Well, I need four-hundred sixty-seven words to reach my goal for the month of April. I have been trying to think of what to write to help me with this.
ShoutLife
I have been on ShoutLife a lot this month. There have been times when I should have been writing, but instead, I was on ShoutLife. I have got to get better at monitoring my time on ShoutLife, which is very addictive.
Right now, I have written ninety-two words. I only need 375 more words.
School Is Almost Out
As of right now, we only have 18 more days left in school. I am very thankful because then it will be Summer Vacation. Yea! I will not have had the summer off since 2001, the year of the school. I am looking forward to having the summer off. I have no plans as of yet other than to take a vacation with my husband.
I have other choices, but I don't know if I want to exercise those because it would involve me not having the summer off.
I am going to finish Allegations. My brother is going to injure me if I don't.
I have written 212 words. I only need 255 more words. This is getting harder.
Blogging
Blogging has taken over the world. Everyone has a blog. People write about some silly stuff in their blogs, me included. I know a couple of people who have like 10 or more active blogs. That's crazy.
I have been journaling since I was 10 or 11. I can honestly say that this is something that I have been doing regularly.
Vlogging, or video blogging is starting to get more popular. This is where people journal by video, so that the world can see their face and hear their words. I am not sure that I am ready for that.
Technology, where is it going to take us next?
I have written 337 words. I only need 130 more words. What can I write that would take 130 words?
What in the world is my daily quota for the month of March? I need to make sure that I keep it low. I looked, it is 700/day. This is getting nerve wrecking. Why did I make these goals again?
Once I have finished writing for the year, I should have written over 500,000 words. Right now, I have written a little over 53,000 words.
I am proud of myself because I have written more words each month, which is good. Here are my stats:
January - 2,260
February - 13,428
March - 16,758
April - 20,870
I hope that I will write more in May.
I have written 459 words. I only need 8 more words.
Well, I believe that this will get me over my quota. Thank the Lord, I am 11 words over.
This is the personal diary of deartra d. Boone, where she posts her current thoughts, feelings, interests, and other things as needed. Everything that is written here, is In HER Own Voice!
4.30.2007
The April's Fool Challenge
The April's Fool Challenge is over. To date, my word count is 11,121 words. I didn't reach my goal of 21,000 words. Oh well. I am going to leave it on my goals list for the month of May.
I think a little of it was allergies. Most of it was the drudgery of writing. It was kind of hard to start writing at times, although, once I began writing, the words flowed. I am hoping that things will get better in the month of May.
I think a little of it was allergies. Most of it was the drudgery of writing. It was kind of hard to start writing at times, although, once I began writing, the words flowed. I am hoping that things will get better in the month of May.
Grandmotherhood
Grandmamas
I was watching the NFL draft on this past weekend. It was good. I watched a report that was aired about JaMarcus Russell, the #1 pick of NFL draft.
In the piece they showed all of his family and they talked about his home life. During one of the segments of the piece, JaMarcus was sitting in a chair in his grandmother's house. She was standing right behind him. He said something like, "This used to be a house where there was always something to eat. My grandmother used to cook all of the time. But when she thought I was getting fat, she stopped cooking." He laughed. His grandmother slapped him on the back of his head, hard. My husband and I both fell out laughing because that was such a grandmother move. I think JaMarcus is going to make it in the fast paced, star studded world of football with a grandmother like that.
Here he is about to be the #1 pick in the draft and his grandmother smacks him on the back of the head on national TV. That did my heart good to see that there are still grandmothers who are "REAL" grandmothers. The kind of grandmother, that still cooks and cleans. The kind of grandmother who will call you and make sure that you are eating right. The kind of grandmother, that will smack you upside the head if you get out of line. The kind of grandmother, that is matriarch of the family.
My maternal grandmother is like that when she isn't sick. We don't really have those kinds of grandmothers anymore, especially with grandmothers getting younger and younger. When I was a child, my grandmother was in her fifties. Now, grandmothers are in their early 40s and late 30s. That is so crazy.
If we had more "REAL" grandmothers (you know like your Big Mamma or your Memamma). I am talking about the grandmother that all the kids call Memamma, like my father's mother. She was crazy cool. Every one of my friends called her Memamma. She used to give all of us candy when she saw us. It was so cool. The world would be a better place if we had more "REAL" grandmothers in it.
Old Enough to Be Somebody's Grandmamma
My husband and I went to pick up our tickets for Spiderman 3, which comes out on May 4. (Yes, we get them early. He likes to get them early.) When we were walking up to the theater, there was a car with two teenagers (male & female) sitting in it. I am not sure what they were doing in the car, but from where I was looking, they looked like they were up to no good, if you know what I mean. I made a face. My husband said, "You should go up to the car and give them a look." I said, "Yea, by today's standards, I am old enough to be their mother." He said, "Yea, you are old enough to be a grandmother by today's standards."
Heaven Help Me, Please
I am 36 years old. I could be the mother of a 20 year-old person by today's standards. Actually, I could be the mother of someone even older than that. That in turn, means I could have a grandchild that is as old as one of my students (ages 3-4).
The more I think about it, the crazier it makes me feel. I could possibly be the grandmother of one of my students. What in the world is going on?
I have to shake my head every time I think about it. In all honest, I would be a cool grandmother, but I don't want to be one. I mean, I could play PlayStation with my grandchild. I could IM and email my grandchild. I could even discuss a Cover Two defense and the triangle offense with my grandchild. Here's the thing to consider… Why in the world would I want to be a grandmother at 36?
Grandmothers are supposed to be in their late 50s, early 60s. They are supposed to be at a point in their lives where they can sit at home and enjoy their grandchildren, not out hustling trying to make a couple of dollars themselves.
It only makes sense, everyone else in life is getting younger, athletes, models, singers, artists, and preachers; why not grandmothers?
As a foot note, just so you won't think I am crazy. My husband has a friend from his hometown who is a grandmother and she is my age and has a grandchild.
I was watching the NFL draft on this past weekend. It was good. I watched a report that was aired about JaMarcus Russell, the #1 pick of NFL draft.
In the piece they showed all of his family and they talked about his home life. During one of the segments of the piece, JaMarcus was sitting in a chair in his grandmother's house. She was standing right behind him. He said something like, "This used to be a house where there was always something to eat. My grandmother used to cook all of the time. But when she thought I was getting fat, she stopped cooking." He laughed. His grandmother slapped him on the back of his head, hard. My husband and I both fell out laughing because that was such a grandmother move. I think JaMarcus is going to make it in the fast paced, star studded world of football with a grandmother like that.
Here he is about to be the #1 pick in the draft and his grandmother smacks him on the back of the head on national TV. That did my heart good to see that there are still grandmothers who are "REAL" grandmothers. The kind of grandmother, that still cooks and cleans. The kind of grandmother who will call you and make sure that you are eating right. The kind of grandmother, that will smack you upside the head if you get out of line. The kind of grandmother, that is matriarch of the family.
My maternal grandmother is like that when she isn't sick. We don't really have those kinds of grandmothers anymore, especially with grandmothers getting younger and younger. When I was a child, my grandmother was in her fifties. Now, grandmothers are in their early 40s and late 30s. That is so crazy.
If we had more "REAL" grandmothers (you know like your Big Mamma or your Memamma). I am talking about the grandmother that all the kids call Memamma, like my father's mother. She was crazy cool. Every one of my friends called her Memamma. She used to give all of us candy when she saw us. It was so cool. The world would be a better place if we had more "REAL" grandmothers in it.
Old Enough to Be Somebody's Grandmamma
My husband and I went to pick up our tickets for Spiderman 3, which comes out on May 4. (Yes, we get them early. He likes to get them early.) When we were walking up to the theater, there was a car with two teenagers (male & female) sitting in it. I am not sure what they were doing in the car, but from where I was looking, they looked like they were up to no good, if you know what I mean. I made a face. My husband said, "You should go up to the car and give them a look." I said, "Yea, by today's standards, I am old enough to be their mother." He said, "Yea, you are old enough to be a grandmother by today's standards."
Heaven Help Me, Please
I am 36 years old. I could be the mother of a 20 year-old person by today's standards. Actually, I could be the mother of someone even older than that. That in turn, means I could have a grandchild that is as old as one of my students (ages 3-4).
The more I think about it, the crazier it makes me feel. I could possibly be the grandmother of one of my students. What in the world is going on?
I have to shake my head every time I think about it. In all honest, I would be a cool grandmother, but I don't want to be one. I mean, I could play PlayStation with my grandchild. I could IM and email my grandchild. I could even discuss a Cover Two defense and the triangle offense with my grandchild. Here's the thing to consider… Why in the world would I want to be a grandmother at 36?
