Well, the past couple of weeks have certainly flown by! Get the kids to school...study Hebrew....go to class...study Hebrew....kids are home....homework time...Darrin goes to work... dinner....study Hebrew....go to sleep....dream of Hebrew! Oh my goodness...can you tell how much of my time Hebrew takes??? It is going well though. By God's grace, I do have an "A" in the class for the moment! :0)
Yesterday I had an opportunity to go to a beautiful park. It was a gorgeous day. I sat on a bench in the midst of beautiful flowers and trees... just in awe of the amazing creations of God. There were little yellow butterflies everywhere. I rather liked the butterflies. He has created a glorious world for us to live in. But the beauty of His creation here on earth pales in comparison to what we, as believers, will experience eternally in Heaven.
I actually went to the park for my storying group. I have been meeting with these ladies for a few weeks now. It is so neat to see the creativity in the group...so many different ways to teach the stories of the Bible. Yesterday it was my turn to teach. And what was my creative way??? Yep, you guessed it...a song. Our story was from Acts 17:1-10. I wrote a very simple, kindergarten-type, 7 verse song to teach the story. The ladies loved it....and I got to be the "music teacher" again for the afternoon! :0)
Speaking of being the music teacher again...God never ceases to amaze me. So, if you've been following the blog, you might remember when we had to go to the lovely student assignment office to get the kids registered for school (that 4 hour ordeal!!!). So, you might also recall that Adam was assigned to a very small school about a mile from our home. We actually didn't even know the school existed until that day. We were hoping to get him into a different school, but there was a long waiting list. Anyway, fast forward to a couple of weeks ago... Adam came home from school and said that he had gone to music that day. Well this peaked my interest because Adam has never had a music teacher other than me, and I was curious what he thought about his new music class. So I asked him how he liked it. He said, "It was good, but we don't have a 'real' music teacher yet." I asked him, "What do you mean, not a 'real' teacher?" He said, "We have a substitute music teacher because our school doesn't have a real music teacher yet." Well, my wheels started turning immediately. I thought...this school is so small....they wouldn't need a full time music teacher....hmmmmm. So I emailed Adam's classroom teacher and asked if what he said was true. Well she connected me with the principal....and indeed, it was true. Long story short....I interviewed for the job today. The interview went QUITE well. However, I will not know anything official until next week. If I get the job, I will be working Monday through Friday from 8:40am - 12:30pm. That will leave all of my afternoons free for my seminary classes. So...how cool is that??? We didn't even know the school existed....it was a mile away from our home....very small....great educational setting for Adam....AND they need a part time music teacher....plus, I get to be back in the building with my baby! (I know...some of you are thinking that he is not a baby and I need to cut the strings....others of you understand completely!) IF...I get the job. That is nothing but the work of God...not a grand coincidence...just God...knowing me...loving me...and saying, "Here you go, my child. This is for you." (if...I get the job!) :0)
What else can I share??? We have had some flu-like sickness in the house. Darrin has been out of work for 3 days, but hopefully he will be able to return tomorrow. And....still no news on the house...still waiting...
Well, I should stop writing now. Why should I stop writing now? What do I need to do? That's right....study Hebrew!!!!
Friday, September 21, 2012
Monday, September 10, 2012
Getting Involved!
This past week was a busy one! Darrin had a week of training at Olive Garden and is now officially working as a server. We are in full swing with school work all the way around...for the kids and for Darrin and myself. So far, so good for all of us! Even Hebrew is going well...but it is getting tougher. I translated actual Bible phrases (not entire verses) for this first time this week....that was cool! None of us have had a real test yet...a few quizzes, but nothing major. Darrin did turn in his first paper, but he has not received a grade yet. So, we know there will be more difficult school work in the near future, but for now, we are doing pretty well with it all.
