paddles

I love nature and being in it! And I especially like rivers. Last year a bunch of us went camping on the Pine River in northern Michigan. It wasn't exactly rustic. We still had outhouses (sniff...), and water pumps. So I left my shovel and water purifier at home. I would say that Elizabeth and I had the best living conditions. She even hung a Hello Kitty smell good thing from the tent roof, and we had a no shoe policy but there wasn't any room for them anyways. I think we brought deodorant....maybe not, but I am sure I had my toothbrush!

On Sunday we were heading down stream. The issue was that Pastor Dan was worried that Elizabeth might not make it alive if she was in my canoe. I assured him that after two summers of taking campers down the river every week that she would be fine. But this river had 'big rapids, logs covering most the river and trees hanging out everywhere.' GREAT! My confidence was fading fast and I actually started to get rather worried. Besides the fact that the water was sub-zero, not really, but it was extremely cold.( basing that information on the near death shower experience we had the day before) So I started to think that we would for sure tip and be soaked and freezing the rest of the day and hopefully we wouldn't get snagged up on some beautiful log while watching our canoe, paddles, water bottles and whatever else float down stream.

Well by the end of the day there was breaking news.......Melanie and Elizabeth are dry!!!... WHAT! No way! Melanie knew what she was doing... wow! I have to add that it was Elizabeth's first time canoeing and she was great. There were two on the trip who looked to be expert canoers but I lost count of the times that they were found flopping around the the ice cold waters. They even had gloves to help grip the paddles and the gear but sorely their skill was lacking ;) Too bad. Maybe next time.Anyways, this is not to say that we will not tip the next time, but I was thankful that day. I think Pastor Dan was too.

So last Sabbath Elizabeth got wet, really wet... she was baptized. She did say that the water was cold but not as cold as the Pine River. What a victory Sabbath! We were all so happy for that moment and God was glorified. Now we have more work to do. There are still friends to reach and hopefully this summer on our next camping trip they can come along. I want them to experience the joy of living for Jesus.

IKEA, Noodles and Birthdays

What a fun time Heidi and I had last weekend. On Friday we hit the road for Chicago. The good news is that there is a new IKEA store and it's closer to Berrien Springs. Plus in this new year the toll has almost doubled so we were glad to not have to go so far. I found some great things. I am sure that most of you will get to see my new buys as they are already complimenting the windows in my bedroom and also the shower in my bathroom. :)

The weather wasn't the best when we left IKEA but we were determined to make it to Whole Foods Market and Trader Joe's. On our way we stopped to catch a bit to eat at Noodles & Company. WOW! I think that is one of my favorite new restaurants. We had some Bangkok Curry Noodles and also a Thai Peanut Sauce Salad. Now comes the quest to cook it myself. By the way, it was awesome to have Heidi with me for the weekend. I wish so much that we lived in the same town again. When Christian was in the seminary, we spent more time together. Heaven will be a great place!

On Sabbath we sang for special music and then went to PMC for church. Pastor Dwight preached his heart out...amazing... we are living in the most interesting times. It is our priveledge to watch the closing scenes.. Jesus is coming soon, however we have work to do before then. I know my heart longs for deeper devotion to Jesus.

Saturday night was filled with friends and fun again. Heidi and I had made all this authentic Mexican food so we invited a bunch of people over to eat it. After a while we played some great games. I don't think I have talked about Parliament yet. Well, this game is a lot more fun than I ever thought it would be. It's really a game of memory and I just decided that it would be too hard to explain right now but trust me, it's a blast. We were playing until about 1:30 a.m.


Today was Christine's birthday. She is a very special co-worker of mine. I really appreciate her constant smile and kindness. When I have questions about life she always points me back to Jesus as the only answer. So today we went out to celebrate her new year of life to come. Nancy also brought in these incredible sugar cookies with lemon frosting...so good! I will definitely be working out tonight. Unfortunately I will probably work off the salad I ate and not the cookies. :( So goes life!

Well, this is the week so far and I am praying for God's best for the rest. "Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart."

