Flying the Coop

Today my two dozen 5th grade chicks flew the coop and graduated.  And I am SO thankful :-).  I know next year I'lll miss them and wish I had them back, but I am definitely glad to be an empty-nest teacher at the moment.  Well except for the part where I still have to pack up and move all the stuff in my room.  Ugh.

However, I am very thankful today and very much blessed.  I have far more and far better friends than I deserve, far more job security and stability than many (in spite of recent turbulence), and a far greater God than could possibly be comprehended by my limited human brain.  I am definitely praying for added strength and endurance tomorrow, but I know that somehow, at the end of the day, it will work out and I will be okay.

Less than a week until I leave for Italy!  Scary thought...  I will also, in a way, be flying the coop myself, even if it is temporarily.  And it is no poor reflection on Italy or on Alfred to say that I am far more excitedly anticipating the rest of my summer after I return; even though I know Italy will be great and fun to see, I am really looking forward to spending extended time with family and friends this summer, especially those who will soon be moving :'-).  God is so good to give me additional time, and I couldn't be more appreciative.

Graduation Eve

So thankful that today was the last day where I'll have my full class all day.  As the end of school aproaches, teaching always starts to resemble crowd control, and after no sleep last night, I did not have a lot of energy to utilize in such an endeavor.  However, we made it through :-).

Went home to try and take a nap before Journey Group, but I ended up spending a while working on certificates for 8th grade graduation and then having to go back to school to email them to the middle school lead teacher.  So even though I rested for a bit, I was still exhausted when I reached Journey Group.

Suzanne brought balloons for me, and Saundra brought flowers from Kadin.  It was so nice to feel remembered and cared for.  Enjoyed the opportunity to just spend a while with some kind and caring people who love God and each other.  I'm going to miss Journey Group this summer while I'm out of town.  I left right after Journey Group so that I wouldn't risk falling asleep at the wheel, but it still took me a couple of hours to finally fall asleep once I got home.  However, 6-7 hours of sleep is way better than none at this point; and I'm hoping to catch up on some more rest this afternoon and evening, especially since I don't have to volunteer.

Thankful for God's love, good friends, and graduation tomorrow.  I don't deserve so much happiness.

Birthday Banes and Blessings

Banes:
Early wake up call to drive back to the Thrill
Rough day at work
Really rough meeting after work
No sleep tonight

Blessings:
Lunch from Panera from a student
Red Velvet cupcakes from same student ;-)
Amazing ecard from Jess
Delivering Marie's shawl
Picking up Grace's necklace
Phone calls and texts from family and friends
A friend who refused to hang up on me when I needed company
Prayers offered by me and for me
Amazing Abba (and MANY people who remind me of Him both in words and deeds)

Memorial Monday

Didn't do anything particularly linked to Memorial Day, but I did enjoy getting up later (the past two mornings I've been out of bed by 6:30 am).  While I did wake early, I was able to rest until about 8:30 when I finally got up.  Had breakfast with Dad and gave him a backrub.  Read for awhile.  Played Canasta with Rita and Mom.  Packed up to leave.  Went to birthday lunch with Kristin and 3 of her 4 lovely daughters.  Came back and blocked a shawl, played piano, and caught up on email and blogging.  Not even letting myself think about the fact that I'm leaving this evening; I don't want to waste time that could be enjoyed spending with others!

ETA: Went to the lake this afternoon/evening.  Had a blast, but came back with a headache, and the realization that I was not careful with the feelings of a friend.  In working to rectify both, I decided to spend the night here and drive back in the morning.  So 4:30 am, here I come!

Celebration/Shakespeare Sunday

Church was really good this morning.  It was one of those days where every aspect (music, sermon, fellowship) seems to be spoken right to you.  Like you're the only one listening.  God is so good.

Had a bunch of people over to celebrate my birthday lunch.  It was one of those things that just happen...invite a couple people and pretty soon you end up with a dozen or so!  But it was fun to share the time (and most excellent repast!) with church family and other friends. 

