Temptation

So I am doing a "trial run" of my Sunday School lesson here on blogger....for practice and because this video I found is pretty cool.

We are going to read about the first temptation/sin in the Garden of Eden. We will discuss the relationship between freedom of choice and consequences. And we will discuss the enemy's strategy on Eve.

a. He spoke to Eve while she was away from Adam (alone).
b. He discounted God’s command.
c. He promised selfish results.

Then we will transition to application of our own lives through this great video I found on godtube.com






It's great to analyze how we respond to temptation. Some of us (like the little blonde girl with the blue shirt) mull over the options. Some of us get confused. Some of us "get as close to sin as possible without actually sinning" (which is by the way a lie...sin is sin.) Some of us don't care and dive right in. Very few though...wait and trust that God will give us what he promised was better.

As important as it is to understand the attacker (Satan), we should never give him too much credit. It is better to understand that we are under a God that is more powerful than the attacker.

No test or temptation that comes your way is beyond the course of what others have had to face. All you need to remember is that God will never let you down; he'll never let you be pushed past your limit; he'll always be there to help you come through it.

~1 Corinthians 10:13 (The Message)

Simple Woman's Daybook

Simple Woman's Daybook for TODAY Friday January 16, 2009.

Outside my window...it is REALLY cold. it stinks that INSIDE my window is not very energy efficient. So it is still cold.

I am thinking...about how to be balanced about things/attitudes without settling for indifference.

I am thankful for...God's provision. We are blessed.

From the learning rooms...my kids are starting to bloom in their writing and it is really cool to see. They are starting to come up with very original and creative sentences.

From the kitchen...It has been a good week in the kitchen! Jeff made fried chicken on Monday. And I made potatoes and carrots in foil (put butter and garlic on it and baked it for an hour in the oven.) Tuesday we had the BEST spaghetti we have ever had...courtesy of Jeff! I think I like this whole "jeff cooking" thing.

I am wearing...my favorite green jogging pants (that I never jog in) and my favorite black Marshall Mavs hoodie.

I am creating...I WANT to be creating scrapbook pages. i haven't done that in so long. I need to catch up!

I am going...paintballing for the first time ever tomorrow. I should have some good bruises to show for it! We are taking the high school students. Not very many signed up because we didn't think about the fact that the money is an issue for ALOT of students. But we know now to keep events that are costly to a minimum. It will still be fun though to really build relationships with those few that are coming.

I am reading...5 Love Languages for children

I am hoping...to get a house next year.

I am hearing...Colin sip really loud from his cup.

Around the house...Colin is eating his "nuddits" (aka nuggets). And jeff is playing a game on his phone. And I am looking at a rug that I just vacuumed about 5 minutes ago and it doesn't look like it has been vacuumed at all. I really want to get a mini steam cleaner for spot cleaning.

One of my favorite things...routine. i am so autistic. i love consistency and doing the same thing every day. it is comforting. I get tense and nervous if something is not in the daily routine. I think it is a good thing...you know....for Colin, for my classroom, and even for myself. But it can be a bad thing that I depend on it instead of God.

A few plans for the rest of the week...Granny is coming to see Colin (and us too i guess) We go paintballing, church on Sunday, and Monday is a HOLIDAY for me!!!!! Hooray!

Here is picture thought I am sharing...the goober child....








To participate or simply enjoy more daybooks, visit The Simple Woman.

updates

So at Mary's request I am going to update about our youth and my class. I'll start with the youth.

We are feeling more comfortable with being ministers. At first I had a hard time filling the shoes of a minister because I felt so unequipped and unqualified. But as my pastor so eloquently put it...

"You are chosen because of His calling, not your qualifications. You are called because of your availability not your abilities."

So...we are embracing ministry more as imperfect people. We are making a few changes with the youth group. Such as, we are ordering new curriculum for Sunday School. For the jr high students we are ordering something about the "basics" of Christianity/the gospel. For high school we are ordering something about "making your faith your own."

Then on Wednesday nights we are planning on doing a small group study on the life of Jesus. We will start out each Wed. night with a game and some music and then split into jr high boys/girls and high school boys/girls. We are really trying to separate jr high and high school more. There are just too many dadgum kids and one teeny tiny youth room. Anyway, I am learning to love these youth more and more. Some are harder to get through to than others, but I find myself feeling and urgency to reach them that I know is only placed on my heart because God put it there.

As far as my classroom goes...I have the most precious students in the whole world. And I can't take credit for it. They just have good parents and/or great personalities. They listen to directions. They take "no" for an answer. They accept discipline. And they are eager to learn. I have a few little stinkers, but I still love them. We are entering the exciting part of the year where we are done memorizing things and we are ready to start reading! That is fun to me.

