I had the best experience as a teacher last week. Two of my six boys submitted their lives to Christ. It was very emotional and something that I will always hold dear to my heart. I have been crying out to God for years that I could be effective for the Kingdom of God. I don't just want to waste time here on earth. I want to be useful for His purposes. I just began talking with them about Kingdom issues, and asking them some questions about where they are with Jesus. During that time, two of them told me that they had not made Jesus Lord and Savior, and one told me, "You know I have, because you were there praying for me when I did!" Honestly, I had to stop and think about what he was saying, and I realized he had gone forward a few weeks before at an altar call at church. I didn't know he was up there to be SAVED, but I did pray for him. That blew me away, too! Here I was praying for him during the most important event of his life, and I didn't even know it! So, I have been able to be involved in three (not just two) of these boys' lives during the most important decision they have ever made. It's very humbling. I cried much that day.
The down side: the battle is ON now. One boy in particular is having a very hard time living righteously. He is in trouble all of the time. Please pray for him. These boys have a major leadership quality that God wants to use in the future, but these are the training ground days for them to figure out how to please God in the little things.
And I am honored to be a part of it, even though sometimes it can be frustrating. I just have to remind myself that I have read the end of the book, and Jesus WILL be victorious.
Thursday, October 23, 2008
Saturday, September 20, 2008
Testimony: Part 3
We knew that this was to be our church home and that we wanted to really plug in and find our place in the body of Christ. We were meeting all the families and getting to know everyone along with their children. I’ll never forget an incredible sermon we heard about the body of Christ. Each member of the church is like a brick. And we are built together into a wall as living bricks (“stones” the Bible calls us) to build the “church”, because the church is not an actual physical structure--it’s US. If we were not built together, but if we, as bricks, just came together every Sunday in a pile, said hello, sang some songs, and then left to be discarded bricks again, would that serve any purpose? NO! We must be joined together for a purpose. My brick is joined closely to other bricks in the house to build the church and the kingdom. I cannot just be a “lone-ranger” brick and build anything. I need others. And I am naturally going to be more closely connected to other bricks/stones because of our connection or our place in the body, but that brick/stone will be surrounded by other bricks that I am not as closely connected to, etc. This revelation freed me from feeling like I had to be BEST friends with everyone in the body. I can love all, but it is not possible for me to make a “best friend” connection with every brick in the body. But for a perfectionist, this is a hard revelation to grasp. You feel like you are somehow failing some people. In this picture, I realized that those bricks that I touch are reaching out to those that I can’t. But now God has placed the members, each one of them, in the body, just as He desired 1 Corinthians 12:18.
Relationships are the key. Jesus walked in relationship and so must we. We need each other.
When most people hear the word “accountability” they start getting defensive. With a stiff neck and chin lifted, they chide, “Nobody better tell me how to live my life. That’s between me and God.” Or, “If someone tried to keep me accountable I’d make sure they remembered what they’ve done wrong.”
Biblical accountability is not coming up to a brother or sister in Christ and blasting them with a list of their sins like you are some Holy Ghost hitman. Rather, it is coming alongside them in love, talking with them, relating with them, asking questions, or praying. But it must be with a person that you have already built a strong bridge of relationship with in the past. Otherwise, if you try to hold someone accountable for their actions that you have no relationship with, chances are they will think, “Who do you think you are telling me this? I don’t even know you that well?” It is just too odd and will not produce the benefits desired. Biblical accountability is speaking the truth in love to one another, and sometimes it is not easy, but it is necessary for growth. Sometimes the truth really does hurt, but my true friends have been honest enough with me to say what I have needed to hear out of love for me, and I have benefited from their honesty and have grown in my walk and faith in God. We need each other. Sometimes we go along with life and are blind to things that are hindering our walk with God that other people can help bring to the surface, whether they mean to or not, just by talking with us. Or maybe as they start asking us how we are really doing (not just the casual, “Hi, how are you?”, but really digging in to find out what’s going on in our life) they begin to ask about an area that maybe we don’t want to share with them. It’s at that time that we have to ask ourselves, “Why don’t I want to share about this and be transparent? Is there something I’m trying to hide or avoid about this? Could it be that I need to work on overcoming some sin in this area, and I’m just offended that they’re trying to bring this up?” Your friend is just trying to be a friend. They are trying to help you walk out things in a Godly manner and are there to help you, not condemn you. That is what an accountability partner/friendship is for. It is not always easy. The Bible says, “Faithful are the wounds of a friend, but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful” Proverbs 27:6. Thank God that there are friends that are willing to be true friends and are not afraid to ask the hard questions in order to help us grow up in God!
I know this has been long, and some of it not directly my "testimony", but it is what God has placed on my heart, and I wanted to share it with my readers. May we be faithful to the local church bodies that He has placed us in as we provide our "body" part.
Relationships are the key. Jesus walked in relationship and so must we. We need each other.
When most people hear the word “accountability” they start getting defensive. With a stiff neck and chin lifted, they chide, “Nobody better tell me how to live my life. That’s between me and God.” Or, “If someone tried to keep me accountable I’d make sure they remembered what they’ve done wrong.”
Biblical accountability is not coming up to a brother or sister in Christ and blasting them with a list of their sins like you are some Holy Ghost hitman. Rather, it is coming alongside them in love, talking with them, relating with them, asking questions, or praying. But it must be with a person that you have already built a strong bridge of relationship with in the past. Otherwise, if you try to hold someone accountable for their actions that you have no relationship with, chances are they will think, “Who do you think you are telling me this? I don’t even know you that well?” It is just too odd and will not produce the benefits desired. Biblical accountability is speaking the truth in love to one another, and sometimes it is not easy, but it is necessary for growth. Sometimes the truth really does hurt, but my true friends have been honest enough with me to say what I have needed to hear out of love for me, and I have benefited from their honesty and have grown in my walk and faith in God. We need each other. Sometimes we go along with life and are blind to things that are hindering our walk with God that other people can help bring to the surface, whether they mean to or not, just by talking with us. Or maybe as they start asking us how we are really doing (not just the casual, “Hi, how are you?”, but really digging in to find out what’s going on in our life) they begin to ask about an area that maybe we don’t want to share with them. It’s at that time that we have to ask ourselves, “Why don’t I want to share about this and be transparent? Is there something I’m trying to hide or avoid about this? Could it be that I need to work on overcoming some sin in this area, and I’m just offended that they’re trying to bring this up?” Your friend is just trying to be a friend. They are trying to help you walk out things in a Godly manner and are there to help you, not condemn you. That is what an accountability partner/friendship is for. It is not always easy. The Bible says, “Faithful are the wounds of a friend, but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful” Proverbs 27:6. Thank God that there are friends that are willing to be true friends and are not afraid to ask the hard questions in order to help us grow up in God!
I know this has been long, and some of it not directly my "testimony", but it is what God has placed on my heart, and I wanted to share it with my readers. May we be faithful to the local church bodies that He has placed us in as we provide our "body" part.
Testimony: Part 2
After Dennis and I had decided it was time to move on and find God, we began to tell people that we were looking for a church home. And, of course, everyone said, “Come try our church!” So we did.
I had begun working for a local company in our town just as I was finishing up my degree at the University. One day, I had to travel with some people from work for a meeting at our facility across town. I got in my supervisor’s car, and as we began our trip, I noticed her radio was on the Christian radio station. After everybody had left to go home that evening, I stayed around long enough to talk to her. I asked her if she was a Christian, and she said, “Yes, why?” I explained to her how Dennis and I were looking for a church to grow in because we had not grown spiritually in such a long time that we were dying. She told me that we could try her church, but that it definitely was not Baptist. I laughed and told her that I didn’t care: I just needed to find God!
We went to Covenant Harvest Church that Sunday as the first church we attended since making our decision to seek another place. Both Dennis and I are very musical people, so imagine our delight to walk into a church that was not intimidated to play their instruments and sing with their whole hearts! None of this “I’m not going to really get ‘into’ this because I don’t want to look like I enjoy it too much,” or “I’m going to sing and look like a deer caught in headlights because I could really care less what the heart of this song is,” or “This is just a song service, so I’m just singing, blah, blah, blah”. No, these people were different. And what really caught our attention was that ALL of the children were up front praising God, lifting their hands, smiling, actually having FUN in the presence of God! I could hardly believe it! I could not remember a time when I had been in the presence of God like that. It took my breath away. Then I thought, “Well, worship was awesome, but I wonder how dull the preaching will be.” Boy, was I wrong! This pastor was on fire and gave a message that challenged us. This place grabbed my heart, and as we left, I knew in my heart of hearts that we would be back.
We had told different people that we would try their churches, so we did. But each Sunday, usually within the first five minutes, we knew we had to go back to that little church where we felt alive.
One month later, we came back to Covenant Harvest for good. We were immediately asked to come over for lunch by one family, and every week that followed for quite some time, we were at different homes sharing not only food, but finding a life in God that we had only dreamed of. At the time, the church had about 90-100 people attending, and half of that were the children! Our previous experience in the church we had come from was that people were very friendly up until we joined, but it seemed as though after that, they no longer had much else to do with us. We never had anyone that would sit by us, and it was a good day if someone actually said hello to us! It was pathetic! We were desperate to have strong friendships, and found none. Needless to say, we were just waiting for that phenomenon to happen once we joined this church, but I am happy to report that quite the opposite occurred. We found deep, real friendships, not just Sunday acquaintances.
I can remember as I was growing up, any time that we had company, there seemed to be something inside of me that would come alive. I LOVED to have people come over to eat or play games or just visit. We didn’t do it very often, but I loved it whenever we had the chance. I believe now that God was preparing my heart to have a love for hospitality even at an early age. Dennis has always been a “people person”. He cannot stand spending time alone, so he is a “natural born” host.
In the past, we had tried to have our church friends over as often as we could, but because it seemed so bizarre to everyone else, we didn’t do it very often. People wanted to know, “Why?” Just having people over to get to know them better seemed like a foreign concept to the people we went to church with. My question now is, “Why is that a foreign concept?” Look throughout the New Testament. The disciples and new believers spent time together, sharing meals, selling possessions to help those in need, making sure that nobody was left out of sharing life together. “They had all things in common. They broke bread and prayed together” Acts 2:44-47. That is the kind of fellowship we were desiring, and that is the kind of fellowship that we enjoy today.
So, what is hospitality? A lot of people envision Martha Stewart coming out of the kitchen with the perfectly cooked meal on the perfectly silver platter, setting it on the perfectly set table with all the stemware and wine glasses sparkling under the light from the crystal chandelier. Everyone is dressed in their formal gowns and tuxedos with perfect smiles on their faces.
In my house, this does not occur. However, some of the best memories are developed not because I had the most perfect material possessions, but because of the knitting of hearts that happened through conversations we were enjoying together. These conversations could have been during a cookout on paper plates, or maybe while we were enjoying my husband’s “world famous” this, or “world famous” that, or maybe over a big pot of soup using my everyday dishes. Nobody has ever told me, “I’ll never forget the time you served us brisket on those beautiful dishes with the elegant tablecloth. That was such a fun day!” But people have told me, “I’ll never forget when we were sitting in your living room and you looked right at me and told me something I’ll never forget.” Now, I ask you: What is more important? Is it how the table was set, or the conversations that can change lives?
We don’t have to make it something hard and complex. Relationships and friendships are built by spending time together. Period. It doesn’t matter what you do together, it just matters that you are together. That is the heart behind being hospitable--being available. I must admit that availability is something that I, being a person who likes cleanliness, forewarning and planning, have had to work at. My husband likes to joke that I have a touch of “obsessive compulsive disorder”. If everything isn’t in its place, he says I go crazy. In the past, if things weren’t “just so”, I felt as though I probably shouldn’t have anyone over or was embarrassed if someone dropped by. However, over the years, and three children later, I have come to realize that nobody has ever gotten offended at my dust or my unmade bed or at the sight of toys not picked up or at dishes not done and walked out of my door in disgust never to return. Therefore, I do the very best I can to keep up, and if I know ahead of time that guests are coming, usually I am on schedule and the house is fine, but if it is an unplanned visit, I have learned to just smile, and maybe even apologize to my guests if there is something I may be a bit embarrassed about, after all, who knows what your two or three year old will do to your spotless house right before your guests arrive!
As I said before, one of the first things we noticed about this little church was the praise and worship. Dennis and I are very musical people, and we love to sing, so this caught our attention right off the bat. But I believe very strongly that it catches the attention of God as well. The Bible has many references to praise and thanksgiving and to singing, shouting, dancing, glorifying God, and making His praise known among the people, so I believe He is looking for a people that are zealous and passionate for Him. I want to be counted as one that is. I think that it is hard for us to break out of our reserved lifestyles, especially if we were raised to be reserved and quiet, but I know that God honors those that love and obey Him, so I am trying, and I will keep trying. I want the passion and zeal on the inside of me to be shown on the outside. I want my children to know that Mommy is a passionate worshiper and she loves God with zeal. I cannot keep silent about this! He is worthy!!
I had begun working for a local company in our town just as I was finishing up my degree at the University. One day, I had to travel with some people from work for a meeting at our facility across town. I got in my supervisor’s car, and as we began our trip, I noticed her radio was on the Christian radio station. After everybody had left to go home that evening, I stayed around long enough to talk to her. I asked her if she was a Christian, and she said, “Yes, why?” I explained to her how Dennis and I were looking for a church to grow in because we had not grown spiritually in such a long time that we were dying. She told me that we could try her church, but that it definitely was not Baptist. I laughed and told her that I didn’t care: I just needed to find God!
