Superior Quality

I applied for a job with the IRS recently. I just got an email that stated that my rating was the highest quality and I received a superior rating. It also said that I will be notified of my next instructions. That's exciting.

Teaching GED is exciting also. I started my class at the community center on Tuesday and so far I've about about 8 students interested. That's good!

We will be advertising for a class at the NP that will start in October. I can't wait...

Anxiety & Fear

I was so frustrated the other day. I know that we do some dumb stuff, but my frustration was not understanding. Well, that was until I woke up with fear and anxiety in the pit of my stomach.

I've been on the phone with my sister in Dayton and my brother in San Diego. We've been discussing helping my sister, Gayle (not her real name).

Gayle was 17 or 18 when she got involved with a man who was about 30 (my age at the time). No one in my family approved. We all knew the likelihood of this guy really being interested in her was slim to none. Because of her age and ignorance, she didn't want to believe that.

I've asked several men, what would a man over 30 want with a teenager and all of them simply say that the relationship is superficial. In addition to that, he was already married. And she and him was claiming to be married. WHAT??

In 2010, he got divorced (according to the county website). In February 2011, they got married. WHAT?????

Well, that's not the big issue. The BIG issue is that this guy was a drug dealer.

They moved from here to a small town up north and decided they were going to make some money. He didn't realized that he was gonna be set up by the DEA.

Yes, the DEA set him up and he sold drugs, three times, to an undercover DEA officer. They recorded everything. In each of the times, she was driving the car. They were arrested and he was charged. Because she was driving, they didn't charge her, but she lied to them and told them that she didn't know what his was doing. BS!!!!

The DEA decided that they wanted to make a deal with them. He was a little fish and was trafficking drugs from the mexicans in Chicago. They wanted them to work with them to bring down their suppliers. However, they decided that instead of becoming informants, they would run and that's what they did, despite the fact that she could get out of this because she wasn't being charged. Which was the source of my frustration.

I have a friend who was an informant for the DEA. She used to sell drugs and to escape being charged and sent to federal prison, she made a deal to bring down the major drug dealers. And that's what she did, for 9 years. She told me how she did it, how they wired her, how they wired her house, everything. So, I was thinking that this was something that was simply. Right? You sell drugs anyway, right? So selling drugs while being wire tapped should be easy, right?

That's what I thought until that morning laying in my bed feeling the fear and anxiety that my sister, Gayle was feeling. I felt so much fear that it was sickening. Now, I understand them running. And I understand how dangerous this is for them.

How does this end with them not being hurt? How does this situation end? HOW??? HOW????

I pray to God that the angels protect them!!! She will need the almighty God to get her out of this situation!!!!

We Do Dumb Stuff...Sometimes

As a woman, I've done some dumb stuff in my life. Most of it was because of my ignorance of certain situations, but some if it was because of my stubbornness and unwillingness to listen to sound wisdom. Because of this, I found myself in quite a few mishaps. Despite that, I still don't understand some women. Ok, I take that back, I understand, but I don't...kind of confusing.

For example, if you have been in a situation where a man has beaten you almost to death, and you managed to escape with your life barely hanging on...why do you get involved with another abusive man? Are you that desperate for a man?

This woman has clearly been abused...you can physically see the scars on her neck, hands, etc and now she calls me for help when a guy that she was dating won't leave her alone. I tell her to call the police and get a restraining order. She doesn't want to. WHAT????? What do you expect me to do? If he kicks your door in like he's threatening to do, that's exactly what I'm gonna do... CALL THE POLICE.


Another girl decides that instead of turning her husband in for selling drugs, she is going to run with him even though he's looking at being charged with 60 years to life. She won't leave him, but she will hide with him. WHAT???? I understand loyalty. I understand the whole, "Stand by your man" concept, but this is the federal government saying that he is going to federal prison and instead of cooperating with them, you flee??? WHAT??? I know the vows say, "for better or for worse," but the worse part would have to be me coming to visit you in jail because I'm not gonna risk my life for you. As a matter of fact, the Bible says that the husband must love the wife as Christ loved the church and Jesus died for us, that that means the husband has to love his wife so much that he don't want anything to happen to her. Not only love her as long as she don't turn you in for breaking the law.

