A child of God educating other children.

I just switched over my blog with a lot of Tim's help. I am now going to be blogging at www.danaschmoyer.com I figured if I will be blogging for a while I want a better domain to give to people. We have spent most of the day working on the template with Tim changing the pictures to my photography and pics of us. If yo refresh the page it'll change the picture of Tim and I. How cool! If you are signed up to get updates by email you should be fine, and switched over with it.

I also put my newest post on www.danaschmoyer.com, so enjoy the new sight! Some things will probably be added and changed in the next month, so stick around!

Posted in: on Friday, October 17, 2008 at at 8:29 PM 0 comments    

I went to the Christian bookstore in town to check the price and look at an idea for a Christmas present for someone. I checked, then got totally side tracked in the book section of the store.

I really have a desire to teach girls and help them make godly decisions in their life as they struggle with surviving jr. high and high school. And to help them make godly decisions when it comes to boys. In highschool someone gave me the book Lady in Waiting by Jackie Kendall. I didn't read it until college. Through BSM (Baptist Student Ministry) I joined a small group of girls that did weekly Bible studies. At one point we read through Lady in Waiting together and discussed our thoughts of it. I gave my book to a friend after the study for her to read on her own, and am now wanting a copy of my own again.

At the bookstore I didn't find it, but I found "The Young Lady in Waiting," by the same author. As far as I can tell it looks pretty much like the same book, just a cuter cover to attract the teens. I have been thinking about putting together an all girl small group during the week and studying this or something like it. I was thinking the copy I read might be a little old for them, but I am so excited to find a teen version! I almost bought it today, but would like to find a copy to borrow and read to see if I should follow through.

I have been thinking about waiting until my small group is done with confirmation to do this in depth girl study, meaning starting next Fall we could do it, but I think some of the older girls in the youth group could benefit from it. A girl at school that I work with has really got me thinking today and yesterday on this, really wanting to reach these girls before they graduate and are on their own.

I also found some books that look like they'd be great for me to read when I am finished with, "A Woman's Walk with God" by Elizabeth George. (Which I highly recommend you read if you have not..and you're a woman.) They are, "Having a Mary Heart in a Martha World," and "Having a Mary Spirit" by Joanna Weaver. I read the back of them, and the 2nd one sounds really good! Every Tuesday evening for over a month now we have had a small group of adults in our house to study the 40 days of Purpose. Every evening when I am still trying to get things in order before people come and they show up while I try to finish something, I always think of the story in Luke 10 about Jesus going into Mary and Martha's home, reminding me to stop working and build a relationship with the people in my home.

Back on the topic of teens, there was a book that caught my eye first today and that is, "Secret Keeper: The Delicate Power of Modesty" by Dannah Gresh. This is another huge passion I have with girls. As a teen I didn't understand how much power there is with dressing modest. I remember being so mad that my dad made me change into longer shorts before youth group one night trying to explain why I shouldn't wear short shorts, but I wasn't willing to listen and learn. Now that I am married, Tim has really opened my eyes to the world of boys, and I would like to pass some of this wisdom to the girls in our church. If you have girls of your own or work with them, this website looks like a good resource, I haven't looked at it deeply, but it looks like it'd be good.

Posted in: books, faith, girls, ministry, teens on Thursday, October 16, 2008 at at 7:40 PM 2 comments    

God has totally surrounded me by the love of kids lately. Probably my favorite part of work right now is bus duty, 'cause at the end of each day I get to see pre-school and elementary kids. Last week one pre-school girl decided to sit next to me, lay her head in my lap, and wrap my arm around her holding it tight. It was such a simple thing, but I loved it. Kids just amaze me and the love they can give is beautiful.

This same girl has a brother in 1st grade that about once a week decides to sit by me. I find it kind of funny when the kids choose to sit by me, because that spot is usually where kids sit if they aren't choosing to sit correctly on the bus on their own. Anyways, so this boy didn't ride at all last week, and got on today and I said, "Hey! I haven't seen you in a while, how was your week!?" Without saying anything he just threw himself at me and gave me such a big hug! And a little funny note ... when I was talking with another student I over heard this boy talk to another who was asking him why he was sitting by me, and he said, "I am going to marry her." Oh the sweet innocent days of being a child.

