"Teens" say the funniest things...

So this morning Patrick was teaching the 7th and 8th graders at church. It was a refreshing change to move from the unresponsive dragging older kids to the overly excited younger teens. Instead of having no class participation, we experienced having 10 hands raised immediately to any given question. While we didn't accomplish all of the class plan for the day, we did have some funny/interesting questions posed by our young Christian friends:

(1) My grandfather doesn't go to church...(pause)
But my grandmother does...(longer pause)
But one time I heard my grandfather say that he prayed for his brother...(pause)
Can he still be a Christian? (said with every bit of sincerity possible)

(2) So, you know those people who come to "church" but stay out where the chairs are(ergo, the lobby)and never actually come into where the singing and stuff is? Are they Christians?

Do you have any funny stories of things kids or teens say?

So this morning Patrick was teaching the 7th and 8th graders at church. It was a refreshing change to move from the unresponsive dragging older kids to the overly excited younger teens. Instead of having no class participation, we experienced having 10 hands raised immediately to any given question. While we didn't accomplish all of the class plan for the day, we did have some funny/interesting questions posed by our young Christian friends:

(1) My grandfather doesn't go to church...(pause)
But my grandmother does...(longer pause)
But one time I heard my grandfather say that he prayed for his brother...(pause)
Can he still be a Christian? (said with every bit of sincerity possible)

(2) So, you know those people who come to "church" but stay out where the chairs are(ergo, the lobby)and never actually come into where the singing and stuff is? Are they Christians?

Do you have any funny stories of things kids or teens say?

Streams and Espanol

Hola.

I love the fall! It is finally starting to show signs of autumn, and I think I'm going to go ahead and decorate my house for Halloween!

I didn't plan to go on such a hiatus from blogger, but my month has been full of action and reflection--if the 2 can even co-exist. I have refrained from posting, somewhat intentionally, somewhat absentmindedly. I've been trying to immerse myself into this life as I know it and make peace with some situations that have seemed to linger. In this month, I've had a lot of time to think, mull, and ultimately rejuvenate my spirits. In this month I have been reminded that God is so good; he is faithful and consistent, and he has a masterplan behind everything... Praise him.

During college, especially my Senior year and Grad school period, I found a treasure in the book Streams in the Desert. It is a daily reading kind of book, and for a little over 2 years, every day seemed to fit perfectly into whatever present situation was going on in my life. I was amazed, and I bought a copy for (or at least recommended it to) nearly everyone I knew and cared about. I haven't read it in a couple of years, and just recently I picked it back up, and was again amazed at how specifically it is resonating with my current feelings.

Today's reading reminded me what how God is constantly working on us, never allowing us to grow stale or reek death. The verse for today was, "My Father is the gardener." ~John 15.1 The write wrote about how gardeners prune their plants to produce beautiful flowers and fruit, and compared the thought to how God must trim away our dead areas to produce new, mature growth in our lives that reflects Him. These words particularly touched me,"There is rich symbolism in this account of the pruning process in the Christian life. Pruning seems to be destroying the vine, and the gardener appears to be cutting everything away. Yet he sees the future and knows that the final result will be the enrichment of the life of the vine, and a greater abundance of fruit." While these words are not anything new, they are refreshing all the same. Patrick and I are learning to become content in our pruning--even learning to be thankful.

At our Lifegroup on Sunday, my friend Ann, who just moved to Montgomery, refreshed me by reminding me of another verse that used to be one of my favorites, one of those key verses that I put a lot of stock in and found a lot of hope for. "The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of Heaven and Earth and does not live in temples built by hands. And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything, because he himself gives all men life and breath and everything else. From one man he made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live. God did this so that men would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from each one of us. For in him we live and move and have our being." ~Acts 17:22-28.

So, in this time and place, I am enjoying many things. The '06-'07 school year is off to a great start. I finally feel like a "veteran" teacher. I have my organization figured out. I feel comfortable with the material and am pumped about teaching 2 novels for the first time, Animal Farm and Lord of the Flies.

