Corner View: The letter M

Corner View this week features the letter M. 

My view is "M is for moving."

The following are clips of some of the bits and pieces that made up
our move.  Most of these items are now packed away in my husband's
aunt's basement, our basement, and our barn.  Some have been
put on display here in this tiny house. 

However, all of my mother's and grandmother's glassware, glass dish set,
and my china and goblets are carefully tucked away for the next house.
There is no room for those precious heirlooms in this house--at least not the
way it is now. 

I have much to go through this summer beginning with the kids' stuff in the garage.
Boxes of baby dolls, Barbie dolls, etc. are waiting my daughter's inspection.
They have been stored in the attic in what was our home in Cincinnati
 waiting for a daughter of hers.  So now that Abby exists,
decisions will have to be made.  They are coming up here
towards the end of June and will be given a 'tour' down memory lane
where they will decide what to have sent back to Texas.

Meanwhile we pray for our next home.  It would be lovely to settle into it
before school starts in September.  But God has His own timing and I've
been learning loads in this waiting period.  So I will continue to trust and
improve my patience level.

"Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou has believed:
Blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed."  John 20: 28

"Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience.
But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire,
wanting nothing." James 1: 3, 4

 

                                                      Thanks to Valerie for the topic: 'M'

Join Joyce, Francesca, her (Valerie), and others for the weekly Corner View.



Monday's Prayer and a Memorial Day Tribute

As I drove to Seneca Lake yesterday, I pondered my weekly
"Monday's Prayer" post and the fact that I would not be
starting school as it was a holiday.

My thoughts then veered to a Memorial Day prayer,
but knew none were in my Stormie Omartian books
(she may have some, just not in the books I possess.)
The Internet next came to mind as a source for such a prayer.

 But what photos would I use?  I've featured those of my dad
 at the WWII Memorial several times and did not want
 to use them again.

 Just then I passed the Quaker Cemetery high on a hill
overlooking Quaker City, Ohio.  As I tend to zip along
on those roads, I had to turn around in the tiny town
and drive back up to the entrance to the cemetery.
I drove to where my in-laws' graves were and parked my car.

Looking around, I knew I'd found the perfect Memorial Day photos.

As for the Internet search, the options are countless, but I chose the following
prayer.  I've also included a third grader's essay and a poem from a member
of our armed services.   I hope they 'speak' to you.

SUNDAY, MAY 30, 2010


Prayer for Memorial Day

By Donald Sensing

Lord God, grant us the faith that will truly honor those we remember this day.
They died for their country; give us the faith to live for our country.
They died to bring peace; give us the faith to live for peace.
They died believing in us, their fellow Americans; give us the faith to believe in one another and in our future.

Grant us the same sense of commitment to people and their right to justice and peace as those we remember.
Teach us to honor all our relationships, from those dearest to us to those whom we will never meet but with whom we share this common planet.

Grant us wisdom, give us hope, grant us dreams and visions like those that inspired people to give their lives, believing that through adversity and conflict would come peace and justice.

Lord, save us from complacency and prejudice – those very things that create conflict and cause young lives to be lost in battle or in despair. Make us instruments of your peace:

where there is hatred, let us sow love;
where there is injury, pardon;
where there is discord, unity;
where there is doubt, faith;
where there is despair, love;
where there is darkness, light;
where there is sadness, joy.

Lord, hear our prayer, and let our cry come unto you. Amen.

Adapted from the prayer for the Anzac Day Dawn Service, Sydney, Australia, 1987.

BY DONALD SENSING

CATEGORIES: CULTURE, MILITARY

http://www.senseofevents.blogspot.com/2010/05/prayer-for-memorial-day.html

 Memorial Day

© 2001 Ali M., 3rd Grader, Academy Elementary School, Madison, Connecticut.
As the flowers rest on the decorated graves and the sunlight shines on the beautiful sailboats, Uncle Sam whispers in my ear about how we should care for the soldiers and remember the ones that have died. Swimming pools open, BBQs fry. Today is the day to think of what they have done for us. There are blurs of red, white and blue marching down the street and flags are lowered at half-mast. But we should always remember and never forget what set us free, from this very day on.

http://usmemorialday.org/alim.htm.

This is the grave of my husband's parents.

They are buried in a quaint Quaker cemetery

 overlooking southeastern Ohio's rolling hills and luscious fields.

Robert Francis 'Bud' Orr served in WWII,

so I thought this was a fitting photo

with which to introduce the following poem.

