Easter, the 2nd Christmas

It’s that time again! Pastel colors are everywhere.  New nests are being made for new bird families.  The scent of freshly bloomed flowers are in the air; along with the frightening buzz of bees and wasps. (Maybe it’s just me)   The “tormentuos” sounds of sneezes from me and all of my fellow allergy sufferers as pollen and ragweed dance in the beautiful bright rays of the sun.  Ahhh, this is spring. The season that brings us Easter.   As the weather warms up I have memories of dying eggs and the invisible crayon that added designs.  Memories of being allowed to again where white and practicing my Easter speech specially written by my mother.  When entering any grocery store, one can not help but be reminded of Easter when seeing the grey aisles filled with spring colors of various shades of greens, blues, pinks, purples, and yellows on the Easter baskets.  As eye catching as these baskets may be, it’s what’s inside that truly matters.

These baskets are filled to the brim with goodies.  There’s more than just candy, plastic eggs, and colorful grass in these baskets.  They are teeming with basketballs, footballs, water guns, jump ropes, baby dolls, army men, Disney character toys, clothing items, and hair items. Growing up, I was content with real eggs and Easter bunny shaped chocolate bars that I placed inside of my Easter Basket.  It did not come already prepared for me with gifts I hadn’t received for Christmas or my birthday.  Now it seems as if Easter is Christmas #2.  I didn’t know the Easter Bunny and Santa were related, but apparently, I was incorrect.  The other day at work, a co-worker was searching online to purchase something for her daughter’s phone.  I was thinking that maybe her child’s birthday was coming, but I eventually found out that the gift was to be placed in her daughter’s Easter basket.  I then asked, “When did Easter become like a second Christmas?” There was no response.  I hope she didn’t think I was being sarcastic.  This has been a question on my mind for a while now and I thought she knew, since she was a mother.  Do kids even dye eggs anymore?  Are real eggs still being used or just the plastic eggs with the money inside?  This brings me to my point…The true focus of Easter is no longer at the forefront.

Easter has sadly become a time of the year where the miracle of the resurrection of Jesus is ignored.  The media attempts to discuss Jesus.  The Ten Commandments is shown on television, although I don’t understand what that movie has to do with Easter.  Is it the Bible thing because that’s all I can think of.   You begin to see more of the “Who was Jesus” type of documentaries on network television or certain cable channels, but many also attempt to disprove Jesus as the Savior of all Mankind.  Of course churches do what they can with reminding all about the message of Easter with plays and special services to reach those that would probably never attend.  Many people attend their church or visit a church with their family.  Hopefully, they are focused more on the message and not just on how *so fresh and so clean they look.

The things mentioned above have become a tradition.   It is imperative that we keep in mind that Easter is celebrated not because of Spring, but because Jesus died on a cross and on the third day he was resurrected.  He rose from the grave with the power over life and death.  The Power of the Cross was and is for the world, not just for the church. All because He Loves You! He died for your sins.  He forgave you before you even were born to commit the sin.  Easter is not just a day to get together with one’s family.  It’s not just a day to bestow your child with gifts and new clothes.  Easter is not just a day to show up to church with your family to show off your new Easter clothes.  I am in no means trying to say that being with family, buying toys, or buying new clothes is wrong, just don’t allow those things to replace the true reason for Easter. Even if you don’t believe this happened, doesn’t mean that it didn’t happen.

(John 3:16- For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten son.  That whosoever believeth in him should have everlasting life.)

*Outkast

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Bunny+Egg=?

A few years ago, I asked my class if they could tell me why in the world the Easter bunny brought eggs for the children on Easter.  I was teaching 6th graders at the time and we were beginning a new Reading unit on Symbolism.  I had started the lesson with pictures that were symbolic of various things that I knew they would be familiar with.  I showed a picture of the cross, they said Jesus or church.  I showed a picture of a heart, they said Love.  A picture of the Golden Arches, they said McDonald’s.  A picture of a bunny a plus sign and an egg and they knew it meant Easter.  Everything started off great until I asked them why.  Why did these two completely different things mean Easter.  I mean, have you ever seen a bunny lay an egg?  Have you ever seen a bunny hatch from an egg?  They have nothing to do with each other, right?

There are sometimes issues in the Christian arena concerning the use of a bunny being used to correspond with Easter, but being the symbolic nerd that I am, I love it.  I like discussing it with anyone so that they can make sense of why some traditions use what they use in their traditions or why things represent whatever it is they are representing.

