Water balloon fight!

We had a water balloon fight today at work. Every Monday we take the kids to a pool at a local park to swim. During that time I am with the non-swimmers riding the carousel. Today the pump in the pool was broken, so they had to close the pool. That meant that we had to take the kids back to the Boys & Girls Club for the afternoon. The other leaders decided that we needed to have a water balloon fight. I enjoy such activities, so I had no objections to it. We gave the kids some water balloons to throw (we were their targets) and had some party balloons filled with water that we were throwing. One of the leaders had the hose, too. The kids got drenched. I got a little bit wet, mostly from the water balloon that one of the kids popped right over my head and splash from the hose and other balloons breaking. It was fun. I also taught the kids how to play Mafia today. Memories from Israel with that one! I think it went over well and we'll have to do it again sometime. :)

Random notes

My mother e-mailed me this picture of my baby. He's so cute! It just kills him that he cannot jump high enough to get to the cats that like to walk and sit on the fence.

I wanted to play Life on Friday night around 10:15. There were a couple of friends here, too, and one of them, like me, really likes the game. I always wanted to play it when we went to friends' houses, but they never wanted to play. I suppose I still have not gotten over that childhood desire to play the game! The only problem with the urge was the fact that we did not own the game. So I went to WalMart to buy it. We played it, and it was fun!

Tonight there was a party with a lot of the kids from the college & career group from church at one of their houses. We had s'mores around a fire until the thunderstorm came. We played Apples to Apples inside for a little while, and once the rain passed most of them went outside to play manhunt in the woods. I dislike games played in the woods at night, so I stayed inside with a couple of friends and the parents who hosted the party. We had a nice chat for about two hours and didn't leave until just after midnight. I am tired!

Lightning?

You Are Lightning

Beautiful yet dangerous People will stop and watch you when you appear Even though you're capable of random violence You are best known for: your power Your dominant state: performing

What Type of Weather Are You?

Heaven Came Down

Heaven Came Down

O what a wonderful, wonderful day, day I will never forget;
After I'd wandered in darkness away, Jesus my Savior I met.
O what a tender, compassionate friend, He met the need of my heart;
Shadows dispelling, with joy I am telling, He made all the darkness depart.

Chorus
Heaven came down and glory filled my soul, (filled my soul)
When at the cross the Savior made me whole; (made me whole)
My sins were washed away and my night was turned to day,
Heaven came down and glory filled my soul! (filled my soul)

Born of the Spirit with life from above into God's family divine,
Justified fully thru Calvary's love, O what a standing is mine!
And the transaction so quickly was made, when as a sinner I came,
Took of the offer, of grace He did proffer, He saved me, O praise His dear name!

Chorus

Now I've a hope that will surely endure after the passing of time;
I have a future in heaven for sure there in those mansions sublime.
And it's because of that wonderful day, when at the cross I believed;
Riches eternal and blessings supernal, from His precious hand I received.

Chorus

Why I love my job

We fed this stuff to the kids today. What you see are apple slices with sauerkraut and ketchup. It was part of our version of Fear Factor. We also had a karaoke competition. Some of the kids can sing pretty well and some just cannot sing at all. It was fun. We also played dodgeball and we came to the conclusion that the leaders are more competitive than the kids are! I am pretty bad myself! Today was one leader's last day, so we had a little going away party for him, complete with cake and a card signed by the kids in the 10-12 year old groups. It was a full and busy day, but it was fun.

It was really hot in every last room we were in and the warm, rainy weather outside ensured that we were all hot and sweaty all day long. Today was the last day we were at the school, so it is back to the Boys & Girls Club on Monday. Most of the staff were helping to get the school cleaned up, but I had to be home tonight to make sure someone was here when the guys from church showed up. They helped us get our "new" couch in the living room. It was fun to sit and watch the struggle to get the thing in. They had to take off the front door to make it fit, but they got it in and now I think we have all of our furniture! That's a nice feeling. Now we need to invite people over and have a little housewarming party. :)

Field trip fun!

Today we took the kids to a place where they have miniature golf, a skating rink, laser tag and a water slide. I had not roller skated in years, but I thought I might try it. At least a few of the leaders have to get involved in that kind of thing with the kids! Most of the kids were on roller blades, but I opted for the classic, tried and true skates. I wanted to have a little bit of fun, not make a fool of myself! I successfully skated around the rink several times and did not fall. I guess I remember how to do it after all. ;) I would have stayed out longer, but I started to get a sore arch in one foot and sore hip from shifting my weight on the turns. I don't remember such issues from when I did this as a kid. I must not be a kid anymore.

My highly advanced age did not keep me off of the water slides, however. I may be able to resist swimming in a pool, but water slides are far too great of a temptation for me. I actually had to go out shopping for swimming attire earlier this week in anticipation of this day. Note to self: Don't wait until summer is halfway over before buying a swimsuit! Shopping was a pain. Fortunately I was able to find some decent stuff, including some knee-length board shorts, to wear. It was worth it, however, as the rides down the slides today were extremely enjoyable. The kids loved the fact that the leaders were all participating. The leaders had fun. Sounds like a win-win situation to me!

Here are the leaders for the two 10-12 year old groups at the end of the field trip (after getting all wet, so hair and make-up aren't what they were at the beginning of the trip, and I'm sporting a nice shade of pink from spending a lot of time in the sun over the past few weeks, too). The two on the left are the leaders of the other group and the guy next to me has been working with my group for the past three weeks. Tomorrow is his last day (which is a shame - I really like working with him), so I will have a different co-leader for my group starting next week. The bus behind us is full of the kids.

Team Trivia

I went to Team Trivia with my co-workers tonight. It was very fun. There were 11 of us from work plus two spouses. The questions were really random, but we got almost all of them. The answers I provided were all correct, which made me feel better. I happen to know which queen had the longest reign in England, which state calls itself the Evergreen State, what LLC stands for, which late 18th century dance was considered risque and banned in several European countries, why Achilles had an Achilles' heel, and the name of the poem that ends with "nevermore". There were some questions that I just did not know where to even start guessing, however. As a team we did really well. We ended up in second place out of probably 15 groups. It got us a $25 gift certificate for the establishment that we will use next week. I definitely want to go again!

