The Year of Carly- part 1

We had a wonderful dinner with Todd's brother's family. My two nieces are gems. One is at UVA and headed for her 2nd over seas humanitarian trip. Her heart amazes me. But all that really doesn't matter because this is Carly's senior year of high school and thus deemed "The Year of Carly". It started during Lauren's senior year, I believe, when it was "The Year of Lauren". But being the second child, the anticipation for it to be your turn can just about kill you. So, as the wonderful Aunt that I am, I wanted the world to know we are currently in "The Year Of Carly". Carly is into drama, not living it, acting it. She is involved in all her high school plays. She has applied for early admission to a great college. She is funny and gorgeous. Let's hear it for "TYOC"!

Shop Till You Drop

We did it, Todd and I got up at 5:30am on Friday to get to Target by 6:00. We had specific items that we wanted to get at a greatly reduced price. I can't tell you what those things are, in case little eyes read this blog. As we drove up, the line of people that wrapped around the store, started entering and everyone ran to electronics. I will spare you the details, but we got what we wanted. I wonder how much of it was made in China? Do you know that I saw a news story the other day titled "How to have a China free Christmas". My sister and brother in law have been been going China free long before this. Not because of the lead paints but because much of the items are made by politcial prisoners. How ironic that now all this "bad news" is coming out of China. Having tried to buy China free for them before, I can tell you it is not easy. I personally don't buy all China free but i do try to make a difference with my buying. A few of my favorite places to buy gifts from are Ten Thousand Village which is the largest fair trade organizations and St. Jude's Holiday catalog. All their proceeds go to St. Jude's research hospital. And for the person that has everything, consider buying a goat or pig for a very poor family in the name of the person that has everything. My sisters and I bought a lama in my parents name and then we found a stuffed lama at ten thousand villages to remind them of the gift. If you are buying for me, i would be thrilled with any of the above. But if that's not your cup of tea, you can always get me a gift card.

It's Christmas Time In the City

97.1, 91.9, and 98.7
These are the three radio stations I listen to between Thanksgiving and Christmas. They have all the classics, Bruce Springsteen's Santa Clause is Coming to Town and O Holy Night just to mention a few.
The songs that cause me to change the chanel are anything by Manheim Steamroller, It's Christmas Eve in Washington and Last Christmas by Wham.
And even though I love Christmas music, it's tradition that we don't listen to it before thanksgiving It is also tradition that we don't decorate until after Katey's birhtday, which is the first week of Dec. We also go to the Leesburg Church of the Nazerene to see the live Nativity. They have real camels, and even though each year it seems a little cheesier, the kids insists we go out of tradition.

What traditions does your family have?
Which ones do you want to instill?
Consider this book, written by a friend of mine, for next year. Preparing My Heart for Advent: A Spiritual Pilgrimage for the Christmas Season by Ann Marie Stewart (Author)
You can buy it on Amazon

For Women Only

I went to a conference for school this week. I was hoping to share some amazing wisdom from the conference but, unfortunately I didn't walk away with anything life changing. However, the fellowship was great and the vendors were in plenty. I walked away with free pens, highlighters, tattoos, paper crowns and more. Nothing like coming home to the kids saying, "I have gifts!" The real jackpot was at the book tables. The book that is all the rage this year is "For Women Only" by Shaunti Feldhahn. I read it this summer and it had a profound impact on me. They also have other versions, "For Men Only", "For Parent's Only", and "For Young Women Only". These books will not disappoint. So, in typical Maureen fashion, let me recommend a book!!

Thanksgiving

I had my class write down things they were thankful for. And in typical fifth grade fashion, they wrote gaming systems, skateboards, basketballs and cool clothes. All things that other kids in third world countries don't even have. Now in their defense they also said their teacher, friends and family. But it got me thinking, am I so blind that i don't even realize what I have, really, beyond the material. For reasons that I can't even pretend to comprehend, God has picked this time and place for me to live.
Do you know that there is still modern day slavery??
Check out International Justice Mission online.
Do you know that 1 out of 6 people in the world will die from unclean drinking water while we through away a 1/2 filled bottle of water?
This thanksgiving I am going to be thankful for thinks I didn't buy, relationships I wouldn't trade and blessings I didn't earn.

Philippinas 1:3-6
I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.

Reading for fun

Friday was parent/teacher conference day at my school. "My child did not like to read last year and now I catch them reading in their room after they have been sent to bed." I heard this from more than one parent and I almost cried. Not because kids were disobeying their parents, but because they couldn't stop reading!! My goal as a teacher is to get kids to love books. Many times if kids don't like to read it is because they haven't yet found the right books.

For boys try Strider, Dear Mr. Henshaw, Al Capone Does My Shirts and Where the Red Fern Grows. Also try books by Bill Myers or Henry Winkler (yes, The Fonz). Both of these authors have written series for boys and my son and students (grade 5) have read them incessantly.

For girls there is the Abby Hayes series or the Madison Finn series. My warning to you is that girl books take a turn toward boys and relationships way too early. Don't let your daughter settle for cheezy romance books when there are so many more good books to be read.

Both boys and girls also enjoy books by Carole Marsh, Lois Lowry, and Andrew Clements. But even if ALL of these choices don't work,
there are more choices out there, so keep looking. But regardless of what your kid reads, my hope is that you find them
upstairs, after you send them to bed under the covers with a flashlight reading a book.

Blogging 101

Blogging 101- That is what i am calling my venturing out into the blogging world, something that didn't even exist 10 years ago. It is not that I think people want to read what I have to say, it is that I need to remember what I had to say. In the meantime, if it blesses someone else, so be it.

I spoke at chapel today on the verse Proverb 29:11. "A fool gives full vent to his anger, but a wise man keeps himself under control." I explained full vent as Niagra Falls. Imagine that in the shower. It is way too strong and out of control to allow you to take a nice relaxing shower. It would more than knock you over. Keeping oneself under control is like using an expensive shower head that allows me to control the speed, temperature and style of the water. One knocks you over, the other refreshes. i am guilty of sometimes being a fool. But my prayer is to be a wise man. (O.K. woman). I spoke on this, was convicted of this, prayed about this and then went out to do carpool and cars stopped where they shouldn't and I feel the waterfall start to flow. How hard can it be? Sometimes the word pictures we are careful to use for elementary kids are really for us.