Today we had our second annual (last year was canceled because of weather) water fight. The first year the girls had beat the guys quite solidly, though we were heavily outnumbered. This year, while there were more guys, there were still many more girls. Still, we felt hopeful and in fact the guys did walk away the victors (though we were only able to play one game instead of two because of the excellent competition). Anyways, its a fun time. I like water wars, though I also like paintball. But water wars are nice b/c you can get wet, its funny, and it doesn't hurt. Paintball ensures that people don't cheat (by claiming they didn't get shot), but it hurts. I'm hoping maybe we can do a paintball game, for those interested sometime in the future. I'd like to use pumps instead of semi-automatics because you can play an entire day for only a few dollars in balls as compared to $20-$30 in balls with a semi.

    Tomorrow is to be the first night the guys begin working through John Piper's new book, Don't Waste Your Life. I've been working a little bit through the book and the study guide. I am a bit scared, honestly. I know that Piper will go deep and it is scary when we are afraid that our lives will be exposed as less than they should be. But I was deeply encouraged by Piper's note in the Preface, "It was not always plain to me that pursuing God's glory would be virtually the same as pursuing my joy. Now I see that millions of people waste their lives because they think these two paths are two and not one." (pp. 9-10).

    I must admit, that I probably have some of that wasting in my own life...But if Piper is correct, we have simply been deceived by Satan and sin into thinking that these areas we claim as our own are better than life in God. So, I am afraid (for the struggle) but also looking forward to the struggle as we embrace this study and are challenged in our beliefs and the things we value in our lives.