A QUICK BREAKDOWN of Symbolism used in Easter

For those of you unaware, rabbits have a lot of babies.  Babies represent new life.  Spring represents new life.  Eggs hatch and bring forth baby animals.  Therefore, eggs equal new life.  Flowers are blooming, trees are getting new leaves, and baby animals begin to be seen.  It’s like the world is being REBORN.  Let’s not forget about the True Life being REBORN…Someone coming back from the dead, is like being REBORN.  Thank the Lord for the Cross and your RESURRECTING Power.  You came back to life with all power over Life and Death in your hands! Amen!

(John 3:16-For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten son.  That whosoever believeth in him should not parish, but have everlasting life.)

A Letter to my Father-in-Love

Dear Paw-Paw,

When I first met you, I didn’t know how I would come to love you.  Your jokes were less than funny and your sense of humor made no sense.  You were a different type of guy.  You aggravated my way of thinking, by challenging my way of thinking.  Ideas and beliefs that I had been taught, since before I was born, were brought into question.  I can still hear you asking me as I come into your room, just to greet you, “Kat! What is Life?”  As soon as I am about to answer you say, “Ha! One day you’ll get it!”

You forced me to form my own beliefs on what God had shown me, and not have them based on what my parents had told me.  It hurts when your brain grows, but you were always able to show and prove every new concept that you brought to my attention.  Thank you for that.  Over time I appreciated you and grew to love you!  Even your feet. LOL!!  You had wisdom like a Buddha…and his Belly!  I miss rubbing it, “for luck”.  You helped me to see that God created us all differently and that we all have different paths to take that will lead us to him.  I am so happy that I was able to know you and spend my birthday with you last year.  I think somewhere in the back of my mind, I knew….

Once again you have brought change to me; it is because of you, that I now have to face the impact of death every day.  Usually when a loved one has gone on, I’ve never lived in the area so I didn’t have to deal with not having that person there, until YOU.  Yes, it has been hard; but I tend to imagine you laughing at me, for crying over you.  That’s how you were.  Yes Lloyd, I hear you telling me that I don’t need to be sad because you are in a better place.  I know that, but it still hurts. I know that I can believe in the hope of being able to see you again, but Paw-Paw, it still hurts.

Thank you for telling me that you were happy I was your daughter-in-law and that I was your favorite daughter-in-law.  Although I was the only one, it still made me feel special!

Seeing you love your wife the way you did, helps me to understand why my husband loves me the way that he does.  Thank you for showing me that fussing with your spouse over silly things like food or TV channels is a normal thing.  Thank you for encouraging me to enjoy life and for always encouraging me to keep trusting in God and his promises.   Although I miss seeing you on your side of the bed and hearing you talk about guns, space, and God, I am happy that you are finally Whole.  I love you, I miss you, and your Boston Market dinners!

My life has forever been changed because of the wisdom you blessed me with. April 10, 2017 marked 1 year of having to live without hearing your laugh or seeing you clasp your hands to your mouth right before you said something that changed my thought process.  In my mind I continue to see you do these things….  You will never be forgotten.

With Love,

Your Favorite Daughter in Law (Katty-May)

Happy 2nd Birthday to my Panda Bear, Kody-Po

Happy 2nd Birthday to my Panda Bear Kody! Mommy loves you soooo much! You bring such joy with all your kisses and cuddles!  You are my little Ko-Ko Man! I hope you get all the treats you want!

 

Spring Break 2017: Grand Cayman Pt. 2

On the Amphibious Tour in the beautiful Grand Cayman Islands, my huz-band, myself, and others on the tour, were taken to their world renown 7 Mile Beach.  As the waves crashed against the beach, many times I was almost knocked over.  The waves were beautiful and terrible; soft and strong.  Several times my phone was almost lost at sea, whilst trying to record myself or take pictures of my beautiful surroundings.  After leaving the forceful waters to write me and my husband’s name in the sand, I again gathered my courage to be embraced by the sea.  There’s nothing like being in dazzling aquamarine water.

I just realized the irony, of being in aquamarine water, in March.  My birthday is in March and March’s birthstone is Aquamarine. I was in Aquamarine water in March for my birthday!  Anyone else excited about the literary archetypes in this? No, just me…what else is new! Anyway…

While I was attempting to control my balance against the mighty waters, I realized that it would be an okay idea, if I sat myself down before I actually fell in.  No, I didn’t want to swim because we only had a short time to be on the beach.  Now officially being 1 year older at this time, I used wisdom in making that decision to remove myself from the beaches’ treacherous shore.  A few feet away from me, an older lady with a cane, didn’t use her age given wisdom.  As the mighty waves rushed against the beach, she was knocked over onto its gentle sands.  Sadly her decision to stay within these waters, caused her knee to be knocked out of place.  My husband, the Care Bear that he is, could no longer think of enjoying his time on one of his favorite islands.  He had to watch what was now taking place.  He watched as the lady’s son failed in his attempts to assist her with getting up.  After a little while, he could no longer hold it in, so he finally went over to help in any way he could.

