A Great Movie!!

Yesterday a newly-released movie, Fireproof, was added to my family's ever-expanding video library.

From the Creators of Facing the Giants comes a powerful tale of triumph, honor and forgiveness. Kirk Cameron stars as Caleb Holt, a heroic fire captain who values dedication and service to others above all else. But the most important partnership in his life, his marriage, is about to go up in smoke. This gripping story follows one man's desire to transform his life and marriage through the healing power of faith and fully embrace the fireman's code: Never Leave Your Partner Behind.

This movie is definitely worth watching whether you are married or single! :)

Teacher's Helper

Emaline, one of my Kindergarten students from last year, has been asking me for awhile if I needed any help with my students this year. She wanted to come in and help me teach them to read. :)

Her mom and I finally figured out an afternoon when Emaline could come into the classroom. Emaline and I had already discussed what she could do to help me teach the kids, so when she got into the classroom this afternoon we had the classroom all set up for her. :) She did a Phonics flashcard review with them.

Emaline making sure that she knows what flashcard she is showing the children!

We made it into a fun "Ball Toss" game. Emaline would show the flashcard, and if they pronounced the word correctly, they would have 4 tries to toss the ball into the bin.

Waiting anxiously to read the flashcard and toss their balls!

This would be a typical Emaline face :)...she was trying to remember which flashcard she had started with! It was so cute to watch her interact with the kiddos. She was trying sooo hard to be the mature "teacher". Shortly after she got started, they were having one of their wild, jumpy moments and I heard her say to them, "Stop being rambunctious!"...Only out of the mouth of Emaline :)

After the flashcard game was over, they all played a rousing game of "Don't Spill the Beans". Apparently, my kiddos got a little TOO noisy for Emaline to handle anymore, so she covered her ears and declared, "I wish I had brought my Hello Kitty earmuffs!"

They played with the Marble Run after the game was over.

Right before school was dismissed, I simply had to get a picture of the four of them together! I have officially had all 7 of my past and current students in my classroom this year. It's been a special treat to see them "intermingling"!

When the school year first began, I wasn't sure how I was going to adjust to a new set of students because I had had such a great time with my first 4 students! However, I have discovered that as a teacher you definitely adjust quickly, and, now, I can't imagine life without my 3 rambunctious kiddos!! :D

When Life Hands You a Lemon...

Have any of you heard the expression "When life hands you a lemon, make lemonade!"? When I first heard that quote, I thought it was really thought-provoking. Bad things happen in life, but there can be good things that come out of it. I was thinking of this quote the other day, and I figured out how I would probably say it.

"When life hands you a lemon, make lemonade. But I can't figure out the recipe!"

We are all familiar with the verse in Romans 8 about how all things work together for good to them that love God, but sometimes it is really hard to see what possible good can come from the bad situation we are facing. I have figured out yet something else about myself (writing 100 random things about yourself definitely helps you think about who you are!) - I am a problem-solver. I want to see things get resolved. I want to help people resolve their issues. When I was in elementary school especially, I was ALWAYS put in the position of "peacemaker". I would find myself in the middle of some argument trying to figure out who was right and who was wrong. Usually, there was wrong on both sides, but not always.

I have just gotten used to being put in situations like this. I don't mind being the "listening ear" and trying to help people in their times of need. I WANT to help. However, sometimes it is a very difficult position to be put in. The Lord wants us to help others "bear their burdens" but there comes a time when we just have to let things be when you realize that nothing you say will make a difference, or change a situation. Recently, I have become soooo absorbed with trying to solve the problems of the world that I notice that even in my devotions, instead of focusing on my own relationship with the Lord, I am thinking about how such-and-such a verse will help so-and-so with their problem.

I think I am slooooowly learning the "recipe" of how to make lemonade out of the "lemons" of life. LET GO AND LET GOD HANDLE IT!! I have to get to the point where I realize I CAN'T handle problems on my own....God doesn't NEED me to figure things out. He has every situation ALL under control! That thought was such a relief to me. The weight of the world doesn't have to rest on my shoulders! God can handle everything just fine without me - "Miss Fix-it" - being able to figure out a solution! :D

The following excerpt is a story from a book entitled "Having a Mary Heart in a Martha World" by Joanna Weaver. It is pretty lengthy, but I was thinking about this story the other day and it fits in with how I am feeling right now....

