Full of Thanks

For the wonderful gift of salvation in Jesus Christ.
For the sweetest, smartest, most handsome husband in the world.
For my amazing family and their love and constant support.
For my dog, Brin.
For a great job that I am not worried about losing...even in a recession:)
For a church family that loves and cares about me.
For the miracle that is growing in my tummy.
For a warm house and plenty of food in the kitchen.
For the gift of music that brings joy to my life.
For friends that care.

THANK YOU GOD. THANK YOU. WE CAN'T SAY IT ENOUGH. THANK YOU.

Back From Death's Door

It started last Tuesday morning. I woke up with a terrible sore throat. Wednesday, much of the same. Thursday, something wonderful happened...no more sore throat, but I couldn't enjoy the relief for the simple fact that every orifice of my body was malfunctioning (I'm sure you wanted to know that). This was also the day of the Building 429 concert (more on that later). I sneezed, I coughed, I blew my nose, and I repeated the cycle ALL DAY LONG. It was miserable. This fun rides crescendo came on Friday after getting no sleep because of waking myself up snoring. You know that's when you are really snoring. I had a mild fever accompanied with chills...joy. Thankfully, my WONDERFUL husband had flowers for me when I got home and also had dinner made for me. He didn't say a word when I went to bed at 7:30 on Friday night and didn't really "get out" of bed until 3pm on Saturday afternoon. Thankfully, I'm on the rebound and feeling very optimistic about singing with the choir on Wednesday.

Something miraculous happened at the concert on Thursday. Amidst all my sneezing, Richard and I were led to sponsor a child through World Vision. They handed us the packet and we both cried. Our child's name is Rebeca. She is from Mexico. And guess what her favorite subject in school happens to be???? MATH. It's like she was born from our hearts. Isn't God hilarious sometimes? You must come over and see her picture on our refrigerator. She is beautiful and we are thrilled to be a part of her life.

Battle of the wills

My husband is sadly mistaken. He thinks that I will allow him to wear his UGA visor and a GSU shirt to the game today. In a preemptive strike, I procured his visor and hid it in the last place he would look. He has yet to find it. However, he has gone in my closet and taken all of my blue and white clothing and put them into the washing machine...when I found a hidden GS t-shirt, he held me down on the couch holding a glass of milk over me saying that he will try and ruin my shirt if I don't disclose the location of said visor. He clearly underestimates the lengths that I will go to to defend my Alma Mater. We have to leave in 15 minutes to go meet PJ and Kate and I will be willing to bet that neither of us will be wearing red and black.
Hail Southern.

GEORGIA SOUTHERN vs. uga

I've been singing the GSU fight song all day in my head (and out loud). To all of my Southern "friends" who will be traitors wearing red and black tomorrow....I'll be praying for you. I hope that one day you will understand what it really means to have loyalty and school spirit. I hope you spill something on your UGA shirt and it makes you think of Beautiful Eagle Creek...and I hope you can't find parking in Athens and it makes you think of Sweetheart Circle. When you are in that stadium with 90,000 other folks and Georgia Southern scores and you wish you could cheer, I hope you remember these words....
Hail the Blue, Hail the White, Hail the team that soaring upward to bring us fame....
GEORGIA SOUTHERN EAGLES fight unto victory and win this game....
Blue and White, fight, fight
Blue and White, fight, fight
GEORGIA SOUTHERN EAGLES, FIGHT FIGHT FIGHT.
Lastly, when Georgia Southern is victorious tomorrow, DO NOT under any circumstances claim that you are a GSU fan. DO NOT claim that you thought they were going to win. Just hang your head in shame and start preparing yourself to wear Blue and White in September 2012 and watch as the Bulldawgs rank goes down the tube.
Hail Southern.

