The last few days of the year.....

I have a hard time with the New Year. It's hard to explain just why it bothers me, but it does. Every year at this time, I reflect on the passing year. This year, that reflection is a little tough. The year has been a very challenging one. If you aren't sure what I mean by that, see this post or this one. It's not the challenges of the year that make this time difficult, though.

And the difficulty has nothing to do with resolutions. As a rule, I don't make resolutions. My personal philosophy on resolutions is that if it's worth resolving to do something, I should begin doing it right away.

No, this holiday is just one that gets me stepping back to look at the big picture of my life. I think it's that simple process that bothers me. Another year has passed, and my vision of where I thought I'd be by this age and the reality of where I actually am still don't line up any better than they did last year. When I don't focus on that, I'm pretty content with my life. I have a great job, a wonderful family, and good friends. I serve a loving God who knows my future, and He has better plans for my future than I can even imagine. My life is not my own, and remembering that keeps me content. So, if it's alright with you all, (actually, even if it's not) I'm going to go through the next couple of days as if no transition is happening. When I focus on the transition, my selfish mind goes to a really bad place. I prefer to take this walk of life one step at a time. For those of you who celebrate, I'd like to wish you a "Happy New Year." As for me, I'm going to think of it as another ordinary day, and I'm going to try really hard to remember to write the correct year on my checks.

--That just reminded me.....I don't write checks very often, and I always have to think twice before writing the date. The other day, I was writing a check, and I realized I had written '98 as the year on the date line. I don't know where my head was on that one. Oh well....it did give everyone a good chuckle at my expense.

On the verge of wishing for a green Christmas

Over the weekend, we were hit with a whopping 17 inches of snow. Like most people, I enjoy a good snow day now and then. After spending nearly seven hours shoveling my car and sidewalk yesterday, though, I'm becoming less of a fan. Then, the authorities deemed the roads unsafe today, too, so school is canceled. Again, these days are welcomed when they hit occasionally, but this is the third school cancellation in the last couple of weeks, and I'm supposed to be directing the Christmas concert tomorrow night. The weathermen are predicting that the roads might be clear enough by tomorrow night, but the whole prospect of directing small children (as young as 3) in a program for which they've missed about a third of their practices for the month is a very scary prospect. Also, snow has begun to lose its appeal for me. I used to love playing in it when I was younger, but after lifting roughly three tons of it yesterday, I'm becoming a much less enthusiastic fan.

It's funny because it's so true

This hilarious little skit says it all so well. And before anyone gets the oh-so-misguided idea that I am above making financial mistakes, know that I relate to the people sitting at the table a little more than I care to admit. I know that the best way to buy something is to save the money first and pay for it in full. That's what made my recent purchase of a camera so satisfying. Still, I find myself scheming ways to get other things from my wish list a little faster. So, the skit is funny, ridiculous, and obvious, but it's also just the reminder I needed.

Hollywood parenting tips

Now, I'm not a parent, and if I were, I'd never get my parenting tips from anyone in Hollywood, but this is scary. Pink eye from the dog and string around the diapers....Seriously, this is disturbing on way too many levels for me to count.


Spears’ advice to Klum

And you thought YOU were having a bad day.....

Really, I've seen forgetful, but this tops them all.

Man forgets car at gas station

A little more on proofreading

After my previous post, a friend emailed me a link to this video. I thought it was really too funny not to share. I should probably also warn you ahead of time that this video is not rated G. (I'm no expert, but I would guess it's probably PG-13ish.) So, enjoy it, but be aware...



P.S. Please do not take this post or my last one as my attempt to prove any kind of "grammar or spelling superiority." I depend on the spell-checker sometimes. I also miss mistakes in my own writing after I proofread. I simply believe that no computer-based program is smart enough to catch all mistakes by itself.

Spell Checker doesn't catch everything

Alright, I know that title is not earth-shattering news to any of you.....

I'm sure most of you have been there. You know.... you type something, and in re-reading it you realize that you typed "from" instead of "form." Your spell-checker realizes you've typed a valid word, but it has no idea that your sentence makes absolutely no sense.

I have after-school supervision duty this afternoon, and as I was waiting for the students to be picked up, one student was telling me (read: griping) about the number of steps his teacher is making him do for his essay assignment. The steps include creating a rough draft, editing, and revising. (He may have mentioned more, but I had to stop kindergarten students from running out in front of traffic at least three times during the conversation, so I lost track.)

He explained how he thought it was all a waste of time. He could, he reasoned, just type it directly into the computer and skip all the steps between the rough draft and the final draft. In vain, I tried to explain that the computer does not catch all the mistakes. He quite simply wasn't buying it. I felt defeated, but it is a Monday, and Mondays generally come with that defeated feeling.

Then, I ran across this article. Please go read it (at least the first paragraph.) Not only is it a piece of good news for once (which is why I was reading it,) but it also proves my point. Where did the boy scout find safety?....What exactly is a sleeping back?

OK, I know, I'm preaching to the choir, but I had to use my blog for a little Monday afternoon therapy. Spell-checker is a wonderful tool, but it can't make up for simple human editing.

Thanks for listening. I really do feel better now.

My New Camera!!!

I enjoy photography. I really do enjoy the whole process. I've enjoyed snapping pictures since I got my first camera in elementary school. (That first camera, by the way, used disc film--remember that stuff?) My love of photography increased as I learned the basics of black and white film development for my yearbook class in high school. Then, in college, I took a couple of photography classes, learned how to really do well with all the manual ins and outs of the camera, and even won first place and a small cash prize in the photography category of a college art show.

I am also somewhat of a purist. My major instrument is the piano, so very few electronic keyboards or pianos are acceptable for me (although I love the Yamaha Clavinova that I have in my school classroom.) And until now, that has also been true of my feelings about cameras. I like the feel of a real camera, the click of a shutter, the view through an SLR viewfinder, the smell of development chemicals, and the thrill of seeing the image appear on photo paper. I've played with some other digital cameras, and I really never expected to like one.

I have a confession to make, though. I am in love with my new digital camera. I love that it feels like a real camera. I love that I can zoom, add a real flash, change shutter speed, and manipulate all the things I like to manipulate. Most importantly, I love the instant gratification. I love being able to immediately see how the picture turned out. I love that if it isn't good, I can delete it and try again before everyone leaves. And, I love that it is now so easy for me to post pictures of some of my adorable nieces and nephews like this:

My brother's kids


My older sister's kids


And a combo shot

Lice, chickenpox, and anniversaries

I've been slacking (again) on my blogging, as I'm sure my loyal reader has figured out.

I apologize to the one or two of you who have actually noticed the lapse. Life has been crazy the last couple of weeks. My sister's kids contracted head lice, which didn't really have any personal bearing on my life, except that it made me really paranoid. Chickenpox has been flying around at school. The innoculation is required of all the students starting school, and it has been required for a few years. The older students, though, started school before these requirements were in effect. So, our upper grades have seen several cases. Since Friday was grandparents day, meaning a large music program, the chickenpox-infected students had me scrambling to cover parts last week.