Turtles

I collect little turtles. They are from all over the world! Heidi and Christian brought me turtles from Kenya and Korea. Most of the ones I have collected are from South America, however last year I found one in Madagascar and in Mauritius. One of the most interesting turtles I have was made by a dental patient of mine. He brought it in to show me and then ended up giving it to me. It's made out of a pop can. I must have told him that I collected mini turtles, so now I have a turtle from St. Joe. My favorite turtle hails from Mexico. He is so cool because his head moves and he is colorful. I had to bid a good price for him in the market. By the way, that is how I got most of my turtles. That is what makes it so much fun. So I don't know where life will take me next but I plan on aquiring a turtle wherever that may be. Well, I am done working for the day and so I'm out of here!!! Heidi is coming this weekend and I am so excited about that. Tomorrow we are IKEA bound... yes and Trader Joes too. De paso...speaking of turtles, they are kind of slow moving, and because of this maybe they enjoy life more. Maybe they see more, understand more, experience more, think more... just because they do things slowly. The Bible says, "Be still and know that I am God". This takes time...being still. Happy Sabbath and take time to enjoy each moment!

Sister

Sisters are the greatest. That's why I am so glad to have a sister, Heidi. She is my closest friend and a great source of encouragement. During our childhood years we would argue sometimes, but most of time we were good friends. We took a lot of family vacations but I don't remember where this picture was taken. About every 5 years we moved since my dad was a pastor, so I think that made us closer. We had each other. Almost 6 years ago I studied in Argentina, and Heidi had been there two years before me. So she made a trip to see me there, and we had a fun time exploring the country after picking up my parents in Buenos Aires. It's nice to know a language together even though we speak to each other in english. I always thought it would be nice to have a brother but I have been more than blessed to just have a sister. Plus, Christian is now my brother!( Heidi's husband) Then came the day when I bought a car like Heidi's. By the way, I used to copy Heidi all the time when we were kids. That didn't go over too well, ;) but now it's different. We both love our Saturn Vue SUVs! So I thank God for a sister and especially Heidi. I'm glad I am not an only child, and this weekend when she comes to visit me, I will appreciate every moment. She is an example of Jesus to me. Thanks Heidi for being the best sister in the universe!

Meat Curry Masala

This is it. I am sure after this morning that I have made a great curry. I taste tested it for tonight's guests. Sure there are many ways to make curry but this one tastes awesome. Unfortunately it takes a little longer to make than my other recipe but oh well. There are a few keys... one being that you blend blanched almonds, the onions, garlic and ginger together until they are like a paste. This makes a smooth, but thick curry. There is also tomato paste, butternut squash and chickettes for added yumminess. I didn't think I would like the squash idea but it's a winner. So tonight when Tara and Ruan come, I think that they will really like it.... I hope! It will probably be much better than what they are eating in Bolivia as missionaries. They have told me some of their food stories...not so good. Anyways, the recipe is free for the asking. By the way, have you noticed that the sun is out today. I am so blessed already. My arm is feeling better everyday and I am looking forward to spending some time with old friends. May your day be filled with the sunshine of God's love!

Mafalda Pain Rugs and Faith

This is Mafalda. She is part of my favorite cartoon from Argentina. I remember my roommates putting her picture all over and me always trying to understand the cartoon. While I was visiting the Martin's in Tennesee, I was again trying to understand some Mafalda cartoons. They had a whole book of Mafalda at their house.
Today, and yesterday have been ouch days. I have really done something to my shoulder. The physical therapist said that I have a "rotator cuff strain". That means the muscles in my shoulder are either torn or stretched beyond normal. I have really no idea how this happened, but it is extremely painful. I am low on sleep and cleaning teeth....big ouch! So now I am supposed to go to physical therapy for a month, three times a week. Today, they hooked me up to these electrode deals and it was buzzing into my shoulder. Hopefully this all works. I don't prefer to take pain meds every 4 hours. Please pray that this pain goes away soon because it is hard to work.

I bought a new rug for my house last week. I am excited about it because it is soft, thick and hopefully better for everything that goes on at my house. My mom wanted to see what it looks like, so I have included a picture. I'm not sure about the contrast yet,because before I had this big red rug. Everyone has given me positive feedback so far.

Special Feature: What Faith is

Realizing that I am useful to God not in spite of my scars but because of them.
Living with the unexplained.
Letting my heart rest in the hand of God.

Blogging

Happy day! I just wanted to introduce my comment winner of the day. Besides my family, Joelle faithfully comments. That is what makes it so much fun. Maybe that's because I comment on her blog. Whatever it may be, I appreciate knowing who is looking at my blog and who is enjoying what they read. This may turn into an altar call for comments so I will not say anymore.

