Simply Kinder: Pencil Sharpener Giveaway!

This is an FANTASTIC pencil sharpener.  Click on the link below to enter. If you don't win you can find them on line. I got mine at Amazon for 25.00, because the original website was sold out.

Simply Kinder: Pencil Sharpener Giveaway!

Black Friday/ Cyber Monday

The author of my favorite ebook series: Past Forward is having a giveaway.  Checkout her website.  If you have a kindle, she is always giving away books for free and right now having a sale for 99 cents.

Temporary

Temporary

 Let me warn you that I got to my final thought in an around about way, so bear with me as I express my thoughts.

The other day as I was at the grocery checkout I noticed in one of the many magazines that a Hollywood star is getting married again.  I thought to myself, what is this her third or fourth marriage?  As I stood there waiting to check out I began to think about Hollywood marriages and the seemly vast temporary status of them.  We have all seen the constant media attention on the 72 day marriage of another star.  Yes, I am purposely not mentioning her name because frankly I am sick of hearing it.

 It got me to thinking, first about how the non-Christians in the world treat marriage as something you can try and if you don’t like it you can just divorce.  It just is so opposed to how God created marriage to be.  I have been exposed to both good and bad marriages.  The bad marriages have sometimes ending in divorce and sometimes continued on.  As my friends tell me marriage is great but also takes work on both partners to make it work. 

 This thought leads me to another one.  I began to think how the world and yes, everyone thinks everything is temporary.  If I don’t like this house, that’s okay, I can just move. If I don’t like this car, I can just trade it in.  If my marriage doesn’t work out then I can get a divorce. If I don’t like my furniture, I can get new.  If I don’t like this job, I can quit and find another. If, If,.. and so on.  It lead me full circle to one very big thought that there is one thing that we as Christians should remember is temporary:  Our life in this world.  God has called us to remember that our life here is temporary and our permanent home is with him in glory.

I admit I often get so caught up in my daily life and forget that it’s not the things in my life that are important.  God has warned me not to store up treasures here on this earth.  As I have been pondering this I keep hearing the  chorus in my hear from this Gaither’s song.

Temporary Home:

Sometimes I feel like I´m just walkin´around
With my head with up in the clouds
I´m steady movin´but I´m not gainning ground
Standing the wrong way in the crowd
Then I remember I´m not part of this world
I´m moving higher each day
Upward mobility sounds mighty good t me
And I just can´t wait to get way

CHORUS
I got to remember I´m not here to say
I´m looking forward to a brighter day
I got to remember I´m not here for long
I´m just livin´in my temporary home

When you are bothered by the problems in life
Just don´t let´em get you down
Just look to Jesus, you will not be denied
He´ll take you up to higher ground

And don´t forget you´re a child of the King
You´re and heir to His throne
You may not know just when, but He´s coming back
again
To take us to our happy home, y´all

CHORUS
I got to remember I´m not here to say
I´m looking forward to a brighter day
I got to remember I´m not here for long
I´m just livin´in my temporary home

Time is it Flying By or Dragging On

Yesterday, I attended the funeral of my friend and former Principal.  Jack was a great guy and so funny.  I actually told his wife that at the viewing as I was looking at him, he had this smile (like always) and I almost expected him to sit up and crack a joke.

In the midst of his funeral service I began to think about time and how we gage it.  Right now I am in the midst of gaging things by 1 more work day in the week before I have the weekend off.  But often times we judge things by 1 more hour, day, week, month until...

As I was thinking about this I thought about how the major moments in our lives often take only ... 1 hour: weddings and funerals.  The happiest day of our life and the saddest day, both services only seem to take 1 hour or less.  Why is this?  The service part of the wedding seems long when you are a member of the wedding. Is is because as a former bridesmaid, many times over, that  we can only last so long in those high heels before we topple over?  Is a funeral service so short because is is easier to quickly say goodbye?  I thought of this as my dear friend Sue look so tired and worn out? I can remember feeling that way after my grandma's funeral this past April. 

