Some Doin's

So. It is the first day of summer, if you live by the school calendar, as our family does. Yes, I know that some other calendars say that summer won't start for several weeks, but the people that publish those calendars don't live in Texas. It is summer -- school is out, it's 100*. Summer defined, end of discussion.

I have been away for a very long time, I know. And if you're reading this, you probably stumbled upon my blog by accident, because my regular readers have long given up, choosing to watch their grass grow instead of waiting for this blog to be updated. I hope to get back here a little more frequently, but now that everyone is out of school the battle for computer time begins at my house.

Much has happened in our lives that kept me from here, partly because there were moments that the questions surrounding our lives were all-consuming in our minds, but unable to be topics of discussion, much less a blog post on the www. So, let me see if I can hit some of the highlights of our recent past:

• I quit my teaching job -- yesterday was last day. And the question usually follows, "So what are you going to do now?" Well, ... I'm waiting for the Lord to tell me that. As my politically incorrect 10-year-old tells people, I'm going back to being a 'housemom'. And that will be part of my task. The greatest struggle for me now is NOT to cram a bunch of stuff into that time, and let the Lord lead me where He wants me for that time. I don't do that well, but I'm learning.
• Shortly after we agreed on that decision, Troy finalized on a different job at ACU. His new official title is "Director of Career and Alumni Development for the College of Business Administration." Fancy-schmancy title, no? He started May 1 and is still 'learning the ropes', but it seems to be a good fit. We feel amazingly blessed that Troy has gotten a new job that requires less travel, seems to be a better fit for his personality, is (still) surrounded by wonderful co-workers -- and our family didn't have to move and start over! We are very thankful
• We got a hedgehog. SO much to tell about that -- she's just the cutest -- that I will probably save most of it for its own blog post, maybe even in installments. We got her around the time Troy started his new job. Her name is Stickers. She has just a little bit of an attitude, so we call her 'Sassy Huffle-ufagus', too. (which brings up the realization that NONE of my family knew who Snuffleufagus from Sesame Street is -- I have completely failed as a mother...) She (the hedgehog, not Snuffleufagus) is featured in a video here.

That pretty much sums up the BIG stuff, and really that is plenty, but it's been your usual end-of-school-year excitement from the teacher AND parent perspective, Riley finished up his soccer season, we had awards receptions and ceremonies, field days and enrichment days, final exams, and end of school year celebrations. Lots going on, and that's just us.

Last week, as many of you heard news of the horrible tragedy in Steven Curtis Chapman's family, my family's new friends, the Dobbs, were agonizing over their own tragedy. Lots of questions, precious few answers, but I keep coming back to, 1 Thessalonians 4:13 that we who call on the name of Christ grieve -- and grieve DEEPLY -- but not without hope of seeing our loved ones again. What a blessing in Christ. And some friends are rejoicing in the amazing healing power of our Lord. Just much to think about in this rushed season of life.

I plan to be back in less than 3 weeks (woo-hoo!) and fill you in on all sorts of trivialities in my life. Until then, be blessed.

Glimpses of Grace

More, this time from my OWN department of obvious information: Parenting is hard. If you've been a parent for 30 seconds, you have that figured out! Whether a parent by birth or adoption, just getting the child into your arms is a LOT of work.

Lately I have thought about the stages of parenting. The diaper and pre-school years are boot camp. You are pushed to your physical limits of frustration and exhaustion, wondering why in the world you signed on for this gig, with giggle fits and jelly hugs to remind you. In later single-digit years, you're on a little bit of a roll. Maybe as if you have received your assignment after boot camp. You have some drills to ready you for combat, but for the most part you've got a little bit of a respite from the physical demands and mental exhaustion of boot camp. Later, I have come to realize, you get sent for combat duty.

My children are currently 10 and 12. We are on combat duty. Not combat with the children, of course (though somedays we forget who the enemy is). Combat against the lure and attraction this world offers, fighting against what "everyone" is "doing" or "thinks is cool" or "gets to see" or thinks is okay. I feel like I have come into a time of parenting when I must stay on high alert at all times, listening to each piece of conversation for teachable moments, reminding moments of Whose we are and Who we believe, as well as what's really important. Most times I feel waved away like an irritating fly, or just as understood as Charlie Brown's teacher. And I confess to a mother's constant struggle: worry. I try to pray instead of worry, but I worry a LOT about how this war will end up.

