Quit My Day Job!

My students are working on a poetry unit. It is difficult because they have to put themselves out there and at this age they aren't as willing to do that as one might think. We write all different types and forms of poems including everyone's favorite - limericks! Every year I write an ode to my students, they usually get a kick out of it and this year was no exception. One group of students decided I should quit teaching and become a poet - apparently there's more money in it :-) I don't know know about that but I did have a teacher once who said that he would never ask us to do anything he wouldn't be willing to do and I try very hard to practice that with my students so here is part of my poetry project:

Ode to My Students

Oh how smart you are-
If only you could see
The potential locked inside

I push you to your limits
Hoping to one day unlock
The vault that lies within

You talk, laugh, and pass notes
Trying your best to drown me out
But my voice will not go away

You're tired of hearing sit down, quiet down
You're well aware life's not fair
And yet it doesn't seem to sink in...

I continue to teach because I believe
In you, my students
That one day the combination
We will find
To open up your minds!

Three...Yep....Three

On our trip we got dressed up Texas style for a night of dancing at the Hullabaloo to benefit an organization that does surgery on kids with cleft pallets. It was a crazy but fun night.




All in all the trip to Texas was fantastic including the 36 hours in the car. It is a good thing my sister and I get along so well, I know some siblings who wouldn't make it 2 hours in the car let alone 4 days :-) We did have one snafu however, but what is a road trip without at least one. The great state of Texas has very conscientious Public Safety Officers who wanted to give me a reminder that the speed limit in Western Texas is 80 mph, not 83 mph as my cruise control had snuck up to at one point. Needless to say I was very thankful (yeah, thankful) for the reminder and will be ever so careful to not let that happen again in the great state of Texas if I am to travel there again (which I may not seeing how I have yet to return to Kentucky).

I Scream You Scream!

Touring the Blue Bell ice cream factory was tons of fun and the free sample helped too! Moo tracks is my favorite. I know Michiganders can't et Blue Bell, but of you ever get the chance, take it!


We hung out a lot, went on our annual cousins dinner, played with the kiddos and went to school with them! We watched several movies - I do not recommend "Michael Clayton" but "Why I got Married" Was great!

Crisis of Faith Part 1

This is part one of a series of blogs I will add over the next few days mixed in with vacation blogs. While I was in Texas I had an experience that I will not soon forget and one that I have not completely sorted out. This is something that has been 6 years in the making. I know it doesn't make sense to you yet but I beg you, stay with me, keep listening to me and please pray for me. This past week has been filled with anger, tears, and an incredible amount of eye opening for me.

Let me start from the beginning....

When I was in middle school I accepted Jesus Christ into my heart. I was at choir camp at Lake Huron Methodist Camp with friends and I couldn't stop crying during evening chapel. Having been raised in the church I knew what a momentous occasion this was. It is a vivid memory and a day that I will never forget. It was a day that changed my life, I was dedicated and I never looked back. I worked hard for God, I did volunteer work, I attended and taught Sunday school, I spent most of my free time at church, I followed the example set by those around me and I loved it. It was my path and I followed it with a glad heart.

Fast forward to January 16th, 2002. I went to work like any other day. I was working at the Wesley Foundation of Kalamazoo. I loved my job and it was like my second home because I never went home! I was a junior in college and I had it all, friends, a calling ( I wanted to attend seminary), a purpose everyday and joy in my heart. I walked into work that day and got a letter in my mailbox. It started with the words "Tearful Silence." 6 years later and I still have most of it memorized. I had to dig it out to get the date but not the words. At that moment my whole world fell out from under me. Our director, Pastor and friend was being reappointed to start a new church.

The following months were the most difficult that I have experienced. Saying goodbye, interviewing new candidates, keeping the ministry running, there was so much to do without letting on that my world was gone. So I ran away. At the time I would have told you that I believed I was called to work for God that summer and maybe I was but I ran away. I couldn't handle it. The pain was too much. The thoughts of what was to come was too much.

