We are blessed

Our lights went out Friday night around 11.  We were blessed they lasted that long.

All night long we heard the wind banging against the windows and the rain pelting the house.  The wind was blowing so hard we feared the windows might give way.  A fear fed by the fact that rain water started seeping in through the front-facing windows.  We were blessed that our windows held.

My uncle brought over a little battery operated t.v., and throughout the hours without electricity we would switch it on and soak up the images of the world outside our house, as devastating as most of them were.  Today, we were blessed to be some of the fortunate few that are able to watch the newscasts, both positive and negative.

As dawn broke and the sky began to lighten, we could actually see the wind and rain pounding our house.  We were blessed that we only had to endure a few short hours of seeing the onslaught.

When the rain let up, we stepped outside to quickly survey the damage.  We were blessed that only parts of the fence went down and nothing slammed into our house.

Halfway through Saturday, I don't know when exactly because we were all passed out, miserable from the heat, our electricity came back.  We were blessed, considering that as of Sunday evening there are still over 2.5 million people without power.

We have electricity, water & gas in our home, as well as plenty of drinking water, food and emergency supplies.  I was able to take a shower this morning.  What a blessing!

Ike wrecked havoc on my city, and I'm saddened by the images flooding the television and internet.  On Wednesday I'm supposed to board a plane and fly far, far away from my home.  I'm gutted to be leaving when my city is in such devastation.  I'd much rather stay behind and help my friends and family recover.  But I know they, and Houston, are in good hands.  And I pray many more blessings will be showered upon them in the coming days, weeks, and years.

The good thing about Ike

A beautiful sunset.

Some Pre-Ike Footage

It's nothing spectacular; just wanted to give ya a glimpse of what things are like down here...

It's looking quite ominous outside.  The sunny skies have been chased away by the outer bands of Ike.  It hasn't started raining yet, but the wind is picking up a bit more.  It's still not anywhere near where it's going to be, though.

I literally just heard the weather man say that there are four factors in storm surge:  storm size, storm speed, storm fetch, and storm angle -- and we have ALL FOUR at the worst case.  Great.

There are areas near the coast that have already started to flood and not one drop of rain has fallen.  How crazy is that?!

Anywho, we're still gonna stay put and see what happens.  My grandma is here now.  She and my uncle boarded up her house and packed up much of her stuff.  She brought some yummy food, so we're having a bit of a hurricane party!

But keep us in your prayers.  Now they're projecting 10-15" of rain.  *sigh*

They say a picture's worth a 1,000 words...

Ike's nearly filling up the whole Gulf!!!
No bueno...

Let's not forget...

One more week, people

In exactly one week I will be heading out the door and making my way to Bush Intercontinental Airport so I can board a flight headed for London.

YIKES!!!!

And while I'm making the final plans and preparations for my departure, I'm watching Ike churning in the Gulf and they're saying he may cause major damage here, ruining plans for my going away party.

*sigh*

So here are some major things you can pray about:

1.  NO HURRICANE!  I would HATE to not have a final opportunity to say goodbye to my friends and family.  That would majorly suck!  Also, if a hurricane does happen to come this way, that we would have wisdom as to what to do (leave, stay, board up, ride it out, etc).

2.  I would use my remaining time here wisely -- that I would finish up everything NOW and not wait 'til LATER, so I can enjoy my final days/hours and not have to spend them running around going crazy!

3.  Peace of mind -- for getting everything finalized, for leaving my home and family and friends, for trusting God to provide all that I need.

Ok folks, with that said, I'm off to pack my big suitcase and figure out how those vacuum-sealed garment bags work.  Have a wonderful Wednesday!

Farewell, you served me well

Remember when I mentioned ordering a new charger for my computer?  Well, it finally arrived a few days ago and I was giddy as a schoolgirl as I went to plug it in.  My eyes lit up along with the little green light that indicated power was surging into my computer.  Strange that it's green and not the usual orange indicating the battery is charging, I thought.  Oh well.  

I gently opened the top and waited for the screen to magically light, trying to recall what I had been doing when the computer suddenly lost all power and went into sleep mode.  I broadly smiled as all the desktop icons appeared and I checked the upper-right-hand corner to see what the battery icon had to say for itself . . . What the HECK?!  I've never seen the battery icon with an X in it.  What does that mean . . . 

Well folks, it means that my battery is dead.  

*sigh*

Thankfully I can still use my computer without a living and actively charging battery.  I've been testing it out this week, to see how hindering it is to not have a battery.  'Cause after all, it's a luxury, not a necessity.  I can't say that I'm completely content, but right now $120 on a new computer battery isn't in the budget.  Why couldn't this happen while I was working and earning a nice, plump teacher salary, I don't know.  God's funny like that...

I'm shattered!

That's British for exhausted.  I need to start integrating the lingo again so I don't experience too much culture shock come September 18.

Crap.  That date's coming fast.

I had a garage sale today to help raise money for my trip.  ((Is it considered a "trip" when you'll be gone for 6 months or possibly a year?))  I had wonderful people donate some items (like Brandi and Dani -- THANK YOU!!!) and my friend Carla came over with her three kids to help me organize and price.  They were life savers!  Yet as hard as we all worked, my mom and I were still up pretty much all night finishing up.  It was a mess this morning, attempting to set up while people kept trying to sort through boxes that needed to be unpacked.  We were able to drive the earliest birds away (the 5:30-6:00 ones), but by 6:30 there was no holding the masses back.  The two microwaves and 1/3 of the furniture we set out was gone before 7:30!

My parents and grandma were HUGE blessings.  Definitely couldn't have done it all without them!  My grandma's nature is to serve; if she's not able to help you by doing something, then she doesn't feel the love flowing.  So I put her to work sewing up seams that needed stitching, reattaching heads to stuffed animals, and cleaning small appliances to make them presentable to sale.  One of the fancy dresses she mended I decided to keep after all.  Ya never know when you need a dressy dress!

It was a good experience over all.  A bit overwhelming at first and I pretty much agreed to whatever deals people wanted to cut.  But after an hour or so I got my bearings and was able to negotiate more.  And then I decided I really didn't want to have too much stuff left over and was more concerned with getting rid of things.  My parents donated an extra china cabinet and a damaged entertainment center and I was happy that they were both bought and taken off our hands!  Well, the entertainment center is still in the driveway and I really hope the lady who already paid for it comes back for it . . . and that someone who didn't pay for it doesn't take it . . .  We tried to move it back into the garage or at least into the backyard, but it was IMPOSSIBLE.  I don't want to be the one to move it again!

Overall, we made enough to pay for most of my plane ticket!  Or to live comfortably over there for almost 2 months; uncomfortably for 3 months.  And I've been blessed to have people donate money without me having to ask for anything.  It's encouraging to know that God really is providing as I step out in faith!  

The driving force behind me having a garage sale to begin with came from Luke 18, when Jesus tells the rich ruler that in order to inherit eternal life he must sell everything he owns and give to the poor.  It seriously came to mind every single day until I finally sucked it up and did it.  And because I felt God leading me to do it, there was such an abundance of grace to get me through the past few days.  Granted, it's a daily battle not to let my fears get the best of me, but I'm learning how to trust Him more and more each day.

I'm Back!

Kinda, sorta.