Grandmothers are supposed to be in their late 50s, early 60s. They are supposed to be at a point in their lives where they can sit at home and enjoy their grandchildren, not out hustling trying to make a couple of dollars themselves.
It only makes sense, everyone else in life is getting younger, athletes, models, singers, artists, and preachers; why not grandmothers?
As a foot note, just so you won't think I am crazy. My husband has a friend from his hometown who is a grandmother and she is my age and has a grandchild.
4.29.2007
The Imus Aftermath (I know I am late)
I am so late. I won't be commenting on what he said, so you can relax a bit.
I was thinking about this whole saga after I read about it again in the Newsweek. I really thought about how it all came into the forefront of the media and how it got out to the public.
Were it not for the internet and today's modern technology, most of us would not have known anything about it until weeks after it had happened. I didn't (and still don’t) know who Don Imus was (is). Most of the people I hang around with didn't know who he was. I am not sure how many "regular" people knew who he was.
The only reason "regular" America found out about the whole thing is the internet. Someone put it up in a blog and we found out. Someone put a copy of the video up on YouTube and we found out. Someone spammed everyone on their mailing list and then those people spammed other people and we found out.
Here's my conclusion to this whole matter… Be careful what you say and do in this age of technology, it may come back to haunt you.
I was thinking about this whole saga after I read about it again in the Newsweek. I really thought about how it all came into the forefront of the media and how it got out to the public.
Were it not for the internet and today's modern technology, most of us would not have known anything about it until weeks after it had happened. I didn't (and still don’t) know who Don Imus was (is). Most of the people I hang around with didn't know who he was. I am not sure how many "regular" people knew who he was.
The only reason "regular" America found out about the whole thing is the internet. Someone put it up in a blog and we found out. Someone put a copy of the video up on YouTube and we found out. Someone spammed everyone on their mailing list and then those people spammed other people and we found out.
Here's my conclusion to this whole matter… Be careful what you say and do in this age of technology, it may come back to haunt you.
The NFL Draft
I ended up watching most of the NFL draft on yesterday and today. My husband is a big fan and since he is taking care of me, (I am sick), I thought I would let the TV be on the draft.
So many people get upset because these guys are getting millions of dollars because they are good with a ball.
I do feel that this country puts too much emphasis on sports and not enough on education.
I don't get upset with the guys who get all this money for their talents. Firstly, it is not their fault that they were blessed with such talent. God gave it to them. If they can get paid for doing something they are good at and they love, then so be it. Secondly, their careers are only so long; like 10 years or so, baring injury. They end up making that lifetime salary in those ten years, versus a non-sports person who takes a lifetime to make their lifetime salary. Lastly, at least they are using their talent to make money legally. They could be using their talents for evil.
On a side note, being a teacher this year, I truly realize that Teachers are UNDERPAID! Seeing what kind of children that we have to deal with, seeing the limits that are placed on teachers, seeing the kind of parents that teachers have to deal with, Teachers are not PAID enough!
There are so many children with behavioral, emotional, and psychological issues in the school systems these days. Teachers have to deal with these children's issues everyday and then have to try to teach them how to read and write as well.
I truly admire the teachers that I work with. They are very patient and good at what they do. It is amazing to see how they can easily handle a child who has frazzled me to no end. They are very good at what they do.
The children today are so advanced in their knowledge, their speech, their thought process, and their attitudes. I was once substituting for a kindergarten teacher. The children were writing in their journals. One of them asked, "Can we write about what we want to write about?" I responded, "No, you have to write about something SPECIFIC." I felt like an idiot after I had said specific. One of the students asked, "What does specific mean?" Before I could answer, one of the boys said, "It means you have to write about what she tells you to write about." I was speechless, I had no idea that a 5 year-old child knew what specific meant. The children today are so much smarter.
I believe that teachers should be paid more than they are being paid. They are shaping the minds of the future leaders of our lives. There have been several teachers in the news for doing negative things, but the number of teachers doing bad things is so small compared to the number of teachers who are doing great things.
Teachers these days get an unfair rep because of the few bad apples. When I was growing up, teachers were given the benefit of the doubt. Whenever I told my mother something crazy happened between a teacher and I (which was very rare), she didn't just go up to the school all mad and ready to curse someone out. She went up to the school and got the teacher's side of the story and then went from there. Teachers today don't get the benefit of the doubt.
Most teachers don't dislike their students. Most teachers are not mean to their students. Most teachers do not have it out for their students. This is something that my mother used to say, "I believe my children are excellent children. They have been trained correctly. They know how to act, but I know that they are capable of doing something wrong." I used to hate it when my mother would say that, but now I understand it. My parents raised me right, but there was still a chance that I could make a bad choice.
Most parents don't think like that. They think that their children are angels, knowing full well that if given the chance, their child would set the school on fire and lie about doing it. I think that is so crazy.
Anyway, for what teachers have to go through with today, they are grossly UNDERPAID!
So many people get upset because these guys are getting millions of dollars because they are good with a ball.
I do feel that this country puts too much emphasis on sports and not enough on education.
I don't get upset with the guys who get all this money for their talents. Firstly, it is not their fault that they were blessed with such talent. God gave it to them. If they can get paid for doing something they are good at and they love, then so be it. Secondly, their careers are only so long; like 10 years or so, baring injury. They end up making that lifetime salary in those ten years, versus a non-sports person who takes a lifetime to make their lifetime salary. Lastly, at least they are using their talent to make money legally. They could be using their talents for evil.
On a side note, being a teacher this year, I truly realize that Teachers are UNDERPAID! Seeing what kind of children that we have to deal with, seeing the limits that are placed on teachers, seeing the kind of parents that teachers have to deal with, Teachers are not PAID enough!
There are so many children with behavioral, emotional, and psychological issues in the school systems these days. Teachers have to deal with these children's issues everyday and then have to try to teach them how to read and write as well.
I truly admire the teachers that I work with. They are very patient and good at what they do. It is amazing to see how they can easily handle a child who has frazzled me to no end. They are very good at what they do.
The children today are so advanced in their knowledge, their speech, their thought process, and their attitudes. I was once substituting for a kindergarten teacher. The children were writing in their journals. One of them asked, "Can we write about what we want to write about?" I responded, "No, you have to write about something SPECIFIC." I felt like an idiot after I had said specific. One of the students asked, "What does specific mean?" Before I could answer, one of the boys said, "It means you have to write about what she tells you to write about." I was speechless, I had no idea that a 5 year-old child knew what specific meant. The children today are so much smarter.
I believe that teachers should be paid more than they are being paid. They are shaping the minds of the future leaders of our lives. There have been several teachers in the news for doing negative things, but the number of teachers doing bad things is so small compared to the number of teachers who are doing great things.
Teachers these days get an unfair rep because of the few bad apples. When I was growing up, teachers were given the benefit of the doubt. Whenever I told my mother something crazy happened between a teacher and I (which was very rare), she didn't just go up to the school all mad and ready to curse someone out. She went up to the school and got the teacher's side of the story and then went from there. Teachers today don't get the benefit of the doubt.
Most teachers don't dislike their students. Most teachers are not mean to their students. Most teachers do not have it out for their students. This is something that my mother used to say, "I believe my children are excellent children. They have been trained correctly. They know how to act, but I know that they are capable of doing something wrong." I used to hate it when my mother would say that, but now I understand it. My parents raised me right, but there was still a chance that I could make a bad choice.
Most parents don't think like that. They think that their children are angels, knowing full well that if given the chance, their child would set the school on fire and lie about doing it. I think that is so crazy.
Anyway, for what teachers have to go through with today, they are grossly UNDERPAID!
4.28.2007
Sick, Oh My Goodness Sick
I was sick today. I lost my breakfast, although I hadn't even eaten breakfast this morning. I had a horrible stomach ache. It was so crazy. I lost my appetite and I just had to lay in bed. I was so miserable because I was hot for most of the day.
I didn't even get on the computer much. I tried to check my email, but without success.
I don't know what was wrong with me, but I still feel horrible. I wish I knew what was going on. If I don't feel better by Monday, I may go to the doctor.
I didn't even get on the computer much. I tried to check my email, but without success.
I don't know what was wrong with me, but I still feel horrible. I wish I knew what was going on. If I don't feel better by Monday, I may go to the doctor.
4.27.2007
Ready For The Weekend
I am so ready for the weekend. I have had a long week. It has been tiring to say the least. I have also been crabby most of the week. Not mean crabby, but sweet with a hint of crabby. (Like that makes sense.)
