Thursday, March 18, 2010

A Rose by Another Name



The roses are just so pretty, however I still can't
find any at the beginning or ending stage!!! This
light orange is just before it turns pink, then white.
*
As I was taking the pictures a beautiful red
necked hummingbird came right up to the flower
next to this one. The buzz of its wings was just
an amazingly loud hum (therefore its name,
ha!) As I raised my hand to take its picture,
it just as quickly left. I guess I startled it!
*
I thought I wouldn't see any since they gathered
around my hibiscus that the freeze destroyed.
I guess the LORD has let me know they are
still here around my roses!



I wish I remembered the name of this variety
of rose. It has so many different colors.
It's like each one has its own "fingerprint!" This
particular rose's petals started turning pink on the
bottom row and worked its way to the top.




I may have shown this picture before. I
had these plants a few years ago and I
just love the "trumpets" of this beautiful
orange/pink flower!
*
Spring starts tomorrow! I'm ready to start
cutting back my hibiscus, powder puff,
bougainvilla, and my night jasmine.
By mid summer, I should have many
beautiful flowers!
*
I think of these beautiful flowers as God's
gift of Love to me each day. His Love
overflows when He blesses me to
see His beautiful hummingbirds
that visit His flora!

Saturday, March 13, 2010

A Rosy Day



My roses were much more beautiful before the
rains came! They were soaked when I took these
pictures! It is amazing the color change from
the bud to the last petal that falls.



The bud as it pushes out of its green wrapper is a reddish
orange. It then turns to orange, followed by pink,
and then turns to white before the petals fall.




The flowers last a long time from bud to the last
white petal, usually three weeks! Right now
many of the green leaves have dropped off
due to the freezes we had. The bush is under
the roof's overhang and next to the house.
I guess the warmth from the cbs blocks of
my house kept some warmth to the bush.





I hate to cut it back, but I will need to, so this
summer will have a full bush. The new growth
is already starting to come from the stems. I
hate to cut it back. I may have waited to long .




The pictures really don't give the true range of the
colors each rose goes through. I tried to find a
brand new bud, but there were none at that stage.
I tried to find one that was white as the petals
began to fall, but I couldn't find one at that
stage either. This summer there will be more
I can get pictures of.
*
As I look at the beauty of these flowers, it reminds
me of the scripture that speaks of Christ being the
Rose of Sharon. The beauty of what He did for us
in the giving of His life by taking all of our sin upon
Himself so that we may be presented whole to
God the Father. That sacrafice He made brings
about a response of each person to chose to
accept His Gift of Eternal Salvation or reject it.
Each person will stand before God and will
Confess Jesus is the Christ as well as give an
account of this acceptance or rejection.
There will be no excuse!
*
I praise the LORD that He has saved me and
I know it! I pray you have made the choice to
choose His Righteousness and not your own.

Monday, March 8, 2010

Spring Can't Come Soon Enough



What beautiful flowers a teacher friend and her
daughter at school gave to me on my birthday! I
was so surprised! The children in my class asked
her what they were for. When she told them,
they sang "Happy Birthday" to me. It was so
precious, I almost started to cry. I now see
why it is so important for husbands to
give their wives flowers. These beautiful
flora are truly a gift from God to all of us! I
am so happy when I see the beautiful
flowers Jim gives to Nellie! What love
is expressed in so simple a gift!



I think I just may start buying myself a
bundle when these slowly fade away.
I can't believe how uplifting such
beauty can be. Our LORD surely
knew what He was doing when He
created the beautiful plants in this
world. I guess that should make
me be more appreciative when
I need to start taking care of my
plants in the yard! With the cold
we had this year, I have much work
to do this spring in cutting back
the dead growth! Last year my hibiscus
was so big that many hummingbirds
were all about the flowers. Sad to say the
freeze got it and I will have to cut it back to
start the growth over again. So I'll not have
the wonderful little birds this year. My rose
bush made it through the cold. It has had
beautiful roses even during the freezes we had!
I will put some pictures of them on my next blog.
Until then, I hope your Spring is near too!

