Repost: I Believe in Youth Camp

It's summer time and that means a lot of things to a lot of people, but to me it will always mean Youth Camp time!  I'm combining parts of two posts that I wrote in 2008.  "I Believe in Youth Camp" and "Our Anniversary, kinda, in a way..."

In June of 1974, a little blond haired, blue eyed girl attended Youth Camp at Bethel in the Hills in California. On the first night, June 18th, after hearing camp evangelist Bro. Randy Keyes preach, she received the gift of the Holy Ghost for the first time. I am so thankful for that initial outpouring and so glad that God keeps filling me with His Spirit time and time again.

This was my second year to attend Youth Camp and I became a regular. I never missed a camp (Junior or Senior) and some years went to Junior Camp as a counselor and Senior Camp as a camper. I am always to touched when I see children praying - I know that God is a keeping God, and seeing them get touched at a young age is beautiful to me.

Meanwhile, at a Youth Camp in Tennessee, a brown haired, blue eyed boy received the Holy Ghost on a Thursday night in June 1974...

August 18, 1989 was the final night of Camp Meeting in Santa Maria. I had gone for the week and was planning on staying for Senior Camp which started the next day. This was my final year of eligibility as a camper, having turned 25 the previous April.

After service, my friend Yvonne and I were talking to Ruby Wilson when we spotted "him". His name was Les McElhaney and I had been introduced (briefly) to him at Youth Convention the previous March. At Youth Convention I was already going out with someone else, so I wasn't extremely friendly to Les - much to Yvonne and Ruby's dismay! This time, I was "free" and decided to thank God for second chances! When Les didn't even remember meeting me, I was happy to start over! This night was the beginning of something very special that eventually led to our marriage on May 25, 1991.

We spent all week of Senior Camp getting acquainted and finding out our common likes and dislikes. Because I had been a Senior Camp fixture for so many years, and Les was actually on the staff, the rest of the staff was very kind to let us stay out later than usual getting to know each other. I remember Bro. Harvey Cantrell coming by, shining his giant flashlight on us, smiling and letting us continue sitting there!! And the Hoppers helped me out when a certain pest from Fresno wanted to sit in on all our conversations!

So now you know what happened to those two 10 year olds from those long ago camps in California and Tennessee. I could go on and on about this wonderful man I married, but for now I'll just say "I Believe in Youth Camp!" 

About 30 young people and children from Victory Tabernacle are currently in Ventura for Pacific Coast Camp.  Les and I are on our way to Hawaii tomorrow so we won't get to be there, but I'm praying that God will do great things in the hearts and lives of all in attendance!

Everything Dad

Happy Father's Day to any dads reading!

Everything Dad

A little girl needs her daddy
To love her with manly charm,
To soothe her when she's hurt,
And keep her safe from harm.

A girl needs her dad
To show her a man who's good,
To help her make right choices,
As only a father could.

A woman needs her father
Just to be aware,
He'll always be there for her
To sustain her and to care.

You've been all these things, Dad.
I hope that you can see
How much I treasure you;
You mean everything to me.
- Joanna Fuchs

This poem sums up how I feel about my Dad.  I sure do miss him!

Flag Day

Today is Flag Day in America. Sandwiched between Memorial Day and Independence Day, it commemorates the adoption of the flag of the United States, which happened on June 14, 1777, by resolution of the Second Continental Congress.  The resolution called for the flag to "be thirteen stripes, alternate red and white; that the union be thirteen stars, white in a blue field, representing a new constellation."

I don't know about you, but it still bothers me when our flag is burned, trampled or destroyed in any manner.  I still place my hand over my heart when I say the Pledge of Allegiance.  Songs like America the Beautiful, God Bless America and The Star-Spangled Banner still have meaning to me.  No, she's not perfect, but America is still my home sweet home.

Oh, say! can you see by the dawn's early light
What so proudly we hailed at the twilight's last gleaming;
Whose broad stripes and bright stars, through the perilous fight,
O'er the ramparts we watched were so gallantly streaming?
And the rocket's red glare, the bombs bursting in air,
Gave proof through the night that our flag was still there:
Oh, say! does that star-spangled banner yet wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave?
~ Francis Scott Key

Flip Your Change, Dad

I don't remember exactly how or when it started, but Dad had a little game that he played with Rod and me.  We were young teenagers without jobs or cars.  Dad came home one Friday night with a bunch of change in his pocket.  I asked if I could have it.  Of course Rod wanted it, too.

"Flip your change, Dad."

This became a Friday evening tradition.  Dad in his chair.  Rod and me on the floor at his feet. Heads or tails.  Mine or yours.  Much groaning and gloating ensued depending on which way the coin landed.  But there was also laughter, so much laughter as the three of us watched each penny, nickle, dime and quarter land on the floor.

"Flip your change, Dad."

Dad could have easily said, "Just split the money evenly."  He could have been done with us in seconds and gone back to relaxing in his chair with the paper.  Mom was somewhere nearby, smiling as the three of us spent time doing something so small together.

"Flip your change, Dad."

I'm the only one remaining in our family who was part of that tradition.  I don't know who got the most money each week.  And it really didn't matter.  That was just a small part of what was happening.  We were making memories that lasted.  The bond we shared over a couple dollars in change is one that I think about often. 

"Flip your change, Dad."

I wonder as his work week was winding down, did he start collecting a little extra change so he'd have more to flip?  He never ended the week without change.  It was a fun time for Rod and me, but I think it was just as much fun for Dad.  We were at the age where many kids start pulling away from their parents, but our relationship grew stronger in those moments over a few coins being flipped in the air.