One Eventful Day

Wow...it's been a while. I almost forgot how to blog. I wanted to share a few details of the crazy day we had yesterday.
I knew it was going to be exciting when the principal said we could have a free jeans day.
That was only the beginning! I left the house at about 7:00 pimpin' the huge F150. Richard borrowed the Honda for a very special trip.....
Until yesterday, Richard had never met his biological father. He's 29 years old, so when the opportunity arose to meet the man that supplied half of his genetic makeup, Richard took advantage. He drove up to SC to meet Dave half way and they had lunch at Cracker Barrel and talked for about 3 hours. Richard has also been in contact with his two half sisters and is looking forward to hearing from his half brother. The whole situation is exciting. You'll have to ask Richard about it. So, I had to be at school early because the FCS (Fellowship of Christian Students) meets on Friday mornings and I am their fearless sponsor. Thankfully, coming early allowed me to miss out on the traffic that was a result of a terrible wreck on Hwy 119...many of our teachers were late and even more students. I looked super cute driving that big ole' truck. Thanks to Tropical Storm Fay (formerly Hurricane Fay) we had awful weather all day long. We spent a lot of time crouched in a hallway under Tornado warnings. Those are a lot of fun with high schoolers.
Our crazy day ended on a high note with dinner at Longhorn's with Lyndsey, Jonathan, and Sarah. We even had a gift certificate! It was a crazy day. Not a dull moment, but all in all we feel like the most blessed people on earth to have each other and such wonderful family and friends.

A Fresh Start

I really like Open House. Every year, scores of parents and their students file into my classroom with their best smiles on trying to make the best impression possible. It's touching really. I love talking to parents. I love that almost all parents think their student is "gifted." I love that almost all students think that their parents are embarrassing. It's fun to see the family dynamics and pick up on all the hidden messages.
This year, I tried to be methodical in my greeting when each family entered. First, I would shake the hand of the student (you may think I'm rude, but I wanted to let my students know how important they are to me). Then, I would ask the student what class I have them in. It was hilarious to figure out that half of them had no idea what class they would be taking with me. I also enjoyed them trying to say "Euclidean". I greeted each parent with a handshake and a smile. Everyone was so polite and on their best behavior (including me).
Here are some highlights and low lights:

HIGHLIGHTS:

• I met about 50% of my students, which is an awful high percentage at a high school open house
• The Math Department is the best. The folks that teach math at ECHS are top notch.
  
• I had lots of former students come visit me and I loved it. It was very sweet.
• My classroom was clean and inviting. I even put posters on the walls.
  
• I was pleasantly surprised with most of the students that I met. As far as I know...they are all geniuses. I refuse to be one of those teachers that gets the "scoop" on all the "bad" students before the first day. Preconceived notions are often false.
  
• I have the privilege of teaching our superintendents niece and many teachers kids.

lowlights:

• Almost none of my seniors came
• People started showing up 30 minutes early. HOW RUDE. We needed a minute to get in our rooms and get set up.
  
• One kids informed me that she would be missing the first 5 days of school for a WEDDING. Huh?!? Last time I checked it only takes 1 day to get married. Some parents don't think some times.
• I have a lot of kids with diabetes. I'm not sure, but it seems like this is a growing trend.
  
• One of the parents asks me rather sarcastically if I will be teaching the necessary material her son BEFORE I sent him home with homework on the material. when I answered "of course" she said..."So, he's not going to be coming home telling me he doesn't know how to do his homework" and I had to honestly say that him understanding his homework would greatly depend on him paying attention and participating in class. What was I supposed to say to that?
• I had to tell all of my parents that I would not be offering after school tutoring. A new school policy says that we are responsible for making sure that any student that stays after with us leaves campus. This means that if Johnny's mom is 45 minutes late picking him up, we have to stay. This also means that if multiple students stay and all leave at a different time, we still have to accompany them ALL to their respective transportation. I think not. I will only be offering tutoring BEFORE school.

I can't wait to get back into the swing of things. I think that this will be the best of my first 3 years. I have 2 years under my belt. WOW.. only 28 more years until retirement.....just kidding...I'm not thinking about that yet. I am looking forward to getting to know the kids and getting to do math again. I am teaching a new class called Math Money Management. It is gonna be awesome. We are going to study Finances, Loans, Taxes, Jobs, Insurance, etc....all the important math applications. I know, I am such a nerd.

Politics

I'm not usually into debating and politics, but sometimes things in the political world just bother me. One such thing (or should I say PERSON) is Nancy Pelosi. I admire her for being our first female Speaker of the House. But, it concerns me that someone like her is the second in the line of presidential succession. There are many reasons for my strong feelings against her (not just because she's a liberal)

Pro-choice: Voted against the Partial Birth Abortion Ban Act of 2003

Against congressional resolution supporting the display of the 10 Commandments in courtrooms

For No Child Left Behind (Boo-Hiss)

Nancy was against the Defense of Marriage Act in 1996 and Against the Federal Marriage Act

I cannot believe that any member of Congress can go on the record saying that our President has become "a total failure, losing all credibility with the American people on the war, on the economy, on energy, you name the subject." I love that we have freedom of speech in America, but it's Americans like her that abuse our freedom and attack our leaders. Can I remind Mrs. Pelosi that our government has a system of checks and balances and the last time I checked, the legislative branch of our government has the sole power to declare war. The patriot in me cringes everytime I see Nancy Pelosi or hear her down my President.