Recently, however, the Lord has allowed me tiny glimpses to be reminded that His grace extends to parenting. I have been reminded that He can take my pathetic little widow's mite of parenting skills and turn my little blessings into wholly His. And, of course, the temptation when I'm not worrying, is to tithe some of His glory and be prideful that any of this is because of things I have done. But the reality is that anything the Lord does with my children is in spite of me, not because of me. So, for now, I am ever-so-thankful for the glimpses of His grace I see in my growing children. I had to put it here to remember -- and remind me -- that this parenting business, this combat duty, doesn't rest in my hands. When I try to make it into a work of my hands, it will fail. When I place it firmly in HIS hands, He will make it (and my children) into a thing of beauty far more than I can.

If the LORD delights in a man's way, he makes his steps firm;
though he stumble, he will not fall, for the LORD upholds him with his hand. Psakm 37:23,24

Fun, Not Necessarily Accurate

This is very funny considering I really can't STAND to wear flip flops. I have just a little touch of autism, you see -- okay, sensory perception disorder, maybe -- and don't like things between my toes. Or loud noise. Or any clothing whatsoever touching me post-7 p.m. (yeah, I saw you look at the time stamp and wonder... FLANNEL PJ's, that's what!!!) Or earrings that are a little heavy. Or contacts that are a little too sticky. (Most of my quirks/ bothers are worse the tireder I am. Now that it's May and I'm teaching, I'm pretty much done with noise, clothes, and jewelry by about 5 p.m. Two more weeks and I'll be doing good to make it through the school day). Okay, maybe this isn't fun anymore. Sorry to alert you to how disturbed I am. I'll stop for now...

What Your Flip Flops Say About You

You are a very sweet and sensitive person. You connect with other people easily. You're the type of person who feels bad about killing bugs. You hate to see anyone - or anything - in pain. Your ideal warm weather place: Thailand

The Flip Flop Test

Edited to add: I also evidently have horrible vision problems the tireder I am, and cannot for the life of me decipher what these whacky word verification letters are! I'm on my fourth try now and it doesn't even look like the English alphabet to me... (fifth...)

They're so FUNNY!

Riley has forsaken baseball this year to give soccer a try. And is LOVING it! I think he enjoys the pace of soccer over baseball, but the running hither and yon is still a bit difficult. The first game was a couple of weeks ago. The temperature was reasonably cool, but the wind was blowing, literally, about 30 mph leaving a wind chill in the lower 40's somewhere.

When we first got to the field and were waiting on the rest of his team to show up so that he could warm up, he was trying to coax Troy and me to stand a little closer together to form a sufficient wind block. In his best romantic radio-announcer voice, he said, "Come on, you two, don't you feel the love?" as he pushed us together. Troy tossed over his shoulder, "Careful, dude. That's how you came to be in the first place." Over Ashley's theatrical "Ewwwwww"s and covering her ears with her hands, Riley tossed back, in mock horror, "On a soccer field???" A little too wise for 10...

And today was THE day. The BIG day. Every student, 3rd-12th grade in Texas, has some sort of ginormous test today. It's the (cue horror music): TAKS test!!! (pronounced 'tax') Passages to read, problems to solve, bubbles to bubble. All very important stuff. Students have practiced ad nauseum. Teachers have sworn their life away (Ashley understands that if you get peanut butter on your test booklet it goes STRAIGHT to the oval office for George W. Bush to deal with!!) and parents are doing what little they can in putting the punkin's to bed on time (wonder if I should make mine take a shower now?) and feeding them some sort of glorious power breakfast. Oh, and us yahoos that teach non-TAKS grades simply do all we can to steer our babies around the moon and back before we allow them to walk within 50 feet of a door that has a 'TESTING' sign on it.

So, today I woke Riley up by sitting on the edge of his bed and whispering, "Do you know what today is?" Without opening his eyes he whispered back, "It's Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills day." Then he struggled to sit up, all the while asking, "Do they have MAKS in Mississippi? Did you have LAKS in Louisiana when you grew up? Do all of those 'W' states have WAKS?" I just shook my head repeating, "I don't know." I'm pretty sure he'll do okay -- at least on the vocabulary portion!

The coffee group is on the road again this week! If you're in the D/FW area, join us and some ladies from Alta Mesa for a rockin' good time!

Stealing from Others....

Since I don't have 30-45 minutes to sit down here and update this, I will point you to some other things I have really pondered on of late that I have ripped off of this blog.