This weekend, our school had several celebrations for its 50th anniversary. Our church also had celebrations for its 30th anniversary. I'm feeling like I could use another weekend just to recover from this weekend. The problem with leaving the small town in which you grew up and returning to the school and church you attended as a child the year before they both celebrate significant anniversaries is that they both expect you to share your perspective at their celebrations. They asked me several times to share something at the school's Friday night banquet. I declined the invitation. When I left the banquet (which took 4 hours, by the way), I was very glad I had not agreed to share. I only wish I had made the same decision about the church anniversary. For that one, they videotaped our testimonies. My clip was shown in a short blurb in church, and in a longer video that included pictures of me with a series of bad haircuts, perms, and braces. The long blurb is (thankfully) not publicly available. The short one is on the church website, here if your interested. It would have been OK, but the pastor really liked what I had to say, so he referenced it in both services on Sunday morning. When will I learn to keep my big mouth shut?

A great quote from Ravi Zacharias

Postmodernism tells us there’s no such thing as truth; no such thing as meaning; no such thing as certainty. I remember lecturing at Ohio State University, one of the largest universities in this country. I was minutes away from beginning my lecture, and my host was driving me past a new building called the Wexner Center for the Performing Arts. He said, “This is America’s first postmodern building.” I was startled for a moment and I said, “What is a postmodern building?” He said, “Well, the architect said that he designed this building with no design in mind. When the architect was asked, ‘Why?’ he said, ‘If life itself is capricious, why should our buildings have any design and any meaning?’ So he has pillars that have no purpose. He has stairways that go nowhere. He has a senseless building built and somebody has paid for it.” I said, “So his argument was that if life has no purpose and design, why should the building have any design?” He said, “That is correct.” I said, “Did he do the same with the foundation?” All of a sudden there was silence. You see, you and I can fool with the infrastructure as much as we would like, but we dare not fool with the foundation because it will call our bluff in a hurry.

Colossians and Fanny Crosby

I just began a study of Colossians for a Bible study I joined with some ladies from church. I'm really looking forward to the study. While I've always loved the book of Colossians, I have never done an in-depth study of the book. We were encouraged to read through the entire book, so I did that this morning. (Don't be too impressed--it's a short book.)

I was really struck by two things about the book. First, I had never really thought about the tone of the letter. Paul and Timothy wrote this letter to the Colossian church. (Can you imagine getting a letter from those two?) Not only did they write the letter, they wrote it to encourage this church, because they had heard about their testimony and had been praying for them. Now they wanted to encourage them. The Bible study guide encouraged us to imagine ourselves in the shoes of the original readers. The idea was to give us a sense of the excitement, and I definitely could imagine the excitement.

The second thing that struck me about the letter was the focus on heaven. The recurring theme in the letter is that God sent His Son to pay for our entrance into heaven, and that's all that really matters. Colossians 2:20-23 really drives home the point--Christ paid the price, so what am I doing trying to add my own ideas of "shoulds and shouldn'ts?" I was reminded (again) of how much I love Colossians 3:2's reminder to keep my mind on God's view and not on the stuff of earth.

You're probably wondering by now how Fanny Crosby fits into all of this. I'm sorry that this is a "sorta-long" story--I'll try my best to sum up quickly. At school this year, we are celebrating the school's 50th year. So, as a Jubilee celebration, we are studying Psalm 145. Each month, we study one character quality. This month's character quality is "Joyful Praise." I have also been charged with the responsibility of choosing music for chapel. (Days of Elijah made the perfect theme song for the year--if you haven't heard it before, go listen to it here.) We are also celebrating our heritage with a different hymn each month. This month's hymn is To God be the Glory by Fanny Crosby. This Friday's chapel has no speaker because of a scheduling glitch with the room, so I was asked to lead a praise chapel with lots of singing. In addition to the singing, I'm planning to share a little about Fanny Crosby's testimony with the students.

In reviewing her story and testimony, I was struck at how well she exemplified the Colossians attitude and the focus on heaven. She wrote at least 8,000 songs, and some sources believe it may have been closer to 10,000, since she often used pen names--and she didn't write her first song until she was 41 years old. She was also quoted once as saying that she didn't write a single one of those songs without first praying that God would use it to reach lost souls. Even though she was blind from infancy, most of her 8,000+ hymns speak of seeing Jesus.

Her biography is almost Job-like. She lost her sight at six weeks old and her father in her first year of life. She married another blind musician when she was 35. They had a baby who died in infancy, and Fanny's husband died soon after that. Yet, despite all these things (that would leave most of feeling sorry for ourselves), she lived in an attitude of Joyful Praise that the first face she would truly see would be the face of Jesus. All I can say to that is "Wow!"

Good news!

I have gotten several pieces of good news this week. Really it's been a pretty good week. So, I thought, why not share it with my blogging buddies. If you aren't as excited about this news as I am, I promise I'll understand, but I just have to share it.

First, I was very glad to find out about an upcoming meeting. I am not normally a fan of meetings, and I can't go into all the details of what this meeting will be about. I'll simply say that this meeting will involve a group of people who have been doing some serious self-evaluation. In that self-evaluation, there has been lots of disagreement and tension. Now, in a way that I can only call a huge answer to prayer, we seem to be coming to some agreement. This meeting should be a time for us to come together and begin to move forward. I'm very encouraged by that.

My second bit of good news involves my father's new job. He had been teaching at a local Christian school for the past ten years, but due to low enrollment this year, he was not offered a contract. He and my mom worked together and both taught math. Since the school didn't see the need to keep two math teachers, they let my dad go. The job search has been very frustrating for him. He found several openings for second shift jobs which meant he would hardly ever see my mom. After 36 years of marriage, the last ten of which have been spent working together, that didn't look very good to him. Other places where he applied weren't interested in hiring someone who they assumed would want to retire in just a few years. (He's 59 now.) When I talked to him earlier this week, he told me about the newest job possibility. This was the first possibility he seemed excited about. He will be working from home as an independent contractor for a local instrument maker making keys for beginners' bassoons. It actually sounds really cool to me, too.

Then, my newest bit of good news is purely selfish. I found out yet another reason to love my Honda Civic. It's one of Consumer Reports' top picks for surviving to high mileage, and according to this article, that's a very good thing.

Fashion Police

I was questioned by a four-year-old fashion police officer this week. I think I've managed to recover from the trauma, but it will definitely make me think a little more seriously about my choice of outfits for school.

On Thursdays, my music class teaching schedule includes two sessions of the 4-year-old preschool. The morning class is large and very active. The afternoon class is small and very affectionate. I was enjoying the afternoon group when one of the little boys said, "Hey, those are the same clothes you were wearing last music time." Now, I have a feeling he's probably right. The last class was a week earlier, and my outfits for Thursdays are always chosen with consideration for the fact that I will be teaching the preschool classes which involve sitting on the floor. I don't remember what I wore last Thursday, so I had no reason to think he was remembering anything untrue. So, I said, "Wow, you must have a very good memory to remember that from last week." He fave a shy little smile. I could tell that something was still bothering him, though. Finally, he couldn't take it any more. He leaned in close to me and quietly asked, "Did you wash them?" I laughed and said, "Yes, I did." A look of relief passed over his little face, and he said, "Oh, good job!"

Well, from now on, I'll give a little extra thought to my choice of clothes for Thursdays. I don't want to be "that teacher" who always wears the same five outfits. However, I was relieved to have passed the most important test this little guy had to give me.

Feeling the pain of my inability to turn down a challenge

I'm feeling a little foolish this morning. I have a physical reminder of a very silly thing I did yesterday. Somehow, I feel like admitting it to my blogging friends will help a little bit....

