Last week flew by pretty fast. Maybe it was because of the weather? We had 3 huge storms last week, and it was nothing but rain, RAIN, more rain, thunder, lightning, tornado warnings, and more rain. Awful! It cleared up over the weekend, but we'll be expecting more rain tomorrow and Wednesday. Ai ya ya. Thankfully, the rain stopped while my parents were driving to LAX last Tuesday. They arrived safely to Indonesia and are calling and emailing me frequently, telling me how much they love it there and how they are gorging themselves with delicious food day after day. Dad says he's enjoying his time there so much he doesn't want to come back home! =)
Had a sleepover at Linda's house over the weekend. We COOKED! She made really good pasta and I made Caleb's bruschetta. It turned out pretty good! Cynthia brought some wine and made her famous brownies for dessert. Stayed up watching Glee and some episodes of a pretty risque tv show called The Diary of a Callgirl...interesting, but very sad. Decided to have brunch at this place called Champagne in Del Mar the next morning and Denise decided to join us as well. I love that place! It's cute because it has a French theme (from the ceiling, the walls, the decorations, the food, etc...) and we all love the food. =) I have to take Caleb there someday.
Spent the majority of yesterday at the mall...I bought Caleb's birthday gift, an APRON! (which has inspired me to cook more), some things for the recipe exchange tonight, and a lot of other little things. Conclusion: No more spending money this week! I can't spend a single penny in order to keep within my budget. Bad news? I already spent 55 dollars today at the dentist!
My insurance policy has changed. I used to have free cleaning and now I have to pay 20%. It's actually not that bad. I only pay about 20 dollars per check-up, but FREE is always better. The good news? No cavities and my teeth have improved since the last time I saw them 3 monthsa go. The hard thing is the maintenance. Flossing every night is SO hard, but I'm going to keep trying to do it. Brushing is no problem for me...in fact, they are telling me that I'm overbrushing. Haha. They want me to come back in 4 months for another check-up to see how I'm doing. *Sigh* Next appointment: June 7th.
I had an attitude check yesterday at church. I felt very convicted during the sermon and realized that I have been taking a lot of things for granted. I've been complaining when others less fortunate than me need my help and things don't go my way, and realized that it's such a blessing for me to help them in the first place. I should be a lot more thankful for the things that I have that I can help others with. This week: work on my agape.
"'For I was hungry, and you gave Me something to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me something to drink; I was a stranger, and you invited Me in; naked, and you clothed Me;I was sick, and you visited Me; I was in prison, and you came to Me.' Then King Jesus will answer and say to us, 'Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of Mine, even the least of them, you did it to Me.'"
SO, Caleb is now in Dam Neck, VA for his MOS school. He has his own room (finally), a shared common area with other people, and he just texted me a couple hours ago telling me his first day went well! I'm excited to hear more about it. I have to remind myself, however, that I have been very blessed this past month because he was only in Mike Company until now....meaning that I had more time to talk, text, and chat with him throughout the day. Now, he can't even bring his phone with him during the day! I know I'll have to adjust once again to his rigorous schedule of school and homework and other things he has to take care of, so I have to mentally and emotionally prepare myself because it's not going to be the same as it was. I have to toughen up...I am a Marine girlfriend after all. =) *Note to self: be stronger and depend more on God.*
"Whom have I in heaven but you? And earth has nothing I desire besides you. "Psalm 73:25.
I'm teaching right after work today. Getting off 30 minutes earlier because my students are coming at 5:30. They had to reschedule from their Friday lesson because one of them had childhood shingles. I have to finish making the bruschetta right after I teach and then scurry away to the Recipe exchange by 7pm. oh boy...so much to do, so little time! This week, our Prepare Enrich class is all about managing stress, too. I'm not doing a very good job starting out!
Ok, tired now. My whole back feels like one big knot. I still have a gift certificate to Joann's (Masseuse) and I'm thinking about doing it this Saturday. I feel like I really need one to relax my muscles and body. I can't wait for February to come already. The sooner February arrives, the sooner I see my other half.
Auf Wiedersehen
tfm.
