Skip to main content

CWO -- Seeds

Captain’s Log, Stardate 11.07.2006

Blog book giveaway:
To enter, go to the blog links below and post a comment there.
My Thursday book giveaway is Coldwater Revival by Nancy Jo Jenkins.
My Monday book giveaway is Lost in Nashvegas by Rachel Hauck.
You can still enter both giveaways. On Thursday, I'll draw the winner for the Coldwater Creek and post the title for another book I'm giving away.

Win an iPod Nano! Exclusively for my newsletter YahooGroup subscribers, I have a huge contest running until January 31st! Get more info on my contest page!
Click here to join Camys_Loft
Click to join Camys_Loft




Check out Christian Women Online (click on the button above) to see what other women are blogging about this quote:

"Just as an inferno begins with but a spark, a field grows vast and plentiful from the sprinkling of seeds"
~ Stephanie Fries ~
Steph's Poetry Corner


I've been doing youth group work for about 10 or 11 years now, I can't quite remember. The kids have probably sucked out all my brain cells by now.

When I first got interested in youth group, it wasn't some huge "calling" that stopped me in my tracks. It was the fact I sucked at Sunday School and wanted to serve at my church in some way.

At the time, my church had a full music crew and ran on oiled wheels. The only places open were Sunday School teachers, and I was terrible with kids. So I thought, well, what about youth work?

My friend's friend's church had a need for youth group workers, so I visited one day. And immediately I clicked with a group of junior high school girls who somehow thought I was cool.

It was then I actually felt the calling. I realized how much I enjoyed this work and could feel God's pleasure when I worked with the kids.

Not all the time. As different groups of kids came and went, we had a full range of personalities and spiritual maturities. Some days I really wanted to strangle them all. Other days, I was just tired.

I kept at it, because I knew this was what God wanted for me. No matter how bratty, whiney, stubborn, rebellious, melodramatic, sullen, frustrated, or confused they were, I stuck with it. (They're teens and pre-teens—can we say hormones???)

It wasn't until that first group of junior high girls had grown up, graduated high school, and gone off that I realized what those trying years were for.

Some of the girls went off to their own thing—other friends, other lifestyles, slowly phasing God out of their lives.

But some of them went on to colleges. To new cities. To new churches. To leadership in those churches. To missionary work across the ocean.

I thought I was just pitching seeds and they were raining on nothing. But all God needed was one seed in each precious heart. He grew them. He used us to water them. He transplanted those plants and they're flourishing in other places, doing His will.

People in Japan whom I have never met have heard the gospel because God used me to plant a seed and water it in one of those junior high girls. That just floors me. I feel so insignificant and yet elevated at the same time.

God uses all of us. He demands faithfulness—even in the face of bratty, whiney, stubborn, hormonal teens—so He can use us.

God, use me more.

Although if You could make them a little less hormonal . . .

TMI:

Bible in 90 Days: Day 9. I think the whole thing about faithfulness has struck me because I'm reading Numbers (and may I say, I'm totally stoked it only took me two days to get through Leviticus).

Those ritual sacrifices and those laws reflected God's holiness, so they demanded perfect faithfulness. Because of the covering of Christ's blood, I think I take the whole issue of holiness too lightly because I never had to spill blood to achieve it.

I am more aware of God's holiness, and I desire to give Him more perfect faithfulness. The day in, day out service. It might feel like drudgery some days, but seeds can grow from that.

Writing: I'm still working on plotting this darn thing. No more words yet. Please pray for some supernatural writers duct tape for all these darn holes.

Diet: I exercised yesterday! I want to exercise every day the rest of this week. Still can't shake this cough, though. But it's starting to get better. Why is it always the cough that lingers for weeks after a cold?

Comments

  1. God Bless youth workers. I had a solid family heritage leading me to faith, but it was my youth workers I looked to for guidance more than anyone else. Maybe I need to look one of them up and encourage him with how his seeds have grown in my life? Well done for watering those seeds in hormonal ground.

