SLEEP-IN

Sooooooooooo...I just woke up at 8:45...i presumably was going to attend class at 8:30...

Cause and Effect would tell you: I unknowingly turned off my alarm, overslept, and considered it useless to get ready in five minutes only to be 30 minutes late for class. I have already done that once this semester for the same class, and I think that one really shows my devotion so that my teacher won't expect it again? Right? Luckily this is a teach that I have had 6/8 semesters since I have been in college. He constantly rips on me for being from WV and I play along so that it will lead him to another long tangent/story. Genius, and what a servant I am to my class: to be the butt of all jokes just so we get less done, have lower expectations, and are more entertained during class.

Sorry Mom and Dad.


In other news...We had a great small group last night. I met with 5 high school ladies to begin the all church journey small group. What I absolutely LOVED about this was not being the group leader. Amy is officially hosting, but the way that the group is designed by the series creators there really is no one person who is the leader. They insert funny reasons why certain people in the group should take on the host role at different times during the group...i.e. closest person to the door read this, nearest birthday person do this.

I will be the first to admit that I truly deprive myself of fellowship that I know I need because I am not in a small group or Bible study that I am not also leading. I meet with girls Sunday nights, lead campaigners on Mondays and then the rest of the week I am typically meeting one on one with girls. I am striving not to be the reverberating voice in this group. These girls hear me talk talk talk all the time, so I want to back off some and let them learn from each other as I really learn from them. Molly and Katie, two girls who have really rebelled against YoungLife stuff in the past are fervently coming to campaigners, meeting with me regularly, and totally excited about this group. I gave Katie her own Bible last night and Molly is feverishly underlinging and taking notes during study. They are both looking for answers for some of their doubts and I pray that the Lord reveals himself in ways that they could never imagine!

"Look at the nations and watch—
and be utterly amazed.
For I am going to do something in your days
that you would not believe,
even if you were told. (Habakkuk 1:5)

Random Things

I was going to blog about the things that i don't subscribe to because I consider them to be "cult" followings...but I am really swamped this week. I have about 5 minutes before I need to get on the road for small group with some high school ladies for our all-church journey. Something so cool about the MEGA church that I attend here in cinci is that every spring they do an all-church journey. Everyone is ENCOURAGED to get into a small group and meet once a week to discuss the weekend message. They MASS distribute workbooks that have a designed curriculum and then have an activity for every small group to do together during the week. TONS of church in Cinci are participating so you are bound to run into someone...somewhere here in the city that is doing and reading the same stuff taht you are. It is truly an awesome thing.

Something else. Tonight I made a BOMB dinner. I used to think I was a pretty horrible cook, but once I discovered spices and ways to cook vegetables I am PRETTY domestic if I do say so myself. I had awesome tilapia with cajun seasoning over top of steam green beans and perogies on the side. BRAVISSIMO.

Just because I said I am feeling domestic is not an invitation for any sort of wife-to-be jokes. That is a long way off folks :)

Week crazy

I am just going to take this opportunity to first inform you all that I will be in Siesta Key (Sarasota), Florida one week from 11 am this morning. Commence...jealousy. Gosh our spring break is early this year, but I am lucky enough to have a wonderful friend Allison who invited me to join her at her grandmothers condo for a week. We will be seeing the Reds play the Yanks in spring training, but that is all we have planned...minus the usual: tanning, sleeping, riding bikes, and tanning.

Also, before I leave for SPRING BREAK 2009 FLORIDA...not yelling..but sorta kinda am...I find out about the job I applied for on Friday. I am taking a big risk in announcing this to all of cyber space seeing as how the outcome could go two ways (job or no job), but I just need prayer that I don't put all of my eggs in taht basket...mentally and emotionally speaking. I need to be open for the direction taht the Lord will lead me, even if and probably especially if it is not this job. I may be tryign to take the easy way out with this one rather than really praying and relying on the Lord for what he might REALLY have in store for me.

Jeremiah 29:11 For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

Two in one DAY

Yea-yea. I know it's my second blog for the day...Hold the applause.

Gotta share two things. i LOVE Danny Gokey from American Idol. I would marry him tomorrow. In fact...I think it's meant to be.

