I woke up today tired with a capital T! Teaching English to incoming Freshmen for seven hours a day, most of whom failed 8th grade English, is draining. Our boys are off at Grandma and Grandpa’s this week being spoiled rotten and loving every minute of it, and I have been enjoying their absence probably more than I should. Chris and I have been working on packing up the house and I’ve been trying to get through a couple of scrapbook pages each evening for my four year old’s baby book. I figure it will make a good high school graduation gift!! My youngest might get his before he finishes college! 🙂

Anyway, I was tired, and cranky, and dreading trying to instruct my students in citation of sources… (Mees! I don’t get it!) Aaargh!! I stopped for some coffee and spent some time perusing some of my favorite blogs and found three that were very inspiring. Check out Bethany at beyondthismoment.blogspot.com. She wrote an extremely moving post on the Native American sweat lodge ceremony of healing and drawing closer to God that helped to wake me up a bit and give me something “higher” to ponder.

Also, check out GodsyGirl at godsygirl.com. Not only does she offer inspiring blog posts, she also has an audio feature you can listen to with wonderful words of wisdom and encouragement.

Finally, if you just need a laugh to start your day head on over to The Domestic Fringe. She has a wonderful quote on friendship from Ralph Waldo Emerson that will get your brain going and you can scroll down to previous entries for some good belly laughs. I love starting my day with FringeGirl!!

Blessings and Peace–the Weekend’s Coming Soon!!
Sara

Last fall, we had the bright idea to get a new puppy. It was a moment of weakness, I must admit. The puppy was from a rescue organization and we were taking the boys on a stroll through a park where the rescue organization was set up for the day. Gibby, our puppy, was only a few months old at the time. One of the rescue workers gave him to our youngest to hold (total sucker ploy!) who immediately cuddled up with the puppy, which we were told was very “docile”. Whatever!! Several months later our Gibby has grown up big and strong. He’s part Black Lab and part Pit, so he chews everything, jumps on everyone, and causes mayhem among our other three animals when he’s in the house. Therefore, Gibby is primarily an outside dog.

Unfortunately, we don’t have a fenced in backyard, so Gibby is tied to a lead out front. The problem with this is that there are also three rosebushes, two (now one) small trees and a couple of big shrubs that also dwell in the front yard. Gibby is not what anyone would call a “smart dog”. Without fail, shortly after he goes outside he’s tangled up around a tree (note that we only have one now), a rose bush, or a shrub. And I’m not just talking wrapped around once or twice, I mean several layers of lead wrapped in different directions around two or more elements of landscaping. It’s infuriating to spend twenty minutes untangling that mess, dodging thorns, poop and brambles, only to have him wrapped up again ten minutes later!

My general response to finding Gibby tangled up in a mess of his own making is this:

“Aargh! You stupid dog!! Why did you do that? I am NOT untangling you again! Maybe now you’ll learn not to get yourself into this mess, Dumb (fill in the blank) Dog!!”

When I came home from church Sunday to find him tangled up, yet again, I wondered if this is what we look like to God. How many messes have you made for yourself in the past year chasing something you thought you needed? How many times have you been tangled up in something and called to God, “Please help! I’m stuck!!” Like my dumb dog, we never learn to stop running in circles.

Luckily, as always, God’s response is so much better than mine. I don’t think God ever calls us stupid or dumb. I don’t think he says, “I told you so!” or leaves us straining to break free from the web we’ve stuck ourselves in. No, I think God patiently and gently comes to us each time, slowly leading us back around the thorny bushes, brambles, poop and trees that have caused us to become trapped. He puts us back where we need to be, each and every time. Each and Every Time!!! There is no place we’ve gone that God can’t lead us back from. There is no knot too strong and tight for him to unloose.

Jeremiah 5:22- “I made the sand a boundary for the sea, an everlasting barrier it cannot cross. The waves may roll, but they cannot prevail.”

Psalm 46:1- The Lord is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.

Blessings and Peace,
Sara

A few weeks ago, some church members who own a small plane invited Chris and I to go flying with them after church. I had not flown on a plane this small in my entire life, so I was a bit intimidated. We have a will which designates custody of our children to my sister, but she is 8 months pregnant at the moment and I can’t imagine would relish the thought of having two toddlers in the midst of that!! Regardless, I went on the trip anyway and it was a lovely experience.

