walking

My devotional the first day back to school prompted me to pray for my principal. I also was led to pray about my attitude and that it be right regarding teaching, etc. I did not want to be sucked into the grumbling, discontent, being upset about large class sizes, and speaking ill about administration. God really helped me do that! I had a wonderful 2 days of working and my spirits stayed jubilant and content. I pray I can continue to be like this...to be sensitive regarding gossip, grumbling, and hearsay. Lord help me.

My devotional: "Jesus walks with you. Are you walking with Him? Do you fulfill God's purpose for your life? Do you seek a life of peace? Do you intend to be a Christian, not just in name, but in deed as well?"

"Whoever is not willing to carry the cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Those who try to hold on to their lives will give up true life. Those who give up their lives for me will hold on to true life." Matt. 10:38-39 NCV

Best Ideas

This week is my and my daughter's birthday (July 10) and we were both feeling a bit bummed. For me the reason was thinking that we would not get a summer vacation this year or go on any trips. For my daughter, it was because her boyfriend is working in Houston for 3 weeks. We therefore decided to celebrate **Birthday Week** and it's been the best idea for us! On Monday, we bought $30 pillows at JCPenney (on sale for buy one and get one for a $1) which we have wanted for a very, very loooong time! We felt so decadent!! lol. Today we are going to go watch "The Proposal". We can't wait!! Tomorrow, we are buying new makeup at Walmart (yippee!). Thursday, we plan on each buying one new top at JCPenney (I work there so I get a good discount). Friday's agenda is lunch with Anna's close friends. Saturday is our yearly tradition of going to Wonderland Park with all of my sisters and their families. This week of doing little and fun things lifts our spirits and feels like our mini-vacation. God is good and lifts our spirits in ways that are meaningful to us doesn't he?

My devotional yesterday was this... "Never yield to gloomy anticipation. Place your hope and confidence in God. He has no record of failure." -Chuck Swindoll

"But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things will be provided for you." -Matthew 6:34 HCSB

10 days straight

Today is my last day of work prior to having 5 days off...yippee! Especially since I have worked 10 days straight. Praise God because I remember a month ago and I remember how distressed I was about work and possibly not having extra income for the summer. God is so good. The job at Penney's has been perfect for our situation (single parenthood). Anna has been great as well. Her help with her grandpa this past month has been immeasurable. It has worked out wonderfully.

I thank God because he has been impressing upon me to be a diligent and hard worker. I wanted to exemplify Christ in my work ethic. To not slack off, be lazy, or ignore tasks that need to be done. I want to be an asset as a worker. To be a good steward of my time at work ,etc. Even if this is a part-time job, what I do and how I work reflects my walk in God.

I thank God also for this week without my Father. He left Sunday to spend a few weeks with my sister in Amarillo. It has been such a reprieve and has given me time to regroup and rest from being a caregiver. It was soooo needed. He was excited to go as he has not spent time with my sister in Amarillo in some time. I am so thankful for his good outlook. It eases my heart.


"I have seen that there is nothing better than for a person to enjoy his activities, because that is his reward." - Ecclesiastes 3:22

Devotions

My devotions this summer have been awesome. During the school year, I am at work by 7am so I don't get to lounge around the house but this summer it's been different. Having the mornings to do my devotions leisurely is something that's been so enjoyable. The first week of summer vacation was *bliss*! It was void of any activities and my Dad was staying at my sister Sylvia's house so the a.m. time proved so beneficial to me spiritually. The second week was VBS which didn't start until 9am every day so once again, the mornings were mine to enjoy! This week I started at JCPenney's and my work day doesn't begin until 10 am or 12 noon (depending on the shift I am working). I am so thankful for this because once again I am not losing my mornings! Isn't God good?

Here's a excerpt from today's devotion. It so blessed me.

"Did you know that if at birth I had been able to make one petition, it would have been that I should be born blind? Because, when I get to heaven, the first face that shall ever gladden my sight will be that my Savior!" -Fanny Cosby

This quote by Fanny Cosby was pretty amazing I think. Seeing my Savior's face for the first time. Just plain awesome!

dilemma and worry

So it's summer and it's very nice to not have to worry about grades, lesson plans, students in detention, etc, etc. Very nice. BUT (there is always a "but" in my world)I am now facing the dilemma of what to do job wise. As a single mom I have always worked during the summer. The extra income allows us to catch up on some bills and places us in a better position financially for the onset of the school year. My summer class at Borger High didn't make so I was disappointed. Now, I have to think about 3 options:

1. work at JcPenney where they only need me 2 days a week
2. work as a substitute teacher for summer school (days are sporadic and probably few)
3. work at Toot-n-Totum where they need someone from 2pm - 10pm every day.

