Yeah I think to Myself... (Happy Earth Day 2020!)

"Wonderful" (to the tune of "What a Wonderful World")
Poem of the Day - 4/22/20
Audio Version of Today's Poem

I see sunny skies
And budding trees
Tulips in bloom
Smiling at me

And I think to myself...
What a wonderful world

Hearts, Hope, and Questions Burning

When I mention the Lenten song "Jerusalem, My Destiny," many people nod and say something along the lines of, "Yeah, we sang that all the time in my parish growing up." Interesting...we never did. Maybe it's a midwest thing?

Here's how it goes:

Refrain:

I have fixed my eyes on your hills,

Jerusalem, my Destiny!

Though I cannot see the end for me,

I cannot turn away.

We have set our hearts for the way;

this journey is our destiny.

Let no one walk alone.

The journey makes us one.

Other spirits, lesser gods,

have courted me with lies.

Here among you I have found

a truth that bids me rise. (Refrain)

See, I leave the past behind;

a new land calls to me.

Here among you now I find

a glimpse of what might be. (Refrain)

In my thirst, you let me drink

the waters of your life,

Here among you I have met,

the Savior, Jesus Christ. (Refrain)

All the worlds I have not seen

you open to my view.

Here among you I have found

a vision bright and new. (Refrain)

To the tombs I went to mourn

the hope I thought was gone,

Here among you I awoke

to unexpected dawn. (Refrain)

I honestly heard it for the first time this year, and for some reason it struck a chord with me. I haven't been able to shake it since. I've been to Jerusalem, yes, but I don't think that's it, or at least it's not the only reason. I think, instead, that it's the idea of being fixed on our destiny, which is heaven, the "new Jerusalem." And if you really dive into the lyrics, the references to scripture are simply beautiful. But even more than these individual parts is the overarching theme of hope - a hope that is shown to us in a "bright and new" way, something that is "unexpected."

So as this Lent draws to a close and we enter into the Triduum tomorrow, I can't help but meditate on what it means for me to "set my heart for the way." What am I doing that allows me to live with a singular focus on Jesus Christ? What's is distracting me from the ultimate end goal of heaven? Who has walked with me and with whom have/am I walked/walking?

My dad always quotes a recording of a preacher talking about Good Friday in light of the hope of the Resurrection - the man says, "That's because it's Friday...Sunday's a-comin'!" Sunday is "a-comin'," and we, as Christians/Catholics, can find so much hope in that. God fixed His eyes on His people, and He sacrificed His only son so that we might have eternal life. This Easter season, let us, in turn, fix our eyes on Him and work to right our steps for our journey home.

Beautiful Things Not My Own

1) A beautiful song entitled "The Silence of God" came across my Feedly reader this morning. It's so peaceful and ripe for meaningful meditation.

2) This week, Fr. Mike (of UMD) had an incredible homily that focused on three things we can do to ensure that Mass matters: 1) Embrace our priesthood by offering sacrifice too; 2) Live out in your life what you profess in Mass; 3) Be willing to change because God wants to transform us. I'm not going to go into much detail, for Fr. Mike is far more eloquent than I could ever hope to be. But the bottom line is that Mass matters, just like setting time aside to practice something in order to get better at it or to get to know someone more. Just listen, trust me.

3) Apparently Bishop Lynch (Diocese of St. Petersburg) & Archbishop Cupich (Archdiocese of Chicago) are putting regional food on the line in a bet on who will win the Stanley Cup - LOVE it!

So sorry that I have no original content this evening - what can one do the eve before the last day of school, right?

What an Amazing Grace It Is!

I was never a huge fan of the song "Amazing Grace" growing up - it was one of those ones that, when we sang it, I didn't really feel anything special. It was just a song, one we had to sing every so often because it sounded good. (So, needless to say, I have, over time, committed it to memory.)

However, last night at my church's contemplative Mass, I had a different experience. I think what hit me this time was the word grace (which clearly is in the title, but which, also clearly, I have taken for granted) - it's not by any means of our own that we earn salvation; it's already been won by Jesus who died for us on the cross! (How many times have I sung this song and not really thought of that?!) I think all of the weekly Fr. Barron Catholicism lessons are finally starting to hit home...

It was, to sound cliche, amazing to finally (after all these years) come to this realization - what an amazing grace God has given us! Now, it's our turn to go out in the world, accept it, and share it with others!

~ ~ ~ ~ ~
On an unrelated note (but one that, in some way, has to do with graces), I am so grateful to the family and friends who helped Marisa and me celebrate our birthday this weekend. From enjoying a fish fry after conferences on Friday to phone calls and texts to St. Patrick's Day festivities to getting ice cream to gathering together for margaritas and chips after Mass last night - wow.

