The Turtle Wins The Race

A big thanks to all of you who have e-mailed me with your pet suggestions. It appears that many of you had the same pet suggestion so I guess a turtle is a good starter pet. (AZ SALSA you were the first one to suggest a turtle so I have to give you credit). The turtle wins the race. I will keep everyone posted on what actually happens with my pet exploring adventures.

WHOOO It's HOT!!!!

Isn't this supposed to be the beginning of SPRINGTIME? Well, here in good ol' Texas it feels like it is Summer. Today it wasn't just 92 degrees.... but it was 92 degrees TEXAS STYLE. Have you ever heard the saying that "everything is bigger in Texas"? Well, that goes for the weather too. I think the SUN is bigger in TEXAS. I think the sun has a big magnifying glass over it in TEXAS. That is EXACTLY what it feels like. I am not looking forward to the summertime when it gets into the 100's degrees.

When you were a child, did you ever have that one crazy kid in the neighborhood (and pardon me if YOU WERE that one crazy kid) that used to take a magnifying glass outside, hold it in the sunshine a certain way on defenseless little ants and make them pop like popcorn? The poor little things were just burning up. Well, somebody needs to tell the Giant who is holding the magnifying glass up to the sun over TEXAS to please stop. I like to EAT POPCORN, not BE POPCORN.

Yesterday, it was a fairly warm day in the 80's. It was a nice spring day with a slight breeze. Then BAM all of a sudden it is 92 WITH a magnifying glass in place which makes it feel about 3000 degrees. So what does EVERYONE in TEXAS do? Turn on the air conditioning.....ALL AT ONCE...to the coolest degree possible!!!! And what happened as a result? Rolling BLACKOUTS!!!! I was sitting here at the computer and I was just about to start writing my blog about a totally different subject other than the weather, when everything.....and I do mean everything shut off. No air conditioning, no computer, no TV, no clock ...but wait, out on the street there were no traffic lights and certain businesses that didn't have generators to back them up were out of luck too.

And by the way, does anybody want to give to my "Get Kia a Backup HOME GENERATOR Fund"? If each of you ACT NOW, and send a meager 2 cents a week for the next few years, I will be able to get one by the year 2020. For your generosity, I will send you a brochure showing you a hand-drawn picture of me (drawn by my daycare students). This will be a picture of me trying not to sweat in the heat. Just a little reminder to all of you kind folks who have adopted me and donated to the fund. So you say..."this 2 cents thing is too much for me to handle on my tight budget". Well I have an answer for you. Simply organize a rally in honor of me and have each person at the rally go door to door asking for extra unused sticks of deoderant. I could sure use them in this type of heat. And you will have the deep satisfaction of knowing that YOU made a difference in the world.

But on a serious note.....The air conditioning finally came back on. I turned on the news to see if there was any mention of this situation. The news person said that if everyone would have kept their air on but at a reasonable temperature this wouldn't have happened. See what happens when we are selfish or when we try to hoard EVERYTHING for ourselves? Then nobody gets ANYTHING!!! I hate to say it but, I know soooo many people with a "I'm going to get mine and forget everybody else" mentality. This mentality starts as a child. I remember the kid in the classroom who always wanted to be the FIRST one to line up at the door to go outside? He was so busy pushing and shoving everyone else that the teacher ended up making him sit on the bench at play time. He did this every single day. He never learned a lesson and realized that his "me first" mentality was making him last. Do you see ADULTS who have to swerve around you, cut you off and pass you up when they are driving? Isn't it funny how after all of the reckless driving they are doing and burning up their gas, they still end up sitting and waiting at the same red light with you..... and you took your time. Just like that burned up gas, all of the things in this world that we think are sooo important that we must say "ME FIRST" about are going to burn up too. We must remember that our promotion comes from God. As we love and serve others.....we are laying up everlasting treasures in heaven instead of gathering earthly treasures that will burn up and that the moths will eat and that the dust will corrupt.

For those of us who know God, let's begin to place GOD FIRST in our lives. Let's make him our FIRST PRIORITY. For those of you who don't know God yet, please get to know him NOW so you don't go to HELL....because if HELL is hotter than TEXAS, YOU DON'T WANT TO GO THERE!!!!!! Whoo it's hot!!!

