Addie's Battle with the Monster!

We first heard the growling of the monster on Sunday, July 22 when Addie casually mentioned that she had a headache when she walked.  It was no big deal - didn't slow her down one bit.  Monday, she went to soccer practice and out to Dead End Bar-be-cue with Chelcie and her current love, Nathan Barnhart.  Drew paid us a quick visit to meet Nathan and (hopefully) give Chelcie his approval.  Tuesday brought slightly more discomfort for Addie.  She mentioned her headache was hurting a little bit more.  Wednesday, I decided to take her in to see the doctor because we were planning to trip to Lake Lure, NC on Wednesday evening thru Saturday. 

Unfortunately, we were unable to see our guardian angel, Dr. Peeden.  She was seen by Dr. Lauren Spectner.  Dr. Spectner took a look at Addie and suggested that she had been drinking too much caffeine and not sleeping well.  She said she noticed some fluid in her ears that could possibly develop into a sinus infection and since we were headed out of town, she prescribed amoxicillin as a "just in case."  I mentioned that Addie has a high pain threshold and even though she doesn't "look" like she's in pain, she is.  The doctor assured me that a "no caffeine and plenty of rest" protocol should remedy the problem.  If not, I had the prescription to use if needed.

So...we headed off to North Carolina!  Addie still didn't feel great, but she was walking around, talking, and eating.  By 3:00 AM, she was in severe pain- pleading with me to make her head stop hurting.  She threw up several times, and had a fever.  We packed up the car as soon as the sun was up and I called the doctor's office again.  The nurse told me to get the prescription filled and it sounded to her like a sinus infection.  We stopped at Walmart to start her on the antibiotic, but she still felt terrible!  She laid with her head in my lap all the way back home. 

Friday was no better.  She was trying to get some rest/relief with Tylenol and Ibuprofen, but she was not getting better.  Saturday, I called the doctor's office again.  The "on call" nurse called me back and shared that I hadn't had her on the meds long enough and it sounded like a sinus infection to her.  I insisted that Addie was in extreme pain and when the nurse heard Addie moaning through the phone, she said that I should "go ahead and take her to Children's Hospital."

More later...

Chick-fil-a is awesome.  The cows are amazing.  The food is scrumptious.  The staff is outgoing and friendly.  The stores are clean and colorful, and...

They Give Us FREE CHIKIN for Dressing Like COWS!

...and I love that. A lot.

I especially love that 3/4 of my herd will actually dress like a cow and go out in public!  (picture coming soon!) 

1.1.12

The first day of the new year started off beautifully!  Temps in the low 60's and clear skies in the afternoon, but the day didn't start out that way.  Cloudy in the morning with torrential rains during the 11:00 church hour.

NorthStar is entering into a season of prayer and fasting for 21 days.  The fast begins tomorrow.

Addie is spending the night with Abby Mink (good!), and Chelcie and Drew are both home safely from their respective New Year's Eve trips to Nashville.

Chelcie, Sam, Tom, and I had dinner with the Alfords and what a great time we had reminiscing about some of the many, many great times we've had over the years!

Verse of the day:  Jeremiah 29:11  Live it out!

No animals for 21 days...starting tomorrow.  Focus on building my relationship with my Savior...and my husband.

And So Ends 2011...

What a year this has been.  As I look back over the last twelve months, I can't help but be filled with mixed emotions.  Relieved that in spite of all the struggles, we're all still here.  We're still healthy.  No one has gone hungry and we still have a roof over our heads.  The big stuff is covered.  Maybe that's what God is teaching me.  HE's got me.  He will take care of me.

What would a New Year's Eve blog entry be without a look back at the year that was?
January - I lost two good friends, Rick Campbell and Vickie Tharpe.  We got two good snow days and I got the first major health scare of my young life when I felt a lump in my breast!
February - Still toughing it out at Sarah Moore Greene, trying to make sense of my apparent inability to form relationships with the folks I work with there.  Inside, I was miserable and counting the days until I could say goodbye to that school forever and return to comfort and friends I had at West Valley.  The month's highlight was my first mammogram and irregular results, second visit, and the sweet sound of relief when I was told there was nothing to worry about, everything was fine.
March - Trip to Ron Clark Academy was the highlight and getting Manuel Scott booked as our 11.1.11 speaker for Reach Them to Teach Them were the highlights
April - THE Storms, the end of OBIYTC and Nick and Brittany came out to lead us in the TCAP cheer that ended up on the news!  I began the difficult process of disengaging from SMG
May - The Locker Room closes forever
June -
July - Beach Trip to Topsail
August - Back to school at West Valley!
September
October -
November- 11.1.11
December - Mission Unstoppable and kids are HOME!

You Have Beautful Eyes, Ma'am...

5 words.  Big impact. 

