my friend Hillary who had her baby Zoe on the 4th.

On my Birthday My Dad and I spent the morning together then we met my Grandma and Aunt Lorita for lunch. After lunch I headed home. I stopped in Lubbock and saw some friends, dropped off the baby quilt for baby Zoe and saw Hillary and Zoe at the hospital. After seeing the baby and Hillary I finished my trip home.

When I got home my friend Kelsey had decorated my bedroom door.

Brain Pounding

2010-03-11T19:16:00.003-07:00

Allan, Christy, Gavin, and Chase Brain came to camp in October and we have finally gave them a pounding to welcome them to camp. Allan works in the maintenance department and we are all so thankful to have them here. Their children are sweet and full of energy and it has been a blessing for me to get to know his wife Christy. They were missionaries in Africa for a time and hope to go back some day. Welcome Brain Family!

Seriously A Bunny Did This!

2010-03-11T19:15:00.004-07:00

I was on my way home late one night and there were a lot of rabbits out on the roads. I was dodging them pretty good but then I hit one. I didn't think anything about it because I have hit many rabbits in my time especially since being in Texas. I was in Lubbock about a week later and when I was going out to my car I saw all this stuff hanging down from my car on the passenger side. I got down on the ground and looked at it and this is the damage I had. I didn't get a picture of it but the flood light was ripped out too. Who knew a bunny could damage a car.

Stansell Visit - Sledding

2010-01-31T21:48:00.005-07:00

The Joys of Being Snowed in at Camp!

2010-01-29T22:57:00.004-07:00

Bob's Welcoming Lunch

2010-01-19T18:25:00.002-07:00

Today we finally had a meal for Bob to welcome him to camp. He has been working at camp since June and is now our Food Service Director. Since he lives off site we did a welcome box instead of a "pounding" which has gift cards from us in a gift box. With him working in the kitchen we decided to do a potluck lunch when there weren't any groups so that him and I wouldn't have to clean up afterwards. I guess all of our staff was craving similar meals. We had Chicken Spaghetti, Chicken Broccoli Pasta Casserole and Chicken Alfredo. We did have some salad, vegetables and dip, a wonderful rice and beans mixture and to finish it off a fabulous spice cake. The best part is that we ate all paper, plastic ware, and styrofoam cups so no dishes!

Bob has been so much fun to work with and get to know. I am so thankful he has come to camp. He has an organized plan for the summer, he has seen a summer, and there are good expectations going into summer. I am excited to see what this year will be like.

Baby Quilt

2010-01-18T12:08:00.012-07:00

I have been working on a quilt for a friend of mine who is having a little girl. I have finally gotten the quilt cut out and now it is time to start sewing. It is a bit harder doing a quilt with pups living in the house. I can't afford for them to mess it up and make the work three times as hard so they have had to spend some time sunbathing. :-)

Adventures at Ceta Canyon

2010-01-14T11:58:00.004-07:00

Today Bob and I were going over to clean up Ceta Glen after we had multiple raccoons that attacked it. I am telling you they definitely didn't like our recipe books but boy did they like the spices.

On our way over we were going up the hill and all of the sudden the pickup died. I looked at the gas tank and told Bob that I thought we were out of gas. He asked me which one was the gas gage and then we had decided that was the problem. As long as we were on level ground we could keep the pickup running but when we were going up hill all the gas we had shifted and we didn't have any to run off of. After much determination (like 6 tries) we finally got up the hill by taking a running start. We immediately proceeded to the gas tanks and got gas.

On our way back from the Glen we stopped at the office and while we were there Mike calls the office and asked them to call and have gas delivered ASAP because we were completely out!

Oopsie good thing Bob and I got it while we could. :-)

Prayers of my Heart

2010-01-14T10:11:00.005-07:00

As I am starting out today there is something that has been on my heart and mind since back in March. I have been praying for a purging within myself, the lives of my friends and also for Ceta Canyon (so that we can walk out our missions statement "A Special Place Where God is Experienced and Lives are Changed"). I love camp so much and I love everyone that the Lord has so graciously placed in my life. I want to see everyone who I come into contact with succeed in their walk with the Lord and to come to perfect completion. I want to share these verses that the Lord has given me and please know I am praying them over you and also for myself. Please pray too as the Lord leads!

