Ahhh, Panera

So here I sit at one of my most favorite-est places in the world. I like it when there are people to share it with, but today it's good too. I'm alone, but yet not alone. I'm aware of all the people around me: the college girls softball team with laughter and smiles, the dad with his daughters hanging out on a Saturday afternoon, elderly couples, and elderly women talking and drinking coffee. What a wide range of people! Panera reaches all age groups. I'm listening to KLOVE online so my mind is flooded with praises as I look around. Every once in a while I look outside and see three men dressed as Uncle Sam and the Statue of Liberty. They must be selling something. Tax help maybe. I'm also aware of the presence of the Lord. Partly because some famous Christian singer just whispered in my ear how the Lord is always with me no matter where I go. Maybe Sara Groves will whisper in my ear soon. That would be heavenly. I used to come to Panera with my girlfriends when I was in college. So, I also like to come to Panera to feel young and reminiscent.

Spring break has been great.
I've done a lot of relaxing--enjoying the break from an alarm. I love staying up late and sleeping in. I wish I could drag myself out of bed earlier. When family changes come, there will be time for early rising, so I'm enjoying sleeping in for now. (no, I'm not hinting at anything.)
Over break Luke and I have been attending practices. Track practice everyday at 1 PM. Also, play practice every night at 7 PM. Tonight is the first performance of our play. I'm ready. There is a Sunday afternoon performance too. I'll honestly miss the excuse to see my friends and family when it's all over. I won't miss all the extra driving we've had to do to get to practices. We bought our Saturn Vue last May (over Ebay!); it is now almost one year later and we've put about 20,000 miles on the Vue. I'm enjoying the Vue, but I'm not sure that's normal to put on that many miles in just one year. I heard somewhere that 10,ooo miles is normal. So, we're trying to cut back. We also haven't bought groceries besides milk and bread and hygiene necessities for like 2 months. We're using up everything in our cupboards. It's like a game. When Luke's mom heard this she started inviting us over for dinner more frequently. I hope she knows she's only contributing to our goal to see how long we can go. :) We're very thankful for her generosity.

Also over break: I got a part-time job for the summer. There is a shop in Moville that sells bakery type food. Most of their business is baking and then shipping pasteries to other businesses. They have regular employees that need to take time off in the summer to take care of their kids, so they need someone to cover those shifts. I volunteered, and over the phone I got the job. I'm thinking it's going to be very part-time. If I worked the whole time they were open the most I would work is Tues-Fri. 8:30-3:30. I don't think they'll need me the whole time, however. I'm praising God today because He provided a way for me to make some money, no matter how part-time it might be. I'm praying today for Luke to be able to find something he will really enjoy and feel satisfied with. "Jehovah-Jireh" means "The Lord our Provider". Lately I've been leaning on that heavily.

I could keep writing and telling, because that's what Panera does to me, but I will stop.
Here's to more times at Panera, and more alarm-less sleep coming in June.
Maybe next time I'm here I'll be with friends.
Anyone?
You never know what will happen when you're here. Man in a kilt? Men in Statue of Liberty costumes?

Another one bites the dust

Have you ever had your day ruined before lunch time?
That happened today.
But I realize I have a choice: I can make it not ruined anymore.

Lord, please help me to hold my tongue!
Tomorrow's another day.
It'll help that I'll be at home most of the day.
I'm coming up on a week of rest and relaxation.
Spring Break!
My prayer is that the Lord will continue to remake my mind so that I don't get so stinking impatient and tempermental all the time.
Some people say I'm not being tempermental, but when I live with the world's least likliest man to ever get tempermental it makes me feel like a horrible person.
Luke is like the law that points out my sin (like what the law did in the old testament); thank heavens for Christ who is the new law and new covenant.
There is grace.
I know I'm not horrible.
I know Luke is not without sin.
He's just stronger in some ways.

I want to be a blessing...



Let it be said of us
While we walked among the living
Let it be said of us
By the ones we leave behind
Let it be said of us
That we lived to be a blessing for life

Let it be said of us
That we gave to reach the dying
Let it be said of us
By the fruit we leave behind
Let it be said of us
That our legacy is blessing for life

This day You set life, you set death right before us,
This day Every blessing and curse is a choice now
And we will choose to be a blessing for life

Let it be said of us
That our hearts belonged to Jesus
Let it be said of us
That we spoke the words of life
Let it be said of us
That our heritage is blessing for life

For your Kingdom, for our Children
For the sake of every nation

Light at the end of the tunnel?? YES!

In the past two weeks I have felt really tired and rushed and a little frustrated and even broken emotionally/spiritually.

I am learning about myself and Luke, our marriage, the people I work with and go to church with. I'm learning about trusting God for provission, and also to continue the good work that He is doing in me.

Luke has started coaching track. We are on week three. It's started really well. So many of the kids and parents are pleased with the program he is running. They've never had a track team before, so they're pumped about it. I've struggled in trying to get used to the really long days.