Nothing much happened today. I can't even really think of much to write.
I have totally slacked off on Captive By History. I didn't mean to, but I never really felt in the mood to write. I am going to keep it on my goals for the month of May. I didn't make my monthly goal of writing everyday. I feel bad about that one. I was able to do it in March. Hopefully, I will be able to do it for the month of May.
We are closing in on the end of the school year. I was told that there are only twenty days left in the year. I am so glad because I am going to need the summer break.
I signed up to help with my church's Vacation Bible School. That will be fun. I haven't done VBS in a long while, since I was in West Virginia in 1989. Wow, that's a long time.
We are doing to have a summer program at the church as well, but I am not sure that I want to commit to that program. I would prefer to have this summer free.
That's all for today. Perhaps I can write more tomorrow.
Nothing much happened today. I can't even really think of much to write.
I have totally slacked off on Captive By History. I didn't mean to, but I never really felt in the mood to write. I am going to keep it on my goals for the month of May. I didn't make my monthly goal of writing everyday. I feel bad about that one. I was able to do it in March. Hopefully, I will be able to do it for the month of May.
We are closing in on the end of the school year. I was told that there are only twenty days left in the year. I am so glad because I am going to need the summer break.
I signed up to help with my church's Vacation Bible School. That will be fun. I haven't done VBS in a long while, since I was in West Virginia in 1989. Wow, that's a long time.
We are doing to have a summer program at the church as well, but I am not sure that I want to commit to that program. I would prefer to have this summer free.
That's all for today. Perhaps I can write more tomorrow.
4.26.2007
3 Year-Olds & Being Rough
How To Play Rough
I teach 3 & 4 year-old students. I find wisdom, laughter, and other things in the many things that they do.
You can view this entry in my official blog to read more about it.
I recently learned how to play rough with the boys.
One of the boys (Alvin) was trying to teach one of the girls (Jane) how to hang and swing from one of the bars on the jungle gym. It is one of the higher bars on the jungle him. this is how the conversation went.
Alvin: (He swung from the bar to show her). Just swing like this, it's easy.
Jane: (With a scared look on her face). I can't do that.
Alvin: Yes, you can. Just do it. It's easy.
Jane: No, it's not. It's hard.
Alvin: Just try it, you can do it. (He swings from the bar again to show her how to do it.)
Jane: Uhh uhh, I can't. (She looks like she is about to cry.)
Alvin: If you want to play with the boys, you have to play rough. You know boys play rough.
Jane: But I don't know how to play rough.
Alvin: Well, this is how you play rough. When you get hurt, you don't cry. Like this. (He hits his hand hard on the pole.)
Jane: Oh ok.
Alvin said, When you get hurt, you don't cry, so profoundly, that it stuck in my head for a long while.
Jane never swung from the monkey bar, but I think she learned something important, not to cry so much, especially if you want to play with the boys.
Playing with the Boys
Playing with the boys in my class is fun. Most of time are very active, like to run, have great imaginations, and will make you laugh.
When I have played with them, I have had so much fun. I end up getting tired quickly though. Plus, they play too roughly. They hit. They kick. They crash. They throw hard. It is amazing to watch them play because they are learning and discovering things about the world and themselves everyday. They insist on showing and telling me what they can learn or do. I hear, "Mrs. Boone, watch this, 30 times a day." There are times when it gets frustrating because I have 4 children trying to get me to watch them at once, but it is exciting to see them do something new.
The girls like to play with the boys at times. It's fun to try to see the girls do something that they have seen the boys do. Most of the time, the girls can duplicate the activity. At first, the boys play with the girls as if they are girls. After awhile, the boys tend to forget that they are playing with girls or they just get tired of playing softly and get rough. The girls end up getting hurt and running over to me crying.
What I've Learned: Just Listen
I have learned a lot from the students that I teach. (I think that is what makes a good teacher great, you learn from your students while they learn from you.)
You can view this entry in my official blog to read more about it.
Many times, when the children get hurt, they come running over to one of the teachers crying. We try to calm them down and then check to make sure that they are physically ok. Most of the time, they are.
I have noticed something. Most of the time, they just want to tell someone what happened. One of them will tell me something and then, after they finish, they walk off from me, without ever getting a solution to their problem. When they are telling me their problem, it seems like it is life or death, but after they have said what they needed to say, they walk off.
I have also noticed, that I can be looking at them when something is happening, and they will still come and tell me what happened. I can even say, "I saw what happened," but the child still wants to tell me.
I have learned, that sometimes, you just want someone to listen to your problem. They don't have to help you out. They don't have to give you an answer. You just want someone to hear you.
Many teachers get disconcerted with 20 children walking up to you trying to tell you something. It used to frustrate me as well. I have changed my thinking on this. Now, I let them come up to me and tell me what is on their mind. I smile at them and then they are on their way.
I think we forget this lesson as we grow older. Once we gain a little knowledge; we want to share our knowledge with everyone who asks us to listen, whether they ask for advice or not. We forget that sometimes, people just need us to listen. They don't want help. They don't want advice. They just want someone to listen to them. We need to practice listening more these days.
I am trying to do that more and more these days. I get a lot of practice, weekdays, 9-5.
I teach 3 & 4 year-old students. I find wisdom, laughter, and other things in the many things that they do.
You can view this entry in my official blog to read more about it.
I recently learned how to play rough with the boys.
One of the boys (Alvin) was trying to teach one of the girls (Jane) how to hang and swing from one of the bars on the jungle gym. It is one of the higher bars on the jungle him. this is how the conversation went.
Alvin: (He swung from the bar to show her). Just swing like this, it's easy.
Jane: (With a scared look on her face). I can't do that.
Alvin: Yes, you can. Just do it. It's easy.
Jane: No, it's not. It's hard.
Alvin: Just try it, you can do it. (He swings from the bar again to show her how to do it.)
Jane: Uhh uhh, I can't. (She looks like she is about to cry.)
Alvin: If you want to play with the boys, you have to play rough. You know boys play rough.
Jane: But I don't know how to play rough.
Alvin: Well, this is how you play rough. When you get hurt, you don't cry. Like this. (He hits his hand hard on the pole.)
Jane: Oh ok.
Alvin said, When you get hurt, you don't cry, so profoundly, that it stuck in my head for a long while.
Jane never swung from the monkey bar, but I think she learned something important, not to cry so much, especially if you want to play with the boys.
Playing with the Boys
Playing with the boys in my class is fun. Most of time are very active, like to run, have great imaginations, and will make you laugh.
When I have played with them, I have had so much fun. I end up getting tired quickly though. Plus, they play too roughly. They hit. They kick. They crash. They throw hard. It is amazing to watch them play because they are learning and discovering things about the world and themselves everyday. They insist on showing and telling me what they can learn or do. I hear, "Mrs. Boone, watch this, 30 times a day." There are times when it gets frustrating because I have 4 children trying to get me to watch them at once, but it is exciting to see them do something new.
The girls like to play with the boys at times. It's fun to try to see the girls do something that they have seen the boys do. Most of the time, the girls can duplicate the activity. At first, the boys play with the girls as if they are girls. After awhile, the boys tend to forget that they are playing with girls or they just get tired of playing softly and get rough. The girls end up getting hurt and running over to me crying.
What I've Learned: Just Listen
I have learned a lot from the students that I teach. (I think that is what makes a good teacher great, you learn from your students while they learn from you.)
You can view this entry in my official blog to read more about it.
Many times, when the children get hurt, they come running over to one of the teachers crying. We try to calm them down and then check to make sure that they are physically ok. Most of the time, they are.
I have noticed something. Most of the time, they just want to tell someone what happened. One of them will tell me something and then, after they finish, they walk off from me, without ever getting a solution to their problem. When they are telling me their problem, it seems like it is life or death, but after they have said what they needed to say, they walk off.
I have also noticed, that I can be looking at them when something is happening, and they will still come and tell me what happened. I can even say, "I saw what happened," but the child still wants to tell me.
I have learned, that sometimes, you just want someone to listen to your problem. They don't have to help you out. They don't have to give you an answer. You just want someone to hear you.
Many teachers get disconcerted with 20 children walking up to you trying to tell you something. It used to frustrate me as well. I have changed my thinking on this. Now, I let them come up to me and tell me what is on their mind. I smile at them and then they are on their way.
I think we forget this lesson as we grow older. Once we gain a little knowledge; we want to share our knowledge with everyone who asks us to listen, whether they ask for advice or not. We forget that sometimes, people just need us to listen. They don't want help. They don't want advice. They just want someone to listen to them. We need to practice listening more these days.
