Nothing important...

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This really has nothing to do with anything, but it made me laugh.  So I figured I'd share it.  I was walking through the toy section of our local grocery store (it's our version of Superstor) today, and I noticed a big display of boxes of castles/knights/catapults...that sort of thing.  At first glance I thought it was an "Age of Empires" toy display (all the lettering was the same), but then realized it was a knock-off.  I was clued in by the "Empire Ages" title on the box.  Knock-off's aren't really that unusual here, or normally worth commenting on (although the "Eagle American" t-shirt I saw the other day made me smile...see guys, word order is actually important).  Anyhow, what was funnier about this was the caption below the title (in English)...

"A Kind of Exciting Game!"

Wow, guys...seriously, way to aim high and build expectations!  "It's not the greatest game out there, but...you know...it's kind of exciting..."

Anyhow...that's all.  You can go back to your lives now...

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Road trip to Camirri...

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So...I haven't had much time lately to sit down and write something wise here.  Or, barring that, at least something entertaining.  Well...truth be told, it's not so much the not having enough time thing, as it is the fact that it's super hot here right now and I'm feeling overheated and lazy.  But let's be nice to Ken and all pretend it's the first one...

So I thought I'd at least post a few pictures to keep the ol' blog alive.  Back before Christmas, I drove Andres, his brother Jose Manuel, their two sisters and a social worker (from the home where the two girl's live) to Camirri, the city where they used to live.  We spent a couple of days there, visiting their grandmother and their youngest sister who lives with her. 

It was a good trip, although I'll admit I was a bit concerned at first.  Being back in Camirri always brings back a lot of emotion for the kids, especially Andres and Jose Manuel.  They went to the streets when Andres was seven or eight and Jose Manuel was probably six.  Their dad was drinking and becoming abusive, and it was just easier to escape to the streets.  The sad thing was, when they went home to visit after a couple of years, they found out that their dad was gone, and their mom had died unexpectedly.  That's still a difficult thing for them.  Andres shared his testimony while Micah was here, and although I can see that God has brought a lot of healing...there's still some pain there.

At any rate, the trip went well, and the kids had a good time.  They hadn't seen their youngest sister in a number of years, so it was fun to watch them all get reacquainted.  Here're some pictures...

Thanks to all of you who were praying for us.  There's no doubt that the guys were at lot more at peace that the last time we visited a couple of years ago.  It was interesting to walk through the main plaza (park) and have Jose Manuel point out all the places he used to sleep, his "beds" as he explained with a laugh.  Up on the roof of the gazebo in the centre of the plaza...underneath a stone and metal statue when it was raining....  It was a bit surreal to imagine that, as I walked with the boys and see who they are now.

The trip is actually a nice drive (I actually sent the cruise on about 110 km/h and mostly left it there!), so I'm hoping we can do it again soon.  I know their little sister would sure like that.  She went from being an only child to being in a family of five!  And she enjoyed it!  =)

I promise I'll be back here soon...  Thanks for your patience and continued prayers!

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Just something to read...

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“In the darkness something was happening at last. A voice had begun to sing. It was very far away and Digory found it hard to decide from what direction is was coming. Sometimes it seemed to come from all directions at once. Sometimes he almost thought it was coming out of the earth beneath them. Its lower notes were deep enough to be the voice of the earth herself. There were no words. There was hardly even a tune. But it was, beyond comparison, the most beautiful noise he had ever heard. It was so beautiful he could hardly bear it.”

~ C.S. Lewis

 
I really like this.  It's from "The Magician’s Nephew". 

It was good for me to think on it today.  So I thought I'd share it.

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Forgiveness...

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So yea...I had to physically break up a fight here at the house the other night. That was a new one. Our first, all out fist-throwing fight in two years. I guess that’s not a bad record. =) I was just talking to one of the guys in my room, and then when we finished, he went into his room. Two minutes later I heard some scuffling and the throwing around of furniture. I wasn’t actually all that concerned since I live in a house with a bunch of guys and they tend to wrestle and the sound of furniture being thrown around isn’t all that unusual. But I got up to go watch the fun anyhow. Being me, I still didn’t realize it was an actual, all-out fight until one of the guys seriously clocked the other guy in the side of the head.

