Out with the old.. in with the new...

at least that's what they say... This year as I say good bye to 2009, I pause to reflect upon all that has happened over the past year. This year I said good-bye to the single life (something I thought I'd never do) and married a wonderful man... it seems that most of 2009 was spent preparing for that one day in October when I said "I do" and pledged my love and promised to stand with him through whatever life should throw at us...at the time I am writing this blog we have been married for 2 months and 1 week. Many people have asked me over the past 2 months if it feels different or how does it feel to be married.. I always pause and have to consider how to answer these questions because the truth is it doesn't feel different.. James and I dated for almost 4 years before we got married and truth is it feels like he's been a part of my life forever... I can hardly remember what it was like before God brought us together... we just fit together and I think that's exactly the way it's supposed to be... a joining of 2 people who complement and complete each other. So on this eve of another year ending and another beginning I look forward to the journey James and I will travel and pray that each day will bring us closer to each and closer to God.
God Bless you all and Happy New Year!

Tuesday's Happy List

1) the perfect juicy hamburger

2) homemade chocolate chip cookies

3) playing with my niece

4) finding the "perfect" gift for a loved one

5) goofing off with the family.. gonna be sad to go back to big D tomorrow

Monday's list

1) spending time with family

2) the beautiful sights and sounds of Christmas

3) yummy berry yogurt

4) ice cold diet pepsi

5) a good book

Sunday's list...

1) having all my Christmas shopping done

2) praise team practice... (nope I don't sing... I'm just the video person)

3) the sound of children's voices singing

4) my family

5) heat!!!! It's wonderful to be warm!

Well that's my 5 for today! 3 days down, 4 more to go... check back tomorrow when I sign in from Arkansas with 5 more things that make me happy!

Saturday's List of 5 things that make me happy

1) listening to music

2) waking up next to my husband with nothing to do but spend time with each other

3) waffles with peanut butter

4) manicures and pedicures

5) lazy weekends

5 more things

Here is today's list of 5 things that make me happy...

1) cuddling with James

2) unexpected Christmas bonuses

3) silly cards from my husband

4) Christmas vacation

5) comfy cozy socks that keep my toes warm.

What's your five for today?

Things that make me happy!

Ok, so yesterday after a wonderful dinner with my bffs we strolled over to Barnes & Noble to just browse and maybe have some coffee. While we were there Kathryn P. (last initial added so you won't think I'm talking about myself in the third person :) picked up some calendar titled "3,650 Things to be happy about". As she read through a sample list Lara and I were making faces at some of the items listed... so as we are standing there KP challenged Lara and I to come up with a list of 5 things that make us happy each day for a week. So here is today's list.

1) Thursday and Fridays (because these are James' days off and we get to spend time together)
2) James :)
3) chocolate
4) a restaurant having my favorite beverage (would you believe there are places out there that don't serve diet pepsi!)
5) spending time with my bffs :)

ok so that's today's list... what 5 things are making YOU happy today?

40 days

Yes, that's right The Wedding is only 40 days away. It's hard to believe that in 40 days I will be getting married! So many emotions are going through me right now... I'm nervous, excited, joyful, hopeful, sad and happy and so many other feelings are coursing through me that I can't name them all.
Last night the overwhelming feel was sadness...I'm going to sound like a little girl here but I miss my mom! I never envisioned getting married without her. I really miss her quiet wisdom and leadership. I miss being able to call her up when I'm tied up in knots and having her quiet voice calm me down and tell me it will all work out. And then there are the showers that are being thrown in my honor and she won't be by my side. I miss her so very much right now... dear friends are volunteering to step in and be my substitute mom.. one even offered to loan me her mom (thanks Meagan :)) and as much as I appreciate these offers and the love in which they are offered I wish for something that will not be... I know she is looking down and watching over me.. and I know she'll be at the wedding.. but I wish for one more chance to hear her voice, just one more I love you, or even a "get it together Kathy!
Weddings are such strange creatures and stir up a lot of emotions and memories that have been dragged out in a while. I look forward with eager anticipation to being wed to the wonderful man God has place in my life and at the same time am nervous about how the blending of our lives together will work out.
Please keep James and I in your prayers as we walk this journey together.

Lunch Time Conversations

Today at lunch the following conversation was floating around the table...

JT: Miss Teale is God real?
Me: Yes God is real.
AT: God is inside of us.
JT: Miss Teale is God above us or below us?
Me: What do you think?
KW: God is everywhere He knows everything we do.
AT: God is in our hearts.

It's very interesting to listen to a group of 5 year olds debate the existence of God. But really do we ever quit asking those questions? And I love the answers... God is in us! God is everywhere! and God is in our hearts!

How awesome!!!

