There's a lot swimming in my head right now

These next two weeks are about to get out of control.  This week, I collect student journals (96 journals times 12 entries each=a lot of reading for Mrs. Cook).  I am also trying to write my finals study guide (finals are next Monday) and figure out how to help my students study for their exam.  My kids are also giving presentations this week.  I won't be at school tomorrow because I have a grant meeting...then Tuesday is our Veteran's Day program, so I won't see my second period class until Wednesday, which also happens to be the day of my second observation.  It's also the week before Spirit Week, and I'm the freshman class sponsor...so I'm trying to help the class council get their decorations done, but they are having some serious DRAMA.  We'll be in Indy next weekend (which I am incredibly excited about--family time and girl time :)) Then next week we have have finals Monday, the end of the trimester Wednesday, and I leave for Texas bright and early Thursday morning.  I need to have all of my grades in when I leave the school building Wednesday.  Then I get back from Texas, have three days of school and it's Thanksgiving.  Woo.

That right there is the very reason we had a restful weekend at the Cook house.  I had myself fairly caught up before the weekend, so I took some time "off" and did some things I enjoy.  I did some serious crafting--I'm in the middle of about four projects right now.  I need to finish one before next weekend.  Some of the others can wait a little, but still should be done by Thanksgiving.  I finally got some pictures in some of my empty frames.  I still need three more frame-able pictures.  That's my goal for this holiday season.  I found some seriously cute lamps for WAY cheap in the Better Homes and Gardens collection at Wal-Mart.   A side note--I think the Better Homes and Gardens collection may be the best thing to ever happen at Wal-Mart.  I also may a darling piece of wall art using http://www.wordle.net.  I learned about this at an NCTE conference this summer, but had never really used it.  I typed in the fruits of the spirit, and some other words and randomized them until it came up with something I loved.  Then I printed it on cardstock and put it in a sweet frame (from the BHG collection at Wal-Mart).  As soon as it's on the wall, I'll take a picture and show you.  I'm not really allowed to hammer things right now.  I make too many holes.  Next weekend, I'll post pictures of everything I made this weekend.  That will work.  I want to do them all together, but I can't post everything right now...because there are some secrets.

And above all of this crazy stuff I'm rambling on and on about...is the idea of sowing seeds of righteousness.  I was so blessed by the sermon at church this morning.  We have been studying the book of Hosea, and this morning our pastor was talking about the nation of Israel, and how they had forgotten God...and the ways that is true in our own lives.  But he urged each of us to begin sowing seeds of righteousness in our lives, so that we will stand strong in the Lord, like an oak tree.  I was reminded of Isaiah 61:3, which says, "  They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the Lord for the display of his splendor."

So now, I think I'm going to do a word study on righteousness, and figure out what it means to sow seeds of it.  I'll let you know what I come up with.