Saturday, April 03, 2004

Busy-ness!

I ache! My back is killing me, and my left shoulder is in shambles, and my face has a sort of low-intensity burning sensation. But I've had a great time getting this way.

The pain is from sitting stone still for about an hour during our church play "The Lord's Supper". Wednesday night was dress rehearsal, Thursday was opening night, with a performance Friday, and two performances today. We have one more to go tomorrow, Sunday, night. The low-intensity burning on my face is from the latex beard being held on with spirit gum. For those of you that have done any theater, you know that spirit gum is an acetone-based skin adhesive, but, well, it's acetone so it kinda burns, especially after a fresh shave. Think model glue for the skin. I take the beard off after each performance and have a bit of hardened spirit gum on my face that I need nail-polish remover to get off. But, it works great and holds the beard in place.

These last 7 days, from Sunday to now, I have spent a couple of hours each night in the company of friendly Christian men, either at church working on the play, or at the Union Gospel Mission, and and it been a major blessing. Talking to men with similar interests who also share my spiritual beliefs is quite refreshing. They are some good men, and I am priviledged to count them as friends.

LMJ packed her things and headed back to her mom's house for a several month stay. It's part of LMJ's desire not to be a weekly vagabond schlupping back and forth each week from house to house, but to have her stuff at one house for an extended period of time, then move back to the other parent's house with all her stuff. I happen to think it's a great idea, but I do miss her being here. She was here for almost two whole months, every day. It was really wonderful to have her here, but I'm glad she feels good about going back to her mom's. There was a time not to long ago that I was a bit worried she wouldn't feel like going back when the time came. I'll still see her just about every day, after school, and we'll have some father/daughter nights (like Stargate Mondays, baby!), so I don't feel like it's a loss for me. Rather, it's a gain for her, to have some time to connect with her mom.

It's not about ME anyway. It's about them, all three of my kids, and getting them raised the best I know how. I keep telling them, when they are raised, up, and out of the house, dad's only gonna be about 45 years old, and he's gonna PAR-TAY, and they chuckle. And it's not just me raising them, but thier mom, too, and I'm so glad that LMJ and CLJ both feel good about going to their mom's. But it IS all about raising them, and making them my priority as best I can, and the way the respond to me tells me that I'm on the right track, and they appreciate it.

I thank God daily for His guidance. With that, I'd be lost.

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