Finished!

The costume I have been working on (with friends!) is finished and the Clowns and Stars went on tour this past Wednesday.  I still need to get a photo with stage lights on the dress.  The light in the hallway at school doesn't show the sparkle that is on the dress.

In addition to the costume for DD, I also worked on the accessories for the Stars.  That means top hats and bow ties for the boys and berets, muffs and earrings for the girls.  There are 24 boys and 24 girls!  I am thankful for the other parents that stepped in to help with this project!

Here's my best advise for adding sequins - sew them by machine using a wide zig zag stitch and a jean needle!  Take your time and pay attention.  You may be able to ease the machine through the rough spots and save your needle.  It still took me three needles to sew on all of these sequins but a regular needle would  have been much worse!

Change is in the air

Fall has fully arrived in the Tennessee Valley now!  We have had several frosts (at least in my neighborhood) and nights have been quite chilly with comfortable days.  This is truly a spectacular time of year with the temps and the display of color that abounds in nature right now.

But that is not the only change going on in town.  Rumors have been flying with regards to the combination of Lee High School and New Century into the new high school that is being built.  Until yesterday, the new school carried the name Lee High School above its entrance but now that has been removed.  What name will go there is now up in the air, much to the annoyance of alumni and friends of Lee.

A parent meeting was held Tuesday night at New Century with our superintendent in attendance.  This is where the news was announced that New Century would be moving into the new building and that the two schools would become one with a new name.  It didn't take long for the trouble to be stirred up on FB!

I think this merger could be a very good thing for both schools but Dr. Wardynski could have handled this news in a much better fashion.  The Lee faculty,parents and students should have received this news from Dr. Wardynski at the same time the New Century school did.  Beginning with a joint meeting and then individual meetings to address concerns would have made this much easier on the two communities.

Now Lee students and parent plan to swarm the board meeting tonight to air their complaints.  Sit-ins have been planned.  Petitions are floating around.  This does not bode well for the new school.

At this point, it seems a division has been created over who will have charge rather than a united community that can do so much more.  Surely building a consensus from the beginning rather than dividing would have been better.  I hope Dr. Wardynski rectifies this mistake quickly.

From earlier posts you may know that I live in the Lee district but chose not to send my oldest child there because I was not confident that she would get what she needed to continue her education.  We chose to send her to Columbia and the IB program there.  It is a long drive from my home but, she is thriving in the IB program and I cannot imagine a better choice for her.

My next child will be entering high school in 2012 and what school he attends is still to be decided.  New Century was an option I was willing to consider for him but that might not be an option now.  I am going to be watching to see how this merger takes shape.  I certainly would not want to send him in to an environment that seems quite hostile at this point.

Blessings

We were blessed this weekend to have Dr. Darrell Guder at our church for the Kyser Lecture Series.  I got to hear him all 3 times though the first two were essentially the same service.  Dr Guder is a professor at Princeton Theological Seminary and an authority on mission and ecumnical theology.  The afternoon lecture has truly left me thinking.

Dr. Guder spoke about life in a post Christendom world.  This world can be very dangerous and full of stress.  He argued that the time of Christendom really began to disintegrate with the beginning of the first World War when Christian kings attacked each other in what would be a the worst war the world had seen.  We now see the rise of a new religion called Secularism.  This has brought about the absence of prayer in school and pushing out of God from our public lives.

Then Dr.Guder became more specific in talking about the Presbyterian church and particularly the church in the US.  He used scripture to point out the way early Christians made decisions.  They would gather, pray, discuss, pray and await a concensus created by the Holy Spirit.  He argued that our downfall might well be in our system of voting our way to decisions.  I think there is much to be considered in this argument.

I think waiting on the Holy Spirit and God's timing might be one of the most difficult jobs a Christian has.

First step in the embellishment phase

Yesterday you saw the costume without embellishment and now I can show you the first step of the embellishment process.

This is the fabric of the pinafore before I begin the glittering. And this is the start of the glittering. I paint a fine line of glue made to be permanent after drying onto each individual large circle and sprinkle with glitter. Time consuming but the results are so going to be worth it!

An update and a first reveal

I have been MIA for a while now due to some things going on in life.  I have written a blog update that has not been finalized yet too.  I'm just not comfortable with it yet.  But this is something I can share with you.  My baby is a clown this year at AAA and today was the initial costume parade.  That means that all the children in her class were to bring and wear their costumes for inspection today.  Being finished head to toe is where we are supposed to be and I am so happy to say that she was done head to toe!  We finished it last night late but it looks so cute!

And the best part is that she loves it!  She wanted to be a button clown and I think we have made that work for her!  Once it is all sparkled up, I will share another picture.  We got glitter to paint on and lots of sequins to add!

RCB Carnival is Up!

Remember the blog post I couldn't write?  Well the new carnival is up and looks great!  Thanks go to Heather of Heather's Hints.  She did a great job this month!  You can find the carnival here.

The RCB group is full of talented writers and you are sure to find something in there you didn't know before.

Thankful!

I know it has been a while since I posted one of my daily gratitudes but I will try to get back in the rthym of posting these.  Today I am thankful for many things!  I am thankful for my Disciple Bible study class.  It has been several years since I participated but I am loving this class on doctrine!  I am also thankful for ArsNova and the teachers there who do such wonderful work with talented young people.  My oldest DD is so blessed to be able to study there!

I am also thankful for my carpool friends!  Most afternoons I take 2 children from AAA to Columbia HS where their mom works.   Today, I only had the youngest child as his sister and my two were staying after for auditions.  He got in the car and proceeded to tell me all about his new recorder and then asked if he could practice it in the car on the way to Columbia HS.  I agreed that he could after he buckled his seat belt.  I would never have let my own children do this!  I was serenaded all the way by him as he practiced Hot Cross Buns.  It was so cute!  It makes me sad that I never had the patience to enjoy my own kids this way but I am going to try to work on that!