I guess I can do it

Today I provided a little bit more support for my teams in the games I played than I have in the past. While not at all devoid of athletic ability, I have not pursued sports in any capacity in quite some time (with the exception of wallyball, which I played at least once a week for about a year, but even that was almost two years ago). It can take me a long time to get back into the swing of things. Playing kickball after lunch I got a double and scored a run and caught two balls for two of the three outs recorded in the inning I spent in the "outfield" (we were playing in a rather small gym). In dodgeball today I finally decided to attempt to throw the ball with some force. I hit something hard enough that it made the other leaders verbally comment on it - they just weren't expecting it from me, I guess. I wasn't really expecting it, but once I did it and realized that I really can, I did it a few more times (I was trying to knock something down, and probably would have if the game had not ended). We played 5 games - 3 against the other 10-12 group and 2 leaders (8 of us, since we recruited a few extra to help) vs. kids (27 10-12 year olds). My team won all 5 games. That was rather nice, even though I got very hot and sweaty in the process. :) A lot of us were commenting today that it is only Tuesday. It feels like it is MUCH later in the week than that.

A Time to Laugh

I am adding a new blog to my blogroll. It's a very young blog, but the posts are amazing, in my opinion. Julie is a friend's sister-in-law. Her desire is to serve God on the mission field. She was scheduled to begin her full-time ministry in Indonesia this summer, but she has a rather serious and as of yet undiagnosed illness that makes that kind of ministry impossible at this time. Visit A Time to Laugh and be encouraged.

Little League

I went to a Little League baseball game this evening after work with a couple of co-workers. Two of the kids we work with had a game and invited us to come watch them. It was fun to see them play. Apparently this was a big game for them, so I am glad we were able to make it. They won a very close game 2-1 and the other team threatened to score a couple of times. I am so glad they won. To see the dejected look one of them had after a bad at-bat was rough. I do not even want to know what it would have been like to see him lose. Tomorrow we can praise them for their team's victory, and that's a good thing!

I may try to work two part-time jobs to make ends meet, at least for a little while. I would like to keep working with kids, I think, at least for now. I do find myself enjoying it! Part-time jobs are also a little bit easier to come by, even if the pay is not impressive. I might be able to work 50 hours per week that way, too, which would help things a bit.

At the park

Tonight the college & career group from church got together for some ice cream and an evening at the park. The church had its quarterly business meeting tonight instead of a regular service, so we were all skipping that to hang out and have fun. A Cold Stone Creamery opened up in Binghamton recently, so we went there for ice cream. They make their own ice cream in various flavors and have all kinds of "mix-ins" to add to it. I had cake batter ice cream with strawberries and fudge mixed in. It was really good, but very rich. I didn't finish it all. At the park we played volleyball on a sand court and then had hamburgers and hot dogs. After eating some of the group played soccer while others of us sat and chatted for a bit. We made our way over to some playground equipment and played briefly on that. It was a rather fun way to spend a Sunday evening. Tomorrow brings another day with the kids. I am honestly looking forward to it!

God with us

Matthew 1:23
Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.

John 3:16
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

Philippians 2:5-8
Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:
Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God:
But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:
And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.

Galatians 4:4-5
But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law,
To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons.

1 John 4:9-10
In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him.
Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.

Emmanuel is an amazing concept. God with us. He became flesh and dwelt among us out of love, to make us sons and daughters, to die on our behalf, to save us from our sin and to give us eternal life. If I made something I don't think I would want to be part of my own creation for a single moment. Yet that's just what He did. I find that baffling.

Who is this God who came near for my sake? The God who formed the universe from nothing. The God who first breathed life into man. The God who judges all men with terrible wrath. The God who shows mercy upon His children. The God who never slumbers and never sleeps. The God who was and is and is to come. The God who is in control over all things. This is the God who came near for my sake.

Praise the God who came!

God has prepared His sword

Psalm 7
11 God is a righteous judge,
And a God who has indignation every day.
12 If a man does not repent, He will sharpen His sword;
He has bent His bow and made it ready.
13 He has also prepared for Himself deadly weapons;
He makes His arrows fiery shafts.

I read these words during my lunch break yesterday. I was just praying for the salvation of a co-worker moments before and I stopped to pray again. If a person does not believe in Jesus Christ he is guaranteed to experience the wrath of God. God has prepared His sword.

John 14
1 "Do not let your heart be troubled; believe in God, believe also in Me.
2 "In My Father's house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you.
3 "If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also.
4 "And you know the way where I am going."
5 Thomas said to Him, "Lord, we do not know where You are going, how do we know the way?"
6 Jesus said to him, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.

Wrath is not the only thing God is preparing. He is also preparing a place for His children. God will be ready for all men when the judgment comes. I want my friends to see His Son, not His sword. Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved. May my friends see Jesus Christ and come to Him in faith for their salvation from the wrath to come!

Immortal, Invisible, God Only Wise

This hymn has been on my mind for the past few days. I think it's a great one!

Immortal, invisible, God only wise,
In light inaccessible hid from our eyes.
Most blessed, most glorious, the Ancient of Days,
Almighty, victorious - Thy great name we praise.

Unresting, unhasting, and silent as light,
Nor wanting, nor wasting, Thou rulest in might;
Thy justice, like mountains, high soaring above
Thy clouds, which are fountains of goodness and love.

To all, life Thou givest - to both great and small;
In all life Thou livest - the true life of all.
Thy wisdom so boundless, Thy mercy so free,
Eternal Thy goodness for naught changeth Thee.

Great Father of glory, pure Father of light,
Thine angels adore Thee, all veiling their sight;
All praise we would render - O help us to see
'Tis only the splendor of light hideth Thee.

From Psalm 5
4 For You are not a God who takes pleasure in wickedness;
No evil dwells with You.
5 The boastful shall not stand before Your eyes;
You hate all who do iniquity.
6 You destroy those who speak falsehood;
The LORD abhors the man of bloodshed and deceit.
7 But as for me, by Your abundant lovingkindness I will enter Your house,
At Your holy temple I will bow in reverence for You.
11 But let all who take refuge in You be glad,
Let them ever sing for joy;
And may You shelter them,
That those who love Your name may exult in You.
12 For it is You who blesses the righteous man, O LORD,
You surround him with favor as with a shield.

At long last

My roommate looked at the classified ads yesterday and saw an ad for a sleeper sofa with a queen size mattress at a price that we could not beat. Tonight we went to look at it and decided to buy it. The money has been delivered and we have bedding for the bed and the sofa itself should be delivered next week sometime. We will probably put a slip cover on it to cover some of the parts that show its age, but it is not an uncomfortable couch. The mattress is in really good condition, but it's not a very comfortable mattress, so the bedding we bought included stuff to make it more comfortable. At long last we will have a couch in our living room! We also have adequate space for guests to sleep, too, since we have the small futon thing in the office and two twin air mattresses as well. I think that's the last piece of furniture we were going to buy. Now we need to put up window coverings!

