whack-a-mole

I got two moles whacked off today, but I'm the one with the spinning head! The dermatologist didn't give me quite enough anesthetic for the first one so he really loaded me up before he removed the second one. I told him that I didn't mind a little bit of pain but I guess I must have been flinching and making him nervous or something. Anyway, I had a good bit of numbness by the time he was done, and now I'm still feeling a bit dizzy an hour and a half later. This must be what it's like to be drunk. Way over-rated, in my opinion! I'm not so much looking forward to the stuff wearing off, though. I didn't write down which pain killer he recommended and now I've forgotten it, so I'm planning to do without. It's weird, I had two moles removed a couple years ago and I remember it being a total non-event. I don't think it even hurt, at least not more than a scraped elbow. This time he must have gone a lot deeper because he said he put sutures in and I need to go back in 11 days so he can remove them. This was like a proper surgery! And he used a laser, which makes it cool. At any rate, I thank God for a good dermatologist here who could take care of these things.

Do not be dismayed.

When God called Jeremiah He said to him: "Speak to [the rulers of Judah] all which I command you. Do not be dismayed before them, or I will be dismay you before them." So often we think that others terrify us, that situations terrify us, that we can't possibly cope with the pressure, and we cry out to God for help. His reply is, "I have already overcome the world. Quit allowing yourself to fear." Fear is not thrust upon us; we choose it for ourself. We need to diligently trust God and allow His love to push us past our fears.

Vacay

Last weekend my fiancée and I got away for three days with some friends. It was a wonderful chance to relax and recoup before the busyness of this past week (which will continue next week!). Here are some pictures of the weekend. Our friends found an entire villa that they could rent out as a family, and they invited us to join them there. I told my fiancée that the place felt like Rivendell- a place where we could rest between adventures. In some aspects it looked like it, as well.

It was near a lagoon so there were many birds flitting about.

There was also this rather bizarre insect/creature/thing. It was as large as the palm of my hand!

One of the great things about the place was the pool.

We ate well thanks to our friends, who are great cooks.

It was wonderful to be far from the city, amongst the birds and stars and fresh air. We even got up to watch the sunrise on Easter morning.