Fri, July 27
... Hi, my name is Mom
I'm back from SEMP, and I have
so much to say, but I don't know if I have the energy to write about it all right now. I'm pretty exhausted, and I'm about ready to crash. It'll be nice to have a longer sleep than 5 hours, and not be woken up by all my girls giggling in the hallway. As much as I love them to little itty bitty pieces. Which I do.
But anyways, it was an absolutely amazing week. God did huge things, and I'm realizing again how blessed I am to be a part of that work that he's doing. I love how even though God doesn't really need us in order to fulfill his plans, he lets us be part of it anyways, just because he loves us so much. That was such a huge part of what I got to be this week. It'll take me so much more than just an entry to sort through everything that's in my head and in my heart; everything that God taught me; all the encouragement I got; all the challenges I got to face... All those things will continue to change me over the next while, not just while I was at SEMP, but as I process the information, I'll realize how more and more of it fits into my life.
The other night, we were listening to a song, and I had this incredible "SEMP slide show" from four years of being there go through my head. So many memories of so many people and so many situations where I've seen God's hand working so amazingly and so powerfully. It's cool.
*'98*
Sleeping on the floor in the room I shared with Christina in... Colleen "surfing" on my bed to wake me up... Lara's underwear incident... meeting Brian and talking to him in Edworthy Park... crying with him on the last Celebration... watching Drime and working with them... Christina's mom bringing us all kinds of food every day... food fights in the cafeteria... sitting in Norm's room talking really late... Getting to talk to Julia in Bowness Park... Going home and having Val become a Christian later that year... Learning to trust God with the pain, and being thankful through all the crappy circumstances...
*'99*
The massage chairs... Jack the Monkey... Being sick all week... Kensington with Daryl, and talking to Jen... All God asks is that I be faithful to him, and he'll always be faithful to me... Steve's birthday cake--DQ ice cream cake on napkins with no forks!... Brian getting sent home early... realizing how easily I can be distracted from what God wants me to do... Pickle fights in the van...
*2000*
"Grandpa Norm's" last SEMP, and the last night... Watching God do so much work in other people's lives, not just in my own... No massage chairs... Richelle's birthday party, and Laura and Shelby's underwear shenanigans... Shelby and the "bus boy" story... "God dreams" starting to be given to us... Value Village shopping experiences... Joyelle's underwear forgetfulness... "Goodbye"... Singing Christmas carols in Kensington, and talking to Kipper forever...
*2001*
Hello, my name is Mom... "God dreams" are his dreams in his timing, in his ways, and we get the privilege of being part of them... "Alida's laying down the law tonight!"... corrupting Nadine's innocence... "bridal college"... "What's a treasure trail? I don't think I want to know!"... Spiritual responsibility for my kids... There's no one here who remembers everything from years ago... The underwear disappearances (maybe it was the guys)... They respect me, but not you, Barry!... God teaches us new things every year, and change doesn't always mean better or worse, it just means different... Talking to Frank at Millenneum Park... Singing "Open the Eyes" with SEMP Denver over the phone...
There are so many memories over the years, and so much rich fullness of being part of the huge body of Christ. And I haven't talked about this year's SEMP at all, but I'll get to that tomorrow, most likely. Tonight, I need to get some sleep, so I can think to remember what I need to talk about tomorrow! God did so many amazing things this year, and I can't wait to write them down and try to describe them. It's nearly impossible, but I want to try to tell you about the move of God that's happening, and about the exciting part that I had to be part of it this week. So, until tomorrow... Good night, all, and God bless.
infinite || abyss
posted at 11:04 p.m.