My eyes have been growing older lately.  Not me of course, just my eyes and I've struggled this Thanksgiving break with being able to see the fine print.  Lately they've also been stinging and watering a little...maybe allergies.  Anyway, I've been feeling kinda, not-so-pretty lately.  Pictures of wrinkles and such...I need a haircut.  You know the drill.  Well, today after working at the Fantasy of Trees for 4 hours, I drove thru McDonalds to grab a bite to eat.  Rainy, yucky November Day.  When I cruised around to pick up my sack o' calories, the young man handed it out to me and said, "You have beautiful eyes, Ma''am."  I was stunned.  I murmured a thank you and headed toward home all the while thinking, Do I?  Do I have beautiful eyes?  I pulled down my review mirror to take a look. 

I remember a song entitled, "if You Said My Eyes are Beautiful, It's because they're looking at you,"  I thought about how important it is to fix our eyes on Jesus.  It is He who is beautiful and it is He who should be reflected in our eyes. 

Updating the Life Status

It's been nearly two months since my last post, but so much has happened since then I couldn't possibly catch up.  Here are the biggies-
Food City came on board with Reach Them as did Comcast and Boys and Girls Club to make it possible for us to end the year in the black and ahead of where we started! 

I had the opportunity to speak at Jack and Sue's church in Halls and John Jones from Food City came by to give me a check for $5000!  Amazing drive to Halls in the rain.

Planning evaluation scored all 5's!  Yay!  The two nights I was up 'til 3AM paid off!

Reach Them was one of the best event EVER!  Manuel Scott is a HIGHLY recommended speaker.  Hallerin remains my all-time fav Knoxville superstar!

Lori hosted Halloween dinner - Manny was late, but dinner was fabulous!

Prayers have been answered like crazy - above and beyond my wildest dreams.  Our Dream Team is amazing.

Addie is doing a great job in 6th grade and the braces she had put on this year make her look so "middle schoool-y."

Finally, Sam has discovered Reading with much thanks to The Hunger Games.

Addie's soccer team bonded through the unexpected death of Barry Long, Erin's daddy, and a hero who walked among us.

Pinterest is taking WAY too much of my time.

Ricky still lives in my house.

I had my formal evaluation on Instruction today and it was less than perfect, but I'm glad it's over.

Tom and I went to SharpTop as adult guests during Young Life camp.  Good times!

Grandma Crawford passed away last Saturday.  We're going to Greensboro on Thursday for her funeral.  So sad to see things change and grateful for the time we spent at the beach through the years.

My classes are da bomb!  My students are hilarious and smart.  They are well-behaved and fun to be around every day.  Now if I could only find the time to give them the best 7th grade experience they could ever imagine!

Time to plan!  And go to bed. 

Back on the Gerbil Wheel

Yep, it's that time of year that I find myself on the spinning gerbil wheel that takes a brief pause at Christmas, but spin furiously until the last day of school...and I love it.  I am happier when I'm busy.  I need something to do.  Yes, I know there is always something to do, but I need something that satisfies me, something that challenges me, something that causes me to depend on my God to make it happen.  My every day classroom adventure provides the challenge and reward I need and Reach Them to Teach Them provides the faith builder I crave.

This week, I spoke with Scott Fitch at HT Hackney and he agreed to provide over 2,000 bottle of water for our Reach Them to Teach Them event on November 1st.  He even went above and beyond and said he could provide customized labels with our logo, mission statement, and other information we'd like to include. 

Our Two Rivers event was last Tuesday and much to our surprise and delight the weather was gorgeous and warm, but not too hot.  Vallie Collins had our crowd absolutely mesmerized with her survival story of the Miracle on the Hudson.  She is a polished, professional, and endearing speaker! 

I shared the mission of Reach Them to Teach Them by putting a face on our mission.  With Dakota Lee as our emcee and my powerpoint detailing Field Day 2010, I shared two extremes- Dakota, Mr. Hardin Valley Academy, and Martez, a little boy who needs someone to love him.  I was thrilled to have Nick Reveiz in attendance as my story centered on his willingness to let Martez sign his UT shirt in permanent marker.  Chelcie didn't mind having Nick there either!

Our silent auction went well, as everything sold, and our live auction brought energy and enthusiasm to our mission.  David Pozy did a great job bringing humor and financial challenge to a crowd with limited financial resources.  Next year we'll do a better job filling the seats with those who can help us financially.

Some highlights of the auction were UT skybox tickets that went for $950, and lunch with Inky Johnson that sold for $350.  All in all we raised about $7,000 which is not bad for our first attempt.  Especially when we consider that the event used to cost us money.  Youth Transitions provided a delicious "upscale-ish" meal for our guest and as usual, our volunteers were over the top when it came to customer service! 

We had about 75 guests which is fewer than we wanted to have, but we know that God had just the people there who needed to be there and we give Him all the glory and honor and praise for His answer to our prayer.

We have one month to go until 11.1.11!  I could never imagine that time to pass so quickly once school started! 

School News

It's official.  Yes, I have the best classes of any teacher in any school in the entire United States of America!  My students are the smartest, most thoughtful, most well-behaved CHAMPIONS in the world!  True, West Valley is vastly different from SMG, but I know for sure that there are at least 26 CHAMPIONS that come through the doors of SMG in the two years I was able to teach there.