Auburn football is off to a great start, and I get to go to my first game in 2 years (last fall=showers and wedding) this weekend with Patrick and Lindsay and Daniel. P.S. I had to watch the ever intense Auburn vs. LSU game with some volatile Alabama fans while tailgating outside Byant-Denny Stadium. I was so relieved when it was over, and our win helped me enjoy my Tuscaloosa experience and time with Adam and Bevin even more...

I have a new show: Prison Break. Patrick and I watched Season 1 on a long weekend, and are so hooked. Michael Scofield is a GENIUS, and his "masterplan" has to be sybolical to God--ok, so he is an escaped con, but he is AWESOME! Plus, all my other shows start up this week!

Maggie is growing like a weed and knows "Sit," "Stay," "Rufus," (her stuffed dog that I named), "Flossy" (her rawhide bone), and of course, "good girl!" and "bad girl!" She is quite rebellious sometimes, but has a wonderful, friendly personality, and she is thoroughly and consistently housetrained except during thunderstorms... She really enjoyed going to Broadway Under the Stars last week at Shakespeare (which was definitely one of my Montgomery highlights) and playing with her friends, Titan, Hector, and Fifi. :) She can't wait for Sadie to come this weekend...

And, finally, I am taking Spanish and LOVE it!

Hasta Luego! God Bless!

Hola.

I love the fall! It is finally starting to show signs of autumn, and I think I'm going to go ahead and decorate my house for Halloween!

I didn't plan to go on such a hiatus from blogger, but my month has been full of action and reflection--if the 2 can even co-exist. I have refrained from posting, somewhat intentionally, somewhat absentmindedly. I've been trying to immerse myself into this life as I know it and make peace with some situations that have seemed to linger. In this month, I've had a lot of time to think, mull, and ultimately rejuvenate my spirits. In this month I have been reminded that God is so good; he is faithful and consistent, and he has a masterplan behind everything... Praise him.

During college, especially my Senior year and Grad school period, I found a treasure in the book Streams in the Desert. It is a daily reading kind of book, and for a little over 2 years, every day seemed to fit perfectly into whatever present situation was going on in my life. I was amazed, and I bought a copy for (or at least recommended it to) nearly everyone I knew and cared about. I haven't read it in a couple of years, and just recently I picked it back up, and was again amazed at how specifically it is resonating with my current feelings.

Today's reading reminded me what how God is constantly working on us, never allowing us to grow stale or reek death. The verse for today was, "My Father is the gardener." ~John 15.1 The write wrote about how gardeners prune their plants to produce beautiful flowers and fruit, and compared the thought to how God must trim away our dead areas to produce new, mature growth in our lives that reflects Him. These words particularly touched me,"There is rich symbolism in this account of the pruning process in the Christian life. Pruning seems to be destroying the vine, and the gardener appears to be cutting everything away. Yet he sees the future and knows that the final result will be the enrichment of the life of the vine, and a greater abundance of fruit." While these words are not anything new, they are refreshing all the same. Patrick and I are learning to become content in our pruning--even learning to be thankful.

At our Lifegroup on Sunday, my friend Ann, who just moved to Montgomery, refreshed me by reminding me of another verse that used to be one of my favorites, one of those key verses that I put a lot of stock in and found a lot of hope for. "The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of Heaven and Earth and does not live in temples built by hands. And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything, because he himself gives all men life and breath and everything else. From one man he made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live. God did this so that men would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from each one of us. For in him we live and move and have our being." ~Acts 17:22-28.

So, in this time and place, I am enjoying many things. The '06-'07 school year is off to a great start. I finally feel like a "veteran" teacher. I have my organization figured out. I feel comfortable with the material and am pumped about teaching 2 novels for the first time, Animal Farm and Lord of the Flies.