The kids are doing very well in school! All of the bus issues seem to be ironed out. Adam is still enjoying school and doing well. The girls are liking it better and better. They are making friends and getting adjusted to the "newness" of it all. Kayla REALLY loves her modern dance class! While she has already come home bruised in several places from the crazy things they do in there, she just loves it. It is something that she looks forward to each day. It has helped to make her "new school" experience a good one! Speaking of her new school, we had "Meet the Teacher" night last week. I only got to meet 2 of her 4 teachers. I met her chorus and dance teachers. Her geometry and history teachers were not there. Anyway, getting around that place was INSANE! It is HUGE! We must have walked the distance of a cross-country race just getting to her classrooms. I certainly got my exercise for the evening, and I also understood why she was so overwhelmed those first couple of days. But she lead me around there like she had been doing it forever. :0) Emma is in class with a girl from Africa who speaks no English at all. Emma has been teaching her quite a bit. That has been a neat experience for her! I told Emma she needs to have that young lady teach her some African words....perhaps that will come in handy one day on the mission field! :0)
While everything is going well, I have been struggling with missing everyone and everything. I miss my friends, I miss my church, and I even miss my house. While there is nothing wrong with missing everyone and everything, I was allowing that to take too much of my focus. So I decided this week that it was time to get involved in some things here. I met a wonderful Korean woman in my Evangelism class who invited me to a "storying" small group. I went this past Thursday afternoon. It was a great time of fellowship, worship, and learning. We learned how to tell one of the stories in the book of Acts using hand motions. Each week we focus on a different story of the Bible and a different method, whether it be hand motions, drawing pictures, singing a song....just different creative methods of Bible story-telling. I thoroughly enjoyed it and am looking forward to going back! I also began attending a discipleship class at church. It is a class for women on emotions....understanding where they come from and handling them in Godly ways. We are blessed to have the writer of the study as our teacher! I am excited to discover what God has in-store through this class! It is good for me to begin to get "plugged-in" here.
Kayla had another really cool thing happen for her this week. The youth ministry at the church we have been attending, Richland Creek Church, does have a youth praise band. Well it just so happens that they are in need of a lead guitar player. She talked to the leader of the praise band last night. He told her to show up with her guitar and amp on the 23rd at 5:30! :0) Yet another way that God has gone before us! He had this in place for Kayla! Those things are sooooo encouraging to me!
All of those ways that He continues to show Himself and encourage us are very much needed. This is a hard transition for us all....harder than I anticipated. It is good, but still difficult. Another battle we are facing is the sale of our home in Danville. It still has not sold. We have had a couple of very low offers, but nothing we can really work with. It is coming down to the point that we may have to just let it go. That is really tough! Darrin has somehow been prepared for that all along, but I have not. I just knew that God would take care of it, and the house would sell. Please don't misunderstand...I know that God is in complete control. He is taking care of it in His Sovereignty...just perhaps not in the way that I would have chosen. But it is not my way that matters...only His. He still may allow the house to sell, or it just may be His plan that we let it go. Perhaps this is a bigger lesson on sacrifice than I anticipated. Perhaps He is testing us to see just exactly how much we are willing to give up for Him. I don't know what He is doing exactly, but I know that He is in complete control, and I take comfort in Romans 8:28 which tells me "God works all things together for good, for those who are called according to His purpose." I must rest in that and know in my heart that His plans are perfect, even when I don't understand exactly what He is doing. And really, in the grand scheme of things, and in light of eternity, what is a house? It's just an earthly treasure that moths and rust and thieves can destroy. In John 14:2-3 Jesus tells me, " In my Father's house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also." That place He is preparing for me is my HOME...in Heaven with Him. And through my relationship with Christ, I am GUARANTEED that home WILL NOT be foreclosed on. :0)
