Christmas Break 2005

The last day for classes was on Wednesday 14th and I actually had to take two mandatory finals even though I had an A in both classes. The way I look at finals is with an attitude that it is just another test, cumulative maybe, but just another test. Grades were finally posted on Friday and I still have a 4.0 GPA. I am praying this will help me with scholarship money after I transfer to University. With one more year at the Community College (25 hrs) before I graduate with my Associate of Art’s degree, I finally finished filling out my application to transfer. I was putting it off until after I finished College Algebra, with my fingers crossed for an A. I did not want algebra spoiling my GPA on my transcripts and should not have worried about the grade. Anyway, I now have to start thinking about preparations for transferring, writing a few essays for scholarships, and whatever else I will need to do before I actually move to the next leg of this journey.

I did not plan on decorating my house or setting up the Christmas tree this year. This was a long semester and I was simply too exhausted to think about the time involved with dragging everything out and putting it up and then turning around in a couple of weeks and taking it all back down. However, we took Kayleigh to Six Flags Holiday in the Park last Friday and that revived my spirits and got me into the mood. So, I got the house ready for Christmas on Saturday and am glad I did, it looks great. I am used to making the most of my time because of my school schedule and am amazed by how much I get done while I am home during a break. I ended up baking holiday goodies and after covering the dining room table and filling up every Christmas platter and container, I had to call Mike to see if he would like to take a huge tray of assorted goodies into work. He sent a message today saying that everyone enjoyed the platter and asked for the recipes.

Between baking and cleaning, I have been sewing. My creative side finds itself on the back burner during the semesters I am in a math class. When I finally finish the class, I am overwhelmed with creative ideas and tend to go on overdrive with inspiration to create or decorate. Since I am not limited to sewing or baking, I have to force myself to go slowly, finish one idea at a time before I move on to another. The balance to all of the creativity going on is the need to organize, simplify, and clean. I think another word for this is, control. Yes, I still have control issues, but they are issues about me and not an issue of controlling others. In the middle of everything, I will have to force myself to rest and relax before I start the next semester.

It is good to have four weeks off between semesters this year. Thank you once again for your prayers; they make a difference as I continue to press on in my pursuit of education. I know that I found myself repeating, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me” especially during this semester with college algebra. I am looking forward to what next year brings. Mike and I go camping during the New Year holiday as part of our spiritual retreat. I like to seek the Lord and listen to His message as He speaks to my spirit concerning the New Year. Hope everyone enjoys celebrating Christmas this year and looks forward to a blessed New Year.

Thanksgiving Day 2005

I had class everyday this week with a test on Monday and Tuesday. I now have two days off plus the weekend. You would think I was looking forward to four days with no school, but I have to study for a huge algebra test on Monday and write a paper that is due on Wednesday. Mike and I were sick most of last week and consequently we did not get much accomplished. I am tired this semester and am looking forward to the end of it, especially algebra. With my brother coming for four days, I decided last week that I was not going to host or cook a huge Thanksgiving meal. I love having my family gathered around the table; however, I have cooked the meal with all of the trimmings almost every time for twenty-eight years. The family will get together tomorrow evening after my brother’s plane gets in and we will have homemade turkey and noodles, but that is a doable task…tomorrow, not today.

In the past I would have felt guilty for not hosting the dinner, but being in school year round has changed some of my priorities and cooking big meals moved down several notches. The way I see it, this is a season, and it will not last for many more years. It amazes me every time I do something different from the norm, I realize the sun continues to set in the west and rise in the east. The other thing I noticed is how much pressure is lifted from me shoulders, I can breathe normally, and I get through my day without feeling stressed.

My house is spic and span clean, I did a couple loads of clothes, clipped the dog’s nails and got Mike to bathe him, made cookies, pralines, and put a turkey in the oven. Now, I can focus on doing my algebra review and hope that I retain this chapter on logarithms.

Hope everyone is having a wonderful Thanksgiving Day filled with love and taking time out for relaxation.

Leaves Are Not as Messy...

As sand and pea-gravel, but Kayleigh seems to prefer them over leaves. Maybe she just needed someone to share the experience with her. Here you can see Kayleigh smiling after I sat in the pile of leaves and proceeded to tickle her with a leaf.

Friday and Saturday mornings are our time with Kayleigh. We love the overnight visit and Saturday morning tradition of pancakes, or waffles, or french toast, it does not make much difference to Kayleigh, she just loves to eat a big breakfast. Mike and I usually bike her home in what is referred to as her princess carriage (bike trailer for two). This has been the routine since the beginning of summer and we all love it.

Leaves are Falling

This past Saturday was a great “let’s make a memory” photo opportunity with a big pile of freshly fallen leaves and our granddaughter, Kayleigh. However, as you can see the “this is yucky” look on her face, Kayleigh did not think too much about sitting in the leaves. No matter, I managed to capture a fall scene that keeps my cell phone’s wallpaper updated as the seasons change.

Getting Closer to my Goal

I signed up for my spring classes today and will be taking my last History course, American Literature, and the first class of Spanish, plus the lab that goes with it (a total of 10 hours). After the spring semester, I will only need two science courses to be core complete before I transfer to the university. I could transfer next fall, but I decided to stay at the community college for one more semester. This will allow me to take the second level of Spanish and another Literature class, which will transfer toward my major.

My friend Monica and I plan to take the two sciences courses together during the summer semesters (both are five weeks long). She is originally from Costa Rica and the plan for the summer will be taking turns driving to school, studying together, being lab partners, and working on my Spanish while I teach her sign language. Monica wants to be a bi-lingual teacher for elementary aged children. I hope that she will be transferring to the same university as I am. While I will be getting my degree for 8-12 grades, we could have some of the same education classes. It would be great if we had the same schedule that would allow us to car-pool together. I enjoy the younger students, but it is nice to have other non-traditional students around to share ideas with and most importantly, be a support system for one another.

Having a degree plan has helped me pick the specific classes I need to take without taking classes that only count as electives. Once I finally decided to major in English and minor in education, my path became clearer. I have to take 12 hours in a foreign language, so if I take six more hours I can get a second minor in Spanish. This will make me more marketable after I graduate. I am also planning to be certified in English as a second language (ESL).

Having years of life experiences, as the non-traditional student I am, has greatly contributed toward my identity and the direction I am choosing for my career. However, I did not have the specific details until the second week of this semester (20 months into college).I do not know how an eighteen year old can possibly declare their major before spending at least two years in college. There is so much to learn in college and while I have progressed toward my goal, I have a way to go.