So God has been so good today!  I am blessed (though convicted) and inspired to be a better mom.

Caving under the deadline...

Tonight was the deadline for the next Rocket City Blog Carnival and I caved.  This one had a theme requirement which really should have been easy for me.  The theme is Huntville favorites.  Surely I have some favorites in Huntsville!  I really do and I started trying to blog this a week ago.  I have saved numerous drafts and never felt like I found my topic.  So I had to let this deadline pass me by for this month.  I'll be sure to share with you all when the carnival is posted.

Biting my tongue

I find that more and more I am biting my tongue and erasing replies before I send or post them. Usually these things are politcal in nature and I value the friendship or family relationship too much to want to harm it.

I suspect if I did post, in most circumstances, it would not harm the relationship but there is still that chance that it would. So I write my replies and delete or erase them before allowing them to be seen. It leaves me feeling frustrated that I have not spoken my mind but yet insulated from any hard feelings that might occur on either side.

For the record, I am usually very conservative in my views. I will occasionally take a stance that is not but by in large, conservative would be a good word to describe my beliefs. I also note that my conservative friends rarely post things to FB or other social media. However, my liberal friends are quick to post and use inflamatory language to try to engage. That makes me frustrated too. Perhaps that speaks to the very natures of the liberals and conservatives. Why can we not be more respectful of each other?

I know if I were to post something that caused disagreement from a liberal, they would post back in a heartbeat and on the attack. I learned this lesson early on and have not been willing to put my beliefs out there since. I wonder how many other conservatives are the same way? I suspect lots of us! I am not ashamed of my beliefs but I refuse to engage with someone who is going to attack. They never ask "why do you believe that way?" or try to have a civil discussion. They merely seem to attack or so it seems to me.

My beliefs are mine and mine alone. So liberal friends and family, keep posting away. I'll keep taking my blood pressure meds and we'll all get through this.

The Wordle

Seeking Wordle 3

Scrubbing, scrubbing, scrubbing

Back in May or maybe June, our dishwasher developed a problem.  It would continually try to add water.  It is as if the inlet valve never closes.  After some online research, it seems like a fairly common problem and probably related to our hard water.

Well, rather than bite the bullet on the repair, we employed our summer army (aka the three kiddos) with a rotating dish schedule.  It worked relatively well for the summer but now that school has started, the army is busy with schoolwork and extra curricular activities.  That means that Mom gets to wash a lot more dishes.  But I have discovered that if I draft one of the kids to be my helper, I get quite a lot accomplished.  Not only do I have clean and dry dishes, I also have an extended period of time in which to talk with the child.  And that is a gift!

Today I worked with my youngest DD.  She opened up about things happening at school and asked questions I might not have heard had it not been just me and her.

Breath, just breath...

8/19/11
In fact, take some big deep breathes!  We are in the midst of teaching the oldest DD to drive.  She acquired her permit last week and is taking driver's ed this semester in school.  It will only be another 5 weeks or so before the teacher takes them out on the road.  We have a lot of work to do!!!

So far she has driven only in the neighborhood.  We started last Saturday up in a new development where there were minimal cars.  Then we added some time around an empty school building to show her she didn't know as much as she thought she did.  Then she got to drive home from that same school building at night with the whole family in the car.  It is only a couple of blocks from our home and we made her stop before she got to the driveway.

Later this week, she was allowed to drive from a church in the neighborhood to home.  The first time, she was not allowed to park, the second time she was.  She did great.  You should know that our driveway is a single car width and we have a fire hydrant and a telephone pole to one side of it.  Makes it a tough turn from the right but turning from the left as she did the first time is not too hard.  Then on the same evening, her father let her drive home from the school and park in the driveway but this was the right hand turn.  I was not in the car but I hear it took 3 tries.

8/20/11
So this morning I got up early with DD and hit the streets.  We left the house just after 6AM with her driving.  First we drove to the church.  It was a little scary.  We had much discussion about how slow one must drive to make a turn.  We missed one intersection because she was going too fast.  We made it to the church  though with no incidents.  After parking there, we discussed our next destination, her school. 

So off we went through the heart of downtown.  We traveled a smaller road (Holmes Ave.) through town and out to the research park.  We did meet some walkers out in the park who thought it would be okay to walk in the left turn lane.  Uhmmm.... NO!  I'm trying to teach a 15 year old how to drive here!  You walking in the middle of the road is not good!  She did hit one curb after a turn but that was minor.  After reaching the school, I changed places with her and drove back toward home.   By this time traffic was beginning to pick up a little .  We reached the five points area where traffic let up a bit and I let her drive the rest of the way home.  I actually had her turn at A. Jackson Way and go up to I-565.  She drove from AJW to Maysville (sequential interchanges) and did an okay job.  Traffic was pretty light and the speed limit is reduced currently due to a repaving project.  It was her first time to drive more than 40mph.

After driving for 30+ years, it can be hard to remember what it felt like to drive in the beginning. This week has brought back lots of memories!


I'm fairly certain that she will be able to handle 'behind the wheel' when that portion of her class starts.  I will be spending a lot of time in prayer!!!  We would covet all prayers for both her safety and our sanity!!! 

It's a carnival! A blog carnival!

The Rocket City Bloggers have just posted their second Blog Carnival at The Anvil Tree!  There is not a theme other than we all live in the greater Huntsville area.  Go check it out and see what the buzz is in Huntsville!