The second thing is that I have a wonderful friend that I met while on Summer Staff for Young Life at Saranac Lake, NY. Her Name is Caroline and she is a BEAUTIFUL photographer...and person. Those were backwards. Anyway. She just revamped her website and its too cute (which means professional) in her "easy on the eyes" sea foam green and the music is awesome as usual. While I was listening last night I came across a song that totally fits ME totally...It fits my blog too. So I will share it with you from Caroline. Make sure you visit her hyperlinked sites. She is a music phenom...finds the best stuff.

Blessed by Brett Dennen <-- click the link to listen while you read the lyrics

I welcome the sun,
the clouds and rain,
the wind that sweeps the sky clean
and lets the sun shine again.
this is the most magnificent life has ever been.
here is heaven and earth
and the brilliant sky in between.

blessed is this life
and I'm gonna celebrate being alive.
blessed is this life
and I'm gonna celebrate being alive

I dwell in the darkness
I live in the light
I sleep in the afternoon
and become the noise in the night
I trespass in temptation
suffered in sacrifice
but I awake each day with a new sunrise

blessed is this life, oh
and I'm gonna celebrate being alive
blessed is this life, oh
and I'm gonna celebrate being alive

Campaigners

I cannot believe I haven't mentioned this yet, but we have been having ROCKING cmapaigners lately. Campaigners is our weekly Bible Study at Mariemont HS for Young Life. Since we do not run Club, this is our main..."event"...for Young Life in the 'Mont. For about a month before Christmas break and about a Month after we have been doing a series that I titled "Real Life. Real Issues." Before Christmas we talked about lying, cussing, drinking, drugs and partying, gossip and friends etc. We had the high schooleres write down anonymous questions around which we formed our campaigners.

Since Christmas break we have tackled the whole idea of sexuality, focusing on the differences between guys and girls through a few split sex Campaigners. We split the first week and talked about body image with the girls and the boys talked about some things generally specific to them (ie porn). After that week, we did a brief intro then our guy leaders talked to the girls and us girl leaders talked to the boys. Answering questions and going deeper into some realities about the opposite sex. this past week we talked about dating and we had 20 people there! It has been awesome to see the responses from students and the new people showing up and coming around. We have even had some students come on their own, without friends. It has been so awesome to see how our main and consistent Campaigners have really been inviting and going after friends.

We are talking about Sex next week. And sure this will be awkward and the high schoolers will squirm. What do I even know about sex? I am nervous to do this one, but God has blessed us so much in the past few weeks for being obedient in hitting the hard stuff. I gotta believe that He will continue to bless this next week as well. It is a huge help for to to have Ben and Laura (my leaders from HS) as a resource during this series. I talked to Laura way back, and she gave me a ton of resources for this series!

I am reminded daily how lucky I am to have the relationships taht I do with these high schoolers to the point that I can talk about the real stuff with them. God doesn't just talk about "christian" things that some beleive don't have a place in our daily lives. His word is living and breathing, and because of this it can apply to every part of our lives. Sexuality is a topic that is becoming less and less taboo, especially in the media. To be able to tell 15-18 year olds that God has a plan for sex in their lives...that is just a crazy and awesome opportunity for us as leaders.

God has been doing HUGE things in this spiritually dry community during the three years taht I have been there, but this past semester has been just a concentration of big thing after big thing. I am really seeing how obedience in awkward, and difficult, and unwanted situations can totally pay off in being able to be a witness to God's blessings - in my own life ANd in the lives of others.

Don't judge me

For the record I am not trying to single out my lunch date as being any sort of exception to the rule. I think he represents a rather large spectrum of guys. And I don't fault him for it. It's only natural that men would be inferior to women, right?


hahaha....KIDDER. I got jokes. Chances of him reading my blog. Yikes.

And everyone says women are indecisive...

Okay...here is the thing about guys. They love to talk talk talk it up about how women can never make a decision, or how it takes women too long to make up their mind.

First off: We have a lot more going on up there at the same time than you. (ask me about it...its scientific)
Second off: I have come to find out that this is not just characteristic of women.

Fess up guys because I got proof. When my PT friend called yesterday to finalize our plans for this afternoon, I was maybe unfairly? expecting him to have made some decisions. Now...before telling this story. I APPRECIATE a guys concern and acknowledgment of a woman's ideas and preferences. I APPRECIATE it when a guy courageously asks me out AND picks up the tab. That being said...don't take me too seriously.

