Camping + me = lots of blog fodder!

(originally posted on my other blog - but I didn't want you all to miss out on all the jokes!)

Apparently I agreed to go camping next weekend...4th of July weekend.

Before your uncontrollable laughter completely takes over your day, you should know that I:

- Have lived in Russia, not the glamorous Moscow, but the harsh Siberia, Russia (kinda like camping)

- Have gone on mission trips and had to sleep in the floor of an old church where I could hear the rodents scampering about in the middle of the night.

- Have gone on a mission trip where I didn't eat anything but lunch-size bags of chips for 3 days and only showered once in that time (in all fairness, I was miserable)

- Have an uncanny ability to deal and adapt to just about anything

So although you might THINK you know me - all high heels and skirts...I can be tough!

 

Having said that...you should also know that:

- I do not like bugs. I REALLY do not like bugs.

- I will wear makeup on my face every day. Period. It will happen, it has happened for over 20 years, it will not stop this weekend just because I am "camping" (for all of you rolling your eyes, I SEE YOU! Makeup protects your skin! It has sunscreen in it!)

- I do not eat meat, so the idea of the hotdogs on sticks around the campfire doesn't really sound fun to me

- The reason I haven't had a desire to go with my husband on mission trips to India is because of the restroom situation. I like bathrooms...clean ones with TP are preferred
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So yes, I am going camping. This week I am going to dedicate this blog to the camping preparations, what I am going to do, how I think I will like it...and of course I want to talk about all of your great advice.

The "week of camping prep" will conclude with my weekly segment on the WFRN Morning Show (Doug and Vincy in the mornings) on Friday...following that segment, I will be getting in our little SUV to go camping!

Right now, I need to know what are your tips for camping?  I mean, I think I will need appropirate shoes, non pajammey-kind-of pjs, a smart organizational system for toiletries (I understand that there is some kind of communal shower house? I envision high school locker rooms...ugh!), what else?

a year ago today...God's blessing all over the chaos

(I wrote this in April, April 4th ish - and I realize I didn't post it.  Honestly, some of these "milestones" seem strange to celebrate.  This is one of them.)

A year ago today, we went to the airport, got on a plane and (tried) to leave Irkutsk.  I wrote about the experience here.  Long story short - the airplane blew an engine which caused a 9 hour delay.  Funny thing - Anya still remembers that 9 hours!  She was such a trooper...playing games, waling around.  I was more irritated with the whole things than she was!

I was so mad about being delayed a week from going home.  There was some drama with our passport (not sure what it was all about)...but God was protecting us.

A week earlier, there was a terrorist attack in the subway system near Red Square in Moscow.  The attack happened on Monday morning. The morning we were supposed to be there. I can't imagine the chaos in Red Square that followed that attack.  The overwhelming fear of the people.  Not something I would want to be a part of our memory.

You would think that God's protection would have changed my attitude, and taught me to always TRUST HIM and HIS timing. This is where intellectual-reasoning and emotional-reasoning collide.

Yes - intellectually I got it.  God was in control.  But for people like me (and I realize that I am not so unique in a lot of ways), it is hard for we (those that are "do-ers") to stop trying to DO. Allowing God to be in control is something I fear will be a lesson I need to learn over and over and over again

Maybe today that is the bigger lesson; stepping back and (again) giving the glory and praise where it is due.  Praise in the big and small stuff.  Praise in the meltdowns, the temper tantrums (mine and Anya's), in the struggle and yes...in the glory of it all.

Learning to Praise Him in the times of pig faces, silly faces, mean faces and kissy faces is something I don't think we ever really learn to do...if we are honest with ourselves...or do we?