Boyfriend Challenge

A need
A wink
A clean spare
A pair
A bloom
A glochid
Prickled love abounds

In loving honor of Mrs M of White Wave fame. No poet am I but your inspiration pushes me to attempt.

Carpool

- I have just completed one of the busiest weeks of my 'away from the nest' life. High school reunion (which I feel too young for), bible study, small group events, birthdays, I don't even remember what I did Tuesday night (just checked the calendar, I was babysitting 5pm-12am). Life can get very crazy and unpredictable. But I actually knew I was going to be doing all this stuff before last week started. Still felt unexpected.
- And now, after a very long 192 hours, I’m feeling the effects of my nonstop activity. I’m tired after 10 hours of sleep, feel very warm, and have a sore throat. I don’t know if that’s from talking with friends for 14 hours on Saturday or if I’m actually coming down with something.
- Nonetheless, I am still looking forward to seeing my good friend Mrs M tonight… and getting a very long night’s rest after that. Though we live less than a block apart, I will be driving to her house. I don’t trust myself to walk or bike even that short a distance.

Ok, enough complaining!

- Actually, I am very thankful for the past week. Being able to spend time with my small group girls on Wednesday was such a precious time. We studied the love of God in our lives and He is the greatest gift of love ever given. I mean, He killed his own Son in a tortuous fashion, the full weight of His wrath upon the Beloved’s shoulders. That is love in purest form.  I can't wait to study His truth, goodness, sovereignty, mercy, and grace with these girls!
- I went to my favorite restaurant 4 times (^_^)
- High school reunion on Saturday was interesting. Had the opportunity to ‘make up’ with a friend I had had a falling out with about a year ago. An enormous pressure was lifted. We were able to just be friends again, no drama, no hard feelings. That’s the Lord’s grace right there. We each owned up to the fault that was ours and forgave each other and now we can be friends again! Yay!
- Babysitting again reminded me of just how fun little children can be… and how much I want one of my own! That will come in due time. I must be patient, but in the mean time, I can enjoy other people’s kids! Hahaha!
- I met a strange guy at a dinner for my small group leader who just turned *cough cough* last week. He was really funny but called a mutual friend his ‘slave’ and was just a little… odd. But we could be good friends because I’m a little… odd myself.
- The Lord has allowed me to continue my feeble life trying to somehow bring Him glory while stumbling through a sin-laden world. I pray He will give me more weeks to learn about His sovereignty and mercy… but I learn better with more sleep *hint, hint*

Cardboard

I love to organize.  Books.  Papers.  Socks.  Canned food.  It's very fun to know exactly where everything is AND have it look nice.  I usually know where everything is when it is heaped on the floor or stowed in a box under the bed, but that's not a fulfilling knowledge.  It's a knowledge, not only of location, but of need for action.  Yes, I know there are two towels in my laundry basket, nicely folded under a heap of clean laundry that needs folded or put on hangers.  But I ALSO know that I should have put them away two months ago when I first folded them.  And that I should fold and hang the laundry that's on top of them.  But I am too busy, and when I'm not too busy, I'm lazy, or working on other organizing projects.  I love the end result of putting things where they go, but the journey to get there, the lists and planning and rearranging, it's daunting.  Needless to say, next weekend, I'm hoping to get in three solid hours of work.  Starting with the laundry basket. 

Resolved

My roommate at the conference is a 2 month old believer. She and I had the opportunity to hang out for 2 hours on Sunday morning before the session.  Over breakfast and coffee, she told me about some situations she was going through involving persecution and dealing with immorality in the workplace (artistry).  I was able to share with her some of my few experiences and pointed her to a few resources.  Then, the sovereign grace of the Almighty God, who loves her and knows every intimate detail in her life, allowed CJ Mahaney and Steve Lawson to share aspects of Himself to her.  He accomplished through those two men that which I feebly attempted while sipping on a frappuccino.  Assurance of her salvation, assurance of God’s omnipotence and omniscience, assurance of the power of the work that Christ accomplished on the cross.  She so needed these words that the Lord allowed her to hear.  I think I needed them too for we were both in tears by the end of each session, in awe of the mighty hand of God at work in the lives of two wretched sinners. *le conference audio