Well all good things must come to an end.

This has been a great year. We have so much to be thankful for. This semester has been productive. It feels weird not to be in school while teaching school. I found out my classes have been postponed until next fall. This has been a blessing in disguise because although the semester has been productive it has been challenging. On another note...our family has bounced back from a few hits. Mom survived life threatening surgery and was recently rleased to go back to work. My grandmother and I both had surgery in October and we are both doing great. Scott is completing his first full year with the fire dept. and loves his job. He looks forward to going to work every shift. Raegan and I have had to adjust to being the daughter and wife of a firefighter. Raegan is learning so much at school. We love RCA and it has been a blessing to all of us. She has made so many new friends. She can read her name although writing it is still a work in progress. She prides herself in weekly Bible verse memorizations. She absolutely loves to sing and dance. I am so proud of this sweet, sassy little girl. My brother and his wife married this year and we will soon find out whether their new addition will be a girl or a boy. We are beyond excited and can't wait. Being a mom is the best gift in the world but being an aunt is second best to having your own....loving the idea of spoiling and sending them home so watch out Alex and Amanda. 2010 has been a great year. I look forward to finishing it out with the ones I love most. We can't wait til the Christmas program, lights in Nashville, living Christmas tree, Noccalula falls, parties with friends and gatherings with family. Thank you to everyone who has been a part of making memories in 2010.

Congratulations Alex and Amanda

I am so happy for my brother and his new bride. The wedding was lovely! They both looked amazing! Everything fell into place perfectly. I pray that the two of them share a beautiful marriage filled with health and happiness. Wishing you both all my love.

Love,
Sister

Brrrrrrrrr!

It seems as if we have completely skipped autumn and gone straight into winter. Yesterday when I pulled in the driveway from work it was actually sleeting. Wow its only 19 days until Thanksgiving and shortly after it will be Christmas. Let's just say I am looking forward to some time off and spending time with my family. I am NOT looking forward to the hassle of the holidays, though. There is so much to do and yet so little time to do it all. Work has gotten more stressful lately because of the RACE TO THE TOP program. In education we have made a deal with the devil to get all this money for education. They are absolutely working us to death! Next Tuesday I have meetings before and after school. I never seem to get enough time to actually "teach"....Instead we are becoming more and more bogged down with surveys, online courses, meetings, paperwork, etc. Oh well, enough complaining. Alex and Amanda are getting married next weekend....a week from today. YIKES! Time has flown by with this wedding planning. Raegan is very excited about getting to wear her "marry" dress aka her flower girl dress. Preschool is going great. Raegan is making so many new friend. In fact, today we are going to her friend Josie's birthday party. She has done so well for being the baby. She even won the spirit award for her class during Homecoming week. She says when she grows up that she wants to be a dancing cheerleader....let me tell you she plays the part well. She especially likes learning songs and memory verses each week. I am amazed at what she can remember. These little ones are like sponges, soaking it all up. Scott has been asked to come to her school to talk about fire safety and being a firefighter. She can't wait for him to come. I am a little sad that I will miss it. Wish us luck as we get out in the cold today. We don't deal with COLD well in the south.

Things are looking up!

We are finally beginning to feel "human" again. Grammy is doing great from her gallbladder surgery. Mom got the staples out and is getting around pretty well. She still has a long road but is expected to recover. She is still getting IV's twice a day and has about 4 weeks of that left. I went to the doctor for a post-surgery checkup and got most of the packing removed. It will take some more time to determine if the surgery was successful at restoring my hearing. I am still hurting off and on but things are looking up. In the meantime, we have all had a little cold going around at our house but now we are doing better.

Wedding plans are in the works and it will soon be here. We attended a wedding shower today for Alex and Amanda and have another one to go to tomorrow. The flowers are all finished and the details are coming together for the rest of the decorations. Raegan's dress finally came in and it fits great. I got my dress and we have ordered Scott's tux. We are finishing the final plans for the rehearsal dinner and desserts.

It looks like school plans have changed slightly. I was going to begin college again in January to get my ED.S but they have decided to start the program up in the fall. This may be a blessing in disguise since things have been so hectic lately. I am looking forward to going back to school but this will probably be my last degree for a while. LOL! Everytime I say that my dad says yeah right until the next one rolls around but I'm serious this time.

