I intended to get up this morning at 5:30 and go for a walk but that didn't happen. I had a very interesting night with my street evangelism partner as we met some unique characters during our time in the city so I think I was a bit tired from that. I must admit every time we end up paired together we have an interesting, if not entertaining experience. I've come to the realization though, that God in His wisdom ordained that those were the people we would meet and that was to be our experience last night and I just need to continue to be faithful and obedient to what He calls me to do. Hey, we got a bag out of it!

Anyway, I got the last of my stuff from my friend Alice's house and then stopped at a pool party a former student of mine from last year was having to celebrate her birthday. Her mother had kept my coming a surprise-and she was very surprised. It was nice to see her again and catch up with her my other students and their mothers while I was there. It really hit me that I've moved. Then I drove home, my car packed to the limit and it dawned on me that I had to unpack it and I just felt a little overwhelmed. I brought some stuff in and then took a walk to the store to buy some ingredients for a spinach dip I've been wanting to try. All the store bought spinach dips I've bought have sour cream and waterchestnuts and something else that has in my opinion, an abominable flavor. I'm not sure which restaurant it was but I had a warm, cheesy spinach dip and I wanted to try my hand at making it.

When I got back home I unpacked some more and took a nice nap. Upon waking I found out that pretty much everyone we had invited to game night had other plans (next time we need to give more notice) so I went ahead and made the spinach dip. It was great Ru and Katie loved it and now I'm thrilled that I have a dish! So whenever I go somewhere and I have to bring a dish or snack, I have one that I've made, from scratch myself. Yay! I feel so womanly and domesticated (not sure I used that last word correctly).

Ru, Katie and I went for a walk on a trail and then came back and watched the Phantom of the Opera with Mary and John before they left to pick up her neice. I never realized before Mary pointed it out that there are illustrations/parallels that could be drawn between that movie and the Christian walk. As I watched it again I thought, yeah, I can see it. Previously I was always conflicted about my feelings for the Phantom. Clearly he wasn't what one would call a nice person but I wanted to root for the underdog. Looking at it through different lens I saw how he was seductive and selfish in trying to lure Christine into darkness and how Raoul faithfully and unrelentingly pursued and loved her. I'm not trying to be superspiritual or anything, you can only draw a few comparisons if you will, but it did remind me of how many times I've let the prince of this world and things of this world lure me and how faithful and loving God is to me even when I've proven how unfaithful and uncommitted I can be. It just blows me away how God can choose to bestow mercy and compassion on humanity.