Category Teaching

Toxic Clutter – Wise Words Wednesday

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Toxic Clutter – Wise Words Wednesday

toxic-clutter

Many of us begin our spring cleaning as soon as the New Year’s ball drops. We start cleaning out our closets, coat pockets, garages, and storage tubs.

We make resolutions to clean out our bodies and clean up our acts.

With those resolutions we need to work on toxic clutter removal as well.

To most of us clutter is made up of piles of old clothes, magazines, or books. Maybe your clutter has amassed itself on your dresser or in the catch-all drawer in the kitchen or the depths of the back seat of your car. wherever it is; the clutter is growing.

Clutter needs to be viewed as more than stuff that piles up in our homes. It is also the resentment, guilt, anger, hurt, and failure that hangs around in our hearts, minds, and spirits. As we turn towards a fresh new trip around the sun, let’s refresh our lives by removing some of that toxic emotional clutter. Continue reading “Toxic Clutter – Wise Words Wednesday” →

Your Sound Track for 2017

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Your Sound Track  for 2017 via Daily Prompt: Hopeful

official-soundtrack-of-me

Every major motion picture has its official soundtrack. Professional baseball players have their warm-up song that blasts through the stadiums as they step up to the plate. When best friends head out for a night on the town, they always have their “jam” blaring through the speakers hyping them up as they paint the town red. Newly weds share a first dance to that one song that sings the story of their love.

There is something special about music and its role in our lives. There are certain songs that transport us back to the moments when our lives were defined by the music that accompanied the experience.

png 1  In 2017 I encourage you to make a sound track of your life or find your playlist for success.

When I work out, I start with Ike and Tina Turner’s “Proud Mary.” Something about the build up of the song really gets me going. Ike and Tina are followed by the Dixie Chicks’ “Ready to Run”. I guess, at that point, I am ready to run. Once I get running, my fighting side comes out and I am fueled forward by Christina Aguilera’s “Fighter” and Britney Spears’ “Stronger.”  After that I love to throw in some Beyoncé (anything Beyoncé), more Dixie Chicks, Lynyrd Skynyrd,  and/or Meredith Brooks, Pink, Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, TLC, Nelly, ZZ Top, and Buck Cherry, and usually finish out with Martina McBride’s “Happy Girl.” Eclectic, I know, but it really helps me through my work out.

png 1  I want you to find the music that moves you too. Arrange the soundtrack for getting you through toughest challenges. Continue reading “Your Sound Track for 2017” →

My Family’s Addiction to Adhesives

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My Family’s Addiction to Adhesives

via Daily Prompt: Maddening

Adhesive Addiction.jpg

My family has a lot of problems. One of the most maddening problems we have is our addition to adhesives.

We don’t eat or sniff the glue. We just really like to tape, glue, affix, and stick things together.

Just last week my oldest son super glued his fingers together. He knows not to play with super glue but did it anyway. When my husband asked, “Son, why did you glue your fingers together?” His reply was simple, “I just had to see how it feels.” We unstuck his fingers but the glue remained on his skin for few days.

This past May when school let out, my daughter brought home her bag of unused school supplies. In the bag I found a few markers, crayons, folders, paper, notebooks, and about a dozen glue sticks. Eight of the ten glue sticks had the names of other children on them. When I asked her about the glue, she said, “I just couldn’t let them throw good glue away.”

My husband buys duct tape in the economy case and has rolls of the multi-purpose stuff everywhere; in the truck, laundry room, workshop, machine shed, each of the turkey barns, his hunting pack, my car, the tractors, and his fishing boat. We are never at a loss for duct tape. Never.

My youngest son is the WORST. He LOVES transparent tape. He will go through a roll a day, if I would let him. He covers his toy trucks with it and says they are being fixed. Every piece of paper he colors, cuts, or draws on MUST be hung somewhere in the house and he believes each 8.5 x 11 sheet of paper requires 8 inches of tape to hold it in place. Wrapping Christmas or birthday gifts with him is like packaging the royal jewels with tape serving as the first line for the security’s defense. He actually put tape on his Christmas wish list because I told him the only way he could have any more tape this month was if he got it as a gift.

I am as guilty as the rest in that any time I see tape on sale; I buy it. You never can have enough tape. Right? I have two hot glue guns and order my craft adhesive by the 6 pack for making cards and scrapbooking.

We have an adhesive addiction.

I am sure your family has something that you all can’t live without or use in excess. As we begin a new year, consider finding alternatives to your wasteful usage or ways to not use your vice as much.

Whether it’s tape, toilet paper, or leaving on the lights, put your energy into smart and considerate usage of the things you take for granted. Let your family’s idiosyncracies hold you together and allow making change to be the bond that holds you strong as you love one another in 2017.

