My First Protest!!

11 trillion dollars in debt; to CHINA. Spending money to get out of debt. Passing a $787 billion dollar "stimulus" bill WITHOUT EVEN READING IT. Allowing American tax dollars to fund overseas abortions. All of this (and so much more!) finally sent me over the edge. I just can't sit idly by and watch as the government moves the country closer and closer to a fascist society of big government and a loss of individual rights. I won't get too political with this post, except to say that I have done A LOT of research and paid A LOT of attention to what is going on with the government, and I feel it is necessary for me to speak out. And I won't stop speaking until someone listens. I will also say that this ridiculousness did not start with President Obama. It didn't even start with President Bush or even Clinton. Its not just the democrats, or just the republicans. We have been moving in this direction for decades and I admit ignorance and apathy...until now.

So, my first step (after sending countless emails to all of my congressmen and senators...and getting no response) was to attend the Philadelphia Tax Day Tea Party. If you haven't heard about these, check out the website here or read this article about the whole movement here. There were hundreds of rallies held all over the country today, with several hundred thousand Americans protesting the government's irresponsible and self serving use of our tax dollars. It was cold and rainy here in Philly, but it felt REALLY good to not only have a voice but to know that I was not alone. There were probably about 500 people at the rally in Philly, from all religious and political backgrounds. People weren't hostile, but were angry. In all, it was definitely a good experience for my first protest. :)

It has taken me pretty much the rest of the day to warm up (it was in the 40's outside and raining nonstop), but it was absolutely worth it. I will continue to be educated and speak out. My kids' (if I ever have any) future depends on it.

Cliff's Notes

I haven't written in a while, so here is the Cliff's Notes version of what's been going on (as well as some thoughts that haven't been cliffed...).

* Tasha came home from camp on Friday and Bonita, Linda, Monique and I all fought to be the first to welcome her home. We all missed her so much!!! (Linda won...). When I asked her how camp was, she responded; "There was a spider on my head". She had a great week. :)

* I taught Sunday School this week because Carisa is out of town. We have had some heavy weeks in class for a while, so this week we just chilled and laughed...a lot.

* Bonita, Linda and Monique all left for camp on Sunday. I love them SO MUCH, but I was ready for a break from so many kids around all the time (they have all been staying with me for about 2 weeks). Now its just me and Tasha...poor Tasha is bored a lot.

* I am leading an AIM trip this week and so far its going really well. They are leading VBS at Cornerstone and we have had close to 40 kids come each day. Its been fun, but absolutely exhausting (and its only Tuesday!)

* We had 3 new kids at Reading Rocks today, and they were all great!! And, we survived our first day without Carisa (she's on vacation, not gone forever, whew!!). I seriously wasn't sure if I would make it, but PRAISE THE LORD for Shannon, Laurie and Joy. Thanks to them, we survived and had fun!

* Kids Club tonight was AWESOME!! We had over 60 kids, which is a lot for the summer (we've hardly broken 40 this summer). It was crazy...2 of my main leaders are out of town and almost all of my other adult leaders came very late because their car got a flat tire, plus I felt horribly unprepared with the lesson. But, God showed up in amazing ways and it was GREAT!

* I am so far behind on my AIM work its not even funny. Seriously...

* Our cook this week on the AIM trip is from VA and has been making is sweet tea. If you read my post called "Things I didn't sign up for", you will know why this is so exciting for me...and why I totally see God's hand in it (not physically in the tea itself...that would be mucho weird).

* Today at VBS one of the girls (who I just met today) came and gave me a big hug, and when she did I said, "Hello Beautiful!". She quickly looked up at me and said, "You are beautiful too!". It was sweet.

* I had a very interesting conversation with one of the girl teen leaders today that really challenged me (this is part of the uncliffed section). An incident happened at God Squad on Monday where a teen was using her phone (which is against the rules) and this leader asked her to put it away. From there the leader then addressed the issue of using phones with a large group, which made the teen feel singled out and frustrated, and she vocalized that. To make a long story short, the teen felt very disrespected and uncared for, and the leader felt the same way. As I talked with the leader today, she said over and over again, "That is against the rules and I have been put in authority over the teens to enforce the rules".

This really made me think. Her statement is very true, but there was something missing. Rules are designed not to be strict guidelines to establish good and bad. They are created to ensure safety, respect and most importantly, to teach us how to be more like Christ. The whole point of the law in the Old Testament is to show us our desperate need for a Savior.

I started to wonder how this view would change my relationships with the teens. If my goal wasn't to simply enforce rules, but to see them followed so that the teens could be made into the image of Christ. I want my heart in enforcing rules to be about teaching the teens to be like Christ, not anything having to do with me. My heart should be for the teens, not the rules. (I still believe that following the rules is integral to the teens becoming like Christ, so I am not saying I will stop enforcing the rules...I just want my heart to change).

Another statement that this leader made was; "They need to understand that I am not you (meaning me, Trish). I have a completely different personality and I handle things differently". Another true statement, but as I thought about this a little deeper I realized that I'm not who I was. (Weird statement, I know...stick with me on this). I came into inner city teen ministry with one mindset and way of thinking, but over the years God has changed that and molded and shaped me in some really different ways. I have learned how to talk with the teens, what discipline they will respond to, how to show them respect (even when they don't show me any), and so on. I have learned that; "I am your leader, you have to listen to me" doesn't really work with them, so I have changed. To some that may seem like being too soft (which is weird cause I am not afraid of disciplining)...I see it as humility. Oh, I still have a VERY long way to go and I mess up ALL THE TIME, but again, I want my heart to be for the teens, not myself.

In order to work with teens here you have to play many different roles in their lives. At times you are a mentor, other times you are a mother. Sometimes you are a disciplinarian and sometimes you are a shoulder to cry on. You have to be ready to take hits (not physical) that you don't deserve because so many things are hurting them in their lives that they don't know how to handle that they have to lash out at someone and you are the only person they know isn't going anywhere. Sometimes you are a shelter, and others you are the one pushing them to fly on their own. You are a teacher and a listener. Our teens have so many emotions they don't understand and we are in the position of walking alongside them as they try and sort through it all. Its not always easy, its not always fun, it certainly isn't pretty and it can be exhausting. And the truth is, the fruit is not always visible (and in fact may never be). The even more amazing truth is, I am being shaped and refined through them.