After some time of watching what would happen, I went to ask one of the workers at the drink/food area if they could bring a chair out so this lady could sit down.  I was a little perturbed at how the staff continuously walked around like there wasn’t a situation happening.    The nervous worker left to find a chair, but brought back a guy that was doing his best to ignore the situation.  I said to myself, “Dear Diary, I know this man is not over there trying to act like he can’t see what’s happening”.  SOOOOO I headed right for him.  He was a stocky guy, so I knew he could be of some use.  I told him the situation, and he looks down at his shoes and says, “Ahh man.  I don’t wanna mess my shoes up.”  I looked down at his shoes…they looked like the shiny gym shoes you find from Walmart.  Like Asics without the Asics, New Balance without the New, even Shaq’s without the Shaq. I could go on, but I will stop.  Okay, they were one shoe aisle away from the shoes with the velcro strap…I’m just trying to get you to see why I was confused at his response.

Once I snapped out of this shock, I politely said, “But she needs to get out of the water and she can’t walk.  You can wash your shoes.  She can’t get up.”  My husband looked at me and I looked back at him …whateva!  (My husband always givin’ me looks like that, when he thinks I’ve said too much…whateva!)

Finally the two workers carried the lady to the bar area.  Yes, he got his shoes wet because the waves were still rockin’; and yes I laughed!  I possibly could have been more empathetic if they were some Jordan’s or something more upscale…

I just found it sad that he was more concerned about his plastic gym shoes then helping someone that needed it.  He worked for the beach!  What a great way to make your tourists feel important.

People of the WORLD: Make sure to put the needs of others, before your materialistic things!  Yes they are important to you, but someone that actually needs your help is actually more important!

Clouds

Looking up at the clouds, it seems to help bring me peace.  I enjoy being on a plane and being able to be so close to them; flying above them to see that there is some purity left on this planet.  As a young girl I loved to look up at the clouds to see what shapes I could see.  Allowing my imagination to soar high with them.  To get lost in my own made up world, that seems to be just beyond the clouds.

Spring Break 2017: Grand Cayman Pt.1

During Spring Break 2017, I had the luxury of being on a cruise vacation.  We traveled to Cozumel, Mexico; Georgetown, Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands; and Falmouth, Jamaica.  This was our second cruise, going to these locations, and as usual everything was great!  From the cruise ship, to the destinations.  Our favorite place out of the three locations was Grand Cayman.  It reminds me of a smaller version of the Bahamas… “the place where God resides”.

While on the island we toured some of its tourist spots on land and by sea, by way of the Amphibious Bus Tour.  It’s a bus that drives on land and becomes a boat when in water.  We were able to see ship wreckages, their coral reefs, and many of the beautiful fish that live in the ocean, and places that pirates had once roamed.  We waded in the water at their renown 7 Mile Beach. We ate the best Conch Fritters at Rackams, a local seafood restaurant.  I haven’t had any conch since being in the Bahamas 13 years ago (Mudda sic dread! Dats a long time ago).

I noticed that many of the people of Grand Cayman seem to be from all over.  I saw Asians, Hispanics, White British, and Blacks…all living there.  I appreciate seeing the locals because all of these different cultures are what make up this beautiful island.  They are the ones that help keep the island afloat.  I enjoy seeing God’s creation of people, land, and sea with my handsome Chunk of Caramel!  We learned some of the islands history, like how they believe Columbus was the worst illegal alien too (That topic will be in another blog post); and that the Cayman Islands is a part of an underwater mountain range.  One of the most important things I learned on the island was after the tour.

While inside a watch store, a store representative came over to ask us if we needed any help. Let’s call her Mandy.  I could tell that she was possibly not a native of the island, but maybe she was living there from England.  The Cayman Islands is a part of the British West Isles, and we had just eaten Fish and Chips around some wonderful British people, so it was a possibility.  While in the store she asked us how we were doing.  My husband and I heard that she had an American accent.  We began a conversation and talked about how beautiful the island was. We began to ask each other where we were from.  She told us she was from Arkansas.  Now out of all the states in the U.S., Arkansas was not a place I was expecting to hear her say.  My mind began to flutter with wonder about how she ended up working at “La-De-Da” selling their watches.

