Linking up with Lisa-Jo Baker and Five Minute Friday, where we write for five(ish) minutes on a one-word prompt. This week's word: True.
We had our fall concert last night at school. I'm fortunate that Dave and I had dinner before the concert together, and he stayed for the concert. I don't take this for granted, the fact that he stayed for the concert. Not having any relatives in the program, or even any real connection to the school or community (other than me teaching), it'd be easy for him to bow out.
And I'd be ok with that.
But the fact is, he was there.
That's one huge indicator of true love, in my book.
A funny thing happened after the concert, though. I had opened up my room so students could claim their belongings, and was standing at the door as they went in and out of the room. Dave was standing next to me, and was ready to go, so he leaned over and gave me a kiss as he was leaving. One of the students walked by and made a funny comment about PDA. We all laughed about it, and Dave leaned over for one more kiss from me before he walked away. Another group of students saw and, oh my goodness, the squeals that came from them. So darling.
As I reflected on this as I was driving home, and as I was finishing up the day, I realized the incredibly humbling way God is answering my prayers. My most constant prayer is to make a difference for Him. That's all I ask. I realize as I am in situations every day where Christ's presence in me is making a difference for some of the young people. As they see me interact with other teachers. As they see me handle challenging situations. As they see me with my husband.
Do I always succeed?
Oh my.......I wonder when "grace" will be our Five Minute Friday prompt........
Heavens, no, I don't always succeed. I fail miserably. But I am so, so, so very thankful for God's true grace and mercy and unending love. I am thankful for these reminders to keep me humble and always searching for His guidance in my life.
Love. Grace. Mercy. Love.
These things I know are true.
Friday, November 8, 2013
Thursday, October 31, 2013
FMF: Grace
Linking up with Lisa-Jo Baker for Five Minute Friday. This week's prompt: GRACE.
GO.
How do you write about something so intangible yet so crucial in our lives as "grace"?
I've been using up much of my 5 minutes pondering.....what IS grace?
I know what grace is....when I taught religion, I helped my students understand that it is free, undeserved help from God.
It's the allowance God gives us in our weak, human state.
It's the allowance we extend to others because we can relate to where they are, what's going on. It's not making excuses for another, but extending to them the care, concern, help we would hope to receive in a similar situation.
Free, undeserved help from God. I'm sure there's a more theological definition of it. But when I pray for grace, when I pray to be graceful (filled with grace), when I pray to be able to share grace with others, I am grateful for this gift God so freely gives.
I needed this moment of grace in an otherwise busy, frazzled week. These moments to stop and reflect and rejoice in what God always provides.
STOP
GO.
How do you write about something so intangible yet so crucial in our lives as "grace"?
I've been using up much of my 5 minutes pondering.....what IS grace?
I know what grace is....when I taught religion, I helped my students understand that it is free, undeserved help from God.
It's the allowance God gives us in our weak, human state.
It's the allowance we extend to others because we can relate to where they are, what's going on. It's not making excuses for another, but extending to them the care, concern, help we would hope to receive in a similar situation.
Free, undeserved help from God. I'm sure there's a more theological definition of it. But when I pray for grace, when I pray to be graceful (filled with grace), when I pray to be able to share grace with others, I am grateful for this gift God so freely gives.
I needed this moment of grace in an otherwise busy, frazzled week. These moments to stop and reflect and rejoice in what God always provides.
STOP
Friday, October 25, 2013
Five Minute Friday: Together
Linking up with Lisa-Jo Baker and others for Five Minute Friday.
Today's prompt: Together.
Five minutes starts............
NOW!
I have been looking forward to today for several weeks.
Why, you ask?
Well, for one thing, we don't have school. It's a much-welcome day for fall break, for students AND teachers. And as much as the kids always like having a day off, the longer I'm in teaching, I think these days off are as much (if not more!) for the teachers as for the kids.
But, also, I get to be together with some friends.
