Thankful Monday

Yes, I know...usually these posts get saved for Thursdays, but I've been a slacker for weeks now and I know I need to write these things down before I forget them...or worse....neglect to thank the Giver of all good gifts.

1. I'm thankful for God's direction in my life. I feel like He's always revealing something new lately and I am thankful for a new awareness He's given me.

2. I am thankful for a godly husband. I take this for granted sometimes, but every now and then something happens to jerk me back to reality and lately there's been a lot of that going on. Thank you Lord.

3. My home. It's not a mansion but it's perfect for us. Roomy and comfy and peaceful. Being away from it everyday makes me thankful for it's coziness.

4. Supportive friends. This includes a multitude of people that have helped me make the adjustment back into the world outside of my front door. Working from home certainly spoiled me, but thanks to friends, supportive co-workers and an energetic family, the transition back to the classroom has been easier than expected.

5. My kids. They are like most....resilient. I'm amazed at how well they are doing in school and excited abut the new things they are learning.

6. My students. God has given me the perfect class. No...they aren't perfect kids...but they are the perfect kids to be with me this year. He knew exactly who needed me....and who I needed and I couldn't feel more peace about His arrangements! I see how so much of my past experiences with people have helped to equip me to deal with the challenges...and blessings of this class.

7. Motivation. Ugh....I feel it coming. It's that time of year when I start wanting things in my life to be more ordered. But I am thankful for this feeling of motivation.....more order equals more time.....equals more fun. I hate to even write this out loud....but...I am also feeling more motivated to be healthier....darn it....now the cat's out of the bag. Don't get too excited....I won't be blogging about it anytime soon.

8. Challenges. Even though they are extremely difficult and sometimes frustrating, I see how God uses them to strengthen me and help me become more dependent on Him. I love watching Him work out all the details and prove Himself time and time and time again.

9. FALL....it's my favoritest season of all.

10. God's Word. His love letter to me. His instruction manual for everyday. Thankful for it's sting, it's message and it's healing power in my life. So glad it is alive!!!

Now it's your turn....what are you thankful for today???

Weekend Plans

.....ahhhh......a weekend with nothing on the Saturday calendar!!!!!! Yippee.

Besides Mt. St. Laundry, I don't really have to do anything else. Kinda nice! So I'm thinking I'll be doing a little browsing on etsy, a little crocheting, maybe a little cooking and most of all spending some time my family. Be warned: If you pop in....you might find me still in my jammies....at least I'm hoping!

Happy weekend!

Truth

Someone spoke with me about my recent comment about making sure our children are being taught truth and not concepts or beliefs that do not match up with what we, as parents believe, or more importantly, what God's Word says.

Let me first say that I made a terrible mistake this year when I chose what I thought was the perfect self directed Bible curriculum for Savannah to do on her own. As I was making her lesson plans for the first half of the year, I got to the end....the appendix of the book, and notice 3 or 4 extra pages of text. Curiously I browsed over them and realized that the doctrine of salvation did not match up with what I believe God's Word teaches. I tore out the pages and threw them away. How could I have missed this!!!??? Thankfully God allowed me to see them before she had worked her way through. Would it have hurt her to read the material? Would she have been influenced? Would she have questioned what we are teaching her? I don't know. But it's my job to protect her and teach her the basics of God's Word so that one day, when she is old enough she will be able to defend her faith. I'm still working on the foundation, I can't afford to have bad information messing with her foundation.

I need to be more aware. I need to ask more questions. I need to be the safest place for discussions about church, God, the Bible and doctrine. I need to be prepared. I'm only fooling myself if I don't think there are any false teachers, doctrines and curriculum out there. I'm only fooling myself if I think I can blindly trust every person who is influencing my kids. In the sheltered life we lead here are the people that have a direct influence on my children each week:

4 Sunday School Teachers
6-8 Children's Church workers
6-8 Awana Leaders
2 School Teachers
1 Piano Teacher
3 Choir Teachers
------------------------
22 Adults a week, influence my children - on the low end

This doesn't include parents, grandparents, babysitters or anyone else that for whatever reason would influence them.

