Cathy’s Corner

 

There’s something about painting a room and cleaning everything from top to bottom that just makes me smile. Not that I do it very often, as you would see if you came to my house. But we’ve lived in this house for two years now and it needed painting when we moved in. Things were so hectic in our lives at the time that it was just move and get it over with, no time for painting. Within a matter of two weeks our house had finally sold in Lubbock and Gary had been offered a teaching job so we could finally buy a new house. It was the end of July, Gary was starting his new teacher orientation, and we had stored all of my mother’s stuff and a lot of ours as well in our garage because we had moved into a rent house. Add Sunday school promotion and senior year starting for our daughter and you get the picture, JUST MOVE!

So our youngest daughter moved into an apartment last week. Now that is a whole different story that I could go into but I’ll spare you today. So her bedroom and closet was empty and I decided last Friday that it would be the perfect time to paint before we moved anything into it. I’d been putting it off for two years. First I cleaned all the cob webs, windows and window sills, the light fixture and the chipped baseboards. Then I taped everything, bought my paint and by Saturday morning I was ready to paint. And that I did. Everything was going great and I finished and decided that we (I) should paint the third bedroom as well since we were going to move furniture from that room to the other room. So I did the same prep work in there. Then I looked at the first room and it was streaked. I couldn’t figure out why. I studied those walls and I talked out loud to myself and to Gary and I couldn’t figure it out. But the obvious answer was going to be as bad as I hated to admit it, a second coat. Then we moved all the furniture in place and the rooms were nice and in order. Once everything was completed, second coat and all and even the closet too, I was quiet pleased with the results and my hard work. So much that I kept going into the rooms turning on the lights and looking at how well they had turned out.

It’s kind of like life. Year after year as we grow up things happen and we get hurt or we get angry or insert any kid of emotion here you want. Some times we just stuff all that down inside and don’t deal with and it starts to layer on top of each other. Cobwebs grow over some of those hurts, a film develops over that anger, some chips get taken out of our heart and our light just doesn’t shine quite like it used to. But then it happens; it is time to clean it all out and if we allow God, He can come in and clean out the cobwebs, wash away the film, brighten up the light inside of us and even repair the chips in our heart. It isn’t easy by any means. Sometimes there are streaks that have to have a second coat because it’s just more than one coat can cover. Just like painting last week, there is a lot of prep work, and sweat, blood and tears involved. But it’s so worth it. Because the result is a brighter smile, a softer exterior, burdens lifted that make the load so much lighter. He puts everything in place and in order even the closet.  Sure sometimes it involves two coats to finally get the end result but once again it’s so worth it. And I can only imagine God looking down, turning on the light and watching us for a few moments. He smiles at the result of His handiwork.

 

Have a great day in the Lord.

And no, I’m not up for hire.

 

Cathy’s Corner

Last week we had a child get her fingers pinched in the bathroom door jam. It was severe enough that she was taken to the hospital. Fortunately, major surgery was not needed except for sewing/gluing. It was an accident and there was a DOD couple (volunteers for the day) teaching in that room. They were awesome and handled the situation very calmly. We have since ordered door hinge guards that will be installed on all of the bathroom doors in the preschool building in order to try and prevent this from happening again. In an attempt to try and prevent accidents that we have had with our classroom doors in the preschool building, we are looking at corner guards for the top doors or bolting the classroom doors to make them one door and installing a rolling shelf for the entry. I have ordered a rolling shelf as a prototype to see if it will work for us. So, in the next few weeks and months, we will be making every effort to ensure safety issues with the doors.

I have to commend our staff, the teachers and the Euless Police/EMTs as everyone acted quickly but calmly. The child was brought out to the welcome area and was assessed by one of our Associates who called our security and medical personnel that were on call. The parents were called and fortunately had their cell phones on vibrate and came quickly from the service. Within a matter of minutes the situation was assessed, the parents contacted, the ambulance called and the child and parents were on their way to the hospital. We took care of rounding up their other children and making sure they were going to be cared for as well. Several of us ended up at the hospital Sunday afternoon to check on the family. Since then, I’ve talked with mom a couple of times. There will be no need for plastic surgery which was very good news. So, thank you to everyone who was involved and for their professionalism and quick response.

I’m sure all of us have heard of someone getting the flu right now. From what I’ve been told, it isn’t time for the seasonal flu so we can assume it is H1N1. We are making every effort to disinfect classrooms, furniture, toys, beds, play equipment and everything that you or a child will come in contact with. Please encourage the children to use the anti bacterial soap before entering the classroom and use it several times during the morning. If a child has a cough, seems feverish or you suspect they are ill, please let your Coordinator or Associate know. We will be taking no chances but sending children home who appear to be sick. If everyone cooperates and keeps sick children home and follows our procedures, we can greatly reduce the number of cases of sick children and teachers this year.

