Thankful Thursday 03/31/11

1. Today is opening day for baseball. Go Braves!!!

2. Lots of sunshine this week.

3. One only the co-worker besides me knows, but it's going to be a nice week next week.

4. Travel itinerary for May is set; now to start watching for June.

Thankful Thursday 03/24/11

Only one today--not because there is only one, but because in today's world this is so special it's worthy of standing alone.

1. Today my parents celebrate 54 years of marriage. While I've been told that every marriage is work, and I guess my parents are pretty typical, I see genuine love for each other between them. You can see that they look out for each other's good, and they look to serve God by serving others together.

Love you both, Mom and Dad.

OT

That's Old Testament not overtime.

I've been reading the first few books of the Bible in preparation for my trip. I have a schedule to do the required reading twice before September.

There are two general themes I'm reminded of as I read even the boring and dry portions of the begats and the thou shalts:

1) There were so many details the Israelites had to follow--so many exact measurements, so many details in the sacrifices, so many things to do. I'm glad Jesus satisfied all of those when he went to the cross so that we don't have all of that, but I wonder if we can be too flippant about it. What if I had to do more to be ready for church. Would I value it more? Would my relationship with God be deeper?

2) God takes very seriously anything that takes away from Him. Anything that makes us question him or what he says is not valued as having an open mind; it was an offense worthy of stoning.

It Does Work

All my life the dental hygienist has preached floss, floss, floss starting with Barbara at Dr. Wilson's office in Athens, AL.

One time I gagged on the gritty paste when she cleaned my teeth (the gritty paste is a reason why I don't like the dentist's office), and she wrote on my chart "Paste makes patient gag." Every teeth cleaning appointment until I transferred to a dentist in Illinois she or another hygienist said, "I see the paste makes you gag." But I digress.

I made token attempts the week before and a few days after a dental visit to floss, but the dentist's office in OH finally made it all click, and I began flossing. Now I won't say I get it done everyday but certainly most days of the week.

Since November I've flossed at least 6 days a week, and today I had the best dental appointment ever. Very little scraping (which is another reason why I don't like the dentist office), no cavities, and the 4's and 5's in the chart are all 2's and 3's except for one which apparently is still a 4.5.

If only I could tell Barbara the good news!

Thankful Thursday 3/17/11

1. No cavities!!! No crowns needed!!! No dentist office until October 13!!! Actually the people in my dentists' office are really nice, and it's a very nice office with a Christian environment. However, I just don't like going to the dentist.

2. The tulips in Anderson, SC are blooming!!! Our hard work is paying off even more!!!

3. Plans for my trips south this spring/summer are coming together.

4. It was above 60 today with sun for much of the day!!!

Thankful Thursday 03/10/11

1. Got Andrew's CD in the mail yesterday. It made me cry on the way to class. The only thing I don't like is that the tenor should be louder in the mix.

2. My mom sent this picture of a couple of the crocuses that I planted at their house last fall. Glad to know at least some of the 120 bulbs will come up!

3. Meeting a guy in a little bit to sell him the flourescent light fixtures I took out of my kitchen. Craigslist is a good thing.

4. Last week in class I told how a former assistant principal (now with the Lord in heaven) announced that he had given up voting years before. As a former social studies teacher I was appalled until he explained, "I've given up voting when I first wake up in the morning if I'm going to read my Bible and walk before I do anything else. It's not an option; I'm going to do those two things." Last night a student said every morning when the alarm went off last week she said to herself, "I'm not voting. I'm getting up and getting on the treadmill.

It is nice when something hits a student and they act on it.

Who Do I Hear?

Call me old fashioned, but I prefer talking to someone than texting. I like that I can stay in touch with nieces and nephews with texting and they will reply (for the most part), but I love that twice this week I've talked on the phone with a niece. I love to hear her voice.

In one of my first year's of teaching during a study hall, a group of girls started talking instead of studying. I heard it and said, "Jennifer." Then I realized I said her name instead of "Girls" because I was with her family a lot, and I new her voice distinctly from the rest.

This morning I was reading John 12 and was thinking about the Shepherd's voice. The sheep know His voice and they follow it, but they don't follow other voices. I think about the many voices in today's world and which voices do I follow? A lot of voices say good things and stand for good things, but are they the Shepherd's voice? Sometimes my own voice gets mingled up with the others to justify what I think and I do.

Praying today that I know the Shepherd so well that all I hear is His voice.

Dad gave, I give, but Jesus gave the most

Today on the way home from work I gave blood. Some of my earliest memories are of going to Athens High School with Dad for him to give blood. I thought it was pretty sweet because I got to get a cookie! (Yes, pun intended.) When I was in high school he reached his goal of giving a certain number of gallons.

I think because I saw him give blood, giving blood has been a natural and normal thing to do.

In 1995 I gave for the first time at a blood drive at PCS. One of the basketball players passed out on the cot beside me. The next year I gave despite having a cast on my foot and being on crutches. Another basketball player passed out beside me that year.

I've given through the Red Cross in IL and here in MI. In Chattanooga the blood service was always giving out t-shirts as incentives to give. Also, because Little Debbie is headquartered right outside the city, they donated the snacks for people to eat. In OH I went in spurts of making sure I gave every 8 weeks. Now I want to go to blood drives from the local center because that blood stays in this area.

I have O negative blood; I'm a universal donor. I've told my family if they need blood for an operation or medical need they can have mine. In fact they can as much as they need even if they take it all.

So whenever I give blood I think about my Dad.

And then I always lay down on the cot and think about the One who gave His blood for me.
Hebrews 9:22 without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins.

Thankful Thursday 3/3/11

1. A new class started last night. Should be a good group.

2. Enjoying roast beef at lunch this week. I buy several bundles of beef at a local Christian school auction in the fall. I end up with cuts of meat that I'm pretty sure I wouldn't just go out and buy. I also always have meat in the freezer.

3. For two months I've been thinking that maybe if I ignored my taxes they would just never have to be prepared and filed. The guy who did my taxes the last two years retired and I got a letter from the CPA firm who he was recommending to call. I've thought about Turbo Tax, I've thought about HR Block, and I've thought about just trying to do them on my own. At my appointment last year, he told me he was retiring, but his daughter was going to take over and he would be doing some returns in March and April when he got back from FL. However that was before "the letter". I called his office this week and his daughter will do my taxes with only a $10 increase in the fee which was very, very reasonable to begin with. I'm happy and I won't be going to jail!

4. Making plans for a trip south. I like it!