Raegan got her first report card from school. We are proud of her and all she has accomplished. I love to see how much she loves school....ahhh evidently just like her mommy. She works intently to memorize her Bible verses. They recite one a week on Fridays and then they get to go to the treasure chest. We practice with her each week and she enjoys the praise and the reward for her success. She has made many friends at school and I am proud to see her personality through her interactions with these little friends. We plan to send her there next year but after that I'm not sure what will happen. Private school is so expensive but such an investment so I am praying about it!

My sweet husband has been a blessing lately. He has helped clean the house, take care of me and my mom, and cooked for us. He has been so thoughtful and kind while things have been so crazy. He has been a rock to me! I love you Scott....I can't believe that 10 years ago this month we met. Neither of us were too serious about a relationship but we were crazy about each other. You told me to just let it go where it was meant to go...get on the train and ride...and so here we are. We are committed in a wonderful marriage and still crazy about each other. Thank you for 10 great years of being yours.

Special thanks in our time of need.....

This past week has been so stressful but in the midst of it all, God's mercy has been with us. He has kept us all healthy and well during this trial. On Wednesday of last week my mother had a preparatory surgery where doctors harvested veins for 4 hours to prepare for a major operation on Thursday. On Thursday, the team of doctors completed a bifemoral artery bypass and stint replacemnet in 8 1/2 hours where they removed infected grafts in her femoral arteries, replaced them, and connected them to the abdominal aorta. On Friday, I had a tympanoplasty and mastoidectomy on my right ear to remove a lesion on the bones, repair the eardrum and drill the bones behind the ear to remove infection. Then on Monday my mother also had a minor surgery to put in a Hickman catheter/ central line. To say that our family has been hit hard is an understatement. Miraculously, my mother was disimssed home today. She will recover at home with home health services for the next few months. She will receive IV antibiotics for the next 6 weeks which will be administered by my wonderful husband and great aunt twice a day. Next week my grandmother will have gallbladder surgery. To add to all this excitement...my brother and his girlfriend...now fiancee have announced their engagement and upcoming wedding. WOW!!!!! All I can say is thanks be to God....because without HIM we would have never made it. I know many prayers were going up on our behalf this past week and we have definitely felt HIS presence in our time of need. Special thanks to the many friends and loved ones for all your acts of kindness. Thanks to everyone who pitched in to be at the hospital, cards, flowers, food, and for loving my child when I couldn't be there with her. Thank you to the saints... I mean aunts who gave mom's house a facelift and thorough cleaning so that she would have a comfortable place to come home to. Thank you for the countless acts of kindness that you all have shown. My family is forever grateful and blessed because of you.

Seeking joy in the small things.....

I am just trying to seek joy in the small things....like spending time with my precious family, loving my child and husband, and enjoying the beauty of each new day. These last few weeks have been a little hectic and are soon going to be even busier. I continue to work more hours each week with parent conferences, ballgames, and day to day duties. I have atleast two 12-14 hour days a week. In mid October, I will begin my remedial program for students to prepare for the fall test. This past week I was approached and asked to be the administrator over ACT testing at our school. Although thrilled about the opportunity, I don't think I can manage any more on my plate. Keeping up with what I have to do now is challenging enough. Later this month we will have a meeting about another grad. school program that I am interested in. If I go back to school again then this will definitely be my last degree for a while. I aspire to one day earn my doctorate but right now it just doesn't seem within reach. However, I am still young and you never know what God has in store for me.

Raegan is doing excellent! We love her school. Despite being the baby in her class, she is achieving and excelling. Her teacher tells us each week that she is doing great. Her favorite part is reciting her Bible verse each week. She has become even more independent than she was before. She is making many new friends. This week we took her to the fair and she loved it. It was hard to keep up with her. I thought she would be afraid of the rides but I was wrong. "We" rode until we(I) just couldn't go anymore. LOL! She loved the demolition derby and the cotton candy.

Mom will be having surgery on the 29th and 30th. It is such an extensive surgery that it will have to be split into two days. There is a higher mortality rate this time due to the nature of the operation. She is really scared but knows that it is her only option as the doctors gave her 6-12 months to live without it. We would appreciate your prayers. The doctors anticipate a lengthy hospital stay with much of the time spent in ICU. She will be off from work for approximately 3 months. She has blocked stints in her femoral artery and will need a bypass and possible stint replacement. Thank God for my sweet family for helping us all plan ahead and get through this. Never understimate the value of your loved ones near or far. We have some family coming in from out of town as well as those who are close by pitching in to help. My dad and my grandmother are helping as much as they can even though my parents have been divorced for over 20 years. My husband and his parents are showing unwavering love and support. Thank you God for all of these special people in our lives.