Cathy’s Corner - borrowed

 

When I was quite young, my father had one of the first telephones in our neighborhood. I remember the polished, old case fastened to the wall. The shiny receiver hung on the side of the box. I was too little to 
reach the telephone, but used to listen with fascination when my mother talked to it.
 
Then I discovered that somewhere inside the wonderful device lived an amazing person. Her name was 'Information Please' and there was nothing she did not know. Information Please could supply anyone's number and the correct time.
 
My personal experience with the genie-in-a-bottle came one day while my Mother was visiting a neighbor. Amusing myself at the tool bench in the basement, I whacked my finger with a hammer, the pain was terrible, but there seemed no point in crying because there was no one home to give sympathy.
 
I walked around the house sucking my throbbing finger, finally arriving at the stairway. The telephone! Quickly, I ran for the footstool in the Parlor and dragged it to the landing climbing up; I unhooked 
the receiver in the parlor and held it to my ear.
  
'Information, please,' I said into the mouthpiece just above my head. A click or two and a small clear voice spoke into my ear.  'Information.'  'I hurt my finger,' I wailed into the phone, the tears came readily enough now that I had an audience.  'Isn't your mother home?' came the question.  'Nobody's home but me,' I blubbered.  'Are you bleeding?' the voice asked.  'No,' I replied. 'I hit my finger with the hammer and it hurts.'   'Can you open the icebox?' she asked.  I said I could. 'Then chip off a little bit of ice and hold it to your finger,' said the voice.
 
After that, I called 'Information Please' for everything. I asked her for help with my geography, and she told me where Philadelphia was. She helped me with my math. She told me my pet chipmunk that I had caught in the park just the day before, would eat fruit and nuts.
 
Then, there was the time Petey, our pet canary, died I called, 'Information Please,' and told her the sad story. She listened, and then said things grown-ups say to soothe a child. But I was not consoled. I asked 
her, 'Why is it that birds should sing so beautifully and bring Joy to all families, only to end up as a heap of feathers on the bottom of a cage?'  She must have sensed my deep concern, for she said quietly, 'Wayne, always remember that there are other worlds to sing in.'   Somehow I felt better.
 
Another day I was on the telephone, 'Information Please.'   'Information,' said in the now familiar voice.  'How do I spell fix?' I asked.
 
All this took place in a small town in the Pacific Northwest . When I was nine years old, we moved across the country to Boston. I missed my friend very much. 'Information Please' belonged in that old wooden box back home and I somehow never thought of trying the shiny new phone that sat on the table in the hall. As I grew into my teens, the memories of those childhood conversations never really left me.  Often, in moments of doubt and perplexity I would recall the serene sense of security I had then. I appreciated now how patient, understanding, and kind she was to have spent her time on a little boy.
 
A few years later, on my way west to college, my plane put down in Seattle I had about a half-hour or so between planes. I spent 15 minutes or so on the phone with my sister, who lived there now. Then without 
thinking what I was doing, I dialed my hometown Operator and said, 'Information Please.'  Miraculously, I heard the small, clear voice I knew so well. 'Information.'  I hadn't planned this, but I heard myself saying, 'Could you please tell me how to spell fix?'  There was a long pause Then came the soft spoken answer, 'I guess your finger must have healed by now.'  I laughed, 'So it's really you,' I said. 'I wonder if you have any idea how much you meant to me during that time?'  'I wonder,' she said, 'if you know how much your call meant to me. I never had any children and I used to look forward to your calls.'  I told her how often I had thought of her over the years and I asked if I could call her again when I came back to visit my sister.  'Please do,' she said. 'Just ask for Sally.'
 
Three months later I was back in Seattle a different voice answered: Information.' I asked for Sally.  'Are you a friend?' she said.  'Yes, a very old friend,' I answered.  'I'm sorry to have to tell you this,' she said. 'Sally had been working part-time the last few years because she was sick. She died five weeks ago.'  Before I could hang up she said, 'Wait a minute, did you say your name was Wayne?'   'Yes.' I answered.  'Well, Sally left a message for you. She wrote it down in case you called. Let me read it to you.' The note said, 'Tell him there are other worlds to sing in. He'll know what I mean.'  I thanked her and hung up. I knew what Sally meant.
 
Never underestimate the impression you may make on others.  Whose life have you touched today in a positive way today?  Lifting you on eagle's wings. May you find the joy and peace you long for.

 

Have a great day in the Lord!