Looking to please God, not man

Unplugged

2011-09-29T00:13:00.002-04:00

First, let me say that I love my church. I am thankful the Lord brought me out this way in 2006. Being where God wants you is better than being where you think you want to be.

The three churches I have attended have all had some great ministries to get involved in. There were fellowship opportunities for many of the age groups: Nursery, toddlers, primary, juniors, Jr. high, high school, college and career, young marrieds, older marrieds, even the older folks in general. But what about the single professionals? We're too old for the college and career class, but don't fit in with the marrieds.

From my perch in the choir loft, I notice people. Those people that are my age are generally married or engaged. They have concerns and priorities that are different than mine.

It seems there are all sorts of fellowship opportunities for the teens. They need that. But don't we all? The moms and dads can get together with other families and have play dates. I am grateful for the families that have included me in some of their events, but I know I've still felt a bit left out.

I think churches need to do something more for their single professionals. We need fellowship too! Many of us work more than one job and see no one but our coworkers. I wish we had something like the BYF the teens have. I'd love to get together with others from other churches. How else will I meet different people of like station?

I think young ladies have a more difficult time than the young men do. Not sure why, though. Maybe because I see it happening. Most of the people I did see outside of church were those who had families of their own to take care of. I certainly appreciate being included, but sometimes it's tough to feel plugged-in with families that aren't mine.

Anyway, that's all I've got to say at the moment.

About.me

2011-05-03T21:45:00.001-04:00

So, have you heard of this site yet? It's sort of like an online business card that you can share with others quickly and easily. I know I tend to forget where everything is, so having it like this is nice. Some of the pages people have created are quite stunning. This page is customizable. You can add a preloaded background or one of your own, add a biography, change the color and size and font, and add a number of service such as Facebook, Blogger, Twitter, Flickr, WordPress, LinkedIn, Tumblr, Posterous, TypePad, Foursquare, and Formspring to say the least. You can even get a free* pack of about.me business cards from moo.com (*shipping not included).

I learned about this site by being a BzzAgent.

Another giveaway!

2011-04-28T22:16:00.000-04:00

Olive to Sew has a huge giveaway going on. Check it out! http://olivetosew.blogspot.com/

Giveaway :)

2011-03-20T14:49:00.002-04:00

3000 Facebook Fan Giveaway : Kamieo Photography
http://kamieophotography.blogspot.com/2011/03/3000-facebook-fan-giveaway-kamieo.html

I've entered. Have you?

Got to make my graduation invites thanks to winning a giveaway prize to Shutterfly!

2011-03-16T01:46:00.000-04:00

Grand Band Gold Graduation Announcement

Get personalized graduation party invites at Shutterfly.com.

View the entire collection of cards.

http://share.shutterfly.com/action/welcome?sid=0QYtWbRo3cs3Hw

Checkin in

2011-02-10T07:58:00.000-05:00

Just wanted to add a quick update on how I've been doing with my personal challenges. Still haven't had pop or fast food. Got back on Transformation.com and working myself back into the Eating for Life diet. Diet here is used rather loosely. It's more than a diet, it's a change, or transformation, in how I eat. Rather than eating 3 large meals a day, I am eating six smaller meals throughout the day. I still have a tendency to snack, but instead of chips or candy, I have pretzels. And I am working on limiting them when I do snack. I also started up working out at home this week, using my Wii Fit for cardio and resistance bands for strength. So far, so good.

With the two hour delay this morning (Yay!,) I was able to work out already (morning are tough for me, but exercise in the morning is actually better for burning more calories (and with empty cardio, it'll burn fat since you have no calories in you yet if you exercise before you eat).

Tomorrow I will be having a free meal (meaning not something EFL) since I'm babysitting. We are ordering pizza. So this deviation is a planned one, but the rest of the day will be done well.

The best part at this point is that I have lost close to nine pounds already. Yay!

2011-02-05T00:21:00.000-05:00

As of January 31, I decided to challenge myself in two areas that I tend to give into easily: giving up pop (soda for those who don't know what pop means) and eating out. So far, so good. I've made a couple batches of chicken and dumplings, eaten some sandwiches, and have totally upped the water intake (close to 100 oz. a day). I had eaten some chocolate dipped pretzels and a friend asked me if it was in my diet. I told him that it wasn't pop or fast food, sooo...

I'm still dealing with the side pain after a year and still no closer to answers. That's kind of discouraging. I see the doc again in a couple weeks.

I'm almost done with my next degree, although I am moving a little backwards. I have a Bachelor's in elementary education and will be receiving an Associate's in secretarial studies this spring. I'm taking my last class now. It seems that the college is working on offering a Master's in education sometime in the future. Not sure yet if I'll go that route.

One of the interesting things I will be working on in the library this semester is the website. I've not really done anything so...official. I'm looking forward to this challenge.

There are some things coming up in the next few months that's' going on. I'm planning on going to Preaching Conference this year since it and my spring break are happening at the same time. Then there will by college graduation. Then, my favorite happening will be the arrival of my niece/nephew (although from the last ultrasound, they were leaning more towards a boy). I should be in MI within weeks, maybe days, of the baby's birth. Can't wait!

Happy New Year!

2011-01-02T23:51:00.000-05:00

2010 went by in a flash.

I'm not sure what 2011 has in store, but I'm looking forward to it.

Great Granny's Beans

2010-09-13T22:37:00.000-04:00

Kara from church shared this recipe with someone who then shared it with our Stampin' Up workshop. It's so delicious!

Saute 1 onion and 2 cloves of garlic

Fry & drain 1 lb. bacon and 2 lb. beef

Pour above ingredients into large crockpot and add 2 large cans of pork & beans with juice

Drain and add 2 cans red kidney beans, 2 cans lima beans, 1 can northern beans, and 1 can butter beans

Mix 1 cup catsup, 2 tablespoons brown mustard (can use Dijon mustard), and 1/2 cup dark brown sugar (can use light brown)

Slow-cook all day and chill overnight. Next day, reheat in slowcooker before serving. (Also tastes great if you slow-cook it all night and skip the reheat)

Can it be?

2010-08-14T23:17:00.001-04:00

I cannot believe that I'm heading into my fifth year of teaching. Have I really been out of college for four years? And I'll have another degree under my belt spring 2011. I guess that's the over-achiever in me. Maybe I'll go for a Masters...just not sure yet. Most programs want you to student teach. Can't do that since I'm already a teacher. I wonder who the genius was who thought that up...Teachers, get a Masters degree in education...after you complete all your studies AND student teach for 6 weeks during the school year. I think that's the only thing holding me back right now (well, except the money thing, too). I guess I like the practical experience better. I learn quite a bit from my colleagues.

School starts in a couple weeks. Where did the summer go? Oh, yeah. I worked all summer.

Well, there's not much else I want to write at this moment. Maybe later.

2010-07-09T20:51:00.000-04:00

About SAF (Sharon Antcliff Foundation)

My family spent just under four years taking care of my mom, who was a victim of young-onset Alzheimer’s.

Since her death in December of 2004, it’s been my goal to do something to help other families who are going through what we went through. Until mid-2009, I wasn’t sure what something was.

Too many times to count, I wished that somebody, or some organization, could have come in and taken some of the responsibility off of my dad’s shoulders. I wished somebody could have told my dad to go away for a few days, and they’d take care of things at home. I wish somebody could have paid some of my dad’s bills to make up for some of the work he missed.

Now we’re taking the fight right at this disease. We’re in the ring, ready to do what it takes to defeat an opponent that’s never been beaten. But we can’t do it alone. Just like a championship fighter, without the right people in their corner – supporting, coaching, pushing – winning is almost impossible. That’s why we need you.

Our goal here at SAF is to educate the nation about the realities of dealing and living with this awful disease. We believe that if people knew more about Alzheimer’s, they’d do more about Alzheimer’s.

Our fight starts here, and we want you in our corner. Together, we can do it.

Kevin Antcliff
Director, and son

The Sharon Antcliff Foundation is a registered 501c3 non-profit organization

2010 True Warrior Celebration

The Sharon Antcliff Foundation True Warrior Celebration

Presented by Six Star Muscle

Date: Saturday, July 31, 2010

Time: 6:00 PM

Location: Space Gallery, Denver, CO

Tickets: $30.00 (plus $2.64 service charge) | Purchase Your Tickets Now!

Come celebrate with us as we’re joined by Six Star Muscle to recognize the inaugural winner of our “True Warrior” award, the UFC’s Nate Marquardt.

Our host will be Chris Voth, a Denver-based comedian who has appeared on NBC’s Last Comic Standing, and who has performed with some of the biggest names in comedy, including Dave Attell, Jim Gaffigan, Dana Carvey, Wayne Brady, Larry the Cable Guy, Brett Butler, Caroline Rhea, Tommy Davidson, Kevin Nealon,Tommy Chong, Bobcat Goldthwait, Kevin Pollack, David Brenner, Jake Johannsen, Louie Anderson, Mitch Hedberg, Brian Regan, and Kathleen Madigan.

Click Here for a Clip from Chris Voth!

Proudly presented by Six Star Muscle, the True Warrior Celebration will be a time to relax, eat, drink, and schmooze, as we re-affirm our fight against young-onset Alzheimer’s disease.

Enjoy our homestyle bar-b-q buffet, complete with pulled pork sandwiches, fresh rolls, iced tea, lemonade, and more!

Join us, and enjoy a performance by the CU Buffoons, the University of Colorado men’s a cappella group, who was recently showcased on the Ben Folds album “University A Cappella.” You’ll be treated to the unique blend of voices, as they give some of your favorite songs an incredible A Capella treatment.

You’ll also dance the night away with one of NYC’s top turntablists, Dj Absolute!

And on top of it all, you will have the opportunity to bid on some incredible items thanks to our friends at Grand Stand Sports!

As you read this, there are roughly 500,000 diagnosed cases of young-onset Alzheimer’s in the United States. Those families face a battle every day, not just against the disease, but against the impact it has on their family, their relationships, their finances, and their way of life.

All proceeds will go directly to the Sharon Antcliff Foundation. To purchase tickets, click here.

http://www.eventbrite.com/event/554927804/warrior1/5196266015

Psalm 1

2010-06-22T01:01:00.002-04:00

Psalm 1

1. Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.

Do you see the progression? Walking to standing to sitting. We should be desiring a relationship that is in forward movement with the Lord, but how often do we get sidetracked? We start seeking guidance from those who don't know the Lord, then start hanging out with them, then we just sit right on down with them. Do you see who gets blessed here?

2. But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night.

Delight. What do you delight in? Sports, food, friends, family? Christians need to be delighting in the law of the LORD all the time.

3. And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.

Trees planted by a water source have deep roots, are prosperous, and bring forth fruit. The believer, who delights in the law of the LORD, is like that tree. He gets his power from the water source that never runs dry. He brings forth fruit (new believers). His strength remains strong because it comes from God, not himself. His life is prosperous (remember, God owns everything).

4. The ungodly are not so: but are like the chaff which the wind driveth away.

The lost are like the chaff that is blown about in every which way. Have you noticed that those who do not know the Lord live a life that has no direction. In fact, they are trying to go in many directions at once. They get frustrated. They give up.

5. Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous.

Judgment is something everyone will face. The believer will gain entrance into Heaven. They will be acquitted of their sins. The lost will not be acquitted. They will not be a part of the righteous congregation.

6. For the LORD knoweth the way of the righteous: but the way of the ungodly shall perish.

God knows the way of every single person. How often do we stop to think about that? The believer will spend eternity in Heaven with God. The person that chooses not to believe will be forever separated from God in the torment Hell.

The Love of my Life

2010-06-19T15:06:00.003-04:00

The Love of my Life

Has given me everything
Understands what I'm going through
Knows my weaknesses and strengths
Longs for a deeper relationship
Sets me up for success
Always forgives me when I fall short
Knows my needs before I do and supplies them
Desires an open line of communication
Comforts me in time of sorrow
Rejoices with me in times of triumph
Encourages me to do the right thing
Lovingly corrects me when I choose to do something I ought not to do
Never strays from the narrow path
Is righteous in thoughts, actions, and judgments
Will always be there for me

This love of my life is Jesus Christ

Four months later...

2010-04-25T14:23:00.000-04:00

I can't believe I let FOUR months go by without posting. Since that last post, I moved into my own apartment. I love living alone. The only thing I don't like about my place not having a stove or washer and dryer. I need to do laundry, but right now I have less than two hours before I have to meet with the ensemble to go sing at another church tonight. It should be interesting.

I've been staying busy. Of course I am still teaching M-F, but I also work in the library T & TH nights as well as take 12 credit hours and volunteer for two choir classes. I helped with the library book sale (of which had a rather low attendance due to the possible bad weather...which wasn't bad during the sale). I took a student to lunch and a Christian book store as a reward. I have another student to take out since he wasn't feeling well enough to go yesterday. I looking at next Saturday.

I'm thankful for the Lord's protection. Last night I went to the grocery store to get some things and on my way back, I just minutes behind a bad accident that blocked three lanes of west-bound traffic. The first police officer was just getting to the site as I was coming to the intersection. I had to turn at the intersection and then do a U-turn so I could get back on the street I was on to get home.

300 Posts..Oh, and here's the dress.

2009-12-13T22:02:00.000-05:00

Wow. 300 posts. But who's counting?

Well, some people wanted to see what my dress looked like (the one for the Civil War reenactment), so here it is. I was not able to go to the reenactment due to it being rained out. I did get to use the dress for the college Christmas concert. It was a grand time.

2009-12-02T23:58:00.000-05:00

Getting ready to move. While I get along for the most part with the lady I live with, other concerns arose that have caused me to look for different housing. The Lord provided. :) I haven't live by myself at all. I did have my own room for about three years, but other than that, I've always had roommates. This is going to be a very welcome change.

At my current residence, there is a chick who lives in the apartment below us and she is not easy to get along with. Several weeks back, she knocked on our door and then was really nasty to me when I answered the door. She refused to listen to anything reasonable. She is convinced that we are purposely banging around our apartment to annoy her. Please. I have better and more important things to do with my time. So now, she is banging on the ceiling every time the floor creaks. I think she needs to get a life. This is an older apartment building and hearing floors creak is a given, especially when someone lives above you. It never fails that when I go to turn out my light, the floors creaks, and she feels the need to bang. She apparently thinks everyone must levitate to please her. I'm ready to get in the flesh and give her something to bang about by stomping and jumping around the next time she bangs on the ceiling because the floor creaks.

I'm so looking forward to moving out for that reason.

Overall Run Hike

2009-09-29T23:05:00.000-04:00

I went on an eight mile hike this past Saturday. I may not have been the fastest, but I did finish.

The view once I finally reached the top.

Well worth all the struggle.

God's handiwork is amazing!

My favorite by far!

Those rocks were slippery on the descent in the rain.

Too funny not to share!

2009-09-28T20:31:00.001-04:00

THERE ... I FIXED IT

2009-09-19T23:37:00.002-04:00

When you walk through a storm,
Hold your head up high,
And don't be afraid of the dark,
At the end of the storm is a golden sky.
And the sweet silver song of a lark.

