I will sing

Well, it was a lazy but lovely Sunday. We had chocolate chip pancakes, and then TJ started feeling sick. I hope it was a four hour flu and not my cooking. He didn't feel well enough to go sing with his school, so my mom took the girls to sing at E Free. John got home around 10am and slept the day away. We went on a walk with the neighbor kids to Arnold Park. The kids wanted to play on the merry go round, but it was almost completely buried in snow. I visited Charlotte and her baby, and they seem to be doing wonderfully. TJ is excited to start guitar lesson with Michael Quick tomorrow night. We're excited to see our friends, Annan and Peter, at the show on Tuesday. I'm proud that I have continued to do well with eating more healthy. I've only had one Girl Scout cookie, which is quite the feat when I have 200 boxes staring at me. Jimmy and Jonna stopped by for their cookies, and I'm excited to find out if they're having a boy or girl tomorrow. John is filleting his fish right now, and I'm watching a show called The Amazing Race. When it gets warmer, it would be fun to plan an Amazing Race activity for one of our potlucks. The kids are going to teach some friends how to make "cutie catchers" at our potluck on Sunday. I enjoyed having a relaxed day to read my Family Fun magazine and write some thank you notes. I'm going to plan a little play date with some of the kids' friends called Tie Dye Friday (say that five times) and have tie dye cupcakes and tie dye shirts. My friend, Sarah, called and said that she's very stressed with her college algebra class. I pray that she does what she needs to do to accomplish her professional goals and to maintain balance with her family, spirituality, mental health, and personal hobbies and happiness. We are getting four tickets for the Tuesday show, and two of the are in the front row. I think that Scotty is coming, and I hope to see our friends, Scum and Drew. Scum said that he had a night of spiritual clarity, and I pray that he starts taking better care of his health and lays off on the partying and chooses his future over living dangerously for the minute. I pray for continued self control, personal communication with friends, and safe travels. Psalm 57 I will take refuge in the shadow of Your wings. I cry out to God who fulfills his purpose for me and gives love and faithfulness. I was a little disappointed that my mom and the girls didn't stay for the church service because I feel like TJ getting sick was God calling my mom, and she didn't answer. I will sing of the Lord's great love forever, I will make Your faithfulness known through all generations. I pray that my grandparents, parents, children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren will sing of Your faithfulness.

Actions speak louder than words

We had a fun night with the kids' friends, Tristan and Caitlyn. They stayed for pizza and Monopoly. I went and visited iris and her new baby girl, Vanessa, who was born on the 16th. They are both doing well besides the little challenges of new parenthood and the emotions and exaustion it brings. This morning Chloe and I had a fun little girls outing in Mason City. We stopped at Kohl's first to treat ourselves to a little new jewelry (a rarity that Chloe was very surprised by and grateful for). Then we headed to St. Paul's church for World Thinking Day. We met some nice Girl Scouts like Caitlin, Zoey, Allison, Jameesha, and Frankie. We learned about Girl Scouts around the world, their promises, the founders, and how to be thrifty and thoughtful. We planted rosemary and garlic, and Chloe named them Mary and Gary. We made a snack mix to talk about how we're all different, but when we work together, its wonderful. We visited the food bank and learned about how it is run by caring volunteers, and a Girl Scout asked such a great question, "How old do you have to be to volunteer here?" So wonderful to see so many young girls K-6 already with a passion for making a difference. Levi and Matt helped John with Meals on Wheels, and we went to visit the nursing home. TJ offered to buy Grandpa a candy bar, Mara offered Francis a cup of water, and Chloe encouraged Charlotte to eat her food and made everyone feel loved. We went back to visit Iris because the kids wanted to give baby Vanessa Yamilet some of their old stuffed animals and books. I'm so glad that Iris's sister is coming to visit from CA next week. Those first few weeks can be so overwhelming, and the comfort of family is so important. Erica visited, and we had fun playing hide n seek. TJ was the champion, and Mara told Erica that she would be a better seeker if she wore some spy glasses, and that they work best upside down. So funny. Erica explained that she has sore joints and feet, and TJ ran up to the bathroom to give her some pads that you put on the bottom of your feet to take out the toxins. Chloe gave her the case of cookies she ordered and thanked her for her support. Erica told us about a special resident named Evelyn that she worked with who passed away last week. Erica said that she was very healthy before she was sent to the psychiatric ward, and she feels that they may have given her too many meds that caused her to have a heart attack and a stroke. I pray for the employees, her family, and for Erica. John went ice fishing with Grandpa, Mark and Erin. They're pulling a lost hoorah all nighter. The kids are singing at a church service at E Free tomorrow morning. I pray that they bring warm smiles to all. A couple of our baby gerbils died, and TJ was very sad about it, thinking about how the mom must feel. Romans 12:15 Rejoice with those who rejoice and morn with those who weep. Live in harmony with one another. Live in peace with everyone. If your enemy is hungry, feed him. Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.Let us not merely say that we love each other, but let us show it though our actions. TJ gave Heidi a push down the hall at the nursing home, Mara tried to read to baby Vanessa, and Chloe waited to thank the program director, Melissa, before we left today. 1 John 3:18 Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth. I pray that we all show our love to each other every day because life is fragile. There was an earthquake in Chile today, and I pray for the victims and their families and for the possible reprucussions to surrounding areas. I pray for those who are less fortunate, that we give to and volunteer at our local food bank, that Erica and J continue to have a smooth relationship based on communication and compromise, that we get to see our friends, Andrea and Brendan, and cousin, Rachel at the Franti show on Tuesday, and that we all lay down our lives for our brothers as Jesus laid down his life for us.

