Happy Things

• Playing a new game with Mom and Kay
• Telling Grammie "I love you" in the middle of the night
• Meals with the Fairwood students
• "Bean" and Dave, the volunteer dining room table wiping squad, announcing that they would henceforth be tracking the messy eaters in the Bible School and announcing the messiest at the end of the school year (to help cut down their work)
• Picturing doing the above (announcing the messy eaters) at the ITC
• The predictable and infuriating response (passed on from Craig to Clyde) to me instructing selfsame brothers, "Keep your hands to yourself!": "I am keeping my hands to myself; we're all part of one great cosmic force."
• Mr. Hansen preaching from Calvin & Hobbes
• The look on Pauline P.'s face as she tried to get her mind around Mr. Hansen preaching on Calvin & Hobbes (she didn't know who they were until he explained, and I don't think the explanation improved her mindset much)
• A walk on the beach on New Year's Eve
• Walking into Old Country Buffet on New Year's Eve and finding Uncle Wally and Aunt Nancy there!
• Reflecting on 2006 with my family
• Praying over 2007 with my family
• Thinking about some of the spiritual history of Old Orchard Beach, ME, while in Old Orchard Beach
• Shoe shopping with Chad
• Shopping pretty much anytime
• Chad taking me out for lunch
• Going out to dinner with Dad and Mom
• Making faces at Gabriel during meeting
• Trying to convince Dad that a picture of Carmelo and Santa Claus is proof that Santa Claus exists: "If you don't believe in Santa Claus, you have to not believe in Carmelo, because there they are together!" (Dad didn't like my logic)
• Good reports from ITC
• E-mails from dear friends
• Marveling over how many good friends God has given me!
• Snowflake stamps
• My own stuffed platypus from Australia
• Mr. Hansen historical review of pre-Christ days ("the hopes and fears of all the years"), which included frequent references to Herod's penchant for executing people. Regarding Herod's philosophy on why to kill his enemies: "Rumors--you don't know if they're true or not . . . now you know they're not true."
• Clyde speculating whether he could get a free coach's meal at McDonald's if he told them that he was a wrestling coach and that Kayla and I were his team
• Friday testimony meetings at Fairwood
• Remembering Andrew at his basketball jersey retirement ceremony
• Watching the under-7 set of Fairwood boys devour the post-church snacks (and Peter M. expectantly waiting for his mother to bring his)