Auburn football is off to a great start, and I get to go to my first game in 2 years (last fall=showers and wedding) this weekend with Patrick and Lindsay and Daniel. P.S. I had to watch the ever intense Auburn vs. LSU game with some volatile Alabama fans while tailgating outside Byant-Denny Stadium. I was so relieved when it was over, and our win helped me enjoy my Tuscaloosa experience and time with Adam and Bevin even more...

I have a new show: Prison Break. Patrick and I watched Season 1 on a long weekend, and are so hooked. Michael Scofield is a GENIUS, and his "masterplan" has to be sybolical to God--ok, so he is an escaped con, but he is AWESOME! Plus, all my other shows start up this week!

Maggie is growing like a weed and knows "Sit," "Stay," "Rufus," (her stuffed dog that I named), "Flossy" (her rawhide bone), and of course, "good girl!" and "bad girl!" She is quite rebellious sometimes, but has a wonderful, friendly personality, and she is thoroughly and consistently housetrained except during thunderstorms... She really enjoyed going to Broadway Under the Stars last week at Shakespeare (which was definitely one of my Montgomery highlights) and playing with her friends, Titan, Hector, and Fifi. :) She can't wait for Sadie to come this weekend...

And, finally, I am taking Spanish and LOVE it!

Hasta Luego! God Bless!

Ciudad de Angeles

We have returned from Cozumel where we spent 8 days working with the City of Angels. I was not looking forward to this trip; I had been anxious, almost dreadful, in my anticipation of my week in Mexico, but God's power and truth and love provided my week with so much purpose and love. I seriously did not want to come home.

Our time in Cozumel was spent working with the orphanage called "Ciudad de Angeles" which is an organization that has brought in 21 Mexican children who have been abandoned, removed from abusive homes, and have nowhere else to go. We put on a VBS for the angels, did a work project in the community, and put on a sports camp for the community. Each individual element of our trip provided us with the opportunity to step outside of ourselves, serve the Lord, and show unconditional love to these angels.

My specific job in the VBS was to teach the older angels ranging from ages 10-14. Last year, we had difficulty connecting with them, and so we put an extra effort into making the lessons and crafts more age appropriate. God truly blessed us in forming close relationships with them.

Whenever I come back from a mission trip, my initial reaction is to gush over every story and try to articulate every experience to my friends and family. I'm not sure how effective that type of communication is, even though my motives are to just make them feel a part of it all. This year I feel a bit more reflective in just trying to see what God wanted me to see in these children, in our teens, in my own walk with him. He was very good to me, and I feel as if he is truly restoring my soul. Patrick and I definitely caught the passion of this ministry, and it was refreshing to me since I have not bought into church-type stuff in the last year and a half or so... I know that God was gently reminding me that my faith is in HIM; my Christianity is in HIM. And because of that reminder, I feel like He may be ready to use me again. Patrick and I are praying about how we can be a part of this ministry long-term. Please pray for us in those ways.

God bless your day, and may you find purpose in your walk today.

We have returned from Cozumel where we spent 8 days working with the City of Angels. I was not looking forward to this trip; I had been anxious, almost dreadful, in my anticipation of my week in Mexico, but God's power and truth and love provided my week with so much purpose and love. I seriously did not want to come home.

Our time in Cozumel was spent working with the orphanage called "Ciudad de Angeles" which is an organization that has brought in 21 Mexican children who have been abandoned, removed from abusive homes, and have nowhere else to go. We put on a VBS for the angels, did a work project in the community, and put on a sports camp for the community. Each individual element of our trip provided us with the opportunity to step outside of ourselves, serve the Lord, and show unconditional love to these angels.

My specific job in the VBS was to teach the older angels ranging from ages 10-14. Last year, we had difficulty connecting with them, and so we put an extra effort into making the lessons and crafts more age appropriate. God truly blessed us in forming close relationships with them.

