Sorry

I have not been feeling like writing lately...too busy.
School has started for all of us and all on the same day. Tim as a counselor at Cooper High School. I am in the Medical Clinic at ACU. Mary Kate started her sophomore year at ACU. We moved her into the dorm on Saturday. Lucy started her first year of high school at Abilene High.
Tim's sister and her husband were here from Virginia. I am glad that they were able to come to see us and see where we live and experience a tiny bit of Texas.
I have a few more pictures from our trip. Not as good as some in the past but kind of gives you more of an idea of how the trip really felt. We saw lots of trains...I love trains. Lucy was reading often and the sun entertained us in many different positions in the sky.

Flood

We were called yesterday and last night and told that we needed to be prepared to evacuate if the creeks near us came over their banks. They crested at the very top of their banks in our neighborhood. Usually these two creeks, Elm creek and Catclaw creek don't seem like a creek to me at all. I am from Virginia and when I think of a creek, I think water and rocks and the water moves. These two creeks are not usually visible at the bottom of the huge ditches in which they reside. But today they completely filled those ditches and that is probably about 18 or so feet above their normal level.
There are some flooded neighborhoods in Abilene. Saw them on the news and I am feeling for those people whose homes are under water or the water flowed into their houses. What a mess!!

Tomatoes

I love tomatoes! I have loved tomatoes for as long as I can remember. I love them like I love watermelon. In fact, there are many things that are similar about tomatoes and watermelon. But, I don't just love any tomatoes. I am discriminating about which tomatoes I love. I don't love grocery store tomatoes. I don't love cherry tomatoes. I don't like yellow tomatoes. I love big, fat red tomatoes that are homegrown but I especially love those big, fat red tomatoes that are grown in my mother's garden. They are the best in the whole world.
Last week my mom sent me tomatoes from her garden. She wrapped them with newspaper and boxed them up and sent them to us in the mail. They arrived perfect. I am guessing that there were about 30 tomatoes in that box. They were juicy and delicious....just like I always remembered them.
Lucy also loves tomatoes. She is not as discriminating as I am because she will eat grocery store tomatoes and cherry tomatoes but she also loves grandma's tomatoes the best. As a toddler grandma would give her a whole tomato and she would eat the whole thing like an apple with the juice running down her chin and onto the paper towel that grandma had tucked into her shirt. So sweet.
My mom called today to say that more tomatoes are on their way...yay!!!

More Yellowstone and the Tetons

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Mary Kate and I still have film cameras and so there is a delay between taking pictures and being able to post them. We send the film 4 at a time to Snapfish...expensive but to buy the same caliber digital cameras...way too expensive right now. So, as we get some back we will post some of our favorites.
I love the words on this sign as you drive into Yellowstone at the North Entrance.
Yellowstone made me think of Yogi Bear and BooBoo. Remember Jellystone Park and smarter than the average bear?





This is Yellowstone Lake...it felt like a sea...so huge and awesome.

And the Tetons...wow!!!

Strangest Dream...wish it wasn't a dream

"Last Night I had the Strangest Dream"
by Ed McCurdy

Last night I had the strangest dream
I'd ever dreamed before
I dreamed the world had all agreed
To put an end to war

I dreamed I saw a mighty room
Filled with women and men
And the paper they were signing said
They'd never fight again

And when the paper was all signed
And a million copies made
They all joined hands and bowed their heads
And grateful pray'rs were prayed

And the people in the streets below
Were dancing 'round and 'round
While swords and guns and uniforms
Were scattered on the ground

Last night I had the strangest dream
I'd never dreamed before
I dreamed the world had all agreed
To put an end to war.

Ponderings

I have been pondering attractiveness. What makes us attractive and what attracts us to certain people and not to others? I don't mean just in a sexual way but those people that we want to be our friends and those we would prefer not to be our friends.
This contemplation started while we were looking at the old Camp Wamava pictures. I saw myself in those pictures and with the exception of one or two...they were terrible pictures but real pictures of me at those ages. I look at those photos and wonder about myself. I have never thought of myself as attractive but always felt liked and wanted among my peers and didn't give too much thought to the fact that I wasn't beautiful. When I run into other old campers from Wamava, they all tell me that I was girl the boys wanted to like them. Why was that?
Also, in looking at those pictures, there were girls who I didn't spend much time with...they seemed dorky or boring or something and when I look at those pictures I can see that they were gorgeous. What were we missing? Why do we choose who we choose?
It has to be something other than physical attraction.
What makes us beautiful? What makes us appealing to those around us?
I don't why this has been in my head for so long but I finally decided to ask a bigger audience what they think about this crazy thing that I am pondering.

