In the Light of His Glory and Grace

This is what the girls are doing right now. They came in my room a few minutes ago and asked to borrow my bible and a notebook so they could read and take notes. God in them is just blowing me away!

This week has been full of a lot of drama, and absolutely incredible blessings. I have discovered (or been reminded) that living with teenage girls means lots of drama. Emotions are all over the place all the time and I am being challenged in so many new ways. All 3 of us struggle with reacting before thinking...and we're all working on it. I have never had sisters, so I am also learning a lot about how they interact and when to step in and when to just let them work things out. I am really working on keeping my composure when they explode at me, even though everything in me wants to explode back. (That one is hard!) And...well, let's just say that I am learning a lot. :)

So far I can say every stressful, frustrating moment is very worth it. These girls make me laugh and smile a lot. And, we have had several really sweet moments this week.

On Wednesday I went to the Hope House with Shannon and Carisa to start getting things ready for Reading Rocks. Linda asked if she could come and help, and was a huge help! (Bonita was meeting with her discipleship mentor at the time, but came over after to help us finish up). While we were cleaning we found their very first Kids Club name tags, from 2004! (Carisa keeps really great records, haha). The date on the name tag was about a week before they moved in with me. When I mentioned that to Linda, she said: "Wow, that was a really bad time for us. If it wasn't for you and God...well I don't even know". I wanted to cry at that very moment but I just smiled and said to her, "I thank God every day for you". She smiled and we went back to cleaning. Simple and short, but I don't think I will ever forget that moment.

Thursday was Teen Club and Jeff showed a scene from the movie "Fireproof". The girls were enthralled by the clip (and apparently the entire lesson as they are still talking about things they learned), and Jeff let them borrow the movie. They came home and immediately started to watch it. Unfortunately, they feel asleep before it was over, but they have told me every detail that they have seen so far and plan to finish the movie soon...they want to see how it ends! (They tried to finish it again tonight but then J and E invited us to dinner at the last minute so the girls had to pause it again. They will finish it soon!)

I didn't realize what an impact the lesson and the movie had on them until last night. I was gone all day on a crazy adventure (supposed to take a bus to Baltimore, ended up in DC, lots of traveling and hilarity with my friends Sammi and Ashley that I will tell you about soon), and didn't get home until late. They spent the day with their mom and we were all pretty tired by the time I picked them up (it was around 10 p.m.). I had planned on pretty much going straight to bed, but God had a different plan.

It all started with Linda simply asking me to help her learn what to say when people ask her why she believes in Jesus. The girls apparently spent the day with a lot of people that made fun of them for being Christians and they just stayed quiet. Linda was hoping that next time she would be able to say something back (in a nice way). So, we talked for a little while about why we believe what we believe.

That led into talking about Jeff's lesson at Teen Club, which was about purity and marriage. That, of course, led the girls to asking me about my life choices. Linda asked me, "I know that you are waiting for the right guy before you get married, but what if a guy never comes along? What if you never get married?" Then, for the next hour and a half we talked about what it means to be the Bride of Christ and how while I may or may not ever get married here on earth, I know I will one day have a wedding...and I can't wait. They were SO involved in the conversation. I can't even begin to describe how incredible that time was. As we all went to bed I immediately went to my room and just praised God. There was really nothing else to do. God is SO good.

We got up early this morning (7:30!) and went to Sam's Club with the AIM leaders to do some of our own shopping and help them with theirs (they have to shop for 40 people for the whole week!). We didn't get home until around 11, but I was so impressed with how wonderful the girls were helping shop, carry and put seemingly endless amounts of food away. They never complained once!!

The rest of the day we just hung out. I read and slept (still so tired from yesterday!) and got a few bills and stuff paid. I don't really know what the girls did for most of the day, except that Bonita decided to wash the dishes at the exact moment I was in the shower, so I got a cold shower, haha. Saturdays are becoming very boring, and I need to keep them that way. The girls seem pretty okay with it, so I'm hoping we'll keep this up for a while.

