What I Am Thankful For

A lot of people are posting what they are thankful for on FB. I am putting it all here for you to read all at once. I like to be organized you know.

1. My LORD and Savior Jesus Christ
2. My family: Dad, Mom, Andrea, Josh, Aylah, Macy, Aspen
3. Charity, my roommate, who is allowing me to pay her rent and live with her in her home
4. My job (including my Christian coworkers and the infants that never cease to make me smile
and laugh), even though it is not my dream job
5. My car (and all of the new things I have had to install in/on it within the past 11 months) i.e.
a battery, ignition switch, tires, brakes etc.
6. Sunny and warm (notice I did not say hot!) Texas
7. The Immeker family (my Texan family) Jim, Lynne, and their sons Tyler, Justin, and Alex
8. God's plan for my life and his leading (my plans always suck and God knows what is best for
me)
9. Beautiful Lake Michigan, both the water and the squeaky sand
10. Forgiveness, nuf said
11. Walks outside
12. Hard Rock Christian music
13. All my good friends in Michigan, you know who you are ;)
14. Tall size jeans
15. Victoria's Secret underwear: it's a party in your pants!
16. Nice cold drinking water, and lots of it
17. Being able to talk on the phone with my two-year-old niece and knowing that she still
remembers me and misses me as much as I miss her
18. Meijer grocery stores, try living in a state that does not have them :(
19. Drag strips and all the guys who like to run their cars and crotch rockets there
20. Green grapes (really I think they are my favorite food)

Oops! Haven't posted in two months!

I have been one of those people who just does not post enough. Sorry! I have been thinking about this post a lot though. There are some things I have observed that deserve to be mentioned here.

1. People in Texas park in their driveway and on the street all the time and they have short driveways to begin with. This honestly perplex me for a long time! (I am embarrassed to admit). So why do they do it? Duh Marie! Texans don't have basements! (Which I feel is very unfortunate for them). Therefore all their crap ends up in their garage and thus absolutely no room for cars, not even one. Now, I have noticed that there is more than one garage that really needs my help. Why my help? Because when the garage door is open all I see is a heaping pile (as high as the garage itself) of stuff. Everything in the pile was just literally thrown into the pile! Oh these people need my help and do not even know it! I would absolutely LOVE to go through those piles one item at a time and decide if the item is worth pitching or saving. If it is worth saving then they can decide to do with it but it is not allowed back in the garage unless it belongs there...maybe Texans just need bigger garages or closets...The best garage I have seen though is several houses down from mine. I refer to it as "The Man Cave". I am not really sure if the wife/girlfriend/common law wife (another weird Texan thing) is allowed in the man cave but it definitely looks like a guy's place to hangout. The inside walls of the garage are painted a dark blueish gray, there is workout equipment (for building manly muscles), and get this: two camping type chairs and a nice sized t.v. On game nights you better believe the guys are out there. It cracks me up! (and yes I do believe I saw a fan out there on one of the hotter evenings.

2. Now I know I have mentioned the fences before but they also were perplexing me. Every house has a fence around the backyard and some about halfway up to the front yard. Why? I just could not see any reason except for the fact that the houses are all WAY too close to each other. My friend Lynne enlightened me. It is for safety. A random person cannot just go walking through a neighborhood and cannot even get there from a main road. You see, if the cul-de-sac is near the main road then there is a fence there also, expect for these are iron instead of wood. This also made me realize the neighborhoods are beyond confusing. And no I do not mean like the one-way roads in my parents neighborhood. Nope, these are worse! You can enter part of a neighborhood (which may actually go on for quite awhile but have different streets jutting off the main one) and go right only to find that after it turns the corner it is a cul-de-sac. So then if you try to go left you end up curving around several times and hit another cul-de-sac and then have to go down another street to get out. What?!? So robbers, I am sorry, you are out of luck if you plan to work in Texas. The homes are impossible to find and once you do find the one you want you will spend the next week trying to exit the neighborhood.

3. This one really is just beyond me...Right outside my bedroom window is the neighbor's front door. Huh?!? And right outside our front door is one of the neighbors' bedroom windows. This is because the front door of the house is on the side. This makes the front door area pitch black when you come home at night and if your neighbors like to slam there front door every time they use it (like mine do) you will be woken-up. Also, my neighbors like to leave their front door light on all night long. Now what man came up with this idea? ;) Note to self: never put your front door on the side of your house, especially if your neighbor's house is less than a stone's throw away. Also, do not put the pantry door right next to the refrigerator so you will never ever be able to fully open your refrigerator door. :(

4. My church has been without a pastor for maybe 4 or 5 months now. It was just announced today that the man our pastor search committee extended a call to will be visiting us the first Sunday in December so we can hear him preach and vote as a congregation (just a formality I think). We have had some really great speakers and our church has continued to flourish (adult/child baptisms and people joining) but it will be good to have a pastor again.

5. I am flying home on Christmas Day and staying through New Years!!! So excited! Cannot wait!! Want to see all y'all in Michigan :) (all y'all is plural for y'all).

6. Daily we have ten babies in my classroom at work. The ten enrolled in the infant are two-and-a-half months to ten months old and sometimes our twelve and thirteen month-olds who moved up come back to our room at the end of the day due to ratios. Yes, this means there are two teachers to ten kids and one teacher to four kids. It makes for a very busy day! I love all of the babies and never cease to be excited when they learn something new. My two coworkers are also wonderful, we make a great team.

7. My eyes and ears are still open to any job possibilities in Michigan or Texas. Working at the child care center has always been a temporary thing, especially since they lied to me about being able to apply for the assistant director's position after being there for 90 days. I continue to seek God's will for my next job but have not received any answers or nudgings yet.