The Gowan Three
Monday, January 25, 2010
Thursday, January 21, 2010
Monday, January 18, 2010
Quick Slow Slow
" This you know, my beloved brethren. But everyone must be quick to hear, slow to speak and slow to anger" James 1:19.
I need to remind myself (daily) to do this. I have learned this past week that I am not a very good listener, I speak without thinking first, and I get angry fast. It's a recipe for disaster and I have come to realize how it especially affects my relationship with Caleb. The prepare enrich course we are taking has brought up some issues we need to work on...more work on communication and better conflict resolution skills. I have a lot of work to do in this relationship than I thought. I always thought I did a pretty good job of being a listener, but it is clear that I am not doing that good of a job at all! I am quickly defensive, easily sensitive, I interrupt Caleb when I disagree with what he is saying, and I usually don't understand what he's saying to me. What I am excited about is how much we will both grow from all that we are doing in this relationship course. Like he said, I need to stop fitting this "class" and the homework into our relationship, and instead, let the class work around our schedule and our relationship. From now on, we will first have quality time talking on the phone before we do any of the assignments or exercises from the class. If we don't have time to include it in our schedule, then we will simply do it the next day! That takes a lot of pressure off fitting everything in one little frame of time that we have to talk in a day.
This week, we are learning how to resolve ongoing and future conflicts, learning how to take a time-out (the right way), and how to forgive. I'm excited to see how this will help us grow and overcome the difficulties we have... I'm really blessed because although we DO have our areas of weakness, we have a lot more strengths and are very compatible in many areas...so I look forward to improving and perfecting our relationshp to the best it can be. =)
My parents are leaving tomorrow to Indonesia. They will get there Wednesday night (in Jakarta) and will be in Makassar on Thursday. I'll be leaving work earlier at 4pm to say goodbye to them. I'll miss them so much, but I think this will be a good opportunity for me to be more independent. I'll actually have to cook and clean and take care of the house while they are gone. The one thing that I am NOT looking forward to is being by myself at night. I have terrible issues with being home alone (especially at night)...I need to remind myself that I am God's child and that there is nothing to fear because He is in control of everything and that "perfect love casts out fear" 1 John 4:18.
I got a haircut yesterday and am still adjusting to how short it is! He cut about 3 inches from the bottom and everything else is a lot shorter. I'm having a hard time styling it the way I want it to look, so hopefully it gets better...SOON!
There's so many things on my heart to pray for:
-Haiti
-my parent's trip to Indonesia (safety there and back)
-my aunt's hip
-my relationship with Caleb (understand, love, forgive, and help each other more)
-Caleb's deployment (the timing)
-Caleb's safety and protection when he is deployed
-Caleb's MOS school and his move to Cherry Point
-my trip to see him in February
-my sister's relationship with Brandon
-my cousin's marriage
Well, I have to do some last minute things before I go to lunch. It's miserable outside...cold, bleak, rainy, gloomy...I turned up the heater in my office so it's at least nice and toasty where I am. I have to go straight to women's ministry right after work...I am SO excited to play for worship tonight. We are doing a medley of worship songs that my sister and I worked on and it sounds FABULOUS and it's ALL for the Lord! I hope God will use us in a great way tonight. It's our LAST study for the season. We will do a recipe exchange next week so I need start thinking of a recipe that I can do and be proud of sharing (caleb? any ideas?)....=)
Okay, that is it for now.
Salamat Jalan.
(indonesian)
"i see you."
tfm.
I need to remind myself (daily) to do this. I have learned this past week that I am not a very good listener, I speak without thinking first, and I get angry fast. It's a recipe for disaster and I have come to realize how it especially affects my relationship with Caleb. The prepare enrich course we are taking has brought up some issues we need to work on...more work on communication and better conflict resolution skills. I have a lot of work to do in this relationship than I thought. I always thought I did a pretty good job of being a listener, but it is clear that I am not doing that good of a job at all! I am quickly defensive, easily sensitive, I interrupt Caleb when I disagree with what he is saying, and I usually don't understand what he's saying to me. What I am excited about is how much we will both grow from all that we are doing in this relationship course. Like he said, I need to stop fitting this "class" and the homework into our relationship, and instead, let the class work around our schedule and our relationship. From now on, we will first have quality time talking on the phone before we do any of the assignments or exercises from the class. If we don't have time to include it in our schedule, then we will simply do it the next day! That takes a lot of pressure off fitting everything in one little frame of time that we have to talk in a day.
