Women's Retreat

The title of this blog could conjure up many mental images, depending upon who you are and what views you possess. But since I am a Christian, let me give you the perspective of our Women's Retreat. We arrived at the Christian Camp after a long, but never boring bus ride. Eighteen women, spanning several generations, unloaded our luggage and bedding in the spacious cabin. We were joined by 20 other women who made the journey by personal vehicles. The rooms were abuzz as each woman chose her room, upper or lower bunk, or air mattress on the floor. Since the cabin was set up to handle two different churches at one time, the south end was designated as the late-night "party" girls while the north end was determined to house the early risers. A good plan that worked for the most part. However, there were a few ladies who stayed up to wee hours of the morning and arose early. The cabin was a flurry of making beds, airing mattresses and excited chatter. Soon it was time to have the devotional lesson given by me. I usually am not nervous, but had worried about this particular lesson for weeks. I wasn't even sure what topic to cover until I realized that I should talk about being an encourager. Being an encourager is one of my gifts for which I am very thankful. I shared with the ladies how each person needs to be encouraged. We attend athletic functions and cheer the teams on. We should be willing to do the same for each other. I shared personal stories of how encouragement helped change the lives of students that I have taught over the years, and how one boy had kept a reading award, printed on simple white paper for six years. I provided the retreat attendees with half sheets of paper upon which to write encouraging words. I urged them to write several and give them to one another during the weekend. The 200 sheets disappeared for the time being but returned with encouraging words for all. The fellowship we had cannot be explained in simple terms. New friendships were made and old ones deepened as we shared, laughed and learned with one another. How quickly the dismissal time came. We wished for more time and determined that next year there would need to be more.

Jack 'O Lantern

We had a wonderful experience tonight with our granddaughter. She came to our house to carve her first pumpkin. Grandma did the cutting, and baby did the digging out. The pumpkin soon swallowed her arm up to the shoulder. As she pulled out the strings and seeds she slung them into the pan. When she tired with her right arm she switched to her left. Grandpa was caught off-guard and barely put the pan to the left to catch the contents of the pumpkin. As soon as the face was carved and candle lit, her eyes were as bright as the glowing pumpkin. Grandpa captured the baby next to the glowing face and her favorite black kitty. She probably will not remember much of the happenings tonight. But her grandparents treasure them.

MINISTER For fifteen years we have been blessed to have one minister at our church. Through his guidance and preaching we have grown in numerous ways. Even those of us who have been part of growing churches throughout our lives have been excited about the changes made and the result of the growth of our current church. He is genuinely a man after God's own heart. Real. So it is not a surprise to learn that he has accepted the call to become a missionary minister in the New England states. I have seen the desire in his heart for more than a year now. He will do a tremendous job because he has been called and has yielded to that call. At his announcement, the lines were long to wish him well, to cry and hug, to long for his stay. The thought occurred to me--when have we ever had the opportunity to say goodbye to the departing minister with such love and devotion? The church receiving him will experience so many things in the coming years, but most of all will experience the minister's love for God and God's people. Now I rest assured knowing that God has chosen a new man to come to our congregation who will meet the needs and help make the changes necessary. May he yield to that call. And thank you, God.

Honor Roll Our first grading period has ended, and the much anticipated news of the report cards has transpired. M, my math assistant, saw one of our former students soon after the cards came out. The young lady said she was so hoping to make all A's on her report card. But she didn't. She remarked that she had received all A's except for the F in English. When M inquired as to why, the girl remarked, "Cause I ain't no good at English!" Nuff sed.

Kitty, Kitty, Kitty

We took the granddaughter to the petting zoo, hoping she would not be afraid of the small animals. She wasn't. When the baby donkey was brought close for her to touch, she called him "kitty" and tried to put her finger up his nose. Of course he didn't care much for that. The bunny (kitty) was too quick for her to stroke. And the calf (kitty) was too soiled with soon-to-be called fertilizer. As we left the area grandma was sure to wash the kitty off the baby's hand which caused her to want to touch the kitty again. Once back at our house she was able to touch, pull, pat, kiss, hug, and sit on the real kitty. Bet the cat wishes he were in a fenced-in petting zoo instead.

Grade Card Time

It's that time of the school year when all the efforts or lack of them will soon show up as grades on the report card. As a teacher I feel it important to offer my students many opportunities to show what they can do. (Unfortunately, when it comes time to sum them up, I have a lot of work to do.) Students are anxious with anticipation of receiving grades high enough to earn monetary rewards. Some will be disappointed and wish that their efforts had been a little more. Each year a student will excitedly share his or her card with me. Over time I have learn that it doesn't matter that I graded and figured the final grade, the child just wants someone to express interest. So I do, adding all the right sounds and punctuation of my voice. After all, it is my job to care. And I do.

BLANKIES The act of serving others is one of the most fulfilling acts that anyone can do. When that service is to complete strangers, the act becomes more rewarding. But when the service is such a comfort to bereaved parents who are so desperate with their grief, the act of serving goes beyond anyone's expectations and causes the encourager to want to serve even more. One such act of service is in the making of blankets for newborns and children who are hospitalized. My good friends in Cincinnati are deeply involved in such a service. It is called The Linus Project. I'm not up-to-date on their statistics, but I'm sure you can check the Project Linus out online. www.projectlinus.org The blankets bring comfort and relief to children of all ages. The part that always brings me to tears is the blankets sewn/crocheted for the tiny stillborn babies. Each stillborn is swaddled in a beautifully crafted blanket (can't think of the exact name given to the blanket) before handed to the grieving parents. The time spent with the little one cherished and so hoped for allows the parents some part of healing, some part of pride that is so difficult to achieve. This act of service goes beyond the comprehension of parents who have not suffered such a loss. One can be a part of the act of service in many different ways. Simply purchasing yarn or fleece is an important part. Constructing the blankets is another vital part, but even if one cannot sew or crochet, the act of service is done through untangling yarn or driving the blankets to the next drop off or many other ways. If you are interested in serving in such a way, please comment at the end of my post. Or since it is a nation-wide operation, check it out for yourself on line. The Mom