What's up?

I just read Evan's new blog post for this week. What a good girl I have! It made my heart soar! 

Sometimes I wonder if I am too connected. I have a Facebook page. I have a Blogspot. I have a wikispace, a protopage website, and a iGoogle homepage. Plus, I have 4 email accounts that I check. I have a laptop, desktop and iPod touch at home plus another desktop computer at school. So I have much technology at my fingertips at all times. The other day at school I had my laptop sitting on my desk beside my desktop computer and was using my iPod touch. Is there something wrong with that picture? :D If you had told me 10 years ago that I would have been this connected to technology I would have laughed in your face. (Of course, it was 1999 then and we had only had a computer in our home for a few years.) It excites me to find new things and to use new technology.  I love the way techno/gadgets work! This is why my husband and my kids call me a geek now. Oh well, I will wear that title proudly!

It tried to snow this morning. You could sure tell at school. When the weather changes, so do the children and sometimes not for the better. They usually get really squirrelly! It is supposed to be very cold the rest of the week. I like snow but I am not really sure I like below 0 temperatures. BRRRRR

I am trying to get back in the exercise routine. I exercised everyday last week at Curves and I have hit yesterday and today this week. I like the routine and I like that my body feels better. I'm thankful that God led me to Curves to work out.

Well, until next time:

Life's too short to think you have to always have an answer.

Great Day

What a wonderful morning at church! I arrived there at 7:45 am to start breakfast. YUM! Then at 9, my friend Brigette and I went to greet since it's our assigned day to greet. I love greeting. I get to see all the people that I might not see from where I sit in church. (There are about 1000 people at LCC every Sunday, so I don't always see everyone. DUH!) After greeting, I arrived in the service as worship was beginning. All I can say is WOW! Worship was wonderful. (OK that's 3, 3 letter words all in caps. I'll stop!) Jeff spoke about righteousness. Very fitting and very timely. I truly think that people miss the whole "Christian life" boat because they think that once they say a little prayer that their life is still their own to live as they want. Galatians 2:20 - "I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the Body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me." I'm excited about reading through the Bible this year and drawing closer to God. The messages and the other readings I am doing all mesh together. Of course, that's the Holy Spirit. 

My mom and dad arrived in Florida yesterday. I've already had an email that says they are staying longer. Sunshine and fresh fruit was all it took! 

I should probably clarify for you all that REALLY know me. When I refer to my dad, I am talking about my mom's husband, Jim. My real dad passed away in 1993 and before that my parents divorced in 1984. So Jim is the only dad I have right now. Even my grandma (who is my real dad's mother) refers to him as my dad. I know, very confusing. But, we are an American Family. :D Many people who don't know our family tell me how much I look like Jim. So I usually don't correct them. Jim is a wonderful dad and he's a good husband to my mom. I am thankful that God put our family together the way He did! He also gave me two brothers. I had a pretty good friend tell me once that there are no steps and no halves - only brothers and sisters, moms and dads. (She comes from a family of many marriages and children.) I take that as very good advice and pass it on when I can.

I finished The Shack last night. I read the last 50 pages without putting it down. I really liked it. I recommend it to anyone who is looking for a book that makes you think. I will probably go back over a few parts. Maybe skim a few of the middle chapters. The issue of forgiveness really struck a chord with me. I truly love God and want a relationship with Him. I don't want to miss Him when He shows up and I don't want to miss when He works! I also have to remember that God is not limited; He is limitless!

I'm hoping that it snows this week. I am ready to see some beautiful weather! (I threw this in just in case you thought I had stopped being random!)

What am I going to do today?

