Rainbow

God told Noah to "build a large boat,", but He didn't stop there! He told Noah how large to build it - how long, how wide, how tall, what size opening to leave below the roof, to have three decks and stalls, and tar on the inside and outside.  God knew how much room eight people , two of every animal and bird, and food for all of them would need.  If God can figure that out (He is all knowing!), He can figure out or lives!  Yes, we have free will and can make any decision we want to, but what if Noah hadn't listened to God? Or cut corners to save time or effort? One or more animals, birds, or humans may have died on the Ark, and that would have been disastrous; but Noah listened, did just what God said to do, and just how God said to do it!  We can all learn from Noah - listen to God, do just as God tells us to, and in the end, everything will turn out beautifully!  Life may seem crowded and hectic, at times, and then just begin to just plain stink, like the ark after 40 days and 40 nights of no fresh air, 8 dirty humans and all those nasty, stinky animals, but in the end, we WILL get a rainbow of beautiful colors!

Trust and Faith

It is, basically, summer.  June has arrived, school is out, and it is getting hot outside.  Pools are open, summer camps are starting, and I don't have to get up every morning, get myself and Z, to school, and teach all day. It is WONDERFUL! 

There are a few things on my mind, though this summer.  What does God want me to learn from him, during this season of my life?  There are a few changes coming on the horizon for me.  I am not sure if God has placed them there, or if I have made them appear.  As you may or may not know, I am a single mom of an almost 8-year old, fireball of a son.  (I use fireball, for several reasons; one being that was his team at summer camp!)  I was blessed enough to adopt him on his 1st birthday, after fostering him since he was born.  He is my angel, my son, my God-sent miracle.  Did I already say I am a single mom...of a boy...who likes to do outside things...in the hot summer sun...?  I am sooo much an inside person, when it is hot, cold, rainy, windy... you name it, and I like to be inside!  Well, God has other plans for me - and his name is Z!

God, knowing me like he does, has sent a man into my and Z's life.  A wonderful man, whom I have known for over a decade.  This man is an outdoorsman!  YES!  Momma doesn't have to do all this stuff outside anymore!  The only problem is this man, this wonderful, amazing, loving outdoorsman has to make a decision, about becoming a family man.  What you and I may think is an easy decision, is not easy for him.  He agonizes over it.  This decision is on the horizon, and no matter what is decided, it will change mine and Z's life forever.

I have a decision to make, too.  This decision to make, on the horizon, also.  This decision will change mine and Z's life, too.  It is not as drastic decision as my outdoorsman must make, but it will effect our lives.  I have been praying and praying, but I am still not sure about what I am going to do. 

I am sure of one thing, though...
I am going to put my trust and faith in GOD!  No matter what decisions are made, whether they are good, bad, joyous, or painful, I am trusting my God!  We all know the saying, "If God brings you to it, He will get you through it!"  That is my mantra right now.  I am putting my EVERYTHING in God's hands! 

God is teaching me trust and faith, as I wait for these decisions to come up.  It is hard to wait, hard to trust Him, hard to have faith.  I have not been doing this well - waiting, trusting and having faith - and I have been miserable, unhappy, angry, anxious and snappy to all those around me. I am learning that giving it all over to God, and not stressing over anything, is the only way to be content, happy, loving, and calm; and those things will help me and all those I love in the end... no matter what decisions are made.

Peace, Love, Trust & Faith in God,
Lisa

Spring Break

For Spring Break, we went to Vermont.  It was COLD!  It seems crazy to some of my friends why I would want to go some where cold, when it is Spring Break, and we should be celebrating WARM weather; especially after the 10 snow days we had right before the break. I am so glad we went, though.  It was wonderful.  My awesome son learned to ski, and I learned to snowshoe. Don't laugh!  Snowshoeing is not a "sport", but it takes hard work.  No riding up the lift, and then just sliding back down.  You have to climb up the mountain and then walk back down, slowly, making sure you don't step wrong, or off the side of the narrow path, with the steep cliff off to the right side, where you can go tumbling down into the giant tree about 30 feet down. 
It was so peaceful, and quiet.  I saw animal tracks, and met some amazing guides and families spending their breaks in VT. 

Dreams & Fears

I have been doing Jennie Allen's Discover God's Dream For You 14 day devotional on The Bible App.  She talks about what is holding is you back from your God-given dreams?  I have been asked that in other devotionals, but I have been mulling it over this time.  My answer has always been: Fear. 

I am a special education teacher, and when I write my students' IEPs they have to answer some questions for me.  Today, as I was writing several IEPs, two questions, stuck out.  I have asked students these questions for years, and have written the answer to these questions for years.  Today, I decided to answer these questions for myself.