On a side note: I had an algebra test yesterday and what normally would take the whole 50 minutes to finish it in, I completed in 30 minutes. When I got to the fifth problem, I was thinking to myself that this test was just too easy, something must be wrong, am I overlooking something or maybe, just maybe I was getting it. I will report back after I get my grade and hope that my grade reflects the hours of work I have to put into it just to get it.

Something to do when I have a day off from school

Michelle put this list on her blog. You can learn a lot about a person from reading something like this. However, one must consider the questions or points that are being answered before taking it too seriously.


1. Five things I plan to do before I die:

• a. First get my Bachelor’s Degree, then my Master’s and then…PhD (only because I love school so much!)
  b. Spend some time in the UK discovering the historical places related to British Literature (my major)
  c. Take the motorhome and travel throughout the original thirteen colonies; again relative to British history
• d. Write a book, something deep and philosophical that will make an impact on those who read it e. Mentor a few more lives and influence them to serve the Lord with all their heart, soul, and mind
  f. Okay, this is six but I would love to take all of my grandkids on summer vacation for a week every year

2. Five things I can do:

• a. Analyze literature and write...”love it, and want to major in it one day”
• b. Lead and influence others
• c. Set and achieve goals
• d. Arts/crafts/sew-I have a wonderful imagination, mostly a blessing, sometimes a curse when I don’t have the time to create
• e. Give of myself: my time, talents, encouragement and on algebra test days-bake for my classmates, it raises our test scores

3. Five things I cannot do:

• a. Tolerate injustice
• b. Crochet-that is why I haven’t asked for my crochet stuff Michelle, you have the patience for this
• c. Sing in a choir
• d. Sit down and have math just come to me, I have to work at it
• e. Fix others, wish I could but only God can do this

4. Five things that attract me to the opposite sex:

• a. Stability-sound reasoning, not easily swayed, dependable
• b. Responsibility-is accountable for his word and actions
• c. Confidence-in himself and in the Lord
• d. Gentleness-strong leader, but uses gentle words and actions, builds up others instead of crushing the spirite.
• e. Courteous- as in a “Gentlemen’s behavior”

5. Five things I say most often:

• a. “This is college” as in, “grow up and take responsibility for your own learning.”
• b. “Good job!” often spoken as an encouragement to students, professors and especially to Kayleigh for just about anything.
• c. “I think I can, I think I can” said the little red engine when it comes to algebra (my version).
  d. “Stand fast and don’t be moved.”
• e. “I can do ALL things through Christ who strengthens me.” again, another reference used to help get through algebra.

6. Five celebrity crushes:

• a. Orlando Bloom-forget the fact that he is the same age as Justin, he is just nice to look at and there is his accent.
• b. Sean Connery-he just gets better looking as he gets older and the accent…well, he could do all the talking, I’ll listen.
• c. Gerard Butler-who could resist him as the “Phantom of the Opera” or “Attila the Hun” and then there is his Scottish accent.
• d. Hugh Jackman-especially in Kate and Leopold. This guy is talented, he can sing, dance and is nice to look at, don’t forget his accent.
  e. Joel Osteen, not a crush in the traditional sense, I just think he is a wonderful example of what a man of God is all about

7. Five people I want to do this:

• a. Kendra
• b. Elizabeth
  c. Cori
  d. Dawn
  e. Sallie

Hitting the Wall

Everyone hits the wall at some time or another, especially when taking algebra. I hit the wall a week ago after I received my first test grade. However, the circumstances that brought the tears did not have as much to do with the grade, as it did with a comment another student made about it. Let me explain. I have to work at math, but I eventually get it and I studied hard for this test. With a class of 35 students, there were 4-A’s, 2-B’s, 4-C’s, 6-D’s and 19-F’s. I received a B. I’m not satisfied with the B and will continue to work hard to strive for an A. I understand that a B is a good grade, and I will work at accepting this idea. What I am not okay with is the reaction I experienced as the result of the comment. Basically, she said she could not believe I got it and I should not let any of the other students see it because they would be disappointed in me since they all look up to me. I know that she did not intend for this comment to hurt, but it did. What her words really did was to remind me that I have not finished climbing over a particular wall, or as I would call it, a mountain of emotional damage my parents created. What I really heard, “you are not good enough unless you are perfect.”

What I have learned during the past 18 months of college is the more I have learned the little I truly know. I am not perfect, and while I would love to be, I cannot achieve this while in my carnal state. In my heart, I know that being less than perfect is okay, God accepts me just as I am, my husband accepts me, my close friends accept me and the list goes on. Why is it that my parents cannot accept me? I do not have the answer to that question, though I have plenty of suppositions. What I do know today, concerning this encounter with my wall, is realizing I had to lay another issue on God’s alter as a burnt offering. We are constantly dieing to self and once we recognized an area that God does not intend for us to carry around, we experience a death of sorts. With death, comes grieving. I am in this process of grieving. I am working through this and can get close to talking about the issue without crying; however, I do not trust my emotions just yet to talk about it with just anyone. I believe the next step in this process is to take what I know in my heart and transfer that understanding to my head.

I cannot reiterate enough when talking to others, especially for those who work with children, please be aware that your words are as life and death. Physical abuse is much easier to heal from, but emotional abuse can take years to heal. It is hard to erase the old recordings and replace them with new, so I decided to burn the old information and just replace it will brand new information. It has taken this experience to fully understand that I am worth something more than what I know, what I can do, what I have to offer and any number of ways to be identified with. I choose to identify myself with Christ, and through Him, I am complete.

28th Wedding Anniversary

I’ve spent the past two days getting the motorhome ready on the inside (my job), creating a menu for the week, doing the grocery shopping and packing the things we need to enjoy our time in the Hill Country of Texas. Mike and I both need this vacation and it won’t matter if it is suppose to be hot. We like to get up early, before it gets really hot, eat some breakfast and then ride or hike through the country for a couple of hours. The area we are going to is known for some waterfalls and there has been enough rain lately to keep the river full, so maybe we’ll play in the water some. When it gets really hot we stay inside with the air conditioner, take naps, read and play games. We don’t go back outside until later in the evening when the temperatures cool down. Camping is our way to retreat from the fast paced lives we live. It forces us to slow down, relax and just spend some uninterrupted time together. What a great opportunity to spend time together celebrating our anniversary.

