my current faves: things worth watching

quick watches...

 A Pep Talk from Kid President:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l-gQLqv9f4o
If you only watch 1 You Tube video this year, it should be this...

Kid President Awesome Year Challenge: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GQOcEDD5hR8
I'm totally going to start mailing people corndogs


Les Miserables: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wwgQjfg0hZw
Watch this and then go see the movie!

New Malibu Summer Promo Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WdUjWiXV8r8&feature=youtu.be


longer commitment watches...

Downton Abbey  (it is so good for so many reasons)

BBC's Sherlock Holmes (it's absolutely brilliant!)

Argo  (coarse language, but a very, very good film)

Les Miserables  (go ahead and try not to cry)

The Hobbit  (it's a classic and I think Peter Jackson did a fantastic job)

where did 2012 go?

If you are familiar with Young Life camp life at all, you know that it is fast paced and crazy.  So May 2012 rolled around and the next thing I realize is that 2013 is here already.  It's been an eventful last few months full of exciting, difficult and lovely things.  Here are a few...

May, June, July & August | the camp season was in full effect.  Thousands of guests floated up and down the inlet, events were held, music blared, bellies laughed and people were loved.  Among many other things, my favorite part of the summer season is my Guest Services Intern Team.  They are critical to camp operations and make my life and job so much better.  On day 3 of the summer camp week, my interns come to my house for breakfast and bible study very early in the morning before we start the work day.  One particular day 3 morning, we ate, studied and prayed for the day and then in the 15 minutes before work started, they dragged out nap mats and slept on my floor.  It warmed my heart to find them like this, resting with full tummies and full hearts.

Late August & September | If you run in YL circles or know anyone connected to Malibu, you might have heard about one of our staff members suffering a massive aneurysm  in camp.  It was at the same time the most terrifying and unifying experience I've ever had.  Terri made a miraculous recovery over the days and weeks after August 27th.  The tears that were shed, the prayers prayed and the bonds that formed during those trying few weeks changed us all.

October & November | In October I turned 30.  In November our family took a trip to San Diego and monumentally took my niece and nephew on their first trip to Disneyland.  It was so much fun to walk through a Disney park looking through the lens of a child.

Then on Thanksgiving day, while helping my mom cook dinner, I lost a wrestling match with an acorn squash and brutally sliced open my finger.  I debated and even tried to convince my dad I didn't need to go to the ER, but the blood kept flowing and so I got my first ever stitches.  As it turns out it is the official injury of Thanksgiving.  I was greeted by nurse after nurse who said, "Oh you've cut yourself too huh?"

December | My little sister got married, we spent New Year's up @ Malibu with our interns.

January | I spent almost all of January interviewing intern candidates for our 2013 intern class.  It's possible other things occurred, but I was mostly on the phone for 2 hour increments interviewing some fine young folks.

once upon a time in Alaska

 Going to Alaska was an item on my 30 before 30 list.  So in February, I packed my bags and flew with my friend Kristin and her infant daughter to Anchorage to visit friends.

My friend Alison drove me to the airport and on the way she asked what I thought Alaska would be like.  I told her I wasn't sure, but that in my mind's eye there were polar bears and moose all over the place and people cross country skied everywhere because of all of the snow.  Well,  this giant polar bear was waiting for me outside out gate in the Anchorage airport.

 Then, after piling in Sheri's car, we see this  after being in Alaska less than 30 minutes.

Sheri's husband (and Kristin's brother) is a hunter, so naturally this was hanging above my bed.

 Then we went to Costco and I found this treasure.

While visiting the fine city of Anchorage, there just so happened to be a fur festival going on called the Fur Rendezvous or Fur Rondy for those in the know.  Fur Rondy was kicked off by a grand parade featuring these wonders.

 

 

It was about 8 degrees during the parade, and we were in the shade...I'm pretty sure that my fingers got frostbite and there is a chance little Hugo and Ivan here also got a little too cold. 

Then we drove down Cook Inlet.

Then we went to the fur auction and found this man.

Alaska may be the funniest place I've ever been.  The people were unconventional, but so kind, good, honest and hard working.  I laughed and I learned a ton about this unique part of our country. 

Thank you Alaska for being interesting and comical.  I will be back to see you someday...

my constant companion

It's Saturday.  I have been home for 1 week and I am packing again.  I leave tomorrow for a week long meeting @ Washington Family Ranch and a day or 2 in Portland.  Sometimes it seems that I live more out of my suitcase than not.  This little brown carry-on has been a constant companion of mine.

