Kudos to Southern Illinois

I am ready to go serve my last full-time day as a PE teacher for Mrs. Cindy Colman.  She is more than ready to get back to work and I am semi-ready to get back to my life.  This 6.5 week experience of teaching for me has been incredible.  I have felt such a privilege to go and be with great kids everyday and with outstanding teachers and administration!  

I have personally been in many, many school systems and my kids have now been in 2 since we have lived in Southern Illinois.  I have to say that I must tip my hat to the schools in Southern Illinois.  Entering Norris City when we arrived in January of 2007 I just knew that my kids would be quite far ahead - after all I was paying some big tuition prices in Charlotte.  Yikes - my kids had quite a bit of catching up to do.  Mrs. Barton did everything possible to get Tucker up to speed!!!  She did well.  And Jan Carroll just took Emmajoy in, treated as her own, and made a lasting impression on her!  Charlotte is a school I miss for the Christian education and wonderful staff, but the Lord was so faithful to give me all the same in Norris City just without the title of Christian school and without the big prices!!  Yeah!!  I am so thankful for my time there!  

Now we have moved on to Carmi just 10 miles down the road.  From a parent perspective it too has been wonderful.  But now I have had the privilege to "do" school with 2 of my daughters each and every day for an extended time.  I can not tell you how impressed I am!  

All teachers need roughly a $100,000 raise!  I have come to realize that I most enjoy 2nd grade and up.  So I am just amazed at what is asked of the Lincoln teachers because of the age of those kids.  There is not a trying day that goes by because of one reason or another and they do their jobs with smiles, enthusiasm, and energy.  I just about die around 11am and they just keep on ticking as if they had just gotten there!  I can say with authority that each and every teacher at Lincoln is incredible.  I have watched each one of them so closely while being there day in and day out and can not say enough!!  If any of you are reading - thank you!!!!!!  

Mrs. Stocke - wow!!!  The precious way that you interact with each child making them feel as if they are the only one there on that day - it is truly is a gift!  My Sarahjane feels so much love and knows that "you are cool" as she says it!  Thank you for allowing me in your school for a time!  I don't think I am cut out for a forever kind of job with kids that young, but I know who is - you and your staff!!!  Thank you thank you!!!  I have enjoyed it all!  

Jefferson has been much easier for me to teach at.  The kids are just that much more experienced in their skill levels that makes it extremely fun to teach, coach, etc!  I too can not say enough about that school.  Teacher are hands on - wanting to know how their kids did, and teachers love each other - it appears to me.  I see a very unified staff and one that is truly working for the betterment of the kids!  

At both schools I am just amazed at teacher aids!  Yall go above and beyond and just absolutely blow me away with your patience!  Melinda Nelson and Jeannie Browning - girls - those kids love you with all their hearts.  They would go home to live with you in half a heartbeat!  Mrs. Peacock - you are incredible!!!  So good.  I will never forget the day looking over to see you jumping rope, double dutch, with the girls in your flats!!!!!!!  Ginger, Kathy, Vicki, all of you!!!!  I know you may not be amassing a huge treasure here on earth - but your mansion in heaven is going to be something to see!!!  Holy cow girls - you are it!!!!!!!  

Dr. Dixon - you are step above and of course you always go above and beyond as well.  I am always impressed how your door is open and ready for any conversation.  You too are not scared to answer phones as I have seen Mrs. Stocke at Lincoln.  Amy, your teachers think the world of you and have the utmost respect - from what I have seen and heard!  The kids see you as quite an authority and look up to you as a hero.  They are eager to preform when you walk in the room.  Eyes never leave your presence and many are hoping to be just like you one day!  Thank you as well for allowing me in your school for this time!!!  

I would be remiss to leave out the wonderful janitors at each school.  I do not know all by name personally but you all are awesome.  Cleaner schools I have not seen.  Mr. Lee - you bring tears to my eyes when I try to muster up words to explain what you are to the kids at Lincoln.  My girls want to adopt Mr. Lee!  And Mr. Peacock - your gentle spirit and hard work with a smile is priceless.  Thank you both for helping me to learn the ropes and names of kids too!!  ha!  

Ok - I am going to be late!!!  I am excited and ready to go!!  I am sad and want to stay - all at the same time!!!  I love you all!  

412 - People, work together!