Tonight were invited at the last minute to go out to eat with J and E and had a really good time. When we came home I headed to my room to finish planning my lesson for Children's Church tomorrow when Bonita and Linda came in and said they wanted to read about some of the stories in the bible that we were talking about last night. They also asked for a notebook so they can take notes on what they learn and write down any questions they have for me.

I can't believe all of this has happened in less than a week. Its been amazing.

The drama and the frustrations...they fade away pretty fast. I can't believe the life that God has chosen for me, it just doesn't make sense. I know I shouldn't really be, but I am just shocked at how blessed I really am.

Unbelievably Blessed

That is how I have been feeling lately. I can't really describe it other than I just FEEL God loving me right now. Its absolutely wonderful.

Things are going incredibly well so far with Bonita and Linda at the house. On Friday, Linda graduated from 8th grade! She's going to high school next year! AHHH!!! I was apparently invited to the graduation, but they forgot to tell me, haha. It was really neat to hear all about it afterwords though. Their mom took a ton of pictures, but then accidentally erased them all, whoops! (I have done that before!). So, no pictures to show. Linda wasn't too upset about it though, she was just so excited that she graduated!

Its so weird to have teenagers around all the time now. When the girls were kids, none of their friends could get to my house unless I picked them up, so we rarely had guests. Now, I feel like there are people always in my house...and so far I love it! I also really enjoy having control over when Linda can see her boyfriend, and having their time together happen in my living room. God is definitely protecting them!

He is also moving in both of their hearts. Rocky (not his real name, but he's into boxing, so that's what I will call him) has started coming to church every Sunday with us as well as God Squad and Teen Club every week. He was also on the Teen Retreat last week and God is very obviously moving in his heart. This past Sunday he burst into tears during worship and told me later that he had always thought he was a Christian but now realizes that he hasn't been, but wants to be. He has a lot of questions, but his heart is so softened! It was AMAZING to listen to Linda explain the Gospel to him and why she chose to follow Christ. Rocky will be a part of the kingdom soon!!

On the other hand, for the last 7 years I have watched Bonita follow in Linda's footsteps. Not in doing everything that Linda does, but if Linda has a rough year, the following year will be rough for Bonita. For example, Linda has a great year when she turned 11. Bonita had a great year when she was 10 (as did Linda), but she also struggled when she turned 11. That trend seems to be continuing...

13 was a VERY rough age for Linda, but she seems to be really turning it around at 14. Bonita, however, had a great year at 12, but is already struggling now that she is 13. Their struggles look very different (for Linda it was boys, for Bonita its anger and pride), but they still struggle nonetheless. I am hoping this trend will END this year and we will just get to see the girls continue to grow closer and closer to Christ. That's certainly how I am praying!

Okay, so there is a general update. Now to something a little deeper...

I am just in awe right now over just how content I am feeling with everything. Yesterday I was just kinda flipping through the bible, not really looking for anything or even paying attention to what I was reading, when I saw this verse:

"Abraham was now old and well advanced in years, and the LORD had blessed him in every way." ~ Genesis 24:1

I started to reflect on Abraham's life and its just amazing to me that after EVERYTHING Abraham went through: the times where he was faithful (leaving his home and following God not knowing where He was going, sacrificing his son while being totally convinced that God would raise him from the dead...) and the times where he wasn't (having Sarah lie about being his sister, sleeping with his maidservant to have a child because God was taking too long to bring him one through Sarah...); at the end of his life, it could be said that the Lord had blessed Abraham in EVERY WAY. Amazing. God is good.

If you remember, a few weeks ago I posted on my struggle with not trusting the Lord in the plans He has for me because my life is so much different than I ever thought it would be. I finally got tired of taking care of myself and wanted to let the Lord to it. I know that He has made promises to me, but instead of trusting in Him, I so struggle with taking things into my own hands (kinda like Abraham).

My biggest struggle is in trying to logically figure out a solution to everything. Unfortunately, I tend to rely on my worldly logic instead of standing on the promises of God. God is challenging that big time though...