We've already learned so many new things in the first five weeks of school.  We've mastered foreign words and phrases, Greek and Latin word parts, theme, plot, point of view, genre, time period and culture words, and we're ready to start our first novel on Monday!  I have a few students who struggle and seem as if they may be misplaced in my class, but I believe they are capable of rising to the occasion.  Absences are still an issue for me.  There's no way to recreate what happens in our classroom by sending home an "assignment."  I wish parents could understand that it's not a matter of picking up make-up work.  Their children MISS valuable learning experiences when they are not in class.

My colleagues are wonderful people and I'm so grateful for them and for the opportunity to share ideas with them.  I wish I had more to offer, but my middle school skills are a little rusty.  In spite of that, I believe this may the year to get my land legs back and push myself professionally to a higher level of teaching.  I've already found myself pushing a little harder to find the BEST stuff to do each week with my students.  They are responding in amazing ways.  I'm going to post the text from a few emails I've received since school started just to keep my motivated.

Hi Coach Crawford,

I want to thank you for the letter you sent home regarding Hunger Games.  I so appreciate you making sure parents are aware of what our children are reading and for respecting us enough to communicate that prior to starting the book.  I look forward to the discussions our family may have.

I also want to thank you for being the kind of teacher that middle schoolers so need and love.  My daughter has been psyched about Reading since the first day she met you. 

In support of what you do,

Mother of a 7th Grader

----------------------------------------------------

 

Thank you so much for the information and invitation to the 11/1 event. We would love to attend and look forward to the opportunity to be a part of something like this.

Thank you again for what you are doing for my son.

Mom

---

From: AMY CRAWFORD <amy.crawford@knoxschools.org>
Sent: Wednesday, September 07, 2011 7:46 PM

School Fusion has not been functioning properly for about two weeks. My understanding is that "they" are aware of the issues and are working diligently to correct them.  Please let me know if the Fusion issues aren't resolved by early week.  I wish I could offer suggestions, but I'm technically challenged myself!

As teachers, we are all in the business of inspiring, or re-inspiring dreams...at least we should be...Knowing that we are making a difference is the reason why we do what we do.  Thank you for sharing your son's positive response to our "Locker Room."  I am grateful for your support.

Check out our website for Reach Them to Teach Them http://www.reachthem2teachthem.com.  I'd like to invite to attend our 11.1.11 event as my guest.  Your children are welcome to join you.  Just let me know if this looks like something in which you'd be interested.  No one should ever be with a dream.

Dream BIG!

Amy Crawford
865-603-3046

---

Sent: Wednesday, September 07, 2011 1:49 PM
To: AMY CRAWFORD

Thank you so much for your response. There's something wrong on School Fusion because I'm unable to access any of your files or send a message. I apologize for the previous message's errors; I'm typing on my phone.

I haven't dreamed in a long time. As a divorced parent of three (4, 8, and 12), I'm usually functioning in "survival" mode. You are reaching my son with your teaching style. He taught the younger ones the 'I want it, you've got it' over the weekend.

I want that intensity for my family too. Middle school has eroded the relationship that I once had with my son. So, my dream is that God restore that and my son's desire for doing his best. Dream BIG?! Thank you for the reminder. I barely sleep much less have dreams anymore. But Proverbs 29:18 says 'where there is no vision, the people perish..." Again, I am challenged.

If there's anything I can do to assist, please do not hesitate to let me know.

Have a great day,
Mom

---

From: AMY CRAWFORD <amy.crawford@knoxschools.org>
Sent: Wednesday, September 07, 2011 12:39 PM

I haven't entered the project grades yet because some students still need to do their presentations.  All grades will be updated by Friday afternoon.

Thank you for your support and encouragement.  I enjoy having your son in class!

Dream BIG!

Amy Crawford
865-603-3046

---

Sent: Wednesday, September 07, 2011 12:26 PM

Coach Crawford,
I was reviewing my son's grades on the parent portal and noticed that he has an N for last week's project grade. I watched him work on the notecards with his dad during the week, asked my son about the presentation over the weekend, and he said that it went well. So, I wasn't sure if the grade hasn't been recorded or if my son was not honest with me.

My son used to love learning and putting forth the effort. Now his academic pursuits are frustrating to watch and I feel like the Gustapo every time I aske about school. He doesn't write down assignments, all of his work is shoved into the binder. And he's not completely honest about homework.Again, I am extremly frustrated.

Thank you for any information that you are able to provide. If you'd rather call, please contact me at _____.

Have a blessed day,
------------------------------

I just wanted to say thank you for all you have done for my son.  He is an amazing child, regardless of his issues.  I wanted you to know that you were the only teacher he wanted to keep.  He mentioned you specifically when I was explaining to him what happened today.  You are his "favorite" class.  I'm not trying to make you feel bad.  I just wanted you to know how special you are (and have always been).  He asked my husband about "the challenging question of the day?"   He said it did not occur during class time.  Is this something he could continue to do, even though he is no longer part of your class?  I still believe you could be an amazing coach (on the side lines) for my son.  He actually cried today when I gave him the news.  Thank you for anything you can do.  

