A+, AND DON'T FORGET TO ADD THE BONUS POINTS!

Megan came home with her first set of test papers. She didn't even realize they were in her folder and when I pulled them out of her bag today, she held her breath and clinched her teeth...she actually acted worried! I asked her what she thought her test papers said and she very shyly, no confidently, questionably asked " uh, A+? "
When I turned the pages around and showed them to her she got a huge smile on her face and screamed "YEAH BABY! I KNEW IT!"
She got all of her spelling words done correctly, and even the bonus word that we had not studied for. I hope that is just the beginning of many A's for her! As long as she loves making A's on her tests, she' hopefully love school too! I can't imagine how much trouble her dad and I will have when she gets older and we don't know how to help her with her homework because we're no longer smart enough! I guess I will be shelling out more of the green stuff to pay for tutors!
CONGRATULATIONS BABY GIRL! MOMMY IS VERY PROUD OF YOU!

The Skeptical Good Samaritan???

Why I always seem to struggle with this is really beyond me...Am I the only one that does this? Read on...tell me your thoughts!

What do you do when someone who is a complete stranger asks you for help? A few moments ago, my next door neighbor rings my door bell. The only thing I know about her are the following points:

• she lives next door


• she and her husband(?) are very quiet


• sometimes she drives a red car


• sometimes there is a white truck in the driveway


• there is a basket ball goal in the front yard, so she probably has kids

So, with that limited knowledge, and no more than an occasional wave (and when I say occasional, I mean probably twice) to say hello in the past year that they've lived there, she rings my doorbell and asks me if I am going anywhere today. Strange, but polite way of asking for something but not imposing on me. I reply "No, why?" and she just says that she needs to go to the post office to be dropped off. I do agree to take her to the post office, after all, I'm home and I am not busy. I tell her I'll be out in a minute I just have to get shoes on, and she waits outside for me. Then after closing the door, that person shows up in my head. You know, the one that doesn't have faith in human kind, the one that doubts the good intent of everyone she sees, the one that thinks anyone who asks favors such as these has demented, psycho intentions and therefore I will end up on the evening news as a missing persons story.

"YOUNG BIRMINGHAM MOTHER AND HER 3 YEAR OLD SON ARE MISSING TONIGHT IN A CLEAR CASE OF VANISHING. SHE WAS LAST SEEN DROPPING HER DAUGHTER OFF AT SCHOOL, AND HOURS LATER....SHE WAS GONE" (insert mystery music here...dun dun duuuunnnnn!)

So why did I agree to this total strangers request? At this point, I didn't even know her NAME! I had no idea who she was other than, she lives next door! What made me agree to help her when I had no idea if I could really trust her? I suppose one could argue both sides of this one.

On the SHOULD NOT have helped side..."you just can't be too careful these days", "in today's world you can't trust anyone", "you never know when someone is going to hurt you, or is setting you up for something".

On the SHOULD help side...Matthew 25:35-40 Then the King will say to those on His right, ‘Come, you who are blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. ‘For I was hungry, and you gave Me something to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me something to drink; I was a stranger, and you invited Me in; naked, and you clothed Me; I was sick, and you visited Me; I was in prison, and you came to Me.’ “Then the righteous will answer Him, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry, and feed You, or thirsty, and give You something to drink? ‘And when did we see You a stranger, and invite You in, or naked, and clothe You? ‘When did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?’ “The King will answer and say to them, ‘Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of Mine, even the least of them, you did it to Me.’

By the way,

• I now know her name,
• she has 3 kids, and is actually a grandmother of one and one on the way.
• She met her mother at the post office, and together they are going to drive 40 miles to her grandmother's house to check on her, and make sure she has lunch.

The previous verses describes acts of mercy we can be involved in daily. It doesn't matter if you are rich, poor, smart, stupid, physically able or not, they are just merciful acts that we are to do freely...without expectation. We have no excuse to neglect those who have deep needs, whatever they are. We have to step up. The Lord demands our personal involvement in the care of others' needs in Isaiah 58:7 "...to share your food with the hungry and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter-when you see the naked, to clothe him..."

For some reason, this is a hard one for me. I want to help people, but my fear of the evil ways of some hold me back. It is definitely something I struggle with, and want to improve, however, with the meanness of the world, and the constant stories of people being kidnapped from shopping centers in day light, pregnant women being abducted because a lonely mother wanted her baby, children coming up missing in carjackings, etc...I wonder how to handle it. I think there is a fine line in today's world...and each situation is different and has to be interpreted by you and the Holy Spirit. I did pray as I got my things together for the Lord to keep me and my son safe as we helped her, and to bless our effort. I had no reservations once she came to the car...things were settled and fine in my heart at that point. To think, I could have let that doubting voice in my head hinder me from being the Lord's vessel today. I would have had to LIE to get out of it...and that would be more fault on me!

ESFJ...WHAT DOES IT REALLY MEAN???

I found this interesting....I origionally took the Myers-Briggs test as an assignment from our Drama Team leader at church. We are in the beginning stages of forming a Drama Team, and I guess the purpose was to find out the personalities/interests of everyone who has signed up. I pretty much find this to be dead on about me (plus or minus a few points), but what do you think? Have you ever taken a test like this??? What is your personality profile???? If you like this sort of thing, click on the links and take the test for yourself.



