Creation Thoughts:

Forget About Me, I Love You.

Get it?
F A M I L Y = Forget About Me I Love You

I love that.
Apparently there are black rubber wrist bands with F A M I L Y printed on them ... I heard about them at Creation. Anyone want me to order some for them too?

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The best part about last week? Watching Creation newbies experience it for the first time. NOTHING beats that.
And this year's newbies' delight was so infectious. Marj? Brendan? Garrett? It was awesome hanging with you. We are so glad you came.

The next best thing?
Discovering that Marj is a crier just like me.

We all drove throught the night on Tuesday, arriving at the Gorge between midnight and 3 am on Wednesday. By 4:30 we were all on our site, and by 5:30 we had "set up". Most of us tried to sleep for a few hours before the heat of the day would make it impossible.

Creation Wednesday is traditionally a l o n g day - concerts don't start til the evening, and that first night usually has the weakest line-up. Never-the-less, we all hung out at the festival site til midnight, then chatted at our camping spot til light's out at 1 am.

Thursday was beach day for alot of us. Tanning, reading, and standing up to our necks in the Columbia River was how we coped with temperatures in the 90's.

That evening, just as the sun was setting, and with a gentle wind blowing, Chris Tomlin took the stage and led us in worship. It was exactly what my soul was craving. As I sang with my mouth and heart, my brain was praying, my body was swaying and my eyes were tearing. Every cell in my body was actively involved and I could have done this for hours. It was awesome. So very very awesome.

Standing beside me was Marj, who seemed to be as moved as I was. She too had tears streaming down her cheeks. Just as his set was ending, I whispered, "... and this is why we drive all night and sweat all day. For this."

Apparently her soul needed this too. We were both pretty overcome with emotion.

Sandra claimed she was affected as well, though she rarely cries. "Just because I didn't cry doesn't mean anything. I DID get all tingly..."

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I felt attractive the entire time I was away.
My new hair-do cooperated nicely with the living conditions and having it full of product made styling a breeze. Never (NEVER!) have I had so many postive comments on my hair before. And this make up seems to work. Every time I checked my face, it was OK. Big and fleshy, but OK.

Probably the reason I was OK with my appearance, was because there was only one mirror, and it wasn't full length. For 5 days I never saw my whole self... that whole self that has a big stomach and fat ass. Denial is a beautiful thing.

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The other aspect of Creation that always surprises me is the level of intimacy we women rise to while camping. Not all of us, mind you. But some of us.

The sharing of our heart's burdens is a precious thing. And every year, I hear someone's story, and commit to praying for her til next Creation.

Times like these make me proud to be a woman.

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The best worship set: Chris Tomlin

The best concert: David Crowder (thanks guys for buying me a Crowder CD. Adam, you are unbelievably thoughtful.)

The best speaker: Jeremy Kingsley (He was ridiculously incredible. I'm going to buy his sermon on CD as well as his book. Passionate. Articulate. Knowledgable. Interesting. Relevant. Emotional. Awesome. I'm thirsty for teaching like this.)

A fine moment: Watching Shelly back her trailer (a big one!) into place, 6 inches away from Al's camper. I was so proud of her. She did it perfectly in one take. SO glad she's my friend. I'm sure this skill of hers will come in handy someday.

A special moment: On the drive down, Drew and I watched the thingy on the motorhome's dashboard switch over from 69,999.9 to 70,000. kilometers.

A community moment: Having all the guys work together to hoist the massive tarp that Rick and Sandra bought to provide shade for all of us. Thanks Stelts, for looking after us all. That shady area was the hub of our little community. You guys rock.

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Three things I'm thankful for:
1. The long weekend coming up. Maybe I can rest on this one?
2. Clint should get his license back any day now...
3. My haircut.

Shalom,