Dioramas

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

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

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.

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. :)

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... :)

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

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?

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.

This has been an interesting week. This was one morning that I could sleep in and my eyes popped open at 8 am.

Monday morning, as I was talking with Sheila, Josh joins in. He then tells us about a mishap that happened to him Sunday night. He told us that he has changed into his basketball clothes (the guys play basketball after church) and that he had put his cell phone in his hoodie pocket. He used the restroom and when he flushed and turned around he heard a splash. He looked back just in time to see his cell phone go down the toilet! lol What a way to start the week!

Yesterday, my twin boy students walked into the classroom carrying a couple of things. One had some cupcakes and the other had some flowers. How sweet!

Since I didn't have vase, I had to use a water bottle that was still sitting on my desk. :)

I am going to enjoy having a couple days off. I got all of my grading caught up, entered the grades on the computer program we use, turned them in (end of the 3rd quarter), already finished next week's lesson plans, posted my homework on the web, and turned in honor roll names. And, I was even able to leave early and I was able to get my cleaning job done early as well. I like being able to get things done.

For Thursday

Col. 3:1-15

Seek to glorify God in your daily life

We are dead in Christ- taking God's experience and applying it to our life

Mortify your members- render them useless to those areas in v. 5

Wrath of God- judgment

The image of Christ is not one of a "softie" but one who is compassionate, wrathful and yet holy

Pointing at the Gnostics in v. 11

Humility is looking at Jesus and knowing who He is and then looking at ourselves and knowing what we really are

Charity is love in action

Let the peace of God happen

There's always a time to be thankful: every minute of every day

(photo courtesy of coolhunting.com)

Hmm...at first glance I thought this was some sort of nail dryer, but it's actually a piano! Only 14 have been made and it costs $110,000. I think I'd rather buy a house over that piano.

Timed Tuesday: 10 minutes

Ok, so the hardest thing to decide on is the topic. Writing itself doesn't seem to be the difficult part.

I think I am going to write about the Rock.

This week in Bible class, we are talking about making wise decisions and referenced back to Matt. 7 where Jesus compares the wise and foolish man. In chapel this morning, Bro. Perry used this same reference. In choir, we have been singing about Jesus being our rock.

A rock is something hard, solid, steady, sure, and an excellent foundation. It stands strong in the time difficulties. Sand, on the other hand, shifts, moves, and is easily blown about. When a person builds a house, a rock-like foundation is best to build upon. The house will remain years on down the road. If built on sand, the house will be leaning after a few years.

Our lives are like the house. If we build on the things of this world, we soon will be ruined. Money, possessions, beauty all shift easily like the sand. But, if you build your life on Jesus Christ, He is the same yesterday, today, and forever. He does not change and you will be able to weather the storms that may come.

Amusing Monday post: The Llama Song

When Bro. Ben came by on Wednesday to work on my car, he had his daughter Abbie with him. She kept humming this little tune and then told me to look it up on Youtube. So, I did.

Mawage…the Sky is Falling!

Mawage…the Sky is Falling!

Well, this proved to be a rather eventful week. ODACS went well and I was able to be present for my students when they had to compete. My judging duties were reasonable and not bad at all. I did miss our teachers' meeting though, because of some miscommunication. My supervisor razzed me all day because of it (my first time missing a meeting this school year). So, I razzed him back. :)

I wanted to enjoy my "recoup" day (we did not have school on Wednesday), but I had to get my car fixed. The radiator sprung a leak. Figures. Bro. Ben (my Sunday school teacher) came by to install a new one for me. I'm very thankful for that.

Thursday was…interesting. My girls had been planning a wedding for Duckellina and Wally (stuffed animals) for nearly a week. If you ever need a wedding planned in a hurry, ask my girls! Lol .They actually wanted it next week, but with the chance of rain, they moved it up to Thursday during recess. I couldn't help but laugh at the situation. One of the girls officiated the wedding and even had a little notebook to read from. She addressed the groom, and then the bride, but the bride seemed a bit gruff in her answers.

Officiator: Duckellina…

Bride: WHAT!

Officiator: Do you take Wally to be your wonderfully wedded husband:

Bride: Yeah, sure, whatever.

These kids are funny!

Another girl was rounding up the "ring barriers," told everyone it was time for the recital (reception), and someone else said braidsmaids. Whew!

The Impressive Clergyman: Mawage. Mawage is wot bwings us togeder tooday. Mawage, that bwessed awangment, that dweam wifin a dweam...

[cut to Westley, Inigo, and Fezzik]

The Impressive Clergyman: And wuv, tru wuv, will fowow you foweva...

[cut to the trio again]

The Impressive Clergyman: So tweasure your wuv.

Prince Humperdinck: Skip to the end.

The Impressive Clergyman: Have you the wing?

[cut to the trio once more]

The Impressive Clergyman: ...and do you,Pwincess Buwwercup...

Prince Humperdinck: Man and wife. Say man and wife.

The Impressive Clergyman: Man an' wife.

After the 2 1/2 minute wedding, reception, and honeymoon, I went to sit down and continued grading papers. The next thing I knew, WHAM! Something hit the back of my head. I was a little dazed, but realized I had been hit with a decent sized rock. After it ricocheted off of my head, it nearly hit one of my students. All of my kids were playing in front of me and there was no way that they could have done that from their direction. I got up and was the high school PE class on the soccer field. I spoke with the teacher, but none of those boys 'fessed up to what they had done. My head is still tender from that.

Well, now that I have brought up the Princess Bride and Chicken Little, I'm off to bed. :)

The Marks of a True Friend

The Marks of a True Friend
Proverbs 17:17
by Adrian Rogers

Did you know that the deepest need of the human heart is for intimacy? That's just another way of saying friendship. Now, I'm not talking about casual acquaintances or false friends, but true friends. Let me give you three marks of a true friend.

