Here we GGGOOOOO!!!

Today I start my LAST class in my master's program.  It is an 8 week class, and then I am DONE!

WAHOO!!!!
In the mean time, just gotta keep my eyes on the prize.  I'll be able to get sleep some day :-)

Hope you all are having a GREAT week!

Love and blessings to you all!
JBake

Just another Monday

This week we are having early release days everyday and there are parent teacher conferences in the afternoons.  My master teacher handles her conferences in a great way, and I am learning a lot from her! 

I have been blessed to have two GREAT master teachers!  Whew!

Then I had the Deckards for a couple of hours.

After that I ran to the post office and WalMart.  Now I am wrapping this day up and heading to bed!

Love and blessings to you all!
JBake

Already???

My weekend is already over???

6 weeks from now, this chapter will be over!  HALLELUJAH! 

Today I woke up at 9:01am... I should have been at church before 9am... dang!

It all worked out fine, and I was at church before 9:30.  I gots skills!!!

Some students in my class were a bit riled up today, but it wasn't too bad. 

Then we had a student ministry meeting which went pretty well.

After that we started Dunn family time.  This is the monthly time when my pastor's family spends time together.  I am adopted into the fam, so I get to join in.  We mostly just chatted for a few hours, but it was nice to spend time with them!  I am blessed to have them in my life!

Then getting ready for tomorrow and now to bed.

Love and blessings to you all!
JBake

Fun with Friends

So, I did indeed stay in bed until about 10:45am.  I woke up around 7:30, and I dosed off and on until 10:45.   Nonetheless it felt great to be in bed! 

Then I got up and went for a 5 mile run with .4 miles of walking.  Then I started to work on school work and the such.  I am having to read the book Where the Red Fern Grows with my 6th grade students as to be able to have a discussion with them on the book.  Had I read the book in 6th grade when I was supposed to, perhaps I wouldn't be having to read it now.  Hindsight is 20/20!

Then I started getting ready for my friend's Flirty 30 birthday party.  It was a dressy affair and fun to dress up.  We went to dinner at a nice italian restaurant and then went to hang out at a jazz club.  The twins were at the dinner, and of course I always have a blast spending time with them!!!  Fun times!

Now I am exhausted and ready to CRASH!

Love and blessings to you all!
JBake

It's the weekend!!!

It isn't that I don't love my life, but every morning, all I can think of is... "I wish it was Saturday so I could sleep late!"

And guess what?!?!?!  TOMORROW IS SATURDAY!!! I GET TO SLEEP LATE!!!

I know I shouldn't be so excited, but this fabulous life is a bit tiring, and sleep is a precious commodity!

I have student taught, worked out, balanced my checkbook, planned some for teaching next week, turned in my weekly reports to my advisor, and gotten a few other things done.

Now I will go through a stack of papers, then I will lay my head down for a nice long nap!!!

Love, blessings, and sweet sleep to you all!
JBake

Feelin good

Today I went running again... only 5.6 miles today, but that was only because they made us stop and I needed to turn in my sticks for my laps.  But then I came home and did my upper body workout, cause I didn't do it yesterday when I was supposed to.  All that to say, I am still feeling good.  Tired, but good!  I have lost 10 pounds in 6 months... over 30 pounds in 21 months.  I have to say I had gained weight, but nonetheless, the number currently on the scale has not been seen since I lived in Tulsa and worked at John 3:16.  I am on my way to being fit, in shape, and healthy, and I feel good about it!

It is hard to fulfill God's purposes for your life when you aren't taking care of yourself! 

Do something today to take care of yourself!
Love, blessings, and HEALTH to you all!
JBake

Hump Day Done

Today was a good day.  For some reason I am extra tired.  I need to figure out why that is :-/

Anywho- I student taught, then got a few things done, then we had Bible study tonight. 

And now... TO BED!

Love and blessings to you all!!
JBake

Blood blister :-(

What a great post title, eh?  So, today I did what I think is my longest run ever- 6 miles.  I won't say it was easy, but it really wasn't too bad.  I felt worn out but good at the end.  Then I went home, stood there and watched the end of the presidential debate, chatted, then when I went to take a shower, only to find when I took my sock off that there is a disgusting blood blister on my left big toe.  It doesn't hurt, but I dunno what to do about it... get different shoes?  different socks?  go to the doctor?  quit running?  NO-that last one isn't an option!

Anywho- I'm worn out!

Love and blessings to you all!
JBake

27 More Days

Yes, I am counting down how many more days I have as a student teacher.  It isn't that I don't enjoy being in the classroom, it is more that I am exhausted from being in the classroom and going to school and working and doing ministry.  All that to say I am ready for this chapter to be over.  On to different busy chapters I am sure :-)

I was talking to a friend earlier about my former co-workers and work at the John 3:16 mission... I am sure missin that place today!  Nonetheless, I am grateful that God's hand is upon my life, and He is leading me as HE sees fit, for I know His ways are much higher than my ways!

Love and blessings to you all!
JBake

Already???

I am rarely to never excited about the closing of a weekend.  It is like it always catches me by surprise.  I got done most of the absolute necessary things for the weekend, but I still have SO much to do!  I could use a few weeks off to catch up.  Anyone figured out how to stop time yet???  Or where to buy time in a bottle?  LOL

Anywho- nonetheless, it is over already, and I am headed to bed so I can be ahead on sleep for the week.

Here is a pic of the bird I am bird-sitting.  He isn't the most friendly bird, but it is fun to chat with him. 