Peace

I had a wonderful time at the Trampled by Turtles concert in Ames last night with Beth and Dan, Shelly and Jarod, Stephanie and Ben, Joe, Dave, and lots of other blue grass fans. There was a guy there named Sean that was greeting strangers with a hug, and some people think that's odd, but I love it. I wish more people did that, and I hope that I do it more often. Mara must have taught him that in another life. Beth and Dan brought us an awesome homemade Valentine card, TJ a great birthday card with stickers, and Hippie Bill's tail that he lost at the Wookiefoot concert. He'll be so happy to have his tail back :) I was sad that John couldn't go because we didn't have a sitter, but I'm so glad that we have such an understanding relationship. We're so excited to go to the Spearhead shows next Tuesday and Thursday. I got tickets from a nice guy on Craig's List today, so I'm glad that we have that taken care of. We have made some great lasting friendships through shows, and maybe Evan and his wife will become new friends of ours. We have seen well over fifty Franti shows in the last five years, and I pray that we continue to learn from him and be inspired, and that we don't idolize, but just be grateful for his great message and modeling of being a peace maker. Last night the kids had fun playing out in the snow for a bit. TJ got his priveleges back before Mara because he lost them earlier than she did, and when he realized that she couldn't watch TV with them, he started crying. I don't know if it was empathy or manipulation, but I hope that it was true compassion and love for his little sis. An old student of mine and a good friend, Iris, from El Salvador, has been on my heart the last couple days. I think that she is due to have her baby pretty soon. I need to call her tonight. Our friends, Desiray and John, invited our family to go to the Higher Ground Music Festival this August, so I'm really excited for our family to camp with them for the weekend and listen to Steven Curtis Chapmann and other awesome Christian artists. I have been doing well on being healthy this week. I have been turning down brownies, girl scout cookies, doughnuts, cream cheese, corn dogs. I feel happy with my self control. Our friends, Beth and Dan, are so lovey and sweet and happy and fun. It's so great to be around such positive people. She is going to LaCrosse for two days for a farmers convention. I hope she and Luke and Sally have a safe and fun trip. Chloe and I are going to a World Thinking Day event with Girl Scouts in Mason City tomorrow morning, and I'm looking forward to it. I'm grateful that John is going to deliver Meals on Wheels for me. I wasn't able to give Tutugirl a ride home from her work at Perkins last night because I went out of town, so I stopped by to tell her and give her $6 for a taxi in case she couldn't find another ride, and she looked so mature and professional in her uniform. I hope great things for her. I am looking forward to the Omaha Young Professionals summit next Thursday. I'm going to spend the night on Wednesday with Grandma Betty and Bill. His knee surgery went well. I pray for Brent Nuese's family, for Missy and Kelsey, for Maci and her brother, Joe's son, Hunter, for Victor and his wife, and for the world to have peace. Psalms 85:8-12 I will listen to You because you promise peace...You are ready to rescue everyone...Love and loyalty will come together; goodness and peace will unite. Loyalty will sprout from the ground, justice will look down from the sky above. Lord, you will bless us, our land will produce wonderful crops.

