My New Bedspread!

I think my favorite thing about Christmas for the past few years is that I don't actually open very many presents ON Christmas. Since I usually fly to visit my family, I can't really carry everything back with me. So, I usually get some clothes and then open boxes with pictures of things that will be sent to my house. I really do like it, its kinda like I get to open presents twice!

So, this post is mostly for my mom and dad who bought the bedspread, but haven't actually seen it, haha. I LOVE it and am so excited to sleep under an actual blanket tonight, for the first time on 2 years!!

In case you thought I was exaggerating, here is what my old bed spread looked like:
I really likes it when I first got it, but the washing machine took a away a lot of its beauty.

A closer look at the rips (they are serious when they say dry clean ONLY, haha).





And the new look....

So pretty!! And warm!! And comfy!!

Thanks mom and dad!!

Christmas 2008

Merry Christmas!! I know its almost new years, but I haven't said Merry Christmas yet! So, Marry Christmas!! Thankfully, I had a wonderful and very laid back Christmas.

First, we didn't actually celebrate Christmas until Dec. 27th since my brother and his fiance couldn't get to NC until then. So, my first few days in North Carolina were spent doing some final shopping, reading and just hanging out with my parents.

My brother and his fiance arrived on Saturday, with their dog. :) Can you tell my family loves animals??

We pretty much immediately opened presents, which didn't take too long since there aren't any kids...and of course we didn't really have any toys to play with afterwards, haha. My most exciting gift (next to the amazon.com gift certificate!) was my new bed spread!! My old one was accidentally washed 2 years ago (its dry clean only) and was literally ripped almost to shreds. I've basically been sleeping under threads, haha. I'm so glad I can finally throw it out!

Jack and I went in together to buy our parents a TomTom GPS, which they were VERY excited about, and we have already used several times. Hopefully now we won't get lost going to the airport... :)

After presents we had a really nice dinner (much better than Thanksgiving, haha) and then just hung out.

On Sunday we all took a shopping trip to return things that didn't fit, spend gift cards while the sales were still going, and to pick up a charger for my cell phone since my cat chewed it up. Since none of us really like shopping, we weren't out too long, but still had a lot of fun!

Unfortunately, Jack and Suzanne had to leave Sunday afternoon, but we had fun while it lasted. I think he just gets bigger every time I see him...


So, now I'm just working (still have my AIM stuff to do during the day) and relaxing. I'm actually kinda ready to get back to Philly. I still have a lot on my to-do list and the stuff I did on the kitchen has me motivated! I will be back in Philly tomorrow afternoon and will hopefully get started right away.

Until then, however, I will just work while sitting on my parents' back porch enjoying the sun, and the sounds of nothing.

Is this what normal life is like?

The Kitchen, Organized

Okay, this is going to be a fast post since I am supposed to be packing for my trip to my parents' house. But, I am SO excited about organizing my kitchen that I had to share!!

Unfortunately, in my excitement to clean my kitchen, I didn't take many "before" pictures. Actually, I only took one. So you will have to use your imagination for the rest.

I started with the "Spices Cabinet". We have a ton of random spices, mostly given to me by people who didn't want them (gotta love how people think missionaries are just desperate for stuff you don't even want!). But, I don't want to throw them out cause you never know when I will need some Spicy Spaghetti seasoning.

Here is the cabinet before:

And here it is now!

But wait! Where are the spices??


I moved them to a cabinet where I could actually see all of them! And, I put labels on top of each to it would be a lot easier to see what I have and find anything I am looking for. Yay!!


Okay, now here is the rest of the kitchen now (or most of it...for the before shots, just imagine A LOT of junk piled in random places, most of which I threw away because I couldn't even remember getting it!).

Now, before you start freaking out about the lack of food in the cabinets remember 2 things: 1) My roommate literally lives on pretzels and cookies and 2) I have been traveling a lot over the last several weeks, I have just been trying to get rid of what I have. I plan on making a BIG shopping run when I return!





This all literally took me about 5 hours, but I am SO excited to have it finished! I will literally kill my roommate if she messes any of this up (I have already warned her, haha). Unfortunately, Beth wasn't much help....



And Gizmo stayed with me the whole time I was cleaning, but he wasn't exactly helpful...







I'll try and take some pictures again when there is actually food in the cabinets so it will be even more impressive.

Now I must finish packing and get to the airport. Peace and quiet here I come!!!

My Messed Up House

The other day I was hanging out with a kid and he made the following statement:

"Compare your house to mine. Yours is kinda messed up while mine is really pretty. I still like you're house, but mine's kinda nicer than yours".

Now, there was no way that this kid had any idea that my house is somewhat of a soft spot for me, nor do I think he meant anything negative toward me.

I really like my house. A lot. It feels like home to me and despite the endless list of things to fix, I still really love my house. However, I am also kind of sensitive about it because I know it needs a lot of work...and I know that I can't do most of that work. In fact, while a lot of really awesome work has already been done on my house, I have done very little of it. I have a wonderful new kitchen, that was funded by home church and installed almost exclusively by Frank Hinson.

Same story with my floors, installing the washer and dryer, installing my refrigerator, and on and on. I pretty much have to call in a favor (90% of the time it ends up being Frank) or pay someone money whenever something needs to be done at my house. And I hate that. I have put up curtains, and done some painting. I did put together my TV stand and my nightstand, but that's about it.

So, as much as I love my house and want to see it someday become a really nice house, I recognize that I can not do it alone. I am dependent (more than most and WAY more than I would like to be) on others to help make that happen. Especially as I look at the list of things that need to happen. As much as I would love to know how to fix leaks, install windows, tear down and install ceilings, fix lighting, change outlets, etc.; at this point I just don't have those skills. And, I'm not sure where I could fit construction classes into my schedule. :)

All of this got me thinking about my life. There are so many things I would like to change about myself, so many ways I would like to become more like Christ. But I can't do it alone. In fact, even the simplest task in my life can not be done without Him. And to really become the person that God created me to be, I need other people as well. People to show me Christ, show me where I fall short, and to encourage me in my walk.

My life will be so much easier if I can every truly grasp the truth that I can't do it alone!! If I can someday fully understand my desperate need for Him, maybe more and more of my brokenness will actually be restored.

Someday I won't be living in a messed up house. Until then, I am SO thankful that God feels about me the same way I feel about my house. No matter what anyone else thinks, I can't help but love it. :)

Normal :)

The last few days for me have been what I would consider "normal". The kind of days that are full but not busy and are filled with things that make me happy and content, not stressed and overwhelmed. I hadn't realized how many days have NOT been like this until now; which makes me very thankful for them!

On Saturday I went with my friends Elizabeth and Melanie out to Melanie's parents' house (in Delaware) to help out with a Christmas party for some of the kids that live near Elizabeth. There were 7 kids, and while I really only went as a driver, I had a lot of fun hanging out with these kids. They are hilarious! They really enjoyed getting out of the city and being in a real home for a few hours. It made me wish my parents lived closer so I could take kids to their house! (Which is probably why my parents keep moving farther and farther away from me, haha).

