bwa. Just to spite you I wasn't going to say anything about the oriental headscarf, but now I will. I think it's in a shoebox in my closet with all the other random headscarves we have, but I have no idea. I haven't worn one in a while. Now that my hair is getting a little longer, I don't have to pretend that it's, well, a little longer.

Okay, lets talk about this headscarf for a moment, because I think I've only worn it once.

Amber's Oma helped her make all these headscarves and she gave me one exactly liek the one she has, but I lost it after a week. When I found it, I never really liked it because it just seemed like the wrong size for my head and kaitie looks a lot better in headscarves than me anyway.

Here's another way Amber has impacted my life: I used to never call them headscarves. Nope. I refered to them as either 'kerchiefs' or 'bandanas', and even on occasion a 'doorag'.
I think doorag is still my favorite though.

We should make more references to each other in our posts. When you talk about me, it makes me want to post something about you and this is a friendship journal. haha. That sounds so cheesy. Like I should get that appreciative glimmer in my eye and an expression of gratitude on my lips as I say it in a high yet humble tone of voice. But look, just by saying your name AMBER it raises interest to the post, doesn't it? I mean, at least for you, amber. amber amber amber. How many times have I said your name? I bet I can say your name more in this post than you can say mine in your next post. Maybe I just want you to talk about me though because I'm this vain.

Or maybe this is just how I see it.

I really don't have anything to talk about.

I bet you'll make a really good gypsy. It makes me think of the beginning of Robin Hood. You should tell fortunes like, "I see a 6 foot in your future" er, inch, I mean.

so.

-becca

hi. It's me. I'm posting because I don't want to do homework, not because becca said I should post.

I'm excited for halloween! I get to dress up! Because as Subway employees we are allowed to, as long as we incorporate part of our uniforms into our outfits. And we get more tips when we dress up. So, I'm going to be a gypsy. I'm borrowing a gypsy style skirt from Penni, and I went to the dollar store and bought some cheap plastic jewelry. I plan on borrowing heavy eye makeup from some friends and experimenting with it, since I have never touched it before. Ever. I don't even know how to use it. So maybe I'll ask someone to do it for me.

And! I'm wearing this oriental type headscarf that I have (becca will know what I'm talking about, and in the next post will tell what happened to hers, or if she knows where it is, or what.) And here's where my genius starts showing (Patrick, your genius is showing. Where?!). I knew I had to have gold hoop earrings as part of my costume - I mean, I'm a gypsy! But I don't have pierced ears. So! I'm going to attach either my two gold bracelets or someone else's hoop earrings to my headscarf! It'll cover my ears, and I'll just attach those where earrings would normally be. Now, isn't that smart of me!

I'll post a few pictures tomorrow evening, I hope.

I got to watch Phantom at Frank and Penni's today. That was really fun. I love that movie, love the music...at certain parts of the movie I'll close my eyes and just listen. That was probably the eighth or ninth time I've seen it.

Oh, haha. Church today. So, we had just finished practicing our worship package. The service was starting in about two minutes. I offhandedly said to Frank, "Do you have anything planned for offertory?" He said, "No, do you?" I said, "No." I started flipping through the nearest songbook. "Oh, I can play 'As the Deer"...that's a familiar song." I wouldn't have time to practice anything, but at least I'd pick a familiar song. And then, my mouth kept moving. "In fact," I said, "I love singing this song. I could sing it and play it. Want to do some kind of harmony? And you can play guitar, too." He was like "Yeah! Sure!"

So, today I played and sang a song WITH someone else playing and singing, and neither of us had practiced at all. I think it turned out well, though I still am not very good at singing in public. But a lady who was new to the church said afterward, "Are you the piano player? Well, you sang very well! It sounded just like an angel!" That, of course, made me feel all good and high in a way that probably wasn't very healthy.

Well, I'm off to find an eye makeup volunteer.

Okay, bye now!

amber should say something.

1st Corinthians 13:1-8 (NJKV)

"Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. And though I have the gift of prophecy and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing.

Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails..."


I'm not saying anything new about it, I'm sure. I'm just thinking about this passage in a more convicting way (for me). Love is important. Yes, I know: duh. Everybody, whether saved or not, wants to be loved. It's no new concept. God was before everything and God is love. God sent His only Son to save us because "he so loved the world." Jesus said the most important commandment in the law is to love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind, and the second is similar, to love your neighbor as yourself. But I wonder at times...I know true love has to be worked at - I know I don't follow the above description completely. Not near to. I know I never can totally attain to it. I love God and others because He first loved me, but I'll never be able to love in the same way. I'll never be utterly selfless the way Christ is. I'll mess up. I do mess up all the time. But how I so long to change my way of thinking, my way of loving.
How does this compare to the way I treat people? My family and friends, fellow believers, the unsaved people around me? How about how I think about them? Do I envy? Do I judge? Do I completely forgive them? Do I only love them because they love me? There are times when I haven't been that lovely, and other people have still shown love toward me. Whether it was by something they did or something they didn't do. Like they didn't get angry for the foolish thing I did, they just hoped "for everything," and were kind. They kept no record of my past wrongs, but forgave me. That's love.

But how can I really know what love is? How can anyone? I know only what God has revealed to me. That passage goes on to say, "For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known."

I can't even grasp how much more, how much deeper things that are hard for me to understand now may be some day, when things are fully revealed. But for now, I know that God shows me what he wants me to know, what I need to know. And if I'm following him, seeking him first, inquiring of him, he will give me more understanding, so I can glorify him with my life.

I have a lot to learn. Some people have been created with very compassionate hearts - it's so good to see those people following the Lord. My sister is amazing in that way to me. She makes everyone feel good and accepted. She doesn't show favoritism because of something someone has or hasn't done. She makes me think of Jane from Pride and Prejudice - ha. She's as definitely as pretty as her. :) I think of a passage I just learned today, James 4:11-12, "Anyone who speaks against his brother or judges him speaks against the law and judges it. When you judge the law, you are not keeping it, but sitting in judgement on it. There is only one Law giver and Judge, the one who is able to save and destroy. But you - who are you to judge your neighbor?"

How I need to be more humble. Always.

The part of 1st Corinthians that has been running through my head the most is that love suffers long and yet is kind! Bears all things, rejoices in the truth (even when it's hard to hear?), believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

I don't know why I'm writing about all of this. I guess it helps me to think about things to write them out. What I usually write about on here is so utterly pointless, not even worth thinking about, much less writing about or reading about. But I can never say that God's Word is pointless.

"And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love."

-becca

haha, hi amber! =D

Whenever I think of biscuits and gravy I have this image of the church campout the year I went with you - I guess, the only year I went - and my dad putting that #10 can of gravy on the camping stove. It just seems weird. It was so dusty there. Wow. Remember dunking out heads in the river all the time? I remember washing my face with your weird blueberry or some wildberry scrub in the river, it was SO cold and it smelled so bad. wow. And playing checkers. And the skit we wrote. Ah. I love remembering things. Memories are so good.

Last night I was up until 2 in the morning talking to my mom and sister. Of course I was up until about 1 playing guitar prior to that, and I was going to go to bed but they were talking about me. It was really nice though. Then kaitie and I talked until close to 3 after that. I love my mom and my sister so very much, I'm so glad I have them. Even if I'm kind of tired today. ha. I'm not that tired I guess, I've actually had a really good day so far. I've gotten a lot done. It's a good feeling to know that I'm using my time well. Okay, with the exception of this, I guess, because I can never really justify blogging for some reason. But, it's good to be in the Word and taking time to think and pray. It changes everything. It makes the important things easier to focus on. God is so good. I let myself get so distracted sometimes. I really want to change that. God alone is all I need, but I'm so thankful that I have more than that.

Anyway, I don't know what else I would end up writing, but there are other things I want to get done, so I'm going to stop here. Maybe I'll find something more interesting to write about later.