I'm not an alarmist....in fact, usually the opposite, but I am the parent...and it's my job to question, wonder, investigate, and double check to be sure I know what's going on.

It's my job...and privilege.

Just curious....how many adults influence your children? Leave a comment and let me know.

Notes to self....

1. If you are going to work with 4 year olds you must stock up on Vitamin C.

2. If your son gets silly gas at the dentist, it's likely that he will be mean the rest of the day.

3. Be nice. When people treat you like leftovers....be nice.

4. Hold stuff loosely...or not at all.

5. Do not do my kid's homework. Let's get real....the teacher can tell.....especially when my kid is 4!

6. When Savannah asks if she can "PLEASE" do the laundry.....let her....after you've sorted it.

7. Remember God's in charge of the plan....my job is to obey.

8. Make time to find out what my kids are learning/comprehending/hearing/understanding at school and church. Make sure it's truth.

9. Encourage my husband more.

10. Laugh ....as much as possible.

Fall Festival Fotos

About a week ago my kids decided they wanted to enter the art contest at the Hopkins County Fall Festival. So after looking at the categories, they decided to create mosaics using tiny pieces of construction paper. Savannah chose to do a sunrise and Tucker wanted to create a snowman. They both did a fabulous job (however I do believe there was way more glue on my kitchen table than on their paper!)

Tucker won Grand Champion in the under 10 paper craft division.

(He couldn't care less...he just thought it was cool to get a ribbon!)

Either way, I'm super proud of both of them. It's great for them to experience something on the creative side and whether it's grand champion or red ribbon it teaches them to try new things! They are already talking about what they can do for next year!...and Bruce is trying to get possession of the artwork for his office. 

I'm thinkin'

It's that time of year....my favorite time. Even though it's still in the 90's here in Texas....don't be dismayed...cooler temps might just arrive before the new year.

I am getting my fall groove on and tomorrow I'm thinkin' I may have to hop on over to Hobby Lobby (heaven on earth) and check out some fall decor for the home and porch. Since we abandoned our porch in mid July due to the high temps, I figure I owe it some special attention.

I'm thinking I might go all out...pumpkins, other gourds, wreath and scarecrows. Hmm...now I'm thinkin' I may need to see if I can get an advance on my next paycheck (LOL). My mom and stepdad are coming for Thanksgiving so I think I am going to embrace the holiday extra tight this year and make our home super cozy and special for everyone.

How 'bout you? Ready to trim your home for autumn? I'd love to hear your ideas.

Top 10 Lessons Learned During My First Week At Preschool

1. Never underestimate the power of a hug....given or received.

2. Before giving children glue....you really do have to tell them not to eat it!

3. Punctuality is not important to preschoolers....except when going to snacktime or recess.

4. There are times that "many hands" do not make "light work".

5. Nose picking appears to be an Olympic sport that most preschool students earned a gold medal in.

6. Some teachers NEED a diet coke before they start the day....I am one of those.

7. As a teacher you do not need to buy "back to school clothes" to wear during the first 2 weeks of school. Otherwise, you'll be wearing home the hand and footprints of each of your students.

8. Snack time is a sanity break...which should probably require a chocolate bar.

9. Before you teach the 3R's you have to teach kindness. Some kids don't know about it.

10. Hugs, I love you, stickers and smiley faces make most things better.

Remembering

It's 9/11.....do you remember where you were, what you were doing, how you felt?

I was at home, in the parsonage of our church in Beaumont, Texas,  in the room I had transformed into a schoolroom, while I was homeschooling four 9th grade boys. The school day had just begun and my phone rang. Bruce was on the other end. He had gone to the next town down the road to get a flat fixed. He asked me if the TV was on. I said no. He told me to turn it on. At first I was hesitant...I was schooling these boys....we really didn't have time to watch TV. But he wanted to know what was going on. I tuned in...and the rest is well...history. As the boys and I sat glued to the TV for most of the school day, I remember all to well the feelings or insecurity, sadness, fear and unbelief.

Bruce called the school in our small town and let them know if any of the students needed someone to talk with, that our church would be open for prayer after school. But before school dismissed people were already showing up at the church. The next day, the principal of the school gave students the opportunity to leave during the day and come to the church to pray. An unbelievable opportunity to share Christ now that I look back at it.

