Young Womens' Camp song for 2014

This year the Dallas fourth ward young women will be going to camp the first week of June.  They needed a song to present to the stake on song night.  We came up with this idea during a presidency meeting.  It is to the tune of Let it Go from Frozen. I am putting it on my blog so that I can reference it again in the coming years.  At camp the girls have an opportunity for so many spiritual experiences. The title Let it Grow refers to growing our testimonies of Christ.

To let all of you non-Texans in on something, let me tell you, it is stinking hot and humid in the summer here.  Camp is held the first week the girls get out of school.  I wish I could say this helps. I can say that when a thunderstorm blows through, and they always blow through at that time of year, the temps drop a little for a short period of time.  But for the most part, there is no relief.  It feels like the part of the ride in Frog and Toads Adventure in Disneyland when the coaster is in hell. So, when you go to camp, you have to psyche yourself  up to be okay with the heat.

Let it Grow

D4 YW camp song 2014

The stars shine bright out at Langston tonight,
Not a young man to be seen.
We’re okay with perspiration,
And we’ve cleaned out the latrine.

The spirit’s strong here
Like the brightest sunny day,
Sisters in the truth
Never go astray.

Just let it in, just try to see.
Be the good girl you always want to be.
Reveal, just feel, just try to know.
Well, now we know

Let it grow, let it grow,
Can't hold back anymore.
Let it grow, let it grow,
Testimony to the core.

Here we stand                                                                                                                        for the right today,
Anchored in Christ.
The heat never bothered us anyway.

Out here in the fresh clean air, We finally can breathe.
Our families are back at home,                                                                                                                                        But we just can’t seem to grieve.

It’s time to see what we can do,
To test our limits and breakthrough.
Do right, not wrong, no guilt for me.
We’re free.

Let it grow, let it grow,
We are one with the wind and sky.
Let it grow, let it grow,
On the Savior we will rely.

Here we stand
For the right today,
Anchored in Christ.

We’re grateful for the YCL’s, both one and two.                                                            Grateful for leaders who are loyal, strong, and oh so true,
And now for all the cooks, let’s give them one big cheer.
In four days we’re goin’ back,
But, come what may, we’re here.

Let it grow, let it grow,
And we'll rise at the break of dawn.
Let it grow, let it grow,
To the rod we will hold on.

Here we stand
for the right today,
Anchored in Christ.
The heat never bothered us anyway.

 

Note...A YCL is a youth camp leader.  The girls are youth camp leaders for two years, hence, a YCL one and a YCL two. They really do a lot of work for camp and serve as wonderful examples for the younger girls. 

 

Sweet Sixteen and Never Been Kissed

 

 

When my big kids were younger I came up with a plan to help them avoid getting into romantic relationships when they were so tender in age. I told my daughter, Megan, that if she would wait until she was sixteen until she kissed someone I would give her $100.  She thought that would be a great way to score some new clothes, so she kept her lips sealed, and on her sixteenth birthday I handed her an envelope with her money.  She paid her tithing, then went down to the mall to spend the loot. She was a pretty happy girl.

I offered the same deal to Jeff.  He kept himself to himself until the Halloween when he was fifteen. With four months to go until he reached the magical age, he went to a Halloween party in the Lake Highlands area dressed as the Jolly Green Giant.  This must have been a real turn-on to at least one young lady, because before the night was through she had green face paint smeared all over her face and Jeff had a little less on his, and he had given up his one hundred dollars.

What to do? I gave it some thought and came to the conclusion that I would give Jeff's money to John if he could hold out. So, if John could be make it until his 16th birthday he would get Jeff's money and his money.  What could a sixteen year old boy do with $200?  Surely he would be motivated to stay pure. Two months before he turned sixteen we sent him to EFY (Especially For Youth- an LDS Youth Retreat) in San Diego, California. The romantic atmosphere proved too much for him.  He met the love of his life and kissed his COW (crush of the week) many times.  He told me about it when I picked him up, claiming that the make-out time was definitely worth the $200 he had given up.  I am pretty sure they broke up about two weeks after EFY.

So, one kid was left.  Joe has had the promised blessing of three hundred dollars hanging over his head since he was seven years old. He promised me that he wouldn't be foolish like his brothers. But I know that the promises a seven year old makes sometimes fall by the way when the hormones start to flow. I came up with an addendum to my plan to make it interesting and fair to Megan who was never in line to reap the reward from her brother's weaknesses. I told Joe that if he kissed anyone before he turned sixteen that I would give the money to Megan, because she truly earned it.  Megan had visions of a new Coach purse. Joe was not going to give her the satisfaction.  When Joe came to stay with her for a few weeks during the past two summers she would introduce him to all of the cute young things in her ward and arrange for Joe to get acquainted with the California beach babes. The temptations were high, but Joe has stayed strong, and today he got his envelope with his hard earned money. His friend Claire agreed to pose for this picture with him.  I think it turned out great!

More good news...Joe has his first date planned for Saturday night.  One of the cheerleaders from RHS has invited him to be her date for dinner and Jump Street party. I am so happy he is going.  He knows several of the kids who will be there and I am sure he will have a good time.