But as I thought about how short time seems in these 2 instants, I also thought about how time was also long in these to instants.  A wedding is the beginning of a life.  The couples whose weddings I've served as bridesmaid or viewer, are still together.  Some of these couples have recently celebrated anniversaries: 18yrs, 12, 24 yrs.  The service which joined their life was short but was the beginning of a lifetime of love and family.  As I write this I am thinking of my friends and praying for their continued happiness.

When I think of how short a the funeral service was for my friend Jack, I know that he was already in heaven with Christ.  He was saved and knew Christ, so he will spend eternity with him. Although, I miss him and still have moments of not believe that he is gone, I know he is in a better place, a place that many days I long to be myself, as it seems our world is getting worse and worse.

Anyway, these are the thoughts I have been having about how time, no matter what we are looking forward to maybe looking back on, we have both the perspective of it can be short or long.  As I think about this I am so thankful that like Jack I too know Christ as my Savior and whether my time on earth is short or long, I know where I will spend eternity.  I hope that you too know this peace my friends.

Cherished: A Novel of Unconditional Love by Kim Cash Tate

Cherished: A Novel of Unconditional Love by Kim Cash Tate

Cherished by Kim Cash Tate is an inspiring book that reminds us that it is never too late to find unconditional love and feel cherished.  Two young women Kelli and Heather make some wrong choices in their personal life.  These choices have consequences and affect their lives. As with all sin, it leaves us feeling unworthy and full of guilty and shame.

It takes the guidance and friendship of other women to guide these two women back to Christ. They are made to realize is that to be truly loved unconditionally, comes from Christ. Their journey to this truth gives us valuable insights into truths that remind us all of God’s grace and love he freely gives us.

Although this book depicts what all girls wish for in life; to be cherished and loved unconditional, it is not a smooth road.  These women must first face the choices of their past.  It also made me really think about the lives and choices of someone who we would deem as the “guilty one”.  Often it is hard to move past judging them to see that they too need God’s grace and love, but often need someone willing to show them the way.

I enjoyed this book, because I got to see things from both view points, the innocent and the guilty. It made realize how often I judged the one I considered “guilty” harshly and didn’t show them the love of Christ.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com <http://BookSneeze®.com> book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 <http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html> : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

A Place Called Blessing, Where Hurting Ends and Loves Begins by John Trent, PhD

A Place Called Blessing, Where Hurting Ends and Loves Begins by John Trent, PhD

A Place Called Blessing by John Trent, PhD is inspiring and thought provoking book that tells the story of Josh.  At the age of 5 Josh and his 2 brothers are put into the foster care system. The boys have the same longing to belong, be part of a family and to be loved.  Unfortunately, Josh has a hard time and constantly seems to have trouble. His problems lead him to become labeled as a risk and thus not adoptable. When Josh’s brother’s get adopted it sends Josh even further down the spiral of heartache. He withdraws and becomes a loner. But Josh is given an unexpected blessing in the form of Annie and Mike.

Even though this book was a tear jerker I couldn’t put it down; I enjoyed reading about Josh journey. Reading this book made me realize that I have had many blessings in my life.  Realizing my blessings was a great outcome of the book, but we are given a challenge to pay forward the 5 elements of blessing. The book comes with a questions and discussion guide that is great to work through with a group, friend or alone. This book is a companion to The Blessing but is able to read on it own.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com <http://BookSneeze®.com> book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 <http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html> : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

A Dead Man's Hand Moved!

From the time I was young and could remember I went to wakes/calling hours and funerals.  Now, first let me explain that my mom's side of the family have their roots in Kentucky. My grandpa always loved to tell that Loretta Lynn lived just up the holler from him.  Yes, my family lived in the part of Kentucky where you gave directions like "it's just down the road a bit", "it's about two hollers over",  or "you go past the family cemetery and turn..".  We are true country bumpkins, who had a family farm that had no running water and this continued until it was eventually sold around 1999.  I write about my adventure on the farm some other time but for now this helps explain the wakes I've gone to as a child.

