Saturday, December 15, 6:30 p.m.

This year, Daniel Dean will be hosting his annual Christmas party at Evergreen Family Fellowship--not nearly as cozy or (if I may say so) attractive a place, but large enough for his ever-expanding list of friends. If you're single, bring a date if you'd like (even if he/she doesn't know Daniel Dean). If you've got kids, bring 'em. Just don't forget to RSVP at Anduril80@aol.com or 478-960-6906. We're doing pasta this year, so we need to have a pretty good idea of the number of folks.

As usual, dinner and soft drinks will be provided, but we'd love for some of you to bring a favorite Christmas dessert to share.

Daniel informs me there will be a doorprize this year, and we hope to have a bit of caroling. Also, some of you might like to play basketball outside, so come prepared for the possibility if that's you.

Here's a link to directions on Google. (Ignore the fact that they start in Ringgold. Just start driving down I-75.) This way is the one I would personally take. Highway 247 is ugly, but it's quicker, in my opinion.

If you'd like a longer, straighter option (or if you're coming from the south), get off I-75 at either the Russell Parkway or the Centerville/Warner Robins (Watson Blvd.) exit. Both will run into Davis Drive after about 10 miles. Turn left on Davis. From Russell, you'll go through five red lights--Tabor Drive is the first left turn past the red light at Ignico Drive. From Watson, you'll go through two red lights at Green and Ignico. After a left on Tabor, Evergreen will be the second church on your left.

We can't wait to see you there!

The Way to Get Visitors:

post images obtained from Google image search. Especially popular: cheesy Christian-themed photos (e.g., hands holding blocks that spell "grace") and orange monkeys.

These visitors--from such exotic locations as Chile, Romania, France, England, New Jersey--will not leave comments. Heck, they won't even stay for a whole second. But somehow, in their borrowing of your carefully chosen images (just as you have borrowed them before), you'll feel a sense of global community. Or you'll just wonder why so many folks are looking for monkeys.

We know why they're looking for grace.

"The Warrior is a Child"

Tomorrow I begin a long-term substitute position (until December 7) at Warner Robins Middle School (the Warriors, hence the very old Twila Paris song title). I'm thankful for the opportunity to give middle school a try before I hang up the language arts thing entirely, but I do feel a bit anxious about it. Unlike substituting for a day or a week in one school, substituting for the next month will mean getting up close and personal with not only my eighth graders, but the faculty and staff of a new place.

I'm just in time to go through training for writing test preparation.

I'm just in time to be the one preparing them for the 8th grade writing test in January.

I'm just in time to hand out progress reports for work someone else assigned and graded.

A little thing called "paying the bills" propels me forward in this venture, but do pray for me, not only that this next month will be productive, but for my career crisis (Blackaby's "crisis of belief that requires faith in action"). Unless the teacher I'm substituting for decides to stay home with her baby, this long-term sub is merely a stop-gap measure. So pray that if God wants me teaching, He'll open the right doors. Pray that if He doesn't, I'll get some clear direction about what kind of options to pursue. And pray that no matter what, I'll keep the main thing the main thing. My life is to be about God's glory, and He can glorify Himself in an eighth-grade language arts classroom just as well as anywhere else. Here am I, Lord. Send me.