 

 

It's notes like these that keep me in the game whenever I feel like giving up.  Knowing that I am exactly where God has called me to be and that He is using me to have an impact on the students He brings my way, keeps me inspired.  

 

**I've taken out specific names in the emails to maintain confidentiality.  When possible I replace the names with "son" or "mother"

Exceedingly More Than We Can Think or Imagine....

Just enough time to document the journey tonight.  Whew! What a ride this God-given dream has been!  This has been an eventful week.  I had the pleasure of meeting with Mr. Jones and Mr. Breedon from Food City yesterday and they were kind enough to invite Joe and Ken from Coca-Cola to join us.  As only God could do, He allowed me to effectively communicate our "big dream" and I left the table excited, confident, and optimistic.  Food City has agreed to provide the food for BOTH events and Coca-Cola left the table with "You have sold me 110%!"  Coca-Cola wants to share our dream with their "people" then we'll talk about what their involvement could look like.  I'm in awe...

Then Phil sent an Inky quote as our Thursday morning motivator. I sent it on to Inky with a message about the people he is reaching through his words, then Inky emailed me back that he had just left a meeting with FOOD CITY!  Crazy, crazy divine appointments to be sure - It just so happened that a gentleman who runs HT Hackney happened to overhear John and Inky and expressed a desire to be involved.  John called me this afternoon and shared that Hackney can donate all the water we need... with specially designed labels!

I'm overwhelmed, in awe, and humbled.  To God be the GLORY indeed.

Special prayers tonight for Hallerin's family as they cope with the death of his mother today.  She leaves a legacy.

Miracles and Mustard Seeds

Week 3 already?  The days are sifting through my fingers faster than I process them!  My days back at West Valley are marked with a renewed sense of purpose and the resolve not to let minor inconveniences bother me...ever.  My students are absolutely the best kids I have EVER taught in 20 years!  They are polite, funny, intelligent, thoughtful, and insightful.  I'm almost afraid to say anything about them because it truly does seem too good to be true!  Of course, there is no perfect school and there ARE some challenges, but so far, at least when it comes to me and my neck of the woods, I'm happy to show up every day and do my "thang!"  My 7th grade colleagues are supportive, hard-working, and a pleasure to work with...I feel as if I am a part of the team, and it feels good to contribute.  I love the fact that there is very little "drama" on my grade level...at least any that I am aware of! 

Parents at WVMS have generously opened their coffers and provided the resources I need to be effective in our Locker Room!  At last count, I had over $75 worth of iTunes gift cards that allows me to incorporate music into our Reading curriculum.  Yeah, our Locker Room is going to be ROCKIN'!

Reach Them to Teach Them is on the brink of something BIG, something I believe God has had in the works since the beginning...We're talking seriously with Food City about the possibility of being a title sponsor.  Food City has brought Coca-Cola to the table and we're meeting together next Wednesday.  Greater things, Lord.  Greater things...

God has provided a fresh, new team of volunteers who have stepped up to the plate with renewed energy and sense of purpose.  I know that this vision is from God.  I know I must be faithful in my actions and trust Him to do the rest. 

I wish I could ramble on longer, but dinner doesn't cook itself.  I miss my Chelcie.  Gotta get some Nutella to lure her home. 

Week One is in "Da Books!"

It's 7:52 on Saturday morning, and to be honest, I'm surprised I'm awake!  I thought I'd probably sleep through the entire weekend due to the exhaustion I'm experiencing!

The first week back at school is always tiring, but be it my advanced age, or the change in grade levels and schools (again), I'm pretty whipped!

I have returned to West Valley with a new appreciation for my colleagues, students, parents, facilities, and opportunities.  I've learned that there is no "perfect" school and no matter where I go, there will be aggravations, frustrations, and things that try to steal my joy.  The key to being grateful is to look at the good things instead of focusing my energy on the negatives.

The principal surprised me this week by asking(?) me and Mr. Burnette to take on the 2011-2012 yearbook!  Let's just say my world was temporarily rocked!  Fortunately, I was able to step out of the project to focus on learning a new curriculum and get re-acclimated to middle school.  Whew - THAT was a close one!

My former students have been heavy on my mind this week.  I pray for them by name as they cross my mind, and I visualize their faces as they move on to fifth grade and acclimate themselves to a whole new school experience.  Mamie sent me a sweet message through School Fusion.  Here's her message as she wrote it and my response:

MAMIE  to "Coach" Amy Crawford   (Aug 18, 2011 4:52 PM)

I MISS YOU! I WISH YOU WAS HERE

"Coach" Amy Crawford to MAMIE    (Aug 18, 2011 5:22 PM)

Hi Mamie!

Oh my goodness - I miss you soooooo much! I have thought about you every day since school started. I hope you are working super hard. I'm so proud of you and I want you to keep in touch with me. You can send me an email anytime and I will always try to write you back as soon as I can. I'm teaching 7th grade now and I like it a lot, but I miss MY CHAMPIONS and our Locker Room. Please tell everyone at SMG I said hello. Thank you for your sweet message!