This past weekend I really enjoyed getting to see my niece and nephews too. They are growing up so fast and are just tons of fun to be with. Noah and I had a great time sitting in the back of the car on our rides to Sonic, and Ruby and Ti were just so cuddly Saturday night at their house.

I have taken a little break from the Fruit of the Spirit. Don't worry, I will get back into it, it is just taking me a little time to get through joy. I will though, and soon I will be writing more about the Fruit of the Spirit.

Posted in: kids, love on Monday, October 13, 2008 at at 6:22 PM 3 comments    

I just got home from staying with David, Adrienne, and Noah this weekend. Tim left Thursday evening at 7pm for his weekend in California and wont get back 'til early Tuesday morning, so I went down to visit family. I am very glad I did because not only did I have fun hanging out with everyone, but it helped me not to mope around our house all weekend missing Tim. I still miss Tim like crazy and had a really hard night last night, but I think it could've been worst. I got to talk to him for almost 30 minutes this morning which really helped. I think I wouldn't be doing so bad if he had more breaks and time to call me to talk. If we could connect more while he is gone that would help a ton.

Friday I drove down to Dan and Maggie's where I got to see Ti, Ruby and Noah and hang out with Dan, David and Adrienne for the evening while Maggie worked. Then Saturday we went to Cabela's with the kids and got Sonic. That evening Adrienne Maggie and I watched the kids while the guys went to a volleyball game. And today was a great day to visit their church. Dan and David both did the music, playing piano, guitar and singing. And David and Adrienne both told their testimony as part of becoming a member of their church. I am grateful I got to be there for such a fun part of belonging to a church.

Before Tim left for California he asked me if I would like to be a guest blogger for him writing tips and advice for youth pastor's wives. I thought that would be a great idea and really exciting until he left for the weekend and I have no clue how to handle a husband being gone. This is the first time Tim has gone on a trip and I stayed behind. I feel like I need to be reading someone else's advice on how to be a good wife and not be so homesick for my husband. Maybe after Tim comes back home I'll see about writing it, but right now I am in no shape to give another wife advice.

Posted in: family, marriage on Sunday, October 12, 2008 at at 4:32 PM 2 comments    

Tim just left to start his way to Sacramento, California for NYWC. This is the first time that I have stayed home from it, and the first time Tim has left for something more than a day. I wont see him again until Tuesday when I wake up, unless I wake up at like 3am when he gets home Tuesday morning.

I'm excited for Tim to get to go as an official blogger for the convention. I'm pretty bummed that I'm not getting to experience this with him, but we sent a male youth worker from our church that I think will benefit more from the training than I would. This will be his first time, and it would've been my 4th.

I also volunteered not to go so I can go to the National Youth Ministry Conference for the first time put on by Simply Youth Ministry. I absolutely loved going to NYWC, but I'd like to try NYMC and see which is better for me to attend in the future.

Also, I found out after the church had already bought Tim's and the youth worker's ticket that I was asked if I would come and be an official blogger. Man! If I had known that ahead of time, or in enough time, I would've been right on that! But again, this will be more beneficial for the youth worker joining him. I just need to stop being selfish.

Although I'll be missing Tim a ton, I am excited to go down and hang out with Tim's sister-in-law and brother and nephews and niece. I'm excited to spend more time getting to know each other, and keeping busy not thinking about Tim the whole time he is gone. I'll go down tomorrow after work and stay through Sunday afternoon. I wouldn't have been able to stay home that whole time, so I am very thankful to have family close by to help me out!

Posted in: family, marriage, ministry on Thursday, October 09, 2008 at at 6:15 PM 1 comments    

The summer of 2005 Tim and I were not dating, we were in the midst of an 8 month break in our relationship. And that same summer one of my closest friends I ever had died in a car accident. This has been the hardest time in my life to date. Tim was the one I wanted to go to and try to to grieve the loss of my friend, but couldn't. God did amazing things with me that summer though. Kim Mister, a friend of mine through Tim gave me the devotional "A Woman's Walk with God: Growing in the Fruit of the Spirit" by Elizabeth George (the one I've mentioned in previous posts). The day I found out about my friend Aaron's death was in the middle of God teaching me real joy. I learned it! In the midst of so much pain and sadness I had a tremendous amount of joy. God continued to teach me about all his wonderful fruit and I was happy with how I was growing in God.