The story is told of a man who met God in a lovely valley one day.

"How are you this morning?" God asked the fellow.

"I'm fine, thank you," the man replied. "Is there anything I can do for you today?"

"Yes, there is," God said. "I have a wagon with three stones in it, and I need someone to pull it up the hill for me. Are you willing?"

"Yes, I'd love to do something for you. Those stones don't look very heavy, and the wagon's in good shape. I'd be happy to do that. Where would you like me to take it?"

God gave the man specific instructions, sketching a map in the dust at the side of the road. "Go through the woods and up the road that winds up the side of the hill. Once you get to the top, just leave the wagon there. Thank you for your willingness to help me today."

"No problem!" the man replied and set off cheerfully. The wagon pulled a bit behind him, but the burden was an easy one. He began to whistle as he walked quickly through the forest. The sun peeked through the trees and warmed his back. What a joy to be able to help the Lord, he thought, enjoying the beautiful day.

Just around the third bend, he walked into a small village. People smiled and greeted him. Then, at the last house, a man stopped him and asked, "How are you this morning? What a nice wagon you have. Where are you off to?"

"Well, God gave me a job this morning. I'm delivering these three stones to the top of the hill."

"My goodness! Can you believe it? I was just praying this morning about how I was going to get this rock I have up to the top of the mountain," the man told him with great excitement. "You don't suppose you could take it up there for me? It would be such an answer to prayer."

The man with the wagon smiled and said, "Of course, I don't suppose God would mind. Just put it behind the other three stones." Then he set off with three stones and a rock rolling behind him.

The wagon seemed a bit heavier. He could feel the jolt of each bump, and the wagon seemed to pull to one side a bit. The man stopped to adjust the load as he sang a hymn of praise, pleased to be helping out a brother as he served God. Then he set off again and soon reached another small village at the side of the road. A good friend lived there and offered him a glass of cider.

"You're going to the top of the hill?" his oldest friend asked.

"Yes! I am so excited. Can you imagine, God gave me something to do!"

"Hey!" said his friend. "I need this bag of pebbles taken up. I've been so worried that it might not get taken care of since I haven't had any time to do it myself. But you could fit it right between the three stones here in the middle." With that, he placed his burden in the wagon.

"Shouldn't be a problem," the man said. "I think I can handle it." He finished the cider, then stood up and brushed his hands on his overalls before gripping the handle of the wagon. He waved good-bye and began to pull the wagon back onto the road.

The wagon was definitely tugging on his arm now, but it wasn't uncomfortable. As he started up the incline, he began to feel the weight of the three stones, the rock, and the pebbles. Still, it felt good to help a friend. Surely God would be proud of how energetic and helpful he'd been.

One little stop followed another, and the wagon grew fuller and fuller. The sun was hot above the man pulling it, and his shoulders ached with the strain. The songs of praise and thanksgiving that had filled his heart had long since left his lips as resentment began to build inside. Surely this wasn't what he had signed up for that morning. God had give him a burden heavier than he could bear.

The wagon felt huge and awkward as it lumbered and swayed over the ruts in the road. Frustrated, the man was beginning to have visions of giving up and letting the wagon roll backward. God was playing a cruel game with him. The wagon lurched, and the load of obligations collided with the back of his legs, leaving bruises. "This is it!" he fumed. "God can't expect me to haul this all the way up the mountain."

"Oh, God," he wailed. "This is too hard for me! I thought you were behind this trip, but I am overcome by the heaviness of it. You'll have to get someone else to do it. I'm just not strong enough."

As he prayed, God came to his side. "Sounds like you're having a hard time. What's the problem?"

"You gave me a job that is too hard for me," the man sobbed. "I'm just not up to it!" God walked over to where the wagon was braced with a stone. "What is this?" He held up the bag of pebbles.

"That belongs to John, my good friend. He didn't have time to bring it up himself. I thought I would help."