How To Know a True Friend

A true friend sharpens. He will make you a sharper person, a better person. Proverbs 27:17 says, "Iron sharpeneth iron; so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend." A true friendship will put an edge on your life. False friends dull your life, blunt your influence, and drag you down. Anybody who makes it easier for you to do wrong is not a true friend. One of the true tests of any friendship is asking yourself, "Am I a better person for having known this person?"

A true friend sticks. A true friend is steadfast. We read in Proverbs 17:17: "A friend loveth at all times, and a brother is born for adversity." If you want to see who your real friends are, just make a mistake and see whether or not they leave you.

Life is like a ship. Some people get on and off board very easily. Some will stay on board as long as everything is sailing smoothly; but let the rough weather come, and they will abandon the ship. A true friend is the one who will stick with you.

A true friend stabs. You say, "I don't want to be stabbed." Well, listen to Proverbs 27:6: "Faithful are the wounds of a friend, but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful." A friend who really loves you will wound you if it's necessary. That is, he will tell you the truth and won't give you hypocritical kisses when he needs to do a little spiritual surgery on you. Flattery is not true friendship. A true friend cares enough to confront. I'm so grateful that throughout my life I've had those who would put their arms around my shoulders and help me when I’ve done wrong.

How to Be a True Friend

True friends are built. You don’t make them overnight. Friendships are not toadstools; they are oak trees. Jesus said, "…Love one another, as I have loved you" (John 15:12). Now, that's the principle, but let me give you five secrets that come from it. If you will practice these, you will make you a great friend.

Accept. The Bible says in Ephesians 1:6 that God has "made us accepted in the beloved." We all want people to accept us. Jesus accepted the disciples. He said, "Ye have not chosen Me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you…" (John 15:16) Jesus did not accept the disciples because they were perfect but because they needed Him.

Acknowledge. Recognize people. Give them your full heart and attention. When you talk to people, listen to them also. Look them in the eye. Understand that people are important. They're a soul for whom Christ died. When we acknowledge others, we’re saying, "You're important to me. I acknowledge your presence and your importance."

Appreciate. I got an e-mail from my son recently. It brought tears to my eyes because he said, "Dad, I'm just so grateful for the heritage that I have. Thank you." I could live six months on that. It didn't take him but a few minutes to write that little message, but it meant so much to me. Folks, you're lying if you say you don't want to be appreciated. Tell your husband, your wife, your children, or your friends that they are appreciated.

Affirm. Appreciation is for what people do; affirmation is for who people are. The Lord Jesus affirmed His disciples over and over again. It doesn’t mean you approve of everything a person does when you affirm them. The Bible is full of affirmations, and yet it acknowledges the fact that we’re sinners and that we fail. But affirmation is important.

Assure. Assure them that you understand. We all want empathy. The apostle Paul said in Romans 12:15: "Rejoice with them that do rejoice, and weep with them that weep." Find a way to let people know that you're sensitive to what they’re up against, what they feel, what they're going through. Assure them that you’re there, and that, to your limited ability, you understand or you’re trying to understand what they’re going through.

True friendship is costly. It’s not easy to maintain a friendship. Remember John 15:13: "Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends." And Proverbs 17:17 says, "A friend loveth at all times, and a brother is born for adversity." You must be willing to pay the price. But finding a true friend and being one in return is one of the best investments you can ever make.

Saturday, April 30, 2005

As I was just dozing off last night, my phone startled me awake. It was my mom calling at 10:30 pm. She wanted to know how I was doing and if I had heard from my sister recently. I hadn't heard from my sister since last weekend. She doctor visit on Monday yielded no results...again. They want to keep her as a lab rat still. Mom told me that Nessa's phone had been stolen from the gym. What a bummer. That thing is usually glued to her ear.
Then, mom lat me know the real reason why she was calling me (well, not exactly in those words, though). My parents have been having a difficult time relationship wise. It grieves me greatly knowing that. My dad kicked my brother out of the house again and he stayed with my sister at her apartment for week (during his spring break) and then this last week he was at a friend's house so he could get to school. Mom told me that she is now staying with Nessa and will be looking for an apartment for herself and my brother.
Please pray that God will work a miracle in my family's relations. I know He can change their hearts.

I felt worse yesterday than I did on Tuesday, but now I am feeling pretty well. I'm thankful for that. I don't know why, but today feels like Friday instead of Thursday.

Well, the girls in my class had their first "big issue" today. I have one girl who puts on the martyr complex and says that no one likes her (and this is being said as she separates herself from the group). I noticed this yesterday during lunch. All of my students went to lunch and sat at the same table (we get three tables to sit at during lunch). Just as I finished up making a comment about that to another teacher, this girl gets up and moves two tables away, all by herself. I talked to her for a few minutes only to hear that "no one likes me" complaint. I reminded her of Prov. 18:24. She still chose to sit by herself.

Then, at the end of recess, she waited to be the last in line and lagged the whole way in. When we got to the classroom, I dismissed the boys to wait at the end of the hall (we were getting ready for choir) and spoke to the girls. Two were in tears by the end of the discussion. I told them to have a group hug (and one thought I was joking) and then dismissed them to head down to choir. The two with tear-streaked faces ran for the tissue box and then hugged again.

My aim as a teacher here is not just to teach the academics, but the Biblical principles to live a successful Christian life. I don't claim to be the perfect example, but these kids are my responsibility.

On a humorous note, during bathroom break, one of my boys was walking to get in line (incorrectly, I might add) and he walked right into the wall. I couldn't help but giggle. :)

I woke up this morning feeling pretty well, and then after chapel, I felt like I had been run over by a Mack Truck.


I think I may be getting the flu. :( I even had to send three kids home sick today and I had one not come to school. Well, I'll just tough it out. I've already finished my lesson plans for next week, so perhaps I'll be able to get a nap before church tomorrow.

Oh, it is also National Grammar Day today!

