The Fitness Gram

I am taking a class this semester called PE for elementary ed students. Today we had to take the Fitness Gram. Now, I am not an unhealthy person but I definately do not consider myself an athlete by any means. So, when she said that we were going to have to do things like sit ups, push ups, timed laps etc. all I could do was laugh and then warn my fellow class mates that watching me take this fitness gram would be comical for them. So I show up this morning very nervous. By the way did I mention that I am in a class with 2 basketball players, 2 baseball players, a ex-marine, and a personal trainer. So how do you think I am feeling. Very unathletic.

So we take the PACER which is the timed laps. You have a certain amount of time to get to point A to point B. This totals about 8 laps. That was level one. When you begin level two your time picks up so you have a shorter amount of time to get to point A and B. That is an additional 8 laps. Then you move to Level 3, 4 and so on. It actually goes all the way to completing 150 laps. Believe it or not I completed all the way to level 4. Which means I ran 24 laps. GO ME. Then after they brought in my oxygen tank and gave me water we waited for the last guy to finish. He finished at lap 101. I was amazed. Some people just like to show off.

Then we moved to some stretches, checking body fat, etc which I did better than I thought on that also.

Next, we moved on to curls or sit ups. Now, I practiced doing these 2 nights ago and could only do 8 but today I actually did 50. I know there are people that can do many more than that but you have to understand that the only sit ups I do during the day are the ones I need to do to get my self out of bed in the morning.

Lastly, we did push ups. I can be honest here and say I did as well as I thought I would. A whopping 3 pushups was all I could do.

Hey, I am just glad it's over and I can bet you that I am going to be feeling the burn still in the morning and the next day, and the next day, and the next, well you get the picture.

See You at the Pole

Yesterday was See You at the Pole. All HCS students gathered around the flag pole at8:30am to pray and worship. Now, I don't really claim to be a praise and worship leader like some the great leaders I know such as Todd Wright, Paul Baloche, etc. But I do however love picking songs that i know the students will love and watching them sing from their heart and worship uninhibited.

We usually have 1-2 students per class come up and pray for things such as the President, the leaders of our country, our freedom, the soldiers, leaders of our cities, leaders of our churches, leaders of our schools, and for direction for HCS. Then we worship in between each class. So I thought that I would share with you the songs that I picked for our worship yesterday. I did not know how fitting and appropriate they would be to the situation our school is facing until that morning when we sang the songs and instead of worshipping I was crying. It is amazing how God does that. So here are my songs:

Make it Loud- Deluge-the students love this song and they definately make it loud.

All Because of Jesus I'm Alive- Casting Crowns-This was a fun one that all age levels really like.

Your Name-Philips, Craig, and Dean- My students have known this one for a while and they sing it from their heart. It is awesome to see them lifting their hands, closing thier eyes, and just worshipping from the heart.

I Surrender All- Israel Houghton-From the movie "Amazing Grace"- This was kinda new to the students but they sang as much as they could but told me during class that they loved that song and want to learn it. So thats what we did in music class yesterday with my 7th/8th Grade class. We worshipped some more.

Today is the Day-Lincoln Brewster-The students and teachers like this one and there was some dancing going on during this one.

We ended with that song, said one more quick prayer to dismiss and went to our classes. I have to say that is was an awesome feeling after it was over to know that God used me to pick songs that ministered and spoke to not only myself but to those that were there that day. I absolutely love when that happens.

My Week!!

Just thought I would give you a quick run down of my week so that everyone could feel sorry for me. No, really so that you could pray for me to make it through.

Monday Work till 3:30 then attend and watch my husband coach HCS soccer game at 4:30 at LHS. Take my kids to thier soccer practice at 6pm. Home to cook supper, get homework for 2 kids, baths, and hopefully in the bed at a decent hour.

Tuesday School until 1pm. Then to HCS for work and VIP staff meeting at 2:30-5pm. HCS soccer practice at 5:30. Home to cook supper, get homework for myself and 2 kids, baths, etc etc.

Wednesday Work until 3:30 then home to change and back at church for Awanas and Children's Choir at 5:30. Home by 8:30 to get baths, supper and in the bed at another decent hour hopefully.

Thursday School until 1pm. Then off to HCS to work. Then home at 3:30 to change and then to HCS soccer game at 4:30. Then DW and I play softball at 7pm. We play 2 softball games then home to finish homework for myself, and 2 kids, dinner will be at the ballpark tonight, baths, etc etc.

Friday Work until 3:30. Then I have cheer practice from 3:30-5pm. Then home to hopefully crash and get ready for Saturday.