    ReplyDelete
  2. I laugh because here I am 48 feeling all those same hormones raging! They aren't exclusively for the teens I fear! And like those kids I have whined and fussed but a seed does grow in my heart! I think you have a special talent to work with the youth. I find them very difficult to communicate with. I am still looking for where I am supposed to be spreading my seeds. Wonderful posting!

    ReplyDelete
  3. hehehehehe ... i wish He would make ME a little less hormonal sometimes, too!!!!! :)

    that's awesome ... God is SO good to allow you the privalege to see your seeds grow and bloom! you're doing a great work trudging thru those hormones and loving those kids :)

    ReplyDelete
  4. Hi Camy,

    Haven't visited in a while. I sure like stopping in here for a smile. Hope you are well!! See you soon. Lynn

    ReplyDelete
  5. guess what! i got my letter in the mail today that i got accepted to grad school!!! thanks so much for your prayers. now i must just pass this final semester......

    ReplyDelete
  6. Thanks for sharing this Camy - and I totally see why they thought you were cool;-)

    I'm supposed to be writing...

    ReplyDelete
  7. Deborah:
    Contrats on Grad School! That is amazing!

    Camy - I exercised today too. With writing, my schedule gets so hectic it's hard to make time...

    Tina

    ReplyDelete
  8. Lev and Numb . . . hhmmmm . . . only two days to get through Lev? eh? Cool.

    You go girl!

    ReplyDelete
  9. Camy, that floors me too how many seeds grow from one. Awesome!

    I exercised today and I've been doing it for a few days. I got an ipod, and I listen to worship music while I walk the treadmill. I feel so refreshed when I'm done!

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular Posts

Laura’s Apricot Shell Shawl knitting pattern

I usually have a knitting project in mind when I write it into one of my books, but Laura’s apricot-colored shawl just kind of appeared upon the page as I was writing the first scene of Lady Wynwood’s Spies, volume 4: Betrayer , and it surprised even me. I immediately went to my yarn stash to find a yarn for it, and I searched through my antique knitting books to find some stitch patterns. I made her an elegant wool shawl she could wear at home. The shawl ended up tagging along with Laura into the next book, Lady Wynwood’s Spies, volume 5: Prisoner , where it imparts some comfort to her in her trying circumstances. The two stitch patterns are both from the same book, The Lady’s Assistant, volume 2 by Mrs. Jane Gaugain, published in 1842 . A couple excessively clever and creative knitters might have knit these patterns in the Regency era, but they would have only passed them around by word of mouth or scribbled “recipes” to friends or family, and it wouldn’t have been widely use

Phoebe’s Muffatees knitting pattern

In Lady Wynwood’s Spies, volume 4: Betrayer , Phoebe wears a pair of lace muffatees, or gauntlets/arm-warmers that hide a rather deadly surprise. :) I actually got the idea of having her wear muffatees because I saw a lace manchette pattern in Miss Watts’ Ladies’ Knitting and Netting Book , published in 1840, page 20. However, after doing some research, I found that they were called muffatees in the Regency era, and the term manchette did not arise until a few years later. They were essentially arm-warmers worn under those long sleeves on day dresses, which were usually made of muslin too thin to be very warm. I decided to knit Phoebe’s muffatees using a Leaf Pattern originally suggested for a purse in Mrs. Gaugain’s book, The Lady’s Assistant, volume 1, 5th edition published in 1842, pages 234-237. I think there was an error and row 36 in the original pattern was duplicated erroneously, so I have adjusted the pattern. The original manchette pattern called for “fine” needles a

Keriah’s Pyrennees Shawl knitting pattern w/ @knitpicks Palette

Why I knit this shawl: I wanted to knit the sunset-colored shawl Keriah was wearing in chapter 5 of my book, Lady Wynwood’s Spies, volume 2: Berserker , so I looked for an antique pattern that might have been used during the Regency era. This one caught my eye, even though it was published in a knitting book a few decades later than the Regency era. The Spider-Net border pattern was most definitely in use in the Regency period, but it’s also remotely possible that the Alice-Maud stitch and the lacy border stitch patterns were also in use during the Regency, being passed on from knitter to knitter via hand-written receipts, by verbal instruction, or with knitted sampler squares (like how many Shetland lace patterns and Bavarian cable patterns were shared). My/Keriah’s version of this shawl would have been lacy but warm because it is knit with fingering yarn on small needles. Since Keriah was cold, I think she would have grabbed this shawl rather than something more elegant and airy.

