Camp Listenbee 2022

 Camp Listenbee is coming to a close! We always start the summer speaking about the importance of being a good steward of time. 24 hours is what God gives us. We get to decide what to do with it. We need wisdom and a strategy to use our time wisely. I draw a pie chart and I use black beans because they are part of our cultural context. 

We kicked off the summer with the Renaissance Festival. It was our first time. It was a hot but fun day. We stayed hydrated and walked around mostly. The kids went to a ride and enjoyed it quite a bit. The people-watching aspect was pretty fantastic.

We spent quite a bit of time going to the library to get books and play games when we needed extra time there.

We could have driven to the pool but we decided to walk most days. It was a great way to include more activity in our days. The kids played water polo for the first time at the end of the season. Swimming in our neighborhood was a fun way to meet our neighbors.

Award season arrived too fast. These kids worked hard every day and we are eager to continue our journey as swimmers.

VBS was a blessing. I thought last year was the last one for my oldest two but no. New Hope has 6th grade with kids ministry, so the kids had another chance to experience VBS. They had a blast. We love VBS. I volunteered again. I try to volunteer every chance I get. My group was the missions group. We visited our church's garden. This ministry is unique, fruitful and much needed. It was so much fun!

Our friends, the Berry Family came to visit us on their way back to Texas. We had an AMAZING time with them. They are fundraising to go on their mission assignment. Join me in contributing to their efforts here in this link

Summers are for birthdays. We celebrated Zelia's birthday at the beginning of the summer. We had friends over for a birthday party. We all had fun! It's hard to believe that my youngest is 10 already.

We loved going to Crumbl cookies for the first time. I've given it to people as gifts but this was our first time trying. They were really all that jazz.

This summer we were all supposed to travel. My husband and I were going to a mission trip together but he went by himself because of a change of plans for me. The kids went to grandma camp with my sister. We all had a great experience. We prefer to be together. Being apart will become the norm as the kids grow and go pursue God's purpose. For now, we're hip to hip as I like to call it.

A long-awaited dream for the kids was to meet Ricky Dillard. His 34th-year anniversary concert was in our hometown so we all went. We're fans. Zeke has been blessed to write for Ricky for a few years. The kids loved meeting him in person. He's a good guy. He is the best at what he does and a very encouraging brother in Christ. You can find his music here.

My sweet second baby is 12! Her birthday is the last kid birthday of the year and the last summer birthday too. On top of the celebrations, we had a program and a tea in her honor. We called it "a young lady according to God's own heart." It was sweet and a blessing to us all!

We closed the summer with a goal-setting activity at a local coffee shop. The Fall will be here before we know it. We always set Fall goals because if you aim for nothing you will hit it every time" as Zig Ziglar said. We set goals in the following categories: academics, savings, faith, and new. Academic goals are the grades and habits we want to cultivate during the school year. Savings goals are goals for our money. Faith goals are spiritual disciplines we want to develop. New is something new want to try whether it is a sport or something new we want to do. I also set goals with the kids. We spoke about how we can encourage one another as we set and pursue these goals.

We had a chance to do so many other things. Now we live closer to our family we visited with them more than we normally would. What blessing! We spent time with friends from church. We had the pleasure of visiting the Atlanta Aquarium and we visited the Olympic Park with an Olympian! God truly blessed us with some amazing friends and mentors at our church.

We're still adapting to our new hometown but thus far, the Lord blessed us with a peaceful and friendly neighborhood and neighbors. We're wanted, loved and treasured. We are reciprocating the same towards everyone. I believe that the summer is more than a time to consume endless fun. It is a time to live what God calls us to do. It is a time to learn. It is a time to love. It is a time to live God's purpose as a blessing in action in the lives of people around us.

Thank God for creating summers.

