God's Mercies in Disguise

Today was a glorious day in Texas! I love the weather here in the Spring...before we get clobbered by the heat and humidity!

I greeted the day by reading the somber news about Dave Wilkerson. He was killed in a car accident on Wednesday afternoon. For those of you who have never heard of him, he is probably best known for a book he wrote entitled The Cross and the Switchblade. It is his story of working with gangs and drug addicts in the inner-city of New York City.

He also wrote a blog. I went to his blog today and was moved by his last entry...

To those going through the valley and shadow of death, hear this word: Weeping will last through some dark, awful nights—and in that darkness you will soon hear the Father whisper, “I am with you. I cannot tell you why right now, but one day it will all make sense. You will see it was all part of my plan. It was no accident. It was no failure on your part. Hold fast. Let me embrace you in your hour of pain.”

Beloved, God has never failed to act but in goodness and love. When all means fail—his love prevails. Hold fast to your faith. Stand fast in his Word. There is no other hope in this world.

I was also moved by the destruction and devastation of the severe weather in the South East. Tornadoes ripped through many Southern towns and hundreds are homeless tonight. It brings me right back to many of the emotions I felt after we lost our home. I hope many of you will join me in praying for these people. I'm so thankful that I know the God Who gives hope inspite of devastation and brings renewal and healing despite the circumstances of this life. Dave Wilkerson's words seem from his blog are so very appropriate for all that suffer and hurt...especially those suffering right now as a result of the tornadoes.

Recently I have heard a song played on the radio and the words have captured my heart. This song seems especially appropriate to me tonight as I ponder all the sadness that these last two days have brought to so many. This song is sung by Laura Story and if you have never heard it, I hope you will take time to listen to this You Tube version and if you are someone hurting, I pray the words bring you comfort and peace.



We pray for blessings, we pray for peace
Comfort for family, protection while we sleep
We pray for healing, for prosperity
We pray for Your mighty hand to ease our suffering

All the while You hear each spoken need
Yet love us way too much to give us lesser things

'Cause what if Your blessings come through raindrops
What if Your healing comes through tears?
What if a thousand sleepless nights
Are what it takes to know You're near?

What if trials of this life
Are Your mercies in disguise?

We pray for wisdom, Your voice to hear
We cry in anger when we cannot feel You near
We doubt Your goodness, we doubt Your love
As if every promise from Your Word is not enough

And all the while You hear each desperate plea
And long that we'd have faith to believe

'Cause what if Your blessings come through raindrops
What if Your healing comes through tears?
And what if a thousand sleepless nights
Are what it takes to know You're near?

And what if trials of this life
Are Your mercies in disguise?


'Cause what if Your blessings come through raindrops
What if Your healing comes through tears?
And what if a thousand sleepless nights
Are what it takes to know You're near?

What if my greatest disappointments
Or the aching of this life
Is the revealing of a greater thirst
This world can't satisfy?

And what if trials of this life
The rain, the storms, the hardest nights
Are Your mercies in disguise?

Lessons From Good Friday Still Sound Good on Tuesday

I remember in 2008 the feeling I had when I began this blog...so many doubts that I had to overcome. So many questions. What in the world will I write about? What if my writing stinks? What will people think when they see all of my grammatical errors? I vividly recall the feeling of just plugging my nose and diving in...diving in to this unknown world of blogging.

I took some time out of the pond that I jumped into, and todayas I stand here, holding my breath, ready to leap back in, I feel riddled by those same questions. Once again, I find myself needing to just take the plunge! So, here I go......

These past weeks have been very busy. I don't spend much time on the computer or on Facebook. I eat, work, sleep and try my best to keep things "together" for David and me. Needless to say, we miss Bill tremendously.

Since my last I've had many new adventures. My precious student, Kholoud, had a baby boy! Her husband called to tell me that she wanted to talk to me on the phone. Talking on the phone is very difficult for my ESL students. Kholoud managed three words, "I miss you!"