Whenever I fly I carry-on.  In October I flew to Virginia for a work meeting.  I carried-on and flew from Seattle to Atlanta and then to Roanoke.  When I boarded the plane in Seattle, there wasn't enough overhead room for all the bags, so they gate checked my carry-on.  The only problem was that they gate checked my bag to Marilyn Reynolds, who was headed from Seattle to Orlando via Atlanta.  When I arrived in Roanoke, my bag was on its way to sunny Orlando with my surname twin, Marilyn.  Delta rectified the situation and my bag arrived @ Rockbridge 24 hours later, about half way through my 2 day trip.  Many people asked me why I didn't just carry my luggage on-assuming a checked bag to be the reason for the mix up.  Some travel advice: Be flexible & patient, the airline can still lose your bag, even when you carry-on!

Together this bag and I have gone to:

• Malibu, BC
• Olympia, WA
• Atlanta, GA
• Denver, CO
• Colorado Springs, CO
• Buena Vista, CO
• Phoenix, AZ
• Roanoke, VA
• New York, NY
• Porland, OR
• Corvallis, OR
• Antelope, OR
• Anchorage, AK
• San Diego, CA

All of these trips have occurred in the last 16-18 months.   It's a little overwhelming, but mostly I am grateful.  Grateful to have visited the places and people in each of these locations.  To have the means an opportunities to travel.  Grateful to be on this adventure with God never knowing who or how or when I will experience an opportunity to know and make known my true Constant Companion.

home and known by name

The new year is here.  In fact it's been here for a while.  I have been in Florida and the Bahamas for the last 3 weeks and the triumphant arrival of 2012 was overshadowed by the amount of things that needed to be done in preparation to be gone for that amount of time.

Long story short, I spent a week in Florida taking an intensive seminary class, best I've ever taken actually.  Then I spent a day @ our YL camp in Ocala and then headed off to Orlando for the Young Life All Staff Celebration.  ASC was a relationally intense and exceptionally fun and encouraging week chock full of surprises, fireworks and 4,000 of the most loving people on the planet.  Immediately following ASC, I headed to the Bahamas with 19 friends for some vacation time in the sun.

We flew into Seattle last night @ 9pm.  On our way back north from the airport, I commented to Nick & Stacy, who picked me up, that I was dreading how cold it would be in my house when I got home since my heat was turned down and it was 30 degrees outside.  It was after midnight when I pulled into our driveway and I was blessed immensely when, as I struggled up the stairs with all my stuff (you see I am the queen of trying, at all costs, to get everything into the house in 1 trip...) I discovered that my lights had been turned on and heat turned up by my lovely neighbors.  I was elated to finally be home, in my own space.  I showered the travel day off of me and melted into my own bed where I slept soundly for the next 9 and a half hours.

I awoke this morning groggy and not fully sure of what time zone I was in.  With no food in the house, I ventured out to grab coffee and groceries.  On my way to the store, I called in an order for Thai take-out, my usual: drunken noodle with chicken, 4 stars and brown rice.  I arrived @ Haggen and immediately made my way to the Starbucks inside.  My friend Ron was working-I was happy to see a friendly, familiar face.  He gave me a warm greeting and commented on how he envies my international-traveling lifestyle.  I assured him that though it is lovely, and I am grateful for my life and job, that the best part of traveling for me is returning home.  It felt good to see a friend and to be known by name.

After I gathered my supplies that consisted mostly of fresh fruits and vegetables, I headed to pick up my take-out.  Leslie was working and she pulled out my order as I walked in.  She said, "I knew you were the Jen that called this order in, so I put in some extra spice for you".  When I eat in the restaurant for dinner, I order my drunken noodle with 4 stars of spice and then request the spice rack.  I love spicy food.  I also love that Leslie knew my voice, order and spice preferences-even over the phone.

I drove home, feeling a). jet lagged and b). overwhelmed by the power of being home and known by name.  It made me think of how this is what we all long for-to belong and to be known. 

I have been with my Young Life family for 3 intense weeks and I am reminded that this is what we offer kids, whether we work with them in the field or host them @ camp, we offer them a place where they belong and we learn to know them.  When I first went to Young Life club @ my friend Jenne's house as a sophomore in high school, the thing that amazed me most was that my then soon-to-be-YL-leader remembered my name as I left.  She said it was so great to meet me and that she looked forward to seeing me next week.  She had only met me an hour or so before and as I left she called me by name.  I was known.  I belonged.