"And this?" God tumbled two pieces of shale over the side of the wagon as the man tried to explain.

God continued to unload the wagon, removing both light and heavy items. They dropped to the ground, the dust swirling up around them. The man who had hoped to help God grew silent. "If you will be content to let others take their own burdens," God told him, "I will help you with your task."

"But I promised I would help! I can't leave these things lying here."

"Let others shoulder their own belongings," God said gently. "I know you were trying to help, but when you are weighted down with all these cares, you cannot do what I have asked of you."

The man jumped to his feet, suddenly realizing the freedom God was offering. "You mean I only have to take the three stones after all?" he asked.

"That is what I asked you to do," God smiled. "My yoke is easy, and my burden is light. I will never ask you to carry more than you can bear."

"I can do that!" said the man, grinning from ear to ear. He grabbed the wagon handle and set off once again, leaving the rest of the burdens beside the road. The wagon still lurched and jolted lightly, but he hardly noticed.

A new song filled his lips, and he noticed a fragrant breeze wafting over the path. With great joy he reached the top of the hill. It had been a wonderful day, for he had done what the Lord had asked.

Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.

Matthew 11:28-30

Patching It Up

(This is my favorite song on Mark Roger's CD - Every Need Supplied.)

It seems that every time I need Him, My Lord is always there.

When no one else seems to have the time, Jesus always cares.

But I wonder just what I might do if I called His name one day

And the Heavens above just opened up and I heard my Saviour say.

I'm through patching it up, I'm through giving you love

When your world is torn apart.

And I'll never again wash away your sin

Or mend your broken heart.

I'm through bearing your burdens

And all of the hurting

And giving your poor heart ease.

Tell me why should I do anything for you,

You never do anything for me.

But I thank my Lord in Heaven above that He is not that way.

I know He's watching over me each and every single day.

And I never wonder about His love, for His mercy flows so free.

And I know exactly what He'll say when I'm down on my knees.

I'll always patch things up,

I'll always give you love

When your world's been torn apart.

No matter where you've been

I'll wash away your sin

And mend your broken heart.

I'll always bear all your burdens

And all of the hurting

And give your poor heart ease.

Yes, I'll always do anything for you,

No matter what you do to me.

Chocolate-Scented Play Dough

Ingredients:

1 1/4 c. flour
1/2 c. cocoa powder
1/2 c. salt
1/2 Tbsp cream of tartar
1 1/2 Tbsp cooking oil
1 c. boiling water

Mix the dry ingredients. Add the oil and boiling water. Stir quickly, mixing well. When cool, mix with your hands. Store in airtight container.

Last night I made a batch of this dough. Originally, I was going to make it with my kiddos, but I decided, in the end, to eliminate mess and stress and do it on my own! This play dough definitely has a better aroma than the usual play dough stench. So if any of you want to "torture" yourselves one day when you are in the chocolatey mood, I suggest making this recipe! I find squeezing and forming play dough into various shapes to be a good stress reliever. :D (Oops...I forgot to add that to my random list the other day!)

My kiddos definitely enjoyed playing with the play dough today!

They smelled it...

They pretended to eat it....

They rolled it into "snakes" which then turned into.....

CHOCOLATE-COVERED PRETZELS!!!

They got the idea from our one field trip where the lady taught them how to make pretzels.

Joshua was too busy shouting "Pretzel!" (instead of Cheese! :D) to smile for the picture.

After they each made their "chocolate-covered pretzel", they got out the alphabet and number cut-outs and had a blast with the play dough!

Attention: Be sure to stay tuned for another blog entry entitled "Making Soft Pretzels" (or something to that effect!) in the near future :D My kiddos greatly desire to make the REAL thing now!

In Celebration of My 100th Post...

...I wanted to do something fun with the number 100 – such a great EVEN number, isn't it?! So I decided to make a list – 100 Random Things About Me. Indeed, most of these things are VERY random. I spent last night typing out this list, so it was basically done in one setting. This just may give you a glimpse of how my mind really works – my thoughts can totally jump from one thing to another in a matter of seconds!!!

