unity

the quality or state of not being multiple : oneness ~Merriam Webster's Dictionary

"Can we forget about all the details and strive for unity?..."


"In its truth we ere shall stand" - The Reformation Glory, Church of God Hymnal

Thank God, for Holy Ghost pastors. Unity has been restored.

lead me...

"If God is all knowing and loving, I am where He needs me to be right now. If He could get me to where I need to be another way He would have." ~Unknown Author

Exodus 13:17-18
And it came to pass, when Pharoah had let the people go, that God led them not through the way of the land of the Philistines, although that was near; for God said, Lest peradventure the people repent when they see war, and they return to Egypt: But God led the people about through the way of the wilderness of the Red sea: and the children of Isreal went up harnessed out of the land of Egypt.

WHAT????!!!!

this speaks for itself.

"Cops: 3rd Graders Plotted Attack on Teacher"

yes, i teach 3rd grade. may God bless our society.

too blessed to be stressed....

another poem...what can i say? april is poetry month, though. :)

help me to really internalize this.

"I'm too blessed to be stressed and too anointed to be disappointed.
I refuse to be discouraged, to be sad or to cry.
I refuse to be down hearted and here's the reason why:
I have a God who is almighty; who is sovereign and supreme.
I have a God who loves me -- and I am on His team.
He is all wise and powerful; Jesus is His name.
Though everything else is changeable, My God remains the same.
I refuse to be beaten or defeated.
My eyes are on my God.
He has promised to be with me, as through this life I trod.
I am looking past my circumstances, to heaven's throne above.
My prayers have reached the heart of God and I am resting in His love.
I give thanks to Him in everything.
My eyes are on His face.
The battle is His; the victory is mine; He will help me win the race.
I repeat!
I'm too blessed to be stressed!"
(Author unknown)

the promise

we have a monthly bulletin at church. just a little something to keep everybody on track as to what's happening during the month. the publishers have started putting in little short articles for encouragement. this poem was a real blessing to me one night. as i read it i thought of different scriptures to go with each line and thought i'd share the whole bit.

"The Promise"

I know the skies look gray,
the way may look unsure;
but Jesus has each step ordained,
your future is secure.
Sometimes the greatest trials in life
become the sweetest blessings;
if we can only keep our faith,
as we endure the testing.
For in His way and in His time
He works things for our good;
why can we always stand on this?
...Just because He said He would.

---Author Unknown----

Now with the scriptures...

I know the skies look gray,
the way may look unsure;

(Beloved,think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you -- 1 Peter 4:12)

but Jesus has each step ordained,
your future is secure.

(For I know the thoughts that I think toward you...thoughts of peace and not of evil -- Jer. 29:11)

Sometimes the greatest trials in life
become the sweetest blessings;

(For ye have need of patience that, after ye have done the will of God you might receive the promise -- Heb. 10:36)

if we can only keep our faith,

(Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering;(for he is faithful that promised) -- Heb. 10:23)

as we endure the testing.

For in His way and in His time

(He hath made everything beautiful in His time. --Ecc. 3:11)

He works things for our good;

(For we know that all things work together for our good. -- Romans 8:28)

why can we always stand on this?
...Just because He said He would.

(The immutability of his counsel, confirmed it by an oath: that by two immutable things things in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation. --Heb.6:13-19)

Let me know if you come up with any other scriptures.

HBB to me...

Happy Belated Birthday to Me!

Here are a few pics from my birthday weekend. I celebrated with my class at school. some of the kids brought me presents. I brought pizza and cupcakes as my birthday treat to them. Here are a few pics of the celebration at school.





