Life is good

One of many moments in which I stop and think how thankful I am to be a Sunday School teacher. :)

Kaylee drew a picture of our class (we were missing the Addies).  It was pretty great.

AND NOW, FOR SOMETHING COMPLETELY DIFFERENT....

We went to Minneapolis last weekend.  Yes, just for the weekend.  It was exactly what I needed.  Laid back, relaxing, but still lots of fun.  Just what the doctor ordered.

Mill City Museum.  Complete with Flour Tower!

It was a great weekend, leading into a busy week, and another big weekend coming up:

IRISH PARTY AND TAMALE SUPPER!!

Talk about high-quality cultural experiences. :)

Fog...and Perspective

I lifted this picture off of some stranger's blog.  I had this grand idea in my head for a post about how faith is like walking in fog...You just take one step at a time, not entirely sure where you are headed, unable to see whatever might be in the distance...but as long as you follow the Path (and/or a shadowy figure leading the way), you can trust that you will safely arrive wherever it is you're supposed to end up.

So there.  That was my blog post about fog.

But anyhow, I was going to write this post about fog, so I Google Imaged "Fog", and a blog popped up with this picture on it, which I lifted (I'm writing in circles, I know).  Then I stopped and took a moment to read what the original blogger had written.  Her personal fog involved the recent death of her father-- certainly a much more sobering situation than anything I am currently facing.  In fact, it is a situation that I really, really, really hate to even imagine for myself.  And it made me thankful that, although I face trials and decisions like anyone else, I am blessed in so many countless ways and have it VERY good.  Even if this unimaginable situation were to happen to me (...reallyreallyreally don't like to think about it), I would still be blessed in so many countless ways, and I would still have it very good.  I have my Jesus to thank for that.  <3

The Small(ish) Things

In girls' Bible study this week, we were talking about how God takes care of the small things we pray for, and I heard a pretty cool example of that today. 

Last week, one of my 5th grade boys came into my room really down in the dumps.  People had been bullying him all day, his iPod was stolen, and on top of all that, he had just spilled his juice carton all over himself.  A pretty awful day for a 5th grade boy...or anyone.  I remember saying a quick prayer that things would start looking up for him, or at least that he would find his iPod.  Today, I asked him if he had ever found it.  He lit up and said that he had.  It was found in the gym, fully charged (it was not fully charged when he lost it) and blasting Amazing Grace--  He previously did not even own Amazing Grace.  
So...not quite sure what happened there, but I do know that God is pretty cool like that, and no request is too petty for him to consider.

Cliffhanger resolved (in case you haven't already heard)

His name is Dylan. :)

What's in a name?

First of all, happy 60th birthday today to my wonderful dad!
And secondly, happy BIRTHday yesterday to...

(drumroll)....

BABY BOY DRAKE!

Everyone was expecting a girl...whoops.  Hopefully this isn't a trend in the kid's life! :)  They had better give him an extra masculine name!  Which brings me to the next point: because everybody was expecting a girl, the little guy does not currently have a name.  

It's sort of interesting to look at a face and know it has NO name.  I mean, we've all looked at people we don't know and tried to guess their names...you've done that, right? :) Some of us often have to guess people's names even if we do know them...But either way, we figure that they probably do have names.  Likewise, in anticipation of a newborn baby...or random college roommate, most of our imaginations have conjured up faces to go with the names of people we have yet to meet.  But to see a face and know it has no name...It's strange.  Like reading a beautiful novel that has no title.  How much of a person's identity is wrapped up in his or her name?  

(Really, though, this child does have a name.  He is Baby Boy Drake, which identifies his family and gives him a place he belongs.  But I'm still looking forward to attaching a more specific label to the owner of those chubby little cheeks.)