During her speech to Congress she said, "I accept this gavel in the spirit of partnership, not partisanship, and look forward to working with you on behalf of the American people. In this House, we may belong to different parties, but we serve one country." Whatever Nancy. She is about as "partisan" as they come. She's not fooling ANYONE.

Fun Stuff

Here are some fun things that are happening in my life:
*My twin sister is about 20 weeks pregnant with twin boys and I am getting to go with her to her ultrasound this week. I also got to keep her precious 15 month old, Sarah Lynn, on Friday. We had so much fun. Especially when we had a play date with baby Nate! A good time was had by all, but unfortunately, no afternoon naps were had, but she was still a perfect angel of course.
Here are a couple of pictures of the babies playing



*My friend, Jessie, is about 36 weeks pregnant and I am going with her to her ultrasound tomorrow! I also get to take her and her husband to the beach and take a few prego pics. I am going to pretend like I am a professional photographer!!! How much fun is that?
*Richard and I ate dinner one night on our fine china and drank from our beautiful crystal goblets, and used our silver flatware! It was like a tea party...I was way more excited than Richard (imagine that!) Here's a picture of our table.
*I finished reading the book Like Dandelion Dust by Karen Kingsbury. It was a great book. I couldn't put it down. Loved the ending. All is well with the world. I kept talking about the characters and my husband kept reminding me that they "are not real people." Yeah, yeah.
*My little brother-in-law spent the night with us on Friday night. We had a blast. He is so grown up it makes me sad. He so darn cute and he's a great kid. Every time he comes Richard shaves his head. It's sort of a ritual.
*I saw the Dark Knight in the movie theater on Saturday. It was AWESOME. I was not disappointed. It was everything I hope it would be. The only thing that disappointed me was not seeing the new and improved Wayne Manor. I was looking forward to seeing that rebuilt.
*I have fallen more in love with my sweet husband. I find myself wondering just how much you can love another human being. Anyone who doesn't believe in marriage or the power of love has obviously not really experienced it. I appreciate him so much and I know that it is partly because of some of my former relationships and heartaches. The Lord was just preparing me to be Richard's love.
*I have really been getting into the Word a lot more in the recent weeks. I love Jesus. We over use those words so much, but I mean them from the bottom of my heart. "Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross." (Philippians 2:5-8) How could we not love someone like that. He gave it all...all to Him we owe. All the little things that I have been holding back from Him I am praying that He will help me to surrender. It may take my whole life, but I'm going to learn to love the Lord the way He wants me to. I hope that you are close to a place where you feel the same way.
*You guys should check out my article in the Richmond Hill magazine which will come out next month. I'm just a math teacher who thinks that she can be a writer. God help us all.
*Haven't solved a rubix cube yet or cleaned out my closets, but that is in the plan for this week...Lord, give me strength!
*School starts soon. I'm trying not to think about it just yet! For now, I am enjoying my summer. God Bless you this week. Do something amazing. Stop and smell the roses. If you are feeling down, count your blessings. If you don't have any blessings, at least you have me thinking about you.

The End and The Beginning

I'm coming to terms with the fact that summer is rapidly coming to a close. We only have about 2 weeks before we go back for preplanning. I'm excited to see the beginning of a new school year, but I'm also a little sad for my self. I had big plans for this summer. I wanted to do a lot of things that I did not accomplish.
*work out at least 3 times per week
*try a new recipe every week
*blog at least 3 times a week
*clean out my closets and drawers
*scrapbook
*read a few good books
*learn how to solve a rubik's cube
I realize that my summer is not over yet and that several of these things can still be accomplished. But a couple of these things are water under the bridge. So, this blog is a commitment. I WILL do several of the things on this list in my last two weeks. I got all the ingredients to make my new recipe for this week. I am scheduling my time to clean out closets and drawers. I'm reading "Like Dandelion Dust" by Karen Kingsbury. I am on you tube watching some rubik's cube stuff and I have been to the gym every day this week. I'm on a roll.
What things do you want to accomplish and what is keeping you from doing them?

