super saturday!

the day is not yet over and it has been a MAGNIFICENT saturday.

6 AM - woke up to do the son run a "friendly" four mile trek along the streets of polk, wheatland, hampton and camp wisdom. i wasn't anticipating much but wanted to finish the race "running". and i DID!!! thank the Lord! He sent me a gracious partner to keep me on pace and whaddya know? i came in second next to my partner. i even got a nifty medal and certificate to verify the proof of the whole ordeal.

Mid afternoon PICNIC at the church - gotta love my church and its festivities...rode a mini little roller coaster and even threw up my hands like the dare devil i am, played with former kids i had taught in awana, ate turkey leg, snow cone, roasted corn and finished it off with chili cheese nachos. uf. no worries, tums are near in case of any sudden abrupt gastro problems.

** currently: resting for the upcoming activities i am highly anticipating - i'm on a high rush and it feels nice to be alive today....and i am glad that i am able to enjoy it **

7 PM - one of my students cornered me spontaneously in my open 10 x 10 room to ask me if i would like to go to her dance recital thing tonight. [but it's my weekend off i thought to myself. must be strong and nicely decline.] she batted her eyes and followed it with a "please miss nguyen?"...result: i bought a ticket.

9 PM - final soccer game. wish us a healthy non-violent victory as it will be the deciding game to place us first in our league. bring it on...then again, i may be too pooped to do any running or slide tackling for the night. but hey! bring it on anyways - i'm semi half prepped and fully loaded with food in my stomach ready for some action jackson. hahhaha...deliriously derranged right now.

hope your saturday has been super like mine. toodles.

hanging in tough

as the days go by...it's harder and harder for me to stay focused. on task. working diligently. in all fairness - i feel like my kids. pooped. thank goodness i have a workshop to attend to tomorrow as i do NOT know what i would do had i needed to go into work and teach....so sad, yet it is the simple truth. i'm flabbergasted at my current exhausted condition. and to think - i should be sleeping right now. hmmmm....gotta love the irony.

slow to speak.

"be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to anger..."

there are many moments of each day that i doubt the positive good things i spew out to my kids. there are many times that i hard core lecture them about right from wrong. my voice elevates to an extremely loud tone at them and i can feel my blood pressure start to rise. many times i must tell myself - "calm down/chill out" - but it's not until after my elongated speech has already commenced. in the moment, it's hard to stop yourself. in the moment, all you want is for them to realize the degree of importance on how poor choice can lead to unwanted consequences. in the moment, you forget that perhaps what comes from your mouth could kill their spirit or maim them for life. could i just be dramatizing it? perhaps. but my intentions would never want for anything negative to impact their lives because of what i said in the heat of a moment. i worry about this daily. how far do i take it? when should i hold back? what should i let go? should i pull them aside and apologize? should i ease up? i love these kids...and to know that i could possibly be damaging their lives instead of lifting it frightens me to death. you've got to know that i have the best intentions at heart for each and everyone of them. they've got to know that. they've got to realize it. i've got to remember they are just kids, but they have such a long life in front of them - a life that they can choose to be whatever they want it to be. everything is a choice. it comes down to the choices. these choices will shape who they are. i hope they know that.

my prayer - given to me by a fellow sister in Christ:

"let the words that are from You be heard and let the words that hurt be forgotten"

help me be slow to speak......be slow to speak...