This week in kindergarten our winter hallway decoration, containing over a hundred personalized snowmen, came crashing down. For weeks, our sweet PTA moms have been repairing the scene as sections of snow people bite the dust. However, this time we decided it's time to retire the snow covered trees, snowflakes and the white butcher paper landscape and move on to springtime flowers, green leaves and butterflies. Of course, it's still February and much of our country is surrounded by several feet of snow with persistent frigid weather, but in a Texas kindergarten hallway, we're moving on to the beauty of spring and we're not looking back! In some strange way, a humongous, transforming, fire retardant and sometimes annoying tree (that is the center of our seasonal hallway display) reminds me of the cycles and significance of each passing school year. From adventurous summer days to abundant fall harvests to dark, cold (often dreary) winter months to joyful weeks of spring, I find comfort in the predictable nature of God's creation and the renewing hope of new life. This repeating pattern is a picture of life in so many ways.
Raising daughters during the preteen/teen years gives me another perspective on cycles in life, including regular ups and downs with emotion. It is no small challenge being a teenage girl in this world. Who of us would go back and do it all again?! I'm guessing not one of us would relive the drama and insecurity of middle school and high school years. It crushes me when my girls are sad and struggling. I feel helpless, yet earnestly prayerful, when trying to comfort and speak into the overwhelming, chaotic world of teenagers. My gut response is to express deep sympathy for them and then to reassure them it will get better in time-- then worse, then better, then worse over the next few years. This conversation reminds me of the assurance that spring will come again but so will depressing days of winter. Ultimately, my only true comfort for them is to share with them how I've weathered the seasons of life, deeply rooted in faith. Only the Lord Jesus offers us confidence in times of weakness, and often shrinking faith, when we are tossed and turned by the storms and repeating waves of life. I continually pray for them to find themselves anchored in Him, where the joy of the Lord becomes their strength. As we anticipate and welcome spring, even prematurely, I'm reminded of the Lord's comfort, goodness and faithfulness to us while we endure the repeating cycles of life in this world.
"Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of men in their deceitful scheming. Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is Christ." Ephesians 4: 14-15
"The LORD is a refuge for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble." Psalm 9:9
"The LORD is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge. He is my shield and the horn of my salvation and my stronghold. I call to the LORD, who is worthy of praise, and I am saved from my enemies." Psalm 18:2
Saturday, February 22, 2014
Thursday, February 6, 2014
Let it Soak
In an odd space of time, between an early exit from the classroom and a canceled/rescheduled flight, while in a quiet house with two lazy dogs, I find myself finishing dishes and making connections in my head and heart. A light bulb went off in my brain while cleaning a large cooking pot which soaked overnight. Our chili dinner was left unattended while on a rolling boil and meaty goodness attached itself to the bottom with Superglue force. Everyone knows to let such a dish nightmare soak for an unspecified length of time. Believe it or not, this quiet household chore reminded me of one of my biggest weaknesses as a mother and some life giving advice my husband has been trying to share with me in the recent weeks.
When you're married to a preacher, one of the hazards can be that typical marriage and parenting discussions turn into mini three-point-sermons with all the wisdom of scripture included. To be clear, these gospel driven messages are not harsh or judgmental. NO! They are carefully crafted, gentle and loving remarks. So, what's a pastor's wife to do? Sometimes the hearing of it sounds more like a foreign language or the babble-speak from a baby. My ears go deaf and my eyes glaze over with a "make it stop" expression! The intent from the pastor is to help, yet the take home is often lost much like the wandering mind of a congregant during the Sunday service.
When you have a tough job in a stock pot, you don't attack it with all of your force in an effort to clean the caked on remains by effort and strength. You let it settle, loosen and soak for a gentler and more effective cleaning. As a mother, I address nearly every child raising struggle/issue with the force it would take to clean that pot right after clearing the table from the chili dinner. Maybe Kyle's wise and choice words are pointing me to a more effective method of leading the girls which includes patient waiting, a softened heart (on both sides of the issue) and God glorifying peace. This brief moment in the kitchen was both rare and peaceful. There was no intensity required or aggravation involved. Maybe our next parental conversation should simply be, "Mommy, just let it soak!"
When you're married to a preacher, one of the hazards can be that typical marriage and parenting discussions turn into mini three-point-sermons with all the wisdom of scripture included. To be clear, these gospel driven messages are not harsh or judgmental. NO! They are carefully crafted, gentle and loving remarks. So, what's a pastor's wife to do? Sometimes the hearing of it sounds more like a foreign language or the babble-speak from a baby. My ears go deaf and my eyes glaze over with a "make it stop" expression! The intent from the pastor is to help, yet the take home is often lost much like the wandering mind of a congregant during the Sunday service.