Hope you all have a fabulous week!

Love and blessings to you all!
JBake

Trying to get ahead...

Today is Saturday... THANK YOU, JESUS!

I need a few Saturdays in a row in order to feel like I am on top of the horse again.  Right now... I feel like I am forever chasing the horse. 

BUT God is gracious.  He loves me.  And He will continue to provide everything I need to get done what needs to be done.

I LOVE Him!

Love and blessings to you all!
JBake

TGIF

Today on my way to the school, my car beeped and it said "low break fluid level."  After school I called my dad to see if I needed to take my car to the mechanic or if I could just buy the fluid and put it in myself.  We talked, and he joked that if I would drive it over he would do it for me. 

My family is over 1000 miles away.  Which, compared to my amazing missionary friends, I am WAY lucky. 

I wish it was just that easy- that I could just "drive over" and have my dad help me out with my car.  But for me and many of my friends, that is not a reality we have.

It is crazy how random things on a regular basis make me miss my family and wish I was closer to them.  I wasn't homesick at all, and then when my dad made that remark in a joking manner, I wanted to cry. 

Today I miss my family...

Love and blessings to you all!
JBake

Lifted Grace

Have any of you ever felt like you were in a situation that typically you would not do well in, but that God gives you a particular grace for it.  Then, have you ever felt that grace lift and you no longer have tolerance for the situation?  I think that is where I am in a certain situation.  Praying for God's direction, because He is just awesome like that, and I know He will guide me. 

Pressing on!
For now, I am crashing early

EXHAUSTED!

Love and blessings to you all!
JBake

Past the Half Time

This week seems to be dragging a bit... glad to say it is past the half way marker. 

Today was good- taught, ran errands, took a quick (yet much needed) nap, Bible study (which was pretty fun/funny tonight), and then great SKYPE time with my friend Kara.  Always a highlight of my week!!!

And now, I am ready for tomorrow, so I am now gonna crash!

Love and blessings to you all!
JBake

Giving more

Do you ever find yourself giving just enough to get by?  Finding that good enough is good enough?

I have found myself challenged today to stop settling for good enough and to put everything I can into everything I do.  I am an all or nothing kind of person in most cases, but in some, I feel that no one will know if it is just "good enough" and not my best, so I just throw out my "good enough."

This has got to stop!  Gotta give my all in every aspect of my life and to all those I come into comtact with. 

Selah.

Love and blessings to you all!
JBake

Isn't today a holiday???

Man- today is Columbus Day... and I woulda LOVED to have the day off!  I needed one more day in the weekend to get some rest and get some more stuff done.  Really like an extra week off would be UH-MAZE-INGGGGGG!!!  Oh well... soon enough! 

In the mean time- I think I am going to go do a color run in San Diego on November 3rd.  I am super excited!  I wanna find a few others to go with me.  Interested???

Love and blessings to you ALL!!!
JBake

Lovin on some babies!

Today I went to church- I LOVE my church!
Then I went to my twin God children's first birthday party.  It was a blast!  They are SO amazing, as is their family!  I am blessed to be a part of it!  The party was so great- their mom is so freaking creative and talented that it is sickening!  She really is SuperMom!

I'll have to post pics later.

Love and Blessings to you all!
JBake

Movie and Homework Marathon

As I said last night, Shannon and I spent the day doing homework.  We did manage to watch 3 movies while working on homework, and we squeezed in a 3 1/2 mile run... or at least I did :-)

And now for some sleep!

Love and blessings to you all!
JBake

TGIF

Today was a day!  I student taught, ran errands, ran 3 1/2 miles, checked on a bird, then went to pick up a teenage friend.  My girl Shannon is staying the weekend with me.  We are going to have some good 'ol quality time... doing homework together... lol

Nonetheless, anytime with Shannon is great!  I love this girl! 

Here is a pic that was taken of us in July:

And here is a pic from us playing Quirkle tonight:

Hope everyone has a great weekend!

Love and blessings to you all!!!
JBake

One more day!

This has been an exhausting week!  Really, more like an exhausting 8 weeks.  I am currently student teaching while also in school, working, and doing ministry.  Not to mention trying to have a small bit of a personal life.  So today, I went and had dinner with an amazing friend/mentor of mine, Mrs. Laura.

Spending time with Laura always makes me smile, in addition to stretching and growing!

Love ya, Mrs. Laura!!

And for the rest of you-

Love and blessings to you ALL!
JBake

Moving Forward

Hello all!!!

SO... here we go again... I am going to try to blog everyday.  I know a lot of you have seen me write that same statement many times.  What makes me smile is that God gives us second chances over and over and over.  I am SOOOOO grateful for second chances!!!!

A mentor of mine taught me that we measure our growth not by the fact that we stop falling down, but by the "get up" time after we fall.  If we are growing, the time it takes for us to get up when we fall should get shorter and shorter.  So we may fall, but we don't just lay and continue in our sin and failures, but we recognize our sin and failure, and we jump back up, dust ourselves off and continue in forward motion.

Good word, eh?  :-)

So here I am recognizing the failure I've had with blogging and jumping back on the horse.  I am recommitted, and I am renewed.  I decided to start blogging on a new page- which I created like 7 years ago, but never ended up blogging on. 

So, here's to fresh starts!

I got flowers from one of my 2nd grade students on Friday, because it was my last day as a student teacher in her class.  (I will have to add the pic I took of them later, cause the pic isn't uploading from my phone :-(

Love and blessings to you all!!!
JBake