Church was awesome today!

Church was great today. It is amazing when you can really feel that God is totally there in worship. Bro. Ken wrapped up the series on Fireproof, the movie, this week. God is so awesome. His love and mercy for us is unbelievable. I can't believe what He can really do in people's lives, but it is amazing to see when it is visible. I can't believe how much better my relationship with Matt is, with my kids, with God.

That was an incredible movie. Matt and I have never really been to the lawyer point, but we have felt like it. I don't know how our marriage would be now if we didn't have Jesus in the middle of it. It isn't always the most fun for me to think about what he needs at the moment...like I might want a back rub, but if he is tired or sick, or busy, then I wait. The selfish part of me wants what I want now. That is not how to have a good marriage. There is a better way. When God gets hold of your marriage, it can be awesome.

Good week

This has been a very full and good week. The girls are getting ready to go to district on Tuesday and then next weekend is totally full and crazy. It has been very trying at times with different issues, but God is so good. He has really given me a peace about how He is going to be with me through anything and everything. Hope you all have a wonderful weekend.

Not much to say

I am not sure why I haven't had the desire to blog lately. I think I feel like I am saying the same things over and over again. School, family, etc.

I have been in kind of a thinking mode lately. Thinking about my job, life, the stimulus package, our world, our new administration, my students stealing from me, who I am in Christ. I guess I am just taking things in and rolling them over and over.

I have made one discover. Exercise makes me feel really good. I knew that, but it takes me being really disciplined to see the fruits of it. I love exercising, but I have to make myself do it.

I realized that it stinks when you try so hard to connect with your students and to build them up and they steal from you. I have been tested with loving my enemy and can I really pray for those who persecute me. I talk big about my spirituality, but can I back it up with an inner peace? This has been in the front of my mind.

I am praying about the upcoming revival where Matt will be leading worship. It is wild to pray about God showing up and wondering what He will do. There are many friends of mine who are in missions in places that I can't even imagine. I think about what God is going to do there. He already is doing so much. It is tough learning about the evil that surrounds our cities and towns. It is much easier to go through life with a "me" mindset. It reminds me of a (I thought strange at the time) guy who told me not to be a Christian because I was cute and had good hair. I didn't really get that then, when I was 19, but I think at 37 I finally get what he was saying.

Don't stay in your comfort zone. Don't try to keep your Christianity wrapped up in a neat package. I thought he was so weird, but there is some definite truth to what he said.

I guess I am boring whomever reads this with my deep thought mood. I am sure you can click on another page or turn off the internet altogether if you want.

I am asking God where He wants to take me. What sacrifice and discomfort do I need to experience? Will I love my student who stole from me when I turned my back?

God is so good. He is so worthy of our praise. He is in control everyday and of everything. I need to believe that prayer works and that His word does not return void.

Take care,

Tithe Rap

Wow. This is one of the most amazing things I have ever seen. It makes me really proud to be Caucasian.

School's out...poor, sad, children

Well, I am at home today. I have almost never wished for anything so hard. I know it was a selfish wish/prayer. (I think I didn't think this was worthy of a prayer this morning when I was hoping for it.) It just meant that I wanted to be a slug today no matter what.

I strained my neck and my blurry eyes to see our small TV screen in our room to see if my district would be closed today. Finally right before 6 AM it came across the screen. Marshall County Schools......closed today. "Yee Haw!" is what went through my mind....and "thank you, Lord."

I love my job. I really do. There is just something about staying in your pj's and being a slug sometimes that is very enticing.

I can almost see the faces of my students. I know they were overjoyed when they got the news that we were out today.

Well, I hope you all are having a blessed week.

The days of our life....s

OK...that was a reference to Waiting for Guffman. Did anyone recognize it? If you did, comment and whomever (are you impressed with my correct English grammar usage?) guesses it will be mailed a happy. (Hint: it happened when the mom was talking about her son being in a movie.) It is very obscure, so you will have to be very strange to get it.

Speaking of strange. This is such a strange time of year because so many things are coming up. This is like hibernation time. It is cold, so no fun in the yard, etc.

Several workshops and conferences are coming up in February, April and March, but not yet. My choir is getting ready for contest in Feb. and March. We are waiting on all of our W2's to finish our taxes. Weird time of year. I guess in a way it is good because we run so hard and so fast at the end of each year until Christmas and then it is time to coast a little. I need to enjoy the coasting. I am getting a little antsy, because I am really wanting to go on some mission trips, etc. soon. I want to be doing more. I don't want to say that I am bored, but I just feel like there is more yet to come. I miss singing with Matt like we have in the past, and we get to do that soon at a revival in March. I have read about others who are waiting for their adopted children to come home to them and now I guess I have waiting sympathy. Oh...not on that scale of importance, but I am also waiting for next Sunday for the Super Bowl.

God is so good. His mercies are new every morning, so I am going to start focusing on what new He has to show me today and everyday.

For now, though, it is Sunday afternoon and I am on my way to put on my new fuzzy pajama pants that I got for Christmas. They are incredible. The are like wearing a blanket. I am going to sleep. Sleep for maybe 2 hours. Crazy, I know.

Mamaw, Mamaw, Mamaw

(These pictures are totally unrelated....I just like them.)

Wow. It is interesting how things work sometimes. God's timing is so perfect. We have the best example of a servant in front of us.

Mamaw, Matt's mom, retired January 2nd. She got a little time to visit with her sister and then I asked her to come and take the boys to the dentist today. I asked her to come because she has always had to work while my mom was already retired and loved getting (I guess she loved....she looked happy anyway. Hmmm....) to come and be with the kids at different times when we needed her. Mamaw always had to work. She worked really hard for so many years.

This past week her sweet daddy fell and broke his hip and has been in the hospital. Her mom isn't really able to do everything for him and gets tired easily, so Mamaw packed up and has gone there. I know she was really thankful to be able to be off to be able to help them, but I know she is tired. So giving. Please pray for them and for her taking care of them.

All of our elementary kids loaded up and went to our high school to watch a junior varsity game. They were so pumped. This gave me a little break from the norm. Monday we have off for Martin Luther King, Jr.'s b-day and then Tuesday we are watching the inauguration. Wednesday we will get back to real school.

Anyway, now for a random thought. It is cold....in my house. What is up with that? This is Mississippi. It is supposed to be one of the two coldest days this year. Tomorrow is the other one.

Another random comment: I wish my Bsafe filter didn't mess up Facebook. I have had fun seeing people I haven't seen in forever and talking with them. I can only do this if I uninstall the filter. Argg! I am going to have to figure out something different.

A serious comment: Focus on the Family has been great the past few days (like it is all the time...). I am processing the shows earlier this week that were about "Never Say Diet". I am in denial about my weight right now. Not really, I mean, I am enjoying doing Wii Fit when I have time to get on it. the eating issue is not even on the radar right now. It is so tough being disciplined enough to do it. This is true in many areas of my life. Discipline is tough. I am more of a comfort person. I guess that also means spoiled. Does it count if you know that is true? Maybe. Anyway, I am working on it (with God's help...that is the only way.)

Hope the rest of your weeks are great.