I have another new student from Saudi Arabia. Her name is Norah. She is 19 and a newly-wed. She doesn't want grammar lessons; she only wants English conversations. She's a lot of fun and I am always amazed that we can fill up a two hour lesson by just talking! She wants me to show her different places in Houston. How fun is THAT??!! Last week I introduced her to TJ Maxx! In public she is covered head to toe, but underneath her "protective gear" she is very stylish. She has a beautiful laugh and I'm enjoying my time with her immensely. She just completed her studies to get an American driver's license. In her homeland women are not allowed to drive, so she is thrilled with her new-found freedom!

This year, our Easter season hit me in a very profound way. From Maundy Thursday to Ressurrection Sunday, I found myself so close to my Saviour's side. He taught me so many things and opened up my heart and eyes to receive new lessons about the depth of His love. Never have I been so in awe of His atonement for my sins.

For some reason, I was mesmerized by these three words Jesus spoke on the cross - It is finished. They keep resonating in my mind. They have been a precious love letter to me - almost as if He had said the other three words we all love to hear - I love you!

Here is my little story entitled, It Is Finished....

This is a phot of me when I was, oh, maybe three or four. I was naughty! (Even to this day, I can't get this little girl turned around - as evidenced in this photo!) I screamed when my mother tried to wash my hair or brush my hair or do anything to my hair. This was probably the last picture of me with long hair...the rest of my childhood my hair was VERY short. I was a climber. I could climb up to the top of the stove in order to reach the top cupboards where the cookies and treats were hidden. One time, I found my older sister's red lipstick and redesigned my mother's white sofa! I was awful!

I distinctly remember not liking the crust on my bread. I spent many hours sitting alone in my chair at the kitchen table simply because I was not allowed to get up until I finished ALL of my bread.

One day, I launched a plan! I would hide my crust under my plate. When mom asked me if I was finished, I said, "Yup! See? All gone!"

And what she did next astonished me! She lifted up my plate to reveal what I had not finished!

It wasn't until years later that I thought of that story and realized how silly my attempts were at hiding that crust. My plate must have been suspended in air and teetering atop all of that crust. And equally as silly was the thought that I could pull the wool over my mom's eyes.

Not so with Jesus. He was given an assignment and He finshed it...completely. He did what I couldn't do for myself. He lived a perfect life and died for my sins so that I can have a relationship with a holy God.

I often wrestle with my sins. I wresle with the horribleness and the shame of the things I have done. Last Friday, it was as if Jesus said directly to me, "It is finished. Joyce, it's done. It's paid for. Now live joyfully in my grace and love!"

This is the Greek form of "It is finished". It was also a term used by accountants. If something was paid for, the word "Tetelestai" was written on the bill of sale. So Jesus actually just said one word.

It's not said as a phrase of defeat. Jesus isn't saying, "That's done. I'm finished. I've been defeated." No, it was a triumphant shout of victory that Jesus whispered during His last moments before death. The work that He came to do - the job given to Him when God asked "Who will go?" and Jesus willingly replied "Send me!" - that job was accomplished. What depth of love! And because of His accomplished work on the cross, we have the hope of eternity. Never in heaven will we hear the words, "It is finshed"! Never will God say to His children, "Ok, you've enjoyed your time here for the last 834,096,254 years, but now it's finished!" No, His children stay with Him forever...all because of the finshed, completed work of Jesus. A work that I could never complete. And that's just a glimpse at of some of the things I've been pondering...

The Old Man on Ash Wednesday

My friend Jean posted this on Facebook. What a beautiful story. And one worthy of sharing with all of you! Enjoy!
Second Office on the Right: The Old Man on Ash Wednesday: "Tonight I attended the Ash Wednesday service at the local Episcopal church. It was sparsely attended, and I brought the average age in..."

A Wonderful Lord's Day!

I've not been on here lately, have I? It's been pretty busy around here since Bill left! We made it through our first week apart and, while it has not been fun, we both made it! Bill and I have been apart before. I thought the worst was after Katrina. It was the summer of 2007. We finally were all living together again under the same roof when Bill was laid off! No work in Houston, so he worked in Louisiana for a few months. It was yucky, but at least he was only six hours away.

