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The Aftermath

Posted on March 13, 2009 by auburnchick

First of all, I want to apologize if yesterday’s post sounded harsh and judgmental.  I did not mean to come across that way.  I was frustrated and angry about being lied to.

I thought I would share an update from the “must-see” concert.

My local news reported that around 10,000 people attended the concert.  I would venture to bet that nearly 1/10 of the crowd was comprised of the students from my high school.

It’s inevitable that something is going to go awry when you cram this many people together.

And it certainly did.

One concert-goer was stabbed in the back by a broken beer bottle.  The young man very nearly had one of his lungs punctured.

There were at least 20 other incidents that occurred as well.

Some of the students who came to school today recalled horror stories.  They told us that they were frightened by some of the things going on yesterday.

Good for them.  Perhaps it’s a lesson they won’t forget any time soon.

I saw one young lady who attends the youth group at my church in the office today.  She was my assistant when I taught summer preschool a few years ago.  Her dad had taken her and a younger sister to the beach to attend the concert.

I asked her if she had ever read the lyrics from Lil Wayne’s songs.

“I’ve listened to his songs,” she flippantly stated.

I raised my eyebrows in surprise.

I gently reminded her that we need to guard our ears and eyes from these kinds of influences.  She agreed in the way that teenagers do…just to be polite and get me to stop talking.

I hope I planted seeds that will blossom as she matures.

Time will tell.

Filed under: Christian | Leave a comment »

Setting A Bad Example

Posted on March 12, 2009 by auburnchick

Dear Parents,

This is your friendly, but very aggravated, Attendance Lady speaking.  I hope you’ll hear my words and take some of them to heart.

Today was a discouraging day.

Why, you may ask?

Well, because most of you who I came into contact with, whether it was via the phone or face-to-face, lied to me.

What was it that you lied about?

Take a look at the following picture.

This is Lil Wayne.  He’s supposedly the “in” Rapper of the day…the one who gave a free concert on the beach today.

He was the oh so cool dude you felt your child just had to listen to.

And so you lied.

You gave me a number of reasons why your child needed to leave to hear said singer do his thing.  Your child was either “sick” or had an “appointment.”  When I asked if your child was going to the beach, most of you (with the exception of about five) insisted that you were, in fact, taking your child to the doctor.

I’ll be expecting your doctor’s notes in the morning.

Others of you pitched loud fits when you were informed that other parents could not pick up your children.

My primary responsibility is the safety of your children.  Allowing “Friend’s Mommy” to pick up your child…a person who you would never have considered putting on your contact list…simply to spend an afternoon at the beach certainly couldn’t have been worth yelling at me and Ms. D.

Now, let’s be clear that I am, in no way, a Fuddy Duddy.  I like to have fun too.  But I like to do so in such a way as to maintain my integrity.

Lying…especially in front of or for my children…just doesn’t cut it.

What kind of example does that set for your kids?  Have you ever considered the long-term ramifications of such actions?

Our job as parents is to train our children to become responsible adults.  Lying to get out of responsibility is not what I consider being responsible or mature.

I’m sorry if this comes across as angry or self-righteous.  I know that I am not perfect.  My children tell me this every day.

However, standing on the other side of the desk has taught me a couple lessons.

One:  The rules at school don’t exist to stifle students but to promote an air of academia that allows the students to reach their fullest potential.  Rules are part of life, whether you’re at home, in the working world, or in a relationship with the Lord.

Two:  We all must submit to some form of authority.  It might be a parent, supervisor, or the Lord.  Lying models an attitude of disrespect for authority.

Please remember that I truly do love your children.  I give them band aids when they are cut, and I take their temperature when they are unwell.  I empathize and sympathize.

I’m not the mean Attendance Lady you may perceive me to be.

I’m a caring, loving mom who just happens to be the one standing on the other side of the desk at school.