What a day!

Well, today has been very interesting. Saturdays are my only day to sleep in during the week and when I went to bed last night, I was determined to sleep in. The only thing is, my phone rang a little after nine (well, that was sleeping in since I get up at six the rest of the week). My friend Karyn calls me and asks if I can take her girls to a birthday party and to deliver the cake so she can go to see a doctor (ends up being an infection in her lymph nodes). I tell her I can. At this point, I still have to clean the college building. So I get up and and do that with a few minutes to spare to get ready. So, my car is loaded up with the beautiful Disney Princess cake that Karyn made, the gift, and the car seats for the girls (pre-school age). I'm given my directions and they seem fairly easy to follow. Now, mind you, I am not from this area and I don't venture out to unfamiliar territory. So, off we go. I make it to the exit I need, make a left and travel for miles down a beautiful country road that winds and bends, all at the posted 55mph. I enjoyed that. Then, it tees off and I make a right. Hmm. That was a stop sign, not a stoplight. That's not in my directions. Then I proceed several more miles and end up in Bowling Green. Oh boy. I turn around and back-track. Then, of all things, I run out of gas. As I'm coasting, I know that all the gas stations were at the freeway exit, which was still about 5 miles away. Then, as my slows, there is a small, old country store with old fashioned pumps. I was able to coast in , but didn't make it to the pump. A couple of guys helped me by pushing the car to the pump. I know that God was in that. :)

Well, we get back to the freeway and try for the next exit. That was 8 miles away. Well, we turned around headed back home. That was almost 2 hours of diving and we never reached our destination. Well, I brought the girls back to my house. The adventure did not end there. One of my roommates was home and had some craft stuff that the girls could. They had ate a popsicle outside. They played with the core ball thing and then all of a sudden, its out in the road. This ball went across 6 lanes of traffic without incident! Oh, we were laughing so hard. Then my roommates went to retrieve the ball. Then Karyn comes by and visits with us. She lets me know that the directions were wrong. I was supposed to turn right and then left. I had the right exit.

Oh, what a day! I'm exhausted.

All right. had to take a brief break from all the grading. I think I may end up staying the night in my classroom. I still have to do my lesson plans after I finish grading.
My students had a Virginia state history test today and I got some interesting answers from them. Did you know that Yellowstone National Park has been moved to Virginia? Or, that Jamestown and Richmond are located in Fredericksburg? Or, that beer is the state beverage? Oh, how about Frederick, Prince of Wales, being a famous native or resident of Fredericksburg? These kids crack me up! The class did very well on this test, ranging from C-A+. I'm proud of them. Monday they turn in their actual notebooks they have been putting together. This VA history section has been hard on me since I'm not a history buff and I'm not from Virginia. I don't even Michigan state history! There will be things that I am going to change for next year now that I have a better understanding of this notebook myself.

Please keep my family in prayer. There is much strife, discontentment, and illness. This is a heavy burden on my heart. I want the Lord to work in their lives. The past few years have really shown me how the Lord has protected and provided for me. Growing up, I had no idea how a Christian was supposed to be. My family life did not include God, church, or religion. It wasn't until college that I realized how bad it really was. It was easy to pretend to the world that everything was all right. I was people-pleaser, teacher's pet, go-getter type in elementary, middle, and high school. I didn't share much of anything about my home life kids then. I kind of thought my life was "normal." College was a shocker to my whole thinking process. I'm certainly glad the Lord didn't give up on me when I had a rebellious attitude.

Well, it's time for me to get back to work. These penmanship papers aren't going to grade themselves.

Happy Leap Year Day!

My students are completely befuddled that an regular year is really 365 1/4 days long, which, of course, results in an extra day every 4 years. We just went over that in science class. But, in math class, the are drilled that "1 year =365 days; 365 days = 1 year." I had a girl ask if they should be saying "1 year =365 1/4 days; 365 1/4 days = 1 year." I do have a class of thinkers. :)

My new student is doing well. Yes, he is a bit of a slow worker, but I think he's got the material down. Now I just have to work at speeding him up a bit.

Well, this is a very short update. I still have to finish getting ready. Have a wonderful day!

I'm getting a new student today. I've already been told he's a "slow and steady" worker. Oh boy. I already a few students who work slowly or not at all. The office had put this child in the other class, but my supervisor told them no and that he needs to be in my class. My supervisor told me that yesterday. He even said that if I think that he doesn't like me, it's just the opposite. He left my room with a goofy grin and saying he loves me (no, not in a romantic way...he was being a goober!).
I had to rearrange the seating in the classroom again. The groups just weren't working out. Too many "he's kicking me!" and such. I hope the new arrangement works better. My classroom is tiny and fitting all the desks and students can be tricky.
I had a meeting with the special ed. department of a local elementary school and one of my student's parents. It was interesting, but the way they seem to deal with students makes it sound like they have a zoo in there classroom. "Let the students get up and walk in the back of the classroom) was one suggestion. Small room...no can do. Plus, all the other sets of eyes would be on the person walking, not facing front. I do find one suggestion feasible, though. I asked one of my students who has it all together to be a "backpack buddy" to the other child. The task was gladly accepted.
Well, I've got to finish getting ready. Today is my long day.

Lunar Eclipse

This is just so incredible!

Super Bowl Sunday

How Football Is Relative To Church Quarterback Sneak - Church members quietly leaving during the closing hymn.

Draw Play - What many children do with the order of service during worship.

Half-time - The period between Sunday School and worship when many choose to leave.

Benchwarmer - Those who do not sing, pray, work, or apparently do anything but sit.

Backfield-in-Motion - Making a trip to the back (restroom or water fountain) during the service.

Staying in the Pocket - What happens to a lot of money that should be given to the Lord's work.

Two-minute Warning - The point at which you realize the sermon is almost over and begin to gather up your children and belongings.