By: Melanie A. Peters

P.S. Please do not give my 3 year old any more tape. He has had enough.

 

 

 

 

Are There Toys in Heaven?

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Are There Toys in Heaven?

toys-in-heaven

Saturday we said good-bye to my husband’s aunt. She was a smart, funny, family oriented lady and will be missed.

As the kiddos and I whipped up some pancakes for breakfast Saturday, my oldest son asked, “Are there toys in heaven?”

It was one of those parenting moments we all pray about. We don’t pray for the moments to come. We pray for the right words when the moment arrives.

I said a quick prayer and did a mental dash through my heart before answering him.

I said, “I don’t know what heaven is like, but I believe that everything in heaven is so perfect that we don’t need toys or tv’s or distractions there. We are whole again, and, when we are angels, our days are filled with light and happiness and probably flying contests to see who can fly the fastest with our angel wings.”

This response seemed ok, at first. Then my son got teary eyed and said, “I want there to be toys in heaven because sometimes little kids die.”

Oh, man, those parenting moments just kept on coming!

I put down the pancake spatula, hugged him tight, and said, “God knows what we need. If there is a child in heaven who needs a toy, God will give him that toy. Remember, in heaven, there is no hurt or sadness.”

He hugged me back and asked for the big pancake on the griddle. 🙂

I finished making pancakes, fed the kids, and said a prayer. The first part was in thanksgiving for the innocent and pure hearts of my children. The second part of my prayer was for the young souls in heaven. I asked for comfort for those grieving the loss of those little ones and that those baby angels fly happily and wholly through eternity.

Today the intent of my prayer is again two-part.

png 1 One: May my children always possess the childlike wonder and curiosity they do now.

png 1Two: May everyone find solace in the knowledge that God knows what we need. He will provide for us when the time is right.

Intentergy is about putting positive intent into the things we do. Please take time as you continue to celebrate the Christmas season and prepare for a new year and use that time to take inventory of all that has been provided for you in your life and embrace the awe of what is yet to come.

By: Melanie A. Peters

P.S. The pancakes were only slightly dark on one side. We just added butter. 🙂

 

 

Worry = More Work Than It’s Worth – Wise Words Wednesday

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Worry = More Work Than It’s Worth – Wise Words Wednesday

worry-double-the-suffering

Without fail I have found worry wrecking my mental health lately.

There is just too much to do, too many mistakes made, saying the wrong thing at the wrong time, buying a gift and finding that the recipient already has that item, or taking the wrong exit on a busy highway because my mind is on all the other decisions I need to make, ugh, it’s TOO MUCH!

Holidays = gift buying + party going + relative-induced guilt x all the other normal STUFF

Worry = more work than it’s worth

Don’t we already have enough to do?

Worrying just slows us down. Worry steers us in the wrong direction or keeps us from moving forward. Worry really is more work than it’s worth.

“Worrying means you suffer twice.”

Here are some ideas to help you bypass worry:

png 1   Make lists. Check off your successes.
png 1   Set goals. Do your victory dance when you’ve earned it.
png 1    Forgive yourself. Give thanks for the grace.
png 1    Forgive others. Revel in the release.
png 1    What ever you do, try not to worry.

We are only human.
We cannot do it all.
It is physically impossible to do it all correctly or in a way that makes everyone happy. Don’t let worry wear you out!

“Worrying means you suffer twice.” Continue reading “Worry = More Work Than It’s Worth – Wise Words Wednesday” →

Examine the Test at Hand

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Examine the Test at Hand

not-your-final

Last week I supervised my first final exam at State Tech. It was an experience.

The final was scheduled from 8:00-10:00 a.m. in the Community Center.

I approached the Center at 7:45 a.m. (after making new copies of my final – Stupid typos!) There was a line of students in the lobby. My “teacher” status granted me immediate admittance in to the testing room (an auditorium also used for proms and wedding receptions). Tables, chairs, and five other instructors stood ready for the onslaught of eager exam-takers.

The other instructors had nice name tents marking the tables their students were to use. I did not. (Note to self: make name tents for spring final.)

After carefully selecting the last 4 available tables, I spread out my gear and waited for my students.

Upon receiving their finals, neither the huge group or the unfamiliar surroundings seemed to bother my super students. They just wanted to take their darn test.

  • Cut to the end of the final…

Continue reading “Examine the Test at Hand” →

Blessed are the Flexible – Wise Words Wednesday

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Blessed are the Flexible – Wise Words Wednesday

blessed-are-the-flexible

Flexibility is necessary in life. Flexibility is a special virtue this time of year.

