Today I Want to Cry

Today I want to cry.  Today I want to melt down and bawl.  But not for the reasons you might think.
Today I want to cry out of sheer GRATEFULNESS and thanks to God.

Over the past 3 1/2 weeks I have been the busiest I've ever been in my life in that particular span of time.  And it has been gooooooood.  Seriously, SO. GOOD.  #becauseGod

The week before VBS, we worked, and decorated, and prepared, and prayed, and laughed, and we finished EARLY!  It makes me want to cry.  #becauseGod

The week of VBS was smooth, and beautiful, and fun, and tiring, and challenging, and filling, glorifying, and serving, and joyful, and our generous kids surpassed our goal for our mission project, bringing in over $5100 for approximately 500 Awana clubs to be started in Ethiopia.  500 clubs where kids can come, be safe, be loved, have fun, BE KIDS, and hear that the GOD OF THE UNIVERSE LOVES THEM AND WANTS A RELATIONSHIP WITH THEM.  Wow!  What we do at VBS at Buffalo Covenant goes so far beyond Buffalo.  It makes me want to cry.  #becauseGod

The Middle School Mission Trip was my first dive into Youth Ministry at BCC.  And OH what a blast that dive was!  I cannot say enough good things about the week that I got to spend with 3 other incredible leaders and 16 amazing middle schoolers.  The way that God grew us, challenged us, stretched us, loved us, opened our eyes, answered our prayers, held us in His hands, brought us close, gave us laughter and more laughter and more laughter was intense.  Our middle schoolers learned to seek Him, depend on Him, work together, serve selflessly (even when we don't understand WHY we are doing WHAT we are doing), WORK HARD AND PLAY HARD.  And I got home and I missed my 11, 12, & 13 year old people so much.    It makes me want to cry.  #becauseGod

And finally, the Awana T&T Book Completers Campout- two days to end my 3 filled weeks.  WHAT. A. HOOT!  We had a record number of kids on the Campout with 34, 3rd, 4th, and 5th graders.  We were generously welcomed at the Lingo Ranch as we brought in our 34 kids and multiple leaders (who devoted SO much time to serving and helping with those 2 fun-filled days!).  We ran those kids ragged!  We swam a lot.  We played "Captain's Coming" a lot.  We ate a lot.  We hiked a lot. We played 4 square a lot.  We prayed and did devotions a lot.  We worked together a lot.  We finished our two days with ONLY a pair of socks and a can of sunscreen in the lost & found.  ;-)  And our leaders were unbelievable!  It makes me want to cry.  #becauseGod

And today... Today I rest.  Today I'm still in my jammies at 1:15.  Today I ate Lucky Charms for lunch.  Today I watched tv with my kids.  Today I snuggled them.  Today I stopped and looked at them in the eye and listened intently to what they were saying to me.  Today I'm enjoying the rainy, cloudy day.  Today I'm watching Isaiah, with an old school cell phone, listen to songs like, "Ring of Fire" (singing along to ALL the words! Ha!), "Whomp!  There it is!" (But saying, "Whomp! Mayonnaise!"), the Olympic Theme song, the "Friends" theme song, and "Mr. Jones and Me" while dancing outside in the driveway.  Today I wait for Jeremiah to get home so we can just sit and talk for the evening.  Today I texted our small group to say that "Yes!  We will be at the bonfire on Friday night and I can't wait to be with all my adult people!"  And I sit in awe of how God has BLESSED me through these packed weeks.  How He has given me energy (and LOTS of coffee!) to enjoy this time, not just endure it.  How He has put people around me who are being the hands and feet of Christ to the world.  How He is revealing Himself to me in new ways.  How He has give me so much to be grateful for.  It makes me want to cry.  #becauseGod