prayers requested!

Hi Friends,
Tomorrow is the hearing (9am) - The Anaheim City School District vs. the Temporary and pink slipped teachers. We need a miracle! Please pray that the judge would find in favor of the temporary teachers and that it would be found unfair to hold teachers with a temporary status indefinitely. I will have been with the district for 7.5 years at the end of this year- I have more "seniority" than any other temp. teacher and yet I have NO seniority with the district because until you are made permanent, your years of service don't count! I need a major miracle. Not to mention, if things do not change- it seems very unlikely that I will have a job next year... Pray, pray, pray!!

Simple Truths

It is easy to get caught up on the things that aren't right. But a friend recently reminded me today of a simple yet profound truth. Don't dwell on the negative- think on the things that true, honorable, right, pure, lovely, and things are of good repute. So today, I am practicing that idea.

What things are true, honorable, right, pure, lovely, and of good repute?

God loves me. He has a plan for my life that is good. He is in control and he has a say on all things that are going on in my life- even the obstacles that seem insurmountable.

God has blessed me with a great husband- even when he drives me crazy!! I have a home and we have two vehicles that work. I have a comfortable and warm bed to sleep in at night with extra blankets when needed. We have Bibles that we can read at any time that we want. We have access to good Christian teaching at our church, on the radio, and internet. We live in Orange County California in the USA. We have the right and freedom to worship as we choose (at least today) and we don't have to worry about losing our life for speaking the truth. I have a job (for this year) and God always provides for our needs and even our wants. We have family that loves us and that supports us. We have good friends that love us and pray for us.

We can take a shower when we want, we are able to eat 3 meals a day and have the means and accessibility to meet our needs.

We are blessed beyond measure and we are thankful to God for all the blessings that He has bestowed upon us.

These are the things on which we need to dwell. Thank you Jesus.

A Stormy Night

I am sitting in bed, watching the news, working on the computer and I can hear strong winds and thunder. I have seen a little bit of lightning and it a little weird to have thunder and lightning but no rain. I love it, but severe weather always freaks me out just a little bit.

Lord, we need the rain, but I ask that you protect us from the damage it can cause.

Thanks Jesus for 2009

Dear Jesus,

What a year. Some of it felt so familiar.

The year started out with Osmel in Cuba. He had a great trip visiting his family, and we both found that we really missed each other.

He decided that it was time to get healthy. He joined 24 hour fitness and we started working out on January 12th. We decided we would try to eat more healthy and I decided on January 23rd to get serious about it. Since then, I have lost over 100 lbs. It has been only by God's grace and I hope to continue on this journey. Through the course of the year, I have made some "workout buddies." My after school buddy, Kim. I have two morning buddies- Jane is my 5.30 buddy and Kristine is my 8.30 buddy- Of course we can only have morning workouts when there is no school. I thank God for my workout buddies, they help me stay on task. Of course, my husband started as a buddy, but that hasn't been very consistent.

He has however been a great encouragement through this year.

Through this year, Osmel has had some health issues and God really used them to get his attention.

Then of course, there was the job loss and then the new job. I really miss my Revere Friends, but I really love my new school. My new principal has been so encouraging. It is nice to have a principal that makes me feel good about what I do and how I do it. I love kinder, I never thought I would love it this much. I have to be more prepped than ever before, and it is really good. I get to do a lot of songs with my students- who would ever believe that I would spend so much time singing out loud (and in front of people?)... Now that is some big growth!! Half the time the tune gets lost in the process, but I just try to find it again and when I can't, my voice goes inaudible (at least in human terms, though you can hear the dogs in the distance).

My partner is great too. She and I pray together before the start of the day... although we haven't been as consistent lately. But I am very happy here. I am praying for a miracle that would enable me to not lose my job in the midst of this budget nightmare. And Jesus, while you are handing out miracles, give me permanent status?! Please?!

Osmel and I celebrated our 5 year anniversary. And to all the skeptics who thought we would never make it this far... I say HA! I have a big God who does great things!!