Friendship

I'm feeling a little overwhelmed with all of the Girl Scout cookies, and I think my lack of confidence in my math skills makes me more nervous than I should be, but the whole being responsible for $1000 worth of cookie money is not my favorite thing. Chloe is going to write a bunch of thank you notes at after care though, so that's a positive part of the whole cookie scam. Sure, they only get 40 cents per $3.50 box, but they build character and courage. John had to work until 8:30 last night, and he we exhausted but glad to have the work. The kids and I had a nice night at church. A high school student gave the devotion about how God is going to keep on calling each of us, and that we can only avoid him like how we use a caller i.d. to avoid telemarketers for so long. I pray that He continues calling my mom and sister and brother. During our study we talked about how we need to be the light that overcomes the darkness like when we open a dark closet door and it is filled with light we need to open doors of light in the community. We talked about the need to embrace Acts 4:32 Nobody claimed that their possessions were their own, and they shared everything they had with each other...God blesses His followers and nobody should go in need of anything. We can make money and give it to those in need. Joseph did this, and they called him Barnabas, one who encourages others. I am a huge supporter of encouraging and giving to others, and I hope that I didn't say anything during the class that made it seem like I don't believe to giving to those in need, because if anyone knows me, they know that the majority of our money and time goes to charitable causes, but I think that we need to have a balance of giving and teaching sustainability. It is better to teach a man to fish then to just give him a fish. When my students and children ask me for something whether it be a nickle or a piece of paper or anything, if they don't use their manners, I say "no, try again later with your manners". I think that a lot of people, children and adults, are not held accountable or held to high expectations anymore, and that it is causing such laziness and disrespect. TJ was grounded from his privileges yesterday because he and a friend went in the bathroom during aftercare and got their hair all wet without permission. Then Mara got her priveleges taken away last night because when I asked her to come sit by me at church she gave me a dirty look and went and sat in the front row. I pray that our kids listen to our teachings about respect and that they give Satan a "spiritual boot". I ate lunch in the cafeteria again yesterday, and the table where Patricia and Tutugirl and others sit is alway too full for everyone that wants to sit together, and I was glad that David, Jacob, and Jimma weren't too cool to sit by me, and that they made great conversation about Boy Scouts, college, Africa...They are very nice boys, and I pray that they are rewarded for their good character. My students have been throwing their spare change into a laundry basket hanging from the celing in my classroom to raise money for Haiti relief. I pray that they think about how they spend their money (many of them eat fast food every day for lunch) and think about the needs of others. We got a nice letter from First Friends in the mail, and one of the last remarks said, We'll save you a seat, and we thought that was so kind. I hope that other churches do small things like that so that they are filled with light by their worship experience and don't leave with even more burdens because nobody went out of their way to make them feel important. Mara asked me last night if we could invite Barbiya :) to dinner sometime. I din't know who she was talking about at first, but then I realized that it was Barbara and Bob Graves from our Meals on Wheels rout. I pray that our kids keep shining their light and bringing smiles to others. Yesterday when I picked Mara up I met Melissa's sister for the second time, and I just said "hi, nice to see ya, how've you been", and Mara grabbed my hand and said, "Come on Mom, shake her hand". At church last night Mara did that again and had me hold Marissa's hand as we sang. I think that is wonderful, and I need to learn from Mara's wisdom about the power of a kind touch of friendship.

Yes Lord

Man, am I feeling tired tonight. We had a great dinner at Perkins with Margie. She enjoyed listening to the kids talk about school and telling us about her childhood days on the farm. We had a nice visit at the nursing home. The kids played dominos with Sandy, Maybel, and the gang, and Mara and Charlotte had fun playing toss the necklace on each others' head. This morning I woke up early and wrote a long note to Tutugirl on the inside of Chrysanthemum and gave it to her. At lunch she thanked me and said that it gave her confidence. I emailed the principals this morning to let them know that girls were harassing her yesterday and to keep an eye out for it, and I left the cafeteria a few minutes before the bell rang, and I got an email later from an administrator saying that right after I left, they started in, and that the adults were right on the girls and spoke to them about their behavior. I had my friend, Deb, on my heart today and emailed her, and even though we haven't spent a lot of time together, I am glad that she feels comfortable talking to me about personal things. I pray that God grants them the ability to have their own child. John is going to help take some 5th graders to an assembly at Lenihan on Friday morning. I'm so proud of him for saying yes to everything God needs him to do. One of our favorite songs that we sing at church is Yes, Lord, and I pray that we and others continue to see that it is God that is needing these favors and that we say yes with happiness to be able to help. Chloe wanted to cook dinner for my mom last week and invited her over, but my mom said they were already starting to cook dinner. Chloe's eyes filled with tears of disappointment, and I wish that my mom would have said "Yes, Lord". I asked my friend, Craig, if MCS could possibly use their church for the fundraiser dinner and concert, and I was grateful that he said "Yes Lord". I pray that Dixie has a safe drive home from Nashville, that John and Michelle and I work quickly tomorrow to pick up all the Girl Scout cookies and then make it to church, that we listen to what God wants us to do and that we selflessly obey. I got my hair trimmed tonight, and I commented to the hairdresser that I could tell she had lost a lot of weight. She looked great, healthy, and confident. She said that she took Alii diet pills for a couple months and that they helped her learn how to eat because every time she ate much fat, it went right through her. I would like to tell myself that this will happen to me too so that I don't eat fatty foods. I pray for the self control to eat healthy foods and treat my body like a temple. I would like to buy some bird food to put in the feeder outside my grandparents' window and a book about birds so that we can spend time together bird watching. I would like to see the movie, Alice in Wonderland, and I pray that I can be frugal with our money so that we can have a special night at the movies and maybe invite Tutugirl and Patricia. I have enjoyed some collegial dialog with Shannon, the long term sub for Charlotte, and I think she is a very good teacher. A few students are upset that she has such high expectations, but I am proud of her for sticking to her beliefs about education and immersion, and I pray that the students learn that they are capable of meeting the challenge. I was proud of Chloe for asking Marge if she would like to go to church with us sometime. She said she will once the weather gets better. This is understandable since she's 85 years old. She said that our friend, Dean, is not happy with his Lutheran church, and I pray that pastors have the wisdom and compassion to deliver a meaningful sermon that glorifies God and unites the people. I pray that people who want to be involved in the church and sharing their love for God take the initiative to take on a leadership position like Gary, Grant, Kalika, and Chloe.