I'm back from my unintentional blog hiatus. Well, you see, what had happened was we went to the beach last weekend and I didn't bother taking my laptop since there's no internet connection. Then when we got back from the beach I went to charge my computer and noticed the little charger light kept going on and off. Upon closer inspection I discovered that the end of my charger was damaged. The end of the wire closest to the base that plugs into the wall was frayed -- the plastic coating was broken and the wires inside were coming apart. As I watched some thin wires came undone and even smoked and sparked a little. Needless to say I promptly removed the MagSafe end from my computer and then the plug from the outlet. So as much as it sucks that I have to order a whole new charger for $70+ I'm fortunate that it lasted over a year and a half. Reading online, I've discovered some people's chargers go after only 3 or 4 months. Another problem is their computer gets so hot the magnetic connector gets melted into their computer. So I should count my blessings! But my charger is ordered along with the world traveler adapter kit. I only needed the UK adapter but had to order the whole kit with all the different continents' adapters to get the one! *sigh* I did get a bit a break using the educator's discount and having free shipping. Anywho . . .

Being away at the beach, I missed the closing ceremony of the Olympics. Therefore, there was no proper closure for me. And being without my computer, I haven't been able to look it up online. I seriously didn't know what to do with myself after I got home Tuesday night. But I'm better. I'm SO THERE in 2012 -- it'll be in LONDON! If I'm not living there at that time, I'll definitely still have friends in the area. And I promised my nephews if they saved their money I'll take them with me. I seriously will! Hopefully I'll be working full-time again by then and can supplement whatever they are able to save up. Brandi just told me a story about how Daniel found a penny today and said, "Oh look! A penny! I'll save it for my trip to London!" So they're not going to forget the promise anytime soon and how fun will that be! London for them and the Olympics for me!!!

I'm on presidential campaign overload. I admit I was one of the millions who watched Obama's speech. It was a historical moment. BUT, I must point out that it was inevitable that he would have higher ratings than the Olympics Opening Ceremony and the finale of American Idol -- it was broadcast on every freakin' station! DUH! Any idiot would know that it would be watched by more people than an event that is aired on one station like Idol or 3 or 4 stations like the Olympics. It doesn't take a mathematician to figure that one out! So can we please stop talking about it?

Since we're talking about politics, I must add that I try. I try to stay informed. I try to read up on the issues and the candidates' stances. I try to be interested. But sometimes it makes me just want to bang my head into the wall!

That being said, I've kept an open mind during this political season. However, I cannot go against my gut and my fundamental beliefs; my moral beliefs. As popular as it is amongst my peers and all of Hollywood, I just cannot vote liberal. It's the abortion issue. And I cringe when I hear about Obama's stance on abortion. Sure I care about the environment. Of course I'm concerned about the war in Iraq (I have dear friends over there!). And I'm one of the millions without health insurance! But none of that matters in the face of life; God's creation. So I stick with my gut and vote with the one who closely follows my morals. Then, pray like mad that God's will is done. And do what I can to make sure people with the same moral convictions are elected (on all levels, not just the presidental) so they can make positive changes in the environment, health care, war, and economical issues.

So instead of flinging mud at each other from across the political and virtual blog fences, can we just do what scripture says:

"If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and HEAL THEIR LAND."
~ 2 Chronicles 7:14

How awesome is that?! God promises to heal our land! Not just the people, the land. From war. From sickness & disease. From waste & over-consumption. All's we gotta do is PRAY and SEEK HIM and, here's the hard one for us, TURN FROM OUR WICKED WAYS. Something tells me sin and healing don't go hand-in-hand. We've got to face our sin, people. Not just individual sin but our nation-wide sin, and then TURN FROM IT!

Mercy, Lord!




Now, to change subject again, I sure am happy that in a few weeks I'll be out of earshot of the constant political mumbo jumbo and attempted brain-washing. How's that? Because I'm moving to England, that's why! I'm going back to volunteer with King's Arms Project. FINALLY! Yes, I've been talking about it for years; so long I'm sure some doubted I'd ever go. Heck, I doubted I'd ever go! But I find myself 17 days away from a possible life-altering move. And I'm super excited and scared outta my mind, all at the same time! It's a huge step of faith, but God hasn't slammed the door in my face yet, so I'm gonna go through it! I'll update y'all more another time. Now, it's time for bed. I'm in Waco for the last time and I'm excited about going to Antioch tomorrow and worshiping in the church that still feels like home even after 4+ years of being away.

(((Hat tip to Bird for the link re Obama's stance)))

Yours

I thought this appropriate, considering where I'm moving next month and I've been wanting to take a trip to Africa for a while now.



I heard this for the first time on the radio this morning and I definitely had tears in my eyes. And it was neat 'cause KSBJ had a version that said, "Houston" instead of "Nashville." Also, I noticed he added in another verse at the end talking about how he's experienced the shadow of the valley of death that's caused him to question his faith. I would have cried even more had I known it was Stephen Curtis Chapman singing . . .

" . . . provide for those who grieve in Zion — to bestow on them a crown of BEAUTY instead of ashes, the oil of GLADNESS instead of mourning, and a garment of PRAISE instead of a spirit of despair.  They will be called OAKS OF RIGHTEOUSNESS, a planting of the LORD for the display of his SPLENDOR."

Isaiah 61:3

Thankful Thursday, Summer Olympics Version

Forgive my obsession . . .

1. I love that my dad sat down and watched the entire beach volleyball game tonight, thinking it was for a medal. When it was over and he found out Misty May-Treanor & Kerri Walsh beat the Belgium Amazon Women in one of many rounds, he got up and facetiously muttered, "What a waste of time!" LOL!

2. When Ryan Lochte won the gold medal tonight I saw his dad cheering for his son with tears in his eyes. And after the awards ceremony Lochte went over to hug his family and give his mom the flowers he was presented. I immediately thought of the reports we hear of how potential Chinese olympic athletes are taken from their parents at age 3 and only allowed to see them a couple of days a year. Watching Lochte with his family made me thankful that they're showing China that it's possible to be an olympic gold medalist without having to leave your family for rigorous training beginning at age 3. Of course the same can be said for Phelps & his family. And many other athletes, for that matter.

3. As I already made mention, I love how at the end of the medal ceremony many of the athletes climb onto the press seats so they can reach up to hug family and pass off their flowers.

4. When the athletes sing their national anthem while standing on the medal stand. It's even more touching when they're so emotional about their win they can't even get all the words out.

5. The predominately Chinese audience always cheers for the winner, no matter if they're Chinese or not.

6. Watching Nastia Liukin and Shawn Johnson win gold and silver, respectively, in the all-around women's gymnastics. My mom and I, along with the commentators, couldn't believe how low they were being scored at the beginning. Thankfully it all worked out in the end in for them!

7. Seeing the nations come together. Not just each nation competing on their own, but seeing fans intermixed in the audiences, waiving their flags, and cheering for each other.

Finally, this is more of a THINKful thing rather than a THANKful thing: I THINK, IMHO, that indoor volleyball games will go a lot faster if the guys stopped hugging and slapping each other's booties after scoring each and every point.

"Tell me all your thoughts on..."

...the olympics!

I've watched more summer olympics this year than I have in my whole life. And I'm actually loving it!

I'm officially a Phelps phan!