Walk on through the wind,
Walk on through the rain,
Tho' your dreams be tossed and blown,
Walk on, walk on, with hope in your heart,
And you'll never walk alone.
You'll never walk alone

This song has been on my mind lately. It seems to fit a few different things. One, it brings back memories of being in high school choir. I miss both teachers. It's interesting to talk with my brother and his being in choir with the teacher I had. I was reminiscing about some of the songs I had the chance to sing and was asking him if they had done any of them.

Two, this song comes to mind when I feel like I;m on the outside looking in. I'm not alone even though it may seem like it.

Three, the storms of life. They come in many forms, but is with me through them all.

I'm keeping busy with work, school, and work. I have some tentative plans, but not sure if they will pan out. I enjoy my babysitting job and the opportunity to sit and chat with parents. They are outside of the small world I have at the moment. I'm planning on going hiking next weekend with a church group I've done things with in past. They are a great and fun group of people. I'm looking forward to it even if I don't know anyone there.

Hit the ground running

2009-08-30T21:21:00.002-04:00

Summer is over for me. The kids come back to school this Monday. I am thankful that I have 16 students this year. 25 was a bit much. I did have to change rooms (and how is it the teacher with the least amount of students ends up in the largest room?) and everything is basically done. Well, I don't really have much of a choice at this point.

I had a fair share of the usual computer problems during in-service week. I tried not to have any, but they always seem to find me! At first, the problem was with the computer not being updated in quite some time, so I had to spend a day doing that. Then by Friday, when all the paperwork was due, my computer wouldn't open a single file (from the internet, flash drive, or saved on the computer just moments before). Very frustrating. No one knew what to do, either. So, I put on my detective gear and googled the error message. Kind of interesting, but I did figure out what the problem was and was able to fix on my own. I don't know what I'd do without Google! :)

Anyway, this school year is going to be busy. Teach in the morning and attend class or work in the library in the evenings. Babysit some weekends. I'll also be getting three allergy shots every week for the next six months. It looks like there will be no social life for me. Oh, wait. I didn't have to begin with. So, no problems there.

I am excited about participating in a Civil War reenactment in October! A friend of mine is going to make a dress for me. Another thing I am looking forward to is changing Sunday school classes this coming Sunday. I've been in a college and career class for nearly 8 years now (by choice, of course) and it's been great. It's just time for me to move on up.

Well, that's life in a nutshell for me at this point.

I'd like some allergies with a side of more allergies

2009-08-18T20:24:00.003-04:00

So I have been out of the hospital for about a month now. I've been to the asthma/allergy specialist, PCP, or dentist every week since I've been out. I double scheduled myself today and saw both the specialist and PCP. Between them both, I was poked 62 times.

Yes, there is reason for all the poking. I had an allergy test done today. Of the 62 pokes, 61 came from the testing. Of the 50 allergens they test for, I was allergic to 41 of them. I am highly allergic to trees, grasses, animals/mites/insect and moderately allergic to weeds and molds. Of the nine allergens I wasn't allergic to, there were two weeds and seven molds. This was one of those scratch tests where they poke with a small needle and some of the allergen solution.

What you don't expect to hear is the nurse saying the following types of statements when she walks in 15 minutes later to check on you:

"Oh, my!"
"Wow!"
"I haven't seen someone that allergic in a long time!"
"Oh, my lands!"

Yeah, all from one nurse.

The doctor came in and told me that I won a prize for being the most allergic person all month. And what's my prize? Weekly allergy shots for the next six months. Oh, joy!* (*Read with sarcasm.)

They were all amazed at the level of allergic reaction to (drum roll, please) guinea pigs. Apparently, I am more allergic to them than cats.

Now, I have to leave school early on either Thursdays or Fridays to get the shots. I even have a doctor's note to do so. It's all right with the administration at school, but I still have to let my supervisor know. I may see him tomorrow to tell him about it.

When I was at the PCP, I received a Tdap shot (whooping cough/tetanus booster). That wasn't the main reason for me being there, but we'll see if it helps this school year. I still have to have some more blood work done to see about the high blood pressure and dizzy spells. The doctor want me to have a CBC, thyroid, and other things checked. Hopefully that will explain some the other things.

Other than that, I haven't used my inhaler since getting out of the hospital. I can't remember not ever using this long. Feels good!

2009-07-26T20:33:00.002-04:00

*DISCLAIMER* I was without internet access for a week (horrid, I know), so I wrote during the week.

I have been up for 22 hours. Not a record, I know, but I can't sleep! My breakfast will arrive in less than 3 hours. I think I'll have more visitors after that. Hospitals are no place for resting. Sunday morning I went in to the ER where I thought that they'd just give me some back-to-back nebulizer treatments and steroids and then send me home like most of my asthma attack episodes. Not so this time. It was back enough (even with clear chest x-rays) that they still wanted me to be admitted. It's now almost 5:15 am Tuesday morning. There may be a chance for me to be discharged later on today, but the doctor was not definitive on that.

I've dealt with acid reflux last night from all the breathing treatments and now I'm nauseous. The nurse was able to get a hold of the doctor rather quickly to get me something for it. I'm attempting to type without my left index finger due to the pulse-oxymeter I've been hooked to. It's been interesting to see how my O2 level and pulse react to various movements. My pulse has been rather high (100-120) during the day and right now it's about 80. My O2 level could be higher. It's been sitting at 93-96% throughout the day. It needs to be 99-100%. They've had me on oxygen since they decided to admit me.

This really wasn't what I expected to be doing this summer at all. I had blood drawn twice in the ER and an IV put in. That IV did not work for the second dose of steroids, so they had an IV tech person come in to restart one. That took 3 more pokes yesterday. OUCH! Then, the area around that IV started to swell. Had to have another one restarted. That hurt too. I'm not afraid of needles, though. I've watched every poke they've made. Kind of interesting. I know I've asked them a lot of questions, but I haven't bugged them too much, I think.

I'm thankful for the friends that have called and visited. And for the prayers. I did have a funny call, though. I've been living with a 73 year old woman for about a month now. Her son, who set up this living arrangement, called me and said that admitting my self to the ER was a quite extreme way to get away from his mother. He never thought of that! We had a good laugh over that (and she's not THAT bad to live with). Well, it's time to get off and try so get to sleep now. *Yawn*

Haha! No joke, as soon as I put the bed down and shut off the light, a nurse comes in to give me some meds. Then, a short while later, another nurse comes in to hook up the antibiotics to the IV and take my vitals. 7:50 am and I am up. I guess all I needed was short nap. Such as life.

Two more IV pokes today. Ouch. No naps though. Maybe I'll be able to sleep tonight.

I was told by the allergy and asthma doctor that a case of unmanaged asthma like mine usually results in a 3-5 day hospital stay. This is going on night number 3. *sigh* The respiratory therapist is changing up my neb treatments a bit by adding an inhaled steroid morning and evening and the albuterol treatments every 4 hours as needed.

I do have to say that some strange shows come on at night. I had the tv in the animal channel and I learned a bit about a very small but poisonous relative of the Portuguese-Man-of-War. Interesting. I think I've seen it before.

China and India get to see a 7 minute long lunar eclipse tonight. I'd like to see that. We just get rain. (Yeah, watching the negatively-biased news. Can't take too much of it.)

Wednesday was a first for me. Apparently the steroids they have me on may have a side effect of raising my blood sugar. When the nurse pricked my finger, my sugar was 320. They gave me insulin. The next time they came in to check, it was 317, so I had to have more insulin. "Normal" is 120 or so. The first was taking the insulin. I used to check my sugar level at grandparents' house (both were diabetic and I was a little paranoid).

Now it's Thursday morning. Still don't know if I've leaving yet. Every time I get up, my oxygen level dips to 88-89% without the oxygen in my nose and that's to do minimal movements. I'd like to get some walking in but I feel like I'm on a leash since they have the pulse-ox on me 24/7. I can only get as far as the bathroom. Getting a little stir crazy being stuck in this room. I guess I saw a doctor yesterday, but I don't remember. They are all meshing together. It doesn’t help that the name of the doctor that has been on the info board in my room hasn't changed in three days and I never even met that doctor.

5:40 am Friday. Awake with pain. The nurse came in to start the antibiotic IV drip. No real problem there, but when she left, I felt a burning sensation. I thought it was the initial entering the vein burning, but it persisted after the nurse left. Then, I felt an odd wetness. I lifted my arm and some the antibiotic dripped onto my face. Yeah, another IV issue. The nurse was quick to come back in and take the IV out. She said she'd have another nurse that's good with IVs come in and check me out to see if she could get another one in me. If not, I'd have to wait for IV therapy to come in (mind you, IV therapy has done six pokes for 3 IV sites on me already). The other nurse did a great job. She found another vein quickly and only poked me once. It bled a bit, but it's not burning or anything. So now, the grand total is 8 pokes for 4 IVs.

I had my sugar checked this morning already. The last 4-5 checks have resulted in high sugar levels followed by a dose of insulin. I've done what I could (not eating or drinking anything knowingly high in sugar) to try to get it down. It was 115 this morning! Much better than 340 yesterday. No insulin this morning.

Completely off topic, but it seems that the government is against people owning things that are old. The whole HD TV thing and now cars. They are not happy unless people are spending money out the wazoo. Just leave us be! Oh, and another thing that's bugging me (and I wouldn't know it, but I've been watching TV and can't fast forward through the commercials) is a ridiculous and offensive commercial put on by some gay group. It's the "Emma and Julia" one. It starts with two teenage girls that are talking about what to do after work. One asks if the other is going to a party or something and the other replies that she parents said she had be go home right after work. The other answers with "that is go gay" and the other one says the same thing. That's when a customer walks up and says that "that is so Emma and Julia" and that everyone is saying it. The commercial ends with telling people (rather rudely) that they need to think before they speak and knock it off. Excuse you? I have to listen to the world say all sorts of offensive things about Christianity and the world gets in a tizzy when Christians speak up about but now I have listen to that crap? No way.

Today is going pretty well, I guess. My O2 stats still aren't the best though.

I think all these meds have had a strange affect on me. I tear up so easily! I find it amusing. From reading a great book (which would lead to some tears anyway) to the results of What Not to Wear to even the astounded reactions in a car restoration show (of which the title completely left me). Yeah, odd, I know. I think I even teared up watching a dog show. I know I'm female, but even that is a little much for me.

OverHauled. It came back to me.

Just found out that they need to do another IV for the CAT scan. Lager gauge. A nurse just tried and it must have been on a nerve because I felt pain all the way up in my shoulder from the poke in my elbow. Up to 9 IV pokes now and heading to 10.

The CAT scan IV took 3 pokes to take. That scan was quite a bit different. It really made me feel warm as the fluid was pushed through me. I had to ask for the results since no one bothered to tell me anything after a couple hours. No blood clots (very good news) but the lower sections of my lungs aren't expanding as they ought to be. The nurse basically told me to exercise my lungs by taking deeps breaths throughout every hour (in addition to my regular breathing, of course!) to try to make those pockets expand.

I get to go home today! Woo-hoo! It's about time! Lol

A full week in the hospital is not what I planned a all, but I am finally feeling much better.

Change

2009-07-06T19:24:00.003-04:00

It's time for change. Yeah, cryptic, I know. Change is needed in a few areas of my life. One is going to be an 18-week challenge. We'll see how that goes and if I am able to keep with it. I'm starting that tomorrow.

Well, that's all you get for now.

2009-06-01T18:33:00.002-04:00

Welcome summer!

School ended last Friday. While I love every child in my class, this summer break has been long overdue! I received a couple end-of-the-year gifts. Chocolate, candles, a plant, Starbucks card, B&BW soap, and a remote controlled Grave Digger monster truck. I had to laugh when I heard the story behind the monster truck. My student's mom was going to give me a plant and the student said no and that I liked monster trucks. That is a true statement. lol!

Well, I'm waiting to fins out where exactly I'll be moving to. A friend just let me know of a place that is extremely affordable and not too far from my work. It even includes utilities, washer/dryer, swimming pool, and gym. I have a meeting about that tomorrow after work. If that does not work out, I'll be moving into one of the church apartments, basically across my backyard. Either way, both options have pros and cons. Living on the church property has been a blessing while I have an unreliable car. I really don't have an excuse for being late to work. But, the other place will allow me some privacy.

I had a meeting with the principal today. It went well for me. I know that I have a job next year. What is unfortunate is that I have a few friends that do not. I know the Lord is control, but it is hard to see good friends hurting. Finding out during out service week is much better than the beginning of the school year. Psa. 61:2

I've been able to finish up most of my classroom. I have some more paperwork to complete, though. There are a number of areas that I need improvement in. Those I will be working on this summer.

I get to go to Florida at the end of the week. I'm so excited! My friend Sarah is getting married. At first, I was just invited to the wedding. Then, I was asked to be the guest book attendant. I gladly accepted. Then, I purchased my plane tickets. After I sent my friend that information, she called me up to ask if I would like to be a bridesmaid since another one of her friends was no longer able to make it to the wedding. I gladly accepted that position as well. Now, just as long as the bride doesn't back out. I'm not filling the bride's place! :)

I can't believe how quickly things are already going this summer. I'm still trying to nail down a job, but I know the Lord will provide.

2009-05-09T23:37:00.002-04:00

I didn't blog at all in April. Well, wait, that's not entirely true. I did update the Sunday school class website. That counts for something, right?

Things are always going to be busy. There's no getting around it. Oh, and let the countdown(s) begin! There are three more weeks of school. College classes end this week. In 5-6 weeks, I'll be moving. In four weeks my friend Sarah is getting married. There is a total of 11 weeks for the summer break. I need to find a steady part-time job for those 11 weeks. My loan will be paid off by the start of the next school year.

Confused yet? Yeah, that's how I've been feeling.

Thursday was not a great day for me. I had to wait until after school to get a tooth pulled (and two weeks after finding out it need to be pulled...it was the earliest they could see me). The oral surgeon was more concerned about getting paid in full than relieving me my cracked molar. His assistant didn't seem to understand English. After stating that I had less than $100 in the bank, she said that if I could pay $250 right now, they would further discount my bill. Umm..where did she expect me to pull that $250 from? I just told her that I had less than $100. Goodness! And then the dentist tried to pull that garbage that they don't usually let people make payments. I know for a fact that he did agree that I could make payment because MY dentist spoke to him and then called me to tell me he would. I think dentists have got to be some of the richest people out there. They can easily make $350 in 15 minutes. Ridiculuos!

In other news...nevermmind. There isn't any other news. Unless you wanted to know that I want a dog. Papillons are adorble! So are Shiba Inus!

2009-03-29T00:32:00.002-04:00

I really don't think that Obama is starting things out well. This so called "stimulus" thing he's doing is basically giving you next year's tax return in tiny amounts throughout the rest of this year. There is your "raise." I think many people are going to be very surprised when they file next year and then get a small return. I redid my W4 to make sure that I will get a return. Single people don't get the breaks that marrieds and those with children do. So goes the Obamanomics.

And of some have compassion, making a difference

2009-03-21T23:15:00.002-04:00

The world lost an incredible person Friday, March 13. She was a woman who, at first, scared me when I first moved into the dorm. I was so not ready for the changes that were going to be taking place or the spiritual battle I was about face. But through it all, she, my dorm mom, was there to help and encourage me, pray for me, and admonish me. My life has been forever changed because of her.

