Small Pleasures

This week has been full of small pleasures. Since it has been finals week here at Levelland High School some of us teachers have had some extra time on our hands. We decided to make good use of this time by playing so games (Phase 10) and it has been a lot of fun. It is small moments like that that I will look back on when I think about my time spent here in Levelland. It is funny how simple games such as Phase 10 can bring people together and allow you to just sit back and have some laughs. Also this week I received a visit from Rhonda and Tanner to drop of a Christmas gift (a coconut cream pie). It was nice to actually have people over for a change. We sat and talked for a while and I really enjoyed it. Besides the pie, I have received fudge, puppy chow, cookies, chocolate cover pretzels, and peppermint bark. I have decided that the math department loves food!! Finally this morning I went outside and was greeted with snow. It was a calm morning so the snow was falling slowly to the ground. It was very peaceful. It is funny how these few things seem so small but in reality these are the treasures that I store up in my heart. Time spent with friends and the beauty of snow that is a wonderful gift of God. What are the small things in your life that make an impact? Don't forget to thank God for them.

Fairy Tales

There is a new song out right now by Abandon called Hero. Every time this song comes on the radio it makes me think about the stories we were told as children; stories of heroes and princess, and how the hero would save the world. Here are the lyrics to the song:
He walked the dirty streets famous for nothing. He said, “Come follow me” and they came. A face like all the rest, but something was different. The Son of God would lead the way. And soon they all would say. There he goes, a hero, a savior to the world, here He stands with scars in His hands. With love He gave His life so we could be free. The savior of the world. He spoke with clarity, walked across the sea. A single word would calm the storm. His touch could heal the sick, but He was called a hypocrite. Laid behind the stoned, His death was shortly mourned. He left the curtain torn, There He goes, a hero, a savior to the world. Here he stands with scars in His hands. With love He gave His life so we could be free, the savior of the world. He chose to take the cross, shed tears for the lost, the broken and the needy, forgiving those who were and will be. The angle made it clear, he told them, ”Have no fear He’s not here, He’s not here”
It is funny how we create these stories of "super heroes" with super powers. The greatest super hero was Christ and He had all the power in the universe yet that is not a story we tell we asked about a super hero. It is funny to think how we tell little girls that a prince is coming for her one day and that he will love her and take care of her. Yet we leave out the best part of the story and have some of the facts wrong. A prince has already come for her, and He does protect her ever day, and the best part of the story is that He died so that she might live a full and happy life. Why make up fairy tales when there is a true story out there that is better than all the rest of them. Why feel people's heads with made up characters and stories when they could be learning out the King and His Son and how much they love them and are watching out for us daily. So the next time some one asks you who your hero is, I want you to stop and think about the words to this song. Christ is the ultimate hero, and He has already saved the world!!

Time Flies

One day this week I was talking to my mom and we were talking about ages and stuff and I told her that I was 23 and for some reason that really just hit me. I am 23 years old. How did I ever get to be 23. It was then that I stopped and thought "Where did the time go?" and the question that followed was "What have I done with the last 23 years?" There is a song out right now called My Own Little World by Matthew West and the lyrics seem to just fit. They go like this:
In my own little world it hardly ever rains, I’ve never gone hungry, always felt safe. I got some money in my pocket, shoes on my feet. In my own little world Population: me I try to stay awake during Sunday morning church I throw a twenty in the plate, but I never give ’til it hurts I turn off the news when I don’t like what I see Yeah,it’s easy to do when it’s Population: me What if there’s a bigger picture? What if I’m missing out? What if there’s a better purpose I could be living right now Outside my own little world ooh Well, I stopped at a red light, looked out my window I saw a cardboard sign, said “Help this homeless widow” Above that sign was the face of a human and I thought to myself, “God, what have I been doing?”So I rolled down the window and I looked her in the eye I thought how many times have I just passed her by? So I gave her some money then I drove on through And my own little world reached Population: two What if there’s a bigger picture? What if I’m missing out? What if there’s a better purpose I should be living right now Outside my own little world yeah, yeah My own little world ooh Father break my heart for what breaks Yours Give me open hands and open doors and put Your Light in my eyes and let me see That my own little world is not about me Well I know there's a bigger picture and I don't wanna miss it now Well I know there's a plan and a purpose That I could be living right now Outside my own little world.
It really makes you stop and think how have you been using the time that God has given you. I know we hear it all the time that "time flies by" and we need to "live in the moment" and all those wonderful cliches but I don't think we ever really stop and think about how fast life really does fly by. You only get one life, how are you using it. Do you live like Matthew West says, "in your own little world," or are you looking through the eyes of God and walking through the doors that He has opened for you? Just remember you may think you have all the time in the world to get something done, but the next time you open your eyes 23 years will have already passed by. So don't wait start living you in a way that is pleasing to Lord and remember your world should never be population: me.

Christmas???

My older brother John Mark was always a Scrooge around Christmas time. I am starting to understand why. Let me start off with the beginning of my own Scrooge feels this year.
Thanksgiving morning I volunteered to watch Thad why Jeremy and Sara got ready for Thanksgiving at the Boucher's and so I turned on the TV to watch the Thanksgiving parade. Do you want to know how many Pilgrims or turkeys I saw in the parade? None! It was all about Christmas, if I had not know what day it was and you showed me the parade I would have thought it was the Christmas parade. So I complained about this to my mother and she said that the Thanksgiving parade is all about bring santa to town. Is that really what Thanksgiving has become for us, a chance to bring a fictional person to town? This was only the beginning. This past weekend I went to the store to look for a babies first Christmas ornament for Thad because mom could not find one in Stephenville. They have no Christmas ornaments that are family related what so ever. The ornaments are all about santa clause, elves, reindeer, and snowmen. What happened to Christmas?? When did it become all about presents and a fictional character who gives us anything that we want as long as we are good? When did we lose sight of what Christmas really is? That Christmas is a chance to give to others, and to tell them about the most wonderful gift ever. It is a time for us to spend with family and friends. When did we forget that Christmas is not just a season at the end of the year but is something that we should celebrate daily, the birth of our King!! But instead we choose to worship the idol known as santa and what he can do for us.
So I have come to realize that as a Christian in this society it is easy to have some Scrooge feelings toward Christmas, but that I should not lose sight of what Christmas is because of what people have made Christmas into. So I want to challenge us this Christmas to look for was to give instead of worrying about what we are going to receive.
(I know Christmas is still a couple of weeks away but I needed to get this off my chest.)
Oh and by the way I do know that santa clause is suppose to be capitalized.

Thanksgiving

I was very fortunate to get to go home for Thanksgiving. I have not been back to Dublin since August so it was nice to be home for a couple of days. This Thanksgiving was wonderful!!! The Bouchers always celebrate Thanksgiving on Thursday and this year all of Dad's siblings came which is the first time this has happened in a really long time. It was a wonderful chance to get to spend some time catching up with everyone.
However, it has been really hard for me to be back in Levelland now. I just want to be back at home spending time with my family. I know that I have a purpose here and that God is using me to be a witness to these kids, I have already built some great relationships with students from last year. But it is still hard being so far away from my family. It just makes me stop and think about John Mark and Jessica and how they are a whole ocean away. That has to be so hard. But it is like Dad said we can't put our family before God so we need to go where he leads us even if that is far away from our families. The good thing for me is that in two more weeks I will be at home again with my family!!
I hope that you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving and that it was a wonderful time for you to get to spend time with your family.

Refreshing

Sunday I decided to try a new church. I went to Southcrest Baptist church. Sunday school was exactly what I needed. We did a station type thing. One station you wrote your concerns in a letter to God and left it in a box, another one you rubbed your hands in the dirt and then washed them off a symbol of washing your sins away, another one was prayers from the Bible. There were 13 stations. It was a great chance to just spend some time reflecting on God and what he is doing in my life. Also a great chance to learn some new ways to study the Bible and to pray. It was very refreshing spiritually. Now I am looking forward to Thanksgiving. I am so ready to see my family. I hope you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving and are able to take a moment and reflect on what God has done for you this year.

