3 Days to track selct, welcome 09-14!

This morning was not the 'day off' I had anticipated. I want a refund! We had to show up before 0815 to do a full formal report for 09-14 who are the ones replacing us. I did an intel brief on the Mirage 2000 which I put together last night, and then I got stood up too. Our USEM (the guy who leads the EP and knowledge stuff) is new, so he wanted to put a hard face on things. So he told me before that he was going to stand me up, and that he wanted me to stutter through the boldface so that he could sit me down. So I actually sat there thinking about how I was going to mess something up, instead of thinking about how to do it right for once... Anyways, I got to be sat down and looked like an idiot who still doesn't know what he's doing in front of the new guys, but I'm sure they got the point! Then we had to wait around for a couple of hours doing nothing until we could take 5 minutes to swap out pubs with them. The guy I swapped with is an '07 USAFA grad like myself, and the poor sod it just now starting!! I wish we had more time with them, though, because he had a lot of good questions and I was sharing a ton of info with him as quickly as possible before their next brief started. Nobody talked to us at all from the previous class, and it really would have helped to know a little bit more about the expectations so we were trying to pass on a little knowledge to these guys. Oh well, they'll figure it out just like we did. So anyways, I didn't get home until past noon, and there have been shorter 'working' days than that! So much for a free day, about that refund...But really I'm just whining, it wasn't a big deal at all.

So I'm going to be washing my motorcycle today as I haven't had the chance since I took it to Montgomery and back a few weeks back. It's pretty dirty, but beyond that there are about a million dead bugs on the windshield since the trip back was at night and that's when they all come out. I'm probably going to need a chisel at this point!

Ok, I'll move back to the weekend now. Friday was really nice and short. We were off before noon and had no work left to do. I basically chilled here for most of the day and I think I even got a nap in at some point. Then we had the Church Chat at lighthouse that evening. There had been a huge amount of rain earlier in the day, but it cleared up enough so that I made it there and back on my bike. Then it started to really come down again about 30 minutes after I got home! Anyways the chat went really well, though the attendance was significantly lower than usual. But I had a great time talking and fellowshipping, and then everyone kind of had like a 40 minute group discussion at the end of the devotion too, it was nice. I then went over to the gym and a few of us hit a volleyball back and forth for a bit before we all left.

Saturday I slept in a bit and then got my shopping and all done. I actually ran into Bro Jonny there, and he was like, 'you still good for tonight?' Poor guy, I wanted to be like, 'oh shoot, that's tonight? I didn't tell you? I can't do the lesson, I'm so sorry. You've got 3 hours to put something together, ready...go!' Hehe! But I resisted, I don't think anybody needs that added stress. :) So, yeah, around 430 the lighthouse bus showed up near the running park here and we all went across the street to a little pavilion with some tables and benches and I gave the devotion there. I called it 'Joy of a Thankful Heart' and based it from Phil 1. I got a bunch of ideas from the 6-week study of Philippians I did out of a devotion book by Ran Hummel I got at the WILDS. It just really spoke to me, and I'd taken a lot of notes so I just turned that into a lesson. My prayer was just that the Lord would use it to touch some hearts, and I think it did as I had several people come to me that night and the next day and tell me they appreciated it. Which is really encouraging! We don't realize sometimes how a little bit of encouragement can really go a long way, and I appreciate them telling me that! Jonny also told me later that it had just been a crazy day and he really thanked me for doing the devotion and all, so it was probably good that I didn't joke with him at the BX!

Then we all went bowling and I played on a lane with 4 of the older teens. We had a great time and I got to know each of them a little bit better. Sadly, my bowling was just awful. I actually started out really good, getting a spare in each of the first 4 or 5 lines, but then it just plummeted from there and I got like 4 gutter balls in a row. The second game was no better...oh well, I guess I won't be quitting my day job anytime soon!

Sunday morning we finished up a month-long study in Sunday School on resisting temptation and Satan. Bro Daniel did a really good job with that study. Then pastor was back Sunday morning and preached a really good sermon. Especially since he used me as a prop! Hah! But no, he actually did have his son, me, and another man in the church come up to the front and used all 3 of us as props to demonstrate the concept of salvation.

Then last night was a fund raiser for the youth so I picked up Leroy and Tyrone on my way to choir practice, which I just joined yesterday as well! (it was a momentous Sunday, I guess). The timing actually works out well as they're just starting on the Christmas cantata, so I'm getting in on the ground of that. Then the teens served sloppy joes and everyone just put in a donation as they went through the line. When I left last night they had just tallied up over $1000 for the youth group from the church! Praise the Lord for people who care so much about the youth, I mean, it was only sloppy joes, but they were giving to benefit the next generation. So that was pretty cool to see.