I knew that when I received the news that she had passed on to Glory that I wanted to be there for her funeral. The only thing standing in the way was some 550 miles road, a reliable vehicle, and time off of my job. The Lord quickly allowed each of those things to fall into place and by Tuesday night, I was on my way.

So, Tuesday was a busy day in itself. I judged vocals all day in the ODACS competition and then asked my boss about taking Thursday and Friday off to attend the funeral. He okayed it and then the mad dash began. I had to send in my grades and then pack before a coworker came to my house to to give me a ride to the Metro. I made it MD in a timely manner to meet up with Jen. From there we had an uneventful 9-hour ride to IN.

Room 17. That's where all the single girls stay when they come back to visit. This is the second time I've stayed in that room. This time, I wasn't greeted by my beloved dorm mom.

I know that things change with time and that people are born and people die. I don't know why it's so hard to accept this when it occurs all the time. Jen kind of summed up some of my feelings in her blog. You can't go back. All we are left with is the memories (sometimes regrets) of a person's life.

I chuckle at a time that Mrs. Leslie was not happy with me. It was my freshman year and I was as independent as could be. I needed a tire changed on Hank the Tank and since I'm my father's daughter, I knew how to do it. The only thing I lacked was a good floor jack (I've never liked bumper jacks) so I asked a guy if I could borrow a jack. All he said was that a guy should do it (he didn't offer to do it). So, I changed the tire. I returned the jack and went back to the dorm. Mrs. Leslie was at the front desk and I mentioned to that I just finished changing my tire. She then told me that there was no reason for me to do that and that a guy should have done it for me. My independent mind was reeling. By my senior year, a number of guys had tried their hand at fixing Hank, and Mrs. Leslie and I were laughing about that freshman incident. She told me that she wanted to roll a huge tire across the rec room during the Christmas party just because of me. LOL! I forget the reason why she didn't.

It was very evident that Mrs. Leslie cared for all her girls. She often did little things (notes of encouragement, special treats) but the greatest thing she did was pray for her girls. I know I needed lots of prayer through my years there.

There are so many things I can remember about Mrs. Leslie. I volunteered to go visiting with her once and when we go to where the card said to go, no houses existed there. We just kind of laughed about it. I remember getting a note from her that was addressed to the "Energizer Bunny." I think that was the year I was working two jobs, 7 days a day week (at both jobs). I remember her telling the girls that worked the cleaning job (there were 4 of us at first) that we were allowed to go down to one of the empty rooms to continue sleeping when we got in real late. I enjoyed leaving a case of diet coke outside her apartment door "just because." I also enjoyed getting her thick, fluffy socks to replace her holey ones.

The dorm is not going to be the same. Ever. Mrs. Leslie was one-of-a-kind.

As I have said before, the feelings were bittersweet. While she will be terribly missed, I can rejoice in the fact that she is in Heaven, no more in pain. I was put at ease even more when I got to the dorm and went to the rec room to put something in the refrigerator. The Leslie's apartment is on the bottom floor and I heard lots of laughter coming from the family inside. There was no depressed sorrow of a death, but a celebration of life on the other side of that door. That's what a Christian's life should be like. We should be able to rejoice in the life that was, not the loss right now. Our loss is Heaven's gain.

Mrs. Leslie's life can be summed up by the verse: And of some have compassion, making a difference.

She sure has made a difference in my life.

2009-03-15T12:12:00.003-04:00

This past week has been interesting. On Monday, I was able to meet Byron Foxx, founder of Bible Truth Music and rehearse with him with the ensemble. We then sang a BTM piece for the chapel special.

Then, Friday and Saturday was spent in Norfolk attending an Elizabeth George conference. I bought a few of her books and she signed them. Her husband, Jim, was there and he signed one of the books he authored for me. I enjoyed the conference and it left me with some things to think about. The theme of the conference was Following God with All your Heart. One of the hardest things a woman may deal with is her thought life. It's easy to look back and think "what if?" or "if only" and that's not what we are supposed to do. We need to be thinking about what is real and true, not what has happened or what may happen, but what is happening.

(me, Gloria, Claudia, Yolanda, Julia, Lucia, and Melissa
Mrs. Elizabeth George)

She also mentioned a book entitled Faith is not a Feeling by Ney Bailey. The story she shared with us about Ney Bailey was moving.

I did get some sad news on the way to Norfolk: my dorm mom passed away after a fight with cancer. The feeling is bittersweet as I miss her, but I know that she is in Heaven.

I got to do something that I have been wanting to do since I moved to VA: Go to the ocean! Now, the weather was not the best, but we still got up early and went to see it. The rained hadn't started yet for the day, but the wind was blowing and it was cold! But, I did not let that stop me. I still took off my shoes and entered the water. I know that all beaches are basically the same, but this was my very first time to see the ocean. It was incredible!

(awful pic of me, but I am in front of the Atlantic Ocean)

Magnolias

2009-03-07T09:38:00.000-05:00

What an inspiring story!

By Edna Ellison

I spent the week before my daughter's June wedding running last-minute trips to the caterer, florist, tuxedo shop, and the church about forty miles away.

As happy as I was that Patsy was marrying a good Christian young man, I felt laden with responsibilities as I watched my budget dwindle .

So many details, so many bills, and so little time. My son Jack was away at college, but he said he would be there to walk his younger sister down the aisle, taking the place of his dad who had died a few years before. He teased Patsy, saying he'd wanted to give her away since she was about three years old!

To save money, I gathered blossoms from several friends who had large magnolia trees. Their luscious, creamy-white blooms and slick green leaves would make beautiful arrangements against the rich dark wood inside the church.

After the rehearsal dinner the night before the wedding, we banked the podium area and choir loft with magnolias. As we left just before midnight, I felt tired but satisfied this would be the best wedding any bride had ever had! The music, the ceremony, the reception - and especially the flowers - would be remembered for years.

The big day arrived - the busiest day of my life - and while her bridesmaids helped Patsy to dress, her fiance Tim walked with me to the sanctuary to do a final check. When we opened the door and felt a rush of hot air, I almost fainted; and then I saw them - all the beautiful white flowers were black. Funeral black. An electrical storm during the night had knocked out the air conditioning system, and on that hot summer day, the flowers had wilted and died.

I panicked, knowing I didn't have time to drive back to our hometown, gather more flowers, and return in time for the wedding.

Tim turned to me. 'Edna, can you get more flowers? I'll throw away these dead ones and put fresh flowers in these arrangements.'

I mumbled, 'Sure,' as he be-bopped down the hall to put on his cuff links.

Alone in the large sanctuary, I looked up at the dark wooden beams in the arched ceiling. 'Lord,' I prayed, 'please help me. I don't know anyone in this town. Help me find someone willing to give me flowers - in a hurry!' I scurried out praying for four things: the blessing of white magnolias, courage to find them in an unfamiliar yard, safety from any dog that may bite my leg, and a nice person who would not get out a shotgun when I asked to cut his tree to shreds.

As I left the church, I saw magnolia trees in the distance. I approached a house...No dog in sight. I knocked on the door and an older man answered. So far so good . .No shotgun. When I stated my plea the man beamed, 'I'd be happy to!'

He climbed a stepladder and cut large boughs and handed them down to me. Minutes later, as I lifted the last armload into my car trunk, I said, 'Sir, you've made the mother of a bride happy today.'

'No, Ma'am,' he said. 'You don't understand what's happening here.'

'What?' I asked.

'You see, my wife of sixty-seven years died on Monday. On Tuesday I received friends at the funeral home, and on Wednesday . . . He paused. I saw tears welling up in his eyes. 'On Wednesday I buried her.' He looked away. 'On Thursday most of my out-of-town relatives went back home, and on Friday - yesterday - my children left.'

I nodded.

'This morning,' he continued, 'I was sitting in my den crying out loud. I miss her so much. For the last sixteen years, as her health got worse, she needed me. But now nobody needs me. This morning I cried, 'Who needs an eighty-six-year-old wore-out man? Nobody!' I began to cry louder. 'Nobody needs me!' About that time, you knocked, and said, 'Sir, I need you.'

I stood with my mouth open.

He asked, 'Are you an angel? The way the light shone around your head into my dark living room...'

I assured him I was no angel.

He smiled. 'Do you know what I was thinking when I handed you those magnolias?'

'No.'

'I decided I'm needed. My flowers are needed. Why, I might have a flower ministry! I could give them to everyone! Some caskets at the funeral home have no flowers. People need flowers at times like that and I have lots of them.. They're all over the backyard! I can give them to hospitals, churches - all sorts of places. You know what I'm going to do? I'm going to serve the Lord until the day He calls me home!'

I drove back to the church, filled with wonder. On Patsy's wedding day, if anyone had asked me to encourage someone who was hurting, I would have said, 'Forget it! It's my only daughter's wedding, for goodness' sake! There is no way I can minister to anyone today.'

But God found a way. Through dead flowers.

'Life is not the way it's supposed to be. It's the way it is. The way you cope with it is what makes the difference.'

If you have missed knowing me, you have missed nothing.
If you have missed some of my emails, you may have missed a laugh. But, if you have missed knowing my LORD and SAVIOR, JESUS CHRIST, you have missed everything in the world.

May God's blessings be upon you.

THIS IS SO TRUE, BEING NEEDED IS SO UPLIFTING TO EACH OF US.

This story is too beautiful not to send and share with others

HOW TO START EACH DAY WITH A POSITIVE OUTLOOK

2009-02-28T01:55:00.001-05:00

HOW TO START EACH DAY WITH A POSITIVE OUTLOOK

1. Open a new file in your computer.
2. Name it 'Barack Obama'.
3. Send it to the Recycle Bin.
4. Empty the Recycle Bin.
5. Your PC will ask you: 'Do you really want to get rid of 'Barack Obama?'
6. Firmly Click 'Yes.'
7. Feel better?

GOOD! - Tomorrow we'll do Nancy Pelosi

11 Most Expensive Catastrophes in History

2009-02-28T01:53:00.000-05:00

11 Most Expensive Catastrophes in History

# 11. Titanic - $150 Million

The sinking of the Titanic is possibly the most famous accident in the world. But it barely makes our list of top 10 most expensive. On April 15, 1912, the Titanic sank on its maiden voyage and was considered to be the most luxurious ocean liner ever built. Over 1,500 people lost their lives when the ship ran into an iceberg and sunk in frigid waters. The ship cost $7 million to build ($150 million in today ' s dollars).

# 10. Tanker Truck vs Bridge - $358 Million

On August 26, 2004, a car collided with a tanker truck containing 32,000 liters of fuel on the Wiehltal Bridge in Germany . The tanker crashed through the guardrail and fell 90 feet off the A4 Autobahn resulting in a huge explosion and fire which destroyed the load-bearing ability of the bridge. Temporary repairs cost $40 million and the cost to replace the bridge is estimated at $318 Million.

# 9. MetroLink Crash - $500 Million

On September 12, 2008, in what was one of the worst train crashes in California history, 25 people were killed when a Metrolink commuter train crashed head-on into a Union Pacific freight train in Los Angeles . It is thought that the Metrolink train may have run through a red signal while the conductor was busy text messaging.. Wrongful death lawsuits are expected to cause $500 million in losses for Metrolink.

# 8. B-2 Bomber Crash - $1.4 Billion

Here we have our first billion dollar accident (and we ' re only #7 on the list). This B-2 stealth bomber crashed shortly after taking off from an air base in Guam on February 23, 2008. Investigators blamed distorted data in the flight control computers caused by moisture in the system. This resulted in the aircraft making a sudden nose-up move which made the B-2 stall and crash. This was 1 of only 21 ever built and was the most expensive aviation accident in history. Both pilots were able to eject to safety.

# 7. Exxon Valdez - $2.5 Billion

The Exxon Valdez oil spill was not a large one in relation to the world ' s biggest oil spills, but it was a costly one due to the remote location of Prince William Sound (accessible only by helicopter and boat). On March 24, 1989, 10.8 million gallons of oil was spilled when the ship ' s master, Joseph Hazelwood, left the controls and the ship crashed into a Reef. The cleanup cost Exxon $2.5 billion.

# 6. Piper Alpha Oil Rig - $3.4 Billion

The world ' s worst off-shore oil disaster. At one time, it was the world ' s single largest oil producer, spewing out 317,000 barrels of oil per day. On July 6, 1988, as part of routine maintenance, technicians removed and checked safety valves which were essential in preventing dangerous build-up of liquid gas. There were 100 identical safety valves which were checked. Unfortunately, the technicians made a mistake and forgot to replace one of them. At 10 PM that same night, a technician pressed a start button for the liquid gas pumps and the world ' s most expensive oil rig accident was set in motion.

Within 2 hours, the 300 foot platform was engulfed in flames. It eventually collapsed, killing 167 workers and resulting in $3.4 Billion in damages.

# 5. Challenger Explosion - $5.5 Billion

The Space Shuttle Challenger was destroyed 73 seconds after takeoff due on January 28, 1986 due to a faulty O-ring. It failed to seal one of the joints, allowing pressurized gas to reach the outside. This in turn caused the external tank to dump its payload of liquid hydrogen causing a massive explosion. The cost of replacing the Space Shuttle was $2 billion in 1986 ($4.5 billion in today ' s dollars). The cost of investigation, problem correction, and replacement of lost equipment cost $450 million from 1986-1987 ($1 Billion in today ' s dollars).

# 4. Prestige Oil Spill - $12 Billion

On November 13, 2002, the Prestige oil tanker was carrying 77,000 tons of heavy fuel oil when one of its twelve tanks burst during a storm off Galicia , Spain . Fearing that the ship would sink, the captain called for help from Spanish rescue workers, expecting them to take the ship into harbour. However, pressure from local authorities forced the captain to steer the ship away from the coast. The captain tried to get help from the French and Portuguese authorities, but they too ordered the ship away from their shores. The storm eventually took its toll on the ship resulting in the tanker splitting in half and releasing 20 million gallons oil into the sea.

According to a report by the Pontevedra Economist Board, the total cleanup cost $12 billion.

# 3. Space Shuttle Columbia - $13 Billion

The Space Shuttle Columbia was the first space worthy shuttle in NASA ' s orbital fleet. It was destroyed during re-entry over Texas on February 1, 2003 after a hole was punctured in one of the wings during launch 16 days earlier. The original cost of the shuttle was $2 Billion in 1978. That comes out to $6.3 Billion in today ' s dollars. $500 million was spent on the investigation, making it the costliest aircraft accident investigation in history. The search and recovery of debris cost $300 million.

In the end, the total cost of the accident (not including replacement of the shuttle) came out to $13 Billion according to the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics..

# 2. Chernobyl - $200 Billion

On April 26, 1986, the world witnessed the costliest accident in history. The Chernobyl disaster has been called the biggest socio-economic catastrophe in peacetime history. 50% of the area of Ukraine is in some way contaminated. Over 200,000 people had to be evacuated and resettled while 1.7 million people were directly affected by the disaster. The death toll attributed to Chernobyl , including people who died from cancer years later, is estimated at 125,000. The total costs including cleanup, resettlement, and compensation to victims has been estimated to be roughly $200 Billion. The cost of a new steel shelter for the Chernobyl nuclear plant will cost $2 billion alone. The accident was officially attributed to power plant operators who violated plant procedures and were ignorant of the safety requirements needed.

