Rachel's challenge

Hello everyone,
Thanks Heavenly Father, for creating Rachel Scott; in her mere 17 years, she has inspired society to re-visit the basic codes of living: kindness, respect, caring and compassion. ." Rest in peace, Rachel, and thank you. In Jesus' name. Amen.

Rachel Scott was the first person killed at Columbine High School on April 20, 1999. Her acts of kindness and compassion coupled with the contents of her six diaries have become the foundation for one of the most life-changing school programs in America. (taken from the Rachel's Challenge website)
Rachels' Challenge Mission:
We exist to inspire, equip and empower every person to create a permanent positive culture change in their school, business and community by starting a chain reaction of kindness and compassion.
An excerpt from Rachel's diaries:
I have this theory that if one person can go out of their way to show compassion then it will start a chain reaction of the same.
- Rachel Scott
The challenge is so simple! Acknowledge acts of kindness.
I am proud to say that the school I work for has fully and completely embraced Rachel's Challenge. Already, I see the difference in my student's attitudes toward each other, and for the better. Students are encouraged to take some ribbons and hand out at the supermarket, etc., so be on the look-out, or start handing out ribbons of kindness yourself!
My principal has put this challenge to us: that by the end of the school year, we will have enough ribbons to wrap around our school. We are well on our way to reaching that goal...
For more info, go to:
Rachel's challenge
There are ways businesses can become involved too! It's not just for schools.
"I am a little pencil in the hand of a writing God who is sending a love letter to the world." Mother Theresa

Innocence lost

Hey friends,
Heavenly Father, bless all eyes reading this blog today. You know our needs, and are with us each and every step of our journey to You. Thank you, Lord. I especially want to thank You for counting me worthy to 'stand in Your presence and serve You.' In Jesus' Name. Amen.
Not only did I see a violent movie this weekend, but my brother shot his first gun, ever, on the same day, which brought home a powerful message to me. (side note: Carlton tells me the gun instructor was a good one, so kudos to the teacher.)
This movie was ultra-violent though; in fact, one of the critics I heard describing the movie, said that movie-making people call this brutality 'wet'.
I was grateful knowing about the violence beforehand, because I could prevent myself from being subjected to it. I closed my eyes when I 'knew' or 'sensed' something awful was about to befall one of the characters, and judging by the audience's reactions, I'm happy I wasn't watching. (Ha, ha to the director, jokes on you!)
Violence in movies is nothing new, and will continue to appear, more's the pity.
But I'd like to add one more reason to the list of reasons why seeing violent movies, and using guns, aren't good for us: because they cause us to lose our innocence. And here's the definition I'm using for innocence: simplicity; absence of guile or cunning; naivete; lack of knowledge or understanding; harmlessness; innocuousness.
I think that when we're born, we are 100% innocent. But society: movies, the media, etc, (everyone of us knows 'the list' of terrible things that go on in the world without me further enumerating them), chip away at that innocence. And maybe I'm overly sensitive to this idea of losing our innocence because I am a teacher.
I remember years ago, when it was okay to hang out with the students outside of school, I took some of the girls in my class to fly kites. For some reason that eludes me at the moment, the girls and I had to go to the grocery store. When the students and I were in line to make our purchase, I remember looking at the 'headlines' on all of the magazines facing us in the aisle. Almost every single magazine was basically telling these young girls they weren't good enough, pretty enough, and how to make themselves perfect...I'm sure the girls didn't even notice; it was just another day at the grocery store for them, but I was jolted to awareness by all the blasts at our self-esteem, our thinking, and, most of all, our decency.
What's sadder to me than the media tearing at our innocence, is our willingness to let go of it. We seem to be saying, "Sure, I'm not supposed to see movies that make me cringe at the horror, but it's all in the name of entertainment, and I want to be entertained."or "Learning to shoot a gun isn't robbing me of my innocence; I'm learning to protect myself."
Losing our innocence isn't just about 'becoming educated,' or 'knowledgeable'; as a teacher, I understand the importance of education and knowledge; what I'm protesting is that people don't realize that when we lose our innocence, we lose our wondering about the world around us, we lose our curiosity about how things are made; we lose our creativity. It's almost like since we know what's going on behind what's happening, there's no point in using our imagination.
The movie I saw would have been just fine without all the goriness of it, as everyone knows. The person who thinks guns are the only way to protect ourselves, is forgetting about self-defense classes...I for one won't be seeing anymore violent films; and if I mistakenly happen to be watching one, I know I'll be covering my eyes again; because I'm aware I'm not just covering my eyes, I'm protecting what little innocence I have left.