Joelle is also a close friend. We have even invented, with utmost care, a dialect. It's called Battlecrit. Maybe sometime after we process the rules, I will give some quality instructions on how to speak it.

Well, I am on lunch break that is fast coming to a close. Some of you might like to know that I gave three shots today. :) I bet you would have enjoyed receiving them too!!! Needless to say, the man said he felt like he had fat lip. BINGO! I hit the nerve. Okay, my patient is here. bye!

Sunshine

This morning I woke up to the sunshine coming through the window.... Thank you Lord! I was praying for some sun. After a while I went to my friend Katrina's house. I graduated with her from hygiene school. She made some killer curry and now I have the recipe for what I think is the real thing. It was absolutely fabulous, so tonight I am going to Apple Valley to get some ingredients. Then her sister, who is attending massage school, gave me a free massage. So today I received many blessings. I also decided to finally attack my christmas tree. It's been laying on the front porch for a week. So me and my orange cat friend spent some time together. What a nice day.

Sunset Needed

Today would have been a nice day to see a great sunset, especially

since Michigan is not exactly in it's most enjoyable season. I mean,

I like winter, but I don't normally put lots of rain and dark days

on my top ten list. Snow is a much better alternative, so hopefully

in the next few days the ground will be white and not brown. The

next thing is that on Monday evening I put my wonderful, dried up

christmas tree out on the front porch. I had great intentions to take

the lights off and all the popcorn, cranberry, and paper chains off too,

but I am lacking the modivation needed for this not so exciting task.

So tomorrow is another day

By the way, this morning I read in Revelation that the leaves on the tree

of life are for the healing of the nations. If anyone has any idea as to what

the leaves represent, let me know. Good night!

Blind and Deaf

Last night I stayed on Lake Michigan. But... it was to dog sit.

Good ole' Grady. I'm not sure if that is how you spell his

name but I didn't ask him either. Besides he wouldn't

have heard me anyways. He only hears loud clapping.

Another sad fact is that Grady can't see. So he has memorized the house.

He knows exactly where the stairs are and how many there are, but

there are some funny times when he bumps his nose. ouch...pobresito.

Blind and deaf....hummm... human nature. Sometimes I think I bump

my nose too, maybe God even has to clap really loud to get my

attention. Maybe I've even memorized my own routine in life making

me unable to recognize a change He wants to make. I really want to

see through God's eyes and clearly hear His voice speaking to me. This

I think takes decided effort and constant prayer to refocus my eyes.

"Turn your eyes upon Jesus, look FULL in His wonderful face."

Whole Wheat and Ano Nuevo

Event: General Youth Conference

What a trip and a great experience. It all started at 7 a.m. Dec. 28, 2005. I knew that God was going to open up my heart in a new way, and He did. They like to say that the sessions and classes are 100% Organic Whole Wheat Bread. No puff puff, we have lots of time, sit back and relax stuff. I knew after opening night that I was in for a real heart change. Praise God! However, I must say that it all came in time. Our first moments upon arriving were a test of our patience. When Kari, Elizabeth and I arrived that the Choo Choo Holiday Inn, we dutifully unloaded our luggage and headed into the lobby to get our room assignments. Soon we had our keys and were looking for the elevators, stair?...hallways... something.... Well come to find out we needed to walk about "3/4 mile", through some trains, past some stores and restaurants and then finally to building #2. Great thanks.... so we started our trek, dragging our burdens behind us. Many other events happened and finally we were ready for the meeting. Oh, I forget to mention that I backed into a friend on mine, opps but then he backed into someone leaving too, so we were even. No dents:) The single most awesome moment at GYC was when my friend Elizabeth responded to a call by Mark Finley for baptism. Tears of joy were falling off my face and I was smiling so much. Jesus is so faithful and reaching every heart that is open. I praise God for the priveledge of knowing Him and being apart of this work. I must say that my comittment to follow Jesus was renewed and to better organize our church outreach team to get this work done. We have a lot to do but God is ready to empower us. Well, the trip home was fun. After not really sleeping a lot that week, I was crazy tired on the way home. After 7 hours of driving my contacts were blurred, I was eating corn nuts, drinking water and listening to Andrew Peterson sing about getting lost in Kalamazoo when I noticed we were going south instead of north. So after looking at the map 10 times, we were finally heading north again and laughing all the way about how crazy things can be. It was probably just pure sleepiness but oh well. Praise God for safe travels, time to connect and talk about all God had taught us at GYC.