Lord Jesus - today is the first real day of school. Emmajoy woke up at 6:15am and Sarahjane just woke up too. That is such a good sign! I hope the excitement will stick with SJ for a long time. She is not an early riser, nor did she ever enjoy preschool - well at least the school part. Hopefully since we sat her out an extra year she is good and ready - mature! EJ is a lot like me and loved school from the word GO! Tucker says he doesn't like it, but I am sure he will be up and at 'em in just a few minutes. Thank you Lord for getting back to a schedule.

This morning I found myself once again in Phil. 2: 1-5. Some good stuff! I looked up several different versions and was really encouraged and inspired by the Words. Have you ever come to a point in leadership when you just throw up your hands and say, " if you are getting this at all, would you just please do this............." I think in this passage we find Paul at this point. He has just explained to them at the end of chapter one that suffering and believing are things that are granted to us. A benefit of Christ. And in the scripture it is like he had stood up from the table put his hands on the top of the desk, leaning over looking deep in their eyes and saying, "People, if Christ and His love, and mercy, and Spirit, and His fellowship have meant anything to you then Work with me here! Be like minded and make me proud - "make my joy complete". Have the same purpose and work together, not against me and certainly not against each other."

I know it can be that way in women's ministry. Everyone has their own thoughts, opinions, conclusions, means of production, and insecurities! If there are too many chiefs things can go hairy in a split end or i mean a split second. I have never really been in the corporate world, but I hear that as long as roles are well defined and responsibilities and cut and dry things work very well. It is in those times that things get slow or jumbled that there is confusion and that brings about dissension. I guess that is why the Lord reminds us in the Proverbs to not get idle - trouble will find us! Paul, it sounds like to me, is begging these people to work like Christ and get it together. It would make his joy complete, or like i have heard my Aunt Joyce say often, "that would just tickle me to death".

And just like my Sarahjane, the questioner, I can see her raising her hand at the end of Paul's plea and saying, "But how, how do we do such a large task - working together for the same purpose?" Paul replies, "I am so glad you asked. If you all would just work for each other, promoting one another, looking out for one another instead of your own self, just consider others better than yourself or more important - people, just have the same attitude as Christ and things will go more than smoothly around here. It will be glorious! TO His glory!"

And this is one of my key verses for ministry. Ginger and I have briefly talked about working for each other and not ourselves. I would work on getting her events and she would do the same for me. It is like we would be each others agent. I have been in ministries where you had to do all the work yourself or many times I found people not doing anything just waiting for God to drop it in their laps. Just sitting and waiting is not my conviction. I am a worker - I feel responsible to do my part to be able to use the gift He has given me. So I pray that Ginger and I can things together and begin working "being like-minded having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose." For His glory alone!!

You know all these principles work the same way in marriage and in parenting!! Think of him first in marriage, think of them first in parenting, think of Him and what He would do!!! Simple, but oh so hard at times!

Well, i just got back from dropping the kids off. Lord Jesus, be with the kids today as they are learning all the ropes again! I pray SJ loves the idea of school and then actually is excited about learning and doing!! I pray she makes her own friends and is a good friend. Lord for Emmajoy, I pray you will protect her heart. Even at this young age she is willing to give it away to anyone that is willing to show her some attention. Protect her sweet spirit and keep her smiling! And for Tucker, Jesus, make him a leader and one that others will want to follow. Lord, instruct him in Your ways and make him confident in You! Lord, help him to be a good friend and a better listener! Help them all to not be so selfish! Bless their teachers! Thank you for today, Lord!

410 - Opportunities to Praise!

Lord Jesus - Can we do a bit of a dance this morning to praise Your name? Absolutely, a quiet tone so we don't wake the sleeping babies! (Well, my babies, but not really babies!) I have such a tremendous week these past couple of days and I just want to say a huge thank you! THANK YOU! I have learned a lot this week and for that I am extremely grateful! You have given me opportunities to do some things and It was because of You and nothing in me I endured - thank you!

Last time I blogged, not the recent one that was just excited about going to Alaska, but just before that I had talked about being granted the opportunity to believe Him and to suffer. Well, I dug deeper into that suffering and it is quite interesting. My commentary said that there are 4 reasons along with many others why we are given the opportunity to suffer. Ultimately we are given the opportunity to "faithfully represent Christ" and as translated in Is. 43:7 from "we are made for His glory" which actually means "to give a correct opinion of Him". In that suffering we show people who we believe our Lord is and how we believe He works in our lives. That whole concept can be positive or negative! The other 4 reasons that can result from our suffering according to the commentary are 1) it takes our eyes off earthly comforts, 2) it weeds out superficial believers, 3) it strengthens the faith of those that endure, and 4) it serves as an example to those that may be watching. Oh Lord, I just don't think I have any clue what real suffering is like. I have had some bad times and even experienced some real pain, but to truly suffer for Christ I don't think that is a privilege You have asked of me yet. In my faithless heart I can not say I am raising my hand and jumping to be picked next, but I am believing that when the time does come I will know who to turn to or actually run to! Thank you, Lord.

