Happy Tuesday! The data transfer from my computer to Bruce’s went wonky and so Sunday’s blog did not get posted until Monday afternoon. So I decided to write again tonight and hopefully get back on track.

The butterfly count is 12! Wow, the time is going so quickly. There is so much to do before the end of the year. Tonight’s activity was to watch the show choirs from Lamar HS perform at the Levitt Outdoor Pavilion. That is the new performances stage on Abrams Street here in Arlington. I had never been there before and found it was really nice. Take your lawn chairs and blankets, something to eat and drink and enjoy free concerts throughout the summer. Really cool!! The choirs did an excellent job. The Madrigal men did a tribute to the beach boys and during the performance six of the young men picked up Travis. It was quite a sight! But truly lots of fun!

Luke 4:18 “the Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because He hath sent me to heal the broken-hearted, to preach deliverance to the captives—to set at liberty them that are bruised.”

I think I used this scripture a few days ago, but I have had some more thoughts of this scripture so please indulge me. Every year around this time school staffing makes changes in anticipation for the Fall semester of the new school year.

Personnel get moved around to different grade levels within the building to best meet the needs of the students and the teaching teams. This always brings about a fair amount of stress among those who are being moved as well as to those teams who are getting new members. Now this is a fairly regular occurrence in the school business, but this year our building has the added stress of an asbestos abatement.

This announcement translates to the fact that everyone has to completely pack up their classroom. After we have moved our packed boxes out of our rooms, the workers will come in and remove all the asbestos from the walls and ceilings, then will replace the walls and ceilings with non-asbestos materials. We are not allowed in the building past June 8 until the construction can be completed. For a first year teacher this is not a big deal. For those of us who have been teaching for nearly 30 years it is a formidable concern. I have been given 25 boxes with which to pack up many years of teaching materials. Now if this is all with which I had to deal it would be enough, but I still have an 18 year old trying to complete the next two weeks of school and then graduated. In the next two weeks, we also have to deal with the prom, after prom, graduation and family graduation party plus closing out the school year. OH, MY GOSH!!!

As I was reading in my journal entitled, God Calling, I was reminded that all of this “stuff,” my list, while important, is really just stuff. That in this world stuff is all important, but in the Kingdom of God spiritual things are take full precedence. First and foremost God wants us to have knowledge of Spiritual things. Spiritual things must come first and then material things (the “stuff”). God tells us to cover ourselves in the Spirit of the Lord first. If we put “seek the Lord and desire the knowledge of God” at the top of our lists then the material things will get done because we invited Him to be the first part of our stuff.

This week I have been the target of several jokes concerning all of the stuff in my classroom. When the pallet of boxes was delivered to the school today, the talk around school was “well here are Mrs. Chrystie’s boxes, where are ours?” LOL I really do not want to be identified by my stuff, I would really like to be identified as someone who has compassion and love for those around me. When Jesus was baptized He began His public ministry. Jesus packed up all of the last 30 years and began to walk the road with the clothes on His body, the sandals on His feet and the guiding hand of the Father. Jesus sought the spiritual world and then sought the material. Jesus was not identified by His stuff, but by His spirit. The road for Jesus past baptism led to the cross. Material assets were not important, but spiritual assets were at the forefront of His life.

How are we identified? Are we identified with the material things we own? Or are we identified as believers; believers with holiness, love and compassion for others? Does our name badge say, “Gaylene Chrystie(insert your name), pack rat (insert your identity),” or does it say, “Gaylene Chrystie, child of God?.”

Take stock and take joy in the journey. Love you all, Bruce, Gaylene, Geni and Travis.

Gcapplenotes@aol.com

I am not moved by by what I see. I am not moved by what I feel. I am moved only by what I believe and I believe God.

PS Please pray for my Uncle Gene. He and his wife, Imogene, were my first baby sitters when I was a toddler. He has been diagnosed with lung cancer. He is nearing 80 years old and is obviously not in good health. They have some tough decisions to make in the near future. Please pray for this dear, sweet couple, that they have the presence of mind to make the right decisions. Thank you. Love, gc