More in this series:

• Summer Camp 2021 • Camp Listenbee 2020 • Camp Listenbee 2019 • Camp Listenbee 2018

• Camp Listenbee 2017
• Camp Listenbee 2016
• Camp Listenbee 2013
• Summer Organization Tips for Mothers of Preschoolers
• Preschool Summer Camp Coop

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Time management chart for kids

Time is unforgivable. Time is no respecter of persons. It goes by even during a pandemic. What we do with the time we have is completely up to us. 

In a June 2020 survey*, 62 percent of parents to U.S. teens aged 14 to 17 years stated that their kids were spending more than four hours per day on electronic devices since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. Overall, the pandemic triggered a rise in the use of electronic devices among American children under 13 and teenagers with screentime now double that of what it used to be across all age groups.

I believe that we all took liberties in 2020 with our time. We allowed our kids to do the same. In 2021, I am trying to push forward from all the pandemic brought. How do I do? I focus on the only time guaranteed: 24 hours.

For the past few summers, I teach my kids about time management. The teacher learns twice, which is great for me. 

This time, we started with an overview of Bible study. Starting anything focusing on God is important. He created time. He is the Master of time. He can give us wisdom in time management. 

I make a pie chart which represents some of the ways we spend our time. We start with sleep. Without proper sleep, nothing else in the chart works well. We continued with other things we do such as eat, swim, music, Portuguese lessons, etc. 

The good thing about making a chart is that you can notice what's not there. In our case, devotional (ops!). We quickly included it. We eat a lot of rice and black beans so we used the beans to represent 24 hours. Each child filled the different time slots. I asked them, what's missing from the chart? Technology right?

We talked about unwise ways to use technology. Some people use it by not sleeping enough. Others, but not doing other things essential to optimal living. I then asked the kids if they knew how to use technology wisely. The littlest said we can limit the time to 1 hour. The other kids said we can combine it with something we are doing already such as listen to music while walking outdoors. 

We all felt encouraged about our time usage plan. I told the kids that time management they would use for the rest of their lives. I also told them it was important to look at the goal behind the way we were dividing our time. 

We want to be good stewards of the life God is graciously giving us. 

How are you and your family using your time these days?

Source

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Upgrade

“But I with the voice of thanksgiving will sacrifice to you; what I have vowed I will pay. Salvation belongs to the Lord!” And the Lord spoke to the fish, and it vomited Jonah out upon the dry land.” Jonah 2:9-10 (ESV)

Every now and then, my iPhone apps start glitching. This is a clear sign that my phone needs an upgrade. Only after I upgrade my phone, things start working correctly. Most of the time, my upgrades happen at midnight, when I am in deep sleep. I think the engineers chose midnight because most people are not using their phones at the time. Everything stands still and the deep work can take place. 

Jonah needed an upgrade because of disobedience. If you have been following our 40-day journey, you remember that on day 9, we read Psalm 50.

God has kept that Psalm in my mind and heart so I began to dig deep. I learned that Jonah, in the belly of the big fish, prays to the Lord. He uses his own words at first. Then, he uses the words of the psalmist in chapter 50 and he prays: “But I with the voice of thanksgiving will sacrifice to you; what I have vowed I will pay. Salvation belongs to the Lord!” 

Then, and only then, the Lord spoke to the fish who immediately vomited Jonah in dry land. 

God can’t use folk who are disobedient. He can’t use folk who are complainers. His word is clear in Psalm 50: “Offer to God a sacrifice of thanksgiving, and perform your vows to the Most High.” 

Jonah was a prophet. What God says, prophets do. We, as servants of God, have the same mission. What He says in His Word, we must do. Jonah decided to disobey. There are consequences to that choice. The sea and the sailors felt the consequences to the point they threw Jonah into the sea. There was calm for them but Jonah’s journey continued. 

The psalmist advises us: 

“and call upon me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you shall glorify me.”

Calling Jonah did. God answered Jonah. God is faithful to His word and saved Jonah. The salvation was not for Jonah's comfort. It was to glorify God and for the benefit of 120,000 souls and their animals. 