I really love my new principal. She is always so encouraging to teachers and students. This new environment has really renewed my love for teaching again. Last year I was thinking that this whole teaching thing wasn't for me anymore (but I still really loved it...I was just discouraged). I remember even writing a blog that said I was looking for something different. And I still might do something different later on in life. But for now I am going to keep doing what I love. It feels good to hear someone say again that I am a good teacher and that I am a valuable asset to the school.

On the home front, Colin is sooooo not a baby anymore. I am absolutely loving this stage. We communicate. We joke and play. We have a relationship. And I love that. He is so silly...just like his daddy. That's what I have always wanted...is a house full of family members that like to laugh!

We are preparing for the after graduation life (even though Jeff still has 3 semesters left...never hurts to prepare early.) We are starting to save up a little money because we think we are going to buy a house here in Marshall and stick around here for a while. I love my job. Jeff loves his. So we will stay. (unless God tells us otherwise) I would really like to buy a house close to my school. I really want to buy now, but we just can't afford it unless Jeff is working full time. So until then I will be content in our sweet little home now. I do love our home. Its very comfy and just right for the 3 of us. But if we expand our family in the future...then it just aint happenin!

So that may have been way more info than you wanted to know. But I figure you care about these kind of things...or you wouldn't read my blog!

Simple Woman's Daybook

Outside my window...it is fickle. I am tired of the back and forth. I REALLY enjoyed this weekend when it was warm.

I am thinking...that praise and acceptance is important for children. I like words of affirmation and it motivates me to keep going. Therefore, if I like it and need it, so do others. My son needs it, my students need it, my husband needs it, my friends need it.

I am thankful for...my church.

From the learning rooms...my kids came back yesterday looking so different. They had grown up just in 2 weeks! Some of them have come back way more academically developed too. I missed them. (I did enjoy my break though!)

From the kitchen...I made frito pie last night. I love to put corn in it and thought I had some. Well I did have corn but it was cream corn (which id disgusting to me). So I had to compromise and put beans in it instead. It was pretty good, but nothing beats the corn in it. It adds sweetness and a different texture in the pie than beans does. I'm big on foods with texture.

I am wearing...green jogging pants and a blue t-shirt. I so don't match and I so don't care. The older I get the less I care about my clothes. I just know that someone is going to nominate sooner or later for "What Not to Wear." Jenni and I both have said that we WANT to be nominated so we can spend $5000 on clothes. okay, Jenni, we will nominate each other and whoever wins has to share the clothes with the other. We are about the same size, right?

I am creating...so I know no one cares about this, but it was the only thing I could think of. I created a "notebook" that organizes all of my documentation for intervention of my students at work. I LOVE it and don't feel so intimidated about trying to keep up with all of that documentation now. And I put a cute picture of Colin on the front of it so I can see his sweet face at work.

I am going...to introduce Colin to the "potty." I'm not really training him yet. I just want him to know what it is and where it is. So when he IS ready he will already know. This is kind of weird, but I'm going to put it in the kitchen. We don't really have a safe bathroom. It is really small and narrow and we have exposed plumbing under the sink that I am afraid he will hit his head on.

I am reading...Still reading Classical Devotions by Richard Foster. I spend about a week reading and re-reading and journaling over one chapter.

I am hoping...that it gets warm and stays warm. (I know...who am I kidding?) I just really really hate the cold and want it to be warm!

I am hearing...Mario Cart. We got a wii for Christmas from Jeff parents (thanks Sharla!) and we bought Mario Cart. It is SO fun and addicting.

Around the house...Colin is grabbing the other steering wheel for Mario Cart and pretending to play like his daddy. He loves his daddy and is always imitating him. Scary, huh? Do we really need another Jeff around here? hehe

One of my favorite things...when Colin grabs my nose and says, "noth." It is too cute. Then he stabs me in the eye with his finger and says "ahhh." Wow, he says "eye" like an east texan!

A few plans for the rest of the week...work, church, and a calm weekend with no plans really.

Here is picture thought I am sharing...






To participate or simply enjoy more daybooks, visit The Simple Woman.

plans????

It is my personality to "plan." I get made fun of by my team for "over-planning." Whenever I have a substitute teacher they tell my team that I am crazy for leaving the most detailed and abundant information. Its what I do. I think of all of the "what if's" and plan for it. I plan WAY WAY in advance for stuff too.

That is why I am struggling now. I have no idea what we will do in a year and a half when Jeff graduates. I just feel like I NEED to know. (And I NEED to know now, so I can prepare. I know...I don't NEED to know anything. I just NEED Jesus.)

