Salvation Army Deal

For months now I have been busy trying to make my spare bedroom a functional room that I would enjoy. I am trying to turn it into a movie room/ sitting room... I put my surround sound in there a few weeks ago, but I have had the hardest time finding the right furniture to go in there to match my budget.... Today my mom found me the deal of the year.... and it is only January.... I was about to go in the gym when she called and said come to the Salvation Army right now!!

I am NOT opposed to shopping there at all.. I have several NICE shirts that came from there, but I really wanted something extra nice for my space... Being the good mother she is, she said get over here and look at it...

So here I go... Driving all the way across town from where I was and there it was when I got there... The perfect loveseat for my space... It is chocolate brown leather... made by Broyhill... and looks BRAND NEW!!!

Apparently it had just arrived this morning from a lady's lake house on Lake Bowen. She was redoing her rooms and didn't want it anymore... I looked under the cushions and not a speck of dirt.

The price on it was 70... I offered 50, and the lady said "How bout 49.99?" I said I would take it... Thankfully my diesel truck driving, dog carrying, cigarette smoking, country girl Aunt was there in her pick up to help me get home...

I LOVE the love seat... Check it out below!!!

Group Power

Today at school 3 of the women I work with talked me into joining them in a class at the gym called Group Power... I must admit I totally gave in because of peer pressure... One of the ladies told me that her husband was coming so I thought... what the heck and agreed to go... I got there around 5:20 for the 5:35 class.... I was a little nervous because I am not really strong... I have been working out for a few months, but all the ladies I was going with have taken this class many times and seemed to really be good at it.

The class is centered around working out with a bar and the weight you desire... You can have as much or as little as you want... You work for an hour, and you work all parts of the body... Trust me... you work them ALL!!!!!!!!!!

As the class was getting ready to start, Beth-3rd grade teacher at my school, was REALLY helpful. She showed me exactly what I needed to get ready for the workout... That alone relieved lots of my nerves about the class. It is always good to go with someone who has been before to kinda show you the ropes.

Several times during the class I thought I was gonna die, but much to my surprise... I didn't... I was so proud that I made it all the way through... I enjoyed the workout so much that I am already planning to go back to the Friday class... Hopefully this along with 30 minutes on the Stair Master every day I am not in class will help me to drop some pounds.

I am excited now, but I am already anticipating some serious soreness in the morning. Wish me luck!!!

Broken and Spilled Out (This Ain't Spiritual)

Last night I bought a new table for my classroom.... I was so excited to get to school this morning and set it up before the kiddos came in... I put it in this one place but I didn't like where I put it so I started rearrange my room...

Now you teachers now how this is.... once you get started on something in the morning the last thing you want to do is stop in the middle of it and go get the kids... You start to dream of the next work day when you can actually get something done...but I digress.

As I started to rearrange I quickly pulled this metal wire rack shelf away from the wall so I could be the new table in its place... It just fit better there.... As I pulled I got frustrated because it was stuck on something... What you asked??? It was the cord to my beautiful blue lamp that I bought to give my room ambiance from Big Lots. I pulled so hard though that the beautiful blue lamp ended up hitting the floor and shattering into a zillion pieces... I was SOOOO mad at myself....

Then, as if that wasn't enough, as I moved the shelf further to get the pieces of broken lamp out of the floor, a 26 drawer sewing case that Iuse to store alphabet cards in fell over and all of the letters spilled out in the floor.... There are about 30 of each letter in each drawer! Can you say AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA???

Needless to say, I didn't get the room rearranged before the kiddos came... I got them to help clean up though and they loved it... Thank God for those kiddos or else I may still be at school cleaning up all those letters!!!

5 Things That Happened at School Today

1. I was walking by the special ed. class and I wanted a glass of tea like one of the teachers walking by.... 5 minutes later one of the nice special ed kids brought me a big glass full to my room!!!

2. I got a check for supplies from the state... Normally you get this at the beginning of the year, but since I just started at the new school I got it... It was a HUGE surprise....and VERY much needed!!!

3. All of my students made and A or B on the spelling test!!! YAHOOOOOOO!!!!!

4. Tater Tots for lunch!!!!!!!! mmmmmmmmm!!!! I only ate tater tots though... the rest didn't look too inviting.

5. I got a new name.... Mr. Blue Berry!!!

Have a great weekend!!!!!!!!!!

Mercy Doesn't Walk... It Runs!!!