I feel like since then I have taken God for granted. Tim and I got back together, I could see God's hand in that. Tim and I got married in 3 months. God's hand was all over that! We searched for 7 months with God wrestling with where God wanted to take us next (to Minnesota) and that was an awesome experience too. I have seen God’s work in our lives many times with bringing us to the North, through people and events that have happened here. Everything has been wonderful and I feel really blessed, but I still feel like Christ should be more apparent in me and the Fruit of the Spirit hanging all over me.

I tried to start reading the chapter on joy last night. All of a sudden I got overwhelmed thinking about Aaron and what a hard lesson it was to learn joy the first time. I just started begging God to not have such a hard lesson to learn this time through, with learning about joy at this moment in my life. I don't think I could handle a loss right now. Just thinking about that chapter and moment in my life chokes me up. I will wait another night before I try to read this chapter. Please shower me in prayers as I come before God and refresh myself on his true joy for my life.

Posted in: on Tuesday, October 07, 2008 at at 7:45 PM 1 comments    

I just finished reading the chapter on Love. Elizabeth George spoke about constantly going to God to be filled with his love. Some days it is easy to go all day loving everyone you come in contact with. Some days it's hard, and we need to remember to constantly keep on going back to God for love, even if it means every minute of the day. The only way I can show Christ's love to others is if I am full of Christ's love to give.

Luke 6:32 "If you love only those who love you, why should you get credit for that? Even sinners love those who love them!"
Luke 6:35-36 "Love your enemies! Do good to them. Lend to them without expecting to be repaid. Then your reward from heaven will be very great, and you will truly be acting as children of the Most High, for he is kind to those who are unthankful and wicked. You must be compassionate, just as your Father is compassionate."

I have found in the last month or so I have even failed to love those who show love to me. I had to go to Tim the other day and apologize to him for not giving him the love I should from Christ. I have been self-centered and wanting my own way, and have been lazy! I have felt the Holy Spirit tugging at my heart letting me know that I should treat Tim better. I apologized for not being the wife he needs. And Tim, bless his heart encouraged me telling me that I am doing a wonderful job at being his wife and that it didn't cross his mind that I wasn't. But in my heart I knew that I should be doing more.

Am I the only one, or do others find it easier to show love to those you come in contact throughout the day than it is to show love to those you live with? Why is that? Is it because I know those who love me know the real me and I am comfortable to let my true feelings and emotions show? And I want others to think highly of me, so I put on a facade?

I know it wont be easy, but I am praying like crazy for God to teach me the love he wants me to give others, especially Tim. And I know that once I am able to give Tim the love that Christ will give me, then it will show on the outside to the people I come in contact outside of my house. Most of all I really want to be a great wife for Tim, coming along side him supporting him in ministry.

In order to do this I will have to constantly go back to God and get refilled with his love. John 15:5 says, "Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing." And 15:9 & 10 say, "I have loved you even as the Father has loved me. Remain in my love. When you obey my commandments, you remain in my love, just as I obey my Father's commandments and remain in his love."

There is no doubt that I can't do this on my own. I must constantly seek after God and to ask for his love and help to show his love. Wow this makes me excited! God loves me so much that he wants me to remain in him, and by doing that he will shower me with the Fruit of the Spirit.

Posted in: Fruit of the Spirit, love on Monday, October 06, 2008 at at 8:42 AM 1 comments    

For the longest time now my heart has been longing to grow the Fruit of the Spirit. I remember walking around our yard in the spring to the 5 apple trees on our property and pruning the branches that were dead, and again this fall taking off an apple if two were growing on the same bunch. I had John 15:4-5 (or of what I could remember of it) playing in my head over and over picturing God walking around me and pruning off the things in my life that are dead and not letting me thrive, and making room for the fruit he wants me to have in my life.

Now I started thinking about this in the spring, and am sad to say I really haven't dedicated time to really devote myself to letting God develop fruit in my life. I feel like I have been in a stalemate and not really meaning to, but I know that if I really really wanted it, I'd be able to tell. Right?

I got out my devotional about the Fruit of the Spirit and have started reading it. Already I have felt a sense of peace that God is happy with me noticing a dryness and now being thirsty to go all out wanting to get deep with him. I am really excited to see what God has in plan for me, and watch him prune me like I did with the apple trees in mine and Tim's yard.

Posted in: Fruit of the Spirit on Sunday, October 05, 2008 at at 8:44 PM 1 comments    

Galatians 5:22-23
But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!