Well, it's Saturday and I am wondering what I am going to do today. It's not like I don't and haven't made a long list of things to do. I can clean my bedroom and bathroom; I can start painting Dane's bathroom; I can bake something yummy; or I can lay on the couch and read my book. I've already started the first load of laundry. Dane got home last night and as always he brought me the gift of a huge bag of laundry. (I really don't mind to do laundry. Of all the chores it's probably one of my favorites; like the dishes.) So I have about 12 loads of laundry to do. Not bad since Evan is not here. :)

It was a very good week. I worked out every day. (My body was a little soar and tired last night.) I saw every one of my computer classes this week but one Pre-K class. So almost all of their smiling faces were there and ready to learn something new. We talked about Christmas gifts, snow, snowmen and the keyboard. Even the Pre-K children were very attentive. Sometimes it's a challenge to work a fun activity in to the program we need to use for the day to learn a new skill. Sometimes I feel like I am teaching the test we give in April to test their skills. This week we need to talk about Martin Luther King, Jr.'s birthday and Barrack Obama's inauguration and work that into a typing lesson. So I must think about that too this weekend. I just wish that we had longer than 30 minutes a class session with the 2nd graders. We spend a lot of time opening and closing and sometimes not a lot in between!!! May be someday I will be in my own room!

Enough about work!!!

My mom and dad have gone to Florida for 7 or 8 weeks. Wow, I wish I was old! :D (No offense mom!) I am so happy for them really. They both have worked so hard their whole lives and are in need of some time that nothing is required of them. So...have fun, enjoy Florida, see the sights, and rest!!! 

Evan went back to school this week. I promised her I wouldn't call her too often. I miss her mostly because I can ask her silly questions like: "Do these shoes go with this outfit? Do I look ok?" And she gives an honest answer. :D

I only have 40 more pages in The Shack. Our book group is meeting on the 29th. I have been taking notes on the passages I want to remember. I can only read about a chapter and a half at a time, then my brain seems to shut down so it can process. I like it though. I am excited about book group. These are my zany friends. Lisa, Brigette, Darla, Julie, Jeri Lyn, Terah, & Kari We will probably get so sidetracked by Darla's craziness that we won't get too much of the book discussed! :)

This is getting long,  so I had better save something for tomorrow!

Just another Tuesday

Well, maybe not just an ordinary Tuesday. Or maybe just a good Tuesday. Last night we not only played Outburst, but we played a card game called Golf. Angela is very competitive. As we played cards we watched the Bachelor. Even DeWayne had an opinion about who the guy should pick. We feel like we "know" this bachelor because he was the loser last season. Poor guy! Oh well, it's a mindless way to spend a Monday. Tonight I can't wait to watch the Biggest Loser. I love this show. I cheer for those people as they weigh. They work so hard and Jillian is always yelling at them. Is that fun? But weight loss is never fun. Wait, I've had fun losing weight this year and no one was yelling at me. Actually everyone I know was cheering for me!  :D

I'm reading through the Bible this year. I haven't done this in awhile. My friend Terah gave me a calendar with the Bible broken down in 4 reading segments a day. Pretty easy since I already read one Psalm and one Proverb everyday. I just add the Old and New Testament segments and I'm done. So far I have kept up. I am praying that I don't fall behind. I really want to draw closer to God this year and I really think that spending time in His Word will accomplish this.  

All my friends have come back to Curves! Some of them took a few months off. So now, since Christmas is over they think they REALLY need to lose weight and get into shape. So, they're back! Mary, Tonya, Kim A., Kim D., Staci, and Beth. We are really loud and it doesn't seem like a workout when you are laughing so very hard! I am so thankful that God has provided us a place to workout that is clean, fun and accessible.

We were looking at some countdowns today at school. 40 more days until Valentine's Day. 87 days until Spring Break.  25 more days until the Dairy Queen opens for the season! And when I blink it will be Thanksgiving again! Oh well, time truly marches on!

I'm still reading The Shack. I am reading it slow and taking notes when I want to remember something that I read. It really is a good book. I am looking forward to book group so I can hear what the others think. If you have read it leave me a message!

 

Back to Work

First day back to work! Yeah!!! I really like my job. I really, really like my job. It's like getting to work, make money and eat cake. I like the people I work with and for. I like the kids (all 625 of them). I like being able to explore and find out new things about the computer. I am just spoiled about having 2 full weeks off and was ready to stay home again today. I think some of this has to do with DeWayne was home an Evan was home and I just wanted to hang out with them one more day. Oh well. It was nice to be back in the routine and not have any graze-time. Ha!!! I also went back to Curves. I have only exercised 3 times during the 2 weeks off. So needless to say I needed to get back in a routine! So, welcome 5:30 a.m. and a routine.

It's game night so I have to go play Outburst with Evan, Angela, Jackie, and DeWayne.