But this is what I think the plan is. However, the plan has alot of "if this happens then this" type of stuff. When Jeff graduates we will probably still stick around here for a while. However, we cannot live in our house once Jeff graduates. So we will have to find a place to live. We don't know if we should rent or buy....because we don't know how much longer we will be here. 1 more year, 5 more years? I don't know. Anyway, Jeff will either work full time for the church, or keep working part time for the church and get another part time job. Then there is the issue of having another baby. I want to start trying soon, but I don't think it is a good idea for us just yet.

Anyway, I really don't know why I am telling you all of this except for to ask for prayers. I know that God will provide and things will work out. It worked out when we moved here and it will work out again. I'm not too worried about not being provided for. I just want to KNOW. But I know that all I have to KNOW is that God will provide.

so this is what lame bloggers like me do when they can't think of anything to write about

ABC's of me

A
- Available: available for what?
- Age: 25
- Annoyance: when the tv is too loud
- Animal: puppies (or in Colin's words "buddy")

B
- Birthday: April 6, 1983
- Best Friends: are great to have.
- Body Part on opposite sex: on jeff...his eyes and smile
- Best feeling in the world: when my boys hug me

C
- Candy: chocolate covered raisins
- Color: green
- Chocolate/Vanilla: Chocolate
- Chinese/Mexican: mexican
- Cake or pie: cake
- Continent to visit: europe

D
- Day or Night: definitely day (especially morning)
- Dance in the rain: sure

E
- Eyes: brown
- Ever failed a class?: one in college

F
- Full name: Sarah Elizabeth Stapleton
- First thoughts waking up: check on Colin
- Food: Chilis chips and salsa

G
- Greatest Fear: being rejected
- Goals: have more kids eventually, go back to school eventually, raise some great kids
- Gum: i don't chew it very long. usually no more than 5 minutes
- Get along with your parents?: very much. have to talk to mom everyday
- Good luck charm: dont have one

H
- Hair Color: brown
- Height: 5'3" ish
- Happy: yes
- Holiday: christmas
- How do you want to die: with few regrets

I
- Ice Cream: not a big ice cream fan
- Instrument: I can play piano and violin, but i think the cello is THE most beautiful instrument.

J
- Jewelry: i wear my promise ring, my wedding bands, and 2 earrings in each ear.
- Job: full-time student

K
- Kids: my Colin...hopefully more later
- Kickboxing or karate: kickboxing?
- Keep a journal?: yes

L
- Longest Car Ride: from TX to Minnesota or from TX to Florida
- Love: is not an emotion
- Laughed so hard you cried: yes. it was because i was sort of embarrased. the other day we were driving down the road while jeff was talking to his best friend on the phone. Well I uh....passed gas and it did not smell pleasant at all. So jeff told his friend that the car smelled bad. His friend said, "did you fart?" And jeff said, "I'm not the one with IBS." That sort of narrowed it down to the culprit. It was funny.

M
- Milk flavor: chocolate or plain
- Movies: clean ones.
- Motion sickness?: if i can see out the window then I'm good.

N
- Number of Siblings: 2
- Number of Piercings: 2 in each ear
- Number: 7

O
- One wish: wishing is not as good as praying with expectancy

P
- Perfect Pizza: pepperoni, black olives and onions

Q
- Quote: ooohhh I have lots. One of my favorite is " The story of your life is the story of the long and brutal assault on your heart by the one who knows what you could be and fears it." -John Eldredge

R
- Reason to cry: i cry all the time for no reason. you don't have to have a reason, right?
- Reality T.V.: HGTV or TLC
- Radio Station: i dont listen to the radio much

S
- Skipped school: in college i did
- Slept outside: when ive gone camping
- Smoked?: tried it in jr high
- Strawberries/Blueberries: strawberries

T
- Time for bed: 10ish
- Thunderstorms: cool

U
- Unpredictable: i don't like it. i need predictability and routine

V
- Vacation spot: i guess port aransas. i'd love to go back. OR Washington DC. I'd love to go back there too.

W
- Weakness: Chilis, my son
- Who makes you laugh the most: jeff, jenni and tim
- Worst feeling: apathy

X
-Ex's: one short relationship in high school

Y
-Your worst habit: talking with an east texas accent
-Yellow: i love yellow

Z
- Zoo animal: zebra and penguins

2008 in review (stolen from Mary)

1. What did you do in 2008 that you'd never done before?
I started my first second year in a row at a school (if that makes sense). In other words it was the first time I didn't have to start a "new" job. That was really nice. I felt very prepared this year because I knew what to expect.