Vacation Bible School

Here are some things that the Lord taught me this week:
*I am so blessed for having parents that loved me enough to teach me about Jesus
*Prayer is very powerful
*Kindergarteners scream when the power goes out
*The gospel is simple enough for a child to accept and deep enough to keep us studying and learning our whole life
*Pie goes through fake sand onto carpet with relative ease
*Children love having goals. They love getting behind a cause and are very generous
*Adults need to feel needed. Every adult wants to have ownership over something, no matter how big or small
*Smoking doesn't send you to hell ( I already knew this one)
*If we started making a list right now of how God's Word can be applied to our lives, the list wouldn't be complete until the day Jesus comes back
*Missionaries get it
What has the Lord taught you lately??? Please respond.

My bloggin' role model

If anyone is interested in checking out a new and interesting blog, you should check out my friend, Mandy Thompson's blog, just a girl. I met Mandy through the Wesley Foundation at GSU. She knows how to write a blog and get her readers involved. When I grow up...I want to be a good blogger like Mandy. Follow the blue link or go to http://mandythompson.com/ She also has a beautiful voice and an even sweeter heart for the Lord. Feel free to comment and share other good blogs!

Birds

I blogged recently and posted a cute little picture of the baby birds in the nest in our back yard. Did you get warm fuzzies when you looked at it?? Don't. I have had a change of heart. I recently discovered that those birds are terrorizing my sweet, innocent Brin. She is scared to go in our back yard now because the mockingbirds are attacking her every time she steps foot on in the yard. Consequently, she has had a couple of "accidents" in the house which are entirely out of character for her. I researched online and learned several interesting things. #1: Mockingbirds are on the list of federally protected birds....#2: They should be gone by late June. This information foiled my plans and gave me hope (respectively). Here's a picture of one of the little devil birds.

Father's Day 2008

Thankfully, the Lord has helped me and brought me to a place where Father's Day doesn't hurt so badly. I actually sang on Sunday, which was a big deal. Richard and I went later that day to see dads grave in Richmond Hill before we went back to church for the Bible school meeting. He took this picture of me. I wasn't going to post it because I know how weird some people are about death and all things related, but Aunt Becky talked me into it at lunch today. I am so thankful that I had my dad for 16 years. He taught me so many things, that death can't take away. I couldn't help but think of him when I was singing "I love the Word of God" in church. He did love the Word of God. He taught me to love it and love to sing. Ironically, I was more sad for Richard on Sunday than I was for myself. I can't help but think about how amazing their relationship could have been and what an encouragement Daddy could have been to him (and Jonathan). Anyways, sorry if my picture bothers you, but it was kind of healing sitting down there and being able to smile. I miss my Daddy...but I am so thankful to have a loving Heavenly Father.

The Birds

I have to admit that I was traumatized as a child by the Alfred Hitchcock movie "The Birds". It was terrifying. But, thankfully, I have gotten through it. So, when a family of birds nested in our backyard, I was very happy for them. We've seen them flying in and out and building their nest. Birds are such amazing creatures. Recently, we realized that the momma bird laid 4 eggs. Richard peeked in last night and figured out that two of them had hatched and 2 new baby birds are born!! We took pictures, but the picture you would really like to see is the picture of me with the broom trying to protect Richard from the mad momma bird!

Hinson Homecoming

Richard and I had an amazing night last night. Moms neighbor, Chief Warrant Officer Scott Hinson, was returning home from his 15 month deployment in Iraq. His wife and daughters invited us to go with them to pick him up. What an honor. I've never experienced anything like that.
He was set to come in at 2 am on Saturday, June 1. After several time changes and one strategically placed road block on Hwy 196, we finally made it on base only to wait 45 min for the ceremony to start.


I felt unworthy to be sitting there with all of those people who had sacrificed so much for our freedom and the freedom of the Iraqi people. There were parents, husbands, wives, children, and other soldiers all bright-eyed and bushy-tailed at that ungodly hour. The 3rd ID marching band was there and played a variety of songs from Rocky songs to God Bless America. Excitement mounted as we saw the buses roll in from Hunter Army Airfield and we could see the soldiers getting in formation on the other side of the field we were on. Then, they marched in formation onto the field and stood at attention as the band played the National Anthem. I cried thinking about how the words of the Star Spangled Banner that we all know are such a reality to these men and women. After a brief address from a superior praising them for a job well done, the announcer gave the green light and all the families rushed the field. It was emotional. It was touching. It was such a relief to see them safely home with their families.

Richard and I got to take another soldier to his home. He was a friend of Scott's who was a single guy. The ride to his house was full of conversations about the war, the media, and the struggles in Iraq. This was a night to remember!

