Wednesday, August 31, 2005

A peek at my life lately.....

Yish, I am getting really bad about blogging....journaling going the same way I am afraid too. So much going on that it just gets pushed to the side and eventually forgotten.
The Awana round up picnic is tonight! I am a bit nervous as I am not sure what group I will have, I could possibly have a group of 6th grade boys, that in itself doesn't make me nervous, I just know that there is one 6th grade boy that I could NOT handle! I had him on my team in game time last year and he does NOT listen!
Prayer meeting is now every other Thursday night, or so, with Awana being on Wednesday. I think it's good as I really have been learning alot on Wednesday nights and I would hate to have it just stop now.
I am now also a Sunday School teacher. I will have 4 and 5 year olds. This Sunday will be my first Sunday. I am really excited! I plan to make my own flannel graph board too as it seems that we have a shortage in church. No biggie, easy enough to do. Just got a note that the new material has come in too so even though I had already planned a lesson with the old, I will probably just switch to the new. I believe it really is the beginning of a new unit, but the lady I am taking over for has been gone off and on and the subs that she has had have not taught the lessons. We also weren't really sure when this new material would come in. I guess they are not the most dependable for shipping things out.
I have been really working on not letting my devotions slip by like my blogging and journaling. The Our Daily Bread readings have been great, and I also received Today in the Word from Moody that I have been reading as well as my Women in the Bible book. I am really learning alot, and seeing things from a different perspecting and understanding things in a whole new way!
We added a new member to our Praise Band. Last Sunday was her first time playing with us. She played her keyboard, playing a different part than Pastor played on the piano. It sounded GREAT! It sounds like she will also being singing with us some too! I am quite excited about practice as well, as it sounds like we will be working on some new music! A couple songs that I LOVE!!! Practice may possibly switch to Wednesdays after Awana now too, not sure.
K's brother called the other day; he cut his knuckle open while out on a road trip for work in Ohio. He was cutting something and sliced his knuckle open and it needed stitches. It had been bothering him so he went to the nurse at work and she thought it was infected. B didn't think it was infected, but he still couldn't bend his finger properly so he went to the dr. After three hours and multiple doctors they decided that the tendon is not placed properly. Instead of running through this "channel" that it is supposed to, it is wrapped around the knuckle. The dr thought it was pretty serious, saying that it should have been done last week, not this week, and scheduled him for surgery Thursday. K planned vacation Thursday, Friday and Tuesday and was planning to drive B in for the surgery. It would be a bit over an hour drive, but he obviously wouldn't be able to drive himself so..... Well, B called last night and said that their middle brother BR had called and said he would drive B. Much easier since they only live minutes apart! K may still go just to be there as D-B's wife can't be there due to an appointment with a lawyer at work. Something about someone being injured on the job, but this was three years ago and D has no idea what it was! She supposedly helped this person up and discussed it with them or something but she can't remember!
All sorts of fun! But, I better be running for now, still have some reading to do and get ready for the picnic tonight.

Tuesday, August 16, 2005

Almost great day!


Hmmm my mood has decided to disappear for some odd reason over on the sidebar....I went to the site I get it from and they must be changing servers or something again as they are completely down.
In other news....I really feel good today, almost great in fact. I say almost because the dreaded aunt has come to visit and I am slightly crampy, but I have had MUCH worse cramps, so even in this I really am not complaining.
We went to my knitting teacher's 50th wedding anniversary party on Saturday. It was very fancy, assigned tables and all! We sat with a good group from church. We had chicken cordon bleu, green beans, baked potatoes, salad, and cheesecake. Yummy! They had a nice little program as well, some of her husbands barbershop singing friends sang them some songs, they also had a pianist playing in the background as we ate.
Sunday brought our outdoor service. That went very well too! Lots of fun, including me having to sing choruses all by myself as the girl that was to sing with me got lost! Ahh well it was a good thing, I am starting to feel much more comfortable up front, not as nervous. Lots of volleyball was played as well as a couple/three hours of swimming in the lake just down the road afterwards! Only downspot was the sunburn I ended up with on my face! But if that's the worst I am not complaining!
Really feeling filled and joyous lately....missed devotions yesterday but will catch up today with my women of the Bible reading.
K has a meeting for the elders and deacons tonight so I will have plenty of time to read, do some stitching, and just relax.

