La Profesora

Blessed Resurrection Day to all

2007-04-06T06:58:00.000-05:00

We have had Spring Break this week, which has been great! Went to the Georgia Aquarium in Atlanta on Tuesday - the biggest aquarium in the world. Saw things we would never normally get to see - it was neat. And saw a beluga whale, Robbie! My favorite part was sitting in a room where the entire window was like a huge IMAX screen and you could just watch all the different kinds of fish swim around and interact. Sharks, small fish, big fish, exotic fish, etc. It was fascinating. Our God is so incredible - the intricacy of the species He has made.

That leads me to post an old hymn, both word and music by Martin Luther. May those of us who know Him truly count it a privilege.

A Mighty Fortress Is Our God

A mighty fortress is our God,
A bulwark never failing;
Our helper He amid the flood of mortal ills prevailing.
For still our ancient foe doth seek to work us woe-
His craft and and power are great, and armed with cruel hate,
On earth is not his equal.

(Can't underestimate the enemy)

Did we in our own strength confide,
our striving would be losing.
Were not the right man on our side,
The man of God's own choosing.

Dost ask who that may be?
CHRIST JESUS, it is He -
LORD SABAOTH His name
from age to age the same,
And He must win the battle.

(Amen!)

And tho this world, with devils filled, should threaten to undo us,
We will not fear, for God hath willed His truth to triumph thru us.
The prince of darkness grim, We tremble not for him -
His rage we can endure, For lo, his doom is sure:
One little word shall fell him.

(Yes, one day, we won't have to deal with him anymore.)

That word above all earthly pow'rs, no thanks to them, abideth;
The Spirit and the gifts are ours
Thru Him who with us sideth.

Let goods and kindred go - this mortal life also -
The body they may kill
God's truth abideth still:
His kingdom is forever.

What to do

2007-03-06T17:46:00.000-05:00

How many times have you wished you knew what to do in a given situation? "Pray that I'll have wisdom", someone will say.

In Proverbs 2 it says it is the Lord that gives wisdom, and out of His mouth cometh knowledge and understanding.

The words of His mouth are written down for us to read.

2:10 and 11 say it well - "When wisdom entereth into thine heart, and knowledge is pleasant unto thy soul; Discretion shall preserve thee, understanding shall keep thee."

God does not leave us clueless. There is so much instruction, knowledge, wisdom, etc in His Word.

But it often sits on the shelf unused, not taken advantage of.

And our problems and lack of direction get worse and worse. What an irony.

I want to know what it says - what my Creator says is the best way to face life's situations. His ways are perfect. Not easy - perfect. And they bring peace in the midst of the storm.

The Way I See It

2007-02-10T07:54:00.000-05:00

The way i see it is not always the way it is. Has that ever dawned on you? It has for me, many times.

I had a situation recently where i took away a few details and created in my mind a potential problem. A day later, i realized there was no problem and everything was fine. But boy - i can sure work up things in my mind sometimes. Fortunately i have learned over the years not to act on my perceptions quickly, because they may not be correct.

The Lord spoke to me out of the Word on this from Proverbs 3:5,6 - Trust in the Lord with all thine heart, and lean not to thine own understanding; in all thy ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct thy paths.

The part - "lean not to thine own understanding" stuck out at me as I realized how foolish it is. When my eyes are fixed on Him, He takes care of it all, and He can see all, and even if there is a problem, He is in control. He will guide me in what to do, etc.

Sigh. Thank you, Lord. Again. :)

Holiday

2007-01-15T08:58:00.000-05:00

Off school today - that is so nice!

We went to Panama City, Florida for the deacon's retreat the end of last week and it was wonderful. These places in the winter have great accomodations for great rates. The Holiday Inn Sunspree we stayed at was just beautiful and had an ocean front view from our balcony.

I also got to go to the factory outlet stores in Destin, where I found several good deals. And splurged on a cup of Starbucks coffee.

My husband went fishing off the pier and enjoyed it, although they didn't catch anything :( He also got to enjoy 2 different seafood restaurants (seafood is not my food of choice) - one with excellent crablegs and another with a fishtank the size of the wall.

Today we are helping some friends move. This has been a really neat break from the norm and we'll be ready to start school again on Monday.

Chao.

Merry Christmas All!

2006-12-25T18:03:00.000-05:00

Hope you are having a blessed day. We had a great time with family and it is so good to have all our kids home for the holidays. Leave me a comment for the end of 2006.

This and that cont...

2006-12-09T22:11:00.000-05:00

Well, I found out that the spot beside my eye was indeed cancerous, but that they got it all. Guess I won't ignore those little bumps anymore!

Funny quote of the week - a 1st grader looked up at Mrs. Owens, an afternoon daycare worker, as she passed by and said confidentially, "I didn't take a bath last night." OK! :)

It got COLD here in Georgia this week -down in the 20s - reminded me of Indiana, and it was a bad memory. (of the cold, that is) Cold is torture.

We had a great turnout today for Christmas at Grace for young people - both teens and children. There was a ventriliquist for the kids and puppets and singing and races and candy, etc - and a really good presentation of the gospel. I was able to lead a young lady to the Lord, and quite a few children came forward to receive the Lord.

A verse I am thinking on tonight - "Search me, oh God, and know my heart, try me, and know my thoughts - see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting."

Odds and Ends

2006-11-26T21:09:00.000-05:00

Just going to post a few tidbits about what's been happening around here.

Earlier today my husband pulled out the remains of a baby tooth that was evidently growing out of Libby's lower gum. At first we thought she was growing a fang or something . . . :)

Last Saturday night, upon getting out of our van, Libby's fingers came up and met my eye - ouch! She said later, "I felt something wet." Yup. I was in severe pain all day Sunday and my husband told me to patch it, so I did. It was swollen practically shut and just very painful. Went to the opthamologist on Monday afternoon and he said sure enough, there was a cut to the cornea. So he put in antibiotic ointment and it healed very quickly and I was releived.

