Summer thus far..

Well, I've been out of school for 2 weeks and haven't found the time to update!!! Last weekend, me and a few friends traveled down to Nashville to go on a 3 mile walk for The Children's Tumor Foundation for little Adrian Wagler!! She is such a sweet little girl and I pray that one day soon they will be able to find a cure to this disease so that she may live the life all little girls deserve...
Wednesday morning I started a sore throat and I thought it would pass, as it normally does, but Thursday morning I woke up not feeling much better so I made a trip to Quickcare and sure enough it was strep throat! I hate being sick and the antibiotics I'm on make me feel even sicker!!
On Thursday a good friend of mine (Brooke) left for Zambia to do some mission work, so I wanted to ask for prayer for safety and as she works with children and the people there while she spreads the love of God!!! She will be there until mid-July!!
I also signed up for a chemistry summer class (which I'm now regretting :)) but I thought it would be nice to get it out of the way so that in the fall I will only have 12 hours of classes and more time to spend on preparing for student teaching and graduation!!!
Hopefully I'll find the time to update with some pics soon :)...
~JM~

Alan Jackson

An avid Jackson fan:)

I recently went to see Alan Jackson on his Freight Train Tour in Evansville!! It's funny how it all worked out- I had heard of the date that he would be performing in Eville and I knew there was no way that I would be able to see him, so I didn't order tickets. But... one thing led to another and the night before the concert, a friend of a friend had row 1 tickets that I somehow managed to get my hands on:) Needless to say, I had an amazing time seeing one of my FAVORITE country artists!! If you've never seen this man in concert before, I highly recommend it!!

School Students

For the past couple of months, I have been working with kindergarten and 3rd grade students at West Terrace in Evansville. The school is fantastic and the students are even more wonderful and so very fun to work with:).. I have truly enjoyed my time there, so I thought I would share a favorite story of mine since the semester is almost over!!

Every Wednesday and Friday I get 50 minutes with my 3 kindergarten students and over the semester we have been studying and observing all kinds of animals. Well, on this particular day, we were studying jaguars and the many characteristics that make this animal unique. We were discussing the foods a jaguar may eat in the wild, and the students were coming up with all kinds of meat they thought the animal would eat. Since they were so focused on meat, I asked, "What do you call an animal that eats meat as their main source of food?" This little boy began sounding out the word that was right on his tongue, ...C...C...C..., and all of the sudden his eyes got so big like a light bulb had went off in his mind and he yelled out, "CATHOLIC!"

Priceless:) Somehow I always walk out of the school doors with a big smile on my face, thinking of all the silly, but honest answers they come up with.

I luckily found out some exciting news that wasn't supposed to come out until October, but I have been placed at Lena Dunn (3rd & 5th grade) for my student teaching which will begin next spring!! I'm so glad to be at a school close to home so that I can live at home and save some money:), but also not far from USI!!

Count your blessings...

Baleigh- you are my light and my laughter. You continue to show my heart that it can love again, with a fullness that seems to overflow!! You give me the strength to make it through each day, and my smile continues to grow as I see a little more of myself in you in every step that you take:)

Briona- you are the energy and free-spirit that I wish I had more of:) your caring and protective heart gives me joy that will always pierce the darkness. I cannot fathom the work of God's hands, but I continue to see you grow into a more beautiful young woman each and every day!!! You are truly amazing...

Mom- how can I ever thank you enough for the time and energy you have spent on me. You continue to lift me up when I fall, even if I do not deserve it! Your love has shown me that I can do all things through my Savior who gives me strength, no matter the obstacles that are ahead of me.
Daddy- your wings seem to push me a little further each day. When I stand, I stand taller because of you. You have given me all of the life and love in the world, and every time I see the brightness of the sun, I can feel your presence surrounding me. You set the example of the life I want to live, and I cannot wait to share all of this with you when I meet you inside Heaven's gates..

To my heavenly Father- you have given me more blessings than I deserve, and you placed me in the family that has molded me into who I am today. I love you with all of my heart..

To my fellow bloggers- when you are down, remember the blessings that surround you each and every day of your life!! They are truly a gift from above:)

~JM~

Easter 2010

Yesterday morning, as the praise team was leading the worship songs, I closed my eyes and all I could see was my dad smiling in Heaven. And at that moment, the only thing I could think of was, "I wonder what kind of celebration is going on up there. How amazing would it be to celebrate the resurrection of Christ while you're standing next to Christ, the Lord of All, and my dad is doing it right this very moment!!!" My mind just couldn't comprehend it! Just the thought of my two Fathers in Heaven together gave me enough peace to get through the day... Hope you all had a wonderful Easter!! :)

~JM~

Valleys..

This morning, as I was sitting in church, I was flipping through my dad's Bible and I found this paper with the following poem written on it. It's amazing that even though a person may be gone you can still feel their heart, soul, voice, and encouragement through one simple poem.

Sometimes life seems hard to bear,

full of trouble, sorrow, and woe.

It's then I have to remember,

it's in the valleys I grow.

If I always stayed on the mountaint top

and never experienced pain,

I would never appreciate God's love

and would be living in vain.

I have so much to learn

and my growth is very slow,

somtimes I need the mountain tops,

but it's in the valleys I grow.

I do not always understand

why things happen as they do,

but I am very sure of one thing

my Lord will see me through.

My little valleys are nothing

when I picture Christ on the cross,

He went through the valley of death;

His victory was Satan's loss.

Continue to strengthen me, Lord

and use my life each day

to share your love with others

and help them find their way.

Thank you for valleys, Lord

for this one thing I know,

the mountain tops are glorious,

but it's in the valleys I grow.

~JM~

For I know the plans I have for you...

Lately, I've been dealing with some anxiety when I think of what my life will bring about in the coming year. I know it may seem like I'm getting a little ahead of myself to be thinking that far in advance, but when that is all you're talking about day-in and day-out of classes, then it seems to take over your mind. With all of the talk and changes going on in the education department right now, it feels that I'm going into a career that is completely changing (in an unpromising direction, in my opinion) and with job opportunities even more unpromising! I know that I can't resort to fear about my future, because my future isn't ultimately in my hands!! I know that God has placed this career in my heart for a reason, and that he has given me this drive for a reason. He has my steps drawn out for me, all I have to do is follow:)

For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Jeremiah 29:11