The One with Zumba and Pizza {Not Together}

I am looking forward to...

my first Zumba class in the morning. I am so going to embarrass myself. 

attending said Zumba with one of my amazing teen girls. Is it bad to hope she's as uncoordinated as I am? :) 

having my mom visit for a few days. She's so easy to have around, low maintenance, no pressure. 

our annual Valentine's Day date--finding the greatest pizza place around. (Anybody have any suggestions for the Rochester or Buffalo, NY area?)

sharing my freshly decorated sugar cookies at a baby shower on Sunday. 

watching how God goes before us and our friends, preparing the paths. 

The One with My "Type A" Rationale

Currently our daily chronological Bible reading has Kevin and I reading through Exodus. The crazy thing is, I have no idea how many times I have previously studied through these passages, but reading straight through them in order brings so many details to light. Almost daily, Kevin hears me exclaim my startling realization. 

Today's proclamation was, "Oh my gosh, it was AARON who had the Israelites build the golden calf?! SERIOUSLY? And then he was crazy enough to say: So I told them, ‘Whoever has any gold jewelry, take it off.’ Then they gave me the gold, and I threw it into the fire, and out came this calf! Really, Aaron?" 

But that is neither here nor there. This post is about the justification for my Type A personality.

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These past  few days, our Bible reading schedule* has led us through the detailed explanations of Exodus chapters 25-32. The LORD God gave Moses explicit instructions on how to construct the Ark of the Covenant, the Tabernacle, the Altar, the Priestly Garments, and more. Most people would probably skim these sections as if they were reading those wordy genealogies sprinkled throughout Scripture. You know, it's just one of those things you all but ignore unless you're a scholar and need to study the passage for a certain reason. 

It may have something to do with my personality, or my desire to thoroughly comprehend each Scripture passage I read this year, but these chapters really struck me. Suddenly, like never before, I was in awe of MY God's attention to detail. He cared about every single aspect of each building project. God gave Moses instructions--that were more like commands--with precise dimensions, exact materials, and intricate ornamentation.  

The Lord wanted things "just-so" in order to ensure the holy set-apart-ness of each object. These weren't going to be run of the mill tents and boxes and garb. No, these were the representation of YHWH (YAHWEH--the very Spirit and Breath of God). They deserved special treatment, perfect details, elaborate jewels, awe-inspiring designs, and specific materials that were worthy of His presence. 

And you wouldn't believe how exciting, how comforting it was to realize that my Type A personality--the part of me that needs order, values the aesthetic, desires details--was a shadow of my Creator. The same quirks I so often get teased for, are the ways that I am uniquely created in HIS IMAGE. How cool is that?! 

So the next time you make fun of someone for being "uptight" about details or you feel like you're the crazy one for needing order in your life, recognize the reality--that is one aspect of our Lord God's essence. 

*Chronological Bible-in-a-Year Reading Schedule

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Top Ten of the Best Photos from {Snow Camp}

This past weekend, Kevin and I (along with 3 other adult leaders) took 18 high school students to Snow Camp. This particular camp is set up in the Old Western style and has been operating for 40 years. They run 10 or 12 weekend Snow Camps each winter and host 200 students at each camp. Many groups have been attending for years and years. 

It's always interesting to attend a new camp for the first time. I have been to many a Christian Camp--between my years of work at our camp (Somerset Beach) and my summer with Wellspring (traveling worship team to different camp each week.) It's important to have an open mind--about the cabins, the leadership, the organization, the chapel services, the meal time, the extra-curriculars--or you will likely have a very bad attitude. And bad attitudes just ruin everything. 

Our time with our teens was a big success. Kevin and I both committed to spending our weekend as youth workers instead of husband-and-wife. We sat with each other at meals and such, but we made an effort to spend most of our free time with our respective guys or girls. I hung out with the girls as they sat and talked in their bunks or watched the activities from the sidelines. Kevin played hours of Euchre with the guys in their cabins and kept up with the young-ens during their basketball games.  

I listened to my own advice--my note to self. I loved those students. I spent time with them. I was real with them {adorkable side and all}. I laughed with them. I even cried with them. Oh yeah, and I indulged in the calorie-dense foods without feeling {too} guilty. 

I took literally HUNDREDS of pictures all weekend and I have narrowed them down for your viewing pleasure. Here are the...