Then I finally stepped in and broke it up. Better late than never I guess. I sat them down and tried to get the story out of them, but they were both pretty emotional and were talking really, REALLY fast. I was only catching about every sixth word. I kept trying to get them to talk to me (rather than each other), but since I couldn’t really respond with anything approaching intelligence (since I didn’t know what the heck they were talking about), they kept going back to arguing with each other.

I finally suggested that they calm down and we would talk about it in the morning. They agreed, and I headed back to my room. I seriously didn’t get ten feet and I heard them going at it again. The second time, I actually had to physically get in between them and rip them apart. I’ve never done that before. I mean, I’ve seen it on TV and truth be told...one small part of my brain was actually a bit entertained. It was sort of like being in my own little episode of Degrassi or something.

Yes, yes, I know...worst missionary ever. No need to write me. And anyhow, seriously...it was just a small part...  =)

This time I put them in different rooms and talked to them separately. The funny thing is, neither of them are really fighters. The one kid was shaking so bad afterwards, that he started to cry. It was just one of those dumb moments when someone pushes you too far and you snap. And trust me, the guys here know how to push too far. I’ve snapped on occasion myself. No actual throwing of punches was involved, but I ranted petty hard-core in my head for quite some time afterwards.

The reason I mention this (besides the fact that, yea...I am still a little bit entertained), is that we ended up talking a lot this week, about forgiveness. I had another situation with one of the guys (which I won’t bother getting into) that led us to the same topic. That guy was struggling with the attitudes of one of our neighbours.

Forgiveness is a tough one for some of the guys...as it is for a lot of us. You don’t have to dig very deep here, and a lot of anger surfaces about things that have happened in the past. People who have hurt them or abused them or abandoned them. And the truth is, some of the guys here have good reason to be angry.

The problem is, it becomes routine...having an unforgiving heart. Big things...little things...it all becomes the same. Hearts become hard and even the smallest slight becomes something that’s unforgivable.

In the midst of those conversations, we talked a lot about why we forgive. And not just because it’s commanded by God (which it is). God always has good reasons for his commandments...and the command to forgive is no exception.

We’re told to forgive precisely for the reasons I just wrote above. Our hurt...our anger...our hardness of heart...it’s really not about the other person at all. Often...especially for the guys here...the other person never even knows they’ve been forgiven. And I doubt it would matter to them, even if they did know.

The reason we forgive is for us. God desires us to live lives that are free.

Freedom is something that often escapes us. Again, that’s even more true for people coming off the streets. Life on the streets masquerades itself as freedom...no one to tell you what to do...live as you want...do as you want...

The reality is, it’s exactly the opposite of freedom. It’s all about bondage and destruction. Years afterwards, many of the guys here are still trying to come to terms with the consequences of their lives on the streets. To be at peace. To experience freedom.

Forgiveness is a big part of that. I remember taking one of the guys through the “Steps to Freedom”, a tool I use here a lot. I never quite know how people are going to be affected by the experience. This young guy was the first kid from the streets I ever took through the process. He worked his way through everything quite calmly, until we got to the part that deals with forgiveness. It asks you to choose to forgive the people who have hurt and wronged you, and then to forgive yourself (as someone who’s been forgiven by God).

Among others, he chose to forgive his dad, who’d abandoned him and his siblings when he was six years old. The tears started to fall, and by the time he got to the part about forgiving himself, he could hardly speak.

Forgiveness is a powerful thing.

But, of course, it’s difficult. We don’t want to let that other person off the hook. We want revenge. We want them to suffer...even though, most times, the other person has no idea how we even feel.

Here at the house, we’re getting there. There are some guys who have been able to let go of a lot of what’s happened to them, and trust that God will deal with it. Other guys are still working their way through what it all means. It’s such a pride issue as well... learning to let go and trust. To tell someone that you’ve forgiven them (or to ask for their forgiveness).

The two guys who had the fight? After we talked and prayed together (and everyone calmed down), I made them shake hands. My parents used to make my brothers and I do it (actually I think they made us hug) and we hated it. But it’s a good thing to do. Today the guys seem a lot better and I think with a few days, it’ll all be ancient history. Another reason I like working with guys. If this were the girl’s home? We’d still be talking about this in June... (Just kidding ladies...although you know it’s true...).   =)

Thanks for continuing to pray for us here. It makes a difference! If you can pray about all of this when you have a moment, I’d appreciate it!

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A quick prayer request...

