One Year Ago

One year ago, I was into my first retirement year with no schedules or daily agenda to move me too early out of the house. I was, however, involved with a play at the theater. That served to keep me busy during the day as I searched for props and costumes. Now one year later, I am once again involved with a play at the theater doing the same things, searching for props and costumes. However, this year I add to that task, a couple of part time jobs that keep me busy enough to make my day seem like full time work.

I supervisor a nice group of young women as they student teach in area elementary schools. Enrolled in a nearby university, the intern course not only requires their presence at the elementary school one day a week, but they also have to write papers and complete assignments. All of which I have to grade and along with evaluating their teaching abilities assign their semester grade for the course. Its my task to read and score all of their assignments and return them to the students in a timely manner. Even though reading college students' papers are more interesting than reading third grade students' papers, I still get sleepy while reading.

Also, new from last year is a small tutoring group I've recently began to teach at the same school from which I retired. I marvel as I work with these students who are the same ages of the children I had in my classes as a full time teacher. These sweet children seem so young and much smaller than I remembered. Its funny what being away for a year will do to our memories. I forget how much older those 8-9 year old children appeared and how I expected them to be so much better behaved. When really, they were children being little children, and some with dysfunctional families, children forced to be adults at home. Perhaps I expected too much from them. This small group of students who are in need of assistance to be able to pass the state mandated test in April, are really just little kids. I'm enjoying them since it's a little like grand parenting. I get to enjoy our short time together and when we are finished, I release them back to their teachers and I get to go back home.

I guess the point of this blog entry is simple a reflection on where I was a year ago and where I am today. A year ago my day started out in my gown, coffee in hand, seated on the couch with my laptop. I may or may not go anywhere depending on what other little chores I had to complete, which were few. Today not only do I have errands for the play we are working on, I have the part time jobs to keep me busy. Its a good thing too because I needed a reason to get up every day, to shower, fix my face and hair and be productive. However, I find that at times I'm a little more productive than I'd like to be.

The downside to my retirement is less income. Not that I want to buy a lot of stuff, I just don't want to be wondering how the bills are going to get paid every month. Bills left over from years past are still around and I labor over the thought that retirement was premature on my part. So I ask myself as I look around the schools I am visiting, "Do I want a classroom again? Do I want to make out lesson plans, discipline the disturbed children, work with administration again?" Then I recall headaches, stomach upset and over whelming feelings of too much to do and I have to answer with a resounding, "NO". I do not want a classroom of my own.

Doing work with the interns and students I tutor keeps me active. The real fulfilling aspect of supervising interns and tutoring children is that I feel more respect than I ever had as a classroom teacher. People listen to me as a university supervisor and they seem to think I know what I'm talking about. They trust that I am doing my job. No one is looking over my shoulder making sure I have all the TEKS in my lesson plans or recording my students' scores properly. My university administration I'm sure has its problems, but I feel like they respect who I am, my degree of education and experience enough to let me do my job without sending the message that they do not trust me. I am able to have time to volunteer with the theater and still have time to earn money to supplement my retirement check. Maybe I'll find another job one day that pays more, but one thing is for sure, it won't be a full time position in a public school classroom.

Free My Soul

Freedom in Christ. The women in this photo are free to worship their Lord without fear of being judged by anyone. All of the women in this place love the Lord. March of 2007 I was right behind these ladies lifting their hands in praise of the Savior. Watching them encouraged me and lifted my soul as I observed their witness.

This past weekend I had the opportunity to join my friends at another gathering of the Women of Faith, a conference held each year in major cities across the nation. Filled with women from all flavors of Christian faith, the air in the coliseum was charged with the electrifying energy of thousands of Christian women singing praises to their Lord. Singing never felt so good and lifting my hands to the Lord never felt so right. My soul was soaring. Several speakers, comedians, singers, and dramatist used their God given talents to spread the news that we are saved by grace and that God's infinite mercy was worth our rejoicing. Praise the Lord!!

Not all worship assemblies can be as electrically charged as the ones my friends and I got to experience. Oh, but wouldn't it be marvelous to experience the freedom to worship...REALLY worship in our home assemblies? Free from all fear of others who won't understand? Free from those that would judge our motives behind our actions? As the song says, "There's a stirring deep within me...I will rise up, rise up and lay my crown at His wounded feet." I want to be able to sing that song with all my heart and soul with my hand lifted high to the Lord. But not in the place where people don't understand. Not there because not only would some not understand, but others would feel compelled to tell us to stop. It discourages me and saddens my soul when that happens.

I begin to feel as though the rules are chains wrapped around me locking in that which longs to be free. The air in that place is heavy as it bears down on my chest and my soul cry out for mercy. I long for a fresh breath of air to come into that space where it can rejuvenate tired souls and we can breath in the springlike grace of God's spirit. Jesus has set us free to joyfully praise his name!

Lord, Give us the freedom and boldness to dive into a meaningful place within our hearts and souls to be with you. A place where we worship your name and where there are no rules to do that which we are lead to do. Lord there is strength in your name. It is in that name that we petition you to walk with us along our way and give us the strength to live for you. It is in the name of your son Jesus that I pray. Amen.

A Lot Happens in 30 Days

The first picture is a shot of our backyard before the hurricane. The other two are after Hurricane Ike hit. Now most of the tree debris is gone. The tree stumps are not, but we hope to get a stump grinder out to take care of that. Stump grinders are in abundance now and we get daily fliers, business cards and visits from various workers asking to do the job.

The only thing we really need back now is our cable, internet and telephone service. We are pretty much back to normal. Which is a lot more than I can say for many families here in Baytown hit much harder by the hurricane. The storm surge ripped through many homes not far from our house. The houses were flooded with water and sewage making all that touched the flood waters worthless. Piles of furniture, appliances and personal belongings sit on the sides of streets as a reminder of the devastation a hurricane can do.

We lost 3 trees in this storm and our house escaped with minimal damages. We were blessed.

Please keep all the others in your prayers that are having to deal with their greater losses and wondering where they will be in another month.

A lot can happen in just one month.