abc is easy as 123 (again)

Guess gee-golly what, Bobby?  I have some good news, don't-cha know?  I went to my interview last Friday, pressed, dressed, carressed by the Word.  I was ready to go!  I drove to the Elementary school, and as I was getting out of the car, I could hear the Lord's voice so near, "Take a deep breath, you're alright. " As I was approaching the doors of the school, he said, "I am proud to present you."  While I was waiting for them to call me to the backroom for the interview, he said, "You are a daughter of the Most High."  These three things I held on to tightly.  God was asking me to relax, take confidence and heart and him, and was telling me that he was proud of me and that I belonged to Him.  This made it quite a bit easier to sit back.  When they called me in, I was asked to sit down at table where already seated was the Principal, School Counselor, the 4th grade teacher I was being interviewed to replace and another teacher.  They introduced themselves and told me what the interview was specifically for.  It was for a fourth grade teaching position, which I already knew, but I did not know it was for the remainder of this school year and the following school year.  I felt like I should just go along with the interview.  I knew if God wanted me to do this, I would get it.  If not, no.  At the first of it, I was a bit nervous, and my brain was telling my mouth to say the cool things it was thinking, but it did not come out so well.  After about a minute or two, it picked up and I felt such a grace to give such "Miss America" answers.  Meaning, they asked all kinds of questions about student/teacher/parent scenarios, standardized testing, inner-city students and my experience, my teaching and discipline styles, reaching individual students, etc.  The Lord gave grace to my lips and I was speaking and some of the most enjoyable answers came out.  They were writing away and taking notes furiously as I spoke.  At the conclusion of the interview, they said, "Thank you, Jodie, and we will contact the candidates on Monday and inform them of the status of the position."  I walked to the car in such a confidence of God that I could have skipped like Little Red Riding Hood.  Seriously.  He had a special cloak on me.  It was nuts.   I was driving home, reminding myself of the importance of resting in Him, like I told you guys earlier.  When I went home, I started trying to analyze it, and I told myself to stop, and remain underneathe the shadow of His wings.  I told the Lord, I don't know if you want me at this school, if you do, give me the job, and if not, I don't even want it.  But I had such a good feeling, such a prominent peace.  The craziest thing happened next, I layed down on the sofa and fell into such a deep sleep.  I usually wake up to anything, I'm such a light sleeper.  It's like the Lord LITERALLY had me rest in Him.  I woke up to my cell phone ringing at about 2:30PM.  It was the counselor of the school.  "May I speak to Jodie Varghese?"  "This is Varghese," I said, because I was so disoriented.  Hilarious!  "Ms. Varghese, we would like to offer you the 4th grade teaching position at our school, are you still interested?"  Of course, I was.  I had to find out how to do a backflip or something quick.  I was major-ly happy.  They couldn't even wait until Monday!  God is magnificent!  So, I am a 4th grade teacher starting the 25th of February.  Yeehaw!  This here is a picture of my 2nd grade students that I student taught in Mesquite 2 years ago.  Just thought I'd celebrate children with a picture of some of my old students.  Cutsies they are. 

the grand finale (maybe)

