Rachel Phillips

"Aaron" painting

2012-02-11T18:35:00.005-06:00

I went to visit Aaron (Mark and Diane) this weekend. The original purpose of my visit was to be "child care" while Mark and Diane went out for their Valentine's Day dinner/surprise concert. As soon as Aaron found out I was coming, he asked me if we could paint. OF COURSE! I immediately started scouting out Pinterest to find some cute ideas. We had SO MUCH FUN! Aaron decided that we should hang his painting on his bedroom door so everyone knows it's his room. :-)

Enjoy.

"Not playing" is never an option.

2011-11-29T23:34:00.005-06:00

I found my clarinet at my parent’s house over Thanksgiving. My mom, somehow, was able to talk me into helping her get all 20 tubs of Christmas decorations down from the storage area above their garage, and there it was. Just sitting there. It’s funny how something as simple as a musical instrument can ignite old memories that sometimes feel like they just happened yesterday and at other times they feel like they belonged to someone else. Almost as if I only heard them as a story.

As I opened the case, I tried to remember the last time I played. I couldn’t. Sometime in college. Marching band. Sophomore year. Fall of 2002. Almost 10 years ago.

Maybe I can remember.

Right before Christmas break at Harding, marching band was over, and we were practicing for our Christmas concert to be preformed in chapel. I wasn’t even sure I was going to play because I had just had my wisdom teeth removed, not exactly conducive to playing an instrument, but “not playing” wasn’t exactly an option.

Instead of a memory, maybe it's one big metaphor for my life. The concert went on as planned, not necessarily dependent on my presence. 10 years later at 11:40pm it doesn't seem to have made a huge difference in the world. No one remembers that concert but me, I guess. There were much better musicians in that band than I could ever pretend to be, my my wonderful skills as a clarinetist weren't exactly critical. And yet, 10 years later at 11:40pm, this memory floods my brain, with the resounding theme that seems to have stuck with me.

You always show up. You always play. After all, not playing is never an option.

Right?

Longing for a time...

2011-09-18T17:05:00.004-05:00

I'm sitting on my couch with my computer open to my blog and my ipad open to Psalms knowing that the writer of Psalms seems to know my heart. As I try to choose just one song or poem from the heart of David, I am discovering it's ALL of them. Somehow I have a kindred spirit with David as I read his writing. His heart seems to follow the same pattern as my heart. He seems to be conflicted constantly between the joy and celebration of who God is and at the same time, long for protection, love, mercy, revenge, healing, knowledge, and relief. He seems to go in "shifts" of requests, praise, and anger all coming from the same heart.

My heart is going in shifts today. When I try to choose just one song or poem, I am discovering that there isn't one. How do you express one heart when it is all broken into pieces? Not all bad pieces, just different pieces with vastly different songs. Some pieces are praise, mercy, compassion, and love. Right now, the song that seems to be the biggest piece is a longing for healing. My family seems to be running parallel with my heart, in pieces; or maybe my heart is a reflection of the heart of my family.

Some pieces are in celebration for a new life being added to our family. Some pieces of anger hidden beneath a blanket of tears and hurtful words between our family. Other pieces long for protection and mercy, for compassion and understanding for our family.

All pieces long for a time of healing.

This is my psalm:

How long, oh Lord, will my heart and my family be in pieces? How long will it be? Surely there will be a time when everyone is healed. Surely there will be a time when You have seen enough suffering from the people You love. How long will You be silent? Are you silent? Why can't I hear You?

How long, oh Lord, will the pain seem to override the joy? The joy takes hold for a short time, but is fleeting. How long will it be? Surely you see my dad's pain. Surely you see my mom's pain. Surely you can see how complicated it all seems. Can't you see how broken everything is? How can You watch while it all unravels? Help me hear You. Show me Your love. I beg for understanding and compassion when anger and pain seem to blind me.

Community

2011-09-04T10:55:00.003-05:00

I never watched the TV show "Cheers". Since shows like "Roseanne" and "The Simpsons" were off the table, it's no surprise that my parents banned a show in which the setting is in a bar. I've seen reruns, and I would probably recognize the theme song if I heard it. I even know a few bits and pieces about the show's purpose. (Don't tell my parents.) Today, the lyrics caught my attention.

Making your way in the world today takes everything you've got.
Taking a break from all your worries, sure would help a lot.

Wouldn't you like to get away?

Sometimes you want to go

Where everybody knows your name,
and they're always glad you came.
You wanna be where you can see,
our troubles are all the same
You wanna be where everybody knows your name.

You wanna go where people know,
people are all the same,
You wanna go where everybody knows your name.

I'll get straight to the point. While reading these lyrics, it shocked me that I want exactly what these words say. A community. Coming to the realization that this community they are referring to is a bar hits me hard. With no intention of making judgments on the bar setting, on the contrary, the lyrics of this song remind me of the community I long for with other Christians. A community that knows me. A group of people that hold me accountable and in check for my choices and my thoughts. I do have a type of community. I have several people in my life that know me. This is very true, and I value those people more than anything. My realization of community comes after reflecting on the idea of community. It's not a new concept to me as I have heard it since I was a kid, the Body of Christ and its parts - Sunday School 101. The newness comes from the idea that each part contributes to the whole. (I'm sure I'm already supposed to know that. Oh well.) Yes, you need each part, and every part has a role. But a role for what? That part is participating in something greater than parts. It's participating with the purpose of making something whole. They aren't supposed to be disconnected parts. They are supposed to be connected. Connected to other parts to form one body.

I feel like I'm disconnected. I'm connected with a few other parts in many different places, but I'm missing the whole. The hard part - it's my choice. In all this, I know it's my choice to be disconnected. For whatever reason or excuse I have, legitimate or not, It's my choice. I have been satisfied with limiting my connection to the whole body. It's easier. It's comfortable.

Then again, I guess if it was easier, I wouldn't feel the lack of community.

Lord, help me choose to be connected. Somehow, somewhere. Help me get over my fear of being uncomfortable. Show me how to get over my excuses of traveling, work, and family. Break apart my thoughts of arrogance that no one does it right. Keep me from believing I can do it on my own all the time. Give me the strength to resist being disconnected because it's easier. In the name of Jesus, Amen.

Unannounced Visit

2011-08-20T17:50:00.008-05:00

Sometimes when I'm in my apartment I think I have quite a bit of space, and I do when just one or two people are here. Friday night, we squished 7 adults and 3 kids in my little apartment! Mom and dad stayed the night, and mom and I went shopping all day today. I was able to find some new pillows for my couch and some patio furniture. For my birthday that is coming up, my mom bought me two plants for my porch. It looks great. What a great weekend!

My new Patio furniture

Beautiful Hibiscus my mom bought me for my Birthday

Two Two year old boys learning on RaRa's ipad

Dad, Matt, and Mark solving all problems of the world

Isaac practicing his standing

Aaron and Eli's favorite place at RaRa's house

"RaRa, I want paint wit you."

2011-08-13T21:29:00.004-05:00

Seriously, how do you say "no" to that? After spending a little time at home today, working on school stuff, I headed down to Tullahoma to fulfill the wishes of a little boy. As soon as I arrived, Aaron and I headed to Walmart to buy a few supplies so we could paint. A couple canvases and some washable paint later and we were on our way to a masterpiece. Aaron picked ALL the colors and designs.

THIS...MUCH

2011-07-12T13:27:00.006-05:00

Before you get to see the surprise, you need the background story.

Two years ago, Gloria and I loaded up her jeep and drove from Washington state to Kentucky. Elayna was 10 months old. A few months after we got there, I was trying to explain to EV how much I loved her. I would ask her, "How much does your Eeooch love you? THIS....MUCH!" I would put my hands out as far as I could while I said, "THIS...MUCH!" After about 10 or 20 times of helping her put her hands out, she started doing it with me each time I would ask her how much her Eeooch loved her. Eventually, every time she saw me, whether I asked her my famous question or not, she would stretch her hands out. Her hands gradually started getting closer and closer. She soon developed a new "sign" that represented me, hands about shoulder width apart and moved up and down. Several years and a few more nephews and nieces later, she has now started calling me "RaRa" just like the boys, but that famous question is still very much alive inside both of us.

While checking my mail this morning, I discovered an envelop from my two wonderful nieces. I was expecting a fun little card or maybe a beautiful picture colored by Elayna with some evidence of Cora some where in the corner. INSTEAD, I opened the envelop to discover this...

From a Prison Cell

2011-06-22T17:30:00.003-05:00

WHO AM I? by Dietrich Bonhoeffer

Who am I? They often tell me

I stepped from my cell's confinement

calmly, cheerfully, firmly,

like a Squire from his country house.

Who am I? They often tell me

I used to speak to my warders

freely and friendly and clearly,

as though it were mine to command.

Who am I? They also tell me

I bore the days of misfortune

equably, smilingly, proudly,

like one accustomed to win.

Am I then really that which other men tell of?

Or am I only what I myself know of myself?

Restless and longing and sick, like a bird in a cage,

struggling for breath, as though hands were struggling for breath, as though hands were

compressing my throat,

yearning for colours, for flowers, for the voices of birds,

thirsting for words of kindness, for neighbourliness,

tossing in expectation of great events,

powerlessly trembling for friends at an infinite distance,

weary and empty at praying, at thinking, at making,

faint, and ready to say farewell to it all.

Who am I? This or the Other?

Am I one person to-day and to-morrow another?

Am I both at once? A hypocrite before others,

and before myself a contemptible woebegone weakling?

Or is something within me still like a beaten army

fleeing in disorder from victory already achieved?

Who am I? They mock me, these lonely questions of

mine.

Whoever I am, Thou knowest, O God, I am thine!

The Weirdest Feeling

2011-05-25T17:33:00.002-05:00

A few of the weirdest feelings:

* For the first night of this school year, I do not have any work for school. Oh, oh, there is plenty of work to do for NEXT year, but for this year, work is done! It is possibly the weirdest feeling ever. Note: I am sitting on my couch wondering if I'm totally crazy because my thoughts are drifting into getting a head start for next year. Ha ha.

* Today was the last day with my 7th graders. This year felt like it ended all of a sudden. I'm definitely ready for a break from work, but I'm not so sure I'm ready to give up my kids quite yet. It's a funny feeling to stand up in front of my kids and end our time together with a test. The only words I could find were, "Make sure you have a pencil." It didn't feel like the end. I will miss them. What a place they have reserved in my heart. What a weird feeling.

* I was brought to tears by a card written by one of my kids today. Somehow, she was able to grasp the dream that I prayed for daily and desired for every student this year. Even through all the chaos, rushing, and craziness of the year, she was able to see my love and passion for teaching. Such an encouragement!

* My first 7th grade class at Shafer are freshman! Today, for the first time, I had students come back to see me before they leave for high school. What a surreal feeling! The joy and tenderness that I felt as I hugged them goodbye reminded me of the place they have in my heart. I am now friends with those kids on Facebook, a coveted privilege they reminded me of that previously had not been theirs. How weird!

*I signed a new lease on my apartment today. This marks the first time since moving out of my parent's house that I will live in the same place for more than a year. Weird, but definitely awesome!

What a blessed life I have been given.

It's amazing how much they have grown!

2011-04-14T18:00:00.005-05:00

Here are a few pictures of "the boys" from last weekend.

Aaron holding Isaac

Eli and Aaron sharing a little personal space

A little bit of rest time with a Ra Ra

Playing with Isaac

Aaron and Eli playing with their letters

I know why my kids lack perspective. What's your excuse?

2011-02-23T19:51:00.001-06:00

Beware! Slightly passionate blog, comin' at ya!

My post comes from the thoughts swirling in my head with a focus that has a somewhat narrow audience. Teachers.