8. Did you know there are only two Bureaus of Engraving and Printing in the U.S.? The one in Washington D.C. and one just down the road from me in Fort Worth. I went on a tour of the BEP with a friend and her sons. It was so cool! I learned a ton and would definitely go back again. This facility is making the new one hundred dollar bill and has been working on it for several years. So they had tarps up and windows closed in certain areas so we could not copy what they are doing ;) I highly recommend you checking it out if you ever find yourself in the area.

9. After getting lost too many times to mention a couple of weekends ago I went to Motorcycle Madness at one of the drag strips near here. It was definitely worth going! It made me laugh when I got up into the stands with my t-shirt and jeans on and there were guys with CarHeart (sp?) jackets on! (Don't worry I will still be freezing my butt off when I come home for Christmas). 60 degrees is the new 30 degrees for me :)

10. I have been on again off again sick after getting the Mono and upper respiratory infection. Please pray with me that good health will find me again soon.

11. Thank y'all for listening to my ramblings. I try to post sooner next time. Now don't forget to respond to my post and tell me if it was boring or um...whatever you thought.

Reason to Celebrate

Okay so all ya'll (I have been told this is plural for y'all) may not be celebrating with me but I sure am excited! While playing around on facebook I joined a Gluten-free group. After spending only a short time looking over their page I learned a ton and realized what a great resource this is for me. I am so excited to look into some of the information other people are sharing!

For those of you who may not know, I was diagnosed with a wheat allergy a couple of years back. It is SO hard at times to not eat wheat and actually I still do in small quantities. A gluten allergy includes wheat, rye, and barley. So when I go searching for gluten-free products I know they are wheat-free. So far it has not been easy trying to eat this way and definitely not cheap.

That is why I am so excited about learning more how to save money and find these products. Betty Crocker is making gluten-free cake, cookie, and brownie mixes and restaurants like Johnnie Carinos (they actually tell you what you can substitute to make a meal gf) and Olive Garden are adding gluten-free dishes to their menus.

My other reason to celebrate today was my Savior and Lord, Jesus Christ. I had a great time singing worship songs with one of my WOW Worship Cd's. Although I have a lot going on that is stressing me out, I still have an amazing God who is with me always.

FROGS!

A dear friend loves to remind me that before I meet my prince I must first kiss a lot of frogs. Well, one more frog down...how many more to go? Hopefully the next guy I kiss will be my prince. I have been praying for him for a looong time. Now I would not say that all of my dating relationships have been a waste. I have learned more about myself, about relationships with men, and (most importantly) lessons from God.

So now that y'all know I'm single once again, you should also know I am gaining in my fight against the Mono. I had energy last Saturday for the first time in almost two months. And I did not come home and take a nap every night last week. Now I did still sleep-in until 2:30pm yesterday but I was back in bed for the night at 11:30pm. For the short while I was awake yesterday I got so many things done and feel really good about what was accomplished!

Tomorrow starts a whole new school year at work and I will find myself drowning in the "Two's Room" as the lead teacher. Why do I say drowning? Because they are not sweet little two-year-olds (I loved being a teacher to the two-year-olds at Appletree). They are two-and-a-half year olds who do not like to listen, are potty training, and gang up on me in groups of eleven!!! (The ratio in Michigan is one teacher to eight 2.5yr olds, big difference there).

I am not happy about being the lead teacher because 1. I am only in this classroom for three hours of curriculum time a day 2. I so far have been given no time to prepare my lesson plan (and it starts tomorrow--not good when the teacher has no prep time) 3. I was promised there would be at least 12 children in the classroom requiring there to be a second teacher with me (there are going to be 11 as of the counts on Friday) 4. Actually if there are enough kids for two teachers, the one scheduled to work with me is no help what-so-ever so I guess that would not be good either

Well, I think it is my nap time now. I am really excited about starting the Beth Moore study "Esther: It's Tough Being a Woman" at church tonight. The cool thing is my mom is starting the same study at her church too!

Best Birthday Gift Ever!

The third weekend in June I flew to Atlanta, Georgia to meet my newest niece. Actually I went to babysit Macy because Andrea was in a friend's wedding and needed someone to take care of our little princess. As you can see in the picture, Macy has the most beautiful blue eyes, amazingly red hair, and the softest cheeks perfect for lots of kisses from her Auntie Marie. I had the privilege of taking care of this sweet, almost always happy and smiling angel while Andrea enjoyed helping her friend celebrate. Meeting Macy for the first time was really exciting but I also LOVED seeing my sister again.

Overall, it was a good but busy weekend and well worth it. Thank you Josh, Andrea, Mom, and Dad for the best birthday present ever (flying me to Atlanta). I cannot wait to see Macy and Andrea again soon. (I was hoping to go home in August but plane tickets cost too much!) It is so hard to know both of my precious nieces are growing up so fast while living so far away from me. Aylah is talking SO much and says the funniest things. I continue to talk to her on the phone so she will remember me (She loves to sing to me now too:). The last time I called she all of a sudden said "An Re" like she could not believe she was actually talk to me. SO cute!

This post is so overdue. Just look at the title, my birthday was at the beginning of June and now it is almost August (the hottest month in Texas I have been told). Now that I have had my first taste of 100+ days I know I was not cut-out to live in Texas forever. Although I do not enjoy cold winters in Michigan at least I can bundle up more and my summer is not wasted inside because it is too hot to handle outside.

I now live in house with a very sweet Christian girl, Charity and her dog Lillie. It is Charity's house and she actually had it built. She has scripture painted on the walls in all of the rooms, which I love. I am only 15 minutes away from work and church so it is not too far away.

For a week or two after moving I struggled with a sore throat and extreme tiredness. One Friday after work I went to the doctor and was diagnosed with Mono which explained it all. Taking a week off from work was not fun but all I did was sleep and rest. I never knew how strong Mono was until I got it. I am still sleeping more than usual and tiring out more easily.

On the left is me and John at the Chinese restaurant and on the right is me at the Fort Worth Water Gardens, they were so beautiful.

