They Do Say the Darnedest Things!

I've been hearing some pretty funny things from kids over the past week. Just thought I would share a few:

Yesterday we went to see our Bhutanese family. They have been here about 5 months now and this is their first winter/Christmas in America. We took them some blankets and clothes. As we left, we said, "Merry Christmas!" and the 13 year old said it back. When we asked her if she knows what Christmas is, she told us it is a festival. We told her she was right, it is a celebration. My friend asked if she knows what we are celebrating and her response was, "The National Day of Jesus!" Ahhhh - language barriers......

_________

We were discussing something in my Kinder group the other day and a boy made a very bright comment. When I asked him how he got to be so smart, he responded with, "My last name makes me smart! My dad said all of us are smart!"

_________

Again with my Kinder group, I asked a boy a question and the following conversation took place:

S: I forgot.

Me: That's alright. Even smart people forget things sometimes.

S: I know. I'm not sad. I know why I forget things.

Me: Really? Why is that?

S: Because I'm small and my thoughts are so big they fall out of my brain! My brain isn't big enough to hold it all.

Me: That's OK because when you sleep, it rests your brain so you can remember more.

S: Oh. So that is why old people are so smart. They sleep a LOT!

Movie ABCs

In honor of Christmas break and not having a car to run errands in (she's getting some love this morning), I am going to still this idea from a random blog I saw. It is a list of my favorite movies listed by title from A to Z. Now, I won't get to list all of my favorite movies because of the restrictions but these are some definite favorites! Make your own list or tell me what you think of mine. But beware - listing your own is harder than you think! Yeah for . It reminded me of many movies I would like to see but haven't! Here you go:

A - Annie (1982)

B - Becoming Jane (2007)

C - Christmas Story (1983)

D - Dead Poet's Society (1898)

E - Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004)

F - Finding Neverland (2004)

G - Good Will Hunting (1997) - Only on TV though

H - Holiday Inn (1942)

I - It's a Wonderful Life (1946)

J - Just Friends (2005)

K - The King and I (1952)

L - Lars and the Real Girl (2007)

M - Monty Python and the Quest for the Holy Grail (1973)

N - Newsies (1992)

O - Oklahoma (1955)

P - Pride and Prejudice (1995)

Q - *Sorry, Couldn't find one*

R - Roman Holiday (1953)

S - Singin in the Rain (1952)

T - To Kill a Mockingbird (1962)

U - *Sorry, Couldn't find one*

V - *Sorry, Couldn't find one*

W - Wizard of Oz (1939)

X - *Sorry, Couldn't find one*

Y - Young Frankenstein (1974)

Z - *Sorry, Couldn't find one*

Merry Christmas, Oikos Style!

On Saturday night, my class had its annual Christmas party. To explain the title of this post, Oikos is the name of my class. There are about 9 classes in the singles program so we name them to keep everyone straight. :) Oikos is a Greek word that means house or family. About half of us were able to come. I figured that since most of you have never met my friends, I would take this time to introduce you to a few of them. Lots of pictures!

Merry Christmas from Oikos!

If you see tacky sweaters, you will have guessed the theme. I didn't have one so my boss let me borrow his jacket. I got into the top two but didn't win. I was sure I would! For the top two, we had to model. Now you can see why I am a teacher!

Me and Sarah, the winner. She turned a Snuggie into a Christmas Tree.

This is the back of my jacket.

After awards were given we sang Christmas songs for a bit and then had a Dirty Santa (Yankee Swap) gift exchange.

You know you are in a single's class when a girl opens a jar of honey with a note attached that says, "If you are single, I'll be your Christmas honey!"

At first I got candles....

but ended up with a pink pony - she likes to give kisses. :)

Now for a few of my friends:

Sharon and Lisa

Sarah, Rachel, Christa, and Jennifer

me and Stan (just a friend)

Amy and Jason (yes, they do match!)

One Year Later....

All day long I have been scratching my head and wondering about the date. December 11th - why is it significant. Just a few minutes ago, it hit me. A year ago tonight, Erin and I sat in the Berry Center at Converge. Beth taught a lesson on anticipating God. At the end of the evening, Beth prayed that God would be building hopeful anticipation within us for what He was going to do in the next year. She also asked that a year from that night, we would see what He had been preparing for us this entire time. God answers prayers!