The same principle applies to us today. We need an upgrade. God can only do His work if we obey Him. 

This no-complaint challenge is a call to obedience. It is a declaration that we are not our own. We were bought with a price. As children of God, we are called to be thankful. 

We can’t conjure up true thanksgiving unless the Lord changes our heart. He wants the content of our heart to be fully His. It was easy for Jonah to hide his disobedience to those sailors. It is easy for you and I to hide the bitterness and unforgiveness we carry. Until the Lord calls you out for who you really are: His beloved daughter in need of His intervention. 

Here’s the good news: a big fish is not going to swallow you. But God can put you in a container until you cry out to Him for help. He will keep you there until you give Him what He requires: complete obedience to the word He has spoken to you already. 

You have one choice today: obey your God.

Prayer: I called out to the Lord, out of my distress, and he answered me; out of the belly of Sheol I cried, and you heard my voice. Forgive me for my sin of (tell God what that is). I repent and I am in your capable hands so You can change me. With the voice of thanksgiving, I will sacrifice to you; what I have vowed I will pay. Salvation belongs to the Lord! In Jesus’ name, Amen.

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Comparison

"Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God." Hebrews 12:1-2

Distance running has taught me a lot about endurance. You have to show up for the training. You need to follow a training plan. When you do both things, you develop the endurance you need to run 42 kilometers or 26.2 miles.

The best runners work on their mindset. A negative mindset can stop a runner from giving its maximum performance. Comparison is something that hinders a runner from running their best race. Every time I compared myself to someone else, I was unable to run well. 

I personally believe that there is a connection between comparison and complaints. Comparison is a weight that easily ensnares us. When we compare our lifestyle, personalities, spouses, kids’ accomplishments or whatever we choose, we always lose. Comparison leads us to look negatively at the blessings God gave us. 

Before you compare yourself, think about this:

“Success is not what you have done compared to what others have done. Success is what you have done compared to what you were supposed to do.” Tony Evans 

So ask yourself: what was I supposed to do? Here is another question: what did God graciously place in my hands? How can I not only be a good steward but improve these blessings He has given me? 

Your mindset will shift from being trapped in comparison to being set up for true success. 

Today I want to encourage you to embrace the race that is set before you without comparing yourself to others. Jesus is the only perfection you need to focus on, everything else is pure illusion.

Let us all run our race together looking to Jesus. Let’s show up for the training. This means today, you will present yourself to Coach Jesus. Let’s follow His training plan found in the Bible. 

There's joy set before us. It's difficult to see it if comparison is restraining your vision and complaints are filling your lips. 

Action Points:

• Ask yourself: what's the point of comparing myself with ________________? Has it brought me more condemnation than joy?

• Look to Jesus. Can you feel the peace, grace and love He has to offer?

• Think about how much better life is without Comparison. Make a point to live that way today.

Prayer: Jesus, today I ask forgiveness for comparing myself to others. Forgive me of the envy and complaint it produces. Free to run this race of life looking to Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith. In Jesus’ name, Amen. 

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The end of the day

 “The sacrifice that honors me is a thankful heart. Obey me, and I, your God, will show my power to save.” Psalm 50:23 (CEV)

I don’t know what it is about the end of the day. My guards are down. I’m tired. I just complain about whatever is in my heart. My husband, who is a Godly man, encourages me to be thankful. He says God wants to change me and I need to accept God’s ways. I go to sleep and I start over the next morning. 

I grabbed a cup of coffee and opened one of my old Bibles. I felt like God was speaking directly to me. He said: 

“I am God Most High! The only sacrifice I want is for you to be thankful and to keep your word. Pray to me in time of trouble. I will rescue you, and you will honor me. The sacrifice that honors me is a thankful heart. Obey me, and I, your God, will show my power to save.” Psalm 50:14, 15, 23 (CEV)

I was in awe. God saw the content of my heart. He was not pleased. God also knew that I was offering the wrong sacrifice to Him. In my mind, spending a day not complaining was good enough. He knew that my heart was filled with bitterness.