I had Prayer Pals Christmas Party shopping to do on Saturday, but the party (including all the driving) took several hours, so I couldn't go until after 10. Thankfully, Elizabeth and her husband Frank went with me and we made it a fun midnight shopping trip. It was very helpful to have Frank as I was shopping for 5 boys and 2 girls, and he thinks like a little boy so we got some great stuff. :)

Bonita, Pedro and Miguel came to church with me on Sunday and just hung out with me for the day. They were hilarious!! They had to stay downstairs most of the time while I was wrapping Prayer Pals presents, and they managed to be very helpful. They cleaned up the basement, threw out an old (kitten poop covered) mattress and box spring and took the dog on several walks. Of course, they also took her running in the mud and left me with some floor cleaning to do, but they were so helpful otherwise, I couldn't really complain.

Sunday night was the Prayer Pals Christmas party...my favorite night of the year!! I was especially excited because I had personally shopped for 7 of the kids, so I couldn't wait to see their reaction! (A lot of the kids' pals found it easier to just send me a check and have me do the shopping...which I actually had a lot of fun with!). As usual, the party exceeded my expectations and we all had a BLAST! This was the first year that we had ALL the pals opening presents together (we usually split them into two separate hours). So, it was a bit crowded but fun.

Here are some great pics!

Miguel was SO excited about these chips. I would guess that they have all already been eaten, haha.





The whole group! :)

I will be uploading the pics to the church website today, so you can check all of them out here!

Yesterday I got to spend the morning babysitting the Hinson boys. Last time I babysat I had so much work to do that they ended up just playing by themselves while I worked. Not fun. So, this time I made sure I could just hang out and play with them the whole time, and we had so much fun!!! Paxton got the game "Perfection" at the Prayer Pals party, so we played that for a long time. We actually got a good system going of Kyler handing me a piece (while saying, "Here Frish") and then me putting in the right place. We beat the clock several times! If course, we still let it pop and scare us. It scared us every time. After it would pop Kyler would say, "Want to do it again, Frish?". How do you say no to that? You can't!!

Incidentally, Kyler has just started calling me Frish. He alternates between that and Trish. Paxton called me Frish for about a year when I first me him, so I kinda like the nickname. :) It's a lot better than what my brother calls me, haha. :)

I also cleaned my room last night! YAY!! Kirsten is coming to stay at my house while I'm away to help take care of Beth, so I figured I should make my room somewhat bearable while she is here. Actually, my room usually stays very clean except when I travel...which I have been doing a lot lately. Its nice to have it all clean again!!

Today, I will be tackling the kitchen. I am reorganizing the entire thing! Don't worry, its not a very big kitchen, so it won't take THAT long (though it will still take some time), but I'm excited to get it done. I'm hoping that once everything has its place, my roommate and I will be consistent with where we put things (meaning, I am hoping she will put things where I think they should go, haha).

My plan is to have the kitchen and the floors cleaned before I go home, and then threaten Kirsten and Jen if they mess anything up. :) When I return I will be organizing the storage in the basement, putting in shelves upstairs (that could be interesting!), painting the dining room, stripping the paint on the banister, and putting together my dining room table (or trying to find someone I can pay to do it, haha). Oh, and hopefully having a plumber come and fix my leaky upstairs.

I have about 3 weeks to accomplish these goals...while also preparing for the Spring semester of Kids Club, starting a Sunday School class and taking over Children's Church every third month. Whew! It WILL all be finished, just you wait and see!!!! :)

I am home! I think...

I had an incredible time away! I stayed in a hotel room that had a fireplace and a jacuzzi bathtub (yay for last minute deals!), both of which afforded me a ton of relaxation. I spent a good amount of time either reading, journaling or sleeping. I did venture out a bit to visit the battlefield (which is enjoyed even more than I thought I would!) and to grab something to eat every once in a while. Still, the majority of my time was spent in quiet, which was both wonderful and hard.

I have a lot of difficult questions swirling around in my head and some difficult issues I am facing with the Lord. Some serious stuff has come up with Linda that has me so confused and questioning a lot. Not to mention, with everything that has been going on in my life and all around me, I have a lot of questions.

So, while I did spend a lot of time relaxing, I also spent a lot of time crying (I know, shocking). But seriously, I don't question people going through hard times, I understand its a part of life. And I totally get (and even see in my own life) how God uses struggles to draw people into Him. I'm not asking for me (or anyone else) to have a life without hurt...I'm just seeking to better understand what to do with that hurt.

I spent most of my "Bible" time studying 2 women; Tamar and Hagar. I will write more about them later, but I found myself feeling connected to Hagar, and desiring to be like Tamar. It was eye opening, and amazing!!

And, I heard God speak. In the midst of my crying and total lack of understanding...I heard God speak. Again, I will write more specifically later, but I do want to share one thing that I learned.

When I hurt, I hurt deeply. (I'm sure I'm not speaking only for me, but I don't want to assume anything, so I am going to speak in first person. You can decide if this is you as well...). Some hurts are superficial, or only go so deep...but others go deeper than I can even describe. Recently I have been praying fervently for several close friends; the mother who miscarried a child, the wife and mother who faced possibly losing her husband, the wife and mother who no longer has any feeling of security or peace in her own home. As I prayed for them, I prayed for peace and comfort...and quickly realized that I had nothing to offer them.

There were no words that could come out of my mouth that would bring the comfort they so desperately needed. Why?!? Because there are some hurts, and we all have them, that go so deep, only God can touch them. Only He knows what it feels like. Only He knows what I feel. Only He knows. Someone else may have faced something similar, but they don't really know. And I need to admit that I don't know.

I have decided that telling someone, who is in the midst of deep pain, that "God has a plan and will make you stronger through this", is kinda like bringing out an "I told you so". You may be right, but it certainly isn't what is going to bring comfort. When I found out my dad had cancer, the only words that meant anything to me were, "I'm sorry". Hugs were a blessing, tears shed with me were an encouragement, but words were just meaningless.

So, I have decided to stop trying to find the words, and start turning to the only one who can truly comfort. When I am hurting, I am thankful for the people that God uses to hug me and cry with me, but I will desperately seek the one who truly understands. And when my friends hurt, I will pray. Really pray. Pray for the healing hand of the Father to touch the deep places that I will never see or understand. And I will trust Him.

During my time away I didn't find all the answers. I did find Jesus.

Unfortunately, I also came home to a really messy house (I really do like my roommate, but we have been living together for 7 months now and she has not once cleaned anything besides the dishes occasionally. seriously) and a serious leak in my bathroom/laundry room. So, in light of not needing words of comfort, I could simply use your prayers as I search for a plumber! (And maybe a maid, haha)

A Rotic Trip

I am heading out on a Rotic Trip tomorrow. What is a Rotic trip? It's a roMANtic trip without the man. :) (I heard that once in college and really loved it, haha).