This week, we are learning how to resolve ongoing and future conflicts, learning how to take a time-out (the right way), and how to forgive. I'm excited to see how this will help us grow and overcome the difficulties we have... I'm really blessed because although we DO have our areas of weakness, we have a lot more strengths and are very compatible in many areas...so I look forward to improving and perfecting our relationshp to the best it can be. =)
My parents are leaving tomorrow to Indonesia. They will get there Wednesday night (in Jakarta) and will be in Makassar on Thursday. I'll be leaving work earlier at 4pm to say goodbye to them. I'll miss them so much, but I think this will be a good opportunity for me to be more independent. I'll actually have to cook and clean and take care of the house while they are gone. The one thing that I am NOT looking forward to is being by myself at night. I have terrible issues with being home alone (especially at night)...I need to remind myself that I am God's child and that there is nothing to fear because He is in control of everything and that "perfect love casts out fear" 1 John 4:18.
I got a haircut yesterday and am still adjusting to how short it is! He cut about 3 inches from the bottom and everything else is a lot shorter. I'm having a hard time styling it the way I want it to look, so hopefully it gets better...SOON!
There's so many things on my heart to pray for:
-Haiti
-my parent's trip to Indonesia (safety there and back)
-my aunt's hip
-my relationship with Caleb (understand, love, forgive, and help each other more)
-Caleb's deployment (the timing)
-Caleb's safety and protection when he is deployed
-Caleb's MOS school and his move to Cherry Point
-my trip to see him in February
-my sister's relationship with Brandon
-my cousin's marriage
Well, I have to do some last minute things before I go to lunch. It's miserable outside...cold, bleak, rainy, gloomy...I turned up the heater in my office so it's at least nice and toasty where I am. I have to go straight to women's ministry right after work...I am SO excited to play for worship tonight. We are doing a medley of worship songs that my sister and I worked on and it sounds FABULOUS and it's ALL for the Lord! I hope God will use us in a great way tonight. It's our LAST study for the season. We will do a recipe exchange next week so I need start thinking of a recipe that I can do and be proud of sharing (caleb? any ideas?)....=)
Okay, that is it for now.
Salamat Jalan.
(indonesian)
"i see you."
tfm.
Thursday, January 14, 2010
he is, my guy.
"Nothing you can say,
can take me away,
from my guy.
Nothing you could do,
'cause I'm stuck like glue,
to my guy.
I'm sticking to my guy like a stamp to a letter,
like birds of a feather, we, stick together,
I can tell you from the start,
I can't be torn apart
From my guy.
Nothing you could do,
could make me be untrue,
to my guy.
Nothing you could buy,
could make me tell a lie,
to my guy.
I gave my guy,
my word of honour,
to be faithful,
and I'm gonna!
You'd better be believing,
I won't be deceiving,
my guy.
As a matter of opinion,
I think he's tops.
My opinion is,
he's the cream of the crop!
As a matter of taste,
to be exact,
he's my ideal,
as a matter of fact.
No muscle bound man,
could take my hand,
from my guy.
No handsome face,
could ever take the place,
of my guy.
He may not be a movie star,
but when it comes to being happy,
we are!
There's not a man today,
who can take me away,
from my guy.
There's not a man today,
who could take me away,
from my guy.
There's not a man today,
who could take me away,
from my guy.
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
Philippians 4:8
"Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things."
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
Scripture
Caleb and I had a discussion on the importance of memorizing Scripture the other day. I was cleaning out a drawer in my desk and found my lesson plan from September '09 from church...I took some notes on "why it is important to memorize Scripture":
1. Scripture memory gives us ongoing communion with God and conformity to Christ likeness.
2. Scripture memory gives us daily victory over sin.
3. Scripture memory gives us daily victory over Satan.
4. Scripture memory gives us the ability to comfort and counsel people we love as well as share the Gospel anytime and anyplace.
5. Scripture memory gives us the ability to have patience and self-control with those we interact with and empties our emotional cups.