Thad

This weekend I got to go to San Angelo to hang out with Jeremy, Sara, and Thad. Saturday Thad was a month old and he has already started to change. We played games, ate cake, and Thad napped on my chest for the majoring of our playing time. He is so cute. It was funny because when I first got there on Friday night Sara had just finished feeding him and put him down and with in a couple of minutes he started crying so they went and got him and handed him to me. And what did he do, he smiled at me!!! It was so great. I love family. I think my time in Levelland and John Mark and Jessica moving away has really made me realize how close our family has always been. When I am away from them for long periods of time, I really miss them. I feel like a part of me is missing. I believe it should be that way with the church. When a brother or sister is gone for a while we should feel that, and lovingly bring them back. As well has the non believers. We should long for them to be a part of this wonderful family of God.

As promised and a little late here are a couple of pictures of Thad.

I love this picture of him. So peaceful.

These two are from this weekend.

If I were a color...

I have been reading this book called the Book Thief. It is about a young girl who grew up during Hitler's reign over Germany. The story is told by Death, who is recalling the story that the girl writes about her life. In the book Death talks about the color of each person's soul when he picks them up out of their bodies. This is not the first time that I have come across someone who thinks that we give off a color. The author of The Shack also does this as well as the director of The Village. It made me stop and think if I were a color what color would I be, and I realized how unlimited the possibilities are. I would like to be the color of a blue sky after a storm. I told my mom she could be the orange color of a Texas sunset. So if you were a color what color do you think that you would be? I would really like to hear your answers.

Taking a beating

Wow so this week has been off to a rough, rough start. At church on Sunday I found out that my Sunday School teachers are stepping down and will no longer be teaching our Sunday School class. I had really enjoyed having them as teachers. Then yesterday was a day full of frustrations. Students, technology, teachers, and of course the Rangers. It is one of those times we I just need to pull away from the frustrations of the world and spend some time with God. I always think of Philippians 4:6-7:
"Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."
Wow what a powerful verse and it is an exciting verse as well. To know that if I just let God know that I am struggling and that the world is overwhelming me with these frustrations He will send me His peace. And not only send His peace to me but His peace will guard my heart and my mind. But instead of listening to these words of wisdom given to me in Philippians I allow the frustrations to pile on until I can no longer with stand the pressure. It is at this break point one I finally cry out to God to grant me peace, because it is then that I realize that I have been trying to do this all on my own and that the burden has always been to much for me to carry on my own. Yet I still do not learn from the pass because I still try to cling to the frustrations and find a way to survive when God is offering me not only survival but He is offering me a cool, secluded, summer beach (free of sunburn or sunscreen).
So I am going to work on letting my requests be made known to God this week. I hope that you are all having a wonderful week.
Oh yeah on a happier note John Mark, Jessica, Chloe and Joel called me on Saturday. Chloe is getting really good at saying my name and even allowed me to have a tea party with her over the phone. I so miss getting to spend time with the four of them.
Well have a wonderful day and if you get a chance this week stop and think about Philippians 4:6-7.

Reading

First off I would like to apologize for not having posted anything for a while. The reason for this is my computer has not had working Internet for almost a week now and today they finally took it to get it fixed and gave me a stand in. But I do have a post that I am very excited about sharing, finally! I have been reading a book by Ted Dekker called The Bride Collector and came across a line that stopped me in my tracks and has been on my mind for the last week.
"Have you ever wondered why most people who say they believe in God and heaven don't actually want to leave this life to be with him? Not until life has slapped them around enough for them to beg for it."
I am so guilty of this. We as humans fear death, yet as Christians we should not fear death because like they say in Hook, "To die would be a great adventure." As a Christian we know what awaits after death yet like Quinton says in the quote we "don't actually want to leave this life to be with Him (God)" God tells us in the Bible to be in the world not of it, but so many of us believe we can do both. That we can still have all the best stuff like IPhones and Escalades and still not be in the world. That we can pursue a life of money and still be removed from the world. The story that is lingering in my mind is the Rich man who comes to Christ and wants to know how to get into heaven and when Christ tells him to give everything he has away he leaves instead. Christ then tells his disciples that "it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than a rich man to enter the Kingdom of God." (Matthew 19:24) Even the poorest people in America are still rich. So think about that story. We are the Rich man, we claim to have obeyed God's commands and to be following after him but when he asks us to make a sacrifice of our time, or our money, we act like the rich people we are, and we run away. We have grown attached to what the world has to offer and no longer completely desire to be with the God, who continues to romances us, but instead we have begun to lust after the worldly possessions. This is why we fear death. We are afraid of losing what we have worked so hard to obtain here in the world. Instead we should be building up treasures in heaven, seeking after the will of God. We should be in the world not of it. We need to stop letting our "Rich man" mentality keep us from the visions and plans God has for us. to do this we need to allow God to break the chains of the world that have begun to enslave us. We need to stop trying to live the American dream and start trying to live the heavenly dream. We need to fix our eyes on things about and allow God to lead our footsteps on the path he has laid before us. Maybe then we will not fear death but we will rejoice at the coming time when we will finally leave this place and be joined with our Father in Heaven.

Be the Church

This Sunday was Calvary Baptist Church's "Be the Church Sunday." This is where they set up service project all over Lubbock and instead of having a normal church service you go out and serve the people. I was fortunate enough to be able to participate this year. I went to the Salvation Army here in Lubbock and helped to prepare food. We cooked meat loaf, chicken and rice casserole, jello with fruit in it, and some cupcakes and cakes. They are going to freeze these and then use them in the next week. The lady that was in charge usually has to do it all by herself so she gladly welcomed the help. It was fun getting to serve. Not only are you serving next to your family but you are spread out serving in your town (or in my case a town close to you). I thought it was a cool idea and hope that other Churches might adopt a "Be the Church Sunday."
So I am already missing Thad. It has been four days since I have seen him. It is funny how addicting babies are especially when they are as cute as little Thaddaeus. I called Sara on Saturday to wish her a happy birthday and she and Jeremy still have not caught up on rest yet and I bet it will still be a while before they are able to do so.
Praise of the week. Yesterday was Papa's birthday and I made it through. I know it has been almost two years now since he passed aways but sometimes it is still really hard and yesterday was not one of those times. I really thinking getting out and doing stuff helped to keep my mind off of it. It is hard to lose someone but the joy of knowing where they are helps to easy that pain.
I hope that you were all able to enjoy your weekend and that your Monday has been good so far. Have a wonderful week!!

Thaddaeus

I am an Aunt for the third time. Yesterday at 11:45 Thaddaeus Micah Boucher entered the world. He weighed 8 lbs 13 oz and was 20 inches long. He is so beautiful. I will definitely have to add some pictures for you to all the see. I was lucky enough to be able to take off of school early yesterday to head to San Angelo and although I was not there when they came out to tell everyone Thad had arrived I was there in time to hold him for a good long while. I was also able to take the day off from school today enjoy sometime not only with Thad but with Jeremy, Sara, Mom, Dad, and Sara's parents. It has been a well needed break. Thad is just perfect and we are all glad to finally get to meet him. It brings back memories of when Chloe and Joel were born but with Thad I was the only one of the Aunts and Uncles who was able to come. I know the rest wanted to be here as well and I wish they could have been. What a great time to come together as a family and celebrate the life that God has placed into our lives.
Thad birth brings with it for me a since of longing. It has been hard for me since I graduated from college. I thought I had it all played out, I would be married before I graduated from college and would teacher a couple of years before having my first kid. Yet here I am on my second year of teaching and I hardly even know any single guys. And now seeing Jeremy and Sara and the joy they have with the birth of Thaddaeus makes me ready to get married and start my own family. I would say I know God has someone out there for me but I don't know that, I only hope that. And I am beginning to hope that that someone and I meet real soon because this whole living by myself thing is not fun. I am a people person and am ready to begin my own family. So I just asked that you will pray for my patience. That I will not rush into anything. But that I will be patient and wait upon the Lord and the plans that he has for my life. It is his timing not mine and sometimes that can be frustrating but I know that he knows better than I do.
Well I hope you week has been good for far and continues to be good.
Picture of Thad will be coming shortly!!!!

