16 August, 2003

What a week. At least I am as close to being ready for school to begin as I will get. I still feel like there are mountains of things yet to be done, but I must remember that the first day of classes won’t involve a whole lot other than talking and getting to know the kids and checking our class rosters and all that. We have around 110 kids now in the 7th and 8th grades combined, split into two bands and one beginning class. We have right around 140 6th grade beginners also. Those are going to really be the keys as we rebuild the program. With the high school, we will not play during class on Monday, we have football program pictures during class on Tuesday, we have a big pep rally thing Thursday night, and another thing on Saturday. It looks like we will have to sacrifice one or two afternoon marching rehearsals in order to learn the school song, fight song, and national anthem. We haven’t learned any drill yet, and we have our first football game on the 29th of this month. It will be very interesting to see how much the kids practiced and memorized this week when we didn’t have any rehearsals.

The week has been pretty crazy overall. Staff development during the day every day. I guess it was on the way home from Church on Wednesday that I ran over something metal and it got stuck in my tire. When I went outside ready to go Thursday morning, I had a very flat tire. I’ve been mearning to get new tires for a couple of weeks anyway, so it’s good that I didn’t yet! I think I get paid next week and so I should be able to get my tires changed either tomorrow or Friday afternoon.

This is now the end of my fourth day of fasting. It is amazing what God can do! Denying the flesh is a wonderful way to strengthen the spirit. I will eat an apple for breakfast tomorrow to break the fast, and then go to my parents’ for lunch. I have done two other multiple day fasts before, one four and a half day and one that was about two or three days. This time, I drank juice pretty much throughout the fast. And prayed a good bit about it before beginning. I think that this was easier to do. I have not been hungry since the first day, but my mind wants to constantly think about food. That is really the hardest part about it once you get past the initial hunger pangs. I have a few reasons for doing this fast. One was to refocus my mind and spirit as I enter into the new school year. Another is for the city in which I live. I will be starting up a home Bible study in September, and I want to see the city impacted positively for the Kingdom of God!

I will begin studying Romans and have considered putting some outline/notes on here as I do them in preparation. If I can get them typed up, then I can put them on here. We’ll see what happens with that! This fall will not be one in which I have a whole lot of free time. I have a few things on my plate, and it’s as though I’m juggling them sometimes! Always looking ahead. More importantly looking up, for our redemption draweth nigh!