The kids are doing very well in school! All of the bus issues seem to be ironed out. Adam is still enjoying school and doing well. The girls are liking it better and better. They are making friends and getting adjusted to the "newness" of it all. Kayla REALLY loves her modern dance class! While she has already come home bruised in several places from the crazy things they do in there, she just loves it. It is something that she looks forward to each day. It has helped to make her "new school" experience a good one! Speaking of her new school, we had "Meet the Teacher" night last week. I only got to meet 2 of her 4 teachers. I met her chorus and dance teachers. Her geometry and history teachers were not there. Anyway, getting around that place was INSANE! It is HUGE! We must have walked the distance of a cross-country race just getting to her classrooms. I certainly got my exercise for the evening, and I also understood why she was so overwhelmed those first couple of days. But she lead me around there like she had been doing it forever. :0) Emma is in class with a girl from Africa who speaks no English at all. Emma has been teaching her quite a bit. That has been a neat experience for her! I told Emma she needs to have that young lady teach her some African words....perhaps that will come in handy one day on the mission field! :0)
While everything is going well, I have been struggling with missing everyone and everything. I miss my friends, I miss my church, and I even miss my house. While there is nothing wrong with missing everyone and everything, I was allowing that to take too much of my focus. So I decided this week that it was time to get involved in some things here. I met a wonderful Korean woman in my Evangelism class who invited me to a "storying" small group. I went this past Thursday afternoon. It was a great time of fellowship, worship, and learning. We learned how to tell one of the stories in the book of Acts using hand motions. Each week we focus on a different story of the Bible and a different method, whether it be hand motions, drawing pictures, singing a song....just different creative methods of Bible story-telling. I thoroughly enjoyed it and am looking forward to going back! I also began attending a discipleship class at church. It is a class for women on emotions....understanding where they come from and handling them in Godly ways. We are blessed to have the writer of the study as our teacher! I am excited to discover what God has in-store through this class! It is good for me to begin to get "plugged-in" here.
Kayla had another really cool thing happen for her this week. The youth ministry at the church we have been attending, Richland Creek Church, does have a youth praise band. Well it just so happens that they are in need of a lead guitar player. She talked to the leader of the praise band last night. He told her to show up with her guitar and amp on the 23rd at 5:30! :0) Yet another way that God has gone before us! He had this in place for Kayla! Those things are sooooo encouraging to me!
All of those ways that He continues to show Himself and encourage us are very much needed. This is a hard transition for us all....harder than I anticipated. It is good, but still difficult. Another battle we are facing is the sale of our home in Danville. It still has not sold. We have had a couple of very low offers, but nothing we can really work with. It is coming down to the point that we may have to just let it go. That is really tough! Darrin has somehow been prepared for that all along, but I have not. I just knew that God would take care of it, and the house would sell. Please don't misunderstand...I know that God is in complete control. He is taking care of it in His Sovereignty...just perhaps not in the way that I would have chosen. But it is not my way that matters...only His. He still may allow the house to sell, or it just may be His plan that we let it go. Perhaps this is a bigger lesson on sacrifice than I anticipated. Perhaps He is testing us to see just exactly how much we are willing to give up for Him. I don't know what He is doing exactly, but I know that He is in complete control, and I take comfort in Romans 8:28 which tells me "God works all things together for good, for those who are called according to His purpose." I must rest in that and know in my heart that His plans are perfect, even when I don't understand exactly what He is doing. And really, in the grand scheme of things, and in light of eternity, what is a house? It's just an earthly treasure that moths and rust and thieves can destroy. In John 14:2-3 Jesus tells me, " In my Father's house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also." That place He is preparing for me is my HOME...in Heaven with Him. And through my relationship with Christ, I am GUARANTEED that home WILL NOT be foreclosed on. :0)
Saturday, September 1, 2012
I challenge YOU to read with ME!
Quick update....Darrin got a job!!!! After 3 interviews with Olive Garden, they finally hired him! He will be a server. 3 interviews just to be a server...they don't mess around! They say that's where the money is, much more so than in the kitchen. Of course, he doesn't have the time to do the management thing, as he has done for the past 15 years, so it's back to waiting tables. We praise God for the job!!!!! He starts his training on Monday (Labor Day)...please be in prayer for him as he now must balance his school work, his job, and his family.
We will add serving in a local church to all of that soon, as well. We have visited 2 local churches. We think we have found one that is a good "fit" for our family. Please pray that God will give us wisdom and discernment as we get plugged in and must decide in what capacities to serve, and sometimes, when to say "no" for the sake of balance and margin.
Our classes are going well. Darrin wrote his first paper! He did a great job, I think. We shall see if my opinion is reflected in his professor's opinion (and in his grade). :0) It is an essay..."A Narrative of a Changed Life: Where Did God Go?" Good stuff!
