It's FINALLY here!

Splish! Splash! It's a Bible bash!
Gonna have fun in the Son-God's Son!
The words of the Father are flowing like water
So we oughta ride the wave of God's love!

And so goes the theme song to WaterWorks! Park VBS. We started to ride our first wave of the week last night and learned about God's love finding a way. We heard about Moses and the Israelites crossing the Red Sea. We made Red Sea picture frames. We played a Crossing the Sea water game and we learned our theme song and the song for the night-God's Love Finds A Way. And all in all, we had a blast! Everything went off without a hitch (minus me running around with my head spinning) and everyone had fun!

Here is a re-cap of prep and our 1st night in my favorite posting form-Mr. List...

*5-6 hours were spent both Thursday evening and Friday evening prepping for VBS. Thursday was tear down & prep the premises day. Friday was paint and start the foyer day. Our foyer at the church is absolutely HUGE (and echoes very heavily b/c of the tile floor) but is beautiful and worked perfectly for our water park theme. Saturday I spent 16 hours working on VBS stuff and although I couldn't move or think straight or answer any more questions or make any more decisions at the end of the day, I couldn't have asked for a better VBS facility. My volunteers worked tirelessly and put up with my OCD, perfectionist, slightly control freak personality and it all paid off! They are amazing and as you can tell from the descriptions below, deserve all the credit.

*We were able to set up different areas in our gargantuous foyer including 2 waterfalls, a play sand area, locker rentals, a picnic area, a sit & sip cafe, a waterfall including a kiddie pool half full of water, a pictures and prizes area, the tube/raft rentals, and thank you sign.

*Side story: Saturday after finishing the physical labor, a group of us were sitting in the office talking and laughing. After about 30 minutes, our pastor's wife went to check on her youngest child and the children (ages 3 & 4) of a church member who had brought them while he worked on repairing some tile in our foyer. When she came back to the office and posed this question: "Bethany, are we still friends?", I knew something had happened. As I reached the foyer, her 4 year old who is my favorite kid in the entire world, approached me and asked me to hold him. And as I picked him up and felt his wet clothing from the waist down, I knew something was amiss. Come to find out, my little man and his friends had decided to go swimming in the kiddie pool we had at the bottom of the waterfall you see in the pics. After swimming, they played in the sandbox (that is actually an inflatable pool) and just had a grand ol' time. Isn't that what you're supposed to do when there's a pool and sandbox inside the church??? How great is that? All the joys of playing outside without the heat or chance of rain! And so, I laughed. I laughed to keep from crying. I laughed because I was exhausted. I laughed because my brain couldn't fathom what a church full of kids would do to the place if just 3 could make such a mess. But it was SO worth it!

*Sis. Jeri (my VBS saving grace) transformed our senior adult Sunday school room into the Bible Bay complete with a boat & real dock. Absolutely AMAZING!

*The senior high Sunday school classroom became our Splash-Tacular! music & memory verse area in a day thanks to my good friend Dustie who did a wonderful job despite being sick last week. It looks great and the kids have a good space to learn songs & dances as well as play their memory verse games.

*1/2 of the fellowship hall became the Gift & Souvenir Shop thanks to Ash who painted signs and fish for their backdrop. Many kids will be able to let their creative juices flow there as Amanda & Debbie lead them this week. Thankfully, there is enough space for a rousing game of musical chairs when the kids get finished with crafts early. Thanks to the brains behind that idea-I don't know what we would have done w/the extra time otherwise.

*The headquarters for Snack Shack & Raging River just got signs but the real treat is the treats themselves. Bro. Charles & Sis. Alta got very excited about our Moses Parting the Red Sea snacks which were blue jell-o columns laying on either side of a graham cracker w/chocolate frosting & teddy grahams (crossing the sea). They were TOO CUTE and worked so well and the kids (and workers-including myself) enjoyed them as well. We've got cute snacks for the whole week and it works well for games & snacks to occur simultaneously on our schedule. I can't wait to see what Kristy & her crew serve up tonight!

*Angie & Jennifer created our Pre-K (read 3 & 4 year olds) Splash Lagoon from our student ministries center. They set up several different areas for their kids and I pretty much gave them free reign. They have worked VERY hard as the Pre-K curriculum is almost its own mini-VBS. They join the group for snacks and music but other than that they are on their own.

*And the base for this whole operation? Coconut Island which Sis. Jeri again transformed into a cool hangout for our kids. We have a huge waterfall, puppet area, kiddie pool, great sign (thanks to some great men), and prizes laid everywhere for our kids. And the front of the stage is covered in paper to look like a boardwalk. Needless to say, no thanks to me, that Island works GREAT for our opening & closing activities.

I'm posting pictures below so you can experience Water Works! Park for yourselves. I think it turned out FABULOUSLY! Check back later in the week for more updates and fun stories!

*Quote of the day for Sunday's VBS: (straight from the blue mouth of a self-biter) "I think you oughta consider sugar-free for me tomorrow!" Ya think?!?!? I KNOW!

Blessings,
Bethany

A Shout Out

This blog is dedicated to some AMAZING people in my life who I feel deserve a little appreciation (that could never be sufficient repayment for all they do).

