Citizen Soldier

Sorry for not posting yesterday! I was just about to when we had some unexpected company. This lady that my mom works with and her three kids: Daniel (14), Emily (12) and Caleb (10). I had so much fun! I just thrive on people. Being crowded gives me energy, so these past few days of PEOPLEPEOPLEPEOPLE has been so much fun for me!

We all went swimming, and then I got my mom to ask if they could stay for dinner. They did! Yay! Daniel is a really good musician. He taught himself piano from YouTube vids, and now he's taking lessons. Guitar is the same way. He played our old pump organ, and the little keyboard we keep in the unfinished part of the basement! I really like to listen to him play, and he doesn't mind playing in front of people, so that's cool.

Tomorrow we're going shopping for mission trip clothes. I know I haven't said much about the mission trip at all, have I? Well, it's for a week and we're going somewhere seven hours away. I won't say where, though, just for safety's sake (not that I think any of you are stalkers, lol).

I'm kinda nervous, but I don't get nearly as homesick as I used to, so I think I'll be okay. My lil' sister Lizzy is going this year! That's gonna be weird. Not bad (necessarily), just...weird. And so is Matt. That'll be like having a little brother, too. His mom already told me like all this stuff for me to ask him and make sure he does, lol! Hopefully having people to look out for will make me less nervous. It usually does.

Tonight is Challenge B orientation! (AKA, orientation for 8th grade, which my mom teaches.) One of my friends is going to come because her little brother is gonna be in my mom's class, so that should be cool.

I really love Challenge B. Like, I would sit in on the orientation if Kirsten wouldn't get bored to death. Challenge B was, like, the best and funnest year of my whole life.

Well, I need to go, so let me do Word and Picture Days really fast:

Word Day: Agape (pronounced ah-GAH-pay).

No, it's not actually an English word. It's Greek.

"Agape" means love, but not just "love". It means brotherly love, the love you have for your friends and family.

You see, in Greek, there are actually three different words that mean "love": agape, phileo, and eros. Agape is brotherly love, and phileo is kind of the same, only more unconditional (I think). Then eros is more like lust.

Cool, huh? I think we ought to have three words for love, too. It would take away so much confusion, don't you think?

Picture Day:

Whether you believe in this war or not, it is our duty as Americans to support our troops. They put their lives on the line every day for you and me. They are so brave, and we cannot forget it.

Citizen Soldier by 3 Doors Down.

P.S. SOMEONE MADE AN OFFER ON OUR OLD HOUSE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! CAN YOU BELIEVE IT??? SOMEONE MIGHT FINALLY BUY OUR HOUSE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! OMG YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY! Please pray that this works out!