while my job brings me great stress... partly due to starting in the middle of the school year, partly due to the school climate, and partly due to ridiculous state demands... there's something great about knowing you're in the center of God's perfect will.

last monday i mentioned something to my 6th grade band about how much i can't stand profanity, one of the students flat out asked me "are you a christian?" now granted, i wasn't happy about the fact that he just blurted this out in class without permission to speak, but i was thrilled at the question... to which i proudly responded "yes!".

thursday i had a student who was being... shall we say... disruptive. she's got a great personality, but i worry about some of the decisions she's making in her life.

anyhow, she said something, and i replied "oh goodness".

she said "miss, do you think i'm going to h-e-double hockey sticks?"

my response?

"do you love Jesus?".

it just kind of came out without my thinking about it. and if i've done nothing else but give these kids something to think about, i'm ok with that. knowing that maybe... just maybe... i'm planting a mustard seed... lowers my stress to a bearable level.

i HATE flying. hate isn't even a strong enough word... it's not so much the control issue... it's the we-may-plummet-to-our-death issue. i'm completely petrified of plunging thousands of feet, even though i continue to tell myself that i know where i'm going when my Father decides to take me home.

why do i worry? God has everything under control. i returned home this morning from spending a week in arizona with my sister and her family... while i thoroughly enjoyed having my mom and sister in the same state for the first time in nearly 2 years, i found myself worrying all week about the flight home and praying relentlessly for our safety. that's no way to go through a vacation.

it seems that's been the theme of the past several months... scratch that - years. it seems every trial in life, God is consistently trying to communicate to me that ultimately He is in total control, and i need to stop worrying.

i was diagnosed with an ulcer a few weeks back... an ulcer that was most likely caused by stress and worrying... worrying about school... worrying about finances... worrying about the next stage of life... worrying about employment... worrying about things that i shouldn't be worrying about.

anyhow... i was going to post some pictures but... this website is not cooperating... check back later :)