Day 59...Grateful for the Day to be OVER...

Today was long..
Today was emotional...
Today was long..
Today was hard...
Oh man...but I will still be teaching at Vines next year.

5:30... Boot Camp
7:30... Quiet Time
8:15... Leave for School
8:45...Drama in Athletics
9:50...Bell for 2nd period...but still dealing with drama
12:00...Realize how hard the next 9 weeks will be
5:15...Training for Head for the Cure Volunteer Coordinator (what??? something else...)
6:30...Perspectives (amazing!)
9:30..Back at home...

Long day.
And all I can say at the end of the day is praise the Lord. I have a job tomorrow. I have a job next year. No matter how hard it is...I know that's where the Lord wants me for now.
So...I'm grateful the day is OVER!!!

Day 58...Grateful to be Drama Free...

Today I had heard rumbling among the freshmen girls in athletics that a bunch of them didn't like another girl. Well, I walked right into the middle of it today after school and talked about it with the one they are "ganging up on"....who was in tears.

I'm so grateful to be past the "mean girls" stage and to not have to go into it again! Why are high school girls so mean??? Ugh...so hard! I remember how BIG and ALL ENCOMPASSING the things like this are when you are 14 but....

I'm SO grateful to be drama free! :)

Day 57...Grateful...

I'm grateful for my job!
I'm grateful to my athletic director for asking me to start coaching 4 years ago!
I'm grateful that I'm not a principal that had to tell 9 people that they were losing their jobs today!

How great is the Lord and how great is the Lord's timing...(remind me of that next time I'm wishing I wasn't still single and waiting)...

I knew that we didn't have enough students to fill all of my classes, but I knew that coaching should help me keep a job...I just thought I would have to teach a couple of random classes next year. My department head had been causing me to feel like I could be losing my job. Unfortunately, she is the one that ended up losing her job. It all came down to other duties...which would be coaching. So...4 years ago when my athletic director asked me if I wanted to coach (instead of do cheerleading), I'm so thankful for the prodding and timing of the Lord to take him up on it!

I'm just very grateful today!

Day 56...Grateful for a Lot...

There are quite a few things I'm grateful for today...

1.  I randomly picked up a book at Mardel's on Saturday. I'm trying to be very healthy and strict for the rest of the school year (9 weeks...surely I can make it) and this book caught my eye. It's really great! One tip (out of the 5 chapters I've read) was to replace a craving with prayer. Well...I've been wanting to improve my prayer life...and that will definitely do that! I had a bunch of little arrow prayers as my stomach growled periodically. :) 

2. I went to boot camp...and I'm grateful for this number...the number of calories burned!! (that's during the hour of class and thirty minutes after) Love it!

3. I love the crock pot...or slow cooker. I love coming home and my whole apartment smells like yummy food!

4. Finally...I love the coffee singles. It's kind of cold here right now and I was cold when I got home and I love relaxing with a cup of coffee...and the singles are great and so easy!

Day 55...Grateful to be Pampered...

So Mary Grace and I have started periodically getting pedicures together...pretty much whenever one of us tells the other how gross our feet have become. It's just always more fun to go with a friend...and it's great talk and hang out time with her! So...today was the day!

I love it! Granted...it's too cold to wear flip flops right now...but soon enough we'll get to show them off!

I know a pedicure is a luxury...and I'm grateful that the special splurges can be spent with a friend and occur just often enough.

Grateful to be pampered!

Day 54...Grateful for Sleep...

So Saturday morning the alarm went off to head to Boot Camp...but I was exhausted! So I turned it off....

Here is when I finally woke up...

I think I was a little tired! Grateful for sleep!

Day 53...Grateful for Rachel...

So, tonight (Friday) I didn't really have any plans. I was going to lunch with a friend to carb load (for her) before her half marathon on Sunday. She had something tonight so we were going to do an early dinner. And then Rachel called. They needed a sub for her softball team.

I drove down and played with her and her husband's team...then she and I went to Sonic. Then we (me, Rachel, and Chris) went to her house. I love getting to talk to her, I love talking about the Bible and God and what we are learning (all while Kentucky is beating Ohio State which totally saves my bracket is on in the background)....Rachel is a blessing. I always enjoy getting to see her and catch up.

Great to see you Rachel...grateful for you!

