How to warm your mother's heart . . .

Micah came home from her first official day of class at North Central University on Wednesday so excited!  "Mom, chapel was so good.  I just had to raise my hands in worship and I even began to cry."  As she was sharing, she raised her hands and once again began to cry.  

When Sam came home, she told him the same story, raising her hands with tears coming down her cheeks.  "Holy Spirit, continue to move in this young lady's life!  Amen."    

P.S.  Her other classes were fine.

Thankful Thursday!

"Thankful Thursday!" happened at Sand Creek yesterday and it was such a neat God thing!  We have a new course manager this year who confided in me early this season that she was struggling with anxiety.  I told her that I'd put her on my Tuesday/Thursday prayer list and trust God on her behalf.

Yesterday, we finally had a chance to talk about how she was doing.  We'd come up in the Bobcat from tearing down high ropes while the guys we were working with were still zipping with customers.

My friends, we stay in that Bobcat for probably fifteen minutes as she shared how she was doing (better!) and where she was at in her life.  A most unlikely place for a most wonderful time!  To God be the glory!

Only at Sand Creek - on a Thursday!

Today's team build was a group of engineers from the north metro.  As I spoke with their leader, she shared with me that they really weren't into the team building "thing", but they were going to try it and see what happened.  If it was a bust, could they go to the high ropes elements early?  Of course.  

You know it wasn't a bust!  It was an awesome success!  At the end of each low ropes element, I always ask my group, "Is there anything from here that you learned that you can bring back to work?"  At our last element before high ropes, one of the guys said, "We need to hug each other more!"  Ya gotta love it! 

Once they left (with a promise to come back!), it was zip lines and high ropes from 2:00-5:30 p.m.  Great groups of people, lots of fun, with a surprise appearance from Benjamin Franklin - as in one of those groups left us a $100.00 tip - another Sand Creek first!  

I drove home $55.00 richer yesterday!  Diane, if you're reading this, I think your sign is helping!

 

Only at Sand Creek - on a Wednesday!

Oh, the things you learn at Sand Creek!

We had a group from Augsburg College near downtown Minneapolis out on Wednesday.  They came in a coach bus, twenty-five students with three leaders.  I was there to welcome them.  While talking to their leaders and gathering waivers, I saw students pull out their regular cigarettes and vape cigarettes. Like everyone was smoking because . . . 

Augsburg is one of the few colleges in the United States that offers a college program for students who are in recovery from drug and alcohol addiction.  This was going to be fun!  (Take that however you want.  I will admit I was a bit nervous, but I shouldn't have been!)  

I got the best group of students who worked so well together.  We had so much fun on the low ropes and then again on the "leap of faith".  Before they left, they wanted a group picture.  I said, "I'll take it."  And they said, "No, we want you in it!"  The funny thing was, it just wasn't my group - it was the whole group that wanted me in the picture.  No other staff.  When you love like Jesus loves - unconditionally - God things happen!

It was inevitable! (Alias "The Dryer Update")

You had to know that if the repairman showed up less than twenty-four hours after I called for service, it was too good to be true.  Sure enough, after sixteen years of service, our dryer control panel was dead.  Unfortunately for us, they stopped making our control panel in 2016.  No matter who or where we called, our panel was obsolete and no one had one in stock. 

So began the dryer hunt . . . from Sears to Best Buy to Tony's Appliances, on-line and in-store.  I spoke to Sam about an hour ago and he thinks he's found one he likes that he's going to stop and pick up on his way home from school.  Sure hope I like it, too!  

Definitely a Monday here!

Seriously, this was the day I'd been looking forward to all summer - the day Sam went back to school!  It wasn't that the way he did things was necessarily wrong.  It was just different.  We had had some frustrating moments this summer with different!  And now he was going back to school (insert big smile!) . . .

His first words to me this morning, "Our dryer's not working."  Excellent.  I'll deal with it.  First I texted three neighbors.  Bless them all!  They all responded with, "Yes, you can use our dryer!"  Since Tron responded first, I carried three loads of laundry at three separate times across the road, up the drive and down the stairs to her 41 minute dryer.  Success!

I called CenterPoint Energy next.  They could get a repairman out tomorrow morning between 8 a.m. and noon.  Would that be okay?  I was thinking it would be at least a week out.  That was fantastic! 

Next up was picking up a rental car at Enterprise.  With Sam going back to work, we could no longer share just one vehicle and my car was going to be in the shop longer than expected.  I caught the phone as I was getting ready to leave.

Jana wanted to do lunch.  She'd bring me to Enterprise.  Awesome!

Seriously, the Ford Focus with New York Plates was DIRTY!  I was shocked.  I shared my shock.  "Really?  It's not clean?  Hello?"  "Well, we can offer you a bigger, cleaner car . . ."  "Um, no thanks!  Let me take some pictures.  It's going to rain this afternoon and I'll just leave it outside!"  Won't be using Enterprise again!  Won't be using the rental either.  Told Sam it was his!

Just another Monday . . . but the laundry's done, the new dishes are in the cupboard, the old dishes are in the garage, the rain is falling.  It could be worse! 

  

New Dishes!

Just the post you wanted to read!  

After two years of saving my tips at Sand Creek, I was able to purchase new dishes!  Seriously, we were down to six bowls on our old set - four with chips or cracks!  It was time! 

Here they are:

Very different from the ones we had!  I'm not sure about the shapes/sizes, but I'm definitely sold on the colors!