BUT, he then told me that he needed to remove the small lesion sitting right where the eye meets the nose, at the corner. Said lesions are bad there because that is where the tear ducts are, etc. So on Tuesday I went in and had him cut it out. Well, I looked like someone had given me a black eye. Nice - just in time for Thanksgiving.

Before that I had had the flu/bronchitis for 2 weeks and was just coming out of it. So by this time I was a little discouraged with health problems. But, a good night's sleep can cure the blues and the sunshine always changes my perspective.
Thank the Lord that his compassions fail not, they are new every morning: Great is Thy faithfulness!

I will find out on Wednesday if the "lesion" was at all cancerous. I'm thinking not, but, sufficient to the day is the evil thereof. I won't borrow from tomorrow's problems.

We went down to Pensacola on Thursday and Friday to see Sam - that was neat, to go to some of his classes on Friday and see a little bit of how hectic his life is. We sure did some walking!

Mr. Holt, from our church, parachuted from a plane at halftime at the soccer game. He has done over 4500 jumps, including jumping with President Bush, the elder, on his 70th birthday. He is a former marine. It was awesome to watch him come in with the big American flag flowing in the breeze.

That's enough for now. Hope everyone didn't eat too much. I have lost 11 pounds over the last few months and the scale didn't go up this holiday, probably because I didn't cook here at home. We'll see how Christmas goes.

lots of love to all.

Happy Tahnksgiving

2006-11-19T06:56:00.000-05:00

A very Happy Thanksgiving to you all, especially those who have been away from home, like those in the military or college. Hope you enjoy your time with family immensely.

I am thankful for the ability to pray and answers to prayer. God does care.

What are you thankful for?

Faith

2006-11-07T14:00:00.000-05:00

I've been wanting to write down some thoughts on faith. Reading through the book of Luke and just noticing and thinking on many verses and principles, i think i am getting a better picture of what pleases the Lord in this respect.

I have tended to practice, you might say, that God is sovereign and will do what He will do, regardless of the amount of faith that we excercise. But Scripture seems to indicate differently.

Early in the gospels Christ tries to minister in his own community and he notes that he cannot do many works there because of their lack of faith. This appalled me - that He would be limited by their lack of faith.

Then there is the instance of the Centurian's servant who asks Jesus but to say a word and heal him - Jesus states that he has not found so great faith, not in Israel.

There is the beautiful story in Luke 7 of the woman, a sinner, who came into the Pharissee's house that had invited Christ for dinner - and brought an alabaster box of ointment and stood at His feet weeping and washed His feet with her tears and anointed His feet with the ointment. Christ used her as an example and told her that her faith had saved her - to go in peace.

When Christ comes upon a storm in the water with his disciples, they get desperate, but He asks them- Where is your faith?

When the woman with the issue of blood touched his garment, He sensed the power that had gone out of Him as a direct result of her faith - He told her that her faith had made her whole and to go in peace.

Hebrews tells us that faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

Without faith it is impossible to please Him - for he that cometh to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those that diligently seek Him.

These people in Christ's time saw so many incredible things - the mount of transfiguration and many miracles, yet they still sometimes lacked faith.

But Christ also says that those who have not seen Him and yet believe are even more blessed for their faith. I believe it is harder to have faith in Him today than it was then, merely for the amount of signs there were back then.

If someone is looking for God, they will find Him.

It takes faith to follow Him.

And then there is the whole issue of faith in what we ask of Him. We're supposed to ask in faith, nothing wavering.

That involves righteous living from the inside out, because otherwise I cannot muster up enough faith to ask confidently of Him if I am not doing what He asks already.

When I am walking with the Lord and know it, I know my desires line up with His and He will not deny any good thing I ask of Him. Just as a father loves to give his child good things when he is obedient, so my Father is just waiting for me to ask something of Him when I am walking obediently and it gives Him great pleasure to do so.

What are your thoughts?

Fall in Georgia

2006-10-08T15:36:00.000-05:00

I love this time of year! Yesterday I had the windows open all day, something I just relish! There is nothing like a good, fresh breeze blowing in the window and the sun shining and the birds chirping. Wonder what the new heaven and the new earth will be like someday? I hope there is plenty of fresh air and beautiful vegetation, and a perfect temperature :)

We are having Revival meetings this week at church. All week, S-F. This is a great experience for our church family as we pray together for the Lord to especially speak to us at this time and reveal to us areas we need to work on, people we need to witness to, etc. We have great preaching all the time, but this is a special week, and you can feel the excitement as we focus and concentrate on surrender to the Lord Jesus Christ. Praise the Lord for men that preach His Word boldly and effectively.

What's happening in your neck of the woods?

Myrtle, etc.

2006-09-30T17:36:00.000-05:00

The teacher's convention was in Myrtle Beach this year and it was wonderful. We stayed in a huge resort, that is practically deserted this time of year (I hear you normally have to stand in line to get in the water down there:) Our view from the 12th floor was great, although it made me a little tipsy.
The workshops were great at the convention - I learned many practical ways to increase learning and enjoyment for my 4 year olds. Wouldn't you like to pretend you are a slithering snake as you go line up? Or sing little songs for every transition you have at school?

On another note - just before i left on Wednesday i had been having several conversations with different folks about finances. it got me to thinking - we put so much time into working, earning, buying, satisfying our desires, - what do we really need? Our God has promised to supply all our need - in reality, i need very little. Food, raiment, a place to keep dry and sleep, a car that runs, gas to put in it - but we have so much extra! Sometimes things get out of perspective and we confuse our wants with our needs. Probably because the desire is so strong we interpret it as such. But many of our financial difficulties could be solved by being content with the basics, and not feeling short-changed with that. A total 360 from what the world is telling us. Food for thought . . . .

Pet Peeves

2006-09-15T17:20:00.000-05:00

Do you have a pet peeve? I am learning that one of mine is tieing little children's shoes. Over and over and over. I just want all parents everywhere to double knot their children's shoes with the tightest knots they can make!