Played Rummikub with Rita, Mom, and Jess before we left for the Shakespeare in the Park.  Interesting thing happened on the way to the play; we witnessed a high-speed chase involving a motorcyclist and over half a dozen law enforcement vehicles.  Quite the start to our adventure!  But we made it to the play safe and sound and found great parking thanks to a very kind officer who was super friendly and answered our questions about parking (we decided that being three not-too-terrible looking girls helped our cause :-D ).  Anyway, on to the play.  This year Angie was in the play Much Ado About Nothing (a personal favorite!) and I thoroughly enjoyed watching the show.  Even though I did have to buy ice cream due to a lost bet ;-).

Returned home tired but happy.  Read for awhile before going to bed.  Enjoying a book by Jan Karon right now, as well as a birthday gift book for my quiet time.  Can't believe there's only one more day left before I have to return to the Thrill :-P.

Such a Saturday!

This was a great day.  Period.  There were basically three stages of the day: Cookout, Recital, Evening

Awesome cookout.  Friends.  Family.  Putt-Putt. Apples to Apples.  Homemade Burgers. Conversation. Uno. Wizards.  Gorgeous lake to look at.  Time to enjoy good food, good company, and our good God.  Got to witness a baptism take place and heard "Tu Nombre Levantare'" (good memories of Ecuador...)

Fantastic (though lengthy) recital!  All of the students performed beautifully, and showed great maturity and grace in handling any difficulties that arose from the pieces.  The music was simply lovely.

Delicious dinner with family and friends.  More conversation and card games.  Great way to end the day!

Field Day Friday

Today was the 3-5th grade field day.  It was HOT, HOT and more HOT!  Now, granted, compared to last year's field day event, it was slightly cooler, but it was exhausting being out in the heat for so long. I was so thankful for an air conditioned classroom at the end of the day...you have no idea!

And, yes, I know the question everyone is dying to hear the answer to:  How much like a lobster do I look at the end of this long hot day in the sun?  Thanks to some lovely SPF 50, I have a bit of the beginnings of a tan but otherwise I'm not pink.  Well, except for a tiny strip on my shoulder.  And my whole neck, which somehow missed being sprayed and is, you guessed it, red.  (Go ahead and laugh, you know you want to!)

I do give kudos to out PE teacher and electives teachers for planning and executing such a fun field day.  I was really impressed by how much time and effort and planning went into the day.  My only complaint was the heat (which was out of their control) and the teachers vs students tug-of-war.  In which the teachers lost.  Miserably.  We were outnumbered 3 or 4 to one, so it figures.

I didn't stay long after school let out though; I was anxious to get on the road and through Greenville before traffic got too bad.  The bad news, is that I had to take a complete detour in Newport due to cleanup of a wreck that blocked both lanes going north.  However, once that minor inconvenience was dealt with, my traffic otherwise was fairly decent.  A little heavy and some patches of stop and go near Pelham and 385, but that was to be expected.  Made it home in time for a quick shower, supper, throw some laundry in, and head out the door to game night.

Game night was fun, although I'll admit I spent the majority of the time just knitting and talking.  Had a really great chat with Emma.  Then headed home to finish laundry before the busyness of the weekend fully kicked in.

Once upon the end of a school year...

Today officially marks one week until 5th grade graduation.  One week until those precious, adorable little munchkins who have been entrusted to my care leave to fly on their own wings to that wonderful land we call Middle School.  Unlike its counterpart, Middle Earth, Middle School is not filled with magical and mystical beings, creatures of untold horror, or tales of incredible delight.  Instead, it blossoms with friendliness, compassion, and kindness shared, knowledge to be learned and life to be lived.

WAIT!  Hold it!  Cut!  This is not a fairytale or a storybook.  This is REALITY.  So let's roll film on that side of the story....