We went to Covenant Harvest Church that Sunday as the first church we attended since making our decision to seek another place. Both Dennis and I are very musical people, so imagine our delight to walk into a church that was not intimidated to play their instruments and sing with their whole hearts! None of this “I’m not going to really get ‘into’ this because I don’t want to look like I enjoy it too much,” or “I’m going to sing and look like a deer caught in headlights because I could really care less what the heart of this song is,” or “This is just a song service, so I’m just singing, blah, blah, blah”. No, these people were different. And what really caught our attention was that ALL of the children were up front praising God, lifting their hands, smiling, actually having FUN in the presence of God! I could hardly believe it! I could not remember a time when I had been in the presence of God like that. It took my breath away. Then I thought, “Well, worship was awesome, but I wonder how dull the preaching will be.” Boy, was I wrong! This pastor was on fire and gave a message that challenged us. This place grabbed my heart, and as we left, I knew in my heart of hearts that we would be back.
We had told different people that we would try their churches, so we did. But each Sunday, usually within the first five minutes, we knew we had to go back to that little church where we felt alive.
One month later, we came back to Covenant Harvest for good. We were immediately asked to come over for lunch by one family, and every week that followed for quite some time, we were at different homes sharing not only food, but finding a life in God that we had only dreamed of. At the time, the church had about 90-100 people attending, and half of that were the children! Our previous experience in the church we had come from was that people were very friendly up until we joined, but it seemed as though after that, they no longer had much else to do with us. We never had anyone that would sit by us, and it was a good day if someone actually said hello to us! It was pathetic! We were desperate to have strong friendships, and found none. Needless to say, we were just waiting for that phenomenon to happen once we joined this church, but I am happy to report that quite the opposite occurred. We found deep, real friendships, not just Sunday acquaintances.
I can remember as I was growing up, any time that we had company, there seemed to be something inside of me that would come alive. I LOVED to have people come over to eat or play games or just visit. We didn’t do it very often, but I loved it whenever we had the chance. I believe now that God was preparing my heart to have a love for hospitality even at an early age. Dennis has always been a “people person”. He cannot stand spending time alone, so he is a “natural born” host.
In the past, we had tried to have our church friends over as often as we could, but because it seemed so bizarre to everyone else, we didn’t do it very often. People wanted to know, “Why?” Just having people over to get to know them better seemed like a foreign concept to the people we went to church with. My question now is, “Why is that a foreign concept?” Look throughout the New Testament. The disciples and new believers spent time together, sharing meals, selling possessions to help those in need, making sure that nobody was left out of sharing life together. “They had all things in common. They broke bread and prayed together” Acts 2:44-47. That is the kind of fellowship we were desiring, and that is the kind of fellowship that we enjoy today.
So, what is hospitality? A lot of people envision Martha Stewart coming out of the kitchen with the perfectly cooked meal on the perfectly silver platter, setting it on the perfectly set table with all the stemware and wine glasses sparkling under the light from the crystal chandelier. Everyone is dressed in their formal gowns and tuxedos with perfect smiles on their faces.
In my house, this does not occur. However, some of the best memories are developed not because I had the most perfect material possessions, but because of the knitting of hearts that happened through conversations we were enjoying together. These conversations could have been during a cookout on paper plates, or maybe while we were enjoying my husband’s “world famous” this, or “world famous” that, or maybe over a big pot of soup using my everyday dishes. Nobody has ever told me, “I’ll never forget the time you served us brisket on those beautiful dishes with the elegant tablecloth. That was such a fun day!” But people have told me, “I’ll never forget when we were sitting in your living room and you looked right at me and told me something I’ll never forget.” Now, I ask you: What is more important? Is it how the table was set, or the conversations that can change lives?
We don’t have to make it something hard and complex. Relationships and friendships are built by spending time together. Period. It doesn’t matter what you do together, it just matters that you are together. That is the heart behind being hospitable--being available. I must admit that availability is something that I, being a person who likes cleanliness, forewarning and planning, have had to work at. My husband likes to joke that I have a touch of “obsessive compulsive disorder”. If everything isn’t in its place, he says I go crazy. In the past, if things weren’t “just so”, I felt as though I probably shouldn’t have anyone over or was embarrassed if someone dropped by. However, over the years, and three children later, I have come to realize that nobody has ever gotten offended at my dust or my unmade bed or at the sight of toys not picked up or at dishes not done and walked out of my door in disgust never to return. Therefore, I do the very best I can to keep up, and if I know ahead of time that guests are coming, usually I am on schedule and the house is fine, but if it is an unplanned visit, I have learned to just smile, and maybe even apologize to my guests if there is something I may be a bit embarrassed about, after all, who knows what your two or three year old will do to your spotless house right before your guests arrive!
As I said before, one of the first things we noticed about this little church was the praise and worship. Dennis and I are very musical people, and we love to sing, so this caught our attention right off the bat. But I believe very strongly that it catches the attention of God as well. The Bible has many references to praise and thanksgiving and to singing, shouting, dancing, glorifying God, and making His praise known among the people, so I believe He is looking for a people that are zealous and passionate for Him. I want to be counted as one that is. I think that it is hard for us to break out of our reserved lifestyles, especially if we were raised to be reserved and quiet, but I know that God honors those that love and obey Him, so I am trying, and I will keep trying. I want the passion and zeal on the inside of me to be shown on the outside. I want my children to know that Mommy is a passionate worshiper and she loves God with zeal. I cannot keep silent about this! He is worthy!!
Testimony: Part 1
I was raised in a Southern Baptist church in a small town in Southeast Kansas. I have never lived my life apart from a local church. Whenever the doors were open, we were there. My Dad was the song leader for many of my growing-up years. We had several families that came, and quite a few children. However, as I got older, more and more families left for various reasons, but for whatever reasons, the relationships were breaking down and not being fixed. By the time my sister went off to college, I was the only one in the youth group. It is very hard to press in to know God more and to want to do His will when nobody your age is, and the relationships in your church are not very strong. My church had no vision for legacy. The legacy left, and all that remained were a handful of older people staying together out of tradition and a longing for the “good old days”. The Bible says, “Without a vision, the people parish” Proverbs 29:18. Fortunately, today, that church has a new minister who has birthed a new vision, and some of the people who had left when I was a child are coming back, and so are some of their kids and grandkids. However, I dare say they are not out of danger if the things that they are building upon are not what Christ desires for a local church to built upon: relationships with Him and each other and a vision for legacy.
After I married, we found church after church with the same dilemma: mostly older people, mostly women, few children, and fewer still young people that DESIRED to be there. The little children came with their parents, and most of the older kids came because their parents made them come, even if they were kicking and screaming. They are the youth that sit in the back, arms crossed across their chests, rebellious to any authority, coming to church hoping to find a boyfriend/girlfriend to at least justify “wasting time” there. Even sadder is the fact that people think of them as good church kids just because they fill a pew! Do we really just want bodies to fill space, or are we building a church that would fulfill the purposes of Christ on the earth? After punching our religious timeclock for a few years, Dennis and I came to a point in our lives where we felt spiritually dead. We were longing for relationships, only to find none; we were longing to find a place where God was alive and moving. We kept saying, “There’s got to be more!”
There are two reasons people leave a church: 1) out of purpose 2) out of perversion. If you are leaving for any reason other than finding the purpose of God for your life, then you are leaving for the wrong reason. If you leave because you had a fight with someone, or you just don’t like someone there, or you are not happy with how “they” spent your money, etc., then you are leaving with unresolved sin issues that will follow you to the next church you decide to call home.
After much prayer and desperation, Dennis and I knew we had to find where God was actively moving and where we could begin to have a family. We knew that we did not want to start having babies before finding a place where they could grow up knowing, loving and serving God, not just knowing about God and being religious church kids.
There is a big difference between knowing God and knowing about God. You can gain all the academic knowledge you can about God, be able to recite the Bible forwards and backwards, and yet not have a clue what God’s thoughts and ways are about. How does one know God that way? The same way you know your best friend inside and out. You spend time with Him, talk to Him, be open to Him, share everything about who you are and what you think with Him. It’s called being transparent. When I live an open, transparent life, I’m laying everything out on the table for someone to see. Not just the good, fluffy stuff, but my bad side, too. And we ALL have a good AND a bad side.
We were all born sinners. But just because I have a good side doesn’t make me saved. I’m still a sinner. What makes me saved is the fact that I have acknowledged that Jesus died on the cross for my sins, and because of His blood, I can boldly come before the God of the universe and ask for His forgiveness and let Him be Lord of my life. You see, before Jesus came, people had to sacrifice animals in order to have forgiveness of sins. You see it in the Old Testament and in historical Jewish documents. Sacrifices were made at different times throughout the year in order to cleanse the people of their sins. The animals had to be without blemish, spotless. They had to be pure. No human is pure, so they used the blood of animals. However, history changed when Jesus came into the picture. He was the only perfect human; both absolutely human and absolutely God. The Bible talks about Jesus praying the night before his death for God to take the cup away from him, unless that was what God’s will or purpose had to be. The cup he is referring to is the cup that holds all of man’s sins (yours and mine). He looked into that cup, saw all of the corruption, deceitfulness, lies, lust, sexual immorality, idolatry, murder, and bitterness that we had committed and chose to drink it. He chose to put all of those sins, both present and future, upon himself, even though he was sinless, in order to be the living sacrifice for us so that we would have a way to come before God covered by his pure blood. Before Jesus, only the high priests saw God. They were allowed into the Holy of Holies, a room where God’s presence dwelt, only once a year, and if they were not cleansed and holy, they would die in the presence of God. Once Jesus died for us, the veil between the Holy of Holies and the rest of the tabernacle was split wide open. Jesus made a way for God’s presence to be among us and for us not to die when He is with us. When the reality of that hits us, and we become keenly aware that we have not been in God’s presence in such a way that it has changed us, then we are living as if we know Him, but in reality we only know about Him.
After I married, we found church after church with the same dilemma: mostly older people, mostly women, few children, and fewer still young people that DESIRED to be there. The little children came with their parents, and most of the older kids came because their parents made them come, even if they were kicking and screaming. They are the youth that sit in the back, arms crossed across their chests, rebellious to any authority, coming to church hoping to find a boyfriend/girlfriend to at least justify “wasting time” there. Even sadder is the fact that people think of them as good church kids just because they fill a pew! Do we really just want bodies to fill space, or are we building a church that would fulfill the purposes of Christ on the earth? After punching our religious timeclock for a few years, Dennis and I came to a point in our lives where we felt spiritually dead. We were longing for relationships, only to find none; we were longing to find a place where God was alive and moving. We kept saying, “There’s got to be more!”
There are two reasons people leave a church: 1) out of purpose 2) out of perversion. If you are leaving for any reason other than finding the purpose of God for your life, then you are leaving for the wrong reason. If you leave because you had a fight with someone, or you just don’t like someone there, or you are not happy with how “they” spent your money, etc., then you are leaving with unresolved sin issues that will follow you to the next church you decide to call home.
After much prayer and desperation, Dennis and I knew we had to find where God was actively moving and where we could begin to have a family. We knew that we did not want to start having babies before finding a place where they could grow up knowing, loving and serving God, not just knowing about God and being religious church kids.
There is a big difference between knowing God and knowing about God. You can gain all the academic knowledge you can about God, be able to recite the Bible forwards and backwards, and yet not have a clue what God’s thoughts and ways are about. How does one know God that way? The same way you know your best friend inside and out. You spend time with Him, talk to Him, be open to Him, share everything about who you are and what you think with Him. It’s called being transparent. When I live an open, transparent life, I’m laying everything out on the table for someone to see. Not just the good, fluffy stuff, but my bad side, too. And we ALL have a good AND a bad side.
We were all born sinners. But just because I have a good side doesn’t make me saved. I’m still a sinner. What makes me saved is the fact that I have acknowledged that Jesus died on the cross for my sins, and because of His blood, I can boldly come before the God of the universe and ask for His forgiveness and let Him be Lord of my life. You see, before Jesus came, people had to sacrifice animals in order to have forgiveness of sins. You see it in the Old Testament and in historical Jewish documents. Sacrifices were made at different times throughout the year in order to cleanse the people of their sins. The animals had to be without blemish, spotless. They had to be pure. No human is pure, so they used the blood of animals. However, history changed when Jesus came into the picture. He was the only perfect human; both absolutely human and absolutely God. The Bible talks about Jesus praying the night before his death for God to take the cup away from him, unless that was what God’s will or purpose had to be. The cup he is referring to is the cup that holds all of man’s sins (yours and mine). He looked into that cup, saw all of the corruption, deceitfulness, lies, lust, sexual immorality, idolatry, murder, and bitterness that we had committed and chose to drink it. He chose to put all of those sins, both present and future, upon himself, even though he was sinless, in order to be the living sacrifice for us so that we would have a way to come before God covered by his pure blood. Before Jesus, only the high priests saw God. They were allowed into the Holy of Holies, a room where God’s presence dwelt, only once a year, and if they were not cleansed and holy, they would die in the presence of God. Once Jesus died for us, the veil between the Holy of Holies and the rest of the tabernacle was split wide open. Jesus made a way for God’s presence to be among us and for us not to die when He is with us. When the reality of that hits us, and we become keenly aware that we have not been in God’s presence in such a way that it has changed us, then we are living as if we know Him, but in reality we only know about Him.
Friday, September 5, 2008
My perfect family?
I realized something tonight. I was looking at an old photograph of my grandparents and my dad and his sister when my dad was probably in Jr. High. They all had their "Sunday best" on, and I remembered how my Granny always had everything perfectly in place at their home. NO dust, no "dirtiness" anywhere, all clothes perfectly ironed, everyone always looking their best, and not just on Sundays. Then the more I looked at the picture, I thought about how my aunt turned out to be such an "unperfect" child for them and how much grief and heartache she caused and still causes. I thought to myself, "Maybe they tried so much to look perfect on the outside because there was turmoil on the inside they were trying to hide?" I've always thought that families that looked and seemed perfect were hiding something. That when nobody is watching and behind closed doors, it is so different. Hmmm...could it be true? Maybe it's okay that my family doesn't look so perfect. We try to be as real as possible. I think that, after all, is a great thing.
