A Very Lucky Girl

This song, "If I Die Young" by The Band Perry, has taken on whole new meaning following the events that took place in Newtown, Connecticut last Friday. A touching song, I disagree with the line that declares "I've had just enough time." Charlotte Beacon will never have her double digits 10th birthday party Daniel Barden will never try out for the high school football team Olivia Engel will never be a teenager Josephine Gay will never get her driver's license Ana M. Marquez-Greene will never go on her first date Dylan Hockley will never be voted Most Likely to Succeed in the yearbook Madeleine F. Hsu will never have kids of her own Catherine V. Hubbard will never walk down the aisle to get married Chase Kowalski will never take a girl out on a date Jesse Lewis will never mow the lawn James Mattioli will never be a dad Grace McDonnell will never be Homecoming Queen Emilie Parker will never have that first babysitting j...

"Success is not final, failure is not fatal; it is the courage to continue that counts."-Winston Churchill What a brilliant guy. During their series "At the Movies", Craig Groeschel used the movie "Moneyball", starring the ever-handsome Brad Pitt to illustrate a sermon. I really liked Craig's points, some of the verses he highlighted for the congregation, and the close-ups of Brad's face.  "For though a righteous man falls seven time, he rises again..."-Proverbs 24:16 "Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up."-Galatians 6:9  I remember the first time I failed a test in school. I was in 6th grade in Ms. Newsome's history class and we were learning the African countries and capitals. Well, the rest of the class was learning them. I didn't, as evidenced by my failing grade on the quiz. This previously straight A student was DEVASTATED. Think hiccuping ...

If I had to pick a favorite out of all the educational institutions I've attended, New Hope Academy in Franklin, Tennessee would take the number one spot. For two reasons: 1) I left after third grade, the drama in elementary school is fairly minimal; 2) the people. Kindergarden was my first year there. I narrowly escaped being homeschooled by Shari but Miss LaVerne (I'm 95% positive of her name) called in August, announcing that a spot had opened up. I think Shari and I were both relieved. I couldn't have asked for a better kindergarden teacher, they don't come much better than Tracy Utley. She homeschools her own boys now and I'm jealous that they get her teaching for more than one year; I would learn from her any and every day! I weirdly remember a very specific leopard print belt that she would wear sometimes, guess I was a wanna-be fashionista. Still am--a wannabe that is. Samantha Wilson became my very best friend and I started crushing hard on Nick Ingham. ...