Day 52...Grateful for Perspectives....

As I've posted before...I'm taking a class at church called Perspectives. It's amazing! There are tons of facts that I'm learning, statistics that I'm learning, perspective from the Bible of our mission God and His world evangelism design.

It's awesome to see what all the Lord has done throughout the world...what is left to do throughout the world...and amazingly enough, it is not all up to us Westerners. When in actuality we think only we will send people out to evangelize...it's not up to the Western world. But we GET to be a part of it!!!


I love what the Lord is teaching me!!!

Day 51...Grateful to be Sore????

Okay...so this post is to try to make the hurt feel a little bit better! I am SO SORE!!! I have started boot camp again, and being consistent this time! I know that soreness means that my muscles are changing...but right now it hurts to...
~walk
~sit
~walk up stairs
~walk down stairs
~stretch
~stand
Oh...it pretty much hurts to move my legs. Aaaahhh....
Why do I do this to myself...

I guess today I'm going to keep telling myself to be grateful for the soreness....

Day 50...Grateful to be Appreciated...Again...

One of my sweet and sassy students, Tanner, nominated me for Teacher Appreciation night tonight at the Plano Softball Game. They announced us, took our picture, and gave us a great goodie bag. But just Tanner's excitement that I came, the gratitude of her parents, and the smiles on all the teachers' faces was totally worth it all.

Tanner walked in to class late one day...
Me: Tanner...why are you late?
Tanner: Look lady...I had stuff to do. And then gave me her sassy smile.
Me: Okay guurrlll....get to class on time from now on!

Tanner and I share the same birthday.

Tanner always makes me laugh...and is one of my favorites to have in class.
Thank you Tanner!

Isn't she a cutie?!?!

Day 49...Grateful for my Students...

So today, the first day back from Spring Break is usually full of tired kids...and tired teachers. Instead, we started off the morning with a staff meeting to tell us that 10% of our teachers will have to be let go. That's about 10-12 teachers. So...keep praying!

Then I went to class.
My students are going to start a new project in Flash...if you don't know what that is...it's animation. So fun for the ones that really get it...a real beating for those that don't!
So today I decided to just review everything we had done before the break to refresh them before they started their project.

I let them come up with the ideas of what we would animate and create.
Here is how the dialog went...
Me: We need to come up with something that will roll onto the screen...
   4th Period: "A Bagel"  (random...)
   5th Period: "A Chocolate Chip Cookie" (okay...seeing a theme here...)
   7th Period: "A Hula Hoop" (random again...)

Me: Okay, now we need it to roll into something.
   4th Period: "A glass of milk" "A tub of cream cheese" And one student had hers fly in from the top and land on a plate
   5th Period: "A glass of milk" (typical)
   7th Period: "Down a hill and into a tree" (they like a challenge)

I do have to say it was a little awkward when our Dean of Students walks into class as we are laughing about how bad my glass of milk looked on the screen. "I promise they really are learning something beneficial!!!" :)

They made me laugh and made the first day back a joy.
Grateful for those kids today!

Day 48...Grateful for Great Friends...

I am truly blessed here with amazing girl friends! Thanks to all of you for coming to dinner (even if it wasn't your favorite place to eat)...I loved it...and I love each of you!

What a great day!

Day 47...Grateful for this Challenge...

So I don't really know why I started doing this blog...or trying to find something to be grateful for each day...other than I know that I need to start being more grateful. It's working...I don't think that each day makes for a good blog post, but it makes me think. Which is the point. So today, I'm grateful for the 47 days so far that have made me reflect on my life that day and what one thing I could write about being grateful for.

On a side note, as my spring break comes to a close...I have done almost nothing all week...and I have loved it!
I also, decided that since I wasn't going to be seeing many people, why did I really need to get ready each day?? So...I wore a different hat each day...and here they are! :-)

Monday...

Tuesday...

Wednesday...

Thursday (green camo for St. Patrick's Day)...

Friday...

Day 46...Grateful for Lessons...

This is a lesson that the Lord has been revealing to me over the last couple of weeks. Because of all of the talks on education and budget cuts and teacher cuts...I have been worrying (a sin) but also have become passionate about my feelings about everything. I never really paid much attention to politics, but lately I've read everything I could to find out exactly what was going on....mainly because it affected me personally.