Lest this whole post turns into a sob fest, let me share how God strengthened Bill and I at church today. Bill drove to Green Bay and attended an OP church. They read from the Heidelberg Catechism and it was the very thing Bill (and I!!) needed to be reminded of the fact that we still have a loving heavenly Father and He is still in control. Isn't this richly soul-satisfying:

Q & A 26
Q. What do you believe when you say,
"I believe in God, the Father almighty,
creator of heaven and earth"?

A. That the eternal Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
who out of nothing created heaven and earth
and everything in them,^1
who still upholds and rules them
by his eternal counsel and providence,^2
is my God and Father
because of Christ his Son.^3

I trust him so much that I do not doubt
he will provide
whatever I need
for body and soul,^4
and he will turn to my good
whatever adversity he sends me
in this sad world.^5

He is able to do this because he is almighty God;^6
he desires to do this because he is a faithful Father.^7

^1 Gen. 1 & 2; Ex. 20:11; Ps. 33:6; Isa. 44:24; Acts 4:24; 14:15
^2 Ps. 104; Matt. 6:30; 10:29; Eph. 1:11
^3 John 1:12-13; Rom. 8:15-16; Gal. 4:4-7; Eph. 1:5
^4 Ps. 55:22; Matt. 6:25-26; Luke 12:22-31
^5 Rom. 8:28
^6 Gen. 18:14; Rom. 8:31-39
^7 Matt. 7:9-11


It is so appropriate to read after the Japan disaster also...who still upholds and rules them
by his eternal counsel and providence.

Disasters in nature, disasters in life...both are the result of living in a fallen world and both can make us bitter or make us better. "The same boiling water that softens carrots, makes eggs harden!"

Speaking of Japan, the pictures are such a reminder of Katrina. The force of water is incomprehensible. To see buildings and boats and bridges swept away as if they were paper boggles the mind. I have one Japanese family that I work with and I went, unannounced, to her home on Friday. I just wanted to give her a hug. I just wanted her to know that she was in my thoughts and prayers. As we hugged at the entrance to her home, she told me she had just received word that her family was all accounted for. What joyful news!

This week is Spring Break. Hallelujah!!!!! I will be working with my language students in the mornings, but I have "vacation time" in the afternoons. David and I are looking forward to the arrival of Tommy and Elise from Chicago.

That's my update...time to get ready for tomorrow!

One Year Ago

Seldom do I remember where I was exactly a year ago. Today I do. Our whole family gathered in Chicago for Bill's Big Birthday Bash! Here are a few pictures from that weekend:

The brave hearts that ventured downtown.

Squinting into the camera because the sun was sooooo bright!


Even "Gramsy Girl" made it down for the big weekend!

Bill with his "quiver full"

Bill with his "handful"!!!

Tonight, Bill is in Chicago once again...this time without me! (SNIFF) He made it to Memphis,TN

last night and pulled into the parking lot of Trinity about 3:30 this afternoon. He is staying overnight with Elise, will go to church with her in the morning, and then head out to northern Wisconsin.

Tonight he met Tommy's parents. Tommy is Elise's boyfriend. They had a fun time together at a Mexican restaurant. I just talked to them and Bill and Elise are watching a movie together in her apartment.

David and I made it through our second day without the man we love. We got up early and took our puppy in for his first haircut. Then we treated ourselves to a five dollar movie! We saw "The Adjustment Bureau" with Matt Damon. (Who, by the way, always reminds me of my high school sweetheart!) It was a very interesting movie but I'm still not sure if I liked it or not. It was enjoyable to watch, but I strongly disagreed with the premise. It was an attempt to look at the concept of "free will", but it was a very humanistic take on the subject. Anyway, it was a fun day out for David and I and we had an interesting discussion about it on the way home.

