God's Little Silver Platter

As most of you know,  I have been working at a school here in Frisco that I love.   How I got the job is quite the story.    I  told a friend that I had always loved that campus and just couldn't seem to ever get a job there.  It seemed elusive to me and I even had classroom experience!  She told her principal about me and magically I was hired a week later.   Yes,  it wasn't as a teacher in my own classroom.......but it was in a classroom as a para-professional at the same campus I had been drooling over for several years.   HAPPY!   God really opened that door for me!!!  Gotta love that!!!

SO,   I have been working there since December 2014 and loving every day of it.  The location, the people...both adults & children.   LOVE!!! LOVE!!!! LOVE!!!!!

In May, I was sitting at a table with teacher friends relaxing after a band banquet.    One was the person who told me and referred me for the job I currently had.  The other was teacher at another campus.   She asked me how I liked my job and if I had ever considered returning to the classroom and be the lead teacher.   I told her yes...but really didn't want to just throw out my resume anywhere and that I really wanted to obtain "God's Silver Platter".    I needed to feel that assuredly it was the place for me.   I felt I was too old to be somewhere that wasn't a good fit.

SO.......her next words were "I may have that silver platter."    "Send me your resume."  

In fairness,  I told my principal that I was interviewing for a job at another campus.  I also told her that my first choice is ECS but due to current living circumstances......   I planned to interview if/when they called.  I needed a big girl salary and responsibilities.

This really felt like my platter.   I quickly figured out that I personally knew the counselor and principal on her campus.  Life was really looking up and there were 3 open classrooms.    It doesn't sound much better than that.  Right?    There were open classes in K, 4 & 5.   I would love any of them...especially K.   It felt right.    As we all know now...........  
They just didn't see my sparkling personality!!!!!


It bothered me for about a day.  Then it hit me.......   God doesn't want me there.  Ok, I still love my current job and am quite content at this time.   I am content.   

  

A week or so went by & in early June,  I found out that a teacher on my campus had plans to quit at a latter part of the summer.   I emailed my principal and asked it I could be considered for that classroom.   It couldn't hurt, right?   Absolutely,  if God wanted me to have that classroom.....   It would be mine and on a silver platter.   I was content to just put my name out there.  

A month or so flew past and on July 20......  I noticed an email from my principal.    About 15 minutes passed and about 4 emails later.............. at 12:45 that afternoon.   I went into training the very next day.   I FINALLY RECEIVED MY SILVER PLATTER.  I had the classroom of my dreams.  I had the campus of my dreams.  

God provided that job on a silver platter!!!!!  

American Patriotism

                      

                      

"I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands one nation, under God, one and indivisable."

"Honor the Texas Flag.  I pledge allegiance to thee Texas.  One state under God one and indivisable.

In the Texas Elementary & Middle school  classrooms... students are taught to recite both the Texas pledge and the U.S. pledge.  The children will all stand up and place their hands over their heart.  They will all participate.  (Now there is the typical excuse occasionally using religious reasons...but that is rare.)   In a typical Texas High School classroom...someone comes in over the classroom speaker during the 2nd hour and says the pledges just before the morning announcements.  The class for the most part will stand up.  Some of them will place their hands over their heart.  Others will check their iphone for the latest FB status update.  What has happened in our  high schools?  When did saying the Pledge of Allegience become not cool?  When did social pressure become the popular choice?   Are these kids just too cool to actively participate in something that was hard fought for?  Are these kids too ashamed to make a statement for their country?  Or are they just stupid enough to not know the historical facts? 

Yes, the original battles for our freedom happened over 200 years ago.  Obviously, they don't remember that much about the American Revolution and the hardships our people endured to break away from England.   This saddens me. Surely, they remember the story of Paul Revere?  Maybe the story of why the Pilgrims left England?  Do they even know who is on the face of the quarter in their pocket???  Come on kids...it isn't George Clooney.   No, most likely...they just think Thanksgiving is about cooking a turkey and napping the afternoon away.

This saddens me when I know that today we have military battalions in other countries protecting so that others can also have freedom and choice.  Should our education system re-teach patriotism in the High School classes?  Quite possibly.  Maybe these kids just don't have the real facts anymore.....I shall call the facts they have "media propaganda."

Our rights for both political & religious freedoms were won many many years ago kids.........  Whether you call your self a Democrat, Republican, Baptist, Methodist or Athiest...   People died so that you can enjoy your life and have the opportunity for choices.   Don't take anything for granted.  Freedom and Choice are two of the greatest opportunites we have in the United States.

