I May Need a Therapist After This

For the record, yesterday was one big test on my patience as a new Sunday school teacher.

First thing, my class got in trouble for not quieting down and listening to the great story/lesson I was about to begin. Also, how to you keep kids from giggling during prayer time? Really kids, prayer is important, I promise!

Second, one of the girls fell out of her chair, not once but twice. This one is going to be trouble. I would compare her to a hurricane because no matter where she goes, there is some destruction. Also, falling out of a chair in a dress that isn't long is very unlady-like, especially when there are boys in the room.

Third, I did get them to participate, but I couldn't keep them quiet, so we disturbed the teen class in the other room. I felt bad, I have no idea what was wrong with these children.

I ended up telling them that if they came in that way next week, I would cancel Sunday school and they would have to go sit with their parents in the adult SS classes. That maybe a little unfair, but I didn't sign up to teach wild banchees about Jesus and God's love.

Next, my assistant and I did Children's Church during the service. Let me say this, I am taking my name off the rotation list.

First of all, Children's church is for children, not 11 and 12 year old tweens. This caused a big distraction and one of the girls (the same one who fell out of her chair twice) got in trouble for giving me attitude, like a bad one.

Second, the kids under the age of like eight were the best behaved, which you wouldn't expect. This could be a problem.

I then told me assistant that I was taking my name off the list.

As we played with Play-Doh, I helped the babies make creations of "ginger mans" and the letter "Z."

Snack time rolled around and we passed out Cheez-its and nasty fruit punch stuff...

I turned my back for 0.5 seconds, and the youngest girl had a red trail all the way down the front of her shirt, and into the floor. This wasn't a huge problem because of the advent of Shout (it out!!). So, she and I went to the bathroom to get as much out as possible, all the while, learning the words "purple" and "rug."

Then, story time. But, in between all the fruit punch mess, all the older kids finished and began wrecking havoc on the teen room and each other. (This is beginning to be an EPIC FAIL)

After we got everyone settled, we read them three stories that all went together, then we played music and stuff.

All the while, I kept repeating to myself, "I'm taking my name off the list."

Finally, it was over. Fin. Finito. DONE! FINISHED!!!

I felt like I should go home and find some kind of nerve pill, but instead I cooked a feast for seven and laid on my bed with my youngest niece.

Needless to say, I will not be doing Children's church again, and my SS class WILL obey classroom rules.

That is all folks. Maybe next week it will be a happier post!!

On Bullying

After a few days of utter discouragement, I am now happy to say that I have efficiently written a powerful lesson on David and Goliath for my beautiful kids in my Sunday School class.



Although it took me longer than I wanted, it came out nicely, and this week, more dialogue will be taking place in my little corner of the church.

With this lesson being about David and Goliath, I thought I could talk about how we all have Goliaths' in our daily lives. Bullies are a big thing now, and what better way to talk about them than to tie it in to a lesson about David and Goliath, who was a big bully to not only David, but to all the Israelites.

Now, we know how the story ended, David killed Goliath with just a sling shot and one stone, but we cannot tell the children to go out and stone their bullies, that my friends is murder in the first.

The way I explain it is, if a bully is tormenting them, they should stand up and inform an adult. Bullying is terrifying, and I can speak from experience. The child being bullied is always afraid to say anything for the fear of being beaten or swirlied even worse. In the long run, telling an adult, whether it be a teacher, a parent, or an office official, it could save the child's life. The child has the power from God to be brave and conquer his or her fears.

Goliath was nothing but a big punk, and without the power of God, he had nothing on the Israelites. He went at the Israelites with a spear and a javelin, but what he didn't know was that David packed a secret weapon. His name is God. God supplied David with the power, bravery and skill to bring down that big bully. After Goliath had fallen to the small boy, the Philistines were now and eternally the Israelites subjects (servants).

I really hope that my Sunday school kids understand the importance of having God on their side because he will bring them through so many uncomfortable storms in their lives to come.

Love Never Fails Us

You will be very happy to know that my lesson in my NEW Sunday school class was a hit!! I believe that deep down, the kids enjoyed learning about love. Even though we had a few who couldn't seem to sit still for more than a few seconds. This, I am okay with because at least they were in church.

I explained to them that loving is very important, even if it is someone that they truly dislike, or if it is a kid in their class at school that smells and looks like they hadn't bathed in a while.

I passionately believe that we should love on "the least of these." They are most important in my eyes, and if I can convince my kids of this, then I will consider my life a success.

Love is everywhere, we just have to learn to bring it out in every situation. Love never fails us, therefore, we should never fail it.

