day 12 and a good friend

I'm linking up with my friend Dawn for our 30 Thankful Days. What are you thankful for?

Today I'm thankful for my friend Jenn. Last night we went out to dinner and then went to a movie. It was just a fun time, and I am grateful that we could just hang out together as friends. I'm grateful that she loves Jesus, and teaches at my same school. Jenn got married last year, but I'm grateful that we still can hang out together.

Nothing deep or extra-meaningful here, just simple gratitude for a good friendship. :)
K

day 11 with a ceremony

Today, as with most days this month (hopefully!), I am linking up with Dawn at theGoodlife to be intentionally thankful. Head over there to see what thankfulness is going around!

Today I am thankful for my school, and that they intentionally make a big deal out of Veteran's Day.

Today I went up to our North campus for the Veteran's Day assembly.  As part of my job, I went because my 6th graders sang God Bless America, and I had to be there to direct them. Which, actually I love. All of the 6th graders from all of the campuses sang together, and it was great. Great experience for them, and it sounded great as well.

But, I'm not thankful for our little 6th grade performance. Nor am I thankful for the 5th grade's recitation of the Gettysburg Address. Nor the singing of the Star Spangled Banner, though it was a lovely 4-part version sung by the women's choir.

I am thankful that this assembly is such a big deal altogether, and there is so much put into it. I'm thankful that the MC explained to the crowd what to do at the presentation of the colors, and why. I'm thankful that he asked the kids to be silent during the playing of Taps, and then explained why that is important. I'm thankful that they got such an interesting and engaging speaker, and that during his talk all the students were quiet and listening intently.

Yes, I wish I had brought a tissue. Yes, it was moving and a very respectful tribute to our Veterans. But I'm thankful for the effect in our students, and that it educates them on the importance of the sacrifices our Veterans made so we can enjoy our freedom. I'm thankful that this assembly is intentional in bringing our students in on the gravitas of a Veteran's decision to serve our country, and how we should show our respect for that.

I'm grateful that the next generation is learning how important Veterans are. And how important it is for us "regular" people to be thankful for their service.
K

day 10 and a laugh

I have been really enjoying the thankfulness so far this month. I'm thinking about it more, and that means that I'm more aware of the blessings in my life. Thanks to my friend Dawn for the thankfulness challenge.

Today I'm thankful for a laugh. Specifically I'm thankful for a joke that one of my students told me. Not so much for the actual joke, though it IS funny.

I'm thankful that this particular student told me the joke, because we have not always gotten along. He doesn't like music class, and I'm fine with that. I don't like algebra. But I often have to talk to him because he will make fun of the songs we are singing, or refuse to participate. The bottom line is that we have had a rocky relationship for the past couple years.

But today he told me a joke. And it made me laugh out loud. I actually threw my head back and laughed. I'm grateful that he told me the joke, and that I honestly thought it was funny. I'm praying that this is a crack in the glacier that has been our past couple years.

So my thankfulness today is for that joke. And the smiles that came after it.

Oh yeah - the joke?

"What is the most common sound a pig makes?"

(Insert various guesses here: oink, squeal...)

...

Answer: "Sizzle"

K :)

day 9 with music

My friend Dawn is hosting 30 Thankful Days, and I have been trying to be intentionally thankful all this month. Hop on over to there to see what she's thankful for.

Today I am thankful for music. For Beethoven. For John Rutter. For the Beatles.

Earlier today I was listening to the Beatles, and it cheered me up. It made me happy, and uplifted my spirit. Then in second grade, I was teaching about Bach, and one of those little guys came up to me as class was ending and said, "Teacher, you must really love a lot of different kinds of music."

I smiled, nodded, and whispered, "Yes, I really do."

He paused, then said, "More than a thousand?"

And I nodded again. And smiled about it for the rest of the day.

Tonight I had rehearsal, and we sang through the first 2 movements of the Beethoven Mass in C (written in 1807). As we sang and sang, I was thinking about how much I enjoy singing Beethoven, and how happy it made me feel. I should know, because I have sung the Beethoven's 9th Symphony Finale several times. I think it is 4 total, but I've lost count. Usually when I teach it to my kids, I sing a few phrases of the German,and they are impressed, even though my German pronounciation is not impressive. :)
Then we sang through the Gloria by John Rutter. This is also a piece that I love to sing. It makes me happy, and usually gets stuck in my head for the next few days. Had to sing it a little as I typed that...

