Reading, Writing, and 'Rithmetic

Today is Friday the Thirteenth, but may I share something semi-personal that I do that has very little to do with that fact.

In the mornings I read a chapter of the Bible (I'm currently in 1 Peter) and I use the same notebook to record thoughts, questions, funny (to me) comments etc. Before I start, I write the time and date in the margins. Now for some reason, I find it terribly funny when the time and date match. For example, today's date, 8-13-04 matches the time 8:13 a.m. It's silly, but makes me laugh. But wait, here's the funny part. I got in the shower at 7:54, quite determined to be able to write 8:13 in my notebook. Okay, two things need to be understood about me: 1) I take long showers 2) My brain doesn’t really work properly until I’ve had a shower 5) I'm not good with numbers anyway. So I rush into the shower, wash as fast as I possibly can, leave the shower partially wet (which is something I hate doing; I like being dry), and run back into my room with two minutes to spare to get dressed. As I'm putting on my shirt, I look at the clock, realizing the minute has come; I have maybe thirty seconds to sit down and start writing. The clock reads 8:03. Yes, I, Megan, am unable to remember that that's not the reason I took the fastest shower ever, recorded at about 4 minutes. Somehow, I convinced myself that 8:13 is NINE minutes after 7:54. Not nineTEEN. Yes, I'm a dork. Just thought I would share that with you. I have other things to say, but it's now 8:15 and I'm going to go read 1 Peter 2. (I'm going to lie and say it's 8:13 because I think I earned it. Four minute shower! Woo-hoo!)

Okay, I'm back. It's 9 o'clock now. I decided to eat first. Mmmm cinnamon bread...

But I also wanted to talk about speech. Yesterday, I went to school....two weeks early. I went to "speech camp" (which really bears no resemblance to camp at all) and officially became a speechie. (If you don't really know a whole lot about Speech, I'm sorry, I'm not going to explain it.) We had sort of auditions to figure out what I would be good at, what events I would do. Well, the coach (everyone calls him Eric, but he told me he was Mr. Solecki. So I'm going to call him Solecki) thought I would be good at Oratory and Dramatic Duet Acting. Now I have no problem with DDA. I like acting. That was what I wanted to do. But Oratory? This means I have to write a speech, and, well, speak it. Nine times competitively, probably a hundred times before that. The thing about it is...it'll be my own work. It has to be good, because if I am in the least bit dissatisfied with it I won't want to speak it and then not do well. That's just how I am. I'm actually really nervous already, just thinking about it. See, it's personal. It won't just be my performance on display. I could work with someone else's piece. Then it's all about how I use what I'm given, but this is my own work. My opinions, my passions.

But I guess I need to remember something. It's not just me that's on display here. Where ever I go and what ever I do, God will be with me. I represent him, and he represents me. So I don't need to worry about what I will say, for God will give me words. I know I can follow my heart because God lives there. I need to remember Joshua 1:9, 2 Corinthians 5:20, Philippians 4:6 and Matthew 10:19.

Well, I'll wrap up this "rant" on that consolatory note.

Until next time,
~A&C