Instant Replay - The preacher loses his notes and falls back on last week's illustrations.

Sudden Death - What happens to the attention span of the congregation if the preacher goes "overtime".

Trap - You're called on to pray and are asleep.

End Run - Getting out of church quick, without speaking to any guest or fellow member.

Flex Defense - The ability to allow absolutely nothing said during the sermon to affect your life.

Halfback Option - The decision of 50% of the congregation not to return for the evening service.

Blitz - The rush for the restaurants following the closing prayer.

It got better

Ok, so that last post was posted before church last night. Now, while the day started rough, it a rather pleasant ending. After the good Bible study we had, a friend brought me a cake that she made. I shared it with my class today during lunch. Then, after I spoke to a student's parents about ODACS, someone offered to take a look at my car door. After a few minutes of looking at it, this person figured out the problem, went and bought the parts needed, and fixed it! It figures that it was a trivial thing. The door paneling clips brought, causing the paneling to be loose. It got stuck on the door frame molding. And it got stuck pretty well. We had a good laugh at that. Then, I had an enjoyable time of fellowship with someone.
I even got a call from my family, which is always nice. So, all in all, it was a decent day. :)

Oi

That's what I have to say about today. Aren't birthdays supposed to be good days? Today hasn't been terrible, but it hasn't been the greatest, either. I got in my car and picked up breakfast before going to work. I go to get out of my car and the door won't open. I pushed and pushed to no avail. So, I climb across the passenger seat and then walk around the car to try pulling the door open. It was all in vain. The door WILL NOT OPEN! I don't like having car issues. I think something came loose on the inside mechanism. While eating my wonderful breakfast from Chick-fil-A, an unnoticed drop of the savory "special sauce" fell on my white shirt. Grr. Then, at teachers' meeting, the people who were to bring the snack forgot. That's usually my dinner on Wednesdays.

Wednesdays are my long days since I clean the college building and usually just stay until church.

I got some cute things from my kids today. One got me soem Bath and Body Works stuff, another made me a cute butteryfly and gave me a scrapbooking kit, and a few others gave me cards. My roommates both stopped by my room at different times to get the class singing.

I guess this is just a week for not-so-smooth days. Here's a link to another blog that I read who had a bad case of the Mondays. I enjoyed reading it!

Yes,

There is a reason for the previous posts. :)

Amazing Wartime Facts from WWII

Amazing Wartime Facts from WWII

1. The first German serviceman killed in the war was killed by the Japanese (China, 1937)
2. The first American serviceman killed was killed by the Russians (Finland 1940).
3. The highest ranking American killed was Lt. Gen. Lesley McNair, killed by the US Army Air Corps.
4. The youngest US serviceman was 12 year old Calvin Graham, USN. He was wounded in combat and given a Dishonorable Discharge for lying about his age. (His benefits were later restored by act of Congress).
5. At the time of Pearl Harbor, the top US Navy command was called CINCUS (pronounced “sink us”), the shoulder patch of the US Army’s 45th Infantry division was the Swastika, and Hitler’s private train was named "Amerika". All three were soon changed for PR purposes.
6. More US servicemen died in the Air Corps than the Marine Corps. While completing the required 30 missions, your chance of being killed was 71%. Not that bombers were helpless. A B-17 carried 4 tons of bombs and 1.5 tons of machine gun ammo. The US 8th Air Force shot down 6,098 fighter planes, 1 for every 12,700 shots fired.
7. Germany’s power grid was much more vulnerable than realized. One estimate is that if just 1% of the bombs dropped on German industry had instead been dropped on power plants, German industry would have collapsed.
8. Generally speaking, there was no such thing as an average fighter pilot. You were either an ace or a target. For instance, Japanese ace Hiroyoshi Nishizawa shot down over 80 planes. He died while a passenger on a cargo plane.
9. It was a common practice on fighter planes to load every 5th found with a tracer round to aid in aiming. That was a mistake. The tracers had different ballistics so (at long range) if your tracers were hitting the target, 80% of your rounds were missing. Worse yet, the tracers instantly told your enemy he was under fire and from which direction. Worst of all was the practice of loading a string of tracers at the end of the belt to tell you that you were out of ammo. That was definitely not something you wanted to tell the enemy. Units that stopped using tracers saw their success rate nearly double and their loss rate go down.
10. When allied armies reached the Rhine, the first thing men did was pee in it. This was pretty universal from the lowest private to Winston Churchill (who made a big show of it) and Gen. Patton (who had himself photographed in the act).
11. German Me-264 bombers were capable of bombing New York City but it wasn’t worth the effort.
12. A number of air crewmen died of farts. (Ascending to 20,000 ft. in an un-pressurized aircraft causes intestinal gas to expand 300%!)
13. The Russians destroyed over 500 German aircraft by ramming them in midair (they also sometimes cleared minefields by marching over them). "It takes a brave man not to be a hero in the Red Army". Joseph Stalin
14. The US Army had more ships than the US Navy.
15. The German Air Force had 22 infantry divisions, 2 armor divisions, and 11 paratroop divisions. None of them were capable of airborne operations. The German Army had paratroops who WERE capable of airborne operations.
16. When the US Army landed in North Africa, among the equipment brought ashore were 3 complete Coca Cola bottling plants.
17. Among the first "Germans" captured at Normandy were several Koreans. They had been forced to fight for the Japanese Army until they were captured by the Russians and forced to fight for the Russian Army until they were captured by the Germans and forced to fight for the German Army until they were capture by the US Army.
18. The Graf Spee never sank. The scuttling attempt failed and the ship was bought by the British. On board was Germany’s newest radar system.
19. One of Japan’s methods of destroying tanks was to bury a very large artillery shell with only the nose exposed. When a tank came near the enough a soldier would whack the shell with a hammer. "Lack of weapons is no excuse for defeat." – Lt. Gen. Mataguchi
20. Following a massive naval bombardment, 35,000 US and Canadian troops stormed ashore at Kiska. 21 troops were killed in the fire-fight. It would have been worse if there had been Japanese on the island.
21. The MISS ME was an unarmed Piper Cub. While spotting for US artillery her pilot saw a similar German plane doing the same thing. He dove on the German plane and he and his co-pilot fired their pistols damaging the German plane enough that it had to make a forced landing. Whereupon they landed and took the Germans prisoner. It is unknown where they put them since the MISS ME only had two seats.
22. Most members of the Waffen SS were not German.
23. The only nation that Germany declared was on was the USA.
24. During the Japanese attack on Hong Kong, British officers objected to Canadian infantrymen taking up positions in the officer’s mess. No enlisted men allowed!
25. Nuclear physicist Niels Bohr was rescued in the nick of time from German occupied Denmark. While Danish resistance fighters provided covering fire he ran out the back door of his home stopping momentarily to grab a beer bottle full of precious “heavy water”. He finally reached England still clutching the bottle, which contained beer. Perhaps some German drank the heavy water…