# 1. 2008 Presidential Election- $800 Billion in the first two months…AND HE'S ONLY JUST BEGUN!

2009-02-20T20:47:00.002-05:00

I'm still going to the gym. I like this one much better than Curves. I like the variety. I've been able to go to at least 3 different classes and I'll keep on going if I am able to.

We are finishing up the Virginia State Notebook. I kind of like the project. I'm looking forward to seeing the completed notebooks.

It feels good to have lesson plans already done. There is still a lot to complete, but that's what Saturdays are for, right? I don't think most people realize the HOURS I put in after (or before) school. Just to do a week's worth of lesson plans takes an hour or longer. That doesn't even include the actual preparation for classes. Then there's the grading. That is a never ending cycle. I still have a stack to get through sitting on my desk.

This week I did something that I don't normally do: I let the kids watch a movie. Now, mind you, it was a "sit and waste your mind" type of activity. We just finished our oceanography unit and I had the class watch Finding Nemo. As they watched it, they took notes and named all the sea creatures they saw. They seemed to enjoy that activity. I enjoyed the break the usual schedule and I'm sure they did too.

I know I don't have a huge following (if any, really), but please keep me in prayer. I'm struggling this year.

2009-02-05T17:32:00.002-05:00

I joined a gym Tuesday night, worked out Wednesday morning, and now I am so sore! I meet up with a personal trainer tonight and I might try the spinning class for a little bit.

I still have so much to do! I collected 50 reports this week (one set research, the other book reports). I'd like to have it done by this weekend. I also have to get my lesson plans done. Oh, and I won't even talk about the homework I have to do.

The kids are excited about the reading contest this month and have gotten off to a strong start. Sine the first, they have read over 1,000 pages. I've only read about 600. They get an ice cream party if they beat me. :)

2009-01-31T09:22:00.001-05:00

Beautiful sunset

2009-01-29T06:08:00.000-05:00

2009-01-18T21:58:00.002-05:00

Oh boy. I don't know why I'm doing it, but I am.

I'm working on another degree. Yep. I must be crazy. You see, when I was finishing up my BS in El. Ed., I had a couple of interviews that went nowhere, so I was considering staying at Fairhaven to get a secretarial degree in addition to the other. Then, I got this teaching position. Well, I started taking some classes this summer to get ahead on my AACS re-certification (I needed 6 credits). Then, I felt the Lord nudging me in the sec. deg. direction again. So, that's what I'm doing. Some people have asked me if I was changing careers. Nope. Just adding on to what I have. The skills are needed and I don't know what all the Lord has in store for me.

I have three computer-related classes this semester. I will be busy.

Judas Asparagus

2009-01-10T21:20:00.001-05:00

Someone read this in a baby shower devotional. I thought it was great and wanted to share. :)

Judas Asparagus

(A child was told to write a book report on the entire Bible.)

Through the eyes of a child. Children's Bible in a Nutshell.

In the beginning, which occurred near the start, there was nothing but God, darkness, and some gas.

The Bible says, 'The Lord thy God is one, but I think He must be a lot older than that. Anyway, God said, 'Give me a light!' and someone did. Then God made the world.

He split the Adam and made Eve. Adam and Eve were naked, but they weren't embarrassed because mirrors hadn't been invented yet. Adam and Eve disobeyed God by eating one bad apple, so they were driven from the Garden of Eden.? Not sure what they were driven in though, because they didn't have cars.

Adam and Eve had a son, Cain, who hated his brother as long as he was Abel. Pretty soon all of the early people died off, except for Methuselah, who lived to be like a million or something.

One of the next important people was Noah, who was a good guy, but one of his kids was kind of a Ham.

Noah built a large boat and put his family and some animals on it. He asked some other people to join him, but they said they would have to take a rain check.

After Noah came Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Jacob was more famous than His brother, Esau, because Esau sold Jacob his birthmark in exchange for some pot roast. Jacob had a son named Joseph who wore a really loud sports coat.

Another important Bible guy is Moses, whose real name was Charlton Heston. Moses led the Israel Lights out of Egypt and away from the evil Pharaoh after God sent ten plagues on Pharaoh's people.

These plagues included frogs, mice, lice, bowels, and no cable. God fed the Israel Lights every day with manicotti. Then he gave them His Top Ten Commandments. These include don't lie, cheat, smoke, dance, or covet your neighbor's stuff. Oh, yeah, I just thought of one more: humor thy father and thy mother.

One of Moses' best helpers was Joshua who was the first Bible guy to use spies. Joshua fought the battle of Geritol and the fence fell over on the town.

After Joshua came David. He got to be king by killing a giant with a slingshot. He had a son named Solomon who had about 300 wives and 500 porcupines.

My teacher says he was wise, but that doesn't sound very wise to me.

After Solomon there were a bunch of major league prophets. One of these was Jonah, who was swallowed by a big whale and then barfed upon the shore.

There were also some minor league prophets, but I guess we don't have to worry about them.

After the Old Testament came the New Testament.

Jesus is the star of The New Testament. He was born in Bethlehem in a barn. (I wish I had been born in a barn, too, because my mom is always saying to me, 'Close the door! Were you born in a barn?' It would be nice to say, 'As a matter of fact, I was.')

During His life, Jesus had many arguments with sinners like the Pharisees and the Democrats. Jesus also had twelve opossums. The worst one was Judas Asparagus. Judas was so evil that they named a terrible vegetable after him.

Jesus was a great man. He healed many leopards and even preached to some Germans on the Mount. But the Democrats and all those guys put Jesus on trial before Pontius the Pilot. Pilot didn't stick up for Jesus. He just washed his hands instead.

Any ways, Jesus died for our sins, then came back to life again. He went up to Heaven but will be back at the end of the Aluminum. His return is foretold in the book of Revolution.

2009-01-05T21:48:00.002-05:00

Saw this in another blog and wanted to do it.

The bold ones are things I've done.

1. Started your own blog
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Been to Disneyland
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a praying mantis
10. Sang a solo
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown your own vegetables
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitch hiked
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Run a Marathon (well, a 5k anyway...)
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run
32. Been on a cruise
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught yourself a new language
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David
41. Sung karaoke
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had your portrait painted
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business (haha...when I was younger)
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies
62. Gone whale watching
63. Got flowers for no reason
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma
65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten Caviar
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Read the entire Bible
86. Visited the White House
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
88. Had chickenpox
89. Saved someone’s life
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous
92. Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one
94. Had a baby
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a law suit
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee
100. Totally copied a post from someone else's blog to your own

41...not too shabby. :)

2009-01-05T21:36:00.003-05:00

I just tried to make something I have done before: homemade potato soup. The verdict? DELICIOUS!

I used 5-6 white potatoes, peeled and cubed, covered in enough water for cooking (I drained some and then added chicken broth about half-way through), brought it to a boil then turned it down, covered it, and let it simmer 15-20 minutes. I added lots of different seasonings: salt, pepper, garlic salt (lots of it), garlic powder... Read More, onion powder, Italian seasoning, white pepper, dill weed...that's all I can think of. I just used what was in the house. I put in about 1/3 of a stick of butter. Then I added some milk and flour while on low heat. Since I like cheese in my potato soup, I added some. The only thing is, I had to use some Kraft Singles since I'm out of shredded colby-jack.
I had looked at a couple of recipes to get an idea of what to do, but basically made mine up as I went. :) I had about 5 serving left to freeze.

Now I'm looking forward to making some potato, ham, and 16 bean soup. It'll be another experimental recipe. I'm even going to use the small slow cooker/crock pot my uncle gave me.

Seven New Year’s Resolutions

2009-01-01T12:51:00.000-05:00

I got the following in an email and wanted to share it with everyone.

Seven New Year’s Resolutions

I like a list of resolutions prepared by a pastor. He calls them ‘7-UPS for the New Year.’ No, this has nothing to do with the soft drink. These 7-UPS fall under the heading of attitudes and actions.

The first is WAKE UP -- Begin the day with the Lord. It is His day. Rejoice in it.

The second is DRESS UP -- Put on a smile. It improves your looks. It says something about your attitude.

The third is SHUT UP -- Watch your tongue. Don't gossip. Say nice things. Learn to listen.

The fourth is STAND UP -- Take a stand for what you believe. Resist evil. Do good.

Five, LOOK UP -- Open your eyes to the Lord. After all, He is your only Saviour.

Six, REACH UP -- Spend time in prayer with your adorations, confessions, thanksgivings and supplications to the Lord.

And finally, LIFT UP -- Be available to help those in need -- serving, supporting, and sharing.

If you're going to make New Year's resolutions this year, let me suggest this pastor’s list.

Why do we bother to make New Year's resolutions in the first place? Why do we feel this need each January 1 to set new goals? Maybe it is because resolutions help us to identify our priorities. They answer the question: “How do I want to invest my time, energy, money and talents in this New Year? The New Year reminds us that time is passing. It is up to each of us to maximize the potential of every moment.

2009-01-01T02:13:00.000-05:00

Happy New Year!

2008-12-29T21:56:00.003-05:00

It has been quite a week. After church last Sunday, I loaded my car up and drove up to MD to my sister's place. Traffic was great and I was able to attend a church in her town for the evening service. Now, my sister has two cats and I'm highly allergic to them, but I happened to manage it pretty well while at her place. Then, on Tuesday, we drove to MI to be with our family. My parents and brother live in a small house and the animals as well as the smoking like freight trains really started to get to me. My brother and I went out to do some Christmas shopping (but I would have scrapped the idea had I know it was only his second time driving in the winter...yipes!) and then went back home. I used my nebulizer, but it just did not help me at all. My mom then took me to the ER at about 3am. Five treatments and some steroids later, I was able to breathe some. We got home about 7am (we did some grocery shopping on the way). I did get a little bit of sleep, went to church that night, then went home. Our power went out and I needed to use my nebulizer so I went over to my uncle's house and stayed there. My dad picked me up before heading out to pick up his brother who lives in a group home. There I got to see Carole and catch up a little bit. I hadn't seen her in about a year. We then went home and opened out gifts and had dinner. All of it was nice. I was trying to tough it out and after a few rounds of the nebulizer again with no results, I went back to the ER (again, about 3-4am). That time they admitted for observation. I thought it was kind of funny that when I finally got to my room, I had breakfast before I got any sleep. The IV did not bruise as badly as it has done in the past, so that was good. I finally left the hospital at about 3pm and visited some of Nessa's friends with her. I opted to stay at my uncle's house for the remainder of my stay in MI.

In true family fashion, we had planned on leaving Saturday, but did not leave until Sunday night. With that change of plans, I was able to attend my "home" church again. I really missed my church family. We got to MD about 5am and my sister had to work at 6am. Yuck. I got a little more rest and then headed on my way to VA. Since I did not leave early enough, I got stuck in DC traffic (mostly stop-and-go) and doubled the time it should have taken me to get back. Thankfully, all the traveling done was basically uneventful.

Well, I'm home and safe. I'm back in my non-animal, non-smoking environment and I should be able to get my breathing back under control. I have been feeling a little light-headed today, but I'm thinking a good night of rest will help that.

I do hope you all had a wonderful Christmas! Even though I had a rough one, I'm thankful I was able to see my family again. That meant more than anything to me.

Merry Christmas!

2008-12-21T08:06:00.002-05:00

Me, Jay, and Nessa at the National Christmas Tree in Washington DC. :)

2008-12-19T23:34:00.002-05:00

Well, I thought I'd let you know that I did not receive a husband in the pile of gifts at school today. The girls gave me candles and chocolates instead. :)

While on the subject of gifts, I just want to vent. Now, I like to give gifts. I try to be practical and give something that will be used. I have done this to a couple of people over the past couple of years. I'm just not going to this year. It's not that I expected a gift in return, but when you get someone a gift and all they do is drop hints about what they want this year without ever so much as to think about giving a gift in return, I feel like all they want is to get, get, get. I'm not buying gifts for those people this year. It's just not right. I feel the same with Christmas cards. Why should I take all that time and spend money on postage without even a card in return.

Some people just really rub me the wrong way these days.

This post probably makes me seem selfish, but really, I feel like I'm being practical with life in general.

Ah, well. That's my vent.

2008-12-18T22:05:00.002-05:00

Ok, so I haven't been on in a while. Stuff has happened, but I just didn't blog about it.

Well, this week, one of my boys misheard what I said (South Carolina) and blurted out what he thought he heard: South Kackalacky. No joke. I couldn't help but laugh at that. Then I had to regain my composure and get the class back on track. He wasn't the only one with speaking difficulties, though. While I was talking with some colleagues, "trother buying" rolled right off my tongue. Nice, huh?

Now, the kicker this week came from one of girls who is very sweet and helpful. She told me that she knew what to get me for Christmas: a husband! lol

We have our class party tomorrow. I do hope it goes well.

2008-12-11T19:29:00.002-05:00

What a day! I had to assign 200 sentences to one student for running the hall and trying to argue with me about it. Then, I had a student complain about not feeling well, so we called his mom. She said she'd try to get there when could. It wasn't soon enough. This student up-chucked all over the boys' bathroom. And it stunk. I put on gloves, grabbed some paper towels, had a garbage bag doubled, had a student fill the mop bucket, and had another student go to the supervisor's class to ask for the aide I thought was in that day. The aide was not in so the Josh came down to see what the matter was. I told him and then he offered to clean up the mess. I am very grateful for that. I would have had a hard time keeping my own breakfast down.

My class got to see a black widow spider today. Someone brought it to my class asking if my kid would be interested in seeing it. It was in a covered glass jar inside a coffee container. I showed the kids and passed it along to the sixth grade. I had never seen a black widow in person. I never want to see another one. :)

I check out the local Freecycle chapter from time to time and try to see if there's anything useful being offered. I asked about a heated foot spa yesterday and was chosen to be the recipient of it. I picked it up earlier this evening. I'm delighted to have one in my possession now, but was brought a smile to my face was the little boy who opened the door. I wasn't sure which item was mine on the porch and I saw a light on in the house, so I rang the doorbell. A little boy, about 5-8 years old, answered the door. I could tell right away that he had Downs Syndrome. Well, after I found out which bag was mine, I was heading to my car and the little boy held out his hand and said, "Help!" and helped me down the stairs! It was too cute! He was going to try to walk me to my car as well, but I told him that he was very sweet, but since it was raining, he should go back to his dad so he wouldn't get wet. Seeing that little boy just brightened my day!

I did use the foot spa and it felt wonderful. :)

Vote now! (please)

2008-12-04T07:11:00.000-05:00

Vote for any of Karyn R.'s from Fredericksburg, VA, cookies...vote daily http://www.cookiedecoratingcontest.com/vote/index.cfm?id=&page=all

A view of Heaven

2008-12-01T20:54:00.002-05:00

I received this in an email, but I know I've also read the room part of this in Joshua Harris's I Kissed Dating Goodbye. It's still thought provoking either way.