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This is going to be quick, 'cause it's late and I'm tired.  =)  I just wanted to ask for some prayer when you have a moment.  I think I've used this analogy in the past, of how some days, ministry here feels like the plate spinning guy who's trying to keep fifteen or twenty plates going all at the same time.  There are ten guys that I work closely with here, and I'm not sure when the last time all ten were doing well and were content all at the same time.  There always seems to be someone who's annoyed at something.  They're great guys and obviously I care a lot about them.  But some days a two by four up the side of the head seems like a viable option.  =) 

I think it would be easier if I wasn't living with them 24/7.  I actually don't mind that most days, but there are moments when you just wish you could get away for a bit.  I posted on my Facebook status that I was kind of tired of what I do for a living.  That was probably suckier than I needed to be...I don't think it's that bad.  But...I would still definitely appreciate your prayers. 

I did end up having a good evening with one of the guys.  We went out to a movie and for supper to celebrate how well he did in school this past year.  He was a machine when it came to studying, and it was good to see how serious he's been taking it.  We needed to have some good hangout time, too.  He's one of the guys who, it seems to me, has been struggling.  I haven't seen much joy or peace in him for awhile.  Then that plays out in how we end up relating to each other.  We had a good conversation about it tonight though...so that's good.  I was praying about it all day, that God would give me the opportunity to talk about it with him.

But there are at least two other situations that need to be dealt with tomorrow, so...  =) 

It doesn't help I guess, that I've been struggling a bit with health stuff.  I feel dumb saying that, 'cause it always feels like there's something.  But I've just been having some pain in my lower abdomen.  I got some tests done and the doctor doesn't think it's anything serious...but she wasn't sure exactly what it was either.  So I'm off to see a specialist on Monday or Tuesday.  It's not a huge deal...it's just uncomfortable most of the time.

One funny side note, and then I'll leave you alone.  I had to get an ultrasound done as one of the tests, and it ended up being one of the weeks more entertaining moments.  First of all...how anyone can figure out what they're actually looking at on the screen is beyond me.  I was pretty sure I saw a baby in there at one point...but it turned out to be my left kidney.  My right kidney was playing a little game of hide and seek with the doctor...so that took up a good chunk of time as he went searching for it. 

Then he asked me if I had my blahblahblah still.  I had no idea what he was talking about.  Most of the names of your internal organs are similar in Spanish and English, so I can figure them out.  This sounded kind of like ventricular which I though sounded like it should have something to do with my heart.  I still have everything associated with my heart...so I told him that, yes I did have my blahblahblah.  So he spent the next twenty minutes looking for it.  He muttered a LOT.  The whole thing surprised me, as I figured anything to do with my heart should be relatively easy to find.  But then again, that screen was pretty crappy, so...  Finally in frustration, he asked me again, if I had my...whatever it was.  Then he slowly said it in English...gaalllblllaaadderrrr.

Oh...actually no, I don't. 

I could hear the nurse on the other side of the screen just about killed herself laughing.  The doctor just shook his head and continued his muttering.  In the end, I'm not really sure what the point of that whole test was.  I tried to show him where my pain was, and he was all, "Yea, there's nothing there but intestines."  Well...yea.  That's kind of the problem.  But it seems that searching for my right kidney and my non-existent gallbladder was much more interesting for him.   So him pretty much ignored the one area that actually hurt.  On the upside, I now know for sure that I have all my organs except for my gallbladder.  That's a relief.

Anyhow, thanks for praying everyone!  I appreciate it.  And please know that it makes a difference down here!  I'll be back soon with those pictures of New Years...

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A few pictures of Papa Noel's house...

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Just for fun, I thought I'd post some of the pictures of us decorating the house, and the finished project.  This years decorations are brought to you courtesy of Ma and Pa Switzer.  Mom for helping pick them out...and Dad for making his credit card available.  Nice decorations here are kind of expensive (at least by our standards).  You mostly only find the nicer stuff in the stores that cary North American items.  So I hadn't bought that many decorations in years past.  But yea, we rectified that this year.  My Mom is huge into Christmas decorations, so she was pretty excited to help us get things set up. 

The funniest moment was when we saw these fake Christmas trees that looked like they were covered in snow.  I figured I could buy three or four and put them in my front yard like a forest.  I could sit in the middle of them, and except for the sweat pouring off my forehead, I'd almost be able to pretend I was in Canada.  I could see it in her eyes, that my Mom was dying to buy them.  =)  And as entertained as I would have been...there were probably other, more sane, ways to spend that money...