Top Ten of the Best Photos from {Snow Camp}

one. me and the girls at the Wild West Adventure Town 

(waiting for the late-night games to begin. 10pm to midnight with a 1:30am lights out is just crazy in my opinion. but I survived.) 

two. human hamster ball relays. 

three. human bowling. 

(that's not dangerous at all...)

four. group building activities--the ping pong ball pass
(followed by the "NOOOOOO!!!" exclamations from John & Maria)

five. another group building activity--
the girls are focused on keep their feet touching as they move from one end of the room to the other.

six. the other half of our group during the foot-touching activity. those boys are focused.

seven. group shot (with the random Santa Claus Helicopter and support beam in the middle of us.)

eight. Trike Terror Relays.
(exactly what it sounds like--plus the driver was blind-folded. really?!)

nine. the Jump Shot. classic.

ten. my girls and me (minus Carly!)

It's not been easy to move on from one group of teens to a new one, but God is blessing us with opportunities like this one to invest in their lives and show them our true commitment. Walls are beginning to shatter, relationships are forming. May His Name be Glorified. 

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linked with Top Ten Tuesday.

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The One with the Note to Self {Teen Weekend}

The Five Minute Friday Prompt was REAL. So I wrote a letter to myself. My Saturday-self. 

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Dear Melanie, 

Today you are spending your time with 18 high schoolers. You have the opportunity to get to know them--really know them. This is the quality time you've been looking forward to, hoping for. When time doesn't matter as much, there aren't deadlines or personal agendas. Just you and them, being together. 

Savor this weekend. Be thankful for the privilege God has given you to invest in these precious lives. Recognize the high calling you have been given and the responsibility you've been handed, and embrace it--run with it. 

Love them with all you have (and all He has given you.) Even when you're tired. Even if you'd rather be cranky. Even if you get a headache from the lack of sleep. 

Don't worry too much about not eating very healthy this weekend. Enjoy that camp food. You know you want to. 

Look for openings, opportunities to be with them. 

Be real with them. And they will want to be real with you. 

Sincerely, 

Yourself

The One with a Blog {That Matters}

I wanted to share a particularly awesome blog with you all. This one has a purpose, a heavenly one. These girls have been through the trenches of depression and have been given a passion by God to offer comfort to others. They are living out 2 Corinthians 1:3-5.

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God. For just as we share abundantly in the sufferings of Christ, so also our comfort abounds through Christ. 

I just so happen to be personally invested in their lives and I am so proud of the mission they have set out upon. Brooke & Alisha, two high school girls from our former youth group, are the authors of the blog You Matter Too {Real Problems. Real Solutions. Where Depression Meets Recovery.} Their hearts were changed when they watched the movie To Save a Life and then experienced the devastation of teenage suicide in their local schools. They wanted to DO something, to be a sounding board for those who feel completely alone, to be encouragement to anyone struggling to find purpose in this life. 

Keep it up, girls. 

And to all of my readers--You may or may not realize how many people in your lives are dealing with depression. It's a real struggle. One that can pull you further and further away from the Truth, the Light of Jesus. Please share this blog with your friends, your teenage daughters and sons. Make sure they know they matter. 

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The One with My Focus {and too much of a good thing}

Lately, I've been...

...eating far too many Crunchy Peppermint Chocolate Chip Cookies. 

...loving every minute of teaching piano lessons. 

...trying to ignore the little piles of this and that stacking up all over the house. 

...contenting myself in the stage of life I'm in. 

...becoming quickly addicted to Grey's Anatomy. Thank you, Netflix. I watched my first episode ever (Season 1, Episode 1) and I was hooked. Even the theme song/intro video is just intriguing to me. I mean how brilliant is the red high heals--turns to scrub shoes--turns to surgical instruments--turns to eyelash curler...

...thoroughly enjoying my new practice of logging my running training, and surprisingly excited about the new-to-me concept of intervals. 

...so happy to have Kevin coming with me on the mornings I go to the track. Even doing our separate things and being in the same place makes me smile. 

...honored to be trusted to be more than one student's emergency contact list at school. 

...looking forward to getting to know the teens in a deeper way during our weekend at Snow Camp. 

...hoping for the energy I'll need to be useful, fun, and encouraging during our weekend at Snow Camp.