It’s bed time, but I have one thing to say.

I love my job!!!

I love my family!!!!

I love my life!!!

Motivation Monday!

It’s Monday morning which means it is time to get back into the groove. My motivation this morning comes from a book my parents gave me for Christmas. The Time is Now, The Person is You by Nido Qubein. This book is just full of quotes on different topics like work, success, change, etc. This one stood out to me this morning.

Success rarely comes to those who expect failure.

I say let’s go into this week expecting success.

Have a great Monday!

Merry Christmas!

I know, I’m a little late in wishing you all a Merry Christmas. It has been too long since I sat down and added words to my blog. I’ve been busy enjoying time with my family. Tobi spent a week with a pretty intense case of chickenpox causing us to miss the last few days of school before Christmas break. Our shopping was easy this year, one day in Nashville took care of everything. The kids were excited, but I think we were as excited as them because we knew that they were going to love everything we got them. Every year on Christmas Eve Will and Tobi spend the night together. They take turns. This year they slept on Will’s bunk beds. When their footsteps came down the hall and into our room to wake us up, it was only 6:15. We rolled out of bed and follwed them into the living room to see what Santa had left under the Christmas tree. Will was surprised to find a Nintendo DS waiting for him. Daddy had him convinced that Santa wouldn’t bring one because he already had a Gameboy. Tobi was equally happy to find a fully accessorized iDog. They opened the presents we had wrapped for them and were excited with most of them. There was the disappointment of a box full of underwear and socks. Why I wrap those every year I’m not sure, but it has become a tradition. It wouldn’t be Christmas if they didn’t get underclothes. I put the turkey in the oven and began preparing everything to go with it. It was wonderful to know that we didn’t have to worry about being anywhere at anytime. Nobody was coming with plans of eating with us, so I didn’t have to worry about when the food was ready. It was great. When Bill’s parents and grandmother and my parents arrived, we were ready to visit with them and enjoyed every minute of it. It was a peace filled day spent with family. I hope you and yours enjoyed an equally wonderful peace filled day. Let’s all have a peace filled year.

Poetry Friday

This beautiful book of blessings by Cynthia Rylant has a blessing for each month of the year. Here is the blessing for November.

November
Bless the beans,
bless the bread,

Bless the puppies
being fed,

Bless all those
so dear to us,

Keep them safe
and near to us.

Which inspired me to write my own.

PEACE

Bless the coffee,
bless the tea,

Bless the people
surrounding me.

Bless those who love
and those who hate,

Bring them safely
to peace’s gate.

Writer’s Notebook Wednesday!

I visited a 5th grade classroom earlier this year. The teacher was talking to her students about peace. I had the students write their thoughts about peace as I guided them with a few questions. Like any good Writing Project teacher, I pulled out my journal and wrote along with them. Peace is a topic that has been heavy on my mind lately, so as I flipped through my journal to find something to share for WNW this entry jumped out at me.

When I hear the word peace I think of Christmas. I think of quiet. I think of beauty pageant contestants.

I think it is always peaceful when the weather is nice and you are near water. Water is peaceful.

I don’t know if world peace is possible, but I sure would like to see it. I think heaven is a place of peace. Maybe we should be trying to make the world heavenly. To create world peace we must have peace in all the people. To have peace in all the people, we must start with peace within ourselves. It is easy to say that we believe in peace, but we don’t really live it.

Marvelous Motivation Monday!!

I’m just a little late getting today’s motivation posted. I see that some of you have already posted yours. Click on Mr. Linky to submit your motivational post. If you don’t have a blog, please leave your motivational thoughts as a comment.

Have a marvelous Monday!!!

My Motivation Cabinet

A few weeks ago I ended up at an auction with my in-laws. I saw this china cabinet lined up with several others very similar to it. I thought, “That would make a great bookcase.” I pulled out my cell phone and called Bill to see if he minded me bidding on it. He didn’t mind, and a few hours later I was the proud owner of not only the china cabinet, but also a writing desk, and oak sidetable and a kitchen hutch. The china cabinet made its way into the room we call “the front room” and became the perfect home for many of my favorite books. I love having those books conveniently in the same place. When I need some motivation, I know exactly where to go and don’t have to dig too far. Today I went to that cabinet and pulled out a Jack Gantos book. It has been almost two years since I met Jack Gantos at the NCTE conference in Pittsburgh. His book, Hole In My Life had meant so much to me that as soon as I tried to speak to him, tears poured out of my eyes. I’ll never forget how kind he was and the gentle softness of his hands as he grasped mine and told me it was okay for me to cry. So, for today’s motivation, I turned to the worn out post-it notes in my autographed copy of this book. He signed “For Angela–’Books filled the Hole’ Jack Gantos. I would encourage anyone who has a hole in their life to find the books that will fill that hole for them.