Lucy Has Good News

Lucy just spent two weeks at Camp Blue Haven and she had a great time and made a huge decision. Lucy was baptized on Thursday afternoon. She called us on Wednesday in the middle of the night to tell us about her choice. She wanted us to come but it was impossible. It is an 8 hour drive to Camp Blue Haven from our house and we both had to work on Thursday. I was so torn because I really, really wanted to be there with her. I couldn't sleep after she called. I kept thinking about how we could be with her at her baptism and decided that we needed to each write her a letter and email to camp and have them read it right before her baptism. They did and I think that was a very good thing.
Here is what we said to her:

Dear Lucy,
You know that we would prefer to be standing in the waters of baptism with you. We always thought that our hands would guide you down into those waters but as I have been contemplating your choice today, I know that our hands have guided you there and now you have made a choice from your own heart. There has never been anything that I have wanted more for you than for you to choose Jesus. I know that this is just the beginning of your journey. You have been walking side by side with me and your dad and the rest of our family and we will continue to walk with you but this step is a huge step of faith for you that is independent of our spiritual lives.
I will tell you as I told Drew before you...All your life I have taught you to be cautious but in this choice, I am saying, go in with abandon. Jump in those waters an get in over your head. Following Jesus is a sweet but radical journey. From now on, you will live the baptized life and all your life will be doused with the waters of baptism. You have always been strong...strong in spirit and in determination. Use that strength to bring the radicalness of Jesus to the world. I know that you will do that in small and gigantic ways. I can see you using your amazing gifts to show Jesus...your confidence in front of a crowd, your clear and expressive writing, your way of gathering people into a cohesive group and just your spirit and easy way with people.
So, as you are immersed in that fresh and holy water feel my hands on you and my heart right with you as your mind is immersed in the mind of Christ. Let the Spirit take over and you will be lead to many incredible and awesome places.
"I always thank God for you because of his grace given you in Christ Jesus. For in him you have been enriched in every way-in all your speaking and in all your knowledge-because our testimony about Christ was confirmed in you. Therefore do not lack any spiritual gift as you eagerly wait for our Lord Jesus Christ to be revealed. He will keep you strong to the end, so that you will be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. God, who has called you into the fellowship with his son Jesus Christ our Lord, is faithful."
" You are all children of God through faith in Christ Jesus, for all who were baptized into Christ have clothed themselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave or free, male or female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise."
Lucy, you are choosing to join in the story of an amazing savior and I can't wait to see what that journey unfolds for you.
Love you more than you will ever know, Mom

Dear Lucy,
It seems only right that you want to be baptized at camp. You were only four months old in 1993 when we took you to camp where we routinely worked every summer. During that summer, I began reading a book called "The Blessing". The "blessing" in many cases are words spoken from a parent to a child-most often at a young age. At the last summer camp devotional (about this time fourteen years ago), I laid you in my lap and shared my blessing to you with about 80 teenagers and staff members. That blessing included that raise you up to be a strong person of faith; that you come to love Jesus as your parents do; and that you are surrounded by friends that will direct you in the way of Christ. I know that right now you are surrounded by friends who will walk with you on this journey of faith. There are also many friends and family-young and old-who will be with you in times of celebration (like now) and when things in life get tough. We all walk this journey with you.
Lastly, it's hard not to think of my parents right now-celebrating with you-from heaven. As they passed down their legacy of faith, I'm sure that often in their thoughts and prayers were words like these:
"May all who come behind us find us faithful
May the fire of our devotion light their way
May the footprints that we leave, lead them to believe
And the lives we live inspire them to obey."
I know that you recognize this, but as a reminder: It is in Jesus' steps that you follow, He'll walk with you-so will we.
We love you and wish we could be with you at this very moment. We're very proud of you and this most important decision.
Love, Dad