Now, if only Michigan State had won their bball game versus Wisconsin yesterday, it would have been pretty perfect... c'est la vie...

Daily Emmaus

Nearly moved to tears tonight at Mass...not sure what exactly hit me so strongly...I think the preparation song had something to do with it (and the Gospel being the story of Emmaus):

Who are you who walk in sorrow
Down Emmaus’ barren road,
Hearts distraught and hope defeated,
Bent beneath grief’s crushing load?
Nameless mourners, we will join you,
We who also mourn our dead;
We have stood by graves unyielding,
Eaten death’s bare, bitter bread.

Who is this who joins our journey,
Walking with us stride by stride?
Unknown Stranger, can You fathom
Depths of grief for one who died?
Then the wonder! When we told You
How our dreams to dust have turned,
Then You opened wide the Scriptures
Till our hearts within us burned.

Who are You? Our hearts are opened
In the breaking of the bread—
Christ the victim, now the victor
Living, risen from the dead!
Great companion on our journey,
Still surprise us with Your grace!
Make each day a new Emmaus;
On our hearts Your image trace!

Who are we who travel with You
On our way through life to death?
Women, men, the young, the aging,
Wakened by the Spirit’s breath!
At the font You claim and name us,
Born of water and the Word;
At the table still You feed us,
Host us as our risen Lord!

So beautiful. So powerful.

Sitting in Mass today (and afterwards while attending a presentation on the Archdiocesan "To Teach Who Christ Is" campaign), I realized that I am so blessed to worship with such a vibrant faith community that worships within a beautiful church building, has an angelic choir, and has dynamic priests. (And I feel that I've been blessed along the way growing up with such similar combos of worship dynamics in my Catholic parishes at different points in my life too.)

I pray to take the words of this hymn with me this week, keeping them ever present in my heart and on the tip of my tongue. Thank you, Lord, for speaking to me through song tonight.

Hallelujah Christmas

From the website: "This version of ‘Hallelujah’ by Cloverton will touch your heart." -->

A Hallelujah Christmas

The Little Teacher Girl, an Adaptation

I just couldn't help myself - I love fitting words into syllable counts and trying to bring meaning out of poetry. Here's my latest attempt - I turned a favorite Christmas carol into a teacher's song.

Merry (early) Christmas!

"The Little Teacher Girl" 
(adapted from "The Little Drummer Boy")

Come they told me, pa rum pum pum pum 
A teacher you will be, pa rum pum pum pum 
At Notre Dame with ACE, pa rum pum pum pum 
In Phoenix you've been placed, pa rum pum pum pum, 
rum pum pum pum, rum pum pum pum,

"Teach the students there," pa rum pum pum pum, 
When they come. 

Little students, pa rum pum pum pum 
I've never taught before, pa rum pum pum pum 
I don't know where to start, pa rum pum pum pum 
My greatest gift's my heart, pa rum pum pum pum, 
rum pum pum pum, rum pum pum pum, 

Shall I read with you, pa rum pum pum pum, 
Will you come? 

Soon, they nodded, pa rum pum pum pum 
The years quickly passed by, pa rum pum pum pum 
I taught subjects to them, pa rum pum pum pum 
I tried my best for them, pa rum pum pum pum, 
rum pum pum pum, rum pum pum pum, 

They still smile at me, pa rum pum pum pum 
Each day I come.

White Christmas

Bing Crosby singing "White Christmas" on the way to volleyball...Bing Crosby singing "White Christmas" on the way home from volleyball...

He can sing on my radio any day...

Sing to me, Bing. Sing to me...

Mary, Did You Know...in my sleep

Tonight, I'm pretty sure I'll be signing "Mary, Did You Know?" in my sleep...you know, whenever I get to sleep...(Don't you hate it when lesson planning keeps you up at night?)

Multiple times through x 4 station group rotations x 2 retreats (4th & 5th grades) + a couple times through during 7th grade family Advent event = a LOT of repetition

Oh, yes...and how could I forget doing it two more times this afternoon at the end of study hall with the 5th grade boys. It was completely voluntary. No, scratch that. It was in high demand. They were done with their homework, and what did they want to do? Sign. (I am not kidding - you cannot make this stuff up.) I couldn't keep a straight face - they were so darn cute.