Friday, August 12, 2005

Hmmm.......

Last night the phone rang and as I answered I realized it was the friend that I have to walk away from's husband. Can you say awkward conversation!
Went to a Celebration Iowa concert last night. High school students from all over the state performing. The best of the best sort of thing. It was supposed to be at the fairgrounds but since it rained ALL DAY it was at the high school. Pastor and one of the boys met us there. We all left at intermission. It was HOT, and I mean HOT in the auditorium and although the jazz band was good I can't honestly say I enjoyed the singers. Part of that was not their fault, it was the sound guys. You could hear their voice barely most of the time but you could not make out what they were saying/singing. It was also very theatrical lots of dancing and jumping, not bad in itself but lets just say it was a little over the top. Not the kids fault either as they have multiple choreographers telling them exactly what to do. Just not what I would expect from high school age kids.
We also had to go to Pastor's house and fix the keyboard so we are able to use it on Sunday for the outdoor service and it was getting late. Almost quarter to nine when we left. It was 11:30 before we left Pastor's house.
Music practice tonight. I emailed B and asked her if she would like to come early so we can go over the song we are going to do as a duet for special music coming up too.
I may be working on Saturday. S, one of the kids I used to have missed me and mom wants to take her brother school shopping, which would be alot easier minus one very active little girl! So I said as long as they are gone in time for us to get ready and be to the 50th anniversary party for some friends at church at 6 it would be no problem.

Thursday, August 11, 2005

Rainy day






Well, here I am again. Having a pretty quiet day today. I had told the kids that I would take them swimming in the big pool out back if they were good, well it has rained all day soooooo there goes that idea. I guess it all worked out as the kids had Dr. appointments in the middle of the morning anyway. I told them that we can get the water color paints out after nap and that seemed to help.

Going to Pastor's house tonight. K is going to work on the keyboard, one of the boys knocked it off the stand and broke something off. There was another piece that had to be sent away to be fixed and that has come back, now they just need to glue a plastic part on or something like that. They need to get it fixed so we can use it for the outdoor service on Sunday.

Music practice on Friday! I can't wait! Two weeks without have been torture! Even though K is taking a break and C is back to school and there will only be a few of us I LOVE it! Practices are almost theraputic too!

Guess there isn't a whole lot more going on around here. This post seems like kind of a let down after yesterdays lol!

Testing

I decided to try Bloggers image option and see what I could do with it. I wondered if it would let me post something with animation.

Wednesday, August 10, 2005

A realization

I came to a decision this morning. It was a difficult one, but I have prayed about this, I have thought about it alot, and I left it in God's hands, I wouldn't make a decision one way or another until He showed me which way to go. I hated the decision that I may have to make, but I realized God knew best and that I needed to listen and obey just like I tell my kiddos they need to!
Well, last night I was doing some thinking and the main thought that stuck in my mind was walk away. I had a peace with it and so had about 75 percent decided to walk away. Well, the Lord knew I needed that sign, that little something to seal my decision that last 25 percent and as I was doing my devotions this morning what should the title be to the devotional for today??? I'm sure you have guessed; WALKING AWAY!!!! And a few sentences really hit home; "During difficult times, our stability comes from the presence and peace of God . Because He goes with us, we can walk into the future with confidence.~David McCasland" and a little poem they always include; I never walk alone, Christ walks beside me, With such a Friend to comfort and to guide me, I never, no, I never walk alone~Ackley. Wow! If that isn't a message! So I have decided that as much as I hate it this is what I need to do, I need to walk away from this "friendship".
I guess it hasn't been much of a friendship for a while. Is it a friendship when you feel like you can't be who you really are? Is it a friendship if you feel like if you say the wrong thing you will be chastized and made to feel a fool? Is it a friendship when the conversation is one sided and when you tell that other person of the death of a person you were once close to there is no sympathy and the conversation is soon turned back to the other person? Is it a friendship when you constantly feel manipulated? Is it a friendship if they are negatively affecting your self confidence? Is it a friendship when everything must be on their terms? Is it a friendship when you feel like you can do or say nothing right? Is it a friendship when they will not forgive you for something, when they hold on to it and keep using it against you? Is it a friendship when they never apologize? I have tried, it really hurts to think about walking away actually as this person has been such a big part of my life for such a long time. I would really and truly love nothing less than the friendship being restored and for us to be happy as friends, but I really don't see that happening.
In all this I feel a deeper commitment to my God. This is a reminder that He cares for us even in all the little things, He does answer prayer; even if it isn't in the way WE think it should be or the answer that we WANT, and when we follow Him he blesses us. It was a difficult and sad decision but as I have made it I can't tell you the joy that He has filled my heart with. And just when I thought it couldn't get any better I get encouragement from two people leaving comments on my last entry. I was thinking alot about it and wondering if before if I was truly showing my Christianity to others, to borrow a phrase from another good friend of mine, was I about my Father's work? And amazingly, another answer to prayer in one of the comments from one specific person! I now feel a greater desire/ a greater confidence in letting my light shine instead of hiding it under a bushel! I have this confidence that I really can be that light for Him! I no longer have the fear of being belittled! I truly feel free!
I realize that this is an unfortunate statement in it does not seem as if I am mourning this friendship, because I am, but I feel I am being blessed for following Jesus. I have started my own personal journal on paper as well and I think that this has also helped alot, I have been able to hash out all my feelings instead of holding them in.
This is really getting to be alot longer than I was expecting so I will close in saying this: OOUR GOD IS AN AWESOME GOD!!!!!!!!