The lady we bought the couch from gave us two wreathes. She had them sitting there and knew that we were still getting settled and acquiring stuff for our apartment, so she decided to help us out with something to use for decoration. They just have some artificial ivy on them right now, so we'll get some artificial flowers and spruce them up a bit. Hopefully we'll hang any wreathes outside on the front door. I cannot imagine putting such a thing inside with the way the place is decorated!

Today we went to a park with the kids. We rented a paddle boat and one of the other leaders and I sat on the back and let the kids who wanted to use the paddle boat sit in the front and paddle. It was a great arrangement. :) I played a little bit of kickball, too, so I had my time in the sun today. I forgot what it is like to have a perpetual minor sunburn, but that's what I have now. I also have rather interesting lines on my feet from time out in the sun wearing sandals. The sun really brings out my freckles. They do get darker when I spend time outside! I am enjoying my time. The kids in my group are, for the most part, good kids. They have their moments, but on the whole I do think they could be much, much worse. I am also enjoying the time I have with my co-workers. A lot of them are non-Christians, but they do make for pleasant company and interesting conversation. The guy I've been working with for the past two weeks is leaving in a week to go back to school, since he plays basketball for the university and has to be back for that. That's too bad, since I do like working with him. I've had three different co-leaders for my group, and I'm not really sure who is going to replace the one I have now. I think it will probably be the original co-leader who has been filling in as supervisor for two weeks. Time is passing by quickly and summer will be over before I am ready for it to end!

Words of affirmation

Since words of affirmation are what speak to me, I am going to use them to show my appreciation for some of the friends I have. The list of friends is not exhaustive, nor are the lists of the things I appreciate about them.

The Sisters
Nikki – I can tell her anything and ask her anything. Nothing is sacred between us. I know that she loves me a lot and looks out for my best interest. She has become my close friend in our adulthood.

Erin – Genuinely nice and manages to maintain a positive attitude through just about anything. She cares a lot about people.

The Roommate
Nicole – She is willing to work through conflicts with me to maintain a positive atmosphere in our home and is able to communicate what she needs from me. She is very open about what God is teaching her. We can also talk about almost anything.

The Friends from California
Shieryl – She is sweet and very generous. She is the person with whom I can share VeggieTales, knitting, beer and great conversation all at the same time. She understands what it means to be a committed friend.

Jessica - She is the one I could talk to about theology and know that she enjoyed the conversation as much as I did. We understand each other very well. She's also very sweet.

Tim – I appreciate how nice he’s been over the years, even when I was not nearly as nice to him. Recently it has been great to see how he has grown in wisdom and maturity.

The Blogging Friends
Sarah – She is quick to encourage and embrace me, always speaking of the goodness and faithfulness of God. She is the kind of friend I want to have for a long time!

Carey – She is open, wise, and kind. She allows me to be her “big sister” in Christ and in turn encourages me and gives me good counsel.

Matthew – I really appreciate his heart for evangelism. He has been patient with me, answering the multitude of questions I send his way. His knowledge of the Bible is very impressive. He is also very genuine.

Razzles

I went shopping with a friend on Thursday night and saw Razzles at a store. I would have no idea what they were from had they not been in the movie 13 Going on 30. I bought some so I could experience the candy while watching the movie. I watched it tonight and tried the Razzles. They are fruit flavored candy that are also chewing gum. They were alright, but nothing spectacular. I'd rather have minty gum or have candy that I could eat without getting a huge wad of gum in my mouth. I like the movie. I don't like the fact that there is a scene with a man dancing around in his underwear (the tight white variety, too, which is as bad as seeing a man wearing a speedo), but otherwise it is cute.

There's a boy at work who has his eye on one of the girls. He and his friends were trying to find ways of getting her attention. I suggested the possibility of using chivalry to make them stand out from the rest of the boys. A little chivalry goes a long way!

I had fun at work today, playing dodgeball and kickball with the kids. I think I am getting a little bit better at throwing the dodgeballs. I can't throw very well. They are almost always off target, very softly thrown or both. I spent a lot of the games running after balls that went through the open doors. It was a warm and humid day, so I also got really sweaty playing. I don't like that feeling, but what's a girl to do? Some of the staff played Scattergories with a few of the kids. The adults were so loud and crazy playing the game that I think we scared the kids away. We were really much louder arguing over whether or not answers were valid than we ever allow the kids to be during games like that. We might have a party for the staff this weekend. I am sure we will have a great time playing games together!

I had a long talk with my roommate tonight. It was a gut-spilling time for me, and I was pretty much saying whatever came to mind. She can't answer the questions I want to ask right now, but she can listen to me ask them. I really appreciate the fact that I can do that with her. We spent some quality time together. That's one of her primary love languages. ;)

Live God Loud

There is a brother/sister pair who recently started attending my church. One of them, Aaron, found me on MySpace, where I discovered that he has a website for local student ministries. His sister, Sarah, is also involved along with a few other guys whom I have not met. I thought the site was pretty cool and merited mention on my blog.

www.LiveGodLoud.org

Speaking my language

For whatever reason pondering spiritual gifts made me think of the five love languages. I think the love languages are interesting. The five languages are:

Words of Affirmation
Receiving Gifts
Quality Time
Acts of Service
Physical Touch

I think all of us understand all of them but certainly respond better to some than to others. I think we also need to know how to "speak" all of them, because I think they compliment and enforce each other. My biggest one is words of affirmation. I realized that a few years ago. This is telling someone that you appreciate them and why. I used to strive to be the best because I wanted praise. I knew my parents were proud of me when I got extremely good grades in high school, but when the grades came home they did not tell me that, and I was so disappointed. The lack of words hurt.

I think my very strong stance on when it is okay to say "I love you" to someone is because this is my primary love language. I don't want to hear empty words because I need to know that the words I hear are sincere. I attach a lot of meaning to words, so when they are said I expect them to carry the meaning I attach to them or I may begin to doubt that they are true at all.

Words need to be backed up by action. The other four gifts are more "active" than words are. I have more trouble identifying which order these go in for me. I value all of them. Quality time is necessary for relationships because that allows you to get to know the other person better and maintain the relationship you already have. Lack of quality time will eventually lead to people drifting apart from each other. Physical touch is something I usually respond to well. I am very wary of entering other people's personal space unless I know them well, but I like it when my friends enter mine. I did not grow up in a physically affectionate family, but I kind of wish that I had because it would make this language easier for me to speak. I think I have improved in this area over the years, however. Both time and touch are gifts of presence.

