changes everywhere

Our school is probably going to be moving into a new building. A Christian school in our area is closing. It is connected to a church and has been in existence for 45 years. The church is voting tonight on whether or not to lease the building to our school. I remember when my school closed when I was finishing my eighth grade year. It was a hard time for many families. I remembered feeling very anxious and how my mom seemed so calm about it! We all scattered and went to different schools in the area. Our church opened a school in its basement, which is where we went. So I have thought about these families from New Castle a lot this week who are seeing the end of an era to their school and my heart goes out to them. I hope that we can welcome many of them into our school family and that it will be a safe place for them where they are embraced and loved by the body of Christ. I pray that this will help advance the kingdom for the glory of God.

I don't want to forget....

I am going to write this down so I don't forget. David, Kate and I have been reading John Piper's book A Sweet and Bitter Providence on the book of Ruth. Kate flew through it and LOVED it...she said it was one of the best books she has ever read. She read this to me and we were both in tears. What God does in our lives is so sweet and merciful...even in the difficulties. Read on and absorb...get the book.
"Sweetie Pie" p. 122
This pledge God has made to his people is ungreakable. No famine or death can break it. I saw it in a parable. I was visiting some of our elderly people in a nursing home. I got on the elevator with a woman in a wheelchair who was old, misshapen, and confused. Her head wobbled meaninglessly and she uttered senseless sounds. Her mouth hung open. Then I noticed that a well dressed man, perhaps in his mid-sixties, was pushing her chair. I wondered who he was. Then as we all got off the elevator, I heard him say, "Watch your feet, Sweetie-pie."
Sweetie Pie. As I walked to the car, I thought...if a marriage covenant between a man and a woman produces that kind of fidelity and commitment and affection under those circumstances, then surely under the great and merciful terms of the New Covenant, sealed with the blood of his Son (Luke 22:20), God has no difficulty calling you and me (sinful and sick as we are) sweet names. And if he does, there is no truth more unshakable in all the world than this: For them and for us the best is yet to come. God is at work in the darkest times--for our good and Christ's glory. He will see to it that the glory of his Son fills the earth and that in him we find everlasting joy.

didn't know that would happen

Yesterday when we got home, there was a letter in the mail from Cedarville University. We visited the campus a few weeks ago to see if that is somewhere Kate would want to attend. She loved it. We met some really great people while we were there. She had applied before we visited, but wanted to visit to get a feel for the campus atmosphere. So we have been waiting to hear from them. She had to work last night and didn't get home until 10:45. We held the envelope up to the light and all the usual attempts to see what it said without opening it. Mary Ellen called her to tell her the letter was waiting for her and poor Kate could hardly concentrate all evening at work. I went to bed but woke up when I heard her run into the house, plop all her stuff down, tear into the envelope, and started sobbing...yes we are a little emotional in our home. I thought, "oh no!" Kate came up and showed me the letter. It was a "Congratulations! You have been accepted for the fall semester of 2010." I just couldn't believe that my little girl's name was on that letter with those words. Wasn't that just yesterday that I got that letter?? Now my daughter is spreading her wings and getting ready to fly! I just looked at it and read it over and over. Tears came...I had such a mixture of emotions. I am so proud of her and all her accomplishments. I am so happy for her to have more opportunities to learn and grow. If she chooses to go to CU, I will be happy. (she has applied to three other schools). I will miss her so much when that time comes. I couldn't sleep last night thinking about all the things going on in my life and the changes we face as a family. I was wondering what it will be like for us next year without her around and what it will be like to go visit....all kinds of thoughts. I finally fell asleep around midnight...happy, thankful, knowing and trusting my Heavenly Father.

first snow

Saturday was our first snow of the season. I was at a Christmas tea. It was perfect...all Christmasy inside and big fluffy flakes coming down outside. I am hoping for a few good storms this year.
I had an "ah ha" moment today....kinda. I was teaching my first graders the lesson about the spies going into the land of Canaan and coming back scared and getting all the people scared. They had forgotten the promises of God and how He had taken care of them and promised to take them into the land and give it to them. To them, taking over the land of Canaan looked impossible! Joshua and Caleb didn't forget and knew that God could help them conquer the land. They probably had no idea how it would happen, but they were confident in God's promises to them. Halfway through the lesson, I felt like I was preaching to myself! The lesson was for me! The Holy Spirit was convicting me as I was speaking. Sometimes when God calls us to something and takes us through difficuties it is scary. I become fearful and try to control the situation so that it will work out to my liking. I remember when God was calling us away from my beloved Willowdale. I was scared. I loved my church, my friends....my life in PA. What if God took all of that away!!!?? What would I do? He did (except for the friends) because he wants me to trust Him and love Him more than ANYTHING!
I was so afraid that we would have to move far away and how hard that would be on the kids. God has a way of bringing us to the point of surrender, rest and trust. You know the verse, "In repentence and rest is our salvation..." it's my theme. :) So now after wandering in the wilderness and going through more trials and struggles, I see my sin...my pride, stubborness and now I don't care where we end up. I just want to be wherever God wants us. That's what happened to the Israelites too. They had to wander around and realize that God's promises are ALWAYS true....repent,rest, repent, rest, repent....God is faithful and always forgives and loves.

