Tryin this whole thing out

Baby on the way...

2006-11-13T13:05:00.000-08:00

So...many of you have heard, but I'll tell you anyway! Eddie and I are having a baby! We are so excited. I'm not due until June 30, so I'm only about 7 1/2 weeks along. I go in for my first ultrasound in the beginning of December! We'll get to hear the heartbeat for the first time. Anyway, please pray for us and me since I'm only in the beginning stages.

Real Joy

2006-09-18T15:02:00.000-07:00

So I've been thinking a lot about joy recently...and I really think that this world has it all wrong. What is joy? Is it finding love after 20 some odd years? Is it feeling secure in your relationship with your spouse? Is it finding a sense of belonging in a crowd of familiar people? Is it being accepted by a group of people? So I read this quote about joy that really made me see the difference. I think I always knew...this made it apparent.
"Joy is not in things, it is in us." Richard Wagner, German composist and theorist
Joy can't be found in the things I mentioned because those things are completely temporary. They are feelings that come one day and drift away the next. All of the things I mentioned are circumstances that produce happiness. But these circumstances can change and turn the happiness into devastation. Joy can't do that. Joy is always there. Sometimes it is hidden deep in the heart. We are a people that are so associated with our feelings. Our feelings determine our entire well-being. God gave us emotions and feelings as human beings so that we might praise him through our circumstances with our emotions but not to let our emotions and feelings dictate our lives. What a miserable life to be guided by what you feel at the moment (especially knowing as a girl my moods can sometimes be determined by my circumstance). A life that is guided by emotions is such a roller coaster ride.
So then I was remembering my devasting situations in my life like when my Grandpa died. It was unexpectated and took s off guard. We spent the entire week trying to understand what God was doing. Right before we found out it was serious I had prayed and askled God for his will in the situation. He delivered. Through that situation I was drawn to Him, to lean on him and depend on him. Although my Grandpa still died I was able to draw closer to my family than I ever had before. It was a beautiful thing even though I couldn't understand it. God was right there holding our hands as well as his. Allowing us to see that joy through the pain. That's when I realized that the joy is always there, but sometimes we can't see it through our own pain. That's when we need Him the most. That's what makes joy eternal is that it comes from the One who gives it. He sustains our life through the joy he gives.
So how do we attain the joy he gives? The Bible says through salvation of Jesus Christ. Through the realization that he took himself and pierced his fleshly body to cover our sin, making Himself the joy in our hearts if we choose to take him. Through the realization that He is the only one that can fulfill us. The only constant in our lives. The only unconditional love in our lives. Everyone and everything else is completely temporary and cannot fill our hearts, when he fills us and overflows. When we stray from HIm, He's there waiting. When we curse His name, He's there waiting, calling our name. When we have let our devastation cover the joy he has given, He's there waiting to pull back the shame and reveal it again. That's joy. Knowing Jesus and loving Him.

My Cousin's wedding

2006-09-04T15:11:00.000-07:00

Saturday, September 2 was my cousin Jami's wedding. It began as a dreary day and threatened to rain several times to spoil the outdoor wedding. but God was in control and before the wedding began the sun peaked it's head. The weather turned out to be just right! We all sat at my aunt and uncle's house and watched my grandparents be driven down the isle in a sweet older car. My cousin Jenny soon followed and looked absolutely beautiful in her bridesmaids dress. Jami walked shortly after and I must admit, I'm definately a girl...I cried...I couldn't help it. I started remembering when we were all little and we'd play at my grandparent's house. Then I realized how old I was acting
so I quit. The minister did a beautiful job of challenging Jami and Greg and then the wedding was over. We took pictures then it was off to the reception hall (that Mom and I decorated). We have some creative talents....not really but we tried really hard! The reception was a lot of fun and I loved watching my granpa dance. I don't know what he's going to do when we're all married....we'll have to hold our own dances just so he can shake it! He was so cute! Eddie and I had to leave early just to get back to Hannibal for church the next morning but it was a beautiful event! Congrats Jami and Greg!

It's been a while...much needed prayer

2006-08-18T16:27:00.000-07:00

It's been a while, I know....but August has been a crazy month. Lots of things to pray about. I've been getting ready for another school year. I'm really excited for this school year. I attended an excellent workshop on "Conscious Discipline" this summer and I'm going to implement it in my classroom. It teaches the kids to be a community and gives them responsibility. It also teaches adults how to handle situations and that we first have to change ourselves and the way we think before we can expect any of the kids to change. So if this works well in my classroom, I might just get my masters in counseling education. I would love to work with behavioral kids on a daily basis! I love building relationships with them. It's the only way they learn to trust you.

I'm also taking a Reading Recovery class this year toward my masters. I get 6 credit hours for it. It's a lot of work, but if I really like this class then I may think about going into Reading for my masters instead. Lots of big decisions this year. But first and foremost, God has placed me in a 3rd grade classroom so that I may work with and minister to kids everyday. I have already begun praying for them individually, so my future will just have to wait!!! In the meantime, the time of year when I am crazy busy has returned! Just pray that God will give me patience and peace this school year.

One of my best friends, Janie, is going to Peru for 3 1/2 months to work in an orphanage. I'm so excited for her, but will miss her terribly even though I don't get to see her very often. Please pray that the Lord will use her to minister to kids and that they will experience His love through the love she will give!