Before I got sick (and tired) my boyfriend John took me to downtown Fort Worth and Dallas. In Fort Worth we saw the Water Gardens at night which was very pretty. In Dallas we saw the place where former president JFK was shot and learned all about the possibilities of several shooters and where other shots were fired from etc. There were so many beautiful churches in downtown Fort Worth, John is sitting in front of just one of them.

On the left is part of the JFK Memorial and on the right is The Green Monster (a building lit with green lights).

I have been a floater working in all of the classrooms at work. My boss calls me her "everything girl". Working in the baby room continues to be my favorite but I have grown to love all the kids at work. It helps me miss my nieces just a little less. The "politics" of work stink though. I went to the center to apply for the Assistant Director position. Well, I was told I needed to work in a classroom for three months, I started the beginning of March, and that I could apply for the position. The position was recently filled with another teacher at the center and I was never even given the chance to apply. In fact they were training the other teacher on the job for several weeks before even admitting she was training. Needless to say I need to find a better paying job where I will be respected more.

If you have not heard from me lately I would like to blame it on the Mono. I seriously come home and take a nap before dinner most nights. So just give me a call sometime and if you talk to my voicemail I promise I will get back to you, just maybe not the same day.

My trip home this weekend did not work out due to expensive airfare but I am hoping for Christmas now. I never thought I could stand to live outside the state of Michigan for so long!

Blogging

I am enjoying blogging but cannot decide what colors to use. The layout is kind of boring... My new profile pic includes my doggie friend Abby who I got to live with and take care of for a week. She is a very nice dog and makes me miss Aspen just a little less.

Time changes things, God moves

God has brought me so far from this same day last year. I road a crotch rocket to the Saturday Parade last year, this year I am not even living in Michigan.

So many deep thoughts have been going through my mind these past few days: Where will God have me move next (in Fort Worth)? Who will he have me live with? Is God leading me towards a new job? A better paying job? A different career? Will I actually be able to go see my family in August or will I not be able to take the time off from work because other people have already requested off or I am just starting a new job? Will I ever meet my prince? (This question I have been asking for almost a decade now)

All the answers to these questions have already been answered and maybe not in the way I think they would be but only God knows. My hope is in Him.

My mom has been a tremendous help with my frustrations lately. She lets me call and just purge all my frustrations on her and tells me she is praying for me daily. I feel bad for venting to her all the time but it really helps just voicing my frustrations to someone who cares. Thank you Mom for helping once again through a hard time.

For those of you who know my mom you know what a wonderful person she is. In fact, I am crying now as I write this because sending her a card for Mother's Day just does not do my thankfulness justice. I wish I could be home to give her tons of hugs and spend all of Mother's Day with her. She has been my earthly strength while God has been my unearthly strength. Thank you Mom for caring about me so much that you continually listen to me vent and then always have something inspiring to say in response.

Happy Mother's Day Mom! I love you! I miss you!

Piggy Flu

Do not fear. So far I have been safe from the piggy flu. We already wash our hands and the kids' hands like crazy so hopefully no one at my work will get sick.

I have another name for you. Today one of the kindergartners called me "Mystery". I know I have heard him say it before but forgot to add it. When I tried to have him repeat my name after I said it he ended up saying "Miss Arie". I love it, they always make me smile.

Today was a record breaker. I was in six of the seven classrooms at one time or another today. That was the most in one day since I started working at La Petite. It just means I know all the kids in the center :)

Where God Leads

God has such an interesting way of teaching me lessons, all the time. I have finally gotten my car inspected, registered, and have two Texas plates (still need to figure out how to attach the front one but have not gotten the chance to ask yet) and hope to get my drivers license soon. The main reason why I do not have my drivers license is because I got completely and utterly LOST on my way to the public safety office I think is what they call it.

How was I supposed to know that when mapquest told me to take highway 183 it was the same as 121 and highway 820 kind of turned into. The directions were WAY easier on paper! That is the last time I get all independent and think I can travel some place in Texas without ask a local first. The ladies at work were so sympathetic and helpful when I got back from my wasted 2.5 hour break. It was only supposed to take me about 20-25 min to get there with traffic. And yes, I did finally find the place but who knows how I finally got there. God took care of me, even when I had not a clue where I was, where I had been, and where I was going. I have always wanted to be good with directions but it is really time that I stop thinking that and face reality:)

Starting last night I am taking a hiatus from my aunt and uncle's house to live at a friend's house. Her and her wonderful husband and sons are on vacation and I am loving the solitude and time with their lab, who reminds me a lot of my Aspen. This week alone came at just the right time. I have been needing some time all to myself to seek God and just have uninterrupted me time. This includes a longer drive to and from work and a house to myself. Believe it or not I am right in between being an extrovert and an introvert. In fact, sometimes I think people are offended by my spending a lot of time by myself but there are times when I really need it.

One of the big groups I have been attending at church sprouted a women's smaller group. We have met several times and the other women in the group are great. The purpose of the group is to work through stuff in our lives by great devotions, group time, and supporting each other. I am so thankful for this group and for God leading me there the first week I moved here. God is growing me and stretching me in so many ways.

Last Sunday was an exciting day. I was baptized by full immersion. Never thought I would become a Southern Baptist but I will be joining Harvest soon. So many people in my church family have mentioned standing up with me on Sunday as I have seen them this week. (When someone is baptized in the baptistery above the choir loft everyone who is a part of this person's life stands up in the audience during the baptism. The funny thing is there is a huge spot light on the person being baptized and the pastor baptizing them (my Adult Bible Fellowship teacher was the pastor who baptized me). So as I looked out on the huge sanctuary all I saw was darkness and a bunch of figures standing in the front row. Beyond that it was impossible to tell).