What is your greatest dream?
What is your greatest fear?

It may seem silly that I didn't have answer for those questions, but I really hadn't thought about them, in along time.  Several years ago, I journaled about an idea.  It is a huge undertaking and it will take more than just me to fulfil this plan, so I figured it was too much and too big for me to accomplish. 

As I think and pray about these two questions, this huge undertaking keeps tumbling around in my mind.  Is this a God-given dream?  Possibly.  It is a dream of mine.  What is keeping me from trying to reach this dream?  Fear. Is my fear enough strong enough to keep me from reaching my dream?  If I allow it to be, yes, but if I pray to make sure my dream is God-given, put God first, trust Him, and patience, no matter how long it takes, my dream will come true. 

Ask yourself: What is your greatest dream?  Will keeps you from accomplishing your dream? If it is fear, with God, can you over come your fear and try to accomplish your dream?

The Martha Syndrome

Luke 10:38-42
    Jesus says to Martha - "you are worried and upset over all these details!  There is only one thing worth being concerned about."


Everyday, I worry over details - if something doesn't go as I planned or as I think it should I get upset like Martha and lash out like she did.  It doesn't matter how little or big.  Jesus is saying not to look at details and get upset.  The big picture of spending time with the Lord is more important.  There is a time and place for details, but if things get out of whack, just go with it.  In the long run, it won't matter - Salvation, spending time in the Lord's Word, learning it and living it are really all that matter in the end!

4:00 a.m.

It is 4:00 in the morning, and I can't sleep.  I feel like God is telling me to spend time with him.  A few years ago, I had this idea to start a blog and Facebook page called R3 - Refresh, Renew, Revive.  I was looking into it this morning, and have found a Facebook page and book with that name.  I don't want to use that.  Then I remember came up with HHC - Healing Hands Cards, a few years ago.  That didn't really work out.  So I was sitting on my couch thinking about what I could do.  I really feel like God is calling me to start a blog about His Word, to reach out to people and help them find Him.  (Plus, it will help me in my walk!!) Then it hit me.... I have a blog LAT - Love All Teaching. This is not about teaching in a classroom, but what God can teach me and those who read this.  If you read the information about me you may remember that I said this blog will have a myriad of topics.  Well, this is going to be the most important topic: GOD AND HIS TEACHINGS!!  I hope you will read on, and not be discouraged by seeing this is about God.  I just want to write what He tells me to.  I am not a Bible thumper, I am not a preacher, I just a woman trying to follow God's will for her life.  I will continue to blog about things I do in my classroom, but there will be times that I will blog about the most important thing in my life: my faith and my family.  I pray for each of you that read this.  God Bless and Good Morning ;-)

Sadness

I am little sad this week.  There have been 4 deaths in the past 3 weeks.  3 of them I knew pretty well, and one was an acquaintance.  All have hit me in different ways, but mostly they have reminded me that we NEVER know how long we will be here, on Earth, living.  I like to think that when I die, I will go live with my Lord and Savior in Heaven, but lately I have been struggling with my relationship with God, and I am starting to doubt.  I have been saved, and I believe in Jesus, and God, and the Holy Spirit.  I know deep down in my soul that I will go to Heaven and I will see my loved ones that have passed before me, but the enemy has gotten his claws in me a little.  And that is ALL he needs: A LITTLE.  I get two daily devotionals in my inbox.  Encouragement for Today from Proverbs 31 and Daily Hope with Rick Warren.  I used to read them EVERYDAY. Lately I am lucky if I read once a week.  I recently went through my inbox and deleted about a months worth.  I fell behind again this week, but I am trying to catch up when I have (or take) the time.  Tonight, I came across an Encouragement for Today by  Wendy Blight.  In it she tells about a new on-line Bible study that she is starting TONIGHT.  So I clicked on over and watched the invitation video, and then the first week video.  I have never read one of Wendy's books, or done one of her Bible studies. I have read her work on Proverbs 31.  

I am so excited to start this on-line Bible study.  It is called Quiet My Anxious Heart.  It is a three week study with videos, readings and homework.  It sounds like a lot, and I am sure it will be, but there is only 3 videos, so I will have a week to do the reading and homework.  Tomorrow morning, I am going to restart my quiet time with God, and start on the reading.  I am going to schedule time in the morning and at night to work on the homework.  I hope you will join me and the hundreds of other women as we begin our journey to as God to Quiet MY Anxious Heart.  

I am going to try to insert a link to the study, but in case it does not work, you can alway click on her blog: wendyblight.com