John 3:16

Romans 10:9

I John 4:7,8

IN HONOR OF JESUS

Your blood bought and paid for me

Every drop of blood you shed, set me free

I just want the world to know

That I'd be lost and dying if you didn't love me so

You never ask how good I've been

Your mercy simply wipes away my sin

You forgive me everytime I say

That I've messed up yet another day

I can never say that I'm alone

I never feel that I'm on my own

In my darkest days, I know you're there

Your joy is my strength...you answer EVERY prayer

You are the light that helps me see

The path and plan you've laid out for me

I walk by faith and I trust in you

That no matter what....you always come through

When I think of you Jesus...it makes me smile

You loved ME first....you felt I was worthwhile

Worth enough to you to die in my place

All you wanted was to keep me safe

You are my knight in shining armour

Your LOVE came and rescued me

So this damsel in distress

Could live eternally

Yes, you died for me

But that's not the end of the story

You resurrected in all of your glory

You are BRAVE, you're my HERO, my KING and my FRIEND

In Honor of You Jesus

I wanted to THANK YOU once again

Love,

Your Sweetie Kia

HAPPY RESURRECTION DAY!

PET SUGGESTIONS ANYONE?

First of all I would like to thank those of you who have emailed me recently to remind me that I have started a blog.....and that it would probably be a good idea if I actually wrote something in it. Thank you for encouraging me to do so. This lets me know that you are actually taking the time to read it and that I haven't just been writing it for God to read all by himself.

My schedule is very hectic ( cleaning crayon off of the table, wiping snotty noses (and because this blog is rated "G", I can't tell you what else I have to wipe...but can you say Pampers?), picking cheerios up off of the floor (with milk), scrubbing peanut butter and jelly sandwich smears off of the walls, reading Green Eggs and Ham again for the thousandth time, getting dizzy from too many rings around the rosies (never ring and drive unless you want to get a dui), solving CSI type crimes (Mrs. Kia ...who took my Barbie's head off ....whaaaaa?), being an Ambassador of World Peace (children if you can't play Barbies nicely together, then I will have to remove the barbies from the play area), being a better judge than Judge Maybellene (I'm sorry, but he did have the toy truck first...you will have to play with something else until he is finished), displaying my Chef Institute style culinary arts (okay kiddies...who else wants me to make a jelly happy face on their peanut butter sandwich?), private driver (alright kids, if you want me to pull you in the wagon all the way to the park, you must keep your hands to yourself all the way there).....and the list goes on and on.

Because my job description happens to be a "DO IT ALL ENGINEER", there are times when I will have to skip a few days writing in my blog because I will have more important things to do like lying on my bed with a cool compress on my head as I stare at the ceiling. If you check the blog and you notice that I haven't written in a few days, then please pray for me and check back again soon. Hopefully I will have found the strength to stop staring at the ceiling.

My son wants a pet!!!! I want my son to have a pet. I want my son to be responsible and clean up after HIS pet. I do not want to clean up after my son's pet. Just because my job description is DO IT ALL ENGINEER, doesn't mean that I am really going to DO IT ALL. This being said, I was trying to think of some nice type of starter pet for him. Something that is fairly easy for HIM to care for and as he shows that he is responsible then he can move on up to a PET pet. I was doing some research on different types of Pocket Pets such as Guinea Pigs, Hamsters and Chinchillas. After I finished the research on these Pocket Pets, I began thinking how great it would be for him to have a Goldfish. Yeah, a Goldfish would be great and he hasn't had one since he was really little. Then, I remembered why he hasn't had a Goldfish since he was really little. His pet Goldfish was named Fishy Fish. Fishy Fish died a tragic death. My son had really enjoyed a dinner I cooked one evening and wanted Fishy Fish to share in the festivities. Although Fishy Fish was being raised in a Christian home, he didn't neccesarily want to re-enact the "LAST SUPPER". Needless to say, Fishy Fish had a final meal that consisted of Red Beans and Rice, Cornbread, Salad and Tampico Punch. I hope Fishy Fish enjoyed his final meal. Anyway, I started doing some research on how to care for Fish and Fish Tanks. I somehow stumbled upon a website about Pet Sea Monkeys. Sea Monkeys are sooooo easy to take care of. I should know because I've had several sets of them in my classroom SEVERAL DIFFERENT TIMES!!!!!!!!!!! When they die, it is really not because your not taking good care of them, it is just their time to go (I think).

