Allen is FINALLY home after 2 weeks of traveling so I can once again send a quick update. We have 3 computers, but our home computer is currently more of a large paperweight because we are having problems with it, Allen took his laptop with him and mine won't let me visit or update blogs due to work's firewall. Anyway, I have been busy in his absence. I am co-chair of the decorating committee for our church's Fall Family Retreat. I have given a 9-month commitment to be a mentor to teen girls in the youth group. On Sunday mornings during the sermon I teach Children's Church for the 2's-3's class. I have also been fortunate to spend a lot of time with friends from our small group.

The family retreat is Oct 13-15 and my partner and I are both very detailed and going slightly overboard on the whole decorating thing, I'm sure. The theme is "Variety is the Spice of Life: Appreciating Differences in Each Other and Our Church". The officiating couple will be having all participants take the Myers-Briggs personality test to help illustrate the reality of the fact that we are all so different. He is a Family Therapist and she is head of the counseling dept at Pepperdine. I am very excited about this and so is Allen; one of his current interests has been personality and behavioral strengths/weaknesses. It should be a great weekend!

The Youth Minister approached a few of us from our small group at Cowboy Church a couple weeks ago (Cowboy Church is the fall kickoff; we actually have church and a potluck at Paramount Ranch, an old western set for Paramount Studios). He has been a youth minister for 20 years and the kids look at him more like a dad these days. The problem with that is that he is no longer "cool". He is looking for young adults to meet with a group of kids once a week for 9 months to create a mentor-type relationship in addition to the activities/classes he handles. I am partnering with a girlfriend and together we will probably handle 5-6 Junior-Senior girls. I did this for a summer back at my home church and really do have an interest in working with girls this age, so I am looking forward to it despite the huge commitment.

I have helped with Children's Church for 2's/3's and first grade, but not yet taught it on my own. Lucky for me, I was given a curriculum to use because I wouldn't know where to start with the really little ones' comprehension levels. We are working on Creation now and will move into Great Faith next.

Finally, I feel like I have good friends again. We have moved so much that as soon as we start really making connections and moving from acquaintances to friends then to good friends, we move again. We get together every Thursday night for Bible Study, which is often more fellowship than Bible Study, but always enjoyable. I also get together with a few of the ladies on the weekends to have lunch or shop. Last weekend, a couple girls came over and we just talked for 4 hours!

Needless to say, I am very happy to finally have a home that I love, a husband who loves me, good friends, the chance to be involved and a good job (even if it is stressful). I truly feel blessed.