Let's see...only 8 1/2 more days left of work! I cannot wait for the summer. I am ready to make the hard decision..."Do I lay on my stomach or my back?"
Side note: Jake bought me an hour long masage and peticure for mother's day. Not bad...not bad at all.
Monday, May 11, 2009
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
Flowers fix everything
So a couple of days ago Jake and I have this HUGE blowout fight. The kind of fight that you wonder if you should call a lawyer. The results were one of us sleeping on the couch and no communication all night and into the morning. It was the kind of fight that made me so sick to my stomach I couldn't eat breakfast.
I go through the whole day mad and weepy. I can't focus on teaching and all I want to do is go to Jake's school and talk about it.
About 2:00 my co-worker comes in carrying a vase with tulips in it. A HUGE smile on her face (because she has heard the whole story many times throughout the day). Her exact words are "I hope these make you cry." My whole class is silent. Mrs. P is getting flowers? Make her cry? What can all this mean?
I read the card, I cry, all is forgiven. I can't even tell you why we were fighting. Jake is the hero I am his queen. Life is good.
Flowers make everything better.
I go through the whole day mad and weepy. I can't focus on teaching and all I want to do is go to Jake's school and talk about it.
About 2:00 my co-worker comes in carrying a vase with tulips in it. A HUGE smile on her face (because she has heard the whole story many times throughout the day). Her exact words are "I hope these make you cry." My whole class is silent. Mrs. P is getting flowers? Make her cry? What can all this mean?
I read the card, I cry, all is forgiven. I can't even tell you why we were fighting. Jake is the hero I am his queen. Life is good.
Flowers make everything better.
Friday, March 20, 2009
Vacation
What is it about a family vacation that makes you want to take another vacation to get rest from the first one? We just got back from Myrtle Beach. We spent five days there. Of the five days, four of them were rainy. I know, don't go to the beach in March. But hey...it's the only time we can afford to go to the beach.
As we were walking to Starbucks one day, it hit me. I drove 300 and some miles, paid a lot of money to get to this place. This place, Myrtle Beach, is just Pigeon Forge on the beach. I have all this at home! There was even a Dixie Stampede there! Dolly is everywhere! I don't think we will be heading back anytime soon.
Aside from the rain, we managed to have some fun. We drove to a little town called Mullins. In Mullins we toured the tobacco museum. (No, we did not get to sample anything. Jake was disappointed.) It was a neat little place. We were the only people there (big surprise). So the southern gentleman took us for a tour. He was so funny! He cracked jokes on Georgia the whole time. Made racist comments that I'm sure he thought weren't racist, and has a low opinion of people who smoke. (Umm...why are you in charge of this place again?) He did tell us something interesting about the barns. When we were in SC we kept seeing barns that had a covered porch style roof with no porch underneath. When I asked him about them, he said that "we take care of our women". What he meant was it provided shade all the way around. So when the sun moved, the women could move. Hmm...thanks, I think.
I am a lover of history. My favorite time is well..pretty much all of it. I really like the Civil War era so this was cool to get to see items dating back to pre-Civil War time. I had always read about the south and the cotton and the tobacco. I knew it was their "way of life". But to hear this man tell about it, it was not their "way of life" it was their life. Everything centered around those tiny little seeds sprouting, growing and producing. If they didn't, those people were dead. When it came time to harvest, EVERYONE was involved. Children as young as Abbie were expected to put in 12 to 14 hour shifts helping. Wow! Can we say work ethics being instilled? Once the harvest was over, everyone celebrated. It sounded like a hard way to live, but something about that spoke to me. How cool to see the fruits of your labor, to work side, by side with your neighbor. I didn't like the whole 12 to 14 hour part, but...
The man also said people would butcher a cow and pass the meat along to their neighbors. Then a couple of weeks later, when they would butcher a cow, they would send meat back. This was how they had fresh meat all year long. You worked with your neighbor. I don't even know all my neighbor's names. Wow, the sense of community and responsibility to each other must have been so strong. Makes you think.
