All ya need is...

What is the one thing that everyone is missing?  Think globally...the one thing that makes all other challenges tolerable.  The Beatles tell us that "All Ya Need Is Love."  While I agree that love is vitally important, I feel that there is something else that is lacking.  Peace.  As we revisit the Christmas story, we are reminded that this is why Christ came.  To bring Peace.  Yes, he came so that we, as sinners, could have salvation from our sin...but with that, I assure you, comes peace.  An all-consuming peace that passes all understanding.  The kind of peace that provides comfort in the midst of turmoil...infuses your heart with added joy...cradles you in sleep.  Ironically, we are reminded of this beautiful peace during what has become the most hectic time of year.  Stores are overcrowded with less-than-happy people spending more than they have...and don't forget the parking lots of those stores...scary.  Roadways are packed with people trying to reach family and friends...drivers nerves become frazzled...children are anxious to get to their destination.  Students are cramming for finals and other semester exams...willing themselves to remember all they have learned during the past few months.  Families who have fallen on hard times sit broken...wishing they could provide their children with a little extra during the holidays...but struggling to scrape enough together to keep the heat on.  War...seemingly everywhere.  Winter storms.  So much more.  What's missing?  Peace.  This holiday season, whatever situation you find yourself in, I wish you peace.  Not a temporary peace...but an everlasting peace.  I pray that you find it and never let it go.  If you would like to hear more about how Christ can give you the gift of peace this season, find a local church and ask someone how you can pick up your free gift this Christmas.  I promise you won't be disappointed.

Isaiah 9:6-7
⁶ For to us a child is born,
   to us a son is given,
   and the government will be on his shoulders.
And he will be called
   Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
   Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
⁷ Of the greatness of his government and peace
   there will be no end.

You're a mean one...

Semester Tests.  Just the mention of these dreaded exams envelops the room with a sense of doom. Students get nervous and stressed out about what will happen to their average based on this one grade.  Will they be off the naughty list and back in mom and dad's good graces?  Will they end up grounded for the majority of their holiday vacation? Who knows...it is indeed one of life's greatest mysteries.  What is rarely discussed is the teacher's anxiety during these exams.  Not only do they reflect on the students...they are a picture of how well the teacher has done his or her job thus far.  I often feel like the Grinch.  It is as if I am stealing the holiday joy from my students.  There will be no Christmas for you if you don't pass this big, ugly, comprehensive test I have created for you! I have an inner dialogue continually racing through my mind. Did I do a good job explaining the subtext in Steinbeck's Grapes of Wrath?  Do they understand the difference between Shakespearean and Petrarchan sonnets? Will they ever be able to identify gerunds?!?!?  These are the questions that keep folks like me up at night.  Much like the Grinch, we "puzzle and puzzle til [our] puzzler[s] are sore."1  

I am optimistic.  I choose to believe that my students are going to do beautifully on their exams next week and that we all will enter into our Christmas break with happy hearts and a sense of accomplishment. No one's shoes will be too tight...everyone's hearts are the sizes they should be...and everyone's heads are properly screwed on. I am not a meanie...seriously.  I love roast beast.

1  The Grinch Who Stole Christmas by Dr. Seuss

Silence is Golden

I have always been taught, "If you don't have something worthwhile to say--don't say anything at all."  This has served me well throughout my life.  I have learned to keep smart remarks to myself, not interrupt others (though I do still struggle with this a bit), and build people up instead of tear them down.  I am constantly amazed at the number of people, however, who were not taught this rule of thumb. No matter where you go, you hear things that are better left unsaid.  Here are a few guidelines to follow based on my own personal experiences:

1.  Unless you know the person very well and the conversation is taking place in an isolated location, there is no need to discuss any embarassing medical conditions.  It is very uncomfortable to be trapped in the checkout line with a stranger talking to you about why they have three different types of laxitives in their cart.

2.  It is never appropriate to speak negatively about someone in public.  Just because you can't hear anyone other than the person you are talking to on your cell phone while pushing your cart through Wal-Mart (most often loudly), doesn't mean that everyone else can't hear you.  The very person you are speaking about or one of their family members/friends could be on the next aisle.  Not to mention the fact that, from now on, every time I meet someone with the same name as the one you are speaking about I will wonder if they are in fact that person.  I will be distracted by this quandry and most likely walk away having heard nothing this person has said to me.  Save negative talk for a quiet, isolated location....or, better yet, don't speak negatively at all.

3.  The very word "intimate" implies privacy.  Therefore, if you feel the need to discuss something that would fall under the category of intimate with someone other than the person sharing said intimacy....don't.  The world does not need to know.  It is exceedingly awkward to be in a conversation like that.  I do not need inappropriate images seared into my brain that will come lurching forward every time I see you/talk to you from that point forward.  So, please, keeps those little gems to yourself.


I hope that no offense is taken by these examples...not my intention.  Perhaps this is one of those times that I should have kept my "mouth" shut....but I was willing to risk it.  As long as you remember to speak kindly and thoughtfully, you should rarely run into trouble. :)