Stories from the job....

• Met a young woman in a freshman class who asked me if I had children. I replied with no but may adopt some day. She asked if I would adopt her. I laughed it off and told her I would want a younger child so I could show them about life and take them places. She said, I have not been many places or done many things. I chuckled and said good try and she laughed too. I then listened to her conversations with her friends. She lives with her brother because she asked him to please file for custody of her because her mother was not caring for her and she knew her older brother would. He did. My heart broke.
• Talked to a senior today. I overheard him say something about working two jobs. I was flabbergasted and asked him about it. He said his Mother wanted to go back to school to be a nurse so he works two jobs so she wont have to work as much and go to school. He gets up and works at a manufacturing facility from 4-6 AM then goes to school from 7 AM to 2 PM. He then heads to a fast food joint to work from 3-10. Then goes home, does his homework and goes to bed. My heart broke.
• Talked to another senior today. She is very active in school. Her part-time job ended with the business closing. She is worried because her parents are down on their luck and she feels she needs to work to help them with the rent. My heart broke.
• Talked to a junior the other day. Her goal is to become an RN. She wants to make enough money to get her mother and herself out of public housing. She wants to care for her Mom who is on disability and not have her depend on the government to care for her for everything and provide for everything. My heart broke.

I never had all these pressures. I did start working early but that was for my WANTS. My parents had enough to provide for my NEEDS but struggled. I knew if I WANTED something I needed to buy it. No pressures to provide for the family. I was blessed.

Now the head turning story.....

I had a computer class. I am harder on computer and business classes because I try to leave a good reputation because this is my area of teaching. One student decided he wanted to surf the net and not do his work on the computer. I know this teacher, I know what she expects. I was not going to look bad for him playing and not watching what he is doing. I was on his back. After the 4th warning, he still decided to play. There were others playing too and I was reprimanding them too but he was the worst. I warned him, if I come back over here again and you are on the Internet, I am going to log you off then you can explain to your teacher why you have not completed anything. He looked at me and said " F*&% OFF". Then he spelled it for me too. I told him thanks for the spelling now I know exactly how to spell it on the referral form. He was shocked I wrote him up. See, I actually don't hear the cussing anymore when they are talking to each other but when you say it at me and in my face, oh yeah, I hear it. I had the form taken to the proper principal. I went back around the room where he was still on the Internet. I told him , " Hey B, I am really disappointed you did that. You have always been ok when I have had you in classes." That turned into that it was my fault for riding his back about the Internet and his work. MY FAULT.... Ok, MY FAULT that you have gone against authority and ignored your assignment to play on the Internet.  His teacher returned early from her field trip and he was nailed not only by me, but her and now has to deal with administration with his language. Time to grow up and be accountable for your own actions.
The thing of it is , I am pretty laid back. As long as you are attempting your work. I don't care what you do as long as it is legal, orderly and quiet. There are some teachers that I know so I have to be firm because I know their expectations. This was one of them. Oh and after 4 warnings, wouldn't you take the hint that I am watching you. I think he knows I am not playing next time.

Another situation, a Mother came in to reinstate her child from suspension. She was mad because no one could meet with her for another 30 minutes. It was written in her letter that they could not talk to her until after a certain time but she came before that time anyways. She was hostile and mad that no one could meet with her. Well the administrators are in the hallways, doing their morning duties. There is a reason they gave the woman a certain time. She was raged and left with her child. She said she has to work for a living and her son only did something stupid. Well your son did enough to get suspended and why not be mad at him for the suspension. He is the reason you had to come in there, not administration. Oh, and what moral did it give him for you to get mad and leave with him. It is just another day that he is not in class learning. Use your brain, Mom.

Ohhh, the things I hear.

Trying to do better

I have been trying to do better with eating and exercising. I am working more veggies into my diet. If you remember, last year I struggled big time with my lunches. I have been packing a salad every day . A good salad. I like beets, onions, cukes, peppers and chick peas in my salad. I make a fresh one every night.

To make it easier to eat healthy and not make getting lunches ready such a chore, I have created a shortcut. I took one of our larger mixing bowls and I store all of my salad ingredients for my salads in that bowl. SO every night when I go to pack lunch. I just have to pull that one bowl out and everything is all together. I only have to slice things. This has been so much easier than looking for all of the individual items all over the refrigerator. I know I could cut down more time by pre-cutting all the veggies but they get limp so fast that way.

The funny thing is when I am enjoying my lunch in the teacher's lounge, all the other teachers are envious.

My other big secret is pickles. I have been eating a lot of pickles, Claussen to be exact. I get the crisp and the salt of snack foods with none of the fat.

Anyone have other suggestions that they would like to share that may help me?

My body, My soul....

The Lord has been working on my heart and mind about my body and its state of being at the moment. I have been trying to adjust my eating to lower my blood sugar. I do good most days and sometimes I think I am ok then check it and it is high. I have cut out my sodas. I may  have one a week which is better than one a day. I have tried diet, don't like, wont drink it. I would rather have water.

