It's the Imperfections that Make Life Worth Capturing

The sky always catches my attention and often teaches me a life lesson. Over the past week I've been noticing all the different clouds and how they create a unique look almost continually. This week, as I've seen a new sunrise, sunset, or simply the sun shining through the clouds, this idea of imperfections and beauty has continued to fill my mind. 

Think about an all blue sky with the sun slowly moving across the sky. Does a sky like that stand out? Did you think to take a picture of the "perfectly" clear sky?  Now think about a sky with clouds and how the sun changes as it moves across the sky. The sun reflects, casts rays, paints a colorful picture each time.  I don't know about you, but I am quick to whip out my phone and try unsuccessfully to capture the splendor and beauty displayed.   

It's moments and skies like this one that hold me as a captive audience, relishing in the creativity of God. 

I was struck with this idea; it isn't  a perfectly clear sky, but the blemishes or clouds that make the sky truly beautiful.  The more I thought about this idea, the more I realized this can't just be about the sky. What if this is true for humans too?  

Perfection, from many view points, is impossible to obtain. But what if perfection isn't about being without a cloud in the sky? What if perfection is about being unique, yourself, and letting the "Son" shine through, reflect off of, and change the hues of all the "clouds" in your life? 

What would our clouds be? Rejection, abandonment, fears, diseases, past sins, failures, losses! Everyone of us has been clouded by something or multiple things. We've all felt different forms of failure, shame, and hurt. Through those clouds, a light shines that makes us beautiful. It makes us memorable. It makes us photo worthy. In our life, we can each be a memorable sky. 

Most of you would probably say, it is silly to call the clouds imperfect blemishes or scars.  Instead you'd probably say the clouds are perfect and truly do make the sky great. In the same way, we have to embrace one another's "blemishes" and "clouds". We must relish in the beauty and uniqueness the "clouds" provide in each individual. 

God sees us as perfection when we choose him. Are we choosing to see ourselves through his eyes? Allow your scars of hurt, sins, stupid choices, and failed relationships to create a masterpiece in which the "Son" shines through. 

“But now he has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation—”

Colossians 1:22 NIV

This week, as you interact with parents, spouses, siblings, children, and coworkers, remember the hurt, the illnesses, the fears, and anything else they face. Think of their human flaws as  a unique and gorgeous part to this beautiful being and take time to embrace it rather than pass it on as another clear sky. 

One Body...Many Parts

Have you ever thought about all the parts of your body and their purpose?!? I mean, your nose looks so different from your ears and the purpose is so completely different, but both have big jobs. Granted, I'm seriously thankful I don't have multiple noses. Can you imagine....working in an elementary school, next to the bathrooms with TWO noses?!? I already smell some pretty atrocious things...but if I had noses on both sides of my head I couldn't ever turn away from the smell! I'd walk around with "ear-muff-like-nose-muffs"!  Our mouths, they have quite the responsibility to communicate with others! Shoot, I'm sure there are some who are thankful I only have one of those! Now let's think about the heart, it pumps blood throughout our body using the veins. The veins are so unlike the heart yet completely vital in sustaining our life. Wow, when I think about all the necessary parts, nose for breathing, heart for pumping, veins for transporting, and a brain that tells each part to do its job, I'm amazed at the importance of each individual part of our body. Have you ever thought about telling one part of your body you don't need them?! "Hey lung...I don't think I need to breathe today!" Yah right?!? 

The pastor's sermon this week was based out of 1 Corinthians 12:12-31. (Side note: I have THE BEST pastor around...for real...he's better than yours!)  The scripture is in reference to the church being one body, all having different jobs to keep the church functioning and alive.   The part that stuck out to me the most was found in verse 15 & 16. “Now if the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason stop being part of the body. And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason stop being part of the body.”

1 Corinthians 12:15-16 NIV. How true is this verse...each part is needed. 

As I listened to the sermon I very quickly made a connection to school. Each teacher, aide, secretary, nurse, administrator, cook, and janitor, has a special and nessacary job. Each job is filled by unique and highly qualified individuals. Each individual carries a skill set unlike their neighbor. It is not one "part's" responsibility to say or think of another "you are not needed" because in reality everyone is needed. 

Each individual picture makes a very incomplete picture of the whole body or face. But when I piece each picture together and look at the whole "body" I can see the true picture of the person/school. 