More about my personality type...
About the ESFJ Expert Quotes & Links

"Guardians of birthdays, holidays and celebrations, ESFJs are entertainers. They enjoy and joyfully observe traditions and are liberal in giving, especially where custom prescribes."
- ESFJ Profile (TypeLogic)

"ESFJs are people persons - they love people. They are warmly interested in others. They use their Sensing and Judging characteristics to gather specific, detailed information about others, and turn this information into supportive judgments. They want to like people, and have a special skill at bringing out the best in others. They are extremely good at reading others, and understanding their point of view. The ESFJ's strong desire to be liked and for everything to be pleasant makes them highly supportive of others."
- Portrait of an ESFJ (The Personality Page)

"...values relationships and families over intellectual pursuits, group oriented, follows the rules..."
- Jung Type Descriptions (ESFJ) (similarminds.com) "...take it upon themselves to arrange for the health and welfare of those in their care, but they are also the most sociable of all the SJs, and thus are the great nurturers of established institutions such as schools, businesses, churches, social clubs, and civic groups."
- The Portrait of the Provider Guardian (Keirsey)

"At work, ESFJs contribute their ability to cooperate with others and to complete tasks in a timely and accurate way. They respect rules and authority, and handle daily operations efficiently. They tend to be well informed and up-to-date on organizational actions that matter to people. They do what they can to make sure that personal relationships are running smoothly. Because they pay close attention to people's needs and wants, they are often involved in work activities that meet people's practical, day-to-day desires."
- ESFJ - The Helper (Lifexplore)

FAMOUS ESFJ'S

Famous ESFJs

Real ESFJ People

Danny Glover - actor
Desi Arnaz - actor, comedian, musician
Dixie Carter - actress
Don Knotts - comedian
Elvis Stojko - Canadian figure skater
Jack Benny - comedian, actor
John Connally - politician
Mary Tyler Moore - actress, comedian
Nancy Kerrigan - Olympic figure skater
Sally Field - actress
Sally Struthers - actress
Steve Spurrier - football player
Terry Bradshaw - football player
William McKinley - American President


Fictional ESFJs (Characters)

Donald Duck - Disney cartoon character
George Babbitt - Babbit (Sinclair Lewis)
Hoss Cartwright - Bonanza
Leonard "Bones" McCoy - Star Trek
Monica Gellar - Friends
Nurse Haleh Adams - ER
Rabbit - Winnie the Pooh

The Hard Part Is Over...Right???

Well, I'm finally through decorating my classroom! Yesterday was "MEET THE TEACHER" day and I got to meet all 8 of my students and their parents. I really have a great group and I am so excited! Class doesn't start for another week or so, and I am more anxious than ever. Today has been a rough day because I think I was experiencing the beautiful let down. I had prepared so hard to be ready for Meet The Teacher day and when it was finally over, I finally relaxed! Exhaustion does not even begin to describe me today! I literally laid around all day as if I had the flu! Even though I'll really only be teaching 2 days a week once school starts, I have literally been up at the school nearly every day of the week since mid July~so that will seem like a vacation! haha!
Well, here are a few pictures I took the other day while at the school. The room isn't cleaned up of the toys because Ryan was there with me and he had been playing...but I guess it's going to look like that when my students come anyway!

DESPERATLY SEEKING DINNER HELP!

Going back to work (even 2 days a week) is proving to be a challenge for me. I never claimed to be the perfect "MARTHA STEWART" stay at home wife and mom with a organized, clean house, and dinner made from scratch and ready by 5pm. But, I did ok. I got us through each day with plenty of hugs and kisses to go around, books to read, and a prepared meal...even if it was just a hot dog on a lot of nights! (I know, I know...sad! I get the "sorry slacker mom" award!). But, even though classes haven't started yet, I have been spending virtually EVERY day at the school getting my classroom decorated, cleaned and organized. For the most part it is ready for sweet little children to come in and begin learning and loving school! So, as I adjust to my new "working" schedule, I need help from all of you mom's out there! Working or NOT I ask you to leave me a comment on this post telling me of your favorite weekday/workday recipie. Let me just say...I got the following covered:

HOT DOGS, HAMBURGERS, SPAGHETTI, AND ANYTHING TAKE OUT! Haha! The $5 pizza deal from Little Ceasers is a life saver!!!

Sooooo, how 'bout it? Give me your quickie and goodie ideas! I sure could use them!

BLESSINGS TO ALL WHO RESPOND FROM A DESPERATELY TIRED WORKING STAY AT HOME MOM AND WIFE!

Jen

It's the first day of FIRST GRADE!

Well, yesterday started it all off for us! Megan began her official venture into elementary school. I feel so blessed that the Lord has chosen for her to go to private school for first grade. She has a class of 16, a wonderful teacher, and a whole lot of new things coming her way! I am amazed at what first graders learn these days. When I was in school (you know, way back in the dark ages when everyone walked over snow covered mountains for miles and miles), it was the 3rd grade before I learned to look words up in the dictionary and had to write book reports. This year, my baby girl (will I ever NOT call her that???) will be doing all of that and more in the first grade. She will learn to look up scripture in the Bible, begin learning to write in cursive writing (again, 2ND and 3RD grade for that with me!), and she'll be challenged to read 120 books over the course of the school year. She will have a sheet to write down 20 books and authors to turn into the teacher every month! WOW! It's going to be a busy busy year! And there are simply not enough hours in the day for it all! Well, even if I wasn't already, I better be hitting my knees more often so we can make it through first grade!! It only goes uphill from here!
Here are a few pics we took of the big day. Hope you enjoy!
FEEL FREE TO COMMENT ON YOUR THOUGHTS OF FIRST GRADE! What did your child enjoy/dislike most...what did you do in first grade WAY BACK IN THE DAY? I'd be curious to hear from ya'll!