For those of you who are praying for us during this time, I thank you. Without Him, I couldn't do any of this. I'm trying to take just one day at a time and live in the reality of God's unfailing love. The verse from our wedding has always meant so much to me...even more now! May Your unfailing love rest upon us, O God, even as we put our hope in You. Psalm 33:22

Mr. Wonderful

Mr. Wonderful left this morning for his 1,300 mile (2,087 km) trek to a little shipyard in Wisconsin. I kept hoping and praying that a job would open up here in Houston. I felt very much like Abraham...walking up Mt. Moriah...knowing what had to be done, and trusting that God would provide the Lamb. Well, I kept looking in "the bushes" for the ram (so to speak) but never found anything. So, even though it doesn't feel like it or make any sense to me, I trust this is God's best for us at this time.

After a tearful goodbye, I had my quiet time. I read over Luke 12 and I Thessalonians 5...both passages are beautiful reminders of the way God meets all the needs that we have.

And then, in my little devotion for the day, God reminded me to live close to Him! How comforting to know that I am in the constant presence of One Who has promised to never leave me. I think my song today will be, "No, Never Alone". Haven't thought about that little song in forever!!!

Okay friends, a new adventure begins! And, as always, I'll keep you posted on how this journey is going....

Please Pray

My wonderful husband leaves tomorrow for Wisconsin. It is for an indefinate period of time. Right now I am very sad and I can't stand the thought of being apart again. But I also applaud his strength...he doesn't want to go either, but it is a sacrifice he is willing to make for his family. I'll write more about it when I can be a bit more positive...right now I'm feeling pretty awful, so just bear with me. I do ask for prayers - that God will protect us and uphold us while we our apart.

That being said, I thank God for the humor He sent my way this morning. He knew I needed to lighten up.

David told me that he applied for a job yesterday.

"What kind of job?"

"A stocker."

"Soccer?" replied his VERY deaf mother.

And David, without skipping a beat, replied, "Yup! They took one look at my resume, saw that I played soccer in the third grade, and they signed me up for the Brazilian National Team!"

Number 26

Today is my sister Nancy's birthday. She is in Florida with my mom and other sister, Karen. (sniff) Somewhere along the line, we have gotten in the habit of buying each other strange cards featuring three sisters. We then assign each other the appropriate "match-up" to the stranger in the picture. So, in honor of our twisted ritual, I send these pictures to you, Nancy. Have a wonderful day! You are loved...so very much!

Nancy, you are the one in the middle, wearing the more daring "v-neck" as Karen points it out for the camera and I try to plead with you to not go out in public with such revealing apparel!!!

You and I showing off our new scarves!


Hmm...who's who in this one???

There's nothing like the real thing!!! Didn't we have fun???

Lounging on Harv's boat!

Abba

Abba. Scripture tells us that Abba is Aramaic for Father. Jesus instructs us to call God Abba. Just think about that for a minute. What a closeness we are allowed to have with our God. We are His children, and He delights in being our Father.

When I am down in the dumps, I have a tendency to forget that God is my heavenly Father. I act more like an orphan. I start getting all anxious about how I am ever going to handle the "junk" of life...and I forget. I forget that I'm not alone. I forget that I belong to Someone. I am a child of the King!!!

When I start to remind myself of WHO I belong to, my heart calms down. No need to worry. My Father is going to take care of me. He always has, and He always will.

Life has been pretty difficult lately and I've needed to be reminded of my Father's love for me over and over and over. Maybe someone reading this today feels the same way. If you do, I hope you enjoy this story and I hope that it will remind you of this fact: if you know that Jesus is your Savior, then God is your Father. We never have to act like an orphan. We never have to ask, "Who's my daddy?"

A seminary professor was vacationing with his wife in Gatlinburg , TN. One morning, they were eating breakfast at a little restaurant, hoping to enjoy a quiet, family meal. While they were waiting for their food, they noticed a distinguished looking, white-haired man moving from table to table, visiting with the guests. The professor leaned over and whispered to his wife, 'I hope he doesn't come over here.' But sure enough, the man did come over to their table.