It all started a little over 2 weeks ago when my boss at AIM called me and said that they would like me to move to Georgia to head up something new they are starting down there. At first, I have to admit, I was flattered. And, I was kind of excited about the idea of starting something new, and even the moving part was intriguing (I rationalized that I could live in or near Atlanta and still be very involved with ministry in the city, while making more money and attending a church where I wouldn't be on staff, so I could just be poured into! It sounded pretty good to me...). I told my boss that I would pray about it and then we would see. He was scheduled to come to Philly to lead a trip the following week so we planned to meet and talk through things while he was here.

In the week before the trip, God made it very clear in my heart that He still has things for me in Philly. Bonita and Linda were a huge part of that (this was BEFORE Linda decided to move in with me), but there were plenty of other things too. I was reminded that although I don't love Philly all the time (sometimes I honestly loathe it...just being honest here...), I am madly in love with what God is doing here and its not time for me to move on yet. So, I had decided to turn down the "offer" to move to GA. The problem was, I wasn't sure if it was really an offer, or a demand. There was a definite chance that my boss would say, we need you in GA or we don't need you at all. So, I started to prepare myself to be out of a job...

My boss arrived on Saturday, but it wasn't until Wednesday that he and I had the chance to really talk about me not moving and what that would all mean. Pretty much the first words out of his mouth were, "You can't move to Georgia. You belong here". I was SO overwhelmed, in awe, thankful...I don't even really know how to describe what it felt like to not only have my boss okay with me not moving, but for him to say that he clearly saw that I belong here. I don't even feel that way all the time, but he was able to see what I can't always grasp! Thank you Jesus!!

We left a lot of things up in the air and will be having some major conversations throughout the summer, but the bottom line is that I will be staying in Philly AND staying with AIM, all with the full blessing, support and encouragement of my boss. I am still shocked! :)

God is calling me to surrender EVERYTHING to Him. To be like Abraham and follow Him, not knowing exactly where we are going or when we will get there, but to trust in the promise that He will take care of me every step of the way.

Last night we sang this song at God Squad:

I'm givin you my heart, and all that is within
I lay it all down for the sake of you, my King
I'm givin you me dreams, I'm layin down my rights
I'm givin up my heart for the promise of new life

Giving Him my heart, and all the desires that are within in...

Giving Him my dreams, and all the hopes that I have for my future...

I need to give it ALL to Him.

I'm not giving up on my dreams, I am trusting them into His hands. I need to remember that...

Yesterday He called me to take a huge step of faith in trusting HIM with my life instead of myself. And I almost failed...almost...

For several years, Bonita has been begging to be home schooled or go to Christian school. Linda has desired it on and off, but hasn't been as adamant about it as Bonita has. I would LOVE to send them to a Christian school, but its WAY too expensive. And home school...well that scared me...

When Bonita moved in with me a few months ago, I started hearing stories from her about things that happened in school, and was horrified. She told me of videos on gang rape that they watched in class. She said she often has to do her school work in the hall because her classroom is so out of control. She came home with a packet of information answering any and all questions that the students had about sex. I was disgusted and embarrassed by some of the questions that the school saw fit to publish, answer and then pass out to the ENTIRE student body (of 11-13 year olds). The packet was the final straw for me, I agreed to enroll Bonita in PA Cyber, which is a public cyber school.

By attending PA Cyber, Bonita will take classes on line (with an actual teacher teaching her) from my house. The school will provide her with a computer, a printer and internet access (since its a Pennsylvania public school, my taxes already pay for all of this, so nothing more has to come out of pocket! Yay!). I will be the one to oversee all of this, so I will get regular updates on her attendance (which will be perfect since she will be in the living room with me while she is in class) and her grades (which is great since she failed reading this year but neither she nor her mom knew that was coming since they only get grades 4 times a year).

Yesterday was the day Bonita, her mom and I went to officially enroll her in PA Cyber. The night before, Cupcake had spent the night; she already attends PA Cyber (she will be a senior next year!). Cupcake is SUCH a wonderful influence in the girls' lives and as she was talking with Linda about the benefits of PA Cyber, Linda decided that she too wanted to attend. I was so excited, and extremely nervous...

The main thing that has kept me from enrolling either of the girls before now is, well thinking about myself. I was worried about what exactly would be required of me and how much extra work it would mean for me. And the idea of having to oversee Bonita AND Linda was making me nervous. So, when Linda told me she wanted to do it too, I told her to come to the meeting with us and we would just see what would happen (while secretly praying that she would change her mind, or the school wouldn't let us enroll her since our appointment was only to enroll Bonita. Such faith...).