I love teaching middle school, don't get me wrong. But some days I wish I could go back to teaching ones that are just a tad younger - 4th and 5th graders are such a fun bunch. So days like today and yesterday, when I had the opportunity to lead the retreats for those grades - these are the days when, though extra-filled, I feel extremely blessed and lucky. I thoroughly enjoyed every minute of those retreats.

The 7th and 8th grade retreat is next week...so we'll see how that goes. I'm a little worried because the 6th grade retreat left a little to be desired - but, then again, I only had one other teacher helping me. (On Tuesday, I should have some additional help from the principal and maybe some other teachers - at least, my fingers are crossed for that.)

Have a great weekend!!

Christmas Music

Though some of my "Top 10" Christmas songs definitely shuffle from year to year, I am inspired (from a question posed a volleyball last night) to re-post my favorites from 2011:

10. Winter Wonderland
9. The Christmas Waltz
8. God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen
7. Believe
6. Mary, Did You Know?
5. Little Drummer Boy
4. I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day
3. O Little Town of Bethlehem
2. I'll Be Home for Christmas

and...

1. Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas

There are so many other Christmas songs that make my heart happy too, especially "We Need a Little Christmas" (especially the Muppet version), "All I Want For Christmas is You" (any time of year...oh, Notre Dame), "Silver Bells," and "Mele Kalikimaka."

I found the Christmas radio station on my way to work this morning...Keep those songs coming!

The Little Things...

Yesterday's Value of the day email said this:

“I firmly believe in small gestures: pay for their coffee, hold the door for strangers, over tip, smile or try to be kind even when you don’t feel like it, pay compliments, chase the kid’s runaway ball down the sidewalk and throw it back to him, try to be larger than you are— particularly when it’s difficult. People do notice, people appreciate. I appreciate it when it’s done to (for) me. Small gestures can be an effort, or actually go against our grain (“I’m not a big one for paying compliments…”), but the irony is that almost every time you make them, you feel better about yourself. For a moment life suddenly feels lighter, a bit more Gene Kelly dancing in the rain.” (Jonathan Carroll, author)

The small things do matter, often times just as much as the big things because they are constant and they do, in a sense, add up.

While I couldn't find it online, JJ Heller sings a song called "Little Things" - There is so much too do, not enough time, money constraints, etc. - the list of excuses can go on and on for all of us. But if we stop and think about it - like the quote and this song go on to tell us - the little things make the difference.

So, the next time you think you're not big enough to make a difference or that "one small action isn't going to change the world so why bother", I beg you to reconsider.

Give yourself that "Gene Kelly" moment and allow yourself to dance in the rain...

Hearts on Fire

What are you looking for?
How will you spend your life?
What is your soul's desire?
What sets you on fire, 
and gladdens your heart?... (c)

Thus begins Steve Warner's (ND Folk Choir) powerful & beautiful new song written for the celebration of ACE's 20th year of its Service Through Teaching program. The Folk Choir debuted this piece during Preparation of the Gifts at Missioning Mass this morning - and I was on the verge of tears. Its message rings incredibly true with the mission of ACE, with our call as teachers and leaders in the faith to bring young people to God through loving actions in our classrooms & schools. It was absolutely wonderful.

And I just can't say enough about my experience this summer - I know you are probably getting tired of me talking about it - but it renewed my spirit and rekindled that fire for teaching I had when I entered ACE five years ago.

Fr. Sean really helped to send us off at the Grotto service Thursday night - he spoke of his sixth grade teacher's retirement and how he had been able to go back for her celebration and speak on behalf his classmates. He said that he was convinced he was the teacher's favorite, and he said this in front of everyone, but then everyone else (including his twin sister) started claiming that each was the favorite instead. And, they were all right. It was true, Fr. Sean had said, because she made each of them feel like he/she was in fact the favorite. He then challenged us to do the same in the classroom - to treat each child as though he/she is our favorite (even though we know they won't all be our favorites - some are definitely more challenging than others), and I just thought that was such a neat perspective to have. What a great challenge to give.

And so, as summer comes to a close (after some family vacation, of course), I find myself asking, how will this year be different? Aside from the fact that my students will be older and I will be teaching different content, what will I do differently as a teacher to better & more consistently show the love of Christ to my students?

Nothing For Granted

On Friday morning, my students started clapping for my co-teacher's substitute - this was largely due to the fact that he was the boys' 4th grade basketball coach and many of the students had been hoping to have him as a sub all year long. (As my mom says, Oh, to be a man in education.)

That was all well and good, but then I said to the students (in a somewhat joking manner), "You never clap for me" to which one student responded, "That's because you're always here."

Yes...I'm always here...Interesting...