He said, “The only sacrifice I want is for you to be thankful and to keep your word.” 

My word a couple of months ago was that I would fast on Wednesdays from sun up to sundown. The first Wednesday went well. The following Wednesday, I ended the fast earlier because I “needed energy.” 

Liar. I told God I would do something and then modified the plan. God said, “keep your word.” So I repented. The following Wednesday, with God’s help, I kept my word. 

During these 40 days, as I read the Bible and pray, God has been very clear about what He expects from me. He wants obedience. He wants me to be thankful. Not verbally but from the depths of my heart. 

If I make a promise, God wants me to keep it. How much more clear does He have to be than this: “The sacrifice that honors me is a thankful heart. Obey me....”

I want to have a thankful heart. I can’t have one if the only thing I focus on is my behavior. My behavior dictates that I do not complain for 40 days. There’s nothing wrong with that unless my heart is full of unrepented sin.

Friend, God is not interested in your behavior. He is interested in your heart. I want you to think about the content of your heart. Is there sin still residing there? Do you have bitterness hanging out and causing you to feel yucky? Do you hold anger back (no matter how tamed) when you think about complaining? God can fix all of that. How so?

Repent. Go to God with a humble attitude and admit you can’t change on your own. Submit to His word. The answers are all there. Listen to God’s voice. He might require you to go on a fast. He might require you to apologize to someone. Listen to His voice. Obey. Don’t be discouraged about what it takes to walk in obedience. Just do it. 

The end of my days is changing. I’m still tired but that old bitterness is gone, thanks to God’s mercy and forgiveness. 

This 40-day journey hasn’t been pretty. It has required brokenness and humility. I realize that this is the way of holiness. We submit our will to God so His will can be lived out in and through us. 

Prayer: Lord, I admit I haven’t been thankful from my heart. Forgive me, I pray. I want to hear your voice. What do you require of me so I can truly change? I commit to obey you, no matter what you require. Your ways are better than mine. You are good and you want good for me. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

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A simple question

First outing as a mom of 3 in 2012

“The Lord descended in the cloud and stood with him there, and proclaimed the name of the Lord. The Lord passed before him and proclaimed, “The Lord, the Lord, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, keeping steadfast love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, but who will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children and the children's children, to the third and the fourth generation.” 

Exodus 34:5-7 (ESV)

Motherhood taught me many lessons. The main lesson I learned in 2012 was the power of simple questions. I had a newborn, a 1-year-old and a 3-year old. If you don’t know what that means, let me put it like this: I was changing three diapers.

I was also faced with the same challenges I had before. C-section recovery, nursing issues and how to deal with difficult people in my life.

 

In the midst of my reality, I was encouraged to answer a simple question.  What is the Character of God concerning my current situation? 

 

I had to take time to think about the answer. Questions are doorways to solutions. They require time from us. The time we invest in God’s presence, will guarantee a change of perspective. 

 

Moses was facing a big problem when he went up Mount Sinai a second time to meet with God. The people made a golden calf claiming that the idol brought them out of Egypt. Moses gets mad. God gets furious at the people. 

When Moses makes intercession for the people of Israel, something amazing happens. God reveals His Character to Moses. He reveals Himself as the LORD, merciful, gracious, slow to anger, abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness. He is a God who forgives sin and iniquity but by no means He ignores sin.  That’s His Character. 

When humans face problems, they just want them fixed. We treat God the same way. What the simple question I am suggesting does is offer a different way to connect with a good God who wants to reveal Himself to us. 

 

What is the Character of God concerning your current situation? I gained a new perspective and renewed trust when I pushed myself to answer this simple question. I found God to be gentle in leading me as a mother of young children (Is. 40:11). I found God to be a healer. When it came with my problems with dealing with difficult people, I learned that God loves them too. He doesn’t avoid them. 

