Ok, so we just had sr. high camp and I was proved wrong, (this doesn't happen so its a really big deal). God worked in a mighty way through Pastor Ron Hullet and the Breaking Point team. Almost everyone made a committment to read their Bible for forty straight days. Also, best friends got saved!! Pray for Anna and Avery. Avery is trying to find a church in the Atlanta area, and they both have amazing potential now that they are official members of the Lord's Army (whoha). 5 hour energy shots are also awesome; they keep me between those lines on the road, which is good.
- Brad
Thursday, July 16, 2009
Sunday, July 5, 2009
...it is the summer of '09!!
Mr. Rogers-its all good in the hood. Things are going great in southern Mississippi; or as my father-in-law likes to call the coast of Mississippi "Misterssippi" because it is so vastly different to the rest of the state. I figured I would just kinda list what's going on to catch peoples up to speed. I am currently working at CVS/Pharisee about 25-30 hours a week. My wife is on a 12 month pay schedule which is awesome over the summer for her to still get paid and be able to get involved at church and babysit and the whatnot. I am working in the youth group and jr. church alongside William Farwell. I recently became a "trustee" which is an amazing opportunity to get to know the leaders of the church, especially Pastor Randy, as well as hopefully be a blessing and encouragement to them (or its just really long meetings after church that make my wife's stomach hate me). I just read Pagan Christianity by Frank Viola and some other guy(sorry other guy). I don't know yet how I feel about the book, but somehow I'm still glad I read it (that doesn't make sense). I am currently reading Right Thinking in a World Gone Wrong by John MacArthur. Sr. High "Camp" is in a week. I put camp in the little thingys because this year instead of going to an actual campground place, we are going to Stone Mountain, Six Flags, and White Water, all while staying in a hotel. All of this sounds great except that the mornings and the evenings we will listen to Breaking Point and Ron Hullett. Nothing against them, but they have a lot of work cut out for them if they want to speak to teenagers that are over-excited about the day's upcoming events or at night when their eyelids will be fifty pounds each. I don't want to knock the power of the Holy Spirit, but if we get to "set-up" camp, it just makes sense to create an atmosphere that is seemingly easier to work in and through. Although, to burst my own bubble, at jr. camp, the girls from our church had to stay in the cabin with no air conditioner, and it was so hot one of the girls said that she couldn't imagine being "in hell if it was like this." Robin got to take her aside, and Brooke accepted Christ as her Savior!! Please pray for sr. camp that lives will be changed and souls will be saved. Also pray that the kids that made decisions at jr. camp will remember and grow up close to the Lord.
- Brad
- Brad
Sunday, August 10, 2008
I am now officially a first grade teacher. My first day of school was on Wednesday, August 6th. I was a nervous wreck. I wasn't sure what to expect with first graders. They like to talk a lot! Haha..so there was a lot of shushing going on. It left me exhausted physically and emotionally, and I pretty much cried the rest of the day after school, which gave me a big headache. I went to bed right after church that night.
Thursday and Friday were much better. Now I know what to expect, and my students are precious. First graders love you no matter what. I'm just trying to figure out my game plan for next week. We don't get into the heavy work and regular routine until the 18th of August.
It's going very well, though, and all of the other teachers are so helpful. I have a lot of support, and I'm very thankful for that. Brad has been wonderful too. He has been up to my classroom for a countless amount of hours helping me put things together. He also went on Tuesday night (night before the first day of school) and bought things for my lunch and classroom, and he made my lunch for the first day. He's so sweet.
I think this is going to be an emotionally and physically exhausting year (I've already cried so much!), but I know it is going to be very rewarding too when I see that my students are learning and growing as people because of my impact.
Thursday and Friday were much better. Now I know what to expect, and my students are precious. First graders love you no matter what. I'm just trying to figure out my game plan for next week. We don't get into the heavy work and regular routine until the 18th of August.
It's going very well, though, and all of the other teachers are so helpful. I have a lot of support, and I'm very thankful for that. Brad has been wonderful too. He has been up to my classroom for a countless amount of hours helping me put things together. He also went on Tuesday night (night before the first day of school) and bought things for my lunch and classroom, and he made my lunch for the first day. He's so sweet.
I think this is going to be an emotionally and physically exhausting year (I've already cried so much!), but I know it is going to be very rewarding too when I see that my students are learning and growing as people because of my impact.
