paper craft!

i have always been interested with paper - cutting, folding, gluing, et cetera, et cetera. even as a child, i would buy construction paper, cut out shapes (any and all shapes), glue them together and turn it into greeting cards or tags. my friends used to get regular birthday cards in different sizes and shapes from me. unfortunately, none of the cards looked pretty enough or clean enough. but you get the idea.

it was only very recently that i decided to actually give time to paper crafting as a productive leisure activity. i originally wanted to buy a how-to book, but didn't have the money for it. luckily, the internet has everything on it. here's one site to get me started: 

http://extremecards.blogspot.com/

my first project would be a pop-up card that hopefully will look somewhat like this one 

here's to hoping my paper projects would bring a bit of sunshine into other people's lives. :)

the boys in my class

teaching the kindergarten class at Vacation Bible School was a most fulfilling and fun experience. one week of living away from home, crafting visual aids, pumping out energy for the action songs, and occasionally running after one or another of the 45 kids in my class was really, truly, completely exhilarating.

that is perhaps why the following week had been a little too quiet and uneventful (except for Sabbath and the tract distribution activity).

to make up for the i-miss-the-action mood, i am sharing photos of the boys who really, truly, completely made my VBS experience very much action-filled.

manoy! (trivia: he fell off a pick up truck once, off a tree another time, had us on a chase at least thrice, and threw a rock at a teacher once. we all miss him.)

seriously, who wouldn't miss this bright star?

Don't get me wrong. i miss the girls and the rest of the class, too.

but they didn't contribute as much to my temporary loss of voice. i miss VBS! :)

This is Why I Worship

this was written several months ago. it's actually supposed to be a song, but i admittedly (and quite frustratingly) can only but barely carry a tune. God and i are still working on my musical capabilities. so until we work something out, this'll have to remain a non-song (at least beyond the walls of my heart).

In You alone I find the strength to stand

Amidst the brokenness

In time I know I'll understand

You'll bring together the pieces

Lord, I am broken and I praise You

Savior, I'm in pain but it's okay

I'm coming back to life through You

Jesus, I see the wisdom of Your way

It hurt You to see how I brought this on me

Still You're standing close

When I tried to move farther away

I hurt with the wrongs I chose

Lord, I am broken and I praise You

Savior, I'm in pain but it's okay

I'm coming back to life through You

Jesus, I see the wisdom of Your way

Going away and coming home

Twice I walk the path so rough

This time the pain will lead me back

I'm not alone and that's enough