I was so frustrated with these two women today. I just had to pray for them because I didn't know what else to do. I pray that their eyes are opened so that they can see the value within themselves and now allow a man to continue to disrespect them.

Ima Witness

I love God. He continues to give me chance after chance. The Bible says that I have new mercies each day.

It is the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed...They are new every morning...Lamentations 3:22-23

At my church, we are encouraged to be witnesses for Jesus. We are to do as the disciples did and share the gospel with everyone. I haven't been good at doing that, so I made a new commitment to God to share His gospel. One of the young ladies in my class shared that she has a felony, but she needs a job. I told her that I was praying for her because with her record it would be difficult to get a job. I asked if she was saved and she told me she was and she said that she prays also. I encouraged her to keep looking because it can be difficult to find a job with a record, but it's not impossible.

Thank God she received His word!!

Following Directions

I have gotten good at following directions and instructions--of course there are some times when I "know what I'm doing" and I mess screw something up, but for the most part, following the order of something step by step is what I like to do so that I don't make a mistake. Because of this, I teach and instruct in steps. Step 1... Step 2... Step 3..., etc.

I was a little inquisitive when only 2 of my 6 students followed the steps, one at a time. Did I explain the assignment correctly and good enough? Did anyone read what I had type out as the instructions?

I'm not sure!?

So, I just let it be. We'll see how their assignments turn out on Tuesday because I don't teach again until Tuesday, Sept 6. The college will be closed for the next two days because of the Farm Progress Show. I'm happy, but I don't have any money and I need to do laundry. I NEED TO DO LAUNDRY, BADLY!!!

I have no clean clothes and I'm running out of underwear.

I did get a chance to clean yesterday. I cleaned the living room and I started on the kitchen. I finished cleaning out my refrigerator. Now I need to mop the floor and wipe down the cabinets.

After cleaning the kitchen, I'm gonna tackle my laundry. I'm not gonna be able to wash anything because I don't have money for the laundromat, but I will prepare my clothes which usually includes separating and putting stain cleaner and baking soda on the underarms of my shirts. I don't know why, but my regular detergent doesn't clean the deodorant off well and if I don't use baking soda, I get ugly yellow stains from my sweat on the underarms of my shirts.

After tackling my laundry, I'm gonna work on my closet. I have one closet where I have things shoved in there on the closet floor. I can't keep things that way.

This will be my cleaning regime this week. I hope to have the whole house clean by the time I go back to work on Monday.

Teaching GED

I started teaching an 8:30 GED class on Monday. It was a little rocky at first because I wasn't sure how exactly to teach the class. I mean, everyone in the class is at a different level, so how do you teach that?

The first day was testing. No problem. Pass out the test, use the two hours for them to complete the test. If they complete early, good, they can go home. It they take longer, we finish the next day.

But, the second day was when I needed to have a plan in place. Hmmm, what to do, what to do?

So, as I"m fumbling around showing student's their test scores and telling them where they needed to start, a former student of mine comes in. He was a little bossy, but I didn't mind because he let me know that the previous teacher had folders for each student with assignments for what they needed to do.

Hmmm, that sounds like a good idea. I got folders and ran with it. Then I began deciphering the test scores and learning all of the coded words and numbers. Instead of putting together an outline, I simply added the test scores to their folder and told them to use that as a guide of what to work on.

I'm gonna take some time this weekend to really go through information that they need to work on so they won't be bored to death. But, the first week was cool. Not all of my students showed up. Some showed up the first day and that's it. I need to maintain a good enrollment.

One of my goals is to have all of the students who have shown up, complete the 8 week class.

I Love Jesus!

God has been and is SSSOOOOOO good to me!!! I love Him for loving me!!