This morning, my church was blessed
to have this song,
sung and SIGNED
by three talented people
from the congregation.
::powerful lyrics::
both in spoken and signed language
1.30.2010
lessons from the day:: one
1. yesternight IS a word.
one of my three year old art students used it today .. and the words.... . "how very perfect.." actually scrolled across my brain.
Saw one of my TWO year old art students reading one syllable words off of vocabulary cards this morning. This is a girl who does not yet speak in complex sentences, yet she can read, basic words only, but SHE CAN READ>
I babysat tonight. Haven't done that, since ... well, come to think about it, I can't remember when. Had a whole lot of fun. Was cornered by two little blonde haired boys during a light saber throw down, made some paper airplanes, snacked all together on a pile of nilla wafers at the kitchen table.
After the boys were in bed, i attacked a stack of magazines i brought with me, the latest bon appetit [you know the one you've been eyeing _ yup with THAT sandwich on the cover]. Well, I read the gnocchi recipe over about ten times, have it basically memorized. And man, am surprised at how very simple is seems. Can't wait to try this out.
1.29.2010
tonight on repeat.
Your Hands
. JJ Heller .
_let her lyrics be a comfort to us all_
' when my world is shaking,
heaven stands
when my heart is breaking,
i never leave Your hands'
Psalm 62.1- 2
My soul finds rest in God alone;
my salvation comes from Him.
He alone is my rock and salvation;
He is my fortress,
I will never be shaken.
with your fingertips
tonight, in the sky, is one of those moons.
the type that if you climbed up the highest branch
_of the tallest tree
and reached with all your might..
you could just grab hold of . ..
that feels like the perfect escape right about now.
1.28.2010
a MacBook with a full battery
during the summer
i would purposefully get myself lost in the back roads of bernardsville and 'country' new jersey.take a left
a right
ohhh.. never seen that dirt road before..
my thought was _ if you have your cell phone on you, and a full tank of gas... as long as it's light out, it's safe
[my dad would have to disagree]
a place worthy of knowing, a person with good advice
or just a breath-taking view.
well, it's winter now,
and my four wheel drive car is gone.. i'm stuck to adventuring another route.
i didn't have much schoolwork..
and made the conscious decision to relax,
much needed for my mind and body.
To my chagrin though, all of my favorite
'television programming', Office included,
{ultimate thursday nighters, are you with me?}
were repeats.
i could have read, but once again, i opted for my MacBook and couch instead.. reading on that screen seems a
bit more ... lazy..
and i was in the mood for that.
'places worthy of knowing'.
from blog to blog to blog _ it's like Christmas morning.
a blogging pastor .. .
you've got to head on over for some Bible learning
from his son.
Too much!
http://withoutwax.tv/
One of the women who started Bloom Book Club, of which I am a part, Jessica Turner _ this is her husband's blog. Thought-provoking, witty. I've been following it for a while. .. But today it linked me to a musician of which I had never heard,
Shaun Groves
http://shaungroves.com/
something to think about as we live out our lives tomorrow.
as we pass strangers throughout the day.
Let us Love Jesus
on my calendar::: march 1st
that's my girl Lenka singin' in the background.
"You can be the BEST!?!" [awesome]
1.27.2010
:: Continue in Him
“Can you remember a time this past week, when you felt close to God? Actually felt His presence?” I was asked this question a few days ago as part of a Bible study.
Throughout my crazy days, I do find hidden pockets of quiet and peace_ I, sometimes think, God just sends these little messages down from above, to say [like in yesterday’s post] Continue in me, I’m with you..
It’s the little things that stop me in my tracks. seriously, dead IN my tracks - in the middle of the sidewalk, or the side of the road. Things that others may overlook. Sometimes, I may get caught up in it, or as some people have told me, read too deeply into things. Sure, I do tend to do that at times. But how can you look at the nature that surrounds us each day and not see God’s reflection? That, I think, is overlooking the beauty of life itself.
Sometimes, signs and coincidences can be misleading though. A beautiful sunset does not a miraculous message from heaven make. Though wouldn’t it be easy, if that’s how it all worked? This week, I erred on the side of caution~
I have gotten in the car and found myself, hearing the same song, that reminds me of the same person.
So I prayed, prayed that if for some reason, God was laying him on my heart for a reason, that He would give him peace _and quiet his heart like only He could. That God would let him know, that He has a purpose for him, and will guide him as He always has in the past.
Once again, today, this morning AND afternoon, immediately after getting in the car, the same song. I’m thinking coincidental, right? The song’s just on the new 99.1 playlist. I then changed the station_ trying out the heathenness ways of Z100, to which I hear yet another reminder of this person.
OK, God, I get it. I sending out prayers left and right. Whether this individual needs prayer or not [who doesn't, right?], he's covered for the next month or so.
Has this ever happened to you?
1.26.2010
no, not John, 1 John
Tonight, i met with my small group at church. we have spent time the last two weeks, reading 1 John_ not to be confused with John.
1 John is nestled so far back in the books of the Bible, you could easily flip right on through. [ it's all of 3 1/4 pages in my Bible] .. All but these verses, that practically highlighted themselves as I read.