In the midst of my mother's ordeal I have a CT scan and if everything is going well with her after surgery then I will be having my ear surgery at the end of the same week. This was planned so that I can recover over Fall Break and so I will be well enough to help her by the time she gets out of the hospital. I am anxious and nervous about everything that is going on but fully reliant on God to get me through. Last week Raegan was assigned one of my favorite verses.....I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. Thank you Lord for speaking to me so clearly and showing your presence in my time of need.

Enjoying a Day at the Park.....

Oh how I miss the days like these.....




and treasure the ones like these.




I love you baby girl.

Please be praying for our family...

My mother had two knots come up on her legs and she returned to the vascular surgeon since the knots were close to her previous surgery sites. She went to the doctor and they said that the stints are blocked and will have to be removed and replaced. She goes next week for an MRI and a CAT scan to check for more blockages and to have her brain checked. She has so much trouble with her short term memory as a result of poor circulation from the blockages. Please pray for her surgery and healing.

I went to the ENT yesterday after dealing with an ear infection for the last month. I took very strong antibiotics and steroids but they did not work. I will do another round of steroid/antibiotic combinations for the next 2 weeks. I have oral meds and drops. Then I will have a CT scan to check for bone damage. Then they will schedule surgery. I need another tube in the left ear and reconstruction in the right ear. The CT scan will determine if I need a mastoidectomy where they drill the bone just behind the ear from the ouside. They will repair the perforation in the ear drum and check for cholesteatomas (benign tumor growths). They will repair the retraction pockets in the drum. I have never had an external surgery to the ear where they cut from the outside. My previous 7 surgeries have all been through the ear canal and invisible to others. I am praying for restoration of my hearing and for quick healing from the surgeries. The doctor is leaning towards the external surgery which means a longer recovery time for which I will possibly be out of work. I am trying to get everything scheduled for fall break so that I won't miss too much.

Praise be to God

Have you ever had one of those days where you felt Satan creeping into your life because of the work he has done in others? Have you ever experienced the cruelness and selfishness of another human being because of jealousy and indecency? Have you ever thought you were doing "what was right" only to be hurt by someone else in their attempts prove you wrong? Well this happened to our family recently. I being my worry wart self let it get to me as usual. I didn't say much to my husband because I was too upset and he tried to comfort me as he told me he expected things to work out the way they did. Because these experiences have been ongoing he has become numb and expectant of them and able to cope more. I on the other hand am the glass half full kind of girl and I expect more of people so I get let down when they act so immaturely. All I could do was Pray. I prayed for peace and comfort. I prayed for God to heal hearts and help with ongoing psychological issues so that joy could be restored instead of hurt.

God knows our hearts and intentions and I believe that he honors our prayers and requests, especially when they reflect his will. Although for a short while Satan was able to steal our joy we did not succumb to it. We went out for a family dinner at one of our favorite restaurants. Raegan fell asleep in the car so Scott held her in the restaurant. She awoke and needed to go to the bathroom while we waited for our food so I took her. At a nearby table sat a lonely soldier dressed in civilian clothing. He looked to be in his mid 30's. He ate a modest meal and intently studied some papers that were stapled together. While I went to the restroom, he and Scott struck up a conversation and talked for a few minutes. This would not be relevant to share until he left so as I approached they ended the conversation and I sat down to eat. I heard him exclaim, "Best of luck to you and your family," and he and Scott shook hands. We ate our dinner. He left sometime midway through the meal only nodding as he left. Then Scott told me that the soldier struck up a conversation because he saw his firefighter shirt and asked about his job. The soldier shared that he had just finished a tour in Iraq where his job was to inspect fire stations and equipment. He shared his years of experience and commented about our nice family. Scott thanked him for his 14 years of service to our country and likewise the soldier thanked him and they shook hands and concluded with well wishes. The waitress brought our...to go boxes and our dessert. We waited for the check as she was very busy taking care of other diners. She came with a smile and told us that our check had been taken care of. We thought she was joking. She laughed as she told us that the nearby soldier had requested our bill and paid for our meal. We were overjoyed by the generosity. We were elated by the gesture of kindness. I completely forgot about the previous happenings that had made me so blue. We felt God's presence through the kindness of a stranger. He was gone...like a ghost, probably never to be seen again. So I prayed for him also. Praise be to God for all his Glory.

