Just for the record...I won 6 of 14 games of tennis today. That means I only lost eight. I usually lose 14. Just for the record.

balancing three jobs at 11pm

the numbers blare on the screen
"at least we ended in the black"
the teacher planner stares at me from the floor
"what am I doing for tomorrow"
I switch over to read a blog
check my e-mail again
my eye catches the pictures on my bulletin board
chris, maven, grandparents, sterns, sisters
"what amazing people to have in my life"
the doorbell in the apartment below me rings
"no wonder mine doesn't work...their's is loud enough for both"
the facebook button suddenly jumps off the screen
"could I have a message?"
the upcoming party on evite
"I hope Raina is coming"
a small portion of my computer screen blinks blue
someone wants to chat with me
"who could it be"
my stomach growls
"it's time for ice cream"
dishes from the day begging to be washed
thoughts of baking, cleaning, family
"I just left someone hanging on IM"
the computer beckons me
"oh yeah, the numbers..."
"boss wants those in the morning"

mountain bigger than a chicken

I realize I haven't yet shared my new job adventures with the blog world. I've returned to the classroom part time - as a pre-kindergarten teacher at one school and as a P.E. teacher at another school. It has been quite the adjustment trying to lesson plan for both including multiple classes of P.E. and maintaining my administrative assistant duties. I'm beginning my third week and am feeling more settled.

Now that I am back working with small children, I can tell the tales of the funny things they say. Here's the first one:

One child in my class told me that she went on vacation to the Smoky Mountains. They saw all kinds of rocks and waterfalls, and they climbed a "mountain bigger than a chicken"!

She was also overheard telling her neighbor the following story:

"We're going on vacation to a reservation. And the Indians are going to see us and say 'No, no, no. You cannot steal our land' and I'm going to say 'Don't worry, we're on vacation. We're not going to steal your land'"

Isn't that fabulously hilarious!

Moses takes time out from wrestling the lion to say "cheese"

(he's literally saying "cheese" in this picture...he's not even two yet, but knows how to work it for the camera...do I detect a modeling career ahead?)

God's proximity during sleepless nights

I hate nights like tonight. The kind where you lay in bed for hours, mind reeling, legs throbbing, but not falling asleep. I'm not sure if I can't sleep tonight because of ideas churning in my brain - leftovers from a fruitful house church early this evening or because of the ache in my legs - the result of teaching flexibility in P.E. today - when I'm really not all that flexible. (oh to be young again).

My friend's brother blogged about proximity to God and sanctification. He mentioned laying in bed, examining the ceiling, and then thinking "God is even in this room." As I read that I realized that often the knowledge that He is in the room is not enough for me. I want to FEEL His presence...know that He is there beside me. I find it funny in an almost ironic way that human nature is to see and touch...knowledge is not enough. Sometimes I ask for ridiculous things...like "Lord, can you hold my hand. I mean, REALLY hold my hand so that I can FEEL it." or "Lord can you massage the area on my shoulder that I can't reach, but desperately needs some help?" In an odd way, He often answers those requests. Many people have those requests because of unbelief - a part of them needs to know that God is real. I ask because I need the affection - the physical touch - and who better to get it from than the one who really knows me best. My shoulder doesn't actually get massaged, but the pain goes away. And sometimes, in my half asleep state, I feel as though someone is touching me.

Why pawn that off on brain trickery, when I can hold on to the idea that the Lord cares for and attends to my physical-emotional needs just as much he does every other part of my life?