All Women

Yesterday as I walked the beach of Siesta Key, I observed the women walking up and down the beach. There were all kinds. College girls with the newest swimsuits and belly rings paced the beach hoping to be spotted by some group of college guys who were Spring Breaking as well. Thirty something Moms who had been those college girls just a few short years ago, were now chasing toddlers down the beach and digging in the sand with plastic buckets. Their discovered college guy was right beside them attempting to impress his toddler with an elaborate sand castle. A group of ladies paraded their class of 1961 shirts as they lined up for pictures on the beach. I could not decide if they were high school or college friends who had continued to spring break well beyond the spring break years. Ladies, who had left their homes in November who were still here until the spring had come to the north, passed by on their daily walks. There were junior high girls trying to hook up with a few junior high guys. One girl was ruling the roost, while another tried to edge in, and the third really didn’t care. On the public beach, there was even more variety. There were ladies with coolers of beer, there were ladies with umbrellas, and ladies with layers of tanning oil. There were a group of four college age girls who were Muslim wearing their black drapes in the hot sun still enjoying the beach. There were ladies who were trying to sneak into a pick up volleyball game and others who observed so called “cool guys” trying to boogie board on the waves. As I walked back to where I was staying, I observed five Mennonite girls in their simple ware coming out of their condominium. They were giggling and trying to decide who was going to take each other’s pictures.

I had to review the walk in my mind. All of these women were so different, yet very much alike. They all were on spring break, holiday, vacation, or winter retreat. They all wanted to be accepted and loved. They all wanted to be noticed in their own way. They were all women. The Mennonite girls were by far the most happy and the college girls were the most hip. But no matter what background, they were all women with the same needs and emotions. It was just a slice of the pie, but it showed me how much we are all the same..

Where Did the Glass Go?

Where did the glass go? Glass Coke bottles, glass medicine bottles, glass milk bottles? (I don’t remember glass milk bottles, but they sure looked cool.) I crave the old Coke, before they made it Coke Classic, in those tall skinny glass bottles. I used to go with my Dad to sell pigs, and we would each get a Coke in one of those bottles out of a special Coke machine at the hog market. That was always the most refreshing. I remember my Mother would always try and remember to take the empty cases of Coke back to Kroger to get the deposit money back before we bought more Coke. They were the best! There is not anyway to get that kind of Coke anymore. My husband recently bought me a case of the little cute bottles. They are charming and as close as you can get to the old recipe, but they still aren’t the same! Where did those bottles go? Once when I was in Mexico, I bought a Coke in a tall bottle. Did they decide that glass was bad for the environment, so they shipped all of the tall glass Coke bottles to Mexico? Why are we now using plastic? The carbonation isn’t the same and the liquid never gets as cold as it used to in glass bottles. They did away with the tall bottles, but at least they still had those shorter chubby glass bottles, that are now substituted with the plastic 500ml bottles. I really don’t like those at all!! I see people in the grocery with those hanging over their shopping cart, and I just want to say, “Please don’t buy those. Join the boycott of Coke in plastic bottles, and maybe they will hear our plea and return to glass!” But I think people are impressed that the plastic ones in the 6 packs, will hang over the sides of their carts, and I think they would probably just turn around and walk away from me or report me. Does anyone feel like I do? We have been cheated!! They have substituted a plastic bottle for the glass! Did they not think that we would notice? At first I thought that it was for the environment, but wouldn’t it be better to reuse a glass bottle over and over rather than make a plastic one and hope that someone would recycle it? (Don’t they know that really only people on the west coast and those in cities with socialized trash pickup recycle?) Most of us are just pitching the plastic bottles and they are accumulating in trash dumps all over the country. How many landfills will it take just to hold all of our unrecycled plastic Coke bottles that once held flat Coke? We could have used the glass bottle over and over again. For goodness sakes, we could have even bought our own glass bottles and just went back to get them refilled! Well, the beverage and glass industry will probably not hear my plea, but at least I have been heard by those who might dare to read my blog, and who might dare to care. Until I find the glass bottles, boycott the plastic ones!

My husband

I love my husband! We have been married almost 10 1/2 years. You would think by now that I would be just ho-hum. And sometimes marriage can be that way. But tonight I was reminded just how much I love him and how very special he is. This is, I guess a bit personal to put on my blog, but I do not mind letting others know how I really feel. My husband is a visionary! I love it! Sometimes I get annoyed at his idealism and just want him to be realistic, but that is usually when I don't think people will understand where he is going with the dreams. His dreaming is a gift. I am just realizing that being a dreamer is not something that everyone can do or be. It is a unique talent. I love it in him! He always sees way beyond what others see and he truly believes that those dreams can be reality! I love that!

I am so thankful that God has blessed me with Darren. I can't wait to see what the next 10 1/2 years look like in our marriage! Darren, thanks for this great Dream!