Good Sunday Morning

I enjoyed hearing a great sermon this morning at my church.  This one was delivered by a guest (Rob Weingartner) who heads the Presbyterian Outreach Foundation.  The sermon, naturally, dealt with mission and the role of the church and each individual.  He reminded us that no one else was called to do what we each are called to do.  Each of us has a specific gift and talent that we are called to use to further the kingdom of Christ.  Now that is a heavy responsibility!  If I don't listen to my calling, no one else will fill my shoes in same way I that I will.  Now I am left with much to ponder this week concerning mission and calling. 

He also brought us good news about the body of Christ and how it is alive and growing in many parts of the world.  In Korea, China, Ethipoia and East India (the Meso people) the church is growing in staggering numbers.  As PCUSA members, we are so used to hearing about how the mainline church is in decline and our numbers shrink each year (nationally).  So how is it that the Presbyterian faith is so strong in other parts of the world?  Are we doing something wrong?  Are we just in the wrong place at the wrong time?  In my opinion, we are hindered by both our self-destructive behavior and our culture in the USA.  I am reminded of the rich man who cannot get into heaven without giving away all of his worldly possessions.  But that may be a musing for another post.

For now I will leave you with my gratitude for today's sermon and my thankfulness for my family.  I am truly blessed!

Rising to the Challenge

I started to put this as my FB status but I couldn't really do the topic justice in a FB post.  I am so proud of my DS.  When we saw his homeroom assignment last week, we realized that he had not been put in the Algrebra I class which he will need to truly exceed in the IB program next year.

When I picked him up from school the first afternoon, he had a headache from his class.  That was not an auspicious beginning for him.  I managed to speak with the math teacher and we determined that he had shown growth over the last year and that he could qualify to try Algebra I for the first 9 weeks.  She put the plan in place yesterday after we spoke.  What a difference it made when I picked him up yesterday!  He was happy and pleased that he would be allowed to try this.  I think he is committed to making it work!  It took him all afternoon and evening to finish two days worth of homework but he did it without complaining.  That is a serious change from last year! 

So today I am thankful for a teacher who works with me for the best outcome for my child and I am so grateful for a child who wants to do his best.  I have been blessed!

Day 26 - Much for which to give thanks

Our community was hit by severe thunderstorms last night.  I slept through most of it which isn't all that unusual for me.  But I am so thankful that the damage was minimal at my house!  We didn't even lose power.  There were over 20,000 customers without power by 2:30am.

I have 2 friends on FB who had trees come through their roofs!  And another had a tree fall on the roof but not come through.  And a fourth friend sustained significant damage to her home from the wind.  After surviving the April 27th storms, this was relatively small but when your home is damaged, it is severe.  So while I am counting my blessings, I am also thinking and praying for my friends who were not so fortunate last night.

Day 25 - Giving thanks

Somedays it is rather difficult to write these gratitudes.  I'm not sure why that is but I also think it is getting easier to do for the most part.  I think there will always be hard days but blessings are still to be found.

Nothing hard about today though!  I am thankful for my friends!  They make me laugh and cheer me on.  They listen and fill me in on things I need to know.  Life without my friends would be rather dull in deed!  I am also thankful for facebook and the opportunities it provides to keep in touch with friends spread to distant parts of the world.  I think I would have kept up much better with some of my college friends had facebook been around back in the dark ages.  With two friends about to move out of state, I have been thinking about this quite a bit. 

Day 24 - Thankful!

I am finding that I am watching more for the God moments as I progress in this endeavor.  Being aware of when God is working is one of my goals.

Today I am thankful for my new doctor.  She doesn't normally take new patients but we must have said the correct thing to get into the practice!  I am so pleased!  I had my initial appointment today and look forward to a long and hopefully healthy relationship! 

She listened and seemed willing to work with me on the goals that I have set for myself.  That seems to me to be the beginning of a good partnership if one can call the doctor - patient relationship a partnership!

Day 23 - I am thankful

I am thankful tonight for all the people who make up the Kiwanis organization.  I had the privilege of attending two meetings today.  At lunch time, I attended my DH's club and at dinner, I attended another club meeting with him as part of an InterClub.

The people of Kiwanis are committed to helping children.  Internationally, nationally and on the state and local levels.  Kiwanis clubs in Alabama are sponsors to the RIF program (or Reading is Fundamental).  They donate books and read regularly at schools with fewer opportunities.  Kiwanis is sponsoring a huge immunization effort right now on the international front.  And locally, Kiwanis has played a huge role in getting the new Everybody Can Play playground created.

These civic minded people show me that we can do a lot when we all work together.  Somebody should take the message to the US Congress.  They could certainly learn alot from Kiwanis!

Days 21 and 22 - I am thankful

I'm having to combine two days.  Yesterday got busy fast and never let up!  Today has been a little better but not much.  So I will do both days of gratitude here.

First, I am thankful for the wonderful opportunity DD had to work with great clinicians this past week in the Acting in Singing Workshop put on my Ars Nova.  She really did learn alot.  One of the things they did was a one act play by Thurber called The Happy Journey.  Katie had a lot of lines to learn and did a great job!  I do not think she has ever had to learn so many lines so quickly.  Ron Harris was the clinician for that part.  Dr. Beazley worked with her on voice and Paul Houghtailing worked with the group staging their excerpts.  DD's part was in Les Mis.  She also worked with Susan Kelly on dance and movement.  Dr. Beazley really did put together an excellent staff for this!

Secondly, I am thankful for the time I had today to be amongst God's family.  It is wonderful to spend time with our church family.  Being in the company of fellow believers is always welcomed.

Day 20 - I am thankful

Some days it feels like I live behind the wheel in my van.  Today was one of those days.  Business meeting, kids to school and a workshop, kid to church, kid to the mall, pickup from mall to store and then home and last but not least, a pickup from church.  I'm sure I forgot an errand or two in there.  There was little time to create!

