Having taught at many preschools and in Metro for one year I have seen some good schools, but many bad schools. I am extremely lucky to be teaching at a school that I enjoy working at, but more importantly one that a truly great school. Even though we lost everything in every classroom due to the flood, we have persevered. Our staff has worked hard over the summer to get everything in working order so we can start back strong in August. This will be my third year teaching at St. George’s. The first year I was an educational assistant to a special needs child. The following year, I transfered with him to MNPS to help him adjust to kindergarten. After working in Metro for a year, I decided to go back to St. George’s. I did not do this because working in a private school is better or more comfortable. Because you can have a private school be neither one of those things without  all the pieces that make a school a great school.

I have been in the education field for about 9 years. Some of that was training in school, working in a church nursery or daycares. The thing that can make or break a great school (or business for that matter) is good leadership. Good leadership is essential to a successful school. And in a case of a school system you cannot just strictly have a good principal. You need good leadership from the board. A good principal can only lead as good as they are being led. I saw this in Metro. Despite having a school in a rich and “comfortable” area, the school still suffered because of the leadership within MNPS and not necessarily because of the administrative staff at the school. The school still had teachers that just showed up to get a pay check and students that did not care about learning. Children that often fell between the cracks because no one was there to motivate them. If you do not have good leadership everything below will suffer.

At my school we have great leadership. We have a group of individuals that strive for excellence and put in everything they have to make our school great. They empower their employees. The teachers feel like they are an integral part of the school. The leaders acknowledge the fact if they didn’t have the great teachers, they wouldn’t have the great school. The teachers feel like they are more than just a test score number they are trying to achieve. They know without them a piece of the puzzle would be missing.

When you have employees that are empowered, you have people that are also striving for excellence for the greater good of the school. They show up to work enthusiastic about making a difference. They are committed. Some schools may have great teachers, but without the proper leadership these people will begin to feel discouraged. They won’t feel like they are making a difference. And a lot of them will stop trying so hard. When you have great leadership paired with great teachers, you are always going to be benefiting the very thing that they are all there to do: the students.

The students will get an exceptional academic experience. They will be thriving in their school environment. The good thing about private schools versus public schools is a smaller classroom size. Instead of having 22+ students you will only have around 15. That way the teachers can give each child the individual attention that they need. Do I think that a classroom has to have only 15 students in order for the children to receive individual attention? Definitely not. But it helps. When you have students that are thriving, the parents will notice. When the parents feel good about their child’s education, they will want to be involved as well.

The parents are every bit of this education community as the children and the staff are. They want what is best for their child. And when they see the child is getting the best, they want to be a part of it. They will be more involved at home as well as at the school.

You can take this equation and strip away one thing and it won’t work. All of these parts are an important part of the school being successful. And great leadership is vital. It is the backbone. The teachers are the heart and the children and parents are the life blood that runs through it. Every part matters.

I am extremely blessed to work in that kind of environment. Not because it is a private school in the wealthy Belle Meade area. But because it is a great school. We were stripped of all of our possessions. The flood left us raw and exposed. But what happened from that was a very beautiful thing… and it was because it is a great school. Because we have great leaders. We have teachers that care. We have a strong community of students and parents. It works whether we have a lot of have little. It works in Belle Mead and out of it. It truly is a great school.

The church needs a face lift. It needs to change. And it took me stepping outside of it and looking in to see it. If you know me at all, or occasionally read my blog, you know that I have several opinions about it. I think the ancient days of door-to-door evangelizing are over. I think the days of acting religious and being religious for the sake of being religious should be over. I think the days of acting like as a Christian you are so far above everyone else should have never of been an issue. I think the “I am right, you are wrong” mentality is never going to win over nonbelievers to your side. It doesn’t work in any kind of debate. What does work is being kind and loving others regardless of what they believe, what color their skin is, what their sexual orientation is, if they have addictions… whatever the “problem” may be, love is always the answer. Always.

If you haven’t already clicked that link in the beginning sentence, I encourage you to do so. Read it. With a open heart and mind.

Here are some highlights that I find insightful:

What do Christians learn when they start listening to atheists? Henderson, author of the forthcoming book The Outsider Interviews, has found that the “I’m right/you’re wrong” model is a conversation-killer par excellence. So is speaking of non-converts as “lost.” “Nothing sets off an atheist more than hearing a Christian say, ‘I know Jesus is God and that I’m going to heaven when I die,’ ” Henderson says. “They also notice that we often say it loudly and arrogantly, which only serves to reinforce their negative opinion of our certainty.”