Love,

Mrs. AuburnChick

Filed under: This-n-That | Tagged: , , , | 2 Comments »

Watching God Answer Prayer

Posted on March 11, 2009 by auburnchick

God is so good.

God is so faithful.

I started feeling puny yesterday but pushed on to work today, determined not to let my body get the best of me.  I seriously considered skipping Bible Study tonight.

I’m glad I didn’t.

I was privileged to watch God work tonight.

One of the ladies in my group will be departing for Guam…joining her husband who is in the military and has been there for several months already.  She’ll be gone through most of the summer before returning home again.

She brought Mochi.

That, in and of itself, was worth getting off the couch and going to church.

But it’s not God’s work that I’m referring to.

Another of our members came in and took a seat.  She’s a young gal and a single mom.  She’s had some life-changing events occur recently but has kept the faith and attended church as regularly as possible.

Someone asked her how she’s been doing, and she shared some of the struggles she’s currently dealing with.  One of her current needs is for housing.

The gal who will be leaving for Guam looked over at her and quietly said, “I’ve got a house.”

Simple and to the point.

The rest of us sat with jaws dropped open as the other young lady fought to control her emotions.

The first lady continued…”The electric bill is paid through the summer.  So is the cable and the water.  The grass will be taken care of as well.”  All preparations had been made.  The young lady will not have the added stress of paying extra bills.  The house is completely furnished…another blessing.

We were witnessing a prayer being answered.

It wasn’t only one prayer but two.  The first lady…the one leaving for Guam…had sought confirmation that making this trip was God’s will for her.  She had worried about leaving her house for several months.

God had answered in a very clear way.

When it was time to begin our study, the first girl was asked to read the Bible passages we would be discussing:

Luke 12:22-34 (New International Version)

Do Not Worry

22Then Jesus said to his disciples: “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; or about your body, what you will wear. 23Life is more than food, and the body more than clothes. 24Consider the ravens: They do not sow or reap, they have no storeroom or barn; yet God feeds them. And how much more valuable you are than birds! 25Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life[a]? 26Since you cannot do this very little thing, why do you worry about the rest?

27“Consider how the lilies grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you, not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. 28If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today, and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, how much more will he clothe you, O you of little faith! 29And do not set your heart on what you will eat or drink; do not worry about it. 30For the pagan world runs after all such things, and your Father knows that you need them. 31But seek his kingdom, and these things will be given to you as well.

32“Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom. 33Sell your possessions and give to the poor. Provide purses for yourselves that will not wear out, a treasure in heaven that will not be exhausted, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys. 34For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

She almost broke down while reading these verses, and someone picked up where she stopped…unable to continue without crying.

God had provided…in a very timely manner…as He always does.

I think we learned more from this episode than the discussion that followed.

Never, ever doubt that God doesn’t see you where you are.  He will provide…not necessarily that new SUV you might be wanting…but the basics that you need.  The most important thing is that we grow in our relationship with Him.  Trusting Him to provide for our needs is the ultimate application of the above verses.

Filed under: Christian | Tagged: , , , , | 4 Comments »

Excuses, Excuses

Posted on March 11, 2009 by auburnchick

The theme of this week seems to be escapades in the attendance office.  With the time change, FCATs, and the arrival of warm weather, the phone calls and excuses have tripled.

I thought I would share some of my favorite thus far…and keep in mind that it’s only Wednesday…

“We forgot to turn our clocks forward.”  — This was given to me on Tuesday.  Huh?

“My dad left the Sunday paper on the porch until Monday and thought it was still Sunday.”  — This was given on Tuesday.  Huh?

“It’s my son’s 18th birthday, and nobody should have to go to school on their 18th birthday.”  — My mother-in-law gave birth to Mr. AuburnChick’s brother on her birthday.  Maybe she should have called in sick.

“My daughter needs a mental health day.”  — Join the club.

“It’s too far to come into town today.”  — What about the people who drive an hour or two for work each day?

“My daughter has a hair appointment.”  — Hmmm…don’t they make appointments after 3pm?

