The Nation Mourns

This past week was one of those really long weeks that I couldn't wait to end. Every morning after Monday felt like it should've been Friday. I was eagerly awaiting a countdown to winter-break, and Friday would bring us so much closer!

When Friday finally got here, so did news of a very tragic event in Newtown, Connecticut. I am not a parent yet, but as an auntie, an older cousin, a human, the news was a very hard pill to swallow without tears falling. As an elementary school teacher, my heart ached even more.

I lift up in prayers the families of Sandy Hook Elementary who have experienced great loss during this tragic event. I thank God for the faculty and staff members who became a hedge of protection for students that day and helped to save lives, even at the cost of losing their own. The world is shocked by these acts, but fellow educators realize our love for our students and passion for their wellbeing would warrant nothing less. We are their protectors when danger lifts its head on our watch. God bless all of the families of these heroes that day.

I also lift up in prayers families who have experienced a loss in any other tragic events long past or recent past, televised or not. I can only imagine seeing what unfolded Friday brings back memories of your own pain. I also salute the New York Football Giants, New York Jets, New England Patriots, and other organizations for taking steps to honor students and teachers of Sandy Hook Elementary School during week 15 NFL games.

A very hard reminder that nothing is more important than the people who are important to us. We must take time to value each other's presence regardless how hectic life may become. The stories that are being told of what teachers did to calm and comfort students are amazing. They spoke encouragement and peace in the midst of turmoil and saved lives.

May we work to find a resolution to the various problems that cause some people to be so consumed by darkness that they don't savor the precious gift of life.

 

 

Posted with Blogsy

Are You Willing to Pay the Cost?

One of the shows I love watching on HGTV is "The Property Brothers". On this show twin brothers, Drew and Jonathan Scott, try to help future homeowners find the home of their dreams. They first find a home that has everything the buyer wants on their list. They take the buyers to the property, walk them around it , and "wows" them. Everything they want is wrappped up in one pretty little or big package. Then the brothers hit them with the bottom line, the cost. This is where the buyers get the gut check, and all of them, after hearing the price, look as though they were sucker punched, blindsided, hoodwinked... you get my drift. Then the brothers go on to explain that they can help the buyers get exactly what they want if they look at taking another approach to getting it. Next, the two brothers do their thing in finding properties that can be restored and turned into their buyer's dream home. At the end of the show you have happy buyers thanking the brothers for a job well done and a home that exceeded their expectations. Isn't that just like life?

Go For The Gold

I am very proud of all of our Olympic athletes who are representing the United States of America in London. Their years of discipline, commitment, and dedication to their sporting events are inspiring! It's also amazing to see the excitement that builds for the Olympics and championship games in various sports. We position ourselves in front of the television for hours, if we aren't lucky enough to be front and center at the event, and coach our teams or chosen individuals to greatness. We feel the intensity of that moment right there on the sofa or in our favorite chair! We share the beaming sense of pride in their victory and are quick to rationalize what their shortcomings were if they were defeated. It is so easy to be a Monday morning quarterback, to look from the outside and criticize critique others.

 

Run For Life

I'm going to take a minute and list a few things we run from in life:

1. dogs
2. responsibilities
3. danger
4. people who are chasing you
5. people you don't want to see
6. LIFE

Wait a minute, how do you run from life? Honestly, I ran from life by preoccupying myself with meaningless things that took my mind off my issues and made me too tired to worry about anyone else. Don't get me wrong, if I could do anything to help, I did. I organized various school projects from food drives to supplies for soldiers overseas. I wanted to instill in my students the importance of reaching beyond their comfort zones to help someone else's needs. Yet, I was so bogged down with financial issues, family issues, job issues, etc. I really didn't get time to truly look at the world around me since I was drowning in my own issues!

At the beginning of 2012, I declared that this year would be different. I rung in the new year creating a vision board to really focus on what I wanted to accomplish in my life, not just this year. One thing I really wanted to do was to become more physically active. Thanks to my sister I registered a few years ago for my first 10K and had done a few other events since then. This year I wanted to focus on a healthier lifestyle and better physical fitness. I also wanted to "savor other people's happiness". I want to reach beyond my comfort zone and bring awareness to issues that stir me to tears. Not the silent kind of tears, but the tears that come from a place so deep that your body quakes with each drop. The kind of issue that clings to you and when a new occurence surfaces, past heard of transgressions come vividly to mind. I didn't realize for me, seeds had been planted in 2009.

Ultimate Road Trip Adventure Pictures

The farthest I've driven from my city is probably five hours visiting family in North Carolina. So I was excited to take this road trip to the Midwest. Riding in a car for over ten hours, gives you lots of time to snooze, talk and even more time to think. I spent most of my awake time staring out the window at the landscape. I'm a coastal "lowcountry" girl, the only "mountains" I have to worry about are the ones they call speed bumps outside a local Piggly Wiggly!

Passing through Tennesee

The Ultimate Road Trip

As I stated in my last post, one of my aunt's has earned here doctorate. This makes it two family members that I know of with doctorate degrees. My late aunt Dr. Patricia Cooper ( dad's sister) and the soon to be (officially) Dr. Charlene Holmes ( mom's sister).

Charlene at Capella University in Minneapolis, Minnesota

She graduated from Capella University and was adamant about traveling to Minnesota and walking across the stage to receive her degree. After all that hard work I don't blame her! So this radical road warrior actually got an opportunity to go on a road trip with my aunt & uncle.

Celebrate the Milestones

Yesterday my mother and I went out to dinner with one of my aunts to celebrate the completion of her process to obtain her doctorate degree. After years of hard work and  overcoming distractions, her ultimate goal is a reality. The only thing left to do is step across that stage and receive her degree. We promised that we would treat her to dinner when this time arrived. Well the time is now and the place was here...

If you are a true BBQ connoisseur or just love good southern home cooking, this is definitely the place to be. This is where our celebration was scheduled to happen and my reflection kicked into high gear. Must have been something in the bbq sauce!

Rethinking My Thinking

Have you ever sat down and thought about what you think about? I mean really think about the ideas that travel through your mind. You know things you've learned, things you've been told, and stuff that just seems to creep in there with no real source that comes to mind. Now a days we barely have time to just sit down without some problem arising that needs to be solved, or some request that needs to be granted. Not to mention we also live in a world where distractions are the norm. Look around you as you travel through your day.  Of course this would mean not fidgeting with your smart phone or any other electronic device. Everything we could ever imagine accessing is right at our finger tips. From checking your email, to reading your favorite book, updating your social networking sites, or viewing your favorite show. The possibilities of the many places you can go without moving is limitless! We have what I will call "distraction overload". This hinders sitting still and getting quiet. I mean just thinking about it feels wrong.

But there comes a time when we need to sit still and get quiet. A period of time everyday where all the noises of life disappear and the only thing we have to contend with is our thoughts. Now I am as guilty as anyone else of allowing distractions to keep me, well, distracted, and obligations to keep me on the move and obligated. Who we are and how far we will go is directly connected to what we think. We've all heard the definition of insanity (doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results). Well this past decade has been insane!  I invite you to journey with me as I travel the road of reflection and take time to think about what I think about. Some thoughts may be proven true; others will have to be dismissed. The only way to change my outcomes is to change my actions. The only way to change my actions is to change my thoughts. The only way I can change my thoughts is to be real regarding what I think. The only way I can be real about what I think, is to think about what I think about. It just keeps coming full circle! So this is my process of rethinking my thinking...