On another note totally - I got to thinking the other day about God caring for me - and for all believers. My thoughts went something like this: How much does God care for me, my children, my family? He gave his only Son for us - the most precious thing there was to Him - He definitely has to care, even way beyond salvation. He didn't sacrifice His Son for just any old reason - He loves each one of us, His adopted children, and paid such a high price for us - made an investment - one doesn't easily give up on an investment. He has a vested interest here and will not give up on us easily. There is comfort in this - we are very valuable now in His sight because of the way He purchased us, and He therefore loves us immensely. He will see that we have everything we need to make it worth it. It has to please Him a lot when we gratify Him.

It's Friday!!!

2006-09-15T17:19:00.000-05:00

Pensacola

2006-09-05T20:16:00.000-05:00

Pensacola was beautiful and Sam is now a freshman Music major with Matt Abberger as a roommate :) I was very impressed with PCC - tons of beautiful young people, a great food court, nice dorms, and great Sunday services. It is a huge blessing to see your kids following the Lord, and we praise Him. People were already asking him for directions on campus - kinda funny because Sam says people have been saying for several years that he looks like a college student, and he finally is! Here is a crazy freshman's expression. Whacked out! as he would say. If you would like his email and haven't gotten it yet, write me and I will give it to you.

Light

2006-08-27T05:18:00.000-05:00

After teaching Creation this last week, the Lord gave me these verses:

I Cor 3:6,7

"For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us."

Oh that He would shine in our friend's hearts and our lost relatives'hearts! The light is His and the power is His. Believing that He made us and the world is basic to understanding life.

On another note, we had a great Spanish fellowship last night with 44 in attendance. Some good food! A couple we have shared the gospel with recently came.
Please pray for the Spanish ministry.

Have a great Lord's day.

Creation

2006-08-22T20:45:00.000-05:00

Ok - I've been teaching the 4 year olds the days of Creation - it is great to remember again how it all happened.
Mini Quiz - without looking!

What did God create on the 1st day?
On the 2nd?
On the 3rd? On the 4th?
On the 5th? On the 6th?
On the 7th?

See if you can get them all right :)

FACE to FACE

2006-08-12T19:01:00.000-05:00

What will it be like to see the triune God for the first time? What will have been important? All the things I worry about now? The things I bicker over? The things I desire?

Face to face with Christ, my Saviour
Face to face, what will it be?
When with rapture I behold Him
Jesus Christ who died for me.

Face to face I shall behold Him
Far beyond the starry sky
Face to face in all His glory
I shall see Him by and by.

Thanks for all those who visit with me here and share what is happening in your life. I may not always respond, but I always check and read :)

B and B

2006-07-24T19:32:00.000-05:00

We had a wonderful time on our little getaway. The place we stayed was just beautiful and very refreshing. They even served us supper in this private dining room upstairs. Everything looked and smelled good and we were the only ones there, so we just relaxed and talked, etc. In this non-stop world it is so nice to slow down and smell the roses and listen to the quiet. And actually look at each other :)

Dog days of Summer

2006-07-19T06:49:00.000-05:00

Well, it is supposed to be 102 degrees out there today! We are taking a field trip from the daycare to Oxbow Meadows - which has "wetlands" - you think they are still there??????? We shall see.

Sam and Dan are at camp this week, so it's just Libby, Mark and I here at home. We hope they are having a super good time. Tommorow Mark and I are going to go away for a couple of days and celebrate our 22nd anniversary. It isn't til Aug, but this was a more convenient time, since my husband is school administrator :) We are going to a lovely bed-n-breakfast in Dothan, Alabama.

We've had our share of blessings as well as bumps in the road through the years. But I am so glad we know the author of marriage Himself. I leave you with these words.

Great is Thy faithfulness,
O God, my Father,
There is no shadow of turning with Thee;
Thou changest not,
Thy compassions, they fail not;
As Thou hast been Thou forever wilt be.

Pardon for sin and a peace that endureth,
Thine own dear presence to cheer and to guide;
Strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow,
Blessings all mine, with ten thousand beside!

Great is Thy faithfulness!
Great is Thy faithfulness!
Morning by morning new mercies I see;
All I have needed Thy hand hath provided-
Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord unto me!

To Ponder

2006-07-11T07:12:00.000-05:00

A quote from Warren Wiersbe's book "On Being a Servant of God,"

"To consider persons and events and situations only in the light of their effect upon myself is to live on the doorstep of hell."

He goes on to say . . ."The name of the malady is pride, and it's a difficult disease to cure."

Age

2006-07-09T20:43:00.000-05:00

What is the "perfect age"?

I have meditated on several articles/comments/ads lately that focus on age. An ad I read said something to the effect "I don't want to be younger, I just want to look it." I agree, to a certain extent.

I feel blessed right now to be at the age I am. God has taught me so much and continues to teach me, and I am more teachable than I used to be. I am a realist, not an idealist. I don't care what number you put on it, it doesn't really matter to me.

Yes, the younger body would be nice - gone are the days of eating with no exercising and still looking good. And higher energy levels would certainly be a plus.

But I still would not trade places with a younger person just for those things - not after all the Lord has taught me. There are things that can only be earned with age.
I am coming up on 44 in August.

Being beautiful loses it's glamour too as you get older. I am not so wound up about looking good - if it happens, great. If not, oh well :)

Now getting old old and having health problems - that would be difficult. What patience older people have! But that must be a time of trusting in the Lord with all your being.

I do like being around younger people, and have questioned myself about that. I think it is because if you are genuinely sincere with a teenager, they will usually accept you. Many "grownups" have so many "hangups" - like money, social status, keeping up appearances, that it gets annoying and isn't real sometimes. Young people just say what they think and you usually know where you stand, and I still like that.

Just thoughts.

And I think I finally have my blog like I want it.

It's done.

2006-06-30T19:26:00.000-05:00

My wisdom teeth are out. This seems to be a favorite summer past-time for oral surgeons.