I am trying to do that more and more these days. I get a lot of practice, weekdays, 9-5.
4.25.2007
One Long Day
The Weather
The weather has been crazy. it started off dreary and then the sun shined. When we went outside after 3:30, the sky fluctuated between gray and bright. It was kind of irritating. I had to keep putting my shades on and then taking them off. Oh well, maybe it will get right soon.
Thankfully
I am so thankful that my allergies haven't been acting crazy. I think it is because of the rain. Thank you Lord, I haven't had to sneeze, cough, or hack too much.
Craziness
It is time for school to be out. These kids have lost their minds, all of them at the school; not just my class. Teachers keep walking by asking, "What in the world is going on here?" then they follow that up with, "These children have lost their minds." We don't get out of school until May 24th. Oh my goodness.
Captive by History
I haven't written anything on Captive By History since Wednesday, April 18. I need help around here.
Computer Issues
The computers at school have been acting crazy. oh well. I guess that's the way it goes.
By the way... There is nothing worthwhile in any of these posts for today. I was just doing my goals.
The weather has been crazy. it started off dreary and then the sun shined. When we went outside after 3:30, the sky fluctuated between gray and bright. It was kind of irritating. I had to keep putting my shades on and then taking them off. Oh well, maybe it will get right soon.
Thankfully
I am so thankful that my allergies haven't been acting crazy. I think it is because of the rain. Thank you Lord, I haven't had to sneeze, cough, or hack too much.
Craziness
It is time for school to be out. These kids have lost their minds, all of them at the school; not just my class. Teachers keep walking by asking, "What in the world is going on here?" then they follow that up with, "These children have lost their minds." We don't get out of school until May 24th. Oh my goodness.
Captive by History
I haven't written anything on Captive By History since Wednesday, April 18. I need help around here.
Computer Issues
The computers at school have been acting crazy. oh well. I guess that's the way it goes.
By the way... There is nothing worthwhile in any of these posts for today. I was just doing my goals.
4.24.2007
Brainwashed
I was wondering, is anyone besides me brainwashed? I mean, did someone tell you something as a child that you believed and as an adult you found out that what you were told as a child is not right, but you can't quite change your behavior.
I grew up in the Pentecostal faith. I have stated that on many occasions. When I was a child, there were many strict rules that we had to adhere to, such as;
* No make-up
* No jewelry
* Women couldn't wear pants
* Women who wore red were considered Jezebels. (She is the most evilest woman in the Bible.)
* If you even liked a person of the opposite sex, you were going to hell.
Those are the ones that stand out in my mind. I was brainwashed into thinking that most of these things would get you sent to hell. I grew out of them when I became Baptist and was given some latitude.
Most of these rules in the Pentecostal faith have been abolished with time. The one rule that still haunts me today is the fact that Women who wear red are Jezebels. I have no idea why that one still bothers me.
I cannot in clear conscience wear the color red. These days, in the Pentecostal faith, they have 100 Women in Red services. This is where women come to a special service and all of them wear red. It is hard for me to wear red, anything red. I do wear things of that color, but I feel icky when I wear the color. I only own on red shirt. I have worn the shirt several times during Christmas. I own one red suit that I purchased for a 100 Women in Red service. I have worn the suit about three times. It is so crazy that I can't wear the color red in peace.
I grew up in the Pentecostal faith. I have stated that on many occasions. When I was a child, there were many strict rules that we had to adhere to, such as;
* No make-up
* No jewelry
* Women couldn't wear pants
* Women who wore red were considered Jezebels. (She is the most evilest woman in the Bible.)
* If you even liked a person of the opposite sex, you were going to hell.
Those are the ones that stand out in my mind. I was brainwashed into thinking that most of these things would get you sent to hell. I grew out of them when I became Baptist and was given some latitude.
Most of these rules in the Pentecostal faith have been abolished with time. The one rule that still haunts me today is the fact that Women who wear red are Jezebels. I have no idea why that one still bothers me.
I cannot in clear conscience wear the color red. These days, in the Pentecostal faith, they have 100 Women in Red services. This is where women come to a special service and all of them wear red. It is hard for me to wear red, anything red. I do wear things of that color, but I feel icky when I wear the color. I only own on red shirt. I have worn the shirt several times during Christmas. I own one red suit that I purchased for a 100 Women in Red service. I have worn the suit about three times. It is so crazy that I can't wear the color red in peace.
Rainy, Dreary, and Scary
Today it was rainy, dreary, and scary. All day long it was cloudy. Finally, the clouds expelled what they were holding in. It rained for the longest.
We got tornados, hail, and winds like crazy. It got so bad at one point that all of the shows were preempted by the weather broadcasters, much to my dismay.
I can't think of much to say right now. I want to write a poem, but I don't feel anything right now. Oh well.
I hate computer issues. They always cause such crazy problems. Here's to technology.
I was at home for most of the storm. It didn't affect me much because it wasn't that bad in my area. I mostly heard the wind.
I am going to quit now. Later.
P.S. I want my mommy.
We got tornados, hail, and winds like crazy. It got so bad at one point that all of the shows were preempted by the weather broadcasters, much to my dismay.
I can't think of much to say right now. I want to write a poem, but I don't feel anything right now. Oh well.
I hate computer issues. They always cause such crazy problems. Here's to technology.
I was at home for most of the storm. It didn't affect me much because it wasn't that bad in my area. I mostly heard the wind.
I am going to quit now. Later.
P.S. I want my mommy.
4.23.2007
Cold As Ice
I am sitting in the library at the University. It is cold as ice in here. I can't even concentrate good.
My hands are frozen. My nose is running. I am gonna have to get out of here in a minute.
None of my friends are online at ShoutLife. I wish they were.
I want to write something for Captive By History, but I can't think straight. It is too cold in here.
I have left that cold place. I don't feel like writing anything now, so I guess I won't be writing anything on Captive By History today. Oh well.
I guess this is about all that I am going to get for today. It isn't even worth it to type this up. I am just trying to accomplish some goals today.
I will see what I can do tomorrow. Hopefully, it will be more productive.
If I go up to this library again, I am gonna bring me a jacket.
My hands are frozen. My nose is running. I am gonna have to get out of here in a minute.
None of my friends are online at ShoutLife. I wish they were.
I want to write something for Captive By History, but I can't think straight. It is too cold in here.
I have left that cold place. I don't feel like writing anything now, so I guess I won't be writing anything on Captive By History today. Oh well.
I guess this is about all that I am going to get for today. It isn't even worth it to type this up. I am just trying to accomplish some goals today.
I will see what I can do tomorrow. Hopefully, it will be more productive.
If I go up to this library again, I am gonna bring me a jacket.
4.22.2007
Witnessing, Religious Background
Witnessing
I need a clear cut definition of WITNESSING. What does it mean to WITNESS?
The only definition I have is from my old church… According to the pastor, if you were not bringing people to church, you were not witnessing, so the definition of witnessing was: Bringing people to church.
I haven't asked anyone at my new church, but I plan to.
Here is my personal definition… Telling others about Christ, whether it is a testimony, a "sermon", a word of encouragement, a hug, a reprimand, or prayer.
1 Corinthians 3:6-8 (New King James Version)
6 I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the increase.
7 So then neither he who plants is anything, nor he who waters, but God who gives the increase.
8 Now he who plants and he who waters are one, and each one will receive his own reward according to his own labor.
I know I witness. But, I have never actually led anyone through the Sinner's Prayer. I firmly believe that I am the kind of person that plants. I believe that another follows behind me and waters.
There are those who will go off on me and say that I am not a good Christian witness for the Lord, but I just don't feel that way about it. I know that I can always do more, as we all can do more.
I have just always wondered what a good definition of WITNESSING is.
Religious Background (Make-Up)
Our Sunday School lesson today was about reaching beyond your comfort zone when witnessing and inviting others to your church. It got me to thinking about something, my religious background or make-up.
I think I have a very diverse religious background.
My father is Baptist. He is an ordained Baptist preacher. He was a Baptist pastor before.
My mother is Church of God In Christ (COGIC) which is a Pentecostal religion.
My stepmother was Methodist before she married my father. She leans a bit to the Pentecostal side at times. She is an ordained Methodist preacher.
I was born, raised, and bred Church of God In Christ (COGIC), ages 0-17. When I graduated high school and went to live with my father, I became Baptist, ages 17-24. After graduating college, I moved back to Dallas and joined a Full Gospel Church ages 24-33. Now, I am currently attending a Southern Baptist Church, age 33 and beyond.
I have fellowshipped with AME (African Methodist Episcopal) churches. I have fellowshipped with White Baptist Churches.