We arrived to meet with teachers and to enroll Bonita and was told it would be very easy and possible to enroll Linda. My heart dropped for only a moment, until I felt an overwhelming sense of peace and excitement. The only way I can describe it is it was the EXACT same feeling I had the morning I called the social worker almost 5 years ago and said, "I would like to take these 4 kids into my home while their mom gets her life together". It didn't make sense, and scared the crap out of me...but I just KNEW what I was supposed to do. So, without hesitation we started the process of enrolling Linda as well.

The whole thing took about and hour and we all walked out of the meeting SO excited for what God has in store. Here is a list of just SOME of the benefits for the girls:

1) Linda HAD been in special ed last year because it was easier than getting her a tutor or any of the help she needs. Mom had just listened to the recommendations of the teachers, who are so overwhelmed at the school that they usually go with what's easiest. When we met with some people at PA Cyber they expressed how much the school had really dropped the ball with Linda and that she does NOT need special ed, but might need some extra help...which PA Cyber offers and is setting her up with . Linda felt SO good about this as she HATED being labeled special ed. (How do you make it all the way to 8th grade and then suddenly need to be special ed??) I also felt really good about this because now when she graduates from High School, it will be a real diploma that she can go far with, without any stigma.

2) I will be getting weekly updates on their progress in each class and will be able to stay on top of how they are doing, and can sign them up for tutoring or anything else they may need RIGHT AWAY, to hopefully catch any problems immediately and before its too late.

3) We discovered yesterday that Bonita failed reading and will need summer school. This was shocking to me as Bonita is very smart and has never struggled with her grades before. Linda told me that at school Bonita is VERY distracted by her friends, and this was confirmed by the notes her teachers had made on her report card that she is "rarely on task", "doesn't complete classwork", and "sometimes distracting". This is not the Bonita that I, or anyone outside of school, knows. So, I am excited to get her away from the influence of her friends and see how smart she really is.

4) I now have TOTAL control over their schooling. I am the first contact with the school, so if there are ANY issues, I will be immediately contacted. I will know when they have tests, so I can help them study. I will know when projects are due, so I can make sure they are doing the work. These girls will no longer trying to go at any of this alone...

I was talking with Linda yesterday about all the possibilities and we both got very excited. Neither she nor Bonita has ever gotten A's and B's, so they don't know how good it will feel! They have always just barely passed, and they assume that's all they can accomplish. I am committing to show them just how smart they really are, and I am convinced that seeing those first A's and B's will be the motivation they need to keep going.

I used my running as an example for her. I have tried for years to get into running and failed every time. I really thought it was just something I would never be able to do. Then, I made the commitment to just get through the Broad St. Run. I never thought it would be possible, but I accomplished that goal, and it has motivated me to keep going! I am now training for the Philadelphia Half Marathon in November. I truly believe the same thing will happen with these girls when they see just how much they really can accomplish.

I would never have finished the race if I didn't have E and N running alongside me. I did a lot the work on my own, but I really needed them. So, I am going to be that for Linda and Bonita.

And we're starting all of this before either of them enter High School, which means that none of the mistakes of the past matter at all. I know that in some ways this will be an uphill climb for all 3 of us, but hey...I've been training and I'm now in the best shape of my life, so I can handle the climb! Haha. :)

A few weeks ago I wrote in my journal that I felt like God was on the verge of something big. I felt like I was stepping into a roller coaster and was about to be in for an incredible ride. Yesterday, as we were registering the girls for school, I felt the car start moving. We are strapped in, full of nervous excitement and ready for the ride to begin.

My life doesn't make any sense to me, so I can imagine that it doesn't make any sense to most of you either. I know this post has been all over the place. I guess that's what happens when I just let things sit in my head for a while and then try to put it ALL on paper at once. These lyrics to David Crowder's "How Great", sum things up pretty well for me though:

I'm so bored of little gods
While standing on the edge of
something large
While standing here, so close to You
We could be consumed
What a glorious day

I give up, I lay down
Rest my face upon this ground
Lift my eyes to Your sky
Rid my heart of all I hide

So sweet this surrender

Memorable Moment

Random conversation in the car:

Bonita: I can't wait for Jesus to come back. I used to be scared of it, but now I just can't wait!