Sometimes songs just get in my head or on my heart during the day... Sometimes they are there for a moment, other times they are there all day.... from my alarm clock snooze until the resetting of the clock that night....

Today the song "Mercy Came Running," by Phillips, Craig, and Dean, has been that song... It has just hung around with me all day... I didn't hear it on the radio... It is not on my iTunes.... It is not even particularly one of my favorites... but it has been on my heart all day.... specifically the chorus... here are the words:

Mercy came running
Like a prisoner set free
Past all my failures to the point of my need
When the sin that I carried
Was all I could see
And when I could not reach mercy

Mercy came running to me

Aren't these just great words.... Knowing that God's mercy is running to us fallen sinners like a prisoner who has been set free.... Now you know He is running.....

It runs past all of our failures... right to the point of our need..... Lord knows we have a HUGE NEED!!!!

Even though our vision was blurred by our sin, and we could not even see the Lord, and there was no way we could reach mercy.... what did He go and do....

He sent it to us!

I am so thankful for music and the way God uses it to remind me of His truths!!!

Read this to see the truth of this song.... Ain't He Just Good!!! Have a great Friday!!!

Milestone At The Gym!!!

My roommate Matt has been blogging about trying to gain weight, so I would tell you that since November I too have been going to Peak Fitness, but I am trying to lose weight... Before I went to the Philippines I was a WHOPPING 222.... I cannot believe just typed that number... It may not be much to you but it was a WHOLE LOT to me... When I got home from the Philippines I had lost some but not enough.... I quickly put it back on as my body adjusted back to the GREATEST FOOD IN THE WORLD!!!!!

Anyway... I have been working out at the gym3-4 times a weeks since November and I haven't lost a whole of weight, but I have greatly improved in some areas....

When I started at the gym I could barely do more than 5-10 minutes on the Stair Master... Tonight however... I did 30 minutes on a level 7.... That is VERY HARD!!!! I was so proud of myself..... If you know me, you know I am NOT very athletic, that is why I am proud of my accomplishment... I was soaked after it was over, but SOOOOO glad I did!!!!!!!

Although I haven't lost much weight I can tell a difference in some of my clothes.... I will keep you posted on my progress... My goal weight is 180... Maybe Ill get it back this time next year....
My trainer made a good point... It took 4 years to get from 180 to 222... It may take a while to get it back off...so be patient.... soooo..... I am being patient...working hard..... and hoping to see results!!! Wish me luck!!!

Moral Dilemma @ Wal-Mart

I had one of those "what in the world do I do?" moments today.... Let me tell you about it...

I was in line at Wal-mart... ( my first trip in like 2 weeks by the way.) when I noticed that the buggy in front of me had 2 packs of bottled water on the bottom. She had all of her items on the counter to check out... The cashier scanned and scanned, but the lady never got the water...

This was going on in my head while I watched.... O gosh... that lady forgot to put her water up...She is busy tending her kid and forgot... I think I should tell her.... No, she will be mad at me for bringing it to her attention... No she will be offended because she thinks that I think that she is trying to steal it.... O no the cashier is almost done.......

Then my thoughts changed.... doing whats right isn't easy.... but its right... I could her Martina McBride singing... DO IT ANYWAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Out of now where the words jumped out of my mouth.... "Ma'am, don't forget your water." I felt like an idiot when she said "O I have already got it, My husband's a cop, I am not allowed to steal."

All that dilemma in my head and for what. I am glad I chose to do what I thought was the right thing... even if I did feel like an idiot!

After she said she couldn't steal because her husband was a cop I had this thought.... Since I am a teacher....does that mean that my wife will one day say in public that she can't be dumb because her husband is a teacher????

That's my day today... Hope you had a great Monday!

DJ JD!!!!

DJ stands for Disc Jockey and JD stands for Jed Dearybury... That's right... tonight I was a DJ for the "young at heart" group at my church... The seniors get together each month for a fellowship and their leader, Bobby, asked if I would be their DJ.... I am not sure why he asked me, guess he thought I would be good at it.... Man am I glad he did.. I had a ball!!! Those seniors really know how to shake a leg.... For all you AMRBC folks be sure to ask Bill Stansil about his dance with the broom..... and I don't meant Coral.... We had lots of fun tonight and THE MOST PRECIOUS WOMAN EVER, Mrs. Genoble won musical chairs to receive a day spa package from Kimbrell's Day Spa...... I can hardly wait til next year... I am already planning the fun in my head!!!