We did manage to hit the beach to look for seashells. Jake and Abbie both found shark's teeth. (Where there are teeth, there is a mouth to go with it. Reason numero uno for not getting in the water) We found a lot of olive sea shells. I think we brought back enough to give one to each child in Emma and Abbie's class. Cheap gifts.
The last day we were there, the sun finally made an appearance. So we headed down to the beach. There were so many people laying out (including myself) and the temp was maybe 65 or 66. I never thought I'd be doing that. But we were desperate for some vitamin D! Needless to say, we all managed to get sunburned to the point of pain. What's a vacation to the beach without a little sunburned right?
Then we hit the putt-putt course. Jake managed to beat me by 2 strokes! I was winning at one point. Man, to beat him at putt-putt would've been awesome! He usually kills me. The best part was, he hit a hole-in-one on the seventh hole. He steps back and looks at me like, "well girl, you're done. Beat that." I took a deep breath, said a small prayer, and hit the ball. Yes, my friends, I too hit a hole-in-one! The look on Jake's face was priceless. Personally, I don't think I could do it again if I tried! :)
I think I need another week off to re coop from our vacation.
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
Sunsets
Okay so I must be sick - two posts in one day...wow!
I put a slideshow of sunsets at the bottom of my page. I love sunsets! I used to go and watch them everynight in Indiana (I usually wasn't awake for the sunrises. I'm sure they were just as beautiful.) Indiana has some of the most breath taking sunsets I've seen. (For those of you in Tennessee, that is when you can see the sun going down below the horizon. The horizon is the thing behind the mountains.)
I loved to go sit in front of the church and watch as God painted me a living picture. The colors were only what an artist could dream of. The way the light reflected off the clouds...the way it sometimes looked like gold. If I were rich, I would have a ceiling just like the casinos. I would have a sky painted across the top and have the colors change to show the sun rising and setting.
When I would forget God's faithfulness...God would paint me a sunset. He is faithful in the big things and in the small. Everyday He would meet me, everyday He would remember. Even if I wasn't there, He would give a sunset. I just know there is a room in Heaven where I can pop in a VCR tape and watch sunsets. Okay, maybe not, but it would be cool.
I put a slideshow of sunsets at the bottom of my page. I love sunsets! I used to go and watch them everynight in Indiana (I usually wasn't awake for the sunrises. I'm sure they were just as beautiful.) Indiana has some of the most breath taking sunsets I've seen. (For those of you in Tennessee, that is when you can see the sun going down below the horizon. The horizon is the thing behind the mountains.)
I loved to go sit in front of the church and watch as God painted me a living picture. The colors were only what an artist could dream of. The way the light reflected off the clouds...the way it sometimes looked like gold. If I were rich, I would have a ceiling just like the casinos. I would have a sky painted across the top and have the colors change to show the sun rising and setting.
When I would forget God's faithfulness...God would paint me a sunset. He is faithful in the big things and in the small. Everyday He would meet me, everyday He would remember. Even if I wasn't there, He would give a sunset. I just know there is a room in Heaven where I can pop in a VCR tape and watch sunsets. Okay, maybe not, but it would be cool.
Death to a rumor!
Whoo hoo! Two posts in one week. Is God coming back? Did the Cubs win something?
Hmmm...life in MASCOT is what you would imagine life to be right now. I am mad at the weather for giving the teasing 79 degree weather and then the next day 34! I am mad because when I look at the weather channel for Myrtle Beach (which is where I'll be in three days) there are no 7's or 8's in the front of the numbers. I want to start planting my garden, I want to wear shorts and t-shirts. I want to feel the warm sun on my arms and face. I want my biggest worry to be, "do I start tanning on my stomach or back?" In short, I want summer. Hmmm...summer. I can't wait!
Yes, I am a teacher. Yes, I get summer off. However, let's put an end to a nasty rumor floating around out there. I DO NOT get paid for the summer months. I may receive a check, but that is only because I have money taken out of my other checks and set aside so that I can get "paid" in the summer. I'm not disciplined enough to set aside the money myself. So, next time a teacher talks about the summer, know that A- they deserve it for putting up with everyone's precious child and B - they don't get paid.