First of all they make you sign your life away initialing off boxes that say it's ok with you if you are maimed for life, have pieces of root still left in your jaw, or your other teeth are damaged in the process, and the list goes on. My sister and I laughed so hard we were crying at the things I had to agree to and hope wouldn't happen!

I am a little swollen and bruised, but not badly. The biggest fight I had with myself was when they were going to give me the anesthesia. I had this picture in my mind of me feeling suffocated and them starting to work on me when I wasn't really "out". My fears were in vain.

But the girl who "helped" looked no more than 16 years old and would approach one IV bag and read it and then shake her head and set it aside, then step to the other side of the room and look over the instruments, appearing very uncertain as to where to start. Finally she said,"Well, why don't we start you on some laughing gas now." Ho Ho. It didn't help that I had heard the other nurses asking her out front if her Mom was working here today. I thought, "Oh, no - this is someone's child they are letting have a little "learning experience". She asked me if the gas was doing anything. I replied to the negative. I really wanted to bolt out of that chair. But the doctor came in and put on the IV and said the medicine would make me fall asleep, and next thing I knew they were slapping my legs to wake me up. Whew!!!!

I have basically slept for 2 days and now want to get up and do something. But, I better beware, because if I cause one of those clots to pop out, I will get a dry socket, and that is painful!

Thak the Lord I have a sense of humor.:)

Thanks, Julie and Danielle, for the lovely meal tonight. Now I better go take some more ibuprofen. See you later.

Where's Waldo?

2006-06-27T07:42:00.000-05:00

That's Waldo there to Sam's right. Robbie. We don't know exactly where he is right now - perhaps still in Kenya.
This pic was taken at Rebecca's open house up in Lafayette end of May. And no, Sam's arm around Emily W. doesn't mean anything :) Everyone huddled for this pic.
Seems like lots of people are traveling this summer. Tirzah, on the far right there, is in Spain. Coming back today, I think. Emily Rausch is next to Tirza - she leaves for Brazil today , along with Joe Prelock and several others from up at Faith, We are praying for you all, and give a big hug to Yoders! You are very likely to meet my husband's brother, Mike Geurink, and his family, as they work right there with Yoders in Brazil. Emily W is travelling somewhere too - can't remember where at the moment.
Rebecca, your open house was very nice, and Libby also is enjoying the little "jewelry" you gave her :)
Que Dios les bendiga a todos!
Chao.

"What time I am afraid . . .

2006-06-24T06:41:00.000-05:00

Yikes! I'm getting my wisdom teeth out on Thursday, and the stories people tell are as diverse as the ones pregnant women hear about the birth process. "You're going to lose lots of weight" is my favorite one, of course :) I am a little nervous about going under anesthesia.

Changing the subject, it has been HOT down here - 95,96,97, 98, 99, 100! We went to my sister's pool last weekend. This week, Thursday, Libby and I went with the Grace daycare group to the Montgomery Zoo. The zoo was awesome - really great. But boy was it hot out! I drank 4 cups of lemonade when I got home, and water too. The heat zaps your energy.

Treasure Box Club was good yesterday - a big group of kids out to hear the gospel. It was HOT out there too - sweat running down everyone's faces. :)------

With running around a lot the last couple of days, today I am a keeper at home, doing my laundry, cleaning, etc. But then again, I like home.

" . . . I will trust in Thee."

One of those days

2006-06-16T08:04:00.000-05:00

Yesterday was one of those days I wished I could rewind and do over, without the problems it entailed. I started off the day without my morning cup of coffee, which should have been a clue. Had to go get fasting bloodwork done for my yearly physical. Then I had messed something up in the checking acct, which really got to me. And my husband. When you have made the same mistake more than once, it can be disheartening, and that is how I felt. One of my workers at school wasn't relating well with me - nothing major, just a lack of rapport and very serious; cold. I was discouraged. Then, one of my own kids didn't want to talk when asked about their day and asked me why I always "ask those questions". I just wanted to curl up and cry.

Do you ever feel like that? Like noone cares about your woes?

But God does. And 3/4 of the way through the day some things that I had fretted over seemed to work out. I was in CVS and I said as much to the cashier. Asked her if she ever had a day that things seemed to be going wrong. Well let me tell you, she just knew exactly what I meant. She told me that her electricity had gone out the night before and they were having to hire someone to crawl under the house to see what the problem was. Then she had a problem that morning with her car - something busted - and the entire car filled up with water. She couldn't drive it and had to take a taxi to work. I told her we have to trust in God in our difficulties; He is the only one that can help.

When I say that, I don't mean that He will take away the problems, but that He will give us the ability to make it through with the right attitude and even trust Him that He has our best interest in mind.

I needed to learn some lessons yesterday. That is the question - what is He trying to teach me? It is for my good.

911

2006-06-10T06:50:00.000-05:00

I have found that I am not the best at handling medical emergencies. We recently had a refresher at work on CPR, etc. and it all seems easy when you are practicing on a dummy. But the next day my niece collapsed on me in church and i felt panicked. She had had too much heat and sun and not anything to eat that morning, so was basically exhausted. But as she lay on me her body was jerking and that scared me.
Same thing the following week - a kid at daycare got elbowed while playing ball and fell down in terrible pain - his eye was hurt, and he was also jerking on the ground.
Usually in discipline situations at school or other seeming "emergencies" with an upset parent, etc, i calm myself quickly and handle the situation. I see that as a very doable challenge.
But medical emergencies, I have found, I don't like! :) My mind goes in a hundred directions and i tend to think it is worse than it is, or at least i did in these situations. I haven't enjoyed discovering this about myself, but it is something i need to work on.
I knew there was a reason i didn't become a nurse . . . .

Dan's alarm just went off

2006-06-08T07:02:00.000-05:00

8a.m. and all is well.

Yesterday was a very busy but rewarding day. I supervise the daycare part-time during the summer, and there is always plenty of paperwork and billing, etc to do. I thank the Lord for some super workers, though, that make the day go great.

