What I Learned from the 8th Grade President
-How do you spell Manipulate? D–O–U–B–T–
The presidential race fever began early in my house; around October last year to be exact. Although I’m not referring to the candidates whose faces have been all over TV recently, the race was just as critical; at least around The Jensing household.
The ladybug you see in the picture is my daughter, Sky, who decided she wanted to run for 8th grade president.
From advertisements to slogans, Sky’s campaign was being carefully developed by the best campaign manager I know; The Jensing. Part of the process involved in qualifying as a candidate called for a written essay expressing why she would be the best person for the position, along with each teacher signing off that Sky was excelling in both academics as well as conduct.
If you know any politicians, than you understand that all politicians are good talkers; Sky is no exception. Every teacher signed off that her grades were proficient except Mr. Roberts (Note: all names have been changed in order to protect their identity) who gave Sky a less than ideal grade in conduct stating that she was a talker.
If you allow me to put my mommy hat on right now, I can tell you that I was livid. All this hard work and it was about to go down the drain because Mr. Roberts couldn’t see the political genius in my daughters personality!! (Tongue in cheek people, Tongue in cheek)
Sky had already turned in her essay and all that was left to do now was for her to turn in the teacher sign-offs. Of course we all knew that this would probably mean the end of her campaign trail.
The night before it was due, Sky had yet to turn in this missing piece. She went to bed that night but not before having a heart to heart talk with G-d about how she really wanted this and asked for Him to make a way.
So what exactly did I learn from Ms. President (notice I said Ms. President)? <Gloating>
Yes!!! Sky won that election and was voted in by her peers as 8th grade president. She never turned in the form that day and simply believed that her prayers had been answered that evening the moment she brought it to the Lord.
I on the other hand, wasn’t as trustful. In fact, just like many of the presidential candidates we see today, I was willing to do whatever it took to make sure she made it all the way through; even if that meant manipulating the situation here and there. I had gone as far as suggesting to Sky that when she was asked for the missing form she should tell them that she had already turned it in.
If you have never been in the situation, having your child correct you is not fun. Here I was encouraging my daughter to twist the truth when she stopped me dead in my tracks and said “Momma, I’m not going to do that”. Sky had resolved to trust G-d for what she had asked. In spite of her hard work, she accepted that this could mean the end for her but in her heart believed that G-d would make a way.
He did!
And blessed is she that believed: for there shall be a performance of those things which were told her from the Lord – Luke 1:45
She was never asked for the form and moved forward in the process to the voting.
Many times making a way is exactly what He wants to do, that is until we intervene. And just like I wanted to, we manipulate the situation because G-d of course needs all the help He can get!!! If you don’t believe me, just ask Abraham and Sarah…
So what did I learn from the 8th grade president??… How to spell manipulate…D–O–U–B–T.
Are you doubting today? Don’t take the situation into your own hands, give it up to G-d instead.
Everyone’s Ugly at 80
Sometimes wise words come from those you least expect. And many times those “wise words” come disguised in simplicity. As a matter of fact unless your ear is attentive to the tip, what may have been the word that could’ve turned your situation around may just be discarded as casual conversation. Wise words don’t have to be complex in nature in order to be true, as I learned from someone I used to know.
Rosie, everyone’s ugly at 80, …
is what my old boss, Karen, used to say. Now Karen said many things… but the only one that stuck with me was that one.
Everyone’s ugly at 80, huh? Yeah, I guess, but what makes this an eye opening statement?
Well by itself it’s not. That is, until you begin to consider…
This past Friday The Jensing and I attended a Billy Joel concert. I had been wanting to see him live for a long time and when I found out he was coming to town, I couldn’t pass up the opportunity.
As expected, he was nothing short of phenomenal! His band was top of the line, the stage was beautiful, his energy was incredible, but what impressed me the most was his voice.
Quite frankly, at 66 years of age, I was expecting the quality of his voice to be a little worn. As a matter of fact, during the show he made light of his age and joked about how hard it was to sing certain songs these days because of all the high notes he would have to hit. Not only did he hit those notes perfectly, but age was not a factor, and at 66 years old his G-d-given talent to sing and play the piano was sharper than ever.
Which brings me back to Everyone’s Ugly at 80. Billy Joel no longer looks like the days where he could easily pick up the Uptown Girl. Now, I’m not calling the man ugly, but I’m simply stating that age has taken its course (as can be expected).
Beauty is fleeting
is the way Proverbs 31:30 describes it. So as we advance in age, very few things remain. Face lifts, boob jobs, Botox, are just some of the things we rely on to improve and sharpen our appearance… that is if we can afford to.