I must say that new years was lots of fun. I spent it with Christian and Heidi at the Martin's house. Nolly prepared all these Argentinian snacks, which threw me back to many memories of Argentina. My favorite treat was alfajores. I remember my friend Holly and I would buy some and go into town, find a nice bench, and eat them. Yum! We also had some pan dulce for ano nuevo and just lots of fun watching old family videos. And then at around... oh 11:55... for some reason we got out the sparkling juice...oh HAPPY NEW YEAR. It cracks me up how crazy everyone goes in New York City when the ball drops. Hopefully Jesus comes this year. I know He wants to come back soon, so I will pledge to serve Him more this year. Will you?!

Turkmas

My mom had this great idea for Christmas, and it tasted so good that I think it may become a tradition. We made this turkey out of stuffing, Worthington dinner roast and pastry. I think we were stuffed after eating it too.

So the question for my viewers is.... Does it look like the real thing? Do take into consideration that it's not and then make a good judgement if it looks fairly close.

We even tied some mint flavored floss around the "legs" to keep them in place. Luckily it didn't taste like mints. So we enjoyed it throughly, and I don't think I will be waiting to make this great recipe until next Christmas.

Christian and Heidi were in Tennessee for Christmas and we really missed them. Gladly, General Youth Conference starts tomorrow so I will get to see them the rest of the week. We are all looking for a blessing that I know will be there.

To my new Christmas viewers, please remember to check out my "Christmas 2005" post. Oh, and make sure to leave a comment if you wish. God bless!

Christmas News 2005

Merry Christmas! This year has been so fun and a huge blessing. In May I went to Madagascar with Global Evangelism to preach a series of meetings. On the way my family and I traveled through London, United Arab Emirates, and the Island of Mauritius. We were able to spend some time in each place. Those were some great adventures together. Two days before we left I was diagnosed with mononucleosis, so I was extremely weak. However, I was not about to let this opportunity pass by. Each day I prayed that God would help me to feel better by the time we arrived in Madagascar.

Opening night was incredible, but I was even more amazed that God was using me to speak to 1000 people. Wow! I was nervous but what a joy to bring the hope of Jesus to so many hearts. I had a wonderful translator and family. They would often take me on little family trips with their two very cute boys. Elian and Elisha were my buddies. The meetings continued for 18 nights, and the mornings were given to sermon preparation and trips to the market. There were several students from SAU which allowed for around 20 campaign sites with over 700 baptisms on closing Sabbath. Praise God for so many souls won for Jesus!

In July I went to the General Conference Session to work at the General Youth Conference booth. Each day brought different people past the booth and of course many old friends. My family came on the last weekend, and we all enjoyed being together again. It is always neat to see how global our church is and how God is working in different areas of the world.

On August 26, after two years of looking, I bought a house. This is a lot of responsibility and a bigger bill but I love it. What a blessing it is to be in town. Each Wednesday night I have a Great Controversy study, Friday evening prayer group and then Saturday night fun. So I have dedicated my home to whatever God wants to use it for.

October brought a short vacation to the Upper Penisula to visit my parents. They had the priveledge of presenting an evangelistic series in Ironwood. While there, we saw some incredible sights on the Black River. There are so many water falls, and great hiking trails. It was a blessing to spend time with them.

December 22 brought our family together to celebrate with our friends Matt and Leah at their wedding. I remember being in pathfinders with Leah while my dad was pastoring in Holly, Michigan. Those were some of the greatest years of my life. So it was nice to be back there again, and it truly felt like home. Now we are moving into the new year. I don't know what to expect but I know that I can expect many wonderful things from God. Let's not forget how He has worked in the past and how much more He wants to do in our hearts this year. His coming is sooner today than yesterday and maybe tomorrow. I am thankful for that hope and it makes me want to ready my life more each day to see Jesus. I pray that you will feel and know the urgency to build bonds in your family and with friends that will help us get ready for His soon return. Praise God we will soon fly to meet Him in the air!

