growth

This is a picture of what I put on my wall over my desk at school.

I had the bizarre circumstances of finding out what one of my parents said about me in an anonymous survey. I will say it was unflattering, to say the least. In fact, it was the opposite of those 4 words on the bottom: impatient, unkind, harsh and negative.

Needless to say, this took my by surprise. And my first impulse was to defend myself, and point out why I am not those things. OK, I freely admit to impatient. I am not the most patient person. I own that. I pray about it. I ask God to develop more patience in me. But unkind???? Harsh???

OK, I'm stepping away from defending myself, and taking this as an opportunity to become a better person. I put the opposite of those ugly 4 words above my desk, as well as the verse that is above them.

And now I am grateful.

I am grateful for the opportunity to be better. I am grateful to focus on these things, rather than the negative.

And I am SO grateful that God sent me a couple parents RIGHT on the heels of this thing to give me some wonderful words of encouragement. There were three different parents, in the span of a week, and they were so supportive, and told me how much their kids LOVE to have me as their music teacher, and what a great job I am doing, and how much they LOVED the concert.

So I am thankful that God sent me that encouragement to spur me on to become better. To focus on the good, and what I WANT to be.

And that I didn't get fired. :)
K

waiting

Waiting is hard.

Today is Tuesday. On Friday I am supposed to buy a house.

I say "supposed to" because I haven't gotten word from the lender on how much the actual check should be for. This is the last step in this big, bad process of buying a house. Once I go get the check, I think everything will be good. Then I just have to go to the closing and sign my name a bajillion times.

For now, I'm waiting.

Since I sold my condo a couple weeks ago, when people ask where I am living I say "Camping in Mom and Dad's basement". And that is the truth. But really it is not a hardship. There is a kitchen down here, and a full bathroom, and a nice bed. And plenty of room to have some of my stuff. Not all of my stuff, but certainly enough to live for a couple weeks. As well as free laundry, offers of dinner, and a garage door opener. No, I am NOT roughing it.

But...

I am waiting.

I am ready to go to the closing.

I am ready to move in. I am even EXCITED about moving in. I am even excited about the actual MOVING!

I think the waiting is the hard part. Knowing what is coming, but having to wait.

...

As you MIGHT be able to tell, patience is NOT my strong suit.

So for now I will wait. And pray for patience.
K

LIFE2013

Oh wow.

This week has been HUGE.
Every 3 years my church denomination puts on a huge youth conference. It's like summer camp on steroids. And not in the woods.

But is IS pretty stinkin' awesome. I just got back, and this year was no exception.

We were in St. Louis this year, and it was great! There were awesome speakers, a concert by LeCrae, different seminars every day, lots of great time with my youth group kids, and even some great time with other youth group kids.

One thing I really appreciate is that the content that they presented was deep. It was meaty. We sat through sessions twice a day, plus 2 seminars each day, and for everything I went to the content was right on and very full. No fluff here.

There was service - for 3 days, a group of 2000 kids went out into the city of St. Louis and worked. We cleaned out an old cemetery, we painted a ballpark, we carried trash out of several different places, and it was great. I think when kids throw their hearts into serving others, great things happen.

We talked about God's mission, and how God's mission becomes your purpose. When you are called of God, His mission becomes yours. And he calls you to do this in lots of different places. Sometimes He calls people to go overseas, but most of the time He calls you to do His mission right where you are.

We sang to a video about cranking a chainsaw?!?!?!?

We ghosted people. Well, I didn't ghost anyone, but I did get ghosted. :)

We spent time talking about things that are going on in my kids' lives, and how they respond to what God is doing.

We listened to each other talk about what God was telling them, and their response.

There were seminars on lots of different topics: Identity in the post-church generation, spiritual disciplines, missionary panel, Jesus and consumerism, how to choose a college, how to be a Christian artist in a non-Christian world, and so many more.

It was a great week, and I'm grateful to have gotten to go. I'm grateful that there wasn't any major drama. I'm grateful that we all made the 14 hour drive back.
K

break

Today I needed a break. I headed over to nbc.com and watched an episode of America's Got Talent. It was refreshing, and I even teared up a few times. It was just a "feel-good" moment. Well, more than a moment, but you get the idea.

The reason I needed a break is because I've been glued to the internet and TV news, and facebook, and twitter, and everything else possible to get information.

Because of this.