A little catching up.

This week has been very busy and productive. Raegan has had a great week at pre-school. She has earned smiley faces every day for the past two weeks and on Friday she said her memory verse "Peter said, You are the Christ, Son of the living God...Matthew 16:16" and received a treat from the treat box. Her mommy-itis is slowly diminishing. She is the youngest child in the program. Most of the children in her class are about 9 months older than her. She is hanging in there and making us proud. She woke up Friday with a raspy voice and a runny nose but other than that everything is well with her.

School is keeping me very busy. I am teaching a new class this time and it requires more time and work for preparation. I have had to stay late just to keep up with everything. Thursday I was at school for 14 hours because I had to work a ball game after my usual work day was over. Trust me I was really ready for the weekend. Just as I was ready to rest.... my mom requested a haircut and my brother wanted to bring his girlfriend over. So I began cleaning the house and cut her hair. Then we decided to just meet for dinner since things were so hectic. All the while I have a pretty bad ear infection and heel spurs that are bothering me. Somehow this week I managed to squeeze in a doctor's appointment and get some meds for the meantime. I will probably go see an ENT soon to deal with the ear since I have had so many surgeries in the past. The heal spur can be treated with injections and steroids.

Scott has finished the decking project with help from his dad and a little from my brother and dad. It looks really great. We finally got the rails and the gates up so that the pool is closed off. Now we have yard clean up ahead and a fence to put up around the back yard. The flexibility of Scott's schedule has allowed him time to work on the many projects around the house. I am thankful for his skills and his willingness to help out with them. In the coming weeks he will be working with firefighter rookies on his days off to do the physical tests for the new rookie school.

I can't believe another summer has come and passed. I can't believe the changes that have happened and yet there are still so many things left unchanged. I pray that in our busy daily lives that we remember that time is precious and to keep the ones we love close. This time of year I am especially missing some people who were once an integral part of our lives but circumstances have changed and some of them have gone on before us while others are still here. "Thou shalt not avenge, nor bear any grudge against the children of thy people, but thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself: I am the LORD." Leviticus 19:18

200th post

MTSU Graduation.....I finally finished my Master's degree.

The First Day Of School

Well the first day of school got off to a great start until.... I had to leave her all by herself for the first time. All she has been able to talk about is starting school. She loves it so far! She did cry for momma for just a few minutes but she managed to overcome her fears thanks to the kindness of her teacher and the familiar faces of some of her swimming buddies. She told us that she played on the swing, shared toys, and made some friends. I asked if they sang songs and she said no which I find hard to believe but she did tell us that they prayed. She also said that the little boy in the yellow shirt (whoever that is) got a sticker but it wasn't her turn and she would get one next week....silly girl. She must have been way too excited to eat because she left her snack untouched and actually ate it around 12:00. This week will be the first full week for both of us. The first full week of waking early, packing lunches, getting ready, fixing hair, etc. Wish us luck!

Sweet child of mine.....

We are truly blessed by her wonderful spirit and presence. She has been the best child we could've ever asked for. Don't get me wrong...she has her moments of not minding and sassy talking but overall she is such a joy to be around. She has a big heart for others. She always wants to help and take care of our boo boo's. She thinks about others usually before herself. Now, she can make a mess in a hurry but she "tries" to help clean up. She loves on us daily. When we go places she thinks of buying things for others. She takes care of her babies as if they were real. She loves on the animals as if they were her best friends. She phones Heaven atleast once a day to make sure everyone up there knows we're doing fine here. She sings songs and laughs with the most beautiful smile on her face. She is absoultely precious to us and we are blessed to be her parents.

We've been busy this summer with

Birthday parties.........




Beach trips............




Swimming lessons........