FIRST GRADE HAIRCUT

Last week I made myself an appointment for a much needed haircut and yesterday I went to see my lady at the salon. I took Megan along with me because I wanted to try to get her hair cut too, but I wasn't sure if she'd do it. She loves having her long hair, and everytime it needs a trim, I have to give her a 20 minute reassuring talk that we're not going to cut it all off to her shoulders, or make her bald! (She seriously asked me that one time...I have to wonder if it's because both her Daddy and Papa are bald on top and she's afraid it's because of haircuts!) So all the way to the Salon, she went back and forth...."Yes, I want to get my hair cut" and "Well, I don't know, maybe not". I told her she could watch me and decide later, or just let her Nana cut it like we usually do. We got there and she watched a couple of senior ladies getting their hair colored, and I think it may have made her a little nervous because after questioning what was happening to their head of hair, and Mom explaining it, she quickly pointed out that she didn't want any color in her hair, she liked it just fine like it is! Finally it was my turn...I went back to the shampoo station, and she watched intently....and was intrigued. I think ultimatly, she decided to get her hair cut so she could have them wash it! While I was in the midst of my hair cut, she decided YES! So Mrs. Rachel told her she could go back there and get washed, and with a big grin and a little pep in her step off she went! I couldn't get any pics of that, but I did get shots of her getting her hair cut. She loved the attention and the pampering! And, after it was all said and done, she loved her haircut. We didn't cut it short, it's still long enough for a ponytail, but short enough that it doesn't land in her food while eating a meal! (phew! big source of frustration for MOM!) When we got home, Daddy took a pic of both of us girls and our new haircut! She looks so big now! She grew up with just a couple of inches of hair being removed! Yesterday, she was this little baby girl, and today....SHE LOOKS LIKE THE FIRST GRADER SHE IS!

PHEW! I KNEW IT WAS TOO HOT TO BE CHRISTMAS!

This past weekend was the "TAX FREE HOLIDAY" here in Alabama, which means, anything related to school supplies (i.e. pens, crayons, notebooks, paper, and even clothes), were relieved of tax. It's a good opportunity to stock up on some of these items and save a little money. I had not yet bought Megan's school supplies, and was planning to so anyway when I found out it was the tax free holiday, so I was excited about it....that is, until I pulled into the TARGET parking lot! It was like Christmas time trying to find your way into the parking lot, much less finding a place to park. And if you think you are getting down any isle filled with lunchbox's, or other school needs, forget about it! ESPECIALLY if you have a shopping cart! I was alone with the kids, so I had to bully my way down the isle to get what I need. I wanted to buy Megan a "first day of school" outfit (mainly for pictures), but we were unsuccessful at Target. But, before we caved in, we did score an awesome HELLO KITTY lunch box and she found a back pack that she liked...can you guess what color it is??? YEP, PINK! That was really her only criteria...it had to be pink. She didn't care if it had a character on it (like a Disney Princess, or Tinkerbell, etc)...it just had to be pink. We also found her folder that was on her list, and I thought she was going to bust the eardrums of everyone in Target when she saw it...it was a "HIGHSCHOOL MUSICAL" folder and she is turning into every little starry eyed little girl with a crush on Zac Efron (aka Troy Bolton in the movie). Oh what fun I had with her this weekend picking out her school supplies. We (and when I say we, I mean ME) refused to go to WalMart in Trussville this weekend, because they are renovating the store, and there is only so much of that I can tolerate! So we made the long trek over to the WalMart in Gardendale just to be able to shop in a little more organization. We found her "first day of school" outfit there, but now I am worried that it may be a little too hot to wear. She wanted a pair of khaki pants (and when I say she, I mean MOM because they were on sale!), and she picked out a shirt (yes, SHE did) that is short sleeved, but it's made of that "thermal underwear" material, so I'm a little worried that it may not work. We still have tons of clothes to buy for school, because when kids grow so fast, they need an entire new wardrobe every year and every season! But I have to make sure she is with me to try it on and make sure she likes it! OH, YEAH! MY 6 YEAR OLD HAS AN OPINION ON CLOTHES NOW! Imagine that! We've definatly entered a new phase of life! haha! But, she'll still let me put hairbows in her hair! I know it's all over the day she puts a halt to that! I will have lost my "baby girl" at that point! haha! Hopefully she'll let Mom dress her a little bit longer.

So, here's to the start of school...it's not even here yet (11 days and counting), and I'm already broke! Why does school supplies cost so much????????

Graduating to the "BIG KIDS" at church

Well, next Sunday is the big promotion day at church. Megan will officially be a FIRST GRADER and move up to the "BIG KIDS"! I can not believe how fast time has gone by! It seems like I was just holding her in my arms for the first time, or the first day of preschool was here. I am so proud of her. She is turning into a beautiful, sweet, and smart young woman. I look forward to the day that she commits her life to Jesus and is ready to make it a public profession of her faith and love to God. This Sunday at church, all of the incoming first graders to the Children's ministry were presented new Bibles. They were encouraged to read their Bibles and learn everything they can. I am excited about this new phase of Megan's life. If the next 6 years of her life go by as quickly as the last 6, I will be on the brink of a new phase....TEENAGER! UGH! Let's not think about this. I am having a hard enough time dealing with her being in grade school! (tears are building!)
Well, before the keyboard get's soaked with my tears, I will leave you with a few pics we took yesterday. As you can see from the slide show...we are very proud parents!!!