Love,
Coach

My prayer continues to be that I don't settle into my new digs and forget...I try to keep my SMG memories fresh in my mind so that they don't fade from my mind.  I continue to tell people who ask that my experience there was one of the most challenging experiences I've ever had!  I'm grateful for the opportunity and I love my Champions.  My fear is that I'll forget the underlying lessons I learned.  Lessons like how important it is to try to understand the life experiences of others in order to understand their motivation.  

My new "Champions" at WVMS are a fabulous group of 7th graders.  I can tell already that they will keep me challenged!  They are enthusiastic, energetic, and incredibly bright!  I feel like I'm teaching in the ocean because they are truly like sponges that are just eager and ready to soak up whatever information I have to share with them.

Having my precocious Addie right down the hall in sixth grade is such a treat!  We enjoy driving to school together and spending time in my classroom after school.  I'm seeing her in a whole new way.  She's no longer a dependent, little girl.  She's becoming such a confident, beautiful young lady!  I'm so proud of her!

With Sam 2 miles away at Lotts, and being able to drive him to school is a joy!  I feel like I've been so far removed from my family and their lives that being with them again is an appreciated blessing.  It feels like I am "home" again.

Drew moved back to Chattanooga yesterday and once again I'm struck by what a wonderful son he is.  My mom mentioned to me that she has never heard him say anything negative about anybody else...EVER!  What a testimony!  I wish she could say that about me, but I fall far short.  Drew is also appreciative of the "little things" that he has.  He doesn't complain.  I could, and SHOULD, learn a lot from him!  

Chelcie has had a very rough week.  She's had to deal with tuition issues.  She's struggled with getting her schedule to work out the way she needed, and it's been a huge source of stress for her.  I've kept her in my prayers and fought the urge to come to her rescue as she stretches herself beyond what she thought she could do.  I remember how hard it was to cross over into adulthood and how I resisted the tough stuff too.  Goodness knows in times of crisis, I still want to go "home."

Katie and Mom have jumped right in and helped out with the kids.  Katie even picked up Addie at school yesterday and took her to the doctor for her first check-up in over 3 years!  She had to have shots, but got the all clear to run cross country for WVMS.  

Mom let Sam hang out with her yesterday even though she is carrying a heavy load herself with her brother being critically ill, Aunt Donna had a heart attack, and Nina is ninety years old and under tremendous stress as she worries about the health of two of her three "children."  

Life is a challenging ride, but there are amazing blessings everywhere!  I choose to look for the blessings this week!

This Facebook Post Made My Week

Molly

Tonight, a teacher in your neighborhood is excitedly preparing for your child's upcoming school year, buying supplies, revising lesson plans, and hoping to share their love of learning with your child. In the minute it takes you to read this -- while you watch TV or surf the Web -- teachers all over the world are using their "free time" to invest in your child's literacy, well-being, prosperity, and future. Re-post if you appreciate a teacher! (This is for you Amy Crawford)

First Week Back

What an eventful first week back at school!  No one could get into the building because the floors were being re-tiled.  This made the challenge of getting my room ready even more challenging, but ready or not, here they come on Monday!

I just have enough time to hit the highlights of the week in the hopes of remembering details to embellish my experiences at a later date.

Monday was a great day!  Just waking up and knowing that I didn't have to drive for 25 minute just to get to the school was a huge relief.  Even the smell of West Valley, every school has a distinctive smell, ya know, was a comfort to me.  It just felt like home.

Tom, Jackie, Ali, Livvy, Ashtyn, Addie, and Sam helped move all my bookcases, file cabinets, boxes of books, etc. into my classroom in 95 degree heat!  Hot, hard work that only true friends and family who love me would do for me.


Tuesday afternoon I had a Dream Team meeting and although everyone across Knox Co Schools was SLAMMED with work to do, we had a great turn-out and got many things accomplished. 

A neighbor had a tragedy in her family and Mom, Lori, and I made dinner for her that Mom delivered for us.  

Wednesday's great news was that I was allowed to make an announcement for Reach Them to Teach Them to all the middle and high school Reading and Language Arts teachers, Russell Biven was our kick-off speaker, and then I had a second meeting with the folks from Food City!

What a special connection we had!  They enjoyed hearing my story and felt that they would be able to help build our dream.  Chris Harper with Youth Transitions may also benefit from our meeting.  I definitely feel like Food City is a strong contender for our title sponsorship position.  One of the biggest takeaways was the Vice President of the Knoxville area asked me to speak for 30-45 minutes in Abingdon, VA to all of their store managers about the power of influence they have in the lives of young people.  There will be 300+ people there!  They also shared the name of a powerful young speaker that we could contact about sharing her story with Reach Them.

Touching on the highlights only is tough here, but I'll control myself...

