The Uninvited Guest

I come from a large family.(The picture above is only about half of us.  I was not even married at the time and so all the great grandchildren are missing...as well as the spouses of us all. ) But, when I was a young parent we used to have these humongous events at Christmas, Easter, Father's Day(it was my grandfather's birthday) and the Saturday of Easter.  There would be tons of people, the elders, their children, their children's children, a few friends scattered in...it was monumental.  There was always so much food and it did not matter if you were at the end of the line there was always enough. Several years ago my mom was hosting the event at her house.  The dining room was arranged with tables around the walls to hold all the food.  The people at the end of the line would sit at those tables.  My mom had strategically placed card tables throughout her house....she was ready and meant everyone would sit this year.  I was at the end of the line and sort of my mom's co-hostess.  It was my job to make sure everyone found a seat and had everything they needed.  With my mission accomplished I got in line.  There was a cute little boy ahead of me in line and I spoke to him.  He was quite the conversationalist and I, not knowing all my cousin's children, assumed he was one of theirs.  He piled his plate high and headed out to the porch area where the kids were all eating and ate with them.  When they finished eating, they played in the yard for a couple of hours and then one by one families started heading home.  My cousin and her family left....we hugged everyone.....the little boy was in her batch of family...we hugged him...and then it happened.  My cousin and her family got into their van to leave....and the little boy started walking briskly down the road.  You see...he had been walking to the store when he saw all the children at the house, smelled the food, and decided....the people in the house would not notice one more....and we didn't.  We did not know this then....but years later....I actually met the young man....and he told me his tale.  I stood in Wal-Mart and laughed til I cried.  So, next time YOU are at a family reunion....look around.  Are all those people REALLY related to you?  Or is it just someone grabbing a free meal.  It is done more often than you can imagine.  Happy Monday!

The Napkin is Still Folded....Thank God!

In Bible days, when someone died, it was the duty of a family member to close the eyes and kiss the cheek of the dead. When Christ died, this became the duty of two men: Joseph of Arimathea, and Nicodemus. They went to Pontius Pilate and begged the body of the Lord Jesus. Then they had to take Him down from the cross…which was not an easy chore. First, they had to rig a ladder, and climb up the side of the cross, and then they had to pull His hands off over the nails. There was no way they could get those spikes out of the wood, not from that angle, not w/ His hands inbetween the wood and the nail head. Once the hands were loosed, they allowed the body of Jesus to sag into a sheet, and would then remove His feet from the nail in the same manner.They took the body of Jesus to a new tomb, that Joseph had prepared for himself. They washed His body, and wrapped it in white linen, folding His arms over His chest. They closed His eyes, kissed His cheek, and placed a napkin over His face.They walked away from that tomb, and no doubt they walked in silence…so that all you could hear was the sounds of their sadness, muffled crying, and sniffing. Surely it must have felt like a huge ball of lead in the pit of their stomachs, as they were thinking, “it’s all over, the end of the dream…and it only lasted for 3 short years.”3 days passed like an eternity…and I believe with all my heart that the birds refused to sing, and the sun refused to shine. For 3 days, all the demons of hell rejoiced, and Satan and the forces of darkness thought they had won a great victory. For 3 days, the Jewish leaders, as well as the Roman government, congratulated themselves on their brilliant scheme. But on the 3rd day, something wonderful and miraculous happened, as God the Father said to an angel in heaven, “Go get him!” And when the angel’s feet hit the ground, the stone rolled away, and up from the grave He arose…He lives! Mary comes first to the empty tomb. She sees the stone rolled away and it frightens her. And so she runs to get Peter and John, and they run together to the tomb as fast as they could. John outran Peter, and when he got there, he looked inside, and saw those grave clothes lying there in disarray. Then Peter arrived and, just as we’d expect of him, went right in. He also saw the linen clothes lying there, but there was something unusual in that scene. Something caught their eye that was very interesting. The Gospel of John tells us that the napkin, which was placed over the face of Jesus, was not just thrown aside like the grave clothes. The Bible takes an entire verse to tell us that the napkin was neatly folded, and was placed at the head of that stony coffin. Is that important? You’d better believe it! Is that significant? Absolutely! Is it really significant? Yes! OK....to understand the significance of the folded napkin, you have to understand a little bit about Hebrew tradition of that day. The folded napkin had to do w/ the Master and Servant, and every Jewish boy knew this tradition. When the servant set the dinner table for the master, he made sure that it was exactly the way the master wanted it. The table was furnished perfectly, and then the servant would wait, just out of sight, until the master had finished eating, and the servant would not dare touch that table, until the master was finished. Now if the master were done eating, he would rise from the table, wipe his fingers, his mouth, and clean his beard, and would wad up that napkin and toss it onto the table. The servant would then know to clear the table. For in those days, the wadded napkin meant, “I’m done”. But if the master got up from the table, and folded his napkin, and laid it aside his plate, the servant would not dare touch the table, because the servant knew that the folded napkin meant, “I’m not finished yet.” The folded napkin meant, “I’m coming back!” Excuse me while I shout this morning….Hallelujiah the Savior lives. God is definitely good! Have a blessed and happy Easter…..I know I will…cause remember, I am an Easter person!