Luke, along with the sophomore class, was in charge of the the formal for the high school this last Friday. I went along to help. I got to use my new chocolate fountain for the first time. Mandy Shew, if you read this, can you remind me of what you had for the dipping options at the staff Christmas party? Anyway, the formal was fun and entertaining. Luke was a trooper and stayed up till 6 am with the boys from the school. It was important to some of the parents to have supervision during the whole time the kids were up, so he was the one to do it. I went to bed at 3.

Luke and I are in an Easter play. We are going to practices three days a week in preparation for the big event. We will be performing twice at the end of the month. It's been fun, but I'll be glad when that is crossed off the list of things to do.

So, I feel busy. I've grown to really dislike the excuse, "I'm busy." Because really, who isn't? I'm more comfortable with saying that the things that were really easy for me to do and keep up with before track started, is now a lot harder.

I've discovered the reality of fear and worry in my life in the last month. All the while I've taught my kids about how we need to trust God with everything, I've listened to a sermon that confirmed what I've been thinking: I need to be in prayer more and just need to be abiding with the Lord. I've watched a movie that dealt with the source of my fear and worry and saw how my circumstances could be a lot worse. I've seen the folly of my words and thoughts. I've been so humbled. I've realized that what I'm fearing and worrying about is something that is not easily discussed, so who can I tell? God. I'm convinced He's trying to teach me to just come to Him. Tell Him...because Deb, you've done a lot of telling others about things lately, this is something that only He needs to hear about. When I've learned how to bring this to Him, I will be more likely to bring all the other things to Him that are so tempting to discuss around the lunch table at school.

Spring break is just around the corner. I'm so ready. March 26-30 will be heavenly.

Sing it Sara! You comfort me so!

"Rain"
by Sara Groves

Call it what you will, I call it rain
When troubles come and pan against my soul
Go in if you like, I will remain
And let the washing waters make me whole
Just when I'm sure that I can't bear the rain
A tiny leaf starts pushing through the ground
In a place where the soil was too dry to sustain it
A new tiny flower can be found
Once I was stuck, I thought things would never change
And I watched that cloud pass through the sky
And right before my eyes it took a different shape
And I knew, so would the clouds in my own life
Just when I'm sure that I can't bear the rain
A tiny leaf starts pushing through the ground
In a place where the soil was too dry to sustain it
A new tiny flower can be found
And I see Him in the rain
And I feel Him wash away
What I do not understand
So new life can spring up once again
And I see Him in the rain
And I feel Him wash away
What I do not understand
So new life can spring up once again
And the flowers come to show
That all that rain was helping me to grow

Life with Luke

So here are some of Luke's favorites. I sat down across from him while he was playing some video games. It was like pulling teeth sometimes, but I managed to find out a few of his favorite things.
Luke, what is your favorite...

song: "I can't think of one. Seriously, what music do I like? I don't know." Maybe some of you out there will be able to help him out. If we were judging based on what song he listens to the most often, I might say his favorite song is the theme from "Oblivion".

game: Monopoly, or as Luke calls it: "Monotony"

sport: football

drink: milk

food: KFC original recipe chicken thighs

color: chrome (is that a color?)

super hero: Iron Man

time of day: "9:00 pm."
"why?"
"fun stuff happens at 9:00."
I'm not sure what this fun stuff is that he's talking about, and since he was playing a video game he wasn't too specific. Whatever it is, I'm pretty sure I'm not apart of it, considering that's about the time I get tired.

season: summer "because of all the free time."

free time acitivity: playing video games. I saw that one coming.

cat that you own: Han.

Snow Day

Our first snow day of the year! I'm pretty sure we'll have another one tomorrow. Besides being able to catch up on daytime TV (Days of our Lives anyone? Patch and Kayla are back?), I've been well-rested, and have had lots of interaction with my cats. Luke did something amazing today. In the blowing and snow and frezzing-ness he went to the store to get milk and Diet Coke. My hero! Now I'm ready to be snowed in for another 12 days.

Just something I liked

I've been watching the new season of American Idol and loved this performance. It was aired last week sometime. I'll share it with you because I thoroughly enjoyed it.



Three of the four guys are still in the running.

I haven't picked a favorite to win yet. Sigh...no one compares to Taylor. Have a mentioned that I picked Taylor to win from the beginning? This is my favorite performance by Taylor last season. He's coming to Sioux City in March. I HAVE to go. Anyone want to contribute monetarily to my quest to go?? Anyone want to come see him with me?? I need company!

Valentine photo gallery

Maybe you were like me. When I was in elementary school I loved Valentine's Day parties more than any other party of the year. I don't know why that was. Maybe it was the excitement of delivering mail, the pretty Valentine boxes, or the wonderful feeling of getting something special from everyone in the class. I remember pouring over those Valentines for hours at home. Liz and I would compare our Valentines, and trade candy, and laugh really hard at the things the boys wrote. Yep, we were silly little girls.

I've decided one of the good, no, great things about being a teacher is that one still gets to experience Valentine's Day parties. The whole elementary school went crazy with pink and red as you can see in the pictures. These are some of my kids and some of their boxes...glimpses of the best party day of the year.