In the mean time, I have just been burdened with my weight. Is it really a reflection of God and how he wants me to be? A book reappeared beside my recliner. It is called Fat, Fit and Fabulous. I have had it for a few years but never read it. I have been reading it but wont tell you that it has wowed me into eating and exercising. It has however given me food for thought, no pun intended. God did not intend for us not use our bodies. They were not created to sit. Why would we need all that muscle? We were meant to move. The book is a hard read because it is written by an Scottish doctor and is written sometimes with the Scottish dialect, it is not American simple English. She weighed over 230 pounds and is short. She started going to the gym and decided she wanted to run a marathon and later moved onto wanting to compete the Iron Man. She never became skinny. She realized it wasn't about the weight but about keeping our bodies fit.

This book really has had me thinking and reflecting. I did start walking again this past week but them we had one rainy week. I tried one day to do my Leslie Sansone Walk Away DVD but couldn't find my new one and gave up that day. I tried the next day and only found her Firming DVD. I did it anyway and was sore the next day. On Saturday I decided I would find one of her regular walking DVDs and I did and walked a mile. I am sore now too. It feels great when you finish. So why am I so lazy about getting started? Just the thought of it , really.

My new goal is to walk 4 out of 7 days the next few weeks. In a few weeks I want to start swimming again at the Y a few nights a week. I can do this, God wants me to. I need to put aside my own concerns and realize I am being faithful to God by taking care of my body which he has given to me.

As for two other books that have crossed my path and popped out to me which I will begin this week: PrayFit by Jimmy Pena and Bible Cure for Weight Loss. These two books have been placed in my path. I have not looked for them. The PrayFit is like a 60 day devotional that concentrates on making your body God's Temple. It also gives suggestions on new exercises each day. I am going to start that one on October 1. I made it a goal and October 1 is Saturday so not too far off.

If you are interested in any of these books, I think you can order them from our website  www.agapechristianbookstore.com

I will end this with.... Remember ,,, our bodies are a reflection of God. Treat them that way.

Mosquitos....

Mosquitoes.... arent they the eighth plague? Oh, I hate them. How can something that small bite you and make you itch so bad? Reminds me of a flea. Honestly, how big can that mouth be that I can feel it bite me and suck my blood out?

I enjoy playing outside with my nephew but those pesky things eat me up. One brand of spray does not work at all. Another brand smells so bad that you have to shower as soon as your get home.

Oh, them stupid skeeters.

HELLO!!!

Hello! I have had a lot of things I wanted to blog about but getting used to school hours has hurt me. By the time I get on blogger and want to write, I am worn out. This includes this evening.

SO quick update... Grandfather still hanging in there. I went to see him Tuesday and it was sad. He very lightly lifted his arms to wave at me. That was it. Even when I took his hands and held them he did not acknowledge me. My Brother saw him the next day and his description of him was... He looks like death..Literally , yet his heart keeps ticking and he has been eating.

Sister, healing very slow and depressed. Her diabetes is causing everything to heal slowly and she is frustrated.

I should be back tomorrow with other thoughts going through my head.

Carbs, Carbs, Carbs....

I love carbs. I mean I LOVE carbs.

I have been adjusting to my diet to adjust to my diabetes. I do great during the daytime at school. It is night time I am having a downfall. At night, I want carbs. The problem is the carbs make me want more carbs. I have to have some carbs so I can not cut them out completely.

HELP! My name is Becky and I am a carb addict.

Silence....

Had some things I wanted to blog but decided instead to leave in silence on this particular day. WE had silence during church today and I sat and prayed for all of my kids in church that they will never have to face a day like 9/11/01. That they would never have to go to war or be hurt due to such an awful act of terrorism. I pray that I will never have to face a day like that again. I have been on the verge of tears all day just thinking and reflecting.

I will end in...... SILENCE.

Found it...

I prayed all night that the Lord would lead me to my wallet. I went out this morning and looked all over the ground. No luck. I started back in the car. No luck. I did find my work badge that I lost last year about this time. I started to get out of the car when I glanced at the crack between my seat , the door and the backseat floor. There it was.

UPDATE on my sister. My sister had a huge, I mean huge abscess bothering her last week. She went to the doctor on Friday who referred her to a surgeon the same day. He said she only needed an antibiotic. She went into the ER Monday because of the pain and was admitted. They drained it and it was highly infected. At one point she was isolated because they said it was MRSA. It was not, Praise the Lord. It was another form of a bad infection. Because of the infection she has been in the hospital since Monday and was projected to get out again on Monday. I think things have changed again. Thursday she had a machine and sponge installed to help drain the infection. Yesterday the infection doctor removed it. Today I just received a call that the weekend doctor does not like how it looks and is taking her back to the OR this morning to work on it some more. Please pray for her. She knows she will be out of work at least six weeks. This also has been embarrassing to her because she works at this hospital.

Prayer Request Again

Continue to pray for my sister. She is doing better but still in the hospital fighting the infection.

Please pray for the Lord to lead me to my wallet tomorrow. I know it was in my car and I only went home and to my Sister's house. I really dont need this right now.

Thank you.

Prayer Request

PLease uplift my sister in prayer. She is going through a hard time medically right now. SHe will be ok, just scary at the moment.