The Routine Begins for Reals

Last night he was in bed at 8:30pm and sound asleep in 5 min, up at 7:00am! Now if I could just get myself into bed earlier we can get a good routine of sleep. He walked to school this morning with a friend so hopefully that will continue.
Sarah and Ben and I watched "Amreeka" last night per a friends suggestion after last weeks movie fail. A much better and more realistic picture of the struggle of Arabs immigrating to US. Highly recommend!
This week is a busy one as life gets into full swing. Youth group begins with a luau for the high schoolers on Tuesday night and middle school begins on Wed. Plus the Fri/Sat weekend services, only thing left to add to the schedule is the Women's Bible Study which won't begin until after the Eid (Sept 13)I hope by mid Sept to not work the Sat service and just attend and likely will not stay too involved in the middle school program as that is going to be GJ's baby.
Am attaching some random photos just for the fun of it and a glimpse of life.

What a great day! We had a rough night trying to settle down and go to bed but this morning we woke up happy and ready for the new adventure that life holds for us. I am most worried about figuring out a workable routine, how to get us both ready in the morning without starting every day stressed and frustrated. I made Caleb get up this morning at 6 which should insure his tiredness by 8 tonight...it better! But if we are both getting up at 6 I better get my schedule changed as well.

Looking forward to all that this new year holds both work wise and with Caleb, I have a spirit of anticipation.

First Day of School

A Lazy Saturday Morning

Enjoying a nice slow start to the morning after a late night movie session. A couple of friends came over last night after church to watch a movie I had rented called "My Name is Khan." I had not given much thought when I rented it but it sounded interesting enough and it was for the first 1 1/2 hours and then it degenerated into the dumbest most contrived movie ever. I have never watched a movie that started out so well and then just fell apart. It had an obvious agenda about anti Muslim attitudes in America after 9/11 and made Americans appear like obvious idiots where as I believe we are much more subtle in our idiocy. Thankfully in the comfort of my own home I could offer a bold running commentary to relieve my angst. I would say that the acting was excellent they were just at the mercy of a bad script.
Tonight I am celebrating my birthday a week late but much better rested than last week. We start our Saturday night services back up tonight which doesn't thrill me but I will only work it until first of Sept when all the teachers get back into gear.
So that is all for now!

One Wild Week Wore Me Out!

Man talk about feeling your age! This last week was the last of our summer events I called it "One Wild Week" and boy was it. We did it in the place of a traditional VBS program so it was VBS style in the morning and then at 10:30 each day we loaded up 2 buses and went on an adventure to Science Museum (not a big hit) Reptile Farm (A huge hit!) Aqua Park, Fagnoon Art Center and Pharonic Village. We had lots of non church kids as it fell on the week before CAC opened and all the CAC teachers with young kids were delighted to have something to offer their kids. The teaching material was very simple and straight to the gospel point and a number of kids made a decision which just made all the work well worth it. It also had fantastic music which I will try and load. The material was put out by an accapella singing group called Go Fish, I highly recommend! We closed with a short performance at church on Friday night and I spent literally all day Sat. lounging and accomplishing nothing and it felt so good.

Today is the first day of school for the American School, so it signals the start of a new year. My new youth guy is here and in place and already doing a fantastic job. I am very excited about what the new year holds, I have a great group of youth volunteers and well on my well to a full Friday/Saturday School staff and maybe just maybe this year will be the best ever!
I have been reading and studying in the book of Acts for the Women's Bible Study I am leading in the fall and have been impressed/reminded yet again of the simple power of the good news to radically change lives. After reading Peter's defense of the the faith, no jokes pithy stories or smooth pedaling and the result was 3000 converts that day, I have a strong desire to see something significant happen this year, whether it is in the lives of women, youth or kids I am praying for eternal decisions!