On page 8 he writes,

Someone once said anyone can be great under rosy circumstances, but the true test of character is measured by how well a person makes decisions during difficult times. I certainly believe this to be true. I made a lot of mistakes, and went to jail, but I wasn’t on the road to ruin like everybody said. While I was locked up, I pulled myself together and made some good decisions.

I figure if Jack Gantos could pull himself together and become the award winning author that he is, I should be able to pull myself together and accomplish something. You can too. Later in the book he talks about finding graffiti on the cinder block cell wall.

I found the best line scratched above the mirror: WHAT WE HAVE HERE IS A FAILURE TO COMMUNICATE. That line from Cool Hand Luke said it all for me, whether I was talking to myself or someone else. Some wit had carved it into the cinder block so that each time he looked in the mirror he reminded himself that the biggest failure in life is self-communication.

So to sum up my thoughts for today:

1. find books that motivate you and fill your holes.

2. make good decisions even in the tough times.

3. remember to communicate with yourself.

Teachers Who Pray

I was reading Molly’s Poetry Friday post and loved the poem she wrote. I also loved the idea of sitting in the desk of a “discipline problem” before school started and saying a prayer for that student. Molly tells of a professor who asks, “What do you think would happen if we prayed for at-risk students by name instead of complaining about them?” I actually had an experience last year that answers that question for me. I was just talking about this experience with a teacher today. The thing is, it wasn’t the student that changed, it was me. My attitude toward the student changed. I got into the habit of catching myself when his behavior was “getting on my nerves” at those times, I would say a little prayer for him and ask God to help me love him. By the time I finished praying, my nerves were settled. It wasn’t always easy, but the more I prayed the better our relationship was and the more I could teach him.

Change the World

The following words were inscribed on the tomb of an Anglican bishop in Westminster Abby (1100 A.D.)

When I was young and free and my imagination had not limits, I dreamed of changing the world. As I grew older and wiser, I discovered the world would not chane, so I shortened my sights somewhat and decided to change only my country.

But, it, too, seemed immovable.

As I grew into my twilight years, in one last desperate attempt, I settled for changing only my family, those closest to me, but alas, they would have none of it.

And now as I lie on my deathbed, I suddenly realize: If I had only changed myself first, then by example I would have changed my family.

From their inspiration and encouragement, I would then have been able to better my country, and, who knows, I may have even changed the world.

I found this in Success One Day at a Time by John C. Maxwell. I like it because it reminds me that I only need to worry about changing myself. Changing the world seems much less daunting when you realize that changing yourself is enough. My mantra lately has been, “Be the change you want to see in the world.” It isn’t always easy, but it is much easier to change yourself than to change those around you. As you go through this week, I challenge you to “be the change.”

Motivation Monday!

It has been a beautiful Monday here in my little corner of the world. I hope that it has been in yours as well. I was excited to see that my idea for motivational Monday’s caught on. If you haven’t read today’s motivation from Jen over at A Teacher’s Life, you should. Then click your way on over to Amick’s Articles to be motivated by the words of Carl Anderson.

Here is a little motivation from John C. Maxwell

Many people who came before you searched for success and never found it. They thought of it as the Holy Grail or the Fountain of Youth–something to be captured at the end of a long quest. Some believed it was a relationship to be won. Others supposed it was a position to be earned or an object to be possessed.

But success is none of those things. It’s not a destination to be reached. It is a process–a journey to be taken. And you do in one day at a time.

It takes most people some time to discover what God created them for. If you are willing, you can explore the world and learn more about your purpose every day. You can engage in activities that help you grow a little more in mind, body, or spirit. And you can perform some act–large or small–that helps others.

Success is knowing your purpose in life, sowing seeds that benefit others, and growing to your maximum potential.

The door to your potential is waiting for you. The key is to be on the journey. Keep at it day in and day out. If you are, you’re a success today. And you’ll be a success tomorrow.

I love this excerpt from the book Success One Day at a Time

by John C. Maxwell. It reminds me of the words Katie Wood Ray said to me when I attended one of her workshops in Nashville several years ago. It was the spring after I attended the WTWP Summer Institute and I was excited about writers’ workshop. I don’t remember what I said to her, but we were talking about a table full of teachers who had come to the workshop expecting Katie to give them the answer. One of us said something about the fact that there is no one answer for every teacher and that we are all on our own journey. She asked me, “Isn’t it nice to realize that we are on a journey?” and later when she signed my book, she signed, “Enjoy the journey.” I always try to remember her words when I feel like I am not where I want to be. It isn’t about finding the answer, it is about enjoying the journey. It is about knowing your purpose, helping others and working up to your potential.