*you need a plan to memorize Scripture!*
My scripture verse for tonight:
"So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand." Isaiah 41:10
1. Scripture memory gives us ongoing communion with God and conformity to Christ likeness.
2. Scripture memory gives us daily victory over sin.
3. Scripture memory gives us daily victory over Satan.
4. Scripture memory gives us the ability to comfort and counsel people we love as well as share the Gospel anytime and anyplace.
5. Scripture memory gives us the ability to have patience and self-control with those we interact with and empties our emotional cups.
*you need a plan to memorize Scripture!*
My scripture verse for tonight:
"So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand." Isaiah 41:10
Monday, January 11, 2010
Communication
(Isn't he great? Isn't he wonderful?!!! In case you haven't read the post below, it is yet another reason why I am so in love with this man...he is simply amazing and sweet! )
"It is a luxury to be understood." - Ralph Waldo Emerson
Caleb and I had our first Prepare Enrich session this past weekend at Pastor Dave's. I think this will be very good for our relationship and I'm excited to see how much stronger our relationship will be after we finish the 6 week course! The first assignment to do this week is to spend 5 minutes a day discussing the following:
- "What did you enjoy the most about your relationship today?"
- "What was dissatisfying about your relationship today?"
- "How can you be helpful to each other?"
We also have another assignment, which is to write a Wish List of 3 things we would want the other person to do more or less of. Then, we have to discuss what we wrote down and practice being an "assertive speaker" and an "assertive listener." I'm a little anxious to see what he'll come up with, but I can't wait to find out!
We had a little "miscommunication" dispute last night, but it didn't take us that long to make things Okay between us again. It usually doesn't take us that long at all to resolve an issue. I don't think that we have extended a fight for more than a couple of hours. It's because he is so great at talking to me and making me feel better, AND both of us don't want to stay mad at each other anyway! I know some people who purposely extend a fight just because they want to...and I couldn't imagine myself doing that with Caleb. Time is so precious with us that I don't want to waste a single moment with him. SO, some of the things I need to work on personally is to listen more, give him the benefit of the doubt, trust him, be less stubborn, be less stubborn, and be less stubborn. ;)
I feel so blessed to have him in my life. I'll be seeing him on February 11th...ONE more month! It's a four day weekend because of President's Day, so we'll be able to squish a whole bunch of celebrations during the weekend: his birthday, Valentine's Day, and our 1 year 5 month anniversary! I can't wait to see him...my countdown begins today!
I officially have 4 students now. I met with the twins, Alexander and Gabriel, last Friday. I have a feeling it's going to be a quite the adventure with these two...especially with Alex because he is one hyper boy! But, I'm more than excited and ready to take on the challenge and am really looking forward to our first lesson together. We'll see how my teaching career goes...I fully trust that God has a plan for me, and I will continue to pray and seek His will to allow Him to work in my life the way He pleases.
I have my women's ministry meeting tonight. I'm looking forward to see how God will blossom the ministry this year and I feel more than blessed to be a part of it. There's going to be a recipe exchange and a clothing exchange in order...which reminds me that I need to buy myself an apron.
Well, I'm about to leave work soon. There's still a few things to be done, but I'm happy because I finally had my thermometer fixed! I got a new one this afternoon so hopefully I don't have to keep adjusting temperature every 15 minutes. Before I leave, I must say that I am living a luxurious life, because there is no other person in the world who makes me feel more understood than Caleb.
Au revoir.
tfm. (most)
"It is a luxury to be understood." - Ralph Waldo Emerson
Caleb and I had our first Prepare Enrich session this past weekend at Pastor Dave's. I think this will be very good for our relationship and I'm excited to see how much stronger our relationship will be after we finish the 6 week course! The first assignment to do this week is to spend 5 minutes a day discussing the following:
- "What did you enjoy the most about your relationship today?"
- "What was dissatisfying about your relationship today?"
- "How can you be helpful to each other?"
We also have another assignment, which is to write a Wish List of 3 things we would want the other person to do more or less of. Then, we have to discuss what we wrote down and practice being an "assertive speaker" and an "assertive listener." I'm a little anxious to see what he'll come up with, but I can't wait to find out!
