Two Weeks In and a Fun Day Off

Two weeks in, six to go.

Orientation week. Check.
First week serving guests. Check.

I'm sitting here on our little porch enjoying the sounds of camp and the cool breeze. It's so beautiful here. I can't thank God enough for this gift. Especially now that Scott is back!  

We just got off work for the day and are waiting for dinner. I love not cooking dinner every night. The only problem is no matter how hungry we get, we have to wait until staff dinner time which is 6:30, a little later than I'm used to. No biggie. Lessons in delayed gratification, right?

Here's my little recap of the first week.

The weather:

Sunday - Rain. Cold.
Monday - Rain. Cold.
Tuesday - Rain. Chilly.

Wednesday - Rain. Chilly.
Thursday - Cloudy w/peeks of sun. Warmer.
Friday - Sunshine! Warm! Perfect.

I bought a new raincoat to wear when needed this summer. I didn't expect to wear it for four days straight. Rainboots were a great idea too, but they are cute for about half a day. Not exactly comfy for all the walking this job requires.

Driving golf carts in the rain isn't as much fun as you might think either. The "limos" have clear plastic "doors" we can put down to try and keep passengers dry. This is tricky. A lot of zipping and unzipping. I'm learning so much.

Still, it was the guests I felt most sorry for, but they were troopers, finding fun things to do. The gloomy cold evenings did have a positive side. I could go to bed as early as I wanted to and no one would know the difference. So I did. This also helped with getting used to being on my feet (and walking) everyday for most of the day. Getting older isn't for wimps!

Alas, I was giddy when 4pm Thursday rolled around.  My co-workers bid me farewell to enjoy a day off on Friday. That's right. Glance back up at the weather forecast. Best.day.of.the.week. I felt so free! So excited! No work until Saturday at 10am! What to do. What to do.

You might imagine I had it planned out already. Of course I did. With no car available, I wouldn't be going far. I slept as long as my body would let me, cleaned up my little cabin and set out for an adventure. That might be overdramatic. Maybe activity is a better choice.

First, about a half mile walk into town for breakfast. I had been told about a fun diner and thought I'd enjoy eating some local fare on real ceramic plates, cups and silverware. Don't get me wrong, plastic and styrofoam have their charms but well, for awhile.

I fully intended to order some eggs (maybe with a little spinach) and whole wheat toast, dry. But then a sign on the way in said Cinnamon Roll French Toast. Uh oh.

The little place was packed so I ate outside at this cute picnic table with a vinyl tablecloth. I love small towns. As is my usual practice, I asked the waitress what her favorite breakfast is. You'll never guess.

And that's all I'm going to say about that. Ahem.

Next stop, this bench I had spotted on my way into town. I brought my Bible and journal, planning a good long sit to slow down and catch up. What better spot to camp out for a few hours? Which is exactly what I did. It was glorious.

When I was finished recording all my words and praying for everyone who came to mind, I thought of my two best girls. They are both starting new adventures this summer as well. As I've mentioned, Ally is at Word of Life Campground taking care of babies. Brittany is officially a youth pastor's wife as of last week. Newness.

I love new. I love fresh starts. I love making some determinations or declarations (not always resolutions) at the beginning of something new and writing them down. I had just done it myself and decided to share it, encouraging the girls to do the same. And now you.

Are you starting something new? Or maybe you're just needing a little kickstart now that we are officially half way through 2015.

I'd like to name this summer a few things:

The Summer of Soul Care*

The First Empty Nest Adventure

Discovering the Beauty of Slow 

Some things I want to do: 

Not demand an explanation for mysteries (of God and of life).

Leave some things behind, stop trying to figure them out.

Cease looking for familiar landmarks.

Let God do something totally new if He chooses.

Quiet the sound of intruding voices where the opinions of others cannot reach me.

Be calm in the sacred stillness of His presence.

Study His Word for guidance.

Focus my attention on Him with true devotion.

Have an eagerness to know only what God would determine for us.

I think it's going to be a great summer. I'll keep you posted.




*I recently read John Ortberg's book Soul Keeping - so good!

Some of the wording in this list is not my own. It's a smattering of what I've read from others recently. Unfortunately I did not keep track of which came from whom. So please forgive my lack of giving credit.