And I'm in love with the mens gymnastics team, esp Jonathan Horton. I love the sportsmanship they showed and the fact that they graciously accepted scores well below what they earned in some events, and didn't complain when other countries (particularly China) scored higher than they should have (the same could be said for the womens' team as well). I loved how they rallied behind each other and how Horton constantly encouraged his teammates, took every opportunity to speak excitedly to the cameras, and thanked God for getting them on the medal stand. I loved how they didn't blame a teammate for making a mistake; they each knew they could of easily been the one in that position. Most of all, I loved how they joyously celebrated the fact that they won the bronze! Absolutely no disappointment for not medalling higher or for losing the lead they had early on!

Going back to Phelps: I love watching his mom and sisters as they watch him race. His mom is a nervous wreck every single time. And one sister in particular is balling her eyes out before he even finishes the race! And I don't get the feeling that he's arrogant about all his wins (a total of TEN career gold medals so far!!!); it's almost as though he's racing against himself, seeing how far he can push himself and not necessarily overly concerning himself with his other competitors. Granted, I'm positive he knows they're there! But his goal isn't to grind them to dust . . . or since he's a swimmer would that be "feed them to the fish?"

I love the Misty May-Treanor & Kerri Walsh volleyball duo. Specifically the deep friendship and obvious love and concern for each other.

I think it's funny that every time she pulls her goggles down around her eyes before a race begins, Katie Hoff has deep circle lines around her forehead where her goggles had just been. And then she always rubs along the bottom of the goggles as a nervous habit. At least, I think it's Hoff; they all look completely different once those swim caps come off!

The absolute best moment was the mens 400 freestyle relay. Especially after the French were talking crap about demolishing the Americans! This video is British, but even the American commentator was going on and on and ON about how every way he worked it out there was absolutely NO WAY the Americans could win, the French were just too good. Every American (and non-American) needs to see this, even those of you reading who aren't into the Olympics at all (Bird). Seriously. And I'm posting the 4 minute version, not the 8 minute version you could only see on the [be warned] extremely shady site here. I love how in the 8 min version the French guy with the big mouth stays in the water, stunned, for a solid 5 minutes! And oh, how the Americans celebrate! Quick, go watch before You Tube bans the video: TOO LATE! But I replaced it with the longer version:



Eight one-hundreths of a SECOND, people.

Amazing!

Speaking of the Father Heart of God . . .

In honor of the Olympics

Something that makes me tear up every time I watch:



The first time I saw footage of this was when Jimmy used a clip in a sermon illustration about 6-8 years ago. An excellent example of the Father Heart of God. Powerful stuff.

In this clip Derek Redmond is recalling the events:

Now it's 5:00 a.m.

Those crazily vigilant newscasters showed some videos that have already been posted of TS Edouard on You Tube. I do not want to EVER work on an oil rig in the Gulf!




And, I just need to point out that it's Tropical Storm EDOUARD (like Edward), NOT Eduardo (with a long O at the end -- I heard it pronounced like that more than once on You Tube videos and just had to make the correction. 'Cause, you know, those people will be reading this post shortly, right...)

It's 4:30 a.m.

...and I'm still awake.

*sigh*

Can't seem to clear my mind.

It doesn't help that I just put the news on to hear the latest of the almost-hurricane that will hit the area w/in the next 5-6 hours.

(("Almost-hurricane" sounds sooo much more ominous and romantic than "tropical storm," doesn't it?))

(((That would be the Wordsworth, Coleridge, Byron, Shelley, Keats, early 19th century "romantic" definition)))

Let's pray that the storm doesn't cause as severe problems as the last major storm did.

No bueno!

How in the world are all these newscasters/weathermen awake, alert, and coherent at such an ungodly hour?!

I'm not particularly concerned about the storm; it's just one of many things on my mind.

Hmm . . . I changed my mind . . . while "almost-hurricane" does sound more ominous than "tropical storm," I think the latter may sound more romantic than the former . . .

Ok, now I'm hungry.

*sigh*

Thankful Thursday, Revisited

Wow, it's been AGES since I've done one of these -- like, well over a month! I hope I can remember a month worth of thankfulness. Here we go!


1. The new camera I got for my birthday!



2. Watching my brothers & uncles literally running from the fireworks they just finished lighting.
Like so:



3. Enjoying Houston.



4. The gemstones exhibit hall at the Science Museum.

This picture, or any that I took, doesn't even do it justice.


5. Climbing trees.

At least it was fun before the fire ants started biting my feet!


6. Texas pride and FREE 'stros tickets!

THANKS, Uncle Blo!


7. FUNNEL CAKE!

Even though it was a bit stale. Yes, it is possible to have stale funnel cake. Who knew?


8. Fun with the monkeys.



9. Greta's wedding, but you'll have to go to my Facebook albums here and here to see pics of that.


10. Enjoying city gardens.



11. Elaine getting ENGAGED and asking me to be in her wedding! YAY!!!
The wedding will be at The Houstonian, where we will all be staying for the weekend. YIPPEE!!!

I look at the screen . . .

and all I see is the cursor blinking at me . . .

I have plenty to say -- about new developments re England, about the teacher trainings I've been attending all week, about aging parents/grandparents, about the Jonas Brothers, about love languages, about God -- but I just can't focus long enough to sit and get it all out.

Perhaps this weekend?


But just know, I'm alive and well. And I'm thankful on this Thursday. Well, it's past midnight, so I guess it's technically Friday. Whatev.

Looky, looky! I can do impressions!

My TV: Hey, I have more than 4 channels, you know.

My fireplace: Uh, winter's over now. Get off your butt and clean out these scuzzy ashes, will you?

My cats: Uh, Mom, why are you singing and dancing for us while we're trying to sleep? And what's with all the pictures you've been taking of us lately?

The guy at the photo place who's gonna develop my disposable camera: Who's the dork who only takes pictures of cats?

My coworkers: Dang, she really likes cats.

My neighbors: That chick on the 3rd floor listens to ABBA a whooooole lot.

My dirty dishes: Yoo-hoo! Remember us? Where do we go to file an official complaint for neglect?

My computer: Thank you for not retiring me. Speed is overrated. Good things come to those who wait, Missy.

My new car: Where have you been all my life?? I feel so loved!!

My old car: SOB!! They say that breaking up is hard to do / Now I know / I know that it's true!!

(Yes, I'm weird.)

Quote of the Week

The conversation that ensues in the car after my complaints of a dozen mosquito bites (no exaggeration!) at my grandma's house:



Great Grandma Mae, age 81: The mosquitos bite me every time I go out to water the yard. I hate mosquitos!

Abby, age 4: I hate Satan.

If ever your child's missing,

check the toy box first . . .

Not for the faint of heart...

This is actually for Brandi. She & Bird hate the little dog magnet one of my coworkers gave to me because it's slightly anatomically correct. So a two weeks ago, after Greta's wedding, Bird got creative with the chocolate icing. It sat on the fridge for over a week until Mom finally noticed it. This is what it ended up looking like:

Love It or Hate It?

As I type Bird's making me watch Dances With Wolves, and is even threatening to cut off the internet if I don't put the computer away. I have two minutes. So I'll make it quick.

I've never seen it before and Bird & Brandi finally decided to sit me down and make me watch. I wasn't allowed to watch it when it first came out and then it just didn't seem appealing to me; it sounded boring. So, I figured it's time I give it a try. Will I love it or hate it? I'll let you know, so stay tuned . . .