Tuesday, August 09, 2005

just a little rambling

Wow, it is hot today! It sounds like we could get some thunderstorms late this afternoon, hopefully that will cool things off, not make things more humid.
C came over last night for one last visit before he heads off to collge. We were sad to see him leave last night. K gave him his card, which he had decided to put $50 in instead of the $30-40 that I was thinking at the beginning. I was glad to see that, usually he is so picky about money, but since then I have had one drop in scheduled and possibly S after not seeing her all summer on Saturday!
I can definately see the Lord providing for us and working in our lives more than ever before. I just feel this peace too, the peace like I haven't felt in a long long time. Since before all the fuss and trouble with the former church. We are just so thankful that we were lead to Pastor and the church, it has been a wonderful blessing to us!

Monday, August 08, 2005

I've been a bad, bad blogger!

I know, I know shock of all shocks, I am posting again!
I think that things may finally be slowing down and getting ready for the new schedule of the school year. I found out that my two after schoolers will be coming back after the first couple days of school. Those first two days are half days and they will go home with their oldest sister. I told their mom that I will not charge her for B as she is going to be my "student teacher" this year. Why charge her if she is working and helping me out. She won't have alot of responsibilities, but what she will have will help me out alot actually! I am going to park up the block from the school and thankfully not have to drive the loop that is the school drive! B will have to meet N and C and walk them up to my car to start with. Nice in many ways as that circle drive is NUTS on the bad weather day and takes forever to get in and out of, I had to leave a half hour before kids got out of school just to get in and find a spot to sit! It just doesn't have enough room and technically there is traffic going to three different places on a very narrow road! This way I will be able to let kids nap a bit longer and I won't use as much gas keeping the car running to stay warm in the winter! She will also be responsible for doing a little activity with the kids, and playing with them/keeping an eye on them with me. She wants to be a teacher when she grows up so this will be good experience.
After two weeks Pastor Mike is back from vacation and we can start with our music practices again! I am so excited, I have sooo missed our music!
I talked to the lady who sets up the special music schedule and this time I will have to sing twice, one as a duet with a friend and another solo. We have the duet song picked out, now I am starting to look for a song to sing as a solo so I am not panic stricken at the last minute!
C didn't come today, his grandparents have him, and will be picking up M early today too! Nice as I was supposed to have them from 7am to 7pm. Now I just have M from 7:30 to whenever her grandparents get here for her. Just one 12 hour day tomorrow instead of two! And Monster will be here today and tomorrow and then her grandma is taking her for the rest of the week! Nice slow week, I needed that!
I have gotten alot of reading done lately, I am really enjoying it, I used to read alot and had gotten away from it for a while. I also found myself a devotional book this weekend and I am excited to get started reading that. Getting caught back up on some of my letter writing too. I have found a really nice pen pal group and have gotten to know a few new friends, while also getting letters to some old friends as well.
Well, guess that is about it for now....
Hope you all have a day full of sunshine and roses!