In Which it Took 5 Paragraphs to Get to Anything of Substance

Confession: I was only 1/3 successful last week in my fitness goal.

I would, however, like to plead hazardous conditions. It monsooned the entire first part of the week, sleeted Thursday, we were out of school Friday (who would exercise on a free day off of school???), etc. And in the interest of full disclosure, due to the fact that our friends from ATL are staying with us this weekend, my eating endeavors are also likely going to be relaxed this long weekend. Half the fun with these people is our yummy dips and chips and late night ice cream, etc. I am excusing this departure from those goals in order to be a good hostess. I think we can all agree that's important, right? Hospitality is a virtue practiced by everyone from the New Testament church to the medieval knights.

{It is exactly this sharply honed ability to justify my every every action and inaction that has gotten me to this place. And by "this place", I mean the one in which I pretty much detest everything about my physical condition and have been driven here out of desperation. It's a slippery slope, my friends, a slippery slope.}

Anyway, aside from some insane weather, it's been a blessedly joyous week. My three classes are just wonderful. I keep waiting on this crazy bubble I've been riding for years to pop (and thought sure it had a year and a half ago when I found that I would be teaching 12th graders instead of 10th), but I'm not sure it's going to. I just always seem to get so lucky with the best kids ever and have ended up loving and adoring seniors every bit as much as I loved and adored sophomores! I'm not sure why it surprises me, though, because I firmly believe that my occupation is right smack in the middle of God's will for me and there is no place I'd rather be. In addition, I think kids can sense when teachers love them and love what they do and that makes them respond accordingly. And when you get an early dismissal day AND the Friday before a long weekend off??? What could be better?!?!?! ;)

I'm in the midst of some of my very favorite activities, planning some special events for some special people (bdays, etc). The one downside of these upcoming activities (including prom, an elementary school yearbook, and two 5K's (5K's I am coordinating, not runningn!)) is the additional stress brought on by deadlines and work. March is going to bring two major trips (one of which I just found out about last Sunday!), the yearbook deadline, and a birthday party or two. April is both 5K's and prom. I'm just going to use every spare moment of January and February to stay on track and organized (going back to my intentional, purposeful, schedule goals) so that the stress doesn't eat me alive.

I'm sure I'll dedicate an entire post to this later, but I am just beside myself with excitement about tomorrow. Sunday is the kickoff to our 2013 Royal Family Ministries, which is also our FIFTEENTH YEAR! This ministry has had my heart from the first moment I learned of it. I will never forget that Sunday. Pastor Lance presented the ministry to our congregation and showed a video or two. Somehow I missed (or he didn't explicitly say) that he wanted US to do a camp and instead just thought that he was asking for financial support for another camp. All I could think the entire service (I was 19 at the time) was, "I have GOT to be part of this. I will go wherever I need to in order to work a camp." I told him that afterward and he explained that we were only a year away from OUR camp. I worked that first camp as a counselor and have worked every year since with the exception of the three when I had a major life event (wedding year and both summers I had a newborn baby-- '00, '03, '05). Since that first year of around twenty kids, we have expanded to 50+ kids at our summer camp, added a weekend retreat for middle schoolers, and this past year added a mentoring/club program.

I feel so blessed to serve in this ministry. I pray so hard that tomorrow will be a day of the kind of itchy discomfort that stirs the hearts of our church body.... a day when we have to really look at the beast of child abuse and neglect and really see the children in our society who are victimized... a day when our usual response of looking away from those things that make us feel uncomfortable and convicted won't cut it and we are instead forced to stare full on... but also a day when we celebrate a true Jesus-like response to the issue... a day when we don't have to feel that frustration of knowing there is a problem but not knowing what to do about it... a day when that desire to do more will have a concrete answer... a day when people will open their eyes and hearts and wallets and truly become the hands and feet and finances of Jesus. Grant it, Lord.