Weaknesses

O Spirit of God.
Help my infirmities;
When I am pressed down with a load
of sorrow,
Perplexed and knowing not what to do,
Slandered and persecuted,
Made to feel the weight of the cross,
help me I pray thee.
If thou seest in me
any wrong thing encouraged
any evil desire cherished,
any delight that is not thy delight,
any habit that grieves thee,
any nest of sin in my heart,
then grant me the kiss of thy forgiveness,
and teach my feet to walk the way of
thy commandments.

Deliver me from carking care,
and make me a happy, holy person:
Help me to walk the separated life with
firm and brave step,
and to wrestle successfully against weakness;
Teach me to laud, adore, and magnify thee,
with the music of heaven,
And make me a perfume of praiseful gratitude
to thee.
I do not crouch at thy feet as a slave before a tyrant,
but exult before thee as a son with a father.
Give me power to live as thy child in all my actions,
and to exercise sonship by conquering self.
Preserve me from the intoxication that comes
of prosperity;
Sober me when I am glad with joy that comes
not from thee.
Lead me safely on to the eternal kingdom,
not asking whether the road be rough or smooth.
I request only to see the face of him I love,
to be content with bread to eat,
with raiment to put on,
if I can be brought to thy house in peace.

Feel me with peace, that no disquieting worldly gales
may ruffle the calm surface of my soul.

from The Valley of Vision

Reasons: Thoughts from a Logic Teacher

Our favorite word in Logic class is "tangible". Not because it seems to contradict what Plato is known for, but because it best describes our worldview in teaching logic. I want my students to be overwhelmed by the breadth and depth of the world of thought. But in the end I want them to have such a practical grasp of the scope of thought that it prods them into deliberate awareness and attentiveness. In other words, I want them to think about what they are thinking about and act accordingly.

Our second favorite word is "obstreperous". Not because it seems to contradict the lessons of "tangible", but because I was once called that by one of my teaching mentors who happens to be of Welsh birth. I want my students to see me modeling tangibility. I have come to be more aware than they are about themselves at this point of who I am, why I do what I do, and the people that have helped shape that awareness most. And now I want to share that realization with them. Do they know at the beginning of the school year why I use the word "obstreperous" so much? No. But that too is intentional. I want them to be curious about the word, to be annoyed by my frequent use of the word, to call one of their friends "obstreperous"—after they have used our class dictionary to look up the word—and then I will share my Welsh "obstreperous" story.

Everything in life has a meaning. Everything a purpose. As teachers, we must be deliberate about thinking through such things ourselves then walk with—and sometimes pull along—our students as we discover together.

Ohhh Hoodie!

You will start hearing me say "Ohhh hoodie"! It'll even be in an endearing tone of voice. I love the NFL's Ode to the Hoodie commercial. I'm sure that I'd seen it before but in watching the Pre-season opener between the Tennessee Titans and the Washington Redskins I viewed it again for the very first time! Seeing as the actual commercial is no where to be found in the worlds of YouTube or other Internet video, I thought I'd share these wonderful lyrics:


Oh hoodie-
Monument to the durable.
Fast friend.
Uncomplaining sucker of sweat.
In our most trying times, you still tried.
When other garments stopped at the neck,
you said, “Oh no, the head needs a garage.”
Our arms would pull off well before yours-
yet this is how we treat you.
Oh hoodie.

Books As Art

Since I've lived on my own, I've always seemed to have more books than any other possessions. My chief decorative concern has never been "where do I hang my pictures because I have so many of them," but "where do I hang my pictures because the books have taken all my wall space"! But even though I've tried to hang things tastefully around my bookshelves, I have also sought to order my bookshelves—and the books on them—in a tasteful manner. While I'm not anal enough to have my books in alphabetical order according to author, I do strive to keep them arranged according to subject. And always, always take special care with how the top shelf looks! Using books themselves as bookends has always been a favorite decorating tool for me. I'm sure it began with a lack of money to buy real bookends, but it has certainly developed into intentional decor. And let's not forget the strategically placed volumes stacked neatly in front of the over-crowded shelves. One must have some double-stacked shelves as a sign of being a dedicated bibliophile.

All that to say, I love strategically placed books. I like to look at them. I like the way they look. So one would ask, "can books be art"? And my reply would be, "absolutely, why not"! For those who share my "why not" enthusiasm, boy howdy, do I have something fun for you....
Floating Bookshelf
A friend told me about them a couple of days ago and I have since bought 5. I love them! Books as art! No wood inhibiting! Suspended magically upon a wall—a wonderful incarnation of the very mysteries they hold within their pages! Finally, an enabling device that makes art out of books by merging the practical with the aesthetically intriguing!

Family Fun

I love my family! I hate having my picture taken. But when you combine the two, toss in the added dry wit and sarcasm of my father, the sheer cuteness of my little brother, the excitement of my mother, and the bickering between the three of us girls..."family" and "pictures" end up being a memorable experience with somewhat satisfying results! At least I think these are good pictures so I thought I'd share. Take a look for yourself at my Family Pics page!

T minas Quatro

Meet Nolan...I can't believe he's giving her a different last name!