When you have a tough job in a stock pot, you don't attack it with all of your force in an effort to clean the caked on remains by effort and strength. You let it settle, loosen and soak for a gentler and more effective cleaning. As a mother, I address nearly every child raising struggle/issue with the force it would take to clean that pot right after clearing the table from the chili dinner. Maybe Kyle's wise and choice words are pointing me to a more effective method of leading the girls which includes patient waiting, a softened heart (on both sides of the issue) and God glorifying peace. This brief moment in the kitchen was both rare and peaceful. There was no intensity required or aggravation involved. Maybe our next parental conversation should simply be, "Mommy, just let it soak!"
Saturday, February 1, 2014
The Heart of a Teacher
After 91 days in school, first semester grades are done and we're 9 days and counting from our annual 100th Day celebration in kindergarten. Of all the festivity in the classroom, including a winter party, Dr. Seuss week, a Valentine exchange and an end of the year bash, the 100th Day is my favorite! Lately I've had the mid-year blues from a growing list of end of the year expectations and a decreasing number of days off and I've been particularly discouraged as a teacher in the recent weeks. So, it is refreshing and encouraging to reflect on how far we've come in just the first 100 days of school, not to mention the first days of a 13 year endeavor.
If you asked me what I do as a teacher, I would say that I serve 5 and 6 year olds for a living, the best paying gig on the planet. By my calulations, the 100th day represents 700 classroom hours with my adorable clients with services including hundreds of shoes tied, hundreds of backpacks stuffed/zipped and organized, hundreds of bandaids applied, hundreds of lunch items opened, hundreds of stories read, hundreds (maybe 1000's) of pencils sharpened, hundreds of crocodile tears dried and hundreds of questions answered (100's of questions daily).
When I think about why I invest every fiber of myself to this calling, leaving my 3 daughters to get ready for school and eat breakfast without Mom each morning and to arrive home to an empty house each afternoon, it's the students and what takes place in those first 100 days of school. Boys who didn't know their letter names or sounds are reading and writing with confidence. Girls who wouldn't speak above a whisper are now fielding questions from classmates with assertiveness. Students who couldn't or wouldn't pay attention for more than a minute are now focused and motivated to learn. Daily I get to see an understanding of numbers, letters, words, sentences click for 20 precious individuals. I've figured out what makes each child tick and how to motivate areas of difficulty. For this reason, it's time to celebrate and to rejoice in the classroom and to put an end to those mid-year blues.
Comments I hear quite often (even yesterday) include, "You kindergarten teachers are so __ (fill in the blank)" "I don't know how you do it." Franky, as I step into the mid-forties, working alongside women much younger, cooler and more energetic than me, I have days where I think, "I don't know how long I can do this." For this reason, I begin each day with prayers of thanksgiving and humble dependence, asking the Lord to help me love and serve my students well-- for His glory.
If you asked me what I do as a teacher, I would say that I serve 5 and 6 year olds for a living, the best paying gig on the planet. By my calulations, the 100th day represents 700 classroom hours with my adorable clients with services including hundreds of shoes tied, hundreds of backpacks stuffed/zipped and organized, hundreds of bandaids applied, hundreds of lunch items opened, hundreds of stories read, hundreds (maybe 1000's) of pencils sharpened, hundreds of crocodile tears dried and hundreds of questions answered (100's of questions daily).
When I think about why I invest every fiber of myself to this calling, leaving my 3 daughters to get ready for school and eat breakfast without Mom each morning and to arrive home to an empty house each afternoon, it's the students and what takes place in those first 100 days of school. Boys who didn't know their letter names or sounds are reading and writing with confidence. Girls who wouldn't speak above a whisper are now fielding questions from classmates with assertiveness. Students who couldn't or wouldn't pay attention for more than a minute are now focused and motivated to learn. Daily I get to see an understanding of numbers, letters, words, sentences click for 20 precious individuals. I've figured out what makes each child tick and how to motivate areas of difficulty. For this reason, it's time to celebrate and to rejoice in the classroom and to put an end to those mid-year blues.
Comments I hear quite often (even yesterday) include, "You kindergarten teachers are so __ (fill in the blank)" "I don't know how you do it." Franky, as I step into the mid-forties, working alongside women much younger, cooler and more energetic than me, I have days where I think, "I don't know how long I can do this." For this reason, I begin each day with prayers of thanksgiving and humble dependence, asking the Lord to help me love and serve my students well-- for His glory.
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