25 grammar mistakes

The Grammar Hammer Handout
Grammar’s Top 25 Misses (From Most Serious to Least)
(excerpted from Douglas Cazort’s Under the Grammar Hammer, pp 19-24)

1. Wrong Tense or Verb Form (Past, Present, Future)
Incorrect: When William the Conqueror invaded England in 1066, he done the English
language a big favor.
Correct: When William the Conqueror invaded England in 1066, he did the English
language a big favor.

2. Fused or Run-on Sentence
Incorrect: Over 75 percent of mistakes in English cannot be committed in speech they can
only be made in writing.
Correct: Over 75 percent of mistakes in English cannot be committed in speech. They can
only be made in writing.

3. Sentence Fragment
Incorrect: With 500,000 words, the English vocabulary is larger than that of any other
language. Partly because 80 percent of English words come from foreign sources.
Correct: With 500,000 words, the English vocabulary is larger than that of any other
language, partly because 80 percent of English words come from foreign sources.

4. Lack of Agreement Between Subject and Verb (In number)
Incorrect: An important function of managers are delegating responsibility.
Correct: An important function of managers is delegating responsibility.

5. Wrong Word
Incorrect: Creative people believe their creative.
Correct: Creative people believe they’re creative.

6. Missing Comma(s) with a Nonrestrictive Element
Incorrect: Roger von Oech’s A Whack on the Side of the Head expanded and revised for the
1990’s is an excellent guide to a more creative life.
Correct: Roger von Oech’s A Whack on the Side of the Head, expanded and revised for the
1990’s, is an excellent guide to a more creative life.

7. Unnecessary Shift in Tense
Incorrect: The first English dictionary was published in 1604 and written by Robert
Cawdray, who says he produced it for “ladies…and other unskillful persons.”
Correct: The first English dictionary was published in 1604 and written by Robert
Cawdray, who said he produced it for “ladies…and other unskillful persons.”

8. Missing Commas in a Series
Incorrect: George Burns defines happiness as having a large loving caring close-knit family
in another city.
Correct: George Burns defines happiness as having a large, loving, caring, close-knit family
in another city.

9. Missing or Misplaced Possessive Apostrophe
Incorrect: Parkinsons law states that a job expands to fill allotted time.
Correct: Parkinson’s law states that a job expands to fill allotted time.

10. Unnecessary Comma(s) with a Restrictive Element
Incorrect: Linguistic research has found, that New Yorkers communicate social class
through their pronunciation of the letter r.
Correct: Linguistic research has found that New Yorkers communicate social class through
their pronunciation of the letter r.

11. Confusion of Its and It’s
Incorrect: “If it sells, its creative,” they say in advertising.
Correct: “If it sells, it’s creative,” they say in advertising.

12. Dangling or Misplaced Modifier
Incorrect: Popping, sparking, and blowing fuses, the CEO, stood helplessly watching at the
podium while the new audio-visual system self-destructed.
Correct: Popping, sparking, and blowing fuses, the new audio-visual system self-destructed
while the CEO, stood helplessly watching at the podium.

13. Lack of Agreement Between Pronoun and Antecedent
Incorrect: A “Type-A” person will hurry themselves to death.
Correct: “Type-A” people will hurry themselves to death.

14. Wrong or Missing Preposition
Incorrect: We need to invent a language in which politicians would be incapable from
lying.
Correct: We need to invent a language in which politicians would be incapable of lying.

15. Vague Pronoun Reference
Incorrect: Some managers focus only on short-term profit, which can lower the quality of
the product or service.
Correct: Some managers focus only on short-term profit, a practice that can lower the
quality of the product or service.

16. Unnecessary Shift in Pronoun
Incorrect: If one wants to become an international airline pilot, they have to learn English.
Correct: If you want to become an international airline pilot, you have to learn English.

17. Comma Splice
Incorrect: Professor Adams Sherman Hill of Harvard was obsessed with mistakes in
spelling and grammar, he passed his obsession on to generations of English teachers and the
American public.
Correct: Professor Adams Sherman Hill of Harvard was obsessed with mistakes in spelling
and grammar, and he passed his obsession on to generations of English teachers and the
American public.

18. Wrong or missing Verb Ending
Incorrect: The healthy office worker park one mile from work and walk twenty minutes for
exercise.
Correct: The healthy office worker parks one mile from work and walks twenty minutes for
exercise..

19. Missing Commas in a Compound Sentence
Incorrect: Many Americans own a thesaurus yet these books of synonyms don’t exist for
some languages with small vocabularies.
Correct: Many Americans own a thesaurus, yet these books of synonyms don’t exist for
some languages with small vocabularies.

20. Missing Comma After an Introductory Element
Incorrect: While the dog ate the cat stayed away from the dish.
Correct: While the dog ate, the cat stayed away from the dish.

