Faces: God's healing

This is the face of God's healing.

That smile and joy in her eyes is by choice. She chooses to let God write the story of her life, even when it means pain and suffering. Not only that, but she spreads joy to those around her. She disciples well. She loves well. She enjoys life and embraces all that it contains.

We were so very blessed to have her here this summer. I was so blessed by her presence, her laughter, our talks, her smiles, her very presence. She was silly and fun, yet tough when she needed to be. She is a treasure and a constant encouragement to me.

View from here

I have:

~ Fallen in love with the view from my room.

~ Lost about 15 games of Bananagrams and 5 games of Rummycube.
(That's right...I'm playing games. By choice, no less.)

~ Laid on a raft in the waves for hours on end.

~Read half of The Book Thief

~ Danced in the living room.

~ Put pigtails in my nieces's hair.

~ Sang along to Thomas the Train videos...more than once.

~ Taken naps

~ Eaten way too many cookies.

~ Gone on a bike ride to look at pretty beach houses.

~ Taken deep breaths and thanked God over and over for vacation and my family.

favorite new accessory

Meet my new best friend. I've been hearing about Goody's Spin Pins for a while now (first on this cute blog). But, dear goodness, these things are hard to find! Our Target finally got another shipment in the other day and I just so happened to be at the store. I snatched up a box and ran home to see if it really worked as well as everyone says.

After wearing it for an entire day(s), I must tell you that I am in love with it. It is so easy to use and easy to get out of my hair. My hair can be up in a cute bun in 5 seconds flat and stay there all day. And I have super fine, straight hair that falls out of everything I try to pin it up with. It used to use a bunch of bobby pins all jammed into my head to keep up my tiny bun. No more.

It's spin pins forever! Perfect for those days when you didn't have time to wash your hair (not that I ever do that....or that I haven't washed my hair in 5 days...cough...cough...clearing throat). Spin pin and it's cute and in place all day!

colors of happiness

(photo by Our Labor of Love via Once Wed)

These may be the prettiest bridesmaids dresses I have ever, ever seen. I adore all the colors in this wedding.

Is anyone else addicted to Once Wed?

Thank you, friends!

Violet, Holly and Olivia now have sponsors!!!

Thank you, my sweet friends for jumping in and caring for the orphans in China. You are my heroes!

There are still kids waiting for sponsors. You can sponsor an orphan, by heading over to An Orphan's Wish. 100 Sponsors in 100 Days in still going on. That means you can get a free shirt when you sign up!

Questions about AOW? Let me know. I'm happy to help. And if you just want to hop on over and stare at those adorable little faces for a while, I'm happy to do that with you too!


ps...check out these beautiful necklaces from Hip Mom jewelry. I'm in love with the Hope for China/Africa ones. You can enter to win one at Stefanie's blog Ni Hao Y'all (Stefanie is on the board for AOW, and her blog is how I discovered AOW.)
I also love this one made especially for An Orphan's Wish by Wheat and Wildflowers.

Me: I can't believe how absolutely perfect the weather is. I couln't have asked for better.

Dad: Well, we've been praying for months for it. Why are you surprised?

My dad...still handing out wisdom to his 33 yr old "little" girl.

...and it literally is absolutely perfect. Hello, summer vacation!

Faces: God's love

This is the face of God's love.

The very presence of His life changing love. I see it in action every day in this face. This beautiful face that belongs to my dear, sweet, brave friend. She lives with an open heart. She is willing to make the hard choices to follow Him. She is funny and kind and gives great hugs.

God brought her here last summer. Oh, how she brightened my life. This summer we didn't work together at the water's edge, but we found those moments to have great talks and listen to each other. I'm always excited to see how God's love is changing her heart.

This was a HARD summer for her. There were tears of pain. But I'm so proud of the way she handled herself. She did such a great job in a position of leadership here this summer.

I'm blessed to call her my friend and blessed to be reminded of God's love each time I see her face. I'm so excited to see where God leads her.

freakin' roll

Because I love you and because I was on a freakin' roll the other night I have lots of posts for you whilst I'm on holiday. Seriously. I was writing post after post and I couldn't sleep even when midnight rolled around. It was fantastic. The flood gates were opened.

So...