Wednesday the 24th will be our 28th wedding anniversary. Sometimes it’s hard to believe that we have shared our lives together for so long and at other times it seems like it was only yesterday when we got married. I love being married so much that I used to say that if something were to happen to Mike, I knew I would want to remarry. I said that when our sons were still living at home. Now, after being married for so long with both sons married, I don’t know if I would want to start all over again and remarry. I tease Mike about it and say that it’s because I have him so well trained that I just wouldn’t want to put the work into training another man. And then again I think it’s because I know how picky I am with all of my quirks and all (I admit that I’m high-maintenance). But, I really think it’s because our marriage is so wonderfully balanced, we really do bring the best out in one another, and so I can’t imagine it ever being duplicated. I’m just going to continue to dedicate our marriage and lives to the Lord, trusting Him to give us many more years together.

It may be a couple of weeks before I have a chance to write again. We get home on Friday and will jump back into the frantic pace of busyness as we clean out the motorhome and prepare it to be shut up for the next few months. Then on Saturday I have an orientation to attend with the professor I will be assisting this semester. By Monday, it will be back to “fastening our seatbelts and here we go” as it will be the start of my fall semester…with college algebra as the class that gives me anxiety but I know I can do it and even enjoy the subject. I think I mentioned in the last posting that I will be taking my books with me on vacation to get as far ahead on all of the reading as I can and then do the review for algebra.

Hope everyone has enjoyed their summer and is ready for the change in the season as we all get back into a new school year. This will be the semester when I should know if Biology is still my passion. I’ll keep you posted.

Summer Break

Finally, I get the next 17 days off for my summer break! It doesn’t seem like I have had any summer this year with the non-stop classes I have taken since January. While I’m looking forward to some time off, I really enjoy being in school. The benefit of year-round schooling is the relationship I have built with professors, students and the college staff. Of course the other benefit is staying on top of the learning process. It has been three months since I finished my last class of algebra and I already feel that I have lost all of the information, so I’ll pull out my old book and start reviewing over these next couple of weeks. But, not this week…I’m going to force myself to take a break from school related studies and just read for pleasure.

I’ve been reading the Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis (my mental diversion from school books). The movie is due to come out in December and I wanted to read it before I see it. Everything I have read about the movie leads me to believe that Disney is going to stay true to the spirit of the original book. I hope the movie is as successful as The Lord of the Rings Trilogy. If I get the opportunity to take a semester about C. S. Lewis, I’d do it in a heartbeat. I’m not sure if the University I’m transferring to will have that on their schedule and then I’m not sure how that would work with my biology degree, but I’d try to work it in. I think Lewis is interesting and has a wonderful testimony as can be read through out his career.

I am now officially a sophomore in College with a 4.0. I will have to carry 13 hours for my next two semesters and then take one class during the summer before I transfer next fall ’06. I thought I was going to be in community college for a lot longer than most, but it helped to go year round so that it will only be one full semester longer than two years since I started. When I consider this includes 12 hrs. of developmental studies, I have mixed emotions about it. One, if I didn’t have to take those classes I would be ready to transfer in the spring. On the other hand, taking those classes really helped me transition back into school and I have learned some valuable lessons about myself in the process. I remind myself on occasion that I’m not in a race to finish college, not when I have waited this long to get here. It must be the typical first born syndrome, always doing everything faster and better (some things) and just being first. I simply compete with myself. I’m not sure if that’s a good thing or not, at least I’m not competing against other students, siblings or anyone else. I use to fight this tendency, but have come to embrace the fact that God created me this way for a specific purpose. Maybe I’ll get to be involved in some newsworthy science related discovery.

Earlier this summer, I came across some information about Intelligent Design and didn’t know what it was about so I did quite a bit of research. Now, it’s everywhere in the news. Anyway, the more I have read about it and other science related information, the more I get a butterfly feeling of excitement about it all. I hope that by the time I have my teaching certificate, I’ll be one of the first to introduce ID into the school curriculum. In the meantime, I have created a folder on my computer to file away as much information as I can that is relevant to ID. I’m also printing off some information to keep in my science folder for school. You know, to have “both barrels loaded and cocked” kind of information just in case I need to take a stand against the typical, “we’ve evolved from the slimy pit” blinded type of information.

I have errands to run today, without time limits because of classes. I may just stop by the mall and do a little pleasure shopping for a change. ;-)

Everyone Can't Be in Your Front Row

Being in college has its own challenges, not just learning the academia stuff, but also dealing with people. Thus far, I have only had a few unpleasant encounters with a couple of Professors and a couple of students. However, the empowering part of being a non-traditional student is when I know that I don’t have to give those people a ticket into my theatre of life. On the other hand, there are those two or three family members to deal with and the question has always been, “what to do with them?”

One of my best friends sent me a message that helped to answer this question. I’m sharing it with you in hopes that if you are standing at the ticket counter and you don’t know what to do with the different people in your life, maybe this example will help you.

Everyone Can’t Be in Your Front Row

Life is a theatre - invite your audience carefully. Not everyone is holy enough and healthy enough to have a front row seat in our lives. There are some people in your life that need to be loved from a distance. It's amazing what you can accomplish when you let go, or at least minimize your time with draining, negative, incompatible, not-going-anywhere relationships, friendships, fellowships!

Observe the relationships around you. Pay attention to: Which ones lift and which ones lean? Which ones encourage and which ones discourage? Which ones are on a path of growth up hill and which ones are going down hill? When you leave certain people, do you feel better or feel worse? Which ones always have drama or don't really understand, know and appreciate you and the gift that lies within you?

The more you seek God and the things of God -- the more You seek quality, the more you seek not just the hand of God but the face of God, the more you seek things honorable -- the more you seek growth, peace of mind, love and truth around you, the easier it will become for you to decide who gets to sit in the FRONT ROW and who should be moved to the balcony of your life. You cannot change the people around you...but you can change the people you are around!Ask God for wisdom and discernment and choose wisely the people who sit in the front row of your life.

Where are Your Clothes From?

I have been challenged to learn some 200 countries, including how to spell each one. Have you thought about where your clothes come from? The t-shirt I’m wearing today is from Turkmenistan and my shorts are from Qatar. I haven’t really thought about it before until I started taking my latest class.

