Ski Trip

We have a long-standing tradition at our high school. Every year around February or March, we take the seniors to Colorado for a week to ski. This includes a 20 hour chartered bus trip, three days of skiing, three nights of devos, and a 20 hour bus trip home. Every year, we’ve come to expect great skiing, some important class bonding, and a surprise or two along the way.

This year was no exception. The kids were great on the buses. We stayed in the same condo that we have used for many years. There were four girls in my condo, and they were all very well-behaved. They were considerate of each other and followed the rules of curfew every night. One girl in my condo developed altitude sickness the first day and ended up flying home on the third day. Other than that and a couple of minor injuries, the whole week ran smoothly.

There was one blip in the whole trip. One of the girls in my room discovered $60.00 missing. She had hidden it at the bottom of her clothes drawer. She alerted the sponsors, who promptly alerted the front desk at the condo. We did not want to believe that someone in housekeeping had taken the money as we had never had any problems of this sort in the 15 years that we have used this condo; we just felt it important to let them know. The sponsors felt that more than likely, the culprit was one of our own, not because this person needed the money, but out of a desire to hurt that girl.

When the rest of the class found out about the missing money, they took action. The senior class president went to each member of the class and asked if they wanted to contribute a dollar or two to the fund to replace her money. On the last day of the trip as we circled around to pray together, he announced that this class felt very strongly that they did not want the actions of one person to taint the reputation of the entire class. He presented her with an envelope filled with $128.00 that they had collected on her behalf. What a strong message this sent, not only to her, but to whoever stole her money.

“Tell them to use their money to do good. They should be rich in good works and generous to those in need, always being ready to share with others. By doing this they will be storing up their treasure as a good foundation for the future so that they may experience true life.”

I Timothy 6:18-19

Something for Nothing

I love a good contest. One of my bloggity friends, through Christian Women Online, is giving away a free Coach purse and glasses case that she does not use. That is such a fun contest, and don't we all like to get something for nothing? Click here to learn more about the contest.

Recently I wrote about putting on my winter coat for the first time last winter and pulling a $50.00 bill out of the pocket. Technically, that is not something for nothing since I was probably the one who put it there last year, but since it was totally unexpected it still felt that way.

My husband has an amazing knack for being at the right place at the right time. Several times in his life, he has looked down and found money on the ground. Once, he was walking into a store and a $20.00 bill slapped him in the leg. There was no one around so he was unable to see who might have dropped it.

I can't tell you how many times we have been driving on the freeway just to have him whip over to the shoulder, come to a screeching halt, put it in reverse (still on the shoulder, thankfully), open his door, and pick up a tool lying in the ditch, or a wallet full of money and no ID.

This man, who on any given day cannot find his own wallet, belt, glasses, or car keys, can spot a wrench lying in a ditch while driving 60 miles per hour on the inside lane.

As for me, I have never won anything, just money in my pocket that I put there in the first place. Except for him, that is. I won him 31 years ago and have been celebrating my good fortune ever since!