I have a delightful mix of randomness and who-knows-what-ness prepared for you while I lie on the beach and soak in some (more) sun. Plus, I'm going to try and phone-post when I can (ps...I really, really want an iphone just for reasons like this.). I hope this begins to mend things when I left you this summer. You see, I really did want to post. But life had to be lived in real time instead of being typed out. And now, you reap the benefits because I'm full of ideas and words.

An now, adieu to yur and yur and yur (and hello family and sandy beach!). Enjoy my midnight posts.


xoxo,

Cottage Girl

I know I should be ashamed of myself...

...but it's just so delightful that I can't say no.

hello, addictive love

You know that part of So I Married An Axe Murder when the dad says "he puts an addictive chemical in his chicken that makes you crave it fortnightly!" That's how I feel about Menchie's. Except I crave it daily. Sometimes more than once a day.

We have a new fro-yo shop in town. It's been open for just a few months, but because of camp I just found it this week. I won't tell you how many times I've been to it because that's just embarrassing. And I won't admit here in this public forum that I'm hoping to have time to go tonight as I leave town for vacation. I won't do that here. Oh, no.

Let me just say that it is positively, absolutely the yummiest of yums. It's heaven in frozen yogurt form. It's delightful beyond words.

Current favorite mix: Red Velvet yogurt with snow caps and brownie pieces sprinkled on top and a smidgen of hot marshmallow syrup and hot fudge. Oh, dear goodness, I want some so bad right now! Or at least until I find a new mix I can't stop eating.

What's you favorite summer treat right now?

book number 3

I finished my third book of the summer (from my list) last week. While it's not a massive amount, I think I did a pretty good job of reading during the craziness of the summer here. I actually tried to read more and watch less TV. I usually do during the summer, but this year was easier with my handy list all ready. I also tried to make sure that I had the next book on hand (bought or borrowed) for when I finished another book.

Gilead snuck in there and was, by far, my favorite book of the summer. Shadow of the Hegemon was great, but not quite as fantastic as the first two books in the series. This last book, which I bought on a whim at Sam's Club because it was really cheap, was by far my least favorite.

I was really disappointed in this one. Very poor character development. Story was kinda creepy (aka: I would never read it to kids). I mean the whole premise is Greek gods who have affairs or one night stands with humans. These humans have kids and the kids are half gods/half human. It's a premise that wants to be cool, but is just weird.
The characters are very two dimensional. I still don't really care about any of them after reading the entire first book. And, yes, I realize it's a kid's book, but so is Harry Potter. I was hooked after two chapters of HP and knew Harry so well. Percy....eh. Take him or leave him.

This coming week I have an entire 7 days ahead of me with nothing....let me repeat that....nothing...to do but sit on the beach and hang out with my family. So, with that in mind, I have two more titles. One from my list: The Book Thief. One that was recommended to me: The Eye of the World. Plus, I also snuck Catching Fire into my bag just as a refresher for (cue horns and angels singing) Mockingjay coming out in 2 weeks! (side note: Hunger Games was THE book to read for our summer staff this year. I got several people hooked on it. If you haven't read it, do it now! It's ridiculously good!)

I'm feeling a little nostalgic for the wonder I had reading Harry Potter or the Hunger Games for the first time. You know, when you just can't put the book down even at 2am because it's just that good?! I want to find a book like that again. That feeling is the best!

Faces: God's surprising plan

This is the face of God's surprising plan.

This sweet person has a camp story very similar to mine. She came here Week 1 with her sister, who is dating one of the guys on our management staff. She decided to come and hang out with her sister at this camp she had heard about. Just so happens that she fell in love with it after just a few days. Just so happens that she filled out an entire application and gave it to the summer director to put on file for next year because she was so excited about what God was doing here. She drove home (3 states away) excited for next summer and possibly coming here to work.

Then our whole Week one disaster happened and we were looking for a female day camp counselor for the summer. Well, it just so happened that the summer director had an application in hand.....

She said "yes!!" to 7 weeks of camp, packed and drove all the way back here to spend the rest of the summer with us. And what a wonderful blessing she was! The kids LOVED her! Our staff LOVED her! And we were once again humbled by a God who has His plan already in place even though we can't see it directly in front of us.