So, it all started yesterday afternoon. I teach a piano lesson at my home after school on Tuesday, so I was glad that there was an assembly yesterday afternoon at school. An assembly meant my last class of the day was cancelled, so I had extra time to finish up my end-of-the-day work. That, in turn, meant a little less rushing to get home for the lesson. That would have been great if I had used my extra time a little more wisely. When I got home, though, I realized that I had about 15 minutes of "flex time." So, I sat down in front of the TV to chill for a few minutes. I only get a few channels, so I landed on Oprah.

That is where my trouble started. Oprah had two doctors on as guests. The doctors were going through a lady's home denouncing the evils of the American diet, so I was immediately intrigued. The next shot on-screen was the amazing transformation of the lady after she changed her diet and exercised. She really look amazing. She had lost 45 pounds, and she looked much younger (and I'm sure the fashion makeover and the professional lighting and makeup didn't hurt.)

The doctor then began talking about the danger of belly fat. Belly fat, he said, is caused by stress, and forces your liver to process the fat. This is apparently very dangerous. Then, he started in with the statistics. He gave a magic number for the waist size for women. He said that if a ladies waist is any larger than this, she is in physical danger. I had to know right away whether I was in danger or not, so I grabbed my tape measure. I discovered that my waistline is in the "safe zone." [Whew!]

Next, he started talking about physical fitness and exercise. He said that the average 30-year-old woman should be able to do 45 bent-knee push-ups. By now, I'm sure that anyone who knows me has figured out where this story is going. I simply had to find out whether or not I could do 45 push-ups. So, five minutes before my piano student was scheduled to arrive, I was down on the floor trying it out. Now, I was really proud of myself when I was, in fact, able to do 45 bent-knee push-ups.

Then, I got up and realized how stupid that move really was. You see, I had already agreed to help my friend move last night. The move went pretty well, but it involved more lifting....Let's just say that conducting the afternoon music groups will probably be a little painful today. The fact that I can pat myself on the back for being in the safety zone does take the sting out a little bit. I suppose that's what makes it so hard for me to turn down those challenges, but every time I've had to pick something up today, I've felt the need to curse that character flaw of mine.

Blue eyes vs. brown

I saw this headline on my internet homepage this morning: "Study: Blue-eyed People Smarter Than Brown-eyed."

Since I have blue eyes, I was intrigued. Who doesn't love to prove that they're "smarter?" I read the article, and in case you should feel so inclined, I've provided the link.
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,293777,00.html

To be fair, though, I should let you know that my second reaction to seeing the headline was, "Really? That was the best way they could find to spend the research money?" I guess that's just one of the many reasons why somebody else is in charge of scientific research.

The last few days of summer vacation

I just returned from the trip to Tucson. I had a wonderful time visiting the family. Chloe is just beautiful, and I had a great time visiting with her and her parents. There aren't too many stories to tell. The flights went smoothly, and the time in Tucson was very relaxing. My sister kept apologizing that we couldn't do anything exciting. Normally, she'd have taken me swimming, hiking up a mountain, or out to visit some of the sites of Tucson, but the baby was only four weeks old on Tuesday (the day before I left) so they couldn't do much outside the house. That may sound boring to some of you, but I found it wonderfully relaxing. I got to hold the baby a ton. It was also really fun to spend some time seeing my sister.


Also, we did get to see one tourist-y place. It's an old west town and restaurant called Pinnacle Peak. We ate at the steakhouse there, and my sis and I got one of those old west costume pictures taken together. I'll post a picture of the ceiling at the steakhouse. Any guest who wears a tie to dinner gets it clipped off by the "sheriff." The tie is then nailed to the ceiling. It was a little comical to see some of the men wearing old ratty ties over t-shirts and waiting for the sheriff to come by. If you're hoping to see the picture of my sister and me, though, you're out of luck. It's not very flattering, and the beauty of having my own blog is that I can choose which pictures I want anyone to see.


I can't post about this trip, though, without posting pictures of my beautiful new niece. I also need to brag a little about her. She just turned four weeks old on Tuesday. While I was visiting, I saw her roll herself onto her side more than once. She also smiles, laughs, and coos.
For those of you who are unfamiliar with baby devlopment charts, these are all things they don't expect babies to do for the first couple months of their lives. In short, my newest niece is not only beautiful, she's a genius.

I'm an aunt!

Welcome to the world, Chloe Josalynn!

Chloe is my newest niece, and I would post a picture of the beautiful child, but it will take too long. I'm house sitting for my parents while they take their turn visiting their newest grandchild, and they only have a dial-up connection. That makes it too frustrating for me to try to post pictures. So, you'll have to just take my word for it that she is, in fact, beautiful.

The summer continues to fly by. The nice thing about the summer is that even though the schedule is full, it's mostly full of fun activities. This morning, for example, I went with my sister-in-law and four children to see the free movie. During the summer, they show a free movie every Wed. morning. This morning's show was Charlotte's Web. We had a good time. It's especially fun to watch animal movies with my (nearly) 2-yr.-old niece, Callie. She jumped up and down in her seat every time she saw the geese. At one point in the film, my sister-in-law pulled out some snacks for the kids. I tried passing one to her, but she was so engrossed in the film that she wouldn't take it. That may not mean much to some of you, but this little girl doesn't usually turn down food.

After the movie, we enjoyed a pizza lunch. A local pizza place had customer appreciation day today, and large pizzas were only $5 each for carry-out. Then, we used the rest of the pre-nap hours to hit Staples. They were selling folders and packs of pencils for a penny a piece. So, I stocked up. The stored had set limits on how much I could purchase, but I was very pleased with my bag full of office supplies that only cost me 12 cents.

The day has been full of fun and very cheap entertainment. Since we can't yet see the baby in person to dote on her. We decided to celebrate her arrival in our own way.

A Post to Reassure You

My summer has been flying by me. School has now been out for three weeks. This only reminds me of the futility of all my summer planning. Every spring, I spend some time making a list of all the things I plan to accomplish during my summer. Every summer, it takes me about three weeks to realize that my list is much longer than my summer.

For those of you who haven't entirely given up on my blog, I thought I'd better give at least a brief update. The past three weeks have been spent cleaning my classroom, cleaning my house (and finally unpacking from my move six months ago,) and visiting with my aunt who was in for a week. My roommate and her family are still deep in grief, but considering all the circumstances, they are doing well. Please continue to pray for them. Also, please continue to pray that they find her sister's shooter. There is still no sign of him, and it's now been a month.

I'm expecting a call any day now from my youngest sister. She and her husband are in Tucson and expecting their first child any day now. I'm very excited for them. I'm also excited about my plans to visit them. I booked a flight yesterday for a very cheap price. I'm booked to fly from Indy to Tucson. The round trip with taxes and all is only $209! I'm thrilled with that price, and I can't wait to see them.

Thankful Thursday #7

I Chronicles 16:34 (NASB)
"O give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; For His lovingkindness is everlasting."

It's hard for me to know where to begin this week. Trials have hit hard in the last week, and it makes writing this list a little difficult. It's not difficult because I'm not thankful. It's difficult because God has so richly blessed with comfort and grace that I have trouble knowing where to begin.

1. First, I'm thankful that when my roommate received a phone call that her sister had been shot by her husband, I was there with her to drive her over to the house, to pray, and to call church and school people to have them join in praying for the family.

2. I'm thankful that even though the victim's mother and sons (my roommate's mother and nephews) were in the house and saw the shooting, they were not harmed at all.

3. I'm thankful that my roommate and I go to the same church and work at the same Christian school, so I knew who to call for prayer.

4. I'm thankful that those two little boys (nephews of my roommate and my students) have so many people who love them and can care for them. I'm also thankful that they have a loving Heavenly Father that can heal even this darkest of issues for them.

