On the Tablet of My Heart

My dad doesn't ask me for much; he's more of a giver.  So when he asked me to sign my son Joshua up for 4-H so he could take him to skeet shooting lessons, I put aside my fears of already being involved in too many activities myself and signed him up.  After all, dad was really the one committing the most time, right? As it turns out, 4-H offers numerous opportunities for kids to learn engaging, hands-on activities with real-world application.  I had to select classes ahead of time that Joshua might be interested in for the entire year. There was so much to choose from that I had to limit myself! One of the first ones that caught my eye was dog training. About a year ago, Joshua's dog that he'd had for as long as he could remember was killed by another dog. We'd gotten him a new one, but, although he liked her, there just wasn't the same connection.  I knew right away this class would be good for them.  Little did I know it was also going to be good for m

Its June.  We're half way through the year.  No doubt, its an odd time of year to choose my "Word of the Year."  I can remember back in January seeing friends and family post on Facebook the words they had chosen.  I was totally on-board!  I mean, a word instead of a resolution?  What English teacher wouldn't give that a try?  Funny thing was, though, no matter how much I thought about it, I just couldn't seem to find a word that really fit.  Of course, by February, I had stopped searching.  School was in session. Grading, lesson planning, my own college classes, and responsibilities of being a mom left little time for reflection or introspection. This morning, though, without even looking, I found it.  Renewal!  My word of the year.  I was reading in the book of Titus and found this Scripture: But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared,  he saved us,  not because of works done by us in righteousness,  but according to his own