The thought occurred to me that you really don’t know a land until you’ve flown over it. For instance, I didn’t realize how close the three towns we live around and in really are–how they come together to form a triangle of sorts. I didn’t realize how the farmers’ fields flow with the land and the cattle graze up one hill and down another. I didn’t realize how beautiful the vast expanses of farmland all around us are, the contrast of the rich dark brown soil and the verdant green of the hillsides. Ireland eat your heart out! Surely, I thought, there can be no more beautiful place in the world! (Except, of course, Italy, France, Greece, Scotland, Germany, Austria, Australia, Hawaii, Japan, Kenya, Peru….I just want to make sure my husband doesn’t think we don’t need to travel in the future! 🙂 )

The point is, you can’t see the whole from where you’re standing. You only get that view from above. And, the only one who has that view of our lives is, of course, our Creator, Redeemer, Sustainer, Almighty, Loving, Merciful, Glorious, Above All, Who Was, Who Is, Who Is Yet To Come, God.

I’ve been wrestling with God a lot lately about the future. We move in two and a half weeks and I still have not found a teaching job. I’ve been offered an adjunct position to teach a class at a local community college, but I’m not sure the money is going to be worth it. And, I could substitute teach, but there are no insurance benefits from that. I know, I know, that God already has this worked out. But I can’t see the view from above. I guess I just have to trust that’s it’s beautiful.

Blessings and Peace,
Sara

My baby boy is turning two today. Please tell me how this is possible!! Time shouldn’t go so fast! Stephen woke up this morning for an early celebration around 4:30. I got him back to bed right before my alarm went off. 🙂 I used Grandma Mikki’s brown sugar cookie recipe to make him a giant cookie cake to take to the babysitters. We’ll get to do the whole thing over again next Wednesday for my oldest who will turn four. Crazy times! It doesn’t make sense to me that I can be excited about my oldest getting older while being sad that my youngest is getting older as well. Oh well, such is motherhood!

Blessings and Peace for a Joyous Weekend!
Sara

Just could not resist!! Is this kid a goober or what?!

Blessings,
Sara

So, today is the official last day of school before summer. Obviously, I have mixed feelings. I love summer break, so I’m excited for that, but this is also my last day with some of my students and fellow teachers here, so I’m also feeling a bit sad. I will be teaching summer school here (it’s only 18 days) which is a huge blessing because I haven’t found a job yet in our new hometown. So, God’s given me a bit of breathing room, which is really all you need. I feel confident that God has something in mind for me in our new place, I just don’t know yet what that is.

I heard a great quote from singer David Crowder this morning about life which really spoke to my heart. He said that he’s learned from all of life’s unexpected twists and turns that the only thing he can say is, “God, give me the light to see the path ahead of me and the courage to take the next step.”

I feel like I am living that prayer right now. So, today is good, and a little sad, but God is faithful always.

Blessings and Peace,
Sara

When you live with two toddlers, running around in circles is an everyday occurrence. Take this morning, for instance. It was time to go, so I told Garrett to come on. And again, and again, and AGAIN! As he was walking out the door he suddenly told me he was wet and needed a new Pull-Up. Ten minutes later the Pull-Up was changed and we were right back where we started; me telling Garrett to come on again. And again, and again and AGAIN!!

Lately, I’ve noticed that not only are we running in circles, we’ve started talking in circles, too. Take this conversation on the drive home yesterday:

Garrett: “Did Alex try to kill the lady?”
Me: “What?!”
Garrett: “Did Alex try to kill the lady?”
Me: “What?!”
Garrett: “Alex, in Madagascar. Did he try to kill the lady?”
Me: “No, he didn’t try to kill her. She was fighting with him.”
Garrett: “Was Alex mean to her?”
Me: “Not really. She was being mean to him and he was trying to stop her.”
Garrett: “Why was she being mean to him? Did she not like him?”
Me: “No.”
Garrett: “Why did she not like him?”
Me: “She didn’t like cats.”
Garrett: “What?”
Me: “She didn’t like lions.”
Garrett: “She didn’t like lions?”
Me: “No.”
Garrett: “Why did she not like lions?”
Me: “Garrett, I don’t know! She just didn’t like them.”
Garrett: “So, she was being mean to him.”
Me: “Yes, she was being mean to him.”
Garrett: “Who?”
Me: “What!?”
Garrett: “Who was being mean to him?”
Me: “The lady was being mean to him!”
Garrett: “The lady was being mean to who?”
Me: “GARRETT!!”
Garrett: “Are you done?”
Me: “Yes, I’m done!”