Work continues to keep me busy. I work anywhere from 35-40 hours a week. Everyday is different but I always end up in the infant room for the last 3-4 hours. It is good to hear my boss tell me how much she trusts me and is thankful she can put me in any classroom and know I will be able to handle it. The class I was in the most this week was the Early Preschool Room, three-year-olds. One of the boys in the classroom can be a bit of a handful but not as bad as others. I have had the opportunity to talk with him one-on-one and connect a little more with him than other children though.

One of the things I like about this little guy is every once in awhile he will play with my hair while I read books. Who doesn't love having their hair played with? I always have mine in a ponytail because I know the younger kids love to pull hair. So anyway, I walked in the classroom one day this week and the first thing my buddy said was "Miss Marie I like your hair". It put a smile on my face because I had left my hair down and just pulled part of it back, very different from usual. Then later that day he played with my hair while I read books. I think he is going to be a stylist someday.

Another cute thing about the children at school is they all have different ways of trying to pronounce my name. Here are a few I can remember right now: Arie, Missery (Miss Marie), Re, Miss Mary. The other teachers always seem confused when the girl who calls me Miss Mary says my name. I explain to them I have tried to teach her how to say it correctly but it always comes out the same way. They then try to help her pronounce it and get the same results.

Even though I was trying not to apply for a job in child care again because I knew the pay was low I know God led me to this job for a reason...

God has led me to a job I enjoy, is hard work, and fulfilling. However, I am never going to make it on my current income. Please pray God will lead me to the right job at the right time. My hope is to finally rent a place on my own. At this point that is not even close to being an option and I do not know if that is God's plan for me.

Cowboy Baby

I figured y'all deserved an update on the real reason I moved to Texas (yeah right, we all know God led me here for some amazing things to happen, which have not yet happened). I have met several cowboys and lots of just guys here in Texas. However, the cowboys are all married, I think they all marry young, and the other guys are younger than me or just not the right one. That's it. Nothing else to report on that issue. The search continues...

p.s. I am getting baptised at church tomorrow, full immersion, and I am super excited! Then I will become a member of Harvest (a Southern Baptist church:).

Western Michigan Accent

I was pegged by my accent the other day at work. Besides getting a lot more used to the Texan accent I have forgotten that I have one too. One of the parents at work was telling me something and I said "gotcha" without even thinking about it. Immediately she asked me where I was from with my accent and "gotcha". I laughed and told her Michigan. Then the next day I was asking a fellow teacher where the baby's pipe was. She made me repeat the word and still looked very confused. I said "pacifier, nuky, pacy, pipe". She thought I was crazy for calling it a pipe and finally understood. Now that I think about it pipe is a very weird name for a pacifier.


I finally got my car in for inspection and it passed. Next I have to find the place where I will register my car. Mapquest says it is only a 20min drive but I know it will be more than with traffic and it is in an area I have not gone yet.

Today I found out I will have to move by June so my search begins again. You would think I would be good at searching for a place to live since I have lived in five places since college but it is never easy. Especially the trying to find a roommate part because I cannot afford to live alone. Prayers on this matter would be greatly appreciated!

I miss you all and wish you could be enjoying the nice weather and green trees with me.

Strength

That is what God has been teaching me this past week. I have leaned solely on him because now of mine is left. I have always been one of those people who "if it can happen to someone then it happens to me". The two things I have always struggled with: finances and health. When I think, great now I can pay off some more bills and start saving, I end up owing even more for something or an added expense pops up. I never sick per say but I always am battling my allergies and sinuses. Just when I have my allergies better under control I get a sinus infection that makes me sleep all week, except for when I am at work. Well, that is how my past week was wasted and it ended with another unexpected financial thing. God has allowed me to lean on his strength this week and helped me make it work each day. I know he will bless me soon for fighting Satan's numerous attacks.

One a more positive note I will be starting a women's study (on Thursdays) with two or three other women from my church. I have been waiting to be apart of a group like this since I started at Harvest. Monday nights I am apart of a great group of believers who struggles with some of the same things I do. Wednesday nights I go to a bible study which is currently all about parables. Fridays I will once again be able to connect with the group of people my age (go figure that the first meeting after over a month off and I am too tired/sick to attend). Sundays I am in an Adult Bible Fellowship group learning more about the book of Daniel before Sunday service. By surrounding myself with these various unique groups of people I am hoping to grow more in God with other believers and not just learn about Him and meet new people.

Being in active relation with other believers is so important to me and who I am. I am even lucky enough to have a woman at work who I work with for at least several hours everyday to talk about faith with. Yes, we do talk to the babies also but if they are falling asleep in our laps or drinking a bottle it is good to talk faith with the other caregiver in the room:)

I hope God is doing a good work in all of you also. Please e-mail me, text me, facebook me, or something. I miss hearing from all of you. God Bless!!!

Growing

The past year has been very difficult at times. I have had many not so great experiences and have learned amazing lessons from them. The best part of the past year is how much I have grown as a person. I really finally feel like I am becoming the person I want to be. Moving every year or two has made it hard to settle down and work on just being me. But God has been working on me with how I relate to others and how I see the world around me. Friends have told me I have changed since they first met me and I know I am a different person from the one I was in high school or even college. Being in a whole different state without any close friends nearbye has made me realize who I really am. Meeting a ton of new people for the first time could make a person want to start fresh as someone new. Staying true to who I am and continually improving myself has made me see life in a new light. We never really stop growing. God is always working in us and through us. Has God been doing major work in your life?

I am an auntie again!!!

My second niece, Macy Edelle, was born at 11:06am on March 11. She is 7lbs 11oz and 20.5 inches long. She has a full head of brown hair and has the same cute little nose as her sister Aylah. You can see pictures of Macy by visiting the Life in Jersey blog that I follow. Yesterday I got to hear Macy makes some noise while talking to Andrea on the phone, I love it! Both Andrea and Macy are doing great and Aylah loves to hold her little sister. It is such a blessing to have two beautiful nieces. I hope to see them both in August when they visit Michigan.