Here's some information about these religions.
Church of God In Christ (COGIC)... The religion has changed a lot since I was a little girl. Mainly, this religion believes in the whole Bible. They teach being filled with the Holy Sprit separate from being saved. You must speak in tongues to show that you have the Holy Spirit. Also, you can lose your salvation by backsliding. Many of the tenants of the COGIC are the same as other Protestant religions.
The services are very high spirited and exciting. You can never predict what will happen. There are over 5,000 COGIC Churches all over the world.
Baptist… It is the basic Baptist ideology. They believe as most Protestant Religions. I can't think of anything specific to point out.
Full Gospel… Most African-American people and religions that say they are Full Gospel or Pentecostal are offspring of the Church of God In Christ. Many of them have varying differences in doctrine. Many of the differences are related to women being pastors and women wearing pants. These services are high spirited and exciting. For the most part, the music is a bit slower than COGIC. The services can be unpredictable, too.
(The link for Full Gospel is the church that I use to go to.)
Honestly, I feel most comfortable in a Pentecostal church because of the element of excitement. Most Baptist churches aren't as exciting as Pentecostal churches. But Baptist churches have come a long way with their style of praise since the 90s. I like the unpredictability of the Pentecostal church.
I like the Baptist church because they don't use "scare tactics" to keep you save. In the Baptist church, you are responsible for your own soul salvation. In the Pentecostal church, it seems that you are guilted into living saved and doing other things that you should freely do.
In the Baptist church, there is full autonomy. I like that because you are responsible for yourself and no one else. I also like the fact that most Baptist pastors admit that they are human and that they can make a mistake. That attitude is very rare in the Pentecostal movement.
That's my religious background. I may add more later.
4.21.2007
Bored For A Long While
Today was mostly boring. I ate breakfast and then sat around the house doing nothing. I washed dishes. After that, my day was not constructive at all.
I finally did get out of the house around 7:00 PM. I had to leave I was gonna go stir crazy. I went to COMP USA. I got something to eat. I went to Blockbuster. I came back home.
I turned my computer on, but I didn't get on it. It just ran the virus checker and I compacted my Outlook Express folders.
Told ya! It was boring today. The only reason I am writing this stuff down is because I needed to write it to keep my goal of writing everyday, no matter how big or small.
Well, that last part is a lie… I try to write at least 150 words, like it really makes a difference in the long run. I don't get stickers for not meeting my monthly goal. I guess it just adds to my word total in the end.
I finally did get out of the house around 7:00 PM. I had to leave I was gonna go stir crazy. I went to COMP USA. I got something to eat. I went to Blockbuster. I came back home.
I turned my computer on, but I didn't get on it. It just ran the virus checker and I compacted my Outlook Express folders.
Told ya! It was boring today. The only reason I am writing this stuff down is because I needed to write it to keep my goal of writing everyday, no matter how big or small.
Well, that last part is a lie… I try to write at least 150 words, like it really makes a difference in the long run. I don't get stickers for not meeting my monthly goal. I guess it just adds to my word total in the end.
4.20.2007
He Bared It All
Well, the class clown is at it again.
See these entries:
* Got Clowned Yesterday
* But I Brought You Flowers
We were lining up for lunch when He said, "Mrs. Boone, I need to go potty." I said, "Okay, go ahead." The other teacher was standing with the students. I was walking towards the front door.
I look up, he is almost to the restroom and he is walking with his pants and underwear down around his ankles, wiggling his rosy little bottom, among other things.
Both the other teacher and I say at the same time (this is not his real name), "Tracy!" which causes him to dance even more and part of the class to laugh. (Thankfully, most of them were otherwise occupied with playing around in the line.)
So, I direct him into the restroom. After he finishes, I talk to him. I asked, "Why did you do that?" He says, "I wanted to make everyone laugh." I try to reprimand him. He gives me his sad, I'm sorry face, and then says, "I'm sorry Mrs. Boone. I will be good," all the while, trying to get away from me. I had to stop to stop him twice while I was talking to him.
He repeats the same line he just gave me and then I let him leave. He walks out of the restroom laughing and dancing.
I wrote his mother a note and she made him apology and promise that it would never happen again.
My husband was cracking up laughing at me.
Lord, how much longer do we have in school? Close to 5 more weeks. I may not make it.
I really think that "WE," especially them, are all ready for school to be out.
Other than the dance show I received, today was a good day.
See these entries:
* Got Clowned Yesterday
* But I Brought You Flowers
We were lining up for lunch when He said, "Mrs. Boone, I need to go potty." I said, "Okay, go ahead." The other teacher was standing with the students. I was walking towards the front door.
I look up, he is almost to the restroom and he is walking with his pants and underwear down around his ankles, wiggling his rosy little bottom, among other things.
Both the other teacher and I say at the same time (this is not his real name), "Tracy!" which causes him to dance even more and part of the class to laugh. (Thankfully, most of them were otherwise occupied with playing around in the line.)
So, I direct him into the restroom. After he finishes, I talk to him. I asked, "Why did you do that?" He says, "I wanted to make everyone laugh." I try to reprimand him. He gives me his sad, I'm sorry face, and then says, "I'm sorry Mrs. Boone. I will be good," all the while, trying to get away from me. I had to stop to stop him twice while I was talking to him.
He repeats the same line he just gave me and then I let him leave. He walks out of the restroom laughing and dancing.
I wrote his mother a note and she made him apology and promise that it would never happen again.
My husband was cracking up laughing at me.
Lord, how much longer do we have in school? Close to 5 more weeks. I may not make it.
I really think that "WE," especially them, are all ready for school to be out.
Other than the dance show I received, today was a good day.
4.19.2007
Blah!
Today was kind of blah. Nothing exciting happened. Nothing of worth happened. I am writing this entry just so I can make my monthly goal of writing something everyday.
I have been goofing around on ShoutLife a lot, making new friends. I can never seem to be online when my brother is online, ain't that crazy?
Captive By History, my NaNo novel is going good. I am at 11,121 words. I am feeling good about that. I gotta keep writing, though. Better than I expected. I am so glad of that.
I have been making Yahoo! Avatars like crazy. I love making them, too. My avatar favors me, too. Here's one…
I'm cute ain't I?
I'm going to get my hair done tomorrow. I really need to get it done. My head is itching. I hate it when my hair does that. My hair really itches a lot when I am about to get a perm. I don't even understand that one.
This message is a big bowl of goulash. We had neck bones and red beans this week for dinner at the house. It has been good.
I guess I will wrap this up. I am still feeling blah!
I have been goofing around on ShoutLife a lot, making new friends. I can never seem to be online when my brother is online, ain't that crazy?
Captive By History, my NaNo novel is going good. I am at 11,121 words. I am feeling good about that. I gotta keep writing, though. Better than I expected. I am so glad of that.
I have been making Yahoo! Avatars like crazy. I love making them, too. My avatar favors me, too. Here's one…
I'm cute ain't I?
I'm going to get my hair done tomorrow. I really need to get it done. My head is itching. I hate it when my hair does that. My hair really itches a lot when I am about to get a perm. I don't even understand that one.
This message is a big bowl of goulash. We had neck bones and red beans this week for dinner at the house. It has been good.
I guess I will wrap this up. I am still feeling blah!
4.16.2007
Yet Another Student Giving Me Flowers
Recently, a student gave me flowers because he had acted up in class on the previous day, please see the following posts:
* Got Clowned Yesterday
* But I Brought You Flowers
This is the second time that a student has given me flowers after having acted crazy with me.
The first time was much worse than this most recent time. The boy (a 3rd grader who wasn't even in my class) threw a fit. I was at the school by myself.
Here's a poem I wrote after I got the flower.
Yellow Weed
Yellow weed growing in the midst of the grass.
Unwanted, unloved, often thrown aside.
Only wanting to live your life as best you know how.
But how can you do so, when no one gives you a chance?
Emotions growing inside you, no one will listen.
Mowed down, pulled out.
Why don't they give you a chance?
You deserve life just like everything else.
But still, you're treated as a nuisance,
A nuisance, unloved, unkept.
I've always wanted to make a difference,
So, here's my chance, I guess.
Yellow weed, my treasure,
You are wanted, you are kept.
Inspiration Behind Yellow Weed
The poem Yellow Weed was inspired by one of the students in the school that I taught at in 2002. The previous day, he had acted a straight fool with me. I mean he acted crazy. I was very frustrated with him.
The next day, the kids were outside playing. He walked over to me with his hands behind his back. He smiled at me and apologized. He handed me this yellow weed. I smiled and hugged him. He went back on his way.
