Shilah Writes

Even with all the criticism Polly Anna gets for her always cheerful attitude; I think she truly understood thanksgiving more than many a fine Christian person today. I used to sorta scoff the whole Polly Anna theory for lack of realness and for being too "idealistic". More and more though, I am beginning to realize her attitude for soundness as well as being "spot on" for what the Bible teaches. Everyone knows how much God hated the whining and complaining the children of Israel did while He led them through the wilderness. He hated it so badly it was punishable by the ground opening up and swallowing people whole, among other great and terrible things He did to prove His point. I understand His anger a little bit better after trying to teach my toddlers to share and be thankful and now, while teaching fifth and sixth graders. The truth is, children are not even aware they are complaining until we show them they are. They don't think about their co...

                                                Hygge:              Pronounced: hue-gah or hoo-gah I thought I had learned a new word the other week when I bumped into this one...turns out though, its been around ages and has been floating around social media for the past five years or so. I blame my own practice of "hygge" to just now be finding out about it. It became one of my favorite words once I read the meaning and since it has Nordic roots I felt I could identify with it immediately. Not that I know a lot about my Norwegian ancestors...somehow it has always felt very cool that I have a small portion of Norwegian in my blood.  That is beside the point.  I remember as a child I struggled for words to describe the emotion attached to snuggling a hot cup of cocoa in mittened hands after a moonlit evening of sle...

I've been thinking about serving and how tired I get doing it. School teachers know how any given day can leave them completely drained. Actually, anyone serving in any capacity knows about the tiredness and feelings of exhaustion...schoolteachers aren't special in this. I was complaining to Bruce about the seven active wild boys in my classroom and how I don't get paid to teach them manners and about how I am tired of gross ideas and potty mouth...my rant continued on these lines of ultimatums. I stated, “It's going to stop! I don't have to put up with this. They can use their manners while they are in my presence.” etc... Do you know what that man said? He said, “Umm, actually you do. It's a part of your job to see that they behave themselves and learn. And boys will be boys.” I think this man of mine is good for me. But it made me wonder if I need to accept listening to armpit noises and burping and smelling farts as a daily part of educat...

Post started last week one day...it still seems relevant so here goes... We were in the middle of Math class yesterday when I felt a sudden burden to stop everything and pray for my friend who is in Ukraine going through the legal work to bring home a son. I wavered and felt stupid for one second then decided to listen to this urging and just... Do It! Afterward I wondered, why do I even waver? What makes me want to question prompts of the Holy Spirit? Why would I even stumble over the fact that that is what is taking place? Later in the day, I watched a sweet student receive a fresh new school book. First she ran her hands over the front, appreciating the clean, crisp cover, then she brought the book up to her face and inhaled the paper, her eyes closed. Suddenly her eyes flicked open with a look of self awareness. You could almost see the thought flutter across her face, "Did anyone see me do that?" This morning my verse of the day: Now the Lord is that...

Because I am so very human...I ponder my actions, my thoughts. How much of my inner turmoil is the Holy Spirit whispering changes and convictions? How much is just me at war with self? Because I am so very analytical and opinionated, I cry out to God for mercy and grace. I need it. I want to see my people as hearts, as precious souls. I want them to see me like this too, but I know I deserve when they don't, that I say and do things that offend and trespass against them because I am not unusual and will continue to make ever so many bloopers. Because I have so much to learn. There is nothing that has made me more aware of my lack of God as teaching has. I have never been so needy of 'all of God' as now. Every mistake shows me more that God and only God can amend what I have messed up. Even so, Sweet Jesus, keep teaching me. I've been thinking about my darkness and God's light. It seems there are times of stumbling through dimness and clutter, like grop...

The saying goes, "You can't teach an old dog new tricks". Whether or not this is true I don't know. I do know this: I'm glad we aren't like dogs. Because I am learning new things every day and I'm not very young. Or old. I'm kinda in be tween ages right now. Ha! Someone who follows Jesus should be learning new things pretty constantly. Every day is a fresh opportunity to take one more step into God's kingdom...I've been praying on the side, about my need to be softer, kinder, less expressive, more tactful.  I say on the side, because I wasn't praying in earnest about it. I was trying to also figure out how much of me is fixed personality and how much is changeable. I mean, when you hear how much you are like your mother, your sister, and your grandmother, how much of a chance do you have to be someone else? How much should you pray about traits? So I prayed on the side about it and decided not to worry too much, even to the place ...

When we think we know how things should work... When we convince ourselves the predictability of a situation... When we see something someone else is just not seeing and we want to shake them till they do... When we think we care better and more understandably than that other person or people... When we believe the problem is too big for fixing... When we are floundered with too much craziness...too much human thinking... When nothing makes sense...when everything is a mess... When it hurts so bad and you can't explain it...when words make it worse... I wonder...does God laugh at us? Or does He groan at our haughtiness... our answers... and our works? What if we stop thinking we know so much?  What would happen to our concept of God if we gave Him all the broken parts, pieces, and people in our lives?  What if we let Him take our burdens and our zeal and our passions? Would we matter so much? At all?  If I ask the Holy Spirit to heal my rela...