Mom

My mom had her gall bladder removed on Tuesday. In typical Howard fashion, we can't have anything go as planned. She had to go to the ER at about 2:30 this morning. She woke up with very swollen glands in her neck and her finger tips and lips tingling. God bless Jonathan for being up there with her all night until I got there at about 6:45 this morning. She was there for about 5 hours and all they did was take blood, do an x-ray, and a CT scan. The diagnosis?? They claim that the swelling is a reaction to the tube that was down her throat during surgery. I don't buy it. They are smarter than me I'm sure, but I got the feeling that they really didn't know and had to blame it on something. My favorite memory from this experience was the realization that they left her IV port in her arm. We came to that realization about the time we pulled into RH. So, all my medical training came into good use as I pulled the port out and got blood everywhere. Yikes.

As a result of this experience, I have decided that the only occassion in which I will be visiting the ER is if I'm unconscious or bleeding from the head. I'll probably chance it and go see my doctor the next day.

Summer

I have officially started my summer vacation. Life is good.
Mom had her gall bladder out this morning, but she is doing well except for the usual nausea and discomfort.
I threw a shower this morning for one of my best friends. She racked up, let me tell you. The Math Dept all chipped in and got her the travel system she registered for. She was very happy.
The only thing that would make my first week of summer better is getting off the waiting list for the Digital Photography class I wanted to attend next week. God will make a way.
Bible School is RAPIDLY approaching. It makes me nervous thinking about it. We are supposed to decorate this weekend! Anyone want to help????

God Bless The Chapmans

The Lord communicates with us in so many ways. One of the most powerful ways is through music. "hymns and spiritual songs" Steven Curtis Chapman has been a blessing in my life and to so many of my family members and friends through his music and his life. He is a living testimony of what God can do through one individual. I am so sad about what has happened to his family this week. I wanted to blog about it so that some of my friends and family would be in prayer for them. God has to be doing something great. He works in ways we don't understand to bring more glory to himself and bring us closer to Him.

For the whole story, visit his website:

http://www.stevencurtischapman.com/

Chinooks and Amish Bread

My day started out REALLY rough this morning. First of all, I feel bad. To make matters worse, I woke up about 45 minutes late!!! When you work 30 minutes from home that is never good. Then, it was one of those days where none of my clothes seemed to fit right. There were tears and thoughts of calling in sick. But alas, I made it to ECHS not a moment too soon. I felt much better when the school day started. My students were delightful today (this is not an every day occurrence, so I cherish the days when they come:) ) and my day got progressively better.

During my planning period, I got to see a Chinook (super bad military helicopter) land on the front lawn of the school. They called them in when a few prisoner escaped from the prison down the street. {That was a joke} But seriously, we really did have a Chinook on the front lawn. I think the ROTC set this special treat up. It was the talk of the school and all the kids got to go see it during their lunch period.

When I left school I went to the gym with Jessie. Then, I got to go have MEXICAN food with Richard, Lynz, Jonathan, Sarah Lynn, Steven and Alicia. Could this day get any better???? Yes, it can. Then today was day 10 with my Amish Friendship Bread, so I had to put it together. Those Amish sure are patient. It's been killing Richard and I having a bag of dough on the counter and nothing to show for it....

Then, I realized....I think you are supposed to have friends in mind when you make your Amish bread. If you've never made it before, at the end, right before you put the final ingredients in, you make 4 "starter bags" to give to friends so that they can share in the joy that is Amish bread. Now I have a dilemma...what if my friends don't care for Amish bread...their watching their carbs, they don't like Amish people...you get my point. So now I will go to bed thinking about who to give my Amish Friendship Bread bags to. Anybody want some???

Bible School

It was lookin' bad on Sunday. I didn't have anywhere near the volunteers for VBS that I needed. Tonight, after looking over things with the fabulous D.W., I feel 100 times better. Communication is going to be the key to getting this VBS thing in order. I love the new online registration tool. It rocks.

Other great news, my sweet, beautiful friend Lyndsey is well on her way to raising the money she needs for her 3 month mission trip to Africa. The Awanas at church raised over $800 (their goal was $500!!) God is so good. He supplies all of our needs. I shall not want....neither shall you:)

BLESSED

I have been a little stressed out lately. This is really quite interesting because I can usually roll with the punches in most situations. However, lately all the little stresses have just added into one big stress. That is not good. Especially for a child of God. When I was chatting with my Sunday School people this morning (whom I love so dearly) the Lord spoke something to my heart that kinda surprised me and made since.