And here’s my favorite two…both dealing with the same subject…sunburns:

“My daughter couldn’t put on a bra today.”

“My son couldn’t pull up his pants.”

Both kids were too sunburned to come in, and for the first, it was her third day.

Let ’em hang baby.  That’s what they did before somebody…perhaps a man…invented bras.

Before leaving for the day, we go through the sheets where parents and students have signed out.  I laughed out loud when I read the following reason for checkout:

“Through.”

Yeah.  Me too.  Through believing the malarkey the parents and kids are throwing at me these days.

I have the Attitude, or so Ms. D says.  It only took me four weeks.  I still love my job…perhaps even more because of the funny excuses listed above.

Filed under: This-n-That | Tagged: , | 2 Comments »

CSI Attendance

Posted on March 10, 2009 by auburnchick

Dear Podunk Town High School Students,

This is a letter advising you to beware of the new attendance lady.

She’s a tough sort…quick to love but also quick to turn your name in if you even attempt to skip school.

You see, the name of my office is no longer “Attendance” but “CSI Attendance.”

Ms. D and I have been tasked with investigating all signs of skipping school.

We love our jobs.

And we’re good.

How good, you might wonder?

So good that my first day “officially” on the job, I nabbed two of you.  Let me just say that there were some unhappy mamas who walked through those doors to claim your bodies.

Now, I realize I can’t catch all of you, just as any ordinary patrolman can’t catch every speeder.  However, beware if you are the one the sirens go off for.

You will be hauled away…sent to the jail we call Detention.  Repeat offenders will be moved to a higher security prison — ISS (that’s In-School Suspension for all of you innocent ones).  It’s not a fun place.  Trust me.

Love,

Mrs. AuburnChick, AI (Attendance Investigator)

Filed under: This-n-That | Tagged: , , , | Leave a comment »

Ironing Can Be Fun

Posted on March 10, 2009 by auburnchick

Oh boy…I can just see you rolling your eyes at the title of my post today.  Truth be told, I would be rolling them as well if I wasn’t the author of it.

Today was a bit stressful at work.

Well, “bit” isn’t quite the right word.  More like VERY.  More about that in my next post.

Anyhoo…after taking Molly for a walk (yeah, you KNOW it was stressful if I actually got off the couch and exercised), I returned home and decided to iron.

Well, deciding to iron was, in all honesty, an afterthought.  I decided to listen to an AMAZING program that I discovered a few days ago.  I set up the computer on my dining room table and figured I could be productive…hence the ironing.

The program is Revive Our Hearts Radio.

How I found this site is a long story.

Last year, my sister attended the Revive Our Hearts Conference in Chicago.  She came home energized and eager to share points from the key note speaker.

Ho hum, I listened.  While it sounded interesting, I didn’t get too excited.  This might seem shallow to you, but I’m just being honest about how I responded.  I love my sister.  She’s an amazing example of what a woman of God should be.  She’s a prayer warrior and devoted wife and mother.  I could learn much from her.

Fast forward to a week or two ago.  I started corresponding via email with one of the gals who commented about one of my blog posts.  It was quickly apparent that she, too, is a woman of God with much wisdom.  She mentioned the Revive Our Hearts ministry in one of her messages.  This was the prompt I needed to check out the site, although I was already subscribed to the True Woman ’08 blog.  I didn’t think it would be much different since True Woman is an off-shoot of Revive our Hearts.

Boy, was I wrong.

The first thing I noticed after going to the home page was the title of the current series of radio programs…a study about the life of Joshua.

Hmmm…sounded interesting.  I think I poked around a bit and felt like I hit the jackpot when I saw the series titled “You’ve Come a Long Way Baby.” This is the a two-part speech that my sister was treated to at her conference.

Yeah, I figured it was God directing me there.

So I listened.

And I was blown away.

You MUST listen to both parts.  It’s convicting and thought-inspiring.  I don’t want to spoil it for you, so go listen.

