These are the days it never rains but it pours...

Lately I've been feeling God's abundance in an overwhelming way. In almost every aspect of my life, I feel like I have more than I can handle. Firstly, at Andy's Club we are probably at the peak of what we can handle in terms of numbers of kids. Then yesterday, I saw that my flyer that I handed out in October, was now being recirculated to a school that I hadn't approached. So now I'm waiting for the deluge of phone calls for sign-ups. This is what I wanted but without consistent adult volunteers and reliable group transportation for field trips I can't take all those kids. I'm trying to take this one day at a time.

Work in general is overwhelming. I'm trying to fundraise for Andy's Club as well as jumpstart the homeless ministry with Pastor Scott AND work with him and Sally-Lodge learning some ministry stuff. As, I explained to him yesterday, I feel at times like I'm doing a mediocre job at several things rather than an awesome job at one thing.

Then there is all the awesome support I'm receiving from home which is in no way a burden but I suddenly have to keep in contact with people, write more support letters, go shopping with money I didn't have before. This is really ok, though, great even...just something I have to learn to do.

With Seminary, I thought the hard part was just getting in but now I spend tons of time researching scholarships and staying connected with the people in NJ I need to be talking to.

Furthermore, without being too specific, there have recently been some slight developments in my social life which could add to the anxiety in a good or bad way.

Yet, as I say all this, I can hear my brothers making the whiny voice all the way from NJ. I have so much to be thankful for- last week I was informed that Princeton is giving me a grant for next year to cover all my tuition (I still have to work on housing though), the group I was directing for the High School drama festival won three acting awards this weekend, and we're having an awesome week at Andy's Club because there's a professional dancer here from NYC this week teaching the kids African dance.

Ok, I'm gonna be fine.

There have also been some great "Welcome to Mississippi" moments this week.

First, when we were at the Gym/Community Center this weekend, there was a group of soccer mom types dancing provocatively to that song "Loosen up my buttons". If you are unfamiliar with the song, consider yourself lucky. Its one of those unfortunate things that represent everything that's wrong with America (it doesn't stop me from dancing to it when it comes on the radio though!) Just to clarify, the nature of the dance initially lead us to believe that perhaps it was one of those stripper-robics class. Got the picture? On the way out I asked the person working at the front desk what the deal was because if it was indeed a stripper-robics I wanted in. The answer was even better though. Apparrently, the soccer moms were rehearsing for this year's Mardi Gras Ball. Yes, I love the South. To follow up this was the exchange I heard while we were leaving and the belles were having a ciggy outside:

(please hear appropriate Steel Magnolias accents)

Soccer Mom A: (to B) Did you get a boob job?
SMB: No, its just my bra.

I believe this whole day set the Women's movement back 50 years.

The second story involves two of MS's favorite things- guns and daaawwwgs. I went to pick up Justin for Andy's Club yesterday and as I was pulling up I saw a police car on his street and his dog (a HUGE pitbull) running like he was on fire around the neighborhood. Justin explained he couldn't go with me because he was having trouble with his dog. Then his uncle who was standing there mentioned that the neighbor had pulled an AK47 on him when the dog was in his yard. At that point the second cop car was just pulling up. I asked if I could but since I left my wife-beater and trucker hat at home, figured I wasn't worth being cast in tonight's episode of COPS. What astounded me was that Justin's uncle (the adult in the situation) didn't have him inside and away from crazy dogs and guns. Hmmm...

Finally, as I've been sitting here at the coffee shop writing, I've been privy to a conversation between two men, discussing their options for the Saint's game on Sun. I guess the wife of one had wanted to invite some of their friends over and was asking him about it. The man explained his reaction: "I just kept turning the volume up on the TV so she would shut up but I guess it didn't work cause she kept talking." What a lucky lady.

Send me some encouragement!