In Kentucky, it was common practice for families to have a wake when a loved one died.  The one I remember most clearly is my great Uncle's Bud.  The way it worked was that for 3 days the loved one was kept at the home of the family and then moved to the church for the service before burial.  At 5 years old this was something a little new for me.  I mean it's kind of strange walking into some one's house and seeing a casket set up in the living room.  Anyway, when we went to visit before the service I remember it was starting to get dark outside.  We went in and my mom greeting all the relatives.  I of course just went along with her.  Now the set up at this particular wake was that they had moved around the living room and place the coffin in there and then seating was available.  So, after the greetings I was given the choice of eating or playing with the other kids.  Playing with the other kids won out, so outside I went.  Playing on the hill with the other kids was fun and some how why we were there wasn't in my mind until my mom called me inside to eat.  Eating was done in the kitchen and the table set up in the hallway. 

So, after finishing eating I was a little at loose ends and wandered to the living room.  I stood back a little and looked at Uncle Bud.  I didn't know him well and so, I just was staring and wandered a little closer. That's when it happened, his hand moved.  I jump, scream and ran for my mom.  I keep telling her that his hand moved I saw it and I'm not lying.  My mom, of course reminded me that he was dead and that it wasn't possible.  So, to prove it to me she brought me close to the coffin and then told me to touch his hand to see how cool it was.  Needless to say that I did not want to do this, but she insisted so I did.  She said "see his hand didn't  move?"; frankly I still had my doubts but I agreed with her and then went outside to play again.

I was 5 when this episode happened and now some 36 years later the incident is still vividly clear in my mind.  Although, now I will readily admit that his hand couldn't have move at 5 years old I saw what I saw. 

Why have I brought all this up.  As you know from my last post that I have been to a number of funerals recently.  Since my last post I also attended one more funeral, my cousin by marriage Pedro.  Pedro died on May 29th and was buried on June 1st. I have know Pedro all my life.  He was like an uncle to me, although he was married to my second cousin Donna.  He fought a long battle with cancer.

What was brought home to me at this funeral was that I have moved into the role of family representative.  This has happened for 2 reasons:  first, I am of the older generation,  no longer the child who gets to run around and play and still be a child;  second with my grandmother gone and my mom unable to attend due to work.  It was a weird feeling to experience this.  I guess it, as I look back I could have seen it at my grandmother's funeral but at the time was in no shape to be self-respective.  But even at her funeral it was part of my role to greet people, help clean up, and write thank yous. 

Although, we don't often realize it until we hit it but I am now one of the grown ups.  Stocking to realize that age 41, I know.  Most time I don't feel like the grown up when I'm around my family because I have all the aunts and cousins and cousins but it's true.  The girls (this is what I call my mom and her 4 sisters) have all gotten older and they all have health issues.  So, part of my job as an adult is to help them and watch out for them, some of this comes naturally from taking care of my grandma for so long.  So, what I'm saying is that this past months have made me realize that I am indeed one of the grown ups in my family, although at times I still feel like a kid.  And just maybe most importantly I don't  feel old.

All Healing Takes Time

It has been so long since I have posted on here, it almost seems as if it's been a lifetime, but it has just felt that way.  Why? you ask, well let explain.

On March 29, we were told that my grandmother had about 2 weeks to live.  Although, we know this was coming when she choose not to do dialysis, the reality is different than the knowledge.  My grandmother has been an important part of my life and more like a second mother to me.  So, even knowing the end was coming and seeing her decline I was not really prepared to say goodbye. 

She was ready and had often talked of going home.  She was 93 when she went home to be with the Lord on April 16th. 

Each day since there have been little things that have reminded me of her and brought the bitter sweet memories. Losing someone you love is never easy.

This past week has been another hard time for me, 3 more loved one's have gone home.  On May 11, my sister Jeanna passed away.  She had went to the Cleveland hospital to have a gall stone removed from her bile.  The next morning she got up to go to the bathroom and got dizzy and then her blood pressure and heart rate dropped.  They were not able to revive her.  We won't be sure what cause her death until the autopsy results are in, because she never got to have the surgery to have the stone removed.

