Facebook...

Oh my, I'm jumping into 'weblife' with both feet! Joined Facebook this week and have already connected with some great friends from college! How cool is that?!

(Are YOU on facebook? Find me and let me know!)

What's been happening in the past few days?
Running FOUR paper routes every day this week at 3AM (instead of the normal TWO).
Auditioned for the Holland Chorale - and made it - rehearsals begin Sept. 4.
Proctored an exam at JCI in Holland - a Manpower job.
Worked some Private Duty shifts with Royal Care Home Services.
Cleaned out the garage - okay, HALF of the garage.
Completed all lesson plans except Science - my least favorite subject to teach.
Joined FACEBOOK - such a techie I'm becoming!
Got books from the library on crocheting... need a new Christmas afghan this year.
Thursday night - Bible Study at Maranatha church - Daniel, by Beth Moore.
Great report from my oncologist.... everything looks great!
Had a chest exray and mammogram - both came back normal and clear! Yea!

Not writing much this morning. Going to go do my Beth Moore Bible Study in Daniel. Man! That woman can teach! What a gift! Can't wait to jump into today's study.

Bye!

Lesson plans

We are taking six weeks for "summer break" this year. And summer is winding down.

Eighth and ninth grades start on September 1st. Thanks to my dear friend, Mary, I've got a better handle on making out lesson plans and heading into this school year. It feels great to be better organized, with a good overview of where we are heading as we start the year.

As I've prayed about it, looked through the texts and gotten feedback from other homeschool moms, the 'big picture' for the school year comes into view. And the Lord has confirmed things several times as I've discussed plans for the year with Chris. It's a wonderful thing when he brings up something before I do... and we both have the same thoughts about what should be done. God is good!

So far I've planned out Math9 and Math8, Literature, Vocabulary, and Health. Still have to fill the plan book with Grammar, Science, Spanish, Computer and World Geography.

Forget about the 'thrill' of running to the store to buy back packs, mechanical pencils and protractors... I get a little rush from receiving a book order and opening the textbooks, teacher resources, and test/quiz books and writing out the lesson plans! It's a great accomplishment to see the lesson plan book all filled in.

Ultimately, of course, our days are in the hands of our heavenly Father. Most days our 'lesson plans' will stand and will be accomplished. But there will probably be some days when His 'plans are not our plans' and we will bend and be flexible. His thoughts are always higher and His ways are always infinitely better than ours. So I will lay out the 'plans' within my limited view of the road ahead, and trust God to show me what changes might need to be made. Soli Deo Gloria!

Raccoon... Skunk.... Deer!

Okay, so we have this early morning paper route. Actually we have two. One is a wholesale route in which we drive to various businesses and either drop bundles of papers at their door, or fill the racks with Holland Sentinel and/or USA Today papers. The other is a home delivery route - still done from the car - the fun is 'chucking' the papers and hitting your mark from the car window. It's been great to spend the time with the boys in the early morning hours... lots of good talks and lots of fun times, too. I drive it with them and they trade off per week. When Chris has a day off, he graciously offers to let me sleep and he takes the route.

A few days ago, Timi and I were driving the dark highway between wholesale drops and came up over a rise to find four very surprised raccoons huddled over something right in the center of our lane. Well... I was doing about 30 mph. I think two of them got away safely. I feel badly for the other two, but we were kind of chuckling afterward at the 'look' on their faces... rather cartoon-ish... They all looked up at the same time... "Wha?????"

The next day, in the same vicinity, I turned on my bright lights and joked, saying, "Hopefully there are no raccoons out this morning!" In the next second, what did I see??? A skunk... meandering across our lane.... until I hit him. Not so funny with the smell and all.

So we've been 'roadkill' free for a couple of days. (By the way, last week we had the front brakes replaced.)

TODAY, Chris and Jono took the route and I got a phone call as I tried to sleep in...
"Hi, honey. It's me. Ummm. Jono and I just ran over a deer in the road."

(Actually it was off to the side of the lane, but its legs were in the road. Chris swerved to miss it, but ran over the legs.)