I’m taking a Cultural Diversity class and loving it. We are learning about people, places, culture and so much more. So far, we have gone to a foreign movie (I went to a French movie) and write a review. This next week’s assignment is to eat at an ethnic restaurant and write another review. However, you can tell that I’m a teacher when I think in themes and decided to eat at a French restaurant before watching the French movie (plus, it took care of the two assignments in one afternoon). The food was great, but my body just can’t digest the richness of too much cream and butter. I enjoyed the movie and thought it easy to follow without reading the subtitles for the most part. But, I’ve always liked foreign movies and will rent them to watch at home. Mike doesn’t particularly enjoy them, too much work to read the subtitles and follow the movie, but he is slowing learning to enjoy them. Next week we will be going to three museums and then write reviews for them. Teaching outside of the “box” (classroom) is education that is easier to apply as knowledge. I’d love to travel to the different countries, but Mike doesn’t like to travel that much and forget about another country. Maybe, some day…

Sometimes, I feel that I’m being prepared to experience more cultural diversity outside of college. Ever since I have been in college I have been keeping a list of expressions in other languages. Being a tutor puts me in contact with a lot of foreign students who love to be asked questions about their own country. I’m always asking how to say friend in their languages. Anyway, one student from Korea needed my help for his English class and he volunteered an expression not on my original list, “I love you.” I wasn’t really paying attention to his body language when he said this, but the other tutors I work with caught on and told me that he was flirting. So far, I have learned about a dozen different languages and how to say, “I love you” and “friend.” I think I need to start getting a standard greeting and good-bye added to my list. I’m amazed how easy it is to pick up the languages, but most importantly, the correct pronunciations. I have taken sign language classes outside of school, taught it to my Kindergarten students and now to my year old granddaughter. I found out that I will get to take it as my second language when I transfer to the University. Once I get that out of the way, I think it would be fun to learn one or two more languages.

I’m glad Cultural Diversity is a required course. I think everyone should experience this kind of exposure to other cultures as a way to stretch one’s tolerance and appreciation for others and even our own culture and uniqueness.

Grandchildren are a Blessing!

Atley (2), Kayleigh (1), and Samuel (4). Atley and Samuel belong to Jason and Charlotte. Kayleigh belongs to Justin and Michelle.


Friday was an eventful day all around. My eldest son, Jason had some local business to take care of. Since his wife is out of the country, he brought both of his sons and stayed for the afternoon and early evening. My younger son Justin, his wife Michelle and daughter Kayleigh came over to help all of us celebrate my father-in-law’s 90th birthday. This was the first time I had all three grandchildren (4 years old and under) in my home at one time. Needless to say, Mike and I went to bed early that night, exhausted.

There are circumstances that I won’t get into concerning Jason’s wife and us, but the sad part of it is how it limits our opportunities to see the boys. However, Jason is beginning to realize that the decisions they have made affect more than them and us, it affects their children too. I can only continue to put it before the Lord and pray that in His perfect timing, the situation will change significantly so that we can all spend time together outside of special occasions.

Our plans have always been to take the grandchildren camping each year. This will allow the cousins to spend time together, give their parents a break while they spend some grown-up time together and to build our relationship with each grandchild. Perhaps, next year everything will work together for good and we will be able to begin a new tradition with all three grandchildren.

A Visit to the Universities

Now that I have my visits to the two Universities completed, let me tell you about it. I’m a mommy with grown kids, but I was wishing I had a mommy to hold my hand as I went through the tours. It was kind of weird to see all of the parents at both Universities, walking with their kids, helping to carry the bag of “stuff” everyone gets and just being there to support their child. The wish passed as I soaked up everything about being at one of the Universities. I asked lots of questions, took mental notes about everything at each place and most importantly, I listened to the inner voice (the Holy Spirit).

My first visit was a week ago, at Texas Women’s University. The grounds are beautiful, the buildings are old and stately and the different buildings are within easy walking distance (no need to run to the next class). I had been planning on this University all along, so I kind of had a biased expectation before I went. Several of my dear friends and Professors graduated from TWU. However, from the time I arrived in the parking lot, it just didn’t feel right. I know we aren’t supposed to go by feelings, but…I kept having this feeling that I wasn’t suppose to be there. I could have pushed those feelings aside and make my decision to attend there, up until I talked to the College of Education. The two advisors that spoke to me didn’t break the doubts I was already having. Unfortunately, they argued about several points concerning transfers students and what would be the best route for me to go. What really topped it off was their bashing community college. One advisor actually displayed anger about the differences between community college and a four year college. She went on to say how she wished she could talk to students before they take classes at a community college and on and on both of them went. I left that University exhausted, but with a sense of having a door closed. After this visit, I was looking forward to my next week at University of North Texas.

Everything about UNT was exciting, and it started before I got there. One can not ignore signs and wonders as different doors were being opened along the way. Through one of my Professors, I was given a name almost every day prior to my visit. My part in all of this was to contact each Professor at UNT to set up an appointment. I was able to talk to four different departments, each one leading me along the path of enlightenment where college is concerned. I never thought it would be so confusing to transfer, but there are so many different avenues to consider. Anyway, I came home exhausted, yet feeling exhilarated by the whole experience.

Now I have a clearer picture of the next steps I need to take before I even transfer. Understanding the degree plan helped more than I realized which has given me a sense of peace concerning my last two semesters at my community college. So, come July 18th I will be signing up for my Fall semester knowing that I am well on my way to fulfilling the core curriculum for both places as well as getting the curriculum needed to satisfy the Arts and Science degree plan.

I’m still exhausted from all of the walking around; UNT isn’t compact in its layout and consequently, I got a lot of walking in. I think a nap is in order today.

Accelerated Classes, Accelerated Learning

Okay, so at first I thought an eleven day course was really accelerated and I wasn’t sure if I could do it, but I did and loved it (200 pts out of 210 pts). However, now I am experiencing something new as a result of the mini-mester class. I’m taking a summer class, which is four full weeks long…but it is going way too slow. I finished the first week’s reading assignment and homework (covered 3 very long chapters of National Government) all on the first day of class. We didn’t get the homework assignment until the fourth day of class for the next three chapters, so I didn’t get that finished until that evening. I will be finished with all fourteen chapters by the end of this week. I’m going to ask if I can get the homework assignments in advance so that I can get those finished. I actually think I could have taken this course during a two week time period. The question everyone has asked me about short, intense courses have to do with how much of the information can one retain? I’m surprised myself by how much I have learned and am retaining. I’ll probably forget specific details such as percentages or exact dates, but over all I can recall information and put it into context relevant to what I am sharing.

So, with this accelerated learning ability I seem to be experiencing I signed up to take two classes for the second summer session. I’ll be taking State Government and Cultural Diversity. They both require a lot of reading and memorization. I figured that if I can do what I’ve been doing and still keep my 4.0 GPA, then the quicker I get through college the sooner I will be teaching (my goal: before I’m 50!). Although, I can understand how easy it would be to become a lifelong student and just keep taking more classes to learn more and to discover where my limitations are. I love being in college!

