HAVE A LITTLE TALK WITH JESUS

I left my journal entry a little open ended yesterday - time ran out. But I'd like to continue with a little bit more on prayer. In my first book, `In the Palm of His Hand', I wrote about my Mum, who just loved to pray. She would get up early every morning, and if I happened to see her, I would stand and watch her, on her knees, sometimes in tears, praying for each member of her family.

I guess, as the only Christian in my family, now my sisters have passed on, I feel it is my `obligation' to do the same. Unfortunately, this is not a real gift the Lord has given me. Oh, I get up early in the morning - that's no problem. I go for my walks, and I talk to the Lord, but lately my life as been so stressed out, I've been forgetting about praying for others.

I pray little prayers during the day, and Mark and I pray together over devotions, but like I said in my journal, when it comes to those times `just before or after the stressful situation' I forget.

At Kids Club yesterday a little boy summed it up perfectly, just how I felt. He said: "I don't pray when something happens, because I'm too worried". Of course our young minister went on to say, that this is the best time to pray, because God helps us not to worry.

It's sounds simple, really, so why don't we do it. I'd like to give you some great `spiritual' answer, but for me, it is simply that those chemicals in my brain just seem to go beserk, and I forget. It's not that I don't believe that God isn't with and won't listen - the knowledge of his omnipresence is what keeps my faith strong. But at stressful times, I just forget!! But I'm going to work harder at it - because I know having a little talk with Jesus in those `stressful' times is what the Lord desires of us all.

HAVE A LITTLE CHAT!

Have a little chat with the Father,
It can really be lots of fun.
He loves to talk, and listen too,
When He's sitting there with His Son.

Sometimes it's a bit of correction,
Or a little rebuke you may need.
But His words are always said in love
As He plants a little seed.

Have a little chat with the Father,
Each and every day.
It's amazing how at peace you feel,
As you LISTEN to Him when you pray.

Mostly its words of encouragement
With maybe a little `joke'.
He'll make you feel really important
One of His special folk.

Have a little chat with the Father
Conversation is a two way thing.
I can tell you from experience
It has a lot of joy to bring.

Our relationship with the Father
Can only grow with prayer.
When we take a little time each day
To talk, listen and SHARE!

Ruth Cheater.

Journal - Friday October 31st 2008

Greetings!! I notice I have two more followers - welcome!!

This week, started as last week - on a high, then down low - but I am pleased to say that it has finished on a high. I have been busy with testing, marking - which call me crazy, but I actually really enjoy. Unfortunately, it is quite monotonous and makes me really tired. (no misspellings yet).

Wednesday was not so good, but actually from there it went up. I was involved with an accident on Rosedale Rd/Gin Gin Rd. While waiting for traffic, so I could turn, a car came into the back of me. There was only a little damage to my car. I got off the road though, to get `addresses and thing' and noticed the car behind me had gone into a pole, followed by another car into his boot. The police told me it wasn't my fault, but that's what they said last time. Mark isn't even mad at me, but for the last few days I have still felt a little guilty. What made me worse was when I went to Oakwood on Wednesday afternoon and the rumours had spread. Everyone thought I was dead - except those who saw me standing on the side of the road. (still no mispellings yet, the computer doesn't know how to spell Rosedale and Oakwood).

So, after such a bad week, why I am I feeling better. Well 4 reasons:

1) Mark has been really good about it. We even went out to dinner last night, after he'd gone mad at me for buying more stuff at `Koorong'. My boot won't shut, and he's a little concerned about that, so he's taken my car into get some quotes today.

2) I received a bunch of flowers from one of my student's parents, who saw the accident. She said she thought I needed to be made to feel better. I was overwhelmed. I don't get flowers very often. Mark isn't really a flower giver!!

3) At my meeting with Wayne (my principal at Oakwood) yesterday, he said he was talking to the Principal at Elliott Heads, and she had told him how good I was. She was worrying about not having me next year.

4) On my walk today, the Lord reminded me to stop worrying about myself and start praying for the other people in the accident. I have been feeling a little down about my prayer life lately. I pray in the morning, I pray during the day - but I never seem to take time to pray when I am going into, or have been in stressful situations. Isn't that stupid!!

So - it's time to get to school for more testing, and a weekend of marking. What a wonderful day!!

HELP ME PLEASE!!

This `blog' is very boring at the moment, I know. Unfortunately, by `helper' is away at the moment and has been going through some rough, busy weeks with sick family, funerals etc, and she is moving house. So I'll give her a couple of months to settle down, before I start asking questions. Meanwhile, you'll just have to put up with boredom.

The main reason I wanted to start this BLOG, was so that I could encourage others with God's Word. The more I start writing, the more I think of other ways this blog could be useful. I intend to put on some `Kid's Club/Sunday School' stuff, and maybe for those who do `hometeaching', maybe some things that I'm learnt over the years - Lesson Plans, Information about Learning Difficulties etc.

