All That We Ask or Imagine (and He really means ALL)

"Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever!"

Ephesians 3:20-21 has long been a favorite verse of mine. It often energizes my prayer life as it reminds me Who I'm bringing my requests to. "Immeasurably more . . ." Doesn't it make you think big? Really, really BIG. Not only BIG, but bigger--more than we could ask, more than we could imagine. My brain hurts.

I've been thinking a lot about my time as a teacher in the last 5 years. I've also been thinking a lot about the things I don't ask for that God does for me, little things that it doesn't occur to me to imagine. I needed to get some work done on my car this week and it was going to take most of the day. When the brother still lived here, I could count on him to follow me to the repair shop, take me to work, and bring me back. Even now that he's moved, there are still people I could call on for help, but I hesitate to ask because it's not a small inconvenience to pick me up from the repair shop at 7a.m., drive me to the next town for work, drive back into Lubbock for wherever they work, come back out to get me, and then bring back into to town. Whew! I know many people who would gladly do that for me and wouldn't want me to think twice about it, but it's still a lot to ask.

So I asked Emma. Emma teaches in the classroom right next door to mine. She has been a tremendous help to me over the last few years as I've sought to navigate the the treacherous waters of Special Education and all of its paperwork. More than that, she has become a tremendous friend. Emma also lives just down the road from me and has helped me a couple of times now to get to work and back when I have found myself needing transportation. I've often heard it is no coincidence that we are in the time and place we find ourselves. It's no coincidence that I started getting to know Emma in workshops and meetings a year before I'd be working in her building. Or that my classroom ended up being right next door to hers and she lives in Lubbock, just down the street from me. Am I saying that God provided Emma so I could have a ride to school when my car needed new tires? No. But He provided Emma and in providing Emma, He has taken care of me. He provided a model, an advisor, a mentor, a friend, and something as insignificant as a ride to work. As grateful as I am for Emma's generous spirit, I am more grateful for the 30 minutes of visiting in the car that I got with a friend with whom I don't get enough time. Nothing is insignificant about that.

My Favorite Things . . . Top Fives

Happy New Year! I contemplated writing something thought-provoking and profound. I think, though, that I'd prefer to talk about the things in life that I enjoy and learn a little more about things that you all enjoy. Stealing from the John Cusack flick "High Fidelity", here are some of my Top Fives.

Females in Literature:
1. Hermione Granger--Harry Potter Series
2. Elizabeth Bennett--Pride and Prejudice
3. Eowyn--Lord of the Rings Trilogy
4. Anne Shirley--Anne of Green Gables
5. Beatrice--Much Ado About Nothing

Comedic Characters in Film:
1. Captain Jack Sparrow--Pirates of the Caribbean
2. Dorie--Finding Nemo
3. Spike--Notting Hill
4. Billy Mack--Love Actually
5. Stuart McKenzie (dad)--So, I Married An Axe Murderer

If I Could Have Been Anything Else:
1. Women's Auxillary Ferrying Service Pilot--WWII
2. Figure Skater
3. 1940's-50's Dancer in Movie Musical
4. Master Chef
5. The person who determines the music in movie sequences

Things I Hope to Do:
1. Hike the West Highland Way in Scotland.
2. Visit Ireland
3. Hike Mt. Fuji
4. Visit Prince Edward Island
5. Go to Disneyworld

This is all about fun, people. You can list as few or as many as you want. Thanks for reading this last year. I wish all of you a wonderful, blessed 2008!