A Reading Rainbow book recommendation

I just finished a book I began late last night. That's the sign of a good, good read. I'm sure many of you have read this one, but if any of you have not, I highly recommend this is quick, fast paced story that offers so much to chew on.

It's all about hell and heaven and the conversations that might lead from one to the other. There is so much to take away from this book, but my favorite is a new image of what hell might be like. Lewis writes of how quarrelsome everyone is:

"As soon as anyone arrives he settles in some street. Before he's been there twenty-four hours he quarrels with his neighbour. Before the week is over he's quarrelled so badly that he decides to move. Very likely he finds the next street empty because all the people there have quarrelled with their neighbours- and moved. If so he settles in. If by chance the street is full, he goes further. But even if he stays it makes no odds. He's sure to have another quarrel pretty soon and then he'll move on again. Finally he'll move right out to the edge of the town and build a new house. You see, it's easy here. You've only got to think a house and there it is. That's how the town keeps growing leaving more and more empty streets." (Lewis, 10)

I've always thought of hell as 'apart from God' but this offers such a visual of what existence would be like without the relational tools God has give us such as forgiveness, reconciliation, patience, honesty and kindness. Without these gifts, we are only left with our selfish demands and trying to live with everyone else's selfish demands. In our own lives we see our own and everyone else's selfish demands everyday, but thank God for the ability to work things out, for honesty and truthful communication, and that God created us to be relational beings, set up in communities so that we must learn how to use these God-instructed gifts.

Another Auction Surprise...

I wrote LaVonne (the generous friend who purchased the quilt for me) a thank you today and told her the following story as a part of my thank you. It was fun to write out this memory.

When I was in 5th grade we had a huge family reunion out in Colorado. One of my great uncles built a special building for this family reunion, complete with a stage and sound system, sleeping quarters and a kitchen with three ovens to feed all of us.

As a part of raising funds for the next family reunion, everyone brought collected items of my great grandma Anderson’s to be auctioned off to other family members. My mom had put an old, paper-thin apron of great grandma’s in the auction without my knowledge. I was playing Vanna White and when they handed me the apron to display for the bidders and I was horrified. I didn’t want the apron to be auctioned off. I loved that apron.

So from that stage I was silently lipping to my mom that I wanted the apron. She could see I was sad, but sort of communicated that it was too late and she was sorry. When the bidding started my mom tried to keep up with the bids, but her cousin Chuck kept increasing the bid so that she had to drop out. The apron was sold and cousin Chuck spent A LOT of money on that thing.

I walked the apron to him and when I got there he pushed it back into my hands and told me he bought it for me. And I absolutely fell apart. I actually remember this moment as pretty awkward because I couldn’t even tell him thank you. I was just overwhelmingly humbled and grateful and relieved.

There is something about a free gift that is so hard to comprehend. Our nature wants to earn it, to be sure we've contributed something, to repay them later. But truly accepting a free gift...it might just take me an eternity to figure out what this is really all about.

The last day of summer camp.

Our summer staff left this afternoon, and camp is officially over. Nebraska school's start early, and though it feels crazy to be done before August we have been at this since mid-May and I am exhausted. Saying goodbye to the staff today was a really powerful moment. I grew a lot this summer, was empowered and humbled, and have a lot to reflect on. A good challenging job is a good thing though. Feeling growth and character development isn't always the best feeling in the world, but at least I know I'm living my life and definitely still in process. Here are some shots of our closing worship today.

Carol Joy's Quilt Auction

I just got home from 13 hours of Quilt Auction fun at Carol Joy (my camp). The day was magnificent...399 stunning quilts, over 800 friends of the camp present to bid and $95,000 raised for a camp whose purpose is to pass on the faith to the next generation.

There was a quilt that I had my eyes on since it was delivered for the auction. I was careful not to tell anyone I loved it, fearing they would up my bid just to get me to pay more. But I had a max that I couldn't bid over and when it came time, I couldn't keep up with the dollars being bid for this quilt.

But to my great surprise, the winning bidder was a fantastic giver to the camp and purchased the quilt for me, having found out it was the one I loved. This woman has a history of doing this for camp staff I later found out. So look at this beauty. This is a picture of me and her and her husband. I was overcome with emotion when she gave it to me. It has been a learning summer and there was something so sweet about this gift to celebrate my first summer at Carol Joy.

Sonna Talk

My neice, Sonna, has been feeling under the weather this week. A few days ago she told her dad, "My tummy has a bad, bad cold."

Here she is to sing you a special version of "Twinkle, Twinkle."



And to be fair to sister, Mara, and mostly for my mom's viewing pleasure, here is Mara singing "Lemon Drops and Gum Drops." Notice Sonna trying to be just like her big sister.