grace

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Gentleness…

Several years ago, one of my students kept falling asleep in class.  It was frustrating.  He was a kid who had a reputation of being “tough”; not one of the other students would cross him.  Because of the “stigma” that came with him, I took his sleep habits as being disrespectful. UNTIL… We had a parent conference.  Little did I know he was babysitting his younger sister late at night so his mom could work (single family).  He wasn’t getting...

That Kid …

“That Kid” brings memories, some good and some not-so-good for all of us. We all have stories of kids who stretched the boundaries, talked incessantly in school, broke the rules, challenged authority, took risks, made us laugh or cry…you fill in the memory bank. I have thirty years in education and many stories of “that kid”. When I was younger, I, unfortunately, judged those kids pretty harshly. I sometimes equated childish immaturity as a life sentence. I thought I had...

Lost

The tears were streaming.  You could tell she was scared. Getting “lost” on the second day of kindergarten at dismissal was not what Karis had in mind that day.   It also wasn’t what she had in mind the fourth full day of kindergarten either.   She knows the surroundings–I work there and she spends quite a bit of time up in the hallways, but somehow she was sidetracked and she was “lost”.   So what about us?   A question in Genesis 3:9...

A Pinterest Christianity

DISCLAIMER: I love Pinterest. I have tens of personal boards and even one where my psychology students submit their work. I have hundreds of recipes, party ideas, home remodels, teaching ideas, and a zillion other topics. Feel free to follow me. I think its a wonderful use of technology. I am old enough to remember saving magazine pages for the same reason. PINTEREST is great! BUT… With the advent of social media and apps like Pinterest, parties, redecorating and events...

Commit to Winning…

I’ve got this brother who coaches football.  He wins.  A lot.  Let me tell you why.  He teaches the value of commitment, respect, teamwork and leadership.  This is not a little sister brag post…it is a little sister who has watched a man teach young men how to be leaders on and off the field.  Coach Jones “teaches that life is not about you as an individual…it is about what you have to offer the team”. We have the same...

Mama Bear

When my oldest son (he’s 36) was in fifth grade, he was having trouble with his science teacher’s instructions to put headings on his science notecards. He just couldn’t remember to put his name, section and chapter numbers in the right order on every notecard. It was starting to affect his grade so I suggested we meet with his teacher, Mrs. Culpepper and see what we needed to do. His teacher was my friend and colleague so I thought it...

Boiling Sugar, Burns and Blisters

Boiling sugar is really REALLY HOT! Recently while making apple jelly, my hand and face found out the hard way just how hot it is!  I was ladling the hot mixture into jars as the last step before boiling to seal the lids.  I’m not sure what happened but all of the sudden the measuring cup is dropping into the pot which hits the wooden spoon which in turn slings the boiling hot mixture onto my face…my extended fingers never...

The Storm

We had made it to Lubbock.  A long anticipated trip of spending time with family, meeting a new addition, loving on cousins, grandparents, aunts, and uncles, and starting to relax after a busy few months of activities we had chosen to participate in for the kids. A family outing—going to the drive in with everyone to see Toy Story 4–a movie I know my kids were excited about. The skies were blue, the wind wasn’t really blowing, and we arrived...

Walk With Me…A Desire to Start Fresh

“Walk with me” We all know someone who thinks they can do it all.  Right?  Someone who thinks they know best, that they alone can accomplish the task, they have all the answers, they are right.  Well, as much as I hate to admit it, that someone is me. I often think I know best…but I don’t. I usually can accomplish it alone…but I shouldn’t. I don’t have all the answers…but I convince myself I do. I’m not right near...

The Waiting Room

The waiting room…the place where the proverbial rubber meets the road.  If you haven’t spent hours in one, you will sometime in the future. Time seems suspended there. Sometimes you keep checking the clock every five minutes to little avail. Sometimes you realize it is already hours later and you haven’t eaten, slept or bathed. Minutes or hours or days seem to meld together into a surreal blob. Sometimes you don’t know if the sun is shining or clouds fill...