Whenever I come back from a mission trip, my initial reaction is to gush over every story and try to articulate every experience to my friends and family. I'm not sure how effective that type of communication is, even though my motives are to just make them feel a part of it all. This year I feel a bit more reflective in just trying to see what God wanted me to see in these children, in our teens, in my own walk with him. He was very good to me, and I feel as if he is truly restoring my soul. Patrick and I definitely caught the passion of this ministry, and it was refreshing to me since I have not bought into church-type stuff in the last year and a half or so... I know that God was gently reminding me that my faith is in HIM; my Christianity is in HIM. And because of that reminder, I feel like He may be ready to use me again. Patrick and I are praying about how we can be a part of this ministry long-term. Please pray for us in those ways.

God bless your day, and may you find purpose in your walk today.

The Pilot's Wife

In less than 24 hours I have completed a fascinating book that my good friend Carrie lent me, The Pilot's Wife, by Anita Shreve. (This was a former Oprah book club book and was written in '98.) I have been wanting to read her work for awhile, and yesterday Carrie brought over several of them for me to take on my trip to Mexico. (Yes, I am leaving for Cozumel in 12 hours and have yet to begin packing due to my entrancement with this book.)

I am very impressed by Anita Shreve and the way that she writes, and I was very disturbed by many of the things in this book because they were so real and gripping on me emotionally. The major plot of the story is about a woman who is widowed when her pilot husband is involved in an airplane crash (doesn't give me peace about flying tomorrow :)) and the investigation that follows. Her world is shattered when she learns that her husband is living a secret double life with another family, and all of her once-fond memories are now weighted with this all-consuming discovery. She cannot even grieve her husband because she realizes that does not know who he really was. There were so many things that she was naive about--bank records, his accomodations while traveling, his childhood. It really blew me away and made me feel sort of nosy, although I guess I'd rather be nosy...

Reading this book affected me personally. In my life, I have been blessed with a dad who has shown an example to my sister and me of how to be a good husband who not only loves but enjoys every aspect of his wife and his marriage. I am so thankful for that. I am also blessed with a great husband who seeks to be God's man and is selfless in giving love. However, I have also, in my life, experienced the pain and destruction that unfaithfulness in marriage causes for anyone related to the situation through several friends' and family's experiences that I have been closely connected to. For a long time, I wondered if I would ever be able to trust a man besides my dad. For a long time, I put off the thought of being in a serious relationship with anyone because I was afraid that I could not trust "him." For a long time, I kept Patrick at such an arm's length because I could not differentiate him from another... Thankfully, God continues to heal my heart by reminding me to trust in HIM. Thankfully, God is showing me that love can be pure and good and true--even when it gets hard.

One of the things that struck me in this book is when the wife, Kathryn, is talking to her friend Robert. He mentions that having a memorial service to honor her husband is something that God would want her to do. She reflects that never, in her 16 years of marriage, has she thought about what God would ask of her and Jack. Those words made me sad. I hope that no matter how high or low I feel spiritually, that I will always strive to do what God asks of me and Patrick. In premarital counseling, Jim emphasized in every meeting that "marriage is HARD WORK." He said it over and over, and I'm thankful for that. I have learned from situations that I've been involved in that people don't just wake up one morning and decide to be unfaithful (emotionally and/or sexually). Instead, somewhere, at some earlier point in time, the couple has stopped working at their marriage, has stopped connecting, and has a void that desires to be filled. Thinking about that freaks me out because it is so easy to just put your marriage in "cruise control" and coast along... I am committed, now more than ever, to work and pray and seek God in our marriage.

Upon finishing this book, my reactions are similar to how I felt after reading The Shofar Blew, by Francine Rivers... although at that time, I felt like I was watching that book being lived out...

Next on my list of Anita Shreve's are All He Ever Wanted and Wedding in December. Thanks, Carrie!

In less than 24 hours I have completed a fascinating book that my good friend Carrie lent me, The Pilot's Wife, by Anita Shreve. (This was a former Oprah book club book and was written in '98.) I have been wanting to read her work for awhile, and yesterday Carrie brought over several of them for me to take on my trip to Mexico. (Yes, I am leaving for Cozumel in 12 hours and have yet to begin packing due to my entrancement with this book.)