Tuesday, September 2, 2008
Thanks to all my fans/new stuff
I want to say thanks to those of you who have encouraged me to keep writing. It made me feel better about it and ready to expound more.
New stuff:
Have you experienced this phenomenon? I believe most people have. I have realized that if life was like a time line, then a lot of people that were in my life in the beginning of the line are no longer a part of it, but I have gained new people in the "newer" parts of the time line. For example, I have lost grandparents to death, and I no longer talk or have relationship with many of my childhood friends, high school friends, etc. However, now I have people in my life that weren't there to start out with, but are very much a part of my life. I am glad I have reconnected with a few people from my past. It has been great. The deal is, I am trying to live for God's purposes, and it is hard to connect to people that are not because I have nothing in common with them except the past. My friends from the past that ARE trying to live for God I can relate to and have something to talk about with them. It's wonderful. Time and distance seem less when we "talk". It proves to me that who we are as kids is not always who we end up being. That is a strange phenomenon. But can be a fantastic one.
New stuff:
Have you experienced this phenomenon? I believe most people have. I have realized that if life was like a time line, then a lot of people that were in my life in the beginning of the line are no longer a part of it, but I have gained new people in the "newer" parts of the time line. For example, I have lost grandparents to death, and I no longer talk or have relationship with many of my childhood friends, high school friends, etc. However, now I have people in my life that weren't there to start out with, but are very much a part of my life. I am glad I have reconnected with a few people from my past. It has been great. The deal is, I am trying to live for God's purposes, and it is hard to connect to people that are not because I have nothing in common with them except the past. My friends from the past that ARE trying to live for God I can relate to and have something to talk about with them. It's wonderful. Time and distance seem less when we "talk". It proves to me that who we are as kids is not always who we end up being. That is a strange phenomenon. But can be a fantastic one.
Friday, August 29, 2008
Scott's Snak Shack
When I was in high school, I worked at a small "mom and pop" hamburger shop called "Scott's Snak Shack." The owners' last name was Scott. I had a great time there getting to know the people of our small hometown and learning what it was like to earn a wage. Dennis used to come in there and mess with me (i.e. telling me to come to him because he had something to tell me and then ripping out my headband letting my hair look a wreck, etc.) with or without his girlfriend (before me). We both have many memories of the beloved Snak Shack.
We have taken the kids there to eat some of the "cuisine" on our way through town over the years. About a year ago (or so) they were bought out, and it is now "Big G's". Same food, just different owners.
All of this to say that my youngest daughter, Molly, informed me the other day that she and her friends play "Scott's Snak Shack" on the playground! They get in the little house-looking-thing on the playground and yell at the top of their voices, "Scott's Snak Shack!!" looking for customers. I laughed so hard and still laugh at the thought. I got to see it first-hand the other day at school. It's quite funny. I bet the owner, Sandy Scott, would find it comical and yet honoring. If anyone sees her soon, please let her know that Scott's lives on at Covenant Harvest School's playground. :)
We have taken the kids there to eat some of the "cuisine" on our way through town over the years. About a year ago (or so) they were bought out, and it is now "Big G's". Same food, just different owners.
All of this to say that my youngest daughter, Molly, informed me the other day that she and her friends play "Scott's Snak Shack" on the playground! They get in the little house-looking-thing on the playground and yell at the top of their voices, "Scott's Snak Shack!!" looking for customers. I laughed so hard and still laugh at the thought. I got to see it first-hand the other day at school. It's quite funny. I bet the owner, Sandy Scott, would find it comical and yet honoring. If anyone sees her soon, please let her know that Scott's lives on at Covenant Harvest School's playground. :)
Thursday, August 28, 2008
Speaking of Star Wars...
I read a book entitled, "Finding God in a Galaxy Far, Far Away", and there were some great truths in it. Here are some from the end of the book:
In God's story, heroes don't have to be powerful; they simply have to be available.
Jesus reminded us that the true hero's quest lies not in creating new possibilities for tomorrow but in seeing today's possibilities with new eyes.
What if you spent every moment as Jesus did, looking for epic possibilities?
In as much as you see divine possibilities where the rest of the world sees only difficulties and trivialities, you are a hero.
In God's story, heroes don't have to be powerful; they simply have to be available.
Jesus reminded us that the true hero's quest lies not in creating new possibilities for tomorrow but in seeing today's possibilities with new eyes.
What if you spent every moment as Jesus did, looking for epic possibilities?
In as much as you see divine possibilities where the rest of the world sees only difficulties and trivialities, you are a hero.
Tuesday, August 26, 2008
Hmmm.....
Just a thought--if Luke Skywalker is the "Christ" figure, the Senator or Chancellor guy is the "Satan" figure, and the force is the "God" figure, would Yoda be the "Holy Spirit" figure?
Friday, August 22, 2008
Is this mic on? and school year
I'm thinking about not writing anymore as I think nobody is reading this thing.
Anyway, I had a great summer, I had a major breakthrough as a teacher, and I spent quality time with my family.
School has begun. We have had 3 days, and I am EXHAUSTED! It's good, though. I love it. I have to be a lot more on my toes this year with these boys. I feel like the last 10 years have just been a training ground for this year. There's no way I could have taught this class 2 years ago or when I first began teaching 10 years ago. I see God's hand in all of the timing that has brought me to this place.
I also began to realize that I didn't "miss God" like I thought all of these years that I had. I always wanted to be a teacher, but, just like one of my previous blogs tells about, I was told I would be poor the rest of my life. I received a business management degree, and a year after that thought I really missed God by not getting a teaching degree. God revealed to me that I didn't miss Him, He knew that is what I would do, and I was saved from learning how to teach the wrong way. I have been schooled on the job and by Him, which is way better for me and the students. That was SUCH a relief, and I have a confidence now that was lacking.
Now my aim is to point the students at all times toward God. Why do we learn, obey rules, learn Logic/Latin/History, etc? To glorify God.
It's going to be a great year. It may be exhausting, but well worth it.
Anyway, I had a great summer, I had a major breakthrough as a teacher, and I spent quality time with my family.
School has begun. We have had 3 days, and I am EXHAUSTED! It's good, though. I love it. I have to be a lot more on my toes this year with these boys. I feel like the last 10 years have just been a training ground for this year. There's no way I could have taught this class 2 years ago or when I first began teaching 10 years ago. I see God's hand in all of the timing that has brought me to this place.
I also began to realize that I didn't "miss God" like I thought all of these years that I had. I always wanted to be a teacher, but, just like one of my previous blogs tells about, I was told I would be poor the rest of my life. I received a business management degree, and a year after that thought I really missed God by not getting a teaching degree. God revealed to me that I didn't miss Him, He knew that is what I would do, and I was saved from learning how to teach the wrong way. I have been schooled on the job and by Him, which is way better for me and the students. That was SUCH a relief, and I have a confidence now that was lacking.
Now my aim is to point the students at all times toward God. Why do we learn, obey rules, learn Logic/Latin/History, etc? To glorify God.
It's going to be a great year. It may be exhausting, but well worth it.
Monday, July 28, 2008
I am sad
As far back as my mind will reach, I remember going to Granny and Grandad's home just about every week. Sometimes just to visit with them, sometimes to celebrate an occasion, always on Christmas Day to exchange gifts. Their home has been filled with many laughs, tears, worry and joy.
They had a tradition with my sister and me that if it was my birthday, she would also receive one small gift and vice versa. My parents have continued that tradition with my three. It takes the "jealousy" factor out of birthdays ("How come she gets all the gifts, and I don't?"). Also on our birthdays, they would take the whole family to the restaurant of our choice.
On Christmas Day, we would have lunch, open gifts, and drive out to Candy Cane Lane to see the lights. Granny also always fixed Christmas Dixie cups full of Christmas candy for the kids. YUM. If we got married, we no longer received the candy cups. :( haha
After Dennis proposed, that was the first place we went to proclaim our news.
Lots of memories.
My Granny died a year and a half ago. It was very different to go to the house after that, but still great to spend time with Grandad. Grandad's health has declined in the last year, and last winter, he broke his hip and hasn't been home since. Nor will he. He is in a nursing home now, and will always need care. Even though he hasn't been home for several months, I guess the hope has always been in me that he would return.
My Grandparents have many nice neighbors. The family to the east of them used to own a restaurant there in Coffeyville, and their son is buying my Grandparents' home. I went last week to pick up some items from the house before it is no longer Grandad's. I have to say this makes me very sad. I know Grandad is fine with this idea, but it makes me feel weird taking things that are still "theirs" when he is still here with us. I kind of knew it was coming, but kind of hoped it wouldn't.
I am not ready to live without any grandparents. I'm not. Especially my Grandad. He and I have always been close. I don't like this.
They had a tradition with my sister and me that if it was my birthday, she would also receive one small gift and vice versa. My parents have continued that tradition with my three. It takes the "jealousy" factor out of birthdays ("How come she gets all the gifts, and I don't?"). Also on our birthdays, they would take the whole family to the restaurant of our choice.
On Christmas Day, we would have lunch, open gifts, and drive out to Candy Cane Lane to see the lights. Granny also always fixed Christmas Dixie cups full of Christmas candy for the kids. YUM. If we got married, we no longer received the candy cups. :( haha
After Dennis proposed, that was the first place we went to proclaim our news.
Lots of memories.
My Granny died a year and a half ago. It was very different to go to the house after that, but still great to spend time with Grandad. Grandad's health has declined in the last year, and last winter, he broke his hip and hasn't been home since. Nor will he. He is in a nursing home now, and will always need care. Even though he hasn't been home for several months, I guess the hope has always been in me that he would return.
My Grandparents have many nice neighbors. The family to the east of them used to own a restaurant there in Coffeyville, and their son is buying my Grandparents' home. I went last week to pick up some items from the house before it is no longer Grandad's. I have to say this makes me very sad. I know Grandad is fine with this idea, but it makes me feel weird taking things that are still "theirs" when he is still here with us. I kind of knew it was coming, but kind of hoped it wouldn't.
I am not ready to live without any grandparents. I'm not. Especially my Grandad. He and I have always been close. I don't like this.
Friday, July 18, 2008
Airplane story
So, I am finally back from all of my vacations...however, I have one more trip Aug 4-6 to Kirksville, MO for a teacher's gathering. (sigh) I haven't had much of a usual "summer break", but hopefully will get accomplished all I need to before school starts. All this traveling makes me wonder if I will. It has been a good summer, though. I would take this any day over remodeling!
I wanted to tell my readers a story about the lady I sat next to on the flight home. She was a very spunky elderly woman. At first, we didn't say much to each other. She had grabbed a book to read, and I settled in next to Molly and grabbed Dennis's iPod to pass the time. We had a very funny flight attendant who came on the microphone and began telling "Steve Haden" type jokes. It was really the best flight I had ever been on because he made it so much fun. After he told a few jokes, the woman next to me began to say how "cute" that flight attendant was and how Southwest Airlines started. They only flew out of Texas, and their stewardesses wore short "hot pants", white cowboy boots and white cowboy hats, and they would line up like a chorus line and "dance" you off the plane. Very funny. They would also throw peanuts to you from across the plane. (Lamberts, anyone?)
She then began to tell me that she is 84 years old. She played tennis until she was 80. She and 5 of her friends all made a pact in their 60's that they would continue to play as long as they could, and they would try to play until they were 80. They all did. Cool.
She used to be a school teacher, so I told her that I am, too. I told her about our church school, and she was very interested. I found out that she has a rebellious streak in her, though. She said that when they outlawed saying the Lord's Prayer in school, she obeyed; however, her superintendent told all teachers to continue saying it. All the other teachers continued except her. He called her into his office and asked her why she refused to say the Lord's Prayer with her class. She told him that it was against the law and she wasn't going to disobey the law. He told her, "I am more afraid of His law (pointing upward) than that law." She told me she still wouldn't do it, and replied, "I've always been a sort of protester."
She goes to a certain denominational church, and she told me a couple of shocking things. She told me that a while back during a church service, a lady got up to speak. "Now, I know that may be normal in your church, but in OUR denomination, you DON'T do that kind of thing." The lady spoke about how she is a lesbian and she has been to several churches, but this church has been the kindest, most non-judgmental church that she had been to and was thanking them. After that lady spoke, a man got up and said how two of his sons are gay and they have said the same thing. This church is a place where they feel more welcomed. The woman on the plane looked at me and said, "Now, I was thinking to myself, 'I don't necessarily think that that is a good thing.' But I'm 84 years old, and I'm too old to go church shopping, so I will stay there, but I'm wondering where we are headed." **Note: I would hope that lesbians and gays would feel the love of Jesus at any church, but if they found a church to stay in, I would hope that someone would challenge them and their lifestyle. I don't believe in being mean-spirited to them, but I would want them to know the truth--absolute truth--of God's Word.
The second shocking thing she told me was that she and 5 of her friends all raised their children in church. A while back they were sitting around and began asking each other how many of their children were going to a church. She said, "Do you know how many of all of our children go to church? Zero. Nobody." She told me how their church has only elderly people, and she doesn't understand where all the young people went. She said, "I know the evangelical churches are really the ones that are growing. They really get out there and are the movers and shakers. I just don't know what happened with my kids. I took them faithfully, and I was raised to be there every Sunday and Wednesday, but my kids and grandkids don't go anywhere." "Wow," I thought. That would be so very disheartening. I began to talk with her about the thinking of this age, postmodernism, etc. How what is right for you may not be right for me...this is the thinking of today. There is no absolute truth. I pray. I pray that my children will never let the thinking of today or tomorrow be their way of thinking. I pray that my children will have such a sure foundation of who Jesus is, that there IS an absolute truth--called God's Word--that they always need Jesus. We all do.
