Thursday, December 22, 2005

Good Mornin'!

Well, it's not quite morning anymore, but it feels good to say it anyway!

I've been slack with this lately--however. I have a reason to post today.

On Tuesday I got a package in the mail. A REAL, beautifully LONG, BONA-FIDE handwritten LETTER.

From Australia.

With the kind of Christmas card I've been looking for to give myself--but haven't been able to find. And a precious bookmark.

Thank you so much, Aly! You are a queen of friendship.

I'll try to write you back, and return the favor of a REALETTER.

I'm not quite in clover yet... lol... I still have grades to do, and post, and all of that. But at least I now have time to do it.

I need to finish making pillows and bedroom slippers for Christmas... lol!!! just saying that makes me laugh, though I love doing it.



Good Grief. It's been forever since I posted, therefore I have stories to tell!

Story No. 1: My niece Renee, not quite one, took her first steps! How sweet is that?!

Story No 2: I had no school last Thursday and Friday. Guess Why?!?!

Not because of snow.

Not because of ice. We had a little, but only enough for a 2-hour delay on Thursday.

Oh no.

Because the power was out in the town where I teach.

LOL!

It totally messed up my teaching schedule. When the students come back, I'll be finishing up projects from Literature Circles--that should have been finished before Christmas. But oh well--not everything works the way you try to plan.

Actually, I've learned so far--very little does according to your plan. But just so it's God's plans in action, then everything will be just fine.

For instance: because I was off, Momma and I were able to go ahead and do Cookies for Christmas. Not something I thought I was going to be able to help with this year. I'm glad I could!

I also was able to go ahead and sew up one of the skirts I'd planned to make over the holidays. And now I have another jean skirt. Yay!!

--I'd better go get stuff done. I can't believe Christmas is so soon.

God Bless, everyone!

Wednesday, December 14, 2005

It's been a while...

...And I don't feel like I have a whole lot to say. I guess my brain is pooped--from trying to keep up with--or tone down--my students. I most likely will have much more to say after a bit of vacation.

So, here's the list of things I want to do over the break:

  1. Make and buy Christmas gifts. (duh.)
  2. COOK
  3. Make 2 jean skirts. I can't find any decent ones in the stores.
  4. I don't want to do this... but I need to-- GRADE PAPERS. I'm so behind. and I'm getting that panicky feeling, because I don't want to grade the whole vacation long.
  5. Go Here:

Dungeness--Ruins on Cumberland Island, GA

We took a nap on the beach....

(This was Rebecca, not me.--But I did the same thing.)

And took pictures of a beautiful tree...

And walked around... and just relaxed.

(Becca looks tilted--which is my fault. It almost looks as if she's going to fall down...but I still like the perspective on this shot)

It was wonderful.

I want to go there again, but I don't know if I'll make it this year.

I hope so.

We didn't get snow this time--but there's a slim chance of it tonight. I guess we'll see!


God Bless


Thursday, December 08, 2005

It's almost snowing...

But NOT QUITE.

It would be nice to have a 2-hr delay tomorrow... lol!

Listen to me! And I'M THE TEACHER!!!!

Though I don't know that it will happen--not unless the mountains are icy.

(Lol-- I'm talking to my students about sentence structure right now... so it makes me so much more aware of how mine come together.... but not with obvious results. (Technically, I just wrote a RO!)

Last night's service was wonderful. It gave me so much to contemplate--and to worship God over. Actually, it seems that all of our services lately have just meant so much. It's wonderful.

Psalm 91

He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.

I will say of the LORD, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust.

Surely he shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler, and from the noisome pestilence.

He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust: his truth shall be thy shield and buckler.

Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night; nor for the arrow that flieth by day;

Nor for the pestilence that walketh in darkness; nor for the destruction that wasteth at noonday.

A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand; but it shall not come nigh thee.

Only with thine eyes shalt thou behold and see the reward of the wicked.

Because thou hast made the LORD, which is my refuge, even the most High, thy habitation;

There shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling.

For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways.

They shall bear thee up in their hands, lest thou dash thy foot against a stone.