'Where are you folks from?' he asked in a friendly voice.

' Oklahoma ,' they answered.

'Great to have you here in Tennessee ,' the stranger said... 'What do you do for a living?'

'I teach at a seminary,' he replied.

'Oh, so you teach preachers how to preach, do you? Well, I've got a really great story for you.' And with that, the gentleman pulled up a chair and sat down at the table with the couple.

The professor groaned and thought to himself, 'Great .. Just what I need ... another preacher story!'

The man started, 'See that mountain over there? (pointing out the restaurant window). Not far from the base of that mountain, there was a boy born to an unwed mother. He had a hard time growing up, because every place he went, he was always asked the same question, 'Hey boy, Who's your daddy?' Whether he was at school, in the grocery store or drug store, people would ask the same question, 'Who's your daddy?'

He would hide at recess and lunch time from other students. He would avoid going in to stores because that question hurt him so bad. 'When he was about 12 years old, a new preacher came to his church. He would always go in late and slip out early to avoid hearing the question, 'Who's your daddy?'

But one day, the new preacher said the benediction so fast that he got caught and had to walk out with the crowd. Just about the time he got to the back door, the new preacher, not knowing anything about him, put his hand on his shoulder and asked him, 'Son, who's your daddy?'

The whole church got deathly quiet. He could feel every eye in the church looking at him Now everyone would finally know the answer to the question, 'Who's your daddy?'

'This new preacher, though, sensed the situation around him and using discernment that only the Holy Spirit could give, said the following to that scared little boy. 'Wait a minute! I know who you are! I see the family resemblance now, You are a child of God.'

With that he patted the boy on his shoulder and said, 'Boy, you've got a great inheritance. Go and claim it.'

The boy smiled for the first time in a long time and walked out the door a changed person. He was never the same again. Whenever anybody asked him, 'Who's your Daddy?' he'd just tell them , 'I'm a Child of God.''

The distinguished gentleman got up from the table and said, 'Isn't that a great story?' The professor responded that it really was a great story!

As the man turned to leave, he said, 'You know, if that new preacher hadn't told me that I was one of God's children, I probably never would have amounted to anything!' And he walked away. The seminary professor and his wife were stunned. He called the waitress over and asked her, 'Do you know who that man was -- the one who just left that was sitting at our table?'

The waitress grinned and said, 'Of course. Everybody here knows him. That's Ben Hooper. He's governor of Tennessee.'

Choosing To Believe

I have had a week full of welcome and unwelcome surprises.

This is a picture of my MOST welcome surprise!!! This is Jean and her beautiful family. Jean was a student from my very first class that I ever taught in my whole life...I was squeaky clean out of college when I taught her in 6th grade. I also had her for 7th grade and 8th grade...poor child!!! That class was and forever will be very near and dear to my heart. We had so much fun together! When they were in 8th grade, our big goal for the year was to have a class play. This was uncharted territory for Calvin Christian, but I think we blazed a pretty awesome trail! We performed "Cheaper By the Dozen" and each and every student contributed and helped in some way. Jean was the mother of the whole brood and carried off her part with a confident spirit that belied her tender age of thirteen.

Jean and I have kept in touch over the years, but imagine how high my heart leapt when she told me she was coming to Houston!!! We had dinner together on Monday night, and closed the place down! It was thrilling to listen to her life story and marvel at God's faithfulness and unfailing love. Jean now lives in Tuscon with her five (!) children, and I can't believe her oldest is in her first year of college. It was wonderful to see her again after 30 some years!

Because of my late evening out on Monday, I wasn't quite ready to face Tuesday. I was thinking up all sorts of excuses in my head of ways I could get out of working. But, I pushed the thoughts aside and valiantly, albeit sleepily, ventured out to conquer the day. Despite my contrary spirit, I was happily blessed by each student. I just love those little "joys" in life that God sprinkles unexpectedly in my path!

