yesterday, i went to a church called blackhawk church, here in madison. it's located just down the road from the hiratas' house. it's one of those mega-churches, and it really reminded me of maranatha chapel. blackhawk is home to about 4,000 christians and has many services. the hiratas attend the 6:00 PM service, so we were free all day to lounge around and do whatever.
in the afternoon, we went to lake wingra with the huis and rented a couple paddleboats. the kids brought their fishing poles and we all had a great time, though the kids were acting up a bit having to share the two fishing poles among four of them. we didn't have any luck with fish, though we caught a dead one. kaedon, especially had been acting up all day, defiant to his mother and doing what every younger brother does best- annoy his older sister. i know plenty about that.
then, we went home to change and we were off to church. the worship style was so much like maranatha that it was unnerving. everyone was dressed very casually, but since i'm used to a different style, i found myself to be the only one in a dress and heels. but i was ok with that since i'm a firm believer in being overdressed is better than being underdressed.
after church, we went home and amy prepared spaghetti for dinner. after dinner, the kids helped to make kaedon's birthday treats (brownies) and were off to bed. while amy was helping to put the kids to bed, i helped clean up the kitchen. it really is stressful and tiring being a mom, so i thought i'd at least help her with the dishes and clean off a couple of countertops. i have a newfound appreciation for my mom. (thanks mom!) while i was cleaning up the kitchen, kaedon came downstairs to get something, but before he went upstairs again, he approached me to give me a big bear hug. this really surprised me after his tantrums and defiance earlier in the day. even though i'm not their mother and i didn't have to put up with the attitude or the disobedience, that hug made everything worth it and i instantly forgave him and forgot about everything he had done earlier that day. a few minutes later, kyra came downstairs as well, and she gave me a hug prior to retiring for the night. she's a sweet girl, so i wasn't that surprised, but these hugs bore a significance to me. it felt as if was like their older sister now, with these hugs as a kind of initiation into the family. and i'm not just learning from the kids. from amy, i've really seen how patient and loving she is with the kids. just noticing her interaction with kyra during the service helped me to realize just how much she loved her daughter. it really reminded me of how much my parents love me, and more so, how much Jesus loved me that he was willing to endure so much pain and suffering on the cross for me.
God has really blessed me in pairing me with the hiratas. i can't believe how great everything has turned out, and it's amazing how much God provides for us. i think so many times, we're so caught up in what
we can do for ourselves that we fail to forget what God, our creator and omniscient Lord, can do for us. this summer, i really want to learn how to depend on God and to place my faith in Him instead of constantly believing that I have to do everything for myself. i'm beginning to learn more about love and faith. i know these are the cornerstones to the christian faith, and i can't believe that i'm really just learning them now. but i'm starting to see why God gave me the opportunity in this internship this summer. He has so much to teach me, and i have so much to learn.
these are all the 2100 productions interns, both summer and longer term.
what's going on with my arm?
just the summer interns
CD cover-esque