Last summer, I wrote here about being WAY out of town while parts of my city burned down, and now it's happening again.

They are calling it the Black Forest Fire, and so far it has totally destroyed over 90 homes and is not contained significantly at all. Today the wind shifted and the fire burned back on itself and is now headed in the opposite direction as yesterday, threatening another several thousand acres.

I've been watching the coverage, but this afternoon it got to be a little much.

So I headed over to the ol' interweb to watch the America's Got Talent that wasn't shown last night.

And it was just the break that I needed.

I'm still praying for the firefighters and planes and people helping fight this fire, and praying for the people who are evacuated. There will be lots and lots of damage once it is all over, and every bit of that is a person or family that is affected. But the words of a song by Building 429 keep going through my head:

This world has nothing for me
This life is not my own
I know You go before me and I am not alone
This mountain rises higher
The way seems so unclear
But I know that You go with me so I will never fear
I will trust in You
Whatever will come our way
Through fire or pouring rain
We won't be shaken

God is still God, regardless of what happens this week. And I will continue to trust Him. For what, I don't even know sometimes. But I will lean on Him.

And maybe watch a little less news.
K

houses

Yesterday I was driving around a neighborhood looking at houses. No, not stalking someone - I am selling my house, and looking to buy a different house, so the looking is OK.

As I was driving, looking at the differences in the houses, and noticing what they look like on the outside, the thought occurred to me: "I bet some of these houses are crazy dirty on the inside, even though they look good on the outside." I could not see any of the inside, of course, but I think it is likely that at least SOME of them had some mess going on inside.

And then it hit me: people are like that too.

We take a shower, do the hair, put on the smelly lotion, put on the mascara, and do our best to look good - to look like we have it all under control on the outside. Even though we may be a mess on the inside.

Lord please let my insides match my outside, and let them both be clean and pleasing to You.
K

spirit

It's been a long week.

I have rehearsal on Wednesday evenings, and this week I was thinking about not going. Not only was it a long week, it was kind-of a tough day on Wednesday, so by the time rehearsal rolled around I was DONE.

But...I got myself together and went anyway.

And I'm SO glad I did.

We are preparing the Verdi Requiem for a concert coming up in May, and it is a bit of work. But I really am enjoying the music.

Anyway, I was feeling pretty beat down on Wednesday, but rehearsal changed all that. By the time I got there and  started singing, my spirit was buoyed pretty quickly. By the end of rehearsal, I felt like a new person. I was refreshed, calmed, and the anxiety of the day was gone. The music was like a salve for my spirit.

What a blessing to be refreshed in that way. What a wonderful way to end a terrible day. What a great thing to do right before bed, rather than reflecting on all the mess that Wednesday was.

I guess what they say is true: Music really does soothe the savage beast.
K

work

Holy. Cow.

If I KNEW how much work it was going to be to get my house ready to sell, well I probably would never have agreed to this madness!!! And, to be clear, the house is not *ready* yet, but it is getting close.

Full storage unit: check.
Absence of pots and pans: check.
Total lack of bookcases and books: check.
Carpets cleaned: check.
Most repairs finished: check.

As I sit here and bask in the clean, organized, almost empty house, I am ready for this to be over. I am ready to go to my bookshelf and read any book I want at any time. I am ready to have a coffee table again. I am ready to have my blender back.

But I'm sure it will be worth it in the end. I just have to keep telling myself that.
K

countercultural

This weekend I went on a High School retreat up in the mountains.

No, I am not a High Schooler. :)

But I did hang out with High Schoolers all weekend. And that means I didn't get enough sleep. But now it's a week later and I've mostly recovered.

But the most striking thing about this weekend was something our speaker said. He said that we have to "live weak". He was talking about 1 Corinthians, where Paul talks about his "thorn in the flesh" and when he is weak, then he is strong.

Runks (our speaker) was talking about how we always try to live in our own strength, but really we need to be counter-cultural. We need to live weak.

Huh.

I never really thought about how often it means to live as a Jesus Follower means to be counter-cultural. And it struck me that unless you aim to be counter-cultural, you really are not any different than everyone else around you.

Counter-cultural.

Fitting in, being like everyone else, going with the flow - these are all things that go AGAINST us being counter-cultural. We need to go against the flow, not with it. We need to live weak. Because only then can God really work through us to accomplish much greater things than we can by ourselves.