Do you have any idea how challenging it is to come up with 100 different things about yourself? Well, I did my best. Enjoy! :D

1. I love golden retrievers.
2. I have lived in the same house all my life, though I have not had the same bedroom.
3. I love white roses.
4. I am tall...which is a constant pet peeve of mine.
5. My favorite colors are purple and green.
6. I went to my church's school from Kindergarten to 12th grade.
7. I am 23 years old.
8. My dream vacation would be going back to Prince Edward Island!
9. I actually like my handwriting.
10. I don't like shopping, except for shopping for clothes at thrift stores!
11. I love reading (as most of you have probably guessed!)
12. I get easily addicted to things.
13. I tend to worry about a lot of things.
14. I don't like talking on the phone.
15. I am a perfectionist.
16. I find cutting paper with scissors a relaxing exercise.
17. I have Thomas Kinkade puzzles all over my room – glued together in picture frames on the walls.
18. Whenever I get a bunch of candy, I have trouble stopping myself from eating it all!
19. I have discovered that Tetris is one of my favorite (and VERY addicting) games.
20. I like putting cheese on everything I eat which I believe makes it taste a lot better!
21. I don't like flowery-smelling candles.
22. I only have 2 cousins.
23. I only had 2 wisdom teeth, which were taken out a couple of years ago.
24. I blush easily.
25. Miscommunication drives me crazy!!
26. I used to want 22 children, then it went down to 18, then 16, then 12, then 10, then 8, then 6, then 4...now 2 sounds great to me (but it MUST be even...which leads me to the next thing...)
27. I like when things are even!
28. I am very attached to my camera.
29. Fall is my favorite season.
30. My clock is set 20 minutes fast, so when I wake up in the morning, I feel like I have more time.
31. I have worked in 2 different daycares, but have done college labs in 4 different ones.
32. I find the Amish culture intriguing and love reading books about them.
33. I love going to Sight & Sound theater in Lancaster county.
34. At each restaurant I go to, I have a certain meal that I like there which I tend to automatically order without really looking at anything else on the menu.
35. I love raw vegetables, but can't stand them cooked. (except perhaps corn)
36. I've only been on a plane 4 times.
37. I've been to the Czech Republic on a mission's trip (during that trip was when I had my 4 plane rides)
38. I actually like Algebra. (though I probably wouldn't have admitted it in high school!).
39. One of my favorite meals is pork, sour kraut, and mashed potatoes.
40. I had 8 teeth pulled when I was young, so I wouldn't have to have braces. (It worked!)
41. I can't stand seafood. (I think shrimp tastes like rubber balls...although I have never actually tasted rubber balls, just so you know!)
42. One of my eardrums burst when I was little, and I had to go through a series of hearing tests, but thankfully, there seems to be no permanent damage!
43. I find cold pizza just as good, if not even better than hot pizza.
44. I tend to over-analyze things a lot, which can be good, but mostly bad.
45. When I receive cards (especially birthday ones), I tend to read them out loud very dramatically.
46. I LOVE the name Rebecca, but I could never refer to myself as that. Rebecca was always my “in trouble” name when I was growing up. :)
47. I love schedules, but when something happens to throw my schedule and plans out of whack, I don't handle it well.
48. I love being around young children because I feel totally free to let out my goofy side.
49. I've only had one real manicure my whole life, and I have NO desire to ever have a pedicure.
50. Hence, I think I have feet phobia.
51. One of my biggest thrills is seeing a “light bulb moment” happen in a child's life when I am trying to teach them something.
52. I don't like doing new things by myself.
53. Sometimes I work better under pressure, but not always.
54. I've watched every Little House on the Prairie re-run at least 50 times (or at least it feels like it!)
55. I love the Andy Griffith black & white episodes only because Barney Fife is hilarious.
56. I love eating ice cream with crushed-up pretzels on top.
57. I have had a few cups of coffee in my life time – it's not bad - but I just can't understand how people can get addicted to the stuff.
58. I've been in a minor car accident, which led to my first ambulance ride to the hospital.
59. I had ice skating lessons when I was 5 years old, and I was disappointed when I couldn't do jumps and twirls my first time on the ice like I had seen while watching the Olympics.
60. I have a sister in Heaven, named Bethany, who would have been just 3 years younger than me had she lived.
61. I absolutely hate being the center of attention.
62. I find myself getting so emotionally involved in movies and books until I am actually sobbing.
63. I was the valedictorian of my senior class (of only 5 students, mind you :D)