I realized that I am doing what the Lord wants me to do. I do justly, love mercy and I'm doing my best to just walk humbly with my God. So why all the stress?? Here's the answer that God gave me: its all MAN MADE. I'm sure this is old news to all of you, but I have got to get into my thick skull that when I start feeling like this, it is not a feeling or situation that my Father in heaven wants for me. This is what comes from living in a fallen world, so as a child of the King I must let go. I have to remember where my help comes from and lift up my eyes.

I am so blessed. From the top of my head to the soles of my feet. My life is living proof of how God lavishes good things on his children. I am so thankful for my family. My amazing husband. My dog. My job. My cool car. My friends.

BEST OF ALL, I AM LOVED BY THE CREATOR OF THE HEAVENS AND THE EARTH WHO KNOWS ALL THINGS AND HAS EVERYTHING UNDER CONTROL. HE'S GOT THE WHOLE WORLD IN HIS HANDS.

Emotions

I have had an unusually emotional week. I can't really explain why, other than my body is completely out of whack lately. Don't worry...I'm getting it looked into:)
Anywho, I had to stay at school late today (on a FRIDAY) and I have to admit that it was kind of nice being there by myself and getting a few things done. As I was leaving Springfield, I remembered that one of my student's grandmother had passed away on Wednesday, so I pulled in to the Strickland's funeral home just to make an appearance even though I was grossly under dressed. I was so glad I stopped by. I could tell it meant a lot to my student to see someone there "for him". His mother followed me to the parking lot and we ended up talking for a minute. It brought back many memories from my daddy's death. The funeral home was one of the most difficult things for me. As a matter of fact, I didn't stay for very long. I ended up handing out candy to trick-or-treaters at a friends house.

After we ate dinner tonight, Richard and I started watching a show about these two college students that got in a terrible car accident. One of them died and one was in a coma. Their identities were mistaken. For 5 weeks one family sat in the hospital praying and the other family buried and mourned their daughter. Neither suspected anything. Finally, when the poor girl woke up she was able to tell the people her name and communicate that she was not who they thought she was. How traumatic. One family got a miracle and one family was devastated. God works in mysterious ways.

For some reason this made me flash back to the Saturday morning after daddy died. I woke up to hear the lawn mower outside my window. I thought the events of the day before were just a bad dream. In reality, some men from the church were cutting our grass like dad did every Saturday, but for a split second my heart leaped.

I hope and pray that I never take my family and friend for granted. Life is a vapor...here one second and gone the next.

Unbelievable

In a crazy turn of events, Richard and I may actually be moving to Haiti. I know this sounds crazy. But, before you flip out and the hysterical phone calls start flooding in, it would only be for one week. I guess you wouldn't call that "moving" per say..more of a mission. Our friends Amber and Bryan told us about an opportunity to serve God's children in Haiti doing some construction and outreach. The construction, of course, is Richard's forte and I might just swing a hammer myself. Although, power tools are more my thing. Be praying for us as we make these decisions.

Brin's Bloggin' Debut

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EKx1KgaQuQI

This is a video of our dog!

Angels among us

There's a little old man I work with in Effingham who is a retired baptist minister. He is super cool. He's so laid back. He wears cowboy boots and a cowboy shirt some days and that just makes me smile. He is a substitute teacher and I get to talk to him every now and then. It turns out that he knows my grandparents, the Howard's.

Apparently, there is some unwritten rule that all baptist ministers must know all the other one's with in a 60 mile radius...who knew?!? Anyways, this sweet little old man asks me about my grandparents every time I talk to him. He has a real heart for fellow retirees and likes to see them taken care of. He told me the other day about this "Adopt an Annuitant" program that they could apply for and possibly get a little extra cash every month (enough to cover one of their very expensive prescriptions). I got the application online and within a month, they started receiving this money!!! Then, the other day, he comes in my class and gives me an envelope with a cashiers check for $100 to give them. He said, "Now, don't tell them who this is comin' from." Needless to say, he is one of my favorite people in the world now and I feel like giving him a huge hug every time I see him. Let's pray some blessings down on this sweet man and his wife.

Bad blogger, bad

So, after a million comments about what a bad blogger I have been for not having posted anything for a few weeks, this is my feeble attempt at redeeming myself.