Linda: Me too. That's because now we know. We know who God is and we want to be with Him.

Thank you Jesus.

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.

What a weekend

I had a very very busy weekend! It started with Bonita's birthday celebration Saturday afternoon. We took her to lunch at the restaurant of her choosing, which turned out to be Red Lobster. (I told the kids that I would do something big for their 13th birthdays, which is why Linda got a sleepover this year. Next year will be Bonita's big party).

From there we were supposed to get L to her surprise birthday party at the church. We had a few hours to kill in between the two, so we all hung out at my house with the kittens.

We finally headed to the church to surprise L for her 16th birthday. She didn't suspect a thing and was so surprised! It was a really fun time and she was really blessed.

After the surprise party, my friend Chris decided to have a sleepover for the teens at her house. But, she wasn't going to be home until after midnight. Jen and I decided that it probably wasn't a good idea for the teens to be alone in a house all night, so we went to the party. :) (I didn't have my camera, so no pictures).

Bonita and Linda were invited as well as J, another preteen who is about to be a teen. It was really exciting to see the older girls mixing with the younger ones.

Jen and I left around 3 a.m. to go home and take care of the kittens. Unfortunately, the news after we left was not good. Apparently Linda and Bonita were acting up quite a bit and really frustrating the other girls (Chris was asleep and unaware of what was going on). It made me very sad to hear this, but I wasn't completely shocked. Bonita and Linda face such a battle (and they aren't the only ones). They know how to act, but whenever I am not around they don't always think to act right...cause at home they get away with a lot more...and are influenced by very different things.

The encouraging thing was what the teen who told me about Linda said. She was telling me how the girls were acting and she said, "I don't think they knew that we don't act different outside of church". How encouraging!!! I talked to several of the older girls after the sleepover and they all said it really showed them that they need to be focused on being role models and examples for the younger girls, as well as spend time with them and mentor them. So, while I was disappointed in how the girls acted, I'm excited that other teens are stepping up!!

Okay, and finally....the surprise you have been waiting for...



















I got a van!! One of the families here in Philly got a new van, so they gave me their old one! Its perfect for getting around the city with tons of kids! I won't be taking any road trips in it, but with gas prices, I won't be taking many road trips anyway.

Thank you Jesus!

14 Stitches

That's Bonita's hand, and it was as painful as it looks. This morning she was cutting some bread (in her hand...not smart!) and sliced through 2 of her fingers. She ended up with 14 stitches in just two fingers!!

The entire story is pretty discouraging. It happened before school and they immediately called an ambulance to take her to the hospital (mom doesn't drive). She was crying for me the whole time and her siblings told her they would call me. Unfortunately, in all the chaos, they forgot and each headed off to school. In fact, no one called me until around 6:45p.m...after they had been in the hospital for 10 hours!! Bonita sat bleeding in the waiting room for 10 hours!!!!! Of course, I went to the hospital immediately, after dropping off my car load of kids from Prayer Pals. By the time I got there they had finally stitched her up. Bonita handled it all so well! She was AMAZING!! I expected to hear stories of her freaking out, but she didn't! I am so proud of her!!

We still had to wait around for quite a while for certain doctors to sign certain papers, so she wasn't discharged until 9:30. That's almost 14 hours! Apparently another local children's hospital shut down, doubling the patient load for this one. It was insane.

She has to redress her hand twice a day, and I am the only one she trusts to do it, haha. (Her mom has really long nails, and she doesn't trust any of her siblings). So, I will be her nurse for the next few days. Hopefully the stitches will come out in a week or so. They thought she sliced a tendon, but she was able to move her fingers fine, so everything looks like it will heal perfectly. She has to get checked by a plastic surgeon just in case. (Dad, any of this sound familiar?). :)

That was an interesting end to an already not so great day. I'm still definitely sick. Its actually a very annoying illness. Other than a constant cough (and occasional headache as a result of the cough), I feel pretty normal. Which means, I spent the whole day trying to get things done but constantly being interrupted by coughing fits (you know, the kind where you are convinced internal organs are about to fly out). I also didn't sleep much last night (because of the coughing), so I've been pretty tired all day. I didn't go to staff prayer this morning, but I did make it to Prayer Pals.