On a different note.... Can you believe that we are awaiting snow again for the 2nd time this week??? When in the world was the last time that happened???? They are really thinking we are gonna get some this time..... I HOPE SO!!! I have decide Matt is gonna try to sled tomorrow if ti does... Maybe his skinny tail can get down the hill!!!! PRAY FOR SNOW!!!!!!!!!!!

Snow Day #1 of 2008!!!

I LOVE THE SNOW!!!!!!!! Wasn't it pretty as it fell last night!!! Here are some pics of how I spent the morning... Enjoy... The video will make you laugh... Nothing funnier than a Fat Boy on a sled!!!

SNOW IS HERE!!!!!!!!!!!

It is 1224am and for the past 4 hours its been snowing like crazy... Matt and I went to the Waffle House and ate just to be out... We went with Mama and Chuck... Ill post more pics in the morning... Hopefully no school!!!

Things Change

This morning I spent my time organizing and preparing my new classroom space at my new school. (Don't worry... pics of the space are forthcoming... I didn't have my camera.)

The "Exploring Trees Inside and Out" Exhibit was over as of Friday and a school in the district has a position for me for the rest of the year... As I unpacked what seemed to be endless boxes of "teacher stuff" I could not help but be reminded of how things change... and how I usually hate it!!!

Change is not always a bad thing though... When I looked up change in a Thesaurus, look at all the words that it gave...

accommodate, adapt, adjust, alter, alternate, commute, convert, diverge, diversify, evolve, make innovations, make over, merge, metamorphose, moderate, modify, modulate, naturalize, recondition, redo, reform, regenerate, remake, remodel, renovate, reorganize, replace, resolve, restyle, revolutionize, shape, shift, substitute, tamper with, temper, transfigure, transform, translate, transpose, turn

Most of the words associated with change are positive words... I mean how many of us don't like to "remodel" something or for something to "evolve" Why then does it seem that change is so hard for us as people...creatures of habit....

The past year brought many changes for me... some are huge.... some I don't understand...some are futile... some are minuscule... Here is a small list I compiled

1. I left... I came back... I left... I came back.
2. I am at a different school... after not being at a school, but a tree.
3. I have a new car. (this is happy and sad all in one)
4. I have a new comforter, and shower curtain... (I know this one isn't big but its been an adjustment believe me.)
5. National Board... (this is one of the huge one!!!)
6. New Towels (i hate the little fuzz balls that stick all over you when you get new ones... I have washed them 3 times but still fuzzy. Any suggestions???)
7. My weight... (up then down....up then down)

What are some changes (good or bad) that you have experienced over the past year?

I Can't Think of A Title, But This is A MUST READ!!!

Stay with me on this one... THIS IS GREAT!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Today was one of those days where you want to come home and cry... Not because anything bad happened, just one where you are worn out and the head ache has not subsided since lunch... I came in went straight to the Advil and a nap to sleep it off...

When I woke up and felt better I walked out on the porch to take some trash out and noticed a box that had been delivered by mail... It was from Hawaii... I hadn't ordered anything from Hawaii... In this day and age I admit I was a bit afraid to open it...

My curiosity out weighed my fear so I ripped the box open and saw inside a letter accompanied with 3 different Hawaiian treats all involving Macadamian nuts.

This is what the letter said.

Dear Jed,

We received your letter this past February. I was meaning to write to you to thank you for your letter. The first time I read the letter aloud to the kids I just could not stop crying. Your letter and picture touched the lives of my Children's Ministry team and we decided to continue this worthwhile project. Last year we had a woman spearhead this effort and she ended up doing most of the work herself. She ended up leaving the church and we were almost going to give this project up because most of us knew very little about running the project. Your letter came just as we were making our final decisions on the projects we would be undertaking this year. Yes, you were God's messenger to us that we' should go on faith and run this project that we knew very little about running. Also, I received even more confirmation when I attended a Children's Ministry Pastors conference in San Diego and I ended up getting the start up packet from a Samaritan's Purse booth!

We got a team together and we organized supply drives and monetary donations to send 125 boxes this last fall. We decided to use your suggestion of sending double the amount we sent last year (we send 50 boxes last year). The kids were so excited and they all ended up packing 2 boxes each. We had our pre-school to 5th graders participate in this project. The kids packed the boxes and prayed over them. We shared your letter and the picture of the child who received our box last year. The kids were so excited to touch the life of a child that they didn't know. We sent a picture and we put our address on our note this year (in case someone like yourself decides to send us a letter too).

