Silliness

>> Tuesday, September 27, 2011

Hey hey hey!  It's a2z day. Hop on over to Peej's blog where you'll see lots of S posts.  Soooo, S is the letter.  My days through the week are filled with silliness.


What can I say?  I work with high school kids.  Very special high school kids.  I can come to school feeling very bad and they make me forget.  They make me laugh.  



Real belly-laughs.


A cheerful heart is good 
medicine, 
but a crushed
spirit dries up the bones.
Proverbs 17:22


He will yet fill your mouth with laughter  
 and your lips with shouts of joy.
Job 8:21






A happy heart 
makes the 
face cheerful
Proverbs 15:13




Sooooo, I'm just here to say, I have one of the best jobs around. Yes I do! We have our ups and downs. I have to yell at them at times, yes I do. ergh:( But, for the most part, we have a blast! The funny thing is, their lives aren't perfect.  They have disabilities that make life hard yet they keep on.

I have one kid that tells me the scores of the games from the night before.  He can tell me who is playing Sunday night football.  He will tell me who is in what position in Nascar.  Honestly, I don't care, but he does so I try to act interested:)

They are like square pegs trying to fit in round holes.  They squeeze and squeeze.  They don't quite make it BUT they have fun trying.  I'm proud of our high school population.  I've never seen them make fun of our kids.  But it's a small town and they've all grown up together.  They know each other and their strengths and weaknesses.  That's kind of a cool thing in a weird creepy kind of way.  

It's awesome to enjoy your job, but you know what?  I don't consider it a job.  It's my ministry and I'm loving it.  This is where God has me for now and I will do the very best I can in His Name and for His glory.  I hope and pray that when these kids see me, they will see a bit of Jesus reflected through me.  That's my prayer. 


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100 Words

>> Sunday, September 25, 2011

Jan Ackerson has a very unusual blog.  She writes each post in only 100 words.  I thought I would try my hand.  It's not as easy as it looks.  Mine is below but make sure you go take a look at Jan's blog called, One Hundred Words.  She's also hosting a writing contest right now too.  It's over the 26th so you better hurry to get in on that!






8:00-3:25

I brace myself for the onslaught of noise that will soon regal my senses from the moment the students enter until I can legally send them home.  I pick out their individual voices as they come down the hallway, just as a mother knows her own child’s voice on the playground.

My name, along with a poke on my arm, in case I’m suddenly hearing-impaired, starts each of their sentences and my day. 

“Mrs. Huuubrich, tttthe Bbbears wwwwoon.”

“Mrs. Hubrich, Dougie thinks he’s the boss of me...” 

I hand out hugs, admonishments, and high-fives from 8:00-3:25.  

Welcome to my world!

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Jewels of Encouragement - Holy holy holy!

>> Thursday, September 22, 2011



I'm posting at Jewels of Encouragement.  
I hope you'll take some time to follow me there. 
 It's just a click of the button to the left.  
See you soon - I hope!

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Really Great Unfinisher is Finishing!!!

>> Tuesday, September 20, 2011

R is for Finishing?  Well, no.  R is for sliding into a REALLY great finish with the a2z meme with Patty over at Ordinary People.  Ha!  But I have nine weeks left.  Rats!  But I am managing to keep up in a REALLY busy time in my life right now.  I knew I'd pull that out of the hat.

I sent out a plea to Jan Ackerson one day for a good book to read with my class at school.  She not only gave me the title, but she sent me the copies too!  Awesome woman, she is!  The kids R loving and hating it at the same time.

Joey is a boy with MAJOR problems.  He has ADHD and his medicine works in the mornings but wears off by the afternoons.  He has an interesting home life, to say the least, which doesn't help his situation at all.  He loves to entertain his classmates.  One day, he learned he could swallow his key then fish it back up his throat.

Now, the author, Jack Gantos, is awesome at describing exactly what is happening and what it looks like.  The girls are grossed out and covering their ears and the boys are giggling.  Today I offered extra credit to one kid if he comes in with a key covered in spaghetti.  He said that would be perfect because he's eating spaghetti tonight at home.  SCORE!  (He did it!  See the picture?  Touchdown!)

Anyway, poor Joey, he tries so very hard to be good but he can't quite do it.  All of us can relate to this book because in our class, we all try hard to be good.  Yes, even me.

You know what I LOVE about Joey Swallowed The Key?  It's hard for me to take it out of the kid's hands.  They, as in the girls who make me think they are so grossed out by it all, want to know what's next, and that, my blogger friends, is a major accomplishment.

I will quote the famous Joey when he hasn't taken his meds,

"Can I get back 
to you on that?"



Sounds like a good ending to me.  Keep on reading! 


 Until next week....  
See ya!