John 15:4-5
Remain in me, and I will remain in you. For a branch cannot produce fruit if it is served from the vine, and you cannot be fruitful unless you remain in me. Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing.

James 1:2-4
Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow.

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I want to thank everyone for commenting back and emailing me about the last post I did. This afternoon on the bus was rough, and it was nice to come home to encouragement.

I have quite a bit to say about the Fruit of the Spirit and my thoughts on my spiritual life right now, but on Word it's about 2 pages long, so I figured I'd break it up. Today you get the verses.

I absolutely love Galatians 5:22-23. I did a study on these and am constantly wondering if people can see them in my life. It is late though and I have an early morning. I'll post more another day.

Posted in: on Tuesday, September 30, 2008 at at 7:37 PM 2 comments    

Where have they gone?

I am constantly surprised by the lack of morals I see around me, especially working in the public school system. We're supposed to correct student's language if we hear something not appropriate. But then when I go into the staff lounge I hear bad language in there! How does someone teach another morals if they do not follow it for themself? What is even more frustrating is that I am slowly learning of the people who go to our church and they are the ones with the foul language. I would love to hear more pastors stand up and be convicting of the ways we live our lives. I know I'm not perfect and there are things I need to work on, so bring it on. Sometimes we need a wake up call and someone to point things out before we realize that we have been in a rut and need to get out.

My biggest shock was last week with the pre-schoolers on the bus. There are 3 brothers whose dad lets them watch the Chucky movie. I've never seen it, I believe it came out when I was in elementary school, and there was no way I was allowed to watch it. The boys are constantly talking about that movie and told me that they learned how to flip someone off because of that movie. So we talked about how that is not good to do, and at least they understood that.

Why does it seem that morals have really declined? More and more things are becomming acceptable and it makes me scared and sick. Is it just not important anymore or is less and less getting passed down in families from generation to generation. I think my family has done a good job at passing down good morals and I am proud of that. Tim and I have struggled with teaching morals in our own church with people I guess not even thinking about things. I don't know if it's 'cause I grew up in the South and we both grew up in conservative homes or what.

Tim and I have talked about this a few times since school started up this Fall. Do we not have kids for fear that they will be influenced by the lack of morals around us? Or do we have kids and raise them up as followers of Christ and pray that God will use them to influence those around them?

Posted in: morals on Monday, September 29, 2008 at at 10:21 AM 3 comments    

This week is Spirit Week at the high school. Today was jersey/hat day. I was nervous walking in wearing my Schmoyer jersey wondering if I got the right day. I was glad to see people wearing jerseys, but the first few people I saw were dressed in jerseys that went along with the school colors. When I got to the classroom I help in the other teachers in there were in jerseys that didn't go along with the school, so that made me feel better.

Tomorrow is camo day. I have some actual camo pants that my Mom got me in high school for my drama class when we were doing lip syncing. The group I was in did a song by the Spice Girls and I was Scary Spice. That's a whole other story, but I had a lot of fun with it! Anyways, before I left the school today I made sure I took a good look at the poster on the wall to make sure that I'll be wearing camo on the correct day 'cause that would totally embarass me if I wore it on the wrong day.

Update on my calorie counting. Tomorrow is my one week personal weigh in. When I started...okay I'm not gonna share my actual weight...sorry (I almost did!). But I weighed myself this morning and right now I'm 6lbs lighter than I was Tuesday evening last week. That's a lot of pounds to loose in one week, so I think this is just a huge kickstart with my body trying to get use to less food and more activity. I feel a whole lot better. Now I just need to get more sleep. I've been hooked on Free Cell and Solitaire lately.

Self control has been huge for me this week. We have brownies sitting on our counter right now from Tim going to small group tonight. They look great, but I haven't touched it, just admired. I've worked out my calories to have one tomorrow, if I don't want popcorn or icecream instead. One stinkin' 2x2 brownie piece is over 200 calories! I could actually have popcorn and icecream instead of one brownie. Hmmm. Depends on how much I want chocolate. I found my self control bracelet. I have a couple Fruits of the Spirit bracelets, and I think it's time to wear my self control. I almost ate a bite of cake in the teacher's lounge today after school with it sitting for whoever to take and no one in the room. Luckily I didn't have time before getting on the bus to leave.