Richard and I feel stretched a little thin lately. Our life has been crazy and busy. This is of course our own fault for overcommitting ourselves and letting things around the house get slightly out of hand. When the pastor mentioned in church this morning the 3 things he asks of his church members, we sort of had a sense of relief. PKJ (Pastor Keith Joseph) believes that each church member should commit to 1 hour of worship per week, 1 hour of bible study, and 1 hour of service. It got us thinking about how awesome it would be if every single member of our church did that. We would no longer be desperately searching for sunday school and awanas leaders. Every church member would at least be in a position to learn more about God's Word each week and be in a smaller group where accountability becomes a possibility.

ACCOUNTABILITY: what a scary word. Maybe scary isn't the correct way to put it, how about powerful. I love the fact that if we don't show up for Sunday School people notice. People that go to their big ole' church service and fade into the congregation are sad to me. They don't want people to know their gifts and strengths, because they might be asked to use them. I never feel more fulfilled and in the will of God than when I allow Him to use me as He has gifted me and as He sees fit.

The good news is: our house is relatively clean, we went to the K-Roger and bought groceries, our taxes are filed, my lesson plans are complete and we have clean clothes to wear tomorrow.
The better news is: our God is in control of not only the universe, but our little lives and over committed schedules. Glory to His name.

p.s. Have I mentioned how crazy I am about my husband? He rocks my world. Enough said.

Dixie Crystals

Richard and I were eating dinner tonight and our house was rocked by a huge explosion. It was pretty terrifying. We ran outside to see if we could figure out what was going on and we saw a huge mushroom cloud/fire ball rising above the trees in our yard. The Dixie Crystal Sugar Refinery, which is about 200 yard from our house, was up in flames. Within minutes all the residents of Port Wentworth stood around in disbelief as a flood of rescue workers invaded our little town. We saw more police cars than we could count, so many abulances, about 30 fire trucks and many other rescue vehicles. Chatham County, GSP, Liberty County, Tybee Island, Tatnall County, Camden County, and Effingham County (shout out) were all here to help. What an outpouring we've seen. It's 11:52 pm now and the church across the street is now a Red Cross relief center.

We've talked to several folks that were in the plant when it exploded. It was so surreal hearing them talk about their experience and hearing them discuss whether their supervisor even survived. This is the stuff you read about in the news and see in movies.

I have been interviewed by 2 television stations. They rang our doorbell about 10:30. What a crazy night. I'm ready to get some rest and I'm praying that I don't dream about tonights events.

OMG!! I BROKE A NAIL!

3:30 on Friday at ECHS. Meet me on the bus ramp. There you will see the masses waiting in single file lines for their buses to arrive and take them home. The only sound is the whisper of students quietly discussing the things they learned that day. Wishing they were already home so that they could delve deeper into their learning and complete their homework.

NOT.

There are three words that chill any teacher at ECHS to the bone.... Bus Ramp Duty. I just so happen to be one of the lucky 12 to receive this dreaded assignment. My post is the 200 hall. Rain or shine, sleet or snow, we man our posts and try to maintain some sort of organized chaos as opposed to pure mayhem that would surely ensue without adult supervision.

One of the worst parts of bus ramp duty (besides not being able to leave at 3:30 with everyone else) are the fights. They may occur once a month.....they may occur once a week....they may occur three days in a row just to switch things up, but rest assured...they will occur. After all, who wants to just get on their bus and go home on Friday afternoon?

So I'm at my duty today and I hear the unmistakable roar of a crowd forming and look to my left and see the circle...or should I say "the ring". It's not teenage boys with too much testosterone, its two girls. Everyone knows those are the worst kind of fights. These chicks are on the ground, pulling hair, slapping each other. It was ridiculous. I made a decision a long time ago that I would not break up a girl fight for fear of losing an eye or getting mad and hitting back (just kidding). So, after the male teachers break it up, I got the honor of escorting one of the little featherweights to the office for the heapin' helpin' of 5 days suspension. I gave her the speech along the way about how violence is never the answer and how unladylike it is and how she is way to smart to be behaving in such a disgraceful manner. I sounded kind of like my mom.

Solution??? Let's handle fighting the way they would at any other public place. Let an Effingham County Sherriff haul them off in handcuffs. If that seems harsh, just think about it. What would happen if those girls were on the floor of WalMart sluggin' it out like that? The police would get called and they would end up calling momma with their "one personal call". I guarantee there would be less fighting and that would make school better for all of us...especially on the bus ramp.

Friends and Gall Bladders

I've been thinking a lot about my friends and how much they mean to me. I really appreciate that I have such a wonderful variety of friends.