Five Uncommonly Serious Mistakes
(excerpted from Douglas Cazort’s Under the Grammar Hammer, pp. 25-27)
The following five mistakes are not among the most common, but they receive strong negative responses when committed. In other words, we don’t make these mistakes very often, but when we do, we cause strong negative reactions…. If you don’t make these mistakes, you needn’t worry. If you do, takes steps to correct them.

21. Objective case pronouns used as subjects
Incorrect: Her guru and her agreed that we are what we think.
Correct: Her guru and she agreed that we are what we think.

22. Double negatives
Incorrect: One hard lesson for many to learn is that worry won’t hardly change the future.
Correct: One hard lesson for many to learn is that worry will hardly change the future.

23. Failure to capitalize proper names
Incorrect: roger von oech, the president of creative think, has conducted workshops on
creativity for american express, proctor and gamble, and the Japanese management
association.
Correct: Roger von Oech, the president of Creative Think, has conducted workshops on
creativity for American Express, Apple Computer, Proctor and Gamble, and the Japanese
Management Association.

24. Faulty parallelism
Incorrect: A good manager requires the ability to lead, the capacity to learn, and delegating.
Correct: A good manager requires the ability to lead, the capacity to learn, and the
willingness to delegate.

25. Subjective-case pronouns used as objects
Incorrect: The senator’s use of double negatives surprised my students and I.
Correct: The senator’s use of double negatives surprised my students and me.

25 facts about WV

25 Unusual Facts about West Virginia. By Ben Crookshanks

1. West Virginia is the only state to be created from another state (Virginia...in 1863).

2. Berkley Springs, a resort town, has more massage therapists than lawyers.

3. Berkley Springs is the only place in the U.S. to boast: "George Washington bathed here."

4. W.V. has had the nation's lowest crime rate for the past 26 years.

5. During the Cold War, a sprawling 112,000 sq. ft. bomb shelter was built to shelter members of congress in the event of a nuclear attack. It's located beneath the famous Greenbrier Resort in White Sulphur Springs, WV.

6. White Sulphur Springs has the only private residence in the U.S. that is made out of coal.


7. The city of Bluefield, WV bills itself as "America's Air-Conditioned City." They back up their boast by serving free lemonade anytime the temperature reaches 90 degrees.


8. St. Andrews Methodist Church in Grafton was the site of the first Mother's Day celebration in 1908.

9. Two West Virginia men have built castles for their wives. Stephen Elkins built "Halliehurst" in 1890 for his wife Hallie Davis Elkins...the only woman in American history to be the daughter, the wife, and the mother of a U.S. senator.

10. In 1885, whiskey distiller Taylor Suite began building Berkley Castle for his new bride, Rosa Pelham, who was 31 years his junior. He died in 1908, a year before the project was finished. Rosa completed the castle but went on the squander her inheritance on extravagant living and wild parties and ended up losing the castle and living in a shack and raising chickens to make ends meet.

11. Philippi, WV was the site of the first land battle of the Civil War.

12. In 1921, West Virginia became the first state to have a sales tax. (Not all of our firsts are things to be proud of.)

13. The mother of Abraham Lincoln, Nancy Hanks, was born near Romney, WV.

14. The largest single shipment of matches...20 railroad cars full...was sent from Wheeling, WV to Memphis, TN in 1933.

15. In 1947, Chuck Yeager, a native of Hamlin, WV, became the first person to fly faster that the speed of sound.

16. The Old Stone Church, in Lewisburg, was built in 1796 while George Washington was President and has been in continuous service ever since.

17. At the end of the "Guilded Age" in the late 1890's, the town of Bramwell, WV had more millionaires per square mile than any other city in the U.S. Many of their mansions have been restored and can be visited by the public.

18. With an average altitude of 1,500 feet, WV is the highest state east of the Mississippi.

19. The first brick street in the world was laid in the city of Charleston in 1873.

20. The first concrete street in the world was laid in the town of Webster Springs, WV in 1903.

21. Indirect artillery fire (action against an unseen target) was used for the first time in military history at the Battle of Fayetteville on May 20, 1863 by a 19-year old Confederate, Sgt. Milton Humphreys. Virtually all modern artillery fire is now indirect fire.

22. James Rumsey of Shepardstown, WV invented the first steamboat. After he died suddenly in England, while raising funds for his project, his friend Robert Fulton took his plans and completed the work and is now credited with the invention of the first steamboat.

23. In 1956, Cecil Underwood (age 34) became the youngest governor in the U.S. In 1996, Underwood ran again and became the oldest governor in the U.S.

24. The hardwood flooring in the famous Waldorf-Astoria Hotel in New York was manufactured by the Meadow River Lumber Co. of Rainelle, WV.

25. West Virginia has the oddest shape of any state. This was because Union officials, during the Civil War, arranged all the pro-Union counties of Virginia into a state which then seceded from that Confederate state.

25 weirdest animals

Here are some interesting creatures!

Leafy seadragon

Sun Bear

Komondor Dog

Angora Rabbit

Red Panda

Sloth

Emperor Tamarin

White-faced Saki Monkey

Tapir

Hagfish

Star-nosed Mole

Proboscis Monkey

Pink Fairy Armadillo

Axolotl

Aye-aye

Alpaca

Tarsier

Dumbo Octopus

Frill-necked Lizard

Narwhal

Sucker-footed Bat

Pygmy Marmoset

Blobfish

Platypus

Shoebill

Yeti Crab

The 25 Funniest Analogies

I got this list from another site:

1. Her face was a perfect oval, like a circle that had its two sides gently compressed by a ThighMaster.

2. His thoughts tumbled in his head, making and breaking alliances like underpants in a dryer without Cling Free.

3. He spoke with the wisdom that can only come from experience, like a guy who went blind because he looked at a solar eclipse without one of those boxes with a pinhole in it and now goes around the country speaking at high schools about the dangers of looking at a solar eclipse without one of those boxes with a pinhole in it.

