This month, one four letter word in particular crept into my vocabulary often. Save. Did you automatically think of a different four letter word? HA! Caught ya! As a mother of two young children, I try to keep my blogs PG (my young adult books, another story sometimes). But onto the why of S-A-V-E. A few weeks ago, our dog was viciously attacked by a pit bull, causing about $3,000 in medical bills and counting. So we’ve had to save a lot of money we’d otherwise spend. Of course, that didn’t stop me from hitting up the Borders going-out-of-business sale yesterday. But I digress. Save hasn’t just come up at home, but at school as well. This month I read Three Cups of Tea by Greg Mortenson. It tells his personal story of how he’s come to build over 50 schools, especially for girls, in Pakistan and Afghanistan. I shared his mission with my class last week during our cultural heritage celebration on St. Patrick’s Day, and brought in a MONSTROUS glass jar to collect pennies to help build more schools. In a week, the students have already managed to fill the jar halfway!

Something else that happened this month was my cousin, Kristeen, visited from Michigan. She is the one whose seven  year old son, Blake, is suffering a relapse from his cancer. Another definition of ‘save’ is in the spiritual sense. It’s only been their faith in Jesus that’s given them the strength to endure this difficult journey once again. Oh, and great family:) Her twin sister and step mother have stepped in to ‘save the day’ so to speak. They’re putting on a Spaghetti dinner/auction on Saturday night since Blake has missed lots of school during his treatment, and because of a stroke, he attends a special educational program called Orton Gillingham. It has been very effective and his family hopes he can continue. Unfortunately the program costs $2,000 for every 50 sessions. Blake’s family hopes fundraisers will help them continue his education in the program. Now I know we can’t all travel to Michigan for the event, but a fund for Blake has also been established at Fifth Third Bank for anyone who would like to contribute. Just tell them you’d like to give to the fund set up for Blake Hulliberger and they can look it up in their system! How easy is that?! “But don’t you know we’re in a recession! I’d love to help but I can’t!” I understand, but any amount helps, right? I mean, my class is helping to build schools with pennies! I think we all sort of cringe at the thought of asking for or receiving donations. I know my cousin is humbled by the experience. But I’ll leave you with a verse from Philippians 4: “Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.” Can I get a whoot, whoot!!

“Say thank you” is a three word phrase I repeat often on a day-to-day basis, to my own kids and to my students. But I remind myself as well. A message one of our pastor’s gave a while back preached on Phil. 2:14: “Do everything without complaining or arguing.” I thought, Wow, I could spend my whole life meditating on that one statement. Ever since, I’ve strived to set a much better example of that verse. Of course, there’s soooooooooooo much for me to give thanks for so why should I complain? My family & friends, my job, my home, food on the table, a car that works, clothes on my back. But honestly, all the material stuff could be gone tomorrow and I’d be just fine. Being blessed doesn’t equal having stuff, although most Americans seem to think so. The thing I’m most thankful for has no price tag- my salvation in Jesus Christ. Which means the best is yet to come. Our time here is temporary and everything will one day decay. But no matter what, I have a glorious future! So my Thanksgiving isn’t relegated to one day a year. My thanks is eternal, but I pray every day of this life when my daughters hug me, or my husband kisses me, or I witness a wonderful moment in nature, I’ll respond to the still small whisper of God, “Say thank you, Jamie.” ~Happy Thanksgiving, everyone! If you’re reading this, I’m thankful for you and I love you!!!

All people reach a place in their life when a relationship is no longer working for them anymore.  This happened to me last Thursday. Breaking up with someone is a sticky situation, and offers many challenges. Do you take the passive-aggressive route and just stop calling? Make excuses until they stop calling? Do you make them want to dump you or just start seeing others to avoid the awkwardness altogether of breaking up with someone? Do you prepare for a revolt to steal certain friends for your side? LOL, I’ve probably done all of these things at some point. But the breakup I’m referring to today probably isn’t what you’re thinking. This week Dan and I broke up with our small group.

