Sodapalooza

It has begun!  This time, Madison has her own Sodapalooza cup, which is no doubt the bane of Race Trac employees' existence across the street.  Everyday we march in, and refill this cup with slushies, sodas, teas and Arnold Palmers - sometimes two times a day.  Maybe even three times a day!  Last year, we refilled that thing at least fifty or more times - all the refills are free.  The cup costs $8.00 to begin with, but it includes coupons for free sandwiches and the like.  But the refills are where it's at.  Already, several of the volunteers at KidPak have their cups, and by the end of the week all have vowed to refill this cup at least eight times to earn back the initial investment.  And just how many times will we fill the cup up before the expiration date on July 31st?  Who knows.  It won't be easy to keep track because we'll all be there so much!  Madison was so excited to get her own cup.  She tried a slushie right away, as did Daddy, who shared his with Mommy.

Yes, we get excited about little things around here.  We're simple people.

Anyway, it was a big day for filming and getting ready for a service tonight.  There was a fruit of the spirit message tonight, which when combined with the Kung Pow theme because "FRUIT NINJA."  Madison enjoys playing Fruit Ninja:  we have a version of it on the Kindle, and for the Kinect as well.  The Kinect version, as most things on that system tend to do, really wears you out!  But it's lots of fun!

Tonight, Daddy was at church, but that didn't stop him from using Skype to read the next few chapters of the second Anna and Elsa book.  It was a sweet moment before bed, one that Daddy might have enjoyed just as much as Madison.  Even though we're several miles apart, we can be together for a story before bed.

And before I myself haul off and go to bed, here's the latest entry in the elemental devotional, a bit dedicated to iron!

“As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.” Proverbs 27:17 NIrV

IRON

Fe 26

     The most abundant element on earth is a metal known as iron.  You’ve probably heard of it:  this mineral is tough!  It’s been used for centuries to make durable and lasting structures.  It’s a big part of making steel, which is used all over the world.  Just the name sounds strong and sturdy.  For example, who wants to go to battle against the invincible Iron Man?  Or what about the hero Iron Fist?

    If you want to learn how to be tougher, one of those guys above might be cool to hang around with.   
     Perhaps this is where a proverb came from in the Bible:  “As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.” 

    What that means is this:  if you want to be smarter, start hanging around someone else much sharper.  And if you want to be a better Christian, it makes sense to avoid the bad crowd.  If you want to sharpen a sword, you don’t bring it to a cheese wheel.
     Don’t spend your time cutting up with those who only bring you down – it’s pointless!  If you hang around the right people, life will never get dull, and you’ll never lose your edge.  Iron sharpens iron!