We had a little "miscommunication" dispute last night, but it didn't take us that long to make things Okay between us again. It usually doesn't take us that long at all to resolve an issue. I don't think that we have extended a fight for more than a couple of hours. It's because he is so great at talking to me and making me feel better, AND both of us don't want to stay mad at each other anyway! I know some people who purposely extend a fight just because they want to...and I couldn't imagine myself doing that with Caleb. Time is so precious with us that I don't want to waste a single moment with him. SO, some of the things I need to work on personally is to listen more, give him the benefit of the doubt, trust him, be less stubborn, be less stubborn, and be less stubborn. ;)
I feel so blessed to have him in my life. I'll be seeing him on February 11th...ONE more month! It's a four day weekend because of President's Day, so we'll be able to squish a whole bunch of celebrations during the weekend: his birthday, Valentine's Day, and our 1 year 5 month anniversary! I can't wait to see him...my countdown begins today!
I officially have 4 students now. I met with the twins, Alexander and Gabriel, last Friday. I have a feeling it's going to be a quite the adventure with these two...especially with Alex because he is one hyper boy! But, I'm more than excited and ready to take on the challenge and am really looking forward to our first lesson together. We'll see how my teaching career goes...I fully trust that God has a plan for me, and I will continue to pray and seek His will to allow Him to work in my life the way He pleases.
I have my women's ministry meeting tonight. I'm looking forward to see how God will blossom the ministry this year and I feel more than blessed to be a part of it. There's going to be a recipe exchange and a clothing exchange in order...which reminds me that I need to buy myself an apron.
Well, I'm about to leave work soon. There's still a few things to be done, but I'm happy because I finally had my thermometer fixed! I got a new one this afternoon so hopefully I don't have to keep adjusting temperature every 15 minutes. Before I leave, I must say that I am living a luxurious life, because there is no other person in the world who makes me feel more understood than Caleb.
Au revoir.
tfm. (most)
Saturday, January 9, 2010
Growth
This is Caleb.
We had our first counseling not all that long ago with Pastor Dave, and we learned some issues in our relationship that we could work on. A pleasant surprise to find out that we have a great relationship! Not surprising, actually, that the relationship is great, because that's obvious to both of us just due to the sheer enjoyment we both take from being together (even if "together" is from 3000 miles away). BUT, to take a third-party questionnaire, separately, without discussing the questions or answers, and to see just how much a good fit we are for each other... AMAZING. And now to see how well we have been able to work on our "growth" areas, and to see our effective communication in action, and to improve on our communication further- it is all so exciting! Bottom line: I love Nancy.
It's often hard to express my love for Nancy because I've never experienced this before. All I can do is continue to repeat to her that I do, I do love her. Often times she asks, "What do you love about me?" Such a hard question to answer! Can't I just get away with "EVERYTHING"? Because that's the honest truth. The good times, the hard times, the times in between... I love them all! I love every aspect of being in a relationship with this woman- EVERY aspect. Life has it's tests and trials, and I would want to go through it with no one else by my side.
SHMILY
TFM
We had our first counseling not all that long ago with Pastor Dave, and we learned some issues in our relationship that we could work on. A pleasant surprise to find out that we have a great relationship! Not surprising, actually, that the relationship is great, because that's obvious to both of us just due to the sheer enjoyment we both take from being together (even if "together" is from 3000 miles away). BUT, to take a third-party questionnaire, separately, without discussing the questions or answers, and to see just how much a good fit we are for each other... AMAZING. And now to see how well we have been able to work on our "growth" areas, and to see our effective communication in action, and to improve on our communication further- it is all so exciting! Bottom line: I love Nancy.
It's often hard to express my love for Nancy because I've never experienced this before. All I can do is continue to repeat to her that I do, I do love her. Often times she asks, "What do you love about me?" Such a hard question to answer! Can't I just get away with "EVERYTHING"? Because that's the honest truth. The good times, the hard times, the times in between... I love them all! I love every aspect of being in a relationship with this woman- EVERY aspect. Life has it's tests and trials, and I would want to go through it with no one else by my side.
