March 25, 2007
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I’m Back
The youth retreat is over, and I had a nap today, so I’m feeling fairly normal. It was a fun time at the YR, although I still didn’t feel wildly happy about our talks. God can take whatever we said and use it for His glory despite what I might feel! Several teens said how much they enjoyed and were challenged by what we had to say. They are such a gracious bunch!
Seriously, though, the youth at our church, all thirty or so of them, 7th to 12th grade, are amazing. I hear horror stories of youth groups which are worldly and bad examples to the kids. Not ours! I feel so blessed to be in a church where there are so many godly families who have raised such outstanding kids. (And that means you, too, KK, GF, CGatH, BSgirl, Wit, and Hunter!)
One nifty thing about the retreat was that I got to talk to the friend of one of our youth who came. She is a Quaker. I always thought that Quakers were basically fundamental Christians who were pacifists and had no preachers. I was wrong. They are much different, with the ideas of “universal light” and each person finding his own path to God based on experience and examples as key components. I gave her a copy of Mere Christianity and my email, so I hope we can chat further!
It was nice and mild here today, so we did a bit of raking up dead plants and burning. I also took a nice walk and bought some lemonade from a group of young entrepreneurs. Aren’t neighborhoods wonderful?
So, how is your week shaping up? Do you have any nifty things going on? To what are you looking forward?
Comments (26)
Sounds like a nice retreat….. and the lemonade sounds delightful!
We have Grand Prix this Wednesday night…. should be fun (and take up all my extra time this week)….
I am very much looking forward to a wonderful date with my gorgeous wife this week… What could be better than a concert by the local symphony orchestra in “celebration of” Shakespeare!?!? Maybe dinner out just before the concert?
RYC: Ice cream only works temporarily! LOL!
Sounds like an interesting weekend!
The smell of spring is finally here….
Whew!! I’m exhausted for you!! Just thinking about that many kids makes me tired! ;D I’m so glad you had fun, though, and I didn’t remember that about Quakers, but, I’m sure I learned it at some point in the past because it sounds familiar.
We had a couple over today and I made them my “famous” spaghetti (my friend thinks it’s the best in the world –she’s the only one who raves about it so, however! ha!). We were able to get the house into much better shape than it’s been in a long time due to the pressure of having company. That’s one reason I used to have our Wed. night Cell Group at our house years ago, just so our house HAD to get cleaned once a week!! Isn’t that sick! Ugh!!
This weekend we basically worked on the house in spurts, I got to rake in my garden for a while (which always cheers me up!), went to Curves (this is my last month, so I gotta use it!), made c.c. cookies….. still not as good as my daughters was that day, and, that’s about it! DIDN’T get my haircut, but that is next on my list!! Maybe, now that the clutter is gone, I’ll be able to think clear enough to make an appointment! Argh!
Adios!! (that literally means “with God” in Spanish, …..right!?)
That is a wonderful thing you did! Youth retreats are so important! I cant wait for my kids to go on one someday!
The retreat sounds like a great time. What a blessing to the Youth Group. It reminds me of when I was a teenager and went on retreats. Today I’d love to find some of those adults who took the time for us and thank them for helping us be on the right path for life. I hope you have a great day. To answer your question, I look forward to just seeing what each day has in store.
Your background is pretty. How do you do that?
I agree with the above poster who says that that many kids makes you tired just thinking about it. Glad you could go and have a good time.
Hope you recover soon.
Karen
I always thought Quakers were more fundamentalist, too. I guess living in Quaker Street, I had better find out! Although the meeting house is only opened in the warmer months because of the heating system.
Anyway, sounds like you had a nice weekend with the youth. I don’t think I’m ready for such things! I need my weekends to accomplish things around the house, & even then, I don’t manage everything I want to.
My week? Last week was much crazier! This week looks fairly calm for me with grocery shopping this afternoon & company for supper tomorrow evening. Of course, homeschool & housework all week long……
I am looking forward to all my college funkiness being over.