-becca

Good Sunday morning!

I feel happy.

Though, my happiness would be much greater if it were accompanied by a cup of English Breakfast.

And perhaps a biscuit with gravy, or a couple over-easy fried eggs with hash browns, or a bowl of corn-meal-mush, or a pancake smothered with applesauce. I like breakfast. But I do have sharp cheddar cheese.

But I'm still very happy.

Last night I was walking back from the prayer chapel, and I saw a car pull up alongside slowly, and then I heard my name called. So I went over, and it was Iyesha and Joe! I hadn't seen them since last year, when they graduated, and I certainly didn't expect to randomly see them on campus! It was very, very exciting. We went out for coffee, and then up to Rocky Butte where a group of drunk teenagers threatened us (and one of them tried to attack us, but he could hardly walk straight. It was kind of scary, but Joseph was there, which was nice.) Then we went to WinCo and Joseph lent me a dollar and I bought some sharp cheddar cheese.

It was nice.

I have to go now, though.

Bye!

wow, I'm behind.

I haven't really written anything in a while. Those were huge posts, amber.

okay. so. I had today off. I didn't really want today off, but I had it.

I don't really know what to talk about.

hm.

I guess I could just talk about stuff that's been happening. I guess I don't actually need to say anything interesting or profoundly deep or poetic or anything...which is good, because I'm not very good at that.

My brother and niece came over last night. Everyone was home, that was fun. We all played with the baby and talked for a few hours. I love nights like that. I love that feeling of everyone is together and happy to be together. I haven't felt that way with my entire family in a while. It's really nice, really good. I love them a lot. I wish it was more of a habit to tell each other that all the time. Hm.

Oh, I broke my toe, I guess that's interesting. It's not swollen or purple anymore though. It just looks normal and it doesn't hurt. I just can't bend it. ha, stupidest thing eva.

I'm going to call you tonight amber.

I don't have anything else I feel like saying right now, and I have lots of other things that I'd much rather be doing and are probably a much better use of my time anyway.

-becca

And the winner is:

Brian!!!!!!!!!!! With his prizewinning punchline to this joke:

"Two guys came in.

The first guy ordered a sandwich.

The second guy said, "Hey you can't boss a sandwich around!"

Congratulations, Brian! You have just won the becca/Amber Joke Appreciation Award (bAJAA).

To the left is your medal. Feel free to right click and save it.

Note: No one else may save this medal except Brian, since he won. We are using the honor system here: please do not take copies of Brian's medal home with you!!!






Our first runner up is Tap, because he had a pun. "The second guy ordered an otter sandwich." He spelled it "order" but I think he meant "ordered" so I changed it without bothering to put an "order [sic]" in. Because that would be just plain annoying, and you probably wouldn't get the joke then.

This is the Second Best Subway Joke Finishing Contest Award (SBSJFCA).

Again, this medal belongs to Tap - please do not save it to your computer and then say that you won the contest. This is a very big honor. To those that say, "Man, that looks like you typed "medal" into google images and picked one of the first ones that came up! You didn't even design it yourself! In fact, it looks exactly the same as the first place medal! It's probably meant to be an award for the Siberians capturing some random city in the Philippines a million years ago! You're really cheap!", they would be right.




Our second runner up is Jesta.

"The second guy pulled his ear and told a joke:"So, two guys walk into a Subway. The first guy orders a Chicken parmesan. The second guy snorts and tells a joke: 'Two dogs walk into a food store. The first one picks up some cat food. The second one asks him "What's with the cat food?" The first dog says, "If I can't come to the cats, I'll make them come to me."'""

His punchline made sense, and it was kind of funny, but it didn't really have anything to do with the start of the joke. But it was somewhat funny, and this was a tough assignment, so I'm giving him some points. This is the "Officially Somewhat Funny Person" (OSFP) award.








Our third and final runner-up is Kaitie.

"Two guys walked into a subway. They both missed their trians because they didn't run. "

Her joke wasn't really funny (and she kind of acknowledged it as such). Let me, as a professional, point out her mistakes and the things she did right.