Atheists are also wary of being seen as “projects.” Does continued contact and eventual friendship with the Christian in their life depend on them converting?

As Christian pastor Samir Selmanovic has written, two-way conversations with the not-like-minded are vital for a devout person’s spiritual growth. Selmanovic, author of the 2009 book It’s Really All about God, wrote in aHuffington Post article that friendly atheists are “desirable and necessary interlocutors in our human conversation. … To us religious people, atheists are not only precious neighbors but also strangers who see what we cannot see and ask questions that we don’t know how to ask. … Atheists are God’s whistle-blowers.”

Benefits flow in both directions when Christian-atheist conversations break out. Matt Casper, the atheist co-author with Henderson of Jim and Casper Go to Church, and Henderson’s partner in the ChurchRater.com venture, says his engaging with Christians is motivated by his desire to get them to question their certitude and to see that atheists don’t have tails and horns. Being around Christians, Casper adds, “has made me a better person.”

Conventional evangelism is often accused, and rightly so, of “bait and switch” tactics; think attractive social gathering or sports outing that, unbeknownst to invitees, is really designed to segue into a Gospel pitch. Henderson has a fascinating alternative to propose: all bait, no switch.

Call it promotion by non-promotion, evangelism by attraction, goodwill mongering, or letting one’s life speak for itself, but this is what will best represent the faith among the many Americans who do not share the evangelical faith. Henderson and his fellow travelers are right in urging would-be evangelists simply to get to know people, become their friends and let the spiritual chips fall where they may.

The problem with evangelizing the majority of the time is arrogance. The idea that we as Christians have all the right answers to world and how to live life. And arrogance is always off putting. There is absolutely no love in arrogance. And how can you show Christ’s love with arrogance?

The revolution that needs to happen in the Church and among Christians is simply to love. Love freely. Love unconditionally.

One of the recent examples of the Church showing love and being what the Church needs to be was from a local church here in Nashville. Crosspoint church is lead by Pete Wilson.  I feel like out of the churches that I have attended in my life, this church is on the right track. I feel like Pete is extremely authentic and has a good understanding about what the church means and how that applies to the local community. During the flood in May, they stopped everything that they were doing and went out into the community to help others. They helped clean up flood damaged homes and started the rebuilding process. They were out there in the community when the people needed help. They were out there extending the love of Christ to people they did not know. To people who were and were not believers. And in doing that selfless act of helping, they showed God’s love. I am not sure if a “talk” about Jesus ever came up… but even if it had not they still did more just by showing up.

while that’s great and all, it is killing and completely over saturating the photography business.

now anybody can call themselves a photographer. you have a fancy digital SLR, you must be a photographer. even that soccer mom over there can be a photographer. because all photography must be is pointing a camera at something… snapping a picture and maybe popping it into an online editing site and voila– your a photographer! and if someone notices your ok maybe you can charge someone to do a portrait session. make $50.00. then they tell their friends and you can make some more money. then you have mediocre pictures saturating the market and good photographers that charge a little more are no longer getting any work because their prices are “too high” even if their work is ten times better than the soccer mom’s.

so, what if you are a good photographer not getting any work because your prices are “too high”? your work is good. you have experience. you take the time to make everything look the best it can. but, jane over there runs her pictures through a batch process with some downloaded process of the internet and charges $400 for an entire wedding day. what do you do then, good photographer? do you compromise your work and your ethics to meet the demands of the people? do you lower your standards just to make a quick buck?

honestly, i don’t have the answers for that.

because here is what i know. i have worked hard in my photography business. i strive for excellence in my work. i edit every single photo by hand. without the handy use of a batch process or some downloaded process. everything you see on my photos is my own work… not a copy of someone else’s. i want my pictures to look great. and i am far from the best, but i am good. and i don’t normally say that because i don’t like to sound braggy and have never felt comfortable saying i am good at something. but my work and time is worth something. it is worth more than $400.00. but what am i to do when people see pictures that are mediocre and expect the same low prices for work that is beyond exceptional?

it is a hard place to be in… even major photographers far better than myself are dealing with this.

today Jeremy Cowart tweeted:

“Just talked to a client who I hadn’t heard from in a while. They said it’s due to the fact that “everyone now has a 5D and can play around”.

