Teaching Gardens

I'm a Gardener

Well, not yet, but I'm on my way.

I'm doing a teaching garden with a local school as a part of my job.  The school is excited, but the problem is we only have about 4 weeks until school is out and my job wants to host a grand opening for a plant day with a lot of media and hoopla.  So that means we have to have stuff to plant and I mean, not just seeds...we need seedlings.  Well, all of the seedlings that I've read about takes at least 4 weeks, so I started some at home....I'm not sure if I'm doing this right.  I know everything I read says that I need a halogen light, but I can't find mine, so I just used a regular lamp....I hope the seeds grow and are able to be planted BEFORE school lets out on May 24.....

 I got these pellet trays from out DIGG coordinator.  Walmart donated them and it holds 72 plants.  I plant 24 each of parsley, cilantro, and basil...I've got other herbs too.  Then I have tons of other veggies.... This is gonna be soooo FUN!!

Breaking the Cycle

Abuse can breed dysfunction which leads to a cycle of degradation--low self-esteem that captivates a person in their mind...

This is what has caused me to not move forward, but to end up right back where I started....

But, I DEGREE AND DECLARE THAT the cycle ends NOW, IN JESUS NAME.  I'm not in bondage to that again!!!

I AM FREE!!  In Jesus Name...

One Month In

It's been a month of fulltime work and I will be receiving my second full paycheck on tomorrow!!!  THANK GOD!!!  I have to get caught up on my bills......including my student loan and I have to pay my car note.  I didn't know how I was gonna pay all that stuff and continue to give to my church, but as ALWAYS God has made a way....

I'm not going to go into details, but I was just praying to God about my finances and how it seemed unfair and sure enough the NP I volunteer with sent me a check for $500.  I was able to pay my tithe, first fruit and $300 of a bill that I have.  I also had about $100 left over to use for food and stuff for my new plants for my new office.

Yes, I'm going to try my hand at a green thumb again.  I used to have all types of greenery in my old apartment, but because I never kept a temperature for my plants to thrive they all died.  So I went faux.  But now I bought 4 plants for my office along with new clay pots and supplies--epsom salt, watering can, leaf polish...Okay, I had never heard of leaf polish until one of my co-workers came in to see my plants.  She told me that plants feed through the skin of the leaves, so they have to be kept clean.  The leaf polish cleans the leaves and provides nutrients.  I don't know if good old water would have worked, but I bought it anyway.  It did shine up the leaves.  I also learned about epsom salt and how it provides nutrients for plants.  I hope to be blooming soon!!

I'm gonna buy a few more plants so that my office an be nice and festive.....

American Health Association and Other Blunders

I keep making mistakes and the worst part is that I do everything I can to ensure that what I'm doing is excellent.  For example, the $8000 mistake.  I am positive that I repeated the information and was told that I heard the information correctly.

There is another mistake I made and I was sure I corrected....

The funding for my job comes from the American Heart Association.  I send out an email to a community coalition that advertises events.  I included information that we are funded by the American HEALTH Association.  However, right before I sent the information I noticed my error and replaced the word HEALTH with HEART.  I was sure I corrected it.  I was confident that the information was correct.  So, how in the world did the email go out with American HEALTH Association??  How did that happen????  Apparently, my correction wasn't saved.  So hundreds of people will see the word HEALTH instead of HEART.  I didn't bother telling my boss.  I'll make sure she knows on Monday, but at that point, I didn't feel like dealing with it.

What's going on??

There is supposed to be an article in the paper about me and the programs and services today.  I'm wondering what I've said that is going to be incorrectly quoted.  I searched for the online article, but I haven't found it yet.  It's supposed to come out today.

I was just thinking and praying to God about my job, my life and that only thing I can think of is that God wants to show Himself strong.  That's what the Bible says in 2 Chronicles 16:9 For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to shew himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward him.