Charlotte's Web

I wanted to read Raegan a "real" book instead of the short stories that we usually read. So today, I took her to the book store and we bought Charlotte's Web. At nap time (because we couldn't wait til bed time) we read 2 chapters. She listened intently...repeating every detail of the story. I asked her questions to be sure she was really paying attention and comprehending the story ;0)....the teacher in me I guess. I can tell this girl is going to have a heart for good reading and I am so glad to get to share it with her. The plan was to read a chapter a day and finish it before summer. It looks like we'll finish it sooner than later and be making a trip back to the bookstore. Love it!!!!!!!!!!

Summer Update....

We returned home this weekend from a fabulous beach vacation in Orange Beach. I will post pics soon. We all had an incredible time. We went to see the lighthouse in Pensacola and it was definitely a sight to see. After 177 steps it was worth the wait for the incredible view. We went on a dolphin cruise and it was the best we've had in 10 years. The beaches were more beautiful than we anticipated with the media hype.

I received a phone call from my grad school professor that I had passsed my comprehensive finals which was a huge relief since it was pass/fail and the final requirement for graduation. I will graduate in August. I am thankful to all who have made this dream possible for me, especially my family.

Next week sweet Raegan will turn 3! I can't believe it. She will be starting swim lessons which are greatly needed since she has spent most of the summer in the pool. I hope she enjoys it! She will also start preschool in the fall. This a bittersweet moment for us because it she's growing up way too fast. She is ready to make new friends and learn lots of new things. She has picked out some new school shoes already and we got her a Dora lunch box and backpack for her birthday. This girl really loves Dora.

Many changes are happening at work. Our principal retired and a new one has been hired so things will be different for us. At first I was sad about the change but I am now looking forward to what is in store. I will be teaching both honors and regular biology next semester so that means I will have to do a little summer planning to be on track. With less than a month left it seems like the summer has almost passed me by. I am looking forward to the challenge and the opportunity.

So what's going on with you....blog readers? How has your summer been?

There's always gonna be another mountain
I'm always gonna wanna make it move
Always gonna be a uphill battle
Sometimes I'm gonna have to lose

Ain't about how fast I get there
Ain't about what's waiting on the other side
It's the climb

The struggles I'm facing
The chances I'm taking
Sometimes might knock me down
But no, I'm not breaking

I may not know it
But these are the moments that
I'm gonna remember most, yeah
Just gotta keep going

And I, I got to be strong
Just keep pushing on

'Cause there's always gonna be another mountain
I'm always gonna wanna make it move
Always gonna be a uphill battle
Sometimes I'm gonna have to lose

Ain't about how fast I get there
Ain't about what's waiting on the other side
It's the climb, yeah!

Our Trip to the "Gatlinburger" Aquarium

A Special Weekend

This weekend was so special. Saturday Scott and I celebrated our anniversary and then Mother's Day was Sunday. We got to spend some quality time with our family and enjoyed great food. It was just a peaceful time. This time of year is really busy for me at work. It has been hectic as usual but rewarding at the same time. This weekend also marked a special event in my life. It was 20 years ago this Sunday that I asked Jesus Christ to be my Lord and Savior. I'm far from perfect but I am HIS. I am thankful to be his child and I hope to always share his LOVE with my own daughter. Being a mother is a tough, endless job but one of the BEST in the world. I am blessed beyond measure. She has brought so much joy to all of our lives. I never imagined that such a little person could be such a big part of our lives. Being a mother is truly amazing. I definitely felt the love from my family from heartfelt sentiments,flowers, and cards......way more than I ever expected or deserved. It never fails that I get a Mother's Day card from my baby brother and this year was no different. My grandparents also share this day with me and this year it was hard not having Grandaddy with us but he was missed. I will think of him when I plant my new rose bush from Grammy. Our conversations were filled with much laughter and remembrance of him. My sweet daddy gave me the best card....a real tear jerker. And of course, Scott out did himself as always. He recognizes how stressed and tired I have been so he treated me to a spa gift certificate. I'm holding out until the end of the semester. My daughter was precious, telling me "Happy Mudders Day" every chance she got. Wow! I can't believe she's almost 3. Where does the time go? Her growing up is bittersweet. Time is just too precious to take for granted.

Just a few more days....

In a few more days we will be in the burg!!!!! I am going to a teacher in-service in Gatlinburg for marine biology and fossil recognition and I am so excited to get to bring my family along. We are going to have a blast! Raegan is so excited. She and Scott have never been and it has been at least 10 years for me. I will post pictures when we get back. Only 16 1/2 more days of school until summer break! Wooooohoooooo!