Lost

by David Wagoner

Stand still. The trees ahead and bushes beside you
Are not lost. Wherever you are is called Here,
And you must treat it as a powerful stranger,
Must ask permission to know it and be known.
The forest breathes. Listen. It answers,
I have made this place around you,
If you leave it you may come back again, saying Here.
No two trees are the same to Raven.
No two branches are the same to Wren.
If what a tree or a bush does is lost on you,
You are surely lost. Stand still. The forest knows
Where you are. You must let it find you.

Spontaneous Poetry

I’m playing around with poetry. Reading a bit of it in verse form but also reading authors who are quite poetically eloquent in prose form as well. I just decided to spontaneously write a poem. So I did.

I obviously have not gotten past the rhyme-every-line-what-is-this-supposed-to-mean stage! And apart from deleting two words for the sake of one better one I didn’t edit anything either. I think I’ll keep at it. If you don’t know what this little poem means…don’t ask me because chances are I’ll just make something up!


Truth is stranger than fiction,
One must weed through all the diction
To get to the very core.
The lie of every lore
Is compelled to stand
Atop the lay of every land
Surveying across the ages
Through the eyes of ancient sages
The battles and the buildings,
The forests and the fieldlings,
The nobles and the knights.

A Sense of Time

In the wake of 9/11 there was much publicity, much puzzlement, and much pain. It was a saga that seemed would never end. A wound that seemed too deep to heal. In the midst of the chaos and confusion there were those who just wanted to do something. So as a part of that action taking number my friends and I, hundreds of miles away from the scene of the terror, piled into a couple of cars and went to our local Red Cross.

There was the obvious humanitarian connection to be made that "giving blood saves lives". There was also the variant philanthropic twist that even though we here in the Nashville area were so far away, we too could do something to aid the people of New York City. At every turn, with every click of a remote there was the in-your-face realization that death and suffering are real and a part of life in this poor fallen world.

We all had varying degrees of fear and hesitation as we reclined, feet propped up, to give blood. A lot of us had never given blood before. Most of us didn't like the idea of that knitting sized needle actually staying in our arms for 10-15 minutes! But as I layed there--having never willingly given blood--time stopped. Yes, the nurses continued scurrying around tending to the hundreds of donors. Yes, the news channels carried on with their live coverage and up-to-date reports. But in that few seconds when time stopped only for me I came to a life altering realization: "This will be over in 10 minutes."

It was the first time in my life that I had a real sense of time. The "AhHa" moment that told me "this too shall pass" but in a way that I finally understood. It was an unpublished realization that couldn't be comprehended by the humanitarian connections and the philanthropic twists. It was a truth that couldn't ever be adequately broadcast by the media.

The next time I felt real, emotional, disparing, hopeless pain I realized that, though it may not be over in only 10 minutes, the hurt would eventially be alleviated and the hope would eventially return. I began to ask myself questions like, "Will I still be reeling over this in two months?", "Will I even think about the turmoil in a year's time?", or "Will things look brighter in the morning?"

Though I'm not sure that I agree with the old addage "Time heals all wounds", I am quite sure that time makes them more bearable. And a genuine sense of how fleeting time is brings with it both a caution against waisting time in sorrow, as well as a hope that with time there will be fresh starts and happier moments. This truth has caused me to relish moments of great contentment and happiness all the more, being thankful that, even though this too shall pass, this time is here at least for the moment and is a beautiful reminder of the eternal hope to come.

A New Interpretation of Genesis 1

I've never been big into forwarded e-mails but recently I recieved one that I just feel needs to be shared. It goes along with the humor theme I love so much! Enjoy!


In the beginning, God created the Heavens and the Earth and populated the Earth with broccoli, cauliflower and spinach, green and yellow and red vegetables of all kinds, so Man and Woman would live long and healthy lives.

Then using God's great gifts, Satan created Ben and Jerry's Ice Cream and Krispy Creme Donuts. And Satan said, "You want chocolate with that?" And Man said, "Yes!" and Woman said, "and as long as you're at it, add some sprinkles." And they gained 10 pounds. And Satan smiled.

And God created the healthful yogurt that Woman might keep the figurethat Man found so fair.

And Satan brought forth white flour from the wheat, and sugar from the cane and combined them. And Woman went from size 6 to size 14.

So God said, "Try my fresh green salad."

And Satan presented Thousand-Island Dressing, buttery croutons and garlic toast on the side. And Man and Woman unfastened their belts following the repast.

God then said, "I have sent you heart healthy vegetables and olive oil in which to cook them."

And Satan brought forth deep fried fish and chicken-fried steak so big it needed its own platter. And Man gained more weight and his cholesterol went through the roof.

God then created a light, fluffy white cake, named it "Angel Food Cake," and said, "It is good."Satan then created a chocolate cake and named it "Devil's Food Cake."

God then brought forth running shoes so that His children might lose those extra pounds. And Satan gave cable TV with a remote control so Man would not have to toil changing the channels. And Man and Woman laughed and cried before the flickering blue light and gained pounds.

Then God brought forth the potato, naturally low in fat and brimming with nutrition. And Satan peeled off the healthful skin and sliced the starchy center into chips and deep-fried them. And Man gained pounds.

God then gave lean beef so that Man might consume fewer calories and still satisfy his appetite. And Satan created McDonald's and its 99-cent double cheeseburger. Then said, "You want fries with that?" And Man replied, "Yes! And super size them!" And Satan said, "It is good"

And Man went into cardiac arrest. God sighed and created quadruple bypass surgery. Then Satan created HMOs.