Perspectives On Life

SKELETON CREEK SERIES by Patrick Carman

2012-02-10T17:33:00.000-08:00

I was recently at BINGO FOR BOOKS and stumbled upon a book on the book table that looked interesting. I had never heard of it, but picked it up and read the first page. The book was SKELETON CREEK by Patrick Carman. It was not the first book in the series, but I was hooked. I went back to my classroom the next day and ordered the first two books in the series with my points from the book order. I had no idea what it was going to be like, but I was looking forward to book #1. When it arrived, I was REALLY excited!!!

I was intrigued by the idea of a book and video story intertwined in one story. It is a scary story at times, and will admit that I debated back and forth as to whether or not to share it with my students. I finished book #1, and was HOOKED. (I will even admit that I read part of it during the KU/MU game Saturday Night.) I couldn't put it down. *grin*

I started book two and decided I wanted books 3 and 4. I went with a friend to BARNES AND NOBLE to use my gift cards from Christmas to get the next two books in the series. While they only had book #4, I ordered book #3. *grin* I finished book #2 last night and am anxiously awaiting book #3 to arrive. *grin* One bonus, THERE'S SNOW IN THE FORECAST. Perhaps I will finally get my snow day to just read!!! Yes, yes, I do have MANY other books to pick from, but I will admit that at the moment the only one I want to read right now is THE SKELETON CREEK SERIES. *grin*

In case you're wondering, I decided to go ahead and have the experience with my students. We have the book in the library at school, so there's another copy for students to follow along. I've decided to do the read aloud with my sixth graders after we do our regular lesson because a student commented that he missed read aloud time this year. *grin* Honestly, I have missed it too, and we have had a lot of fun this week. *grin*

It's been fun so far, and I finished book #2 here at home. The fun has just begun for my students. They have no idea what kind of ride is ahead of them. *grin*

*grin*
LIFE.
IS.
GREAT...WITH A GREAT BOOK, OR TWO OR THREE!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME!!!!!!!!! grin

2012-02-07T17:06:00.001-08:00

Okay, okay, it's not the ACTUAL day I was born. It was an important day in my life though, as it's the day I gave my life to the Lord. I take time each year on February 7 to reflect upon that day I surrendered everything to Him. I will say that the past 15 years have been full of highs, lows, and everything in between. However, with that being said, I still believe it was the best decision I have ever made. It's amazing to think I was in a dorm room accepting Jesus into my heart, and now I am in Kansas City, part of IHOP-KC, teaching Special Education Students, and living with the coolest dog on the planet.

Speaking of Jay, you are probably wondering why I chose his picture for today's post. It's because he's been the BEST blessing I've received as an adult. When I moved here two and a half years ago, I didn't know anyone. So, some friends of mine gave me Jay. He is my best friend, and I can't imagine my life without him. *grin*

Sure, I am still praying for a spouse and such, but for tonight, Jay is the best blessing ever. And on my "Birthday" I'm gonna relax with Jay.

*grin*
LIFE.
IS.
GREAT!!!

NOTABLE QUOTE

2012-02-06T19:09:00.000-08:00

‎"If to be feeling alive to the sufferings of my fellow creatures is to be a fanatic, I am one of the most incurable fanatics ever permitted to be at large." William Wilberforce

I heard this quote when I went to see The NEFARIOUS movie. God has used this quote to move my heart for those in Human Trafficking. I pray daily for the release of women trapped in an industry that they didn't choose.

Lord, let me be an incurable fanatic, praying daily for the release of your children...

GOD STILL DOES THIS STUFF! grin

2012-02-05T18:47:00.000-08:00

Years ago I was sitting in the Prayer Room on my own vacation during Spring Break. It was the first vacation I had taken on my own as an adult, and I knew that it was something the Lord was calling me to do that week. It was also the first time I had ever heard Allen Hood speak. In fact, I didn't even know who Allen Hood was, I was just excited to be at an evening service in the Prayer Room. That night is a night I will never forget, as Allen spoke about several things that ruined my heart for Him in ways I can't put into words. (Nor do I want to, honestly, it's between me and Him.)

What I will share was part of what Allen said, that came full-circle for me today. He shared a story of God still doing amazing things today. In a world full of so much junk, God still does AMAZING things. He shared a story of God blessing someone else financially because of the prompting of the Lord. He ended that story with, "GOD STILL DOES THIS STUFF." I grinned. I knew it was true. While I hadn't experienced it personally, God had used me in other people's lives, and I knew it was real. Today, I was on the receiving end of it, and had the same thought, "GOD STILL DOES THIS STUFF."

I did my usual thing this morning, I got up and went to drive shuttles with the same amazing people I drive with every Sunday. I have some amazing friends on the shuttles team, and honestly look forward to Sunday morning so that we can have fun driving together. I was on my second or third trip to FCF, and as my passengers were getting off, I kept saying, "Good-bye, have a great day, God Bless You" to each of them. At the end of a the line this young man walked up to me and said, "The Lord told me to give this to you." Then he got off the shuttle. I looked down at my hand. I started to *grin*. Sure enough, GOD STILL DOES THIS STUFF. *grin*

That money is going into my savings account. I really believe that God is blessing me as I prepare for the next chapter in my life. *grin* I have been grinning all day.

Thank You, God. YOU STILL DO THIS STUFF!!!!!!
*grin*
LIFE.
IS.
GREAT!!!

Loving the Unexpected

2012-02-04T12:17:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I awoke with a whopper of a headache. I laid in bed and prayed. I told God that we needed this weather to stay either cold or warm because I have had two headaches in the past week. *grin* As I laid there, I told God I wasn't going to miss school, so I needed healing. I laid in bed an extra ten minutes praying. I got up and started moving.

God and I have been on my journey of migraines, and he knows that I REFUSE to miss out on life due to a headache. *grin* Life's too short to stay home. So, I kept moving, even though the head still hurt. Of course, it won't surprise you to hear that by the time I left for school it was almost completely gone. Yea, God! I love it when He does that! *grin*

Now, I will admit that part of the motivation was selfish. I had a student that wrote in the neatest handwriting I'd EVER seen him do, and we had made a deal. Unfortunately, that meant I was wearing an MU shirt all day in honor of the kid. It helped though, that very kid wrote neatly again yesterday and LOVED the attention he received. I realized as the day went on that I really hadn't given him much of my time before, and God taught us BOTH a lot throughout the day. I love it when he does that.

The moment of the day that blessed me the most was my most unexpected one. Before school, CHATTERBOXBOY came in and gave me a pack of plain M&M's. I grinned. I adore the student, even though he chatters A LOT in class. I am able to joke with him though, so we have a really cool relationship. Later in the morning, his Mom emailed me to see how he did the day before. (Love parental support like that. LOVE. IT.) In my reply, I thanked her for the M&M's, as I figured she had bought it. We wound up doing email tag for a few moments (It was during my plan period, which was neat!) and she told me that CHATTERBOXBOY had bought it with his own money and it was HIS OWN IDEA! I grinned. Then she stated that his words were something to the tune of "I didn't listen very well in her class this week, so I want to give this to her." As I read that, I got tears in my eyes. What a sweet little guy! I told his Mom that I was touched and would be sure to thank HIM when he came in for class later in the day.

When he entered the room, I called him over to me. He immediately thought he was in trouble, and I let him know he wasn't. When I thanked him for the M&M's, he thought it wasn't a big deal. I told him it was a very nice thing to do, and I thanked him. The odd part, I think, was that he didn't want that attention. He just did what he thought was right. Period. I thought that was even more of a blessing. He's an amazing little guy. I'm blessed to have him in my class. VERY blessed.

I tell ya what, God has SO MUCH FUN blessing us with the most unexpected things in the most unexpected ways. I know that yesterday was a day I will never forget because one of his kids took a moment to bless his teacher. One might think M&M's aren't a big deal, but they were a whole lot more than that to me. *grin* Thank You, Lord. In a world of pouring out, it was a blessing to be poured into from a little boy.

*grin*
LIFE.
IS.
AMAZING.

CARRY ME TO THE CROSS by Kutless

2012-02-01T17:54:00.000-08:00

Every once in a while, God blesses me with a song that sums up my thoughts and feelings at a particular time in my life. I remember driving home one night from ONETHING and the new song by Kutless, CARRY ME TO THE CROSS came on the radio. I remember hearing it and thinking, "I need that song on my ipod!" Of course, K-LOVE radio told who sang it, and I immediately hunted for it on the internet. I was slightly bummed that the entire CD by Kutless doesn't come out until Feb. 28th, but the single is on ITUNES. *grin*

I have been listening to the song SEVERAL times each night, and praying. Praying for my life. Praying for my student's lives. Praying for the lives of those stuck in Human Trafficking. And everything else the Lord would lay upon my heart. It's been powerful.

For some people, it's just a song, and that's cool. But between the Lord and me, it's been AMAZING. So, I wanted to post the lyrics tonight. YOUTUBE has some incredible lyric slides to go with the actual song that I've been posting on my FB wall. I encourage my loyal readers to check it out. You never know what God may use in your life to encourage you. He's pretty amazing like that. *grin*

When the path is daunting
And every step exhausting
I'm not alone
I'm not alone, no, no
I feel you draw me closer
All these burdens on my shoulder
I'm not alone, I'm not alone
You pull me me from this place

Hellelujah
You carry me every day
You carry me all all the way
Hallelujah
You carry me to the
You carry me to the cross

How your love has moved me, yeah
To the foot of all your glory
I'm not alone, I'm not alone
I'm not alone

Hallelujah
You carry me every day
You carry me all all the way
Hallelujah
You carry me to the
You carry me to the cross

All of these cities you have built
And every cathedral you have filled
To all of creation you gave life with your hands
And with those hands you comfort me
You lift me up from my knees
And carry me
You carry me

Hallelujah
You carry me every day
You carry me all all the way
Hallelujah
You carry me to the
You carry me to the cross
The cross
You carry me to the
You carry me to the cross

*grin*
LIFE.
IS.
GREAT!!!

NEFARIOUS

2012-01-30T18:53:00.001-08:00

Saturday afternoon I was working on things for school, when Karen called. Karen remains one of my all-time favorite people, and it ALWAYS blesses me when the Lord gives me time with her. Needless to say, when I saw that the phone call was from her, I was just glad to hear her voice. (We both have busy lives, phone calls happen every so often but not everyday.) She stated that she had two tickets to see NEFARIOUS, here in the Kansas City area, and invited me to go along. I was grinning because I wasn't feeling led to FCF that night, and I had been perplexed by that. Once Karen invited me to the show, I knew why. *grin*

For those of you that don't know about NEFARIOUS, it is a documentary on the global sex trade. Now, I'll be honest, I was that kid in high school that HATED watching documentaries. They were movies that I tuned out of watching and daydreamed of other things. (Talk about transparency, eh?) This movie was NOT that kind of documentary.

I will admit, we arrived late (therefore, I want to go again so I can see the entire thing) but we saw a movie that has captured my heart in a way no other movie has affected me. I was taken on a journey with Benjamin and his team in this movie, and learned about various cultures and their view of children in relation to the sex trade industry. They also covered prostitution as well, which opened my eyes to an industry that I wasn't even aware of. It broke my heart in a way I didn't know it could be broken.

There's an entire world of pain and hopelessness for people that I didn't know about until Saturday night. As I watched the show, I felt an urgency to pray for people trapped in a lifestyle that they did not choose, but rather one that they are forced into. We are blessed in America in some ways that we don't even realize. Don't get me wrong, some trafficking occurs here in the U.S. too. (Not legally, of course, but it happens.) But we live like kings and queens compared to what I saw in this film. It opened my eyes in a way that I can hardly put into words.

You may be wondering how it ended. It actually ended on a positive way, with a realization that this doesn't have to be normal for people in the sex trafficking industry. Through prayer and God placing people strategically in various places, people are being rescued, set free, and set into after-care facilities to begin the long road to healing. It ended with stories of people who have done just that! God is a God of healing and restoration!

I HIGHLY recommend this movie for everyone to say. I turned to Karen after it was over and said, "I liked it, but didn't like it all at the same time." She knew exactly what I meant.

There's a NEFARIOUS website: http://nefariousdocumentary.com/

I plan on keeping a close eye for the next showing, as I want to see it again and hope to take a friend or two. This is a trilogy project, and I will be anxious to see the next two installments of this educational journey to freedom for those trapped in slavery today.

I thought slavery was over in the world. I was so wrong.

I'm praying daily for the rescue and restoration of those in human trafficking, and that they will see themselves worthy of the love of Jesus. Within that, I pray for an end to an industry who's foundation is found in greed and lust.

Not my typical post, I know. But, if we all stop and pray, things will change.

I'll keep ya posted on the next showing.

BINGO FOR BOOKS

2012-01-27T20:29:00.000-08:00

Last night I had the privilege of attending our BINGO FOR BOOKS celebration at school. The parent in charge of it emailed me early in the week and told me she was short volunteers and asked me if I would help. I was excited she asked me, and looked forward to the evening.

I showed up and helped set up the books table. I was AMAZED at the book selection that the PTA had purchased, and knew we would have a lot of excited bingo winners throughout the evening.

As it turned out, I was right. From the moment the kids came in with their tickets, through the last one, I REALLY enjoyed it. The Lord gave me an idea not too long into the evening that really made the kids happy. After the kids chose their books, they gave me their ticket and I was to mark their hand to show they had already won. We wanted to make sure every kid got one book, so we limited it to one book per winner. (We had decided if there weren't too many families there, we'd allow kids to have more than one.) Of course, if a parent won, they could let their child have the book. (This worked out REALLY well.)

So, as the kids swapped tickets for books, the Lord told me to be creative with what I drew on their hands. Now, I'm not artistic AT ALL. But, He uses me in words. So, I would mark the kid with the first letter of the word He gave me. I never said, "The Lord says..." I learned years ago that you can speak life over people, and it doesn't need to be "The Lord says..." So, I saw a beautiful little girl and would say "I'll give you a B for beautiful." She would grin. A boy would come up, and I would say "I'm giving you an A because you're an AWESOME kid." The kids loved it, and as they watched each other get their words, they wondered what their own word would be. With the adults, I pretty much stuck with "W for winner" as I felt the evening was for the kids. I LOVED it.

I was ABSOLUTELY exhausted by the end of it, with my feet killing me. It was an AMAZING evening, and I am already looking forward to it again next year.

I wanted to add a sidenote, beforehand there were three sixth graders that I had THE BEST time chatting with as we set up the books. The kids LOVE to read, and it was a blast to talk about what I have read and what they're reading too. One girl said, "Can I just come to your room like once a week and talk about books with you?" I LOVED THAT! *grin*

Yeah, books. So many good books, so little time... *grin*

Lord, can we have another snow day, please? *grin*

LIFE.
IS.
FUN...with a good book in my hands! *grin*

SKATING LESSONS

2012-01-21T13:07:00.001-08:00

Yesterday I took some time out of my day to go assist a young fourth grader in learning how to roller skate. This seems somewhat humorous, as I never quite got the hang of the whole thing, even though I so desperately wanted to do so. I had talked previously to the P.E. teacher about helping SKATINGSTUDENT and she had encouraged me to come in and just support him. She had told me not to put on skates. I said "sure."

After SKATINGSTUDENT got all of his protective gear on, he stood up and just stood there on the carpet. The P.E. teacher had told me that he was REALLY scared to skate. I moved so that I was in front of him and told him to just walk on the carpet. The other students were out skating on the gym floor while two students, SKATINGSTUDENT and another boy, practiced on the carpet. At first SKATINGSTUDENT grabbed hold of my fingers and squeezed very hard. I explained to him that it was okay, he could do it. He started moving with the skates, and held onto my fingers as he did it. He was pretty proud of that too. About three minutes into it, he told me he couldn't wait for the skating unit to be over. I told him that they skate in grades 5 through 8 in P.E., so I hoped he would be open to learning how to skate. I even shared with him how I love to skate, but my left foot has difficulty going out, so it's hard for me to actually skate the right way. He had a huge *grin* on his face when I shared that. He kept moving and eventually let go of me. I WAS SO PROUD OF HIM! I kept my hands out in front of him just in case he needed them, but for the most part he did it on his own. In fact, he had to turn around on the carpet and said he didn't want my help. I just smiled. That's the point in teaching, to get the kids to where they don't need me. *grin* I will admit that he did grab ahold of my hands a couple more times, but for the most part he did it! Ah, I was so proud of that kid. He only has one more skating day, and I look forward to joining him on that day too!

As I have pondered that today, I don't think any of us is very different from SKATINGSTUDENT. There are so many things in our lives that we would do if fear wasn't present. Perhaps I'm just speaking about my own life, but I doubt it. I have seen fear paralyze people. Yet, just as SKATINGSTUDENT took it one step at a time, we should too. *grin* I also noticed he could have faked being sick and missed school, and he didn't, he faced his fears. We can learn a lot from that little young man. *grin*

I'm so proud of SKATINGSTUDENT and can't wait to work with him again next week!
*grin*
LIFE.
IS.
GREAT!!!

HEAVEN IS FOR REAL by Todd Burpo

2012-01-16T20:31:00.000-08:00

I should be in bed, ready to sleep. After all, I have students to teach in the morning. But, I'm not. I just finished a book that I wanted to share with everyone. I stumbled upon it while TEXASLADY was here in December, and waited to buy it until a week ago. I knew there would be bits & pieces that would touch my heart, but I had NO IDEA how much of it would grip me. I started it last night after I finished THE DEATH CURE, and was up quite late reading. (It helped that today we didn't have school!) I read the book off & on today, and have just pondered it over and over again. I'll be honest, I could have had it finished in no time this morning, but it gripped me in ways I would stop and ponder the experiences of a three-year-old in Heaven.

That's right, in case you haven't heard of this book, Colton Burpo experienced Heaven at the age of three and has shared his story (over time) with his parents and thankfully his parents have shared it with the world. It doesn't surprise me that God would choose a child so young to speak through, and to encourage those of us this side of Heaven.

I would recommend this book for EVERYONE. It is one that I imagine I will read periodically in the future. Not because I have to, I have a strong faith and believe in Heaven. I'll read it because there's encouragement in there that is one-of-a-kind. *grin*

So go ahead, read it, don't read it, doesn't matter to me. But, I will say, if you don't read it, it's your loss.

*grin*
LIFE.
IS.
AMAZING...in ways you can't even see! *grin*

SLIM!!! grin

2012-01-15T20:06:00.000-08:00

This afternoon I spent my time with SLIM. *grin* Slim is a JOY to be around, and I love pondering the things of God with him. We went out to eat and shared our life experiences as well as recent revelations we've gotten in the Word. It was a lot of fun.

I think it's really cool that God gave blessed us with each other, as we challenge each other, as well as encourage each other all at the same time. I love that!

Someone told me once that the best thing you can do with someone is give them some of your time. I think it would be safe to say that we both felt like today was time well spent. *grin*

LIFE.
IS.
GREAT!!!

Patrick

2012-01-14T20:31:00.000-08:00

Tonight I went to FCF and had a GREAT time. Allen Hood spoke, which is ALWAYS a highlight for me! In fact, I was so happy I about did the happy dance when I found out this afternoon that Allen was speaking tonight! *grin* It was REALLLLLY good!

While I have pages and pages of notes from the sermon, that wasn't the most amazing part for me tonight. At the end of the sermon, Allen prayed for the spirit of prophecy to come forth, and I was PUMPED. I LOVE praying for people and seeing what God has for them! Sometimes I get more than a prayer, and sometimes I don't. I'm cool with that.

So, we had prayer time, and God gave a word to me for a young man. I LOVED IT! He confirmed it right away, and I replied with "PRAISE THE LORD!" As I walked away from the young man, there was someone I recognized but couldn't place. I walked over to him and started talking to him. Through talking to him, we remembered each other from the McDonald's outing a few weeks ago I had with Nicholas. I was SO excited to see him, his name is Patrick! We talked briefly, and he told me that he wanted me to know something. He said that that day I gave him a word from the Lord, and he wanted me to know that it was right on. He went on to re-tell me the word (which was good, I don't keep track of what God tells to what person) and say that he knew it was right-on the day we met, but in the past few weeks it's become real for him. *grin* GO GOD! I was so excited to hear that he was blessed by my obedience and that the word was accurate.

I think in the past 2.5 years of living here, I have grown more in the prophetic than anything else. I REALLY enjoy encouragement and prayer, and when God uses me like that, I just *grin*. I LOVE IT!

*grin*
LIFE.
IS.
AMAZING!!!

Unexpected Blessings!

2012-01-14T09:29:00.001-08:00

Yesterday we had a Professional Development Day for teachers while students had the day off. The students really lucked out this weekend with the snow day Thursday, they got a five day weekend out of the deal. *grin* As for me, I sort of enjoy work days without the kids. It always allows time to be with adults and sometimes get things done that isn't typically done in a school day.

On Thursday there were emails sent out to the staff for the staff meeting, as well as emails sent out to Sp. Ed. Staff as to what our expectations were for the day. As I read both emails, I thought I was supposed to be in the faculty meeting in the morning, and then do the Special Education things in the afternoon. I was actually looking forward to the day as the day began.

After our team-builder at the staff meeting, my principal pulled me aside. She explained to me that I was to do the Special Education work ALL DAY. I grinned. There was a LONG list of things to do. I said, "Are you okay with that?" She said yes! I was SO HAPPY!!!!!! It was an unexpected blessing for me!!! I LOVED IT!

I spent the day in my room getting things done, and honestly feel better right now about being caught up than I have been since starting my job here! I made a point to email the right people and THANK them for the day. That was a HUGE blessing for me!

My second blessing came later in the day. I haven't shared my recent switch of cable providers here at home. My previous cable company was robbing me, so I switched to U-Verse. I LOVE U-VERSE! It's a lot of fun to have, and I was even more excited about the price. However, when I opened the bill last month, I was upset. I was surprised to see the bill was TWICE what it was supposed to be. Nowhere on it did it explain what I was hoping it would say. So, yesterday I called. As many of you probably already know, they bill one month ahead. I was SO HAPPY to hear that! When the gal told me what my regular bill would be, I WAS THRILLED! Woohoo! I was SO HAPPY!!! It was SUCH a blessing to hear that! *grin*

God is so amazing! He's often in the big stuff, but He's also in the small things in life that matter to us. That's one of my favorite things about Him!

*grin*
LIFE.
IS.
GREAT!!!

A LESSON IN GOD'S LOVE

2012-01-12T17:00:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I had the opportunity to do make-up assessments with students who had been absent on Tuesday for our school-wide AIMSWEB testing. Honestly, I like how our building does it, as a team of staff members were in the blue room all day testing our students who came at assigned times for their three minutes of testing.

