Eisenhower FCA

I have been an FCA sponsor all 14 years I've been at Eisenhower.  All 14 years, we've been sponsor led, meaning we prepared and taught the devotional.  The last several years, we've had a number of faculty step up and guest speak.  Three weeks ago, we got an email from the Superintendent reviewing the newly adopted school board policy saying that all religious organizations at school must be student led. This means that faculty sponsors can only be present in a "non-participatory role".

So at first, Coach Stout and I were blown away.  We felt defeated, discouraged.  But it didn't take long for us to be reminded that God is, as He says He is, in control.  And He works all things for the good of those who love Him, who are called according to His purpose.  So, two weeks ago we met with the kids.  We have a really strong core group of churched kids and then, each year, we have a number of other kids, mostly unchurched who attend.  We used Romans 8:28 (mentioned above) and broke the news to the kids.  It was pretty quiet in the room.  We explained that we totally trust God and His word.  We said that we know we are called according to His purpose, to teach FCA at Eisenhower.  We trust that God would turn this for good.  We said that the purpose of FCA is to motivate and grow the kids in their walk withChrist as well as share Him with those who don't know Him.  We explained what all would be involved, and then asked who was ready to take the first time leading.  It was quiet.  Then one 8th grader, Kenny, stepped up.

I got an email from Kenny this weekend asking what was he supposed to do again?  I gave the simplest explanation I could.  I said to go to the national FCA website, click on devotional s and choose one he liked.  Then call on kids to read it and tell them why he liked it.

This morning was the day.  I printed out the devotional and handed it out.  He'd chosen a devotional about attitude.  We had a good turn out of kids including one kiddo who struggles with, guess what, his attitude.  Kenny confidently called on kids to read the verse, then the paragraphs.  He then went into detail about how important it is to keep a good attitude and asked the kids how they go about keeping a good attitude.  Several kids gave some amazing answers about keeping close to God, stay in His word, look at things positively, etc.  Kenny then read the questions at the end and facilitated a great conversation. I asked who'd be willing to teach next week, and two girls volunteered to co lead it.  At the end, I asked who would be willing to pray us out.  Kenny again volunteered and prayed the most amazing prayer.  I seriously had tears in my eyes.  

I am so excited to see all God has in store for FCA this year.  

Sick Day

I might have reached my HGTV max.  One day at home sick and I might be going crazy with boredom.  I've been fighting this cold, turned sinus infection now sinus and upper respiratory infection for about a month.  I started feeling icky again Tuesday night.  I had to work on Wednesday but went home at 1 and I've been pretty much bed bound since then.  I don't feel bad enough to sleep.  Last night I watched back to back episodes of Duck Dynasty from 5 to 10.  It was quite entertaining and now I'm hooked.  This morning I tried to sleep in after another sleepless night but the crap running down the back of my throat prevented that.  So I did my quiet time then drove everyone at work crazy by email then I watched back to back episodes of Modern Dads.  Entertaining but the values were somewhat disturbing!  I'm not even hungry enough to entertain myself eating.  I am reading an interesting series by Lisa T Bergen set in medieval times.  I have a friend who is a school social worker who is on bedrest with her pregnancy and I seriously don't know how she does it and maintains her sanity.  How in the world does Scott do this?  

9/11

We had our bully prevention kick off day at Eisenhower today.  It was a huge success.  It wasn't lost on me that today is the anniversary of the tragedy that occurred on September 11, 12 years ago.  I have vivid memories of where I was and all that happened within the first few hours of that first plane hitting the tower.  I mostly remembered feeling numb and helpless.  How could there be so much hate in the world?  Today our focus was teaching the kids how to make their school and therefore world a little better by eradicating hate, by doing your part to stand up for each other and to treat one another with respect.  I can easily get overwhelmed by all the hate and evil in the world.  So I leave the big problems in God's hands and I do what I can, day in and day, out to try to make my tiny part of the world a better place. 

