I don't know if this was a part of your growing up, but VBS (Vacation Bible School) has been a staple of summer around here for as long as I can remember.  This year our theme was God's Big Backyard.

Our kids were challenged to be of service to their family, friends, neighborhood and community and then that was all tied into the idea that when we serve others, we serve Jesus.

We had an interesting mixture of kids-ages 1 to 18.  The company we use, Standard Publishing, changed their levels of classes from six down to four.  This did a better job, I think, of grouping kids together.  It certainly also made it easier to staff the classes~

All in all, we had 31 kids over the course of the week.  It's getting tough to find a week when there isn't so much going on~we were competing with two local festivals, minor league baseball, soccer camp, boy scout camp and vacations.  Every year, we try to schedule it for the least busy week of the summer, but there is just so much going on anymore that it is almost impossible to find a week.

But it is worth it, even if the kids only make it a day or two.  I will see them later in the fall and they will still be talking about VBS.  It does make an impression on them.

We deviate from the craft kits (which are, I think, too expensive and not very useful or durable) and we are blessed to have a very crafy oriented lady in our church who works long and hard on interesting and useful crafts for the kids.  She had bucket hats for each kid, made nifty nametags and daily attached badges to the hats for the kids.  They also made corkboards, bird treats, kitchen trivets, ecofriendly market bags, other neat things.

My favorite memory?  Watching the entire VBS play a rousing game of Red Rover, teens to wee ones. 

It has become tradition to end VBS with a water balloon battle and we, of course, had to keep to tradition.  We called it washing the parking lot.  :>)

Did you every attend a VBS and what was your impressions of it?

First, a confession.  I'm in major work avoidance.  While confession is good for the soul, it's not getting my work done.  :>)

One thing I've noticed about Xanga is that it allows all of us to voice our feelings, vent, or just plain rail against injustices, real or perceived.

Fine.  Dandy.

Something else I have noticed, and of which I am probably guilty to an extent, is that Xanga allows those who wish to spout off on topics in a manner best described as sanctimonious.

For example, I sometimes give in to the attraction of reading some of the featured content.  Usually, I kick myself afterwards.

One currently running is a "lamewad list of things you should never buy" and in that list are such things as SunnyD, bottled water, lunchables, etc.  Things of convenience rather than cozy, homemade or ecologically sensitive quality.

Fine.  Dandy.

The writer, who writes well by the way, lists the reasons why one should not buy these items.  In as far as that goes, fine. The reasoning is sound for the most part and the writer has looked at the details.  I suppose what bothers me the most is the sanctimonious tone the writer uses.  You know the one I mean, smug, confident that the esteemed writer will never stoop to doing such things, secure in the knowledge that they are right and the rest of the cretins in the world would be vastly improved if they only saw the world through the eyes of the writer.

In the mid twentieth century, these folks would have been called boors.

I guess if you are an older teenager or a twenty something, you probably do think you have all the answers.  After all, you are at the height of your physical prowess and are living high on the idea of being independent and in control, supporting yourself and looking at the world through crisp, clear eyes.

There's just one problem with that.  While you may indeed be an adult, you simply haven't lived long enough to experience a lot of the situations that may make you do some of those same things you are so sanctimonious about right now.

Kind of like swearing you'll never say the things that would make you sound like your mother.

 Uh huh.

And yes, I've reached the magical year of fifty.  The way I look at life now has a lot more wiggle room in it for the behaviors of other people and a lot less of the finger pointing that I used in my twenties.  I've seen issues come and go, and sadly, the same ones are around that my generation thought for sure we would solve by the time we reached thirty.  Does this make me soft?  I think not, but I am for sure much more forgiving of myself and others. 

That realization that I'm not the beacon to the world I thought I was in my twenties has had a sobering effect on the sanctimonious tone I've taken on strong issues.  I blush, frankly, at how boldly and harshly I tried to redirect people who were dealing with issues I had no concept of, much less knowledge about how to solve. 

You could say that I've lived long enough to face up to my mistakes.

And that's the rub.  When you are young (and yes, I wish sometimes I could go back....) you are just so all fired sure that you are going to change the world.  Then, one day, you realize that the world changed you.....and for the most part?  You are a better person for it.

There's just one thing that's rather ugly.  It's eating all those sanctimonious words you so forcefully spewed.......

It is time.

Vacation.

Back in a week or so.

Behave yourselves, ok?