Riley and I had a discussion yesterday of doing all that you do "as working for the Lord" (Colossians 3:23) and how using whatever gifts God has given us: our brains, our talents, our creative abilities, to the best of our ability in order to honor God. So today I got this from said blog:

The story is told of a king who went into his garden one morning and found everything withered and dying. He asked the oak tree that stood near the gate what the trouble was. The old oak replied that he was sick of life and was determined to die, because he was not tall and beautiful like the pine. The pine was all out of heart because it could not bear grapes like the vine. The vine was going to throw its life away because it could not stand erect and have as fine fruit as the peach tree; and so on through the garden.

Coming to a little purple violet, the king found its bright face lifted as cheery as ever. 'Well, violet, I'm glad amidst all this discouragement to find one brave little flower. You do not seem to be the least disheartened.''No. I'm really not an important flower, but I believe that if you wanted an oak or a pine or a peach tree or a lilac, you would have planted one; but since I know you wanted a violet, I am determined to be the best violet I can be.'

They who are God's without reserve are in every situation content, for they will do only what He wills and desire to do for Him whatever He desires them to do and be. They strip themselves of everything and in this nakedness find all things restored one hundred fold.

-Charles Spurgeon

Maybe if the stars line up, I will steal something else from that blog tomorrow, but for now, go be the best violet you can be!

At Least We're Clear...

If you have read here very long you a)are close friends or family since few people can stand the sporadic nature of my writing and b)you have realized that not much gets past Riley. He is a maze of constant questions as he doesn't let unfamiliar words or ideas just hover about him: he must get to the bottom of who, what, why, and how. He wears me out, in a fun, inquisitive kind of way.

Yesterday we were leaving for school when he said, "Mom, the light in the laundry room is broken."

"No, it's just burned out. Be sure to tell Dad."

"Why do I tell Dad?"

"Because light bulbs are his department." (Basically anything more than 6' off the floor are his department because there's the whole find the stool, possibly a screwdriver, yada, yada).

"What's your department? Everything else?"

PRE-cisely.

Just What I Need

I traveled to College Station with my peeps, the Coffee Group, this weekend. We had an amazing time! So amazing, in fact, we decided to launch a new place for gals to respond to our time with them. I confess this is an idea that the Coffee Group -- the rest of them -- have been trying to get off the ground, and I wasn't going for it. I already have one blog I don't write on, why have another?

But another is what we have! Later we're going to 'pretty it up' but for now, we have a spot. Interestingly, names and URL's associated with 'coffee group' are used up so we are at espressohislove.blogspot.com. Check us out!

I'm still trying to recover, still feeling amazingly blessed in my day, and still chuckling about my friends.

Again! More Obvious Information

Remember this brilliant study?

Well, a new one says "In fact, the study found that low-attaining students were nearly twice as likely to be disengaged in classes of 30 students as they were in classes of 15." I couldn't read any further to find out if my tax dollars had paid for this study or not. They could have just called me.

Why I Go To Church

We had a bit of excitement last night at church. Every Wednesday during the school year we have a pre-service dinner. We call it 'Manna and More' because we are catchy and clever like that, and our church also never passes up an opportunity to name AND logo-tize something. Manna was particularly fitting last night as one particularly unidentifiable dish kept being asked about, "What is it?" (look it up, people).

So the evening was going as usual. Pay your meager fee, get in line, heh-heh with the serving ladies (teams of cooks, servers, and cleaners all rotate their duty about once a month) find a spot, get a drink, yada, yada. I was somewhere between getting a drink and the yada when one of the serving ladies stepped out of the kitchen to holler at the 100+ crowd of people, "Is there a doctor or nurse in here? We need a doctor or nurse!" I scanned the crowd trying to think of one person I knew who was such (sorry, Karene, but I was so freaked I couldn't think of one person). And I felt so helpless.

Trying not to be in the way, I just returned to my seat and glanced up toward the kitchen. There was one lady on the phone to 911, a small crowd around the evidently ill or injured person, one very focused woman trying to keep the food line moving by serving food, and a growing line of folks waiting to get their food. I watched and evaluated for a little bit -- I REALLY didn't want to be in the way or a gawker -- but it didn't take long to realize what I COULD do. So I got up and went to help the lone lady who was serving. (I only served one or two plates before I thought to stop and wash my hands!) Before long Tammy came back. Then she left when the 911 caller could return to her spot. Then Denise relieved me to go finish my meal as two other ladies were coming into the kitchen to trade out full trays of food for empty and replenish dessert trays as needed.

