The Flood Weekend

I am not sure what perspective to write about in posting these photos today.
I could share a not so funny story of Knox stuffing the upstairs toilet with toilet paper then Alani flushing it to clean up Knox’s mess which caused our whole upstairs bathroom to flood and drain through the ceiling and walls below.

Water from the upstairs bathroom coming through the light fixture in our closet ceiling.

I could write how thankful we were to have a few summer staffers and our house guest present, 3 hours later, when we discovered the flooding. I might mention how resourceful, helpful and encouraging they were through the initial clean up.

It crossed my mind to write a post about my husband and how thankful I am to be married to a man that knows how to respond in situations like these.

Drilling holes where the water is dripping.

I tried to narrate funny and interesting details of the damage, but got tired of describing what is evidently just a big a mess (as you can see from the photos).

Huge fans all over the house!

Dry-wall cut away so the walls can dry out…

Closet ceiling removed

Just another photo of the mess… notice my home made pillow:)

Our house is a wreck! It should be dry enough to see the real damage later this week.

P.S. Summer camp begins today!

PC Renovations: It opens in 3 days!

Here are some pics of the PC this week. Thanks to all the SWO Kids who helped this week! More pics soon!
Final touches on the walk through:

Echelon Team Station:

Hanging signs:

Prayer Hut finished:

Tying crosses:

Filling Cups

The beginning of our summer season has begun. We are in the full swing of staff training now. My plate is full and overflowing with last minute to do lists, errands and editing. It’s “GO” time!

Unfortunately, to my tiny tots, this is just another day. To them, staff training or no staff training, it’s just another walk through the woods, another ride in the car or another meal at camp.

Last night while I was putting my girls to bed, I was reminded of my responsibility… to fill their cups to overflowing. It is a BIG job that requires a lot of planning as well as on the job training, but God has called me to mother! Cultivating a healthy relationship with my children is their foundation for the gospel.

So, I prepare to fill cups.

First, I pour myself out to Christ early in the morning. If my cup overflows with me (my sin, my insecurities, my selfishness, my vanity), how can I pour into them the fresh and strengthening love of Christ? I can’t. Emptying myself is the first way to serve my family.

Next, I spend time focusing on Christ and quickly I am filled with fresh perspective, focus and joy! I ask him to give me the patience, joy, kindness, gentleness, creativity, humor… anything that would be useful in filling their cups to overflowing with the love of Jesus.

Then, when they wake, I greet them with a river of enthusiasm, joy and energy. When I notice my cup getting low through out the day, I pray. When I notice bitterness pouring out, I pray. When I see them fuss with one another, I tip my cup a bit more. My goal is to see their cups overflowing with joy! I realized that my husband and I are the ones they look to (right now) to feel important, accepted and secure.

I am challenged again tonight while writing this post.

Around the House This Week

I wanted to share life from my perspective this week, but words are hard and photos are fun! Enjoy:)

Mud Painting and Morocco

Guest room finished for our summer roomie – Lindsay!

Hanging plants! First ever hanging plants we have owned!

Herb garden in my mom’s old piano bench! Basil, Mint, Cilantro and Chives

Jackson Pollock Fingernails… think I may photo the process next time and Pinterest a tutorial on this!

Trucks, cars and balls rolling all over the place!

PC Renovations: In The Home Stretch

This week, there will be extensive work going on in the PC! I have two ladies dedicated to helping in the PC all week as well as summer staffers on “camp work days”… On the second week of staff training I normally get a HUGE group up to the PC to finish out all the details and cleaning! So next week we will have much more to share!

Here are a few photos of what we have been working on this week:

Our goal is to make over 2000 crosses to be used in the PC this year… hopefully even this summer! Details coming soon!

In a few days we will get the trash truck up to the PC to haul away the crazy mess and I will post more pics!
Please pray for the students and adults who will experience this place!
Amy

PC Renovations: A Mess

Currently, five days are left before staff training at Snowbird. But there is a shocking mess that seems to thicken before the beauty explodes. It is as if the dust, nails, sand, scraps of paper, broken glass, old spray paint cans and randomness must be packed down and stomped on tightly so I can actually value the change each year. There is a lot to do before we launch the opening two weeks from Friday for our summer staffers.

These are some photos I took yesterday. We are a long way from being finished… but it always seems to come together this way.

Paid In Full cards from last summer

There should be a lot of work going on in the next few weeks, I will share as I can!
Amy

An Encouragement…

Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved,
compassionate hearts,

kindness,

humility,

meekness,

and patience,

bearing with one another and,
if one has a complaint against another,
forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you,
so you also must forgive.

And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony.
And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body.
And be thankful.

Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly,

teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom,
singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs,
with thankfulness in your hearts to God.