For those of you not familiar with this assessment, the students in grades 2-6 were given three different passages to read for one minute each. I assisted in the fall, while I had a student teacher, but didn't get to do so this time around. However, during my plan time yesterday, I went around and did make-ups. Honestly, I loved it.

Hearing students that aren't typically on my caseload read was refreshing. Every student I had read to me did a fabulous job, and reminded me that there are students who read well. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE MY WORLD, I REALLY DO. But yesterday was fun to hear kids read with excellent fluency. In fact, I realized that my fourth graders WILL read like that when they leave me in sixth grade!!! Reading is my favorite thing to teach!

God showed me something in the midst of the assessment yesterday that I thought I would share. What I haven't told you is that the student reads a paper copy while I sit with my laptop, and highlight words they miss. If they miss a word, & then correct the word I can tap it again, and remove the highlight from the word. While it's time consuming, as it's three minutes per student, it's easy to give and score. As I sat there with one kid, God showed me something.

I used to view God as that individual waiting to HIGHLIGHT my mistakes. In fact, I was in a church that taught a version of that philosophy and I felt stuck. (We'll skip my own little soapbox about that experience.) I was reminded yesterday that there is a God that loves us unconditionally and in a healthy way. I even saw a picture of myself repenting of sin, and Jesus wiping away that sin as easily as I could erase a student's mistake in reading a word on that page. See, I don't think it's okay for me to do whatever I want, I am a gal still responsible for the things in the WORD, but mistakes happen and it's his KINDNESS that leads to REPENTENCE. Within that, there is GOD'S UNCONDITIONAL LOVE reaching out to me, (us) in a very healthy way.

I have pondered that a lot today as I have had a SNOW DAY. *grin* God loves me on levels I can't even wrap my head around. That is the coolest part of the whole lesson. Sins wiped away and loving arms open. I LOVE IT!

Today I didn't get to finish those MAKE-UP assessments, but that's okay. I got the lesson in one day. *grin*

LIFE.
IS.
GREAT!!!

God's Lessons Through Karen

2012-01-10T19:33:00.000-08:00

Last week I had the privilege of having Karen here for four days. In those four days God taught me things that I truly believe God put her here, in part, to teach me. The bigger scope for her was to be trained for her mission field that's FINALLY going to come to pass in June! (Words can't express how excited I am for her!) At the same time, God deposited SO MUCH in me through my time with her that I doubt I could actually explain it to you, my loyal readers, in a way that you can understand.

One thing I can share is that God showed me the depth of what encouragement can do. More than once we went into a public restaurant, and God used Karen to encourage God's kids in unique ways that encouraged hearts. God taught me a lot in each encounter we had. I'm an encourager, it comes naturally to me, but I often stop when it comes to people I don't know. God showed me the depth of what it can do, even to people I don't know. I know one life in particular was blessed last week because Karen let God shine through her and encouraged that person in a really special way. I walked away from that conversation that night, telling God I want to be used by Him like that. (In my own unique way, of course. God uses Karen in her own way & I'm to do my own way.)

There are MANY other lessons too. None that need to be shared tonight, but suffice to say, everyday since Karen has left, I have thanked God for Karen. Friendships like hers are rare, and I thank God that she was here for a few days. It was four days I don't think I will ever forget. *grin* I like that.

*grin*
LIFE.
IS.
GREAT!!!

A DREAM

2012-01-09T18:41:00.000-08:00

During the last session of ONETHING, Lou challenged us not to take dreams for granted. He challenged us to take dreams as messages from the Lord. I realize for some of you, that is a stretch. However, for some of us, that's a very real thing. I've had dreams that were clearly from Him and have provided me with knowledge and/or wisdom toward various things in my life. Now, I don't think ALL dreams are from Him, but I do believe that some of them are definitely for us in today's world. Yesterday, I received a dream from someone else that enormously blessed me.

I got in my shuttle (LOVE Sunday Mornings!) and Chris told me (via radio) that I had been in a dream of his. I grinned and said "Cool, was I being used by the Lord?" To which he replied, "Well, sort of." He went on to explain the dream.

Apparently in the dream I was riding in a horse-drawn carriage, and I was throwing out coins to everyone around me. The number 5 was on the coin. Unfortunately I can't remember the rest of the dream, but I do remember what Chris told me about the dream. He said that he told his wife about it, and the number 5 means grace. He said that the Lord is pouring Grace over me continually as I pour out into others. I just grinned. God is SO COOL like that!

I feel as if I'm in a season where God just keeps revealing Himself to me in new ways. It's as if I'm walking into a new season with Him, and He just keeps blessing me over and over again.

In case you're wondering, after Chris told me the dream I said, "Hey, I receive that!" I grinned all day because God spoke through someone else's dream to me. I'm one blessed gal.

*grin*
LIFE.
IS.
AMAZING!

CARDS

2012-01-07T20:49:00.001-08:00

Today I went to support a friend who recently lost her Mom. While her Mom is in Heaven now, that still leaves a daughter that is missing her Mom, and earlier in the week I sent my friend a card. I didn't think too much of it, I went to the store and picked out one of my favorite cards and sent it to her.

Today after the funeral, I went up to her to talk to her, and I asked her if she needed anything. She said, "Keep the cards coming." I have pondered that statement a lot today.

I've always been one to send cards. I mean real cards. Not just an email. Not just a FB message. A real card.

I like cards. You know, the old-fashioned pen & paper kind of cards. I admit I have a stash of them in a box, and send them to people when I can. In fact, on Mondays I participate in K-Love's MAKE A DIFFERENCE MONDAY and send a card a week to someone I'm thinking about or has done something cool at work.

The thing is, until today, I really hadn't had any feedback about what a difference it made. I kept doing it though because it felt right though. Today though, I realized that a card CAN really make a difference.

I was reminded of a story my Dad told me about when my Grandmother was in the hospital at one point. She kept getting "get well" cards, and my Dad was convinced that the cards really did help her get well! I believe that. (And of course, people were probably praying for her too! *grin*) I think that's cool.

At any rate, I plan on sending my friend a few more cards over the next several months as she walks through this season of her life. Her Mom was dear to her, so I can imagine that a card will help her through this season.

It's just a card, I know. At the same time, my friend knows the love behind it. That's pretty cool to me.

*grin*
LIFE.
IS.
GREAT!!!

Wow!!! God is AMAZING!

2012-01-05T18:40:00.000-08:00

Tonight is my first night at home without conference stuff (with the exception of one, I guess) in a week. This past week has been INCREDIBLE. I have experienced, heard, and learned some incredible things. One of which I REALLY wanted to share tonight.

I have ALWAYS believed in the power of prayer. Part of the draw to IHOP-KC for me is the emphasis on prayer. I've been that young lady who enjoys prayer when others are bored by it. So, I LOVE living here, being among intercessors. *grin* Little did I expect for God to give me an encounter like I had last night, through my very own friend Karen.

Karen is an amazing woman of God. I am blessed to have her in my life, I truly am. She's human, transparent, honest, and walks in the things of the Lord in ways I long to walk in them. Part of her walk though comes from experience, and I'm still gaining my own experience in God, so it's taking time for me to grow into what HE wants ME to be. That being said, Karen is one of my absolute favorite people on this planet, and He showed up in my life last night in an AMAZING way, through her.

I was battling a headache last night. It was growing as we entered into service last night, and I was bummed as I was REALLY looking forward to the last night of the Abolition Summit being held at FCF. We entered into worship, and I sat through it. That's not me, and Karen knew it. Afterward, she asked me if I was okay. I told her I had a headache.

At that point, Karen asked where the pain was, and she put her hands there, prayed, and the pain lifted. Now, I have had experiences where I have gone into services with headaches and have been healed during the worship just by singing to Him, but I have NEVER had someone lay hands on me like that and God heal me right then. I grinned, and thanked Him. I still had pressure in the back, but it wasn't really an appropriate time to ask her to pray again. (Seems odd now to say that, as IHOP people wouldn't care, but I don't know, at the time it just didn't seem right.) So, during the offering time, I turned to her and said, "Okay, would you pray right here, I have pressure." She asked if it was pain or pressure. I told her it was pressure. She prayed. She didn't yell. She didn't hassle God. She just prayed for healing. And IMMEDIATELY it was gone!!! I just grinned and a tear fell.

I realize I write a lot about the Lord, and it may possibly drive some people nuts. Honestly, I don't care. Last night He showed up and healed me. Healing is something I've believed in, and I have prayed for healing over people but haven't seen or experienced IMMEDIATE healing like that before.

It changed me.

While I've been exhausted all day today due to all the running around the past week, I've also thought quite a bit about those moments last night.

It isn't about Karen. In fact, Karen would call me to the carpet if I said it was about her.

It was about Jesus.

I pray I never forget those moments in time last night.

He did it to heal me. I also believe He did it to reveal Himself to me in a new way.

Thank You, Jesus.

*grin*
LIFE.
IS.
AMAZING!!!

ONETHING 2011 NOTES

2012-01-01T19:39:00.000-08:00

Every year I take time after ONETHING to post memorable moments from the conference. For those of you new to my little world, ONETHING is a conference put on the by the INTERNATIONAL HOUSE OF PRAYER in Kansas City. For four days, December 28 through midnight on New Year's, approximately 25,000 people come together to seek God's Heart, and go deeper in the things of Him. Every year is slightly different for me, but the one thing that remains constant for me is that I meet Him in deep ways throughout those four days.

I started each day driving shuttles for the conference and that continues to be a highlight for me. I met people from all over the world, as well as some from IHOP-KC. While it may sound boring, driving people from Grandview to downtown, it was actually a lot of fun. I enjoy hearing people's stories and how they came to learn about IHOP-KC. I was even blessed financially twice by passengers for the ride! *grin* God is so amazing like that! Perhaps my favorite part of driving shuttles occurred on my last drive of the conference (for me) as we went from downtown to IHOPU. As a group of young people got on the shuttle, they commented that they enjoyed the CD going. I had Jon Thurlow's CD playing, and about halfway back, they started singing STRONG LOVE with the CD! It was the only shuttle this year for me of singers, but it was A BLAST! It was a perfect way to end my shuttle driving for the conference. *grin*

Everyday after shuttles, I went to the PRAYER ROOM. (One of the perks of driving shuttles is that you can just hop on the next one headed down to the conference. *grin*) Everyday there was a different team leading, but I found myself REALLY soaking this year in the Prayer Room. In year's past, I have had deep stuff to work through, and I didn't feel that this year. I just entered in, which was a lot of fun and honestly a new experience for me. I can't remember doing a conference where I didn't feel I had to work through a lot before I could enjoy it. *grin* That made this year especially cool for me!

My second day in the Prayer Room (First day was quiet and not much to share) I went up to about the third row and entered in. It was loud, and I LOVED it! I sat down for some reason (can't remember now) and I heard a gal behind me crying. I looked behind me, and this young lady was definitely in a moment with God. I sat there a moment and knew what I had to do. I got out my tissues (I had two pocket-sized packs with me) and gave her a couple. Then I looked at her and told her she could just keep it because I had another one. She was touched. Then I asked her if I could pray for her. (AT ONETHING, NO ONE SAYS NO TO PRAYER! *grin*) I wound up praying for her and a word came forth for her. IT WAS SO MUCH FUN! I held her as she cried. I honestly didn't know what God was doing in her, and didn't need to know. It was clear the word was right, and that she was blessed by it. I couldn't tell you what I said, as that's how He uses me. I just know it blessed her, and therefore it blessed me. *grin* I should also mention that the next day (maybe two days later, it all runs together *grin*) she got on my shuttle. God is moving her here, and I'm so excited for her! The word that came forth was confirmation for her! WOOHOO! GO GOD! *grin*

After the Prayer Room, I headed up to save a seat for the evening session. If my memory serves right (And, I'm still REALLY tired from the whole conference!) Misty led the first night. It was A LOT of fun for me! I know all of her stuff, and it makes it REALLY easy to enter in with her leading. I will admit, after that, I skipped the sermon and went to the Prayer Room. I went in and read. Yeah, I LOVE to sit and read in the Prayer Room, and that's what I did. It was very relaxing, and exactly what I needed!

The next night Cory Asbury led worship, and I LOVE his worship. He had some new songs that I hadn't heard before, so that was cool. There's a chorus I'll share with you here in a bit that sums up what connected the most with me the whole conference, but suffice to say, I really enjoyed Cory's set. Allen Hood preached after that. It was so good I think I want to get a copy of the sermon. Allen has an incredible gift of bringing the "awe" of God back to my heart. The sermon he preached the other night was my favorite one of the whole conference. For most of you who know me, you're probably thinking, well, it's Allen, he's always your favorite. While he is my favorite preacher on the base, God pierced my heart the most when he preached more than anyone else. I was blessed. *grin*

Davy Flowers led worship Friday night, and did a good job. However, I'll admit, when Laura Hackett got up during the offering time, I LOVED that more! Laura Hackett is a strong woman of the Lord, and her worship must move God's Heart, because it ALWAYS touches mine. *grin*

Misty preached one evening as well, and I will admit, I got a lot of nuggets from that as well. Misty kind of preaches on love every time, so it is often the same sermon with slight variations. While that was true this year, she did have some new pieces that had me pondering as well. I enjoyed it.

Out of the entire conference, I honestly connected with God the most last night when Cory led. Yeah, the LAST worship set of the conference, I got what I needed. God sometimes does that, He waits to give me what I need until the very end.

Karen came into town to join me for the last evening of the conference. The amazing part was what God taught me throughout the week. It used to bother me a little when I would do four days "alone" at the conference. What I didn't expect was for Him to tell me early on in the week to plan on being with just Him all week. Meaning, all the friends I had coming into town, to not plan on doing much with them. I was good with that. Little did I know why He said that. I was so BLESSED by the lesson within what was about to happen.

As the week progressed, I learned how many people I REALLY do know around the base, and how many friends I have made. I would be walking from one place to another and hear, "Hey Shannon" and turn and see someone I knew from shuttles or the Prayer Room or somewhere in between. While this may seem minor to you, this was HUGE for me. Two and a half years ago when I moved here from Joplin, I didn't know anyone on the base, and was very impatient in the beginning with the lack of relationships. God showed me this week that relationships take TIME to build. It takes time to be in a time and place when people recognize you and can say "Hey Shannon" or as some would say "Hey Pleasant", which is my nickname on shuttles. It was AMAZING!

I know I got the lesson, and then it was as if God said, "Now enjoy New Year's with one of your favorite people." Karen arrived last night, and while ONETHING isn't her thing, we had a great time entering in the year together. Karen will never know how much joy it brought me to share that with her. It was amazing.

Now, back to my absolute favorite part of the entire week. Last night, Cory came out to lead worship (I enjoyed Matt's set by the way, it was fun too!) and before dancing we did a few songs. I'll be honest, I'm not sure that what connected with me was a chorus or actually part of a new song, but it's my new theme for 2012:

CATCH ME UP IN YOUR STORY
ALL MY LIFE, FOR YOUR GLORY.

*grin*
LIFE IS AMAZING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Blessed

2011-12-26T19:53:00.000-08:00

I realize I didn't blog yesterday, but I totally relaxed yesterday and did very little. Tonight I wanted to take a moment and blog about what an amazing family I am blessed to be a part of. I realize this isn't the first time I've shared this, but I was thinking on the drive home from my parents about what an amazing family I was born into. While they are not perfect, they are mine, and I feel enormously blessed by that.

In case you're wondering, we all get along. We don't fight. We don't disagree. We just plain get along unconditionally. And, honestly, enjoy seeing one another.

Our family tradition of gift giving is neat. It's nothing huge, it's just cool. We take turns opening gifts, and every once in a while there may be a story behind the gift. It's been something we've done for as long as I can remember, and I love it.

I'm blessed.

Just thought I'd share.
*grin*
LIFE.
IS.
GREAT!!!

THE SILENT LAUGH

2011-12-23T15:57:00.000-08:00

Every once in a while God blesses me with the most unexpected thing. Earlier this month when I found out that TexasLady was headed to see me for a day before heading to be with her family, I was PUMPED. We hadn't seen each other in quite some time, so I was excited to have her come see Jay and me. I even got up REALLLLLY early on my first day of break to pick her up at the airport, but I knew it would be worth it. I WAS RIGHT! *grin*

We spent the day yesterday running around KC. This included many entertaining conversation topics that had me laughing. One of TEXASLADY'S gifts is making people laugh, and she clearly still has that gift. At one point, I made a wrong turn and found a very disturbed lawn santa that clearly needed therapy. *grin* I was laughing so hard, I had the silent laugh going on. Perhaps you're not familiar with it, but it's the laugh that occurs when a person laughs so hard that no sound comes out. *grin* Yep, more than once yesterday, I experienced the silent laugh.

As I was getting ready to crash last night, it hit me that I haven't done the silent laugh in quite a while. I mean, it's been so long that I can't remember the last time I had the silent laugh experience. That made me *grin*. God gave me that blessing through TEXASLADY. That realization brought a *grin* to my face.

TEXASLADY left today to attend her holiday festivities elsewhere, but she'll be back Monday. I'm sure the Silent Laugh will surface again before she heads south to her home and furry child. *grin*

Thank You, Lord.

*grin*
LIFE.
IS.
GREAT!!!

HOLIDAY FUN

2011-12-22T09:57:00.000-08:00

I wanted to take a moment and blog about our holiday fun yesterday at school. One of my favorite traditions that we have here is our annual Christmas Holiday Sing. While it is rather busy, and kids are hyper, it is one of my favorite days of the whole school year!

We had students play instruments as we entered the gymatorium. It kept the kids calm and quiet as classes entered in for the assembly. I sat down by a student, as I had to sit in the middle so I could take pics for the slideshow.

Shortly after that, we started singing. At first I just sat and sang with the kids, but it hit me what a great photo opportunity this would be for the slideshow. So, I started taking pics. The kids loved it, and I did as well. *grin*

We also had a teacher model show in their tackiest sweaters. While I didn't participate, I sat up front to get pictures for the slideshow. It was a lot of fun, and the kids laughed a lot as their teachers were funny modeling their clothes. One of the teachers was even a Beiber look-alike! It was cute!

After some more songs, we ended the assembly with Silent Night as the students left the gymatorium. I admit, I fought tears at that point, as it truly feels like Christmas at that time for me. I took pics, and LOVED it.

So, here I sit, on Christmas Break. I can't believe it. TEXASLADY is here, and we're going to have some fun!

*grin*
LIFE.
IS.
GREAT!!!

IT'S A FACT

2011-12-20T19:17:00.000-08:00

Sometimes people just need a break. I was in my classroom today, and was silently cheering for tomorrow at 1:30. LET ME STATE, I LOVE THE LITTLE PEOPLE! However, everyone is in need of some time with family and friends.

I'm REALLY looking forward to TEXASGAL arriving Thursday! It's been quite a while since I've seen her, two years I think. I'm SO PUMPED!!!!! It's going to be a GREAT start to the break.

After that will be time with family. LOVE that idea. Priceless. Absolutely priceless.

After that, my FAVORITE FOUR DAYS OF THE YEAR!!! ONETHING!

Yep, this is going to be one AMAZING break!

*grin*
LIFE.
IS.
GREAT!!!

Smiles All Around

2011-12-19T20:03:00.000-08:00

Today was a lot of fun! I love this time of year! The kids and I exchanged gifts today, and it was a blast. I'm amazed at how blessed I am as a Special Education Teacher. I mean, I'm not even the REGULAR teacher, and yet I'm still included in my students gift-giving traditions. I don't take that for granted one bit.

I got some amazing gifts from my little people, but the gift that touched my heart the most was a card with a note inside. One of my students wrote a note to me on one side of the card, and on the other side, the parents wrote a note. In that note, I just grinned and choked back a tear. That card meant more to me than all the tangible gifts I received today.

Sometimes in life this side of Heaven you walk this thing out, and pray the whole time that it's reaching specific kids. Today I found out that it reached one that I've been praying for all year. *grin* That's worth more to me than all the money in the world!

*grin*
LIFE.
IS.
AWESOME!!!

A Divine Appointment

2011-12-12T17:34:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I had an incredible time with my friend Slim that I wanted to blog about. Truthfully, I think I want to blog about it more for me than you, so I can remember it. However, I pray someone is blessed by it as I share what happened.

For the past few weeks, Slim and I have been trying to get together to hang out after driving shuttles. As it turned out, things kept happening and we couldn't get together. Finally, yesterday we got together. Believe it or not, the plan was to go to McDonald's and hang out. (Yes, I LOVE the fries!)

We walked in the McDonald's and scanned the place. I have to admit, I was blown away by the set up of the new McDonald's on Red Bridge. Well, it was new to me at least. *grin*

As we scanned the place, we saw an older gentleman reading a Bible. Slim said, "Hey, I wonder what he's reading." I grinned. I know Slim, we were about to walk into an adventure together, with the Lord. I said, "I'll go ask him." To which Slim replied, "No, I'll go." I grinned. That's the thing about Slim, you just never know what's going to go on when you're with him. So, he went. I turned around and scanned the menu. (I knew what I wanted, but didn't want to stare at the two guys chatting.) Sure enough, next thing I heard was Slim saying, "Can my friend join us?" I knew it, we were about to go on an adventure!

The guys came over to order food, and I met the gentleman. I'll call him Wanderer, for the sake of this post.

Afterward, we sat down and talked for ninety minutes. Long story short, it turns out he's new to the area, and goes to our church. Our church is HUGE, so it's not surprising that we hadn't met him yet. We prayed over him, which was cool, and the Lord gave me a picture for him. I held onto it, waiting for Him to say, "Share it!"

Once it was clear we were about to leave, I took a moment and shared what He had for our new Wanderer Friend. I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE when the Lord uses me like this, because I didn't know the guy. So, it's wasn't like I was speaking over situations I know about. The picture and word I gave, followed by a prayer, were confirmed on the spot!!!! GO GOD! I loved it!!! IT WAS THE HIGHLIGHT OF MY WEEKEND! *grin*

As we got in the car, Slim and I were grinning ear-to-ear. Slim said, "I feel like that was a divine appointment." I said, "Yes, it was!" God can use anyone at any time. I'm just glad He used me in that moment. *grin*

*grin*
LIFE.
IS.
GREAT!!!

A Silent Statement grin

2011-12-10T19:31:00.000-08:00

Every Sunday I get up and go drive shuttles for IHOP-KC. I LOVE Sunday Mornings! I really enjoy the team I drive shuttles with, as we laugh A LOT on shuttles. In fact, we have so many inside jokes that laughter is a regular thing on the shuttles. With nicknames of drivers, names of regular passengers, and stories that come forth each week, it is always a lot of fun. So, last week something happened that I found blogworthy, as it truly brought me back to perspective.