Anyway, I have been really wanting some time away, ALONE, for a long time. I need a lot of Jesus, without distractions. I had one day over Thanksgiving when I was basically in a hotel room by myself and really loved it. Unfortunately, I was sleeping for a good part of it so I didn't get the chance to really soak up Jesus and some alone time. But, that taste left me wanting more.

So, I started looking on line for some nice but inexpensive places to get away for a few days. I looked near Philly as well as near my parents house. I was looking for a place that felt nice and homey (like a bed and breakfast), but would allow me to be anonymous and really spend time alone (like a hotel). I found a place near Philly that advertised itself as "a unique alternative to Bed & Breakfasts and chain hotels" and thought I may have found the perfect place. I looked at the sites near it and discovered that it was right next to a Revolutionary War battlefield!! While I'm more interested in the Civil War, I still just really love history and would LOVE to spend a few hours walking around a battlefield. So, I booked it!!!

I'm heading out tomorrow afternoon and will be back on Friday. I am looking forward to resting, reading, praying and listening. Actually, I'm hoping that most of my time will be spent listening as I am feeling desperate to draw close to Jesus. The room I am staying in has a fireplace, so I plan on hanging out in front of the fireplace with my "man" for as long as possible. :)

I'm also hoping the weather will allow me to visit the battlefield for at least a few hours. We'll see though!

So, you won't be hearing me until at least Friday. I am so excited I can hardly stand it!!

If you know me...

Then no explanation is necessary for this picture.

Awesome.

Meet Beth!!

We got a dog!!! We are keeping this one, the adoption papers will be finished soon. She is a 4 or 5 year old white shepherd mix; VERY lovable, and very protective of me, Jen and the house. I wish we had gotten her before I paid for the security system!! Seriously, if people come in the door and we welcome them, she is fine and will quickly become your best friend. If you start to walk in the door and we haven't welcomed you; watch out! Plus she has a very intimidating bark which is just nice to have around. :)

She was found as a stray, so she's kinda skinny but we're working to fatten her up (Gizmo is teaching her everything he knows). She is loving and friendly to anyone and everyone, unless you seem to be posing a threat to me or Jen...then she's not so nice. (Needless to say, my dad loves this dog, haha). Anyway, she's also GREAT with kids, is very laid back and already house trained. Basically, the perfect dog for us!!

She even gets along with Gizmo!! Of course, Giz is still getting used to her, but the only real problems they have had have been when she accidentally wacks him in the face with her tail (which really makes Gizmo mad, haha).

Isn't she cute?!?




And yes, we did take her to get a picture with Santa. She would only look at the camera if Jen was sitting with her though. Still a really cute picture!

Christmas Parties!!

This has been the week of Christmas parties!

We had the 7-10 year old party on Monday:


11-12 year olds on Tues:

5-6 on Wed:

and then the teens yesterday (I was too busy doing other things to get a group shot at the Teen Club party...whoops!) Tomorrow is the Adult Party. Its been a fun, but very exhausting week!

I was actually responsible for planning the 7-10 party, so the rest were just fun times to hang out with kids and help wherever I was needed. I really enjoyed all of the parties, and I think the kids did too!!

(She isn't quite 5 yet...more like 2....but is just so darned cute!!)


(That's not actually the present Miguel left with, he traded for another gift just as we were heading home!)

EVERY kid that came to one of these parties (except for the teens, their party was a little different) left with a sweatshirt or tshirt (this is the 5&6 and the 7-10 shirt...isn't is so cute?!?),

as well as a brand new Christmas present (that they got to choose!) and a bag full of school supplies. The preteens and 5-6 year olds also got hats and gloves (there are too many 7-10 year olds, for them to get winter gear, haha). There are lots of really great pictures of all of the parties that you can check out here!!

The Christmas parties also mark the end of our Fall Season of clubs, meaning we all get a break! If course, there is still a lot going on to keep us busy for a little while, but it is really nice to have evenings free for a while! After Christmas we will really get a break, with time to prepare for the winter/spring season as well as do all the things we don't have time for when clubs are running (i.e. home improvement projects).

I have a long list of goals I am hoping to accomplish during this break. Some are personal (time with Jesus!!), others are relational (fun activities with the kids!) and MANY are home improvement...all of which I *should* be capable of doing on my own (meaning no major construction). I'm excited to see what actually happens! :)

Peter and I would be Besties

For those of you who are not teenage girls living in Philadelphia, bestie is the new term for best friends. :) And the Peter I am referring to is the apostle.

Of course, I have never met Peter, but I do know a lot about him and his character from the bible. He was very passionate and outspoken about his love for Jesus, something I can relate to. He also made some pretty huge, and public, mistakes...which I can relate to as well. I think if I was an apostle during Jesus life I would have been a lot like Peter. Can't keep my mouth shut, but with the best of intentions nonetheless.

The other day I was reading the story of when Jesus walked on water and I really saw myself in Peter. In fact, I heard (not audibly) God telling that I have been Peter recently. Talk about walking away with my tail between my legs...

Jesus had been on the mountain, alone, talking with the Father before deciding to head out to the boat that the disciples were in. They were pretty far out on the water so He decided rather than take another boat, He would just walk. On the water.

The disciples first caught a glimpse of Him on the water and were scared, thinking it was a ghost. Jesus assured them it was him, and Peter was the first to pipe up a response. Here is how I picture the scene:

Upon hearing Jesus words that it was in fact Him walking on the water, Peter thinks: "Jesus IS awesome and we just watched him feed 5000 people with very little food, so it makes sense that He could walk on water" (Peter and I think very logically). But, just because someone is walking on water doesn't mean he is Jesus. Who knows what kind of crazy things the devil could pull off. But, ONLY Jesus could give ME the strength to walk on water. Hmmm..."

Peter says: "Okay Lord, if it really is you then call me to come to you on the water"

Jesus: "Aight, come on" (Jesus' ghetto language comes out occasionally)

Peter steps out onto the water and doesn't sink. He takes one step. Then another. Then another. Still not sinking. His confidence builds quickly and he starts walking a bit faster, though not too fast. He's not sure what would happen if he tripped.

He is now far enough away from the boat that no one could reach him if he started to sink. That's okay, though, because he is walking on water!

Peter thinks: That is Jesus! I'm walking on water! This is crazy! He really is everything that He said He is!"

Unfortunately, the novelty of the walking on water soon wears off and Peter starts to feel the wind. The water from the waves starts splashing on his face. He is still walking on the water, but as his friends are becoming more and more distant, the wind and the waves seem to be increasing.