Hmmm...life in MASCOT is what you would imagine life to be right now. I am mad at the weather for giving the teasing 79 degree weather and then the next day 34! I am mad because when I look at the weather channel for Myrtle Beach (which is where I'll be in three days) there are no 7's or 8's in the front of the numbers. I want to start planting my garden, I want to wear shorts and t-shirts. I want to feel the warm sun on my arms and face. I want my biggest worry to be, "do I start tanning on my stomach or back?" In short, I want summer. Hmmm...summer. I can't wait!
Yes, I am a teacher. Yes, I get summer off. However, let's put an end to a nasty rumor floating around out there. I DO NOT get paid for the summer months. I may receive a check, but that is only because I have money taken out of my other checks and set aside so that I can get "paid" in the summer. I'm not disciplined enough to set aside the money myself. So, next time a teacher talks about the summer, know that A- they deserve it for putting up with everyone's precious child and B - they don't get paid.
Monday, March 9, 2009
So I had the opportunity to share my "story" with my church family yesterday. Talk about the stomach doing flip flops! Thank goodness for the Holy Spirit and his ability to take over my mouth. (At least I hope He did!)
Sharing with my community has made me stop for a second and take a closer look at things. Looking back over my shoulder at the past seven years I just have to stop and remember to close my mouth. I ask myself, "what the crap?! Why is my Abba so good to me?" Here I am, this mess of a life, and He cares enough to work through all my inabilities to make good decisions. AND, He is allowing my mess to speak to others?! What good can come from this? How does good come from evil? Any kind of breathing human with normal brain waves would have to ask themselves, "what kind of a spiritual Deity would do such a thing?" I would be lying if I didn't admit I am excited to see how God is going to weave my story into the lives of others.
What is it about this God that makes me cling to Him so? Because He picks me up every time. He is there, faithfully, picking me up even before I know I need Him to! I don't always see Him, I don't always recognize His presence.
Hindsight is a beautiful thing isn't it? When I put down on paper everything He has done in my life, I have to laugh. None of it makes any sense. The timing of certain people in my life. The plans that I so meticulously put together, having them fall apart, only to have them come back together - looking completely different - but coming together nonetheless.
I laugh at the way I try to put my cars back in their "order" only to find that not only has God moved them, He's replaced some of them! There are times when I think things will never, ever get back to normal. Only to find out my "normal" is so far removed from the truth that I'm crazy for even wanting them to be "normal".
I giggle at the way God takes all my shit and makes it fertilizer. The way He knows how much I can take and for how long I can take it. The way that He breaks me down only to build me up stronger in Him. He knows when to take and when to give. How does that work?
I'm sitting here at my computer mulling, digging through my limited ability to think and all I've got is one word: love. (not the song...sorry Beatles fans.) No, I stand in awe that for some strange reason, my God loves me.
The God of the universe that spoke EVERYTHING into existence - cares about me and my life. Not just me, but all of humanity.
WHAT?!
Wow!
He created me, He formed me, He knit me together. He takes a special interest in me. Why? I have no earthly idea. And as I'm typing this I'm beginning to be okay with not knowing. I don't really need to know the why right now. Maybe later, when I'm ready for it.
Every day brings a new aspect of God. As I step out of my parent's faith and into my own, I'm blown away at the patience, love, acceptance, forgiveness...the list can go on forever...that I'm finding in my Abba! The more I dig and learn about God, the more I find I know nothing at all! I am no Bible scholar (obviously) I'm just me. And I'm at a place where I'm gonna let my Abba love me. And I'm gonna do my best to love Him back.
Am I gonna screw that up? Sure. Am I gonna let that stop me from trying?Absolutely not!
To sum up all this rambling:
Life for me right now is that fine line between reality and restoration. I know I have to live in the reality right now. But soon restoration will come and reality will only be a memory.