I wanted to tell my readers a story about the lady I sat next to on the flight home. She was a very spunky elderly woman. At first, we didn't say much to each other. She had grabbed a book to read, and I settled in next to Molly and grabbed Dennis's iPod to pass the time. We had a very funny flight attendant who came on the microphone and began telling "Steve Haden" type jokes. It was really the best flight I had ever been on because he made it so much fun. After he told a few jokes, the woman next to me began to say how "cute" that flight attendant was and how Southwest Airlines started. They only flew out of Texas, and their stewardesses wore short "hot pants", white cowboy boots and white cowboy hats, and they would line up like a chorus line and "dance" you off the plane. Very funny. They would also throw peanuts to you from across the plane. (Lamberts, anyone?)
She then began to tell me that she is 84 years old. She played tennis until she was 80. She and 5 of her friends all made a pact in their 60's that they would continue to play as long as they could, and they would try to play until they were 80. They all did. Cool.
She used to be a school teacher, so I told her that I am, too. I told her about our church school, and she was very interested. I found out that she has a rebellious streak in her, though. She said that when they outlawed saying the Lord's Prayer in school, she obeyed; however, her superintendent told all teachers to continue saying it. All the other teachers continued except her. He called her into his office and asked her why she refused to say the Lord's Prayer with her class. She told him that it was against the law and she wasn't going to disobey the law. He told her, "I am more afraid of His law (pointing upward) than that law." She told me she still wouldn't do it, and replied, "I've always been a sort of protester."
She goes to a certain denominational church, and she told me a couple of shocking things. She told me that a while back during a church service, a lady got up to speak. "Now, I know that may be normal in your church, but in OUR denomination, you DON'T do that kind of thing." The lady spoke about how she is a lesbian and she has been to several churches, but this church has been the kindest, most non-judgmental church that she had been to and was thanking them. After that lady spoke, a man got up and said how two of his sons are gay and they have said the same thing. This church is a place where they feel more welcomed. The woman on the plane looked at me and said, "Now, I was thinking to myself, 'I don't necessarily think that that is a good thing.' But I'm 84 years old, and I'm too old to go church shopping, so I will stay there, but I'm wondering where we are headed." **Note: I would hope that lesbians and gays would feel the love of Jesus at any church, but if they found a church to stay in, I would hope that someone would challenge them and their lifestyle. I don't believe in being mean-spirited to them, but I would want them to know the truth--absolute truth--of God's Word.
The second shocking thing she told me was that she and 5 of her friends all raised their children in church. A while back they were sitting around and began asking each other how many of their children were going to a church. She said, "Do you know how many of all of our children go to church? Zero. Nobody." She told me how their church has only elderly people, and she doesn't understand where all the young people went. She said, "I know the evangelical churches are really the ones that are growing. They really get out there and are the movers and shakers. I just don't know what happened with my kids. I took them faithfully, and I was raised to be there every Sunday and Wednesday, but my kids and grandkids don't go anywhere." "Wow," I thought. That would be so very disheartening. I began to talk with her about the thinking of this age, postmodernism, etc. How what is right for you may not be right for me...this is the thinking of today. There is no absolute truth. I pray. I pray that my children will never let the thinking of today or tomorrow be their way of thinking. I pray that my children will have such a sure foundation of who Jesus is, that there IS an absolute truth--called God's Word--that they always need Jesus. We all do.
Saturday, July 5, 2008
Miscellaneous news and story
OK, I know, it's been a long time since I have posted on here. I have been a bit busy. Tonight, I just want to highlight some things:
First of all, I have joined the "Facebook" generation. I held out for a long time, but realized I best get involved. You can look for me there as well.
Second, we are leaving for Oregon tomorrow, and I will be gone a week. I am SO EXCITED about that. It will be good to see my sister, and the weather is FABULOUS!
Third, the conference in Austin was good. I have much to do before school starts, and I just about hyperventilate just thinking about it, so don't mention it. I really cannot do anything until I get back anyway, and by then I may have a heart attack about it. AAAUUUGGH!
Fourth, did you know that if you look up things to do in Austin it talks about the 1.8 million bats that fly out from under a bridge every night as the best thing to do there? We went and saw them, and it was neat, but for a big city? That was it? Weird.
Now I would like to share a "trip down memory lane" story:
Yesterday, I was getting into my car with my son after we had been in a store for a while. The sun was beating down upon the car in our absence. Because it was hot, we were wearing shorts. When we got in, I felt as though the back of my thighs were on vinyl seats--remember before cloth seats? You would have to keep towels in the car in the summer because the seats would get burning hot, and if you didn't, you just stood up holding onto the head rest (no seatbelt laws back then) because you weren't about to blister your legs from a hot seat. Well, that's how my legs felt. I felt the seat, and it felt as though it had some sort of plastic mixed in with the fabric: a kind of scratchy mixture that definitely didn't feel like normal cloth. I had never noticed this before, but my legs quickly showed me of my oblivion. OUCH! I always hated vinyl seats, and that little reminder made me thankful for cloth seats.
First of all, I have joined the "Facebook" generation. I held out for a long time, but realized I best get involved. You can look for me there as well.
Second, we are leaving for Oregon tomorrow, and I will be gone a week. I am SO EXCITED about that. It will be good to see my sister, and the weather is FABULOUS!
Third, the conference in Austin was good. I have much to do before school starts, and I just about hyperventilate just thinking about it, so don't mention it. I really cannot do anything until I get back anyway, and by then I may have a heart attack about it. AAAUUUGGH!
Fourth, did you know that if you look up things to do in Austin it talks about the 1.8 million bats that fly out from under a bridge every night as the best thing to do there? We went and saw them, and it was neat, but for a big city? That was it? Weird.
Now I would like to share a "trip down memory lane" story:
Yesterday, I was getting into my car with my son after we had been in a store for a while. The sun was beating down upon the car in our absence. Because it was hot, we were wearing shorts. When we got in, I felt as though the back of my thighs were on vinyl seats--remember before cloth seats? You would have to keep towels in the car in the summer because the seats would get burning hot, and if you didn't, you just stood up holding onto the head rest (no seatbelt laws back then) because you weren't about to blister your legs from a hot seat. Well, that's how my legs felt. I felt the seat, and it felt as though it had some sort of plastic mixed in with the fabric: a kind of scratchy mixture that definitely didn't feel like normal cloth. I had never noticed this before, but my legs quickly showed me of my oblivion. OUCH! I always hated vinyl seats, and that little reminder made me thankful for cloth seats.
Tuesday, June 24, 2008
Joy
As I was reading a friend's blog today, she was talking about how she has lost her joy, and she is on a journey to find it. I know the feeling. About 3-4 years ago I really began to realize that I am not a joyful person by nature. I think it is a generational thing in some of my family members, but even if I am happy about life, I don't tend to portray that. This really bugged me. I had to talk to someone. I asked a friend of mine (who always seemed to be joyful) what his secret was: how could he always be "up". He told me of a dream that he had had:
"I was at my own funeral, but nobody could see me. I was watching it all happen and shouting, 'I'm right here! Don't look in there, it isn't me! I'm alive, really!,' etc." He told me that he had become so "dead" that nobody could see him "alive". It was after that dream that he began to cry out to God to give him joy, and He did.
I have been praying the same thing, and although I am not completely changed, I believe God is helping me.
Colossians 1:9-12 "We pray that you'll have the strength to stick it out over the long haul-not the grim strength of gritting your teeth but the glory-strength God gives. It is a strength that endures the unendurable and spills over into joy, thanking the Father who makes us strong enough to take part in everything bright and beautiful that he has for us."
I love those verses from the Message. Really, no matter how I feel or circumstances around me, because of who He is and what He has done--that alone should give me joy.
God, may You be the lifter of my head.
"I was at my own funeral, but nobody could see me. I was watching it all happen and shouting, 'I'm right here! Don't look in there, it isn't me! I'm alive, really!,' etc." He told me that he had become so "dead" that nobody could see him "alive". It was after that dream that he began to cry out to God to give him joy, and He did.
I have been praying the same thing, and although I am not completely changed, I believe God is helping me.
Colossians 1:9-12 "We pray that you'll have the strength to stick it out over the long haul-not the grim strength of gritting your teeth but the glory-strength God gives. It is a strength that endures the unendurable and spills over into joy, thanking the Father who makes us strong enough to take part in everything bright and beautiful that he has for us."
I love those verses from the Message. Really, no matter how I feel or circumstances around me, because of who He is and what He has done--that alone should give me joy.
God, may You be the lifter of my head.
Monday, June 23, 2008
Dance, Dance, Dance!
We just bought Dance, Dance Revolution (the Disney version) on eBay. We received it in the mail today, so of course there's been a lot of dancing going on in the house (myself included)! It is quite fun, and if you accidentally pick difficult--just stand off to the side and wait for it to finish because, oh my goodness, who could ever keep up? That will have to be my next goal. :) The kids tell me that one of their friends does "expert". I can't even imagine my brain working that fast. How do you do it, Isaiah?
It's a fun way to sweat and to have fun with the kids. GREAT invention.
It's a fun way to sweat and to have fun with the kids. GREAT invention.
Saturday, June 21, 2008
Family Awards Night
Tonight we had our 1st Annual Family Awards Night. (I don't know if it will be an annual thing, I just think it sounds good. :)) I had thought since there has been some dissension in our midst, it would be good to discuss what we love about each other in an "awards" way. For example, "You win the Best Smile Award." I gave the family two weeks to prepare, and it was so much fun!
First, I cooked a large dinner with a lot of our "favorite" foods. We then all got dressed up, set the table with my china and feasted. I had baked individual cakes last night for the occasion.
After our cakes, we cleaned up the dining room and traveled to the living room for the "awards ceremony." Hosted by Daddy Jamison, we presented from oldest to youngest. Dennis and I both ended up giving the kids certificates that looked very much alike. (How funny!) However, he went one better by writing each of the kids a letter that was very heartfelt. We teared up reading Shelden's, and when Molly read hers, she stopped at one point and cried openly. She couldn't finish reading it out loud, so her sister helped finish reading it. There was not a dry eye in the house!
Shelden presented each of us a handmade trophy out of construction paper that stated what our award was for. (It very much DID look like a trophy--she's so creative!) She then read to us what she had thought long and hard about and put to writing. Very nice.
Sammy had written us each a card and told us what our "award" is. Very cute.
And finally, Molly had written us each a note telling what she loves about us and had created interesting ways to wrap them in construction paper. Very heartfelt.
We then played Uno Attack and Swap! card games. A great time was had by all. I will always cherish moments like this.
Some of the awards presented:
Daddy: Best Provider Award, Best Personality Award, Most Hardworking Award, Big Brain Award
Mommy: Most Responsible (I got that one twice! I must be very responsible, eh?), Best Mom Award (for feeding and taking care of them)
Shelden: Most Driven Award, Best Basest Award, Biggest Heart Award, Best Artist Award
Sammy: Most Tender Heart Award, Best Eater Award, Best Imagination Award, Best at Loving Legos Award
Molly: Best Worship/Singer Award, Best Giver Award, Most Dramatic Award, Most Generous Award
First, I cooked a large dinner with a lot of our "favorite" foods. We then all got dressed up, set the table with my china and feasted. I had baked individual cakes last night for the occasion.
After our cakes, we cleaned up the dining room and traveled to the living room for the "awards ceremony." Hosted by Daddy Jamison, we presented from oldest to youngest. Dennis and I both ended up giving the kids certificates that looked very much alike. (How funny!) However, he went one better by writing each of the kids a letter that was very heartfelt. We teared up reading Shelden's, and when Molly read hers, she stopped at one point and cried openly. She couldn't finish reading it out loud, so her sister helped finish reading it. There was not a dry eye in the house!
Shelden presented each of us a handmade trophy out of construction paper that stated what our award was for. (It very much DID look like a trophy--she's so creative!) She then read to us what she had thought long and hard about and put to writing. Very nice.
Sammy had written us each a card and told us what our "award" is. Very cute.
And finally, Molly had written us each a note telling what she loves about us and had created interesting ways to wrap them in construction paper. Very heartfelt.
We then played Uno Attack and Swap! card games. A great time was had by all. I will always cherish moments like this.
Some of the awards presented:
Daddy: Best Provider Award, Best Personality Award, Most Hardworking Award, Big Brain Award
Mommy: Most Responsible (I got that one twice! I must be very responsible, eh?), Best Mom Award (for feeding and taking care of them)
Shelden: Most Driven Award, Best Basest Award, Biggest Heart Award, Best Artist Award
Sammy: Most Tender Heart Award, Best Eater Award, Best Imagination Award, Best at Loving Legos Award
Molly: Best Worship/Singer Award, Best Giver Award, Most Dramatic Award, Most Generous Award
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
Rollie Pollies and such
I guess since this blog is entitled "My Kansan Life" I should probably tell some stories about my life. First, a not-so-serious one.
Rollie pollies. I don't know if everyone calls them that, but that is what I have always called pill bugs. They are small with a lot of legs and roll up into a ball when you try to handle them. When I was small I used to like to grab them up and pull them apart. We had several thousand in our yard, climbing on the foundation of our home, etc. I would spend hours doing this (well, it seemed like hours, maybe just 30 minutes?). I am not sure what the fascination was, but I found it fun.
