Merry CHRISTmas!

I decided to go cheap this year and do a Christmas blog instead of a Christmas card. I can't say I haven't regretted it as I have gotten Christmas cards/pictures this year and I probably won't do it again next year :).

2008 has been a year of fun, sadness, blessing and adversity. Through it all Truth remains constant...God is always with me, He is always in control, He is good, He is always watching and and He is always victorious! What exceedingly great and precious promises those are in the midst of a crazy, upside down world. I am learning AGAIN to lean on those promises and trusting in a God I can't see, but I know is worthy of my praise and trust.

Of course you could read back over all my blogs and see what happened in 2008, but I'll give you a quick run down :)

In January, Vision of Hope opened on my church's campus in Lafayette. It is a home for troubled girls who have life dominating addictions - such as eating disorders, drug/alcohol problems, self-harm and unplanned pregnancies. I have the incredible privilege to serve there once a month during the school year and once a week during the summer. I am really looking forward to a new opportunity to serve as a mentor to one of the girls that will be entering the program soon - this will be more of a commitment but I'm excited about it. It is incredible to see the way the Lord changes the hearts of these young ladies so that they can be free to serve and honor HIM. It is a truly overwhelming gift God has given our church. Vision of Hope:

In February, sadness touched the Miller side of the family as my uncle Mike passed away. He had a long battle with cancer. It was a difficult time for the family. I was glad to be able to take some days off work to help take care of Shane's kids Emily and Jacob so that she could concentrate on being there for her mom. Pictured: Emily and Daniel:In March/April, Pam and the boys and I went to the Creation Museum in Kentucky over Spring Break. We also celebrated Easter and Shane and Brian's. We also had a surprise birthday party at the Covington Beef House to celebrate my grandpa's 90th birthday! Pictured: Above: Caleb, Noah, Daniel and Connor; Below: Shane and Grandpa
In May, my friend Kathy was married in Mt Pleasant, Iowa. Several of us girls went out for the wedding. It was a great time to celebrate with them and rejoice in their new life together. We are glad that they still live in Lafayette so we can see them often :). During the summer I spent my time at the pool, at Melissa's mom and dad's lake house, working at Vision of Hope, going with Melissa and Jason to Mammoth Cave (Thanks for taking the picture Jason!) and hanging out with my nephews. Days at the lake were very fun and I appreciate the hospitality of the Eikenberry's.

In July, I went to Kentucky Lake near Murray, KY with Pam and John and John's side of the family. I was a little bit nervous about going because they are kind of a rambuctious group but I had no reason to worry! It was a wonderful relaxing time! I went on the boat lots of times with the boys. Daniel and I went to the pool several times a day. It was just a really great time to be with the family. I hope they will invite me back next year!

My Kentucky Lake vacation ended the week before I needed to be back to school. The beginning of the year was...interesting...to say the least! We knew when school started that our numbers for Kindergarten were going to be high but I don't think anyone expected them to get as high as they did! I had 37 students in one class and 38 in the other for the first 10 days of school! They hired a new teacher and now I am at a comfortable 25 in each class!

Speaking of my classes, they are doing very well and learning so much! I am amazed at their growth and so grateful for the incredible opportunity I have to be Jesus to these 50 students! I continue to have a lot of opportunities to practice Spanish as 65% of my students are latino. Someone asked me recently how many different nationalities are represented in my room. Besides here in the states, my students are from Mexico, Puerto Rico, India, and Turkey!

In August, Lori, Melissa and Rose and I went to the first game at Lucas Oil Stadium! Go Colts!

In late September, my family received shocking news. Most of you know by now and have been praying. My sister Pam was diagnosed with breast cancer. It was quite a blow to all of us. She is doing pretty well. She has been through 5 of 8 chemo treatments so far. Lord willing, she will be done with chemo on January 26 with surgery to follow. She has had so much amazing support from family and friends and seems to have a great outlook on how everything will turn out. The cancer has shrunk and we are so thankful! Please continue to pray. You can check out how she is doing at www.caringbridge.org/visit/pamschoonveld.