We buried another veteran today
© Major Van E. Harl, USAF Ret.
Columbus Air Force Base, Mississippi, 28 November 2001

We buried another Veteran today.
He went to his God, from us, he went away.
This one was young, in the prime of his life.
He left twin children and a very courageous wife.
It wasn't a bullet, a plane crash or a bomb.
It was cancer, and he just finally, could not hold on.
He fought "it" like a military campaign.
But the time came to surrender, to end his earthly pain.
He knew he would be fine in the presence of his Lord.
But what about his twins, those children he adored?
Will they grow strong and at "life" win.
Please God, let them always remember him.


We buried another Veteran today.
It seems, all my life, it has happened this way.
From my uncles of the WW II-time frame.
To the military friends, Vietnam would claim.

For me the number of dead, is always on the rise.
When I get a call another veteran is gone, it is never really a surprise.
From lost sub-mariners, in early days of my life.
To the forever gone, military-medical friends of my veteran wife.
I lost a Korean War veteran friend this year, to a crashed airplane.
I lost a Gulf War friend to cancer, a difference in their age, but still that pain.
I lost an Uncle to cancer who did Korea with the Navy, steaming off shores.
I lost my father-in-law who fought in Korea, from a "fox-hole" in the frozen outdoors.

We buried another Veteran today.
It seems in all my family's generations, it happens this way.
From my Revolutionary War Grandfathers who started this sad, but needed trend.
To the family members on both sides in 1861, who just would not bend.
Some of my family lived a long and happy life, after "their" war.
They died of old age in their bed, safe-behind a locked door.
They died in battle, buried where they fell.
They died years later, carrying emotional scars, in their own personal hell.

My family is no different than thousands who met our Nation's call.
They rose to the demands of this country and some gave their "all".
We have to continue doing this, to make America free.
But, it's that Veteran's twin-little children that keeps worrying me.

We buried another Veteran today.
It seems all my life it continues this way.
Now my only child is nine and we reside on a military installation.
My wife and I truly want her to live safe, in a free nation.
But what happens, when it is her-generation's turn to make a stand.
Do we lose our only child in some forsaken-foreign land?
Does she play it safe, stay home and say "that's boy's stuff".
Or does she join like her mother and go right into the ruff.

She has to be that one Veteran I don't see, make that final "call".
Let me go before her, let me first give this country my fighting "all".
Maybe if I go "out-there" and make my final stand.
She can stay safe-at-home, in this wonderful free land.

We buried another Veteran today.

Web site: © 1997-2009 SUVCW & David Merchant
Poem: © ©2001Roger J. Robicheau, The Poetic Plumber
Updated 22 May 2002
http://www.usmemorialday.org/poetry/weburied.html.

Blessings to you as you go about your lives on this special day.

.May we remember and help our present armed service members

in some way.



Psalms of the Week with pics of countryside

BLESS (AFFECTIONATELY, gratefully praise) the Lord, O my soul!

O Lord my God, You are very Great!

You are clothed with honor and majesty--

Who covers Yourself with light as with a garment,

Who stretches out the heavens like a curtain or a tent,

Who lays the beams of the upper room of His abode in the waters,

Who makes the clouds His chariot,

Who walks on the wings of the wind,

He waters the mountains from His upper rooms;

the earth is satisfied and abounds with the fruit of His works.

He causes vegetation to grow for the cattle,

and all that the earth produces for man to cultivate,

that he may bring forthe food out of the earth--

And wine that gladdens the heart of man,

to make his face shine more than oil,

and bread to support, refresh, and strengthen man's heart.

[The Lord] appointed the moon for the seasons;

the sun knows [the exact time of] its setting.

O Lord, how many and varied are Your works!

In wisdom have You made them all;

the earth is full of Your riches and Your creatures.

May the glory of the Lord endure forever;

may the Lord rejoice in His works--

May my meditation be sweet to Him;

as for me,

I will rejoice in the Lord.

Psalm 104: 1-3, 13-15, 19, 24, 31

It has been a frantically busy week.
I have not been able to read or reply much
 due to the wrap-up of school.
Finals are this Tuesday and Wednesday
with make-ups on Thursday.
Friday is the teachers' last day.
I got through this week fine
and am looking forward to next Friday.

Hope you are enjoying your Memorial Day weekend!
I'm headed out to the lake and a cook-out with Mike,
and my son and our grandkids.

Blessings to you all!