One day as I was swinging on my swingset (my favorite thing in the world to do), I saw a colorful bug flying around. I thought it was pretty. I watched it as it settled down onto a flower. I reached down and grabbed it and pulled it apart. IMMEDIATELY my thumb began to throb with pain. I ran crying into my house where my mom could survey the damage. I told her what I had done. She proceeded to get some "mommy tools" out to get the nuisance out of my thumb. She then explained that I had pulled apart a bee, and to not mess with those "pretty" bugs anymore. They have stingers, and that is what I had in my thumb. Lesson learned.
Rollie pollies. I don't know if everyone calls them that, but that is what I have always called pill bugs. They are small with a lot of legs and roll up into a ball when you try to handle them. When I was small I used to like to grab them up and pull them apart. We had several thousand in our yard, climbing on the foundation of our home, etc. I would spend hours doing this (well, it seemed like hours, maybe just 30 minutes?). I am not sure what the fascination was, but I found it fun.
One day as I was swinging on my swingset (my favorite thing in the world to do), I saw a colorful bug flying around. I thought it was pretty. I watched it as it settled down onto a flower. I reached down and grabbed it and pulled it apart. IMMEDIATELY my thumb began to throb with pain. I ran crying into my house where my mom could survey the damage. I told her what I had done. She proceeded to get some "mommy tools" out to get the nuisance out of my thumb. She then explained that I had pulled apart a bee, and to not mess with those "pretty" bugs anymore. They have stingers, and that is what I had in my thumb. Lesson learned.
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
First time for everything
Well, something new happened to me today: something I never would have expected. It's not really that "big news" kind of thing; however, it really got me thinking.
I was at McDonald's with my children. We were enjoying spending some time together in between lots of "busyness". We were laughing and talking. There was another mother with her three children two tables down from us with the table between us empty. All of a sudden I could tell that the mother was trying to get my attention. I looked her way, and she asked me, "Could you watch these two while I take him (pointing to the middle child) to the restroom?" I smiled and said, "Sure." Now I realize what it's like when one of your children has to "go" in the worst possible moment, but I have NEVER asked a stranger no matter how kind they look to watch my kids. How could she possibly know that I would never harm her children? There are some moms out there that I would not put it past them to do harm, kidnap, etc. Maybe it was the fact that we prayed before eating. If she noticed that, I bet she concluded we would be nice? I really don't know. I'm glad she didn't leave them with someone who would take off with them. That would've been very sad. Anyway, I found it a bit odd. In fact, I'm wondering right now if we were on some kind of "Candid Camera" show...
I was at McDonald's with my children. We were enjoying spending some time together in between lots of "busyness". We were laughing and talking. There was another mother with her three children two tables down from us with the table between us empty. All of a sudden I could tell that the mother was trying to get my attention. I looked her way, and she asked me, "Could you watch these two while I take him (pointing to the middle child) to the restroom?" I smiled and said, "Sure." Now I realize what it's like when one of your children has to "go" in the worst possible moment, but I have NEVER asked a stranger no matter how kind they look to watch my kids. How could she possibly know that I would never harm her children? There are some moms out there that I would not put it past them to do harm, kidnap, etc. Maybe it was the fact that we prayed before eating. If she noticed that, I bet she concluded we would be nice? I really don't know. I'm glad she didn't leave them with someone who would take off with them. That would've been very sad. Anyway, I found it a bit odd. In fact, I'm wondering right now if we were on some kind of "Candid Camera" show...
Sunday, June 8, 2008
Much to post
Well, much has happened since my last post. I won't tell all, I'm sure, but here are the highlights:
We went camping in the Rocky Mountains for a whole week. In a ghetto camper. Surrounded by elk, ground squirrels, chipmunks and deer. And a rumored bear that we never saw. With an outhouse across the road and flushing toilets about 1/2 mile away uphill to get there, downhill back. (You thought I was going to say uphill both ways, huh?) It was breath-taking. Literally. The air is thin up that high. So here I am huffing and puffing just to go brush my teeth. (sigh) It's times like these that I wish I was about 17 again and stick thin. :) It really was beautiful, and we went with friends, so it was fun getting time with them. The camper was nicer than a tent, and I'm afraid a tent might have blown away a few days there because it was so windy. We went on an uphill hike for about 2 miles, which doesn't seem like much, but when you are only walking uphill for that long in the heat and thinner air, it seems much longer. We made it to our destination--a beautiful waterfall. We took group pictures. We then hit the showers at the YMCA. Of course, I got a headache. It was so bad I ended up throwing up my lunch in the YMCA yard. The kids can now officially say that they have seen me puke. Nice. I was down the rest of the evening and took pain pills every day after "just in case". The rest of the trip was fine other than falling into a frozen lake. I'm fine. Really. Otherwise I wouldn't be typing this update. It was quite funny, really. Ask me about it if you want details. 14 hour drive there and back. I still haven't quite recovered sleep, because as soon as we got home we have been dealing with bad tornado-producing weather almost every night. (sigh)
Today was fantastic as we visited a church in my hometown of Caney, KS. One of my friends from 1st-12th grade is the pastor, and he and his wife planned a cookout at the park with us, their family and two other families, one new to us, the other family is one of my dearest friends from high school and her husband and boys. We had a great time visiting and letting the kids play and get to know each other. I am really hoping to keep in touch with them this time.
Well, Dennis needs the computer. I will try to post again soon.
We went camping in the Rocky Mountains for a whole week. In a ghetto camper. Surrounded by elk, ground squirrels, chipmunks and deer. And a rumored bear that we never saw. With an outhouse across the road and flushing toilets about 1/2 mile away uphill to get there, downhill back. (You thought I was going to say uphill both ways, huh?) It was breath-taking. Literally. The air is thin up that high. So here I am huffing and puffing just to go brush my teeth. (sigh) It's times like these that I wish I was about 17 again and stick thin. :) It really was beautiful, and we went with friends, so it was fun getting time with them. The camper was nicer than a tent, and I'm afraid a tent might have blown away a few days there because it was so windy. We went on an uphill hike for about 2 miles, which doesn't seem like much, but when you are only walking uphill for that long in the heat and thinner air, it seems much longer. We made it to our destination--a beautiful waterfall. We took group pictures. We then hit the showers at the YMCA. Of course, I got a headache. It was so bad I ended up throwing up my lunch in the YMCA yard. The kids can now officially say that they have seen me puke. Nice. I was down the rest of the evening and took pain pills every day after "just in case". The rest of the trip was fine other than falling into a frozen lake. I'm fine. Really. Otherwise I wouldn't be typing this update. It was quite funny, really. Ask me about it if you want details. 14 hour drive there and back. I still haven't quite recovered sleep, because as soon as we got home we have been dealing with bad tornado-producing weather almost every night. (sigh)
Today was fantastic as we visited a church in my hometown of Caney, KS. One of my friends from 1st-12th grade is the pastor, and he and his wife planned a cookout at the park with us, their family and two other families, one new to us, the other family is one of my dearest friends from high school and her husband and boys. We had a great time visiting and letting the kids play and get to know each other. I am really hoping to keep in touch with them this time.
Well, Dennis needs the computer. I will try to post again soon.
Tuesday, May 20, 2008
Full summer
Well, we are officially into our summer break. However, I will be "going to school" this summer. I have to learn two years of Latin and I will be figuring out a Logic course. (I laughingly told Deb, "I hope I am smart enough to teach this!") So, of course, I have loaded up my plate more for next year by teaching Logic to the High School during what would normally be my "planning" period. I will learn the third year of Latin next year in order to teach it to 5th grade every year after that. No rest for the weary, right? I will be teaching Logic to my 5th graders as well. I have some audio courses from last year's conference that I need to listen to sometime in between going to Colorado, Oregon, and Austin for this year's conference. It makes me tired just thinking about it! I'm confident that this summer will fly by. I hope I make the most of it and get much accomplished! Pray for me!
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
Great year
This has been a great school year. I had the privilege to teach my oldest daughter and one other terrific young man. They are such a great class, very easy to teach. Yesterday in chapel each teacher got up and spoke about what we see in our students and we got a chance to tell them how much we love them and will miss them next year. It was very touching. Fortunately, I get to still teach my students next year in the afternoon, so I am not exactly losing them for good. :) We do several things with the 6th grade class, too.
Here are some highlights of this year:
Here are some highlights of this year:
- Learning a new and very long Bible song
- Having a Thanksgiving brunch in class with 6th grade
- Having a very special Lord's Supper together as a class; 5th grade only
- Watching The Crossing in History class--good movie!
- Reading Bridge to Terabithia in reading class and being shocked by some bad language
- Watching Bridge to Terabithia in reading class
- Reading The Cay in reading class
- Doing projects about The Cay in class
- Comparing the book Johnny Tremain with the movie
- Reading The Indian in the Cupboard in class
- Watching August Rush with 6th grade class
- Having a week of celebrations with 6th grade
- One student's mess around his desk
- The girls coloring
- Decorating the 6th grade room for Valentine's Day
- Our Christmas party at school
- Our end-of-year carnival
- Singing "Superhero" in chapel
- Getting new desks!
- Having an all-school fun day
- Wacky Week
Sunday, May 11, 2008
Good news
Well, good news! Our roof FINALLY got fixed, so after about 9 months, we have no more roof leaks! Yea for us! Our back porch ceiling is ripped out, but at least no more leaking!
My poison sumac seems to be getting very much better. I only itch in the evening now, and many places are fading away. My right leg looks the worst now. I'm just glad to be almost through with it!
Yesterday was a good day. Shelden turned 11, and she had a slumber party Friday night to celebrate with her friends. They played, cooked us dinner, and watched a movie. They stayed up way later than I did, and then we woke them up to go garage saleing Saturday morning. We hit a few sales, took a few of them home, and Bailey stayed with us until after lunch. I got a bad headache after that, and Dennis took the kids out to eat and shopping. They came home and gave me my Mother's Day gifts. Other than a headache, it was a great day.
This is our last week of school, and it should be fun. Two weeks until Colorado!
My poison sumac seems to be getting very much better. I only itch in the evening now, and many places are fading away. My right leg looks the worst now. I'm just glad to be almost through with it!
Yesterday was a good day. Shelden turned 11, and she had a slumber party Friday night to celebrate with her friends. They played, cooked us dinner, and watched a movie. They stayed up way later than I did, and then we woke them up to go garage saleing Saturday morning. We hit a few sales, took a few of them home, and Bailey stayed with us until after lunch. I got a bad headache after that, and Dennis took the kids out to eat and shopping. They came home and gave me my Mother's Day gifts. Other than a headache, it was a great day.
This is our last week of school, and it should be fun. Two weeks until Colorado!
Thursday, May 8, 2008
My baby
I cannot believe my oldest daughter is going to turn 11 in two days. All those corny sayings about children growing up so fast are true. I truly cannot believe how quickly 11 years have passed. I was 11 years younger, which doesn't seem possible, either. :) I hope I am raising her to have her priorities straight: to love God with all her heart, soul, and mind, and to love others as herself.
Lovely Young Lady
by Michelle Jamison
She has grown to be a lovely young lady.
Where did all the time go?
She no longer plays with dolls, but maybe
She has turned play into song.
She has grown to be a lovely young lady.
Does she know she's as beautiful inside?
She writes psalms and song a-plenty
From the depths of her heart and mind.
She has stolen time and grown three feet.
What am I to do?
I must tell her all she means to me
Before childhood is through.
I love you, Shelden-skins!
Lovely Young Lady
by Michelle Jamison
She has grown to be a lovely young lady.
Where did all the time go?
She no longer plays with dolls, but maybe
She has turned play into song.
She has grown to be a lovely young lady.
Does she know she's as beautiful inside?
She writes psalms and song a-plenty
From the depths of her heart and mind.
She has stolen time and grown three feet.
What am I to do?
I must tell her all she means to me
Before childhood is through.
I love you, Shelden-skins!
Monday, May 5, 2008
It's May!
So I have the song, "The Lusty Month of May" going around in my head from the musical Camelot. Terrible lyrics because it is so ungodly, but a catchy song nonetheless. Of course, that makes me want to watch the musical...it's my favorite, especially when Richard Harris played King Arthur. He will always be King Arthur to me. In the video I have of it, he plays the part with so much life, that he is all but spent at the curtain call. He looks so exhausted. I appreciate that kind of dedication. I have always loved the story: the knights of the round table, King Arthur, how he came to be king, etc. The music is quite lovely and catchy. King Arthur loves so deeply and loses everything he holds dear. It doesn't stop his love, though. That reminds me of how much God loves us. We become unfaithful at times, but He still loves. Anyway, it's MAY. "It's here, that shocking time of year..."
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
My prison
The worst thing about having poison ivy is that I don't feel like I can hug people or hold babies. It's so hard, I didn't realize how touchy/feely I am, and there have been times I want to reach out and hug someone, and then I hold it back, and it hurts on the inside. (sigh) Someday I will no longer have it and will be "unshackled" by this terrible condition. In the meantime, I will stay in my prison of agony.
Tuesday, April 29, 2008
Poison ivy or sumac
So I Am Changed
by Sibelan Forrester
by Sibelan Forrester
Now that I am an initiate
I see it everywhere, the glossy
triangular eyes of its young
leer at me from every garden
and roadside in recognition.
All these years I didn't know
what might be out there to get me,
but now wherever I walk I keep
an eye out for that glossy leaf
and tendril, lurking at the edge
of the lawn, the soft touch
and proof of my angry imperfection.
I somehow got poison ivy or sumac about 10 days ago and am still breaking out and miserable. It feels as though I will always be "marked" and my body will always have these red blotches to prove it. I hope they go away and do not scar. I am so itchy, so tired of looking splotchy, it's embarrassing. Can I just say that I hate poison ivy?...