Internet

I have been trying to write a post since Tuesday but the Internet at school has been all crazy. It has been a crazy week. Sara went to the doctor on Tuesday and they told her she was dilated to a 5 but since she was not having any contractions they sent her home again but has made us all a little jumpy every time the phone rings. I am so excited about having another nephew. One who actually lives in the states or at least for a little while.
Also last Wednesday I had the chance to give one of my students a ride home. He has missed the bus and so I told him I could give him a ride once I finished up tutorials. This student has been going through a lot lately so it was a great chance for me to check on him and see how he was dealing with it all. On Monday he found out that his girlfriend was cheating on him and this is his first girlfriend ever. So it was nice to have the chance to get to talk to him. It is funny how little things like missing the bus can present such big opportunities. God works in funny ways.
Now for the thought of the week. I was reading my Bible and came across some verses that talked about setting our eyes on Jesus and what is to come. This really made me stop and think for a while. Am I setting my eyes on Jesus and the things to come? I decide that I live day by day. That my eyes are not set on things to come. In Hebrews 11 it talks about the people of the Old Testament who had great faith. They were looking to the promises that God had made and although many of them did not see these promises fulfilled in their lives they knew that God would hold true and they followed him still. They faith was strong and they trusted fully in God. Do I have faith like that? Do I know that God is using me now and the effects of that will outlast my life time? Am I willing to allow him to use me even though I can not see the effects? These are some questions I need to think about. What is God calling me to and why have I not set my eye on that vision? It was really funny that this topic should come up because one of the things we talked about at the retreat was vision. I know God has a vision for me, although I do not always know what it is. But I hope that I can learn to focus my eyes on his vision for my life so that my faith can become like Abraham's and Joseph's and the people that it talks about in Hebrews 11.

Josh Hamilton

The weekend of Jeremy and Sara's baby shower in San Angelo, Gran gave me Josh Hamilton's biography, Beyond Belief. At the time I was reading two other books and decided as soon as I got the chance I wanted to read this book. So I quickly finished my other two books and began to read Hamilton's book this weekend. I also finished it this weekend. Let me feel you in if you do not know who Josh Hamilton is: Josh Hamilton was the first round first pick in 1999 and went to the Devil Rays for $3.96 million, he played for the Reds and was traded a year later to the Texas Rangers where he continues to play. He is an outfielder and was thought to be one of the best players the game has ever seen. It is a book that you must read.
Josh Hamilton really struggled with a drug and alcohol addiction but then after hitting the bottom and his "Granny" pushing him he over came it with the help of James 4:7. He has inspire many people with his story and continues to be an example that so many people can look to when they are struggling with any addiction. His father-in-law, at one point in the book when he is struggling with his addiction, tells him that the only way that he is ever going to over come his addiction is with the help of Christ. It was cool because we talked about that same thing this weekend. About Phil. 4:14, and how we tend to limit God and do not always have faith that the impossible is actually possible with God. We allow our sin and desperation take over and forget that God is there waiting for us to ask for his help so that he can begin to provide us with the strength that we need to over come sin. I would strongly suggest that if you get a chance to read Beyond Belief that you take it. Also Josh Hamilton gives his testimony on iamsecond.com. It is a short video version of the book but it let's you see a little of what he went through.
Well I hope that you have a wonderful week.

Road Trip Report

Ruidoso was beautiful. On Saturday while we were walking around the town a huge storm cloud was rolling in from over the mountain and it was a beautiful sight.

So with that said let me start with the beginning. Friday I left school a little early went to my house to pack the few items I had forgot to pack and then headed to the church to meet up with the bus. My Sunday school teachers were driving the bus and two of the guys who came last Sunday were riding the bus as well as two girls I have never met. It was a lot of fun as are most long trips in a vehicle fun of college students. We told stories and definitely had some good laughs. Once we made it to our cabins we met the other people who would be spending the week with us. Me and the girl I shared a room with stayed up until 12:30 just talking and getting to know each other. Then Saturday we had Bible study. We talked about what it meant to be a disciple or to disciple each other. It was a great discussion about what we as a church need to be doing to help train up the next generation and to help strengthen ourselves. Then we had the day to do whatever we wanted until we went to the Flying J Ranch. This is a dinner and a show place which was a lot of fun. We watched a gun fight and then ate on metal plates and drank from metal cups. Then after everyone finished they sang some other country music. Sunday we had our last Bible study and we talked about doing God's will and what stops us from hearing his voice. It really made me stop and think. What causes me to not hear His voice? and then the times that I hear his voice but don't obey, what causes me to do that? One answer that came to me was fear. Fear of letting go of control of my life and handing it completely over to God to do whatever he wants with it. That is scary for me. I like to be in control to know what is coming next and how it is going to happen, but with God I just have to trust Him and have faith that he will lead me and use me. What are somethings that stop you from hearing God's voice or from obeying Him? We then returned home, stopping in Roswell to eat lunch. I did see a few aliens and a McDonald's that was shaped like a space ship. It was a great weekend. Something that I really needed it. It was nice to get away and spend the weekend with fellow Christian and to begin building relationships with them. I want to thank you for your prayers. I know that God spoke to me this weekend. I know that I need to begin working on listening for His voice and being obedient. I need to work on prayer as well. That it would be a continuous thing throughout my day not just a ritual thing before I go to bed each night. So if you could continue to pray for me. That I might grow stronger in my prayer life and that I will be in tune to God's will.

Once again thank you for your prayers. I had a wonderful weekend.

Road Trip

Today I will be heading to Ruidoso, New Mexico with the Sunday School class I have been attending for the last couple of weeks. We are going on a retreat and I am both excited about getting out of Levelland for the weekend and nervous because I only really know a couple of people who are going. I think it is going to be not only a great chance to refesh my spirit but also the thing I have been looking for to help me begin to develop some friendship here with people who are closer to my own age. So I just want to ask that you will pray for me this weekend. That we will have a safe trip, that my ears will be tuned into God's voice as we study his word, and finally that I will be outgoing and make new friends.
I hope you have a wonderful weekend!!

Happy Birthday Dad

Today my dad turns 50!!!! Together my parents age equals a century. How crazy is that? Joshua came up with this great idea where we buy Dad 50 birthday cards, one for each year that he has lived. It was a great chance for me to be able to tell Dad how much he meant to me. A Father is a very important thing for people. God calls himself the father and sometimes that is what turns people away from him. I have listened to so many of my students tell me about how their fathers are not around or that they could care less what they do. We, my brothers and I, have been greatly blessed with a wonderful father. He has not only been there for us throughout the years but has been a constant source of encouragement, protection and love. Something that most people don't even get much less from their fathers. Dad has been that strong spiritual center that holds a family together. He has encouraged us to be the best we can be and to cling to the Heavenly Father. So much of my picture of God comes from my Dad. He is always there watching out for us, he is the one behind the scenes helping you continue on, when something goes wrong he is the one you run to (if mom is not around ;) ), and most of all he is a constant source of love. Yes I know that my Dad is not God. And that there is so much more to God than what any human could ever show but my Dad has allowed God to shine through him and has taken on some of his characteristics. So today I want to wish my Dad a happy 50th Birthday and to say thanks for always being there for me and for being a constant light in this world of darkness. May God continue to bless you and may you continue to be willing to be used by him. HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!

