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There are a couple of stories in the Bible that br

There are a couple of stories in the Bible that bring me to my knees each time I read them. I’m wrecked each & every time I read about Jesus washing the feet of his disciples & moved to tears when, in his flesh, he weeps. I have to believe that in His spirit, Jesus weeps even now. He’s not a God of division, but one of inclusion & unity (Gal 3:28), yet His own white children are complicit in perpetuating systems of oppression designed to divide & elevate one sub group of humanity over another. Whether it’s through white silence, our refusal to listen to the cries of our vulnerable Black brothers & sisters, divisive rhetoric, or both small & overt acts of racism. He weeps. White brothers & sisters....what breaks His heart should break ours, too.

Black lives matter. Period. But white fragility screams at us (white people) to counter that statement with the “all lives matter” protest. At no point does proclaiming that black lives matter negate the assertion that all lives don’t, nor does it assume to infer that black lives are more important. Black lives, all of them, matter. They matter to Him. They should matter to us white people, too.

White friends, it’s time we (me included) wash the feet of our black brothers & sisters. It’s past time to put in the work & sit in our own discomfort. Black lives are not dispensable nor are they less than. Black lives matter.
Photo credit: @tylerfeder

It’s been a great mail week! First the Hunger Ga

It’s been a great mail week! First the Hunger Games prequel and now EduHeroes, written by my dear friend @mrsjumpsclass ♥️ I’ve been waiting for this one and so far it’s incredible! Making my eyes wet. Lots of vulnerability and transparency. I love it when seasoned teachers share their highs AND lows because that’s how teaching goes...lots of good and bad and everything in between. If you’re looking for a pick-me-up to read this summer, pick this one up! And a portion of every sale goes to charity and/or Donor’s Choose projects...it’s a win/win! Visit @mrsjumpsclass to grab your copy!
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#iteach #iteachtoo #iteachk #iteachfirst #teacherblogger #teachersofinstagram #teachersfollowteachers #teachersoftpt #teachergram

This mother/son duo has been (impatiently) waiting

This mother/son duo has been (impatiently) waiting for the release of @songbirdsandsnakes since it was announced last year & it’s finally HERE 🙌🏼. Our excitement for the prequel to our favorite series is palpable.

I remember devouring all three books in The Hunger Games series in a matter of three days years ago. I introduced them to my oldest the summer before his fifth grade year & he had me read the first one to him aloud. I remember the questions he asked as I read to him...the way his fingers would dig into my forearm when things got tense...the tears that streamed down his face when Rue was killed...the look of pure fear in his eyes when he thought Katniss & Peeta were going to eat the nightlock...his huge sigh of relief when they were both proclaimed victors. I also remember how quickly he read the following two books (alone) immediately after finishing the first one. I didn’t see him for a few weeks that summer, but I know it was time well spent. There’s definitely something to be said for getting lost in a good book.

Reading a great book is one thing, but reading it together with your child is a whole different experience. It bonded us in beautiful, unexpected ways. The Hunger Games was the series that changed the way he felt about reading. It changed the game completely & in some ways I think he’ll always be trying out new titles to see if there’s anything else that comes close (spoiler alert: so far, nothing). As we both gushed over the book jacket and summary, my now almost 13-year-old tenderly looked at me & said, “will you read this to me? I think we should definitely read this together. We need to be able talk about it.” 😭😭😭. He’s a sentimental little thing, kinda like his mom. This book release is more than just another tome to add to the shelf. It’s hours I get to steal back from Father Time who insists on taking it away faster than I’d like. So thank you, #suzannecollins & @scholasticinc...we couldn’t be more thrilled to go back to Panem 🙌🏼

I’d love to tell you that this obligatory Mother

I’d love to tell you that this obligatory Mother’s Day pic was taken with ease, but I’d be lying. (The second pic, however, was effortless. 1 put of 2 isn’t bad...I’ll definitely take it.)
My youngest was in a MOOD when I asked for it (the only thing I asked for for Mother’s Day, of course...a simple pic). He huffed and puffed and slumped his shoulders with the biggest scowl ever on his sad little face. I took one look at his 11-year-old mug and said, “forget it”. I love a good pic, but not if it comes at the cost of my peace...and if it’s fake, what’s the point?! So he retreated back inside and I just figured this was par for this 2020 course 💁🏻‍♀️🤷🏻‍♀️. I had to have a talk with him, because, well, hey mom 👋🏼. I explained, for the thousandth time, how important it is to be selfless sometimes (not just because mom wants a picture, but because we’re called to be that way), and told him I wasn’t upset, rather I just wanted to give him something to think about for the future.