Please pray with me regarding this. I want to do the right thing financially and for myself and for my family. I also am wondering if a combination of #1 and #2 would be enough? I keep hearing God tell me in the background (behind the worry and the stress that are clamoring for my attention), "Be at peace. I will be with you." What a loving God we have don't we? He understands our turmoil and anxiousness. I am so glad for that because I struggle with these emotions so very much...in so many areas of my life.

So I am listening to Jeremy Camp and eating fish sticks. The words of the song are nourishment to my soul.


Trust In You
Artist(Band):Jeremy Camp

When I can't see You I know You're there
When I can't feel You I will not fear
I will trust in You and I will not be afraid.
When the battle is close at hand
Though You're with me and help me stand
I will trust in You and I will not be afraid.

I will not be afraid
I will not be afraid
I will trust in you
I will trust in you
I will trust in you

When the darkness is close at hand
And I‘m running against the wind
I will trust in you and I will not be afraid.
When I'm standing upon that shore
All the battles I've gone before
I will trust in you, and I will not be afraid.

'Cuz I will not be afraid
I will not be afraid
I will trust in you
I will trust in you

My daughter

*So my daughter wrote this on her Facebook and I just HAD to share it! Touched my heart!*

"So, today I was walking around campus at OBU and enjoying the beautiful weather. I love summer time and I love everything that I feel when summer time is around. I guess I never really thought about how much summer reminds me of my childhood. I think, even though I went through a lot as a kid, I had such a happy childhood. I've never met anyone as close to their whole family as I am. I don't just mean mom and siblings, I mean my WHOLE family. My cousins have and always will be my best friends. I will never forget the love my grandma bestowed on everyone she encountered. My crazy aunts who say everything they're thinking and while it drives me crazy I wouldn't change it. I am so lucky and I love how random things remind me of that happy time as a kid and remind me of how lucky I am now.
I'm a list maker- I make lists for everything- movies I want to watch, things I need to do, plans for the future and planning out every hour of my day (sometimes). So on that note I decided to make a list of everything that reminded me of my days as a kid especially during the summer time.

1. small, white, paint-chipped houses
2. sprinklers
3.tether ball
4. pull out beds
5. rusty junk in a backyard
6. old broken campers
7. cooling units
8. freeze pops
9. watermelon and cantaloupe
10. obstacle courses
11. daytime television
12. telenovelas
13. sewing rooms
14. gas stoves
15. moist basements
16. hide n go seek
17. school playgrounds
18. fresh made tortillas
19. being so hot you can't move
20. "ay chi wa was", "oy cacoy", "pobrecita"
21. the price is right
22. house coats
23. bird fountains and lawn ornaments
24. cedar chests
25.steep driveways
there's a lot more but those are just a few. I don't know what made me think of this but anyways.
Grandma, I miss you. Family, I love you."

10 years

I went to my Borger ISD Appreciation Dinner last night. It profounded me to realize that I have been teaching 10 years now. Doing what you really love and what you feel is your "purpose" is such a great blessing. Other than motherhood, it's what I know deep within my heart that I was meant to do. Anyway, doing it for 10 years is a milestone for me since I have never done one job for that length of tim (other than motherhood). At the next milestone (20 years), I might be singing a different song but I hope not. Lol!

It's been a good spring for me. I have so enjoyed going to Breckyn's T-Ball games. Bobby coaches so it is fun to see the fun that they both have together. Grandfather and grandson...such a beautiful picture of family love. It is a blessing to have Sommer & Breckyn home until June. Pray for their future because Sommer's husband, Jeremy, will be ending his year contract in Port Arthur, Tx and they are looking for a job closer to home. Pray for God's will especially during this time of turbulent economical conditions.

