a joyful noise

I run the Adults with Special Needs programming here at Carol Joy Holling Camp. Today we had an impromptu recital.

As we gathered for a sing-a-long a man walked up to the piano, set up his music (brought from home in a special folder) and asked for everyone to be quiet and then he prayed before his song. He thanked God for the piano and for his voice and for music. Then he cleared his throat, and began playing any which keys, singing the lyrics on this sheet music to a tune that was created as he sang it. The song was, "I could sing of your love forever" and he sang his own version with his own tune and piano part. When he was done the group cheered and clapped and he beamed and said "Thank you Jesus!"

We made pumpkin pies, painted on gourds and added googly eyes, played harvest bingo and ate hotdogs outside. I love this part of my job, but I always get so nervous before these days. I have trouble knowing how much to plan...unsure if an activity will take three minutes or thirty minutes. So I plan, and worry and plan some more. But each time I am left with some sweet reward like this man who said the words I should say more often for a job that gives me so much to be grateful for: thank you jesus.

that little camera cord thingy...

(this picture was taken at the cemetary...it was a beautiful, dreary sort of day.)

I have much more to report from our weekend of family. Like how when we got to my cousin's farm on Saturday, instead of riding on the combine (the fields were too wet) we shot tomatoes off of tin cans with big shot guns. The daughter in me who was raised to hit the deck if I ever see a gun had to calm down a bit. And in the end, I really enjoyed watching tomatoes and glass bottles explode.

We were at the farm for baby Ida's baptism. I've got some pictures on my camera of all of this (updated: just added a few), but alas, I lost that precious little connector cord that dumps my camera onto my laptop. Tough to say when that will show up again. I vaguely remember seeing it in Sara and Troy's front yard by our car and thinking that I should go back and pick that up. hmmm....

All in all, these past two weekends have been precious days of family and friends and feeling so blessed to take it all in. I drove 24 hours between my two trips to Minnesota back and forth and took in some glorious fall colors and golden corn fields. The sweet reunions with family and friends, the colorful trees, a beautiful life lived fully and celebrated even in death, and the new life given at baptism all served as poignant reminders of the beauty God has given us here on this earth. I feel full, content, joyful and happy.

This picture makes me laugh. We were practicing a chin down, eyes up flattering picture pose. It just makes me laugh because we're all doing it so purposefully. ha.

Sara Groves: Fireflies and Songs

We stayed with Sara and Troy when we were home for Papa's funeral. Man do I love family sleepovers. This might be the biggest perk of moving out of state. I miss my family so much, but coming home and getting to stay at one of their houses is the greatest. Eating cereal together in pajama's is just one of the lovely perks of family sleepovers...that sweet time when everyone is still yawning and rubbing eyes and talking through the day ahead.

All this to say, we soaked up our niece and nephew time, played hard and were very, very sad to have to leave. Sara and Troy live their life so fully, and have taught us so much about marriage and the gift of following God as a married couple. They are so honest and open and teach quite vulnerably through their personal experiences. This new album is fantastic...a less produced sounding album, a bit more like what you hear in concert. The songs are, as always, thoughtful and so fearless leaving me to wonder quite a few times on the first listen, "did she just say that?!! I hope she just said that!!!" The following pictures are from their website. They're doing a prerelease sale right now, and I would recommend getting in on it.

Ivar Anton Frick

When I was home for the reunion, I got to stop in to see Rory's grandpa, Papa. He died the next day and I am so thankful to have had this last visit with him. Papa loved me so well, and so much. I love that I knew that. Papa was a great preacher, ministering all over the world and presiding over the Assemblies of God churches in Michigan. He had a great booming voice that spoke with conviction and belief, whether he was talking about his love for Jesus or his love of Perkins. He had a big sense of humor and stories to tell that seemed larger than life. His funeral was fantastic. And I really mean that. His life was so well lived, so full of friends and purpose, and so obviously concluded with a "well done good and faithful one." The funeral left me inspired more than anything... to live big and bold, to believe with my whole heart and to love with all my might. I am going to miss this man...and the way he so clearly loved his family and his savior.

high school reunion

So this is Heidi and I, right before we drove in to Minneapolis to find our friends of years gone by. We had a blast, laughed hard all night long...but hardest as we got ready for the reunion. There is a fine line of how one should appear at a reunion. You've got to look nice, but you can't look like you're trying too hard. But you want to look more put together than you did 10 years ago. Heidi and I far surpassed our high school look, simply by showering and not wearing sweatpants. Honestly, I don't know what planet we were on our last two years of high school, but when the world around us was caught up in social status and looking good, we actually would compliment the other if one had taken a shower and put on chap stick.

There were a few girls that came to this reunion looking like they really thought through their outfits. (Heidi and I thought through our outfits, but just didn't look so obviously like we had.) There was a very slinky sexy outfit in the room that didn't quite fit in, complete with very shiny thigh high boots with a very short black skirt. There was another girl who was exposing much of her breasts, so much so that I had trouble holding conversations when she was in eye shot because it was just that much boob. But obviously, their trying hard worked...since I'm still talking about them.

Overall, I wouldn't miss another reunion. I had a blast, loved catching up with friends (especially the ones I went to elementary school with) and really enjoyed hearing what people are up to and what makes them happy.