The Incubator

Teaching the Core

2011-11-05T07:33:00.001-07:00

I like to think of myself as a creative teacher, but the last few years, my creativity has been snuffed out a bit! I've rediscovered a creative community of educators on Pinterest, so I'm going to attempt to maintain this blog as a "teacher blog" and share some of my own creations with others who've been equally generous.
Keep calm and teach on.
To the core and beyond!

Word Nerds

2011-01-07T20:41:00.000-08:00

I am not really into sports....but I think what I feel at the school spelling bee is probably what loyal fans feel during their favorite games! I love words. I am intrigued by the way words become trendy, and the way people copy patterns like this: So. Done. With. It. Does anyone know where that came from?!
Why is the word "epic" used so frequently all of a sudden?
Why do I seem to have terrible letters in all of my Words with Friends games?!

Good word nerd news: I introduced Bananagrams to my kids at school today. The kid in my class who struggles the most with reading and spelling wanted to know where you can get it, because He. Wants. It.!

Outsider

2010-06-28T18:32:00.000-07:00

I am out of the loop. I have not read any of the Twilight series books. I haven't seen the movie and I definitely didn't wear a "Team Edward" shirt to school the day the first movie was released! I had friends not much younger than me who stayed up until midnight to see the movie and got up and were working with kids at 7:45 the next morning. Yeah, no.
Lost? No.
Dancing with the Old Stars? No
American Idol? Two acts, possibly. I saw a girl with dreads and thought she was pretty good.

When Jesus said, "I have come that you might have life, and have it abundantly," what does that mean to you?!
I always thought it meant "Live life to the fullest...Don't waste your time and make excuses, or assume you have decades left on this planet." I'm really trying to shave off some of my time-wasters and fill those hours with things that speak life, truth, and love.

Summer Stuff

2010-06-10T05:51:00.000-07:00

You don't have to go far to get some rest, inspiration and relaxation in the summer. Take advantage of the longer days and lightened schedule (hopefully!) and read Crazy Love by Francis Chan with me! I'm on chapter two, and so far, it's wonderful.

Missing Dad

2010-02-14T13:48:00.000-08:00

I'm missing my dad today. He passed away on Feb. 12, 1996. At his memorial service, my aunt commented on how fitting it was that he went to heaven just in time for Valentine's Day. He was a very loving dad and husband. I don't think I ever saw my mom open her own car door. When I came home from school on Valentine's Day, there would be a little cardboard box of chocolates propped up against my pillow in my room. They were the kind that had the changing visual effect of a winking eye on a zebra or other character. Remember that?! Mom would get a big box with the fancy silk roses on the front. Dad had giant arms and hands that would crush you beneath his squeeze and hugs. He was my biggest cheerleader, saying constantly, "You can do it honey. You're the smartest girl I know." He left me in good hands with Alex. I was just marveling the other day how blessed and fortunate I am to go from having a dad like that to having a husband who encourages me and wants me to do everything I've dreamed of....except going to Russia...I remember when I mentioned that as we daydreamed in our 20s that he thought that was ridiculous. I'll bet he's changed his mind!

Growing Up

2010-02-06T18:47:00.000-08:00

We went to the wedding of our friend's daughter this evening. They were some of our first friends here in Fayetteville. After church one December in 1995, our three families went to Powerhouse for lunch and I remember our comparing places we'd lived and what life was like in Fayetteville. Today as their beautiful daughter walked down the aisle, I became teary as I remembered her coming to Sunday School in her beautiful dresses and shiny shoes. The wedding was very nice. It started with a song from Psalms, and a heartfelt greeting by the groom himself.

During the service, we recited The Lord's Prayer. I thought to myself, "Wow...what an awesome thing to hear this church full of people in prayer together!" When the pastor gave a benediction at the end, I thought, "Hey, that's kind of cool...having some words of scripture and blessing and encouragement spoken over you as you depart!" I guess after 39 years of growing up in the United Methodist Church, it's comforting to be back in the familiar. And the older I get, the more I realize that the bold, opinionated and passionate I'm-going-to-make-some-change attitudes get tempered as you become older and have a few more life experiences!