Receiving/giving gifts and acts of service are things than can be done in someone's absence. They both say, "I was thinking of you." That's a great message to send and to receive. Gifts can be small or large, expensive or free, purchased or made. I think I like to speak this language as much if not more than I like to receive it. It is fun to buy something nice and take the time and effort to make it look pretty. I care a lot less about the kinds of stuff I receive. For me, it is the thought that counts. Acts of service can also range far and wide. I think in families and other really close relationships these are the kinds of things that can seem small and simple but are very meaningful. Making sure I don't leave hair in the bathroom sink is an act of service to my roommate, since it honestly does not bother me to have it there but would absolutely drive her crazy. I choose to love her and try to clean it up. I don't always succeed. It's small, but it is a way to love someone. I think sometimes acts of service go unnoticed, but that is okay, since the objective is to show love to the one you serve.

What do you think about the love languages? How useful are they? What speaks to you best?

Spiritual gifts

John, over at The Earnest Contender, has been doing a series of posts on spiritual gifts. On Friday, he took a list of bloggers and posted on what he thought their gifts were. My name made his list, although he does not know me well enough to know what my gifts are. Matthew suggested that my gifts might be mercy, exhortation and helps. I have had one person tell me that I would be a good Bible teacher and a number of people tell me that I would be a good teacher in a more general sense. Last night at church the pastor finished up a series on roles in a church (it included church polity and stuff like that), and the final role was the congregation. The role the congregation fills differs from person to person, but we are all gifted differently and are to use those gifts for the benefit of the congregation, not growing weary in doing good. He talked about the various gifts.

To be quite frank, I do not really know for sure what my gifts are (although I know that I am just not gifted in some areas). I know what kind of life a Christian ought to live and I imagine that as I try to live a godly life that my gifts will be put into use even if I don't really realize that I'm using a particular gift. It would be helpful to know, however, so that I can be more intentional about using them. This is one of those issues that has come up twice within a week from two very different sources. Suppose it's time I paid attention to it and figure out what God wants me to do in the body of Christ? I didn't notice a spiritual gift of singing in the choir, so I think it's time that I did something more than just that.

I probably will have the opportunity to lead the teaching part of a Bible study this fall, so this will put my possible teaching gift to the test.

Mercy? Perhaps this is something that God has gifted me with, since I have had recent opportunity to use listening skills when others are hurting and need a safe place to go. It needs refinement, for sure, since selfishness often gets in the way of looking for opportunities to show mercy.

Exhortation? This gift combines encouragement and confrontation. It's primary objective is to help others walk according to the truth, so to speak. I think I probably do have this gift. I will certainly tell people if I think they need to change the way they approach something, and I also try to build people up with words of truth.

Helps? I don't mind helping out in the kitchen or setting chairs up for something or doing the other odd jobs that need to be done behind the scenes. This is something that I am not wholly sure I ever would have classified as a gift, per se, but something that people needed to do. I am available and able-bodied, so call on me. Maybe it is one of my gifts. I think laziness and pride are hindrances to it, though. I would really rather take a nap or sit on a couch if I had my preference and if I do help, I would like some recognition. My need for recognition is partly pride and partly, I think, related to my primary love language. I thrive on verbal affirmation and have to be told that I am loved and appreciated. That's something I need to pay attention to, since I know I have a tendency to seek praise. A little bit of humility would do me well here.

I want to do my part to support the body, so this is a good thing for me to think about.

Land for Peace: Has It Worked?

One of my professors from the Israel Bible Extension (IBEX) of The Master's College posted something on the situation in Israel yesterday. I always like to hear what he has to say about it, since he lives there. I think he's right.

Todd's Thoughts: Land for Peace: Has It Worked?

Wedding day

I went to a wedding today. Two of my unsaved friends got married after living together for two years, from what I gather. They were married in a Methodist church. I am fairly certain that the groom's parents attend the church there and that the bride and groom, though unsaved, were thinking of joining the church. The pastor who married them was named Sharon. I think that's the first time I've seen a woman pastor at a wedding, but I was honestly not wholly surprised. Her message was rather nice, actually. It was personal for the bride and groom, not something out of a book. One of the points that she made was that God needed to be at the center of their relationship and that they needed to seek Him and make Him part of every decision. I say AMEN to that! I hope they listen and take heed. The cover of the program said, "On this day I marry my best friend." I love that. That, to me, is romantic. As part of the ceremony the congregation participated briefly with the affirmation of our commitment to supporting their marriage. I liked that. I don't know if it is standard practice in Methodist weddings or not, but I don't think I've been to a wedding that had such a thing. The bride looked lovely and the groom cried when she came down the aisle and when he said his vows. The ceremony was short and sweet, which is always nice!

The reception did not start until 2 hours after the wedding ended, so my friend and I went to Starbucks and chatted for a while until it was time to go. They had dancing, which usually consisted of a couple or two on the dance floor, except for a few songs. I sat and watched, as is my wont, except during the Hokey Pokey. I figured the inner child in me could get out there and participate in that one. The food was good. It was nothing fancy, but it was quite sufficient and I heard no complaints. The reception site was hot and stuffy since today was a warm, rainy day and there was no air conditioning in the place. I imagine more people would have danced if it had been cooler inside. I don't think I want dancing at my wedding, regardless of the weather. ;) Overall the wedding was rather nice.

Updates

The family drama of which I wrote a few weeks ago has settled down and relationships have been restored at least well enough that the parties involved are still planning to visit/be visited according to plans made before the drama started. That's a very good thing!

In the most recent edition of "the LORD taketh away" it looks like this one will NOT be handed right back to me as the other things He has taken from me recently. I have no idea where money is going to come from once the summer ends. God will provide, but I don't know how yet. I think it is time that I look for a job. I do not look forward to that! I am very seriously considering at least deferring my enrollment in school for a year or just dropping out altogether. It has proven too expensive for my taste and not particularly enjoyable. I would rather work full time than be in school. The job market is not very good out here, so that adds an extra challenge to the situation.

I have been in New York for 11 months now. I think I have grown a lot since I left California. I still have a lot of growing left to do! During this time God has shown me over and over again that He is faithful and trustworthy. I know I posted this once before, but my favorite hymn is really speaking to me right now.