A few weeks ago I was seriously considering stepping out of teen ministry so I could focus on more stuff with kids. I am still praying that God will open that door someday (soon...), but for now I feel strongly about my calling to the teens. God has used them in incredible ways to strip me of my flesh and fill me with Himself. (Incidentally, I am now seeking to take the things I have learned about caring for/leading/mentoring etc, into my relationship with Bonita and Linda. As they get older I am moving more and more out of the "mothering" role in their life and slowly into the "mentor" role. Its a weird adjustment that will take us some time and will require A LOT of grace and humility...but I think we're ready for it).

My conversation with this leader reminded me of the person I used to be, and that I still have so far to go. But, it made me so thankful to serve a God that is willing to refine me.

Okay, back to Cliff's notes...

* I saw the movie Hancock and LOVED it!! I also saw a lot of myself and a lot of Christ in the movie (despite a lot of unnecessary language), and I will write about that soon.

* The last of our kittens went to her new home. We're back to just Gizmo, and my house doesn't smell like poop anymore!

* The bible says that my God sings over me. How sweet is that?!?

* The question I asked the kids tonight at Kids Club was, "If you don't tell them [about Jesus], who will?"

* If I don't love them, who will?

Update O'rama!

Wow, I can't believe its been a week since I last blogged. That is very unlike me! I have been busy, but I don't think that's the whole reason I haven't blogged. I have just been all over the place in my heart and in my mind and I didn't know how to even begin to put it into words. In fact, I still don't. But, what I can do is update you on the happenings in my life, and hopefully the personal/spiritual stuff will form into words that I can share soon.

Clubs started back up this week, so I my "normal" schedule is back. I missed the kids and the teens, but I definitely enjoyed having some free evenings.

A lot of changes have been made on my house this week that I am VERY excited about!

First, I have 2 new additions to my kitchen! My parents bought me a new microwave for Christmas and my friends Frank and Jared installed it this week. Isn't it pretty?!?


The second addition isn't a very happy one.


That, my friends, is a small animal trap. Why do I have one? Well, apparently I have rats. Yes, I said rats. Not mice...rats. I have known I had a house guest for a while, but never saw it, I only heard it. Gizmo has gone after it several times, but it escapes under the cabinets before he can get to it. On Wednesday, while Frank and Jared were here installing the microwave, they got a full look at a rat, and it was big. Too big, in fact, for a regular rat trap so they brought over the animal trap. We set it that night and waited. This is where it gets good...get ready to laugh. :)

About an hour after Frank and Jared left we heard the trap snap, and a rat was caught. Of course, we had no idea what to do from there so I called Jared. He came over and put the trap (with the rat in it) in the trash can while he went outside to see if I had a hose. (Apparently his plan was to drown the rat in the trash can).

So, here is the scene. Jared is in the back yard looking for a hose. My roommate, Jen, is standing at the sink filling a pot with water to help drown the rat. I am in the next room, standing on the steps looking over the banister...I didn't want to be anywhere near the action. Unfortunately, when Jared put the trap in the trash can, it released one of the side doors, allowing the rat to get out. I saw the door open and the rat jump out and immediately started screaming; 'The rat got out! The rat got out!". At that same moment, Jen turned around just in time to see the rat jump toward her, then run underneath the cabinet. This caused Jen to scream and run, with the pan in her hand, into the living room, yelling, "It touched me! The rat touched me!"

Jared calmly walked into the house while Jen and I continue to scream; "The rat got out!" and "It touched me! The rat touched me!". All three of us quickly began laughing a the whole scene and didn't stop for a while.

We set the trap again, hoping this was a very stupid rat, and then went to bed.

We woke up the next morning to a rat in the trap. though Jen insisted that it was a different one. Frank and Jared came over and killed it (they drowned it, but this time made sure the door stayed closed), and we reset the trap in case there was actually another rat.

Turns out, there is. Unfortunately, this rat is much smarter. We have seen in crawling around the kitchen several times, but it doesn't go in the trap, though it will climb on top. We think this may be the one we caught the first time and he now knows our plans for him. I'm not sure what we're going to do next, but in the meantime we continue to set the trap and hope he will slip up. (We haven't caught any other rats in the meantime, which we're hoping means there are only 2. We'll see...). Frank and Jared also worked on my bathroom to try and fix a leak. Once this leak is fixed, I can put my ceiling back up in the kitchen. Unfortunately, although we thought it was fixed, there appears to still be a leak. Not nearly as bad as it was, but still too much for the ceiling. I am really looking forward to my kitchen being finished...some day.

On a much happier note, I also got a new dresser for my bedroom!

(Incidentally, the TV you see was a Christmas present from my grandmother in 1991! Its 17 years old, and still works great! Thanks Moi!!) The dresser was the last piece of furniture I needed to make my bedroom an actual bedroom (I bought a wardrobe for my hanging clothes a few months ago since my room doesn't have a closet).


For the last few months my clothes have just been in a pile on the floor. The really exciting part is that I went to Ikea to buy the dresser and on our way to the checkout I decided to check out the As-Is department (things sold at a discount because they have to be bought "as-is", defects and all). As I walked in I saw my dresser!! Well, I had planned on buying a white one, but they had the black one on sale for $80 off, and already put together!! Plus, inside several of the drawers were these dividers, that usually sell for $4 or $5 a piece.

That's another at least $20 value!! I was so excited! The top of the dresser has a few nicks on it, but nothing major. I love this dresser!! All that's left for my room is paint and curtains...and new bedding because a friend of mine accidentally washed my bedspread, ripping it in several places. It feels so nice to be sleeping in a real grown up's bedroom. :)

Jen and I have big plans for moving furniture around, putting things in storage and hanging things on walls. I literally have NOTHING hanging on any walls in any room in my house. I really want that to change. I have to ask someone how to do that since I have weird walls, but we have several paintings, pictures and mirrors to hang that I think will make the house even better. We also want to repaint most of the rooms, get a rug for the living room and EVENTUALLY get a new couch and some new living room furniture. (Right now I have nice furniture that was given to me, but it is really too big for the small rooms in my house. The house will really open up once we get things that actually fit in the house). It's really nice to have someone else around to help out with this kind of stuff!!

Next week looks to be an extremely busy week for me. Kids Club starts back up, and I still have a lot to do to get ready. I will also be leading an AIM trip, which takes A LOT of time. Thankfully, the AIM group is working with Cornerstone, so I won't have to divide my time too much. The group will be leading a special after-school program at the church, though, that I need to plan. I'm not worried about getting it done, but I am worried about doing it well and getting a decent amount of sleep in the process.

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!