my very own Amelia Bedelia

This week at lunch Mrs Baumann was telling the 1-6 graders about our next fundraiser. She told them that we are going to be selling magazines. Later that evening I found Jacob collecting up all my magazines I had laying around the house. He said, "Mom, we need to sell all these magazines to get money for our school!" I tried to explain that Mrs. Baumann meant you buy a subscription to have magazines sent to your house or you get your friends to buy subscriptions. He said very seriously, "Mom I went up to Mrs. Baumann and said,'So you want us to sell magazines to other people and she said Yes." I was laughing so hard by this time that he started laughing and said "your laugh is making me laugh!" What a funny kid...you never know what there little minds are thinking when you are telling them something. They think so literally.

A Saturday at home

I am loving being home today. It has been cold and rainy since Wednesday. I haven't had a whole day home in about two weeks. So today was cleaning day. I love the feeling of a clean house, coffee is brewing, cookies are in the oven...life is good. :) This week flew by for me...not sure why. I am getting ready to take Katelyn and her friend to go visit Cedarville University next week. We will be driving out Thursday afternoon, leaving school around noon. They have a science fair at school that day so we have to wait until after that to leave. Hopefully, we won't have any car trouble. Pray for us if you think of it. We went to a college fair a couple of weeks ago in Philadelphia and talked to their representative. His sister goes to The Kings Chapel in West Chester, Ohio...the same church I went to during my summers in college. We had a great conversation about all kinds of stuff. I feel like I have said all this before...hmmm. Anyway, we are going to visit his church as well to see if that would be a good church for Kate if she ends up going there. He said there are two good reformed churches in the area.
Yesterday, I drove to Philadelphia with Mary Ellen's class to go the Philadelphia Museum of Art. We had a tour guide who was very smart and brought out so many points about different art that I wouldn't have known....very interesting tour. I was so proud of our students and how they engaged with her, answering her questions, asking questions and making good conversation. She asked me if I was a mom and I told her I was but I also teach at the school. She said, "They are really smart!" :) I confess, I had a little proud moment...even though I don't teach any of those kids. They were great and so polite and kind. I want to go back because there was so much we didn't get to see. I think it is free on Sundays in Jan. or Feb...I bet Jeannette knows.
A funny thing happened in first grade about a week ago. I was beginning my Bible class and one child says, "Mrs. Stover, what's wrong with your hair?" You gotta love first grade....brutal honesty. You would never get that in the older grades. Of course, then they all had to comment, "Yeah, it's kinda big." another says, "like an afro"....no one has ever said that to me. The other teacher in the room just cracked up....definitely a first grade moment!
If you pay any attention to sports you know that the Phillies were in the World Series again this year. One of my first graders is one of the most devoted Phillies fans I know. We were working on a project, making a book about the life of Joseph. I was helping him with some of the cutting and glueing. As I looked closely at his Joseph and Jacob characters, I noticed something unusual about them. I asked him, "Grant, are Jacob and Joseph Phillies fans?" He replied proudly, "Yep, and one of Joseph's brothers has a Phillies tattoo!" Teaching is never dull! :)

opening day and other things

I really need to post some pictures on here. The new Chick Fil A store opened this past Thurs. It's in the mall (about 2 minutes from our school). David is one of the managers there and one of our students is working there too. We are getting to know all the Chick Fil A people around here and enjoy them so much. I told David I feel like having them all over for dinner and get to know them better. Kate and David work with some really wonderful people. I'm sure they are kinda sick of seeing us hanging around all the time.
Saturday Mary Ellen, Jonathan, Jacob and I went up to Newtown Square, PA to see our friend Nathan Taylor in his middle school play. He was Smee in Peter Pan and did such a great job! He is such a great kid...love him! He and Jonathan have been friends for awhile. We stayed with him for two weeks while his parents went away on their 25th anniv. trip. He got to find out what it is like to have a little brother and big sisters to pester! :)
Sunday we were back up to PA for church. We made a whole day of it. Left the house at 7AM and got back at 7pm. We had a baptism service in the morning and an ordination service in the afternoon. Our friend, Peter Doerfler was ordained into the PCA. Both services were absolutely wonderful. God once again reminded my weary soul that it is ALL him. His gentle proddings of grace and love warmed my heart as we sang and heard the stories of God drawing His children to himself. One young man said, "It was like I was wandering around not knowing what direction to go and God just reached down and took my hand and said, 'This is way to go. Come with me." I thought that was so beautiful because isn't that how it is with all of us? God reaches down and rescues us from ourselves, takes us by the hand, shows us the path of life, and walks with us.