1. The joke didn't start with the word "subway" - it just said the guys came in, so that was an assumption. However, it was a correct assumption, so she's fine!

2. She didn't include the "the first guy ordered a sandwich" line. That's okay; comedians alter reality to whatever is most convenient for them!

3. She misspelled "trains". That's okay, though, because apparently it was a very contrived pun of the word "brian", whom Kaitie somehow knew would win this contest, and so she included a variant of his name within her joke. Very nice, Kaitie!

4. She made a pun with "subway" and "trains", relating the sandwich shop to the network of underground mass transportation systems located in New York. Wow, I bet nobody's made that connection before! Well done!

For all these things, I have granted her the certficated below, which doesn't really apply to this, but it's still a pretty nice certificate and it will make her feel good.

Wow. It's really amazing how restful one weekend at home can be. Today, I was wide awake for all of my classes. The whole day, I just felt happy and motivated and "I can get it done" ish. I accomplished a lot without stressing myself out. I felt like a completely new person than I had been when I left last Thursday.

Monday was pretty stressful. I had to wake up pretty early to do my laundry, and we had to leave the house at 9:00 to drop my mom and sister off at their place, and then we went to the train station to pick up my ticket and check my baggage. My train was scheduled to leave at 10:53. It was on a line that I don't normally take - "Coast Starlight," which runs from southern California to Seattle and back. I normally take "Cascades", which only runs from Portland to Seattle and back.

Here's some background: I had debated taking "Coast Starlight" on the way up on Thursday, because it ran at a more convenient time for me, but I didn't for a couple reasons: 1, it made a lot of stops on the way, which added a full half hour to the travel time. That would be super annoying. 2, it had a flag on it that said "subject to delays." Plus, I was just more familiar with the Cascade line, and I like routine. So I ended up taking the Cascade line up instead of Coast Starlight.

But now I was coming back down, and I had to take the Coast Starlight because I had to be in Portland before 5 because I had to work at 5. So, I bought a ticket that would have me in Portland at 2:15 pm which is, in fact, earlier than 5. The Cascade lines would have been too late. That's why I had to take Coast Starlight. Okay?

So, we get there at about 9:30 and it says the train has been delayed. It was going to be at Tacoma at 10:53, now it'll be there at (I think) 11:45. We sigh. I pick up my ticket and check my bags (that's a story in itself that I'll share after this) and we go back home to wait for a bit.

We live half an hour from the train station. So, already that day, I'd had an hour of car driving.

When we were about to return to the train station, I looked up the train schedule and found out that it was now scheduled to come into Tacoma at 12:30. So, we waited. Then I looked it up again and it had been changed to 1:25. So we waited again. The next time I looked it up, it was the same. So we left. But when we arrived at the station, it had been modified to 2:25. There was a Cascade train leaving at 2:33 (which, of course, I hadn't made a reservation for because it arrived in Portland at 5:15) and I was fairly sure that the predictions of the Coast Starlight train weren't even accurate, since it was coming from Seattle, and they were basically just tacking on another hour every time the deadline was reached - I was pretty sure the train hadn't even left Seattle, since it takes about an hour by train from Seattle to Tacoma (or less). (That was a horrid sentence.)

So I changed my ticket to the 2:33 Cascade train. The idiots at the front desk (you'll hear more about why they were idiots later on) tried to covince me not to change my ticket.

"But ma'am, the Coast Starlight will arrive at 2:15, and 2:15 comes before 2:33!"

"Yes, but the Coast Starlight was supposed to arrive three and a half hours ago, so why should I assume it will arrive at 2:15?"

"..."

"Furthermore, the Coast Starlight takes 3 hours to get to Portland, and the Cascade takes 2 1/2 hours to get there. So, may I please modify my ticket?"

"..."

"Thanks."

Both trains ended up being somewhat delayed, though mine arrived first. I finally arrived in Portland at 6. By 6:15 I had been picked up and was headed back to school. By 6:30 I was at school. Around 6:45, I was at work. I had called in earlier that day, and my boss had basically said "okay, but you need to come in at 7 if at all possible."

