The Anticipated Beach Trip

Currently, we are traveling back from North Carolina, having just spent a week at the beach with some of our life group. “Some” being exactly twenty two people under one roof, comprised of nine adults and thirteen children. I guess life group sounds so formal, so corporate. I should say that we spent a week at the beach with friends, friends who happen to share lives together.
Looking back, I have to say that all in all, it was a fantastic week! Three families arrived within minutes of each other (Cymbors, Gess’ and Snellgroves), two others (Simins and Stahls) within the hour. Not bad for a nine hour trip from our home town. The excitement and anticipation of this trip was bearing down on us. So after the initial room selections, house exploring, and unpacking, we all hit the beach.
I can’t say that everyday, every family was on the beach. Some (like myself) spent every chance possible on the sand, in the water, or combing the beach. Others came for a little while, then went exploring and sight-seeing to different places in the area. Some liked to spend more time at the pool. Each family moved to their own rhythms, yet these rhythms came together for some beautiful harmonies. Despite the span of ages in the children (five to seventeen), younger interacted with older, boys interacted with girls. Children grasped the hands of the trusted adult nearby, and the adults included any child in close proximity in their adventures or games.
I was, and still am, amazed, after being under the same roof for seven nights, at how well everyone got along. There were very few disciplinary measures needed, mostly occurring from sibling rivalry. But kids were tired, having been up to 11:00 or later most nights. Adults flowed on different schedules, some being early risers, some being night owls. Many people of the group stayed up late playing games together. Kids (but a few adults as well) played the Wii, incredibly working out a turn-taking schedule on their own. Adults (and a few kids) played card or board games around a table, connecting and building relationships. It all worked.
Some words that come to mind for this past week: respect – an understanding that we are all different in many ways, but can all get along; friendship – a growing bond between people, and not necessarily of the same age or gender; laughter – a feeling of goodness and happiness at sharing stories and life with someone else; prayer – the acknowledgement that our higher being, God, is healer, comforter, and the one who blesses us daily; togetherness – being one group of people, sharing laughter, smiles, tears, hopes, dreams, thoughts – yet not having to be in immediate presence of one another.
We have many shared stories of this week –both good and bad (twenty two people in a house where a toilet goes bad, or being in the North Carolina heat in August with the air conditioner not working). We will laugh over little things for many days, weeks and what I hope to be months and years. We can look at each other and know that what we shared this week will keep in our hearts forever. I was able to share my place of peace and serenity with people I love and have grown to love. I have a greater respect for everyone there, for everyone’s daily lives and trials. I have learned to appreciate the togetherness (literally – twenty two people in one house) of those around me, and the bonds we’ve created through our laughter and prayer. What started out as a trip to the beach ended as a journey through a part of my life. That part may seem small in the overall scheme of things, being only a week, but the impact it’s made will remain with me for my lifetime. Thank you friends.

A New Season

I feel like a new season is upon me. Sure, it’s the last weeks of August. I am returning from our last trip of the summer. The back-to-school ads have been out for weeks. If you are local to State College, you know that the Grange Fair is about to start, signaling the end of carefree summer days.

My season is a little different, not quite tangible, yet monumental in many different ways. You see, I am returning from the beach, where I spent my 40th birthday with 21 other friends. The seashore is a place of total comfort, peace, solace and serenity to me. Even being around 21 others, I had a lot of “alone” time, listening to the waves crashing against the shore, much like I felt the last several days of my 30s were doing.

If my thirties were represented by the last week within them, I certainly am happy to see them go. The beach was the only place to rid myself of the daily stresses. Even with thirteen children ranging in age from seventeen to five, I felt peace there. The families that shared in this trip are close to my heart, both physically and in our shared love of Christ. We dove into each other’s lives, learning more, asking more, appreciating more, sharing, playing, walking, eating, drinking, laughing.

I spent the day before my birthday in a contemplative funk. I walked the beach, (always in search of shark teeth, sea glass or beautiful stones found there), pondering what in the world I had accomplished in my 39 years. What have I taught my children? What have I done to grow closer to Jesus? What have I done to improve my life, my disciplines, my relationships? Am I happy just passing through this life doing what I do on a daily basis?