Friendship Sweet

Saturday night always brings some sort of fun. I praise God for my friendships. They are so special when I remember that I am not alone in this world. Unfortunately sometimes friends move away, and like I've mentioned before, it's normal in Berrien Springs. And since we always need an excuse to throw a party, we decided to surprise Rueben with a 'going away party'. He will be leaving for the middle east to work with ADRA. Joelle made this awesome vegan cake. (Nice plane Joelle!!) It was nice to sing Christmas songs together and realize how good God is to us.

Of course, we played some fun games starting with 'mafia'. I'm not too sure about this game, especially after the mafia won because we never figured out who they were. ;( Then we moved on to bigger and better things....... PIT! I thought we were going to take a night off but everyone wanted to play. Elizabeth and I were actually in the car ready to leave at an early 11p.m. Then Rueben said we couldn't leave without playing one round of pit. I'm afraid it's impossible to play one round of pit and I was right. I don't know how many we played but it was 1a.m. when we had had enough. What a fun night and by the time I made it back to the ice box (my house) it was closer to 2a.m. Good thing that only happens once a week, if that. I believe that friendship is a special gift from God and I hope to cherish each time spent with them.


I have another friend... the orange neighborhood cat, and yes she was in my house ( only for 5 minutes of pat pat pat on the rug). When I first moved into my house she welcomed me to the neighborhood and we are friends.However, that friendship is not as close during the winter because I won't let her stay in my house. Plus, it's too cold to sit under my lovely green porch and pet her. So once in a while she comes over and starts meowing super loud. That's when I get out the tasty tuna treats. I've never tried them but they must be good or maybe she's starving. So after she has a treat she's ready to leave. I look forward to summer time so I can be outside with her again. Until then I hope all the flees follow her out the door....:) All the animal lovers think I am so cruel to not let her live in my house, but I don't really welcome little hopping bugs, inch long red hairs everywhere, or stinky litter boxes. So I will just keep it the way it is. Besides, I am pretty sure that the reason she is fat is because she has several friends.

Moral of the story... the orange cat and I both love our friends, and we think you should too!

Remnants

Meaning the last post of the week...I am thankful for Friday and even more that tomorrow is Sabbath. Today the snow is flying like crazy. Everyone who left for break yesterday can count their blessings, because the blizzard has hit! This week I received my gas bill in the mail, and what a disappointment. $150! PLEASE! And that's for one person. Needless to say, I turned my heat down to 63...burr, and I will be putting plastic on my windows...maybe I will just seran wrap the whole house!! :) So life is fun since adding all these new bills. Through this though I am learning about trusting in God. He did provide me my house so I am trusting Him with the outcome.
During Thanksgiving I was at my grandparent's house in Kansas. They are so much fun and I always learn new things when I go there. This time it was a fun ride behind my grandpa's lawn mower. He hocked up a wagon type deal that we
all sat on as we rode around their property. They have several fruit trees, sweet potatoes, strawberries, grapes, green beans, tomatoes, squash, corn and many other things that they harvest and can every fall. We have always said that when the time of the end hits we will go there because of all the stocks of food they have. My Grandma always says that they eat off the "fat of the land." She is so funny and always brings a smile to everyone she talks to.

I am looking forward to heaven where we will be together all the time with our families. I know that we will talk about many things like...how good the fruit is off the tree of life, how much the angels did to protect us and how we were redeemed by Jesus' blood. Happy Sabbath!

Precious in His Sight

This is Abby. She is a little friend of mine. I have known her since she was born. When her parents lived in Berrien Springs, her mom and I used to walk together. I miss those days, but it seems that people come and go a lot around here. Now Abby will soon have a little brother. I am sure that she will have fun playing with him. As you know, the Bible talks a lot about being like little children. It also talks about growing...so that means we have to keep a teachable heart like a child and still grow in our heart relationship with Jesus. Everyday I want to be connecting with God in a very special way. I try to imagine myself on His lap and listening to Him speak to my heart. I have another little friend named Avalon. She is so precious. Her mom has been my friend for at least 15 years. Avalon will be 2 years old in April, and her mom is also expecting a baby soon. By the way, her parents are extremely proud of her, not to mention her grandparents:) There is something extra special about Avalon and that is she looks a lot like her Uncle Daniel. He passed away a few years ago and it was an added blessing when she came along. I know that when Jesus comes, Avalon will have a lot of fun with her Uncle Daniel.