Saturday, July 26, 2008
Busy busy busy...
One thing about this summer is for sure...there is never a dull moment. I don't think there's been one day of just nothingness. Yes, I said nothingness. I'm in a play this weekend, so I have had rehearsal every night, and then opening night was on Thursday. During the day, I have been making many frequent trips to Wal-Mart with my very sweet hubby who has been helping me in my classroom during the day. So it's like this...get up, go to Wal-Mart, go to the classroom, eat lunch, stay until 4:30, come home to get ready for the show, and go to the theater. But I'm not complaining. I love it.
I report for work on Monday morning. Then the whole crazy teaching experience begins, and the real world begins to set in. :) We are also going to start searching for our own place. We're ready to be on our own. We were ready a long time ago, but sometimes a lack of funding can really hold things back. I will post more when I get pictures of my completed classroom and when we get our own place and start decorating.
The teenagers are going to camp this next week, and I'm really bummed that I can't go because of work. But that's life. I'm still excited that we get to work with them and get to know them even better. I guess more on that will come later too!
I report for work on Monday morning. Then the whole crazy teaching experience begins, and the real world begins to set in. :) We are also going to start searching for our own place. We're ready to be on our own. We were ready a long time ago, but sometimes a lack of funding can really hold things back. I will post more when I get pictures of my completed classroom and when we get our own place and start decorating.
The teenagers are going to camp this next week, and I'm really bummed that I can't go because of work. But that's life. I'm still excited that we get to work with them and get to know them even better. I guess more on that will come later too!
Wednesday, July 2, 2008
Crazy Times
A lot has happened since my last post. We went on a trip to Ohio with some friends, and while there, I received a scary phone call at 3 AM. You know those are never good. I found out that my father had a heart attack. Thankfully, he's ok. They put a stint in his heart, and he has been doing well since then. Another praise is that he and my stepmom both quit smoking. Amen! He is very tired, though, and he's a hard worker, so I know it's difficult for him to slow down. His stomach is having some issues too. He thinks it's just an adjustment to all of the new medication. But the important thing is that he's still here with us, so thank you Lord for that.
The same day we found out about the heart attack, Brad's 91-year-old grandfather passed away. Brad flew up to Illinois this past Thursday for the funeral. I didn't go because it was expensive to fly. It was almost $600 just for Brad. So he came back on Sunday, and the next day he went to Jackson, MS, where he still is because he's helping run games for a junior youth camp. Then he comes back tomorrow afternoon and will leave for Michigan on Sunday to help a church run their Vacation Bible School. I'm staying here because I have a day of training for a special kind of board that will go in my classroom (hopefully). So I think I will remember what it's like to have my husband around! I do miss him..that's for sure.
On a happier note, I have been given keys to my classroom and so I'm now starting the process of getting it together. I went to a luncheon today and met most of my new co-workers. They are all so nice. A lot of them gave me things they didn't need, like an extra computer or bookshelves, etc. They even helped me get things out of my classroom that I didn't need. They're all very supportive, and many of them are Christians. The school is getting a new principal, and he is a Christian as well. He's going to start a prayer group in the mornings before school, and I am so there. :) I can't get through my first year of teaching without praying constantly. I'm SCARED TO DEATH. I can't help but be capitalized by fear, and I don't like that. Thankfully, it's an amazing school with amazing people, and I'm sure the children will be wonderful as well, even though some of them will give me a run for my money! I'm just praying like crazy because I'm very nervous..it's a big responsibility and I want to do my job well. I just don't know how yet!
Other than that, I've just been practicing for the play I'm in. It's definitely a busy summer. We've started the apartment searching process, and I've found some that I'm majorly in love with. They're very nice and quite spacious. Plus, they pay for the water bill! Haha..that's a blessing since we will be doing a ton of laundry and dishes. Either way, I know God will provide the right place.
I really want to be more faithful to this blog so I don't have to write a novel every time I update it. It's just difficult to get online as much as I want to. Until next time...
The same day we found out about the heart attack, Brad's 91-year-old grandfather passed away. Brad flew up to Illinois this past Thursday for the funeral. I didn't go because it was expensive to fly. It was almost $600 just for Brad. So he came back on Sunday, and the next day he went to Jackson, MS, where he still is because he's helping run games for a junior youth camp. Then he comes back tomorrow afternoon and will leave for Michigan on Sunday to help a church run their Vacation Bible School. I'm staying here because I have a day of training for a special kind of board that will go in my classroom (hopefully). So I think I will remember what it's like to have my husband around! I do miss him..that's for sure.