Happy Easter!

Today was absolutely beautiful. Raegan and I started off the day by checking to see what the Easter Bunny had left. Then we got ready for church. She twirled and twirled in her dress. She felt so pretty. We met Robin and Haston at church for a great Easter service. After church we went to the fire station to see daddy who was working. I really didn't expect it to be so hard being seperated from him but we sure did miss him. Raegan and I ate lunch at Cheddars and she was so well-behaved. We had fun, girl time. We ordered daddy'd to go and then dropped it off by the station. Then we visted at Papa's house with Papa, Grammy, and Alex. We had fun hunting and hiding eggs. I kept putting them in all the obvious places and my brother was really hiding them. Raegan managed to find all 27 in a short period of time so we had to hide them twice. LOL! He told me to give her more credit and hide them in harder places. She loved the challenge. Again, we were missing daddy. This is the first year that she really got into hunting eggs and her little personality was just bubbling over. After egg hunting we changed clothes and spent the rest of the afternoon playing in the creek.

Thank you Lord for the beautiful day so that we could spend it with the ones we love and share of your mercy and grace. Easter is not about bunnies and baskets but about the sacrifice that was made for us at Calvary so that we may have everlasting life. Not a day passes that I don't think of my Grandaddy and today was no exception. However, I am comforted in knowing that because of Jesus we will be reunited one day. In the meantime, we continue to be thankful and truly blessed.

A Beautiful Day in Pictures

Where is the sunshine?

Well Spring Break has come but the sunshine hasn't. We had hoped for warmer weather and the opportunity to get out and have a little fun. We have been pretty productive around the house and having extra time has allowed for some much needed catching up. I always love this time of the year. It means we're so much closer to summer. I can't wait to have the summer off with Scott and Raegan. His schedule should allow for some fun family time. His dad keeps reminding me that these 24 hr shifts will pay off later. I am really looking forward to it!

It snowed......Again!!!!

What's that white fluffy stuff? Did you say SNOW? Raegan and I had a wonderful SNOW day at home together while daddy was working. We even had enough snow to build a snowman, something I haven't done in so long. She was so excited when she looked out the window and saw the white stuff. Hopefully this will be it and warmer, sunny days are ahead. To tell the truth, we are ready to have our feet in the sand...but until then...we wait.

We are really praying about the year ahead for Raegan. She has been on the preschool list for the last two years. I know CRAZY that they have to go on the list that far in advance. I feel pretty confident that she will get in but there's always a chance that she won't. We have a backup plan but we are giving it to God to bear and take care of. We've done everything that we thought we should so...it's up to him. We were thinking about a fall sport or activity for her but I'm just not sure that I'm ready to do that. It looks like if we do anything it will be this fall or next spring. I know she's old enough but I want her to really love it. I don't want to push her even though she begs to do this stuff. I feel like she should wait to play ball but maybe dance would be okay. I checked around last year and although she was old enough I just felt like she wasn't ready. Maybe it was me and not her but nevertheless it is what it is. She keeps begging for a sibiling but we all know its not good to give a child "everything" they ask for. We will see!

Scott is getting used to the new schedule. He loves his job. He has one more hurdle, passing the state EMT test and then he will be able to breathe a sigh of relief again. We are all getting used to the schedule. Thank goodness for great in-laws, dad, and Grammy who have helped me out with juggling Raegan, work, and class. I have really missed Scott but I am getting used to the fact that he can't be here for everything. He missed Raegan's first pageant which was a bummer but I told him there will be more. So far his calendar looks good on the big holidays but next year is another story. We will definitely have to plan ahead. Then being the wife of a firefighter will really sink in. I am almost finished with grad. school. After a few weeks I will begin my final semester of school. I haven't chalked this up to be my final educational experience but I will probably take a break for a while. Who knows...you never can tell.