In October, my friends Melissa and Melissa :) went to Chicago over my Fall Break. We went to see the musical Wicked (it was AWESOME!), went to the Art Institute and Shedd Aquarium. We had a fun time hanging out together. Jeannie also joined us to see Wicked. Pictured: Melissa, Jodi and Melissa at Shedd Aquarium (I was a Melissa sandwich :) ):

I continue to go to Pam's on every Thursday to hang out with the boys. The boys have grown up so much!!!! Connor is 17 now, Caleb will be 15 in January, Noah is 10 and Daniel is 4. I enjoy the time I get to spend with them and I am so thankful that I live close enough to see them so much. Last Saturday I hosted our immediate family Christmas get together. It was fun to have Pam, John, the boys, Sean, Debbie and Buckley (their dog) here. I am grateful that Pam was feeling well enough to be here. It was a such a blessing to have everyone together!

We are "patiently" waiting for a new arrival to our family. Sean and Debbie are on a waiting list to adopt from Ethiopia!

Thank you for hanging in there to get to the end of this blog! I know it was a long one! I have been blessed beyond measure! I pray that this year will be a time of blessing and joy for you and your family. I pray more earnestly that it will be a time when you draw closer to the our Savior and Creator who loves you!

Love you all!

Jodi

ALWAYS TRUE!

With all that has been going on in the last six weeks - since finding out that Pam has breast cancer, I have to admit something to all of you. I have been incredibly overwhelmed. I have doubted the goodness of God...not in a conscious way, but in the way I was thinking and responding. No, I wasn't going off the deep end, but I was trying to lean on my own understanding.
This week I found out that my sister-in-law probably has MS. It smacked me right in the face. I questioned God, "Why? Why is this going on now?" Now, its not wrong to ask God questions, if the questions lead you right back to him. However, in my heart I was thinking, "God, we don't deserve this! Haven't we been through enough already? Why is this happening?" As I told a co-worker who is a believer about my questions, she said, "Jodi, it isn't for us to know right now." A dear friend has also been quick to remind me of truth...even when at the moment I just wanted someone to feel sorry for me. I am so thankful for their godly counsel to help me to see I wasn't thinking right.
I knew I needed some time to get my thoughts together, to focus on truth and get my eyes on Jesus. Well, it was so like God to provide me with that time! I found myself home from work on Thursday and Friday with the beginnings of a cold and then again today (Sunday) with a very upset stomach. So...here was my chance to get my thoughts "together".
Recently I had purchased CD messages (along with a study book) from Walk in the Word minstries. The messages are called Always True - 5 Exceedingly Great Promises of God by James MacDonald. Well, having the time, I thought I would listen to them. I cannot tell you how these messages from God's Word have touched my heart and are helping me to believe the truth about Him! I just want to briefly share with you each of the promises and some points that James made based on these truths. This is what I am going to choose to believe about Him (BY HIS STRENGTH) through the icky things that are going on in our family right now.
Promise #1 - God is always with me...I will not fear.
"The worse the days get, the more He is with you." - James MacDonald
Deuteronomy 31:6 "Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified or afraid of them. The Lord your God goes with you. He will never leave you nor forsake you."
Promise #2 - God is always in control...I will not doubt.
"Doubt is the direct result of taking my eyes off the Lord." -James. Like in Matthew 14 when Peter was walking on the water and took his eyes off of Jesus to look at the waves and wind...thats what I do when start to "sink" - I'm looking at my circumstances, not Jesus.
Proverbs 3:5-6 "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding, in all your ways acknowledge him and he will make your paths straight."
Promise #3 - God is always good...I will not despair.
"Hope is a confident expectation of something better tomorrow." - James
Romans 8:28 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.
Promise #4 - God is always watching...I will not falter.
"He watches the depth of the water, the heat of the fire...at the moment you can't go on He will say, "ENOUGH!" - James
1 Corinthians 10:31 "No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it."
Promise #5 - God is always Victorious...I will not fail.
I haven't gotten to this one yet :)
SO...If you are a believer in Jesus Christ and have embraced Him as your Savior, YOU can rest in these promises too! They are EXCEEDINGLY GREAT AND PRECIOUS! (2 Peter 1:4) If you aren't a believer (yet), hope is just a prayer away!

