Grace Before Peace

A choice... "Sarah, just think, I could be in heaven soon!" How does one respond to that? July 2018 was the beginning of one of those times in my life when I had a choice, a choice that could make an impact broader than my blind eye can see. When faced with the excitement of a saint about to enter into their eternal reward my choices were, I could live out what I say I believe and be excited with her or I can run away in fear, unbelief, and cry out in selfishness for this time to not come. With a matriarch like my Bema leading the way, setting the example of living out your faith, my choice was a much easier and joyful than I imagined. On going learning... I can remember months after my mother passed away and even now nearly 20 years later my human heartache creeping in saying, "Why MY mom? I needed/need her! I have so many things to say, to ask, memories to make. WHY?!" I can never get far down that path of thinking before I hear this whisper to my heart ...

Not all college assignments were dreaded, for the most part I actually loved college, loved learning, loved being given a challenge to overcome. However, something I hated in my college education classes was the reflections! Literally hundreds of them that I have written over the course of 4 years and 14 years of various teaching roles. Answering the same questions over and over with each lesson prepared and lesson taught. What was your objective? How do you plan to meet that objective? How does it tie to previous learning yet build knowledge for the next lesson to be learned (scaffolding 😝)? Did you meet your objective? How did you adjust your objective and lesson to accommodate for various learners or unexpected situations?? Reflect, reflect, reflect Fast forward 14 years from college graduation, almost cried out loud typing that out!! 😢 Pretty sure a new wrinkle just popped out on my forehead too.😰 Anyway, today I find myself longing for more time to just reflect! I don’...

Better late than never... This morning as I was coming in to school for the second time (the first time was at 7:30am to prep my classroom  for my students before going to observe my mentee across town) as I walked in just a few minutes after the tardy bell I saw a student hurrying in to class and with an guilty smile on his face and a fresh Starbucks in hand said "Good Morning Mrs. Bartmier, I am little late." I had a couple of options for my response: Option 1) "Really? I hadn't noticed! Hope that Starbucks is good because another tardy on your attendance is a downward spiral that leads straight to detention." Option 2) "Well better late than never, lets get to work." Not sure which response is politically correct according to the Danielson frameworks but I went with option 2. When I started this blog I had every intention of posting at least monthly and yet here is it a year after my last post and a fresh no bake cookie in hand... Better late...

"Just wanted to let you know I was praying for you today to finish this school year strong and encouraged..."  27 O Jacob, how can you say the LORD does not see your troubles? O Israel, how can you say God ignores your rights? 28 Have you never heard? Have you never understood? The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of all the earth. He never grows weak or weary. No one can measure the depths of his understanding. 29 He gives power to the weak and strength to the powerless. 30 Even youths will become weak and tired, and young men will fall in exhaustion. 31 But those who trust in the LORD will find new strength. They will soar high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint. Isaiah 40:27-31 (NLT) 10 But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them, though it was not I, but the grace of God that is wit...

So, for those of you that don't know... I am a BEACH GIRL!!! If I could pitch tent or a shack on a beach and just live I would! Who wouldn't, right?? Shack on a beach is everyone's paradise isn't it? Well maybe not but its mine and its what inspired my writing today, so I hope you enjoy and can imagine that you hear the sounds of the waves... Not sure about you but I am pretty sure they are saying "Sarah, come to the beach, the waters warm and the sand is soft..." hahahaha  Growing up my family didn't take many vacations... only a couple that I can vividly recall actually. These vacations were to a bay house, in the gulf, near Port Lavaca, TX. We would load up in the station wagon and head down to the bay house with Uncles, Aunts, cousins, and of course Bema and Papaw. We always arrived to the bay house (keep in mind this was no Ritz Carlton, not even a Motel 6... but it looked like a dream house to me!) with all the shutters battened down and everything...