I have brought saran wrap to Arkansas.

We saran-wrapped a friend's car tonight. It was Amy's first time.

Today was my sabbath day (in the rest of the working world that means my day off). I look forward to Fridays all week, every week for this reason. I love that I am not obligated to be anywhere. I don't know what it is about obligation that makes me not want to work. I'd usually rather work than not, but I'd also rather decide day by day what I want to do, where I want to do it, and when. I'm grumpy when I go to bed knowing that I have to wake up early the next morning. I hate having to set an alarm. Doing so often makes me stress out going to sleep. I think to myself, "OK. I have to fall asleep by this time to get 7 hours of sleep, 8 hours of sleep (my preferred amount), etc." All these thoughts, in turn, make me lie awake dreading the next morning. Then I get mad because I can't sleep and mad that I'm losing a precious hour and mad because the next day will be ruined. I wonder to myself if I will be able to get a good amount of sleep the next night. Then...on the next night, I think of how long it took me to go to sleep the night before and pray that it doesn't take me that long again. So I stress myself out again. Vicious cycle. Anyway, today was my sabbath, meaning I didn't have to set an alarm. Praise the Lord. I didn't sleep incredibly late, but at least I woke up naturally. I had no real plans for the day except watching last night's episodes of Grey's Anatomy and Private Practice (which I don't usually watch but apparently last night they decided to do a "crossover" between the two). I commented to my roommate, Amy, that I might be bored the rest of the day. That did it. About an hour later, I ended up working the rest of my Sabbath. Roger at the Resource Center asked me to help deliver some mattresses to a family and promised that it would be a good experience. It was. The couple we took the mattresses to both just got out of prison but are trying to turn their lives around now. They have five kids who are in foster care and are seeking to bring them home soon. They live in government housing on the "south side" of town--the opposite side of town from us. I had heard that homes were worse there but had not really seen it for myself until today. Nothing had ever taken me into that neighborhood. That is typical of Booneville. Nice on the exterior. You have to dig a little deeper, drive a little further off the main road to find its problems. I'm glad I have seen it now. I see struggling families in the Resource Center all the time. At least I know more about what they're up against now. Amy and I wondered today, is it fair that we live in a nice house on the nice side of town? Why were we blessed with such good circumstances? Should we live among those who have the most needs so that we can serve them better or would that only create more problems? I really don't know.

So there was all that. Then, I ended up working another day at the Boys and Girls Club because they were down by three staff people today. As much as they sometimes drive me crazy, I really do love the kids there--even those who seem unlovable. I hope they can feel my love. I'm not sure if I show it enough sometimes. Some of these kids are up against so many things much bigger than them and far beyond their maturity level. Some of them don't get to be kids. It breaks my heart. I want to help them, but I am only here for a little more time. I am only one. What can I do? I am so grateful for Rick and Vickie and Faith and all those who invest their time day by day, week by week, year by year with these kids.