Caring Bridge

Check out my sister's Caring Bridge site to subscribe to updates about how she is doing. You also get to see some new shots of my handsome nephews on there too! Here's a sneak preview :)Thank for all your prayers so far! www.caringbridge.org/visit/pamschoonveld

A Trip to the Dairy Farm

Thursday and Friday of this week my classes went to a small family owned dairy farm. We had a fun time! One of my students told me that she had never seen a cow before! Amazing for those of us who grew up around that! After the farm we went to the park to take a walk. It was a great time and I was able to get some cute shots of the kids. This is why I do this job! Look at those cute little faces! Enjoy!

Class #1

Class #2

Class #1 Silly Shot

Class #2 Silly Shot!

Not The Best of News

Two weeks ago, my sister, Pam was diagnosed with breast cancer. Obviously our hearts just about stopped when we heard the word. It has been hard to process and understand what it all means but through it all we still believe the Lord is on His throne and He is good. It has been quite a roller coaster for Pam her family (she is the one with the four boys). She found the lump herself (3 weeks ago) and was sure from the beginning the news wouldn't be good.

The doctor says it is a bad form of cancer and that it is agressive but he has every reason to believe she can fight it. They caught it early which is really quite a miracle since she hasn't had regular checkups. From what they can tell, the cancer had not gone to her lymph nodes for which we are VERY thankful.

Monday is her first day of chemotherapy. Even typing the word is still makes it seem unbelievable to me. She will do four months of chemo and then have surgery and possibly radiation afterwards. I will do my best to keep posts updated so you can know how she is. Please pray that she wouldn't pick up any other illnesses as her immune system will be down. Of course, please pray that her cancer would be taken care of and that she would have the energy and strength to do things with the boys. We want to grow closer to Christ through this so add that to your list as well :)

Pam is in the middle (picture was taken three years ago)

Long Time No Blog!

Sorry that it has been so long since I posted something...I'm sure you have all been anxiously awaiting Jodi news :) Anyway, here I am :) I do have some updated pictures of my nephews that I am posting here. Daniel (the four year old) has taken to going up to his mom and saying, "Whatcha looking at, hockey puck?" He picked this up from one of his favorite movies "The Toy Story". Needless to say we think its pretty funny but maybe we shouldn't :). The bottom picture is my little cousin Landen with Noah. I usually hang out at my sister's on Thursday nights and sometimes Landen and his mommy, Kristen come too. Daniel doesn't really like Landen taking his role as "baby"!

Noah and thinker pose. (He was wanting me to try out my new camera on him!)

Connor, Daniel and Noah...Connor was desperately in need of a haircut!

Landen and Noah :)

The New Home of the Indianapolis Colts

On Sunday, August 24 Lori, Melissa, Rose and I had the privilege of visiting the new Colts' Lucas Oil Stadium. We had a great time! The stadium can be open or closed. It was a very fun atmosphere...even though they didn't win the pre-season game. GO COLTS!

August 14, 2008

As most of you know August 14, 2008 marked the third anniversary of my parents' deaths. I know the Lord sovereignly planned for the accident to happen at this date because I am always so busy at school to focus too much on it. I also know that the Lord sovereignly placed amazing people in my life that have helped me to get through moments like this. On the anniversary Lori, Melissa, Rose and Kathy joined my sister, the boys, my cousins Kristen and Landen at Chili's for a fun evening. I have some crazy friends and nephews! Thanks girls for a fun evening to remind me of all I have. "I will praise the Lord for what He has given me, not curse Him for all that I've lost."

Kids Kids Everywhere!

This is the one shot I managed to get with a class of 35! Numbers topped out at 38 before the split was made. I don't think I'll every think 25 is too many students!

Kindergarten Update

As of 30 minutes ago I now have 36 children in my Monday Wednesday class and 37 in my Tuesday/Thursday class! Whoopee!
Today's class was great! I am so thankful that the Lord has kept me calm about all of this. It really is a crazy number of students but I trust its going to all pan out. Please pray for administrators as they seek to find a good solution for the students and their almost crazy Kindergarten teacher...okay so maybe I am already crazy but that's beside the point :) .
You know, on the way to school today I was listening to KLOVE and I was reminded that Jesus knows by experience what we are going through. I was thinking about that in light of my current situation...Remember the feeding of the 5000? That helps me keep it in perspective and to trust His good outcome.
Also, thanks for those who are praying for me today. Today is the three year anniversary that my parents went to be with the Lord. Some dear friends are taking me out to eat tonight and I am grateful for the distraction of school. The Lord is truly good.