Being "Mom"

Wow! Everything my Mom ever said to me growing up is in the video below, and it's amazing how many of these "sayings" I've used myself....and my experience only goes up to 6.5 years!
The lady's name is Anita Renroe, and you can click HERE to go to her website if you are interested in learning more about her. Take a moment to watch this video. It's pretty funny.

HOW SHOULD I HANDLE THIS?

As many of you know by now, I am venturing out into the work world. I will begin teaching preschool the day after Labor Day at HillDale Christian School. I have been so excited about this part of God's wonderful plan for me. I am very much looking forward to it. Last friday night, we had a dinner meeting with all the teachers and the principle where we all received our class list. I have 8 kids in my class, and I finally know their individual names, which has made it more real! I can now pray for them all by name! After talking with each of the teachers about the students that had been placed in their perspective classrooms, one of the teachers offered up a piece of advice about one of the boys in my class. She knows this family personally and has told me that he is VERY attatched to his Mommy, and will probably have a really hard time adjusting to school. So basically, I see myself having to pull him apart from his Mom every Tuesday and Thursday! Something I don't want to do! I, myself, have never had to deal with this because my kids were always happy to go to school. As a matter of fact, Ryan used to cry to GO because we'd drop off his big sister and not him. I guess if it had been an issue I had to deal with, I would have been heartbroken to see my child screaming and reaching for me as I left the buildin. So if this sweet little precious boy has separation issues when the first days of school starts, so be it. I will do my best to make him feel comfortable and earn his trust. Hopefully if won't last long. My main concern is also making the parents feel at ease with leaving their babies with me. After all, they are only 2 and 3 year olds!!!

If you have advice on how I should handle it...pass it on. It's greatly appreciated!

HAIRSPRAY

So, today, my sweet hubby let me outta the house for a bit to meet my best friend at the movies to watch Hairspray. What makes that sweet? Well, he wanted to see it too, but we didn't have anyone to keep the kids, so he let me go without him. (all together now...."AAAWWWW!")

Well, I've always wanted to see the Broadway show, and when it came to town, for one reason (no money), or another (no money), I wasn't able to go. But springing the movie ticket price was more doable, so off I went with only a slight tinge of guilt. (hey...it's a "mommy" thing)

First off....the girl playing the lead role of Tracy Turnblad was PHE-NOM-ENAL! It's hard to believe that it is her very first movie! She looked like a true pro and I couldn't stop smiling whenever she was onscreen! She's so cute! She did a great job, and I can't imagine any other girl (celebrity especially) playing the role!
Secondly, JOHN TRAVOLTA, aka Edna Turblad, was unreal! First off...he had the goofiest expressions on his face and I'm sure it was due to "overacting" since most of his body for the movie was FAKE! (haha) I was also amazed at how "light on her feet" Edna was, considering she was a pretty large lady (shemale)
The other "over actor" was the highly popular Zac Ephron, who is best known for his "High School Musical" fame (loved that one!), but even his portrayal of Troy Bolton was a bit over the top. I think he's a cute guy, but his "contemplative, I'm in a quandary and need to make the right decision" face didn't get any better in Hairspray as he portrayed the heart throb "LINK". But even still, he was fun to watch....and the boy can def. dance.
Also, even though I consider him to be a totally creepy guy, Christopher Walken was really good in his role as Tracy's dad. There's just something about him that gives me chills, yet I feel awkwardly drawn to him as a performer. He's the creepiest kinda cool, ya know?
But once again, one of my most favorite performers was MS. QUEEN LATIFA! She rocks! I loved her as "Mama" in Chicago several years ago, and I loved her in this movie....the only problem was that there was just not enough of her!
So, basically, I've never heard any of the music other than the famous "You can't stop the beat" that plays with the trailers, but I've bee singing (more like humming since I don't know the lyrics) "Good Morning Baltimore" all day! The opening number was great!
I love musicals. The only musical I recall hating was EVITA with Madonna. Yes, the story was interesting, but OMGOLLY! It was horrible having to listen to every line being sung! The absolute only line that is spoken is when her husband says "Eva, you are dying"! AAAAAHHHH! The only thing I find hilarious about musicals is the fact that they break out in song and dance, yet EVERYONE knows the lyrics to the songs, and the movements to the "spontaneous" dance! Or if they are singing/dancing as a solo in the movie, everyone around them is going about their business as if it's completely normal and no big deal! Can you imagine if you had started singing and dancing in the middle of the halls of your high school! The men in white coats would be coming for you with a special made jacket! haha
Well, here's the trailer. If you like musicals, and have the chance, be sure you check this one out! I will definitely be adding this one to my movie collection when it's released on DVD....and, if I can talk Jon into it, we might try to get away on a date to go see it together!

WHAT IS IN YOUR BUCKET???

Get ready...ramblings late at night from a thirsty soul.

