Mary v. Elisabeth

WORD COUNT: 28,316

I think tomorrow's entry is going to be the text I write when I'm at work during the day, so you can get some idea of where I'm going with “Rivalry”, my 2012 National Novel Writing Month entry of 50,000 plus words. And if the way I've been going is any indication (even though my wife Martha asks me a few times a week how I'm doing, bless her heart) I will be doing major major MAJOR editing on this puppy once December comes. I try not to write out of order too much, but this year it worked out that way. I needed the time in Minot Public Library this morning before work – right now my mother-in-law Sharon who's hosting Thanksgiving in a few days for the whole family at her house is picking me up mostly at our house, but wherever I am – just to let myself breathe a little, if that makes sense. We finished moving practically everything out of the FEMA trailer we've lived in since last November yesterday afternoon; we'll do the final cleaning Saturday, but it's still out of the box living for a while.

Sunday morning. Normally this is one of my favorite times of the week, a time I need at church to recharge … but I realize more how I hate being the bad guy. Our youth group held a turkey dinner downstairs from nine to one (after the first service my family and I get to, and Pastor Janet inspired us by suggesting have the dessert first and wait a little closer to lunch for the dinner) and the Sunday school class I taught had seven third and fourth graders in it who had a wee bit too much sugar before coming. It got bad enough that for the first time this rotation we did NOT finish the whole play “The Birth of Jesus As Seen Through Marty's Eyes” and when we all sat down to read the story from the Bible, I said – that is, I meant to say, for Breona (not my niece Breanna, this was one of the kids I had in class) to begin reading where it said in bold Mary Versus Elisabeth as opposed to Mary Visits Elisabeth. Imagine the guffaws that got!

For the full story yourself, please read Luke 1:26-45, New Testament.

So class went well, but sometimes our older kids especially can get a trifle … rambunctious with the puppets and anything they hold, which one person did. And he got two others started into play wrestling, and normally it's not THAT big a deal to me – I do envy the teachers I hear of who have perpetually quiet children, little Bible minipedias – but between kids ages nine and ten struggling to read what I thought was simple text and the kids not right then participating on stage, I chose as calmly as I could the lead instigator of trouble to send up to the office. He got quiet quick enough … started crying actually, but didn't say anything. And Karn the Sunday School superintendent in her fallible wisdom decided not to say anything to his parents about the trouble, that I'm aware of. Church is getting to be all politics, and not the right matter of Who you know.

But I did get some good ideas from Breona – when she's of age in four years, I might have her as an assistant in class (missed Krista yesterday though) – regarding getting more readers. When a person finishes reading a paragraph or two, I say popcorn and the one who just finished reading gets to choose who will follow them … I believe we got around to everybody. And this was really cool and made … at least my morning; when Phoebe (?) got to verse thirty-two regarding how Jesus Who's going to be born (in the context of this passage, of course He's not born yet) and read that Jesus shall inherit the throne of His [earthly ancestor] father [King] David, from her and Breona who know MY name's David I heard shouts of “King David”. It won't get to my head, but I felt really important just then. And I know that's what I want my wife and kids to believe, that they're important too.

Stay awesome, David