Corner View: Favorite Fiction

I had the privilege of choosing the topic for corner view

this week.

So, even though I'm literally barely awake

because of only  four-hours of sleep,

I will get this post done before I head off to school.

My all-time favorite classic novel is Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte.

I taught it one year as evidenced by the next picture.

I told my Advanced English IV class that they didn't have to like it;

they just couldn't complain about it to me.

It took awhile for some of them to 'get into it'

and to actually understand the plot;

however, once they did. most ended up liking it.

They then had to choose a novel from my list of classics, read it,

and do a project on it.

"An Eye-Opener Assignment and Expansion of their Literature World"

The story behind me first reading this book:

The brother who is six-years-older than I am,

extremely irritated Mrs. K.--one of our eccentric English teachers.

She thought Catcher in the Rye should be banned--REALLY.

For D, that was a direct challenge.

He just had to read that book and of course bring it to school.

She couldn't do anything about it,

because our board didn't believe in censorship of books.

Oh she was livid! 

And thus he paved the way for me to be disliked by her.

I knew she had a grudge against me before the first day was over--

she just had to tell me the story of my brother and THE BOOK.

"My goose was cooked." (as the expression goes)

So when she told us we would have to choose

from the rows of books in her room,

and that the students who read the thick books

would get extra credit,

I sighed.

I knew from which rows I would be choosing.

While my friends walked around with skinny novels,

I carried a heavy, thick classic.

But something magical occurred:

I fell in love with the classics.

My life opened up into an incredible world

where I could escape

into luscious words and images.

Mrs. K. ended up 'loving' me--

"I wasn't anything like that horrid brother of mine."

(Oh D, you became folk lore!)

I ended up loving the classics

and have never fallen out of love.

The first one to make a huge impression was

Wuthering Heights.

I was fascinated by the Yorkshire moors

and the intense relationships.

The 'doomed' love affair between Cathy and Heathcliff

enthralled me.

[I liked 'the boys who weren't suitable for me' (mom's words) after that book

and created angst for my mother.]

I ended up an English teacher.

D, you did me a huge favor when you ticked off Mrs. K.!

An Excerpt.

I like this shot because it best shows the stormy skies

above the lovers as they meet in the moors.

There: "You now have the rest of the story." (Paul Harvey's famous line)

Join Francesca for more favorite fiction at corner view.

Monday's Prayer

Lord,

I praise Your holy name this day.

You are almighty God.

You are the all-powerful, omnipotent Lord of heaven and earth.

There is nothing too hard for You,

Great are You, Lord,

and mighty in power;

Your understanding is infinite.

I know that because You can do anything,

no plan or purpose of Yours for my life

can be held back.

You have a mighty arm,

and You rule by Your power.

You are the potter and I am the clay,

and I give You full power over my life to mold me

as You see fit.

I surrender my life to You and release it into Your hands.

Amen

Behold, I am the LORD, the God of all flesh.

Is there anything too hard for Me?

Jeremiah 32:27

by Stormy Omartian

Blessings to you as begin this new week.

End of the Week Psalm: Emotions

For this week's Psalm post I'm featuring my children

and their families.

I have a section at the back of my Bible

with scriptures underneath each one.

This week I chose emotions;

then I looked up all the Psalms scriptures.

Lots of emotions are flowing through our family right now

as we deal with a separation that appears headed for divorce court.

As I said in another post, Peyton, the oldest girl, is taking this the hardest--

at least right now.

The photos of her painting in the kitchen

are of the first night coming here to dinner without mommy.

She tired of Nickelodeon and didn't join in the laughter

of her siblings, dad, and grandfather.

Instead she retreated to paint.

I'm comforted that she chose an artistic outlet,

for that gives me hope that all the myriad emotions

and doubts

won't pile up inside of her until they implode.

Her Grandma Sheri and I are keenly observing her

while earnestly praying.

We are determined that an implosion will not occur.

There is a pic of my son with his first born at our trailer at the lake campgrounds.

I chose him for that scripture as a 'tongue in cheek' commentary.

Doug broke approximately 12 bones in 15 years.

After his dad gave in to letting him play football ( I was all for it),

Doug quit breaking his collar bone (4 times),

because his rough housing energy

was being released while his body was covered in protection!

However,

when the neighborhood boy pushed him off the top of the jungle gym,

 he was totally unprepared for the fall

and broke two bones in his arms.

We were out to dinner with the boy's parents!

Another breakage time, we were in New York City.

