In Today's News....

Still trying to recover from my poison oak attack. Now that I have changed the sheets I haven't noticed any new rash break-outs. The dogs are so lucky. The Poison Oak doesn't affect them unless they eat it, I guess.

Spent most of today in some kind of phone related experience. I had such a nice chat with a dear girlfriend of mine (also my Sister in Christ). I think we talked for an hour and a half. I find that many times when I am on the phone and it is a long and protracted call, I am just waiting for the call to end so that I can get back to other things. It is a rare and precious thing when you can talk with someone and not really want to hang up. When the conversation flows so easily and leaves you feeling pleasantly built up in your friendship, what bliss!! I love and thank God for the blessing of her in my life.

So, that was a nice way to kick off my day. My next phone related experience: Made calls to most of the girls in our church summer camp group. I know only one of them personally, so it was good to talk with them a little in advance.. Ed and I volunteered to be one of the group counselors. We've been meaning to support this Youth Camp for a couple of years now but our schedules had never permitted. So this is our first time doing it. What the camp does is cluster the kids into groups by age and sex. 3 to 4 kids at each campsite with a married couple to mentor them, and they do prep-work before the camp starts. We were assigned 4 girls ages 12 and 13. I am excited!!! This camp has just the best reputation for great Bible study and fun, too.

Last phone experience: Changed cellphone providers today. I'm going to give AT&T's GSM network a trial run. So far so good. My new phone is pretty nice, color screen and polyphonic ring tones. Also, couldn't live with out the Infrared port to transfer my phonebook from my old Nokia to my new one. That really works great and I am already half way through the phonebook now.

In Other News....

Took two of our close loved ones to the airport for their flight to New Zealand. Lucky ducks, I want to go to New Zealand!!! (pout, pout.) Mutual friends are getting married there, and they are going to the wedding. The happy couple is having a nice reception here in California that Ed and I will be going to, but no New Zealand for us.

Ooohh, Oooohh, I know what to tell you about!! Ed is teaching our Youth Group on Wednesday Nights. I love the kids in our teen class, they are so smart and fun. We just started the subject, "The Parables of Christ" and tonight we looked at the parable of The Wise and Foolish House Builders. I am really enjoying the subject so far. There are so many awesome lessons that can be learned from the parables and they are fun to figure out. The quick five second summary of the material that we looked at:

(1) This parable is talking about 2 classes of disciples of Christ.
(2) Both the builders heard the sayings of Christ but one obeyed them and the other did not.
(3) Not all those that call him Lord actually choose to really obey him and build their lives on the Rock of his teachings.
(4) Christ wants us to know about this weakness in ourselves so that we can examine our lives to the end that we might be more obedient to his word and be granted access to the Kingdom at his return.