Today officially marks the 4th day this week of my students going INSANE!  I cannot wait until 3:15 tomorrow when I can officially leave the premises of the campus, not to return until Tuesday.  I am so tired of dealing with all of the emotions, drama, and craziness.  I want a break.  And I am super bummed that I wasn't able to take off extra time for my birthday weekend this year beyond just Memorial Day.  Thankfully, today does actually also mark one week until 5th grade graduation.  I am very much ready for those baby birds to leave the nest!

However, I am also thankful that God has given me the opportunity to be involved in these students lives.  Even though we're all a bit overcooked on the school thing, we did learn and grow together this year.  I will be excited to see them as 6th graders next year when we can reminisce on the days we used to spend together.

In other current events, Grace is here tonight awaiting Jacob's flight to get in Charlotte.  So I'm enjoying her company, however briefly.  I did miss seeing her for quite as long since I worked at the Pregnancy Center tonight (last night volunteering!  woot woot!) but I enjoyed her crazy company as I packed for the weekend.

Beyond all that, I'm counting down the hours until all of the excitement of going home, but especially looking forward to the lake birthday hangout on Saturday. And then birthday lunch on Sunday and Shakespeare festival with Jess and others to watch Angie perform.  And seeing Kristin and maybe also Nina on Monday.  SOOO excited and SOOO impatient.  34 hours.... :-)

Rough Day; Real God

I had a rough day, for many reasons.  Mostly ones that I can't share because of confidentiality issues.   I can say that trying to get the point across to fourth graders that ALL EVEN NUMBERS ARE NOT PRIME (except for 2) is far more difficult than one might think ;-).  However, other and far more weighty matters have been pressing on my mind as well. But the good news is, God is infinitely kind to me.

Went to Journey Group tonight with a heavy heart and a lot on my mind.  Came out refreshed and encouraged beyond anything I could have asked or imagined.  God really used the people there tonight to remind me of His goodness and grace, and that I am created to be uniquely me and have a relationship with Him that is uniquely our own, with no need to feel inferior or envious of the relationships of others.  So incredibly good to be reminded of that.

I also have realized that part of why this struggle has been so difficult lately is that I have been holding on to a belief that I deserve to get an answer from God about what He wants me to do.  That I should be getting it yesterday if not sooner.  That I can't serve God and glorify Him and fulfill His will without that happening.  All of which is an outright lie.  I don't deserve anything from God except for condemnation.  Thankfully, by grace, Jesus has taken mine and given me His righteousness, which I neither deserve nor could possibly ever earn.  Thus every good thing I have has been bestowed on me by grace alone.  There is no reason for me to feel maligned or ill used because I don't have the answer I want or think that I need.

Still don't know exactly how that all looks in the end.  I do know I've made a decision tonight that could ultimately change the course of my future for better or for worse.  But I also know that it is the right decision, and God has given me peace of mind.  Enough peace, in fact, that I plan to go right to sleep after I finish this entry, and I think I will be able to do it fairly easily for once.  Anyway, I am so thankful for God and for my Journey Group and for my amazing friends who encourage and support me each day.  I pray that I am able to do the same for all of them.

Seeking Vision in the Valley

A friend sent this to me today and it really spoke to where I'm at.  It is from Valley of Vision, a set of Puritan prayers collected by Arthur Bennett.  Sorry for the old English, but wanted to share where I'm at and how I feel.  

Thou God of my end,

Thou hast given me a fixed disposition

         to go forth and spend my life for thee;
If it be thy will let me proceed in it;

   if not, then revoke my intentions.

All I want in life is such circumstances

   as may best enable me to serve thee in the world;

To this end I leave all my concerns in thy hand,

   but let me not be discouraged,

     for this hinders my spiritual fervency;

Enable me to undertake some task for thee,

   for this refreshes and animates my soul,

     so that I could endure all hardships and labours,

     and willingly suffer for thy name.

But, O what a death it is to strive and labour,

   to be always in a hurry and yet do nothing!

Alas, time flies and I am of little use.

O that I could be a flame of fire in thy service,

   always burning out in one continual blaze.

Fit me for singular usefulness in this world.

Fit me to exult in distresses of every kind

   if they but promote the advancement

     of thy kingdom.

