It's been a few days...

This is my beautiful Momma leaning on my car. Once in a while, when I have some free time on a Saturday morning, I treat her to breakfast at Perkins. She LOVES steak omelets, although she can never eat such a huge plate of food. This past Saturday I had one of those wonderful opportunities to chit chat with her for a whole hour. While we were waiting to be seated, I ran into some old students (who are in their mid-twenties now):



I had a better picture, but it included a child...I'd rather not post that one.

On a happy note, these girls are a hoot! I love them! They ALWAYS made me smile with their energy and silliness. Some things never change...

This morning I spoke with a friend of mine concerning an opportunity to lead worship. We got goosebumps as we shared ideas/visions about ministry, and I can't wait to see what God is going to do next!

I will keep you posted. I hope you have a fabulous evening!

Good mornin'!

HI, ya'll! I got LOTS of sleep last night, and I feel terrific!

How are you?????

I hope all is well in your world. I'm off to work in a few minutes; today is the last day of the practice OGT (proficiency test) for the 9th grade. Four long days are almost over.

I get to actually teach tomorrow! Yay!

Lord, I pray that everyone has a wonderful day! Help us to minister to those who are hurting, and please give us what we need for today. Please bless those who have been displaced due to all of the inclement weather. Thanks, Lord! In Jesus' name, amen.

ministry stuff again

Hi guys! I'm in a pretty chipper mood, and I praise God for that!

Deep down, though, I'm still battling some stuff. Please pray for me, ok? I'm pretty sure it's just a plain 'ol attack of the enemy, but he's playing dirty.

I suppose it's silly to expect him to play any other way.

I need to get it together before 6:00 this evening, though, when I have to teach the women at Bible study. How will I be able to minister to their hurts and wounds if I'm aching?

For those of you in ministry: how do you cope? I welcome any input. I doubt that there are very many women's ministry folks reading this blog, so your ideas are incredibly valuable at the moment. I'm still "pressing toward the mark," but I'm getting really tired. The work itself is fine, but the emotional and spiritual aspects of ministry are kicking my behind. There are also two personal issues that have my head spinning. Don't be offended because I'm keeping them private; I just don't know if any students have found this blog yet....hence my hesitance on sharing details. :o)

I will write again soon. Love you.

Nice party!

Good evening! I just got home from a birthday party, but I wanted to post some pictures of my classroom too. This first one is of my "Star Students" bulletin board. Every month I choose two kids from each class to be my "star students." They don't necessarily have to have A averages; students can earn that title simply by being the most improved. Each student earns 50 bonus points (the equivalent of two homework assignments) and a candy bar.


I keep this humorous reminder on my desk at all times. This caricature has paper airplanes in her hair; I had a pencil thrown at me last week. He thought he'd be clever and then get kicked out of class. Instead, I told him that his punishment was to stay with me the entire class period. He also had his seat changed....to be closer to moi.



This is another view of the back wall. I have a lot of cupboard space this year. Last year I had none.



My little great-niece is more interested in watching the cheerleaders than my son play football. :o)



Meet Shiloh. He is half husky, half German shepherd. Don't let his looks fool you; I've seen him get ferocious when he thinks my friend (his Mama) is threatened. He's an awesome watchdog.


A friend's daughter had her sweet 16th birthday party tonight. My boys made me feel like a party pooper when I started getting too tired. I let them stay until 10:00, but that was torture since they knew it wasn't going to end until 11:00. They'll live! (I'm the one that had to drive home!)



This is one of three dogs that live in this beautiful home. I think she was getting tired of all the stimulation. I wish I could let my dog roam free....but he runs away too often.


So there you have it. That's what I've been doing with my time over the last few days. My classroom is finally exactly the way I want it, and I enjoyed the evening with dear friends. I hope all is well in your world! Love you!

r-e-l-a-x

What a gorgeous day!

I slept in until 8:30! Yay! Then my poor little doggie just had to go...

I ate a bowl of cereal for breakfast and watched a little t.v.

Halfway through a show, my Mom called to invite me to lunch. So I showered, got dressed, took Jazz out a second time, put on a little lip gloss, and headed out the door.

At Red Lobster, I saw an amazing librarian I met when I was in college. She has since retired, but I love her to pieces. My Mom and I caught up on the past week, and then I took her home before heading to church to take care of a tiny bit of business.

After that, I went to the library and browsed for an hour. Although I only chose two novels, simply looking (without a child whining, "Can we leave now?!?") was heavenly!

I am not allowed to teach this week (until Friday) because I have to administer a practice OGT to my students. That's why I wanted to grab some good books from the library this weekend. My lesson plans are done through November, so I'll have plenty of time to read at work this week. Both of the books I chose happen to be by Ted Dekker. I have only read one of his books (Three), and it was awesome. He is a fascinating writer and loves writing suspense as much as I enjoy reading it.

In a few minutes I am going to relax some more by crocheting a blanket for my friend, Kim. It is taking me forever to get this done, but that's ok because my love is going into it. :o) It's halfway done now; Lord, please help me to at least get it to her by Christmas, maybe even Thanksgiving!!!