A TEENAGER'S VIEW OF HEAVEN

17-year-old Brian Moore had only a short time to write something for a class. The subject was what Heaven was like. 'I wowed 'em,' he later told his father, Bruce. 'It's a killer. It's the bomb. It's the best thing I ever wrote..' It also was the last.

Brian Moore died May 27, 1997, the day after Memorial Day. He was driving home from a friend's house when his car went off Bulen-Pierce Road in Pickaway County and struck a utility pole. He emerged from the wreck unharmed but stepped on a downed power line and was electrocuted.

The Moores framed a copy of Brian's essay and hung it among the family portraits in the living room. 'I think God used him to make a point. I think we were meant to find it and make something out of it,' Mrs. Moore said of the essay. She and her husband want to share their son's vision of life after death. 'I'm happy for Brian. I know he's in heaven. I know I'll see him.'

Brian's Essay: The Room...

In that place between wakefulness and dreams, I found myself in the room. There were no distinguishing features except for the one wall covered with small index card files. They were like the ones in libraries that list titles by author or subject in alphabetical order. But these files, which stretched from floor to ceiling and seemingly endless in either direction, had very different headings. As I drew near the wall of files, the first to catch my attention was one that read 'Girls I have liked.' I opened it and began flipping through the cards. I quickly shut it, shocked to realize that I recognized the names written on each one. And then without being told, I knew exactly where I was.

This lifeless room with its small files was a crude catalog system for my life. Here were written the actions of my every moment, big and small, in a detail my memory couldn't match. A sense of wonder and curiosity, coupled with horror, stirred within me as I began randomly opening files and exploring their content. Some brought joy and sweet memories; others a sense of shame and regret so intense that I would look over my shoulder to see if anyone was watching.

A file named 'Friends' was next to one marked 'Friends I have betrayed.' The titles ranged from the mundane to the outright weird 'Books I Have Read,' 'Lies I Have Told,' 'Comfort I have Given,' 'Jokes I Have Laughed at ' Some were almost hilarious in their exactness: 'Things I've yelled at my brothers.' Others I couldn't laugh at: 'Things I Have Done in My Anger', 'Things I Have Muttered Under My Breath at My Parents.' I never ceased to be surprised by the contents.

Often there were many more cards than I expected. Sometimes fewer than I hoped. I was overwhelmed by the sheer volume of the life I had lived. Could it be possible that I had the time in my years to fill each of these thousands or even millions of cards? But each card confirmed this truth. Each was written in my own handwriting. Each signed with my signature.

When I pulled out the file marked 'TV Shows I have watched', I realized the files grew to contain their contents. The cards were packed tightly, and yet after two or three yards, I hadn't found the end of the file. I shut it, shamed, not so much by the quality of shows but more by the vast time I knew that file represented.

When I came to a file marked 'Lustful Thoughts,' I felt a chill run through my body. I pulled the file out only an inch, not willing to test its size and drew out a card. I shuddered at its detailed content.

I felt sick to think that such a moment had been recorded. An almost animal rage broke on me. One thought dominated my mind: No one must ever see these cards! No one must ever see this room! I have to destroy them!' In insane frenzy I yanked the file out. Its size didn't matter now. I had to empty it and burn the cards. But as I took it at one end and began pounding it on the floor, I could not dislodge a single card. I became desperate and pulled out a card, only to find it as strong as steel when I tried to tear it.

Defeated and utterly helpless, I returned the file to its slot. Leaning my forehead against the wall, I let out a long, self-pitying sigh.

And then I saw it.. The title bore 'People I Have Shared the Gospel With.' The handle was brighter than those around it,seemed newer, almost unused. I pulled on its handle and a small box not more than three inches long fell into my hands. I could count the cards it contained on one hand.

And then the tears came. I began to weep. Sobs so deep that they hurt. They started in my stomach and shook through me. I fell on my knees and cried. I cried out of shame, from the overwhelming shame of it all. The rows of file shelves swirled in my tear-filled eyes. No one must ever, ever know of this room. I must lock it up and hide the key. But then as I pushed away the tears, I saw Him.

No, please not Him. Not here. Oh, anyone but Jesus. I watched helplessly as He began to open the files and read the cards. I couldn't bear to watch His response. And in the moments I could bring myself to look at His face, I saw a sorrow deeper than my own.

He seemed to intuitively go to the worst boxes. Why did He have to read every one? Finally He turned and looked at me from across the room. He looked at me with pity in His eyes. But this was a pity that didn't anger me. I dropped my head, covered my face with my hands and began to cry again. He walked over and put His arm around me. He could have said so many things. But He didn't say a word. He just cried with me.

Then He got up and walked back to the wall of files. Starting at one end of the room, He took out a file and, one by one, began to sign His name over mine on each card. 'No!' I shouted rushing to Him. All I could find to say was 'No, no,' as I pulled the card from Him. His name shouldn't be on these cards. But there it was, written in red so rich, so dark, so alive. The name of Jesus covered mine. It was written with His blood. He gently took the card back. He smiled a sad smile and began to sign the cards. I don't think I'll ever understand how He did it so quickly, but the next instant it seemed I heard Him close the last file and walk back to my side.

He placed His hand on my shoulder and said, 'It is finished.' I stood up, and He led me out of the room. There was no lock on its door. There were still cards to be written.

'I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. '-Phil. 4:13 'For God so loved the world that He gave His only son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.' If you feel the same way forward it so the love of Jesus will touch their lives also. My 'People I shared the gospel with' file just got bigger, how about yours?

2008-11-30T23:07:00.002-05:00

I had a pretty good weekend. I was able to spend time with my whole family at my sister's place in MD. Mom and I made the Thanksgiving meal and it turned out great. Ness had to work on Black Friday. I did not go shopping at all this year. Ness, Jay, and I took an evening stroll through the beautiful park down the road. I went back Saturday morning for a leisurely walk and also had my devotions there. There were many ducks, geese, and swans in the pond.

My car did get fixed, but it wasn't a couple hour job like my dad thought it'd be. It was more of an all day job since the fluid leak happened to be the water pump. The power streering belt was loose as well. Ah, the joys of having a vehicle.

I'm thankful for:
1. My family and friends
2. For God's love even though I don't deserve it
3. Living in America
4. My job
5. My students
6. My church
7. The opportunity to serve Christ
8. Freedom
9. For Jesus Christ dying on the cross for my sins
10. For the abilities God has given me

This is a short list of thanks. God has given me so much. As the Bible says, "Daily He loadeth us with benefits." He truly does if we take the time to notice. It's so easy to get caught up in the day-to-day things that we take for granted.

2008-11-26T15:52:00.002-05:00

I was just able to upload the pics. :)

The VBC Ensemble went to another church and after, we went to Jalapeno's. They had the greatest cheese quesadillas.

The upper elementary went to the Ice Park for a field trip today. All almost went well. Two of my kids ended up getting hurt while skating, but other than that, it went well.

Another group shot

The upper elementary supervisor.

The surprise blessing waiting for me when I got back to school.
The note said, "Have a Happy Thanksgiving!"

2008-11-26T15:42:00.001-05:00

I'd like to post some pictures, but they won't load. Maybe another time.

Nobody likes a boring spelling class!

2008-11-17T22:01:00.003-05:00

These are my notes from the teachers' convention.

I. Primary objectives of spelling
a. Teach the spelling of many words
b. Learn to use the words correctly
c. Teach spelling rules

II. Other objectives
a. Increase vocabulary
b. To use a dictionary
c. To enjoy good poetry

III. Homework
a. How to set up the paper
b. Give HW 3x a week
c. Use good penmanship and copy carefully
(Could use as a penmanship grade)
d. Vary the assignment
(alphabetical order, 1x, 2x, write list backwards, make it a story, syllables, sentences)
e. Spelling Club - only have to write list 1x rather than 2x
f. Have students tell parents the list
g. Have students write and say the list at the same time

IV. Introducing a new lesson
a. Pronounce each word, emphasizing its sounds and syllables
b. Class repeats
c. Explain the meaning of unfamiliar words
d. Use each word in a sentence
f. Point out other aids in memorization

V. Practice the list
a. Say, spell, say (lasagna, l-a-s-a-g-n-a, lasagna)
b. Vocabulary: pursue, p-u-r-s-u-e, to chase, pursue
c. Vary the groups and the ways the words are spelled
(Football, cheerleader, boys, girls, computer, frog, crescendo, decrescendo, snap/stomp/clap)
d. Other activities (to be done after the list has been recited at least once)
contests, ruler tap, instant recall, proof-reading exercises, scramble words
e. Be creative

VI. Pen/paper reviews
a. Sentence dictation - listening skill, accuracy, and good penmanship
b. Copy Cats
c. 100% rows
d. Sweet Success
e. Be creative

VII. Poetry
a. Read it to the class with good expression and have them follow along
b. Explain the meaning of unfamiliar words
c. Mark pauses or accented words
d. Add motions
e. Work on the whole section, not line by line
f. Enjoy it

2008-11-11T07:24:00.002-05:00

This link is great! Check it out!
Paper Craft Fun

I just wanted to share these great crafts again!

2008-11-10T22:44:00.002-05:00

Today was interesting. Well, over the weekend, I noticed my bank account seriously lacking in funds and was hit with some overdraft fees. The only thing was, I was pretty sure I was set up so that wouldn't happen. I opened a savings account that could be pulled from. Apparently, that didn't happen. So, I planned a trip to the bank to figure out what happened. Now, with my car out of commission (which I think I narrowed down the problem and shared that with my dad), I was going to walk to the bank (not the first time I've done it either). As I was grabbing my purse, someone stopped me to ask me where I was going. I told him that I needed to take care of something at the bank and then he asked me to deposit his checks at his bank and that I could take his car. Yeah. Sure. No problem.
I was able to get things cleared up at my bank and even able to get the fees taken cared of. Big relief there. So, I then went to the other bank to make the deposits. I went through the drive-through line and everything was all well until I had one of those nearly choking experiences by the words coming someone else's mouth. Now, mind you, they weren't "bad" words, but they certainly weren't expected, either. As I was waiting for the receipt, the teller said, "Have a great day MRS. *_____*!" What?! No way!
Now, that takes a bit of trust for someone to ask another to make a deposit for them, so I was thinking that I was at least considered trustworthy. But, for someone else to think of me as his wife....ACK! And to think I used to do business with this bank...

Anyway, I am looking forward to the teachers' convention this week. Only two more school days and then off to Hampton. I even get to see some people from Fairhaven as well as some other friends from VBC. It'll be a better year for me, I think. It helps to finally know some other people outside of FBS (not that there's anything wrong with the people I know).

2008-11-06T21:12:00.002-05:00

I hate it when people try to mother me when they are not in the position to do so. It's so frustrating. I know someone who thinks that whatever she does is the best thing and therefore I should be just like her. Umm...no. I'd rather not. You can have your life because I do not envy you in the least. Thank you. Let's move on.

I talked to my brother this evening. I so miss making fun of him! I love the booger. :) My favorite line was when we were talking about the weather, I told him that is was nice here and maybe next week I'll pull out a sweater. He said that he has been wearing the hoodie Mom got him before school. Then I told him that he should should have it washed....(thinking...thinking...) He was so slow to that. :) (If you didn't get it, I'll be happy to explain...but it takes all the fun out of it.)

Things are really getting tough around here. I can't get ahead for anything. And my health insurance nearly doubled.

I've really been struggling in a different area. *__________* and I have been in communication since May. He's even called a few times and come to see me. Since school started, our communication has nearly come to a standstill. It's hard to understand what is going on right now. I did try to give him an easy way out (that was hard to do because I didn't want to do that), but what was I to do if I rarely hear from him? He responded with a "I don't want to lose all contact with you." And yet, I still don't hear from him. I don't even know what to call what we had, whether it was a relationship or a friendship. I find this fella to be a great guy with many of the same standards (music, especially). It's so hard to find guys with any standards these days, let alone Godly ones. He is a history teacher in a Christian high school and seems to have a wonderful opportunity serving the Lord where he is at. I think it is great to see a guy who loves what he is doing. The only thing is, he seems not to have any time for me, except for maybe a few minutes on the weekend, or every other weekend, to send me an email letting me know how busy he's been. I know all about how busy a teacher can get. I am one as well. In fact, I have 100 papers to grade right now. (And that's not an exaggeration). I'd be better if he would clarify where he wants to go in this friendship/relationship rather than let it die off. I'd like to say I'm content waiting on the Lord, but that'd be a lie. I am really tired of living on my own. It's no fun cooking for one (and I rarely cook because of that). I want someone to care for and someone to care for me. It really is hard to see all the people I grew up with getting married and having kids. I've drempt of that for some time now, but it seems more and more that all I'll be is an old maid. If that's what the Lord wants for me, then Ill learn to be content with it. *__________* has great potential. He's comitted to serving the Lord, committed in his job, and is one of those "nice guys." I just want/need some direction.

Anyway, I'm off to try to knock out some of this grading. This stuff is killing me! I can't stand grading penmanship papers! Their writing is better than mine!

2008-11-04T21:50:00.003-05:00

Lord, You are in control. The outcome of this election will not surprise You. I know You are still in the miracle working business and we need a miracle to keep Obama from being elected President. Of course, You can still still produce good from evil (think Nebuchadnezzar, people). I trust in Your infinite goodness. The best thing a Christian can do is keep praying!

Just a regular day

2008-11-03T21:59:00.002-05:00

So, I deal with kids all day. Many come up with these really lame excuses as to why they didn't finish (or start) their homework and today was no different. Mind you, they had the weekend to complete it and they had time to work on it (even finish it) in class on Friday. The biggest excuse I get is, "I didn't have time." Parents, please realize that the job of your child is to be a good student, not excuse maker. I get to talk to one parent who asked me if I read the note in the steno (which I had not since their child was tardy today). Apparently, as he was working on his book report with his father, the wise man that he is, realized that his done did not even read the book (which he had a month to do so). So, dad wrote a note to let me know that his child needs to have a "zero" for not completing the book. I completely agree. This is the second book he has failed to read this year. I am glad that his parents are stepping up and showing him that it is important to complete the tasks set before you. Thank you.

In after-school care in the pre-school (I work there when needed throughout the week), the kids were so wound up. A bunch of them wanted me to time them as they ran around the playground (a whopping 12-15 seconds that it takes). One little boy then says, "I'm fast than a car with sneakers!" Hehe... Oh, there was also a fender bender across the street as a little black car rear-ended a little black truck. This road is ridiculous. This stuff happens daily around here since it is so busy.

I'll be voting after school tomorrow. Josh is letting my borrow his car since mine is on the fritz again. I wanted to vote before school, but after will have to do.

Well, it's time to finish reading the book I started. I have enjoyed ending the evening with some light reading.

A questionnaire...I haven't done one of these in ages!