Since Pastor Ryan is on vacation, the next few weeks at church will be filled with guest speakers on Sunday mornings. It's not that I don't like guest speakers, or that I don't "get anything out of their message", it's just that when you are under the leadership of an awesome man of God as my pastor, you miss it when he's gone. But alas, he deserves a rejuvinating vacation, and I pray he comes back more rested and ON FIRE for the Lord. This past Sunday's first "guest speaker" was certainly no guest. He is well knows to many CrossPointers, and has filled in many times before. Tim Tidwell is an awesome guy. I love to hear him preach. He brought lots of fruit to the table today, and I must say, I'm still feasting! Here's a few points that I'm still chewing on...

Scripture: John 4:1-29

Theme: The Woman At The Well

Now how many times have we all heard sermons preached on this particular scripture? For me it is far too many to count. And as Mr. Tidwell said in his sermon, there are so many different messages that can come out of these words and there's not enough time to get to them all in one day. That's just like God, huh? To fill us full of the scripture, and have it mean something in so many different ways, to so many different people, in so many different stages of life, so many different times of our life! I like the angle presented in this message...

How many times do you think this woman had come to this well with her bucket?

This was a routine for her. (remember that point...I'll come back to it) She probably drew water from this well daily, if not more than that! She carried her bucket to the well-probably a long walk from her home-and all the way there, her thoughts of her life surrounding her. When she get's there...a Jew is sitting near by and asks for a drink. "Wow! What's he talking to me for?? He's a Jew, I'm a Samaritan!" (as scripture references, Jews and Samaritan's have nothing to do with each other...much like many of the racial divides throughout time-black vs white, german vs jew, muslim vs christian, etc).

The verses 7-15 tells us alot about this woman's relationship with God...for she didn't recognize just who it was talking to her. Jesus tells her that if she only knew him, He could give her living water! Jesus is referring to her life style...not her physical thirst. If she would know, trust, love and live for Jesus, he can fill her heart so full that she would not thirst for anything else! (That whole "God shaped hole" that we all try to fill with worldly things at some point in our lives-nothing can fill a God shaped hole but GOD HIMSELF!). He "calls her out" when he asks her to go get her husband in verse 16, and she LIES to Him. Well, she told the truth by admitting she had no husband, but lying by omission is still lying! In fact, she'd had 5 husbands, and was shacking up with a dude even then! When Jesus confronted her with her sins, and offered her a drink from His well, she left her bucket at his feet and ran off telling everyone! (v. 28-29)

So let's turn this into a lesson for the day (one of the many)...as was asked of us in church, I ask you to ponder now...

"WHAT IS IN YOUR BUCKET?"

What is on your mind when you find yourself face to face with the Saviour? What to do bring to him? What do you pray about? What do you anticipate when you approach the throne?

• Do you fill your bucket with your bills and debts? An overly stressed financial situation can cause problems in more than just your checkbook. Marriages become strained over the fight of money, your availability to be used by God is lessened when you're strapped down and can't give to others to help His cause, you can't be obedient to the Lord and give what you want, or should give as commanded!


• Is your bucket filled with all your relationships? The good, the Bad, the Ugly? Are you astrained from your parents, siblings, or inlaws? How about the relationship between a husband and a wife? There is nothing more important than to protect and annoint a marriage with the Grace and Love of God! A couple who comes together before the Lord on a regular basis is taking steps to ensure they're remaining close to each other, and are seeking God and his will for them. Separatly pursuing God is good too, but when you draw nearer to God together, you also draw closer together! (see image below)

• What are your desires? Perhaps a better question would be, are YOUR desires HIS desires? Psalms 37:4 "Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart." The closer one draws him/herself to the Almighty God, the less desire you have of your own, and the more desires you have of the Creator. His desires become your desires. So I ask again, WHAT DESIRES ARE IN YOUR BUCKET?

The woman at the well was going about her ROUTINE. It is imparative that believers not get mixed up in a routine! Christ didn't come here and die for us to have a routine! It's just not about a routine, it's about a RELATIONSHIP!

This message gave me conviction and I've been thinking of it all week. Far too often, I get mixed up in the day to day grind, that is not nearly as hectic and bad as I might believe it to be...especially when you consider the hectic, chaotic, and torn up lives of others. Ashamedly, I get so wrapped up in outside influences...TV (tivo is a great invention, but should be used wisely more wisely in our home! We watch far too much tv now!), internet (i.e. blogs, MySpace, etc...while they are excellent resources for connection to the outside world, too often I find myself spending many many hours surfing the net when I could be surfing the word of God and finding more of his desires for myself). I realize that these are all tools used by the greatest deceiver of all time to thwart my use to the Kingdom of God. My goal is to connect the desires of my heart with the desires of my head. My head knows the logic of turning the tv off, and setting limits for those outside influences. But apparently my heart has not caught up. It's time to draw near to God. I put my trust in the Lord, and not in the deceit of my enemy.

I leave you with this verse:

Psalms 145:1-4,10

1 Praise the Lord! Praise the Lord, O my soul! 2 I will praise the Lord as long as I live; I will sing praises to my God while I have my being. 3 Put not your trust in princes, in a son of man, in whom there is no salvation. 4 When his breath departs, he returns to the earth; on that very day his plans perish. 10 The Lord will reign forever, your God, O Zion, to all generations. Praise the Lord!

May blessings from the Lord be abundant in your favor today....

SOOOO PUMPED!

