Catch-up

In the past couple of weeks Ryan and I celebrated three, wonderful years of marriage, my grandfather had a severe heart attack, and I stayed by myself while Ryan attended the CCDA Conference in Miami.  Because it fell during homecoming week and not Fall Break, there was no way that I could attend this year.  (Secretly, I just wanted to dress up like a hippie for a day...)

Homecoming at Harding is really fun and interactive.  Sophomores-Seniors stay on campus EVERY night from after school until 9:30 p.m. decorating their halls, creating skits, and creating mini-Spring Sing shows called "walk-ins."  Every student, in every grade, participates.  It is an exhausting week, but where else would you see such "camaraderie" in high school?  It is an exhausting week for teachers, but I am thankful that God placed me there.

WHILE Ryan was in Miami, I was in my first car accident:  an older woman made a left turn into my driver's side.  She was thankfully not hurt and I am only bruised and sore.  Thank-you to the Memphis City Police Department who dropped me off at work on the morning of the wreck (can you imagine getting out of the back of a police car while scores of high schoolers look on...) and to my dear friend Katie Wells who drove me home.  Needless to say, that was not my best teaching day.  We are still awaiting the verdict on the car....totaled or fixable.  Thankfully the other driver did have insurance.  I will keep you updated on the status.  

I will leave you with one of our favorite places these days: the front porch swing.  You can't beat a Tennessee fall!  

Confessions...

There are many things that terrorize me: wasps, a ring in the toilet bowl, substitute teaching without lesson plans, a gas tank on empty, being victimized... just to name a few.  On a serious note however, I must admit that my fears, often make me act and think in shameful ways.  

Ryan and I were eating a dinner at a downtown restaurant yesterday (I am on Fall Break and Ryan took a week of vacation!) and our booth faced the street.  Before we had even ordered, I noticed a man on the street who had planted himself outside of our restaurant and was approaching every single pedestrian who walked by.  His eyes wandered "up and down" each person as they came near him---assessing their material worth, I assumed.  I was becoming more and more irritated as I wondered what I would say to him as we came out (Ryan is a master at talking with panhandlers!) and irritated that he would be bothering people as he was.  After eating, we headed out and were approached by a well mannered SHOE SHINER who wished us a good evening after we said that we weren't interested in the $1 shoe shine.  No wonder he was looking people "up and down"--he was checking for shoes AND was trying to make an honest wage.  I felt ashamed...

Today as I was planting flowers outside, a man who said that he was homeless asked if I could go inside and fix him a sandwich.  My gut told me that he was not homeless (no entourage of belongings and most of the homeless that I've met don't "volunteer" that information), so I just said, "well...I'm sorry" and he walked off.  All day today, I have grieved over my response.  If it was a woman, a child, or one of the regular homeless in our neighborhood would my response have been different?  Was I wrong?  Why was I so uncomfortable and so unprepared to answer him?  Was it lack of faith that God would protect me if he had tried to take advantage of me?  Was it lack of compassion?  Was it selfishness?  All I know is that I feel really inadequate/unsure sometimes...and today was one of those days.

Father, "I believe; help my unbelief!" Mk 9:24