So a coworker was asking me about my vacation and I mentioned Creation Festival which is a Christian festival which my friends all well know is more my passion than any other work I've ever done. Then she asked, "So how was your Christian... camp...?"
Let's get a few things straight: A Christian Festival does not mean we all hold hands and sing gay lovey songs and clap and wield our bibles around in some flowery, dainty little show of affection to God. I told her it was a festival of music, like... a music festival <shock face!> and we aren't all hands-in-the-air lunatics. We're music fanatics who use the medium to express Christian values. Many of us even grimace at the crazy-heads who skip around trying to save the saved... okay, All of us grimace at that kind. There's TONS of genres of Christian music. Pop, rap, reggae, metal, grunge... you name it! She was shocked. I was pleased. Conversation ended.
Before I am anything else, I am a Christian. I am not a good prayer. I am no good at Bible knowledge. I suck at times as a mother/daughter/friend/wife/etc. But what makes me more human is that I know it's okay because I have a God Who Loves me regardless and will lift me up and put me right back in place... sometimes painfully, sometimes begrudgingly, sometimes desperately. I know I can do better and I'm so hard on myself sometimes, but as depressed as I've ever been I've always known one thing without any doubt in any fiber of my being. The time in this world is short - nothing - compared to eternity. And because I have a God who loves me, as long as I continue to turn to Him in any situation, I don't have to work for it. He's already done all the work, all the Bloodshed, all the Sacrificing, all the Suffering. Mock me, shake your head, wonder at my faith, my words of certainty which many doubt. Fine. I'm so used to it. I know where I'm going.
So to those in the world, primping your hair and wasting money on your looks and caring about gossip and who does what for a living: Are you sure you have your priorities straight? Is your Gucci bag coming to the next life with you. Or a more short-term question: will it help you satisfy yourself and your self-image. If the answer is yes then you're missing the point. Often the things people see and hear and taste and touch miss the point.
We look to the horizon and long ago thought it was the edge of the world. We finally learned how to sail beyond and saw more than we'd ever imagined. Then we learned how to fly and saw another horizon. Soon we learned how to soar higher until we got the whole picture: the Earth, a sphere of life, held together by means we were barely discovering! Think we know much more than the horizon of our souls yet? Doubt it. For me, I'd like to place my trust in Someone Who Knows all about it.
Christianity isn't some silly little phase of humanity. It isn't some cute little gathering where we all cry about our little feelings in the big mean world. It's certainly not just a bunch of limitations and rules to punish people and control people. All those kinds of people are, again, missing the point. Christianity is putting your heart on Jesus and knowing that He'll guide you through this life and into the next. It's knowing that He's been there and knows the way and goes before you to prepare it. It's raw, unadulterated, unfiltered LOVE. It's about a God Who became Man and Bled and Died for us. That's not frilly people! That's solid heart-wrenching!
So for those who think our cute little Christian fests are a waste of time and the music is some quaint little love song with boring repetitious ballads and choir-like backgrounds, check out some Tobymac or Newboys or Jars of Clay. Yes there are melodic praise songs, but listen to the words and compare them to the crap lyrics on secular radio. What do you want your child singing along to?
_Stepping off the soapbox now._
What bugs you?
Hunkered down in my stance, eyes darting across the room for my foe, I tighten my grip, ready to twitch at any moment and swing... at another damned housefly! I love those electric racket thingies! Thanks Joe and Phyllis, yup, we still use it!
So we're dealing with the humidity, heat, and bugs-bugs-BUGS!!! We're killing spiders, ants (not much), silver fish (ewe!), and house flies! Those effers take 12 electrocutions to get stunned, then we smash them! I love the cool evenings of summer or early spring, I love the beautiful sun and beach weather by day, I hate the bugs. Okay, I don't loathe them so much as don't want them in my living space.
Bekah freaks with bugs. I mean freaks. Has to be calmed down and everything.We've been trying to teach her to not be afraid by going on bug hunts and learning about the different kinds. She's coming along slowly. Let's be clear though, I am not afraid of the germ-carrying, disgusting, creepy, mini-scum.