It was a matter of a minute before we pulled in to the driveway of an older, tranquil, cute little house.  I walked in and it seemed so peaceful.  Hazel led me to my room and it was terrific!  The walls were-guess what!  GREEN!  It so happens to be my favorite color and what is incredible is that the walls of my room in Texas are also a similar, but brighter pistachio color!  It took but a few moments until I started thinking it would be “home”.   I journaled as soon as possible, thanking the Lord for his kindness and stubborn faithfulness.  Hazel informed me that rent would be $175 a month.  This includes utilities, high speed internet, a brand new free washer and dryer, my own room and privacy!  With the check I had received and after tithes, I had exactly $180.   I knew the Lord was at work.  That evening,  I continued journaling, Lord, I’m hungry, but I know that you will take care of food.  Just like he reminded me at the airport.  Elijah and the ravens.  Then it hit me, there was this place called “The Garage” which is this area where organic stores like Wild Oats and Whole Foods come and drop off a bunch of their extra food for the ministry students at IHOP.  I went into the kitchen where Hazel was and asked her if we could stop by there.  She said that she had no idea what I was talking about, “I don’t know what you are talking about, but, you see all this food in this house?”  (There were all kinds of organic groceries-fruits and vegetables and fresh bread and pastries and meats and you name it!)   “We don’t buy groceries in this house-we go to “The Drop,”  She explained that this is a place where quite similarly, Whole Foods has all of this extra food and donates it to IHOP ministry students and families.   She told me that I was welcome to eat anything in the house and that we were going to “The Drop” the next morning.  Yea!  We went and guess what!  I had more than I could ask for!  WOW-is all that was ringing through the praise halls of my heart.  The month has flown by.  There were some problems in the relationship dynamics of the house between a couple of the people living there.  Just last Thursday, after 3 ½ weeks at the house, the problems between the roommates escalated, and as strange as this may sound, I knew in my heart that my tiny season at the little house had come to a sudden halt.  The Lord came and whisked me right out of there within a matter of a 2 days.  He paved ways for me to live with my Internship small group leader.  I am living there as of now, with 3 other girls in an apartment.  No, it is not easy as red velvet cake, but I know he has always has me living with different people than myself to dig  out different struggles in the old chambers of my heart, and turn me into gold.   This is where I am today, but who knows for tomorrow.  I have learned to keep my wings handy.  I never know when he wants me up and out.  Every day has been a spirit-flesh struggle.  I have to understand my role as a daughter of the King.  He has been teaching me that the most important job I have as a Christian is to rest.  “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength,” right?  Well, what is love without trust, and trust discards itself without rest.  I am camping out underneath the shadow of his wings.  I hope I’ll meet you there. 

Ps.  I have an interview at an inner-city school for a 4^th grade teaching position at 9:30Am Friday, February 8.  Please pray for me.  AND I am turning 25 on the 23rd of this month!  AAA! 

 Pss.  Some have been asking for my mailing address to send postcards, pictures of your baby, tambourine catalogs.  OK-here it goes.   This will only be good for this month cause I might be moving again, obviously.  Peace, Love and the Dove! 

Jodie Varghese

3307 E. 113^th Terrace

Kansas City, MO 64137

(continued...)