I know you're dying to know, haha

I know its Friday and I haven't posted anything this week, but there really hasn't been a whole lot going on. Here are the highlights though:

Tuesday night was the LAST Kids Club of this semester! We have Family Night next week and then a break until June. I can't believe I have survived 2 seasons as the Kids Club leader, and no one has fired me yet! :) I am trying something new this summer, wanting to talk to to the kids about being bold with their faith. Hopefully I will actually have some time (and will actually TAKE the time I do have) to plan some things out for the summer.

Wednesday night was really fun. First, with the weather being warmer, Prayer Pals is more fun. Every week we go outside and play a group game together...which I referee and is a lot of fun. This week I also found a map of the US with stickers. We had to locate the states, their capitols, and major attractions in those states. We all worked together (yes, ALL the kids at Prayer Pals doing geography together!!) and got almost everything right! (Sorry if we weren't supposed to open that Carisa, haha). After Prayer Pals I went to our Girls' Prayer Night where we cooked and ate dinner together, and again had a blast! That night is quickly becoming my favorite night of the week.

Yesterday also proved to be pretty fun, at least with me and Pedro. He came to Teen Club again this week, this time by himself. I pretty much never hang out with him one on one, so it was REALLY fun to be at Teen Club with him. We ended up playing a little one on one basketball at the end, and drew quite a crowd. Most of the teens were shocked that I can actually shoot a basketball and shoot it well. Of course, the fact that Pedro is a foot shorter than me kinda helped me out a little. :) After our one on one he and I teamed up and won a very decisive game. We had a great time!

Of course, the most exciting part of the week (for me at least) was Jen moving in!!! YAY!! She is still getting settled in, but we are already having a blast together, laughing a lot. We are pretty different in many ways...she goes to bed early and gets up early...and I do neither, haha. I also really like TV, and she doesn't watch quite as much as I do. (She also doesn't think The Office is that funny, but I'm working past that). We get along great though, and we are both so excited for what the Lord has in store!!! (It will take her some time to get used to Gizmo. He likes to jump in her lap as soon as she walks in the door...and she isn't the biggest fan of cats, haha).

AIM stuff has been CRAZY this week. I am one of 3 administrative people that work in the short term missions department, and over the last 3 weeks the other two people have left (on good terms). So, we are reorganizing things and I have a lot to do to help get things taken care of (I am NOT taking on all of their responsibilities, but I am taking on more responsibility and helping decide who should take on what). I'm actually enjoying it (way too much), but it is a lot. It reminds me why I loved doing business in college...and also why I didn't go into it full time. :)

That's pretty much it for me. My weekend looks pretty low key, yay! I am leading the teen mission trip this summer and am presenting it to the teens this Monday. We are going to an AIM location this summer, which means we get a lot of the benefits that AIM provides (they take care of food, lodging, etc) but not the expense of an normal AIM trip (cause I'm taking care of the things that usually constitute the overhead AIM cost). I am REALLY excited about it, and REALLY nervous. Frank has lead the trip over the last few years and has left some big shoes to fill (those Hinsons like to do that to me, haha).

Jen and I have also decided that we want to take some of our girls on a weekend retreat before the summer starts. We are looking at dates, locations and topics. So, we are staying busy during out "break' (and did I mention I'm trying to plan some new stuff for Kids Club?!).

I'm also getting more and more (and more!) excited about the vacation I'm taking with the kids. It looks like Dario might not come (he's a teenage boy...), but I'm praying and trusting God with that. There is another family (brother and sister) that I may invite if Dario does not come. Their parents have moved in NY, but they are still here in Philly staying with a friend. They are GREAT, and get along great with my kids and would be a fun (and helpful) addition to our trip. And, I think it would really bless them to get to be a part of a family. (Their parents have not abandoned them, they are supposed to be moving with their parents this summer. Still, they've been without family for several months).

So, that's about it for now. I'll try and have something exciting next time!

Its Beautiful!!

Spring is definitely here and the weather is beautiful!! Today is a day I should have used to catch up on work and clean my house, but instead I decided to go on a picnic! So, I and several of the teens from church headed up to one of the state parks and spend the afternoon playing frisbee, picnicking, walking around and laughing a lot. We took a ton of pictures as well (they really like having their picture taken). :) I added them to my phanfare site, so check them out!

Tomorrow will be a very busy day. I have Sunday School and church in the morning. We are trying something new in Sunday School tomorrow...it appears that the weeks that I am not in the class; Bonita, Linda and Monique are very talkative. However, when I'm in there they don't talk much. So, tomorrow one of the other Sunday School teachers is going to come and ask me to help out in her class, so we can continue to test this theory. If it turns out that the girls are again very talkative, I will probably find a new Sunday School class to be a part of for a few months. So, we'll see! :)

At 2 I am taking Pedro and several of his friends roller skating to celebrate his 13th birthday! Finally, at 6 we have a talent show at church, and Bonita and Monique will be performing a dance! The last talent show was so much fun, I'm excited to see how this one goes!.

Weekly Wrap Up

Well, its been a very busy week for me with many ups and downs...and VERY little sleep. Here is a quick run down of the highlights. (I will be writing more philosophical thoughts soon, but I need to catch up on my sleep first)

First, VBS with the AIM group. J painted Tasha's fingernails for her...

On Wednesday night at our Girls' Prayer Night we decorated our own prayer journals...

Thursday I went to the Jones vs. Conwell softball game. We had God's Girls on both sides and I LOVED watching them support and encourage each other. Last year these 2 teams weren't allowed to play each other because it always ended in a brawl. God is awesome!


Tonight I went prom dress shopping with one of the teens. We didn't find the perfect dress yet, but we are on our way...


And finally, I got another piercing!! This time it was my tragus. Yes, that is the correct name for it, I looked it up. :)

No, it didn't hurt and yes, I love it! The piercing place that I went to has a buy 4 piercings, get the 5th free...so stay tuned to see what I pierce next! (Don't worry...I'm pretty sure I'll stick with parts of the ear. Although I do think lip rings are cool...)

I'm really hoping to get some good sleep tonight, but we'll see. I think I'm getting a cold. The weather is changing and my body doesn't like it...and my extreme lack of sleep (I averaged less than 4 hours a night all this week) doesn't help. I have eaten plenty of oranges though! :)

I am meeting a group at the Hope House early tomorrow morning to get them started on cleaning. My plan is to tell them what to do and then head home to rest some more. Tomorrow night I am speaking at a college group along with my roommate Jen. My next several weekends are pretty booked with Pedro's birthday celebration, the church talent show (which includes a performance by many of my kids), Kiara's birthday celebration, Jen's college graduation, Kids Day at Philadelphia Biblical University and then a kids day at our church. In fact, my next free weekend isn't until May 23rd!! So, hopefully I will get some really good rest tomorrow!!

