Archive for December, 2009
Final Thoughts on 2009
Posted by: | CommentsIf there is one thing we all have in common on New Year’s Eve (besides making resolutions) it’s that we look back and wonder, ” How did another year go by so quickly?” I’ve been asking myself that for 53 years now (well, truthfully I didn’t realize how fast it went until I turned 30…after that I think someone puts turbo batteries in clocks and the hands spin twice as fast as they once did).
Looking back at the year now is different than it was say 20 years ago. The older I get the more I feel the call to do more for others. It is so easy to stay wrapped in the cocoon of “my world” that often I fail to reach out to those in need, and I don’t have to look very far to see the needy. My grandmother would say, “What’s done is done. We can only move forward.” While that is true perhaps if we take a look at what we did or didn’t do in 2009, maybe we can do better in 2010 and there’s definitely room for improvement in my life. How about you?
My 2009 thoughts….
1. I wish I had studied my Bible more. I know where peace and hope reside and I could save myself a lot of grief and worry by studying more, praying more and trusting more in the maker of the universe to guide me. This is at the top of my list of things I will change in 2010.
2. I wish I had been a better friend. The last few years I’ve been spending a little more time with my girlfriends and it’s made me realize how much I’ve taken them for granted over the years. So many times I’ve thought I was “too busy” to take a weekend off and just relax with the girls. This is another area in my life where I want to do better.
3. One of my biggest personal struggles in 2009 was deciding to leave education to pursue writing full time. When something has been a large part of your life for a very long time it’s tough to know when it’s time to move on, especially when you like what you do and you know that leaving it also means leaving a pay check. Sometimes we need a little push and for me that push came when the editor of the magazine I had written a column for for 13 years informed me they were “revamping the magazine” and my column was being discontinued. I couldn’t imagine life without writing and one day while driving down the road God whispered in my ear (I pray a lot while I’m driving and my brother has always said that’s a good thing) and NanaHood was born. The vision for NanaHood has evolved to one of friendship ( a cool place for grandmother’s and moms to hang out) mentoring (a loving environment where mom’s can ask for help, advice and opinions and receive a thoughtful, loving response) and praise (where every Tuesday we participate in Gratituesday with www.heavenlyhomemakers.com and give thanks to the one from whom all blessings flow!)
What were your greatest challenges in 2009? What do you hope to do differently in 2010? My wish for you this New Year’s Eve is this…
Happy New Year and may God keep you in His care through the year and the rest of your life!
Family Fun and Playing Games
Posted by: | CommentsThis Christmas one of the most fun things we did happened on Christmas night. Rachel, my daughter, insisted we play a game. I watch a lot of basketball games but I’ve never enjoyed playing board games. Excuse the pun, but I find them boring. So when Rachel said, “We are ALL going to play a game,” I wasn’t very enthusiastic, but it turned out to be a lot of fun.
My husband and son number two
All you have to have to play this game (I have no idea what it’s called) is a pair of dice, a pair of gloves (the fat ones work best) and several boxes and masking tape. You put the prize (we used cash) inside a small box and wrapped it with lots of thick, powerful tape. Then you wrap that box inside another and repeat the process as often as you want. On the outside its wrapped like a Christmas gift (or just gift wrap). One person rolls the dice and if you roll doubles you get to wear the gloves and open the gift, but you only get to work on it until the next person rolls doubles. Then they get the gloves and they get to try to open it. If you roll double sixes you get to take the gloves OFF and give it a go. Needless to say everyone rolls the dice really quickly to try and keep someone else from getting the prize.
Thomas, my nephew, was the eventual winner. If you like lots of screaming, yelling and good, clean fun it’s a wonderful game.
If you don’t understand the rules or have any questions, just write me here at NanaHood and I’ll do my best to answer them.
For those of you who read my post about hamsters if you’ll notice in the first picture behind my husband’s head is a hamster cage with four hamsters. They were NOT invited to play the game.
The Power to Believe
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Saturday night we had a surprise birthday party for our twins, Grant and Russell. It was their 18th birthday and we wanted to make it special.
It was a great party and so today I’m giving thanks (again) for the twins. (Blessing number one)They were my best Christmas present ever!
In order to surprise them my brother and sister-in-law volunteered to have the party at their house. What a wonderful blessing to have loving family nearby!(Blessing number two)
My daughter took helium filled balloons to decorate with and after the party Abby, who is four, decided she wanted to tie the balloons to her to see if she would float up in the air.
My wonderful sister-in-law attaching balloons to Abby
After the balloons were attached then she climbed the stairs and tried to fly! Of course we were close by just in case she decided to try jumping off something.
Reaching for the sky (or the moose head)
When lift off failed she told Uncle Gabe he could take them outside and set them free.