Posted in: school, self control on Monday, September 22, 2008 at at 8:29 PM 1 comments    

Happy Birthday Dad!

Today is day 3 of counting calories. Today was my splurge day. I actually ate 1600 calories, and burned 600 exercising. The worst of these 3 days, but it was the one time for Tim and I to go out to eat. Who knew nachos were so bad for you! :) We ate at Bennigans and split a 12oz steak and the Southwestern Sampler. It actually kinda made me sick after watching very carefully what I've been eating for just a couple days. I'm glad we ate then went exercising 'cause I feel a lot better now. Tim was a good sport to do the cardio of my workout with me. Okay, he actually fussed a LOT! But, he still did it with me.

I've completed 3 weeks working at the high school. It's still going well. Some days are better than others and it all depends on the student's moods. We have to feel out how they're doing each day and some each hour to know how to deal with some of them. Please keep these kids in your prayers. I pray for them every day. I didn't exactly enjoy high school, and to be on this side watching kids go through it is interesting, especially the ones that don't know Christ.

Pray for me. My biggest thing for the year is to stay committed and on track with teaching 2nd grade Sunday school, 9th grade confirmation, and doing the 40 Days of Purpose small group. Also pray that this weekend wont be tempting being home and around food all day. It's been easy at school 'cause I just don't take much food, and I'm forced to follow my meal plan that way.

Posted in: exercise, prayer, work on Friday, September 19, 2008 at at 7:56 PM 0 comments    

Today was my first attempt ever to count calories. I'm using www.healthylivingonline.com. It has most foods in it's system so you choose what you ate or what you will eat and it'll calculate pretty much everything for you. Today I entered things as I ate to see how many calories I had left. While at school I was estimating what I thought I ate and ended up eating my alotted 1200 calories of the day in only breakfast and lunch. Then when I got home I noticed I messed up on my cereal this morning, and ended up being 500 calories off, giving me calories to use for dinner and a snack of popcorn after small group!

I already went through and entered in what I'll eat tomorrow, and I have it worked out to eat a snack after each meal, so I'll get to eat 6 times a day, which is ideal. I'm kinda excited to see how I follow this, and really not looking forward to it at the same time. I'm wanting to quickly finish this so I can go to sleep and put off eating for the night 'cause I'm still hungry.

My Dad has been a huge encouragement with me wanting to be healthy. He is able to limit himself and have amazing self control. Right now, I am really struggling with that. Tim can tell you, I was so whiny about being hungry! :)

This website also sets up a workout schedule for you of what different activities and days you choose. That looks like it should work really well. I'm mainly just nervous about the food part because I really like to eat!

Posted in: health on Wednesday, September 17, 2008 at at 8:47 PM 2 comments    

I am so glad that the hurricane is over and to know that Jon is okay, and so is my friend Brianne. Brianne stuck around because her dad needed to help out with things, so she took cover with her family, not wanting to evacuate without her dad.

And last night Jon had up his live video stream online. There wasn't a whole lot to see, so Jon made it entertaining with using a chatroom and sound. Tim and I went to the high school football game yesterday, well at least the first half, then came home 'cause I was cold, and we're not too wild about football. So right when we got home we got online with Jon and stayed on until 12:30pm when his electricity went out.

Dad has been keeping me updated today by email on Jon, which is really nice. Jon should be getting to my parents before midnight tonight. That is comforting to know, and surprising he found a way out. Last I heard from Brianne was at 7am this morning letting me know they were still getting bad weather. Hopefully tomorrow will be a better day for her.

I didn't get to sleep until about 1am this morning and still couldn't get my mind off of the storm. I had to wake up early to make it to my massage appointment I set. (That was such a nice time!) I'm glad I had it this morning to get me off of the computer to stop watching all the disaster photage. Then from 3pm-9pm I hung out with 2 of my small group girls going to the annual Grape Stomp festival. And when I got home, I was back online watching disaster photage.

I am exhausted and heading off to bed. We're going to the 8:30 service tomorrow, then I'm teaching one of the four 2nd grade Sunday school classes.

Posted in: family, friends, Hurricane Ike, ministry on Saturday, September 13, 2008 at at 7:51 PM 0 comments    

Sunday was the kick-off for our church's 40 Days of Purpose revisited. This will be my first time to go through 40 days of purpose. The sermon Sunday really got me excited about this. On Tuesdays Tim and I will be leading a small group at our house to do an in depth study of 40 days of purpose. There are lots of small groups in our church going on probably every night of the week all over town for everyone to get plugged in.