Before I could ask Mandy myself, my husband asked her why she moved here. She said, “After visiting the island, I fell in love with it, so I packed up and moved.  I’ve been here for 2 years and I love it!”

My husband and I were both astonished.  I thought she was going to mention something about how love brought her there, or mission work, or a great job opportunity. My husband had just been talking about living on an island, in another part of the world, although I know the real truth about that happening (Picture of my face looking at my husband with the side eye would appropriately fit here.  He know he ain’t goin nowhere.  He gets hyped up from watching International House Hunters).

Still intrigued, my husband then asked, “So you just came here on your own?”

“Yep.”, she replied.  “I figured if it didn’t work out, I could always go back to Arkansas.”  I stared at her aware of my mouth being fully opened and that I now had the big eyes. I should have given her a standing ovation right then and there, because what she had just said was powerful!

What a different way of thinking.  That’s a completely different mindset.  People are so afraid of messing up or things not working out, that they forget to live.  We forget that it’s okay to mess up.  This way of thinking can be like a foreign language.  Sadly, depending on where you live, it could be like someone saying a bad word… “Sshh, we don’t talk like that over here, or that type of thinking is getting above yourself”.

All I could say when we left out of the store was continue to say “Wow”!  How beautiful it is to be able to say that I’m going to leave everything behind me, and move to England. I tell my husband that at least 5 times a month. He is always talking about moving to an island…and I have been working on my accent.  As of right now, it’s wishful thinking, but I’m still believing.

So, all in all, Grand Cayman was great, but I must say that the most memorable part of the trip wasn’t the fish, Conch Fritters, the Amphibious Tour, or the M.A.C. Store, it was talking to Ms. Mandy. It was only a 3-5 minute conversation, but oh such a powerful one.

I pray everything works out for her and that she continues to live happily on the beautiful island of Grand Cayman.  Thank you, “Ms. Mandy”, for teaching me to not be afraid of messing up, taking chances, and dreaming big.  Amen, Amen.

The Break Up

Okay, so like there was this guy…that thought he knew what he wanted.

Looking back on things, I guess I didn’t know what I wanted either.  But if I must be biased about someone, I choose myself.  So, I think that I did have a little bit more in mind of what I wanted than he did.  He wasn’t really my type, but I had gotten past a lot of that type of stuff at the tender age of 19.  If God said this was to be, then so be it.  My mind would often think to Mary, the mother of Jesus, and how she obediently said yes to being the chosen woman that would bring forth the Son of God to the world.  If I was chosen to be with this guy, then Amen!  He was a confessed “Man of God”, and he had been fasting and praying that God would show him his wife, and God had revealed to him that his wife was me.

Now being the naïve young woman at the mature age of 19, if this Man of God said we were to be, then bless the Lordt.  (yes, the letter t was placed purposely).  I now didn’t have to be like the other young woman at school and wonder who my husband was.  I no longer had to guess at who my Knight in Shining Armor would be.  The only problem was that I had never prayed and fasted to ask God if brother-man was supposed to be my husband.  After one year and a month of dating, he broke up with me for the one he cheated on me with.

During the “God said this, but I think I was wrong” phase of our lives, his words not mine, I was completely mortified.  This all happened while attending a close knit, bubble of a private Christian university.  People knew of our relationship and we had received prophetic word of our ministry together and yadda yadda yadda, so I could not understand for the life of me what happened to our love.  I was embarrassed.  I felt rejected and humiliated.  I continued to believe God that he would come back, and Praise God he never did…Ro-Lo-Lo-Seeka-Locka-Sahda!

 God is so good because he knows the plans that he has towards me.  Thank you for keeping me when I didn’t want to be kept…I am just so thankful.  Through an unexpected turn of events, God eventually showed me how my life with this person would have been.  I was able to see that, that life was not the life for me.  I am so glad God knows me better than I know myself.  Thank you for ordering my steps even when I don’t realize that You are.

It’s so crazy because the year this guy was married, was the same year God opened my eyes to see who He truly had for me.  Someone that had been by myside the entire time I was in the relationship of un-unh.

I hope after you read this that you will take away this message:  God is good.  Live your life, but pray about your life’s choices.  Know that God is ordering your steps. There is no need to be anxious, worried, or stressed because in the end you will see it’s a waste of time and energy.  God has your best in store for you.  He will open your eyes to show you what to do next.  You just have to trust Him. Amen, Amen.

JUST DO IT!

Just do it!  Stop worrying about what others might say.  Are you planning to do anything that’s going to hurt you or anybody else? No?  So just go for it!  There are so many things in life that cause people to not go after their dreams.  What’s stopping you?  What’s getting in the way?  What are you allowing to hold you back?  What excuse are you using this time?  Is it age? Is it a lack of money?  Is it a lack of opportunity? Is it that you are waiting on God?