Or is it just teachers? No. I think it’s broader than that. I keep trying to put my finger on the deeper rooted issues that push people to stand against or in favor of a cause. Currently, Tennessee is experiencing change in the education system. In recent months, the change has provoked the teachers’ union. Let me be clear before you read any further, I have never been a “union person”. Whatever that means or is supposed to mean, that’s what I mean. Since this whole situation has developed, my feeling has intensified. When did the focus of education become the teachers? When did the focus of education become about how much I make as an educator? I completely disagree with the concept “what is good for the teacher, is good for the student.” What a selfish perspective by people who are supposed to be building a nation. In case any teachers slept through class the day they taught you about teaching, the focus is the students.

When did the philosophy of Americans become, “We are a democratic nation and WE elect our leaders, but if the one I wanted doesn’t win, I’m going to scream at the top of my lungs that my rights are being violated. I going to make sure that if I don’t get my way, the entire process is a living hell for everyone else. My “convictions” aren’t my focus any longer; my focus is now to make sure that whatever you stand for, I oppose it because you stand for it. On top of that, I will go to every person I know and tell them how they are being mistreated by the current leadership. Let me define mistreatment. It means you don’t get your way.

That is exactly the OPPOSITE way of thinking I beg my students to adopt every day. I preach about not feeling entitled to everything I see just because someone else has it or I simply want it. Why is it justified by teachers to say one thing in the classroom, but when it really comes down to it, be just as selfish as the students. Excuses are easy. I’m starting to have difficulty deciphering between my students excuses and some of my colleagues. My students think they are mistreated all the time. I know they are not mistreated, but they are young and just don’t have the perspective they need. They don’t appreciate education, and I am happy to provide that perspective when needed. What’s your excuse for your lack of perspective?

We were not coerced into teaching. We chose it. Could you imagine a nurse going through years of schooling, passing their board certification, going to work in a hospital and then starting a petition to get rid of blood in the operating room? How obscured!

Respectfully, if you don’t like teaching, go do something else. Walmart is always hiring.

A couple really cute boys! :)

2011-02-07T16:14:00.002-06:00

One quick trip to Cookeville made for a very happy "Ra Ra" and some very sweet little boys. :) Enjoy the pictures!

Brothers!

Taking a little nap.

Ra Ra and Isaac

A little something extra in my laundry basket...

Doesn't get much cuter!!

Hitler and Jesus

2011-01-21T20:26:00.001-06:00

Disclaimer: This post may be disturbing. Read at your own risk.

Would I have believed Hitler’s message? I realize that is a disturbing question.

Would I have believed the message of Jesus? That is equally disturbing for me.

I’ve often wondered what was so appealing about Adolf Hitler. Was he an eloquent speaker? Of course, my perspective and understanding of Hitler is created by the textbooks and “teaching” of America. My curiosity, however, is sparked by the people that followed him. The people that were attracted to him seemed to be educated, intelligent people. What about him was so attractive? Was his message so appealing that it was irresistible? If I had lived in Germany during the rising of Adolf Hitler, would I have believed his message of a pure race and superiority of my country? Why not? I will concede that I can’t imagine condoning the way he carried out his plan (death camps, world domination), but again, if that was my paradigm, why not? Obviously, there were Germans that disagreed with Hitler. Maybe that would have been me. Am I so arrogant to think that America is exempt and immune to the desire of world domination? Wait, isn’t America a world power? All of a sudden parts of America that stink of racism, stereotyping, and prejudice flood my thoughts. Again, what made Hitler’s message so believable to so many people? What makes America’s view of superiority so appealing? He is such a monumental figure in the history of the world. I am always intrigued by people who have so much power, others would give their life to protect or defeat the source of that power.

Would I have believed the message of Jesus? This question is somewhat different than the previous question. The above thoughts about Adolf Hitler stem from a “what if” situation due to the fact that I never have believed the message of Adolf Hitler. This next question finds its origin in a belief that already exists. If I had lived during the time of Jesus, would I have believed and followed him, or would I have resisted him? My question cannot be: what makes the message of Jesus attractive? I am already attracted. The question, then, is would I have still believed if I didn’t know the whole story. The followers of Jesus were mostly poor, uneducated, and hurt. Their lives were a mess. Not only did these people follow Him, but they seemed to seek him out every where he went, and HE looked for them. The people he rebuked and corrected, the educated and powerful, didn’t even know they didn’t get it. Again, would I have believed the message of Jesus? Honestly, it looks like a disturbing message.

“Come live with me. We’re going to go around and make a ton of people mad by explaining who God really is, do some miracles, make you question EVERYTHING you believe in, and get really close to each other. You will be confused by almost everything I say and miss the point most of the time. Then, I’m going to be murdered by the people we made mad; I’ll come back to life, and then leave again. You will won’t get it. Don’t worry because after I leave you for the second time, an invisible spirit will come and be with you. I’ll be back, but I’m not sure when. Keep telling other people about how much I love them, and treat them like I would if I was there. Meet with other people that believe in me and learn more about me by reading the scriptures that the educated people I rebuked always read but never understood. Good luck. Pray like I did. Be good.” - Jesus

I don’t write that to be disrespectful. It just seems messed up. I really want to say I would have believed in the message of Jesus no matter when I was born. One thing I am positive of: if what I just typed was the story of Jesus and was his message, I would not have believed. There has to be more.....and I think there is.

Stay tuned...

More Isaac Pictures

2010-12-28T17:47:00.002-06:00

More pictures of Isaac!

Isaac Matthew Phillips

2010-12-28T10:25:00.003-06:00

Isaac made his appearance a little before 3pm on December 27, 2010. He was 8lbs 15 oz and 21 inches long. Enjoy a few cute pictures!!

Meeting Isaac for the first time

Full head of hair

A family of 4

Isaac Matthew Phillips

Prepare to laugh!

2010-12-23T21:27:00.003-06:00

Go to the video link and give it time to load. Prepare to cry, in a good way!

http://elfyourself.jibjab.com/view/rHtyzbqTQQ2wjD9q

Won't take nothing but a memory...

2010-12-05T19:19:00.003-06:00

"The House That Built Me" by Miranda Lambert

I know they say you can’t go home again
I just had to come back one last time
Ma’am I know you don’t know me from Adam
But these handprints on the front steps are mine

Up those stairs in that little back bedroom
Is where I did my homework and I learned to play guitar
I bet you didn’t know under that live oak
My favorite dog is buried in the yard

I thought if I could touch this place or feel it
This brokenness inside me might start healing
Out here it’s like I’m someone else
I thought that maybe I could find myself
If I could walk around I swear I’ll leave
Won’t take nothing but a memory
From the house that built me

Mama cut out pictures of houses for years
From Better Homes and Gardens magazine
Plans were drawn and concrete poured
Nail by nail and board by board
Daddy gave life to mama’s dream

I thought if I could touch this place or feel it
This brokenness inside me might start healing
Out here it’s like I’m someone else
I thought that maybe I could find myself
If I could walk around in I swear I’ll leave
Won’t take nothing but a memory
From the house that built me

You leave home and you move on and you do the best you can
I got lost in this old world and forgot who I am

I thought if I could touch this place or feel it
This brokenness inside me might start healing
Out here it’s like I’m someone else
I thought that maybe I could find myself
If I walk around I swear I’ll leave
Won’t take nothing but a memory
From the house that built me.

I keep listening to this song over and over again, and I can't figure out why. I even try to sing along but find myself actually getting choked up, unable to finish the words (not sad tears, happy ones). I get this picture in my mind of the house where I grew up. I think that is probably the purpose of the song. It's more than that, though. I can't figure it out.

233 N. Illinois

Morton, IL 61550

The little orange brick house on the corner of Illinois and Rassi with the one car garage, across the street from the Paluska's house, two doors down from the Pfisters, and next door to the Knaabs. Technically, we didn't even own the house until I was in middle school. The church owned it. That doesn't seem to make a difference when it's your home. I used to tell people that I could make it from the "big" room in the basement all the way up to the attic bedroom with my eyes closed and not hit anything. I knew it that well. I used to wonder who lived in the house before me. My problem was, I couldn't even imagine it belonging to anyone else. I went back one time. The summer after we moved to Kentucky, I rang the door bell of my own house and asked if I could look around. How strange. I've driven by a few times when I have been back in that town.

Why doesn't it feel the same? I guess I don't think it should be the same. I think my emotions are triggered in this song because I completely identify with the feeling that she describes. The feeling of happiness, comfortability, and family; the feeling of just knowing where you are and where you belong.

Lambert's spin on this song seems negative, but all I think of are happy things when I hear it. I don't know that the house in Morton built me, but I do know the feelings that the memory of that house ignite in my heart. I treasure them.

"If I could just come in I swear I’ll leave
Won’t take nothing but a memory."

Reading with Ra Ra

2010-11-23T18:28:00.002-06:00

Enjoy a short video of Aaron "reading". We had been "reading" for quite a while when Diane decided to get it on tape.

I don't know!

2010-11-21T20:27:00.003-06:00

Everybody: What do you want for Christmas?

Me: I DON'T KNOW!

I hate that question. Seriously, I have no idea what to tell you. Just get me something, and I will be REALLY excited and happy about it. I promise. Really, I'm not just saying that. I really have no idea what I want. I don't even know where to start.

Wait, I know. I need a new brain. How much does that cost?

Buzzard and Puke

2010-11-11T20:08:00.006-06:00

My mom and dad always used to tell me, "Don't get in a puking contest with a buzzard, because you're never going to win." Great advice. Let me break it down for you. Buzzards eat dead things and that would naturally make them very good at puking because dead things are gross. Since "you" don't eat dead things, “you” don't puke as often as a buzzard; therefore, the buzzard is ALWAYS the better puker. Translation: people who act childish and do things that are childish have lots of practice doing those childish things. They will ALWAYS be better than you at childish things, so don't stoop down to their level and participate. Somehow I thought that advice was restricted to middle school/high school. You might even be able to apply it to a FEW incidents in college, but those are few and far between and too complicated to be limited to the basic meaning because the older you get, the more mature people (and you) are supposed to get. Right? Could this actually be good advice for me as an adult?

Every once in a while, I'm the person I should be. Every once in a while, I choose the right thing. Every once in a while, I choose not to try to beat the buzzard at his own game.

For all the other times that aren’t the “once in a whiles”, I pray for my choices to be learning experiences, so maybe sometime those “once in a whiles” will be “sometimes” and maybe some day, “most of the times”.

The funny things is, I am just now realizing that sometimes I am the challenger in the contest, and sometimes I am the buzzard. Or maybe I am just now admitting it.

Thankfully, I have a God that is “EVERY TIME, ALL THE TIME.” He loves me, and He loves the buzzard, for he created both!

God, empty me of me so I can be filled with you. I don't want to be the buzzard, and I don't want to be "me" because neither one of those makes me "every time, all the time". I want and need YOU!

Empty Me by Chris Sligh

I've had just enough of the spotlight

When it burns bright

To see how it gets in the blood

And I've tasted my share

Of the sweet life

And the wild ride

And found a little is not quite enough

I know how i can stray

And how fast my heart could change

Empty me

Of the selfishness inside

Every vain ambition

And the poison of my pride

And any foolish thing my heart holds to

Lord empty me of me

So i can be

Filled with you

Ive seen just enough of the quick buys

Of the best lies

To know how prodigals can be drawn away

I know how I can stray

And how fast my heart could change

Empty me

Of the selfishness inside

Every vain ambition

And the poison of my pride

And any foolish thing my heart holds to

Lord empty me of me

So I can be

Filled with you

Cuz everything is a lesser thing

Compared to you

Cuz everything is a lesser thing

Compared to you

So I surrender all

Empty me

Of the selfishness inside

Every vain ambition

And the poison of my pride

Empty me

Of the selfishness inside

Every vain ambition

And the poison of my pride

And any foolish thing my heart holds to

Lord empty me of me

So I can be

Lord empty me of me

So I can be

Filled with you.