Herman Park Fun

I think this is the third generation of my family to roll down the big hill at Herman Park. I'm posting this here mainly because I couldn't get it to send as an attachment to Bird & Brandi. And the fact that it's actually uploading as I type annoys me a bit because when I'm on my MacBook videos won't upload to Blogger (I'm using my Dad's Dell). GRRR!!!

Anywho, enjoy the laugh!



At the end he's walking away saying, "That's the biggest hill I've ever seen!" LOL!

"Aunt Debbie, can you make my hair different?"

I may have missed my calling as a hairdresser!

I've been trying to get this video for MONTHS so I can post it, but my bro finally got off his keester and posted it himself. So, for your viewing pleasure, I present to you my niece, Abigail:

IT'S MY BIRTHDAY!

I'm 28 and feelin' GREAT!

As long as I don't think about how close 30 has suddenly become . . .



You may leave your well wishes in the comments! ;o)

In My Arms

OK, so I don't have a baby, and even if I did I doubt it will have blue eyes or curly hair. HOWEVER, I love this song and just had to share it with ya:

Hope mom doesn't see this . . .

or else she'll insist we never use cell phones again!



Granted, it's a hoax, but I don't think that would matter to her!

It's been a year

And it didn't hit me until I hugged my friend Elaine's grandpa tonight.

We had taken a group picture just moments before and I heard him telling David, Elaine's army boyfriend, that the two service men needed to stand together. I was immediately reminded of my grandpa. So, when I hugged him I couldn't help but think, I can't remember the last time I hugged my grandpa. It's been exactly one year since his burial.

And just a few weeks later, my other grandpa died.

I barely held the tears in while saying goodbye to Elaine's grandmother. I'm sure she noticed. But when I sat back down on the couch Elaine immediately noticed something was wrong. All I could manage to say was hugging her grandpa made me very emotional, and she immediately knew why. What a dear friend.

Even though he wasn't very vocal the last few years, it was still a comfort to know he was there; that he had always been there. As a young adult I remember imagining that I could take my future husband to meet him; he would share his war stories, perhaps we'd even drive him to Snider for the WWII 36th Infantry reunion. Those reunions don't happen anymore. We have only our memories of his memories to help us remember.

And may we never stop remembering . . .



Below is what I read beside his casket a year ago tonight. It was the hardest thing I had to do in my life. I haven't looked at it since.

Growing up, if my brothers and I weren't with my parents, we were with our grandparents; their home has always been our home. Memories of those times flash through my head: cold, sweet watermelon on a hot summer day; lazy Sunday afternoon naps on that fuzzy brown couch; grandpa fixing my covers after I kicked them off in my sleep; bologna sandwiches with fritos after school; Little Debbie snacks and Wrigley's Chewing Gum always in abundance; listening to him whisper the names of his children and grandchildren as he laid in bed praying for them at night.

Throughout his whole life my grandpa loved and served God, his family, his friends, his neighbor, and his country. He was a humble man who loved wholeheartedly. He may not have always expressed his love with eloquent words, but he displayed his love through the work of his hands. And he allowed God to use him to touch people's lives. He carried out the commandment that Jesus gave Simon Peter in John 21:15-17:
When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do you truly love me more than these?”
“Yes Lord,” he said, “you know that I love you.”
Jesus said, “Feed my lambs.”
Again Jesus said, “Simon son of John, do you truly love me?”
He answered, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.”
Jesus said, “Take care of my sheep.”
The third time he said to him, “Simon son of John, do you love me?”
Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him a third time, “Do you love me?” He said, “Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you.”
Jesus said, “Feed my sheep.”

My grandpa fed the hungry, gave water to the thirsty, clothed the unclothed; he took people groceries, gave children candy, mowed neighbors' lawns. He constantly gave out of his own need. He lived with a purpose, fulfilling his calling. He spent his life “storing up treasures in heaven” because his life was not his own; his life was hidden in Christ.

There is a poem by George Herbert, a 17th century poet and parson, that reminds me of my grandpa. It's entitled Colossians 3:3, a verse which states Our life is hid with Christ in God.

My words and thoughts do both express this notion,
That Life hath with the sun a double motion.
The first Is straight, and our [daily] friend,
The other Hid, and doth obliquely bend.
One life is wrapt In flesh, and tends to earth.
The other winds towards Him, whose happy birth
Taught me to live here so, That still one eye
Should aim and shoot at that which Is on high:
Quitting with daily labor all My pleasure,
To gain at harvest an eternal Treasure.
[My Life Is Hid In Him, That Is My Treasure]

As Herbert describes in this poem, my grandpa had two lives: a physical one here on earth that we all experienced and enjoyed; and a spiritual one, that was cultivated as he loved and served others.

So as we grieve and bid farewell, let us also rejoice and take comfort, because at this very moment Mariano Miranda is experiencing that which he never fully experienced here in this world: He is basking in the glory of God. He is savoring his Father's delight. He is overwhelmed, and probably a bit embarrassed, with the abundance of his treasures. And we, as part of his living inheritance, must carry on his legacy. We must love our neighbors as ourselves and give them that which they lack, knowing that when we meet Grandpa in heaven again he will be bursting with pride on our behalves.

What's that, you ask?

Why, that's what happens when lightning strikes your house!

Or it could've happened when the whole flippin' transformer box blew.

How it happened doesn't matter to me anymore. All that matters is for the time being there's no oven, no washer, no dryer, no downstairs air conditioner, no front right sprinklers, and no water heater (although that last one really had nothing to do with the fried breakers). I'm sure tomorrow we'll discover something new that's not working.

Goodbye 1/3 of my England savings . . .

Unthankful

I was unable to be thankful yesterday, on Thankful Thursday, because the cable and internet were down when I got home from work. That's right, folks -- another outage! A storm blew through, and although I'm thankful it watered the half of the lawn that's dying from the malfunctioning water sprinklers, I was NOT thankful I could not log onto Blogger and be thankful. Of course, after the week we've had it might've been hard to be thankful anyway. So my thankfulness shall have to wait for another day since school starts in 8 minutes.

What a week!

Here's a week-in-review:

Sunday: Power outage that only affected seven houses. They thought it was just a fuse, but realized around 10 p.m. they'd have to replace the whole transformer box. Five hours later they successfully replaced the box and packed up their floodlights and crane. If it wasn't 3 a.m. and I had more than two more hours for sleep available I would have ran out there and given those Center Point service men a hug!

Monday: Something happened; I can't remember what . . . Oh yeah! We found out our sprinklers on the right side of the house aren't working properly. So half of our lawn and flower beds are relatively green and the other half is brown and dying in this 95+ degree heat. We didn't notice before because they don't come on until 3 a.m.

Tuesday: Late at night the water went out. Apparently even the water company can have power outages.
On the work front, we heard a rumor that we might not get paid the first four working days of summer school since our regular year contract dates overlapped with the start of summer school. We had already turned in and completed time sheets. No, we weren't informed beforehand.

