Thanksgiving!

My beak officially started at 11 a.m.!  I'm very excited.  I have quite a list of things I want to accomplish over my time off, but I probably won't get it all finished (when do we ever, right?). Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday, so just being able to spend the day with my family will be great.

On a completely different note, a missionary family that our church supports had their house destroyed by a flood earlier this year.  To help them rebuild, our church had a yard sale on Saturday.  Many, many people volunteered their time, donated items, and spent countless hours at church pricing items.  It was all worth it when we realized we'd made a little over $3,000!  We had a very busy day, and people were commenting on "how well-organized" our sale was... that was so nice to hear because David and I were worried that we weren't organized enough.  We still had a TON of items left at the end of the day, but we'll be able to send all that money to the family this week! It sure is a blessing that missionary families are willing to leave the comforts of home to spread the Gospel, and it's a privilege to be able to help them in any way we can!

Also, thanks to those of you who've been praying for Emma!  She's home now, and undergoing physical therapy!  We're praying that she'll make a full recovery.  I know her parents and grandparents are very grateful for your prayers!  

Huge Praise!

My family had quite a scare over the weekend.  My cousin's adorable daughter, Emma, started having strange, stroke-like symptoms.  At only four years, everyone was relatively confident that couldn't be it.  After a visit to the pediatrician, they rushed Emma to a children's hospital nearby where tests were run.  The doctors informed my cousin and her husband (along with my aunt and uncle) that Emma had a mass on her brain with swelling around it.  I'm not sure if they came out and said it, but they implied that it was a tumor (due to the fact that they said she would be having a biopsy tomorrow).  

Well, today, they did an MRI to confirm the diagnosis and gather more information. They found out that she doesn't have a tumor but she did indeed have a stroke!  A four year old having a stroke is something I didn't know was possible!  As sad as it is that Emma had a stroke, we are all so very excited that she doesn't have a brain tumor!!!  There were people all around the country praying for this little girl and God answered prayers!  They just did an angiogram a little while ago and determined that the bleeding is controlled, and she'll be back to running around in two weeks!  

The doctors predict that Emma will make a full recovery!  Needless to say, we all have MUCH for which we will be thankful this Thanksgiving! 

Please continue to pray for Emma, her parents, her grandparents, and the rest of the family. Pray that she makes a full recovery and that God will somehow use this for God's glory!  

Thanks,

Observation

Hello and thanks so much to those of you who prayed for me today!  I was observed by my principal during a science lesson...  it went well, and she left a really nice note saying that she enjoyed my "enthusiasm" and that my students are obviously "active learners."  Needless to say, I was very nervous and I am now very, very, very relieved!  My students behaved well (though some called out), and I didn't make any huge blunders.  

My lesson was on photosynthesis, so I created a "recipe" for photosynthesis.  Each student received a recipe card, and they wrote a recipe for photosynthesis on it.  It'll be really nice when it comes time to study for the test!  Students will already have a flash card!  

My family is downstairs watching the election results come in, so I guess I'm going to go join them...  it's going to be a long night.  All I have to say is NOBAMA!

Conversation of another sort...

I know many have told me they enjoy the conversations from third grade... today, I have a conversation from Church Street.  A group from our church goes to Church Street Station in Orlando every Saturday night to pass out tracts and hold signs.  Last night, David and I were there with two others from church (after the march, most people were too worn out to make the trek to Orlando).  Due to the busy day, David and I hadn't had supper, so we walked to a nearby Subway to grad a quick bite.  In an attempt to lose weight for a wedding I'm going to be in this December, I dutifully asked for a package of sliced apples rather than chips (that attempt was negated just a few minutes ago when I ate chocolate chip cookies with David!).

Back at the corner, I had just finished my sub and was about to eat some apples when a homeless man approached David and me.  He wanted "two quarters."  Usually, David and I leave all cash and coins in the vehicle so we can honestly say, "we don't have anything on us but a credit/debit card" and last night was no exception.  After telling him we didn't have any cash, I asked him if he wanted the money for food.  He said, yes.  So, I reached into my Subway bag and offered him the sliced apples (I really didn't want to give them up :).  He looked at the apples with a scowl and said, "I don't need those!  I need meat!"  Sorry, mister... if you'd been ten minutes sooner, I might have offered you my sub!  