To Ash:
What a wonderful friend you have become! Who would have thought that 2 guys (though losers) could bring about such a fabulous friendship??? You have become one of my dearest amigas and I am so thankful for who you are (& that you put up w/me and my antics). I am blessed and privileged to call you my friend-my whole move to TX is worth it b/c of your friendship. Our personalities balance each other out and I can't imagine living in Paris without knowing you're just down the road. You are so precious to me and I am certain that God has blessings immeasurable for you in the future. You deserve only the best and as you are a mighty woman of God, I know He will bestow that on you! I love you as a sister and appreciate you more than you will ever know! And I can't wait for Madea nights... (:

To Mark:
I never would have guessed that I would meet such a kind, gentle and giving soul in Paris. Thank you for being so open, honest & encouraging with me and for building up my faith in myself. You have become a good friend who I look forward to getting to know better. Your dedication and commitment to our church after only a few weeks is incredible and God has greater things in store for you than you ever thought possible! I'm excited to share this part of the journey with you. Thanks for all you do and for being you!




I have some unbelievable people in my life and don't tell them that enough. These two worked for hours last night helping me get VBS stuff ready and I could not do it (or life at this point) without them. They are key ingredients in the mixture of my life and I am so grateful that God allowed our paths to come together for this season of my life. Maybe I should start a tradition-Fab Friend Friday??? We'll see-I'll prob'ly forget by next week. Anyway, here's to Ash & Mark-some amazing people that I give serious props to!

Duh duh duuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuh...

(That was for my friend Will, who I'm sure has never read this nor will he ever. It's our special sound effect-like in the scary movies...)

With D-day the 1st day of VBS lurking around the corner, I have officially settled into panic mode. Most people would see that as a problem, perhaps even an indication of the tone of VBS...but not me! I see it as the most productive time for me. I work VERY well under pressure and am looking forward to the next few 16-18 hour days. Crazy right? I know. But honestly, for me, the planning and organizing of big events is just as satisfying as the event itself. I am ALL about creativity & ideas. I absolutely LOVE planning & organizing things. So this VBS has become my "baby" of sorts. I started with the 1st ideas and researching curriculum and I'll see it through to the end of Thursday night, complete w/a July 4th fireworks display just down the road from the church and on to clean up and follow up with the kids. I'm excited, just nervous. I want it to be perfect (duh, I'm a perfectionist) and I'm doing all I can to make that happen. Let's just hope the kids show up to enjoy it!

In other news, why in the world (literally) are people reading my blog? I write mainly for myself and my parents so I really only expected to see 2 visitors from Maiden & 1 from Paris (me) on my NeoCities list. What's up w/all the other random people reading? If you're one of them, would you care to identify yourself and let me know how you found me and what you think? I love feedback-especially constructive criticism (so be kind, harsh words won't get you far). Anyway, just curious about all you readers out there. (And Mom & Dad, if you're logging in under other names & hiding behind profiles listed in CA or Amsterdam, give it up already. I'm ok w/my audience of 2.)

Blessings,
Bethany
You will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast, because he trusts in You. Isaiah 26:3

It has happened...

Today, while I was browsing the Yellow Pages online, the unthinkable & totally unexpected happened. I was searching for a restaurant in TN (where I moved from) and as I typed the state abbreviation, my fingers automatically typed TX!!! I never thought I would adjust to being in the second "T" state on the drop-down list but apparently I have. I guess I am officially a Texan-especially now that my car has been branded. :( All that's left is for me to get branded (i.e. change my driver's license) which I'm holding out on as long as I possibly can...

There's no song...

for Tuesdays that I can think of off the top of my head so I'll guess the soundtrack to my life is on *pause* for now. But, I guess if I had to pick a song for today it would be...

Time Is by DC Talk

But mainly just the chant: Time is tickin' away, time is tickin'-tick, tock That is def my theme right now w/T-4 days until the big event.

Which brings me to this question of curiosity: Who thought up the idea that the sounds of a clock are "tick, tock"? I guess it's a bit of onomatopoeia but who would have thought???

And yet I digress...again...

Today is a busy day as usual. Last night was quite productive. I spent some time doing laundry at a friend's (who is now my fave friend b/c she brought me chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream from the store while I was there-the diet is out the window until after VBS) and I finished up most of the computer items I needed to accomplish for VBS. When I got home, I cleaned house-mainly my floors b/c I want to try the whole "no shoes=less dirt" thing. I figure it's worth a shot-I get so many bugs & dirt in my house and I'm so tired of it. I think I will ask my landlord to get an exterminator to come or see if I have to hire one myself. I'm tired of killing all these bugs. I've never had them anywhere else I've lived like I do here.

Ok, don't be grossed out but I also actually wiped my kitchen floor down w/Clorox wipes which was my first time to do anything that even resembles mopping since I moved in-last October. So for almost 9 months I've had dirty kitchen floors. They're still kinda dirty looking (I think it's the laminate) but at least they're pretty germ-free. (*Special friend who eats sausages off the floor, you can now rest easy...) ;)

So today, my day is filled w/sending off birthday cards, picking up flags to borrow for VBS, working at the church, & doing our last minute shopping for final items (although I know I'll have to go back Sunday afternoon right before it starts). Yes indeed, panic mode is setting in but at this point, there's not much else I can do. I am trying to psych myself up w/each passing day. Hopefully by Sunday, my mouth won't be broken out w/ulcers from the stress and I will have found just a little time to sleep. (Yeah, right...who am I kidding?)

Wow, I just read back over this post & I'm pretty boring aren't I? Who, besides me, will be glad when I can stop writing about VBS??? (Yes, I see those hands.) I do apologize for my boring entries as of late. I just haven't had a life for the past 6 weeks. But I promise you, July 4th-let freedom ring-For our country & for me! :)