“That’s the sad state where photography is coming to. Everyone is now a photographer. I’m now officially hearing it from my own clients.”

“HUGE response to my tweets regarding my client. Obviously it’s a tough time for everyone. Vision is more important than ever.”

our market is over saturated. and it kinda sucks. anybody and everybody is a “photographer” now. and how do you stand out and still make money with out compromising in that?

*sigh*

Hilton Head was anything but relaxing. The beach was about a 2 mile drive away at a uber crowded beach club. I hate crowded beaches. The house we stayed in was nice, however.

This trip was stressful for a few reasons. Minor stresses include the island being way busy and crowded. With that much going on all the time, I don’t know how people can relax! Trying to park at the beach club and find a space at the beach was stressful and not worth the effort of going to the beach. Which meant I only went to the beach 3 times during our 7 day stay. We also discovered two nails lodged in our tire. Which meant we needed to get it repaired (while on a day trip to Savannah). This turned into, the tire is too worn to repair… you need a new tire… might as well get 4 new tires. All that equals a lot of money. And a lot of stress. On our way back we stayed the night in Atlanta at the Double Tree. We had to wait a hour for a room to be ready and then it wasn’t even the room we booked. On top of that it was like Madea’s family reunion there. They were loud and super obnoxious.

But, the major stresses were things that I could not control. The night before we left for Hilton Head, I found out my dad was in the hospital. Over the course of our vacation, he became more ill. He had a blood infection, pneumonia, and it was discovered that due to a hernia enlarging, his stomach had become displaced… and found a new home by his heart. He had to have major surgery to replace his stomach back where it belonged. He is also not in Nashville, because he is visiting people in Texas. Which made this event even more stressful, because he is not at a hospital I can easily visit. He is away from his doctors. And a good hospital, like Vanderbilt. It was difficult all week not knowing what was going on with him and if he was going to be ok.

So basically, I needed a vacation from that vacation. It just was not great, due to no fault of anyone… just some crazy circumstances and a new place. Hopefully, the oil will be gone next year and the vacation will be better.

On the bright side, I got to see several alligators near the lagoons. I always enjoy seeing interesting animals in the wild [or in their natural habitats].

I knew Twilight fans were crazy. And I know there’s bound to be a few annoying people mixed around in that bunch. Remember the girls screaming when Edward appeared on screen and Jacob taking his shirt of in New Moon last year? Yeah, there’s some major Twi-Hards at these things. And this was no exception. Fortunately, for a while, our seats deterred some people from sitting around us. We had this huge partition in front of us that slightly obscured the bottom centimeter of the screen. No big deal if you have good posture. We had several people sit down, complain about it and move. Even one girl that had sparkles on because apparently she thinks she’s a vampire. But then the inevitable happened. And unfortunately for us, it was some super annoying people on both sides of us. To my left the most annoy group of blondes I think I may of ever encountered. Typical teenage girls that cuss for the heck of it and think the world evolves around them. Making snide comments at people and talking as loud as they possibly could. I considered punching one in the face after one of those snide comments was directed at my friend… but later had a much darker thought [that Bethany blew the "therapy whistle" at]. Then on Bethany’s side a girl that talked about inappropriate things much much too loudly. As to draw attention to herself, naturally. And she too had commentary on just about everything on screen. Even about noble Edward wanting to wait to have sex before him and Bella were married. If you have read the books, you know this. Number two, this is not a bad thing. It is wonderful there is something in the mainstream showing the example of waiting. [and ps. Edward is not real. He is a fictional character portrayed by Robert Pattinson. An actor, by the way, that you probably will never meet. And most definitely will never have the chance of dating. So stop daydreaming and get a life]

If I had a few thousand laying around, I would want to rent out the entire theatre as to not deal with these stupid people. So, after we move past the annoying people attending this film, you are left with the best film out of the Twilight Saga yet.

