Un-Halloween

My Halloween this year was different.  Landry, my son is 15 this year.  So...
no more looking for days and days to choose the perfect costume...
no more trying it on a couple of times before the Halloween-night...
no more tromping up and down the street cheerily singing out "trick or treat"...
no more spreading out all the candy in the floor to examine each piece to see what treasures abound...
am I sad?  Maybe a little...but it wasn't such a bad night.

As a family, we went to the mall today (one of our favorite things) and shopped and people watched...
we went to the snowboard store to dream of gliding down the mountain with ease and style...
  (um...I must say I stayed in the car for this one, let the boys have some guy time!)
we went to dinner at a restaurant where-if your plate falls on the floor it will break...
we had a fun conversation.

We talked a little about scary movies, and I reminded them of the Halloween when a man gave Landry all his leftover candy (Lollipops from Valentines, Chocolate bunnies from Easter, and Candy Canes from Christmas).  We just enjoyed spending time with each other.

So it wasn't so bad, this un-Halloween.  I wouldn't trade a plastic pumpkin full of Reese Cups and Snicker Bars for it!

30 Days to De-Clutter

I'm going to commit to taking the next 30 days to de-clutter my home.  It's not the most cluttered home I've ever seen, but I could definitely benefit from simplifying my life.  So I'm gonna give it a try.

I have this inner battle about throwing things away.  I don't know if it is the teacher in me, or growing up with a very sensible mom who taught me not to be wasteful, but I have struggles with the toss-out! 

So, here goes, we'll see what happens!  Day 1 is the laundry room.

Let the Children Come

Tonight I took the K-6th Graders on a field trip to the International Museum of Cultures. We were treated to a private tour of the Torah Project. This is the only known collection of the entire Old Testament in one place. It was really amazing. Not only did we feel pretty special because no one else was there, but the kids know the Education Director of the Museum, Ani, our Pastor's daughter. So it was intimate and fun and special.

When we think about what church was like for people when these scrolls were written, it's a world away from what church is for us today. Ani told us that the only book that the Jewish people would have in their homes is the book of Esther, because it didn't have the name of God in it anywhere. The books with the name of God were only kept in the temples because it was the holy place.

I love that the word of God was so reverenced. I love the picture above; seeing those little fingers touching the Hebrew scriptures, and knowing that Jesus said, "let the children come to me." What a great word picture.

When Jesus came to us, he brought with him accessibility to God as never before.

When he left us, he gave us the comforter and his living word. I don't want to take for granted that I have the Holy Scriptures in my home, always at my fingertips.

My Ears Are Ringing

We have a new instrument in our house. (you can't really see it in this picture, but I just like this picture!) It's a set of tenors or quads, you know it's 5 drums that one person carries all at once. It looks so heavy, but more than that. It is LOUD! I thought the marching snare drum was loud, but these are REALLY loud! My son has had a drumset for years, and I've always said, "It doesn't bother me...it's music!" So I'm trying to repeat that to myself over and over!

Glad we made that "NO Drums After 9:00pm" rule. I'm sure our neighbors are too!

What You See

I was stopped dead in my tracks Wednesday night while talking to one of my teachers at church. This particular teacher always has something wise to say, and this night was no different.

If you've been in a classroom at all, you know that from time to time it's just stressful. Maybe that stress comes from fatigue (your or the children's), or from not being as prepared as you should be, or from behavior issues...there are lots more, but we'll stop here...you get the idea.

So the teacher began telling me that she's been praying for her kids in earnest. There are several different kinds of kids in her class: one who knows lots about the Bible, one who hasn't been to church very much in their life, one who doesn't like to follow directions, one who likes to interrupt. And in each of their own ways, they can be an interruption to the classroom.

She told me that when she was talking to God about one of the kids who is an interrupter, God said back to her: "What you see as an interruption, I see as someone who can speak my truth!"

That's it...that's what stopped me cold. Wow...I need to remember that every time I step in front of kids. What I see and what God sees is so different. God has big plans for all of us! God has big plans for the kids in our classrooms. Their idea of God will come from what they see of the Godly.

I'm humbled and inspired by her words.
And I can't wait to get back to class to "see" those kids with "God eyes"!

Mum's the Word

I learned two new things recently.

1. How to make a homecoming mum.

2. That Texas and Oklahoma are the only states that really even have homecoming mums. Who knew?

I thought that these over-the-top flowers were common for homecoming celebrations across the country, and as I was researching, found out not so.

I learned how to make one (not really hard by the way, staples and goo-ga is all you need!) so that my son's girlfriend would be well-adorned on homecoming night.