But I am thankful for time spent, one on one with my kids.  They are captive in the vehicle with me and we have some wonderful conversations while I am driving.  It takes practice to draw information out of a 13 year old boy but the van is a great place for it.

Day 19 - I am thankful!

Singer, a photo by theresplendentbeauty on Flickr.

The picture says it all tonight! I am thankful for my sewing machine. Nothing fancy but getting the job done. I think I am going to name the machine finally. Care to make a suggestion for a name? I'm leaning towards Beverly at the moment. That would be in honor of Beverly Sills the opera singer. Get it?!

Day 18 - I am thankful!

Today I had the pleasure of meeting Suzanne Thornhill, the new Disaster Coordinator for North Alabama Presbytery.  She will be coordinating volunteer efforts throughout the area.  Currently, there is a group in from North Caroline working in the area.  I am so thankful for Suzanne and others like her who are working tirelessly to help with the recovery process.

Suzanne will be reporting volunteer hours and donations up to Presbyterian Disaster Assistance, part of PCUSA.  She is a resource for out of town groups who wish to help.  She will know who has chain saws to put to use and who can provide meals for volunteers.  You can reach Suzanne at tornadorecovery@gmail.com

At a time when there is so much strife about PCUSA, it is a blessing to see the reach we have when we all work together.  I am so thankful for a connectional church and Suzanne Thornhill.

Day 17 - I am thankful

What a busy day!  Lots of errands were completed today and a project undertaken and completed.  Makes me a happy girl!

I have been reflecting on different cultures here in the US and how thankful I am to be where I am!  The idea that girls are not worth educating has really bothered me.  I have heard stories of certain cultures where that is the norm.  It seems incredible to me to hear that!  I suspect it is a small subset of the particular culture and not the whole.  I am so thankful to have been raised by parents who did not put limits on my dreams or education!

Day 16 - I am Thankful!

So you might have noticed I am on a gratitude thing right now.  I really want to practice being thankful, having a gratitude attitude, or whatever you want to call it.  Life isn't perfect by any means but when we count our blessings, it becomes easier to...  skip over the bumps, roll with the punches, weather the storm... choose your metaphor or suggest one in the comments.  Stopping each day to find the blessings, find the God moments, gives me time to reflect.  I know at 16 days, this is hardly a habit but I am well on my way to making this change.

Today's gratitude - I am thankful for the internet and the connections it makes for me!  I know that might sound strange but it really is true.  There is so much knowledge shared collectively on the internet and friendships and relationships are established and maintained because of it .  What a blessing it is!  (I know it can be a curse when misused but for me, it is almost entirely a blessing!)

Day 15 - I am Thankful

Today I am thankful for my oldest DD.  She has returned from PA (LOGOS Youth Conference) a changed child.  Maybe not even a child so much as a growing young adult, becoming more secure with her place in this world and totally secure in her relationship with the Lord. 

She has shared glimpses of her time in PA with me and I know that she had a blast.  I also know that these conferences are extremely intense for the kids.  This year seems to have been a particularly strong year.  She wrote a beautiful song while she was there and shared with me the comments she received from her Bible study group.  I am left in awe of of God's work in her life and pray that her gifts will take her far!

Day 14 - I am thankful!

Today I am thankful for the company of good friends, good food and much laughter!  This kind of fellowship is just good for the body and the soul.  Tonight we were blessed to be invited to try the food of Portugal.  It was quite good!  We met new people too which was fun.  And to top of the evening, our oldest should be home by midnight!  All around us are many blessings!

Day 13 - I am Thankful!

Today I am thankful for my husband who supports my work and encourages me to be my best.  I am blessed!

Made in His image...

I'm pondering upon this scripture that we are made in God's image.  If we are made in His image, we are then creators too.  What a wonderful gift to be given!  We were created to create! 

I don't believe that we were all meant to be artists in the classical sense.  Certainly painting and sculpture are gifts or talents in themselves.  Creators make the world around us though.  Buildings are created.  Automobiles, planes, trains and boats are created.  Knitters and crocheters are creating.  Quilters and sewers are creating.  Engineers are creating.  Parents are creating homes and opportunities for their children.  Programmers are creating code to aid others.  Medical professionals are creating health and healing.

If we see creating as a gift, we then are responsible for using our gifts in a positive manner.  Certainly creators can make things that are not pleasing to God.  Choosing to create in such a way as to be pleasing to Him is another layer to ponder. 

Lord bless my works that they may be pleasing to you and a service to your people.

Day 12 - I am Thankful!

I am thankful for Thursday mornings!  They come early at our house as DH is usually out the door well before 7AM to get to a 7:15 meeting each week.  I am usually awake and this summer have made it a habit to head to Panera for some Mommy time!  It has been wonderful!  I take my laptop, order breakfast and make myself an iced coffee (Hazelnut of course!).  Then I settle into my seat and enjoy the morning!

I have met interesting people this summer with this weekly ritual.  I run into friends.  My DH usually joins me when his meeting is over and we have a few minutes in the middle of the day to touch base.

Meanwhile, I have checked in with FB, Twitter, Google+ and read the blog updates which I find in my google reader.  I check the news but not my email.  I find it so relaxing to be there.  Who would have thought that early Thursday morning would become such a treasured time.  It will come to a screeching halt when school rolls around.  Hopefully, I will be able to go still, just a little later after dropping off all the kiddos.

But for now, I as so thankful for Thursday mornings and this new ritual.

Day 11 - I am Thankful!

Tonight was the first meeting of the Rocket City Bloggers.  This is an informal group of people who blog and are willing to meet together to share knowledge and learn from each other.  I hope that is a fair way of stating it.  We met at BAM and though we were afraid that it might be a small group to start, we quickly grew in number until there were nine bloggers there.  Many, like myself, manage more than 1 blog and others focus on just one blog / area.  For a first meeting, I think it went really well!  We were able to talk about what topics we might want to have for future meetings.  We got to know more about each other and generally all agreed that FB was not to be trusted with anything that needed to be kept private! 