After listening to these, I am hooked.  I’ve subscribed to the podcast.  Episodes are about 22 minutes.  I went back and decided to listen to the Joshua program; however, I stopped myself when I realized that this is an ongoing study.  I’ve had to hunt around a bit, but I did find where it begins…here, on February 18th.

Go to it and listen.  Nancy Leigh DeMoss is easy on the ears.  The truths she puts out are like fire…convicting, educational, and inspiring.

Trust me.

I don’t do ironing on a good day.  I certainly had not planned on doing it today after the crazy few hours of work.

If something is good enough to get me to stand around for an hour and a half (I listened to three lessons), it’s definitely worth investigating.

Filed under: Christian | Tagged: , , , , , | 5 Comments »

Yarn Burn

Posted on March 9, 2009 by auburnchick

Is there such a thing as yarn burn?  Something equivalent to rug burn, only on your fingers?

You see, I spent most of Sunday working on Sock #2 of my current pair.  In fact, I knit so much that I finished 2/3 of the sock!  However, by the end of the day, I discovered something.

I have yarn burn.

On the tip of my right pointer finger.

Who gets yarn burn?  Does the Yarn Harlot?  I mean, how does she knit pairs (as in plural) of socks in a single sitting without getting yarn burn.  Is is possible that she knits so fast that the yarn never actually touches her fingers?

What about you?  Have you ever gotten yarn burn from knitting?  Or is it just me, being my usual dramatic, uncoordinated self?

Filed under: Knitting | Tagged: , | 2 Comments »

41 Was Too Young

Posted on March 9, 2009 by auburnchick

Today I attended the memorial service for my former co-worker.  It was the second time in my life that I’ve attended the funeral of one who chose to end their life.  The first time was when I was in the seventh grade.  My classmate was 13 years old when she died.

Too young.

Too young to understand the ramifications of what she was doing.  Yet, the deed was done.  And we were all left wondering what we could have done differently.

Today I had similar questions as I sat with other school employees.

Why would a man with so much life ahead of him choose to cut it short?

My questions will remain unanswered.

During the hour-long service, we were treated to a slide show that brought laughter and tears to all of us.  Several people shared their favorite memories, and nearly all of them involved Mr. W’s love for children along with his propensity for playing practical jokes on those he loved.

Sigh…

His absence from this world will definitely be missed.  The sparkle in his eye, the hint of a devilish streak in the raised eyebrow…there will never be another Mr. W.

Please continue to pray for his family and friends who are, it goes without saying, still in shock.

Filed under: This-n-That | 1 Comment »

Guess Who Procrastinated Again

Posted on March 9, 2009 by auburnchick

Filed under: This-n-That | 1 Comment »

The View Outside My Window

Posted on March 8, 2009 by auburnchick

Despite the sadness hanging over me right now (see previous post), one look outside of my dining room window (above) reminds me how truly amazing God is.

The following song is one that we sang this morning at church.  I’ve found that the last few years, I really focus on the words I’m singing.  It’s one thing for a song to have a good tune, but the words are the power behind the music.

David Crowder Band Come Thou Fount Lyrics:

Come thou fount of every blessing
Tune my heart to sing thy grace
Streams of mercy never ceasing
Call for songs of loudest praise
Teach me some melodious sonnet
Sung by flaming tongues above
I’ll praise the mount I’m fixed upon it
Mount of thy redeeming love

Here I raise my Ebenezer
Hither by thy help I come
And I hope by thy good pleasure
Safely to arrive at home
Jesus sought me when a stranger
Wondering from the fold of God
He, to rescue me from danger
Interposed His precious blood

O to grace how great a debtor
daily I’m constrained to be!
Let thy goodness like a fetter, bind
my wandering heart to thee
Prone to wander Lord I feel it,
prone to leave the God I love
Here’s my heart, O take and seal it,
seal it for thy courts above.

Filed under: Christian | Tagged: , , | 1 Comment »

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