Each week, our parking lot is FULL. The Forerunner Lot is full every week, as it is a small lot and the majority of it is actually reserved for disabled drivers and those with children too young to ride the shuttles. In addition to that, we have volunteers who direct traffic and assist people in knowing where to park. Those volunteers also put cones in certain areas so that the shuttles have enough room to get through the lot. In my two years of doing shuttles, the cones have always worked...until last week.

Actually, it started the week before, but was taken a step further last week. As the shuttles leave the lot, there is an aisle that we REALLLY need open. Especially coming into the snowy weather months, we NEED that aisle free. So, week before last, one person moved a cone and parked there. It irked us as shuttle drivers, but hey, we didn't do anything.

Last Sunday, we made a silent statement. (Or, a silent statement was made for us via one of the parking attendants.) I was driving during the "rush" time, and I saw a car park where they shouldn't. I immediately got on the radio and told parking about it. The only problem was that they were swamped too, so nothing was done. Over the next twenty or so minutes, people MOVED cones and parked behind that initial person that cheated. It became a joke of sorts throughout our shift, as it bothered us, because those drivers were simply parking close to the building. They weren't thinking about how that spot was reserved for a reason. We joked, we laughed. And honestly, when the attendant made a statement and put a cone on top of the car, we were all happy. *grin*

It didn't change anything. We still had a wider turn to make. We still wondered why someone would go so far as to MOVE A CONE to park where they weren't supposed to do so.

I have pondered this quite a bit this week. So often in life there are things out of our control. I have to DAILY give things over to God, as I know so much isn't in my control. That's tough sometimes, but gives me peace all at the same time.

I have to admit, it was fun seeing that cone on top of the car. It was a way for those of us driving shuttles to let those people know that we needed those spots open. (And in all fairness, we kicked around a lot of other ideas, and this was nothing compared to the creative juices flowing. *grin*) From my seat, it was wrong of someone to take my aisle that I needed to drive in. And it was fun to have a statement made to get that message across.

Will it change things for tomorrow? I don't know. I hope it made a difference. We'll see tomorrow. I'll be sure to let you know how it goes. *grin*

LIFE.
IS.
GREAT!!!

MATCHED by Ally Condie *****

2011-12-06T16:17:00.000-08:00

Tonight I have a book review to share with you!!! This book is one of the BEST books I've read in two years! The book is Matched, by Ally Condie. It was as addictive as THE HUNGER GAMES was for me! In a dystopian society, people are matched by the Society, not by their own choice. For Cassie, the adventure begins as she is Matched with one man, but another comes into the picture and makes her life go from being predictable to extremely challenging. I LOVED THIS BOOK! In fact, there is a sequel to the book, and I am REALLLLLLLLY hoping that I get it for Christmas!

So, RUN, don't walk, to your nearest bookstore or library and pick up this book! This will be one of the best books you've read in quite some time!

*grin*
LIFE.
IS.
GREAT!!!

ONETHING 2011

2011-12-03T21:10:00.000-08:00

I went to FCF tonight, and had a GREAT time. I will admit, I look forward to Saturday Nights A LOT. Tonight was a lot of fun just singing and connecting with the Lord. I even received prayer at one point, which was amazing! I have lived here more than two years, and I'm STILL pinching myself when I'm in services like tonight's. I LOVED IT.

As Misty led us in worship, it felt (to me) like ONETHING. Unless you've been there, it's hard to explain. It is one of those things you just have to experience to understand. Anyway, I stood there at one point tonight and thought, "WOW, Onething is 24 days away!!! YESSSSS!"

I. CAN'T. WAIT.

*grin*
LIFE.
IS.
AWESOME!!!

My FAVORITE Part of my Job grin

2011-12-02T20:21:00.000-08:00

This time of year is interesting for this educator. The kids are EXCITED for the holidays, and I think the relaxation of last week made it a little difficult to get back into the routine this week. I did fine, but I will admit, I am looking forward to the break when I can sit and READ the books I got at the book fair last week!

With that being said, there was a moment today that made me *grin* ear-to-ear, and really made me excited for the young kids on my caseload that I will have for the next couple years.

I have a young man who works SO HARD at reading. Reading is REALLY, REALLY, REALLY, challenging for him, and when I had him a couple years ago, I was honestly praying a lot at home for him quite a bit because I wasn't sure how to reach him as a reader. It seemed that everything I was trying two years ago wasn't working, and I was spinning my wheels. Thankfully, that isn't where I am today with that young man.

This young man, who I will call SUPERREADER, read over a hundred words in one minute on his fluency read!!! While this wasn't his first day to do that, today made a third time that he's done that, making me proud of this young man as it's clear this is a consistent thing and not a once in a while thing! Tonight I graded papers, and there was a lesson that I didn't get to work one-on-one with him in his workbook that goes with the series, and he made 100% on his comprehension of the text WITHOUT ME!!! I sat here and had a *grin* on my face. This has taken A LOT of hard work on SUPERREADER'S part, and I'm SOSOSOSOSOSOSO proud of him!

The even more entertaining part of it for me is that when I tell him how proud I am of him, it's not a big deal for him. It's almost as if he just believes that part of my job is to teach him to read, so it shouldn't be a big deal that he's learning to read. (And it's NOT just me, there are SO MANY people who have helped him get this far.) While that logic is a good one, I'll admit that teaching in a Learning Center means that sometimes I don't get to see the growth and fruit of my labor. Sometimes I set a good foundation, and the lightbulb comes on in Middle School & High School. So when I see growth like I'm seeing in SUPERREADER, I am reminded that teaching kids to read, (or be better readers if they can already read) is my favorite part of my job.

Taking a student from where this young man was, to this point, and imagining where he's headed, excites me in a way that I can't even explain. Ultimately, teaching reading is my FAVORITE part of my job!

So tonight I sit here and *grin* as I ponder where SUPERREADER is headed as a reader, and I thank God that He chose me to be in this student's path for this season. It's definitely something that I love, and can't wait for SUPERREADER to go from learning to read, to reading for enjoyment. That day is coming, and I can't wait to share it with him! *grin*

LIFE.
IS.
GREAT!!!

Weird But True

2011-11-29T19:40:00.000-08:00

One of my FAVORITE parts of the NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC KIDS magazine is the WEIRD BUT TRUE section. I absolutely LOVE learning new facts that are just weird, but true. It makes life seem more, I don't know, FUN! *grin*

I recently went shopping in our online teacher store from Scholastic and found a WEIRD BUT TRUE book that I could buy with my teacher points. This is my first year with book orders and points, so I figured, HEY, IT'S FREE!

Today the books arrived that I ordered, one of which was the WEIRD BUT TRUE book. I immediately started sharing random facts during down time in my classroom, and my students LOVED it! In fact, two of the students wanted to read the book at the same time! It was priceless to me!

It's been a while since a new book has gotten my students REALLY pumped about reading. I would venture to say that (since I moved to L.S.) only Diary of a Wimpy Kid and Big Nate have brought the attention that occurred today in my classroom! It was clearly the HIGHLIGHT of my day!

I recently co-lead the book fair at my school, and will eventually get to shop for new books for my classroom for the work I completed before, during, and after the fair. I plan on buying ALL the WEIRD BUT TRUE books for my classroom! Not only are they reading, but they are LEARNING at the same time. The best part is that they don't even realize they're learning while they read. Shhhhhh, don't tell them! *grin*

By the way, here's a weird but true fact for you:
Baby dolphins only sleep for seconds at a time.

*grin*
LIFE.
IS.
GREAT...with kids READING by choice!!!

ARE YOU SERIOUS?

2011-11-26T20:08:00.000-08:00

This afternoon I watched the OU game with a friend of mine (via text, and it was entertaining!), followed by the KU game. (Don't say a word...this gal wasn't thrilled with the outcome of the Border War.) Now, I'll be the first to admit, I don't watch college football normally. College basketball, yeah, but not football. *grin* I will admit, I checked email partway through the KU game and a student challenged me to a deal based upon the outcome of the game. I'm afraid to know what I owe the kid! *grin*

Anyway, as I was watching these sports that I don't usually watch, I learned about the NBA, and lack of season they're having right now. Although it seems like some sort of deal has been reached, I was initially mad. Once again, it appears to this gal that sports players are holding out for more money TO PLAY A GAME for a living. ARE YOU SERIOUS? Now, I'm not one to say that what they do is easy, as I could not shoot a three-pointer even if I tried. HOWEVER, while they are playing a game, I'm in a classroom working like crazy trying to teach kids how to be able to read, write, do math, and be a productive member of society. We won't even mention the wages they earn versus mine. I was pretty worked up.

Then I stopped and thought about things. Time is always helpful. *grin* Yeah, they are making more than me, and will have a bigger house and riches that I will never see this side of Heaven. However, at the end of their lives, they have played a game. I will have been used by God to touch generations that I won't even meet. I also will have created relationships that last a lifetime, and (if I'm invited along for the ride) hear about the wonderful things that the young people that are in my class will go on to do with their lives. (One's already on his way to be a Special Education Teacher! *grin*)

Perspective is always everything. Life ALWAYS comes back to perspective. From where I sit, I'd rather be a teacher than anything else this side of Heaven. Even though it means a lot of work outside of school, as well as during the school day, that's okay. Those big people can play basketball all day and make their millions.

I'll teach kids, touch generations, and (maybe) every once in a while, get to see what the fruit I've planted grows into years later.

I LIKE THAT PERSPECTIVE.

*grin*
LIFE.
IS.
AWESOME!!!

It's a Blessing to Me...

2011-11-25T21:02:00.000-08:00

...when I hear from a former student's family that I haven't talked to in a while. That happened today.

I received a letter from a former student's family asking me if I would attend graduation for that student. I stopped and had a *grin* on my face. It's been years since this young man was in my class, and I was touched as I read the letter. I have already written down the date and time of the ceremony. It will require a road trip, as the student has moved to Oklahoma, but that's just fine by me!

I read the letter and responded right away. I also sent a letter to the student, letting him know how proud I am of him. According to his Dad, my student has gone on to earn mostly A's in school and is even taking some classes at a local community college. It's always a blessing to hear of the good things going on in my former student's lives.

I also consider it an honor to be invited back into the lives of my former little people. Okay, well, they're never LITTLE by the time they reach graduation. *grin* They're adults, ready to take on the real world, and I'm there to see them off. I'm blessed to be invited to see them do that.

Hearing from my former student's family today, was definitely the highlight of my day!

*grin*
LIFE.
IS.
GREAT!!!

A DAY OF THANKS

2011-11-24T19:55:00.000-08:00

I am a Facebook Freak. I am on there a lot. I only post on status per day, but I read updates and check on loved ones several times per day. It's exciting to me, to watch people I care about in the different seasons of life. Facebook is one of my favorite things created in the past few years.

For everyone who is part of FB, they are asked the question, "What's on your mind?" Today I have spent time thinking about what's on my mind, on the day of THANKS. Here's what I came up with:

1. I'm blessed to have the family that I do. My Mother, Father, Brother, and in-laws are amazing. I always enjoy Turkey Day at my brother's house. It was a nice visit today. *grin*

2. Jay constantly amazes me. I am blessed to have the furry kid that I do. We took time to sit and cuddle tonight, and it was a blast for me. I didn't do one lick of schoolwork. I relaxed. It was the most enjoyable day I've had in a while. That was probably the highlight of my day. *grin*

3. I have given thought today to my friends affected by the Joplin Tornado. Some are in different homes or locations due to the tornado that hit six months ago. I prayed for them today. While I'm INCREDIBLY Thankful everyone survived, I know it's still not EASY for those loved ones.

4. I'm thankful for a break from work for a few days. I didn't realize how much I just needed to relax. I LOVE the kids and the job, but this break is GREAT for all of us. *grin*

5. I'm thankful that I know how to read, and was brought up in a home of readers. I currently have THREE books going, THANKS to the book fair. I also have three more waiting. I LOVE BREAKS!!!

6. I have MANY friends on FB, and I was thinking tonight how blessed I am to have so many friends/acquaintances in my life. I'm a blessed gal.

I guess there's more in my head, but that's all I want to share at the moment. I hope you had a terrific Thanksgiving Day.

I'm THANKFUL that I have THREE more days off. *grin*

LIFE.
IS.
GREAT!!!

SEASONS OF CONSTRUCTION ON THE HEART

2011-11-23T19:34:00.000-08:00

When I moved here a little over two years ago, I was told that they were going to be doing road construction behind my house that summer and that I would have a reduced rent because of it. I'm not really sure what I expected at the time, but that summer there was zero construction behind my house. Two miles down the road toward the west, it had started, and the project was moving SLOWLY.

Over time, the project did reach my area of the street, and it was S-L-O-W going. Truthfully, I understand why, as they took a two lane road with just enough road space for that much road, and had to re-do electric lines, sewage systems, and everything in between to make room for FOUR lanes. In addition to the four lanes, they also added a turn lane into my neighborhood which is appreciated more than YOU will ever know.

Honestly, this past summer I got REALLY frustrated with the construction. It seemed like every time they would make some progress and I thought we were getting somewhere, something new would have to be torn apart to be worked on. For the past 5 months I had to exit out of my neighborhood a different way because my usual way was closed. It frustrated me, and honestly I thought it was never going to be finished. I had lost hope.

Yesterday, as I headed to school, two of the lanes were open!!! I was surprised, and excited all at the same time. I didn't let myself get too excited though, as the other two lanes needed to have the lines striped on them. I was right though, as I drove home the other two lanes were still closed. That was okay though. Two out of four wasn't bad.

This afternoon Jay and I headed out to take care of some errands, and ALL FOUR LANES WERE OPEN!!! I turned to Jay and screamed! He just looked at me. *grin* He clearly wasn't as frustrated as I was by the whole mess.

Of course, this all leads me to what God has taught me through all of this road construction. The whole thing is not any different than my walk with Him. Some seasons he does some DEEP work on my heart, and I sometimes feel like I'm not getting anywhere, and then something happens and I realize I'm going further than I think I am. That happened this past Monday.

I'm working harder than I think I ever have in my teaching career, and I'm so very thankful that I was raised in a home where hard work was the expectation. That being said, sometimes I work 8am until 9pm (Not kidding, I force myself to take an hour off each night before going to sleep and doing it all over again the next day.) and wonder if I'm getting anywhere. Then this past Monday Night, I was blessed by parents of my students who let me (or my Mom and Dad) know how blessed they are to have me as a teacher. Now, don't hear the "poor me" routine. ANYONE who knows me, knows I'm not one who lives with that mentality. But, just like those four lanes were finally opened today, sometimes God just gives me a boost to let me know, I'm right where He wants me (for now) and I'm doing what I'm created to do. *grin*

I love that!

*grin*
LIFE.
IS.
AWESOME!!!

Pay It Forward...Kind Of

2011-11-22T17:32:00.001-08:00

Today I spent quite a bit of time working in our Book Fair. I am EXHAUSTED right now, but it was a lot of fun selling books to kids and adults all day. There are going to be A LOT of kids getting books for Christmas and they have no idea because their parents shopped while they were in class. It was really cool.

The most touching thing to see today was when those adults would give a student ahead of them that they didn't even know a dollar, or change to help them get what they wanted. It happened A LOT, as kids didn't always have a lot of money sense. *grin* Over and over again I would ring up an order and say "You owe this much, do you have enough?" (Fortunately, our registers gave us the ability to void items if we needed to do that.) If there was an adult behind a student, and the student said, "No" then the adult would say, "Let me put it on my order." I was absolutely amazed at the generosity of the adults toward kids that they (most of the time) didn't know. It was something I've read about, but haven't seen in action. It blessed my heart, and the kids were even more touched. *grin* I LOVED IT. It's a day I'll never forget.

I also enjoyed the book fair, as I got a few books for myself. It's a perfect time for books as I have FIVE DAYS off from work. I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE my job, but am really looking forward to a few days off too!

*grin*
LIFE.
IS.
GREAT!!!

ONE QUOTABLE DAY

2011-11-21T19:11:00.000-08:00

Every once in a while there is a day that touches my heart, and today was one of them. I was ABSOLUTELY blessed by THREE quotes that I heard today. *grin* I tell ya what, I'm CONSTANTLY blessed in ways that I sometimes forget about. Then God gives me three quotes that make me go, "Yeah, right, I hear ya loud and clear, God!" Here they are:

On my way to lunch today, I saw one of my favorite second graders. This little guy has been my buddy since he was in Kindergarten. He came over to give me a hug and said, "Ms. Springer, when I give you a hug everyday, it's the highlight of your day." I grinned. Yep, he's right. It's at least ONE of my highlights. He's one special kid.

Later on in my day, I was talking to a parent about her son being transitioned out of my room a little bit each day. He's made so much progress, he's ready to try more time in the Regular Education Setting! I love this, as that's my ENTIRE goal! To get them in a place where they are ready to be back in that classroom setting. The parent shared that the other night as they shared the news with the student, he started to cry. This completely took his parents by surprise. When the parent asked why the child was so upset, the child said, "I'm worried about Ms. Springer. She's going to miss me!" How cute is that? I was enormously blessed as his parent shared this story. *grin*

Finally, tonight we had our annual Grandparents night where the students brought Grandparents and friends. I am co-leading our Book Fair, so I was there the entire night. (So were my parents, THANKS FOR YOUR HELP MOM AND DAD!) Anyway, I was talking to a set of parents that I am getting to know this year, and I was touched by what one of them said. As I was showing them books for their student, the Dad said to me TWICE, "You know, I wish we could pay you to privately teach our kid all day everyday. He'd love it, and I know you'd do a great job." While I know this was said in a bit of a tongue-and-cheek way, it was also somewhat serious. My response, of course, was a "Thanks." Inside, I was thanking God. Only He knew how much that little comment would bless me today.

I love my job, and I know I'm good at it. (And I mean that in the most humble way.) But every once in a while God blesses us with the unexpected blessings that only come from Him. Yep, today is a day I won't forget. I'm one blessed gal. *grin*

LIFE.
IS.
GREAT!!!

BEST FOUR HOURS OF MY WEEK! grin

2011-11-19T21:02:00.000-08:00

Tonight I went to FCF and was BLESSED in a really cool way. I got there right at 6, and I literally laid my stuff in my seat, and Misty and her team came out to lead worship. I was excited because this week had some character-building moments, and I really wanted my focus to be in the Lord. It took me a while to get where I wanted to be with the Lord (Which is often how it goes for me after a week like the one I had.) but once I was there, I was grinning ear-to-ear. For almost ninety minutes, we had worship led by Misty's team, and I LOVED it. She even did an oldie but a goodie, "ONCE AGAIN" that we did back in my OPEN HAND days. I just grinned. IT WAS AMAZING!!!

After worship Mike preached, which was good. He preached over several scriptures, but one of my favorites was in there! Phil 2 is one of my FAVORITE passages of scripture and it was great to hear him preach on it. (Or part of it.) It was even more touching for me when Misty's team sang it in worship after the sermon. I LOVED IT!

That leads me to AFTER service. We usually go into prayer time, and tonight we didn't. Instead, we had more musical worship! I LOVED IT! From 6-10 I was pretty much right at home.

Honestly, it was the BEST four hours of my week!!!

As I sat there tonight, something else hit me. We only have TWO days of school this week. That means I can go to the PRAYER ROOM the rest of the week! AWESOME!

*grin*
LIFE.
IS.
GREAT!!!

A NEW ADVENTURE

2011-11-18T19:23:00.000-08:00

This week has been CRAZY-BUSY, but good. I will be honest, I have been somewhat dreading today, as well as this coming Monday and Tuesday because of the BOOK FAIR. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE BOOK FAIRS!!! This is my first year of co-leading it with our librarian and I will admit, I was nervous. However, God has graced me in ways I didn't expect. And, it's all going to be GREAT!

Yesterday I got a call at the SAME TIME I was slated to meet with co-workers to go over a few things, and was told that the BOOK FAIR delivery men were there. I stopped, silently prayed, and walked down to meet the guys. I went down and told them where the fair was going to be held. They proceeded to push in NINE big book containers into the school, loaded with boxes on top. I stood there as they brought everything in the building and silently prayed. I knew though, that it was all going to be okay. There was peace even though I had NO IDEA how it was all going to come together. *grin*

Today I helped set up the Book Fair when I could, and I was REALLY excited after everything was all set up! While there is A LOT of stuff, it's a lot of GOOD stuff. And, once it was all set up, it looks like our very own book store, ready for students to come and find the right book for them!

Honestly, this is a new adventure that I think I'm going to enjoy!

*grin*
LIFE.
IS.
GREAT!!!

Sitting at His Feet

2011-11-12T20:58:00.000-08:00

Tonight I went to FCF, and REALLY enjoyed it. Misty led worship, and I REALLY enjoyed that. God has really anointed that young lady, and I draw closer to God every time I'm in a set where she leads. It was a lot of fun.

We had a guest speaker, and the sermon was really good. It was really deep. I will be digesting it for a while, and will post about it in a few days, I imagine. It was one that challenged me, and I was definitely closer to Him at the end of the sermon. YEAH, I LOVED IT!!!

Finally, Misty led the last hour, and that was my FAVORITE part! I love just sitting at His feet and singing. It's honestly my favorite thing to do this side of Heaven. I connect with Him just sitting at His feet. That was part of the word that actually came forth in the worship before the sermon. We were challenged with remembering to sit at His feet. I know for me, that was a very timely thing. *grin* That's incredibly cool in my book!

The Lord also blessed me right before I left, with 6 texts from Laura. The Lord really spoke through her to me. *grin* ONLY GOD CAN DO THAT!!!

*grin*
LIFE.
IS.
GREAT!!!

THE RACE WAS ON....

2011-11-11T19:33:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I had one of the most memorable experiences I have had as an educator. It all began earlier this year, as one of our non-verbal students and I have been getting to know one another. (He's not in my program, he's in a different one but it doesn't matter, they're OUR kids. *grin*) Honestly, it's one of the highlights of my day if I can see this young man nod his head when I talk to him. Lately he had not nodded his head, and I thought I was losing my touch. *grin* But, honestly I was okay with that. We all have days when we want to talk more than others.

As part of this young man's daily schedule, he rides a tricycle through our building and uses a communication device to talk to people in the hallways. That's how I first started to get to know him. While I had my student teacher, I would try to give her time in the room with the kids, and I'd stop and talk to the students from his classroom that were in the hallways. This young man immediately became a highlight of my day.

I would say, "Are you having a good day?" To which he would not his head "no". I would grin and say "Aw, that's not true!" I can't recall seeing him smile, ever. However, just a nod of the head would make ME smile.