About an hour and a half later, he came and found me and asked if I was still interested in taking a pic. I couldn’t jump at the chance fast enough. “I thought about what you said, and I feel kinda bad. It was simple. I’m sorry I didn’t do it with a good attitude when you asked me the first time, but I really want to now.” There are a million things I’d love to change about this photo if I really picked it apart. It wouldn’t be my first choice of pics to post by a long shot. But it means more because I know the intent behind it. I know where their hearts were in this very moment and that means more to me than a perfectly posed picture.

Mother’s Day is great and all, but motherhood is definitely not all unicorns and rainbows. It come with hard conversations and raised voices. It involves a lot of regret and an incredible amount of guilt. But it’s also impossibly beautiful and painted with broad strokes of grace and redemption. It’s dying to yourself day after day and growing in humility after every turn. I can honestly say I learn something new about being a mom every single day.

So from one imperfect mom to another, Happy imperfect Mother’s Day ♥️

I haven’t been able to stop thinking about this

I haven’t been able to stop thinking about this since I woke to the news yesterday morning and I am just sick over the whole thing. The blatant racism. The corruption. The injustice. Nothing could ever justify something so incredibly vile. Thoughts and prayers are not enough...they must be followed by action. We must collectively demand justice for this precious child of God. For his grieving family. His life mattered.

I will never know what it’s like to be black in America or raise black boys, but I do listen when my friends of color share with me their experiences. I know that the fear they feel is real....for themselves and their children. What a privilege it is for me to never have to worry if my child will be racially profiled, wrongly accused, or shot and killed for running (unarmed) in his neighborhood because he’s white.

If you don’t think racism is a problem, I implore you to listen to people of color. Just because your skin color provides you the privilege to live unaffected by the microaggressions and acts of racism that happen to POC in a regular basis doesn’t mean they don’t happen. Because they do. It’s real. Step outside of your echo chamber and listen. Learn. Grow. Advocate. Amplify. We must do better.
📸 @ohhappydani •
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#justiceforahmaud #runwithmaud

One night away from home at my most favorite child

One night away from home at my most favorite childhood destination was all we needed for a fresh perspective on this season of life. Solitude and saltwater were the perfect prescription ♥️

I live in a house with two extroverts. Two VERY ex

I live in a house with two extroverts. Two VERY extroverted extroverts. And they’ve been struggling. Hard. At the onset of quarantine I tried my best to placate them with hopeful words and platitudes, but those just proved to serve as a bandaid on a much larger problem.

My empathy for them both has grown leaps and bounds in the last 45 days. I’m an introverted extrovert and never would’ve given a second thought to how isolation can affect someone who isn’t. Where I don’t understand, God swoops in and provides incredible clarity.

My almost 13-year-old is really struggling. He hasn’t seen or visited with anyone other than our immediate family in 6 weeks. Aside from the occasional Zoom meetings (which he never misses) and FaceTime with friends, It’s just us and him. And when you’re a pre-teen whose entire world thrives on peer interaction and adolescent togetherness, being stranded on an island with your parents and sibling can feel really lonely and suffocating.

Pre-teen emotions are a real thing and they’re even more exaggerated when everything important in your adolescent life has been removed. Confusion. Frustration. Sadness. Anger. Loneliness. The list goes on. I can honestly say that at this point in quarantine I’m far more concerned about my child’s mental health than I am about COVID-19. This entire season of life is layered and complicated and we’re doing the best we can the best we know how. And so are our kids.

All that to say, if you’re feeling at all the same way he is, it’s OKAY to feel. That’s something we remind both boys at least a hundred times a day. We’re constantly affirming and validating those feelings. We encourage crying (boys need to cry too, for the love!!!). There’s nothing shameful about being emotional. God gave us feelings for a reason. So let it out. Cry. Scream. Wash. Rinse. Repeat. Feel all the feels.
And encourage your kids to do the same. One day at a time.

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