I didn't really mean it!
After they were in the air she decided she wanted them back. Uncle Gabe felt bad but what’s done is done!
Watching Abby try to fly made me think about the power to believe. (Blessing number three) We all have it, but as we grow older so does the power to doubt.
Remember these verses from Mark chapter 9? A man was asking Jesus to help his son and he said, 22 The evil spirit often makes him fall into the fire or into water, trying to kill him. Have mercy on us and help us. Do something if you can.”
Jesus replied, 23 “What do you mean, ‘If I can’?” Jesus asked. “Anything is possible if a person believes.”
24 The father instantly replied, “I do believe, but help me not to doubt!”
And so today I give thanks for many things but especially the power to believe, knowing that fear and doubt are human traits that can be conquered through study of God’s word and prayer.
Increase my faith, dear Lord. Help me to be as trusting as a child…your child. Amen
What is Your Well-Being Index?
Posted by: | CommentsRemember the game show Family Feud? Two opposing families would guess what the most popular answers to questions were and then the host would reveal the answers and announce, “And the survey says…” This morning I read some results from a survey that I wanted to share with you. This survey was done by the Gallup Poll and over 175,000 people responded. Basically the survey investigated the well-being of folks in different occupations. In all but two of the categories the profession that claimed the highest level of well-being was…. (drum roll) teachers.
Teachers scored higher than any other occupation when it came to optimism about life. They scored highest in the section about having what they need for a healthy life (food, shelter, clothing, etc.). They scored highest on emotional well-being and in making healthy lifestyle choices (exercising, eating right, etc.) The ONLY area where they did not receive the highest scores concerned their work environment.
In this section of the survey people were asked if they are satisfied with their jobs, if they get to use their strengths at work, if their supervisor treats them more like a boss or a partner, and if their work environment is open and trusting. Given that conditions in an employee’s work environment are directly related to his or her engagement level, the finding may have implications for students and administrators. Teachers who are given the opportunity to do what they do best at work (91% say they get to use their strengths at work) may be more likely to engage students in the learning process. (http://www.gallup.com/poll/124778/Teachers-Score-HigherProfessionals.aspx)
As a former teacher who also happens to be from a family of educators, what this says to me is that teachers would have a perfect sense of well-being if they were given the right work environment. How is that achieved? That’s a million dollar question, probably closer to billions when you consider how much money public education requires.
I don’t claim to have the answers but from my years in the classroom I did learn a few things. Here are just a few things I learned about the work environment and I’m guessing that most of these ring true in other professions, not just teaching.
1. I taught in a trailer with holes in the floor where mice lived and in a brand new building with shiny tiled floors. The new building was safer and nicer but the kids learned just as well in the trailer. I’m not advocating we use trailers for schools but sometimes I think we forget that all over the world students are learning in facilities not nearly as nice as the trailer I taught in.
2. Teachers are ducks and swans. The swans sail through the obstacles as gracefully as they can. The ducks go around quacking and trying to stir up the other ducks on the pond. Swans see the obstacles but deal with it. Ducks just quack about it. (How about it guys and gals? Ever known any ducks?)
3. Many students deal with serious problems at home. Expecting them to come to school ready to learn when they haven’t slept all night, eaten since yesterday and had a bath in a week is just plain old wrong. Legislators can “mandate” until they are blue in the face but it won’t do a bit of good if a child is living a nightmare at home.
4. The best teachers made their own happiness. No matter what was going on around them or what was demanded of them, the best ones took a deep breath and went about their business; loving kids and teaching.
Okay, I will step down off my bandwagon now but before I do ask yourself a question. What is your well-being index? Think about it. If all we have is this moment shouldn’t we spend it at peace?
A hamster named Buddy
Posted by: | CommentsLast night I had Christmas dinner for thirty people. There were also four hamsters and three dogs (two are my grand-puppies) in attendance. To say it was a real zoo around here would not be far from the truth. The hamsters belong to my nephew, Jackson. He couldn’t bear to leave them home alone so they came with him. Their names are Buddy 1, Buddy 2, Buddy 3 and Buddy 4. At least my sister-in-law is hoping they are all Buddys and that none are Berthas. The lady at the pet store promised they were all boys. Hamsters look too much like mice to suit me. I love my nephew but his hamsters did not make me feel warm and fuzzy all over.
I do like one thing about hamsters though. After I ate a huge dinner I watched the little creatures running on the wheel inside their cage. They have the right attitude about exercise. They don’t just jog, they run as if their little tails were on fire!
If there was just a way to put myself on a wheel and make it spin so that I had to run or be thrown off, then I might get in shape. Maybe…..or maybe my nephew should just let the hamsters out of the cage. I guarantee that would make me run!
