My story for CCM.

This is my four page story I wrote up for our communications contest which will be judged tomorrow. Enjoy!

I had just come home from my last 4-H BLU retreat, tired and looking forward to a good night’s sleep in my own bed. When I walked into my room I knew something wasn’t right. I am a neat freak when it comes to my bedroom. I have to have everything in its place before I can go to bed.

I flicked on the light switch, and there it was, a mess. The kids had found their way into my room while I was away. It wasn’t too bad. The main thing I noticed was my treasure chest, which usually sat up on a high shelf, was forced open with its contents strewn out on the bed and floor. I say forced because it has a lock to it, but the two nails that hold it in place are barely wedged into the wood of the chest and can easily be pulled out, thus making the lock pointless. To me, the chest looked more genuine with it.

I felt anger and annoyance bubble up inside of me as I threw my duffle bag and purse onto my bed.

“They’re always getting into my room,” I thought. But my annoyance changed to interest as I inspected the articles around me. I hadn’t been in this chest for what seemed like a long time. Childhood memories filled my head as I took a closer look at the chest’s contents. There was a map of the ‘Lord of the Rings’ kingdom, and one map that I had drawn up myself as a kid. It was marked in pencil on yellowing paper, with labels like ‘The City of Montopia’, and ‘The Dark Forest’ scratched on it. The edges were tattered and I had torn it in many places to make it look more old and authentic. There was a key with a tassel tied to the end of it, which I used to pretend was the key that could open anything. I don’t even remember where I had found it. Two small bottles of sparkles were also there. “Fairy dust,” I remembered. A letter opener with a blue detailed handle, had been my weapon for protection on these many adventures. There were two gold lockets as well. I used to pretend they contained pictures of the long lost parents, or loved ones, in my excursions. And there was my invisibility cloak. It was a plain scrap of 4x5’ bright silver cloth that I had bought on a whim when I was fourteen years old.

When I was little I used to make believe a lot. I would make up stories as I was walking through our woods around our house. The treasure chest contained some of the props I had used as a child. Seeing them again made me wonder what had happened to those days. Why didn’t I make believe anymore?

“I don’t have time,” I thought. Why is it that we grow out of these things? I can remember when I specifically realized that I was growing out of make believing and adventures. I was probably around fifteen years old, and I was baby-sitting at a friend’s house. I was watching two little girls, and while the younger was down for her nap, Chrissie was playing in the backyard with her neighbor friend. They asked me if I wanted to play with them.

“You can be a princess, and I’ll be the queen, and we’re trapped on this island with lava surrounding us, and our dragon has to come save us, but we have to call our fairy godmother first so she can grant a wish for us, and there’s a pink bird that can talk to us….” And they went on and on, and I didn’t care. I had no enthusiasm for their imaginative story. And it hit me then and there. “I must be growing up. I used to love to play like this. What’s wrong with me?” Looking back now, I wish I could have spent more time playing make believe, and just play in
general. Through high school, I had less and less time to do things on my own for random fun. I just grew out of it. It didn’t seem important enough.

Now that I’m older, everyone’s asking me “Where are you going to college?”, “Do you have a boyfriend yet?” and “What are your plans for this year?” At times like these, I wish I could turn back the clock and be a care free kid again, playing cops and robbers with my cousins, running from an evil band of thieves through our back woods or making friends with an invisible fairy. Then I laugh and think “We all need to grow up sometime.” I started to replace the items back into the treasure chest, to be stored until a later time.

“What would I put in a treasure chest today?” I wondered, and I started to list them off in my head. The bible, as faith has grown to be my number one importance to me over the years. My CD came to mind. Yes, it’s really mine. This last December, my brother, two friends of mine and I had made the trip down to a friend’s house in Oklahoma, to record some of my music. That is a treasure to me now. Of course my family and friends came to mind, but they wouldn’t all fit in this little treasure chest now would they? Although, I could put a few pictures of them inside.

I’d have to put a little four leaf clover or something of that sort to represent 4-H. I have so many memories from this organization, and as this is my last year of 4-H, I cherish it more now
than ever.

My friend’s that live far away, that I don’t get to see very often, would have to be represented somehow. Maybe by a letter or trinket I’d received from them.

As I thought of all these different things, it got me to thinking of what is important to me right now in my life. The Lord, and my family being the most important. Over the years, the items in my ‘treasure chest’ may change, but those top two never will. And that’s how it should be. The physical things in life come and go, but God and family, I will cherish forever.

I straightened up, and put the chest back onto the shelf it belonged on. This blast from the past had given me a little wake up call, reminding me as we all need to be reminded, what’s important to us.

My greatest fear!

If you would have asked me what my greatest fear was a few months ago (Love those surveys!), I would have told you, without hesitation, "The unknown future." Not knowing what my life holds, where I'm going to be a year from now, terrified me. But in a recent contemplation I found, that the future isn't really my greatest fear.

It's failing.

I hate failing, and a lot of times, that fear stops me from trying new things, because I don't want to fail at them. See, it's not the unknown future that terrifies me, but the fear that I'll fail at life. I know what your thinking. How do you fail at life? What I mean is, that I won't get to do all that I plan and hope to. My goals in life are a little old fashioned. All I want to do is get married to my best friend, be a help meet to my husband and have many many children. Funny goals huh? Lol. They may not mean much to you, but they're everything to me, and I fear that they'll never happen. I have a lot of good friends with similar goals, who aren't married yet, and I wonder what chance do I have when they're still "On the market." Lol.