Last Week

Last week was Homecoming here at Levelland. So that means it was a long busy week full of decorating and dressing up to show school spirit. It was actually a lot of fun. The math department planned to dress alike on twin day so for one day last week I looked ten other people. Then on opposite day I learned how annoying a tie can be. Then Thursday was stop light day or better know as look whose single and who is not. If you were taken you wore a red shirt and if you were single you were a green one and if you didn't know you were suppose to wear yellow. Also on Thursday since I am a freshman sponsor I had to stay after school and watch the students decorate their walls for homecoming. It was a lot of fun. I got to hang out with Mrs. Jackson and her son.
The coolest thing from last week happened on Thursday as well. If you remember from a couple of post ago I told you about a girl who invited me to church. Well she stay after school on Thursday to study for a test and we had a great conversation about how she became a Christian. We also had a great chance to talk about dating people who are equally yoked with you and about how so many times we try and put God into a box and limit Him. It was really cool to hear her thoughts on the different things we talked about and to be able to share my ideas with her. I love talking about things like that with people.
Then this weekend I was finally able to see some family. It was Thad's baby shower in San Angelo so I got to see Jeremy, Sara, Mom, Dad and Gran. We went and ate for Dad's birthday and then went back to Jeremy and Sara's to watch the Rangers beat the A's so they are now in the Play offs!!! Gran bought me the Josh Hamilton biography. I am ready to read it.
Well I hope you have a wonderful week.

See You At The Pole

Today was See You At The Pole. I was really excited about getting to go out but we unable to do so because of a Faculty meeting. However when I walked by and looked out the window, I was able to see that there were quiet a few students at our flag pole praying. I remember seeing our teachers come out when we did SYATP and how cool that was and I really wish I could have been there. I was still glad to see some of my students throw the window. I hope that you will remember the students today as there are many SYATP rallies going on tonight as well. It is a great chance for students to be a witness to their classmates.
I hope that you all have a wonderful end of the week.

Wednesday Tutorials

I have been trying to write this post since Wednesday but I have been so busy with school and grading that I have not had time but today I am making time for it. So let us travel back to Wednesday so I can fill you in on the days events.
Well it all started in the morning. I usually get to school between 7:20 and 7:30 so that if any of my students needs help I can be there. Well one of my students from last year comes into my room sobbing. She walks up to me and I just give her a hug. It turns out her step dad had chewed her out that morning and she just needed someone to talk to. This was huge for me because out of all the teachers she had last year and the ones she has this year I was the one that she picked to come to. Then on Wednesdays we get out a 3:15 and start mandatory tutorials at that time. Well I had only assigned 6 students tutorials and I ended up with almost 20 kids in my room. The funny thing about that was only 7 of those students were my students from this year. I had a bunch of my football guys from last year come to my room just to hang out for a while. I also had three students who I have never had come into my room. One of them said it was because I was the cool teacher. This is the reason I was called to teach. I can see the relationships that God has helped me form with the students. And now to see them come back just to talk or to hang out is a huge blessing. I have a couple of students from last year who will ask to go to the bathroom 8th period but always end up in my class. This is what I want. For these students to know that I care enough about them that at any time during the day that they need me I could be there for them and comfort them if they are hurting. I want them to see Christ love in me. I really love teaching. (Now just remind me of that when I am having a rough day.)
Well sorry that this is almost a week late. I hope that you all enjoyed the Texas vs. Tech Football game on Friday. I know I did but a lot of people here were not to happy about the outcome. Hope all is well on this beautiful Monday. Have a wonderful week.

Update

Today I got to talk to the boy from last year that I prayed with. I was coming back to my room from lunch and he was heading to get a drink. It was great because I have been wanting to ask him about it but did not want to do it in front of his friends because I know it is a sensitive subject. Well I was able to ask him today how she is doing and his reply was "She is doing great!" How awesome is that. He told me that they have her almost done with radiation but she is doing really well and he had a huge smile on his face. How awesome is it when God answers prayers. That was a great day brightener especially after the crazy morning I had. I woke up to my alarm clock instead of my phone alarm which mean I over slept. So I was in one of those I am going to be late modes. When I started down the stairs I flipped on the light when instantly went out with a pop. I was getting the milk out of the refrigerator to make cereal when I dropped it and then later drop some of the cupcakes that I had make for PLC. So on my drive to school I had to just stop and pray that God would not let these small things to effect my day and yet another prayer was answered I had a great day. Well hope you all enjoyed your Labor day weekend.

Church Home

Last year I had some trouble finding a church home. I look in Levelland but never really felt like I fit in because any class I went to I was always the youngest or the only single one or the only person without kids. During the Spring semester I attended First Baptist Lubbock and was glad to see that people my age were attending as well (close to 400 people in fact) But I did not feel a sense of belonging. I still felt like another face in the crowd. I wanted to be involved but the opportunities were just not there. So I have decide to go on the search again. I do not want to settle for a church. I want to be in the church family that God has for me because there are great things waiting there for me. So far I have tried out two new churches and neither one seems to be the one to fit me. Once again I feel detached from the Sunday school classes that I attend. I am the odd one out most of the time. However a good thing about living next to Lubbock is the choices are numerous. In fact on Sunday I was trying to find the church that I want to go to and I kind of got lost and ended up driving by three more Baptist churches. It is funny and kind of sad to think that there are so many churches around us yet there are states who are lucky if they even have one church in a city. Also to think of countries where you are persecuted for being a Christian yet we have 50 churches in one city and that is only the Baptist churches. How did it get that way? What caused us to have so many churches here yet so few in many other states?
Well I would ask for your prayers as I continue to search for the family that God is calling me to be a part of. I do not want to settle but find a place where I fit in and can plug in and serve God along with the others in that family. I also ask that you will pray for my church in Dublin. They have been praying for September 12, Double in Sunday. Each Sunday School classes has set a goal and on the 12th they are going to try and reach that goal. So I ask that you will be praying that this church goal is reached and that the people who are a part of it are able to see the hand of God through it all. Well I hope that you have enjoyed the first half of the week and continue to enjoy the second. Have a happy Wednesday.

Day Brightener

Wow!! I am so excited!! I know this might be small to some of y'all but it is very exciting to me. Just now at the end of sixth period I had one of my students come up after class and asked me if I wanted to come to her church tonight because they are having a revival tonight and tomorrow. I was really excited. That is the first time a student has ever invited me to church, of course I have only been teaching for a year now. I still think that is really cool.
Tonight I get to work the volleyball games here in Levelland. I am excited about that too but it will be the second night in a row that I got home late. Last night was Back to School night so I got to meet a couple of my student's parents which is always an exciting thing. So as you can tell there has been quiet a bit of excitement.

Journal Entry

So I was reading through one of my journals the other day and I came across the entry that is below. I wrote it one Sunday when I had stayed home from church because I just needed to be alone with God. I needed to get away from the routine that had become worship and to sit alone with God. I sang a couple of songs and then just prayed. Then I decided to journal a little and this is what came out. Maybe you can relate to some part of it.