Be still, my soul: the Lord is on thy side.
Bear patiently the cross of grief or pain.
Leave to thy God to order and provide;
In every change, He faithful will remain.
Be still, my soul: thy best, thy heavenly Friend
Through thorny ways leads to a joyful end.

Be still, my soul: thy God doth undertake
To guide the future, as He has the past.
Thy hope, thy confidence let nothing shake;
All now mysterious shall be bright at last.
Be still, my soul: the waves and winds still know
His voice Who ruled them while He dwelt below.

Be still, my soul: the hour is hastening on
When we shall be forever with the Lord.
When disappointment, grief and fear are gone,
Sorrow forgot, love’s purest joys restored.
Be still, my soul: when change and tears are past
All safe and blessèd we shall meet at last.

The first verse is about the faithfulness of God when life is hard and when things change around us. In the past year I have known a lot of change, and He has indeed been faithful in every change. The second verse is probably what speaks the loudest right now. My God doth undertake to guide the future. Things may be mysterious to me now, but God will make the way clear to me in His perfect time. My confidence in Him can withstand every trial because He is the faithful, unchanging God who is in complete control! The waves and winds still know His voice, even when the rain comes and we are hit by one of the worst floods since this area was settled. My soul can yet be still in Him. The last verse is a good reminder that life is not just what we have here on Earth. Someday, at a time that is closer every minute, I will stand before God. As His child, He will wipe away all of my tears. There will be no more trials and no more change, because I will be in His presence for eternity. We serve a great God!

Another field trip

Today we went to a museum in Binghamton not far from where I used to live. Once again the kids were fairly well behaved. I wish they were that well behaved all the time and not just when we're on trips like this one. They have some local history stuff in the museum, and one of the things on display was an 1882 drawing of Binghamton. The house I lived in until last month was in the drawing. I told my co-workers that and they didn't believe me until I told them that the house still had knobs sticking out of the walls from where the gas fixtures were. That was kind of fun. I knew the house was really old, but now I know it is as old as it is. It was in the middle of the developed area, so I am sure that it had been there for at least a few years. That was interesting.

They had another display up for the county bicentennial this year showing 200 years of local history. What I learned there is that a company built a clock in 1906 here in Endicott (1906 happens to be the year that the village of Endicott was officially founded). The company was called International Time Recording Company or something like that. Many years later that company became IBM. They still have about 1,000 employees at their office here. This area was developed primarily by the Endicott-Johnson company. It was a very large shoe factory and the company built houses for their employees. Many parts of Endicott and Johnson City (interestingly the Johnson family lived in Endicott and the Endicott family lived in JC) are full of houses that all look strikingly similar because they were all built by the company. I find this all very interesting. :)

I chatted rather briefly with my dad online last night. He asked me if I had lost their phone number, since I hadn't called in 2 days. That's when you know you talk to your parents a lot!

An interesting day

We went to the zoo and the "discovery center" there on the other side of the park. The discovery center was our first stop. The first person I saw when I walked into the place was one of my professors. We chatted briefly, and he asked about what I was doing with school and how things were going. He was there with his children and I was, of course, there with a bunch of kids from the club, so we could not talk long, but he encouraged me to stop by and see him. He is one of the nicest men I have ever met!

The kids were remarkably well behaved today. I was impressed. I shall have to remember to praise them for it tomorrow when I see them. I may not have been as well behaved, however. ;) I scared one of my co-workers sooo badly. It was hilarious! They had these rubber heads with hair in an area that was a model hair salon. I was behind the salon curtain and popped a rather frightening looking head (it was missing some of its hair) out when he walked up. Watching a tall, strong man jump in fright was rather amusing, if I do say so myself.

The zoo was fun. We were on a guided tour. The tour guide was an older man who kept saying stuff like, "This animal is native to Brazil...no...to Egypt." He did it a few times with countries that are absolutely nothing alike and nowhere near each other. The tour meant, of course, that we were not able to look at things as long as we might want to, which I dislike personally but appreciate with a group of kids. You have to keep them moving if you ever hope to get out of there. After the tour we went on the carousel there. It was a slightly faster-moving one than the one I rode on Monday and we only rode this one once.

It was a fun day at work, but exhausting. I almost fell asleep on the bus on the way back to the school. We had 24 kids and 4 leaders on a full sized school bus, with the kids in the back and the leaders in the front enjoying having our own seats. I did take a brief nap this evening before going shopping for a wedding present with a friend. We ended up going several places and shopping for more than just the wedding present. After shopping we went to her apartment (which is only a block from mine) and wrapped the present and talked. Tired as I am and have been all week, here it is after midnight, so I think it's time for me to retire for the night.

At the zoo

Someone told me
It's all happening at the zoo.

I do believe it,
I do believe it's true.

It's a light and tumble journey
From the East Side to the park;
Just a fine and fancy ramble
To the zoo.

But you can take the crosstown bus
If it's raining or it's cold,
And the animals will love it
If you do...
(Simon & Garfunkel, "At the Zoo")

Actually, if it is raining tomorrow I don't think we will take a crosstown bus to the zoo, but if the weather cooperates the zoo is exactly where I'll be. I've been to the zoo here once. My parents and I went there when they came to visit in October because it is one of the few things to do around here. Rain is likely, however, since it is raining right now. We have had some really huge thunderstorms the past two nights that have woken me up or kept me awake. It rained so hard that it sounded like someone was pouring a huge barrel of water right outside my window! The rain let up long enough for us to take the 10-12 year olds to a golf course this afternoon for a lesson in how to play golf. It was fun to watch them try to putt the ball. Some were pretty good for beginners and some weren't so good. The leaders did not participate in the exercises for the most part. I don't think I would have done much better than some of the kids! It was also funny to watch the dynamics of the 12 year old "couple". I have to wonder if it is going to last more than a week or two. Most at that age don't last long at all, probably because they are not generally based on much of anything. Kids are funny. Four of the leaders rode in a car since there was not enough room on the bus for all of us. Listening to them talk reminded me that I am different because I know Jesus Christ. I can never really relate to them because there are fundamental differences in how we approach life. We are called to be different, and that thought bothers me less than it used to. I don't really want to be like them. I want to be like Jesus Christ and live in a visibly godly manner!

A fickle female moment

I just want to take this opportunity to say that I really like Josh Groban. He's got a great voice and is rather nice to look at, too.

He's my age and single as far as I know... ;)

Seriously, I do like listening to his music and still would if he were not particularly attractive or single.

What is going on?