It is a year later and though the areas I thought would be different are still the same, He has done a mighty work in this life! One of the main points of the evening was "God will bless you with what you want or He will bless you with more than what you did not know to want." That was what this year was about for me. He did not give me what I wanted (yet) but he gave in abundance of what I could never have imagined. At the time, I was anticipating not being single anymore but (thankfully), God had/has something bigger at play. I'm not 100% sure what yet but some major steps were taken this year. He has been faithful in His promise to direct my steps. He has pushed me out of my comfort zone on many occasions but the result has been blessing on top of blessing. As hard as they have been at times, He has been faithful to direct my steps.

He took me from being a hermit to planting me in a new faith family. I have been blessed beyond measure to be a part of Oikos (my bible class) and the body it is a part of. Just yesterday, I was doing some counting and I have been showered with about 60 new brothers and sisters to come along side in the past 12 months with about 15 of those being good friends. He has taught me how to love others in ways that I have never imagined. People and/or traits that I had little tolerance for now have a special place in my heart. He has taught me how to pray scripture like I never have before. He has taught me the full meaning of James 1:19, "....Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to become angry...." He is changing my world view and the desires of my heart. He is being faithful in the refining fires of his convictions. In many ways, I am not the same person I was a year ago. I feel like God has brought me back to life over the course of the past 12 months. It reminds me of The Wizard of Oz. Life was various shades of gray and then *BAM* color was given!

I'm excited about what the next year holds. I have no idea what I will type on December 11, 2010 but I know that I can look forward to it starting today. I know God is preparing something fresh and new for the days to come!

You Might Need a Tissue - I Did...

While every job has its perks and challenges, I have been hitting challenges left and right recently. I love teaching for three reasons: challenging kids, seeing lights come on, and forming bonds with students. This year, I feel like I am getting NONE of that. It has reached the point that when thinking on to next year, I am already considering a change. The most challenging part is that I feel like I never see the lights come on. Or even worse, I'll think the lights are coming on and then they bomb a major test. It is heartbreaking to feel useless but ever more so to watch these kids lose confidence with each grade returned to them.

I do really like my 5th grade group. They are so sweet and really funny. It is a group of 5 girls and one lone boy. He is such a good sport about it! We tell him all of the time, "J, you are the man!" He thinks this is funny because he is really THE one and only man. We let him get away with more than he should but my group of girls love him (as do I). They took part in the annual Gingerbread House building today and were so excited about it. Late in the morning, I walked into the 5th grade math class to check on a few of them and they are taking their six weeks assessment. My stomach turned into knots and dropped at the same time. The last time one of these test were given, my kids scores ranged from a 20 to a 60. Watching them get those scores back is something I will never forget no matter how hard I try. Devastating. I noticed that my kid who earned a 20 was already finished and reading a book. Bad news! I went to the teacher and asked if I could see his test. My eyes bugged. He earned a 65! That was a 45 point jump! I thought I was about to die! I asked if I could take him and she said yes. We went outside and I showed him the grade. He shoulders drooped a little before I told him what a big deal it was for him to increase that much AND he got the hardest question on the test correct! He started grinning and actually straightened up. I asked if he wanted to look at his test and he said yes. As we went question by question, we noticed something. He answered three questions correctly but transferred to his answer document incorrectly. It started to dawn on him that he did not have a 65 but a higher score. He asked the value of each question and I told him 5 points. I watched as he counted that he had an extra 15 points for his grade. Then, tears started falling as I watched him count three times what his new grade would be. You see, he had never earned an 80 on a math test before. He couldn't believe it and had to check it three times. He needed me to to double and triple reassure him that he had in fact not only passed a math test for the first time in years but he had earned a B. He stopped again and figured out that this test was 60 points higher than his last one, checking with me again to make sure he was correct. When I told him he was, we hugged, he beamed, and I cried as I told him over and over that I have never been more proud of any student in my life. We sat and laughed for a few minutes before he suddenly stopped. This teacher is known as the hardest on the campus and not to be persuaded. He told me that he was concerned because his teacher only grades the answer document, not the test. I told him that we could talk to the teacher on two conditions: 1) He had to do the talking and 2) She may not change the grade. We talked about what he could say. We talked about that if she did not change his grade, he would know in his heart and head that he earned an 80 and nothing could take that away from him. I would not be any less proud of him. So we walked into the room, he talked to the teacher, and after a stern talking to, she gave him the 15 points! He not only officially earned his 80 but he was brave enough to make sure it happened. I gave him a hug and had to leave before I cried again.