I looked at the weed and was about to throw it away, but then inspiration hit. I was about to throw away a heartfelt gift of apology from one of my students. I went into the classroom and taped the flower to a page in my journal. Later on during the day, I wrote the poem, Yellow Weed.
* Got Clowned Yesterday
* But I Brought You Flowers
This is the second time that a student has given me flowers after having acted crazy with me.
The first time was much worse than this most recent time. The boy (a 3rd grader who wasn't even in my class) threw a fit. I was at the school by myself.
Here's a poem I wrote after I got the flower.
Yellow Weed
Yellow weed growing in the midst of the grass.
Unwanted, unloved, often thrown aside.
Only wanting to live your life as best you know how.
But how can you do so, when no one gives you a chance?
Emotions growing inside you, no one will listen.
Mowed down, pulled out.
Why don't they give you a chance?
You deserve life just like everything else.
But still, you're treated as a nuisance,
A nuisance, unloved, unkept.
I've always wanted to make a difference,
So, here's my chance, I guess.
Yellow weed, my treasure,
You are wanted, you are kept.
Inspiration Behind Yellow Weed
The poem Yellow Weed was inspired by one of the students in the school that I taught at in 2002. The previous day, he had acted a straight fool with me. I mean he acted crazy. I was very frustrated with him.
The next day, the kids were outside playing. He walked over to me with his hands behind his back. He smiled at me and apologized. He handed me this yellow weed. I smiled and hugged him. He went back on his way.
I looked at the weed and was about to throw it away, but then inspiration hit. I was about to throw away a heartfelt gift of apology from one of my students. I went into the classroom and taped the flower to a page in my journal. Later on during the day, I wrote the poem, Yellow Weed.
Old Wounds Opened
I was rereading the journal entry I wrote yesterday in my blog. It got me to thinking about some things in the past that I have never spoken about. Here it goes.
In 2002, my former pastor decided to open up tuition based school at the church. He asked me and one of our associate ministers to be apart of the school. We both agreed.
You would think that every member of the church with children, or at least 50% of them would enroll their children into a school run by their home church, but no, they didn't want to. We had three members enroll their children.
There were numerous complaints about the pastor's business ventures going belly up. So, the members didn't want to pull their children from their established schools and put them in a school that was more than likely going to close soon after it was opened. A former member of the church enrolled his child in the school.
(Many of the pastor's business ventures had gone belly up. In all fairness to the pastor, he had a short attention span. It was hard for him to stay with anything that he thought was moving slowly and wasn't producing like he thought it should produce.)
Well, we did the school for the whole year of 2002 with 5 students and 2 teachers. As of now, we still have parents who owe money to the school, even though it has been 5 years since the school was opened.
In the 2002 school year, only one family paid their child's whole tuition. One family paid one-third of their tuition. One family, with two children enrolled, paid two or three payments.
Those five students, 3 kindergarteners, a third grader, and a sixth grader, gave the minister (the principal and teacher of 3rd and 6th graders) and I (kindergarten) fits. It didn't help that there were parents who acted a fool for no reason whatsoever.
For lunch, we had to use whatever lunch money the students brought for that day to go buy groceries because we did not have a lunch staff or a stash of food for the school. I had to stay with those five kids by myself for over an hour while the principal went to buy the food and then cook it. Of course, with only one adult there, they acted crazy.
I was the kindergarten teacher and the school secretary. The minister was the principal and the cook. It was crazy.
We barely got paid because the pastor had to take money from the church fund and put it in the school fund. (We could not get support from the church family because they were expecting the school to fail as was the pattern with our pastor. Many people told me this with their own mouths, so this is not second hand knowledge.)
It's Fall 2003. The former member who had enrolled their child wanted to remove their child from the school because the tuition hadn't been paid and they couldn't pay the tuition. Those people were members of a church where the pastor of that church was a "rival" of our pastor. (Another story for another time.)
The student was learning like crazy and the parents were bragging on the school at the "rival" church. Our pastor told the parents that they could keep their child at the school even though they couldn't pay the tuition. (Mind you, this is a tuition based school and my salary was supposed to be coming from the tuition.)
Our pastor wanted the girl to stay @ the school so that he "have bragging" rights and something to hold over his "rival's" head. (Every chance the pastor got to mention his "rival," he did. He got on my nerves with that mess.) That about did it for me and the principal of the school, we were heated. How is the pastor gonna let someone who owes us all kinds of money stay at the school, especially after they themselves have said that they can't pay their bills? We stayed with it though for the children.
This time, we had five students, the two who didn't pay much tuition left and the two that replaced them actually paid there tuition, praise God.
We went through the fall semester pretty much the same way that we went through 2002. Not enough money, not enough support from the church, and no support from the pastor regarding trying to get us money from the parents or more "paying" students. He even refused to accept students who would have used vouchers.
We had to close the school. There was nothing else to do because we had no money coming in and it was a waste of our time trying to run the school with no money and no support.
Many people from the church came to me and said, "See, I told you that it was going to fail."
The minister and I were blamed for the school failing, though it wasn't our fault. We tried to do everything that we could to get the school up and running. We tried to suggest several ideas to the pastor. He shot all of them down because they weren't "HIS" ideas.
The fact that the church didn't support the school hurt me a lot because when the principal and I tried to talk to people about what we (the principal and I) were trying to accomplish, people always went back to… "I know it's going to fail because pastor's business ventures always fail." The principal and I could get no support for us and these were people who said they were our friends. That hurt more than anyone will ever know.
The minister that I worked with left the church a few months after the school closed. He was talked about like a dog from the pulpit by the pastor. Most of what was said about him was not true.
I left the minister a year after the minister did. My reason for leaving will take forever to explain. Some ungodly things have been said about me and my husband since we left.
I was so hurt by all of this, as was the minister. We have yet to receive any kind of apology, acknowledgment, or anything from the pastor. I doubt that we ever will.
I have forgiven everyone involved.
I heard that you will receive some of your worst wounds in the church.
In 2002, my former pastor decided to open up tuition based school at the church. He asked me and one of our associate ministers to be apart of the school. We both agreed.
You would think that every member of the church with children, or at least 50% of them would enroll their children into a school run by their home church, but no, they didn't want to. We had three members enroll their children.
There were numerous complaints about the pastor's business ventures going belly up. So, the members didn't want to pull their children from their established schools and put them in a school that was more than likely going to close soon after it was opened. A former member of the church enrolled his child in the school.
(Many of the pastor's business ventures had gone belly up. In all fairness to the pastor, he had a short attention span. It was hard for him to stay with anything that he thought was moving slowly and wasn't producing like he thought it should produce.)
Well, we did the school for the whole year of 2002 with 5 students and 2 teachers. As of now, we still have parents who owe money to the school, even though it has been 5 years since the school was opened.
In the 2002 school year, only one family paid their child's whole tuition. One family paid one-third of their tuition. One family, with two children enrolled, paid two or three payments.
Those five students, 3 kindergarteners, a third grader, and a sixth grader, gave the minister (the principal and teacher of 3rd and 6th graders) and I (kindergarten) fits. It didn't help that there were parents who acted a fool for no reason whatsoever.
For lunch, we had to use whatever lunch money the students brought for that day to go buy groceries because we did not have a lunch staff or a stash of food for the school. I had to stay with those five kids by myself for over an hour while the principal went to buy the food and then cook it. Of course, with only one adult there, they acted crazy.
I was the kindergarten teacher and the school secretary. The minister was the principal and the cook. It was crazy.
We barely got paid because the pastor had to take money from the church fund and put it in the school fund. (We could not get support from the church family because they were expecting the school to fail as was the pattern with our pastor. Many people told me this with their own mouths, so this is not second hand knowledge.)
It's Fall 2003. The former member who had enrolled their child wanted to remove their child from the school because the tuition hadn't been paid and they couldn't pay the tuition. Those people were members of a church where the pastor of that church was a "rival" of our pastor. (Another story for another time.)
The student was learning like crazy and the parents were bragging on the school at the "rival" church. Our pastor told the parents that they could keep their child at the school even though they couldn't pay the tuition. (Mind you, this is a tuition based school and my salary was supposed to be coming from the tuition.)
Our pastor wanted the girl to stay @ the school so that he "have bragging" rights and something to hold over his "rival's" head. (Every chance the pastor got to mention his "rival," he did. He got on my nerves with that mess.) That about did it for me and the principal of the school, we were heated. How is the pastor gonna let someone who owes us all kinds of money stay at the school, especially after they themselves have said that they can't pay their bills? We stayed with it though for the children.