So on Wednesday, he rode down to my room to ask my class a question through his communication device. I told him he needed to ask our principal if I could have a tricycle to ride in the hallways, and we could race! Right then, his assistant recorded a message for our principal. When I checked email at the end of the day, my principal had sent his teacher and me an email saying there are tricycles in their room that are big enough for me to ride. That solidified it, THE RACE WAS ON!!!!!!!!

Yesterday morning one of the helpers of that room came down to ask me if we could race in the afternoon. I said "Yes." We talked about logistics and how it would need to be the first try of several, as the kids would need to see what it would look like to be excited about it. I agreed. Of course, I wasn't in my official racing gear (I need to get some official gear before the next race day!) but I was excited.

At lunch time, I went into the room to look at my tricycle, and to see if the young man was excited about our race. He nodded his head when I asked if he was going to race me...he nodded his head "No." (I should mention, the others in that room participated as well, but yesterday my focus was on this young man.) I couldn't tell if he was kidding or not, but I let it go. His helper seemed to think that when it came time to race, he would.

We met in the gym and I was SO EXCITED about this young man's race. When we got in the gym, HE WAS SMILING!!!! I had never seen him smile! It was BEAUTIFUL!!!! I was getting the feel of the tricycle, and it had a bell on it which made it even more fun! We did a practice run while we were waiting for the official race ribbon to arrive! The young man grinned ear-to-ear!

Then the real race began. The young man I was racing did a GREAT job, and BEAT ME!!!! I immediately wanted a re-match! Today pics were shared and yes, talk of the re-match was already in the works.

It was an experience I'll never forget. While I'm sure this young man smiles all the time, I got to see it for the first time. It's something I'll never forget.

*grin*
LIFE.
IS.
GREAT!!!

It's YOUR LOVE....

2011-11-07T18:18:00.000-08:00

Tonight I came home and logged into my FB account, and was SO EXCITED to see that my friend Andy had posted part 2 of the video from last night's ORPHAN SUNDAY event!!! The coolest part is that it has the dance moves that were my favorite part of the entire evening. I've watched it several times, and have simply *grinned*. You wonder why? The chorus says:

"Your love is so high, Your love is wide, Your love is so deep, Your love is so long..."

Who couldn't enjoy singing about that? *grin*

I know that last night I had the best time I've had in a long time. I had sweat falling down my face, and was grinning ear-to-ear.

I'm thankful beyond words that Andy recorded it. I've felt His love even tonight as I've watched it.

I AM LOVED.

*grin*
LIFE.
IS.
GREAT!!!

ORPHAN SUNDAY

2011-11-06T18:54:00.000-08:00

About two months ago, I received my monthly newsletter from the Thurlow's, and they announced ORPHAN SUNDAY. It was something I had never heard of before, but I IMMEDIATELY logged on to the internet and signed up! I was excited, as I've had a growing heart for orphans and JON THURLOW was co-leading worship with Desperation Band! I NEVER get to join in worship when Jon leads because it's either at 8am when I'm at work or when I'm driving shuttles. *grin*

Tonight was INCREDIBLE!!! It was definitely the highlight of my weekend! My heart grew even larger for the orphan community, and will increase my prayer time for those around the world.

My favorite time, as always, was worship time. It was really fun. The coolest part was when Jon led his song STRONG LOVE. We had so much fun dancing and singing. It was cute to see the kids dancing and singing as well. There were hand motions to the song that I had never seen before because I'm never in his set. IT WAS SO MUCH FUN! *grin*

My heart is close to Him, and tonight was a lot of fun.

I am loved.

*grin*
LIFE.
IS.
GOOD.

Jesus Wept

2011-11-05T20:03:00.000-07:00

Tonight I went to FCF, and was REALLY glad I went. Typically Mike Bickle preaches, and I enjoy hearing him preach. However, I also enjoy it when someone else has something to share. Tonight I was REALLY blessed to hear Brian Kim speak.

He took three passages of scripture that I've heard preached before, and gave them new depth for me. I LOVE THAT. Typically Allen Hood does that for me, but tonight God used Brian. I LOVED IT.

The biggest revelation for me was the phrase "Jesus Wept." Yes, I knew it was in Scripture, and yes, I knew it was the shortest verse in the Bible. But, I had never really pondered it. I'll be deep in thought all week over that one! There were other highlights, but that was what gripped me the most. I LOVED IT.

I love how God's word is like that. You can read something a million times, and on the next one, something new is revealed. AMAZING.

So, I'm going to crash. Extra hour of sleep tonight, and ORPHAN SUNDAY tomorrow!!!

*grin*
LIFE.
IS.
GOOD.

SHOES....

2011-11-04T21:48:00.000-07:00

It seems about once every two years I post about shoes. I have bought roughly 11 pairs of the same Nike's over the past two years, and have LOVED the shoe. As an adult, I will buy the same shoe until it either doesn't work anymore, or they quit making it. Well, I'm now at a fork in the road, so to speak.

I went to JCPenney last Sunday to buy the same pair again. Only problem is that they're not available in my size anymore, but there is a newer version of the shoe. So, I tried it on, and bought it. Same size, EXACT SAME size shoe as the one before, but it's clear that after three days of trying to break them in, I need to return them and begin the cycle again of finding a shoe that works.

I'm not going to lie, this is one of those moments that having a limp makes the experience a little more character-building. I have no doubt that Penney's will let me exchange the shoes. I'm just praying that there's something there that will work for me. As an adult, it takes trying on several shoes to find the right one.

Today I wore my old pair of shoes to school, so my feet don't hurt tonight. I'm not exactly looking forward to the shopping experience, but I am looking forward to having shoes that work for me.

To you, it may just be shoes, but for me it's something that matters to me. I've been in pain this week trying to break them in. Life's too short to be in pain. *grin*

I'll let you know how it goes tomorrow.

*grin*
LIFE.
IS.
GREAT!!!

AS THE DAY BEGAN...

2011-11-02T19:26:00.000-07:00

...the teacher awoke and prayed before turning on the light. She noticed that it was extra-dark outside, and wished she could go back to sleep. At the same time, she knew she had a mission ahead of her today. LittleLady had no idea what was in store for her today!

Upon arriving at school, she was busy from the moment she walked in the door. She had a meeting, a class to teach, another meeting, and other various things to do. She was breaking-in new shoes, and was reminded with every step how much she takes for granted, including walking. *grin* She found herself praying (in her head, of course!) with every step that she would not fall as she walked down the EXTREMELY long hallway to her classroom. She was happy that she made it all day without falling.

When LittleLady arrived to class, she made a point of praying in her head to get wisdom on what to do for the child. She took time out from the group she was teaching, to go over and teach her what she needed to do for the class period. She made her way to each of the students before returning to the group she had waiting for her.

Upon returning to her group, she noticed LittleLady was still showing her typical behaviors, which bummed her out, but she prayed (again, in her head.). After the group did their group work, she needed partners for timed reading, and LittleLady volunteered to help. The teacher thought it was a fantastic idea!

When it came time for LittleLady to read, she did a GREAT job. In fact, the teacher was supposed to be listening to another student, and at first was amazed at LittleLady's effort. She waited until time was up, and students were working independently to talk to LittleLady.

When she talked to LittleLady, she told her that if she worked that hard on everything she did, she could become anything she wanted. She also said, "I believe in you." To which Silentlisteningboy said, "You believe in everybody!"

The teacher grinned...and she silently prayed that everyone would get that in their head and hearts.

She believes in everyone in that classroom. Even on the most frustrating days...

(TO BE CONTINUED.)

THERE ONCE WAS A TEACHER...

2011-11-01T19:29:00.000-07:00

...that LOVED her job. She awoke everyday, with anticipation of what the day had in store for her. As her feet hit the floor, she would pray before she even turned on the light to begin the day.

Once at school, the day began. She adores each one of her little people, as they make her smile everyday. Each little person is crafted with gifts and talents that He put within then for them to grow up and be productive members of society. Each one brings unique things to the classroom that makes the classroom an amazing place to be.

The majority of the time, the little people tried their best in all they did. While the tasks were hard at times, they tried with the teacher's help, and often learned they could do more than they previously thought they could. That brought smiles to their faces.

Except for one little person. The teacher was constantly puzzled, as this little person was capable of doing more work than what was turned in. So the teacher tried a different approach.

Within a matter of days that approach didn't work either. The teacher wasn't sure what to do. The world she came from things were done differently, so she was stuck.

So one night she went for a walk with her dog. She was really frustrated, because what she discovered as she walked and prayed was that she cared more about the person's grade than the person did. While that knowledge was not new, the knowledge led to frustration.

So, she continued to pray. On one hand she thought, "Well, if the person doesn't care, why do I?" Then a thought hit her as she walked and prayed. God cares all the time, even when she doesn't. Hum....

So she continued to walk and pray.

She wanted to be a teacher that helped this little person, but even at the end of her walk continued to be perplexed.

In the end, the teacher decided that giving up wasn't an option, even though God hadn't given her a complete answer like she had hoped. She knew from previous experience that sometimes answers come in the most unexpected ways.

So, she prayed before she went to bed and asked God for good sleep so she could be a good teacher the next day. And, the cycle began the next day....

(to be continued)

A Divine Appointment

2011-10-30T17:47:00.000-07:00

Driving shuttles is one of the best things I've done since I've moved here. I have met SO MANY amazing people on my shuttle, and I've gotten to pray with so many amazing people that I've felt so incredibly blessed to be in that chair. Some might think that sitting on a shuttle and driving back and forth from the Prayer Room to F.C.F. would be boring, but it's not. God has blessed me over and over again as I have served Him in this role in the past two-plus years. Today, I received the biggest blessing ever...

At the end of our driving time, I was in charge of doing "last call" at F.C.F. and taking the last group of riders back to the Prayer Room. A young man got on my shuttle and sat up front. It's not uncommon to have riders sit up front, so I thought that was cool. As we rode back to the Prayer Room, we made chit-chat about the weather, the leaves, etc. I had no idea who was sitting by me at first.

When we pulled up to the shuttle stop, everyone got off the shuttle, and I asked him his name. He paused and said, "You prophesied over me at Onething." Then it HIT me! Wowowowowow! I remembered him!!! I listened to him as he shared his heart about moving here for an internship, and how God's going to use him after his internship ends. I just sat there and was in awe of what God had orchestrated. I prayed for him TWO years ago at Onething. I prayed for him, He spoke through me to this young man, I prayed again, and walked off two years ago. Here he was sitting on my shuttle! I told God THANK YOU.

I was able to pray for him again, and give him a little wisdom I have gained in this fourteen-year relationship with Him. It was amazing. This young man has his whole life ahead of him, and he told me today that he had been looking forward to seeing me before he leaves after his internship. I pray I get to meet his wife and pray for the both of them before God moves them on to the next season of their life together.

What a divine appointment. On the weekend I talk to the Lord about how hard it can be sometimes to be set apart, I'm reminded how amazing it can be to be His vessel. *grin* AWESOME!!!

LIFE.
IS.
AMAZING!!!

Refiner's Fire

2011-10-29T20:42:00.000-07:00

I am constantly amazed at what God teaches me. I find this is especially true at FCF. Tonight Misty's team led worship, and I LOVED every second of it. (I know, you're not surprised!) Her team did some of her usual stuff, but the stuff that gripped my heart was actually the older stuff.

She did the song "Refiner's Fire." I am amazed at how a song that I learned 14 years ago can still pierce my heart today, and draw me nearer to the Lord. I sang that song years ago during my OPEN HAND minister-of-transparencies days, and LOVED IT. Tonight when Misty went into it, I almost wondered where all that time went. *grin* Even more than that, I realized how much more meaning that song has to me today than it did back then.

Fourteen years into my walk with Him, I have seen and experienced so much. The phrase "I choose to be, Holy, set apart for you, Lord" is what got me tonight. That's something we've honestly been talking about. Sometimes I get frustrated because He calls me to a higher standard, and I am called to be set apart. Within that, sometimes (not always, but from time to time) it is a lonely road this side of Heaven. That won't make sense to you, but God understood what I meant tonight, and that's all that matters. And, in the midst of the dialogue, I felt encouraged. PRAISE THE LORD.

*grin*
LIFE.
IS.
GREAT!!!

FIG PUDDING! *****

2011-10-27T18:32:00.000-07:00

Tonight I have a book recommendation to pass along. In our building, we're doing a book study for our Professional Development. I had never heard of Ralph Fletcher prior to the study, but I'm SO glad I did. This book was GREAT!

Fig Pudding is a HILARIOUS story about a boy who is the oldest of six children. Through the adventures of the six children, I found myself laughing, crying, and everything in between. I don't want to say too much, as it will ruin the fun for ya, but I HIGHLY recommend this book, and I give it five stars!

Tonight I will begin the new Andrew Clements book, which I am very excited about! Go ahead, check out FIG PUDDING. You will be glad you did!

*grin*
LIFE.
IS.
GREAT!!!

An Afternoon with Karen

2011-10-25T19:26:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was a GREAT day for me, as I made the drive back down to Joplin to speak to a group of aspiring future teachers. The speech was the reason for the trip. It was what motivated me to actually take a day off, which I NEVER do. In fact, I take off so rarely that I messed up when I did the request electronically! *grin* I guess that's a good problem for my boss to have, eh? *grin*

The speech was a success, and the lunch afterward with the professor was even better. Over the years I've gotten to know the professor of the class I have spoken to, and consider myself blessed for placing her into my life. She even gave me a few things to ponder as we ate lunch at SCHLOTSKY'S. (Sidenote: We don't have a Schlotsky's here in L.S., so it's always my pick when I head down to speak to the students.)

After that, I waited for and caught up with my WONDERFUL friend, Karen. Talk about a blessing from the Lord!!! We talked for quite some time, and then right before I left, we PRAYED. I have missed having that in a friend. I was absolutely blessed when she said, "You realize we're going to pray, right?" I just grinned. That's what was normal in my world before I moved here. It was more of a blessing that anyone will ever realize.

As I drove home, two things came to mind. One, everyone should be blessed to have a Karen in their life who speaks life into them, and stops and prays with them before sending them off. And two, I know I'm where I need to be, but it's okay to visit with old friends too. Sometimes they have the best outlook on things, because they know you better than anyone else.

Thank You Lord, for that time with Karen. As always, it was EXACTLY what I needed. *grin*

LIFE.
IS.
GOOD.

GPR

2011-10-23T18:28:00.000-07:00

This morning, I drove shuttles with Slim and had a blast. After that, guess where I went? *grin*

I entered the Prayer Room at 2:15-ish, and I will be the first to admit that it was the first time in quite a while that I've just sat in there. (Outside of last night, of course.) I couldn't tell you one person's name on the platform, but that's TOTALLY cool. It didn't matter. What did matter was that I was CLEARLY where I needed to be. What happened in the next two hours are between me and Him, but suffice to say, it was the best two hours I've had in quite a while.

I have lived here for over two years, and I still don't take IHOP-KC for granted. I feel blessed to live here, and be in an environment like this one.

I still can't believe I live here.

*grin*

I'm home.

LIFE.
IS.
GREAT!!!

HOME

2011-10-22T21:37:00.000-07:00

This weekend I was almost in Houston with friends at a Women's Conference. I REALLY, REALLY wanted to go. The Lord kept speaking to me the past month about not going, and I kept fighting Him on it. I REALLY miss my friends that are in Houston right now, and I REALLY wanted to get away for a weekend. HOWEVER, I learned long ago not to fight what He tells me, and to just do what He says. Tonight I understood why.

I went into Forerunner Christian Fellowship feeling a little sad tonight. I thought it was because I wasn't in Houston, but I'm not completely sure that that was it. I think I just needed a touch from Him. And, He met me.

Misty led worship, who is ALWAYS a favorite leader of mine. She leads in such a way that it's not about her, it's about Jesus. I LOVED it. God had her do songs that were favorites of mine, and I just grinned. I could go into it all, but basically tonight was a night for me and Him. I LOVED it, and felt at home. I stayed past service, and into the PRAYER ROOM.

The Prayer Room continues to be my favorite place on the planet. I doubt it makes sense to anyone who hasn't experienced it, or understands the depth of worship and prayer combined, but for me, it's HOME. Tonight was AMAZING.

I'll be honest, there are still things between me and Him that I'm still praying through, but tonight was something that I enjoyed AND needed. I LOVED IT.

I should crash. I get to do shuttles in the morning, and I will spend some time in the PRAYER ROOM after that.

I know that there will be other weekend conferences with Karen. For this weekend though, I know I'm where I'm supposed to be.

I'm home.

*grin*
LIFE.
IS.
GREAT.

Greetings from Jay!!!

2011-10-21T15:08:00.000-07:00

Hey!

Jay here. It's been a while since I have been on here. Shannon is ALWAYS on here and it drives me nuts, so I thought I'd write while she's baking in the kitchen. She said she has a staff bonfire and hayride tonight that she's excited about! I'm happy for her, as she's been BUSY this week, I hope she gets to relax and have fun tonight.

There was a bonus to her being at work so late two nights this week...my Grandma and Grandpa came to see me! I love it when they come! We go on walks, and they are REALLY nice to me! It got me out of the box when I would have been in the box for a LONG time! It was a lot of fun having them here!

Today Shannon had the day off, and we had Uncle Jeff come over! It was so much fun having him here! Jeff said that he has big dogs, not little ones, so it was okay that I jumped on him and licked his face!

Shannon is really good to me, as she takes me on a lot of walks, and gives me a treat every night. We also cuddle as she watches that box that seems to entertain her as she gets her homework done each night. She said the other day that being a teacher means you have homework every night, but she doesn't mind it because she LOVES her job.

I guess I should go. Her cookies are baked and she may want to get on here before she leaves. Do me a favor, don't tell her I was on here, okay? I'm pretty sure I might be in trouble if she knew! *grin*

Your friend,
Jay

FOUR-DAY WEEKEND!!!

2011-10-20T20:17:00.000-07:00

I absolutely LOVED getting to know the parents of my AMAZING students during conferences yesterday and today. I learned a lot about some of the kids that I didn't know at all that made me grin ear-to-ear. I am blessed to work with some of the coolest kids on the planet.

At the same time, I'm SO EXCITED about a FOUR-DAY WEEKEND. I LOVE the way we do conferences here, as we have TWO marathon days at work, and get Friday off! COMPLETELY off. Jay and I will sleep in tomorrow! I'm so excited! On Monday I'm in Joplin speaking at MSSU!!! I'm SO EXCITED!

I love my job. My last post showed how much I LOVE my job.

I am also in need of a break.

Something tells me that this weekend will be exactly what I need. *grin*

LIFE.
IS.
AMAZING!!!

Another Lesson Learned grin

2011-10-17T19:16:00.000-07:00

Today I had the BEST time at work. While my students already miss the student teacher that left us to go to the middle school, it felt great for them to have their regular teacher back! Honestly, it was great for me to TEACH again. I felt like I was back to my usual self!!! It was AMAZING.

As I have pondered things tonight, it wasn't that I hated having a student teacher. Honestly, I learned a LOT through having someone else do my job, and she did a good job. That being said, God taught me something incredible in the midst of it. I love my job. Period.

Sometimes being a teacher is the toughest job in the world, I really believe that. At the same time, I was reminded in the past nine weeks how much I enjoy the challenges as well as the easier parts of the job. This school year has brought it's fair share of both experiences. *grin*

Today as I entered the room, I felt at home. I'll be honest, I did miss the gal who was with us, but I felt at home again. Having her in our room was God's way of teaching me how much I love what I do, and that He created me to do this job. It felt great to stand in front of the young people and teach them again. It was also great to sit and chat with a friend at work in a way we haven't talked since school started. *grin*

I find it amazing how God brings us people and situations that teach us more than we could have learned just by someone saying something. I couldn't have gained the perspective on teaching that I have now without having a student teacher come in and do my job. He knew it would lead me to my conclusion....I FORGOT HOW MUCH I LOVE MY JOB!!! *grin*

*grin*
LIFE.
IS.
AMAZING.

A Silent Touching Moment grin

2011-10-14T18:47:00.000-07:00

Tonight was our annual school carnival. While I'm exhausted at the moment, I had quite a touching "silent" moment while I was there. I have to say, our PTA is AMAZING! They worked SO HARD to prepare for our HUGE school carnival. The kids had so many different activities that it was quite a busy school night! Our PTA does an AMAZING job!

My favorite moment came right before I left. The staff donated items for the silent auction to raise money for the school. Those items were mainly activities that they can do WITH the students. I donated time at the dog park with my furry kid and me (parent has to be present, of course.). I thought it was an original idea until I saw the staff donation list, apparently several of us had the same idea. The main difference between me and the other staff members though is that I have JAY! *grin*

I arrived at the carnival and took pictures before I went to work my shift in the Redemption Center. I am already getting pictures for the end-of-year slideshow! It was neat to walk around and see all the activities the kids could do. And of course, you put a camera in front of them and the love it!

I went and worked in the Redemption Center which was fun too. I wore the snake hat, like usual, which made everyone smile. I LOVED IT. It was fun joking with the kids as they came in and out of the room. It was a lot of fun!

Afterward I walked around and took more pictures. I also talked to a lot of students and parents, which is ALWAYS fun.

As I was leaving, I checked in on the Silent Auction and I was BLESSED by what I saw. I looked at the tables and saw the typical Silent Auction wage wars going on for the Regular Education Teacher's Activities. My page was near the end of the table, and three different families had bid on me. I was blessed. To me that is a blessing beyond words when someone wants to SPEND MONEY to spend time with me. Well, that's what spoke to me anyway. I stood there and grinned. I have no idea who won because I was so tired I left before it was over, but who won isn't the point. I felt love just because they bid on me on a piece of paper. *grin*

It was silent...not a word was said...but it spoke volumes to me.

VERY COOL. *grin*

LIFE.
IS.
AMAZING.

The Quote That I've Said for Years

2011-10-09T17:52:00.000-07:00

Tonight I came across a quote on FB that sums of something I've said for YEARS. While it hasn't always made this season easier, it has kept my eyes on what's important. I wanted to post it tonight, for me more than anyone else.

Being single doesn't mean you're weak, it means you're strong enough to wait for what you deserve. ♥

*grin*
LIFE.
IS.
GREAT!!!

INVISIBLE LINES *****

2011-10-08T12:45:00.001-07:00

Every once in a while, I come across a book that is AMAZING and one that I would recommend for EVERYONE to read. I just finished an AMAZING book, and I give it five out of five stars. In fact I could give it six stars, I would! *grin*

The book, Invisible Lines by Mary Amato, is nominated for the Truman Award, and is worthy of the nomination. This book was written by an AMAZING author, who captured me from the first page through the very end of the book. It even kept me up past my bedtime almost every night this week, and that's saying a lot because I LOVE sleep! It was also one of those books that I didn't want to end because it was SO good! The author, Mary Amato, is a very talented writer who knows how to write from the main character's point-of-view, and I could really feel what the main characte, Trevor, was thinking and feeling. IT WAS AMAZING!