Counter-cultural: my new favorite word.
K

on being a certain age

Well, today is my birthday.

And currently I am wearing a hot pink headband/tiara that says "happy birthday".
It has been a very happy day. :)

And my birthday today is a big one - for I am turning a milestone age. One of my co-workers gave me a card that says "Happy ___th Birthday! Welcome to my side of the hill. The grass is pretty green here!"

So on this, the celebration of my birth so, so many days ago, I reflect on the life I have now.

I am so grateful for my family. This morning my sister and 2 nephews and the girl that carpools with them brought me balloons and presents and cards and sang Happy Birthday in the hall at school. It was a happy way to start the day!

I am grateful for my parents. My mom texted me "Happy Birthday" today. A nice message, but also nice that she actually texted! :)

I am grateful for my job. I work with awesome people and am so lucky to love my job so much. The Spanish teacher has kids right before me, and has told them all day that today is my birthday and that they should sing.

I am grateful for my ministry. Sunday night at Youth Group, Hannah and I stood up to be sung to. The boy's rendition of Happy Birthday was SO awful that it was fun, and made me smile much.

I am grateful for my life. Yes, it might not be EXACTLY as I would choose, but I am the most blessed person ever. I hope I have this many years again.
K

new-ness

This is the end of the first week of school.

I LOVE this time of year.

There is a newness that is absolutely delicious. Everybody is excited to see each other, as opposed to the mid-year doldrums when everybody is getting on each other's nerves. Everybody has new teachers, new school supplies, new classrooms. There are new friends to play with, and new things to learn. I can't resist the smell of a freshly sharpened pencil.

I think there is a reason that I have worked in schools of some sort for my whole career.

As the weather cools off and we all settle in to the school routine, I just can't help but think about the new beginnings. The fresh start. The new opportunities.

It reminds me to take advantage of the new beginnings in my life. To revel in the fresh starts. To embrace the new opportunities. And most of all as a teacher, to GIVE everyone a fresh start. To leave behind the aggravations of last year, and to see everyone with new eyes.

Because, after all, don't we get that fresh start too? God doesn't keep track of our past sins and hold those against us in a supernatural tally sheet. He doesn't remember those things we did last year to grieve Him. He gives us a fresh start, and so we should do the same for others.

I LOVE this time of year.
K :)

empathy

A friend of mine from church recently felt led to do something for the people who had lost their houses in the recent fire. There were 346 houses totally lost, and lots more that were damaged. So Mandy set out to do something.

She set up a "Free Garage Sale". Meaning, anyone with an ID and address on the affected streets could come to our garage sale, and shop for free. No money. Nothing cost anything. She got a church to give us some space to do the sale, and a bunch of people to donate things that one might need after losing almost everything. She had volunteers to do everything in running the sale, and coordinated with the disaster relief effort going on nearby - they were helping people sift through the ashes of their homes, and using this church as a home base. They handed out water all day, and sent people inside to do some "shopping".

So I dropped off lots of sheet sets and comforters that Mom and I had culled from the cabin and our homes. And I told Mandy I would come back early Saturday morning and help get things opened up for the day.

So yesterday morning, I got some coffee and headed over to the church early in the morning. I had to be there at 7:30, and as my Mom says, "That's ALL THE WAY on the other SIDE OF TOWN!". So I went.

I didn't do much, except check-in volunteers, give people tours of the sale space, and smile and be friendly.

But let me just tell you.

As I was driving away, I got to thinking about those people that came to the sale. And I got to thinking about how they must be feeling right about now, as the shock has worn off and the finality of things set in. About how they must feel every time they have to meet with an insurance adjuster, and how they must feel sending in a mortgage payment on a house that doesn't exist anymore.

And I recalled the gratitude of the people as they asked over and over, "You mean we can take ANYTHING?" "We don't have to pay for it?" And their incredulous expressions as that information set in.

And I thought that even though I can intellectually understand the enormity of what has happened, I do not truly have empathy for them. I cannot wrap my mind around all the things they are dealing with at this point.

So I prayed as I drove home that God would give me more empathy for these neighbors of mine, and the will to find another way to help.

And then I was thankful for Mandy. That she had found a way to provide a little bit of hope to these people that must need some encouragement. And that God told her to do something and she obeyed.