We took a few trips- we went to Palm Springs, San Diego, and we did a stay-cation or two. We do love the weekend getaways. To my deep disappointment, I didn't make it to Arizona or Donya's wedding... it worked out that in the absence of work, going away didn't seem like the best idea.

We are praying and asking God what is next for us, and trying to figure out what His will is. It seems that my life the last few years has been a journey to teach me about taking life's steps one day at a time.

I looked at the possibility of rejoining the world of ministry outside of my home. I was a part of VBS and of the Anaheim VBS and that was awesome! But I really see that for this season in my life, my ministry is at home.

2009 was not just the end of a year... it was also the end of a decade. I would say this decade has held more change than all other decades combined. My whole way of looking at life, at planning, at careers, at marriage, at friendships, at ministry.... It has all changed!!

I'm thankful for all that God has done for me, just in this year, but also in this decade.

Answers for Each Day - Oct. 24 Pastor Bayless Conley and a little afterward from me :)

Praying for the Rain
For the past week we have been seeking to understand what causes a spiritual drought, and then how we can break that drought if indeed we are in one.
Here is what I want you to understand. Even if you earnestly seek God and repent of sin in your life, or you shift your focus and say, “God, I’m putting Your house first, and I’m going to put other people before myself,” or perhaps God leads you to do something of a personal nature, you still need to pray for the rain.
Do not just assume God’s blessing will automatically fall. You still need to ask for it. Zechariah 10:1 teaches us this truth,
Ask the LORD for rain In the time of the latter rain. The LORD will make flashing clouds; He will give them showers of rain, grass in the field for everyone.
I used to read that and wonder, “God, I don’t understand. If it is the time of the latter rain, if it is rainy season, why ask for rain? Won’t it just fall automatically?” If it is rainy season, why pray for rain?”
Because you cannot assume that it is automatically going to fall.
In James 5:17-18 there is a story about Elijah from 1 Kings 18. James gives us the very, very, very short version. But it tells us something significant,
Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain; and it did not rain on the land for three years and six months. And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth produced its fruit.
What caused the rain to stop? His prayer. What caused the rain to fall again? His prayer.
Ask God today for the blessing of His rain in your life!

So I am finding similarities to my spiritual life and my journey to lose weight. (Which by the way brings me to a 90 lb. loss!!)
I am finding it much more difficult to lose than I did in the beginning. I am working harder and losing less. But the trick that I am finding is that when I actually increase my calories- for a single day- I will break through my plateau and drop a few pounds. Now obviously, I can't live in a higher calorie bracket because then my weight will start to increase. But if I continue to exercise and then I take just one day and increase my calorie intake- I will see success.
Spiritually I am like that. If I am in the word every day but I am not exercising- I will start to gain knowledge that will puff me up. But if I work out my spiritual muscles continually and I keep a steady intake of God's word, fellowship, and prayer I find success. And if when I feel that I need a spiritual boost- cuz I am in a drought- an increase of prayer can give me that extra boost I need!

Thanks Again for the Prayers

Well, I must say that I was taken by surprise. I had an inerview on Friday for a Kinder position. I didn't tell many people because I didn't want to have to say... "I didn't get it" in the aftermath. I went into the interview on the tails of studying in Nehemiah 1 and 2 and was thinking of Nehemiah when he prayed and answered the king. I didn't really have a positive feeling going into it and was actually thinking when I didn't get a call Friday night that I didn't get the job. I was almost relieved. So you can imagine my surprise this morning when I got the call that said, "We'd like to offer you the position." I told the gal in HR that called me, are you kidding? I didn't think I would get it. She said, if you accept, it's yours.
Of course I accept. I start tomorrow. Kinder... more prayers please!!
I'm happy and scared. A new school after 6 years in the same school. A new grade. And Oh MY, they already told me it was an "ACTIVE" class. whoo-hoo! Nothing like hitting the ground running!

The Perfect Message!!

For anyone who doesn't attend Calvary Chapel East Anaheim, or who didn't hear Pastor Bob's message from Sept. 13 (this last Sunday)... you missed a great message! Maybe it was great for me because it was a very timely and needed message. If you haven't heard it, I encourage you to go online and listen...
Blessings to you all!
check it out at cc-ea.org