Jyn Erso

One of Madison's costumes from Christmas was this one above, Jyn Erso.  She was wearing this one around this evening, quite comfortable in it throughout the night, actually.  She did this nice pose you see above, ready to help take down the Empire.  The secret Death Star plans are actually currently in the chimney there, but please don't tell anyone.  We can't afford to have more stormtroopers assaulting Riverstone Plantation.  The last time they did, in stomped those big AT-ATs, and then the great folks at the cul-de-sac of Forest Path there sent out speeders.  And sure enough, there was this great big battle that took out the Peerson home, and half the tennis courts.  The good news is they converted part of a downed AT-AT into a play area for the kids.  The bad news of course is that we're all not exactly on friendly terms with the Empire at the moment.  Which of course none of us are, it's just that we can't afford the attention so much.  Many of us have charred spots on our lawn from stray laser cannon fire, and you've probably read here how the HOV act like a bunch of nerf herders about that sort of thing.  I mean, can you not just use some of our annual fees to set up a deflector shield?  Honestly, what do we pay them for?

Uh... anyway... we had a yearbook meeting this morning, so yes, Daddy was back at the school.  I did not see Madison there, which is fine as she was taking a test this morning, a math test.  She got an 88 on the test, we discovered later, which wasn't because she missed a question or two.  It's because she accidentally skipped right over a question, which is pretty much her main challenge of late:  she just needs to slow down and check out her test once she completes it, going back to review it and so forth.  Lesson learned though!

Today we finished a few things.  We got Madison signed up for the Marine Science Center Camp, and Daddy also finished his Robin Hood themed message.  We also finished off some delicious egg drop soup that Mommy made for the fast.  And when Madison got home, we finished the LEGO Yellow Brick Road level again this afternoon, using characters from Portals and Lord of the Rings, visiting Emerald City and Oz.  We finished "Ahsoka" tonight too, finally getting through to the end, setting up a few things that bridge the events of the book with series "Star Wars:  Rebels."  It was an okay book, but we're ready to move on for sure.  Our next books will be related to Chinese New Year, a few books we got for Christmas.  Looking forward to those!

Tonight we watched "Tangled," which is just a beautiful movie.  This was for "research," of course!  We have some great ideas for a message related to that movie, something that will be a part of our upcoming series.  Castles and kingdoms, pumpkins and lizards...

It was a full day at work with lots of meetings about Summer Xtreme, skits with sidekicks, and the phrase "unlimited."  Speaking of which, there were meetings about the new campuses we'll be opening soon in mid-town, and one in Cumming.  It's going to be a busy year for our church.

Before heading off to bed, here's DAY TWENTY of our fast.  We're almost to the finish line!

“I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 3:14 KJV

     Climbers have to be ready for just about anything! It could be an avalanche. Or a misstep. Or illness. Or a sudden storm. Or ... well, let’s just face it: climbers have to be ready for anything the moment they decide they’re going up the mountain.
     It is almost comedic how the very moment that a fast is started, temptation comes. Seriously! You could be fasting sweets, and suddenly out of nowhere, your best friends want to treat you to ice cream. Or you’ve made a commitment to stop watching television for a bit, and sure enough, there’s this new TV show that everyone is talking about, and you’ve just got to see it, right?
     You see, once you’ve made a decision to start this climb, just like a mountaineer, you have to be ready. You have to expect temptation to come, and if you’re prepared for it, you can overcome it!
     Just know it’s coming. Temptation can be like an avalanche, tumbling down towards you while saying, “I want this, and I want that! I want it all!”
     But you can avoid it! Your spirit is wanting something greater. So like that mountain climber, you need to be prepared for anything. You’ve made a commitment to get there, so get ready. There’s a wonderful reward waiting for those who can overcome. It’s time to press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. It’s time to elevate to something greater!