Thursday's End

It's the end of a Thursday, for me, as I begin jotting some thoughts at ten after 9.  Toni is back from her time with her brother and her parents -- they had the opportunity to go to northern California, especially to see the giant sequoias.  I've seen a few pictures so far and have heard a few stories.  They had a grand time.

I've been feeling very blessed and busy, though not so busy that I don't have time to have some unscheduled time.  Unscheduled, unplanned time, is, for me, more important for my mental health, and more enjoyable, than scheduling fun things.  I guess that's why I didn't mind sending Toni off to California while I stayed home.

We're counting down the days until the end of the Dassel-Cokato school year.  One more day this week, four next and then three during the first week of June and we'll be done until fall.  Every year I need to decide if I'm going to re-up for another year of driving the school bus route.  Some parts of that job I really enjoy but the constancy of it (every week, 5 mornings, 5 afternoons) makes it hard to be enthusiastic all the time.  It is that consistency, however, that allows me to have a relationship with the 40-50 kids who ride my bus regularly.  If I gave up the route and just subbed I would miss that, and I think they'd miss me.

Right now I'm sitting in the kitchen writing this.  It's nice to have an unscheduled evening at home.  On Monday I was at Begarowiczes' for "Holy Spirit Christian Camaraderie," on Tuesday there was prayer ministry, on Wednesday, yesterday night, we were blessed with an unexpected service project with our youth (you go Holy Spirit! wow!).  Earlier this evening I was able to get the lawn mowing finished and we were blessed with a visit from some children who used to live right up the block from us.  And Toni fed me a wonderful dinner.  Yay!

Besides dealing with what Jesus brings my way every day, I've been able to help Crossroads make some plans for June.  I'm hoping and PRAYING (a lot) that SOMEHOW we'll be able to continue to connect personally and spiritually as a church family throughout the summer.  I've thought about doing some teaching on what the Lord has been telling me (see previous post on "The Vine") but I might just stick to praying.  Will you pray with me that a godly desire for spiritual togetherness will be shared by many this summer?  Thank you.

This has been a bit rambly, but it's the best I can do for now.  Time to hit the hay.  I got less sleep than normal last night, and, as I've said many times in the last almost 3 years of bus driving, morning comes early.  Good night.

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