So, it was a day of being in the car a lot, and being in the train a lot, and after the train going straight to work. I was so exhausted. But I slept hard. And today was wonderful.

That was a very boring story.

So, the idiots at the Tacoma station. Ugh. I tried to check my baggage, and when I tried to check this plastic container I have, the guy said, "Um, we can't take that," in an offended tone, as if I had wronged him by trying to check it.

I said, "why not?"

"Because it's plastic."

"Um, okay, well, they checked it just fine on the way up here..."

"Yeah, well, we can't take it, okay?" He sounded angry at me. My dad started getting involved.

Dad: "Look, they took it on the way up! Why can't you take it on the way down?"

Guy: "Because it's against our policy. She has to carry it on board with her."

Me: "Fine." I took it back and put my laptop under.

Guy: "We can't take that either. It's an electronic."

Me: "I also checked this on the way up."

Guy: "Well, you'll have to carry it on board with you."

Me: "And I'm allowed two pieces of carryon luggage, right? Which I already have. So, you're saying I can only take two pieces of luggage with me?"

Dad angrily says something about the level of service and the inconsistencies we've encountered. The guy shrugs.

A lady comes over and explains very slowly and clearly to me (as if I am a small child) that these items are not allowed, but we're going to "bend the rules" (and as she says "bend" she does a very deliberate and slow motion with her hands as if she's bending an iron bar into a horseshoe) and have me sign a waiver that says I acknowledge that I'm putting this item on board, even though I'm not supposed to, and that it won't happen again, okay? Okay. I sign.

Anyway, I couldn't believe how rude they both were. No "sorry" about anything - about the train being 2 1/2 hours late, about the checked baggage thing, nothing. When someone has a complaint about a sandwich - a sandwich, people, which pales in comparison to the importance of a train ticket - I treat their sandwich concerns with way more respect than these people treated my travel plans. This tells me that they should be making sandwiches, and I ought to be in their position.

And I also mentioned, I think, how the same lady and guy tried to keep me from changing my ticket, even though not changing it would mean I'd arrive in Portland at least half an hour (and probably more) late. Stupid, stupid, incompetent idiots. I should have their jobs. I should. They should be making sandwiches. Or frying up fish tacos on some grill in Mexico - some place where no amount of customer service is expected.

I'm going to email amtrak now.

Two guys came in.

The first guy ordered a sandwich.

The second guy ________________________________



Finish the joke. Win a prize. Post joke finishings in comments.

Here's a couple stories about weird customers I had today at work.

An older gentleman came in at 7:45. He was rather chatty, asking me if it had been busy (yes) and if that was a good thing (sometimes) and when I had come to work (5). Then he said something like, "so, you'll be here until 11 or so?"

I said, "no."

He said, "When does Subway close?"

I said, "10:30."

He said, "when do you get off?"

I said, "8."

"But that's in fifteen minutes! You just got here!"

"Yeah, it's a short shift."

Pause. Then, "So, whaddya do, sleep all day, then come work for a couple hours, then party all night and do it again the next day?"

Because of course, no one would ever hold a PART-TIME job anywhere unless they were just really lazy and wanted the extra time to goof off.

I said, "Um, actually, I'm a full-time student."

Instantly, his demeanor changed. From then on, it was "Oh, good! Where? What are you studying? What year are you? Sophomore? So, did you go there last year, too? Good, good...are you getting good grades? Good..." And he tipped me, too.

It kind of bugged me, that he judged me first. Hm.

Anyway, the second guy.

Two guys came in. The first ordered a sandwich. I asked the second guy, "and what can I get for you?" He said he didn't think he was getting anything. I said something like, "well, we have a special right now - two foot long sandwiches for 8.99." I'm starting to do that more, partly because I'm told to, and partly because it's amazing to me how many people respond positively. If I offer them something, they'll buy it.