I know I need to get over this fear. I fail miserably everyday, to be who I want to be, and act how I know I should. I'm only human right? Praise Yahweh that He doesn't judge us for our faults, failures and silly worries. All I need to fear is Him! It's comforting to know that He has my life all planned out for me.

8)

Yahweh bless!

Oklahoma!

Well, I am going to attempt to give an accurate account of our trip to Oklahoma!



My brother Jacob, (no photo)

my friends Tricia,

and Sarah, came along with me on the long drive!

This is the Naylors beautiful house.

This is the adorable guest house us girls stayed in. I wish I had one of these hidden in our woods!

As soon as we got there, we were put to work. JK This is the lovely apple design we made.

We were sent outside to harvest what was left of the garden.

We experienced the swing. The hardest part was letting go of the tree! I didn't scream though. :P Jeremy swung after and apparently these boys have it down so well, they know which trees to hit off of so that they can grab onto the next one! Jeremy almost took his head off on a knot of the tree.

And here we are starting to record. Jacob caught me blowing my nose :P Unfortunately, we didn't get many pictures of me recording.

Here's Anna and Jesse. We played lots of cards at the Naylors. They taught us how to play scum, and pounce, and I taught them how to play James bond.

I love this picture of Tera!

Like I said, we played a lot of cards! I loved it.

One afternoon, all the girls took a tour of Guthrie.

We ended up at cute a little coffee shop!

More cards. :) When no one would play with me, I tried solitaire. I never succeeded. ;(

I think Jacob took this one. He did something with the shutter speed.

Me telling Jacob to stop taking pictures!

For dinner one night, we had baked beans, and I found a kidney bean in the can. :P I thought it was hilarious. We decided that whoever found the kidney bean had to do dishes, but we gave the kidney bean to Mr. Naylor, and Tricia and I did the dishes. LOL.

Jeremy's making a card tower. I think he made it to three stories. :)

We made snowflakes! My first one was rectangular.

Just chillin on the couch, and all of a sudden, the cameras swarmed!

OK, there's a story behind these next few pictures. :) The Naylors were teaching us to play Scum. I was king, and Caleb was my queen. :P LOL We came up with the rule that every time you layed two cards down you had to cross your fingers, and if you didn't, you had to stick out your tongue, pull on your ears, and let someone take a picture of you. Well, even though Caleb helped me create the rule, he forgot. :P

Jeremy was the second, and last. In the next game, Jer and I were the top two (I think I was queen) and the rule was we had to wink with our right eye every time we layed three cards, or we had to reshuffle our cards. Jer and I were the first two who had to do it.

Another couch/camera attack!

I was trying to get attention from Tricia, who was on her cell phone.

I don't know what Caleb was doing, but we thought this picture fit with "Don't you touch my sister!"

Caleb couldn't take the cameras!

This is a really good picture of Jeremy and his camera! They're never separated! JK. No, how would we get good pictures if someone wasn't ALWAYS taking them. LOL. Got to love it.

Here we're playing Cranium. I don't like this game.

Just chillin.

We played empire too! I learned so many new games there! I really liked this game too.

Jeremy's so photogenic! ;)

The power went out on Monday morning. It was an exciting day! The roof was leaking, so Jeremy was on the roof clearing the ice off, and Mr. Naylor had to cut a hole in Johnny, and Caleb's bedroom wall to dry it out.

Tricia Leigh

Jeremy juggling!

We took a trip to the boy's ranch annual nativity scene. Caleb said we were the loudest group he had ever gone with, so Tricia and I decided not to talk to him anymore. It didn't last very long. :P

Calebs hand. :P

The ice storm!

The volley ball net.

Icicles hanging of the overhang.

Me taking pictures!

This is one of my favorites, with the green contrast!

Breaking the ice off my car.

This is what an Oklahoma winter looks like.

This is all the snow they get!

Jacob likes this picture because it looks like I'm dictating.

Anna took this picture while the power was out.

We went out to Flat tire and enjoyed the fried pickles, and blowout burgers!

More appatising then it looks.

We had five laptops going at once!

Bowling! For our last day in OK. we went bowling. It was a blast! I think this bowling ball looks like a smily face! Jeremy took this one.

Sage and Tera.

Anna!

Johnny, after he took Tricia's turn at bowling while laying of the floor. :P

Caleb sprawled out on the floor!

I don't think I was happy with the score.

Caleb snapping reactions.

Good reactions!

Jeremy finding a new angle.

I tried to hide, but I had to give up. :P

Tricia and Anna!

A cool picture of Tera.

My excited reaction. :P

John seemed to always be on his phone. :P

John and Tera.

Sarah on our way out of Wal-Mart.

Jake and I.

We started a thousand peice puzzle! I did my share of 11 pieces!

Speed.

This is a serious picture.

The travelers!

Jacob found a new passion for photography this week!

And now, for the best picture taken of the whole vacation............

Thankfully, we got all the recording done the day before the power went out! Yahweh is amazing! The Naylors are going to mix it, and then send it up to me where we will create the cd templet. This visit was wonderful. We finished recording, and had a lot of fun, before we had to go. Unfortunatly we had to go home 2 days early on account of a new storm coming in. But it's probably better that we did. Wouldn't want them to get sick of us! :P The Naylor home is so peaceful, and they really do sing/hum all the time! Well, not ALL the time. They were exactly what I thought they would be. Not perfect, but striving to follow Yahweh's will. I love you all and miss you!

Well, that concludes my attempt at an accurate account of our trip. I hope I did well. I suppose I could have been more spesific, but I think you get the jist of it.

Yahweh bless!