5. I'm thankful that the funeral service was beautiful. The shooter's brother was there to see the forgiveness and hear the clear presentation of the gospel.

6. I'm thankful for the devotions presented this morning in our teacher's meeting. The leader talked about how God allowed Peter to do the impossible, walk on water, as long as Peter kept his eyes on Jesus and not on the waves. I needed that reminder. I know that these next few months of grief and processing will be difficult, and I have been fearful. I know that it will not be easy to support my roommate through this time, but I know that if I keep my eyes on Jesus, He will give me the strength I need.

7. I'm thankful that even though the shooter has not been caught by the authorities, his location is no mystery to God.

8. I'm thankful that the shooter can still reach out to God for forgiveness.

9. I'm thankful that none of this took God by surprise.

Please visit Iris at Sting My Heart for even more reasons to praise the Lord.

Praying and processing

This week has been....well, I'm not sure how to describe it. I'll stick to summary of the events.

Monday-- uneventful

Tuesday--busy, but basically life as usual

Wednesday--busy and here's where everything changed
I was going all day. With a field trip scheduled for Thursday and my niece's graduation coming up this weekend, I had lots of things on my schedule for Wednesday evening. God had different plans.
I was practicing my piano for graduation stuff when my roommate (lets call her Jan) came out of her room in tears. She had gotten a call from one of her sister's neighbors (who also "happens" to go to the same church as my roommate and I and who also "happens" to send her kids to the school where my roommate and I both teach.) She said there were several police cars in front of Jan's sister's house, and she wanted make sure that Jan knew. Jan called her sister's number several times trying to figure out what was going on. I said, "Give me a minute to change out of my sweats, I'll ride over with you. " I changed and came out of my room to grab keys and go. Two seconds later, the phone rang again. This time, I watched as Jan started sobbing and fell into a chair. When she hung up, I asked what happened. She said that was her mom calling to tell her that her sister's husband had come home in a rage (they'd been having problems for a little while) and shot her sister. The police wouldn't tell the family specifically how many times she had been shot or whether or not she was even alive. I said, "Let's go. I'll drive, and you can give instructions in the car."
Jan cried and tried to call several people on the drive over. We arrived to a surreal scene. There were several police in front of the house, many people watching along the street, and crime scene tape around the house. Jan saw her parents, who are also my landlords, and they came over to her. Jan's dad explained to me that they knew she had been shot more than once because Jan's mom had been there when it happened, so he wasn't very optimistic. The next few hours were very tense. I set myself to calling people from school and church to tell them to start praying. People were calling me as they heard things on the news to make sure that Jan and I were OK and that we were in a safe location. The police took Jan, her parents, and her 7-year-old nephew who saw the shooting to the police station for questioning. I hung around for a little while with the neighbor who had made the original call. We prayed together and cleaned up Jan's 2-year-old nephew who was covered in blood. The police wanted his dirty clothes for evidence. We heard little news after this After a little while, I was ready to head home, but since we still didn't know where the shooter was, I decided (with police encouragement) that I would spend the night at my parents' house.
The night dragged on with little news. Finally, I decided to try to get some sleep. I tried for a little while, and then the phone rang. Jan told me that her sister had not made it. They had airlifted her to another hospital, but after they had worked on her for a little while, she died. Jan and her parents and nephew had been at the police station for a few hours. They were wrapping up and getting ready to leave when they got the call.
I didn't get much sleep that night. First, I spent a few minutes calling my administrator and a few other people from church who had asked me to call if I got any more definite news. After the first few calls, people started telling me that they had heard on the news, so I went to bed. I spent the night thinking of the family and praying for their comfort. I also debated for a while about what I should do for Thursday. I was scheduled to chaperone a sixth grade day trip. The bus was was set to leave at 8 am and return at 11pm, but I struggled with whether I should stay behind with my friend. I finally decided to go ahead with the trip. The most I could do by staying was pray and give hugs. The praying could happen on the trip, and it sound like between our church and Jan's parents church the hugs would be covered.

Thursday--long, somber, and surreal, mixed with fun activities and fun students
When I arrived at school for the trip, police were guarding the school. We piled on the bus and waited for everyone else to arrive. Before we left the administrator came out to pray with the students for a safe trip. He spent a few minutes telling the students that Jan's sister who is also the parent of one of the first grade students had been shot and killed. We went for the day to the Chicago area. Our first stop, Medieval Times, just didn't have the same appeal this time. From there, we went to the aquarium. That really was a nice break. While I was there, I got several calls. A man from church was going to visit Jan, but he wanted to check and see if that was a good idea. I told him he should definitely go. My dad and all my siblings were calling to make sure I was OK. I reassured them that I was fine--sad and concerned for my friend and my students back at school. People from my niece's school called to make sure I was still OK with playing the piano for the graduation, and I had several more messages telling me that people were praying.
We went to the top of the John Hancock building, and then we shopped for a while before going home. On the road home, I talked with Jan for a while. She told me that the shooter's brother-in-law had finally called. The shooter called them after the shooting and told them what happened, and then he fled. They didn't have a clue where he went. They were stunned and shocked by it all, and the police had stormed their house looking for the shooter, so they were scared. The lady is also expecting to give birth any day now. She spent most of the day yesterday at the hospital with stress-related complications. She also said that tips had been coming in all day about the shooter's location, but nothing was definite. The trend just seemed to be moving south.
A police officer was waiting with the parents in the parking lot when we got back to the school after our trip. Jan had asked me to call her so that I could get some things ready for her sub. I was in her classroom talking to her when the police officer and the sixth grade teacher peaked into the room. I guess I scared them. They saw my car in the parking lot after everyone else was gone, and they weren't sure where I had gone. After talking to the police officer about the safety of going home, I decided I should probably stay one more night with my parents.
So I went back to my place and got clothes. Then, I headed over to my parents house. I went to bed right away, and I woke up thanking God. He allowed me restful sleep, and I know that it was in answer to prayers of my friends. I also spoke with Jan who said that God graciously allowed restful sleep for her and her family last night. I'm very thankful that Friday is a relatively easy day for me. I scrapped all my plans for classes. Since I had the first grade class of Jan's nephew, I decided a video would be the best option. I sure don't have the physical or emotional energy to teach a regular lesson.

Tonight, I have a rehearsal for graduation. Tomorrow afternoon is the graduation and graduation party. Sunday, I'm planning to get together with two friends from high school. I'm really looking forward to seeing them and having a brief diversion. Also, these are two friends I haven't seen in ages, so I can't wait to see them and catch up. I know I have at least a couple prayer warriors who read my blog, so I'm going to end with a few prayer requests and praises.

First, the prayer requests:

• Pray for comfort and peace for the family
• Pray that the authorities will be able to get the shooter soon
• Pray for the shooter's brother and sister-in-law as they deal with all of their struggles
• Pray that all of them would reach out to Jesus Christ
• Pray for Jan's mom and two little nephews who saw their daughter/mom get shot
• Pray that I can be serving them however God wants
• Pray that they will continue to get restful sleep

And here is my list of praises:

• The victim's neighbors love Jesus and wrapped the arms of Christ around that family when they needed it most.
• Many, many people are helping the family with meals, paper products, watching kids, and most importantly, love and prayers.
• God will use this for His glory.
• The family is reflecting Jesus love in their time of trial.
• I was there to drive Jan when she just couldn't do it herself.
• Custody of the two little boys has been granted to their grandparents.
• Everyone got restful sleep last night.

