God is in CONTROL

Monday, August 31, 2009

Life Lessons My Plants Taught Me

I planted my first vegetables this summer. Terry has noticed through the years that I always like to plant flowers but lose energy with the upkeep of a garden. This year was different!

I started with a few tiny vegetable plants -- a little late in the season - and they struggled against the heat and the broadleaf weeds -- but they were survivors --Peppers, Tomatoes and Cucumbers! - My first produce in our 36 years of marriage!



While struggling to get my garden going and growing -- I learned a bit of Botany Philosophy 101.

You don't harvest the day you plant - this holds true with relationships, raising kids and marriage, too.

Weeds choke out the good stuff. . .Junk, excess of all sorts and stress do the same thing.

Pruning produces an even greater crop. Cutting Back, trimming away (even budgeting) gives way for new growth in people, as well.

All God's seedlings and critters need water and rest. It's refreshing, renewing, rehydrating and gives new energy


Picking the fruit makes way for more to come and the harvest makes it all worth the effort. Isn't life's harvest what we're really working' and waitin' for?

Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Gal. 6

Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness.
2 Cor. 9:10


These verses remind me that in my life's work where at the time I may not be seeing much fruit -- at some point the harvest will come -- if I just keep at it. . .tillin' and toilin'

Friday, August 28, 2009

My Garden


"I went in search of my mother's garden and found my own" was on a plaque I saw while antiquing this summer.

It got me to thinking about Mom's garden. . .

My mother's garden was a source of joy from browsing through the Burpee seed catalogue in the Winter to her last harvest of tomatoes, cukes and peppers in late September producing her tasty relish.

My Mom said she could work out lots of life situations as she tilled and toiled in her garden. She'd work the dirt and forcefully hoe the rows as she thought through the challenges that were at hand. I remember the garden was also her retreat when all three of us kids would practice our instruments -- flute, trombone and drums.

I know the garden was what kept us busy as kids growing up in Illinois during those long hot summers. She'd be in the garden at sun-up to pull the ears of corn before it got too hot so we could shuck them for her to begin the process of cutting, blanching and quick-cooling her corn for the freezer. (This produced the sweetest, most scrumptious creamed corn.) Next it might be beans to break for canning or cans to wash for the tomatoes or peaches she was putting up for winter.

Mom believed working the soil was good for a person and loved the resurrection of new life in the early spring. She saw so much of God's wonder in watching the tiny seeds transform into fruit, flowers and veggies. During her last months with us, I realized that my garden was a place I could find God's comfort.

Fall's coming soon and my garden will be at it's peak -- the colors will be deeper and richer -- the brisk mornings remind me that Winters on it's way and we will get to begin this cycle all over again.












His righteousness will be like a garden in early spring, filled with young plants, springing up everywhere. Isaiah 61:11
.

Saturday, August 22, 2009

Up and Running


Well, my first day of school finally got here -- and I was able to meet my 110+ students -- the older I get the longer it takes me to remember their names.

I thought I would try out their names (without my seating chart) on the 3rd day -- Sergio wasn't Sergio -- he was Mario or was it Marco? Right now they all still look alike to me. I called one guy by his last name, thinking it was his first. (I was close) I tried it out -- good thing I don't embarrass too easily -- I'd have to close up my briefcase and go home.

One young woman let me know who she can't sit next to because they get into fights.
(How old are these kids, anyway?)

I'm amazed at how many students are new to the school this year, coming in from Colorado, Denver, Wisconsin. Those are the ones that seem to need me to talk to them a little more. I have one question on my get acquainted activity, I like to ask -- "Where would you rather be, than sitting in that seat right there?" They willing volunteer where there hearts are right now. You know being a new kid on the block is hard at any age -- even for teachers.


Gave my dress code and cell phone lecture -- I'm always glad to get that over with.
The cell phone situation is a big deal -- It seems to be their lifeline. Who are all those people they talk to anyway? What do they have left to talk about at lunch? They will tell me their mom just txt msg to tell them they have a dr. appointment after school. Must have a lot of appointments. Hope they have healthcare.