Wednesday: Water came back but the water heater was out. Our nice neighbor, Victor, came over to help us out. Apparently his water heater also went out. He actually came to help us before he worked on his own. He couldn't fix it at first, though, but came back later and he and Dad were able to work it out. Our other neighbor, Jim, also came over to try to help us with the sprinklers, but they weren't able to fix that one.
Oh, and I also noticed it was unusually warm in the house by the time we got home around 6:30 p.m. Dad was focused on fixing the water heater and didn't have time to look at the air conditioner. It's still around 83 degrees downstairs. Thankfully the upstairs air conditioner is still working! Hopefully there's nothing majorly wrong with the air con -- it's less than a year old anyway, so still under warranty.
Also, the rumor at work turned out to be fact. We were given new time sheets to fill out sans the first four working days. None of us turned it in yet. We've all banded together and plan to plead our case tomorrow afternoon. That is if our principal doesn't skip out like she did today! She probably sensed we were coming. Surely HISD funded her to pay teachers the full 20 days. So what's going to happen to the $750 each teacher loses out on? Hmm???

What does Thursday bring? Only time will tell. But prayers will be much appreciated!

Thankful Thursday!

1. Teaching summer school is so chill.

2. The beach is so relaxing.

3. The HEB brand sun block is so worth it.

4. Ted Dekker's Black can be so confusing at first.

5. Ted Dekker's Black can also be so addictive.

6. Leaving work by 4:00 is so nice!

7. The HOV lane is so worth waking up and leaving 15 minutes early.

8. I'm so ready for the weekend!

9. God is so good!

10. I'm so ready for bed!

Thankful Thursdays!

1. I survived the school year!!!!!!!! Now I just need to survive summer school . . .

2. The aforementioned summer school will pay up to $25/hr. Which translates to a couple of months of living in Bedford. So I suppose it's worth the sacrifice.

3. I'm packing my bag for the family weekend at the beach. Yay!!!

4. I have a stack of books ready to read while on the beach; including, but not limited to Ted Dekker's Black, Khaled Hossein's The Kite Runner, and Kim Edwards' The Memory Keeper's Daughter. Hmm . . . none of them are light reading, are they? Oh, and if you click the link I wouldn't read everything or else it might ruin story lines for ya.

5. I heart the HOV lane. A coworker who lives only 5 minutes away has started carpooling with us for summer school, and that means we can zip past the thousands of cars sitting on the I-10 main lanes. My life will never be the same!

6. I also heart the new Chronicles of Narnia movie. I've read of people being annoyed by the Prince Caspian/Susan kiss at the end. Um, HELLO?! Did you see the movie?! I SO would have done the same as Susan! Ok, maybe not really. But I'd like to think I would . . .

7. At the end of the Spring Program our principal announced to the whole staff that I'm leaving to do mission work overseas. She actually had a few nice things to say. Almost made me cry. And ever since I've had people coming up to me on a daily basis asking what I'll be doing, offering to keep me in their prayers and wishing me well. It's actually quite touching. And I never realized that so many people know who I am.

8. Two plants I received from students (nearly a month ago!) are still alive and well and show no signs of dying. One is a Begonia that's thriving; the other had no identification. Is anyone able to help?

I've been too busy (and lazy when I'm not busy) to look it up.

9. My wonderful coworkers who have been helping me finish packing my classroom since summer school started. I don't know what I would do without them!

10. It's SUMMERTIME!!!!!!

Two Thousand Five Hundred Dollars

Apparently, that's my price.

That's the amount I'll get paid for working summer school for 20 days.

*sigh*

You see, what had happened was, I went to offer my services as a sub.

Twenty minutes later I left scratching my head, wondering how in the world they got me to agree to teach the full term.

Those wily co-lead teachers of mine who call themselves my friends!

But I figured since I'm not going back to work at the beginning of August I'll have a bit more time to recover.

I'm actually not all that tired.

Perhaps it's the 12+ hrs of sleep I got every night last weekend.

So, yeah, I'm teaching summer school.

All those brilliant and insightful blog posts I have rolling around in my head will just have to wait a wee bit longer before finding their release.

And I'm thankful I'll have a couple thousand more to add to my England Fund.

I just wish the dollar wasn't so weak up against the GB pound!

I emerge . . .

as Jan Brady!

You Are Jan Brady

Brainy and a little introverted, you tend to think life is a lot worse than it actually is. And while you may think you're a little goofy looking, most people consider you to be a major babe.

What Brady Are You?

I'm MIA

Knee deep in costumes, sequence and hot glue.
With slightly burned fingertips.
Papers scattered all over the classroom.
A stack of Kinder diplomas threatening to topple over.
But I'm still alive!
Just thought I'd let you faithful visitors know!

Reflections of the third decade, part V

I still think it's staggering to see how much has changed in 10 years:

Me at 22:
Look, Ma, no brains!
Me at 32:
Look, Ma, financial independence!

Me at 22:
Ah, the joys of Ramen noodles!
Me at 32:
Ah, the joys of leftover chicken casserole and veggies!

Me at 22:
Exhausted from walking to work (which was especially tiring when I had 2 part-time jobs).
Me at 32:
Thankful to still be driving my first car!

Me at 22:
Mistaken for a homeless person (probably from all that walking in a not-so-pretty part of town).
Me at 32:
Writing a novel about homeless people.

Me at 22:
Always ready to translate for anyone who needed a Spanish/English interpretor.
Me at 32:
¿Sabes qué? No me gusta hablar tanto español. (It strains my brain.) But I'll gladly sing in Spanish anytime. :)

Me at 22:
I MUST GET MARRIED BEFORE I SELF-COMBUST!
Me at 32:
Apparently it's possible to go 14 straight years without a date and still hold your head up high. :)

Me at 22:
Skating dangerously on the thin ice of my mental health.
Me at 32:
Extremely thankful to be free from the slimy chains of depression. (Really, it was horrible.)

Me at 22:
A book? What's that??
Me at 32:
You know, a book -- that beautiful bundle of pages that you can curl up with on a rainly night next to your favorite lamp with a cat napping next to you (and another cat trying to nap on top of your book).

Thankful Thursday, Abridged

1. I'm alive.
2. I got 3 hours of sleep last night! (more than I thought I would)
3. I may get 3 hours of sleep tonight! (again, more than I thought I would)
4. AMAZING friends who do whatever they can to help alleviate the stress -- from gluing sequence, to making up dance steps, to buying food, and that's not even all of it!
5. This funny antic:
I walking into the classroom and the aide who's so graciously watching my class and another is singing, "Where is Tumbkin." They're on the pinkie and Little Luis quickly turns to me and scandalously says, "Ms. Gayle! We showed the middle finger! We showed the middle finger, Ms. Gayle! She made us show the middle finger!!!"
6. Melissa went through surgery ok. She's back home recovering, and in a lot a pain. I'll share more details later. Thanks for praying!

Ok, that's all for now. Still have some work to finish up before awards ceremony tomorrow . . .

Keep Praying, Please!

Melissa hasn't had the surgery yet. They're waiting for her blood pressure to go down. Most of last week it had been 220ish over 180ish, which is EXTREMELY high, and I can only imagine that it's just as high since she's in lying in the hospital thinking of everything that needs to get done.

I talked to her for about 2 minutes yesterday and my friend Tihiti talked to her a bit longer this morning. Basically she has a hernia that's pressing into her intestines, causing toxins to leak into her body. So it's very dangerous and surgery definitely needs to be done.

Please pray:
1. That her blood pressure would go down so they can do the surgery.
2. That the surgery goes well with no complications; wisdom for the doctors.
3. The Melissa would have peace of mind and not worry about all the details that we're working on here at school (this is probably the most difficult one for her).
4. That her family, especially her three kids, would have peace.
5. That all of us at school will get everything accomplished without her so she could rest easy.
6. That I won't lose my mind managing two classes for the spring program.