Fit me to quit all hopes of the world’s friendship,

   and give me a deeper sense of my sinfulness.

Fit me to accept as just desert from thee

   any trial that may befall me.

Fit me to be totally resigned to the denial

     of pleasures I desire,

   and to be content to spend my time with thee.

Fit me to pray with a sense of the joy

     of divine communion,

   to find all times happy seasons to my soul,

   to see my own nothingness,

   and wonder that I am allowed to serve thee.

Fit me to enter the blessed world

     where no unclean thing is,

   and to know thee with me always.

A Rafiki Moment

*Apologies in advance for ramblings and random quotes throughout this blog.  It's just the mood I'm in :-P*

Today I had one (okay, several) Rafiki moments.  What, you may ask, is a Rafiki moment?  Let me explain.  No.  It is too much.  Let me sum up.  In the Lion King, the baboon Rafiki knocks some sense into Simba's head (literally).  He has a line that goes "Yes, the past can hurt, but you can either run from it, or...learn from it."  This line comes right after he whacks Simba across the head with a stick.

For me, my Rafiki moments would be better worded as "Yes, the truth can hurt, but you can either run from it, or embrace it."  In talking with a few wonderful friends, I had the opportunity to embrace several painful hit-in-the-head truths today.  I don't want to break any confidences, so I'm going to use numbers to refer to conversations/interactions.

Head Whack #1:  In chatting with this friend, I realized how, in spite of all of my attempts to be focused on others and not myself, I still come back around to questioning how events in my life benefit me.  Why am I still in Rock Hill?  Why are all of my friends moving away, some across the country :'( ?  Why don't I know the plan for next year?  While these are all valid questions, their central focus isn't God or His mercy, or His plan for the world.  It is Janet.  I was painfully reminded of the country song that was popular when I was in high school where part of the chorus says "I wanna talk about me/ wanna talk about I/ wanna talk about #1/oh my oh my/ what I think what I like what I know what I want what I see..."  What a self-centered, egotistical perspective.  Instead, I need to learn to see my life and the world around me the way He does, and realize that my ability to live my life in a way that pleases Him depends on His strength, not on outside circumstances or even relationships.

Head Whack #2: Over dinner with this friend, I realized once again the truth that God puts us in specific places at specific times for a reason.  It is not by accident, it is not by chance.  He has a definite plan, and while we do have free will He also somehow, in his sovereignty, also directs our paths.  I was griping to this friend that I wanted a clear path to follow.  For my steps to be spelled out for me so I knew where God wanted me to be.  Where I could see for a fact and not question any more whether I was doing the right thing.  This friend very lovingly (yet bluntly) pointed out that in many years of experience as a believer, God has always still allowed for free choice.  There is not always a black and white answer to the road He means for us to take.  And, in spite of this, He still directs, loves, protects, and instructs us and He is still in control in our lives if we allow Him to be.  What a paradox.

Head Whack #3:  Talking with this friend, I was reminded how important it is to get outside perspective on our problems, and to seek God's will through both prayer and Scripture as well as counsel from godly mentors.  In facing a difficult decision, this friend has realized how easy it is to weigh the possibilities and choose the most logical sounding option from a human standpoint, basing the decision more on human understanding and what we think could possibly help us accomplish something for God.  That it is easy to lose our first love, Jesus.  That phrase triggered me to look at Revelation 2 and really consider, how much am I like the church in Ephesus?  Listening to this friend's story, my own heart was convicted.  I have done things for God, but have I forgotten the reasons why? Have I lost sight of my first love?

Even more amazing than all of these Rafiki moments in my own life, was recognizing that even in the painful burst of realization, God is so loving and kind to surround me with friends who encourage, support, and lift me up in prayer, and for whom I can do the same.  Even though I still wonder and have questions, even though I don't understand, even though it doesn't make any sense to me, if I go through all of this for the sole purpose that those friendships become deeper and more Christ-focused, it is worth it.  If it all happens so that someone else can learn from my mistakes and be drawn closer to Christ, it is worth it.  Even if I never know why it happens, I choose to trust.  Even when it hurts worse than a baboon whacking me across the head :-).