My Hebrew class is getting quite a bit tougher. No more pre-school Hebrew...you know...singing ABC songs...oh no...we have moved up to at least 2nd grade Hebrew in a week's time....long and short vowels and vocabulary words. The vowels are just dots and lines added underneath, above, or beside the consonant symbols. There are not just 5 of them though. There are different ones for long vowel sounds, short vowel sounds, reduced vowel sounds...and even more. For the vocab words, we were given 20 of the most commonly used Hebrew words in the Old Testament...symbols, mind you, not our transliterated letters. For Tuesday's quiz, we have to look at the Hebrew word and know the English translation. That's 1/2 the quiz...the other 1/2 is knowing all of the vowel dots/dashes/etc.
I've been reading a great book on social injustice for my Women & Evangelism class. The book is Good News About Injustice: A Witness of Courage in a Hurting World by Gary A. Haugen. I highly recommend it to anyone who wants to know more about the horrible social injustices that are occurring every day all over our world, what God has to say about those situations, and how we, as Christians, can work to seek justice in these situations. John Stott wrote the foreward to the book, and he says:
We will add serving in a local church to all of that soon, as well. We have visited 2 local churches. We think we have found one that is a good "fit" for our family. Please pray that God will give us wisdom and discernment as we get plugged in and must decide in what capacities to serve, and sometimes, when to say "no" for the sake of balance and margin.
Our classes are going well. Darrin wrote his first paper! He did a great job, I think. We shall see if my opinion is reflected in his professor's opinion (and in his grade). :0) It is an essay..."A Narrative of a Changed Life: Where Did God Go?" Good stuff!
My Hebrew class is getting quite a bit tougher. No more pre-school Hebrew...you know...singing ABC songs...oh no...we have moved up to at least 2nd grade Hebrew in a week's time....long and short vowels and vocabulary words. The vowels are just dots and lines added underneath, above, or beside the consonant symbols. There are not just 5 of them though. There are different ones for long vowel sounds, short vowel sounds, reduced vowel sounds...and even more. For the vocab words, we were given 20 of the most commonly used Hebrew words in the Old Testament...symbols, mind you, not our transliterated letters. For Tuesday's quiz, we have to look at the Hebrew word and know the English translation. That's 1/2 the quiz...the other 1/2 is knowing all of the vowel dots/dashes/etc.
I've been reading a great book on social injustice for my Women & Evangelism class. The book is Good News About Injustice: A Witness of Courage in a Hurting World by Gary A. Haugen. I highly recommend it to anyone who wants to know more about the horrible social injustices that are occurring every day all over our world, what God has to say about those situations, and how we, as Christians, can work to seek justice in these situations. John Stott wrote the foreward to the book, and he says:
"I defy anybody to emerge from exposure to this book unscathed. In fact, my advice to would-be readers is 'Dont! Leave the book alone!' - unless you are willing to be shocked, challenged, persuaded, and transformed."After reading half the book, I agree with that statement 100%. I think many of us, as American Christians, live in a little bubble of ignorance and protection. I include myself in that group. We have NO CLUE what is going on in the world. We are so blessed here in the United States and don't even realize it. I was shocked to learn of some atrocities that go on every day around this world. The cool thing about God's plan for justice in these areas of grave injustice...is that He wants to use us in providing that justice. Here is a great section of the book...Haugen writes:
"How does God rescue the life of the needy from the hands of the wicked? Overwhelmingly He does it through those who choose to follow Him in faith and obedience. He doesn't need our 'help', but He chooses to use us.
Looking at the millions of slaves in India or the thousands of child prostitutes in Asia or thousands of torture victims twisting and bleeding in the world's forgotten jail cells, we can say to God, 'Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you! Thank you for all the power, protection, freedom, and justice you have granted us in sparing us from such fates. Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you!'
Or we can ask, What have you given me, Father, that I might help those who don't have power, who don't have protection, who don't have freedom, who don't have justice?"How can you read that and not be affected??? I certainly have been, and continue to be, greatly affected and moved by Haugen's words and experiences. Read the book along with me...just take John Stott's words to heart before you do! :0)
The kids' first week of school!