When I returned to a new director I told myself I trying to make it work and I was doing what had to be done. It was not my fault it didn't go well and the mistakes were his fault. He was messing up. He was making huge mistakes. He had bad sermons, he was the reason for bad turnout. I disagreed with his politics and his decisions and it was a terrible year for me. I was so angry. I was so convinced it was him. I was so angry at God. My friends agreed with me for the most part. But it was divided. I lost some good, God loving people that year that I truly miss. It didn't matter. I was right and he was wrong.

The Methodist Church was wrong to take away our friend, our leader. They made the mistake. I blamed everyone, I was filled with anger and sadness and I stopped doing my job. I still went through the motions but by January I couldn't do it. I couldn't even step foot inside the building.

Wednesday March 26, 2008 I attended the evening service at Central Baptist Church in College Station, Texas. I was not looking for anything. I was there too see Little Brick #1 sing on stage and that was it. After all it was a Baptist church, what could I possibly learn. (This is my horrible attitude regarding religion lately). How wrong I was. When I left that service I had so much to think about and pray about and a big decision to make.

The pastor had been taking the congregation through the Lord's prayer line by line each week. This week was Forgive those who have trespassed against you. He told us that we are not allowed to ask for forgiveness unless we forgive those who have wronged us first. He said much more than that but that was basically the message. I am not entitled to God's forgiveness until I forgive other people. At first I was like - ok no big deal. But then I got to thinking, have I forgiven everyone I should. My mind drifted back to the anger I still hold for the events of 6 years ago. I was still angry at the man who had come in and taken over. I was still harboring terrible feelings toward this man who I felt had wronged me and ruined what was such a happy time in my life.

After the service we sat and talked about it. I cried and got angry, I didn't want to stop being angry. He had wronged me. I had a right to be angry - didn't I? I was gently reminded my cousin and sister that I God wasn't giving me that right. Which made me sad and angry and cry more. It was a long night! I was consumed by thoughts of this. Was I really still angry? Was this a big deal? It was a lot to think about.

I will write more later and tell you how I have resolved these feelings so far. There is more to this story so please stay tuned.

Easter Sunday 2008

Texas Spring Break!!!

This was a great Easter for me. It was the first time in years that I was able to be with family. three years ago I was in the hospital and the last two years I have been here. In Yuma. Sarah was here last year but this year we were able to drive (18 long hours) to Eastern Texas and spend our Spring Intercession with our cousin and her family. Easter is such an important holiday for Christians and it is hard not to celebrate with family.

I have lots to share about our trip, it's hard to know where to start. On Easter we went to church and then had lunch with Jamee's in-laws. We then got to take a nap, changed into our play clothes and had an egg hunt, played baseball and then played a fun dice game with the grown-ups called Farkle.

We Don't Own this Night (Part Deux)

It was recently brought to my attention that I never came back to tell you the outcome of what happened after our exciting evening. At school I talked with our school resource officer and he said he would look into it even though he had this little smile on his face. The smile that told me he thought I was over reacting and should not be worrying about this - he has been on the force many years and this is pretty low on his radar but since he is my friend he looked into it for me.

The official report from the Yuma Police Department was this: On the evening in question nothing happened. No calls were made to 911 or directly to the department. No police were dispatched to the complex for any official reason and no reports have been filed since. So nothing happened. Apparently we made it up. Maybe we do own the night after all....

In the interest of wrapping up other news, my student who had run away/was missing has been found. The day after I spoke with her mother the U.S. Marshalls located the man she was with and he gave up her location. She has been reunited with her family and we will be having a meeting Monday to determine the best course of action regarding her education and return to school. None of that really matters, she is safe with her family. This is one case of many that turned out good. So many don't, the relief was so great among the staff and students, I can't imagine someone that close to me missing for any length of time. She was gone for over ten days. It turns out the man she was with was 38 years old, she is 12. Incredibly scary. Thank you for your prayers.