Thanks for your prayers! I'll keep ya posted.



*****UPDATE @ 3:50 P.M.*****
Melissa is having her surgery at 5:00. I'll let y'all know how it goes. Thanks for praying!

Please Pray!

About an hour ago my friend Melissa was wheeled out of here in a wheelchair! She has a pain in her side that the nurse thinks might be either her ovaries or appendix. We've all been under a lot of stress, especially Melissa who had extremely high blood pressure readings all last week.

Please pray for her.

And at the risk of sounding selfish, please pray for me! She's my partner teacher for our end of year program and since our song was changed up at the last minute (like, it was only approved last week) we still are working out the details of our dance and even costumes. To make it worse, only half of our budget was approved. She and I were working overtime to get it all panned out, but now that she's out I have to figure it all out by myself.

I almost feel like crying. But somehow, I'm not.


*****UPDATE******


Around lunch time they did a catscan to determine what was going on. They discovered it was a hernia, so bad that they had to rush her into emergency surgery! She actually hasn't had the surgery yet. They're monitoring her to determine when will be the best time (I imagine it'll be sometime w/in the next 24 hrs).
I don't know details, but what I understand from hernia surgeries they are VERY painful to recover from. So I expect her to be out for the rest of the year (which ends next week, anyway!).
Please pray for her and her family -- that she would have peace as she's prepped for surgery, for provision since her husband will be the only one working; for grace; for a speedy recovery.
I want to go visit tomorrow and take her some books. Does anyone have any suggestions? It can be fiction or nonfiction. I'm thinking of giving her my copy of Lies Women Believe... from Nancy Leigh DeMoss, even though I haven't read it all yet. And maybe a fiction book or two. Any other suggestions???

As for me, I have some wonderful friends who helped me fine tune the dance and my class is picking up on it rather quickly. I just need to get it down perfectly so I won't mess them up when they look at me. Now I just need to work out costumes. Plus all the regular end of year stuff -- grades, report cards, portfolios. Not to mention the kiddos. Mercy!

It's past midnight

And I'm still awake.
Therefore, the Thankful Thursday post shall be posted tomorrow.
Thank you for your understanding and patience!

Excitement!

Ms. D was walking down the hallway and her water broke! So we're about to have a new baby on our Kinder team! How fun!!

But boy is that a good excuse to get out of all the end of school activities! Why didn't I think of that???

In a few hours I'll start getting my 3 kiddos ready for the Speech Competition. I'm not that nervous yet. Only about the weather -- the sky is looking ominously cloudy. And I'm wearing a skirt and open toe shoes. I hate getting my feet wet in my shoes.

The kids know their stuff, though, so that's good! Even Marlon manages to make "The Gettysburg Address" a bit more lively. Quite a feat for a 2nd grade LEP student, huh?

I had a restful day of test administration yesterday. Yeah, you read that right! There were only TWO kids retesting, so I just sat in a desk between them and read a book. I finished it around 2:30 but still had 2 more hours to kill. It was torturous! But the other teacher came to my aid and gave me a Sudoku puzzle. Anything with numbers makes my brain go wacky, but I actually managed to finish 3 of them.

Ok, time to go off and educate America's future generation. We only have 10 days left together!

The Science Fair Project

Yeah, I know it was over a month ago when I stayed up all night and promised to post good pics. That's how long it took me to upload the photos. Oops.

I found out Thursday afternoon I won 3rd place in my grade level, which means I know move on to the district science fair. Woohoo!

I'm actually a bit annoyed because they told us so last minute. Someone came round my room Friday, 30 min before dismissal mind you, to look at my board and suggest what I might need to add. Did I work diligently all weekend to spruce up my project? Nope. I went out for sushi and coffee Friday night. I played in the pool and cooked carne guisada for my bro & his fam on Saturday. And I had my extended family over to the house for Mother's Day today. So, no. Sorry Mrs. B, but I put my family before my job this time around. And don't regret one second of it!

Anywho, here are pics for your viewing pleasure.

The board:


The plant:


What it looks like now:


I really do love my project! And I would obviously do things different next time. Oh well. Ya live and learn.

Here's a link for those of you interested in trying this at home!

Beautiful

This is one of my all time favorite worship songs from Vineyard UK.



My friend Sarah talked about walking down the aisle to this song -- the bridesmaids will come down as the song is starting and then when it picks up at 2:43 the doors will open and there she'll be! But since she didn't do it, I might still her idea! I would have to fly my friend Marcus in to play guitar and sing it, of course (listen to "Hit Me" if you link to his space). And Tirzah can play the djembe.

Ok, true, I'm not planning my wedding yet (or even a date, for that matter), but I just wanted to call dibs on the song and the musicians! HA!

Thankful Thursday!

1. Turns out I'm not one of Greta's bridesmaids in June -- I'm her MAID OF HONOR! Whoa!

2. Cinco de Mayo was such a chill day for me and I felt no stress leading up to the kids performing. Plus it helped that after the performance half the class left and we just got to chill and do crafts for the rest of the day.

3. Temps are breaking into the 90's -- which is only good because that means the pool won't be freezing!

4. My dad is a SUPERstar -- he always runs any errands I ask him to. Just the other day I asked him to exchange some shoes for me and he actually did it with no problems!

5. This time next week I should know whether my visa app was approved. Scary. The main thing I'm nervous about is they didn't ask for a letter from the organization I will be working with and I'm worried I may have overlooked that detail. I mean, how else will they know what I will be doing??? So, prayers are much appreciated!

6. My dear friend Elaine will be coming to Houston at the end of June and will soon start planning her wedding. As soon as her army boyfriend comes back from Africa and proposes, that is! Oh, and I'm definitely making it a priority to return to the States in November for the big day!

7. This week FLEW BY -- which is both terrifying and exciting. Only 14 days left with the kiddos! Unbelievable!

8. The students graduating this year were my PK-3 babies two years ago, so I'll actually be quite sad when this year is over and I'm gone. It's so much fun coming back to school and seeing all your former students after the long summer, seeing which classes they're placed in and how they're progressing. *sigh*

9. My time in Waco last weekend was restful and fun. Now it's time for Bird & co to come down to Houston this weekend.

10. Sushi night tomorrow!!! It's actually us 4 lead teachers going out to finalize graduation details and we'll be joined by two former coworkers (and fellow lead teachers) who moved on to greener pastures. Sadly, we haven't all gotten together since last fall. But half priced sushi rolls, esp the S & M Maki at Miyako, is the cure! Yay!!!

What am I doing???

It's 11:09 and I should be going to bed. Instead, I blog.

I had a lovely weekend. Bird and Brandi renewed their wedding vows in a very touching ceremony on Friday night. Bird was even baptized right before the ceremony. At that point I knew it was a bad idea that I wore mascara, but thankfully Sheer Cover mascara holds up remarkably well! But seriously, I'm very happy for them. Bird looked like a completely different man when he came up out of that water. With a peace and gentleness I have never seen in him before. God was definitely with all of us crammed inside that bathroom. And I was reminded, once again, of hearing God assure me that 2008 will be "The Year of Restoration."

The best part was I proved Bird wrong by showing up to the house (in Waco, mind you) on time, despite not being able to leave work until 2:00. Boy, was he ever stressed about that!