I think you have to be absolutlely gifted to go on a youth retreat – just reading about it adds to my exhaustion.
My week last week ended up absolutely crazy – being gone 6 out of 7 days. I still haven’t had a complete day at home though was home most of the day yesterday. Hopefully this week will be better (read that more relaxed).
I answerred your questions about the photo course in a comment on my blog – thanks for asking and caring.
Off to get the car fixed (I hope).
edith
Wow! Your hubby is so cool! Ofcourse so are you. What a great match!
What were you not wildly happy with in your talks?
I have heard that Quakers very a whole lot from church to church and you can find some that are very conservative, fundementalist types and some new agey unitarian types. This is from reading, I do not actually know any.
Hey Mrs. Sellers! I have not commented on your fabulous blog in quite some time. I received your package… you are an amazing friend! How can I ever repay you? I hope your year is as amazing as mine has been so far.
Love,
Daniel
I thought you would’ve mentioned that I actually asked you to come and play full-court basketball with us….
Hmmm, Alyssa might want to re-think her abbreviated Xanga name…
Mary,
I remember as a child having my own lemonade stand
God bless you.
Cynthia
It sounds like you had a wonderful time at the retreat. I still love going to youth activities with our church, even though I now have children who attend, lol.
I’m getting ready for spring at our house, by starting with some much needed cleaning. Hopefully, I will be able to keep it looking this way, lol. Now THAT is the true challenge at my house, with three children
Well, we’re having quite an early Spring here. Eighty degree weather and all that.
I can’t say I’m looking forward to anything in particular, expect our break the first week of April.
(Notice I’m following your advice with the profile picture
)
Oh! And I LOVE your spring background!! So very cheerful!
Hope you’re having a great day! I’m enjoying my clean(er) house and the lovely 70-something weather & sunshine!!
Actually, you do not add the meat or banana TO the soup, just to our diet! I am sure I will be making many batches of the soup as fast as it is going with just the 3 of us eating it–I would not make the others eat it!!
Yea…yay! Glad that you had a good time on the youth retreat!
I’ve been wondering how your weekend went. I’ve heard that often when we feel we didn’t do as well as we should, those were the times that God used us the most effectively.
Hmm…yeah, I agree with Debbie on that one…
I read your comment on Jersey’s blog….SB had a baby, I would love to hear the details??? Would you comment with the info on my blog or just email it to me. I’m excited to hear their good news, it seems like just yesterday we were throwing their wedding shower!!!
That sounds so fun! Working with youth is just such a rewarding thing. And I really think that the people who are most critical are those who aren’t spending time with them. I know it works that way in our church. The ones who disapprove of them simply are never with them. Those of us who do things with the kids think they’re a great bunch.
Thanks for your encouragement after my nasty school day!
I don’t know what you did wrong with the squash…… did you squash it? (har har!) I just put mine in the microwave for few minutes or a pot with about 1/2 inch of water & cook on med. or med./low heat. Then, after it’s softened, I put butter, a few shakes of pumpkin spice, and a sprinkle of brown sugar in it & mix it up until it’s nice and creamy. Mmmmm! I sure do wish Aldi’s had frozen squash, but, they don’t and I always forget about it when I go to Kroger’s to pick up my “extras”.
It’s another beautiful day here today!! Yesterday afternoon & evening, I raked leaves, had my husband start a fire in the fire pit for them, hoed down a few high spots from our “clay pit” (a long, bare area that has no grass on it…. a left over project from last year!) so I can start planting grass seed there, raked under the “play tree” so I can seed it, as well, and, finally, sat down, watched the bats, and ate ice cream at the fire with B.. I did the raking in spurts, so, by the time I was done it was quite dark. Oh!! And I kept hearing something in the grass, thought it was a mouse, but, it was a possum! He came quite close to us at the fire, too! I was shocked. I’ve never seen a possum come so close to people before, esp. near a fire! We figured he must have been really hungry and smelled the chocolate syrup left over in my ice cream bowl. ??
Have a delightful day!