I remember the evening of 9/11....standing in a circle with over 100 people, holding hands and praying for our president, our military, our government officials and the families who suffered tragic loss. People who never when to church darkened the doors during those days following the attacks. In their despair and confusion over the world they hoped to find something more stable, substantial and steadfast. Thankful Jesus is always the answer to the world's problems.

What about you? What do you remember about 9/11?

Achoo.........

It's football season.....I wondered why my allergies were acting up this week....and then I remembered....I'm allergic to this season....not fall....but football. Really. Allergic.

The week started with beginning the preschool regime and I woke up Tuesday morning with a horrible sore throat. Great! Just in time for the first day of school. It didn't get much better throughout this week...but I did take some good medicine that put me out of my misery for a good portion of the day and night!

People that suffer from allergies can't always avoid all the things associated with the allergies. Pollen flows freely through the air, friends have cats and dogs, people wear perfume. So, you learn to deal with the sneezing, watery eyes and scratchy throat. Sometimes it's worth it...pretty flowers in the spring newborn kittens and puppies, your man's cologne and then again....sometimes it's not. Football season is much the same for me. I don't like watching the sport (or playing it FYI) but I do enjoy the camaraderie of a tailgate party, chips and dip on a wintry Saturday afternoon or Monday night... with friends huddled around the TV, the feel of fall in the air, the smell of burgers on the grill and other fine grillery (yes, I know this isn't a word).  So, even though I am allergic to football season, I tolerate it for the finer things...the friends, good fellowship, good food, cooler weather.... And even if I'm suffering from one of my attacks (whining about how stupid the sport is)....know that deep down inside, I'm pretty happy that we're all stopping all the busyness of life for a few hours and spending it together...even if you are screaming at the TV! It's worth it.

First Day of School 2010

We're off to a great start in school this year! Tucker is loving being with his friends again at preschool and Savannah is adjusting well to her new classroom too!

Here are a few shots from my preschool room

Hope your school year is off to a great start!

I Survived My First Day of Preschool!

We weighed, we measured, we photographed, we painted, we counted, we colored, we ran, we snacked, we I read, we prayed, we sang, we listened, we shared, we lined up, we worked puzzles....all in 3 hours!

It was an awesome day!

Thanks for the prayers!

It's Here

The first day of school.

The backpacks are ready.
After school snacks are packed.
Clothes are pressed and laid out.
Shoes and socks are set out.
School supplies are bagged.
Kids are excited.

And I am too. Excited to see what God has planned for this family this year. Excited to minister to my students. Excited to see how God uses them to teach me things. Excited to encourage my fellow teachers. Excited to pray for needs. Excited to share good news with parents. Excited to teach JESUS to little ones. Excited about new experiences. Excited about memory making.

And I am thankful too...

For the wisdom of seasoned teachers. For the support of my husband. For encouragement from others. For friends who are helping me this first week. For other friends who are praying. For a classroom of beautiful children and most of all for the absolute PEACE God has given me to take a step in this direction.

So as our Homeschool/Christian School experience begins....hang on....it's going to be a wild ride I am sure...but one that I am sure will be worth celebrating!

Amish White Bread

I did a little bread baking yesterday. The weather was just right for baking yeast bread. I also made 3 loaves of banana bread with the bananas left over from Savannah's birthday party (more on that later). Anyway...here's the recipe (from allrecipes.com) for the BEST EVER WHITE Sandwich bread. This recipe makes two loaves. It's so beautiful....and easy....and DELICIOUS! You must try it!

Ingredients

• 2 cups warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
• 2/3 cup white sugar
• 1 1/2 tablespoons active dry yeast
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 6 cups bread flour

Directions

1. In a large bowl, dissolve the sugar in warm water, and then stir in yeast. Allow to proof until yeast resembles a creamy foam.
2. Mix salt and oil into the yeast. Mix in flour one cup at a time. Knead dough on a lightly floured surface until smooth. Place in a well oiled bowl, and turn dough to coat. Cover with a damp cloth. Allow to rise until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour.
3. Punch dough down. Knead for a few minutes, and divide in half. Shape into loaves, and place into two well oiled 9x5 inch loaf pans. Allow to rise for 30 minutes, or until dough has risen 1 inch above pans.
4. Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 30 minutes.