As far as work goes, I love working in the infant room, no surprise there:) Some of the rules are a little different, such as washing the babies hands and my hands before each change (as well as washing both after which was the rule in MI). Thank goodness for Curel hand lotion! There are a total of 9 babies and I love them all, a couple are just more challenging than others;) I have also helped out in the Early Preschool (3's) and Preschool (4's) classrooms. Just this past week I was in the Toddler Room (2-2.5 yr olds) several times and once in the 2's room. The infant room is still my favorite. I have not quite gotten used to having up to 11 two-year-olds all to myself or 9 one-year-olds.

On Friday I took care of two sick kiddos. One in the infant room and one in the 2's room (with a temp of 103!). I am chewing on Cold-Eeze gum balls and making sure I take my multi-vitamin this weekend. I hope to not get sick within the first month of working in child care, that is what usually happens as you build up your immune system.

The women I work with are great. Especially the three in the infant room, they are all Christians and it is great to chat about our faith while feeding babies. While talking with my boss and a couple of teachers from the older rooms my boss asked if I went to church, they all do, when I told her which church I attend she said "Oh, so you are a Jesus Freak too". Yup! I am:)

I continue to meet new people at church and found a women who really wants to be my friend. She explained to me something I had started to notice. People in Texas are nice and friendly but it is really hard to get past the surface. This woman moved to Texas with her husband and sons two years agob so she remembers what it is like being new to Texas.

Next week I will start the process of becoming an actual Texan. Oh yea I am so excited, not! I have to have my car inspected, change my car insurance, get new license plates, and get a new drivers license. And before all that I have to get a new windshield because the tiny chip I got on the drive down here has started cracking in two different directions like crazy (I did not realize I had the chip until the crack was several inches long.) So I will be praying for my car to pass inspection without any major repairs and that I will not have any hassles going to the several different locations to get my license and plates.

I never thought I would leave MI let alone become a resident of the state with the most pride. God bless Texas!

First Couple of Days on the Job

I have been working at La Petite Academy for two days now and have yet to be a caregiver in a classroom. Why you ask? Because they definitely do a thurough job of training their staff. I am trying to be patient and just soak everything in. I do not even know which classroom I will end up in. My ultimate goal though is to apply for an assistant director position (which is what I did originally but did not know the academy or licensing rules of TX yet).

Some of the licensing rules are very different from the Michigan rules. A teacher is allowed to have a ton more kids in their room in TX compared to MI. One reason why this still works out okay is because the teachers have ways to keep better track of their children and are given more resources to use in the classroom to keep the children busy.

Overall I am happy to have a job and that I am working for a great lady who runs her academy very well. She told me as I was leaving tonight that I will be in a classroom for at least a little while tomorrow for sure. I am getting fingerprinted in the morning so that makes me legal to be in the classroom with the kids as a caregiver. And besides that there will be several teachers out tomorrow. I am looking forward to getting to know some of the kids more.

I will be sure to keep you updated. Right now it has just been paperwork, reading, and more reading:)

Family

I have never been away from my family for this long. Tomorrow it will be five weeks since I moved to Texas. Yesterday I was thinking "wouldn't it be great if I could get a huge hug from my mom and a huge bear hug from my dad? and a big furry hug from Aspen?". I was also thinking about my second niece being due a week from today. I love her so much already, even though I do not know her name and she is not born yet. I think the next time I see any of my family I have a face full of tears because I will be so happy to see them. I knew living away from home would be hard but tried not to let it get to me because I also knew God had an amazing plan for me.

Today I am still waiting for the plan to unfold and wishing I could visit my family while I wait. This leads me to wonder how in the world non-Christians survive. With all of the s**** I have been through and seen others go through and now being this far away from home, I know I could not have made it this far without my Heavenly Father. Who do non-Christians turn to during the s****y times and when they are lonely? Just another empty person who feels the same way?

Wow, this post is getting deep, but stick with me here. I have been thinking about this for a little while and might as well share it. For those of you who know me well you know I have dealt with a lot of crap in my life. It is always one thing after the other and the past year or so has been the hardest. Here is the cool thing: I have grown more in my faith and knowledge of God the most in the past year. God has blessed me through some really s****y times when I was struggling to hold on. I have learned from those times and from the mistakes I made (that God allowed me to make). You see, the thing is, I experienced that crap and made those mistakes so those around me can learn from what I went through and did and do not have to experience it first hand.

"Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything." James 1:2-4

Am I mature? No. I am always a work in progress. But I have learned that I cannot be so trusting of people and not let people get too close until I really know who they are. I have also learned that there in one who I can trust in any situation (again how do non-Christians survive?).

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your path's straight." Proverbs 3:5, 6

I think God has been preparing me to work in a non-Christian environment where I will need to be Jesus to my coworkers. He is teaching me more about being Him to other people in non-obvious ways. I can be outspoken and like to tell it as it is and after all I have been through lately it is easy for me to praise God and share him with others. But I need to remember that others are watching me closely, for that difference in me, and do not want to hear how I am glad I experienced the s****y times. Don't get me wrong, I did not enjoy those times when they were happening and did not always see the blessing I received during them but looking back I CAN see God working through all of it.

Have you seen God working in your life lately? Even during the crap you wish you did not have to deal with? You may not be ready to be happy about it now and you may be yelling at God to make it stop. That's okay, (as I learned at Harvest) just turn to the Psalms. Open your Bible and start reading.