Pastor John's sermon Sunday really touched on something I was talking to God about a few weeks ago. When Tim and I signed up to lead a small group for 40 days of purpose I was willing, but kind of frustrated because this means another Bible study that I am suppose to lead/help lead. Kind of a funny thing to get frustrated with right? Here's my schedule starting full blown next week: Sunday morning - teach 2nd grade Sunday School. Sunday evening - help out with Senior high youth group, Tuesday evening - co-teach 40 days of Purpose adult small group, Wednesday evening - co-teach The Journey (Confirmation with my awesome 9th grade girls).

Looking at and thinking about that schedule kind of overwhelms me, and a few weeks ago when I was starting to get stressed over that schedule God kind of knocked me in the head and straightened me out. I was thinking that I was taking on way too much and I wouldn't have time for other things that I want to do, giving time to myself. Then all of a sudden God told me, "What are you doing? You are not here for yourself, I put you here, and you are here for me. To serve and to teach others about me." What a wake up call!

I was really wanting to go to an adult Sunday School class to get fed, but when I asked Tim if I could bow out of helping with the junior high I really felt a passion to help teach a children's class. And on Sunday during service John spoke a little on Hebrews 5:12, "You have been believers so long now that you ought to be teaching others. Instead, you need someone to teach you again the basic things about God’s word. You are like babies who need milk and cannot eat solid food." I know that now in my walk with Christ that I learn so much more when I spend the time with God preparing to teach others what He teaches me. I was just wanting to be lazy.

And then I started to stress about finding a job the closer we got to going to Virginia for Glory's wedding because I wanted something to start right when I got back. And God delivered! I started at the high school the day we got back. I was kind of bummed that I'm only working 30 hours, not 40 a week, but again...this is not my life, it's God's. Working 30 versus 40 is great for my ministry schedule. This leaves me not only with energy when I get home to still take care of the house, but it is a great schedule for youth group, and giving me energy to spend preparing Bible study lessons.

Posted in: ministry on Monday, September 08, 2008 at at 6:56 PM 1 comments    

I am really enjoying my work schedule. I go in at 10am and am done at 4:30pm. It's not many hours, but it will be good for me not to work a full time job. For instance...Friday I was tired during the day, but when I got home I was in the mood to clean. That is amazing all in it's self. So this weekend I spent quite a few hours cleaning the house. I got all 3 of our bathrooms clean and disinfected. And I got a new shower curtain and window curtain for our basement bathroom. That bathroom kind of becomes neglected because it is used the least amount of time, and seen the least by company. But, when we have company spend the night that is the main bathroom they use. After spending the week in Virginia with Tim's family I got motivated to get in the basement bathroom and make it nicer. I want to apologize to everyone who has had to use that bathroom while here and us not taking more pride in it. Come again and it'll be much better!

I also vacuumed and dusted the whole basement, dusted and vacuumed the main floor and cleaned the kitchen really nice! Now tomorrow hopefully I'll still have this cleaning energy and tackle our bedroom. We've been good at keeping our kitchen clean a couple weeks in a row now which has been so nice! Now we need to learn how to do that with our bedroom.

Posted in: marriage on Sunday, September 07, 2008 at at 9:12 PM 0 comments    

My schedule is really different now for school, but I still like it. Now all day I am in one classroom, which means no aquaculture class, and I have one student I give most of my attention to in the last 2 classes of the day.

I went in to the district office this morning and also got my lunch break figured out for the day. I will start at 10am each day and be done at 4:30. I am at the high school from 10-2:30 with an unpaid half hour lunch, which apparently is common? And then from 2:30-4:30 is my bus route.

I'm kinda bummed that I'm not in aqua culture 'cause I don't get a class with 2 really neat kids, but I do get to ride the bus with them which is nice. I was also kinda worried about the kid who was the attention of the punks the day before in class. I hope things went well and there wont be anymore problems. When I showed up this morning and was told about my new schedule it's because the other para that is in the class is working specifically with some of the students in there, so I was moved to a class without a para. They also told me that the teacher was impressed with me handling the boys yesterday and that he wanted me to stay instead, but that couldn't happen. I'll be praying for that class.