Its late...or early...

Yes, you are reading the time correctly...its 2 a.m. and I am still up. Actually, I am going to bed soon but I wanted to write a little bit. This week has been SO busy and there has been so much going on. My blog is often my place to debrief and reflect on things and I find that the busier the week, the more I need to debrief.

Unfortunately, so much has been going on, spiritually I feel all over the place. Okay, honestly, I am struggling. A lot. I had to make a really tough decision this week, and I am still not sure if I made the right one. I definitely sought the Lord in it and made the decision that I believe is right. But, only time will tell. More on that later...

I've also been battling with the Lord a lot this week, through my own failures and heartache as well as those around me. I promise to share more on that later as well...I just need time to process, and since its 2 a.m. and this is my first chance to sit down...well, the processing hasn't happened yet.

Activity wise this week has been really great. I have worked a ridiculous amount of hours (I'm already over 40 hours), but its all been so good. Elizabeth and I are splitting the responsibility of leading the AIM group and its been working well with my schedule. I am still able to do my normal AIM work from 9-2 each day (Elizabeth is with the group in the mornings). Then I head to the VBS that they are leading from 3-5. I have been able to take some kids with me as well, which is always fun. After VBS I head to my Cornerstone evening ministry. After that is over I head back to the AIM group for evening debrief and worship. It has been GREAT to end every day with worship!!!

Monday was also full of a lot of turmoil as I faced a really tough decision (the one I alluded to earlier). My heart was heavy all day and just really took its toll on me, physically, emotionally and spiritually.

Tuesday brought a few surprises. First, I decided at the last minute to change my Kids Club lesson. I got the lesson prepared in time, but after I finished teaching it I thought it was the worst lesson I have ever done. I don't know if that's really true, but that's how it felt. As I was finishing my lesson prep, I got a phone call from one of the kids (9 years old) saying that she had come home from school and no one was home. So, I went and picked her up and spent the afternoon with her. Well, she really just tagged along wherever I went, but we had fun together. We got to go see one of the teens (and God's Girl), T, play in a softball game, which was great. Actually, another teen, P, is in her team as well. They are both God's Girls and I love them! It was really cool because T was the pitcher and P was the catcher. I was REALLY proud of T as I watched her really step up as a leader on the team. She is by far the best player on the team, but doesn't act like it, and she spent the entire game encouraging the rest of the team. It was obvious that her entire team loves and respects her, which is amazing. I didn't stay for the whole game, so when I saw her later I asked if they won the game. She said, "No, but I don't think thats important. Whats important is that we played well, and we did that, so I was proud of my team". Isn't she amazing?!?

Also on Tuesday I got a phone call from one of the teens who had the electricity turned off in her house (a mistake of the electric company, and its already back on). She asked if she and her 3 year old sister could spend the night, and I said yes. My house is not really equipped for 3 year olds, but we survived and managed to have fun! The 3 year old was born addicted to crack (she is adopted) and it was very interesting spending time with her and watching her developmental issues. I don't know a lot about toddlers, but I know that she is different. It really made me think about the possibility of becoming a foster parent to crack babies...they need so much love and attention that few people actually give them, especially in a hospital. Don't worry, I haven't signed up yet, but it got me thinking. She was wild, but I really enjoyed her!

The bright side of Kids Club was that we had a ton of leaders there and they were all awesome! I have always heard it said that you can't grow until you have the leaders in place to deal with the growth. Well, we definitely have the leaders, so I am praying for the growth! We have a lot of teen leaders, and sometimes they are more teenagers than they are leaders. This week, though, they were all amazing and so helpful! I really enjoyed them!! And, I always enjoy the kids. :)

I didn't take the teen and her sister home until after noon today, and then had to spend some time cleaning up (although much more cleaning will be necessary this weekend. Let's pray I can get motivated to actually do it!). I went to VBS again and this time took Bonita, Monique and Tasha. We laughed a lot!! Prayer Pals was also a BLAST tonight! We only had 5 kids there, and that turned out to be a blessing. All of the kids had their letters finished by around 6:30, so we went outside (it was warm!) and played a group game (with me and the other leader, Harry) for the rest of the time. We all laughed a lot and had a really good time!!

After Prayer Pals I headed to our Girls' Prayer Night and that continues to blow me away with how amazing its going. Tonight we decorated our own prayer journals (I will post pictures on Phanfare this weekend!) and in the coming weeks we will be sharing things that we write in them. We already had a huge prayer request answered this week and were all so excited to thank God for it! We spend the first part of the night doing an activity (we alternate weekly between crafty things and exercise things...next week is Tae Bo!). After that we spend some time in prayer. I am seeing the girls grow so much! They are becoming more open with each other, and with the Lord. Its draining to be out so late so many nights of the week, but its totally worth it!!

To top all of that off, the AIM trip is going really well. The team is working hard, growing and learning a lot and really blessing me as they share how God is changing their hearts. And, they are a really really fun group! So, while I don't like getting home after midnight EVERY night, I'm at least spending that time with people that I really enjoy. :)

Tomorrow will be another busy day, but its the last day of the AIM group. Tomorrow afternoon I am going to watch the Jones vs. Conwell girls softball game. Jones and Conwell are both middle schools in the area, and are huge rivals. The cool thing is that we have teens (and former God's Girls) on both teams! Normally, that would mean we should be ready for a fight (seriously, these schools hate each other). But, our amazing girls are excited to have God's Girls on both sides and are already encouraging one another. I'm so excited to go to the game!

Friday will be a MUCH more low key day with just my normal AIM stuff (the group will be leaving early in the morning). I am taking one of the teens shopping for her prom dress, but that should be a lot of fun. Saturday will be low key as well. Jen (my future roommate) and I are speaking to her church's college group Saturday night, and we are taking T with us. Jen is using it as a support raising time, and I am going to support her and share more about what God's doing in Kensington. And, we both just want to hang out with T. :) So, I plan on sleeping until I wake up Saturday and then just getting things done from there. At this rate, it will probably be waking up just in time to leave for the church. As wonderful as this week is, I miss sleeping!!

What I've been doing

I know it has been a while since I updated. Part of that was because I have been very busy, but mostly its because I really haven't had much to write. I don't really have much today either, but I thought I would write a little something.

There is an AIM group in town right now that I am helping lead. They have been to Philly 2 times before, and went on a trip to New Orleans 2 years ago (that I also helped lead). This is a group that I really enjoy and is always a blessing...and so far this year is no different!

