Chocolate Wrappers

Last night I opened up a Dove chocolate. The wrapper said,

“Create Peace for Yourself”.

Interesting….I wondered what it would be like to open a chocolate and read:

“There is no possible way you can justify eating this.”

Instead of the warm fuzzy feelings and the chocolaty comfort I was expecting, I would feel guilty for indulging my taste buds in the wonderful chocolate bliss! The guilt would be too great to bear. I reach for another chocolate, hoping for some reassurance and consolation to boost my fading self-esteem. This time I read:

“Just because your fat, doesn’t mean your ugly!”

Finally! some help in this time of dire need! What an encouragement. So true! However I cannot help but feel a slight nagging feeling…is this implying something? What if I’m not ugly, but, you know…almost ugly… I grab another one. As I pop the chocolate into my mouth I study the wrapper:

“Don’t worry about acne, it’s what’s inside that counts!”

I am not reassured, but this is the last chocolate in the dish. The secretary glares at me through the glass divider. I sheepishlly collect the wrappers that surround me and throw them into the trash on my way out the door…Then I smile to myself, thinking of all the coco bean farmers I just supported.

What to do with old notes!

After taking the final for my Sociology class, I didn’t know what to do the 43 pages of notes the professor had given us about the War on Drugs; so I gave them to Maria to use for coloring…But Maria had other ideas!

Life is happening…hold on!!

Life has been a little busy and somewhat hectic. Being a part of a foster family definitely adds a little excitement every now and then. Two weeks ago a toddler was added to our number and last week her little brother came home from the hospital…now we are a family of eight, I always wanted a huge family so now my dreams are coming true. But in the middle of the night when the baby cries and wakes me up I kind of wonder what in the world I was thinking to dream such big things! It is so precious, though, to come home from school and help out with the kids. Now that I am in Early Intervention I can apply what I learn in school (at least my child development class) as soon as I get home: “David, the baby can’t see you clearly at all. You are just a big blur. At this age infants like to look at high contrast objects, black and white things. Maybe in a few months he will be more interested in the faces you make at him.”

This weekend was fall break so Beth and I took a trip to Tennessee to visit our grandparents. While we were there we also got to visit with our cousins and aunts and uncles. It was a nice trip but came at a rather inconvenient time with the baby coming while we were gone. As soon as we got home on Tuesday mom headed to bed for a much needed nap and I fixed dinner while the babies were at a visitation with their parents and Beth did some laundry.

I should better get going to church where I help with the Middle School Youth Group, that should be exciting too…Wow, so much is happening I can’t wait to see what’s next!

Who is there to harm you if you prove zealous for what is good? But even if you should suffer for the sake of righteousness, you are blessed AND DO NOT FEAR THEIR INTIMIDATION, AND DO NOT BE TROUBLED, but sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence; and keep a good conscience so that in the thing in which you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ will be put to shame.

1 Peter 3:13-16 (NASB)