July 30

There are lots of things I like about my big brother.

He is gentle and kind.

He LOVES books and reading.

He is current, up to date, well informed.

He really is hard to beat at most games. . . my goal is to find games I can win and play those over and over with him. So far, haven't found one.

He can tell and appreciate a good joke.

He loves my children and has always spoken with them intelligently and respectfully...even though he is the grown up and they are the kids.

He BBQ's a great hamburger!

He is extremely intelligent.

The list is endless as far as I'm concerned...however, my very favorite thing about my brother is this:

He is ALWAYS glad to see me. Whenever he sees me, whether for a specific purpose or no reason at all, my brother makes me feel extremely loved and welcome by the way he treats me.

I love my brother.
Happy Birthday, Rich!

Chili Cheese Fries and 3D!

One of my favorite people in the world is Salma Sue.

She's beautiful inside and out.

We became friends because the church decided to pair up a student with an adult. This adult had the task of getting to know, pray for, and generally love this student throughout the school year. Salma was not "assigned" to me, I chose her. I had been watching her grow and was impressed with her poise and gentle spirit and wanted to get to know her better.

At the end of last year, we decided we weren't sure what the "official" rules of student/adult pairing were, but we were sticking together. And so, we have.

The pictures above are from a phone camera, so they aren't the typical quality, but you can see us at the movies with our fancy 3-D glasses on, and then as we headed to eat a bite, we all (Ashley was with us) decided that sharing a plate of chili cheese fries sounded perfect! With cheese and onion, of course!

Such a fun day!
Such a special girl!

Blessings~

Particular about Pencils

I am going to reveal an idiosyncrasy of mine...

noun, plural -sies.

1.	a characteristic, habit, mannerism, or the like, that is peculiar to an individual.

I want my pencils sharp!!

Not "usable" sharp, not "it's o.k." sharp, not "good enough" sharp. SHARP!

I have a cup, as you see in the picture above, that is filled with my freshly sharpened pencils.
I use them once, for a limited amount of time, and then place them down on my "to be sharpened" pile, which you see on my desk.
This never changes.

Oh, and I don't like those slick yellow (or fancy schmancy cutsie) pencils. I need the unfinished-like ones that I can grip in the "just right" fashion.

O.K. Now you know. I feel we've bonded.

Blessings.

My Bible

I love my Bible. I love the size, the feel, the weight. I am partial to the version most every time I compare to other versions.

It's just a paper covered Bible with underlines, and post it notes, and pages coming loose. In fact, now that I look at it, it's not pretty. This Bible didn't sit on an end table or in a book shelf and look pretty. There is no smell of leather or visions of gold embossing/engraving on the cover. However, it is beautiful to me.

I've used this Bible for lots of years. I've studied with it, prayed through it, wept as I read sections, and found great joy along the journey. It has sustained me, fed me, encouraged me, taught me.

Have you ever looked at some folks...older folks, who may have lost their youthful luster? Maybe they need help walking, or thinking, or hearing. Maybe at a quick glance, they aren't "pretty" any longer. And yet, as you hear them speak, as you see them encourage, as you feel them drift from earthly satisfaction to heavenly longing, you see great beauty. Great wisdom. Great comfort in their presence.

I hope I am sufficiently tattered as my life continues here on earth. Keep the plastic perfection...the gold engravings. I desire a dog-eared, page loose, underlined and post-it note life.

Blessings.

Where to Start...

V.B.S. is always a production at the College Church. It is big, and loud, and exciting, and over the top. The auditorium is decorated in massive fashion, the "character actors" are crazy silly, the music is loud. There is flying candy, good guys and bad guys, crafts, snacks, singing, praying, laughing...and lots and lots of loving. Adults loving children, children learning to love the Lord and each other. If you were to visit this place the week before or the week of Vacation Bible School, there are two conclusions you would come to very quickly.

These people love the Lord, and kids are a priority in this place. It is a great week that I'm always amazed and thankful for. Enjoy some pictures...these are just a few of hundreds! We discovered our new preacher is quite the cornball actor...and a very good sport. (he is at the end of these pics as the sheriff!)

Blessings!