I am continually blow away by the way God's work is accomplished here. It is astounding to see His hand in our lives, our work, His ministry. Astounding and so very humbling!

wants it

Um, I would like these pretties, please! Fun colors added to my photos? Absolutely, yes!

Which reminds me, I need to add a new roll of film to my Holga which has built in color flash gels. May need to take that one to the beach with me. Along with my DSLR....my pocket digital....an old waterproof disposable that I need to use up.

I think I'm addicted to photography.....

Faces: Gentleness

This is the face of gentleness.

Oh, I could write an entire book about this dear one. She is a true kindred spirit. We spent hours this summer talking about orphans and China. This was her third summer here, but I think we really connected on a deeper level for the first time this year. It was really hard (read: tears) to say goodbye this time.

She has, for the last two years, had the challenging job of being a counselor for our youngest kids in our day camp program. 4-5 years old. These little ones are so precious, yet need so much more love and one on one attention than any of our other kids. They can be needy. They can whine and cry at the drop of a hat.

But I never ever saw this dear girl loose her temper or get frustrated in front of the kids. She was such a beautiful example of gentleness. She held in her arms crying, screaming little ones. She helped put on swim suits and clothes about 20 times a day without complaining. She laughed and had fun with the kids and made them feel special and loved and important in the eyes of the God who loves them.

I was also blessed to have some great conversations with her about life and what she wanted to do when she finished college. I found out that she sponsored a little girl through An Orphans Wish, the organization I sponsor and volunteer for. We read many of the same blogs and are connected to many of the same organizations in one way or another. We talked about traveling to China together and visiting orphanages and holding little babies. And even though we had to say goodbye at camp, I don't think our story together is over just yet.

I'm so thankful for the reminder of God's gentleness and grace every time I looked at this dear face. I miss her terribly, yet am so excited to see where God leads her next as she runs after Him.

faces: provision

I got this idea a while ago. Now, I finally have time to share it with you. I'm going to try and do a little series over the next few days (before I leave for vacation! whooo-hooo!)

I realized how some of the faces at camp represented God in different ways. I would see a particular person and I could hear God whisper to me "in this person, you can see My peace.....My compassion.......My provision....My love....My grace." Here are the stories behind some of God's greatest lessons to me this summer.




This is the face of God's PROVISION.

The story...

This summer was in the top of the hardest, most challenging summers I have ever had in my 12 years here. And, as usual, when it's tough, God show up in BIG, big ways.

Without going into a lot of details, at the beginning of the summer, the middle of Week One to be exact, we had to let 4 people go. Yes, FOUR. That was shocking, terrifying and just plain hard. We were now faced with 3 empty counseling spots for the remaining 7 weeks of camp that we had left. Full weeks, too, which means we needed each and every counselors to be present to take care of the campers that were going to be there.

Panic, right?! We did some of that. Maybe more than some. We prayed constantly. We trusted that Lord would provide. We tried to be patient.

Enter God's provision.....
This guy came to us by way of a phone call from his friends, who were 2 of our day camp counselors. He, like the story of Ruth (Ruth 2:3), just so happened to have worked at a camp last summer. And not any camp, but a camp that our camp is good friends with. We love their staff and their mission. He also just so happened to not be able to work there because he was still in school when they needed him to start. He just so happened to finish school just a few days before we needed him. He also just so happened to work best with older kids, which is exactly what we needed. He was also able to stay for the rest of the summer. 7 weeks. Just so happens.

Oh, and he just so happened to get a long perfectly with the rest of the guys who were counseling the older boys this summer.

Each time I saw him this summer, I couldn't help but realize that he wasn't planned. He wasn't "supposed" to be here. God sent him here in His perfect timing. We could only be awed and humbled by His provision for us.

sniff-sniff

The last day is always the hardest.
Tears.
Many hugs
Exchanging of endearing words
More hugs

The start was tough.
The end was tough.
Everything else in the middle was magic.

I'll be back with stories and photos and the like soon enough.
For now,
I'll cry a little,
reminisce a lot
and pray that those special friendships will continue for the rest of my life.

Goodbye Summer 2010.
It's going to take me a long, long time to forget you!

Sunday picnic

The last few days, the Lord has answered our pleading and sent us some lovely weather. I don't think any of us are taking it for granted at the moment.

