Happy Birthday to us

Today has been an interesting day.  I am now 32 and my daughter is 8 as of today.  I might add that my daughter is such a beautiful person and loves the Lord.  What more could I ask from a daughter.  She is absolutely amazing.  Now I have to say I messed up royaly by scheduling the performing arts concert AFTER my birthday (tomorrow), which means I am stressed out on MY day.  I dont know why I put MY day, because it hasn't been MY day since sydney came 8 years ago.  Now, I have to say that jason was amazing today & had cake, balloons, etc and send BEAUTIFUL bouquet of flowers to Sydney and I.  and I will finish this later, because I'm about to drop

You Get What You Pay For

I have worked with kids to what has seemed my whole life.  My mom has been a Sunday School Teacher for over 35 years and worked in the school system as I grew up, and my grandmother has been the children's minister in her church for the past 45 years, no joke.  So I have had hands on training my whole life.  I come from a family of teachers.  Its a gift to be able to not only obtain but to share knowledge.  I then started working with the Church of God state youth group and working a month in camps at age 14 yearly, then  I became a youth pastor upon graduation of high school.  I taught piano and voice for the next 13 years as well as work in the public school system as a choir and music director where I was the minority.  I say all that to also say this.  Not a single child I have ever taught has been of privilege.  Not ONE child had a private education from an elite school.  However, all of my students have succeeded.  WHY???  Because I'm a freakin' awesome teacher.  It's not that I know everything, it's that I know how to motivate kids and instill pride in them and make them feel good about themselves.  I truly love kids and everything about them, even things outside of my classroom.  I absolutely love all people and the potential God has put in them.  I especially care for those that are hurting and God purposely puts in my path.
    So I have something just burning in me from Friday afternoon.  I actually had a respected parent tell me that my expectations are too high.  They went on to say that I could not expect my choirs to do as well as the surrounding high schools in the district because we have minority students (23%), so naturally we have "less willing" students to pull into our choir program.  They also said that I could not expect the behavior that I have asked for in my hand book (aka. keep their mouth shut during instruction).  They also said that if I try to punish the students bad behavior that my program would dwindle down and I would have a job.  I just listened with the burning desire to tell her where to put her information, but I didn't.  That would not be Christ like.
    Maybe it's all the Joel Olsteen sermons I heard while going to Lakewood Church, but I truly believe in going beyond expectations.  To rise above who you are as a person and strive toward that goal.  I know that every child can do that.  To say that a child has too many problems in their own lives to focus on how they act or to better themselves is nothing but trash talk.  I will not listen to it, and in fact I pity the person that believes that you are destined for a straight path of what you are brought up with.  My path goes forward and higher every day and the longer I am at this school the students will see that through me.  God says that we lead by example and my hope is that I my passion for moving forward and higher will catch on to every student I not only teach but come in contact with in the halls.  I am doing what I am destined to do.  And for those of you who know me; could you imagine me doing anything else or expecting less?
Bottom Line:  People will give you what you not only expect but accept.

My First Day at School (an email I meant to post a month ago) ha!

So I Ieave the apt, which is maybe 5 minutes from my school at 7:05 this morning.  First they were doing road work in that .4 mile stretch that I thought was finished.  I then get to the "teacher one way drive" and they are letting kids out with a HUGE line, so I have to leave the school, turn left (no light) and go in the back way & go backwards up the one way street :), this takes almost 15 minutes alone.  I get out & go through the door with Cohen who suppose to have been at campus daycare already, it is now 7:28.  I unlock the door, and tell my full class of freshmen that I will be right back.  I then run with Cohen to the iother side of this 5A H.S. campus with full diaper bag in tow to drop him off (the outside way so the principal doesn't see).  I then cut through the building & get to class.  I was sweating, hair fallen & sticky & looking like a hot mess.  What a way to start out your year.  So, instead of going over rules, which number 2 is DON'T BE LATE TO CLASS ha ha, we played get to know me games.  I can now fall over & pass out during my planning time!!!  I YI YI  ++++  Who starts school at 7:30am???  That's a dumb idea anyway lol.

 

The awsome part about it all though???....  When I opened the door expecting kids to be loud and up out of their seats, I found everyone sitting, talking quietly, and smiling when I came through the door in proper uniform and ready.  Wow, I am going to love it here.  Thank you God for this job!