Well, if you have read this far, then I know you care enough to pray. Thank you for that, and thank you for taking time to read. It really has been a little therapeutic for me to type it all out. People keep telling me that God will show His blessings through this. My answer is, "He already has."

8 Things...

How fun! I've been tagged! This is the first time I've been tagged for a blog meme. I was tagged by Susanne at Truly Captivating to list "8 Things You May Not Know About Me." So here are my eight random facts in random order...


1. I love to travel. I have visited 42 states and lived in six of them. Besides the Canadian side of Niagara Falls (which doesn't really count in my opinion), I've only been outside of the country twice, but I would love to have more opportunities to go. The first trip was a three-week Bible history and geography class in Israel during college. The second trip was a short-term missions trip to Bonaire (a small Caribbean island in the Dutch Antilles, about 50 miles off the Northern coast of Venezuela. That, my friends, is what we calling "suffering for Jesus.")

2. I am something of a popcorn connoisseur. I come by my love of popcorn honestly. Most of the Sunday nights of my childhood were spent on a sheet on the living room floor. (The sheet was my mom's idea for easier clean-up.) We would all watch some family movie, and my dad would make up a big batch of popcorn on the stove. That is by far the best kind of popcorn. Stove-cooked in a little oil with no butter and lots of salt. That's why my brother got me one of my favorite Christmas gifts of all time. It's just like this, and I love it. In the interest of heart health, I now make it with olive oil and much less salt, but it still tastes wonderful.

3. I am the second of five children. My brother is the middle and the only boy. My father is the middle of five siblings in his family, and my mother is the middle of five siblings in her family.

4. I was born in Scranton, PA. My mother tells me that I was born nearly three weeks past the due date the doctor predicted. (I'm sure all of you mothers are groaning in horror at that.) I was also born on a Thursday. The old rhyme says, "Thursday's child has far to go," and that has really been true of my life--geographically, physically, mentally, and spiritually. I've gone far already in some respects, and I have so much further to go in others.

5. One of my earliest memories is my mother's baptism. (She tells me I was probably only three at the time.) My father grew up in a Christian home. My mother did not. She was saved when I was very young, and I remember sitting on the top of a hill while she was baptised in a lake down below. I also remember being pretty confused by the whole thing. I'm thankful now for that confusion, because it led to my many questions which eventually led to my salvation.

6. One of my favorite hobbies (besides music) is photography. I have actually won a couple awards in art shows for photography. Due to budget constraints, though, I still only have an old-fashioned film camera. Hopefully, I'll be able to get a digital camera soon, so I can spend more time on my hobby.

7. I am the only child of my parents who is still single. I really never expected that to happen, but I'm kinda glad it has. While I still pray that God will allow me to be a wife and mother some day, I know that He has allowed me certain opportunities that I could have only had as a single. Some of those opportunities, like travel, are fun things. Some of those, like being able to drop everything and go help when my cousin's wife (and my best friend) passed away suddenly, were much more difficult. Through it all, God has made it clear to me that He had me in those places for His purposes. That makes it so much easier to rest in His will for my future.

Side note: Please don't read what I've said as saying that I have contentment, faith, or trust all wrapped up, because I really don't. In fact, even with all the things I said in the paragraph above, I still want to scream when well-meaning people ask things like, "So, have you found a man yet?" (as if my life has no meaning without one.) I'm equally irritated by statements like, "I just don't understand why you're still single" (as if I'm hiding some deep, dark flaw that keeps driving all would-be suitors away.) Please consider this my public service announcement: Singleness is not a cancer! I am loved and wanted by the King of kings, and He knows what (and perhaps who) is best for me. Right now, that's all that matters.

8. I can't whistle. I have always wished I could. My grandmother could whistle beautifully, and I used to love to hear her. When I was around eight years old, my uncle spent lots of time patiently trying to teach me the skill. He finally gave up and taught me to snap instead--I can snap very well.

Hmmm, this is the tough part. I'm supposed to tag eight people. Now, who do I tag?

1. Melissa

2. Emily

3. Aidyl_Joy

OK, three tags will just have to be sufficient for today. (Perhaps one of my 8 random facts could have been that I don't follow directions very well--but I digress.) A few people that I would have chosen have recently done something similar on their blogs, and I don't have enough energy or creativity left to come up with five more names. If you read this and would like to play along, consider this your open-ended invitation.

PROOF YOU'RE AN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL TEACHER (or mother)

This list of questions came to me in an email. I was amused by the questions and a little frightened by the number of questions I could honestly answer with a yes.

~ Do you ask guests if they have remembered their scarves and mittens as they leave your home?
~ Do you move your dinner partner's glass away from the edge of the table?
~ Do you ask if anyone needs to go to the bathroom as you enter a theater with a group of friends?
~ Do you hand a tissue to anyone who sneezes?
~ Do you declare "no cuts" when a shopper squeezes ahead of you in a checkout line?
~ Do you ask "Are you sure you did your best?" to the mechanic who fails to repair your car to your satisfaction?
~ Do you sing the "Alphabet Song" to yourself as you look up a number in the phone book?
~ Do you say everything twice? I mean, do you repeat everything?

Thankful Thursday #6

This week's thankful list is centered on things I have (until recently) taken for granted.

1. I'm thankful for alarm clocks. For an explanation of why I am so thankful, please see my previous post.

2. I'm thankful for electricity. After a storm knocked out the power for six hours on Tuesday evening, I have a new-found appreciation. It takes a loss of electricity every now and then to remind me of how many things I use it for every day.

3. I'm thankful for the repair men who had the power up and running again in a matter of hours as opposed to days or weeks.

4. I'm thankful for candles. As a teacher, I get more candles in a given year than I could possibly use in a normal decade. I always have appreciated them for ambiance, but I sometimes tire of them. On Tuesday, though, I depended upon them to get through the evening.

5. I'm thankful that my car is a little one. This morning on the way to work, I had to pass a spot in the road where a semi had decided to park with it's nose sticking 3/4 of the way across the street. Thankfully, there was just enough room for my tiny little car to squeeze between the truck and the mailbox on the opposite side of the street.

6. I'm thankful that my tiny little car gets great gas mileage. (No explanation necessary on this one.)

7. I'm thankful for the Thursday reminder to count my blessings. Swing by Iris's place at Sting My Heart to read more lists of gratitude. It's always a blessing for me.

Hanging in there....

This has been a weird week so far, but I think I'm managing to hang in there. My quick update:

Sunday was pretty normal. The morning church service was great. Then, our morning Bible study was very challenging. Our group is doing a unit on the church and challenging why we "do church" the way we do. Sunday's discussion was about diversity in the church. Well, first I had to exercise all the self control I had to keep from laughing out loud. Diversity itself isn't funny, but I am a fan of The Office, and all I could think about when the leader announced our topic for the day was an episode from the first season when Michael held his own very misguided Diversity seminar. Needless to say, this Sunday's discussion was much more focused and appropriate. It was also much more challenging. Where do we draw the line between accepting others as they are and standing firm in our own convictions? We certainly didn't draw any hard conclusions, but it was a good reminder of my need to rely on the Holy Spirit's guidance.

