evening service

Well, I just got back from an evening prayer service that was absolutely lovely. I knew many of the pastors who participated, and I loved the corporate prayer time. What an awesome way to end my Sunday!

My boys' choice for lunch: Subway. They know Subway's sandwiches aren't nearly as fattening as pizza or hamburgers and fries, and their $5 footlongs are kind to my bank account. We ate healthy and enjoyed some entertaining conversation too! :o)

Oh wait....we ordered cookies for dessert. We almost ate totally healthy! :o)

Now I'm off to be a good little girl and finish my homework. Before I do my real homework for college, I need to enter some grades into my grade book and prepare for tomorrow's classes. Then I'll work on my paper a bit more before I get some sleep.

Thankfully, I was organized and already made copies of the final exam for each class. I have to make a different test for each period because they cheat. Isn't that a shame? But at least it's all done!

Have a wonderful week! Love you!

trying to be optimistic

I just finished watching Pride and Prejudice.

Thank you, God, that women no longer need to rely on men to have a decent life.

Thank you, Lord, that I have a fulfilling, challenging, and thrilling career rather than merely a job.

Thank you, Father, for helping me care for my children in addition to providing a few "extras" once in a while.

As I watched the film, I contemplated all of the above. Of course, facing my "single" status was inevitable during this movie, but the final scene struck me as particularly touching: Mr. and Mrs. Darcy begin celebrating their wedding night by holding hands and talking outside on the patio.

Wow...I would love to experience that someday.

Surprisingly, though, I find myself grateful for being alone. At the moment, I am totally in control of my finances, can come and go as I please, and make summer plans (teaching summer school and attending grad school) without consulting anyone else.

Perhaps I am growing accustomed to being a "Ms."... It really isn't so bad.

Someone told me recently that he thinks I need to pray about the relationships I have with others (both men and women).

No kiddin'.

He thinks I pull away (and I do), but I also love deeply. Perhaps I go overboard with trying to actively show my love for people. If I see a need, then I do something about it, especially for a loved one.

I've had someone recently mention tasks that I used to do to help him at work, but that tone is entirely different from, "Hey, I miss you." But maybe he doesn't miss me; maybe he just misses the work I did. I appreciate the truth, and I'm glad we spoke.

To borrow some words a friend wrote about me, I wish God would give me someone who "knew what makes me tick, what ticks me off, and how to calm me down." [Thanks, Bob!] :o) I wish I could bounce ideas and frustrations off of a sweetheart, but for now, this blog will do. I can't hurt or offend a blog, so it's harmless to vent here. I'm not typing anything that shames or embarrasses me, especially since anybody and her momma can read this. Getting my thoughts collected, organized, and stored here on a somewhat regular basis soothes me.

God knows what's best for me, and I'll just have to remember that. I think I'll just "be still" and "know that He is God."

Lord, your will be done. Amen.

1st Paper's done! WOOO HOOOOO!!!!!

Go me! Go me! I finished the first paper! I even wriggled a few comments about the Lord into this paper. I know, I know...that's dangerous...but what the heck? Why not? I had to do an explication on a poem that involved Emily Dickinson's aversion to church, so why not deal with the real issues?

Pray ya'll; I think I did a great job, but my professor might not like how I explained my point of view...especially if she isn't a Christian.

We shall see, and you will definitely hear what happens when I get my paper back.

I'm going to proofread this sucker, print it, and then hit the sack. I can't believe I'm going to bed by 9:15....I thought I'd be up until 11:00 writing!

God, You are sooooooo good! I love you!

Memorial Day afternoon

Wendy and my bro, Eddie, stopped by for a visit this afternoon. I think she's just a friend, but they seemed kinda cozy...


Jazz wasn't interested in making friends...he just wanted some num nums....


Isn't my Mom a cutie????


