You say....HE says

You say: "It's impossible"
God says: All things are possible (Luke 18:27)

You say: "I'm too tired"
God says: I will give you rest (Matthew 11:28-30)

You say: "Nobody really loves me"
God says: I love you (John 3:16 & John 3:34 )

You say: "I can't go on"
God says: My grace is sufficient (II Corinthians 12:9 & Psalm 91:15)

You say: "I can't figure things out"
God says: I will direct your steps (Proverbs 3:5-6)

You say: "I can't do it"
God says: You can do all things (Philippians 4:13)

You say: "I'm not able"
God says: I am able (II Corinthians 9:8)

You say: "It's not worth it"
God says: It will be worth it (Roman 8:28 )

You say: "I can't forgive myself"
God says: I Forgive you (I John 1:9 & Romans 8:1)

You say: "I can't manage"
God says: I will supply all your needs (Philippians 4:19)

You say: "I'm afraid"
God says: I have not given you a spirit of fear (II Timothy 1:7)

You say: "I'm always worried and frustrated"
God says: Cast all your cares on ME (I Peter 5:7)

You say: "I'm not smart enough"
God says: I give you wisdom (I Corinthians 1:30)

You say: "I feel all alone"
God says: I will never leave you or forsake you (Hebrews 13:5 & Deut. 31:6)

They won! (Updated with pictures)

Our high school girls team won both Friday and Saturday night. Friday I suspected it was because the visiting team was on the road and water all day. I figured they were fatigued from travel and expected Saturday's game to be a bit closer.

Well, they started off neck and neck, but our girls eventually pulled away and rather than win by 22 as the night before, they won by 18.

It was good to get out of the house, though I felt guilty every time I ran into a co-worker. I'm just glad our principal chooses not to attend ballgames. Ever. I'm not sure why I felt guilty. It's not like I was home on a self-proclaimed "vacation". Far from it. I STILL had headaches yesterday. I think today will be a good day. I haven't left the house yet, but plan to soon. The puppies are getting antsy. It's time for a good long walk.

***************

This was one of Alexys' few moments of rest. She's co-captain and plays most of the game. I'm pretty sure she had the high score on Saturday night. She made about 4 lay-ups after stealing the ball. She's an awesome player and only a sophomore. She and Lucione are both excellent ball players. I can't wait till Lindsey joins them. They'll all have one year together before Alexys graduates.

Lucione plays really tough defense. It's hard for anyone to drive on her. She plays tough and has the battle scars to prove it! When I spoke to her after Friday's game, she said, "Aunty, I have a swollen pinkie, a floor burn on my left knee and a bruise on my right thigh!" She didn't get hurt on Saturday, but still played a tough game. :o)

I'm On My Way

After an entire week of headaches, stomach aches, dizziness, fatigue, and loss of appetite, I think I am finally on my way back to normal. I've, at least, regained some of my appetite - which may or may not be a good thing.

I think it was all sparked by my niece Lindsey. She spent a night with us last weekend and ended up being sick. She threw up and had a tummy ache the entire time she was here. I should have been more firm with her when I offered to take her home and she refused.

Add to that the stress of my life lately, and there you go. The perfect recipe for a week of pain and misery.

I just found out a few days ago that Michael will be laid off at the end of the month. The plan is, for it to be a 3 week break while the machinery gets serviced in Town. Last year, the plan was for them to start work in March...their first day was in June. So I'm crossing my fingers, eyes, and toes that this plan doesn't change.

We are having the PERFECT weather. It's clear and chilly. Not really cold, it's staying in the 20's, but it's better than the 40's and rain we've had for the past few weeks. We ran out of fuel overnight, though, so I almost wished for warmer temps this morning. The fuel guy is on his way, though, so that thought went right out the window. :o)

Lucione and Alexys have a game tonight...and another tomorrow. Hydaburg is coming to town. They should be some good games. They're usually pretty well matched. At least they were before Lucione joined the team. ;o) We'll have to see what happens.

Michael will be home for lunch soon. I better get his lunch ready. I almost wish it was summer break already so I could do this everyday. :o)

Peanut Buttah

Did you know that today is Peanut Butter Day? Whenever I think of peanut butter, I think of my niece Marie. When she first learned to talk, she had trouble with her "r's", as a lot of children do. She sounded like a little Bostonian, though she's never left the west coast! She didn't really have a temper, she's always been good-natured, but when she was upset with you for any reason, she'd let you know it. Now mind you, she was only about 3 at the most. (This picture was taken around the time I'm thinking of.)