Filled with you

Empty me

Quick trip

2010-10-16T15:47:00.004-05:00

On Thursday, I made a VERY quick trip to Tullahoma. Diane had to work until 3am; Mark was on a business trip, soI took off right after school on Thursday afternoon and left on Friday morning in time to get to school. Even though we only had about 3 hours to play, Aaron and I had a blast. After dinner, he ran over to my bag and was trying to dig out my computer. You can't you resist a boy who's pulling so hard on something that weighs almost as much as he does while saying, "Ra, Ra....Ra Ra!" Needless to say, we "played" with the photo booth on my computer. (yet another reason I LOVE my Mac!!!) Here are some of the pictures. Can you tell we had a TON of fun????

"Holding the Key" by Jason Gray

2010-10-12T20:56:00.002-05:00

*Warning* Disclaimer applied!

I have recently been obsessed with this song. The verses, specifically, seem to speak to me. I haven't completely captured what I think the song means, but I like it, a lot!

"Holding The Key" by Jason Gray

I came here tonight with a mission

To confess what I'm trying to hide

But here in the hour of decision

I'd rather give you the company line

There are secrets I don't want to tell you

And wounds you might not want to see

But they keep me bound to my sorrow

And I really want to be free

And you're the one holding the key

You don't have to give me an answer

An answer is the last thing I need

There's no magical cure for this cancer

I just need you to listen me

'Cause you're the one holding the key

We were made with these hearts

Meant to be open

Then we locked them away

Afraid of being broken

But we're given each other to set it free

And you're the one holding the key

This dark room is perfect for hiding

But I don't want to hide anymore

You can't force the light here inside it

But you can help me open the door

You're the one holding the key

We were made with these hearts

Meant to be open

Then we locked them away

Afraid of being broken

But we're given each other to set it free

And you're the one holding

The key to the truth

Of what's really going on

Your listening ear

Is the grace of God

Love will take the shackles off

But you're the one holding the key

We all need it sooner or later

A safe place for telling the truth

I'm happy returning the favor

'Cause I'm holding the key for you

The newest addition: Cora Mabry

2010-09-25T11:18:00.004-05:00

Here are a few pictures of my new niece, Cora! She is absolutely amazing. I was able to come to Kentucky this weekend to see Ryan, Gloria, Elayna, and Cora before they head down to Georgia. Enjoy!

Only awake for a short time!

Cora with her Eeooch

Very sweet!

Special time with Eeooch

Learning the hard way....

2010-09-04T10:24:00.003-05:00

Something that has been constant in my life is the ridiculous habit of having to learn lessons the hard way. This wonderful blog is just a reminder that no matter how old I get, I still haven't changed. For the record, I do KNOW that I should wear my ankle brace every time I play basketball; however, who actually does what they know they SHOULD do, right? Anyway, so I decided to play a wonderful game of 4-on-4 with some of my students after school on Thursday. Enter my lesson learned the hard way. I had a wonderful wide open lane to the basket and did a textbook lay-up. It was beautiful. What was NOT beautiful was the landing. Apparently, when I came back down, I landed only on my right foot and decided that it would be best to put all my weight on the side of my foot - with a snap. Now normally, searing pain in your ankle would tell you to stop playing. Somehow, I am the exception to that instinct. I decided the best thing for my ankle would be to "suck it up and walk it off". Again, somehow, I am the exception to the rule. Anyway, after an awful night Thursday night I decided to try and "walk it off" at school on Friday. Apparently, still haven't learned the lesson. After a 7th grade carnival, dodging water balloons, spraying colored hairspray on about 30 students' heads, and chaperoning a dance, Natalie talked me into going to the emergency room after seeing my extremely swollen and black and blue ankle. Good news: after x-rays were taken we discovered my ankle is not broken, just a REALLY bad sprain. So, here I am, sitting on my couch with a temporary cast on my ankle. The nurse said I just have to RICE - rest, ice, compression and elevate. My wonderful sister came last night to take care of me until tonight and then my mom is taking over until Monday. Sadly, Aaron stayed with his daddy which was probably better because I can't play with him anyway. :( Abby is being very supportive! Here are pictures for you enjoyment.

Circles and Friends

2010-08-30T21:49:00.004-05:00

Tonight, to celebrate my birthday, Natalie, Stephanie, and I went to Cheddars to eat and then to a two hour painting class. They actually walk you through, step-by-step, painting your own work of art! IT WAS AWESOME! I have never done anything like this before. We had a blast (although we really missed the fourth person in our group, Teri Parks)! While I am not the most artistic person in the world, I can't remember when I have had so much fun with such wonderful people! :) Here is a shout out to Natalie and Stephanie! Thanks for making my birthday amazing!

I have included a picture of my final product for your enjoyment. We took a picture with all three of us and our paintings, but it's on my phone.

Stephanie, Natalie and I with our "Circles"

Up close of mine! :)

Happy Birthday, Elijah!

2010-08-28T19:53:00.003-05:00

Happy Birthday Eli!

Here are a few pictures of the wonderful celebration!

Fun Weekend

2010-08-16T21:21:00.007-05:00

Here are some pictures from my weekend with Diane, Mark, and Aaron!

"All done, Aunt Rachel!"

Covered in Mac n' Cheese

Painted bathroom!

A boy riding his horse!

Petting the goats at the petting zoo

Pointing out the cow

So happy when he gets to ride! :)

The book of James

2010-08-11T21:16:00.004-05:00

Disclaimer applied!

I love the book of James! As I sit here and reflect on my day, the words of James are on my heart. This book has always caught my attention. I even took a class at Harding about the book of James; Sadly, I wish I could remember all that information. The book is an oxymoron for me. Sometimes he challenges my maturity and actions by making it so simple. Other times, I have no clue what it really means.

Practical:"Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.

Then he throws in the phrase somewhere else, "he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him".

Practical: "If anyone considers himself religious and yet does not keep a tight rein on his tongue, he deceives himself and his religion is worthless."

And another confusion:Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you.

While these statements are not in order and don't go with each other, they are a great example of my confusion. (and this is just chapter. 1)

I wish that I could say statements as bold as James, with the confidence that he proclaims each thought. I wish I could understand phrases that he uses. They seem to be common phrases that I have heard and said all my life but never truly understood in a deep way. How do you keep trying to be something that you don't really understand?

Here's what I know. I know my heart listens, responds, and is reminded of his thoughts even though I don't know what most of it means (which I know is weird). I know my heart desires to be what he describes as "religious".

More thoughts later...

New Song

2010-07-28T21:15:00.006-05:00

Warning! Disclaimer from the previous entry is in effect for this post.

Come Ye Sinners by Todd Agnew

Come ye sinners, poor and needy
Weak and wounded, sick and sore
Jesus ready stands to save you
Full of pity, love, and power

Come ye thirsty, come and welcome
God's free bounty glorify
True belief and true repentance
Every grace that brings you nigh

I will arise and go to Jesus
He will embrace me in His arms
In the arms of my dear Saviour
Oh, there are ten thousand charms

Come ye weary, heavy-laden
Lost and ruined by the fall
If you tarry until you're better
You will never come at all

I will arise and go to Jesus
He will embrace me in His arms
In the arms of my dear Saviour
Oh, there are ten thousand charms

Have you ever had a word or phrase that hits you? I mean REALLY hits you? I fully admit that I have a very obsessive personality. I get stuck on one thing and it's all consuming. This is not limited to music, but at the expense of saving too much exposure of my weakness, we'll stick with that. Whenever I get a new cd, or even worse, a new song, I listen to it NONSTOP for a ridiculous amount of time. Such is the case with this song. The lyrics to this song are so powerful. One phrase particularly "hits" me. "I will arise and go to Jesus". Perhaps the music is the reason the song and phrase are so powerful for me, or at least that is what caught my attention initially. His voice is so resolved when he sings his words, almost like each line is a conclusion that leads to this phrase, "I will arise and go to Jesus". It seems to be his conviction that he so boldly announces. What makes this phrase so moving is the word "arise". Since I am never just satisfied with taking things for face value, I need to know more about this word. While I want to say that I have some profound discovery, I cannot. I'll work on that! It's just so intense. Even without a word study, I feel like there is so much depth to this small word. It inspires so much more than just an action of coming or going to something. In this case, Jesus. I almost feel like the word calls you out of something old and into a brand new understanding. For some reason, I have recently fallen in love with words that are "old" because of how much meaning they seem to hold for me. Loaded and multiple meanings! All this makes me even more curious about this word and why it is so inspiring. The ironic part is, while I was talking to Natalie about recent thoughts of this word, we started to notice that a lot of the songs that have recently hit me have this idea of arising. One in particular is called "By Our Love". This song seems to be an explanation of the old campfire song "They'll Know We Are Christians by Our Love" and is extremely powerful. My favorite phrase in this song is "The time is now. Come Church, arise". Love it! Again, just a moving affect for me. It invokes such a huge desire for change in me.

All moved in! :)

2010-07-24T21:31:00.006-05:00

2 apartments, 1 tailor, 10 people, and 4 new truck tires later, I am all moved in! :) I am now sitting in my new apartment and writing this blog post. :) I absolutely LOVE IT! My family and friends helped me move in and even helped me unpack most of my things! A huge shout out to Mark and Diane (Aaron), Matt and Lori(Eli), mom, Natalie, Shadi, and Diller (Ian). I don't know what I would have done without them! There is still LOTS to do but it's definitely looking great already! Here are some pictures I took after everyone left. It probably would have been more fun to take pictures while we were moving, but these will have to do! :)

Guest Room

Bathroom (duh)

My room!

Living Room

Kitchen/Dining room

Living area

Moving...

2010-07-22T18:00:00.002-05:00

Yep! That's right. I am moving! Tomorrow is the start of a few very busy days! I get the keys to my new apartment tomorrow (Friday) morning, and I'm SO EXCITED! My mom is headed here on Friday to help me finish packing, and then my whole family and friends are coming on Saturday morning to help move. I have the best friends and family! :) I'm really hoping it doesn't take a long time to move all my stuff. I will be posting pictures of my new place really soon. I'm dreading doing the whole decorating thing all over again, but maybe I can get some of those GREAT family and friends to teach me a thing or two! :) I start school in a little less than 2 weeks so hopefully I can get settled in before things get too busy. Pictures soon! :)

P.S. Best part - I get to see my nephews. :) :)

"I am wrong and of these things, I repent."

2010-07-09T16:31:00.005-05:00

Disclaimer: Be aware!! This post will be out of the ordinary in that it will not be about my normal obsession. :) Instead, I want to reflect on my recent thoughts. While I will continue my "normal" postings, I hope to include more of these types of posts sporadically in the future. Nothing profound. Just personal convictions and reflections.

"I Repent"

I repent of my pursuit of America's dream

I repent of living like i deserve anything

my house, my fence, my kids, and my wife

in our suburb where we're safe and white

I am wrong and of these things i repent

I repent of parading my liberty

I repent of paying forvwhat i get for free

the way I believe that I am living right

by trading sins for others that are easier to hide

I am wrong and of these things I repent

I repent judging by a law that even I can't keep

wearin righteousness like a disguise to see through

the planks in my own eyes

I repent of trading truth for false unity

I repent of confusing peace and idolatry

of caring more of what they think than what I know of what they need

and domesticating You until You look just like me

I am wrong and of these things I repent

The song is called "I Repent" by Derek Webb. He is not at all concerned about being politically correct or trying to sugar-coat his message in any way. Usually, things repeated over and over in a song irritate me. It makes me think that the writer couldn't come up with any other words to fill up the time. I think what captured my attention in this song is more than just his sincerity of the repeated line "I repent". It's his urgency. He doesn't try to come up with some metaphor for life or being a better Christian. What does that mean anyway? How does a song somehow make you question your "righteous living" or lack there of? I feel like I can't just choose one line as my favorite because then I listen to the song again and change my mind. I'm still not sure what all the words mean in the song. Maybe you can find your favorite. They make me uncomfortable. Honestly, I don't think it's just the words, it's the way he sings it.

