Stuff That Matters in Life

Katy’s Weblog

PTA

Filed under Generalby Joyful

Since Elliot started kindergarten in 1993, I’ve been on the PTA board at Oswalt Elementary School every single year. That’s a span of 12 years!

I’ve seen 4-5 vice principals come and go. I’ve seen teachers get marry and get pregnant. Some come back and some do not. Elliot’s 3rd grade teacher was a first-year newbie, and now she is considered a veteran. I still see her as a new teacher! I’ve seen changes in the demographics of the school. I was there in the hay day of over 1000 enrollment and a waiting list of students, now to this year of under 700 students.

With Amy in 5th grade this year, this will mark my last year at Oswalt Elementary. YES! I am finally getting out of elementary school. A 4th grade teacher there once told me that when her previous students come back to visit her, she feels she’s in a time warp, always stuck in 4th grade while those students have moved on to high school and college. Interesting thought…

The season of life as room mom and PTA volunteer has been good. While I was never PTA president or held any high profile role, I believed I’ve served the community with my volunteer hours. I hope a child will someday remember a Mrs. Lee that helped him during elementary school.

On Saturday, we experienced a momentous occasion – dinner out with only 3 in our family – Mike and I with Amy.

Elliot didn’t come home from college, Audrey was at a church retreat, and grandma went to a church potluck, leaving just 3 of us for Saturday dinner.

I know change is inevitable, but I will miss so much the job of being a mother. Yes, I know…I will always be a mom. But when your children are grown, the job description changes dramatically. I also know it is not a bad thing. At my age (what age is that???!) I wouldn’t want to be parenting a toddler – who wants the exercise! So I suppose the transition of mothering is appropriate and God-ordained, the circle-of-life kind of idea.

However, there is still a process of grieving a loss.

(I realized I’ve blogged this “empty nest” subject before. It’s becoming a current theme in my life.)

The flood

Filed under Bible, Generalby Joyful

So God said to Noah, “I have decided that all living creatures must die, for the earth is filled with violence because of them. Now I am about to destroy them and the earth.” Genesis 6:13

But God saved Noah, and from his family, the earth was populated once more, and sin abounded once more.

So why did God bring the flood? It didn’t stop sin.

Perhaps it abated it for a time, only a short time at that.

I think my daughter Audrey had a good answer I didn’t think of. When I asked her what the flood accomplished, she said it showed that God judges sin. She said Lamech in Genesis 4:23 was proud of his sin of murder because he thought there was no punishment, just like Cain could not be avenged.

God is slow to anger, but let us not think there is no consequences to our sin. In Matthew 24:37, it say, “As it was in the days of Noah, so it wil be at the coming of the Son of Man. ”

The final judgement is coming. The flood was a warning.

Thank you Audrey, for that insight.

Blogging

Filed under Generalby Joyful

Reasons to start your own blog:

1. Blogging improves your writing skills.
2. Blogging forces you think about what you did all day.
3. Blogging makes you feel you are doing something productive.
4. Blogging helps you think through what is important to you and what is not before you put it down in writing.
5. Blogging helps you decipher what you want people to know about you and what you do not.
6. Blogging allows you to relive the moments of your life that you choose to relive.
7. Blogging makes you realize you can’t just spend your day doing the mundane, otherwise you have nothing to blog about.
8. Blogging motivates you to try something different just so you can put it on your blog.
9. Blogging reminds you to take pictures so you can upload them on your blog.
10. Blogging proves you’ve joined the age of technology and actively participating in it.

County Fair

Filed under Generalby Joyful

It is our family tradition to go to the Los Angeles County Fair every year. With Elliot in college now, this was the only weekend that fitted his schedule to go with us. I wasn’t sure if he would want to come home for it, but he definitely did. It is something we do as a family, and I am glad he didn’t “outgrow” it. (Thanks Theresa, for the free tickets!)

Read more of “County Fair”

Well put

Filed under Generalby Joyful

I got this from the lecture at BSF yesterday. The reference is for studying the Bible, but they are appropriate steps that apply to just about anything you endeavor:

Pray
Plan
Prioritize
Prepare
Participate
Persevere

Filed under Bible, Generalby Joyful

Then the Lord said to Cain, “Where is your brother Abel?”
“I don’t know,” he replied. “Am I my brother’s keeper?” – Genesis 4:9

Cain murdered his brother Abel, and then had guts to reply to the Lord with such arrogance and deceit. Did he really think he was going to get away with it?

Yet in the same way, I hear of a brother in need, and I think, “Well, what do you expect me to do about it? Am I my brother’s keeper?”

Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth. I John 3:18

What I learned today: taking a nap does not always make you less tired. I fell asleep for about 1/2 hour this afternoon and I am more tired now. I thought with a nap, I could stay up later since it’s Friday. It’s only 9:30pm, I am sleepy and I am going to go to bed now.

This goes to show you, logic does not always explain reality.