Sometimes I Write

I loved Zenith this year as much as the previous years, and for the same reasons. There were several things that happened this year to make it unique. In no particular order:

1. Saying goodbye to friends you know you aren’t going to see for a long time-if ever again, is REALLY hard. Two of our Y.M. friends are moving away and getting out of fulltime youth ministry. I know they’ll both do well in whatever they end up doing. They’re both incredibly gifted and Godly men. Adam and Eli – we love you guys!

2. As far as I know, nobody mistook Sarah Paulk for a camper this year! 😉

3. I was perpetually answering the “Where’s Benny and why isn’t he here?” question. He was missed by campers and staff alike! I got more hugs from kids asking me to pass them on to Benny! He’s definitely the kind of guy that leaves an impression!

4. I got to meet the one and only Jetty Betty!!! She is wonderful and I am so blessed to call her friend. My friend Kevin puts it as “friends with 1’s and 0’s” and “friends with skin”. Now she’s both to me! She traveled to OKC to see her mom and we got to spend a few hours chatting and attending Brock’s class on blogging for God. It’s amazing to me how God can bring two very different people together and bond us in a friendship, using us to mutually encourage each other as we journey towards Him. I am overwhelmingly blessed in the friendship department!!

5. Angi took care of my spirit in a million different ways during camp and the time she was at my house. She also took care of Max so I could do my job.

6. I made a few new youth minister friends – Welcome to Trevor and Brittany, Chad, and Nick Miller – who was recently hired as the new youth minister at Westlink – the last church we worked with.

7. Darrel Sears, one of the funniest guys I know, wasn’t able to attend due to severe illness. Please pray for him and his wife and that his doctors will be able to determine what is causing all the health issues Darrel is having. Complete healing would be great!

8. There were no major medical emergencies this year for campers OR STAFF! Thank you God!

9. I got to hear and meet a great band, Poor Rich Folk. They are extremely talented and really great guys. I got the chance to chat with them for a bit before and after their concert. They are friends with my friend Chris. If you ever get the chance to see them in concert, do it. Better yet, if you ever need a band to play for anything you have going on…book them!

10. Two words…Daren Streblow. I laughed so hard my video camera was shaking and I had to stop recording. He’s a comedian-extraordinaire! You’ve got to hear this guy. I think we’re already trying to book him again for next year. Check him out at his website, read his blog, or even subscribe to his e-newsletter. Buy his stuff. He’ll keep you laughing…I promise!

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Summertime…aaaahhhh what a whirlwind it has been so far. I’ve been wanting to catch you all up on the happenings of my life for a few weeks, but Angi has been here and I didn’t want to leave her hanging so I could blog. I also felt I needed to finish up the sex discussion. So, let’s catch up, shall we?

I spent June 9-11 in York, Nebraska at my college Choir Alumni Reunion. I know, sounds boring to those of you not involved. Bear with me people. Over 100 people were in attendance with ages spanning five decades. We spent a night and full day rehearsing and then recorded one of the best CD’s of acappella hymns you’ll ever hear. It was fun. But the best part was that all of my closest college friends were there with me. ( Benny being the exception ofcourse – someone had to be home with the kiddos…Thank you honey! )

This is me, Michelle and Tawnya. The three amigas. They are my oldest and dearest friends. This is the year that marks us knowing each other literally half of our lives. Oh the joys and sorrows we share! It was the first time we’ve all three been together since we graduated from York in 1992! Michelle was my roommate and Tawnya is my DOE sister and the only constant friend I’ve had since college. We’re all three completely different yet fit together so well. There’s nothing like kindred spirit friends! And they aren’t always girls…Meet Kevin…

Can you believe I failed to get a good picture of him with his wife and new baby boy, Elijah? I know, I know, shame on me! I loved this picture though. I’ve blogged a bit about Kevin before, but just in case you didn’t know, Kevin was my best guy friend at York. He gave me away at my wedding – BIG honor ;)! I finally met his wife Glenda and she is so sweet. I held Elijah and prayed a blessing over him and his parents. They live less than an hour away from me, so I’m looking forward to our families spending time together in the future.

My friend Rebecca and I drove together to York and back and had a blast singing and stopping at the tourist stops between York and Denver. O.k., so there was only one (Kearney, NE). We toured the Great Platte River Valley something or other. It was a museum that stretched over the interstate…we were compelled to stop. Rebecca is a lot of fun and so easy to talk to. She’s a good traveling buddy!

At the reunion we saw quite a few old friends: Priscilla Russell, Chip Bloecher, Mike Taylor, Kristi Brant, Nicole Beck, Mike Glassmeyer, Steve Smith, Rachel Hanson and her husband Wes and their boys, Chris and Annahleise Luther and their kids, Laura Coppinger, and the list goes on. I even had the opportunity to chat with Mike and Debby Tinius who I spent the following week with at Zenith…that’s the next post. There were a few women there that I had sort of idolized when I was in high school and visited the college. It was strange but cool to sing with them on this project. It was such a great weekend!

