5th & Final Snow Day

We were pounded with snow during the night & throughout the morning which lead to school being called off (I actually got the call around 5:00 a.m. it was so bad!). So...we've now used our last day. They are saying drifting is going to be a problem tomorrow because the winds are supposed to be very strong this evening, but I'm hoping it only causes a delay. If we miss any more days, we have to start making them up. :-(

Weight Watcher Update

I just realized I didn't do my weekly update. So...here it is (even though it's a bit late). This past week I lost 3 pounds which made me very happy since I gained last week. The three pounds took off what I gained plus a little more which brings my total to 19.2 pounds. I'm hoping to break the 20 pound mark this week & looking forward to my 10% goal which is quickly approaching.

Sophie's Story

I have been following a blog that has brought me to tears nearly every time I've read it, but it's been very powerful. Let me share a little of the story with you.

Last summer, my mom had a friend ask for prayer for a little girl who was battling cancer. The woman gave mom the blog site that had been set up so mom forwarded the site along with the prayer request to me. At that time, I didn't get on the site, but I began praying for this little girl & her family when they came to mind. A couple of months later I finally got on the blog. Wow!

The little girl's name was Sophie, and she had been diagnosed with a glioma. I went all the way back to the beginning and read every entry. The faith and courage of her mother amazed me. Some may say that I couldn't understand because I don't have children of my own, but knowing how much I love my niece, nephew & goddaughter (children who aren't even my "own"), I can't begin to fathom what this must be like - losing such a precious little gift.

Unfortunately Sophie passed away in October, but her mom (Emily) continues to post. Her most recent post included the song from Natalie Grant entitled "Held". Here are the lyrics & the music video.

Two months is too little.
They let him go.
They had no sudden healing.
To think that providence would
Take a child from his mother while she prays
Is appalling.

Who told us we'd be rescued?
What has changed and why should we be saved from nightmares?
We're asking why this happens
To us who have died to live?
It's unfair.

Chorus:
This is what it means to be held.
How it feels when the sacred is torn from your life
And you survive.
This is what it is to be loved.
And to know that the promise was
When everything fell we'd be held.

This hand is bitterness.
We want to taste it, let the hatred know our sorrow.
The wise hands opens slowly to lilies of the valley and tomorrow.

Chorus:
This is what it means to be held.
How it feels when the sacred is torn from your life
And you survive.
This is what it is to be loved.
And to know that the promise was
When everything fell we'd be held.

Bridge:
If hope is born of suffering.
If this is only the beginning.
Can we not wait for one hour watching for our Savior?

Chorus:
This is what it means to be held.
How it feels when the sacred is torn from your life
And you survive.
This is what it is to be loved.
And to know that the promise was
When everything fell we'd be held.

Understand why it touches her so? If you'd like to learn more about Sophie & her family, you'll find it in their blog.

Casting Crowns

It's the third time I've seen them in concert, and it was still as good...if not even better. I absolutely love them! If you've never been to one of their concerts, I would recommend one. I use the term "concert" loosely because it's more of a worship experience - the words are on a screen & they encourage you to sing along & worship. Ahhh...what a way to end a week! :-)

The Best Valentine's Day!

Wow! I'm sitting here tonight with a happy heart - much different from Valentine's Days in the past.

Yesterday during Neti's music class, I thought about the Waal family and the fact that Rhonda & Tracy might like a night alone so I called and left a message. This afternoon I saw Rhonda at school and found out that she had just gotten my message. We talked a bit and decided to meet up at Bethany's basketball game.

After the game, we all went back to their house. Rhonda & Tracy ended up going out to supper, and I stayed with the girls. It was my first time alone with all four of them, and I had an absolute blast!

We had pizza for supper, laughed, played games, laughed some more, got ready for bed, laughed some more (get the picture that we laughed a lot?)... It was just an all around enjoyable night.

As I laid in bed between Neti & Meke (guess I should give some background for those of you who do not know the Waal family - they adopted Neti & Meke, two sibling orphans, from Ethiopia 7 months ago), I couldn't help but feel blessed. Here I was on Valentine's Day with two little arms wrapped around my neck. I just laid there & prayed for them & the rest of the family. God is so good!

Here's a picture we took while in bed. Can you tell we'd been laughing? :-)

A Single's Perspective on Valentine's Day

I dread Valentine's Day with a passion! As a single person, I sometimes struggle with the "couple" mentality in today's society - it seems everything is based on 2's or even numbers. Do you have any idea how many times I've been looked at strange or questioned when I ask for a table for one? I do know that many single people do not like to do things alone, but I have decided that it's not worth living a different life - I don't let being single be a hindrance. But...Valentine's Day just seems to shove it in your face. Don't get me wrong...I'm so happy for the people who have found that special love, but I just find myself feeling very lonely which totally stinks!

How do I deal with it? For years, I've protested Valentine's Day and have worn black instead of red. I guess you could say it was my bit of rebellion, but it really only meant something to me. But this year...I've decided to do something different. I'm going to try & embrace it a bit more (may even wear red), and I'm going to take myself out to supper. I've decided I'm not going to sit in my house all alone & eat a meal here at home. Instead I'm going to go out to eat where there are people surrounding me. I'll let you know how that goes. :-)

Daniel

I started Beth Moore's Bible study on Daniel tonight. I was a little skeptical because I didn't like the first study I did of her's (I actually dropped out part way through because I couldn't handle sitting through the hour long video sessions), but I was pleasantly surprised tonight. I think God has a plan & a lesson He wants me to learn. I'm looking forward to this walk with Him!