Later that weekend, I went out with the girls to Chili's (one of my fav restaurants). we had a nice lively discussion about politics and the economy. lively in that we are all pretty much on the same page and love to discuss the "problems of the world." i love that we can talk about these things. we're not talking about who dumped who and what some man did to us. i feel so sophisticated when im with these gals. saved, sanctified, intelligent women, they are! and that was about it. Pretty nice. luv.

a more perfect union....

a sister just sent me a copy of a moving and powerful speech. a speech that no matter what political party you prefer will move you to think about the unity of American people. it explains those "whys" that we so often struggle to explain to others. all the while wishing that they'd just get it. the "becauses" we begin, but lay to the side out of frustration or simply to keep the peace. it gives reason to the other side we've neglected to consider. it gives reason to the other side that even I have neglected to consider. it requires one to look at America. it requires one to LOOK at America. in all my life i have never read a speech that embodies the struggles of every American. it transcends race, class, and gender. it is beyond race, class, and gender. it doesn't matter who you vote for. it's no ones job to tell you. but to SEE America. to SEE America. that's where true change begins.

"A More Perfect Union" -Barack Obama 2008

controlling our emotions...

i read this today and it was encouraging. enjoy.

Excerpt from "Feeling Emotional" by Rachel Olsen, Encouragment for Today Daily Devotional

"Don't let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in me." John 14:1 (NLT)
Isaiah 26:3, "You will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast, because he trusts in you." (NIV)

The problem isn't my emotions, it's my reaction to them. The trouble comes when I give them free reign in my heart and mind. That's when I become unstable. That's when I lose sight of God. That's when I say or do things I regret.

Jesus spoke today's verse to his disciples, knowing what their futures would hold. He knew His death was coming and it would trigger fear, sorrow and doubt in their hearts. Not wanting them to wallow in those emotions, He counseled them ahead of time to keep their focus on God and all that He'd been teaching them.

Jesus, knowing what our day holds, speaks the same words to us. He tells us to not let our emotions fly about today, creating an unstable and troubled heart. Instead, our trustworthy Lord tells us to focus our attention on Him.

I made the decision this morning to pray and place my trust in God, despite how my day was shaping up and despite how volatile my emotions felt. He calmed my anxious heart, and my son seems to be feeling better as well. It feels good to trade in my troubled emotions for a source of strength that will get me through my day. And that's one feeling I think Jesus would love for me to wallow in.

Dear Lord, I want to be ruled by Your Spirit, not by my emotions. Help me to focus on You today and not my troubles. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

Start your day by praying for God to give you the mind of Christ and emotions that are submitted to Him.

On days when you get off track, like I did today, resolve to shorten the amount of time between the emotional trigger and the moment when you release your feelings and the situation into God's care.

just because...

so, today didn't start out so well. i woke up not feeling the best. not to mention i didnt sleep well last night b/c i was thinking too hard before i went to asleep about how some things were going to work out. it didnt help, that the weather forecast was calling for MORE snow for the never-ending winter we're already having. (it's the worst we've had in a while...did i mention that some suburbs are out of salt for the streets?..yeah, that's how bad it is.) but with all that, i attempted to focus, pray, keep my eyes on god and go on with my day.

well, it didnt seem to work like that. i could feel that i was tense on my morning drive in, and when i got to work i was completely unmotivated to start the day. more prayer. i knew what was wrong. i was focused on an issue that really doesn't need to be figured out TODAY or anyday at that. but it's an issue that concerns me from time to time. and today was definitely one of those days. i dont really know when or what i was doing. but i finally stopped and realized that i just needed to let this thing go. let it go as in stop trying to figure it out. we've been over this before. so, more prayer. i started quoting the scriptures in eph. 6 about the weapons of our warfare. i remembered joshua and his battles. and i felt better. because who am i to try to figure out god? and going through the day stressed definitely isn't going to change things. i stopped. i started breathing again. and i ended up having a pretty good day. (probably wouldve been better if i wasnt sick w/ a cold). then to top it off (probably about an hour after i let it all go), the mother of one of my students dropped off a plant for me. no reason. just because. thanks, God. :)

in other news im looking forward to this weekend. it's another girl's night out...this time we're headed to the city to see a play. i'll try and post pics.