Going home to Texas was a bit exhausting.  I was going to be home for 2 weeks for Christmas and New Year's and meanwhile I would have to tell my friends and family that I would be moving to MO.  However, it was so good to be home see everyone for the holidays.  I was checking email and calling people prefusely only to find that noone else besides myself was feeling a sense of urgency.  Noone responded.  I kept telling the Lord, I trust You, but I really need your strength to.  After telling my parents of the move, they were disheartened and frustrated that I would be away again, and I knew that once again, I did not have their support.  Meanwhile, I reached the lady who told me on the phone about a potential job right before I left MO.  She asked me how things were at home and I told her that it was a bit difficult telling my parents, because according to the Indian culture, I should be getting married and secure by now.   She then responded, "Did you work with me one Sunday, I think I know you!"  The one day I substituted in the nursery that Sunday, I met this beautiful South American teacher named Mauda, who was the same lady on the phone who had told me about the job!  God blew my mind!  That one day!  Before I knew it, the break was over and the night before it was time to go arrived.  Nobody had replied besides one lady who could not help me.  I did not know where money was coming from, who was going to take me from the airport, where I would stay, what I would eat, where I would work, who would be my friends.  Nothing.   In my brokenness I kept telling the Lord, I don't know ANYTHING except that I LOVE YOU!  That night a friend called me who knew nothing of my "provision" period and told me that God put it on his heart to bless me.  He left a card and a $100 check in my mailbox.  Next, I got a call back from Paris, the girl who took my things in before I left MO.  She told me that she would be at the airport already the next morning, that she would take me back to the campus and to call her when I landed.  The next morning, I said my farewells in TX and my brother took me to the airport.  At the airport, I kept telling the Lord, I love you, that's all I know.  He brought to my mind "Elijah and the ravens"  and how he provided everything for him.  I accepted this in my heart.  When I arrived in MO I called Paris.  It she pulled up and proceeded to tell me that she had dropped off the girls 3 hours before and was just napping in her car until I arrived.  This girl is on night watch so 10:00AM is like midnight for her.  She did this for me, a total stranger!  As we were driving, I saw that nobody called me back about where to stay.  She told me that she had similar experiences and that I could come back to her apartment.  She said that her roommate was gone for two weeks and that I could take a nap in her room while she slept in hers.  Sure enough, I collapsed.  A few hours later, I woke up and started making calls again.  No success.  Paris also woke up and she went downstairs and started making biscuits, gravy, hashbrowns and eggs from scratch for me.  A stranger!  She told me that if nobody responded I could just go to church with her that night and maybe somebody would be there that could take me in.  Well, nobody responded and so we started on the road for church.  Suddenly, I felt I should call Mauda, (the nursery teacher) when I did, she asked me if needed a place to stay for a few days.  I told her that that was just what I needed.  Her husband agreed that I could stay until Thursday.  Her house was on the way to church!  Paris dropped me and my suitcase and guitar off and said that I should just call her when I have a place to stay to get the rest of my belongings that I initially left with her.  Mauda's house was beautiful.  An early 1900's that her and her husband had freshly broke down and rebuilt inside.  Her three kids were precious, but very young and extremely fussy that night.  Mauda and her husband talked to me and made me feel welcome and showed me to my room upstairs.   Soon we had dinner and it was time to go to bed.  Laying there, I heard the children and the home situation and knew that this didn't seem right.  I began to cry and thanked the Lord for the warm bed, but also thanked him for the further preparation.  I felt so weak and tired, emotionally, spiritually and physically.  In a few moments, Mauda came in with some more sheets and told me,  that when she first came to MO an older lady took her in and is like her mother.  She said that she didn't know why she didn't think of it earlier, but this lady has one extra room in her house that she is renting out.   She said that she inquire about it the next morning.  I praised the Lord that night, because I knew something good was going to happen.  Early the next morn, I awoke to the children crying and so I wanted to get on it, I went to Mauda and asked her for the lady's number.  She said, that she would take care of it.  I was thinking, Great, I can't do this all day Lord.  Well, the Lord knows how much we can handle.  I went in to take a shower and Mauda came up to me and told me that Hazel, the lady, would be there to pick me up at 10:45AM, to take me to the house and show me around.  That was within the hour!  I took my shower, packed everything perfectly and took it downstairs and ate breakfast.  Exactly at 10:45AM this older lady comes walking into the house.  (OK, go take a potty break, and we'll finish this up. Meanwhile, I'll post a pretty MO tree picture for you to look at for being so good)  :)

the word: provision

So, let me start by saying, God has been taking me through a season of provision.  When I say provision, I am talking about Him providing, and me waiting.  PROVISION in every sense of the word.  At the beginning of the internship, the Lord had been dealing with me about sacrificial giving, and put it on my heart to give all of the money I had saved up away.  It was very scary at first, but to see how the Lord came through for me was incredible.  My groceries were paid for by people who did not know of the situation, an envelope of cash in my Bible anonymously one day, bills rolled up and placed  in my Bible anonymously the next, people just handing me checks.  So, yes, in due time, provision would drop in my lap throughout the whole semester.  What did I do meanwhile?  With the money He provided, if I heard of anybody that needed money I started passing it out, I took the entire tab at restaurants if I was eating with folks, paid for others’ grocery bills.  This was my “Okay God, I’m taking your promises on strong, let’s go!”  Yes, it really did hurt some times.  I went to sleep crying sometimes thinking about everything, and calmed my heart by saying “Be anxious for nothing!”  and wake up in tears sometimes and cry out to God, "Grace! Grace!"  I would command my soul to rest in the Lord.  Wow.  He was always on time.  I am so bewildered and even a bit creeped out sometimes at how active and awesome He is.  The following are more specifics about how God really came through before I left home for Christmas when he asked me to trust him completely about a home, food, finances, and transportation. 

