Mon.-Time to study, blog, do wash, and rest. Still sick in my stomach from yesterday's balcony experience. Ate some meat today and I am no longer a big fan. It smells funny and tastes greasy. Maybe I've become a vegetarian. Michael/Phil's gift of Cutco came in UPS today. Got rid of lots of odds and ends in my kitchen. I am using our nice dishes and now I have nice knives so I think it is time for a new and bigger kitchen! / I am thankful for Susan's cheerful spirit. I am thankful for Psalm 107. I am thankful that I could rest again for 40 min. on my right side with no vertigo!!!! That's huge! Thank you God!
Tues.-(1701 pfh) Busy day at school. Worked on some music theory with kids-spelling words with notes on a staff like beg, dead, deaf, etc. Read a story about Johann Sebastian Bach to them. Bach married his cousin-second cousin-and they were so grossed out. He had 20 children and only ten lived to adulthood. His first wife (cousin) bore him 4 children (others died) and she died suddenly. After a time he married a younger woman who loved music and she bore him 13 children. They were a musical family. They named 5 of their boys 'Johann' and two of the girls 'Johanna'. He had 70 some male relatives who were also musicians and 50 some of them were named 'Johann' also. After we practiced our recitatio songs we came back into the classroom and I let them play with playdough as they listened to Bach. Everyone should play with playdough. Select choir is working on a four part harmony folk song and at one point, there are five parts. It's beautiful-'Jerusalem, My Happy Home." It has an Irish lilt but it is American. Susan and I went to Walmart after school and came home and made some supper. I'm hoping for an early bedtime tonight. /Oh, I'm thankful that we had the book that Sara was looking for in the school library and she came and studied and took notes. It was so nice to have her in my world. She is reading on ? so she can read EC's paper intelligently. How many mothers would drive from Rice to Appomattox to spend an afternoon studying so they can understand what their child is writing about?! I am thankful for the funny moment in Select Choir when Graham started singing a song in opera and Susan whopped him and he said, "Ouch!" and stopped singing. It got us giggling and then those two couldn't stop. I am thankful that it didn't ice up or rain for Phil's sake. I am thankful for the nice conversation at lunch and that I got to know one of the other teachers better.
Wed.-Music Day with 4rth and under. Some of the children were concerned that we were singing the words, 'Bloody British' and I had already changed it to 'Mighty British' which upset another child who said that 'mighty' was an antonym for 'bloody' and that we should keep the original word. But the alarmed expression of one of the second graders and the fact that his dad said, 'It's a VERY bad word," and the fact that his dad is a cop and a Christian Cop at that-well, I kicked the original word out the window. I hope I did it soon enough and that there won't be any negative repercussions from not getting my act together sooner! Susan and I changed clothes at school and went to Farmville to hit the bank and Miller's Country Store and then to a Women's Ministry Meeting at 5. Dianna and I went to Ruby Tuesday's for a salad supper and barely caught up with each other at 90 m.p.h. Came home and cleaned up the house and got to bed rather late. I am thankful for the answers to prayer for those in our church-a job for someone who needed one, another contract for someone in the carpentry business, healing of hearing loss, a husband being kinder, a back healed, and more. It's so wonderful to hear the answers to prayer rolling in. I am thankful for the women at our church. I am thankful for a future and a hope.
Thurs.-Up at 5. Put potatoes in the crockpot. Read. Thought about the way God uses brokenness. Broken bread fed the 5,000. The broken vial of perfume poured over His body. His body, broken for you and me. Broken and contrite heart He will not despise. He heals the broken hearted. A broken reed He will not discard. A broken bone can heal stronger than an unbroken bone. Do not fret if you are broken. He heals and uses brokenness. He uses and heals brokenness. Went to school briefly and then met Lindsay for an educational project. Took her to Millie's store and she's having a 50% off sale off everything in the store! Lindsay got a few clothes and shoes for Adi and I got some children's videos. We went to Baine's and worked on a sticker books with the girls and talked non stop over a cup of coffee. Also went to Country Charm and they are having some great sales too. They took me back to school and I taught Art in the afternoon. Oh-at lunch I was telling the teachers how I was asking the high school students questions about the church-Christ's body, etc. and I asked them,"How will Christ make His church without spot or wrinkle and one of them said, "I think He will do it with a word." I wanted the earth to stop for an hour so I could sit and be still and think this through. "Do you mean that He will speak a word like He spoke Creation into being and will create a spotless bride?" Yes, he nodded. Well, I was telling the lunch bunch about this and our resident theologian went and got his floppy Bible and had me read Eph. 5:25-27-"...Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water BY THE WORD, that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing..." So this young man was right on. It is by being cleansed with the washing of water by the WORD that the church will become spotless. I love and am thankful for the way God sheds a different colored spotlight on a verse I thought I knew inside outside and upside down and reveals something wonderful and deep and new in an old truth. And He often does it through a child's voice. We had a great time in Art today making "Phil the groundhog" puppets out of paper bags, coloring between the dried glue lines on black paper with chalk, and painting snow and an ice in the background for two black and white penguins. I brought my dehydrator along to speed up the paint drying process. I had the 2nd graders for an hour and 15 min. and it wasn't long enough. I wish I could have them for Art the whole day long. They are the most creative bunch of kids I ever did see. Came home and let the Appraiser into the house. Kind gentleman. I made some burger and added garlic salt, seasoned salt, Mrs. Dash, onion, garlic, salsa, plain yogurt and cheese. We ate that over the baked potatoes. Also made vegetables and a salad and Susan and I relaxed in front of a video of Mr. Toad for half and hour. Phil is getting home late tonight from the Abbey. Oh-maybe he'll see Michael there today. I am thankful for this lovely day at school and the great time with Lindsay. I am thankful that I have this day to love and serve and live. I am not guaranteed tomorrow or even the next minute. So I will love the moment I am in and embrace the experience of what my 'hands' are doing now.