Shaq spent a few minutes making a rough draft of his real English project; he used a box from the computer stuff I bought last week. I thought the rough draft was neat, though....so here's a pic:

OK...now I really AM going to do my homework. This is my last time playing on the computer. I'm going to focus...focus...focus.... (I think I'll go make some hot chocolate before I write this paper; maybe I should do some laundry first... )

I went to the Memorial Day parade downtown, and it was beautiful! The sun was shining brightly while a small breeze cooled us off. Perfect weather for a parade! :o)

I heard someone discussing a student of mine, and I turned around to see her mother. This little lady is her grandmother, who thought I was a teenage friend of my student! Woo hoo! I HAD to get her picture....



Don't they look dapper????


I would love to drive one of these...



...or these...


Our marching band is awesome! The seniors didn't have to attend this parade, but they did anyway. Cool, huh?


These flags are bigger than the kids! :o)


Our courthouse is magnificent. I tried to get the best view of it without getting in the way of other folks.



The guy in the suit is our extremely friendly mayor. :o)


This is a log cabin that sits across the street from Courthouse Square. If I had more time, I would have taken a picture of the steel cage my ex made in metal shop. There's a memorial in the yard, but I didn't want to make my mom wait for me too long.


Those are the best pictures I took today. Yes, there were others, but I messed them up somehow (cut off people's heads, had a blurred snapshot, etc.).

I will try harder next time!

If you've lost a loved one in the military, you have my deepest sympathy. Please know that his/her sacrifice is truly appreciated by all of America! May God's grace and peace be with you. You are in my prayers!

afternoon of fun

My friends, Tim and Marlena, invited me to a barbecue, and I truly enjoyed myself! I didn't know the host family, so I wasn't comfortable taking pictures of their home (which was lovely). I did, however, take pictures of my friends...

Tim is a magnet for children! Watching them flock to him was absolutely fascinating! One little girl was upset because a loose dog was roaming in the garage, but Tim had her laughing and asking for a balloon of her own. He has such a gift! He is a clown too, although he's not wearing make-up here. He spent at least an hour blowing up balloons for every single child at the party.


A poodle:



A cat:



A pink unicorn:



This is Eric, one of the sweetest, friendliest kids (err..."young men") you'd ever want to meet. He also happens to be Tim and Marlena's baby boy. :o)



Eric's Mama and Papa:


God, I just want to thank you for a fabulous afternoon! I enjoyed spending time with my friends as I met new ones. Lord, I pray that you continue to bring your children together for fellowship and fun. It's important to study the Bible and pray together, but I enjoyed my afternoon of play and silliness with this awesome family. Bless them, Lord, with your love! Meet every need, and I pray that you continue to knit our hearts together in love as we seek your face on a daily basis.

Please help me to handle things well and to allow your Spirit to minister to my heart this evening. Thanks for being with me tonight, Lord. I love you. I also thank you for allowing me to play at church. I never thought in a million years that I'd be playing so soon, but I'm grateful that you're in charge (and I am not). Father, you amaze me...In Jesus' name, amen.

Bear attack!!!

My ex came over this morning to fix a few things around the house for me. I didn't know that he would bring his puppy, Bear. Here are a few pics, but the little fella refused to stay still long enough to get any good ones! If the truth be known, I am NOT the best photographer, which is why I chopped my son's hair out of this first one...


Bear is a greedy little critter. I made him a bowl of puppy food, but he wanted everyone else's snacks too.



Bear was wandering through the house today. I think we bored him...until he found our dog, Jazz. I have no pics of that, though, because they were running through the house too quickly to get a snapshot. I think it's safe to say that Jazz isn't interested in seeing a permanent addition to our household any time soon.



Bear is preparing to jump off of the couch to mercilessly terrorize our dog, Jazz (who was a great sport today, by the way).


I'm excited about tomorrow. Church will be fun, as always, but I was invited to a grown up picnic with my grown up friends, Marlena and Tim. Yay! She wanted to give me a chance to meet some people, and I'm thrilled. It should be fun! I'll slip my camera into my purse just in case we enjoy some Kodak moments.

Have a super weekend!