"No talking ... until Noon!" rule

Heavenly Father,
Thank you for the many blessings you bestow on us, each and every day. Please continue to help me become more Christ-like. In Jesus' name. Amen.
Long, long, long ago, in a city that seems farther than fifty minutes away, I used to be one of those females whose first thoughts upon waking was about the gentleman I was dating, or had a crush on, or in a relationship with, and usually the "lucky" audience for these lovely "ponderings," was my one and only, older... brother.
I remember regularly obsessing about the next time "my love," and I were getting together, or thinking about ways to "help" him in his latest interest, never mind my issues...

At the time, I didn't understand that NO MALE wants to hear about other MEN, and most especially a BROTHER does not want to hear about ANY of his sister's romantic escapades!

And I must have blabbered once too often about someone, because one morning my homie emphatically instituted a rule of, "No talking about guys until noon!"
Of course when noon came around, I'd either forgotten what I wanted to say, or was too busy into whatever was going on to bother my sibling anymore.
Or perhaps my hermano just wasn't around the house at noon. (as was probably more often the case, lol)
Even though this angered and annoyed me at the time, looking back now, I'm glad my kin had this expectation.
Because, gradually, I did begin to wonder about issues besides the bloke(s) I was dating and thankfully this has continued into adulthood - shocking, I know! :OP
I realize, though,  there are still adults who obsess about their loves, so I came up with what I think are some compassionate reasons this behavior continues into adulthood:
#1. They didn't have a relative like I did who "laid down the law," ha ha.
#2. There isn't much else going on in a person's life, so why not just engross themselves in the "splendor of love"?
#3. Maybe there is too much going on in one's life and they want to distance themselves from their problems and this woman/man is an "easy, fun, safe topic."
#4. The "obsessor" is boring, or has a boring life, one of the two, conceivably both.

I am a romantic. I love love.
But I also know now, as a grown-up, that it takes more than life to make my life. 
When and if that blessed day arrives when I'm married and have children, once the children are old enough to date, I too will operate from the "No talking about guys/gals until noon!" rule.
:0) Thanks bro!

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

Chess in Education - my second year as a school counselor

Hello God,
Thank you for continually blessing my family and me.
A special prayer for all those suffering from any kind of addiction;
may we always feel your comforting presence in our lives.
In Jesus' name. Amen.

Having had time to reflect on my second year as a school counselor, I find chess is a great metaphor for a school's hierarchy.

(in order from right to left in the above picture)

The King - anyone in a higher position than the principal - the superintendent, parents, "society at large"
The King can only move one square at a time, which reminds me of how legislature moves with regards to changes in the educational system.
Slowly.
Deliberately.
But perhaps not the most efficiently.

The Queen - the principal
S/he can move pretty much anywhere and in any direction.
One of the more dangerous pieces on the board, besides the King, of course.

The Bishops - the school counselor(s)
As a school counselor, I think of myself as being able to move, just like the bishops, only in diagonals.
There is only "so much," support and guidance I can give.

The Knights - teachers
The staff at my last school saw me as a part of "administration," which was exemplified when a teacher said to another group of teachers - during their lunch time - "I can't say what I'd like to say, since our counselor's in here." Everyone laughed, including me.
But really, just like the Bishops can only move in diagonals, the Knights are only allowed to move in certain spaces as well.
Bishops and Knights are good "blockers," for whatever the Queen and Rooks need done.
Teachers and school counselors are of "equal value," in my eyes.

The Rooks - the assistant principals
Also dangerous pieces - they can move wherever they like and in whatever direction they chose.

The Pawns - students, teacher assistants
I put the students as pawns only because they are the most vulnerable to the actions of those in charge of them, not because I see them as the "lowest" in numerical value.
Pawns can only move in one direction - forward - with two spaces allowed only in their first move - one space per move allowed thereafter.

For a better idea of what the "relative value," of a chess piece is, copy and paste this into your browser:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chess_piece_relative_value


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