No Cold Bums toilet seat cover

Captain's Log, Stardate 08.22.2008 I actually wrote out my pattern! I was getting a lot of hits on my infamous toilet seat cover , and I wanted to make a new one with “improvements,” so I paid attention and wrote things down as I made the new one. This was originally based off the Potty Mouth toilet cover , but I altered it to fit over the seat instead of the lid. Yarn: any worsted weight yarn, about 120 yards (this is a really tight number, I used exactly 118 yards. My suggestion is to make sure you have about 130 yards.) I suggest using acrylic yarn because you’re going to be washing this often. Needle: I used US 8, but you can use whatever needle size is recommended by the yarn you’re using. Gauge: Not that important. Mine was 4 sts/1 inch in garter stitch. 6 buttons (I used some leftover shell buttons I had in my stash) tapestry needle Crochet hook (optional) Cover: Using a provisional cast on, cast on 12 stitches. Work in garter st until liner measures

New contest!

I haven’t had a contest since October! Here’s new one just in time for Christmas. I’m picking 3 winners to each be able to choose 10 books from my Christian book list! And yes, that list includes my books! 1) You get one entry into the contest when you sign up for my email newsletter at http://www.camytang.com/ . If you already belong to my email newsletter, let me know! 2) You get a second entry into the contest if you Like my Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/CamyTangAuthor . If you already Like my Facebook page, let me know! 3) You get a third entry into the contest if you join my Goodreads group: http://www.goodreads.com/group/show/49078 . If you already belong to my Goodreads group, let me know! 4) You get a fourth entry into the contest if you follow me on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/camytang . If you already follow me on Twitter, let me know! 5) You get extra entries into the contest if you get someone else to join my email newsletter. Just email camy {at] c

Year of the Dog serial novel

About Year of the Dog : A month or two ago, I remembered an old manuscript I had completed but which hadn’t sold. It was a contemporary romance meant for Zondervan, titled Year of the Dog . The book had gone into the pipeline and I even got another title ( Bad Dog ) and a cover for it, but eventually my editor at the time decided she didn’t want to publish it, for various reasons. She instead requested a romantic suspense, and so I cannibalized some of the characters from Year of the Dog and thrust them into the next book I wrote, which was Protection for Hire . Honestly, I didn’t take a lot from Year of the Dog to put in Protection for Hire , aside from character names and a few relationship ties. I was originally thinking I’d post Year of the Dog as-is on my blog as a free read, but then it occurred to me that I could revamp it into a romantic suspense and change the setting to Hawaii. It would work out perfectly as (yet another) prequel to the Warubozu series and introduc

Year of the Dog serial novel, chapter 13

I’m posting a Humorous Christian Romantic Suspense serial novel here on my blog! Year of the Dog is a (second) prequel to my Warubozu Spa Chronicles series. Year of the Dog serial novel by Camy Tang Mari Mutou, a professional dog trainer, is having a bad year. While renovating her new dog kenneling and training facility, she needs to move in with her disapproving family, who have always made her feel inadequate—according to them, a job requiring her to be covered in dog hair and slobber is an embarrassment to the family. She convinces her ex-boyfriend to take her dog for a few months … but discovers that his brother is the irate security expert whose car she accidentally rear-ended a few weeks earlier. Ashwin Keitou has enough problems. His aunt has just shown up on his doorstep, expecting to move in with him, and he can’t say no because he owes her everything—after his mother walked out on them, Auntie Nell took in Ashwin and his brother and raised them in a loving Chri