But none of this will work, if I can't find how to get others on to my sight. That is my objective for this weekend. Of course, I'd like to find others to follow myself too.

So, please be patience!!

Journal - Saturday 25th October 2008

I can't believe it - two days in a row!!

I have had a real week of annoying dreams - mostly school related. Whenever I start at a new school, I always feel like I'm a `new teacher' on probation for at least a year. I guess I am really. I am following in the footsteps of a Support Teacher who had been there for many years - I am being compared, whether I like it or not. But why, after all I've been taught in the Word, do I still feel I have to prove myself to others?

Anyway, back to the dreams. Last night I was at a parent/teacher interview. You know the kind at High School, where all the teachers are set up in the `auditorium' or big room, and you have to go around to each them. In this case, I was the student. I can't remember any of the specific comments - all I know I woke convinced I was the worst student (teacher) ever.

I do believe the Lord is trying to tell me something though, because when I woke up I read my Bible - (Ecclesiastes 3).

"God has made everything beautiful for its own time. He has planned eternity in the human heart, but even so, people cannot see the whole scope of God's work from beginning to end. So I concluded that there is nothing better for people to be happy and to enjoy themselves as long as they can. " ECCLESIASTES 3:11&12.

Then Charlie spoke to me from his book `Encourage Me' - the chapter entitled - `You are not a nobody'. He talked about the people behind the scenes in the lives of Martin Luther, Dwight L Moody, Charles Spurgeon and of course Paul - whose names we don't even know.

"Some of the parts that are the weakest and least important are really the most necessary. .... So God has put the body together in such a way that extra honour and care are given to those parts that might otherwise seem less important." 1 Corinthians 12:22, 24.

If it weren't for the heroic `nobodies' there wouldn't be the top-notch leaders in the Church - or in my case, schools. Most importantly of course, God doesn't see you as a nobody, He has selected you for the role in which you are placed. Be ENCOURAGED!!

Thanks Charlie!! Thank you Lord!!

Finally, there was my devotion in Bob Gass' `Word for Today'. The question was asked what does God value in your job peformance - the answers:
1) Humility and servanthood, not pride and a sense of entitlement.
2) Courage and risk taking.

I think it's time I took God's words to heart!!

Journal - 24th October 2008

Well, again, I haven't been able to write everyday - if I did you would have been very sick of me, I can tell you now.

One of the things I didn't put in my `introduction' about myself (not because I'm ashamed, I just don't always think about it), is that I suffer from clinical depression, which sometimes culminates in annoying panic attacks.

The reason I don't bring it up much, is because it doesn't really affect my work or my faith. I can still teach quite competently, and when I have an attack, I know the Lord is with me, because he always sends someone along to help me through. Unfortunately, I realized this week (and I've known this for ages but haven't wanted to accept it) it does effect my communication with my peers.

I'd actually thought I was getting better, I hadn't had an attack for a while.

Monday morning I woke up - really keen about my day. Chris (my principal) and I had spoken about the necessity to enhance our intervention program. Great - I spent the weekend going over the test results and came up with 3 main needs - `Reading Comprehension (including numerical problem solving); Basic Facts and Phonemic Awareness (mainly with my students suffering from undiagnosed Dyslexia or other learning difficulties.

So, I got prepared - I had some strategies all ready to present to the staff when it came up. So what happened!!

Well, I left the meeting `angry and disapointment', tears pouring down my face, and my blood pressure rising - `why didn't they listen to me.' Why doesn't anyone ever listen to me?

Over my years (I would say nearly 30years now, including my Teacher Aide time), in education, I have studied a lot of strategies for teaching and learning. A few years ago I started writing some books - the first was about `Writing', the second `Reading and Comprehension' and the third `Spelling'. Each time I finished a book, I would present it at a Staff Meeting and Learning Support Meeting', really excited about how these could help teachers in their classrooms etc. I guess I am just not a very good sales person (I wasn't selling for money) - because the books are now just sitting on my shelf gathering dust.

Anyway, the last two years I've had a great desire to find out `WHY' rather than just `WHAT', so I've been studying up on Audio Processing, Dyslexia (Dyscalcia), Eye Convergence, and may even put together another book (I've decided I'll just put my findings on my `blog' and if people are interested, they can have a look.) I've been doing screeners of my students in these areas, and I believe it is helping me to diagnose and help my students better.

Again, on Monday, I was really excited about sharing some of the programs I had put together. So why didn't I share them - well basically, I didn't think the time was right. But maybe I was thinking back over other times of rejection, and just couldn't do it. Who knows? All I know I missed a perfectly good chance because I was too afraid!! And for this whole week I have getting more and more frustrated with myself, and consequently - depressed. It is now Friday - and although I love my work, I just can't seem to get the energy up to get ready to go.

