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.