In My Life.....I've Loved Them All

I was going to do Easter posts all week and almost made it...that is until yesterday.  Yesterday, I got some very disturbing news about a former student.  My daughter Kat called to tell me that Melissa had been placed at Bethany House.  She is only 30.  As you remember from when my Aunt died, Bethany House is a Hospice dwelling for the terminally ill to spend their last days.  The key word here is days.  Melissa was one of my most favorite students.  I mulled it over...I needed to go see her....but heck...she probably did not even remember me....but I knew better...so today, Frank and I went to Opelika....and I stopped in to see her.  When I asked at the nurses station which room she was in I nearly turned around and left when they told me she was in Room 102.  That was the same room my Aunt was in.  I was not sure I could make that walk down the hallway again....but I did...and I am glad.  I had quite a memorable visit with Melissa and several past students, Layla Syphers and Scott Jackson who were there visiting their old friend too.  It was like old home week....and I promise you I am not leaving this with a sad ending.  All the way home I thought about all the students that have come through my classroom doors in the past 24 years and thought I would tell you a little bit about some of them and my roles in their lives. During my teaching career I have had many roles.  I was the prom sponsor for 13 years, Student Government(SGA) sponsor for 5 years, Junior Civitan sponsor for 5 years, Cinder(school newspaper) sponsor for 4 years, Interact(this year only)Speech teacher, Spanish teacher, English teacher, AP English teacher, ESL (English as a Second Language) teacher, Choir teacher, Detention Keeper, Football Game ticket seller, Foreign Language/Spanish Club sponsor(21 years), Senior play asst sponsor(3 years), Faculty Follies coordinator, Building Leadership Team facilitator, singer, dancer, chief cook and bottle washer...mender of hearts, teller of tales, and defender of the American Way(just kidding on this one).  On top of all these hats...I found time to teach Spanish, Speech, and English at any given time.  So...in 24 years a lot of kids have passed through my life...and I through theirs.  Today, some of them are teachers, like Brittany, Misty, Jennifer, Jeanne, Layla, Kathryn...and that makes me proud.  Some are doctors, some are lawyers...some work for the government, others are on government assistance.  Some pump gas, work on cars, sell real-estate, work in banks, are serving time...they do it all....and I it leaves me speechless to know that I touched their lives for one brief shining moment....but today...today I thought of all the ones whose lives were cut short.  Bob, who called me Lt....died just recently.  It broke my heart.  He became a preacher...and was a substitute teacher at our school.  I adored him just as much at 38 as I did at 16.  Vanessa, died in a terrible car accident.  She was my precious drama queen.  She could make me laugh out loud in a heartbeat.  Chris died in a car accident, Leigh Ann too!  Two of my boys died in a burning car...that one almost killed me.  Neil died in a diving accident.  I taught him in Sunday School and held him when he was three days old.   I sang "Thank You" at his funeral.  These kids are not just statistics...they were lives....lives that touched me when they walked on earth...and I have no doubt will share the kingdom of heaven with me when I get there.  Yes, I believe that I touch lives forever....but I also know that those very same lives touched mine too...and I will never be the same...because for one brief shining moment...we walked the same road.  God has truly blessed me.  I hope you enjoy my blast from the past.

Brittany and I - BRHS Prom - she teaches Middle School Math

Top picture - Hackneyville High School Students - Bob is on the far right

Bottom Picture - Dancing and singing in the Faculty Follies

My ESL class and Vanessa.  1993 seems like an eon ago...and yet sometimes it seems like only last week.  Where did the time go?  Seventeern years was gone in the blink of an eye.  It is true...time does fly.

Homecoming Queen hopefuls.  I was Student Government Sponor for five years and worked with lots of lovely ladies.  The one in the middle was named Homecoming Queen that year.  They cleaned up nice huh?

I taught at New Site High School for three years.  Jennifer, back left, is a teacher today.  How exciting!