I'm sorry to say I can't give an update on the downed kitchen worker. She was awake and talking while I was in there, and the ambulance took her to be checked out. I'm not even sure what happened, and I don't know the lady's name. I'm not even positive I could pick her out of a gurney line-up. But folks needed help. Not only the sick or hurt, but the workers. I (and LOTS of others -- there is no tooting of my own horn here) just did all I knew to do or COULD do: I slapped food on a plate and smiled and heh-heh-ed with people. I teased the tiny gals for eating so little. I teased the teen boys for eating so much. I helped my serving sisters how I could and when I could. Because it has been done for me over and over and over again.

Years ago in a different, smaller congregation, we were welcoming a new staff member at a small gathering. I noticed one particularly eccentric member had the new staff member cornered and was talking non-stop. I told a dear friend next to me, "Wouldn't you like to follow around the new person and explain everyone to him? It's just like family -- that's just crazy ol' Aunt Trudy (Trudy's name is a pseudonym to protect the crazy). We love her, but we all know she's crazy." That's how church is to me -- just like your own family tree: full of nuts. But nuts that will serve, weep, laugh, mop, pray, build, hammer, teach, hug, and love as needed.

My church isn't perfect. Neither is yours. But they're my family and I love them dearly. And I hope no one sues me if they found one of my hairs in their food last night.

Slowly... Blogging Slowly

Okay -- here I am, 7 days later! Jehosaphat! My spring break consisted of a head-cold and frequent naps. We did do a little Dallas traveling at the end and I did see parts of North Texas I have never seen before. Wow. Texas is big.

I love the reactions to the quote. Stephanie and I would either get along fabulously or have some very lively conversations! :-) There's always an exception, isn't there? -- or, at my house, a loophole! The thing that struck me the most about that quote was how many talented people there are that aren't using that talent to its fullest (that is how I will choose to define 'unsuccessful' in this instance, Stephanie -- fair?) So true. Think of your friends: there are some amazing talents around us, aren't there? And don't you know a lot of talent that is shoved to the bottom of life due to everything else pressing in? I do. It just struck me -- mainly because persistence is so basic, yet so crucial. I wholeheartedly agree...

Oh -- update on aforementioned creek drama: one bicycle is total trash, the other can be repaired for about 50-75% the cost of a new one, and I'm investing in a new library book tomorrow. People irritate me on occasion.

Y'all go welcome Kelly to blogworld. 'Cause she rocks and I like to pretend that I'm all cute and happenin' like her.

10 weeks from today is June 3. Are you ready for sitting at the pool? I so am!

Agree or Disagree?

Nothing in the world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination are omnipotent. The slogan 'press on' has solved and always will solve the problems of the human race.

--Calvin Coolidge

Tiptoe-ing Back Into Blogworld

I looked for a picture of the t-shirt I saw on one of those folks who think their bad attitude doesn't exude from them enough without cue cards printed on their chest: "I'm here, aren't I? What more do you want?"

I figure my first little tippy toe back into blog land should keep the bar pretty low. There won't be any humor or ingenious observations on life (as if I ever just crank that kind of stuff out on a regular basis).

I had a few thoughts, that were actually even kind and nice, but my children just returned home from one of their adventures down at our local creek -- which I was so loving as their little fun slice of Americana -- and they came home with bicycles broken beyond repair from bricks or rocks thrown onto the spokes, and a ruined library book from it being thrown in the water. I'm so unamused with the general public of my "wonderful neighborhood". So my kind and nice thoughts are few and far between.

JD thinks that 'LOST' has 'jumped the shark'. What do you think?

It's our spring break. It's supposed to rain and my throat hurts.

This morning the scale looked better than it had in months, but my hair is still in its post-haircut rebellion stage. When it's a good scale day AND a good hair day, I'll let you know.

Anyone doing anything fun for spring break?

My Two Great Regrets of the Campaign of '08

1) That I EVER registered to vote, thereby putting my phone number on some "please harass the stuffin' out of these people" list.
2) That I don't have caller ID.

One more phone call from Barak and I am SO going out and rounding up anyone on the street and taking them to vote for Hillary.

*sigh*

The sigh of the heavy-hearted. Heavy hearted I am. My coffee group just returned from an amazing trip to Alabama, photos -- albeit a little fishy -- here. Our plane landed at about 11 a.m. and pretty much as soon as I could turn my phone on (to take this picture of the back of Kris Kristofferson in the Birmingham airport) I got a text from Troy with some fairly annoying news for us. Then, later in the day, at Denise's parents for dinner, Roxanne called to tell me that her dad had passed away that evening. I'm debating about whether I will continue taking my cell phone while I travel. But we did relay the story of his Sunday leg to her parents. What guy.