Peter thinks: "Wait a minute. I am walking on water, but I'm still getting wet. Is that supposed to happen? And the wind is picking up, what if it blows me over? Whoa, that was a huge wave, it barely missed me! What happens if a wave goes over me?? Will I walk above that? I don't understand what's going on, what am I supposed to do now??

Jesus, watching this scene unfold before Him, thinks: "Come on Peter, just look at me. I'm standing on the same water. I'm getting hit with the same wind and the same waves. Just look at me. Do exactly what I am doing and you will be fine".

Of course, Peter doesn't hear this, and is too busy wiping water from his face and staring at his feet waiting for the first sign of possible sinking. And that's when it happens. He slowly starts to sink. Panic quickly sets in and he instinctively turns toward the boat, hoping that his friends notice him sinking, hoping that they will pull him out of the water.

But, its dark and he is too far from the boat for them to see. Besides, they're busy trying to keep their own boat from sinking.

His knees are underwater, his waist..."Help me Lord!". Without hesitation, Jesus reaches out His hand and pulls Peter back on top of the water. Peter is shocked by how quickly this happens. Apparently Jesus was standing much closer to him that He realized. In fact, He was never more than an arms length away. Even in the excitement of walking on water, Peter never noticed where Jesus was. Whoops, he had been focused on the water most of the time.

Jesus looked at him with such compassion, and...disappointment. "Why didn't you just look at me? Who do you really think I am?" Peter is immediately disappointed with himself. It wasn't the first time. It certainly won't be the last.

They walk back to the boat and the storm calms down.

It really is Jesus. He really is so much more than they thought.

Jesus doesn't dwell on Peter's failure, however, which allows Peter to move on as well. He still has much to learn, much to do; no time to dwell on the mistakes.

That's my take on the Peter walking on water story. And I see my name written all over that.

"Oh yeah, Jesus, we can do this whole life thing together. It will be sweet. You are God, so I can trust you with everything!
But wait a minute....
My dad has cancer, what if I don't get married before he dies. My dad might not get to walk me down the aisle!
Oh wait, I'm 28 and still single. Almost all of my friends are married, in a relationship or having babies. What if I never get to experience any of that?
Hold up; I've been living in Philly for 6 years and things seem to be getting harder and harder. Even Bonita and Linda are making really bad decisions. What's up with that?!"

Sinking...sinking...

Thankfully, I am finally hearing what Jesus has been trying to say to me.

"Trish, I'm out here standing on the same water as you. Just look at me. No, don't look at them, look at me. Do exactly what you see me doing. You will stay on top of the water, just like I am. Ignore the wind and the waves, I have total control over them and will not let them overtake you. Just keep looking at me"

Okay, I have to say that at this point all I can think of is: "Here's lookin' at you; Jesus". Haha, anyway...

So, that's Peter's and my story. Walking on the water with Jesus trying not to focus on the storm all around me. Just keep my eyes on Him, and He will take care of the rest.

Jesus, I need your help to even do that.

"I know Trish. That's why I'm standing right here"

Thanks Jesus.

"Anytime"

A Thought

I had a thought today...

At Cornerstone's staff retreat in August several of us felt like God was calling us to have all church prayer on a regular basis at church, similar to Brooklyn Tabernacle. We felt like God was calling His people together to pray.

Unfortunately, we couldn't find a day that worked, so we shelved the idea. We did have one all church prayer evening, but not one every week like we wanted.

Over the last four months our church and staff has been attacked like never before. Heart attack, stroke, cancer, bed bugs, gossip, slander, depression, and on and on.

I wonder if God knew all of that was coming and was calling us to come together and pray; to prepare us and even invite Him to come and provide protection from an attack that we didn't foresee but He did.

But, we didn't invite Him.

And we were attacked.

Just a thought.

**Quick note to add...I am NOT saying that I think the attacks we are facing wouldn't have happened had we done the all church prayer, nor am I saying that God hasn't brought good...even great things out of these struggles (He's pretty sweet like that). I AM suggesting that I think maybe God was trying to prepare us for what we were going to face and was trying to bring us together as a body to fight against the attacks together rather than individually being blindsided by them. (Kinda goes along with the message today at church).

Anyway, again, it was just a thought...

Thanksgiving...and then a rant :)

This has been somewhat of a whirlwind on a holiday for me, with lots of traveling and I'm not quite finished yet. Still, the traveling so far has definitely been worth it and I have been so blessed to get to spend time with family members that I rarely see.

I arrived in North Carolina on Wednesday morning at 7 a.m. My parents picked me up at the airport and we immediately began the drive to South Boston, VA to spend the day with my brother and his fiance. My flight required me to be at the airport at 4 a.m., so I decided to just stay up all night the night before rather than risk oversleeping. This would have been a great plan were I able to rest as soon as I arrived in VA. Unfortunately, the hotel didn't allow us to check in until 2 p.m. so I was basically the walking dead for a few hours.

It actually wasn't too bad for the most part. In South Boston we got to check out my brother's personal training studio (that he OWNS!). That was sweet! He actually just moved to a bigger place because his business is going so well. To say that I am proud of him doesn't even begin to cut it.

After visiting his place, my parents and I went around and visited friends of my dad (he was the chief of police in South Boston before moving to Washington, NC). Finally, at 2 we were able to check into the hotel and I promptly went to sleep. My parents apparently went to dinner with my brother and his fiance (Suzanne), but I slept through all of it. Whoops! Its okay, though, because we spent all of Thursday together.

Thursday morning we all got up and drove to Roanoke, VA...about 3 or so hours away. There we went to my grandma's house and met up with my dad's 2 brothers for Thanksgiving. I can't remember the last time we were all together, its been years. We had SO MUCH FUN!! My grandma spends most of her time taking care of her mom (who is 96 years old), so we decided to take care of the food this year instead of asking her to cook. Unfortunately, since both of my dad's brothers are single that meant we didn't exactly get a home cooked meal. :) It didn't matter though, we all had so much fun together the company was most definitely worth it.

My dad and his brothers are all VERY different from one another, but are hilarious when they are all together. I loved hearing stories of all the trouble they got into as kids and really enjoyed hearing how my grandfather reacted to them (he passed away when I was 12). We have already made tentative plans to get together again at Christmas. I'm pretty sure this will be the first time we have all spent Thanksgiving AND Christmas together. I'm sure that this has something to do with the uncertainty surrounding my dad's cancer, but I'm just going to go with it. I really enjoy my family.


(My baby brother and his fiance, Suzanne. He's even bigger than he looks in this picture!)

(My dad...the one on the left...and his two brothers, Steve and Eddie. I have never known siblings to be more different, but I love them all!)

(This is the whole family. I am the only girl in this picture actually *born* into the family! I do have a cousin that isn't in the picture...a boy. Reed's don't have girls...except me!)

It had been over a year since I had seen my brother, so it was especially nice to spend time with him. We laugh a lot together and despite being very different in many ways, still have a blast when we are together. Hopefully by next Thanksgiving, he and his fiance will be married!

