This, friends, is my shark.  It was a special gift from God.  Well, at least that's the way I see it. 

Each year when I would go to the beach, I would ask God to help me find a special shell.  Normally, I wanted to find whole sand dollars.  After several times of coming home with sand dollars that eventually crumbled into nothingness as they dried out, I decided that I wanted something different.  I asked God for a special "find"--something that no one else would get and that would be really cool.

I think I got it.

Normally, I don't go running on Thursdays, but I decided to stay up late on Tues. and skip my Wed. run.  I went last Thursday anyway.  Something weird happened during my run, so I changed the route and ended up farther down shore.  Because of all that, I just "happened" to be walking back along the shore around 7:15 on Thursday morning when I saw this thing that had just washed up on the shore.  I realized it was a baby hammerhead shark.  Talk about something different!  As soon as I picked it up (it was dead), I realized that this was God's answer to my prayer.  He had provided something fun and interesting for me to take home. 

Oh, yeah, the most fun was surprising my little brother and then taking it into my parents' room and showing it to them.  What a way to wake up!  :)

(If you think I look tired and sweaty in this picture...you're correct.  But, hey, when you get up before 6, jog for almost and hour, then walk the beach, you have legitimate excuses...right? ;) )