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Wednesday, June 12, 2013

A Special Post...:)

 Yesterday evening I had the honor and pleasure to "attend" my dear friend, Tarra Winslow's highschool graduation and master's concert, through live streaming on the internet!! What a blessing to have this technology!:D
 The ceremony opened with Tarra's first piece on the piano.....
 I missed a good half of the first part of the concert as there were streaming issues going on. I was quite upset with the computer but kept praying!!;)
 Tarra's speech-I only got to hear snippets of it but what I did hear was really special!:) (Well done, Tarra! I was so very proud and pleased!;)
 I love this girl so much!:)
 Tarra and her family played a musical special together as a family, violins, handbells, and the cello. Tarra played the piano and her older brother directed.
 Tarra receiving her Master's Concert Diploma from her teacher and good friend Chris Rogers....
 Chris shared about the joy that is evident in Tarra's life and where that joy is found. He reminded her and admonished her to continue to find her joy in Christ alone. I was very encouraged and challenged just listening!
 Mr. and Mrs. Winslow sharing on Tarra, her birth and growing years-their indescribable gift from God.:)
 A short slideshow...:)
 Its so neat to see what great love they have for their daughter...:)
 Presenting the high school diploma!!:)
 Parental love and support....:)
 One of the verses Mr. Winslow gave Tarra  on her diploma: "Charm is deceitful and beauty is passing, but a woman who fears the Lord she shall be praised." Proverbs 31:30
 Mr. Winlsow and their pastor praying over Tarra......
 Tarra closed the evening with more more piece:)
He has put a new song in my mouth—Praise to our God;
many will see it and fear, and will trust in the Lord. Psalm 40:3
Congratulations, dear Tarra!

 I'm so grateful the Lord brought this special young lady into my life-who the Lord planned for us to meet six years ago at a homeschooling conference in Sacramento. I had no idea of this, when we packed up and drove that eight hour trip. I always look back on that full, busy, crazy, week and realize how God had something really special planned for it. At the time I never would have guessed it or known that He was bringing her friendship in to my life, and what it would come to mean to me. The friendship we've shared has been such a gift from the Lord and it is such a blessing to be part of each other's lives. We look forward to seeing what God has in store for the future!:D

All that to say-you never know when God is going to bring something life changing your way. You may even not think much of it or be seeking for it, but later you look back, so grateful for God guiding and directing you. So, be encouraged that God is working in your life and you don't know what wonderful surprises He has in store for you around the corner!;)

"As iron sharpens iron, so a man sharpens the countenance of his friend."
                                                                                                                      Proverbs 27:17

Tuesday, June 11, 2013

Ladies Working Week

This last week was a project-filled one. We ladies stayed behind with the younger ones while Mr. Craven, Mr. George and the guys went on a canoe trip. We had various projects and jobs we were able to complete. 
The Saturday before the guys left, some of us went into town to do some shopping and be tourists-a funny thing to think!;) 
Susie and I, at the Moose Is Loose Bakery and Shop. Susie and I are staying in the cook's cabin (with our camp cook) and have really enjoyed experiencing Alaska together and being roommates!
 I also enjoyed skyping with the family a lot this past week! This particular time Grandma was visiting!! (I've been really grateful for Skype during this trip-it has come in handy and the family has gotten to tour the camp from all the way back home.;)
Evie girl is growing up so fast!:)
Monday morning the boys took off with the rest of the group for canoe week.:) They had a great time and quite an adventure. Daniel will be updating soon, Lord willing!:)
This picture was a big highlight of the week. We were working around camp when this moose and her calf came out of the woods and started walking around the edge of the game field! Everyone was excited and the little boys were eager to get it's attention.:P It didn't seemed bothered by the noise but it wasn't too pleased with the dogs who kept barking. Eventually, she left with her little one.;)
 One project we worked on was fixing the mattress pads in the cabins. This was a big job and we had to haul them out of each one to a growing pile in the lodge. We started with the girls cabin for one day and did the boys the next.
 Mrs. Craven-the camp director's wife-had expected we could sew them with upholstery needles but the material was so thick that after a long grueling time of trying to stitch them, we went with stapling them shut! It worked a lot better and went much faster!!
 Susie has become a real sunshine in my days, lately. She's been a special roommate to have.:)
 The kids carried the mattress pads back as they were being repaired. They did a good job and were really on top of it! (I should clarify that right now, the only children we have at camp are the Craven and George children. The Craven family live here on the property and the George family are longtime friends with the Craven's and old-time camp volunteers from North Carolina.)
 The weather has been really lovely here and the mosquitoes are enjoying it as well as the people.;)
 We worked on sign making for this year's theme for camp which is Treasure Island. Here Susie and I were  tracing the picture projected on the wall so others could paint it.
 Checking to make sure the pictures would fit in the frame, here.....
Thursday afternoon we made an unplanned (but planned;) trip to one of the beautiful lakes here.:) It ended up being a lot of fun and we enjoyed our time there! It was good to get outdoors for the afternoon!
 It is so beautiful out here, and taking pictures doesn't capture it all.:)
 Having fun in the cold water....
 There was a lot of eager riders on the inertube...
 At first I was not going to go in the water with the kids-it was cold. Then I waded, and took a ride on the intertube which got me quite wet. I started giving rides on the intertube after that, and got wet to my waist. Finally, I decided to just dunk.;)
 Susie and her little buddy Savannah C. watching from the shore-the kids really like "Miss Susie!;)"
 Sequioa C. and I dunking....once you got used to the water-it wasn't too bad!
 Drying off by the fire and talking....
 Janice-our camp cook-with some of the kids, riding the intertube and Savannah C. exploring....:)
 Mrs. Craven decided to drive back to camp and bring some stuff back for dinner...
 Roasting hot dogs, or moose and caribou dogs, marshmallows.:)
 It's been so neat to be back in Alaska.....:D
 More brave dunkers-this young man Gideon reminded me a lot of Isaiah in many ways.:) (I miss that guy!;)
 This is a picture for Mommy.:)