My heart aches to be close to you; to feel your joy and your peace all around me. To know that though I sit alone in this quiet empty apartment…you are here. Finally grasping the fact that I am no longer alone that I have a lover with me at all times. I know you have already given me more than I could ever comprehend; that your blessings are infinite and impossible to count. That day in and day out you are walking beside me helping me, carrying me …loving me. Yet there are times I can not feel your gentle touch. Times when I can no longer hear your soft whispers in my ear. These are the times I have left you for another. I have cheated on you; I fell into the arms of another lover. But you wait for me still. You sit there softly calling me back; longing to hold me in your arms again. True Love. That is what your love is. It is not like the other lovers. It does not fill you for only a short time and then leave you feeling alone and empty. Your love calls to me all the time; it fills me completely and never seems to run out. It is a love without conditions, a love that binds me to you and I am yours. You still love me when no one else seems to. You want me when all my other lovers have left me; dirty, bruised and broken. They have taken so much from me, I am so weak and it is hard to hold on any longer. That is when you and your perfect love step in. You sew me up and bandage my wounds. Then you pull me close to your chest and it is there that I will find the rest that I ache for. In your arms life takes on new colors. The world no longer seems so dull with nothing to keep us going. It is now vibrant and alive; there is so much to be done and you are asking for my help. But I look at myself and all these wounds and scars, how could I ever be of use to you? I am….broken. But you tell me that you can use me just as I am. That there are people with wounds just like me. Your love sparks a fire in me; a consuming fire ready to set a flame anything that it touches. I am ready to serve you and to work along side you. You have to help me at first. I am still worried about what they will think of my scars. You have to point me to the people you want me to help. Then I begin to realize they are not looking at my scars, but that they see you! You are shinning through me and for a moment all my wounds and scars disappear and there is only you. Then I begin to desire to see this beautiful new world through your eyes. That I might be able to see who is hurting...who is broken...who is scarred...who is in need of your love. And when I did not think I could burn any brighter the fire you lit inside of me takes on a shade of blue. It is hot now and there are so many torches that need to be lit. You are strengthening me each day, fueling my fire, fueling my soul. Then a rough time comes; a bucket of water is thrown on my fire. It does not get extinguished but it is no longer burning as bright. I have messed up yet again, another scar to add to my collection. I had grown accustom to the routine in my life. I had grown satisfied with the life I had lived, but routine and satisfaction were the buckets that drowned my consuming fire. My eyes and ears had been closed; I thought I was doing well. I had become the person you wanted me to be. But I had not. I finally made my way back to you. Once again I find you waiting… waiting for me to come home… waiting to wrap your arms around me… to lay me against your strong chest. Waiting to wash me clean and fix me up; to give me the rest I needed to get back on my feet again. Then we head back out into the world; looking for people to love. It takes a while for me to regain my confidence and for my fire to burn bright and hot again. Now it finally does, with your help. Now I must try not to become satisfied, try not to get stuck in a routine, but to live each day as if it were my last; to let your fire burn within me and through me.

Sleeping

I have been reading in Luke for the Read the Bible in a Year and I came across the story of Jesus and the mount of Transfiguration. It talks about how they got to the top and the three disciples that he had with him were falling asleep. Then there is the story of Jesus praying in the garden and the disciples kept falling asleep there too. And a great analogy hit me. Here these disciples are sleeping through some really important things. I mean if they had fallen asleep on the Mountain that would have missed the sight of Jesus and the two transfiguration. And then here Jesus was counting on them in the garden to pray for him. So my analogy is that we should be Spiritually awake because we never know what is coming that we might miss. God cannot use us if we are sleeping. So we need to be awake and alert. We need to be ready to share our faith and to be excited about it. When we fall asleep we miss out on great things.
Sorry if that was hard to follow, the ironic thing is that while I am typing I am trying to stay awake. This week has been a long first week back to school. But I have really enjoyed it. I am teaching freshmen still and for the most part the kids are great. I went to their game on Wednesday and already had kids yelling at me from the sidelines and one came up and gave me a hug. Then this morning I had another student come in before school just to talk. So it is cool to see how fast some of these kids take to people who should them that they care. Then this year has been great because the first day of school some of my students from last year stopped by to see me. I have really missed my students over the summer so to get to see them again has been great. Over all it is looking like it will turn out to be another great year.
Hope that you all have a wonderful weekend!!!!

The Month of July

So I feel like a slacker. I have not posted in a very long time and it is not because I do not have something to say because I do just didn't always have time to run into mom's office to make a post.
Well with that out of the way let me fill you in on what I did in the month of July. The first couple of days in July I actually spent in San Angelo, helping my brother and his wife move into a retirement center. Yeah I can hear the laughs, they are not even late twenties and they are living in a retirement center. It was fun to get to spend some time with them and the trip with mom was anything but boring. After helping them pack up and move I return to Dublin to pack my bags to head to Greenfield, Massachusetts. I was able to go on a mission trip there to help out Faith Baptist Church. We pulled up carpet, laid new floor, and did lots of painting. Dad and I stayed with a great family who has become my family now. We had so much fun and God showed me that his body is everywhere and that it is so easy for us to connect because we already have so much in common being children of the King. I had to leave my mission trip a little early to head back to Texas for a school event. I was actually kind of dreading it after being in Massachusetts for the week but it ended up being a lot of fun. I was able to meet a couple of the new teachers and get to spend time hanging out with my teacher friends. One of our new teachers I found out is very involved in missions as well and I think a great friendship could be waiting there. After the weekend was up I got to return to Dublin to help out with VBS. I had so much fun with the kids, teaching them sports and listening to the lessons. God really should me that we are Christians sometimes seem to get in the way. We think that we already know all that we need to know and so we don't always have to listen to what is being said so we distract the people next to us who truly need to be listening. (and I am not saying that we all do that). After VBS I got to go and pick up my brother from the airport. It was so nice to get to see him after a whole summer. I had missed his humor and getting to spend time with him.
Well that was my month of July and I will try and be better about not waiting so long. However I am back at school now so that should not be a problem. Well I hope you all had a wonderful summer and that if you are heading back to work the transition is smooth.

Power in the Name

This summer I have set a goal to read ten books before I have to go back to teaching. So far I have already finished my first five and I am in the process of reading my sixth. This sixth book is about a fallen angel and his take on the beginning of the Bible. I came across a part in the book that I really liked and wanted to share with you. This demon is listening in on the burning bush conversation, when Moses asks God how the Hebrews are suppose to know that god really had sent Moses. That is when God said to tell them that he was the I AM. The demon says that he immediately fell prostrate on the ground because of the power of God's name. He said that he tried everything to get up but he could not move. A goat even comes and sits on him but the power of God's name continued to keep him down.
How awesome a thought is that. The Bible even talks about that at the name of Christ every knee shall bow. That is such an awesome thought to me that just a the sound of his name this power will over come all and that will bow before the King. To be able to worship a God whose name alone contains such great power and that is just his name. How small does that make you feel? Yet this same God is the one who sent his only son to die for you and me, who passionately pursues each one of our hearts. That is the God that we serve. So let's scream it at the top of our lungs that we serve the great I AM!!!!

Phone Call

Today I received a phone call that has shock me up. It has really made me stop and think about the time that we each have here on Earth. It is crazy how short our time on Earth is. Our time on Earth is short but or purpose is huge. I am one of those people who try to save everyone. I was blessed with a gift of compassion and I hate to see people suffering, so if I can help I try. Today was a reminder that we can not save everyone. “For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it.” Matthew 7:13 There you have it many will chose the road of destruction but that does not mean that we stop trying to reach them. It does not mean that after they reject us once we give up. No we fight for them. We need to continue to show them the love of Christ and that he is there to help them out. And we pray. We pray that God will help soften their hearts to his word and to his love.
Another thing this call brought up is a discussion that I have had with my mom many times. How do people survive without Christ? When my granddad past away, I know the only reason I made it through the way I did is because of Christ and the knowledge that Papa was now in a place of no suffering. That is not the only time that Christ is there for us. There is a verse that I love that describes how Christ helps us out daily. 1 Peter 5:7 “Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.” When those burns in life begin to pile up on you and you fill that you are suffocating or that there is no way out, it is Christ who comes and answers your broken cries for help. Without Christ, what stops the burdens and the struggles from crushing you?
We have this awesome gift of Christ and so many times as Christians we get too caught up in our lives to share him with the ones around us. There are people who are hurting under your very nose and so many times they go unnoticed. Brandon Heath says it perfectly “Lord give me your eyes!” This should be our cry that we could see people through his eyes so that we can see that they are suffering and we can open those loving arms of Christ to them. So I am going to work harder on praying for the people I know are lost and to try and see the world through God’s eyes. I hope that you will join me.

