Tuesday, January 1, 2008

Sno Rodeo

So Isaiah is home. And he loved his first Sno Rodeo. Whenever Isaiah talks a mile a minute--you know he is excited!! His leaders Kyle and Drew were really cool and sounds like they were a great fit for him--they were all into throwing people into snow banks, staying up late, pillow wars...totally up his alley. He actually said he mostly hung out as opposed to doing a lot of the "winter" activities. He didn't like broom ball and didn't horseback ride at all, but he liked ice skating and also the tubing. He said he had fun with his friends, but there were a couple of boys that kind of bothered him a bit because they were swearing like every other word and just trying to act all tough and hard core. Isaiah can't stand it when people swear, that is a big pet peeve of his. I love how honest our kids are with us...he was like, "oh guess what...we hung out with some girls...they go to school with Simeon now, in 7th grade, but I knew them from Heyer...and we played truth or dare with them...and Tyler dared them to kiss and can you believe they did!!" Oh my goodness my face was hilarious. Marlon and I started laughing and I said, well I'm glad he didn't dare two boys to kiss! I must admit my heart stopped just a little bit. Ah yes--growing up--yikes! I asked him if there was a girl there at all he liked and he said, "mmm...not really. Like as friends, but not to like-like Oh silly mom...just like, not like like. He said that the theme was about being an ordinary hero. God doesn't just want "special, famous, glamorous, grown up, important" people. He wants each of us...right where we are to be just our ordinary self and with Him we can do extraordinary things. Isaiah can be a hero. It's not about waiting until the "right" time---the time is now. Then he also told me that the pastor (my friend Brandon) told him that he needs to talk me into coming and working with him. I can't even reiterate properly all of the things he said, hysterical, but it made me laugh because he tells me all the time that I should switch over. If there were ministry hours in middle school I wouldn't mind working there. I like messed up kids and there aren't kids much more messed up than middle school kids...lol. It's such a turbulent time as they grow and change and hit hormones, and try to decide who they are going to be. I just keep praying over them. That they enjoy life, have fun, but stay as close to God as possible so He can help make the right choices. I'm so glad he went and can't wait until next year when he can go again. Now the next thing is to get him ready for the trip to Mexico this summer. He'll go with the middle school ministry for a week to build houses. It was a life changing thing for Jordyn. There's a whole wide world out there that needs the love of Christ and Marlon and I want to expose our kids as much as we can to the whole world and to open their eyes to what path God might want them to take. It's probably the hardest part about being a parent. Knowing they are only ours for a season...the majority of their life will not be as a minor living in our home, "under our rules"...they are hopefully going to be full fledged, spiritually mature, Christ following adults adding love and joy to the world. What a gift.
2008. It's going to be a good year.
Anyway---off to watch Hairspray again. :) Nite.

2 comments:

Brandon J. Brown said...

Mindy...

Hey... thanks for posting on SnoRodeo. I am glad Isaiah had a good time.

I am more than a little troubled by questions like: where in the world where the leaders while my students broke about 5 rules at once to play truth or dare!!!

PS... I hope Isaiah wont be too disappointed that this experience will be much harder to have at our camps from now on!

YIKES!

Mindy said...

B--
Glad I didn't tell ya then about putting his bare butt in the snow then! :) Don't worry-he went behind a tree (I wasn't gonna show girls my bare butt Mom---oh my God!) Actually a leader did come by and had caught the kiss. This led to a "Um, I didn't just see that and I'm not going to see that again am I?" Which was followed by sending the boys one way and the girls the other.
But I hear you and am glad that you take your role so seriously. Thanks for helping to make MS a place that Isaiah loves being, enjoys enough to bring friends, and can feel positive about. You don't settle for mediocracy and it is reflected in everything you guys do. PTL!