One thing that we talked about was having a blog carnival.  I admit it!  I didn't know exactly what that was and I'm still not sure exactly how it should work!  I googled it and will be adding links here to others who attended the meetup!  Not sure if that is truly a carnival or not.  See?  I have much to learn with respect to blogging!

http://carolmarksonline.com/

http://www.rocketcitymom.com/

http://www.thediningdragon.com/

http://mrsdragon.net/

http://notyourtypicalsouthernbelle.net/

http://entirelyadequate.com/

http://auntgeebakes.com

This is just a list of blogs from those who were there tonight.  There are more to add and I will try to get to them later too!  So for my gratitude today, I am thankful for this new circle of friends.  I'm excited to see where we go and watching each one grow!

Day 10 - I am Thankful

I am thankful for my crafting / sewing friends once again tonight.  I am blessed to be surrounded by people who love to create, love to laugh and freely share their knowledge with me.  I blogged about the quilt I am working on over at my craft blog.  You can check it out there.  Thank you God for great friends!

Day 9 - I am Thankful!

Today I had the joy of spending time creating with girlfriends.  I am so thankful for my girlfriends!  We were working on quilts!  I found my project from when I took a quilting class in 1994!  The colors are not anything I would choose now!  But, if I look at this as an opportunity to learn and practice the skills, the colors really don't matter.  They aren't hideous, just not attractive to me now.  I'll try to post a picture later.

Day 8 - I am thankful

I am thankful for safe travels and chaperones who are posting pics from LOGOS!  I have seen DD in one photo and know that the trip went well.  Praying the fellowship and relationships deepen with Christ and His community.

Day 7 - I am thankful!

Today - I am thankful that my oldest is on her way to Scranton, PA to participate in the annual LOGOS Conference East.  I put her on a bus at 5:30 pm to leave for a 14 hour trip (not including their stops).  I am praying for safe travels, a week of new and renewed friendships, fellowship and learning.  Praise God!

Day 6 - I am Thankful

Fabulous Friday!  Well if your definition of Friday is that it is Fabulous no matter what!  Completed work and fruits of labor both contributed to make this a great day.  I am thankful that I got to see the performance of the class that DD has been helping with all week.  It is wonderful to watch a child grow in ability and confidence!

Day 5 - I am Thankful!

I had to shut down the computer last night because a huge thunderstorm came rolling through.  It brought much needed rain to refresh the yards and fields.  Thank you Lord for rain!

Please excuse me if I post a second one of these later today.  I really wanted to add yesterday's gratitude here!

Day 4 -I am Thankful!

Today has been a busy day for sure!  I am thankful for work today!  Work that keeps the bill paid, work that occupies the mind and hands, work that hopefully is pleasing to the Lord. 

When you are self-employed, work is a blessing!  2011 has been a rough year so far but we have survived (in a rough sort of way!)  Definitely some bumps this year.  An ice storm which kept the city shut down for a week and then the tornados which caused the city to lose power for 4-5 days and longer in some areas.  Two weeks without work are not the easiest thing!  And that is why I am thankful for work!  Here's hoping your 2011 has been better! 

Day 3 - I am thankful!

On this summer day, I am thankful for rain!  While it was plenty hot this morning and early afternoon, rain came and cooled us down!  It was such a blessing!

Day 2 - I am thankful

Today, I am thankful for the opportunity my oldest daughter has this week.  She is assisting with an arts workshop for elementary students.  In return, she will earn part of her tuition for the workshop she wants to take later in the month!  It is a great opportunity for her to learn new skills and practice some old ones too.

Day 1 - I am thankful!

Today I thought I would start something new to keep the blogging spark going.  I am going to give one thing everyday for which I am thankful.  Remembering God's blessings is what I hope to accomplish with this.  I will still post other things as they occur but I really want to have a daily gratitude attitude!

So for today, I am thankful for my sweet family.  They are blessings to me in ways too numerous to count.  They keep me going and lift me up when I am down.  God is good!

Revelations

I have been feeling a calling to speak.  I'm not sure what I would ever speak about though.  It is just a feeling that is welling up within me.  I am awaiting God's plan here and hoping and praying that he will make this clear to me.

I attended church yesterday where I was a reader for the early service and then I attended the pastor's Sunday School class.  It was Pentecost Sunday, by the way.  Much was said about the Spirit during worship and Sunday School.  The class is reading the book Radical by David Platt.  I missed the first week but quickly picked up a book and followed along.  One of the things that was discussed was that if you are attending a seminary exploratory weekend at a PCUSA seminary, you will be told that if you think you have a gift for ministry, you are in the wrong place.  The belief is that God equips those who he calls.  He does not call those who are equipped.  Radical thinking there for me.  What does that mean in regards to the call I am feeling?  I certainly don't feel equipped to stand before anyone as an "expert".

Then tonight, I attended the women's Bible study.  I missed last week due to our busy schedule.  The study is from Beth Moore and it is on Revelations.  I gathered that we are charged to pray each day for Christ's revelation to us.  Then the first thing that was said in the video was to get ready and she quoted from Psalms 81:10

I am the LORD your God,

who brought you up out of Egypt.
Open wide your mouth and I will fill it.

Oh my!  Is that my first revelation?  Open wide your mouth and I will fill it!!!

Needless to say, I am looking forward to see where this study goes this summer.  I am trying to be patient for Christ's revelations.

Where do I even begin?