It's also the end of the year and I am thankful that my year of serving as co-senior sponsor is coming to a close. My third year and it is the END! Yeah! It's a tough job (to coordinate between school & parents) but I am thankful that God got me through it. I hope to next year concentrate instead on forming a Spanish club and getting a trip to either Spain or Mexico together. That would be fun, I think.

A few more weeks and Ben & Anna come home. I can't wait!

2 Peter 1:3
His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness.

teaching

At the end of the school year, it's common for teachers to feel burned out and "spent". That is how I felt today. After a full week of TAKS, the 3:40 pm bell rang and I sighed a deep sigh of exhaustion. The only problem was that I still had a full schedule ahead of me. I had a meeting with senior moms regarding prom, then home to check on my dad, and then on to the powder puff football game that was being sponsored by the seniors. I laid down for about 10 minutes and thought how I could get out of going to the powder puff game. After deep contemplation (10 minutes worth), I decided that I could not get out of it.

Well, as it turned out....it was an exquisite evening full of joy, laughter, and rejuvenation. Ain't that funny? The cool spring evening was perfect and it was pure bliss watching the students play flag football. It was equally hilarious joking around with the parents & students who came to watch!! We had a great turn out and made a lot of money for the senior class. I couldn't believe I had ever dreaded going!

50 Things

50 (yes fifty!!) things you've never been asked....copy/paste & share!!



Once you've been tagged, you have to answer this and tag 15 people, including the person who tagged you.





1. What color is your toothbrush? I can't remember



2. Name one person who made you smile today? my spanish students!



3. What were you doing at 8 am this morning? been at work for 1 1/2 hours - getting ready to give TAKS test to 9th graders


4. What were you doing 45 minutes ago? checking Becky's blogspot (I love it!)



5. What is your favorite candy bar? Snickers



6. Have you ever been to a strip club? oh my, no!



7. What is the last thing you said aloud? Read the above response



8. What is your favorite ice cream? Chocolate Chip Mint



9. What was the last thing you had to drink? sweet tea w/lemon



10, Do you like your wallet? yes, it's the Dave Ramsey Financial Peace one...love, love it!



11, What was the last thing you ate? leftover casserole (it was good)



12, Have you bought any new clothing items this week? no...it's been probably 1 year since I've bought clothing


13, The last sporting event you watched? Basketball with Bobby



14, What is your favorite flavor of popcorn? butter



15, Who is the last person you sent a text message to? Anna Banana (my daughter)



16, Ever go camping? does migrant farmworking count??



17, Do you take vitamins daily? Religiously



18, Do you go to church every Sunday? yes



19, Do you have a tan? I'm Hispanic so it's built in! ha!



20, Do you prefer Chinese food or pizza? Chinese



21, Do you drink your soda with a straw? nope


22."Where are you?" home but about to leave for a parent meeting at Borger High



23, What are you doing tomorrow? giving another TAKS test



25, Look to your left, what do you see? closet and LOTs of shoes



26, What color is your watch? Black leather



27, What do you think of when you hear Australia? Almost traveled there (I lived in the Philippines)



29, Do you go in at a fast food place or just hit the drive thru? depends, mostly drive thru


30. What is your favorite number? no fave number


31. Who's the last person you talked to on the phone? AT&T



32, Any plans today? going to parent meeting


33, How many states have you lived in? 15



34, Biggest annoyance right now? my dripping carport


35 Last song listened to? can't remember


36,Can you say the alphabet backwards? If I really try



37, Do you have a maid service clean your house? OF COURSE NOT!!


38, Favorite pair of shoes you wear all the time? heels


39, Are you jealous of anyone? no



40, Is anyone jealous of you? gosh, i hope not



41, Do you love anyone? yes lots of people



42. Do any of your friends have children? Yes



43, What do you usually do during the day? work



44, Do you hate anyone that you know right now? No



45, Do you use the word 'hello' daily? answering the phone, but in greeting people, I usually say "Howdy"



46, What color is your car? burgundy



47, Do you like cats? yes



48. Are you thinking about someone right now? always



49. Have you ever been to Six Flags? yes several times



50. How did you get your worst scar? the scars from 2 cesearean births

Sundays

Today was such an enjoyable day with my Frank Phillips Adopted Students...Nancy and Brenda. I haven't spent extended time with them in a while (couple of weeks) so it was nice to have the time with them. I am so thankful for Bobby because he is the "cut up" and the "athletic" one so they really connect with him. I love that about him! I am the serious and quiet one so when it comes to hanging out I am not that much fun. Lol. Anyway, we (Bobby and I) had the girls over for Sunday lunch - Nancy was named player of the week so we wanted to celebrate. Carmela, another FPC student, got to come along too. MaKenzie, Anna and John Mark were there also of course. What fun we had!! Playing Wii (Rabid Rabbits rocks!) and having yummy food makes for a perfect Sunday!

