A Twirp--The First of Many

(This is a TWIRP--The Week In Review Post. Enjoy...)

The week started on a somber note. The fifth anniversary of 9/11 caught me unaware. I am ashamed to admit that the last several anniversaries of this tragedy had passed me by with nary a blip on my radar screen. As strange as it sounds--I had begun to forget. I hadn't forgotten that it happened, of course. Yet, the feelings of fear, sadness, helplessness, anger, patriotism, and dependence on God that had been so acute five years ago were gone. It's amazing how quickly one can sink back into a rut of complacency. On Sunday night Danielle and I watched the documentary "9/11" on CBS. This is a film about the attacks on the World Trade Center that was accidentally made by two French brothers. I say "accidentally" because the men never imagined that they would film the unthinkable--obviously. They were "embedded" so to speak with a FDNY unit throughout the summer of 2001 and intended to make a film about a rookie fireman. If you have not watched this show, I would recommend it. It is not easy to watch by any means. It will, however, help to reawaken the memory of 9/11, and I think that is important.

We have just finished our second full week of school. This is my fourth year of teaching and I find myself enjoying this profession more and more each year. (And not just because it comes with a three month vacation period in the summer!) I especially love teaching Bible. It is a challenge to draw the attention of teenagers to the truths of God's Word, but it is a challenge that I relish. History is a subject that I always enjoyed when I was a student, and that opinion hasn't changed now that I teach it. I am teaching Speech to the Juniors again this year, and I have the chance to teach a Speech II class to several who took Speech I last year. I am really excited about the class because we are going to get to do several things (like Debate) that I don't have time for in Speech I. I may even prepare a few speeches myself and perform them for my students. It gets kind of old always grading others' performances and never performing yourself.

I paid $2.08 for a gallon of gas yesterday. Well, technically I paid $13.00 for 6.221 gallons of gas yesterday, but you know what I mean. I have to remind myself that 18 months ago I would have complianed about paying $2.08. Funny how relavitve our perspective is at times. I would be very interested to know what the average profit margin is for a gallon of gas. I shudder to think... The good news is that we are logging significantly fewer miles each week now that we live a mere mile from school and I am riding my bike to work most of the time.

Danielle and Eldan are enjoying their days at home. I absolutely love coming home each day. There is just something theraputic about hearing the carefree laughter of a 5 month old. It does my heart good. Danielle and I both decided this week on the dream vacation we each want to take...together, of course. She wants to go to NYC to watch Beauty and the Beast on Broadway and rent a fancy car to get there. I want to spend three days at Gettysburg soaking in as much information as possible. Hopefully we will get to do both someday...In the meantime, it's fun to dream! God's goodness is evident everyday of our lives and we are overwhelmed at His protection and provision. All in all--LIFE IS GOOD and the weekend awaits...