Several weeks ago when a friend came over to visit, we talked about trying to find a time to get together to do some papercrafting, either scrapbooking or card-making. She had been talking with a mutual friend of ours, Christina, who lives a short distance away. We checked calendars, Jenny did some emails and phone calls, and voila! We were set for today and tomorrow.
I can't tell you how excited I am to just be together with these two ladies.
They're staying here at our home, and that adds to my excitement. I love having guests, whether it's for a few minutes, or several hours. Fresh towels are in their bathroom downstairs, bedding is freshly washed, pillows are plumped.
The rest of the house? It's presentable. And you know what? For once, I'm completely OK with that. Because I know they're not coming over to inspect the house, to tsk-tsk about crumbs on the floor (which there are), the layer of dust that's covering most of the furniture (which it is, but, hey, we live in the country and it's harvest season!), or the laundry that will continue to be done in the utility room while we work in the basement.
We need this time together. To share life, to laugh, to chat, to reflect, to ponder, to pray, possibly to cry, definitely to eat chocolate, to drink sangria.....to just.be.together.
Oh, yes, and we'll hopefully get some cards made too.
STOP!
Today's prompt: Together.
Five minutes starts............
NOW!
I have been looking forward to today for several weeks.
Why, you ask?
Well, for one thing, we don't have school. It's a much-welcome day for fall break, for students AND teachers. And as much as the kids always like having a day off, the longer I'm in teaching, I think these days off are as much (if not more!) for the teachers as for the kids.
But, also, I get to be together with some friends.
Several weeks ago when a friend came over to visit, we talked about trying to find a time to get together to do some papercrafting, either scrapbooking or card-making. She had been talking with a mutual friend of ours, Christina, who lives a short distance away. We checked calendars, Jenny did some emails and phone calls, and voila! We were set for today and tomorrow.
I can't tell you how excited I am to just be together with these two ladies.
They're staying here at our home, and that adds to my excitement. I love having guests, whether it's for a few minutes, or several hours. Fresh towels are in their bathroom downstairs, bedding is freshly washed, pillows are plumped.
The rest of the house? It's presentable. And you know what? For once, I'm completely OK with that. Because I know they're not coming over to inspect the house, to tsk-tsk about crumbs on the floor (which there are), the layer of dust that's covering most of the furniture (which it is, but, hey, we live in the country and it's harvest season!), or the laundry that will continue to be done in the utility room while we work in the basement.
We need this time together. To share life, to laugh, to chat, to reflect, to ponder, to pray, possibly to cry, definitely to eat chocolate, to drink sangria.....to just.be.together.
Oh, yes, and we'll hopefully get some cards made too.
STOP!
Thursday, October 3, 2013
Five Minute Friday: WRITE
Partnering up with Lisa-Jo Baker for Five Minute Friday, where we write, unedited, for five minutes on a given prompt. This week: WRITE.
Ready? Go!
Do I think of myself as a writer?
No.
Do I think of myself as a blogger?
Not really. Other than the fact that I claim a spot on Blogger.
But do I feel comfortable expressing my thoughts and sharing my heart through writing?
Oh, heavens yes.
I can be a talker. Just ask my husband. Or any of my sisters. Or my friends. Or my students. I am a teacher, so by nature, I am a talker.
I'm also a speaker. Give me a podium and a room of 100 people, and watch me shine.
But do I feel comfortable walking into a party where I only know the host? Especially if I'm by myself?
Oh, heavens no.
I'm glad to have an outlet where I am able to write. Whether people read my writing or not is....well, I'd like to say it's irrelevant. But the truth? I want people to read what I'm writing. I want people to relate to what I'm saying. I want to feel like I belong, like what I'm thinking and feeling isn't unique just to me.
I'm grateful that I can write.
And if you're reading this, I'm grateful, oh so grateful, to you!!
STOP.
(With a few seconds to spare!)
Ready? Go!
Do I think of myself as a writer?
No.
Do I think of myself as a blogger?
Not really. Other than the fact that I claim a spot on Blogger.
But do I feel comfortable expressing my thoughts and sharing my heart through writing?
Oh, heavens yes.