Weight Watcher Update

Well...I went in expecting a good week & hoping to reach the 20 pound mark, but I was sadly mistaken. I actually gained 1.6 pounds. I was so disgusted! Oh well! You can't win them all. I'll get back on the ball & hope for a better result next week (although I was very tempted to order a pizza & eat it all).

Taco Bell & Weight Watchers

I have been craving Taco Bell but have been avoiding it because it's kind of high in points. When it has crossed my mind to go, I've never had enough points left to make it worth the trip. So as I was leaving the gym tonight, I knew I still had too many points left to have what my original plan was for supper (I found 1 point hotdogs & am so excited - call me crazy, but that's me). Then it dawned on me that tonight would be a great night for Taco Bell. I grabbed my Dining Out book & began to plan my order. But...as I went through the drive thru, I was pleasantly surprised to find that they now offer the "Fresco" items. These items are in the book, but I've never been to a Taco Bell that had them before. The main difference is that they have a pico de gallo instead of all the other toppings and a little bit of cheese. So for supper, I had a Ranchero Chicken Soft Taco & a Chicken Burrito Supreme (both Fresco style) which totaled 10 points. If I'd gotten the original ones, I'd have used 16. and if I'd have used beef instead of chicken, I'd have used even more points. Taco Bell will no longer have to be avoided. :-)

My New Do

I've been in the mood to do something different with my hair, but I just wasn't sure what I wanted. Jackie, my fabulous beautician, has been after me to cut it, but I just wasn't sure that's what I wanted after growing it out for over two years. But...on Saturday morning, I woke up in a mood and was ready for a change. Jackie was so excited when I came in and told her what I wanted. It's very different for me...I've never had a style like it, but I really like it. So...here's the new me. :-)

A Life Without Regrets

A friend from Jackson Center sent this to me in an e-mail. I really thought it had a lot to say so I decided to share it. Hope you enjoy it!

Life is too short to wake up with regrets, so love the people who treat you right. Forget about the ones who don't (I think I'd like to change this to...Pray for the ones who don't).

Believe everything happens for a reason. If you get a second chance, grab it with both hands. If it changes your life, be thankful for it.

Nobody said life would be easy, they just promised it would be worth it.

A Beautiful Song

Steven Curtis Chapman just released a new CD - the first one in three years. Teresa (our secretary at school & a very good friend) told me about his new song, "Cinderella". It's absolutely beautiful. If you have time, be sure to check it out!

Weight Watcher Update

I had a great weigh in this week...5.2 pounds! WooHoo! That puts my total to 17.8 in four weeks. I am very excited, but I also know that it's because I was so faithful to work out last week (5 out of 7 days). So...that's my plan - I need to make sure and get my exercise in because it definitely makes a difference.

Crazy Weather!

For those of you who do not live near me, let me tell you about our day. We woke up this morning to flooding. In fact, we had "Lake Starr" in our school parking lot - so much so that we couldn't park in the parking spaces (some of us parked out front & the others parked along the outer edge of the parking lot). It was a bit crazy! And as if we hadn't gotten enough rain...it poured nearly all day long!

A little before 4:30 tonight, the rain turned into hail. As I got in my car & headed to have supper with Jen, the hail got a bit worse. The farther I drove the hail began to turn into sleet. By the time I got to Rossford, the trees there were covered in ice, and it was now snowing. As Jen & I drove to Perrysburg for supper, it was nearly blinding at times - very hard to see.

So...I went in to work this morning looking at grass (that which was visible through all of the puddles & flooding) and came home tonight to a ground covered in snow. Gotta love that Ohio weather!

Marla's Music

Marla Maddox...someone I met a couple of week's ago when Katie, Tim & I practiced in Ft. Wayne at her dad's church. Marla is a friend of Katie's from IWU (Indiana Wesleyan), and since her dad was sick, she was there to open the church and help us set up.

While we were talking & getting ready, she started playing her guitar. Wow! She's great! Come to find out, Marla is quite the musician, and it runs in her family. But...back to her music. Katie was telling us about her songs so she sang one for us. I instantly fell in love with it - the message is powerful!

Marla's posted her music to a website. If you're interested in hearing it, click here. My favorite song is "I Found Life" (listen to it more than once to hear the message).

Another 2 Hour Delay

There's nothing I love better than the sound of my phone ringing a little before six in the morning (unless it's not Traci's name on my caller ID). Why, you ask? Well...that means we have a delay, and I love delays! :-)

Such a phone call happened this morning and could possibly happen the next two mornings (there's supposed to be fog tomorrow morning & freezing rain Wednesday morning). Ahhh...the advantages of being a teacher! :-)

Speaking of being a teacher, just wanted to update you on the levy & my job situation. I found out the end of last week that I made it safely through the initial round of cuts, but if the levy doesn't pass in March, they are planning on cutting 3 music teachers (I only have 2 below me so I would be the third). Please join me in praying for God's will to be done and for His guidance as I'm traveling this road.

Snow Day = Day #4

Although this only leaves us with one calamity day left, I was really hoping for a day off today. :-) And...we got it. During the night we got several inches of snow along with some freezing rain/ice, and as if that wasn't enough, it's also very windy causing the snow to drift. I love snow days!