I knew Monday was going to be rough from the moment I woke up. Of course that moment was 10:24! I couldn't believe I slept that long. I had felt a little off on Sunday evening, and I had been up a few times during the night. I'm still not sure if it's just my allergies or something else, and I didn't ever feel all that bad. My body must have gone into self-protect mode, though. I didn't hear either of my alarms, and I had set two. I didn't hear my housemate get up and leave. I only panicked when I finally did wake up. I was really wondering why the school never called me, but apparently they tried and I didn't even hear that. The rest of the day went pretty well. The faculty and office staff teased me an awful lot, but I think it was well deserved.

Tuesday's big event was a storm. The day was normal enough. The weather at the beginning of the day was beautiful. That worked out well because that meant both of my first grade classes were able to go on their field trip, giving me loads of extra prep time. After school, though, the weather got dreary pretty quickly. We kept our eye on the news of the impending big storm. I've been on the east coast for a while, and I'm having a little trouble adjusting from hurricane news back to tornado alley news. Anyway, we normally have a ladies Bible study meeting at my house on Tuesday night. The lady who leads it called me around 5. She had heard predictions of large hail and vicious winds, so we decided it might be wisest to cancel. I should add that this Bible study has been cancelled almost as many times as we have met, and I'm a little bummed about that because I've really been looking forward to this study.

In this case, though, it was a good thing we cancelled. At around 5:45 our power went out. It stayed out for around six hours. It reminded me of how thankful I should be for electricity. I take it for granted until I have to spend six hours in the dark. Life is boring when I can't read, watch TV, listen to music, or clean. I did go back to school for a little while. The power there was on, so I was able to get some more schoolwork done. (Tuesday was a very productive day for me for school stuff.) Then, when the power still hadn't come back on at 9:30, I called my parents who very graciously agreed to let me stay at their house for the night. I could have slept in the house without electricity, but especially after Monday's incident, I wanted to make sure I could get up on time.

Wednesday was considerably better. My mom woke me up since I didn't have an alarm clock, and my dad had a pot of brewed coffee all ready when I was ready for breakfast. I told them they need to be careful or I'm going to consider moving back into their house.

Tonight I get to enjoy the meat that I started marinated last night but couldn't cook without power. I'm also looking forward to an evening of being able to see, clean, cook, read, listen to music, watch TV, or any combination of the above. Then, I'm looking forward to setting my alarm and waking up to tomorrow's adventures. Of course, I'll have to spend this next little chunk of time resetting all the clocks, but I'm glad the power (at least for now) is back on so I can do that.

Thankful Thursday #5

Today's "Thankful Theme" will center around my mother in honor of Mother's Day (which reminds me, I need to get her gift, and soon.) Here is my list of things about her that make me very thankful (in no particular order):

* Her love of Jesus Christ and her desire to serve Him wholeheartedly

* Her love of my dad. Their marriage of 36 1/2 years through all the highs and lows is a shining example in a world where divorce is becoming increasingly common.

* Her love of each of her five children, her four children-in-law, and her eight (soon to be nine) grandchildren.

* Her commitment to being a prayer warrior.

* Her quiet humility.

* Her disciplined approach to all areas of life. (I wish I had inherited a little more of that. Instead, I inherited my dad's randomness--sigh. It's fun, but not always profitable.)

* Her fairness. She is a high school math teacher (and a good one at that), and she has an exceptional talent for making sure everyone gets exactly the same amount of whatever is the treat of the day.

* Her strength of character.

*Her frugality. Again, I wish I had inherited a little more of that. She's a whiz at finding a good bargain. She has always been the family bookkeeper, and she's fantastic at it. It was only during the last few years that I realized how hard it must have been for her and my dad to make ends meet when I was a young child. Dad's salary couldn't have been very big, and they were working for dad to go to seminary and for all five of us children to attend Christian schools. Still, she didn't ever let us think we had less than the best. We were always very well-fed and well-clothed and happy.

*Her honesty. She's never one to gush or say something she doesn't mean. So a compliment from her can mean the world.

Thanks Mom! I love you!

My nerd type

I know these results will be shocking to those of you who know me best. I guess I just couldn't resist taking a quiz where I knew what the answers would be.

What Be Your Nerd Type? Your Result: Musician Doo doo de doo waaaa doo de doo! (<-- That's you playing something.) Everyone appreciates the band/orchestra geeks and the pretty voices. Whether you sing in the choir, participate in a school/local band, or sit at home writing music, you contribute a joy to society that everyone can agree on. Yay! Welcome to actually doing something for poor, pathetic human souls. (Just kidding.)
Drama Nerd
Literature Nerd
Social Nerd
Artistic Nerd
Gamer/Computer Nerd
Science/Math Nerd
Anime Nerd
What Be Your Nerd Type? Quizzes for MySpace

Music Teaching and the headlines....

A music teacher is fired for making his student hit himself in the head with drumsticks. Read about it here.

One down, one to go

The Spring Concert was last night. It went reasonably well. I had serious doubts yesterday morning. The concert involved my elementary choir, band, and chimes groups. Yesterday morning, the chimes group was missing two girls who were home with strep. So, I quickly recruited two band members who are especially good at sightreading. They filled in beautifully. We were also missing a couple other students from band and choir. We missed them, but substitutes were not as necessary (or as easy to find) for those positions.

The Friday morning dress rehearsal went well. The audience was in awe, and gave great comments. Of course, I should probably mention that the audience was made up of preschool and elementary students with a few adults in the mix. In all fairness, I think they would have been impressed with shiny instruments whether or not someone was playing them.

Friday during the day, two more students went home sick. One of them played chimes, so I called on the sixth grade teacher to fill in on his part. She did a great job. I think it went well overall. We all had a good time, and I can now focus all my attention on the sixth grade musical. The performances are scheduled for two weeks from now. In fact, I had a meeting with the set builder for that musical immediately after the concert last night.

That's my perspective on the whole thing, but I appreciated hearing a first grade perspective yesterday. A couple hours after the morning's dress rehearsal in chapel, my first grade class came in for their music class. They were saying things like, "I saw you in chapel this morning." These comments always make me laugh. In my head I badly want to say something like, "Really? I thought I was hiding very well." I mean, honestly, I was leading the program and talking in front of everyone in there-- OF COURSE they saw me. Since they are only in first grade, though, and I don't think they'd get it, I hold my tongue. The question that really threw me, though, came from one of the boys in the class. The conversation went something like this:

He raised his hand with a very serious look on his face

I called on him, "Yes?"

He asked, "Why is it called a spring concert?"

I paused slightly while my brain scrambled to figure out how to answer that. Then I said, "Well, it's spring right now, and we're playing music for people, so it's a oncert."

He had an even longer pause before he asked, "Well, does somebody win?"

I was even more confused by that point. Then, it clicked. I said, "Oh, are you thinking of a contest?"

He got a great look of recognition on his face, then a slightly embarrassed look. He said, "Oh yeah, that's what I was thinking." He went on to explain that he has a recital and a contest coming up in his guitar lessons. I explained that the contest is a little more like a recital.

Problem resolved. I knew my gift of randomness would come handy at some time. I guess this was it.

Long time, no post

Life continues to speed ahead here. Last week's spring break went way too fast. I ended up going to the only doctor in town who didn't take a vacation last week--MedStat. I was diagnosed with a sinus infection. So, that slowed down some of the productivity of my week off. I'm not sure I really would have been all that productive, but I'm blaming the fever and the antibiotics, anyway. I did, however, finally make some progress on that basement room that has housed many boxes since I moved into the house last November. With just a little more work, it will be ready to serve as a guest room. (That was the original intent, and, yes, that is a hint for any of you who might consider visiting.)

