Road Trip...

We are so outta here!!!

In about 90 minutes, we will be loading up the car and heading out of town. We've had this planned for so long and now it's finally here.

We're on our way to three different cities....Ok, four if you count Tuscaloosa where we're spending the night tonight.

Our first destination is Dallas, Texas. For two reasons. One, we have family there. My father-in-law and his wife live there, as does my brother, who is stationed nearby. I also have a cousin in McKinney, so we're really making this trip worth our while.........

But the second reason we're going to Dallas is because my Phillies are playing Joe's Rangers...at the Ballpark in Arlington. And you know how much I love baseball.....and my Phillies. We planned this in January when the baseball schedule came out....My parents are driving down from Oklahoma City, so that means close to 16 of us are going to tomorrow night's game. Way too cool!

Joe, the kids and I are going to Sunday's game as well...then to 6 Flags on Monday. Tuesday, we'll get up and drive to Oklahoma City to see my parents and Joe's mom.

On Sunday, we're then heading up to Tulsa, a swift 90 minutes away, to be a part of something really awesome.....a Family Mission Trip with our Sunday School class. In Tulsa, we get to make nursing home visits, do VBS and help at an international Baptist Church. The men will be building a playground for the church, as well...so this is beyond cool.

We'll be back on the 11th of July. Have a great holiday everyone.....and to all of the Patriotic Jamboree folks....I will be praying for you. It's going to be awesome! The only problem is...I don't get to sing this year.

See ya in two weeks!!!!

I'm trying.....I really am.

Discouragement. Self-Doubt. Insecurity. These are all things I struggle with.

And things I'm convicted about.

These last several months, the Lord has taken me on an amazing journey. One of joy and blessing. One of excitement and anticipation. It was a calling. A beckoning, even. I've answered. And have felt His hands guiding me. Leading me.

But it hasn't been without its frustrations, either. Waiting. Hoping.

Nothing.

Then maybe something.... But no, it wasn't anything.

An exercise in faith. In perseverance. In trust in my Father.

And the devil doesn't like it. And he's letting me know that.

I have applied for close to 25 positions in the tri-county area. Collaborative teacher positions. Resource teacher positions. Parapro positions. I have sent emails. Letters. Packets with my resume, cover letter and great references.

I watch the job boards---several times a day. I pray each time I click 'apply.' I want to rely fully on my Lord. That He is guiding me as I seek employment as a teacher.

Nothing.

Jobs appear on the board. I apply for them. A couple of days later. They disappear. Sometimes Principals respond to my inquiry. Most of the time....they don't. They say, 'Thank you for your interest.' They tell me, 'I am currently looking through the applications and will set up interviews.'

But the call does not come.

I know I am nothing special. I know I am not as qualified as other applicants. It's not that I feel I am God's gift to Special Education, because I don't.

But God has blessed me with a heart. A heart for those who need a little extra time. For those who need more encouragement than other kids. A heart for those who struggle with school. A heart for those who aren't like everyone else.

A heart for middle schoolers.

I know my opportunity will come. God hasn't taken me this far into this journey to drop me off and say....'See ya!' He doesn't do that. I am trying to be positive. I'm trying to be upbeat. I'm trying not to be discouraged....that maybe this isn't what I'm supposed to do.

But it's hard.

Father, remove the devil and his wicked ways from me. Do not let him discourage me. Keep me focused on Your face....Your will for my life. Grant me wisdom and discernment. Courage. And strength as I continue to follow You.

Tea Party...

Ever since we found out we were having a third son, we were on our knees asking the Lord for a little girl. No, not because the boys were that horrible... :-) I have just always wanted a daughter.

Just one.

I was the only daughter...and it was wonderful. My mom and I were and still are very close...and my dad, well.....let's just say he thinks I'm pretty special. So, when we found out we were pregnant with child #4, Joe and the boys prayed. They prayed for a little sister.

It has long been joked that God has a sense of humor. From the moment Julia was born, we saw His sense of humor in full and living color. Because while I always dreamed of that little pink bundle of joy that would smile and giggle, wear dresses and bows in her hair, what we got was a full-of-life sass-a-frass who will wrestle, wear pants with holes in the knees and would no more wear a bow in her hair than anything.

