A New Tree growing out of a dead tree –second chances at rebirth and new life
Dear Reader:
At Christmas we rejoice over the birth of our Savior but not just His first birth and life on Christmas Day, but also the second birth and His gift of eternal life to those who believe …after death… like the tree in the title picture growing out of its once dead shell/trunk surrounding it.
Amazing picture isn’t it. It just made my day when it popped up online , out of nowhere, a few days ago… another God Wink! Life and later resurrected life.
Tourists come to see new life from the trees that still grow from the dead exposed roots below it.
Life…is so precious and amazing that we can witness renewed life in nature… planted right in front of us to absorb daily.
The second emergency alert today just went off and since I no longer drive… am not planning on leaving my apartment today… as you can see out my window door panes the courtyard flooded but thankfully it didn’t seep in under the French doors-slowed down just in time. And very soon I will witness the Christmas Lily’s birth from Susan Swicegood’s Christmas planter… with the sun returning tomorrow I feel it will begin popping open!
I was so excited about seeing my beloved Big Red on my front porch Saturday that I forgot about getting help from Tommy to climb my many brick front steps… instead I calmly climbed each step by myself … until I was hugging Big Red and then thought … ” The last time I was there Walsh had to pull me up each step very slowly… already God’s miracles are at work… I am so much stronger now and self-reliant… hopefully the last new cancer drug that was poisoning my body and doing more harm than good, is or has finally had time to get out of my system! I am letting go and handing my future whichever way it goes , to God.
I was born a Tarheel but ended up a Sandlapper. My grandparents
were cotton farmers in Laurens, South Carolina and it was in my
grandmother’s house that my love of storytelling began beside an old
Franklin stove. When I graduated from Laurens High School, I attended
Erskine College (Due West of what?) and would later get my Masters
Degree in Education/Social Studies from Charleston Southern. I am
presently an adjunct professor/clinical supervisor at CSU and have also
taught at the College of Charleston.
For 28 years I taught Social Studies through storytelling. My philosophy
matched Rudyard Kipling’s quote: “If history were taught in the form of
stories, it would never be forgotten.” Today I still spread this message
through workshops and presentations throughout the state. The secret
of success in teaching social studies is always in the story.
I want to keep learning and being surprised by life…it is the greatest
teacher. Like Kermit said, “When you’re green you grow, when you’re
ripe you rot.”
It is such a joy to read your posts every day. I thought I might make you smile. Students gave me great evaluations for my first time teaching in three years. But one wrote that I didn’t tell them what chapters to read each class. I went over the syllabus on the first day and it is posted online. It never dawned on me that a freshman didn’t know to read it each day, which explains why they were not ready for discussions. Do, in the Spring semester, I will be sure to tell them what the reading schedule means and why it’s important to read the syllabus before each class period. I was stunned but we have to learn from them as much as we teach them. My husband suggest I ask every day where are the readings until they get tired of being asked. Maybe not, but I learned not to assume anything. Isn’t teaching the best job in the world?
ichaseferalcats
John Turner
Legally Ohm
Becky Dingle
I try to do that with most things, just breath and God will do the rest.
It is such a joy to read your posts every day. I thought I might make you smile. Students gave me great evaluations for my first time teaching in three years. But one wrote that I didn’t tell them what chapters to read each class. I went over the syllabus on the first day and it is posted online. It never dawned on me that a freshman didn’t know to read it each day, which explains why they were not ready for discussions. Do, in the Spring semester, I will be sure to tell them what the reading schedule means and why it’s important to read the syllabus before each class period. I was stunned but we have to learn from them as much as we teach them. My husband suggest I ask every day where are the readings until they get tired of being asked. Maybe not, but I learned not to assume anything. Isn’t teaching the best job in the world?