Good Afternoon

Hello, I am still putting in grades, occasionally. But today I have spread everything out, I am looking over all the answers and reading the assignments over again. Its like a countdown. Tomorrow is the last day. Last day of vacation too. I do them sporadically. Its not like I am dedicatedly sitting here glued to my seat entering grades.

I am trying to enter as much as I can so I can start off the last quarter on top of things. Let us not forget the lesson plans. Having said all of that, I am happy to go back to work on Monday. I have found solace in this career. I have to, otherwise I am a grouch and who wants to be grouchy all day. Everything cant be just about the money. There are many things that have been done because of money. You have to pay the bills, everything about every job is never pleasant but overall, if the good out weighs the bad, then you stay.

You have to do something you enjoy and I do enjoy teaching and education. Its just that I know I am severely challenged with middle school students. I have stepped back and found some different techniques, more professional development and a new attitude about my expectations. Don't lower them, just modify them with a different timeline, a different method to accomplish that goal. It all sounds good now. Lets see what happens after Monday. Monday won't be so bad with a meeting in the afternoon.
What did you do today? What did you have for lunch? What are your plans this evening? I wonder, I wonder, I wonder.

So to encourage me to improve my attitude I am reading the reflection and renewal guide to The Courage to Teach. On that note, I will leave you with this quote:
"If we want to reform education in the face of great obstacles, we need to develop a "movement mentality", a way of experiencing resistance not as a source of defeat but as a source of energy. There are four phases in a teacher's life: teaching from the heart, losing heart, seeking to take heart, and giving heart to students.

What phase am I in?

God Bless You today and be a blessing to someone. I love you. Stay warm tonight. Snow, can you believe it!

Thank You

It was a nice ceremony and a real treat to see the organization that you work for and have spent the majority of your life honor you with a lifetime achievement award. Finally.
Cardinal didn't let the moment pass without getting in a dig or two. One about the media, then Crain's business and finally he just felt the need to go on and on about abortion. He didn't mention what to do after the baby is here but he sure has lots to say about abortion. I don't advocate killing a life but I do believe you have to plan before and after. I think he was making another dig. All in all they paid tribute and homage. You deserved it and they know it. I'm proud of you. You had a good turn out.Be proud, be happy, you did good. Good Night, sleep tight. May God Bless You tonight.

Live By Example

God you have given us the tools to live our lives by your son's example. Often times we are more about do what I say and not what I do. A Christian lifestyles matters. We have to act in a manner that we want other to emulate and admire.
You, my dear, have done just that. You are being acknowledged with an award meant for those who are examples of Christ. You are one of those. I am proud to call you my Pastor and my friend.
I cant wait to see you get your award from those who have constantly fought against you. Glory be to God. Thank You Jesus.

Good Morning and God Bless You Today

Thank You God for your blessings today. You have given me an opportunity to wake up and know that I am loved. I will believe the promise that you have given me. What a beautiful day. What a blessing for me. I thank God for every moment. I know that your word and your will are going to come into fruition. I know things happen, stuff seems to be at it worst but keep believing. The Lord is Good and his mercy endures forever.
So today I am devoting to getting as many grades in as possible. I have the materials and I am going to try to stay focused and committed to getting them in today. I have put it off until it is imperative. So off I go to finish my grades.
Be blessed today and be a blessing to someone special. I love you.

He Is Risen!

Thank You God for all that you do for me. I thank you for reminding me of the fact that I flirted with you. I gave you that wonderful hankie. Why that? I spent alot of time deciding how to make an appropriate, sincere, gesture of my affection for you and I came up with the hankie as an afterthought that morning before going to church. It was God. Nothing else but the Lord our God would inspire me to do something like that. It caught your attention and I was so pleased to know that you still think of it. I wonder if you still have it? I know you have spoken of a box where you keep things that are treasures from your life, I wonder if that is one of them.

I am watching this special about Bishop Sheen. He was a master. He spoke to everyone in his own special way. I never heard of him before until you mentioned him a few years ago and I was able to see a few of his programs. He was magnificent. He spoke to the common man and he was very down to earth. He reminds me alot of you.

I want to renew my relationship with you. I want to be your wife by your side, together forever, for whatever time we have left. There I said it God. I want him, I want him in my life forever. I will keep him in my life forever, no matter what. Lord I pray that you allow me to have him in my life in a greater capacity, a loving man, a wonderful husband and lover. My great communicator.

Lord, today on the way to church I saw a man rifling through the street garbage. What led this man to such a low and demeaning act. I know that the bible says that the poor will always be with us, but are we aware of the truly poor? The broken hearted, and the desolate human being? What is it that caused this man on this day to be in the situation that he was in? Why did I see it today, and why is it still prevalent in my mind? He shook the Styrofoam cup to see if there was still a little drink let, he continued on down the can/basket. My light changed and I drove on, forever with the memory of that man digging in the garbage. Forever to remember that men today are still suffering and in great need. Great need. I love you and I know that you love the Lord. I thank God for his mercy on us. God has spared us a great many hardships and I thank Him for that everyday. Be blessed today and know that my grandson was acting like a right fool today and that is why I did not go through the line and give you a kiss and a wonderful blessing. Just last year, I wasn't even there so I am blessed. I will be calling tomorrow morning to put my name on the list to go see you receive this reward. What ever they are going to do I want to see it and document it. I will have the camera. Be blessed and know that you are truly know that you ARE LOVED and needed, by me.

Teach us how to Love

Father God the experiences that we have either make or break us. We are able to open our hearts and become vulnerable. We lay ourselves open. Revealing that which is our inner most being. Our hurt and our love. We don't do vulnerable very well. It happens at a high cost. Our pride and our shame are connected to vulnerable. What happens when...what happens if...Will he love me if...
Our vulnerability reveals courage. Like the three boys said to the king, I will worship our Lord Almighty, if he saves me and if he doesn't save me, no matter what I will worship Him. That's my paraphrasing, but the message is still the same. You may have power over me, you may know my weakness, but I will still love the Lord, no matter what happens. You may have seen me weak, you have seen me fall, but I still love Jesus. I will love the Lord. I have faith in God. I love the Lord means I have to show the Lord that I love you. How do I love thee, let me count the ways...
Father God teach me how to love. Teach me how to sacrifice my love and to be a servant of God. Let me be vulnerable. Let me speak the truth, let me hear the truth. Let my tears open my eyes to what I must see to move forward. Let me love and be loved. Thank You God for loving me.

Remember Me

Jesus, remember me, when you come into your kingdom.

Thank You God for blessing me tonight with such a beautiful presentation and then for an encore. A wonderful serenade right into my heart. Thank You for loving me so much. I can truly understand why you say, how can you say you love me who you don't see and not love the one that you do see. Show me your love. If Jesus died because he loved me, even when I was a sinner, then I surely can love and be loved. Thank you for loving me. Good night. Be blessed and be a true blessing. I love you.