I can be a talker. Just ask my husband. Or any of my sisters. Or my friends. Or my students. I am a teacher, so by nature, I am a talker.
I'm also a speaker. Give me a podium and a room of 100 people, and watch me shine.
But do I feel comfortable walking into a party where I only know the host? Especially if I'm by myself?
Oh, heavens no.
I'm glad to have an outlet where I am able to write. Whether people read my writing or not is....well, I'd like to say it's irrelevant. But the truth? I want people to read what I'm writing. I want people to relate to what I'm saying. I want to feel like I belong, like what I'm thinking and feeling isn't unique just to me.
I'm grateful that I can write.
And if you're reading this, I'm grateful, oh so grateful, to you!!
STOP.
(With a few seconds to spare!)
Saturday, September 28, 2013
Five Minute Friday: TRUE
Five Minute Friday: True
Linking up with Lisa Jo Baker for Five Minute Friday. This week's prompt: True.
Ready, go!
I know some things to be true:
God's love is unconditional. He loves me exactly as I am.
There is nothing I can do more of, or less of, for Him to love me any more.
I know, all too well, I am far, far, far from being anything near perfect. God alone is perfect.
So then, why do I spend so much of my time, thoughts, energy, and efforts trying for perfection? Regardless of what I am doing at school, at home, with family, with friends, so much of the time I feel "less than." I feel like I'm not doing enough, not doing well enough. That I can do more, do better. The enemy invades my thoughts way too often, and if I'm not careful, those thoughts take over my mind.
But then what I know to be true comes back to me again: all I can do is all I can do; all I can ever be is what God made me. God's love, grace, mercy does not depend upon on me. Not in the least. Thankfully.
And I need to settle that truth more securely in my heart.
Stop!
Linking up with Lisa Jo Baker for Five Minute Friday. This week's prompt: True.
Ready, go!
I know some things to be true:
God's love is unconditional. He loves me exactly as I am.
There is nothing I can do more of, or less of, for Him to love me any more.
I know, all too well, I am far, far, far from being anything near perfect. God alone is perfect.
So then, why do I spend so much of my time, thoughts, energy, and efforts trying for perfection? Regardless of what I am doing at school, at home, with family, with friends, so much of the time I feel "less than." I feel like I'm not doing enough, not doing well enough. That I can do more, do better. The enemy invades my thoughts way too often, and if I'm not careful, those thoughts take over my mind.
But then what I know to be true comes back to me again: all I can do is all I can do; all I can ever be is what God made me. God's love, grace, mercy does not depend upon on me. Not in the least. Thankfully.
And I need to settle that truth more securely in my heart.
Stop!
Monday, September 9, 2013
Bittersweet Thoughts
If you follow me on Twitter or friend me on Facebook, you already know I had surgery last week. After many years of suffering with "female" problems, things this summer got to be unbearable. Following an exceptionally tough week in July, Dave encouraged me to seek a second opinion from an OB/GYN specialist. I did, and we scheduled the hysterectomy for the first week of September.
Everything went well with the surgery, and my recovery has gone well since then. Sure, I'm sore, yes, I'm tired of being told lovingly over and over from my husband, "Sit down. Let me do that." So I really can't complain too much.
But things are different.
Dave and I were both over 40 when we got married, so we both knew the chances of us ever having children of our own were small. But there was a chance. This weekend, as we were talking about my recovery, we were talking about the finality of this surgery. Even though we had that small chance of conceiving before the surgery, it's gone.
Never will we get to see that little plus sign on the pregnancy test.
Never will we get to decide what color to paint the room for our baby.
Never will we get to debate names.
Never will we get to do the black and white family pictures I love.
Never will we have an excuse to vacation at Disney World.
Never will we be able to do a million other things that other people take for granted.
It's sad, when I let myself think about it.
Yet, it's a little bit of a relief at the same time.
We won't have the sleepless nights worrying about if everything is ok with them.
We won't have to pay ridiculous amounts of money for prom or homecoming.
We won't have to decide whether to do soccer or dance.
We won't have to worry about how to pay for college.