They arrived on Saturday and have already been blown away by God. Yesterday they held a cookout on Kensington Ave. and afterwards went on and on about all the incredible things that God has shown them. We were up very late because the students just wouldn't stop talking about the Lord!

I also really enjoy the leadership team every year, and again this year does not disappoint. I stayed up even later having wonderful and fun conversations with the leaders about the Lord, the presidential election, and all of our embarrassing moments. We pretty much solved all the world's problems, prepared ourselves for the return of Christ, and laughed a lot. It was wonderful.

I am really excited about this week with the group. It is going to be incredibly busy as I continue my normal AIM responsibilities, my normal Cornerstone responsibilities, AND add on project leading responsibilities. But, as weired as it sounds, I really need this week. Aside from a more full schedule, this project also brings a lot of fun, a group passionate about the Lord, and corporate worship EVERY NIGHT! Its also a change from the norm and an opportunity for me to be challenged, and blessed in new ways. So, I'm really excited!!

I have also been learning A LOT and challenged A LOT in my relationship with the Lord. Basically, what I am learning is that intimacy is HARD. REALLY HARD. The deeper I go, the harder it gets. It doesn't make sense, but its true. The deeper I go with Him, the more He asks of me and the more He changes me. And, while I can always look back and see His incredible goodness every step of the way...the fear of going deeper is still there.

I will write more about this when I have time...and when I actually have something to write. At this point, the only major realization that I have come to is: Intimacy is hard. Profound, I know. :)

And one final note. I have been joking all weekend that my guy friends are continually giving me reason after reason to not get married. As they fart constantly and talk about things I never need to hear, I start to think that maybe marriage isn't for me. Then, today I read a very interesting article. Here is an excerpt:

"Having a husband creates an extra seven hours of housework each week for women, according to a new study. For men, tying the knot saves an hour of weekly chores."

Considering that the study goes on to say that single women in their 20's and 30's actually do the least amount of housework of all women, while single men do the most housework among men...I'm building quite a case for staying single. :)

Very Busy

I have been extremely busy this week, working 36 hours already (in 3 days!). This is a really busy week with AIM stuff, so I work from the time I get up until I leave the house for church and then I work a little more when I come home before I go to bed. I'm not overwhelmed, but I am tired!

Of course, I have taken all of my limited free time to continue to add pictures to my Phanfare site, so definitely check it out!! It has been very bittersweet to go through all of my pictures of the last almost 6 years. (You can tell I got a digital camera in 2006...the number of pictures picks up quite a bit, haha). I can't believe all the things I have been allowed to do and the incredible memories I have accumulated. I miss a lot of those times, but I am SO thankful to have had them.

It has also really brought me to my knees as I watch some of the kids struggling to find themselves...to find their way on their own. Things were so much easier for all of us when they were small and innocent. They aren't so small anymore, and their innocence is fading. My role in each of their lives is constantly changing, which is harder for me than anyone else, haha. But, its never been about me, and it never will be. Its all about God's amazing plan for them. They are His and NO ONE can snatch them away from Him. These pictures are a constant reminder how incredibly blessed I am to be a part of that plan.

Really Fun Day!!

Okay, so after my depressing post on anger, I thought I would share a little bit about yesterday, because it was SO FUN! After church a bunch of us headed to Center City for lunch, and of course I took the girls. We had lunch in a mall and had fun walking around and taking pictures. It was a beautiful day outside, so we decided to walk around a bit, taking more pictures. We ended up at one of Philly's gorgeous fountains and, of course, took more pictures. We were even joined by a Star Wars Storm Trooper for some photo ops! (There is a Star Wars exhibit at the Franklin Institute, right by the fountain).

We took so many wonderful pictures, I FINALLY decided to set up my own picture album on line. You can check out ALL of my pictures here. You can also click on the "Trish's Phanfare Pictures" on the right and check them out. I'm going back and adding tons of pictures from the past few years, but its going to take a while, so check back often and you'll find new (old) stuff!

Okay, here are some of the best pictures from the day! (But don't forget to check out the full album HERE!!)

I Finally Hit My Breaking Point...

I know, everyone was wondering when it was going to come; including me. After weeks of ridiculous computer issues and piles and piles of work backing up...in the midst of personal tragedies in so many people's lives around me, I finally got fed up today. Ironically, this comes at the same time that most of my "issues" are being resolved.

To start, my AIM computer is fixed and working. Other than the fact that I can't get my printer to install (which is annoying, but pretty minor), I finally have a real working computer that I am not borrowing! On the same note, I got an email from a great friend and supporter about a great deal on a lap top that he found. He is a licensed computer guy, so he is going to buy the laptop for me, load it with tons of free software (including Microsoft Office! Since he is a computer guy he can save me tons of money getting me all this stuff!) and then send it to me!! How amazing is that?!? Not only do I NOT have to worry about finding the right computer (he actually knows what he is doing), but I also don't have to worry about installing stuff and messing it up (obviously I do not have a good track record with this stuff, haha). Its AMAZING!

So, for all intents and purposes, I am back on track. Some things are still taking much longer than they used to, but that will change as I get the right files on this computer. The main frustration is the loss of standard emails that I would send out for my job that I now have to recreate, as well as all the lost email addresses. Again, a little frustrating, but definitely manageable.

I also finally filed my taxes and I am getting a refund this year! Hopefully this will help offset the costs of some of the repairs and other things I have done on my house...what a blessing!

I know what you're thinking...if things seem to finally be coming together, what in the world could have set me off today? Well, here's the story... (now we enter into a quick rant/soap box...feel free to skip if you are uninterested).

We have a bulletin board up at church that has individual pictures of all the Kids' Club kids. About the same time as my hard drive crash, I took several new pictures of kids to add to the board (they LOVE having their pictures up!). My plan was to have them printed and ready to go the next week...unfortunately, as of this morning, they still weren't up.

As I was doing some work earlier I realized that Jen's computer (the one I had been borrowing over the weekend), had some pretty decent photo editing software on it. All of the pictures needed to be edited and then the kids' names added to them. Jen's software would allow me to do that. The kids have been begging me for weeks to get their pictures up, so I decided to try and get it done today.

I spent close to (if not more) 2 hours editing and adding names to over 20 pictures of kids to add to the bulletin board. Once I was finished I loaded them onto CVS's on line photo site and sent them off for 1 hour printing.

Around 3:30 (I have to be at Kids' Club at 5:30) I went to pick them up. I (stupidly) did not check the photos before I left, but opened the package a few minutes later while waiting at a red light. What I discovered was that most of the kids faces were literally cut in half, and the ones that weren't cut in half had been printed landscape style instead of portrait. I immediately turned around and went back to CVS.

