Oh Family!

Oh Church Family!

I am glad that you are there for me in my good and bad times.  Sorry that the last post was an example of a bad time.  LUCKLY, God is good and I am growing.  I found myself handling things with much more grace this week.  I typically run off to coffee shops to read the Word and knit the when I feel anxiety try to sneak up on me.  Its good for me to be alone yet not by myself.  Like sitting in a coffee shop sipping tea and counting on God alone to get me through a struggle.  It's good for me.

As for the rest of life.  I am taking a break from lesson planning for a few minutes so I decided to Blog a little over a cup of instant coffee.  YES...I allowed myself to have a little coffee (the first in a month probably).  I hope that I don't regret it...but it was such a treat (I made it last as long as possible)...I just couldn't help myself. [Hoping caffeine wont trigger anxiety]


I have been keeping busy...did a 10k walk for disaster relief awareness.  I walked for Pakistan and prayed for them.  We even got to write encouraging notes to the families who have been affected by natural disasters.  I have also been keeping busy hiking (even in the rain...my poor bible got soaked even through my backpack) and spending time with friends (watching muppet movies and cooking together....heading to bookstores...coffee shops...etc.)

Supporting Pakistan and Annie is Supporting Japan

The Countries we were Supporing

Writing to Thailand

One more thing Family:


Please pray for my students.  In building relationships with some of my afterschool students I am finding so much pain and hopelessness.  I was having five minute speaking tests with them to assess their speaking levels.  And I asked the question "What are you Worried about?"  I got so many different answers and some of our speaking tests ended with students in tears.  Midterms are coming up and stress is high for my students.

One girl is having relationship issues that are effecting her self-confidence.  She has spent many class periods sobbing quietly in the back of the room.

One girl is having to choose between friendship and responsibility...and she informed me that she has no mother to ask advice from.  In her class journal she wrote the line, "Help me Carol."  I don't know what to say or do.  All I can do is pray.

One senior told me that she had dreams and goals but right now she has lost her confidence.  She says that she doesn't think she can reach her dream so she only studies because the teacher says to study.  She wants to be done with school but she thinks after graduation is just the beginning of more hard things.

You may know that I have some students writing to the Main Street Kids at our church as penpals.  I see an opportunity opening up with one of my students writing, "I don't believe God but hear a your story. Interest Church."  I am thankful for her willingness to hear the Good News and I pray that God will use the children of our church to bless the children in my class.