Church Camp Chaos
Authors: Annie Tipton
“Parents that love each other, a family that laughs and has fun together, friends that take care of each other … what more could you ask for in a story?”
-Michele P.,
Faith, Family, and Fridays
blog
“Not only does Annie Tipton present the story in a fun way (lots of giggles!), but it really is a wonderful story of compassion and God’s love.”
-Rebekah T.,
There Will Be a $5 Charge for Whining
blog
“This book is simply fabulous.”
-Crystal H.,
Crystal Starr
blog
“[It’s] one of those books that grabs your attention the very moment you pick it up…. My children didn’t want me to stop reading.”
-Candy F.,
Strategic Shopping
blog
© 2014 by Barbour Publishing, Inc.
Print ISBN 978-1-62416-826-0
eBook Editions:
Adobe Digital Edition (.epub) 978-1-62836-980-9
Kindle and MobiPocket Edition (.prc) 978-1-62836-981-6
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted for commercial purposes, except for brief quotations in printed reviews, without written permission of the publisher.
Churches and other noncommercial interests may reproduce portions of this book without the express written permission of Barbour Publishing, provided that the text does not exceed 500 words or 5 percent of the entire book, whichever is less, and that the text is not material quoted from another publisher. When reproducing text from this book, include the following credit line: “From
Diary of a Real Payne: Church Camp Chaos
, published by Barbour Publishing, Inc. Used by permission.”
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either products of the author’s imagination or used fictitiously. Any similarity to actual people, organizations, and/or events is purely coincidental.
Scripture taken from the H
OLY
B
IBLE
, N
EW
I
NTERNATIONAL
V
ERSION
®
.
NIV
®
. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Scripture quotations are taken from the
Holy Bible
. New Living Translation copyright© 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc. Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Cover illustration and design: Luke Flowers Creative
Published by Barbour Publishing, Inc., P.O. Box 719, Uhrichsville, Ohio 44683,
www.barbourbooks.com
Our mission is to publish and distribute inspirational products offering exceptional value and biblical encouragement to the masses
.
Printed in the United States of America.
Dickinson Press, Inc., Grand Rapids, MI 49512; February 2014; D10004316
“For I know the plans I have for you,” says the L
ORD
.
“They are plans for good and not for disaster
,
to give you a future and a hope.”
J
EREMIAH
29:11
May 25
Remember when I started writing in you last summer? Remember the fun we had and the memories we made? Wasn’t it great? Remember how I got lazy and stopped writing in you after Christmas?
Yeah, that happened. I’m sorry. The good news is, I’m back now!
Why did I stop writing in you? I blame the longest, most frigidest and snowiest winter ever in the history of Wisconsin. I like snow as much as the next midwestern girl (sledding and snow forts and snowmen and snowball fights and ice-skating are the best!), but by the time January rolled around and the serious cold set in, most of my daydreams had something to do with turning into a bear just so I could actually hibernate until spring. How cold was it? I’m talking temperatures that would freeze the inside of your nose (also known as the weirdest feeling ever) the instant you stepped outside.
During a particularly cold week in February when the temperature was way below zero every day, Dad decided to do a little arctic weather experiment he’d seen on an Internet video. Of course, this got me and my little brother, Isaac, curious, because the last time Dad tried something he saw on the Internet, it ended with Diet Coke and Mentos (you know, those white, round-shaped mints you can get at the grocery store checkout) sprayed all over the side of the minivan. (Mom wasn’t too thrilled about that.)
But with no soda or mints in sight, I asked Dad what he was going to do this time, but he just said to watch and wait. So Dad bundled up like he was going on a long trek through the snow-covered streets. Then he filled a pan with water from the sink and put it on the stovetop to heat up. Again we tried to ask him questions, but he just acted like he couldn’t hear us through his toboggan hat and scarf wrapped around his face and ears. When the water got to a good boil, Dad picked the pan up by its handle, pushed through the kitchen door, and stepped out onto the back patio. Mom, Isaac, and I pressed up against the window to watch. Already we could see billowing steam coming off the hot water in the pan. He pointed at the steam and gave a thumbs-up with his gloved hand, and then, without warning, he hurled the boiling water up into the air!
(Side note: I’m just a kid, Diary, but even I know throwing boiling water up in the air would normally be a supremely dumb idea … but in subzero temperatures, something almost like magic happened.)
The instant the water hit the freezing air, it burst into an exploding cloud of white snow and ice that fell back to the ground as the wind blew it toward the swing set at the edge of the backyard. In two words, it was
spectacularly magnificent
.
