I'm concerned. I'm embarassed. I tend to speak what I think. I tend to have people who disagree with me. Let me explain.

Luke and I just returned from a high school basketball game. It was an intense game. The two teams were competing for the district championship. Well, let's just say there was lots of yelling going on. There was good yelling and then there was bad yelling. I'm all about cheering your team on, but I'm not so fond of yelling out at the ref's when you feel as though they have either made a bad call or in turn, have failed to make a call. I'm also not so fond of yelling at the opposing team and in turn, saying things that are just not nice. This is what Luke and I experienced tonight. Yelling-yelling from parents. First off, the game was between two Christian school teams. As the yelling was taking place, I couldn't help but think about being above reproach. You know, those verses found in
1 Timothy 3:1-4

Yes, I know these verses are talking about those who desire to be a leader within the church-specifically deacons and overseers, but I also know that these are qualities that we can apply to our lives. And yes, I understand that maybe the other team wasn't being so nice to the opposing teams players and in turn, the fans were not being nice, but does that really give us any right to stoop down to their level and in turn, yell at the ref's and the other teams players? I don't think so. If there is one pet peeve that Luke and I have, it's parents who tend to have no self-control at sporting events that involve kids. I just don't get it. So, needless to say, I mentioned tonight that I was embarassed and in turn, was looked upon as though I was crazy for even feeling that way.

And please, don't tell me that I will understand when I have children. I can't tell you how many times Luke and I have heard this. In all honesty, it drives us bonkers! I've heard this way too many times as a teacher. When I hear this, I can't help but think-so, are you telling me that I will never understand, nor will I ever be considered a professional in the field of teaching until I pop out some babies? I don't think so. So please, don't tell me I'll understand once I have children. What I do know is that I will not allow my children to throw temper tantrums at sporting events or in anything else that they may want to throw a fit about. And I also know that I will always seek out the thoughts of my children's teachers before I allow myself to believe that my little precious children are always angels and that in no way could the teacher be right about what they have said or done. It's just not happening.

And here's another thought, I can assure you that children can be raised in a house that is less than 2000 square feet. But, that's another story for another time. I think I need to go to bed! :)

Well, here I am sitting at my desk at work, ready to go home! I could be grading some papers, getting things ready for next week, etc., but I would rather not. I'd much rather blog-write my own and read the blogs of others.

I came to realize today just how blessed Luke and I are. God truly has been good to us. One of my co-workers had to leave work this morning because she received a phone call from her husband stating that he had just lost his job. My heart goes out to them. They just bought a new house and like yesterday, they purchased a new car. Then, at lunch, I was talking to another co-worker who was telling me about one of the girls we work with and how she is busy spending her weekend moving into a new house. She and her family had to move out of the house they were renting because it was being forclosed on. So, they are now renting another house, but deep down inside, they want nothing more than to own their own home.

As I heard these stories, I couldn't help but think just how blessed Luke and I are. So many times I allow my mind to get caught up in the worries and anxieties of this world, all the while forgetting how truly blessed we are. You know, it's so easy to worry about tomorrow when the reality is, what good is it going to do you? So, as I sit here at my desk, I can't help but be thankful. Thankful for the home Luke and I have been given. Thankful for the car that runs well. Thankful for the job of teaching and being able to minister to students. Thankful for my dogs, cheap grocery store pizza, etc. Just thankful!

On another note, can I just say that Luke and I are doing REALLY well with our New Year money saving resolution! We are completely amazed at how much money we are saving by not eating out! It just blows us away! Now, don't get me wrong. Being that we had to take a few trips to Miami due to the health of my grandparents, there were a couple of times we had to stop and get something. But even with those few purchases, what we are saving is amazing! It just motivates us to keep on going!

So, here are my plans for the weekend:

Friday:
This evening-would really like to go to the high school girls basektball game-but really need to work on one of two assignments that are due this weekend

Saturday:
1. make our usual Saturday morning drive, probably grab some free breakfast using one of the many free Chick-fil-a coupons we have

2. wait for my brother and his fiance to arrive in Clermont. We are going to go look at houses in the area with them (love looking at houses-no really, I do!!)

