The New Mandee

I haven't written in a long time. Not here, not in my journal, not anywhere. I've been so busy with so many good things, but I'm afraid my busy-ness is eliminating some other very good things from my life.
Since 2006, I earned my masters degree, got an amazing teaching job, and gained a husband and a few daughters along with him! I'm happier than I've ever been with my life right now. I love my job. I love my husband. I love my girls. But I'm too busy!
I want to be the best I can be at all of the roles I now have, but I'm afraid I'm not so good at any of them. I'm worn out! My goal for my blog this year is to learn to focus on what is most important and that is my relationship with God. Without Him, I am nothing. He loves my husband and children through me. He teaches and nurtures my students through me. He takes care of my parents through me.
Lord, emerse me in Your Holy Spirit. Break my heart and make it Yours. Create in me a clean heart and help me to be the best woman I can be FOR YOU!

Honduras

In less that 24 hours, I will be flying to Tegucigalpa, Honduras for an 8-day mission trip with some of my church family. I can't tell you all of the emotions going on in me right now, but I can try...anxious excitement, a little fear, awe that God would use me, and a little nervousness because I'm not sure that I'm prepared.
I just want to get out of His way and let Him work through me!
So, a prayer would be nice. I hope to have some posts about my trip!
Be Blessed!

Long time...

No post!
I have been so busy! School is going really well. This week is midterm week and I have all A's as of right now! I don't think that has happened since 2nd grade...pray I can keep it up. I got the thrid hightest grade in the class on my history test and he even used my essay as the example of what a good essay should look like...I'm so exctied! Yes, I've become a nerd and I like it!
Spiritually, I'm feeling good right now. Not content or fully satisfied...but I feel like I'm pointed in a better direction than I was a couple of weeks ago. (I know that nobody outside of my head can follow this post...its really for me). I feel like I'm maturing and I've been able to look back recently at ways that I've really grown in the last 2 years.
Speaking of 2 years...Ken and I have been together 2 years now. I can't believe it. It seems longer than that, but like it hasn't been that long all at the same time. He just had a birthday...it was a nice day. The girls came over for dinner and stuff, so it was just the kind of thing he likes.
I think I'm done rambling for right now. I'll do some homework...
BE BLESSED...I AM!

2006

Well, this year should be interesting. I will be starting graduate school in 6 days...yeah, just 6 days. I'm scared and excited and terrified and anxious and sleepy already.
I'm trying to remember some of 2005...something interesting from each month...
January: I went to a State Supreme Court Induction...that was pretty interesting and exciting for a family friend. And I went to Chuck. E. Cheese that month...and I got my digital camera!
February: Won a chilli cook-off. Lot's of babies born...my cousin had twins, friends at church had twins, and my best friend had precious Cody. My nephew got married too. I also started a Bible Study with some other women that really healed me.
March: My first threaputic massage for my back! Went to visit my church parents, HC and Bonnie. Started physical therapy for my back. Attended the Lads to Leaders conference with my church.
April: Helped with a lock-in at Whitney's school...that's when I started thinking about how great it would be to be a teacher.
May: Some very dear friends from church left. Talked to my sister about some difficult things and then talked to my parents. Went camping for my birthday.
June: Went to JINO and got a taste for mission work. Mom and Dad celebrated 40 years of marriage.
July: CACY Camp...where I taught a Bible Class and realized that I may have a gift for teaching children...also learned that I love elementary aged chilren. Ken went to Honduras with Jennifer and Amber and other folks from church. Alexis was born! Celebrated Mom's 60the birthday!
August: Visited Ang and Cody in Clarksville. Met with the Dean of the Department of Education at UM. Hurricane Katrina changed lives in my family.
September: Spent a lot of time with afformentioned family because they stayed here after the hurricane. Saw the Lion King with Mom at the Birminghma Broadway Series.
October: Went roller skating. Met with my advisor to plan my schedule for school. Started working out regularly (and I've kept it up).
November: Went to Clarksville to visit Ang and Cody again. Went to the dentist for the first time in a while. Registered for classes. Experienced my first Crazy Chicks Christmas Party with my Aunt from New Orleans.
December: Several Holidy activities - Church Banquet, Lifewalk party, Program at church, Bible Study cookie baking...Spent a lot of time with my family and Ken's family and enjoyed the true meaning of Christmas.
I was truly blessed this past year. I hope not only to be blessed again this coming year, but to be a blessing! And may God bless you this year as well...HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Question

What are those things that football players have started tying around their arms just above the elbow? Anyone know?

