I’m a CASA worker.  Court Appointed Special Advocate.  I’m excited that Yankton now has CASA. I’ve worked out of Sioux Falls (70 miles from here) and had to travel there.  I will be getting a case soon.  The case will be foster kid(s) that are in the system.  Then I will spend time with the kids and investigate the case. 

There are people in my life that love to ask challenging questions.  Einstien once said that if the world was being destroyed and there was only 1 hour left, he would spend most of the time getting the right question and the rest of the time answering it. 

Do you ask challenging questions?

I’ve heard people say, “I don’t care what others think of me, I’m just going to be myself.”  But is that completely true?  Is what other people think important? How about mom and dad? Spouse? Should that direct how we live?  Does it direct our lives?  Christians can say, “I only care what God thinks.”   Is that completely true?  Do we care about what church leaders think of us?

What’s your thoughts on how other people think of you.

I just finished a book about the Civil War.  It was about Lincoln and the decisions he made during the war. Politics did not take a vacation during the conflict.  Northern Generals wanted to win support and possible offices waged war with that goal in mind.  General Grant and Sherman changed the course of the war.  Their intent was on winning.  There were seasons that it looked bleak for the North.  The war lasted as long as it did because of the politics that were played.  President Lincoln only liberated the slaves because it was advantagous in order to win the war. 

Do you like politics?

A friend of mine asked me if I needed anything from Sioux Falls.  I jokingly told him to bring me back a stack of green stuff.  Well he came back with (what looked like) a roll of money.  I’ve kept that on my desk as a conversational piece and it works.  People want to know how much is in it and why I have it there. 

Do you ever create any conversational pieces? 

This is part of the year that I dislike the most: Halloween.  It bothers me to see kids dressed up in evil costumes.  I’ve had to deal with the “real” dark side and it’s not a play thing.  We make a family night that night.  Last year we went to Chuckie Cheese.  It was great and very empty.  We’re doing the same this year. 

Why is Halloween popular?  

This was in the paper this morning:  A report was made of a person yelling, “I’ve killed and I’m going to kill more” from the 2400 block of Cedar Terrace.  Upon investigating it was found that a person in apartment room was playing a combat game. 

Psalms 31:14
Word of the Day: verbose
I do not have a verbose personality.  Do you?

Some of the TV shows I like to watch are:
George Lopez
I love Raymond
Family Feud
Star Trek
Dick Van Dike Show

What are some TV shows you like to watch?

Psalms 31:9-13
Word of the Day: gumption
Some people don’t have enough gumption for there own good.

I have a picture on my desk of when I was a teenager.  I have it there to remind me of how far I’ve come.  You see I didn’t like that person in the picture.  I was quiet, shy and a lot of afraid.  I remember the day I actually started liking myself.  I was in a training class and the instructor did an ice breaker.  He asked everyone to talk about the person they wanted to be.  I listened to a lot of the class say rich people, movie stars and such.  It came to my turn.  I had thought about it and my mind was made up.  “I want to be me because I like me.” 

Did you like yourself when you were a teenager?

Psalms 31:6-7

I want to increase my affectiveness with people, so I asked a person I knew a tough question.  I asked her how approachable am I?  She gave me an honest answer and it wasn’t what I wanted to hear.

Do you give permission to certain people around you to give you honest feedback about your personality?

Psalms 31:6
Truth or dare – Would you rather do an impression of the next person you see or tell someone a fault about your personality?