I've been running full tilt since before NOLA and now after coming home, there hasn't been a free minute. I MUST finish unpacking today and making some sort of order to my clothes! Thankfully, the delay of being locked out of my house when I got home last Saturday (the fam assumed I had a house key...silly silly), so the laundry was unpacked directly into the Laundromat. What a blessing!

Things never seem to settle on the work front. Every spring, I have to meet with each student's parents to devise their educational program for the coming school year. I've waded through most of my meetings with only 2 left to go! It will be good to get the paperwork settled so that I can put attention to planning for next year and getting organized. I have never felt like I've had this year under my belt. There are some new things I'd like to try as far as organization and data collecting for the fall- so I'm excited to get that set before the summer. There will be NO time to think about school over the summer!

Summer plans-

We have a number of events scheduled for the teens over the summer. I'm excited about our new format for ministry that we'll start hopefully in May. Once a week, the teens will be in their various "ministry teams" and begin to build a repertoire of presentations that can be used in a variety of settings. We want to focus them on service and not competition (TI). We've been asked to do a few different outreaches with other churches- which is really awesome! So the timing is perfect. Right now, we have a youth choir, puppet teams, drama teams and hopefully a quiz team. It is exciting to see them getting involved and learning. Pray that more teens will step forward and that many will look for individual ways to serve (story telling, solos, instrumental etc..). We are also looking to plan a week long work week for the teens in August. We will work on the youth building- hopefully painting/decorating as well as projects at the church. I have to work on this and get it organized but it is all to "prep" them for a possible missions trip next summer- perhaps overseas or back to NOLA!

My personal summer plans-

I hope to be in Haiti for a week- depending on the safety issues there. We need $25,000 to pour the ceiling. This is a job that has to be done in one shot- so we really can't move forward until that money comes in.

Another plan is to head to VA for a bit to see Alicia and Matt. Not sure if I'll drive or fly- but I have to go!

Then, July 26-Aug 11th, I will be going to Germany to teach at a youth camp. I'll teach English to christian teens. Tomorrow is our first team meeting and I'm looking forward to meeting everyone. The curriculum is intense and requires ALOT of planning on my part- pray I can do this. At first I thought, "no problem" but then things started to get emailed to me with more details and I got overwhelmed. I know God works through our weakness- and this will be good for me! I can't wait to see all that I learn in the process and what I am able to transfer to our youth and ministry here in general.

Otherwise- I plan to relax, get caught up, read, take some drives, walk, visit the ocean more, spend some time with my family, finish a few projects....

And I think I will listen to

Discovered her in NOLA, while working, and I really liked her style. This may be my Summer album.

In my quiet time two weeks ago, I came across these verses-

Proverbs 23:17-19

"Do not long for what sinners have. But always show great respect for the Lord. There really is hope for you tomorrow. So your hope will not be cut off. My child, listen and be wise. Keep your heart on the right path."

A friend reminded me a few months ago about the amazing opportunities I have. It is truly a blessing when I consider the travel I've been able to do- and the opportunities coming in the near future. And then, I consider the ministry situations I find myself in and I am overcome. And yet, there are still the quiet moments where I feel hopeless. The public life is amazing, but my heart longs for fulfillment in other areas- and these verses reminded me that there is HOPE- my responsibility is to honor the Lord and listen, be wise and keep my heart on HIS path.

I needed this reminder today.

SAVE NOLA

Looking back- I'm not sure where the last month has gone- but it has been very busy!

The week before April Vacation was a blur and exhausting as there was so much to accomplish. I headed out Sunday the 13th for New Orleans with a small team of students from my high school to work for a week on homes destroyed by Hurricane Katrina. We worked with St. Bernard Project (check them out!). They were amazing and are doing great things! St. Bernard Parish, where we worked, is a wonderful community. All homes and businesses were destroyed in the storm and many people have not yet returned. Homes and businesses are abandoned, jobs are scarce but the hope and tenacity of these people remain. They are actively seeking to start over- return to normalacy and are helping one another get on their feet. We were amazed by their appreciation and positive attitudes and sweet spirits. Each person we met shared their story- and it was exciting to get so many different perspectives.

The destruction was horrible and there is still so much to do. Thousands of homes are being prepared to be demolished- many more houses are in various stages of repair and thousands of people need the resources to make that happen. It was a joy to work with St. Bernard Project who is tangibly helping one family at a time get back into their homes. So many feel like they have been abandandoned and forgotten by the greater community. And in many ways, they have. We don't hear the news reports, life has gone on for us- but these people mark time as to if something happened before/after Katrina. They've not only lost loved ones, their homes and possessions- but their culture has changed, their communities have been disrupted and the effects this will have in years to come is still unknown. Environmentally, the challenges are great as well. They asked that we not forget them.

Look to see what you can do to make a difference! We can all and must do something!