SIMPLE PLEASURE...Just Hearing His Voice

When the phone rings at Seven AM, it could be no one but HIM. My SIMPLE PLEASURE this morning is running to grab the phone and hearing his voice tell me that he made it to work alright. He knows I am thinking of him, praying for his safety on the ice slick roads and he barely makes it into his office before letting me know I have nothing to worry about. No matter how many times I hear his voice on the phone I always smile while talking to him. NOW I can begin my day.

Today I'm linking up with Dayle at Simple Pleasures so be sure to click on her link

HERE

and go visit some other blogger gals who will share with us their Simple Pleasure this Thursday!


Here he is.............the BEST part of ME!

MY FIRST DAY AT SCHOOL

I simply LOVED my first day at Tutoring.
I felt safe.
I felt appreciated.

The children were happy and glad to see the tutors.
They were polite.
They were sweet.
They were eager to learn.

My little boy's name is LAVOREA. He is 9 years old and is adorable.
I told him he could call me Miss Mollye or Mrs. Self.
He said "I'd like to call you, Mrs. Self".

We studied Language Arts and on Thursdays we will study Math.
He said he likes Math more, but boy oh boy is he smart.
Honestly I don't quite understand why he is needing extra help but so far he is
confident, and reads well; sounding out the word when he is not sure.

If yesterday is any indication of this little boy's aptitude then when April rolls around and it is time for the LEAP Test, Lavore will leap completely over the moon.

I adore my little boy already! My little Lavorea.
Oh why oh why did I not do this years ago. This is soooooooo me!

WHAT AN AWESOME OPPORTUNITY!

Or..........Am I Smarter Than A 4th Grader. teehee
Actually yes and no. I am smarter in that I am older but I have a feeling I will learn much from this 4th Grader!


There are two things in life I never wanted to be. A Nurse and a Teacher. There I said it. I cannot stand to be around blood and injuries and I never thought I had the level of patience for teaching. But the one thing I've come to believe through the lessons of life is that the one constant thing in life is CHANGE. And here it is ..... MY FIRST DAY OF TEACHING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I have signed up with Volunteers of America to TUTOR a 4th Grade Student for his/her LEAP Test in April.

To say I'm excited is a bit of an understatement. I'm excited. I'm a wee bit nervous. And most of all I feel a huge amount of AWE.

I mean this is a VOLUNTEER position. No money. No perks. No reimbursement. No acknowledgement of any sort. Just an awesome opportunity of perhaps halping a child go forward. How amazing is that.



I will be helping my student with Language Arts and Math. This is an elementary school in a bad area of the city with extremely underpriviledged students. Under achievers. Children who desparately need someone who cares enough to get involved with them in any positive way. I honestly had not thought of it in this way until yesterday when my daughter Shari who is a Pediatric Nurse remarked of what an opportunity I was given to be able to help change a young life. Since signing up for this last December I had simply thought of it as another thing to do to fill some of my time.

So with this new way of thinking, it has given me a new direction. I will pray that I am able to in some way be patient, be kind, be a good listener, but most of all be a person that the child feels he/she can trust and somehow be able to make this a fun experience for both of us. I'll meet my little student this afternoon and we will meet twice a week for the next two months. I'll sure be keeping you posted on this experience. After all, I too am a student. God is my tutor...how can I go wrong?

SUPER BOWL SUNDAY

PACKERS.....VS.....STEELERS

Whatcha say?

As for me and my house this year.................We're going for

THE FOOD...............AND THE COMMERCIALS! YAY

FUN KNOWS NO AGE

Who's having more FUN?...BIG or LITTLE kids!

I woke this morning to a mere 21 degrees temp and this "feel good" photo in the Shreveport Times showing Shreveport firefighters using their backboard to pull neighborhood children down the powdered sugar coated hill in front of the station.

I've been trying to convince hubby Mike whom I referred to on my other blog as Punkin Darlin to get bundled up and grab some trash bags and head on out back to our pasture where there is a pretty good slope before you reach the barb wire fencing for a little sledding fun.

