Deep Thinker

Deeply rooted in Him

2011-07-02T23:40:00.000-05:00

“But blessed is the one who trusts in the LORD,
whose confidence is in him.
They will be like a tree planted by the water
that sends out its roots by the stream.
It does not fear when heat comes;
its leaves are always green.
It has no worries in a year of drought
and never fails to bear fruit.”

Jeremiah 17:7-8

Heartache

2011-07-02T01:31:00.000-05:00

It’s undeniable that we should be together
It’s unbelievable, how I used to say that I’d fall never
The basis is need to know
If you just don’t know how I feel
Then let me show you that now I’m for real
If all the things in time, time will reveal
Yeah

1 - one, you’re like a dream come true
Two, just wanna be with you
Three, girl it’s plain to see
That you’re the only one for me and
Four, repeat steps one through three
Five, make you fall in love with me
If ever I believe my work is done
Then I’ll start back at one

(yeah)
It’s so incredible, the way things work themselves out
And all emotional, once you know what it’s all about, hey
And undesirable, for us to be apart
I never would’ve made it very far
’cause you know you got the keys to my heart
’cause...

Repeat 1

Say farewell to the dark of night
I see the coming of the sun
I feel like a little child, whose life has just begun
You came and breathed new life into this lonely heart of mine
You threw out the life line
Just in the nick of time

Brian McKnight

Limbo

2011-03-17T19:30:00.001-05:00

Right now I feel that I am in limbo. Some tough things have happened in my life very recently and I am not sure what it is God is doing. I feel like I want to know what will happen months from now but I can barely make it through one day without being emotional. I find myself questioning so much about who I am and what I want. What is the purpose of my life? Where are you leading me Lord? How do I get out of bed each morning and choose to be joyful? How do I praise you through these hard times?

I do know this: Before these trials, I never have spent enough time listening to God and actually hearing His voice. I have not spent a lot of time in devoted prayer or spent any real time fasting about anything. I let other things distract me into feeling content. But as soon as a trial comes, I am suddenly drawing closer to God. I did not live liked I needed Him as much when life was not as hard. Now I feel the Lord drawing me closer to Him so I can learn what true intimacy is.

You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. Jeremiah 29:13

“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened." Matthew 7:7-8

Tough times

2011-03-16T22:21:00.000-05:00

My heart hurts right now for many reasons and thankfully the Lord knows those. I am trying to lean on Him for support and comfort but it is tough. I keep asking questions when I know I should trust Him. I keep wanting all the answers and wanting to know what the future holds but He has just asked me to have faith in Him right now. My mom shared these verses with me during a very trying time at work.

When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze. For I am the LORD your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior. Isaiah 43: 2-3a

How encouraging it is to know He will be with me through the pain and the flames will not set me ablaze!

He is always faithful

2011-03-15T18:26:00.002-05:00

This is a song by Sara Groves I first heard in 2007. It has always struck a chord with me and especially now, as I look back on over 20 years as a Christian. I can see His hand through it all.

Morning by morning I wake up to find
the power and comfort of God's hand in mine.
Season by season I watch him amazed, in
awe of the mystery of his perfect ways

CHORUS:
All I have need of his hand will provide.
He's always been faithful to me

I can't remember a trial or a pain he did
not recycle to bring me gain. I can't
remember one single regret in serving
God only and trusting his hand

CHORUS

This is my anthem, this is my song, the
theme of the stories I've heard for so long.
God has been faithful, he will be again.
His loving compassion, it knows no end.

Prone to Wander

2009-06-24T15:39:00.002-05:00

No words can express what I am feeling today so I found the lyrics to one of the greatest hymns ever written.

Come, Thou Fount of every blessing,
Tune my heart to sing Thy grace;
Streams of mercy, never ceasing,
Call for songs of loudest praise.
Teach me some melodious sonnet,
Sung by flaming tongues above.
Praise the mount! I’m fixed upon it,
Mount of Thy redeeming love.

Sorrowing I shall be in spirit,
Till released from flesh and sin,
Yet from what I do inherit,
Here Thy praises I’ll begin;
Here I raise my Ebenezer;
Here by Thy great help I’ve come;
And I hope, by Thy good pleasure,
Safely to arrive at home.

Jesus sought me when a stranger,
Wandering from the fold of God;
He, to rescue me from danger,
Interposed His precious blood;
How His kindness yet pursues me
Mortal tongue can never tell,
Clothed in flesh, till death shall loose me
I cannot proclaim it well.

O to grace how great a debtor
Daily I’m constrained to be!
Let Thy goodness, like a fetter,
Bind my wandering heart to Thee.
Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it,
Prone to leave the God I love;
Here’s my heart, O take and seal it,
Seal it for Thy courts above.

O that day when freed from sinning,
I shall see Thy lovely face;
Clothed then in blood washed linen
How I’ll sing Thy sovereign grace;
Come, my Lord, no longer tarry,
Take my ransomed soul away;
Send thine angels now to carry
Me to realms of endless day.

Sanctification

2008-10-21T15:59:00.002-05:00

In my last post, I spoke about the Lord preparing me for something big in my life. I am not sure what exactly that may be but I know I am being sanctified right now. He is constantly revealing the sins of my heart and how they keep me from fellowship with Him. At times, I do not want to accept the discipline. I think that it is too hard to let go of my pride and submit to His sharpening. I can remember a time when I thought the Christian life got easier as we grew. Boy was I wrong! God allows trials and suffering in our lives to build our character Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials,
knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. James 1:2-4
He allows these times for our good, not to be mean to us. Only the enemy wants to discourage us during these trials. 26 Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. 27 And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. 28 And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. Romans 8:26-28
This past Sunday morning I was really bothered by something. It continued to plague my mind throughout church and the afternoon. It was something I felt that I was supposed to be in control of therefore I was worried about it. I felt I needed to be doing something about it. The Lord helped me see that His plan is sovereign and I cannot control this. I finally felt a sense of peace.
27 "I am the LORD, the God of all mankind. Is anything too hard for me? Jeremiah 32:27

10 Though the mountains be shaken
and the hills be removed,
yet my unfailing love for you will not be shaken
nor my covenant of peace be removed,"
says the LORD, who has compassion on you. Isaiah 54:10

I was encouraged by Larry Crabb's book Inside Out, which deals with the fact that our sins keep us from real change. Until we deal with the truth about our lives, we cannot move onto changing. In the chapter entitled "The Problem of Damandingness," he says to trust God is to demand nothing. He relates this demandingness to Job's condition. He then exposes Job's ugliness to him.
3 You asked, 'Who is this that obscures my counsel without knowledge?'
Surely I spoke of things I did not understand,
things too wonderful for me to know.

4 "You said, 'Listen now, and I will speak;
I will question you,
and you shall answer me.'

5 My ears had heard of you
but now my eyes have seen you.

6 Therefore I despise myself
and repent in dust and ashes."
Job 42:3-6

I realized I had been demanding of God in certain areas of my life and I had to repent right away! If I am constantly demanding things from Him, I will be miserable. I have to trust Him fully to accomplish His will in my life.

Just wanted to share what was on my heart.

Fall down like rain

2008-10-17T12:28:00.003-05:00

It has been WAY too long since my last post and I am not sure that anyone checks this anymore but I have some things on my heart that I want to say.

I feel that the Lord has been preparing me for something really big since July of 2007 when I came back Quba. I learned a lot about people who have so few possessions yet have a huge desire for the Lord. They were in such need physically and when they were introduced to the Lord, they accepted Him so willingly. It was was amazing to see their passion for the Lord and it made me analyze my focus on "things" that take the place of God in my life.

Throughout all of last year as I experienced the life of a teacher, I was faced with many challenges. It felt like drudgery to get up incredibly early everyday and face the monsters waiting for me to teach them something important. I was tired most days and emotionally drained. I had no desire to love these hateful children. They had nothing nice to say nor did they have any real commitment to school work. Their lives outside of school were full of problems and therefore they were a product of their environment. Their parents sent them to my class to babysit them as well as discipline them, parent them, teach them social skills, educate them, give them advice and pretty much teach them anything that they had not learned at home. I did not take well to accepting my task at hand. I was so angry all the time and struggled to see anything positive about what I was doing at this school. I certainly had yelled at them and said things out of emotion. I definitely had hatred in my heart for the bad kids. I could have cared less about the gangsters. I had no compassion for the girls that gave me a nasty response when I told them to stay on task and stop talking. I tried to get the counselors to transfer these kids out of my class. They did at times but that was not always the solution to the problem.

I kept asking the Lord for another job or at least another grade level to switch to. I figured I could survive the school year and transfer somewhere else where the kids actually liked me. I mean, they did not care about what I was teaching so why should I care about them? Well the Lord was continuing to work on my prideful heart everyday. In the spring I did the Breaking Free Bible study by Beth Moore and saw the many strongholds in my life. I also learned how Satan had gotten a foothold in my heart. I was against the students and they were against me because I wanted to control them. I also had pride because if they treated me with disrespect I had no desire to give them much mercy. Once they were wrong, they were wrong always. I had to learn how to pray for the hard students in order to let the Lord soften my heart. At times, I did repair the relationship with the difficult student but mostly I tried to find them doing something wrong.

During the spring semester, I was also struggling with singleness. Several friends had gotten engaged in December and several more in the spring. It seemed that the singles department at church had a whirlwind of dating couples, engaged couples and newly married couples. My younger sister had also gotten engaged. This was crushing my spirit. I kept comparing myself to others and felt I was ready for a relationship but it was not happening. When you start comparing yourself to other believers you begin to covet what they have. I had other girlfriends who were single and it seemed to be the topic of conversation. Who likes who and who we could date and who will we marry. Why are we still single? Are we all that bad? That just further deepened the longing.

The Lord kept speaking to my heart and blessed me abundantly. He kept giving me amazing opportunities to share my faith with others and to serve Him. I formed a bond with a few students at school that felt they could trust me. I also was able to be there for some new friends in my life and encourage them. I was blessed with a summer job to pay off my taxes. I was able to be involved in the contemporary choir ministry where I met one of my closest friends. I had also grown closer to another friend of mine. God then gave then gave me rest in July 2008 since I had the summer off from teaching. It was nice to not work for a month and a half! I enjoyed spending lots of time with my friends and serving the community with my church. I got to see my parents in Lake Charles and spend much needed quality time with them.
My life was full and I was trying to walk closer with the Lord each day. He kept softening my heart towards Him. I was learning how to pray more fervently and serve wholeheartedly. I accepted that He had created me as a listener and an advice giver therefore that was how I was to serve Him.

But Lord, I want to be a wife and mother! I want to practice loving someone like You love the Church. I want someone to pursue me and challenge me in my faith. I desire to glorify You through being in a relationship Lord! I am excited about it and I will accept the task at hand! I have served my time as a single. I love all the things I get to do but I would prefer to be in relationship. This desire gets stronger everyday!

A new friend of mine showed me this verse:
For the LORD God is a sun and shield;
the LORD bestows favor and honor;
no good thing does he withhold
from those whose walk is blameless.
Psalm 84:11
And I also found this to be encouraging:

Yet, O LORD, you are our Father.
We are the clay, you are the potter;
we are all the work of your hand.
Isaiah 64:8

Lord, I trust You with my life. You created me with Your hands! How could I question You? You will bestow honor on those whose walk is blameless. You will not withhold good from me. I have no need to worry about being married because you have called me to be anxious for nothing (Phil. 4:6,7).

I heard this amazing song at choir practice on Wednesday and linked the entire song to the title of my entry (just click on it). It is called Open Up the Sky by Jonathan Stockstill who sings at Bethany Prayer Center in Baton Rouge. Here are the lyrics:

verse 1
Our beloved Father please come down and meet us
We are waiting on Your touch
Open up the heavens, shower down Your presence
We respond to Your great love

pre-chorus
We won't be satisfied with anything ordinary
We won't be satisfied at all

chorus
Open up the sky, fall down like rain
We don't want blessings, we want You
Open up the sky, fall down like fire,
We don't want anything but You

verse 2
Our beloved Jesus we just want to see You
in the glory of Your light
Earthly things don't matter
They just fade and shatter
When we're touched by love divine

chorus
Open up the sky, fall down like rain
We don't want blessings, we want You
Open up the sky, fall down like fire,
We don't want anything but You

Bridge
Here we go lets go to the throne

This is the song of my heart...