64. When I worked in the daycare, I spent most of the time working as the assistant teacher in the Toddler One classroom.
65. For two summers, I spent 8 hours a day, 5 days a week, with 15-18 one year olds.
66. On average, I changed about 30 diapers a day while working in that classroom.
67. When I was little, I used to imagine that inside the walls of our house was a HUGE mansion filled with tiny, little people and I would *cough* talk to them, and imagine what life must be like for them inside the walls of our house. (I had an overactive imagination as a child :D)
68. When I get an idea in my head, I can't stop thinking about it until I get it done. If I don't do it when the idea “strikes” me, I may lose the “oooomph” and never end up doing it. (Such as making this VERY random list!)
69. I've gotten my hair permed a couple of times though I thought it basically made me look like a poodle. Once, I actually let my totally inexperienced friends do a perm in my hair in a “Christian charm class” we had in school. How trusting I was! Thankfully, the results were not disastrous.
70. I am not good at making decisions.
71. I wrote a play called “The Spirit of Christmas” when I was in 4th grade, and my friends and I actually spent a few recesses going over the parts. We had it all planned out. We were going to do the play in my friend's garage. However, It never happened, and I wish I still had kept that script somewhere!
72. During recess in elementary, especially after it had rained, there would be a bunch of worms that would be laying all over the pavement. My friends and I actually started a “worm hospital” under the slide for these helpless little creatures.
73. While playing 4-square outside one day in 1st or 2nd grade, I was stung by 3 bees, and I ended up getting hives. (isn't that ironic?)
74. I am terrified of the sewing machine. It intimidates me so.
75.I love the TV show Monk. However, I blame him for many of my newly discovered OCD ways.
76. I still have my favorite stuffed animal, Clem the Lemon, from when I was a toddler, on the top shelf in my closet.
77. I think horseshoes is a fun game to play at a picnic.
78. I grew up on Patch the Pirate, and now I get to enjoy listening to the stories all over again with my Kindergarten class.
79. During elementary when we had indoor recess, my friends and I would take chairs, books, and blankets, and make all kinds of forts and tunnels out of them.
80. I used to be terrified of dogs, but when I was 5, we had a lady come live with us who was bringing her rather LARGE dog with her. Do you know how she won me over? She gave me skittles! Don't ask me how skittles would take away my fear of dogs, but to this day....
81. I love Skittles! (and dogs of course...but that was already mentioned!)
82. In school, I was in a debate class, and had to do a debate on marijuana. I ended up being on the POSITIVE team...FOR marijuana. That was tough....and a big flop on my part! Which leads to....
83. I am not a good debater!
84. I used to love playing with Polly Pockets.
85. I am the first grandchild on both sides of my family.
86. I love playing volleyball for fun NOT when its a fierce competition.
87. I started learning how to play the piano in 2nd grade (I am still learning!)
88. I was in a Patch the Pirate “Goes to the Jungle” play when I was in 3rd grade. I was one of the “silent sailor girls”...no lines except to sing the songs along with everyone else :)
89. I find having organization in my life makes me feel more relaxed.
90. I was able to attend a rally for President Bush in 2004 when he was running for office again. It was neat to actually see him in person. (even if it was from a distance!!)
91. I love Vitamin water.
92. I think the movie “Enchanted” is so cute.
93. I still have the Bible I received at my Kindergarten graduation.
94. I have a bunch of dried flowers in my room because I think it is so sad how fresh flowers last for only a short time, so I try my best to “preserve” them!
95. I have recently become a fan of the Robin Hood TV series.
96. I don't really have a favorite verse or life verse, but I find myself repeating these verses over and over again, especially lately. Proverbs 3:5-6 “Trust in the Lord with all thine heart, and lean not unto thine own understanding. In ALL thy ways acknowledge Him and He shall direct thy paths! (emphasis added!)
97. I don't really have a favorite song either, but I find myself singing this song a lot - “What a Friend we have in Jesus.”
98. I am learning to be content with where the Lord has me right now.
99. I LOVE my job(s), I LOVE my family, and I LOVE my church!
100. I am so so so so so so so thankful for ALL that God has done for me! So often, I get sidetracked with how I feel about something that instead of “looking unto Jesus”, I let my feelings get in the way and I end up worrying, over-analyzing, or panicking over something that is totally out of my control. However, the Lord is so long suffering and patient with me. Praise the Lord for His faithfulness!!!