SLOW Down

In less than 4 months I'll be walking down the aisle and becoming Mrs. James Rowe! Wow it's hard to believe that James and I have been dating now for 3 1/2 years! And in a few short months we will be husband and wife. One of the things I have struggled with throughout my dating life is how to maintain my individuality and still be part of a couple. How do you balance a relationship and still maintain interests outside of the relationship? How do you keep from being consumed by the relationship? It's something I've struggled with for years and have seen friends struggle with. It's like I have all these different things pulling me in different directions! There's teaching, family, friends, spending time with James, independent Bible studies, group Bible studies... for someone who values her alone time I've become so busy with other stuff that I've neglected to take time to recharge my batteries.. probably so much that an incident today that normally wouldn't have upset me... sent me off the deep end and into tears... I found myself all alone today following worship service... all my friends had rushed off to lunch and there I was standing all alone in the foyer of the worship center... no one asked if I was going to lunch or if I'd like to join them... it was rather a strange feeling, because you see it's been so long since I had felt this way... for the last 3 years except for a few weekends here and there James has always been there to go to lunch with... and even before that there was a group of friends to go out with... and before that it never bothered me to be by myself for lunch... but as I've gotten further and further away from my solitude I've become more and more dependent upon others. And I wonder what happened to my balance... I need that time of solitude that's been sacrificed to doing instead of being.... I have friends who thrive on business, who always have to "check" their calendars before committing to a lunch or dinner date or even a cup of coffee... but that's not me... or at least it hasn't been me...I recently looked back at my calendar and found almost every weekend filled with some sort of activity or event... I've lost my balance.... I've neglected taking a "sabbath" and I wonder how with all that has to be done in the next few months will I find that balance...My morning devotionals have lately been done out of habit rather than desire... I go through the motions of my daily life almost on auto pilot wondering when I'll have just one day to do absolutely nothing! I feel that have become so busy that not only am I neglecting taking care of myself but I'm neglecting my relationship with God... I wonder how do you do it... how do you balance everything... where do you find your alone time... where do you find the time to just be?

Born Again American

A friend of mine sent me a link to this... it is very moving..

The Special Needs Child

This week has been very rough. It's been one of those weeks when I begin to wonder if teaching is what God really wants me to do. Am I in the right place? Am I doing a good job? I'm sure every teacher has those kind of weeks. My breakdown came on Tuesday. Pretty much a day like any other day, got up, went to school and began working with the children in my class. They are usually a pretty normal bunch of 5 year olds but that day I felt like I was drowning. It felt like they weren't listening. It seemed that they did nothing they were asked to do. It felt like I wasn't even speaking and that they had forgotten everything they had been taught over the past months. One child in particular was being particularly frustrating. We'll call her K. Now you have to understand that on K's best days she is a challenge to work with. K has a special needs brother and sometimes despite K's parents best efforts the special needs sibling demands most of their attention and she doesn't get much attention. So Tuesday was one of those days that K and I were really not on the same page. We were stuck in a power struggle... and she was winning. By the time I took my lunch break I was nearly in tears. Feeling pretty sorry for myself I have to say... doing the whole pity party thing.. complaining to co-workers the whole nine yards and then I went to the parking lot and talked to God.. I just laid it all out there... poured out all my feelings of helplessness and frustration and then I went and poured it all out to my director. Had myself a good cry on her shoulder and got some of the feelings out so that I could at least finish the day. Well K and I made it through the rest of the week in one piece and tonight as I was sitting here playing some silly game I had an epiphany or perhaps it was God speaking to me. This thought came into my mind... K is a special needs child too... she may not having a physical disability that you can see but deep in her heart she has special needs too. She needs your love... for you to love her like I love you... She needs your hugs... She needs your patience... She needs your mercy... She needs you to listen! Not exactly the answer I was looking for there God. You know I was thinking more along the lines of "You poor baby" "your having such a rough time" you know sympathy.. and what I got was the realization that I am special needs child... we are all God's special needs children... I may not throw myself down on the floor and cry and scream like K does or roll around on the floor instead of sitting in my chair like K does to get attention but I do other things that express my need for attention that probably looks like throwing a tantrum to God. But does He ever push me away when my behavior is inappropriate.. No He stands there with His arms open waiting for me to come back to Him... When I "kick, scream, cry and throw a fit" He is waiting there to gather me up in His arms... loving me and taking me back every time... His love is unconditional. He loves me no matter what.. Not just when I'm "sitting in the chair" and doing what He tells me to... He loves me even when I'm in the midst of a tantrum... even when I'm at my most unlovable... He loves me and pleads with me to come back to Him... May He give me that kind of love to show to K. I pray that the next time she throws a fit... instead of reacting with frustration, that I will act with love... that I will take the time to give her one more hug, a kind word, let her sit on my lap for that extra few minutes... I pray that I will love her daily the way the Lord loves me.. unconditionally and fully.
Do you have a "special needs" child? Are you a "special needs" child? Well take heart God loves His special needs children and wants us to love them too.

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