My little brother

2008-07-18T18:57:00.003-05:00

I saw my brother in the kitchen wearing this funny shirt and I asked him if I could take his picture. He obliged and then his real personality came out with this crazy face!

I love his personality...maybe because we are so simliar: Reserved, laid back (he is way laid back), introverted, self-conscious.
Things I love about him: Extremely generous, hard working, efficient, natural comedian, great chef, kind hearted and very smart.
Growing up, we were buddies. He was always so compliant when I wanted to dress him up. When we got to high school, I was a senior and he was a freshman so he hung out with mutual friends at Starbucks almost every weekend. We also lived far out in Fairfield so we had lots of time to bond in the car rides. As young adults, our relationship has grown through various one on one conversations about life. He is such a fine, young gentleman that I pray for all the time!

The neverending question

2008-07-17T00:45:00.001-05:00

I just wrote two posts but I am making up for lost time so here is a link to a great blog post by John Piper.

iChat

2008-07-17T00:15:00.003-05:00

I have had this amazing computer for 7 months now and I just found out how to use some of it's greatest features. That is partly because I did not pursue anyone enough to give me a tutorial but anyway, my friend Stan, who only has Apple computers and the iPhone, gladly showed me that we can video chat.
The way you do this is if the other person has a Mac and has a webcam (most Macs come with it built in) then you send them a video request to chat. When they accept, you see them in a larger video and you are a small video inset. We talk straight through the computer! I can even change my background to make it look like I am at the beach or in an aquarium. Right now I only have like 3 friends who can iChat but hopefully when we get all the PC users to switch over to a Mac I can chat with everyone!
I love communication so much. I love texting, phone calls, emailing, Facebooking, Myspace, Gchat, blogging, and now, iChatting. I unfortunately cannot get an iPhone since I have T-Mobile but as soon as I can, I will get one!

Here are reasons Why You'll Love a Mac.

Lazy dayz

2008-07-16T23:52:00.004-05:00

These past couple of days have been spent in Lake Charles, LA with my family. It has been nice to be in a quiet home in a neighborhood as opposed to a tiny apartment next to a busy street. I also have enjoyed the family dinners. My mom and I have made dinner together at night and it gives me good practice in the kitchen. My dad and brother get home from work to have dinner with us. Then we get to catch up. It has been even more fun to have deep conversations with my mom during our quality time.

Today I spent time at the scrapbook store where she works working on a few cards. The store has every tool imaginable ! Just like technology has advanced so much in computers, it has also in scrapbooking. I also got a haircut today for $15. There is this great salon owned by 5 girls that give great cuts and color. I wanted to add more brown but decided to wait on it. I feel like changing up my look somehow but I just do not know what to do yet...

Anyway, I was thinking about the time I have had off this summer to enjoy and I am just so thankful to the Lord for it. He knew I needed rest and relaxation. He also knew that I needed a job that would not last for the entire summer so He provided that. He has blessed me with some great fellowship as well. I have gotten to know several people from church on a deeper level. We have gotten to eat together, laugh together and just hang out.
Here are some pics I have taken on my Macbook. Just having fun with the Mac camera.

Dinner with friends

2008-07-02T20:37:00.004-05:00

Well the enrichment summer school program ended on Friday and boy was it a tiring month! I learned a ton about challenging my students in a new way and how to manage my classroom more effectively. The kids in this program are so incredibly gifted so it was completely refreshing to be around them.

I celebrated the end of school with some great fellowship over the weekend. Saturday night my friend and I entertained 7 other folks with an exceptional dinner. When I cook for people, I stress myself out. I can't just cook the run of the mill chicken and vegetables or spaghetti. I have to cook the BEST thing I can find! So I woke up stressed when I had to think about the menu. I searched the internet for hours and then decided on salmon. Well that did not work because not everyone loves salmon like I do. I finally made it to good 'ole HEB and called my mom for help. I walked around the meat department and instantly felt frustrated. People were every where and they were in my way. My mom gave me a great recipe and I calmed down. I perused the aisles and the Chef greeted me warmly. He asked me if I wanted to try some samples of his food. I confessed to him that I was stressed out and needed an easy, yet superb main entree. I decided to try something other than what my mom recommended so the chef walked me back to his cooking station and gave me a sample of the amazing food. Once I tried it, I was sold. He was super helpful and it made it sound so simple. Thanks Chef!
Here is the recipe:

Appetizer: Cream cheese with cherry chutney and crackers
Salad: Handful of spring mix, slices of mozzarella cheese and cherry tomatoes. The dressing was a basil vinaigrette:
1/3 cup of oil
2 TBSP white wine vinegar
1 tsp Dijon mustard
2 crushed garlic cloves
3 TBSP of chopped basil fresh or dried (I used the dried basil you can buy in the herb section of the store).
Salt and pepper

Blend all the ingredients in a food processor and serve on the salad. It is delicious!

Entree: Pork tenderloin and crash hot potatoes
The chef told me to place the tenderloin in foil and rub it down with Adam's Reserve Hickory Char Crust and roasted garlic (found bottled in the produce section). I then placed it in the oven at 400 degrees for 30 minutes. When it was sliced, I poured Canyon Foods Sweet Chili Lime Sauce on it and this was exactly what it needed! It was enough sweetness balanced with a little spice. The pork was cooked to a medium and was so tender. Everyone enjoyed the food and I have to say, I was impressed that I was able to pull it off. I usually mess up recipes but the Lord allowed me to do it well.

We then ended the meal with brownies made from scratch (my mom's secret recipe) and Janet's amazing oatmeal cookies.
After we had eaten, some folks left and we got down to the deep questions of the night...my favorite part. Unfortunately, I only lasted for a while and fell asleep! I was so tired I guess. Not really a good hostess now am I? Overall, a wonderful evening and Lori was so sweet to open her home and let me take over her kitchen.

Sunday afternoon rolled around and since Saturday was such a success we wanted to do it again! So we did! Lori and I made it to HEB again and picked up some filets to grill. This time I tried out a recipe from my brother for his amazing mushrooms. We began again with the cream cheese but this time Lori got a raspberry chipotle sauce and a blueberry chipotle sauce to put on top. Wow they were so great! Here is menu:

Jalapeno bacon wrapped filets
Gorgonzola mushrooms
Sauteed spinach
Crescent rolls (okay so we bought the already prepared ones and popped them in the oven)
Blueberry dump cake with vanilla ice cream

Absolutely scrumptious!

Considering my lemon bar fiasco as a child (I can tell you about this in person if you like), I have come a long way in the cooking realm. And the fact that I am a Family and Consumer Sciences teacher is also quite ironic. Anyway, I realized that I get a certain sense of joy in cooking for people and planning a get together. I love getting ready for the evening and getting to have great fellowship with friends. I also enjoy serving them while we are all hanging out.

I want to delve deep

2008-06-10T22:11:00.002-05:00

I have been fully aware since middle school that I am a deep thinker. God blessed me with a mom who is one as well. I went through middle school, high school, college and now adulthood sharing with my mama about the deep desires of my heart. 1. Why does this guy not like me? 2. Why do my friends abandon me when they get a boyfriend? 3. Why do my friends not take my advice? 4. Why do I do most of the listening? 5. Why do my friends not return the same listening and advising that I offer them? 6. Where is he mom? 7. Why is it so hard for me to be a godly example? 8. Why am I so angry? 9. How do Christian marriages stay together? 10. Why did God allow this? I could go on an on about the never ending questions in my mind. Yes, I am prone to analyzing and questioning. It is probably part of my Melancholy personality. I am constantly seeking and
searching to understand God and His purpose for me.

I also desire to study the Word more deeply as I grow in my walk with Him. I am striving to be done with the days where quiet times were maybe once a week, when I skipped Bible study because I was too tired, when just reading Christian Living books was enough, when fellowship with friends was all about me, etc. This has allowed me to love the community of believers I am involved in! It is so encouraging, uplifting and fulfilling. I desire to grow close to the Lord through Bible study, ministry, accountability and social time. This church and the amazing people I have met has brought me closer to the Lord.

I say all this because I am utterly surprised when others do not embrace delving deep into the Word and the life of a believer. Why do they continue to stay on the surface? Why do they keep all their struggles to themselves? Why do we have to keep it "light?" Why do I feel awkward trying to direct the conversation into more meaningful waters with them? Why are they afraid to admit they are broken and need to be fixed?

I ask all these questions not to judge but to ponder and work through. I realized a lot over these last couple of years how many Christians who have grown up in the church stagnate well into adulthood. Not just for a couple of years but several years. We just continue living life without really living. What is the reason and/or the solution? I would greatly appreciate anyone's thoughts...

Summer is here

2008-06-09T22:23:00.003-05:00

I started teaching summer school today and I am worn out! I surprisingly got hired to teach electives to Gifted and Talented kids or GT as we call them in education. This program was started by a man who felt GT kids needed enrichment over the summer. Each student or "scholar" as they are called, takes 5 classes a day. Their first class is Manners to Morals. They learn anything from handshakes to making the right choices in life. Then they take Perspectives in 2nd period. This class teaches them perspectives on faith. The other 3 classes are their choice. I teach 1 sewing class and 1 cooking class, which is what I teach during the year so it works out that I actually know what I am doing for once!

The program begins at 8:30 and ends at 3:40. We teach them all kinds of fun songs at the opening and closing assembly that include lots of movement. They absolutely love it! These songs are now stuck in my head and I am positive they will not leave even after the program is over. I have to say these are some of the most amazing kids I have ever met. They are respectful, kind, conversational, pleasant, intelligent, poised, articulate and cute. We taught them procedures all day and they got it! No constantly drilling it in their heads. No yelling "Don't do that!" No continuous discipline. No real worries at all. It is quite refreshing to be around these kids after the tough year I had. The Lord knew I was going to be really tired and unmotivated to work this summer so He provided this job for me. Gosh I am so blessed by it. I so do not deserve it but I am very gracious.
I ended the day with an ab class and Pilates at 24 Hour Fitness. The girl worked us very hard so I do not believe I will be walking smoothly tomorrow! Thank you Lord for this great day!

Local Flavor

2008-06-03T21:25:00.003-05:00

This past week I have dined out 7 times! Wow that is a record for me. I typically refrain from eating out that much because for one, it is expensive and two, the calories! But eating out to me is a hobby. I enjoy trying out different places in Houston and living like the local that I am. So here is a rundown of the places I HIGHLY recommend:

1. The Chocolate Bar If you physiologically need chocolate like I do, go here...once a week.
2. Escalantes My fave items are the table side guacamole and Pat's Mexico City Salad. They also have a yummy queso so be sure to order it with those bottomless chips. They have locations in Town and Country, Woodway and Voss as well as Highland Village.
3. Singha Thai Restaurant I have never tried Thai food so my sweet friend Jen took me there to partake in Tom Ka Gai soup which is a mix of sliced chicken, coconut milk, galanga, chili and lime. Just don't eat the chili like I did! They don't have milk to take away the bite but they do have cream. This little place has great prices and is located at Westheimer and Bering. Also, beware of the short Hispanic waiter because he will tell you what you are eating is fattening if he does not approve of it.
4.Pho Tan Loc There are many types of pho but I would suggest a combination bowl with chicken. Emily and I ventured onto Bellaire and found this place but If you are adventurous, drive down this long road and check out the restaurants. Bodard is another fave of mine.
5. Kona Grill Has a mix of international dishes but we tried the sushi. Eat the Dragon Roll but start with the Avocado Egg Rolls. Trust me. You cannot go wrong with those! Check out this place in the Galleria.
6. This fabulous Ethiopian restaurant Blue Nile was introduced to me by Emily today as we ate lunch there. It is the only restaurant of it's kind in Houston. We shared a plate of spicy lamb and many wonderful vegetables eaten with teff. We ended the meal with their coffee ceremony and popcorn. You MUST visit this hidden treasure! Just try not to be put off by the location. Kinda shady.

Branch out and get to know this city through it's food. You will be surprised at the gems you can find!