Later that afternoon, I saw him leaving early for an appointment. He looked at me and smiled a smile that lit up his entire face. We had a conversation that went something like this:

Me: You're leaving early?
J: Yep!
Me: You've had a really good day! Dad came to build a gingerbread house with you, you earned an amazing grade on your math test, and you get to leave early.
J: Ms. LaMore, you know what?
Me: What?
J: I'm the man!
Me: Yes, J. For many reasons, you are the man!

My Week With the Johnsons

On Monday, Bladen Joel joined our family. Erin, Gregg, and Liz have welcomed him joyfully and are growing love in their home. I was incredibly blessed to be able to be with them this week to help everyone get their feet on the ground. After a couple of days, Erin asked me if staying with them was making me want to have children more or scaring me off. The question still makes me smile. I told her that it makes me look forward to that time to come. I'm not longing for it more or dreading it. I know it is in God's hands. This week was just a sweet taste of things to come. Even though getting up at all hours had its challenges, rocking a sweet baby and praying at 3:00 a.m. was some of the most precious time I have had in a long time. Bladen is a sweet boy already adding joy to our lives. His expressive faces and soft noises warm the heart and balance out the times he is less than happy. He has pretty much stolen this girl's heart! Watching Liz be curious at this person who never left was something else. She was gentle with him and patient for her turn with her parents. She is going to be a great sister! She still has a tug on my heart with that smile, her dancing, and all of her different laughs. She had Erin and I laughing until we couldn't catch our breath this afternoon. Erin was able to start the process of learning how to ensure both of her children are loved, cared for, and getting their share of her. She is an AMAZING mom! She managed to work in one-on-one time with both of the kids each day without neglecting either one. Even recovering from giving birth and adjusting to being a family of four instead of three, she was an incredible hostess. If every home had a mother like her, our world would be a much better place! Gregg is such a great partner for her. They balance each other very well. I love spending time with them because they still enjoy each other - joking, playing, praying, and working together through rest and sleep deprivation. It is obvious that they know how to laugh when they need to most. Gregg is a great dad - playing with the kids, taking care of tasks around the house, and making sure Erin is getting what she needs. The Johnson family is blessed to have him as their head.

Overall, it was a sweet week. It was hard to leave them but I have no doubt that I'll be back very soon (well - when needed or to get a sister/aunt fix). Much, much love to my Johnson family!

Daddio and Liz

Daddio was a big hit this Thanksgiving with Miss Liz! Between reading books, taking pictures, and his clean shoes, his granddaughter was quite smitten! I do love my dad and my niece!

Thanksgiving Lesson

The past two years, the two days before Thanksgiving break have been two of my favorite days to be a teacher. We would do rotations and in each group, we would have an activity to learn more about the lives of the Pilgrims and our Thanksgiving traditions/symbols. The kids LOVE it and we just have a great time. Since I am not in the classroom anymore, it was quite different today. I bounced around from grade to grade helping in their own celebrations. In addition to that, I spent part of the morning (yesterday and today) with one of my pull out kiddos. He is Jehovah's Witness and cannot participate in any holiday activities. Yesterday we "ran errands" around the school and played word games. It was really fun to be with this little guy. He talks a lot so I have to really be on him to be quiet in class. However, the past two days, he has been able to talk his heart out! Such a sweet boy!

*Sidenote: When I asked him to describe a clown yesterday, he responded with, "Cheeky!"

Today my team had a pot luck lunch. I was making fruit salsa with cinnamon sugar tortilla chips. Since it was fruit and I wanted it to be fresh, I decided that my time with the student today would be making the salsa. I bought a cheap chopper and let him go to town. All of that six year old boy energy chopped fruit faster than I have ever seen! While we chopped and mixed, we talked. About half way through, I asked him if he ever helps his mom in the kitchen. He told me that they just moved to a new hotel room and this one doesn't have a kitchen. As a matter of fact, he has never really been in a kitchen before.

This was a huge ah-ha moment for me. Instead of feeling sorry for him because he couldn't make a turkey, my heart broke for him. Here he was, a first grader, and his first experience making any kind of food was in a portable classroom with his reading intervention teacher. He loved every moment of it and was beyond enthusiastic! However, he has never licked a beater after his mom makes a cake. He has never helped ice cookies or helped stir the macaroni and cheese. He has never helped make a salad.