4. She grew on him like she was a colony of E. Coli, and he was room-temperature Canadian beef.

5. She had a deep, throaty, genuine laugh, like that sound a dog makes just before it throws up.

6. Her vocabulary was as bad as, like, whatever.

7. He was as tall as a six-foot, three-inch tree.

8. The revelation that his marriage of 30 years had disintegrated because of his wife’s infidelity came as a rude shock, like a surcharge at a formerly surcharge-free ATM machine.

9. The little boat gently drifted across the pond exactly the way a bowling ball wouldn’t.

10. McBride fell 12 stories, hitting the pavement like a Hefty bag filled with vegetable soup.

11. From the attic came an unearthly howl. The whole scene had an eerie, surreal quality, like when you’re on vacation in another city and Jeopardy comes on at 7:00 p.m. instead of 7:30.

12. Her hair glistened in the rain like a nose hair after a sneeze.

13. The hailstones leaped from the pavement, just like maggots when you fry them in hot grease.

14. Long separated by cruel fate, the star-crossed lovers raced across the grassy field toward each other like two freight trains, one having left Cleveland at 6:36 p.m. traveling at 55 mph, the other from Topeka at 4:19 p.m. at a speed of 35 mph.

15. They lived in a typical suburban neighborhood with picket fences that resembled Nancy Kerrigan’s teeth.

16. John and Mary had never met. They were like two hummingbirds who had also never met.

17. He fell for her like his heart was a mob informant, and she was the East River.

18. Even in his last years, Granddad had a mind like a steel trap, only one that had been left out so long it had rusted shut.

19. Shots rang out, as shots are wont to do.

20. The plan was simple, like my brother-in-law Phil. But unlike Phil, this plan just might work.

21. The young fighter had a hungry look, the kind you get from not eating for a while.

22. He was as lame as a duck. Not the metaphorical lame duck, either, but a real duck that was actually lame, maybe from stepping on a land mine or something.

23. The ballerina rose gracefully en Pointe and extended one slender leg behind her, like a dog at a fire hydrant.

24. It was an American tradition, like fathers chasing kids around with power tools.

25. He was deeply in love. When she spoke, he thought he heard bells, as if she were a garbage truck backing up.

Hahaha! Gotta love the little things in life. I collected last night's homework with a new system for this semester and as I was checking each folder, I received this note. I got a kick out of it. Can you believe a 4th grader wrote it? This kid is really sharp.

Wir haben schnee! It finally looks like winter around here! Too bad it didn't come early enough to have a "schnee tag" or snow day. I started out with 11 of my 14 students and by dismissal, I only had 6 left! I've got to say, as much as I don't really like snow, I sure do miss it. This living in the South really messes my seasons up. I am used to seasons of construction, more construction, still construction, and winter (remember, I am from Michigan). The second semester is the longest haul, being five months long. I'd like to have a day off to just catch up. I'm practically going to live at school/church next week due to (of course) teaching, Missions Conference, and the college accreditation visit (I clean the college and have to have it looking extra nice for the visit). The college looks nice and all already, but I have to be there a little more. Oi.

Gute Nacht!

Oh, you may be wondering why I'm writing in German here and there. I did take a year of German in high (which seems so long ago now). Well, today during class, I taught my students how to say, "we have snow," in German. It was kind of funny listening to them later on in the day when they were trying to recall the phrase.

I've been dealing with someone of the Mormon belief. This person is for polygamy and says that the rapture is unbiblical (basing is on Rev. 21:1-2). I know both of these views are wrong, but I am having a hard time in stating my position clearly to the person. I know that marriage is one man and one woman. I also know that believer will be spared from the tribulation, not merely getting through it. Any suggestions? Thanks.

I was rummaging through a box of books donated to the library and came across Ron Clark's The Essential 55. It is a book on the basic manners a child should be taught. Well, according to him, it's rules and expectations. I didn't get to read the whole thing, but I flipped through a few pages. I agreed with much of what I read (I think I looked at 10-15 of the rules). One of the rules I liked was about children addressing adults with respect (yes, ma am/sir). These kids have gotten out of control with talking back and trying to barter. I see this nearly every day in my classroom, even from the students who are generally well-behaved. They think that arguing with me is going to change my mind. I just look at them and say, "What did I just say?" Or, I say,"Excuse me?" and they say, "yes, ma am," and look away or down. I'm not a parent, but I do spend countless hours with 14 children 5 days a week. I do what I can to train them, but ultimately, it is up to the parent.

Sorry...got off on a rabbit trail. The book itself seems interesting, nonetheless. The principles seem right.

Here's an update!

All right, time for an update.

For Christmas, I was able to go to MI and spend time with my family. I helped out at my parents' new home peeling 3 layers of really old wallpaper off the walls. I think I worked on that for at least 8 or 9 hours in 2 days. We did get it finished.

Christmas was very nice. My students and family spoiled me. :)

I think the only thing I did not enjoy was when I had to go in to the ER. My asthma was acting up real bad and, well, I couldn't breathe. My inhaler and nebulizer just wouldn't help me. The only good thing about it is that when you can't breathe, there's not a long wait to be seen. :) I am doing better now.

School has been very busy. We just finished up the second nine weeks of school. My kids did a pretty good job on their tests. We started our state notebook this past week. I'm learning Virginia history as I go. I think it's kind of funny that I'm teaching the history of a state that I'm not from. Well, actually, I don't Michigan state history either. :s My goal is to try to stay a couple days ahead of my class as we do this.

Today was a teacher work day, meaning no school for the kids, but teachers had to be present. I got a lot of work done. I got an email yesterday saying that I needed to write a course description of each class that I teach and make it look like a college course book entry. I teach nearly every class to my students, so that took a little bit of time. Then I had to update my course objectives for the first semester. That wasn't a difficult, but it was time consuming. Most of us didn't know a thing about them in the first place, or what to do with them. Lesson plans for next week were done today as well.