Monday, April 28, 2008
Lord, liar or lunatic?
I am reading an interesting book in my classroom while they do their handwriting. It is called More Than a Carpenter by Josh McDowell. So far, it is really good. He poses the question, "Who do you say that Jesus is?" Today we read how either Jesus IS Lord/God, or He is either a lunatic or a liar. Lord, liar or lunatic. If He is a liar, claiming to be God and claiming that He is the only way to God, and if He wasn't really, then he would not just be a liar, but he would be very evil. Scratch that off the list. If He states that He is Lord, but really isn't, He would at least be a lunatic. Of all the statements He made about Himself, he would definitely look like a crazy man if those statements were not true. Many people call Him a moral man, good teacher, etc. Could a lunatic be a great teacher? How about people that have had their lives changed by His teaching? Sorry, but He is NOT a lunatic. He either is what He says He is, or He is not. Guess that leaves Lord.
Yes, I believe He is Lord and God. I believe that He is the only way to God. I believe that He saves lives, changes us, wants us to know Him in a real, relational way. I believe that He is coming back someday, and I want Him to always be pleased with me. This is the Jesus that I know. He is amazing!
Yes, I believe He is Lord and God. I believe that He is the only way to God. I believe that He saves lives, changes us, wants us to know Him in a real, relational way. I believe that He is coming back someday, and I want Him to always be pleased with me. This is the Jesus that I know. He is amazing!
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
Encouragement
I asked God one time, "What can I possibly do to walk in my 'calling'? I don't know how I can make a difference in people's lives." God, speaking through a minister, told me that one thing I can do is write encouraging notes to people. I began doing that every once in a while, and it seemed to really mean a lot to people. I didn't do it very frequently, however, and once more I asked God what I could do. He reminded me about writing encouraging notes, and I decided to try to write at least one per week to someone that He would give me words for. It was a great year when I did that. I usually had more than one per week, and although not everyone came back and thanked me, it was just good knowing I was obeying God. I stopped doing it for awhile, but I am ready to get back to it. You know, when you know that you can help in ANY way for the kingdom of God to expand, whether it's cleaning the church, mowing the lawn for someone, working in the nursery, etc. it is good to just go ahead and walk in those ways. He blesses you in the process especially when you do it with joy. I love to be an encourager. I hope more people become aware of ways that they can encourage others. For me, it's not about that person thanking me, it's about knowing that God gave me those words to say to them, and it must be His timing for them to hear them. Also, when you have something encouraging written down for you, it's nice to go back to it in the hard times.
Monday, April 21, 2008
Friendships
I was trying to look up "friendship poems" on the internet, but I couldn't find any fitting for what I am feeling, or they were just very cheesy. I am very thankful for the godly friendships that I have. I am so glad that I have friends that will keep me on the right track, love me unconditionally, and help me when I need it. I love serving God alongside such wonderful people. I feel extremely blessed each and every day. I know not everyone in this world feels this way, and it makes me sad for them. I think of some of the friendships I have had in the past that had no real purpose and on the surface seemed fantastic but really left me with nothing once we were no longer together. How we never really got to a deep, committed relationship because it was not built on anything but flesh (what can you do for me?) instead of building it on Christ, who is our solid rock. I have friendships now where even if we have been apart for a short or long time, we can pick right back up because we are serving Jesus together, and we can have a deep, meaningful relationship because of that. I thank God for this creation of "friendship", that He created us with a desire for relationships.
Friday, April 18, 2008
God's promises
Last night the kids and I did our devotions, and we have been discussing how God keeps all of His promises. After we finished our reading and talking, the kids made "promise boxes". They ended up being so cute and inventive, even Sammy enjoyed it, which he doesn't usually get too into the "craft" thing. I gave them small boxes with lids (size like what checks come in), and I wrapped the lids separate from the box having the wrong side of the wrapping paper showing so they would have the whole box white. They then decorated to their heart's content with stickers and wrote whatever they wanted on them (my promise box, etc.). On pieces of paper they wrote out God's promises to them and placed them inside the box. I told them whenever they feel down or need encouragement to open their box and read God's promises to them. God always keeps His promises. Thank you, God!
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
Headaches
I really hate headaches. I have battled with headaches for nine years. I have had years where I had anywhere from a bad headache up to a migraine almost daily. I am not living that way anymore, however, when I get a headache, it's pretty bad. Lately I have been getting more. I have been prayed over numerous times, and sometimes wonder if God is using this as my "thorn in my flesh" or if I just don't have enough faith to be healed. I am on medication to try to keep from having them, but I would love to just be healed and finished with it. I would love to be able to get hot from summer weather or from exercising without getting a migraine. I would love to not get tension in my neck and shoulders which works its way up to my head. I have learned how to praise God in the midst of the pain, however. Maybe that is the lesson I am to learn.
Tuesday, April 15, 2008
Love of the Lord
This song has been going through my head the last few days:
The Steadfast Love of the Lord
The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases
His mercies never come to an end
They are new every morning
New every morning.
Great is Thy faithfulness, Oh Lord.
Great is Thy faithfulness.
It's a beautiful song, and the lyrics are so true.
The Steadfast Love of the Lord
The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases
His mercies never come to an end
They are new every morning
New every morning.
Great is Thy faithfulness, Oh Lord.
Great is Thy faithfulness.
It's a beautiful song, and the lyrics are so true.
Sunday, April 13, 2008
Life and Death with words
I was visiting with Tiffany last night, and we were looking at my old yearbooks. A certain teacher's picture was visible, and I told her how he had spoken death to me in 3rd grade. The Bible speaks of humans having the ability to speak life to others or to speak death. We need to choose our words carefully, because some words can not only hurt but can alter the course of someone's life for good OR bad.
Here is what happened to me in 3rd grade: This teacher walked in to all three 3rd grade classrooms and went around the room asking each and every child what they wanted to be when they grow up. The children would answer him, and he would ask the next one. However, if we answered, "A teacher," he stated, "Oh, so you want to be poor your whole life?" Now, I knew my parents were not well-off, and I certainly did not want to be poor! What was I to do? I had dreamed of being a teacher my whole life to that point! I was one of the kids who answered, "Teacher." From that day on, I knew my dream had to be thrown away. I did not know what I should do. I tossed around some ideas during Jr. High, and my Senior year, I decided I liked accounting. I began college thinking I would get an Accounting degree, but decided the first year of college that I didn't want to do that. I didn't want to lose any credits that I already had, so I opted for Business Administration. Now, I'm glad I received my degree, but guess what I am doing now? Teaching. My dream didn't have to be thrown away (thank you, Lord), but I wonder what kind of a teacher I could be if I would've received more training and went for a teaching degree.
Now, perhaps this man had wanted a raise and didn't receive one and was just taking out his anger this way...it's hypothetical, but he could've had some reason to be ranting and raving about teachers being poor. I don't know. However, 3rd graders don't have the ability to rationalize that. All we heard were his words about how bad it was to be a teacher. Death.
Lesson: Be careful what you say, especially to children. It could affect the rest of their lives.
Here is what happened to me in 3rd grade: This teacher walked in to all three 3rd grade classrooms and went around the room asking each and every child what they wanted to be when they grow up. The children would answer him, and he would ask the next one. However, if we answered, "A teacher," he stated, "Oh, so you want to be poor your whole life?" Now, I knew my parents were not well-off, and I certainly did not want to be poor! What was I to do? I had dreamed of being a teacher my whole life to that point! I was one of the kids who answered, "Teacher." From that day on, I knew my dream had to be thrown away. I did not know what I should do. I tossed around some ideas during Jr. High, and my Senior year, I decided I liked accounting. I began college thinking I would get an Accounting degree, but decided the first year of college that I didn't want to do that. I didn't want to lose any credits that I already had, so I opted for Business Administration. Now, I'm glad I received my degree, but guess what I am doing now? Teaching. My dream didn't have to be thrown away (thank you, Lord), but I wonder what kind of a teacher I could be if I would've received more training and went for a teaching degree.
Now, perhaps this man had wanted a raise and didn't receive one and was just taking out his anger this way...it's hypothetical, but he could've had some reason to be ranting and raving about teachers being poor. I don't know. However, 3rd graders don't have the ability to rationalize that. All we heard were his words about how bad it was to be a teacher. Death.
Lesson: Be careful what you say, especially to children. It could affect the rest of their lives.
Saturday, April 12, 2008
Yard sales
I love going to garage sales/yard sales. I love finding killer deals on things for the home, my kids, or myself. The kids like it sometimes, as long as we don't get them up too early.
Yesterday, I went to one after school with the kids. I found some neat things new with tags for the kids. The ad had stated that they would have some Christmas wrapping paper. I asked about it, and she told me she sold some, but still had more to go through and would have it out there at 4:30PM when her husband got home. I explained how our church sends boxes of items that are wrapped to Mexico at Christmastime, and we go through a LOT of paper. I told her I would check back. I'm thinking to myself, "You're having a yard sale and you don't have it all out there yet? What are you waiting for?!" Anyway, I went home, did some things, and went back later. Guess what? NO PAPER! AAUUGGHH! Fortunately it wasn't too far from my home, or I would have wasted more gas than I did. And, when I asked her if she put it out there yet, she said, "No..." She didn't even offer to go get it now that her husband was standing there. Hello! Do you want to get rid of it and make a sale or not?! That was irritating.
Yesterday, I went to one after school with the kids. I found some neat things new with tags for the kids. The ad had stated that they would have some Christmas wrapping paper. I asked about it, and she told me she sold some, but still had more to go through and would have it out there at 4:30PM when her husband got home. I explained how our church sends boxes of items that are wrapped to Mexico at Christmastime, and we go through a LOT of paper. I told her I would check back. I'm thinking to myself, "You're having a yard sale and you don't have it all out there yet? What are you waiting for?!" Anyway, I went home, did some things, and went back later. Guess what? NO PAPER! AAUUGGHH! Fortunately it wasn't too far from my home, or I would have wasted more gas than I did. And, when I asked her if she put it out there yet, she said, "No..." She didn't even offer to go get it now that her husband was standing there. Hello! Do you want to get rid of it and make a sale or not?! That was irritating.
Thursday, April 10, 2008
Memories or lack thereof
Things I remember about last month:
?? Was I here last month?
(sigh) Although my long-term memory is endless (see last post), my short-term memory has much to be desired. I always freeze at the question, "So, what was church about last week (a few days ago, etc)?"
"Umm, I know it was really good..."
I wish it wasn't this way. I am taking Ginko, and it seems to help things like remembering what I came into a room for, remembering to run an errand that someone told me not to forget, etc. However, remembering conversations? Forget about it. (pun intended)
I wonder if years from now when this year's memories will be long-term, will I remember everything that I can't remember now?
?? Was I here last month?
(sigh) Although my long-term memory is endless (see last post), my short-term memory has much to be desired. I always freeze at the question, "So, what was church about last week (a few days ago, etc)?"
"Umm, I know it was really good..."
I wish it wasn't this way. I am taking Ginko, and it seems to help things like remembering what I came into a room for, remembering to run an errand that someone told me not to forget, etc. However, remembering conversations? Forget about it. (pun intended)
I wonder if years from now when this year's memories will be long-term, will I remember everything that I can't remember now?
Wednesday, April 9, 2008
Things I remember: childhood
Here are some things I remember about growing up in my small Kansas hometown. It's not a comprehensive list, it's just things that I remember very well.
- My little house on Wood Street (2 bedrooms, 1 bath)
- Remodeling our little house into a 3 bedroom, 1 1/2 bath
- Sweeping up the saw dust during the remodel: how it smelled, how the men were surprised the next day to see it cleaner
- Playing on my swing set and singing while swinging
- Playing with my sister and best friend outside: making mud pies, playing whiffle ball, playing in the snow and acting like it was a blizzard and we were Laura, Mary and Carrie Ingalls getting lost in the blizzard
- Being a member of the "congregation" as my sister preached to me from her "pulpit", which was my baby doll suitcase
- Being a cheerleader for my sister, the football player
- My dog, Snuggles (1/2 poodle, 1/2 schnauzer), whom I had from ages 2-15
- How Snuggles became blind and deaf the older she got
- All of my grade school teachers
- How our lunch ladies made the BEST hot rolls I've ever had
- The taste of our lunchroom pizza
- How nervous I would get about the first day of school
- How much I LOVED school
- How much I loved fried chicken
- How everyone knew your name in our small town
- How, even as a young child, my best friend and I could walk uptown by ourselves and have nothing to worry about (and neither did our parents)
- The sound of the wooden floors in our "dime" store and the smell of that store
- Looking at Smurf figurines at the Pharmacy, saving up money to collect as many as I could
- Spending the night at friends' houses; laughing a lot
- Going to our school carnival every year and coming home with "useless" treasures
- Playing "school" in my bedroom
- Playing "secretary" in my bedroom
- Thinking your small home is big
- Thinking your school is gigantic!
- Getting lost in TG&Y
- Eating at Pizza Hut with my family every Saturday before buying groceries
- Eating at Long John Silvers when we were tired of Pizza Hut
- Looking at Christmas lights every year with Granny, Grandad, mom and dad, especially Candy Cane Lane
- Going to the mall in Bartlesville, OK a lot and going to the mall in Tulsa, OK every year for new school clothes
- The sights and sounds of my hometown church
- The sights and sounds of my hometown library
- The feel of my grandparents' hugs
- Sitting on my mom's lap and listening to her heartbeat as she would read to me
- Getting new Easter dresses every year
- Helping decorate for Christmas every year
- Melting tinsel on the old fashioned large bulbs that got HOT!