In the story, Trevor is a boy from a low-income home, who goes to a school that is primarily made up of rich kids. Various situations arise in which Trevor has to rise above and do the right thing, even when that's the hardest thing for a young man to do.

I don't want to say much more than that, as I don't want to give away the entire story, but I HIGHLY recommend you run to your nearest library or bookstore and get this book! It will touch your heart in the most unexpected ways, and leave you wanting more.

*grin*
LIFE.
IS.
GREAT!!!

Feelin' Blessed

2011-10-07T18:22:00.000-07:00

After my post on Tuesday, I have really been talking to the Lord about the people I have in my life. A few realizations came to me since I posted on Tuesday.

The first thing that the Lord showed me is that there are more people I could share the journey this side of Heaven with (and pray with) than the people I listed the other night. And I can honestly say that I was pleasantly surprised as we talked about that this week. As I pondered that, I became more and more excited.

For example, the people I work with are incredible. When I moved here two years ago, I embarked on quite an adventure, as I left some of the coolest people on the planet (I still miss my fourth grade teacher friends like you wouldn't believe!) to begin the new chapter in my life here. As I've looked around my world at work, I thanked God this week for everyone he's put in my life. Especially the people I share my pod with! We laugh DAILY as we share our lives together. Everyone has kids, so there is ALWAYS story to tell! I know, I don't have a child, but I have Jay and I share those stories with the kids so it all works out! *grin*

In addition to the staff here, I have my new lifegroup from church. While I'm still getting to know people there, I have a prayer base there that is AWESOME, and we pray weekly as we share our lives in Christ. To me, that is PRICELESS.

And, I was reminded of the SHUTTLE MINISTRY that I LOOK FORWARD TO every Sunday! Slim & Papa Bear & crew are SO MUCH FUN. And, I can text any of them prayer requests throughout the week and they are faithful to pray. That is also priceless to me.

There are also several people in Joplin that I still stay in touch with on a regular basis. Kim and her family are still close to me, even though we live 2.5 hours away from each other. Kim and her husband have been such a blessing to me in so many different ways that it amazes me. Kim shares her boys with me, and I feel as if I'm part of the family! I miss them more than they know since I moved here, but the AMAZINGLY cool thing is that every time we get together, I feel like we just pick up where we left off. Kim prayed for me this week, and was a blessing in a way that can't be expressed in words. I'm a blessed gal.

There are so many in Joplin that I may not talk to regularly anymore, but thanks to Facebook, we're still friends. For that, I am blessed. I don't take ANY of my Joplin friends for granted, especially in light of last May. God gave me some incredible friends, and I don't take one of them for granted. And while they are not a part of my daily life anymore, I have MANY I could call and pick up where we left off. Not everyone has that, but I am blessed to have that. Thank You, Lord!

God also showed me the Barnabas Family that I'm blessed to have in my life. Via Facebook I stay in touch with MANY incredible young people. It's hard to put into words, but once you experience Barnabas, you have a bond with people that you don't have anywhere else. It's amazing.

And, of course, the Lord showed me the KIDS in my life. He clearly created me to serve kids during my days here on Earth. I ENJOY teaching AND serving out at camp more than you can possibly imagine. I was sitting in my classroom today, laughing with kids and making memories that will last a lifetime. In fact, I have a fun little quote book, and the students love it when they say something and I say, "That needs to go in the quote book!" A little thing, but a big thing to my students. Everyday the kids teach me something as I teach them. I'm a blessed gal, I'm doing what God created me to do. I thank God for creating me as He did daily, as I wake up everyday and look forward to going to work. I'm blessed.

It would be wrong of me not to mention my parents and brothers too. While they may not necessarily be seekers of the Word like I am, they have the unconditional love thing down better than some Christians I have met, and I wouldn't trade one of them for all the money in the world! *grin*

So, I guess God and I have been talking a lot this week. I like that. I love weeks where God shows me how blessed I am. That helps me on days I am having a rough day. (We all have those!) Tonight I feel blessed. I don't have a handful of people I could call and share life with and/or ask for prayer, I have (literally) hundreds! I. Am. Blessed.

*grin*
LIFE.
IS.
BLESSED.

STAND BY ME

2011-10-04T17:51:00.000-07:00

Tonight on my walk with Jay I got to thinking about several things. Well, really, I started out praying about some things, and God started talking to me about various things. In the process, I enjoyed just letting myself meditate on what He was showing me and telling me. Tonight I think I want to share some of it.

I started the walk with Jay going backwards. See, each night we walk the same route so that I can be prepared for dogs on the route. (This helps decrease the possibility of falling during the walk! *grin*) I was praying over a particular situation, and wanted a new perspective on it. God reminded me of a quote.

If you are close to me, you know that I LOVE QUOTES. I even have a journal book on my end table so that any time I hear a good quote I can write it down. I've done this for YEARS. I do the same thing in my classroom as well, I have a quote book on my desk that I write down the things the students say as well. It's been a really neat thing to do!

Back to my walk...tonight on my walk, the Lord reminded me of a quote from the movie STAND BY ME. (I LOVE how God can use ANYTHING to speak to us!) In it, the two boys are walking at the end of their journey and the narrator says, "...it happens sometimes, people come in and out of your life like busboys in a restaurant." Honestly, that quote has stuck with me since I was fourteen and saw that movie.

Tonight as I walked, the Lord showed me specific people who have come and gone out of my life, and EVERY one of them taught me something. He also showed me the people in my life, and how blessed I am to have them running beside me during this season of my life. We talk DAILY about those people, and I had to *grin* as we went through the list. I am one blessed gal. Of course, that led to the list of people who have been in my life and left, either by their choice, my choice, or simply God moving us on to something else. I'm in awe of how AWESOME He is at orchestrating what needs to happen and when it needs to happen.

Some people have hurt me in the past, and I know that's true of everyone. Tonight on my walk, He brought to mind the song "Blessings" by Laura Story, where she sings:

When friends betray us
When darkness seems to win
We know that pain reminds this heart
That this is not, this is not our home
It's not our home

He reminded me that this isn't my home. This is temporary. That makes me *grin* as well.

I think about the Laura's, Karen's, Alicia's, Diedra's, and Tricia's that God has placed in my life and I am in awe of how blessed I am. Any of those ladies I could call and say, "I need prayer tonight." They would stop and pray with me. I told God a HUGE Thank You tonight.

Part of my job requires kids to come and go out of my life, but I told God tonight that that was okay. That used to REALLY bother me in the beginning. You pour your heart into teaching kids how to read, write, do math, and be a person of character, and then they're gone. I missed them greatly. But, I know that having them grow up and move on is part of the gig. And, every once in a while, one comes back and says, "Thanks."

You won't be surprised to hear that I ended my walk by checking the mail and I had mail from a former student, thanking me for all the support in the past. *grin* God always knows exactly what we need and when we need it.

*grin*
LIFE.
IS.
GREAT.

A New Book!!!

2011-10-03T18:13:00.000-07:00

Every once in a while I find a book that I REALLY, REALLY like. I am currently wrapped up in a new book that I have wanted to read all day long. I even wanted to take it to work, but I knew it was better if I didn't because I am paid to work, not sit and read a book. *grin*

You're dying to know the title, aren't ya? Don't worry, I'll have a full review for you soon. For now, I have a book to read.

*grin*
LIFE.
IS.
GREAT!!!

1,000 POST!!!

2011-10-02T19:14:00.000-07:00

This is my 1,000 post for my blog. Wowowowowowowowowowow! It seems almost unreal to me that I've written that many short pieces from my life onto this blog. I knew last night that tonight would be number 1,000 and all day I have thought about what to write. On March 21, 2006 I began writing on my blog. I did it because a friend of mine was writing one and I just thought it would be a fun thing to do.

Over the past five years, I can look back on the different seasons of my life and see the highs and lows that have occurred. I can honestly say I've enjoyed this more than I thought I would. I have had spurts where I've written less and more, depending on the season and the topic. Some topics I can't share with the world due to the nature of my job, but ultimately, I try and live my life as openly as possible. I figure if I do that, it keeps me young and hopeful in those areas of my life where I wrestle with God in the depths of my heart.

As for tonight, I wanted to post a few things that are currently on my heart. Perhaps by my 2,000 post some of these things will be answered. *grin*

1. I wonder if the road construction behind my house will be done by my 2,000th post. I'm tired of taking the two detours provided. Just when I think it's about done, they do something else to it. Hum...

2. I wonder if Jay will ever figure out how to really play fetch. He's so smart in other ways, but to bring back a toy I've thrown is too difficult for him. *grin*

3. For the first time in my life I weigh more than I should. I'm not fat, but I'm no longer the thin gal that everyone was worried about. On one hand, I say who cares, life's too short, let's eat and enjoy life. On the other hand, I want to stay healthy and live for YEARS to come. I wonder what that means to me by my 2,000th post.

4. I LOVE my job. While there are rough days, there are also good days. In the past week I witnessed a boy read in a way I've never heard him read, and a separate kid could count change in a way he couldn't one year ago. There is absolutely NO DOUBT in my mind that God created me to teach Special Education Students.

5. I love God. I slip and fall daily, but He's faithful to help me up and tell me each day that I can do it, OVER AND OVER again. Not a day goes by that I don't thank Him for that. I hope I never stop realizing that.

6. The most obvious one is that I wonder if I'll be married by my 2,000th post. I obviously don't think I need a man to make me happy, as I'm happy now. However, this gal does have dreams that God and I discuss daily. *grin*

7. Jay better still be with me on my 2,000th post. He's the COOLEST DOG IN THE WORLD!

*grin*
LIFE.
IS.
GREAT!!!

Dear Grandma Springer

2011-10-01T20:05:00.000-07:00

Dear Grandma Springer,

I realize you're in Heaven having a BLAST, but I thought of you tonight as I made chocolate chip cookies. It reminded me of all the times I was in your kitchen as you made the BEST cookies ever, and you'd let us eat them for breakfast, or as a late-night dessert. You also let us eat them after they had cooled just enough to not burn our fingers or mouths, but also warm enough to be AMAZING.

I'm sure you're enjoying yourself in Heaven, but I want you to know I miss you here. I will always think of you when I eat a chocolate chip cookie!

Love,
Shan

*grin*
LIFE.
IS.
GREAT!!!

Piercing the Heart...MY Heart....

2011-09-30T19:31:00.000-07:00

What I'm about to share is something REAL within me. I've debated about sharing this, as it's pretty personal, but I believe that when someone is transparent, God's kids can pray for that person. Perhaps that's what I need now. I'm not really sure. These are some thoughts that I'm still processing through...

I'm a fan of the show JUDGING AMY. It went off the air several years ago, and I've been searching for it to be on DVD for years. Fortunately about a month ago, a friend told me it's on in re-runs again. So, I went to my trusty DVR and searched. Sure enough, it's on daily! I was, and still am, excited about this! It's a show that gives me hope in ways I can't even express in the form of words. So, I set my DVR to tape it whenever it's on, and I watch it whenever I can in the evenings.

One evening last week I was watching an episode, and one of the main characters (Maxine) was there to remove a child from a foster home. The Foster Mother was silently upset. Maxine said, "SoandSo, you will make it through this, you're a strong woman." To which the Foster Mother said something that I have felt for years, she said, "Yes, I am strong. But, when is it my turn to be weak, and have someone else hold me, hug me, love me?"

I have told that to God repeatedly over the years, to which I haven't gotten a response. Typically when God does that with me, it means there's something else for me to learn before I hear an answer. He isn't being mean, He just knows where I'm headed and I don't.

I will admit, I have asked Him why He gave me desires for a spouse and kids, if that hasn't come to fruition yet. Then I remember that just because it hasn't happened yet, it doesn't mean it won't happen. It just means He has other things in store for me for this season of my life.

Please don't hear a "poor me" spirit here. That's NOT my heart. If you know me, REALLY know me, you know that's not my heart. I just thought I'd share something that pierced my heart last week.

Every once in a while I hear a quote (And I LOVE quotes!) that sums up what I've been thinking and/or feeling. And honestly, that one did just that! I know that God will continue to encourage me and guide me through this season of my life. He has so far, and He hasn't let me down once! *grin*

LIFE.
IS.
GREAT!

3 HIGHLIGHTS TO MY DAY

2011-09-28T19:55:00.000-07:00

Today was a really good day! Okay, it had a rough spot, but I REFUSE to let a rough spot ruin my entire day! *grin* My highlights include:

1. I was in a meeting this morning and a parent let me know how much she appreciates me. While there were tears, they were actually good tears, and God gave me a gift of a blessing in the form of that parent's tears. That was highlight #1.

2. This afternoon a student wanted to read THE GIVING TREE with me. The student, READINGKID, has a tough time reading. I typically do a reading series with him, but I agreed to the book. I was absolutely blown away by how well he read! I sat there and fought back tears as he read in a way I have never heard him read. Yes, he knew the story, and most of the words were sight words, but he did it! I was probably the most proud I've ever been of a student in that moment! It was AMAZING!

3. My third highlight came after school. I'm now tutoring SIBLINGKID, and am LOVING it. He's not Special Education, so I'm getting to teach a student that can pick up on things right away. That is different for me. Don't get me wrong, it's AWESOME being with my little people day in and day out, but SIBLINGKID is a bright spot for me too! *grin* As I drove home tonight I thanked God for SIBLINGKID'S family. Two years ago I had his brother, and now the family has invited me back into their lives with SIBLINGKID. I count that as an honor. THANK YOU, GOD!

*grin*
LIFE.
IS.
GREAT!!!

ANIMAL PLANET

2011-09-26T19:00:00.000-07:00

This past summer, Chase got me hooked on the channel ANIMAL PLANET. I am amazed at how much there is to learn about animals, and sometimes people who wind up with the animals in the most unexpected ways. There are two shows that I REALLY like, I SHOULDN'T BE ALIVE and ANIMAL HOARDERS. Both of them leave me pondering things on so many different levels.

When Chase was here, he introduced me to I SHOULDN'T BE ALIVE. In case you're unfamiliar with the show, it is a documentary show on people who have real-life accounts of time out in the wilderness with various elements and their account of survival. They have the actual people who survived re-living the story, while a narrator also adds to it. While the survivor and narrator re-count the story, there is a re-enactment of the event with actors. To me it's not as much of a documentary as the ones I remember as a kid. There's definitely an element of a "story" to it. My recollection of documentaries as a kid in class made me want to poke my eyes out in class because they were so boring. This show is the exact opposite! It has me on the edge of my seat on most episodes, and I'm constantly amazed at what these people have survived! God made us to be amazing, courageous creatures and this show does an amazing job of showing that. I highly recommend this show if you like adventure in a very different form of entertainment!

My second favorite show on ANIMAL PLANET is ANIMAL HOARDERS. This show grosses me out on a weekly basis, but it also reminds me how NORMAL I am. *grin* This show features two or three individual stories of people who have an abnormal amount of pets living in their home. At first I was intrigued to the point of judgement. As I have watched the show over the past few months, my heart has actually grown for people who are stuck in the Hoarding Cycle. Over and over again, it's made clear that hoarding is a symptom of an even bigger issue that hasn't been dealt with yet in that person's life. So, by the end of the show I say a prayer for each person, regardless of whether or not they gave up the pets. Then I turn to Jay (true story, not a joke!) and say, "Yeah, you're it, buddy. I couldn't handle more than one dog!" *grin* He typically cuddles up to me in that moment and my heart melts. *grin*

There are other shows I watch on ANIMAL PLANET but those are the only two I record on a regular basis. I will admit, an added bonus is that I can work on schoolwork and watch it at the same time without much effort. *grin* I like both of these shows a lot. Who knows, maybe you'll try one of them. If not, that's okay. I have found two new shows, thanks to Chase. Just another reason my life is blessed by that young man. *grin*

LIFE.
IS.
GREAT!!!

JANE IN BLOOM

2011-09-24T20:21:00.000-07:00

I am one blessed gal. I grew up in a home where my parents LOVED to read and from my earliest memories of my childhood, I can remember reading books with them before I went to sleep at night. To this day, they still enjoy reading a good book. My younger (Taller, but younger) brother also loves to read too. I'm glad that I come from a family of readers. While our interests all vary quite a bit in the books we read, it's a gift that I don't take for granted.

Tonight I want to share about a book that I really enjoyed. While I have several favorite genres, one of my FAVORITES is Children's Literature. I should clarify that I like books written for kids grades 4th through 12th. I also REALLY enjoy reading award nominee books. Lately, I've been working my way through the Truman Readers Nominee List. The Truman Award is for Grades 6-8. I'm on my third book from the list!

The book I finished last night was JANE IN BLOOM by Deborah Lytton. This book was one that REALLY pulled at my heartstrings. I am not sure how to give a good summary of the book without giving the whole thing away. I found myself looking forward to reading the book each evening (although it was a quick read) to see what happened next. I also wondered throughout my day what was going to happen next in the book. I LOVED IT!

I recommend this book for kids of ALL ages! I will admit, it has teary moments, so if you don't like sad moments in books, this may not be the book for you. *grin* I do recommend it though. It was a touching story about a girl growing up.

I plan on adding this book to my five-star list! *grin*

LIFE.
IS.
GREAT!!!

Tutoring FUN

2011-09-22T18:57:00.000-07:00

Today I had a NEW student enter my life. Last week I had a parent of a former student call and ask me if I would be willing to tutor a sibling of PASTSTUDENT. I was EXCITED to hear from them and said, "yes" immediately! This was clearly an answer to prayer, as I had just been talking to the Lord about missing the extra tutoring money. God always knows what we need, and who He has for us to fulfill that desire. *grin*

Today was my first day with TutoringKid, and I will admit that it was the HIGHLIGHT of my day. (Okay, the highest highlight was the email we received tonight saying we get a slight pay raise. *grin*) TutoringKid is a Regular Education Student, and we had SO MUCH FUN working on his project! I think it's good for me to occasionally spend time with kids that can learn without difficulties. I enjoyed my time after school in a very unexpected way. The student had his project almost completely finished by the time he left my classroom, and I had so much fun that when I looked at the clock time had flown by faster than it had all day long! *grin*

Thank You, Lord. I can tell this student is an answer to prayer.

*grin*
LIFE.
IS.
GREAT!!!

EXCELLENCIES OF CHRIST BIBLE STUDY

2011-09-21T19:52:00.000-07:00

I have been praying for a small group to join since I moved here two years ago. I had gone to a few groups, but none of them were where I was supposed to be. I just knew it. So, in July when a friend from church invited me to a group, I figured "why not?" The first night I went, there was swimming and Apples to Apples. It was a lot of fun. An added bonus was that I knew several people since I am part of the Shuttles Ministry. It was very encouraging to me.

Over the past few Tuesday nights, I have really come to love the group of people God has put in my life, and an added bonus has been that we're doing the EXCELLENCIES OF CHRIST Bible Study! For those of you that don't know it, the study was written by Allen Hood, who is my FAVORITE speaker/preacher on the Base! He isn't teaching my actual Bible Study, but the book we're using is one he wrote.

I am enjoying it, as it's challenging me, and teaching me SO MUCH from His word. Honestly, it has gripped me with how much I DON'T know in the Word. Last night I realized how little I know about various things in scripture. This doesn't sadden me though, it just makes me even more excited that God put me in this home group. I have NO doubt that God put me right where I'm supposed to be for this season of my life. *grin*

Just one more reason I know, I AM HOME.

*grin*
LIFE.
IS.
GREAT!!!

Dinner with Friends

2011-09-19T19:26:00.000-07:00

Not a day goes by that I don't thank God for the people he's put in my life. Tonight I was invited out to eat with some friends who are some of my FAVORITE people EVER! It was a blessing to spend some time with people who share the love for the Lord that I do, and truly "get" me.

I'm blessed. Not a day goes by that I don't realize that.

*grin*
Thank You, Lord.
LIFE.
IS.
GREAT!!!

Learning a Lesson the Hard Way grin

2011-09-18T19:43:00.000-07:00

I'll never forget one week when I was a kid, staying at Grandma and Grandpa Springer's House in Clinton, Missouri. I loved that home, and I pretty much grew up in that house over the years. My brother and I would spend a week there in the summer, and always looked forward to it.

Today I was reminded of one day in particular on one of those trips. We were hanging out in the family room, still in our pj's, and it was late morning. I remember the room was a mess (We must have been having a grand time!) and Grandma walked in the room. She wasn't mad that the room was a mess, she just simply stated, "Let's get this room straightened and get you guys dressed. You never know who might drop by." At the time, I remember being a typical kid and thinking, "What? But we're having fun." I did it though. Grandma and Grandpa were good people, and I remember cleaning up. I had no idea who might drop by. But, for them, guests dropped by fairly regularly, I guess.

As it turns out, that was REALLY good wisdom. Today I was hanging out with a friend from IHOP-KC, and we were slated to go to a gathering here in my neighborhood. Yesterday I was a complete bum and didn't do a lick of cleaning. Now, I'm not a hoarder or anything, but will admit that the mail had piled up and you really couldn't see the top of my kitchen table. As luck would have it, the gathering was slated for later in the day, and we wound up over here for a little over an hour.

Yep, Grandma was right, you never know who might drop by. *grin*

Tonight I spent the evening cleaning the place up. While I know there are people coming over tomorrow, that isn't an excuse. My Grandma was right, I should keep a house in such a way that anyone can drop over at any time.

Lesson Learned. Thanks, Grandma!

*grin*
LIFE.
IS.
GREAT!!!

Reading with SmilingKid grin

2011-09-16T17:40:00.000-07:00

Today the highlight of my day came from one of the younger students on my caseload. I have been busy everyday during the time he comes in, so I haven't been able to read with him. (I have a student teacher, so my responsibilities have shifted slightly for a brief period of time.) Today I was excited because I didn't have ANY meetings scheduled for today. So today when SmilingKid came in, I was REALLY excited!

After our tornado drill, SmilingKid and I went to the library to get another copy of a Diary of Wimpy Kid book. (We had started the green book before the drill.) While we were walking to the library, he said something about a car. He was talking so quietly I didn't understand him. Once we got to the library, he asked the librarian about a car book. At that point, I felt like a dork because I hadn't understood what we wanted. *grin* He was an INCREDIBLY good sport though!

Upon arriving back in my classroom, we started the new book we acquired at the library. One of my FAVORITE parts of being a teacher is sitting down and reading with kids. Reading with SmilingKid was a lot of fun! The book we checked out was on trucks and I learned A LOT! We had a lot of fun, and put a bookmark in the book and will continue with it on Monday.