I found myself repenting. I learned I needed to be more loving and longsuffering as God’s character is so beautifully displayed in the Bible. 

 

Dear friend, have you ever thought about the character of God in your current situation?

I am certain that the challenges that you face are meant to make you grow and mature. True maturity is attached to learning who God is. 

I encourage you to ask: What is the Character of God concerning my current situation? Open your Bible and see what God says about Himself.

Prayer: God, in every season, you are for me. Forgive me for going through life without asking myself how You want me to handle my difficulties. Show me your Character as I go through this day. I ask in faith knowing that You are a God who reveals Himself to us through your precious Word. In Jesus’ name, Amen. 

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Put in a good word

My parents Jose and Sueli. My mother is holding me,
my father is holding my older sister. The year is 1980.

 “Anxiety in a man’s heart weighs him down, but a good word makes him glad.” Proverbs 12:25 (ESV)

My father grew up in a time when words had weight. As a matter of fact, my father’s words were worth people’s livelihood. 

My father always helps others. When he knows someone in our community needs a job, he speaks to someone who can give that person a job. Over the past 50 years, my dad’s words were used to give people great jobs in Brasil. 

My father also uses his words to encourage young people to pursue education. He encouraged people to dream and think about what they can achieve 5 to 10 years from now. He gives special books to people in his audience who would share what their dreams for the future are. My dad is my visual example that words have the power to uplift. 

Your words have that same power. The Bible says so. Today’s scripture speaks about how we can eliminate anxiety from a person’s heart. We can use our words to uplift. 

My favorite words are the ones I find in the Bible. I often share  Bible verses with friends who need encouragement. When I pray with people, use the words of the Bible. God’s word is powerful to encourage us.  

I heard someone say that the most influential person in our lives is ourselves because we are always listening to our own thoughts. 

Every so often I make an experiment with myself. If I have a bad attitude about something (from chores to overcommitments), I trace the source of my thoughts. 

Words are powerful, whether we hear them or speak them to someone else. I see Proverbs 12:25 as a reminder to be encouraging to others constantly. It is true that we never know what people are going through but we are reminded to put in a good word. 

One of the rewards for putting in a good word is found in Proverbs 11:25: you will be refreshed! Remember that you reap the encouragement you sow.

Whether you or someone you encourager is suffering with anxiety, put in a good word. Choose the words of the Bible. Be like my dad: do it intentionally. 

 

Action Items:

• Take time today to trace the thought patterns that led to a bad attitude. Repent and ask God to help you have His heart towards the issue you face.

• Look at the garden of your life and count how many seeds of encouragement you have planted this year. If your count is low, get to planting more!

• Put in a good word. Write them on a card and put them in the mail. Text a Bible verse to a friend. You will be so blessed in your doing. 

Prayer: Jesus, you have words of life. We live in an anxious world and our thoughts are sometimes filled with anxiety. Know our anxious thoughts. Guide us in your everlasting way of peace. We ask this in Jesus’ name. Amen. 

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Lent 2021: what is it?

Lent is the 40 days between Ash Wednesday and Holy Saturday, not counting Sundays. It is a super long time. 

Growing up, we didn't really observe lent. We knew it existed. We mainly focused on preparing with joy for Easter. 

Once I became a mother, I decided to teach the importance of Easter to the kids, starting with Lent. 

I don't do the "give up something for Lent" thing because Biblical fasting makes more sense to me. As a family, we read "The way to the Savior" by Jeff and Abbey Land. The readings really help those 40 days seem more doable. 

Before we were blessed with this book, I basically would give the kids a lent calendar they could color and we would read every story of the Bible leading to Easter. Some stories we would read more than once, which is good. 

I believe that in 2021, the story of the temptation of Jesus is the one I want to focus on. 