I cannot believe we have been here a month already!!! Time has flown! This week, in particular, has been a crazy one...the first week of school for the kids...school bus issues...a car repair...crazy stuff...but that's how life goes!
So, the kids started school on Monday, August 27th! Here are the pics taken very early that morning. They look good here, but they would be a bit worn out by the day's end...especially the girls. The school bus issues started right off the bat. At 6:45am the girls were at their bus stops ready to go. Kayla's stop is in our apartment complex, but Emma's is 1/2 mile away, so Darrin drives them to their bus stops. Their buses were each supposed to pick them up at 6:45. Emma's bus finally arrived at about 7:05am. Kayla's bus never arrived. At 7:15 Darrin drove her to school. The tardy bell rings at 7:25. They both arrived on time. Adam's school doesn't start until 9:15, and his school is only a few blocks from us, so we decided it would be easier for him to be a car rider. So, we took Adam to school and went off to our own 9:00 class. Darrin got out of class at 12:00. I wasn't done with class until 3:40. The girls get out of school at 2:15 and Adam gets out at 3:45. The plan was that Darrin would pick up the girls at their bus stops around 2:30, he would come pick me up from class at 3:40, and we would then go pick up Adam at 3:45. Well, that didn't exactly work out on Monday. At 3:40 I left my class and went outside where I expected to find Darrin waiting for me. He wasn't there. I called him and found him in a panic in Emma's school office. An hour and a half after Emma got out of school, she still wasn't home, and no one seemed to know where the bus was. We didn't let Emma take her cell phone to school that day because we didn't know what the school's cell phone policy was, so no one was able to get in touch with her. Kayla also did not get on the bus and come home. Because the bus didn't pick her up that morning, she didn't know what bus to get on, and the first day of high school with 3000 students was quite overwhelming for her. So she stood outside of the school and waited for Darrin to come pick her up. So, I'm standing outside of my class getting all of this info over the phone...I have no car...and it's time to pick Adam up from his first day of school. I'm in a bit of a panic at this point myself. Poor Darrin has been dealing with this for over an hour, but I'm stuck by myself and can do nothing to help at all. I don't even have the school phone numbers in my cell phone yet, so I can't even call Adam's school to say we will be late picking him up. Finally Emma's school gets in touch with the bus driver and we learn that she is almost home. Darrin comes to pick me up...we go get Adam...and go home to find Emma there waiting. Everyone had to take a few moments just to breathe and gather themselves after all of that. In addition to the bus issues, the girls did not really enjoy their first day of school. Wall-to-wall kids, not knowing anyone, not knowing where they were going, and the bus issues on top of all of that did not make for a good first day. :0( Adam, however, had a great first day....Praise God!
So, the kids started school on Monday, August 27th! Here are the pics taken very early that morning. They look good here, but they would be a bit worn out by the day's end...especially the girls. The school bus issues started right off the bat. At 6:45am the girls were at their bus stops ready to go. Kayla's stop is in our apartment complex, but Emma's is 1/2 mile away, so Darrin drives them to their bus stops. Their buses were each supposed to pick them up at 6:45. Emma's bus finally arrived at about 7:05am. Kayla's bus never arrived. At 7:15 Darrin drove her to school. The tardy bell rings at 7:25. They both arrived on time. Adam's school doesn't start until 9:15, and his school is only a few blocks from us, so we decided it would be easier for him to be a car rider. So, we took Adam to school and went off to our own 9:00 class. Darrin got out of class at 12:00. I wasn't done with class until 3:40. The girls get out of school at 2:15 and Adam gets out at 3:45. The plan was that Darrin would pick up the girls at their bus stops around 2:30, he would come pick me up from class at 3:40, and we would then go pick up Adam at 3:45. Well, that didn't exactly work out on Monday. At 3:40 I left my class and went outside where I expected to find Darrin waiting for me. He wasn't there. I called him and found him in a panic in Emma's school office. An hour and a half after Emma got out of school, she still wasn't home, and no one seemed to know where the bus was. We didn't let Emma take her cell phone to school that day because we didn't know what the school's cell