So today, the kids and I went up to the school because Megan had been asking to see my classroom and she wants to help me decorate. I intended to go up for an hour or so, maybe clean a few shelves and then go over to a friends house to let the kids play. Once I arrived, there were other teachers there that had their children with them, so our kids got to play together...basically, we weren't leaving anytime soon when they were having such fun! I started cleaning out the desk, the cabinets, and before I knew it, I had a mountain of junk in the center of the room! This room had not been fully cleaned in several years, because I found multiple teachers names laying claim to many items in those cabinets....many of whom haven't taught at this school in several years! But, I had a great time cleaning out and deciding what to keep, what to toss out, and what to put in a pile for "fair game" in case any of the other teachers needed it. At one point, one of my dear friends, and FAVORITE teachers at the school, Mrs. Cathy Hunt, came in and she gave me a great deal of help trying to decide what to decorate the room with, what to put on my bulletin boards, etc. Then we decided we needed to go to the Teacher's Pet store just up the road. It was so much fun going in there and getting things for my classroom. I didn't buy much, because I wanted to wait and see what all had been left for me, but I will definatly need to go back! After heading back up to the school to work on our classrooms some more, the kids got settled in and actually layed down on the nap mats to watch a movie, and Ryan fell fast asleep! (I wish it was that easy at home...at school, he's always out so fast!). Before I knew it, Jonathan was calling my cell phone to ask where I was...He'd been calling me at home and I wasn't there....it was 5 o'clock! I put in a good hard day up there and time flew by so fast! I still have so much to do, and it will take such a long time to get it all ready like I want it, but it has just created so much spark in me that I can't wait to get back up there!

Who knew I'd be soooo excited about getting back into work! When I left my ambitions of teaching many years ago, it was for no other reason than, I WAS BURNED OUT! Even when I sent my precious 2 year old Megan to school, I admired the teachers then, because I just didn't have it in me! But what a transformation the Lord has done on my heart! He's given me a fire and desire for it again and I am so excited. Perhaps when I was in childcare before it just wasn't the right direction....I thought I was interested in running a childcare development center (NOT daycare...I hate daycares...they have low paid workers which create low "care" for the children....believe me I was one of them at one time!). But now, I'm going to be teaching Pre 3K (2 and 3 year olds), and the only drawback is that I'll be pottytraining them! But hey, it's nothing I've not mastered before!

What's more, is the group of ladies I'm privileged to work with, are all truly hand picked by God! The director of the kindergarten has lead so well over the years that she's been there, and she is really great at fostering close relationships between all the ladies by scheduling "girls nights", luncheons, and weekend retreats. I believe that God had this planned for me all along, and I am really excited to finally be part of it all!

Praising God for a job sent from HEAVEN!

IT'S INDEPENDENCE DAY!

One of my FAVORITE Family holidays has now come and gone. Independence Day is always a blast in the Barrett/Vinson houses. My parents started this tradition several years ago, and it's one day that is talked about for months leading up to, and for months well after it's gone. My entire family comes together for some awesome BBQ, mom's potato salad (even though I've got the job of bringing it now), Jon's famous Baked beans, and for dessert, Mamaw's banana pudding, and Aunt Sherri's famous Chocolate pie. IT'S AWESOME!
Now that there is a pool at Mom's house, there's always swimming involved, and this year we added, CMT KARAOKE REVOLUTION in which Lauren kicked our booties singing Martina McBride's "Independence Day" (although, I think Mary got her back later!), and my Dad has bought another 4 wheeler that is just the right size for the kids, so they had a blast with that! The day was awesome! I love any chance I get to spend time with my family, because whether we realize it or not, these are memories in the making. It's easy to get caught up in the day to day hassle and even overlook the times we all come together, but I am proud to say that we all have started making the most of our time together. I know this is special for me, and I hope that my kids will grow up knowing just how special it is when they look back on pictures taken through the years....here's a slide of a just a few pics I managed to take today!

AND HERE IS A LITTLE SOMETHING I SAW POSTED ON MYSPACE TODAY...THOUGHT I'D SHARE THIS TOO...

TO THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA:

-- Happy 231st birthday!!--

I'm honored to be a citizen within your borders.--

Thanks for my freedom.

TO ALL AMERICANS WHO SERVE IN UNIFORM:

-- You are heros. --

I wish America honored you every day like they have today, because you continue to be heros the other 364 days of the year.

-- Thanks for my freedom.

TO MY JESUS:

-- Without you, there would be no America.

--Without you, our troops would have nothing to fight for.

-- Without you, we would be nothing.

-- Thanks for our freedom!!John 8:36

-- So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.

LOVE, PAIN, AND THE WHOLE CRAZY THING!!!!!