Getting ready for Monday...

Only two more days and I go back to work! Where did the two weeks go? I was supposed to paint Dane's bathroom. I was supposed to work on school stuff. I was supposed to clean my computers at school. I guess I wasn't really "Supposed" to do anything. I read a lot. I hung out with Evan. I got to go to St. Louis. I moved Dane into his new little home. I visited with my family. I laughed a lot. I think those are the things that a vacation is truly supposed to be. I was just going to try to put a little work in there too. I can clean my computers at school when I get back. I can paint Dane's bathroom on a Saturday. I will get my school work finished at school. So there, it's all solved! :D

We are meeting my family at Mackie's for pizza at noon today. It's my Aunt Jackie's 80th birthday. My sister, my mom, and my cousins will all be there. More laughing is sure to come!!! 

I read Genesis 39 today about Joseph and how he was sold into slavery in Egypt. His work ethic is such an example to me. He was a slave. He could have been bitter because his brothers sold him into slavery. He could have only done the minimum required of a slave. Instead he worked so hard and so diligently that he gained the respect and the favor of his master. (Until the wife stepped in!) And then, even in prison, when he was in a dark, gloomy jail, he worked hard. He again earned the respect and favor of his jailer. He was a consistent man of God. "I need to seek consistency between who I say I am and how I actually live. I need to root my life completely in the character of God." (INDEED) (These last two sentences were from my devotional. I just personalized them in first person; but they truly speak what my heart wants to say!) Too many times in today's society Christians are seen as slackers, whiners, and excuse makers. I want to be able to say I'm a Christian and not feel ashamed because of how someone else acts or how I have acted in the past. (Much repentance in the quiet time this morning let me tell you!!!) I want my work ethic to reflect that of Joseph. Wherever I am placed at that particular time is all right with me. I will work at my job as I am working not just for man but for God! And somehow I want to instill this in my children. I so want them to have that deeper personal relationship with Jesus. I want them to have the character of God always flowing out of them. And you know what? THEY DO!!! God is so amazingly GOOD!

My living room is back to normal. DeWayne, Evan and I got to work yesterday morning and down it came! I love when the Christmas tree is lit and the nativity is set up, but after Christmas it's just depressing to see it sitting there all dark and empty. :( 

I'm glad it's put up until next year! 

Gotta go get ready for pizza!!!

New day, new year

I didn't quite make it until midnight last night. I watched the ball drop in Times Square and turned out the lights. What an old person I've become! I like sleep better that being tired. It's a day of getting out new calendars, fresh school supplies, new ink pens, new pencils, a new notebook. All the stuff I really like. (I'm kind of a school supply freak.:D) Filling in the dates on a new calendar is really fun to me. To see what we have planned and looking at the days and wondering what will be on the other days. (I better stop now, I'm really rambling.)

After my quiet time this morning I came away with two points God led me to.

1. I want to be a positive, powerful influence in the way I speak into people's lives. One negative statement can undo many, many positive ones. Guard my tongue. Only let the good be in abundance.

2. "To worship God is to realize the purpose for which God created us." -Herbert Carson

I must ask myself everyday- Is my worship more that skin deep? God wants my worship to come from deep within. I must worship Him in spirit and in truth.

I read the Karen Kingsbury "Firstborn" Series. I started the first book last Friday and finished the last one yesterday. So, I read 5 books in 5 days. Unbelievable. Now on to the "S" series. I hope they are in the library Sunday!!!

My mini-vacation to St. Louis with DeWayne was fabulous. He booked us a room at the Renaissance Hotel Downtown. A very pretty place! Sunday evening he had bought us tickets to see the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra. What a surprise! It was very cool. They showed the Wizard of Oz on a big screen and the orchestra played the score for the movie and even the accompaniment to the singing. I REALLY enjoyed myself. Monday we went to the St. Louis History Museum in Forest Park. I learned some very interesting things about the 1904 World's Fair. For lunch, we went to "The Hill". On the recommendation of my sister, we ate at Zia's. Good choice! We had dessert from one of the many bakeries. Very Good!!! My husband outdid himself with the arrangements and the choices of activities! I had a great time.

Oh, and I still haven't put my Christmas tree away. Maybe tomorrow.