Hodge Podge

So I'm sitting here with a headache, wanting to read and respond to other blogs, but knowing that I have to tend to some other things first, so I apologize to you faithful bloggers if I don't respond to your posts as quickly as I did last week as I will be teaching some this week and organizing my Human Physiology notes for studying. Last week was March Break which meant that I didn't have to teach. I could just study and read blogs. Alas, I just had to post. I've spent the majority of the day getting the apartment back in order. What a job. I managed to get my winter decor - snowmen and all - packed away. I only regret decorating for the seasons when I have to pack it all away and get ready for the next season. My decor grows by the year, and I find that I have less and less room to store it (good thing we have an entry way downstairs with room for storing stuff!). You see, I love to decorate. I'm not talking about cheesy decorating. I'm talking about tasteful home decorating, and with every season, I have to change my decor (apart from spring and summer which I tie together). Spring and summer means colorful flowers, including my favorite - the daisy. Fall means colorful leaves. Winter means snowmen. I have 2-3 totes of Christmas decor alone. I've always enjoyed decorating. Even as a child I used to try and do things for the different times of the year - on a smaller scale of course.

My gums are recovering. I think it's getting easier to chew, but I don't dare get my hopes up. I had to cut up a hamburger on a bun with a fork and knife over the weekend. It just wasn't the same.

My brother and his wife are on their way back from Africa. I can't wait to talk to them. I've been told he's pulled out "hundreds and hundreds of teeth." Can you tell that I'm bursting with pride? I've always been proud of my brother, and now that he and his wife are serving the Lord - wow - my heart really bursts with joy! I love my family!

I received an e-mail from my mom about Dee Dee (the only grandparent I have left). Dee Dee was in the hospital with chest pains and the doctor told her what he's told her before - her heart is wearing out. I'm going to talk to mom tonight to get the full scoop, but my eyes water when I think of anything happening to Dee Dee. I have such fond memories of summers on Grand Manan with Dee Dee and Papa (and of course all of my aunts, uncles, and cousins). Papa is gone, so I can't bear to think of what Grand Manan would be like without Dee Dee.

I wrote my Biology Final yesterday. I feel really good about it, and it's a relief to have that course finished. Now I just need to finish Human Physiology which means another 3-4 weeks of studying (keep in mind I substitute teach, and I'm a very involved pastor's wife). The Lord gave me a song from a CD I was listening too as I was on my way to write the exam. Perhaps one day I'll be brave and get a little more candid about some of the "growth pains" I've been experiencing lately. I realize that growth in God is a good thing, it's just that it is so difficult at times!

I had someone from church "joke" with me yesterday about how I need to gain 10-15 more pounds. I think I really should start keeping a journal specifically for such comments. I could write a book! Hmmm..what could I give it for a title? "How to Keep Your Congregation Happy With Your Appearance: A Helpful Guide for the Pastor's Wife" or how about, "Living In a Glass House: They're not Perfect, but They Expect You To Be." If it's not my weight, it's my hair they comment on. Don't people realize that those are the two things you just don't comment to a woman about unless it's complementary?? My hair is getting longer, and one day a woman said to me, "Your hair is almost all one length. It's so cute when it's short though. I mean, you look cute all of the time, but it's so cute when it's short." Well you and I both know what she was implying. Needless to say, I've made it to the ponytail and hair clip stage which means that I'm letting it grow. I'm so unpredictable when it comes to my hair! Anyways, I try not to let these comments bother me, because I absolutely LOVE my church family. They really have been good to Ben and me. It's just that sometimes you remember those petty comments more than you remember the kind comments. Through it all, the Lord is teaching me that it's the heart that matters, not my outward appearance. "...The LORD does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart." 1 Samuel 16:7

Well, that's the hodge podge of what has happened these past few days. I'm sure I'll have some good teaching stories by the time this week is out (I'm venturing into a fourth grade class that I've taught for Phys. Ed, but not for a full day in their classroom - oooohhhh - the unknown keeps me on my toes!).