Speaking of stress, tomorrow is Cinco de Mayo -- Mexican Independence Day (but not really because it really should be 16 de septiembre, but whatev). We'll have an all day party outside w/ games and rides and food and hot sun. Thankfully, we can retreat to our classrooms. AND parents are welcome to come and take their children away. YIPPEE!!! We'll perform, of course, but I'm not stressed about it.

I am stressed about our kids having to say their speeches in front of our principal sometime this week. That woman could be wretched in her quest for excellence and I don't want my poor babies caught in the crossfire!

I also caught a taste of summer this weekend. I did nothing school-related! I just hung out w/ my nephews, niece, brother, parents, and Uncle Mark and his fam, who also went to Waco for the ceremony. I took the kids to see Horton Hears a Who Saturday and then to Barnes & Noble to buy them the book.

Catching up on reading was the only thing I didn't do, even though I had books galore with me AND bought two classics (A Tale of Two Cities and The Illiad) at Mardel's, of all places, for only $2.50 each! I guess reading is something I'll have to save until the summer. I can't wait to lay on the beach and read -- we already have the beach house reserved for June 6-10. Hopefully we won't have to work that last Monday & Tuesday and can stay in Galveston.

Hmm . . . I'll have to be careful about tanning, though, because the dress I'm wearing for my friend Greta's wedding in June is strapless. So those tan lines will definitely be seen! She informed me tonight I'm her maid of honor! So exciting! We have yet to tell Abigail, my niece, that she's the flower girl. She's gonna FLIP OUT! Not only does she get a new dress and shoes to match, she's getting her hair done, her nails done, a tiara AND a limo ride! She'll definitely be calling herself Cinderella!

Ok, it's coming on midnight, so this Cinderella must find her bed before she turns into a pumpkin. We must leave for work no later than 6:15 since the Harris County Transit Authority decided to shut down the south-bound ramp from I-10 to Sam Houston Tollway just 4 weeks shy of summer vacation! GRRR!!!! We almost made it through the whole year! Darn Houston road construction! I better make it to work on time tomorrow, or else!

Ok, it's time to depart! I'm glad I was listening in advanced writing class and am now able to use the tools for transitioning paragraphs so many years later . . . in blog posts. Dr. What's-Her-Name would be so proud!

(More) You know you're getting old (or just sleep-deprived) when...

1. After a long day at work, while driving home with the cruise control, you try to hit Ctrl+S on your steering wheel.

2. You get mad at total strangers who call you "sweetie."

3. You start talking at the fast-food commercials: "It's a taco! They put non-Mexican food in a tortilla and call it a wrap."

4. You think Sheperd Smith from Fox News is kinda hot.

5. You think guy actors on old 70s cop dramas are hot, and then you realize that they're probably older than your dad. But you still think they're hot.

Thankful Thursday!

1. I haven't had a migraine since SUNDAY. Yay!

2. Trip to Waco tomorrow for . . .

3. . . . Bird and Brandi's renewing of their wedding vows!

4. My formal observation went rather well. It's nice to have one less thing to worry about.

5. The kids training for the speech competition are nailing their speeches! I'm SO proud of them! I surely couldn't memorize "The Gettysburg Address" in a WEEK!

6. I got a cute letter in the mail from my nephew, Daniel, and he even drew me a map of England!

7. My bridesmaid dress for my friend Greta's wedding came in and I was quite happy that it fit and is even too big! So I don't even mind having to pay for alterations.

8. My tax return came a week early! Granted every penny went into savings for next year.

9. Speaking of which, I got all my paperwork together for my visa. I just need to put it in a pretty envelope and mail it to the British Consulate in LA. Yay!

10. TAKS testing went well and I only had to test Tuesday. It was exhausting, though, being there and having to walk around and monitor for SEVEN HOURS. I heard from everyone but my substitute that my students were HORRID while I was gone. I think one too many people told him to tell me how bad they behaved and he thought I would be too harsh on them. *sigh*

I'm glad I'm not a politician

Because I get too emotionally involved, and I'll make decisions based on my emotions. Besides, I have a mental block against political talk.

But I'm constantly faced with one issue. Everyday. An issue that affects my students, my coworkers, and to an extent, my family.

Immigration.

And it slapped me in the face again last night when I went to the movies. I knew it would. We watched Under the Same Moon. So good and highly recommended! It gives you a different perspective on the whole immigration issue; makes it more real.

Many, if not most, of the people at my school are immigrants. Some legal, some not. Of course all the teachers are legal, but for years I've heard the stories of their struggles -- wives separated from husbands, lawyers taking advantage, employers reneging on promises, dreams deferred. Just two weeks ago my friend, Adriana, was telling me her husband wants to go back to Mexico since he hasn't been able to find work or been successful in obtaining the appropriate visa. But she has a job and she makes good money. The first year they were here she was miserable, missing her family, friends, and life in Mexico. Now she's managed to make a life in Texas, but her husband is the one that's miserable. They are such a sweet couple; it's obvious that they are very much in love. And they love the Lord and radiate His love. Which is probably why I was so shocked when she said she told him he could go but she wasn't leaving!

Then there are the students. I'm fairly certain that all of mine were born here in the States. But some of their older siblings weren't and their parents were most certainly not. They come from all over -- Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, Venezuela, Salvador, Ethiopia, Nigeria. And many of them are not here legally. So when the father of one of my mother's students was arrested outside the school Thursday morning, we were almost certain little Erik wouldn't see his father again for a very long time. It would have been the second time he was caught, so that meant imprisonment. But by some miracle he was released because the charges they arrested him on were not valid.

How can I be relieved that another illegal resident was set free?

Simple. I look into his child's eyes everyday. And I know what those eyes will look like once his father is taken from him.

I've seen how Randy's ready smile has faded a bit since his father was deported back to Honduras several months ago. His teacher has commented on how his performance in school has waned. He's not concentrating or working as hard as before. And he's only just turned six. How do you explain politics to a kindergartener?

I'm not disillusioned. I know that not all the immigrants here illegally are honest, hard-working people. I know there are murderers, drug dealers and rapist here as well. Some of them may also have students at my school. That's a scary thought. But I just wanted to enlighten you a bit, show you the side of immigration that's not scandalous enough to make headlines.

And to further your enlightenment, go see Under the Same Moon:


Finally, I'll leave you with some of my dad's thoughts on the issue:

For the vast majority, undocumented immigrants seek entry into this country in order to work. Most cannot provide for their families in their own poverty-stricken homelands, so they come to America. They are willing to risk their lives and suffer all manner of hardships for an opportunity to provide for their families. Wouldn’t you?

In his Inaugural Address, President John F. Kennedy declared, “Let every nation know, whether it wishes us well or ill, that we shall pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardship, support any friend, oppose any foe to assure the survival and the success of liberty.”

Millions that have been shackled with the chains of poverty in their own homelands have escaped to America. They seek to free themselves from the shackles of an oppressive condition that would deny them the right to provide for their children. They do not wish us ill, but they will “bear any burden,” and “meet any hardship” simply to acquire relief from the humiliations that come with poverty.

The world is watching and waiting to see how America will solve her immigration issue. It is imperative that we navigate through this human crisis cautiously, and not allow our emotions to convert us into “ugly Americans.”

Thankful Thursdays!

We're stretching today, people, so bare with me!

1. I received my proof of employment yesterday! I was worried they wouldn't get it to me in time because apparently no one in HR opened the email I sent TWO WEEKS AGO. I should have never doubted God's provision. DUH!