Another Chapter in Hooverville to a Close

It seems like our chapter in South Texas is coming to a end.  We close on our house here in South Texas on Friday the 18th.  God has blessed Jason with an incredible opportunity at the home office of his company in Franklin.  I am so proud and happy for him & for moving our family forward.  He deserves it.  Texas has been a new experience.  I swear this place should be it's on country because it's way of thinking and it's laws are so far different than that of Arkansas and Tennessee or any other place I've visited!  STARTING with a "Welcome to Texas Tax, now give us 200.00 for each person in your family"...  YIKES, glad we weren't Catholic ha ha, but my favorite law is how you drive 70mph down a two lane road!  It has been a ride.

We have found life long friends and have grown as a family, physically and spiritually.  We came here to get out of high cost living and higher pay.  God has blessed us beyond what we thought though, and we are returning to Franklin with so much more.  We are strongly relying on God.  Especially since we STILL haven't found a rental in the area due to the flood and I haven't found a teaching job as of yet.  It will happen though, and oddly enough I'm not even worried about it.  I know my close friends are in disbelief, but hey, people can change.  We bid farewell to all our friends in Palacios, Church on the Rock, and Lakewood Church Marriage Compass Group.  Our lives have been made richer with you in it.  Thank you

Chameleon by Nature

Being the little actress that I am I have always been able to easily ease into any situations that are around me.  That is good in many ways, since I have been told that I make people feel like they are at  home or that I don't know a stranger.  However, the bad part of it is I also blend emotionally with groups and I have a strong sense of empathy that I try to cover up with my "don't care" attitude.  The truth is I care deeply, the "don't care" part is my safety mechanism since I've been screwed over by so many people that I have sympathized with.

Being able to connect with people has been a blessing.  I love helping people and I love fixing things, so God put the right things in me to help those gifts.  My nature blockade however is my easily affected attitude.  I can be having this incredible wonderful day and it be gone in an instant because I start talking to someone who is PO'd.  I have to literally walk away from those negative people chanting "It's a good day, It's a good day"!  If not, I am walking around being PO'd.  So if I always seem pissy around you, look inward... ha ha, just jokin'.  So anyways, that is where my spiritual guy has to take over and make me stronger.  For the past two months I have been deliberately avoiding the complainers, the whiners, and the gripers.  I know I will quickly follow suit if I don't.

 I had a lot of guy friends growing up, and my brother was one of my best friends.  Guys don't sit around trashing people all the time.  I guess down deep that is why I preferred them as friends, I felt better when I laid my head down at night.  The funny thing is, most of the girlfriends I had growing up had mostly guy friends too!   I am still a work in progress and I do have confidence that woman as a sex can become more positive.  Everyday I am figuring out my triggers so I can stay positive and loving.  I challenge all of you to do the same.

It's so hard being perfect isn't it?

So I'm not perfect.  I have a string of flaws that follow me everywhere I go.  Just when I think I have them whipped and in line I get whipped.  I have a temper.  I don' t like stupid questions.  I just don't understand why people can't think before they ask them and slow drivers & my super slow daughter bug me when provoked.  So all these irritants get my boiler goin.  I could list more but you get my point.  I have to literally stop and pray for God to settle me down because I can't.  So at least I have realized that much.  I just can't handle my temper on my own.  God has to give me peace over a situation so I don't make him look bad and believe me I can.  Other imperfections?  Jason will say it's my procrastination.  I like to take things in stride and be "punctual"  aka 2-5 minutes late.  As women we are taught at a young age that you NEVER want to be first somewhere unless it's a sale.  You always want to make a notable entrance, however Jason never got that memo nor does he care about the memo.  I will say that we all struggle.  Ephesians 4:31 tells us to put away all anger, slander, etc... but how?  James 1:21 tells us to be quick to hear but slow to anger or speak.  Proverbs 29:11 also says:  A fool gives full vent to his spirit, but a wise man quietly holds it back.  I really don't want Him to think  me as a fool so I do try.  However, it does tend to brute it's ugly head around concert time.  & the Punctuality thing..  Well Proverbs 12:27 says "Whoever is slothful will not roast his game, but the diligent man will get precious wealth."  So I really like money & shopping.  Maybe gettin my butt in gear will help me in the long run after all..  Jason, just don't use that scripture against me :) love you.

I miss blogging

Before Facebook, having two kids, and everything else that has taken priority, I use to blog.  I use to write and it felt good.  Sometimes the daily routine just keeps on going day after day and you don't take the time to look at all the passing happenings.  Time gets lost and then disappears and most of it doesn't even register into the memory.  I find that sad.  Before blogging I journaled, before that I had a diary, and of course I have always scrap booked since kindergarten.   Now my scrap book has been left untouched for almost 4 years with over 2000 photos stuck inside my media drive.  So I now promise to write things out.  I am going to take the time to revisit my mind's daily wonderings.  So here we go :)