To be honest, I can't wait! Don't get me wrong, I'm REALLY glad the weekend is upon us. At the same time, I'm REALLY looking forward to reading with SmilingKid on Monday! *grin*

LIFE.
IS.
GREAT!!!

UNEXPECTED BLESSING

2011-09-14T19:04:00.000-07:00

This week is turning out to be better than it was when it started. My week started really out on a stressful note, and Monday ended with me on the couch with a migraine. Fortunately, this week has gotten better each day.

Today I had TWO highlights of my day.

The first one came on email from a student's parent who has stated what an encouragement I have been to them and how they would like me to move on to middle school and high school with them. *grin* I needed that. God knew I needed that. It made me *grin* like I haven't all week.

My second highlight occurred after school. I had someone call and offer me a tutoring job! It also made me *grin* ear-to-ear as it's the sibling of a former student! I'm very excited to work with this student! I was just telling God the other day how I was missing the extra cash that comes with tutoring! *grin* Awesome!

I have one big event tomorrow, and the rest of the week is all downhill!

I LOVE IT!

LIFE.
IS.
GREAT!!!

Every LITTLE Choice I Make Moves You....

2011-09-10T20:52:00.000-07:00

Tonight I went to FCF, and can honestly say I walked out a different person than the gal who walked in. I guess that's easy to say, and well, that's the point of church, isn't it? To walk out changed. *grin*

I had been in a season where I was going to church and (With the exception of two weeks ago tonight) was really working at connecting with the Lord in worship. This has been difficult to me, because worship is typically the EASIEST part for me. I wasn't hating it, it was just difficult to focus. Tonight, I had a breakthrough!

Misty led worship tonight, like usual, but it was almost like God was saying, "Here, let's sing all of Shan's favorites tonight." It was SO MUCH FUN! I was focused, and it was EASY again! I LOVED IT!

One of the choruses became a favorite of mine.

EVERY LITTLE CHOICE I MAKE MOVES YOU was my favorite line. I'll be pondering it all week. *grin*

It was exactly what I needed tonight. I LOVE LIVING HERE!!!

*grin*
LIFE.
IS.
GREAT!!!

MY BEST EFFORT

2011-09-09T19:23:00.000-07:00

This week I have given a great deal of thought and prayer into the phrase "My Best Effort."

I remember being a child and hearing someone on TV ask someone, "Daddy, what happens when my best isn't good enough?" I'll be honest, I don't remember what the person on TV said back to that person, but I remember my exact thought at that time, "Your best is the best you can do."

I think as an adult, my own definition of that for myself changes on a regular basis. I'm one of those annoying people that is harder on myself than someone else ever could be. (Trust me, God and I talk a lot about that!) My BEST effort looks so different day-to-day, but there's not a day that I just sit around and twiddle my thumbs. There is paperwork to do, people to talk to, kids to work with, meetings to go to, gosh the list goes on and on. And please understand, I'M NOT COMPLAINING, I'm blessed beyond words that I'm here for a time such as this. That being said, by the time I get home to my couch, I haven't just sat around very much at all during the day. To me, that is AMAZINGLY cool. I don't want to be a slacker. I want to be the hardest worker that I know, giving 110% to all I do.

This week though, I wrestled with God on this very issue. I was going to work, coming home, and still feeling as if I wasn't getting anywhere. I wasn't getting anywhere, and I was GIVING MY BEST EFFORT. By last night, I was bummed by that statement.

God always meets me in those moments. At 4am, I awoke with so many things on my mind. This isn't normal for me, I usually sleep through the night peacefully. And for the first time in a long time, I just woke up, and prayed to God as I cuddled with Jay. Somewhere in there, peace occurred and I fell asleep. God had met me.

Today I had a different outlook on it all. My best is enough. My best just can't turn into something overwhelming. My best is not walking alone, but it's walking hand-in-hand with God, and together it's enough.

My theme song this week has been Strong Enough by Matthew West. Yep, I'm not strong enough, but with Him, I am.

*grin*
LIFE.
IS.
GREAT!!!

Jay!!!

2011-09-08T19:10:00.000-07:00

I imagine I post more about Jay than anything else, but I think that's okay. After all, he is my best friend. *grin*

I am still amazed at how much this little furry person blesses me. Well, okay, I know he isn't a REAL person, but he has a personality that blesses me EVERY day. From the morning alarm where he helps me get up (I love sleep!) to the time he cuddles up in his blanket to sleep each night, he constantly cracks me up!

Today I had a decent day, but it was INCREDIBLY long due to Curriculum Night, and I came home to this furry kid who has been cuddling with me even as I type this post. In fact, this post has taken longer than it should have because he's cuddled with me so I've stopped to pet him. Without saying a word or knowing my thoughts, he knows what I need, and I feel unconditional love in a way that blesses me over and over and over again. *grin*

Tonight I am thankful for him. I prayed for Jay years ago when I read the book "Marley and Me" and God gave me more than I could have ever imagined in a dog. *grin*

COOL.

LIFE.
IS.
AMAZING, with Jay in it! *grin*

Blessed

2011-09-06T18:41:00.000-07:00

Some days in the classroom I sit there and think to myself "Thank you God for my parents." I am one blessed gal. If you've been a loyal reader of this blog for any amount of time, you know that I make this statement about once every six months.

I obviously didn't choose my parents, and they weren't perfect parents (Sorry, Mom & Dad!), but they provided me with boundaries that help me today as an adult. There were expectations in the Springer household, and while I didn't always enjoy them at the time, I am thankful for them today.

Without getting into specifics about my day today, I will say that walking out of the school building today I wanted to call my parents and (For the hundredth time since I've started teaching.) tell them THANK YOU! I was brought up in a healthy, loving home that helped shape me into a healthy adult today.

Thanks Mom & Dad. I know I was not an easy child to raise, but you did an AMAZING job! I LOVE YOU!

*grin*
LIFE.
IS.
GREAT!!!

Listening to Little People Read!!!

2011-09-02T19:11:00.000-07:00

Today I did something really amazing. Okay, well, I thought it was amazing. Some of you may think I need psychiatric help after I share with you what I did, AND the fact I ENJOYED IT. *grin*

Today I helped assess our entire building on their reading skills. That's right, ALL DAY I sat and listened to kids read passages that I gave them. Yes, I was tired by the end of it, but it was an AMAZING experience for me.

Before I share my thoughts on the day, I want to share that I LOVE MY LITTLE CORNER OF THE WORLD. I wake up every day and look forward to going to work and working with the little people God put in my life for this small portion of their lives. I am blessed to have EACH of my students in my life. They teach me just as much as I teach them on a daily basis. I really believe that.

That being said, today I had an AMAZING time working with ALL the students of my school. It was AMAZING to hear kids who can read REALLY well. I enjoyed listening to student after student breeze through the passages that were laid in front of them. Sure there were some that struggled, and you know what? I LOVED THAT TOO!

I will admit though, it was almost like I was reminded that there are kids who read without difficulty. Kids who read and LOVE IT. While that is true for most of my students too, it was just different today with the other kids. I had one student toward the end of the day read 200 words in one minute! I did my best not to let my jaw drop! It was amazing!

My last student of the day was actually a favorite of mine. He's not on my caseload, but he has been a favorite of mine since the building opened the first year I was here. I was SO EXCITED that he was on my list (We didn't pick who read to us, we had a list assigned to us!) and thought it was very appropriate that I ended my day with him!

I think it's okay to enjoy days like today. That's a healthy thing.

Don't get me wrong, come Tuesday (Love three-day weekends!) I'll be jazzed to be back in my little corner of the world.

Today sure was fun though! *grin*

LIFE.
IS.
GREAT!!!

Jay Talks in His Own Way grin

2011-08-31T19:26:00.000-07:00

You may find it a tad ridiculous, but Jay sleeps on top of my bed comforter every night. He also chooses to sleep with a KU blanket on top of him. I guess he is cold at night, as I turn the thermostat down slightly every night. Or perhaps he wants to be like me, covered with quilts. *grin* He also does this in the morning while I'm getting ready for school. He's my constant source of entertainment!

It also amazes me how he can communicate with me, even though he can't talk.

Last night I was asleep, and I heard him scratching on the comforter. This is a common sound I hear, as he's typically moving the quilt back over him after sleeping for a period of time on top of it. Last night, it didn't stop though, and I remember waking up just to see what the problem was, and if he was okay. Sure enough, I sat up and noticed that he had knocked his quilt OFF the bed. Poor kid, he was trying to wake me so I would put the quilt back on the bed. I grabbed the quilt, saw his little tail start wagging, covered him, and went back to sleep.

He was a happy little guy and I was happy to go back to sleep. *grin*

It made me stop and think (today) about how much he communicates with me. From letting me know he needs to go outside, to telling me he wants a treat (I'm manipulated by the puppy face once each night!), to just wanting to cuddle, the kid talks a lot for not being able to say a word.

I think that's cool. My best friend is non-verbal, yet I know EXACTLY what he's trying to say, all the time.

I LOVE THAT!

*grin*
LIFE.
IS.
GREAT!!!

FCF TURNS INTO THE PRAYER ROOM! grin

2011-08-27T21:01:00.000-07:00

Tonight I was running late for FCF, and I was okay with that. I had spent the afternoon with some of my favorite little people, and knew that being late would be fine. I said a generic, "Lord, I trust that you'll put me where You want me..." prayer, and headed to service after dropping off the little people.

I arrived at the Overflow Lot, and I was told there weren't any parking spots, and I needed to go to the Prayer Room to park and catch a shuttle. Okay, that works. Then a guy walked up and said, "I'm about to leave, she can have my spot." I was so happy about that. I didn't want to be any later than I already was for service, so the Lord took care of the spot for me! I loved it! *grin*

Upon entering service, I wondered if there was going to be a seat for me. The students are back, and we had a guest speaker. I'll be the first to admit, I had never heard of the guy, so it didn't mean a lot to me when they said who was going to be speaking. I was there just in time for the sermon though. *grin* While it was good, it wasn't my favorite part of the evening. *grin*

After the sermon, we had some prayer time and Misty led worship for a while. I was blessed because I had told the Lord that I had missed the worship prior to the teaching, and I was really hoping that there would be time for me to enter in to worship later with Misty leading. He clearly answered that prayer! *grin*

My favorite moment came around 9:00 though. I will openly admit that I haven't spent any extended time in the prayer room in quite a while, and I didn't realize how much I had missed it. Around 9:00 Mike Bickle announced that Misty was going to minister to the Lord, and the room would basically be the Prayer Room for the next hour. I grinned. God knew what I needed before I did, and I LOVE IT when He does that!

The Lord spoke through Misty at one point, and I was one of the people He was speaking to in those 15 or so minutes. I haven't had an encounter like that in probably two years. I think the last time I had that happen was after I moved here and Matt Gilman led a set where I met the Lord in a similar way.

I'm sure that He was speaking to others in the room as well tonight (God has multi-tasking down to an art!) but for me, it was an amazing encounter. I was fortunate, in that right after it began, I recorded it on my iphone. I didn't want to lose it....it was one of those moments you never forget, and you want to preserve to the best of your ability.

I can still hear Misty singing, "It's time to take a leap of faith", and how that connected with my spirit. There were other parts that I really connected with too, but those are just between God & me.

I loved it. God knew what I needed, and definitely blessed me tonight in a special way. I mean, I'm blessed everyday by Him, but tonight was definitely a night I will never forget.

*grin*
LIFE.
IS.
GREAT!!!

A Little Escape Artist!!!

2011-08-24T19:28:00.000-07:00

This morning I had an EARLY morning meeting where I was slated to help facilitate a training session for our staff. Jay & I got up, did our morning routine, and I grabbed a treat to put him in his box. I put him him the box, LOCKED THE DOOR, said, "Bye, Jay, I love you!" and left for my meeting. He didn't fight me on going into the box at all. Truthfully, I have more issue with him being in the box than he does.

Fast forward to about 6:00 when I arrived home tonight. I opened my front door, and there was Jay, HAPPY to see me! I stood there, stunned. Absolutely perplexed. How did the furry kid get out of his box? I KNOW that I locked it this morning! Hum.

I walked toward the kitchen, and found ALL THE KITCHEN TRASH all over the floor! (That's why when I do leave him out, the trash is put in the bathroom downstairs and the door is shut!) I looked at him, and he ran up the stairs. He KNOWS he isn't supposed to be in the trash. He expected me to be mad. I just cleaned the trash and went upstairs to check out the kennel box. He climbed in the box expecting trouble. I just wanted to see how he got out.

I am still stumped. It took some effort for him to get out of the box. He's now going to have a new nickname, "The Little Escape Artist."

At first he was distant with me, expecting trouble, but I never got onto him. Truth be told, I was a little proud of him for being that smart. So, I said, "Come here", and we cuddled.

Silly dog.

I'm just hoping this was a one-day deal. If he's out tomorrow, I think I may need to invest in a padlock to keep him in the box. He now thinks cords are fun to chew. *grin*

Life.
Is.
GREAT!!!

It's JUST a Haircut, RIGHT? grin

2011-08-20T21:36:00.000-07:00

I have been in need of a haircut for several weeks, but I kept putting it off. I have been so busy, that I kept thinking, "I'll do it tomorrow." Yesterday I decided that my goal for today would be to get a haircut.

Today, I went to get the haircut. I have a picture on my iphone of what I want the haircut to look like from ALL sides. I have had this picture from my last haircut in Joplin for quite a while. Today the gal still didn't do what I wanted.

While the back looks fine, my front and sides don't look like I wanted it to look. She cut it a lot shorter than I wanted her to cut it.

Hum....

For this gal, a bad haircut is a bummer.

Well, at least it will grow back.

*grin*
LIFE.
IS.
GREAT!!! (EVEN WITH A BAD HAIRCUT)

Work & Friends All in One Place! grin

2011-08-17T19:08:00.000-07:00

Today was the first day with little people in the building, and for our paraprofessionals to arrive back at school. I had already seen most of my students, and was EXCITED to have my friends back in the building today. Yes, I'm friends with everyone on staff, but the paras are who I have formed the closest friendships with in the building. I have been looking forward to today for a week!

The morning began with hugs from my two closest friends, and one gave me FLOWERS to start the day. (Yes, they will be killed in a matter of days, but that's beside the point! *grin*) I have missed them, and today was A LOT of fun as we started the journey of this school year together. I'm honestly more excited about this school year than I have been about the previous two and these two ladies are going to make this year a lot of FUN!

In addition to that, we will add my Student Teacher to the mix tomorrow. I can only imagine how much laughter will be heard from the Upper Level L.C. tomorrow! PLUS we're adding students to the mix! It's going to be a fun day for everyone!

I don't know if I've ever been as excited about a school year as I have this year due to the new initiatives we have in place for student behavior and the EXTRA help I have this year. After a rough year last year for our staff, we are off to an AMAZING start this year!

I'm really excited! At one point today, I was watching the two paras and a Reg. Ed. teacher who came in to hang out with us for a while, and I paused and silently thanked God for placing EACH of them in my life. Two years ago I moved here, praying for amazing friends, and today I realized He answered that prayer. *grin*

LIFE.
IS.
AMAZING!

FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL EVE!

2011-08-16T17:20:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow is the first day of school and I'M SO EXCITED!

While there is still A LOT for me to figure out with my schedule, that's okay because I was told today I have TWO paras! I am SO excited about this new year. We have some new staff members that I'm excited about, as well as an AMAZING student teacher!

This year we have several new things in place to help students be successful in a way that we've never tried before. I'm so excited to see the students react as they walk into the building tomorrow! It's going to be an AMAZING school year!

For now, I think I'll rest. I have a headache and there's NO WAY I'm missing the FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL!

This is going to be the BEST year ever!

*grin*
LIFE.
IS.
AMAZING!!!

MEET YOUR TEACHER NIGHT!!!

2011-08-15T19:17:00.000-07:00

Tonight was AMAZING! We had "Meet Your Teacher" tonight at my school, and it was REALLY fun to see our S.V.E. family back together again! I started out my night sitting at my desk, and one of my favorite little people came to my room! It was a GREAT way to begin the evening!

The first hour was spent right outside my classroom and picking on the kids who walked by. It was so much fun to see the kids return to the building! Working in the building without the kids there the past week has been okay, but I'm ready to be with the little people! *grin*

The rest of the night I was in the gym helping at the parent/teacher sign-up table in the gym. This was really fun because I got to see ALL the kids, not just the ones that walked down the hallway where my room is located! It was so much fun! I LOVED IT!

At one point, two of my students walked up, and I said, "SO, DID YOU HEAR THE GOOD NEWS?" They both looked at me stunned, not knowing what I was talking about. I said, "You get to be in my class this year!" They both grinned and one boy did a fist pump in the air! It was priceless to me! (They weren't mine last year, but they were the year before.)

Another highlight was when a parent walked up to me, with her son behind her, and she said, "So, what's the scoop? Do you get my son this year?" I said yes, and she grinned, clearly excited about the news. The cool part is that the feeling is VERY mutual with that little guy! I'm so excited!!!

My favorite story of the night came from a parent of a student that is NOT in my class! A second grader ran in, gave me the biggest hug, and said, "Hi, Ms. Springer!" To which I replied "Hey!" and returned the hug. I got down on my knees to talk to him, but he was not in the mood to talk, he was on to the next person. But, his Mom came in just as he was walking away and said, "There's Ms. Springer, you've been talking about her all day!"

I tell ya what, I LOVE this teacher gig!

I have a student teacher this year who is AMAZING too!

I love it!

*grin*
LIFE.
IS.
GREAT!!!

Forerunner Christian Fellowship

2011-08-13T21:46:00.000-07:00

Tonight I went to my church, and LOVED it! Two years ago I moved here to be a part of IHOP-KC, and I STILL love it here! It's not perfect, I know that. At the same time, there isn't a perfect church anywhere either. *grin*

Misty Edwards led worship, and I was reminded (once again) that I'm "at home" here. The whole time we were in worship, I kept thinking, "I still can't believe I'm here!" I've never lost thought feeling, & pray I never do. Each service I draw nearer to God in one way or another, and I walk out different than I was when I walked in. *grin*

We had prayer time at one point, and the Lord had me pray for a young man. I started praying, and He gave me a word for the young man. I prayed, gave the word, and prayed again. It was SO MUCH FUN to be used by Him!!! It was clear that the word was right on, and that I was definitely hearing from the Lord.

I would say that's the thing I've grown the most in since I've been here. I LOVE praying for people, and I have grown in the ability to hear from Him and speak His word in other's lives. Of course, I only do so when He tells me to do so. For example, I prayed for another gal tonight, and He never gave me anything, so I walked away. It was still cool. He still moves at the sound of my voice so the prayer was still a blessing for the person. *grin*

The last hour of service Misty led worship. It was a really unique night, as the Lord was on Stuart while he was preaching, to the point of tears, so he called the worship team back up. Worship was INTENSE. I LOVED IT!

Yep, FCF. I'M HOME!!!

*grin*
LIFE.
IS.
GREAT!!!

THANKFUL

2011-08-11T18:25:00.000-07:00

Today I was in a meeting all day, and I kept thinking to myself how blessed I am to work with such an AMAZING group of people. God has certainly put the right people together for such a time as this at the school I'm at! Some of the things that were discussed today were things we were seeking for two years, and it's FINALLY coming together. For the new members of our staff, they are just able to be at the starting point of some good ideas. For those of us that have been there since the building opened, today was an answer to prayer. I know for me, I was silently doing a happy dance this afternoon as our new initiatives were discussed.

It reminded me how faithful God can be, even when He can't be heard along the way. I have prayed for a lot of things since I arrived in L.S. two years ago, and some of it is now coming to pass. Along the way, I didn't ever hear Him say "No", I just didn't hear Him say anything, so I just kept talking to Him about it. Sometimes it was verbally, and sometimes it was that inner thought life that only He can know. Today, some of those prayers were answered! My faith was strengthened today in ways I can't express to you, and honestly I don't want to fully. That's between me and God.

I do want to encourage anyone who is still praying for something to come to pass. I prayed for almost two years for some things, and JUST NOW I'm seeing them come to pass. If you're waiting, keep praying. In HIS timing, it can happen. (I'm speaking to myself here too, I'm still waiting for the person God has for me!)

Today was the beginning of something great for my family here at S.V.E.! I can't wait to post throughout the year about what GREAT things are happening in our building! It's going to be one AMAZING year!!!

*grin*
LIFE.
IS.
GREAT!!!

WORKING GAL AGAIN! grin

2011-08-10T17:02:00.000-07:00

Today began my thirteenth year as an educator. I have really pondered that ALL DAY...thirteen years! Wowowowowowowow!

Today went REALLY well, and I'm EXCITED for this school year! For the third year here in L.S., I switched rooms AGAIN! The exciting part is that I now have a SMARTBOARD to teach the students on! I'm VERY excited about that!

I was really excited to be back with my teacher friends again. While Rockstarpara has another week off, it was GREAT to be with the S.V.E. family again, and to meet some new members of our family as well. I feel more excited about this year than I have since I've been here in L.S.! It feels good to be back at work!!!

One week from today (Aug. 17th) our doors open for the little people. I CAN'T WAIT! *grin*

*grin*
LIFE.
IS.
GREAT!!!

Speaking Up!

2011-08-08T20:48:00.000-07:00

In the past year God has really been teaching me how to use my voice in ways I haven't used it before. I have been praying for several years for BOLDNESS in my speech, but it has been a process and not an automatic thing. As He has been guiding me, I see how His wisdom is perfect, as I've had to go through several little steps to build up to a situation I was in today. He has guided me in such a way that I am able to be respectful, but still get my words out to express what needs to be said.

Today I found myself in an odd situation. I had bought 3 "junior" tickets to Oceans of Fun, and took 3 of my favorite little people to the park. I had already taken them, as well as Chase to Oceans of Fun & Worlds of Fun on the "junior" tickets. Now, the tickets said for people 48 inches or less, but when entering the gates all summer (until today) there was never a problem. (All the kids were taller than 48 inches by the way!) Previously, the kids just handed the tickets, they were scanned, and we were in! Today was different.

We got to the park, and one of the kids noticed what her ticket said about the height. I replied by saying, "Yeah, but they don't check height. That's how you guys got into Worlds of Fun earlier this year." So, we were off. We got to the ticket area, and sure enough, they checked her height. Then I was told I had to go pay full price for all three kids. (Junior price was only $10.) I explained that I had done this all summer with kids and I had never had a problem. At this point, one of the young men offered to walk me up to guest relations. I said, "Okay."

When we got there, the situation was explained to the gal, who told me the same thing. Same song, part two. Then another employee was involved. Same song, part three. They decided to call a manager to get the final word. The manager tells the teen, via phone, that I have to upgrade or I don't get in. I told her I wanted to talk to the manager.