Being Spirit-Filled

The Spirit-Filled Child of God

does not look around continually

or he would be dismayed;

he does not look within,

or he would be disgusted;

he does not look back,

or he would be defeated;

he does not look at others,

or he would be disappointed;

he does not look at his circumstances,

or he would be disheartened;

he does not fix his gaze on his blessings,

or he would be diverted;

but he looks at CHRIST and is

Delighted!

He is God

He is the First and the Last, The Beginning and the End!
He is the keeper of Creation and the Creator of all!
He is the Architect of the universe and the Manager of all times.
He always was, He always is, and He always will be...
Unmoved, Unchanged, Undefeated, and never Undone!

He was bruised and brought healing!
He was pierced and eased pain!
He was persecuted and brought freedom!
He was dead and brought life!
He is risen and brings power!
He reigns and brings Peace!
The world can't understand Him,
The armies can't defeat Him,
The schools can't explain Him, and the leaders can't ignore Him.

Herod couldn't kill Him, The Pharisees couldn't confuse Him, and the people couldn't hold Him!
Nero couldn't crush Him, Hitler couldn't silence Him,
The New Age can't replace Him, and "Oprah" can't explain Him away!

He is light, love, longevity, and Lord.
He is goodness, kindness, gentleness, and God.
He is Holy, Righteous, mighty, powerful, and pure.
His ways are right,
His word is eternal,
His will is unchanging, and His mind is on me.
He is my Savior,
He is my guide, and He is my peace!
He is my Joy,
He is my comfort,
He is my Lord, and He rules my life!

I serve Him because His bond is love,
His burden is light, and His goal for me is abundant life.

I follow Him because He is the wisdom of the wise,
The power of the powerful,
The ancient of days, the ruler of rulers, the leader of leaders, the overseer of the overcomers, and is to come.

And if that seems impressive to you, try this for size. His goal is a relationship with ME!

He will never leave me,
Never forsake me,
Never mislead me,
Never forget me,
Never overlook me and
Never cancel my appointment in His appointment book!

When I fall, He lifts me up!
When I fail, He forgives!
When I am weak, He is strong!
When I am lost, He is the way!
When I am afraid, He is my courage!
When I stumble, He steadies me!
When I am hurt, He heals me!
When I am broken, He mends me!
When I am blind, He leads me!
When I am hungry, He feeds me!
When I face trials, He is with me!
When I face persecution, He shields me!
When I face problems, He comforts me!
When I face loss, He provides for me!
When I face death, He carries me home!

He is everything for everybody everywhere, every time, and every way.

He is God, He is faithful. I am His, and He is mine!

My Father in heaven can whip the father of this world.
So, if you're wondering why I feel so secure, understand this...He said it and that settles it.

God is in control, I am on His side,
And that means all is well with my soul.

Everyday is a blessing for GOD IS!

Stand By God's Man

Garlic Knots

Because of some of the comments I received about the garlic knots I made the other day, I thought I would post the recipe on here! My Mom just happened to be making a double batch of them this morning (she obviously liked them!) so I thought it would be neat to have pictures along with the recipe. Mom was sweet enough to tolerate me stopping her every few minutes to snap a picture of what she was doing. :)

Ingredients:

1 pound frozen white bread dough, thawed (it's best to thaw the dough, wrapped, in the refrigerator overnight.)