With a little more understanding of me, I am embracing myself and what I am capable of after the mini-mester and now this summer course. I thought I wouldn’t be able to carry more than 10-12 hours of classes, tutor 12 hours per week, maintain my home and yard and do any of the other things we all do on a regular basis. However, I know that God has gifted me with so much more than I ever imagined possible for myself. I have to think that the timing of this understanding is perfect after I took a look at two different degree plans that I am interested in.

I made an appointment for this month to visit with an advisor at one of the two Universities near by. I’ll make the appointment for the other University after I talk to the first one. I have been taking classes at the community college so that I will be core complete when I transfer, so I’m on track… for the most part. What I didn’t realize, and no one has mentioned to me, that there are specific classes that I really need to be taking before I transfer. If I want to get my degree for English, I need to add 12 hours of foreign language. If, on the other hand I want to get my degree in Biology, I need to add 8 hours of chemistry, 8 hours of physics and 3 hours of trigonometry. Part of me says that the easier, more enjoyable way would be the English degree. The other part of me that loves a challenge says to go for the Biology degree even if it takes another semester before I transfer. I was stressing over this all week, but that doesn’t do me any good, so I am releasing it to the Lord. I know that He has a perfect plan for me and I may not know exactly what it is until it’s time to sign up for the classes.

I’ll let you know what I find out after I talk to the advisors. If you have any advice or suggestions, it will be much appreciated. In the meantime, I’m going to read the next chapter for Government before I review the first six for Thursday’s mid-term test.

11 day course not so bad

Tuesday was the last day for my May ‘mester class. I stuck around to get my final score which was another A. I asked the professor about taking a course in 11 days and how much would we retain, I was surprised by his answer. He told us that most of us would retain quite a bit of the information. I think he is probably correct for those of us who were there everyday, took notes, read every word of the text and participated in the class lecture. I’m sure that I’ll forget minor details such as dates and numbers. However, the subject was Sociology and for the most part relevant to what I’m interested in and that is probably why I’ll retain the information.

The first week of class was the hardest! Sitting in class for 4.5 hours, five days a week for 11 days is physically hard on the body, even with two breaks. We had our first test on the second day of class and it covered the first two chapters, I scored 29 out of 30 which was a surprise. There was a total of 7 test and four quizzes during the 11 days. The professor commented about this class being the highest scoring in all of his 20 years of teaching and on top of it, it was an 11 day course. After achieving 200 points out of a possible 210, I realize that I can do more than I thought I could when it comes to learning and applying the information. I have wondered if we (Americans) are for the most part, a lazy bunch of people when it comes to academics. Could the root of this come from watching too much television, as many studies suggest? I have found that there isn’t much to watch that is edifying, and while I’m taking short semester classes I don’t have time to watch it anyway. This isn’t to say that we don’t have a television or that we don’t watch it. However, I do think it a better idea to read and actively learn than to sit mindlessly watching TV.

My next class is Government, which starts on Monday. This is another 15 week course crammed into four weeks; it’ll feel like a vacation after the 11 days class. I have started actively reading the first two chapters and hope to get through two more before Monday. I wasn’t sure if I was going to enjoy taking Government; so far it seems to be more like a history course. I’m guessing that we will cover at least 4 chapters a week which works out to be one chapter a day (four day week for summer classes).

Thank you for your prayers, they are working as I continue to learn with comprehension and still have some brain cells left to carry on conversations, write and do all the other stuff we all have to do on a daily basis.

May mini-mester…

What was I thinking?! I was warned, boy was I warned, but did I take everyone’s advice? No, I had to try it out for myself. Somehow, I’m doing it, but I have no life outside of reading and studying and reading some more right now. I am half way through my May ‘mester class, a marathon of learning that squeezes a 15 week course into 11 days. I thought this was supposed to be a three week course, but 11 days? I love the class and the professor is so knowledgeable and presents the information in such a way as to make it really interesting, but this will be the last time I take a May ‘mester class. There is too much information to process and spit back out in too little time and I’m exhausted everyday from using up so many brain cells at a time.

I’m teetering between an A and B so far and we have three more test and three more quizzes before we finish on May 31. Please keep me in prayer that I retain the information I’m reading and am able to process it with the results showing up on my test…preferably as an A rather than a B (it’s the whole 4.0 GPA thing I’m trying to maintain for scholarship opportunities). Thanks!!

Finals Week

Finals are just another test as far as I’m concerned, so I don’t panic over the idea of taking them and besides, I don’t have to take any since I’m exempt with straight A’s again. I’m guessing this will be my last semester of classes where I have that choice. In the meantime, I will enjoy the fact that I don’t have any this week.

I will be going in on Wednesday for my last class of British Literature. It is only a formality as required by the administration. I anticipate it to be an emotional last day with my professor after having him for three semesters. He always ends the semester by wrapping up the literature with his statement of faith. Most of the students this semester have openly shared their own statement of faith, especially noted in their own essays. However, there is one woman who has made it very clear that she doesn’t want any part of the religious aspects mentioned in our literature and consequently, our conversations. If the opportunity is right, I will probably talk to her on our way out.

On Friday, I go to school to retake the math portion of my entrance exam. I chose not to take it when I started college since it had been over 20 years since I last took math. Anyway, I have to retest to have a second score for my records so that I can take the last required math class in the fall. After taking three semesters of algebra, I have grown to love it but not so much as to change my major. However, I may take another math class just to qualify for either an associate of science or an associate of art. I normally would take time to review for a few days prior to testing, but I’m not going to stress over this one too much, it doesn’t count for anything except to give me a second test score. That’s easier said than done, my desire is to ace the test just to show myself that I really have been able to get this math stuff.

With a few days off this week, I plan on getting a few projects finished before next Monday when I start my mini-mester. I haven’t taken a mini-mester before, but I’m looking forward to the intensity of a 15 week course squeezed into two weeks. I’ll then have one week off before I start my summer class in Government. Most students look forward to time off from school, but I love being there learning and interacting with everyone. Even though I plan my time off with projects to get finished here at home, I actually find it rather boring during the time I’m off. One of the projects I’m going to work on this week is to write essays for scholarship applications. I was given a web site to visit, fill out the required information and then wait for their reply, which only took a couple of minutes. After my short wait, I was sent a list of scholarship applications that I qualify for. Anyway, I’ve sent out a few this morning and will hope and pray that I get selected. Every bit of money will help me as I work toward my degree.