At this point, in my head I'm thinking, "What am I doing? We're wasting time. I should just pay the extra and we can go in. The ticket does say 48 inches or less!" But, the Lord was on me. I knew this was something I had to do. I was INCREDIBLY nervous, but figured I could at least tell the manager the situation. I realized it would be same song, part four, and would probably end the same way, but hey, God was leading, and I was following.

When the manager arrived, I was smiling. It was a kid. A college kid, maybe, if that old. He was young, and at that point I understood what the Lord was teaching me, to just speak up and share my side of the story. I had the kids wait away from the chat because I had NO IDEA what was about to transpire. *grin*

I told him I knew the 48 inches rule, but I had been using these passes all summer. He told me that was the employee's mistake, and it shouldn't have happened. I told him (respectfully) that it wasn't my fault that the staff didn't do their jobs. I told him that I had brought the kids because of the $10 cost, and that I wouldn't have done it otherwise. He asked for my season pass and they did something or other on the computer inside the little office. He came out of the office with the sheet and SHOWED ME the 48 inches rule on the pass. I told him I wasn't arguing that point. I told him I had read that, but since height hadn't been an issue all summer, I figured it was an age thing more than a height thing. The guy went back in the office, came out, and said that I HAD to pay the upgrade price, and that was the BEST he could do, or he could refund my money.

I stood there. I waited on God. I had no idea what to do. I knew I had 3 kids waiting for me, and I couldn't walk away. Then He told me what to say.

I said, "I don't think that's the best you can do." At that point, he went back in the office to the computer. Then he came back out.

He said that he COULD have my pass revoked and I could be kept from the park indefinitely, but he didn't want to do that. (Don't know if that's true, but I didn't really factor that into what he was saying. He was trying to get me to go away.) He said that he would compromise with me. He said he would give me the upgrade at the twilight price for two of them, and he would let one in for the $10 pass. I stood there, God told me to take it, so I did. He called down and told the workers at the entrance gate to let us in on one of the $10 passes. He went on to say from now on the $10 passes wouldn't work, and I told him that was fine. (Sidenote, when we did go through the gates, the employees that sent us away were annoyed that one of the kids got in on a pass. *grin*)

In a way, it was weird, as I became one of the annoying customers that I used to deal with when I was a fast food employee. On the other hand, speaking up to the manager made a difference. I went from having to pay FULL price for the three kids, to an upgrade at a reduced price for two out of the three. In the past, I would have just quietly paid the difference and moved on. Speaking up saved me money! *grin*

I don't know what else the Lord has in store for me in using my voice. I think this is just the beginning of things to come. On one hand, that is cool, and on the other hand, I hate drama, so I need to keep praying over this part of my life. Today may seem little to you, but trust me, for me it was heart-pounding and a stretch out of my comfort zone. *grin*

I had two thoughts though, as I walked away from the ticket counter. My Mom woulda been proud of me if she had seen it! *grin* Since Mom would have been proud, my next thought was, "God, I know you're proud too!"

*grin*
LIFE.
IS.
GREAT!!!

Briana!!!

2011-08-07T19:23:00.000-07:00

I have given a lot of thought to my two weeks at camp this year. Every year I go to camp and pray over who He is going to have me serve beside for the week, and EVERY year, God blesses me with some AMAZING people! Camp is not EASY. You would think it would be REALLY easy. I mean, you're going to a camp to have fun, right? Well, yeah, that's true, but going to serve kids that have different needs can sometimes equal more work than a person does during any other week out of the year. It's one week out of the year where I rely on the Lord in ways that can't be put into words because I can't possibly do camp in my own flesh. And, I know that's true for everyone else who is serving in a cabin. During Term 7, Briana worked harder than any other CIA in the cabin, and blessed me IMMENSELY! I know God was even more pleased with her than I was, which made the week even better! *grin*

God paired Briana up with Becca during Term 7. As I've shared before, Becca was an AMAZING camper! Which was perfect because Briana was an AMAZING CIA! Briana's Birthday fell on Camper Arrival Day, but due to Becca's difficulty at dinner, they had to postpone her Birthday Rap. Becca was probably REALLY bummed, but she held her head high that evening, putting Becca's needs before her own. Throughout the week, Briana ate separately from the cabin with Becca and a "Third" so that Becca's stress level wouldn't be high. She didn't complain once to me about it either! It was just something that was the right thing to do for Becca. Throughout the week I would hear Briana make small comments about the Birthday Rap possibly happening later in the week, and when she did, I silently prayed it would happen because it meant a lot to her. The last couple days, Briana ate with us in the dining hall, which was really cool! And, on the last night, SHE GOT HER BIRTHDAY RAP! You have to be at camp to get it, but we have our own Birthday song out at camp, and Briana was FINALLY able to have her celebration! I was SO happy for her! *grin*

Another highlight with Briana was at the end of the week, and I told Briana what a blessing she had been all week. She didn't miss a beat and she said, "It's Him, not me." In that moment, I felt ENORMOUSLY proud of her! She has wisdom beyond her years, and God is going to use her in ways that will amaze us in years to come!

Gosh, there were so many highlights! Briana saw me right after Ronni's mouth found my arm, and she was so KIND to me. Not just nice, but KIND. She got a nurse for me, and gave me the BIGGEST hug! She's such a blessing!

The last night at our cabin meeting was what sticks out in my mind the most. As rumors were starting to fly about various things, Briana actually used her voice to stand up for someone who wasn't able to be present to talk for herself. In that moment, I was SO PROUD of her! I was her Cabin "Mom" for the week, and in that moment, I felt proud of her as if she was my own daughter! She's 18, but has maturity and wisdom of someone with more maturity than that. She's going to go on to be a voice for people who have difficulty speaking up for themselves, I really believe that!

Throughout the week, she went without sleep on various nights, was hit, had hair pulled, didn't do a lot of activities with us, ate separately, and all the while I NEVER heard her complain once! She blessed Becca in so many ways, as well as the rest of our cabin! During Say-So, she even supported another camper through an emotional time too!

Briana was an AMAZING CIA & I'm SO GLAD that God put her in my cabin! She definitely set the example in our cabin of how a CIA should work throughout the week!

I may not be her real Mom, but I tell ya what, I'M SO PROUD OF HER!

*grin*
LIFE.
IS.
GREAT!!!

Sara (Term 7, Continued!)

2011-08-06T21:10:00.000-07:00

Tonight I was reviewing my notes from camp, and realized that I TOTALLY forgot to post about Sara! How I forgot Sara, I don't know, but it's time to share about Sara!

Sara was in my cabin the past 3 years, and I was told during Term 6 that she wasn't coming for Term 7. My first thought was relief, and then I felt bad for thinking that. Sara is a REALLY cool kid...but she is also a challenge. Sara is Oppositional Defiant, which basically means she has great difficulty doing she is told to do. In a classroom, that is handled one way. At camp, you have to be REALLY creative with her! So, I had mixed feelings about Sara's absence.

With all that being said, you can imagine my surprise when she was at the mic during opening ceremonies for campers! Sara wasn't in my cabin though, so I was glad to see her but knew that my cabin had our own challenges ahead of us for the week! *grin*

After Becca's incident at dinner that first night, I saw Sara's staffer & CIA trying to get her to sit and eat dinner. My heart leapt for them, as I had been in that situation with Sara several times. (And, honestly, Sara had come a LONG way in the three years I had her! She went from running at meals, to sitting at meals and eating all of her food last year....then she would run.) I turned to the staffer (I had eaten already by this time) and offered to help. When Sara saw me, she went NUTS! I was hugged like crazy, and I was grinning! She's a SWEET girl! She started to run outside, and I said something to encourage her to go sit at her table. She said she wanted ME to go with her! I grinned, and my thought was, "Okay, I'll get her there, and come back to my table." Sara had other ideas!

We were almost to her table, and she started walking back toward mine. Honestly, we all thought she was headed to the door to escape, so we started running. We were WRONG though! Sara just wanted to go get my plate for me! We all started laughing! Sure enough, I stood behind Sara's chair during that meal, and ate a little more of my food.

Honestly, I felt good to help, but I wondered that first night how it was all going to work. I had my own cabin to help with, and I was actually helping another cabin! I knew I couldn't do it all week. So, I prayed. And sure enough, the week went by and I helped here and there with Sara, but God took care of it. When Sara was doing well with her CIA and I was nearby I would hide so that she wouldn't get distracted, and it worked! *grin*

There was one day at the pool Sara asked me to play with her, and I took time out to play with her. Of course, it was short because she was off to play with someone else, but that was fine. I believe that deep down inside, I'm special to Sara, because deep in my heart, Sara is special to me.

*grin*
LIFE.
IS.
GREAT!!!

A.J.!!!! (Term 7, Continued!)

2011-08-05T18:36:00.001-07:00

I was thinking tonight that my Term 7 posts wouldn't be complete without mentioning A.J.! A.J. was a returning camper, who I got to know a little bit throughout the week. I honestly don't know his diagnosis, but my guess would be that he falls somewhere on the Autistic Spectrum. I had seen A.J. the past few years, but just in passing, and honestly most of the time he was crying. So, I would say "Hi", but kept on walking. I didn't want to make it worse for him. This year was different. *grin*

I can't remember the first moment that I saw him this year, all I remember is that he smiled at me while he was with Mitchell (His CIA) and Mama J! My guess is that Mama J was the Cabin Mom for his cabin, but I'm not sure. Most of the time they have Cabin "Dads" for the guys, so I'm not sure how Mama J was connected to the cabin. But, I do know that almost every time I saw A.J., I saw Mitchell and Mama J with him. (Gotta keep the rule of "3")

A.J. was a blessing from the Lord! He didn't really talk, but signed a little. Truthfully, he made up his own signs, so it was his own little version of "sign". But, he would laugh and smile around me, so that was fun. I would ask him yes/no questions, and he would respond, so that was cool too. One time at the pool, Mitchell asked me if I would try to get him in the deep end of the pool. I said, "sure." While he didn't go in the "deep" end, he went a little deeper with me encouraging him. That was cool!

There was also a day that our cabin didn't go to the pool for free time. Madison requested that we go to the Arts & Crafts room, so, that's where we went! After a little while, A.J. showed up with Mitchell & Mama J! We had SO MUCH FUN! A.J. would laugh and smile when I would talk to him. I was glad he was there! A.J. had a wig for the party that night that was SO cute! It was fun talking to him about the wig! *grin*

There was one night I came out of the restroom by the dining hall, and A.J. was sitting on the porch. I looked at Mama J to see if everything was okay. Apparently he had just been upset and they were giving him time to cool off. I asked if I could talk to him. (He had his back to me.) She said yes, but warned me to keep my distance, as he had just hurt his CIA. I started talking as I approached so that A.J. wouldn't be startled, and A.J. started smiling! I kept my distance the whole time we were there, but it was clear that the time was what he needed, because by the time Mitchell arrived back, we all walked to the evening party together.

There was also a night I went into to eat at the dining hall, and his staffer turned to me and said, "Can you help us move A.J.?" I said sure. I didn't get him completely where they needed him, but he did follow me away from the problematic situation that could have been a lot worse if he hadn't moved! I LOVED being used by the Lord in A.J.'s life! He became a special camper to me throughout the week!

The last morning I took a picture with him, as I wanted a picture to help remember him. I find it amazing how people can touch my heart. A.J. never said my name, or carried a full conversation with me verbally, but his smile and laughter and "yes" and "no" responses were definitely a highlight of my week! *grin*

You might say I'm a fan of A.J.! I REALLLLLLY hope he returns next year. He came so far from where he was last year. He went from crying a lot last year to smiling & swimming this year! I can't wait to see what he can do next year! *grin*

LIFE.
IS.
AMAZING...with so many INCREDIBLE people in my little corner of the world! *grin*

TERM 7!!!

2011-08-04T16:50:00.000-07:00

I have two favorite weeks of the year. My favorite week of the year is during the ONETHING conference in December. I look forward to that conference EVERY year, as God meets me there EVERY year. My second favorite week of the year is TERM 7 out at Camp Barnabas!!!

All year I pray about Term 7, and even pray to be with the same group of girls. This year, God was faithful to answer that prayer AGAIN! For the fourth year in a row, I was blessed to get to be with four of the same campers! I was so excited! God was faithful to meet us repeatedly this year during Term 7! I have debated how to write about it because a lot happened throughout the week! It was an AMAZING week!

Lilly was in my cabin again, and she is a sweetheart! After the initial testing period for all of us, Lilly was the typical, LOVELY young lady that she always is! My favorite moment with Lilly was one of the first nights when she wanted to dance with me at WRAP-UP! We had a GREAT time dancing while we sang worship songs! It was SO much fun!

Each night before the girls went to sleep, I tried to make the rounds and say "good night" and give hugs to each one. One night Lilly invited me to sit on the edge of her bed while we talked. She wanted to know why I wasn't married. I explained to her that I was waiting for God to bring the right guy into my life! I proceeded to ask her if she would come to my wedding one day when God did bring the right guy. She said, "No." I laughed and asked why. She stated, "I'll be busy that day with my Mom and Dad." I just laughed. She's so precious!

I was especially blessed when her Mom arrived on arrival day with a present for me! She gave me a FRAMED picture of Lilly & me! It is PRECIOUS and sits on my end table here in my living room! It's the first time I've been given a gift from a camper's parent on parent arrival day at camp! I'm loved so well by some AMAZING PEOPLE. I pray I get to have Lilly again next year. She was a highlight of my week! *grin*

Destiny was in my cabin for the second time. Destiny was in my cabin two years ago, and is one amazing little person. Okay, she's fifteen, but she's small in size! She is non-verbal, and God taught me SO MUCH through her during the week! She could communicate basic wants and needs, but outside of that she was limited in communicating to us.

I was blessed to sit by her from time to time. She would occasionally take my hand, hold it, and then let go. A few times I took on the challenge of giving her water. While that seems minor, it took effort because Destiny would often purposely dump water after drinking from her water bottle, so I would let her drink, and then creatively take the water bottle away from her before she would take it away from me. I realize it sounds difficult, but it was actually really cool. She put a smile on my face repeatedly.

At one point, she came over and chose to sit by me. We would hold hands, and sometimes want to cuddle. It was precious. She also wanted a drink, but it was past her drinking time, so I couldn't give her a drink. She was a definite highlight for me though, and I'm SO GLAD she was in my cabin. *grin*

Another returning camper was MADISON! This was my fourth year with Madison, and I was SO EXCITED to have her in my cabin again! Madison has Autism, and has really grown up in the past four years. This year was especially cool for her, as she finally WENT DOWN THE WATER SLIDES! It was a blessing to get to be with her as she faced her fear of the water slides. The past three years I have offered to ride the slides with her, but she wasn't ready and I NEVER pushed. When we finally went up to the top, I said, "Do you want to go with me, or by yourself?" She told me she wanted to go WITH ME! I was QUIETLY excited that she wanted me to share in the moment. Of course, I just said, "Okay." We started down the slide, and she was nervous, so she was slightly screaming in her own way. I was fine with that, she was scared, and I was fine with it. The slide had a few turns, so she was doing well until it came to the straight-way the led into the water. Then she STOPPED US! I was grinning, and told her it was okay. Her CIA, went to the end of the slide and told her it was okay. Sure enough, Maddie did the last little bit by herself. She was SO EXCITED that she did it! After that we did the slide MANY times! I offered that same day to try the middle slide with her, but she wasn't ready. It was later in the week when we did the middle slide, which she wanted to try by herself but she wanted me there when she tried it. I WAS SO PROUD OF HER! She faced her fear and really ENJOYED the slides! It was a blessing to me to see that they got her on the end-of-week slideshow going down the slide. That made me *grin* ear-to-ear!

Madison was also my photographer for the week. Madison often gets worked up when she's bored, so I gave her my camera at those times, and she would occupy herself with the camera. If a person looks as my pictures from the week, it explains why I have some of the pictures on there. I wouldn't have taken some of them, but they matter to Maddie, so it was GREAT! I had to charge my camera TWICE because Maddie took so many pictures, but that was fine by me. It was great to make her week a little less stressful, and more FUN. She clearly LOVED having the camera! *grin*

Rachel was new to my cabin, and I liked her A LOT. She appeared to not be afraid of anything, and made us laugh a lot. I will admit, I didn't spend as much time with Rachel as I did with some of the others, but I really did like her. Rachel would hug me from time to time, so I knew the feeling was mutual. I hope she's in my cabin in the future, as I thought she was a neat young gal.

Emily was a sweetheart. I had never had Emily in my cabin before, and I liked her A LOT. She was so patient with other campers, and had the softest heart. Like Rachel, I didn't spend a lot of time with Emily, but when I talked with her, she was always polite and talked to me. I hope to have her again too, as I would like to get to know her more. *grin*

Holly looked a lot like Emily to me, and I would always get them confused, but they were always good sports. *grin* Holly was even more quiet to me than Emily was, but was always pleasant to be around. I was glad she was in my cabin too. (Can you tell I REALLY liked out campers this year?) *grin*

Another new camper for me as BECCA! Gosh, how do you describe one of the most amazing campers I've ever met? During our first meal, Becca had a meltdown that had many of us wondering how in the world we were going to make it through the week. I immediately hugged her CIA (Who is one of my favorite people now!) and told her we would do this together. Becca wears a harness for various reasons, and to look at her you would probably think a lot of things. What I learned through Becca this week is that first impressions aren't what they always appear to be. Becca was prone to outbursts for various reasons, but she was also one of the most LOVING girls in our cabin. She required A LOT of help, but I didn't hear ONE negative word regarding Becca. In fact, at one point our staffer said, "People think that she's violent, and she's really not." That was the most true statement that I probably heard all week.

The most touching moment of the whole week camp for me during camper arrival. I saw Becca's parent show up and walk away with Becca. And, I should state, that the people that worked the most with Becca worked HARD during that week. Anyway, when Becca's caregiver walked away with her, Stephanie turned to someone and started crying because she was gone. I was touched, and learned something in that moment. I was expecting to hear, "She was great, but I'm worn out & happy for the break." Instead, the two girls who spent the most time with her were truly SAD that she was gone, and one cried. That was DEEP love for a camper that required a lot of assistance. We should all learn how to love on that deep of a level. *grin* I was proud of the girls who were sad to see her go. That's how we should love ALL the campers out there. *grin*

Of course, my post would be incomplete if I didn't mention RONNI! That's right, the gal I prayed to be beside ALL YEAR, was in my cabin AGAIN! When I found out I was SO EXCITED! Honestly, I was blessed to spend quite a bit of time with Ronni. I LOVED the week because of Ronni! Seriously.

I imagine it might offend some people for me to say this, as we're probably not supposed to have favorites, but Ronni is my FAVORITE camper! Four years ago, God put this adorable girl in my cabin with Down's who just connected with me. Year after year, God has just expanded my heart for her, and this year it grew even more for her. Honestly, I didn't think that was possible, but it happened.

We had our fair share of challenges. Ronni loves to climb, and for safety reasons we can't let her climb EVERYTHING that she chooses. (Can we say the dining hall stage? *grin*) We also couldn't let her just take other people's belongings, so that was character-building too. And honestly, I LOVED every moment where I had to keep her safe because I could feel the Lord with us as we kept her safe. When I was involved, she didn't get hurt physically, and I give credit to God for that because I silently prayed even as we stood in front of the objects she wanted to climb. *grin*

The AMAZING news is that, from my perspective, there were more good moments than tough ones. It was AMAZING to watch Ronni sing to the animals at the petting "zoo" at camp. She would pet the animals and sing, it was precious! She also laughed A LOT while she was at the pool! It was also fun to watch her in the Silver Lining, as she climbed into a cabinet and shut the cabinet door. It was PRECIOUS. (I'm bummed I didn't have my camera at that moment!)

I had two FAVORITE moments with Ronni. The first one came on a night she didn't particularly want to go to the evening party, so we wound up in the conference rooms below the dining hall with other campers who didn't want to go either. Ronni decided she wanted to dress me up and take pictures. There is a skit closet down there FULL of costumes, and she would create costumes and put them on me (Over my regular clothes, of course!) and take my picture! It was my FAVORITE night of the whole Term!

My second favorite moment may seem a tad odd, but it was precious to me. I have to set it up for you. On Day #3 Ronni bit me. It was just a moment where she was upset, and my arm was in the way of her mouth. *grin* Now, fast forward with me to the last morning of camp, and parent pick up. We were sitting outside the cabin waiting for her parents, and she took my arm where she bit it, kissed it, and said, "I sorry, Shanna." That was PRICELESS in my book!

I enjoyed both weeks out at camp a lot, I really did, but I will admit that Term 7 was my favorite. Every year God teaches me something new out there, and this year I got two new revelations from Him.

The first one was a reminder of how much I LOVE to work hard. Camp was a lot of fun, but it requires a lot of work too. During Term 7, I have to give up all my selfish desires to serve the campers, and it is definitely the most challenging week for me out of the whole year, but at the end of it I walk away stronger in the Lord than I was when I walked in the gates. I am also in better physical shape than I've been in a year. I'm a gal who enjoys lap swimming, and I had given that up, thinking "I am walking Jay." Well, I came back from camp REALLY wanting to start swimming again. When the Aquatic Center opens back up next week I want to join. I'm also back at work getting my classroom together. Due to camp, I'm more energized and ready to go! *grin*

My second revelation was a revelation of a mother's heart. There were things out at camp this year that were AMAZING and (for the first time ever) there were things that BROKE my heart. I found myself loving the campers (not just mine, all of them) as if they were my own kids. It's impossible to put into words, but it was AMAZING. Even in the most character-building moments, I was NEVER mad, I was actually aching for the child doing whatever it was she was doing. God expanded my heart in ways that can't be explained, but made me love in a way I never had before. I LOVED IT!

Perhaps the most amazing thing about camp is that I go out there to SERVE campers, and I ALWAYS come back being blessed more than I think I blessed others. Even more than that, I came home EXHAUSTED for THREE days afterward, and you know what? I CAN'T WAIT TO GO BACK AGAIN NEXT YEAR!!! *grin*

*grin*
LIFE.
IS.
AMAZING! (ESPECIALLY WITH RONNI & HER FAMILY IN MINE!)

BRAYDEN!!!

2011-08-02T20:59:00.000-07:00

I typically ponder throughout my day what my nightly post is going to be about, and while I'm still itching to write about Term 7, I realized I hadn't even MENTIONED Brayden from Term 6! I actually met Brayden last year during Term 8, and LOVED this kid. During just about every meal, he would get up and sing the National Anthem last year. This year, he did it again and I LOVED IT! The boy has been given an AMAZING singing voice, and I LOVE to listen to him sing.