This was a collarbone injury before his official football playing was permitted.

(Then: a skateboard injury and subsequent basketball injuries due to a weakened ankle).

My daughter and her family are featured also.

She has had plenty of heartache,

but God blessed her mightily

when He brought Robert (Jory) into her life.

They are committed to God, to each other, and to their children.

They have a deep faith in God and in prayer.

Already, their two year old understands prayer in a way

a lot of adults don't.

Aaron has Big Roy in him in a way the others don't seem to.

I don't know God's plans for this boy,

but I think that with his sweet spirit,

his keen observation,

his love of life and God,

and his sensitivity to others' feelings,

the pulpit may be in his future.

So that is what came out of me for this post.

I pray the Psalms minister to you.

It's Saturday morning and I'm up early.

I have lots of yard work ahead.

Tomorrow I will be sitting with my son at his youngest children's

community nursery school church program

and later at his oldest's dance recital.

Blessings to you as you experience this weekend.

Why are you cast down, O my inner self?

And why should you moan over me

and be disquieted within me?

Hope in God and wait expectantly for Him,

for I shall yet praise Him,

my Help and my God.

Psalm 42: 5

. . . but establish the [uncompromisingly] righteous

[those upright and in harmony with You];

for You,

Who try the hearts and emotions and thinking powers,

 are a righteous God.

Psalms 7:9

That you may give him power

to keep himself calm

in the days of adversity,

until the [inevitable] pit of corruption

is dug for the wicked.

Psalm 94:13

The Lord is close to those who are of a broken heart and saves such as are crushed with sorrow. . .    Psalm 34: 18    (Peyton scattering her grandparents' ashes).

For His anger is but for a moment, but His favor is for a lifetime or in His favor is life.  Weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning. Psalm 30: 5

(Baby Dillon's arrival and then his six-year-old smile.)

Make me to hear joy and gladness and be satisfied; let the bones which You have broken rejoice.     Psalm 51: 8

     Restore to me the joy of Your salvation and uphold me with a willing spirit.                                     

 Psalm 51:12

He heals the broken hearted and binds up their wounds

[curing their pains and their sorrows].

Psalm 147:3



Good advice

Corner View: Room

I pondered what to do for this week's Corner View theme.

I had several ideas.

One of my ideas was to take photos of the teachers' rooms on my hallway.

My trusty camera and I went to work;

however,

the amount of photos required to truly show someone's room is daunting.

Therefore, I settled on the bulletin boards with a few misc. posters added for 'punch'.

First is one of mine. 

I have four, but one is stripped for the year

as the Smart Board is now parked in front of it

and I don't want kids squeezing behind it to look at the board.

Another one is my "Comics and News" bulletin board.

It is empty of comics and news right now

as it is poetry time

and the space will be used to highlight students' poems.

There is the utilitarian one that has required rules and general information

that has to be posted in every room.

It also has a calendar and the school menu.

BORING!

The most popular one is the "ZEPS" board.

I subscribe to two newspapers (one is weekly),

and daily cut out pics and articles

highlighting the high school students.

I had to move it to this board because of the Smart Board.

So the pics no longer have "Celebrate" as a border

on a rustic orange.

The papers hung haphazardly are the schedules for the End of the Year Course tests,

the temporarily longer schedule,

and

the final exam schedules.

Most of us were confused during the the first two times,

so I kept copies accessible to students.

Baseball and softball seasons for our school just ended.

Next is the lady math teacher's room.

She has an extra credit bulletin board

where she also keeps an adorable calendar.

The other English teacher highlighted the classics recently.

This board changes throughout the year.

This is her Zeps board.

This next one belongs to one of thespecial-ed women teachers.

This is just one fourth of a huge bulletin board that runs the width

of the business ed room.

 

The teacher in this room teaches world history, government,

and a psychology/sociology class.

The other math teacher is a male and spartan.

The other social studies teacher's domain.

He keeps his Christmas paper background up year round,

as he goes all out on decorating his room for Christmas.

He takes everything else down and puts them away,

except for this.

He teaches world history, but also teaches American history and does a unit

on the Great Depression.

Last is the room shared by the other two special-ed teachers.

She would have it spruced up more,

but he was here first.

This is one of his two corners.

This map is a central feature.

And----

here is her small area---no bulletin board---just a space on the window

of an adjoining room

for pictures of and by her children.

Hope you enjoyed my tour.

Check out Francesca's for more corner view room posts.