Posted in: work on Thursday, September 04, 2008 at at 4:46 PM 0 comments    

I started my first day of school today. I think this is the first time I've actually started at the beginning of the school year. Granted, today was actually the 2nd day of school, but that's close enough.

The Wedding was beautiful. Glory was gorgeous. And we had a wonderful time with Tim's side of the family. It was so much fun to get to play with Ruby, Noah and Ti. We had such a busy summer we didn't see our niece and nephews much. Hopefully within the next week I'll have the wedding pictures on my computer to post a few.

I was so incredibly nervous to start work today. The week after Tim and I moved to Minnesota I got a call from the high school principal about a para position they had open, so I went and tried it for 2 days, and it was a total wrong fit for me. After that I didn't even choose to sub at the high school. I prayed and prayed and prayed about today. I really didn't want to try something out again that wouldn't work and be on the look for another job. And to my surprise I had a great day today!

I got to the school an hour early since I missed all the meetings before school since we were in Virginia. I had some paper work to fill out then needed to get my schedule and find out what I'd be doing. The principal briefly spoke to me, just long enough to bring me down to my special ed supervisor, who surprisingly is the special ed teacher that I loved working with when I subbed at one of the elementary schools last year. That completely started my day of on the right foot being so excited that I get to work with Paula! And...I am helping out in the ed support classes, which was my preference. I didn't want to go class to class following students around. The last class of the day I am in an elective class to help out students though. That was kind of interesting. I had to get on to some guys in the class that were teasing another student, which I do not tolerate at all. So in the middle of the class watching a video I called the guys out and fixed the problem. Come to find out, it's some of the guys on the wrestling team. I'll have to ask Tim if I can borrow his wrestling shirt to wear on Friday so we can hopefully get to know each other and they'll know I'm watching them and have an in with the coaches. :)

To end my days every day I have a 2 hour bus route, which is only 1 hour this week until the preschool starts up. I was nervous about that too 'cause I was thinking I'd be on a regular bus helping students out, but luckily, it's only for students with special needs, and they are so sweet! I am very glad I don't have any punks to deal with.

I am very pleased with the position I have. Tomorrow I go in for more paper work, and hopefully try to convince them that I need a lunch break in my 6 hour day. (Remind me, and I'll explain that later.) I completely failed at trusting God to put me in a good position that He knows I will be good at. But I am very thankful that He was faithful and did.

I would love to hear how God is working in y'alls lives right now!

Posted in: family, wedding, work on Wednesday, September 03, 2008 at at 3:14 PM 0 comments    

Yesterday Tim and I came out to meet up with the rest of the family. We had a birthday party for our sister Grace and niece Ruby out at a state park. We had presents, cake and fun on the sand. Tim's grandparents were checking into the hotel a little after coming back from the park. Then everyone went out for dinner at Ruby Tuesdays. After dinner Tim and I got to go to Glory and soon the be Michael's home. They have such a cute house, and it's amazing to see the before pictures. They totally remodeled the house! We had a great time hanging out over there for a while sharing stories and talking about Dave Ramsey. Then we ended the night playing Apples to Apples with the rest of Tim's siblings.

Today was pretty nice and relaxing. The morning was slow, then Tim and I went to Lynchburg for lunch to eat at Chick-fil-a and to go to Lifeway Christian bookstore. After lunch we went to the YMCA with Dan, Maggie, Ruby and Titus to go swimming, and got back in time to shower and change for the groom's dinner we had up on a mountain tonight! We had a wonderful time meeting Michael's side of the family and taking lots of pictures!

Posted in: family on Saturday, August 30, 2008 at at 6:58 PM 0 comments    

Tim and I got to Virginia beach last night in time for dinner. We're having a great time hanging out with Kym and Jason and their two kids. Today for lunch they took us out to a Japanese restaurant where they cook right in front of you at the table. That's always fun, and it was Tim's first experience of that. Then we went to their store, Mister Jewelry and Jason cleaned my wedding band and engagement ring. I didn't realize how much it needed it until I saw it finished. Wow it looks great! We have a little more time here before we leave in the morning to meet up with Tim's side of the family and start all the wedding festivities. It's fun to hear all kinds of stories of Tim's family while he was growing up.

Posted in: family, friends, vacation on Thursday, August 28, 2008 at at 3:06 PM 0 comments