"The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and his ears are attentive to their cry (even though at the time it may not seem like he is listening, he is!) the face of the Lord is against those who do evil, to cut off the memory of them from the earth (do not dwell on those who hurt you, forgive them and work on getting over the hurt, it is a process). The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears them (again, he DOES hear us); he delivers them from all their troubles (His timing is never the same as my timing). The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and save those who are crushed in spirit (he will not let you suffer forever, just for a time)." Psalm 34: 15-18

Please feel free to share with me what God has been laying upon your heart.


disclaimer: I do not like rereading posts after I let the words flow so I am sorry if all the words in my head do not end up on the post, I tend to skip words in sentences when I type or write them out:)

Euchre

My phone rang today with a MI number I did not recognize but I picked it up because someone was calling from "home". It was a friend from church who I had not spoken with since maybe November or December. She explained that her and her husband where looking for another person to play Euchre tonight and that they had not seen me in awhile. I laughed as I told her I was in Texas and that I was actually living here now. We had a good chat catching up and promised to talk again soon.

The truth, I would LOVE to play Euchre tonight, more than anything. 1)I love Euchre 2) last night I had planned on hanging out with 20-30 something people from church after our twice monthly worship meeting but was not able to 3) I still only have one friend in Texas who is my age (actually 3yrs younger).

So, about last night. I had been looking forward to Axis for three weeks (since the last time we met) and was excited to make more friends there and meet new people. Well, God's plan is never the same as mine and I get reminded of that all the time. I met one girl before the worship/message portion and then when it ended we were told we needed to not hang around like usual but just go to the restaurant. Every time after Axis meets they go to the same Tex Mex restaurant.

How no one but me ended up there I am not quite sure. I helped move a couch back upstairs (funny how they bring the comfy furniture down just for our meeting;) and then saw people putting chairs back out. I quickly went the bathroom and when I got out no one was around. I hurried to the parking lot and saw everyone heading to their cars (it is a big parking lot and has several different areas to park). So I hopped in my car and started to drive, then realized I needed a refresher on the directions. I called my one and only friend, found out she had a date that night, and got directions. I ended up a couple minutes behind everyone because I had to turn around and wait for traffic etc. At the restaurant no one was there, I walked all through the inside, looked around the parking lot, and waited a little bit. NO ONE. I was SO bummed. I still do not know what happened but the only thing that got me through the rest of the night was a talk with my mom on the phone while I tried not to cry and a borrowed funny DVD from my aunt and uncle.

Yes, I will admit I am lonely. If I had 18 hrs until the Euchre game started I may just have decided to go. No, not really, it would not be practical. So here I am hoping I can find people at church tomorrow after I volunteer as a sub in the nursery again.

I have always known how much friends mean to me and it has been reinforced over and over ever since I began having goodbye lunches and dinners with friends before I left. Thank you all for your wonderful friendships and know that I think of you all often. In fact when a friend asked what I missed most about MI I said friends. I do miss my parents but I do get to talk with them frequently on the phone and get frequent e-mails which helps.

Totally on a different subject: I love the pastor bible studies on Wednesday nights. We have been going verse by verse through Psalm 23:1-6. This was the first chapter of the Bible that I ever memorized verses from, my mom suggested it and I will never forget. Now after each Wednesday night study I understand each verse on a deeper level. God speaks to me through Pastor Bill every time. God is awesome!

Concerning my job interview: It went well. I think it may be a couple of days before I hearing anything back. There are several other people interested in the position both within the company and outside from what I understand. And I am still not sure if God is leading me back to working at a child care center or not but I have been most excited about applying for this job than any others. I applied for an Assistant Director position, even though I was trying to stay away from working in a child care center again. It is a long story as to why but centers are definitely run differently in TX than in MI.

Love and miss you all!

First Interview

This Thursday, the 19th, I have my first interview since losing my job at the beginning of November. I do not want to go into detal right now but please pray that I will allow for God's will to be done. I am really interested in the position but just do not know if it is where God wants me to be right now.

On a lighter note, Aylah now says "love you". So precious!

Update

I do not have much to share. Not much has happened. The only big thing that has changed is the construction project going on downstairs. The master bathroom was pretty much complete so they moved on to the fireplace and kitchen and my allergies/sinuses have gone haywire. I have been not feeling the greatest for the past couple of days and sleeping more than usual. Then this morning when it was time to get up for Sunday School and church, which I was excited to go to, I realized I felt miserable and would not be going. I am trying to figure out a way to get a steroid allergy shot and not have to pay a couple hundred dollars for it. Pretty much, I am out of luck until the construction is finished. The main floor is still all concrete so things are not looking too positive there.

(I have been taking a lot of the Perrigo drugs for allergy/sinus problems--Thanks Kim!!!)

My job search continues with really no leads but plenty of filled-out applications and sent resumes. The pastor's bible study on Wednesday was about not letting ourselves be discouraged. I took it to heart and am trying to keep a more positive attitude. It can be hard though when I get daily lectures from my aunt and uncle on where I should apply and what job I should do.

I am looking forward to my second niece being born soon, Andrea is due March 6. It will be an eye opener for Princess Aylah but I know she will be an excellent help to her mommy and daddy. Although I will not be able to see the little angel in person I know I will get to see many pictures and hear all about her.

There is another 20-30 something gathering at church Friday night and I am really excited to go. (Can you tell? Today is only Sunday and I'm already talking about it:) Please pray that I will make more friends there.

On Sunday nights I have been going to a six week class that people who have recently started going to the church attend, it is to let us know how the church feels about connecting, growing, serving etc. I have only been able to attend twice so far but am getting a lot out of it. Monday nights I go to a great group called Celebrate Recovery. This group is helping learn more how to deal with a past relationship and the times when I feel a little depressed and anxious about being in another state practically all by myself trying to find a job in a bad economy. That is how I met my one friend from church and a lot of other great women.

I hope you are all enjoying the snow for me:) I am wishing y'all were here to go on walks with me because I wear Capri walking pants and a t-shirt when I go:)

A Dream

Yes, an actual dream that I think I had several times last night because God wanted to make sure I got it. I did not remember right away this morning when I woke-up but I did eventually, randomly. Isaiah 51, but what was the verse??? I grabbed my Bible and started reading. The last part of verse 3 really hit me. I never know how sections of verses are actually identified but since it was the last half I would consider it 3b. The light came on, that was it. Isaiah 51:b was what was in my dream. More specifically, God was giving me Isaiah 51:3b.

