End of the Spear

I just finished reading End of the Spear by Steve Saint. It is non-fiction, so it does require thought and active mental participation. I read a lot of books, and there are few that I mark up the margins in...but this one was one of them. For those of you that have seen the movie, let me just say that the book extends far beyond the subject matter that the movie portrays. It is a thought-provoking story and makes one examine themselves. You have to be in the mood to do it, but I was touched by Steve Saint's story. I would love to hear from anyone with the stick-with-it-ness to make it through this story. Here is a hint: read with a dictionary close at hand. Steve Saint has an extensive vocabulary, or at the very least an enormous Thesaurus.
There is only one other person that can rival his vocabulary, and that is Amanda...when she's upset. : ) In all earnestness, I really hope one of the three readers I have will actually attempt the book. Though it is not merely entertainment, you will not leave empty-handed.

On another note, it has been two months since my last blog...I am lame...I realize that now. : ) I will try better.

Countdown to Christmas - 24 days.

Multitasking

So - apparently I'm a horrible multitasker. I can't have a full-time job AND blog at the same time. I think the problem really is that I'm mentally brain-dead by the end of the day. I mean, I wasn't this tired when I was going to college full time, raising a baby, and taking care of a house! I've always thought of myself as the ultimate multitasker! Really!! As I sit here blogging right now, I'm eating ribs, facebooking my mom, watching an online episode of Eureka, texting MM #1's sister, and handing my son an ice cream! How's that for multi-tasking? Boo-Yaw!
Unfortunately, as the sun sets this evening and the Monday morning light appears...my Dr.Jekyll will arise in my stead...this woman is not as organized as me. She's walks quickly, mumbling to herself, she has post-it notes stuck to her shoes and shirts, she has pen marks on her hands, a twitch in her eye, and a voice that is annoyingly higher-pitched than mine. She has an inability to teach all day and blog by night. I'm working on a cure..but I only have the weekend to do so. It's not enough time!!!!

These ribs are GOOD!

If I am able to emerge from my weekday state of mind...I will blog. I can feel it beginning. I will do better! I WILL!

I WILL!

I WILL!

I WILL!

I WILL!

I WILL!

No Pain no Gain

So...Amanda and I decided this past weekend that it would be a great idea to subject ourselves to a 3 hour Zumba class. No pain no gain, right? Well, we were definitely in pain for 3 hours....and now we have gained an entire week of more pain in the form of backaches, charlie horses, really sore calves, knotted up shoulders, etc, etc, etc.

Yep. We gained alright. : ) We also gained a little confidence, seeing as how we made it through that many hours. We gained the right to pig out a little at dinner, seeing as how we burned almost 3,000 calories. We gained a little tighter friendship...seeing as how we had to keep each other from death on the Zumba floor. Thank goodness Amanda thought to bring the mix...my blood sugar was pretty low at one point. Yeah, I've heard it said after near death experiences with someone...there is a special bond. Well, let's just say that Amanda and I bonded.

Even MM#1 and MM#2 came for a little bit to try it out. They didn't stay long, though. But they sure were cute trying to Zumba.

Ouch

I've seen God do some pretty cool things in my life. For example, giving me MM#1 and MM#2. Another thing He has done has relieved me from the daily pain of rheumatoid arthritis. I still have it...but He has made it so that I'm not on meds or pain meds or anything. Sometimes ( once in a long while) I will have a flare-up. It's not often, usually when I have been on my feet for days on end and just overdoing it. I sometimes forget to thank Him when I wake up in the morning and notice that I am not in any kind of pain. I know what it is to wake up and immediately be in pain...and have it not go away. It's hard, but God has helped me and healed me. When I do have a flare-up, I see it as a sweet reminder of all the days he has given me that are not filled in pain. I take advantage of the days that it doesn't hurt to walk, or run, or open a jar. I take advantage of the mornings I wake up and stretch and have no swollen joints.
So when I do wake up with a flare-up ( like this morning)...when it hurts to bend my fingers or walk on my swollen feet...I thank God that He has been so wonderful as to give me the days when that is not an issue. He uses that time to bring me very close to Him. So, I am not sad when days like this happen. I'm thankful. I use it as a time to draw near to Him and He always takes the pain away. It may take a day...it may take a week. But - He will take it. In the meantime, I enjoy a time that He has given me where I must truly rely on Him for support and strength.

2 Corinthians 12:7-10:

⁷To keep me from becoming conceited because of these surpassingly great revelations, there was given me a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. ⁸Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. ⁹But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. ¹⁰That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

I look back at this verse a lot when I am in pain...because I know that God has allowed me to experience this for a reason. That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weakness...for when I am weak (like today), then I am strong.

It is Finished....

The first day of school is done!!! Yay!