I had fun at Prayer Pals and then planned to head to church for our Wednesday night Teen Girls Prayer Group. Shera and I started this last week and I am really excited about it. We are spending time each week doing "bonding things", like crafts or exercise. At the end, we are going to spend time learning about and then practicing prayer. Last week went well, and we were expecting more girls this week, so I was excited.

Unfortunately, with my hospital trip, I missed the whole night. I didn't get a chance to talk much to Shera, but I know she wasn't real encouraged by the evening. I definitley feel like I made the right decision by going to be with Bonita, but I am sad that Shera left so discouraged. Hopefully next week will go better....

They guys have had a Wednesday night Prayer Group going for a while and they said it was pretty rough going for them at first. Hopefully whatever struggles Shera had tonight will get worked out in amazing ways in the coming weeks!!

I am still really struggling with my trust in God. As much as I have been learning, I am still so faithless!! I find myself struggling with trust in the same area consistently (mostly with the teens) and I am praying a lot about it. I don't know anything else to do...I need God to do something in their hearts...and mine!!!

Oh, and please be praying for our health! Frank and Joy seem to have the flu (pretty severely too), Shera has a stomach bug...and it just seems like everyone is at least under the weather. Ugh.

My Philly Family

Church was so much fun yesterday! Dario came!! On his own!! He even went to Sunday School and seemed to enjoy that. I REALLY love him and the man that he is becoming and I loved having him at church. Unfortunately, I had a meeting after church that lasted way longer than I thought it was going to, so I didn't get to spend a lot of time with him after church, but I think he is coming to God Squad tonight. (Luis didn't come to church because he was doing something with his mom. He did come to Teen Club last week, though, and is planning to come to God Squad tonight, yay!).
Dario wants to get his drivers' license so I think I'm going to help him with that. He's actually a very good driver (I've taken him several times), but the written test is going to be a challenge. I know he can do it though!

Today has been a little less exciting. I spent my morning at truancy court again, this time with Linda. I was actually pretty proud of her by the end. Turns out she has already gotten herself into an after-school program at her school (her last report card was BAD!) and has been going every day...and her teachers said that her grades are improving. Also, the truancy summons was actually in regards to her attendance troubles last year (remember when I had to go to their house in the mornings and make them go to school??). This year, she only has 4 unexcused absences, which is really great. She does have way too many tardies, and so she still had to face punishment. But, the judge was very impressed with how far she has come on her own (the fact that she went to and passed summer school last year helped a lot as well).

So, Linda received almost the same "sentence" as Bonita. Linda is on daily report, has 37 hours of community service (Bonita has 35), and she can't miss a single day of school; nor can she be late AT ALL. That part will be a challenge for Linda, but she can do it. I am proud that she at least goes to school...but we all know she can do better.

I have been struggling a lot recently with all this, mainly because Linda's grades were pretty good when we had after-school, but they have dropped considerably since after-school ended. However, seeing her take responsibility for herself and her grades and asking for help herself (from someone other than me), has made me realize that God is still in complete control. And, has made me even more proud of Linda.

Bonita and Linda both have to go back in 30 days, and if everything is completed then their case will be closed. Linda and Bonita will both serve their community service at an after-school/enrichment program at Linda's school; which is good because they can keep each other accountable. This is the first year that they have been in separate schools, and I don't really like it...they are good for each other.

So, it wasn't a bad ending, but not my favorite way to spend the morning. I am still in high gear getting ready for Kids Club tomorrow night (I have no lesson plan or ideas, haha) as well as trying to keep up with everything else. I think this week is going to be busy mostly because its a new routine, but once I get into this routine I think I'll be okay. I'm excited about God Squad tonight and spending some great time with the teens.