After many hours of laughter we decided to part ways and all headed home. My brother and Suzanne headed back to South Boston while my parents and I headed back to NC. It was a long drive (about 5 hours!), but we made it and were exhausted. The time change doesn't help either. Its so dark at 6 p.m. that you feel like its midnight! Anyway, the arrival in NC began my days of sleeping, eating and more sleeping.

And, that's basically what I have been doing for the past few days! I did get up early on Friday to do some Black Friday shopping, but didn't have to leave the house at all! In my research beforehand for the best deals I found that everything I was looking to buy was on sale on line with free shipping! So, I got up early, spend some time on the computer, bought everything I needed and then went back to sleep. It was great!!

Today I did venture out into the world, taking my usual trip to Greenville, NC. I usually spend the day there reading a book in Barnes and Noble and sipping on some Starbucks. (Greenville is the closest "city", Washington is a small town to say the least). This time, however, I went to a movie (by myself, which is such a fun experience!) and then spent some time in Barnes and Noble. Oh, and I usually have lunch at Sonic since I rarely get to eat there in Philly (the closet one is about 20 minutes away).

Now I am at my parents' house, packing to head to Georgia tomorrow for an AIM conference. I'm not too excited about it, although that has nothing to do with AIM. I'm still not in a very good place mentally, spiritually or emotionally, so being around people that I merely work with but know next to nothing about me or my life (and 97% of whom are men) is not exactly what I'm looking for right now. But, I do enjoy the people that I work with, and I enjoy my job, so hopefully this won't be nearly as bad as I think it will be. :)

I think I am definitely walking a fine line toward all out depression. Not wanting to get out of bed, not really caring about anything. That's kinda where I am. What it really boils down to is, I'm trying to reconcile my faith with the reality of my life. I know that's a very generic and I will give you more as I work it all out, but for now that's really the only explanation I have.

In some ways I am being shaken to the core of who I am, but what I am discovering is that I am, without a shadow of a doubt, redeemed. That I know for sure.

Here are some other random thoughts spinning in my head.

The realities of what it really means to live among the poor and oppressed in America are NOT discussed by Shane Claiborne. Living in Philly, on Potter Street nonetheless, has somehow connected me to this man yet I find no comfort, solace or camaraderie in his words. Does he really live in the same city I do?

What do I do with the mom that refuses to take care of her kids, yet also refuses to let me or anyone else help?

What do I do with the addict that is taken into people's homes and cared for yet continually chooses the street?

What do I do with the teens who have heard and KNOW the truth, but choose to turn away?

I do the only thing I know how to do, I turn to God, to the cross and I cry out. I find hope in the words of my Savior. I find emptiness in the words of Shane Claiborne, and Rob Bell and so many others...yet my generation is turning to them instead of Jesus.

How do I live in a nation that allows and defends the practice of murdering babies by the millions, and not speak out?

How do I watch children grow up with no knowledge or understanding of the truth of God and His plans for His people, and not teach them?

That's what I am being asked to do by so many "authentic" Christians. Don't speak about Jesus, be Jesus.

How can I be Jesus, yet be silent?

And the truth is, I don't know how to be Jesus!!!! How do you show the compassion of the man who let the woman caught in adultery go, but also the passion of the man who overturned tables in the temple? If Jesus came NOT to bring peace, but to bring a sword, what does that mean for me??

I am struggling because I can't keep quiet. I am struggling because I am not okay with teens turning away, with moms abandoning their kids, with my country ignoring its God. I'm not okay with it...

But I don't know what to do about it.

Its easy to write a book on theology and even use some experiences to make your point. But living out a life of surrender? That is HARD. And UGLY. And LONELY. At least, that's how it feels right now.

And it goes so much deeper than not watching TV or making your own clothes. Living a life of surrender means that you are literally NOTHING, and you know it. And you rejoice in that. Because you get that He is EVERYTHING. Even when the world is at its ugliest, when YOU are at your ugliest, you still understand that He is what its all about. Not the kids, not the teens, not you...HIM.

I still don't really understand what all of that means. What I do know, however, is that I want to know more. More about Him. Because honestly, I can resist the revolution...but I can't seem to resist Him (and believe me, I have tried!).

I love Bonita

I had a really fun conversation with Bonita on Sunday that totally brightened my day (week, month, year). Linda didn't come to church, so it was just me and Bonita for the day, and we had so much fun! Bonita is going through a hard time right now. One of her closest friends has turned on her and is being really mean to her. She doesn't understand it and it really hurts. So, it was nice to be able to spend some time with her, talk to her about things that were going on, and of course just have fun.

Bonita is a talker...she really loves to talk (she is like me in so many ways!). This can be a problem when Linda is around because she constantly interrupts Linda, causing Linda to get mad and then forget what she was saying. Its actually a pretty comical scene, as well as a pretty common one. On Sunday, however, without anyone else around, Bonita was free to share what she wanted whenever she wanted to. It was really nice.

She was honest about things in her life, how she feels about her father and not getting to see him much, and even how hard it is for her to be 12 (not quite a teen, but starting to feel all the emotions of teenagers. It really is a hard age for everyone).

So, during our day together, Bonita struck up an interesting conversation out of the blue. Here is how it went:

Bonita: "Trish, when bad things happen, do you ever get really mad at Adam and Eve?"

Trish: "What do you mean?"

Bonita: "Sometimes when I am struggling or I see a lot of sin, I get so mad at Adam and Eve. I just wish they never sinned."

Trish: "Haha, I see what you mean. Adam and Eve might have been the first to sin, but they certainly weren't the last."

Bonita: "That's true. We all mess up. After I get mad at Adam and Eve it makes me think about Jesus and how amazing it is that He died on the cross just because I mess up all the time"

Trish: "That is pretty incredible, isn't it"

Bonita: "It just makes me love Him so much!"

All I could do is smile at that point...and try not to cry (I'm a crier, haha).

The next day she called me asking for advice on how to handle the friend that is being mean to her and I started to see some real maturity. I told her that too, she could really use some encouragement in the midst of what is going on for her.

I am so proud of her.

Stick a Fork in Me...

I am done. In every way; spiritually, mentally, physically and emotionally, I am done. I have known this feeling was coming and was just hoping to hold it off until Christmas when I would get to go home for a good amount of time, but alas, everything has caught up to me (with a vengeance), and its not pretty.

I have been feeling "off" for a few weeks now, knowing that stress and frustration were building but not really sure what to do about it. It all hit me last night, however, as I was driving home from a night at the symphony with Shera.

Shera and I had a blast together, enjoying the music (I LOVE the symphony!!) and then talking over coffee (tea for me) afterward. I was happy and enjoying myself. As I drove into Kensington, however, my demeanor immediately changed. I became angry and frustrated and realized that I hated it. For the first time, I hated going home.

