Single and Searching for Him

Part 3 Well, it was here.  At moments it felt as if it was never going to come, and other times it felt as if it was coming way too fast.  June 20,2004... Father's day, no less!  The U-Haul was packed, we ate lunch together as a family, and my best friend and her husband got to my house to help me on this journey. I gave my mom one last hug and with tears streaming down my face, I got into my car, my dad and brother into my parents' car, and my friend and her husband driving the U-Haul.  We were off! Now at this point, I should say 8 hours later, we arrived and were ready to unpack.  However, that was so not even the case.  We thought we would be saving money if we got a diesel engine U-Haul.  Well, whatever money we saved with that, was far surpassed by the energy and effort it took to drive it.  I have to give my friend's husband props.  There were times I didn't think that it would make it another 100 feet, let alone 500 miles... but s...

Part 2 After spending most of the trip talking to my friend, trying to wrap my mind around what had just happened, (yes, I was talking and driving) I arrived home and then things went into overdrive.  What followed was strange, bizarre, sad, terrifying, scary, exciting, and surreal.  Here was something that I had wished for and dreamed of for as long as I can remember (well, except for the 6 months I wanted to be a nurse and then I realized what all that job entailed... ).  This was it.  I was going to teach first grade.   I remember calling all of my family and friends and going through the story so many times I felt as if I could have written it on a poster board and just showed it where ever I went. There were many tears as I packed up my room.  I had been in that room for 20 years.  The last time I had moved, I was 7 and my mom did all of the packing.  There were days when I was so overwhelmed with the decision, that I know I wasn't...

One of the questions I am asked the most is "How did you end up here?"  Well... the short answer: God has a wicked sense of humor!  The long answer takes a little more time... It started one day when I was off work.  You see, I had graduated from college 2 years earlier, and was looking for a teaching job.  What they failed to tell all of us bright eyed young educators was that we weren't going to find jobs because all of the teachers that were expected to retire, would be extending their stay in education making all of the jobs that were supposed to be available, null and void.  So, I would find an opening in a school, drive to the main office, drop off my resume', smile, talk, and try to get a feel for how many other applicants they had for the position.  I remember one, where I had driven over an hour to drop off my resume' and the lady looked at it, put it in the pile and told me, you are applicant 400.  I remember driving home with tears running...

Now, I know y'all are thinking that you have the best father in the world, no one compares, and he's your hero, well, I hate to tell you this, but you are wrong!  You see, I have the best daddy in the world! The story goes that when I was born, and they announced  that I was a girl, my mom said "put her back" because there was no way she was going to be the mom of a girl. However, by that time, my dad had taken one look at me and it was love at first sight.  He held me, and that was the end. My father is an example of what a husband, father, and friend looks like.  He has always shown me the value of hard work.  He also has shown me the value of laughter.  I think one of his favorite holidays when we were kids was April Fool's day.  He would always put a piece of scotch tape around the spray nozzle for the kitchen faucet, so that when you turned the water on, you got sprayed. He did this for several years in a row, and I always seemed to fall for i...

Make me broken so I can be healed, Cause I'm so calloused and now I can't feel, I want to run to you; with heart wide open, Make me broken Til You are my one desire, til You are my one true love,Til You are my breath, my everything, Lord, please keep making me Have you ever had a song that you hear once, and it takes root inside of you?  It starts to permeate your soul, until it takes over.  You hear it and it moves you, it strengthens you, it tears you apart, it heals you, it speaks to you in ways that mere words cannot.   There is a song that is living inside of me right now.  It's not a pretty song.  In fact, it is a hard song.  It asks a lot of you.  It's not a song that is a feel happy song.  It tears you apart, it destroys you, it makes you think, it makes you thirst.   I believe there are times that God puts these things in your life to have you evaluate what is going on, to take a look at your life and get pruned. ...

And the four beasts had each of them six wings about him; and they were full of eyes within: and they rest not day and night, saying, Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come. Revelation 4:8 And he said, Draw not nigh hither; put off thy shoes from off thy feet, for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground. Exodus 3:5 There are numerous verses on holiness. There are over 30 in Exodus alone.  This is something that has been marinating for a while in my brain.  What is holiness?  How do I approach holiness? Most importantly, do I respect the holiness of God? One of the songs we sang Sunday was the Revelation song by Philips, Craig, and Dean.  One line of the song has been reverberating in my head for the last 24+ hours.  "Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God Almighty who was and is and is to come, with all creation I sing, praise to the king of Kings, you are my everything, and I will adore you" I first heard this song around...