He said, "Naw thanks." So I was making the first guy's sandwich and the second guy says, "Wait. So, you're saying I could get a sandwich like his and it would only cost three bucks more?" I said yes. He said, "Alright then, I want a foot long gardenburger sandwich."

As I was heating up the gardenburgers, he said, "actually, your chicken parmesan looks good." I thought he was going to change his mind, but he said, "can I get both gardenburger AND chicken parmesan on the same sandwich?" I told him sure, but it'd cost extra. He had no problem with that.

I don't think I've ever made such a weird sandwich. And to think, he hadn't even been going to have a sandwich in the first place! He had everything on it, including mayonnaise, mustard, chipotle sauce, ranch, oil, and vinegar. It looked disgusting. It was probably the heaviest sandwich I've ever wrapped up.

When doing two sandwiches, I typically write which sandwich is which on the bag. On his, I just did a face with two x's for eyes and a frowny mouth with a tongue hanging out of it. Both the guy's buddy and I could hardly contain our disgust as I made the sandwich. It was really funny though, and they were both really nice about it.

Something to add to my "how not to order a sandwich" list (How to Order at Subway): Do not say, "I'm going to have a six inch teriyaki with everything" and then walk away to use the bathroom. One man was rather irritated with me, I think, because he tried to do this. This is the list of the things I had to yell after him:

"Sir, the bathroom can only be opened with the key on the counter next to the register."

"Sir, what kind of bread do you want?"

"Did you want that sandwich toasted?"

"What kind of cheese did you want?"

"Sir, the men's bathroom is out of order; you have to use the women's."

"Yes, the key only works for the women's bathroom because the men's is out of order."

I think he was kind of irritated, but this isn't like McDonalds where you just order your food and wait around for it to be done. There is a lot of interaction.

I just got done playing Risk with some people. It was really fun. I started out winning but then I lost. it was fun though. I'm so tired. goodnight.

Can you believe it?

I'm posting.

I didn't really think to do it until right when I'm pretty much out of time to write about anything, but I had to put SOME break in between all these amber posts. :P

HI!

-becca

This morning, my alarm went off at 6:45. I sat up in bed and stretched. Then I stretched my neck, and suddenly I felt a horrible strong pain in the left side of my neck! Almost immediately, I couldn't see anything, my face felt like it was on fire, and I thought I would throw up because I felt so sick.

Intellectually, I knew the nurse didn't get in until 7:30. I knew I had class at 8:00. I knew that I had to shower today (I haven't showered since Monday, and since then I've worked at Subway and sweatily chopped vines off trees and moved mattresses. Disgusting combination of smells.) I knew I had to see the nurse, but I also knew that if I saw her at 7:30 I might not have time to shower. It was a confusing bunch of priorities.

For some reason, I insisted on finding my shoes and putting them on before going downstairs, because there is a sign outside the nurse's office saying "please wear shoes at all times" (the nurse's office is on the lower floor of my dorm - very close). I guess I was worried that I'd get down there and she'd send me back for my shoes.

Then I stumbled down the hall. I couldn't see anything at all - it was like someone was shining a flashlight in my eyes. I ran into the wall. Then I just fell on the floor and lay there for a few minutes. Eventually I got up and went downstairs and sat outside her office, waiting for her to get in, and crying because the pain was so bad.

My friend Amanda came by and saw me, then, and she was very sweet. She sat with me and called security and they came, but they couldn't really do anything except tell me to wait for the nurse. The nurse came and helped me to a couch and I basically laid there for the next 2 1/2 hours. She told me I had to see a doctor.

I was kind of worried about that, since I don't have insurance, but she sent me to a chiropractor she knows, because they had an appointment open at 10:30. So, I just got back from there half an hour ago. I am still in a lot of pain, especially whenever I move my head accidentally, but at least it's not unbearable now. I'm not going to class at all today. I think I'll try to go to work, though.

This is not at all how I envisioned my day going. But I'm kind of happy that I don't have as much pain now as I did this morning, and that it wasn't just one of those "overreacting" things.