There were MANY people in line waiting for photo help and only one person working there, so I ended up waiting in line for 25 minutes (no exaggeration). When I finally got to the counter, I showed the pictures to the lady working there and her words to me were; "All I can do is give you a refund, that's how the pictures came to us". Did she check to see if that was true? No. Did she offer to check and see if maybe, possibly, they had made a mistake in printing? No.

So, she started to process the refund. Admittedly, I was a bit irritated by this point, but I am very capable of being cordial even when irritated...at least for a while. While she started to process the refund I asked her why the pictures would show up fine on the website and then come to them cut in half. She did not respond. I again asked her what could have caused this problem, and she again ignored me. Her manager came out to verify the refund and I (in a much more firm tone) again asked why my pictures would come to them messed up if they looked perfectly fine on line. The manager simply looked at me, shrugged and then went into her office.
The photo lady proceeded to hand me my receipt and then looked over my shoulder to help the person behind me. Never once did she speak to me or even look at me.

That's when I went over the edge. No, I didn't say or do anything, however I have a letter of complaint that I will be delivering to the store tomorrow. And I had to work VERY hard to keep myself under control as I left the store. I finally left the store around 4:45. I went home and spent some time gathering myself so I wouldn't take any anger out on the kids.

And, I will not be going to CVS anytime soon.

As I was thinking about this later tonight, I discovered why this incident is the one that sent me over the edge. My computer issues have been frustrating and tiring, but they are no one's fault (well, someone is behind this sinister plot...my dad thinks its the CIA...but we're still gathering evidence) and all the people I have come in contact with throughout the process have been extremely nice and helpful. Even the people at DHL apologized profusely after my hard drive was stolen when they left it on my front porch. There was nothing they could do to change it, but they were at least willing to admit that they had made a mistake. The people at Dell have gone above and beyond to try and get me the things I needed, which made everything so much less stressful and frustrating than it could have been.

The CVS situation was different. I was treated like I didn't matter...like I wasn't worth it...and that made me angry. Even an, "I'm so sorry. I am not sure what happened, but let me check and see what we received. Okay mam, after looking at what was sent to us, it does appear that this is how we received the pictures. I'm not sure why the pictures were sent to us like this. Maybe you could try putting them on a CD and bringing that in to us? I will give you a full refund for these pictures, and I really wish that there was more I could do." Is that difficult? Isn't that their job?!?

What I have discovered today is that I like to be treated as a person. As a person that matters. The golden rule absolutely applies to me. I want to be treated exactly as you would want me to treat you. And, I feel a huge sense of injustice when I am not treated that way.

Honestly, I am still pretty frustrated with the whole situation (hence the letter. I'm not good at letting things slide...). But, I am praying that God will use this to teach me about how I should/do treat others. I pray that I treat them as they should. In a very small way, I understand the anger, hurt and frustration that comes along with being treated as if you don't matter.

But everyone matters. People kill themselves because they think they don't matter. People do drugs and drink too much because they think they don't matter. Women prostitute themselves because they think they don't matter.

So, will I show people that they really do matter?

More Computer Woes...

My computer issues have become a ridiculous comedy of errors that I can't help but laugh at. AIM sent me a computer to use and for a day it worked great. Then, suddenly the computer stopped receiving power from the power chord. I didn't realize it until I had about half the battery left. At first I thought it was the power chord, so I went to Best Buy to get a universal chord. When I got home, it didn't work. So, I went back to get a different one and it didn't work either. So, the problem is in the computer. You're thinking the exact same thing I was...seriously?!?

So, now I am borrowing my friend Jen's computer (she's going to be my roommate soon!) until I can take my AIM computer to get looked at. The computer works fine, it just can't get an power. I don't know anything about computers, but I'm hoping that's fixable.

I'm not really stressed about all of this, its all just too ridiculous to get me upset. The only really difficult part is that my work (both AIM and Cornerstone) keeps getting more and more backed up. I will have Jen's computer for the weekend though, so I am hoping to work really hard to catch up.

Since I haven't been able to do my AIM work I have actually felt less stressed and overwhelmed in some ways (although in the back of my head I know I have a ton of work to catch up on). It has really opened my eyes to how much more time I would have for things if I didn't have to work a part-time job in addition to my work at the church. So, if nothing else this time has strengthened my resolve to pray and work more on support raising (which, ironically, I really need a computer for). I really really really hope to get my newsletter finished and printed this weekend!!!

I have a few more updates that I want to write because a lot has been going on that I haven't had the chance to share!!

A Big Update!!

Unfortunately, I do not have good news to report (at least in terms of my computer). We found out that the problem has actually not been with the hard drive, but instead the motherboard of the computer. In other bad news, its apparently cheaper to buy a whole new lap top than it is to fix the mother board. Thankfully, AIM is sending me a laptop that I can use until I can replace mine. The laptop hasn't arrived yet, but it will hopefully be here tomorrow!!!


Since it has been almost a week since my last update (which I think is a record for me when I'm in town), here are some highlights from the last few days.


* Last Wednesday night we had an AMAZING Girls' Prayer Group. We spent time baking and laughing, then reading the word and praying. It was incredible!!! We are seeing amazing growth among the teen girls recently and it has been so wonderful to be a part of! We have been praying for years for revival among the girls, and its happening!!


* Saturday I took Tasha and A to Build-A-Bear! A just turned 5 and Tasha just turned 9 and I wanted to do something special for their birthday. We all had so much fun! Build-A-Bear is exactly what it sounds like, the kids get to build their own teddy bear. Here it is in pictures:

First, you pick a "bear" (they have all kinds of animals).




Next, you can pick a sound (A got a monkey sound for his monkey, Tasha picked a lullaby).

Then you go to stuff your bear. But first, you pick out a heart for your bear. They have you rub it over your heart to fill it with love, on your muscles so it will be strong, on your head so it can be smart, etc. This was one of the kids' favorite parts.

After the bear is stuffed, it gets a shower.

Then you pick out an outfit and dress it.

Finally, you print out its birth certificate and you are ready to go!!

Tasha (who's full name is Natasha) named her bear Latasha. A named his monkey after himself.

After Build-A-Bear we walked around the mall for a while and then headed to church for an ice cream party. Again, we had a ton of fun...and tried to keep the bears clean.

From the ice cream party we took A home and then picked up Bonita, Linda and Monique for a sleepover. One of the teens, Kirsten, spent the weekend at my house and agreed to watch the

girls for a few hours while I babysat Paxton and Kyler; Frank and Carisa's sons. I hadn't babysat them in months and I was so excited!!