There is great power in calling someone by name.  There is great power in being home.  I am full, I am tired, I am home and I am thankful to be known.  Not just by my friends and community, but by my Jesus who calls me to my eternal home with him.  And when he calls me, he calls me by name.

I feel like 2012 is just now beginning for me, now that my big trip is over and I am excited to get to work on the things that I have been dreaming of and scheming over the last few weeks and months.  I have some things to build in the next few months before our camping season begins.  I have teams to build-interns and assignment teams.  And then I have some actual construction to do-a carnival re-build and some Tableau props to create.

There is much to do and many adventures ahead and my hope is that as I go I can create spaces and places where people feel they belong and know they are known.

one of my favorite things

When we were kids, my mom would watch West Side Story on Saturday mornings while she cleaned the house.  I hated musicals.  They seemed silly to me.  Why would 2 gangs who hated each other dance and sing while they fought?

When I was 16, I saw Rent & Ragtime on Broadway in New York over spring break.  I was interested.  My senior Engligh class was film as literature.  During the musical genre unit in class, we watched Singing in the Rain.  I was hooked.  Mostly because I had a big crush on Gene Kelly.  Singing in the Rain was my gateway musical.

Since high school, I have seen a number of musicals in Seattle @ the 5th Avenue & Paramount Theatres.   I also have had the privilege of seeing 3 shows on Broadway in New York.  Over the years, I have realized that I love live theatre.  The incredible talent of those singing powerfully and dancing gracefully across the stage-and often @ the same time no less-is mesmerizing.  The powerful singing in Wicked, the incredible costumes in the Lion King and the brilliant dancing in Seven Brides for Seven Brothers have been some highlights for me.  I love going to the theatre!

This Christmas my gift to my mom, sisters and niece was tickets to Rodgers & Hamerstein's Cinderella @ the 5th Avenue Theatre in Seattle.  We saw the Christmas Eve performance from the 5th row.  I am way more of a quality time/experience vs. gifts/things sort of a girl.  I was more excited to share this experience with the women in my family more than I ever have been to give them any material item wrapped under the tree.  I was particularly excited to share one of my favorite things with my soon-to-be-5-year-old niece.

Cinderella was performed brilliantly and my niece was enthralled.  On our way to the 5th, she was a little unclear about what we were doing and thought we were going to a movie.  Once the show started, she was wide-eyed and interested.  At the intermission I asked Samantha what she thought so far and her response included 2 thumbs up (she's into the thumbs up/thumbs down thing right now) and the word "excellente" (we're always teaching her Spanish).  When we were headed back to the car, Samantha asked me what the next "movie" we could see at the theatre was.  She wants to go back!  I hope there is a kid friendly show next season @ the 5th.

Cinderella was lovely and satisfied my theatre fix, but the looks on my niece's face that I stole during the show were worth every penny spent on those tickets.  My mom, sisters and I had a lot of fun together and particularly watching Samantha enjoy the show.

Christmastime is here

A few weeks ago, we celebrated Christmas together as a staff.  We all went to camp (Egmont staff included) and had a lovely prime rib dinner together as a staff and with our Kiwi brothers.

We built a fire in the fireplace of the dining hall.  Only the second fire ever in there because the doors on the other side of the fireplace send wind through the fireplace every time the door is opened.  #designflaw

Sharon and Stacie put up a tree and set the tables beautifully for our celebration feast.

We then went as a staff to the club room for some fun...

Wii bowled

 

Wii even hunted.  Get it Sharon!

For the last few weeks I've been in Bellingham spending time with friends, going to Christmas parties, enjoying singing Christmas songs @ church and even decorating my little house for Christmas.

Tonight I am home @ my parents house in Olympia- the house I grew up in from 5th grade all the way through high school.  I am headed to Portland tomorrow for a few days and decided to come down today to break up the trip.  My parents are in Oregon for a few days with friends, so for the first time in about 15 years, I find myself in my parents house home alone...I let myself in, took my stuff to my room and went to the living room to turn on the Christmas tree lights and the reality that Christmas is just 6 days away set in.  To be here, in my childhood home, for Christmas makes this frantic season feel more real.