Our last group meeting--we're all bloated in this picture after a feast of meatloaf, green bean casserole, corn muffins, and homemade mac n' cheese:)

Leading a bible study once a week at our house for the past year has been wonderful. But since no guys have been attending since June (girls are always more faithful, right ladies;) we’ve decided it’s time to start seeing other groups in our church. Now we took the honest approach and told the truth. “It’s not you, it’s us. We need a change to help us grow.” And they reciprocated with comfort, “Everything has a time and season. We’ll still keep in touch.” Of course I’m being a little melodramatic here (I’m a writer, what’d ya expect?). Still, no matter the situation, breaking up is hard to do. I leave you with my favorite scene from When Harry Met Sally as evidence:

Harry: Right now everything is great, everyone is happy, everyone is in love and that’s wonderful. But you gotta know that sooner or later you’re gonna be screaming at each other about who’s gonna get this dish. This eight dollar dish will cost you a thousand dollars in phone calls to the legal firm of That’s Mine, This Is Yours.
Marie: Harry.
Harry: Please, Jess, Marie. Do me a favor, for your own good, put your name in your books right now before they get mixed up and you won’t know whose is whose. Because someday, believe it or not, you’ll go 15 rounds over who’s gonna get this coffee table. This stupid, wagon wheel, Roy Rogers, garage sale coffee table.
Jess: I thought you liked it?
Harry: I was being nice!

What about you? Got any funny or horrible breakup stories? Feel free to comment here–I’ve found writing is a wonderful catharsis:)  

Many of us have heard this saying and I was reminded of it this weekend. We took a trip to see our friends who, according to our GPS, live 3 1/2 hours north of us. But whenever we visit, no matter what time of day or day of the week we leave, it ends up being a 5 hour trip. The way back, fine. But when we’re going, anxious to see our friends, 5 hours. Every. Single. Time. Whether traffic, bad weather, I have to use the bathroom every hour (yes, I’m worse than the kids), Dan can’t wait to eat (he’s also worse than the kids), Ashley or Kaylee getting car sick, etc . . .

There’s many other areas of my life where the “timing is everything” principle applies.

We bought our house in 2005, and now it’s valued at $165,000 less than what we paid.   

When teaching, I must gage the atmosphere of my class as to when to teach what. Yes, I have lesson plans for each day, but sometimes the kids need me to mix things up a bit.

Also in parenting, when to discipline. If we’re really frustrated, it’s better for me to send the girls to their rooms for 5-10 minutes so they can cool down and I can cool down before I start yelling and they think their feelings aren’t being respected.

In medicine. We caught Ashley’s Vitiligo fairly quickly, so hopefully the medicines she apples to her skin daily will work to contain the disease.

This is also a Biblical principle. Jesus spoke a lot about timing, but my favorite verse about this is from Esther 4:14, when Mordecai tells her, “And who knows but that you have come to this position for such a time as this?”

“Timing is everything” certainly seems to be the theme song of my life for the past year as I try to become a published author. There have been times when I pray about my story and felt God lead, and then its lead to another rejection. So I go, “Ok, was that just me? Or did I hear him right but it’s just not meant to be yet?” And then God reminded me it took 4 years of college to become a teacher. I believe God is using this time to expand and deepen the abilities he already put in me. I think we must learn to listen for his voice as to the timing of our lives (through prayer and reading of his word). Many times I don’t understand what he wants me to do with my story, so I wait faithfully. That’s the hard part for me. Just ask my husband.

But I also believe in another saying, “When God closes one door, he opens another.” I watch with eagerness, so I’ll be willing to step out in faith when the time is right. B/c usually when God is leading, the opportunity is scary, but so much more exciting!

What about you? What are the “timing is everything” areas of your life???

“Most of the important things in the world have been accomplished by people who kept on trying when there seemed to be no hope at all.” Nice quote from Dale Carnegie.

Have you ever faced a hopeless situation? Maybe a divorce, abuse, your child rebelling, a fatal disease, unemployment, a death of someone you held dear??? The list goes on and on. But one hopeless situation you may have never thought or heard about is child trafficking. Today I’m blogging about a friend who is one of those rare people making a dent in seemingly hopeless situations. Her name is Diana Scimone, a lovely lady I met through Chi Alpha Campus Ministry at UCF twelve years ago. She is a children’s author as well as director of The Born 2 Fly project, committed to stopping child trafficking around the world. Today on 10.10.10, her organization is hoping for 10,000 people to give $10.

Fact: Each year one million kids are trafficked for sex around the world where they’re raped for profit 30-40 times per night. I think most of us would give an arm and/or a leg to stop something like this from happening before our very eyes . . . so will you care enough to give $10 today to reach these kids before the traffickers do? (BTW, if you think this doesn’t happen in America, you’re wrong). In Diana’s own words, “Traffickers think kids are commodities, let’s tell kids they’re priceless.” The link to give is below. Thanks for letting me preach today:):):)

Donate $10: Just click the orange ChipIn button here to donate via PayPal or credit card.

http://dianascimone.typepad.com/diana_scimone/