2008-11-03T21:44:00.002-05:00

FUN QUESTIONNAIRE

1. What is your middle name? Rene` (don't forget the accent mark!)

2. How big is your bed? Twin

3.What are you listening to right now? Marion Avenue Boys

4. What are the last 4 digits in your cellphone number? 8270

5. What was the last thing you ate? Stretchy mac-n-cheese with bacon bits

6. Last person you hugged? umm..one of the kiddos at school, probably

7. How is the weather right now? Nice and cool :)

8. Who was the last person you talked to on the phone? Mom

9. The first thing you notice about the opposite sex? attitude/demeanor

10. Favorite type of food? pasta or chocolate

11. Do you want children? Yes

12. Hair color? Brown with highlights

13. Do you wear contacts? When I feel like it

14. Favorite holiday? Christmas...that's when I get to spend time with my family

15. Favorite Season? Spring

16. Have you ever cried over a love lost? Yes, but I'm over it now

17. Last Movie you watched? Love's Long Journey

18. What books are you reading? Montana (4 books in one)

19. Piercings? One in each ear

20. Favorite Movie? A Walk to Remember

21. Favorite college football team? none

22. What were you doing before filling this out? Thinking about what to blog about

25. Favorite animal? Dog

26. Favorite drink? Water, Dr. Pepper, hot chocolate

27. Favorite flower? Lilacs

28. Have you ever loved someone? Sure

29. Who would you like to see right now? My family and M.A.R.

30. What color are your bedroom walls? White

31. Have you ever fired a gun? Does paintball count?

32. Do you like to travel by plane? Sure

33. Right-handed or Left-handed? Right

34. If you could go to any place right now where would you go? Anywhere

35. Are you missing someone? Most definitely

36. Do you have a tattoo? Nope

37. Do you still watch cartoons on Saturday mornings? Nope

38. Are you hiding something from someone right now? Nope

39. Are you 18? Past that

40. What is the wallpaper on your cellphone? Uh...can you believe I actually have to look at it to answer this question...A purple rose

41. Are you afraid of the dark? Nope

42. Favorite hangout: my room

43. 3 things you can't live without? Bible, family/friends, chocolate

44. Favorite songs? Bow the Knee, Pilot Me, many others

45. What are you afraid of? Losing loved ones before they come to know Christ

46. Are you a giver or a taker? some of both

47. What are your nicknames? Nikki, Sis, Sister, Nic, Miss Cole, Cole, who-uh

48. What is your dad's middle name? Gene

49. What do you sleep in? pjs

50. Stuck on a deserted island, and can only bring one thing? Bible

51. Favorite TV commercial? None really

52. First thing you'll save in a fire? Whatever I can grab

53. What is your favorite color? Purple

54. What are the things you always bring with you? My purse with my wallet, Ipod, 3 sets of keys, and chapstick

55. What did you want to be when you were a kid? At first I wanted to be a singer and then I decided on being a teacher

56. What do you usually do when the alarm turns on? Umm..at school I usher the kids outside and then call roll

57. What color is your bedsheet? coral

58. Who do you want to meet? I don't know

59. What do you think about before you go to bed? Lots of stuff

RUN!

2008-11-02T13:46:00.002-05:00

I have to share this link and urge you to watch it. It is absolutely powerful. Keep sharing this. If you are a Christian and you aren't stirred, something is seriously wrong.

The Adam Complex

2008-11-01T09:18:00.003-04:00

So, the newshounds will dig up all the dirt they can on McCain and Palin, but moment something negative comes out about Obama (click here to read it), they automatically try to place the blame on the McCain/Palin or Bush administration.
"Information about the deportation case was disclosed and confirmed by two separate sources, one of them a federal law enforcement official. The information they made available is known to officials in the federal government, but the AP could not establish whether anyone at a political level in the Bush administration or in the McCain campaign had been involved in its release."

Nothing like a biased, democratic media for you. So, was it the Obama/Biden campaign that shared all the dirt they could with the media about McCain/Palin? Most likely, but they wouldn't tell you that.

Election '08

2008-10-31T22:32:00.003-04:00

Just to clarify where I stand, I do not support Obama in the least. I think is a poor choice as a president and I certainly do not want him in that office.

Taken from the McCain site.

Taxes

John McCain believes we must keep taxes low to reward hard work and create jobs for all Americans.

Barack Obama wants to "spread the wealth around" and is more interested in controlling who gets your piece of the pie than he is in growing the pie.

Economic Plan

John McCain has a comprehensive economic plan that will create millions of good American jobs, ensure our nation's energy security, get the government's budget and spending practices in order, and bring relief to American consumers

The Obama tax increase would come at the worst possible time for America, and especially for small businesses like the one Joe the Plumber dreams of owning. The small businesses Senator Obama would tax provide 16 million jobs in America. And a sudden tax hike for those businesses will kill jobs at a time when we need to be creating more jobs.

Energy

John McCain will break from the past to lead a great national campaign to put us on a course for energy independence. No problem is more urgent today than our dependence on foreign oil.

Barack Obama voted for the same policies that created the problem. He voted for the energy bill promoted by President Bush and Vice President Cheney, which gave even more breaks to the oil industry.

Health Care

John McCain will make health care more available, affordable and responsive to patients and he will give families more choices over their care.

Barack Obama's plan will harm employer coverage, continues the push toward government-run health care and will damage private coverage.

Reforming Washington

John McCain has a record of working to end Washington's stagnant, unproductive partisanship. He will end wasteful government spending and put the government back on the side of the American people.

The American people have not seen Barack Obama forsake partisanship for progress. In his short time in the Senate, Congressional Quarterly shows he voted with the Democrat Party 97 percent of the time.

Government Spending

John McCain is committed to and has long fought for restoring fiscal discipline by eliminating wasteful government spending. Out of control spending has resulted in a weaker dollar, raising the cost of groceries and gas and killing jobs. John McCain will rein in federal spending to help our families in tough economic times.

Barack Obama plans to increase spending by nearly a trillion dollars. Already in three short years in the Senate, he has requested nearly a billion dollars in pork projects for his state and has been an eager participant in this corrupt system.

Education

John McCain will shake up failed school bureaucracies with competition, empower parents with choice, remove barriers to qualified instructors, attract and reward good teachers.

Barack Obama wants our schools to answer to unions and entrenched bureaucracies.

Iraq

John McCain had the judgment to understand that America's strategy in Iraq was failing and the courage to call for a dramatic change. That strategy is now working, and America is succeeding in Iraq

Barack Obama opposed the new strategy and predicted wrongly that it would fail. He voted to deny critical funds to our men and women fighting in Iraq.

Election '08

2008-10-30T21:12:00.002-04:00

I am by no means a political junkie. I grew up in a family that did not vote (at least, not that I remember) and the stance was more with the Independent party. While in college, I did get involved in the elections as a poll book holder and a sign holder. I can say that I am a conservative.

When it comes to the elections this year, wow, what a time to pray for the nation! So many people are being steered in the wrong direction.

If you want to be told where your child can attend school, vote Obama.
If you want your kindergartener to learn about sex education and alternative lifestyles, vote Obama.
If you want an increase in federal income taxes, vote Obama.
If you want someone to appoint Supreme Court judges that have a changing interpretation of the Constitution, vote Obama.
If you want further restrictions on the right to bear arms, vote Obama.
If you want someone that supports public funding of abortions and not notifying the parents of a minor about having an abortion and not giving health care for survivors of abortions, vote Obama.
If you want sodomites to be considered a recognized minority, vote Obama.
If you want public funding for art that is pornographic or anti-religious, vote Obama.

Really, if you want a socialist change, vote Obama. I know I'm not.

Check this link out.

VBC Ensemble at Hanover

2008-10-26T22:54:00.007-04:00

The VBC Ensemble sang for the first time in a church service tonight. It was a wonderful experience. Mr. Walton said that the US Marine Corps motto is Semper Fidelis, meaning "always faithful." He then went on to say that the Christian's motto should be Semper Gumby, meaning "always flexible." We needed to be tonight. Brooke was out of town (she the accompanist) but came back this afternoon. Wendy was already going to be the accompanist for the evening. With me having bronchitis, my voice is nowhere close to being back 100% so I was not able to sing at all with the group, but Brooke sang in my place. I was the official page turner for the evening (well, Adam said I paged the turns...lol!). Everything still worked out well. We went to Panera for dinner after the service and had a great time there as well.

The VBC Ensemble
(Mr. Walton, Adam, Ashley, Brooke, Hope, Nicole)

Tim, Adam, and Ashley

Tim

The girls

Singing

Practicing

Random pic of me

Hope, Brooke, and our cute little buddy watching the inchworm special olympics
(you had to be there to understand)

Hope and Brooke

Random pic of Hope

Staged random pic

Brooke and our little buddy

Random pic of Brooke

Ashley, Hope, and Brooke

Ahsley attacking Hope and Brooke...who knows!

Random pic of Ashley

Ahsley and Brooke

Ahsley and Adam

Nice one, Ashley!

Practicing

Adam

You can also get Adam's CD through Bible Truth Music
Great stuff!

2008-10-23T22:47:00.004-04:00

Last weekend, I was able to go to MD to visit one of my former college roomies. I had a wonderful time! The change of scenery and people was very welcome and refreshing. Jen and I caught up and watched The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants on Friday night (a family from the school was able to drop me off at the Metro station) after she picked me up. Then, we went to visitation devotions before heading off to Wal-Mart so Jen could finish an errand. Of, by the way, the chicken parmasean from Pizza Hut is EXCELLENT! Before we went to the corn field maze, we spent a couple hours at a mall and had lunch there. The maze was great! I had never been to one before. It took us almost two hours to find our way out! I stole all these pictures from Jen since I didn't have my camera with me for this trip.
I certainly enjoyed my mini-but-much-needed-vacation. The only thing is, I came back sick and it turned into bronchitis. Tomorrow at school, we have our fundraiser incentive of the teacher dunk tank. My students are totally pumped about dunking me. I told them it wouldn't happen becasue they all can not throw and that the'll miss the target completely. :) I'm planning on bringing my swim cap and goggles for a special effect.

Torry

Thomas and Annie (and he has a pumpkin under his shirt)

Thomas and Annie again

Sherry with her maglight

Sherry (Jen's sister..she also went to Fairhaven)

Sam (or Rockstar, Mr. Mom, or James Dean depending on Jen's mood..lol!)

Nadia and I on the hayride

Me in the corn maze

Josh (or as Random Person as Jen called him), Dan, and Sam

On the hayride

A few group shots :)

One of those candid "gotcha" shots of Dan

Dan and Sam

Dan and I not too long after we arrived at the River Valley Ranch Corn Maze

An 8 months pregnant Annie and I

2008-10-12T23:57:00.002-04:00

Sometimes, I really dislike being a female. Mainly, it has to do with emotions. I can't stand feeling excited, confused, upset, frustrated, mad, depressed, alone, and crowded all at the same time. I wish other things were clear-cut and easy to understand. Well, one situation in particular, anyway.

So I had CPR training Saturday. I was not happy about it being scheduled at the last minute and take away my only day to get something done on top of that. My hand hurts from all the compression practice we had to do. The class took about 2 hours since we spent 2 hours taking the first aid portion online. This is the second time I have taken a CPR class and while I'm glad I know how to do, I'm even more glad I've never had to use it on any one.

College midterms are coming up as well as the school's first quarter. I'm looking forward to going to the teacher's convention next month. I get to room with Kammie! That'll be fun!

Nessa and Jay came down for a visit Saturday afternoon. We had a good time and didn't spend too much money. We all had SOBE's and SlimJims for our movie snacks. We made Jay watch two chick flicks. lol

My class is going to drive me up the wall this year. I feel so bad for having such a short fuse, but these kids just don't listen! I am trying to work on my response to them and Lord willing, it will get better as I let Him work through me.

2008-10-06T00:10:00.001-04:00

Well, I got a change of pace. I'm now on crutches with a sprained ankle. Go figure! LOL! The Lord sure does have a sense of humor.

2008-10-05T16:23:00.002-04:00

Living? Check.
Breathing? Most of the time, check.
Family? Check.
Friends? Check.
Job? Check, check, and check.

I know I am blessed with what I have, but why do I feel so "blah" these days? This school year is really pulling a number on me. This week was ok with the kids, but I know I never want to have another class like this. Unfortunately, next year's is no better...perhaps worse. I feel like all I ever do is work related stuff. Lesson plans take FOREVER to do (glad I'm now three...technically two...weeks ahead), breaks are joke, aides are few, days are long, and pay is minimal. I hate living paycheck to paycheck, but the Lord has not failed me (and He never will). Oh, not to mention I practically LIVE at the church or in my classroom. I am there Sunday though Saturday for hours.

My family seems to be getting it together (generally speaking), but there are plenty of problems. Just found out that Mom, Dad, and AJ may not be able to make it out to Nessa's for Thanksgiving. I'll only make if Nessa picks me up (since my car has issues...nothing out of the norm there). Nessa, her boyfriend, and I are planning to drive up to MI for Christmas (since none of can afford to fly). That'll be interesting. Not sure if I'll be able to make it a week without visiting the ER at least once while we're there. Then again, it wouldn't be a normal visit home without not being able to breathe and creating some fun in the ER with the crazy stuff Nessa and I do to lighten up the moment. We have had hospital staff tell us to quiet down (shocker, right?).

I think I'm in need of a change. Just not sure with what to change, though. Life's not bad here, but...well, I don't know.

I want to go on a long trip away from here. California sounds good. I'd love to hang out with Mimi again. Maybe even go see Glenn and Katie. I'd love to see Carol before she and Adam head off to Mongolia. I'd love to visit my home church and see those who have influenced my life for the best. I miss so many people right now. Yes, I've made friends here, but I still feel disconnected. That could also be my fault. Maybe getting older does that to a person.

*sigh*

2008-10-02T21:48:00.003-04:00

Just thought I'd share this with you. I found it interesting.
I fall under the young, unmarried woman portion, but I'm certainly NOT voting for Obama. NOBAMA '08!

You should also see this very disturbing video. I don't know how to post a video here, so just click the link.

lia sophia party!

2008-09-21T20:25:00.002-04:00

Come one, come all! I'm hosting a lia sophia party and you're invited to attend!

Not only am I hosting a party at my house, I'm also hosting one online! You don't even have to leave your house to partake in these wonderful deals.

Did you know, for every two items you purchase at regular price, you can get your third item for half price? Make it your HIGHEST priced item! Another perk is the lifetime replacement guarantee. If you are not satisfied with the quality of the purchase, you can have it replaced as long as you own the piece.

Here's what you need to do:

1. Go HERE

2. Click on "Our Jewelry"

3. Choose a catalog to browse (I like the Fall/Winter 2008 catalog)

4. See the "How to purchase?" link? Click that.

5. Now, you will need to enter my name (Nicole Stiers) in those little boxes since I am your hostess :)

6. Now you will be taken back to the catalog so you can make your selections

Simple enough?

Keep in mind that Christmas is around the corner and who doesn't like a pretty piece of jewelry to brighten up their wardrobe?

Happy shopping!

~Nicole

2008-09-18T14:24:00.005-04:00

Leave it to me. Go to the doctor with dizziness and leave with a referral for a podiatrist. :)
Actually, I'm quite pleased with my new doctor. He didn't look at me like I was stupid and answer me curtly. Apparently, my dizziness can be attributed to allergies and fluid build-up in my head. It could also be that my asthma is beginning to act up. Nothing neurological and not vertigo. So, my dizziness is not terminal.
So, where does the podiatrist referral come in? My numb toes that feel like someone put novocain in. The Doc. said I have a slight deformity forming: my big toes are curving toward the rest of the toes. The end result could be surgery. Oi.

