Another Back to School Night in the books...

     Week two is over, and I survived!!!  Most importantly, another Back to School Night is behind me.  I am always a little nervous on Back to School Night. This year was no different......  Except Nate had is first Benton Middle School Scrimmage at 5PM, and Back to School Night started at 6:30!  AND it was 96 degrees in the shade!!

     Needless to say, I was able to watch Natedawg hike the pigskin for almost an hour, and Poppy and I  had seats in the shade!  Happy Day!

     Hopefully, I camouflaged my sweat and body odor so as not to offend the parents of my students?!!  Back to School night was pleasant, even though I was secretly worried the parents would notice my slightly orange hands- (from my poor spray-tanning preparations). LOL! If they noticed, they decided to keep it to themselves to avoid embarrassing the poor newbie teacher.  It was all good. And over. Another Back to School Night is in the books!  And I survived!  Whew! Week two is behind us, and we are rolling along.

    Perhaps the highlight of my week was listening to the fourth, fifth, and sixth graders sing in chapel this week.  It was sweet and pure. Uninhibited praise! Very moving! A Pretty awesome way to begin the day! 

First Week of School

   Well the first week of school is over!  And it was wonderful!  I have 17 wonderful 4th graders in my homeroom and 16 precious darlings in my other class.  I am excited about getting to know each of them a little better.
 
     Having chapel to begin the day is wonderful! The students are engaged. They are learning the bible and its truths each morning. Peg and I are taking it all in too!

    We are still trying to "learn" and remember our "new" schedules. ( It is hard to teach an old dog new tricks.)  The kids are trying to help us, too!

    The pleasant weather combined with the lower stress load has helped make this transition much easier.  I can't wait to see where this journey takes me......



These were our first day prizes for our students.  7*UP Lifting Ways to Start the 1st Week of School and Peggy's homemade chocolate chip cookies! Yummy!! (Thanks Brooke for finding for me! You are the BEST!)

I Am Selfish

I am selfish. I go on mission trips for selfish reasons. I enjoy traveling to new places. I love interacting with new  cultures, &  making new friends. It is for purely selfish reasons that sign up for mission trips.

    

     I despised Mission Friends, GAs, and Acteens.  Those church activities made me very uncomfortable. I could not imagine who in their right God- given mind would choose to live in a foreign country! Did they not enjoy air conditioning, "ice" tea , & the good  ole USA? One particular missionary story sealed the deal for me during GAs. My teacher shared about a missionary to Africa that came home to find a king cobra coiled up on her sofa! Did the writer of that  article believe that God would use that story to "call " me  to the mission field? Absolutely not! Never! It did quite the opposite...

      Because I am selfish. I knew The Lord would never call me to go to Africa or anywhere for that matter that had deadly venomous snakes!!! I was terrified of those creatures.  He called people that were brave, fearless, and selfless to be missionaries. I am not that person.  I have many fears, and I enjoy US luxuries too much to give it up for a stranger in a foreign land.  Wouldn't I be more useful in the US teaching school where it's safe? Where life is easier? Because I'm selfish.

     While pregnant with Peyton, I bought a book entitled, Miracle in a Shoebox by Franklin Graham. Because I am selfish. Of course I wanted God's best for my child.  I wanted him to read, to learn, to know the ways of the Lord.  I read the book to him and, we began packing shoeboxes for OCC.  It gave and still gives us pure joy to shop, pack, and pray for our OCC shoebox children. Because I am selfish,  I know  I don't want him to be.  I want him to love others more than himself. I want him to be a giver, not a taker.   Having experienced that "pure joy", I wanted and still want that life for both of my boys.  Because I am selfish, I want the best for my children.

 So for purely  selfish reasons I go on mission trips. God puts together unlikely groups to use their stories to glorify Him. Friendship are made with people from home and people thousands of miles away. It allows me to visit with old friends, like Royce and Sandra Watkins, sharing past memories and future visions. Hours of laughter and relief from the schedule of craziness that drives me at home are a few of my purely selfish motives. 

   But when I return o home, I'm forever changed. Always.  I struggle to reconnect with life as we know it in the states because I know life is bigger than what we can see here. I remember  a man in a remote village who was robbed, beaten, and almost killed. Our team went to pray with him and try to encourage  him. but it was the other way around. With sincerity, he explained how he had been praying for us to come to his village! We were his miracle!?? Wow!!! Humbling to know that he had been praying for us to visit his village and  share God's love with his people! What a loving heart he had for the people of his village. it made me think: do I even know my neighbor's name? 

     I continue to question why God would allow me to be born into a loving, Christian family in the greatest county on Earth. (Still waiting on an answer)   I  only know that I have a responsibility. that is to get up and geaux. And with selfish motives,  I will continue to go....because it's the greatest adventure ever.....with eternal benefits!! 

    

     

Miracle in a Shoebox

Juarez, Mexico

        At the end of last week, I was privileged to travel with a group from FBB to Juarez, Mexico.  We were blessed to work with Carlos Garcia and Samaritan's Purse to distribute Operation Christmas Child gifts to some precious children.
 
      I have read the book, Miracle in a Shoebox, by Franklin Graham to my boys and the students in my class for many years.   I have seen the power of the shoebox gifts a thousand times as little ones were given a gift and the gospel.  I have shopped, packed, and prayed over these life-changing shoe boxes, and the child that receives it.  But never has one shoebox affected me as powerfully as it did last Saturday afternoon in children's hospital in Juarez, Mexico....

     The children and families were enjoying special music and refreshments as our team prepared to hand out OCC gifts.  Finally, the gifts were distributed. The children were examining each and every item carefully stuffed into the boxes.  Making my way around the room, I discovered a precious little girl sitting with her parents.  She wasn't more than two and had tiny, dark curls surrounding her doll-like face.  Her parents looked puzzled.  I stopped to inspect the gift. That's when I saw the photo and the envelope.  Something hit me at that moment.  I saw the photo of a young couple, Audra & Jason from Windsor, Colorado.

     For the first time, I realized the difference one shoebox can make in one family's  life.   Certainly, I had shopped, packed, prayed, tracked, and even distributed shoe boxes for years now.  But suddenly, it was real! Our shoeboxes were just like the one from Audra & Jason.  This box was sent to a real person from a loving couple in hopes of  sharing the love of Christ.

    It was an eye-opening experience for me.  Each shoebox really does matter.  God is using this ministry to show His love to others around the world.  And He allows us the opportunity to participate in the process.  (The Lord allows us to bless others while we are blessed in the process.)  Isn't it amazing how God works?

    So there really is a miracle in a shoebox......each and every one.

     

I read this blog today after seeing it on twitter!!! It's exactly what PT &  I discussed last night. Interesting how quick we are to judge when all of us just need forgiveness. Enjoy!!!

http://thedailylove.com/why-