There is only one thing that has slowed me down over the whole experience and that would be the schools that are here.
I'm not even going to say which schools, because it just doesn't matter.
Steven is starting 9th grade this year. (I KNOW, COLLECTIVE GASP)
and get this GINA is a SENIOR! A STINKING SENIOR!
One of my fav families (there are many) out here sends their kids to OCS (Oklahoma Christian School) behind Lifechurch on 2nd street in Edmond. Or maybe Lifechurch sits in front of the School, it all depends on who you are talking to....
Anyhoo...... after visiting with her, I pray and pray about it, and decide that my 3 Vietnamese Jackson's need to attend this amazing school.
3rd grade, full up. So no room at the inn for Zachary George.
However, the other two. Full on.
Now Gina is on an IEP, and if you aren't familiar with these little jewels, you are way ahead of the game. It stands for Individual Educational Plan, and it helps kids get the help they need in school. Well my all time favorite governor and first lady, Brad & Kim Henry, first children were twins. Lindsay had health issues and passed away. There is an amazing scholarship called the Lindsay Nicole henry Scholarship, that helps kids in public schools on IEP's have the ability to forego their IEP's and get a tuition waiver at a private school.
COWABUNGA.
All sounds well and good until you look at a private school curriculum. It's not for sissies, yo. And couple that with the need to ALSO meet all the Oklahoma Promise (a program for kids to have a 4 yr college paid for through the state, which she is on track to get).....well, it can be intense.
So we got all that handled and done, and Steven signed up for all his freshmen things and got all the mega boxes of kleenex and clorox and binders and red pens and mechanical pencils and away they go.
But, you have to hear the story how they got there.
I started this process sitting in the business office with the very delightful Linda Catania. She is God's right hand woman on earth. I'm not just kidding. She looked at my optimistic eyes and listened to me rave on and on about my interesting kids, and then she hit me with the number of dollars it was going to take to send them there. I'm not going to lie, I had a small aneurysm, coupled with a heart attack in her office. But to hear her tell it now, I looked cool as a cucumber and very confidently threw out, "If God wants them here, He will make this happen." Linda tells me now, as I walked out of her office she thought to herself, "I will never see her again".
Well, Linda doesn't know the power that is behind this machine called Lolly. I pushed ahead and registered them and got them tested. They tested high enough to be admitted (Praise!!!!) and then the praying on my end began. "Lord, please help me figure out a way"
After a restless night, of dreaming of garage sales, and fundraisers and a second job, I opened my eyes to God's voice telling me to reach out to my friend, Bill Junk (Who you might remember blessed us with a fridge, a lawnmower and a trampoline when we moved in). He is the president of the United Methodist Foundation and I emailed him right away and asked him if they had scholarships and told him what I was trying to do and asked him if he could help me with the $900 enrollment/book fee.
After about 2 minutes of pushing SEND, he shot me right back and said, "No, I can't help you with the $900, but we could help you with ALL OF IT"........
I don't even know how to describe to you the feeling I had. I think I tunnel visioned and lost my hearing for a while.
God. Made. A. Way.
Like HE always does.
I filled out the scholarship forms and boom.... done.
I emailed my new friend, Linda Catania and told her, and she had to call me to hear the story first hand. We shed tears over the phone. She also shared that story with the ENTIRE FACULTY, so we are small legends as we meet people. "Oh, you're THOSE people! That was AMAZING".
People. Do you live expectantly? DO you believe that God can bring you through it? Even in hard times, he is preparing you for the most incredible things to come.
Before Laynie, I didn't even know how to live expectantly. I didn't even know that was a thing. And through obedience and fostering and generously tithing and giving of myself, God sends angels on earth to blow your minds and minister to your needs.
You just have to believe --- and He will overwhelm you with His abundant goodness.
I can't even imagine the impact this school is going to have on these kids. I can't even imagine the impact these kids are going to have on this school. My head swims with the possibilities.
Gina made their first day of school signs because she knows I am not to be trusted with these things.
She made one for herself, one for Steven, and then one from me.
Every time we go anywhere as a group, and we are getting ready to leave the car, I ask them in a very "mom" voice, "People, what are we NOT going to do in here?" and they all together chime out, "Shame the Family". Raise a child in the way they should go........ (LOL)
This adventure called life is a wild ride. Good times, bad times, happy times, PRAISE times, hard times. Just live in God's pocket. He will carry you through all of it.
God is good, All the TIme.
The PARTY IS ON! OCS please, table for 12.
No comments:
Post a Comment