And then I looked to the west, at the charred hills, and prayed for my neighbors who lost homes. That they would find what they need to go on and thrive. And I think God gave me a little bit more empathy, right then.
K

thoughts on what is important

Last week I went on a trip with about 90 people from my church. We had done a VBS here 2 weeks prior, and in order to be a blessing to a new church plant in Kansas City, we took our VBS there and did it for their church kids and the kids in the neighborhood.

What a great week. Our team was fantastic, and flexible, and wonderful to live with for a week. Even in the heat.

Closing Craziness

Our awesome team

Amazing students working with kids that came to VBS

Me, leading one of the sessions

I a grateful for the students that gave a week of their summer and went. They did a fantastic job of doing ANYTHING that needed to be done. Of loving on those kids that came to VBS. Of not complaining about the heat. And did I mention it was HOT? The hottest day was Wednesday, where we topped out at 105 degrees and about 60% humidity. You know how when you are baking, and you open the oven door, and the heat hits you in the face like a frying pan? That's how it felt every time you walked out into the heat.

But the heat aside, it was a great trip. We had a great time with the kids that came, many of them not knowing anything about church or God at all. Our students loved on these kids, and had fun with these kids, and most importantly showed Jesus to these kids. It was awesome.

But in the midst of this amazing journey, we had a reality check from back home. The day we left was the day that a fire started up in the canyon to the west of our city. We heard about the fire, but it was mostly background to the great things happening at our VBS trip. Until Tuesday. Tuesday, June 26, 2012 was the day that the winds shifted to the west, and the fire rolled over the mountains down into the city. At the worst, 35,000 people were evacuated out of their homes, 349 homes were destroyed by fire, and 2 people were killed. Even now, 2 weeks later, the fire is only at 80% containment, and there are still firefighters up in the hills working to keep any hot spots down, and contain the northern fire lines.

While this was happening back here at home, our phones were "blowing up" with texts and pictures from friends, and facebook posts and pictures about the fire. We had messages from out of state friends asking if we were OK. We had facebook pictures of the fire and destruction. We were streaming news to find out what was actually happening. But the worst was that we had several students and adults on the trip that were in the evacuation zone. Their house and family was threatened while they were away and couldn't be near. Eventually, we had to shut off the news, because it was really freaking several of them out, looking at pictures of the fire that was coming dangerously close to their homes.

We had several very personal discussions about how we have to trust God, because there is nothing we can do about this from Kansas City. Ironically, Trust God was the theme of our VBS, and we quite literally lived that out during the week. We went over what the important things are: Your family is safe. Your pets are at a shelter. You are here and safe. Your parents have gotten the few important possessions out of the house. You MUST trust God at this point. But when you are 12 years old, and on one of your first missions trips away from home, that is a difficult thing to do while looking at pictures like those above and knowing your house is in the path of that fire.

This past week, I have come to the conclusion that my friend Diane said it best: It comes down to Faith, Family and Friends. Everything else is just "stuff". In the heart of the fire raging, I asked my parents go to my house and pick up a couple papers for me. My mom asked if I wanted her to take anything else, and my answer was like Diane's: no. It's all just stuff.

If I was here, I probably would have taken a couple things that have sentimental meaning for me, but in the end, all that is still just stuff.

The important things in life are the things that cannot be quantified on an insurance form. Family. Faith. Eternal work for God's kingdom. And relationships with friends.

Am I glad it took this literal trial by fire to cement these things in my heart? No.
Am I thankful that I am a changed person, and have a clear vision of what IS important in life? Absolutely.

And as a final note, I am SUPREMELY grateful to those firefighters that have fought this fire for the past 2 weeks, and continue to do so. There are not enough words to express our gratitude to you.

Thank you.
K

full

Tonight I am full.

No, not full of food (though that might be true, thank you Sarah for your wonderful dessert!).

I am full of blessings, full of good friendship, full of dinner with friends and lots of good conversation. I am full.

I was just driving home, and thinking about how wonderful life is, and how blessed I am with good friends and fellowship. I had dinner at a friend's house tonight. And, actually, some people might think it was unusual. You see, Amanda was a teacher at my school, and we were good co-workers and team mates. But then she got pregnant and stopped working partly through the school year when she had her baby (who is ADORABLE, might I add.)

So currently we are not co-workers, but we have become friends. And I am blessed to have good friends.

So thanks for the dinner, Amanda. And for the fellowship. And for the laughs and for letting me hold the baby, even though he fussed. :)

I am full.

And I am blessed.
K

focused

Today I saw an accident.