My first "joy" came from my Arabian student. She joyfully told me how she talked on the phone to her parents and told them all about me. She told them I was very beautiful (!) and that I was very nice. My travel time to my next student is about 30 minutes. During my drive time, I thanked God for His blessing of encouragement. I marveled at how He allowed me to teach someone from Saudi Arabia. I also found myself amazed that my name was spoken in Arabic and that I was described to her family so far away. Simply amazing!

My next student is new to me. We have only had a few lessons. She is from Columbia and is jaw-dropping gorgeous! She has two precious sons who are 4 and 5 years old. At these early stages of their time in the U.S., they are still figuring a lot of things out. During these weeks, I am more than just a language teacher. I help them walk through the puzzling maze of adjustment. I grocery shop with them, help them find different stores or shopping centers. I have even gone to the doctor with them! Well, Tuesday was one of those special "new moments" with Caterine. Her husband is out of town and it was her oldest son's birthday. She is used to having many friends and family members to share "fiestas" with...but here, in this new country, it would only be the three of them - not even her husband would be able to celebrate. In an almost tearful question, she asked if I could sing with them, eat cake, and open the presents. Those Latinos sure know how to party! I LOVE the way they celebrate! Even the way they sing "Happy Birthday" is much more exciting than our version. I was so thankful I could be there and help them ease through a day that might have seemed a little lonely.

Okay, so those were my welcome events...yesterday held the unwelcome events. I won't linger long on these. Suffice it to say that yesterday gave new meaning to the saying, "When it rains, it pours"! The final jolt came when I got a call from Bill telling me his radiator was shot and he was stuck on the highway. After all the fun of finding a tow truck and hearing the total cost to repair the car, we drove home exhausted and in silence. As we turned into our subdivision, Bill said, "I assume this is blog worthy?" Yes, dear, it is! What a day!

Finally I was able to do a little quiet time reading. I was encouraged by this question: Is Romans 8:28 still in the Bible? Good question to ponder. Helps me keep things in perspective!

Max Lucado reminds us, “It all works out in the end. If it hasn’t worked out yet, then it’s not the end.” So...it isn't the end...except for when it comes to this post!

Thank you, Father, for the challenges as well as the joys that You send. Both are allowed by You and both will shape my character. My prayer is that I will always remember that I am Your child. Forgive me for the many times I act more like an orphan!

Let's Pay Teachers to Babysit

A friend of mine, and a fellow teacher from my days in Mississippi, sent me this article. When I read the title, the hairs on the back of my head began to tingle a bit. Few things rile me more than the deplorable state of our educational system. And jumbled up in that mess is the horrible salaries teachers make. There is always some wise guy who brings up the issue of teachers only working 180 days out of the year. Well, to proverbial "Mr. Wiseguy" out there, I humbly submit this article. I think it presents things from an interesting perspective.

Are you sick of high paid teachers? Teachers’ hefty salaries are driving up taxes, and they only work 9 or 10 months a year! It’s time we put things in perspective and pay them for what they do - baby sit! We can get that for less than minimum wage.



That’s right. Let’s give them $3.00 an hour and only the hours they worked; not any of that silly planning time, or any time they spend before or after school. That would be $19.50 a day (7:45 to 3:00 PM with 45 min. off for lunch and plan — that equals 6 1/2 hours).



Each parent should pay $19.50 a day for these teachers to baby-sit their children.



Now how many do they teach in day…maybe 30? So that’s $19.50 x 30 = $585.00 a day. However, remember they only work 180 days a year!!! I am not going to pay them for any vacations.



LET’S SEE…. That’s $585 X 180= $105,300 per year. (Hold on! My calculator needs new batteries).



What about those special education teachers and the ones with Master’s degrees? Well, we could pay them minimum wage ($7.75), and just to be fair, round it off to $8.00 an hour. That would be $8 X 6 1/2 hours X 30 children

X 180 days = $280,800 per year.



Wait a minute — there’s something wrong here! There sure is!



The average teacher’s salary (nation wide) is $50,000. $50,000/180 days = $277.77/per day/30 students=$9.25/6.5 hours = $1.42 per hour per student–a very inexpensive baby-sitter and they even EDUCATE your kids!)