This time, we had five students, the two who didn't pay much tuition left and the two that replaced them actually paid there tuition, praise God.
We went through the fall semester pretty much the same way that we went through 2002. Not enough money, not enough support from the church, and no support from the pastor regarding trying to get us money from the parents or more "paying" students. He even refused to accept students who would have used vouchers.
We had to close the school. There was nothing else to do because we had no money coming in and it was a waste of our time trying to run the school with no money and no support.
Many people from the church came to me and said, "See, I told you that it was going to fail."
The minister and I were blamed for the school failing, though it wasn't our fault. We tried to do everything that we could to get the school up and running. We tried to suggest several ideas to the pastor. He shot all of them down because they weren't "HIS" ideas.
The fact that the church didn't support the school hurt me a lot because when the principal and I tried to talk to people about what we (the principal and I) were trying to accomplish, people always went back to… "I know it's going to fail because pastor's business ventures always fail." The principal and I could get no support for us and these were people who said they were our friends. That hurt more than anyone will ever know.
The minister that I worked with left the church a few months after the school closed. He was talked about like a dog from the pulpit by the pastor. Most of what was said about him was not true.
I left the minister a year after the minister did. My reason for leaving will take forever to explain. Some ungodly things have been said about me and my husband since we left.
I was so hurt by all of this, as was the minister. We have yet to receive any kind of apology, acknowledgment, or anything from the pastor. I doubt that we ever will.
I have forgiven everyone involved.
I heard that you will receive some of your worst wounds in the church.
4.15.2007
Children's Church
I worked in Children's Church today. I didn't actually have a class. I ended up helping in the kindergarten class, that's usually the class I teach on 1st & 3rd Sundays. There was another teacher there this Sunday.
Hopefully, this won't sound bad, but I am glad that I didn't have to teach the class because they made Arks (Noah's Ark) in the classes. They had 10-20 minutes and they had to use stuff that they just kind of found. Supposedly, an email was sent out to all of the teachers to bring stuff to make an ark with. I didn't get the email. I am not on the mailing list, so I didn't get the email.
Sometimes, our Children's Church services seem disorganized. They sit in a room for 20 to 30 minutes working on a worksheet waiting for children to arrive. Mostly, the children play and talk until they see the adult with the candy bag come into the room, and then they make a mad scramble and try to finish their pages. I usually end up with an onslaught of children's screaming in my ear, "Can you help me with #2?" I help them, of course. (I usually do the worksheet, so I can help them with it.)
They get candy for completing the worksheet. After the candy run, which takes 10 minutes, we have devotion. That takes 10 to 20 minutes. Then we go to the classrooms. When in the classrooms, they eat a snack. That takes forever because everyone wants to play around, and then no one wants what is on the table and we end up having to wait for one person to get the snack they want.
After the snack, everyone wants to go to the restroom. Lord, have mercy. That is crazy.
After the restroom run, it doesn't leave much time to do a lesson, which I have to wait around for because it is not waiting on me. I never know what the lesson is going to be because when I am handed it in the room, that's the first time I have seen the lesson.
I hate being unprepared, which I am every Sunday I go to teach the class.
I hope that since I am on the mailing list, I will be more prepared.
A couple of Sundays, we had a different person running the Children's Church service, in place of the person who normally does it. Those services seemed more organized. She had someone there to actually explain the lesson. It was so amazing how different the services were. I wish they could be like that more often.
I have only been working with Children's Church since January.
Hopefully, this won't sound bad, but I am glad that I didn't have to teach the class because they made Arks (Noah's Ark) in the classes. They had 10-20 minutes and they had to use stuff that they just kind of found. Supposedly, an email was sent out to all of the teachers to bring stuff to make an ark with. I didn't get the email. I am not on the mailing list, so I didn't get the email.
Sometimes, our Children's Church services seem disorganized. They sit in a room for 20 to 30 minutes working on a worksheet waiting for children to arrive. Mostly, the children play and talk until they see the adult with the candy bag come into the room, and then they make a mad scramble and try to finish their pages. I usually end up with an onslaught of children's screaming in my ear, "Can you help me with #2?" I help them, of course. (I usually do the worksheet, so I can help them with it.)
They get candy for completing the worksheet. After the candy run, which takes 10 minutes, we have devotion. That takes 10 to 20 minutes. Then we go to the classrooms. When in the classrooms, they eat a snack. That takes forever because everyone wants to play around, and then no one wants what is on the table and we end up having to wait for one person to get the snack they want.
After the snack, everyone wants to go to the restroom. Lord, have mercy. That is crazy.
After the restroom run, it doesn't leave much time to do a lesson, which I have to wait around for because it is not waiting on me. I never know what the lesson is going to be because when I am handed it in the room, that's the first time I have seen the lesson.
I hate being unprepared, which I am every Sunday I go to teach the class.
I hope that since I am on the mailing list, I will be more prepared.
A couple of Sundays, we had a different person running the Children's Church service, in place of the person who normally does it. Those services seemed more organized. She had someone there to actually explain the lesson. It was so amazing how different the services were. I wish they could be like that more often.
I have only been working with Children's Church since January.
4.14.2007
Sometimes You Gotta Laugh to Keep From Crying
This post is in response to several posts that I posted about a student that acted up with me.
* Got Clowned Yesterday
* But I Brought You Flowers
Let me say this first, I teach children that are 3 years old or just recently turned 4 years old. The conventional thinking goes out of the window with these students.
An added bonus is that they are teacher's children. Most of these students mother, father, or both parents work or teach in the school district. This makes them more advanced at the age of 3 and 4 than normal students. Several of them can write their names, their family's names, or their friends' names. One of them has started to reading three and four letter words.
I really identify with these students, because I was just like them. My father (Dr. Madkins) was a college professor. My mother (Ms. Linda) is still a teacher. I was very advanced for my age. I could read and write when I entered kindergarten. I see so much of myself in many of my students. It's scary at times, too.
P.S. My father was a pastor and is a preacher. I should be one messed up child. I am a PK, double TK. Lord, have mercy.
Back to the reason for this post…
I am pretty happy-go-lucky. Not much upsets me, if it does; I try to turn it into a positive. My philosophy is... "It can only bother me, if I let it bother me." I grew up in an environment where craziness happened everyday. It was family members talking crazy. It was family members doing something so goofy that it didn't make sense. It was stuff happen at church that I couldn't even imagine.
I learned to laugh at life at an early age from my father and mother.
My mother is good at messing with you and having you busting a gut and she hasn't even cracked a smile. She used to do that to us in church all the time.
My father has a great sense of humor. He made folk laugh all the time without even trying to make them laugh.
My mother would sometimes just be laughing. My brother and I would ask, "Mama, why are you laughing?" Her response would be, "Sometimes you gotta laugh to keep from crying." I still ain't figured that out yet.
The laughter lesson I learned from my mother is… "Learn to laugh at yourself." If you are laughing at yourself, you retain the power of your stupidness.
My mother worked at Wal-Mart. She was forever coming home telling us about the crazy things that happened to her, most of them at her own doing. Here's one of those stories.
"Girl, let me tell you what happened today. I was working in the fragrance department. This man came by and said, 'Do you all have any cool water?' I said, 'Yea, a fountain is right over there.' The man looked at me like I was crazy. He said, 'Mame, do y'all have the cologne called Cool Water?" I looked at him like he was crazy. I showed him where the men's cologne was. I cracked up laughing. I thought he wanted something to drink. I didn't know he was talking about some cologne. I have been laughing about that all day."
The laughter lesson I learned from my father is… "Watch a comedy everyday." In essence, this meant, you need to laugh everyday.
I am a big fan of Andy Griffin and The Beverly Hillbillies because of my father. He would sit for hours and watch video tapes of the shows. My baby brother (24) and sister (21) watch those shows, too. We all grew up watching the video tapes with my father.
I make sure I laugh everyday. I try to laugh at myself, too. That isn't always easy because I tend to be hard on myself. I am learning to do that more and more each day.
I am very thankful that God blessed me with a silly husband. He is always making me laugh.
P.S. When life gets too rough, remember what Ms. Linda says… Sometimes, you gotta laugh to keep from crying.
* Got Clowned Yesterday
* But I Brought You Flowers
Let me say this first, I teach children that are 3 years old or just recently turned 4 years old. The conventional thinking goes out of the window with these students.
An added bonus is that they are teacher's children. Most of these students mother, father, or both parents work or teach in the school district. This makes them more advanced at the age of 3 and 4 than normal students. Several of them can write their names, their family's names, or their friends' names. One of them has started to reading three and four letter words.