Keep me in prayer for this Friday’s test; I really want to do well on it.

Spring Semester is Almost Over

Just two more weeks left in this semester. It’s kind of weird to think that I am finishing my freshman year of college. I love being at school, but there are times when I wish my classes were accelerated. I have been finished with my computer science lab since spring break and took my last test for the lecture portion last week. I have one paper to write for my British Literature class, but that shouldn’t take long once I get my inspiration. The last few authors haven’t been very inspiring to read which makes it really hard to write about them or their works. The only class I can’t get too far ahead in is my algebra class. I never thought I would enjoy algebra as much as I do now. I think it has a lot to do with the fact that math is concrete, formulaic and in the end you get the answer and then you’re finished. I have a great teacher who teaches algebra in my learning style which really makes a difference.

I’ve talked to the director who hired me for tutoring to find out if she was going to keep me on for the fall semester. She is so wonderful and I just love to be around her. I tell everyone that I want to be like her when I grow up. Anyway, she will be keeping me as a tutor. I hope that I will be able to continue tutoring until I graduate. It is very validating to help someone else understand algebra or English or whatever else I get to help with.

I have one week between the end of this semester and the beginning of the May ‘Mester. Technically, that week is for finals but I won’t be taking any so I may not have to go to school all that week. I’m looking forward to taking Sociology even though it will be a 15 week course crammed into three. Being in school year round will get me through it at the average rate as others since I only take 10 hrs per semester. I know myself well enough to keep everything in balance. If I took more classes, I wouldn’t be able to tutor and I get so much from that. Besides, I would miss not being in school if I were to take more than 2-3 weeks off at a time.

I love my life as it is now and feel very blessed!

National Dean’s List

When I came home from school yesterday, I got the mail and received a letter of congratulations for making the National Dean’s list. It mentions in the letter that “this is an honor reserved for only ½ of 1% of our nation’s college students.” I showed this to Mike when he came home from work and he was pretty impressed. When I told him that he was married to someone recognized as intelligent, he responded by saying that he has known this for 28 years. I hope this recognition opens the door for scholarships and other opportunities.

I have invited a couple of students over for dinner tonight. Both of them are tutors at school. Since there are only three of us who tutor, I thought it would be nice to have fellowship outside of the lab and provide them with a home cooked meal (both are single). One is an international student, no local family and is really sweet, the other is local. Both are really smart in math and other related subjects. Between the three of us, we can cover just about all of the subjects at school. If this goes well, I would love to continue to invite young college students home. Who says you have to have an empty nest just because the kids grow up and move out? Besides, when they are smarter in math than I am, I want to keep them around at least until I finish all of my math courses.

Taking a Necessary Break

Sometimes I have to take breaks from school just to keep everything in perspective and not get burned out, and this weekend was a great break from school work! Justin and Michelle’s fourth anniversary was on Thursday 24th, but they weren’t really able to celebrate it until Friday and Saturday due to work schedules and such. They shared Kayleigh with us for her first overnighter with us and she was the perfect baby as usual. She sleeps really well through the night and didn’t wake up until 7:45am, with smiles. Kayleigh likes her routines just as much as I do and so we try to do everything with her like her parents do. I’m glad we all live so close to one another and have such a blessed relationship. I can hardly wait until we take her on camping trips and discover nature in all of its glory as we hunt for treasures.

As for school:
I love British Literature. Reading from the Romantic Period to the 20th Century has really allowed me to have a clear picture of what happens to humanity when they turn from God, the results are a decline in mores with an increase in debauchery.

Algebra is algebra; I’m learning how to do it but not always understanding what I’m doing. I’m still tutoring others four days a week and most of them are for algebra. I don’t think I’ll ever take for granted that I can help others understand it especially when the other students think I should teach it. But it’s the students who need help with their English papers that I really enjoy helping. There are days when I walk into the room early to work on my own school work but end up helping others who have come in specifically for my help. I always ask them up front, “how much help do they want?” I’m very detailed as I look over a paper and try to catch everything from the way they have it set up for MLA, vocabulary, sentence structure etc. I’m always surprised when each one wants me to mark up as much as I find wrong. The best part is when they come back with paper in hand and a smile on their faces to show me the grade they received.

Lastly, my introduction to computer science class. I have learned more about the computer than I thought would ever be necessary. I’m one of those who think as long as a car has four wheels, is filled with gas and can get me from one point to the next, then that is all I’m concerned about. That was the same attitude I had about the computer, as long as I can do what I need it to do, then that is all I needed to know about it. There are times as I type up each chapter outline that I find myself saying, “who cares what this part is called or how that part works!?” However, for the most part I feel better informed about computers and what I would be looking for if I were to go out a buy one by myself. I have found that the best classes I have taken have had great professors who teach more than the subject, they teach outside of the box and I learn so much more applicable information that affects my own personal growth. This is one of those classes.

This past Friday was Good Friday but school was stilled scheduled. I decided, after much contemplation to skip it and enjoy a day home with my husband who had the day off as a holiday. I didn’t just skip all of my classes, two of them were cancelled. The other two were in session, but I sent a message to both professors asking if they minded if I skipped. I know that most students wouldn’t bother letting their professors know about not showing up, but I felt that as part of my integrity, I wanted to be responsible and let them know that I wasn’t going to be in class. Anyway, my husband and I decided to get two pallets of St. Augustine sod to redo part of the backyard and to get the front yard started with it. Needless to say, we are both quite sore from the workout. The timing was perfect as the day was just right, not too hot, sunny or windy to be working outside for so long and then it rained all night and all day Saturday. Hopefully, I’ll have a lush green yard this year that will choke out any possible weeds from sprouting through. Now, I'm ready to get back to school after feeling like I have truely had a spring break, even if it were only for three days.

How Time Flies By

Finally, the first day of Spring Break! This doesn’t mean lying around at the beach or watching soaps and eating bon-bons all day. If you were to look at my day-timer you would see that I have scheduled my week with spring cleaning, organizing different areas around the house and getting ahead on my school assignments. I really wanted to get some sod for the front yard and change my grass from Bermuda to St. Augustine. I’ve had the hardest time getting the grass to get really thick so that it would keep out the weeds. There is enough shade along the front so that grass just won’t fill in. So, I figured that St. Augustine would be the best for the shadier areas, even though I don’t like the courser blades. However, we will need to use a sod cutter to get rid of the areas that are nice and thick before laying down new sod and that will take both of us working together which will mean this weekend. So, in the meantime…I’m doing what I can to get ahead.