Come on Kids...........  Honor the people who died for you.  Honor your country.  Honor the Flag with some respect for what is symbolizes......  FREEDOM.

About last night......

Last night I was humbled.  We spent the evening at a bowling alley with friends.  We were carrying on a tradition established about 3 years ago.   The crowds have changed over the years.  Our friends, the Mizzell's moved to another state and were sorely missed.....  but mostly it has remained unchanged.  I love the faithfulness and security of friends.  We are so blessed to have this.

I ran into someone at the alley I hadn't seen in several years.  It turns out she has been going to my church for the past year or two and we have completely missed each other at every turn.  She has cancer.  This is her second time with that nasty stuff.   She has been sick for 2 years.  I was both saddened and amazed at her story.  She "wowed" me with her positive attitude.  She has a strong faith and voice that told of God's strength and how she just didn't understand how anyone without faith in God could make it through "having cancer."  She told of the strength she leans on for support minute by minute.  HIS Strength alone.   She left me feeling speechless......and guilty.

I have it all..... or at least I figured out so last night.   This year has given my immediate family considerable losses.   I won't bore any one with those details.   It has been a year complicated by loss, learning and living with a few other bad surprises thrown in for good measure.  It was a typical year for the average American family.  I am blessed.  AMEN.

I vaguely remember a book called.."The Grass is Always Greener on the other Side of the Septic Tank."  I think a book needs to be written named..."The Grass Could be Dead on the Other Side of the Septic Tank.  Go check for yourself, Child."

Next year, I will hang out at the bowling alley again with my BFF's and family  (Lord willing.)  That is something my friend J.C. might not be able to do next year.  All in all...... my personal growth questions for the year are simple.

1.  Have I relied on the Lord for my strength?
2.  Will I do so in the following year?
3.  What will I do in the year 2012 for Him?

Happy New Year New Me 2012!!!!!

p.s.....  I hope this New Year brings you lots of Peace, Love and Laughter.  

MY CHRISTMAS PRAYER.

Lord, this Christmas open my eyes to the needs of people around me.  Give me a burden and a compassion for hurting people, for people who need you.  Lead me to someone who is hurting, needy, dying, hungry, who needs your love, your work in their life, who needs someone to care for them, someone to demonstrate your love to them, someone to lead them to you.  And then give me the will to act, to reach out.  Give me the willingness to sacrifice my own pleasure, my comfort, my security my time, even my own well-being so that you might transform the life of that one person for your glory.   Amen.

That prayer was in our bulletin last Sunday morning at Church.  This video fits in perfectly with it.  Merry Christmas to all you you in blogger land.

September 11....... a decade later.

10 years ago today...  I was walking home from the local elementary school.   I had left them in the arms of a safe world as I knew it.  I was walking home to wake up my baby and enjoy a typical Tuesday morning with him.  True, a Tuesday morning filled with laundry and the general load of stuff that all stay-at home moms truly loathe.  Nonetheless, it was a Tuesday.

We all know what I saw the minute I walked into the door.  The shock as I saw how a simple 20 minutes can change a persons world.  I remember thinking that it must have been a huge pilot error.  I remember how that thought changed the minute I saw the second plane crash into the other tower.  

To the best of my knowledge......prayers started going throu' my mind.  Prayers for the people running in fear and shock.  Prayers for the people already dead.  Prayers for the families.  Prayers for our Nation that was already in a state of shock and numbness.  Then there were the prayers for my family...knowing that all were safe at school and work.  I felt a general sad-ness that day knowing some families weren't so lucky.

Since then, I have been blessed to visit NYC 3 times.  Yeah, I am a lucky girl.   But not in the sense the you may be thinking.......I am lucky to have most about anything I want and need.  I am lucky to have amazing children.  I am lucky to have a great husband.  All of whom I love unconditionally.  All of whom are in good health and have strong values and commitments to the Lord above.

Many people say that Christ wasn't around when those two tower fell.   I disagree here.  The above cross was found in the carnage as they removed debris from ground zero.   Christ was there.  If those 2 plane had hit the towers just an hour later.......  most of the workers would have been in their offices.  Most of the morning traffic would have been going strong.  The casualty list would have more that doubled.  Christ was there.  He protected so much more than was lost.  He was there within the hearts of families and fellow Americans who stepped up and gave anything and everything they had to help with our grieving nation.  Christ was there and I seek comfort in that.  