The next few weeks are packed full of activity. Next Friday is the school's spring concert. Then, two weeks after that is the sixth grade musical. Both activities will keep me hopping for the next month or so. Also, beginning band students just started learning their first songs. Thankfully, they won't be performing in the spring concert. However, my note to myself for next year has me starting those instruments much earlier in the year. The squeaks, squawks, and headaches of those beginning stages of the instrumental music are especially painful when the stress levels are already creeping higher. For now, I'm pressing on and looking forward to being finished with all of the those large projects.

SPRING BREAK!!!!!!

It's been a long, long, long, long week! After going home every night feeling like it was Thursday, it's FINALLY Friday. This next week will be used to do some work (sadly), but I'll settle for the fact that I get to sleep a little more than usual, and there will be some peace and quiet.

SPRING BREAK!!!! WOOHOO!!!

Thankful Thursday #4

I came across the following quote by C.S. Lewis. These are truths for which I am very grateful, and since C.S. Lewis put it into words so beautifully, I'll leave it as it is.

No amount of falls will really undo us if we keep on picking ourselves up each time. We shall of course be very muddy and tattered children by the time we reach home. But the bathrooms are all ready, the towels put out, and the clean clothes in the airing cupboard. The only fatal thing is to lose one's temper and give it up. It is when we notice the dirt that God is most present in us: it is the very sign of his presence.

Aren't you thankful for that presence? I sure am! I'm also thankful that, even as the very dirty child I am, that beautiful home is waiting for me.

Sticky post, please scroll down--Check out my new website!!

I'm very excited to be able to show off my new website! I recently joined The Body Shop at Home as an independent consultant. I get to enjoy some great products at a good discount, and I get to help ladies enjoy a little relaxation time in their homes with Girls' Nights Out. I'm having fun with this new venture, and I'm enjoying some extra income and free products while doing this.

Click below to check out The Body Shop at Home's great products and core values:

www.thebodyshopathome.com/web/mshaffer

Then, please feel free to contact me if you have any questions or comments.

Thankful Thursday #3

He gives strength to the weary, And to him who lacks might He
increases power. Isaiah 40:29 (NASB)

It's been a rough week. First, there was school stuff--grades due, children antsy for spring break, and the start of the marathon that is the last few months of the school year. Then, it's been a week of wierd things, too. The skin around my right eye is red and swollen for some unknown reason. I drove to work this morning in a black-skied, strong-winded, angry thunderstorm (after fighting with my hair, of course.) The list could go on....

Then, just a few minutes ago, it hit me that today is Thankful Thursday. Today, I need to stop feeling sorry for myself and start counting my blessings. So, here I go, in my attempt to adjust my attitude. I am thankful for.....

1. Makeup to cover up the horrid redness around me eye

2. Safety on the way to school

3. Being able to get my grades in on time

4. Lots of new and excited students for the beginning band (over half the class, actually)

5. A good response from the sixth grade students when the musical parts were announced

6. A pretty good start to my new business

7. Warmer weather

8. Spring break being only a little over a week away

Welcome, Spring!

Spring is here, and I am very glad! Here are a few things I'm looking forward to doing in warmer weather:

1. Opening windows and doors in the house to breathe fresh air

2. Riding in my car with the windows and moonroof open (except when driving past the foundry--choak, gag, cough)

3. Eating food that has been cooked on a grill (I'll have to get a grill or find someone willing to share their's first, but I'm OK with that)

4. Going for long walks--This will be very nice now that I live in a neighborhood where I'm safe to do this.

5. Not having to let my car warm up for half an hour before driving it to school

6. Lower gas bills for the house

7. Rain--especially those calm rainfalls

8. Spring break

9. Sunshine!!!

small enough

Over the past couple of weeks, I've gotten into a bit of a spiritual funk. It's one of those situations where I have no reasonable explanation for feeling down, I just do. Things are going well, and I really am thankful for what God is doing in my life and in the lives of the friends I have been lifting up in prayer.

Then, I was listening to some of my old CDs and I came across a Nicole Nordeman song, Small Enough, that put the real issue into words.

Oh, Great God, be small enough to hear me now.
There were times when I was crying from the dark of
Daniel's den;
And I have asked you once or twice if You would part
the sea again.
But tonight I do not need a fiery pillar in the sky.
Just want to know you're gonna hold me if I start to
cry.

Oh great God, be small enough to hear me now.
Oh great God, be close enough to feel You now.
There have been moments when I could not face Goliath
on my own.
And how could I forget we've march around our share of
Jerichos.
But I will not be setting out a fleece for You tonight.
Just want to know that everything will be alright.

Oh, great God, be close enough to feel You now.
All praise and all the honor be;
To the God of ancient mysteries.
Whose every sign and wonder turn the pages of our
history.
But tonight my heart is heavy, And I cannot keep from
whispering this prayer.
Are You there?

And I know You could leave writing on the wall that's
just for me.
Or send wisdom while I'm sleeping, like in Solomon's
sweet dreams.
But I don't need the strength of Samson or a chariot in
the end...
Just Want to know that You still know how many hairs
are on my head.
Oh, great God, be small enough to hear me now.

I love her way with lyrics. I can relate to them, and I think she nailed my problem on the head. I'm afraid I may be becoming a bit of a "drama queen Christian." I do pretty well when things are rough. Over the past few years, through the death of my close friend, job changes, and big financial struggles, I managed to stay on course. (Some times better than others.) Now, though, things are going well. I like my job and my situation in life. God wants me to be just as dependent on Him now as I ever was in those hard times. I'm praying for the faith to trust God and know His strength in the everyday.

Happy Birthday, Dad!

My father turns 59 today! Happy Birthday, Dad! I love you!

Thankful Thursday #2

He is your praise; he is your God, who performed for you those great and awesome wonders you saw with your own eyes. Deuteronomy 10:21 (NIV)

Many of my thankful thoughts today will focus on my whirlwind trip last weekend. Last weekend, I left Indiana on Thursday afternoon for Cincinnati. I met a good friend and former roommate there. We piled in the car with her husband, her 3-month-old son, and another close friend to head to Knoxville for the night. Then, on Friday, we three girls and the baby headed to Georgia for a wedding. Jen (the bride), Kari (my former roommate with whom I carpooled), and I all worked together at a school in New Jersey. The three of us and two of our other fellow teachers went through some very difficult situations at that school. The resulting friendship has stayed very strong even though we have all gone our separate ways and are now living in four different states. We call ourselves "the Jersey girls" even though none of us lives in New Jersey any more. That very difficult situation was a defining part of who we are today.

That brings me to my thankful list:

1. I am thankful for the Jersey girls' friendships that helped carry me through that difficult time. I can also always count on them to be my prayer warriors from their various places around the country and to listen and offer good counsel or a good laugh when I need it.

2. I am thankful for those trials. I could not have honestly said that while I was there, but through hindsight, I can see how it made me grow closer and more dependent in my relationship with God. I can also see how He used it to teach me more about life and to draw me into good and lasting friendships.

3. I am thankful that I was able to go to Jen's wedding. It was such a blessing to meet her new husband and to sense her joy. He seems wonderful and godly, and her joy was contagious and encouraging.

4. I am thankful that all of the Jersey girls have wonderful things going on in their lives right now. Jen is newly married to a great guy. Kari has a beautiful 3-month-old little boy. Grace has a beautiful 1-week-old little girl (which is why she couldn't be at the wedding.) Erin is engaged to a great guy with a wedding scheduled for August. I am living close to family again and enjoying a wonderful job.