Seems like a great bunch -- can't wait to get to know them better! 'It's gonna be a good year!

Wednesday, August 12, 2009

SO THAT WE CAN BE FREE


Wednesday after checking out of our B & B we toured Fort Scott. We spent over an hour learning of life on this outpost -- seeing the exhibits and a great video presentation of this period between the late 1840's - to approx 1866.


Fort Scott was first a military outpost to settle disputes between the settlers and Native Americans who were being forced westward and then was later used as a training post for soldiers during the Civil War. No wars were fought at this location but twenty-five miles at Miles' Creek there was a significant battle, which I wrote about in yesterday's blog.
My favorite outbuilding was the bake house. They would bake bread for 223 people at once. Interesting that they never served fresh bread to the men. At the time it was believed that toasted or stale bread was better for digestion.

The oven was huge and fired by wood or coal. The dough trough ran the length of the room.


The Army used no set recipe and the standards for "good bread" varied widely. Every soldier had to serve shifts baking the two hundred loaves. The pans were quite large
and like the oven and proofing shelves could accomodate many loaves at a time.


What we found most interesting is the fact that one of the buildings became an orphanage from the early 1900's until as late as 1958.
Ft. Scott has a National Cemetary that we visited on Monday evening. Driving the cemetary road between plots of ground with the customary rows and rows of white headstones, I couldn't help but notice that on some the names were faded from wars long since past and on others names were recently etched of those men and women who had served in Iraq and Afghanistan.

On these burial grounds lie men and women who fought for our freedom in every conflict - both at home and abroad, giving their lives so that we can live FREE we owe them a tremendous debt.

Tuesday, August 11, 2009

Life Then

Tuesday after an early dinner, we drove to a Civil War Battleground near Pleasanton, twenty-five miles North of the Fort. I have to tell you when we first got there we were a little disappointed at what we saw. A lone museum out on the Kansas prairie and a couple of monument signs. . . I guess we expected to see a whole reinactment and statues and plaques for a half acre (and it was after closing time, at that.) As we walked the 1/2 mile back to Mine's Creek we starting thinking about what really occurred there. 2500 Union soldiers came up against the 8000 Confederate and won the battle in less than thirty minutes with only about 120 casualties. The Confederates sustained losses upwards of 600. This became a turning point in the war for the Union Army. We realized that it was sacred ground as many of these me lay buried under this soil. We thought about what all took place on such a little-known plot of ground. We were told earlier that since it was Kansas, it wasn't considered a major Civil War Battleground.

Walking a path between the tall prairie grass fields, got us to wondering what rural life might have been long ago -- This trek had us winded but it would have been nothing for the homesteaders back then. . . why, their kids probably covered three times the distance on their way to school in all kinds of weather. Speaking of the younguns' they wouldn't have had after-school sports -- just the chores their folks had designated them to do since they were old enough to carry a bucket or work a plow. Furthermore, they didn't have tv to watch or video games to play and there wasn't an attic full of old toys or e-waste piling up in the shed.

All of life was pretty much contained to their land, their small cabin-type houses and the people who lived there.

Was life simpler back then? Don't know for sure . . . I know it was hard . . and oftentimes they fought against the elements in order to settle the midwest.

There I was taking pictures with my iphone to download to my computer and copy to my blog to send out on the internet . . .Wouldn't that boggle their minds!

BEING COMPANY

You know, hospitality is a concept introduced in the book of Hebrews with a "Practice Hospitality . . .don't forget to . . . because in doing it some have entertained angels."
In our 36+ years of marriage we have enjoyed lots of company and and love being able to host friends and family during the time they are under our roof. When we go on vacation, I like to go to places that treat US like company.

We started our 3-day getaway with our very FAVORITE spot, OUR DAUGHTER AND SON-in-LAW'S house. Those kids could run a B & B and in some cases they almost do. They had just had a family of four in for the weekend and we nearly crossed paths in their driveway. It meant Bethany hurriedly changed the linens so we would have fresh ones, Mat rushed to the grocery in the village and started his grill. They served the most delicious grilled pizzas!

