This is what happens when I clean!

I've been cleaning my attic and house trying to find as many things as possible for our garage sale (Fri June 29 and Sat June 30... mark your calendars and start spreading the word!!!). And as I've been doing that and starting to clean out my laundry room and other areas of my house I just stumbled across my third, new in the package, space blanket. And it made me smile. This may not mean much to many of you... but any of you who have joined the Walker family via Youth Ministry and specifically World Youth Day, probably also smiled when then read that. It came to mind how many things like this bring a smile to my face, and its because of the priceless ten years in youth ministry, and four World Youth Day pilgrimages that I am graced with so many humorous thoughts and my thinking is marked for life in certain unique ways.. As I sat looking at the space blanket for a few moments I thought of a few... and thought I'd share...

Space Blankets – packed for every WYD to help keep warm when sleeping outside. So, of course seeing one instantly brings me to the two WYD's spent sleeping in VERY cold conditions.... but also, of their additional, unadvertised, purpose, of 'shelter from a CRAZY storm'... and was used for twice, hiding underneath as rain pelted down and crazy winds blew.

Bright t-shirts and accessories – Stumble across an orange bucket hat and remember standing at a restaurant after the adventure of a trip to a German hospital with Michelle wondering if we'll ever find our group again... and 11 orange hats walk right in front of us :) When making shirts and hats... first thought? Can we spot it from a long distance??

Straight black wire – Bent out hanger you think? NOPE.... instantly I see this in my garage, and know “FLAMINGO LEG”!!! Which of course reminds me of two years of flamingo flocking under the dark of night... :)

Cardboard box – EVERY time I see a box bigger than a bread box, I instantly think “I wonder if someone could fit in there and sleep?”

Praise and Worship songs – I often find myself looking around thinking “There are motions to this song!!! Doesn't everyone know that?!”

Sleep – OPTIONAL!! And it doesn't really matter if the sleep we do get is under a tree, on a bus, in a hostel, in a cardboard box, in the dirt/on the pavement... or actually in a hotel!! And I also find that I almost always now keep hotel doors propped during waking hours... because someone “might need to come by”..... and also know that if you DO choose to sleep, pictures MAY be taken of you, and will likely end up all over various forms of multimedia...

Packing – Our attic is adorned with 8 brightly colored backpacks, and newly purchased carry on back packs.... which I now look at and think “I could pack for a 16 day trip in that”

The fundraising skillz – Excel is used to organize youth ministry events and fundraising, yes? I can rattle off with little effort, the costs/profits/work required for any fundraiser from spaghetti dinners, to tigers games, to selling statues to selling pies!!!

The added twist of travelling with a pilgrim family – Every picture/experience has humor and history behind it. We look at pictures of Lourdes for example... and of course I reflect on the Marian procession and the grotto … but not ONCE do I NOT think of Jackie lugging 5 gallons of holy water all over France and Germany following our visit to Lourdes :)

Shoe shopping – Its kind of ingrained in me, when shopping for new tennis shoes, to think “can I walk 5 miles in these?”... even though I don't always need to, I've needed to so many times its almost second nature :)

Waiting for food or anything for that matter – is not a noticeable event any longer. After waiting for hours for slop many times... you kinda learn that its the “journey not the destination” and learn to enjoy your life while waiting :)

IMPOSSIBLE NOT A WORD – If I've learned one thing in this journey through ministry, is that absolutely NOTHING is impossible with God. And you will never hear that word from me :)

There are so many memories, and so many yet to be made on this journey called life :) The memories and lessons are endless, I can only be so thankful for every single “yes” we've given as it has shaped our lives and made them so full!!! And we've collected so many family members along the way :)  And, see... now THIS IS WHAT HAPPENS WHEN I CLEAN!!! LOL!!