What is the world without hope? What is a season without hope? What is a day without hope and full of despair? Have you ever felt so lost that you thought you would never find your way? Have you ever felt pain so deep that you thought you would suffocate? Has a situation overwhelmed you…

Has there been disappointments in your life that made you feel so crushed in spirit? Disappointments can take away your hope, your confidence and your belief in yourself.  They can eat away at your soul. They can crush your dreams and make you feel so alone and worthless.    Shattered Dreams When my marriage came to…

Are there moments in your life when you have just felt so broken? Broken from a promise not fulfilled? Broken from dishonesty? Broken from betrayal? Broken from grief? Broken from disappointment? There are many moments during my divorce that I felt completely and utterly broken.  I remember when I found out about things that would…

I stand in the middle of two trains flying by me at a velocity I cannot comprehend. My feet are planted firmly to the ground like they are embedded in a cement block.  The wind from the speed of the trains pushes my upper body forward, but my feet stay fixated on the foundation under…

  Every day I believe I am surrounded by heroes; 27 little heroes to be exact. This school year has started out just as difficult or perhaps even more difficult than last year. There are days when I have to really be intentional about finding the silver linings. But the reality is that they do…

When we returned for in-person learning in late March , I really did not know how my blessings would amplify. These students who returned have brightened my days and truly inspired me with their insight and perspectives on all subjects that we talk about in class.  My 15th blessing is one of those students whom…

Inspiration has a way of creeping up in our lives and creating a picture of beauty that manifests a desire to want to be better and do better. Sometimes people cross our paths who manage to spark that inspiration in our hearts. My fourteenth blessing has done just that for me.  Even though I have…

Beyond My Expectations We started back to in-person learning about a month ago. Some of my students came back while others chose to remain in distance learning. This brings me to my thirteenth blessing: a young girl who has flourished into an exceptional scholar in the past month. She emerged from the shadows of distance…

My twelfth blessing is one of determination and perseverance. She comes to class eager to learn. She is not afraid to ask questions. She is one who will come back into Zoom when class is over to clarify her understanding. She cares about her learning and wants to achieve proficiency in all she does.  She…

My eleventh blessing is one student who is not afraid to make mistakes. She is not afraid to take risks in learning and she is not afraid to be wrong.  I love to interact with this child because she is willing to step out of her comfort zone with her learning in order to improve.…