Eclipse was good. It was so much better than the other two. I was hoping it would be good. I was hoping David Slade could pull this one out and make it work. And he did. He, along with Melissa Rosenberg made the book more real than the others. They brought the intensity of Edward and Bella’s relationship to life. They brought the passion Jacob has for Bella to life. And most surprising of all, the actors brought it this time. Even Kristen Stewart had a few good moments. But it was Taylor Lautner that gave a really great performance. The cinema-photography was pretty awesome. The movie did not lack in action or in romance. As a fan of the books above the movies, I was disappointed with the arrangement of somethings. I liked the anticipated tent scene, with the exception of how Jacob finds out Bella and Edward are engaged and Bella’s reaction after THE kiss that finally takes place between Bella and Jacob. It missed some key points in the pure devastation that Jacob faces in knowing Bella’s choice. Everything was better in this movie. I walked away from New Moon highly disappointed. Even though I bought the movie, I wouldn’t necessarily recommend it to anyone. But, I would recommend going to see Eclipse. Finally, a good one.

“I’ll be back so soon you won’t have time to miss me. Look after my heart— I’ve left it with you” -Edward

“It’s not like love at first sight, really. It’s more like… gravity moves. When you see her, suddenly it’s not the earth holding here anymore. She does. And nothing matters more than her. And you would do anything for her, be anything for her…. You become whatever she needs you to be, whether that’s a protector, or a lover, or a friend, or a brother” -Jacob

“I prefer brunettes” -Edward

“I promise to love you forever— every single day of forever. Will you marry me?” -Edward

And because I prefer Jacob [based on the books, of course ]:

“My fingers tightened in his hair, but I was pulling him closer now. He was everywhere. The piercing sunlight turned my eyelids red, and the color fit, matched the heat. The heat was everywhere. I couldn’t see or hear or feel anything that wasn’t Jacob. The tiny piece of my brain that retained sanity screamed questions at me. Why wasn’t I stopping this? Worse than that, why couldn’t I find in myself even the desire to want to stop? That my hands clung to his shoulders, and liked that they were wide and strong? That his hands pulled me too tight against his body, and yet it was not tight enough for me? The questions were stupid, because I knew the answer. I’d been lying to myself. Jacob was right. He’d been right all along. He was more than just my friend. That’s why it was so impossible to tell him goodbye— because I was in love with him.” -Bella

I am really hoping Eclipse is better than New Moon and Twilight. I was rather disappointed in New Moon… I guess I will be finding out Tuesday/Wednesday at 12:01 am! Yay!

i also try super hard to take good care of my teeth. but it seems no matter what i do there is always something that needs to be fixed. always. i even had those sealant things put on my teeth when i was a teenager, and they did NOT work. i think i grind my teeth, so they may have worn off, but goodness! never fails, i always have something.

before last year, it had been about 6 years since i had been to the dentist. dental work is expensive and my parents didn’t have dental insurance. so, i didn’t go. last year, i was provided with dental insurance through my job and finally went. as you may have guessed, i had a lot of work to get done. did i mention i hate going to the dentist?

last year i had some stuff done and am finishing it up this summer. generally if you have insurance, they bill you for the amount you owe. they did last year, so when i went today, i was expecting the same thing. they proceeded to tell my they are trying to get away from billing and that i was required to pay the balance then. um, come again? i am glad these people think i have a few hundred laying around to pay for their services. [thankfully, i do, but still.] what if someone didn’t? because we don’t use any credit cards, if i didn’t have the money then, what would they do? if you are expected to pay in full at the time of services, they should inform their patients. most people cannot afford to drop several hundred on dental work at one time. it is customary if you have insurance to be billed for the balance. and you can either pay a little at a time, or in full when you receive your bill.

they also overprice EVERYTHING! a little tiny filling generally cost about $60… not there! it is around $100+. i hate it for the people who really need a lot of care and no insurance. how can they even pay for all that? it is just not fair to penalize everyone for a few people that may not pay their bills. i pay mine. and i pay it on time.

i also, may or may not be passive aggressive.

but! my birthday is tomorrow and i am going to eat at pie in the sky with the fam! i LOVE the buffalo chicken pizza from there. best. thing. ever. [salivating just thinking about it... or maybe it's cause my mouth is numb?]

and next tuesday at midnight, i will be in line with a ton of crazy girls going to see ECLIPSE at MIDNIGHT!!!!!!!!!!! yay!

[you really can't miss a huge Jesus statue on the side of the interstate]

I thought it was ridiculous the first time I saw it. I laughed for a good 10 minutes of the sight of this statue of Jesus. Not that I think Jesus is ridiculous, but spending $250,000+ on a statue in His likeness? That I think is ridiculous.