Anyhow...hope you enjoy the pics...

Mom trying to figure out our tree...

Mom and Dad putting up the lights.  I have to say that I'm impressed

with the fact that my parent's marriage has survived so many

years of putting up Christmas decorations...

Unwinding the new greenery...I think the guys mostly thought we were crazy,

and that they should just go along with the gringos.  Besides, I'd promised

them pizza if they helped...

Hanging up the greenery...

The greenery the next morning, after it fell off the beams

and onto the floor...

Roberto untangling last year's Christmas lights. 

My solution would have been to just to go buy more.

 

Greenery and lights up the railing.  Of course by the time

they finished the lights didn't work anymore...

Dad all decked out and ready for...uh...Mardi Gras?

Roberto going all hard core on the tree.  He did a pretty good job

for his first time.  In good parental form, I did wait until he went

to bed before I..um..fixed a few things...

Mom concentrating on something.

Dad mocking Mom...

In good Switzer tradition, we finally had to give Dad something to do.  So his job

was making extension cords.  Sandro, who's not much into decorating,

was more than happy to help...

Around the tree in all it's glory.  =)  If you look closely there are actually

Candy Canes on the tree.  I found some this year. 

I threatened the guys to within an inch of their lives,

if they touched the Candy Canes before Christmas, they would die. 

It worked.  Christmas day they were all still there.  Only now no one wanted

to eat them 'cause they were all soft and sticky from the heat. 

I ended up just thhrowing them away.  Ah...Merry Christmas...

And here's the finished product for your veiwing pleasure...  =)

So there you go...that was our house at Christmas time.  Like I said, if you ignored the sweat pouring off your brow and the palm tree outside...you could almost imagine it was Christmas in Canada.  =) 

My favourite moment was when David came home (he couldn't be there when we were decorating).  He walked in and looked around with big eyes (like a little kid) and then after a moment told me it was like being in Papa Noel's house (Santa Claus).  He figured he'd just move his bed down to the dining room and live there for awhile.  He was pretty excited!  Just another reason why I love that kid.  He makes Christmas fun...  =)

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Merry Christmas!!

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So, just for fun, let’s put Ken in the middle of ten thousand Bolivians with radically different ideas of personal space than the average Canadian. Then let’s get him trying to shop for ten Bolivian guys who have significantly different ideas of what’s “cool” than he does. And just to keep things interesting, let’s get him to forget that he has to buy all these gifts and everything else for the Christmas dinner he’s already invited people to...until a day and a half before Christmas. Yea...that’ll be fun.

Remember that great Christmas cartoon about the green guy who wanted to destroy Christmas? Yea, yea...that’s the guy. So I’ve decided that he and I had the same philosophy about Christmas on or about the 24th of December. You know...before he got all lovey, dovey. Or weak as I like to call it...

Anyhow...let’s start with the shopping. First of all, just getting into the area where the market is, was the biggest gong show I’ve seen in awhile. Let me just say that there were some serious failures in the city planning department somewhere along the way. Or maybe it’s just because of the way people drive here. Probably both...

There are really only two ways in and out of this market. I had to drive past one of the “in” roads (which is one of the main roads in the area...three lanes in each direction) a few days before Christmas. It took over 45 minutes to go about a block and a half. Of course it didn’t help that those three lanes had been turned into seven (unofficially mind you)...but still...

This market, by the way, is huge. I’m might be exaggerating when I said ten thousand people were in it...but not by much. Imagine Midtown Plaza (for those of you in Saskatoon), double the square footage and then jam one hundred times as many stores into it. There...now you get the idea. If you can’t find it in there...it pretty much doesn’t exist in Bolivia. Well...that’s true at least for knock-off stuff.

Jimmy (who was helping me this year) and I probably clocked twenty or thirty klicks walking up and down those tiny, narrow aisles, looking for the right clothes for the right guy. I got bored halfway through and bought myself a pair of shoes. My own personal reward for having the patience to do this.  =)

There are no change rooms by the way. In the “nicer stores” they hold up a curtain for you. In the rest of the stores you just try stuff on. Poor Jimmy spent a lot of time in his boxers, trying on shorts, in front of a crowd of people he didn’t know. Of course...no one cared...including Jimmy, so...

