*happy scream*

"Nope, she’s definitely not hiding there," Seth said as he crouched down.

But haha, dream, little brother, dream!! ‘Cause... I was there!  Stretched across the seat tops of the chairs pushed under our kitchen table, I lay in hiding as one by one, over and over again, each of my siblings came within inches of me.

We were playing hide-and-seek-in-the-dark --- my three younger brothers, my little sister, and myself. The battle-lines had been drawn, our positions staked out, and the lights turned off. It was our last round for the night, and I was "it".

I lay there in the darkness, stretched out across the chairs, my face within centimeters of the under-side of the table, the nobs and corners of the several chairs I was stretched out across jabbing harshly into my back and side. Ahah, the sacrifices of finding the ultimate hiding place! They walked by, looking, whispering, prodding in the dark, checking, and then double checking, looking, but never finding. They leaned against the chairs, the table, and they even crawled under the table next to me. Boy, was I pleased! I hide. They cannot find! What fun!

Just before they were about to give up, and right before my exultant laughter was due to burst forth... I was found. Lights were turned on, they all stood laughing at themselves, and of course my own ridiculous position suspended between floor and table. It was a slam-bang finish!

I think we’ll play again tomorrow.

Well, it's that day again. That 24 hour period when "love is in the air" and Cupid flies around with his bow and arrow, shooting down innocent pedestrians. Really, that cherub should be arrested for indecent exposure!

For a good handful of people, Valentine's Day is a day filled with romance, candle-light, even proposals and happy plans for the future. But for others, that class of singles, it can be a sad and lonely day. I am by default in the latter group, altho neither am I sad nor depressed in regards to my singleness. But this year, I received the most meaningful Valentine ever. It didn’t hold witty love-humor, no sappy soliloquy, or a poem perfect in rhyme and rhythm, but it held the most powerful and unforgettable message of the truest love I have ever received or ever shall receive. It merely read:

"I have loved you with an everlasting love." It was signed, "ALL my love-- Jesus."

Is there a greater expression of love that anyone could wish to receive on Valentine’s day? I know of none other. It is enough for me. It's all that I want. Happy Valentine's Day!

You know, I always thought chipmunks were cute, but personally, I don't think I like the effect on me!   So, anybody want to bring me a Jamba Juice??

So, tomorrow morning is the "Great Extraction." Yeah, the ol' wisdom teeth have to go! So, you know, all them phone-calls, comments, flowers, and get-well cards.....

I overheard my little brother and sister talking last evening....

Karis: "Wow, Stuart, in two years I'm going to be ten!! And you....you'll be eight!! That's just SO strange!"

Stuart: "Wow!!"

Aah, for the days when life was so innocent and care-free, where did they go?  But then again when you think about it, 10 years down the road, I'll look back on today, and ask the same question, wishing that I had appreciated the time that I am living now as I should have.

Well, it was a beautiful warm, sunny day, but despite the beauty, I hadn't quite envisioned myself venturing out to take a walk to enjoy it...but that's exactly what I found myself doing this morning.

I guess in the growing up process of life, there are circumstances that come up that force you to act in a "grown-up" way and make "grown-up"decisions. Today was one of those circumstances. Well, on my way to work, the car broke down. There I was happily driving down the road, when suddenly-- no power. Our family van stopped responding to my gentle, yet urgent presses on the accelerator. I immediately began to calmly panic and pulled over to the side of the road.  

So, what do you do? Yeah, just whip out your trusty cell-phone, right? Haha...not this girl. She doesn't have one! So there I was, faced with my "grown-up" situation. Yes, yes, my inclination was to sit there like a little girl and cry, but realizing that no amount of salt-water would send anything to help me, I tried to seize this perfect opportunity to practice being a mature adult. So, I sat there in complete perplexity for a few minutes, but soon came to the conclusion that no amount of sitting was going to get me anywhere, either back home or on towards work. So, I began my long, lonely walk towards the nearest house. As I trudged down the road, all illusions to a a friendly and helpful community died a sad death in my mind, since not a soul along the way stopped to lend a hand to the lone girl "out for a stroll" down the busy highway.

But bless the lady at the one house -- that house that I never thought I would see any closer than from the road while driving by!! She let me use her phone (repeatedly, as in my dire moment of need, nobody was answering their phones!!) and was kind enough to let me camp out in her front yard till my next mode of transportation came.

Well, long story short, I stood at this kind stranger's house till I was picked up, taken home to report the sad happenings of my morning...and then back to work, where I was rather late...but as it was my "boss" that actually had to come get me, it was ok.

Moral of the story?

1) Always bring walking shoes with you when you drive somewhere

2) Make sure your boss is a good friend, and doesn't mind dropping everything to come and get you, when you are supposed to be at her houses tutoring her kids.

3) Umm....anybody want to hook me up with a cell-phone??

Did you and your siblings ever take down the old school globe to help you tell your futures? You'd give it a good, hard spin, and then let your finger brush along it's sides as it slowly came to a stop, the blur of colors once again beginning to form solid continents, islands, and vast oceans. And there, wherever your finger did touch when it came to a complete stop, that was were you would live when you "grew up."

So, according to this trusty means of for-telling our futures: I am going to spend my days partaking of the exotic cuisine of Italy, Scott is going to remain in California the rest of his born days, Karis will roast through her life in Saudi Arabia, and Stuart...well sadly, Stuart's ship didn't quite make it across the Pacific Ocean.  Wow, minus Scott, we are destined to be quite the travelling family when we "grow up!"

Wait....Italy??

When I came out of the store this evening, and walked to "my" car parked out in the middle of the dark parking-lot, I was kinda anxious, since it WAS rather dark, and altho not a bad part of town, not the place I would have picked to be walking through after dark.

Several cars down from mine, I saw a man, obviously homeless. He was walking around the cars with a squeegee in his hand. I instantly recognized him, not because I had seen him before, but because my mom had mentioned him hanging around that parking lot several days ago. He was washing people's windshield for them, hoping for a handout.

Not wanting to be faced with talking to him, (after all, it was after dark and I was a lone girl with not a friend for miles) I quickly got into the car, and locked the doors. As I backed out of my parking place, he was standing there, and he smiled and gave an honestly friend wave to me.

I've gotten to thinking about that man, and the countless other homeless people in my area, and especially how I respond to them. What if as I was backing the car out, I looked at the man, and somehow, supernaturally, I knew that it was Jesus standing there with that old squeegee in His hand. What would I have done? Would I have slammed on my brakes, jumped out of my car to "help" Him? Would I have taken Him home to give Him a good meal and some clothes, altho that sounds so strange when it's Jesus Himself? Would I have told Him I'd been waiting for Him all day? Would I have worshiped Him right there in the parking lot? Or....would I have avoided making eye-contact, continued to back out, and pretend like I'd never seen Him?

Jesus DID say "When you do it unto the least of these...you do it unto Me." That wasn't just a nice thing He said. He meant it from His heart. His heart that is filled with unconditional love. A heart that loves ME...and how am I any better than that homeless man?

I'm glad now that I smiled back at him, and returned his friendly wave.

Fun and friends of my Texas trip.....

It was wonderful to spend 2 1/2 weeks with Laurel!

Me and my backseat buddies, Derek and Daniel                                                              

Me and Katie

And every trip has to have some form of sightseeing...

Good times go by too fast.