The Senior play cast on opening night.  This particular year the play was a drama.  The first row girl...sixth from the left was an exchange student, Tatiana (Touch) from Brazil.  She is an International lawyer.  As I sit here going through these pictures I truly believe that I have been blessed beyond all blessings.  I believe I am a God-called teacher and I thank Him everyday for this privilege.  Don't get me wrong...they have not all been angels and everyday has not been a bed of roses.  I have had my share of  thugs....but to be honest they have few and far between.  Life has been good to me...and "in my life, I've loved them all!  Happy Saturday and I hope you all have a blessed Easter.

Spooked

Fine, so I have a vivid imagination.

I can’t help it.

I’m forever thinking that ghosts are lurking around our house or that aliens are scurrying about in the backyard.

It doesn’t help that my husband works the night shift. Usually when he’s around, he can talk me down. For instance I’ll go, “What’s that at the far end of our room? Surely it must be a ghost,” and without missing a beat he’ll go, “Amber, that’s the closet door.” He really doesn't understand my overactive imagination. In fact, he doesn't seem to understand imagination period. For instance I'll say, "Can't you just imagine an entire room filled with chocolate?" and he's all, "No, I don't imagine anymore."

You know that movie Anne of Green Gables? Anne is all, "Marilla, can't you imagine?" and Marilla is all, "No, I cannot." Well, Tom is Marilla. Only he's a dude. He's the dude version of Marilla Cuthbert.

So anyhow, Tom worked last night.

This means when I heard the scraping sound in our room after I had climbed into bed, I assumed it was an alien.

In my defense, it was a sinister scraping sound. It was sort of like, “ssssssSSSSSSsssssssss,” every few seconds.

Well, then of course I started wondering if a SNAKE somehow got into our room because of the “ssssSSSSSSSssss” sound.

I dived under the covers. I’m woman enough to admit that. While I was housed by my blanket I heard the noise again.

sssssssSSSSSSSSSSSssssssssssss

“It’s just my imagination,” I whispered.

But then the sound was heard again. It was real. Something was going on.

I had to be brave and check it out.

I peeked out. I didn’t see anything. I started to wonder if I had imagined the sound. Silly me. It would give Tom a laugh when I relayed the story to him. He’d probably—

sssssSSSSSSSSSSSsssssssssss

“EEEEEEEEEEEE!” I said and went back under the covers. Maybe I wouldn’t have been so scared if the wind hadn’t been howling outside. We were in the middle of a mini snowstorm so it made things even scarier.

Okay. You are a grown woman. You can do this. Just run across the room and flip on the light. On the count of three. One....two....three.....okay on the next count of three. One...two...

sssssSSSSSSSSSSSssssssssssssss

What if it was a snake? What if it bit one of the kids?

I forced myself out of the covers and stretched my arm to the night table. I needed to find a weapon. The only thing I could get a hold of was a picture frame of Tom and I at prom (yes. We’re high school sweethearts. Collective “awwwws” now.) My feet touched the ground and I held the frame out in front of me. I’m not exactly sure what damage I thought it would do. I think at the time I assumed that the sharp points might take out an eye or something.

ssssssssSSSSSSSSSSssssssssssss

Wait a minute. It sounded as though the sound was coming from the ceiling. So it couldn’t be a snake. Unless.....

....what if it slithered up the wall?!

I just wanted Tom to be home at that point. Then HE could have dealt with the maybe snake. But no. It was just me.

I took another step. And that’s when I saw it.

THE SNAKE!

I threw the frame down on it and jumped back on the bed just in case the snake struck. But…it didn’t move.

And then when I peered closer, I realized it was my bra. I had thrown the frame at my bra.



Well, in my defense, it looks like a snake in the dark.

So if there wasn’t a snake in the room, what was the noise? I turned on the light and looked around.

sssssssSSSSSSSSSSSssssssssssss

I glanced up.

And....

It was a balloon.



It was a balloon scraping against the ceiling thanks to the ceiling fan. See, we got that balloon for Natalie’s birthday. Natalie’s birthday, it should be pointed out, was on the 19th of March. Why is the balloon still here? Well, because the cat chewed on the string. The balloon floated upwards. It was just forgotten. It had been in the kid’s bathroom the past few days and I suppose it had come into the room.

So yeah.

I freaked out over a balloon.

And a bra.

I need a vacation.

If You Say You Are An Easter Person, Then Why Are You Living Good Friday?