And whatever you do,
in word or deed,

do everything
in the name of the Lord Jesus,
giving thanks to God the Father through him.

Colossians 3

These were the words of encouragement that shape my joyful obedience to the LORD this week… Be encouraged!

PC Renovations: A Group Effort

An artist does not plan when inspiration will hit. So, in the early days, a flexible schedule was perfect. I had unlimited time to spend in the PC. When an idea came to me, I dropped what ever I was doing at the time and focused on my idea. I would spend hours up to my elbows in paint, glue, craft supplies and stuff. But, when I got married, I had to learn how to balance marriage with SWO groups and my job. I learned how to work smarter, not harder.

For the past few years I have been very, very pregnant during the remodeling phase and I have had to learn how to lean on volunteers and other staff members to help make my sketches, research and ideas reality.

2008-Alani was born 3 days after this picture was taken:)

Spencer limited my use of power tools the next year when I was pregnant with Knox.

This year, I am not pregnant. But, having 3 babies, 3 and under limits my daily participation in the remodeling process. God always provides people to help us remodel in the spring. This year, I am leaning on Adam and Smalls, SWO staffers, who are heading up the construction, lighting and various artistic aspects of the PC… specifically the interactive walkway and the SWO Missionary station. When they are not working with groups they are in the PC. It is so wonderful to have skilled artists and craftsmen bringing drawings and sketches to life!

Smalls building a shelf for Mega TV's

Adam making a post for the walk through

Day 1 - 2012 Remodel begins

Smalls made this

We are really excited about our new interactive walkway display and looking forward to seeing how God will use it in the lives of students who visit SWO this summer. This week I spent one morning in the PC “modge podging” with my friend Hannah. I promised a few photos of how I reused the Paid In Full cards from this past summer. This is what it looks like now…

2011 Paid in Full cards being used in this year's walk through.

This week will be super crazy, I hope to take some great photos to share with you.

FYI: You have to come see this in person and experience this place! I sat for 2 hours brushing glue over cards that read: lust – PAID IN FULL, selfishness-PAID IN FULL, anger-PAID IN FULL… listening to All Sons and Daughters roaring praises from Adams boom box. I became overwhelmed with thanksgiving more than once. Jesus blood has covered over ALL my sin and debt! Ah, I wish everyone could have moments like this… so, come…

Full of Good Things

Yesterday, while I was on the phone talking to the SWO T-shirt rep about T-shirts for this summer, my middle one started throwing a fit (something about spilling her cereal and needing help taking her night gown off – she’s 2). Many of you have experienced these seemingly life-threatening dilemmas which, by the way, always happen while on the phone. I practice holding the phone shoulder to cheek, pull at the night gown and try my best to maintain a professional mama voice while talking to the salesman over the phone. As whines escalate into a temper tantrum, Jed wakes from his long night slumber. Suddenly, my quiet home is loud with babies in disarray. Finally it is clear to the sales rep that I am needed other places. He politely inserts an apology for contacting me at home during my non-scheduled hours, then tries to make a joke about me having my hands full, a comment that always rubs me like sandpaper.

I tried to get back to my day, un-chafed. But, I thought back on his comments a few times yesterday. I thought about all the things I could have done that better… both with the Knox thing and the conversation with the sales rep.
But, thankfully, I do not have to re-live it.

This morning I read this article by Rachel Jankovic (click here to read it, it is amazing). Ironically she addresses the same comment I was hung up on yesterday. It encouraged me so much. If you have a second or two, follow the link to read it.

And just so you know, I do have my hands full…

FULL OF GOOD THINGS!

Jed... already scrounging for a snack in the kitchen.

Knox just fell in our little creek, face first.

Alani playing dress up.

PC Renovations: What To Do With The Old?

Remodeling the Prayer Chapel (I will use PC from now on) is a tricky process each year. I map out changes, enlist volunteers, collect or track down weird/unique items like palm branches or a golden calf. Every year I am blown away by how God works out these details and gives us fresh vision for the stations in the PC.

Each year kids pour out their hearts in journals, confess sins on tiny scraps of paper and write out detailed prayers for people around the world. When it came to change things around after the first year, I couldn’t bring myself to just pitch these tiny offerings and confessions into a black garbage bag and throw it away. I knew I couldn’t store it forever either. So, I decided to take a few of these left over offerings and make art for other areas in the PC.

This station in 2005 focused on praying for different countries. Students were encouraged to write out a prayer on an index card if they felt led.

The next year we pasted them on a board, tinted it blue and used them as the “water” for our world map.

Collage of Creative Expression Artwork from 2006.

One project I am working on right now is how to incorporate the cards from the Paid In Full station from this year.
Here are some pics from the Paid In Full station.

I have a pretty extensive plan and I hope it comes together… I will post pictures as we work on it this week.