IT'S VACATION TIME

We're off! Bound for the beach. Looking forward to family, fun, sun, golf cart rides, shopping, seafood and some much needed time to read.

Have you ever felt like you were in a pit? For the last couple of months I have felt like that. It began with a few disapointments and then the death of Wally's dad. I had made a promise to myself that I was going to spend the next months investing in myself and not volunteering for anything. I was looking forward to this little hiatus and then...I went to a party. I spent 3 hours at this party laughing until I thought I was going to wet my pants. At the party someone asked if I would be interested in attending a meeting and joining a drama team. I was hesitant...but I thought "why not." You know what happened next. I spent 2 more hours at the meeting laughing and having a ball.

I realized that time away from people isn't what I needed. It was time with the right people. I am one of those people who is energized by people. I truly feel that I am out of my pit and ready to face whatever God has for me. I am not sure what it is but I know what I would like for it to be. I truly crave, desire, yearn to go back into ministry. I saw the following ad on the internet. This job is in Georgia so it is out of the question, but this is the kind of job I want.

EXPERIENCE: We need someone with experience in creating compelling children's environments while understanding the demands of being mobile. We will pay well for experience and leadership. We take care of our people. We are not overly concerned with degrees or pedigrees. Your work history and heart are more important to us.

LEADERSHIP: You must be a team player. You must know how to recruit and build a team of volunteers.

VISION:You must have a vision for changing lives and reaching the unchurched. If that's you, then what are you waiting for? Come help us reach this region for Jesus Christ!Interested? Please email me and tell me why you're interested in working at Mill Creek. Be sure to attach your resume and current photo.

MY FAVORITE PART:

WARNING: We are getting ready for some huge moves at our church and if we like you then you might be moving within a few weeks. Consider this a lightning opportunity.

That's the kind of job I want.

Where to begin

I had all these things that I wanted to write about and then my blog crashed. Let's see if I can remember:

HATS OFF TO SPECIAL NEEDS TEACHERS

During my last month of teaching, I was placed many times in the special needs class. I have such high respect for those who are called to this profession. I was amazed at the amount of children who require extra help and the extent of their disabilities. I also saw how attached they become to their teachers. Most students become very excited when they have a sub. Not a special needs child. They love their teacher so much that they are truly sad when he or she isn't there. If you know of someone who works with special needs children...give them a high five or a big hug today...they are heroes.

PARENTING IS TOUGH

It seems that lately each one of our children has gone through some type of trial or circumstance. As a parent I have felt so inadequate. So what got me through it? First...prayer. I truly know that He can sustain us through all things and loves our children even more then we do. Second...advice. I have called so many moms lately just to seek their advice and counsel. I am truly blessed to have women in my life who have raised wonderful children and are willing to share with me their mistakes and successes. Third...send them to "Camp Grandma". This special camp is a place where they can get away from it all. They can do whatever they want, whenever they want. They can buy whatever they like and as much as they like. Yes...this even includes eating 5 ice cream cones in one day. Make your reservation now for "Camp Grandma". Space is limisted.

WHO REACHES OUT TO PARIS

This may seem like a crazy topic. Yesterday I was talking to Ashley about this. Who has access to celebrities? Who could share the Gospel with people like Paris Hilton? As her story unfolds it is obvious that this is someone with a void in her life. A void that is God shaped. How do we reach a Paris Hilton?

Long Time...no post

Hey,

My blog is finally working again.


Yeh.


I'll post later.

SEEING GOD IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS

Today I was teaching 9th grade Science. The class was very small so it allowed an opportunity to sit with the kids and just casually talk. The subject of the Virginia Tech shooting came up and I asked the kids what they thought. One girl started talking about the professor who barricaded the door while students jumped out the window. She went on the explain how he took the bullets in order for the students to jump to their freedom. "He was like Jesus that day" she said. I thought to myself...how cool is that. I said, "you're exactly right!" It was so neat to hear a high school student understand what Jesus did for us and how this man sacrificed his life for his students. I went on to ask them what would they do if a shooter entered this classroom. Would they be sacrificial. Everyone hope that they would but we agreed it would be hard to honestly say what you would do until you're in that situation. Of course...the girls all agreed that they would have to grab their purse first.