SHMILY
TFM
Friday, January 8, 2010
Crazy
I am absolutely head over heels, crazy in love, with my boyfriend...
and i couldn't be happier.
and i couldn't be happier.
Thursday, January 7, 2010
Technology
Tonight I was able to witness a video Skype session between my mom and her sister in Indonesia. It was wonderful! Their expression when they saw each other was priceless. Both were beaming from ear to ear and just enjoying the very sight (although it was a little blurry) of each other once again.
I am SO thankful for technology. Although many may think that we have become a "lazy" generation because everything is accessible at a click of a button, I appreciate every single technological advancement we've made thus far and accept it with open arms. I mean, reading a handwritten letter via snail mail might have more of a sentimental value than reading just a typed email letter from your sweetheart...BUT, how awesome is it to be 3,000 miles away from the man I love and be able to talk to him every day for FREE, text him at any given moment, gmail chat, email, skype, video skype, facebook poke, facebook message (publicly and privately)...i mean, it's crazy! I take it for granted, but not today. Growing up, one of the things I remember was how difficult it was for my mom to call her family in Indonesia. She must have dialed at least 30+ numbers, had to pay for a calling card, and sometimes the call wouldn't even go through. But tonight, both she and her sister were simply amazed...as was I! From May to December, Caleb and I were in a long distance relationship. Since he didn't get stationed here in San Diego, we'll have to endure more of the long distance turmoil...however, we both got web cams a couple weeks ago and at least I'll be able to see him through a monitor. I am already excited to see him again when he gets his in the mail.
Anyway, I have two potential new students for piano. I will be interviewing them (they are 9 years old AND twins) tomorrow with their mom. I'm looking forward to meeting with them as the mom told me that they are quite the handful. Teaching, although I dread it from time to time after work, is very rewarding...maybe one of THE most rewarding feelings there is. There is nothing like sitting back and watching your student absorb and execute all the information you gave them last week and perform it with precision and excellence. I am very proud of my two students I have now, Ian and Nathan, and I can't wait for the new addition...stay tuned! Caleb has given me some advice on how to keep a 9 year old boy's attention and reminded me to make it fun while still being able to create structure and discipline during the lesson. I'm so blessed that God has given me two more students. I remember last year I asked for 10 students...and now I have four! I have no idea how I would even manage to fit in 6 more hours during my week, but we'll see! There's something about teaching that I love a lot...and it will always overcome my moments of "Man, I'm tired and don't want to teach!" I'll be meeting with them at 5:30 pm tomorrow...so I'll just keep on praying that God will bless this opportunity and that we will all have a great time tomorrow.
One last thing before I sleep, and that is, I have the best boyfriend in the world. He has been working on my budget spreadsheet on Excel and emailed the final copy today. We have found a great budget that I will strive to live by every day, every week, every month, til the end of the year and I am excited to see how I will do! He even made labels that pop out when I scroll over the cells to let me know what the numbers mean! He's amazing and I am so blessed that he is such an intelligent man. I love intelligent men and he is the cream of the crop!
Okay, that shall be all. I got SO much done at work today and I know there's a lot awaiting me tomorrow! Off to bed I go...
Adios mi amor.
tfm.
I am SO thankful for technology. Although many may think that we have become a "lazy" generation because everything is accessible at a click of a button, I appreciate every single technological advancement we've made thus far and accept it with open arms. I mean, reading a handwritten letter via snail mail might have more of a sentimental value than reading just a typed email letter from your sweetheart...BUT, how awesome is it to be 3,000 miles away from the man I love and be able to talk to him every day for FREE, text him at any given moment, gmail chat, email, skype, video skype, facebook poke, facebook message (publicly and privately)...i mean, it's crazy! I take it for granted, but not today. Growing up, one of the things I remember was how difficult it was for my mom to call her family in Indonesia. She must have dialed at least 30+ numbers, had to pay for a calling card, and sometimes the call wouldn't even go through. But tonight, both she and her sister were simply amazed...as was I! From May to December, Caleb and I were in a long distance relationship. Since he didn't get stationed here in San Diego, we'll have to endure more of the long distance turmoil...however, we both got web cams a couple weeks ago and at least I'll be able to see him through a monitor. I am already excited to see him again when he gets his in the mail.