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P's & Q's

>> Tuesday, September 13, 2011

As you can see, this is a catch-up week for me  Everyone else is happily blogging on Q at Patty's blog but I snuck around the corner with p & q together.  Shhhh....  Of course, I'm not doing what my post title says - minding my p's and q's, but it's my blog and I suppose I can do what I want to so I will.  I'll refrain from sticking out my tongue because that would be over-the-top juvenile.  I'll let that critter do it instead cuz that's just how it is right now.

Do you know where the phrase, 'mind your p's & q's' comes from?  Good old Wikipedia says this, "comes from early printing presses. Printers placed individual letters on a frame to print a page of text. The letters were reversed, making it easy to mistake lowercase p's and q's in setting the type. A reminder to stay watchful of the details could have come from this time as well."  

Our church has started a new Bible reading challenge.  There is a  new catch phrase - NT 75 - the New Testament in 75 days.  Today was the first day.  You know what that means, right?  It means that I'm totally not behind yet.  I'm right on track.  Matthew chapters 1-4 read.  Marked off my handy yellow chart.  Check.  Yes!  

Well, as I read, of course I was watching out for what could relate to minding your p's & q's.  John the Baptist was the official spokesperson for making sure that everyone did just that.  He was, "A voice of one calling in the desert, 'Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him.'" (Matthew 3:3 NIV)

John denied himself of all luxuries.  He lived in the desert.  He ate locusts and wild honey.  His clothes were made of camel's hair.  That couldn't have been very comfortable, I'm sure.  Can you say itchy?  I read where camel's hair is coarse and inflexible.  I'm thinking that's just how John was too.  Pretty inflexible.  He knew what he knew and he would stand up for that truth no matter what.  In fact, that truth made him lose his head later in his life.  


John minded his p's & q's according to what God called him to be but the world didn't like it.  He would be killed because he taught something different than what the world was teaching at that time.  He was paving the way for Jesus.

As inflexible as John was, Jesus was the opposite.  Jesus seemed to break the rules.  I'm sure John didn't understand that one bit but he knew enough to not call His Lord on it or maybe he did question Jesus.  Maybe it was John that sent his disciples over to ask Jesus the fasting question, you think?

"Then John’s disciples came and asked him, 'How is it that we and the Pharisees fast often, but your disciples do not fast?'

Jesus answered, 'How can the guests of the bridegroom mourn while he is with them? The time will come when the bridegroom will be taken from them; then they will fast.'"  
Matthew 9:14-15

Jesus came to shake up the world.  He ushered in a new way of looking at things.  The Old Testament Law said to stone the adulterer.  Jesus said, “Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.”  John 8:7

Jesus was giving us a new way of living.  No longer did we have to follow strict guidelines of what to eat and what not to eat.  The p & q's were much easier.  Jesus brought us freedom.

So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.  John 8:36

John the Baptist did what he was supposed to do.  He paved the way for Jesus.  Jesus came and paved the way for us to get to Heaven.  Minding our p's & q's is much easier now.  Can you imagine what it was like before Jesus came?  Wow!  I can't even imagine!

Okay.  Nine more letters to go!  See you next week if not before!

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Do Not Lose Heart

>> Sunday, September 11, 2011

Today my husband and I went to the early service at church.  They were honoring firemen, EMTs, policemen, and military of the community.  Since Jim is Fire Chief of Beason Fire Department, he wore his dress uniform (even though he didn't really want to- these guys are very modest) and we went to church.  One other fireman from his department met us there.  It was nice to see them both standing side-by-side.

Anyway, we went to first service.  I said that, right?  That means that not only was it at 8:15 but that there were quite a few people I didn't know. Really, it was like being a visitor.  First service and second are truly different.  Not only the people but our styles of worship.  I'm not complaining though.  I was ministered to and this is what I'm writing about.

The first song we sang, It is Well, with my Soul, I almost couldn't sing it because all was not well with my soul.  I had a rough week.  Man, those old hymns have hard truths tucked in those verses!

When peace, like a river, attendeth my way,
When sorrows like sea billows roll;
Whatever my lot, Thou has taught me to say,
It is well, it is well, with my soul.

The song goes on to say...Though Satan should buffet, though trials should come...

Satan's been buffeting me this week. Trials have been hitting me from all sides but I haven't been doing what this song says. I haven't been saying, "It is well, it is well, with my soul."

I got through the song, but not without noticing a woman behind me, singing nice and loud and off-key. That made me smile. I'm not the only imperfect one in the building. But then, here we go. Ugh. Blessed Assurance.

Perfect submission, (Are you kidding me?) perfect delight, visions of rapture now burst on my sight; 
angels descending bring from above echoes of mercy, whispers of love. 
(I certainly wasn't feeling the love this week.)

Perfect submission, (submission? perfect or otherwise.) all is at rest; 
I in my Savior am happy and blest,  
(us two? me and God? don't think I was walking in step with Him.)
watching and waiting, looking above, filled with his goodness, lost in his love. 
(I was lost, alright- ugh.)