I can tell we are already into role-reversal, because whenever we're in her kitchen, Bethany will say such things as, "No, Mom -- just sit still and talk while I cook -- you're on your vacation." Wow! When was the last time I heard that? Mat will come through and make sure that we have plenty of snacks and beverage. Nobody did that for us at the Rosen Plaza in Orlando last summer!


Because I like to BE company as well as HAVE company, we decided to find a B & B in Kansas on our way home. We discovered a GEM --- Lyon's Twin Mansion in downtown Ft. Scott, KS! Mat grew up spending summers on his grandparent's farm there and was puzzled why anyone would choose a B & B in Ft. Scott.


Miss Pat is the gracious innkeeper and has helped us discover the rich history of this town and the house which predates the 1870's and her turn of the century house. Breakfast this morning was the full fare in a lovely dining room set with the prettiest china. Conversation was equally delightful as all told where we'd come from and where we were headed. . .what antique shops were a "must-browse" . . .and where the best historical sites were.

We chose this getaway time as a work / relax vacation because Terry and I both needed to tie up the loose ends of our Fall courses. We prayed for the right spot and good weather and God gave us both. . . Since the "White House" Cottage had no other guests --we have the whole place to ourselves.


A rain yesterday blew in cooler weather. Our little cottage has 3 porches where you can soak up the smells and sights of their gardens. We've been gone 48 hours we're getting lots done and have started to relax!

Friday, August 7, 2009

Time to CLEAN!


OKAY, OKAY -- so I did say I was going to clean lots of closets this summer. Why does the "spirit of toss" not kick in until the week before school starts? I decided the month of June would be all about catching up with my family and I did. I wanted to do SUPERKIDS in July and I did. NOWWWWWW -just as it's 'bout time to get back to school --- I get the urge to sort and organize. As I was getting my boxes and baskets I had moved home in May cleared out of my office to head back to school, I discovered you could see the floor once again -- I decided it was time to CLEAN IT!

Earlier this summer our daughter, Bethany, said, "Mom I'm glad you're going to do a major toss this summer, but you'd better start on your office." At that I got pretty defensive -- "that's everything I use for my projects and my teaching" -- at that she rolled her eyes as only a child of mine can and gave a huge sigh.

I tackled my closets first -- there were sewing utensils, banner fabric and notions for the ones we made for church 3 or 4 years ago, scrapbooking supplies and a bazillion other things. I decided it was okay to part with the boxes of various crafts my mother had started and I somehow couldn't part with when we divided my parents things six years ago -- I made "an ennormous donation bag" of these craft items -- does anybody out there cross stitch or make dolls any more?

I had worked up a big steam by then and decided to go after my bookshelves. WHERE did all these books come from? --- I made a toss stack and a "can't part with this one yet stack" I don't consider myself an avid reader -- I would have to say I am an impressioned reader. (I just coined a new phrase). My keeper books are the ones that in my adult years have left a lasting impression on me and taught me something significant. I COULDN'T see myself parting with these "old friends".
There were my fiction ones, our marriage workshop books, my personal improvement books, various editions of my textbooks and educational theory books, my sudoku books, inspirational books, and Bible study notebooks. My later books are highlighted and underlined - marked with notes at the ideas I wanted to remember.

I was feeling pretty confident -- I had a sizeable toss pile and made the mistake of looking through it a second time -- "oh, can't part with THAT one -- remember what I learned from it" -- or -- "I might need this one in a mentoring session -- it could be a good referral for someone else." (There were parenting books from the early 1970's. Has childrearing changed since then?)

I woke up this morning remembering all the books I have upstairs AND those sitting in baskets by my favorite chairs AND the ones on end tables where I like to read. Needless to say -- I didn't cull many books . . . oh well, I'll leave that for my kids to deal with someday.

