Dandelion Dreams

TWO RIVER BAPTIST CHURCH YOUTH GROUP

 1980's

WOW...do these pictures bring back so many memories!!  TRBC (officially known as Two Rivers Baptist Church in Nashville, TN) has recently gone through some difficult times and it's sad to see this as this is the church I will forever have warm memories of as a child and especially a teen! This trying time will pass and He will prevail again in that newly named Fellowship at Two Rivers.

Recently someone created a group on Facebook called "The 1980's Youth Group"  and are planning a reunion on June 3rd of this year.  I'm so excited about this!!  Just reading some of the posts' that have been placed on Facebook have brought back a rush of memories on so many of the trips we took while in school.  

I honestly think my first trip was 4th or 5th grade to Pigeon Forge, Tn for the GA/Acteens yearly meeting.  We worked on badges, listened to missionaries, crafts and learned songs from all across the world.  As I became an Acteens in my teens we would go to camp away from home at Camp Linden, Camp Carson  both in TN for a full week.  What great times!! I even enjoyed the time my stepmom went as a counselor!!  Our tour thru Christus Gardens in Gatlinburg was special sharing it with her.

One thing I can specifically remember is my parents giving me spending money and having to make it last.  I can recall how "old" I felt for being responsible for my money!  Too funny!!  We would choose a craft and work on it the entire week or make several smaller ones.  What I would give to have the tray I made my stepmom and pass it down to my daughter now!  It was gray/turned up edges and we had to use this tool to etch a design into it.  I was so proud of that project and recall how I didn't want to spend any extra money at the canteen so that I could afford it first thing that Monday when my craft time came!  

I recall the musty smell of the cabins.  The howl of the coyotes late at night.  The spiders and how we would all squeal at the top of our lungs!  Waking to a trumpet and exercises at the flag pole!  Singing kum-by-ya, This Little Light of Mine, Father Abraham, Banner over me is Love,  (For the life of me there was another song we sang and it just slipped my mind)    Lighting candles on our last night and setting them afloat in the river and watching them until they were out of sight.  Such wonderful girl time and learning about God, Missionaries and countries without the freedom to worship.

THEN:   then we became "real teenagers" and the real fun (or should I say trouble) started.  haha!!  We went to St. Simons Island, GA for a missions trip.  The bamboo garden was amazing.  The beach smelled like sulfur the entire week and the water from the hotel sink stained everything!  John Shillington and Jim Knott (music direction and youth minister) caught climbing over the fence to play tennis one morning...we rolled the bus that night.  Talent contest.  The 14 hour bus trip that was before seat belt laws!  Amazing we all survived!!   There was the trip to Disney World in Orlando, Mission trip to Atlanta.  A trip to Chicago.  I'll never forget the trip to Lookout Mountain, Chattanooga, TN.~  that's where I got saved!  We had payphones back in those days and we were prohibited from using them.  Yet, after I made my personal decision to ask Jesus into my heart and become a Christian and we had counseling I remember Jim Knott knocking on our door and asking me to come out into the hall.  He took all of us that had made a decision to a room and gave us the opportunity to call home.  I remember telling my Daddy first.  It's funny because it wasn't like him to ever pick up the phone.  He said, "Oh honey, I'm so proud of you!"  We chatted for just a moment more and he placed my step-mom on the phone.  I was so excited to tell her.  She was the true spiritual leader in our home during those days and I remember her just crying and shouting Hallelujah!!  I laughed and she said something like, "Imagine what the angels in Heaven are doing!"   I've always remembered their comments and the emotion in their voices.  

FINALLY:  there was the year of the Living Christmas tree when the boys literally "fell" through the ceiling during the live performance.  Whew....glad I wasn't a part of that one!! lol !!  They did a good bit of damage to the sanctuary ceiling that was/is 30+ feet high!  One of them broke his arm....  
I did however participate in lots of "rolling" of church leaders homes and playing tricks during services.  There were countless choir performances and skit.  Crazy rehearsals.  Lock-in's that consisted of staying up all night, ice cream at 3am, dodge ball tournaments, contest of walking in refrigerator boxes with masks on, ping pong and pool tournaments and sleeping bags everywhere!

I'm excited about meeting up with some great friends that I've lost contact with over the years.  Friends that were true treasures during those growing up years.  So many times I will have a memory resurface and I'm able to bore my kids with my stories~lol  now I'll get to share those memories with the ones that help create the events!

Looking forward to June 3rd!