I have agreed to take my boys to a birthday party this evening, and I think I'll stay and talk to the adults since it's at a dear friend's home. I haven't had such an enjoyable, calm day in quite a while. Thank you, Lord!

tension

I don't like working in a tense environment.

I also don't enjoy being forced to confront a superior.

Fortunately, God is helping me to shut my mouth in front of others and open it in my private prayer time. :o)

Sometimes, though, giving in to my old nature is sooooo tempting.

I like Romans 5:3, which says, "We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they are good for us - they help us learn to endure." Apparently, God has some cool stuff to teach me, eh? :o)

What if I let God write my love story?

I'm playing the piano accompaniment for a musical that will be performed in November. At rehearsal tonight, I discovered that one of the actors is also a Christian and teaches Bible study classes at his church.

How cool is that?

He also has a teaching certificate for middle and high school English.

Sounds like I'm making this up, doesn't it?

Every time the music director worked on something with another singer, Jim and I jumped right back to the topic of ministry. It was so relaxing to exchange viewpoints and opinions.

One of my girlfriends once told me, "Let God write your love story." Isn't that a cool perspective?

And yet, I've realized that I was keeping emotional distance between Jim and myself, even though I was conversing with him so often tonight.

Why?

I try not to do anything unseemly.

Yet I seem to forget that, as a divorced woman, it's appropriate to spend time getting to know other people (namely men).

Instead of writing Jim off as too young, too tall, too handsome, too thin, etc., I think I'll just enjoy the friendship. If the truth be known, I have sabotaged every single friendship that might have led to dating, quite possibly because I'm afraid to enter that world again. It wasn't entirely enjoyable the first time around.

But if God wants to let me love and be loved by this person, then there's no reason to keep looking for excuses as to why "it would never work."

God, I pray that you would change my attitude. Please help me to remember that I'm not an old prude yet. :o) Jesus, help me not to overly think about every single move I make. Instead, Lord, I'd like to simply enjoy my life, with whomever you place in it. Father, please help me to simply live. I don't want to over-analyze everything, but I also don't want to be so carefree that I accidentally fall into sin. I pray that you keep my mind on you, Lord, at all times, even as I develop friendships with others. Thank you for letting me have such an enjoyable day! I had a couple of rough spots, and I pray that you allow me to get along with everyone at work. In Jesus' name, amen.

Happy (and true) rumors

Last weekend was pretty cool.

One of my friends leaned in and said, "Hey, girl, I heard you're gonna be ordained soon!"

I caught my breath as quickly as I could, and then I replied, "Well, I think I need to get licensed first!"

For years I've had dreams of me teaching and preaching, and it's a bit unnerving to see the possibility becoming more real. The thought of giving a sermon is both terrifying and electrifying.

What if I royally screw up?

What if I can't handle the pressure when folks feel inclined to critique every word, or worse yet, misinterpret what I'm trying to say?

But then again....what if I ignore what God is calling me to do?

Maybe I'll take a class to see what seminary is like. It'll have to wait until next summer when I have much more free time. We'll see...

Blessings

I can't believe how quickly this week passed. How have YOU been?

Well, tonight I caught up on reading some of my favorite blogs, and I'm yet again in awe of my friend, Kim. I wish I could create such beautiful artistry. I'm also tickled by an adorable picture of a little "Guy"! He's so cute!

Ladies, you bless me!

I have been putting in some really long hours lately, but I feel fine! It may not be Christmas yet, but my home is filled with peace and joy!

Contentment is something that eludes me at times when I mistakenly focus on what I don't have or what I can't do. Does that ever happen to you?

Thank God my perspective is changing!

I think I'm going to make a conscious effort to change my thought life by deliberately keeping happy thoughts in my mind, especially when I feel overwhelmed or sad. I'll let you know how that goes.

I'm going with a friend to a really enjoyable gathering at a church tomorrow morning, and I'm excited to see some friends I haven't seen for several months.

One of my part-time jobs has gone from twice a week to once a week, which gives me a LOT more free time. Yay!

As for my teaching job, I am finally caught up. It took me two full weeks, but my room is exactly the way I want it, including every file and folder. My grade book is up-to-date (although I'm sure I'll have more drops and adds), textbook numbers and locker combinations are filed, bulletin boards are done, and I only have approximately three hours of grading to do this weekend.

I got a touching card from a friend yesterday, and I'm tickled that God let me receive such a wonderful gift during a hectic time. [Thank you, God!]

Although I am no longer married, I sometimes think of the Proverbs 31 woman who worked from dawn to dusk. She seemed to effortlessly juggle a marriage, a family, a home, a job, etc. I try, but sometimes I falter.

I realize, though, that God doesn't expect perfection: He'd rather have my love and obedience.

He's got them.

Peace to you, my friend.

conflict

My, oh my, what a crazy day.