Thursday was an all day work day.  I left school at 6:30.  Friday was a BIG DAY for Addie.  She had her first trial run-thru as a middle schooler!  She survived...THRIVED, actually.  She had a blast!  We also made a quick run to A.L. Lotts with Sam so he could meet his new 4th grade teacher, Mr. Pickwell.  It's Mr. Pickwell's first year and he's going to be great!  The traffic and huge throng of parents stood in sharp contrast to last year's open school at SMG.  What a difference! 

I find myself thinking of my SMG kids and fellow teachers and when I do, I pray for them.  I do not want to ever forget them or my experiences there.  Yes, where I am now is radically different, but I left a piece of my heart in my Locker Room and in the hallways of SMGMTA.

Perspective

Okay, so now it looks like I got a bum deal on my third solo car purchase.  It appears that the transmission has completely died on my "new-to-me" car that I have official owned "as-is, no warranty" for 16 days.  Lexus of Knoxville estimates the cost to fix it at $5003.86.  Nice, huh?  Yeah, I thought so too.  But hey, it's just a car. 

God has been reminding me all week how blessed I am!  I have the most incredible children in the world, each one unique and delightful in ways I can't begin to count.  My husband is working his tail end off to make life better for us.  My sisters and my parents are all in town, healthy and supportive of my crazy dreams!  We love each other more than words can say.  My roof doesn't leak and my belly is full.  My friends are the best I could ever hope for - so what if I have a little car trouble...okay, A LOT of car trouble?!

After the tragic news about the passing away of Addie's 5th grade classmate, I received some horrible news about one of my former 8th grade students.  Tyler Bradley passed away unexpectedly last Wednesday.  He was only 19 years old.  Tyler was one of my favorite students.  When I had him, he lived for girls and football - not necessarily in that order!  He always had a mischievious grin on his face and a little "rascal" twinkle in his eye.  Yet just beneath the surface was a little boy who longed to be loved and accepted.  Sometimes he tried a little too hard to be funny; he said things that come out wrong sometimes and several of his peers found him arrogant or cocky, but all it was was his heart's desire to be loved. 

I remember that on the last day of eighth grade, Tyler picked up a pair of scissors and cut off a lock of his curly brown hair and told me I'd better keep it forever because he was "gonna be somebody" someday.  Then what happened?

How could a young man with so much going for him find himself without hope?  How could he get so far off track that he saw no other option than to take his own life?  Was there anything I, or anyone else, could have done to prevent him from making the decision to permanently stop his suffering? 

God, give me eyes to see and ears to hear what You see and what You hear!  Use me in this world to reach out to lost and hurting people, especially those who try to hide their pain.  Grant comfort to his family- to his mother and brother.   Use his life to make a positive difference in the lives of those he left behind.

Thank you for Tyler.  Thank you for giving me the opportunity to be his teacher.  Help me to be a better teacher for knowing him.

Little Cabin in the Woods

Well, my week in the mountains has come to an end, but what a great week it has been!  Monday, Sam and Addie and I had a great trip up and we were soon joined by Lori, Natalie, and Lauren.  We headed to Gatlinburg for a little walk about town.  Dinner at Blaine's and an adventure in the Mirror Maze was capped off with a trip to a nostalgic candy store.  Sam and Addie opted for root beer and wild cherry drops.  Lauren got a little stressed about not being in bed at her usual bedtime, but she did a great job hanging in there with the wild girls. 

Back at the cabin, the girls bedded down on the sofa bed while Lori took the upstairs bed.  Sam and I had some mother/son snuggle time and we were all sawing logs by 12.  Sam woke me up at 4:00 by yelling, "You LIED to me!"

Tuesday morning Grandmom joined us for a hike to Abrams Falls.  We had a lot of laughs in spite of how uncomfortable I was when nature called.  Of course the highlight of the trip was the Cades Cove soft serve ice cream as a reward for surviving the wild.

We all headed back to the cabin, exhausted, but satisfied. Lori, Natalie, Lauren and Grandmom all headed back to K-town which left Sam, Addie, and me to fend for ourselves. We had a laid back evening with Bagel Bites for dinner, America's Got Talent and The Voice for our evening entertainment.  All three of us snuggled in the big bed downstairs and although I was a little apprehensive about staying there without another adult, morning came quickly and we packed up Addie and headed to Knoxville.

My lunch with Hallerin was fabulous as it always is and I left filled up and encouraged, ready to run after God with my life and seek His direction instead of my own.  Hallerin's idea for 11.1.11 is as simple as 1 + 1 = ? and I can't wait for him to bring a powerful message of what it really takes to impact lives for eternity!

Sadly, Addie received word that a little girl from her 5th grade class had passed away, so she and I went to the funeral home to meet Taylor and comfort Courtney's mother as she grieved the loss of her little girl.  This was Addie's first time to see the body of someone she had known.  She was a little unsettled by it, but knew that the body was not Courtney and she could tell that Courtney was gone.

Tanya brought Spencer over to spend a few days with Sam at the cabin with us.  Once Tom got home, we followed each other up to Pigeon Forge Pizza Hut for a LONG dinner of pizza and wings.  Back at the cabin, Tom worked, and I made popcorn and cookies for the boys.  Addie had already gone to Elkmont with Taylor.