I just got an e-mail from someone at school to let me know that the man who hired me for the graduate assistant position has left to take a position at another school, so because of hiring changes in the department I won't be working for them. What is going on? This is the second time in the past two weeks that I've been told that I either might not or don't have a job. If I don't get funding I may not go to school this semester for financial reasons and look for a full time job instead.

My favorite kids

We aren't supposed to have favorites when we work with kids, but we all do. My favorites are usually the somewhat nerdy, well behaved boys. For whatever reason, those are the kids I like best. One of the boys in my group today used the word "consequently." That's awesome. He's definitely on my list of favorites for that one. :)

A high class sign

Today we took all of the 10-12 year olds to a nearby park to swim in the pool. Some of the kids didn't have their swimming stuff with them, so three of the leaders went down to the pool to roast in the sun and watch the kids there while another leader and I stayed with the other kids. We rode the carousel at the park, since it is free. Carousels are a big thing around here. There are apparently seven of them in the area and they are all rather old. I should define what it meant to ride the carousel. That is we stayed on the thing for 30-45 minutes. The other leader and I each rode one of the horses for one ride and spent the rest of the time in the carousel benches, feet up, enjoying the cool breeze as we rode round and round and round and round. I finally got off, but two of the boys stayed on. I am pretty sure they rode for almost two full hours. I spent most of the rest of the time sitting at a picnic table in the shade keeping my eye on anywhere from one to five kids. There were signs up at the park that said, "No charcoal fires prohibited." Somehow I think that the sign didn't really say what they meant it to say. I found it rather amusing. :)

An error of omission

There was a reception for the new associate pastor at my church after the evening service to welcome him and his wife. I think it is fun that they are here because they have been in Southern California for 24 years and know some people that I know. I went to church at 3:00 this afternoon to help get the food ready. Between 4:00 and 5:00 the cakes showed up and somebody noticed there was a slight error on the main cake. It was supposed to say, "Welcome Pastor & {wife's name}," but instead it said, "Welcome Pastor {wife's name}." Oooops. We found it rather amusing. There was an extra cake that we were going to keep in the kitchen in case we used up the three cakes we set out, so we took some frosting from the flowers on the extra cake and put it in some plastic wrap, poked a hole in it and I added "&" to the cake. It said what it was supposed to, but we had a great story to tell!

In the service this evening they let people choose their favorite hymns to sing. That is always fun!

Giving generously

Last week people from my church gave over $18,000 to the benevolence fund. It was a special collection for the flood victims, but it is amazing that such a sum was collected in one day. I was rather impressed by that.

The pastor spoke about the lostness of man and what our response should be. We have gotten so involved with social agendas that we fail to preach the Gospel. They need Jesus, not our protests against the manifestation of sin in our society. The pastor is a 4-Point Calvinist according to his own choice of label, but he didn't sound like it this morning. He said that Ephesians 1 is much less about how we are saved than it is about how glorious our salvation is. I rather liked the sermon.

Friends

Some thoughts on true friendship...

Proverbs 18:24 ~ A man that hath friends must shew himself friendly: and there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother.
Proverbs 17:17 ~ A friend loveth at all times, and a brother is born for adversity.
Proverbs 27:10 ~ Thine own friend, and thy father's friend, forsake not; neither go into thy brother's house in the day of thy calamity: for better is a neighbour that is near than a brother far off.

Friends are there for each other. When we face trials and have needs, true friends help us. This is especially important for those of us who do not live near any of our family. We must rely on friends because they are the resources we have where we are. We must also be reliable friends with open arms to those who are alone. Friends are faithful!

Proverbs 27:6 ~ Faithful are the wounds of a friend; but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful.
Proverbs 27:9 ~ Ointment and perfume rejoice the heart: so doth the sweetness of a man's friend by hearty counsel.
Proverbs 27:17 ~ Iron sharpeneth iron; so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend.

Friends offer honest feedback in love. Sometimes what needs to be said is not pleasant, but we do it because that is part of being a true friend. We should be willing to take and give counsel from and to our friends. It is good for our very happiness to do so! We should build each other up and help each other grow sharper. Friends seek the sanctification of their friends.

Luke 15:6 ~ And when he cometh home, he calleth together his friends and neighbours, saying unto them, Rejoice with me; for I have found my sheep which was lost.
Luke 15:9 ~ And when she hath found it, she calleth her friends and her neighbours together, saying, Rejoice with me; for I have found the piece which I had lost.

Friends rejoice with their friends. We are not to become jealous when one of our friends has something good happen. Their happiness should be our happiness, too. This is harder than it sounds!

John 15:13-15 ~ Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.
Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you.
Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you.

Our best Friend! Friends share their lives and a certain degree of intimacy, and that is what God has offered to us through Jesus Christ. Jesus, what a friend for sinners!

I know this is my second hymn this week, but I can't help myself. He is there when times are hard. He gives us wonderful counsel. He laid down His life for me. Hallelujah! what a Friend!

Jesus! what a Friend for sinners!
Jesus! Lover of my soul;
Friends may fail me, foes assail me,
He, my Savior, makes me whole.

Refrain
Hallelujah! what a Savior!
Hallelujah! what a Friend!
Saving, helping, keeping, loving,
He is with me to the end.

Jesus! what a Strength in weakness!
Let me hide myself in Him.
Tempted, tried, and sometimes failing,
He, my Strength, my victory wins.

Refrain

Jesus! what a Help in sorrow!
While the billows over me roll,
Even when my heart is breaking,
He, my Comfort, helps my soul.

Refrain

Jesus! what a Guide and Keeper!
While the tempest still is high,
Storms about me, night overtakes me,
He, my Pilot, hears my cry.

Refrain

Jesus! I do now receive Him,
More than all in Him I find.
He hath granted me forgiveness,
I am His, and He is mine.

Refrain

Home alone

My roommate is gone for the weekend, so I will be home alone tomorrow. I think my primary objective will be to sleep in. After that I have plenty of things I could do, but that's really the only thing I am going to plan right now. I'll be going to church by myself on Sunday. I really prefer not to go to church alone, but I have friends to sit with even if Nicole is not there. People at church think we're joined at the hip. It's not true; we just believe in conserving gas by riding together.