First, let me say this: most of the kids in Michael's family, for a reason I have not been able to figure out, used foul language when they were tiny. They spoke the "bad" words as clear as a bell before they mastered the normal toddler vocabulary. What was even stranger, is they knew "how" and "when" to use them! They were like a bunch of little loggers and nobody could understand why. Their family doesn't curse, at least not like the children had learned to.

Then came Marie. She knew the bad words were bad and she would never say them. In fact, she'd get so excited when the other kids could get through a day without cursing. She'd say, "Momma, Michael Richard didn't call me a 'you-know-what' today!"

This didn't stop her from wanting to call you names if you upset her, though. She'd stomp her little feet and say, "Be nice, you Peanut Buttah! You mean Candy Bah!"

She was(is) very close to her Uncle Mike from the time she was a baby, so it was natural that she attach herself to me. She used to come running across the room to give me a big hug whenever I walked in. One time she even knocked me over!

By the time Michael and I got married, she was 8 years old and Michael Richard was 5. She was so proud to be in the wedding. She'd ask me, "How many more days, Aunty?" I heard that everyday for the entire month of August.

I won't say she's had a hard life, but it hasn't been easy. Her dad committed suicide when she was quite young. I don't think she even remembers him except through pictures. When her sister Stephanie was 3 years old, she died of spinal menangitis. School was always a chore for her. She ended up having to go to a boarding school in Oregon in order to get through high school. She's had to work hard, but she's come a long way.

She's 22 now and we love to embarrass her by bringing up her childhood days. She worked at the school last year and she was an aide in Special Education. The girl she was assigned to tried to tease her and call her a goofball. She mistakingly said, "Marie, you're a gumball."

When Marie told me about it, I asked her, "Did you call her a candy bar?" We had a good laugh at that one. She has an infectious laugh.


She's away from home again and I miss her. I won't see her again until possibly July, unless I find a way to get up north to see her. She's up in Palmer attending Job Corp. I pray she's keeping busy and learning a lot.

Prayer Request

Millie is scheduled for surgery at 9:40 AM Pacific time tomorrow, Wednesday January 24th. Please pray that all goes well. God has been so good thus far. Pray that the surgery go smoothly and that He continue His healing in Millie.

Thank you, thank you, thank you!

Another Long Weekend

I stayed home today. I was kept awake most of the night with a headache. At least I think it was a headache. It was at the back of my head, towards the right side, just above my neck. I couldn't really tell if it was my head or neck hurting and at times it felt like both. Right now it's feeling more like my head but I still think it's a weird place for a headache. I learned early on that its best to stay home when I have a headache. It's hard to concentrate and be patient when all you can think about is the nagging pain. It takes a lot of patience to work with the teachers I do. haha I'm just kidding...they're a good bunch.


Speaking of work, Friday was an inservice day for our building. It was a computer workshop so I couldn't duck out. Before it even started, the principal had me wishing I had. He didn't do anything bad. I think he was trying to make up for what he didn't do back in December and if you ask me, he went a little overboard.

Even though it was a computer workshop, he had us all meet in the library for a staff meeting. It was about 15 to 20 minutes and he spent that entire time singing my praises. He told them how much I do...computer lab, library, data entry, trouble shooting, answer phones when needed, and on and on and on. He admitted that he asks a LOT of me and puts a lot of pressure on me to get things done. He said that no matter what he asks of me, I always manage to get it done, do a thorough job, and do it without griping. While I appreciated his observations, I was not comfortable with him stating all that at a staff meeting.

My best guess is he's thinking about what happened last month. This is his way of making up for his mistakes without actually taking responsibility. I've already put it behind me. I won't let him talk to me about it because it won't do any good. He'll never talk to Ms. B about it...I know him well enough to not even hope for that. I'm not holding a grudge because that would be a waste of energy but I will not talk about it. I just wish he would stop already with the small talk and the compliments. He must have thanked me 10 times on Friday. Enough already!


Lucione is on the varsity basketball team this year. She's a freshman and gets a lot of playing time. They got off to a rough start, losing 3 in a row. But Saturday night they earned their 4th straight win up in Haines. I'm so proud of her. She's doing very well. All that time it takes to participate in a sport has not affected her grades at all. She finished the semester with a 4.0!