Let me be clear: I'm sure no one was hurt. At least not hurt badly - it was just a fender-bender.

As I was driving down a pretty big street, there was traffic waiting off to my right at a red light.  They were waiting to right-on-red and go the same way I was traveling. As I looked over at them, I saw the 2nd car in line run into the back of the 1st car in line. I'm sure it was because that 2nd car was looking to the left, to see what was coming, and not paying attention to the 1st car and whether they were going. Or NOT going, as the case turned out to be.

Anyway, like I said, I'm sure no one was hurt badly. They didn't hit very hard, and they weren't going very fast. But as I continued on, I realized that this situation is just like life. So often I get to looking at what is coming down the road a ways, instead of focusing on what I am doing right now. And it occurred to me that it is our job to do well at what we are doing now - not looking at what is coming next.

Make sure to keep your eyes on what God has given you to do right now - not what you want to do later, or what you think He has for you after this. If you don't focus on what you have right now, you're liable to get into a fender-bender.

Though I could stand some body-work...
K :)

humbled

Last week I was humbled.

No, not like "I'm such a humble person."

I did something wrong, and totally had to humble myself and ask for forgiveness.

I spoke to someone at work harshly, and I shouldn't have. I had to go tell them I was wrong, and ask for forgiveness. But I am fortunate, because she was sweet to me, and everything is alright now.

Then, I had to apologize again. I had talked to our Assistant Principal about something, and gotten all upset that several of us weren't told about a situation.

Well. It turns out that the information we had was wrong, and we never needed to be told. I had to tell her I was sorry, and that my information was wrong, and that I should have checked it out before getting all irritable with her. She also was very gracious, and said I could talk to her any time. I do believe that. I believe that I CAN talk to her anytime, and if she has any answers she will give them.

But I also know that I jumped the gun, and should have checked out that information before assuming that we were slighted.

Huh.

Doesn't it always seem like things are clicking along great, and then a stick is thrown in your bicycle tire, and you end up gym-pants over tennis shoes on the ground? Then you have to regroup. That's what I felt like last week. Like I had to regroup. Like I was not a very good person. Like I am a big mess.

But you see, I am a big mess. I am human, and make mistakes just like everyone. Just because I have a low tolerance for mistakes doesn't mean that I don't ever make them.

I guess the lesson from last week is to think before you speak. Lesson learned. For now. I'm sure I will have this problem again, but I'm thankful that I am flexible enough to learn lessons. That I can learn from my mistakes. That I am able to humble myself and apologize.

I used to pray for flexibility, and I guess this is the answer to those prayers. Thank you God, for loving me enough to teach me and make me a better person.

Can it not be so painful next time???
K

letting go

First things first, it is Spring Break. I might not have words to express my excitement at being on break!

Today I got a massage. Maybe it's my reward for making it to break. :) Anyway, I was laying there as Carrie kneaded the knots out of my shoulders and back, and I was telling myself to relax. I would find that my muscles would involuntarily tense up, and I had to tell myself to relax them. It got me to thinking about how important it is to be able to let go. Yes, in the muscular sense, but also in life.

I think it would be terrible to not be able to let anything go. I got thinking about things I've had to let go of in the past. I got to thinking about how painful it is to hold on to everything and to not let go of anything.

I think this is an important life skill, and that not everybody has it. Have you ever known someone who just couldn't let anything go? Who was always holding a grudge? Who couldn't ever relax because they were so busy holding on to everything that has ever happened to them?

Wow.

I SO do not want to be that person. So here's to practicing letting go.
K

assessment

Today I sat through a seminar on assessments.

No, not the scantron, fill-in-the-bubble kind. This is the annual Music Teacher Conference. (Well, they don't actually CALL it that, but that's what it is.) So the presenter was talking about how she assesses her kids, and what she assesses them on. Then we talked about the CO State Standards, and how we include those in what we teach and what we assess.

I know, right about this point you are moving your mouse toward the little "x" in the upper right corner of your screen, and thinking about what you are going to have for a snack in a minute. It felt about that exciting to me at some points too. But stay with me.

Isn't it important to assess?

Isn't it important to take some time on a regular basis to assess? Not just in state standards and music lesson plans, but in life? In your family life? In your spiritual life? In your home life? In your work life?

Isn't this the basis of New Year's resolutions?