My day at work was more or less like most others. We did a historical reenactment of the Boston Tea Party. Other groups did the sinking of the Titanic and the signing of the Declaration of Independence. Getting 5 year olds to act their parts even somewhat properly must be a challenge. It was hard enough to get a 12 year old to figure it out! There are a few kids who are really starting to annoy me because they won't listen or won't stop whining. Then there's the kid who just won't obey but I really like anyway. He's in one of the other groups, so I don't have to put up with his stubborn behavior. I think he thinks he's being cute or funny, but it does really grate on leaders when he doesn't do what he's told. He was calling me "Mom" today. Oddly enough I did not answer to it. ;)

Yet another really long day

Today we went to a park with the kids. We were there all day. I took a hike around the lake with two other leaders and some of the girls, pushed some kids on the swings and watched the kids swim in the lake. It was actually a little cooler than most of us would have preferred, and it was really overcast, so I knew that I was going to get a sunburn even with the sunblock on. I was right. My nose is a bit pink! By the time we got back to the school at 4:00 I was exhausted, and all I wanted to do was go to sleep. My roommate came home and brought a bunch of really overripe bananas with her. There is only one thing to do with them: make banana bread. That led to a necessary trip to Wal-Mart. It was also an interesting moment as we decided whose recipe to use. It is such a stupid little thing, but we almost got in a fight about it. Honestly when she brought them home and told me about it I really thought she meant that she wanted me to make the bread (since, as she said, I am apparently famous for it), which would be fine with me, but she apparently thought it would be something we would both do. She pulled out her recipe book to use, and I was just not okay with that. Cooks are a bit particular, and there is no way I was going to make it like she does. We ended up each making a loaf with our own recipes. We got a late start to the baking and it was 11:30 by the time the second one came out of the oven. I tried my hand at making mayonnaise tonight while the bread was in the oven. It seems to have turned out well enough. I like to cook, but I also like to sleep. Somehow the balance has been a bit off this week...

Praise to the Lord, the Almighty

This is a great hymn, and I discovered tonight that it had some really great verses that I had never sung before.

Praise to the Lord, the Almighty, the King of creation!
O my soul, praise Him, for He is thy health and salvation!
All ye who hear, now to His temple draw near;
Praise Him in glad adoration.

Praise to the Lord, Who over all things so wondrously reigneth,
Shelters thee under His wings, yea, so gently sustaineth!
Hast thou not seen how thy desires ever have been
Granted in what He ordaineth?

Praise to the Lord, Who hath fearfully, wondrously, made thee;
Health hath vouchsafed and, when heedlessly falling, hath stayed thee.
What need or grief ever hath failed of relief?
Wings of His mercy did shade thee.

Praise to the Lord, Who doth prosper thy work and defend thee;
Surely His goodness and mercy here daily attend thee.
Ponder anew what the Almighty can do,
If with His love He befriend thee.

Praise to the Lord, Who, when tempests their warfare are waging,
Who, when the elements madly around thee are raging,
Biddeth them cease, turneth their fury to peace,
Whirlwinds and waters assuaging.

Praise to the Lord, Who, when darkness of sin is abounding,
Who, when the godless do triumph, all virtue confounding,
Sheddeth His light, chaseth the horrors of night,
Saints with His mercy surrounding.

Praise to the Lord, O let all that is in me adore Him!
All that hath life and breath, come now with praises before Him.
Let the Amen sound from His people again,
Gladly for aye we adore Him.

Life with a roommate

Tonight Nicole and I sat in front of a musical and sang along with a duet, each of us holding a remote like a microphone. It was a great moment. I am glad we can do really stupid stuff like that together. Our first week was a little bit rough, but I think that we have gotten more accustomed to each other's idiosyncrasies and are figuring out how to share our space. We get along well and we have really great talks fairly regularly. That may be due in part to the amazing amount of drama in our lives over the four weeks we have been here in this apartment, but it is good to have that person there to help you get through it. I do enjoy having my roommate around a lot. It sure beats living alone!

Friday Eve Eve

I had a friend who used to refer to Thursday as Friday Eve. Today must then be Friday Eve Eve, right?

I forgot to mention in my post last night that yet another person told me that I am intimidating. I get that a lot. This time it was from someone who is in many ways a lot like me, so it was the wisdom of experience that I heard.

My cell phone is acting up a bit. It likes to turn itself off at least temporarily when I close it and is having some odd battery charging issues. Perhaps I just need a new battery for it.

I worked 8.5 hours today since they needed one more person to stay late this afternoon. I have no idea how often I will have to do that, but as long as I make a little bit more money I will accept it gladly! It was a long day, and it included the first real fight between some of the kids in my group. I was the only staff member on the playground with two groups of kids and did not see it happen because I was looking elsewhere at the time, so what I know all comes from various stories the kids told. There were some common elements in all of them, so I think I know what happened. It involved several of them, although only one resorted to hitting. Because no adults saw what happened they got off rather lightly and we did not file official reports or tell the parents what happened. We will watch the kids involved and if they do anything like it again we will definitely respond more firmly. It happened not long before my lunch break, which is always when problems seem to arise. Otherwise the day was fine. We came up with a version of dodge ball that involved setting up walls and forts to hide behind. That was actually fun, and I usually hate dodge ball!

A very nice holiday

Today was a nice day, albeit a long one. I got up earlier than I really had to so that I could make the pudding for the party. It was some good stuff ;). Nicole must take some credit, since she did help put it all together. I also had the chance to talk to a friend this morning, which is always nice. Then Nicole and I went to the home where the party was and helped put all of the food together. I mixed the ingredients for chili, cut a watermelon to make it look pretty (it was not perfect, which bothered me, but I need to get over that) and used a melon ball scoop for the first time in my life to get the flesh out of the melon for the fruit salad (which was then put into the watermelon rind), made a cake, did some other odd tasks in the kitchen and observed how to make mayonnaise from scratch. I had a chance to talk briefly to "Grandma" (I now actually know her name and can remember it, but it is easier to call her "Grandma") about the cooking class/Bible study that we plan to start up in the fall. She suggested the theme of hospitality for the Bible study portion, which I think would be great. It is certainly appropriate! Nicole and I inherited another cookbook with some great recipes in it during the process of cooking. Then other people showed up and we had the party. Not long after everyone arrived my friend's 8 month old daughter fell asleep on my lap. She is so precious! We went down to the playground at the school across the street (where I am working right now) and played with the stuff out there. When it got dark we went out to another home that is farther out away from the city to have some fireworks and sit around a bonfire. After the fireworks and a little bit more food we headed back home. I'm really tired, but I had a good day!