- Buying new record albums and memorizing them ALL after listening to them through twice
- The sights and sounds of our city pool
- Going skating with our third grade class for the "end of the year" party
- The sound of my best friend, Cari's, voice
- The sound of Cari's mom's voice
- Skating on Cari's neighbor's driveway listening to "Footloose"
- Playing in the building behind our home, which at one time was an apartment, but we used it for storage and called it "The Little House"
- The smell of dad using a charcoal grill on Saturday nights in the summer on our patio
- Always feeling like I was older than I was
- Listening to Elvis records and belting the song out along with him
- Moving on to Barbara Mandrell and then Olivia Newton-John
- Loving to play with baby dolls and wearing as much jewelry as I could
- Trying to learn to ride a bike without training wheels and getting mad at the bike
- Watching my sister wreck her 3-speed bike on gravel and running home to tell mom and dad
- Being so happy to receive "Underoos" for Christmas
- Hating the physical fitness tests that we had to do every year at school
- Getting car sick any time we traveled
- Going to my Aunt and Uncle's after school
- Riding in my Aunt's station wagon with all of my cousins singing songs
- Going to the State Fair with my Aunt, Uncle and cousins
- Going trick-or-treating to houses of people we knew
- Playing board games all summer with my sister, some of them lasting for days
- Watching the Wizard of Oz once a year and being scared every time by the Wicked Witch
- Missing my teachers when we would be on break (I know, sick, aren't I? haha)
- Vacationing in Branson a LOT; once with my Granny and Grandad
- The smell of the asphalt in the summer at Silver Dollar City
- Listening to my mom hum or sing softly in the car
- Spraining my ankle at school during P.E. and spraining the other one on my way home from Cari's
- Watching smoke billow out from our grade school when it was set on fire
- All the kids squished inside the gymnasium or music room for classes after the fire
- The feeling enjoyment while playing on the scooters
- Getting scared when an old car with strange looking men stopped and one of the men started getting out while we were playing whiffle ball outside
- Pulling apart hundreds of rollie-polies
- Pulling apart a bee and getting the stinger in my thumb (I didn't know it could hurt me, I just thought it was pretty.)
- Falling asleep on my teeter-totter
- Learning to crochet
- Learning what "long distance" is the hard way :(
- Always playing "mommy"
- Admiring my neighbors beautiful maple trees in the fall
- Having school parties, especially Valentine's Day
- Eating hamloaf at Granny and Grandad's for Easter
- Eating mom's chili and my Aunt's potato soup on Christmas Eve at Grandad's
- Spending Christmas Day at Granny and Grandad's
- Going to the capitol building in 5th grade because I won a report-writing contest
- Listening to Grandad's stories
- Getting my tonsils out
- Swinging on the swingset at school and jumping off at the highest point
- Moving to Pittsburg for my 6th grade year
- Hating living in Pittsburg
- Moving back to hometown in 7th grade
- Sleeping in my sister's room when it was hot so we could share a fan
- Sunday School each Sunday
- Being in "Sword Drills"; practicing, competing and going to Salina for State Competition
- Going to Glorieta, NM to watch my friend compete in the nationals for sword drills
- Going to Arkansas for a family reunion
- Wondering which teacher I would have next year; excited for mom to come home and tell me after she pre-enrolled us
- Watching "Hee Haw" on Saturday nights
- Lining up "boy, girl, boy girl" or "BGBGBG" as one teacher called it
- My dad teaching me to wrap gifts; mom making me the official "gift wrapper" of the family (except my gifts)
- My Mickey Mouse night light, which I had a nightmare about one time while I was sick with fever
- My Crayola Caddy and hours I would spend using it
- Coloring with my sister
- Making my sister come home and play school with me when I was too young to go so I could know everything she learned
- April 1, 1979--Asked Jesus to be my Lord and Savior
- My baptism--being scared I would drown and saying, "I want my daddy!"
- Being in children's choir at church: doing plays, singing, doing puppet shows, etc.
- Getting my Barbie kitchen from Granny and Grandad
- Getting a large double-sided chalkboard to play school from mom and dad
- Playing Pacman and Ms. Pacman at my friend's house
- Going to church camp "Virgil" which I did not like
- I liked going to the car wash with Dad because he would buy me a bottle (glass bottle) of Crush soda (orange, grape, strawberry)
- Getting mad at my sister when we played "Aggravation"
- Having a GREAT childhood
Sunday, April 6, 2008
writing
Yesterday I took the kids to visit my Grandad in Coffeyville. The kids just went for a few minutes to say hello and so Grandad could say a few things to them. I stayed a tad longer so we could talk alone. It was a good visit, lots of crying, though.
I went by Grandad's home and found a handwritten journal written by my Great-grandmother (whom we called More-Granny). She passed away when I was about 4-5 years old. She wrote the history of her family and things that had happened after marrying my Great-grandpa. I read it last night when we got home. It was so fascinating! Even little things were fascinating: how much they spent on gas for their gas stove, what they built their homes with and how small the homes were, etc. I tell you what, people back then were tough. Things they had to endure and go through, I do not think I am strong enough to handle most of that. The very last page had cut-outs from the newspaper of my parents' engagement with a beautiful picture of my mom, and one of my dad in his air force uniform mentioning how he was assigned to go to San Antonio, TX, for on-the-job training. (This is where my sister would be born.) Very cool.
My Granny was always good about writing letters, notes, sending cards for all the holidays, etc. She loved writing. Reading More-Granny's journal made me realize where she got it. I love sending encouraging notes to people. I feel as though it is one thing that I can do for God. I don't know if you could consider it a "calling", but it's one of the best suited callings for me, in my opinion. Sometimes I struggle with, "What can I do for God?" This is one thing that I don't have to question. I CAN do this, and so I do. I CAN wrap Mexico boxes, and so I do. I hope that God will be glorified in everything that I do.
I went by Grandad's home and found a handwritten journal written by my Great-grandmother (whom we called More-Granny). She passed away when I was about 4-5 years old. She wrote the history of her family and things that had happened after marrying my Great-grandpa. I read it last night when we got home. It was so fascinating! Even little things were fascinating: how much they spent on gas for their gas stove, what they built their homes with and how small the homes were, etc. I tell you what, people back then were tough. Things they had to endure and go through, I do not think I am strong enough to handle most of that. The very last page had cut-outs from the newspaper of my parents' engagement with a beautiful picture of my mom, and one of my dad in his air force uniform mentioning how he was assigned to go to San Antonio, TX, for on-the-job training. (This is where my sister would be born.) Very cool.
My Granny was always good about writing letters, notes, sending cards for all the holidays, etc. She loved writing. Reading More-Granny's journal made me realize where she got it. I love sending encouraging notes to people. I feel as though it is one thing that I can do for God. I don't know if you could consider it a "calling", but it's one of the best suited callings for me, in my opinion. Sometimes I struggle with, "What can I do for God?" This is one thing that I don't have to question. I CAN do this, and so I do. I CAN wrap Mexico boxes, and so I do. I hope that God will be glorified in everything that I do.
Thursday, April 3, 2008
Shelden's poem
I am my daughter, Shelden's, teacher. Today they had to write poems about a color. I thought hers was great. Here it is...
Red is...
by Shelden Jamison
Red is a freshly picked apple.
Red is colorful fall leaves.
Red is hot, fiery flames.
Red is the blood of living things.
Red is the Red Sea.
Red is the color for me.
Red is...
by Shelden Jamison
Red is a freshly picked apple.
Red is colorful fall leaves.
Red is hot, fiery flames.
Red is the blood of living things.
Red is the Red Sea.
Red is the color for me.
How I Feel Today
When I'm with you,
eternity is a step away,
my love continues to grow,
with each passing day.
This treasure of love,
I cherish within my soul,
how much I love you...
you'll never really know.
You bring a joy to my heart,
I've never felt before,
with each touch of your hand,
I love you more and more.
Whenever we say goodbye,
whenever we part,
know I hold you dearly,
deep inside my heart.
So these seven words,
I pray you hold true,
"Forever And Always,
I Will Love You."
- Chris Engle -
Seems to capture what I am feeling on the inside lately. I love my Grandad dearly, and I am sad to see him slip away.
Tuesday, April 1, 2008
Girls at play
I was watching my girls play "spa" last night and had to smile. They were soaking each other's feet in hot water, painting their nails, and giving each other a massage. They would calculate how much was owed and pay in fake money. They were also talking to other "employees" and "customers". It was so fun for them. (I even got a massage out of the deal.) My oldest wants to be a beautician when she grows up, and maybe have her own spa? I used to play "school" at home when I was growing up, and now I am a teacher...could this be Shelden's way of playing the role of her future?
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
Awe
I am reading a book with the kids about living in the awe of God, how every moment is extraordinary not just ordinary because we serve an extraordinary God. It relates scenes from Star Wars with how we should live our lives. Very interesting. One part that we read spoke of how children are always asking grown ups to "do it again" when they find the "awe" in something, and how we as grown ups think that just gets monotonous. The author then poses the thought that maybe God likes the monotonous; maybe he tells the sun every morning, "Do it again," and the moon, "Do it again." All of creation seems to repeat itself every season, every year. Does that seems monotonous? Not to us, because we get to enjoy the benefits. However, if we had to create the same thing over and over, would we consider it monotonous? God loves us so much that he creates flowers that aren't even seen (i.e. on mountaintops, in forests, etc.). That is "awe". Watching the sunrise and sunset. That is "awe". However, when we realize our minuteness compared to His greatness, there should be mixed with the awe a certain sense of fear, a fear of God and his extraordinary power. I want to live there, in awe every day of God.
Monday, March 24, 2008
Shopper's Rage
I find that I'm not a very patient person sometimes. For example, when waiting in lines, I will look around for a shorter line so that I can leave quicker. However, having banking experience, I know that just as soon as I move to a shorter line, there will be a reason that the new line becomes slow, and the line I would have moved from is now checking out the person that was behind me! So, most of the time, I wait. (I hate it when I am the cause of the waiting.)
I also am not patient when I am walking through a store and people decide to stop right in front of me to chat with someone else. If I do that, I always try to move my cart or myself to the very edge of the space so that people can get through. I do not find that everyone else uses this courtesy. People block aisles and don't even try to move out of the way. Or people that are walking slower than I am will not scoot aside, they just keep up a slow pace until I can find an opening to get around them. AARRGH! I really don't know why this bugs me so much, but it does. Maybe God is trying to teach me patience, but I am not allowing it?...Hmm...
Maybe I have "shopper's rage"?
I also am not patient when I am walking through a store and people decide to stop right in front of me to chat with someone else. If I do that, I always try to move my cart or myself to the very edge of the space so that people can get through. I do not find that everyone else uses this courtesy. People block aisles and don't even try to move out of the way. Or people that are walking slower than I am will not scoot aside, they just keep up a slow pace until I can find an opening to get around them. AARRGH! I really don't know why this bugs me so much, but it does. Maybe God is trying to teach me patience, but I am not allowing it?...Hmm...
Maybe I have "shopper's rage"?
Sunday, March 23, 2008
The Breakfast Nazi
I forgot one story about our K.C. trip. We barely made it in time for the continental breakfast offered by the hotel. The five of us grabbed our food and I sat down. The hotel lady came over and asked if I wanted anything else. I thought, "That's strange. If I wanted something else, don't I just get up and get it?" However, I answered her, "No, thanks. I'm fine." She looked a bit confused, and she said, "Because I am about to clean everything up." She said the breakfast ended at 9:00AM. It was 5 after now. I told my family to get everything they wanted as she was shutting it down. 9 o'clock seems awfully early to shut down breakfast, I think, and she was militant about it. She quickly was clearing it away. We counted 6 more people that came down for breakfast after that, and they just grabbed what was left that she hadn't put away yet. We called her the "breakfast nazi". (If you ever saw the "soup nazi" on Seinfeld, you'll understand.) "No breakfast for YOU!" She even had a foreign accent. Maybe she got off work at 9:30? Hmm...doubtful.
Friday, March 21, 2008
Our trip to Kansas City
We had an enjoyable two days in Kansas City. The kids knew that Dad had reserved a hotel room with a POOL, so they were excited already.
We went to the zoo first, and it was a beautiful day for animal watching. We saw a baby chimpanzee, and some other kind of baby monkey which I cannot recall what kind. Watching the chimps was so great, because they were getting fed and would raise their hands and reach out to the zoo keepers as if to say, "Hey, throw one my way!" The baby chimp was being fought over by other chimps. That was funny. We walked until we couldn't walk any more. As we were walking back to the van, Molly asked if we were going to use the "exercise commitment" at the hotel. We had to laugh about that. She meant "exercise equipment".
We checked in to the hotel, saw the pool, and headed out for dinner. Now, if you know Dennis, you know that he likes food and is also looking for the best "deal". The kids and I had decided Waffle House sounded good, but he wanted to try a buffet at a hotel/casino/shopping complex. We found a place to park, and walked into this large building. We finally found the restaurant he had heard about, and they rang us up--$81 for all of us, including only water to drink! I nudged him and we told them we were sorry, but we had changed our minds. We were leaving the complex, but needed to go up an escalator. Molly has a fear of them and needs help getting on and off. When she got off, the look on her face was priceless! She had very wide eyes, and a smile as she exclaimed, "Whew!" Driving away, we decided we should have just went to Waffle House to begin with. :)
After dinner, we went back to the hotel so the kids could SWIM! (Their favorite part) After swimming, we showered and settled into bed. But before we slept, Dennis had mentioned that he didn't see an ice bucket. One of the kids found it, and Shelden said, "There's no ice in it." Again, laughter. We explained that it doesn't COME with ice in it, we just store some in there. As Molly was about to go to bed, she asked, "Where do the people that work in the hotel sleep?" I'm telling you, this trip was priceless just for the comments alone!