Baptism: Glory to God!

So appreciated NRHC's baptism and cookout this afternoon!  I had the delightful privilege of coordinating food during the ceremony and as people filled their plates.  To say that I had my hands full would be an understatement.  To say I was alone would be an outright lie!  God so blessed me with more volunteers than I could count helping me stay on top of all the little details like cutting a bazillion desserts, making sure everything had a serving utensil, having enough burgers and hot dogs, refilling the potato salad dishes, working the grill (for 2 hours straight!), and filling cups with ice and beverages.

Of course, there were moments that were a little insane...Running burgers and dogs to the table as fast as they came off the grill and returning to get more through the crowds of people trying to fill their plates was quite the feat.  Allowing several of the guys to carry whole tables full of desserts and risk them sliding off in order to save time getting everything ready was a task that required great faith.  Jogging back and forth between the tables outside and the prep area inside was tiring.

However, doing all of this and still able to witness the two baptisms I most wanted to see (of my tutoring student and a member of my Journey Group) was such an unspeakable joy.  Being able to serve in a capacity I fully enjoy and have missed over the last two years was exhilarating.  Allowing one of the pastor's wives to make me sit down and take a minute to rest and get a drink at the end when I was totally exhausted was a blessing. 

I will close with the song we sang at the baptism and also this morning...my favorite worship song for the past few months.  This is a remix/medley of  "Glory to God Forever" by Fee and "The Stand" by Hillsong United.  Unfortunately YouTube doesn't have a great version of this combination, so this is the best I could find.  But the words are so powerful!

Glory to God Forever/The Stand
Fee/Hillsong United

Before the world was made
Before you spoke it to be
You were the King of Kings
Yeah you were, yeah you were
And now you`re reigning still
Enthroned above all things
Angels and saints cry out
We join them as we sing

Chorus
Glory to God
Glory to God
Glory to God forever (repeat)

Creator God you gave
Me breath so I could praise
Your great and matchless name
All my days all my days
So let my whole life be
A blazing offering
A life that shouts and sings
The greatness of our King

Bridge
Take my life and let it be
All for You and for Your glory
Take my life and let it be Yours

There is no one higher, no one greater
No one like our God
There is none more able, Christ our Savior
Great and glorious

 The Stand Bridge

So I'll stand
With arms high and heart abandoned
In awe of the One who gave it all
I'll stand
My soul Lord to You surrendered
All I am is Yours

"First" List

Firsts today:

First white mocha frappecino
First time leaving the A/C on all day
First trip to IKEA
First time buying a floor-length dress
First time renting a Blockbuster express movie
First time power outage at my apartment
First birthday gift of the year (a cushioned mat for my kitchen!)
First time eating pad Thai (Grace's recipe)

Fast-paced Friday

Wow, this has been quite a day.  Last night, I went to bed early, and slept 10 hours...a lifetime for me!  I awoke at 6 this morning and was actually energized and awake for once.  I was able to get the apartment cleaned up (with the exception of washing dishes) in preparation for Grace coming to visit tonight. 

Then, it was off to work, where we wrote about our field trip, worked on our typical Friday tests and quizzes, and continued to make progress on our science and social studies projects.  Thankfully, it was beautiful outside, so we were able to go outside for recess.  And, even though the day seemed to drag out into eternity, somehow it ended at 3:15, just as always.

Got a phone call from Grace saying she got off of work early, and was on her way.  I stopped by Aldi on the way home to get groceries, and made it back in time to start prepping the pasta salad.  Unfortunately, I wasn't able to get quite finished before she arrived, but I was so excited to see her!

We spent the rest of the evening relaxing, lying on the floor to compare our hair length :-), watching a chick flick, and having "girl talk."  I miss having Grace around!  Thankful for her visit this weekend.

