Thursday

Thursdays are pretty intense at ECMS. It is hard to sit, think, process, eat or go to the bathroom around here! The building is quiet now, it is about 3:45. I can hear each rain drop on the roof for the first time today. I am looking at my office and contemplating closing the door and leaving it all for next week, but then I remember that I have sub plans to make for a conference I have to attend next week, papers to grade, grades to enter, and a pile about a mile high sitting on my desk that has who knows what in it! Today was a rough one with my 8th graders. This is the time of year where the kids begin to get a bit antsy, and today I saw a lot of attributes of students that did not bring out the best in me. I had a "moment" with my 8th graders, and feel bad that I reacted to their lackadaisical attitudes the way I did, but I was frustrated and out of patience. I feel like I am losing them to a project that has gone on too long, thanks in part to missed classes and only seeing them once a week. My summer projects list is growing, and to it I have just added . . . re-do 7th and 8th Horizons, again!! Hmmm....we'll see how that goes!

Birthday Blessings

33.

33 years of life.

33 things that my colleagues and bestest friends like about me, that is what I found hanging in my office when I got to school this morning.

I am continually reminded by these women how much I am loved. Through actions and words they touch me deeply.

Sometimes ECMS is the one place that I think I need to get far far away from because it has ran my life for so many years, but then again, God keeps bringing me back because it is a place that has become such a part of who I am.

Some things I am thankful for today, on my 33rd birthday:

1. true amazing and loving friends

2. a jar full of cookies from my BFF

3. Zumba with my "mentee" :-)

4. a new garbage can from my man (I wanted it!!)

5. My girls wishing me a happy birthday

6. Birthday wishes from my students and having them believe just for a moment that I was 21.

7. Getting excited about our trip to Disney in 9 days

8. Outdoor recess duty today

9. A call from my Dad at 9:35 p.m.

10. Kirsten walking around the house with her new adorable back-pack.

Thank you Lord for 33 years of life.

"Joe"

On Friday night, we piled into an EC bus, a church van and a mini-van and headed west. It's funny how much prep goes into this weekend, and it is over so quickly.

This weekend was probably one of the most moving and wonderful youth retreats we have had, although every year is always a blessing. With 12 seniors, our group is sure to change next year.

Having to re-cap the entire weekend would be lengthy and I still probably would not be able to capture it perfectly. Let me tell a story about a kid in my small group. Each year we have our main meetings on Friday night, Saturday morning and night, and Sunday morning. After our large group meetings we have small group meetings with about 6-7 kids, normally led by two adult leaders. This year we were one leader short, so Sherri asked me to do it on my own. Sure, no problem! :-) Our entire youth group is a diverse one. We come from a very diverse community, and God has given us a very unique task. One of the members of my small group, whom I will call Joe, has been coming to youth group only since September. He came with a friend from town, and is on the quiet side. Recently, I engaged him in conversation after Christmas caroling, to find out he has only been in the states since 7th grade (now a Junior) and came to the US from the Philippines, knowing and speaking no English. He came over with his dad, a doctor, and his two brothers. His mother had to stay behind due to documents and legal issues. Wow. His story floored me, and his ambitions floored me more. I asked him about his religious background, and he told me his mom used to read him the Bible, and he guesses he was Catholic.

When Sherri put Joe in my small group, I knew it wasn't by chance. On the retreat, we gave Joe a Bible and Matt often "caught" him reading it. During small group he questioned a lot about the truth of the Bible, and we talked about how we know that the Bible is truth. Wow. Thankfully, some of the other "churched" kids in my group helped me out with that one! He wasn't convinced though, and said that he could believe in God and not have to read a Bible. Uh-oh. How was I going to handle this?? Throughout the weekend we kept our discussions open, and he told me he hadn't opened or read the Bible since his mom did back in his home country. I asked Joe why he came on the retreat? He said he didn't know . . . and then he said that it was supposed to happen this way. Saturday night blew me away, though. Du had the discussion, all in regards to how God loves us, simple, but powerful. Joe was moved to tears. We had a pretty intense small group, and a lot of prayers in a room full of bunks in a cabin in PA where it was clear that the Holy Spirit was present.