I so badly want to take a shower, though! I think I'll try to soon.

So, that was my little adventure for today.

In case anyone didn't already know, this is what my Sundays now look like:

9:00 am - Frank and Penni pick me up and take me to the church so Frank and I can work out instrumental stuff on the songs before the singers arrive, and so that I can actually practice, since I can no longer make it to worship practice because of either work or class every night of the week.

12:00-1:00 pm - I go to Frank and Penni's house. I goof around while Penni makes a lunch that never fails to be home-cooked and tasty. We sit around the table like a family - Frank, Penni, Betty, Heather, usually Elaine, sometimes that bratty (but hilariously fun) kid Wyatt, and me.

1:00-3:30 - I do my laundry and some homework.

3:30-5:00 - I watch a movie with Heather and eat an awesome home-cooked dinner, courtesy (again) of Penni (doesn't she sound like a mom? Well, she is!)

5:30 - Elaine picks me up for kid's choir. No, I'm not in it - I run it! It's so fun! I'll talk about that after this.

7:30 - I am dropped off by somebody at my dorm.

8:00 - I type on here.

Isn't that great?! Sundays are just great. Structured fun and relaxation, that's what it is.

Today was the second week of kid's choir. We had a few new kids who didn't know the song I had taught them last week.

Last week, I wasn't very prepared, but it wasn't my fault. I was as prepared as I could be. I didn't know what age range of kids I had, or how many. I had never led any kid-thing before! So, I wrote a basic vague plan. It went a lot better than I thought it would - in fact, it went as well as it could for the lack of plan I had (which, again, wasn't my fault). So, this week I was prepared! I set aside about 3 hours one day and worked on stuff. Man, this is a time commitment! But it was still fun.

Here's what we're doing (I'm so darn proud of these kids, I have to share what they're learning and doing!): Today, we sang Joshua 1:9 to the tune given by "GT and the Halo Express", which we had learned last week. This time, I had made up some hand motions to the song, and I taught those to them. I really wanted to give them some background, instead of just plucking that verse out of its historical context. I wanted to tell them the story of the Israelites - how they had been wandering in the desert, and God promised them a wonderful new land, but when they got there they found other people living there! God said to kick out the other people, but the other people were very strong, so God told Joshua to "Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go."

So, I wrote a skit! I had a Moses, a Joshua, a God, and a Jordan River. The Jordan River divided the room in half. Half the people were Israelites, and half were not; the Israelites were on the desert side of the Jordan, and the non-Israelites were on the Promised Land side. And I narrated about how hot and tired and sore and thirsty the Israelites were, and had them act it all out. And I had the non-Israelites act out how happy they were to be in the nice land. I had God talking to Joshua. Yeah, it wasn't a complete story, but it gave me the context I needed. And it was great. Those kids...man, I know kids have lots of energy! I've babysat for years and I have my own significantly younger sibling. But these kids never. run. out.

Then we took a break while I figured out chords to "Jesus Loves the Little Children" and "Jesus Loves Me", and we sang those. Then we played "Statue", where I played "Joshua 1:9" while they danced around, and when I stopped playing they had to freeze. Because there are so many younger kids, I didn't think it would work well to have them be "out" if they moved after I stopped, or something like that. It was just fun. Then we played "Duck Duck Goose" which is really a crowd favorite. Emily had the bright idea that the kids had to say "Joshua, Joshua, Joshua, Joshua, one-nine!" instead of "Duck, duck duck, duck, goose!" It was fun because some of the kids had trouble saying "Joshua" so much, and some forgot the "one-nine" part.

And then, amazingly, we were done!

These kids are so great. They love to sing. This morning I went over to them before church. The first thing they were asking was, "Hey, Amber, is there kid's choir tonight? What time? What time is it now? How many more hours?" They could not wait! They're so enthusiastic and energetic and not at all shy.

I'm so happy. I love this.

I'm going to clean and finish up my math lesson now. Thanks for listening to me having a great day. I hope you do too.

Amber