Quit Your Griping!!

2010-01-30T09:53:00.001-08:00

Get ready for a rant. You may be lucky enough to have coasted through life without many challenges or a loss. Unfortunately, you have fellow citizens in this life who are dealing with true hurts and difficulties of the heart-wrenching level. In the midst of browsing through my friends' Facebook updates in which they are complaining about going to their job today or griping about the weather God's dealt up for the day, I'm daily reading inspiring reflections from our former pastor, Tim Webster, whose lovely young wife is at home with hospice care after a year-long battle with a brain tumor. Lara blogged every day about her treatments and what was going on with them, their church family in Maryland at Uniontown Bible Church, and their three young kids. Every day, there was something to laugh or cry about as she honestly wrote about the pain and hope. However, she always kept a positive outlook. Her God is in control, so what more could she want? About three weeks ago, Lara lost her ability to be able to speak or type to put together sentences. Her loving husband is reporting daily, and still, NO GRIPING!! He shares a word from The Word every day that God has given him that helps him cope. Please join me in praying for their family.

I remember my dad, my hero. He was just a blue collar guy who went to a bit of college, but had great wisdom born of circumstances. When he was five, he watched from behind a piece of furniture in the kitchen as his drunken and enraged father shot his mother through the kitchen window. He told me at the end of his life that he'd lived his whole life with a picture in his head of his mom lying on the floor in a pool of blood. His dad turned the gun on himself following her shooting and left behind 7 orphaned children in the midst of the Depression to aunts and uncles who were having trouble taking care of their own families. When my dad was an adult, he fell in love with my mom, and when they couldn't have children of their own, adopted two kids. When I was 2 and my brother was 4 mos. old, we were coming home from a visit to my grandparents in Tahlequah, OK, and we had a terrible wreck. My brother Frank died on impact, and my mom was paralyzed on the left side of her body for the rest of her life. From what I can piece together now, I think she suffered from depression and fibromyalgia until she passed away when I was 14. But EVERY NIGHT before dinner, my dad prayed, "Lord, bless those who are less fortunate than us." I remember one day when I was older thinking, "Dad! Who is less fortunate than YOU, for crying out loud?!!" He never complained. He felt blessed to have me, even though I was a handful as a kid, and to have the days he had with my mom. He was thankful to have a job and his remaining family members.

So, I hope I've given you some inspiration today, even if it's in a "take you out to the woodshed" kind of way. Sometimes we need an encouraging word, and sometimes we need a kick in the pants. The other day I remembered how sometimes when I was having a fit as a kid, my mom would say, "Stop that crying, or I'll give you something to cry about!" Although this isn't the way I think God works, I hate to tempt Him by showing ungratefulness for what he's given me, or how he's dishing up the weather!

Cold Weather Tips for Southerners

2010-01-09T14:22:00.001-08:00

I am thankful for all of the great experiences we had moving all over the place, and I think I have some useful info for my fellow Southerners since I survived TWO winters in Minneapolis. Our welcome to Minnesota was on the Halloween Snowstorm of 1991...24" of snow. And it didn't get above freezing from then until late March or something.

Here are some survival tips:

Your coat must be long enough to cover your bootie, or you may as well not wear one.
You must wear long johns, silks, or tights under your clothes.
Wear a hat and gloves. It makes a huge difference.
Put vaseline or chapstick on your lips before you go outside.
Moisturize your face before you go outside.
Leave the cabinet doors open so warm air can get to your pipes.
Let the water drip a bit to avoid freezing pipes.
If you find a pipe has frozen, see if you can rig a curling iron or heating pad on the pipes so it will thaw. Be careful, though....this is not advice from a certified plumber or anything!
Set your thermostat to 60 or 55, if you can take it, at night while you sleep. John Tesh said once that your metabolism has to work harder to keep you warm, burning more calories. You breathe easier because the air isn't so dried out.
Enjoy the opportunity to use your back patio or deck as a cooler. How many other times during the year are you able to invite friends over, just open the back door, and shove the drink cans down into the snow instead of bothering with fridges and purchased ice?!
Be thankful for today! This is the day the Lord has made. He created the beauty and uniqueness of weather, sunrises, sunsets, and amazing crystal formations. Make your own virtual snowflake.