Lindsey is doing well, too. I don't know her GPA but it was high enough to get her on Honor Roll and she has the highest GPA of the entire 7th grade! My babies are making me proud. :o)

Last week Lindsey came to the library in my building to work on her homework. She showed me all of her certificates (She got a bunch of awards, not just Honor Roll). When she asked for help with her vocabulary I said, "You don't need my help, Ms. Highest GPA."

She said, "YOU are the reason I have highest GPA!" How do you say no after that? haha


My friend Millie is showing signs she may be waking up soon. She's become sensitive to touch. If you lay a hand on her or touch her in any way, she moves. And not just small movements. She really moves and only calms down if you talk to her and tell her what you are doing. The last I heard, the doctors were wanting her to wake up by Wednesday. Please help me pray that she does. Also pray that the swelling continue to decrease. Thank you.

To Millie

I Miss You, Millie

You’re loving, kind, and thoughtful
Understanding and caring, too
Your friendship is a priceless gift
A treasure, rare and true

You listen when I need to talk
You let me know you care
When I need some cheering up
It’s you who’s always there

I’ve come to you for guidance
When I’d felt I’d gone astray
You’d gently redirect me
In your gentle, caring way

I’m grateful for all that you’ve done
I thank God every day
For bringing you into my life
I pray you’re here to stay

I’m feeling quite selfish
I’m not ready to let go
I pray that God will heal you
May His blessings overflow

You’ll be a living testament
To what God alone can do
You’ll walk and talk and laugh again
God will help you to

Until that day all I can do
Is lift you up in prayer
I can’t be with you, but that’s okay
‘Cause I know God is there

I wish that I could tell you
What’s in my heart today
I’d tell you that my love for you
Will never go away

I’d tell you how I think of you
From sunrise to day’s end
I’d tell you just how very much
I miss you, my dear friend.

Gee Whiz!

I was in the middle of a nice long post and then the power went out and I lost it. I guess I should have expected it being that we lost power twice last night and twice again this morning but I thought we were good since the wind has calmed a bit and the power was on for at least 6 hours straight.

I can't recreate what I typed...you'll just have to miss out. Sorry.

:o)

It was just talking about how strong the winds were...they've since calmed to 56 so that's good. I tried to tell you about how I got up in the dark, showered by candlelight and ate cold cereal in order to get to work on time. I wrote about the superintendent's wife calling me at 7:48 this morning...after I had already left for work...to tell me that school has been canceled.

I also mentioned my friend. She's not yet awake but I am encouraged because she is improving. They've removed the drainage tube from her brain as well as the mouth guard. She has become more responsive when the doctors and nurses come in to do what they need to do. She reacts to what they are doing by moving her head or parts of her body. She still needs prayer, but she is taking little baby steps towards recovery.

I better get going before I lose power again. Too bad you missed out on my other post. It was a good one. :o)

Back at Work

The first day back was the toughest. The principal kept making attempts to talk to me about “the incident”, as it’s come to be labeled, but I would find reasons to leave the room. I must have heard, “Are you okay?” and “How’s your day going?” at least 10 times yesterday. As far as I’m concerned, it’s too little too late. He should have been concerned the day it happened.

Anyway, as long as I’m not dealing with the principal, things are going well. It was so good to see the kids again. My first class of the day was Kindergarten. I got a lot of hugs. :o) One little girl couldn’t wait to tell me about her new pinyanyo (piano) keycord (keyboard).

I wore a necklace yesterday that I received as a gift from a friend of mine who lives in New Zealand. There is a hole in the middle of it and a 2nd grader said, “I really like your necklace!” I thanked her and she said, “It looks like a tone?”

“A tone?” I asked.

“Yeah, a tone…you know…LAAA!” And she’s right, it does sort of resemble a musical note. :o)

We got a tiny bit of snow overnight. I would normally be ecstatic but now it’s cold so the snow is frozen. That means our roads are super slick. I’m loving the cooler temps, though. I hope it stays this way for a few days.

My friend is showing signs of improvement but is still in need of prayer. She is still asleep, but is able to breathe on her own for longer and longer periods of time. They hope to have her completely off the ventilator by the end of the week. Being intubated has caused fluid to collect in her lung and she now has pneumonia. The good news is, she has been moving her legs and hands in response to stimuli. They’re decreasing the medication that has been keeping her sedated so hopefully she’ll begin to wake soon. The edema in her brain has decreased and she is able to regulate her own body temperature. She’s making tiny improvements every day but has a long road ahead of her, I think. Please continue to pray for her.