Field trip to Discovery Place

I am so extremely excited that our field trip went well today.  It was the first ever official 4th/5th grade field trip at my school, and I'm so thankful that things went relatively smoothly, everyone made it there and back safely, and overall students seemed to enjoy it.

However, I was totally exhausted by the end of the day, especially since my allergies have recently started going haywire.  Going to bed at 8 tonight, hoping that extra sleep will help!

Bearing one another's burdens

Such a wonderful Journey Group tonight.  Easy, no.  Encouraging, yes.

I feel like as a group we're opening up and really starting to do life together on a new level; sharing the joys and fears, the hurt and the pain.  Bearing one another's burdens, sharing our story of what God has done in our lives, lifting one another in prayer.  This is what ecclesia is supposed to look like.  Challenging, emotional, rewarding.

Even though I finished the worship study on Tuesday with little or no fanfare, and even though I don't feel a whole lot different personally, I know that God is at work in my life and the lives of those around me.  Wish I understood better how I fit in His plan, but I know that ultimately He is sovereign.  And, once again, I "got" more from JG than from all the preparation surrounding it.  But the important part is that I did hear something.  And that makes all the difference.

Praise God for my amazing JG family.

Just another day

Waking up...so hard this morning!
School.
Teacher appreciation lunch!
More school.
Saying goodbye to Rita.
Rest of school.
Duty.
Chatting with Susan.
Heading home.
Missing friends.
Finishing WYW study before JG tomorrow.
Dinner with Alicia.
Attending Nicole's 1st graders' performance.
Finishing Micah and Annie's baby blanket.
Catching up on DWTS.

Just another day.

Rejoicing in Rita

It has been such an amazing blessing having Rita here for a few days.  I really do miss my siblings a lot, but especially my sisters.  Even after sharing a room growing up and all of the drama that accompanies that I still consider both of my sisters to be among my closest friends.  I'm so very blessed to have two wonderful sisters who are loving and who seek after God and serve others so well.

Of course, with the time drawing near for her to leave Tuesday afternoon, the emotions turn bittersweet, but I am just thankful that I was able to spend even a couple of days with her.  And, I'm looking forward to Grace visiting this weekend as well!  I'm doubly blessed.

In other news, the one and only amazing Stacy has polished my jewelry until it gleams.  Enjoying wearing a pair of earrings today that look brand new for the second time!  And she has graciously ordered a replacement chain for Grace's necklace that broke which will cost far less than replacing it at a jewelry store.  Yay!

Waiting to see what God has in store for tomorrow.

Because I'm just crazy like that

Today was a mish-mash of different things.  Lots of good things, though :-).

I was able to talk on the phone with Mom for almost an hour to wish her a Happy Mother's Day.
In Safariland there were lots of clingly little boys, which meant I had more snuggle times than usual!  Yay!
In the afternoon, I went and was pampered with a manicure and pedicure, thanks in part to a gift certificate from one of my students.  I haven't had my fingernails painted in so long, I almost don't know what to do with them.  It is a nice feeling though ;-).
Catching up with sisters and friends long-distance through email, texting, and phone calls.
Rita came!!!
Thank God for freezer meals...we had Taco Soup tonight and it was DELICIOUS!
Much Ado about Nothing...a favorite!
Nicole finished her research paper (Go Nicole!)
Went to sleep exhausted but content.

Celebrating the Gospel...and Tiredness...and Company...and Humor

Tom and Suzanne's wedding today was such a beautiful picture of the Gospel.  So thankful to be a part of the new lives these two have begun today, and reminded of the truth that God's grace is sufficient to cover us.

Very tired tonight.  I think this week is finally catching up with me.  I need to spend some God time, and then get some shut-eye before another day tomorrow.  But I am super excited to go get some relaxation time after church tomorrow--manicure and pedicure, courtesy of a fantastic student who gave me a gift certificate for the pedicure, and of my own "blow money" fund for much-needed stress relief.

RITA COMES TOMORROW EVENING!!! (As you can tell I'm not at all excited by this, nor am I tired as you can tell by how much I'm rambling in this post).