In case your wondered

Just in case you wondered... Having 33 Kindergartners on the first day of school can really be overwhelming and makes one feel like she might be losing her mind. You should have seen the look of pity on my colleagues' faces as they saw me walk down the hallway with my long line of charming little ones. Just imagine a bunch of 5 year olds who have never had to listen too much, like to talk whenever they want and all think they HAVE to use the restroom at the same time just because someone happened to mention the word "bathroom". I was kinda surprised when one told me that he was having fun...because fun wasn't really the first word that popped into my head :). I even had a "visitor". That would be a child that we did not know, who wouldn't tell me his name and who I was pretty sure wasn't even in my class.
The bright side is that they are so cute and there are MANY who really did what they were supposed to do :). Lots of hugs and smiles are definitely a perk of the job. I love my job because of their bright faces and I'm know we will have a great year. I am also SO thankful for my assistant who was such an amazing help as always! I know the Lord is going to grow me in this process of patiently waiting for a solution to my class size problem. I know what he does is good :).

Last Hurrah

I had one last hurrah over the weekend before school will start tomorrow. Melissa and I hit the road over the weekend. Its hard to believe that summer break is over ... Its just a reminder that nothing lasts. I have two pretty big Kindergarten classes at this point but a solution is in the works! I am thankful that the Lord has calmed my spirit and I feel relatively calm even with the thought of meeting 34 students tomorrow!

Kentucky Lake!

I just got back from a week at Kentucky Lake! I went with my brother-in-law's family. He is the youngest of 11 siblings. 10 of the 11 families went on the trip. There were 45 of us (15 were kids!) We had a great time of playing around in the pool, swimming in the lake, sliding down the two-story pontoon and tubing! I'm very thankful for being invited and for being treated as one of the family. It was fun spending time with the boys and seeing them try fun and exciting things. I'm looking forward to next year! Caleb skiing!
Connor would leave the cabin in the afternoon for water recreation!
The Five Schoonveld Guys!
Our little cove at Kentucky Lake!

Noah

Daniel
Daniel and Aunt Jodi
Not sure why these kids act so weird :)

Do cell phones float?

Some of you guessed the subject of the blog I did earlier today. I found this item on the internet today that would be perfect for said person :) so that no other phones will be laid to rest in the bottom of Lake Freeman. Funeral services were held Monday evening after the tragic plop into the water. May it rest in peace...it had a very busy life.

Cell Phone-GPS Dry Flex Case

Info
Features
Phone and GPS are fully functional within the case
Dual-density foam insulates and pads the main pocket, cushioning the instrument
Waterproof, roll-down top for easy access
Foam flotation will float your valued electronic device should it find it’s way overboard
Will fit instruments up to 7’’ long x 2.5’’ wide x 1’’ thick

Did you know?

Did you know you need your keys outside your car in order to unlock it?
Did you know that you can't make a phone call from your phone if it is "lost"?
Did you know that motorized vehicles can not move without gasoline?

These are a few things I "learned" the last few days from a dear friend of mine (who shall remain nameless...although I would possbily accept bribes :) )

Lake Day

On Sunday we had a fun day at Lake Freeman! It started off a bit cold and I didn't brave the water but it definitely warmed up! Thanks Eikenberry's for hosting this fun day! Thanks Jeannie for the picture that I "borrowed" off of your facebook. You too Jason!

Connor is taking a CLOSE look of the water. I think he was making his mom a little nervous. Okay I was watching him kind of close too :)

Just hanging out!

Mel's dad was taking us for a joy ride! I was a bit frightened that BG (Lee) might fall on me there!

New Couch for the Thinker

Well, after about 18 months of "thinking about it" I finally bought a couch. Funny thing is that Melissa and I saw it a couple of months ago but I just couldn't decide then :) I think I exasperated her a bit with all of the "thinking".
Michelle took this picture while I was lounging on the couch at the store. Notice the dreamy look.

