In Search of Peace

For the past week I have been working on a blog post that I had hoped would summarize my past session with the girls. I have been stuck. I have been stuck, and I am sick and tired of being stuck. In all honesty, I struggled a lot this session. I struggled with feeling inadequate, I struggled with feeling judgemental, I struggled with exhaustion. I struggled. And you know what the worst part of it all was? I let these feelings have control over me. Something inside of me forced me to stay in these feelings and I thought I could function with these mindsets. Nothing could make me feel better. Not the numerous conversations/venting moments with my coworkers. Not screaming to myself in the cabin. Not complaining to friends near and far. Nothing helped and I struggled. I just got off the phone with a wonderful friend (Carrie) that always helps me keep life in perspective, and she prayed with me- right there on the phone while I sat in this little coffee shop- she prayed . I was about to cry. I have spent the past couple months in this session with little stress balls building inside me, and most of the time I did not turn to God and I didn't even turn to those people that I knew could help the most. As Carrie and I were talking I slowly felt my burdens lifting. I feel refreshed. I don't feel completely better yet, but I feel on a path toward peace in my job, relationships, and future. (Okay, my future is still a bit sketchy). Anyway, as you have read I have had some great moments this session, but underlying it all were these personal struggles. Continue to pray for me as I continue to pray for and think about you all.

Peace and remember that our kids are the future. Love them and give them the things they need to be self-confident, self-sufficient people ready to help society.

Snow!

 

"Welcome to Arkansas in January"

said the snow as it fell for a good day and a half. How beautiful it was as Pfeifer Camp's ground became white. Knowing that it was coming, Sanford had told the families not to come on Sunday evening. Little did we know though is that we would be stuck at camp for the next week without our children! One might think this is a relaxing and awesome thing (and it mostly was), but at the same time we were all stuck together. Can you say Cabin Fever!? Okay, enough with the drama. We did have our fun times. We made a huge snowman to enter into a local news channel and we got to sled. We also had a couple game nights playing Apples to Apples, Cranium, and numerous card games. Good times. It wasn't all fun and games though, we also went out and chopped wood, wrote our "Noteworthies" for our children, and did some training to keep us focused on the kids coming back for their last week.

We really had a great time and got some good bonding time :) As of now it looks like there could be snow again tomorrow evening, but we are all keeping our fingers crossed that it doesn't because we don't want to get stuck with the kids here! hehehe.

Blessings!

Success Story: Session II

“I have no friends at school and no one likes me.” Do you remember that was one of the first things you told me? I thought you seemed like such a sweet and funny girl, that it didn’t even make sense that you couldn’t make friends. As I watched you interact with others in the group, though, I soon realized that you had been hurt. You had been hurt and betrayed by those around you in your past, and now you had the hardest time forging authentic relationships. All I could think to myself while watching you with the other girls was that I had been there before. I told you this. Do you remember? I’m pretty sure you responded with a smirk like I never could have been in the same position you were. But I was in your position when I was your age; so from there on you and I worked on the best way to make and keep friends. We worked on asking others about themselves, you helped others in the cabin, and you sure did do your best to cut back on the sarcasm. The night I knew that it all paid off was when you gave everyone nicknames during Highs & Lows. I could distinctly look back on the first couple days when you isolated yourself from the group because of your sarcastic comments and silly antics, and see the new girl you had become as you acknowledged each of the girls in the cabin with respect. I think you and I both know that we will never be perfect, but the authentic relationships you have developed here at camp have given you great tools to take with you. Keep up the hard work, and know that I love you for who you are.