I’ve been so busy with school this semester so that I don’t have much free time for myself. I’m in classes from 9am until 1pm. I then have just enough time to eat some lunch and maybe visit with a few other students before I go to work in the college Learning Center (where tutoring takes place). I love tutoring and it gets even more fulfilling as the students come back to report the grade they received on the paper we worked on together. With the busy schedule, I am managing to keep up with my grades. So far, I’m getting A’s in all of my classes. I was a little worried about my computer lab class after taking a practice test while running a fever and only getting a 50 on it. However, when the time came to take the real test, I received an A and actually enjoyed taking the test. I have been working ahead and in fact just finished my last lab assignment for the semester. Technically, this means I only have to show up to take the next two tests. I’ll take advantage of my free-time to practice on Excel. I worked on Excel during the week I ran a fever and hated it. I’m not sure why I didn’t enjoy this part of learning the different programs, but I think it has something to do with the slowness of using it. One little mistake when entering a number can throw the whole outcome and mess up the finished assignment. I figure that I need to just do an extra assignment or two before I take the test over it and I’ll talk myself into liking it enough to have a good attitude about Excel, but after this…I’ll let Mike deal with Excel for our home use. Just give me Word and PowerPoint any day!

With each new semester flying by, I decided that I need to up how many classes I am taking if I want to graduate in a timely manner. I signed up for a May-‘mester this time. It is a three week, five days a week, four hours per day class and I’m taking Sociology. I really like Sociology and Psychology and figured that it is better to take classes I really like when they are crammed into such intense, short semesters. I have two Government classes for the summer semester. I’m not sure how I feel about Government, but I have discovered that once I am introduced to a new topic/subject I give it 100% and then want more. Each semester gets me closer to my associates of Education degree (new this year) and then I can transfer to finish my teaching degree.

Family News: Kayleigh (granddaughter) is standing up by herself and is so close to taking that first step. You can see her quiver with the desire to step out, but not yet. With the weather warming up, we spend as much time outside with her. I think she enjoys it as much as I do, especially swinging or going for walks. Kayleigh is such a joy to be with, so good natured and a little Miss. Social Butterfly as she has charmed our neighbors. No one can resist her, she is so adorable! Everyone else is doing well, but you know how it goes when there are grandbabies to report on.

Spring Semester 2005

I can’t believe this is my first opportunity this semester to write on my blog. My classes are going well, but I’m busier than before. I am taking 10 hours, take notes in two classes for the teachers (make copies for them), tutor 12 hours a week in the learning center and have lots of homework. I was figuring out how much time I spend on school related stuff. On M-W-F, I spend almost 12 hours! On Tuesday and Thursdays I spend about 5-6 hours. I can understand why students say they have no life outside of school! I’m not complaining about any of this, I love being in school.

I need to expound on my tutoring job. My algebra teacher suggested last semester that I get involved with tutoring as a way to help others and at the same time reinforcing it for myself. I laughed it off, algebra is not my passion. On my first day in the learning center to work on my algebra homework, the head of the department and I were talking about the need for an English tutor. She said she would think about the need and then called me at 7:30 am the next day to offer the position to me. For the first week I tutored algebra! I laugh every time I think about tutoring algebra, I can only help with pre-algebra, beginning algebra and up to the chapter I’m working on in Intermediate algebra. It is satisfying to hear from several students who come in to sit at my table for help tell me that I make a good teacher. I had no doubts before about teaching, but it really confirms my calling to hear it from others. On Friday last week and yesterday I finally got to help with English. Again, both students said I was so helpful and wanted to know what class I taught. Being a non-traditional student puts me in that unique position, not an official teacher, but more than just a student. Needless to say, I love the process I am experiencing as I continue my journey.

In preparations for graduation next year, I need to take a Women’s Studies course if I want to transfer to the University core complete. The college I’m at list the class in the catalogue, but it hasn’t been offered for a long time. Anyway, I talked to the Government Teacher and she said she would be willing to teach the class. After she talked to the Dean, the tentative plan is to offer it word of mouth for the fall semester in hopes there would be enough to sign up for it, if not, then it would be in the spring catalogue. It may be an interesting class to take (called Women in Politics), but not one I would seek to take on my own. I may have to talk to myself about taking this class like I have while taking algebra (I have to take it to get my degree). Since I have been taking classes year round, I hope to be able to graduate at the end of the spring semester next year. I’m excited about the final steps of my degree; it is the last step to take before I can be in a classroom teaching students of my own.
I may not be writing as much this semester due to the many hours consumed by school related activities, but I’ll try to keep everyone up to date as often as I can.

Home from Oregon

Well, we finally got home after having our flight cancelled and rescheduled due to over an inch (close to two inches) of ice. When you travel with a baby, packing light isn’t possible. We were ready to leave on Sat. by noon, packed up two bags and a backpack for me, a very large bag, small bag, carry-on and a portable baby bed and the car seat for Michelle and Kayleigh. All of this was loaded into the 4x4 truck (weather was looking bad and news reports weren’t encouraging). We were 30 min. into our trip to the Portland’s airport when my SIL called to say that the flight was cancelled. Once we got back to the house, with the truck covered in ice as the freezing temp. froze the rain-ice mixture, we had to unload everything. The storm increased in severity, accumulating 1-2” of ice in Portland. It wasn’t looking good for an early flight the next morning and indeed, when I called to change our flight, the reservationists said they weren’t booking anything for the morning due to the warnings that most roads would be closed in Portland (those who had to travel had to put on chains). So, the earliest flight we could get on was at 5:15pm the next day (Sun). This meant we didn’t get home until 1:30 a.m. Mon. Kayleigh was great, but it was a very long day for all of us.

Other than the ice storm, we had a great time discovering the Willamette Valley Wine country. Michelle navigated while I drove. We stopped at three different wineries to sample wines and bring home a few bottles. Both of us like the dessert wines the best and kept asking for the chocolates to accompany our sampling. So far I have found a few specialty fruit wines I like (blackberry, loganberry and raspberry), a really great sweet red wine, a Riesling, and a Pinot gris. The airlines don’t let you check the wine in your luggage, so we had to transfer our bottles to our carry-on which only added to the weight. I’m sure Michelle would fully agree with me, the sweet Riesling we bought at www.sokolblosser.com Winery was worth every extra ounce. She is saving her bottle for her and Justin’s fourth anniversary in March. I’ll save mine for a special occasion (at $30 for 375 ml, anytime will be a special occasion drinking this), but it’ll be before my anniversary since it doesn’t come until August and I don’t want to wait that long before Mike gets to try it. Anyway, it has been fun discovering different wines.