In the same class I realized that one of the boys looked very familiar. I finally asked him if I had subbed for one of his classes before. He reminded me that I had taught his math class and that I had kicked him out of the class. Now I remembered. He was in a math class that was completely out of control one day. One of the students threw something at me and I thought it was him so I sent him out. He told me that it wasn't him but he wasn't about to snitch on the student who was guilty. I explained to him that I did feel bad about that day. I questioned my decision later if I had punished the right student. We laughed about the situation and I asked if he would forgive me for my mistake. He said yes. I love that kid now. I even gave him some candy. Yes...I gave a freshman in high school a tootsie roll pop.

WALKING THE WALK/TALKING THE TALK

I have been subbing this week at the high school. I enjoy the high school kids and love to see the look on faces of kids at our church when they walk in and see that I am their sub. I was so proud of one of the teens at Hope when I saw how he "lived out his faith" at school. I know he didn't do this to impress me since he had no idea I would be his teacher for the day. He had a Christian book that he had brought to share with a classmate. She read the book the entire period. Normally I wouldn't allow this...but...we were watching a movie. This boy is a boy who is normally very quiet at youth group but a real leader at the high school. I was so proud of him. It was great to see that he is genuine. I am back at the high school today and then off to kindergarten tomorrow. I love the variety of the different ages. I am also excited about tomorrow. Why? Kindergarteners play a lot and take naps. It's going to be a fun day.

SPRING BREAK

Spring break is coming to an end and we are exhausted. Our trip began with an overnight stay at Kalahari in Sandusky. The kids had a blast. I highly recommend this place for a quick getaway. It also motivated me to get back to running. I did not enjoy putting on a swimsuit. The best part of the stay was the way they took care of its guests. The resort goes above and beyond what is expected. They making staying there enjoyable and easy. There are a lot of places (including churches) that could learn from a place like Kalahari.

The next night we were off to Bethel College to visit Ashley. Here are some highlights:
1) We had a chance to have a wonderful dinner with Ashley and Allison Schuck. It it always great to catch up with Allison and to hear about her plans and possible internship.

2) Our Allison had a chance to stay on campus with Ashley and experience college life. I think she saw some real benefits of attending a Christian College.

3) I had a chance to attend class with Ashley. It was her Bible class with a professor that students stand in line in order to get a spot in this class on registration day. I can see why! Dr. Bob brings the Bible to life with his enthusiasm and relaxed teaching style. He made us feel very welcomed. He had us stand and he even asked Allison to "scope" the class for any boys that she would like to meet. I immediately pulled her down in her seat (ha ha). Allison has grown into a beautiful young lady and no mom wants to rush the dating process. I don't think asking her to wait until she is 30 is too much. ha ha

4) Next stop was Chapel. It was great. They had a guest musician who sang about inner beauty. (my passion)

5) Later that night we fixed dinner for 18 college students. Boy can they eat. We had fun doing this and the best part was spending time with them and hearing about what God is doing in their life. Out of 18...almost all of them having future plans to go into ministry. One guy, who is only 21, will be preaching this Sunday at a church.

All in all, it was a great spring break. We enjoyed spending time with my mom and my sister. Now...laundry, rest ...and back to school.

MISC.

so much has happened since my last post. Here goes....


MY DAUGHTER THE DOCTOR...

Ashley hit a milestone this week. She turned 21. She has grown into such a wonderful young lady who loves the Lord with all her heart and seeks to follow him daily. We are so proud of the way she conducts herself and her heart for the lost and her desire to serve. I believe this attitude is what has prompted her to consider medical school. She is considering this and chose pediatric oncology as a possible speciality. Any family with a sick child would be blessed to have her as their doctor.