2008-09-18T14:24:00.002-04:00

My world is spinning, literally. Since I've had these dizzy spells for 3 days now, I scheduled a doctor appointment for this afternoon. He probably won't be able to tell me anything, but I'm going anyway. I don't know how long I'll have to wait, so I'll take along some of the many papers I have to grade every week.

Stange fact of the day

2008-09-16T21:52:00.000-04:00

Men can read smaller print than women,
but women can hear better.

2008-09-15T22:10:00.003-04:00

This is what was growing behind the bathroom wall. Pretty gross, huh?

Two weeks ago, we were told that it should take about a week to fix this.

Another view of the rest of the wall.

Two weeks later, this is all that has been done.

And another shot.

Well, at least we know that we should have superior protection against moisture and mold with our new wet area cement board.

I don't know why, but the scent of the new wall was rather pleasant in an odd way.

2008-09-14T23:28:00.002-04:00

I finished my research paper! It's a good feeling. I also updated the look of my blog. Whaddya think? :)

My Sunday school class is going through the book of Acts and today there was a parallel shown that I had never considered. Acts 3:1-2
1Now Peter and John went up together into the temple at the hour of prayer, being the ninth hour.

2And a certain man lame from his mother's womb was carried, whom they laid daily at the gate of the temple which is called Beautiful, to ask alms of them that entered into the temple;

That lame man is a picture of the condition of the lost man. He can not do anything for himself. That is so true about us before Christ enters the believer's life. There is nothing a lost person can do to get to Heaven outside of calling upon the Lord. He has to see that he is lost before he can get saved.

It's easy to go around and tell people that they need the Lord, but it's another thing to get them to see the condition they are in. Pride often gets in the way and therefore clouds the reality of the condition.

Stampin' Up

2008-09-14T08:44:00.002-04:00

Here is the awesome card we made! Normally, I don't like the blue/brown color combination, but it is great on a card. My bow doesn't look half bad, either. It's being mailed out this week as a birthday card. :)

Now, these candy bar wrappers are incredibly easy to make and look so cool. I like the crimper tool we got to use. Kathy made these for her open house and gave them to us last month and we all wanted to know how to do it. So, that was one of the projects for this month's meeting. AND we got to make 4 of them. :)

2008-09-13T20:32:00.002-04:00

Ok, so I've been sitting here at my computer for the past few hours attempting to write my research paper. I'm out of practice, that's for sure! It's only a 5 page paper, but it is taking me forever! Not to mention, it's not exactly an easy topic to find information on. I chose to write on the the mental effects of woman who have had abortions. There's really not a lot out there.

On another note, I will be blessed with another addition to my already packed classroom. Now, I will have 16 boys and 9 girls. I have the largest class in the elementary. Oi.

My foreign student started to open up a bit in class yesterday! That was great to see. He even said a few things in his mother tongue and laughed at me when I tried to repeat him. :)

Haha...another thing happened yesterday that made me laugh. On of my girls gave me hug and said that she liked me most of the time. Then she said that sometimes I'm just fierce! LOL! I'll take that. ;)

I made THE cutest things today at the Stampin' Up party! I love going to those. We made a card and 4 candy bar wrapper things. I loved it!

Talk Straight .org

2008-09-07T13:46:00.001-04:00

Hey! Go check this out!

Convention Petition

The Conventions are here and the American people are still being robbed of a decent political dialogue.

Barack Obama has broken his promises to seek public financing. He has pandered on the issues, but never left his political ideology. He has continually lied attempting to skew the debate calling John McCain, “Bush’s third term.”

Below you can sign the petition to demand that the Democratic Nominee Talk Straight.

We’re randomly giving away 5 FREE shirts during the two Conventions. Take a look at the sidebar to see the new shirt. ConchTees.com has sponsored this project, so head over a get a shirt. They’ve lowered the price - just for us! Wear it around town and make a statement.

Bloggers who blog about this contest receive two entries.

Only one entry per person.

Return political donations that have been contributed illegally
Release any and all school records belonging to you or your wife
Publicly denounce past associates of or relating to William Ayers, Tony Rezko, and Jermiah Wright
Donate $300,000 to charity that you saved after receiving a sweetheart mortgage deal
Honor your previous commitment to hold townhalls with John McCain

Barack Obama, we the people of the United States, demand that you Talk Straight.

The Undersigned,

Your Name

2008-09-05T22:09:00.003-04:00

Well, school has been in session for two weeks now. It feels more like two months, though. This is going to be a year of testing for me and I know I can only succeed with Christ's strength. I still can't believe I have 24 students with 15 of them boys! Wow!

Normally, I do not remember my dreams, but the past few weeks I have had some doosies! The first one was about an old high school friend and how he was trying to kill me. Then, I had one where another friend called me up to comfort me during a trying time. Then, my sister was trying to steal people's blood to sell. She needed the money. The other night I dreamed I was at a convention and only recognized two faces. One of the two I recognized then held my hand.

I have no idea where those things are coming from!

I did finish up my teaching methods class. I still have my five page research paper to do for my ethics class, though. That's due next week.

I received a huge blessing last week by way of a donation! I don't know who it was, but the Lord does!

On Labor Day, I went to the park with a friend and her girls followed by my first visit to King's Dominion. I had a great time! I really liked the Dominator! I rode it twice.

These girls are so cute! We were on the observation deck of the Eiffle Tower thing at King's Dominion.

2008-08-17T21:18:00.002-04:00

Ok...so I haven't updated in a while. I'll get around to it...eventually. This week is going to be crazy. In-service starts tomorrow at 8:30 and goes until 4:00 and then I have to go to college orientation for the one tutorial class I'm taking. That starts at 6:00 and then my class will be after that. Not how I want to start my week.

I am almost finished with my classroom. I have a few finishing touches and 2 more sets of tests to collate. I think my final count is 23 students, including one of the administrator's kids. 14 boys and 9 girls. Even though I worked in my classroom all last week, I feel that I have barely scratched the surface of getting ready.

Lots of stuff has happened since I last posted, but that will have to wait for another time.

2008-08-01T18:46:00.002-04:00

Those preschoolers are a hoot! Yesterday, as we were walking down to the gym, T says, "Hey, I love you!" I told him I loved him, too. Then, as we were almost to the gym, he asked, "Why are you holding my hand? So you don't get lost?" LOL!!!! He's just hilarious!

Today, N is playing with K and he tells her as he is precariously hanging between two tables, "Hey girlfriend, look at me! Hey, you're supposed to say 'WOW!' when I do something cool." She was obviously not impressed with his balancing act. hehe!

Today was my last day in the preschool. It feels good. Dad and Nessa are supposed to come down here tomorrow, but they have yet to leave to MD.

2008-07-25T17:24:00.002-04:00

I am so exhausted! This week has been a blur. Monday happened to be very chaotic and I wasn't sure how the rest of the week was going to go. But, Tuesday was much better, as well as the rest of the week. I really enjoyed teaching the fourth graders. We had 18-20 every single day this week...with about 25 registered. Tonight is the closing program, but I am unable to attend since I have a college class to attend. This is the last one for the summer!

One of the best things about today was that one of my girls got saved!!! That's what it's all about. From what I heard, there were about 20 decisions about salvation this week and that's the highest number of decisions in at least 8 years. It's wonderful!

I know I haven't been posting regularly, but life tends to take over. :)

I may get to see some of my family this summer after all! My sister is moving to Maryland, about 2 hours from me! She's renting a U-Haul truck and dad's going to be driving it and then helping her move into her new apartment. I told them that I'd be willing to help if they could come and get me. I'd either get lost or my car would break down (if it's fixed by then, that is). Or I could see where the Metro line runs and take that. I so miss my family right now! But, with Nessa a bit closer, we could possibly get together every couple of months.

Well, I think I need to catch a catnap before class or may not survive tonight.

2008-07-15T17:06:00.002-04:00

I just finished reading an excellent book for my TM class entitled "Teaching to Change Lives" by Dr. Howard Hendricks. He laid out 7 laws or principles of the teacher:

Teacher- Stop growing today, stop teaching tomorrow
Education- How people learn determines how you teach
Activity- Maximum learning is always the result of maximum involvement
Communication- To truly impart information requires the building of bridges
Heart- Teaching that impacts is not head to hear, but heart to heart
Encouragement- Teaching tends to be most effective when the learner is properly motivated
Readiness- The teaching-learning process will be most effective when both the student and teacher are adequately prepared ( Hendricks, Howard. Teaching to Change Lives. Sisters, Oregon: Multnomah Publishers, 1987, p. 129.)

I've seen some areas in which I need to work on, that's for sure. Some of the most influential teachers in my life have been those who went the extra mile. I remember 4th grade because the teacher made it a point to make learning fun and hands-on. I remember a particular college instructor that came over to the dorm after school hours to look for me and give me suggestions on how to improve in a certain area. I've also had teachers who bored me to death. They did not have any variation in teaching technique and were so engrossed in what they were saying that they weren't listening. Some tend to "dump" information rather than teach it.

As a teacher, I want to reach my students not only academically, but spiritually. I know my parents have a hard time figuring out why I wanted to be a Christian school (since it's known that that specific field does not make a lot of money). I want to be able to be used of God to touch these children. I've have already been in the lives of at least 60 children. To me, the best result of teaching is seeing how the children that I have taught have grown up, what kind of adult they are going to be.

I stress to my students that they have two choices in EVERY thing they do: Do right or do wrong. It doesn't stop in the classroom, but extends into every area of life. I want to see them succeed as Christian, living a full life for the Lord.

2008-07-15T01:33:00.002-04:00

I can not believe summer is almost over! Right now, I'm taking my second set of summer classes and I double booked myself. This class is two weeks long and during the second week we have VBS. Now, I've never actually done a VBS (I've done NBT's) so I'm not too sure how it's going to go yet.

This afternoon, a friend called me and asked me to fill in in the pre-school. I only had 4 kids to watch, but boy, were they a hoot! They got the biggest kick by me pretending that the plastic chicken nuggets were hot and tossing them (the nuggets) about. Then, as one of the boys was describing the car he was holding (it was given the off-road muddy look) and I said that it needed washed. Another little boy piped up that it didn't since it wasn't really dirty. It was only pretend. lol!

Anyway... there's not much else going on that I'm going to blog about right now. Perhaps another time.

2008-06-29T16:14:00.003-04:00

So, I've been MIA for a while. I'm ok with that! I just got back from an amazing week at the Camp BIMI reunion. Most people think of it as a "camp" camp, but it's not really like that. A friend of mine described it as a super-charged missions conference with class sessions in the morning and services in the evening. I really enjoyed the devotions we had each night after the service. The guys and gals separated and had a time of open forum. I like hearing how the missionary wives dealt with the day to day life on the field.

The sessions were great, too. We had 15 in total. This year I was able to attend the Camp III sessions. Some of the topics covered were issues in missions, deputation disasters, calamities of a candidate, the family unit, commitment, organization, and spiritual dryness. These sessions are taught by missionaries and directors. They know their stuff. One of the sessions that really touched me was the about commitment. I live in a generation that has commitment issues. We are noncommittal about many things. God needs people who are willing to commit to the cause and not look back or leave when the going gets tough. Life is full of joy and sorrow. I liked the phrase that the best (not necessarily safest) place is being in the center of God's will. Many Christians have faced great trials, even lost their lives, living for the Lord. He gave them strength to endure. He allowed the trying of their faith so that they could grow. Bro. Baughman has a file full of names of those who have QUIT the mission field. There is a difference between those who give up and those who are unable to continue serving due to health issues.

Camp BIMI and its staff do not push that every camper is supposed to go off to the foreign field after attending. It simply gives you the knowledge of the reality of the missionary's life. As long as you are doing the will of God, the staff is excited for you. Their big project was formatting the current issue of the Encourager like a yearbook and listing those alumnus who are serving as laymen, students, missionaries, and full-time Christian service workers. It was wonderful to see so many people continuing in service.

I attended Camp BIMI for the first time 6 years ago just go get information. Then I went again the next year. What draws me back each time is the sincerity of each staff person and their heart for missions, here and abroad. One of the things I want to do is go on a SMART trip. I've been wanting to do that for 6 years now, actually. I want to experience it and see what the Lord has for me.

Right now, I love where the Lord has me serving. My classroom is my mission field. But, I'm still open to the call of missions if that is what the Lord has for me.

2008-06-05T21:24:00.002-04:00

Welcome to the world Annabelle! This beautiful little girl is the first child of my friends Jon and Sarah. She was was born at 1:37 am, 9lb 3oz, 21 inches long. It was a hard labor, so please keep Sarah in prayer. Jon had worked all day and then was up all night with Sarah.

Holy of Holies

2008-05-25T20:02:00.003-04:00

The Holy of Holies;
God's special place.
I can stand within
And seek His face.

In Your presence, Lord,
I see Your glory.
Your amazing love
Tells Your wondrous story.

This life of mine, dear Lord,
I lay it all down.
With Your care around me,
I'm safe and sound.

And then I remember
Amidst all my strife,
Jesus, mt Redeemer,
You gave Your life.

Jesus, let me see
You are always near.
There's nothing in my way;
I've no cause to fear.

In that Holy of Holies,
I stand before Your throne.
With my Lord, so sweet,
I know I'm not alone.

Written by Nicole S.

2008-05-25T02:28:00.002-04:00

istockphoto

This is how I feel at times. Family. Friends. Other areas of my life.

Don't get me wrong, I love the life the Lord has given me, but sometimes I don't feel like I belong anywhere. I don't feel the Lord wants me to leave my current position. He brought me here and I'll stay here until He moves me. I guess I just haven't found my niche yet. I love my Sunday school class, but I feel too old for it sometimes. I don't want to move up to the next class or any other class for that matter. I sort of thought about doing the Newcomers class, but I've been here nearly 2 years already. I don't know.

It seems now that most of my friends here are married and have children. I frequently get invited to go places with two families and I enjoy it. But, I feel sort of left out.

Sigh...such is life.

2008-05-25T02:07:00.004-04:00

(photo courtesy of Olive Garden)

Plus

(photo courtesy of thatangiegirl.wordpress.com)

Equals

(photo courtesy of learningresources.com)

I went to dinner with my roommates Friday night. I ordered the lasagna and received a charred portion. Delicious, huh? After sending it back (which we had to wait 10 minutes before our server even came back to check on us after bringing our meals), we had to wait another 15 minutes before I got my meal. We asked for the manager and he said he took care of it. I got my dinner for free! Of course, I asked that it be brought in a container so we could leave. My roommates didn't finish either of their meals and offered me theirs. The lasagna was great for lunch!

2008-05-20T18:20:00.001-04:00

It's only Tuesday, but it has been an interesting week. Last night I heard from a friend back in Indiana. She told me that she bringing her girls to visit me this summer. I'm so excited! My family doesn't even make plans to see me, but a someone I came to know through babysitting is going to be here! I'm not upset with my family since I already know how things are with them. I'd love for my family to come see me but I don't foresee it happening any time soon. Anyway, I haven't seen Cathy and her girls since April of 2007 when I attended preaching conference at Fairhaven.

Then today I found out that a friend of mine is expecting! It was shocking news, but I'm excited for her and her family. I was one of the select few whom she told.