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O.K. folks. Here it is. I have a million other things I want to blog about and I don’t want to turn this into “the sex blog”. Although I admit I am tempted to start a whole new blog about the subject. Christians aren’t talking about it enough and we’re all wondering how to talk about it without being “dirty”. I have tons more to say on the subject and can’t seem to get away from it since I’m surrounded with people with questions and they’re too shy or afraid of what people might think if they check out a library book or buy books on the subject. I’ll have to think about that some more…I have a hard time keeping up with the two blogs I already have! (Or so the people emailing me are saying) 😉

Sex is such a complicated and broad topic. There is so much to discuss. I’ve been discouraged that it doesn’t seem to be discussed in Christian circles much, leaving people to find information on their own – sometimes in less than honorable ways. We can learn from each other! There are great resources out there and then there are those that are a waste of time and money. Why aren’t we sharing this info. with each other and helping each other in our marriages by talking about sex that is God honoring and God-given? Life does not revolve around sex, but God did create us to bring sexual pleasure to each other in marriage. To ignore that fact is to miss out on one of the greatest gifts He has given us. I’ve been exchanging emails with someone who has asked me some tough questions and made me look deeply for the answers. You may or may not agree with my answers, but have you been honest with yourself and atleast asked the tough questions?

I’ve been promising a resource list related to the topics already discussed here. This is not an exhaustive list on all the greatest books and websites out there, and I have not personally read them all. A few friends have sent me suggestions on what to include and I trust their judgment. Any feedback to this would be great!

On the topic of Purity:

Gift-Wrapped By God By Linda Dillow & Lorraine Pintus
And the Bride Wore White:7 Secrets to Sexual Purity By Dannah Gresh
Kissed the Girls and Made Them Cry By Lisa Bevere
Passion & Purity by Elizabeth Eliot
Not Even a Hint: Guarding your Heart Against Lust By Joshua Harris
*Every Man’s Battle By Stephen Arterburn and Fred Stoeker
(also available for teens – Every Young Man’s Battle and for single adults- Every Single Man’s Battle)
*Every Woman’s Battle By Shannon Etheridge
(also available for teens and singles – see titles for men – you get the idea)

* I was so impressed with the honesty and integrity with which these books were written that I would recommend anything in the “Every Man/Every Woman” series. Check them out! Please! Some additional titles are: Every Man’s Marriage, Every Heart Restored, Every Soldier’s Battle, Being God’s Man In…series) I believe there are accompanying workbooks for them all. Check them out at www.newlife.com.

On Being Pro-active in Raising Healthy/Sexually Healthy kids:

Reviving Ophelia – Saving the Selves of Adolescent Girls By Mary Pipher, PH.D.
Bringing Up Boys by James Dobson

There are way too many parenting books and magazines to mention here, but I do like Christian Parenting Magazine and the stuff that Heritage Builders puts out. I also like the MOMsense stuff by the MOPS group. I have a few minor issues with Focus on the Family, but I love their “Focus On Your Child” stuff. I get minizines in the mail every month. “Early Stages” – Ages 0-3, and “Discovery Years” Ages 4-7.

On Porn:

For the millionth time – check out XXXchurch! They have a ton of resources linked to their site. It’s REALLY good stuff! I recommend their FREE accountability software. My husband and I use this. This blog has raised flags the past month! 😉

Another friend mentioned “Covenant Eyes” another great accountability software…but it’s not free.

A friend of a friend spent a week or two in June blogging about his own struggle through porn. Read his posts at www.tacodave.blogspot.com You’ll have to click on his June Archives. If you thought I was honest and straight forward, wait until you read Dustin’s suff. Mad props to you Dustin!

On Sex in Marriage:

The Every Man/Woman series mentioned above is worth mentioning again!
Intimate Issues : 21 Questions Christian Women Ask About Sex By Linda Dillow & Lorraine Pintus
(This is one dynamic duo! What a great and enlightening read!!)
Intimate Allies By Allender and Longman
Mars and Venus in the Bedroom By John Gray
Intended for Pleasure By Wheat & Wheat
Marriage Partnership Magazine

My current favorite resources for women dealing with Sexual Healing:

Captivating By John & Staci Eldredge
(I’m reading this with friends right now for the 2nd time. This book is not written for finding sexual healing as much as it is healing of the heart in general. I recommend it to men as well – along with Wild At Heart by the same authors, who are also friends of a friend.)

Redeeming Love By Francine Rivers (This is fiction, but completely wonderful!!)

There you have it. I’m spent and moving on to some surface topics for awhile, like catching you up on what else is going on in my life besides sex talk. But, I have a feeling this topic will resurface again soon.

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Take a few minutes to go over to the Dry Bones Blog and read my friend Matt’s story titled, “Guess Who’s Pregnant?” It will give you a glimpse into one aspect of streetlife and the consequences/blessings that come with sex.

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My blogroll that is. Weird!

Just a note to say I’m the newest member of our worship team! Yeah! I’m so excited and I really enjoyed practicing last night. My first Sunday singing will be the day after I get back from Camp Zenith. I can’t wait!

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