We work so hard to fit all of the holiday shopping, meals, programs, parties, and family functions in that we forget to be flexible. This forgetfulness can lead to some major fits of stress and missing holiday spirit.

Allow yourself some breathing room this month. Give yourself the gift of flexibility.

Give the gift of flexibility to others. Remember we are all suffering from the season. Show compassion and patience for those who “mess” with your plans.

Flexibility towards yourself and others will lead to much more fa-la-la-ing and much less bahumbuging.

By: Melanie A. Peters

P.S. It’s ok to do some mental warm ups before you get too flexible. You wouldn’t want to pull anything before Christmas. Breathe deep… Focus… Flex!

Elf Spotting and the Trouble that Follows

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Elf Spotting and the Trouble that Follows

 

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Two years ago Chippy the elf showed up on our front porch. He made his magical appearance after my sweet daughter wrote a letter to Santa asking for one of his handy helpers to visit our home.

My husband and I were leery about this new holiday watchman but went with it. I mean how much trouble could one elf be???

After two years the magic of Chippy is alive and well, if you consider daily wrestling matches and crying fits over who found him first to be magical.

Seriously! Everyday there is a tremendous tumult over who finds Chippy first. It is so magical I need stronger coffee in the morning and extra melatonin at night to get past all the Christmas spirit his presence brings.

That silly elf has brought more trouble than I could have imagined, but he has also brought some humor to some pretty angry situations.

For example: In the  middle of one of their daily brawls, my daughter yelled out, “Get off my hair. Chippy sees you and he is going to tell Santa.” My son replied, “Good! Maybe Santa will bring you a new brush for your messy hair,” and continued torturing my little girl’s curls. The elf just kept smiling. Continue reading “Elf Spotting and the Trouble that Follows” →

Taste Your Words – Wise Words Wednesday

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Taste Your Words – Wise Words Wednesday

taste-your-words

Chewing food with our mouths open is considered rude and disgusting. Saying words before we think about them can also be quite unsightly.

As we come together for the holidays and forge our way through holiday crowds, we need to make sure our words are as sweet and digestible as possible.

Taste your words before you spit them out.

Consider the weight and brevity of what you say. If you know that you are someone who struggles with thinking before you speak, make dedication to improving on it your Christmas gift to yourself and the ones you love.

Apologies and guilt leave a terrible taste in our mouths. Considering what you say before it is spoken will help prevent those icky instances from occurring. Taste your words before you spit them out.

Give your words intentions of kindness and consideration. Put energy into speaking simple and loving statements. Make your words matter in a positive way. “Be sure to taste your words before you spit them out.”

By: Melanie A. Peters

P.S. Please do not chew with your mouth open. It really is yucky.

Storytelling as a Reward?

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Storytelling as a Reward?

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The school that my children attend has been participating in a program where they are called to be safe, kind, and respectful. The theme of the program is Sharing Your Treasures. It goes along the lines of following God’s example of charity and generosity.

When the students earn a certain number of “treasures” in the school treasure chest, they receive a surprise reward. The students are also asked for ideas of things they would like for their reward. This time a 3rd grader suggested a storyteller come visit when the treasure chest was full.

As the treasure chest neared is brink of treasures, the school principal asked if I would be willing to be storyteller. I said, “Sure. When? How much time do I have to tell the stories?” We settled on a date and length of time and I decided in my mind which stories I would share.

I didn’t tell anyone about my secret identity as the storyteller because I didn’t want to ruin the surprise.

Last Thursday was my day to serve as storyteller. I was nervous when I was revealed as the surprise because I could see the incredulous looks on some of the kids’ faces.
“This is our reward???” – is what they were thinking.

I broke the ice with a silly joke and then started in with two fables. By the second minute of the first fable, they were hooked. They were leaning in to hear and wanted to know what the moral of the story would be. After the fables, I shared three myths and one really long joke. The students didn’t want to the stories to end and this storyteller was so relieved.

Since Thursday, I have received multiple emails, phone calls, and compliments from parents at school. There have been plenty of hugs coming my way from the school kids too. It has been very rewarding for me.

It really made me think though.

How is it that one goofy lady and a handful of stories could be considered a reward?

Simplicity was the key. The stories fed the students’ imaginations. The opportunity provided them the chance to just be kids and enjoy the magic of fiction. Simplicity and time. Giving the kids time and attention was significant. There wasn’t any lecturing or scolding or coaching. Just storytelling.

I encourage you to take time to tell some fun or memorable stories of your own this week. Share your time and talents with those you love. Your attention and imagination or maybe stories about past experiences are all that is needed to create a new memory.

Spark energy with your intent to share and reap the rewards of a story well told.

By: Melanie A. Peters