I am very impressed by Anita Shreve and the way that she writes, and I was very disturbed by many of the things in this book because they were so real and gripping on me emotionally. The major plot of the story is about a woman who is widowed when her pilot husband is involved in an airplane crash (doesn't give me peace about flying tomorrow :)) and the investigation that follows. Her world is shattered when she learns that her husband is living a secret double life with another family, and all of her once-fond memories are now weighted with this all-consuming discovery. She cannot even grieve her husband because she realizes that does not know who he really was. There were so many things that she was naive about--bank records, his accomodations while traveling, his childhood. It really blew me away and made me feel sort of nosy, although I guess I'd rather be nosy...

Reading this book affected me personally. In my life, I have been blessed with a dad who has shown an example to my sister and me of how to be a good husband who not only loves but enjoys every aspect of his wife and his marriage. I am so thankful for that. I am also blessed with a great husband who seeks to be God's man and is selfless in giving love. However, I have also, in my life, experienced the pain and destruction that unfaithfulness in marriage causes for anyone related to the situation through several friends' and family's experiences that I have been closely connected to. For a long time, I wondered if I would ever be able to trust a man besides my dad. For a long time, I put off the thought of being in a serious relationship with anyone because I was afraid that I could not trust "him." For a long time, I kept Patrick at such an arm's length because I could not differentiate him from another... Thankfully, God continues to heal my heart by reminding me to trust in HIM. Thankfully, God is showing me that love can be pure and good and true--even when it gets hard.

One of the things that struck me in this book is when the wife, Kathryn, is talking to her friend Robert. He mentions that having a memorial service to honor her husband is something that God would want her to do. She reflects that never, in her 16 years of marriage, has she thought about what God would ask of her and Jack. Those words made me sad. I hope that no matter how high or low I feel spiritually, that I will always strive to do what God asks of me and Patrick. In premarital counseling, Jim emphasized in every meeting that "marriage is HARD WORK." He said it over and over, and I'm thankful for that. I have learned from situations that I've been involved in that people don't just wake up one morning and decide to be unfaithful (emotionally and/or sexually). Instead, somewhere, at some earlier point in time, the couple has stopped working at their marriage, has stopped connecting, and has a void that desires to be filled. Thinking about that freaks me out because it is so easy to just put your marriage in "cruise control" and coast along... I am committed, now more than ever, to work and pray and seek God in our marriage.

Upon finishing this book, my reactions are similar to how I felt after reading The Shofar Blew, by Francine Rivers... although at that time, I felt like I was watching that book being lived out...

Next on my list of Anita Shreve's are All He Ever Wanted and Wedding in December. Thanks, Carrie!

Pool Party via the "Calypso"

I am whipped. So is Patrick. He got back from camp late Friday afternoon; we had an intense work-filled Mexico meeting for several hours on Saturday; and then well went full-force in planning our "Summer Kick-off" party for the teens at Landmark. We did not sleep this weekend.

Just before he left for camp, we realized that our Kreepy Krawler, i.e. pool cleaner, was broken... Not what we wanted to hear. We priced these contraptions, and to our dismay, regular-priced they were in the $400- 500 range, and even on Ebay, they were going for around $350. A huge would-be dent in our "Maggie fund." That's when we were charmed by the Calypso pool cleaner... We bid on this product on ebay and got it for about 1/3 what we would have paid for anything else. Thank goodness! Our lifesaver product arrived just in time for Patrick to come home from camp. (Yes, I swam in a dirty pool last week...) It was amazing what a difference a working cleaner made on the lining of our pool, and now it's so clean you can't get me out of it.

Our summer kick-off turned out great. We had around 40 teens, grilled hamburgers and hotdogs, ate homemade ice cream made by Jeremy and Hannah, and swam, played 4-square (sort-of), and volleyball/badmitten. It was a good bonding time dunking kids in the pool, playing "Categories" and catch off the diving board, and hanging out. A fun time was had by all.