Childhood Memories

Do you ever have a random childhood memory pop into your head? Well, tonight while I was trying to go to sleep a most hilarious memory came back to me. I couldn't sleep, so I decided to blog my memory.

If I remember right, I was probably in Jr. High when this memory occurred. It was a unique night, for my Mom had gone somewhere and my Dad was home with my sister and I. I grew up on a farm and we were rarely not all together in the evenings. My sister and I got a wonderful idea to make milkshakes. We had a favorite recipe that Mom would make. They really were more like Frostys than milkshakes, but we decided to try it on our own. I can still remember what the recipe book looked like. It was one of those that came with the blender and therefore did not have much color or pictures. ( I don't think they give out recipe books with blenders anymore. Too bad.) We found the recipe book and were ready to blend. How hard could it be? Just add the sweetened condensed milk, the chocolate, and lots of ice. Things were going quite well. We even remembered to put the center of the top back on after putting the ice in. (Even a junior higher knows that the milkshake will spray all over if this part of the lid is not reinserted.)

What happened next will always be in my memory when I make milkshakes and when I use a wooden spoon. Things went really awry! Lots of ice was our problem. The blender started to bog down as they do when the liquid is too thick. My Dad luckily came to our rescue and grabbed a wooden spoon out of the drawer below. He took off that center piece of the lid and stuck the wooden spoon into the operating blender. This was not your $9.99 blender and therefore did not stop at the obstruction, but continued to blend whatever came in its pathway. When we heard the chopping noise, we knew that we were in trouble. I do not remember what happened next or how Dad got the spoon out or the blender off, but he did. I remember him revealing to us the blended wooden spoon. A chunk of the wooden spoon was missing. Dad then decided that all would not be lost and he would remove the wooden pieces from the milkshakes. Now my sister and I were not educated in cooking, but we didn't think this was a good idea. We preferred to just throw out the shakes and snack on something different. Dad insisted that it would be fine and that he would just remove the large piece missing from the milkshake. And he did. All was well, until my sister and I sat down in front of the T.V. to enjoy our wonderful milkshakes, when little shavings of wood began to appear in our mouth after slurping up the milkshake with our straws. Have you ever had wood in your mouth? It is not an experience to be quickly forgotten. Thus, here I am many years later, trying to sleep and remembering the wooden spoon and the milkshakes!

Thanks Dad for the great memory!!

Ebb and Flow

Life seems to ebb and flow. For a season everything is peaceful and there really doesn't seem to be any hurry in anything. The sand is smooth, the sound of the waves is relaxing. Other times life is in complete chaos and I find myself running frantically accomplishing nothing. Right now I am not sure if life is ebbing or flowing, but it is wild. The waves are crashing and it is time to either stand and enjoy the cold crash or run to the shore and hope to escape. Once one has experienced the cold crash, often times they long for it again. Why is that? I love to have control, and right now things are out of control. Too crazy!!! Oh, this is only a season. Maybe soon it will ebb or flow the other way and everything will be peaceful again. Maybe tomorrow?

Too much Napoleon

I love Napoleon Dynamite. I know the movie has been out for some time now, but I never cease to laugh at his candid comments and blunt life. My two boys love Napoleon as well. My oldest son Kevin, could give Napoleon a run for the presidency skit with his dancing techniques. He has the moves! My youngest son Tucker, who is only 2 1/2, loves Napoleon as well, only he has a bit of trouble saying Napoleon Dynamite. It sounds similar just a little mumbled. I didn't realize how much Tucker had watched the movie until today. I was working on the computer at home intent upon my emails, when Tucker with his curly sandy hair came up to me with his hand in his pocket ( he loves when his pants have REAL pockets) and said, "Do you want some of my tots?" I nearly fell off my chair. We had not watched the movie for days and we had not made any reference to Napoleon that morning. He must have thought, "Oh, I have a pocket, Napoleon has a pocket and he keeps his tots in his pocket. I could pretend I have tots in my pocket." I love it!!! He is so fun! Yes, Tucker and Napoleon!

I feel so good.

Tonight I feel like life just seems to envelope me like a warm blanket. There is peace in my life. The day has been chaotic and frustrating, but tonight the sky cleared, and there is peace again. My husband is wonderful, my kids are so full of life, my home is under control, and work is fun. I can't always say that everything is great, but tonight, it is! Thank you God that there are times in life when we can smile and see a glimpse of your peace. Life should be a lot lighter than I make it. Thank you for this chance to smile and see life as wonderful!