Okay, I get it.  You’ve been praying and asking and waiting for God to open that door; but what are you doing in the process?  Are you waiting by faith or walking by faith? Walking and Waiting are both actions.  They are both something that can be done. But to get the results you are believing for, you need to do BOTH.  You can’t just rely on one without the other.  You can’t walk without the expectation of reaching a destination; you can’t just wait without an expectation of something happening.  Why else would you walk?  Why else would you wait?  You must walk and wait.  They go hand in hand.  Faith without works is dead.  Point. Blank. Period.  I can sit and pray that God opens a door for me to get a job, but if I don’t get off my roody-poo and “walk” by applying for a job, I shouldn’t “wait” with the expectation that a job will hire me.

You can “wait” in the midst of your “walking”, but eventually you gotta just do it! You’ve got to want it so bad, that you won’t allow anything to hold you back.  You can say that you want to lose weight, but if you don’t begin to act on that by doing what it takes, you’ll probably begin to gain more weight because you’re just sitting around saying what you want to do while still eating whatever comes your way.  You can not just wait for things to happen. When you begin to do what needs to be done (Walking), you can then Wait with the expectation that something will happen.

During this time of walking and waiting, don’t allow doubt to sneak in.  You may not see instantaneous results, but that doesn’t mean your goals won’t come into fruition.  You must also change your mind set so that you believe in what God has put in YOU.  I hate to sound clichéd, but Beyoncé didn’t just happen overnight.  Her daddy knew what he was doing.  It took years for Beyoncé to get over being shy and feeling like she needed a group, to believe that she could do it on her own, and become the dynamic solo entertainer that she is today.

Yes, she has always had people who believed in her, and you might be saying that you don’t.  Okay…are you going to allow that to stop you? If you don’t believe in yourself, who will.  How do you know your “Daddy”, doesn’t know what he’s doing? Don’t allow what the naysayers say, to be proven true by not fulfilling your destiny. * I apologize for the Destiny’s Child reference while mentioning Beyoncé…it wasn’t planned. *  What I am trying to say is, you have to do what you believe you should do, and not concern yourself with what others think about it.  Keep in mind that it’s not your business to know what others say or think about you.  There is nothing you can do to control that anyway.  It’s a waste of time and energy, which you could be putting into what you can control which is working to achieving your dreams.

Remember that sitting (waiting) for too long can give you sores.  Get up and just do It!  Whatever “It” may be.  It may not be any easy road, but just take that first step.  Only God knows where that step of faith will take you. Just do it!

Dear Diary Explained

Today is a special day for it is MY BIRTHDAY.  A day that is filled with excitement, dreaming, and goal setting.  It is on this day that I have decided to make my first official post on my new blog… Dear Diary.

Last year around this time I was told to stop saying this phrase in my classroom.  This meant that I could no longer speak aloud my entries into my imaginary diary.  What had I done?  I had offended a child, that, might I add, already didn’t like the class.  If I would see a student that was off task I would “write” in my diary.  Here is an example of how I would begin my diary entry: “Dear Diary, “student A” still does not have a book open to read.  I sure hope they get a book out to read, so that they can join the rest of the class. The end.”

What was meant to be a joke, or a funny way to grab the child’s attention to what I needed them to do, was taken as offensive by this student and their parent, with whom I taught with and spoke to everyday.  Due to me being asked by my principal to pretty much discontinue with the phrase, yes, my grade level co-worker, went to the principal and not me about this.  I mean why should she have?  We only had grade level meetings together because we taught the same grade and I taught her child…but I digress.

My students began to realize that I no longer said Dear Diary, so they began to say it or they would say D.D.  I had been saying “Dear Diary” since the beginning of that school year.  If someone would ask a question that wasn’t necessary I would hear “Dear Diary”.  If a student tripped over the invisible rock in the class, I would hear D.D.  This showed me that my students understood my meaning behind it.  It was something we were supposed to laugh about, because it was meant to be silly.  No teacher wants to offend their students because that is the only thing the child will remember about you. They won’t believe that you are truly there to support them.

I had been using the phrase Dear Diary for years with my family.  Especially with my brother-in-love.

Since I could no longer use it in my classroom, I decided to create a place where I could.  It would be a place where I could freely express my thoughts and feelings “privately”.  It took a while to figure out the platform to use, but here I am now.  As in my classroom, I hope I do not offend anyone, but if I do, we can always talk about it.  Please don’t report me to the principal…let’s just talk about it in the comments.

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