I really identify with these students, because I was just like them. My father (Dr. Madkins) was a college professor. My mother (Ms. Linda) is still a teacher. I was very advanced for my age. I could read and write when I entered kindergarten. I see so much of myself in many of my students. It's scary at times, too.
P.S. My father was a pastor and is a preacher. I should be one messed up child. I am a PK, double TK. Lord, have mercy.
Back to the reason for this post…
I am pretty happy-go-lucky. Not much upsets me, if it does; I try to turn it into a positive. My philosophy is... "It can only bother me, if I let it bother me." I grew up in an environment where craziness happened everyday. It was family members talking crazy. It was family members doing something so goofy that it didn't make sense. It was stuff happen at church that I couldn't even imagine.
I learned to laugh at life at an early age from my father and mother.
My mother is good at messing with you and having you busting a gut and she hasn't even cracked a smile. She used to do that to us in church all the time.
My father has a great sense of humor. He made folk laugh all the time without even trying to make them laugh.
My mother would sometimes just be laughing. My brother and I would ask, "Mama, why are you laughing?" Her response would be, "Sometimes you gotta laugh to keep from crying." I still ain't figured that out yet.
The laughter lesson I learned from my mother is… "Learn to laugh at yourself." If you are laughing at yourself, you retain the power of your stupidness.
My mother worked at Wal-Mart. She was forever coming home telling us about the crazy things that happened to her, most of them at her own doing. Here's one of those stories.
"Girl, let me tell you what happened today. I was working in the fragrance department. This man came by and said, 'Do you all have any cool water?' I said, 'Yea, a fountain is right over there.' The man looked at me like I was crazy. He said, 'Mame, do y'all have the cologne called Cool Water?" I looked at him like he was crazy. I showed him where the men's cologne was. I cracked up laughing. I thought he wanted something to drink. I didn't know he was talking about some cologne. I have been laughing about that all day."
The laughter lesson I learned from my father is… "Watch a comedy everyday." In essence, this meant, you need to laugh everyday.
I am a big fan of Andy Griffin and The Beverly Hillbillies because of my father. He would sit for hours and watch video tapes of the shows. My baby brother (24) and sister (21) watch those shows, too. We all grew up watching the video tapes with my father.
I make sure I laugh everyday. I try to laugh at myself, too. That isn't always easy because I tend to be hard on myself. I am learning to do that more and more each day.
I am very thankful that God blessed me with a silly husband. He is always making me laugh.
P.S. When life gets too rough, remember what Ms. Linda says… Sometimes, you gotta laugh to keep from crying.
4.13.2007
But I Brought You Flowers
The little boy who clowned me the other day (see previous post) was at it again today.
When I walked in the door, he smiled at me, gave me a hug, and then said, "I brought you some flowers Mrs. Boone." I was happy. (I think the flowers were supposed to make-up for yesterday.)
Everything was good until nap time. He decided that he wanted to act up. He came in the room noisy and then, began doing headstands on his mat. The other teacher and I asked him to stop two times, but he wouldn't. He ended up causing the student next to him to talk. So, the other teacher told both of them to go put their names on yellow. The class clown says, "But I am already on red." The other teacher says, "Well, you're in a lot of trouble buddy." She leaves with the other student so he can go put his name on yellow.
The class clown proceeds to do a headstand and sings, "I'm already on red. I'm already on red." I have to tell him to go sit in time out. After he sits in time out, he says, "But I brought you flowers. But I brought you flowers." I wanted to laugh so bad because he was serious.
I think in his mind, the flowers were a get out of jail free card.
Lord, help me, I am a teacher.
When I walked in the door, he smiled at me, gave me a hug, and then said, "I brought you some flowers Mrs. Boone." I was happy. (I think the flowers were supposed to make-up for yesterday.)
Everything was good until nap time. He decided that he wanted to act up. He came in the room noisy and then, began doing headstands on his mat. The other teacher and I asked him to stop two times, but he wouldn't. He ended up causing the student next to him to talk. So, the other teacher told both of them to go put their names on yellow. The class clown says, "But I am already on red." The other teacher says, "Well, you're in a lot of trouble buddy." She leaves with the other student so he can go put his name on yellow.
The class clown proceeds to do a headstand and sings, "I'm already on red. I'm already on red." I have to tell him to go sit in time out. After he sits in time out, he says, "But I brought you flowers. But I brought you flowers." I wanted to laugh so bad because he was serious.
I think in his mind, the flowers were a get out of jail free card.
Lord, help me, I am a teacher.
4.12.2007
Got Clowned Today
One of my students clowned me in class today.
One student was drumming on his legs, which means that all of the students decided to drum on their legs. I asked them to stop drumming or else. Well, one student decided that he was going to keep on. He was drumming on leg. I have him two warnings and then he had to go put his name on yellow. After he came back to his seat, he started drumming on his legs again. I gave him two more warnings. He had to go put his name on red. After he came back to his seat, he started drumming again. I gave him two warnings. After the second warning, he said, "I am already on red, so I guess I gotta go to purple." The whole class proceeded to laugh and act up. I had to ask the little boy to go sit in time out. All the way to time out he was laughing and singing, "I gotta go to purple."
Lord, help me, I'm a teacher.
One student was drumming on his legs, which means that all of the students decided to drum on their legs. I asked them to stop drumming or else. Well, one student decided that he was going to keep on. He was drumming on leg. I have him two warnings and then he had to go put his name on yellow. After he came back to his seat, he started drumming on his legs again. I gave him two more warnings. He had to go put his name on red. After he came back to his seat, he started drumming again. I gave him two warnings. After the second warning, he said, "I am already on red, so I guess I gotta go to purple." The whole class proceeded to laugh and act up. I had to ask the little boy to go sit in time out. All the way to time out he was laughing and singing, "I gotta go to purple."
Lord, help me, I'm a teacher.
4.11.2007
1,008 Words
I had written 1,008 words at 3:02 PM. I wrote that many words in like 40 minutes or so. I started a fight at the restaurant. That got my muse flowing. It felt kind of good to write that. I am feeling better right now.
Crazy Week So Far
Yesterday I was feeling antisocial. Today I am feeling goofy. Things have been crazy this week. What is really going on?
Sugar Naw!
My husband saw my new avatar that I am using for my ShoutLife profile. This is what he said,
"Sugar Naw!"
I thought it was funny and cute. What he said as well as my avatar. :)
"Sugar Naw!"
I thought it was funny and cute. What he said as well as my avatar. :)
4.03.2007
Continued Editing
I continued editing Captive By History today. I just found out that quite a bit of a chapter is missing. I will have to go rewrite that part. From what I remember, that part was good, too.
I am going to type something up. I am going to check out my older files and see if that part in my files.
Oh well.
I am going to type something up. I am going to check out my older files and see if that part in my files.
Oh well.
4.02.2007
April Fool's Challenge
This month, I am participating in the April Fool's Novel Challenge. Basically, you state a goal, work towards that goal, and hope for the best.
Here are my goals for the challenge.
1. Edit Captive By History.
2. Write at least 20,000 words on the novel.
3. Edit the newly written material.
4. Update the entire novel.
5. Finish Part One of Captive by History.
Here are my goals for the challenge.
1. Edit Captive By History.
2. Write at least 20,000 words on the novel.
3. Edit the newly written material.
4. Update the entire novel.
5. Finish Part One of Captive by History.
Pink-tastic Report
There were seven girls wearing pink today. I keep buying more stuff that is pink. Somebody help me please.
4.01.2007
Pride Stickers
I get to put 30 stickers on my computer. Yippee.
Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y
Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y
Writing Goals
I am very proud. For the month of March I wrote 20,258 words. That is 1,258 words more than my projected monthly goal. Yea!
Monthly Goals For April
Here are my goals for the month:
1. To write something everyday, no matter how big or small.
2. To write at least 20,000 on my Captive by History NaNo Novel.
3. To edit my Captive by History NaNo Novel.
4. To write down more of the story ideas that I have come up with.
5. Update LDW
6. Update GBF
7. Update Maddocha
8. Update Always Inspired
9. Transfer the Adams Family Site
10. Transfer the Adkins Family Site
11. Transfer In Her Shadow
1. To write something everyday, no matter how big or small.
2. To write at least 20,000 on my Captive by History NaNo Novel.
3. To edit my Captive by History NaNo Novel.
4. To write down more of the story ideas that I have come up with.
5. Update LDW
6. Update GBF
7. Update Maddocha
8. Update Always Inspired
9. Transfer the Adams Family Site
10. Transfer the Adkins Family Site
11. Transfer In Her Shadow
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