On a happier note, I have been given keys to my classroom and so I'm now starting the process of getting it together. I went to a luncheon today and met most of my new co-workers. They are all so nice. A lot of them gave me things they didn't need, like an extra computer or bookshelves, etc. They even helped me get things out of my classroom that I didn't need. They're all very supportive, and many of them are Christians. The school is getting a new principal, and he is a Christian as well. He's going to start a prayer group in the mornings before school, and I am so there. :) I can't get through my first year of teaching without praying constantly. I'm SCARED TO DEATH. I can't help but be capitalized by fear, and I don't like that. Thankfully, it's an amazing school with amazing people, and I'm sure the children will be wonderful as well, even though some of them will give me a run for my money! I'm just praying like crazy because I'm very nervous..it's a big responsibility and I want to do my job well. I just don't know how yet!
Other than that, I've just been practicing for the play I'm in. It's definitely a busy summer. We've started the apartment searching process, and I've found some that I'm majorly in love with. They're very nice and quite spacious. Plus, they pay for the water bill! Haha..that's a blessing since we will be doing a ton of laundry and dishes. Either way, I know God will provide the right place.
I really want to be more faithful to this blog so I don't have to write a novel every time I update it. It's just difficult to get online as much as I want to. Until next time...
Sunday, June 8, 2008
It's been a while!
I am so sorry to all of my loyal fans out there..haha. What a joke! Since so much has happened since my last blog, I will just list it quickly.
*Went to St. Louis to see a Cardinals game with Brad's family
*Hung out in Illinois for a few days
*Went to Fairfield, Ohio to be in our friends' wedding
*Came back to Missouri and packed for two days and said goodbye to our teens at our church
*Moved to Mississippi, joined the church right away, and have been settling in ever since
We have been go go go go go since we've gotten here, and I love it. I love having a busy lifestyle! My church here in MS just celebrated their 20th anniversary today with my pastor and his wife faithfully ministering here. We have been hanging out at their house for a few days now, and we are currently staying with my youth pastor when I was in high school. We have a lot of stuff, I have discovered. It's mostly in the garage or squeezed into our room. Not fun living out of a suitcase (or at least it feels that way), but I am so thankful they are letting us stay there. It is saving us a ton of money because real estate down here is RIDICULOUS!
Our church here is just so amazing and have already taken us in with loving arms, just like I thought they would. We're excited to get the work started with the teens, though I still miss my girls from Aurora Baptist Temple! Sometimes God has us go somewhere else, and just seeing all of the open doors down here, I know this is where He wants us. Some might think it's easy for me to say that since it's home, but Brad knows it's where we are supposed to be to, and this is not where he's from. God has provided so many blessings already, and we know He isn't done yet!
We don't have the internet at the house we're staying at yet, so if anyone is reading this and is getting onto me for not checking Facebook or MySpace, I apologize. It's tough having a social life, but someone has to do it! Haha..just kidding. Until next time...
*Went to St. Louis to see a Cardinals game with Brad's family
*Hung out in Illinois for a few days
*Went to Fairfield, Ohio to be in our friends' wedding
*Came back to Missouri and packed for two days and said goodbye to our teens at our church
*Moved to Mississippi, joined the church right away, and have been settling in ever since
We have been go go go go go since we've gotten here, and I love it. I love having a busy lifestyle! My church here in MS just celebrated their 20th anniversary today with my pastor and his wife faithfully ministering here. We have been hanging out at their house for a few days now, and we are currently staying with my youth pastor when I was in high school. We have a lot of stuff, I have discovered. It's mostly in the garage or squeezed into our room. Not fun living out of a suitcase (or at least it feels that way), but I am so thankful they are letting us stay there. It is saving us a ton of money because real estate down here is RIDICULOUS!
Our church here is just so amazing and have already taken us in with loving arms, just like I thought they would. We're excited to get the work started with the teens, though I still miss my girls from Aurora Baptist Temple! Sometimes God has us go somewhere else, and just seeing all of the open doors down here, I know this is where He wants us. Some might think it's easy for me to say that since it's home, but Brad knows it's where we are supposed to be to, and this is not where he's from. God has provided so many blessings already, and we know He isn't done yet!