The line I choose today is

"I repent, I repent of caring more of what they think than what I know of what they need and domesticating You until You look just like me."

When I was growing up, any time we would leave the house to go hang out with friends or even just to go to school in the morning, we would go in to kiss my parents and my mom's parting words were always "act like Jesus" and "remember whose you are". So true. The question is, am I really interested in Jesus? Not the Jesus I want, but the Jesus who IS. Am I really willing to know and live like HIM? The answer is YES! As loud as I can shout it, YES! I am sick of making Jesus look like me. How long has it been since I have changed something about my life to reflect HIM? What if I really did look like Jesus?

Here's the thing, all these thoughts, reflections, and convictions are great. But the hardest question begs me to answer exactly does this demand of me? After listening to those repeated words, "I repent, I repent", I am forced to consider what is involved in the word "repent". I have to think that repenting is not just great thoughts or intellectual decisions. It has to be more! I think Derek Webb repeats the words because that's the action step I am missing. So many times in the past, I am willing to think about the change but never make it. God, give me the strength to be more!

I repent.

More mice and cats...

2010-06-27T22:32:00.003-05:00

Well, we have different mice and different cats but definitely the same outcome. Well, I guess there is ONE similarity/person between my last post and this one, but we won't mention that. We'll just say we had a blast! Just enjoy the pictures!

P.S. Matt and Lori went to a wedding, and Eli and I PLAYED!!!!

While the cat's away....

2010-06-10T09:14:00.004-05:00

WE mice, will definitely PLAY!!!! I thought you would enjoy some pictures of our fun while Diane worked the past 2 days! Some are very random and some are just down right cute! :) Here is what Aaron got to do...

Go as fast as I can!!!

Try to get into a little bit of trouble.

Found Aunt Rachel's ipod. :)

Go have lunch with mommy!

I miss my mommy, but I sure tried to be a happy boy!!!

Fun pictures with Eli

2010-05-16T12:01:00.002-05:00

More pictures of the weekend!

Reading a Bible story before bed with Aunt Rachel

First time brushing our teeth

Sweet boy

Happy faces! :)

I actually got Eli to look at the camera when I snapped it.

Sneak a peek

2010-05-15T13:46:00.005-05:00

This weekend, I headed to Cookeville to visit with Matt, Lori, and Eli! :) We are having a total blast. I decided that while Matt was gone, I would sneak a Mac moment in with Eli. Here is the result.....

"Are you sure it's ok, Aunt Rachel?"

So much fun!

Should we tell everyone that daddy stayed up until 1 am playing with Aunt Rachel's Mac? Naw, we'll keep it our little secret!

I've been converted!

2010-04-22T14:23:00.002-05:00

I have decided to leave the life of the PC and enter the Mac world.

I AM LOVING IT!!!! I bought a Mac Book Pro over spring break and just received it in the mail on Wednesday. My besty, Natalie, helped me get it all set up, and now, I am spending all my free time learning how to use it. It is so user friendly. I am currently using it to blog his very post!!! :) I have included a picture for your enjoyment!

"The Boys"

2010-03-27T23:33:00.004-05:00

This weekend I went to Diane and Mark's house. Matt and Lori came down as well, so I got to play with "the boys" all weekend. Matt and Mark worked on the bathroom the whole weekend, and Diane, Lori and I watched Eli get his 6 months pictures taken by one of Diane's friends. We had a blast taking turns making him "smile for the camera" and then suffered through the Kentucky game together. We took a fun trip to Walmart and continued the photo shoot only it was Aaron's turn. Here are some fun pictures for your enjoyment. :)

Snow day with Eli

2010-02-16T15:49:00.008-06:00

Since we had yet, another snow day, I decided to go visit Eli (and Matt and Lori)! We had a blast playing in the snow. It was pretty cold so it was a short time of playing but totally worth it. It's been a while since I have just come up just to hang out with the "other" Phillips family, so it was good to just have a free day of playing with my nephew! Eli also got to Skype with his cousin Aaron this afternoon. It was cute to watch them "talk"! We got some pretty fun pictures. Enjoy :)

Talking with Aaron on Skype

Playing in the snow with Aunt Rachel

Lots of Fun!!

Singing with daddy and Aunt Rachel before a nap

Could I be any cuter?

Remember when I used to teach?

2010-02-10T08:22:00.003-06:00

Again, I find myself blogging about being off for a "snow day". If you don't remember what qualifies as a snow day in Tennessee, please revert back to my post about Snow Day! Anyway, so today is ANOTHER snow day. I'm supposed to be an excited teacher because I basically get paid to sit on my couch for however long I want. But am I that teacher.....NOOooooo! I have to sit on my chair and think of all the ways my lesson plans have to change, again, and how we can't learn anything if we are out of school. Plus, you got that whole TCAP test coming up. Only being in school 16 days since Christmas break isn't exactly conducive to learning. (Yep, you heard me correct, 16 DAYS!)

Alas (Natalie, are you proud that I used your word?), I will be sitting on my chair for yet another day, thinking about what I will do tomorrow and Friday. Of course, we don't have school on Monday because of President's Day. So that is wonderful :)

Surprise Aunt Rachel!!!!!!!

2010-02-02T14:38:00.003-06:00

Today, Diane and Lori surprised me with a great visit from my nephews. Diane and Lori came too because they aren't quite old enough to drive yet. Here are some great pictures from our visit!

Fun in the snow :)

2010-01-29T14:58:00.004-06:00

I came to visit Aaron (and Diane and Mark) for part of the weekend in Tullahoma. It started snowing immediately when I pulled up, so after about 1 inch or so had accumulated we decided to take some pictures. I have to say, we got some pretty cute ones! Enjoy :)

Family picture

Good riders run in the family!

Trying to be like daddy!

Snow is fun :)

In the snow with Aunt Rachel

Look really really close.....

2010-01-19T19:35:00.006-06:00

Normally, I leave Gallatin and go visit my family every weekend, where ever they may live. This weekend, they all came to see me. While it was a TON of people in my little bitty apartment, we had a blast! Gloria and Elayna decided to stay a few extra days for an extra long visit! Again, I love having a "stay at home sister"! She and Elayna came to practice with me on Monday and also came to have lunch with me on Tuesday at school. I came home from my game tonight and the lights were on with people waiting on me! It's a great feeling. Here are a few pictures of my wonderful weekend :)

Elayna helping "Eeooch" teach!

She loved my whistle!

"Teach me! Teach me!"

Eli hanging out with Aunt Rachel

Elayna and Eli with Bala

Waving "Hi" to daddy

2010-01-09T12:09:00.004-06:00

Today we woke up and Aaron discovered how to wave "hi" to people. Diane and I tried forever to get him to wave on cue. We kept taking videos but came up unsuccessful. Once Mark walked in and said "hi" to Aaron he look at him and waved just like he'd been doing it all his life. Enjoy the video!

P.S. He is so gifted!

Aunt Rachel is so funny!

2010-01-08T17:35:00.006-06:00

Aaron and I were playing on the couch and discovered some pretty fun stuff. Diane decided to get a video us :) Enjoy!

SNOW DAY!!!!

2010-01-07T16:12:00.005-06:00

Today is the first of 2 snow days!!! That's right, SNOW days. However, you need to know a few details about what exactly "snow day" means. See, it means different things to different people. To me and my "upbringing" it means that there is about 2 feet of snow on the ground, which fell too late in the night so the 15 snow plows in our town can't get it all cleaned up in time for school to start. It also means that you will only have 1 day off of school so you better "live it up!". However, brace yourself because that is definitely not the definition of a "snow day" in Tennessee.

In Tennessee, you have to completely change your frame of reference! First of all, they only have about 2 snow plows in the whole state. Which, would make sense because they only use it about once every 5 years or so. However, on that one year they need the snow plows it's like 2 mice living in a huge warehouse. You know they're there but for the life of you...you never see them or hear of them. And it takes about 4 days for them to get from one side of the warehouse to the other. Anyway, so the end result is that if it threatens to snow AT ALL, they have to basically shut the whole state down. If it actually does snow, all chaos breaks loose and nothing is open or working. So, I get many much more snow days than you can every imagine.

Now, for some of you who have a hard time believing that this is actually the case. I have taken a picture of the evidence to show you what just an inch of snow can do here. 1-2 inches = 2 snow days and many happy teachers/students in Sumner County Schools! Enjoy! :)

Skiing Trip

2009-12-23T09:27:00.003-06:00

Yesterday we went up to Beaver Mountain to ski. I have to admit, it is not the greatest talent that I possess; however, the kids absolutely love it when I go. So, we got all our equipment and headed up to the mountain. I ended up skiing for about 1/2 the day and watched the kids the rest of the time. It was so much fun to watch them zip down the mountain. Cameron got a new snow board for his birthday/Christmas so he spent the whole day learning how to ride it! It's funny, the kids talent definitely makes you humble and realize how fast kids learn and definitely how flexible they can be. For example, Holly would crash and burn and pop right back up without even flinching (that's with ice skating as well). I am a different story, although I did not fall while skiing yesterday (a miracle) I did fall while ice skating on Monday night. It did not go well. I'm still very sore! Anyway, I took a few pictures of us skiing yesterday and I thought they would be fun to share!

Visiting the Pirtles!

2009-12-20T14:58:00.003-06:00

I left on Saturday morning, REALLY early, to come and visit the Pirtles here in Utah. Tanya came to pick me up at the airport and then we spent most of the day shopping for the kids' Christmas presents. When we came back home the kids were so excited. We watching the Saints game and got to chat some with Diane, Mark and Aaron. This morning we were getting ready to head out to worship and I asked Tanya to take a picture of Aubrey and I because I was wearing my new scarf that Natalie got me for Christmas. I'm not generally in to accessorizing, mostly because I don't really know how to make it look right, but this scarf is really pretty and really nice. And my "besty" gave it to me!!! The truth is if I knew how to accessorize I probably would more. Someone will have to teach me (wink wink) Anyway, I didn't want to be in the picture by myself so Aubrey got in on it! So, here's a "shout out" to Natalie.

Short but Sweet!!

2009-12-15T19:07:00.003-06:00

I went to Matt and Lori's house for a really quick visit. We don't have practice for basketball this week because of final exams on Thursday and Friday, so I was able to leave pretty early from school. I got here in time for dinner and a little play time with Eli before he ate and went to bed. It's amazing how much he has changed and grown in such a short period of time. I just saw him 2 weeks ago, and it's been too long. Matt was reading him a book tonight and he was so focused on each page. I think he even tried to turn the page once! He's just gifted! Anyway, enjoy some of the pictures I took during my visit!

Visiting Eeooch!!!

2009-12-04T23:37:00.005-06:00

I got a visit from Gloria and Elayna on Thursday night!!! It has been so much fun to have them here. They got here in time to go to my basketball games on Thursday night. We lost but Elayna totally didn't notice because apparently she was sitting up at the top of the bleachers signing my name the whole time!!! She was shaking her hands so fast I think it would be comparable to screaming at me...only in sign language :) I wish I could have seen it. I was too busy screaming "block out" and "get low" and "don't foul" and "where's your girl". Anyway, they came to eat lunch at school with me today. Elayna (and Gloria) got to see where Eeooch teaches and meet a lot of my kids and my friends I talk about all the time. Elayna was the focus of lunch with the 7th grade teachers!!! I was proud :) I'm not sure who was more excited, Elayna or my kids. When I got home today, Gloria had cleaned my house and started dinner! I decided I need to get a "stay at home" husband. It's so nice to come home to someone here and the house busy! Here are some pictures of our visit :)

First of Many....