So much has been happening or not happening as the case may be!  I have been sick for most of May.  I attribute my illness to the power outage which caused my allergies to kick into high gear.  We spent so much time outside during the blackout that my allergies really got a good start without me realizing what was happening.  I wound up with bronchitis and it is really only this week that I have begun to feel that I have shaken it.  I'm taking a generic Claritin everyday but still really fighting the allergy portion.  At least now, I think there is light at the end of the tunnel.

The kids have finished school.  It was a rocky year for two of them.  Though they all finished with passing grades.  Summer is going to be different.  We have not joined our neighborhood pool this summer.  There are other activities that the kids would like to do and so we will be trying to put our funds in those places instead.

I have reconnected with a college friend who was also in our wedding.  She has finally joined facebook and I am now having a midlife crisis!  She looks so gorgeous in her photos!  She looks much younger than I expected.  Now I think I am going to have to do something to improve myself.  My DH is sweet and encouraging.  He loves me no matter what but I want to be better!  For him and for myself and our children!  Overwhelming is how the project seems right now.

In the midst of all this, I have been working on my relationship with my heavenly Father.  It had been neglected but I am working on tending it daily now.  I'm looking forward to starting a new Bible study this coming Monday night too.  Any prayers for wisdom and support are greatly appreciated.

Help for Storm Victims

If you are in a position to help, please consider making a contribution for the relief efforts underway across the southern US.  The Red Cross is a great place to start.  Other churches have funds started.  If physically getting involved is more your style, that help will be welcomed too.

Tuscaloosa is getting lots of coverage in the national media but there are so many small towns that are hurting.  You can check out al.com for coverage around the state of Alabama.  Most of the deaths that occurred last week were in Alabama.  Another great source is whnt.com which is a tv station in Huntsville.

There are no words to describe the devastation that was left.  It is truly horrific.  All of Alabama would appreciate your prayers during the difficult days that lie ahead.

What we have been doing...

One of those days

To be fair, it has been one of those weeks for our family.  The time change has been hard for all of us and exacerbated by the trip to the ER on Saturday night / Sunday morning.  Oh how I wish it was spring break for us!

As we were trying to get out the door this morning, I looked at my middle child (DS) and noticed he was wearing white socks.  I also knew that he would be dancing this morning in the dance concert for the student body.  I then asked him if he needed black socks and where were his dance shoes.  He looked at me like I was crazy!  His reply was "Why?"  The child had forgotten totally!  So we had another delay while he found his dance shoes, pants and socks.  When he is out the door he looks back at me to realize that he had forgotten his bookbag and lunchbox too.

Love that child but I really hope he finds his brain again soon.

Praying

Dear Lord,

Your help is so desperately needed!  The precious people of Japan are in danger from the nuclear power plants.  Please guide the brave engineers and workers who will put their lives on the line to protect others.  Give them wisdom and comfort their families with your Holy Spirit. 

Give wisdom to the leaders of Japan and bring about a storm of relief for these people who have lost so much.  To You is the glory!  I ask these things in the name of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior.

Amen

Lenten Focus

I have been reflecting on what I learned today and thinking about it in the context of Lent.  First, I know that I need to work harder on practicing the art of patience.  Patience with my children, my spouse, and myself as well as with others.  I am currently waiting patiently (sorta) for a business dealing to be done.  It is very difficult for me!

Next I think I will practice using a lens, if you will, that allows me to view others through the cross / grace of Jesus.  I think I do this pretty well until days like today when I am humbled and realize that I really do have a long ways to go with this. 

Care to join me on the Lenten journey?  I would love to hear what you focusing on for Lent.

Today, I am thankful for many things.  Primarily that my oldest is home and recovering from an asthma / panic attack last night.  She and I spent 5 hours at the ER where she had a breathing treatment which helped tremendously but the 5 hours 10:30 PM CT to 4:30 AM CDT were certainly not great for either of us.

She was insistent that she be allowed to go to church this morning to play bells and hear the guest preacher and so I woke her around 9 AM.  She was exhausted by the time it was over.  I brought her home and put her back to bed and she will be spending the rest of the day at home resting.  I also put myself to bed for some much needed rest.

While at church, I saw a woman who has made my soul grieve for lack of a better word.  I called her several years ago to ask for help with a job situation and was turned down flatly.  It hurt then and it hurts still.  I did not realize until today that I will really have to continue to mend this relationship. 
Then all of my problems are laid low when I see pictures of the devastation in Japan.  The troubles of those people put mine to shame and I am again humbled.  My blessings far outweigh my problems.  I am praying for those people who have lost so much.

What to do for John 16?

That was the question I faced this week.  When I arrived this afternoon, I still had no idea on how to present the material in a way that would make the chapter relevant and interesting for my 6th graders.

I spoke briefly with my pastor (and co-teacher) to find out the schedule.  Since this is Ash Wednesday, he would be busy in other parts of LOGOS with imparting ashes.  (Did I say that correctly?)  He offered to talk briefly about Ash Wednesday and its history with the class.

Then I found my way to the library and started looking for a book that would be helpful.  Initially I thought I might find a book on the Holy Spirit but nothing leaped out from the shelves.  However, I did spot a trusted reference!  Christian Doctrine by Shirley Guthrie.  I love this book!  His explanations for the Holy Spirit where such that I knew I could use them with my class and they would be able to grasp this challenging concept.  If this book is not in your personal library (I do own this one!), it should be!

I Will Love The Lord

Katie sang at both services Sunday.  This is from the second service.  She did great at both but was very nervous for the second service!  I couldn't tell from the congregation so I think she did an outstanding job of conquering her stage fright.

I will love the Lord

It is all Katie singing until the final chorus where she is joined by our music director, Patricia Ramirez Hacker.

Another LOGOS lesson

Tonight's lesson was John 15:18 - 27 and we took our talking point from verse 19.  What does it mean to be in the world and yet not of the world?  I had the class draw their interpretation of what that means.  They took a bit of time to come up with their drawings and then we talked about each person's interpretation.  It was interesting to see what they came up with for their drawing. 