3. work some more on my doctorate work

Sunday:
1. go to church

2. come home and work on doctorate assignments along with getting prepared for the school week

WOW! Doesn't my weekend sound like fun! What does your weekend look like??

Jen

Luke and I had another weekend filled with being in Miami. We decided to head down on Friday after work when on Wednesday I heard that my grandfather was now in the hospital. Luke and I spent Saturday at the grandparents just kinda helping where needed and basically being there. Grandpa was not looking good. When I walked into the room he started crying, which of course caused me to leave the room a few minutes later and in turn, I started crying. He had a rough day at home on Saturday. But Praise God-he is doing better!! Mom and dad just made it back home today after being there for a week. Both grandparets are home and seem to be doing well.

On the work front, Luke and I had interviews today-Luke for the dean position and me for the curriculum coordinator position. From all fronts, the interviews went well, but we will see. I think I would really like being the curriculum coordinator. I'm all about raising the standards for students and being that I love books, I think I would really enjoy setting up benchmarks, standards, and in turn, helping teachers pick out curriculum. If I get the position, I will also have the opportunity to help train/teach teachers through professional development. So, we will see! Luke and I are keeping our fingers crossed! If I get the position, I will also need to teach three classes which I know AP Literature would be one, and I would hope that the others would be 12th Grade English and an 11th grade Career class. Again, we will see!

If you get a chance, check out my page at Shoutlife:

www.shoutlife.com/coachjenniferbennett

I'm not sure about all the people who are leaving me comments, but oh well. Anyway, check it out when you get a chance!

Ok, I better get to reading some poetry for my AP class next year!!

Oh yeah, I am hoping to take AP students next year to England to visit the Globe Theare, home of Jane Austen, Canterbury, etc. PRAY that I get at least 5 students-5 students means I go for free and we go!!

Can I just say I am exhausted! The past two weeks have been extremely busy. I feel as though Luke and I have had tons of meetings at work and then when we don't have meetings, we come home and work on the degree. I am REALLY looking forward to spring break. What's crazy is that we just had Christmas break and I'm already worn out!

This past weekend Luke and I had to make an unplanned trip to Miami because my grandmother was in the hospital. We left on Sunday and came back on Monday. Then last night, my mother called and told me my grandfather was in the hospital. So, my father's mother and father are now both in the hospital. It looks like things will be fine, but seeing them there just got me thinking about how fragile life is. On Saturday Luke and I were at a local hospital visiting a student of mine who was in a car accident. Again, reminding me of how fragile life is. You just never really know what may take place on any given day. I am really trying to take the time to thank God on a daily basis for the life he has given me; even when it's a bad day!

I'm also trying really hard to not get ahead of God's perfect timing. Let me explain. The school I work for is looking for a Curriculum Coordinator for next year. Well, I have applied and I have an appointment next Tuesday. While I think I am perfect for this position, what if God doesn't open this door for me? I have to be willing to wait on his perfect timing. I have to trust Him even when I don't understand. Along those lines is my thinking regarding everything else I want to do. I still want to put more time and thoughts into my Life Purpose Coaching and in turn, into my writing. But again, I have to wait for God's perfect timing. I have to be willing to be patient. It's hard. I'm the kind of person that wants answers now and in turn, want to have a clear picture of what is going to take place. As we know, God doesn't always work like that, He seldom does. So, along with teaching me how fragile life is, I am also learning to be patient.

So there you have it! What the Lord is currently teaching me. Ok, gotta run! Hope to post more soon!

I really can't even begin to believe that Christmas is over already! Where did the time go? I absolutely love Christmas and it just saddens me that it's already over!