Anyway, I have two potential new students for piano. I will be interviewing them (they are 9 years old AND twins) tomorrow with their mom. I'm looking forward to meeting with them as the mom told me that they are quite the handful. Teaching, although I dread it from time to time after work, is very rewarding...maybe one of THE most rewarding feelings there is. There is nothing like sitting back and watching your student absorb and execute all the information you gave them last week and perform it with precision and excellence. I am very proud of my two students I have now, Ian and Nathan, and I can't wait for the new addition...stay tuned! Caleb has given me some advice on how to keep a 9 year old boy's attention and reminded me to make it fun while still being able to create structure and discipline during the lesson. I'm so blessed that God has given me two more students. I remember last year I asked for 10 students...and now I have four! I have no idea how I would even manage to fit in 6 more hours during my week, but we'll see! There's something about teaching that I love a lot...and it will always overcome my moments of "Man, I'm tired and don't want to teach!" I'll be meeting with them at 5:30 pm tomorrow...so I'll just keep on praying that God will bless this opportunity and that we will all have a great time tomorrow.
One last thing before I sleep, and that is, I have the best boyfriend in the world. He has been working on my budget spreadsheet on Excel and emailed the final copy today. We have found a great budget that I will strive to live by every day, every week, every month, til the end of the year and I am excited to see how I will do! He even made labels that pop out when I scroll over the cells to let me know what the numbers mean! He's amazing and I am so blessed that he is such an intelligent man. I love intelligent men and he is the cream of the crop!
Okay, that shall be all. I got SO much done at work today and I know there's a lot awaiting me tomorrow! Off to bed I go...
Adios mi amor.
tfm.
Wednesday, January 6, 2010
2010
2010: A new decade, a new year, a new season. New goals, new hopes, new dreams. New memories, new surprises, a new time, and now, a new blog. How exciting!
My friend who works at a gym told me that the gym is most packed the first Monday after the new year. Not surprising! A new year: a new beginning that allows us to start fresh and try to get things right this time around. It's a time for growth, reflection, self-improvement, and that is exactly what I will strive for. 2009 taught me so many valuable lessons...but the one thing I learned the most would probably be to trust God in every single situation. There is no other person who is more faithful and loving than our God. I have learned to surrender my desires at His feet and trust that He will lead and guide me through the good times and bad. That no matter where life takes me, He will always remain faithful, even when I am faithless. When I visited Caleb for his TBS graduation last month, I stayed at a retired Colonel's house. He said something during my visit that really struck me: "I don't know where I am going, but I know who I am following." How true is that? Life will take me through leaps and hurdles, but as long as I know that God is in control of it all, leading me according to His way, I'll be okay. Actually, more than okay...I'll be blessed. He tells me everyday that, "I will instruct you and teach you in the way which you should go, I will counsel you with my eye upon you" Psalm 32. There's no greater feeling than to know that I am in the hands of the Almighty.
Actually, there is a greatness that comes quite close...and that is the love of my life, Caleb. I'd say 2009 was a year of TRIALS and tribulations. It was SUCH a trying year for our relationship, but we've endured (some very difficult moments), and triumphed. I can honestly say that our relationship is stronger than it's ever been. We've made it through our first long-distance leg of the race and have many more to look forward to! =) However, it is simply amazing how much we have grown together and learned from each other (and ourselves). Our relationship is truly a blessing. He is such a great leader, such an encourager, he is a man of principles and integrity, and I just simply love him more every day! I am excited to see what 2010 brings to our relationship! More trials and tribs? I hope NOT (let's bring some more joy and happiness this year around, eh?), but even if the worst is still to come...I know we can get through it together. We have realized that we can't make it through anything without God. I'm so glad that we are always able to remind each other to put God first and foremost in our lives and in our relationship.
Anyway, I'm excited about this blog. It's a fresh start for me. I love writing and being able to document the wonderful memories and simple moments that life brings is priceless. I'll hopefully post some pictures that I took over the holidays this weekend. I have an early start tomorrow so I shall head to bed to get the rest I need to survive another long and busy day at work tomorrow.
Sayanara!
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