2. My grandma gave me a big chunk of change to hold in my savings account so that the British Consulate won't think I'm completely broke. I definitely don't have enough to last a year, but it will hopefully be enough for them for the time being.

3. I got to chat with Debs over the phone on Sunday and got the skinny on her man! Now she's trying to play matchmaker and has sent me pics of potential bachelors she knows. HA!

4. The parent that was arrested in our school parking lot yesterday (yeah, you read that right) was released the same afternoon, thankfully. It was a bogus charge of playing music too loud. We were worried he may get deported, so we're quite thankful this family will not be separated.

5. Little Luis, one of my "blessings," is finally learning to read! 'Tis very exciting!

6. The Speech Competition we worked our butts off for the past two weeks was POSTPONED! Now it's not 'til May 13th, which is ok because we'll have time to perfect the kids' speeches now that they have it all perfectly memorized.

7. I love my fuel efficient car, especially these days now that gasoline prices are inching closer to $3.50!

8. Only 24 days until I can take a deep breath and rest easy!

9. I've successfully cut my caffeine consumption in half since MONDAY. I get headaches, but it's nothing I can't live with . . . well, except that first day . . . I kinda passed out as soon as I got home and then couldn't keep any food down the whole night. But I was good as new the next morning!

10. All NEW episodes of all my shows tonight!!! And let me take this moment to say that I'm SO over Henry and I think Betty will be better off with Gio!



Ok, turns out I do have loads to be thankful for. I'm just so darn tired and stressed! I'll try not to let that rob me of my joy . . .

Thankful Thursdays!

1. All the pieces falling into place.

2. Completing my visa app with no problems.

3. The kids catching on to the flow of the speech comp, and them gaining confidence with every recitation.

4. Only 30 instructional days left until the summer. That's actually a bit stressful because there's still SO MUCH I haven't taught my kids!!!

5. What Brandi said Daniel told his little sister after she hit him: "Do not do that again, or satan will be glad!"

6. Hearing more of my students reading more and more everyday. And hearing them help each other learn.

7. The fact that Jim bought Pam an engagement ring two weeks after they started dating! And the fact that they can both laugh over his faux proposals. I heart The Office.

8. Hearing a British accent during my phone interview Tuesday morning . . . even though it was at 6 a.m.

9. Having coworkers that will come in and hold up my arms whenever it gets to be too much. (I have friends that do that too, but at work my colleagues can literally help shoulder the load.)

10. Discovering that God was right when He assured me 2008 would be the year of Restoration.

I'm not the only one

All seems quiet in the blogosphere. At least the sites I visit are. So I don't feel so bad about the lack of posting. I guess I haven't felt much like talking.

Work's been crazy, as usual. In exactly a week we have a speech competition, which was a surprise - it wasn't supposed to happen until May. But all the kids have managed to pull it together. Mostly. Two of the kids I'm coaching are still learning their speeches. YIKES! I know they'll know them by Wednesday. I hope they'll know them well enough. For their sake. I'd hate for them to freeze and forget it all once they get in front of the judges.

I had a phone interview with King's Arms Tuesday morning. Because of the time difference I had to wake up at 5 a.m. so I could get ready for work before the 6 a.m. phone call. It went well, and it was good to voice my reasons for still wanting to go work on project after so long. Of course they still want me to go over, so the interview wasn't too daunting. But I hung up feeling a bit overwhelmed. It will put me in a hard place financially, somewhere I haven't been in a few years now. And since others are involved that makes this decision even more difficult. Makes me wonder if I'm being selfish, foolish, etc. But I keep praying for God to close the door if this isn't His will.

Speaking of King's Arms, I went back and tagged most of the posts from when I was over there in '04. So if you're interested in knowing exactly what I'll be doing for the next year of my life, just click the tag labeled "KA" and scroll down to start reading from the beginning. There's some powerful stuff there.

Ok, 5:30 a.m. has been coming way too early lately, so this is it for my semi-update post. Tomorrow is Thankful Thursday. Yay! But that means I need to decide if I'm going to Waco on Saturday or not. Oi! I don't think I even mentioned it to B&B yet. I guess they'll find out when they read this!

Guess who

just completed her volunteer visa application to work in the UK starting August 20?

Come on, take a guess . . .

Anybody?

Hello?!

It's ME, of course!

Application is complete and electronically submitted, the fee is paid, now all that remains is my appointment at the "Application Support Center" in exactly two Saturdays. Sounds a bit scary, if ya ask me. But I made it this far; I might as well close the gap.

Now let's just pray that the nice people of the British government will overlook the eensy weensy detail of the low funds in my savings account . . .

Thankful Thursdays!

1. Our last Family Night was tonight! Yay!!! The best part was we didn't have to plan ANYTHING - a free trip to the Children's Museum!

2. Crossing off something from my "Majorly Daunting and Oppressing To Do List" everyday this week. Yay for being responsible and proactive!

3. My public school students wanting to say a prayer before they ate their lunch in our classroom today.

4. The week quickly passing.

5. Trusting that God will work out the details of our upcoming speech competition - the one that was supposed to take place in MAY but turns out is APRIL 23. YIKES! (You can pray for the 6 little ones participating. I'm not sure they even understand what they're getting themselves into - they're only 5, 6 & 7! And tomorrow I'm going to have to change one of the girl's speeches and pray she learns it all in less than two weeks. Oi!)

6. A new episode of The Office tonight. FINALLY!

7. DVR to recored the aforementioned episode since I was at the museum.

8. The British government making applying for visas so much easier than before! Yay for user friendly websites and online apps!

9. Airfare to London during peak season dropping from $2,000 to $1,000. Can we get below (or at least around) $800, please?!

10. Grace to finally talk to my principal about my plans for next year and her SUPPORT and BLESSING in my endeavor! She thanked me, THANKED ME, for telling her now, since she's making plans for next year. You don't understand what a miracle this is, people! God can do some amazing stuff!!!

The silly things I say

"You can get your shoe out of the trash now."

"No sweetie, it's not pick on tree; it's pecan tree. And it's mockingbird, not monkeybird."

"That's not how you wear your shirt!"

"I don't believe you have the audacity to (insert misbehavior here; for example "step out of line")."

"That was a rhetorical question."

"Rule #1: Lift the toilet seat and don't drop pee anywhere! The girls don't want to sit on that!"

"Adam is a boy; so you say he, not she."

"I don't know what it is . . . just eat it . . ."

"Be careful around my computer. Unless you have $1200 to buy me a new one if you break it!"

"Abel, did you pooh on yourself again?!"

Thankful Thursdays!

1. Caffeine

2. Triscuit Thin Crisps

3. Pasta & Brown Rice (not necessarily the 2 eaten together)

4. 3 scoops of ice cream with a cup of hot coffee poured over it. Mmmm...

5. Girl Scout Cookies (yeah, I know, I know, they're not SB friendly. Whatev.)

(Hmm . . . I'm sensing a theme here . . . )

6. Perfecting my Carne Guisada recipe.

7. Caffeine (Yeah, I know I said that one already; I've been exhausted all week and it's the only thing that's kept me partially awake.)

8. Being able to hold Parent Conferences in Spanish.

9. Hanging out with my little cousins last weekend while their momma was having baby Benjamin.

10. 39 days left of school!!!