The Lord hit me between the eyes saying...if you can be this passionate about something that you have no control over...just think what you could do for Him (or allow Him to do in and through me) if I just turned that passion to my relationship with Him. Ouch.

So...this week I've had a lot of time to think...and as soon as I start to worry, I lay it down at the Lord's feet. Now...being honest...I haven't used all my free time this week to strengthen my relationship with the Lord...in fact I am still staring at my bag that has my Bible that I need to read the daily reading from and my Perspectives class books that I also need to read...so there is still a battle.

But today, I'm grateful for lessons...grateful that the Lord is still working on my heart...and hasn't finished His work in my life...actually, He's got a long way to go!

Day 45...Grateful for the Sun...

So my plan for the week was to enjoy the weather...workout each day...read outside and get some sun at the same time...and walk/jog outside to enjoy the weather. Yes...I wanted to spend a lot of the week outside.

Well...the weather had a different plan...
It has been overcast and windy all week.
I have kind of felt under the weather for most of the week (I think I might need to get tested for allergies)....my throat has never been so scratchy!

Today however...was the day I had been looking for!
I sat out by the pool in shorts and a tank top (not quite ready for swimsuit season) for about an hour...reading....lovely!
Then I went walking for about 45 minutes (my goal is to do some kind of activity for at least 33 minutes each day of my 33rd year of life)...
And well...I got a little more sun than I thought. That's okay...I needed that Vitamin D!

I was grateful for the sun today....

Not a cloud in the sky!

Day 44...Grateful for Birthday Wishes...

I am overwhelmed with gratefulness for the sweet comments, texts, and messages that I have received today. I feel extremely loved and extremely blessed.

Here is what my sweet friend Mindee left for me to find whenever I left my apartment this morning. Thanks Mindee!
And thanks everyone! I feel very loved!

My front door...

And draped across my car windshield...

Day 43...Grateful for Deb and Her Girls...

Deb Stephens discipled me a couple of years. She makes me laugh, she has seen me cry, she has helped me grow, and she always encourages and challenges me.

She has two of the cutest little girls.
Today I got to hang out with them for awhile.
I got to see their new house that they will be moving into next week, ate some great Mexican food, and got to talk a lot. It was a lot of fun for my second day of Spring Break.

Aren't they cute kids??

Day 42...Grateful for Health...

So I'm finally feeling better...still not 100% but a lot better than I was.
I had a great lunch this morning with a great friend and her two kids...but then I was able to work out a little bit, went walking with a friend, and am about to do a workout video.

Not only am I happy to be feeling better...but the way I haven't been taking care of my body...I'm thankful that I am healthy enough to start doing something about it and start taking care of my health again.

So...grateful for medicine...and grateful for my health. :)
It's been a great first day of Spring Break.

Day 41...Grateful for Church...

For some reason (probably because I'm still not feeling that great) I was moving really slow this morning. So...when I realized I wasn't going to make it to the service at 9:15, I decided to look online and see what messages I could watch online, and then I would head to my Bible Fellowship Class.

Scott Turner...a former NFL player...had a message online. So I watched his lesson on Choices: Choosing Joy over Sadness. It's so good. Watch it if you have time!

http://www.prestonwood.org/plano/messages--media/saturday-nights/choosing-joy-over-sadness-sat-nights/

And then Bible Fellowship class...great fellowship...great lesson...and great friends. It was a great day of church.

Day 40....Grateful for Medicine...

I started feeling bad on Friday...I thought it was just a headache...then it became more like a sinus infection...then I got a fever.
I did the web-check-in to Care Now (which is the only way to go...I got there the same time as another guy, but since I did web-check-in I got in faster, he was just getting called back when I was leaving)
I had a terrible nights sleep because of the fever and headache.
My body aches all over.
My head is killing me.
My throat is so sore.

But these medicines are going to do the trick! I believe it! Well...these and the shot I got in my hip...I'll spare you and not post a picture of that. :)

Day 39...Grateful for Fun Birthdays...

My birthday is during Spring Break, so I had told my students that if they brought cake, we'd eat in class.
None of my students brought cake (which is the first time in a long time)...
But one student brought me this card...I thought it was funny.

And then my department head got me a cookie cake...which I forgot to take a picture of before we ate some of it.. :) It was yummy!