During the internship, there was one Sunday at church where a 2nd semester intern asked me to sub for him in the nursery room so he could enjoy the hip-hop group that was leading worship.  I agreed, and there I met the teacher of this nursery class, a beautiful South American woman of God from Florida.  She was so sweet and eager to know about my spiritual and cultural background.  And this was the only day I subbed for that class.  (Towards the end of the track, like most of you know, God was dealing with me about doing the second semester in MO after the track was finished.  Well, things took another route with raising support, so after much prayer, I decided to find a home in there, teach for Spring and save up the money to do the second semester during the summer of ‘08.  I felt like meanwhile, the Lord wanted me to to still be a part of the prayer movement at the school, stand in the gap for our nation, and wait on Him for more revelations of His heart in order to write more God-loving-finely-depicted music and such.  So, I agreed. 

I started asking anybody I knew about a place where I could live, calling profs, emailing, contacting anybody that I knew that was a daytime person, because I would switch to days in the Spring in order to teach.  Everybody I knew were night timers because of my night Internship. I had to act fast because it was finally the end of the internship and it was time to go home for Christmas. The day the internship ended, it was mandatory to have everything moved out clean and to be checked out.   I had to put all of my things somewhere and I needed to know of where I was to live. Throughout this entire time I kept telling the Lord, “ I don’t know anything except that I love you.”  Nobody was calling back or emailing back or responding.  The day before I left, I was talking to a friend who was also trying to find a place to live.  She was on the phone with a lady that was renting out rooms in her house.  She handed me the phone and when I talked to this lady, she also told me about a job opportunity  but said that the price I was looking for, $200 a month, it was not feasible.  She told me about a job however.  The next day it was time to leave, I was distraught about where to put my things but I kept telling the Lord I trusted Him and to tell my soul to rest in the Lord.  After I had packed all of my things, I headed out to the cafeteria to eat breakfast.  When I was there I mentioned to a girl my situation.  I needed to find a place to store my things until I came back in two weeks.  She gave me the number of this girl, Paris.  I called Paris and she immediately said, “Sure!  Where are you?  I will pick you up in 10 minutes!”  I was freaked out about God’s goodness.  It was snowing that day, and she was moving into this new apartment of hers.  She stopped everything put my very, VERY heavy items in her car by herself.  She drove me to her new apartment, drug the stuff all the way up her stairs and placed my things in her closet before moving anything of her own into that room.  She simply said, “Yeah, I’m glad I could help and keep my number and call me when you get back!”  She told me that this kind of stuff was done for her numerous times.  That was a complete stranger! (Story continued above, go take a water break :)

love, love You are

1.Separate, yes, stand afar and consecrate

Yet stand amidst, illuminate, for Love waited for

Dissipate, go tell this Love emancipates

Be still and know, anticipate for Love waited for

2.Society, she has her ways, “recycling”,

But this fire I have, He’s kindling, He is love waited for

Syncopate to the rhythm that she thinks is great

Unfair exchange, faith for fate

And for Love waited for

Bridge:

Hopes all things belieeves all things

Love never fails, no, no

Angels can’t separate us

Demons can’t separate us from you

Height, Depth can’t separate us

Nothing could ever take us from your…

3.You conquered all, counted the cost then won it a

Death has no sting, you fought the cross

My Love waited for

Come soon again, my heart will not accept penance

This world’s cheapened, and hyped up sense

Oh Love waited for

 (Ending fade)

…I know you are

…You are what I’m waiting for

...Come quickly my Love

Lo-ove, Love, you are. 

PS.  This picture was taken from my good friend, Lali Stanley.  Her and her husband are awesome photographers.  Check out their page!  www.nijistanley.com