So I got the phone call yesterday asking em if I was still interested. What the hay, right? So he asks me lunch or coffee? I had been leaning toward coffee, but I am trying this new thing called "letting the guy make some decisions." So I told him I was flexible and we could work around what time we wanted to go. He tells me that he could do either...again I say...I am flexible. Finally we decide...collectively...on lunch. Then ensues the painfully awkward choice as to where. Now...I know that said male doesn't know me so has to really take a shot in the dark with what I might like. So, he asks where I would like to go, and I tell him again, I am flexible. Remember: I am trying to run with this whole letting him make the decisions thingy. So he suggest we just decide tomorrow. My mind says (even though I am doing the whole let him decide thing): Why wait? Let's get this second BIG decision under our belts so we can move forward. So I SUGGEST (so as to make him think it is his idea) that he just decide tonight. He serves out three options. I return the serve with two...including one of his. He then tells me that it is too hard to choose between those two. Hmmmh...For pete's sake. I put on the pressure and he decides. But it took climbing mountains to get there. Haha

Part of what I love about meeting new people and going out with them on "dates" (loose term) is that you really gotta feel each other out. A big part of this for me is their sense of humor. I am pretty sarcastic by nature and found out early on in this current "interaction" that I should let someone realize that slowly rather than all at once, so as not to crash and burn with humor. I PLANNED (yah, i know, embarrassing) a joke to use for the initial call back from said man. Unbeknownst to him...it was a joke...and it bombed. Had me laughing, but I had to explain the joke...and that is the worst.

Moral of the Story: Ease into the humor.

If you were wondering...we had a good time.

Valentino

On this Valentine's Day...I decided to watch the Bachelor episode from last week...hometown dates. I am starting to think that sitting in my room alone watching this show on my computer on Valentines night might have been some feeble attempt to test myself. I think I was trying to see if I REALLY cared about Valentines Day...if all of the nonchalance and "no big deal" 's were real.


Turns out.....THEY ARE. haha. 2 hours of the Bachelor and I still don't feel any sadness at not having a Valentine here in my presence.

Luckily, I've got the best thing...the better thing. Song of Songs 7:10 says, "I am my beloved's and his desire is for me." I love that right now God truly is a man about whom I can say this. I hope and pray that one day there will be an earthly man who also takes this role...but no earthly man's love will ever come close.

What an awesome kind of love.

The rumors are true...

Well...for those of you (cough) CHAD (cough) who think that my whole little teaser was just a ruse. There is in fact a story that goes along with the tease, although it may not be exciting enough to have warranted a whole day blog teaser. Plus I realized quite a few things about myself in the midst of this interaction.

For three weeks now I have been at PT on Wednesday mornings and for three weeks the same guy has also been there getting work on his shoulder. We didn't really acknowledge each other the first week, and the second week he engaged me in a little conversation about one of my favorite things: outdoor recreation and specifically my trip out west. He had many many questions and I have learned recently that I am good at answering questions, but not so good at asking them back to keep the conversation rolling. Kind of like having to stop at a stop sign and pause for three seconds each time you drive one block. drive...PAUSE drive...PAUSE. Before I left I realized he was somehow affiliated with the Xavier swim team and I happened ot pass him on my way out of the gym later that afternoon.

This past Wednesday he was there...like clockwork. Funny how boys can sometimes be so predictable...lol. I had chosen to cancel my Monday appointment because my therapist said I only needed one more...coincidence? lol. Anyway, he (Shane I will later come to find out) was working on some excercises and got my attention by making some subtle jokes. Once I sat down to have my scar massaged, Dawn, my therapist, asked if I had a boyfriend. This question was whispered and so I whispered back, "no." I feel like I have been asked this question at least 40 times this year by older women in my life trying to play matchmaker. She then informed me that I had a secret admirer. Hey Dawn, turns out...the cat is out of the bag, and now you have made it possible for me to subject myself to overthinking and embarrassment for the next 45 minutes of sitting in the same room as said admirer.

Shane engages me in conversation, mostly about my surgery and injury at this point, and I humor him although I am clearly feeling more awkward inside than I have up to this point. Each week I have been at PT he has always had to take off his shirt to get his shoulder wrapped. Before, I did not think twice about this nor did I pay attention (yah, I know you think im lying, but shut it). This week when Jason, his therapist, informs him hes gotta take his shirt off, I find ANYTHING else that I can avert my eyes to. I might have memorized most of the license plates in the parking lot for looking out the window as long as I did. Eventually Dawn finished my massage and ANNOUNCED that it was my last day and that I needed to fill out some closing paperwork. At this point, I was feeling like she was trying to sabotage me pretty bad.