End of the school year

2008-06-02T16:55:00.004-05:00

I could not have made it through this year without my wonderful co-workers: Sheila, Adam, Marion (not pictured) and Emily. We all clicked from day one. Adam was new this year and became the 2nd speech and theater teacher. Sheila was in her 5th year at the school and teaches art. Marion, her first year at the school as the ESL helping teacher with 20 years of education experience. Emily, my better half who was going into her 2nd full time year at the school as a Family and Consumer Sciences Teacher.
Let me describe the reasons I love them:
1. Adam-Extrovert, exagerated story teller, who provided much comic relief during our 4 minute breaks from one period to another. He was full of crazy student stories and had great one-liners. He also became our polgyamous husband (me, sheila and emily were his wives). Yep. I said it. It all began at the beginning of the semester when our students thought there was something going between us. "Miss H, I know you like Mr. D. Ooohh is he your boyfriend?" "Miss K, I saw you flirting with Mr. D in the hallway!" They continued to question our association with Adam because from what they could see and understand in their young adolescent minds, either you like him or you don't. There is no friends with the opposite sex. I would try to explain away why but it was no use. I just gave into it! We called little "family" meetings in the hallway and many times Adam would come into our rooms unannounced during class time and make a funny comment about "us" in front of the students. They loved it!
2. Sheila-wife #1 is straightfoward, real, witty and hilarious. She kept me laughing as we did our weekly study hall shift together. She lovingly accepted the Life Skills kids into her art class everyday and said the most funny things to them. We now get to work this summer school job together...thanks to her I actually got the job!
3. Marion-"mom." Her husband a pastors a church in the Jersey Village area and has the most wonderful, sweet, warm, kind personality. She is always upbeat and positive and I never saw her with a down day. She was the mom in our elective wing as she bailed me out of my classroom many times when I got too upset to continue teaching. She was full of godly wisdom and stories about how she met her husband. She encouraged us with her words and shared her hope for Miss K and I that we could meet that special guy someday. She was such a joy to be around!
4. Emily-wife #2. Outgoing, intelligent, unique, disciplined, committed, creative, innovative and helpful. She was the one who led me to this school because she knew there would be an opening. We spent the first semester learning how to work together and communicate. She taught me how to plan lessons, how to teach my kids, how not to take things personal and not to lose my cool with the students. She also shared what the Lord was teaching her and that encouraged me always. She is a healthy fit person so that in turn helped me to become a lot more focused in that area of my life. She loves to cook and shared her methods with me and that inspired me to get busy in my own kitchen. She is incredibly thoughtful and gives great gifts! I will be so sad not to teach with her next year!

Discerning Reader

2008-06-02T16:41:00.002-05:00

Recently I found out about this website and I have come to rely on it. As Christians, we cannot accept just every book that is sold in Christian bookstores. We must use discernment in choosing books to read because we could be led astray by faulty theology. The authors on this site are very honest and will give you the truth. I would suggest checking out The Purpose Driven Life review. They do give positive reviews of other books so start searching!!

It's over

2008-05-29T22:07:00.002-05:00

Yay! Today was the last day we had the kids and boy it could not end quick enough! We had a ton of procedures to follow since historically, kids do crazy stunts on the last day. Nothing happened that I know of. The teachers and staff celebrated by squeaking noise makers as the kids rode off on the buses and waved at us. They also played a"Good Bye" through the PA. It was such a sight! I am sooo tired I wish I could sleep for days. Too bad I have a "professional day" tomorrow and then it is onto summer school. I will wrote more of my thoughts later. It's off to bed!

It's all about us

2008-05-24T00:51:00.003-05:00

Yesterday my kids were talking about teachers at the school having a Myspace and how some of them accepted friend requests from students. One of my opinionated girls commented,
"Adults should not have a Myspace. It is only for teenagers and should only be for us. I don't know why y'all be having a Myspace."
To which I said, "Um Myspace is huge and anyone can get on it. Besides, it was created before you all were ever on it!"

I decided to keep the rest of my opinions to myself. These self-absorbed teens would not understand in their adolescence that the world does not revolve around them and that there is life outside of friends, entertainment and crushes.
As I told this story to my mom she laughed aloud and told me that is exactly the type of statement I made to them when I was a self-centered jr. higher.
"Did you imagine yourself being in the opposite role as an adult having teens not appreciate anything you do or say?"
"Nope. I never thought I would be in this position. It seems that no matter what, most of them could care less about what I say and they criticize everything I do! I am never right with them."
She gave some encouraging words but wow do these kids make me feel old! I find myself saying so many typical adult statements like:
"Because I said so."
"No you cannot do that.
"STOP making those noises!"
"Stop talking...for the rest of the day."
"Why aren't you listening?"
"Were you not paying attention?"
"You must have not been listening."
"I am only going to tell you once."
"Just trust me."
"You are only in middle school."
"You are just a teenager."
"It is not all about you."
"Your attitude will not be tolerated."
"With that attitude, there are consequences."

I say all these things but often times with more emotion behind them.
Even though I feel beat down a lot by them, the Lord encourages me with those few kids who really like to share their lives with me and treat me with kindness and respect. He never promised us that we always be treated in the way that we should but I find myself expecting it rather than being surprised by it. Maybe that is why He has me teaching jr. high.

Another story about my fave sudent

2008-05-19T19:05:00.003-05:00

Let's just call him "Aidan" since that is one of my preferred names for a future son...if I have one.

On Friday my kids took their Exploring Foods and Fabrics final exam. As the kids were quietly testing, I walked around the room to monitor. Aidan had finished early but he looked really down and a little worried.

"Are you okay?" I asked.
"No I am worried about the high school courses I have to sign up for next year. We are choosing our classes over the next few days and honestly, I have no clue what I want to do with my life! I mean there are 3 things I could possibly do: be a band director, work in politics, or do something with math since I am good at it. They want us to choose courses that will be on the path of our future career."
"Well the good thing is that you do not have to know right now what to do with your life. Those 3 career paths seem like a great fit for you and you will have many options in high school to figure out what you want to do. Relax! You can decide on all that later!"

He loosened up and began talking about this new girlfriend he currently had. It turns out he had a crush on her since 2nd grade (6 years) and they had been good friends for the last 2 years. She finally returned the feelings. They officially had been together for only a couple of months. When he first told me about her, he called her "the girl of my dreams." Wow. To be in 8th grade and already you have the girl of your dreams. I only fear what comes later in life.
Anyway, Aidan went onto tell me that she really is now allowed to have a boyfriend to which I immediately encouraged him to respect her parent's rules and just be friends with her. He is a good kid and I believe he could be a believer so of course I could not approve of the relationship being behind her parent's back. He said I was right (I usually am).
Fast forward to today. Aidan came to class late. As I greeted him at the door, he came in and apologized. Then he proceeded to sit at his table and lay his head down. This is very uncharacteristic for him as he is almost always lively and smiling. I called up the students one by one to get their exam grade and when Aidan came up, he again looked worried. I questioned him about what was wrong.

"I am just stressed out. I am still trying to figure out what to do with me life but I have no clue. I am also worried since I don't always study all the time for math and I am afraid I will carry those habits into high school. Also, the girl of my dreams broke up with me today. She told me already that she was going to be single in high school to focus on her studies so she was planning to break up with me by the end of the school year. I just did not expect her to break up with me today. I am really sad about it. I just don't understand why it can't work out. I feel like I have these great plans but they just don't go as planned."

"Well Aidan, I am really sorry about the girl breaking up with you. I know that sucks. I totally understand where you are coming from. I do know that there is someone bigger than us that has the best plans for our lives. Even though we think we know what is good for us He knows what is best. You are only in 8th grade so don't stress about your future. You have plenty of time to decide what to do. Also, you never know how life could change for you and the girl. She might change her mind in high school about wanting to be single. Just go into the summer and have a fun time without thinking too hard."

I just feel for this kid. He is going through normal adolescent issues and trying to figure out how to deal with them. I am thankful though that he opens up about his life and it gives me an opportunity to share about THE TRUE ONE who directs our steps and gives a hope for living. Praise the Lord these talks!

Therapy

2008-05-12T19:39:00.002-05:00

This past 3 weeks of school I have had my kiddoes sewing aprons. This is their first big project since their beginner class last semester. I knew this project would be a little bit harder to teach since I have NEVER sewn an apron before! But I have enjoyed watching them piece together each part as it slowly came together.

Last week I was sitting down at the table with 3 boys in my 8th period class (my fave period) as I taught them how to hand sew their pocket. One boy had moved on ahead and stitched his pocket wrong to which I pointed out. He seemed a little downcast so I asked what was up.
"It has just been a horrible, horrible day. It's just been bad."
"Well why do you say that S ?"
"My older brother just gets on my nerves because he is always bossing me around. He thinks he knows everything and he can tell me what to do."

The counselor in me started to sympathize with him and give him some advice. Right after S opened up, my fave male student, the brightest, most kind, most mature 8th grader you will ever know, pipes up:

"Yeah, let's have a little therapy session here in our sewing circle! Let's talk about our feelings! This is great Miss Humphrey!"
I laughed aloud and made a mental note to write a blog about his comment. I could not get over it! Where did that come from? None of the other students I have can possibly compare to how profound he is. Everyday he greets me with a smile and calls me Miss Humphrey rather than the impersonal "Miss." When he is in class he talks about funny things, not immature graphic topics. He encourages me to be more professional when I don't respond properly to unruly students. He makes the classroom light hearted when things get serious. He also never cusses or talks about girls in a negative way. In fact, he shared a little fact about himself when he was first in my class. This was his statement:

"You know when I was in 5th and 6th grade I never talked to girls. I was always with the my guy friends. I did not really know how to talk to them. They were never my friends. But last year in 7th grade was the first time girls became my friend. It's really cool how now I talk to girls all the time. I actually know what to say!"

Then one day about a month later as he walked into my classroom, I was standing by my door (we have to greet our students at the door for every class) making conversation with students they walked in. I said to him, "M you were kind of quiet yesterday.
"Really? Well today I am really excited!"
"Why, do you have a new girlfriend?"
"Yeah! She is the girl of my dreams!"

I refrained from saying, oh but she will probably break your heart! You are too young for real love. Just wait till you are older and more serious. Then you can be in a real relationship. Right now, just focus on having friends, staying out of trouble and doing your school work.
All I could do was smile and be happy for him. I knew that the parent in me probably should not burst his bubble.
How could you not love this kid??

The Church of Oprah Exposed

2008-04-22T20:02:00.001-05:00

For many years I have watched the Oprah show at 4pm. Not every day, but maybe once a week when I got a chance. I came to really like most of the topics she presented on her show. Everytime I talked about her to my mom, she would always say she did not agree with her beliefs and therefore would not watch her. I of course continued because I thought she was no so bad. Well after just watching this You Tube video I have changed my mind about her. I am so sad that she actually believes these things!

Breathing is good

2008-04-20T20:51:00.003-05:00

Two weeks ago today, God answered a prayer BOLDLY for me. I had been praying about this request for nearly 7 months...not as long as some requests but it was still something I anxiously anticipated an answer to. I dreamt idealistically and hopefully throughout the changing seasons. I would ponder this request at random times during the day, as well as at night in my dreams. I kept waiting and wondering and asking and worrying at times. I would surrender it to the altar but only to selfishly take it back. I finally placed it there a few days before I received the answer. When God vividly answered me, it was not the answer I had hoped for. Sigh.I felt disappointed and shocked...but only for a brief while.

The sermon at church that night was about God preparing us for something that we are unaware of at the current moment. He many times takes things away and moves things in our lives and closes doors on things that we have set our hearts on. He does all this to prepare us for a specific purpose. This was exactly what the Lord wanted me to hear! I knew it so clearly why He had said no to my request on the very same day He answered me! I spent the rest of the night praying and journaling and thanking the Lord for His answer. I breathed a sigh of relief instead of a spirit of bitterness. He gave me such a relaxed mind that week. I felt I had finally let go of this issue and He was all I needed. He was trying to teach me this all along but I was struggling with Him about it. I was not wanting to accept it.

I have to say this is the best place to be. Right at His feet in worship and obedience. Not in a place of worry or anxiety or anger or unbelief. Those are all sins according to Him. Why would I want to be there? It does not bring any joy or satisfaction. I am so encouraged by His Word and the blessings He has given me since I surrendered myself to Him.