As the sun set and dark approached, we found out that a meteor shower was expected for this night. The kids all settled into their evening routine of playing games. I went out to the deck and sat myself down to watch for the “show”. Within minutes, two others came out, then more, until we finally had all of the adults outside and a few of the older kids (including one of my own). We watched, in awe, at the light show above us, a gift I felt put on specifically for my birthday. A little egotistical, I know, but God knew my funk, and He also knew this would lift me up. We spent hours on that deck, many staying up past midnight (and past their bedtimes) to share in this with me, to be the firsts to wish me a happy birthday.

Accomplishments??? I didn’t need to question them that night. A family that knows my love of natural beauty – the seashore, the sand, the waves, the meteors, and who lovingly and willingly want to participate with me. Friendships that are invested, going deeper than the surface, people with whom I can laugh, cry, pray, and even walk around with morning hair. An awesome God, who knows exactly what I need and when I need it, and even if I feel undeserving, will still delight in showing His splendor.

Am I happy just passing through this life doing what I do on a daily basis? Yes, I can say that I am. I’ve invested well in forty years, and the gains are huge. By no means am I done. I know there are changes I want to make, improvements that are necessary to further my growth in all aspects of my life. Every season has some decay, which is necessary for new, beautiful growth. Entering this new season, I am looking forward to new buds opening, new life blooming.

The Man Cave

I can only guess that it's every man's dream. After all, commercial after commercial shows the man, gaping and wide-eyed, perhaps drooling slightly, at the big screen, surround-sound set up in the store. He no longer hears what is going on in the outside world. Sometimes he even faints dead away. It's more than he can imagine. Dare I say it ranks right up there with sex?

This past summer we had our basement finished into a game room. We have my grandmother's antique shuffleboard table down there, as well as a ping pong and fuseball table. It's a kid-friendly zone, made to withstand the likes of nerf footballs bouncing off the walls, carpet hockey tournaments, toy playing, or good old fashion wrestling. Two weeks ago, however, that all changed with the installation of the flat screen tv and surround sound speakers. Wrestling must stay within a certain area, and I haven't seen many footballs thrown around down there. The sectional sofa separates the game room from the "TV room". This small sitting/TV area has become...The Man Cave.

More evenings than not, I have felt a rumbling along the floor boards of my first floor. My dog has been barking at unusual noises coming up through the heater vents. My family has been devoured by this white door that is at the end of our hallway, the downward stairwell leading them into another world. I peer into that stairwell which they just traveled, but that world remains dark, with only a faint light snaking it's way to where I stand. I have even called them by name, but I swear I can hear my own voice echoing back. No other sound but the rumble from the speakers is heard. I think they are too far into the cave for me to draw them back. I'll have to wait at the entrance for any signs of life.

With the lack of school this week, and a lighter work schedule, my husband and children have had many late nights in front of the big square frame that hangs on the wall. I have tried to join them on occasion, but not being a huge tv watcher, I find myself watching them and their reactions to the movie when it suddenly sounds like it's all happening right in the same room. I've jumped from my seat just from the sounds emanating from the speakers, not because anything scary was happening on the screen. I did watch an entire movie, minus the part where I fell asleep in the middle. It's easy to fall asleep when the lights are out all the time. I turned the lights on once, not realizing the gravity of my mistake. I merely wanted to see where I was going. I now know why it's called a Man Cave - the lights are never on.

So I took a different approach. I tried to enjoy my new exercise dvd on that set up in the basement. I think it took me just as long to figure out the 4 remote controls and how to get the dvd to show up on the tv screen (after all, I could hear it. I just couldn't see it.), as it did for me to do my workout. I need to keep a sheet of paper down there, just to write down the instructions, the channels on which everything should be, as well as the password for the parent-protected channels. And forget about flipping through the channels. If it's not password-protected, then it's the HD equivalent in some high number that I'll never remember.

Ultimately, I know that the excitement and passion of this new setup with eventually pass. As a family, we just aren't huge tv watchers. This week I've learned that come 8:00, my husband will quietly enter through that white door at the end of the hall, down the stairwell, and make his escape to that darkened, underground world, to a place where loud rumblings and digital media coexist. It's his time to unwind, glaze over, perhaps even drool. As loud as the sound system gets, I know he has tuned out the outside world. If he's not in bed in the middle of the night, I'll know he has fainted dead away. I wonder if one of those remotes can set an alarm?