The funeral was today. I still can't believe I'm not there. I'm supposed to be there. Roxanne is the closest thing I have to a sister, and her dad is gone. He has circled up with his own mom, as well as a host of others. He has two healthy legs now. He has received the ultimate healing. I'm so thankful for him, and so sad for her and her family.

As I try to console myself, I realize that, really, for most of the unscheduled big things in our lives, Roxanne and I have been there for precious little of it for each other. Yet we're there. We stood next to each other through both of our weddings -- me beating her down the aisle by a few months only meant I had to be labeled a 'matron' at her wedding, which I did NOT appreciate. But since then the big milestones have been 'caught up on' with email and phone calls. And this will be no different.

The funeral is there, 500 miles away, and I am here, juggling too many mom/teacher/wife/church-type-folk obligations to break free. I picked up the phone to call her 4 different times yesterday, but my throat tightened too much to speak and my tears blurred the phone to dial. I know I can't DO anything being there, but I need to help her cry. Evidently, I'm doing that from here.

On a far happier note, I actually won a prize-type-thing from Antique Mommy. Who knew, but chocolate is included in the prize, and I think it goes without saying that I could use some chocolate right about now. And that artwork from Sean? Will cheer me right up!

Good Things Out There

Since I have virtually nothing to say these days, I'll send you around the internet instead!

Troy has an interesting poll on his blog.

Boothe has some wonderful thoughts regarding Oprah's new "A Course In Miracles" program (or, what Sarah is referring to as "The New False Prophecy" -- you kind of need to be aware of THAT whole mess, too).

Kem is a friend of mine. You can see how much I think she rocks:

The Perfect Valentine

You may remember that last year, as I started down this teaching road again, I had a moment that I was very humbled that the Lord had led me to this job. I confess my thoughts don't roll that way very often. My thoughts these days are more of a checklist of what needs to be done and making it through one task to get to another. So Valentine's day has pretty much only been one of those things to do. Just another something to buy and get ready for. But one of the beautiful souls that I teach with sent our grade level this email today, subject line: "The Perfect Valentine", that brought it all back into perspective:

This morning I feel reminded of what a loving God we serve, and how much we all
need Him.

A student came in this morning to tell me that her dad
came up to her this morning and gave her “live” roses and kissed her upon the
head and said “I love you”.
Then he threw roses at her mom and called her a
bad word.

I had to fight back tears as I heard the
story. Oh how we all need Jesus, but it reminded me how much HE loves us
all too. It also reminded me how important it is that I share HIM with
others.

Happy Valentines Day,

(she signed her name and
included this verse:)

And we know and believe the love God cherishes
for us. God is love, and he who dwells and continues in love dwells and
continues in God, and God dwells and continues in him. 1 John 4:16

Again, I am humbled and reminded of the precious souls entrusted to me on a daily basis. I am thankful for the campus where I work where godly women call me to a higher level of teaching and love by their words and actions. And, most of all, I am forever thankful for Jesus, our perfect Valentine, who gave all He had to win our hearts for eternity. Because of Him, we can go on one more day, loving one more soul.

Reasonable Restrictions?

In preparing for an upcoming flight, I was reviewing the list of carry-on restrictions. So, we can take a corkscrew and knitting needles, but no gel candles? Well, of course.

Linda Kenwright, Break out the Map Shirt!

(There is a VERY small segment of my blog readers -- like, Roxanne, and potentially my parents -- that will understand my post title. A whole other story for a whole other time).

The yo-yos. They are coming back. Did we learn nothing?

What Time Are You?

This made me laugh...

Listen for the Whisper

I have to hurry up and write this somewhere before I forget it.

Earlier this week in some rushed blog-perusal, I came across a comment Brandi made to someone. She said that the discouraging thoughts this person was experiencing was Satan screaming, trying to make himself heard.

Then she wrote: Listen for the whisper.

Sometimes I am frustrated at how counter-intuitive faith is. When life presses in, our flesh nature commands that we speed up, go faster, get more done. A life of faith says, "Be still and know." When it seems we are constantly being beaten down by life anyway, and the world (and our survival instincts) tell us to look out for number one, a life of faith says, "The man who loves his life will lose it, while the man who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life."

And when life screams at us from every direction, and the awful and negative are everywhere we turn, a life of faith must listen for the whisper.

The LORD said, "Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of
the LORD, for the LORD is about to pass by." Then a great and
powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the LORD,
but the LORD was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but
the LORD was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake came a fire, but
the LORD was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper. 1 Kings
19:11,12