Then we crashed, and we're still recovering. We are, however, grateful for our Calypso which made the whole thing possible.

I am whipped. So is Patrick. He got back from camp late Friday afternoon; we had an intense work-filled Mexico meeting for several hours on Saturday; and then well went full-force in planning our "Summer Kick-off" party for the teens at Landmark. We did not sleep this weekend.

Just before he left for camp, we realized that our Kreepy Krawler, i.e. pool cleaner, was broken... Not what we wanted to hear. We priced these contraptions, and to our dismay, regular-priced they were in the $400- 500 range, and even on Ebay, they were going for around $350. A huge would-be dent in our "Maggie fund." That's when we were charmed by the Calypso pool cleaner... We bid on this product on ebay and got it for about 1/3 what we would have paid for anything else. Thank goodness! Our lifesaver product arrived just in time for Patrick to come home from camp. (Yes, I swam in a dirty pool last week...) It was amazing what a difference a working cleaner made on the lining of our pool, and now it's so clean you can't get me out of it.

Our summer kick-off turned out great. We had around 40 teens, grilled hamburgers and hotdogs, ate homemade ice cream made by Jeremy and Hannah, and swam, played 4-square (sort-of), and volleyball/badmitten. It was a good bonding time dunking kids in the pool, playing "Categories" and catch off the diving board, and hanging out. A fun time was had by all.

Then we crashed, and we're still recovering. We are, however, grateful for our Calypso which made the whole thing possible.

So close I can taste it...

Summer, come quick! I have 3 more "pseudo" work days, and then summer will have arrived. Thank the Lord, it couldn't come at a better time. This weekend has felt like summer. I've just felt more relaxed, spent some time outside, and enjoyed life. I've also had a chance to reflect and gather some thoughts and goals for how I want to use these 10 weeks of my life with no Lee High...
1. Time with family. We have a trip planned to Louisville to spend time with the Crawfords, a week in Nashville with the Deans, and an end-of-summer trip to Atlanta with the Crawford, Dean, Meek clan. I'm sure missing my family, so this chunk of time is extremely valuable to me. 2. Vaca... And that's coming quick. Patrick and I will be spending the last few days of May in my favorite city in the US, Charleston. More to come on that later...
3. Get in shape. I'm sick of eating crap and feeling bloaty and lethargic. I WILL do something about it this summer... Get ready, Ash and Aiden, I'll be calling...
4. Get back on track spiritually. I've been stuck and stagnant for too long. I'm ready to live the joy of my Lord. I'm excited about my new "Kristy Crawford" Bible that Patrick got me for "Teacher Appreciation Week" and 7 months of marriage. I'm also excited about a Beth Moore study that I'm planning to be a part of this summer on Thursday nights. It's Patriarchs, and my mom said it was excellent. Any of you Fungomery girls who are interested, let me know, and we'll make a girls' night out of it.
5. Read and Write. I have my list of books for the summer that I'll share with any of you who are interested, and I have an article for Teen Life Ministries that is long overdue. Sorry, Al. It's on "The Value of Women in Ministry."
6. Get Tan! Last summer I hardly used our pool. This summer, it will be a daily occurence. Come swim with me!
7. Use our home and my time for ministry and fellowship. I'm planning Mondays with Landmark teen girls, different age groups each week, swimming, or shopping, or lunching... I hope to have friends and reach-out friends over for cookouts and pool parties too.
8. Friend time. My DLHS homegirls are coming one weekend in June to send Kelly off to Japan, celebrate Andrea's pregnancy, Mindy's new motherhood experiences, and get caught up on our babies and marriages, jobs and interestes and lives in general. Can't wait!!! I'm also looking forward to time with my friends here who I see so rarely.
9. Youth Ministry! I'm going to Cozumel with the Landmark teens. It's my second year to go and work with Ciudad de Angeles. We have a great group going this year, and I can't wait.
10. Cook. I got some great cookbooks as wedding presents, and I'm excited about trying new recipes... Get ready, Patty Crawdy!
11. Learn Spanish. See #9. Last year in Cozumel, I just smiled and giggled. This year I hope to communicate a little better...