Sharing with my community has made me stop for a second and take a closer look at things. Looking back over my shoulder at the past seven years I just have to stop and remember to close my mouth. I ask myself, "what the crap?! Why is my Abba so good to me?" Here I am, this mess of a life, and He cares enough to work through all my inabilities to make good decisions. AND, He is allowing my mess to speak to others?! What good can come from this? How does good come from evil? Any kind of breathing human with normal brain waves would have to ask themselves, "what kind of a spiritual Deity would do such a thing?" I would be lying if I didn't admit I am excited to see how God is going to weave my story into the lives of others.
What is it about this God that makes me cling to Him so? Because He picks me up every time. He is there, faithfully, picking me up even before I know I need Him to! I don't always see Him, I don't always recognize His presence.
Hindsight is a beautiful thing isn't it? When I put down on paper everything He has done in my life, I have to laugh. None of it makes any sense. The timing of certain people in my life. The plans that I so meticulously put together, having them fall apart, only to have them come back together - looking completely different - but coming together nonetheless.
I laugh at the way I try to put my cars back in their "order" only to find that not only has God moved them, He's replaced some of them! There are times when I think things will never, ever get back to normal. Only to find out my "normal" is so far removed from the truth that I'm crazy for even wanting them to be "normal".
I giggle at the way God takes all my shit and makes it fertilizer. The way He knows how much I can take and for how long I can take it. The way that He breaks me down only to build me up stronger in Him. He knows when to take and when to give. How does that work?
I'm sitting here at my computer mulling, digging through my limited ability to think and all I've got is one word: love. (not the song...sorry Beatles fans.) No, I stand in awe that for some strange reason, my God loves me.
The God of the universe that spoke EVERYTHING into existence - cares about me and my life. Not just me, but all of humanity.
WHAT?!
Wow!
He created me, He formed me, He knit me together. He takes a special interest in me. Why? I have no earthly idea. And as I'm typing this I'm beginning to be okay with not knowing. I don't really need to know the why right now. Maybe later, when I'm ready for it.
Every day brings a new aspect of God. As I step out of my parent's faith and into my own, I'm blown away at the patience, love, acceptance, forgiveness...the list can go on forever...that I'm finding in my Abba! The more I dig and learn about God, the more I find I know nothing at all! I am no Bible scholar (obviously) I'm just me. And I'm at a place where I'm gonna let my Abba love me. And I'm gonna do my best to love Him back.
Am I gonna screw that up? Sure. Am I gonna let that stop me from trying?Absolutely not!
To sum up all this rambling:
Life for me right now is that fine line between reality and restoration. I know I have to live in the reality right now. But soon restoration will come and reality will only be a memory.
Friday, February 13, 2009
circles
Have you ever noticed that life flows in circles?
This friend, knows that friend, knows that friend, knows me.
Happy mood, happy mood, happy mood, sad, mad, happy.
The roads in Knoxville.
I looked in the mirror and saw my mom starring back. Will Emma see me one day?
I diet and cheat, diet and cheat, then I just cheat only to go back to dieting.
The months
Summer, fall, winter, spring, summer, fall, winter, spring
History - peace then war, peace then war.
we are born, we live, we give life, we die...our life given gives life to new life then dies...and so on
Songs that I thought were new, only to find out they were old songs reborn
Jake and I are good, we are good, we fight, we are good, we are good, we fight.
Daytime, nighttime, daytime, nighttime
The hours in a day
I wonder what else...?
This friend, knows that friend, knows that friend, knows me.
Happy mood, happy mood, happy mood, sad, mad, happy.
The roads in Knoxville.
I looked in the mirror and saw my mom starring back. Will Emma see me one day?
I diet and cheat, diet and cheat, then I just cheat only to go back to dieting.
The months
Summer, fall, winter, spring, summer, fall, winter, spring
History - peace then war, peace then war.
we are born, we live, we give life, we die...our life given gives life to new life then dies...and so on
Songs that I thought were new, only to find out they were old songs reborn
Jake and I are good, we are good, we fight, we are good, we are good, we fight.
Daytime, nighttime, daytime, nighttime
The hours in a day
I wonder what else...?
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