Sunday, October 28, 2007

A photo from Saturday of Paul......

fishing, or... well... sleeping by our pond.



Here is a close up of him. He took this using a tripod and his camera with its timer setting. I thought they were neat. I especially love the one with the view.

Thursday, October 25, 2007

A few of Michael's ceramic pieces

This is a photo taken today of Michael at the college.



This is my favorite piece. I wish y'all could see the detail. I told him that I want this piece!


Michael loves his ceramics class at college. He enjoys shaping items with his hands more than using the wheel. LOL

Here are a few pictures of him and some of his pieces that are on display in the college library. My favorite of this group is his African candy dish. After he gets these pieces out from behind glass, I'll get some better pictures. Oh, his Christmas piece is cute, too. The other pieces that he made are a wolf and a squirrel.

Tuesday, October 23, 2007

It is actually getting closer!

I am talking about Demonstration Teaching and then graduation. It's hard to believe that this goal is nearly accomplished. I am looking into Master degree programs and trying to decide which way I want to go to pursue this next degree. I was seriously thinking about getting a Master in Technology and Education but now I am considering getting one in Curriculum design. That would go along with my creative juices. I so enjoyed creating Units of study when I was homeschooling Michael.

My braces are on my teeth! There will be no photos. They have really given me fits this week. I would have thought that after giving birth that my pain tolerance would have been higher.

Mark is really wanting to get his DMA. If he can't make that happen, he's considering getting his EdS. We shall see how everything comes into play over the next several months. The DMA would open doors for him to teach at a college or seminary level. This was always his goal before the children were kidnapped. Then our lives took on a totally different spin. The EdS would just be a very nice salary increase with the public schools. Ministry is where he feels calls and where his passion lies, though. So, we shall see what doors and windows and opportunities that God provides.

Michael is saving money to buy a car. We are planning on helping him out with some of it. It will be very nice when he has his own wheels. Although, being that Mark's school and Michael's college are across the street from each other, sharing Mark's truck has worked out alright, not perfect but doable.

I saw Paul's band march a complete show this past Friday night. They did a great job. I love that child. I wonder if our children ever really know just how much we adore them? I wonder if when they have children of their own, they finally figure it out?

I have so much to get accomplished in the next month and a half. I have to get a little script together and build the set for the children's Christmas pageant at church. I have two huge classes to finish up and one objective proctored test with my college and I am taking Georgia's Content Area exams on Saturday. It kind of makes my head spin.

I am hoping that this Thanksgiving will be spent right here at home. I really do not want to travel this year.

Well, that's a small update on my life.

Blessings,
Debbie

Wednesday, October 10, 2007

A post about battling depression.......

A precious mom from my board ChristianMoms located at Excoboards, posted to me today thanking me for something that I had posted to her several months back. She told me that she had printed it out and saved the words. Today, she read them again. She wanted to thank me for them.

I am posting them here in the hopes that they may help someone else.


I will pray that you begin to experience true joy in your life.

Don't get this confused with the world's definition of joy. Joy is not based on our physical situation, on the people in our lives, on our income, home, number of children, and the list goes on. Joy is based on knowing, understanding and believing who we are in Christ. We are hidden in Him.

In order to be hidden in Christ, we must spend time with Him - daily. You need to pray, meditate on the scriptures (notice that I didn't say - quickly read them but meditate on them), learn to have a thankful spirit, and also we must practice forgiveness. We must forgive ourselves and others.

As we meditate upon the scripture, we must begin to truly follow it and apply it to every situation in our life. The Word of God, at times, cuts to our hearts. It cuts out improper thoughts, actions, and feelings. This process is painful but if we keep on turning to the Word, keeping on praying and praising God, those places that had to be surgically removed from us by the Sword of the Word begin a healing process. God pours His truth and life out in our lives if we simply seek Him.

Seek Him daily and you shall find Him.

Lots of us make the mistake of stopping before the process is completed in areas of our lives. We start with all good intention to be faithful in spending TIME with God but then as the Word begins to speak to us, we can't stand the pain. So, we cover the pain with a facade and decide that we must really be an un-favored step-child of God instead of joint heirs with Jesus. This causes depression and hopeless feelings in our lives.

Beloved,

God has a plan for your life and it is good. He wants you to reach out with the faith of a child and jump into His arms and trust Him. Do you remember when our children are little and right under our feet? I remember trying to make supper with toddlers and babies attached to my legs. They wanted a couple of things. First, they smelled the food and wanted to eat the good things that I was preparing for them. However, they had to WAIT until the food was done cooking. I couldn't feed a child a raw chicken leg. To a toddler, I am sure that waiting time felt forever. Also, they sometimes wanted MY attention. They were tired and just wanted their mommy to STOP whatever chore I was doing and hold them.

I honestly feel that we are to approach the Father like our babies approached us. We need to get under His feet and hold on to His legs and He will give us the good things He is preparing for us and sometimes, He just stops and scoops us up in His arms and holds us a while.

Only God and His Word and then obeying it will take away this depression and allow you to experience life to the full.

I will be praying as you seek God.

Love,
Debbie

Tuesday, October 09, 2007

Healing

I have pondered the question of healing for years. I get bothered by ministries that seem to broadcast that they can heal you and yet, I know that prayers of faith accomplish much.