Chinese Take-Out and Sushi for One

Captain’s Log, Supplemental My agent sent me an article from Publisher’s Weekly that discussed this incident: Chinese Take-Out Spawns Christian Controversy And here’s also a blog post that talks about it in more detail: The Fighting 44s This is Soong-Chan Rah’s blog: The PCS blog In sum: Apparently Zondervan (yes, my publisher), who has partnered with Youth Specialties, had put out a youth leaders skit that had stereotypical Asian dialogue, which offended many Christian Asian Americans. In response to the outcry, Zondervan/Youth Specialities put out a sincere apology and is not only freezing the remaining stock of the book, but also reprinting it and replacing the copies people have already bought. I am very proud of my publisher for how they have handled this situation. The skit writers have also issued a public apology . (I feel sorry for them, because they were only trying to write a funny skit, not stir up this maelstrom of internet controversy. I’ve been in youth work long enou

ひとり寿司第36章パート1

「ひとり寿司」をブログに連載します! ひとり寿司 寿司シリーズの第一作 キャミー・タング 西島美幸 訳 スポーツ狂のレックス・坂井 —— いとこのマリコが数ヶ月後に結婚することにより、「いとこの中で一番年上の独身女性」という内輪の肩書を「勝ち取る」ことについては、あまり気にしていない。コントロールフリークの祖母を無視するのは容易だ —— しかし、祖母は最終通告を出した —— マリコの結婚式までにデート相手を見つけなければ、無慈悲な祖母は、レックスがコーチをしている女子バレーボールチームへの資金供給を切ると言う。 ダグアウトにいる選手全員とデートに出かけるほど絶望的なわけではない。レックスは、バイブルスタディで読んだ「エペソの手紙」をもとに「最高の男性」の条件の厳しいリストを作った。バレーボールではいつも勝つ —— ゲームを有利に進めれば、必ず成功するはずだ。 そのとき兄は、クリスチャンではなく、アスリートでもなく、一見何の魅力もないエイデンを彼女に引き合わせる。 エイデンは、クリスチャンではないという理由で離れていったトリッシュという女の子から受けた痛手から立ち直ろうとしている。そして、レックスが(1)彼に全く興味がないこと、(2)クリスチャンであること、(3)トリッシュのいとこであることを知る。あの狂った家族とまた付き合うのはごめんだ。まして、偽善的なクリスチャンの女の子など、お断り。彼はマゾヒストじゃない。 レックスは時間がなくなってきた。いくら頑張っても、いい人は現れない。それに、どこへ行ってもエイデンに遭遇する。あのリストはどんどん長くなっていくばかり —— 過去に掲載済みのストーリーのリンクはこちらです。 *** 36 誰かと結婚するとしたら、きっと駆け落ちだ。 クスクス笑うマリコのブライズメイドの後をついて、レックスはよろめきながらパゴダブリッジ・レストランに入った。泣きわめくティキの隣で四時間立ちっぱなし——マリコはレックスを列の最後に入れてくれたから、ありがたい——抜歯と同じぐらい喜ばしい経験だった。ノボケインなしで。 (ウェディングそのものは一時間だけ。よかった)リハーサルも終わり、あとはオリバーを見つけ、四時間ぶりに椅子に座って、祖母のおごりで高価なリハーサルディナー(結婚式リハーサ

One-Skein Pyrenees Scarf knitting pattern

I got into using antique patterns when I was making the scarf my hero wears in my Regency romance, The Spinster’s Christmas . I wanted to do another pattern which I think was in use in the Regency period, the Pyrenees Knit Scarf on pages 36-38 of The Lady's Assistant for Executing Useful and Fancy Designs in Knitting, Netting, and Crochet Work, volume 1, by Jane Gaugain, published in 1840. She is thought to be the first person to use knitting abbreviations, at least in a published book, although they are not the same abbreviations used today (our modern abbreviations were standardized by Weldon’s Practical Needlework in 1906). Since the book is out of copyright, you can download a free PDF copy of the book at Archive.org. I found this to be a fascinating look at knitting around the time of Jane Austen’s later years. Although the book was published in 1840, many of the patterns were in use and passed down by word of mouth many years before that, so it’s possible these are