Treading on dreams

Bishop Mike McKee shared these words this week at a meeting of North Texas Conference of The United Methodist Church ministers.  My Bishop loves Yates!  The sentiment below is worthy of consideration in a number of contexts.  HAD I the heavens’ embroidered cloths, Enwrought with golden and silver light, The blue and the dim and the dark cloths Of night and light and the half light, I would spread the cloths under your feet: But I, being poor, have only my dreams; I have spread my dreams under your feet; Tread softly because you tread on my dreams.

W.B. Yeats (1865–1939)"He Wishes For the Cloths of Heaven" from the Collected Works of W.B. Yeats

The Perfect Teacher

Gracie Bea Toombs is my 9-year-old granddaughter.  She is a very special little girl.  Of course, you'd expect me to say that, but it is true.  Gracie is about to complete the 3rd grade at White Rock Elementary School.  She loves school, even more her teacher, Ms. Cornett.   Not long ago, Gracie wrote the following tribute in honor of her teacher as the school year draws to a close.  I think you'll like it, and I think you'll see what I mean about Gracie.

The Perfect Teacher

There are many kinds of teachers.  Some tall.  Some small.  Some teachers just speak matter of fact like.  Some teachers just teach the way textbooks tell them to.  But the best teacher's lessons don't come from a textbook.   Her lessons come from her heart.  If you were uneasy, mad or sad, the perfect teacher comforts you.  She loves each and every child for who he or she is. 

This year, I am one of the 21 fortunate third graders who are in her class.  I like all teachers, but this year she has stood out to me.  She opened up her heart to every student in my class.  She has taught us so much this year.  Sure, she's taught us reading and math.  But that's not the most important thing.  She has taught us about protests in the middle east and the struggle in Japan and how it effects us.  For black history month she had us memorize speeches about segregation and women's rights.  While the other classes were just reading from textbooks, we were there at those freedom marches and protests.  For earth day we helped the world by making new paper from recycled paper.  We also planted sprouts while all the other classes colored bookmarks.  We gave water to people in Africa through thewaterproject.com. 

She has taught us life skills:  kindness, love, peace, organization, and self-estemm.  But those aren't the most important things she did for us.  She has told us to stand up to injustice, that we could be anything we wanted, and that we can change the world.

But it is not us.  It's her.  The other classes may say they learn more than us, but you can go up to any one of them and ask them about protests in the middle east, or the struggle in Japan or about changing lives in Africa or about life skills or about standing up for what we believe in, and trust me, they won't know as much as WE do. 

Sometimes it only takes ONE TEACHER to change the world world.  And that teacher is my third grade teacher, Miss Cornett.

Toy Story 3

Lessons learned while watching Toy Story 3 with two of my grandsons:

1)  Recognize that what you do today creates memories, important, valuable, precious memories for much later and for everyone involved, including toys!

2)  Fantasy and play are incredibly important to a life.  Worry about a life without fantasy.

3)  As you move forward into a future, don't be afraid to look back.

4)  Pass along what you really treasure to those coming after you.

5)  Take nothing for granted in life.

6)  When it appears that you're headed into a deep, fiery, hell-like hole; when all hope seems lost, reach out to those nearest to you--in short, hold hands tightly with your community.

7)  Don't be surprised if you are "saved" by people not at all like you.  In fact, be looking for rescue by those may consider aliens.  Consider befriending them before you need them.

8)  Don't miss this movie.  Here's just a taste of it.

Jackson Browne

The music of Jackson Browne moves me.  Music with heart, a social soul and a prophetic challenge all rolled into one experience. 

Check out his website here.  You'll f ind all sorts of interesting options for changing the world at his site!  Love this guy.

Dreams

Message found on a paperweight in my dad's desk:

All people dream: But not equally. Those who dream by night in the dusty recesses of their minds wake in the day to find that it was vanity. But the dreamers of the day are dangerous people, for they may act their dream with open eyes to make it possible.

T. E. Lawrence