And it was GREAT!. What a difference it makes to make sure to meditate on God's word first thing in the morning! He made the day smooth ( except for my heel breaking during 2nd period, but hey! He made me laugh about it). He made the kids calm ( more or less), he made me calm. He made the lesson flow, he gave me words, he gave me a smile. He gave me peace. He gave me joy. He reminded me that He is in control. If we listen hard enough, we can hear Him say " Hey! I got this". And if we have just enough faith we can say, " Good! Cause I don't"!

What a relief to have the first day under my belt! I am excited about tomorrow and excited about the whole year.
Tomorrow is Zumba! Amanda and I are ready to go! We love going to Zumba and letting that cute, little, bubbly lady kick us all over the room. Amanda didn't go with me last week...and I missed her moves!



He gave MM #2 a great day, too!

Jabez

Today is the first day of school! Today is the the very first time I have began a school year from the beginning ( as a teacher). It's 5:45 a.m. and I've been awake nearly an hour. I awoke early because today, more than ever, I needed to connect with my God. I needed to make sure he goes before me today, so that I don't have a nervous breakdown. I needed to pray for Benjamin's day, as well as the day of all my students.

God led me to 1 Chronicles 4:10 this morning. The Prayer of Jabez.

O God, that thou bless me indeed.
Enlarge my territory (however you see fit)
That thine hand will be with me
and keep me from evil,
that it may not bring me pain. (I'm really excellent at bringing myself pain through doing things I shouldn't have done) But - I know God will go before me today. Whatever the day brings. He will go before Benjamin as well, and enlarge his territory, lay His hand upon him and keep him from evil and pain.

I'll post a full recount later today!

He Is

Today was hard. I went a million miles an hour at work, and after work I went to get a much needed pedicure. Seriously, I think my heels were gray...

Anyway, when I arrived at the nail salon, I was immediately placed in one of those massaging chairs that shake everything on you while you are trying to read or talk to the pedicurist. My feet were placed in warm bubbly water, and I leaned back...relaxed. I waited as they finished up some other ladies and saw the crowd in the waiting room growing rapidly. I waited 15 minutes...30....45....yes, by this time the warm bubble water was more like tepid and flat...and I felt my nerves winding back up in retribution. What is going on here? Hello? You put me in the chair...that means you'll be right back! Hello???

I know what you're thinking. I should have left. Yes, I know. However, it seemed that everytime I was about to get up, I thought...5 more minutes. Finally after 1 hour and 10 minutes, sitting in the horrible massage chair with pruny feet...they began my pedicure. However, by this time I needed to be back home in about 35 minutes for life group. So it was a rush job...not a rush cost. Now, I do not get a pedicure often...this is primo special occasion! I wanted to savor! But, alas, I could not.

So, I leave. Nails are done. Feet are less offensive to my husband. Which is what matters, I guess. Now, I have to get home because we are due at life group in 12 minutes. Luckily, I had asked MM #1 to put the food I was to bring in the oven. So, at least that will be ready to go when I run in the door.
Can you hear the scary music and see the foreshadowing in the above statement? Now, life group kids eat beforehand. They do not actually eat at life group...so at least MM#2 would be properly fed when I got home...(more foreshadowing). Crud, 8 minutes to get home, pack up the food, get to life group which was 9 minutes from our house.

I get home. Run to the kitchen counter to retrieve the appetizers MM#1 so graciously placed in the oven 15 minutes prior. But, where are they to be found? I don't see any appetizers. I don't smell any appetizers.
" I thought you meant to pre-heat the oven ten minutes before you got home" says MM #1. Ah well, no biggie. So we'll be a little late. No biggie.

Yeah right. My experience at the salon now manifests it's ugly head in my kitchen. Small fit. I apologize. Thank goodness for gracious husbands and sons. Well, let's go. At least MM #2 has eaten. " Oh no, I thought he would eat there " exclaims MM #1. What? Exsqueeze me? Have the kiddos ever eaten at life group? No. Before. They. Eat. Before!

Fine. I'll make a turkey sandwich for him. MM#2 looks on as I shake up the mustard for his sandwich. Mustard flies into his eye.

Great.

Wash the eyeball, all is okay, grab the appetizer from the oven, 15 minutes late so far, jump in the car, dry the tears ( mine), and we are off.
Finally, we get to life group. 25 minutes late. Oh no! I think I forgot to turn off the oven. Hop back in the car, run home, run in, oven is not on. Get back in the car and head back. 32 minutes late. I want to cry. I am deep breathing. I am praying. God hears me and comforts my hectic mind. He slows it down. I heard the following song on the radio, and it helped my arrive to life group (finally) with a sound mind.

He Is - by Mark Shultz

Father, let the world just fade away
Let me feel your presence in this place
Lord, I've never been so weary
How I need to know you're near me
Father, let the world just fade away
Till I'm on my knees
Till my heart can sing
He is
He was
He always will be
Even when it feels like there is no one holding me
Be still, my soul
He is
_ - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Sigh. Thank you for stilling my soul, and restoring me.