Currently Listening Comatose By Skillet see related

Here I Am

Well I was leaving a comment for a friend and noticed I hadn't posted anything in 2008. So I'm making my little Xanga mark.

I feel very behind in my uni work, barely keeping up with class prep, been busy filling out job applications and keeping up with church and family responsibilities. The one thing I ought to give up temporarily is my "social life" outside of those things but I feel like it's really tied up with my ministry and family responsibilities and besides, I care about these people and want to keep involved in their lives. If I can encourage them to be faithful and remind them of something to hope for, then I want to do that.

I'm actually very happy and am thankful to have so many great opportunities. God has really blessed me. He is so good!

Oh and someone is very generously paying for us to fly back to the US for a little visit/vacation! We are trying to book tickets for around 20 July-10 August. My mother-in-law has already booked campsites along Lake Michigan and Lake Superior for 23-30 July. Wow!

Cheerio!

Special day

Today is a special day. It is the anniversary of two of the biggest adventures I have ever set out upon!

December 21, 1984 - Wedding day!

December 21, 1988 - Birth of first child--Daniel Abram Bode!

Marriage of 23 years and having a 19-year-old son makes me sound old but I still don't feel it!

God has been very good to me :) Thank You!

Currently Listening When You Believe see related

a different take

I read this today in Our Daily Bread (RBC) and wanted to share it with you.

"Let us at all costs avoid the temptation to make our Christmas worship a withdrawal from the stress and sorrow of life into a realm of unreal beauty. It was into the real world that Christ came, into the city where there was no room for Him, and into a country where Herod, the murderer of innocents, was king.

"He comes to us, not to shield us from the harshness of the world but to give us the courage and strength to bear it; not to snatch us away by some miracle from the conflict of life, but to give us peace--His peace--in our hearts, by which we may be calmly steadfast while the conflict rages, and be able to bring to the torn world the healing that is peace."

Currently Listening Bleeding Love always on the radio see related

TPO4 finished

Hi all, what a relief that my 4th teaching practice observation is over--no more until maybe March or so. Now on to all the papers I have to research and write by 9 Jan. Only 4 more lessons to teach in the coming week, and most are reviews--have to find some fun reviews designed as games (that has always been my favourite approach to education--disguise it as fun so they don't know they're learning something!).

Sunny and VERY windy these days, and supposed to get worse over the weekend. I think I'll be happy to stay in and work! Time to get the Christmas decorations out. Nice that the girls are now old enough to be trusted to do a beautiful job with the tree. I used to reserve that privilege for myself until 2 years ago when I turned it over to them. I didn't have a tree in my house until I was about 9. I was a little Jewish girl so we didn't celebrate Christmas but I have lots of happy memories of Hanukkah and other Jewish celebrations. When my parents divorced, my mom let us celebrate Christmas--then I got double everything :) Yes I was spoiled for a few years.

Time for memories. . . and making memories.

Love to all

Too much to do!

The pressure is building. Lots of things due between now and Christmas for the Bode parents. It's as bad for Bill as it is for me!

On a good note, yesterday Wendy got offered a place on the Sheffield Theatres' work experience week in January--so that's great news! Daniel has been working at Subway several nights a week and is getting ready to perform in a panto (traditional English silly Christmastime play) in a few weeks, plus college once a week.

Time to dive in the pile of homework!