And it got me thinking - Do we treat Jesus in the Eucharist the same way? Do we sometimes lose sight of how special receiving the Blessed Sacrament is in our lives that the awe and wonder surrounding Communion gets lost or lessened simply because He's there all the time?

I'm pretty sure I'm guilty of having done that more than a few times in my life. (I believe we often take for granted those people or things that surround us, oftentimes without even meaning to.) And that's definitely not something I'm proud of.

But the thing is, Jesus IS always there. He IS always with us. He IS always ready to welcome us back, sins and all.

It is because He is always with us that we should stand in awe of His presence as we receive the Eucharist.

He should never become something or someone that we take for granted.


***Getting in the spirit for Tuesday night's concert - woo hoo! - here's a song by Brendan James about taking nothing for granted...

Where to Look for God

"I have loved you late in life, O Beauty, ever ancient and ever new, I have loved you late in life. You were right inside of me, and I was outside looking all around for you...And I was not with you. Those things which were nothing kept me far from you. You called, you cried, and you broke my deafness apart. You shone forth, you enlightened, and you shattered my blindness."

-St. Augustine, The Confessions

I came across this quote today in my daily Living the Eucharist booklet, and it sounded so familiar. And that's when it hit me - the song "Alive Again" by Matt Maher (which, coincidentally, I chose to include as my song on the YAC retreat CD) is based on it.

I knew I liked that song - beautiful sentiment in the idea that we oftentimes look for God in other places and forget at times to turn inward to see God's grace at work within ourselves. And still, God is calling us every day - at each moment - to follow Him. He is already there, waiting for us to answer His call.

And here's an inspirational thought for today about being hungry for worship --> Max Lucado daily email

Have a beautiful night!

---

On a completely unrelated note, a number of my students went to see the play "Bud Not Buddy" (based on the book by Christopher Paul Curtis) last weekend, and one student brought me a signed program today - she said it was because she knew how much I love the book. How cute was that!

Weekly Sunday Night Nourishment...And a "Bonus"

Over the past year, I have come to find Mass on Sunday nights to be a most wonderful experience. And when that Mass is the contemplative one complete with candles and meditative music held every third Sunday, then it's even better. Add in a thought-provoking homily by the pastor ("We have run out of wine...What does that have to do with me? (Everything.)" - I guess that I'll save the explanation of that for another time...), and you really can't beat it.

There was one song, in fact, that struck a chord with me so much that I ended up bringing the order of service home with me (and I know my sister did too) so that I may look it up again later.

And I did just that...

I honestly fell in love with this song...so much so that I purchased it in iTunes this morning. So beautiful in both lyrics and music. I even found a link to a video on YouTube to a church singing it, so that I may share it with you today. Please be sure to take time and enjoy it by clicking the video below.

Lyrics (& music) in PDF format may be found by clicking here.

Okay, that's enough gushing about this song from me for now. But I do pray that you allow the words and music to wash over you as you pray for God's loving care.

---

And here's that "bonus" mentioned in today's title of this post - it's a round-up of 3 brief articles and reflections I came across this morning. Consider them a starting (or continuing) point for reflection and thoughtful consideration this afternoon:

• Colloquy in the Car (Ignatian Spirituality): A short reflection about the potential of finding wisdom and purpose by placing ourselves in God's presence on the ride home

• Sign of God (America Magazine): A look into the life of Jesuit priest Fr. Joseph Bruce and how he faced the difficulties of growing up deaf but how he now uses sign language to celebrate Mass and the Catholic faith

• Investing in Futures: New Ways to Pay for Catholic Education (U.S. Catholic): An overview of innovative programs around the country (designed around unique business models) to provide scholarships to students

Didn't know you'd find so much food for thought in one post now, did you?

Mother Mary

It's good to be home. In fact, when Marisa and I walked into Church yesterday, it was difficult to figure out whom to hug first. (That's a good problem to have, right?)

Mass was beautiful too, as we celebrated the fourth (and final) Sunday of Advent. During the Preparation of the Altar, the choir sang "Breath of Heaven" (see lyrics here). It sounded lovely, but what made the song even more special and extraordinary was how the interpreter signed the song - she was so graceful, and she consciously chose signs to match the meaning (not just the words) of the song.

This particular verse (included directly below) struck me yesterday, as I couldn't help but think about teaching. (Yes, as a teacher, those thoughts of students, planning, and general school hectic-ness are with you 24/7 - a blessing and a curse.)

...Do you wonder as you watch my face 
If a wiser one should have had my place? 
But I offer all I am 
For the mercy of Your plan 
Help me be strong, help me be, help me...

