You do not have because you do not ask!

Since God answered this prayer last week, I had to put in some new ones. I've mostly been praying for a friend to open his heart to Jesus. He's a hardened recovering Catholic who believes that all paths lead to God and being a good person gets you to heaven. I love him dearly and want to see him there. I've also been praying for Him to bless my AdvoCare business, as the extra income will help me get out of debt faster (to give more money to His work) and free up my time from all of the side jobs that I'm currently doing to accelerate my debt reduction. (I've reduced it 5% in the last 6 months.) I made sales to 3 new customers this week; one was a nanny who saw me taking an AdvoCare Slim after school one day a few weeks ago. I gave her a catalog and my card and all of a sudden, she called today with questions and then ordered online. I've also started making a smoothie with the meal replacement shakes and fresh fruit. As I walk around school with it, people ask for a taste and now a coworker wants to buy a box.

I look up every time and whisper "Thank You."

Administration and the Bible

Ecclesiastes 10:5-6,10
There is an evil I have seen under the sun, the sort of error that arises from a ruler:
Fools are put in many high positions, while the rich occupy the low ones...
If the ax is dull and its edge unsharpened, more strength is needed but skill will bring success.

This was part of this morning's reading. As I read, the images of administrators and band directors I've known flashed before me. My morning prayer was to be sharp and stay calm at work, today and every day.

Prayers answered

James 4:2-3 "You do not have because you do not ask God. When you ask, you do not receive because you ask with wrong motives...."

The commentary in my NIV Study Bible asks "Does God answer prayers if our motives aren't pure?" and goes on to say "There will always be some selfish elements in our prayers. In spite of this, God graciously hears us and answers us when we pray. But if our requests center on ourselves, rather than on God's purposes, God refuses to hear and answer. If he granted such requests, his integrity would be compromised and we would not benefit spiritually."

Remember this? Well, yes indeed it's true. I found out a few weeks ago that my brother and his wife have been trying very hard to get pregnant. Now, the REST of my family isn't really speaking to my brother. I've heard both sides and frankly don't care. Their problem isn't my problem. So in chatting with my sister-in-law about their latest fertility treatment, I told her I would add them to my morning prayer list. And I have prayed every morning. My motive was to bond their new young family and hopefully bridge together my own.

Guess who's pregnant?!

Back in the Game

I'm finishing up my 20th year of being a band director. (Of course, I am extremely gifted and started when I was 9!) My first 5 1/2 years were spent in an inner city situation where just surviving the day was a challenge. By the end, I had built a solid program where the kids and I were having fun and scoring well at district evaluations. We never cracked the Superior ceiling, but given the situation, it didn't bother me so much.

Then I moved to a better public school for the next 5 1/2 years. Within a year, I realized that I DID have a clue and we were getting Superiors every year. The kids and I were having fun and I felt I was at the top of my game.

When I moved to my current situation, I was still there. I took the band to their first evaluation and again, Superiors. The previous director never went because he felt the association didn't understand the needs of the smaller school. Perhaps the director didn't understand the game.

In Florida, if a middle school director earns Superior ratings for 5 consecutive years, a special recognition award is earned. (Appropriately named, the "5 years Superior" plaque.) Imagine my distress when after 4 years, I got an administrator who, through bad choices and no backbone against parents, decimated my program in 2 shorts months. Subsequently, an Excellent rating. Which meant back to square one on the 5 year plague.

Luckily, he didn't last more than that year, but the damage was done and it's taken me quite some time to get things back to where I'd had them. It's been so frustrating to fall short and wonder "Do I really GET it?" I know that the ratings aren't always a true reflection of the director's ability and that an Excellent rating can still show that the director is teaching well, but still - at one time, I could earn Superiors in my SLEEP.

This year, the tide has turned. Yesterday, the band not only earned a straight Superior, but had almost straight A's on their sheets. The B's earned were areas that I knew weren't quite locked in, so I totally saw them coming. MOST importantly, the kids and I had fun and they are ready to move on to the next project. AND my retention rate for next year is high. Right now, I can only name 5 kids out of about 50 who SHOULD be returning but aren't. 90% is an A.

I need to start looking for next year's program.

Google maps

If you put in a city to Google Maps, you get a nice satellite photo. Then you can drag the little person figure onto the map and it instantly zooms to street level. I was looking up some San Francisco stuff for our spring break trip and thought I would try to see how close I could land the little guy to the Pez Museum in Burlingame. On the first try, I landed on 316 California Drive. The Pez Museum is 214 California Drive. How scary is THAT?!

Music for the soul

It's a stressful month in general, every March is. The community band had a concert last night. I'm playing trumpet (NOT my main axe) and although everything was great, the horn parts were better. Still, Colonel Gabriel conducted so the experience was awe inspiring.

The band is having a chamber music concert in April, so I signed up (big commitment) and today finally pulled out the horn and music to see what I could pull together in a month.

I ran through bits and pieces of Mozart, Beethoven, Ravel and Saint-Saens, but I always seem to come back to the Strauss. Maybe it's the one I spent the most time on in college but there's just so much to that first movement. As I worked through it, something happened. I played the big, bold, powerful ending statement and I could barely hold back tears....I needed that release!

I miss passion.

