birthdays, broken cars, and the bible

well, march 15th has come and gone and in true francie birthday fashion it was interesting. i had desired to go home and be with my parents but my car had other plans. instead, i spent the day tyring to get my car fixed to no avail and enterprise didn't have a car to rent me - so, i make that sad call home telling my mom i wasn't coming - i was crying, she was crying - it wasn't pretty. being a good supportive mom, she encouraged me and told me not to cry that i could just come home later or over the weekend - but it was my birthday and i wanted to go home! so, i take a shower to get the grease off of me - i decided to take a walk, not like i hadn't walked enough that day - 6 miles total in dealing with my car - but i just needed to blow off some steam and chat with God - when my phone rings - i was told that i was having visitors in a bit. so, i take my trash out and wait - what started out as a crappy day ended very well - my church family came over and had a party for me - it was nice - i may not have been able to be with my blood family - but my spiritual family was even better.

the next day i was able to get my car in the garage and get a car from enterprise - my weekend at home with my parents was salvaged! i had decided to give myself a birthday present - a tatoo - i've always wanted one - but instead of a tatoo, i purchased AAA plus - my membership had lapsed and i hadn't gotten around to renewing it - Happy Birthday to me!

in other news, my classes are going very well! i finally got the grade back for the book review i did - the one where i was kicked out of the lib. in ambridge - 49/50 or a 98% -- i was a bit worried - i can write that's not the problem - the problem was i wasn't too certain as to the structure and format of the actual paper -- i've never written a book review to the standards that was called for - and the little style manual didn't have the examples attached to it as it showed it did in the book - so, i was working in the dark. my n.t class is great too - my midterm was easy - haven't got the grade yet - but it was great to compare the gospels in the way we did and i'm looking forward to deeper study as the semester rolls on. right now, i'm chewing on the books of ruth, judges, and I sam. for o.t. - wow - so much i've never realized before! i can't believe i'm almost through with my first year of seminary - but i'm not done for the year - summer stuff is calling my name -- i'm so looking forward to venturing to ky and spending my two weeks on campus meeting profs. and experiencing seminary life, even if it is summer mode.

okay enough for now - need to get back to my studies.

francie

sadness, the order of the day

so i get up this morning venture around beaver county into ellwood city to check on the toiletries donation boxes - i go to my office all excited to report and what am greeted with. . . but sad new. it appears the body found in a field near the lawrence county vo-tech was that of one of our clients of family care -- it appears the lady was beaten and her throat slit - she was found naked and bearly recogizable. this lady was a client of family care - i spoke with her about two months ago when my co-worker was off sick and i was filling in - my co-worker shared at that time this ladies background and tragic story with me -- but she also shared how she was making some headway in sharing the gospel.

and now this. . . my co-worker is upset - it's a sad state of afairs - and then there is the family -- of this lady -- if you read this - please pray that God will pock through the events to heal and save.

this is the 3rd killing in the past few weeks - last week a body of a lady was found in one of the housing projects near our old thrift store/warehouse -- that lady was a former resident at covenant house -- as we talked at staff meeting yesterday and again today - the urgency to share the good news with each we come in contact with - whether at the mission or just in our every day lives is great and we must never overlook it or waste a moment God gives us - because it just maybe the last moment's for a person to draw near to Christ.

this is a great wake up call to me and my fellow rescue mission missionaries - please pray for us - matt, joe, bobby (staff in the true life men's programs) - linda, mitch, ron, alyssa (staff and volunteers in family care) - brenda, vickie, jackie, ruth, liz, jant, and a few others i can't remember (staff at our covenant house, women's shelter) - marisue, manny, mocher, miss nettie, lenard, and a few others (staff at our sankey after school center for children and teens) - kevin, marylee, dawn, lorrie, kathy, chuck, ed, and myself (staff in the admin. areas of the mission) - please pray for us.