Since, Jeanna is a sister from my dad's first marriage, we were not as extremely close and didn't see each other often.  Actually, even talking to my other sister Ana about Jeanna's passing seemed so unreal and part of me almost felt as if it weren't true.  Denial, I know and reality hit me the night of her calling hours.  We buried her Monday, May 16th.

The day after finding out about my sister Jeanna, I learned that my friend's father passed away.  J.P. and I have know each other since 1st grade.  His father, Peter was always since a great encourager and supporter.  The man with the twinkling eyes.  At my grandmother's funeral J.P. shared with me that his father wasn't doing well.  A few weeks later his father was put in a nursing home.  I went to visit him.  Although, I had seen Mr. Ducro about a month before, I knew after seeing him at the home he didn't have long left.  About a week later May 12, Peter went home to be with the Lord.  His funeral was Thurs. May 19th.

The third person who was buried this week was my sister-in law's father Frank. Frank was diagnosed with cancer probably over a year or more.  He had been getting chemo treatments. At the end of April they had stopped the treatments because he was too weak.  We knew then that he also didn't have long left.  Frank passed way Tues, May 17th.  His funeral was Friday, May 20th.

As I said this has been a very hard week.  I believed that my sister's funeral was already more than enough for me to handle, only God knew what lay in store for me.  Today, as I was checking up on old friend's blogs I saw this posting on Hope's blog http://heartnhome.blogspot.com/    and decided to borrow it.  It was exactly what I needed to hear and thank you Hope.

Friday, May 20, 2011

Receive the Cup of Sorrow

"Shall I refuse to drink the cup of sorrow which the Father has given me to drink?"
John 18:11, Weymouth


God takes a thousand times more pains with us than the artist with his picture, by many touches of sorrow, and by many colors of circumstance, to bring us into the form which is the highest and noblest in His sight, if only we receive His gifts of myrrh in the right spirit.

But when the cup is put away, and these feelings are stifled or unheeded, a greater injury is done to the soul that can ever be amended. For no heart can conceive in what surpassing love God giveth us this myrrh; yet this which we ought to receive to our souls' good we suffer to pass by us in our sleepy indifference, and nothing comes of it.
Then we come and complain: "Alas, Lord! I am so dry, and it is so dark within me!" I tell thee, dear child, open thy heart to the pain, and it will do thee more good than if thou wert full of feeling and devoutness.
--Tauler


The cry of man's anguish went up to God,
'Lord take away pain:
The shadow that darkens the world Thou hast made,
The close-coiling chain
That strangles the heart, the burden that weighs
On the wings that would soar,
Lord, take away pain from the world Thou hast made,
That it love Thee the more.'

"Then answered the Lord to the cry of His world:
'Shall I take away pain,
And with it the power of the soul to endure,
Made strong by the strain?
Shall I take away pity, that knits heart to heart
And sacrifice high?
Will ye lose all your heroes that lift from the fire
White brows to the sky?

Shall I take away love that redeems with a price
And smiles at its loss?
Can ye spare from your lives that would climb unto Me
The Christ on His cross?'


From today's Streams in the Desert

How Goes the Flux?

Well, something have finally be fixed and are no longer in a state of Flux. I will be teaching First grade next year.  I am very excited about this change.  It was one that I requested.  I spent the vast majority of my field experience and I did my student teaching in First grade. It was my first love.  My first teaching job was First grade.  I moved to Kindergarten, when they cut the number of First grades and needed more Kindergarten. Don't get me wrong, I have loved Kindergarten.  I'll be honest the first 3 months are the hardest every year and I could do without them but I survived each year.  The thing I love about it was that the kids are excited when they are learning and become little sponges.  I know that I will also experience this in First grade too.  So, now I am very excited to move to First grade, actually I am so excited that I am ready to get my room packed up for the move to the new buildings.  I have been having to restrain myself from spending all day packing and cleaning out my room.