Monday, August 3, 2009

From the Mouths of Babes


I often relate stories from my preschool and elementary kids in my Sunday School class (aka "Super Kids") who keep me humble, on my toes and delight me with their insightful and ready answers. Yesterday I had taught a class of three very active preschool boys the crossing of the Jordan River (complete with costumes and enacting the parting of the water in a plastic swimming pool and carrying the large stones from the dry "riverbed") during the worship session and then rushed in to teach my school-age boys and girls.


I began by reviewing the various names for God we'd been studying and how he reveals himself to be that. We had spent our last Super Thursday doing our service project -- and I wanted them to have a deeper understanding of what it means to "serve the Lord" and see the connection. I asked the question, What does it mean to be a servant?" Precocious Pete, I referred to him in an earlier post) a first grader who is always working up an answer to any question excitedly waved his hand and said, "it's like being a waitress and not getting to sit down or get any money."

I continued, "so let's give an example -- if the Master or Lord that we're serving needs something to drink, despite how tired we are, we" . . . to this, another quipped, "We get him a beer." At this point my co-teacher covers her mouth to keep from laughing out loud and I try to bring the class back from the bottle and suggest Koolaid or something a little less intoxicating.

I went on to explain, that God is not a selfish Lord who makes us jump through hoops or do things just to make us squirm, but what he asks of us as servants is good for us and for other people. This was reiterated in my quiet time this morning in
the book I am reading which had me journal the thoughts of Psalm 40 -- I've included it because I think it best described this loving relationship of our LORD to us HIS Servants.


Psalm 40
A David Psalm
1-3 I waited and waited and waited for God.
At last he looked; finally he listened.
He lifted me out of the ditch,
pulled me from deep mud.
He stood me up on a solid rock
to make sure I wouldn't slip.
He taught me how to sing the latest God-song,
a praise-song to our God.

More and more people are seeing this:
they enter the mystery,
abandoning themselves to God.

4-5 Blessed are you who give yourselves over to God,
turn your backs on the world's "sure thing,"
ignore what the world worships;

The world's a huge stockpile
of God-wonders and God-thoughts.

Nothing and no one
comes close to you!
I start talking about you, telling what I know,
and quickly run out of words.
Neither numbers nor words
account for you.


6 Doing something for you, bringing something to you—
that's not what you're after.
Being religious, acting pious—
that's not what you're asking for.
You've opened my ears
so I can listen.

7-8 So, I answered, "I'm coming.
I read in your word what you wrote about me,
And' I'm coming to the party you're throwing
for me."
That's when God's Word entered my life,
became part of my very being.

Saturday, August 1, 2009

WHERE DID THE SUMMER GO?



I've had great quality time with my family having been on a couple trips with them. Now it's time to pack up and head back to school in 12 short days. . . I never did get to the summer toss project I planned for my attic nor did I get the desk refinished I'd hoped to.

Hmmm . . . It's time to get it all going again. I need to -
Set up my classroom
Get course objectives together
Scan those new textbooks
Look over class roll sheets
Arrange seating charts and first week activities.


One of the best helps in pre-prep for this coming year was the coffee time at Panera's I had last week with my Youth Alive officers -- three vibrant young ladies who want so much for their Youth for Christ activity to be a strong organization this coming year. Afterwards, we did a "Prayer Walk" through our high school and I believe all four of us were blessed by it. Hearing these young women pray for the needs of our administrators and every department in our school was such an uplift for me.

Approaching any upcoming school year, I always like to set personal as well as educational goals for myself. They often look like . . .

"This year I am going to work smarter -- not bring home 3 hours worth of papers to grade or do homework for a couple of hours at night,
"I am going to eat healthier - I'm going to exercise EVERY day -- not just three or four."
"I am going to relax outside more to renew my spirit
."

Just maybe I COULD work in one more 2-day get-away -- knowing that when the school year starts, there's not much getting away for 9 months. I could maximize the time away by packing in my new textbooks to review while we're gone.

All that said, teachers experience an overwhelming sense of anticipation when they walk back into their classrooms for the first time after summer break . . . wondering who will sit in those seats this year, what the year will unfold and what new things THEY will learn in the coming year.

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