Wouldn't it be loverly?

Frederick- "peaceful ruler"

Audrey- "noble strength"

Thank you, Molly, for tonight.

My Fair Lady + junk food = divinity.

Holy movie trivia, Batman! Freddy's singing voice in the film is the same guy who played Prince Phillip in Sleeping Beauty! It's all so clear to me now...


I really needed today. I really need this week.
I got Karen to sub for me the entire week so that I could, in essence, come and go as I please. A part of me feels badly because it's almost like I'm "abandoning" my kids at camp, but I desperately need to breathe.

*inhale*
I need to take a step back and look at where life has brought me.
*exhale*

*inhale*
I need to visualize where I might go next.
*exhale*

And then I need to take steps to make it happen.

I've had several really great conversations within the past couple of days about what to do next. I'm beginning to feel a bit better in general after beginning to step away from camp. After making it through Joseph and VBS and now the musical, I can separate myself from the, well, sometimes poisonous nature that has seemed to pervade the interrelationships of the counselors.

After this weekend when we prayed before the musical, I thought people had really realized the hurtfulness of how we've behaved this summer-- talking behind people's backs, being indignant and self-righteous, and not communicating well, if at all.
But I returned to camp this morning to find we'd returned from the mountaintop and resumed said behavior. I found that the suspected source was from the top of the day camp hierarchy; from those whose tears flowed freely as we spoke to God and each other of how precious each person involved in this ministry is, whether young or old; from those who, I thought, had shown remorse. From those whose hearts I'd thought were sincere.

O, wouldn't it be loverly...

And again it occurred to me how much the show and the manic, emotional displays of spirituality irritate, and sometimes even infuriate me in a manner unspeakable.

"All they're looking for is something real
Not manufactured for the largest appeal
Someone to find them with an answer that heals..."

Matthew 6
¹"Beware of^A)">(A) practicing your righteousness before other people in order^B)">(B) to be seen by them, for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven..."

Matthew 23
^"1Then Jesus^A)">(A) said to the crowds and to his disciples, ²^B)">(B) "The scribes and the Pharisees^C)">(C) sit on Moses’ seat, ³so practice and observe whatever they tell you—^D)">(D) but not what they do.^E)">(E) For they preach, but do not practice. ⁴^F)">(F) They tie up heavy burdens, hard to bear,^a]">[a] and lay them on people’s shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to move them with their finger. ⁵^G)">(G) They do all their deeds^H)">(H) to be seen by others. For they make^I)">(I) their phylacteries broad and^J)">(J) their fringes long, ⁶and they^K)">(K) love the place of honor at feasts and^L)">(L) the best seats in the synagogues ⁷and^M)">(M) greetings in^N)">(N) the marketplaces and being called^O)">(O) rabbi^b]">[b] by others. ⁸^P)">(P) But you are not to be called rabbi, for you have one teacher, and you are^Q)">(Q) all brothers.^c]">[c] ⁹^R)">(R) And call no man your father on earth, for^S)">(S) you have one Father, who is in heaven. ¹⁰Neither be called instructors, for you have one instructor,^T)">(T) the Christ. ¹¹^U)">(U) The greatest among you shall be your servant. ¹²^V)">(V) Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted."

Give me a real heathen over a fake Christian any day.

If you want others to know why and how much they need Jesus, you have to remember it yourself.

Perhaps I've become lax in my religion, but everyday I practice my faith.

I could not make it day to day without the LORD carrying me. He is The Source and my reason for breathing. He is Perfect, and I am not. I've never claimed to be, and I never shall, but I've never understood how lowly I am and how desperately I need Him as well as I do now. I am not worthy on my own, but because I am His creation, I have worth. Simply because He is, and in Him, I am...

"If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. "

If I may generalize a moment, people don't want to be told they're lost. People don't want to be told they are dirty, unclean, and on the road to hell.

They want to be understood. People want to be healed. They want to know why it is they hurt, how to make it stop, and they want to be loved. WE want to be loved.

That's why Jesus utterly humbled Himself to live among us. To show us by example, to teach us through stories and experiences purely out of His matchless love for us. But His Love did not just extend to those weak, wounded and broken sinners who'd never met Him before.
It extended to those He kept closest to Him.

And we as a church fail to follow that example.

We profess to lead lives of love to those who we perceive to need His love most, but then we act hatefully to those who are supposed to be our brothers and sisters in Christ.

It's a wonder people steer clear of the church doors, no matter how wide they are flung open.

We walk on eggshells so as to avoid stepping on toes and bypassing edification, correction, or, if necessary, conflict when others behave shamefully, when Jesus wouldn't have stood for it.

I say all this because I am just as guilty of it, but also because this is the kind of behavior I'm tired of being surrounded by and/or being a part of (preposition preposition... O_O).

I am happy to get away from that behind-the-scenes aspect of camp.

I need the time to detox, and for once, I am taking it.

Thank You, Father God, for granting me this time, and for giving me the ability to accept it.

I also thank You for the many beautiful aspects of day camp's ministry. Some of my altogether favorite people with the loveliest hearts are a part of it, and they have made my time spent there worthwhile.



But once you've seen better and experienced, say, Ascot Opening Day and danced with royalty, how can you go back to being a flower girl?

If you've any respect for yourself, and the Energy and Effort poured into the creation of that self by those who Love you, you can't.