But I will - as I always have. The clock is ticking over, and I still aren't dressed. I have `Key Teacher' meeting this afternoon, a new job I have taken on this year, and I can only pray that I can make it through - with God's help, I'm sure I will!!

JOURNAL - Sunday 19th October.

As you can tell - I have missed quite a few days with my journaling. I went for a lovely walk on Monday and couldn't wait to get on the computer - but then I looked at the clock. It looks like I'll have to get up 1/2 an hour earlier.

Anyway, what happened on Monday. I had a good chat with the Lord about `healing'. and my faith. It's not that I don't believe - I can't not believe with all the wondrous things that have happened over the years - I just don't seem to have that confidence to say `I believe' in front of a crowd of people.

With little Hannah, our minister's daughter being so sick, it has reminded me of all the time God has healed Aaron - without me even asking. Aaron was born 3 months premature, and there were a number of times over the early years that we nearly lost him. One of those times was when he had pneumonia. The doctors didn't diagnose it at first - it wasn't until we'd taken him to the hospital, and he was admitted that they found it.

He was 6 years old, and by this stage I hated hospitals - and I didn't care too much for doctors and nurses. It was also at this time, that God reminded me of `childlike faith'. I believe this is too, what he is reminding me of again. He's never let me down before, so why should I not have confidence in his healing power, enough to show others.

This is just a little poem I wrote when Aaron was in hospital those many years ago:

"Ah, excuse me nurse, my name is Mike.
I'm just new here, but there's something I would like.
My mummy won't be long, she's gone to get my rug.
Ah, please, would you.............. ah, could I have a hug?

I'm just a little scared and a little sad,
I was wondering please, would you hold my hand?
I know I'm getting big; I've been brave the doctor said,
But would you mind, for a minute, just sitting on my bed.

Mum says that Jesus will make me better quick,
And I know that is really true, `Cause I told him I was sick.
Well, I guess you better go, you've got other kids to see,
And here comes Mum and Dad, ah, thank you Nurse for loving me."

...............................................................................

I gird myself today with the POWER OF GOD.
GOD'S STRENGTH to comfort me.
GOD'S MIGHT to uphold me.
GOD'S WISDOM to guide me.
GOD'S EYE to look before me.
GOD'S EAR to hear me.
GOD'S WORD to speak for me.
GOD'S HAND to lead me.
GOD'S WAY to lie before me.
GOD'S SHIELD to protect me.

-St Patrick's Breastplate.

Journalling

I was on the phone to my son this week, telling him about my blog. He admitted (well not really, but a mother can hope) that he was missing me as much as I am missing him. He knows that I do a lot of journelling, so he asked me to write my journal (diary) on my blog, so that he can know what I'm doing every day.

I'm sure, reading the diary of a `boring teacher' is not for everyone, but now and then I will come up with something inspirational.

One of the problems is, when do I find the time. I haven't even had a chance to put a picture on or tell you a bit more myself yet. I woke up a little early this morning to go for my walk, so maybe this will be a good time.

So here is my first journal item:

Date: October 8th 2008.

What a wonderful morning the Lord has given us. I started my walk this morning looking at the trees we planted many years ago - most of them don't look to be doing to well - but when looking a little closer, although they looked like they were dead, they did have a little new growth. The lemon tree even had a few lemons.

I guess that's how I'm feeling at the moment. As I start a new term at school, I feel a little `dead', overwhelmed again by all the work I have to do, lessons I have to plan, but most of all, all the people I have to please.

As a Learning Support teacher (they call us specialists, but no one takes much notice of what we say), working at four different schools, it is hard to keep everyone happy. One school isn't happy with their days, another school isn't happy with how much time they get, I believe some aren't even happy with my work. Parents, teachers and sometimes Principals think we are `miracle workers'. We diagnose a problem, give advice, and then we are supposed to fix the problem `in a week' (that's a little exaggeration).

Queensland teachers and Principals are all a little `stressed out' that we have not reached the National Benchmarks with literacy and numeracy. But parents and teachers need to remember, that when it comes to Year levels we are behind the rest of the nation. We have only had PREP for last 2 years. Where other schools start High School in Year 7, we start in Year 8. We have a lot of catching up to do. It is not the teacher's fault, and meanwhile we Learning Support teachers need to understand their stress, and do the best we can. I hope they can learn to have a little patience with us too.

That's my little bit of new growth! If I can learn to do this, I will be able to and hopefully meet the needs of my students the best I can.

My other bit of `new growth' came last night. Yesterday they were talking about overseas teaching and `getting lots of money'. So last night, my hubby and I got on the computer and checked it out. We decided that God and the family have always been first for us, and we see no need to be doing something `just for the money'. We have decided to move further, possibly in 2010, so we won't miss out on `grandchildren' and family, like our parents had to. It might not be as glamourous as Korea or China, but as for us simple `Queenslanders' it's okay!! Don't worry Aaron and Emily, we won't get too close!!!