So this week was a rough one. My sister and dad had conflict and I HATE, HATE, HATE conflict! I had to be the "mediator" and my dad has moved in with me so that my sister can have an long, extended vacation. She is the eldest and so very much deserves it!! She has been the one who has stayed in Borger and has always been the caretaker of my parents. She was the one who took them to doctor appts, watched out for them, etc. While the rest of us were out "living our lives" (in other parts of the world), she was here being the dutiful daughter. I admire her greatly. Well, then day 2 of my dad being with me, he accuses me of taking his wallet. He later finds it but the accusations just so upset me. I was very sad about the whole situation and my heart just so deeply missed my mom and not having her here. I know my dad also feels the same way. That makes it doubly tearful.

Now to mention my life group lesson. Have I mentioned how amazing it is and how it really ministers to me on a weekly basis? It was on Esther (the study is an in depth walk in the Old Testament). The last day said this...


What does the example of Esther say to you when you feel like giving up? When you feel like compromising your convictions? When you are opposed by people who hate you? When you are hindered by people who should be helping. Pray for God to give you a spirit of faithfulness that will enable you to keep on keeping on in obedience to God.

God just continually causes my jaw to drop open time after time.

By the way, Anna has been substitute teaching. She loves it too which just causes my heart to explode! She's got the teaching bug! She is teaching at the elementary level and tells me stories every evening about her students. The smaller kids are so adorable with their antics & sayings! One funny story is at the 2nd grade level. One little girl was telling another boy, "You know what? I have a horse and I have a goat and I have 2 cats and I have a dog and I have a hamster..." The boy responded, "Well, you know what? I have a 'wee wee'!!" Anna then sternly said, "WHO SAID THAT?" The boys hands automatically shot up to his head in anguish and shame and he walked shaking his head to her desk. By the time he got there, he was crying. She asked "What did you say?" He answered, "It came out before I could stop it!!" So funny and hilarious. She leaves for OBU on Thursday so I will miss her and her anecdotes of her subbing days.

Grand Jury & Such

I just finished serving on the Grand Jury Commission. I love our country and I love the way our political process works. I know it seems messed up at times but it really is the best one out there. If you don't think so, go visit another country. I lived for 3 years in the Philippines and I was able to truly cherish our great country after this tour of duty (we were serving with the Air Force)! So I realize it's not 4th of July but this is my patriotic speech for the year.

For New Year's we went to Laura Arrington's New Year's party and it was a lot of fun. I have not danced since I was 14 years old in 8th grade. My sister, Sylvia, remembers my peach metallic dress that my mom made me for the dance. It was very "disco". ha! Anyway, Bobby taught me how to 2-step! I am still not very good but I must not be too embarrassing since he continued to dance with me. One of the songs was Garth Brooks, The Dance, which kind of made me sad because of my divorce. But you know what? After doing my Life Group lesson, I realized that the song really shouldn't make me sad but happy. The text for the study was the book of Ruth and the commentary said:

"Ruth may have been written to show that God is in control of history. God, the ruler over the universe, works in people's lives to bring about HIS will. He worked through the terrible famine Naomi and her family endured to bring them to Moab. God worked through Ruth's faith to bring Ruth and Boaz together. He worked through the union to provide David as the finest King Israel had. In God's ultimate plan, He worked through Ruth's descendents to provide an earthly step-father for His son, the Lord Jesus Christ."

This commentary blew my mind and reminded me that God WORKS THROUGH all of our life's journey to bring about the finest and most wonderful thing we could possibly imagine. For me the most wonderful and finest are: my kids, Bobby, the unity of my sisters, and my faith.


So I should really be grading papers now. The pile is on the coffee table waiting for me. I will procrastinate for a little while longer (finish watching Bobby Flay) and then tackle it! Lol.