Think that's enough? Well, I am excited, and I hope that my excitement drives this! I hope everyone is getting excited about summer...

Summer, come quick! I have 3 more "pseudo" work days, and then summer will have arrived. Thank the Lord, it couldn't come at a better time. This weekend has felt like summer. I've just felt more relaxed, spent some time outside, and enjoyed life. I've also had a chance to reflect and gather some thoughts and goals for how I want to use these 10 weeks of my life with no Lee High...
1. Time with family. We have a trip planned to Louisville to spend time with the Crawfords, a week in Nashville with the Deans, and an end-of-summer trip to Atlanta with the Crawford, Dean, Meek clan. I'm sure missing my family, so this chunk of time is extremely valuable to me. 2. Vaca... And that's coming quick. Patrick and I will be spending the last few days of May in my favorite city in the US, Charleston. More to come on that later...
3. Get in shape. I'm sick of eating crap and feeling bloaty and lethargic. I WILL do something about it this summer... Get ready, Ash and Aiden, I'll be calling...
4. Get back on track spiritually. I've been stuck and stagnant for too long. I'm ready to live the joy of my Lord. I'm excited about my new "Kristy Crawford" Bible that Patrick got me for "Teacher Appreciation Week" and 7 months of marriage. I'm also excited about a Beth Moore study that I'm planning to be a part of this summer on Thursday nights. It's Patriarchs, and my mom said it was excellent. Any of you Fungomery girls who are interested, let me know, and we'll make a girls' night out of it.
5. Read and Write. I have my list of books for the summer that I'll share with any of you who are interested, and I have an article for Teen Life Ministries that is long overdue. Sorry, Al. It's on "The Value of Women in Ministry."
6. Get Tan! Last summer I hardly used our pool. This summer, it will be a daily occurence. Come swim with me!
7. Use our home and my time for ministry and fellowship. I'm planning Mondays with Landmark teen girls, different age groups each week, swimming, or shopping, or lunching... I hope to have friends and reach-out friends over for cookouts and pool parties too.
8. Friend time. My DLHS homegirls are coming one weekend in June to send Kelly off to Japan, celebrate Andrea's pregnancy, Mindy's new motherhood experiences, and get caught up on our babies and marriages, jobs and interestes and lives in general. Can't wait!!! I'm also looking forward to time with my friends here who I see so rarely.
9. Youth Ministry! I'm going to Cozumel with the Landmark teens. It's my second year to go and work with Ciudad de Angeles. We have a great group going this year, and I can't wait.
10. Cook. I got some great cookbooks as wedding presents, and I'm excited about trying new recipes... Get ready, Patty Crawdy!
11. Learn Spanish. See #9. Last year in Cozumel, I just smiled and giggled. This year I hope to communicate a little better...

Think that's enough? Well, I am excited, and I hope that my excitement drives this! I hope everyone is getting excited about summer...

little here... little there...

I haven't had much to say this week. It seems like a lot has happened, but I've been too tired to even try to articulate it here on this blog... So, here is my week in a list.