2009-11-25T14:33:00.005-06:00

This morning (day 1 of Thanksgiving break) Diane brought Aaron over so I could keep him and Elijah while she and Lori went and got their hair cut. Matt was holding Eli while he was working so I got a cute daddy/son picture :) Before Lori and Diane left, Aaron and Elayna decided to have a "cousin moment". Eli was having some sleeping time. We'll definitely have some "all in" cousin time very soon! Enjoy the cute pictures cute babies!

College Night

2009-11-21T10:42:00.004-06:00

Since living here in Gallatin, God continues to bring people in my life that show me HIM! Teaching at Shafer has been such a blessing in countless ways, but one of those blessings that stands out to me is one of my co-workers that has become a great friend. She and I are "about" the same age and absolutely have the same philosophy of what seems to be everything. From teaching to religion, we always find ourselves being "on the same page". The cool thing is that I teach and Reading and she teaches English. We have almost all the same kids, so it has given us a great opportunity to work together in so many ways. Honestly, she reminds me of Diane in so many ways it's like having my sister right down the hall from me. Anyway, we started hanging out every Wednesday night. Sometimes just for fun and sometimes to do work. Although, many times we mix work with fun :) This past Wednesday we decided to take it back "old school" and have a "college day" so that we could get some paperwork finished for school. I wanted to take more pictures of us with our laptops, sitting on the couch, listening to music, and hard at work. BUT, since we were working so hard, we forgot to take any pictures of us and I only got pictures at the beginning of the night.....and it's only the snacks. Because, you HAVE to have snacks for your college night! Right? Natalie has been such a breathe of fresh air for me and a great friend! Enjoy the pictures :)

Log Cabin

2009-11-15T21:22:00.004-06:00

I thought I would put some pictures of my parents log cabin. I have gone home that past few weekends to help them work on the house and it seems like it changes so much every day now. Last weekend mom and I got a TON of the painting done. We just have the bathrooms and one of the bedrooms upstairs and it's finished. This past weekend I went back home and we planted all the "shrubbery" that she had gotten. We planted for 12 hours on Saturday, and then I grouted some of the tile in the kitchen all afternoon today (Sunday). I just did the places where the cabinets will go because he is coming on Tuesday. Needless to say, my hands have a few blisters and my body feels like I've been bent in funny positions....but it has totally been worth it! Mom and dad are so proud of the work we have gotten done :) Here are a few pictures of the house so far.

Best Picture

2009-11-09T21:17:00.003-06:00

Last week, Diane and Aaron stopped by for a visit on their way to pick Mark up at the airport. We went to eat at a wings place and then stopped by Starbucks! While Diane was getting our coffee, I showed Aaron around so he could appreciate the finer things in life - COFFEE!!!! Here's a picture that we took together!

Weekend with the Boys

2009-10-31T14:17:00.003-05:00

I went to Matt and Lori's for the Halloween weekend. Mark and Diane came too so I get a weekend with my two boys! Of course, as soon as I got here the pictures started so I figured I should probably start putting up pictures now before my camera gets full! :) We have already had a great time all together (except for Gloria and Elayna) and there is much more to come (Halloween costumes). Aaron also tried rice cereal for the second time only it was totally successful this time. It was so much fun to be there and get to help Diane with it. He also started experimenting with a sippy cup, which was also a very positive experience. Enjoy some GREAT pictures of Eli and Aaron!!!

Aaron trying Rice Cereal

Uncle Matt, Diane, and Aaron

Aunt Rachel and Eli

The Boys

Here kitty kitty kitty....

2009-10-28T19:48:00.003-05:00

What if you had to limit your cat's TV intake? Seriously, everytime I turn on the TV my cat runs at lighting speed to watch the little people dance around on the screen. Naturally, being the good mother that I am, I got it on camera.

I should be...

2009-10-27T20:33:00.005-05:00

Well, I should be grading my kids' tests. Atleast that's what a good teacher would be doing. BUT, what am I doing??? I am watching NBA basketball and updating my blog about one of my nephews. Which, you have to admit is way more fun than grading. I'll be visiting with both of them AT THE SAME TIME for Halloween this weekend so just be preparing yourself :) Anyway, just thought I'd show you cute pictures of Aaron and me.

Have you seen something this cute??

2009-10-19T18:48:00.003-05:00

I have to say, one of the cool things about being an aunt is having the right to take as many pictures of your neice and nephews as you want. I think I have about 4 different folders for each neice/nephew. Kinda ridculous but...anyway, while I was at my parent's house for part of fall break I decided to take as many pictures of Elayna as possible. Mom has this wood horse that was made by a man in the church at Melber. It's "child size". So, Elayna LOVES to ride it. So I LOVE to take her picture while she LOVES to ride it. So you get to LOVE watching her LOVE to ride the horse.

Visit with Eli

2009-10-05T19:22:00.002-05:00

I thought I would post some pictures of Eli and I. I went to visit him (and Matt and Lori) last Thursday. I got some fun bonding time with my new nephew and look forward to this coming weekend when I get a whole 3 days with him :)

Does anyone know where my voice went???

2009-09-26T20:23:00.002-05:00

I went home for my neice's birthday last Saturday. I felt really good till about Saturday afternoon and everything went down hill from there. I stayed sick the rest of the weekend. Drove back to Gallatin and was home sick until Thursday. I decided to blame it all on my kids. I think they took all their symptoms, balled them up, and sent them to me in Kentucky. So, there I was, laid up, sick FOREVER! I went to school on Thursday because I was feeling some better and ended up loosing my voice on Thursday night. I have just now started to find it again but I'm trying not to push it because I don't want to loose it again. On a positive note, my dog and my cat LOVED having me home for 3 days in a row. They went through withdrawls on Thursday and Friday.

There's my update. I don't have any fun pictures for you.

More Travels!!!

2009-09-13T11:51:00.003-05:00

I went an yet another journey of visiting both nephews this weekend. And I must say there are two great things about my travels: 1 - I love living close enough to go visit both nephews in the same weekend. 2 - I only have 1 hr and 15 min to drive to get home. Could life get any better????

Abby and I (Olivia stayed home this time) left Saturday morning and went to Mark and Diane's house. We went hiking all day Saturday with Joel and Andrea and came back to eat dinner at the house. After dinner, I took off toward Matt and Lori's house to spend the night and worship with them for Eli's first Sunday!! It was great to be apart of that. I have included pictures of the various activities this weekend and also a picture of Abby and my new cat, Olivia. Enjoy! :)

My Two Nephews

2009-09-05T22:28:00.003-05:00

Over the long weekend, I went to stay with Diane and Mark. We went up to see Eli in Cookville and we took some really fun pictures. I keep thinking I could not have had a better birthday present than a new nephew. Here are some pictures that we took. Eli and Lori are doing WONDERFUL and he looks just like Lori! He's beautiful!!! I already miss him and I'll see him again tomorrow :) Enjoy the pictures....

Elijah David Phillips

2009-08-29T12:31:00.002-05:00

Here is my new nephew. He was 7 lbs 14 oz and 20 inches long. Here are some pictures for your enjoyment. He needed a little oxygen and monitoring. But he is doing fine.

A weekend visit!

2009-08-11T17:28:00.003-05:00

One of the great things about living here in Gallatin is being able to go and visit my nephew ANY TIME I WANT!!! So, this past weekend, I did! He seems to grow soooo fast! I took lots of pictures for your enjoyment. I went with the intention of staying one night and stayed the whole weekend. Imagine that. Shocking I know. Anyway, I came back Sunday night entirely too late but loved every minute of it. Aaron is smiling almost all the time now. He absolutely will steal your heart away in a second! Enjoy the pictures!

FURNITURE!!!

2009-07-29T17:08:00.004-05:00

Today, I GOT MY FURNITURE!!!! I'm so excited. I acutally bought it last weekend with my friend Jana, but it got delivered today. I am no longer sitting on a camping chair or bean bags. YES! I now have plenty of places for people to come and sit, so come visit me!!!!

New Apartment and a New Job

2009-07-21T14:20:00.003-05:00

I am now living in Gallatin, TN in my new apartment. I love it. My WHOLE family came down and helped me move in. Now that I'm only a little over and hour to both Mark and Diane and Matt and Lori they can come for just a visit! :) We got me all moved in on Saturday and I have been trying to decorate ever since. For those of you who know my skills in decorating...watch out! It seems like every day is a busy day for me. I had meetings at school yesterday and I have one again this Friday. I'm going to be working on my classroom a lot this week so maybe I can spend a few days at the trail ride this summer. We'll see. I have A LOT to do on my classroom. I think I'm going to go with the "survival" theme. I'm really looking for to the idea. Gotta reorient myself to the middle school mind again! I"m excited.

Gloria and I made it all the was across the U.S. in one piece. Really it wasn't a bad trip even with all the animals. We got to visit with the Pirtles for all of 24 hours. Which wasn't long enough for any of us but beggers can't be choosers. We actually did the trip in 4 days which is stinking amazing with 2 cats, a puppy, and a 10 month old baby.

I have included some new pictures of my nephew and niece. They met for the first time this weekend! I get to go to Lori's ultrasound today so I'll get to see my 2nd nephew today.....in the womb! :)

Deployed, Packed, Ready to Go...

2009-07-09T17:29:00.003-05:00

Today marks a different kind of day. Ryan left early this morning. Gloria and I have the "container" all packed and ready for storage. We're finishing up some last minute things and then we're taking off in the morning. It seems like things are in slow motion right now - especially for Gloria. Acutally the day is going about like we thought it would. Very sad and full of emotion but she seems to be taking it in stride....as much as you can when your husband leaves for a year to go to "work". She is keeping herself busy with packing and taking care of her daughter. Elayna keeps saying "dada, dada, dada" over and over again. Which is probably a unconcious thing for her since she is just learning her sounds right now, but it is always followed up by Gloria saying, "Could we come up with a different word for right now". Very cute but gut-wrenching at the same time. I would say both are doing well and staying busy.

Last night, Ryan wanted to take Elayna swimming. It was her first time swimming and he didn't want to miss it. I have posted some pictures for your enjoyment. My next post will be while we are "on the road" so stayed tuned.

LONG overdue

2009-07-06T20:49:00.003-05:00

I know, I know. It's way overdue for me to blog. You would not know how busy it's been - seriously! I technically live at my parents for the summer but I've probably only been there about 2 weeks total. Sad - I know. I guess you could say I live there because my stuff is there. I've been going back and forth between Mark and Diane's house and mom and dad's house. It's crazy but wondeful! Aaron was born ONE day after I got out of school, and I have been going ever since. He is absolutely wonderful! My sister-in-law and I actually sat there and stared at him for atleast 3 hours on Saturday. He just makes you smile! I couldn't be prouder!

I've also been helping my parents on their log cabin. Sadly my camera has been so busy taking pictures of Aaron that it took a break - so no pictures of the cabin. Sorry! Anyway, it's coming along nicely. The staining is finished on the inside and they are starting the walls this week. The outside is almost finished with stain and sealer. It is looking soo beautiful!

So, tomorrow at 6:55am I am getting on a flight and going to Seattle, WA to drive back with Gloria and Elayna. We are leaving on the 10th and heading toward Melber. We will be making "a few" pit stops along the way but hopefully making our way rather on the quickly side. Ryan will be deploying on the 9th. Please keep him and his family in your prayers while they are separated from eachother. Please also pray that we will have a safe trip. Me, Gloria, 10 month old baby, 2 cats, and 1 puppy - HERE WE COME!