Good-byes

So today we took my little brother to the airport. He begins his summer mission journey today with a plane ride half way across the world. Once he lands they will have a couple of hours before heading up country. It has always been hard to say good-bye to each one of my brothers as they are passing through security at an airport headed for a wonderful summer of missions and adventure but for some reason today seemed harder than ever. I had to watch my little brother pass through security and know that I would not see him for at least two months. I know that he is doing what God has called him to do and I am so proud of him for that but say good-bye was hard. The funny thing about it all is that if you talked to anyone who knew us when we were little they would laugh at how close we have become. Joshua is my best friend. We get into trouble together, we gang up on Mom together, and we have so many inside jokes together. Summer is suppose to be that time when we are home from school and get to actually see each other, seeing as how we live eight hours apart.) But as I said before I am so proud of him, that he is following this call on his life to a country that is half way around the world. I know that God is going to use him in so many different ways. So if you would be praying for him until his return I know that he would appreciate it as would I. So there we have it another Boucher child has left the country.

Music

Have you ever noticed how there is a song for every mood that you are in. That when you are having a rough day a song can come on and make it all so much better. Or that when you need to be cheered up or need a good cry there is a song for that. (okay I just thought of the iPhone commercials where they say "there's an app. for that.") But it is so true. There is a song that goes with each day. Music is the language of the world. And it is a great way to worship the awesome God who gave us music to begin with. It is a chance for you to pour out your soul in such a beautiful way.
What brought on this blog you might ask. Well lately God has been using music in my life to encourage me or to show me that someone else has gone through what I am going through. Like a couple of post ago I talked about Tenth Avenue North's song "Healing Begins" and how it described what was happening in my life at that moment as well.
Then I went to a concert last Thursday and The Wrecking sang this song about coming back to God. That is exactly what this year has been for me. A chance for me to come back to God and to begin a stronger relationship with him than I have ever had.
Then there was yesterday it had been a rough morning and since we are testing they are doing the schedule backwards the last three days. So I did not have any students for about an hour so I just put some music on and it just made my day so much better.
Finally for my reading the Bible in a year I have been in Psalms and almost every Psalm has a song that came from it. So as I read through the Psalms I begin to sing all of these songs. But to think that these are songs that people in the old testament sang is pretty cool.
So I am going to end this blog with a question and I hope that you will answer it. What is a song that is speaking to you right now?

Lost

If you are a Lost fan than you know that the series finally was on Sunday. That is right there will be no more Lost episodes. I have really enjoyed the show as you get to watch these people face challenges and see how it defines the person that later become. There are so many things that you could take away from Lost and apply them to Christianity. But today I want to share a quote from the last episode that has been on my mind. In the show there is this guy named Hurley who is hilarious and has the biggest heart out of all of the characters. He is sitting in the car with Sayid who was a torturer in the Iraqi Republican Guard. Hurley looks at Sayid and tells him "Man I think you are a good guy, people have been telling you for a long time that you are not and you believe them. No one can tell you who you are, only you can do that." Wow. That is so true for so many people in the world today. We let other people tell us who we are suppose to be or what is going to become of us, when we are the ones who get to decide that. We care so much about what people think about us that we are willing to become what they think we are just to fit their image. Why not break free of that bondage. Throw it all away and stand up for yourself. Tell yourself that you can be anything you want to be. People do not define who we are but for some reason we let them. And this goes both ways. Not only do we let people define who we are but we also try and define who they are. You see this in the class room all the time. Teachers will tell their students that they will never pass their class so the student stops trying and does not pass the class. I wish I could say that I did not care about how people viewed me or what they thought about me but then I would be lying. How great would it be if we could just rest in the fact that we are daughters and sons of the King of Kings and that he thinks that we are beautiful. That his opinion is the only one that matters. So let's try and follow Hurley's advice and not believe what others think about us (unless it is good).
Hope you are having a great week.
Days until the end of school 3!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The Color White

Maybe God is trying to tell me something about sin. It has been coming up a lot lately for me.
Today I wore a white skirt to school. And by the end of the day an analogy had presented itself to me. If you have ever worn something that is white you will understand completely what I am talking about. White attracts disasters. You either spill something on yourself, or find the streaks of color that you have no idea where they came from. But white does not hind stains at all. And that made me think about how we are washed white by the blood of Christ but that when we sin those sins must stand out to God like ketchup on a white skirt. Even though we feel like we are doing a great job hiding our sins from others and even from God this is never the case. Yes we could go our whole lives without someone know what we have done but God knows. The whiteness does not hide our sins but makes them stand out until they are dealt with. Then Christ comes in with some Shout and scrubs the stain away. We are made white again until the next disaster comes. And just like disasters are attracted to white, Satan is too. He sees when we are close to God and he does not like it. He tries his hardest to get us dirty, like a child or a sibling who wants nothing more than to throw you in that big mud puddle.
Well that is my analogy of my white skirt. I did not spill ketchup on it today but did find some random streaks of color that I have no clue where they came from.
I hope you are having a wonderful week. And if you are a teacher, just remember the end is near!!!!!

Prayer in School

Wow what a day. So I wrote about hearing God speaking to me on Saturday. Well it happened it again today. I went in to Mrs. Swain's room to ask her if I could borrow her TV for a TV show tonight. I was in there and she told me that I should talk to this one student. He just found out at lunch that his grandmother has cancer. Nanci said that I should talk to him since I had just lost a grandparent as well. Well we begin talking about how hard it is to think of someone you love not being there anymore. And then how things are once they are gone. I was talking to him about the three years when Papa was in and out of the hospital and he shared with me about how his grandmother has always been there for him. That is when I felt this tug in me to ask the boy if I could pray for him and his grandmother. And so I asked and he said that would be fine. So Nanci, the student and I all gathered around and I prayed for this boy and his grandmother. It was so awesome that I could sit down with this person who I have never met and share this part of my life with him that is so difficult for me to talk about. Even though it has been almost two years since I lost my granddad. And then to be able to just ask if I could pray for him. It was a great feeling. Knowing that God just used me. And the best part about it is that I was in a place where God knew I could be used. It has been a while since my walk has been strong enough for God to use me. Wow. God is GREAT!!! Understatement I know but there are no words to describe him. So if you could just be praying for this student and his grandmother as the future is going to be a little rough. That God would draw them to him and that the time they have left together would be blessed and cherished by all. Hope you are having a wonderful week.

Letting Go and Growing Up...

Wow what a weekend. There is no other way to describe it. Let's start with a verse that kind of inspired it all.

James 5:16
"Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed."

If you keep up with my posting you will have read the post "Horde or Forest Guard?" Where I talked about wearing our sins on the outside for all the world to see. Well I had a chance to go home this weekend to see my parents. And I was telling my Dad about the blog and we talked about James 5:16 a little bit. About how we are called to share our sins with one another. Well Saturday night I sit down to read my bible and God just grabbed my heart. He told me you need to confess your sins to your parents. And I was like yeah right these are my parents we are talking about. They punish you when you do something wrong. Well I try to continue reading and God just pushed harder and harder, so I finally pray that he will give me strength to do this to share my sins with my parents. I have never felt God speak to me so clearly. So I went in and had a wonderful conversation with my parents. Then my dad prayer for us just like James talks about "and pray for each other so that you may be healed." And I felt like this weight had been lifted. I was able to go back and read my bible and actually concentrate on it.

Then to make it ever more real. On Sunday we sang Amazing Grace (My Chains are gone) and to sing those words. "My chains are gone, I've been set free." It was real to me. I had finally laid my chains down at the foot of the Father. I had finally let go and was ready to continue growing in my walk with Christ.