I did some counseling yesterday afternoon and then ran home at 4:15 to make supper. My husband wanted a haircut desperately and Sam wanted a trim, so I did that. By this time it was 5:20. I quick heated some meatballs from the freezer that Sam said would be good in hot dog buns as hoagies, and they tasted great. Changed clothes, got Libby packed for an overnighter at her friend's house, and took off again for church at 5:55.

We had a missionary last night going to the United Kingdom. This man is from Georgia, born and bred, but the feels the call of God on his life to revive and start churches in the UK. He talked about how there are many churches that are tiny little, with like 5 people meeting, that really need someone to come and pastor them. It was neat to hear of his burden and call to that country.

The message he preached reinterated so many points we had gone over in our counseling session yesterday. It is wonderful how the Lord does that within the church to help people. And what is interesting to me is that even though I may think the message was perfectly tailored for me or a frend, another person thinks it was perfectly tailored for them, but from a different perspective. The altar was full with people doing business with God and we even had one lady who had been saved yesterday come forward for baptism. The Spirit of the Lord worked mightily among us.

After church the car wouldn't start - been having electrical problems. So while I was working on that (husband was at deacon's meeting) someone asked me to unlock the daycare to borrow a carseat. Right as I was finishing that I realized that I should be at a VBS meeting! So off I went!

On the way home we stopped at Sonic for a treat :) That's probably why I couldn't sleep too well last night.

Boy, it sure seemed odd coming home without Libby. That girl was excited enough to light up a whole room, though, over her spend-the-night at her friend's house. Hope she had super fun.

We also enjoyed having Christopher last week. He made himself right at home and felt like one of the family. He made it home safe and sound on his first air flight ever!

Well, that's about it for now. Need to do some picking up around here. And throw in another load of laundry.

Have a good one.

Home again, home again, jiggity jig :)

2006-05-30T20:01:00.000-05:00

Well, the trip to Indiana was great - great to see so many friends! And to see Mark Allen! And Gma and Gpa Geurink! We had a fun-filled couple of days and ate plenty at the open houses.

On the way back it was a bit tight since we took a sedan and brought back Christopher with us - all seats were full. But everyone was jolly and behaved themselves. We stopped at a good Mexican restaurant today for lunch over near Birmingham, and it was great.

But it is good to be home - i am beat. Will write more later.

Coffee

2006-05-23T20:38:00.000-05:00

Anyone out there like coffee? I like nothing better than a hot cup of coffee, especially when shared with someone else. I think because the smell and taste is something I grew up with and it always brings "warm" feelings. My Mom used to say to Dad, "Want a cup o' joe?" I made some decaf tonight and shall have a cup in a little bit.

Summer days are getting hot here in Georgia. I am supervising the daycare this summer and the Lord provided me with some excellent workers, so I am very thankful.

And I got to do some biblical counseling again today - which will now be a regular thing for awhile. It is neat to take the truths you have learned from Scripture and teach them to another - especially if their heart is ready for change, which it is in this case. I'm so thankful for all I learned and observed at the Faith Baptist Counseling Center in Lafayette, IN. People need step by step help with their problems sometimes, besides the fact that we will pray for them. It is a great privilege and challenge.

that's what's happening in my neck of the woods.

Hispanics and Taxes

2006-05-20T20:22:00.000-05:00

The National Academy of Sciences says:

Annually, the average undocumented immigrant contributes about $1,800 more in taxes than he or she receives in benefits, according to the National Academy of Sciences, a private, nonprofit group of scholars performing scientific and engineering research. During a lifetime, this adds up to an estimated $80,000 more in taxes than they will receive in local, state and federal benefits.
Source: http://www.jotf.org/Media%20Archive/DailyRecord072304%20-%20undocumented.htm

Second, while they do pay sales taxes, as you pointed out, they do not contribute anything in terms of income taxes, medicaid/medicare costs, or FICA.
Again, from the same article:
Through the 1990s, the Social Security Administration reported contributions to its trust fund from $250 billion in wages from false social security numbers. In 2000, it noted that $49 billion in wages could not be matched to their database of social security numbers.
In Maryland, state Comptroller William Donald Schaefer says his office holds $240 million in unclaimed tax refunds from 470,000 individual accounts.
And undocumented immigrants are not eligible for the earned income tax credit because, according to the Internal Revenue Service, they must have a valid social security number to apply for it.

Can of Worms

2006-05-16T19:54:00.000-05:00

Ok, let's open it up. What are your thoughts on the undocumented or false-documented Mexican immigrants working in our country? :)

Beauty in the eyes of the beholder

2006-05-08T20:44:00.000-05:00

I've seen some blogs lately listing 10 of the things that are most beautiful to you. I won't follow the letter of the law on this one, but I've been thinking about a few things that I think are beautiful.
1. The Andes mountains - breathtaking!
2. The sound of the birds chirping outside an open window in the morning.
3. Huge salmon colored roses
4. Laughter among family - it is unique.
5. Hearing God speak to me through His Word just when I need Him.
6. Seeing a life completely turn around.
7. Candles flickering in crystal.
8. My daughter's smile.
9. Snuggling with my husband at the end of the day.
10. Oh so many other things . . .

Nostalgia

2006-04-27T20:45:00.000-05:00

I'm going to dedicate this post to Sam - especially since he's gone on his senior trip to Washington right now and all :) I have been looking through boxes of pictures tonight trying to get things together for his graduation display board. Boy, so many memories flood back!

Sam has been a big blessing to me. From birth he was an easy child - quiet, but with a sense of humor (laughing on the inside at all of us), very lovable and the biggest hugger of my 4 kids. He's not a trouble maker, but would rather people get along. He can get along with just about anyone.

He has a strong inner sense of right and wrong and a tender heart toward the Lord and His Word. It has been fun through the years to discuss different spiritual topics with him and notice his observations. He often does what is right in spite of the fact that he may not be liking it at the moment.

Sam loves to use his imagination and used to like to play alone, making up a whole other world. You could hear him talking in different voices and making gestures as though he were different characters. He's always liked making faces in the mirror :) I guess that is why acting comes naturally. He has said on more than one occasion, "I don't want to grow up!"