Because I have been angry and frustrated; stressed and overwhelmed; I have just not cared about myself. I find myself not exercising, eating whatever and whenever I want and just not looking in the mirror because I just don't care. Stress alone will cause you to gain weight, add to that the fact that I am a stress eater, and you can kinda guess where I am right now.

You are probably thinking that working 2 jobs is what is causing me stress, but that's not it. It's Kensington. And I'm not the only one struggling (though I seem to be handling it the worst). On our staff we have a family who is dealing with cancer, another who is dealing with diabetes, a broken car AND a house infested with bed bugs, and another who is being slandered and gossipped about because they are unafraid to speak the truth in love even if it isn't popular.

For me, the list of struggles is long. Its disrespectful teens who blame me for their problems.

Its expectations of me that I can never live up to (expectations place on me by people I minster to) and then vocalized disappointment when I fail.

Its the mom of 2 kids that I love telling her children that I am the reason things are so bad in their house...and its them believing her.

Its the people talking about me behind my back, all the time.

Its the countless people with hard, unrepentant hearts.

Its pouring myself out and being mocked and slandered.

Its the neighbors playing loud music and cursing non-stop, and ignoring requests for that to stop.

Its people knowing that the only way to really get to me is to go after Bonita and Linda...and doing that. That kills me.

Its the fact that I can't remember the last time I got a good night's sleep; one that wasn't interrupted by cars, music, cursing, helicopters, dogs, etc.

Its always being on guard (if even just subconsciously) as I walk around my neighborhood.

Its people needing something from me, all the time.

Its watching parents ignore their kids, and not being able to do anything about it.

Its watching people I love and care about struggle and not being able to do anything about it.

Its...I should stop now. There are just a lot of things that make life hard right now.

There are some really great things going on as well, thank God! Despite all of the attacks on our staff, I feel like we are closer than ever. Not a single one of my many frustrations has anything to do with my coworkers.

Jen (my roommate) and I are getting along great!!

Bonita, Linda and I are doing great as well. They continue to blow me away.

GOD IS GOOD!!! I can honestly say that, I know it and believe it with all my heart. I have been learning a lot through this time, and I will definitely share more about that later. Right now, though, I'm just so completely done I don't think it would make sense. Rest assured, I still know that I serve an amazing, and LOVING King.

Oh, and I am leaving for North Carolina early Wednesday morning!! And I will get to see my brother, whom I haven't seen in a year!!! And we're having Thanksgiving dinner with my grandmother, who I haven't seen in over a year!! I'm SO EXCITED!! I plan to soak up every moment with them, and sleep a ton!!!

On My Way Home

My house is located less than one block from Kensington Ave. In fact, my "backyard" is the back of buildings that line Kensington Ave. So, in order for me to get to my house, 9 times out of 10 I have to drive down Kensington Ave.

This means that almost every night as I drive home I have to pass the adult video store with the neon arrow pointing to the front door. Along the way I watch as a cars pull over to the side of the road and young women get in those cars. I'm not exaggerating. I see it all the time. I pass police patting people down and men pushing shopping carts that hold their entire lives. I see cars dropping women off on the side of the road, looking vacant and numb. Every night as I drive home.

After I turn off of Kensington, I have to circle around McPherson Square Park. Its more commonly known name is "Needle Park". As I drive around I pass kids playing football while the guy sitting on the park bench behind them falls asleep in a drunken stupor. I see dogs being walked, and needles being tossed. Trust me when I tell you that the park lives up to its name.

Once I make my way around the park, I get out of my car and walk toward my house. To get there I must pass through an empty lot full of trash. I pass guys standing on the corner waiting for their customers. Kids play in the street, shouting curse words at one another as if they learned them from Dora the Explorer.

I open my door, say good bye to my neighbors (all of whom said hello to me as I walked by) and close it again. The sounds of the street; loud music, yelling, cursing, kids crying and dogs barking, can not be avoided and often fill the rooms of my house. Still, in my home I find peace and sanctuary. I thank God for it because I am desperate for it.

This scene plays out in my life day in and day out. And that's just my trip home. My days are filled with hurting kids, hurting teens, and angry adults.

No president can change my neighborhood, only Christ can. I honestly don't know how people can survive in this place without Christ. I have Him and sometimes I'm just barely hanging on.

In Another Man's Arms

Okay, this post has been brewing around in my head for months now and I just haven't had a lot of time to really dig into it more. So, there may be a continuation of this later, but I needed to get it out and at least let my mind start to explore.

When I was home visiting my parents back in September I read several books. In fact, that's my favorite thing to do when I have time off. Recently I have been reading and enjoying a lot of fiction novels. As I was reading one night, one sentence in a book really struck me. The narrator is walking us through the story of a woman named Elle. At the end of what was supposed to be her wedding day, the narrator says that Elle, "danced on her wedding night in another man's arms.".

The plot of the story was a woman who had her engagement broken a few weeks before the wedding, and her struggle to recover from that sorrow and trust God and herself again. It wasn't the plot that I related to. But that line; I felt that line.

See, one of the things that I long for as a single woman is the ability to dance in some one's arms. I'm not a huge physical touch person, but I do desire the peace and security that can be found in some one's arms. To be able to rest even for a moment...

Of course, because I am very strict with myself when it comes to relationships with the male gender, there is no dancing in any one's arms until I am married. At least, not in any intimate way. So, while I desperately desire to rest in some one's arms, I will not settle for just any arms, they must be attached to the man who has promised his life to me.

What I am realizing, though, is that this doesn't mean that I don't seek that security and rest from other things. The battle that goes on in my head is ridiculous. For me, that "other man" appears in very different forms. Sometime its all out anger and frustration with God for withholding this blessing from me. Other times its simply turning to food or television for comfort. Sometimes its simply sleeping so I don't have to face the world. My sad list goes on and one.

There is a God in heaven with His arms desperately reaching for me, wanting to wrap me up so tight that the only sound I hear is the beating of His heart. A God who left this earth to prepare a place for me in heaven so I can be with Him forever; because His greatest desire is to be with me. That God is wooing and pursuing me every moment of every day. He wants to share my joy and heal my pain. He is passionately in love with my heart.

Instead of resting my head on His shoulders and finding comfort in His embrace; too often I find myself spending my wedding night dancing in another man's arms.

We Revolved!

And once again I wait a ridiculous amount of time to post on my blog and I now have way too much to write. Will I ever learn? Let's hope so!

This has been an extremely busy week (as you can see by my lack of posts) and I have a million things running around in my head. I honestly feel like I hardly have time to breath, and I'm not really enjoying it. Its just that time of year, though, so I need to push through...and I will.