 A picture with Susie......:)
 Before packing up to leave we grabbed a group shot-it was a very fun afternoon! I enjoyed getting to experience Alaska's wilderness side more.;)
 Yukon C. showing us a "skeeter" the affectionate term for mosquitoes here in Alaska...;) Everyone is eager to see these fellows' numbers decrease.
 Yukon is a pretty sweet little man...:)
 This is not a post all about Yukon, but this sight sure was super cute-after a long, fun-filled day, little ones get tired.:)
 Driving down the road back to camp. The scenery here is always so pretty.:)
Well, that was our week in a nutshell! Hopefully, next time I'll be getting a post on here sooner!  Here is the link to the rest of the pictures: https://picasaweb.google.com/113237871982428841210/LadiesWeekWorking6613# As for the pictures on here, Blogger is being difficult so I'm sorry that they are smaller but it will only let me resize a few of them. Small pictures are better than no pictures.;)

This week we have more various projects to do. Today the rest of the staff went to the river for the day. Tonight is my dear friend's graduation and so we'll be watching it streamed live this evening. We had planed to go to the river with everyone else but they won't be getting home till later this evening and we did not want to miss the graduation.:)

One of the things I worked on this past week was weeding some garden areas here at camp. While I was working it was a real challenge to make sure I wasn't mistaking a baby plant for a weed. It occurred to me that it's not possible to only pull out weeds, without pulling up some of the good plants. I would try hard but somehow always end up pulling out some of the good plants. It made me think and realize that Christ, is the one gardener who CAN pull out the weeds in the heart without destroying the good ones. It was a good time of meditating. The Lord can sure use any job or experience to teach us something very wonderful about Him!:)

"The earth is the Lord’s, and all its fullness, the world and those who dwell therein. For He has founded it upon the seas, and established it upon the waters."
                                                                                                   Psalm 24:1-2

Monday, June 3, 2013

This Week.....

Well, this week is going to be quite different than last week.:) The guys are leaving on a canoe trip today with Ryan and Daniel. They are pretty excited about it and are packing lots of trail mix, bug spray, warm clothes and other gear for the trip. I have heard that the plan is to cross 8 rivers the first day, with land in between where they will carry all the gear including the canoes.

The rest of us ladies will be here at camp working on various chores and jobs to get ready for next week, which is another rental camp. This morning the Craven and George children have been eagerly helping me clean the cabins to prepare them for the next set of campers. Each cabin's windows must be cleaned with windex, the trash changed, the trash can cleaned out, and all the mattress pads wiped with sanitizer top and bottom. After that the floor is thoroughly swept. It might not sound like to much but when you have to flip all the pads and make sure they sit flat when you're done (with lots of eager helpers asking lots of questions) it's a bit more challenging.:P The children were all very helpful and hopefully next time I can have things in better order so someone doesn't clean the same pad, as the person before them just did!:P

Well, that's all I have to write about so far! Ryan and Daniel have their own adventure to write about but I will leave that to them.:) Hopefully they will post when they get back from the Canoe Week trip.:)

I just wanted to say thank you to those who have written or called while we've been gone.:) It has been such an encouragement to know we are remembered in prayer! I also really appreciate  receiving emails from some of you! I know life can be busy, but you don't know how it can bless someone's day to just type something out real quick to let them know you're thinking of them and keeping them in your prayers! Thanks for the special encouragement!:) (I am not incredibly busy this week so feel free to call, email, or message me. A lot family members or friends keep saying that I must be "super busy, otherwise they'd call or email" but right now I'm not. Once rental camp starts, it will get much, much, MUCH busier.;) For now, if you want to and have the time, I'd really enjoy hearing from you!:)

Sometimes when I've been gone a summer or winter trip, I feel like there isn't much happening when people ask for an update. The truth is that I cannot always see when God is working or know He's just about to do something great, and teach me some good lesson. We can always be praying for the simple things in life like safety, health, a growing walk with the Lord, lessons to learn and energy and strength for the tasks ahead.

 I really enjoyed listening to Pastor Steve's sermon on watching and praying, this past Sunday.:) It was a really good reminder of how often I give into my flesh and what it wants, how it feels, or whether I'm tired or not. I know if I had been in the garden with Jesus at Gethsemane, I too would have been fast asleep. We all would because that's all we have the ability to do-obey our flesh! Praise God, for the strength and ability He gives us, for without it we could do nothing right.:)

 “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.   If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned.  If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you.  By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples."
     
                                                                                                                John 15:5-8