In recent months, I have had a couple of experiences with praying for church family. One of the choir members told me that her arthritis was really hurting her that evening. She told me this privately. I reached over and touched her and prayed. I asked for God to take the pain away. I felt a compassion for her because I have experienced arthritis and I didn’t want her to hurt. Two weeks later, she came up to me and said, ‘Debbie, I have been meaning to tell you something. Remember when you prayed for me about the arthritis pain? Well, the pain left that night and I have had none since.” I simply smiled and told her that I was happy for her.

Last Wednesday night, our pastor called me aside to tell me that he had been diagnosed with a kidney infection and his back was killing him. He went on the say that he thought he might even have a fever. He wanted me to explain to Mark why he and his wife left before adult choir rehearsal. When he told me that he thought he might have a fever, I reached up and placed my hand on his forehead and check. I told him that I would tell Mark why they left and then I told him that I wanted to pray for him. He seemed rather taken back, I placed my head on his shoulder and prayed that God would take his pain away and allow him to fly like wings of eagles – pain free. Sunday, as Mark and I were leaving the church, the pastor quietly told Mark and me that when I got done praying for him, that the pain had immediately left and had not returned. He just wanted me to know.

I told him that God was good and prayer was powerful.

When Christi was a little girl, I got migraines frequently. She would rub my arm and pray and the headache would go away. She was started doing this for me when she was only 5 years old. I used to tell Mark that her prayers that contained the faith of a child were heard by my God.

Mark and I have prayed for other people and organized prayers for people that were given death sentences and they lived. One time a men was dying of cancer in a church we were serving. The cancer had gone away but had come back worse than the first time. This man and his wife asked for Mark and me to go to dinner with them one evening. They told us that he was dying. They had told the senior pastor and the chairman of the deacons and they had gone over all the legal documents and his wife and kids would be taken care of. I sat at this table and did not know how to respond. His doctor had told him that there was nothing left to be done and to get everything in order. I finally said, “Gary, do you want to die? What do you want from Mark and me?” Why in the world I asked such a heartless question is still beyond me. He replied no that he didn’t want to die but didn’t tell us what he wanted. He just sat there looking so very sad and beaten. Then I asked him if he wanted us to pray for him by arranging a group to meet at his house. He said that yes he wanted prayer. Mark began to organize a large group of people to meet at Gary’s house and to pray for him. Mark contacted pastors from other denominations. He told our pastor and chairman of the deacons about the prayer time and they laughed in his face. Later, we found out from others that our pastor was angry with Mark for arranging the prayer for Gary. He was telling them that the prayer would not work.

That evening a large group of people met at Gary’s house. We circled their house and prayed. As everyone came back into the front yard, Mark said, “This doesn’t feel right.” He instructed everyone to gather round Gary and his family and either touch him or touch someone else who was touching him. The group began to pray. It took the sound of a mighty rushing wind. The sound of the prayers all spoken together was amazing.

On Gary’s next trip to the doctor, the doctor brought up a method of treating other types of cancer. He told Gary that this treatment would probably not work for him but they could try if Gary wanted. Gary decided to fight. After the treatment, Gary went into remission. God had spoken. Instead of burying him, we were able to celebrate with him and his precious family.

Prayers and healing, prayers and faith and faith like a child are vital in our lives. Sometimes, God answers no and that healing doesn’t take place. But, many times, God says, “Yes.” Yes, to healing.

I have several more examples of times that we have prayed for people and they were healed. I used to be surprised but now I kind of expect it.

I have prayed so many times for God to heal my Michael of his dyslexia and yet, Michael is still dyslexic. However, when Michael was 16 months old, a specialist told me that my son had nerve damage and could not hear at all. I went to God in prayer for my son. I didn’t know that I could pray for healing – so I prayed for strength. I gave my baby to Christ and saw myself walk away from my child and leave him at the feet of my Savior. Two months later, Michael was tested again – and his hearing was perfect. Even though I hadn’t specifically prayed for God to heal him with my voice, my spirit begged God and He answered my prayer.

I have been thinking about these prayers and the movement of God since Sunday morning. Yes, God is good.

Saturday, October 06, 2007

Going nuts!!

I have been working like a nut cake trying to get tons of assignments done for a college class. I need to complete four more tasks in this class and study for a major exam that I am taking on Wednesday. Sometimes, I wonder about my sanity in trying to complete a year's worth of classes in 3 months time. God has been gracious in allowing me some decent brain activity in writing this stuff up. I have been reading so much that my eyes burn.

I was fixing to start writing a paper this afternoon, when Paul came in and told me that he needed a little help with three projects that he has due in Health and Physical science. That child of mine!! Instead of me writing my papers, I had help Paul find what he needed. He has completed one project and, hopefully, his daddy will help him with the other two tomorrow.

Mark had seven students pass out last night and five ended up in the hospital. He didn't get home until 4:30 AM!! He has been one tired puppy today.

Now... my news........ I am getting my spacers for my braces next Wednesday after my test. And, the following week I get my braces. I am not quite sure how I feel about all this at my age. Oh, well. Lauri's son Aaron doesn't know why I care how I look at my age. Oh, to be 20 again. I told him that it wasn't just to have straight teeth. It was a matter of KEEPING my teeth which are shifting. Anyway, I am praying that God allows me to say that to him in 25 or 30 years. LOL

I need to check on a roast in the oven and work on a paper.

Blessings,
Debbie