I really have a lot to share with you all, and I REALLY want to (honestly, more for me than for you, sorry. I have been so busy I haven't had a chance to really talk to anyone about things that are on my mind and my heart...which means you guys will get it soon! Be afraid...be very afraid...). Anyway, unfortunately its getting late and I don't have time to write everything I want (need) to. I do, however, have time to tell you about the Revolve Tour that several teens, leaders and I attended this weekend. (Okay, so I know there are other things I could talk about, but Carisa requested a Revolve post, and well I just can't say no to her!). :)

Revolve is a 2 day concert/event specifically seared toward teenage girls; challenging and encouraging them in their faith. Its basically Women of Faith for teen girls. Imagine 10,000 teenage girls in one auditorium. Scary? You have no idea...

We attend Revolve every year, usually making it a fun get together for our God's Girls, past and present. This was our 3rd year attending, and honestly I went into it with some reservations.

First, in the past 2 years there has been a lot of focus on having the right look. All of the speakers and singers on stage were dressed in the latest fashions with their hair and make up perfectly done. And other than Natalie Grant last year (who had just given birth to twins), not a single girl appeared to be larger than a size 4. This didn't seem to fit with all the talk about God loving you exactly how you are and finding your true identity in God, not the world. Many of the women on stage seemed to be conforming to the world.

There also seemed to be a big focus on relationships. I will never forget Tammy Trent's testimony at Revolve the first year, it spoke to my heart in a way few things ever have. I also remember Jenna Lucado's talk last year about fathers and the Father's heart for His daughters. Unfortunately, those talks were exceptions rather than the rule. Well, the lone guy speaker, Chad Eastham, is always memorable, funny and speaks truth. Still, the rest of the talks always seemed to follow this formula; "I was born, I went through some rough stuff, I accepted Christ, I met my husband and we are living happily ever after". I really felt like we were setting our girls up for some serious disappointment with that one.

And finally; I REALLY don't want to downplay the pain and struggle that women face when they struggle with anorexia or bulimia...but if one more skinny girl talks to me about her food struggles, I think I might scream.

So, I went into the Revolve not expecting much and actually pretty convinced that it would be our last year. Praise the Lord I was pleasantly surprised!!!

First, I couldn't even tell you which of the women were wearing makeup and which weren't. Some wore their hair in a pony tail, some down. They looked nice, but not overdone. It was as if they had gotten themselves ready instead of having a makeup artist do it. It was such a wonderful difference! They were all dressed nicely, but not necessarily in the latest fashions. I could actually believe that their outfits came out of their own closets instead of a wardrobe room.

Second, several of the speakers were single!! In fact, I only know that because they weren't wearing rings...there wasn't even one talk that involved relationships or "living happily ever after". The talks were all about the heart. God's incredible love and desire for your heart!!

Chad did talk about boys (that's kind of his role on the tour), but he did it in a way that spoke to the heart of each girl, not just her actions. He's always been good at that and this year was no different.

And this year no one talked about their eating disorder!! There were references to that being a possible struggle for the girls, but the focus was on God, not the struggle.

Of course, me being the horribly opinionated person that I am, I still didn't think it was perfect. The cost of everything boggles my mind. I question how all the commercialization of the event is honoring to God. I don't understand how an event that is focused on trying to get girls to see God before boys can have faint inducing boy bands perform. There are entirely too many pop culture references, and almost none of them relate to our girls. The event is very focused on suburban teens, although not so much that our girls don't love it.

All that aside, though, I think this was the best year yet.

Another thing that made this year so much fun was having so many former God's Girls there that are now teens. It was almost like a reunion with them. Revolve is designed for teen girls, but since Carisa and I lead the pre-teen girls Sunday School class we usually focus on the preteens that go. This year, though, I came to a revelation. For the most part, Revolve is over the heads of our preteens, but our teens are really starting to listen. It was really exciting to watch the teens tune in, and even more exciting to hear their thoughts on things afterwards. Several of them really felt like things that were spoken went straight to their heart.

The preteens were a different story. They spent about as much time in the bathroom during the talks as they spent in their seats. They did have fun, though, so it wasn't a total waste. Still, it was more than just fun for a lot of our teens, which is so exciting.

Realizing this led me to go ahead and decide to buy tickets for next year (you get the best price if you buy them at the tour). While Revolve isn't perfect, it does a pretty good job of reinforcing the things we teach the girls at God's Girls. So, if nothing else, its an amazing reminder that what we taught them wasn't just for the year or two that they were God's Girls, we are talking about their whole lives.

It's also really good for the girls to be in a place with 10,000 other girls who want to live their lives for Christ. In our neighborhood, these girls are often the only ones in their family/school/block trying to live for Christ. At Revolve, for once, they don't feel so alone, weird or out casted. Its a really great encouragement for them.

Revolve was a bigger deal for me this year because of Linda and Bonita. Linda is growing up (big time!) and is already being faced with a lot of choices that I have no control over. She literally has countless boys chasing after her and choosing to follow Christ is becoming harder and harder. I am SO thankful for the friends she has chosen at church, but she still is the one making the choices. I saw her listening and really paying attention this year at Revolve. There was a lot said in talks, in the dramas and even in the lyrics of many of the songs that I am praying will resonate in her mind as she faces challenges I can't even begin to understand. And Bonita; she is coming up right behind Linda. She isn't quite as physically developed as Linda (yet), but I believe that Linda's choices will have a HUGE impact on what path Bonita will follow.

Plus, I really enjoy having all the God's Girls together, they are a wonderful group of girls. Revolve is kind of like a yearly reunion for us. Based on this year, I will focus on inviting as many teens as I can and only a select few of preteens. The tickets are too expensive for girls who are only there for the concerts.

I came home from Revolve relieved, thankful, and hugely burdened. There is so much going on in our church with teen girls getting pregnant and my heart literally started to cry out for these girls. They have to stand strong in ways that none of us can understand. They have internal and external pressures that I can't fathom. They will not make it if they don't trust in the strength of Christ. I literally cried for their hearts, knowing that my tears were expressing the heart of their Father. They are beautiful and so loved...but God will continue to work to develop perseverance in them, and that will not be easy.

In all, the money and time spent was well worth it. God will complete the work He began in them...

And, we had a lot of fun. :)

Much Better

I only have a few minutes (I am feeling motivated to clean my room right now and I don't want to lose it!), but I felt like I should update today since yesterdays was so depressing. Today, I had a really good day!

I spent most of it with Bonita and Linda and we had a BLAST!!

First, Bonita, Linda, Monique, Tasha and I all wore matching shirts to church. I LOVED IT!

After church I took Monique and Tasha home (I almost never get time alone with just Bonita and Linda) and then headed to the Verizon store to pick out a new cell phone. I was apparently due for an upgrade last year, but didn't realize it. My old phone has been acting up a lot, so this free upgrade came at the perfect time.

My new phone is sweet! And it was free!! I love free upgrades!! I went into the store with an idea of what I wanted, something simple and functional. Then I found a really cool phone that I really liked, that was free thanks to my upgrade. So, I got it! Here it is:I have never really had a "nice" phone before, so now I'm kinda scared to use it, haha. Actually, right now I'm trying to learn how to use it. I think I'll get the hang of it eventually...