Great Way to Start 2010!

2010-01-01T07:31:00.000-08:00

Stole this from a former pastor/friend in Maryland. Who's with me for the year?!

Bible Reading Plan for 2010

Reading Through the Bible Plan

January 1 Genesis 1:1-2:25 Matthew 1:1-2:12 Psalm 1:1-6 Proverbs 1:1-6

January 2 Genesis 3:1-4:26 Matthew 2:13-3:6 Psalm 2:1-12 Proverbs 1:7-9

January 3 Genesis 5:1-7:24 Matthew 3:7-4:11 Psalm 3:1-8 Proverbs 1:10-19

New Year Considerations

2009-12-31T16:16:00.000-08:00

If you're like me, you get very introspective as the New Year approaches. I'm not as inclined to choose a "resolution" that isn't realistic, but I do spend some time pondering what choices I need to make to have the best year possible. Every year I hope to improve my health by exercising and giving up unhealthy foods. I haven't done well with these goals in the past, and it's just a matter of time before I'm forced to make the changes after an E.R. visit! Nonetheless, I'm sharing some New Year's considerations with you, my one reader.

Each year I pick a charity of choice to gift with honorariums and memorials. When someone passes on or celebrates a special birthday or anniversary, I make a donation to the charity in their name. This year, that charity will be Olivia's Basket.
Another thing to do at this time of year is start considering summer mission trips. Go! Make sure your passport is up to date. If you don't have one, start the process!
Get real this year. If something is important to you, you'll make time for it! No more lame excuses. If there is something you've really wanted to make a commitment to do, find a great accountability partner, and get honest and ask for some help. Cheer each other on to improvement.
Read. It gives you something interesting to talk, blog, update or tweet about!
Stretch. Take on a new responsibility or learn something new this year.

So, on that note, I once again will try to exercise more, make healthier eating choices, get organized, and go on more trips this year. I want to make time for the things that I say are most important to me. No lame excuses!

Summer

2009-06-19T05:48:00.000-07:00

Summer is always a challenge for me. I have too many projects that are not fun or easy for me to accomplish, so I get frustrated and feel poorly about myself. I do much better just going to work where I feel as sense of satisfaction. So, unfortunately, summer is often about discipline for me. YECH. I am getting ready to hopefully challenge myself to get into the Word a bit more by doing a Beth Moore study with a few other women. Each day, I'm trying to tackle one of the boring jobs such as cleaning out a cabinet or closet, and then having a reward of pool time or fun.

Bus Hayride

2009-04-06T16:31:00.000-07:00

Does Lisa look terrified to you here?! Look how calmly she prays inwardly although inside, it's sheer terror.

Women's Retreat

2009-04-06T15:11:00.000-07:00

Well, I feel I must update my blog since Lisa referenced me in her site! Our first retreat was incredible. We were in the oldest cabins at the ranch, but it was cozy and just right for our size. What a beautiful day on Saturday! The teaching was incredible. As Alex's cousin Diana says, "The LORD took me out to the woodshed!" I needed a few whippins about my thought life and my talk. I pray I keep remembering and take the time to go back and study and get myself stronger. We're already brainstorming about next year, plus, my good friend Susan suggested we have a reunion night in about a month to find out and share how we're doing on getting stronger... great idea!