I am very adamant that children learn to love each other and the world. I would call it my mission to love on people. Young people, older people, poor people, or rich people. They are all beautiful in God's eyes and deserve our love. ("our" being Christians)

Please, if you do nothing else, teach your kids to love. You can learn to love too.

Love and Brownies

Tomorrow, I begin teaching Sunday School at my church for a class cutely named "Kingdom's Kids."

First, let me say that I love love LOVE the age groupd, and the kids, that I will be teaching!!! I teach ages 9-11, they will 'graduate' to the teen class at 12! Last week was a trial run, with me not knowing that the class would become mine, so I feel that I did my best, considering I wasn't prepared at all!

However, tomorrow, I am going to rock this teaching gig as well as I can! I wrote a beautiful lesson on Love. I think that one thing the kids will pull away from this lesson is that love is indeed needed immensely in this world, and that it is a Christian's job to show it to everyone on the planet.

I am going to make my lovely children brownies and let them write letters to people they love.

As all of this is going on, amazing worship music will be playing in the background, giving everyone a sense of God's Holy presence.

Ya'll I am so very excited for this journey to begin!

As I proceed, I will write stories about my beautiful class, and I may even post a picture of their beautiful faces!!

Fairytale Charmer

Personal claims on things

that aren't real.

Things that only you can imagine.

A feud between friends,

both claiming a fairytale charmer.

Claiming that he is theirs.

Dreaming, letting your

brain wander off to

a place only you can imagine.

This is something I found in an old, small notebook from my junior year of high school. I could probably go to far in depth about who this small story is about, but for reasons that only I can understand, I shall keep that to myself.

This "fairytale charmer" just happend to break my fragile heart, not just once, but twice, without ever realizing that he did it. I was ignorant and remained friends with him long enough for it to happen twice.

I assume that I wrote this at a time when God was not the most important person in my life and I let "life" get to me. I also assume that the two girls feuding over "fairytale charmer" were dumb enough to even believe that he would ever give either of them a chance, which later, he ended up giving one of them a very undeserved chance. I was not that girl, which only made me try harder.

Luckily, I am not that high school junior anymore. Now, I could care less if a guy gives me any attention at all. I mean, yes it is nice, but I do not crave it as I did then.

It's funny how we can change over just a few short years. That was only five years ago, and here I sit, graduated from University, 22 years old, and clinging to God even tighter than I ever thought I would. He keeps me sane.

Untimely Accidents and Summer Heat

July 31, 2010: Lee University Commencement began at 10:3 A.M. with me being in line to receive my degree.

Now, it is August 12, 2010, 100 degrees outside and where am I at? Home. Not at the job of my dreams or in my own little humble abode; home.

I didn't expect to snag a job as soon as my feet came off the stage, but you would think that with a Bachelor's in Health Science, there would be employers waiting to hire willing hearts, such as mine. I have searched high and low, but every place wants you to be a nurse, a doctor, or have a Master's or to be certified in something I know that I am capable of doing.

In high school, they imbed it into your brain that college is the way to go... they don't tell you that it will take you eight years of higher education just to get a job.

Okay, I really hope that you have stuck with me here. I promise that I am off my soap box.

Now, on to this rediculous summer heat.

It is sweltering in my little corner of the southeast. I just took my dog out to, well, you know, and I'm pretty sure I melted a little. At 11:30 in the morning, it is already in the high 80s low 90s, and a heat advisory is in effect between the hours of 2 P.M. and 8 P.M.

With that in mind, let me tell you about my little adventure yesterday. I leave home to go hand in a resume and an application at a local business. I still had a little money left over from graduation, so I decided to go buy myself a pair of black Tevas (the most comfortable pair of sandals ever) at the mall. I'm in dress clothes and all that jazz too. I get in my car to leave, and I begin driving down the highway to go to my house. I hear this very loud POP sound. I thought that a rock had flew up and hit the bottom of my car... until my car started shaking and wobbling. I pulled over on the side of the road, got out, went around to the back end, and my rear passenger tire had exploded!!

Now, mind you, I am a 22 year old single female out alone of course, and this happens. I sorta knew what to do: CALL DADDY!! I knew that I didn't have a jack, so I couldn't get the process started, so I waited. At first, I had my car running with the A/C, but it started to smell weird, so I shut it off. Let me tell you, sitting in a car and it being 100+ outside, on the hot pavement, had to be the hottest I had ever been. Except for the time I camped in the jungle in Honduras.

Needless to say, Daddy came to the rescue, and even brought a co-worker to help him get it done quicker. Now, I am out a car with nothing to do, which is why I am now sitting here, writing to you, as if you are actually sitting here with me, in the home office/guest bedroom.

Next week, all of my friends that have yet to graduate will begin the school year, and frankly, I am sad that I will not be returning!