And in a bit of irony Monday night, lightning stuck the statue. And the statue burned leaving only an ashy frame.

[above photos AP]

Now, I certainly hate that the church had to deal with a fire… and the damage it caused. but, let’s be honest. This is funny.

and adding to the ironically funny situation is this 911 call:

Caller: Reports a “bolt of lightning” has hit the statue.

Dispatcher: “Jesus is on fire”

Caller: “I swear to God, this not a prank … I am serious. I just saw it get struck by lightning.”

Dispatcher: “I believe you.”

Caller: “I know it’s not funny, but literally his one hand is on fire.”

Another Caller: “Lightning hit the touchdown Jesus monument, it’s flaming.”

[You can even watch the "Touchdown Jesus" burn to cheesy music]

What are your thoughts on the finale?

I love LOST. I think it is the best television series I have ever experienced. It was bittersweet as The End approached. I longed for any answers, but at the same time the mysteries is what made this show so intriguing.

Season Six began with a look at what life would be like for our survivors if Oceanic 815 never crashed. On island, we saw deeper into the story of the island, Jacob and the MIB roles, and finally the story of Richard Alpert! That episode was epic. Jack on island and off in the flash sideways is still looking for ways to fix everything. On island he becomes a man of faith. He takes on the job as protector of the island. He finally finds his purpose. All the while, the MIB is trying to leave the island and destroy it and everyone else. We see the origins of the MIB and Jacob. Two boys with a crazy mother with their own personal failures and pain. Over the past six years we have seen our survivors in their worst moments. We have seen them in pain, joy, life and death. The writes have always done an excellent job of character building. Making the viewers love these characters despite their obvious flaws.

On present day island, the remaining survivors, Jack, Kate, Hurley, Sawyer are trying to stop the MIB. Acting as the new Jacob, Jack goes to the heart of the island to protect it from the MIB and to ultimately kill him. It was humerous to me how literal the cork and bottle scenario Jacob used to describe the island actually was. There literally was a stone in keeping the island safe, like the cork holding in the wine. Once removed, the island began to sink. This changed the mortality of the MIB and Jack. Both were susceptible to death now. The MIB took this opportunity to leave thinking he had succeeded in destroying the island. But Jack more determined than ever fought back. With Kate’s help, he was able to kill the MIB, but not before receiving a stab in the stomach. Jack knew what must be done. He passed on the job of protector to Hurley. He set off to save the island. He replaced the stone to save the island, even if it cost him his life. Meanwhile, Sawyer, Kate and Claire were able to get on the Ajira plane with Ben, Miles and Lapidus.

As the season progressed, we see the flash sideways timeline start to knit together the characters. They still managed to effect each others lives even with Oceanic 815 not crashing on the island. As they effect each others lives, they begin to see flashes of their lives on the island. Finally, all the survivors are together in this church. Jack is the last to see visions of his past life on the island. Jack sees his father’s coffin and it is empty. His dad appears behind him. Jack questions how he can be there if he is dead, and his father says, ”How are YOU here, Jack”. Jack then realizes he is dead as well as his friends and begins to weep. Christian says ”Everyone dies sometime kiddo. Some before you son, some long after you… there is no ‘now’, here…This is the place that you all made together so you could find one another. The most important part of your life was the time that you spent with these people. That’s why all of you are here. Nobody does it alone, Jack.” Jack walks into the church with his dad and all the survivors hug and sit down in the pews. It is time to let go and move on.

On island, Jack stumbles into the bamboo forest where we first saw our hero awake in season one. We see Christian’s shoe still suspended from the tree, though weathered now after 3 years on the island. Jack lies down to die, holding his stab wound. Vincent comes from the clearing to rest beside Jack, ensuring that he won’t die alone. Jack looks up the sky to see the Ajira flight safely flying over head. He smiles knowing he accomplished what he set forth to do. His friends were safely leaving the island.

In the flash sideways, Christian walks to the back of the church and light fills the room. On island, Jack’s eye closing was the final moment in the series. Poignant and Perfect.

Live together or Die alone.

I thought it was a wonderful end to an amazing series. Everything that happened, happened. They experienced life and death, pain and suffering, joy and healing on the island. Their experiences brought them closer. Made them better. Even though LOST had mystery, thrills, and science phenomena, it was always a story about these flawed individuals. A story of redemption.