The one daunting task I had was to change my bulletin board. I just don’t like changing them because they take so much work. This month's theme is to match our missions conference: Shine the Light. I had an idea in my head and the final product is better than I thought it'd be. Now, I'm not taking credit for all the work. One of my students was in the building today (her mom is one of the high school teachers) and she came to my room looking to do something. I had her vacuum and then, knowing what an artist she is, I asked her if she wanted to help me with my bulletin board. Of course she did! We first tried using my tracer projector, but we couldn't see it on paper. So, she free-handed the lighthouse and then colored it and cut it out. She did all this as I was doing my lesson plans. The board looks so cute! It's not 100% completed, but all I have left to do is add the words. All of my letters were at home.

I'm enjoying life and I no longer feel as if it is crashing in around me. I let myself get caught up in the cares of this world. I know my treasures are in Heaven, not on earth. Thank you to those who were praying for me or left me an encouraging word. Have a wonderful day!

Update coming! :)

Do you ever feel like the whole world is crashing in around you? Mine has been like that lately. Well, I guess it is more of the outside world. Personally, I have been doing all right. I suppose you could say I have learned how to deal with things and be content. I'm not saying that it is easy for me, but that the Lord has given me the grace to do so.

There is so much going on with my family. Last weekend I had received news of my grandma's poor health. I didn’t have the money to fly up to Michigan, but my roommate paid my way and worked on getting my class covered. The Lord was certainly in all the details. I even shared that with my class after I returned. The flight to Detroit was overbooked and then when they called for boarding, Detroit had a weight restriction. Everyone could not go on that flight. I just made it onto the shuttle and the plan before the cut-off. Praise the Lord!

I am thankful for the time I got to spend with Gram while I was there. She just passed tonight, around 9pm. I'm feeling kind of numb at the moment. People often say they are sorry. What can be said to that? Nothing, really. I know I will be getting a round of "sorry's" tomorrow at church.

An answer to another prayer is that of a car. I've been car-less since last January when my little Toyota quit on my birthday. My dad had sold "Hank the Tank" last Christmas when I asked him to since the car was not being reliable for me. While I was home, my dad showed me the new-to-me car he got me. It's a little Dodge Neon. I'm very thankful. Dad is driving me back to VA and then he will fly back to MI.

Good night.

My grandma is going to start acute hospice today at the hospital for the next 24-48 hours and then will be sent home. According to the symptoms she has, she may only have a couple of weeks left. This was hard news on the family.

She has been taken off antibiotics, had her feeding tube removed, and had the wound vac removed as well. She has a deep and long incicsion (18 inches or so) in her leg that most likely will not heal due to a very low protein level. My cousin will most likely be changing the wet-to-dry dressing every day when Grandma is home.

She is on morphine every two hours for the pain and therefore, she is sleeping most of the time.

Is it right or wrong?

Is it right or wrong?

I came across some more sermon notes, this time from my pastor in MI when I was there over the summer. The text was I Corinthians 8.

1 Corinthians 8
1Now as touching things offered unto idols, we know that we all have knowledge. Knowledge puffeth up, but charity edifieth.

2And if any man think that he knoweth any thing, he knoweth nothing yet as he ought to know.

3But if any man love God, the same is known of him.

4As concerning therefore the eating of those things that are offered in sacrifice unto idols, we know that an idol is nothing in the world, and that there is none other God but one.

5For though there be that are called gods, whether in heaven or in earth, (as there be gods many, and lords many,)

6But to us there is but one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we in him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we by him.

7Howbeit there is not in every man that knowledge: for some with conscience of the idol unto this hour eat it as a thing offered unto an idol; and their conscience being weak is defiled.

8But meat commendeth us not to God: for neither, if we eat, are we the better; neither, if we eat not, are we the worse.

9But take heed lest by any means this liberty of yours become a stumblingblock to them that are weak.

10For if any man see thee which hast knowledge sit at meat in the idol's temple, shall not the conscience of him which is weak be emboldened to eat those things which are offered to idols;

11And through thy knowledge shall the weak brother perish, for whom Christ died?

12But when ye sin so against the brethren, and wound their weak conscience, ye sin against Christ.

13Wherefore, if meat make my brother to offend, I will eat no flesh while the world standeth, lest I make my brother to offend.

I. Can you ask God to bless it?
(Proverbs 10:22 The blessing of the LORD, it maketh rich, and he addeth no sorrow with it.)

II. Can you thank Him for it?
(Colossians 3:17 And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.)

III. Is it to the glory of God?
(1 Corinthians 10:31 Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.)

IV. Is it of the world?
(1 John 2:15-16 Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.
For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.)

1. Is it a stumbling block to others?

2. Will it be a weight?
(Hebrews 12:1 Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,)

3. Is it to please God rather than man?

4. Do I realize the consequences?
(Galatians 6:7 Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.)

5. Is it expedient?/Does it edify?

6. Will is serve the right master?

7. Will His indwelling presence permit it?

I think that so many times people get stuck on the "thou shall" and "thou shall not" parts instead of simply pleasing the Lord. I know I've seen it in my life.

Reasons for restricted revival

Reasons for restricted revival

As I was reading my Bible one morning, I came a across some sermon notes I took when I was in college. The thought of "revival" is not necessarily for the church alone, but each Christian in their daily life. Revival means to bring back those life-giving qualities to someone (picture someone who has nearly drowned in a pool and are revived). It is very important that a Christian is alive as they serve the Lord.

2 Chronicles 7:14 (King James Version)If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.

Here are the main points that I have written down in my Bible:

1. Proud
2. Prayerless
3. Blind
4. Wicked

Instead of giving up our sins, we try to protect them. How much better it is to realize the fact that in the Christian's life, he is no more bound by the chains of sin! We are FREE!