So, after I got the girls settled I headed to the Hinsons for a fun night, and the boys did not disappoint!! Kyler (who is almost 2) kinda did his own thing, pausing occasionally to destroy whatever Paxton and I were working on (which thankfully made Paxton laugh, so there was no complaining or arguing!). Paxton and I had a blast playing games and I barely noticed that 2 hours had gone by. Pax and I are pretty close (he's pretty much the coolest kid ever), so I LOVED hanging out with him.

I came home from a fun night to find my house in chaos and destruction. However, less than 20 minutes after I walked through the door everything was back as it should be. The girls actually went to bed pretty early, though they did manage to get a lot of make up time in before bed.

* Sunday morning I led Sunday School (Carisa was out of town) and it actually went well! We were talking about Anger, which turned out to be very appropriate as one girls stormed into class very angry with her mom, and Bonita and Linda got into a big fight as well. Monique shared a lot and I was so excited that she opened up. It helped me understand her so much more, she really is such an amazing little girl.

Church went well and although I usually go out to lunch with the kids after, Build-A-Bear pretty much broke me so I just took the kids home. I didn't do much else on Sunday other than lead Prayer Pals. Paxton was the only kid that came, so really I just got to hang out with him more (which was again very fun).

* Sunday night and into today I stayed over at my friend Jen's house. Her husband is out of town and she has a small baby and she just feels more comfortable having someone else in the house. We don't get to hang out much and we had a BLAST! We talked a lot, laughed a lot and it was just so encouraging...plus her daughter is pretty stinkin' cute as well. I actually stayed over there most of the morning today as well.

* This afternoon I met with a woman at church who is a counselor. It has come to light recently that several teen girls that I am close to have been raped or sexually abused. They all are seeking help and wanting God to heal them, and we are really praying that this woman can help. The meeting went GREAT and we left so encouraged and excited about what God is going to do!!

* Finally, tonight was God Squad...and it was AWESOME!! My small group consisted of 6 girls, 5 of whom are God's Girls, which was so fun and encouraging. God really is doing some amazing things among the teen girls and I am continually blown away by them...and Him!! One girl in the group (one of the God's Girls) was telling us that her teacher had her class do a project where they had to make up their own religion; including what objects they would worship (a.k.a. idols). We had just talked about the stories of Daniel and the Lion's Den and Shadrach, Meshach and Abendego last week in God Squad, and she remembered what we talked about. So, she went to her teacher and told him that there was only one true God and she could not participate in pretending any differently, so she could not do the project. Her teacher protested at first, but she stood firm and even had her mom write a note saying that this project was against what she believed. He finally relented and allowed her to do a different project. I am SO proud of her!!! (At one point the teacher threatened to give her an "F" for not doing the project, and she said she would take that over idolatry. Woohoo!!).

Tomorrow night at Kids' Club we are talking about Jesus' death and resurrection (wonder why??) and I am pretty nervous about the lesson. I have no idea what I'm going to teach! :) After Kids' Club I'm having a bunch of the teens over for a sleepover (they are on Spring Break from school...and I have apparently decided that sleep is not a necessity). On Wednesday night we (meaning me and the teen girls) are heading to a friends' house for a Barbecue and a missionary from Kenya is going to talk to us about her life and faith (and she's a single female missionary...woohoo!!).

I'm really trying to get my newsletter finished this week as well. I had planned on getting it done last week, but my lack of computer was a big problem. I feel like I am really behind on so many things (because of my computer issues), and all of them will have to be caught up soon (including several weeks of work). So, I have a feeling that the next few weeks are going to be pretty busy, but I'm trying not to think too much about it and just go with the flow. Besides, while things are busy and so many discouraging things are happening, I KNOW that God is up to something amazing (isn't He always?!?!), so I definitely can't complain (or atleast, I shouldn't, haha). :)

Still No Computer

I just wanted to quickly update you all and let you know that I am still waiting for a new hard drive for my computer (that will soon be sold so I can get a new new one!). I am actually using a friends computer for a few seconds to update, but hopfully I will be back on line soon.

Things are a bit crazy in Philly with a lot going on around me, but in the midst I am feeling peace and actually finding purppose...neither of which come natrally to me, so you know its all God! I'll give more details soon.

Please pray that I will have my computer up and running by tomorrow...I need it or Kids Club!! :)

Hopefully you'll be hearing good news from me soon.

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.

I'm Sick :(

This will probably be a short update, I have a non stop cough that is driving me crazy! I actually took a day off from AIM (first time taking a sick day!)...mostly because I have to make a lot of phone calls and my voice is very man-like with unexpected coughing fits; not very professional. :)

I did make it to Kids Club tonight, though I didn't teach a lesson (I thought my man-voice might scare the kids, haha). I was actually kinda bummed about that, I was really excited about my lesson. The kids seemed to really enjoy the video I showed (first time I had to show a video as well!). I'll get to teach next week. Anyway, the weather is really bad (snow, freezing rain, sleet) so we only had 27 kids (we average over 80). I kinda enjoyed the small number, but I was completely done by the end of the night. I made it through Kids Club, but came home with a headache and an even worse cough. Ugh.

I also learned today that only overworked missionaries in Philadelphia get sick. At least, that's what my dad thinks. :) He seems convinced that if I lived in North Carolina and had a regular job, I would never get sick. Oh dad... :)

Okay, I think its time for some Nyquil and my bed...

The Worst Product EVER!!

I don't normally do this (or ever do this), but I am so dissatisfied and even horrified by this product that I have to share it with you. I found it at PetSmart a few weeks ago and it was the same price as my normal cat litter, so I decided to try it. Everything on the website seems to indicate this cat litter is good for the environment as well as my cat...and worked as well as any other cat litter. That, plus the fact that it wasn't any more expensive than my regular cat litter made it seem like a great idea. Well, it wasn't.

First, the litter doesn't clump, it just stays in a big wet pile stuck to the bottom of the litter box. (The package says you have to keep the litter at least 3 inches deep in order to prevent this. I had it close to 4 inches deep and still didn't get clumps). Needless to say, that was a pain, and very disgusting, to clean up. Secondly, while it does control odor pretty well after your cat uses the bathroom, cleaning is a different story. The combination of this litter with my cat's urine created a literally toxic smell as I was cleaning. You know how your nose and throat will burn when you are around a lot of bleach for too long? Well, this smell was worse. Seriously. It took me close to an hour to clean Gizmo's litter box because I kept having to walk away coughing from the smell.