To which he incrediously looks at me as if I have a horn growing out of my forehead and says "sliding down THAT hill before you get to the "bob wire"? Upon which I sheepishly reply "welllllll yes". And he shakes his head before saying something about how he would answer to all the people he works with when they ask what happened to his face and how many stitches he got. I then offer up the suggestion that we could hold something in front of our faces before we hit the wire. Again THAT look. You know the one to which he reminds me that I am 67 years old and that he is almost 57 years old (I know it should be reversed!) and he finally has the last word. N-O.

I'm left with my thoughts. Of another day and the sheer delight and excitement of trash bags and hills. Maybe in my next life I will live near a fire station on a hill!

Enjoy your day and stay warm and stay safe. Love you all



Glitter Graphics

TRAGIC FIRE

Oh Sisters and Brothers we live in a MEAN WORLD. Yesterday while I was surfing the blogs participating in One World One Heart I came across a blog called Seven Under Footand I'm always drawn to a curious name so I clicked on and to my surprise it was the blog of a MAN, which I think is great but I just don't know too many bloggers who are guys. This man's name is Sean and he offered a little pink Sachet as his "door prize". Uh excuse me.....but I'm just sayin' I was really intrigued at this point so I read on.

His daughter Melissa came home from work a few nights ago and found her home completely burned to the ground. Her children were staying with their grandmother Thank God so no person was home. However, she did lose both of her cats. This family is left with absolutely nothing but the shirts on their backs.



Melanie is also a blogger and had planned to participate in the OWOH event but of course her door prize burned in the fire so her sweet step-mother, Bonnie offered the little Sachet as Melanie's door prize. Bonnie has two blogs. One is Southern Style which you can find HERE.

Sean, Melanie's father sent these pictures for me to post for you and I thought it would be a terrific idea for Melanie to recieve a CARD SHOWER. Let's get together for a sister blogger and shower her with well wishes of love and support. If anyone wishes to and is able to do anything more I'm sure they would appreciate anything. Her Daddy thought she would be overjoyed at receiving lots of cards. At the very least and absolutely the most powerful thing anyone can do and everyone can do is lift Melanie and her children up to the Lord and pray for them.

The Address:
MELANIE HENKELMAN
c/o Bonnie Coleman
6424 Sycamore Street
Milton, FL 32570

Let's show some LOVE. God Bless You All. I love you dearly you know

"Be glad about this, even though it may now be necessary for you to be sad for awhile because of the many kinds of trials you suffer. Their purpose is to prove that your faith is genuine. Even gold, which can be destroyed, is tested by fire; and so your faith, which is much more precious than gold, must also be tested, so that it may endure. Then you will receive praise and glory and honor on the Day when Jesus Christ is revealed. IPeter 1: 6,7

BUT...WHERE WILL THEY GO

Llouisiana...the deep south. It is way below freezing and there are those on our streets who have no place to go. Emergency shelters are popping up.



Will she make it to one? Will her stiffened fingers be able to carry her belongings. She won't leave them you know. Will her arthritic joints hold up for the long walk to the nearest one? Where oh where is it. Someone said it is right around the corner. Oh my it is sooooo cold. Oh if only someone would give me a ride. Oh no silly don't even think that. No one will stop for me. We all know that.


And him. He sleeps. He's tired. He's more than tired. Perhaps he's given up. Is he sick? Is he a drunk...a low life? Perhaps he's dangerous. Walk quickly and don't get too close.


Just a boy. Well yes I'm sure he is grown. But someone's son, some woman's brother. Do they know where he is? Do they care? What is his story? What led him here? Perhaps they have given up on him. Perhaps he has also given up. On life. On amounting to anything. Does anyone care?


Yes God, I do admit. I've thrown away socks far better that these. A shame. My shame. My goal for tomorrow is that one less person will be wearing socks like these in my town.



His name is "Tommy". Let us pray.



How can I sleep tonight? How can I enjoy the warmth in my home. What can I do? We can't help everyone but we can help someone.


"At night they sleep with nothing to cover them.
nothing to keep them from the cold.

They are drenched by the rain that falls on the mountains, and they huddle beside the rocks for shelter."JOB 24: 7,8