Also, this is Eddie's and my 2nd year at Nelsonville Baptist Church. We just feel so blessed to be in the ministry and love watching God work in that church. We love working with the youth and have seen amazing things happen through that. This year we want to focus on developing leaders and launching new ministries. Along those same lines, my high school sunday school teacher is the youth director at Lake St. Louis FBC and has asked me to lead his youth girls' retreat. I am so excited, but please pray that the Lord will take me out of me and fill me up with Him! One of our good friends Dave has decided to start a church. He is nervous but knows that God's hand is moving in that situation. We have been praying for God to send workers to harvest that area. Please be in prayer about that too. We're excited to see a fellow worker in the ministry doing what God has called him to do!

My brother transfered from SFCC this fall to Midwestern (they now have a four year program). We are very happy for him and we think it's going to be perfect for him. Pray for him. He's also going in the ministry....and on that same note, my Dad felt called into the ministry this summer! How exciting! So pray for him and what God's going to do.

Oh and one last thing. I really am working on a book this year. But God changed my vision for what I am writing which was a shock after working on something for 5 years. But I am just praying that God can use me to send out His message.

So I know this is a lot. But a lot has happened. Tell you what, you pray for me and tel me what you want me to pray about for you and we'll be prayer partners! You can never have enough! Love you all!!!

My New Djembe

2006-07-26T07:48:00.000-07:00

Well...I bought a new djembe on ebay last ngiht!!! She's a beauty.. The coolest part is that it was made in Bali, Indonesia. I'm gonna learn how to play it so I can play with Eddie when he leads worship!!!! Notice the cute little hand-held drum that came with it!!! I've been looking for one on Ebay...and the name-brand ones are too expensive, so I decided to go with one more authentic!!! What do yaa think???

Arizona

2006-07-05T07:18:00.000-07:00

Hi all!!! I know it's been a while, but it has been quite the eventful June! We just got back from Scottsdale, AZ from visiting my fam out there. It was great to see them and be a part of their everyday lives for a while! After we left Scottsdale we went to Sedona but didn't get to go all nthe way through because of the fires. We could actually see the helicopters dropping water, that's how close we were! We went to the four corners (which was Ryan's favorite because he was standing in four states), and then it was up to Colorado. We stopped at Mesa Verde and saw the Indian dwellings and then we drove up through the San Juan mountains! What a beautiful drive. It was amazing to see the Lord's creation in so many different ways. We also could see the Grand Canyon fires (or the smoke) from where we were driving a couple of hours away. It is so dry out there and anything can start a fire. Overall, it was a great time to spend with family!!!! I'll post pictures soon!

Emergency Room

2006-06-09T15:38:00.000-07:00

Hey all!! Well, I had an eventful week....Tuesday night I couldn't sleep...my stomach hurt and I was having other problems. Wednesday wasn't any better so Eddie took me to the ER. I won't give out any details because it's pretty gross, but let's just say they think I have a viral infection. So they gave me medication and I'm doing much better. They want me to see a specialist, but the one they have at the Hannibal Clinic is on leave for a month so I might go to Quincy. Hopefully, I'll be better by next week so I won't have to! Anyway, I am feeling much better but I haven't been able to do anything or go anywhere for 3 days! I am supposed to do a Bible Study at a youth camp next week and then we leave for Phoenix on the 20th so I need to get better cuz I have a lot coming up! Please pray that I will get better!!! :)

My Newly Published Poem

2006-06-05T13:05:00.000-07:00

I wrote this poem for my first class and put it in poem books we created together to remember their third grade year and their wonderful teacher...:)

Twenty (A Teacher's Thoughts)

Twenty lives together for some time,
They grow and learn and intertwine.
Each day they question and inspire,
They push through, even when they're tired.

Twenty sets of eyes waiting to see,
What wisdom and information we will bring.
Equipped each day we walk through the door,
Knowing they are ready for something more.

Twenty sets of ears waiting to hear,
Encouragement that brings laughter and tears.
They eagerly listen for each word,
They soak it all in as they learn.

Twenty sets of hands busy at work,
Sometimes quiet, other times bizzurk.
Hours upon end, will it ever get done?
When it is finished we have our fun!

Twenty sets of feet step into the room,
Knowing they will leave very soon.
They run, they fall, they whisper, they scream,
They pull together and become a team.

Twenty hearts beating in time,
Each one: it's own path, it's own rhyme.
They may be in our rooms only for a while,
But we'll always remember them with a smile.

By: Mrs. Schoeneberg

Time to start Publishing!

2006-06-03T09:57:00.000-07:00

Okay...so I have exciting news....I went on the internet about a month ago and decided to start trying to get some of my writings out there. I sent in two poems and an "inspirational writing" into a writing contest. First place is a trip to New York to meet with agents and editors and $3000 and 2nd through 10th places still receive cash rewards. I figured if nothing else then my writings would at least be read. Anyway, it could be months before I find out anything. Then I found another website although I'm not sure if it was a contest or not. I sent in a poem I wrote for my class this year and I received a letter in the mail yesterday informing me that it was reviewed and they decided to publiush it in their annual anthology book. It's called "Treasury of American Poetry". SO I was excited!!!! I'm going to finish the book I have been writing for teenage girls (for four years now) this summer and get it editted. It is just so hard to get in the industry because you have to get an agent and they cost like thousands of dollars!

Not technologically advanced

2006-06-02T08:37:00.000-07:00

Okay, so I can feel myself aging because I totally don't know how to do these things...and it amazes me that we can "blog". I remember when my family first got the internet and we waited for days before the first website actually showed up....ahhh...dial up. Anyway, Eddie got a new wide screen laptop for graduation and it is sweet!!! He is in love with it....literally I can't talk to him anymore. I told him a whole story the other day while he was playing a game on it and I laughed at the end and....no response. So of course I felt silly for laughing at myself!!! It's all good because what's his is also mine!!! :)