This weekend, on our last camp weekend, I decided that a picnic was in order. A "lay on the blanket and read" picnic to be more exact.

So, off to the park I went with my roommate




and our friend in tow.



We had a lovely time, until the rain chased us away



and we ran back to the car with our blankets as our umbrellas. It was perfectly wonderful while it lasted.


Now, we begin our last week. Week 8. It's not going to be easy. It will be full of goodbyes, my absolutely least favorite thing in the whole world. I'm terrible at goodbyes. I don't think they should exist. I think we should all have Star Trek transporters in our living rooms so that we can have anyone over at any time. No matter how far away they live. If scientists can make watermelons without seeds, surely they can make transporters, right?!

Anyway, week 8 is here and there is nothing I can do to change it. I'm going to do my best to soak in each moment and enjoy my friends being here. And then I'm going to put on my brave face and be an adult and give hugs goodbye. I'll take those last minute photos together and wave as cars leave the parking lots . And then, I'll look back over the summer and smile and mourn over the wonder (good and bad) that it was.

savoring Gilead

I know I promised a proper post, but I just had to share this. Finished this gem today. Read the entire last half in one sitting. You know how some times books are described as "one to be savored." I never understood that until I read this one. It is one of the most beautifully written books I've read in a long, long time. I filled up pages of my Moleskin with quotes and passages from its pages.

I literally read it slowly, so I could enjoy each word and each sentence. It's that wonderful. Here's one of the dozens of parts I loved...

"And memory is not strictly mortal in its nature, either. It is a strange thing, after all, to be able to return to a moment, when it can hardly be said to have any reality at all even in its passing. A moment is such a slight thing, I mean, that its abiding is a most gracious reprieve."


It wasn't on my summer reading list. That list is filled with young adult novels, you know. I rarely read Pulitzer prize winners. But a friend recommended it, and I'm so glad I gave it a chance.

You should too....

movie minute

I saw a beautiful little movie this week. And by beautiful, I am referring to both set, costume and story.

Just look at these photos...



















Paul Bettany is one of my all time favorites. This character reminds me of his character in Master and Commander (one of my top 10 movies), maybe because they are both scientists. His wife in the movie is his wife in real life.

It is the story of Charles Darwin, writer of The Origin of Species. It is sad, sweet and thoughtful. I saw several bad reviews of it, but decided to see it anyway because I love Paul Bettany. I was pleasantly surprised by it. It's definitely one that I would like to see again.


I'll be back this weekend with a proper post. I've been writing posts in my head all week, but haven't had the adequate time to sit down and pen them. It feels like the words are just spilling out of me!

See you soon....

xoxo,

Cottage Girl

oh, the cuteness

I managed to squeeze in a quick 15 minute photo session with some sweet, camp friends that were visiting this past week. I got to meet their adorable kiddo for the first time.

Oh, the cuteness.



I also fell back in love with my 50mm.


Hello, beautiful bokeh. I've missed you.

Week 6 = finished.
Only 2 more to go.
Where did the summer go?

100 sponsors in 100 days

An Orphan's Wish, whom I am honored to volunteer for, is offering a really cool intensive if you sign up to be a sponsor in the next 100 days.

You can get one of these fantastic shirts to help spread the word of AOW. FREE!! That's right.


It's really beautiful. I have one and get compliments on it all the time, which of course is great cause I can talk, talk, talk about AOW and the wonderful work they are doing in China.

They are changing lives and loving children. Little cuties like Shannan....


She's the little one I sponsor. I just love getting my reports on how she is doing, how she is growing and just staring at those adorable chubby cheeks!

If you have any questions about AOW, what sponsorship is, how long it lasts or anything else, just leave me a comment. I'll happily talk about AOW forever!

And if you do sign up, be sure to let me know. I'm praying that a few of you, dear readers, will feel a tug on your heart to help these precious ones.

Could that be you?

sea creatures

This morning...

Standing on the beach watching the Junior campers (7-10yrs) ride the banana boat. Chatting to the sailing instructor about the day/weather/crazy clouds. Look up and see fins. As in fins in the water.

We actually have skates in our river, so I thought it was just a couple of them flopping around. But no, this was different.

We had dolphins in our river. A small pod of about 20. They were headed out of the river back into the bay.