He loves words and different ways of saying normal things.

He has a sweet voice - pure and young. I pray he uses it for the Lord. He's gifted in many areas, but doesn't brag on himself. He definitely loves music. When he was little, if he was really enjoying his food, he would start humming/singing while eating. Then we knew he was content.

Sam loves to have fun with his friends - especially his buddies from Indiana. They like him just as he is and have had many special times together over the years. I praise the Lord for that.
From singing, to playing tricks on people, to acting, to playing in band, to participating in sports, to making it through classes together, they have some great memories.

Sam is like a rock - if you really need him, he is there for you, and provides strength. The Lord has blessed him with the ability to be that rock for others.

I thank God for Sam - "asked of God" - and pray he will always walk in the ways of the Lord.
I love you, Sam.
Mom

Metamorphosis

2006-04-24T20:43:00.000-05:00

I've been thinking a lot about a Christian's identity in the world, you might say.
Tonight we read from 1st Peter for family devotions and MacArthur had some good commentary on what it was like to be a Christian at the time of the writing of this epistle, right after the burning of Rome. The emphasis is that a Christian can not only not become bitter when falsely accused, but even evangelize his hostile world for the Lord.

This really got me: "Believers are constantly exposed to a world system energized by Satan and his demons. Their effort is to discredit the church and its credulity and integrity. One way these spirits work is by finding Christians whose lives are not consistent with the Word of God, and then parading them before the unbelievers to show what a sham the church is. Christians, however, must stand against the enemy and silence the critics by the power of holy lives."

What does a holy life look like?

In Romans 12 we are beseeched to present our bodys as living sacrifices, holy, acceptable unto God . . . . and be not conformed to this world, but transformed by the renewing of our mind . . .

world= the spirit of the age in which we live; the sum of comtemporary thinking and values that forms the moral atmosphere of our world and is always dominated by Satan.

To be transformed comes form the word metamorphosis, and implies a change in outward appearance.

So a Christian should outwardly evidence their inner redeemed nature.

Some people say this is just a matter of the way you treat people, control your temper, etc. And I agree.

But a transformed mind is going to be 180degrees different in thought from our world.
Because there is no way that Satan is thinking the same thing that God is thinking.

Why do we give in to what the world thinks, does, so often? Lack of holiness. Lack of time in the Word, led by His Spirit. There is where we'll be coming up with those different thoughts, actions, manners, outward appearance.

It's not just an inside thing - it will manifest itself on the outside. Friendship with the world (it's way of thinking) equals enmity with God.

Specifically? I think the music that has the philosophy of this present age. Many agree the philosophy is wrong, but listen to the music. This controls thinking and inhibits the work of the Spirit to transform.

Speech - why talk like them? To identify with them. Lack of wanting to be separated out as God's people.

Dress - everything sexy - it is affecting the church.

Problem solving - the self- image inflating gurus of this age. it's not your fault.

What male/female relationships should look like - is it Biblical or out of the movies?

Just a few areas that readily show up.

What are we embracing? Thanks for listening. This has been on my mind for quite awhile.

God

2006-04-23T20:42:00.000-05:00

I am sitting here listening to some beautiful instrumental worship music and just reflecting on how good God is. I just want to praise Him for being so perfect. No flaws. He deserves it all. Deserves it. And one day will have it - i love those verses - every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father.

He is so deeeeeep. His love is so strong, and enduring. He is beautiful, the most beautiful person ever.

He is the author of all that is good and right. There is nothing vile in Him.

I can trust Him.

Thank you, Lord, for saving me. Thank you for adopting me into your family. Thank you for all the many Christians throughout the ages that gave their lives so I could read what you wanted to say to me. I love your Word - it gives me direction.

Interesting

2006-04-13T21:11:00.000-05:00

Hey - we heard on NPR today that there is a new fad going around. People take a bottle of Diet Pepsi, open it, and put like 10 Mentos candys inside. It explodes like a geiser! That would be fun to watch, huh? If you try it or have already tried it, let me know how it goes. But please be careful!!!

What is it with senoritis??? Sam's got it bad, and reading Adrienne's blog, and Tirzah and Meg's comments - it is not just here in Georgia. Lift each other up in prayer to make it to the end :)

My parents are coming this weekend from Rhode Island to visit us. I am so excited, because we don't see them very much. It's nice this time too because my sister and her family lives here as well, so there will be quite a few of us.

Tomorrow night is the Junior/Senior here at Grace. We are going as well - it is to a posh restaurant in Atlanta and then to the IMAX to see a movie on Australia. sounds fun. Will let you know later how it went. Sam's going solo, but he'll probably just be glad to get out and away from school. Maybe when a certain special someone is old enough she'll want him to take her to her junior/senior. That would be nice.

Met a new Puerto Rican family tonight - hope they come on Sunday for church.

Gonna go hit the hay now.

What counts

2006-04-10T19:58:00.000-05:00

I haven't done very many spectacular things in my life, but giving birth to my children was incredible. I will never forget the feeling I had just after our first son was born - I thought to myself, "This is the most incredible thing I've ever done! This is something truly worthwhile." I felt so priviledged. It is a miracle that you will only know when you are part of it. I cried, I laughed, I stared at my newborn son in wonder, I thanked God, I thanked my husband, etc, etc.
There is not much in this life that could match that experience.

But when God births a child, that is incredible as well. It is no small thing - it is a miracle. It is a total transformation, mainly of attitude and direction. A 380 that only God can achieve. When I see it, I don't care how many times it happens, I cry, I laugh, I stare in wonder. To be part of that, part of the body of Christ that is there in the delivery room, is a priviledge.

Of course after the "baby" is delivered to us, we have to take care of it, nurse it, coddle it, check on it often. Make sure no harm comes to it. Teach it the right way and train it to go in that way. This is the church, of course, doing this work. Very important work, unless you want sickly babes, or undernourished ones. It is in a great part up to us, as Christian brethren, to take up that work, instead of just hoping they'll make it on their own.