Living in Transition

2009-05-28T10:31:00.004-05:00

Wrapping up my time in Searcy is a bittersweet feeling. I am sad to be leaving everyone here. Yesterday at school we had a "reading slumber party". It was one of the most enjoyable days I've had at school since....ever. My kids did really great. I will miss them like crazy! I invited some people to come read to my kids at various times during the year. I asked the reading coaches to come read and I also read aloud to them throughout the day. One of my visitors was particularly memorable for me. One of my teachers and great friend from Harding, Cheri Smith, came and read a book to my kids. She and I have become very good friends since I was her GA during grad school and I dread saying "goodbye" to her...again! Anyway, I invited her to read a book to my kids. I had been in her class at Harding but I had never actually seen her "do" the things she taught. God never fails to teach me new lessons, the older I get. Or maybe I'm just now seeing the lessons. It seems like I always get the best lessons when I'm not expecting it. A rare thing in the education field is when you get to actually see your teacher teach the kids that she taught you to teach. (Clear as mud right?) Anyway, I got to sit with my kids while she read a book aloud to them. I think I learned more watching her for 20 minutes yesterday then I've learned about teaching children all year. It was such a privilage to be there, and I will cherish that for the rest of my life. First of all, it was a great learning experience for me as far as my career. Secondly, I got to see my mentor and friend do what she loves to do. I hope that one day people will be able to see my passion so evidently while I am doing something so simple as reading a book to some kids. I am so grateful to Cheri for teaching me in the classroom and more importantly in situations like yesterday. I will miss our talks, late nights at the office talking about...EVERYTHING, Tuesday evening dinners after class, and just being able to see you at a momence notice. She has become one of my closest friends!
The Sweet part about leavnig Searcy is the things I'm going to be moving toward. I'm about to have 2 brand new nephews, and I could not be more excited! I can't wait to hold them, love on them, and just be their aunt. I think the closest I've been to being an aunt (before Gloria's baby girl) is the Pirtle children. I cannot imagine loving any kids more than I love all 4 of them. I guess I'm about to find out. I know that being all the way across country from them is extremely hard. I don't want to try being even 7 hours away from Diane and Lori's baby. Gloria will be living in Melber for the next year so I will have the best of both worlds for atleast a year. Another sweet thing about moving is my new job. I have to admit - going to a new school with new people is a little scary but definitely exciting as well.
For your enjoyment, I've also included some pictures of mom and dad's cabin going up. The outside is done (minus the staining off the wood). It is beautiful. The staircase and fireplace are all put in (except the rock on the fire place). Come visit!

Finishing Up and Thinking Forward

2009-05-11T19:36:00.004-05:00

My time in Searcy, AR are quickly coming to an end. AND - I'm about to the the aunt of a beautiful baby boy (in about 3 weeks). I also will be moving my stuff out of Searcy in 2 weeks and then living with Krista and her husband until school is over. I can't believe that I have finished my 2nd year of teaching already! Here I go, jumping into a new place full of people I don't know....what a great challange and adventure!

I am doing my best to cherish my time left with my wonderful 3rd graders! All 17 of them! :) Even now I"m learning more and more about their personalities and just what makes them tick. The recent lesson they have taught me is their amazing ability to be creative and just rise to the occasion. We have been studying about the history of Arkansas and about the Arkansas flag. I gave them the project of recreating the Arkansas flag in some unique and creative way. They could you use anything they had at home except poster board and markers. You would not believe how they rose to the occasion. I was so proud of their effort and creativity! I was blow away. It just proved to me that I have underestimated the abilities of my kids! They can be so much more if people will not put their expectations in a box and limit what they are capable of in their life! I have included some pictures of more of my kids projects! Enjoy :)

Updates and More...

2009-04-12T07:08:00.005-05:00

I just can't seem to update my blog on a regular basis. Sorry! Life, for some reason, keeps me running in circles.

On the school side of things, this week coming up is the state testing week. My kids have worked REALLY hard this year, and we are all ready to have it over with so things will get back to normal. We had a big pizza party last Thursday, and almost all their parents came. I was so proud of them, and I know they were so excited.

Tanya and the kids came to visit me last weekend. She is speaking at a ladies day at her mom's church in Hot Springs. They stayed Saturday and Sunday with me. We had a blast. We climbed Sugarloaf in Herber Springs and ate at The Brick Oven. I loved seeing them and miss them all the time. They kids are growing up sooo fast! When we dropped them off at Bible class on Sunday it hit me how old they have gotten. What wonderful kids they are!!!

2 Nephews on the way - Diane is about 7th months along right now and he is moving a ton! Aaron seems to take after Dado - always working. Baba says that the name fits just right! Lori is about 5 months along. No name yet but their short list is awesome! I am so excited to seem them at Diane's baby shower in Tullahoma. With two boys on the way, I can't seem to keep myself away fromt the baby section in every store I go into. Can you tell I'm excited? No news yet on a job in Nashville. Still waiting...

Mom and dad are building a log cabin in Melber, and the guys building it are like 4 supermen. They are builing it SO fast. Seems like everytime I'm home they have a whole other builing built. They built the garage in a weekend. Crazy. The picture on here is for your enjoyment. The house is in the middle and the garage sits off to the left (and the barn is back from the garage). There is a wrap around porch all the away around the porch and a breeze-way that connects the garage and the house.

Gone Shopping...

2009-03-12T19:30:00.002-05:00

I know I haven't blogged in a while. All I have to say is one word - BENCHMARK! There is about 15 days until the big test and my kids are working really hard. I'm really proud of them.

Anyway!!! I decided to write a little about the events of last weekend. I took a personal day and met Diane (and Jerry David), Lori (who also took a personal day), and Ninja Andrea (and her baby Adian) in Murfressburo, TN to go baby registering. If that is even a word....We went to go register for baby stuff. You get the picture. So we had an absolute blast! We looked for and found everything that you could possible find that had any relation to a baby. We went to Walmart first but discovered that there registery was broken. SO - we decided to go to Target and then try another Walmart, after stopping off too eat of course. Can't you just picture me with 2 pregnant women and one with a 4 month old. We really did have a lot of fun, and I actually think we got everything registered for that Diane wanted. I wish I had a picture for you but we didn't take any. Sorry. Our focus was pretty much baby...baby...FOOD...baby....STARBUCKS (Lori)....and baby.

IT'S A BOY!!!!!

2009-02-11T18:20:00.002-06:00

We found out yesterday that my sister is going to have A BOY! It's official and everything. I guess he just got tired of hearing us call him "Jerry David" and decided to "step up"! Needless to say, I'm sooo excited! I'm gonna have a Nephew!
Oh, and by the way - I just want to point out that I posted earlier about how I knew it was a boy and I was totally right. Just wanted to point that out.

Now all we have to do is find out what Matt and Lori are having and we'll be set!

(sorry-no pictures)

Long Months Ahead...

2009-01-28T20:01:00.003-06:00

I've learned that time is a funny thing. Whenever I think about the last year things to have moved sooooo fast! But then I think about everything I still have to accomplish in the next few months ahead and it seems like it's taking forever to get there. For example, I can't believe that my 2nd year of teaching is almost over. It seems like I just started in a lot of ways. It also seems like time is dragging on. The benchmark is coming up sooner than I'm ready for and I am in constant prayer and thought about the test and my kids. I'm also waiting on TWO little miracles to come into the world and that's taking forever! On the other hand it's hard to believe that we are already at the age of having babies. I'm sure Diane and Lori are more anxious than I am, seeing as they are the ones actually having the babies but it sounds better when I write it! :)

I got a new phone today. Of course I've already entered all my phone numbers and taken a few pictures. It's a fun new toy to play with at least for a few hours anyway!

Abby is growing by the minute and enjoying herself. She is still chewing up EVERYTHING she can find. Seems like everything I give her to chew on she doesn't like and everything I want to keep away from her she is uncontrollably attracted to. Figures! Sorry I don't have a picture for you. I keep forgetting to bring my camera home from work.

I have been seriously contemplating moving to the Nashville area. Both Matt and Diane live about 45 min. to an hour away from Nashville and since they are both getting ready to parents it's all I can do to be away from there. So I figured, why try? I have started the paperwork to get my TN license and started looking at schools around suburbs of Nashville. Hopefully I will be able to get a job pretty quickly. It's bitter sweet for me because I really do LOVE my job here in AR. Augusta has been a great first job for me and I am really torn about leaving. I am going to continue to pray about it and see what doors God opens for me.

Christmas, New Years...and then some

2009-01-05T20:32:00.005-06:00

Merry Christmas, Happy New Year, and all that stuff!

I had a great Christmas Break. Thinking back, 2 weeks seems like it should feel longer. I went to my parents house for the whole 2 weeks. It was a wonderful 2 weeks. At some point, the whole family was together. For the first few days it was just mom, dad, and I. Then Matt and Lori came Christmas Eve and stayed through the Friday after New Years. Mark and Diane came Christmas Eve as well and stayed through Sunday the 3rd. Gloria, Ryan and Elayna came a few days before Christmas and left the 3rd. I got to spend a ton of time with my new neice and it was wonderful! After Christmas, the Pirtles came to visit for a few days. It wasn't near long enough but I guess I'll take what I can get seeing as how I can't be picky when they live so far away. I miss them something fiecere so it was awesome to see them and play with the kids. I think one night we stayed up till 3am playing cards, Rook specifically. All of us "kids" bought each one of the Pirtle kids gift certificiates to Walmart and then took them to spend it. We ALL had a blast! The most fun I've had in a long time. We did so much during the break it's hard to write about everything but I will put a few pictures up.

Happy Anniversary

2008-12-18T12:36:00.003-06:00

Just wanted to give a "shout out" to my sister and her hubby!!! They were married 4 years ago today! They are expecting their first child that I am predicting will be a BOY!

Rocky

2008-11-04T21:33:00.003-06:00

Ok - so today at school I definitely did not bring my "A" game. More than likely it wasn't my "B" or "C" game either. Which, you know...you win some and you lose some. Thing is, everyone gets to have a bad day at work now and then. I think it keeps me humble and also is a reason to keep trying really hard. Anyway, so having a bad day stinks, especially in teaching because then your kids suffer. Well, it stinks even worse when you are having a bad day, your kids forgot to bring their brains to school, AND your reading coach decides to come in and watch you teach. For those of you who don't know...at my school, at any time during the day any number of people can walk in my room and usually they are caring a clip board to keep a check and make sure I'm doing what I'm supposed to be doing. SO, all three of those things combined make for a pretty rotten day at school.

Getting to the title of this post:

I got home tonight, after a meeting at school, and sat down on my couch completely depressed. I was flipping through the TV channels and after watching the wipe out election, I stumbled upon the movie Rocky II. I watched it for a few minutes and was immediately inspired to "be a better person" and "never give up". I'm pretty sure that the writers of this show placed those messages throughout the movie secretly so that whoever watched it would be brainwashed into thinking they could overcome anything. Conspiracy Theory? Guess it worked. Exhibit-A. MOI!

"You Can Vote However You Like"

2008-11-01T19:23:00.003-05:00

This is a video that Jenny (friend from school) found. We decided to atleast show it to our kids and had toyed with the idea of having our kids actually do it. My class and Jenny's class would have done it serious justice! The video is actually a great way to teach kids about the different parties and candidates! Watch out - it will play in your head :)

Morgan Faith Howard

2008-10-26T16:13:00.003-05:00

My good friends, Clint and Sara, just had their first baby! Morgan Faith was born Oct. 21st. Mom and baby are now doing wonderful! After a few scary events with Sara especially, things are starting to get much better. They were finally able to go home Saturday night and are so happy! They said she has Sara's eyes and everything else looks like Clint. Welcome Morgan!

What do you find when you come home?