One of my favorite speakers taught a sermon on Abraham sacrificing Isaac several months ago and he asked us, "What is your Isaac? What is it you are holding onto that you are not giving to God? Are you afraid if you give it to Him, He will not give you the desire of your heart? Maybe all He wants you to do is surrender it to Him so He can give to you Himself." Gosh how that spoke to me! That message prepared me for how He answered my prayers. Again, I am so thankful that He answered me and that I can be at peace with it. What an amazing God we serve who fiercly loves us and is so committed to us!
Praise Him!

Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.
Hebrews 11:1

There is something there

2008-04-08T19:20:00.002-05:00

So it has been over 3 months since my last post and I have so been wanting to post. I mean I had thoughts milling around in my brain but I just did not possess the energy to type them out. It takes a lot for me to write my blogs at times...mostly because I want them to be perfect. I don't want them to be about nonsense or superficial topics. I want them to mean something. When I read the blogs of others, I mostly enjoy when they share about what God is doing in their lives or when they share personal things that lets me know who they are. I feel that mine must be the same.

To give you an update, in the last three months I feel that I have grown a lot in my teaching abilities. I feel more at ease with my kids and not so quick to scold them or discipline. I also have really gotten to build some strong relationships with some of my girls. They have come to me with their boy stories and cried about them. I have allowed for "therapy" sessions in some of my classes rather than going over the lesson for the day. I am true believer in the value of relationships so if they want to talk, I want to listen! I know the Lord has placed me there to be a light to them and I want to be one! I love them so dearly and it breaks my heart when they are hurting.

We just ended the food unit last week and yesterday I began the sewing unit with all my classes. I was really looking forward to it because I am not much of a sewer but would like to become one. I also wanted to teach them new things! To being the unit, I started my 8th period class with a lesson on clothing. I posed the question,"Do you think that your clothes define you?" So many of them said yes they do. We continued to discuss labels and designer brands and why they are important to them. My most outspoken group consists of 2 girls and a boy, all 7th graders. All three of them do not shop at Wal-Mart and basically said they would be considered "uncool" by their classmates if they wore cheaper brand clothing. They also think that your clothes must match and be of mostly the same brand.

On of my favorite students in that class spoke up and said it was not about what you wear, rather it is who you are on the inside that counts. I was so excited about this statement and I repeated it to the class. This boy has come a long way in his maturity and social confidence since school started in August. He rarely spoke and when he did, he stuttered a lot and usually did not make sense. He was what other students might refer to as "nerdy." His parents are not from the states and they actually care about his grades and behavior. This semester he has almost blossomed in a way. He talks more to his table mates, he joins in class discussions, he greets me properly as he comes to class, he always smiles, he talks openly about how life, and he also sings Linkin Park for the class when we want to be entertained.

The other student in the class, Matthew, whom I also love, is an extremely intelligent, well-versed, well-spoken 8th grader. He shares such profound thoughts in our class discussions. His opinions are so opposite of the majority of students in our school. His attitude proves to me he has been raised very well and I am always anticipating his next statement. Anyway, as we discussed clothing, I posed another question,"If your parents only had a small amount of money to spend on your school clothes and said you could only get clothes from Wal-Mart and Payless, would you take the clothes from there or would you choose to refrain from getting clothes?" The outspoken group said No way! We don't them clothes! But Matthew said,"My style of clothing is the original Matthew (his last name) style. Just jeans, a t-shirt and then a button down shirt thrown over that. My mom regularly shops at Wal-Mart for us and also takes us to thrift stores to buy clothes. When she buys clothes for me, I am just so thankful to have them that I could not imagine complaining about where they came from." I just about cried after he said that! Wow! What an amazingly grateful kid. He is just so real and so mature.

I remember being in junior high and complaining about which label of clothes I did not have. I was constantly mad at my parents because they would not buy me expensive clothes. I just wanted to fit in with all the other kids. Why could I not wear short shorts? Why could I not have a nice pair of jeans? Why could y'all not buy Filas for me? Why couldn't I have a pair of Girbauds? It was one complaint after another and rarely was I thankful for what they could provide. As I teach these adolescents, I am reminded of just how self-absorbed I was at that age. My life consisted of friends, boys, friends, boys, friends, boys. I was a part of my church's youth group but boys were there too and there were so many to have crushes on! I carried around a brush in my back pocket so at any moment I could fix my hair. I also wore dark magenta lipstick and maybe some mascara. I always made sure to reapply my lipstick because God forbid someone saw me with out it! I used to wear those tall white socks with soccer sandals and at times, I would wear my brother's Tommy Hilfiger shirt. I thought it was so cool. My attitude towards my parents was pretty disrespectful. I was not allowed to have a boyfriend but boy did I make it know that I did not like that rule! I had a few boyfriends behind their backs but of course, there was one time where I got caught. Listening to the way Matthew talks with such respect, makes me see that there is still hope for these kids. They can respect and love others and be a good example to their classmates. It is possible for them to be mature and respond appropriately to situations. It also makes me sad that I was not respectful to my parents and I took them for granted. If one day God chooses to bless me with children, I will have to experience the dreaded puberty years with them. I hope and pray I will remember that it is just a phase and I will give God my hurt feelings for the ways they may treat me. My prayer is that I will be a godly example to them and to remember they are going through so much at that age. And when I feel that they are so hard to like during adolescence, God will remind me they are still a special gift from Him for me cherish and love.

All your children shall be taught by the Lord,
and great shall be the peace of your children.

—Isaiah 54:13

Goodbye 2007

2008-01-01T23:30:00.001-06:00

As I reflect on this past year, I am amazed at where the Lord has taken me. I remember the very beginning of 2007 being so distraught over what to do with my life. I was not about to make a career out of waiting tables! I then made it my goal to have a job in 6 months and sure enough, I was hired to become a Home Ec teacher to middle schoolers. What in the world? I first of all have not ever been called "domesticated." I give that title lovingly to my sister. I was always too lazy to keep my apartment clean. Teaching? I detested doing speeches in college and even more detested waiting tables and having people listen to me as I gave my spiel. I could feel my face turning red when people stared at me. Kids? I was rarely ever around children and at times, I had questioned if I really wanted kids. Junior high? 7th grade was the worst year for me. I sat alone at lunch several times because my friends had made new friends. Well, okay God. I guess this is the place where you want me. Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. Proverbs 3:5

The spring went by as I subbed during the day and waited tables at night. Summer time came and I got the awesome opportunity to travel to Cuba. What a blessed experience to meet brothers and sisters in Christ who were so passionate about the Lord! I got to see how little the Cubans had physically but how much they had spiritually. It was also a time where the foundation was laid for some amazing friendships I so cherish today!

The fall semester started with fear, anxiety, anticipation, stress, and challenges. I had no clue how to be a teacher even though I had read books and attended classes. Nothing prepares you like the day to day experience of teaching! Boy was I put to the test! I do not think I had been challenged that much in so many aspects of my life in such a short period of time. I also do not think I have sobbed that much before either. Are you sure Lord? I asked almost everyday for 10 weeks. Yes, Heather. Stick it out. "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord. "Plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart." Jeremiah 29:11-13.

Why did I continue to doubt God when He specifically placed me there? Why did I think He made a mistake since it was so hard? I was struggling with unbelief. I was not trusting Him. The God who sent His son to die for me. The one who had taken me out of the muck and mire of my worldly life. The one who loves me unconditionally and forgives me of my horrible sins. "Timothy, my son, I give you this instruction in keeping with the prophecies once made about you, so that by following them you fight the good fight, holding onto faith and a good conscience. Some have rejected these and so have shipwrecked their faith." 1 Timothy 6:18,19

I finally surrendered my fears and trusted the Lord. He then taught me so much more and I grew to like teaching. More importantly, I understood that no matter what I am doing in life, it is about being obedient to the Lord. Not questioning it. Not whining about it. Not comparing. Just doing as He says. "And this is love: that we walk in obedience to his commands." 1 John 1:6a.

The end of the semester wrapped up with finals and then I was off to stay with my parents in Lake Charles, Louisiana. Such a difference from Phoenix, AZ where they lived for 4 years. The blessing was in the fact that they are a quick 2 1/2 hour drive rather than a 2 1/2 hour flight away. I got to have quality time with them and also got a lot of rest. I did not talk much as I was talked out from teaching. I read a book and got to scrapbook with my mom. Christmas day was peaceful and uplifting.

I am so thankful for what the Lord has taught me through my many trials, challenges, blessings, sermons, and His true Word in 2007. I look forward to 2008 with much optimism, possibility and anticipation. I know the Lord will teach me so much if I am just willing to listen. "Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says." James 1:22

This is what the world is coming to

2007-12-24T10:36:00.000-06:00

Overheard at Starbucks yesterday morning:

Lady to the man standing in line ahead of her: "That is a beautiful ring you are wearing! How gorgeous!"
The man said thank you and continued in small talk with her.

The weird part of this story is that he was clearly homosexual and was wearing a 4 karat round solitaire and a diamond eternity band on his ring finger! Come on lady, you cannot convince me that you did not for a second think this was inherently wrong and ironic!

2007-12-23T07:34:00.000-06:00

December 23

And I heard another out of the altar say, Even so, Lord God Almighty, true and righteous are thy judgments.
Revelation 16:7

The phrase ‘another out of’ does not appear in the original Greek text. Thus, newer translations correctly render this verse: ‘And I heard the altar say, Even so, Lord God Almighty, true and righteous are thy judgments.’ Now whether this voice be figurative or literal, I cannot say. But this much is sure: the voice which cries, ‘True and righteous are thy judgments, O Lord,’ originates at the altar.

In our own times of trial and tribulation, there can be a tendency within us to question the fairness of the Father.

But the altar, the place of sacrifice, the Cross speaks just the opposite.

If you don’t see this, you’ll go through life one day blessing the Lord in the amphitheater and the next day cursing Him because of your troubles at work.

God demonstrated His love for you in that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us (Romans 5:8). Therefore, I must look at every trial I face, every hard time I endure through the lens of God’s love as shown on the altar of Calvary.

‘What shall we say then? He that spared not his own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?’ (Romans 8:32). Because God loved me enough to hang on the Cross in my place, to pay for my sin, to die for me, I know everything He does in my life — whether or not I understand it at the time — is right.

If I complain about my job, boss, paycheck, kids, singleness, employees — it only means I am not listening to the cry of the altar, that I have forgotten Calvary. Allow the Cross to ‘altar’ your view, precious people, as you look at everything in the light of Calvary.

This Daily Devotional is an excerpt from the book "A Days Journey" by Pastor Jon. "A Days Journey" is a collection of 365 short devotions from the New Testatment.
Pastor Jon Courson

Sanctuary City

2007-12-23T07:29:00.000-06:00

Read this article about immigration in Houston. You decide if we are a Sanctuary City.