WHAT A DEAL!!!!

Gotch Day

I have posted here before about adoption. It is a topic very dear to my heart. I marvel at the courage of birthmothers...what a tremendously difficult decision it must be to give a child up for adoption. I also marvel that in this day of all-too-easy-abortions, the story of adoption continues.

Yesterday, I met via Facebook, a family that just adopted. I tried and tried to find a way to post their "Gotcha Day" video here on my blog. ("Gotch Day" is what adoptive parents call the day when the child is actually place in their arms.) Well, for some reason, I just couldn't figure it out! Frustrating!!!! I did, however, figure out a way to post their blog, where you can view their heart-warming video. I hope you all take a few minutes out of your day to visit their blog and follow their story...it will put a smile on your face. It will also put a smile in your heart!

http://flitterbugsblog.blogspot.com

UPDATE!!!! I figured it out!!!!!!!!

Did you know....

While talking with a friend of mine last week, he shared some staggering statistics that, I must admit, never crossed my mind. Maybe they never crossed your mind either. And then yesterday, another friend sent me this video on the same topic. I'm curious...how do these facts make you feel? I found them to be rather staggering and a bit unsettling (or maybe it was the music!!!!!).

Do You Text and Drive?

Very sad, but a message that needs to be shared...

Retirement Home Talent Show

A friend sent this to me and I thought it was priceless! Somehow, I can't quite envision this happening at the Holland Home!!

An Interesting Path

Travelers, there is no path; paths are made by walking.

Antonio Mechado

This morning I was washing my face...well, I take that back. It was more like I was splashing myself awake. I'm going to be honest here. I'm not a morning girl. Every ounce of me wishes that I was. I wish I was that strong, self-disciplined woman that wakes with the sun, walks/exercises, gets in a good hour of quiet time, sits at the table enjoying coffee while catching up on the recent news.

Oh, how I wish I could proudly declare that I was that kind of woman. I'm not. I never have been. I can burn the midnight oil with the best of them, but, alas, a morning person I am not.

And so I roll my grouchy old body out of bed at the last second, splash water on my face to wake up, try my best to look presentable, and head out the door. I leave the house by 7:30 in order to reach the town of Sugarland by 8:00. Enroute, I either listen to praise music and talk to God, or I have a Beth Moore Bible study via DVD, or a combination of all three. I don't drink coffee (never have!), and I'm usually never hungry when I first wake up, so I grab a big glass of ice water that stays in the car with me all day long and gets replenished from time to time.

My first student is a young married mother of three. She is from Saudi Arabia. She is living here for one year while her husband manages a petroleum project here in Houston for his country. He speaks English. She does not. She has only been in the States since Christmas. In the few weeks that I have taught her, she has learned a lot! Her progress is amazing. I mean, how does someone that normally reads and writes from right to left suddenly change gears? How does our alphabet make any sense to her? Her alphabet doesn't make any sense to me! But there we sit, from 8 - 10, and we have fun together.

Starting Thursday, I add another student. She is from Columbia. She doesn't speak any English. So we'll start from scratch, learning the alphabet, learning our long and short vowels, learning the sounds of our consonants, etc. etc.

I digress! Back to this morning, as I splashed water on my face...I thought about the interesting path God has chosen for me. It's certainly not one that I would have chosen for myself. I have no earthly idea why, but this morning my mind (which LOVES to travel about on its own and is known to wander about quite aimlessly!) thought about Norma Potts and high school study hall. We both had just broken up with our boyfriends and thought our lives were over (at the tender age of 16!!!). I distinctly remember writing her a note during study hall that said "Just think, Norma...ten years from now we will both be married and living happily ever after!"

Well, it was a nice thought. But ten years after I wrote that note, I wasn't married. Either was Norma!

So why am I writing all of this? I guess it's to remind myself that God has a plan - a path - and it might not seem like such a wonderful path while I'm on it, but as I look back, I realize that it's not only a good path, it's a GREAT path!!!