Luke and I had a WONDERFUL Christmas! We spent the last week in South Florida visiting both my family and Luke's family. I had not realized how long it had been since I was last there. Honestly, I think it was like a year since I had seen everyone. Life has just been a little hectic! Luke and I were able to visit both sets of my grandparents which was wonderful. It was also a little sad because the truth of it is that they are getting older and I just don't know how much longer they will be with us. So, thinking about all of that was not the most fun thing-but I am so grateful that I had the opportunity to visit with them.

Luke and I also had the opportunity to visit my cousin Karina and her family which was great! I hadn't' seen them for like 3 years-so it was wonderful to see them. Lastly, Luke and I were able to visit with practically all of his family. It was a much needed week of catching up and visiting with family. We even had the opportunity to "makeover" the bedroom of our teenage niece who lives in Cape Coral. We had our own little, "While You Were Out" room makeover going on. When she came back and saw the transformation her room had gone through, she was just taken back. Her room was Beautiful!! It was such a pleasure to be able to do that!

Well, Luke and I are REALLY hoping that this will be our last year for our Doctoral program. Needless to say, it will be an extremely busy year. We have 6 classes left to take and our dissertation to write. I'm hoping to finish up my concept paper (the first portion of the dissertation) tomorrow and in turn, submit it before I go back to work. So, the goal is that it will be only one more year of craziness!

Luke and I go back to work on Thursday which just seems so fast! Work continues to go well but again, we are REALLY hoping to get into leadership. We LOVE Foundation, but at the same time, we are keeping our options open. You just never know when the Lord might open up a door of opportunity for us. We just continue to be open to where He may lead, whether it is here or somewhere else.

As I mentioned in a previous post, Luke and I are looking at making some major changes in 2008. Here's the list:

* Not spending $$ on eating out-will only eat out if we have a gift card (we tallied up our receipts from 2007 and let me just say, we spent WAY TOO MUCH on eating out!)

* Because we will not be eating out as much, we are planning on eating healthier!

* Getting into shape-making exercise a priority

* Spending more quality time with the Lord-My heart is really yearning for this. I really want to draw closer to the Lord-I just feel as though my life lacks without Him in it

* We plan on using our money more wisely-we have disconnected the satellite radio, stopped lawn service, and plan on going back to basic cable. We really want to be good stewards of our money.

* Lastly, we want to give more $$ to God-Luke and I are thinking about increasing our tithe once again. What I find interesting is that God tells us to test Him when it comes to tithing. This is the only time in the Bible that God says, Test me and watch what I'll do. Luke and I want to give more to the church and worthy causes because each time we have, He has blessed us beyond what we can imagine. But that's not the only reason why-we want to give more because it makes a positive difference-unlike cable, satellite radio, lawn service, etc. So, our goal is to give back to God because He has been so good to us already! Again, we want to live lives of simplicity-more is not better.

Personally, I would really like to work on some of my personal writings that I hope to get published one day. And if possible, I would really like to attend a writers conference in Feb/March. We will see!

So there you have it! When you get a chance, let me know what goals you have set our for 2008. Do you have any? If so, what are they!

Love you all!!

It's so hard coming home after a great mini-vacation! Luke and I spent this past weekend at Disney! We were there with friends and in addition to that, it was kinda like our anniversary weekend get away. We stayed at the Boardwalk hotel on Friday and Saturday night. We spent the day yesterday at Magic Kingdom and then the evening in downtown Disney. It was so nice to be away and not thinking about work nor our doctoral program. Oh, how hard it was to come home. But alas, here we are, trying to gear up for the work week again. As we were walking in the Magic Kingdom yesterday we happened to be walking behind Steven Curtis Chapman and family. Of course, I wanted to just kinda walk by and say hello, but we ended up turning another direction as they kept walking forward.

Today, we spent some time Christmas shopping for all the kids in the family. You know, Luke and I did really well financially. I think we are quite proud of ourselves. With each new day, we are continuing to feel as though the Lord is really wanting us to be better stewards of our money. We just can't seem to get away from this thinking. The more I think about it, the more I feel the Lord wants us to live a life of simplicity. What's interesting is that this morning as Luke was getting himself some coffee (I was still in bed), he overheard some business men talking. As he was listening, one of the men was making the comment that it seems like everyone around him is purchasing these $400 thousand dollar homes and as they do this, he can't help but wonder if he's just been left behind. Mainly, he can't help but think, "Ok, am I just poor and I don't know it?" He went on to say that he knows he can't afford that kind of house but yet, everyone around him seems to be able to.