1 egg white beaten with 1 tablespoon water

1/3 cup dried parsley (The actual name of this recipe is Garlic Parsley Knots, but I "tweaked" it a bit and sprinkled Parmesan cheese & Italian seasoning on instead - you can add whatever you want! :))

3/4 teaspoon garlic powder, divided

2 tablespoons butter, melted

1. Cover a baking sheet with parchment paper or coat with cooking spray. Place bread dough in large oiled bowl; cover with plastic wrap. Let dough rise until double in size, about 45 minutes. Turn out onto lightly floured surface and roll into 12-inch square that is 1/4 inch thick.

2. Brush dough with egg white mixture and sprinkle with parsley (or other toppings) and 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder.

3. Fold dough in half to enclose the garlic filling. Pinch edges together to seal.

4. Cut crosswise with sharp knife into 1-inch-wide strips.

5. Pick up each strip and stretch slightly, then tie into a knot.

6. Place on the prepared baking sheet. Cover and let rise in a warm place until double in size, 45 - 60 minutes.

7. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Bake until golden, about 12 minutes.

8. Mix remaining garlic powder with melted butter; brush over hot rolls. Serve warm.

All I Needed to Know, I Learned in Kindergarten

I have definitely discovered this saying to be true! Not only for my students, but also for me as their teacher!!! I have learned soooo much over these past 2 years teaching Kindergarten. Simple things, but important things! I am not necessarily talking about the reading, writing, and arithmetic part either!

Every morning we have a short Bible time before we start on our phonics/handwriting papers. Each week I post a new Bible verse on the bulletin board and we go over it every morning. Most of the verses are verses that have been put to song so it is easy for the children to remember them. (Mr. E anyone?) This week our verse was Joshua 1:9b and what a great verse it is!!!

After we either say and/or sing the verse, we discuss what the verse means. As we were talking about this verse this past week, I was just in awe as I remembered that, indeed, I don't have to be afraid no matter what happens in my life because the Lord is always with me!

When we are done saying our verse, I get out our Bible storybook. This is the book I generally use. The children love it because pictures replace some of the words, so they enjoy helping me read the story. It definitely keeps them focused on what the story is about!

This past week we were learning about David and Goliath. Yesterday we read the story out of the Bible storybook.

The stories are short - which helps with short attention spans - but after every Bible story, there is a "What Did You Learn?" section, with a simple statement about what we can learn from this particular Bible story. It often amazes me what the children come up with even before we discuss what the book says we learned about! After we read the story, I asked the children what we learned from the story. One of them said, "God is strong and Satan is weak!"

My kiddos often talk about the differences between God and Satan. When one child is not obeying, I will hear another child say something to the effect, "When we disobey, we are making the devil happy! We don't want to make him happy, we want to make God happy!" When I first heard it worded that way, I knew I had found a simple way to help them understand the seriousness of sin. At this age, they understand this truth: God is good; Satan is bad. Of course, they don't want to make the bad one happy! Oh, to have the simple faith and understanding of a child!

Anyway, after we discussed what we had learned from the story about David and Goliath, I looked down at the book's answer......

I nearly started crying when I read that! Such a simple truth, but what an amazing thought to ponder! I definitely needed to be reminded of that truth this week especially. Isn't it amazing how the Lord can use even a simple Kindergarten storybook to remind us of how amazing He is?!

A QUIET Field Trip

Today I took my kiddos to a nearby library for our afternoon activity. I was a little nervous because I wasn't sure how well they would do with the whole quiet thing - they tend to be a rather noisy threesome! :D However, before we left school, I sat them down and had a little discussion about this field trip.

They were given 2 rules:

1) You must use quiet voices.

2) You must use walking feet.

When we arrived, we headed straight for the children's corner. They discovered this big blue pillow-type chair in the back corner, and it was quickly claimed by all! To start us off, I let them each pick a book to read together. Since there are shelves and shelves of books, I wasn't sure how long the decision-making process would be, but surprisingly, for the most part, they were satisfied with the first book they laid their hands on!