Happy Birthday Daniel!

My youngest nephew Daniel turned four years old today! I can't believe it! Yesterday I took his older brothers to a movie. When I got back he asked where we had gone. After I told him he said, "When I get big, you can take me too!" What a cutie!
Daniel July 2005:

Daniel with Grandma July 2005:

Daniel with cousin Emily February 2008:

The Blessing of VBS

Well it all started about three weeks ago when I got a call from Pastor Woodall asking me to lead the Kindergarten VBS class. Now some of you may think, "What's the big deal? You teach kindergarten all the time." Well, here's the big deal...Kindergarten VBS means 50 or more Kindergartners to care for and it means decorating a room (I don't like that!)! I told Pastor Woodall yes because basically I had no excuse not to. I began to pray that the Lord would change my heart about it and I would do my job with excellence. Praise the Lord that He did just that! There was really only one night (the last one) that I didn't really want to go. The kids were great...pretty much because I had 14 great helpers who helped manage things...even through the first 2 days when I was a tad disorganized :)
It was neat to see the attentiveness of the children and their desire to learn from God's Word. When they were practicing for the closing program my heart was stirred to hear them singing about "knowing the Truth of God's Word." There are funny stories, of course, of the children's questions about how God could form a man out of dirt just by breathing air into the dirt. One child asked how the colors came into a man since he was made from dirt. Another was intrigued about how Jesus was actually going to come back to earth :)
Of course things weren't all rosie...ask Jeannie Wetzel. She saw one of my helpers and me pretty much drag one of our little ones kicking and screaming to help her participate in one of the activities. That was pleasant...NOT!
I also had the privilege of being able to take my 9 year old nephew to VBS with me every day. On the way home last night I asked Noah why he thought I had invited him to VBS. He promptly replied, "Because you want me to know more about God and because you wanted to spend more time with me." How cute (and true) is that?! We also had a little conversation about how things can be idols in our lives. I don't remember how it all went but he was trying to apply it to something we had seen earlier that day.
All this to say, I'm very thankful for the opportunity to serve at VBS this week. I'm thankful that the Lord helped me to serve with a willing heart. I'm thankful for the lives I was able to touch by His grace. I'm thankful for the AWESOME help that I had this week! I'm thankful for being able to spend time with Noah :)! And I'm thankful that Pastor Woodall asked me to lead Kindergarten VBS!

Landscaper Nephew

My 14 year old nephew Caleb was so kind to come over to my house on Tuesday this week to help me with some landscaping. When I say help I mean I pretty much told him what to do :). Don't worry he was commensated for his job - a movie, popcorn and Coldstone.
I just have to tell you that this was a bit disturbing. This boy who was once just a little guy who could barely form words now knows more than his "old aunt" about landscaping and many other mechnical and household things. He is a very hard worker and I told him I believe the Lord gave him these gifts. I pray that he will use them to bring Him honor and glory.
Anyway...here's his hard work below. The first picture is the "before". Then the second is the finished product (minus a few bags of mulch - I can never estimate the amount I need!)
Before:

After:

They're just pretending, aren't they?

Sunday evening we had church family night and at the end we always take communion. A 3 year old little girl was sitting behind Melissa and me. As we received the cups of grape juice that represent Jesus' blood, I heard the little girl say, "It doesn't LOOK like Jesus' blood." I just about died laughing! Melissa didn't hear her so she thought I was being extremely irreverant. I talked to the little girl's mom afterwards and she said her daughter was very intrigued by the whole thing. Like, why only adults were getting it and not the kids. When she saw the little cracker that represents Jesus' body she said, "It just looks like a cracker to me." After she made the comment about the Jesus' blood, she said, "They're just pretending, aren't they?" :) Her mom said it was a great teachable moment, its a pretty complex subject for a three year old to get her mind around! It was so funny!

Congratulations Kathy and Gage!

I just got back yesterday from Iowa to celebrate the marriage of my dear friend Katherine Baker to Gage Butterbrodt. We all had a great time and the bride and the wedding were beautiful!
Congratulations Kath and Gage (or is it Napoleon and Rico?)! I wish the best for you and will pray for you as you start your new life together!