2008-10-06T18:31:00.005-05:00

I walked into my apartment after a long day at work only to find a wondeful surprise from Abby. Before you start looking at the evidence, please remember that she is 6 months old and still very much a puppy. She has a wondeful habit of ripping apart anything and everything she can get her hands/paws on...and then some. Today, she found a blue highlighter on the table and proceeded to "do her thing". So, enjoy the entertaining pictures and think of me as I scrub away on the couch AND my dog.

"What did I do?"

Close up

"And...how is this my fault?"

More Pictures...

2008-09-27T20:59:00.003-05:00

So, I just thought you would enjoy another picture of little Elayna :) I envy (vocabulary word last week for my 3rd graders) Diane and my mom because they get to go see her in a few weeks and I'm left home throwng a fit in silence. I can't decide who she looks like more, Ryan or Gloria. I guess it's good you can see both of them in her :) Anyway, enjoy the picture!

My New Niece....Elayna

2008-09-20T07:34:00.004-05:00

I wanted to introduce everyone to my new niece, Elayna Vaye Mabry! She was 9 lbs 13 oz and 21 1/4 inches long. HOLY COW GLORIA! Way to go! I can't wait to meet her and I have to wait FOREVER! Mama and baby are doing wonderful. Dad is proud. What a wonderful family!!

Visiting Weekend

2008-09-13T10:02:00.003-05:00

This weekend I am dogsitting for Krista and John. They have a yipper dog. Now, most of you know how much I struggle with a positive view of yipper dogs (hence the nick name, "yipper"). Anyway, sometimes I make an exception like in John and Krista's situation, also in Jessi and JW's situation, and Tony and Tanya's situation. SO...Bailey is staying with Abby and I this weekend. Well, besides the howling all night long and hating my dog, things are going relatively well. It's actually pretty hilarous to see the three of us try and fit on the recliner in my livingroom. Just ask Jana. She stayed with me last night because she has to take her Reading Praxis tomorrow at Harding. She was so sweet and gave me a small break last night by entertaining the "girls" on the couch. (See picture). Well, long story short...we are having a blast playing together and for Abby, learning boundries of personal "dog" space and also manners about playing with others. Sometimes - it can be a pretty hard lesson...

My Friends

2008-09-03T17:11:00.005-05:00

Abby and I went home for the long weekend and had a blast. We got to actually relax on Sunday afternoon instead of dreading that long drive back to Searcy. We still had to dread that drive but got to delay the feeling for atleast one more day.

While we were home, Abby got her first real experience with horses. I took her too the barn on Saturday afternoon but had just planned to show her the horses. She was hilarous. She didn't quite get the whole "kicking" 'thing and spent half her time right under their feet. I hate that she will have to find out what that means the hard way. Such is life - some lessons are harder than others. Anyway, I ended up getting on this black horse just to play around a little. She didn't quite know want to think of me on top of this huge four-legged thing. She just did circles around and around us until I got off. It was pretty funny to watch. She did well though - I was proud. Then, on Sunday afternoon mom and I decided to go out and visit Belle. She's out at the Richardson's Place while mom and dad get the land ready for their new house. So, we took Abby out there to see more horses. She and Samantha had a blast to the least. I was able to take a few pictures of Abby's adventures and her new found friends :)

Meet Abigail

2008-08-03T18:45:00.005-05:00

Hello to all of you! I wanted to introduce you to my new puppy, Abby! (Obviously short for Abigail. She is gorgous and so sweet. She's almost 4 months old. The guy said that both her parents are yellow labs, but I have my doubts. She "points" like a bird dog, has a coat like a lab, and looks like a Weimaraner in the face. I actually don't care what she is 'cause I love her and she's MINE! I got her from a shelter that was outside of Pet's Mart in Paducah. Renee called me and told me that there was all types of puppies in front of the store, so my mom and I went to check it out. One hour later - we were headed home with my little Abby. She had to stay at my parent house for a few weeks until I could move into my new apartment. We are now in our new apartment and doing fantastic! She's getting used to being in a new place, and I'm loving the company! I thought you all would enjoy some pictures of her!

Preaching...

2008-07-16T22:04:00.002-05:00

I decided to blog about something disturbing I overheard at Bible Study tonight. Now, normally I'm not even in Searcy during the summer very much, so Bible Study on Wednesday during the summer is usually just where ever I am that week. Anyway, so I'm sitting there tonight waiting for class to get started, and I hear this conversation between two women. I'm not sure what all was said except what caught my ear. Here's what I heard, "See, I don't understand why we even need preaching. Why can't we just come and praise God through our singing, praying, and have some testimonies." The lady she was talking to obviously didn't agree with her because all she was doing is saying "uh huh" and having this uneasy look on her face. You also have to understand I don't know either of these women. The church has about 1200 members, and I know about 10 people. Please keep that in mind.

So, now here is why I decided to blog about what I heard. Obviously being a "preacher's kid" my view on preaching is slightly different. It's kinda like having a dad who is a doctor and when to school specifically to help people get better, and then listening to all his patients, who went to school to be a flight attendant, constantly complaining about the treatments he prescribes. In a nut shell...it's irritating. Not just because of my dad and the tendency I have to be bias for the need of preaching, but because I was raised to understand my faith in God not just as a emotional high every Sunday but as an intellectual reasoning that is not based on my emotions alone but through study of the scriptures and respect for the purpose for being a Christian. Not to just get a great feeling when I leave worship, although that's not necessarily bad, but a feeling of growth spiriually in knowing more about what I believe and why I believe it. What better way to learn about how to be a better Christian than from a man whose whole job in life is to study the scriptures. I think our culture bleeds into so much of our persepective of this idea of "experiencing God" because it is easier and more comfortable and would be content to do away with any thing that requires them to think deeper than what they feel or sit longer than it takes to hear an entertaining story. I think the key is balancing the importance of an "intellectual understanding" of God and just "experiencing God". I'm gonna go out on a limb and call it...FAITH!

What do you think?

...AND WE'RE BACK!!!!

2008-07-10T06:21:00.006-05:00

Now don't everyone have a heartattack! I know, I know...it's been like....a year or something like that. Maybe a little more than a year. But, let's not focus on the negatives - right?

Ok - so I figured I would come back with an update and pictures of my recent vacation to Canada. I think a blog about my visit to another country would be appropriate return.

Lets start with what I did when I got back from Togo. I actually went on a fishing trip with my dad and some family friends of ours last year in the middle of July. It was great to just spend time with familiar people. After I got back and went and visited my sister and my brother as well as making frequent trips to Searcy for job interviews. Long story short, I got a job at Augusta Elementary School teaching 7th/8th grade Reading and GT. Which, turned out to be wonderful and a huge challange all wrapped up. I did however end up teaching with one of my really good friends from college and grad. school. Ironically we didn't even know we had both gotten a job at Augusta until after we were hired. Amazing how God provides for you!!! Anyway, I am returning to Augusta as a 3rd grade teacher in the fall and can't wait to meet that new challange! They say that if you surive your first year and you don't want to quit - then you are suposed to be a teacher. Well, I'm sill breathing and am willing to try it again so - I guess I'm suposed to teach.

So - that kinda roughly gets us to my present situation. Currently, it's summer time and for teachers - it's our favorite time of year. It means you get paid for all the work you did that you felt was "over the top" and left you consistantly saying "I don't get paid enought to do this" during the school year. Seeing as this is the first summer - it's looking good so far. Anyway, this summer I have been keeping Wendy's baby, Ava, while she teaches and does some consulting for the area co-ops. She is so sweet and for your viewing pleasure, I have put a picture on here.

The most recent trip I took (as stated earlier) I went back to Canada on a fishing trip with my dad, my brother, and two other guys that are extremely close to being family! We had a great and very eventful trip! Bascially we go back in the middle of no where in Northern Ontario and camp for about 6 days. All we do is fish and enjoy great quailty time together. It's a wonderful experience that makes youu so greatful for what you have and also for what God has created! It shows his power and creativity in so many ways. It's also a great escape from life for about a week and a great time of fellowship. I put some pictures on here. Hope you enjoy them!

Coming home

2007-05-11T14:28:00.002-05:00

Tomorrow I will be back in the United States. I am really excited. Slightly nervous and very anxious but definitely excited! We arrived back in Accra on Monday night. Saturday was the last day of school and then we had a promotion for the kids on Sunday night. It was so much fun to hear the kids read what they had prepared for the promotion. Isaac and Hannah both read from their writer's notebooks. I was so proud! I stayed at the Emerson's house Sunday night. Brett and I left Kara at 6am on Monday morning and got down to Accra in pretty good time - especially seeing as we stopped in Kpalime at the Blind Center to look at their wood shop. On Tuesday we went back to the Artisan Market and I got a few more things I needed to get. The picture you see is of the men who made a braclet for me:) The Miller's arrived Tuesday night. It is so good to see them again and spend some time with them actually IN Africa. I spent some time with them in Searcy before I left but seeing them here makes things feel so complete. Tonight is my last night in Africa. I leave for the airport at 6:00am tomorrow morning. That should give me plently of time to get my stuff takenc are of and send a few e-mails before I board my plane. Please pray that everything goes smoothly with my flight here in Accra and also on my flight out of JFK. :) I can't wait to see everyone!!! See you on the other side of the ocean!

Ghana Artisan Market

2007-05-11T14:28:00.001-05:00

Today Brett, April, Caden, and I went to the Artisan Market in Accra. I had so much fun! Basically, it a huge market area (like the other markets) only it's for the "arts". There was so much stuff there I didn't know where to begin. We arrived there at about 11:00am and only spent 1 hour. The time absolutely flew by. I got so much stuff for such a cheap price. I got a lot of presents for people (still many more to get). Since they speak English, I bartered with them over so many things. It was a blast talking with them. It's so great because you can be sooooo overdramatic and it's ok and exactly what you are suposed to do. You just have to remember that your starting offer is 1/2 of what they want you to pay. Then you go from there. You approach something with a price in mind and you talk with them until one of you gives in. The idea is for them to give in to you but sometimes that doesn't quite work. They all speak a "broken" English. Everything is simplified and articulated. I get in the rut of talking that way and sometimes I forget that I can talk "normal". I had a blast. Togo works the same way only it's all in French which, if you've heard me speak French, it doesn't go well. Anyway, I will be going back there before I come home and getting the rest of my gifts. The picture is of me trying to "talk" about a price for the things I want to buy.

Togo - the dog

2007-05-11T14:28:00.000-05:00

Ok - well, sad news. While in Accra, we went by Delta to check on things for bringing Togo back to the states with me. Turns out, there is a embargo on pets entering the U.S. from May 15-Sept. 5th. Which means, Togo can't come with me. They say it is for heat and the "safety of you pets". I'm not sure what that is suposed to mean - do they know he LIVES in more heat then they can ever imagine. Anyway, we exhusted all the options including trying to ship him. No luck. It would have been over $1000 to ship him. I love him but I cannot see spending that much money for a dog. Anyway, the Emerson's have agreed to keep him at their house. I am going to try to talk some gulable couple that comes to visit into bringing him back with them later in the year. I will just pray that it will be possible at some point. I'm sure he will be so happy with the Emerson's though. He loves Caden, and they will get along great. I will miss him but he will be in good hands!