1 John 1:5 God is light; in Him there is NO darkness at all.
What a daily challenge _ and yet such an amazing promise. .
1 John 2:28 And now, dear children, continue in Him, so that when he appears we may be confident and unashamed before Him at His coming.
Continue with Him, He is with us now, will be with us forever. never leaving or forsaking. Continue with Him by your side, tomorrow and the next day... ... .
1.25.2010
1.24.2010
my little bungalow
i pull over to ogle homes such as this one.
it wasn't until recently, i realized they had an official name.. .
and to my excitement when you google image
my dreambook of future residences magically appears.
it was at my sister's i first heard this.. .
kinda appropriate figurin' the name.
can't help but adore this song.
///and those jeans with the zipper up the back of the leg... .
1.23.2010
You broke through my deafness
with a new song.
I woke up in darkness
surrounded by silence
oh where, where have I gone?
I woke to reality
losing its grip on me
oh where, where have I gone?
Cause I can see the light
before I see the sunrise
You called and you shouted
broke through my deafness
now I’m breathing in
and breathing out
I’m alive again!
You shattered my darkness
washed away my blindness
now I’m breathing in
and breathing out
I’m alive again!
Late have I loved you,
you waited for me,
I searched for you…
what took me so long?
I was looking outside
as if love would ever want to hide
I’m finding I was wrong
Cause I can feel the wind
before it hits my skin
You called and you shouted
broke through my deafness
now I’m breathing in
and breathing out
I’m alive again!
You shattered my darkness
washed away my blindness
now I’m breathing in
and breathing out
I’m alive again!
I’m alive again!
Cause I want you!
Yes, I want you,
I need you
And I’ll do what ever I have to
Just to get through
cause I love you
Yeah, I love you!
You called and you shouted
broke through my deafness
now I’m breathing in
and breathing out
I’m alive again!
You shattered my darkness
washed away my blindness
now I’m breathing in
and breathing out
I’m alive again!
1.20.2010
i heart teaching: reason #3
[During our novel study of Number the Stars]
Name other groups of people in history who have needed protection or help. Why?Jesus, poor people .. .
1.19.2010
This is gonna be a blastula!
there's something about just hearing a voice, and not having a single face to read or body to watch. it's what old time radio shows must have been like. when everyone gathered around the radio in the living room and listened to detective shows and jack benny.
anything heavy laden with sarcasm_ count me in. i'll be back for seconds, thirds.. .
food and fun found here
* i can never learn enough new words .. . 'unctuous'. gonna use this one from now on.
* 'So these are goat eggs?'
* 'one day, i googled snowy white bottom on google images and i liked what came up.. .'
* ... 'and it's also a terrible name for a rapper.'
listen for your own favorites.
p.s. i wanna know John Thorne says about toast.
1.18.2010
casSettes///i.Pod of funk
found these guys on the radio this weekend.
love all that they encompass:::
their geekiness, the funkiness. every ounce.
you'll be singin' "higher and higher .. higher and higher" .... .
when you're done with this i.pod
1.17.2010
a recipe for a happy child
he refuses to lift his pencil because "he can not come up with any ideas".
his head will go down on the desk and he will moan and groan as if he is in physical pain.. he's not... he's simply lazy often times.
now, i'm not saying there aren't any issues here. believe me, there are, and i have had several sessions where i have counseled this young boy. telling him how I believed in him,
whether or not he thought anyone else did.. i wanted him to know that I was behind him 100 percent. all the way. that he could count on me. no matter what. and will help him in any possible way i can.
he is an awesome kid. full of creative ideas. he is the student who came up with this writer's notebook entry in the beginning of the year. ..
Recipe for disaster
One litter of bouncing puppies, springy tails optional. one large mud puddle, one freshly cleaned carpet, one shiny vase. two little boys and a dash of frantic mom
Directions: take mud puddle, add litter of puppies, mix well (springy tails, makes mixing easier) prepare carpet by thoroughly shampooing. pour dirty puppies onto carpet. Add little boys. Run around until well combined. Crack one shiny vase. Add frantic mom and cook to boiling mad. Cool completely before asking mom for a favor.
BrillianT!! This is why he is such a challenge. Capable yes, obstinate? Yes! with a capital Y! He could write entries like this on a daily basis.
There are days when he drives me completely insane.. so much so that i feel like jumping out my second floor classroom window. but he's also the one though, who inspires me, who makes me want to continue to be a teacher.
it's funny how that works.
he's the reason why i started this "Jumpstart" idea with my class. i tease him about how he views everything as down in the dumps. one night for homework, i wrote in his homework planner, "only happy thoughts til 6 pm".
he said he couldn't do it.. .
I knew he could.
part of it is his need for attention. i think like a lot of my students, he is in need of some hard core real parent loving that he isn't getting at home. super duper hugs and kisses and attention.. one on one. he thrives on that. that's when i can get him to work, that's when i get him to smile and share about his life.
