Dad and Starbucks

My mom just informed me that she thinks I'm very witty. With those words of affirmation in my back pocket, It's time to blog a little. I discovered 12 hours ago that I should no longer blog after 10 pm. It causes overactive, sleepless thinking. Noted.

Almost every Sunday afternoon I can count on 3 things. A) Running errands with my dad B) Intentionally being asked about life C) Free starbucks. Since Dad and I are the intellectual type, we enjoy us some coffee and good conversation- and skinny jeans and good music and playing ukeleles and wearing berets. The last 4 are questionable.

My dad is a blessing and a treasure. He has been so consistent and solid over the years. I've learned so much from him.

For instance, 21 years ago Rick had a ton of black hair, big glasses, a love for sweaters, a great laugh.

Now, the glasses are gone. The "ton of black hair" has turned into a little graying black hair. He still loves a good sweater. His laugh still makes me laugh.

He's hardworking, has a servant heart, he wears socks with sandals, he's witty, he's smart, he's kind, and he always takes the time to pet our 12 year old basset hound everyday. He's strong and when I was little we used to flex our muscles and watch WWF (wrap your mind around that one). He laughs at my jokes. I see him when I make certain facial expressions and every morning at our kitchen table when he meets with the Lord. He loves my mom with his whole heart. He likes to garden- and he's really good at it.

I just love him. I love the view He gives me on our Heavenly Father.

These words ain't cheap

The thought of condensing the past week into a few paragraphs just doesn't seem right. I need to write a novel. Perchance I need a camera crew following me around 24/7 filming my every move. Perhaps a video diary. Better yet, some papa-paparazzi. Let's just T5 this bad boy:

T5 loves:

1) I love me a good reunion. Especially one that is extremely overdue. I get giggly and excited just thinking about doing life with these silly bananas this summer.

2) Granola and punch. There's a reason I'm back to work camp this summer. Scratch that. There are two reasons why I'm coming back to work camp this summer. First of all, I don't remember life prior to eating the granola at camp. Okay I do, but life is now sweeter because I have. I don't know if it's the fact that everything I eat there tastes like manna (I've never actually eaten manna but my guess is that it was the best thing ever- I mean come on, it was food God-sent from heaven), or that I'm just overly dramatic while eating it, but it is delish. The punch- I'm literally acting like a giddy school girl right now just thinking about it. It tastes like melted pink popice. Don't act like you don't know what I'm talking about. It is a delight. I need a punch dispenser in my house. Too much? Probably.

3) I love getting poured into every single day. It's like a bear hug for the soul.

4) Dressing like I'm a rock climbing, ballin, athletic, marathon running, 80's workout instructor. Don't worry, I am none of those things. I'm just a poser.

5) The comfort of sleeping like a little baby.

T5 learnings:

1) It is hard, painful, frustrating, and annoying to learn how to be selfless over and over. Story of my young existence. I had a terrible attitude about learning it again all week long. But y'all, there is so much joy and satisfaction when life is not about myself. I forgot that this semester. It's due time to remember.

2) Texas is hot. Now, I knew this. Really I did. But being back just reminded me of this fact.

3) Working hard for the Lord and nothing else is such a blessing. It is so good for thinking and the my heart.

4) What I learn at camp is not about camp. It's just the place that I learn it. Every good thing comes from THE LORD. I love that. And embarrassingly enough I get that confused sometimes and like to pin it to camp.

5) There is reason and purpose behind everything. We are part of such a big, blessed, production. THE production. It's mind boggling.

People. The Lord is GOOD. Praise!

Humble Pie

Oh brothers and sisters. Let's be real mostly sisters, but I think my dad and my brother might read this. It is the wee morning hours. Why am I awake? It certainly couldn't be the fact that I took a full out 2 hour nap on Autumns couch this afternoon. The kind of dead to the world nap where you drool a little and have really odd dreams about the girl on the progressive commercials marrying your brother and then you have to spend Christmas and such with her. But whatever.

The last two weeks of life have been spent recouping after wrapping up my junior year of college. By recouping I mean doing nothing, laying on the couch, eating my feelings, watching too much food network, wearing a coat of denial about being a senior in college, and creeping on The Pioneer Woman's blog- and secretly wanting to be her best friend in a kind of "hey we're both gingers and we both like to cook! It's so meant to be" sort of way. It has been two weeks that I haven't known what to do with, given that I spent the entire past year of my life running around like a chicken with my head cut off. I almost forgot what Bobby Flay looks like. What tragedy. I have forgotten how to rest and have done too much on my own weak strength- at times I am a ninny. I love the word ninny. To my shock and utter terror, 2 weeks of doing nothing doesn't cure a year of pouring out like Niagra falls while drinking a spoonful of "Lord, will you help with this one thing? I've got the rest." Most of the time, I'm a BIG BIG ninny.

This is how I'm coming into orientation at camp. I'm exhausted. I'm humbled. I'm confused. I am so excited to jump back into that sweet community. I'm scared. I'm a little bit giddy. I'm ready to be back at a place where the Lord is the absolute focus and the joy that comes with it is unbearably rich and satisfying. I'm so thankful for the opportunity to be back. I'm weepy. I'm hungry. I'm loopy. I'm gingy. I trust and hope and pray that I'm right where the Lord wants me.

So here we are y'all. On the brink of summer 2011. I could not feel more excited or ill-prepared. Praise the Lamb that His truth is much bigger and better and honest than my feelings or my sense of being prepared.

"For it is God who is working in you, enabling you both to will and to act for His good purpose"

Philippians 2:13