Clinging to a Common Ground

What a divisive world we live in. Is it getting worse? Or has it always been this way and I just notice it more now?? We fight about everything – and now we have computers to hide behind. We get into soul-sucking arguments with people we will never meet face to face!

A taste of camp

My daughter and I spent 24 hours at Taste of Camp early last week. Our camp offers week-long sessions throughout the summer for kids who have completed 1st grade through high school. My son and our niece will get to spend a week there in about a month. My daughter is just out of kindergarten – so she is able to spend one day there with a parent. The kids and parents learn about and experience camp with the hope, of course, that the kids will be so excited they will come back in a year and spend the whole week!

Our human time line

There have been a few events lately which have forced me to think about life and the passage of time.

As this writing posts, I will be arriving at a 24-hour “Taste of Camp” with my six-year-old daughter. This is the camp where I learned that it is okay to share my thoughts about faith with a group of strangers. This is where I spent my summers during college, where I met my husband, where I met some of my closest friends. This camp had a huge impact on my life, and continues to be a special place of ministry for my family – and now my youngest child is old enough to actually attend!

Seeking Our Place

My little family just ended a week together, complete with air travel, lines at local attractions, and hotel room stays. Everything went perfectly – I wouldn’t change a thing! But when you spend this much time with your kids, bickering is inevitable! They had silly arguments about who gets to hold the suitcase, who gets to push the elevator button, who gets the window seat on the plane. I watch this with frustration – I’m sure all parents can relate! But I also watch these petty interactions with confusion. Why argue about such ridiculous little things with this person who loves you, who has your back, who is a core part of your closest community? Is it SO important to push an elevator button that you must sacrifice a peaceful family relationship! Why make it so difficult?!