The boat driver slowed down so the kids on the banana boat could get a good look as they swam right by them. Dolphin sighting banana boating. Our newest activity.

I was giddy and super excited. Dolphins are incredibly cool. Love them.

Then everything went downhill. The jellyfish have been super horrible the last few days. The junior campers on the banana had a major freak out because of said jelly fish, and needed to be rescued from our floating pier. The morning ended with about 15 jelly fish stings up and down my legs. It was like walking through a sea of angel hair spaghetti that burns when it touches you. No fun.

Sea creatures of every type today. Some sting and burn. Some are beautiful and majestic.

I'd like more of the majestic if possible.

the sweetest message

My review of Inception:
Ummm...speechless, really. It's just that good. Go see it immediately. I won't say anything else. It would ruin it.

The actors:
I love Joseph Gordon-Levitt even more, if that's possible. I'm also in love with the brown leather coat he wears and pretty much his entire wardrobe. And Ellen Page's wardrobe too. And then there's Leo. He has always been one of my favorites. This seals the deal.


Now, you may remember that yesterday I posted about my want to see this movie with my brother. Kind of whining. I do that sometimes. Sorry...

Anyway, a friend read that post and texted me the sweetest message. It said "we aren't your brother, but would you like to see Inception with us (he and his wife)?"
How sweet is that?! I, of course, said YES! They drove all the way up to the theater near me, and we got to share the wonder that is Inception together along with my roomie.

Thanks so much, Rob and Kirsten. That meant the world to me. You guys are so wonderful. And Kirsten, I'm diving into the wheel of time books on vacation next month.

discuss the cinematography

Dear little brother of mine,

Will you please come home and see this movie with me this weekend? I feel that you would be the perfect person to share this big sci fi movie with. You won't mock my choice of movie, nor will you scoff at the 5 other sci fi movies that I will want to see (Tron) after viewing the previews at the beginning. You will boo along with me at the romantic comedy preview that is sure to be in the mix. And you will want to discuss the cinematography and key plot points for this movie in the car ride on the way home. Or at least listen to me as I ramble on about them.

Please? I know a plane ticket from Utah is a lot to ask, but I'll pay for the movie. And maybe some snacks.

Love you,

your big sis


ps...on a totally un-related note....has anyone else watched this trailer 50 times since it was released? Again, please come quickly holiday season movies. You will be our saving grace in movie world this year.

pssss......I really miss my little brother.

washed up grass

Sometimes there are parts of you that just refuse to be quiet.
They are so deeply a piece of what makes you who you are.

Not just the way you look.
Your hair color.
Your height.
The curve of your nose and your lips.
Those are a part of you too, of course.

But traits of what build your personality.
What makes you laugh.
The thoughts you share only with your friends.
How you share your heart with those you love.
The words you write with.
The way you see the world through a viewfinder.
Those types of things.

Yesterday and today, I realized that a part of me had been missing.
Missing because I haven't really had time for it.
I tried to fit it in when I could,
but time is so precious right now
that this part was shoved quietly to the back of the line.

But thankfully, it wormed it's way to the front.
I sat on the beach yesterday,
watching over the kids,
making sure they weren't drowning
or fighting
or swearing at each other
or throwing rocks at the boats.
I looked down,
and there, washed up on the shore
were a few pieces of sea grass that had died.
I reached down and ran my fingers over them.
After playing with them for a few minutes,
not even thinking about it,
I braided them and turned them into a bracelet.
I wore it all day.
And then made another one today.

And I have to admit that
yesterday I felt a little better about life.
It felt a little more like...
life.
A life that I live and am a part of.

Ministry is very outward focused.
It MUST be.
It MUST be consumed with others for it to survive,
and for you to survive in it.
God can't use you if you are inward focused.
I'm 100% for that.

But I don't think that we are supposed to lose who we are.
I don't think that God wants us to become robots.
He created each of us uniquely.
He, himself, is a CREATOR.
He is the most creative being in the entire universe.
He MADE the universe.