Instead of crying (like I wanted to), I told him what a good job he was doing. I said that he should be a chef. We talked about what a chef is and what kind of food he would make. I tasted the simple salsa and ooo-ed and awwwww-ed at what a fantastic job he did. He smiled this big crooked smile and asked if he could help me cook again sometime. I told him that in about three weeks I would need some more help (Christmas/winter parties). He just said, "aw-wight!" So in three weeks we will cook again and we will talk about being a chef. He will be the most amazing cook in the first grade and I'll do whatever I can in those few hours to plant seeds that can break the cycle his family is in.

Who knows - maybe the very next Emeril is sitting in my room instead of celebrating a holiday.

Lessons from the Corner

Each day on my way home, I get stopped at the intersection of I-10 and Hwy 6. Most days there is a man on the corner with a cardboard sign. There are a few regulars that I have come to recognize and have spoken to a few times. Nice men is need of a little help. There is even one guy that I look for because the next time I see him, I'm thinking of taking him to the new coffee shop on the corner. Most days, their signs talk about being in need of money, out of work, and/or being a Veteran. Most people get on their phones and avoid eye contact at all cost. My heart breaks for these men. They are treated like they have the plague.

Today, I sat at the light and looked over to see a new face. I've never seen him before but there he was - missing his front few teeth and leading the cutest dog ever. He had the most contagious smile I have seen all day long. He looked drivers in the eye, smiled at them, and waved enthusiastically. He made the corner of my mouth turn up a bit. I glanced at his sign and all it said was "Cheeseburger, please!" followed by a smiley face. It was too much. I burst out smiling and laughing. He saw me, smiled, waved, and gave me a thumbs up. I have never been so sad to not have cash on me. He made my day!

As I drove past, two thoughts entered my mind: 1) I hope he is there tomorrow and 2) what a brat I am! Here was a man with very little, obviously full of joy and seeking his daily bread. One smile, one meal, full of joy. There I was, sitting in my car on my way home to prepared dinner feeling a little down after spending a rough-ish day at my very secure job. There he was, with no income just hoping for the generosity of others, smiling like it was Christmas Day. It was obvious who has their perspective correct.

Today, I wish I was more like the man on the corner.

Praise!!

Thank you, thank you, and thank you for your prayers for my coworker! Today, an emergency C-Section was performed and this world welcomed little Dalton. He is 3 pounds exactly and is 20 inches long. There is concern about his lungs but he is in NICU for a little while. Mom is doing very well. She feels great and is beyond in love with her son. As soon as a picture is available, I'll share with you the results of your prayers.

"Great is the LORD and most worthy of praise; his greatness no one can fathom!" - Psalm 145:3

Prayer Request Update

Thank you so much for praying for my friend! They did a stress test today and the decision was made to schedule a c-section for Thursday. The only area of development that the doctors are concerned about are the baby's lungs. They are giving her a series of shots to help in that area and then on Thursday, we will welcome her son into the world. She is OK but still in shock. As things continue, I'll update more. Thanks again for your petitions on her behalf!

Urgent Prayer Request

Last year, God blessed me with the opportunity to work with an amazing woman. She is the most positive, loving woman I've ever met. I don't think that I have ever heard a negative word come put of her mouth. She loves her students, family, and friends so much!

As we got to know each other, she told me that before moving to Houston, she and her husband lost a son in her eighth month of pregnancy. She had to deliver him stillborn and it was devastating for them. Time was healing them as much as it could and they leaned deeply on God. Then, last April, she announced to us that she was pregnant again. Aside from my niece and nephew, I've never been so excited or prayed harder for a baby in my life. She is due on December 18th.

I just got a call that she was admitted to the hospital this afternoon. The doctor is concerned that the baby does not have enough room so they are keeping her to observe the baby overnight. She just text me that everything is looking good so far. I'm just so scared for her to lose another baby at 8 months. She sounds alright but I know this is in the back of her mind.

Since God is not bound by time, I ask you to prayer for her and the baby as soon as you get this. I so appreciate you joining me in this!

Me? Wrong? Of Course......

About two months ago, I wrote a rather embarrassing post about my celebrity crush of Adam Richman. At the time I ended the post with this sentence, "However, the reality of a Houston school teacher meeting the host of a popular national television show is highly unlikely." Well, looks like I could have been wrong....