This is my story, this is my song, praising my Savior all the day long; 
this is my story, this is my song, praising my Savior all the day long.
(Honestly, I wonder if anyone in church could sing these words?  
Who went around all day praising God? Come on!  
Was anyone but me listening to what they were singing?)

And then this song, He Leadeth Me:

He leadeth me, O blessed thought!
O words with heav’nly comfort fraught!
Whate’er I do, where’er I be
Still ’tis God’s hand that leadeth me.

He leadeth me, He leadeth me,
By His own hand He leadeth me;
His faithful foll’wer I would be, (I'm following but I'm not too faithful)
For by His hand He leadeth me.

Lord, I would place my hand in Thine,
Nor ever murmur nor repine; (Huh? Never?)
Content, whatever lot I see,  (Content?)
Since ’tis my God that leadeth me.

Okay, I got the message, already.  I remembered that I prayed at the beginning of the week for God to be with me, direct me, guide me each step of the way.  He was there.  I know He was.  It's just that so many battles seem to be in front of me; so many foes in the way.  Are those battle lines in the sand or just scuff marks?  Am I tired and making more of things than what I should?  Something that happens on Friday maybe wouldn't be so upsetting if they happened on Monday?  Am I letting pride get in my way?  You know all those questions....

Our pastor preached about finding hope when evil happens but I related his sermon to my week, of course.  Finding hope in a horrible, mixed-up, rotten week.

2 Corinthians 4

"We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed." (8,9)

"All this is for your benefit, so that the grace that is reaching more and more people may cause thanksgiving to overflow to the glory of God."  (15)

"Therefore, do not lose heart." (16)

I guess that's what hit me the hardest:  DO NOT LOSE HEART.  Don't give up.  Don't throw in the towel.  I've thought about it.  I have these thoughts of, 'I'm not cut out for this.  Someone else wants it, someone else thinks he can do a better job - let him go for it. Let him put in all the long hours of preparation and headache...for what?'  But God put me here for, "such a time as this." Esther 4:14. I have to stick it out; finish the race.  Most days are awesome.  I can't let a few knock me down and keep me there.  

It's hard.  The enemy wants me to think I'm all alone.  Alone is a terrible place to be.  In this high-tech world, we depend too much on cell phones to text, no good old phone calls anymore.  We depend on FB to keep up with each other.  I love the techy world.  It's fast and perfect for most things but it's easy to get lost in too at times.  When you've been kicked around in the 'real world' and feel at a loss as to what to do, it's so very easy to feel utterly alone and abandoned everywhere.  Sometimes I want to hear a real voice.  I want to know a friend has taken a few moments out of her day to come find me.  Meet me where I happen to be, like hiding under my covers. Scared to come out.  

Satan knows how to play me, yet when I'm better, I know his tricks and I can outmaneuver him to help others.  Why is it, when I'm the one getting kicked around though, I can't see it?  I can't help myself?  That's why God gave us friends.  To come alongside each other and pick us up.  Check on each other.  Pray.  Send text and email prayers.  Listen...Wipe away tears...

We need each other and most probably even more as life heats up.  Tomorrow is a new day.  A new week.  A time for me to try to get it right once again, but I know I'll fail more than once. I only hope that I will be able to say that I invited God to be with me every step of the way and that because of that I can sing, It is well, it is well with my soul.




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Organization!

>> Thursday, September 1, 2011

Finally!  I've achieved something I've not ever achieved before - a level of organization!  For another month I will be substituting for a class at school while the teacher is on maternity leave.  I've never been so organized in all my life.  I have everything planned for the week and even into the next.  It feels great!

I can't say it flows into the rest of my life though.  I'm a piler at home.  I know where everything is - don't get me wrong.  I suppose I'm an organized clutterer.  Is there such a thing?

I have a routine down now and it helps so much to have as much done at night as I can. I know what exactly (to the second) what time I need to wake up to get things done.  I can even get to school early.  That means no speeding to make it just in time.  Of course, it is just the end of the second week.  The newness hasn't worn off yet.  Give me time.  Soon I'll be sleeping in as long as possible, I'm sure, and pressing my luck with the speedometer.

I'm having an awesome time with the class but I'll be ready to hand the reigns to the teacher and slip back into the aide position.  And that planner picture I found online.  It's so not true.  From the beginning, well, after I flailed around a bit, I've let God be in control.  Things have gone much smoother since I did that.  It's not perfect because I'm not perfect and the kids aren't either but we're sharing some laughs and learning lots so I suppose that's what matters.

So you see, O is for ORGANIZATION.  If only I could get a handle on things at home.  I'm sure my life would go much more smoothly there too, but until then, I will delight in my success at school and thank God for being with me each step of my days and thank all of you for praying for me too.  

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