Growing Grey Hair

Dealing with Anxiety (Philippians 4:6-7)

2019-10-12T22:44:00.000-05:00

INTRODUCTION The passage in Philippians 4 which tells us not to worry has been heavy on my heart this past year as our family has followed God’s leading to make multiple changes. Two summers ago, our church received a new pastor. After several sermons, I realized that the theology that my family believed and the theology of this new pastor were very different. It took us a while to

Did Jesus Fail?

2019-05-26T10:23:00.000-05:00

Looking over the Sunday morning bulletin, I noticed that the title of the sermon was "Holy Failure." This should be interesting. I wonder who failed? Romans 3:23 says we all fail and fall short. However, the sermon was not just about us failing. It was about Jesus failing. The sermon text was Mark 6:1 - 13. In this passage, Jesus returns to Nazareth,

Teacher Tuesday: Broken Coffee Cup

2019-05-21T09:42:00.000-05:00

Teacher Tuesday: Broken Coffee Cup About ten years ago, a friend brought me a ceramic travel coffee mug. It was pink and black with a teal tiara under which read "Kiss my tiara." I have other travel mugs that I like and rotate, but this was my favorite. I brought it to school today and had only finished half of my coffee by mid-morning when my students were switching classes.

In the quiet of the evening

2019-02-07T15:05:00.000-06:00

In the quiet of the evening my soul cries out in pain I hear the crickets of all the people not willing to speak up I feel the gentle breeze of those slowly moving not willing to ruffle a feather But in the distance I see lightning in the coming clouds a storm on the horizon of an angry God

The Corn Dog

2019-01-27T06:00:00.000-06:00

Some time ago, and I won't say how long, there was a naked corn dog incident at school. I call it an incident because it was indeed a problem. Corn dogs should follow the dress code the same as the rest of the school and be held accountable for leaving the classroom or lunchroom where they ought to be. A substitute was hanging out of the doorway of her classroom for the day as I

Teacher Tuesday: Acronyms in Education

2019-01-08T06:00:00.000-06:00

As we move into a new semester, every teacher needs to be aware of new acronyms for expressing your situation in the classroom. Success in education depends knowledge and mastery of all the acronyms. First, STUFF is increasingly important to master. Technology is playing a bigger role in the way that we communicate with each other and do business. Teachers must

Fashion Friday

2019-01-05T05:00:00.000-06:00

The right pair of shoes can change a girl's life. At least that is what the story line of Cinderella teaches us. Finding my perfect pair, or style, took me a while, but after finally moving to the country, I discovered cowboy boots. To be honest, I have been wearing cowboy boots for 20 years even as a previous city slicker. However, boots were not a consistent or essential part

The Love of God

2018-12-30T06:00:00.000-06:00

“Defining love is easier than doing love,” said Pastor. Yes. Giving an academic answer to something is usually easier than getting your hands dirty. Webster’s 1828 dictionary defines love secondly as, “An affection of the mind excited by beauty and worth of any kind, or by the qualities of an object which communicate pleasure, sensual or intellectual.” I love that this

Speak by Anderson

2018-12-22T07:00:00.000-06:00

Several years ago, I started a new job at a discipline campus. This is a concentration of a select group of students who have done something to warrant removal from the main campus for a period of time. I've honestly never been in the kind of trouble that these kids are facing. I know how to listen. I'm learning how to watch for signs. When I started, a friend gave me the

7 Mindsets: Attitude of Gratitude toward God

2018-12-07T05:00:00.000-06:00

During the months of November and December, my kids were learning about an attitude of gratitude as set forth in the Seven Mindsets curriculum at their public schools. This is a very good subject to address especially in today's entitled culture. And as Christians, we need to go one more step to refocus our attitude and gratitude in the right direction. The first point is to "

Grass Burrs

2018-11-16T05:00:00.000-06:00

The weather is finally cooling off. Fall didn't really happen, but winter blew down the door! I'm always amazed at my closet. I got through this season last year just fine. However, with each new year, I'm perplexed at how I managed before because there is obviously nothing in my closet, and I absolutely need something new. Do I? Or is that just the American

Growing into Me

2018-11-11T06:00:00.000-06:00

Some people say that they are going to take time to find themselves. Whatever that means. Some people say that when they get older, they will do whatever it is that is important to life whether that is church or charity. Some people say that this job right now is just until I figure out what I'm supposed to be doing with the rest of my life. Why? Why do people wait?