I ended up having to scrape and clean the litter box completely just to get everything out of the box. I scrubbed the litter box like I would scrub my tub...which I also had to do after cleaning the litter box because my bathtub was the only place I could really clean the litter box. It was a mess and made me very angry.

So, if you are ever looking for an alternative to your regular cat litter...especially an environmentally friendly one...DO NOT choose Swheat Scoop. The crazy thing is, most of the reviews I find on line about Swheat Scoop are very positive. I'm not sure what they are doing that I'm not...but I would never recommend this product to anyone.

New Reality Idea

Okay, I have a new idea for a reality TV show. The basic idea is this...I will give contestants some random materials to work with and a construction problem to solve. Their goal? Complete the task before Frank Hinson. If they do, they win a million dollars. Why a million dollars? Because I don't think its possible to beat Frank. He seriously can do anything! He connected my ice maker today despite me having bought the wrong parts. (I blame the guy at Home Depot who was supposed to be helping me but literally walked away from me mid-sentence to say hi to someone). It took Frank some time, and I have no idea what he actually did...but it works!! I think I could have given him a nail and a straw and he would have made it work. If anyone knows TV people, let me know cause I think this show is a winner!

My morning was not very fun at all today. I got up early and went to truancy court with Bonita and her mom. We had to wait about an hour before Bonita was called in, but it all went pretty well. It turns out that most of Bonita's absences (over 80%) are due to appointments that her mom makes for her (not doctor's appointments, other stuff). So, while they are excused, they are excessive. So, the judge ordered that Bonita is no longer allowed to have ANY appointments during school hours (unless she is really sick and needs a doctor right away). She also has to have a daily report filled out by her teacher and will have to serve 35 hours of community service (it will probably be done at the school). We are supposed to go back in 30 days to see if everything has been completed. As long as she has done the daily reports and the community service and hasn't missed ANY school, she will be fine.

Linda, on the other hand, will probably be in more trouble. Despite Bonita's absences, she still has good grades. Linda does not. In addition, Linda doesn't have nearly as many appointments as Bonita (Bonita is in speech therapy), but she has missed more school...which means her absences are her own fault. Its going to be interesting...

Well, I find myself really tired again from the day. I had a TON of AIM work to do when I got home from court and we had the members' dinner tonight (which was nice, but it was another thing I had to do). So, I think I am going to head to bed. Ahhh...I love my bed.

New Fridge!!!

I got a new refrigerator!! I am SO excited!!! My kitchen is seriously now almost finished. I have a new microwave that needs to be put up (its the kind that hangs over the stove), and of course the ever problematic ceiling is still not finished...but I am almost there!! YAY!!!

It has actually been a long process to get this fridge. First, I have to say THANK YOU to some wonderful people who gave me the money for the fridge (not sure if they want their identity revealed). Once I learned about this amazing gift, I went shopping. I ended up finding a fridge that I LOVE at a Sears Outlet store in Delaware (it was 50% off!!! Yay for Sears scratch and dent!). So, on Friday I bought the fridge and they told me that I would have until Monday to pick it up. That's when all the fun started...

Leaving the Sears store on Friday is actually when I twisted my ankle, which pretty much took me out of commission on Saturday. On Sunday I got a truck for a few hours and drove to Delaware to pick up the fridge. My friend Shera came with me, as did 3 kids. (Incidentally, we had some time to kill before I could get the truck so we all hung out at Arbys. The kids were getting bored so I suggested they run laps around the building. They ran 16 laps, and apparently had a blast!)

We got the fridge, loaded it into the truck and drove slowly back to Philly (its about a 30 minute drive normally, but I was terrified the fridge was going to fall off the truck, so it took closer to an hour). Once we got back to Philly I met up with Pastor Joe and a friend to help me take the doors off and get it into the house. Unfortunately, but this time it was dark and had started raining and we had some trouble getting the doors off. Eventually we called Frank (who, I am convinced now more than ever, knows EVERYTHING) and he said he would be able to help in the morning. So, we drove the fridge to the church for the night, and I finally took the kids home around 9. I was exhausted...and still didn't have a fridge.

Frank and Joe came over this morning and within an hour had the fridge in the house and ready to go. The ice maker still has to be hooked up (I have never had one of those before!!) but Frank said he could easily do that this week. (I'm telling you...he knows everything!).

So, the fridge adventure was pretty much over, but I still had a very busy day. I went grocery shopping, unloaded my groceries and then left to pick up 7 kids to take them to see the new Veggie Tales movie that is in the theater. It took a while to round them all up (apparently Bonita and Linda can hear neither the phone or the door), but we got there just as the movie was starting. I think everyone enjoyed it, although 4 year old Little A had a hard time sitting still and quiet for the entire hour and a half. He did GREAT for him, but it was still a challenge, haha. He was really sweet and fun though, and especially enjoyed being the only boy. He and Bonita bonded and hung out together. I also took Linda, Monique, Tasha, Mercedes and little K. Shera was with me as well, so we had a lot of fun.

Now I am finally home and literally haven't had a moment to just sit and chill since Saturday. I still need to go for a run tonight, but other than that I plan to just chill!!

Tomorrow is going to be a pretty busy day as well. Bonita has to go to court for truancy in the morning (don't get me started on that...) and I am going with her and her mom. We are supposed to be there at 9, hopefully it won't take too long. There is a chance that she will get taken away from her mom (considering their history), and Linda has her own court date next week, so everyone is a little nervous. (Well, Linda isn't...she is clueless about consequences). Their social worker seems to think things will be okay though. In fact, this past weekend the entire family attended parenting and family classes together. They are scheduled to attend several more as well and we are hoping this will look good for the judge. And I am hoping they will all actually learn something!! Anyway, if you think about it, please be praying for all of this!!

Tomorrow night is the member's dinner and then Wednesday I have dinner with a teen and Prayer Pals. I am also sharing at teen club (not the whole message, just part of it) on Thursday. Thursday also marks the beginning of an enrichment program that will be run by students from Philadelphia Biblical University (PBU). I am supposed to be inviting the kids this week and I have barely started. I am also supposed to be the one getting at least 6 of them to and from the program. Whew, what a week!!! I also have plans all day Saturday, so I am really hoping that I can take Friday afternoon (after my AIM stuff) just for me!!! We'll see, though.

I am very tired and can't wait to relax, but I'm also SO excited about my new fridge!! I LOVE it, and I still can't believe all the amazing people that continue to support me here in Philly. I know it seems silly, but this fridge makes me feel so loved and cared for...thank you Jesus! :)