WRITING CONFERENCE...
Everyone I have spoken to recommends that aspiring writers attend a writer's conference to have a book published. I am attending a Christian's Writer's conference this weekend. Most of you know that I have written a children's book for little girls about beauty. I have also started 2 more children's books this week. One is called "I asked God Why". It is about a little girl's conversation with God. The other is called "Skipping Through The Bible." It is about a little girls who skips everywhere she goes. She dreams one night that she is "skipping" through the Bible and meets some interesting characters.

THE POWER OF WORDS...
I realized this week how words can make you happy. This week I was teaching at the middle school. I brought candy and even allowed the students to have some "fun" in class. Don't get me wrong...they had to complete their work. One student came up to me afterwards and said "Mrs. T...you're my favorite sub...you understand us." That made me feel so good. Maybe my experience in youth ministry aids me in my subbing. Alex made me laugh the other day with his words. We were on our way home from a doctor's appoinment. I asked him if his foot ever hurts. His reply was "Yes...every billioneth step."

MINISTRY INTERVIEW

My interview yesterday went well. I was a little nervous the entire day.
I was fixing my hair and grabbed the "scrubbing bubbles bathroom cleaner" instead. I then panicked and worried that there was bleach in the bottle. What if my hair suddenly begins to turn odd colors and I have to cancel my interview. What would I say as a reason. Fortunately my hair remained one color!!!

Misc.

So much has happened since the last time I posted...so here it goes.

1) I have the WORLD'S BEST PARENTS!!

I come from a very giving family. My parents have always modeled to us the importance of giving back and helping others. I could tell you numerous stories of how my mom has given money, clothing, etc to people in need. I went home this weekend for a short visit and came home with a new car. That's right...my parents bought me a new van. I love it. It is a 2006 Town and country. It has everything that I have ever wanted and could never afford. It tells me the time, the temperature, the radio station and what artist is singing. It has stow and go and much much more. I hope I can be the kind of parent to my children that helps them out even as adults. THANKS!!!! WE LOVE THE VAN!!!

2) I have an interview this tuesday for a wonderful ministry opportunity.
I am really seeking God's will in this matter.

3) It has been another great week of teaching. I had one little scare at the middle school. When I arrived I found a whole stack of letters that the students had written. They were apology letters to the substitute they had earlier in the week. I was kind of nervous waiting for this class to arrive. They behaved for me!!!

4) This week I was reading an article on prayer. It posed the questions "How do you pray for someone who do not know?" The author suggested that you put yourself in their situation and pray as if you are going through what they are going through. My mom has a friend that is at the Cleveland Clinic. I have never met her...but as I pray for her...I am going to try this.

Great Weekend

WOW!!!

I am still recovering from a wonderful weekend. I had the honor of being the speaker at Riverwood Women's Retreat. It is fun to attend different retreats and see how each one is unique and special.

I was given a wonderful room to myself that included a plush robe to wear as I relaxed. The wonderful committee created a gift basket that only compared to the ones that celebrities receive at the Oscars. It contained many snacks, drinks, jewelrey, and many many wonderful Longaberger items. I felt so special.

We had a wonderul weekdend sharing stories of God's faithfulness. You come to a retreat as a stranger and leave with many new friends. I loved working with the women on the committee. They were genuine and authentic. If I ever look for a new church...I would stop at Riverwood first.

I began a women's care group at my home this past monday. We have 10 women who will attend, but the weather kept many away. Two women came and we decided that we would hold off on the lesson. We decided to just chat for a few moments and pray. Two hours later...we were done.

I want to share with you my next adventure. My friend Sandi and I are always looking for a new adventure and here it is.

We are going to spend the next year interviewing 10 women that we admire in our church. We are going to ask each on of them the same questions:
1) what has made your marriage successful
2) what is the best parenting advice you can give
3) how do you keep your walk with Christ intimate
4) what is the best advice that you would offer women today

There will be many more questions. Here is the criteria for the women that we choose.
1) They must be past the stage of raising children.
2) They must exemplify Christlike qualities in their parenting and marriage(past or present)


We are praying abou the names of the women. I will be compiling the interviews and I am not sure how we will use this. We may keep this for ourselves or make it available to women who are interested.