So while we won't have our own child, our nieces and nephews become that much more precious to us. My kids at school take over a new part of my heart.
Dave and I have no doubt this was absolutely the best course of action for my health. Finding out after surgery that there were fibroids taking over one of my ovaries and creating their own tendons attaching to internal organs, and discovering my abdomen and uterus was scarred from endometriosis, we definitely know this surgery was the best thing to do.
But it's still a bittersweet recovery right now.
Everything went well with the surgery, and my recovery has gone well since then. Sure, I'm sore, yes, I'm tired of being told lovingly over and over from my husband, "Sit down. Let me do that." So I really can't complain too much.
But things are different.
Dave and I were both over 40 when we got married, so we both knew the chances of us ever having children of our own were small. But there was a chance. This weekend, as we were talking about my recovery, we were talking about the finality of this surgery. Even though we had that small chance of conceiving before the surgery, it's gone.
Never will we get to see that little plus sign on the pregnancy test.
Never will we get to decide what color to paint the room for our baby.
Never will we get to debate names.
Never will we get to do the black and white family pictures I love.
Never will we have an excuse to vacation at Disney World.
Never will we be able to do a million other things that other people take for granted.
It's sad, when I let myself think about it.
Yet, it's a little bit of a relief at the same time.
We won't have the sleepless nights worrying about if everything is ok with them.
We won't have to pay ridiculous amounts of money for prom or homecoming.
We won't have to decide whether to do soccer or dance.
We won't have to worry about how to pay for college.
So while we won't have our own child, our nieces and nephews become that much more precious to us. My kids at school take over a new part of my heart.
Dave and I have no doubt this was absolutely the best course of action for my health. Finding out after surgery that there were fibroids taking over one of my ovaries and creating their own tendons attaching to internal organs, and discovering my abdomen and uterus was scarred from endometriosis, we definitely know this surgery was the best thing to do.
But it's still a bittersweet recovery right now.
Friday, September 6, 2013
Five Minute Friday: Red
Every Friday, hundreds of us do a five-minute write on a given prompt. Then we link up and post on Lisajobaker.com. Join us!
Today's prompt: Red
GO:
Red was my favorite color for so many years.
To me, red symbolizes strength, courage, boldness. There's something to notice when we see the color red. A stop sign, a stop light, a warning.
Or a celebration, like a big top tent at a circus. The stripes on our American flag. Or a Nebraska Husker football game when 91,000+ people fill Memorial Stadium in Lincoln. That's a celebration!!
But red also has another meaning to me. I was reminded of this yesterday as I came out of surgery.
Red is the color of blood. And in many ways, blood symbolizes life, as well as death.
So as I was pondering this prompt to write, it hit me that when I consider the blood that was shed by Christ for all of us, red takes on a whole different meaning.
Yes, the blood symbolizes His death, as well as new life for me. But in addition to strength, and courage, it makes me think of humility, and self-sacrifice. His life, His blood poured out through a life of self-sacrifice, humility, so that my life can be filled with boldness and courage to live for Him.
You know, I think I have a new favorite color again.
STOP
Today's prompt: Red
GO:
Red was my favorite color for so many years.
To me, red symbolizes strength, courage, boldness. There's something to notice when we see the color red. A stop sign, a stop light, a warning.
Or a celebration, like a big top tent at a circus. The stripes on our American flag. Or a Nebraska Husker football game when 91,000+ people fill Memorial Stadium in Lincoln. That's a celebration!!
But red also has another meaning to me. I was reminded of this yesterday as I came out of surgery.
Red is the color of blood. And in many ways, blood symbolizes life, as well as death.
So as I was pondering this prompt to write, it hit me that when I consider the blood that was shed by Christ for all of us, red takes on a whole different meaning.
Yes, the blood symbolizes His death, as well as new life for me. But in addition to strength, and courage, it makes me think of humility, and self-sacrifice. His life, His blood poured out through a life of self-sacrifice, humility, so that my life can be filled with boldness and courage to live for Him.
You know, I think I have a new favorite color again.
STOP
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