A Student

2018-10-21T06:00:00.000-05:00

Lip ring, tattoo Who are you? Sittin' in my class Callin' me an ass Are you stupid, are you smart? Would you prefer to be in art? Drawing on the page Expressing big time rage What's on the inside Deep in where you hide? Shutting others out Putting on a pout Who do you think you are? How did you get this far? Gettin' barely by Making it on the fly I can show you how to thrive And do more than just

Mole Hills

2018-09-30T06:00:00.000-05:00

With words, I am worn out. Just get the job finished. I forgot what it's about. Try to escape unblemished. We talk in circles and argue the topic, Creating more squables, approaching an epic. The mole hill is growing into a silly mountain. It is now shadowing the original lesson. Will the mountain destroy or just serve to annoy?

7 Mindsets: Everything is Possible (Dream Big) by focusing on God

2018-09-18T11:25:00.001-05:00

From The 7 Mindsets - rewritten to focus on ultimate joy in God. Mindset #1 – Everything is Possible - Envision a wonderful life - Expect greatness - &

Hero's Journey of the Bible

2018-09-16T06:00:00.000-05:00

I just can't help myself! I love this story the best! Can I use an exclamation mark on everything? I am an English teacher, and I get to evaluate a lot of literature. I don't shirk away from a story because it isn't explicitly Christian. Instead I compare everything to the greatest story ever written: The Bible. An important plot line is known as the Hero’s Journey

10 Ways to FEEL GOOD Redone

2018-09-09T06:00:00.000-05:00

It is really hard to blog, or wash dishes, or laundry, or study, or even love on my kids when they are throwing fits like they are right now. One wants to wear what the other has on while the second wants to play a game that the first does not. This list of 10 Ways to FEEL GOOD from Lynda Field just isn't cutting it with me. It sounds good. She may be a very nice lady. &

Human Trafficking Awareness

2018-02-23T15:05:00.000-06:00

I remember clearly learning about human trafficking about five years ago. I was driving through a rough part of Ft. Worth and witnessed a wild funeral procession. Cars were turning corners on two wheels with girls sitting out of the windows. Loud music was basing enough to rattle my windows. When I recounted the event to some friends, their comment was, “Yeah, there is

Social Stigmas

2018-02-16T15:15:00.000-06:00

Reposting from http://redeemedministries.com/social-stigmas-of-victims/ As an English teacher, I feel that it is my duty and my pleasure to become a complete literary nerd with the classics. However, I somehow did not read many of them in high school or college. That is probably some kind of system failure. Although, maybe the detriment of my youth will lead me to

Are you in the ministry?

2018-01-12T21:05:00.000-06:00

I was recently at an event where there happened to be an unusual amount of pastors. I am often around one or two in normal church settings, but this social event happened to have half a dozen or so. I don't really know. I didn't actually count. The even was the wedding of one of my very best life long friends. She and her husband both work for the Georgia Baptist

New Year's Resolutions

2018-01-02T08:09:00.001-06:00

According to Reader’s Digest, here are the top 15 resolutions: 1. Get in shape 2. Lose weight 3. Enjoy life to the fullest 4. &

The Flower - a parable

2016-09-14T08:56:00.000-05:00

The summer season had been hotter than previous years. The heat had beat down on the earth in harsh burning waves. And then the rains had come with what seemed like hurricane force on the small flower in the garden bed. The roots of the small flower had almost been washed out of the dirt as it streamed away in wide rivers of

#ATD2016 The Event

2016-09-10T18:50:00.000-05:00

On the night of the event, 30 ladies and girls gathered in a local town with our camo and crowns! The anticipation was overwhelming as this was the largest event so far. Previous years had numbered 18-20 ladies. Even that number humbles me. How did we reach 30? A friend of mine at church asked if her daughter could come because she had expressed interest.

#ATD2016 The Plan

2016-08-20T17:35:00.000-05:00

There are several aspects which have developed as part of an ATD. Fundraising, theme, and location. Every year, I try to think of different ways to collect money. This year, I had two ideas. First, I created a poster with sticky notes that numbered from 1 to 45. I asked my friends to pick a number and donate that amount. $45 isn’t too much to ask anyone one

#ATD2016 Inspiration

2016-08-20T14:33:00.001-05:00

Last Spring, I read TheHelp. One of the main characters religiously wrote her prayers down. Then, as I was looking for something for our church Bible Study group, I read Fervent by Priscilla Shirer. She emphasizes writing down prayers also. I knew right then that I needed to return to a practice that I had neglected for too long. Both pieces are clearly focused on