On Sunday morning, Joe left worship, and I thought we had "lost" him. I quickly sent Tim out after him, and Tim came back, hugged me, and said Gnome, it was quite the opposite, Joe is feeling so overwhelmed by the love of the God right now. The tears came (again), and I quietly thanked God for speaking in such a powerful way this weekend.

Retreat 2011

So tomorrow we embark on our 3 day high school retreat. A romantic get-away with 30 high schoolers! Matt and I have been doing youth group at our church since 2001, and we keep saying it may be time to move on, but yet we continue to feel called to continue leading this ministry. In a church that sometimes feels like it is dying, our youth group is committed, strong, and continuing to pull kids from the community. We may not get paid like other youth leaders, we certainly have very limited resources, and we all have kids and jobs, yet every 1st and 3rd Sunday we are reminded about the very basics of our faith by being with these kids. Our winter retreat is not exactly a retreat for the 7 leaders, but a pretty intense time of Bible study, discussion and preparation for a very unique weekend. I continue to enjoy this time because it brings me back into focus with what God is doing in my own life, and where He needs me to be. Our theme this year is "Listen Up!" How often does the business of our lives and the world make us deaf to what He is whispering to us? Sometimes He is even talking loud, and we still can't hear because of the constant distractions around us. Praying that God Speaks to everyone of our kids this weekend, and to myself.

Isaiah 40:28-31

(our theme verse)

²⁸ Do you not know?

Have you not heard?

The LORD is the everlasting God,

the Creator of the ends of the earth.

He will not grow tired or weary,

and his understanding no one can fathom.

²⁹ He gives strength to the weary

and increases the power of the weak.

³⁰ Even youths grow tired and weary,

and young men stumble and fall;

³¹ but those who hope in the LORD

will renew their strength.

They will soar on wings like eagles;

they will run and not grow weary,

they will walk and not be faint.

Sound Of Your Voice

by Third Day (theme song)

I ran away from your love
But you waited for me
Yes, you waited for me
And then I heard your song
Singing over me
Singing over me

Now that I hear you, Lord
I want to know you more
I want to know you more

Sing your song to me
Oh, there's no greater thing
Than to listen to the sound of your voice
When I hear your song
I want to sing along
And listen to the sound of your voice
The sound of your voice

Lord, I am calling your name
And I'm waiting for you
Yes, I'm waiting for you
So won't you show me your way
And I will follow you
Yes, I will follow you

Singing over me
Bringing peace and mercy
With a song that never ends
Singing over me
Marvelous and holy
Lord, I want to hear your song again

Kirsten Ruth

"Mommy, you are the best mommy in the world!" - Kirsten, 3 1/2, bedtime

-5

post dated for Monday, January 24. I would just like to note that Liesl and I continue to maintain our morning walks at 5:30 a.m. REGARDLESS of the weather and snow piles! Even though we look like the Michelin Tire Men ready to rob a bank, we should make the next cover of HEALTH magazine! This is one of the MANY reasons I love my workout buddy!

time

Time. I can't seem to figure it out. I wonder why I can't be more productive, more disciplined, more organized, more creative, more reflective . . . only if I had more TIME! So here it is, January 25, and I haven't had one entry. No New Year's entries, no resolutions (which I don't do anyway), no pics of the ridiculous amount of snow we have had (I can post them late, right??? I do have some fun ones!), no winter escapes, no snow day fun (we have had so many!), no captures of the cuteness and craziness of my girls . . . only if I had more TIME! Really? If I had "more time," would it be different? This weekend I was in tears because I didn't sit with my kindergartner and had to write a note to explain my delinquency as a mom, something I swore as a teacher I would never do when I became a parent. Ha! Oh well, maybe tomorrow I will have some more time . . . .