What I (Re)Learnt this summer

I can't believe it was the last day of summer camp...already. It has felt long, but short, at the same time. It was fun, but tiring; easy, but hard.

We went out in true style with a pancake breakfast with toppings that only a kid could come up with. Everything from apples, strawberries, whipped topping, cookies, jujubes, (yep, you read that right), gummy bears, chocolate chips...and syrup on top of all of that. (Really, I'm just sending them home on a complete sugar high to thank the parents for all the energy I got this summer.)

But I am thankful for a number of things that I (re)-learned this summer: (in no order, and with expansion to come in further posts)

1) Life is fun, especially when you expect it to be fun.
2) Celebrate the small stuff. It's important. And many small things make big things
3) The Gospel should NEVER get lost in our attempts to theologize...the pain of the cross can speak for itself, without us having to create four syllable words to describe it. The excitement of the resurrection shouldn't be forgotten. It was (is) the game changer
4) Never underestimate the importance of having your own time with God before you spend time with others.
5) Singing never goes out of style
6) Neither does a good game of Capture of the Flag
7) It's important that we learn to listen to each other and that everyone gets a chance to be heard.
8) Prayer. I had the goal of teaching the kids to pray out loud by the end of the summer. (Some did not even know what prayer was.) I saw this goal come to pass, thanks be to God.
9) The phrase "I love you" is not said often enough.
10) Don't forget to say "thanks" to those who impact you. It goes a long way to encouraging them to keep doing what they are doing.

\manda

The other half

So I have begun the second half of my  job - which is running a kids club from 10am-12noon. Yep, its not long, but boy do those kids have a lot of energy! Already, I find the honesty of my kids refreshing and here are a few things I have learned from them (and people think I'm teaching them....haha)

- they are refreshingly ready to love you. I forgot how easy it can be to just look for reasons to like someone. I hope I can keep learning
- there is no guile - what you see is what you get and what you hear from them is what is. Yes, there may be the exception, but kids just say and do what they want. There is no masking of behaviour. What a person sees or hears from them...is.
- small things are fun. I believe this, but its easy to forget
- small things should be celebrated. Affirm what is good.
- they are expecting things to be fun, and with that expectation they make things fun

When did I lose this?

My summer job....which also just so happens to be at the beach

Yep, I was really blessed this summer. Believe it or not I got employment, which just happens to mean I have to live on the beach, but the best part is I GET TO PUT TO PRACTICAL USE MY M.DIV!

This means:

-  I learned how to preach, and now I have an opportunity to practice it. For six Sundays. (And before you get any ideas of this being a huge church, let me say I think I maxed out last Sunday at 15+ people, and will likely have less than 10 this week.) But I like that, because it allows me to start small.
- I get to put together an entire order of worship - from the call to worship, right until the benediction. This puts to use a bunch of skills I have learned in the classroom and outside, from leading worship, song selection, text selection, prayer, etc.
- I get to interact and visit with people here in the community. I LOVE this. Just getting to know people in a relaxing environment, because people come here on vacation.
- For July and August my priority is to plan and run a kid's club. Spent three years studying theology? Now's a good time to be reminded that the Gospel is very simple; we make it complex.
- Get to interact with guest speakers from different denominational background. Its a little of Tyndale, minus the study part;)

Oh, and I get a bit of R & R. I mean, I am after all, at the beach

\manda