Emergency Room

2007-12-22T00:36:00.000-06:00

Wednesday morning I awoke slowly. I started my coffee maker as usual and drank my first cup as I put on my make up. Soon I began to feel winded. I felt as if I could not catch a full, deep breath. I continued to get ready but I asked God to comfort me and strengthen me. I also practiced breathing exercises hoping I would feel better for school.
Feeling out of breath is not new to me. It has been going on since early 2004. The first time it happened I had just quit smoking (yes, I has smoked off and on since 2001) and felt that maybe this was related. The breathing problems persisted occasionally over the next 3 years as I continued to smoke.
On October 31st 2006, I quit smoking for good. That was it. I had to be done with this nasty habit because of it's devastating effects. I no longer wanted to reak of it nor did I want cancer.
This past year after I quit, whenever I worked out, I felt it was incredibly difficult to get through my cardio without feeling worn out and breathless. There also were days when I would wake up and be out of breath for no reason. I would have to lie down and try breathing exercises. I finally took myself to the doctor in July of 2007. This doc said it could be asthma so he gave me Singulair and an Albuterol inhaler to use before physical activity. I slowed down on the work outs but was still waiting tables and used the inhaler infrequently.
Nothing much changed with medication. I began teaching and had about 4 or 5 episodes of feeling out of breath. Not just out of breath but it felt I had this pressure on my chest. I also felt faint and weak for most of the day.
Last week I had 3 days of it. By Thursday I broke down. I tend to keep health issues to myself for some reason. Maybe I think it is not that bad. Maybe I do not know how to talk about it. Whatever the reason, it was not the best idea to keep it to myself though.
I was at school trying to make a dr. appointment but my doc did not seem too accomodating or caring about my issue so I quickly found a new one. The nurse said she would try to get me in by Friday. It was Thursday and I needed to see a doctor today! So right as my 6th period kids were entering class, I just started crying and could not stop. Luckily my friend the speech teacher came to the rescue. He took my kids into his classroom so I could calm down. I called my mom and she gave me advice and prayed with me. Soon enough I was ready to take on my last 2 classes for the day. I then had to work my usual d-hall shift and then went home to relax.
Friday morning during my conference period I got into my new doctor. The nurse administered an asthma test which showed my breathing was just fine. No problems there. The doc asked questions and basically surmised that my sinuses were backed up and I needed a nasal inhaler to breath better. Okay, she seems to know what she is talking about I thought.
Fast forward to Wednesday where I left off...
I got to school and had an hour and a half before my first class because of finals. I was still struggling to breathe deep and I felt more faint by the minute. I got online to research my symptoms on Web MD. Everything about chest pressure and breathing problems kept saying to go immediately to the ER. What? I have never been to the ER and that only happens on tv anyway...besides, I have a class coming in soon. What will the administration think? So I just started sobbing. I prayed about it to calm down and sent a quick email to the appropriate people that I would be leaving to go to the hospital and asked if they could cover my classes. The secretary swiftly arrived in my room to see how I was and let me leave to the ER. I left crying and called my family. I called my sister and before I could get the words out, she was on her way to meet me. I talked with my dad and eventually my mom. My sister met me at the ER and I filled out the paperwork. Soon, I was seen by the entry nurse and then taken to a room where I was told to put on a gown. Why do I need to do that? I wondered. Another nurse arrived to ask me questions. Then another nurse came in to ask me other questions. She was very competent and knowledgeable. She was also funny and full of positivity. A little while later I was getting blood drawn and having an EKG done on my heart. I was then take to get chest x-rays. This whole ordeal was about 3 hours long so it was awesome to have my sister be there for support. It was very encouraging to have her by my side as we talked about life. Eventually Dr. O'Malley (yes, Holly and I grinned at each other when we heard that was my dr. for all you Grey's fans) came to review the tests and rule out possibilities. He was a Northerner with the gentleness of a Southerner. He was very thourough and kind. He said my oxygen levels were perfect and my x rays showed nothing. Heart was great too. He, along with the nurse, thought it could have been anxiety or a panic attack. I do not think it was that at all because I am still having the same problems today. But they did suggest that I get my thyroid checked as well as my hormone levels. In the ER, they are prepared for emergencies so the other issues need to be checked out by specialists.
Praise the Lord I was checked out by 12:45pm and on my way to lunch with my sister. The principal's secretary called to check in on me and of course my family wanted to know what was going on. My mom wanted to drive in from Lake Charles but I told her that would not be necessary. I am a big girl now ;)
I spent the rest of the day napping and resting. My breathing was still a struggle up until I fell asleep. The next day I felt better but not perfect. All my students wanted to know what happened to me. The staff and teachers were also very sympathetic to what was going on with me. It was incredibly encouraging to come back to such warmth. I really feel like we are a family at school and I am thankful the Lord has placed me there. Most everyone is so understanding and supportive.
Today I am still feeling the effects of this breathing issue. The next step is setting up an appointment over Christmas break to get everything else checked out. I would greatly appreciate your prayers at this time for wisdom from God and that I would not be fearful.
Joshua 1:9 says, Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.

Even though I still do not know what is wrong with me, I am trusting the Lord for the direction. He was taken care of me through this experience and for that I can only be thankful. I am definitely praising Him for allowing my sister to be there, for my school to have been so understanding, and for great hospital staff that made the experience more enjoyable.

Politics and Cuba

2007-12-22T00:28:00.000-06:00

Ever since I travelled to Cuba this past summer, my heart beats widly for this oppressed country. If I hear anything related to Cuba, Cubans, or Castro, my ears perk up. This was a country I sadly did not research up until I was praying about a mission trip to go on so now I like to stay updated on the status of Cuba. Tonight I was just checking out Mike Huckabee's page (2008 Republican candidate) so see where he stands on the issues when I noticed that he has a Cuba policy! It is worth your time to read it (and see what other views he has).

Civic duty

2007-12-17T14:14:00.000-06:00

Sunday afternoon I was leaving T.J. Maxx when all of the sudden I heard the screech of tires as a car tried to brake before crashing into the glass wall of a store. Several of us shoppers stopped to see what just happened. 2 Hispanic males got out of the 4 door American made sedan to survey the damage. Their fender had completely fallen off and the building was damaged. As I drove past them, I saw that these two men were about to pull out of the parking lot leaving their fender behind and without calling the cops to report their accident! I don't think so! I quickly memorized their license plate and wrote it down as they sped down Sage towards Westheimer. I then called 911 and reported those criminals. Why would they be leaving the scene of a crime so quickly? I have a few reasons:
1. They have priors on their records.
2. Their car is stolen.
3. They have no insurance.
4. They are illegal aliens.

I feel it is my civic duty to help protect my city any way I can (and help Houston with the immigration problem). There are not enough cops to do the job so why not help them out?

Bliss

2007-12-15T14:09:00.000-06:00

I have to say my day has been quite wonderful. I went to a brunch with some good girlfriends and enjoyed gourmet cooked food by one of my greatest friends. She made a quishe with eggs, spinach and canadian bacon. We also feasted on muffins, pound cake, pumpkins waffles, blood red oranges, chocolate truffles and spiced hot tea. Yum! We also had fun conversations and enjoyed one another's company. I absolutely love eating with my girlfriends. It's like we instantly connect and bond over food. It warms our hearts and it enhances our quality time tendfold!

Right now I am washing laundry, dusting my bookcase, putting up pictures, drinking coffee, cleaning and listening to the playlist of a fellow blogger. I am at peace and resting in the Lord in my sanctuary. Who knows what the rest of the day holds?

"...Peace, peace, to those far and near," says the Lord. "And I will heal them."
Isaiah 57:19

"Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom favor rests." Luke 2:14

The language of middle school

2007-12-11T20:13:00.000-06:00

Miss K posted about the poor grammar of her students so I had to respond with one of my own!
I confiscated this note from an 8th grader back in September...this was written by Home Wrecker to Tall Drink of Starbucks:

Subject; your'e hawt
Hey hawtie,
wuz up. so you go out with _____.
So I was wondering if you were going to the party that AJ throwing. So buddy, I think you are really hawt, but you r takin (LOL). and If u were not takin I would ask you out. (LOL) So if u go to the party let me knowh !!! And if ya gurl friend doesn't go I will dance with, cuz me and Alex don't go together.
Give me ya numba!!
P.S. Your'e hawt!!!!
Holla at me if you wear shorts cuz I am going to wear shorts.

I do not how many times I grade warm ups, worksheets, homework or projects that I see this SAME text messaging language and poor grammar! I know them kids be in Language Arts....don't they teachas teach any thang??

School boys: again

2007-12-11T19:50:00.001-06:00

Today Robert was taking his apron off and proceeded to do a stripper dance as well as sing and spin the apron above his head. At the end of class he got onto a chair and demonstrated his suggestive dance again.

I laughed so hard.

I didn't get it on camera.

Dang it.

But I did ask him if he had a "job" outside of school, to which the class just roared with laughter.

School boys: continued

2007-12-11T19:46:00.001-06:00

Friday Robert also laid on the table and asked me to take a picture of him:

School Boys: hilarious

2007-12-11T19:41:00.000-06:00

One of my funniest boys, Robert, loves to ham it up for the class. He is sweet, friendly and loves to make everyone laugh. I can never keep a straight face around him! Last Friday during our cooking lab he picked up a girl's purse and just strutted across the classroom. I luckily had my camera and asked him to repeat it. As you can tell from the video, I am laughing hard.

Non traditional wedding fun

2007-12-09T00:35:00.000-06:00

Watch this!

Could anyone ever question if I was a conservative??

2007-12-08T13:54:00.001-06:00

You Are a Conservative Chick

Like Elizabeth Hasselbeck and Ann Coulter, you're conservative and proud of it.
You speak your mind, even if everyone else around you disagrees.
As you see it, you have to stand up for traditional values and what's right.

Are You a Liberal Lady or a Conservative Chick?

I am a city girl

2007-12-08T13:46:00.000-06:00

You Are New York

Cosmopolitan and sophisticated, you enjoy the newest in food, art, and culture.
You also appreciate a good amount of grit - and very little shocks you.
You're competitive, driven, and very likely to succeed.

Famous people from New York: Sarah Michelle Gellar, Tupac Shakur, Woody Allen

What American City Are You?

I can't say that I am competitive but I absolutely adore anything sophisticated!

The Call of Jeremiah

2007-12-08T13:23:00.000-06:00

"Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet of the nations." Jeremiah 1:5

"Get yourself ready! Stand up and say to them whatever I command you. Do not be terrified by them, or I will terrify you before them. Today I have made you a fortified city, an iron pillar and a bronze wall to stand against the whole land-against the kings of Judah, its officials, its priests and the people of the land. They will fight against you but will not overcome you, for I am with you and will rescue you, " declares the Lord. Jeremiah 1:17-19

Your Fashion Guru

2007-12-06T21:39:00.000-06:00

A friend in need asked me to assist him in the wardrobe department. I did not hesitate to answer, "absolutely!" It has been my dream to do makeovers (especially on some guys at church).
Before I knew it, I was joined by 4 guys from the singles ministry at the Galleria Monday night. We started at Express for Men and picked out colorful button tailored shirts. We then moved to jackets, sweaters and belts. As we visited clothing items, I discussed why it would work on their particular frame or why certain colors would go bring out their eyes. The sales guy was giving us weird looks..."why is she helping these guys? Does she work here?" He probably thought to himself. My friend even brought his camera so there we were in the middle of a quite fashionable store with a massive professional camera taking shot after shot. Weird church people.
After over an hour in that store, each guy walked out with at least one item. Yay! Our last stop was Macy's. I quickly ransacked the men's section so find the perfect pair of jeans before the store closed. Jeans were our priority for 2 of the guys and by 9:45 we found them. Perfect. Right cut, right fade, right length. A perfect pair of jeans completely changes the outfit and takes it up a few knotches.
Thankfully, they listened to my words of wisdom and could not stop asking questions!

"How do I wear a tailored button down shirt?" (with a tie of a different pattern or untucked with the sleeves rolled 3/4 length)
"Do I tuck the shirt in?" (yes when it is a dressier occasion and you have a black belt with brushed silver hardware to dress it up. You can also wear a tighter fitting courduroy jacket with it)
"How long should my jeans be?" (Skimming the floor. No at the top of the shoe)
"Are you sure you can wear a sweater over a button down shirt?" (A white button underneath anything instantly gives the outfit dimension and character)
"My jeans I am wearing are not the same as those expensive ones?" (NO! Look at the wash and cut of them)
"What is the new black?" (Color)
"Heather, are you sure?" (Are you seriously asking me that?)
"Are black jeans okay?" (DISCLAIMER:There is a special kind of black jean that Express and other trendy stores sell. Those are okay. Not solid Wrangler types from Wal-Mart)
"I usually wear my belt tight so that it tightens my jeans to show off my backside." (Well if you want to dress like a European, go right ahead. They know how to dress)
"My limit on a shirt is $40. That is it." (You might have to go over that for quality. Think of this as an INVESTMENT)
"See, that shirt is gray. I just love that color." (Gray is not the best color to wear all the time)
"We never pay attention to what girls are wearing. We have no clue about fashion." (Exactly. We don't go through all that hard work and expect for y'all to understand. We just like to look nice :) )
"Now we can be all things to all men when we evangelize!" (You can relate to them more!)

I am so proud that these guys are getting rid of their faded tapered jeans from the early 90's, their flannel shirts, skinny black belts with gold buckles, ratty t-shirts, oversized sweatshirts and white tennis shoes!

If you need help shopping, I am your new Fashion Guru.

ANTM

2007-12-04T21:21:00.001-06:00

My sweet student Chelsea said to me yesterday:

"Miss Humphrey, would you ever try out for America's Next Top Model? Because you have long, pretty hair and you are tall. You could be a model."

