"sometimes when you pray, the answer is, 'YES!' "

...that's what my Dad said in response to a text message I sent him about twenty minutes ago. and how true it is! I think so often we come to God in prayer expecting the very worst, while maybe managing to eek out a small glimmer of hope. At least I do. Psalm 5:3 tells us to lay our requests before God and wait in EXPECTATION. Expectation. Expecting God to move. Not hoping for it but knowing it! Don't you think such prayers honor God? Not that we should forget to come humbly before Him or to forget how undeserving we are, but to remember the power of God, and that faith as small as a mustard seed can move mountains. Now I'm getting ahead of myself. Let me explain: If you live in the Dallas area, and probably even if you haven't, you have most likely heard about the series of unfortunate events that are occurring in Dallas ISD. However, if you are like me and prefer to live under a rock without any newspaper or television, here's a quick recap: It was discovered in early September that DISD had somehow spent 80+ million (that's right, million) dollars last year that they did not have. (How these kinds of things manage to slip under the radar is beyond me). I mean, we are talking about a LARGE sum of money. As a result, the DISD administration passed a RIF (Reduction in Forces) as the best plan of action to remedy the huge hole of debt that they have fallen into. Essentially they decided that somewhere between 600 and 900 staff would loose their jobs. Wow. As Kyle works for DISD, we were naturally more than a little worried. Our worries intensified when DISD came out with a hierarchy-sort of list for the layoffs. Alternative certification teachers were named first to go. Coupled with the fact that Kyle is a first-year teacher and doesn't teach either of the "core" subjects (math and english), things did not look to be in his favor. As the days passed and more and more information was released, we became more and more convinced that Kyle would be one of the first to go. He would need to substitute teach for the remainder of the school year to complete his certification. And with 600 teachers loosing their jobs and making a mad rush to the suburbs, it didn't look good for finding another job - especially not in the middle of a school year. We worried and waited and we continued to pray. But Kyle's job was only one tiny aspect of everything that is/was going on. This layoff will set DISD back years. Administration is under severe scrutiny. Hundreds of hard-working teachers will be displaced. But most importantly, the kids. The kids will lose favorite teachers and sports coaches. They will be put into classrooms with way too many students. They will lose sponsors of their extra-curricular activities. The budget cuts that the district will have to make to decrease their debt will cut resources that these students need. They will feel the effect of this the most. And these are kids who need and deserve every opportunity to excel. That brings us to today. Today was the day, after postponing the layoff for over a week. Kyle did not lose his job; he was not moved to another school. The number of layoffs was reduced to about 375. We are in shock, but should we be? Didn't God provide for us, just as He promises? Wouldn't He have done the same, even if Kyle had lost his job? Of course. Please keep the students, teachers, and administrators of DISD in your prayers. We have not even seen the full ramifications of this whole thing, and somehow it appears that it may get worse before it gets better. But we will come before the Father with our requests and wait in EXPECTATION. He WILL move, and in that today we rejoice!! "In the morning, O Lord, you hear my voice; In the morning I lay my requests before You and wait in expectation." -Psalm 5:3