My niece and nephew are growing so quickly, time does have that affect on pre-teens. Adam is so typical for a 12 year old who sleeps in until wakened and then eats before he sleeps some more. April will be 11 next month and she is really beginning to physically develop into a young woman now. It seems that every time I go out there, we experience extreme weather. There were three days during the week where we had to scrape ice off the windows before I could take the kids to school, but we made it in time each day. Then there is the rain… it is Oregon, but there was that one day when the sun came out. It is always an adventure going for the week and as much fun as we have, I’m always glad to come home and recuperate.

Tomorrow is the first day of the spring semester. Continue to keep me in prayers. I have intermediate algebra (last developmental math before I take college algebra and then that is it!), introduction to computers, computer lab and Brit. Lit II. I’m really ready to get back to school, meet new friends and new professors as I go about letting my light so shine. I have classes starting at 9 a.m. with the last one finishing at 1p.m.; so, I’m off to bed.

Trip to Oregon

In two days, I will be headed off to Oregon again to take care of my niece and nephew for a week. Adam and April will be in school during the week while their parents go to Eugene for a business workshop and conference. While I get quite a few projects accomplished for the family while I’m there, I did have a few days that got boring. This time around though, Michelle and Kayleigh will be going with me (my daughter-in-love and my precious 6 month old granddaughter). Having them with me will make the time during the day more fun. I doubt we will be spending a lot of time outside due to the typical rainy, cold and forecasted snowy weather they have. However, we will be taking the kids to school (about 30-40min. drive) every morning and picking them up in the early afternoons. We do get to see Mt. Hood every time we walk outside and look to the east and it should be covered with snow all the way down. Taking the kids to school is also where town is in case we need to stop at the grocery store. The traffic in the Portland area is so different than around here and I don’t know my way around there at all, so we are limited on what or where we will be going. However, I may brave the traffic and ask my brother for directions to getting around so that I can show Michelle some of the beautiful scenery of Oregon. One stop I will make for sure will be one of the wineries; I want to bring back a sweet red wine I found out there on my last visit.

I finally got all of my Christmas decorations packed away. I want to have everything done before I leave since I will only have three days to recover from my visit, as is typical when you go away, before my next semester starts. I have been ready to get back to classes all week. Two weeks off seems to be all I need before I start getting antsy to crack open my books. This week has been filled with appointments for Dentist, Doctors, hair and such and next week spent in Oregon helps to fill up these last two weeks before school starts up again.

Speaking of school; I will be taking 10 hours this semester but I have a feeling that I will want to start taking at least 12. This last semester wasn’t challenging enough and I really do have the time to invest into my studies since I don’t work outside of the home and there is only Mike and me here at home. Oh, I can’t forget about Jake, our four legged baby, but he pretty much hibernates during the winter months unless you provide him with a warm lap (he’s a Chihuahua). What has really encouraged me to think about taking more classes was reading the Dean’s list for the college and not seeing my name on it (I still have a 4.0). While I’m on the National Dean’s list for Phi Theta Kappa, I’m not a full time student, which is the requirement for the college list. I think I must be a little more competitive than how I would describe myself to others. The odd thing about it is that I compete with myself, not really against others. Example: if the goal for high achievement is getting on the Dean’s list, then I want to be on that list. If the best I can do is get an A, I’ll work to get that A. The good thing about this drive is accepting my limitations and not beating myself up when I don’t achieve a goal. We all have certain abilities and gifts, none of us can be the best at everything. However, in the areas I can excel in, “…I will do it will all my might.”

If I have access while I’m in Oregon, I post what is going on. Otherwise, I’ll be back after my first week of classes.

Happy New Year 2005!

It’s the first day of a new year and I’m excited about what the Lord is laying on my heart. Every year I get before Him to seek His will for my life for the New Year. Mike and I went camping this week to get away from the normal routine and the demands that seem to creep up when we are both at home. This retreat helps to prepare my heart to hear and receive what the Lord has for me. I began to hear in my spirit about a voice calling in the desert last weekend…before my Pastor read a letter Paul Harvey wrote and before he said something along the same lines. We as Christians rose up this year to make our voices heard during the Presidential election. Why does it take “issues” that challenge our rights as Christians before we rise up and speak up? Why do we sit back and let the minority, who choose to live in open sin, be the ones who establish the laws of our land? Little by little our rights are being infringed upon all in the name of tolerance for everyone else but the Christian majority. Anyway, the Lord is revealing to me that He has given me a voice to speak with boldness and confidence (only in Him and through Him) so that I can be a mouth-piece for Him in this New Year. As a voice of one calling:

In the desert prepare the way for the LORD; make straight in the wilderness a highway for our God. Every valley shall be raised up, every mountain and hill made low; the rough ground shall become level, the rugged places a plain. And the glory of the LORD will be revealed, and all mankind together will see it. For the mouth of the LORD has spoken. (Isaiah 40.3-5)

I’m also reminded of the allegorical stories written by Hannah Hurnard, Hinds Feet in High Places and the sequel Mountains of Spices. Both of these books have made such an impact on my life, especially the idea that it is God who calls and equips us to follow after Him. I love the fact that He goes before us and makes our path level, even those routes that don’t seem to have a pathway on them! I have always felt that I was like one of the pioneer woman of old, with a sickle in hand, cutting down a trail through the wilderness so that it would be easier for those who followed. There were a couple of years when I stopped, filled with resentment, as I asked “why me, why do I have to be first”? I’m the first in a lot of areas; in the family, I’m the first born, first grandchild, first to marry, first to have children first one to have children graduate and get married and consequently the first to become a grandparent. It seems that most all of my friends near my age (most are a few years older) still have children in elementary school. While they are older, I have experienced many of the “first” events. It is easy to share my experiences with others, especially when it helps. However, there are times I wish I could just sit back and not be the one who goes first and cuts down the path just to make it easier for others. But, then I’m reminded of, to whom much is given, much is required. God knows me best and has given me much; my desire is to give back to Him in service all that is within me. Besides, I’m not the first to go forward and make a way, not in the big picture sense. So, I’ll put on my spiritual “hiking boots,” pick up whatever “tool” is necessary and continue my journey. If I can help make it easier for others to walk down this path as the “glory of the LORD will be revealed, and all mankind together will see it,” then I will be doing my little part for the glory of the Lord.

I pray that you too are seeking His face and His will for your life as He prepares you for this New Year.