Weekend Count Down

As much as i tell myself i could use a good drink, i will not be doing that this weekend.

I get to hang with my family and paint with a friend, I'm looking forward to getting out of town!


Life sometimes sucks....we all just need to take a deep breath and remember change is good ....we don't need to be stuck in things that are constant and without change, how boring right?


breathe---breathe---breathe

Joseph: chapter 1 Reflection

I just started reading a book called Cast of Characters, common People in the Hands of an Uncommon God, by Max Lucado. I attempt to do this so I can start putting things first in my life that are import and right now that needs to be devotion, feeling a connection to God that has been missing for some time.

Chapter One: Joseph
Josheph had times when he could have questioned God, but we dont see it in scripture...we see his obediance.

Describe a time when you were caught between what God says and what seemed to make sense.

Right now it seems like everyday or at least every Sunday. I don’t always like going to church even though it is literally right out my front door. …it is my weekend and I would much rather sleep in or do nothing the whole day. (it is rare right now with basketball and wrestling going on) I think that everyday there is a conflict. I know that I shouldn’t listen to certain music on the radio, but I do. I do thing in life that I know aren’t pleasing to God. We all do.

What is the connection between our obedience and divine guidance? Why is it pointless to ask God for direction for your life if you are disobeying some command of Scripture?

I don’t think it is pointless to ask God for direction. I think that He already knows, but it is like anything in life when you ask for it, you realized that you need the help and that is why it is important to ask for it even though you might already be getting it. The first step is to acknowledge you have a problem.

What instances in your past have caused you to question why God did what he did?

Death is the biggest one. When people in the world die, when friends that I know die…I question why he chose to take that life or the lives of certain people.

What generally happens to your attitude when you question God’s handling of you life or circumstances? Is there a pattern you can discern?

My attitude? Hmmm I think when things happen like death I get closer to him, questioning leads to finding out more information, having a better understanding. I question when I’m confused in life, when I’m disconnected and that is how I get closer to God.

Hebrews 3:12
12Take care, brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart, leading you to fall away from(A) the living God. 13But(B) exhort one another every day, as long as it is called "today," that none of you may be hardened by(C) the deceitfulness of sin. 14For we have come to share in Christ,(D) if indeed we hold our original confidence firm to the end. 15As it is said,

(E) "Today, if you hear his voice,do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion."
16For(F) who were those who heard and yet rebelled? Was it not(G) all those who left Egypt led by Moses? 17And with whom was he provoked for forty years? Was it not with those who sinned,(H) whose bodies fell in the wilderness? 18And to whom did he swear that(I) they would not enter his rest, but to those who were disobedient? 19So we see that(J) they were unable to enter because of unbelief.

What advice is given in verse 13 to help us obey God together?

We should all continue to make a connection with Christ, have confidence in his love. We shouldn’t rebel. Right now I have a person that no matter what I say, just because I’m in leadership over her that she feels she needs to talk back (behind my back…I’m not deaf by any means) or to not follow directions just because I gave them. A senior going on to kindergarten….wow. I see hard times for her in the future. Rebelling leads to times not well spent.

Good O'l Times....John a long time ago!

Go ISU

Look how happy my chunky monkey looks.

Late Christmas Pictures

super baby (super small picture)

We are teaching John to smile with out the "smile cheese" being shouted at the top of his lungs!

Aunt Kristy put a hat on her she doesn't like pink either.

Christmas trip with aunt Kristy to Grandpa's house!

God Baby

Where did January Go?

Well the month of January has passed. One more month of coaching left and I find myself at home this afternoon, trying to sleep with no success. Recap the month!

New Years I spent at my sisters.
Started Back to work. The temperatues got super cold and we still had school!

Basketball games, Wrestling Meets.

Abigail got baptized and I made her a quilt with chunky monkey on it.

Jason got married this past weekend in Ames and moved to St. Louis this weekend.

Now it is Feb. More wrestling and basketball left. State Wrestling is on the way and that means 3 days of lesson plans I need to prepare for my absent.

I'm currently looking for jobs in central Iowa, updating....the my resume, cover letter, and finding openings where ever I can. While trying to find a place to live.