What if instead on assessing on December 30th, and marginally thinking that "I'd like to read more books this year" (which is an admirable goal, by the way) we stop on a regular basis and asses? What would happen then?

What if we regularly built into our life time to reflect and assess whether we are where we want to be, or way more importantly than that, if we reflect and assess whether we are where God wants us to be? What if we put our lives into perspective, and took our eyes off the daily grind to focus on the long-term?

I think that assessment is a great tool, and we should move it to the top of our life's toolbox.
I'm going to head off to do some assessing right now...What do you need to stop and look at with new eyes?
K

more sky

Well, I'm home.

Christmas was terribly fun. We all decamped up to the cabin, and patiently waited for Christmas to get here. And get here it did. We played games, opened presents, played games, played with toys, ate snacks, played games, and then ate more snacks.

Tree, presents, stockings, and the train.

It was truly great to have everyone all together. But we had to stay inside because we got a LOT of snow. Beautiful, but snowy. And I had to shovel. But it was fun to be all together.

Snow everywhere.

As I was driving home, I had to drive back through the canyon. For most of that part of the drive, the canyon walls are pretty steep. You can't see a lot except the river, and the canyon walls going mostly straight up. But as you get toward the end of the canyon, like for the last 5 minutes, you start to be able to see a lot more sky. You see much less mountain, and much more sky. The sky grows bigger and bigger, and after only seeing a little strip of it for the past hour, it is so breathtaking to see the huge expanse of deep blue.

As I got to see more and more sky, as it opened up before me, I was thinking that life is like that sometimes. Sometimes you can only see the steep mountains, and it seems like they block out everything else. But you just have to get through the canyon, and you eventually will be able to see the sky. Eventually the mountains back off into the past, and the sky opens up before you.

I just wanted to throw that out at'cha, because the hard times will come. But just remember to hold on 'til you can get through the canyon. Eventually the mountains will recede, and the sky will get bigger and bigger and more beautiful each moment.

Here's to making it through life gracefully, even when it feels like the mountains are closing in.
K

day 29 blanket

All this month, the month of Thanksgiving, I'm linking up with my friend Dawn to be thankful.

Today I am going to be thankful for something small. I'm thankful for extra blankets.

It's been cold at night lately, and last night I put 2 extra blankets on my bed. I'm thankful that I live such a bounteous existence that I have a number of extra blankets just lying around. Well, some of them are lying on my bed, but, you get the idea. I'm thankful that worrying about having an extra blanket is not a stress for me. I'm thankful that I enjoy so many blessings in my life, that having several extra blankets is a very small thing.

I'm thankful that I don't live in a place where having an extra blanket is a huge thing. And I'm saying some extra prayers tonight for those who don't enjoy several extra blankets.

Tonight I'm thankful for all the things I have, and that I don't live without. That I don't go without.
I'm thankful for that blanket,and now I'm headed off to crawl underneath it.
K

day 5 in my house

No introduction today - I'm getting right to the the thankful.

I am thankful for my warm, cozy house. Outside the wind is blowing, it is intermittently raining, and the weather is just not good. Last Wednesday we had a blizzard situation which resulted in a snow day. In both times, I am thankful for my warm and cozy house. I am thankful that I don't have to be out in the weather. I'm thankful that I am in a position where I don't need to go to the soup kitchen for a meal. I am thankful that my washer and dryer are right next to my bedroom, and I can easily be clean.

Last week I read "Land of the Lost Souls" by Cadillac Man. It is his story of living on the streets of New York. After reading that book, and his "adventures", I am so grateful that I am not in that situation, even though there are lots of people who are.

There but for the grace of God, go I.

I think I was meant to read that book in order to give it to a friend of mine. Her brother is homeless, and living on the streets. He is dealing with mental health issues, as well as legal ones. He has had people steal his belongings, meager though they might be. When I read that book, I immediately thought of this friend who is walking the line between wanting to help her brother, but not allowing him into her home for the safety of her small children. She is torn between trying to help him get into transitional housing, and letting him stay where he wants to be, which is on the streets. My heart breaks for her, and for the help that she wants to be but that he won't accept.

After reading this book and looking out the window at the stormy skies, I am very thankful for my house.
And I'm looking forward to going to the Springs Rescue Mission's Great Thanksgiving Feast. Maybe there I can look upon someone who IS in that same situation, and make them feel like the most special person in the world. Because that's how Jesus sees them.
K