God is good.  Humor is good.  I have to share a quote from Nicole tonight as I'm helping her edit her paper.  It made both of us laugh hysterically: "You can take out like one word and make the whole sentence sound 10 times better.  I can't do that.  I'm jealous."  Thankful for laughter and good friends.

Resting Place

Just meditating on this passage tonight...

Psalm 62^[a]

For the director of music. For Jeduthun. A psalm of David.

¹ Truly my soul finds rest in God;
    my salvation comes from him.
² Truly he is my rock and my salvation;
    he is my fortress, I will never be shaken.

³ How long will you assault me?
    Would all of you throw me down—
    this leaning wall, this tottering fence?
⁴ Surely they intend to topple me
    from my lofty place;
    they take delight in lies.
With their mouths they bless,
    but in their hearts they curse.^[b]

⁵ Yes, my soul, find rest in God;
    my hope comes from him.
⁶ Truly he is my rock and my salvation;
    he is my fortress, I will not be shaken.
⁷ My salvation and my honor depend on God^[c];
    he is my mighty rock, my refuge.
⁸ Trust in him at all times, you people;
    pour out your hearts to him,
    for God is our refuge.

⁹ Surely the lowborn are but a breath,
    the highborn are but a lie.
If weighed on a balance, they are nothing;
    together they are only a breath.
¹⁰ Do not trust in extortion
    or put vain hope in stolen goods;
though your riches increase,
    do not set your heart on them.

¹¹ One thing God has spoken,
    two things I have heard:
“Power belongs to you, God,
¹²     and with you, Lord, is unfailing love”;
and, “You reward everyone
    according to what they have done.”

Shameless re-post

Someone posted this on Grace's facebook wall...and I'll admit until I saw this version I wasn't the biggest fan of this song...but I've only seen it, um, a dozen or so times tonight, so enjoy!

When life gets hard...

God stays good.

JG-God's people are incredible
Kadin-snuggly and adorable
John D.-appreciated and encouraging
Rita-coming SUNDAY!
Suzanne and Tom-getting married Saturday
Friends-remind me of God's love for me and others
PASS- over!
Judy- incredible
Nicole and Alicia- missed when we don't hang out
My birthday weekend-can't come fast enough
Italy-will be good but hard being away from friends and family so long
PTO-brought me a Starbucks gift card today!
Janet= thankful

Rough day...

Have you ever noticed that a great day is often followed by a rough one?  That was definitely the case today.  I'm resting in the fact that God is good, cause that's one of the only things I have left to cling to at this point.  Every time I think I've gotten to a place where things won't bother me as much anymore, another layer of security/stability is ripped away.

However, that being said, I Corinthians 10:13 is still true.  Praise God.

Currently on Display: God's Graciousness

So many blessings today!  God is so good.  First of all, because it is Teacher Appreciation Week, we received strawberries and chocolate from the PTO.  They were FANTASTIC!  Also, one of my students brought me a gorgeous magnolia blossom which proceeded to open throughout the day.  I took a picture and it has become the background for my phone--it is so beautiful!  I also noticed (again) the verses I had posted on my desk awhile ago (they had gotten covered) from Psalm 59:16-17.  It was such an encouragement to me to read them.

Also, because it is Monday, I had knitting class with my lovely students, as well as a team meeting where it was great to be able to touch base with our entire team for the first time in several weeks. With PASS starting tomorrow, it is easy to get overwhelmed, but I am seriously blessed by the ladies I work with.

After that, I was able to go tutor at the Dream Center today.  Even though I've only been going once a month, God has so graciously allowed me to really connect with one of the students there.  He told me today that he will be getting baptized in two weeks, and invited me to come to his 5th grade graduation/baptism party later that week.  I am so honored that he would want me to be there, and so of course I'm going to go!  The fact that I'm going home that same day is irrelevant; I will just get home an hour later than I had planned.  I'm definitely not missing this opportunity!  He also asked if I would make him a scarf, so that will be my gift to him at his party.

