Yesterday, I found something out about myself. If I am not good at something, but I do one good thing in it and someone notices, I try a lot harder. And I sometimes get better. Two instances come to mind when I say this. A couple of months ago, Blake (our youth pastor) did this thing on Wednesday nights called "Hyperlinc." We played games for almost two hours once a week. I loved it. One of the nights, we played Capture the Flag. I love this game, but I have never been particularly good at it. We played three rounds and as we got to the second round, it was tied. The opposite team then decided that the teams were unfair, and insisted that we give them a player. Again I will say this--the teams were tied. So Blake had a discussion with them of who they wanted. I don't know why, it could have been a serious mental breakdown on their part, but they chose me. I wasn't terrible...but I definitely wasn't great. The team that I switched to dominated. I want it to be clear when I say this that if I sound a little cocky...let me be cocky. I was so not expecting this. I captured almost every single one of the other team's players and put them in jail. I would not have done nearly so well if they hadn't chosen me. It boosted my opinion of myself. Yesterday, we played soccer in P. E. I am not so great at soccer. And by not so great, I mean seriously. Not so great. I was playing defense, and apparently it was obvious I wasn't good, because everyone on the opposite team tried to kick it to my side, because I couldn't stop them. Brian Conner was on the other team, and he had also been playing defense. (For those of you who don't know, Brian is very athletic. Very.) He switched near the end of the game and brought the ball to my area. I came up to him, and completely on accident, I kicked the ball away from him. The next time he took it to my area, he said, in all seriousness, "Please don't kick it, Emily!" Like I could actually do that if I was trying. I very rarely make any contact with the soccer ball. After that, I was on fire. For me. I tried like crazy. I actually had an assist, and I was so excited. I wasn't much better, but I tried, and I enjoyed it. I guess what I can conclude from this is that I like praise. A whole lot.

The song today is Thief in the Night by Leeland.
"Great is Your love and Your faithfulness, it's Your faithfulness that carries me. Many times I've run away, forsook Your love and all Your grace; still You call out my name. Yeah, You still care that I be saved. So I'll sing the glories of Your name, Your awesomness I will proclaim until You come. Until You come and take Your bride away like a thief in the night, You'll take us away."