Our physical bodies can’t help but to deteriorate, but the good news is that our G-d-given talent is one of the few things that will remain. These talents are given to us for the span of our lives and as opposed to our physical state can improve with every day that goes by.
So although everyone’s ugly at 80, if we take the time to sharpen that talent that is uniquely ours, just like the piano man, our gift will be the main attraction.
What is your main attraction?
Climbing Higher
Being a South Florida native, high altitudes are not something we are familiar with. Barely above sea level, the highest point you might encounter while in Florida is the occasional landfill which gives the illusion of being a hill. A smelly hill at that.
I have, however, had the opportunity to go hiking in Colorado Springs and the difference in altitude compared to Florida is night and day. Shortness of breath, fatigue, headaches are some of the symptoms one might experience when trying to adjust to the new elevation.
Lucky for me, shortness of breath was the only reminder I had that my body was trying to Acclimate itself to the new environment. This discomfort however was overpowered by the breathtaking view.
A higher level calls for an adjustment on our part as oxygen and pressure become lower creating a much “thinner” air than we are used to. This of course, isn’t for everybody.
So how does the body acclimate itself exactly?
By spending time at the higher elevation the body begins to produce more red blood cells in order to circulate more oxygen.
This week, I found myself wanting to climb higher. Although the mountain I climb is an invisible one, the climb is just as real and can leave me experiencing the same symptoms a physical mountain can.
In this higher place, the demand is greater but the reward is higher!
In spite of the adjustments I need to make, the higher I climb the closer I get to Him. It is in this “thin air” that He is found. It isn’t for everybody…only for those who are willing to adjust!
For everyone to whom much is given, from him much will be required Luke 12:48
Are you willing to make the adjustment?
All In or Fold?
Saturday afternoons at our kitchen table is where I learned how to play Poker. It wasn’t the fanciest of places but my father patiently taught my sister and I how to play the popular game and what the hands we needed to win were. It took me a moment to understand them all but once I had it down packed, I was constantly hoping for that Royal Flush to beat not only Barbie but most importantly my teacher.
Winning was always nice but nothing beat the feeling of winning with the highest hand possible. Only a master at the game could pull off the best hand in the playbook. My high hand wins were few and far between but as opposed to me, my father’s always ranked high. Perhaps it was luck, or perhaps it was skill or maybe it was simply because he was the teacher and I was the student.
In fact many times he was so sure of his hand that he didn’t hesitate to wager all his chips and declare he was All In.
Losing on the other hand was never fun. Countless times I found myself folding my cards to his, knowing that if I continued I might lose it all. And yet other times I chose to risk it and found out the hard way that his hand was better than mine.
Those afternoons of innocent fun taught me more than I imagined but not exactly about Poker.
All in or Fold? That’s the question.
Is what looks like your best hand yet enough to beat the master instructor?
The perfect plan, the perfect strategy, the perfect idea. You’ve thought it over a million times. No one knows you like you do. Who could possibly have a better hand for your life than you?
A man by the name of Abraham was in this same position. He would have to choose between his own perfect plan of sparing Isaac, the son he waited a hundred years for – his best hand yet- or sacrificing him at the command of G-d – the master instructor’s best hand-.
Abraham chose to fold and as a result of choosing G-d’s hand over his own, he became the father of many nations, as was promised to him.
You see the win is not always in the obvious but rather in the unobvious.
Today I chose to fold. Although I can’t see it, His hand is better than mine. Not because of luck, not because of skill, but simply because he is the teacher and I am the student.
Are you all in or will you fold?
Direct Hit
It is in those last days of the year where after careful consideration of what we did not accomplish, we begin to compose our list of resolutions for the year to come. The most common of those resolutions usually having to do with body image as well as goals of personal development, and relationships, many of which are carried over from the previous year.
My list, although not very long, is usually very specific with all the details carefully spelled out. Some years are better than others but it isn’t uncommon for me to miss the target and find the same items on my list year after year.
This year, after taking an honest inventory of where I am at with my goals, I have decided to condense my resolutions into one.
To be a Direct Hit!
On occasion the reason I have missed my target has had to do with alignment. Being even just one millimeter off, can cause you to miss the bull’s eye.
So what does one millimeter look like?
It can be summed up into one thing; having the wrong vision.
Aiming for the wrong goals can leave us frustrated and fatigued as we are constantly trying to accomplish that which was not meant for us.
The right vision can only come from the Creator who made everyone and everything with a purposeful design.
Today I chose His vision over mine and give Him space to launch me into a direct hit.
Are you chasing His vision or yours?