I'm also really excited about being able to tutor more at the Dream Center next year when most of my other commitments have been cut out.  I've been pretty viciously cutting things out of my schedule for next year, but I know that tutoring there will still be something I both enjoy and a way I can be a blessing to the students and the community around here.  Working one-on-one with students and watching them grow is really my passion.

Thanks to Aunt Jeanne  who left some freezer goodies last week, I was able to have spare ribs tonight for dinner!  They were delicious, and I'm so thankful for the blessing of having a quick and easy meal that is a change of pace from PB&J ;-).  I am sitting here after having a good quiet time, smelling my favorite candle, blogging, and just enjoying the evening.  Even though I'm alone tonight, I feel much more at peace than I have in a long time, and I'm so thankful for that.  God was gracious to give me a glimpse today into the impact I do have and to encourage me through so many little things.

Friends

Things I love about my friends:

-chats about tough topics that include lots of prayer
-head massages
-quality time
-surcies
-knitting companionship
-blunt honesty, however hard to swallow
-researching details for me since my internet stinks
-phone calls
-candles
-texts
-hugs
-(did I mention hugs?)
-a shoulder to cry on
-sharing encouraging Scripture
-blogs that help me keep in touch
-selfless kindness
-God's glory displayed through them

Thanks gals and guys!

Cinco de Mayo=Bday de Juan-o

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO JOHN!!!

So proud of my brother.  18 years old, about to enter Clemson, and he is such a blessing to me as a brother.  Love you, John!

Doctor Alfred Day

I am officially dubbing today "Doctor Alfred Day."  I'm so proud of my brother, and thankful that God has done so much in his life.  Looking forward to an awesome trip to Italy with the recently appointed Doctor of Pharmacy AKA my brother Alfred AKA A.J. AKA Alfred John Custer, II, AKA Alfredo the Great-o, AKA Tofu.  Love you, Alfred!

(Edited to add: AKA King Peter of the sage green robe and red sparkle cape; courtesy of a long-time friend who reminded me of said alias ;-)

The 100th post

Somehow this seems like it should be monumentous for some reason or other.  100 is a big, round number, and seems to suggest the need for a celebration of some sort. 

Today was a crazy day.  Between school, packing to leave for the weekend tomorrow, staying late at PPC,  and dealing with emotions brought to the surface by turning in a letter officially stating that I will not renew my lease at the end of July, I didn't get a whole lot of sleep tonight.  But I know that God will provide strength and alertness today for me.  I'm thankful for the blessing of so many friends and family members that God has provided me to encourage and challenge me to stay focused on Him.

There are a lot of questions right now that I don't know the answers to.  There are a lot of reasons that I wish I understood, a lot of uncertainties that are still up in the air.  But I'm choosing still to trust, even though I can't see the light at the end of the tunnel yet.

So, my 100th post is very much like my 1st post.  God is working, there is a lot I don't understand, but I do know He is faithful, and I look forward to seeing Him working in my life.

A Sacrifice of Praise

At Journey Group tonight, we focused on the importance of praise and thanksgiving.  One of the things we talked about is how easy it is to focus on things related to us, rather than general praise of God's amazingness throughout the world.  We spent time just reading verses from Psalms aloud to one another: Psalms of praise and thanksgiving.  As we read through Psalms, I kept remembering more and more Scripture songs that we used to sing at CCC.  How refreshing to have God's Word running through my mind!  We then spent time in silent prayer responding to the verses we had heard. It was such an encouraging time for everyone. I was so blessed to be there.

Nickle-boo

Loved having Aunt Jeanne and Nicholas up this afternoon and evening.  It was so much fun to play games with them, run around town, go to the playground and watch a 5-year old wear himself out playing tag with the other kids, even though he had never met any of them before.  He is growing up so fast; I'm really glad I'll be going to Myrtle Beach with them in July just to spend some more time before he becomes an old man ;-).

Only 3 more days until Alfred's graduation.  His hooding ceremony is tomorrow.  I feel old having a brother who is about to become a PharmD!