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I know a real live college professor. We’re tight. She lets me call her ‘Prof’. She teaches English, and she’s the real deal. For example, I picked a book of poetry off her bookshelf to test her. She got like 3 out of 8 right. You can’t fake that, people!

So, this is a picture of me and the Prof. Amanda and I went to visit her at Crichton College in Memphis, TN where she teaches.

I didn’t actually write that paper she’s holding. That’s just how she interacts with people. She holds papers all the time and points to them with her red pen. I’m just trying to figure out where the closest coffee shop is.

Like I said, she’s the real deal. College professor through and through.

Seriously, Hannah Johnson is one of Amanda’s best friends. In Amanda’s words “She’s one of the only people that gets me.”

Her husband, Brad, is finishing up at Mid-America Baptist Theological Seminary this semester. We’ve been friends with the Johnsons since before Peru (Brad and I were on staff at GSFBC together). And Hannah really is a college professor, which I think is pretty stinkin’ awesome. And, really, she got more like 4 out of 8 on that poem thing.

We spent about 2 hours with them at B&N last week. We talked about school, Olde English, Operation Valkyries, Johnny Cash and other highly intellectual stuff.

Great news! I have all the copies of Bridge to Terabithia that I need! I received 4 in the mail last week and just got an email saying that 10 more were on the way! You people rock!!

If anyone would still like to help, I could use some comp notebooks.

I now have 4 copies of Bridge to Terabithia in my possession. Thanks to your awesomeness!

And, since we’re still short 9 books and 13 notebooks, I thought I’d make one last call for help.

Summer hits the Promise House on June 5th, officially. And, summertime is, uuummm, dangerous. Let me explain.

Imagine with me, if you will, 9 pregnant, hormonal, emotional teens with nothing to do, cooped up in a house all day, for three months. It has the potential to be the longest 3 months of our lives. So, we get prepared. The key is activity. Lots of it.

And that brings me to my plea. Along with classes and outings and games and a bunch of other stuff, I’m going to get the girls reading this summer. And, hopefully, writing too. So, I need about 13 copies of Bridge to Terabithia and 13 composition notebooks. Would you like to help?

There are lots of used copies on Amazon for a couple of bucks or less (plus shipping). Or, maybe you have an old copy laying around that you don’t need anymore. It doesn’t have to be in perfect condition, just readable.

If you’d like to participate in the Bridge to Terabithia Round-Up just send copies of Bridge to Terabithia and Composition Notebooks by May 15th to:

Promise House
c/o Arkansas Baptist Children’s Homes
P.O. Box 552
Little Rock, AR 72203

If you have any questions, email me: thefamilybush [ a t ] gmail.com.

Thanks!

Girls hate it here.

Then, they love it here.

Then, they leave.

But, they don’t really leave.

They stay in touch.

I’m thankful for that. Because, I miss them.

Sophia and I just got back from the playground at Geyer Springs FBC. Here are a few shots I took (post-processed using picnik.com).

I heart being Sophia’s dad. Seriously. It’s awesome.

Winter is gone. Hot is here. I like summer. Baseball. Air conditioning.

But, I’ll miss winter. Not so much winter, but my hoody.

Until next fall, friend.

Me and the girls in our brand spankin’ new Christmas hoodies (thanks Linda!).

They were supposed to be spaced out just a little bit more, but Princess did not want to come. For like 2 days. So, finally the doctors decided to do a c-section. Princess was born at 11pm Tuesday night. Well, Caden was a planned c-section for Wednesday morning. He was born at 1pm. Talk about some craziness! That puts me at like 14 grandkids.

Often, the van ride to school is the most entertaining part of my day. It’s one of the best times for me to really connect with the girls, but it’s also when they say and talk about some of the craziest stuff. For example . . .

Toaster Strudels

Mr. Ryan, those Toaster Strudels were off the chain this morning! Those thangs were so good they made me want to slap my mama!!

Left Hand

Girl #1: What’s it mean when your left hand starts itching?

Girl #2: That mean you gonna get some money!! When my mama’s left hand started itching, we always got a check.

Girl #3: No, man! It means your gonna go to jail. Every time my left hand got to itchin’ I always ended up in jail, man. I’d tell my mama that my left hand was itching and she’d say, “Oh girl, I better get the bail money ready.”

Messy Hair

Whoa! Look at that woman’s hair (signaling to the woman in the car next to us)! Her hair is a MESS! Make me want to throw my comb over to her.

Other funny things I heard in the van a while back . . .

Greetings From Zaidi and Sister,

I am writing you in absolute confidence primarily to seek your assistance to transfer our cash of Eight Million Five Hundred Thousand United States Dollars($8,500,000.00USD) Deposited in one of the prime Banks here in Abidjan the Capital city of Cote d’Ivoire West Africa, to your private account pending our arrival to your country.

I am Zaidi Adama,the only son of Late Mr. Hari Har Adama a native of mende district in the Westhern province of Sierra Leone, my late father was the General Manager of Sierra Leone Gold and Diamond mining co-operation (S.L.G.D.M.C.) Freetown. My sources of your contact gave me the courage and confidence to rely on you . . .

Wow. Must be my lucky day.

Marriage creates a situation in which our desire to be served and coddled can be replaced with a more noble desire to serve others — even sacrifice for others. This is a call for both husbands and wives.

The beauty of marriage is that it confronts our selfishness and demands our service twenty-four hours a day. When we’re most tired, most worn down, and feeling more sorry for ourselves than we ever have before, we have the opportunity to confront feelings of self-pity by getting up and serving our mate.

Gary Thomas, Sacred Marriage, 186.