Your First "Nightly Commission" Assignment of 2015-2016

Students, please click the link below and read the article before our next class meeting. Read all four pages (14-17). There will be an assessment over the material. If you make a comment on the blog regarding this article, you will receive extra credit. #chaneyland #GOALdiggers #WeAreFrenship

Ten Things You Need to Know About China

The First Week of School

As I prepare to wind down the first week of school, I find myself reflecting on the teen-aged souls that have walked through my classroom door all week. Each and every one of them is amazing, unique, talented, beautiful, and, for lack of a better word, fun! I am thrilled about this school year. God is working in me in ways that I never knew were possible (1 Peter 3:1, "Your godly lives will speak to them better than any words."). I hope so! This sixteenth year of my career appears to be a golden one! Happy Fri-Yay--tomorrow!

The First Day of School, 2015

I am quite excited for this school year to begin--giddy, actually! It won't be much longer until I finally get to meet my seniors and my freshmen this morning. Let's see what God has in store for us over the next nine months.

My Scripture today is from 1 Peter 3:12, "The eyes of the Lord are over those who do right, and His ears are open to their prayers."

Father, my prayer for this school year is that I will be the salt and the light in my students' eyes. May everything that I say and do, while in the presence of these children, bring You glory and honor. I pray that I will not lose sight of this mission that you have commissioned me to, for your children are the greatest gift to the world, and I get the privilege of being part of their lives. When difficulty comes my way, please help me to remember that the children who need the most love will ask for it in the most unloving of ways. I ask for Your divine patience, wisdom, and love to help see a child as well as myself through those difficult moments.

Please bless Frenship High School and everyone who is part of it, Father. It is in Jesus's name that I pray, AMEN.

Let's do this!

#WeAreFrenship

The Hiatus Is Over!

I have decided to truly give blogging a try--in my classroom--with my students! Let's see how this goes. Stay tuned...

The Dash, Part II

It's been almost two years since I've posted a blog. Today, I read my last blog, which was titled "The Dash." I was surprised at just how powerful that blog is. After reflecting upon where my mental, physical, spiritual, and emotional states were two years go, I'm excited to report this morning that I've been living that blog--family first, take care of myself, and stick close to God--I can proudly attest that my life is great! Actually, it's beyond great! I've never been better! 

I can testify that my change of heart, thinking, attitude, spirit, friendships, health, and lifestyle have improved 100% after challenging myself to "live the dash" two years ago. 

Ironically, I'm sitting in staff development at this very moment listening to Dr. Saenz speak about The Power of a Teacher.  Saenz is touching on all of the points that my blogs from both two years ago and this blog that I'm currently writing discuss about living the dash: taking control of life and living it better, basically. 

I have to go now because I can't think well nor write well while listening to a presenter, but this felt good--writing down my thoughts and reflecting on how I'm trying to live better. Now, it's time to get back to the dash! 

Until next time, live your dash! 

The Dash

Last night while watching "The Middle" I was struck by a profound statement made by one of the characters, Mike. He was speaking to a group after his brother's wedding about family. He mentioned that on our tombstones, we will all have a birth date listed below our names.What was so striking though is that he said it is the dash that comes after that birth date and before the second date (death) that means so much. The dash represents life and what we do with it.

This gutted me because for so long I have allowed other things to take me away from the most important element in my life, and that is my family. I felt like I owed more to others than I did to my family. I gave more of myself to them (the others) rather than to my family. My family deserves better, and they will get it.

I pledge to myself, my son, my husband, and the rest of my family that beginning this summer, Thursday, May 24, 2012, you come first, as you should have before. 

When I am no longer on this earth, may my dash represent my time and my contributions to my family.  

America's Children

     This has been a terribly sad day for America, but more importantly, it has been a disgraceful day for the memory of Caylee Marie Anthony and for all children whose deaths have never been avenged here on earth. I have heard from people and organizations all over the world today that there is not enough evidence to convict her “mother” Casey of killing the two-year-old.  I guess from a legal and technical point of view that is true. However, I still call into question some of the evidence that appears to be quite condemning:  the odor in the trunk, the hair in the trunk, the duct tape, the partying for 31 days without worry, the fact that the grandmother was the person who actually called to report the child missing and not the mother, and the endless lies. My questions are still unanswered, and I will probably never be satisfied with answers because no one involved is willing to tell the truth: Who killed Caylee? Why? How? I guess we will never know, but I believe I know in my heart who murdered the child—it only takes a bit of common sense to figure it out; I am not judgmental; I am simply a mom and a teacher who loves children and believes they deserve the best and it is our duty to provide it for them. And someone let this poor child down.

     What I do know with utmost certainty is that a woman who, in my opinion, by all accounts had to have killed her child will be walking freely in the near future. I am convinced that by all of Casey’s actions and words spoken leading up to her trial are enough to convict her. Furthermore, I am convinced beyond all doubts that she is guilty after I had the disgusting opportunity to watch her reaction after the jury and spectators exited the courtroom today. What innocent mother can stand around laughing and giggling with others knowing her child rotted in a swamp? If I had not seen this behavior with my own eyes, I doubt I would have believed it actually happened. But I saw it, and I was enraged by her laughter and nonchalant attitude.  Who does that? Shouldn’t Casey’s thoughts have immediately been focused on the fact that her child’s murderer is still on the loose?

     Sadly, history will probably repeat itself and Casey, the lawyers, the jurors, and perhaps even members of the Anthony family will profit off of the death of a child with book deals, interviews, and who knows what else. That will be a disgrace if it happens.

     The reason why I am writing this blog is simply to wrap my mind around today’s events in Florida and to organize my thoughts about the state of our society.  Why are children not valued anymore? They truly are gifts from God. How can people so easily discard children? Our nation has made it so easy to harm a child without any or little punishment. This is terribly wrong and it breaks my heart.

     I sit here writing with tears in my eyes. When I began this blog a few minutes ago, I had big plans to incorporate more thoughts into it and to make it have a big impact, but I just can’t, not tonight. I have to leave it here. This precious little girl who is now living peacefully in a perfect heavenly body is in our Father’s lap wrapped in His loving arms at this time. I can rest knowing that someday whoever murdered her and discarded her in a trunk and then in a swamp will one day meet their proper judgment.     Our God is a loving and forgiving God, but He assures us in his word that no one will go unpunished for harming a child.

     Tonight I joined a Facebook group called “Porch Lights on for Caylee.” To some, this may seem silly, but for those in this country who are like me and feel that a terrible judgment occurred today and want to peacefully protest the verdict and to show their support for an innocent child, turn your porch lights on for the entire night in Caylee’s memory. It’s not much, but it’s something. Most importantly, and this is hard for me to say since I am human, but we need to pray for her mother, Casey.  The future will be hard for Casey. She will undoubtedly be confronted with so much hate and criticism daily as she roams freely. She will be stalked and monitored 24/7 for some time to come. I can rest knowing that someday she or whoever committed the murder will receive their punishment eventually  even though it did not happen today.

     But for the time being, we move on. In doing so, I choose not to feed into the frenzy anymore. We have more children who need our prayers and action, we have bad parents who need help and intervention, and we have a country that has many programs, organizations, and people who don’t care about the broken, the lost, the hurting, and the innocent children—this needs to change. I will move my attention to these matters and these people.  I will pray for the best for all of our children.