"Now the brakes feel really funny and there's a weird smell coming from the front end of the car."

"We're coming home to switch cars."

When they got home, smoke was coming from the front left tire. So, we'll be taking the car into the shop again next week.
Crazy, huh!? I'm staying home today... not driving anywhere.

Life goes on... Keep on singing!

Loving this weather! Mid-70's and cool (almost cold) nights! No A/C running, just windows wide open and fresh air flowing. We took a family hike up and down "millions" of stairs (over the dune) at Laketown Park on Saturday night. Wonderful weather. Flew a kite together and enjoyed the "stair climb".... (although two days later, I can barely climb or descend a single stair without pain!)
Tonight we're going to check out Hemlock Crossings park... said to be a level walk. "Ahhh!"

I'm keeping busy... Private Duty hours with Royal Care Home Services, 3:30 am paper routes with the boys, 1:00 am "stuffing" of Sunday inserts at the newspaper building, beach days with best friends, laying out the school year in lesson plans, prayer sessions with sisters in Christ, Daniel Bible Study on Thursday nights, special music at Forest Park, worship services at Woodhaven Reformed and 1st Jennison CRC, and other normal stuff like taking the van in for brakes and a 3-month check-up with my oncologist... Life goes on!

And it goes by quickly! God is faithful and God is GOOD! He is our provider and our peace, our wisdom and our refuge! I keep on singing because He is worthy!

From Sunday's solo at FPCC:
My life flows on in endless song above earth's lamentation.
I hear the sweet though far-off hymn that hails a new creation.
Through all the tumult and the strife I hear the music ringing.
It finds an echo in my soul... How can I keep from singing?

What though my joys and comforts die?
The Lord, my Savior liveth.
What though the darkness gather round?
Songs in the night He giveth.
No storm can shake my inmost calm while to the refuge clinging.
Since Christ is Lord of Heaven and Earth, how can I keep from singing?

I lift my eyes, the cloud grows thin; I see the blue above it.
And day by day this pathway smooths since first I learned to love it.
The peace of Christ makes fresh my heart, a fountain ever springing.
All things are mine since I am His... How can I keep from singing?
How can I keep from singing?!

Find your song and keep singing!

Love Deeply

Thinking of my mom these past few days. Missing her. Longing to hear her voice again. My dad, too. It's been fourteen years since Dad left this earth for his heavenly home and thirteen years since Mom went. Twelve years since Chris's mom arrived in heaven. But some days it's as fresh as yesterday. When those tears and emotions start to flow, I try to be thankful. I'm convinced it wouldn't hurt so much if I didn't love them so much. The grieving becomes an old friend.

So, love deeply those around you. The risk of hurt is greater, but it's worth it. Tell your loved ones... Tell your friends... how much they mean to you. Invest in their lives and let them enrich yours.

The school books are here!

Yesterday afternoon I came home to find a large box from A Beka books on my front porch. Funny how the the boys didn't answer the doorbell or bring in the box while I was gone... Hmmmm.. wonder why? Probably because it was filled with textbooks: science, health, world geography, literature. (We already have math and grammar. The vocabulary, spanish and computer science courses are coming from a different company.)

Do you remember the thrill of smelling a brand new box of crayola crayons?! Or how about going to the sharpener with all those new blunt-end pencils?! Whoo-hoo! That's excitement! I am really looking forward to this school year. I feel more ready this year than before, but I can't explain why. Must be the LORD!

I started work this week as an Aide at Royal Atrium assisted living home. My next door neighbor and good friend, helped me get an interview last week. The job is 'contingent' hours - which means you're on call or filling-in for the regular employees. But they say they'll try to give me as many hours as they can.

I also applied at our local library for a position at the check-out desk. Would LOVE to work there!

Today I also had an interview at Holland Rescue Mission for a receptionist/gifts processor position. It went well and they will call me in a few days, if I am moving forward in the interview process.

So... there's hope on the horizon. I could possibly be very busy working this fall. And yet I'm very comfortable planning our home school year and getting ready for that. I'm trusting that God knows my scheduling needs better than I do. He certainly knows our financial and basic needs and I trust Him to give me wisdom to put "LIFE" together so that it all honors Him and works together for good for all of us.