I was just looking through my email at a list of events coming to the House of Blues and guess who is going to be in Houston on December 2? Oh my word!! If I were not expecting to meet my very first nephew, tickets would in strongly considered.

Oh what a nerd am I!

Oh the Things They Will Say

I haven't blogged about work too much this year. It's been pretty different in both good and bad ways. I'm working with a completely new population within our school through our REACH (reading) and Title (math) intervention programs. We are working with the kids that 15 years ago would have been in special education or pretty close to it. Most days are fine but every once in a while, it can be pretty daunting. This morning we had a meeting that was very overwhelming. Those of us on that team were pretty shell shocked. But bless 'em, we had kids that just made us laugh and laugh and laugh. Because, truth be told, if you don't laugh, you'll cry - really hard. Here are the things that broke our tension with delirious laughter:

Me: Who is your teacher?

Kinder kid: Mrs. REACH

Me: Yes, you are in REACH but who is your teacher?

Kinder kid: Mrs. REACH!

(10 minutes later)

His Teacher: Do you know my name?

Kinder kid: No

His Teacher: Ms. Mitchell

Kinder kid: Oh

His Teacher: OK, so what is my name?

Kinder kid: Mrs. REACH

Overheard from the boys' restroom:

- I left my pee in the water!

Teacher to a girl in the restroom (notice a pattern here):

Teacher: Why aren't you using the restroom?

2nd grader: The toilet won't flush.

Teacher: Did you push the lever down?

2nd grader: Yes

Teacher: Are you sure?

2nd grader: Yes

Teacher pushes the lever and the toilet flushes

2nd grader: Oh. I didn't try that.

Teacher: What are some things that you could be doing at 7:00 a.m.?

Student: Getting home.

Three minutes after giving a reading passage to students:

Student: I'm finished

Teacher: Are you sure? You read the passage and answered all of the questions in three minutes?

Student: Oh yeah, I forgot to read it!

What a Week!

Well, unfortunately I have had major blogging block. Thankfully I have been almost too busy to feel too bad but for you that means the simple, boring week in review until I have something else to share. Here you go:

Monday - God was incredibly gracious and gave me an unexpected night at home after placing an order at a bakery. He sure know what I needed!

Tuesday - Our school had its 40th Birthday Celebration. It was amazing! All of the former principals came back including the man the school is named for. It was such a sweet time to honor him as well as everyone who has served our school and helped make it what we love today. There were several tears of gratitude shed. It made for a long night but it was so sweet!

Wednesday - I helped host a bridal/baby shower for a couple of girls I work with. So fun but so crazy! Note to self - when doing a school wide shower, have more than two hostesses! Some of our former teammates came so we had some time to catch up. I left straight from work to head to church. Again, another long day but a good one!

Thursday - After work, a couple of girls and I went to see Mary Poppins. LOVED IT! It you get a chance to go, do it! It is a great story and visually stunning! I could go on and on but this is just a recap... It was nice to see my friends outside of school and just catch up. Working across campus can really make you miss your friends!

Friday - Dinner with the Johnsons and then watching Little Girl while her parents went on a date. I sure do love her! Lesson of the night - get faster at getting her dressed after bath time! I'm not anywhere near as practiced as her folks. Spent the night there.

Saturday - Come home after breakfast. Later, met up at church for First Fest with the Bhutanese. What an amazing fall festival with some of my favorite new people! Then, home again and crashed big time for a much needed night of rest.

Sunday - God dominoed everything on me today - in the best of ways. From an amazing time of prayer, worship, and study to meeting up with friends to discuss some of the harder aspects of scripture, He was all over today in revelation and conviction. My cup overflows!

Now off to bed so I can start this week well rested. Hope you all have a good one!

Point Made!

I heard the following sermon illustration in an amazing message on Genesis 4-5. Had to share it:

A young girl had a pet boa constrictor. She loved it and would let it get out of the cage. It was like a member of the family. She let it slither around - loved it, cared for it, fed it. Eventually she began to let it sleep in her bed with her like a friend. It would stretch out along her back and cuddle with her. She thought it was very sweet. Then, after a while, she noticed that the snake had quit eating. No more rats or mice. So she took it to the vet. He asked if the snake had experienced any trauma or sudden changes to its life or diet. She said no but left out the part about it sleeping in the bed with her because she didn't want to sound weird. He said if it continued to be a problem, to bring it back. So she took it home and nothing changed. She grew more concerned and began to freak out. She went back to the vet and he asked her if she was sure nothing significant had changed. She finally admitted that the snake was sleeping with her, and shared how great it was - it stretched out and snuggled up next to her. The vet immediately reacted and told her to stop. He corrected her that the snake had not been cuddling with her. In fact, the boa constrictor was measuring her. The snake was starving itself so it could eat her. He told her that it is not a pet - it wants to devour you.