After we got my phone we grabbed some lunch and then headed to Sears to try and find winter coats for the girls. Bonita's prayer pal had sent some money for her to get a coat and we were hoping that it would also cover some of Linda's coat. Boy were we in for a surprise!!

It took less than 5 minutes for both girls to find the exact coats they wanted. Of course, they weren't paying attention to the price so I was a bit worried. Turns out, both coats were on sale for 60% off! So, instead of pay $72 for one coat, we paid $50 for 2! And they are really nice, name brand coats! We were excited!! New phone, new coats and very little money spent! Yay!! (And Bonita's Prayer Pal's money easily covered the coats, and then some!)

After we got the coats we picked up Monique and Tasha, as well as Miguel, and headed to Prayer Pals. We had to move the location of Prayer Pals due to some insurance issues and we weren't sure how it was going to work out. Well, it worked out great! We had our biggest night ever and all the kids wrote great letters and were very well behaved. We also had some extra help from 2 of the moms, which helped make it a really great night at Prayer Pals! (Plus, Carisa was there! I love it when she is around!).

After Prayer Pals it was time to go home. As I was driving Bonita and Linda home (I usually drop them off last), Linda made the comment that today was the first day she can remember not feeling angry or frustrated or getting an attitude with anyone. Bonita commented that she felt the same way. It was a really great day. :)

I don't even want to think about what my life would be like without those two. Thank you Jesus.

Not a Good Week

In fact, I would say this week bordered on horrible. I am SO glad that its over!!! There were some good points though, and I promise to mention them in this otherwise depressing post. :)

Monday night at God Squad the teens got so unruly during our beginning game that we had to end it early. The rest of the night went okay, but it was (is) hard to get over the discouragement of teens who have been involved with us for years showing such disrespect.

Kids Club came on Tuesday night and along with it came similar disappointment. It was a cold and rainy night so we didn't have as many kids as we usually do (last week we had 90, this week it was 50). That turned out to be a good thing since only 4 of my 13 leaders showed up as well. The kids seemed to have fun during the game time, but I had to stop my lesson 3 times to get them to behave. I've never had to do that before...

Wednesday was actually a highlight day. For several years now the girls have wanted to go to a haunted house for Halloween and this year I felt like they were old enough. So, we planned to go on Wednesday night. J, Jared, Lindsay and my roommate Jen all went with us and we had a lot of fun!! We went to the Bates Motel in Glen Mills, PA which actually has 3 different haunted attractions- a haunted hay ride, haunted corn maize and haunted house.

Unfortunately, some of it proved to be a bit too scary for Monique and Tasha (I tried really hard to convince Tasha not to come, but I guess she learned her lesson), so they sat out most of it. Bonita and Linda LOVED it though and we all had fun laughing at one another.

We got back into Philly right as the World Series game was starting, so I was able to watch us win!!! I enjoyed celebrating with my neighbors as we all ran into the street yelling. I quickly went back inside, however, to avoid the gun shots into the air. It was a great day to live in Philly. :0)

Unfortunately, Thursday came and kind of ruined the fun. On Thursdays at church, a group of students from PBU host an after-school program called "THRiVE". I am supposed to oversee it, but it becoming more and more obvious that I need to be even more involved. Right now the program is just kids sunning around for about 2 hours. That's what happened on Thursday. Not so good.

After THRiVE I usually take Bonita and Tasha home and then take Linda and Monique to Teen Club. I don't stay for Teen Club, so I usually get 2 hours alone in my house, which I enjoy very much. Unfortunately, the night before Halloween in Philly is know as Mischief Night. So, as I was driving home, a group of kids standing on a corner threw eggs at my car. I was mad...but also prepared. As soon as the eggs hit my car, I jumped out and chased them down. As I caught up to them (neighbors helped me follow their path, haha) a cop drove by and I handed them over to him. My car was still messy, but I felt a little vindicated. :)

On my way back to my car some of my neighbors informed me that I needed to get inside soon because there was going to be a shootout later. I thanked them for the info and headed home. Since no one knew exactly when the shootout would happen, I decided to try and see if someone else could take Linda and Monique home from Teen Club. Unfortunately, no one at Teen Club was checking their phones, so I had to go back out to get them. Thankfully, there was no shootout, nor did my car get any more eggs on it. Still a pretty frustrating day.

Friday was an extremely busy day. I was in charge of organizing our Halloween Celebration at church and while I had the plans finished, I still had a lot of shopping to do plus all of the set up. So, I spent the morning at church (with Jen helping me, thank goodness!) getting tables and chairs set up and making a final shopping list. I left around 1 to get all of my supplies, only to find traffic was horrendous (thanks to the Phillies parade being held downtown). I was able to get everything I needed though.

I picked Bonita and Linda up as soon as they got home from school, around 3:30, so they could come and help. We were at the church from then until the party started at 6:30, and then were there cleaning up until almost 11. Whew!

The party went really well! At least, I think it did...people definitely seemed to have fun! I had no idea how many people to expect, but we ended up with over 140!! We played some really fun games that got the kids really messy. Unfortunately, that took a lot of time to clean up, but I still think it was worth it.





Bonita was my official photographer at the party and Linda helped me run the games. Lindsay was also a HUGE help, pretty much doing anything I asked her to (as usual). I had some great help from the Hinsons, J, Jen., Dominique, Ms. Denise and some of the teens. They definitely saved the night for me!

I was beyond exhausted when I got home and pretty much went straight to bed. Today I purposely made NO PLANS and spent the day getting odds and ends taken care of, if I felt like it. I just needed one day without a to-do list!

I am SO thankful for Bonita and Linda right now, they have been amazing. They are the ones that asked me to pick them up so they could help me (they actually asked me to pick them up from school early so they could help more, but I declined), and they were so hard working. They even demonstrated one of the games for me during the party.

They never once complained during the hours of set up nor during the hours of clean up (even when they were carrying heavy buckets of water or scrubbing the bathroom floor). Honestly, they were perfect, and I am beyond thankful.

As we were scrubbing parts of the carpet (to clean up dropped marshmallow, haha) Bonita said to me, "Now I understand why you have to work so much. This is a lot!". She said it with a smile that told me she is really starting to understand that while work is hard, when you're doing it for Jesus, its totally worth it. It was really cool for them to get to see all that goes into what happens at church, so many people don't understand. I'm glad they are beginning to.

I still have a lot on my plate in the coming weeks with the Revolve Tour next weekend, my support raising trip to VA the following weekend, an AIM staff conference right after Thanksgiving and then the Kids Club Christmas party. I'm trying to not get too overwhelmed and just take things one day at a time.

Tomorrow, I am going to church where Bonita, Linda, Monique, Tasha and I will all wear our matching Phillies t-shirts. That should be a fun day. :)