We don't have the internet at the house we're staying at yet, so if anyone is reading this and is getting onto me for not checking Facebook or MySpace, I apologize. It's tough having a social life, but someone has to do it! Haha..just kidding. Until next time...
Sunday, May 18, 2008
Warning: Gushy Post Ahead
A year ago (on May 19th to be exact), I married the love of my life. Bradley Kinkade is the man of my dreams. He loves Jesus Christ, wants to serve Him, is kind, loving, supportive, funny, hot, and every other good adjective I can think of. It's hard to imagine that a year has gone by already. Everyone who has been married for a while tells me that it flies by quickly.
Our story is quite interesting. For those of you who don't know, we started out strongly disliking each other. For a couple of different reasons, Brad was not interested in finding a girlfriend when he came to BBC, and I was not interested in taking on another serious relationship (I had just gotten out of a 3-year relationship a few months prior). Therefore, Brad was quite rude to me to let me know that he was definitely not interested, and therefore I was rude to him because "he started it." But God worked it out for good because I was able to get Brad a job where I was already working, Hobby Lobby. Because I didn't have a car, Brad had to give me rides. I remember thinking these exact words: "Wow, this guy actually does have a personality...he's kinda funny." We found out right away that we trusted each other implicitly, and within a few weeks, we were sharing things about our lives and our past that most do not share with a casual friend.
The beginning of our relationship was definitely rocky. (By beginning, I mean probably the first year or so). We fought constantly, I cried every day, and it seemed that there was always a set of challenges to overcome. Yet, we knew God had given us someone special, and neither one of us ever had the idea of giving up. We stuck it out, and today we have the most wonderful marriage anyone could ask for. We have our little arguments here and there, but they are over quickly, and we are quick to apologize and forget we ever fought in the first place.
My husband is certainly the most amazing man I have ever met, and it is no surprise that everyone around him falls in love with him (though not in the same way as me!). He is incredibly supportive of my teaching job and has already offered to help set up my classroom and even grade papers on a daily basis. He never complains when I ask him to reach up for something high, fix a zipper, or open that can of jelly I can never seem to open myself. I have come home to find him washing the dishes, folding laundry, or just cleaning up little things here and there. He has listened to me patiently when I come home from an exciting day and have talked his ear off, and he puts up with me when I have one of my crabby moods since I'm hungry or tired. He is one of the greatest blessings I have ever been given.
I can't wait for the next year of marriage to my incredible man!
Our story is quite interesting. For those of you who don't know, we started out strongly disliking each other. For a couple of different reasons, Brad was not interested in finding a girlfriend when he came to BBC, and I was not interested in taking on another serious relationship (I had just gotten out of a 3-year relationship a few months prior). Therefore, Brad was quite rude to me to let me know that he was definitely not interested, and therefore I was rude to him because "he started it." But God worked it out for good because I was able to get Brad a job where I was already working, Hobby Lobby. Because I didn't have a car, Brad had to give me rides. I remember thinking these exact words: "Wow, this guy actually does have a personality...he's kinda funny." We found out right away that we trusted each other implicitly, and within a few weeks, we were sharing things about our lives and our past that most do not share with a casual friend.
The beginning of our relationship was definitely rocky. (By beginning, I mean probably the first year or so). We fought constantly, I cried every day, and it seemed that there was always a set of challenges to overcome. Yet, we knew God had given us someone special, and neither one of us ever had the idea of giving up. We stuck it out, and today we have the most wonderful marriage anyone could ask for. We have our little arguments here and there, but they are over quickly, and we are quick to apologize and forget we ever fought in the first place.
My husband is certainly the most amazing man I have ever met, and it is no surprise that everyone around him falls in love with him (though not in the same way as me!). He is incredibly supportive of my teaching job and has already offered to help set up my classroom and even grade papers on a daily basis. He never complains when I ask him to reach up for something high, fix a zipper, or open that can of jelly I can never seem to open myself. I have come home to find him washing the dishes, folding laundry, or just cleaning up little things here and there. He has listened to me patiently when I come home from an exciting day and have talked his ear off, and he puts up with me when I have one of my crabby moods since I'm hungry or tired. He is one of the greatest blessings I have ever been given.
I can't wait for the next year of marriage to my incredible man!
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