OK. So I let it happen. I let my CRAZY sis in law Mary talk me into trekking over to Atlanta to see Keith Urban in concert. For those of you who know my wacky sis in law personally, you know that Keith Urban is a package deal when your are friends with her! It doesn't matter if you only know her at church, play in the bunco group, or whatever...eventually you hear KEITH talk! She's been a fan for a long time, and she's nuts for him.
So anyway, back to the story. A few months ago, she found out he was coming to the Phillips Arena in ATL, and sent out a bulletin here on MySpace asking if anyone was interested. I remember showing a slight amount of interest, and POOF! All of a sudden, I was an honorary Keith NUT! She had us tickets, emailed me the seating info and even had a 360 degree camera angle at the Arena! I was a little excited, because the seats were great, and we were bordering front row with the placement of the stage setup! Granted...I don't know a lot of his songs. I certainly have heard them. I just don't listen to the radio a bunch, and therefore I barely know his lyrics.
Well, before I even GOT to the concert last night, I had been given the 411 on all things Keith! Everything from what kind of water he drinks (only drinks Figi), to the fact that he carries a trailer behind his bus that holds his motorcycle ( a Harley that he rides while out on tour). After we parked, we happened upon his tour bus, and stalked them waiting for a glimpse of his golden locks in the 90 degree Atlanta heat. Finally after giving up on that chance, we went to find nourishment to continue the Keith Hunt! We walked about 10 blocks to get to the Hard Rock Cafe and sat down for about an hour to cool off, and rest. (For the record, if you're planning to visit Hard Rock anytime soon...get the "Joe Perry's 'ROCK YOUR WORLD' Quesadilla...they're DIVINE!) I always love my visits to the Hard Rock and this was no different.
After a very good lunch, we walked around ATL and visited Centennial Olympic Park. At first glance, it was huge and majorly crowded, but we went in anyway, and it was really pretty. The Olympic fountain was still there, and it was a perfect day for it to be up and running. There were tons of kids jumping in it everywhere, and it made me wish my kids were with me because they would have had a blast. We then walked back to the Phillips Arena area and stopped in at the CNN building. I had no idea what we were walking into when we got there, but I just wanted to get out of the heat and have some air conditioned relief. We walked in and realized that it was also one big Food Court Mall! Haha! We could've saved ourselves the long walk to Hard Rock and just eaten there, but OH WELL! We walked around in the shops and wasted time, and then Mary had to take one last stalk of the tour bus! We went and watched the top of the bus for another 20 minutes or so to no avail. We did however see a drum line of a local High School band rehearsing to what we later saw on stage was a performance with KEITH! Kinda neat!
Back to the CNN building, we waited in the air conditioned comfort for the Arena to open....and finally THE CONCERT BEGAN. Mary did a great job getting us seats. We were right on the side of the stage, but we were so close to everything, we saw everybody as they were getting ready to go on stage to perform. The Wreckers opened up for him and did a great job. We saw them standing below us waiting for their time to go on, and it was neat to see that side of everything.
Keith put on a great show, and being as that was my first time to see him live, I had nothing to compare it to. Mary said it wasn't his BEST performance but I thought it was great. He gave alot of attention to the fans in the crowd. He sang a lovely song and dedicated it to his wife who was off filming a movie in Australia. He did an awesome encore...and got a new kind of "wave" going....everyone did the wave but had their cell phones all lit up & held up high, and it looked sooooo cool!
So, did I enjoy myself? YES! Would I go again...probably. Will I stalk him like Mary? Nah. Will I ever have to bail Mary out of jail for jumping onto the top of his tour bus....QUITE POSSIBLY!
BUT...THAT'S LOVE, PAIN AND THE WHOLE CRAZY THING!
THANKS MAR! HAD A BLAST!!!!

Anticipation....

As so many of you who read this blog know by now, I am slowly venturing into the work force beginning this fall. I will be teaching a preschool class made up of precious 2 and 3 year olds at the same school my kids attend. This is a blessing from above, because I have long prayed about what to do once my children began going to school. Should I work? Should I continue to stay home full time? What would I fill my days with if I didn't work and they were at school all day? I must admit, I am totally in love with my job as a stay at home (but work your butt off) Mom. While it's a challenging job in many ways, its also the only thing I've ever wanted to do...have a family and fill my days taking care of them. I am so fortunate that the Lord has allowed me to stay home with our children and he has taken care of our many needs over the last 6 years despite our lack of income. A little more than a year ago, I made a request to the principle of the school, that I would be interested in teaching a class if there were ever to be an opening. While it didn't work out for last school year as I had hoped, I still made sure everyone knew of my interest, and I volunteered up at the school as room mom, sub teacher, office assistant...anything I could get into. I developed a good relationship with many of the teachers, and then finally one day, the principle called me into her office...but that was a good thing! (haha) Unbeknown to me at the time, I had several little "angels" cheering for me at the school in the form of those sweet new friends I had made. The teachers all kept dropping my name, and the principle prayed about it and VOILA! I have the job I'd prayed about!

So now....I have to get my classroom ready! I am planning on waiting until after next week or so to start inquiring about it, but I am ready to begin planning my days out, decorating the classroom, and just jump in! I think I will only have 8 students in class, but their day will include lunch time and nap since the class will be until 2pm those two days during the week.

I am already praying for my students, and for the roll I will have in their families lives this school year. Sometimes, it excites me when I think about the job I have, and many other times, it reminds me that it's a big job! It's more than just "babysitting" a kid for a few hours! I am investing into the lives of those kids, and their families when I teach the ABC's, the Bible verses, the songs, etc. This class is laying a foundation for all of their learning abilities, and if I can make this fun for them, then hopefully the will carry it with them and always love learning!

This is exactly what happened for my sweet precious baby girl, and I see it happening with my darling son too. There was never a doubt in all the times I left my kids at school that they would be loved. I believe those teachers were hand picked by God for my children, and I am ever so grateful that He chose the ladies He did! I just pray that the same will be for the children I teach this fall!

Well, that's all for now! That seems to be on my mind a lot lately, as the first month of our summer vacation is over, and we are itching ever so closer to the school bell ringing again!