Joy and gladness will be found in her, thanksgiving and the sound of singing.

This brings a huge smile to my face! God was telling me that someday, hopefully soon, I will once again have joy and gladness written all over my face and I will be praising him in thanksgiving. I know God will bless me here in Texas, in his timing. What a great promise from God, he wanted to encourage me not to give up.

Also, here are a couple pictures of my church. The first picture is of the entrance to the worship center. Off to the left are the soccer fields, baseball diamonds etc. for the academy that is on the other side of the building with the child care center. A lot of churches have their own private academies (schools).

The picture with the cars in it (I took the pictures from my car window:) is the part of the building to the right of the picture above. It contains classrooms on the second floor and the church offices, church bookstore, etc. on the first floor. I did not take a picture of the academy and child care center which go back toward the back parking lot. Like I said, it is a much bigger church than I ever thought I would attend. And one thing that cracks me up and I also did not get a picture of is the big Harvest church sign that has a screen below it that has the time, weather, events the church has, advertisements for Adult Bible Fellowship, pastor's bible study etc. It makes me think of the screen on the MAST Heating and Cooling sign in Zeeland.

So, now you are up to date on my prophet dream and my church:) The website for my church is theharvestchurch.org just in case anyone is interested.

I have decided I do not need to sign my name at the end of every post:)

Limbo

No, I have not been doing the limbo I just feel like I am in limbo. The space between wanting to find a job and being sick of searching but knowing I have to keep at it and having that job and also a lot more motivation because I am not sitting in front of the computer in my bedroom filling out the same information over and over again.

I have an interview at Manpower on Monday but do not think it is a good thing that they have been consolidating their two local offices this week. There are several other staffing agencies that I have applied at and contacted and hope to hear from on Monday because otherwise I will be calling them again. I will not bore you with all the places I have applied but trust me, there have been a lot.

The hardest thing from keeping me motivated is not being able to hangout in any other part of the house during the day because 1) I need to be at my computer 2) the construction continues along with more dust and yucky allergies. I have found it difficult to interact with my aunt because she is always asking me what I am doing, where I am going, and lecturing me on job searching and which job I should take/apply for.

I have one friend from church but she is very busy. I have met other people from the 20-30 something group. They meet every 1st and 3rd Friday (but not tonight) to worship, hear a short message, and then go out for dinner. I hope to get to know more of those people better soon. They have a certain place where they sit in church so now I will always have someone to sit with, yea!

We have Adult Bible Fellowship before church each Sunday. Evidently the same two teachers teach a children's class all year long! They just opened a new baby room and got two volunteers even before I contacted them but I will be the back-up for nursery through two-year-olds. I will cherish those times:) Otherwise the 20-30 somethings have a group during that time and there are many others. I may check out a different one next Sunday just to see.

I hope to get a picture or two of my church to post on here. If you go to their website there are no pictures of it so I told my dad I would take some. I never thought I would feel comfortable at a large church but I LOVE Harvest. Besides meeting new people every time I go there during the week I love their ministries.

I am missing all of you and wish you could come visit. I do not miss Michigan yet, mainly because I know how cold and full of snow it is. In the summer will be a whole 'nother deal--I will miss the beach terribly.

About a week ago I tried talking to Aspen (my parents' golden retriever who I bonded with the day we took her home) on the phone but she was already on her doggy bed and only perked her ears up a little bit as if to say "you really want to talk to me now? don't you know my eyes have already rolled back in my head and are not registering?". Which by the way, I hate the time difference! With me being behind I am always calling people at bad times, sorry Mom! I think it would be better if Michigan was behind Texas, oh well.

Time for me to go, no wait, time for me to stay right here in my chair and do some more job searching. Next week I plan to go visit some places.

Love and miss you all, God Bless!
Marie

The Neighborhood

Fort Worth is an interesting town for several reasons. First of all, the speed limit is either 35, 40, or if you are lucky 45. Secondly, all the houses have wooden fences surrounding their back yards. So when I drive down the street I either see stores upon stores or wooden fencing. Some of the fencing is nicer than others but all fences are whole. What I mean is, if a slat in a fence breaks the owner is most likely to just replace it with another slat, even if it is not of the same wood. This is because in order to replace a fence in Fort Worth you have to get a permit.

This does not make sense to me. We all get to enjoy the sight of nasty fences as we cruise down the road at 40mph only because it takes too long for the owner of the fence to get a permit. Now, I would understand the nasty fences if the speed limit was more like 50 or 55 because then people would be passing the fences so fast they would not have time to see what condition they are in.

Honestly though, there is a lot of traffic around Fort Worth and so you do not want to go any faster than the posted speed limit. People turn without using their directionals, slow down at the last minute, and sometimes there are two left turn lanes out of the blue. Once again I have to bring up the "fire lanes". They are not only in front of every curb, they are also in front of every parking spot. In other words, do not back part-way out of your spot and just sit there because you would be in the fire lane.

I was driving down one of the roads yesterday wondering what the speed limit was when suddenly I saw a speed limit sign. It just so happened to be in someone's back yard propped up against their metal swing set. Evidently someone had driven through the fence after knocking over the speed limit sign. I am guessing the owners are hoping for a reprieve on fixing their fence since the speed limit sign is still be properly displayed:)

On this particular drive I had run several errands, one being grocery shopping at Wal-Mart. The funny thing is I was less than 10min from home and passed another Wal-Mart on my way home. Why do they need so many duplicate stores? Because the stores are always busy with people. You see, the yards are small and houses built close together so we can cram in the Texans, like the state isn't big enough already. You wait, within a month I will be all about Texas pride.