"I am a little pencil in the hand of a writing God who is sending a love letter to the world." Mother Theresa

In Memoriam

Heavenly Father,
     May all the lives lost on 9-11-01 rest comfortably in Your arms. In Jesus' Name. Amen.
Lord of All Hopefulness
Lord of all hopefulness, Lord of all joy,
Whose trust, ever childlike, no cares can destroy,
Be there at our waking, and give us, we pray,
Your bliss in our hearts, Lord, at the break of the day.

Lord of all eagerness, Lord of all faith,
Whose strong hands were skilled at the plane and the lathe,
Be there at our labors, and give us we pray,
Your strength in our hearts, Lord, at the noon of the day.

Lord of all kindliness, Lord of all grace,
Your hands swift to welcome, your arms to embrace,
Be there at our homing, and give us, we pray,
Your love in our hearts, Lord, at the eve of the day.

Lord of all gentleness, Lord of all calm,
Whose voice is contentment, whose presence is balm,
Be there at our sleeping, and give us, we pray,
Your peace in our hearts, Lord, at the end of the day.

Text: Jan Struther, 1901-1953 c Oxford University Press
Time: SLANE, 10 11 11 12; Gaelic; harm. by Erik Routley, 1917-1982, c1975, Hope Publishing Co.
copied from St. Joseph Catholic Church, Richardson, Tx, Hymnal

"I am a little pencil in the hand of a writing God who is sending a love letter to the world." Mother Theresa

Wreck at Half Price books on NW Hwy, 9/3/11, 11:30ish pm

Hello friends,
Heavenly Father, thank you for watching over each and everyone of us, wherever we are, and thank you for your many blessings in our lives. In Jesus' Name. Amen.
I thought I was watching an episode of "Monster Trucks," when I saw the ginormous, silver truck, traveling rather fast, careening to the left, and then making a quick ninety degree turn to the right, tires screeching. Then things slowed down, as the colossal truck gripped the cement median between NW Hwy and Half-price Books, lifting itself up, and pushing aside the puny Mustang convertible parked in it's path. The Mustang was facing NW Hwy, but was now pointing in a SE direction. Luckily, no one was inside the Mustang. The gargantuan truck had four heads bobbing inside it, and they appeared to be watching the demolition of the Mustang in bewilderment. The massive truck was on top of the median and the passengers seemed to be contemplating what to do next...Then, maybe the driver realizing he couldn't just drive off, heaved the truck off of the median and into the parking lot, a few small feet from the banged-up Mustang. Three of the passengers got out of the truck and ran inside the Half-price Books store. The driver, wearing a red plaid shirt, with the sleeves cut off, got out of the truck and walked over to the Mustang. The officer who peruses the Half-price premises was quickly at the scene. I jotted my name and cell number down, to give to the owner. The three guys that had gotten out of the truck and ran into Half-price, re-appeared, bottles of water in hand. (Hmm...???) I walked over to the wreck and gave my phone number to the eighteen-year-old, who was obviously in shock over what happened. I quickly explained that I saw everything, in case he needed a witness; I also introduced myself to the police officer, and he asked me to wait for the policeman who was investigating the wreck. I walked around to see the damage to the Mustang. The driver's side was bashed with the imprint of the truck's tires, and the front left wheel was slanted to the right. The hood of the mustang made an upside 'v'. The gigantic truck was missing it's front bumper and it was leaking profusely from underneath, the fluid making a large dark puddle. The officer for Half-price addressed me, "Let me see, the truck made a left turn, punching it, lost control and while trying to regain control, landed over here, on top of the Mustang." I nodded in affirmation. I asked him, "Why do you think they bought water bottles?" "Drinking, drugs, who knows." The officer in charge of the accident arrived, and asked me if I saw any other cars around the humongous truck, before it headed into the parking lot, as the driver was alleging that the truck was pushed from behind, and that this was the reason the truck ended up in the parking lot. I said, No. He also asked me who was driving and I told him.  He asked where I was sitting (underneath the awning of Half-price, facing NW Hwy), took down my address, phone number, age, etc, thanked me for coming forward and said I could leave. I pray things turn out well for the eighteen-year-old. I once had someone stop and give me their number when they saw my wreck, I was just paying that forward...it's the best thing to do in these circumstances, too.

"I am a little pencil in the hand of a writing God who is sending a love letter to the world." Mother Theresa