Tom left early Thursday morning, so the boys and I headed into town for bumper boats, putt-putt and go-carts topped off with Powerade slushies and a bag of ice for me!   Jackie and Livy came up about 2:00.  We went back to town for another round of putt-putt and dinner at Calhouns.  The kids have played corn hole and frolicked in the hot tub.  Life is definitely good.

Friday morning we headed to Gatlinburg for a little people watching and shopping.  Lunch as the Old Mill Restaurant was scrumptious and now we're headed out for a play.  Tomorrow brings soccer in Chattanooga and life picks up its pace again back to the real world!

Sunshine, Smiles, Popsicles and Sandals

Well, Addie and I are excited!  Our long awaited Chacos arrived today just prior to our departure to "our" cabin in Pigeon Forge.  We loaded up our new wheels and miraculously made it to the cabin faster than we anticipated.  We were delighted with the updates - a new superBIG deck complete with hot tub and comfortable chairs!  We also feel much safer now that a security gate has been installed at the bottom of the driveway.  It can get a little freaky at night when I'm the only adult around)!  Too many Friday the 13th movies at an impressionable age I suppose...

Sam and Addie and I made a quick run to Walmart before Lori, Natalie and Lauren arrive.  Lauren told Addie she was bringing along her Bible just in case we decide to do a Bible study, so we may have to make the most of our "Girl Time + Sam" and see what the Lord has to teach us while we're out of the rat race for a few days.

It's just not the same around here without my #1 daughter, Chelcie Brooke, so I hope she'll decide to make an appearance.  Drew and Tom may come up on Thursday.  I dream of the day my entire family can spend some time together for the simple purpose of enjoying each other.  Addie is headed to the Elkmont campground on Wednesday, so I've only got two days with her here.  It gets crazy sometimes.

The Prodigal Son and "Substitute Preacher Boys"

While Scott is on sabbatical, NorthStar Church has been blessed with "substitute preacher boys." Today, we heard from Buddy Sexton.  I'm ashamed to admit that when I know Scott isn't going to be preaching, I'm sooo tempted to rationalize not going to church.  Then I remind myself that Church should not be about me.  Church is all about Him.  I was distracted by the Nadal vs Federer French Open Final, but somehow managed to turn the TV off and take a shower in time to make it to the 11:00 service.  I didn't see anyone I knew when I got to church so I sat alone, but it turned out to be a good thing because God had something to teach me that I may have missed had I been distracted by familiar faces around me.

Like most effective speakers, Buddy opened his message with something funny.  He shared a story about an older lady who had recently learned to text message.  She looked at texting as another way to minister to people and generously communicated with others in an effort to encourage them.  Unfortunately, she misunderstood the acronym "LOL" to mean "Lots of Love" when it actually means "Laughing Out Loud."  Just imagine the responses she received when she sent "Lots of Love" to folks who missed church or who had recently lost a loved one.  I couldn't help thinking of Kris Jones and her sweet, optimistic outlook on life!  "I'm not a loser - I'm a WINNER!"
 
Buddy also made the comment that sometimes fish don't know they're wet, so he wanted to share with the NorthStar congregation that God is at work in our church.  Great and miraculous things are happening here.  As he prayed for us, he asked God to "awaken sleepy hearts," and I felt a nudge from the Holy Spirit that I needed to avoid the Snooze button today in church, so I paid attention...and took notes!

The passage from which Buddy shared came from Luke 15.  He started here:
¹ Now the tax collectors and sinners were all gathering around to hear Jesus. ² But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law muttered, “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.” 

Then he shared that there were two main groups of people following Jesus.  The first group was described as "tax collectors and sinners" and the others were the "Pharisees."  The main text of the sermon focused on the familiar story of the Prodigal (wasteful) Son.
Here's the text:
 ¹¹ Jesus continued: “There was a man who had two sons. ¹² The younger one said to his father, ‘Father, give me my share of the estate.’ So he divided his property between them.    ¹³ “Not long after that, the younger son got together all he had, set off for a distant country and there squandered his wealth in wild living. ¹⁴ After he had spent everything, there was a severe famine in that whole country, and he began to be in need. ¹⁵ So he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed pigs. ¹⁶ He longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything.
   ¹⁷ “When he came to his senses, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have food to spare, and here I am starving to death!¹⁸ I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. ¹⁹ I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired servants.’ ²⁰ So he got up and went to his father.
   “But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.
   ²¹ “The son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’
   ²² “But the father said to his servants, ‘Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. ²³ Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let’s have a feast and celebrate. ²⁴ For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ So they began to celebrate.
   ²⁵ “Meanwhile, the older son was in the field. When he came near the house, he heard music and dancing. ²⁶ So he called one of the servants and asked him what was going on. ²⁷ ‘Your brother has come,’ he replied, ‘and your father has killed the fattened calf because he has him back safe and sound.’
   ²⁸ “The older brother became angry and refused to go in. So his father went out and pleaded with him. ²⁹ But he answered his father, ‘Look! All these years I’ve been slaving for you and never disobeyed your orders. Yet you never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends. ³⁰ But when this son of yours who has squandered your property with prostitutes comes home, you kill the fattened calf for him!’
   ³¹ “‘My son,’ the father said, ‘you are always with me, and everything I have is yours. ³² But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’”