The older I get the more I realize just how few Christians there are and it is no small thing when someone makes that decision.

It is a priviledge to work in any part of that process. And way more exciting even than giving biological birth.

The first birth may not go so well, but the second birth is the one that counts.

May the Lord bless you all tonight.

By the Way . . .

2006-04-04T18:02:00.000-05:00

I forgot to ask - who broke the "commode" seat, guys??? I have a sneakin' suspicion - come on - fess up ! I'll send Sam after you while he's up there!

Fun Week

2006-04-01T20:15:00.000-05:00

Who are these people???
We enjoyed SO much the FMT from Lafayette that came to visit us this week. It seemed strange yet great having them here.

A very noisy group of boys stayed at our house:) I think they were excited to see Sam. And vice versa.

The singing and playing was awesome and I especially enjoyed the ones that visited my K-4 class. Terrell, Camyen, Marcus, Kennedee, Kensleigh, and all the rest will never forget them.

Thanks to all of you for your visit!

What?

2006-03-19T08:45:00.000-05:00

That's what i have to keep saying these days when people talk to me. What??? I have a cold and my hearing is impaired, you might say. Pray for me, please, as I have the sore throat, cough, headache, etc. thing.

I want to dedicate this post to my husband, Mark. He is so sweet to me and we are coming up on 22 years of marraige this August. My life has forevever changed upon knowing him and many things I participate in today are because we were married. He definitely broadened my horizons.

Mark is one of a kind. We were laughing and saying in our family the other day that he will someday be called a legend. He does everything from fix the kitchen sink to paint beautiful paintings to preaching in Spanish, to singing, to shooting guns and hunting to being a handyman, to analyzing handwriting to being an avid reader of National Geographic, to collecting rare instruments, and the list goes on and on. Not boring. Remember, opposites attract. :)

I love him very much and also our 4 children. I am so glad he led us to move to Georgia, even though difficult in the beginning, becaause it's a whole 'nother journey, and has been very good for our family.

Who would you like to pay tribute to today?

Love all of you.

Los Ancianos

2006-03-12T15:10:00.000-05:00

I have always liked "old people" :) When I was young, I would walk up to the nearby trailer court where a couple of my older friends lived and spend time talking to them.

Mrs. Powell was a tiny little lady and looked like Granny on the Beverly Hillbillies. She loved to crochet little doillies in greens and yellows and her teeth clacked when she talked. She would offer me some stale crackers and a something to drink. I just thought it was so interesting to be in her home and see what her life was all about.

2 doors down was Mrs. Brazil. She lived in a very tiny travel trailer type getup. She was chubby and wore dresses with no hose. She was always friendly and we mostly sat outside at her place because it was so small.

Even now I like to visit the trailer court in Florida and talk to the older people - they have done so many things, learned so many lessons. You can learn a lot about life by listening to them talk and seeing how they have responded, whether negatively or positively.

I hope some nice young person will come visit me in my old age someday. And I hope I won't be mean and crochety. :)

A Georgia Week

2006-03-07T15:22:00.000-05:00

Well, in case you want to know what's happening here - it's gorgeous today - 70s, sunny, and just beautiful. The baseball team has a game this afternoon and I bet it will be so nice to be out there. It is an away game (3.5 hours away:()

This is quarter exams for kids at school - fun, fun. It is also the week before state fine arts competition. Dan is going for debate and academic testing and Sam is going for vocal solo and choir, and photography.

We had a great Spanish luncheon at church Sunday with some great Spanish food! Empanadas!!! Those are great.

Speaking of Spanish - I subbed up in the high school a couple of times recently. But it's not the same :( Well, for one thing, the material is ABEKA and very boring, rote memory - at least for me. I don't like to see kids disinterested in Spanish.

Well, gotta run.

The Missions Conference

2006-02-27T13:59:00.000-05:00

Wow! This week has been great! The emphasis on world evangelization!

At Grace we all ask the Lord to direct us to give a certain amount weekly to missions. Pastor adds those totals up and we see how much we are commiting for the year to foreign missions. This is over and above the tithes. Well, our goal for this year was $120,000. Last night he announced that there was $129,000+ pledged! It is so wonderful to be involved in world missions and the best place money could ever be invested! You don't have any doubts when you give to missions as to whether or not the Lord is pleased.

It has been years since I have been a part of a church with as much interest in missions as Grace has. We never had a missions conference back in Indiana where many missionaries come in for the week and share their works. It was seldom a missionary spoke at the main service. But here it is a big focus, and it really stirs your heart to reach the world for Christ. We ate with these missionaries and laughed with them, got to know their kids, and heard about their works - basically communed together for the week, and it was good.

God is so GOOD to give us His family.

I love all of you.

Blessings

2006-02-19T22:38:00.000-05:00

This weekend has been great - first of all Mark and his friend Dane came down from Lafayette for all day Saturday and went to church with us this morning. It was so good to see them - we haven't gotten to spend a lot of time with Mark since he got done with training since he is still living up in Indiana. He starts a new job Monday as a med tech at the hospital in Logansport.

Then the preaching today was awesome. Pastor was talking tonight about how we are about to have missions conference and how there is "head preaching" and "heart preaching" and it is preferable to have both. We need to be touched in the heart - knowledge itself doesn't help much. We are excited about missions conference Wednesday through Saturday with a diffeent missionary every night and a keynote speaker as well as an international banquet on Saturday evening. The goal is to commit to support several more missionaries this year. And to see if the Lord wants to call any of our people into mission work, which is so needed.

God has helped all of us in our family to make decisions for Him lately in different areas - Libby even asked me to go to the altar tonight and pray with her that she would not be talking in school and would do what the teacher wants her to do. God is working in our midst in many ways and it is exciting!

Hope you had a good Lord's day. Here is a pic we took today.

2006-02-06T20:22:00.000-05:00

My husband put on the Wizard of Oz this evening. I love Judy Garland's voice in this and the movie is just a classic. Other than that I am doing taxes online :)

My K-4 kids just love praise. I start praising one for something and the rest all start to shape up because they want equal praise.

