08/15/07

Have I shown this one before? I just can't remember... I took this one in the middle of the summer at Mom's house. I love how the background is blurred that you can't tell what is behind it. These are the kinds of pictures that make me all giddy. lol There is not much around here to photograph anymore with temps in the upper 90's low 100's. It was horrible today and it supposed to be bad again tomorrow. I am so ready for the Lord to send us some rain. He knows best, though.

We started back to school today. Wow, has it been a busy one. The day went well over all. Wesley and Mikayla were pretty tickled to be in first grade. I think in some ways it was a relief to them to finally be moving on... I am overwhelmed at the moment with all that they need to be working on with homework. It will be interesting coming home from teaching all day and doing the homework that they are expected to do. Don't get me wrong... I am all about learning but I just know my tank is empty at the end of the day and I am not looking forward to it all at the moment. I told Steve he was going to have to help me more with it this year. I feel kind of like a kid in college again when they get their syllabus that first day in class and see what is expected the entire year. I remember that "choking" feeling in my throat all too well. lol It will be fine, I know, and I just keep telling me the Lord will get us through it.

I am teaching the class of kids that was Wesley and Mikayla's first Kindergarten year. That is actually kind of weird for me. I see most of these kids and realize my kids are OLDER than they are but they are a grade behind. These are the moments I hate in a way, but I will never regret that we held them back. It truly made them better students. They will do so much better this year because of it... It will be funny to see these kids learn about me as the teacher and not just the kids Mommy. :)

This is a cute story about something Mikayla said to me the other night. We had a guy come to school and talk about evangelism and how we can share the Lord with other people. He made a very valid point that really hit home with me that when we share Christ we need to understand there is a "line" of people that God uses to bring someone to Him. Let's say it is a line of 27 people. We need to understand that when we are witnessing to someone we may be number 5 in that line of 27 and we may never see the end result until Heaven. That was so important for me to hear because I have witnessed to many people before and never gotten responses back but it may be that I am just number 12 or 24 but not the "27"...

Anyway, thinking on that, when I read the kids their Bible story the other night I was talking with them about how we need to tell others about Jesus. Mikayla said that she doesn't think she can do that because she is shy and doesn't want to hurt people's feelings. (That is so like her.) I told her that we have to talk with Jesus and He will show us or help us know what we need to say to others that will be a witness. She said "But I don't understand God." When she said that, the first thing that popped in my head was "OH MY... how, theologically, can I help her with this!!? Again, I am thinking like an adult and not a child in this.. I asked her what she was meaning and she said "God talks in thunder and I don't know how to speak thunder!!" Oh, the thoughts and simpleness of a child!!! I didn't quite know how to respond to such a simple explanation. Here I was wanting to spout off all of this knowledge to help her and all she meant was she thought God spoke through the thunder and she didn't speak that "language!" Ha! Doesn't that just make you smile, though?

I am so overwhelmed at the moment with so many "things" going on that I am missing my photography already. I know in the next little bit I will not have time to really focus on it and that bothers me. I know once things calm down it will be better but it is bad when you are loving teaching and wanting to photograph all at the same time. lol

Oh...did I ever say that I am definitely getting my gallbladder out? I double-checked with the surgeon's office yesterday and it is scheduled for Friday, August 31. I am ready to be rid of the nagging pain and irritation it causes me but not truly ready to have the surgery! This will be the first time I have ever had anything like this so it is a bit unnerving. I know I will be fine because the Lord is with me... it is just that unknown road that I have never been down before! I am doing it on that Friday so I can just be off one day and then have the weekend and Labor Day before I go back to school on Tuesday. From what I have been told by others who have had the surgery I should be fine by then.

Well, I need to get to bed. It has been a long time since 5:00 and I know it will come again rather quickly. I thank the Lord for a good first day of school and I pray tomorrow will be wonderful as well.