I mean, who ever thought I would still be teaching? Not me! I was ready to hang up the towel long ago! And never, in my wildest dreams, would I think I would share my mornings with a young, pregnant woman from a far-away land. Or that I would spend my Thursdays with a 12 year old from Japan. Or have the joy of listening to countless stories from people that have lived all over the world. Or have the blessing of helping a 48 year old woman return to college to fulfill her dream of teaching. And who could have ever thought up the idea of moving me from Michigan to Mississippi? And now Houston! Not me! I'm the one that made permanent marks on I65 by digging in my heels when I had to move to Mississippi.

Once again, I find myself holding on tightly to the knowledge that God has a plan - and reminding myself that my job is to trust and to obey. Once again I find myself at a crossroads on this path called "life". Once again, I feel the path changing. Once again I'm being asked to venture out into the "unknown". But I'm not fretting. I'm trusting. And I sorta' can't wait to find out where His path will lead to next. I can only say this because of the One who is leading me. He's never failed me yet! And I know that He never will.

How about your path? Ponder today all the delightful twists and turns you have taken, that you would have never in a million years chosen to take. Think of how God has used those detours to mold and shape your character. Yes, indeed! God always has the perfect path - custom-made - for each one of us!

You make known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand.

Psalm 16:11

Oh WOW!!!

I've been cleaning. It is mind boggling how much "stuff" I am able to hoard! There is a new show on OWN (Oprah's new network) where a man helps people discover the "why" behind all their stuff. I guess it's rather convicting...it has me cleaning out things that I should have gone through five years ago!

One of the bags I went through was full of mud-encrusted jewelry that I salvaged from the aftermath of Katrina. Even with all the dirt, it was very apparent what was the "good stuff". The chains were broken and knotted, but they glistened and proudly showed off that they were, indeed, gold!

The pieces were of no sentimental value to me, so I had Bill go to the "Gold Store" to see if they would buy the gold. They did!!! He just came home with $83.00!

WOW!! Once again, I know this will be filed away for a good illustration at one of my talks or in my book...but that's for another day. Right now I have to clean some more!

In Memory

On January 7, I wrote a good bye to our sweet dog, Gracie. I know many people can't relate to the loss of a family pet. "They're just dogs!" is what I'm sure many people think. For us, Gracie was a part of our family and she taught us so much about unconditional love. She was always there to greet each one of us whenever we came home...always so happy to see us!

Well, over the last few weeks, we have received a few things in memory of Gracie. The first thing to come was a card. It was signed by all of the staff of the Vet Hospital. And not just their signatures...most of them wrote a special little note to us about our sweet dog. They also enclosed a poem.

Then a package arrived. I carefully unwrapped the delicate piece from the protection of bubble wrap. The clinic sent us a plaster impression of Gracie's paw. It is a precious keepsake.

And then yesterday, another card came. This one stated that our vet made a contribution in Gracie's name. It is to a Christian Vet Society that provides medical help to animals throughout the world. That just made my heart smile. It's so Gracie...that gesture just captured the essence of the type of dog she was...she was always so ready and willing to give of herself. I like the thought of knowing that in some small way, she is still reaching out and helping others through this ministry.

Some people may read this and think all of this talk about a dog is rather "stupid". I disagree. I'm thankful to a God that created such a vast array of animals. And I'm thankful for the one He sent our way. And I'm thankful for all the love she poured into us for so many years.

Hummingbird

A friend of mine sent me this video. I found it charming! Now I want my own hummingbird!

This is my third video that I posted today...can you tell that all my classes were canceled and that I am stuck in the house because of the icy roads????? Houston had over 300 accidents today because of the ice.

Adopted For Life

I just "accidentally" ran across this free download offer. I say "accidentally" in quotation marks because I know it was no accident. I have many friends dealing with different aspects of adoption. I hope you can access this free audiobook download of "Adopted For Life" and that it will be a blessing to you as you travel the road of adoption.
http://christianaudio.com/free