And then the icing to the cake came when I was driving home on Monday. Tenth Avenue North was on Air 1 talking about their new song "Healing Begins" and it was a perfect description of what had happened just a few nights ago. The words to the song are:

"So you thought you had to keep this up, all the work that you do. So we think that you're good and you can't believe it's not enough. All the walls you built up are just glass on the outside so let 'em fall down.There's freedom waiting in the sound when you let your walls fall to the ground. We're here now. This is where the healing begins, oh This is where the healing starts. When you come to where you're broken within, the light meets the dark. The light meets the dark. Afraid to let your secrets out, everything that you hide can come crashing through the door now. But too scared to face all your fear, so you hide but you find that the shame won't disappear. So let it fall down. There's freedom waiting in the sound, when you let your walls fall to the ground. We're here now. We're here now, oh This is where the healing begins, oh This is where the healing starts. When you come to where you're broken within, the light meets the dark. The light meets the dark. Sparks will fly as grace collides with the dark inside of us. So please don't fight this coming light. Let this blood come cover us, his blood can cover us. This is where the healing begins, oh This is where the healing starts. When you come to where you're broken within The light meets the dark The light meets the dark."

The song talks about the walls that you build up so that people can't see what is in our hearts. Until we knock those walls down we are not free. Those sins that we hide are holding us captive. And when we knock down those walls we are free and can start healing from the scars that the chains have formed. I think the line that gets me the most and where it says, "too scared to face all your fear, so you hide but you find that the shame won't disappear." We are scared to open that door for others. So instead we hide and that shame of what we have done sticks with us and will not go away. So let break down the walls. And feel that brokenness inside so that we can begin to heal. It is terrifying I know to become transparent to a person. What if they reject you or judge you for what you have done. But God calls us to do it. And then if you are the one they decide to open up to you are suppose to pray for them. Pray that God will send that healing for them. That the chains that have held them captive for so long will be broken and the wounds will begin to heal.

So like I said WOW what a weekend. My healing is beginning. What do you need to reveal to someone today? Whose healing do you need to be praying for? I hope that you can find the courage and the desire to do both of these. Trust me the freedom the song talks about is an amazing feeling!!! Hope you have a wonderful Tuesday!!

Are you Horde or Forest Guard?

I just finished reading a book that a friend had given to me. So I have had a chance to get back to reading some of the books that I got for my birthday. If you have ever talked to me about reading you would know that my favorite author is Ted DeKker. He is a Christian fiction writer who lives in Austin, Texas. I have been reading his serious called the Lost Books which tie into his circle trilogy books, Black, Red and White.
In these stories there is two types of people who are fighting over "The Other World". These two groups are the horde and the forest guard. Both believe that the other one is diseased. The Forest Guard are followers of Elyon the creator of other world. The Horde are ones who have chosen not to follow Elyon but instead Teelah the creature of darkness. Sound like something you know. The point I want to make is that the difference between the two is obvious. If you do not bath in the lake of Elyon then your skin begins to rot and crack open. What if your sins were displayed on your skin? Should you not be able to tell the difference between believers and non believers just as easily as between Horde and Forest Guard? Should we not stand out from the world? Yet we have a tendency to blend into the world. To cover ourselves with morst (the cream the Horde uses to sooth their pain) so that we can blend in because if we stand out we might be persecuted or made fun of. So if someone was to look at your life today could they tell if you were Horde or Forest Guard? Or are you a Forest Guard covered with morst?
Hope that you are having a wonderful week!!!

Where are we going??

This past weekend I was very fortunate enough to receive a lovely visit from my parents. They got to meet the LHS math department on Saturday for lunch at this GREAT Italian food restaurant. Then they were lucky enough to get to experience a Levelland prom. And let me tell you it is crazy here. They have people bring lawn chairs so they can sit and watch the kids walk in. And some of the people do not even have students still going to LHS. Then on Sunday they were able to go to church with me before having to head back to Dublin.
This is where the title comes in. We had a guest pastor on Sunday. His name was Stephen and he is a pastor at a huge church in London. He has started Clarion Missions. The sermon title was "Unchanging Gospel, Changing World." He talked about how the gospel has been the same but that the way that we present it to people should change. I would not share the gospel the same way with someone from Texas as I would with someone from Jordan. We need to make the gospel relate to them. He used Paul as an example, when he was in Athens he went around the town studying their ideals and culture and then he came to them and said "I see you have even an alter to an unknown god. I am going to tell you about him and how he lives today." (I paraphrased that) He made God relate to them where they were at.
Another point he made is that we, my generation, struggle with become absorbed into the world today. We are beginning to look more and more like the world and stand out less and less. In Sunday school we read a verse from Hebrews about being an alien in this world. That is true we are not of this world and when you hear the word alien you think of a green creature or something like that. If an alien, a green one, was standing in a crowd how easy would it be to point him out. So why are we not the same as that alien. We should not camouflage ourselves to blend in but we should dare to stand out. For others to see that there is something that is different in us. That we have a love like no other and a Father who is watching over us.
Lastly, he talked about going. We need to reach out to this lost and dying world. We should not be afraid to leave everything we know behind and step out on faith. When God calls us to go are we will to do so or do we have something holding us back. There are so many places that Christians are persecuted for their faith and we sit here in American and become comfortable. We need to GO!! We need to not be afraid to share our faith to be placed outside our comfort zone. So my question to you today is Where are you going? Who are you trying to bring the gospel to in this ever changing world?

TAKS not Taxes

Today was the big day. I have been asking my Life Group to pray for TAKS and one girl asked me this week why we were praying for taxes still.... yeah I had to laugh. Anyways, today was the day that my freshmen took their Math TAKS. The day that the whole school year has been working toward. These results are suppose to tell me if I am good teacher or not. But no offense to the wonderful state of Texas but a test that happens one day out of the year is not a good judge of my ability as a teacher. It can not measure the relationships that I have formed with my students. It does not show how much my students have improved as a person. To watch them grow each day. How do you measure that on a test? However one good thing come out of TAKS this week. I was able to make a new friend. I had a new helper for the math TAKS, Mr. Torres. He is trying to get a history teacher job here in Levelland, actually the one he is substituting for right now. We had a wonderful conversation on Wednesday about what it meant to be a teacher and how we in American are very privileged but can't seem to see that. His daughter was one of the senior girls on the volleyball team this year.
So I just wanted to thank all of you who have been praying for my students this week and all the students across the state of Texas. Also wanted to let you know that after talking to two periods of students I think they did a pretty good job. I can not wait to get back the results. I hope you all have a wonderful week!!!

Giving it up...

Yesterday I had a chance to talk to one of my fellow math teachers about addictions to sports. He is a basketball coach here and was talking about how he is addicted to basketball and can not handle how bad it gets during season. It was a perfect chance for me to share about my addiction to volleyball. Most of you know that I played volleyball my freshmen year at Howard Payne. That is all just one year. I would like to say the reasons why were because it wasn't fun any more or that I didn't like my time always being filled with volleyball. But that was not the case. God showed me how consumed I had become with volleyball. I could not talk to someone without bringing it up. Those shirts that say eat, sleep, and play volleyball was a perfect description of what my life had become. It did not help either that the girls on the team seemed to be the only people I had time to hang out with because we were nothing alike. That is when God hit me in the face with it. Volleyball had taken the number one spot in my life. I put in first in everything I did. My relationship with God began to slip and being around the other players so much was not helping me any. That is when I decided I didn't want it to be like this any more; that I wanted things to change so as hard as it was for me I quit. I decided that if I could not give up a thing like volleyball for God then how could I call myself a Christian. And I never regretted it for a second. In fact it took me a while to even get back into playing it just for fun. But just having the chance to share that story with the Coach is big. Lately God has been opening the door for me to talk to him about a lot of the things that God has done for me personally so if you could pray for the opportunities to continue to arise and for me to say the right thing I would appreciate it. I hope that you all have a wonderful weekend!!!!

