today is a wonderful story about teachers... not what you expect ENJOY

BOY OH BOY.. IT WON'T BE LONG NOW.. GUESS WE WILL START SEEING THEM ON A REGULAR BASIS REALLY, REALLY SOON ! ! ! ! 

"IT'S MOVING REALLY FAST!"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The Teacher

Stories like this, always have a way of putting the right perspective on life.

Jean Thompson stood in front of her fifth-grade class on the very first day of school in the fall and told the children a lie. Like most teachers, she looked at her pupils and said that she loved them all the same, that she would treat them all alike. And that was impossible because there in front of her, slumped in his seat on the third row, was a little boy named Teddy Stoddard.

Mrs. Thompson had watched Teddy the year before and noticed he didn't play well with the other children, that his clothes were unkept and that he constantly needed a bath. And Teddy was unpleasant.

It got to the point during the first few months that she would actually take delight in marking his papers with a broad red pen, making bold X's and then marking the F at the top of the paper biggest of all. Because Teddy was a sullen little boy, no one else seemed to enjoy him, either.

At the school where Mrs. Thompson taught, she was required to review each child's records and put Teddy's off until last. When she opened his file, she was in for a surprise. His first-grade teacher wrote, "Teddy is a bright, inquisitive child with a ready laugh." "He does his work neatly and has good manners...he is a joy to be around."

His second-grade teacher wrote, "Teddy is an excellent student well-liked by his classmates, but he is troubled because his mother has a terminal illness and life at home must be a struggle."

His third-grade teacher wrote, "Teddy continues to work hard but his mother's death has been hard on him. He tries to do his best but his father doesn't show much interest and his home life will soon affect him if some steps aren't taken."

Teddy's fourth-grade teacher wrote, "Teddy is withdrawn and doesn't show much interest in school. He doesn't have many friends and sometimes sleeps in class. He is tardy and could become a problem."

By now Mrs. Thompson realized the problem, but Christmas was coming fast. It was all she could do, with the school play and all, until the day before the holidays began and she was suddenly forced to focus on Teddy Stoddard.

Her children brought her presents, all in beautiful ribbon and bright paper, except for Teddy's, which was clumsily wrapped in the heavy, brown paper of a scissored grocery bag. Mrs. Thompson took pains to open it in the middle of the other presents.

Some of the children started to laugh when she found a rhinestone bracelet with some of the stones missing, and a bottle that was one-quarter full of cologne. She stifled the children's laughter when she exclaimed how pretty the bracelet was, putting it on, and dabbing some of the perfume behind the other wrist. Teddy Stoddard stayed behind just long enough to say, "Mrs. Thompson, today you smelled just like my mom used to."

After the children left she cried for at least an hour. On that very day, she quit teaching reading, writing, and speaking. Instead, she began to teach children. Jean Thompson paid particular attention to one they all called "Teddy."

As she worked with him, his mind seemed to come alive. The more she encouraged him, the faster he responded. On days where there would be an important test, Mrs. Thompson would remember that cologne. By the end of the year he had become one of the smartest children in the class and...well, he had also become the "pet" of the teacher who had once vowed to love all of her children exactly the same.

A year later she found a note under her door, from Teddy, telling her that of all the teachers he'd had in elementary school, she was his favorite. Six years went by before she got another note from Teddy.

He then wrote that he had finished high school, third in his class, and she was still his favorite teacher of all time.

Four years after that, she got another letter, saying that while things had been tough at times, he'd stayed in school, had stuck with it, and would graduate from college with the highest of honors. He assured Mrs. Thompson she was still his favorite teacher.

Then four more years passed and yet another letter came. This time he explained that after he got his bachelor's degree, he decided to go a little further. The letter explained that she was still his favorite teacher, but that now his name was a little longer. The letter was signed, Theodore F. Stoddard, M.D.

The story doesn't end there. You see, there was yet another letter that Spring. Teddy said he'd met this girl and was to be married. He explained that his father had died a couple of years ago and he was wondering...well, if Mrs. Thompson might agree to sit in the pew usually reserved for the mother of the groom. And guess what, she wore that bracelet, the one with several rhinestones missing. And I bet on that special day, Jean Thompson smelled just like...well, just like the way Teddy remembered his mother smelling on their last Christmas together.

THE MORAL: You never can tell what type of impact you may make on another's life by your actions or lack of action. Consider this fact in your venture thru life.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


TEACHERS ARE "PEOPLE" TOO.. WITH BAD DAYS AND GOOD DAYS.. SOMEDAYS LOTS OF PATIENCE, OTHER DAYS SOME TENDER PLUCKED NERVES. LET'S ALL TRY TO BE UNDERSTANDING TO THEM AS WELL AS TO THE KIDS..
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Serenity Prayer

God grant me the serenity 

to accept the things I cannot change; 

courage to change the things I can;

          and wisdom to know the                                                                     difference.

Living one day at a time; Enjoying one moment at a time; Accepting hardships as the pathway to peace; Taking, as He did, this sinful world as it is, not as I would have it; Trusting that He will make all things right if I surrender to His Will; That I may be reasonably happy in this life and supremely happy with Him Forever in the next. Amen. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Dear Heavenly Father.. thank You for Your blessings. Please Lord to day and daily, wrap Your loving arms around each person reading this and theirs.. bless each of the spiritually, physically, emotionally, mentally, financially, and with Your unfailing love, forgiveness, guidance, mercies, and grace. Help each of them to actually feel Your closeness and presence, and want to be drawn closer to You, and more into Your will. Please be with the sick, the hurting, the lonely, the grieving, the jobless, the abused (and there are so many people abused, of all ages and every walk of life.. and yes, especially the children) and the homeless. Please Lord bless each of them in ways that only You know they need, and only You can possibly do for them, or send the right person or whatever at just the right time.. It wakes up awareness of Your constant presence, and we praise You. Please also be with the soldiers, keep them safe, protect and guide each of them and bring them safely home to loving families and due respect, please and thank You! Help us

Father as a country to all seek Your presence and guidance in our lives and do what is in Your will for our lives, this way the country's people will all be closer to You. Please Father, be with and guide and HELP our leaders, it's not to late until You say it's to late.. they may be the leaders of our country, but You are GOD, and the KING of kings, and LORD of lords, Our creator, and nothing is to big or small for You to take care of. WE GIVE YOU OUR DAILY LOVE, THANKS, HONOR, PRAISE AND GLORY FOR ALL THINGS, IN JESUS HOLY NAME, AMEN.