Sick, sick, sick!

Well, we made it thru last year without getting the flu...but not so lucky this year. Luke, on the right came home Friday exhausted and not feeling well. He also had a fever...he NEVER has a fever!

Noah was a little sick yesterday, kinda like the start to a cold. After playing in a basketball game and leading his team to a win...he came home with a HIGH fever...he always has high fevers. He never complained earlier in the day because, he wanted to play in that game...I sure hope he didn't share this with the rest of his team.

Needless to say, they were both pitiful this morning. Without even running a test...the dr. said they had the flu.

As frustrating as medicine and technology can be; I am thankful for the drs. and medicine that we have today. Years ago and even sometimes today people die from something that just needs the special meds.

They are both sleeping the day away...I need to be productive and make lesson plans just in case I need to miss work if Hope or Nate get this nasty thing...but instead, I am posting about these 2 boys I love. Still working on letting my present be present.

"Give your entire attention to what God is doing right now and don't get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow. God will help you deal with whatever hard things come up when the time comes." Matthew 6:34 (message)

My ONE Thing....NOW!!!!!

Ok, so in my last post I shared my one thing this year and my word to remind me of it....my husband said for me to change it to NOW....easier to remember and less confusing. So, now ~ the present, either way....I want to slow down enough to live my purpose...my purpose right now; not the game I have to take kids to later or the mtg I have tomorrow ~ but focus on whatever is before me right now!
After I actually put my word into writing I started hearing and seeing things that were confirmation that is my direction and what God wants to do in me this year.
I had a little test of my new focus yesterday morning...my oldest had a bad start to the day and usually I would have been full of lectures of what he could have done to prevent the events of the morning; BUT remembering that I always regret that because once I lecture the kids go to school with a bad start and feeling like crap because Mom just doesn't understand and always nags, nags, nags.....
I focused on the present and how I wanted his day to get better and that we could talk later about what caused the problems of the morning.
YEA for me and for Luke.......this was a BIG hurdle I overcame! His day continued to be bad....but without the headache of a lecture 1st thing in the morning!
Live you life....NOW not on the to do list or the problem from yesterday or the one coming tomorrow....be present in the present so you can live your purpose, whatever it is!

I'm back!

Where in the world have I been???? How does anyone go 7 months and not post???


They are either someone that does't care about blogging. Or someone that is sick. Or someone that is SUPER BUSY!!!! That's the one for me!! What have I been up to? Well, I finished a short-term assignment as a Grant Manager for Wake Tech. My kids finished 3rd, 5th, 7th & 9th grades. They had a nice summer and have started....you guessed it; 4th, 6th, 8th and 10th grade. I returned to just teaching for the 1st time in almost 2 years. I had a wonderful semester back

I could blame these growing kids as the reason for not posting...but in reality, they are the reason I started this blog.
So, I take full responsibility.

A new year is here and I resolve to do some things a new way!!! Hopefully you'll hold me accountable to this. I just read something from another site that has helped me find my "word" for this year ~ The present .... not as in a gift, but this present time, in the moment.

• I am resolving to slow down this year!
• I want to be slow enough to live my purpose
• A life resolved to Christ is one that allows the natural movement of the Spirit to control its pace.

(these are thoughts from a wonderful new site a friend posted on facebook; Internet Cafe Devotions.)

At first I thought my focus was to self-control...and that is definitely a need I have and it will take self-control to live in the moment and not be fretting over where I need to be in an hour or who needs to go where and when.

But I need to keep this ever before me that if I fully live in the moment I'm in I will give value and love and attention to whomever or whatever I'm with or involved in.

I remember as a kid when my mom would read the newspaper and she wouldn't hear me when I talked to her. I hated that. I don't want to be that mom and I am afraid I have become her. Outside of the mom thing....I have a real longing to share with others that there is so much more to this life than the struggles and challenges we deal with or that the joys pale in comparison with eternity with God. When I miss living in the moment and start thinking about my to-do list...I miss this opportunity.

Lord, help me be present in the present...."Don't worry about tomorrow because tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough troubles of its own." Matthew 6:34

HERE'S TO A NEW YEAR AND LIVING IN THE PRESENT!!!!!

Next time I'll share some cute stories from the kids!

A Peaceful Thing!

Well, I've had a lousy Monday after Easter......mostly by my attitude of choice! I am sad to say, work is stressful for me right now. I am in a position that could be all I want it to me, but the problem is, I want to be home with the kids. I know, wah, wah....so many need a job and I have one but want the release from it.
So, here is my peaceful thing....My oldest 2...son @ 15 and daughter almost 13....basically don't want anything to do w/ one another. Well, Hope's pre-algebra homework was hard, very hard and we needed Luke's help (because he is just the smartest thing ~ it's annoying). I had been a bit irritatible so Hope made the best decision....she politely asked Luke to help....and hearing them work together peacefully.....was music to my ears!!!! Earlier in the afternoon Hope had a meltdown about how terrible her teacher was and she wasn't going to do the work. 4 hrs later and after a few breaks she is putting the final touches on her work AND she understands it!!!!
The neat thing is....this so reminded me of my teenage years with my older brother. I hated him when we were younger but in our teens we did so much together....I pray the same for Luke and Hope.
I think I will focus on Philippians 4:8, and think about whatever is lovely and pure, true and right.....anything praiseworthy, my mind will dwell on these things.
Thank you Luke and Hope!