joshua

i've been meditating and studying joshua for the past few weeks. i shared some of these thoughts with the YP2 (our youth choir at church). but this morning it came back to me even stronger. the 24th chapter of joshua begins by summing up the plight of the children of isreal. it talks about how they dwelt in the wilderness for a "long season." (v.7)because of their disobedience. Verses 8-11 sum up the victories that joshua and the children of isreal had in battling to gain the promised land of canaan. if you read the whole book of joshua you see how they rarely (if ever)had a break from their battles. they truly went from strength to strength in fighting. but they were victorious each time. each time god told them exactly how to win a particular battle. i was thinking about how we have pressures of life. things we have before god and as soon as one thing gets solved we may go on to the next. isn't this the same as what joshua had to do to reach and possess his promised land? anyhoo, that was encouraging to me. all of this isnt for nought. its buidling me up in the things of god, teaching me natural lessons i'll need for later on, and helping me to possess the promised land.

a special prayer

my prayers are with the students, facutly, and family members of Northern Illinois University here in the area. Too close to home, to be sure. What's funny is that just this past Monday we had a staff mtg. where our local police department came in to talk to us about what steps to take during a crisis. there's really nothing you can do. it's so sad what this world has come too. i have to say that i don't really talk to my students about it. i can't promise them that it'll never happen or tell them that we're perfectly safe. i can't plan what i'll do if that were to happen. no. i can plan. i would pray and ask for God's protection over me and my students. it's comforting to know that our state has made a positive step in now mandating a moment of silence each morning when the day starts. yes, i stop and pray. not aloud. but i know that each of my students will atest to the fact that ms._ closes her eyes and bows her head. i've instructed them to stop whatever their doing and honor that moment of silence. while, usually my prayers focus on seeking god's direction, leadership, grace, love, and patience....i must include that he also protect and watch over each us each day as well.

yes we can!

people...people. ALL people. a sister sent this to me and im almost in tears. we want change. we need to refocus on america. on people....people. America. that's what this video and this campaign is all about. we, America, want change. "there's never been anything FALSE about hope!- I want change."




(NOTE: I definitely love all people and understand obama's platform. it's unfortunate that my previous comments were misconstrued (by anonymous). i have edited it for the sake of peace. i do love all people (you cannot imagine how much), and while i don't usually respond to anonymous posts...i felt it necessary to do so this once.)

11 minutes...

today after school, i was standing in the hallway chatting w/ some fellow teachers. one of them informed me that while watching the news she'd heard that for the month of january we (the chicagoland area) had had a grand total of 11 minutes of sunshine the entire month. 11 minutes. at first i was shocked. but then i turned and looked at her, and was like, "i believe that." looking back, i remember 1 day where it was sunny for awhile. i remember b/c i was trying to hurry up and get a car wash before it started snowing again. so, yeah. anyway, it's feb. and winter doesnt appear to be letting up anytime soon. writing this reminds me of a post jenny did on snow last year. I'll relink to it, so that you can read it. im just thankful that even though the days have been snowy, cold, and altogether dreary. i've been ok. and that is a blessing. hopefully, feb. will have more minutes of sunshine (although so far we havent). but, what can you do???? ;)

BLACK HISTORY MONTH


in other news, in honor of black history month i've been reading my class stories about great black americans and also showing biographical movies of these american hereos. i must say that i dont teach at a very diverse school. (although, i love my students and my co-workers). but, i was touched by my students. last week we watched a movie about rosa parks...after the movie they all started clapping. 3rd graders!!! they got it. and today after harriet tubman. they started clapping again when we finished. the questions, the comments,...i couldnt get them to stop discussing it. 3rd graders!!!! i was touched. truly.

i just hope that what i teach them, how i carry myself, and the lives of the great african americans that we've learn about will encourage them to embrace all people. not with flowery words of love, but through their actions, their friendships, and their integrity. let the world see that everyday you love all people.

i still believe....

this has been one of my favorite songs for the past few months....written and performed by Jeremy Camp. He wrote the song after the death of his first wife. She died of ovarian cancer at the age of 21. He also wrote the song "Walk by Faith" (which is awesome, as well.) "Walk by Faith" was written on their honeymoon.

Happy Birthday, Trese!