Saturday Girls have soccer game not sure the time yet and then we leave to go to do our ministry with the homeless in Houston. Home around 5pm. DW has prayer meeting at 8pm. I will spend the rest of my Saturday cleaning the house, washing, getting things ready for next week, and doing my homework. Hopefully and probably will fall asleep doing my homework.

Sunday Church, Church, Church then home to get ready to start over next week.

So there is my week. Will need lots of prayer. Hope everyone has a great week.

The Shack!!

Ok so I am behind everyone else on reading the Shack but just remember I have 3 kids, one of which is 3 and is a boy which means he is into destroying anything that he comes in contact with so reading becomes very little while he is awake.

Now, about the book. I absolutely loved it. I laughed but mostly cried through most of it. This book changed my thinking in many ways. The part that spoke to me the most was when he was meeting with Jesus on the docks and Jesus told Mac he would have to walk on water with him to get to the other side where they were going. The fear Mac had subsided the minute his feet hit the water and he didn't sink. That spoke volumes to me simply because I feel that is what God is asking of my husband and myself. He wants us to have enough faith to step off the dock onto the water. To cast our fears aside and step out on faith and see that he is right there beside us walking with us so that we will not drown. WOW!

The other part that I loved was the picture of seeing Missy, his daughter, playing and skipping rocks and Jesus being right there in the middle of all of his kids. What a beautiful picture. That is the picture I want as a parent to remain in my head. We try so hard to protect our children from danger. But, all along God is with them, playing with them, walking with them and taking care of them. I will always fail as a parent. But thanks to the mercy and goodness of God he steps in and takes over for us and becomes the parents that we sometimes can't be. Not only is it a beautiful picture of Jesus with the children, our chidren, but it is a picture of Jesus with us. We are to come to him like a child, his child, and run into his arms and feel the love and the joy that He wants us to experience when we are smack dab in the middle of his love and his will.

This book was great for me and am so glad I read it. Yes, there were a few things that I questioned about the book that I was unsure of biblically. But, I believe God allowed me to read and understand the parts He wanted me to and all the rest he will strike from my mind if it is not of him or if it is unnecessary for me to understand.

So, this summer I have read 2 books. For me that is great. I am not a reader nor do I really have time to read but these 2 books were books that God placed in my path and had me read. I have shared these books with others and they have been blessed by them.

Book #1- Reedeming Love- a novel about the story of Hosea, and the prostitute. A wonderful book about how much God loves us and how he continues to redeem his bride.

Book #2- The Shack- a novel about a man who takes a journey back to the shack and how this journey is a journey of healing and re-turning back to God.

Hope you are able to take the time to read these books and if there are any great books out there like these then please tell me about them. I am hungry for more. I guess you could say that I have become a reader of more than just college books.

Hurricane Ike

Well the storm has passed and we were blessed. We have no electricity but all of our trees are still standing just a few limbs in our yard and a lot of yard work ahead of us. Sadly, there were those who were not so lucky. As we were driving around looking at the damage there were those who had trees right through the center of thier home. It's hard to understand why such a terrible thing could happen but I pray that the Lord will comfort these people in a time of darkness and many questions. Such is the case for Harmony Chrisitian School. We were in the process of building a new school for the Fall of 2009-2010. The staff of HCS have been working VERY hard towards accredidation for the last 3 years. This year was our final year and we were going to be moving into our new school in the summer as well as recieving our accredidation this summer also. The last 3 years has been very stressful on the whole staff of HCS and to be honest with you I have always had many questions about the whole thing of a new building and accredidation. Is this the right path HCS should take? Is accredidation the right decision for our school? These are questions I have always had. That doesn't mean that I haven't done my part to work hard in writing my own curriculum, lesson plans, teaching, etc.

I don't know what God has in store for HCS, accredidation, new building etc. But what I do know is that God has a plan and we need to make sure that we are heeding to his word and that we are on our face daily making sure that we aren't making decisions in haste. I pray for those in leadership that have to make these decisions that they would know God's will like the back of thier hand. That every decision they make will be for the sake of the students and not just what is best financially. I know that money makes the world go round but sometimes we don't need money to do God's will we just need to make sure that we are in line with His plan and not asking that He is in line with ours.

Please pray for HCS and those that will be having to make hard decisions in the next days, weeks, months ahead. Pray for the students, staff, parents, school board, administration, and principal. We believe God is an almighty God and even though to us this looks bad, we have to remember that everything works for good for those who love him and seek his face. Pray that we don't loose sight of that.