Yes We Can

2009-01-19T16:04:00.000-08:00

I want to jump on the optimistic bandwagon about the inauguration tomorrow. I hope it does inspire people to get up off their couches and get involved and do things. I saw on Oprah that Demi Moore has made some kind of website where you can go and commit to what you're going to do to help. I want to encourage any of you who need a challenge to join me and others in a book study of John Piper's book, Spectacular Sins, through thepreacher's wife blog. The theme is build yourself strong in knowledge and confidence in the Lord, so that no matter what, you know He's glorified. We read the introduction to discuss today, so you're not too behind. Stretch yourself and join in!

Mom Jeans

2008-09-22T15:45:00.001-07:00

Today a girl in class asked if Halloween would be on a school day this year. I replied, "I don't know, why?" She said, "Well, if it is, then I'm going to dress up like you. I'm going to get some pants like you wear (at this point, she's pulling hers up to her armpits like Steve Erkel) and get some glasses from my mom." I started to say something like, "You don't want me wearing pants that will show my tattoos," or something smart like that, and then I remembered I'm wanting to rise to school leadership and just chuckled.

Could I Be a Nerd?!

2008-09-20T11:42:00.000-07:00

As I watched the clock carefully this morning planning my day, I pushed the trip to the grocery store back to well after kickoff of the Razorback game. I dropped by school to do a few things I left on the desk yesterday when I ran out to pick up things for Colleen's surprise bday party. I turned on the radio and worked a bit, enjoying the peace and appearance of my desk after I cleared off some piles. Finally, it was safe to go to the store. The only people shopping during a Razorback game in Fayetteville, Arkansas are either outsiders or nerds! I enjoyed every inch of space as I motored down the aisles and whizzed up to an empty checkout line. Poor, poor Alex needs to find a friend who'll invite him to the games. I'm going downstairs now with a stack of papers to grade (more nerdy behavior) while he watches this pitiful, sorry game on the big screen!

Seasons and Priorities

2008-09-13T13:30:00.001-07:00

Being a teacher allows you to have a breather every summer, which is wonderful. Most of us have to go to workshops, or take a college class, but all in all, there are ten weeks in which to make choices about how you fill your days.
Fall brings instant scheduling...event after event with barely a moment to breathe. It's when I'm the most busy, however, that I am better able to "keep the main thing the main thing!" I remember several years ago, I heard a Baptist preacher doing a commercial for his church on t.v., and he said, "Are you too busy for church? We always find time for the things that are most important to us."
Ouch.
Therefore, after this update, I will draft a schedule for my prayer group. I was TOO BUSY, but two new teachers at my school asked in the last week when we were starting! How could I not find time for that?!

Moxy Maxwell Does Not Love Stuart Little

2008-07-18T06:48:00.001-07:00

Since I'm a schoolteacher, summer holds many possibilities: cleaned and organized closets, reading, catching up on rest, having lunch in the outside world with other adults for longer than 22 minutes, watching fireflies, making homemade limeades...
Well, I've done well on the lunch goal! I think my record for time out at lunch was 3 hours and 30 mins.! Now that's a long lunch.
I just finished a children's book, Moxy Maxwell Does Not Love Stuart Little, and it's all about a girl who has a summer reading assignment, and she puts it off and procrastinates until it's the night before school starts! I am Moxy Maxwell!! I have a paper I owe a professor for a class in the springtime for which I requested an extension. I must do it this weekend. It's to the point it's an integrity issue, and I hate that!! So, pray for me to get some discipline.

New SpringWidget

2008-06-27T14:27:00.001-07:00

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Ladies' "Time Out"

2008-06-26T06:40:00.000-07:00

Our small group (and any extras!) was planning a girls' afternoon of fun this Sunday, June 29. Movie? Hanging by the pool? Surely I can throw out the Guitar Hero/Halo/Real guitar playing crew for an afternoon! What sounds fun?

Discussion Challenge

2008-03-13T04:22:00.000-07:00

The question being tossed around last week:
Can demons "possess" or indwell in a person who also has the Holy Spirit?