New Book to Read

Here I am, 26, and finally starting a career. At least what I hope will be a career. After consultations with God, my husband, my parents and others it has been decided that my ministry is going to take place in the public school system of America. I don't know how or why but that is that. I will begin teaching Science to Jr. High students in the very near future, about a month from now. I'm excited.



It's like getting a book but not getting to read it yet. I've had this book sitting on my shelf for about 7 months and have just now had the opportunity to sink my teeth into it. There were a lot of other things going on that required my attention: grad school, graduation from grad school, getting married, training to be a teacher, getting a teaching job, that kind of thing. But alas now I am reading it.



I must say when I bought it I had no idea what it was about. "A Million Miles in a Thousand Years" isn't the kind of information giving title that makes you jump out of your seat to read it. However it was intriguing enough to buy, not to mention the latest from Donald Miller (the Blue Like Jazz guy) who writes as if he were having a conversation with you across the table. So far so good. Really makes you want to jump into a story <- read it to better understand that.



So, I feel like I am doing that. Jumping into a story. I'm going to be a science teacher. I have worked hard, and been through hours of training sessions to get to this point but I feel as though it was all the preface. Chapter 1 is finally starting. It the part where I find out I am completely unprepared to teach science to Jr. High students and yet if I could start today I would. It's the chapter when I express all my fears about wanting to be liked and if my name on my social security records will get changed in time for my first pay check and insurance. It's the section of the book where all the anticipations and expectations are laid out, as if there was a lesson plan for the year and I am checking things off. It's the part where my husband and I embark on a new life adventure, together, for the first time. It's a love story, a fairy tale and a reality show. It's chapter 1. Welcome to my story. Hope you find it as good a read as I am.

The Neighbors

Jason is off all day today, which naturally means he would be up all night playing games or watching movies. And, that's exactly what was happening (so I'm told) until about 1a.m. Around that time he heard some music and quickly discovered it was coming from the neighbors. He went out to ask them to turn it down in an attempt to prevent Jeremy or me from waking up prior to our 5 a.m. alarms. Turns out the music was coming from the car and the girl apparently has today off too and wanted to stay up and do her thing. After a little discussion about the music she turned it down or off and then began to attempt to put the car in the garage or closer to the house. I'm not really sure b/c I didn't get all the details.

none the less, she couldn't start the car b/c the battery was dead. Jason ask her if she needed jumper cables and she responded that her roommate was getting some and he would be back. So Jason comes back inside and watches through the window as the girl tries to move the truck around the car tearing up the yard- on their side. OUR SIDE IS FINE MOM PLEASE TELL DAD THERE IS NOTHING TO WORRY ABOUT.

Eventually she comes to the house and ask Jason if they can borrow some jumper cables. I'm guessing we are at 1:30-2 a.m. at this point. Jason has some and take them over and help the roommate jump the car and they get it started. At that point they invited Jason to play darts in the garage, knowing he is off today considering they have had plenty of time to talk. Jason accepts and the girl goes inside at some point leaving Jason and the guy, whose name I believe is Jason also, stay outside and talk.

Amazingly the conversation turns toward God. My Jason responding to a question. He tells the guy he talks to God everyday. Jason 2 is feeling lost and stuck in his job and says he's been praying about what to do. My Jason tells him maybe God is trying to tell him he should move on.

The conversation progresses into My Jason telling Jason 2 about my and Jeremy and our church. My Jason said no one has it all together but if we let God in he will work on us. He also told him about American Idol at our house tonight.

I don't know if they will come but I think we are gonna take measures to build on the door God probably opened a long time ago and that Jason finally walked through for all of us.

Jason was so excited he stayed up until 5 when I got up and told me this morning. After that he promptly passed out. lol That's my boy!

Thank you God for late nights and jumper cables.

Far too long

I can't believe that I have only posted once this year. That is ridiculous! So here we go. Let's play catch up in a few sentences as possible.

I am living in Cleburne with mom and dad, trying to save money and finish school. It's been fun but I'm ready for mom to come home. Jason moved back to Belton in March so that has been hard to but 1 1/2 hours is a lot easier drive than 2,000 miles.

I will finish my masters in May thanks to a miss communication about my degree plan. I'm at peace- it's 3 field ed. hours so it'll be alright. I have one research paper and one group paper left for the semester. I will have my comps on the 16 and I've already passed my EBE so at the end of this semester the hard stuff is over. Hopefully.

I an working on a teaching certification. Right now I am trying to get a job preferably in Middle school english or social studies.

My baby sister is getting married Saturday and I am super excited! It is going to be a wonderful wedding.

Jason and I will celebrate 2 years of dating on November 24th and I an super excited about that as well.

Jeff and April had their third kiddo- Ali May in May and Ty started Kindergarten in August. Where does the time go?

My only remaining college roommate got married in June. It was wonderful to be back with everyone.