1. Research Papers completed!!! This has been a major highlight of my week. Toward the end, the grading went faster because the papers were worse. Sad, but true.
2. Personal/Mental health day... I took Wednesday off because I couldn't deal with the jungle 5 whole days this week. It was a great day that started off with a rainy morning spent reading in the bed, a lunch date with Patrick, Mother's Day card and gift shopping, and a rainiy afternoon at Starbucks... grading research papers...
3. Babies Galore!!! First 3 new expectant mothers... now 4 new little friends! Amy Hall Reynolds is now the proud mother of Rylee Grace Reynolds; Katie Stewart Holliday gave "little Robert" a little sister, Lillian Louise Holliday (Lilly); Jennifer Corwin Brewer gave birth to little Davis Brewer; and my sweet little Shar'keia gave birth to a sweet little girl with a full head of hair! Plus, we had a baby shower for a teacher at school... babies, babies, babies!
4. I did something I never thought I would do... (see #3) I went to visit one of my 17-year-old students at the hospital after giving birth. Sweet Shar'keia, who is not only my student but also my wonderful teacher's aide, had a baby girl Thursday afternoon. I took her some "Baby's first books" to the hospital and was greeted by a room full of young women and babies. She was adorable... She will be a wonderful mother... I pray for her and that her life will be blessed. She has taken a rough path, but she is smart and kind and motivated. Her mother made me cry.
5. Read three books: A Moveable Feast, White Hot, and Promise Me. I'm currently zipping through Annie Freemen's Fabulous Traveling Funeral. Good stuff.
6. Visited the Adullum House. Last night our LIFEgroup went to the Adullum House, an orphanage/foster home that cares for children whose mothers are in Tutwiler Prison. There are 26 kids there. Last night, we cleaned the rooms and bathrooms, did laundry, and held babies. The older kids were out on a "field trip," so we had the 9 youngest to play with, feed bottles, and burp. It was truly humbling.
7. Slept in. After falling asleep last night on Kevin and Britani's floor, this morning Patrick and I slept LATE. We woke to a rainy Saturday morning, and we have just enjoyed our day together. What a blessing!

Next week my main goal is to live out my faith. I felt negative last week. Tired. Drained. I pray that my joy will shine through this upcoming week to everyone I come across. God has been good to me. I need to remember that.

I haven't had much to say this week. It seems like a lot has happened, but I've been too tired to even try to articulate it here on this blog... So, here is my week in a list.

1. Research Papers completed!!! This has been a major highlight of my week. Toward the end, the grading went faster because the papers were worse. Sad, but true.
2. Personal/Mental health day... I took Wednesday off because I couldn't deal with the jungle 5 whole days this week. It was a great day that started off with a rainy morning spent reading in the bed, a lunch date with Patrick, Mother's Day card and gift shopping, and a rainiy afternoon at Starbucks... grading research papers...
3. Babies Galore!!! First 3 new expectant mothers... now 4 new little friends! Amy Hall Reynolds is now the proud mother of Rylee Grace Reynolds; Katie Stewart Holliday gave "little Robert" a little sister, Lillian Louise Holliday (Lilly); Jennifer Corwin Brewer gave birth to little Davis Brewer; and my sweet little Shar'keia gave birth to a sweet little girl with a full head of hair! Plus, we had a baby shower for a teacher at school... babies, babies, babies!
4. I did something I never thought I would do... (see #3) I went to visit one of my 17-year-old students at the hospital after giving birth. Sweet Shar'keia, who is not only my student but also my wonderful teacher's aide, had a baby girl Thursday afternoon. I took her some "Baby's first books" to the hospital and was greeted by a room full of young women and babies. She was adorable... She will be a wonderful mother... I pray for her and that her life will be blessed. She has taken a rough path, but she is smart and kind and motivated. Her mother made me cry.
5. Read three books: A Moveable Feast, White Hot, and Promise Me. I'm currently zipping through Annie Freemen's Fabulous Traveling Funeral. Good stuff.
6. Visited the Adullum House. Last night our LIFEgroup went to the Adullum House, an orphanage/foster home that cares for children whose mothers are in Tutwiler Prison. There are 26 kids there. Last night, we cleaned the rooms and bathrooms, did laundry, and held babies. The older kids were out on a "field trip," so we had the 9 youngest to play with, feed bottles, and burp. It was truly humbling.
7. Slept in. After falling asleep last night on Kevin and Britani's floor, this morning Patrick and I slept LATE. We woke to a rainy Saturday morning, and we have just enjoyed our day together. What a blessing!

Next week my main goal is to live out my faith. I felt negative last week. Tired. Drained. I pray that my joy will shine through this upcoming week to everyone I come across. God has been good to me. I need to remember that.