Meditating on the Word, and some other stuff.

I remembered this guy from last year... he always came in during the evenings to the computer lab. He always printed off scripture. I thought about him the other day. Tonight he shuffled in like always, but this time he had one of those little green Gideon Bibles. He was reading a passage, repeating it to himself.

He's a curious little fellow. He looks like he's an International Student from the Middle East or India. Before I knew he was a Christian, I would see him walking around outside, always looking at the ground. I thought maybe something was wrong, but I also noticed that he had a smile on his face. I dismissed it as weird... and then one night he printed off scripture. Maybe he's always praying. I don't know.

I kind of admire him. He walked in reading scripture out loud... not like a guy on a street corner, but quietly to himself. He wasn't there but five minutes to print off some scripture. (After all, the little Gideons only have Psalms and the New Testament.)

I'm not quite sure who he is, but I'm sure that he mulls over the Word day and night. He consumes it. It's his bread and water. It's pretty inspiring.

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And in other news... I began selecting music and verses for this summer's Chapel services at the Center. I got really excited about it, especially after listening to some kids music... I'm really praying that God's hand is in it, that the kids are impacted by God's hand in the Scripture and song.

Once the kids arrived for the after school program, everything kind of went down the drain until Chapel. The three habaneros came today... Nyra, Shakyra, and Najah. Sisters. Let me tell you... they think they can get away with anything! Part of it was my fault...

After snack, we had some activity sheets and gel pens. They got bored with the activity sheets, and then proceeded to start tatooing themselves (and me) with the gel pens. I wanted to be super-sure that they were washable, since I figured the kids' moms would get upset about us letting them write on their arms, so I left to wash my arms to get the ink off. Shakyra came to see if they were washable, and as a joke, she went to tell the others they weren't. So Nyra and Majestic came to wash off Majestic's marked-on leg. They were being super loud, and Nyra kept putting soap on her leg, which upset Majestic. Next thing I knew, they were running around the hallway chasing eachother. The man working in the DISTRICT OFFICE, Tom True, like the most important guy in Terre Haute's United Methodist Churches, come out and asks where the girls' group leader is. While I was tending to a girl who had a small scratch on her knee, I poked my head out and said, "I'm here." He said, "Well, they need to get you under control. You're way too loud."

OKAY. Number one, it's an after-school kids program. It's normal for the kids to run around and chase eachother and to be really loud.

Number two, one of the most important people to the Center inadverdently chewed me out.

So I scramble to get the girls to settle down. Nyra looked at me like I was kind of stupid, and Majestic continued to chase her around. I told her to stop once, and she didn't listen. Next, I proceeded to hit her in the arm--not hard at all, just enough to get my point across in the heat of the moment--and yelled at her to stop.

Why did I do that to Nyra? I still have no idea... great, I'm going to get fired. This is going to go on my record, and I won't be able to teach... oh God, what am I going to do? Her mom is going to come and cuss me out... Mistake. Nyra thinks that she is invincible.

Luckily, Miss Jeanie, the desk receptionist/"big mama" kind of lady, dismissed her because she knows Nyra. (I guess you would have to know her to understand her.)

I mean, these girls (the three habaneros) made a big deal because I threatened to make them stand with their nose in a circle on the chalk board if they misbehaved. Granted, I acted in the heat of the moment, and I felt awful about it, but any time we try to get them not to misbehave, they act like we're abusing them.

Anyway, her and I fought the rest of the day. Most of the time it was silently. Other times it was verbally, without yelling.

And anyway... it was traumatic.

I do love this girl, and most days we start out fine. Something will happen, though, and some sort of power struggle occurs. It's so frustrating.

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Well, Chapel came... Chapel went very well.

This month's verse is Matthew 5:14, "Let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven."

We had a verse last summer where Jesus said, "I am the light of the world," (John 8:12) and the kids noticed that Jesus says He is the light and in Matt 5:14 He says that we are let our light shine.

Today I talked about Psalm 119:105, "Your word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path." One of the kids spoke up and said, "I'm confused because Jesus says He is a light, we have a light, and His word is a light." I said, "You know what's even more confusing? Jesus is the Word of God! He is the Living Word!" and some of them thought for a minute, and the light bulb went on and they said, "Oh!!!! I get it!!!!" They had the biggest smiles on their faces!!

(Get it? Light bulb, we're the light, Jesus is the light... haha.)

I'm so excited to delve into this more with the kids. I know God's gonna work through it...

Sometimes it is hard to see that you are making an impact. Most of the time you don't see instant results. But, as Pastor said and as it says in God's word, some plant and some water and God gives the increase. I may not see them ten years down the road. But, I guess that's where faith comes in.

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I still don't understand what happened a few posts back...

I still have to remind myself that God has plan...

I still cry myself to sleep...

Singleness is not a disease... sigh.

Not being with this guy for the rest of my life is okay, too, I guess...

Someone at church reminded me yesterday, not out of any conversation about this, that "Time is short! We must be about the Father's business."



"The Bride is dressed in white, beautiful and waiting for the arms of her Groom. The eyes of the entire universe are on them as they dance their first dance at the marriage of the Lamb. They are, at last, truly one in Spirit."

“Let us rejoice and shout for joy! Let us celebrate and ascribe to Him glory and honor, for the marriage of the Lamb at last has come, and His wife has made herself ready. Rev. 9:7

-- Quote and Artwork by Janice Vancronkhite