My other problem was my continuing sinus infection.  I am in the mist of yet another sinus infection and this one much worst than the last.  My voice is still not come back.  Although I feel better since starting my 6th antibiotic, you can't tell it by my voice.  Since last writing at the end of February I have undergone allergy testing. They tested me for 14 of the common allergens around here.  The scale goes from 1 to 6, 6 being the highest.  I am a 5 for everything on the list (cat dander, dog dander, epidermals- basically all animal dander, mites, MMP Mold, Trichophyton, Candida Albicans, Epidermophyton, House Dust Mix, Orris Root, Weeds, Trees, Grasses, Ragweed).  And no surprise to me I am off the chart for grasses (7) and ragweed (9).  I knew this since anytime the weather guy would give the counts for these I knew what kind of day I would have, which usually meant finding something to do in air conditioning if the counts were too high. 

So, I have begun Allergy shots, which is suppose to help build up my immunity to all the things which I am so allergic.  These shots will also cut down on my continuing saga of sinus infections due to my allergies.  Besides the weekly shots I will also continue to take a daily Allergy pill, use 2 nose sprays and a Neti Pot.  I just want to say I think getting old has made these allergies flare up or my immune system is on the blink.  So, I am hoping that all this will help and I will be able to actually breathe and talk without sounding like I a heartbeat away from collapsing. Even my students regularly comment on how different I sound each time I talk.  Which I served to remind them that since they know my voice so I well, I also know theirs which is how I can tell who is talking :-)

So, some of my flux has been fixed and I am on the erring on the side of a optimist in regards to my sinus infections.  Because honest as I was in line waiting to pick up my medication, I realized how many of the antibiotics on the list I have already used in the last 3 months. 

In Flux

It's seems that I have been in flux for the past few months.  Lots of things have been keeping me in this state and as I am hoping that Spring is just around the corner, I am also hoping that my state of flux is soon over. 

One of the first things that have been keeping me busy is a never ending Sinus Infection. I have had a sinus infection for over two months.  Just when I think that it's clearing up, it hits me again and knocked me for a loop.  I am now on my 3rd antibiotic, with some anticipation I want to say that I think this one is finally working.  My first antibiotic seemed to be working, but then the ugly infection reared up it's ugly head and dug in deeper.  Of course, my doctor gave me a new stronger antibiotic to fight it.  Only probably was that I experienced some of the side effects as well as a new one, apparently this one was too strong for me.  It made me have heart flutters, which I must admit I remained calm, mainly due to the fact that my energy was at a all time low.  Seriously, it was all I could do it drag myself out of bed to make the call to the doctor about the side effects.  So, 2 days ago I started on a 3rd somewhat weaker antibiotic and I cautiously began taking this one, even though I had previously taken it before, but what can I say once bitten twice shy.  So, I am hoping that this one does the trick.

School is busy and never ending it seems right now.  I am still waiting on my assignment for next year.  As always happens in our district, they give us a date and then as that date approaches it is pushed farther back.  At this point, I don't know when I will hear about my assignment.  Right now, we are being told March 10th, but I am doubtful that we will really know.  Not knowing my assignment for next year is not as unsettling as I thought it would be for me.  Instead, I am torn between teaching and just wanting to pop in a video so I can pack boxes.  I have been packing away seasonal things as I finish with them but the itch to just pack it all up and clean is overwhelming.  I slowing feel the time slipping away and I am determined that when my last day for the school year is over at 3:30pm, that I will walk out the school door and not return until our first day of the new school year.  I don't want to spend the first week or two of my summer vacation packing.  So, everyday I struggle with deciding what I can pack now and put in storage, but still be able to teach without missing it.  AGHHH!!!!

Silly, that two little things can keep me in state of flux for months.  I am trying to rely on the Lord to give me patience in these matters.  I know that through him I can do all things but lately I am trying to do it on my own.  Oh, the lessons I continually have to learn over and over.