As I moved through the living room, I saw that my mom has hung all of our stockings (they have increased in number the last few years) over the fireplace.  It made me remember a funny thing that has happened over the last few years regarding the stockings my mom made for us 3 girls when we were little.  Behold the stockings....

My mom sewed these for us way back when and to distinguish them from each other, she sewed a little notion at the top of each.  A bell for one, a candy cane for another and the third one has a tree on it.  My whole life, I have been the candy cane.  Lauren was the bell and Jessie was the tree.  About 4 years ago, my mom had a lapse in memory and filled the candy cane stocking with things for Jessie.  That Christmas morning I went to the candy cane stocking and proceeded to open it and wondered at its contents, as some of them were things I am allergic to (you see, I'm gluten and dairy free).  My mom said that was Jessie's stocking and that mine was the bell.  Suddenly, I was the only one who remembered the correct owners of each specific stocking.  This started a heated and quite comical debate about whose stocking was whose.  The debate still continues.

I wonder which stocking I'll get this year.  I imagine the debate will continue, we'll laugh and I'll demand that I'm right.  The truth is, it doesn't really matter whose stocking is whose as long as we're together.  I think this stocking thing is a new Christmas tradition in la Casa Reynolds.

Christmastime IS here, happiness and cheer.  Fun for all that children call their favorite time of year.

To you and yours, Merry Christmas!

time to laugh

Ok, if you haven't seen this video floating around, it's pretty funny.  What I think I love most the 2 guys' reactions to the item on their list when they first read it.  This seems like a Young Life sort of thing to do....

This one is a little bit cuter.  It was tweeted by musician Dave Barnes as one of the cutest things he's ever seen...

Merry Christmas and you're welcome :)

oh Canada...

During the summer,  we sing O Canada @ Malibu twice a week.  Day 3 lunch is chili lunch.  It's also become hockey lunch.  The WC servers wear our Hockey Night @ Malibu (see below) t-shirts, there are hockey center pieces on the tables and the Malibu staff and interns sing O Canada to open the meal.

On night 4, after the cabin horn, the property staff and interns play silent floor hockey with the assignment team and summer staff in the gym.  The first weeks of the session we play inter-mixed and the final week of the session we play "Property vs. the World".  The Property is always victorious.  Before the game begins, we don our Hockey Night @ Malibu shirts-red and blue-to distinguish teams and then gather around the YL logo in the center of the gym to sing O Canada.  Then we play silent floor hockey (so as not to wake up the campers) until usually 1am.  It makes for a hard Day 5 for me as I usually open the ropes course between 5:30 and 6:00am.  I have a dent in my left shin bone from a hockey blade and I took 2 slap shots from Harold (our property manager and expert hockey player) to the shin.  Both left behind deep, dark bruises.  We take hockey seriously @ Malibu.

Our 2nd session program team did Day 3 hockey lunch and also deemed Day 4 lunch baseball lunch.  The program team suited up in baseball uniforms (from my old high school nonetheless!) and had the dining hall stand to sing the Star Spangled Banner.  The first week of the session, on Day 4 lunch, I stood with everyone else and realized that it had been so long since I had sung our national anthem, that I was pretty rusty.  Never in my life would I have guessed that I would a). know another country's national anthem by heart or b). struggle to remember my own national anthem.

I am a US citizen.  I am a part time Canadian.

O Canada, our home and native land
True patriot love in all thy sons command
With glowing hearts we see thee rise
The true north strong and free
From far and wide O Canada
We stand on guard for thee
God keep our land glorious and free
O Canada we stand on guard for thee
O Canada we stand on guard for thee

If I were a true Canadian, I think I would have to know this in both English and French.  I think I would also have to swear an oath to the Queen.  I'm ok being a part time Canadian :)

the making of a Princess

the bow

the hull

a shell of a Princess

ready to launch

christening the Princess

(I wish we knew who the woman is)

dragon scales and other tales

It's later than I'd like it to be.  I'm awake.  The wind is fiercely howling outside.  I can't sleep.  There are many lovely and some trivial things on my mind this late blustery evening.

Today I had a 4 hour coffee date with a friend I've known and loved for over 20 years.  Katy and I went grew up together from 5th grade on.  We played volleyball together, went to Malibu together, we both became teachers.  She is one of my dearest and oldest friends.  Katy knew me before I knew Christ and has known me and walked with me these last 12 years since I bowed my knee and heart to our Lord.