I decided that Sea Monkeys vs. Goldfish would be even better pets for my son so I started researching Sea Monkeys when I came across this website......www.thefunplace.com/house/pets/seamonkey.html

After I read this little story about sea monkeys (and after I finished laughing my head off about the story) I wasn't so sure if this was the perfect pet. Now I'm kinda thinking along the lines of a PET ROCK. I'm really not trying to tell my true age since I am constantly being mistaken for a young woman in her early twenties....but to those of you who are old enough to actually remember the PET ROCK, you know what I am talking about when I say EASY TO CARE FOR. Pet suggestions anyone?

So Special

Today a dear friend of mine stopped by my daycare on her lunchbreak from work. She was carrying a little gift bag.....IT WAS FOR ME!

Today is not my birthday. Today is not my anniversary. Today is not Christmas but yet I was receiving a gift. I looked inside the bag and there was a beautiful gift box. I opened the gift box and inside it held a precious necklace. The necklace had a charm on it. The charm was a little tiny box that had a latch that could actually be opened. It was a prayer box. There was a note that came with the necklace saying to write down your prayer concerns and fold them up and put them in the box. As I wear the necklace, I will be reminded that God always hears my prayers.....and that he answers them. I was so touched by this gift. Not just because of the beauty of the gift (although it is very pretty)....not just because of the meaning of gift (the prayer)....not just because of the sentimentality of the gift (the person who gave it to me has been a true blessing in my life) but because it was sooooo special to be thought of for no reason at all. My friend went out of her way on her lunchbreak and wasted her gas (and gas ain't cheap) to bring me an unexpected treat. You can't imagine how SPECIAL I felt at that moment.

Should we be shocked when someone does something nice for us... JUST BECAUSE.....with absolutely no ulterior motive? Is it difficult to think that someone would go out of their way for us when there is no special occasion?

It shouldn't be!!!! We must always remember how much Jesus loves each and every one of us. He went out of his way just for us. We did absolutely nothing to deserve his special gift of SALVATION yet he wore a crown of thorns, was beaten and took the stripes for our healing, was crucified....bled, died and then snatched the keys of death just so we could have everlasting life. He had no ulterior motive. He was motivated by love. He was just thinking of us. We were on his mind and he wanted to take the time to let us know how much we meant to him.

There should never be a day when we ALLOW ourselves to feel depressed, hopeless or lonely. Yes, things in life happen that are depressing. Yes there are times when people let you down...and you let yourself down. But if you would just take a second to remind yourself that you are SOOO SPECIAL that Jesus gave up his life so that you could have yours and that even now he is thinking of you and cares for you, you will live an abundant life. Things that used to seem like a big deal will be a little deal because you know that you are SOOOO SPECIAL. People who used to irritate you will end up on your prayer list instead of getting %#&*^% cussed out because you know that you are SOOO SPECIAL. Bills that used to keep you awake at night with worry will be given over to God because as you tithe, you know God has your back because you are SOOO SPECIAL. Any sickness or disease that has tried to invade your body has got to line up with God's word that says you have already been healed because you are SOOOO SPECIAL.

And what did you do to be SOOOO SPECIAL? NOTHING! You just are because JESUS LOVES YOU!

If you are reading this and you don't know how special you are...or if you have never accepted Jesus into your life...or if you have just drifted far away from him, then make today the day that you know for sure how special you are.

John 3:16 For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son that whosever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life.

If you would like to....pray this prayer:

Jesus, thank you for loving me and thinking that I am so special. I know that I am a sinner but I ask you to forgive me. I believe with all of my heart that you shed your blood, died for my sins and now live again. You loved me so much that you died so that I could live. I accept you and I accept and recieve your unconditional love. I thank you for saving me and I receive eternal life. In Jesus Name

If you already know Jesus as Savior but have drifted away from him, you may want to pray this prayer:

Jesus, thank you for thinking I am so special. You have never turned away from me even though I have turned away from you. Please forgive me for walking away from your special love. I rededicate myself to you. I give my life back to you and I choose to live in such a way that you can see that I know how special I am to you. In Jesus Name,

Are you feeling soooo special now? YOU SHOULD!!! YOU ARE!!!