RE: Teaching is my God Thing

First of all I am humbled by the response I got to the post "Teaching is my God Thing". I believe that so many of us will work at jobs and serve in positions that we are truly unhappy in. Sometimes its the "bad ones" that help us to appreciate the "good ones". Somehow through trials we find our purpose and find meaning in the things that we do. God doesn't guarantee us happiness but he does guarantee us joy. Choices are often difficult to make and we often rely on family and friends to guide us which shows wisdom and if we have wise godly relationships then this is helpful. God places people in our paths who help us make the big decisions that shape our destiny but ultimately he places them in our lives so that we will know him and become closer to him.
Teaching in a public school has its boundaries where religion is concerned. Sometimes my witnessing is done simply by action. Yes, education is important but loving those children is equally as important. When my students come to me for comfort during difficult times it may just be a kind word, a gentle smile, a listening ear, or a pat on the back. Being a teen is tough but so is being a parent to a teen. In most cases my students turn to me when they are in need because they come from non-traditional homes where they don't have anyone else to talk to. I am humbled that they choose to share their lives with me. I am honored to be their teacher.

Where does the time go?

It seems like it was only yesterday that we were bringing her home from the hospital and she was getting her first bath.

Teaching is my God Thing

I have always wanted a big family. I come from a small, close-knit family and there is so much that I love about that. Before we had Raegan, my kids at school would ask when I was going to have children and I would say to them why do I need kids....I have them. They were my babies. My philosophy on teenagers is that they are sometimes overgrown babies. We often treat them as if they are grown-ups expecting them to be responsible adults when physiologically and psychologically they are still developing. Sometimes I have to remind myself that they just need love and nurturing like an infant. This week God has reminded me how instrumental I am in his plan. He is using me to carry out his plan through these children. They need me and I need them and we are like family to each other. I have to be honest.... I haven't always been 100% sure that teaching was for me. Sometimes I questioned God's plan for my life. People often criticize my decision to teach, implying that I could have been someting else, made more money, etc. I hate to say that at times I agreed with them.
Weeks like this one help me stay focused and realizing that this is a God thing and not a me thing. In this week alone I have dealt with so many issues with these students. Most of the situations have been heartbreaking but through their trials I have had the opportunity to be Jesus with skin on as Bro. Steve calls it. Two students have confided about recent rapes and the emotional turmoil that they are dealing with. We have been working with a team of counselors and law enforcement officials to get them the help that they need. Another student found out she has an inoperable brain tumor. A young man told a story of how he had a gun pulled on him in his neighborhood. Another shared his family misfortunes of his mother losing their home, car, and job all while trying to stay away from her abusive ex-husband. One boy returned to school this week after his family lost everything over the weekend in a house fire. A girl shared about her mother's mental illness and how she has to care for her when her father is away at work. All of these stories were shared just this week. These students come from many diverse backgrounds. Some are black, some white, some in between, some poor, some middle class, some christian, some not. These kids have one thing in common....they need someone. They need God and I am a sounding board for them and a stepping stone to him. He is using me to give them hope and them to keep me humble and HIS. Blessings are all around us even when we least expect them. These kids have become part of that big family that I've always desired. Each one of them takes a piece of my heart away with them when they leave....I just hope that they always remember that my heart belongs to God.

Whatever you do unto the least of these you do unto me. Matthew 25:40

Trip to the fire station

So we all loaded up today and went to see Station 3, Scott's first assignment and to meet the guys on his shift. Low and behold the captain working today recognized me from childhood. He even remembered my name without being told....its only been like 20 something years. It turns out that our family farms are right beside each other. He and my dad were friends growing up and he remembered me taking my first steps...talk about a small world after all. Then of course he asked how in the world I got mixed up with the Clemons crew and we all laughed. Raegan had everyone wrapped around her little finger. Everyone just kept talking to her and she was enthralled that they let her "drive" the firetruck. They even gave her a beanie baby bunny before she left. Everyone seemed exceptionally nice and would be great to work with. Unfortunately, all the guys on this shift are moving to another station so who knows who will actually be there. There are still so many details to be worked out with placing the new rookies. Scott will officially start on Wednesday. This station was not his first pick but he is very pleased and thankful to be finished with training and actually going to work. It has actually been a year since he started the whole process and 6 months since he started the training. Wow!!!! What a journey this has been!

To my HERO.....

Tomorrow marks the end of training....Scott will take his final test and receive his first shift and station assignment. When we got married he chose the song "Hero" because he said he always wanted to be my hero. Well Baby, You are my hero. Now you'll be a hero to others. I am so proud of you for this accomplishment. I'm glad that you have achieved this goal. You made up your mind and you invested your heart. This is a new chapter in our lives and I am so thankful to be a part of it and sharing it with you. I love you. You not only mean the world to me but you are my world. May God always guide you and protect you.