It didn’t help my level of Christmas joy, that on the way back to the truck, we got lost as we were walking and talking, arms piled high with bags and packages. We ended up walking in completely the opposite direction from where the truck was parked. On the upside, as we cut back a different way to the truck, I got to see a side of the market I’ve never seen before. A darker, scarier side...

I spent Christmas Eve, in the great Switzer tradition, frantically wrapping presents and tossing them under the tree. Also, in Switzer tradition, my guys all got socks as one of their gifts. I think they thought it was weird until I explained that my mom buys us socks every year. They like my mom so then suddenly it became the best idea ever...

Christmas morning I had this great “It’s a Wonderful Life” moment planned, where I would cook us all a big breakfast and then we’d open gifts together. The plan was, I’d get up at around nine and have breakfast ready for ten-ish. I figured scrambled eggs...bacon...pancakes...some fresh fruit. It looked great in my head.

Do you know how ridiculously long it takes to fry a kilo of bacon? It was after ten and I was still muttering nasty things under my breath every time I got burned from flying grease. I was manning two frying pans...so there was a lot of flying grease...and a lot of muttering...

The scrambled eggs weren’t too bad. Again, it just takes a long time to scramble and cook thirty eggs with all the good stuff you have to cut up and add to the mix.

The pancakes? Good grief, the pancakes...I still shudder to think of it. I’ve made pancakes many times and never had any problems. I mean...how hard is it really? You just add water and Aunt Jemima does the rest.

Christmas morning with ten hungry guys gazing in the kitchen door wondering what the heck was going on with breakfast? Yea, I couldn’t get a pancake to be my friend if I tried. And I really, really tried. I eventually got enough of them to work that we could sit down to eat...although it was pretty much, one for us...one for the garbage can. One for us...one for the garbage can...

It was a good thing I’d boughten “Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves” the night before. And it was the extended version (I didn’t even know such a thing existed). It’s a great Christmas morning movie, and it kept the guys busy until I finally managed to get the table set...at around 12:30 in the afternoon. I tried to explain the concept of “brunch” to them, but I was only partially successful. Part of the problem is that “Desayuno” (breakfast) and “Almuerzo” (lunch) don’t combine all that well. So I told them it was “Desaymuerzo”. They just smiled politely and asked for more bacon.

After we finished breakfast, we took some time to read the Christmas story (also a Switzer tradition) and pray together. It was a good moment. =) Then Ken started handing out gifts and the fun started. All in all, I think everyone was pretty happy with what they got. The funniest moment was when David tried on his shorts and they didn’t fit. I’d spent the most time on him, trying to find a pair that I thought he’d like (he’s got a very specific style...he likes to be unique). I told him we could exchange them and he paused for a moment and then asked if he could have a pair like what the other guys had. Really? Well...whatever...

It all turned out good though, ‘cause Alan like David’s shorts better than his and said he’d take them and we could just exchange Alan’s pair for a bigger size. All’s well that ends well I guess. Next time I’m just buying bulk and tossing everything up into the air and letting the guys sort it out.  =)

Christmas supper went well too, by the way. It was a much smoother experience than Thanksgiving. This time I cooked two turkeys so I’d have some leftovers. Turkey buns the next day make me happier than the original turkey meal.

The only difference from Thanksgiving was that I made Apple Crisp for dessert instead of pumpkin pie. Yes (as Ken bows his head modestly)...everyone thought it was total genius. Which highlights (if I may take a moment) one of the reasons cooking for people here is fun. Stuff that is kind of ho hum in Canada? Here, it’s considered the best thing ever. It makes you feel good. Yep, I cut up those apples...and mixed that brown sugar and oatmeal together...and no lie, I'm pretty sure a beam of light touched the pan as I set it on the table.  I may have even heard angels singing in the background. 

Seriously...you feel good.

After supper...in good Bolivian form...we blew stuff up. It also, was fun.

Here are some pictures for your enjoyment. Thanks again for your generosity and prayers! You help make this ministry possible!  A (very) belated Merry Christmas to you all...

Christmas breakfast...or "Desaymuerzo" as I like to call it...

Openning gifts...

First the socks...

...'cause you can never have too many socks...

Followed by more gift openning...

Followed by the trying on and modelling of the clothes...

Followed by more modelling of the clothes and many,

many thanks to my Mom for the socks...

...which weren't actually from her...

...but somehow that got lost in the translation...

The boys helping me make the Apple Crisp...