When Luke told me this, we just began talking about how we too have wondered that. We have quite a few friends who seem to be able to afford really nice, big houses and at times, we can't help but think, ok, what happened with us. But you know, the truth of the matter is that we really don't need nor want that. We really desire a life of simplicity. And the deep down honest truth is that we really like our 1633 square foot house. We really do. And yes, we drive one car, a Hyundai and we really like that car.

Along with this, the other day, a teacher at the school just started talking to Luke out of the blue about how he and his wife buckled down one year and decided to not eat out for an entire year and along with that, they were drastically cutting back in those areas where they could. They decided that in 8 years, they wanted to be completely debt free. Well, they did it. And the teacher told Luke that it has been so freeing and wonderful to not have a car payment, house payment, etc. And what's even more interesting is that this man has been a Christian school teacher his whole life. The reason I say this is because so many people tend to think that if they work within ministry or at a Christian school, then this can't be done. Oh, how wrong we are!

So, it just seems to me like the Lord keeps nudging at us to live a life of simplicity. With that said, I think Luke and I have decided to make 2008 a year of drastic changes. One of the first things we plan on doing is-not eating out! I think we are just going to do this. I can't even begin to imagine the amount of money we would save if we just didn't eat out. We already figured out that if Luke did not buy a coffee each morning, we would save approximately $700. Go figure!
Along with not eating out, we are looking at cutting back in some other areas-like cable. I think we might downgrade to basic cable, because the truth of the matter is-do we really need 200 channels? On everything that we cut back on, we plan on using that money to put back into the car and house. 2008 will be a year of simplicity.

Lastly, 2008 will be a year of healthier eating. We are just going to do it-especially since we will not be eating out (unless of course we get those neat little gift cards from people!). This week, I start working with a personal trainer. Hopefully, he will not be needed for long. I just need someone to get me going and get me motivated again. So this year, I'm determined to start eating healthier and once again, getting back into shape.

So there you have it! The plans of the Bennett's for 2008. It's time for change. It's time to start using the money that the Lord has blessed us with, a little bit better. We are excited about the adventure that awaits us in 2008!

Well, it's Monday and Luke and I are home today. We decided last Friday that we needed to take today off being that our dryer decided that it no longer wanted to work. I know that you may be thinking-ok, why does it take two people being at home if the dryer broke? Well, as most normal people would do, we called Sears and set up an appointment to have a service man come out to take a look at our dryer and tell us what is wrong with it. Well, as usual, they said, how about Monday between 8-5. So needless to say, we both figured why not take the day and catch up on some stuff. So here we are while the repair guy is fixing our dryer for a whopping $185. Don't you just love life's little surprises! :)

This morning I woke up with my head hurting (and it still is) and my neck all out of whack. I'm determined to no longer buy cheap pillows! They are beginning to have an affect on me. So, my next shopping item I must purchase is a pillow that will not make my neck hurt!

Last night Luke and I went to dinner with the staff from Total Life Counseling. It was great, but we ate way too much! Thus, the reason why we had a personal trainer come in and meet with us today, or maybe I should say me! Anyway, we have decided to hire me a personal trainer to get me going on my exercise plan again. The truth of the matter is-I'm excited. I think it will be good for me. The name of my trainer is Chad and he's young. He's someone that I will not want to have to tell-no I didn't' stick to my routine, etc. He might be just what I need. So, for now, I'm meeting with him once a week here at the house where, as he said, he will kick my butt and in turn, will lay out a workout/nutrition plan for me for the week. I start next Monday! So, hopefully this will motivate me to get going again! I need it!

That's the latest! Need to get back to my lesson plans for the week!