Comments like those always make up for the attitudes and disrespect I get from most of them...what a sweetheart.

School boys

2007-12-04T21:21:00.000-06:00

Last Thursday I worked my usual detention shift and the room was packed with bad boys. I made them face forward and stay quiet. That is the rule anyway but I have to enforce it because they will do anything to get around the rules. This particular day included a very brazen boy named, Smooth Talker.
Smooth Talker was just a few desks away from mine so I could keep an eye on him. For about an hour, he drew loudly on his paper and then would stop to stare at me. I told him at least 4 times to open his book and read. Finally, I said:
"Why are you staring at me??"
"Because you look good! I can't help it. You are nice to look at!"(The class erupted in laughter)
"What??" I exclaimed. (Of course I could not help but laugh and that did not get those kiddoes quiet at all)
"Where do you live Miss H?"
"Far away from here. It's no where you could ride your bike to."
"Well, I got friends who can drive. I will just get my homies to drive me over there."
"Do you live close to Miss K?"
"Yes."
"I can come see y'all."
"And what would you do if you came to visit us?"
"I would cook y'all dinner, play some Marvin Gaye, light some candles..."
By this point, everyone was having a ball. Not only did I have Smooth Talker trying woo me but I had another boy entertaining the class with his Bernie Mac stand-up. Any question I responded to, he accused me of saying that all black people are that way!
Smooth Talker: "Miss Humphrey, do you date black guys?"
I just smiled.
"Are you single?"
"NO!"
"When I get older I am going to have a bunch of babies...like 200... "

Needless to say, detention was not much of a "punishment" for anyone that day...

Personality

2007-11-28T11:14:00.000-06:00

Miss K and I share an interest, or rather obessession with personality tests because we love understanding who we are and figuring out other people.
I decided to add this short quiz and hope you all will try it too!

Your Personality Cluster is Introverted Intuition

You are:

Multilayered and complex
Inspired and driven to achieve your goals
A visionary with a complete life plan
Intuitive enough to understand difficult problems, ideas, and people

What's Your Personality Cluster?

Want to learn more about yourself? Try these ones too:

Temperament test
Myers-Briggs
Personal DNA
5 Love Languages

My results:
Mostly Melancholy and some Phlegmatic
ISFJ
My #1 Love Language is Words of Affirmation, followed by Quality Time and Physical Touch.

I always find these quizes so interesting because they are usually so correct in defining me. I love to know how we all function and interact based upon our personalities. What do you all think of the results?

Cupcakes

2007-11-27T11:04:00.000-06:00

On Sunday I made cupcakes for several of my students who were so helpful during our sewing unit. I told them that I would be selecting my star helpers when the unit was over and they would receive a gift. My helpers learned quickly how to use the machine and were so gracious in helping their slower classmates. I wanted to find a spectacular red velvet cupcake recipe and make everything from scratch but #1. What time did I possibly have to do that? #2. Did I really have the money to spend on extra ingredients and possibly kitchen utensils? #3. Do middle schoolers really care if they are from the box or from scratch? No, no, and no. So I bought a store brand devil's food cake mix and store brand cream cheese frosting. Talk about delicious! I made roughly 23 cupcakes and could not resist trying them...I was hoping I could give them all away but as they sat on the kitchen counter in my classroom, they called my name and I devoured 2 of them. Dang it. The overeating urge is still there from Thanksgiving! In the end, my students really enjoyed them and it encouraged the other students to work hard at being my helper.
If you have any great cupcake recipes, please let me know!

Giving Thanks

2007-11-25T16:53:00.000-06:00

This past Thanksgiving has gotten me into a thankful mood, especially since my attitude was pretty negative towards school this first part of the semester. I feel that God is teaching me so much about focusing on what He has provided for me and what His Will is right now, rather than focusing on what I do not have or what is going to happen in the future. There are many blessings He has given me but when times are tough, I can act like a toddler who has gotten their toys taken away! I would like to list the things I am thankful for:
1. A Christian family. I am thankful that my whole family knows the Lord and encourage each other in our walks. We spent our holiday in Lake Charles, LA cooking, eating, watching movies, laying around, and laughing.
2. My church. I am so thankful for a pastor who is warm and relational. I can see his heart every time he preaches. I am also thankful for our singles pastor and the teacher of my Bible study class. These men are so committed to sharing the Word of God and connecting to singles.
3. My job. There are so many people struggling to get jobs or have reason as to why they cannot have a job. I am thankful the Lord has given me an able, willing body and mind to apply to teaching. I complain about the things I wish I had but really, He has provided me with an excellent income. I just have to be a good steward!
4. My students. I love to watch them learn! They are teaching me about patience and how to talk to others with respect. I also really enjoy getting involved in their little worlds. They love to tell me about their lives and I love to ask the questions! I keep imagining what they will be like in high school and college. All grown up and stuff.
5. Friends. This is the first time in a long time I have had some solid Christian friendships. It has taken a while to build them because God wanted me to make Him my best friend first before He could bless me with others. These friends have been such an encouragement to me! They have laughed with me, cried with me, prayed for me, listened to me and been supportive of me. I always look forward to the quality time we will have.
6. My walk with the Lord. Wow! What would I do with Christ? I do not want to go back to that place! I am so thankful for His Word and how I always learn something new when I open it up. He is so faithful to carry me through the storms, build my character, and forgive me again and again. I am learning to trust Him with all my desires and make His desires mine. He continues to teach me new things, day by day. Even though being a first year teacher is incredibly challenging, I am glad for the hard times because now I am more dependent on Him.
7. My country. Even though there things I may take issue with as far as the government goes, I would not live anywhere else. We have freedom to worship here and proclaim that He is Lord. We have freedom of speech. Women have freedom to be a part of society and contribute our gifts. The government does not control every aspect of our lives and we can have a say in that.
8. My state. I know, I know, we Texans are so proud to be from Texas but it is true. I love that we are the biggest state! I love the Southern hospitality of Houstonians, the great BBQ, the Fall and Spring weather, the conservatism, low cost of living, and endless options for everything! It would be hard to live somewhere else.

"Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and worship God acceptably with reverence and awe.."
Hebrews 12:28

Laundry room woes

2007-11-13T11:21:00.000-06:00

One of the downsides to living in an apartment complex in the Galleria is that most of the buildings were built in the 1970's. For some reason they thought it would be a good idea not to include washer and dryer connections. Therefore they created rooms that house 4-6 washers and dryers you have to put money in to use them.
The last apartment I lived in was so old, my dad used to live there with his brother in high school! When we moved into this all bills paid apartment, my roommate and I were given special permission from one of the property leasing agents, "Ruthy," to use this "secret" washer and dryer in an old storage room right outside our door. We were not supposed to be using it so we had to be quiet about it. Ruthy lived below us and had met my roommmate through some mutual friends a while back. The stipulations: We always had to call her to get a maintance person to unlock the door and we had to share it with Ruthy, her hot-tempered husband, and random items and trash left in the room. Almost every time I started a wash of clothes, invariably a maintanence person would lock the door and I would have to call again. Sometimes there would be laundry left in the dryer by this couple and I would place it nicely back on top of the closed washer. One early morning I was leaving for a fitness boot camp around 6am, I was barked at by the Ruthy's husband. He accused me of throwing their clean clothes on the ground. I told him I was not doing that but he persisted to yell at me! I followed up with a comment about how he always parallel parks behind my car in the morning before he leaves for work and how I did not appreciate it. He went inside his apartment before I could finish and slammed the door.
As soon as the office was open, I called his wife and told her how inappropriate his actions were and that I was not going to use their "secret" laundry room anymore. She gave me a small "I'm sorry" but that was it. I lived out my lease in fear that her husband would find some other reason to come after me. On top of the apt complex being ghetto, I had to deal with this hot head.
Back to present day.On Sunday, I went to the laundry room at my complex to wash my clothes as normal. As I was walking over to the room, it looked like I had the place to myself. Except when I entered the room I was startled to see this guy who was casually sitting indian style on top of the washers reading a book like he was hanging out at a bookstore. He looked up at me and I gave him a half smile. I began putting my clothes in the 2 washers farthest away from this guy and tried to go as fast as I could to get away from this akwardness. Here I am throwing in my dirty clothes while he reads his little novel. I pray that he does not look up and watch me put my clothes in! I start to leave and he looks up and says excitedly, "Have a nice day!"
I returned with a thank you and a smile, thinking to myself, what a weirdo! So about 30 minutes later I come back and think that he must be gone by now. Nope. He is still reading his book! Come on, there has to be somewhere else you can read that!Mind you, he is about 30-35, wearing glasses and looks kind of nerdy. He looks up again and I don't say anything to him. I hurredly throw my clothes in to the dryer and off I go. Phew!
Of course the whole while, there is no other person in there to break up the akwardness. Just me and the bookworm.
Dear Weird Guy,
You know it would be a better idea if you just read your book at home instead of sitting on top of the washers baring your hairy legs because it really makes people feel uncomfortable!
Signed,
Disgruntled Clothes Washer

Gossip Girls

2007-10-31T22:03:00.001-05:00

While my 7th period class was sewing their pin cushions today, I allowed a few of them to sit with their friends so they could work and talk. A table of my 3 most talkative, outspoken, back-talking girls were gossiping about almost every person at the school.
"He's soo ugly! Why did you go out with him?"
"No he's not. I think he is sooo FINE!"
"She is one of those girls who _______ !"
"I hate her!"
"She is so ugly!"
"Oh my gosh, can you believe that?"
"So at the party this past weekend, guess what so and so did?
I can't even repeat what else they said because it would not be appropriate.
Between comments like these they were laughing histerically and making fun of people who were not even there to defend themselves.
As I was listening to their conversation, I said:
"Y'all make me so glad I am not in junior high anymore! Y'all are so mean!"
My most mouthy girl in the class retorts:
"I bet you didn't even have any friends in school! No would want to be friends with you!"
"Vanessa (that is what I will call her, it seems fitting), you are about to become best friends with the Assistant Principals and they will be your only friends at school!"
Don't you just love middle schoolers??

Thankful

2007-10-30T12:42:00.000-05:00

As some of you already know, my car broke down on the feeder of I 10 West on the way to school this morning. I had to wait an hour for the wrecker and basically miss this day of school. I did not have much prepared for the day that a sub would be able to do. I took my seating charts home specifically to get them ready just in case I ever had a sub. Miss Kinison had even told me a few weeks ago that I should have things ready if I ever woke up sick one day. Well I took my time doing that and here I am, sitting at home, waiting for my car to be ready. They did already inform me that I would have to pay over $800 for the repairs (mostly labor). Dang it. I have been saving money to pay down my credit card debt, I have been budgeting my money, I have been tithing consistently for once, and basically trying to be a good steward. Why is this happening now? I was for a moment frustrated with God. You know how it goes. We always ask why me Lord? But this time I am changing my attitude. I have come up with some reasons to be thankful:
1. I did not stall on I 10 and cause an accident.
2. I actually own a car.
3. I have friends who love me and responded right away to my text messages with help and prayer.
4. I have not had time to do some laundry, cleaning, and other misc. things. It just so happens that I live accross the street from a small shopping center that houses my dry cleaners, in which I got to take my clothes, a convenience store, where I bought dryer sheets, and an Argentian deli, in which I got a sandwhich.
5. I had time to update my blogs.
6. I was able to email Miss K the seating charts and instructions for the sub for the rest of the day.
7. I have the money to pay for this as it was sitting aside to pay my credit card bill.
8. Rest in the Lord.

I am reminded of the ever so popular Scripture:
Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you now that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking in anything.
James 1:3,4

I am currently enjoying Jesus Paid it All by Kristian Standfill off the Passion: Everything Glorious CD check it out.

Too much visual

2007-10-30T12:32:00.001-05:00

Adolescence is such an awkward time for middle schoolers. They put way too much value into what others think about them and they start wearing clothes they would not normally wear. They also act in ways their parents would be appalled at! Some of the boys in particular have a hard time figuring out how to socialize with the girls and just how to be mature.
A few weeks ago one of the assistant principal's announced to the student body that any boy caught wearing baggy pants or shorts worn below the buttocks would be given Saturday detention. It is about time, I thought to myself!
Well I had 3 boys in my Advisory class decide they would be funny and pulled their shorts way up over their waist and stood up so the whole class could see them. You can only imagine what that looked like! The girls were disgusted and demanded they pull their shorts back down. That was a visual I could have lived without!

