In Memoriam

Well, for those of us that live in the Puget Sound area we have heard of the events of Sunday Nov. 29th. The senseless shooting of 4 Lakewood Police Officers by someone who should not have been out of jail. All 4 officers had worked in our building this year. I didn't know all of them personally but for whatever reason, their deaths hit me hard. Maybe becuase they were all similar in age. Maybe because of the families that they all leave behind. Maybe because I know the impact they had at my school and in the community. Maybe because the act itself was so heinous and unfathomable. I don't know why. Through all this madness, I take comfort in the fact that it is ultimately God's world and He will always be there for us. He has prepared a place of rest for us and if we come boldly to the throne of our gracious God, we will receive His mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it. (Heb 4, NLT) Thank God for His patience and mercy.

Prom

So last Saturday was prom. Apparently, I said I would chaperone and then forgot. It has been a LONG time since I have been to prom. As a matter of fact, this is only my 2nd. The first was mine. Do I need to say things have changed since then? I mean getting dressed up in all your pomp and foofiness is still there. But whatever happened to normal dancing? I guess I am dating myself here but since when did the bump & grind become a popular dance step. Don't get me wrong. The kids were very well behaved, the dinner was delicious, the presentations were great... but somebody explain to me the dancing. Have we gone so far off our moral compass that a young lady has no second thoughts about a young man saddling up behind her? Or a young man no compunction for maintaining the dignity of his date? And then we wonder why teen pregnancy is on the rise. When our society (not just schools) desensitizes our kids (when we allow it) through music, literature, pictures, movies, then it is no wonder our young people think sex is the next "natural" step. Call me old school, prudish, etc... I don't care. We gotta start helping our kids understand they are invaluable. I think when we start understanding that, we treat our bodies and our minds with more respect and dignity. Maybe? Maybe not? I guess these are just the ramblings of an "old person." Let's just say if I ever had kids, I would be chaperoning their prom. :)

Ephesians 3

So I was reading Ephesians 3 tonight. There is so much now that I understand more fully than I did a few years ago. At least I think I understand it. Not sure why that is or why it seems to take me so long to catch on. Anyway, I digress. Two things in particular in chapter 3... If I read it correctly, Do you know what the great mystery is? Paul often speaks of the mystery of Christ, the mystery, etc... The mystery is that ALL of us- that means the person who uses one cup, the person who uses instruments, the person who takes communion once a month- all of us who believe and have faith in Christ are heirs, brothers, sisters, family. Not only are we heirs we are one body, Christ's body which is The Church. And to top it all off we are sharers- I get a piece, you get a piece, he she they get a piece of the promise in Christ Jesus. What's that promise? Salvation, resurrection, hope of a new life. The second thing and maybe the more important thing is that when we understand the mystery and fulfill our part we have an even greater task. vs 10 "His intent was that now, through the church {that's us}, the manifold {many sided, multi-faceted, varigated} wisdom of God {referring to one people, one church, promise of Christ, etc..} should be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms..." Now wait a minute, back it up there, rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms. Who is Paul talking about? What rulers? What authorities? Interesting thought. Regardless, the degree to which we are united, shows God's wisdom. So the even bigger thing is that we are honoring God, showing His wisdom, not just to the "non-churched" but to all the other "heavenly rulers and authorities." Do you think it's working? Seems like a big task. Hope I am up to it.

Wednesday... Harumpf day

Today was a half day for kids. Those days typically feel rushed as you try to cram everything you need to do with your kids into 3.5 hours instead of 7.5 hours. Once the kids leave, the afternoon is filled with professional development activities. I was looking forward to some real collaborative time, maybe even some time to get caught up on all those piles on my desk. That's when I read the dreaded email.... "AGENDA." Crapadoodle... I have a meeting to attend. Mind you, I don't usually mind meetings. I am of the opinion that 99.9% of the time, I can learn something new; even when I have studied the subject extensively. Can I just say today was the .10%? I don't know if I was just in a bad mood to begin with or what but today was not the day for a meeting about nothing. As we sat and talked about my coworkers kids, my mind drifted to all the other slightly more productive tasks I could be about: a colonoscopy, a root canal, giving birth, oh yeah WORK!. I could just see my desk piles multiplying, threatening to crush my desk under their weight. Aargh!! At least I wasn't alone and I must admit the conversation was pleasant although it rarely drifted to anything work related. As I grew more impatient to leave, kicking myself for not taking a half-day sick leave, relief finally came. "The time is now yours." Thank You! Gathering my unopened book and unused pen, I scampered off to my "real" work. Only two hours wasted. So... the moral of the story? Next time, don't second guess yourself when you want to take a sick day.

Snow day

In the time it takes me to walk down the hallway at work, I realize I may be in for a fun commute home. Since when did it snow in February in Western Washington? Maybe I am not old enough to remember. As I watch the snow fall outside my window, I begin to worry about the drive home. I have pretty worn tires and nerves of jello when it comes to the powdery stuff. Will I need to chain up? How will I-5 be? Will my car even start? What if I wreck and suffer severe injury? Maybe I can out wait the snow.... About the time I have worked up enough nerve to feel I can drive and be okay, the snow begins to give way to rain. Ahhhh!!! Now rain I can deal with. Who was afraid of the snow? I laugh at snow, what was the big deal... Of course, if it freezes or snows tonight....tomorrow is a new day.