Our precious little angel has gotten more girly over the years, though. When she was a baby, we could not get her to smile. I have pictures of her just sitting there....totally unimpressed with the photographer and his (or my) attempts at getting her to show her pearly whites. Bows in her hair? Forget it. She would pull out and untie any attempt on my part to exemplify her feminine side. Now, though, she will do ponytails and braids and loves to have her picture taken.

But the biggest shock of all came yesterday, when she came to me and asked if we could have a tea party. Yes. A tea party. And she wanted to use the teacups that I have collected over the years from the times Joe was overseas. Ok. I said. Let's have a tea party.

So today....we had our tea party. Complete with cups made in Iraq, a strawberry cake made by Duncan Hines with vanilla icing and funfetti, ice cream made by Publix, hot tea from Lipton, our pinkies pointing up in the air, our elbows off the table and using fake British accents. Never before, have table manners been so apparent.

Sounds fun, doesn't it? It was. But it doesn't end there......

What made it even more special was the fact that her three older brothers....the very three brothers that prayed for this precious, handful of a little girl, wanted to come to the tea party, too.

And we had a great time.

I must say, Trey's fake British accent is frighteningly realistic.

God is so good.

Golf, a Tiger, and a prayer......

I'm a big sports fan. Baseball. College football. College basketball. And golf.

Yes, I said golf. I will admit, though, the biggest reason I watch golf is a man named Tiger Woods. He blew onto the scene 12 years ago and has quickly risen to become, arguably, the greatest golfer ever to play the game. It is fascinating to me what he can do with that little, white, dimpled ball.



When Tiger is playing.....I'm watching. And I watched this last weekend...and Monday...as Tiger won the U.S. Open...putting him 4 shy of tying the all-time Majors record of 18 set by the Golden Bear, Jack Nicklaus. It was a wonderful weekend of golf. Amazing golf shots. Comeback after comeback and the greatest player to ever play......won. Again.

But today the news came down that Tiger is needing surgery on his already surgically repaired left knee...and he's out for the remainder of the 2008 season. I must admit, I'm disappointed. Not getting to watch him play is a definite let-down, but the bigger let-down for me has far greater, eternal ramifications.

Because Tiger....as far as I know....is not a Christian. Here is a man....recognized world-wide more than any other figure...either sports or otherwise, wealthy beyond imagination, and gifted more than most of us put together.....doomed to eternal damnation, because he has never acknowledged Jesus as his Lord and Savior.

And that, my friends, saddens me more than not getting to see him play. I have decided, though, that in my quiet time every morning, I am going to pray for Tiger Woods. No, I will never meet him. I will never get to shake his hand or have an opportunity to witness to him. But I can pray. And pray, I will do. I am going to pray that someone walks into his life...whether a doctor, a physical therapist, even a member of his official fan club....and shares with him the saving love of Jesus.

Can you imagine the impact he could have on this world....if he knew the Lord?

Oh, Lord. Hear my prayer.

A new beginning.......

God is so good.

I can't put into words how excited I am about what's happening in our church. We've been blessed to have been members for over 10 years....and God has done some mighty works in these 10 years. He's shown us His glory. He's shown us His power. He's shown us He is bigger than our circumstances. He is truly amazing!

I love my church. No, it's not perfect. There have been some ups and some downs, but through it all God has reigned supreme. And tonight, yet again, God showed me just how much He loves me, because He sent His man to our church to lead us as Pastor and Shepherd.

Tonight, our church called Dr. Mel Blackaby as Pastor. Just typing it causes me pause. I almost can't believe it. God wants me in such a close relationship with Him that He called Mel Blackaby to show me what that looks like. God wants me to become a mighty prayer warrior....so He called Mel Blackaby to teach me how to pray. God wants me to be an Excellent Wife, so He called Mel and his precious wife Gina, to be our leaders. No, not just a preacher....but a leader for our church.

We need a leader. I need a leader in that pulpit every Sunday. And God had something up His sleeve that I could have never imagined in my wildest imagination.

Thank you, Father for sending us Your man for our fellowship. Thank you for impressing upon the hearts of the search committee...this man and his family. Thank you for opening his heart for this community. Thank you for showing us how big You really are.

I praise Your Name.

The first week, an interview, and a blessing....

Well, I have officially finished my first week of school....and frankly, it's really not that bad. The assignments are fairly straightforward, although I have had to email the instructor for confirmation on a couple of things. The reading, though, is still a bit boring.