Because I can't think of anything to write...

Here's how it works. When you are tagged you must post 10 interesting and little known facts about yourself. Then tag 5-10 of your blog buddies!Here are my little known and interesting facts:
1. I am obsessed with watching The Biggest Loser
2. I cry a lot...not just for sad reasons.
3. I'm starting to love my freckles
4. I really wish I was a Pop Princess
5. I don't think many people really know me
6. I miss being on the radio
7. I'm scared to death of becoming a teacher
8. I dance ALL THE TIME when people aren't watching
9. Sometimes I miss being the party girl...not because I want to be that kind of person again, but because people enjoyed being around me and I was never bored.
10. I'm afraid of NOT being just like everyone else.

I'm tagging: Sheila, Khris, Sarah, Jan, and the next person to read this.

Tag!

The rules:
1. Delve into your blog archive.
2. Find your 23rd post (or closest to).
3. Find the fifth sentence (or closest to).
4. Post the text of the sentence in your blog along with these instructions. Ponder it for meaning, subtext or hidden agendas.
5. Tag five people to do the same.

Of course, my 23rd blog had only 4 sentences, so here is the 1st sentence of my 24th blog...

"Fun with fridge magnets!"

I know...very exciting!
So, now I tag...Jan, Sarah, and the next 3 people who stumlbe upon my blog! Let me know when you've done it!

OK, so it's been a while!

I've been busy...
Things have really settled down since the Hurricane. Dear Ken kept 7 of my relatives in his home for over a week. My aunt and 2 cousins from Slidell are still at my parents' house...they should be able to go home by the first of the year. Other family members are staying with relatives near New Orleans so that they can be there to coordinating the restoration of their homes. The rest of them are back at home and doing as well as can be expected. I still don't have any news about the Outreach Center. I'm anxious to know, but scared to find out about the people in the community.
Mom has been having a rough time health wise. She had another seizure just a couple of weeks ago. Her Dr. says that the scar tissue from her brain tumor caused it. But in the mean time, we found out that she has another tumor at the front of her brain. Apparently, the doctors knew about it and they have been monitoring it for the past 3 years. They say it hasn't grown or changed, but I'm very bothered that they never told us about it. She also found out about a few other more minor problems that they have treated with medication and she seems to be doing better. Her personality seems to have even gone back to the way it used to be.
I've been working out almost daily for three weeks now. I'm staring to feel pretty good, but I'm wondering when I'm going to start dropping pounds! My main reason for doing this is to be fit and healthy, but I'm also looking forward to the superficial rewards! I'm even thinking about getting a personal trainer to help me reach my optimum potential!
I've also been hard at work to get back in school. I receive my bachelor's almost 5 years ago and I'm going back for my master's in elementary education. I meet with my advisor this afternoon to find out more! I'm so excited and terrified at the same time! This is really a leap of faith for me. I honestly have no idea how I will pay for it or even have time for it with work and everything, but I feel like this is it...this is what God has called me to do. And He will guide my steps and provide what I need. HE's just so awesome that way!
I feel like I'm forgetting something...is that everything?
Oh yeah...I have a new assistant at work! Its so nice to have help, but I'm having a hard time sharing my space and resources right now. It will get better once her office is completed though. I'm just glad that we are making progress!
Maybe that's it...am I forgetting anything? I have no idea!

Devastation

I don't really have words for it yet...Katrina.
Most people reading this know that my family is in New Orleans. Most of the have been accounted for, but a few are still unreachable. I believe that everyone is ok in my family, but their stuff is not. It is just stuff.
Grandpa's house is probably gone. He built it when I was just a baby. I grew up in that house. Grandpa died about 4 years ago...that's what we had left. We still have the memories.
So many of the places that those memories took place are gone. New Orleans and much of the North Shore are gone.
I wish I knew what to do right now.
I keep crying and praying and then crying some more.
I keep thinking of the people at the Bywater Outreach Center where I worked at JINO. Those people had no money to get out of the city. Their neighborhood is gone. I hope they still have their lives. They have no insurance, no money to rebuild. I want to know where my new little friend, Jacori, is. I want to know that she is safe.
God be with those people.

I'm a Different Book of the Bible Now

You are Ephesians.

Which book of the Bible are you?
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