Creepy

2007-10-26T11:18:00.000-05:00

So last Friday a student was transferred into my 8th period Skills for Living class because the counselor changed his electives. We will call him student X. X is this big boy who is half Puerto Rican half black. And boy does he have a personality! The counselor informed me to tell him that we follow the rules in my class and if he gives me a problem to call his grandparents, whom he lives with, and they will be very supportive. Well of course that insinuates that he has behavior issues. Yep, right away he was talking up a storm to his table and I had to quiet him down. The lesson of the day was discussing different types of child abuse. Once we got to sexual abuse (they were surprised at how often this happens) my student decides to tell a little joke:

"One time I was at Michael Jackson's house playing games and he asked me to spend the night in his bed but I said no."

He definitely had the class, including me, roaring with laughter!

Last Thursday I had him sit at the desk next to mine so he would stay on task and he asked me:

"Can I sew a dragon onto my pin cushion? Because I really like dragons. I like all the kind of dark, evil stuff. I am creepy. I am really creepy."

I was trying to show the class some sewing stuff and overheard X and another student talking. X was being really elaborate in his stories so one of his classmates called him a drama queen. To this he replied:

"Drama Princess! Get it right! I am a Drama Princess!"

Yesterday I was trying to show him some sewing techniques and he busts out in a dance move and tells me he is dancing like Michael Jackson.

Me: "So you like Michael Jackson huh? He is your personal friend?"
X: "Yeah I go over to his house a lot to play games but I don't spend the night."

I could devote my whole blog to just what my students do and say! It makes the day so much more fun when I just listen to them. They are hilarious! I will be keeping you all updated on my infamous student...

NO THANKS!

2007-10-21T21:42:00.000-05:00

I was enjoying lunch outside today at Quiznos with a wonderful friend when this white haired, 60 year old man gets out of his black Mercedes wearing sunglasses from the 90's and a huge grin across his face says:
"You are beautiful!"
What?? We were speechless! What do you say to some old guy who pays you compliment that makes you sick to your stomach? Um, yeah thanks pervert. You are old enough to be our grandfather!
After he realized were not going to say anything to him he goes, "You can say thanks"!
He was only inside for a few minutes, which I am assuming he went into pee because he had already been drinking throughout the morning. So on his way to his car he says, I love you!

What is it with weird men?? LEAVE US ALONE!

My kids

2007-10-15T20:09:00.001-05:00

For many years now, the last thing on mind has been kids. I did not pass by that cute little baby with chubby cheeks and feel my maternal instinct take over or wish I could take home that tiny toddler in the grocery store. I rarely ever spend time with the children of my married friends (mostly because they live far away). The only child I am ever around is my friend's (who is a single father) daughter. I volunteered to babysat her this summer and let's just say I never really did enjoy babysitting!

All that to say, as I am now a teacher with 130 kiddoes, they are always on my mind!!
Thinking about the the things the crazy things that come out of their mouths and the sweet compliments they give me makes teaching them so much fun! Here are some pics of my little rascals:

Hair stylist

2007-10-07T21:26:00.000-05:00

So yesterday I tried a new salon to get my hair cut and colored since it had been almost 5 months! I found myself searching on Craigslist to find someone affordable and somehow ended up on a Christian Business directory. That is where I found Eric Perez Hair Studio. I figured maybe he offers Christian prices! Well not so much but still better than most salons charge.
I arrived early Saturday morning to this quaint little salon behind Bo Concept that only had two chairs for people to get their hair done in. Eric's sister did my highlights and after that was over, she left. For a while it was just Eric and I. He had KSBJ playing in the background so of course we talked about that and what church we went to and when we got saved and what God was doing in our lives. This guy was really on fire for the Lord. He told me how he was single for 5 1/2 years and just grew in his walk with the Lord and God brought along his now wife. They met 9 months ago and have been married since July.
As he was cutting my hair, he asks directly:
"Heather, are you wanting a husband?"
"Um,....yeah I guess." (Keep in mind there is this guy sitting not too far from us waiting for a haircut)
"Seriously because I feel that you do."
"Well...yes I do."
"Okay, Heather, I am going to pray for a husband for you. Everytime I pray for my friends, things happen.It's just crazy but prayers are answered! I know the Lord brought you here today and it was not by accident. I mean I had been told by my cousin to post an ad on Craigslist and then through that you found my salon. I feel that the Lord is leading me to pray for you."
"Well thank you. I appreciate that." I am thinking he is going to be praying for me later...nope he busts in prayer right there! Which at first was a little awkward since there was another person there and I barely even know this stylist. If you have not figured out by now, he is quite charismatic.
Despite my feeling a tad uncomfortable, it was incredibly encouraging to have someone I do not know pray and ask for a husband for me. I was having a really tough week and going through some conflicting feelings. I know I was supposed to be there and that means that for sure I will be meeting my husband soon because my stylist said so!
If you ever need a hair cut, color or just encouragement, give him a call:
713.629.4100 directions

I know fashion

2007-10-01T20:35:00.000-05:00

I am really beginning to love these middle schoolers and their squirrelyness. They talk about anything and everything. They tell me all kinds of things about their lives, probably things they should not admit, but sometimes I am taken aback when they say something directed at me.

Example:
Today I was wearing a cute brown short sleeved cotton top from Target with big reddish orange beads and denim pants. Well this is what my little student, who is quite the overachiever, said when she came into class:
Sofia: "Miss, why are you wearing a red necklace with a brown shirt?
Me: "Well, because it goes well together."
Sofia: Looking at me skeptically, "Well it doesn't match."
Me: "It does not have to match. It is fashionable to wear these colors together."
I cannot leave out the fact that she was wearing powder blue track pants with Carebears on them, tennis shoes, and a white and magenta t-shirt with some little characters on them! She also had to point out the typo in the quiz I gave them and also that I had not graded their warm-ups yet!

But the fruit fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace, PATIENCE..........Galations 5:22

You're so lucky

2007-10-01T20:26:00.000-05:00

Miss K and I teach in the elective wing and have gotten to know the speech teacher, Mr. Domingue, who is around our age and incredibly funny. He is extremely dramatic and can tell some elaborate stories. We have to stand outside our doors to monitor the hallway so we get laugh and cut up all day. Last Friday he came to visit Miss K and I on our off period to tell stories as he usually does. This is how his story went: "Y'all know the new Special Ed teacher? Well, he was telling me last week I was so lucky because I get to hang out all day with the 2 hottest teachers in the school!"
We'll take that ;)

Scary times

2007-09-30T18:15:00.001-05:00

Read this article
And to think that I teach in the district where this happened!

My first tag!

2007-09-28T11:31:00.000-05:00

1. What were you doing 10 years ago?
Well that would have been fall of 1997, the beginning of my junior year. It was my first year as a member of the color guard. We got to attend practice every day with the marching band and performed during half time at those exciting Cy-Fair football games. They were always the highlight of my week. I was never good enough for drill team or cheerleading so color guard and choir were my extracurricular activities! My best friend was Mary Hermann, who is now Mary Farmer and has 3 kids!

2. What were you doing 5 years ago?

Unlike everyone else who has responded as being their SENIOR year of college,I had taken that semester off and I probably was in my sophomore year. I had been accepted to UH and was waiting to start classes in the spring. I was also in my first relationship with my boyfriend Ricky.

3. What were you doing 1 year ago?

I was trying to figure out what to do with my life! I went to 2 different interviews for a recruiting position and realized the corporate world was not for me. I then started researching grad schools and seminaries to see if I wanted to pursue my Master's. I was also solidifying my relationship with the Lord and letting go of past behaviors as well as asking the Lord for direction as to when I could quit waiting tables. Very hard time in my life but that is when I grew a lot spiritually.

4. What did you do yesterday?
I woke up at 5am, made it to school by 7am, had 3 good classes, went to Wal-Mart on my conference period,picked up lunch and made it back to campus 30 minutes before my next class only to find out I had missed a meeting! My partner Miss K had to cover for me (thank you and sorry for that)!! After lunch, I have my 6th period class that is full of actors and one in particular was doing all the Simpson voices through out taking notes so I stopped the class early and had them sit in silence. Oohh they loved that! This bad mood spilled into 7th period who were unusually quiet but only because I told them I was not happy. Things got better and my class was doing just fine until I had to move a student for excessive talking and asked me, "Why do you act like you own this class? Why do you think you are the leader of this class?" He was sent right to the office!!!!!!!!!! My 3rd job is staying after for d-hall on Thursdays so that ended at 4:30 and I stayed at the school till 7pm to grade and get organized. I ended the evening by watching tv and grading some more, making my lunch for the next day and reading my Bible before bed!

5. Snacks I enjoy:
Trail mix with chocolate mixed in, Archer Farms granola and fruit bars, Greek yogurt with honey and pecans, mangos, and baked pita chips!

6. Things I would do with a $100 million dollars...
I have to admit I have daydreamed about this one too many times so first and foremost I would pray about what to do with the money. I would give most to my church, missionaries, ministries in the country I visited this summer and then I would give lots to my parents so they could stop working and enjoy retirement. I would also share with my siblings (sharing is what we learn to do when we are young!), I would give some to Miss K because she needs to remodel the kitchen at school, pay off debt, and then I would travel to some amazing places!

7. Locations I would run to....
New York, Chicago, Nashville, Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, Seattle, Portland, and Salem because I have never seen those cities and heard many wonderful things about them! Then onto all of Italy, the rest of Greece I have not seen, Spain, Argentina, Costa Rica, and Japan to name a few.

8. Bad habits I have...
Umm, none ? No, I am not as perfect as I would like to be...I focus way too much on doing my hair that it makes me late to school, to social events, and (gasp) church!
I say that I want to be in shape and eat right but it does not matter how many healthy groceries I buy or how close the gym is to my house or how much time I have, I will eat bad food if it is righ in front of me and I will skip the gym because I am too lazy! I also have a tendency to assume too much.

9. Things I like to do...
Read, read and read! I love to watch HGTV and talk about the shows with my mom, scrapbook when my mom comes into town, have deep, meaningful conversations with friends, drink coffee first thing in the morning and drink hot tea at night before bed. I absolutely love to laugh and be goofy with my family and I also enjoy a fair amount of alone time.

10. Biggest joy of the moment:
Knowing that He calls me faithful

I am going to tag Mary F., Sally, Huan and Jen L.

Okay, okay

2007-09-19T21:19:00.000-05:00

It has been way too long since I last posted and I am sure no one checks this everyday to see if I have written, except maybe Emily. I can't imagine people being interested in what I have to say but I do enjoy reading my friend's blogs.

School has started and whoa, I thought the restaurant industry was tough. Try dealing with hormonal, defiant, disrepectful, quirky, squirrely, weird, talkative adolescents!!! This is a whole new set of things to deal with and ones that I had not prayed enough about. I spent the summer just amxiously awaiting the start of my new career yet nothing prepared me for this. It is on-the-job-training! Has it been hard? Yes. Has it been emotional? Double yes. Am I glad I am here? Yes. Do I believe this is where God wants me? Yes, but I have already questioned that a few times!

Hard times aside, I know I am constantly being taught how to live for Him. He is sharpening me...molding me, this clay mass, into His design. When I feel that I am the worst person for the job, He reminds me that when I am weak, then He is strong. Beth Moore read 1 Corinthians 1:26-31 last night and I remember stumbling across those verses just a few short months ago. 26 Brothers think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by the world's standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. 27 But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of this world to shame the strong. These verses tell me that He has chosen me in spite of my weakenesses and flaws. I have a history and He wants to use it for my future.

Havanna-Day 2

2007-07-12T00:22:00.000-05:00

We began the day with breakfast at the hotel and a team devotional.We were then greeted by Pastor Derys, along with our 2 drivers, ready to take us on a tour of this foreign city. Derys is a pastor at Iglesia Evangelical Pentecostal Church in Santo Domingo. He became a Christian in 1995 and later married his beautiful wife, whom he met at a church he was speaking in. He and his wife now have a young son and daughter. He said he felt a call on his heart by God to become fluent in English so he could serve as a translator for visitors to his country. We all hit it off with him right away! He is quite the jokester and knew how to roll with our American humor. We even taught him typical hand gestures and sayings, like "y'all." We thank God that he was so willing to spend the week with us because without him, I do not know how we would have gotten through it all!