I worked a ridiculously long day at school (13+ hours), and then I came home to no supper. I thought Child #1 was going to make pizza...at least that's what Mommy asked him to do. Alas, he did not.

I made hot dogs instead.

Then my own mom stopped by and needed to vent about a serious conflict between her and a sister at church.

And I....well, let's just say I'm about to create some serious boundaries for myself and those around me. I need your help, folks. Please pray that God reveals how I'm supposed to improve, not only as a church leader but also on a personal level as well.

Thanks for your prayers!

boundaries

Hey! I'm discovering how to make boundaries for myself in addition to honoring the boundaries of other people.

I met some guys at the coffee house last night, and one in particular was getting on my nerves. I've never met anyone so gifted at talking about absolutely nothing. As I listened to him complain about not being able to teach because the school board discovered that he had been convicted of a misdemeanor, I realized that I was allowing this guy to waste my time. So I interrupted him and, in the sweetest tone of voice, said, "Excuse me, but I really do have to start grading these papers."

And he walked away and sat down at another woman's table. :o)

The highlight of my evening was meeting Denny. He is a principal at a local middle school building, but he moonlights as one of the most amazing guitar players I have ever heard. He also sang with a buddy (who also had a guitar) and made some sweet harmony. Both guys brought their beautiful wives as moral support, which they sorely needed at the beginning of their performance. The sparse crowd just didn't warm up to them at first....in fact, their wives and I were the only ones clapping after each song. Thankfully, by 8:00 the room was filling up with more folks who appreciate the music of the 60's and 70's.

Something's bothering me, but I suppose I should take my own advice and just keep looking on the bright side. I hope all is well with you! I had my camera with me all day today but kept forgetting to take pictures. I'll try again tomorrow.

Peace.

Remember me????

I had a personal goal of writing on my blog at least once every day.

My lofty aspirations included sending words of encouragement and love to my internet loved ones on a regular basis.

Alas, I have failed miserably.

But I still love you!!!!!

Perhaps one really meaty entry per week will be more manageable since I'm back to work. Until then, I will write short bits and pieces as I am able. Even now, I'm under a time restraint because a friend is waiting for me to deliver something, and then I'm off to a local coffee shop to grade five more batches of diagnostic essays.

Perhaps I'll take a detour so that I can take some pictures of my beloved town. It's small, and we don't even have our own mall. (The closest one is in Niles, which is only a few minutes away.) Every time I need to drive to Columbus for meetings makes me nervous; people in big cities are so impatient on the road! Anyway, I'll try to post some pics soon.

I love you, even if I don't write as often as I did in the summer. Best wishes for a fantastic weekend! God bless!

busy, busy, busy

Hi (especially to Kim)! :o)

It's been a crazy week so far:

SUNDAY: It took me a little over an hour to get to the car after service because I had some opportunities to listen when a few women (one at a time of course) needed to talk. I think God's going to do some pretty cool stuff in their lives!

LABOR DAY: I watched a few minutes of the Jerry Lewis MDA telethon and then worked at church, but I didn't have enough time to finish everything I wanted to do. In the morning my buddy, Tim F., fixed a leaky hose on my central air unit AND showed me how to clean a part on my furnace [to make it work better in the fall]. Yay! And he even bought the parts to get the job done. I love him and his gorgeous wife. They rock!

TODAY: I met my students for the first time. They are awesome! Of six classes and approximately 155 kids, only one student had an attitude. One outta 155 ain't bad, eh?
The new classroom is equipped with a microphone that I wear around my neck. That is the coolest toy! I didn't have the nerve to try it until 5th period, but I'm hooked! I'll be firing up that baby every period every day!!! I'll have to remember to get a picture of all the electronic gadgets, including the mike.

When I was having a difficult time last year, my Pastor came and prayed with me. The results were amazing! After prayer, my students were behaving, I didn't need to remove anyone for inappropriate comments (profanity had been a problem), and they were all on task. I asked Pastor to come pray with me this year too, so we busted out the oil this afternoon and went to town praying for everybody who came to mind.

I left work at 5:25 and barely made it to a women's meeting for another church. I bought a ticket to a catered dinner where we watched One Night with the King. Have you ever seen that movie? I love it! It's the story of Esther, who is actually a Jew named Hadassah. I HIGHLY recommend this movie.

As I exited my car, I noticed something out of the corner of my eye. At first, I thought it might be a mouse running up the side of the garage. Upon closer inspection I realized it was something else...the biggest spider I've ever seen in my life. He must have eaten a small dog for supper tonight!

Ick!!!!

This is one of those times I wish my brother lived a little closer so he could pop over and kill it for me.

Alas, there was no one to call, so I took off my sandal and smacked it.

Would you believe that sucker kept crawling?!?!?! Ewwwwwww!!!! I had to put my shoe back on and stomp before it finally died.

I itch everywhere just thinking about it!

Since I need to get to sleep soon, I'll have to think happy thoughts to push out the creepy ones. Let's see....I like rainbows....and roses (although I'm highly allergic), and Christmas lights...