Soooo. Tired. Yup...

I am exhausted. This is our second week of school.  Our first week to go full days. Just an hour extra is proving to be beyond too much:)




I helped so many kids with their American history homework that I should ace the test.

Maybe I should take it for fun, huh?



Did you know Ferdinand Magellan was credited as being the first to sail around the world? He didn't make it, though.  He was killed along the way.  :(   Just a random fact I thought I'd share.

Anyway, the point of this post is only to say:  I'm tired to the extreme, so if you would like to pray for my year, I would really appreciate it.  

zzzzzzz.....

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Be Still...

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Temporary Atheism

I was blessed by a new reader that came over from the Over 40 Bloggers.  She shared that she was consumed with worry.  Lots happened to her and her family to cause this worry, for sure.  She decided she is a reformed worry wart, though.  Not going to worry anymore because worry doesn't change a thing.


The most scholarly site, Wikipedia:) says this, "Worry is thoughts and images of a negative nature in which mental attempts are made to avoid anticipated potential threats."  


One time, when my oldest was out and I had fallen asleep,  I woke up suddenly and saw the time.  My thoughts turned gruesome.  It's crazy all the different kinds of accidents he had in my mind.  Finally, I got up and looked outside only to find his car there.  I just didn't hear him come in.  All that worry for nothing.  Silly, isn't it?


It's not like our worry helps anything, either, so I have to wonder, why do we worry?  Sunday's sermon that my pastor, Greg Taylor preached, talked a little about worry.  


He said:
Worry is unnecessary
Worry is useless
Worry is blind (don't see God working)
Worry is failure to trust the Lord, or, as he said, it is Temporary Atheism.  

Proverbs 3:5-6 says this, "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways, acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight."

Trouble will come whether we thought about it in our minds or not.  It does no good to set up different scenarios and then try to make them not come to pass.  I do it, too.  I have to say, I'm a pretty good worrier.  I can get myself worked up with the best of them.  Not proud to admit that, you understand, but honest.  


We also try to worry our way out of our real-life troubles.  We make them out to be worse than they are or we think about what more can go wrong.  I had a friend today share this with me:

When I hear of someone (or am personally) going through heart-rending trials, I tend to think about Job... one of my favorite verses, [which doesn't actually apply to trials], that is a testament to Job's faith is ...

Job 19:25, "I know that my Redeemer lives, and that in the end he will stand upon the earth."

As I understand it, Job was a contemporary of Abraham. How he knew that "my Redeemer" LIVES ....and "that in the end he WILL STAND upon the earth." That amazes me. ... it gives me a little "perspective" in the midst of trials..."

Wow! Great stuff that Beth shared.  We KNOW our Redeemer lives.  That should put much of our worry to rest.  My Redeemer lives!  Your Redeemer lives!  Not only does He live - but He cares for us so very much.  He watches over us.  He even knows how many hairs are on our head.  Amazing love He has for us.  


I want to quit with my temporary atheistic thinking.  The only thing is, that's easier said than done.  But when I am tempted to worry - the best thing I can do is pray.  Pray.  What a concept.  We can pray away those awful scenarios in our brain.  


So...it may sound trite but we need to not worry and try to be happy.  Don't worry, be happy:)  and know KNOW that our Redeemer lives!

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Living for Today

...and so soon summer vacation is over.  Lazy days are soon to be replaced with busy schedules full of early morning wake up calls, long days at school, after school snacks, football, and homework.

I'll be minus the homework, I hope, but it will be full of housework, I'm sure.  Working as an aide at a high school, I still feel like a student on the first day.  I carry my schedule with me as I go from class-to-class.  Sometimes I even have to ask where a classroom is.  There will be new teachers and old teachers in different rooms...

Always changes.  The seniors are gone only to be replaced with a whole new group, including my son, Nik.  It's hard to believe this is his last year.

A new round of freshman will fill the hallways tomorrow.  Some will try to hide their fears by surrounding themselves with their friends.  Others will try to hide tears of frustration.  I'm praying those are the kids that come into my path.  I enjoy handing out encouragement when needed and a smile.  Many times a listening ear is in order, too.

I love my job. I love being with the kids. But working is hard on me.  But I need to work.  We need the money, for one thing, plus I need to be with other people (especially teen kids, I guess.)  I need a routine.  My summer has been relatively storm-free.  I had a fantastic vacation with Mari in Washington and I had lazy days at home.  Now my body has to get back in gear.  I have to move forward, without fear of the future.  I've lived between the storms and I've lived during the storms and you know what?  I've made it through them all.  God is good.  He watches over me constantly.  He gives me a great support group that lifts me up in prayer.  He's given me a job that isn't too demanding.

I choose to forge ahead.  The voice whispering in my ear that I need to be afraid of the future isn't God.  I know that.  Tomorrow morning I will get up and be excited.  I'll change clothes until I figure out the perfect outfit (just like the teen girls.)  I'll get a piece of toast to eat on the way.  I can do this.  The future doesn't matter.  I can't change it.  I can't stop the tomorrows from coming.  All I can do is live for today.

Matthew 6:34 (The Message)  "Give your entire attention to what God is doing right now, and don't get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow. God will help you deal with whatever hard things come up when the time comes."

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