I'm also shopping around for a van!!! I will lose my current car in June, and I have recently been overwhelmed with my need for a mini van in the city. I average 7 kids in my car on Tuesdays, same on Wednesdays and now I have at least 3 teens with me on Mondays and Thursdays...and Sundays it can range anywhere from 2 kids to 9. Plus, these "kids" are quickly growing up and few are actually "kid" sizes. Needless to say, my 5 passenger Volkswagen Jetta is pretty much cramped all the time. And obviously, its not the safest way to travel. Whenever possible I try and shuttle the kids in shifts, but that isn't always possible. So, I REALLY need a van to get me and these kids where we need to go!! I have been saving money for a while and I'm in the market. I want to take plenty of time to look around...and always leave the door open for God to simply provide me with a van. :) So, I'm not in any hurry, yet, but please be praying that God would show me the right van to get...I've never done this before and I have the huge potential to mess it up. I don't want to mess this up! :)

Oh Bonita!

Okay, I had to share this really quick. I just got back from picking Bonita and Linda up from the skating rink. Here is a great story...

The rink is pretty small and there were a lot of people there, many of whom skate well and fast. Bonita was skating around the rink when one of the workers noticed that she was about to get run over by a really fast skater. He came up behind Bonita and picked her up to move her out of the way. Unfortunately, Bonita thought it was a strange man trying to kidnap her so she immediately flailed her entire body until he had to let her go. When he did, she punched him and then skated away. That's right; SHE PUNCHED HIM!! I'm so proud of her. :)

He explained himself to her and she apologized (he wasn't upset)...and we all got a good laugh. Still, its really nice to know that she can take care of herself. That's my girl!!

Another Fun Day

Today was a pretty fun day. I ended up staying up pretty late last night, so I had a hard time waking up this morning. I was pretty busy with AIM, which is kind of nice...I didn't get bored. :) After the kids got home from school I took Bonita and Miguel shopping for school uniforms. Both of their Prayer Pals sent me money to take them shopping, so off we went! Our first stop, though was the Rite Aid, where we found out that they are doing FREE pictures with Santa on Saturday! Bonita and Miguel weren't too excited about it, but I called Natasha and she said she wants to go. So, we're going to see Santa on Saturday!

It took us close to 2 hours to find uniforms for Bonita and Miguel. Forman Mills only had boys uniforms (well, they had skirts and dresses for girls, but Bonita would not wear either). Unfortunately, Miguel is very hard to size, and their uniform section was extremely disorganized, so it took us a while. Linda had come with us, though she didn't get anything, and was extremely helpful. Bonita was as well and they were actually the ones that tracked down pants that would fit Miguel. Apparently Miguel only likes the dress shirts (he is a funny kid) and the only ones we found came with ties. The ties are removable so he can still wear the shirts to school. He can also wear them with the ties, "when I want to be fancy" (his words!).
Since Forman Mills didn't have anything for Bonita, we headed to Target for her. Unfortunately, we only had about 30 minutes before I needed to get to Teen Club, so we had to rush a bit for her. We found some really cute pants though and a shirt she loved, so in all it was a successful trip. I had hoped we might be able to find something for Linda, but we ran out of time. Maybe next week.
I am finding that even though Kids Club has only been down for a week (other than the Christmas party), I already have more time to spend with the kids...and I am loving it. Its not even just that I have more time, but I'm not so tired on the weekends, so instead of just wanting to sleep, I want to be with them!! In addition to taking Tasha to see Santa on Saturday morning, I am having Bonita, Linda, Monique, Tasha and Mercedes spend the night on Saturday. We are going to make our own pizzas!! I also have to pick the Kids Club movie...or should I say, the girls have to watch 3 movies and pick which one I should show. :)

Most of Sunday and Monday will be taken up with Christmas party preparations. I have most of the "administrative" stuff finished...name tags, the schedule, etc. Sunday and Monday will be shopping and setting up. I will probably take Bonita and Linda with me when I go on Sunday, they are very helpful, and can carry things. :)

Bonita

I wasn't sure if you guys had taken the time to look at the God's Girls portraits on the Cornerstone Phanfare site, so I wanted to post this picture. She is SO BEAUTIFUL!!!!