There are days when I have similar thoughts to this one that Mary must have had - in fact, most of us probably ask this question along the lines of "Why me?" or "Couldn't someone else do this better?", especially when we come to the end of a particularly frustrating day.

But then, the line continues - and this is the most important part to remember - Mary makes an offering of herself, all that she is. And we are called to do the same...with God's help, of course. (That's the next part.) Even though it may not seem like much, all we have is enough and the most we can give. Mary reminds us of that.

Mary is our Mother, and Mary is our model. Through Mary we come to know Jesus, and through Jesus we come to know God's loving presence in our lives.

Mary Immaculate

"Never be afraid of loving the Blessed Virgin Mary too much. You can never love her more than Jesus did. If anyone does not wish to have Mary Immaculate for his mother, he will not have Christ for his brother." 

(St. Maximilian Kolbe)

Never have I heard so many excuses volleying at me than this afternoon when our principal came over the speaker to reiterate our pastor's reminder about this weekend's holy day of obligation (The Immaculate Conception) and how we should all go to Mass with our families both Saturday and Sunday.

"I have a basketball game..."

"I am going to a party..."

"Ms. Foyle, I can't go..."

Honestly, I stopped listening. I went on to tell them that I wasn't interested in their excuses - it's between them and God, not them and me. 

(On a side note, excuses don't make something okay or right, even though most kids these days think that's the case, but I know I'm in no position to pose any kind of judgment - again, not my job.)

Personally, I love celebrating Mary (I think it's that inner Salesian spirit in me!), so I try to do so every chance I get.

Mary Immaculate, Pray for Us!

*Now, I do want to clarify that I have included a video for "Mary, Did You Know?" even though tomorrow's feast is celebrating Mary's conception without sin. Still, it's in the spirit of Mary...enjoy:

None of them are you...

Especially when I was younger, I worried about living up to other people's expectations and being who others thought I should be. I worried about not being good enough at something or being less in comparison to someone else.

It's taken awhile, but I think I've finally realized that living that way is no way to live. It's not about what other people want or expect of me. It's not how I measure up to anyone else. It's about how I measure up to the life God has in store for me.

This idea was brought to my attention tonight in 2 settings - the first was in my Strengths for the Journey group. As we went around and shared about the discussion questions, everyone was responsible for listening and telling back to the person what we each took away from what he/she just shared. By exercising more careful listening, I was able to tune in more to what each individual was saying, and I realized that everyone has such a different story - different backgrounds, education, experiences...you name it. Who are we to be judges of others in any situation on any given day? And, in light of what I previously mentioned, why should I be worried about people judging me? - No one (except God) really knows where anyone else is in his/her life at any particular moment.

That being said, I felt like someone whacked me on the head on my drive home from Strengths, as my second encounter of the evening with this idea hit me - my iPod came on with None of Them Are You by Brendan James (click on the video below). And I feel like this song speaks a similar message - No two people come from exactly the same place. And if we spend our time worrying about being better or the same as others in different talents or situations, we'll be robbing ourselves of the joys and talents present in our lives.

It's not about comparison, after all.

It's about each of us living our own lives to the best of our abilities using the talents and graces God has given to us. Nothing more.

(Gotta love Brendan James - check out this recent NY Times article. I think you'll be hooked.)

Pass it On

Happy World Kindness Week!

Starting yesterday, our school has been on a random acts of kindness (RAK) mission. (This has been inspired by the middle schoolers who were encouraged to first do these RAKs earlier in the year.)

During this week-long celebration, there is a different activity each day. Yesterday, we made a list of what RAKs could look like at home and at school. Today, we created pictures and ads to spread the word about World Kindness Week.

One of these days, we're supposed to come up with some kind of song or chant that represents Random Acts of Kindness...and my first thought turned to the Muppets (from their old Christmas movie) - kind of want to show it to my students. Thoughts?

Catchy, no?

So, as you go about your daily activities, remember that kindness is contagious - pass it on!

Come Alive

Came across this on Pinterest tonight...

And I LOVE it.

So, from time to time, we need to ask ourselves, "What makes me come alive?"

And, as educators, we need to ask, "What makes our students come alive?" - otherwise, I think we'll have a lot of apathy on our hands. Face it, when the students' energy is there, material gets learned and "miracles" happen.

And, if that quote doesn't do it for you, you can think about it in the words of Steve Jobs instead:

Love what you do and do what you love. And, gosh darn it, live it up a little and don't be afraid to be ALIVE!

Think Stephen Sondheim -->