The Christmas Dinner spread...

I'd tell him to be more mature...

Except, you know...our pastor is such a good example...  =)

I just realized, after posting all of this, that I didn't mention Christmas Eve supper.  Here in Bolivia, the big celebratory meal is at midnight Christmas Eve.  And you eat pork, not turkey.  I assumed that the guys would know how to cook the pork (since I have no experience in that area, and it is, after all, their tradition) but as it turned out...not so much... 

At about 8:30 PM I finally said to Sandro, "Shouldn't we do something with the pork?"  To which he replies, "What?"

Well, I don't know.  This is your country.  Just cook it. 

So he did.  In a marinade of soya sauce...mustard...a mixture of spices that he didn't know the names of since they were in English...lemon juice, and finally, a shot of hot nacho sauce that'd been in the fridge since...well, I have no idea really. 

No lie...best pork I have EVER had.  It was amazing.  Melted in your mouth.  Go Sandro.

Sandro cooking the pork...

Mancha, as you can see, wasn't a big fan of the "blowing stuff up" part of Christmas Eve...

Speaking of blowing stuff up...

Note to self...next year limit the number of lighters you hand out. 

The guys thought it was funny to throw exploding stuff

at Ken's feet while he was taking pictures.

Not to mention that there was just a lot of exploding stuff.  All at the same time...

The neighbourhood dog, strangely enough, was a big fan

of the blowing up of the stuff...

I think he thought it was like chasing cars...just in a really weird direction...

Thanks again everyone!  Come back soon and I'll have some pictures up of New Years...

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Filming...

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As a lot of you know, my friend Micah is here visiting for a couple of weeks (more on that at a later date!).  He's filming us for a video/documentary (he's good at that kind of stuff).  It's been great and a lot of fun so far. 

I do have a quick prayer request though...as we filmed one of the guys sharing his testimony this morning, I realized again that there's still a lot of pain just under the surface for some of the guys.  It's tough for them to talk about their pasts without feeling a lot of emotion.  This morning was no exception.  It was fairly difficult for this young guy to share his story at times.  At one point we turned the camera off, and just talked about some of his experiences and how God was there in those difficult moments.  It's good for them (and for me) to remember that.  In very tangible ways (even before they could really understand that), God was with them.  They were never alone. 

If you can pray for the guys as we do this filming and they share their stories.  As I said, it can be painful for them, but also very positive.  This morning we prayed together after talking, and celebrated all the things that God had done to bring that young guy to the place where he's at now.  And trust me...it's incredible to realize how far he's come.

I don't want these times to be opportunities for Satan to attack or try to destroy, but rather times of celebration and understanding of God's goodness and mercy.  Pray for protection and for peace for the guys and that this will continue to be a fun and positive experience. 

So far it's been great fun filming this.  Okay...except for when I was cutting a doughnut in my truck and Micah just about fell out of the back.  I forgot that he's a white boy and doesn't know how to hold on like a Bolivian.  He'll be grumpy about me writing this 'cause he thinks it was one of the other guy's fault.  Well...he probably thinks it was mostly my fault.  Not sure why though...   =)

Anyhow...I'll be back writing here soon enough, by the way.  I've got lots to tell.  Christmas/New Years was a lot of fun this year.  But I'll save all that for another day.  The guys tell me it's lunch time... 

Thanks for praying everyone!

UPDATE:  We continued filming with two more guys this afternoon.  They did great!  But I found something interesting afterwards, in what one of the guys said to me.  Last year he ran into one of his good friends from when he was a streetkid.  His friend was still living on the streets, and we talked a little bit about that experience on the film.  Afterwards, the fellow from our home said that it was hard for him to talk about his friends from the streets.  He said that it makes him feel strange...it always brings up a lot of questions for him.  Why is his life is so much better than theirs?  Why has he received so much?  Why had God chosen to bless him? 

For the guys here, those questions often translate into feelings of guilt and unworthiness.  I don't believe that's God's desire for us, and we've talked about that here at the house a lot.  At the same time, I was thinking today that maybe it's not a bad thing for us to take a minute and consider those questions ourselves.  To think for a moment about how blessed we truely are, and really...how unworthy we are to receive those blessings.  It all comes back to God's grace and mercy to us. 

I'm sure there are people out there who can articulate this all better than I can.  All I know, is that tonight I feel very blessed and thankful for what God's given me...

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