He knew an immense amount about the city and it's culture and was able to educate us on our tour. As we were walking through downtown, I was really amazed at the structure of the buildings. They all had a uniqueness about them. Not buildings that you would find in many parts of the U.S. because our country is so young. These buildings have character. Different colors of paint, some without paint, run down and some pristine. They just looked old but that is what I appreciated about them. We also saw tons of cars from the 1950's. They had old Chevys and Fords. AMAZING! They still have mechanics who keep those cars running in this present day. Most of their cars are European and few are Asian since the U.S.A. will not export to them. We did see one F150 and a Nissan SUV. I wonder how they got those into the country??

We had lunch at a Chinese restaurant in Barrio China, where there are no Asians. Huan was pretty much the token Asian through out our entire trip. He was quite a hit. In fact, the locals nicknamed him Jackie Chan! Everywhere we went, people loved to make comments about him. After lunch, Pastor Derys took us to the seminary headquarters. This place trains pastors and missionaries, as well as teaches people how to use computers. They have a huge ministry that sends missionaries throughout the country, as well as provide resources for pastors to start churches. Pastor Park, a pastor in Houston, began this ministry in the country. He started with a vision and it has grown immensely! He comes 3 times a year to visit and is always there to congratulate the graduates from LIT. This is something our team would like to be involved in supporting.

The rest of the day was devoted to dinner at Pizza Nova and more touristy stops in the city. We ended the day with a cannon ball shoot off. They do this every night at 9pm. The city officials used to set off the cannon every night to tell everyone to be at home and in bed. Kind of like a city curfew. Tons of tourists attend this nightly event so the locals were selling their jewelry, figurines, art work, food and drinks. One guy bartered with Karen and I about some bracelets and we did not even ask him to! 2 bracelets for 3 CUCs(equivalent to roughly $3, give or take a few). This girl can't pass up a good deal so I happily bought my two!

There was so much more to see in this city but with limited time we could not see it all. We all enjoyed the day so much and I would like to one day be able to see the city in it's entirety. It was truly amazing. I cannot possibly compare it to any place I have visited before. A city I cannot forget!

Back on American soil

2007-07-09T10:07:00.000-05:00

I arrived yesterday at 11:05 a.m. save for my luggage, without eating breakfast (everyone knows how important it is for me to eat) , had a very tense ride home from the airport, but lukily was not pulled into the interrogation room at customs and was able to be on the internet the entire day. I am very thankful to be home safely and so grateful to our Father for allowing me to serve Him in this truly amazing country. FYI: I will not be mentioning the name of the country for safety reasons. Pretty much everyone knows where I went. :)

Day 1: We made it to the airport just fine but security stole my packed tuna fish kits and canned fruit because they contain liquid. What?? "Where is the sign that says that?" I asked. "Any liquid is included in that rule," the 2 mean women told me. After they pulled everything out of my backpack and saw that my muffins got squished, the lady asked me if I still wanted them. Well, of course I do! You just took most of my food so I am not letting you have those too!! I walked to my team frustrated already but thankfully everyone offered to share their tuna with me. I just love them! I never had to lack for much food on this trip because so many people brought snacks to share. Thank you Lord!

We arrived in the airport of Havana to many stares and looks. Pastor Darys, along with a few other locals, met us there and took us to the hotel Panorama. Even though it was around 12 am, we could not stop staring out the window the whole way to the hotel. There were tons of people walking the streets. Where were they all going? I was asking in my head. There are no real traffic laws so pedestrians cross the street at their own risk and cars shoot out from every corner. I never even saw a speed limit sign. We were definitely at the mercy of our driver who thankfully brought us safely to the hotel where we checked in smoothly and took pictures of this crazy place. Sleep came easy that night after a long day of travelling.

More to come...

Sharing my faith

2007-06-22T17:52:00.000-05:00

As many of you know, I have been in certification classes all week through Texas Teachers ACP. We meet at the Renaissance Hotel (in Greenway Plaza) banquet room everyday from 9-4. I even had class on Saturday! Luckily the last class is this Friday and then I am off for my trip!

I have been learning quite a bit about Classroom Management, Lesson Plans, Rubrics, Communication and how to not upset your student's parents. To be honest, I was not too excited about going to class everyday and working on top off that because that means I would be around people all day in class and then have to entertain customers at the restaurant at night. People exhaust me!! (Don't get me wrong, I do love people) I had asked the Lord to let me be Light to my classmates this week and not stay in my little reserved comfort zone. Well, He did just that!

For 4 days straight I had eaten lunch with the same girl and later we were joined by a guy that sits close to us in class.Our conversations have run the gamut from subsituting to Oprah to relationships. Last Friday we actually got to talk about God! I shared my faith with the both of them. The guy, Chris, believes that all religions preach the same thing and basically lead you on the same path. The girl, Rachel, had been raised Catholic, but she and her husband attend a non-denominational church. She has read the Purpose Driven Life and spoke about her role as a mother and how her children are God's children and she is just there to raise them. Chris did not have much to say but I know he heard our conversation. The Holy Spirit spoke through me because the words coming out of my mouth were all His. Praise the Lord!!

For so many years, I have been afraid to speak up about my faith. I was afraid of what others would think of me. Especially when I have not always been a great witness for the Lord. God really convicted my heart because I am so willing to go on a mission trip to share the Gospel but afraid of stepping on the toes of my fellow Americans. Yes, I will be persecuted. Yes, I will not be included into the group. Yes, I will lose friends. But the reward is great.

"What then shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us?" Romans 8:31

I take joy in doing your will, my God, for your law is written on my heart. Psalm 40:8

A week of blessings

2007-06-17T20:48:00.000-05:00

Sunday: Social planning meeting (or socialites as Courtney lovingly calls us)

Monday: In the morning I got a call from José, the principal of Watkins Middle School, letting me know that now there actually was a second position available for a Family and Consumer Science teacher. Wow!! I am going to teach with Emily? Thank you Lord.

Tuesday: A double shift at the good ole' Capital Grille. I can't wait to leave!

Wednesday: A missions meeting where we got together with our prayer partners to get to know each other. This touched my heart because I am all about relationships! We then headed to Candelari's Pizza (6002 Washington Ave) to bond over my favorite food. Having these meetings every week has really brought us close together. I am really loving them!

Wednesday late night: I finally came alive and it was way too early for bed (9:30). I had an enjoyable evening of great conversation until 2am with miss Emily.

Thursday: I had to work in the lounge at my restaurant, which I detest because of the flirty business men who frequent our bar area but my manager insists that every girl has to rotate in there. It is against my morals! But he will not take that as an excuse.

Friday: Another socials meeting to plan out the summer (look forward to a fabulous summer Lighthousers).

Friday night: I went to an Astro's game with The Life class in which they won! We had dinner at the incredibly ghetto Chacho's on Westheimer and ended the night with a little dancing at Palmano Pizzeria (3026 Chimney Rock Road). I met some wonderful people and thoroughly enjoyed the evening.

Saturday: I caught up with a wonderful friend and then it was onto dinner at Mykonos Island for Emily's birthday. We had an amazing group of 10 girls who laughed, danced, shared, goofed off, and encouraged each other. I truly felt at home. Happy birthday Emily!!!

Sunday: Father's Day. I have to say that having my father in Surprise,AZ has not allowed us as much one on one time. We talk occasionally on the phone and we visit when he and my mom come into town but it is not the same.

I'd like to say that my father has taught me a thing or two in raising me:

1. How to ride a bike

2. How to work (he was my first boss)

3. How to drive

4. How to prepare for an interview

5. How to find a guy who is a spiritual leader

As well as spiritual maturity. He had a rough upbringing but luckily came to know the Lord right about the time he met my mom. I thank the Lord for that tract he got saved from. I really appreciate all he has done for our family and it is amazing to see how God has grown him. He loves the Lord and each day is learning more about how to be a spiritual leader. He is truly wonderful!

This week has been quite full as you can see and for that I am thankful. It has been a cry of my heart to get a job, to develop close friendships, to be part of my church, and to grow in my walk with the Lord.

Thank you God, for blessing me.

"O LORD, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth!" Psalm 8:9

Cracks in our foundation

2007-05-26T15:30:00.000-05:00

This semester I have been going through Beth Moore's Bible study called The Patriarchs and it has been such an incredible journey through Genesis. With each chapter, there are more stories of those who were the foundation of our world. They existed at time when God's Word in written form did not exist and Jesus was not walking the earth. Yet they had faith in God.

The passage I read the other day was Genesis 35:1-15 and the theme was about eruptions on the inside. Jacob's sons had killed every male in Shechem over the brutality their sister had experienced in chapter 34. They were angry and upset and did not take control of those emotions. Beth was pointing out how as Christians we can suddenly act out of character and not realize why we would do something like that. We can be going along in our walks with the Lord, feeling close to Him, being involved in our church body and then bam! We do something evil. Where does that come from? It is a crack of compromise in our foundation. Deep underneath the surface we have not let go of something we need to give to God. She says that if we've done something drastically uncharacteristic for a follower of Christ, we need to trace the cracks of compromise.

I personally felt convicted by this because I know I have acted out of character and have been shocked at my actions. Where did that come from, I will ask. That is not me at all! After reading this passage I knew there were parts of me I had not given over to the Lord or prayed about ever. These clefts I had let go unassessed were coming out in horrible ways and it was time to confess.

"Blessed is he whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered. Blessed is the man whose sin the Lord does not count against him and in whose spirit is no deceit." Psalm 32:1-2

IFEST 2007

2007-04-30T12:57:00.000-05:00

Yesterday I went to the International Festival with my brother and a co-worker. I have been so excited about going this year because I really enjoy cultural events in Houston. I invited several other friends to go but it must have been a busy weekend. Since China was featured this year I knew it was going to be great. We arrived around 3 p.m. and watched the Mariachi group perform. The girl leading the singing was so awesome! Her voice was beautiful and sent chills down my spine. I wish I could sing in Spanish!

The next group were folklorico dancers dancing in couples. It was neat to see the guys get out there and not let self-consciousness keep them from participating. I loved it! After that, we spent the next hour browsing the booths of various hodge podge items that one would only buy at a festival. We walked through the Jamaican area, the Indian area, the Chinese area and then onto the American area.

Since the sun was beating down we had to get some dessert and drinks! My choice: chocolate covered cheesecake. I was in heaven! Everyone close to me knows how much I love dessert, probably stemming from my childhood when my mom would take us to T.C.B.Y. or sonic to get a special treat. I ate the entire thing without a care to how many calories I had just consumed. It was well worth it!

We ended the day with an Asian beer and watched the Kung Fu show on the cultural stage. By that time, I was too tired to think anymore. This festival was fun and worth attending, even though it was a little pricey. I definitely enjoyed seeing the many cultures represented and experiencing what the city has to offer.

Brent and I went home to my apartment and watched The Deadliest Catch on the Discovery Channel. He was hungry and had a craving for a steak so I looked up a recipe for a tasty filet. We picked up our ingredients at HEB and he cooked us dinner. He made bacon wrapped filets, crab cakes, I made a little veggie mix, heated up some bread and then he made gorgonzola portabella mushrooms. The mushrooms with the cheese was the best part of the meal. Delicious! The best part of this day was getting to spend time with my little brother.

Then God said, "I am El Shaddai-'God Almighty.' Be fruitful and multiply. You will become a great nation, even many nations. Kings will be among your decendants! Genesis 35:11

Firsts

2007-04-28T15:24:00.000-05:00

This is my very first blog. I got inspired to blog because I read the blogs of some of my close friends and found that I got to know their hearts much better. It was amazing the things that I discovered just by reading their personal reflections. I am always very curious as to what people are really like deep down. I want to know what they are really thinking because it helps me to understand them better. I do not always know how to unlock the mysteries of one's heart but I feel that communicating through written words can be easier than spoken words.

I feel that blogging for me will be a place to express my feelings to my friends and let them know what is going on inside my stirring mind. I hope you all enjoy getting to read what I write.