Possibly Out of Control

What would you say if I told you I have my children's clothes for everyday next week neatly organized in their rooms so that our first week of going to school won't turn into "Week of the Unholy and Horrible Meltdowns"? Seriously today I took a step in a direction that is certainly unchartered in my home.

I've never claimed to keep a spotless home. On most days you'll find a trail of toys running from the living room to the bathroom, and for me, it's just fine. We clean up twice a day and for the most part the house stays relatively picked up. But, with school starting and teaching, and both my kids attending school with me, I'm feeling a bit of a need to get one step ahead of things. So, um maybe I took it a little too far!

While I am confessing things, I will go ahead and say that I have also completed the paperwork that needs to be returned for fundraising and box tops and Tucker's All About Me Bag and Savannah's lesson plans are written from now until Christmas...

....and the laundry is caught up.

See what I mean.....out of control...seriously!

Watching Him Do His Thing

I've had the opportunity to watch God do some amazing things lately. It's not that He doesn't do amazing things all the time...it's just that most of the time I'm not looking or aware to see that they are happening. I don't know about you, but my prayer is that I look for Him in the everyday. For me, it's easy to see God in a baby's smile, a rainbow or some beautiful landscape. But it's harder to see God in my ordinary life....you know...the one I live 90% of the time. Here are a few things God is going around me:

1. Softening hearts....I've watched several of my friends give full surrender to whatever God has for their lives. This includes missionary work, selling homes, leaving friends and more. It's awesome to watch their faith....in fact it sort of feeds mine too!

2. The faithfulness of Christians. I was thinking about surrender and suddenly remembered that many Christians serve faithfully each week in churches across America. What a blessing...and what an impact many are making on lives today!

3. In my job. Watching God give me just the right 4 year olds for my preschool class....and knowing without a doubt He has placed each one of them there for a reason. If that isn't watching God at work I don't know what is!

4. Listening to reports from missionary friends all over the world about what God is doing in other countries. It's AMAZING!

There's still so much to be done to share God's love throughout the world, but I am so very thankful for what God is doing around me. I'm thankful to be a part of some of it and blessed to witness more of it.

So what's God doing around you right now?

Signs You're Loved

Over the past few weeks I've had several reminders of how much I'm loved. Sometimes you just need to be reminded. I've needed it and although the expressions of love might be comical to you...I think you'll agree that we all have that need to be affirmed. Here goes:

1. I had a birthday. Between the 100 people of facebook, my family and a couple of special friends, this day was celebrated rather than dreaded. It's nice to be remembered.

2. The youth girls from church forked our yard. I so wish I had a picture of it! Some people might have been ticked off by this expression, but for me it was more a feeling of acceptance. I'm glad they felt like they could prank us...but this is NOT an invitation to do it again:)

3. Last weekend....another group (hmmm....wonder who it could be????) TP'd our yard....while this expression was not as welcomed as the first, I still know that the naughty girls  people who did this feel a sense of security and fun around us (at least they did....the security issue should be in question now....watch your back people:))

4. I've been missed. You know when you have a friend you haven't seen or when you just haven't had the chance to get together with a girlfriend for a while? That friendship is missed...it's not gone...just missed. Late night Whataburger runs, phone conversations and facebook messages let me know just because there isn't time to talk everyday...or sometimes every week, I'm missed. (FYI- I miss them too)

5. Savannah made me a picture that says "World's Greatest Mom"....I figure the feeling I got when she handed me that was a fraction of the emotion I might feel if Christ says "Well Done". I can hardly fathom that thought!

It's the little things. No one spent a lot of money or time or even energy (Ok, maybe 2 and 3 did). But it's that attitude or action of making someone else feel like they are important to your life. It's acknowledging special times, embracing for no reason,  saying words that might usually be reserved for special occasions, remembering things that make someone else happy....perhaps an autumn candle or something that they've mentioned once or twice in front of you. It's taking care of their kids...asking about them, praying for them. All these things let another person know they are important in the scheme of your life.

So, thanks friends. You've filled a special place in my life!