So as we go throughout the next few weeks and months, remember each member of our "body" has an important job and is needed.  We need the one who smells the mischief children. We need the one who hears the cry for help. We need the one who feels the emotions of students. We need the one who pumps energy into the hearts and minds of the whole school. We need EVERYONE! 

Are you valuing each part of the body you work with or are you trying to say to another part they aren't needed? 

The view from above is broader....

A couple weeks ago I had the opportunity to have lunch downtown at the top of a sky scraper. My principal was with me and we visited the restroom repeatedly just so we could enjoy the view of the whole city! 

We even took selfies...because everyone takes selfies in the bathroom. Right?!? I mean, bathroom mirror selfies are always popping up on my Instagram. 

The pictures combined with life got me thinking...about a broader perspective and the big picture! 

Normally, I live my life on the ground, meaning I can only see the things right in front of me. Even though I can turn and see different pictures, I really am only seeing the "front view."  Because we can only see what's right in front of us, we forget to take different perspectives into account. We also sometimes miss the whole picture or what's really going on with a situation. Many times, when we are at school we forget to take the larger perspective into account and it leaves us feeling frustrated. 

Just like being up at the top of the building gave me a view from above; God's view is from above and He sees the big picture. I was reminded of the importance of looking at the whole picture or person before making judgement calls. Really the only way to do this, is to see life through God's eyes. And believe me. I truly fail at that sometimes. Through constant communication and time in his word, we will begin to see the broader picture. This  boarder picture allows us to love the whole person or accept the situation. I challenge you to stop living with a "ground perspective" and ask God to help you see the whole situation...with a coworker, with a student, or in your own life. A perspective from above can change the heart. ❤️

Appealing and intriguing ... Yet deceiving and devastating

Stunning pictures, aren't they? 

Sitting in the silence, I could hear the gentle clink clink of each ice pellet as it rained from the sky. Then looking out the picture window I was mesmerized by the sight of trees drenched in glassy perfection. The ice glistened and sparkled as though diamonds had been delicately affixed to each branch, leaf, or berry. I was lured into the blistering cold to capture the beauty of each intricate crystal. 

This beauty was tempting, appealing and lured me in. I was captivated by the stunning beauty before me. Not once, not twice, but 3 times I found myself shivering in the cold to capture the sight. 

The beauty I had seen in the ice covered landscape only lasted a couple of hours. Soon, I could see the devastation this once tempting scene was causing. Trees  once strong and mighty were crumbling to the ground. Nothing could stop the gut wrenching scene unfold before our eyes. People lost power left and right. When the trees snapped and fell they crushed everything in their path, vehicles and roofs. No longer were the intricate crystals appealing but seen as a vicious destroyer we were all stuck with. 

(Photo credit: Amanda Oneth) 

As I watched the effects of "Elsa's storm," I began to see a connection to our spiritual life; one that I couldn't just let go but needed to share! 

Many times I see myself attracted towards something. That something appears to be glorious and captivates my attention only to lead down a destructive path damaging everything in its way.  In fact, these sinful things lure us to endure the "cold" just to enjoy the pleasures for a short period of time. We can become fixated on the beauty of the sin and not realize the destructive nature it will cause down the road. Unlike the ice storms of 2015, the destruction may not come immediately. We might get to bask in the "glory of diamond covered trees" for more than just a couple of hours before sin begins to take its toll on our life. But the destruction will come, whether on earth or eternity. What earthly pleasures are you participating in that looked pleasing at the time but may have deceived you or are still deceiving you? 

After the ice melted or will melt from this second storm, cleanup will begin. Branches will be cut up and carried away. Trees may look a tad silly but come spring most will regain strength and bud again. They are given another chance at life, just like you and me each time we find ourself down a destructive path. Repeatedly, God will come in and clean up the mess we've made of our lives and the branches we've let come crashing down. Not only does God cleanup the branches in our life, He can restore the damage you cause in someone else's life as your tree crumbles. 

There is good news! If you are the tree being destroyed by what you thought was something pleasing, God sent his Son to earth as a baby so he may grow up and die for our sins.  His life and death are your way out of the pit of dispair. If you are the one being trampled by someone else's branches crumbling down, remember God offers you grace and mercy; we are called to do the same. The only way to stand up against the appealing pleasures of this world is to arm yourself with the full armor of God as you venture into this mighty crazy world! Don't be caught up in a beautiful yet destructive ice storm! 