FUN WITH AIDAN

It's been a fun week so far around here. Our little friend Aidan came to stay with us for a few days while his parents were at work, and the kids had a blast together. They entertained each other so well, that they were completely worn out by the time the afternoon came around and we ALL took a great nap! (Yes, Me included!) While Megan went on an overnight trip with her dad on Monday and Tuesday, me and the boys had a great time playing in the backyard, and we went to play at Chick Fil A (or "chick-a-lay" if you them) on Tuesday.
Today, the backyard started getting a little more boring, so I dug out the little "baby wading pool" from the back of the barn, and despite the drought, they had fun splashing away. We put the slide into the pool and they had more fun doing that than at a water park!!!! Little by little, they got more and more brave, and started going down the slide BACKWARDS! Aidan was supposed to come back tomorrow and Friday, but his Mimi didn't have jury duty the rest of the week, so he's going to hang out with her. But the good news is, he's coming back next week! I know the kids (especially his best bud, Ryan) will be so excited to have him over again! They all get along so well, and Aidan is so good, we love having him around!
I've included a slide show of all the fun we had, and I'm experimenting with a new kind of program, so let me know what you think. This one is like a virtual scrapbook and it's interactive. You'll need to click the "book page" or a picture to be able to enlarge it to see them better. Hope you enjoy...

Click to play | Make your own Smilebox

HAPPY 35TH BIRTHDAY JONATHAN

Yesterday was Jonathan's 35th birthday. Of course he was up and out the door before anyone in our house was awake yesterday, so we didn't get to shower him with a "HAPPY BIRTHDAY" song until later. The kids and I made him a birthday banner and hung it up in the kitchen so he would see it when he came home from work. I drew the lettering, and the kids colored it up with crayons, and drew pictures, etc. Dad nearly ruined it by coming home early, but luckily he had his sunglasses on when he came through the door and didn't see it immediately, and we yelled at him to "CLOSE YOUR EYES!!!!!"
As soon as we could get ready, the 3 of us stood in front of the sign and sang Happy Birthday to him as we allowed him back into the room! (phew!, moment saved!)
We joined his Mom and Step Dad for dinner at O'Charleys and some yummy cake afterwards. Perhaps it wasn't the most spectacular birthday, but Jon says he doesn't really care for much. He says he's 35 years old and doesn't need a big deal. But Ryan says Daddy needs a "DEAL OR NO DEAL" party (after the popular game show that we all watch frequently).
Maybe we chose "NO BIG DEAL" as his party theme! hahaha
Here is a few pics...enjoy

Mercy VS Compassion

Here's a funny little story that's been happening as of late...

During the school year, my kids were learning different stories from the Bible. The story of Moses was one of their favorites and they covered it extensively. Ryan loved talking about baby Moses in the basket, and when the teacher announced to all the classes that they were going to watch the movie "The Prince Of Egypt", Megan was so excited. I'm not sure what made her so excited, except the fact that we already have the movie and she had watched it dozens of times as one of her favorites. But of all the stories both of the kids learned about, nothing has taught us as a family more than the story of Jonah and the Whale. Mrs. Lea is obviously a great Bible teacher, because both of the kids would come home talking about what they had learned with great excitement. When I commented to their teacher how much they were enjoying learning from her during their Bible class, she told me that they were going to be watching the Veggie Tales Movie by the same name. Since Ryan had latched onto this story so emphatically, Jonathan and I decided we would buy the movie to add to our family collection here at home. The kids have watched it incessantly. It is absolutely one of Ryan's favorite movies ever! The movie chronicles the story of Jonah, and highlights two elements in the story that my daughter latched onto very quickly: Mercy and Compassion.

One day, after watching the movie, we were eating lunch, and Megan proudly informed me that she knew the difference between compassion and Mercy.

"Really?" I asked, "Why don't you tell me?"

"Well, COMPASSION is when you see someone that is hurting, and you feel bad for them and want to help them out" Megan stated. "And MERCY is when you give someone a second chance, even when they don't deserve it".

I was so proud of her, she'd learned it from an animated tomato and cucumber, but it had seemed to grasp her heart and she had learned an important lesson in life!

Or so I thought.

Her next statement has had me in stitches laughing every since.

"So, Mom, that means that when you get mad at me, you just need to show me more MERCY and give me a second chance!"

Jonathan and I have heard this statement from her right in the middle of discipline numerous times! It seemed for a while that she was using it as a means of getting out of trouble...or at least trying to. She'd get the "talk" after getting into trouble about doing something wrong, and under her breath she is whispering, "You just need to show me a little mercy and give me another chance". As of recent days, I think she is finally getting it, but we've had to explain to her that showing mercy to her does not give her a reason to behave badly to begin with...she must still obey the rules, use her manners, and be kind to others.

I've even gone as far as telling her that I've shown her enough mercy every time I warned her to stop doing something (a sassy mouth, talking back, etc.), and by the time I have come to the point of punishing her, it's too late!

But still, she reminds me, she needs compassion and mercy from me.

How often do I act like this to my Heavenly Father? How often to I disobey him, and go my own way. And when my own way leads to disaster, it's always HIM that I beg to show me mercy and compassion and "get me out of this!"

I'm so glad, that I have a God who loves me that much, because it is never a question, he readily gives me mercy. It's the reason I'm HIS CHILD. It's the reason I have an eternal home. It's the reason I am where I am today.

So, it's also the gentle, loving, probe of the Lord that turns my thoughts to that fact every time I'm in a position to disciple one of my children. As I hear myself saying "It's because I love you and want the best for you that I have to teach you this lesson", I also hear a whisper in my heart from God saying the same thing to me.

Praise the Lord for COMPASSION AND MERCY!