Thou shalt tread upon the lion and adder: the young lion and the dragon shalt thou trample under feet.

Because he hath set his love upon me, therefore will I deliver him: I will set him on high, because he hath known my name.

He shall call upon me, and I will answer him: I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him, and honour him.

With long life will I satisfy him, and shew him my salvation.


--Faith and Confession. Amen.

Despite all of the moans and groans I do on here about teaching... My God has sustained me througout this journey, and He will continue to do so. He has blessed me so much. I've made it so far.

Just to give you an example--one new teacher at my school didn't make it. The kids weren't awful; the work wasn't any worse than mine... but she just didn't make it. She stopped coming. Without reason. When I see that, I realize just how good God is to me.

Pray for Snow, y'all!

Monday, December 05, 2005

Samantha, You've Enspired Me...

...To tell how God is so very good to me--and has been all my life. I'm blessed beyond my wildest imagination, just becuase I'm His child, and growing in Grace.


I first was babtised when I was a little girl. I was four years old.

I didn't want to go to hell.

And so I went on, for years.

Sinning. Being a little girl.
All the while growing up in a home with parents who believed the Message.
Listening to Brother Branham. Going to church. Singing. Sinning.

Yet all the while, God had His hand on my life. I finally came to the knowledge that I was a sinner--and not surrendered to God--at age 14. And there I surrendered to Him.
And there, I began to live the Message by my own works.
Which is to say, not well. At all.

I knew there was a piece missing. Something wasn't right.
But I didn't know what.


I'm so thank God for sending me--my family--my church--a Holy Ghost-Filled, Straight-preaching pastor. My most rebellious moments as a teenager were brought into the light of God's Word--and I realized where I was astray. God 's gift will always point out sin and unbelief.
And through the preaching across the pulpit of my Home Church, I realized:

I needed the Holy Ghost.

After I'd realized, I heard it everywhere. In every message I heard, I heard Brother Branham preach the Holy Ghost. When I read the Bible; when I prayed; it was a sore thumb of thought: I needed the Holy Ghost.

I needed to surrender more, though.

And I had to want to surrender.
Not want the Holy Ghost, just to take myself back again.

I sought--for I'm not quite sure how long. And the night when I recieved Him--not as a historical figure, but as my Lord and Savior, who died on the Cross to save me, and would deign to come down and LIVE in ME--it was too awesome for words.

I had no words--I had nothing to offer Him, but sweet surrender.

And I'm still learning my lesson, over and over again, to surrender my life into His complete care. I'm still facing the fact that I AM NOTHING,
and HE IS ALL.



I'm still growing in Grace.
Every trial, every test, every pain is an opportunity to grow into Him more--as long as I take it. It's always an opportunity to lean on Him more; to let Him be more in my life.

And when I fail--which is so often--He is my advocate with the Father.
And I'm sheltered within the cover of His wings.
My voice is heard--but my sins are under the blood.

And because of that, I cannot fail the Lord.

The lord of my life; He has never failed.... On my own, I could never succeed...


Through Him, I cannot fail Him.


Friday, December 02, 2005

I LOATHE Locks of Love.

So, today--guess what was on the school newscast this morning. Yup. Three people-cutting their hair for locks of love. Ten inches of their hair, chopped off.

One of them was a guy.

So, guess what my students said as soon as they heard this?!?

Yup.

"Miss R.--Miss R.! You should do it!"

One of the teachers down the hall from me said his classroom was absolute chaos, because all of his students wanted me to donate my hair to L.of L. "Think of it, Mr. Matt, she could contribute 3X what the others did!" --And on, and on.

NO.

A thousand times, NO.

I put up my hair after the news broadcast. It was down before that. I didn't want to be bothered by students commenting.

But it was a good opportunity to tell my fellow team members why I don't cut my hair. And it was bound to happen sometime that I would testify about it. Even if all I said was, I don't want to, and don't I feel like God wants me to, either.

1 Cor 11:15: But if a woman have long hair, it is a glory to her: for her hair is given her for a covering.



And I just want to thank you Lord,
For letting me hear the Word;
What have I done to deserve such Glory Revealed in me?
...