Thoughts...

1. DD #4 is a newly minted HS grad. As such, we have agreed to send her on a long-awaited trip to Africa with Cross Cultural Solutions, a "recognized leader in the field of international volunteering". Air travel options to get from DFW to Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania, involve stops in either New York or Amsterdam. I suggested that the change in Amsterdam is probably better than changing in NY, the flight is half as long, and JFK is not the most user friendly airport. DD#4 responds "Yeah, I think that's better"..... "Where's Amsterdam?" (!!)

2. We now have egg-producing chickens. This item started out to be a comment about my worrying alot lately about trying to reconcile my liberal socio-political views of life in our country with my living as a christian in a right-wing, intensely conservative part of our country. My worrying, my desire to cling to what I've always felt was "right" and "just", and my understanding that my feelings about these things are in direct conflict with what most christians I associate with feel about these things - have all led me to question my christianity, and then back to questioning my need to cling to these views (pride?! again?!). But then, I chickened out about commenting on this at all, and wrote about my chickens instead.

3. VBS rocks. I've really enjoyed getting to know everyone involved in making it happen this year. We have a Children's Ministries director who is leaving that I will miss working with more often. She gave me gold stars. We have a new Children's Ministries Director that I look forward to working with more often. He asks me for feedback, and for what I think. I've had several opportunities this week to be a good listener - something I'm notoriously bad at. I hope that I have been of some comfort to these people. One final observation about this: The kids/teens/young adults that serve at VBS are incredible. Each and every one of them.

4. Pine Cove is a little slice of heaven on earth. I love that they love my kid so dearly each summer for a week full of guy-bonding, and seeking God. DS#1 always comes back with a renewed understanding of God's love, his power, and of what his purpose is here. He would just say he had a great time, but his attitude and renewed faith from this week never fail to lift me up and renew my own faith. One final observation about this: The young adults that serve at Pine Cove are incredible. Each and every one of them.

5. In writing this, I realize that just when I find myself the farthest away from God (see item 2), he finds the most indirect ways to bring me back to him (see item 3 and 4). I have loved serving Him through his church this week at VBS, and I have loved being served by Him through other believers. I realize that the key to all of these things - VBS, Pine Cove, Cross Cultural Solutions - is the joyful, active, optimistic idealism of kids/teens/young adults - the pure love of one person for another person - without guilt or baggage or judgement or condemnation or agendas or the need to be right or for someone else to be wrong that seems to be so prevalent in our "tribe" lately - more specifically - since January 20, 2009.

6. I realize that times like these - the great VBS experience, or the perfect summer camp experience, and shiny, happy, joyful, optimistic (!!), idealistic teens/twenties, or the times when (to quote some great teens I know) "God Shows Up" - are rare. So, today, I am thoroughly grateful and blessed.

7. My drier is buzzing. I'm off to fold clothes, with joy and optimism.