Counting My Blessings...

My special husband.

I'm very thankful for my husband. He is a great man, passionate in his pursuit of the Lord, showing me great care and love this weekend as I was not feeling well this weekend (as desribed next). He showered me with love in action this weekend, brushing my hair, giving me LOTS of backrubs, carrying things for me, taking care of the kids, driving me to the grocery store and pushing the shopping cart... All these actions were sweet and tender outpourings of love to me this weekend. I'm thankful for him.

My neck is feeling a lot better.

On Saturday, Feb. 14th, my neck started feeling incredibly painful. I couldn't move my neck at all without pain shooting out. And getting up and down from sitting to lying was killer! Such pain along my spine. I took it fairly easy for the weekend but I was quite concerned about how it would be on Tuesday, Feb. 17th, since I was volunteering for my eldest daughter's field trip. I gave it to the Lord...and so did my daughter a few times (how precious)...and I'd say quite miraculously on Tuesday morning I woke up, able to move my neck with minimal pain and able to pretty much function as normal! I still have a bit of an ache and pain in my neck, but NOTHING like the weekend. So my heart just soars with praise to God for the beginning of healing!

A bit more sleep...
I woke up on Tuesday morning, with my neck feeling miraculously much better...but it was 5:30am because my youngest woke me up saying she had a sore throat. I was thoroughly awake as I rummaged through the medicine basket looking for throat lozengers...groaning that I was starting a crazy long day (since I was volunteering from 8:30-3pm and then teaching piano 3:45-7pm) at such an early hour! I got my daughter settled in, tucked in bed with me, and prayed that I would get a bit more sleep... And PRAISE GOD, I certainly did get another hour, sleeping in until 7pm when my husband's alarm went off! That was HUGE for me! I don't usually fall back to sleep at that time of the morning. I woke up rejuvenated, my neck feeling pretty good, and well rested for a big day! God knew I needed that extra hour!

A pleasant field trip.

Two years ago I went on a field trip to the museum with my daughter's grade 2 class. It was an absolute nightmare as I got some pretty tough-to-handle kids and I was very unfamiliar with the museum. I remember kids wanting to go in every direction from each other and I had such trouble keeping them together as they just didn't listen. I came away from that field trip feeling utterly exhausted and discouraged... I didn't want to EVER volunteer for a trip to the museum again!

Well, I was once again asked to volunteer for another trip to the museum, with the same class two years later! I agreed, with a bit of trepidation, but figured I'd just jump right in! What a different experience it was this time! Praise God!!!! The teacher kept the whole class together for the most part so I was more an extra set of eyes and ears for the teacher, helping as I saw the need.

We split up briefly into two groups while a guide led us through the museum... This was the one "glitch" in the day...but it all turned out as well. The teacher had dismissed our group so quickly, rambling off names and the kids running after the guide immediately heading off through the labrynth of "secret" doors that cut in and out across the museum floor... I didn't have time to ensure everyone had actually joined our group until we finally sat down (in a tucked away location in the museum) with the guide going full throttle ahead with teaching. I counted the kids and noticed I was short one kid. I noted which kid was missing, prayed, asked the kids (once the guide finally stopped talking) if this child had joined them when they headed off...and it didn't seem he had been with the group when we headed off...so I decided the best solution (since I didn't have any way of contacting the teacher or finding her group) was just to pray, wait and hope that the child was with the other teacher. Needless to say I had a bit of anxiety! But praise God the kid WAS with the other group! (and by the way, the entire museum is on the security cameras, a very secure location, so the kid wouldn't have been without help had he been lost) He had not even heard his name called and so had not joined our group when we all raced off.

So, that was our field trip in a nutshell. It went smoothly, despite the "glitch" and I had a great time with the kids. The teacher thanked me saying how much she appreciated having a volunteer who worked in the school system and able to "discipline" the kids when the need arose. I really appreciated that positive feedback. I guess I've learned more then I knew through my time working the lunch program. I'm not afraid to step in and make sure kids are following expectations...

Okay, enough rambling about the field trip. It was great to get to know my daughter's classmates and build a positive rapport with these kids. Praise God!