My Charlotte engagement went wonderful. It was one of those times I felt I was not completely up to par, but the response from the women was overwhelming. So many spoke to me after to explain what He had done in their hearts and how He was changing them. Whether I feel like I had done well or not, that is what the whole purpose is. Besides even when I bomb for whatever reason He can change what goes into their ears and hearts. That is the coolest part when you are working for the King!! Immediately He can change the results and make them positive! Oh Lord, thank you!! Thank you for those opportunities this summer and I pray for great fruit from each of their lives! Bless that church - they do have a heart for You!

Well, today is the first day of school, but we have had a slight change. You know how some people will buy or rent a small house in a district just so they can go to that school, but actually live in another area? Well, we live in Norris City, but as many of you know have bought a new/old house in Carmi. Since our house will not be ready until Thanksgiving or so, but we have every intention of moving there we were just going to start the kids in Carmi. Well for some reason that has upset some people and there has been some complaining. SO the schools in both regions have been forced to address the situation and therefore asked us to sign an affidavit explain the number of nights we would be sleeping in Carmi, the number of meals the kids would eat there, etc. UGH!! Uh, the house is not done so the answer would be none. Many people have told us about the amount of people that lie on those forms and just do it anyway. My husband, a very good man and one of great integrity, said, "Leigh, we could be like the others, sign it, and just carry on with our lives. But no, God has thought enough of us to give us this opportunity to rise above and follow the rules. He has given us this opportunity to display integrity with humility. We could go on in and make a scene and start naming names, but who would that honor?" I have to say ya'll that was not my original reaction. I can be a bulldog at times and I was ready to fight. Mess with me that is fine, but my kids - ugh!!!!!!!!! So, we will be going to the district that we live in for a few more months. It is still very good. It is not that we are forced to go to NC that I am upset. It is a great elementary school with wonderful teachers. It is that you are dealing with a 6, 7, and 9 year old. It would be totally different if we had some star athletes that were 14, 16, and 17. But i am going to be uprooting these kids again. They are either going to be the most messed up kids and need much therapy or the most well adjusted and resilient on this earth. Of course you know what i am believing!

Oh Lord, thank you! Here is another opportunity to praise You! Thank you!! First of all thank you for my husband and his wisdom and patience and integrity! Wow, what a man! Reminds me much of my dad. My last post i said that God was going to show off and I was excited to see it. Well, I saw it yesterday in the mirror and at the dinner table. I was hoping that He would find some way to reverse all that has been done and kids could start where we hope to stay for a lifetime. But what He did was even greater and amazing. He softened my heart and gave me peace. He has told me things will be fine and it is time to rise above! I have accepted that challenge and am excited! The work He did in my heart is great - i can not tell you that enough! And the other thing He showed off in was my kids reaction to not getting to go to Carmi just yet - They scream - Yes!!!!! They were thrilled about going back to Norris City for one more semester. Working - oh Lord, I can see you working in this family and I thank you and praise you for it. You have given us great opportunity to praise you and I will!!! I love you, Lord!!!

Norris City, Il. Around Town

This is Doug's Gas Station, etc. This is owned by the people i work out with

everyday, Dave and Candi Dale. Awesome people - some of my favorites!

I have thought an underground house was interesting idea...

This was the original Grade school as "they" call it. It is now a behavioral school.

I found this house the other day driving out to Alisha's. To me, this is one of the

nicest houses in all of Norris City. Picture can not even do justice. Awesome!

That would be 1106 population now that we have moved in.

That is if there are even that many here. I would be willing to bet...

This house is what I have voted as most mysterious, scary, and most potential of all Norris City.

Wow....

This is my daughter Elleigh's beloved daycare on Mondays from 9-1.

This is a huge tractor dealership - I think that is what you call it - in town.

This is the kids "grade" school. Just one wing!!

This is my church - Crossroads Bible Church.

This is a restaurant in town that I love - Cardinal!
This is the Wonder Market. Used for those things i forgot to get at Wal-mart.

Here is our daily exercise - walk to the Post Office.

This is American Beauty where i get my nails done, kids haircuts,

and hopefully mine soon!