On a lighter note: Shadow hunts bugs. One more reason to heart that kitty big time!
Next blog: hopefully not so boring and ranty ;)
So we're dealing with the humidity, heat, and bugs-bugs-BUGS!!! We're killing spiders, ants (not much), silver fish (ewe!), and house flies! Those effers take 12 electrocutions to get stunned, then we smash them! I love the cool evenings of summer or early spring, I love the beautiful sun and beach weather by day, I hate the bugs. Okay, I don't loathe them so much as don't want them in my living space.
Bekah freaks with bugs. I mean freaks. Has to be calmed down and everything.We've been trying to teach her to not be afraid by going on bug hunts and learning about the different kinds. She's coming along slowly. Let's be clear though, I am not afraid of the germ-carrying, disgusting, creepy, mini-scum.
On a lighter note: Shadow hunts bugs. One more reason to heart that kitty big time!
Next blog: hopefully not so boring and ranty ;)
Creation 2011
Where to begin...
I'll keep it simple for now and just type about the trip portion of going to Creation Festival Northeast. The non-stop road trip is supposed to take about 8.25 hours or so, but of course we had stops so it basically took all day. All day in a truck with the BFF and our good friend Ron Dunbar meant some serious belly laughs. Needless to say it all started out well... um, despite our navigator misdirecting us once... ahem, sorry boys!
We set up camp with some difficulty as the pop-up camper was, er, a bit elderly. Let's just say the Viking was on her last leg and final voyage. Cable snapped, door broke, wouldn't level right, and we used a block of wood and strapping to hold one of the corners up. Love having a handy hubby!
Day two I lost my sunblock. Bought more later. Day three I lost my Leatherman, but I got it back two days later. Friday I had a wardrobe malfunction which resulted in immediate and unwarranted air conditioning. Yeeaaahhhh... and I was on shift that night, but Jesse walked back up the hill with me and back before the next set change. That night was the craziest strike I'd ever done... well, debatable but it's up there. Dear Skillet, please get lighter materials when building your spinning, moving, elevated drum riser. Thanks. Love, all the volunteer stage crew you ever encounter.
But did I have fun. Yes, oh yes. Great shows true, awesome people of course, and What A Crowd! The sheer proportions... the way everything shut down for lunch and dinner and the main speakers. People actually gathered for the speakers and paid attention, and they were great!
There's so much more to say but it's late and we're all tired and I have photos to upload. I will certainly try to attend next year as well and we're considering taking the kids too. Any takers? Amazing experience! Worth the trip!
God Bless!
I'll keep it simple for now and just type about the trip portion of going to Creation Festival Northeast. The non-stop road trip is supposed to take about 8.25 hours or so, but of course we had stops so it basically took all day. All day in a truck with the BFF and our good friend Ron Dunbar meant some serious belly laughs. Needless to say it all started out well... um, despite our navigator misdirecting us once... ahem, sorry boys!
We set up camp with some difficulty as the pop-up camper was, er, a bit elderly. Let's just say the Viking was on her last leg and final voyage. Cable snapped, door broke, wouldn't level right, and we used a block of wood and strapping to hold one of the corners up. Love having a handy hubby!
Day two I lost my sunblock. Bought more later. Day three I lost my Leatherman, but I got it back two days later. Friday I had a wardrobe malfunction which resulted in immediate and unwarranted air conditioning. Yeeaaahhhh... and I was on shift that night, but Jesse walked back up the hill with me and back before the next set change. That night was the craziest strike I'd ever done... well, debatable but it's up there. Dear Skillet, please get lighter materials when building your spinning, moving, elevated drum riser. Thanks. Love, all the volunteer stage crew you ever encounter.
But did I have fun. Yes, oh yes. Great shows true, awesome people of course, and What A Crowd! The sheer proportions... the way everything shut down for lunch and dinner and the main speakers. People actually gathered for the speakers and paid attention, and they were great!
There's so much more to say but it's late and we're all tired and I have photos to upload. I will certainly try to attend next year as well and we're considering taking the kids too. Any takers? Amazing experience! Worth the trip!
God Bless!
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