Busy Busy

Opal

My great grandmother passed away the other day. Her funeral is tomorrow. My sister and I are the only ones in my family that are going. My father doesn’t think we should go, he himself isn’t going. You have to understand my grandfather died in 2001. I haven’t seen or heard from her since. I thought she was in MO, but I wasn’t sure where, or what health she was in. She went a little nuts, zany, insane you might say. There is a whole long story behind it, but I’m not going to dig all of that up. I will say I haven’t seen her since I kicked her out of my grandmothers house, she was upsetting her and me by accusations and what not, I asked her to leave and I never saw her again.
For 18 she was in my life, I visited her often and often spent the afternoons at her house when I was a young child. Even then she was never a woman to have emotion, she hardly spoke to make conversation, and when words did come out it was just to be a cynic. To put it in simple terms she was a bitter old woman, who never showed affection or love towards anyone. What is funny for the longest time I was ignorant as a child, I thought It would be amazing if I could have the same red hair color until I was her age too, then one day my dreams were crushed and I found out she dyed her hair. Man I thought I was going to get some good genetics!
My dad asked me why I was going, I told him to pay my respects, what little I have. I’m honestly more curious to be honest how her daughters children are and what they look like, I use to see them at least once a year maybe more while growing up. I haven’t seen them since my grandfather’s funeral and even then I’m not sure how much I remember of them. That was 8 years ago.
You see my great grandmother was 94 years of age and she has out lived her husband by over 25 years at least and she has out lived both her son and her daughter by almost a decade. I believe the death of her last child led her to insanity, but as far as I know she never pled guilty to that. I’m not understanding why she would cut ties all of her sons family who took care of her for so long to go live with her daughters family that never came to visit unless they wanted something in return on their quick visit.
I felt bad for the woman who lived through so much and couldn’t find joy in it. She missed two of her granddaughters weddings, and the birth of to great great grandbabies…..and for what?
So tomorrow I will go, greet people I do not know, shed a tear for memories of pain and resentment.

What do you do ON New Years Eve?

So this is the first time in a long while I haven't spent New Year's Eve up in Okoboji, in reflection in holy comunion, with a bunch of fellow christians.

I didn't know what to do this year so I spent it watching my sisters children while she went to work and took her husband with her.

I spent the night changing diapers, feeding, burping, and putting two little ones to bed! After they were sleeping Nathan and I played a few rounds of bowling on the wii.

I hope that everyone had a merry christmas and a happy, Happy New year.


God Bless us all as we go though another year of our lives together on earth!

Home Sweet Home

So I find myself home tonight. They called school for early out last night....it is just now starting to rain. I will admit it was nice to be able to go down town and do errands before everything closed. We will see how tomorrow goes. I treated today like others, the last day of school before winter break!!!!

Enjoy the ice and snow. I'm still not sure I'm ready for winter, but here it is.

Not 100%

Well I'm not 100% but I hope to be back up to feeling better soon. currently I lay low and sleep when I get home. there is nothing like a nap at 5 at night.

This sucks!

I have been sick since Monday night. I showed up at dance team with a 103 degree temp on Tuesday morning...it sucks. My body feels like i got hit by a bus....and I can't swallow food....i just want to go to work.

gggrrrrrr tomorrow is day number 3 that i'm gone. did i mention that i hate missing work.

Thanksgiving= A Day of Thankfulness.

I have some mixed emotions about this thanksgiving day. There are a ton of things to be thanking God for everyday.
But all I can focus on is the fact that my grandmother got married in a church yesterday in CO and I found out today about it from my uncle on the phone. I’m thankful for the fact that she is happy and sad because she didn’t feel like she could tell us.
GGRRRRrrrrr

T eaching children
H ealth
A unt, being one
N othingness, ability to stay home and do nothing
K indness of others
F riends and family
U tube videos that bring a random smile
L ove of God!

Thank you for all the Birthday Wishes!

Abigail and me! Such a pretty little girl!

Jane Austen Quote of the Day!

Selfishness must always be forgiven you know, because there is no hope of a cure.
Jane Austen (1775-1817)

How funny is this quote, how true!

One more day until my birthday!

Thanksgiving with the family.

Weekend

James Bond Movie on a scale of 1-10 ten being the best I would give it a 8 1/2 maybe even a 9.

Abigail is growing, she is now on a bottle!

Regina got married and I hung out with lots of new and old friends!


Last free weekend out of town in a while! Kind of Sad.

head pounding day

when i say head pounding day that means...the worst school day to date......i wanted to pound my head into a door.....


grrrr


Friday tomorrow!

Happy Veteran's Day

Thank you to all those who have served our nation in the armed forces and who serve it still today!

Thanks Dad!

Whoes Child Is This?

Whose Child Is This?
"Whose child is this?" I asked one day
Seeing a little one out at play
"Mine", said the parent with a tender smile
"Mine to keep a little while
To bathe his hands and comb his hair
To tell him what he is to wear
To prepare him that he may always be good
And each day do the things he should"
"Whose child is this?" I asked again
As the door opened and someone came in
"Mine", said the teacher with the same tender smile
"Mine, to keep just for a little while
To teach him how to be gentle and kind
To train and direct his dear little mind
To help him live by every rule
And get the best he can from school"
"Whose child is this?" I ask once more
Just as the little one entered the door
"Ours" said the parent and the teacher as they smiled
And each took the hand of the little child
"Ours to love and train together
Ours this blessed task forever."

http://www.basicdevotions.com/djoke.php?id=15

This is a little poem that I found online tonight, while I was messing around.
Whose child is this? As a teacher and not yet a parent, I look at children and call them my own. “my kids did this, my kids did that” I feel like I spend a lot of time with kids 8-4 on some days….that is a long time almost more than parents…how much of what I do molds their lives.

I like to know that I make a difference in the life of one person. I pray that the difference will then connect itself to someone else and continues on down the line.