As I sat in rehearsal singing, I should have been thinking about the music, but instead I thought how all those different musics made me so happy, and how lucky I am to have sung so many pieces. So many different, interesting, fun, happy, challenging, and epic pieces.

Including school and rehearsal, I think I've sung for over 5 hours today. So I'm tired and going to bed. But here's to God's great gift of music. The thing that makes me excited to get up tomorrow and do it all again.
K

day 8 with friends

My friend Dawn is hosting 30 Thankful Days, and I am making an effort to be intentionally thankful each day this month. Thanks to Dawn and her encouragement, without which I probably would be thankful, but not motivated to write it down each day. :)

Today I am thankful for friends. Especially new friends.

For the past 7-8 months, I have been involved in the Drama Team at church. I originally got invovlved on a whim, but found that I really enjoyed doing the skits, and even the practice was fun. So I stayed. Tonight, instead of our usual drama practice, we had a party. A get-together.

It really was fun, and I had a fantastic time hanging out with these people from the Drama Team. We don't usually hang out together, with the exception of Tyler who is a fellow Youth Group sponsor - one of the great people I wrote about yesterday. But tonight we did. Just hang out, that is. And it was fun!

I really did enjoy getting to know these people better, and I am thankful for the new friendships that we have formed.

I consider myself to be a pretty friendly person. I can talk to people easily, I'm not nervous in a group of people I don't know, I get along with most anyone. And yet...

I don't think I have a lot of friends. Well, I have Jenn, but I'm going to be thankful for her another day, when I can write a LOT more! :) But as I ate and fellowshipped and talked with my new friends tonight, I was grateful for a truly good group of people, and the fun we had together. I  realize that I have many good people in my life.
That my life is not the sum of the things I've done, but the total of the quality relationships I have.

People, not accomplishments or things.
K

day 7 in youth group

Today I want to be thankful for my fellow Youth Group sponsors. I have been working with the Youth at my church for about 7 years now. Like anything, I don't love it all the time, but most of the time it is great. Last night at youth group, we were playing a game of pictionary. In the middle of that chaos, I realized how much I enjoy hanging out with them. Yes, the kids. But also the other sponsors.

Even though a lot of things have changed in the past 7 years, there are 3 of us sponsors that have been there for that whole time. And even though we have had different youth pastors, I am so blessed to truly like each one of them and enjoy serving alongside them.

The kids grow up. They graduate. They go off to college. Yet, here we are. Still growing along with the kids we have now. Still taking advantage of our time together to learn more about Jesus and to be more like Him.

You'd think that I'd have an advantage, what with all the time I've spent in Youth Group. But, no. I'm still learning. And I wouldn't have it any other way.
K

day 6 an hour later

OK, today is an easy one. I am SOOOO thankful for the extra hour of sleep last night. I headed off to bed, then almost jumped up and down when I remembered that I hadn't changed my clock, and it was actually an hour earlier. What a lovely thing, to get an extra hour of sleep!

I hadn't changed any of my clocks, but I did change the one next to my bed, and that's the one that matters because it's the one that gets me up in the morning!

Going back to standard time is like a snow day. It's "found time". Time I didn't plan on having to myself. Time that otherwise would be spent on other stuff, like cleaning, doing laundry, working around the house. If I had remembered the time change, I probably would have planned out how to use the time more efficiently. Or, I would have stayed up later to "use" that time.

But no, it was a gift. It was a beautiful hour that was given almost as an afterthought.
But I am grateful.
K

day 5 in my house

No introduction today - I'm getting right to the the thankful.

I am thankful for my warm, cozy house. Outside the wind is blowing, it is intermittently raining, and the weather is just not good. Last Wednesday we had a blizzard situation which resulted in a snow day. In both times, I am thankful for my warm and cozy house. I am thankful that I don't have to be out in the weather. I'm thankful that I am in a position where I don't need to go to the soup kitchen for a meal. I am thankful that my washer and dryer are right next to my bedroom, and I can easily be clean.

Last week I read "Land of the Lost Souls" by Cadillac Man. It is his story of living on the streets of New York. After reading that book, and his "adventures", I am so grateful that I am not in that situation, even though there are lots of people who are.