Busy

So it has been a while since I have posted anything. I have been super busy with the end of the six weeks and getting ready for the beloved TAKS Test (which by the way is April 29 for my freshmen). However just because I am busy does not mean that God is still not working in my life. He has been showing up in a lot of things lately. Yesterday morning at church while we were singing and you could just feel the spirit in that place. It has been a while since I have felt the spirit that strong in a church. Plus just the wonderful Life Group that He has blessed me with. We all talk to each other, we are not afraid to share our thoughts, and we keep up with what is going on with each other. It is like we are a little family. Also God is really revealing himself to me through some of my students. Just showing me that being a godly example every day is a very important for these students. They are searching for answers and I have the only one they need. I need to remember that even when I feel like I am too busy for a student that I am not. I should always be there when they have a question or want some advice. However, I am really ready for a break. This go-go-go thing is really hard on a person. You just need a time to stop and catch up on sleep.
The update on my department head, Randy, is that he did not have Kidney stones nor did they figure out what was wrong. However he has been fine ever since so that is good. Thank you all for your prayers. I hope you have a wonderful week. And are fortunate enough to find some time for yourself and God.

The alarm

So I have to share my awesome God story with you. Some people might think it was a coincident but I know it was all God. Yesterday was Sunday and I had set my alarm for 7:33 so I could have enough time to get ready. Well morning came and I woke up and went to look what time it was to see how much time I had left to sleep before my alarm. When I looked at my phone it was 7:33. I could not figure out why my alarm was not going off. So I looked at the alarm and I had set it for 7:33 pm instead of am. It was only because of God that I woke up, if I had not woke up then I would have definitely missed worship and possibly life group. It was a great morning and I would have hated to miss any of it. Just thought you might enjoy my cool story.
Also if you would just be praying for my department head, Randy Parish, he had to leave this morning and go to the emergency room. He is good except for the fact that he has kidney stones. So if you could just keep him in your prayers.

Break

Do you ever just need a break? You get to that point where you are completely exhausted and it begins to feel like everything is starting to go wrong. You don't feel good, your body aches, and all you want to do is to crawl into bed and sleep an entire day. Well I think I have reached that point and luckily it is on Friday because that means I can sleep the entire day tomorrow. It is funny that this happens to us spiritually too. You come to a point where you just need a break, some time away from the world and spend sometime alone with God. You just need that spiritual rest, and for God to fill your cup up. For him to heal you up and to wash you clean. Spring break was that spiritual break for me even though I was not alone with God. Just be separated from the world and fellowshipping daily with fellow believers was a true blessing.
So do you need a break today? When is the last time that you spent some time alone with God?

So Long,

Today is the day. John Mark, Jessica, Chloe and Joel fly out today at 4:30 pm. I wish I could just jump on a plane to Dallas and see them all one more time. I know that what they are about to do is what God has called them to do, but that does not make it any easier to let them go. I think of the song "Blessed Be Your Name". The song says, "You give and take away, You give and take away, my heart will choose to say Lord blessed be your name." God gave me this awesome brother who was always there to cheer me up, a sister who has given me so much advice, and the most beautiful niece and nephew ever. That is more than I could ever deserve. And now He is not really taking them away because I will still be able to talk to them and then go visit a little later on but they will not be here close to me. But you know what I am still going to praise God for what He has already given me. So I ask that you will be praying for John Mark and his family as they travel today and then for them while they are overseas. Also please pray for the rest of the family, since we will not to be able to see them for a while and since we are such a close knit family it is always hard to have a member missing, much less four of them.

Through the Good and the Bad

This morning I was doing me Bible reading this morning and I came across this verse. Jeremiah 5-6 "May the LORD be a true and faithful witness against us if we do not act in accordance with everything the LORD your God sends you to tell us. Whether it is favorable or unfavorable, we will obey the LORD our God, to whom we are sending you, so that it will go well with us, for we will obey the LORD our God." Wow. I had to go back and re-read this verse twice this morning. Think about it we are suppose to obey God even when what he is telling us to do is not favorable to us. Great example of this in the Bible is Abraham and when God tells him to sacrifice Isaac. Even though that was his only son born to him and Sarah and was not something I am sure Abraham wanted to do; he still obeyed God. And look at how that story ends. These people are coming to Jeremiah to ask what God's will is for them and that they will obey him no matter what God tells them to do. Yet they rebel and God knew this before it even happen. They decided to not go with God's plan for their life and they were going to either be killed or held captive because of this disobedience. If God calls us to something, whether it is favorable or unfavorable, we should obey because no matter what it is that he is calling us to He will be there to guide us all the way. What is God calling me to do today? What plans does he have set before me? Will I obey no matter what? Will you?

Church Bashers vs Church Goer

Yesterday at church, our pastor, Bruce, was talking about how we had a choice of which we could be a Church Basher or a Church Goer. Bruce was saying that right now the best was to sale a Christian theology book is by bashing the Church. What does that help though. If you sit there are write down everything that you hate about the Church or everything that you see the Church doing wrong and stop there, what good are you doing the Church itself. That would be like going to the doctor and he looks at you and says, "Well you have this disease and the only way you can get better is with medication." and then he leaves without writting you a prescription. What good does that do you? Instead we should be Church Goers. People who are trying to make the Church a better place. Not people who are cheating or scamming people the second they walk through our doors. We need to be accepting, loving, sharing, Christ like.
Personal story: When I moved to Levelland I had to find a new church home. I was so scared to go to new churches by myself. I didn't always feel welcome and many times I could go through the entire morning without anyone really talking to me. You feel like you are being judged and that the only way they will talk to you is if you force them by starting the conversation or you meet their standards. And then it made me stop and think about the 23 years(well 22 years at that time) that I have been going to church, and wonder was I like that, when there was a visitor did I make them feel welcome?
Thought: The Church is suppose to be like a family. The way we make it like that is not wait for someone to come and talk to us but actually going over to someone whether you know them or not. I am guilty of waiting for someone else to start the conversation so why I felt out of place at the church I visited was because I made it that way.
Goal: I want to help build my church up and to make it feel like a home to those who are searching for love. I want to start conversation with the people I know and do not know. To build relationships with the people that I go to church with so that they are not just another face in the crowd.

Hosea 2:14

A couple of years ago I was part of a traveling sports mission team. My director for the summer suggested a book to me called Redeeming Love. This book is a modern story based on the book of the Bible Hosea. I love the book so much that I decided to read Hosea. It was there that I found my favorite verse and the verse that I believe describes my life right now. "Therefore I am now going to allure her; I will lead her into the desert and speak tenderly to her." Hosea 2:14. I really had not thought about this verse and how it perfectly described my life in Levelland until this week when I was talking to one of the men in San Angelo. It hit me. The verse says that God is going to allure her. I look up the definition for allure and it said: Attract powerfully- to exert a very powerful and often dangerous attraction on somebody. God has been drawing me into him. Just like with the reading the Bible in a year thing and how that has just caught me on fire and I want to read more and know more about this 66 books of love letters that God has sent to us. And then making prayer become so alive to me on Saturday when the storm had come and he granted mom and I this amazing peace. Then the verse says, "and lead her into the desert." I do not know if you have ever been to Levelland but on my drive to school every day the only thing you see is dirt and houses. I know it may not be consider the desert but I like to think of it as that. God has brought me out here and has started speaking tenderly to me. He has been revealing to me that just like Hosea he will always love me and that he is a jealous God and wants to be my only lover. God has pulled me away from all the things that I use to depend on or turn to when I should have been looking to him. He wants to be number one in my life. So as you can see I have found this verse that comes from a book that is thousands of years old yet it still applies to me. Yet another reason why the Bible has become so alive to me. I hope that you can find a verse that will encourage you daily. Hold on to that verse. Write it down in places you will see throughout the day. Well that is all for today. I am still processing spring break. It is funny how one week can be pack full of so many things. Hope you are have a wonderful Thursday.