The Emperor Moth

A man found a cocoon of an emperor moth and took it home so he could watch the moth come out of the cocoon. One day a small opening appeared. The man sat and watched the moth for several hours as it struggled to force its body through that little hole. Then it seemed to stop making any progress. To the man it appeared as if the moth had gotten as far as it could in breaking out of the cocoon and was stuck.

Out of kindness the man decided to help the moth. He took a pair of scissors and snipped off the remaining bit of the cocoon so that the moth could get out. Soon the moth emerged, but it had a swollen body and small shriveled wings. The man continued to watch the moth, expecting that in time the wings would enlarge and expand to be able to support the body, which would simultaneously contract to its proper size.

Neither happened. In fact, that little moth spent the rest of its life crawling around with a swollen body and shriveled wings. It was never able to fly.

The man in his kindness and haste didn't understand that the restricting cocoon and the struggle required for the moth to get through the tiny opening were God's way of forcing fluid from the body into the wings so that the moth would be ready for flight once it achieved its freedom from the cocoon.

Just as the moth could only achieve freedom and flight as a result of struggling, we often need to struggle to become all we're intended to be. You see, the struggles of life, heartaches and pains are necessary if you want to be great. Instead of cursing them, understand them while you are experiencing them. They are part of the making of a man.

Author unknown~

Gardens Galore!

This summer has been filled with fun new plants and a vegetable/herb garden. Although we have more than enough room to have our own veggie garden we decided to plant a large one with CJ's parents at their place. It was a lot of work at first but now we are finally seeing some of the "fruit of our labor!"

Here are some pictures from my porch and front yard.








Here is some from our shared vegetable garden! We have corn (a lot!), zucchini, cucumbers, sweet peas, onions, peppers, tomatoes, celery, herbs, beans, lettuce, squash, and pumpkins~ From where it started to where it is today :)













My first picking... I will be taking these camping with us this weekend!

Thank you~

I have been thinking about how lucky I am to be surrounded by amazing men and women. I truly feel blessed to have such a great family and set of friends. So, this post is for you!

These are some of the most important people in my life. You have helped me through this last year in Graduate School and I am so thankful to have you all in my life. I love you all~

First and foremost, CJ. You never cease to amaze me with your love, patience, and generosity. You are my best friend and I am truly grateful for everyday with you.


My mom Mary~ thank you for always inspiring me.


My parents~ Mom, John, Curtis, Joyce and Charlie

Emily and Colin~ oh the good times we have!


The Pacific University ladies(Katie, Karen, Becky) and our advisor Mark


The Awesome Aerotek Wives Club~ Tammy, Amy, Sarah, and Dani!



My lovely friends in no particular order:
Alison, Beth, Julie, Mel, Rob, Claire, Donald, Matt, Beth, Matt, Dee, Dave, Amy, Ashley, Tammy, Greg, Sarah, The Concord girls (Melissa, Vanessa, Ashley, and Joanna), and all of my husband's sweet friends, especially the HilHi guys, who have taken me in!


Thank you all for everything you do!

Crafts!

Since I have finished Graduate School (yay!) and have not started working yet I have had more time for crafts. These are some necklaces that I made for my three favorite girls from Pacific. Without the help of Becky, Karen, and Katie I don't know if I would have made it.

Here are my girls and I at the coast last week.

Here are the necklaces and cards I made for them! I love that my crafty side is coming out again!

Technology

I saw this video a few months ago and just found it again. I thought I would post the video because it is really interesting to me, especially as an educator. How do I prepare children for jobs that are not even created yet? Or for a world that will look completely different in ten years? Watch and be amazed...

For more information, you can also look at "Science for All Americans."

Final Approach To Heaven....

After the last few weeks I was happy to get a little gift from one of my students. This gift really made me think about how quickly things can change and how lucky we all are and have our families and friends by our side. In my earlier post I told you about one of my sweet little students whose father, a pilot, was killed in a plane crash. He was a beloved father, husband, and friend. He had a very large and wonderful memorial service that I was unable to attend. At the service they gave out little light blue rubber bracelets (similar to the Livestrong bracelets.) I have talked with this girl quite a bit since the tragedy and she is doing remarkably well considering. Well, today she brought me one of these bracelets. It says "Scott Resnick Memorial- Final Approach to Heaven." This little gift brought tears to my eyes. She knew that I had been praying for her and her family since the accident. She told me that if I wanted it, she would like me to have it. I will wear it everyday as a reminder at how precious life is and how thankful I am for even the hardest of days.

Thank you Reilly... You are an inspiration to me. You are so strong, brave, and beautiful. Your dad left a wonderful gift, you and your three siblings. He will always be remembered~

Wow, will it ever end??

So, last week I found out that on Saturday May 25th one of my fifth grade students lost her dad in an airplane crash. She and her three siblings lost their father. Luckily they have a huge support system at their church and has a lot of family. It is just absolutely heartbreaking for these kids and their mother.

Then, two days later another one of my fifth graders had tragedy strike. Her stepfather is being charged with killing her two-month old sister. The baby had severe head trauma and was taken off of life support a day later. As soon as I heard this I started to cry. This is too much. What happened where a good father, one who volunteered at the school, could have this happen? How will this family survive this?

Finally, today I found out that another school in the area two more children were killed. Their father took them to Jackson Bottom Wetlands for a hike, shot them, and then turned the gun on himself. What in his life was so awful that he could not solve? What was so bad that he had to take his children's lives and his own?

I don't know even what to think. Children have so much to deal with already and then they are thrown these horrific tragedies. How as a teacher am I supposed to help? Oh, my heart aches. I just feel numb when I think about these three events.

Keep these children and families in your prayers please.