phone policy was, so no one was able to get in touch with her. Kayla also did not get on the bus and come home. Because the bus didn't pick her up that morning, she didn't know what bus to get on, and the first day of high school with 3000 students was quite overwhelming for her. So she stood outside of the school and waited for Darrin to come pick her up. So, I'm standing outside of my class getting all of this info over the phone...I have no car...and it's time to pick Adam up from his first day of school. I'm in a bit of a panic at this point myself. Poor Darrin has been dealing with this for over an hour, but I'm stuck by myself and can do nothing to help at all. I don't even have the school phone numbers in my cell phone yet, so I can't even call Adam's school to say we will be late picking him up. Finally Emma's school gets in touch with the bus driver and we learn that she is almost home. Darrin comes to pick me up...we go get Adam...and go home to find Emma there waiting. Everyone had to take a few moments just to breathe and gather themselves after all of that. In addition to the bus issues, the girls did not really enjoy their first day of school. Wall-to-wall kids, not knowing anyone, not knowing where they were going, and the bus issues on top of all of that did not make for a good first day. :0( Adam, however, had a great first day....Praise God!
Day 2...Tuesday...same bus issues...Emma's bus was late...Kayla's never got there at all. Emma did get home a bit earlier in the afternoon....3:30 maybe...and Kayla did figure out which bus to ride home. Oh, and both the girls took their cell phones to school. At least we can get in touch with them through this mess. And both schools allow cell phones, so no rules were broken.
Day 3...Wednesday...Darrin takes the girls out to the van at 6:40am to drive them to their bus stops for the 3rd attempt to get this morning routine right. Well, the van won't start. He tells them to walk quickly to the bus stops. We only have the van with us. Darrin's car has been at the house in Danville all this time, so when the only vehicle we have breaks down...it's a big PAIN! So, our neighbors try to help us jump start the van. It won't jump...it won't do anything. Well, in the midst of this, we get phone calls from both of the girls. Kayla's bus actually picked her up at the bus stop. Emma's bus was actually on time that day as well, but because she had to walk a 1/2 mile to catch it, she missed it....so she walked back home. Since the van wouldn't jump and we didn't have a clue what was wrong with it, we had to call a tow truck. It arrived a couple of hours later. Darrin went with the tow truck and van. I got Adam to school with the neighbor's help. At this point, Emma didn't want to go to school, and we didn't make her. Darrin also missed his morning class. It turned out that it was just a bad battery...it was just so far gone that it wouldn't jump. It would have been nice to know that BEFORE we had it towed, but oh well...what can you do? The van was back in working order by noon. Darrin made it to his afternoon class and we were able to pick up Adam from school. Kayla's bus got her home safely on time.
Day 4...Thursday....Emma's bus is late...again...turns out the bus broke down and the driver had to get a new one. Kayla's picked her up on time. That afternoon both of the girls arrived home safely...on time. :0)
Day 5...Friday....both buses arrived on time in the morning and in the afternoon!!!! Praise God!!!!
We still don't have TV, so we don't know much about what's going on in the world around us, but I did see on a local news website that this problem was all over Wake County. Evidently, they cut about 55 bus routes this year in order to save money. It didn't work out so well for them...frantic (and angry) parents were all over Wake County this week. They are working to rectify the situation. :0)
After a week of getting into the routine, the girls are happier with their schools. They are getting adjusted and making some new friends. Kayla especially loves her modern dance class! :0) Adam has had a great first week! I haven't heard one complaint from him about school. He enjoys his day...he has done well with his homework...he even made it through PE class twice this week! :0) He was concerned about that before he went. PE hasn't been his favorite class in the past. I really don't know why...he had 2 of the best PE teachers on the East Coast for the past 4 years!!! :0) (Miss you guys!!!!) Anyway, he even liked PE...wonders never cease! A crazy first week of school...but it turned out well, all things considered.
A long weekend now and a short school week next week....those 2 are a great combination!!!
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