We arose this morning in just enough time to have a LARGE continental breakfast, and then we headed out for Crown Center. The kids got to go to a "What do you want to be?" exhibit where they could go into different "rooms" and pretend to be a mechanic, football player, race car driver, astronaut, chef, doctor, vet, bull rider, portrait artist, beautician, teacher, ...I can't remember if that was all, but it was so COOL! Then we looked around at the different shops (more escalators involved), and took them to Kaleidoscope, which is a place where kids can create art. It was fun. We went to J C Penney Outlet, went out for lunch and came home.
Shelden & Sammy have a birthday party tonight, and tomorrow the kids and I are going to Joplin. It has been a busy few days, but very fun and worth spending time like this together.
We went to the zoo first, and it was a beautiful day for animal watching. We saw a baby chimpanzee, and some other kind of baby monkey which I cannot recall what kind. Watching the chimps was so great, because they were getting fed and would raise their hands and reach out to the zoo keepers as if to say, "Hey, throw one my way!" The baby chimp was being fought over by other chimps. That was funny. We walked until we couldn't walk any more. As we were walking back to the van, Molly asked if we were going to use the "exercise commitment" at the hotel. We had to laugh about that. She meant "exercise equipment".
We checked in to the hotel, saw the pool, and headed out for dinner. Now, if you know Dennis, you know that he likes food and is also looking for the best "deal". The kids and I had decided Waffle House sounded good, but he wanted to try a buffet at a hotel/casino/shopping complex. We found a place to park, and walked into this large building. We finally found the restaurant he had heard about, and they rang us up--$81 for all of us, including only water to drink! I nudged him and we told them we were sorry, but we had changed our minds. We were leaving the complex, but needed to go up an escalator. Molly has a fear of them and needs help getting on and off. When she got off, the look on her face was priceless! She had very wide eyes, and a smile as she exclaimed, "Whew!" Driving away, we decided we should have just went to Waffle House to begin with. :)
After dinner, we went back to the hotel so the kids could SWIM! (Their favorite part) After swimming, we showered and settled into bed. But before we slept, Dennis had mentioned that he didn't see an ice bucket. One of the kids found it, and Shelden said, "There's no ice in it." Again, laughter. We explained that it doesn't COME with ice in it, we just store some in there. As Molly was about to go to bed, she asked, "Where do the people that work in the hotel sleep?" I'm telling you, this trip was priceless just for the comments alone!
We arose this morning in just enough time to have a LARGE continental breakfast, and then we headed out for Crown Center. The kids got to go to a "What do you want to be?" exhibit where they could go into different "rooms" and pretend to be a mechanic, football player, race car driver, astronaut, chef, doctor, vet, bull rider, portrait artist, beautician, teacher, ...I can't remember if that was all, but it was so COOL! Then we looked around at the different shops (more escalators involved), and took them to Kaleidoscope, which is a place where kids can create art. It was fun. We went to J C Penney Outlet, went out for lunch and came home.
Shelden & Sammy have a birthday party tonight, and tomorrow the kids and I are going to Joplin. It has been a busy few days, but very fun and worth spending time like this together.
Wednesday, March 19, 2008
Leaky Roofs
Yesterday I told about our leaky roof, and I was thinking about it all day. I was thinking about how we all appreciate a roof over our heads, especially one that doesn't leak. We don't want anything from "above" to be able to get inside of the place where we are. I began to think about a spiritual parallel to this. What if we didn't want anything from "above" to get to us? What would we do? We would try to block it. We try to block God out when we know we are not doing well, when we blame Him for circumstances, when we ignore Him and His voice, or when we just become too busy with the world to look to Him. I want a leaky spiritual roof. In fact, I want the roof taken off! I do not want to block Him out. I want His rain to pour on me, saturating my life, making me whole. And not just whole for ME. His purpose is not so that I become an overfull rain droplet, but so that I can pour on someone else, giving them the refreshing water that I have received, as I go back for more of Him. Leaky roofs and leaky people. That is what He desires.
Tuesday, March 18, 2008
Spring Break
Spring Break is here, and we have been enjoying the time off to be together as a family. Friday night we cleaned up the yard, because we knew rainy weather was on its way, and we wanted to make good use of the nice day. Saturday we hit all 5 yard sales that were in town, and then we came home to hang out and have fun. Sunday was church, and we had the Butlers over for food and games. It was fun. Yesterday the rain began, and it is STILL RAINING! We are hoping that Thursday and Friday will be nice weather as we are going to K.C. for an overnight trip. We really don't want to hang out at the zoo in the rain. (sigh)
Our roof is still leaking, and it is getting worse. It keeps me up at night. I am hoping that we can get someone to fix it next week. Once it is fixed, we can finish up the back of the house!
I love the time off with our kids. Even though we didn't really go anywhere this year, we are still having a great time.
Our roof is still leaking, and it is getting worse. It keeps me up at night. I am hoping that we can get someone to fix it next week. Once it is fixed, we can finish up the back of the house!
I love the time off with our kids. Even though we didn't really go anywhere this year, we are still having a great time.
Monday, March 17, 2008
The Last Supper
I had a wonderful time with my class Friday morning. We have been studying the Gospels all year, and we just studied the Last Supper. I decided to make it "come alive" for them. Before they came into the classroom, I lit candles all around the room, and I had baked unleavened bread the night before. I brought grape juice boxes for them, too. Of course, Shelden knew what I was planning, but Christian walked in a bit shocked. I told them we were traveling back in time to see what it must have been like that evening. (I told them I knew there were no juice boxes back then, but I didn't want to pass germs.) I read from Luke 22 to set the scene. We discussed what it must have been like for the disciples, what they must have thought and felt as Jesus spoke to them. I told them we should never take the elements of Communion without making sure that our hearts are right before God. After talking about that for a while, we each prayed. We took the elements together after reading in Luke. We then sang a hymn/chorus just as the disciples sang when they had finished. It was such a special time with my class. I will never forget it.
Friday, March 14, 2008
Doctors
Why must it take so long when a person goes to the doctor? First, you wait in the waiting room, reading old magazines until you tire of that. You look around at everything possible in the room: pictures, plants, posted notices from the doctor, the decor. After the nurse FINALLY calls your name, you end up telling her your issues, get your blood pressure checked and get weighed (possibly). After she leaves the room, you wait...again. You begin the "looking around" process all over again, because, after all, it is a different room. You try to enjoy the music, but really, everything is driving you crazy at this point! Where is that doctor? You think to yourself, "OK, I'll grab one of these magazines just to pass some time." ...You finish it...WHERE IS THE DOCTOR? Finally, the doctor comes in, and now you have forgotten why you were even there. (OK, maybe not)
Shouldn't doctors just schedule patients at the real pace that they generally work instead of piling us up and having us wait so long? AARRGGHH!
And don't get me started on them not calling you back. If you have an issue, you call, leave a message, and they tell you they'll let the doctor know and get back with you. REALLY? Because I never hear back. Someone isn't being honest. Now I'm told I can go on-line and send an e-mail, and he will receive it. I'll have to try that next time I'm in a situation where I need answers.
Sorry, I just went to the doctor yesterday...
Shouldn't doctors just schedule patients at the real pace that they generally work instead of piling us up and having us wait so long? AARRGGHH!
And don't get me started on them not calling you back. If you have an issue, you call, leave a message, and they tell you they'll let the doctor know and get back with you. REALLY? Because I never hear back. Someone isn't being honest. Now I'm told I can go on-line and send an e-mail, and he will receive it. I'll have to try that next time I'm in a situation where I need answers.
Sorry, I just went to the doctor yesterday...
Thursday, March 13, 2008
Kids say the funniest things
My children cause me to laugh a lot. Their actions and their way of thinking can be quite humorous. For example, one time a few years back our whole family went to eat at a restaurant called "Gauchos" where they feed you a LOT of meat. As we were sitting around the round table enjoying the time together as a family, Molly took a bite of steak. She chewed and chewed and chewed. She finally looked at her Dad with a strange face and said, "Is this meat gum?" Meat gum! We laughed and laughed, and we still will talk about meat gum anytime one of us gets that piece that seems to never go away. (We have all had those, huh?)
Most recently, we were eating together again (good things happen around the table) when Dennis was asking the kids about feelings they have about growing up. He asked Sammy, "What are you looking forward to about turning 18?" Sammy quickly replied, "Entering sweepstakes." Dennis and I erupted in laughter. I can see Sammy watching things on TV that state, "You must be 18 or older to enter...", and him thinking, "OK, when I'm 18, I'm going to enter those sweepstakes." Funny stuff.
When Shelden was about a year or year-and-a-half old, she was looking through some books on our shelves. One of them happened to be a cookbook with a picture of chicken on the front. She called chicken, "Gaga." I looked over at her, and she was licking the front cover of that book. I asked her what she was doing, and she said, "Gaga," and licked it again.
I love my kids' humor.
Most recently, we were eating together again (good things happen around the table) when Dennis was asking the kids about feelings they have about growing up. He asked Sammy, "What are you looking forward to about turning 18?" Sammy quickly replied, "Entering sweepstakes." Dennis and I erupted in laughter. I can see Sammy watching things on TV that state, "You must be 18 or older to enter...", and him thinking, "OK, when I'm 18, I'm going to enter those sweepstakes." Funny stuff.
When Shelden was about a year or year-and-a-half old, she was looking through some books on our shelves. One of them happened to be a cookbook with a picture of chicken on the front. She called chicken, "Gaga." I looked over at her, and she was licking the front cover of that book. I asked her what she was doing, and she said, "Gaga," and licked it again.
I love my kids' humor.
Wednesday, March 12, 2008
Great-Grandfathers and Legacy
Dennis and I have connections that go before we were even born.
My Great-grandfather was a "tent-revival" preacher in an area in SE Kansas. He had 10 children, 5 boys and 5 girls. The boys would build a wooden arbor to hold the revival under, and the girls would sing as one of them played the piano. Dennis's Great-grandfather was a pastor of a church in the same area where my Great-grandfather preached, so I am quite certain that they knew of one another, maybe even knew each other well.
My Granny and Dennis's Grandma walked to grade school together, and my dad and his dad graduated from the same school in the same class. Shortly after that graduation, Dennis's dad moved to California, vowing to never come back to Kansas. However, when Dennis's Grandpa died, he felt as though he should come back to be closer to Dennis's Grandma. They lived in a small town not too far from mine, but it wasn't until about 4-5 years later that they moved to my hometown. We went to school together, and the rest, as they say, is history.
I've been pondering the last few years about this fact of our Great-grandfathers being preachers of the Word of God. Although I never knew these men, I can assume they loved God. I can assume they would pray for their children and their children's children, as a lot of parents do. So I picture these men on their knees before God in a way praying for US. Then I picture them gone to be with their Father in the great cloud of witnesses that the bible talks of, cheering us on to go for God, to find God when we didn't really know Him. I find that a beautiful picture. For all practical purposes, Dennis and I should have never known each other. I believe it was the hand of God orchestrating each and every decision that was made. And, I believe the prayers of these men were and are being answered.
My Great-grandfather was a "tent-revival" preacher in an area in SE Kansas. He had 10 children, 5 boys and 5 girls. The boys would build a wooden arbor to hold the revival under, and the girls would sing as one of them played the piano. Dennis's Great-grandfather was a pastor of a church in the same area where my Great-grandfather preached, so I am quite certain that they knew of one another, maybe even knew each other well.
My Granny and Dennis's Grandma walked to grade school together, and my dad and his dad graduated from the same school in the same class. Shortly after that graduation, Dennis's dad moved to California, vowing to never come back to Kansas. However, when Dennis's Grandpa died, he felt as though he should come back to be closer to Dennis's Grandma. They lived in a small town not too far from mine, but it wasn't until about 4-5 years later that they moved to my hometown. We went to school together, and the rest, as they say, is history.
I've been pondering the last few years about this fact of our Great-grandfathers being preachers of the Word of God. Although I never knew these men, I can assume they loved God. I can assume they would pray for their children and their children's children, as a lot of parents do. So I picture these men on their knees before God in a way praying for US. Then I picture them gone to be with their Father in the great cloud of witnesses that the bible talks of, cheering us on to go for God, to find God when we didn't really know Him. I find that a beautiful picture. For all practical purposes, Dennis and I should have never known each other. I believe it was the hand of God orchestrating each and every decision that was made. And, I believe the prayers of these men were and are being answered.
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
New member of the family
We have a new member of the family. It resides on my forehead. I need to name it--I guess Pimple will work. I have had it for two weeks now and it refuses to leave. Growing up, I never really had acne problems. I turn 30, and BAM, it's like my skin thinks I'm an adolescent. (sigh) The joys of growing up. I will keep fighting against this new member as it really is not welcome, but if it wins, I will just call it a beauty mark after coloring it with an eye pencil.
Monday, March 10, 2008
Parent/Teacher conferences
We had Parent/Teacher conferences tonight. It makes me realize how wonderful my children really are. They are all three so different, but all three very good children. Shelden has grown up so much in the last two years. She will be 11 in two months! She is a good friend to her friends, speaks truth in love, and is concerned about doing what is right. Sammy is 9 and is so intelligent and loves to learn. He is always telling us about new things he has learned. He is joyful and smiling most of the time. Molly is 7 and is very creative and loves to sing at all times. They bring us such joy, and we love to see life through their beautiful blue, green and brown eyes. It's times like these that I don't want time to go too quickly. All too soon they will be grown and raising their own children. I often pray that I won't "mess them up", and that I will be helping them stay on the right track in their God purposes. Did I mention that I love my kids?
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