Yea for fun birthdays...made the Friday a lot of fun!

Day 38...Grateful for Prayer...

I'm grateful that I can ask for people to pray...and I know enough people that would do just that!

According to the news and every other rumor going around....the state of Texas is having some major budget cuts in education...I read today that in the state it is at least a 10 BILLION dollar budget cut in education. We apparently have a "rainy day fund" that the state could use to save teacher jobs and use that year to re-allocate money. Instead our governor has said that each district needs to not lean on the state for money, they need to come up with their own money to supplement their budgets. I learned today that it all stems from tax cuts that were made...and no other plan was put in place to make up for that money.

So...cuts are going to be happening everywhere. In education. What???
I just don't understand and it really just frustrates me.

We were talking in the coaches office this morning...suppose each professional athlete in the state of Texas were to give $500,000 to education...they would save every teacher's job. CRAZY!!!!

So...I'm asking for prayer for my job.
Our school had a department head meeting this afternoon and now we have a mandatory staff meeting next Monday morning to find out the budget for next year. So...we get to go to school tomorrow...take a week away from school to wonder about it...and find out the Monday that we get back.

Please pray for my job.
Please pray for peace in my heart that I will still have job (I'm fairly confident I will...but no one is guaranteed).
Please pray for continued joy in my job...whether or not the government (who pays my salary) cares about the education of their students.

Tonight I'm grateful for prayer!

Go to this website http://www.txcandobetter.org to sign a petition for the state to not take a "cuts only" approach to budget cuts.

Day 37...Grateful for Maintenance Requests...

Well...kind of...
I put in two maintenance requests online today. One for a set of outlets that don't have any "juice". The other for the light in my ceiling fan in my bedroom. The globe was a little tough to get down, so I thought I'd see if they would change it.

I got home today and found this on the bar...

Thank you Pedro for fixing my apartment...

Well...I ate dinner went to volleyball practice...and came home. I walked in my room and flipped on the light...and nothing.

I decided to figure out how to get the globe off of the fan and change the bulb myself. However...when I took the globe off, here is what I found.

Part of the bulb stuck in the fan...

The rest of it is in the globe...

So...thank you Pedro...I now expect you to come back again tomorrow! :)
Today...although it was up and down on grateful and not...I am once again grateful for maintenance requests. Ha!!

Day 36...Grateful to be Appreciated...

Not that I feel un-appreciated...it's just been a tough week (or 2 days) at work. Because of budget cuts around the state and cuts in education, the talk of "numbers" and "classes" and "what-ifs" has become pretty consuming. This morning was the toughest...and it didn't get better as the day went on.

As of right now (which no one really knows anything) I don't have enough students registered for my classes to fill 5 class periods. So then I worry...which is a sin...which I know won't help anything...but I feel like it has just been thrown in my face all week.

However, after school today, I headed over to the Plano Senior High JV soccer game. I have three students that play on the team...and tonight was Teacher Appreciation Night. The way the Senior High runs it, each player writes down the name of one of their teachers, and that teacher gets an invitation to the game. I didn't get an invitation (neither did two of the other teachers that were there...oh...and there were only four of us...so only one was "invited"). However, when I walked in, they had me sign the paper saying I was a teacher, they gave me a little goodie bag...and then put my name in a raffle drawing for a t-shirt. I think because there were only 4 of us there, we each "won" the raffle. :)

Here are the gifts that we got at the game.

A t-shirt, water bottle, Chick-fil-A gift coupon, clappers, chocolate bar, and free soda and popcorn. LOVE IT!!!

So tonight...I'm grateful to be appreciated. :)

Day 35...Grateful for Relaxing Evenings....

It feels like I didn't really have a weekend...and all the sudden Monday was here again! So tonight, all I had planned was to go walking with a friend. After I ran a quick errand I got back in my car and my friend told me she had to cancel. Therefore...no plans tonight.
Granted I'll fill the night with "productivity"...but it's still relaxing.
I'm grateful for a relaxing evening...

Day 34...Grateful for Kyley...

Tonight we celebrated Kyley's birthday. Her birthday is actually in a week but she will be out of town on her birthday. Kyley is a great friend...one that I don't see as often as I would like...but always enjoy the chances that I do have. She works in the same curriculum area as I do in Plano so it makes our inservice days a little more enjoyable.