Katy is lovely and deeply loves Jesus.  9 months ago Katy lost her fiancee 2 months before their wedding.  He passed onto glory in his sleep on his 29th birthday.  These last 9 months I have wept for and with my dear friend.  She is strong, she is real and she is clinging to Christ.

Today we spoke of Malibu and my adventures in life.  We recalled being campers together and then being YL leaders together @ WFR one summer (her with urban Seattle kids, me with rural farm kids).  We caught up on family and friend updates.  We spoke of Aaron and how good he was to her.  We cried.  We marveled at God's goodness, sovereignty, and care for us.   The Lord has been so present and tender with Katy during this time of grief and growth.  Life is hard, Jesus is good.  Always.

In the pursuit of my master's degree, I am currently taking a counseling class that is reaffirming a lot of things in my mind and heart.  For the last 10 years I have been discipled by a woman who in addition to being a loving friend, also happens to be a counselor.  Kim asks great questions.  Kim challenges me to get to the root of things.  Kim has guided me along the path of emotional health and shown me how vital it is to being whole and balanced in Christ.  The books I'm reading for class speak to the inseparability of emotional and spiritual growth.  Of this, I could write forever (good thing because I have 3 papers to compose on the topic).  It reminds me of one of my favorite passages from the Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader.  Katy and I talked about the beauty and pain that Lewis paints in the following passage.

{The impossible Eustace's selfishness has caused him to transform into a dragon.  Life becomes quite miserable, lonely and painful as a dragon.  What follows is his encounter with Aslan}

"The water was as clear as anything and I thought if I could get in there and bathe it would ease the pain in my leg. but the lion told me I must undress first. Mind you, I don't know if he said any words out loud or not.

I was just going to say that I couldn't undress because I hadn't any clothes on when I suddenly thought that dragons are snaky sort of things and snakes can cast their skins. Oh, of course, thought I, that's what the lion means. So I started scratching myself and my scales began coming off all over the place. And then I scratched a little deeper and , instead of just scales coming off here and there, my whole skin started peeling off beautifully, like it does after an illness, or as if I was a banana. In a minute or two I just stepped out of it. I could see it lying there beside me, looking rather nasty. It was a most lovely feeling. So I started to go down into the well for my bathe.

But just as I was going to put my feet into the water I looked down and saw that they were all hard and rough and wrinkled and scaly just as they had been before. Oh, that's all right, said I, it only means I had another smaller suit on underneath the first one, and I'll have to get out of it too. So I scratched and tore again and this underskin peeled off beautifully and out I stepped and left it lying beside the other one and went down to the well for my bathe.

Well, exactly the same thing happened again. And I thought to myself, oh dear, how ever many skins have I got to take off? For I was longing to bathe my leg. So I scratched away for the third time and got off a third skin, just like the two others, and stepped out of it. But as soon as I looked at myself in the water I knew it had been no good.

The the lion said - but I don't know if it spoke - 'You will have to let me undress you.' I was afraid of his claws, I can tell you, but I was pretty nearly desperate now. So I just lay flat down on my back to let him do it.

The very first tear he made was do deep that I thought it had gone right into my heart. And when he began pulling the skin off, it hurt worse than anything I've ever felt. The only thing that made me able to bear it was just the pleasure of feeling the stuff peel off. You know - if you've ever picked the scab of a sore place. It hurts like billy-oh but it is such fun to see it coming away.

Well, he peeled the beastly stuff right off - just as I thought I'd done it myself the other three times, only they hadn't hurt - and there it was lying on the grass: only ever so much thicker, and darker, and more knobbly-looking than the others had been. And there was I as smooth and soft as a peeled switch and smaller than I had been. Then he caught hold of me - I didn't like that much for I was very tender underneath now that I'd no skin on - and threw me into the water. It smarted like anything but only for a moment. After that it became perfectly delicious and as soon as I started swimming and splashing I found that all the pain had gone from my arm. And then I saw why. I'd turned into a boy again. You'd think me simply phoney if I told you how I felt about my own arms. I know they've no muscle and are pretty mouldy compared with Caspian's, but I was so glad to see them.

After a bit the lion took me out and dressed me - (with his paws?) - Well, I don't exactly remember that bit. But he did somehow or other: in new clothes - the same I've got on now, as a matter of fact. and then suddenly I was back here. Which is what makes me think it must have been a dream."