I love to read. But this type of reading is rather dry....lots of laws, lots of technical terms that my teeny little brain is not focusing too well on. It's not necessarily hard.....just blah.

But I'll muddle through. :-)

I had my first interview with an elementary school this week and while it could have gone better.....I'm happy with how it went. I will never claim to know that much about teaching. So, when she asked me about teaching strategies and how I would ensure the students learned to read, it wasn't that easy to give a straightforward, concise answer. I don't have that kind of knowledge, yet. That's why I'm in school.

But what I could talk about was how much I love being with the students. How students thrive when they know their teacher believes in them. How they will work harder to reach their goal when they're given praise, encouragement and positive reinforcement. Students need consistency. Love. A hug. A touch. Even a 'high-five.'

I believe teaching is a ministry. A calling. And I believe that God has ordained my steps for such a time as this.....and I told the Principal as much.

I'm still applying for jobs...sending emails and mailing resumes and cover letters. Who knows what will come of it, but I believe sooner or later, I'll get to answer that call of my Lord to minister to students with disabilities.

Thank you for all of your encouragement. Your prayers and your emails. You are very special to me....even though, most of the time, I'm too busy to tell you.

I pray God's blessings on each and every one of you.

I love you.

An absolute thrill....

I love baseball.

Where else can you relax, enjoy friends and family, drink a Sprite, eat a hot dog, get some sun, watch a game, enjoy family some more, relax some more, and just have fun.

At a baseball game.

There is something for everyone. Food. Sun. Cold Drinks. Fun. Good Baseball. And family.

Tonight, Josh, Julia and I went to Turner Field to watch my Phillies play the Braves...and it was a blast. Great baseball game....and, the Phillies won. But the highlight for me happened before any player took the field....and before we found our seats.

We parked the car. Listened to the Belmont Stakes on the radio. Then headed to the Ted. We walked into our usual gate, just behind home plate and began to navigate the many flights of stairs to the 400 Level.

As we got to the Press Level, I looked to my left....and my heart literally jumped in my chest. I couldn't believe who was standing off to the side. He was talking to another family, so I grabbed my camera and began shooting. A huge smile flashed across my face....and Josh and Julia started asking me 'who is that?'

Oh, my dear children. A legend.

That's who.

I told them I would fill them in on more details later, but for now....I wanted a picture of him....with my kids.

He looked up at me and smiled. I asked if I could take a picture of him with my kids. He said, "Sure." And opened his arms to welcome them to him. I heard him ask their names.....Julia answered for both of them. He then began engaging them in conversation, using their names several times. I was impressed. And thrilled.

The kids......smiled.

I took a couple of shots....then thanked him profusely. As Josh and Julia were walking back up the stairs, he called out to Josh, who was wearing a Ryan Howard T-shirt. "Josh....is he going to hit a home run tonight?" Josh looked back and said...."Yep."

It was so great.



Once we got to our seats, I was able to tell Josh and Julia that the man they just stood next to was Harry Kalas...the legendary voice of the Phillies. He has been broadcasting Phillies games.....it seems, forever.

I then told them that he was in the Baseball Hall of Fame....as a broadcaster. And Josh thought that was the coolest. In the car on the way home, he said...."I can't believe I had my picture taken with a Hall of Famer."

How precious.

I've lost my stinkin' mind......

My classes are now accessible on the web.

Oh my stars. I know it's been 15 years since I've been in grad school, but Wow...is there a lot of reading. Discussion Boards. Live classrooms. Chats. I need to buy a headset with a microphone. Assignments. Quizzes. An end of term project....Oh, and the end of the term is in 7 weeks. Good Ness.

Pray, my friends. Just pray.

Rest and stewardship

For the first time in many days...I actually feel rested. Thank You, Lord. Maybe it's the fact that I spent 5 hours in my kitchen yesterday....

No, it wasn't so very filthy that it took me that long to clean it. I just took my time. And was very deliberate in my cleaning. And I cleaned things I don't normally clean. :-)

Cabinet facings. Inside the microwave. Just to name two. Oh, and I mopped.

Twice.

I'm going to pick a room a day and clean/straighten just like I did yesterday. Maybe in a couple of weeks, my home will be a reflection of my commitment to my Lord. My family. And the fact that He's placed me as a steward of the blessings He has poured out on me.