Happy Birthday Kyley! I'm thankful for you and your friendship!

Day 33...Grateful for the Stirring in My Heart...

So today we had a club volleyball tournament and our pool started play at 2:30. I slept in a little bit but also had a very productive morning. I got to the tournament site right on time...and hoped that we would finish on time so I could make it to church tonight. We didn't.

I also had kind of hoped that we would get third in our pool so that we didn't play early Sunday morning and I could go to church and then come to the rest of the tournament. We didn't.

So, while we were working the last game in the pool play before we left, I caught myself rationalizing missing church. Here is what I came up with...

~I go to a three hour class at church each a week
~I gave so much time and energy and heart to my Bible Fellowship Class for so many years that I deserve a break
~It's okay. The Lord knows that I love Him.

And then it all made me sad. We are called to corporate worship. We are called to make the Sabbath day holy. We are called to give Him all of our heart and soul and mind...NOT  our rationalizations!

And then I was sad.

As I was driving home the stirring inside reminded me of all the above. It's not about me and what I want and what I have done and what I can do for God. It's about Him. All about Him.

I don't think the Lord is saying don't serve where I have placed you (which I definitely feel a ministry in this little club team)...but I KNOW He is reminding me to change my heart attitude toward worshiping Him.

Day 32...Grateful for Kate's Protection...

Today my friend's little 2 year old, Kate, had eye surgery. Janet (Kate's mom) and I were roommates when we first moved to the metroplex...and lived together until she got married. Now...she has Kate (2 yrs) and Brynlee (couple months) and Bailey (the Golden Retriever).

I don't get to see them very much...which we are going to try to change.
But today I went by to see Janet and Kate...and share with Kate the goodness that is the Cadbury Easter Egg (my FAVORITE) candy in the spring. :) She loved it!

Thank you God for protecting little Kate today!

Day 31...Grateful for Open House...

Spring Open House at Vines High School is very low key. Tonight however...it was even lower. I talked to a total of 2 parents of current students and a parent of a future volleyball player. Otherwise I just stood in the hall and visited.

Usually I wouldn't be grateful for having to be at work late...however...I don't just get to stand out in the hall and talk to fellow co-workers and not have to worry about the upcoming class...the one that will be waiting for me in my room after 5 minutes.

Here is my classroom...
Empty...just like tonight for Open House...

I think my room is pretty inviting and exciting....

Who wouldn't want to come hang out with me in here?? Right??? :)

Day 30...Grateful for Take-Out..

I really have been cooking a lot more...which means many meals are left-overs. Which is fine...it just gets old sometimes. This week I didn't really get enough groceries for the week and I didn't have anything for dinner...therefore...today I'm grateful for take-out. Thanks Chick-fil-A!

Yum!

Day 29...Grateful to be a Bathroom Monitor...

Actually I was a "hall monitor" but "bathroom monitor" sounds funnier. Our entire school (and I think every school in Texas) was giving the TAKS test today. Because I have a computer classroom, I can't administer the test in my classroom. Therefore...I am stationed in a hallway where I can see the next person down the hall...so we can watch the kids walk to the bathroom and then back. That's the first part of the "bathroom monitor" role...secondly...when a teacher in one of our assigned rooms needs to go to the bathroom, I step in their room and monitor the kids until they get back.  Therefore...I assume the role of "bathroom monitor"!

Today...my role was a lot more than just that. I had to read directions to two different students because they came to school late. Then... a student decided to just sleep...so I had to go get our counselor to try to convince him to stay awake and take his test. Then... I stepped into all 5 classrooms one at a time to give the bathroom breaks. Then... the sleeper student decides he isn't going to take the test at all. Another walk to the office. Then... I catch a student texting while his teacher was out and he refused to give me his phone...so I had to walk to get an administrator. Then...the student told the administrator a different story so I got to go back down to the office to clear up the story. Then...I give the 5 teachers another break each. Then...we had one student not finished by lunch time so I got to walk her down to the counselors office.

Aaahhh...what I would've given to get to sit and watch kids walk back and forth from the bathroom. :-) The grass is always greener...

Where I thought I would be sitting most of the morning...however, my chair looked about like this the whole time...empty!

A new month...a new blog design...guess there will be twelve of these coming... :)