Truly, I couldn’t make this stuff up. It’s a good thing we don’t really keep liquor in the house. I might end up on the next episode of Dr. Phil!!

Blessings and Peace,
Sara

When Spring arrives, so do our family’s seasonal allergy. All four of us are taking some form of Zyrtec to get through the season. My almost two-year old takes this medicine taking very seriously. He actually threw a 45 minute fit earlier this week because I wouldn’t give him a second dose of his generic Zyrtec! This taking of the medicine, or “meh-cin” as he refers to it, has taken on a very reverential air.

He stands very quietly beside me while I carefully pour 1/2 teaspoon of the liquid into the little plastic dosage cup. He then reaches up with both hands and carefully takes the cup from my hands, his big brown eyes solemn and round. He brings the cup down to his lips and bows his head. Softly, he whispers “meh-cin” to the cup and, with both hands, slowly raises the cup to his lips and drinks.

He then sticks his tongue into the cup and tries to lick up any remaining drops! 🙂

I have no idea where this communion-like allergy medicine consumption comes from. It reminds me of when my sister and I used to pretend to take the Lord’s Supper using Smarties candy. Wherever he got it from, it cracks me up!! Although, I’m hoping this is not something he carries with him for the rest of his life. 🙂

Blessings and Peace,
Sara

Wow! I didn’t think a one hundredth post would be a big deal, but I have to say, it’s pretty cool seeing triple digits up there! It only took me three years to reach 100. I’m on a role!!

I thought for my hundredth post I would write a little bit about transitions. It seemed appropriate, given that we seem to be in the midst of many. This week is the last week of school for our seniors, and it’s interesting to see how reluctant they are to leave, now that the time to go has finally arrived. At the beginning of the year, it was all they could talk about. Now, I’ve had several say to me they don’t feel ready anymore to go. One of my senior girls came in to my third hour already crying. “It’s so hard!” she told me. “Yes,” I replied. “It is. It’s hard now. It’s hard at college. It’s hard when you get married. It’s hard when you move.” Transitions are just hard. There are so many emotions involved. On the one hand, there’s the excitement around the adventure to come. For high school seniors, the whole world is spread out before them. They get to move out on their own, eat what they want, when they want, stay up or out as long as they want, travel where they want, etc… For those going to college, they get to put their foot into the “real world”, but still have the safety net of a school and studies.

Yet, in every transition, the possibility of what is to come is tempered by the reality loss. Namely, saying goodbye. Each transition carries with it both a hello and goodbye. It’s in the makeup of the word. And, for most of us, saying goodbye is difficult. As human beings, we are made to be in relationship with others. It is that essence of God within us, I think, that makes us seek out others with whom we can share our lives. And even though no goodbye is ever final, it often feels like it in the moment. Goodbye indicates change, and most of us do not respond well to change. Change feeds insecurity within us so that when it comes, as my seniors are demonstrating, we want to push it away, even if it’s something we’ve looked forward to for a long time.

However, I would argue it is in our times of transition that we learn to trust most in God. When we have to say goodbye, when we have to leave the certain and known, when everything around us changes, God remains the same. He is our stability and security when we enter into a new place in our lives. One of my favorite verses in the Bible has always been Deuteronomy 31:6–

“Be strong and courageous. Do not fear! The Lord your God goes with you. He will never leave nor forsake you.”

Blessings and Peace in All of your Transitions!
Sara

I like to listen to K-Love on my way to and from work, and Mondays on K-Love are always “Make a Difference Monday.” This morning, one of the dj’s offered up a challenge to pray this morning for God to use you to make a difference in someone else’s life without spending a dime.

Having no money, I thought this was a great idea, so I decided to put God up to the challenge. Can you use me to make a difference in the life of someone else without spending money?

So far, not so great. I told my Seniors this morning to shut up and stop being jerks, and I’ve virtually ignored my Juniors trying to get my Senior gift bags organized for our English IV “celebration” on Wednesday (we don’t do parties) which probably mean a lot more to me than they will to them seeing as how they consist of heart stickers, Hershey’s Hugs, a band-aid, kleenex and life-saver and which they’ll probably toss in the trash on their way out the room.

However, the day is still young and God is capable of much more than most of us ever give him credit for, so I’m still looking to make a difference. How about you?

Blessings and Peace,
Sara