A sincere word of praise or thanks to those around us goes a long way. Who doesn't like that?

Jail visit

2006-01-27T16:37:00.000-05:00

We have been visiting a 19 year old girl in jail for a couple of months. Went through the plan of salvation and she thought she was saved. But she was raised Catholic - so today we broached all of those things they believe that we don't. It was a 1 1/2 hour friendly argument! She really believes in transubstanciation. And in praying to the saints. And in the supremacy of the Pope. That'll make you know the Word better, arguing like that. I wish it upon all of you! :))))

The robbery

2006-01-23T17:35:00.000-05:00

Things totally take you by suprise sometimes. Like getting into a car accident. Or being robbed.

My good friend ,Marlene, and I were about to leave this afternoon to make a visit to a lady who visited our Spanish class for the first time last week. We had just hopped in the van and it dawned on me she may not have eaten lunch yet. So I told here that they had some extra food in the kitchen in the building right in front of us. She started to get her billfold out, but I told her to never mind because the food had been announced as free. She tossed the billfold back into her purse and set it on the front seat of the van.

As she walked towards the building I got back out of the van and told her I'd go with, since she only speaks Spanish, and might want to ask the workers something. We were in ther maybe 2 or 3 minutes and said goodbye. After having a word of prayer for our visit, she decided to call a mutual friend for directions. At that point she realized her purse was missing. :(((

This is a lady who is from Panama and had her green card in her purse (very hard to replace quickly) as well as her social security card, bank car, checkbook, a little money, some medicine, etc. She was distraught. I felt so bad for her and yet know God has everything in control.

We filed a police report and they took fingerprints and asked questions.

You never know what will happen in a day and the most important part is how we respond. What is important to us? It sure shows in a crisis. Where is our faith? It also makes me very aware of the desire of Satan to thwart our plans to advance the kingdom of Christ. Gotta be alert.

2006-01-23T17:22:00.000-05:00

Libby with her haircut, for those who wanted a pic.

Rainy Saturday

2006-01-21T08:59:00.000-05:00

Boy, aren't Saturdays nice? Just the notion that you are not expected to show up for school or work - I like getting started slowly, even if I did wake up at 6:30 to take the dog out.
It's just Libby and I this morning. Dan and Dad left to go shopping and take Sam to a work meeting and then they are off to a friend's bday party.
This pic is of Libby on Tampa Bay when we went down to visit Clearwater Christian College. I will post one of her new haircut soon. Boy was that place pretty.
Tonight is a Fishers of Men banquet for those of us who completed the soulwinning course.
Last night after work we went to the library - Columbus has a huge new library with lots of everything. We have been enjoying getting DVDs of old TV series. Last night we watched the old Mary Tyler Moore show. Comedy has changed so much - back then they had good writers and very distinct characters with personality. I think that now a lot of the comedy revolves around sexual inuendos. What do you think?
It is great hearing from many of you. May the Lord bless you with a good weekend, especially Sunday. :)

2006-01-16T15:14:00.000-05:00

Holiday

2006-01-16T11:20:00.000-05:00

Yes, we have today off school. Sorry, for all you who don't :( I like winters down here - even if it is chilly in the morning it always warms up.
We went to Montgomery over the weekend for a deacon's retreat and it was nice to see a little bit of Alabama. Montgomery is only 1 and 1/2 hours from here.
Here is our family pic we did for Christmas, minus Mark Allen, who was not here for the pic. He is living in Fowler with Dan LaBue. We have a little doggie, as you can see.
I wish so bad we could see Fiddler ont he Roof in Lafayette in March. Sounds like a great production.
Sam took his PT test for ROTC. Now just on to the medical exam at the end of the month and interview.
I cut Libby's hair short - like a Dorothy Hamill cut. She looks cute.
The guys are moving things around in the sheds today to make an art spot for my husband. He has already been contracted to do kids murals for a nearby church in their children's dept. They are coming out great!
Happy holiday to all of you!

Sunday

2006-01-09T06:00:00.000-05:00

It is a neat experience to work the altar at church. At Grace many people come down front to pray. Sometimes people want to pray alone, but other times they want someone to pray with. It is a way we can bear one another's burdens. Yesterday there was an Army wife whose husband is delayed coming back from Iraq.
A few weeks ago CJ, a young woman in rehab for meth came forward to receive the Lord and I was able to lead her to Christ. What a joy to see the light in her eyes as salvation dawned on her.
Today is Monday - back to the work week :)

2006-01-07T13:02:00.000-05:00

New Year

2006-01-07T12:52:00.000-05:00

I can't believe how 2005 flew!
We celebrated the New Year with some new friends - the Fleeks, the Alexanders, the Mittens, and my sister and brother and lawand family, the Amsbaughs. Played Mad-gab - it was great! The women won, of course. :)

My K-4 class is back in session and we have now started reading groups. It is so cute to watch them walk to the reading circle and the big smile that spreads accross their face as they read the letters. They are adorable. Here is a pic.

We visited 2 Spanish stores on Thursday and are making friends with the owners. One is a Peruvian and one from El Salvador. They are both friendly and open. There is also a fellow my husband met at CiCis restaurant that is in the Army - can't remember from what country, but teaching here at the base right now, and interested in the church. Keep praying with us for new contacts.

Sam has been accepted to Clearwater Christian College and is working on a ROTC scholarship. Dan is going to enter in debate for Fine Arts competition - he should be good at that and is already researching. Libby is enjoying K-5.

We are looking forward to Deacon's Retreat in Montgomery next weekend.

I've been thinking a lot about my old Spanish students in Lafayette and miss them. I enjoy kindergarten, but also miss teaching Spanish.

Please comment and let me know what you are up to!

La vida

2005-11-18T20:21:00.000-05:00

Well, life in Georgia is rolling fast. We love the state and the people, though. Our church is great, Grace Baptist -and we hear great preaching every week. Pray that we will be able to reach Hispanics for Christ inthis area. Love to hear from you :)