Robby is sick :(

Robby is sick. He was helping Nicole and me clean the apartment tonight when he started acting a little bit strange. He just kept going in circles, making himself dizzy! I read somewhere what to do for that kind of behavior, so I looked online until I found what I read before and following the suggestions for how to help. I took Robby outside and checked him out, making sure there were no external signs of problems. I cleaned his brushes and emptied his dust bin, but he was still acting strange. One of his wheels is just not working right, and he started to beep in a way that told me that he really needs professional help. Of course this happened during a late night cleaning, so customer service is closed. At least Robby is still under warranty, so if he is really sick his doctor bills should be covered. I like Robby, and I would hate to think that he is sick beyond healing.

(Robby is my iRobot Roomba Discovery vacuum cleaner.)

Back to work today, off again tomorrow

It was a rather interesting day at work today. Although we will have most of the kids back for the summer program, we had a very small group today. Of my roster of 17 kids, 3 came today. The other group of 10-12 year olds also had three. We decided to just combine the groups, but as the day went on all of the groups mixed together. In one game there would be a teen, a couple 5-7 year old, a few 8-9 year olds and at least two 10-12 year olds. Staffing was really casual and by the end of the day we just made sure that there was at least one adult wherever there were kids. The second part of the day was really casual for me, since they sent most of the kids and staff to a park nearby to go swimming and I was one of the few to stay behind (I was actually at lunch when the left, but I knew before I went that I wasn't going with them). I spent part of the day coloring a picture. :)

Tomorrow is Independence Day. The 4th of July is the biggest patriotic holiday, so the Boys and Girls Club will not be open. Instead I will go to a friend's house where we are having a party. She happens to live right across the street from the school where the Club is holding its summer program right now. Nicole and I are going early to help set up and also to learn how to make some really amazing potato salad. I might make some banana pudding, but I am not sure yet. I make it from scratch and serve it with freshly whipped cream, and it's so much better than what one can make from a mix! I need to decide soon, however, since I will need to go buy the ingredients.

I will be back to work again on Wednesday. It is always weird to have holidays in the middle of the week, but it does make the week go by more quickly that way!

The Star-Spangled Banner

In honor of Independence Day tomorrow I thought I would post the words of the national anthem. Most Americans only know the first verse, and if they even know that other verses exist they certainly don't know the words.

The Star-Spangled Banner
—Francis Scott Key, 1814

O say, can you see, by the dawn's early light,
What so proudly we hail'd at the twilight's last gleaming?
Whose broad stripes and bright stars, thro' the perilous fight,
O'er the ramparts we watch'd, were so gallantly streaming?
And the rockets' red glare, the bombs bursting in air,
Gave proof thro' the night that our flag was still there.
O say, does that star-spangled banner yet wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave?

On the shore dimly seen thro' the mists of the deep,
Where the foe's haughty host in dread silence reposes,
What is that which the breeze, o'er the towering steep,
As it fitfully blows, half conceals, half discloses?
Now it catches the gleam of the morning's first beam,
In full glory reflected, now shines on the stream:
'Tis the star-spangled banner: O, long may it wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave!

And where is that band who so vauntingly swore
That the havoc of war and the battle's confusion,
A home and a country should leave us no more?
Their blood has wash'd out their foul footsteps' pollution.
No refuge could save the hireling and slave
From the terror of flight or the gloom of the grave:
And the star-spangled banner in triumph doth wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave.

O thus be it ever when free-men shall stand
Between their lov'd home and the war's desolation;
Blest with vict'ry and peace, may the heav'n-rescued land
Praise the Pow'r that hath made and preserv'd us a nation!
Then conquer we must, when our cause it is just,
And this be our motto: “In God is our trust!”
And the star-spangled banner in triumph shall wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave!

Sometimes I forget...

Sometimes I forget how competitive I can be. Tonight after church a group of us went to play miniature golf (put-put golf for those of you from the regions that call it that) and I was reminded that I really like to win. I didn't. Not even close. By the end of the game I really didn't care anymore, so losing was no big deal, although I would have enjoyed winning quite a bit! At least I have grown out of some of my temper and don't throw a fit when I lose like I did as a child. I am still competitive, though!

After the game we went to the ice cream parlor right next to the course and had some ice cream. Nicole and I shared a bag of salt and vinegar chips. It is a bit strange to eat them with ice cream, but we both really like those chips and wanted ice cream, so, strange or not, that's what we ate. We drove past the school I have to report to tomorrow morning, since it was on our way home, and I think I know which route I will take to get there in the morning. There are a few different ways, so I might experiment this week to see if one is faster than the others. I am really looking forward to seeing my kids tomorrow!

The LORD taketh...and sometimes He gives it back

God asked Abraham to sacrifice his son. Abraham went to the mountain and made an altar. Isaac was on the altar and the knife was in the air when God provided the ram and gave Isaac back to Abraham. I feel like God has been asking me to lay a lot of things on the altar lately, and He has given some of them back. I know that some sacrifices will stay on the altar and He won't give them back, but recently most have been returned. It's the same lesson of holding all things with an open hand. Give it up and trust God with it! I wonder how many times I have to learn this lesson within such a short time before I've learned it well enough to move on to a new one. I know there are specific things that I have to continually give over to God because I keep wanting to take them back.

Enough of the cryptic language! I saw my friend/supervisor at church this morning and she made a comment about having to make new plans for the whole summer for the Boys & Girls Club program. I then asked where the elementary school is that they relocated to and her response to me was, "Oh, that might be helpful to know, since you have to be there tomorrow morning." They called the parents and the parents were relieved to hear that they found a new location for the program and most of the kids will still be coming, so I have my job back. Thanks for all of your prayers. The answer came much more quickly than I thought it would!

Daily report

I slept in this morning. That felt nice. I then spent a relatively quiet day at home. My roommate bought a computer desk, which we put together this afternoon, so I don't have to sit on the floor to use the new computer (I have been using the laptop a lot lately!), which also feels nice. There's no room for the mouse on the keyboard tray, which is annoying for mouse-intensive activities, but it beats sitting on the floor!

I think this evening I will watch a movie and work on the blanket I am making. I am knitting pieces, crocheting trim and then stitching the pieces together. The pieces are blue chenille yarn and the trim is black chenille yarn. I started it a few months ago and am sure that it will take quite some time to finish! It's going to be a nice, fuzzy, warm blanket, perfect for the winter, provided I get it done by then. :) It won't look perfect, since it is an experiment. The pieces I am knitting are done in whatever pattern I decide to make them, and not all of my blue yarn is from the same dye lot, so they won't match perfectly, but it will have character and personality!