In my 56 years of church attending I have heard dozens of Easter Sermons. Every year my preacher tries to find a clever, unique way of telling the Easter message to sound like something that has never been heard before.. Sometimes they are wonderful...sometimes they are not. The concept of Easter is that the story is so simple and so clear. Like any other story we have heard before in church, do we go from a listening mode to just hearing mode?  Do we say to ourselves, "I’ve heard this story before, and I know what it’s all about." Do our minds drift, and before we know it, the sermon is over and we are shaking hands and headed for the parking lot?  If so, then let me ask you, “HOW DO YOU CELEBRATE EASTER WHEN YOU’RE LIVING GOOD FRIDAY?” We all know that Easter Sunday is a day of new beginnings, great hope great joy, unexpected surprises, your enemies have fallen out, you get a clear word from the Lord, doors that you thought would never be opened again have been blown off of the hinges.  Are you completely blown away at the Power of God. Well, let me tell you if you are then death gets slapped in the face. But before that day you have to hang on tight from Good Friday until Sunday. How can you possibly live like He’s risen when you feel dead yourself? How do you dance for Joy when you’re knocked down to the floor? How do you celebrate Easter when you’re living Good Friday? Believe me, if I have learned anything this year it is that there is no such thing as a testimony without a test. There cannot be a resurrection without a death. But most important is the fact that there is no such thing as an Easter without a Good Friday. We have to understand that bad days are part of life. Don’t ever let anybody tell you your not supposed to have bad days. You are supposed to have victory in spite of your bad days. Understand that it is ok to have bad days. Good Friday is real but Easter outweighs Good Friday. Your problems are real, but the reality that God keeps his promises will out shine your problems.  If you let go and let God. The troublee you face are genuine but the reality that God’s power is going to change everything is greater than your genuine trouble. So on this Good Friday, April 2nd, 2010 what are you gonna do about it? Well, I hope that the first thing you are going to do is make sure that you are where you are supposed to be and you are doing what you are supposed to be doing. Once you’ve done that then the number one thing you’ve got to do is realize that if you are walking with God then he is leading you to better places. And you’ve got to have hope for that. So on your Good Friday days you need to understand that just because you feel like a failure doesn’t make you one. You are not what you feel you are,  you are who God says you are. You should also learn what God says. Learn specific scriptures concerning your specific area of attack and fight back with the word. You should also share your hurt and your conflict with Godly friends. This is a hard one for me. I have trouble sometimes putting into words my hurts. I don’t want to seem weak. This week I met this one head on when I shared something with a friend I have never told another living soul. It was frightening to vocalize it….and I debated long and hard before spilling my guts….but I felt so free after I opened up….and you know what? I did not feel the first bit weak. I felt empowered. So I sat down and made a list of the areas I am walking in victory and another list of the things I have to be thankful for. I learned this week that if I can do those four things on Good Friday I can make it until Easter Sunday. I got an email once about the dash in your life. I discovered in the email that the life we have is a dash locked between two dates. It is merely a gap between two dates and the question is not how long that gap is…the question is answered by what happens between the two dates. When the time comes for us to stand before the Lord another name will appear in our blank and that name is the master you served on this earth. Is yours the mighty dollar? Is yours a bottle? A career? Who is the master you serve? My Master died on a cross for me today….and yes, I can make it from Good Friday until Sunday…because I know my Savior lives. Tonight I am going to church to celebrate this somber time with other Christians. I am going to sing Via Dolorosa with my friend Rhonda. I am going to delight in the fact that I have a Good Friday to experience…..so I can have an Easter to rejoice in! God bless you all today! 

The Surprise Pamphlet

So I went to check the mail yesterday. Is it sad that I was relishing in my brief bit of alone time? The kids were in the house with Tom. It was like the second I stepped outside the sun shined a little brighter, the trees were a little greener—it was almost like the world was singing, “She’s free! She’s free!”

My son is on Spring Break this week. This means there has been extra fighting, yelling, screaming, crying....it’s like our home is a frat house. Only without the booze and the people chanting, “Toga, toga, toga.” So could you BLAME me for enjoying my few minutes of quiet? I moved in slow motion. I took one step at a time. For once no one was screaming at me. For once I didn’t have someone jumping on top of me while screaming, “WRESTLING!” For once I—

“Hi Tommy’s Mom.”

Huh? What? Why did I hear a child’s voice? There were no children allowed in my brief Silence Time.

“Shh,” I said, putting my fingers to my lips.

“But I just—”

“It’s Silence Time,” I explained, moving towards my mailbox. The little girl would understand when she was a mother.

I brought my key out for the mailbox. I stuck it in the slot. I turned the key.

