Life Almost Over

Have you ever heard someone say they are just about dead? I say it sometimes, but what does it even mean? Today when I went to grab a paper off the copy machine, there was a message flashing across it saying, "Life almost over." Normally a message like this would have flipped me out, but my predecessor had warned me this could happen. Instead of panicking and planning a copy machine funeral, I knew I needed to order more toner.

Toner is a product that helps copy machines run better. Apparently when the machine runs out of toner, it will die. The great news for the copy machine is that when toner is added,  life can resume as normal.

What about us? Do you ever feel tired, exasperated, or worn out? Do you feel like you need to flash a message to the world saying "Life Almost Over?" You don't need toner, but you do need some Jesus to keep you going.

Paul tells us in Ephesians 4:22-24, "You were taught with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by it's deceitful desires, to be made new in the attitude of your minds,  and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness."

So stop acting like you're half dead. Fill up on God's word, let go of your old ways, and allow Jesus to work in your life.  Before you know it, you won't even feel like "Life is Almost Over"  instead you'll be ready to roll!

Never Share Your Dessert

If you know me at all, you know I don't ever share my dessert. I don't mean it in an ugly way. I just really, really like dessert. I will get you your own, or even make a dessert for you. But please don't ask for mine. I am very upfront and honest about this. People often think I'm joking,  but I am really not. Ask my truest friends, and they will tell you it's a fact.

After we finished dinner tonight,  I asked who wanted dessert. Kathryn said she didn't want dessert because she was too full. In my opinion, this is just crazy talk.  Wanting dessert has nothing to do with being full. I don't care how full I feel, I ALWAYS have room for dessert.  And no, you may not have a bite. Trust me, there isn't enough for you!

As I was pondering what in the world could be wrong with my child, I realized maybe I need to be as passionate about my faith as I am about dessert.  What would happen if I spent the amount of time sharing God's word that I do talking or thinking about dessert? Psalm 119:103 says, "How sweet  are your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth." God's word is good, so why do I often hold back in sharing it with others? I am working on this,  and I'm thankful for good friends in my life who challenge me to do better.

So the next time someone asks me for a bite of my dessert, I will probably say no. But just maybe I will take the opportunity to share God's word with them. And MAYBE I'll offer them a bite of my dessert too. Or maybe not. After all, I am a work in progress!

One Click Away

As most of you know,  I started a new job a few weeks ago. While I absolutely love the job, there are often times during the day when I need to ask for help. This is hard for me because I prefer to be in a position where I help others.  It puts me out of my comfort zone to be the one who needs help.

Although I'm not a fan of asking for help, here's what I have discovered.  Everyone is more than willing and happy to help me. It was a great idea for God to give us coworkers and friends to help us discover that if we just keep clicking, or keep trying, we can usually find the answer.

I have adopted a motto at work, and I feel like I say it one million times a day. "The answer is just one click away." It's almost always true, but I have to be willing to keep clicking to search for the answer.

  It would serve me well to apply this motto to my life outside of work as well. I know I need God to help me navigate through all aspects of my life. Sometimes that means I need to read my bible or pray, but other times it means I just need to sit still and put myself in a position to hear from God.

What do you need help with today?  Psalm 121:1-2 says, "I lift my eyes to the mountains- where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth." Everyone needs help,  and God is ready and willing to guide our footsteps and direct our path.

So remember,  no matter what's going on in your life, God is only one click away, or one prayer away, or one page away in our bible. Don't miss out on His wisdom or His blessings because you were too uncomfortable to ask.

Also don't miss out on helping those around you. You may be the only person who has the ability to make a difference for that person.  Be the click for someone today, but also allow God to be the click for you.  It will just make the world a better place.

Is Something Burning?

We had some excitement in the hood the other day. Kathryn came home and said a branch had fallen on a power line and it was smoking. The Bray girls sprung into action and went to check out the situation.  When we arrived on the scene, our neighbor had already called the fire department and was anxiously awaiting their arrival.

Here's how it all went down. A small tree had uprooted and fallen on the power line. It was sizzling and popping and smoking.  Sparks were flying, and we just knew any second the whole thing was going to burst into flames.

Just as we heard the fire truck coming, the tree fell again and landed on the bottom line, which is a neutral line. (Who knew???) And just like that, the whole thing was over. No more sparks. The fire truck turned around and went home, as did all the neighbors who had stopped to watch the scene unfold.

Matthew 5:16 says:

In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.

The tree incident turned out to be uneventful,  which, as far as trees are concerned, is a good thing.  I am happy the tree didn't ignite into flames.  But what about my own life? If I don't stay rooted in God's word, I may start to topple over. There may be a time when I spark, but without Jesus Christ as my main power souce, I will simply crackle, pop, and then fizzle out. I don't want to smolder, I want to be on fire for God.

What about you?  Are you plugged in to the right Power Source?  They say, "It only takes a spark to get a fire going." Shine your Light so others may see you burn for God.

Waiting for the Flowers to Bloom

Did you know it's sunflower season? I always marvel when I see the beauty and splendor of sunflowers dancing in the breeze.

When Troy and I first got married and started our home, we made multiple attempts to grow sunflowers. Every year we would prepare the perfect patch for them, and every year we would have a gully wash of rain the day we planted. The tiny seeds were always carried away from their perfect patch to some unknown destination.