These two little girls have brightened my day just thinking about them. I hope that you can remember that Jesus wants to hold you close to His heart like a child. You are a child of the King. Enjoy it, cherish your position in Christ. There is nothing more precious in the world!

"Behold what manner of love the Father has given unto us, that we should be called the children of God."

Christmas Party Time

It was a snowy night last Thursday but it was Christmas time. This year's office party was in Union Pier at Timothy's. I don't think I have ever seen veggies stacked so nice. Anyways, I work with all wonderful people. Jeannine is the head hygienist and a blessing. I have learned a lot from her...this being my first position after graduating 2 1/2 years ago. Of course you can see how happy Dr. Kuball is with his lovely staff. We are proud to be working with him too. There are many times that we are all laughing together at work and I am so glad for that. What would life be like if work was dreaded? So each day I am reminded of how good God is to provide me with such nice people to work with. Oh and before I go let me show you a picture of my stack of veggies. You know, in these fancy places there is usually one option for vegetarians. It said on the menu... " Vegetarian selection of the day, $18" ... I'll take it! So there it is... the most exquisite veggie stack around these parts. The way home was treacherous but after having so many veggies I was up for the challenge. I hope you can make some fun Christmas memories this season too. We all have so much to be thankful for and it's obvious that I have been blessed by many smiles throughout the day. Thanks Dr. K, Jeannine, Lisa, Tammy, Nancy, Connie, and Christine. You make life fun on a daily basis. Merry Christmas and God's blessings to you!!!

Scrabble for Hours

How long does it take two people to play one game of scrabble? And...what in the world are the rules?!

Well, I think for my Mom and Christian the average time is three hours and the rules...well... they change when points are on the line or something like that :) During Thanksgiving, on our 12 hour trip to Kansas, they played all the way there and all the way back. There was even time for my mom to take short naps inbetween turns. Heidi and I teamed up in one game...we were the third place winners!!! Mean while my Dad to busy driving and listening to how bad the Green Bay Packers are losing. ;) Sorry Dad. So then we get tired of the flat landscape and stop for some eats. But anyways, back to scrabble... There used to be a time when we didn't have the car version of scrabble ( the tiles snap onto the board). I remember one such trip and at one point, flying down the road in my parents van, Christian had one of the bucket seats in the back disconnected and moved to look for a tile. WOW! Good thing our windows are tinted. By the way, we still have problems with tiles popping off but luckily this time no seat removal was necessary for locating tiles. To top it off, they both usually end the game at around 400 points each. I think that might be in the 'scrabble professional' range.:) It's nice to know that they have fun and provide laughs for the rest of the passengers with the words they come up with. So if I had one last word for this 'Scrabble for Hours' post it would be ummm...hmmm...well...urrr...drawing a blank...big blank...blank tile I guess. No points for me:(

Weekend Blessings and Fun

Sabbath... that word always spells rest and fellowship to me. This week my church had our Christmas program and I was priveledged to sing a trio entitled Bambino Divino. The funny thing is that those were the words I repeated throughout the whole song(sometimes singing alto can be boring).But actually it was a lot of fun and people really liked it. I also sang a song I composed entitled Humble Baby. It always amazes me when God helps me to write songs.

Humble Baby
Who would have thought you'd be my King
Humble Baby
You have made me sing

So small and quiet
Born in a stall
Without one fret
You gave up all

Humble Baby
Who would have thought you'd be my King
Humble Baby
You have made me sing

Opening blind eyes
Covering lies
Setting my heart free
So I could see the

Humble Baby
Who would have thought you'd be my King
Humble Baby
You have made me sing

Bridge: And from the manger to the cross
You went from life to death
And now you're asking me
Can I bring you life again?

Then there was the "Deck the Halls" Christmas party at my house. I think it must be the style to be fashionably late. However, there was a party after everyone finally came:) These are my favorite times with friends. Some of the activities were cookie decorating, stringing popcorn, cranberries and paper chain for my live christmas tree, EATING, and then there was the all famous and very fun pit game.

I really can't say that we can use the word honest to describe how we play this game. I think that by the time someone actually grabs a spoon that we all know what everyone else is collecting, and then who knows who grabbed how many spoons?! Today I am a little tired but I think I have enough energy to hit the ice rink and then church board...yippee!