Saturday, March 6, 2010

For the Love of God Now and Forever



This is my 33rd year in teaching! To look back on it all,
I can't believe this many years have already passed.
I'm seeing the end of the trail. Sadly to say,
the trail is ending for the education system as well in
coming under such scrutiny, that all of the country's
woes are placed upon the educators' to correct. In to-
day's society, the classroom teachers are being made to be
psychiatrists, exercise gurus, neurologists, nurses (to
administer meds when on field trips), truancy officers, and
even juvenile delinquent officers. The same can be applied
as for the principals. This is not our job description!
*
I thought maybe it was me, but after speaking
to new teachers (as well as teachers who have had 5,
10, 15, and even 20 years of service), I find it to be true
among them all. The education system is breaking
down due to the population of students, as well as
their parents, no longer being held accountable for
their actions (or the lack thereof.) Besides being held
accountable for our teaching (which we should be),
we are now also being held liable for the irresponsibility
of students and their parents. Then on top of
that, we have the lowliest school board member all the
way up to the President himself, bashing the teachers
for a "failing education system" in comparing it to
China, Russia, etc! Well, let's make that comparison.
*
In the first place, those countries do not have
neurologically impaired children in their school systems.
Those children have been abandoned by many of their parents
and are in mental institutions. In the second place, there
are no juvenile delinquents in their schools. Those students
plus their parents are in lock up with the keys thrown
away. In the third place, those students that can only
learn so much and no more, are put into vocational
training and are placed into the society as a productive
worker by the time they are 15 or 16. So, all they
have in their school systems are their "A, B" students.
This is their Socialist approach to things, and that's
just education. To make it worse, look at their approach
on the medical, people's livelihood, religious preference
and all else! Our government has messed up education
enough by tying the teachers' hands behind their backs
as well as all but duck taping their mouths as to what
they can do or say. The bar has been raised as to the needs a
child must have to get placed into special services. So, as
with the juveniles that refuse to cooperate along with the
neurologically impaired's failing scores, the government has
mandated by law for these failing scores to be averaged into
the general education state scores which makes it look as
though our system is failing because of "lower" scores. It
doesn't take a mathematician to come up with that outcome
which is totally undeserving. How can the government
mandate a child's failing score when in that child's adult
life he will only have the mindset of an 8 year.
*
Teaching is constantly being interrupted by children
who have autistic outbursts. It is illegal to remove
the child, so our entire class has to stop and be
removed to another class in the process of disrupting
their learning. These children's rage may not even be
in your room; but three rooms down and you can still hear
the screaming of their outcries as if they were next to you.
*
Administrators and guidance counsellors are so involved
with delinquent students that by the time they come to
your class, education has again been so disrupted, that not
much learning has taken place. These are not simple
disruptions as they were in the past that teachers could
deal with on their on. "I like how Johnny is...." doesn't
work anymore. These delinquent children of today could
care less what you are saying about another child. If
anything, this statement sets them off because you
aren't recognizing their misbehavior. To see the
increased delinquency, all you need do is visit any
public school and see these students housed up
and down the hallways of the principals' offices!
*
Criminals that continue to be turned back out into society
with rap sheets a mile long is becoming the same mistake
in the school system by "ignoring" the behavior "rap" sheets
that are a mile long by the time these students are in
high school. Again, teachers are blamed for the cause.
The system doesn't realize that we teachers can only
do so much. When these kids leave us and go right
back home into the situations that created them in
the first place, it's like 2 steps forward and 3 back.
*
All you need do to see the ideal
education system, is observe a Christian private
school's. The discipline in these structures
demand students to have respect for themselves as
well as respect for their parents, teachers, and admini-
strators. Nothing will be accomplished without having
discipline and respect for God, one's self, and others.
Private schools (especially those not accepting state
vouchers to come under the state's rule) have the
right to expel students who refuse to follow the
school's rules. Parents have signed off on this
and know it will be enforced. Maybe the public
school system should follow the same example.
They already do this with state funded colleges and
especially the universities. If you misbehave or
don't keep up your grades, you're out! This should
apply in grade-high school as well. Just because
public education is free, it shouldn't engulf those
who refuse to take advantage of its services by
becoming a "burdensome stone."
*
And to think the government wants to increase
the day from six hours to eight and not pay the
teachers for it. Not only does that become
"babysitting," but the pressure these kids are under
now to perform, I can only imagine what 2 more
hours of academics would do. These kids are
burning out now by the time they reach high school.
That's another problem the government wants
to penalize the teachers for, student drop out!
They want to pay according to how many students
pass or fail. Can you imagine the President being
paid on that aspect? Or, anybody for that matter!
We're not car dealers! (At least one wouldn't want
to be in this day and age!)
*
Now, let's have a bit of Good News!