Sometimes life seems like those washed away sunflowers.  We have this grand picture in our head of how life will unfold. But every once in a while, no matter how hard we try, we find our life on a different path than we imagined. Many times the path is beautiful, but other times the path is difficult.  Sometimes the rains of life beat down on us. It shakes us loose from our comfort zone and maybe even changes our location.  We may even feel like we are being carried away by life's torrential downpours.

Two years ago, we made a new flower bed in my backyard. We planted some iris bulbs a friend had given us, and we hung a bird feeder.  Until the other day, I had decided hanging a bird feeder in a flower bed is a terrible idea, because the birds are not very careful, and they often drop seed everywhere. This results in an enormous amount of weeds growing in the bed.

God changed my mind though, because I found a welcomed, unexpected surprise among those weeds.  My heart soared when I discovered a beautiful sunflower growing voluntarily in that bed. My brain immediately started thinking about how my life was very much like the sunflower before me. What I thought had been missed opportunities in my life, were really just God's way of taking care of me because He had something better in store for me.  And what about those sunflowers that got washed away all those years ago? I am sure they brought beauty and joy wherever God sprouted them.

Are you struggling with something right now? Does it seem like God is saying no to things or shutting doors for you when you feel like you want to walk through those doors? Maybe He's not really saying, "No." Maybe, like my sunflowers, He's saying, "Not yet." Jeremiah 29:11 says: "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."
 
 So remember this: God always has us right where He wants us.  We just need to trust Him and  know His ways are best. Sometimes it will rain, but many, many days the sun will shine. So always remember to bloom where you are planted.

Lessons from a Dragonfly

It was a great day on the beach,  but the wind was blowing approximately 900 miles an hour. Every once in a while, we'd be sand blasted, but other than that,  it was perfect.

As I sat there, a dragonfly caught my attention. He was perched on a little twiggy thing sticking out of the sand.  It was probably something spewed up by the sea. Though it didn't seem important to me, it was a perfect anchor for this dragonfly. He hung out there the entire day. There were other twigs that would have seemed ok, but he had his sights set on this particular twig.

It was so windy I really don't know how he remained anchored to it, but somehow he did. Oh he flew away from time to time, if something scared him or caught him off guard, but he always came right back to that same spot. People buzzed around him, but he just hung on. Waves crashed and birds swooped,  but he just clung to the twig. Dogs barked and little kids giggled and screamed with delight,  but still he just hung on. It didn't matter how hard the wind howled, he just remained latched to that twig.

Here is what I learned from the dragonfly.  We need to allow God to be our anchor. Sometimes the waves of life will crash around us, and people will be going about life doing their own thing,  but we just need to keep clinging to The Anchor. Many people won't understand why The Anchor is so important to us, but we should never let that sway us. Sometimes we may even let go and flit away, but we should always keep The Anchor in sight, and never too far from our grasp.

I am not sure dragonflies always spend so much time in one place, but that's a great lesson too. Sometimes you need to slow down, relax, and enjoy the scenery around you. Just hanging out on The Anchor may give you a fresh perspective on life. Even if life leaves you feeling sand blasted, you can take comfort in knowing The Anchor will never move. I'm pretty sure the dragonfly had a great day; I know I sure did. So I will try to remember the lesson from the dragonfly as I flit through life: Slow down every once in a while, and just hang out and rest in God, the one true Anchor.

Don't Forget to Dance in the Rain

I have a file I have been building for the past 19 years. It's labeled "Memories" and it contains photos, drawings,  cards, notes, and other items I've received during my teaching career.  This file contains things that have really touched and encouraged my heart over the years.

This week I took time to sort through each item in the file, because after 19 years of teaching,  I have accepted a new job as the Coordinator of Gifted Education for Mathews County Public Schools. It's hard for me to believe I am leaving the classroom after all these years, but I am really excited about this new opportunity. 

During this quest to pack up my classroom and move to a new location,  I found a precious letter one of my students wrote to me about 12 years ago. One line from the letter read, "Thank you, Mrs. Bray, for teaching us to dance in the rain." I have thought so much about that letter, and for the life of me I can't remember a single time I ever took my students outside to dance in the rain. 

But then I decided, it really doesn't matter whether I remember dancing in the rain or not. She remembered it, and it was important enough for her to write to me about it. If I had to guess, we probably got caught by an unexpected rain shower on the playground,  and we giggled and acted silly all the way inside. I can't be sure about that, but it sounds like something I would do.  What I do know is that 12 years later, the lesson from a first grader rings loud and clear in my soul.  Embrace each moment and make the most of it, because you never know how your actions will impact another, and you never know if you will ever have another opportunity cross your path again. We always have a choice as to whether we focus on the good or the bad in all situations.  Some of the greatest life lessons I have learned have come from my students.

I have loved teaching at Lee-Jackson Elementary School. The friends I've made and the lessons I've learned have shaped me, and I am blessed to have spent so much time there. I cannot thank the parents enough for supporting me and  for sharing their precious babies with me.  It has truly been a joy.

Now it is time for me to move on to this new adventure. Sometimes change can be hard, but mostly it's exciting.  I've had an amazing ride over the past 19 years, and I cannot wait to see what happens next. I don't know what each moment will hold, but I do know I will always have the opportunity to dance in the rain.