"Then Jesus was led by the [Holy] Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. After He had gone without food for forty days and forty nights, He became hungry. And the tempter came and said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread.” But Jesus replied, “It is written and forever remains written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes out of the mouth of God.’” • Matthew 4:1-4 (AMP)

Before Jesus begins his ministry, He is led by the Holy Spirit to the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. That does not sound fun at all. 

I'm amazed that Jesus became hungry after 40 days and 40 nights. I think that my record would be 40 seconds. 

Biblical fasting is something I practice because of what I see in the scriptures. I also saw it modeled by my parents and family. 

Jesus is God. He was also in human flesh when He quoted Deut. 8:3.  Man shall not live by bread alone but by every word that comes out of the mouth of God. 

God has a track record of providing manna in the desert. For every wilderness season God took His people to, He provided the nourishment they needed. 

I believe the same is true for me and you this year. 

Here's the trick: how can we know every word that comes out of the mouth of God if we won't read His book? 

I can do absolutely nothing about the past. But for today, I will read God's word. I will set aside time to practice fasting as the Bible prescribes it. 

I will allow God to do a work in my life this Lent season. I will pray to be used by God so I can teach my children the importance of the resurrection of Jesus. 

How about you? What will you ask God to do in your life this Lent season?

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Camp Listenbee 2020

Camp Listenbee is often an adventure. A new city and a global health emergency required us to get creative and adapt. Adapting we did. 

We spent time with family. This summer, my nephew is officially taller than I am. We love spending time with our sweet family. The kids had a great time together exploring our town. The public swimming pool is open with restrictions so they all splashed quite a bit. 

We spent quite some time in the public library getting books and returning books. I signed up for the summer reading challenge (which we more than completed) I just haven't logged in their books. I guess I should before school returns. I read quite a bit myself. The library is new to us but a familiar place at the same time. The kids and I love books. It's amazing to scape to the world of a book. 

 

We swam quite a bit. There were restrictions everywhere but the kids had a solid swim team season. They enjoyed it and I was happy to see their progress. I've always said that swimming is a gift. I'm glad to share it with my littles. For the record, I've never been in a swim team. My parents put me in lessons and I learned three styles. I'm not a competitive person so I swim for the joy of it. I like to swim because it gives something different than running. I am thankful to God for the ability to swim as a sport. 

I learned that there are millions of berry farms in our area. My sweet friend invited us to visit one and we had an amazing time. The kids enjoyed the ice cream and the hot dog at the end. Ha ha! We will be back again and again for sure!

We did a little bit of traveling in our area. It was fun to get away for a bit. We visited an indoor waterpark. The kids absolutely loved it!

We also had a chance to get to know Canyon Lake. It was so incredibly beautiful! Our family loved that area of Texas and we will return for sure. 

This summer the kids wrote quite a bit as far as letters. They were faithful to keep in touch with friends. It was fun to see their smiles when they got letters in the mail. I'm glad we share the same appreciation for letter writing. 

We stretched our musical abilities quite a bit. One of my littles gave us a concert featuring a song she wrote. It was so precious and encouraging. 

Summer is my favorite season. I enjoy the warmth. I enjoy celebrating the kids' birthdays. I enjoy seeing family and friends. I enjoy swimming and eating fresh fruits and veggies. I thank God for summers. They remind me of how good God is to us. He gave us new life and we get to enjoy it to the fullest. 

It took a village but we had an amazing Camp Listenbee. I can't believe this is our first in East Texas. The only thing we didn't do was Cow Appreciation Day. We did give Chick-fil-A quite a bit of our money tough. Lol! 

I think that when I look back at the summer of 2020, I will remember the smiles of my kids. I will remember their incredible faith and trust. I will remember our adventures together and I will remember the goodness of God. 

More in this series:

• Camp Listenbee 2019 • Camp Listenbee 2018

• Camp Listenbee 2017
• Camp Listenbee 2016
• Camp Listenbee 2013
• Summer Organization Tips for Mothers of Preschoolers
• Preschool Summer Camp Coop

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