Protect us from the traps of violent people

Today was a pretty quiet day. My students were all great and said the class flew by, which is kind of a compliment. They enjoyed singing a Spanish song about verbs to the tune of La Cucaracha. I want to take time to write more songs to common tunes because it's a great learning device. For some reason I chose to eat lunch in the English office because I don't want my coworkers to feel like I don't like them or that I think I'm better than them. At the end of they day I found out that I should have eaten in the cafeteria. Patricia came to my room to tell me that some girls were being very mean to Tutugirl at lunch and trying to start trouble. I will definately be eating in the cafeteria tomorrow, and I will write her a little card tonight to tell her how I admire her and not to listen to others who are just jealous. Tonight Mara had me read the book, Chrysanthemum, to her, and it is a book about girls picking on her because of her name until Mrs. Delphinium Twinkle told them what a beautiful name Delphinium and Chrysanthemum were. I hope that I can be Mrs. Twinkle for Tutugirl. At the luncheon on Saturday, Lynn Cope said how happy she was that her two year old daughter, Harper, is just like her. I felt like she was not at all being arrogant when she said this but confident and self aware and loving, and I would like to have more of that. Today one of my students was crying because her boyfriend broke up with her and she was questioning what was wrong with her, what she didn't do right, if she would have done more of something to please him...I told her that she was beautiful and kind, and that it just wasn't meant to be, and that he is crazy if he chooses not to keep her as a friend, and that another guy is going to be lucky to have her. I hope that she believes that, and that we all have the confidence of Lynn and Mrs. Twinkle. After school today, Patricia said to me, "I'm starting to like that picture of me that you took at the wrestling meet". I pray that all girls love the way they look and see God's fingerprints on them. Tonight Rob and Connie stopped by with a gift for TJ. They got him a jar full of shark teeth. It makes me glad that our friends know what our kids' interests are. It also made me proud that TJ knew right where is shell/tooth/rock collection were and he went right to it to add them to his "secret box" and then gave them a big hug and thank you. John went to Des Moines to pick up Matt from the airport. I pray that Matt has the self control to deal with his divorce with character and integrity and that he doesn't abuse alcohol to run away from his problems. John is such a good friend and is always there for others when they need someone, and I hope that our children observe this and emulate his acts of kindness. I pray that the girls that were teasing Tutugirl will learn that nothing good comes out of malice intentions and that we all have a lot in common and the same basic needs and are all to love one another. I pray that Tutugirl and Patricia and I have the grace and the right words to show them that we forgive them, have no ill feelings for them, want to be friends and have peace. I don't feel like I have been more purposeful and productive since I have given up my internet social networking. I feel like after a day of work, when I get home, I just want to relax, and now I'm just relaxing by watching TV, youtube, eating...I want to model leisure reading more for our kids, but I just don't feel like I want to start a long book that I won't have time to finish, so I think I need to get some magazines from somewhere (I'm bummed that I forgot about the library book sale last Saturday morning) and read them more than I watch TV. I was really proud of my sister for going to get our cousin Erica to come over for the weekend even though she had already declined Grandma's offer. I think it was good for her to be around family, and I pray that her relationships with her parents improve and that she finds where God wants her. My grandpa Mike fell out of bed yesterday and bumped his head, and I pray that he is OK and gains strength and mobility. I am looking forward to making bookmarks with Chloe and TJ's school and the residents of Villa del Sol on Sunday. I'm excited to go to the Spearhead show in MN on Tuesday, and I hope that we can find tickets for a cheap price. Last week was Kristina's daughter, Alyssa's first birthday, and they have shared with me that the doctors have shown concern that she has some features similar to a child with down syndrome. I pray that everyone treats her exactly the same as any child of God whether she has any disability or not. She is walking and smiling and beautiful, and I pray that God give her parents and teachers the wisdom to celebrate her, love her, and show her that she is saintly, talented, and dearly cared for. I pray that Tutugirl and I have the strength to stand up to evil. On Saturday my grandpa was saying how crazy she felt her brother, Lew, was, and it would have been wise of me to speak up and invite everyone to pray for Lew instead of sitting silent as she mocked him. I pray that Tutugirl's love for God, people, education, the United States, women, Africans...can be seen by the girls who are being so cruel, and that they learn that she is a sweet girl from Liberia that wants love, friendship, schooling, family, peace...just like they do. Psalm 141:3 "Help us to guard our words whenever we say anything. Don't let us waste our time doing wrong with wicked people." I pray that we can all be pure and accepting and loving like Mara and Eva are eventhough they haven't known each other long, they hold hands and pat each others' head. Help us all to love others as You love us and to celebrate each other, our commonalities and our differences. It has been fun having posters up to celebrate TJ this week, and I think we should make a poster every month celebrating the people and things God's blessing us with.

Please Lord, help us rid any anger, malice, or slander, to leave old habits and be transformed into who you first created