And sin and temptation are the same way. You don't own it, it owns you.

Running Mind

Well, for the fourth night in a row, my mind is spinning and sleep is not knocking on my door (quite out of the ordinary for me). So to help unwind, I'm going to leave it here so hopefully I can crash.

1. Liz in one today. When did that happen!? I sure do love that girl a lot. She doesn't know it yet but her aunt is pretty much wrapped around her finger more tightly every time I see her. I can't wait to celebrate her on Saturday!! Erin wrote an amazingly sweet blog and posted some great pictures. Check it out!

2. Things at work are kind of weird this year. They are changing and the stress levels are WAY up. I haven't felt this in years. I'm on a major learning curve this year and it has majorly overwhelming moments. I wear a pin on my lanyard that says "Expect Miracles". This year, I praying for it!

3. I can honestly say that I have never fully understood the meaning of having your heart tugged at but the past two days have pulled and twisted so many times. God is busy with some pretty significant lessons here and they keep me up at night. That is another blog for another day though. I'm sure it will come soon so keep your eyes open.

4. I made a pretty shocking decision yesterday. Women across the country will think I am nuts but I'm very peaceful about it. I've decided to stop attending the Bible Study led by Beth Moore (at least for this semester). I had a choice to continue with the study or to join a small group of girls that meets on Tuesday nights. Since relationships/community is one area God has been working with me, I decided to go with the small group.

5. I am torn between the American, westernized church and what we are called to be in Scripture. I see big discrepancies in my life and what we are called to. Again, another blog for another time.

6. I have the BEST bible class ever! My breath is taken away at the sincerity and hearts of the people I do this thing called life with. They are amazing!

7. I'm thankful for brainless books and TV to give me mental breaks!

8. Kindergarteners can make me laugh quicker than just about any age group. They are SO funny!

The Fun Theory

Holly sent me a link to this website called The Fun Theory and I just had to share the videos with you. Each is only a minute and a half long. The idea is that by making something fun, people's behavior can change. In short, I want to live where these people are. Amazing and fun! :)

The Bottle Bank Arcade Machine (Recycling Glass Bottles)


Piano Staircase (take the stairs rather than the escalator)


The World's Deepest Bin (Throw trash in the trashcan)

Worry Amended

I totally forgot to share something with you about worry. You may know this already but humor me for a minute. Clint was sharing that in his study for the lesson, he decided to look into the origins of the word "worry". Now, he could have stopped after this because it is a one lined sermon. Ready?

The word "worry" originates from a word that means "to strangle".

If that doesn't speak volumes, I don't know what does!

Casting it on Him

Tonight at Koinonia, we talked about worry. We spent a lot of time in Matthew 6 are a few related verses. By the end of the evening, one of the conclusions we reached was that worry is a lack of faith. Worry shows doubt in not only what God can do but who He is. We spent some good time talking about casting our worries on Him and taking up His yoke. So I've decided to ask you to come aside me in casting some worries off. Below are some prayers that I am lifting up and covet your prayers along these lines.

1. Health - Things are a conundrum with my health again. The last appointment, the doctor threw out some words that sucker punched me. The medications are not working which means I'm not working. Satan speaks lies to me using this in many ways. My prayers are that the doctors can figure out something that will work, that I'll have peace through this, and that Satan will quit messing with me through it.

2. Singleness - not anywhere near as bad as it has been in the past but I feel it trying to sneak up on me. I just want to nip any discontentment in the bud.

3. Work - I'm still trying to find my footing in my new position. I'm just needing some assurance that something is making a difference. I still miss my old position but this is what I've been entrusted with for the year.

4. Finances - I really want to knock some things out but things keep popping up. I just want to be a good steward of what I've been given but I need to catch a break from things breaking. :)

5. Faith - To have a persevering faith that does not doubt but keeps relying on God. Some days it is hard to remember that not only have my prayers been heard but answered.