I guess this year during Term 5, there was a camper that did the same thing each meal, so by the time Term 6 rolled around, a few of the staffers were tired of it. It was the first time I had ever heard negative words spoken about a camper from staff, but since I hadn't been there Term 5, I just let it go. I was determined not to let their opinions and frustrations roll onto me!

Brayden would sometimes sing the National Anthem, "Hush Little Baby" or "Jesus Take the Wheel." I really enjoyed Hush Little Baby and the National Anthem. You'd have to hear him to fully understand the fullness of what I'm saying when I say he has an AMAZING voice.

The last night of camp, I sat by him during Say-So. His CIA ran to get him something and they were going to have him sit by someone else from his cabin, but I offered to watch him. He proceeded to lay down, with his head on my leg, and we talked. He is one of the neatest kids I've met out there. Yeah, he can be a handful, I will admit (Try taking the mic away from him!) but he's SWEET. He became a favorite of mine during Term 6!

I have pondered Brayden today. I realize he can be challenging at times out at camp, but I was BLESSED to get to enjoy his company as he was just a kid, sitting there, talking to me. He's a GREAT kid. God taught me something through him that night.

He's no different than the rest of us. We're all a challenge at times, but we're all GREAT at other times too. So often people see the TOUGH stuff, and dismiss the rest of the package. That's not what God does, and it's not what God calls us to do. God really spoke to me a lot over the two weeks about that. I heard comments made that BROKE my heart, but I realized that God was still teaching others about it too.

If anything, I see the BEST and forget about the faults. I walked into Term 7, forgetting some of the challenges that faced us, because I see the BEST in everyone. That's okay with me though. I'd rather see the BEST in people than focus upon their faults.

As for Brayden, I hope to see him again next year. I look forward to standing for the National Anthem during EVERY meal. It was a highlight of my week when he was there! He's a blessing from the Lord!

*grin*
LIFE.
IS.
GREAT!!!

Term 6, Continued...

2011-08-01T13:45:00.000-07:00

While I'm itching to share about Term 7, I wanted to take a moment to write some more about Term 6. As I was pondering my latest post, I realized I didn't even write about the INCREDIBLE CIA's in our cabin, as well as our staff. I think it's natural to write about the campers, as that's my primary focus of my trips there, but Term 6 I felt the Lord put me there for the CIA's. For those of you new to the world of Barnabas, I should explain. CIA's are Christian's In Action. They are typically sixteen and older, and are paired up with one camper for the entire week. During weeks like Term 7, this means you help them do daily living skills, etc. Term 6, however, it means they mainly get to be a friend to their "camper". If they need help with daily living skills, of course, they can do that too, but our cabin was a high functioning cabin because we had the senior deaf cabin. This was the same kind of cabin I was in last year during Deaf/Blind week, but it was a different group of girls, so I wasn't sure what to expect. What I found out was that it's fun to just hang out with everyone, and experience camp! *grin*

Each CIA brought a different personality to our group, and while it was difficult at times to accept the fact that the "campers" preferred to be with each other than with us, they worked through it and found their place in the cabin.

My heart especially leapt for Angela. Her camper was hot/cold with her all week, but I was so proud of her because she hung in there and didn't let it stop her from enjoying the other campers. On the last day she made a friendship bracelet for her camper, who didn't want it. It is a really pretty bracelet, and when I saw that her camper didn't want it, I told her it was too bad because it was really nice, so she gave it to me. Truthfully, each time I look at it, I grin. The bracelet is a constant reminder to me of a CIA that wrestled throughout the week, but finished the week out strong. Camp can be tough, and she did the best she could to hang in there. I know that pleases His heart, because it pleased mine more than I let it show. *grin*

Renee was a gal that ABSOLUTELY blessed my heart all week! She has a heart for God, and she intentionally got to know each person, and planted a seed in each one in a special way. There was one night I will never forget, as I walked up to the cabin, and Renee and Angela were talking to two of the campers. I wanted to join them, but the Lord told me to stop. One of the campers was asking the TOUGH questions about the Lord, and Renee was there, with the right answers, and I just grinned. I told Renee later how much that blessed my heart. While those campers didn't give their hearts during the week, seeds were deeply planted. I can't wait to hear what God does through & in Renee in the years to come. The world will be different because of that young lady!

Emily blessed my heart too, as she was Leigh's CIA. She just graduated interpreter school, and has a heart for the deaf in an incredible way. I know she'll bless MANY in her career with the deaf culture. She added joy and laughter to our cabin, and I'm really glad she was with us this year!

Halye was a CIA this year, and I thought she did a really good job. Last year she was a "camper" and this year she returned as a CIA. I have never been in a cabin where a camper returned as a CIA, but I thought Halye did a great job. Especially since her "camper" was a friend of hers. She admitted at one point that being a CIA is different because you get to do less things, but she still did a great job as a CIA! *grin*

Savannah (I'm mis-spelling her name, I know!) did a great job with her camper, and probably my favorite part about her was how much fun she was for her camper. Her camper's birthday was during Term 6, and she made a point of decorating her bed for her birthday, and made the day extra special for her. Savannah fit right in, and while she was homesick, she held herself together and did a GREAT job. I hope she returns next year! *grin*

While all of our CIA's were great, there is one that stood out to me! Selby blew me away throughout the week in our cabin! Selby was not initially placed in our cabin, but was moved to ours because her camper fit in better with our mix of girls than I guess she would have in the other. (That's a guess, I'm not really sure of the reason for the switch.) Selby joined us and fit right in from the beginning. My heart initially leapt for her during one of our first training sessions when a trainer, who was NOT Barnabas staff, told her in front of everyone that she couldn't handle her camper because she was labeled blind & deaf. That broke my heart because Barnabas is all about giving teens an opportunity to learn what they CAN do, not limit them! I didn't know her then though, so I just prayed. Later, she was brought to our cabin and I was silently excited! I hadn't told anyone about my frustration in training, but God knew, and I knew He put her in my path! I WAS SO EXCITED! *grin*

Selby's camper arrived, and it turned out she could see and hear a little. Selby was teamed up with another CIA whose camper didn't show up, because Selby didn't know a lot of sign language. Truthfully, Selby could have done it all, with the Lord. I truly believe that. However, she did an AWESOME job throughout the week. She has such a deep heart for the Lord, and at one point I heard her tell someone else, "I was praying about such and such during worship, and this is what I got..." I absolutely grinned when I heard that. She carried herself in such a way that I KNOW that God was pleased with her. At the end of the week I got to meet her mother, and I told her how blessed I was by her daughter. Out of all the CIA'S I've met in my years out at Barnabas, she is the one that carries the heart of the Lord in all she does. She definitely holds a special place in my heart! *grin*

I'm embarrassed to admit this, but I can't remember the other CIA'S names that were in my cabin that week. That's weird to me just because I KNEW them all when I was there. But, if you add another week out there with even MORE people, and I guess it's normal to forget names.

One thing is for sure, even though it was an EASY week, we were all stretched in one way or another, and I thought everyone did a great job facing the challenges! Everyone was different leaving the gates than they were when they arrived. My prayer is that they were closer to God at the end of the week than they were at the beginning. *grin*

*grin*
LIFE.
IS.
GREAT!!!

Term 6 HIGHLIGHTS!!!

2011-07-30T20:05:00.000-07:00

Tonight I am back at home, and have spent the day resting. I forgot how exhausted I am after I serve out at Camp Barnabas! I think that's a good thing though, as it's GREAT to serve others to the point of self sacrifice and exhaustion. I learned so much the past two weeks that it may take me several days to get it all out in various posts. *grin*

Every year I go out to camp expecting to bless others and I ALWAYS find that the campers, staffers, and CIA'S, BLESS ME!

Term 6 was a lot of fun, as I was a part of a deaf cabin. Okay, well, some were deaf and some were hard-of-hearing. Some of the campers could speak and some couldn't, but it didn't matter because communication seemed to flow fairly well between all of us!

Before I get into the campers, I want to take a moment to mention one of my roommates LISA! Lisa is deaf and is SO MUCH FUN to be around! She can read lips, which helped when I would get stumped & forget how to sign something. (Or it was early in the morning and I wasn't awake yet!) We had so much fun being co-cabin Moms in the same cabin! I have thought about Lisa quite a bit since I have returned, and I thank God for her. She made the week more fun just by being herself. She's a blessing from the Lord!

My other roommate, Nicolina is a wonderful woman of the Lord, and I am so glad God put her in our room too! She added laughter to our room, and the three of us had a lot of fun! I will admit that sometimes I haven't "clicked" with my roommates, but these gals and I had so much fun! It was a lot of fun!

Okay, on to the campers. This was the first time I've been in a cabin where the girls knew each other REALLY well. Truthfully, the campers didn't really "need" us like they do during Term 7 because they were all self sufficient. That was weird and nice all at the same time. It made for an "easy" week, so that was a lot of fun!

Chantell taught me a lot about being honest and upfront with people. On several occasions I would compliment her and she would reply with "I know." While that may not be the most polite response, it made me smile. As the week progressed, we got to know each other, and I found out she lives in the KC area! She would simply say what she thought which sometimes bothered people, but I liked it. You never had to worry about Chantell because she just said what she thought.

Kortney was in my cabin AGAIN, and always made me smile. While we didn't talk as much as I did with some of the others, we picked on each other from time to time. I had told her that my favorite sign was the sign for "whatever" so she would walk by me and sign it from time to time. I would reply with her favorite sign, LOL. *grin* She's a neat young lady.

Joshel was a camper that I didn't really talk with much, but she always put a smile on my face. I noticed she always wore jerseys and hats. I wondered if she is a sports girl and if some of our non-sports activities bored her. She seemed to be a good sport though, which made me grin.

Taylor didn't talk to me a lot either, but she fit right in with the other campers, and everyone loved her! I hope she's in my cabin again so I can talk to her some more. *grin*

Sara had a birthday during the week so her CIA Savannah decorated her bed for her! It was PRECIOUS. Sara could hear, but enjoyed signing too. I hung around her quite a bit, and liked her. She fit right in with the other girls, so the "adults" weren't really her choice to sit and talk to. I guess I can't blame her. *grin*

Sara, the new one, was precious. Her initial paperwork said she was blind and deaf, but once she arrived we learned that she can see some, and could sign some too. We were all pleasantly surprised by that. Sara stole ALL of our hearts due to her situation outside of camp, but we loved on her and she loved on us. Truthfully, Sara was a favorite of mine Term 6.

Leigh was one of my other favorites too. Leigh could hear but didn't talk, so she signed. Leigh and I connected, and she would sign that I was CRAZY a lot. (Leave it alone Hader! *grin*) She is also the one that I would sign to and then say, "Why am I signing to you? You can hear me!" all week! Truthfully, Leigh had a soft spirit and loved everyone and I have more pics of me with Leigh than anyone else. I hope she's in my cabin in the future. She was truly a gift from God in my life that week!

Danna was completely deaf, and initially I didn't think she liked me a whole lot. But, I was SO mistaken on that thought. At an early point in the week, I fell, or almost fell, or something like that and Danna saw it. After that, Danna took it upon herself to make sure I was okay. She would take my arm as we were walking and make sure I was okay. At one point I was walking and she signed the word "careful" to me! Danna is a camper I will NEVER forget because she was the first one in my history of Camp Barnabas that took care of me, just because she wanted to do that. I told her that in a note at the end of the week. She had other gifts too, as she "scraped" plates for us one night too just because she wanted to do it. All week I kept signing, "You have the biggest heart!"

I'm wiped, and sleep needs to happen. Tomorrow I think I'll write the quotes that I wrote down from this week, as there were some good ones!

*grin*
Night all!
LIFE.
IS.
GREAT!!!

I'M CAMP BARNABAS BOUND...

2011-07-13T20:26:00.000-07:00

...OH, I'M CAMP BARNABAS BOUND!!! *grin*

I can't believe that my time out at camp begins tomorrow. This summer is going by SO fast! I'm enjoying this summer, it's just amazing to me to think that tomorrow begins my time out at Camp! I'm both excited and (to be completely honest) a little nervous. But, it's that good kind of nervous. It reminds me of that feeling of the first day of school when you're nervous, but it's good all at the same time.

I have spent a lot of time praying for this upcoming week, and I'm looking forward to the campers and staffers that the Lord has for those of us that will be there the next 7 days! It's going to be different from anything I could imagine, which brings an absolute smile to my face. I know better than to think it will be like last year, because I have never had two years that were alike out there!

I have prayed over everything, from the lack of Pepsi & M&M's, to walking long distances, to the excessive heat and everything in between. I also know that you can't serve out there without God, and I know that I will be talking to God a lot while I'm out there!

I'm headed into the most spiritually, emotionally, and physically challenging two weeks of my year. And ya know what? I am going to LOVE every moment of it! *grin*

LIFE.
IS.
AWESOME!!! *grin*

STAND UP, STAND UP, YOU MATTER!!!

2011-07-12T20:10:00.000-07:00

I will admit, I spend a lot of time on FB. I like following my friends and seeing what they are up to these days. It's been a GIFT for me in my transition from Joplin to KC. I also like that I have added friends from here too! God has really blessed me with GREAT friends from all over the world. Between Camp, Joplin, and KC, I am blessed!

Lately I have been frustrated though. Not counting my tornado survivor friends, I have several friends who are stuck. And, they are choosing to stay stuck. The older I get, the more I notice how people cope with life. Some handle life better than others, and it often blows my mind how some people just can't cope with life.

Tonight as I scrolled through my newsfeed, I felt this determination rise up within me for a few gals. And, I prayed. I kept praying all evening for those gals. And, while I recognize part of it may have been for me too, I felt that it's time for us to STAND UP and listen to the voice of GOD and not the voice of the enemy any longer! I have heard this numerous times before in various services, but it has never hit me like this before. I'm so TIRED of reading about loved ones being knocked down, knowing how to get up, but choosing to dwell in the place where they are at. (I'm not down at the moment, I have really felt this was for women in my life who are stuck!)

For the first time in quite a while, I personally feel like I'm more like the version of myself prior to The Beech Road Experience. I laugh, joke, and smile now. I recognize that we all go through seasons that are tough, and sometimes it just takes time for God to move on our hearts, as He did on mine but I GUARANTEE that the first step for me was taking the first step and telling God, "I don't want to go through the motions anymore." Yes, it was at the very time that song was released on K-Love. Perhaps it's time for others to do so as well.

As I prayed tonight, the words I kept hearing were, "They matter. They just need to stand up!"

I love it when God does that! Don't you?

*grin*
LIFE.
IS.
GREAT!!! (AND I MEAN THAT, IT IS GREAT!!!)

Going Backwards Down the Slide!

2011-07-11T20:47:00.001-07:00

The other night Chase and I went to Oceans of Fun. We had spent the afternoon at Powell Gardens where we had sweat a lot, and I was looking forward to a COOL evening of water activities. I will admit it, (in case you're new to my little corner of the world) I am a big kid. I LOVE water slides! They are a lot of fun for me, and my favorite ones are tube slides! At Oceans of Fun, there are two tube slides that are my FAVORITE. While I enjoy all the slides, the tube slides are FAST and one of them is DARK. The dark one is my favorite, but they are both a lot of fun.

The other night, Chase went down before me, and I was next! I was ready to go! (Side note: I was proud of Chase because he's sort of afraid of the dark, but he did it anyway!) As I started down, I was going REALLY fast, and started to spin! I don't normally spin, but I found myself fighting the spin of the tube. Eventually, I said, "Okay, God, let's do it backwards." At that point, I did the ride backwards. I typically don't like that just because I can't see where I'm headed, but I wound up LAUGHING. It was SO MUCH FUN!

I came to the end of the ride and came out of the tunnel backwards, expecting a whistle from a lifeguard because you're supposed to only go forward, but I didn't hear one. I just smiled, and I heard that still, small voice say, "I got ya..you can do more than you think with Me." I just grinned.

I have prayed over that, and feel that that was preparation for this next week at Camp. I have NO IDEA what it looks like, but I'm EXCITED!!!

*grin*
LIFE.
IS.
GREAT!!!

Sky Lifts, Polar Bears, Sea Lions, and Water Rides

2011-07-08T18:35:00.001-07:00

The past two days I have had a GREAT time with my friend Chase. (He's here one more day, which is a blessing to me!) Chase arrived last night, and God is showing me some incredible revelations through Chase and the activities that we've done.

I should take a moment and state that Chase is ten years old. He is the child of one of my closest teacher friends in Joplin. I have known Chase since he was about four years old. He has gone to my old school all of his academic career, so I have seen him go from Kindergarten through second grade. He has always had a special place in my heart. Since I have moved here, I have been blessed to still stay in touch with Chase and his family. For three days this week I get to have Chase all on his own! He is an amazing boy, and God has created this boy with some amazing characteristics! All of which, God is using to teach me as this week progresses.

Last night we went to Worlds of Fun. Typically, I am the Roller Coaster gal, but since Chase isn't a roller coaster kid (I can relate, I was that way as a kid.) we did water rides! I'm not a HUGE fan of water rides unless I'm in a swimsuit, but I knew going into it that this trip wasn't about me. It was a trip for Chase. We did the Viking Voyager, and didn't get very wet. Then we did Fury of the Nile! Yeah, I got SOAKED. Of course, he barely got wet! He went up to the Monsoon bridge to get wet. He barely got wet. I found it all humorous. He WANTED to get wet, and I got soaked. I mean, dripping wet. My shorts were so wet I was uncomfortable. But, Chase enjoyed it. After that, we did a few other rides, but I found myself enjoying it as I watched it all through Chase's eyes. What was normal for me, was new to him. It was priceless.

Today we went to the Kansas City Zoo. I knew sweat would cover me, and I would be wiped out, and I was right. What I didn't expect was to have as much fun as I did! I thought the SKY LIFT over Africa was A BLAST. I have never actually been on a ski lift before, so it was really neat going 45 feet over the animals. It provided a ride to one side of the zoo, and we got off the lift and walked back, looking at all the animals. At one point, I commented to Chase that God can see us like we can see the animals. His comment was, "Yeah, but we're just small ants from where He sits." While that may be true, He still knows us intimately, which still grips my heart DAILY. *grin*

While I had seen some of the animals before, it was so much fun to watch Chase. He took my camera and took over 100 photos with the camera. He kept telling me random facts about the animals. I decided about halfway through it that he could easily be a zookeeper or tour guide at a zoo now and probably know more than most adults. God gave him a heart for animals like he gave me a heart for Autistic kids. It's fun to listen to Chase talk about animals, as he knows FACTS. He thrives off non-fictional books, and has learned a lot in his short life. It's amazing.

We ended the day at the Sea Lions show. While Chase didn't find the show as amazing as I did, it was fun to watch. The Sea Lions could do tricks! It was so much fun! That turned out to be my favorite thing, because the trainer could connect with the animal and make it do things. It wasn't Chase's favorite thing, as he just wanted to keep moving. That's how God created Chase, to keep going. While it was a challenge for him, he stayed put for me. *grin* I love that kid!

The final part of our day was the Polar Bear. The Polar Bear was doing flips in the water, which was amazing. Chase took SEVERAL pictures of it, and I hope they turn out well. That was amazing to me!

We still have all day tomorrow, and the plan is Oceans of Fun. In this case, I am pumped, as I REALLY enjoy water rides in this case! Of course, tomorrow we will layer up with sunscreen several times. Tonight we have a sunburn because I FORGOT the sunscreen. Lesson learned.

Thank You Lord for Chase. He's truly a gift from You! (By the way, Jay remains my favorite animal with four legs on the whole planet!)

*grin*
LIFE.
IS.
GREAT!!!

Perspectives On Life

SKELETON CREEK SERIES by Patrick Carman

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME!!!!!!!!! *grin*

NOTABLE QUOTE

GOD STILL DOES THIS STUFF! *grin*

Loving the Unexpected

CARRY ME TO THE CROSS by Kutless

NEFARIOUS

BINGO FOR BOOKS

SKATING LESSONS

HEAVEN IS FOR REAL by Todd Burpo

SLIM!!! *grin*

Patrick

Unexpected Blessings!

A LESSON IN GOD'S LOVE

God's Lessons Through Karen

A DREAM

CARDS

Wow!!! God is AMAZING!

ONETHING 2011 NOTES

Blessed

THE SILENT LAUGH

HOLIDAY FUN

IT'S A FACT

Smiles All Around

A Divine Appointment

A Silent Statement *grin*

MATCHED by Ally Condie *****

ONETHING 2011

My FAVORITE Part of my Job *grin*

Weird But True

ARE YOU SERIOUS?

It's a Blessing to Me...

A DAY OF THANKS

SEASONS OF CONSTRUCTION ON THE HEART

Pay It Forward...Kind Of

ONE QUOTABLE DAY

BEST FOUR HOURS OF MY WEEK! *grin*

A NEW ADVENTURE

Sitting at His Feet

THE RACE WAS ON....

It's YOUR LOVE....

ORPHAN SUNDAY

Jesus Wept

SHOES....

AS THE DAY BEGAN...

THERE ONCE WAS A TEACHER...

A Divine Appointment

Refiner's Fire

FIG PUDDING! *****

An Afternoon with Karen

GPR

HOME

Greetings from Jay!!!

FOUR-DAY WEEKEND!!!

Another Lesson Learned *grin*

A Silent Touching Moment *grin*

The Quote That I've Said for Years

INVISIBLE LINES *****

Feelin' Blessed

STAND BY ME

A New Book!!!

1,000 POST!!!

Dear Grandma Springer

Piercing the Heart...MY Heart....

3 HIGHLIGHTS TO MY DAY

ANIMAL PLANET

JANE IN BLOOM

Tutoring FUN

EXCELLENCIES OF CHRIST BIBLE STUDY

Dinner with Friends

Learning a Lesson the Hard Way *grin*

Reading with SmilingKid *grin*

UNEXPECTED BLESSING

Every LITTLE Choice I Make Moves You....

MY BEST EFFORT

Jay!!!

Blessed

Listening to Little People Read!!!

Jay Talks in His Own Way *grin*

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME!!!!!!!!! grin

GOD STILL DOES THIS STUFF! grin

SLIM!!! grin

A Silent Statement grin

My FAVORITE Part of my Job grin

BEST FOUR HOURS OF MY WEEK! grin

Another Lesson Learned grin

A Silent Touching Moment grin

Learning a Lesson the Hard Way grin

Reading with SmilingKid grin

Jay Talks in His Own Way grin

FCF TURNS INTO THE PRAYER ROOM! grin

It's JUST a Haircut, RIGHT? grin

Work & Friends All in One Place! grin

WORKING GAL AGAIN! grin