I LOVE reading children's books! It was a special treat for me today as I read these NEW books to the children. There are so many hysterical, nonsense stories out there that are just fun to read. Last year, when I watched one of my students after school, I would take her practically every week to this library, and we would just read and read and read! Not only was it a time filler, but it was also lots of fun. :)

Can you tell they were enjoying the pillow?! :)

They were totally chillin' out as they listened to their teacher read.

After I finished reading the stories to them, it was then time to browse around. I told them they could either just look at books or have an adult read them a book. (There were 3 adults for 3 children! :D)

Abbi claimed the big blue pillow chair...

Joshua claimed the rocking chair...

And Stephen claimed his Daddy's lap!

My mom and I just sat on the couch and chatted while they entertained themselves by quietly looking at books. It was pretty amazing to me how well-behaved they were, but I wasn't going to complain!! In fact, there was a lady there who came over to me after we had finished our story time, and the first words out of her mouth were, "I'm a born-again Christian too!" I was like....how in the world did she know??? She was a homeschool mom and she gave me some "tips" on things she learned while teaching her kids how to read. I just thought it was pretty neat that she could tell the difference in us!

Once they had finished browsing and each of them had picked 3 books to take back to school, we closed out our field trip with another story time. This time they each choose a carpet square to sit on.

This was the only time I really had to remind them to use their quiet voices. One of the books required interaction as they pointed to different colors on each page. It got a bit noisy there for awhile as they tried to point and name all the things that were of a particular color!

When we got back to school, they all took their armload of books, and put them on the bookshelf.

So now we have 9 new books to read during story time for the next couple of weeks! I can't wait to read them, especially the one book entitled Old Mr. Mackle Hackle. I just had to laugh when it was added to the stack!

My Mommy's Special Day

When I got to school yesterday morning, the first thing I worked on was making a Happy Birthday poster for my mom for the students to sign. When my three kiddos took up most the space on the first poster writing their names (really well by the way...look at the close-up pic below!!), I decided having two posters was probably necessary. :D After everyone signed it, I put the poster on my mom's school office door, so that would be the first thing she saw when she got there.

When she opened her office door, these beautiful flowers from the church staff were the next thing to greet her.

The elementary students sang TWICE to my mom during lunchtime. When my mom first walked in the front door, I couldn't let her get by without them singing to her. It just wouldn't be right! :D Mrs. Lytle had made a special cupcake tree, like she did for my birthday, so we all sang to her again when the cupcakes were ready. :)

After school was over, I literally flew out the door, so I could get home in plenty of time to get supper preparations underway. I had to have at least 2 1/2 hours of time set aside to make these DELICIOUS garlic knots. It was a new recipe, so I had no idea how they would turn out. They definitely were a yummy success! Mom had requested spaghetti & meatballs for her special birthday dinner, so of course, you had to have some sort of garlic something with that!

However, every year on Mom's birthday, I am reminded of the depressing fact that I did not inherit my mother's birthday cake decorating talent. I am sure many of you have viewed the pictures of the 23 birthday cakes she has made me for each of my birthday celebrations! (If not, just go to my October 2008 archive) Every year I get this "mental picture" of what I want her cake to look like, and well, it NEVER ends up looking like it!! I was flipping through my recipes, and discovered this fudgy chocolate layer cake that looked absolutely delicious, so I thought I would give it a try. Why is it that it never ends up looking like the picture??!! It turned out rather crumbly, and it was next to impossible to ice (icen?) it. *Sigh* The icing recipe turned out to be way too watery and basically just got soaked up in the cake, so I begged my wonderful brother to go out and get some chocolate icing at the grocery store. That helped a bit. I was glad that I had decided to decorate it with Nonpareils - one of my mom's favorite candy. Candy has a way of covering up errors!! (for the most part :)). However, this isn't supposed to be a rant on my lack of baking skills, so I will stop! Here would be the cake. It was made with love...and frustration! :D

Singing "Happy Birthday" once again :)

Blowing out the candles....

Cutting crumbly slices of cake

One of the presents we got her was a full cushion seat massager. Every Mommy definitely needs one of these!

It now resides on Mom's chair in the living room. The vibrating, heat massage is soooo nice! It will definitely be enjoyed by all!...hey, wait...I forgot...we got it for Mom :D