Howbeit the firm foundation of God standeth, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are his: and, Let every one that nameth the name of the Lord depart from unrighteousness. Now in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and of silver, but also of wood and of earth; and some unto honor, and some unto dishonor. If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honor, sanctified, meet for the master's use, prepared unto every good work.
~ 2 Tim 2:19-21 (ASV)

“If a prophet or a dreamer of dreams arises among you and gives you a sign or a wonder, and the sign or wonder that he tells you comes to pass, and if he says, ‘Let us go after other gods,’ which you have not known, ‘and let us serve them,’ you shall not listen to the words of that prophet or that dreamer of dreams. For the Lord your God is testing you, to know whether you love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul. You shall walk after the Lord your God and fear him and keep his commandments and obey his voice, and you shall serve him and hold fast to him. But that prophet or that dreamer of dreams shall be put to death, because he has taught rebellion against the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt and redeemed you out of the house of slavery, to make you leave the way in which the Lord your God commanded you to walk. So you shall purge the evil from your midst.
~ Deut 13:1-5 (ESV)

Have mercy on me, O God, according to your steadfast love; according to your abundant mercy blot out my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin! For I know my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me. Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight, so that you may be justified in your words and blameless in your judgment. Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me. Behold, you delight in truth in the inward being, and you teach me wisdom in the secret heart. Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. Let me hear joy and gladness; let the bones that you have broken rejoice. Hide your face from my sins, and blot out all my iniquities. Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from your presence, and take not your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and uphold me with a willing spirit. Then I will teach transgressors your ways, and sinners will return to you. Deliver me from bloodguiltiness, O God, O God of my salvation, and my tongue will sing aloud of your righteousness. O Lord, open my lips, and my mouth will declare your praise. For you will not delight in sacrifice, or I would give it; you will not be pleased with a burnt offering. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise. Do good to Zion in your good pleasure; build up the walls of Jerusalem; then will you delight in right sacrifices, in burnt offerings and whole burnt offerings; then bulls will be offered on your altar.
~ Psalms 51:1-19 (ESV)

Behold, I will send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me: and the Lord, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to his temple, even the messenger of the covenant, whom ye delight in: behold, he shall come, saith the LORD of hosts. But who may abide the day of his coming? and who shall stand when he appeareth? for he is like a refiner's fire, and like fullers' soap: And he shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver: and he shall purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer unto the LORD an offering in righteousness. Then shall the offering of Judah and Jerusalem be pleasant unto the LORD, as in the days of old, and as in former years. And I will come near to you to judgment; and I will be a swift witness against the sorcerers, and against the adulterers, and against false swearers, and against those that oppress the hireling in his wages, the widow, and the fatherless, and that turn aside the stranger from his right, and fear not me, saith the LORD of hosts. For I am the LORD, I change not; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed.
~ Mal 3:1-6 (KJV)

But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees come to his baptism, he said unto them, O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Bring forth therefore fruits meet for repentance: And think not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to our father: for I say unto you, that God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham. And now also the axe is laid unto the root of the trees: therefore every tree which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance: but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire: Whose fan is in his hand, and he will throughly purge his floor, and gather his wheat into the garner; but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.
~ Matt 3:7-12 (KJV)

Lord, I pray that you will purge us and make us a generation that brings You glory and honor! I desire to be a vessel that bring You honor!

Happy Birthday Dad!

2010-01-10T21:58:00.002-07:00

Happy Birthday Dad!

I hope that you have a great and wonderful day! I wish I could be there to celebrate it with you.

When I think of my Dad I think of a wonderful man who has always provided for the needs of our family. Something that I will always think of is something we do now and that is going to the donut shop with my Dad and having breakfast with him. Since my parents have moved to Texas this something that my Dad an I started to doing and when I go to Snyder I always take out time to go on our donut runs. :-)

Thanks Dad for all you do! I love you and Happy Birthday!

Hike to the Waterfall

2010-01-09T23:36:00.005-07:00

My neighbors Mark and Nikki came over to see if I would want to take the pups for a walk with their pup Rocket and my other neighbor Chapel's pup Lucy. After a little bit of thinking I decided that I would go ahead and try it (Lucy doesn't really care for either Wreckless or Daisy-Rose) and they all did so good.

We hiked to the falls and then we took all the pups to the lower falls so we could get a closer look because it was almost completely ice. I had forgotten my camera but boy you should have seen us with all 4 dogs climbing the rocks.

My roommate from the past couple of summers came back to Canyon a day early and was going to spend the night so I asked if she would want to go and so that I could get some pictures. So here are the pictures we took. The first one is a picture of my summer roommate Kelsey.