There but for the grace of God, go I.

I think I was meant to read that book in order to give it to a friend of mine. Her brother is homeless, and living on the streets. He is dealing with mental health issues, as well as legal ones. He has had people steal his belongings, meager though they might be. When I read that book, I immediately thought of this friend who is walking the line between wanting to help her brother, but not allowing him into her home for the safety of her small children. She is torn between trying to help him get into transitional housing, and letting him stay where he wants to be, which is on the streets. My heart breaks for her, and for the help that she wants to be but that he won't accept.

After reading this book and looking out the window at the stormy skies, I am very thankful for my house.
And I'm looking forward to going to the Springs Rescue Mission's Great Thanksgiving Feast. Maybe there I can look upon someone who IS in that same situation, and make them feel like the most special person in the world. Because that's how Jesus sees them.
K

days 3 and 4

Today I am going to be thankful for yesterday and today all rolled into one. Don't get me wrong - I was actually thankful yesterday, I just didn't get a chance to write it down. Thanks to my friend Dawn, and her spurring me on to be thankful, and to be deliberate about it. If it weren't for her, I probably wouldn't be making the effort.

Day 3

Yesterday I was thankful for my second graders.

I know this might come as a shock to you , but I am not always thankful for my students. :)

Sometimes, they get on my nerves, and I have trouble being patient with them. But yesterday, my 2nd graders were singing. I was teaching them a bunch of songs to go along with their Westward Expansion unit  that their teachers will do soon. Home on the Range was a hit with one of them, as I noted here.

So we sang.

We started with the song they had learned most recently, The Erie Canal. Then we sang through all the others in a random order. Some of those featured were: Clementine, Goodbye Old Paint, Old Dan Tucker (cheering and clapping when I pulled that one out), Home on the Range, I've Been Working on the Railroad, and Casey Jones.

What I loved about these 2nd graders is that they sang with gusto. They sang with everything they had. They sang like they meant it. And the singing was not always the best, or always on key, but they had so much enthusiasm that it made me actually smile. Several times. They sang their little 2nd grade hearts out.

For a moment, I saw the unfiltered joy that comes when you can sing with everything you have, and not be concerned about who is listening, or how they might be judging you.

We all need to do this kind of singing more often - it's good for the soul.

Day 4

Today I am thankful for Becky.

Becky is another music teacher at my school. She and I have the same job, but at different campuses. My school has 3 elementary campuses, and a Jr. High, and a High School. There are only 3 people in the whole place that have my same job, and Becky is one of them. She came over today to borrow a Guiro because she needs it for her upcoming concert. But that's not why I am thankful.

She sat and talked for awhile, and shared some things that are going on in her family. And we talked about some changes coming in our school. And I'd like to think that we solved all the world's problems. Actually we only made each other feel better about our own problems, but isn't that what friends are for? I'm thankful for her friendship, and that we can pray for each other. I'm thankful that we care for each other, and don't just have a surface-y relationship that is thrown together because we happen to be working at the same place at the same time.

We truly are good friends, and for that I am thankful.
Here's to God's gifts to us, especially in the realm of friendship.
K

november

Not to be Captain Obvious, but it is November! Are you as bowled over as I am??? I know I say this every year, but this year has just flown by.

My friend, Dawn, is hosting 30 Thankful Days, and I want to be a part. You can check out her blog here.

Usually I write whenever I have something to say or when the whim hits me. But I am going to make a concerted effort to write much more this month and to find things to be thankful for. So buckle up, and let the thankfulness begin!

Today is easy - I am SOOOOO thankful it is a snow day! Yesterday I was exhausted, and as I dragged myself home, I did wish in my heart that we would have a snow day, or at least a 2-hour delay. But then I said to myself, "There is no way we will have a snow day. Last week 'they' said we would, and there was NOTHING. So, I'll believe it when I see it.". Aren't you glad you tuned in for that riveting inner monologue??? :)

Anyway, I was THRILLED to turn off the alarm and sleep for an extra 2 hours. What a blessing!

I will always be thankful for those little unexpected gifts of time that come in the form of a snow day. It is so nice of God to send the weather so I can rest and rejuvenate!

What are you thankful for?
K