Health Insurance for Children

This week Congress will vote on the reauthorization of the SCHIP bill. (State Child Health Insurance Program) SCHIP provides health insurance for low-income children who don't qualify for federal aid. The bill being proposed will only cover roughly 1/3 of children currently uninsured, but it is a step in the right direction.

I am urging you to go to the Children's Defense website at www.childrensdefense.org. There is a link on the homepage that will allow you to send an email to your congress members. (For us Kansans, Senator Sam Brownback will need the most convincing...) The website makes it easy so that all you have to do is fill out your personal information.

As a former teacher, I know how important health insurance is. I had a student last year named Iveth, and Iveth came to me one morning complaining of a tooth ache. I told her there was nothing I could do and sent her to her seat. After lunch, I saw her crying at her desk and when I asked her what was wrong, she pointed to her tooth. When I had her open her mouth and show me her tooth, I saw that her two back molars were completely rotted out. This is not right... and it's not fair...

Weekend fun

Friday night we hung out with Matt, a fellow Iliff student, and his wife Lorissa. They invited us to a coffee shop near their house that was serving free coffee/drinks and showing a movie in the coffee shop. They are a very sweet couple. We had such a good time! (And didn't spend any money!)

Saturday morning we took the puppies hiking at Elk Meadow. (David goes there a lot to mountain bike.)






We went to church at Park Hill again this morning. Eric and Amy (both Iliff students...Amy is the girl I knew in KC...) met us at church and we went to IHOP afterward.

DESPITE the fact it sounds like we are always doing fun and exciting things, this is how I spend MOST of my time...



While I read and do homework, David entertains himself by working on his bike and playing with his new helmet light...



This is what Zoe does while I study...



And here's Midas...




It's good times at the Baker house! :)

God is unbelievable...

I cannot believe how good God has been to us...
We are so grateful that David is starting his job October 1st. Neither one of us dreamed it would be almost 2 months before he started working. We were counting on my stipend to help us pay our October bills...the Financial Aid office had told me it would take about 7 days from the day I registered, but when I went to the Business Office yesterday the lady told me it wouldn't get cut until September 28th which meant it wouldn't be in my mail box until October 1st. My heart was heavy last night...
And then today I got the mail and there was a check from Wells Fargo Mortgage with a refund check for $909.83. Unbelieveable!!! I cannot believe how "provided" for and blessed we feel. Every time I start to wonder and doubt and lose faith, God miraculously provides.
I don't normally refer to scripture, but I've been doing about 8 bajillion hours of Hebrew Bible and I can't help but think of God's covenant with Abraham. Over and over and over and over God promises to bless Abraham so that he may be a blessing. I pray this is true for David and me. We have been so blessed and I pray that we will be a blessing to others.

David's job

David has accepted a job with Denver Health. (A hospital in Denver known for providing Level 1 and 2 care to the uninsured...) He will be working as a "Health Technician" and will be on the 8th floor, a Med/Surgery floor. Mostly, he will be doing patient care, working alongside the Registered Nurse. The only tricky thing is that it is a night shift position so he will be working 7PM-7AM three nights a week. He has the option of picking up a fourth shift, which would help our budget but... I am a little nervous about what this will do to our schedule (as far as seeing each other!) and I am not crazy about being home alone three nights a week. Please pray for us during this transition! The good news...we will both have GOOD health insurance! :)

My head is spinning!

Even though I had a full day of classes last Thursday, today felt different because we were discussing the reading (which was A LOT) we had been assigned. By the time David picked me up, my head was spinning! My first class is small and mostly discussion, but both of my afternoon classes are lecture classes and there is SO much new information. I'm over over overwhelmed but the amount of information I don't know! I secretly write down words the professor says in class so that I can later look them up... why don't they offer tutors in seminary? :)

Mom :)

My mom flew in for the weekend and it was SO nice to have her here. We picked her up Friday morning and took her to Iliff. She got the FULL tour since Iliff was open! Saturday we drove to Boulder and Estes Park. This morning she went to church with us and then we had lunch downtown. I was sad to see her go...it is hard to be away from people we love! :(

Orientation

I didn't sleep last night because I was so excited! I was wide awake at 2AM, but David said it was too early to get ready for school. My mom always took my picture on the first day of school, so David took a picture of me on my first day of graduate school. My mom also used to make me hold up the number of fingers that corresponded to the grade I was entering....so last night when I was talking to her she said, "You could hold up a cross and flame!" :)




Anyway, orientation was LONG but good. I am registered for classes! I am taking Hebrew Bible, World Religions, Women & Religion, and a Justice and Peace class on homelessness. I can't believe how many books I had to buy for only 14 hours! All my classes are on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays so I am hoping to work a few hours each week on campus.