So, I'm going to make sure that I take moments to be me.
I'm going to keep making headbands for the girls I love
because that's the way I can show them I do.
I'm going to make bracelets out of sea grass.
I'm going to write notes with markers
and fun paper and old books.
I'm going to do this thing that God has placed before me.
And not only do it,
but do it in a way that only I can.
Because Jesus loves ME.
The person I am.
The one He forgave and died for.
Yup, that one.
The one that makes bracelets out of washed up grass.

anxious heart

(my favorite flower is in bloom all over the place. yes, it's technically a weed, but just look at those flowers! Queen Anne's Lace, you melt my heart.)

We've passed the half way point. 4 weeks done. 4 weeks to go. How in the world have we gotten this far already?!

As I was in the Word this past week, I found this verse...

"Say to those who have an anxious heart,
be strong; fear not!
Behold, your God will come with vengence
with the recompense of God.
He will come and save you."
Isaiah 35:4

"He will come and save you" makes me think of Aragorn. A mighty king that comes to save the kingdom of people who are fearful and shaken because of the army that about to annihilate them. Helm's Deep, anyone?!

There are so many things in my world that make my heart anxious. Camp craziness. The constant life guarding, making sure kids don't drown at the beach, making sure my boat drivers are being safe. This crazy schedule I keep. 12 hour work days. Little sleep. Not enough free time. Trying to keep connected with my family and friends amidst this crazy schedule. Thinking about the fall season and how busy it will be. Friends who need prayer. Trying to fit in normal things that need to get done like getting the oil changed in my car, doing laundry, paying bills, cleaning the messy Cottage. Editing photos for AOW.
And I'm a worrier too. Pessimist. I tend to automatically think of the worst scenario. I expect the worst and fear it all at the same time.

So, yes, I have an anxious heart. And I have been constantly reminding myself that God will come and save me. I have no need to fret. I have no need to panic.

You won't beat me, anxious heart. My God is bigger than you or any of the things you throw at me. I stand on the Rock and know that my foundation is sure.

Whew....I feel better already. Let's go 2nd half of the summer. I'm ready to see God do some amazing things!

topped out at 105

We survived today. Barely. When the temperature topped out at 105 degrees, I wanted to cry.


Actually, I wanted to cry when I walked out of my house at 6:45am to drive the boats and it was already 80 degrees with 97% humidity. I was sweating before it even got to 8:00am.

During the hottest part of the day, I pulled out the hose next to the Cottage front door and hooked up the sprinkler. Camp has a pool, boat rides, a beach, a lagoon, still nothing compares to a good old fashioned back and forth sprinkler when it's hot.

All is wet and hot here at camp. We are doing our best to ride out this heatwave with a smile. But, please, Lord! Send us some cooler temps and a breeze or two!

melting in grand form

(this, of course, doesn't factor in the horrid humidity. Add about 5+ degrees for that.)

Please send all the ice cream, ice tea, pools, umbrellas, fans, air conditioners, ice water, popsicles, tank tops and sunscreen you can part with. We will be melting in grand form over here at camp. And by melting, I mean trying not to die of heat stroke.

When you live 95% of your day outside, the weather is suddenly much more important than just filler conversation. It's life and death. This week, it's death.

See you on Friday....maybe....

red, white and blue

(credit where credit is due)

I love The Big Picture. It makes me want to be a better photographer. It makes me see the story behind a photo. It gives me chills and makes me cry.

I saw this image last night as I was catching up on the many posts that I've missed lately. It immediately stuck with me. I've pictured it in my head constantly for the last 24 hours. Its emotion hasn't left me. I think it tells such a beautifully, hard, tragic story without using any words. And it is the image I'm thinking about on this Independence Day.

I don't hold our country above everything else. I think that sometimes we can over-do patriotism especially in the church. But I am VERY thankful for where God placed me on this earth. I believe that it gives me much responsibility for all that I have been given. Just like my money and my time, it is something that God has given to me to use for His purposes. It doesn't make me better than everyone else. It doesn't give me a golden ticket into heaven. It doesn't mean that my part of the world is better or more advanced or more anything than any other country in the world.

But it is the one I live in. It is the one I am thankful for. It is something to be celebrated with fireworks and picnics. (and naps and Friday Night Light marathons and 24 FULL HOURS OFF!)

Happy Birthday, America.

Thank you so much, my sweet friend! You have no idea how much that meant to me. God sent you at exactly the right moment.

I miss you and can't wait until life slows down so we can get together. And maybe do some shopping...

Xoxo,

Cottage Girl