ACU Used my face for the job fair for the 5th semester in a row.

And finally, I have not started playing Christmas music yet because Sonic doesn't have their holiday cups.

Maybe I'll be inspired to keep up with this better but If I were you, I wouldn't hold my breath.

5K training

So I know it sounds silly to train for a 5k but if you hate running as much as I do and have zero desire to do it then a regime is perfect. I started today and so far so good. It's a three week training with the weeks following the third being the same until the 5k. Wish me luck!

Absolutely Absurd Alliterations and HSM3 and CHRISTMAS MUSIC

So I was sitting at Fuddrucker's Sunday night eating dinner with a few of the coolest Middle Schoolers I know and we started talking about alliterations. Apparently my 6th graders are learning about them in school. On of them said that his teacher was dancing around to one she made up "Billy's booty bumps Betty." The kids laughed and then I challenged them to make up a longer sentence that began the same way. This is what they ended up with, "Billy's booty bumped Betty because Bobby's bicycle bumper bounced between Beck and Bo." Not bad...

The next challenge was an alliteration with the letter "P"

"Petunia's pencils poked Paul's pickled pretzels while Peter prestigiously piled pretty pink pigs."

That one doesn't quite make as much sense but I got a kick out of listening to them make it up.

I am enjoying my last few weeks in Belton. It has been such a joy to spend time with the teens. It will be hard not to see them on a regular basis.

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I went and saw High School Musical 3 with three of the Middle School girls on Saturday. If you know me at all you know that when it comes to TV and Movies I have the same taste as a teenage girl. I love cheesy movies, sappy movies, and made for TV movies so when HSM3 came out I was totally pumped. I thought it was a great movie. Loved the music, the dancing and of course the love story. I recommend it to any of those who find your taste identifying with mine.

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All I will say about Christmas music is that it is time to get in the holiday spirit and that means a little bit of decking the halls and jingling bells. :o)

Seriously!

Ok so for the third year in a row my face is the advertisement for the ACU Graduation fair BUT I finally got to see the poster hanging in the campus center. I couldn't pass up the opportunity to take a little picture. So here it is for the first time... Me and Me...

Watch out Sarah Palin

A few highlights from vacation. It was great! I love the last picture. I was born to be on Capitol Hill!


















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Metro Mission Update

Hey everyone. I am here in Houston with the best group of 6th-9th graders in the world and while we are missing home we are doing some great things for the church here in Alvin.

Monday we spent the morning at a Retirement Center. We sang lots of songs and met some really sweet men and women. In the after noon we took turns painting and working outside around the church building pulling weeds and such.

Tuesday (Yesterday) we had a FREE carwash. We got rained on a little bit but we successfully washed the cars of the brave residents of Alvin, Texas. We also painted in shifts yesterday.

Today we are painting and cleaning. You didn't know we had such artist in our group did you? The painting we are working on is a mural the length of the children's hallway. The walls walk through the story of the old testament from Adam and Eve to Jonah and most stuff in between. There is also a "Jesus Wall" that is snapshots of the life of Christ, the highlights if you will.

The pictures you are going to see are just a few of the things we are doing. Hopefully tomorrow I will be able to put up pictures of met goals.

Our kids are doing great and we are pumped about a great day today.

WEATHER UPDATE FOR OUR PARENTS: Hurricane Dolly is way south of us. We are watching the doppler closely and if we are in danger we will come home and call you on our way, however right now we are fine and the forecast here is simply rain. We have let the kids know that it is going to rain and maybe pretty hard but we are safe. They also know they can ask us if they need to call home and to tell us if they are scared. I assure you your children are in good hands and we will keep you posted. If you need to call you have our numbers.

Two weeks and counting

So this summer I have the unique opportunity of directing the camp i grew up going to. I would have never thought in a million years I would inherit this amazing job but I am so blessed to have the opportunity to do it.

It is a lot of work and as the days count down and camp gets closer I am finding there is more and more to do. It's great to get to work with a team like I have. All the youth ministers and preachers in the area as well as some amazing members of our churches and some old friends. It's great!

I am excited but really busy so this post is mostly to solicit your prayers as this next month promises great things. Thank you for praying for me and the staff of Camp Koinonia and I'll keep you posted!

Yeah...Yeah..

It's been a while. I know. I'm not apologizing. It's crazy busy. I hope everyone is doing ok. We are gearing up for the summer here in Belton. It's gonna be great and filled with great things to do but more importantly great ministry opportunities. I am really pumped about it.

Tonight is Belton High School Graduation and Saturday is Temple High School Graduation. I am really excited for our kids who are finishing High School at 8 pm tonight (which is pretty late). Maybe I'm old but I hope I can stay up all the way through Wardell. I think thats the last one I know.

Anyway. here are a few pictures of some of our graduates. enjoy and have a great evening.