That's the only thing that I can think of.  I've done all I can and I want people to know it's not me so in order for that to happen, people have to see my faults so that when things do fall into place, when things do line up and turn our well, all the glory can go to GOD and GOD alone.  I am so insufficient in myself.  As you can see even when I do all I can do make sure things are right it still turns out wrong.  So,  God has to show Himself strong and I believe He will.  What is the purpose of this if He doesn't?  Is it to embarrass me?  The Bible says to humble yourself...I try to make it a point that when pride rises up in my spirit to recognize it, confess it and get it out of my heart.  My righteouseness is as a filthy rag, so there is no need for me to be prideful.

I was telling a guy that I know in December about my future plans to go into business for myself.  In February the CEO of the NP I volunteer with told me that she can see me having my own business.  She then reminded me of this on yesterday in a meeting.  I totally agree with her and I believe that this comes from GOD because this is not what I've gone to school for, so it has to be God.  However, in order for me to go into business I have to have the knowledge and the training.  So, I feel that this is training me.  If I'm going to run a business that nets over six figures, I have to got to go through this stuff.  It will only build me up.  I HAVE TO RAISE $8000 to provide a community program to help people.  I HAVE TO WRITE a million dollar grant and have it funded because this is going to build my business.  This is what is in store for me.  This is my future and I thank God that he is positioning me.  I could not have done this myself!!  I've tried.

So God, I thank you for showing Yourself strong because I have no strength to do this.....

$8000 NOT "A" Thousand Dollars

D'OH!!

Communication is very IMPORTANT!  Without it, there will be chaos everywhere.  A failure in communication is just a bad.  For example,

I'm working on a project at work that involves bringing Chef Marvin Woods to town to hold a healthy cooking demonstration.  We would also like for the chef to visit our teaching garden school to provide a fun filled program for students.  I called his people and left a message.  They called me back a week later.  When I answered the I didn't really understand what the man was saying so I asked him if he could refresh my memory of why I called.  I finally heard Chef Marvin Wood's name and made the connection that this was the his people calling me back.  So, I explained what our goal was and he stated that this was in line with the Chef's goals.  He then proceeded to tell me how much it cost to have him here for a day....

Rewind.....

When I pitched this to my boss I mentioned to her that it should not cost more than $10,000.  This man is somewhat a celebrity.  He's authored several cook books, has been on tv with his own cooking show, is often featured in O Magazine, kicked off Michelle Obama's culinary program with her Let's Move campaign....this guy is not some unknown.  So I was thinking that $10,000 was a fair price.

So, I'm on the phone with this guy and he says it cost, "a thousand dollars per day plus travel expenses...." Then he proceeded to tell me what that entailed.

I was shocked.  Only "a thousand dollars" and actually I mentioned to him that this was a lot cheaper than we expected.  Also, I as we were winding down the conversation I repeated to him that information so that I could ensure that I HEARD everything correctly.  He agreed that I HEARD everything correctly then proceeded to tell me that he would send me an email recapping the information.  I thanked him and said goodbye.

That was yesterday....

Today, I sit down to read my email and it says, "$8000 per day...."  WHAT!!!?????  WHAT???????!!!!!

Where did this come from??????  I had a Homer Simpson moment,  D'OH!!

He said $8000 not A THOUSAND!!!!  OMG!!!!  Of course this was AFTER I told EVERYONE that it ONLY cost "A THOUSAND DOLLARS plus travel expenses.  WHAT TO DO?? WHAT TO DO???

So, I went in to my boss and explained.  Of course she understood, but man oh man!!  Boy oh boy!!  I'm gonna have to go back and tell them that sad news.  WHAT TO DO? WHAT TO DO?  I was so excited about "A THOUSAND DOLLARS" that now that it's $8000, I'm not sure.  I don't want to doubt, but my mind and soul was set on "A THOUSAND DOLLARS.  A THOUSAND DOLLARS was doable.  Actually I was thinking that the $10,000 was doable, but now I have a different perspective.  It's looks different now!!  I've written a grant and I'm praying to GOD that it comes through because we wrote in the grant $10,000 to bring him here.  But, if we don't get the grant we will need to find sponsors.  OMG!!

GOD, WHAT DO YOU WANT ME TO DO????!!!!!!

Character Development

Focus:

How I manage my time
How I manage my money
How I manage my assignment

This is how to build and develop character.

So, this is what my focus will be!