What a brilliant depiction of being stripped of the things that hinder us from knowing God and others fully (Hebrew 12:1).  The pain of peeling away those hurts and flaws are nothing compared to the freedom in Christ that will follow.

Malibu caught on video...

Here are 2 videos for you of Malibu.

This first one was made by one of my interns.  It highlights some things that are done by staff on days off-not camper activities, but adventures we had this summer-natural water slides, Secret Cove and other amazing things.

Here is another that was made to highlight Malibu for school season guest groups looking for a place to hold a retreat or event.

http://vimeo.com/24323202

I work in a coffee shop

But I'm not a barista.  During the fall and winter months, when I'm not at Malibu, I can do my work from wherever I have internet and phone access.  Some days I work at home.  Some days I work in my office @ the Bellingham YL office.  Most days I end up in a coffee shop.  There are 2 reasons for this last location, the first being...well...coffee.  The second reason is people.  When I work form home or even from the YL office, I often can go hours or even days without interacting with a single soul.  So to avoid feeling like (or becoming) a recluse, I head to one of the many coffee shops in Bellingham to get things done.

When you sit in a coffee shop for hours on end, you have the privilege of observing many strange and lovely things.  Below are some of my favorite coffee shop observations:

• A large bearded, flannel-wearing man walks in, grabs a cup of coffee, sits in a leather chair in the corner and proceeds to pull out yarn and knitting needles.  Unexpected.
• A man walks into a coffee shop (which is nowhere near the bay or any body of water) wearing a fleece, sandals and a full wet suit.  Peculiar but not surprising.
• A young family leaves the grocery store across the parking lot, arrives at their car with groceries and a large bouquet of balloons.  While loading the car with kids and groceries, the balloons are forgotten, let go of and drift away.  Beautifully tragic.
• A woman whose motorized wheel chair boasts a sign indicating that a drunk driver caused her injuries, rode off the curb, tipped her chair over and fell to the ground.  Two kind gentlemen rushed to her, righted her chair and helped her back into it.  Caring, kind humanity.
• A young guy walks in with a single red rose in his hand.  He proceeds to a table where he sits and waits nervously.  Blind date I infer.  He and I both wonder at each woman who walks through the door.  She arrives, spots the rose, offers a hug and sits down. Sweet and awkward.

People watching provides great entertainment and encouragement as I witness people being interesting, unique and caring.  Bellingham is a beautifully unusual city and I love the months that I get to spend here.

the Kiwis have taken over

This winter we have some international guests staying @ Malibu.  2 are Candians, 3 are Brits and 17 are New Zealanders (henceforth referred to as Kiwis).  They are mountain bike trail builders working for NZ Trail Solutions out of New Zealand.  They are building mountain bike trails on 1,700 acres of land down the inlet from Malibu.  The land is owned by a private investor group with 2 goals in mind: land conservation and extreme mountain biking.


The boys are staying with us for somewhere between 12 and 14 months.  They've already been living @ Malibu for 2 months.  They work 6 days a week and rest on Sundays.  They eat breakfast @ 7am and then head up the inlet to the work site and return "home" around 4:30pm.  Sharon & Stacie serve dinner @ 6pm and then the rest of the evening is theirs to watch TV, rock climb (when I'm in camp), play basketball, email home or play Settler's of Catan.


A few weeks ago, we taught them how to play hockey...Harold was proud of them, as they did quite well and caught on to the important notion of passing.

We're learning a lot of great Kiwi vocab words like jandals, heaps, keen and mate.


As you think about Malibu, would you pray for our Kiwi friends?  Pray for their safety, as they are working in a very remote place doing very physical work.

My 2 Worlds

I am in the middle of transitioning back to the States for the Fall and Winter and am fully realizing the different mindsets, accessories and quirks that come with working @ Malibu.  Below are some of the differences between the 2 places that I live and love.

Malibu | Bellingham 

VHF radio | iPhone        

walk everywhere | drive most everywhere

days only have numbers | days have names and calendar dates

slow satellite internet | lightening fast internet

leave 5 min before needing to be anywhere | leave 30 min before needing to be anywhere

carry pocket knife everywhere | no need really for a pocket knife.  ever. 

beware of bears and cougars |  beware of cats and dogs
food comes in by boat...limited options | unique and diverse grocery and dining options  

is this real life?