Going Through the Motions...Empty

Yesterday did not go as planned...at all! I got up to go walk in the Putnam City Cancer Classic! 

Then was going to head for brunch and have some waffles. After that I was going to stop by Lego League and see my kids compete! But instead of doing any of that...I woke up feeling rather yuck! I was a little nauseated, but mostly I felt as though I could pass out. I've been known to do that.  The idea of going to a race and passing out seemed like it would earn me a little bit more attention than I found necessary today! So back to bed I went. 

Which, was good because I soon realized I had caught the stomach bug and spent the day in bed!! As with most things...I found a life lesson.  I began to think about being empty but going through the motions.  How many times do I go through the motions in my spiritual walk but feel empty? How many days do I get up and teach but feel empty? 

So many times we haven't been spiritually fed enough to compensate for how much we've poured out. In this case we are empty and going through the motions...I can say, that if I would have stopped going through the motions, I would have continued to feel sick. Just like in my spiritual walk, if I completely stopped spending time with Him and other believers I would feel even worse.  This idea of going through the motions on empty led me to think about how necessary it is to continually feed our souls. I had to sip on water and eat ice.  Later in the night, I became so thirsty I couldn't get enough water. At some point in our spiritual journey, we will become so thirsty we will continually consume him! 

Besides thinking about this in my spiritual walk, I thought about it as a teacher. Sometimes the demands of our job drain us and leave us on empty. We become emotionally, physically, and mentally exhausted. We can't stop going through the motions just because we are depleted. In fact, continuing to go through the motions might lead us to a child who will fill us up again. If we stopped doing our job, we would feel terrible for other reasons. Instead...we have to push through and continually go through the motions. 

Now, it's also important to take time to rest and recoup. I had to make myself consume liquids. We cannot give when we have nothing left in us. This goes for both our spiritual life and our teaching world. What are you doing to feed yourself and give yourself energy to continue on? Taking time to pray before work? Spending a little extra time reading your Bible? Taking your plan time to make sure you get things done? Relaxing and visiting with a friend over ice cream? Do something to fill yourself up so you don't have to go through the motions empty! 

Unveiled...Masked Part 2

The moon was hidden...its glory was masked by the gorgeous clouds. Since that blog, I've had conversations with multiple people about how they feel the same way!  What a shame! 

Well it was only two or three nights later when I was heading home and the full moon was shining brightly!!! In all its glory it was there. Besides making my students crazy...the MOON, that once was masked was now unveiled! 

You should know...if you feel defeated or masked, your time to shine is coming!!! Keep busting your butts and keep smiling. It will get better! 

Masked...

I was driving home this evening and looked up at the sky!  I was amazed at the sight....beautiful pinkish orange clouds drifting in front of the moon. Skies like this catch my attention and usually teach me a lesson. Tonight's picturesque sky, brought a conversation I had with a very dear friend to mind. 

The moon looked so tiny, so insignificant; even more tiny and insignificant in the picture. Even though I could barely see the moon because of the awesome clouds, the moon is what caught my attention. In all of its splendor it was tucked away. The awesomeness was masked by the overwhelming beauty of the clouds! 

Let's jump to my conversation with my friend...

She shared how all of the school requirements make her feel bogged down. The awesomeness of her genuine, positive, fun loving personality is masked by something much bigger. She went on to say she goes to faculty meetings only to hear what others are doing right. This leaves her feeling defeated.  The glory and splendor of others' success masks what she feels to be insignificant success. I know she's not alone. Many teachers are left in this slump feeling hidden behind "something" beautiful! 

Great things can appear small and insignificant because things around them feel so much better! The moon was almost hidden by a gorgeous sky! What are we as teachers being masked by? Is it hearing about the successes of others? Is it the daunting task of fitting in small groups and RTI groups? If you feel defeated and hidden, you are not alone. There are many teachers feeling this way, along with students in your classrooms. Maybe we need to ask ourselves if some of our struggling students/coworkers are hiding behind the tremendous growth or ability of peers! Allow others to see the moon in you and point it out. See the moon in your students and cherish their beauty; even in the midst of something else spectacular.  Don't let your success and glory be stripped away because you feel like something else is better. 

To my dear friend...know you are radiant! Know your hard work will pay off. Continue to seek wisdom and continue to be the moon...it is just as significant.