Ringing Like a Bell

Have you ever been to the aviary at the zoo? It is one of my favorite places. You walk into this artificial tropical dome fulled with plants and stunningly beautiful birds, and there's no barrier between you and the loveliness. You're allowed to walk through there and drink in the peace. There's also a sort of noisy silence inside the aviary. I say that because it isn't quiet in there at all, but there's a still, almost holy feeling when you step inside.  You can spend as much time in there as you'd like, listening to the exotic calls of unseen birds and waiting to catch a glimpse of the ones who decide to show themselves.       I'm reminded of the aviary on Sunday mornings when my ladies' Bible class meets. On some mornings, every woman wears a different color, and every week I'm struck my by the different beauties each woman brings. One brings her practical love for serving others. One grows roses. Another brings her particular love ...

A job is a job . I like to tell myself, "If what I do were easier and more fun, people would pay to do it instead of getting paid to do it." At the same time, I must admit that I don't exactly work for the great pay or anything.  I'm a teacher. My job can be rough, and people who aren't teachers seem to have a vague idea about that. Most people I talk to about my job bring up how "tough kids are to deal with these days," which is unquestionably true. However, there are other things about teaching that people who aren't teachers usually don't understand.  I must say that many people don't have any conception about the time teachers actually spend on their work. Even my husband still doesn't realize all that my job entails. We actually fought about it when I first began working in the classroom. The scene would be like this -- ( Midnight. On the couch of Brandy's living room. A lamp is on near her head, papers are scattered a...

Two things happened. First, I was on my way to work, mentally whining. I don't like waking up early every day, and sometimes it makes me grumpy. About the time I was daydreaming about my warm blankets, I pulled up to a stop sign to turn right and head to school. I paused and looked up through the windshield at a very lovely sunrise. I must confess I appreciate that part of my drive to school every morning. Sitting at the stop sign, I can see for a long way into the distance, and I also happen to be facing directly east. I make it there every day just in time to see the sun coming up over the hills. There's a lake, and I live in a rural area, so the land is fairly undeveloped and pristine. Anyway, a few days ago It dawned on me (okay, I know -- bad pun) that I get to see that stunning view every   morning. I get up, drive my car through pastures and woods, and pull up to a perfect sunrise. Then I thought about how many years I've been teachi...

What do you want? Has anyone ever asked you that question? If you've ever gone to a restaurant in the mall food court, you've surely been asked the same question by a bored fast food employee with a mouth full of gum and an attitude. Usually the answer is as simple as, "Fries and a coke." You should see me in a new restaurant. I nearly fly into a panic when I'm handed the menu because I want it all. In my heart I want to taste every new, good, delicious thing, so much so that it's a problem for me. Sometimes I take forever making up my mind or order quickly and experience a strange regret later that I didn't try the "special funky chicken." Most of the time it leads me to overeat. I think, "Just one more bite!" or "Of course, I'll have dessert." There's nothing inherently wrong with enjoying good food. In fact, it's one of the delights of this life, but, for me, the unhealthy relationship I have with food h...

Have you ever read The Shack by Wm. Paul Young? When it came out a few years ago, it caused a little stir among my group of friends, partly because Young portrays God as a sassy black woman. There are a few other things in the book that raised my eyebrow, but on the whole I really loved the book. It made me cry -- in a good way. Mr. Young does a good job tearing away the religious layers we've placed around God, Jesus, and The Holy Spirit. I also think he has a way of explaining difficult and abstract things in a really accessible way. The Shack is an allegory after all. Anyway, I was reminded of a passage from the book a few days ago when I saw this Hallmark commercial. Here's the passage from the book: "Consider our little friend here," she [God] began. "Most birds were created to fly. Being grounded for them is a limitation within their ability to fly, not the other way around." She paused to let Mack think about her statement. "You, on the ...

If there's ever a Lifetime movie made about my life, I'm convinced it will amount to nothing more than a chubby actress bumbling through life enduring a series of clumsy, self-inflicted accidents. Scene one : she falls off her tricycle and skins her knees. Scene two : she loses her grip on the merry-go-round and is launched into a huge puddle of red mud. Scene three : an entire montage of bike wrecks. Scene four : she knocks down an entire row of tables at McDonald's. Scene five : an entire montage of horrendous athletic accidents -- tripping, bobbling the ball, getting smacked in the face... Scene six : she falls, head first, down the bleachers. Scene seven : she loses her balance and rolls down a hill on her college campus. Scene eight : she tumbles off her stool while her students are testing. Scene nine : she slips while trout fishing and nearly breaks her arm. Last night I added a new one to the list; I fell out of the church van while Christmas caroling. ...