Fun in the Sun

2007-05-10T14:04:00.000-05:00

We just returned from the West African Missionary Retreat at Coconut Grove. Well, we will actually return to Kara on Sunday. Right now, we are staying at the Baptist Guesthouse in Accra. It's a real treat because we have wireless internet there. Needless to say, I am online ALL THE TIME!!! Sokay, it makes up for all the time I haven't been able to get on because of the ridiculous price of our internet in Kara. Anyway, the retreat was amazing. It was such an encouragment to all of us and a great time of fellowship. It's been a while since I've seen that many white people in the same area so that came as a shock. hehehe. We stayed at a resort right on the beach and it was so beautiful. We also took a tour of an old slave castle and walked through a rain forest. At the rain forest we took a "canopy walk" where we walked on these extremely small, wood planks held up by ropes above the canopy of the rain forest (I included a picture of Isaac on one of the bridges). I also had the great pleasure of meeting the Rider family from the Arlington Church of Christ. For those of you who do not know, the Arlington Church supported my parents when they were in Liberia. Turns out the Riders have heard of my parents because Danny grew up at Arlington. After telling my parents about meeting them, my dad said he had heard of Danny Rider and knew him when he was a small boy. I know that God provided that opportunity for us to meet and have the blessing of sharing our stories and memories. It was amazing to see them all the way over here in West Africa.
We will be in Accra until Sunday morning and then we will make the long drive back to Kara. I will be in Kara for 1 week and then I will head back down to Accra to catch my plane on the 24th. I will arrive in Nasvhille the evening of the 24th (because of the time change) and head STRAIGHT back home. I cannot wait to see all of you again. The next time I post, I will be back in Accra and just days away from coming home. Please pray for my trip and for a smooth transition for Togo (the dog) and me.

Very soon!

2007-04-15T14:04:00.002-05:00

Well, I will be home in about 3 weeks. I can’t wait! I have started to think about all the things I need to get done before I come home…and it is quite overwhelming. Because I’m bringing Togo home with me, there is so much I have to take care of with him. I am praying that things will go smoothly with the airline. While we are in Accra on the way back from WAMR, we will be getting things all ready. I am starting to make “lists” of all the things I need to take care of in order to even start packing. I have never really been a list person, but then again, I’ve never lived in Africa either so - why not start. Right? Anyway, I found out that I will be taking the same flight that Brett and April took recently - the direct flight from Accra, Ghana to JFK. I am very glad that it is a direct flight to the U.S. because it eliminates some of the hassle by not having to go through Europe. However, the Emersons informed me that their flight from JFK to Atlanta was canceled due to weather, so I have started looking for hotels that will allow pets just in case my flight to Nashville is canceled. I am trying to be prepared for as many things as possible. Please pray that things go smoothly with the flight as well as getting Togo out of Africa and through customs in New York. I am also busy getting everyone presents to bring back with me. Most of my family is all finished. I just have friends to buy for now. I have to confess - every time I find a present that I think it perfect, I end up wanting it myself. SO…I have to find another present. This is starting to become a problem since I only have so much room. I’m going to have to figure out where to find some self-discipline.

Waterfall

2007-04-15T14:04:00.001-05:00

This past Thursday for prayer time, we hiked back to a waterfall in Baffilo. We left Kara and drove for about 25 minutes, parked the car, and hiked about 15 min. back to the water. As we were getting closer to the water, it was getting more and more jungley looking. You could feel the temperature drop when we got closer to the water. We had to climb over quite a few rocks and boulders to finally get to the water, but it felt so cool and relaxing (minus the bugs that were everywhere). We read the story in John about Jesus and the Samaritian woman at the well and then prayed. I took a few pictures of the waterfall and after figuring out how to work the timer on my camera, got a picture of all three of us. It was perfect because we have had just enough rain that everything has started to turn green and there was just enough water for the waterfall. It was such a fun time and a great bonding time for us!

Apple Pie

2007-04-15T14:04:00.000-05:00

This week has proved to be rather challanging. The water has shut off twice since Thursday, the internet has been extremely slow when it actually does work, and the power is currently off. I have decided that living here automatically puts your "stress-o-meter" up to red. Then any of the what you would call "normal" happenings of living here just push you over the edge each and everytime they occur. Pleasant - don't you think?

On Friday of last week, Elijah was very sick, so Dave took him down to a hospital four hours away (he is much better now). At that point, their car was the only vehicle working until later that afternoon. So, we couldn't have school that day. I went over and hung out with the Rieses. Oh, the water had also been out since Thursday afternoon on my side of town, which made life so much fun - NOT! Anyway, so I went over there and took a shower and had lunch and dinner with them. While I was there, Tracey and I were dicussing dinner and she asked me what I wanted for dessert. Jokingly, I said, "Apple pie!!" To my surprise she said that sounded good as long as I was willing to peel the apples. No problem! So, I made the "apples" part of the pie and she made the crust. It turned out to tastes amazing. I had to take a picture! It was really hot that day, not much different than every other day, and we had been in the kitchen cooking. It was totally worth it though! :)

All Church Retreat

2007-04-11T22:09:00.000-05:00

On Sunday, I had the privilage of attending the All Church Retreat for all the churches in Kabiyeland. It was such an encouragement to be at that service on Sunday. The retreat lasted the whole weekend and all the men on the team stayed out in the host village, Soumdina Po Wayi, with the Christians. We came out on Sunday morning to worship with them. The service started at 8:00am, or something like that, and went until about 11:30 or so. Of the 18 Churches that have been planted here, 17 were represented by atleast 1 person. It was such a joy seeing that many Christians in one place, united for one purpose. Please keep praying for all the Churches in Kabiyeland.

I took so many pictures and I look forward to showing them to you! The first picture is doing the worship time. The second picture is a picture that Becky took of Caden and me.

Togo update

2007-04-06T22:09:00.000-05:00

I thought everyone might want to see an updated picture of Togo, the dog. He is growing so fast. It's a good thing we are coming home soon because soon he'll be too big to fit in a crate on the air plane! He now loves to be outside a lot. He stayed outside the whole time I was gone to Benin and when we go to Ghana for the retreat, he'll stay outside again. He knows how to sit and lay down now and we're working on "shake". He is loving the doggy forturn cookie treats and we both are loving the new shampoo (thanks Wendy). He loves to play with the kids at recess and if he's lucky, he gets some of their lunches that they don't eat. He is also finding out that he can choose whether to obey me or not so he has gotten a few spankings. All for the better though!! Over all he's a great dog and it's really good to have him around. In May you can see him in person!!!! You'll love him!

Long Time Gone...

2007-04-05T08:43:00.001-05:00

You know the song by The Dixie Chicks “Long time Gone”? Well, think of that song while you read this post. Heheh - sorry it’s been so long.

Hello to all. I apologize for the long time of updating my blog. The internet costs me a little over $1/30 min. SO…..naturally I don’t have a lot of time be online. The great people of Illico (the internet company here) had a few people complaining that they didn’t have enough money for the whole monthly payment. So, they decided to make a “card” system where you can buy prepaid internet cards from them and be charged per ½ hour. We went in and made a suggestion of having TWO plans where you can either have unlimited access to a montly fee or buy a card. Hasn’t changed yet - All you can say is “it’s Africa” and move on. Me being the genius that I am, did not think about writing my blog and then copying and pasting it into the actual blog when I’m on line the next time (thank you Brett and April). So, this is me FINALLY posting J

Lots has happened since I’ve posted last. I’ll just start listing some of the highlights in no particular order…

1. Togo is growing leaps and bounds!
2. I am coming home May 24th. - looking for a job….anybody know of one?
3. The internet continues to frustrate me.
4. E-mails have gotten shorter in length and longer between waiting times.
5. Made a mini-vacation to Benin (legally this time) and stayed at a Beach resort at Casa Del Papa.
6. Emerson’s car is broken - all piled in 2 cars for a VERY long rode trip to Benin.
7. Lome’ City Mart had Cream Soda, A&W Rootbeer, Oreos, and Cheetos cheese balls - definitely stocked up (see picture).
8. Bought Oreo cookies for $4.50 - shut up, you would have too!
9. Received packages that are AMAZING!!!!!
10. Excited and totally ready to come home!!!!!

We have 3 weeks of school then we’re all headed down to Ghana for the West African Missionary Retreat at Coconut Grove for a week. Then it’s 1 week of school and then Togo and I are headed down to Accra to come home! We can’t wait to see you guys! Plus, I get to see New York for the first time (Are you jealous Cheri???) - even if it is only from a plane.

Irony

2007-03-08T13:41:00.001-06:00

So - here's someting ironic...see if you can follow:

It's really hot - right? Well, when the power goes out, in order to have light and not waste batteries in my flashlight - I have to have candles lite. But - candles burn using fire - and fire is hot, so how is that helping me? I keep forgetting...

Note: in order to get the full affect - you need to wait until the hottest part of your day in the summer, put your sheets in the dryer and get them nice and hot, turn off your air conditionor, shut all the windows in your house, shut all the lights out (ABSOLUTLY NO FANS), light candles all through your house (including right next to your bed), put the hot sheets on your bed, and then lay down - NOW, you can go back and reread this post!

Togo and Bodowdaa

2007-02-05T05:09:00.005-06:00

Today is an excellent day. I have had two new, great experiences in Africa. First, I got my dog. He is an almost 3 month old German Shepard puppy (see Picture). I have named him Togolese Phillips. Togo for short. A name quite fitting especially when I bring him back home with me! He is absolutely gorgeous! We had our first night last night and he did great. He slept the whole way through the night. He is still very new to the potty training thing but he's getting better! He is a great help for my loneliness! I am so greatful to have him! Currently, he is knocked out on the floor at my feet. He likes to sit under my desk and sleep while I play on the computer.

Second, I went to the village of Bodowdaa (Boe Doe da). The church there is struggling a great deal and David preached a great lesson to encourage them. After worship, they asked us to eat with them. We ate this mush-type stuff with some sauce (very spicy). You are suposed to take some of the mush off the plate with your fingers and dip it in the sauce. Very messy! The mush was the consisitancy of Cream-of-Wheat, and I have no idea how to describe the sauce except that it looked like melted butter with little floaties. The mush was actually quite bland but the sauce helped to give it flavor. It was pretty spicy though. Dave said it wasn't as spicy has normal so I was thankful. Anyway, a few things I have learned. 1. They leave you alone to eat. They do not eat at the "table" with you. 2. The men and women eat separate. 3. The men are served first, then the women, then the children. There is a definite pecking order.

I have included a picture of "Togo", the food that we ate in the village and a picture of the village.

Interesting Encounter

2007-02-05T05:09:00.004-06:00

So, I had a funny encounter with this African lady yesterday. Well, I went to dinner at SIL. I actually ate with the Friesen's. They are a family from Canada and are working with the Wiclif (sp) Bible translator people, or something like that. Anyway, they have been here as long as our team has. So, I was walking up there - which is like a 30 min. walk. So, I left the schoolhouse. I always take my Ipod and listen to it while I walk, but I don't put it on until I get to the main road. That's about 5 min. from my door. So, I'm walking and when I'm almost to the paved road this lady comes running out to greet me. She is sooo excited to see me! Which I think is cool. So she is rambling off in French. I'm like - ok, brain switch to French. So, I'm doing my best to listen and then tell her that I speak very little French. She thought that was funny and turned to tell her friends something - don't know what, and they laugh. Anyway, so we get further into our "converstation" (in quotes because I do very little talking and A LOT of pointing) and I start to figure out that she is telling me that she knows where I live because she can see me from her house. I laugh and say wonderful (little scary) and then she proceeds to ask me what I'm doing here. Of course, in the time it takes me to process the first sentence that she has said - she is off in another whole part of our converstation. Which - due to my slow processing, I'm missing. Anyway, I finally am able to tell her what I'm doing here and that I think it's wonderful that she can see me while I wash my dishes. She also asked me where I was going and then proceeded to walk with me about 5 min. down the road. When she figured out I was going like on a 30 min. walk up to SIL she told me she was gonna turn around. While very weird - it was great to talk with her; even though I sounded very unintelligent. She thought the whole thing was hilarious and told her friends that so many times while we were "talking". I guess I made a new friend. Don't know her name becuase I didn't realize she was telling me that until about 10 minutes into the converstation (again, process issue). It's funny -when I'm in my apt. I can think of all the things I needed to say but when I am actually in the situation I freak, have a brain freeze, and all that comes out is "uh, uh, uh" and a WHOLE lot of hand gestures. Anyway - interesting encounter.