I am a lucky girl.  

a letter from a friend...

Yesterday afternoon, I found this e-mail from a dear friend in my in-box.  She too said her goodbye's to her daughter this week.  She wrote this down as a way to give her girl to the Lord's capable hands for guidance and direction.  The stuff that only HE can do when the parents trust in HIS ways.  Enjoy and may it help someone else as it helped me.

Dear  Beautiful G.G. (God-seeking Girlfriend),

My heartbeat accelerated and I realized I was holding my breath. My sunglasses were securely in place. Sticky perspiration matted the back of my blouse.  “Where is she? Where is she?” kept running through my mind. I was slightly slouched in my Mommy White Minivan when suddenly – I SAW HER! “Oh thank you Lord!” She was safe and having an animated conversation with someone who looked relatively normal and sweet. Immediately, slouching lower in my seat, I muttered, “Don’t catch me, please don’t catch me.” 

We had moved my oldest daughter into her dorm room the day before, and I was on my third drive-by at the University of Arkansas. “Oh Lord, please don’t let her catch me,” I begged. I really did have legitimate reasons to drive through the campus three times. No… Really…. Well, legitimate in my mind.

Faith and continuous prayer have been my most constant companions for a week and a half since my baby girl has moved out. That sickly ball of fear that plagued my stomach for the last month seems to be growing smaller. I haven’t cried today… yet. I know the job of parenting her is not finished, but it feels like I’ve been fired.  

Then I realized. My faith is so small. I actually had to ‘see’ my baby to relieve my fearfulness. In Jeremiah God reminds us that He has a plan for our children and for us:

“For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” Jeremiah 29:11 NIV

 However; God asks us to have faith in Him without having to ‘see’ Him. Peter tells us:

“Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy,” 1 Peter 1:8 NIV

Even though Peter was telling believers to have faith when they couldn’t see Jesus, Peter knew firsthand how difficult that could be. Remember when Jesus walked on the water and Peter said. If it’s really you, I want to walk on water too. 

 "Lord, if it's you," Peter replied, "tell me to come to you on the water." "Come," he said. Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus.  But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, "Lord, save me!" Matthew 14:28-30 NIV

Peter could see Jesus, and yet His faith faltered. 

This made me ponder:

• In what other areas of my life does my faith falter? Why?
• Do I have less faith when God’s plan doesn’t match up with “my” plan?
• List five ways in which God has been faithful.

So, the Bible tells us that God has a plan for us and for our children. It also says that if we will believe in Him even when we can’t see Him we can have glorious JOY! Right…Easy to say-harder to do, especially when you have just been fired from a job that you love (most of the time) and have been working diligently, persistently, and doggedly for the past 18 years. “Lord, when will I feel that glorious Joy?” and then He whispered to my spirit, “Have Faith”.

God has been faithful. I don’t know what He has in store my children. They are His. I just get to be the caretaker for a certain time period. However, that doesn’t mean I can’t have a bit of fun while I’m the caretaker. Do you think a different pair of sunglasses might work?

Have Faith Beautiful Ones.

G.G.

Today...

I must admit to feeling guilty.  I have been found guilty of complaining, guilty of whining, guilty of not seeing the bigger picture.  I was dreading the day to come.  The big picture is that my life could be so much worse.  A breeze flew by at that time and I noticed the current temp was 89' .    I have air conditioning.   I have ice cubes and running water.   I have a fabulous home completely decked with furniture and belongings.   I have a car which runs and we "lovingly" refer to it as the "GREY CAVE".   All of my 3 children are completely healthy and well mannered.  They all have a strong faith in the Lord and will grow up to be successful adults.  My husband is a hard working man with convictions about what is right and wrong.  He is also compassionate and faithful.  

Yet, this morning I sat in my chair on the patio feeling the dread of another hot day.  Yea, it should be about 110' by this afternoon.  I fear to wonder what the humidity level will be......no doubt it will be higher.  Yet, those thoughts started.  Funny thing,  a song came to my mind right about then.  It was an old song that I most likely heard at VBS when I was a child.  

"This is the day.

This is the day.  

This is the day that the Lord has made.  

That the Lord has made.

I will rejoice.

I will rejoice and be glad in it and be glad in it."

Yep, things could be worse.  But they're not.  I am blessed.  My life is pretty good.  My life is complete.