"Flip your change, Dad."

Never think that if you can't offer a grand gesture, you shouldn't do anything at all.  Small things are building blocks in any relationship.

"Flip your change, Dad."

The Gift of Time

It's Father's Day week and of course the Father's Day gift ideas are flowing into my email box.  My Dad was a hard worker but he always found the time for his family.  I wrote about it on his 71st birthday in the early days of this blog...

I can think of so many "Dadisms" - his little sayings and the way he said them - but the thing that comes to mind is his great love for his family. An example is when Rod broke his femur when he was about 11. Because of Rod's hemophilia, the doctors could not operate to put a pin in the bone (they may have not even done that back then), so he spent about 6 weeks in the hospital with his leg in traction until the bone could begin mending (then another 6-8 weeks in a body cast). Dad would come home from work every night, hurriedly shower and eat dinner, then we'd be off to the hospital. EVERY.NIGHT. No matter how hard he worked that day, how tired he was, he wasn't going to let his little boy spend the evening in the hospital by himself.

Dad has rescued each of his kids and granddaughters when we've had car trouble, ran out of gas, or locked our keys in the car. He was a truck driver for many years, so if you need directions to anywhere in California, ask Dad! You will not get lost IF you follow his directions. The day of Kim's wedding, we were all there except the twins. They called Kim, not sure where they were. The phone went to Dad. After a few moments of listening (another thing he does well - he listens), he told them exactly how to get to us.

For my entire childhood, we always had donuts on Saturday morning. It was one of our traditions. Dad would go to Eddy's Pastries in Fresno. Being kids (and picky!) all four of us had our favorites and Dad would make sure we each got our desired donut(s). As kids we were always up before he went to get them, but as teenagers he'd come wake us up to get our order. Our teenage response to "Do you want a donut this morning?" was usually, "No, I want more sleep!" But when we would finally drag ourselves out of bed, our usual orders would be there!

My Dad would have done anything he could for us, but he somehow understood that the gift of time was the greatest gift he could give.

Friday Foodie

It's been a while since I posted a new recipe.  It's also been a while since I tried a new recipe!  Oh, I take that back - I tried a new recipe for our international picnic last month and I never posted it.  I made Kalua Pork that tasted like it had been cooked in a pit all day.  I'll get that up next Friday!

Stephanie at Plain Chicken posts a weekly meal plan each Sunday.  This week's dinner for Wednesday was Toasted Pecan Chicken.  I'm always looking for a new variety on chicken dishes and this one was a winner!  I apologize for not taking a picture, we were too hungry to wait.  Mine looks just like the original posted on Plain Chicken.

• 4 boneless chicken breasts
• 1/4 tsp pepper
  
  
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 3 Tbsp butter
• 1 1/2 cups whipping cream
• 2 Tbsp orange marmalade
• 1 Tbsp Dijon mustard
• 3/4 cup chopped toasted pecans

Pound chicken thin between wax paper. Season with salt and pepper.

In a large skillet, melt butter. Cook chicken over medium-high heat for 3-4 minutes per side. Remove chicken from skillet.

Reduce heat to medium, add whipping cream, marmalade, and mustard, stir well. Add chicken, sprinkle with pecans, and cook 8 minutes or until sauce thickens.

Serve over rice, if desired.

I didn't know if this dish would have a mustardy taste or more of an orange marmalade taste.  It was neither!  I'm not sure how to describe it, but the combination of the two was so good.  I did not have Dijon mustard so I just used plain yellow mustard and it was fine.  We had this with rice and green beans.

Children Learn What They Live

I recently finished a collection of three books by Charles Martin - "When Crickets Cry," "Chasing Fireflies," and "Wrapped in Rain."  I wrote about one of his other books, Long Way Gone, here.  He is quickly becoming a favorite author of mine.  His descriptions of people and places are colorful.  His stories have humor, but there is always an underlying deeper theme in each of them.

"Chasing Fireflies" and "Wrapped in Rain" both contain characters who were abused as children.  Parts of these stories were difficult to read.  The author doesn't sugar coat and while his books contain hope, they are also very thought provoking.

I've spent a lot of time thinking about my own upbringing.  I am so blessed.  Correction I received as a child was appropriate.  We were never abused in our home - physically, verbally, or emotionally.  So much of who I am is because of how I was raised.

I know there are people who come from wonderful homes that leave it all behind for a life of recklessness.  There are also those who overcome against great ideas.  But more often than not, children learn what they live.  Pastor White mentioned this poem not long ago in a message.  I quickly remembered it hanging at Grandma Luella's house when I was a child.

If children live with criticism, they learn to condemn.
If children live with hostility, they learn to fight.
If children live with fear, they learn to be apprehensive.
If children live with pity, they learn to feel sorry for themselves.
If children live with ridicule, they learn to feel shy.
If children live with jealousy, they learn to feel envy.
If children live with shame, they learn to feel guilty.
If children live with encouragement, they learn confidence.
If children live with tolerance, they learn patience.
If children live with praise, they learn appreciation.
If children live with acceptance, they learn to love.
If children live with approval, they learn to like themselves.
If children live with recognition, they learn it is good to have a goal.
If children live with sharing, they learn generosity.
If children live with honesty, they learn truthfulness.
If children live with fairness, they learn justice.
If children live with kindness and consideration, they learn respect.
If children live with security, they learn to have faith in themselves and in those about them.
If children live with friendliness, they learn the world is a nice place in which to live.
By Dorothy Law Nolte, Ph.D. 

What lessons are the children in your life learning today?