I am so thankful for these past two weeks of class and being able to find a way to make the scripture meaningful for these children ( young adults, nearly).  They seem to enjoy these activities as well.  It is a blessing!

Prayers

I am full of prayers today.  Prayers of concern for my friends from church in Philadelphia for medical treatment.  Prayers of thanksgiving because our phone is ringing and that means work for us.  I cannot put how thankful I am into words but I know that my heart is open to the Lord and he understands.  There are more concerns here too but they have been lifted up to God and placed in his hands.  What relief to know that I am not in control but rather serving God.

And so I pray that today finds you relying on God's protection and care.  It is the best place to be.

I am the vine

Today's lesson for my logos class is John 15 where Jesus teaches that he is the vine.  I have an idea for getting this across to them and will let you know how it goes.

Update:  I think it went very well!  I sketched a tree with roots and five main branches and then 3 smaller branches from each of the five.  I had the kids list 5 things that are very important to them on the main branches and then 3 reasons why that is important to them.  I then had them label the trunk as Jesus and the roots as the Bible.  Then we read John 15:1-17.  Then we discussed our trees.  Each child told us one thing that was on their tree.  I told several things that were on mine.  We talked about how there might be times that we would need to prune some of our branches and why.  I loved this lesson!  It was very humbling for me to see my tree and realize that I have a lot of pruning to do on my tree.  I know that the Lord has been pruning already and I can see that there is much more to be done.  Bearing good fruit is the goal!

Beautiful Day

Thank you Lord for a beautiful day!  Today brings much happiness to me and I know that You are the source!  I am thrilled to report that my mom had an excellent follow-up visit with her doctor in Dallas yesterday.  Also, some things that had been weighing heavily on me have been lifted.  It has been a firm reminder that I am not the one in control, no matter how much I would like to think that I am!

new blog

I decided if I am going to participate in the Iron Craft Challenge, then I need to separate the crafting from this blog.  So a new blog was made and can be found here!  So if you are here looking for craft, you should try the new blog.  I'm sure I will have enough to say for both blogs!

Step one

I set up the Flickr account in preparation for joining in on the Iron Craft challenges.  You can find me listed as theresplendentbeauty over there.  I know that is the name of the jewelry line I create but I hope that some of my craft ideas will result in jewelry creations.  I have already uploaded some of my craft picture but you have probably already seen most if not all here on this blog.  I still have to figure out how to link the flickr with this blog.  I think the problem is that I am using 2 different email accounts.  More to figure out for another day.

Do you know what it means?

to miss New Orleans?  It seems that this weekend was the weekend to head to NOLA or at least it does on my FB feed.  No less than 3 friends were there and reporting back on where they were eating and what they were doing.  It brought back so many memories.  Most of them were good.  The culinary ones definitely were good!  So in response, I wanted to share a page from my art journal.  I'm not a great artist and I don't pretend to be one so be kind.  The page was created this past September as we marked the 5 year anniversary of Katrina.

Here is the text: 

Katrina came in 2005 and made a mess of my beloved New Orleans.  Now 5 years later, there is hope that the grand city will recover.  She will never be the same, but she will be something new.  I am sad that the homes which welcomed my oldest two children home are no more.  But we still have the memories and better yet - our family is thriving and prospering because the Lord has plans for us that are good, just as His plans for NOLA are good!  Sept '10

Fashion Fails

I'm not sure what they were trying to prove with this set of images but please!  Just because a celebrity wears a dress that is less than $200 doesn't mean it is a great dress!  These things were awful imho.
The first tragic ensemble is here.  Numbers 6, 7, 9 and 10 were truly hideous.

I'm in!

I just discovered Iron Craft.  A weekly challenge blog for crafters and I think I will have to join in!  Fun!  There looks to be crafters at every level participating in the fun.  Some are quite accomplished and others are just out there having fun.  I'll try to blog my creations each week here as well.  This week's theme is 'hometown'.  I don't know if I will get to my home town but certainly my home state.

Now I need to go set up a Flickr account so that I can join in on the fun!  To see more for yourself, check out this site:  Iron Craft

busy weekend

It's another busy weekend in our house!  DS will be serving and cleaning up at Disney fundraiser / pancake breakfast tomorrow.  He has to be at the restaurant at 6:45 tomorrow morning!  That is early on a Saturday!  Then our oldest DD will be singing in a competition tomorrow.  She has 4 pieces, 2 musical theatre and 2 art songs to sing.  This is her first competition for Dr. Beasley so I hope she does well.  Her times are 9:30 and 9:40 tomorrow morning.  Then later in the day is another fund raiser for the Disney trip.  This time at Shaggy's Burgers and Tacos.  They are donating 20% of sales if you mention AAA Stars and Clowns with your order.  I am hoping we will have our taxes filed today too.  Woohoo!

Schools again...

Excuse me again whilst I take another detour. The leader of the local NAACP spoke at a press conference today about the state of the Huntsville City Schools. I cannot comprehend the comment that the problem with test scores lies not with the students or the parents but with the schools themselves. As a parent of children who attend a racially balanced school, I cannot accept this statement. This is no more true than saying that every white child is smart. Every child is different. I do not know the teachers in the schools to which she was referring but I know that some if not most of these teachers are there because they believe they can make a difference for these children. Learning does start at home. Parents have to model the behavior and set expectations for their children. Schools can help, but the re-enforcement from home is so important.

Spend a little time with Mark Strong and learn about the Lincoln Village Project. See how these children truly suffered from a home enviroment that was not conducive to learning. This group of volunteers went into Lincoln Elementary to mentor and tutor those children. They modelled for them the way to study and commit to learning. If it does not come from home, someone must teach them these things. Now that Lincoln and MLK have merged, the hard work is starting over. The teachers must be won over and the new students taught what was learned at Lincoln.