We just wanted to thank you again for being God's messenger to us to continue his good work with Samaritan's Purse Christmas Child Shoebox project. We hope you will enjoy these snacks from the islands. It's just our small way of saying thank you for your persistence and diligence in contacting us. May 2008 be a blessed year for you!

Your friends,
Fran Hagashi

New Hope Hawaii Kai
Children's Ark Director
P.O. Box 26499
Honolulu, HI 96825

For those of you who don't know... When I went to the Philippines the first time to deliver shoe boxes, I took pictures of the kids who received boxes and mailed those pics to the people who sent them if they included their address in their box... I mailed out the letters the last week of February in '07... I was just commenting the other day that I had no idea if anyone even got any of the 12 letters I sent... Obviously they did!!!

It is so amazing to me that this ministry was considering omitting this from the calendar and God used my letter to change it around and more than double the number of boxes they did last year... I am SOOOOO humbled that God would use my little bitty act of writing a letter to change more than 50 kids Christmas this year....

say it with me... AIN"T HE JUST GOOD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

(FYI... the chocolate covered macadamian nuts ain't bad either!!!)

God is Omnipresent (Even in the Attic)

If you do not believe that God is omnipresent (click for definition) you haven't hung out with me much... I seem to find Him in the silliest things to most people, but to me He is really there in the midst of those things... Yesterday I had another "hub cap" moment. If you are new to the blog and do not know about the hub cap, please click on hub cap to read all about it.

Anyway... I digress...

Yesterday I was cleaning out my attic... It is loaded up with all of my teacher stuff, and since my tree exhibit is coming to an end and my new teaching position is about to begin I was going through all of the stuff that would help me educate young minds at my new school...

As I was moving all the thousands of dollars worth of educational goodies from one end of the attic to the other, one of my nice Tupperware drawers fell open and all of these buttons that I use for math and art projects fell and landed in the itchy pink sea that surrounds my plywood floor in the attic...

Now you have to understand... These are not just any 'ole buttons... These are big 'ole fat buttons in the shape of stars, hearts, ovals, squares, etc... They are all different colors and sizes... They make 1st grade art projects really pop for a bulletin board...

My heart just sank as I heard them bang against the wall and land in the abyss of pink insulation. They seemed to burrow down in there as a mole would bury himself under a farmer's garden...

I couldn't let the buttons stay there... They were valuable to me... I needed them... I had plans for those buttons... I really didn't want to get all itchy over some buttons, but they were important to me.

So, I did what any good teacher would do... I sat down in the attic and began to dig... I found a few here and a few there... The work was tedious... I asked myself several times, "Can't you just get some more?" But I kept looking... I found what I think were all of them... I spent about an hour looking and only 2 fell down in the cracks.

As I sat there, digging in what I wished was cotton candy... God spoke to me as He often does... He will do that if you are listening you know...

He simply said Jed... That is what I did for you... I got down in the middle of all the mess that you were lost in, and found you... You were important to me, and I have a plan for you... You were worth it to me to leave my comforts of Heaven, get in among the mess you were living and find you... I love you, never forget what I have done, am doing, and will do!!!

Ain't that just like Him to speak to me there... He is so good to us... to remind us of His constant, unfailing, unmoving, omnipresent love. Look and listen for Him this week in the small, mundane, and what seem to be mishaps of life that occur. He is there, waiting to remind you too!!!

Have a great week!!!

Blog + Ads = Money

Since the birthday of my blog I have heard that you can put ads on here and make money. I have wanted to do it for a while now, but just didn't think it was legit... Tonight I read and read and read on the Google pages and it seems legit, and I have noticed several other blogs that have the ads as well...

Soooooo... I thought I would give it a try and see what happens... After all what can it hurt... You will begin to see ads along the sides of my blog that pertain to whatever I am writing about... I will receive money based on the number of clicks...so click away and I will start to ad up the money... I will keep you posted on the progress.

Remember Click...Click...Click!!!

Happy New Year

Top 10 Things I Am Looking Forward to This Year!!!

1. Learning how to be a better son...brother...friend...teacher...person.
2. Snow...will we get any or not???
3. Teaching at a new school.
4. My big 3..0 birthday.
5. Meeting new people.
6. I am gonna have a Nephew (my sister Jessica is expecting)
7. Maybe THIS will be the year!!!!!!!!!!!
8. Campaign '08 will finally come to an end!!!!!!!!
9. Learning how to use my MAC better.
10. It is NOT 2007 (it wasn't exactly my favorite year!)