 

I work in one of the most beautiful places in the world.  It's true.  It's extraodrinary.  It's spectacular.   It's God's handiwork.   The following pictures are of a day off adventure to Secret Cove, up the Jervis Inlet in the Hunaechin area.  We hiked through the woods, making loud noises to ward off any grizzlies and then waded a ways up this stream to the end, which is where these waterfalls and pools are found.  Incredible.  Indescribable.  Our God is good and so creative.

A few days later, some of our staff saw 4 orca whales in the inlet.  So we loaded in boats in search of these creatures...

And find them we did...

Is this real life?

welcome to the main event

Sometimes I think that this thing we do here called Young Life camping isn't really so different from a circus.  Life is never dull or boring here @ Malibu.  We have a rhythm and routine to things, but compared to the average bear's work environment, Malibu is quite abnormal.

The following are things that are part of a normal work week for me:

• Throw and direct anywhere from 10,000-30,000 lbs. of freight and luggage every 6 days.  And by "throw" I do mean throw.
• Catch kids @ the bottom of the water slide @ the end of our obstacle course to keep kids safe and things moving along (sometimes I catch a foot to the shin and last week I got kicked in the neck).
• Get creative for intern fun night-a few weeks ago we had a floating bonfire in the middle of the inlet and made s'mores while sitting in kayaks
• Play silent floor hockey from 11pm to 1am every night 4.
• Put on a carnival, dance party and pool party all in the course of about an hour and a half.
• Get a "ride" home from bible study in a ski boat @ twilight.

We often say to each other how much we love our jobs and how we can't believe that this is where we get to work and what we get to do.   I am blessed by this place and what we get to do in serving kids and their YL leaders, but what I have been caught up with lately is how blessed I am by the people I get to work with.  Last week on my day off, I was moved to tears as I thanked our God for the people in my life and specifically who I work with here.

I am beyond grateful for the interns in my department-for the stellar work that they do in their roles and also for their hearts and character.   Assignment team, leaders, other staff and interns here have all been huge blessings to me as of late.  This week we have a fantastic medical team with their families who have been a joyful blessing to me.

God is so good.  This place is incredible, and the hearts he has given his people bless me greatly.  We might run a circus around here, but it's lovely and is affecting eternity.

osm

When you are 5 years old and learning to spell and you write a note to your mom telling her how great you think she is, you might spell awesome like this: osm.

And we do, and likely will forever.  The Friesen family is as near and dear to me as my own blood relatives.  I met them at church almost 9 years ago and babysat for them all through my college years and even beyond.  Their oldest, Samantha, is the creator of osm.  It was her note to Shelby that revealed this brilliant and clear spelling of awesome.  This word has caught on to friends and has even been the catch phrase of a Young Life program team.  I encourage you to embrace and use this treasure of a word.

Speaking of osm, I saw this for the first time last night @ Men's Weekend Entertainment Night and it is entirely osm!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ssXJtzFOjA

marking time & other musings

Here @ Malibu we mark time in a manner that is much different than the rest of the world.  Here the days have no names, just numbers.  If you stopped me suddenly on the boardwalk and demanded to know the day of the week, there is a 40% chance I would be able to answer you correctly.  I will know that it is Day 2 or 4 or that it is boat day, but there is a very small chance that I will know the actual day of the week.  Friends and family members' birthdays and anniversaries fly by without me realizing it (please forgive me if I miss yours).  It's different, it's crazy and it's also lovely.

Most days feel like 2 days in 1.  Tomorrow is quite literally 2 days in 1.  It's day 7/1.  The Princess will arrive around 1:30pm with our new group of campers.  Meanwhile, our outgoing camp will line the boardwalk waiting to board the Princess after the new camp disembarks.  For a brief 30 minute period we have 2 camps (roughly 600-700) kids in camp at once.  The average day 7/1 is a 15-18 hour work day for me.

It's a very good thing that the day before day 7/1 is day 6 and my day off.   Emma, one of our interns, shares my day off with me.  She stayed @ my house last night, so this morning we slept in, drank coffee, ate granola and peaches and watched Gilmore Girls until it was time to head into camp for lunch.  The rest of my day off, as usual, was spent cleaning, doing laundry and trying to sneak in some quality time with friends who are here for the week as leaders.

for your enjoyment

I was deleting photos from my phone when I came across these gems taken in an elementary school hallway outside a 2nd grade classroom this fall.  Enjoy!

 

1). is chocolate :)

 

excellent career choice

 

 

 

a Canadian cheerleader :)