For those who know the LORD, these things
should not be of any surprise. The latter day
prophecies has said the children will turn against
their parents and authority; as well as the
government taking full control over everyone and
all they have gained; as well as the society turning
against its Creator. Praise the LORD for those He
has called for His services. I am so thankful for
students from Christian homes that I
have had the privilege of teaching! Their
testimonies (YES! 5 year olds have testimonies
for our Christ!) have place the seed of God's Word
in the hearts of their classmates! I've always allowed
them to bring their books to share with their
classmates. When they bring their Bibles, Bible
stories, I allow them to share with their classmates.
The LORD has truly blessed. When I look back on the
years I have taught, the LORD has always protected
me when I have had students and parents that
are in denial of present life situations. There
were situations of "darkness" that the LORD's Light
guided my every step. There have also been students and
parents that I have had long friendships with for many years,
even some of which, I have taught some of my student's
children! No matter what society or mankind
does, the LORD is good all the time, all the time the
LORD is good to those that belong to him. One day
the perils of this fallen world will be no more. At that
time we will begin our joyous Eternity that will make
these earthly years deem and pass away as if they
never were. The only thing that will last is what was
done for Christ.

Wednesday, March 3, 2010

For the Love of God: Part 7



In order to get into the public school system,
I needed to start substitute teaching in the
public schools. Upon resigning from the
private school of special needs students, I
started teaching almost daily at the 3
different schools in the area I lived.
I quickly found the school I wanted to
teach and did not substitute at either
of the other two schools anymore and
still was substituting almost daily.
The LORD's blessing came in February
of 1985. The Principal called me in to
meet with the four kindergarten teachers
for an interview. My first day of teaching
began on Valentine's Day! How could my
LORD show me more of His Love than that!!
Thus began my career for the next 25 years
to bring me to the present!



I have had two more principals since my
first. He was an excellent principal to
work for. I happened to know of him
from my church. I was always evaluated by
the assistant principals while under his
leadership. I hated to see him retire, but
God again knew what He was doing.
The principal that took his place was just
as excellent as he had been. I also knew
her from church! Again, I was always
evaluated by the assistant principals.
For 22 years the LORD had so blessed me
to work under Christian principals! I didn't
realize this until recent. The last three years
I have not had the pleasure to be blessed as
I was with my past Christian brother and
sister in Christ. However, my LORD is
True to His blessings, for I again am evaluated
by my assistant principal who is a Christian.
Please pray for him, for recently he was
diagnosed with 4th stage prostate cancer.
When I am praying for him and his family,
the LORD brings to mind "that all things work
for the good to those that Love the LORD."
It makes me reflect on my concerns for
what is happening in the public school system
which has a huge storm approaching from
the horizon.
*
More to come...

Monday, March 1, 2010

For the Love of God: Part 6



I had taught for six years in the public system
before resigning for reason of moving. Before
I resigned, I had sold my new trailer to a couple
for $500.00 and they had the mortgage signed
over to them. My parents were in the process of
selling out all of their properties and relocating
to where I now live. We had lived in our previous
location for 25 years. My uncle had planned on
selling his estate in Memphis, Tennessee and
moving in with us after we had the house built.
*
God's plans were different. My uncle had become
so distraught over the death of my aunt (and he
being in his mid 80's) had succomb to a heart
attack and let go of life. His estate had originally
been left in my name due to the love and loss of
his only child, a daughter; but was changed over
to my parents in the comfort of knowing they
could handle the challenges that would come
with settling an estate. At this point, a smaller
home was chosen due to not needing the
space for an extra adult.




We moved into a rental house while our new home
was being built. I had gotten a job with a private
organization, teaching mental and Physically
challenged students and adults. It was
definitely an experience I would
never forget. The next year
would bring challenges
to myself as well.
*
More to come...