and then there's his wife...

I loved RB's blog about Op Camp - and the cool thing is that those really are the reasons he went to Op Camp and loved it.  I don't think he explained very well that he and I both began going to Op Camp as counselors when we were around 16 years old in California.  The one in West Texas began when I was a senior in high school and then the Como Op Camp just celebrated its third year.  Pretty amazing - and yes, we're getting OLD!  :)  But here's what made me laugh about his whole sweetly spiritual commentary on his experience - I do not remember one kid that I encountered at Op Camp.  I remember being very intimidated by the kids and often wishing I didn't have to deal with any of their needy issues.  MY favorite part of camp was Randy Brown (or whatever boy I happened to be dating at the time - usually him) and I could tell you lots of memories about that hunk of a high school boy!  I'm not sure where all of our supervision was in California, but we spent at least one night out under the stars with a few other friends all night and never got in trouble.  Now let me defend his honor - this was also the camp in which he told me that he had decided not to kiss me until we got married (he's always been quite the visionary, even at 16).  So he gave me a Hershey's kiss (which I kept for years until it was eaten by a worm) and our sleeping under the stars was kept perfectly innocent.  We wrote numerous love letters to each other during the week (which I still have) and as long as I knew I'd be seeing him OFTEN during the week, then Op Camp was absolutely wonderful!  :):)  So there you have it.  My self-absorbed little high school self was pretty unconcerned with the inner-city poor children of Oakland.  I went for the boyfriend.  But isn't it cool how God uses us in all our messed-upness (yes, I realize I just invented that word) to accomplish His purposes and give Himself glory?  Isn't it cool that some of our first experiences together were with the poor?  I love the stories God writes!  And by the way, in case you're not familiar with the rest of that story, Randy and I dated until my junior year/his senior year in high school and then he dumped me (he was quite the football jock - go "Killer!").  He still had not kissed me and some other football teammate later stole my man's first kiss - sigh.  I thought we were done forever, but God brought us back together my sophomore/his junior year in college.  I was the first and the only woman he has ever kissed!  I love my man.  And I love our life together.