Senior Pictures

One of the Homestead girls is really into photography and is getting really good at it.  So I asked them if they'd take Adelle's senior pictures.  Adelle told me a few weeks ago that she wanted them taken.  Her family has no money.  Adelle knew enough about it to bring several outfits, casual and otherwise.  So we took the pics last weekend.  We all met at Homestead and Adelle was pumped.  She'd been nervous about it earlier, even told me we should reschedule for spring.  But she went outside with the girls and told me to stay inside.  The girls said she posed!  She kept coming in and changing her clothes and going back out.  Tonight they emailed me some of the photos.  I can't wait to show them to Adelle!  Here is a sneak peek!

Old Trunk

So I repurposed an old trunk using really old sheet music.  I forgot to take a pic before I got started but there is one in a previous blog.

I put the music on, carefully trimmed around the hardware using a razor blade, then put mod pudge all over it.  I think I like it but I'm not sure.  What do you think?

New Livngroom

Our new livingroom furniture was delivered and we are almost done decorating it.  I still need to get so,e flowers for the coffee table and I a, repurposing a trunk with antique sheet music that will go where the sofa table is.  I purchased a mirror for over the fireplace mantel yesterday and it looks amazing.  We also plan to paint the room the same color as the bedroom, a unique green.  It is so cozy in here now!  

My grandparents

I dreamt about my grandparents for some reason last night and decided to blog about them.

My Dad's parents, Madeline and Alfred Eugene Griffith or "Griff" were very cool people.  We called then Nonnie and Granddad.  Nonnie and Granddad always lived in fancy apartments with ornate furniture and drove fancy big cars.  They were always dressed up stylishly, Nonnie in her 70's polyester pantsuits with big jewelry and Granddad in slacks and a dress shirt.  Nonnie wore beautiful silver wigs, lots of makeup and painted her long fingernails red.  She modeled fur coats in her sixties for a high end department store.  Grandad was short and bald with white hair around the edges and a white mustache.  He wore fedora hats and smoked a pipe with half and half tobacco.  We always ate a meal together and sat at the dining room table and ate out of serving bowls and had dessert.

Nonnie and Granddad met in Chicago where Nonnie was raised.  Nonnie had been married before that and had Uncle Bob then the guy got violent so she divorced him and became a flapper in the early 20's.  Grandad and Nonnie married and lived and worked at the YMCA in the early years and were ping pong champions in Chicago.  Later, Grandad worked for a bank.  

Nonnie was in charge and loved to be bossy and sassy.  She was very loving to David and I but didn't have a good relationship with my Dad.  She loved to move her furniture around which really meant standing there bossing all the men around.

My Grandad was quiet and really in charge but he let Nonnie think she was in charge.  He was also very loving and liked to take me for walks.  He told me stories of when he was little like when he had the hiccups for a year and when a roly poly crawled in his ear.  He was always listening to the Royals on a transistor hand held radio and liked to eat weird food.  He taught me to eat peanut butter and bologna sandwiches on toast to which he also added baked beans. He had some unique phrases that he would yell out occasionally.  My memories of Grandad have become blurred over the years because Lee and he had a lot of similarities.  I just remember Grandads kindness and strong presence in the room.

I never met my Grandfather Leo on my Moms side because he died when she was in her twenties.  My Grandma Pickens was a sweetheart.  Her name was Corinna Faye Horseman but she remarried a man named Jihn Pickens.  She was a roundish blue haired Grandma who was a more traditional Grandma. She gave us treats and played the piano and had a garden.  She was loving and a softy.  She died when I was in fourth grade which was the first time I remember my mom crying.  My Grandpa John was kind of scary.  He liked guns and had a bra tie clip.  I really only saw him at holidays because he made himself scarce when we went to Grandmas.  She lived in a tiny little house with lots of nick nacks and I always talked her into giving me one.  

Nonnie and Grandad.  Madeline and Griff.

Corinna Faye, Grandma Pickens