Got this picture text msg'd to me during praise and worship yesterday ---

It was titled "Headed to Church"!

I have to admit, that even though it was a very pivotal time in the service . . . I did have to glance down at my phone in my purse and take a peek

It reminded me of how many prayers were offered up for this little lady this time last Easter. . .

Nana and Papa Sitting

Campbell wearing her momma's Sesame Street Live Shirt from 30 years ago

This little lady's mommy ran a half-marathon in Austin with one of her best friends - and she needed her Nana and Papa to come stay with her -- we were only TOOOO glad to oblige!!! 

The tornado/ severe thunderstorm Thurs. night caught us and we had to turn around and head back to Tulsa.  We got up EARLY Friday morning and headed to KC - I drove a large part of the trip and by the time I gave C her lunch I was pooped.

 Early Friday afternoon I left her with Papa to take quick nap (short refuel for the next few hours) -- I came back in to find that Papa was worn out from chasing our active little adventurer and had built barricades -- he was pretty proud of himself.

Mat was on a 12 - hour shift at the hospital and so we were not quite sure how the evening would go -- to keep things calm we thought we'd best keep to Bethany's schedule -- except for the fact that we did take Campbell out to KFC for supper -- (no problem -- we decided against the extra crispy crust on her's ;-)

Things went well through the night Fri. night and so with a morning nap accomplished we decided with the sun finally out to warm up the chill we'd head for the park with Campbell's daddy

Campbell is always on the move and does lots of exploring -- (the name plate on the wall was one of her curiosity pieces --Mommy had to take it off the wall over her crib --don't know how long it will last on the floor, either).


We all worked pretty hard to keep Campbell Hope happy so she wouldn't miss her Mommy.  I told Terry I didn't know how I could have done the weekend without him.  I forgot how much fun he always was for our kids and how many songs he entertained them with.  Here's my favorite of:
"Bee Bop a Louey"

Delivery Day

Remember those lap quilts my students finished in January -- well, we finally got them delivered today.

We arranged with a residential care facility near our school and they were thrilled for our students to come and make the delivery in person.  We arrived when they were all in the breakfast room and their hostess had decided that having a drawing for the quilts would make it more fun for the residents.  It was a special moment for all of us! One young lady recently lost her grandmother to Alzheimer's and was touched by whole experience.

First Thoughts

As I was preparing for my Sunday school lesson yesterday . . . I came across a web link of one the stories of Jesus last days I was researching.  It was a plea from a children's Bible teacher saying if that we don't teach them well these words of truth-- the message of God's love will die out with our generation.

He cited examples of other nations that because these lessons from Scripture have not been carefully taught.now only 1% of the country are believers in Jesus   He plead for each generation  to pass Jesus teachings to the next.

This was still on my mind this morning when I woke up and set out to complete today's lesson for my rowdy  4-5th graders (mostly boys) -  How do I present this story of Jesus last days on earth to help them get a grasp of how passionately he taught about the Kingdom, living a life of service, and loving God first and foremost?

Parts of several verses came to my mind

". . . a famine for hearing the words of God" Amos 8



I thought of the generations that will come after me . . .I want to teach them well --
my favorite is from Deuteronomy 5 --
showing love to a thousand generations of those who love me and keep my commandments.

and also from the same book -- this was impressed on me this week
The LORD your GOD will circumcise (cleanse) your hearts and the hearts of your descendants so that you may LOVE him with all your HEART and your SOUL and your LIFE.   Ch. 30:6

It’s Not about Me –

There’s not time to wallow in who we’re not – continually apologizing for our shortcomings and slip-ups and misdeeds.  There is such a need and call placed on us to go and be His hands and His feet that we dare not spare the time for such self -pity and self-loathing.    Jesus wants us to repent of it and  get over ourselves because He has a world out there that needs re-claiming and re-connecting to His redemptive love.   

That happens  when we do what we’re good at – LOVING – in the special unique ways he has made us ---but It’s not ABOUT us – It’s about what he wants to do in, and through, and with us.

I like what was in this Friday’s post from “Meet Me in the Meadow”

Self-righteousness, self-justification and self-sufficiency   do not magnify the Lord’s sacrifice, redemption, and atonement for us on the cross. It is only through brokenness,        humility,  and repentance that we can fully magnify who the Lord is and what He has done in our lives.

For it is out of our poverty that we magnify His riches;

 it is out of our smallness that we magnify His greatness;

 it is out of our frailty that we magnify His power;

it is out of our need that we magnify His fullness;

 it is out of our flaws that we magnify His perfection;

 it is out of our deficiency that we magnify His abundance;

it is out of our unworthiness that we magnify His mercies;

it is out of our imperfection that we magnify His beauty;

it is out of our weakness that we magnify His strength;

it is out of our insufficiency that we magnify His grace.

It’s been a week!!!   I’ve heard the saddest stories of rejection from my students and I’VE HAD IT  with parents who launch their children – walk away from their families or toss their kids out of the nest --long before they can handle it.  I came home yesterday with “Friday Fatigue” that was tinged with the feelings of despair – “WHAT CAN  I DO TO MAKE UP FOR THIS SHORTFALL IN MY STUDENT'S LIVES???”  Every day I see teens left out while parents start new lives without considering their kids or have become over-involved in their careers  – I see the depression and  hear their despair in the stories they tell ---  These are Kids who’ve given up on their academic work this close to the end of the year because they no longer think it’s important.. . .they don’t think  THEY’RE ALL THAT IMPORTANT --and many make poor decisions that they reap harsh consequences for a long time.

BUT ON THURSDAYS . . . my hope is reborn. . .

70-100 kids crowd in my room for lunch – and I never quite know how where they or the Lord will take us– I thrilled to hear their stories last week of what they’d experienced with God during  their Spring Break mission efforts and where they’d seen Him work at home during this break in their busy lives.

This week 2nd lunch bunch decided it was time for a YA (Youth Alive) Praise Day --- seeing them get lost in the wonder of praise  --  one girl playing her djimbai – one girl’s sweet voice matching one of the guy’s – hearing another of my third hour guys on his guitar – didn’t know he was so gifted.  My classroom was different after they left -- The Spirit of God was there. . .

And then on my tired drive home. . .

God sent me a sweet reminder that HE's in His Heaven and loves ALL His kids SO VERY MUCH !!!

Okay --Okay--  I do HAVE to add the video clip -- (notice how "tuned in" to the other kids Campbell is.)