I have been raised and have tried to raise my own children to know that the color of a person does not matter. What matters is character and moral values. The Lord does not look upon our exterior but on our hearts to see who we are.

Funny things they say

I was getting in the car last night with my oldest DD when I heard a familiar song on the radio. It was Rock This Town Tonight and so I said, "Oooh, Stray Cats!" Her reply? "Where?"

Love my kids!

A great article on Huntsville and our lurking problem.

This story from the Huntsville Times is a good one. It really points out how wonderfully we are positioned for growth but that we still have a problem with which we must deal.

http://blog.al.com/huntsville-times-business/2011/02/leaders_predict_more_huntsvill.html

Valentine's Day

I've been trying to come up with a cute Valentine card for my baby. This will be her last year to exchange Valentines with her class and I would love to have a cute idea for her. The class will be having an ice cream social for a party so maybe an icecream cone idea would be cute. Time to get the wheels cranking!

Revisiting the Grand Experiment

I want to take a moment to revisit my earlier post http://seekinginacrazyworld.blogspot.com/2010/09/grand-experiment.html
where I discuss cutting off the cable. We are now 6 months out and still doing great. Instead of a pc box in the master bedroom, a new hdtv (small mind you) found its way to the room. It allows us to watch netflix via the internet. And then at Christmas, Santa brought the DH an HD antenna so that we could watch broadcast TV again. Perfect! The new combo gives us access to news and weather quickly and who knew there were so many new channels out there!

As for the other benefit of the Grand Experiment, well that seems to have diminished somewhat. DS has taken to playing more computer games, specifically MineCraft, and we have to limit the computer time for him.

In all, I still consider the Grand Experiment to be a success. We saved money and have truly not missed what cable brought us in terms of content.

What's the fix?

Okay - I'm going off the path again so I'm going to beg your favor while I bend your ear about a subject near and dear to me. That's right! The current state of Huntsville City Schools has me worried and concerned for my children's education.

Huntsville is a city that has so many things going for it. We have a large military installation that is growing. We have a NASA center. We have multiple colleges and universities, including UAH which is a leading research school for science and technology. We have multiple research parks. One would think, and rightly so, that we have a very well educated populace. They say we have more engineers per capita than any other place. I don't doubt that at all. And the number of residents with advanced degrees is staggering.

I have barely scratched the surface of things that are great about Huntsville. When we relocated here in 1998, we rented a house for 1.5 years. That time allowed us to find our place in the area. We knew where my work would be, and then we found child care. And soon we had found a church. Our oldest enrolled in a dance program. And then we began to work with a realtor to find a place to purchase. We looked in the city of Madison. We looked out in the county. We checked out neighborhoods all over. The traffic in Madison was a nightmare and I don't see where that has improved at all in the past 13 years. If anything, it has become worse with the influx of new citizens.

Madison county, and to some extent Madison city, have mushroomed. Cotton fields have become subdivisions almost overnight. The county does not provide the services that come with city living and the zoning laws are not very strict. You could find your new home downwind of a pig farm if you weren't careful. They are the growth areas and it seems realtors often start their clients in these areas. But because we knew after 1.5 years that Huntsville is where we wanted to be, we were able to narrow our focus.

Huntsville will continue to find most new residents gravitating to Madison city and county if we don't fix the problems with Huntsville City Schools! What problem? The debt that is hanging around our neck like a millstone! The current total is $19.5M. That is not small change. Things have gotten so bad that the state board of education has threatened to step in and take over.

So now we find ourselves faced with difficult choices. We have already had a significant round of cutbacks at the schools. For instance, my children's school only has a part time assistant principal and a part time counselor. We have to share these administrators with the other magnet school (k-8). It makes it very difficult to arrange a conference when the person is out of the building. And that is just small sample of things all over the city. We also closed several schools this past year. There were hopes that at least one of the buildings would sell quickly after the school closed. Now over 1 year later, these building still sit empty with taxpayers still covering the utility bills that are required whether the buiding is in use or not.

Then comes word that our board is over paid! This has been going on for 2 years! Even with the cut back in pay to the max allowed, we have the highest paid board in the state! Incredible! If only our schools reflected that.

So now things are coming to a head. A former state superintendent is being hired to come in and help the current superintendent make the decisions necessary to balance the budget. Mind you, the current superintendent is a lame duck. She has resigned her post and will leave as soon as an interim can be put in place. It is hardly fair for an interim to handed this problem and told to make the cuts.

So what happens now? Rumors are swirling all over town! Some say the magnets will be targetted but they are still part of the court ordered desegregation. Unless the order is lifted, there is no way for the magnets to be cut. It is said that ASFL has the highest number of locally paid staff. I'm not sure what that means for them as certainly, the locally funded positions are being targetted. Non certified staff are going to be cut as well. Does that mean fewer aides in the classrooms? Fewer custodians to clean? Fewer maintenance workers to maintain an aging set of buildings?

I don't have any answers but I am following the debate closely. Like many other parents and homeowners, I will be watching to see that my children continue to receive a quality education in an environment that remains safe and nurturing for them. I am watching to see that cuts are made equitably. It is not fair to target one side of town and not the other. It is not fair to cut programs that advance our children's education. I believe that the arts make a difference. I believe that gifted education is vital. I believe that foreign languages are a requirement for success in a global society. I believe that learning a trade can put an individual on a path to success. I believe that our schools are a tool for growth. If Huntsville expects to benefit from BRAC, our schools must be fully funded and flourishing.

I would love to know what you think about this. Do you have ideas to improve our schools? Have you met with resistance before? Maybe now is the time to put those ideas into practice.