5. I am thankful for the beautiful home where we stayed on our trip. Kari's in-laws live in Knoxville, so we stayed with them. Their home is huge and beautiful, and they are incredibly hospitable. Also, Kari's mother-in-law puts Martha Stewart to shame. She had printouts in
each room to let us know where we could find anything we might need--extra towels, soap, snacks, toothbrushes, etc. She had put chocolates on the beds, and as if that wasn't impressive enough, the breakfast was amazing. She made a huge and delicious breakfast of pancakes and eggs. She kept the plates in the oven to warm them for us. She also offered me a glass of milk, which I very thankfully accepted. She served it to me in a chilled glass! I'm very thankful for the mini-vacation time at their home--I felt so pampered.

6. I am thankful for the carpool to Georgia. It saved us all on travel expenses.

7. I am thankful for the travel time. I'm not normally a big fan of lots of time in the car, but it was nice to have time to catch up with Kari. We also had time to call Erin and catch up with her. She couldn't make it to the wedding because she coaches basketball and it's tournament season. It was very nice to spend some time catching up with her on the phone, though. We tried to do the same with Grace, but she's very busy with her newborn.

8. I am thankful that Grace is a mom now. We always knew she'd be wonderful mom, and she has wanted that so badly for so long that it's wonderful to see it becoming real for her.

9. I am thankful that the wedding went well. It was a beautiful and simple ceremony. I even enjoyed the bagpipes playing for the processional and recessional.

10. I am thankful that I got to spend the weekend in beautiful, warm weather. It is still very "wintery" in Indiana, but the preview of spring was a good encouragement for me to keep pressing on through these winter doldrums.

11. I am thankful that I didn't need to overspend my personal days to go away for the weekend. My school allows 2 personal days per school year. (I had taken one in the fall to visit my grandfather who is unsaved and whose health is failing. ) The weekend trip would have put me one half-day over my allotted, but since school was cancelled early last Friday due to a sudden storm, I didn't need to use the extra half-day.

12. I am thankful for the time alone in the car from Cincinnati back to my home. I was able to spend lots of time on the phone with my sister who lives in Tucson. Her husband is stationed there for the Air Force, and the transition to being so far from family was a tough one. It has been a big encouragement over the past few weeks to hear how much she is enjoying her life there now. She and her husband are expecting their first child (a girl) in early July. Her husband is scheduled to deploy for six months beginning in mid-July. I am thankful that he should be around for the birth of his daughter. I am thankful that she has responded to the news of his deployment with such peace.

13. Finally, I am thankful that I can pray. It is always a comfort to be able to talk to God, but I especially enjoy it when I see His answers to prayer so clearly. It is really wonderful to be able to thank Him for His rich blessings on me and my family and friends. It gives me the motivation to keep persistently praying for the answers I have not yet seen.

A borrowed meme: What have you read?

I stole this meme from a friend's blog. OK, so now it's time to let the world know how much of a literary geek I am.

Instructions: Underline or put an asterisk next to all those books whose movies you have seen. Bold or highlight the ones you've read in a different color.

1. Heidi (Johanna Spyri)*(I've seen at least 3 different versions of this one)

2. Pride and Prejudice (Jane Austen)*

3. To Kill A Mockingbird (Harper Lee)*

4. Gone With The Wind (Margaret Mitchell)*

5. The Lord of the Rings: Return of the King (Tolkien)

6. The Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring (Tolkien)*

7. The Lord of the Rings: Two Towers (Tolkien)*

8. Anne of Green Gables (L.M. Montgomery)*(more accurately, I completely wore out
my VHS copy)

9. Jane Eyre (Charlotte Bronte)*

10. Anne of Avonlea (L.M. Montgomery)*(I've seen this almost as many times as Anne of Green Gables. I feel like I should also add that I read the whole series, but I was extremely disappointed with the third movie.)

11.The Catcher in the Rye (J.D. Salinger)

12. Little Women (Louisa May Alcott)*

13 Wuthering Heights (Emily Bronte)*

14. The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe (C. S. Lewis)*(and loved it, I might add)

15. Chariots of Fire (Clarence E. MacArtney)* (also, played the theme song in several orchestra and band concerts--starting to wonder why I never read the book)

16. 1984 (Orwell)

17. The Count of Monte Cristo (Alexandre Dumas)*

18. The Grapes of Wrath (John Steinbeck)*

19. The Great Gatsby (Fitzgerald)

20. War and Peace (Tolsoy)

21. Quo Vadis (Sienkiewicz)

22. The Hunchback of Notre Dame (Victor Hugo)*

23. The Robe (Douglas)

24. A Tree Grows in Brooklyn (Betty Smith)

25. The Story of A Soul (St. Therese)

Well, if nothing else, doing that did make me feel pretty well-read.

It's not about me

I'm a little afraid this phrase is becoming trite. I mean, I grew up in the church, and while I didn't memorize the entire Westminster Shorter Catechism, I did at one point (I don't even remember where or when) memorize the first question.

Q: What is the chief end of man?
A: The chief end of man is to glorify God, and to enjoy Him forever.

So, why is it so difficult for me to fully appreciate this truth--to not only think it's true but let that truth influence every aspect of my life? I know in my head that it's true. I believe it. So, why do I try to steal the attention?

I ask myself these questions all the time. (Prepare for the big shocker here.) It turns out, I'm a very self-centered person. That's why I was so struck by some reading I did this morning.

The book was Pierced by the Word by John Piper. I've read a few other books by John Piper, and I'm always struck at his way with words. He has a unique gift for explaining God's Word and the proper perspective of our relationship with God. The first chapter in this book was no exception. To get the best impact, you should read it yourself, but I'll do my best to summarize.

He used the story of Jesus Christ raising Lazarus from the dead to exemplify how God shows His love by glorifying Himself. Think about that for a second. I don't know about you, but for my self-centered heart, that's a very strange concept. Looking at the passage in John 11:1-46 drove the point home, though. In verse six, we see that Jesus took his time getting to Bethany. Jesus was in Jerusalem--a mere two miles from Bethany, but "when He heard that he [Lazarus] was sick, He then stayed two days longer in the place where He was." He didn't want us to miss this point, either, as we see in verses 14 and 15. The disciples misunderstood, and thought Lazarus was just sleeping.

"So Jesus then said to them plainly, 'Lazarus is dead, and I am glad for your sakes that I was not there, so that you may believe; but let us go to him.'"

Jesus confirms again that this story is not about human interest (as we understand it) when he thanks His Father in verses 40-42 for showing His glory.

"Father, I thank You that You have heard Me. I knew that You always hear Me; but because of the people standing around I said it, so that they may believe that You sent Me."

I'm very familiar with the story. This take on the passage, though, made me think of it in a whole new light. I knew God is/was a loving God, and I knew He will glorify Himself and will use me and all of His creation for the purpose of His glory. Those two ideas have never really merged for me, though--until now. God shows His love to us through His God-centeredness. And God-centeredness is the only way that we can show our love to God or others effectively.

Anyway, those lessons have been on my mind all day. As usual, it was the humbling reminder I needed. I was observed/evaluated by my principal this afternoon. It was my first evaluation at this school. (A few of you knew and were praying--thank you. It went well.) I was very nervous--more because this has been put off for so long than anything else. So, in my quiet time this morning, what lesson did God lead me to learn? Did He point me to His comfort? No, my loving Father in heaven pointed me the lesson I needed most: It's not about me!