All that to say, he apparently wasn't planning on using the money to buy food.  If the homeless man were hungry, apples would have been a nice treat!  

On another more exciting note...

It was reported in church today that a man trusted Jesus Christ as his Savior yesterday during the march!  Several men were able to talk to him, and when the last finished talking, he bowed his knee and asked Jesus to save him from his sins!  Praise the Lord!  Keep praying with us about more who might be thinking about eternity!  

Conversations from Third Grade

Another conversation from my classroom that might make you chuckle:  

Setting:  I have just finished teaching a lesson on multiplication.  Students were just beginning an independent activity to be certain they understood the concept.  I'm circulating helping those who still have questions. 

Student 1 (from the scandalous skirt conversation) raises hand and asks:  Mrs. Brown, how in the world do you know all this stuff to teach us?  

Student 2 (a really cute by who sees everything as black or white):  Come on, (uses girl's name)! She definitely learned it at college, where'd you think she learned it?  (puts head down on desk with an exasperated sigh)

Student 1 turns to student 2 and gives him an "I wasn't asking you, buddy" look; then she looks to me as if to say, "aren't you going to tell me?"  

Me:  What grade are you in now?  

Student 1:  third.  

Me:  Well, I went to third grade once.  I learned it first in third grade.  (Then, to student 2) But I did learn how to teach it to you at college.  

Student 2 turns to student 1 and looks at her as if to say, "I'm not as stupid as you thought, am I?"  

And then, here's the one that made me feel ancient.  

Setting:  We're studying Ireland, and we're discussing why we should get our information from an encyclopedia from 2007 rather than 1986.  

Me:  What has changed since 1986?  

Various students give various answers.  

Student 1:  Mrs. Brown, were you born in 1986?  

Student 2 chimes in before I can: Of course she wasn't, she's not that old!  

Me:  Actually, I was born before 1986.  

Class:  Gasps

Student 1: Were there cars back then?  

Me:  Yes.

Student 2:  What about t.v.'s?   

Me:  Of course there were t.v.'s.  

We went on with our lesson from there, but I learned that they have absolutely no concept of age!  

March For Jesus

This video is from a March for Jesus held last year.  

Today we had our third "March for Jesus."  In these marches, the leaders determine a route to take, and then recruit people to participate.  We march spaced about fifty feet, holding signs and wearing red Jesus Saves t-shirts.  Today we had about 200 people marching.  We marched in teams -- the team with the longest route went 5.8 miles.  If we were all spread out according to plan, we had 2 miles of people with signs that said, "Your Best Choice:  Jesus Christ."  In this time of political campaigning, we like to remember that the only "candidate" to keep his word is going to be Jesus Christ.  All men will let you down in one way or another -- we just need to keep our eyes on Jesus and do our best to live peaceably with all men.  

After the march, groups headed back to the church for food, fellowship, and games.  Everyone, especially the kids, had a wonderful time. We played an enormous game of musical chairs, a game of water balloon volleyball, tug of war, and capture the flag.  When I left a few minutes ago, the guys were setting up a game of football.  We are definitely a church that likes to work and play hard! 

Please join the Bible Baptist Church of DeLand in praying that our march caused someone to stop and think about eternity.  If you saw 200 people holding signs about Jesus, you'd think something about it.  If nothing else, we know seeds have been planted that other saved individuals will be able to water at a later date (I Corinthians 3:6).  

On another note, if anyone needs a fun game for kids, you should definitely consider Water Balloon Volleyball.  You need a bunch of old towels, water balloons, and a volleyball net.  Two people hold a towel, and they catch and bounce the ball over the net with the towel that is spread between them.  This is a great game for teamwork and it is really cute to watch!  

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend!