Put on the armor of God

We had a wonderful time with Jenny, Lizzy, Lorena and all the ladies in Polk City. Mara was doing everyone's hair and then posing them for pictures and being a little bossy about how they needed to smile. Lorena hasn't seen her family in Colombia in over two years, and she is so excited for them to all go down in June for a second wedding. I hope to see more of the Walters in the future. I hope that this summer we visit her and Andy at their apartment and go swimming and play pool. TJ had a great birthday party here with all of his friends, Ziek, Austin, Jojo, Josiah, Sam, Alex N, Alex S, Moi, Fani, Camila, Lori, Lynette, Abigail, Skylar, Porkchop...They made cardboard shields of faith and wooden spoon shields of spirit. My mom only stayed for a half an hour because they had other parties to go to, and Grandma Betty was too tired to come. Erica and Tyse were great with the kids and had fun playing spy gear and Star Wars. John was so great to do so much cleaning while we were in Des Moines. He brought in our new dining room table and made lots of chocolate covered strawberries. The kids had fun playing pin the shield on the knight. We're going to church at First Friends again tomorrow morning. I called to invite GGB, but she said she'll have to ask my mom because they had plans to go out for breakfast. We're excited to go to Incredible Pizza tomorrow. We hope to see Leyria and Ross and Hondo and Diane. The weather is supposed to be bad, so I pray that it holds off so that we can celebrate and everyone can get home safely. Grandpa Bill is going to have surgery on his knee, so I pray that it goes well. I pray that Janet's house showing goes well tomorrow and that they sell their home soon because I'm sure she would like to be in CO with her husband and sons. I thought that the fact that both Leyria and I gave Janet flowers shows that we think alike. I gave out the book of bilingual poems about Haiti that my students made, and everyone was very excited to read them. Erica found the book, Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, here and took it with her. I'm glad that she's interested in reading it, and I pray that she learns some helpful hints from it and applies them to her life. I liked that Leyria said that she is not going to judge Uncle Lew or anyone for their choices, and I think that being nonjudgemental is such an admirable quality. John talked about not judging at Haud's funeral, and when I bought TJ's guitar from Rex Scovill, he said that John's speech really touched him and that he learned a lot from it. I am really grateful that our kids are so easily satisfied and that they aren't into a lot of the mainstream things like Sponge Bob and Pirates of the Carribean. I am proud that they make their own Valentines instead of buying generic, corporate ones at WalMart. I'm glad that when I ask them what they want for their party, that they say, "I'll be happy with anything you want". I pray that they continue to believe that the most important thing we put on is love, truth, righteousness, readiness, salvation, faith, and the gospel. I pray Matt does well when he gets home from Utah on Monday, that Angie has a healthy baby girl in May, and that people have the courage and passion to talk about heartfelt feelings like Lana does instead of about weightloss, fancy dishes, and shitake mushrooms, goat cheese, and leaks. I pray that we all live within our means and use our money wisely keeping in mind what that money could do for kids who have a small serving of rice once a day. I pray that our friend, Ian, finds a new job, that Grandpa Bill finds comfort and peace after his son's passing, that the family of a local man, Paul Gassman, find solice after his passing, and that we all live every day like it could be the last and that we take up the sword of the spirit and helmet of salvation and that we have the self control to respond to darkness with light and peace.