P.S the only reson im giving this a 1 is beacuase the voices where pretty good. but thats it!

There have been several thoughtful blog posts in a row.  Tonight I'm feeling unthoughtful.  Hmmm.  Not quite.  Actually I just found this really funny (thanks Mollie and Jon) and it somehow soothes my grammatically inclined insanity.  My students can't spell either.  In fact this is scarily similar to some of the stuff they crank out.  Did this kid even have a CLUE what he was typing as a comment???

Dyyyyyyying in First Grade

The following are actual events.  They have not been fabricated in any way.  Names have been changed to protect the innocent (me).  This occurred in the span of 10 minutes with two different students. 

"Ms. A, my neck hurts."

"What?"

"When I move my neck like this (throws head backwards), it hurts."

"Well, don't do that anymore."

"Oh.  Ok."

"Ms. A, I can't walk.  My leg hurts."

"Well, right now you are supposed to be sitting at your desk reading silently, so you don't need your legs."

"Oh.  Yeah." (saunters off to desk)

"Ms. A, my knee hurts."  (grabs knee in an act worthy of an Oscar)

"Well, you are STILL supposed to be sitting at your desk, so it doesn't matter."

"Sigh.  Ok."

Thus my days in 1st grade.  I tie lots of shoes, hand out tissues, and tell kids we'll talk about their stomach ache in 10 minutes.  Even on a good day, I have several tugs on my shirt.  Seriously, who needs to pay for longer shirts if kids will lengthen them for you?  The extra amount of pestering got me to thinking today about how much I complain.  Do I get so distracted by the inevitable negative things in life that I can't maintain a perspective that transcends my circumstances? 

Have you ever been called out on grumbling?  (Your mother doesn't count).  Or do you have a hilarious story about a melodramatic child?

New Years Resolutions

I was chatting with my sister Mollie yesterday about New Years Resolutions.  She, being the big sister, super-organized, out-going go-getter, has assembled a list of resolutions in each major category of her life, ranging from healthy, home-cooked meals to home organization to gym workouts. I, Captain Fly-by-the-Seat-of-My-Pants, signed up for a 10K.  HAH.  I've never run anything before in my life.  Ok, so one time I ran downstairs because I forgot about cookies in the oven.


As much as I may grumble over the next two months (which I will probably do a lot of), I am excited to have a goal to run toward.  [Sorry, that wasn't very punny]  By running slowly jogging this race, I will cross another item off my bucket list and hopefully improve my quality of life.  This will be a long road [Sorry again, I can't help myself]-- I can only make it about a third of the distance at this point without keeling over.  Fortunately HGTV and a great audio book keep me going at the gym.  In fact I have to keep exercising consistently or there is no way I will be able to run 10K in April.


Similarly, our spiritual journeys take time and persistence.  It cannot be done indifferently.  13th/14th century theologian and philosopher Meister Eckhart wrote, "There are plenty to follow our Lord half-way, but not the other half. They will give up possessions, friends and honors, but it touches them too closely to disown themselves."


What is your purpose in running?  How far are you willing to run?  At what cost?




Warning:  This is the first of barrage of running analogies...

All Saints Day

I have a stockpile of belated birthday cards that I routinely send out in lieu of actual birthday cards (for obvious reasons), so it should not be a surprise to me that I thought of this post October 31, and well, here we are, one month later.  (I actually wrote half of this post last week.  SIGH.  Now five weeks later...)

One month ago, it was All Saints Day.  As I child I never knew quite what to do with All Saints Day.  Was it the good version of Halloween?  Just for Catholics?  I was rather confused.  However it does coincide with my birthday, and I always thought that was pretty cool.

All Saints Day celebrates the lives of Christians, both past and present.  That day was also a Baptism Sunday.  During the baptism ceremony, the members of the church are asked to both prayer for and be involved in the upbringing of each child.  The loud chorus of "Yeses" struck me and I began to think about all the saints who have been pivotal in my life.

Some are people that I know well and some who know me well-- family members, youth group leaders, and Sunday school teachers.  The minister who baptized me as a baby also came to mind.  Dr. Long was the minister at our church from about the time I was born to early elementary school.  Though our families stayed in touch, I can only recall a couple of sermons he preached.  Even though he did not personally influence my faith, he did have tremendous impact on the people around me.  My parents came to a greater understanding of the Gospel and Scripture through an intensive Bible course Dr. Long taught.  His teaching was one way God allowed my parents to raise me in the church and teach me about the Lord from an early age.  He strongly impacted numerous teachers and leaders still present at that church today.

It started to make me think about my life and the impact I might have for Christ through others around me.  I'm not currently leading a girls' small group or mentoring any young people, but my life should nonetheless be focused outward.  What ways are you striving to grow a new generation?

Come People of the Risen King

This song has been stuck in my head all day. We sang it at church a couple of weeks ago, and then again today. Let me be the first to say we have one mad saxophonist in our congregation! Though a wee bit of me wishes it had been a melodica...