Some of my friends others might call acquaintances, but they are so much more than that. I may not see them often or talk to them every week, but I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that if I called them right now and needed anything, they would make it happen. I would do the same for them!

My friend Jessie is my sanity. She works with me, works out with me, knows everything going on in my world and still loves me! Her husband Shane is a great friend to Richard as well. I think I'm more excited about their bun in the oven than they are. I call him/her BG (Baby Gardner). Our friends Will and Meagan are so much fun. Richard and I could spend hours with them playing board games, watching the dogs play, or just talking. They are always there when we need them. As a matter of fact, they are rescuing Brin from being Boarded next week when we're out of town. Now instead of 3 times outside per day, she'll have non-stop fun with Nate (their 9 month old) and Baylen (their mini dacshund).

My sister gets a paragraph all her own. Actually she needs her own Blog entry. There is no explaining how much she means to me. When you share a womb with someone it kind of makes the connections you have with other people seem a little weak. There are some days when I'm driving home from work through Sprincon that I get such a strong urge to just keep driving to Bryan Bank just so I can sit at her customer service desk and be near her. If you think that's weird its because you are not a twin. I HATE living 45 minutes away from her and I realize that more and more every day. She's having her gall bladder removed tomorrow morning at an ungodly hour and I wish that I could be there. But, with 3 days off next week for the Bible School conference, I guess I'll have to settle for a post-op visit.

I am blessed to be able to say that they are at least 5 other friends that should be mentioned in this blog, but they love me enough and hopefully I tell them enough how much they mean to me. However, my bedtime and my cold nature are drawing me to my warm, comfy bed. I think I'm going to go put some fuzzy socks on.

American Idol

Season 7 is here folks. Richard and I have watched the show both nights and I realized something about myself. I love American Idol. I love singing. I love competition. I, however, do not like the elimination process. All the people that try out can't be a Kelly Clarkson or a Carrie Underwood. I understand that. It's just painful sometimes for me.

Maybe I shouldn't say this, but I feel like my voice is at least average. But, I would never in a million years subject myself to the critisism and ridicule that those poor souls endure. I cringe sometimes and my heart is sad for some of these kids. I feel like their moms or girlfriends or neighbors should have told them that they are going to embarass themselves.

Near Death Experience

So, I'm driving down Hwy 21 in Sprincon today, minding my own business, when from out of nowhere a white Toyota Camry veers out of oncoming traffic, plows into a Walgreen's 18-wheeler in front of me and proceeds to head toward my beautiful Honda Accord. My life flashed before my eyes. That's when the adrenaline kicked in and I freaked out slightly. I did not get hit, but it was a close one. The man behind the wheel of the Camry was bleeding from the head, the crazy drivers in Sprincon are still whizzing by, and I get out of my car like I'm really going to rectify the situation. 30 minutes and one police report later I am still shaking but thanking the Lord for protection. If your worried about the trucker....he's fine....short a big rig, but fine.

The Pretty People

A few weeks ago at church Richard and I met Geoffrey and Heather Hardee and their kids, Hannah and Alex. Since our first meeting we have affectionately called them "the pretty people." There is no hidden meaning to this nickname....they are just plain pretty. Better than that, they are extremely sweet and approachable.

Well, they sang in church together tonight and gave us one more reason to love them. They are incredibly gifted. I am praying that God leads them to ministry at our church....is that a selfish prayer? All I really want for them is God's will.

VBS

I love Bible School. I love the singing, the crafts, the snacks, the Bible study, the mission focus, and most of all seeing little ones come closer to the Lord. I think that the children's ministry is one of the most powerful ways that the Lord is using our church to reach our community. (Shout out to Mr. Ray Fowler...what a hero)

Believe it or not, I will have the honor this year of being the VBS director at our church. I am so scared. It is such a huge responsibility. I know that the Lord doesn't call the equipped, He equips the called and that is what I'm counting on to accomplish this huge task! It's going to be an adventure.

I'm praying that God would begin, even now, tugging on His people's hearts about where they need to serve in Bible school. Will you pray with me???

Inspired

I realized today that my friend Christy has inspired me. Whether it's arts and crafts or throwing a party, if she does it she does it well. Tonight I found her blog online and decided that I too need a blog. Mine won't be as humorous as hers or have as many great photos, but I shall blog none-the-less. Forgive my spelling and punctuation errors....I am a math teacher.



Inspired once again by the fabulous Christy Hyer!