Fri./Sat.-Serious toothache kept me awake most of last night. Made ice cream cupcakes. Washed. Saw the duck mating with a hen just as I was on the phone with Gil and he said that I'll find a sermon in it somehow. What I really needed was a therapist. That was just twisted. Susan woke up feeling heavy headed so I sent her back to bed. She slept from 7 in the morn. until 3:30 solid and I had to wake her up. We picked up Micah and then Serena and Abigail. Susan went with Bethany to New Life's basketball games and I brought the younger set back here for a sleepover. Helen sent homemade pizza along and we watched 'Balto', 'The Prince and the Pauper', and 'Blank Check.' I told them a rather lengthy bedtime story about little bears named Serena, Micah, and Abby, and their adventures with three eagles. I finally gave up settling them down from my perch on the sofa and hit my own comfortable sack. I checked on them at 12:30 and heard snoring. Serena was awake by 5:30 and the others were up shortly afterwards. Micah was giving Philip a hug this morning in the kitchen in the dark when I came out and I said to Micah, 'If you want to know what your daddy is like, just watch your cousin Philip.' Micah got all smiley and quiet and Philip was touched by what he called a huge compliment. I turned on the Stooges and Micah frolicked with them while I made donuts and the girls asked Micah to please sit down. I blogged some of their stories this morning. I wanted them to see the power of the printed word. I showed them what it looked like on my blog and said that 'maybe a thousand people might read what you wrote'. I think it made an impression on them. After a lunch of chicken alphabet soup and toasted cheese sandwiches and carrots and celery and 'Chitty Chitty Bang-Bang', we packed up their belongings and took them home, picking up Susan and taking care of Diesel for Alli and Freeman in the process. Susan and I had a long talk when we got home. Phil and Philip came home and she helped them with wood. I vacuumed and washed the floors and blogged. Michael spent the night at Travis, Chace, and Erik's new 'pad' and sharpened their knives and they made themselves a mighty breakfast. He got many calls from his sales reps today. Philip said he was so proud of him and the way he coached those working under him via the phone. I am thankful that my nieces and nephew just wanted to watch movies. That worked well for me with the toothache I have. I am thankful that PR was born for many reasons but especially for the fact that if he hadn't been born then our Alli wouldn't have been born and what would we do without her? I am thankful for the peace that follows right decisions.
Sun.-Whole face hurts. I think now it's one of four teeth. Good morning at church. Doreen and Graham were there for SS and church. Dianna taught on Service and she impresses me how she can pull things back together. Song-"O Holy God, I stay amazed..." ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
In the eve. we went to a Super Bowl party. Had a nice time. But my whole face hurts. As we were drifting off to sleep I said to Phil, "Thanks for being so sweet." He said, "You must be on drugs." And then we had to laugh. I don't think he feels so sweet. But he is. And I have been popping pain killers as fast as I can, but I don't think that has much to do with me thinking he's sweet. I am thankful for stuffed mushrooms. Oh my word! Brown one pound of sausage, add softened 8 oz. cream cheese and 1 cup Parmesan cheese. Mix and stuff mushrooms and bake and overeat. I am thankful for new friendships and the restoration of 'older' ones. I am thankful that the miracles I see happening have alot to do with the reconciling of relationships. If that's not revival, well...it is. I know He will do more. He is not an unjust Judge. He wants this for us more than we want this for ourselves. When we hurt one another in the church, we are hurting His family. God help us. God forgive us. God fix us. And God make us shine. For Your sake and for Your glory. Amen.
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