The highlights of the message for me were as follows:

• Sinners want to come to Jesus, but they do not want to come to our churches.  Big Questions:  Why?  What can we do about it?
• "Welcome" in the context of this story means to "excitedly anticipate something as Simeon anticipated the birth of Jesus.
• If my personal identity is wrapped up in what I do or what I have, then God will sometimes take those idols away from me in order to break me and sanctify me. I know this to be true in that the past two years at Sarah Moore Greene have humbled me more than I ever would have believed I needed to be humbled...but I did.  Buddy gave examples:  Just look at how short her skirt is!  That is SO inappropriate!  or Can you believe they spend their money on flashy things like that?!  We've got money too, but we don't spend it like THAT!  Did you see how much make-up she had on?!  etc., etc.  He then drew the parallel between the way we judge people just like the Pharisees did.  If we're all swimming from San Francisco to Hawaii and someone is 2 meters behind me, I'm NOT ahead of him!  We're BOTH going to drown before we get there! 
• When Jesus shared the story of the two sons and their loving father, He was sharing a parable of sinners, Pharasees and our loving Father, Jesus Christ.  The heart of the father is full of compassion.  The wayward son's heart is full of sin.  The faithful son's heart had changed from a focus on a sweet, loving relationship with his father, to a strict set of rules to be followed.  
• RELIGION has replaced RELATIONSHIP.
• The older son's job was not to reap his father's harvest. (entitlements?  God owes me because I..., I DESERVE this..., etc.)  The older son's job was instead to reproduce his father's heart.  BIG IDEA - It's not my job to receive heavenly treasures/blessings; it IS my job to reproduce the heart of Jesus in my life.
• Buddy shared some of his personal stories about his father.  Apparently, it was a rowdy guy who liked to drink, gamble, and hang out with those who enjoyed the same.  But one day his father won "a huge wad" of money through gambling and took it to a single mother who had recently lost her home.  Then Buddy shared something that was so profound to me.  He said, "I can stand up here and be a seminary graduate, "Mr. Substitute Preacher Boy," but I've never given a huge wad of cash to someone I didn't know just because they needed it!"  
• Verse 20:  When the son was far away, the father ran to him.  The father wanted everyone to know that when he brought him home (in HIS robe, wearing HIS ring) that the son BELONGS to the father.  --Oh how true this is of our Father's love for us!  
• The enemy constantly reminds us of our failures, our "foreign countries" where we go to do bad things we know we shouldn't do, our shortcomings, and our disappointments BUT Jesus knows all of it and says we are HIS!
• Verse 31:  EVERYTHING I have is yours.
• A little taste of heaven is to be with the One who ALWAYS knows me most, and ALWAYS loves me most.
• What brings God joy?  Getting back his child.  To the "Pharisees/us" He asks, "Why didn't you go get him?"
• My job is to replicate the heart of my Father.

Summer Adventures and Moo-Fest, 2011

Sam's sure to be winning entry

Addie's sure to be winning entry

Preparing the winning entries

Getting tatted up

They got in a little trouble in McMinn County

Finished this fabulous book today - highly recommended read!

Don't be fooled by the C-O-L-D.  Note the outside temp is 102 degrees!

I love these two sooo much!

Moofest, 2011.  Cross that one off my "bucket list."  Got 'er dun today!  Athens, Tennessee will never be the same after being invaded by Sam and Addie Crawford.  Even temperatures in the high 90's couldn't stop us from seeing for ourselves what all the fuss is about!  Now we know.  I'll just let the pictures tell the story and spare you the details.

Never let it be said that Crawfords will pass up a free Krispy Kreme doughnut - Nuthin' doin!  We also made an appearance at National Doughnut Day yesterday to scarf up a "hot doughnut now!"

"Get Yer Feet Offa My Dash!" (Blind Side)

For the past two days I've been on a quest.  It's been grueling, challenging, enlightening, confusing, and at times it has been humorous.  As with many of the things I do, I've found many reasons to smile through the pain, and sure enough- it was worth it in the end! 

I bought a car today. 

One Dream of a Dream Team

Even though the weather was nasty - scattered storms, cloudy and dreary...even though it was "Check-out Day" in most Knox County Schools...even though we're all so tired  this week that we can hardly think straight...we just had one of the most positive, talented, energetic groups of people assembled ANYWHERE on the planet at our Dream Team meeting! 

Again, I'm reminded that this "Big Dream" is God's vision and regardless of how overwhelming it gets for us, He is One who will make the dream come true - His way - not ours.  We must always be cognizant of the fact that there is no stress on our dream team.  This vision is not up to us; it's not on our shoulders, it's on His.  I'm pretty sure He can handle it!