EASTER Rambling and Rejoicing!!!

It's Good Friday!!! Why do we call it good when something so terribly tragic happened on this day so many years ago? Because it was God's good plan that it happen. This is a hard one for us humans to accept and believe but it's true, but God says so in His word.

"Still, it's what GOD had in mind all along, to crush Him with pain.

The plan was that He give Himself as an offering for sin so that

He'd see life come from it -

life, life, and more life."

Isaiah 53:10, the message

So, let me tell you how NATE is making this known and giving God the Glory.

So I go into school one morning because Nate forgot his homework folder for the 1st time the entire year. We still managed to do the homework but Nate was so scared to disappoint his teacher he wanted me to explain to Ms. Hammond what happened. Well, she was meeting w/ a teacher so we had to wait in the hall, along w/ all the other kids. On the wall by their class were posters each kid had made about themselves...their families, what they like, etc. One of the selections was favorite music/song....other kids had Taylor Swift, Miley Cyrus, Rascal Flatts (these are 3rd graders I remind you!), Black-eyed Peas.....(whatever!)

And then there was Nate's and he has Steve Fee....if you aren't familar with Steve Fee, he's a Christian song writer that sees, obviously Nate's favorite song! :)

And it's true, when we're in the car he always says....cut on Steve Fee!!!

So here is the song that earned Steve Fee a spot on the 3rd grade wall at Timber Drive Elementary.....

Hope this works and Rejoice in the Lord who "despised the shame and endured the cross for the joy set before Him"!

Well, I can't get it to work, so search Steve Fee, and Glory to God!!!

Where I have been....well that is a long story

Wow, has it been 3 months since I posted something???? All I can say, is how do working moms do it? How do they love their families, fix the food, do the cleaning, love the sick, fix broken things, find missing things.....and do their jobs well?????

That is where I've been! You have missed hearing about school and rec. basketball. That Luke was one of the few freshmen to see playing time and received the academic award, the all around Trojan award, and one more award (I can't remember it). Nate scored an average of 20 points at each game....he really needs to go back to the rec league next year. I love the church league for the message, but Nate hangs w/ a 9th grader and 5th grader daily...he's just too good!!! And NOAH....was just the best baller on his team that lost in the semifinals of his league toury by just a few points.
Where is Hope this whole time.....being Miss Social and finding as many chances as possible to hang w/ her friends! Thank you Lord for friends!!!!

I hope to be back on a regular basis now. Work has been overwhelming lately. Teaching is a new challenge this semester. Gone are the days of coming in and teaching the body parts, color or clothes....weather, seasons or anything else that the level 1 english student needs. This semester I have read the classic short story, The Most Dangerous Game ~ along with many other freshmen level readings....not to mention all the English Grammar I never learned or paid attention to in class.
That is in addition to managing 17 BLOGS created by our EL/Civics Grant. Actually this, I am quite proud of....take a minute and check out our program. The easiest link is to just go to elcivics.waketech.edu ~ no www. or http. We made it easy so second language speakers could find it.
And in addition to that, I helped organize a FREE Statewide ESL conference to NC. It was a huge success. That was last Saturday....tonight, for the 1st time in I don't know how long, I am home on a Friday night and just hanging out w/ the family! AHHHHHH....loving it!

So, check by often and hope to share some lovely stories about my wonderful kids!

Christmas things going on here

Ok....so I love Christmas and everything about it. As an adult what I might love the most is that I am a teacher so I am usually finished from work 2 weeks before and that gives me plenty of fun time w/ the kids and to cook or shop! So, my last day of class was this week and to celebrate, my kids (who are already out of school b/c of yr. round scheduling) thought I should jump on the trampoline with them! :) Well, I didn't hurt myself, but I am quite saddened that I am not a kid anymore...I loved a trampoline then and always wanted one, this was one of the best birthday gifts we've gotten the kids this year! :)

So, my youngest asked me what I want from Santa this year....I told him I didn't get anything b/c I'm not a kid, but he informed me that yes I did b/c I'm Nana & Papa's kid. (he's smart) So I said, I don't know, what do you think I should get. He was quiet for a while and I thought our convo was over when he said very sneaky like, to not have anymore babies...............now I wasn't expecting that, but hey, it sounds like a great idea b/c I don't think I could do anymore! :)

Nate went thru a phase where he wanted a baby brother, now he is liking being the youngest. This is a good example of why we don't buy/get the kids everything they want ~ eventually they change their minds!