.. back to the jumpstart.. the next day... for morning meeting with my kids. i asked this young boy if he could share one good thing that started off his day that morning, he joked around a little and then out came this awesome response _ exactly what i was looking for, something little but something that made him happy.. he said .. he had sausages for breakfast. i said that surely would have made my day start off in the right direction. i hadn't even had breakfast that morning. last week, a girl shared her jumpstart was she was wearing her fuzziest warm socks for the day and that made her feel great.
Anything to get these kids to think about the good things in life. because as much as we, as adults, are dealing with stress and negatives floating around us day by day, I see it in these little lives as well. It's sad to say. And it needs to be fixed.
It has become our morning tradition now, I read a bit from our class read_aloud and then the students share their Jumpstarts. We've had some pretty fun ones. from little _ to big things.
This morning [Sunday] as I opened up the curtains, I noticed the herd of deer I wrote about months ago, now all grown up. Made me smile to see those familiar creatures again. Seems silly but, it's the little things, right?
Often times, I think about my students and what the future holds for them. Not to say that I am a master of psychology and have perfected the lessons of life. Because I am far far from that. So far i'm not a blip in the radar.
I think about the time they spend with me. the academic lessons seem less important than the other values I try to impart upon them day by day. if at my age, they can be happy about their yummy breakfasts, and warm socks. And instead of grumbling about the deer in the road, watch in awe at their beauty_ i will feel like i did my job.. even if they forget the definition of a composite number.
1.13.2010
in a nightgown in NYC
go ahead take a closer look... .
yes _ an empty glass i put BACK in the refrigerator. I have absolutely no recollection of doing this. none at all. This is what scares me most. .. and I have come to doing things like this a lot lately. Leaving keys in the front door overnight, putting milk in the cupboard. Last week, I left corn in the microwave for three days before discovering it shriveled to oblivion in a sad looking bowl.
If you hear about a 30 year old woman wandering around New York City in her nightgown with no identification muttering 'must blog lilies, must blog lilies' come save me. I guess that kinda stuff happens in the city all the time though. The only thing is this time you'll end up knowing who it is.. .
1.10.2010
AND the WINNER is.. .
check SincerelySisters for updates on the
first Tyler Florence challenge.
More coming soon!
Additional info and food lovin' can be found
on my sister's blog at the Last Bite.
1.09.2010
things that made me happy today _one
.a hug from a confused, but sweet lady at church_ after packin up her lunch. [long, but cute story]
.recognizing the constellations in the clear night sky _ even if it was 10 degrees out and I was holding 2 _30 pound bags of laundry in each hand.
.finding out there were HEATED seats in my new car.
.my mom telling me, “I’m proud of you.” And then later saying, “you look old.. [ok, that not so much _but the follow up of ] You look like a woman. I’ve never seen that before.”
.the party platter piece of turkey sloppy joe I ate as part of my lunch.
.my fat cat snoring right beside me as I type away in bed.
sweet dreams jayden.
.recognizing the constellations in the clear night sky _ even if it was 10 degrees out and I was holding 2 _30 pound bags of laundry in each hand.
.finding out there were HEATED seats in my new car.
.my mom telling me, “I’m proud of you.” And then later saying, “you look old.. [ok, that not so much _but the follow up of ] You look like a woman. I’ve never seen that before.”
.the party platter piece of turkey sloppy joe I ate as part of my lunch.
.my fat cat snoring right beside me as I type away in bed.
sweet dreams jayden.
1.04.2010
there were never such devoted sisters.
Would you like to Stir the Pot as well? Join the fun.
the most recent Sincerely Sister's post
1.03.2010
you can never have enough hot water
i've been known to take long showers. wait.. . that's in past tense. i AM known as a long showerER.
years ago, when i lived at home, my dad would knock on the bathroom door, "the town just called about the hot water?!!? you used it all up." My long showers are not the source of my most recent dilemma though.
Thoughts roll around my mind like that an 18 wheeler. never ending. i replay conversations, in attempts to figure out what the other person meant by that subtle pause, when in reality, they just too many burritos for lunch. . .. .
In addition to conversations _ i have mental grocery lists, appointments that need to be scheduled, due dates, draft response letters to parents [if i send out the first 'knee-jerk' copy of these, i likely will be fired]
And if I never write these things down, what ends up happening, of course, i forget... having to return to the grocery store for that 12 pack of toilet paper. yes _ i know, a single girl, what do I do with 12 rolls...?
in the shower, i was drafting aloud a scoring rubric for an assignment, that needs to be corrected this weekend. "5 points if the assignment is neat and organized _ 10 points if the student used details from the book to support his/her predictions." By saying it out loud, i figured i would remember it.. .not so much. Half hour later, i was left with the dregs of this awesome "shower" rubric I had created.
Well, i figured it out by the time i had gotten dressed, not the rubric, that is_ how to fix this dilemma.
i solved a simple problem, the first problem of 2010. figured i can get the easy ones first. i know more are coming, real ones. but i was happy about the solution to this.
and i am going to have fun.. only problem is.. my showers may end up taking longer...
bathtub crayons. oh boy!
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