Lasso the moon

Tonight as we sat on our back porch, my little two year old son Tucker came running out, "Mommy, the moon!" "Yes, Tucker, it's pretty isn't it," I replied. This is a nightly observation that he makes. As he stood excited and amazed at the sight of the moon, I continued checking my email not thinking that anything was different tonight than any other night. His next reply made me stop typing and marvel at his amazing mind.
"I get my tractor out of the barn and get the moon down." In his tiny little mind he was sure that he could get the moon down. He continued to pull on Darren's arm and request, "I get my moon down." I am not sure how the tractor was going to help in the process, but it was really not an impossibility to him.
I pray his dreams always stay that big and that he really believes them.

11 months

It has been 11 months since Darren and I began the journey of Exit 59. Exit 59 is the name of the church plant that we are doing. Yes, it is not the typical name for a church, but it fits. We are at Exit 59 off of I-69 in Indiana. A bit obvious.

Church has become fun for me again. My life has changed. I used to hate church. It didn't seem to resemble the church that I read about in Acts when people were on fire for God and really loved each other. It seemed more like a social center where people were seen and were busy. Now church is real to me again.

Today was our first Sunday to have two services. It was incredible! Why does two services matter? It was just a milestone. Not that numbers really matter, but the energy there was so exciting. People were passionate and excited about the new year and what was going on.

I will remember today. It was very special. I love church again. I love doing ministry when it isn't about performance and when it isn't about me. It is all about what God is doing. This sounds clicheish, but it is true. I have really had a change of heart and am loving it! Oh, and by the way, we are teaching through the book of Acts this fall!

Help my Friend!

Freedom. What does that mean? Trapped in misery. I know that there are straps connected to me that I cannot untie. I get a tiny glimpse of where I could be without these straps, yet the vision is like a mirage and quickly fades. Some are trying to untie the straps, while others are retying them as quickly as they come off. Away! I just want to be away. Where do I go to find freedom? Where do I run to be alone?

Safety. What does that mean? I have played the games and the parts of what others wanted me to play. I have been their puppets. Now it is my turn to run and be me. Who is me? This person hidden deep inside. At times I hear her crying out. She only speaks for a moment. Then she is quickly silenced by the other players. Where is it safe for her to come out?

Tomorrow. What does that mean? It has been my answer for many days. Tomorrow it will be better. Tomorrow I will stand up. Tomorrow I will escape. But tomorrow has not come. When the sun comes up, the day begins and I am once again in today. Tomorrow will have to be tomorrow.

Life. What does that mean? Is this what life is? Is life just surviving and pretending? I see others who know what life is. Why can't I get to where they are? Won't somone untie these straps? Please let me run! I need Freedom! I need Safety! I need Tomorrow! I want Life!

I forget!!!!!!

Notice my blog's web address. nancycampbell2! This is because I can't remember my password to my other Blog! How could I be so dumb? Oh, well. Goodbye nancycampbell.blogspot.com.

My friend

My friend Christin, is so great! She always makes me laugh! Even though over 3000 miles seperate us, will still keep in contact. Christin describes a situation like no one else . Like today, in reference to her husband's former boss, she used the word "troll". Who uses the word "troll"?
After seeing Napoleon Dynamite, she referred to getting her husband "some skills". If you knew her husband, you would know that he is not what comes to mind when picturing someone who needs "skills". I still laugh and laugh every time I think about that.
There are people in life who think like you do, and laugh at the same things that you do. They are sometimes few and far between, but when you find them, they are friends always.

San Francisco

This is my second attempt at writing about San Francisco. I was already to publish it, and then my explorer closed on me and it wasn't saved. My precious memories and writings gone forever. They are off in cyberworld..... Oh, well. I will rewrite and go on!
Since I last wrote, I have been to the coast! Oh how refreshing! Darren and I visited San Francisco last week for our 9 year anniversary! Wow, 9 years. I feel old! This was our 2nd visit to San Fran. I love it! I am not sure why the city clicks so well with me. It is ultra liberal...I am not. It is artsy...I can't draw a stick man. It is very hip...I am not sure I fit in that category. It brings out a part in me that I did not know existed. It makes me want to move to the city and live in a townhouse on Nob Hill. It makes me want to be metropolitan. It makes me enjoy eating in Chinatown and eating something that I saw hanging from the ceiling that afternoon!
It causes me to try new things! The adventurer in me comes out!
My little town in the middle of the cornfields seems quite boring and same old same old when I return from San Francisco. I guess maybe after I had lived on Nob Hill, it would be the same. I find it hard to convice myself that it would become boring. Oh, the midwest is good for clearing your palette. It cleanses the soul so that when you do travel you are ready to taste new and exciting things.
Traveling always reminds me that life is huge! Day in and day out in my normal routine and can make me think only of myslef and my needs, but when I travel, I realize that life goes on everyday for everyone no matter where they are and everyone's lives are very different yet so much the same! Well, maybe that is too deep for tonight.
Until next time....
-dreaming about San Francisco