Ahhh. It was so quiet. Well, maybe not exactly. There was an extremely loud airplane flying overhead but that’s to be expected when you live on an Air Force Base. I sort of wanted to yell, “Shut up! It’s my SILENCE TIME!”

When I peeked in my box I saw a package.

My heart lifted.

I knew what it was. The eBay dress that I won for Natalie. And yes, she has a lot of dresses but this is a special dress. Plus I got it for a fantastic deal. It would have been a crime NOT to bid on it.

I also got two bills, coupons for pizza (mmmm pizza), and an ad from Target.

I wanted to plop down on the curb and flip through the Target ad to lengthen my Silence Time. But suppose Tom stuck his head out the front door and saw his wife casually flipping through the mail? He’d be all, “WTF? Get IN here! One of the kids have climbed up on the entertainment center and won’t come down.” (This happened yet but I wouldn’t put it past my kids.)

I had to get back. But bonus! At least I would get to see the beautiful dress that I won.

When I got to my front door I took a deep breath. I stuck the package up my jacket so Tom wouldn’t see. Trust me, it’s easier that way. Otherwise I have to go through a lecture on how Natalie has enough clothes and how she’d never be able to wear them all which is untrue, she’ll be able to wear all her clothes, I’ll make sure of that.

I placed my palm on the handle.

Goodbye quiet. I shall see you again when the kids go to bed...

I stepped inside and....

Chaos.

Natalie was running around with no pants shrieking and Tommy was flipping out because he forgot where he put his Bakugan.

“It’s on the dining room table!” I screamed over the noise. I almost tripped over Natalie’s creepy doll that makes noises when you pass it.

I headed into the kitchen and pulled the package from my jacket.

I tore it open.

Ahhh. There was the dress. Natalie had it last year and I loved it so much that I had to get it again:





I freed the dress from the plastic bag and....



....Jesus stared back up at me.

Seriously.

I have never received a pamphlet about Jesus in my eBay stuff before. Not that I totally mind. I’m down with Jesus.

I was thumbing through the pamphlet when Tom came in. He noticed the dress on the counter.

“Amber! Did you get Natalie another dress? She already has enough and—why are you reading a book on Jesus?” Tom wondered.

I shrugged and set the pamphlet down. The part about Jesus dying was totally spoiling my excitement over the new dress. “The seller sent it to me with the dress. I guess she was thinking that I'd like some Jesus with my clothes."

“Huh, weird,” Tom said.

But look, isn’t the dress adorable?



I think Jesus would agree that it is.

What Exactly is Maundy Thursday?

Today is Maundy Thursday.  Our church will have a tenebrae service tonight and for the first time in forever I will not be there.  The word ‘tenebrae’ is  from Latin and it means shadows. The purpose of the Tenebrae service is to recreate the emotional aspects of the passion story, so this is not supposed to be a happy service, because the occasion is not happy. If your expectation of Christian worship is that it should always be happy and exhilarating, you won’t appreciate this service until the second time you attend it.  I know I didn't.  The first time I went to one I left very disturbed.  I studied tenebrae during the next year and was ready for it the second time.  The service was originally designed for Good Friday, but it is used for Maundy Thursday in many churches. This servics has long scripture narratives, which for this service are divided into seven, eight, or nine parts, each one assigned to a different reader.  I love hearing the reading of the scripture....the Word of God for the people of God....praise be to God I say.  I don't believe we hear the word read straight from the source enough today.  But I am digressing...This  service may include other parts, such as solemn hymns, a sermon, and Communion(on Thursday, before his death - Jesus and the disciples shared the last supper and he washed their feet), but the core of the Tenebrae service works like this: It starts out with the church in candlelight. There are as many candles as there are readings, plus a white Christ candle. The readers go up one at a time, read their assigned selections, and extinguish one of the candles, until only the Christ candle remains. Then someone reads the first part of Psalm 22, which Jesus quoted on the cross. Then the Christ candle is put out, leaving the congregation in near total darkness—and near total devastation. At this point, the service ends. There is no benediction and the people leave in silence. (The lights are turned up but remain dim so that people can see their way out.)  There are other variations to this service.  My very first one was electrifying.  The pastor and the readers washed each others feet...and then moved into the congregation.  They washed one persons feet...and then that person washed the person sitting next to them.....it was very humbling.  The lady whose feet I washed cried as I took her shoes off...washed her feet...and put her shoes back on.  She did not see me....but I was crying too. The purpose of the service is to recreate the betrayal, abandonment, and agony of the events, and it is left unfinished, because the story isn’t over until Easter Day.  Wow!  I don't know about you....but this makes me excited about being an Easter person.