Texans are quite a different breed when it comes to "bad weather". There was a low turnout at a church activity Monday night because it was really raining outside and ice was forcasted for the morning. Well the ice did come Tuesday and Wednesday. True, it was a nice thick layer on everything but the Texans still freak out over it. I was warned by many people at church NOT to drive when the roads are icy because of all the idiots on the roads. (like guys who drive big pick-up trucks and up on the news b/c they crashed after "only moving into the other lane". duh! you were driving way too fast!)

Let me get this straight, some people are so scared of the ice they stay home all day, other people think they are invincible and can handle flying down an icy street, and I'm stuck at home laughing because I don't dare get hit by an idiot even though I know how to drive on ice. Yeah, I think I'm starting to fit right in around here.

I feel like all I've blogged about is traffic but that is the biggest change for me. Ever since I got my license I lived in Idlewood, at the lake. Going down Lakewood Blvd. is busy but I would usually be the only car left by the time I got to 168th. There just wasn't traffic on Lakeshore Dr. unless it was summer and a good beach day at Tunnel Park.

I'll try and have some more fun experiences before I most my next blog;)

The Cornerstone

I have been in Texas for five full days and have encountered many new sites, sounds, and road names. There is a lot of grass and trees (unlike Jersey City where my sister lives) but only half the trees have leaves and the grass is brown. There are huge jets flying overhead day and night, the Dallas airport is nearby—I have actually enjoyed the noise. There are railroad tracks not too far away but hey, I’m from Holland. Getting stuck behind trains is one of my hobbies. Also, there is a much larger population of Hispanics than in Holland, all of whom are super nice even if they don’t know English. One of the construction guys working on Todd and Tammy’s house explained to me in Spanish and with hand signals that I am tall.

As for the different road names I previously mentioned, Texas seems to take the cake. It seems as if every major road (which would be any road not leading into a neighborhood) has two if not three names. One road I was looking for yesterday had three names, all of which where on the street sign! 1709, Keller Pkwy, and W something I cannot remember at the moment, were the three names.

I have a five mile radius mapped out in order to get the hang of driving around here. The three main roads running East and West are Watauga, N Tarrant, and Basswood Blvd. Kind of different from Lakewood, James, and Riley. It’s a little ironic that if I’ve hit N Beach St. that I know I have gone too far. Get it? If I’ve hit the Beach I’ve gone too farJ.

For some reason I have seen many men riding motorcycles (without helmets!) and no men riding horses. I guess that’s what is to be expected when living in such an urban area. Despite the urban environment I have not however concluded my search for a cowboy! At every intersection there are about twenty stores, all of which you get to by driving through the other store parking lots. I have learned to never try and turn left out of any parking lot. There is a CVS pharmacy at almost every intersection. Wal-Mart and Target have large grocery sections inside them, which kind of makes up for me missing Meijer.

There are not any lines painted on the roads, only reflectors that look like little bubbles sticking up out of the cement. Someone decided there should be a ton of fire lanes at the base of every building and has made them very obvious with bright red paint and the words “fire lane” painted in white. And fire hydrants are silver.

I have yet to see a painted curb. However, house numbers are painted in small rectangles on the curbs at either side of a driveway. You can support your favorite Texas team by painting your house number in their colors or paint something such as a Texas Longhorn next to the number.

Mailboxes are nonexistent on some streets. However, you will find a nice brick (just like all of the homes) column with small metal mailboxes in the back. Do not expect your address to be on the box though; they are numbered 1-9 and require a key to open. Why a key? Because everything must be locked at all times: your front door, both gate doors to the back yard, your car, and do not leave your purse in the car.

If the weather is supposed to be in the upper 70’s that mean between about noon and 5pm. The screens are so dense that you have a skewed view of the world outside. There is construction dust everywhere because someone decided to tear up the front entryway, formal and informal dining room, and kitchen floors only to begin work on the master bathroom. When water hits the concrete floor it turns to mud.

Now don’t get me wrong, I love living here. I just think making light of all these new experiences is the only way to adjust quickly to a lot of change all at once.

I visited a mega church (which also houses a private academy and day care) the other day. The church secretary was so sweet it was like we were related but had just never met before. She was so excited to introduce me to people who worked at the church, including the pastor, that night when I came back for an informal “pastor’s bible study” on four words in Psalm 23. The message was on grief and both Pat and her husband Joe told me they lost their son on December 19 and I met his fiancé too. I cannot imagine what they have been through in only the past month.

I am hoping to get involved in the singles ministry, women’s ministry, and prayer ministry at Harvest church. My beliefs parallel theirs and so far I have felt right at home. I will be taking a one time class Sunday morning which will tell me more about Harvest and give me a tour of the facilities.

I have not met anyone my age there yet because they were all helping with the youth on Wednesday night. That just means I’ll plan on doing just the same in the future. I enjoy working with kids and have not worked with middle schoolers since I was in high school.

The trip down here was an adventure of its own. My friends Hilary, Jodie, and Ronda drove down with me. We used Hilary’s van and my Saturn. Friday night we stopped in Memphis where we had ribs at Rendezvous’, bar hopped on Beale St., and then had a tour of Graceland in the morning. My favorite part of Graceland were Elvis’ motorcycles and the plaque containing all the organizations he donated money to, oh, and his 15 foot white couch in the living room.

It is interesting to hear everyone’s take on the economy in Texas. Some say it is doing alright, others say it is slowing down, and then there are all of the buildings going up all over the place suggesting that things are going well. Fort Worth is apart of the Bible belt. On every other corner is a church and most of the churches seem to have schools or day cares attached to them.

While reading employment adds in the newspaper today I found an ad requiring the care of “mentally retarded” adults. WOW. There are still a lot of close minded people in this world. I cannot believe they actually were allowed to print that in the newspaper.
Okay, that was a really long first post but I have not gotten my computer hooked up to wireless internet and just last night decided to compose this on Word and later paste to my blog.

Your Texan Girl, Marie