So I get my things together and begin to walk out. Shane, still shirtless, sticks out his left hand to introduce himself and I return the gesture. As I am leaving I hear a quick and nervous, "wait!" from Shane and I turn around, only to be facing him...still shirtless...and hear him ask if I want to go out for coffee sometime. MIND YOU there are about 7 strangers in this room privy to our entire interaction. My face gets REALLY hot and totally RED and I am so flustered that after saying yes I about run out of the room faster than I have been able to since high school. He stops me, stuttering feverishly, informing me that he needs my number. After dropping all of my things on the floor in search of a pen, Dawn hands me a post-it and I do the deed and bounce out of there pronto. Clearly embarrassed.

It is situations like these that make me just laugh at Valentines Day and get excited to be out of college. I feel like such a grown up when people try to fix me up, or when men ask me on dates. I think it is totally funny and even so I am almost always clearly embarrassed. That is one feeling I can't hide. One of my favorite things to do is get to know new people, whether it is over coffee once or turns into a lifelong friendship.I have only had a "Valentine" once, my freshmen year of high school, and it ended up being more stressful than enjoyable. My thoughts on Valentine's Day have pretty much remained the same over the years. I don't have any qualms about being single, in fact, I think I am really content being single. Valentine's is sort of like New Years...Big woop. I ask you, necessary celebration? for those of you who enjoy it...I love you. more power to ya :)

So...Chad...and Mom...Don't hate on my feeble attempts to entice and entertain my 11 faithful readers. If you know me, you know that I am honestly and openly good at drawing attention to my blog and facebook profile. For example, changing my facebook relationship status to "in a relationship" just to see the reactions. Mom you know I was Born to Entertain in some way shape or form. I. Got. Jokes. And you love me for it. Come on, in the spirit of Valentines?

wink wink

hahaha. still laughing at the absurdity of what I am about to tell you.

I got asked out for coffee at physical therapy yesterday in front of about 7 strangers.

I plan to leave you hanging in order to see if there is any interest in the full story...

;)

Smodgepodge

My how time flies. I am sitting in the library, having just bought Reds Spring Training Tickets for when Allison and I are in Florida for Spring Break the first week of March. We are going to see the Yankees play the Reds one Sunday afternoon. Fun time to be had by all.

I don't have a ton of time this morning because I have to get a shower before work, but I have neglected the blog for 5 days. I was in Morgantown and Charleston this past week seeing fam and friends, so I was busy. Low key weekend, but such great fellowship.

Since getting Sirius radio for Christmas, I have been feeling out my top 10 preset stations. This weekend during my total of 12 hours of driving, I began to switch them around some. After getting myself all jittery from drinking a Monster energy drink and eating an energy Powerbar, I listened to the news much of the way home from Charleston to Cincinnati. I settled and decided that CNN Hdln is my favorite news station. Yet...for the second day in a row, the top news stories are STILL as follows:

1. Why wasn't Chris Brown at the Grammy's? Because he was indicted on charges of domestic violence involving an unidentified female. Why wasn't Rhianna, his superstar girlfriend, at the Grammy's? Speculation is that she was the unidentified female.
2. A-Roid. He was young and naive people. Give him a break. Commentators say he needs to do an anti-drug campaign to clear everything up.
3. Obama's stimulus package. After listening to 3 hours of news I still dont understand this. Surprisingly Howard Stern's explanation didn't even make sense to me. Just sounds like a lot of money. Will any of it see my pockets? :) (This is not an invitation for a political discussion. I am neither for nor against this whole "package," nor do I implore you to give me your opinion. My blog is not and will never be a forum for politics.)


Anyway. Valentines weekend coming up. Valentines is a lot like New Year's for me. Lots of hype....and not much pizzazz when it comes down to it. And don't get the wrong idea. Single or not my feelings are the same.