I am so excited about this. The idea came to me this Sunday as I sat beside a women and she shared with us that she just celebrated her 50th wedding anniversary. She has a wonderful sense of humor and a love for the Lord. I thought to myself "I want to talk to her."

Pray for us.

My Week in a nutshell

This week I had the opportunity to substitute teach 4 times. Tuesday I subbed for the band and chorus teacher. I wasn't sure how I was going to conduct a band...but I was willing to try anything. Fortunately, they have an assistant conductor...so all I had to do was keep kids from talking. The chorus students had a worksheet so all in all it was an easy day. Wednesday I found myself with 5th graders. One student thought it would be funny if he would scare the "sub" by pretending like he passed out. I came into the classroom to find him face down on the floor not moving. I ran to him and called out his name with no response. I told a kid to hurry and get the teacher next door. When he heard this...he suddenly was "healed" and made a quick recovery. I have a feeling the next day he spent some time in detention.

Thursday I taught 8th grade language arts. Another experience came when a student decided it would be cute to hide in a cabinet. Memories from jr. high came rushing back to me. I remember when we coaxed Allison Silverman into letting us lock her in her locker. I was scared when we couldn't get her out. He survived his time in the cabinet and I survived another day.

Today, I taught 9th grade science. What was I thinking? I was thinking that they would probably watch a movie. NO! I had to help them find objects that were either a compound, element, solution, homogenous material etc. Needless to say...I learned alot about science today. I also learned who is dating who, who is breaking up with who and things I wish I hadn't heard. It was a great week. I love it.

FROM THE MOUTH OF A CHILD

QUICK POST:


The other day my 5th grader asked my adult daughter the following question:

"Is is true when you kiss a girl fireworks go off?"

"No Austin" she replied.

"Good" said Austin...I'm afraid of fireworks"

RED HAT LADIES

Yesterday I spoke in Mentor at a luncheon. Several times I started to cancel due to the weather. I was driving on 271 and was scared to death. I hate traveling on highways when it is icy and snowy. I actually found myself getting mad for agreeing to speak. I arrived at the luncheon late and to say my heart wasn't in it ...would be putting it mildly. The Lord grabbed ahold of my heart and reminded me that it wasn't about me...it was about Him. I was able to share the Gospel that day with 60+ women. It turned into a great day. Through this event...I was able to book possibly another 4 speaking engagements. One is with the "Red Hat Ladies" in April. I am excited. It is a mother and daughter event, so there will be women/girls there of all ages.

I also met a lady who wants me to be part of an outreach event for girls and teens. I was moved by her story. She is a one year ovarian cancer survivor and wants to do this. She feels motivated to do this now because of her illness. Pray for her. She is only in her forties and is a mother. I am speaking again tomorrow in mansfield. I can't wait to see what God has in store.

Happy New Year

Happy New Year from the Trachsel family. The first day of 2007 was a day of relaxation and rest. We had a New Year's Eve Party at our house last night. My mom and sister were in town, we had about 11 college students and Austin and Alex had a friend over. I was excited that I actually stayed awake. The kids and I counted down the last 10 seconds, celebrated with sparkling juice and Alex did our traditional "beating of the pans at midnight." We have done this since I was a little girl.

Today I allowed everyone to pick their favorite dinner and we had a smorgasbord. We had everything from pasta to steak. Today our children received a "New Year's Day" present. I took a picture of them participating in their favorite sport and had it enlarged and framed. On the picture I had the following scripture placed on the picture. "This is my son (child) whom I love, with whom I am well pleased."

I think they liked it. I told them this was to remind them of how much they're loved and how well God is with them when they use their gifts.

I hope 2007 brings everyone much joy and happiness.

