I'm No Preacher...But Sometimes I Preach

Love. Love. Love this worship song...my favorite part starts at 3:23-You make all things work together for my good. I'm going to hang out there for a minute....


"You make all things work together for my good." This is pulled straight from the Word (Romans 8:28) which means we can bank on it. Some people get hung up here on a misunderstanding. This verse does not imply that God puts junk in our lives so He can then make it good. WE put junk in our lives. We do that because of our sinful nature. Still don't believe me? Ask yourself--would YOU make your child sick just so you could give her medicine to make her better? Absolutely not. Then why would we believe a sovereign God would work way?

Let me say it again- WE bring the junk into our lives because of OUR sinful nature. But in God's goodness, He still loves us. He still chooses to take our junk and make it work for our good. Now please know we can't sit in our crap and expect God to make it a bed of roses. He won't. We have to acknowledge the crap, seek forgiveness, and turn from it. Then God WILL restore us. He WILL make ALL things work together for my good. His love never fails. There may be pain in the night but joy comes in the morning.

See why that is my new favorite worship song?

Listen and worhsip.

Woulda. Coulda. Shoulda

I should be posting about the tragic state of education in this state but I don't feel like dealing with it right now.

I would have posted about it this morning when I was all fired up. --random side note-- I used to have a principal that would go around saying, "what is Mrs. Soandso all fired up about?" Do you know I have taught for 7 principals in 9 years. What does that you tell? See. I'm sure that tragic state of education post is on the horizon. Trust me. I'll get fired up again.

I could have had a profitable career in the travel industry. Darn you college algebra!

Disney Firsts

One thing I wanted to be sure I jotted down is a list of "Disney Firsts" from our last trip. People ask how many times we are going to go to Disney or haven't we seen it all yet.  The answers are "as many as we can" and "no- we haven't come close to seeing it all yet."  There are always new things to do or see (or eat) at Disney. Always. So in our quest to discover more...we had quite a list of firsts...

Firsts in 2010
*Taking the Keys to the Kingdom Tour which included our first time to go backstage and even down into the utilidors.
*Behind the Seeds tour at the Land in Epcot.
*New restaurants- Columbia Harbour House, Ohanna, Rose and Crown
*Riding the boat from DHS to EPCOT.
*Making it to rope drop at DHS.
*Seeing the Kiss Goodnight at Magic Kingdom (twice!)
*Slowing down to watch some shows- Little Mermaid, Beauty & the Beast, and the film in France
*Strolling down Main Street to take time noticing the details- this was actually part of the KTTK tour but we promised each other we will make a true effort to slow down in the parks and enjoy the scenery.
*Experiencing Epcots Food and Wine Festival.
*Seeing Disney with fall decorations (very nice but not as magical as Disney at Christmas)

Even with all those firsts...we still have a Disney To Do list...
*Stay at the Contemporary
*Take family pictures in Canada (Epcot)
*Be at Epcot for rope drop
*Resort hop to visit Animal Kingdom Lodge, Boardwalk, & Pop Century
*Eat at Sci Fi
*Eat the bakery in France
*Have a Dole whip
*Stay in a Magic Kingdom room at the Contemporary & watch the fireworks from our balcony
*Watch Fining Nemo at Animal Kingdom
*Go to that Conservation area at Animal Kingdom (I actully don't like Animal Kingdom...but if I have to go there...I need to see these areas)
*Draw Minnie Mouse at the animation studio
*See all of Downtown Disney
*Spend a little bit of time at Typhoon Lagoon or Blizzard Beach (ok, so this isn't on my to do list...but it is on the kids)
*Take the Epcot backstage tour
*Take the Walt tour
*Stroll instead of sprint
*Stay awake during the Hall of Presidents presentation
*Watch them retire the flag at dusk at Magic Kingdom
*Make my kids watch the 360 degree Canada film like I remember having to do as a kid.
*Ride the Astro Orbiters (I chicken out every.single.time because of the height!)

See. We do need to go back next year. And the next. And the next...

That Boy...

First he tells us about a dream he had. It involved disco lights, dancing, and "good outfits." Then he tells us his prayer request (that he gave his group leader during his small group)- he asked for them to pray that he'll go to a college on the beach.

Today he was rocking a tie with his t-shirt.

Confidence? Check.

Style? Check.

Worried like crazy about this kid? Check.