Many Moods....

This hits home today. Now, before any of you post YOUR opinions, stop and think: "Am I personally in this situation at this moment?" Because if you're not, I'm REALLY not interested in anything you have to say.

Extroverted organized health nut?

I took the 43 Things Personality Quiz and found out I'm an

Extroverted Organized Health Nut

God and the housing market

Leviticus 25: 14-16
"If you sell land to one of your countrymen or buy any from him, do not take advantage of each other.
You are to buy from your countryman on the basis of the number of years since the Jubilee. And he is to sell to you on the basis of the number of years left for harvesting crops.
When the years are many, you are to increase the price, and when the years are few, you are to decrease the price, because what he is really selling you is the number of crops"



Discuss.....

Flu-like symptoms

Yesterday was tough. I ALMOST called in sick to school today. That hasn't happened in 6 or 7 YEARS. Then I started thinking about my schedule lately and thought I figured out the problem. Last week, I did a half marathon (with "complications") but other than a short nap and lots of fluids that afternoon, I didn't rest up and recover well. I jumped right back into the school week, walked 3-5 miles every night and stressed over school projects, grades and upcoming performances. Then I spent the weekend doing some THOROUGH house cleaning. Then yesterday I had a dental cleaning in the morning (which seems to have stirred up some germy things) and a deep tissue massage in the afternoon (more toxin things). By the time I left Doggy Middle School at 8 PM last night, I was running a low-grade fever. I felt better this morning and made it easily through the day. Tonight I went to community band but left at the break because my eyes were hot and my hair was hurting. (you know, flu-like symptoms where your whole body just aches.)

I just took a double shot of AdvoCare Rehydrate and some ProBiotic RESTORE and I'm going to bed. I'll let you know how that works out!

Dog-noramus

When we got back from Obedience School today, I took both dogs for a walk around the block. As we approached the pizza (Casola's) the corner, a fire/rescue truck pulled up and parked. As it did, the occupants thought it would be funny to flick the siren and make "meow" noises through their PA system. Guava FREAKED out and tried to pull my arm off to run back home. As the firemen were chuckling, I said "THANKS! Thanks a LOT!" They obviously didn't speak sarcasm.

I took the Pastelitos home and walked back to Casola's, saw the idiot at the counter and asked him to step outside so I could speak to him. I explained that a) my brother is a fireman b) I served as volunteer fire personnel in my little town growing up c) I'm really considering making my dogs service dogs (I think Queso might be great for search and rescue, actually) d) through his idiotic actions, my dogs are now terrified by fire trucks.

I didn't lose it, I just spoke as calmly as I could, although I was LIVID. He DID apologize and said usually when he does that, everyone thinks it's funny. I told him to please think before he does anything like that again. Hopefully he will.

Puppy Middle School

I started Guava in the Intermediate ("Middle School") level of obedience school today. She TECHNICALLY has one week of Puppy School left. She has to officially pass the "test" - Look, sit, stay, down, leave it and drop it. Queso passed with flying colors on Monday and Guava is actually more compliant, so the trainer said to go ahead and start Middle School this week. Queso starts on Monday.

Today we learned wait and heel. She got both commands right away. She has to miss next week because I'm judging. In fact, they're both going to miss Week 2 and Week 5. We'll have to schedule "tutoring" to make it up! How funny.

I just found out that if they become registered therapy dogs and work 10 times per year, they become tax deductions. I keep telling them they need to get jobs; now they can!

March could be a problem month

So as I referred to in my last post, it's "funky" time again. I wondered if subconsciously I was bracing myself for an "anniversary" of some sort...then I checked previous posts from about the same time and found this....

The Bing Blog: March is NOT my favorite month

Coincidence? Doubtful!

Going down the rabbit hole

The last few days have been rough. There hasn't been any MAJOR drama or situations to make it so, but it just feels like the start of one of those downward spirals I seem to experience every so often. I have a lot on my plate and there are major deadlines at work. This is also the time of year where we start counting down to Spring Break. I just hope I caught it in time and can find a way to get back on track and avert a real funk. That would really suck right now.

Reflections on a Sunday

I DID do the half marathon Sunday. I'm glad I did and am looking forward to the next one, whenever that may be.

Good
- my time was better than the last
- I'm not too tired/sore today
- I had fun

Rough
- the course went over the Julia Tuttle Causeway and back. Two LARGE bridges to go over. Each way. Starting at mile 6.
- the monthly visit from "Aunt Flo" started in the middle of the race

After I crossed the finish line, I walked across the street and went to church. My pastor's wife helped be get situated and recover. It was a little rough, I won't lie.

BEST
- While I was listening to Pastor Robert teach, I noticed the couple sitting behind me. I'm not certain, but they appeared homeless - we get many of them from time to time. Remember, South Beach is decadence, disparity and disciples all living together. They were quite dirty and had ragged clothes. I saw a HUGE scab on his arm. It looked like he had burned a peace sign into his forearm. When Robert made a comment in his message about helping the homeless and addicted, she piped up with her approval. During the final moments of the service, Robert asked anyone who didn't know and trust Jesus to come forward and just let Him in. What an amazing moment when the man behind me did. He looked broken and at the end of his rope, but I've been praying for him all week.