CHRISTMAS BLESSINGS

It's almost Christmas and I am looking forward to being with friends and family for the next few days. At times I am sad when I think that this is the first Christmas without my grandmother. She loved the homemade gifts that we gave her every year and made a big fuss over the kids. A lady who lives in Peninsula is making something for us that will help keep our grandmother near our hearts all year long. She is designing a charm. One side of the charm she is taking one of her favorite blouses and snipping a small square of fabric and placing it inside the charm. She is mounting a daisy on top of the fabric. My grandmother loved daisies and her nickname was Miss Daisy. On the other side she is scanning my grandmother's signature from a card that I had kept. I can't wait to see the finished product.

As I look back on the month of December, it has been a wonderful time with family and friends. The annual cookie exchange, our buckeye making day with Sherrie and Sandie, the annual Christmas production at Hope, Wally's Christmas party, and a fun night last night with the teens at Hope. The best is yet to come.

This saturday our family will be going with 2 other families at Hope to visit children who are in the hospital and a dear friend in a nursing home. This just isn't any visit...we all dress up in the "nativity" costumes...including a camel, and bring the manger to them. This may sound "cheesy" to some...but we have fun.

I think I have truly felt the true meaning of Christmas this year. It is easy to be busy with the shopping and baking...but the importance of this holiday is sharing the love of Christ with those around us. It's about putting the busyness of the season aside and making time for people.

Stonecroft Ministry

One of the best kept secrets in women's ministry is an organization called Stonecroft. Stonecroft ministries are all over the country. They host monthly luncheons or breakfasts for women to bring their unchurched friends. There is always a secular speaker and a spiritual speaker. About a year ago I started the process to become an approved stonecroft speaker. Several times I wanted to give up. Your talk is critiqued over and over again. I had to swallow my pride many times as I listened to constructive criticism. They pay you to come to their clubs and speak. I have been blessed to have the chance to speak 3 times this week. Monday I was in Warren, Tuesday in sandusky and tomorrow I will be in East Liverpool. The clubs are mainly made up of women who are retired. At first I wasn't sure if I would enjoy this. I was so wrong. For example, today I sat beside a woman who was 92. She was what I would call a "firecracker". I enjoyed talking to her so much and appreciated the wisdom that she had. I also sat with a lady who is a greatgrandmother. You would never know it. She runs a bed and breakfast and invited me to come visit. YEH! Can I also say she was the best dressed lady there. She was so hip and fashionable. The best part is...she is going to send me a box of her hand me downs. YEH! YEH! The grandmothers there today were stylish, funny and more importantly...believers. Monday I met another group of mature women (I won't dare call them older) who blessed me as well. I can't wait until tomorrow to see what God has in store. Maybe I will meet someone who wants to get rid of some jewelrey.. HA HA

I also had the honor of speaking at a ladies event in Auburn. I am in awe of how the Lord continues to bring the opportunities my way.

Random Thoughts

I am about to begin my 8th day of teaching in a row. I have loved every minute of it. I have taught kindergarten to 11th grade in the last 2 weeks. It's ironic that I can't get the kindergarten kids to rest and I can't keep the high school students awake. I am thankful for the chance to work. It is great paying cash for Christmas.

It was great having a classroom with windows today so we could watch the snow. Yes today was kindergarten. It also makes my faithful that we have already booked our summer beach house for July. We loved this house and the irony of it is the owner lives one town away from us so we were able to book directly with her. I am also excited that 15 of the 16 people (my immediate family) will be there. We have never had this many before. It should be fun. I am excited to spend some time with my nephews and nieces that I don't see very often.



Another neat thing that has happened is that we continue to see the legacy of my grandmother live on. She was always a giver. An unexpected insurance policy was discovered and that money has been earmarked to help others. A fund has been set up in her honor. My mom has had the privledge of already helping buy medication and a hot water tank for people in need. This is exactly what my grandmother would have done. I don't think we will ever know the amount of lives that she touched while she was alive. Now her memory and her legacy live on. Way to go Miss Daisy. (her nickname)