The account of the Garden of Gethsemane is something we might hear each year during Holy Week since it is one of the Passion of Christ passages. This Lenten season I’d like to revisit it anew.  Christ here is troubled, distressed and sorrowful to the point of death. He asks the disciples to keep watch with him, translated, “stay awake.” Knowing that the crucifixion is ahead, Christ prays to God asking, “ if it is possible, to let this cup pass .” This request is made three times with Christ returning to sleeping disciples each time. The word used for "cup" in these passages goes back to accounts in the Old Testament where cups of God’s wrath, anger, and justice is spoken of. In Jeremiah 49 it talks about having to drink of something that’s not our fault, sometimes just the result of another’s sin, or just of life. It foreshadowed then the idea of the perfect Messiah who knew no sin being bruised for our iniquities and drinking a cup he didn’t deserve. When I first stud...

One day when I took my son to McDonald's, I ran into a young boy who looked very familiar to me obviously one of the many students I’ve taught over the years. I asked him what class I had taught him in and he mentioned a 1st grade class I had done a long-term sub in. My memories of that class were far from wonderful. It hadn’t been the kids. They had been awesome. What had driven me crazy was the teacher I was covering for. She was out on disability, yet continually checked up on me. She gave me a Mothers’ Day gift for the kids to make, which the students found so difficult, I ended up having to call them back one on one to help complete. She even came in and redid one of the student's. His name was Barton, of whom she complained could do nothing right. To go along with these gifts were fancy cards she insisted upon which had to be laid out and glued just so. Well guess who did all the gluing? Forgot about teaching the curriculum as we worked on this card which I heard later ...

One of my greatest moments of grace this week is being able to lead a Women’s Retreat this weekend. I have dreamed of doing so and of teaching on the Enneagram which is a great tool to help one understand themselves and others. It explains why we behave the way we do and points to specific directions for individual growth. This understanding, or as I’d like to say "appreciation" of personalities, other than our own can help us improve our relationships with family, friends, and co-workers. So on Friday I finally get to do so. Needless to say, I am excited. Preparing for it has been a joy, yet it has kept me from my blog. Amazingly I was let out early from my teaching job yesterday giving me more time in my day to do what I had to do. I realized that these little gifts of extra time are moments of grace . When we feel pressed wondering how we’re going to get it all done, God can step in and either arrange more time for us, or grant us better efficiency in the time we do hav...