Chloe, Mara, and I had a nice morning at church. It was great to be greeted by Judy, who said she was just praying for me earlier in the morning. When the girls were dismissed to childrens church, I thought it was sweet of my student, Marissa, to come and sit by me so that I wasn't alone. The message was similar to our message of TJ's party, putting on kindness, humility, passion, gentleness, and patience (Colossians 3:12). They spoke about how God says we are already holy and dearly loved and about the Hebrew word, Tshuva, which means return home, and how we need to come back to the original, pure, whole, clean, saintly person God designed us to be. We went to Incredible Pizza, and it was great to see Leyria, Jimmy, Jonna, Jade, the Christens including Liliya, Porkchop, Ellie, Draven, and Seven, Mary, Tyse, Erica, Janet...Draven was being really lovey with me, and GGB said that's what it's all about, love, compassion, unity. This reminded me of Trevor Hall's song about coming together around a table, just you and me, no more they and we...and of another verse from this morning, John 17:11 They will be one with eachother, just as you and I are one. I was a little disappointed that my mom, sister, cousin, grandma...didn't want to come to church, but I can't take it personally, and I just have to know that I invited them, and pray that they will seek Him out in time. Draven gave me a Best Friends bracelet that he won, and Mara and Jonna were very close friends there. It bothers me when other people make excuses for my children to not hugging and talking to their guests when I am asking them to, and I'm trying to teach them to be social, expressive, and communicative, and my adult relatives are enabling them to be selfish and hurtful because there are so many games that they want to go play. I saw other parents there allowing their children to climb up on the ski ball game, pout, wander off, and demand more. I pray that parents take control of raising up their kids the way God wants them to be trained. It was fun to meet Liliya, see Jimmy and Jonna's ultrasound picture, and play "chinese yo yo" with Bill. I was disappointed that my mom and Dave were more interested in playing mini golf and watching a musical by themselves than playing with the kids and getting to know their friends. We all had some good laughs though about the shape of the ice-cream. Jonna's birthday is on Tuesday, so John made her a little plate of poop shaped ice cream too :) I talked to Marge on the phone on the drive to Des Moines, and she said that she doesn't spend a lot of time with Marty because she's always so negative and complaining about her money problems and health. I pray that Marty starts to see blessings and realizes that so many people have so many more financial and health problems than she does. I am going to give an old student of mine, Sierra Ferneau, a call sometime and see if she and her kids want to come over and play sometime. Her daughter, Eva, and Mara have gotten to be friends just from the last two times at First Friends. I bumped into a gal named Janine who works at the high School and knows my mom, and I really enjoy her and hope that we get together sometime. Well, everyone is napping, and I think I might run over to Charlotte's and meet little Alina. I pray that Charlotte can stay home with the baby for quite awhile, that Jenny Walters enjoys her new job, that Lorena and Jimmy, Jonathan and Patrick find work, and that we teach our children good work ethic at a young age so that when they become independent they have the skills to live on their own, work hard for their money, and use it wisely because they understand how hard they worked to earn it, and that it wasn't just handed to them on a silver plate. I pray that Erica's dizziness, tiredness, and haziness go away, that Grandma Mary's stomach problems get resolved, and that I take time to write a note to Grandpa Bill and others who are grieving. I am thankful that I don't have to hope that I am in that number when the saints go marching in because I know that God has already created me saintly in His eyes and that I am worthy and loved and called to do His work on earth bringing a piece of peace to everyone I see. I pray that I will leave everyone and every place better than how I found it.

Put on the armor of God

We had a wonderful time with Jenny, Lizzy, Lorena and all the ladies in Polk City. Mara was doing everyone's hair and then posing them for pictures and being a little bossy about how they needed to smile. Lorena hasn't seen her family in Colombia in over two years, and she is so excited for them to all go down in June for a second wedding. I hope to see more of the Walters in the future. I hope that this summer we visit her and Andy at their apartment and go swimming and play pool. TJ had a great birthday party here with all of his friends, Ziek, Austin, Jojo, Josiah, Sam, Alex N, Alex S, Moi, Fani, Camila, Lori, Lynette, Abigail, Skylar, Porkchop...They made cardboard shields of faith and wooden spoon shields of spirit. My mom only stayed for a half an hour because they had other parties to go to, and Grandma Betty was too tired to come. Erica and Tyse were great with the kids and had fun playing spy gear and Star Wars. John was so great to do so much cleaning while we were in Des Moines. He brought in our new dining room table and made lots of chocolate covered strawberries. The kids had fun playing pin the shield on the knight. We're going to church at First Friends again tomorrow morning. I called to invite GGB, but she said she'll have to ask my mom because they had plans to go out for breakfast. We're excited to go to Incredible Pizza tomorrow. We hope to see Leyria and Ross and Hondo and Diane. The weather is supposed to be bad, so I pray that it holds off so that we can celebrate and everyone can get home safely. Grandpa Bill is going to have surgery on his knee, so I pray that it goes well. I pray that Janet's house showing goes well tomorrow and that they sell their home soon because I'm sure she would like to be in CO with her husband and sons. I thought that the fact that both Leyria and I gave Janet flowers shows that we think alike. I gave out the book of bilingual poems about Haiti that my students made, and everyone was very excited to read them. Erica found the book, Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, here and took it with her. I'm glad that she's interested in reading it, and I pray that she learns some helpful hints from it and applies them to her life. I liked that Leyria said that she is not going to judge Uncle Lew or anyone for their choices, and I think that being nonjudgemental is such an admirable quality. John talked about not judging at Haud's funeral, and when I bought TJ's guitar from Rex Scovill, he said that John's speech really touched him and that he learned a lot from it. I am really grateful that our kids are so easily satisfied and that they aren't into a lot of the mainstream things like Sponge Bob and Pirates of the Carribean. I am proud that they make their own Valentines instead of buying generic, corporate ones at WalMart. I'm glad that when I ask them what they want for their party, that they say, "I'll be happy with anything you want". I pray that they continue to believe that the most important thing we put on is love, truth, righteousness, readiness, salvation, faith, and the gospel. I pray Matt does well when he gets home from Utah on Monday, that Angie has a healthy baby girl in May, and that people have the courage and passion to talk about heartfelt feelings like Lana does instead of about weightloss, fancy dishes, and shitake mushrooms, goat cheese, and leaks. I pray that we all live within our means and use our money wisely keeping in mind what that money could do for kids who have a small serving of rice once a day. I pray that our friend, Ian, finds a new job, that Grandpa Bill finds comfort and peace after his son's passing, that the family of a local man, Paul Gassman, find solice after his passing, and that we all live every day like it could be the last and that we take up the sword of the spirit and helmet of salvation and that we have the self control to respond to darkness with light and peace.

