Katrina

2005 was a crazy year for us. We got serious about having a baby and spent six months trying before getting that positive on a HPT on August 27. The following week we had plans to travel to the Gulf Coast to look at my mother-in-law's rental house that was on a street that led to the beach. The rat race in Atlanta was getting to us and we had decided that we would have the baby here and then move to Mississippi. It seemed like such a good plan. My sil had moved back there two years before from Atlanta and had remodeled a little cottage near the beach. Our child would be raised in a small town near her grandparents and we would be out of the fast pace of life that swirled around us here. We had many hurricane scares over the years and my husband would watch the weather vigilantly, but August 29 was different. We woke up to his hometown being wiped out and agonized over not being able to reach his parents and know if they were safe. Thankfully all our people were safe. His sister's home was still standing , but had filled with storm surge. The house we had planned to go live in had been broken in half. I probably think about Katrina every few months and still feel a great sense of sadness that she kept us here in Atlanta. The only thing left of the little house we were going to live in is the tile floor. Here is what it looked like after the storm.

Reign in Us

On Wednesday morning I woke up with a song playing in my head-Reign in Us. It has stayed with me all week and whenever my brain gets quiet or I have a minute, it floods into my thoughts. I love the chorus, but also the verse that sings out:

Spirit of the living God fall fresh again

come search our hearts and purify our lives

we need Your perfect love

we need Your discipline

we're lost unless You guide us with Your light

Returning to work last week was hard and this week brought classrooms full of sixth graders. This morning my reading gave me the question related to John 17:6 about how do I reveal God to those around me. I felt extremely resentful earlier this week about another task at school a coworker had "decided" would be a good thing for me to handle. My first thought was "how dare her dictate what she thinks I need to be doing". Now I do have a legitimate reason why I should not do this task, but in the end I decided that I should and I'm glad I did. Mainly I'm glad because I think it is what God wants me to do and I don't have to create conflict by not doing it. I know God gave me light this week by showing me he is in control and working in my life. I'm his and I don't have to react in a worldly way to the people I interact with each day in the world.

John 17: 6-10 6"I have revealed you to those whom you gave me out of the world. They were yours; you gave them to me and they have obeyed your word. 7Now they know that everything you have given me comes from you. 8For I gave them the words you gave me and they accepted them. They knew with certainty that I came from you, and they believed that you sent me. 9I pray for them. I am not praying for the world, but for those you have given me, for they are yours. 10All I have is yours, and all you have is mine. And glory has come to me through them.

Morning Routines

I have so many things on my mind right now and do not even know where to begin to share. I'm all over the place and feel the unrest and the fast pace of life creeping back in. One issue I really struggle with is not letting my attitude get wrecked. I can talk a good talk about trust and casting my cares upon the Lord, but do I really? My best laid plans yesterday (aka the first day of school) were running smooth till I had to involve other people in them. I left my house so frustrated and was determined not to let the anger I was feeling get the best of me. Driving to school I turned up the CD player as loud as I could and asked God to give me back my peace and joy as I sung along to Everlasting God . Thank goodness, God will not grow weary, because I hadn't even pulled into school yet and felt defeated. My attitude was still ugly for a bit, but I let it die out and did not nurse the self-righteous convictions I was having at how wrong the other people (aka T-Bone) had been that morning. We still need to talk about morning routines, but at least I'm not angry anymore. I'm smiling...

John 16: 31-33 "Do you now believe?" Jesus replied. "A time is coming and in fact has come when you will be scattered, each to your own home. You will leave me all alone. Yet I am not alone, for my Father is with me. "I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world."

Calm before the storm?

I was so glad this morning to be able to get up and not have to scoot out the door. It has made me a bit angry each morning that I couldn't hang out and read blogs, sip my coffee, be alone for a while before the family starts moving. Several things hit home this morning and I feel so thankful that I had the time to reflect on God's word and then stumble upon various blog posts that encouraged me. It feels like I had time to chat with friends even though it was reading posts from people that are virtual strangers. (My scripture today made me think of how we are all part of this huge body of Christ that is connected through the internet.) Funny how God uses technology to guide us. If I'm keeping it simple this week, I need to get on the ball and accomplish some things for the good of the order. Monday will bring a classroom full of students and I don't want my home to feel chaotic. Meals to plan, clothes to wash, planning for school, shopping, icky house to clean, and many other things that need to happen.

Colossians 3:15-17 "Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him."

Upgrading my faith...

I'm reading through John right now as a continuation of the message at church this past Sunday. Looking for how I should serve and wanting God to see my availability. He knows what holds me back. I realize that a lack of commitment is the mark of an immature Christian. I don't want to be immature; I want to be a grown-up.

John 17:17 Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth.

August 4th

I just realized that today was August 4th. It's the second day of back to school for me. My school looks all shiny and new. I walked into a newly painted and floored room with no furniture in it. I managed to round some up and am trying to smile. I'm glad I have a room because it means I have a class of my own. Reading-my favorite thing to teach. (can you see I'm counting blessings, so I'm not going to mention the chalkboard).
Back to August 4th, my son is supposed to board a plane out of Kandahar, Afghanistan today and head home for a two week leave. This is what he looked like the day we sent him off to war. I'm thinking he will look pretty much the same. I don't want him to be different. I've prayed a hedge of protection around him. I've asked God to surround him with Christian friends and to give him peace in a land of turmoil.
It's a waiting game now, but hopefully by week's end I'll be seeing him again. What are you waiting for?

I'm unwrapping the gift of a son coming home from a far away land and linking this to Tuesdays Unwrapped over at chatting at the sky. I enjoyed reading her post this morning.

John 15:7 If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you.

I am a Winner!

We had a week of events around here. T-bone and I celebrated our 10th anniversary. We said we would spend the 10th in Ocho Rios, but work and The Bird made that seem impossible. I didn't mind and had a hard time coming up with an important gift. I gave him a little book called I Like You and a bounce house. The bounce house wasn't really for our anniversary, but it seemed expensive and extravagant, so I claimed it as an anniversary gift. The Bird loves to jump! We thought we should buy something or I should get a piece of jewelry to mark the event. I even picked out a ring, but in the end decided I really didn't want it. I wanted the love and adoration of my husband and I got that. He said the sweetest things and I felt loved and lucky to have such a great husband.

The next day was my fil's birthday, the next day my sil's birthday (I made her dinner and gave her a pretty metal mermaid), and the next was T-Bone's birthday. I never bake, but got brave and made his mom's mahogany cake. It's a German chocolate cake with a chocolate coffee frosting. I never got the frosting thick enough and it puddled on the platter. The Bird was in charge of decorating and decided we needed balloons. We made a trip to a party store and she picked five balloons and a flower necklace for the decorations. She picked out three candles for the cake and planted them in the center. I made Green Chile Enchiladas and black beans for his birthday dinner. Usually I try and make something that seems "special" for birthday dinners, but we love these enchiladas and so keeping it simple this year seemed like a good idea. Our evening was fun and we all felt lucky to have each other and to celebrate T-Bone's birthday.

I also had a fun surprise that day. Lucky me! First of all, I never win anything. There could be two names in a hat for a drawing and my name would not be chosen. I had entered the drawing at 4 Reluctant Entertainers for a book giveaway and WON! I'll be receiving The House Always Wins by Marni Jameson. How fun! The Green Chile Enchiladas I made for T-Bone's dinner are a recipe I found at 4 Reluctant Entertainers a few weeks ago.

I feel blessed! Family, birthdays, and ten years married to a wonderful man! Yes, that's icing dripping off the platter.