My beef with Ohio: Fog, clouds and haze. It is warm here but you never see the sun. Clearly an issue. Soon enough though :)

Song

Heard this song on another blog today and just had to post the lyrics:

Gabriel and the Vagabond by Foy Vance

There's a man in the corner and his clothes are worn
And he's holding out his hand
You could see in his eyes as the people walk by
He knows they don't understand

Ya see they just think he's gonna take their money
And go and spend it all on dope
Then a man stopped by and I saw a smile inside him
As he gently whispered hope

Well the tramp started to cry, just kept saying,
"Why? why? why?
Could you see I'm a dying tonight
Well I'm 32 and I've got this one pair of shoes
And a bad taste in my mouth
I think it's clear to see that even God don't love me
Or else why would He leave me this way."

Then Gabriel just smiled and said be peaced my child
Salvation is here today

He got up to his feet and he sang Hallelujah
People were turning around in the street
He looked them in the eyes and he sang,
"Hallelujah
There's someone here that you gotta meet
Someone you just gotta meet."

When the vagabond turned around well without a sign
Gabriel just smiled and disappeared
Then he looked to the crowd and they were laughing out loud
But he could not see them fore tears
When his vision came round
There was a young girl on the ground
I knew she was fine and hard to cope
She never was a fighter until he laid beside her
And gently whispered hope

They got up to their feet and they sang Hallelujah
People in the street were turning around
They looked them in the eyes and they sang,
"Hallelujah
There's someone here we have found"
They sang,
"Hallelujah, Hallelujah
We are the voices crying in the wilderness
Hallelujah, Hallelujah."
The people in the street started their sins to confess
And a chorus of,
"Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Every knee will bow and every tongue confess
and the voice of one crying in the wilderness
crying
Hallelujah, Hallelujah"

dig down deep.

What a weird night. For some reason I have a million thoughts and feelings swirling around in my head. Like I said earlier, Molly and I saw the movie Rachel Getting Married. NOT A CHICK FLICK folks. I didn't know a thing about it, but it was a very dark movie. More about symbolism and music and deep seeded family issues than the plot or story line of the wedding. Two people in love getting married in the midst of immeasurable family dysfunction. Kim, Rachel's sister, returns from rehab the day before the wedding. She brings with her a slew of bad memories and a dark past...SPOILER ALERT...including being the cause of her toddler brother's death. Yet, once all the fighting settles for a short period, Rachel bathes and cares for her hurting sister on the day of her own wedding. Kym represents a sort of prodigal son, and for Rachel, it is terribly hard to see her sister come back after rehab only to fall right back into their father's graces.

I think maybe the complexity of the movie just has me in a weird mood. After the movie a woman on the street asked me if I could loan her $2.50. She was short for a room to stay in. If you know me you know I cannot say no to someone on the street asking for money, no matter their specific need. Knowing I had a little cash I said I didn't because I wanted to pay cash for the ice cream Molly and I were going to get. When it came time to pay I couldn't use my cash. I dropped my ice cream on a table and went outside and jogged down the street. I found her and gave her the money. I acted like I was in such a hurry and I don't know why. She was so grateful. Happily said to me, "Bless you." And I jogged off.

I can't even tell you how many times I feel like I have missed opportunities like this. One of the things Steve Gardner said on leader weekend was in the context of urgings from God. Something that impacted me so much that I wrote it down on the cover of my journal was a simple statement: "When in doubt, GO." I think I am slowly learning how and when to do this. But tonight, I feel like I dropped the ball. I didn't even ask her her name. I want to know her name. God calls us to love people and I think I sometimes forget that that call means EVERYONE...not just people in the ministry that I am doing. It means college classmates, roommates, professors, people on the street, waitresses, family, etc.

I pray that I would be conscious of when the Lord wants me to move. I pray to be so in tune with his urgings that all I need is the tiniest urge and I GO. I want to know how to love people the best that I can, which I know means giving up some of myself. Giving up selfishness. Loving people for doing nothing for me. Loving people because I have the greatest Example to follow. I think this also means being vulnerable, which is immensely hard for me. It means admitting that I have weakness and admitting that I need help. It means not always having to be the strong one.

One critic of Rachel Getting Married was quoted as saying, "[it goes] deep into the joy and pain of being human." Isn't that real? Man there is joy and there is pain...we can hurt so bad and yet still we can love each other. "The elation and pain of being alive." But isn't it a miracle that in the midst of the good and the bad that we have Christ? To experience pain is to know Christ better. To know better how it feels to have him pick up the pieces. To know better how it feels to know his pain and love for us. To know better that pain and suffering will not be the end of us, but that ultimately, to know Christ means to see the joy in the midst of the pain.