My supervisor is a goober. Just because I didn't get him anything from Starbucks when I went on a coffee run for another friend who couldn't go out at the moment, he hid my double chocolaty chip frappuccino on me. Goober. If only he knew… and I'll leave it at that :)

Today was our awards chapel for the kids. One of my students received the Principal's Award for having the highest average in the upper elementary. Sweet! During our indoor recess, my kids made me a couple "Best Teacher/Greatest Teacher/Greatest Leadership" awards. Too cute!

Near the end of the day, a high school student knocked on my door and asked of one of my students. She was in the middle of taking a test. I thought it was odd, but I let her go and found out upon her return that they (as in other staff) were able to connect with her dad in Iraq and she was able to see and talk to him. The wonders of technology. It was so sweet. From what I hear, they are going to do that Friday night during graduation (my student's brother is a senior) and he's going to address the grads. That's so exciting!

Well, some of my summer plans are starting to take shape. At the end of June, I will be attending a reunion week of Camp BIMI in Tennessee. I'll be riding down with friend from here. We're already taking about some of the stores we want to stop at along the way. Anyone ever hear of Hamricks? Sounds like a great money saving store. Another thing that is taking shape is continuing my education. I was looking at some of the summer courses being offered and knowing that I need to have some credits for my recertification coming up in a couple of years, I signed up. I'm only taking two classes, but that will be enough for me. The Christian Ethics class looks interesting and Teaching Methods does as well. I'm going to try to get ahead on the reading already. Those are the only two things I know for sure that I am going to do so far. I have some things I want to do, but I don't yet.

Just another day

2008-05-15T23:54:00.002-04:00

Everyday I have to laugh at something my students have done or said. Recently, while talking about the bad weather and tornadoes, one of my girls was ordering lunch and in the process of asking for a large cereal, she said, "I want a large city." lol
On another day, my over-achiever, in all seriousness, answered a geometry question about a 90 degree angle as a "left angle." I could hardly contain myself!
So, today was no different. The other 4th grade teacher came to room near the end of the day to ask me what the tune was for the president song we sing. I had no clue. She mentioned Michael Finnigan and then one of my kids said she thought it was Skip to My Lou. I knew it wasn't the latter, so I googled the other one and then the tune came back to me. It was the tune of our president song. I went over to the other class to let her know she was right. Then, when I walk back into my room, more than half of my class had an ear to the wall! They started scurrying to seats, but I surprised them by laughing and having them get back over there. I wanted picture!

(Picture has been edited to shield the identity of my students)

2008-05-15T23:29:00.003-04:00

Everyday I have to laugh at something my students have done or said. Recently, while talking about the bad weather and tornadoes, one of my girls was ordering lunch and in the process of asking for a large cereal, she said, "I want a large city." lol
On another day, my over-achiever, in all seriousness, answered geometry question about a 90 degree angle as a "left angle." I could hardly contain myself!
So, today was no different. The other 4th grade teacher came to room near the end of the day to ask me what the tune was for the president song we sing. I had no clue. She mentioned Michael Finnigan and then one of my kids said she thought it was Skip to My Lou. I knew it wasn't the latter, so I googled the other one and then the tune came back to me. It was the tune of our president song. I went over to the other class to let her know she was right. Then, when I walk back into my room, more than half of my class had an ear to the wall! They started scurrying to seats, but I surprised them by laughing and having them get back over there. I wanted picture!

Tissue please!

2008-05-10T00:25:00.002-04:00

My allergies are horrible this spring! I can't ever remember them being this bad...well, maybe I can...but that was because of a houseful of cats...and my eyes nearly swelled shut. But this past week, I've had trouble breathing, I've been getting winded just going up the stairs, chest tightness, lots of coughing, scratchy throat, slightly hoarse voice...and I've used up quite a bit of tissues. I hate blowing my nose in front of people and I've had to do that ALL in front of my students. Bleh! Oh, and the sneezing fits have been just awful! I think the kids are counting to see how many I can do in a row.

Poor girl from the other fourth grade class was in the hospital with pneumonia. This stuff is not fun. I'm glad we only have three weeks left.

My kids are to funny. This morning, while ordering lunch, one of my girls asked if she could order a big city...opps...cereal (we were talking about the tornado that touched down last night and the cities it affected. Not too long ago, I had another student answer a geometry question for me. I couldn't help but laugh when she answered. I asked to name an angle that was on the board (right angle) and she said left angle. lol!

Anyway...I have a busy Saturday ahead of me. I've got to clean the college building, possibly attend a scrapbook workshop, and go to the Mother-Daughter Banquet. I wasn't going to attend the banquet, but someone just asked me Wednesday night. These banquets are odd when you have no family attending them. Makes me feel out of place.

Dioramas

2008-05-01T17:37:00.005-04:00

I assigned the last book report for the school year a few weeks ago and decided to have my students give their final report in the form of a diorama. They did a great job! I just wanted to share what these fourth graders did. :)

New Recipe

2008-04-26T13:32:00.002-04:00

Ok, so I was feeling a little adventurous for lunch so I concocted something that turned out well. I cubed and fried up some steak, cooked some elbow noodles, added cream of chicken soup (with milk), mixed it all together, added some colby-jack cheese and garlic salt and it was done. I usually stick to known meals, but used my mom's cream of mushroom with steak and noodles meal. I was never fond of the mushrooms, so I decided to use what I liked. Maybe I will get domesticated after all... :)

Time lengthens and pain fades

2008-04-23T11:44:00.001-04:00

I can not believe it has been 11 years already. April 23, 1997, my mom gave birth to triplets 3 months premature. Logan was 1 lb. 13 oz., Laura was 1 lb. 12 oz., and Lucas was 1 lb. 6 oz. They were so tiny. Their time in this world was short. Logan passed away at 10 days and Laura at 15 days. Lucas was our fighter. He fought for life until he was 2 months and 27 days...just 3 days shy of his original due date.
Now, I'm not recalling this just to have a sob story. The Lord worked in my life through this time of trial and heartache. I went from being the oldest of 3 kids to being the oldest of 6. I was already second mom in the house since my mom was the bread winner of the family and worked afternoons. With the birth of the triplets, I knew my responsibilities had grown. At that time, I figured all the things I wanted to do in life were to be set aside to help raise my siblings. I was only in eighth grade at the time. I can say I was the proud big sister.
It hurt me to see my family in such pain as the days went by. Mom was torn by thoughts that she had caused the premature birth because she didn't stay in bed when the doctor put her on bed rest. I had never seen my dad cry as much as he did. Nessa and AJ were still young.
My church family was so supportive during this time. People made us dinners and I know they were praying for us. My pastor and assistant paster officiated the funeral, which ended up being packed and another room had to be opened. So many folks were supportive.
I remember feeling like God was ignoring my pleas at first. I was so upset that He wouldn't allow the babies to live. I mean, they were innocent children they deserved to live. They had a family that loved them.
In July of that year, I attended Neighborhood Bible Time and the evangelist gave me good counsel. I was able to move forward in my walk with Christ and accept what He had done in my family's life. Every now and then I find myself wondering what the triplets would look like today, what their personalities would be like, and what I would be doing if they had lived. I do know that all things work together for good.

2008-04-20T23:52:00.002-04:00

Wow! What an interesting weekend. Friday after school I decided it was time to wash my car and touch up the paint job my dad did to it. Not too bad, but my finger is still stiff from using two spray cans. Then I figured I might as well water the flowers and vegetable garden while I had the hose out. I don't usually do anything with the landscaping or rabbit food, but my roommate who does was out of town for the weekend. Feeling rather good, I decided to mow the lawn, but gave up after doing the section by the road. Heavy gas mower, very uneven ground, too many rocks, and an asthma flare up.

Then on Saturday, I was asked to help make the favors for the Mother-Daughter Banquet. After 304 cards, my hands were quite colorful. Each card was handmade with stamps and such. I came up with some cute designs, but the little girl stamped cards that another lady was working on turned out so cute! Then I cleaned the college building. After that, I was recruited to help with the college banquet in the nursery. I was told it would be about 2 hours, but it was really a little over 3. I chose to watch the babies and we only had 4. There were 2 other nurseries, but the turnout for the use of the nursery was a lot smaller than expected.

At church today, I found out that our current administrator is accepting a pastorate position, starting next week. He's going to finish up the school year, though. While it's always hard to see good people leave a church, it's a blessing to see them leave to further the work of Christ. The church gave him a farewell fellowship after the evening service. The school will be looking for a new administrator now. Please pray for wisdom in that area.

Oh, another thing about today (btw, that was a mild interjection...this is stuff I'm teaching my 4th graders...stuff I didn't even learn!), we received A LOT of rain. Must have been because I washed my car. :)

2008-04-07T23:52:00.002-04:00

Two years in a row, a person has made a mistake that ends up costing me money...of which there isn't much. Last year, I told the person handling all the finance stuff at school that I wanted to be paid over 12 months (thinking ahead to the summer months and knowing that my loan payments won't wait for school to start). I went all school year thinking everything was set, because that was what I requested. Come the first payday of summer, I found out that what I had requested wasn't done. They paid me over 10 months. The Lord provided within days.

So, today, I'm outside at dismissal with my kids and another staff member wants to talk with me. He then tells me that the dental insurance coverage hasn't been taken out of my salary at all in the nearly 2 years I've been here. Uh oh. Now I have to pay back the church since they covered it. Then he asked me how I wanted to take care of it. Umm..well...I kinda live paycheck to paycheck as it is...so I don't know. He then offers me more work. I did have to point out to him that I teach, clean the college building, and work in the library already. I am willing to pull those extra hours this summer...just not right now.

I know God will provide and this doesn't come as a shock to Him. He answered a prayer request just this past Friday. Now, while my supervisor is trying to slowing introduce me to the supervisor position I already declined (he volunteered me for it next year...no way!), he asked me to proctor the interview test for a new student. I do get paid for it and it was for the amount I had just prayed for hours before he approached me. God owns the cattle on a thousand hills... :)

2008-04-02T21:37:00.000-04:00

Ever stop to think….and forget to start again? :D

I've been reading through Job lately and a verse that stuck out to me was

Job 37:14 Hearken unto this, O Job: stand still, and consider the wondrous works of God.

In this fast-paced, gottahaveitnow, eat great even late, have it your way world, it's hard to stand still. I know that I can think of many other things to do while I'm already doing many things. It's a never ending cycle of Restless Life Syndrome. I think that is was Satan is doing to us. He keeps us so busy thinking that we have to be doing something that we don't take the time to stop.

Stand still and consider. Stop and think. About what? The wondrous works of God. Job, a man that God said there was none like in the earth, perfect and upright, one that feared God and stayed from evil (paraphrased from Job 1:8), is told to stand still and consider the wondrous works of God.

Life is short and eternity is forever. Take time now to stop and consider His works.

Watering the enemy

2008-03-27T20:51:00.002-04:00

By MAC WYCKOFF

How many of you would try to save a friend knowing it might result in your own death?

Probably some of you would.

How many of you would try to save the life of an enemy knowing it might result in your own death?

Probably very few, if any, of you would take that risk.

Yet, that is exactly what Richard Rowland Kirkland did during the Battle of Fredericksburg. Both who he is and what he did are worth learning about.

Born in August 1843, he was the fifth son of Mary and John Kirkland. They lived in the rural community of Flat Rock in the Kershaw District, South Carolina.

A friend described him as a slender, but well-proportioned muscular man at 5'8", who weighed about 150 pounds. His photograph reveals a handsome young man with a mustache.

A good marksman, Kirkland excelled in riding a horse. His war letters reflect a religious young man of moderate education typical of the thousands of young men who went to war in 1861.

Despite his youth, Kirkland was eager to fight for his country. He enlisted before his older brothers and friends in Company E, 2nd South Carolina. After a year of service as a private, he switched to Company G to be with his friends and was soon promoted to sergeant.

By December of 1862, Kirkland had become a combat veteran, having seen action at 1st Manassas, Savage Station, Maryland Heights and Antietam. He had also witnessed the death of several of his best friends.

During the Battle of Fredericksburg on Dec. 13, 1862, Kirkland's unit formed behind the Stone Wall at the base of Marye's Heights and helped slaughter the Union attackers. After a day of severe fighting, the scene shifted from severe fighting to tremendous suffering.

After dark on the 13th, doctors and soldiers began caring for the injured. The walking wounded made their way to the rear while those with disabling wounds remained on the field.

Daylight on the 14th revealed a ghastly scene to the Confederates behind the Stone Wall. About 8,000 Union soldiers had been shot in front of the wall and many of them remained where they had fallen. As hours went by without food, water or medical treatment, their suffering increased.

Nearby soldiers from both sides listened to the painful cries and pleas for help. While the suffering emotionally moved many, none dared face almost certain death to provide help.

At some point in the day, Kirkland could no longer bear listening to the pleas, so he walked over to the home of Martha Stevens. He went upstairs and told General Joseph Kershaw, his brigade commander, that he would like to try and help the wounded Union soldiers.

The surprised general at first refused the request, but he later relented.

Kirkland gathered all the canteens he could carry and filled them at the near by water well. Then, at extreme risk to himself, he ventured out to help the Federal soldiers. He carried water and warm clothing to the suffering Federal soldiers.

Kershaw anxiously watched Kirkland for hours on his errand of mercy, Christ-like mercy.

Kirkland went on to fight at Chancellorsville and Gettysburg. On Sept. 20, 1863, during the Battle of Chickamauga, Kirkland and two buddies got out in front as they charged up Snodgrass Hill.

Realizing their predicament, they turned to rejoin their unit. Kirkland lingered for a fatal moment to fire one more shot and was mortally wounded. His final words were, "Tell my pa, I died right."

His body was returned home for burial. Years later, a friend visited his grave and described the location as "one of the most sequestered, unfrequented, and inaccessible spots I ever saw."

In 1909, his remains were moved to Quaker Cemetery in Camden just a few paces from the grave of Gen. Kershaw.

In 1965, the magnificent statue sculpted by the famous artist Felix DeWeldon was unveiled in front of the Stone Wall in Fredericksburg where he had performed his humanitarian acts.

At a time we sorely need heroes, this young Southern boy set an admirable example of concern for his fellow human beings and extreme courage.
_____________________________________________________

During chapel on Tuesday, my supervisor told us about his visit to some of the places in our town and how he came upon the statue of Richard Kirkland. He then told us the story behind the statue.

Kirkland is such an example to glean from. All that he did was for the enemy. Christians ought to be taking the Living water out the enemy as well, even under enemy fire. I'm talking to myself here. There have been times where I could have shared the Gospel, but let that human pride get in the way.

Matt. 5:44 But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;

I know that I have failed in that area more than one. This man's bravery is a challenge to my life. Is he a challenge to yours?

2008-03-24T22:42:00.003-04:00

Well, I had a wonderful, relaxing weekend! Did a little shopping, spring cleaning, and visiting with friends. It was great. I went out shopping today after donating a couple boxes of stuff to the Goodwill. I was thrilled to find a new winter jacket for $9 (originally $75). As I was on the hunt for cheap Easter candy to restock my candy basket at school for my students, I came across these ducks resting in the Target parking lot (pun not intended!). I thought it was pretty interesting.