My latest favorite song is by Chris Sligh(sp?) (I just read his cd cover in the bookstore yesterday. Apparently he was an American Idol finalist...)

Empty Me...
(chorus.. from my memory)
Empty me of the selfishness inside,
every vain ambition,
and the poison of my pride.
And any foolish thing my heart holds to.
Lord, empty me of ME so I can be filled with YOU.

Cause everything is a lesser thing, compared to You
Compared to You
Everything is a lesser thing, compared to You.

Everytime it comes on the car radio, I'm singing at the top of my lungs. (The boys don't even roll their eyes anymore, they just sit quietly through it.)

Time to go make lunch and then do my Daniel Bible study! More later!

Been so long!!!

Wow! It's been a month since I've last blogged! (Okay, Laurie, thanks for asking!)

HUMMUS... "Hhhhmmmmmmm-US" I just made some of this for the first time this week. It's very popular. I hear about it all the time. Healthy! Yummy! Trendy! "What in the world is TAHINI????" My local Meijer knows what it is... so I bought some. Five dollars a jar?! It'd better make my Hmmm-us delicious! Well, I've discovered that hummus is an acquired taste. And I'm still trying to acquire it. (My lunch today: Whole grain crackers, tuna, hummus and some huge radishes I got at the farmer's market downtown on Weds.) I'll let you know if I ever really acquire the taste for Hummus. "Hhhmmmmm?!"

Thank you God, for making garbanzo beans and tahini. And thanks for giving them cool names! (Both are fun to say!)

And while I'm talking about new things... Has anyone tried Bubble Tea? I went to a coffee house with a dear friend and we had Bubble Tea. Iced Cran-Raspbery black tea with "bubbles". The bubbles are actually huge tapioca balls that are soaked in a light sugar water - oh and they're colored all sorts of wonderful colors. Food coloring and sugar - probably not as healthy as HUMMUS. But the tea was fabulous. It's the bubbles I've decided I can do without. Very fun idea. Looks cool. Fun to say, "Bubble Tea, please!" The bubble sit in the bottom of the glass (probably displacing about 1/3 of the amount of iced tea you could have had without them) and you get a wide straw so you can "suck them up" as you drink your tea. About the size of a large pea. I don't know. Costs more for the Bubble tea. You get less actual tea because of the bubbles. And tapioca balls are definitely another acquired taste!

Thank you God, for creating interesting things like tapioca balls! And thank you for the wonderful fellowship of dear friends like Gail! Christian friendships are a blessing - with cokes, coffee or even bubble tea!

Now, here are a couple of "gems" I've gleaned from the Daniel Bible Study:

Daniel 1:8. (Go get your Bible and look it up! Be IN the Word!) I desire to live a life filled with RESOLVE; living more INTENTIONALLY as a Christ follower.

Daniel 5:1-9 (Still have your Bible open? Look it up!) A related Scripture is II Timothy 2:20, 21 (Yep! Turn to it!) We are holy vessels set apart for holy purposes. We are not the ones who can make ourselves holy, that's the miraculous work of the Holy Spirit. We are holy because GOD makes us holy. He has plans to use us for His holy purposes! Awesome!

And here's another thought from the Daniel study: (actually it's a quote)
"Daniel did not join the carnal or unbelieving masses in his response toward God. He refused to blend in. The magnetic draw of the Babylonian culture failed to overtake him. He never assimilated. Neither did he settle into the lowest common denominator of devotion practiced by his closest friends or kin. We get caught in that trap sometimes. We abide in our subgroups by unspoken codes dictating how far we'll go in our devotion to God. Anyone who goes overboard or takes it too seriously is considered eccentric, not extraordinary. For some, the flow of the world can be easier to resist than the flow of Christian mediocrity." (Beth Moore)

Remember that Sunday School song? "Dare to be a Daniel, dare to stand alone..."? I want to be more like Daniel.

Oh! and speaking of lions....
Check this out: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=adYbFQFXG0U

Have a great day!