2. Did you keep your new years' resolutions, and will you make more for next year? I don't usually make new years resolutions, but I do remember reflecting this time last year that I wanted a year that was depression free and that I wanted a year that was used more effectively to serve God and others. So....there was no depression and I hope God was pleased with my effectiveness. I think in some ways I succeeded and some ways I need to be better.

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
Mary and Taylor

4. Did anyone close to you die?
yes

5. What countries did you visit?
none....maybe in a few years.

6. What would you like to have in 2009 that you lacked in 2008?
maybe pregnancy or a house. we'll see...no official plans yet.


7. What date from 2008 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
August 17th. We went before the church in view of a call to ministry. And July 12th. Jenni and Tim got married!

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Jeff and I started ministry. I can't really say if we have achieved anything or not, but we obeyed.

9. What was your biggest failure?
we probably haven't used our money as wisely as we could have.

10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
I went to the ER in February with a sinus infection that got to close to being meningitis. And I found out I have IBS. Nothing big.

11. What was the best thing you bought?
a new TV

12. Whose behavior merited celebration?
Daniel and Mary. For the way they exhibit obedience and humility in the midst of confusion. I love them much. My husband. He has stepped up to the plate of ministry in a humble yet determined and disciplined way. We have learned so much and I have learned so much from his attitude and outlook on ministry and things in general. I love being a ministry partner with my husband.

13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
i don't know. mine did at times. its easy to be selfish and defensive and that is not okay.


14.Where did most of your money go?
hmmm...honestly some to some unecessary material things, but mainly to child care and bills.

15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
watching Colin grow up! he learned to walk and talk this year. he is such a smart little boy and I am proud of him.

16. What song will always remind you of 2008?
"Enter this Temple" by Leeland

17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
i. happier or sadder? much happier. i've got joy in my heart that wasn't there last year.
ii. thinner or fatter? thinner...still hadn't last all the post baby weight yet at this time last year
iii. richer or poorer? richer (because of Jeff's job). But I also feel that we are living a much richer life in Christ as well.

18. What do you wish you'd done more of?
it hasn't been an issue for Fall semester 08, but Spring semester 08 I spent WAY too much time working and not enough time with my family. I plan to continue to love on my family more in 09.

19. What do you wish you'd done less of?
worrying about what people think of me and over working myself.

20. Did you fall in love in 2008?
I fall in love more and more every day with my Jesus, my husband, and my sweet little boy.


21. What was your favorite TV program?
House Hunters, Antiques Road Show, I know I am a dork.

22.. What was the best book you read?
Devotional Classics by Richard Foster and Messy Spirituality by Mike Yaconelli

23. What was your greatest musical discovery?
Leeland

24. What did you want and get?
a boss that would be understanding and that would be the perfect balance between holding me accountable and not over-pressuring me.

25.What did you want and NOT get?
a new car

26. What was your favorite film of this year?
hmmm....I dont know....Im not a big movie watcher

27. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
I turned 25. Jeff took me to eat at Chilis (imagine that) Then my parents came in town and took me out to eat. And I actually started this blog around my birthday!

28 What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
not worrying or being anxious and letting go of things that should have been let go of a long time ago.

29. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2008?
something you would see on "what not to wear." It is pitiful. I really do have fashion sense. Just dont have the money or time to shop for the right kind of clothes. We did get to start wearing scrubs this school year at work so that is a new addition to my wardrobe.

30. What kept you sane?
Jeff. He balances me out.

31. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
I really just don't care about celebrities.

32. What political issue stirred you the most?
I don't get stirred up about politics mainly because I am a ding dong and don't understand it all. But I usually try to pay attention to education related political topics.

33. Who did you miss?
my friends and family in Arlington. Daniel and Mary. my small group (I miss that SO bad)

34.. Who was the best new person you met?
Tiffany. She has really turned about to be a helpful and encouraging friend. We like to have talks about "psychological" type of stuff and relationships. She is great.

35. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2008:
"I have not come to be served but to serve." God has reminded me of that time after time this year.

36. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year:
Into Marvelous Light I'm running. Out of darkness. Out of shame.
By the cross you are the truth. You are the life. You are the way.
Sin has lost its power. Death has lost its sting. From the grave you've risen. Victoriously!

37. The best thing you discovered this year?
Guitar Hero

38. The best thing you lost?
our GPS

39. What are you glad to leave behind from 2008?
worry

40. What are you looking forward to in 2009?
i really don't know. I'm trying not to have expectations as far as "plans." But I do expect to be used by God and for him to reveal himself in a new way this year!