Happy Birthday, LaTrese (i don't think I've ever called you that!)





For more pictures click here!
Trese's Birthday
More Weekend Getaway Pics

weekend away pics....

Here are a few pics from our weekend away. We had an awesome time. Honestly, once we got there we never left until it was time to go. We had great dreams of sledding and even cross-country skiing...but then everyone was just like let's just hang. So, that's what we did: we ate, we played RISK (thanks mares!), Bible Trivia, Uno, watched old fellowship meeting videos, read books, cooked, talked, and much more...Enjoy.

Before our game of Risk



Good food...


Group picture!


Me & Whavet


The rest of the pics will be on Facebook...luv.

hmmm....and a lil' girl time!

isn't it amazing how you can go for weeks and weeks...reading and praying...and God just keeps confirming..reaffirming...and giving you little tidbits of new things that build on the old? at the beginning of this year (new year's eve) God talked to me about "sanctifying myself" (from Joshua 5). he stopped and had me look back on 2007 which was pretty rough for me...and made me think about how i'd dealt with my hardships and the messy, unpredictables of life. then he quietly started talking about how all of those things were just a "training ground" for "wonders he would do tomorrow." now, several people had told me that (including my pastor) all throughout 2007. but, sometimes it takes God for things to really internalize in a person. anyway, i said all that to say that after new year's eve night. i felt like my eyes had been opened. "And though the Lord give you the bread of adversity, and the water of affliction, yet shall not thy teachers be removed into a corner any more, but thine eyes shall see thy teachers." (Isa. 30:20). i get it now. i'm still fighting to keep it. i've been studying joshua. after they crossed jordan into the promise land, they constantly had to battle the "ites" to take full control and fully enjoy the land. so, that's where i am now. but i feel stronger (as the song says) about facing things now. so, yeah. that's about it. keep me in your prayers.

on a lighter note, im excited about this weekend...a couple of us gals are headed on a little getaway. we're going to one of the saint's timeshare. we are planning to do absolutely nothing but enjoy each other. i really got excited when i heard that one of our new converts was coming. she keeps to herself alot. i always try to smile and say hi when i pass by. but that was about it. one day she spoke to me and it totally made my whole morning. i was like, "SHE KNOWS MY NAME!!!" so, now i make a point of speaking to her all the time. i know that sounds awful...don't you know everyone in the church? yeah, i do. but, unfortunately running around with all the choirs and playing the piano fulltime i don't have a lot of time to just sit and enjoy everyone (im doing better, though). if it's not the choir, it's something for the youth. not to mention trying to talk to pastor. (and im still working on getting over my shyness.) so, yeah. im working on it. hopefully this weekend we can do that. i'll try and take pics and post them. luv!

MLK - A Day of Remembrance

A Photo Essay

My sister emailed me this link yesterday. It's a photo essay of Martin Luther King's life and of the Civil Rights Movement by TIME magazine. Words cannot express the depth of gratitude I have for all of those who suffered and/or died so that I could be free in this natural world. I will always give glory to God first for my spiritual freedom. However, my natural freedom is attributed to these courageous people. Looking at this photo essay, I felt tears in my eyes thinking of what others suffered so that I may enjoy being an American. Each day I walk into my classroom, it is my goal to instill in my students the principals of love and working hard in order to honor those who've allowed us to have this opportunity. Take a moment and look at this essay."When we know our History, we know our greatness." luv.

Click Here: A Photo Essay

idealist vs. thankfulist

i just read this wonderful article about being thankful. basfsogp posted it on her website, so i thought i'd share.

Gratitude - Thank you to our Troops.

I am by no means a supporter of war. Nor do I debate with others as to why I'm not.

On the other hand, I DO APPRECIATE those who volunteer to serve and protect our country. I am grateful to those who fought for my own freedom as a Black American and as an American. I only wish that there were other means to reach the same goals. This link takes you to a very touching and moving production of how to show thanks to our troops. Enjoy and next time you see someone, say Thanks!

http://www.gratitudecampaign.org/fullmovie.php