People matter

My coworker, Aaron Benscoter, and I have some disagreements on philosophy and religion, but he has a sign on his classroom window that says "people matter", and this belief we have in common. My mom had casually told me about a lunch that my grandma and aunt Janet were having tomorrow afternoon, and I didn't think we would be able to make it because of the Girl Scout event, but when I realized that I would have time and that I would love to see Jenny, Katie, Lorena, Lynn...I asked my mom if Chloe, Mara, and I could ride to Des Moines with her in the morning, and my mom acted like she didn't want me to go, and I don't know if it's because she knows my aunt is particular about her house and having the correct head count of guests, if she is concerned about what my house looks like for my grandma, or what. I called Janet to make sure it was fine that we came, and she said that she had no idea that Lorena, Jenny, and Katie were coming and that she just had planned a luncheon for six with all of the special plates and table settings and ... She did say that we could come, and that she'll make an extra pan of egg caserole, but I'm sure she's feeling very stressed about it. I pray that we all bring great laughter and love to her home, and that she realizes that it's people that matter, not your table setting. We had a nice visit to the nursing home. Mara took some pictures, and everyone was quite impressed that she and Chloe know everyone's name. She made Rose, Eloise, Loverburn, and Bracy feel like models. I'd like to get back in the habit of taking more pictures of my students and sending out a bimonthly newsletter. People love to look at pictures, and I love to take them. We gave a lot of residents copies of pictures of them and the kids from a previous visit, and they just loved them and looked at the pictures throughout dinner. Patricia told us that she doesn't remember any of her grandparents and that she had an accident in Tanzania that made her lose some of her memory. Maybe she will join us for a trip to the nursing home and find an adopted grandparent. Helen at the Bible study on Wednesday night said that a wise and kind man whose motto was also "Love the people" and recently passed away must have a lot of stars on his crown. I think stars on a Heavenly crown are so much more important than expensive china on an earthly table. There are some wonderful people sitting around the dinner table at Grandview, and the more you get to know them, the more stars you see on their crowns. I pray that the employees take time to get to know them, and that I get to know my students better. I pray that we all realize that moths and rust will destroy our earthly treasures, and that it is loving God and loving people that matter. I talked to Leyria tonight, and it's always great to hear her say "Hi, sweet Sarah Barah" and to tell me that we are soul sisters. I thank God for her. I pray for Tyse to have a safe trip tomorrow, for Jacob's job to pick up or for God to reveal where He wants them, for me to let go of any negative feelings toward Janet because of past hurtful things she has said and done, and for Alyssa's new baby, Emma, Jae's unborn baby girl, baby Alina, and all the children in Haiti and world wide. I heard on the news tonight that one of Tiger Woods' mistresses had gotten pregnant twice with his children. She must have had abortions which just breaks my heart. I pray for politicians and celebrities that get caught up in fame, fortune, and sin. I pray for women and their health and that as many people will come to the rice bagging event on March 7th as came to hear Tiger's public apology, which left me feeling very sad for his wife and children and very disappointed in all the women who were involved with him knowing that he had a family, yet they say they are the victims. I pray that we all think about the simple saying, People Matter, before we speak or act.