My life could never be a reality show.

I have not had any good stories lately and today is no different. Not much of anything new is going on with me right now besides not working because of massive amounts of snow so far this semester. Xavier was not canceled today, but CPS was, so I did not work AGAIN. A tad bit frustrating, but only a tad. Mom was off today and texted me saying that she was going to move to a county where they actually go to school. I texted Robert at 11 asking what he was doing on his school day. The one word response of "sleeping" lead me to believe he had not gotten out of bed yet. Unlike Mom he has no qualms about having snow days.

There are so many movies out right now that I am DYING to see. Frost Nixon being at the top of that list, along with Milk and Doubt. But, Molly and I are going to see Anne Hathaway's new movie, Rachel Getting Married. Her choice, but I always welcome a good chick flick. Plus our mutual friend Nick is giving us free tickets because his parents are part owners of the theater. That means I will feel less guilty buying popcorn or candy...mmmhh :)

One thing that is pretty new is my love for working out. Okay..."LOVE" is an overstatement of epic proportions, but I am reminded how good it feels after sweating for an hour. Being immobile and just uncomfortable with an injury for so long has brought me full circle to being able to enjoy working out again. I had therapy today and she has increased me to being able to actually run in two minute intervals on the treadmill at a low speed. I have just been doing the stationary bike and elliptical until now, so was excited about this. I can't wait for warmer weather and a chance to run outside. Maybe a marathon is on the FAR FAR horizon after all. Right, Betsy?

Today I...

1. Remembered two random things about myself that I forgot to mention:
I LOVE elephants and they are all over my room. They are a symbol of strength and intelligence. clearly appropriate...AND You might call me a voyeur for how much I love Reality TV.

2. Drove to class. Got my car STUCK on a snow embankment because i was greedily seeking a BAD parking spot close to class.

3. Paid for greediness by not being able to get my car out, so had a coworker pick me up for work...yay Carol!

4. Talked to a few really good friends and decided I might hit up Morgantown this weekend.

5. Realized how much I miss my family. My stinkin' brother is so cute and I miss him too much. I can't stand not being a prat of his everyday life. I hate not being an immediate friend for my mom when stuff is bothering her. All hard stuff that is part of growing up.

Okay...fairly boring post, but better than nothing?

This monitor must be HD

Just got done with American Sign Language class and I had to print some things so I am blogging from the SNAZZY computers in the Alter Hall computer lab. These babies are like 20 inch screens. They are those desktop Mac's that don't require you to have a tower. Everything is housed in the monitor. I think I would like this computer when I have a lot of money. Wait...that will probably never. Add it to the list of things I will do when I have an excess of funds for miscellaneous luxuries...including lasik surgery so that I can look at a computer for longer than 15 minutes without needing Ben Stein to fix me up.

It's official. As much as I hate to admit that I have fall privy to some cult following, I am currently joining the masses in whatever sort of sickness is going around. I hate admitting I am sick because it just means I gotta admit that I need to slow down a bit, but usually that ends up being good for me.

We have YL Campaigners tonight and I am pretty psyched for what we have to offer to our Mariemont students. Fortunately the Bible is not an age old waste of a book that does not bear any relevance in our daily lives today. It is a living and breathing document so we can even look at the bible in terms of our dating lives, relationships, male female interaction, and body image. We, as a team, are excited to get into real life stuff that high schoolers deal with on a DAILY basis. It is crazy what is deemed "acceptable" now-a-days (I sound like a grandparent :) ), even different from when I was in High School just four years ago. Plus we get to split into same sex groups tonight. Just me and the girls! So, I am excited to start off talking about male and female brains (because we really are wired differently), and then get into body image and the ways taht we use and treat our bodies. I think that is part of a larger issue dealing with our hearts and our desire as women to control. So, we will talk some about the courage to surrender our baggage like Daniel in the lions den (Daniel 6).

I want to follow God even if it mean's walking into the lion's den. God doesn't put us in the lion's den without having a purpose. When I finally surrender all my stinkin' rubbish I will never question God's guarantees: I will never leave you. I will always live in you.

And that's how Daniel made it out alive. God sent angels to close those mouths.