A Time for Caring

My dear friends,

I have a lot to say and a lot to ask in this post, and I pray that the point I am trying to make will come across.

This year at American Preparatory Academy we have had our fair share of challenges. We had a flood at the beginning of the year, which was crazy enough. But then some very sad and trying times came to the lives of our faculty and friends.

In February, as you have seen from previous posts, our friend and colleague Melissa Stone was in a serious car accident and lost her little girl.

This past Friday, April 20, one of our 5th grade teachers (Emily Hartung) lost her husband to a tragic automobile accident while he was out of town on business.

Our hearts are absolutely aching for our friends and coworkers. I personally cannot even imagine what either family is going through or has gone through in the past months.

We, as students and faculty of APA, are going to be running a week of caring for these families - We will be hosting fundraising events through the whole week and will finish it off with a benefit concert starring our music students, the music students at Bingham High School, and an up and coming inspirational vocalist, Calee Reed. We are so blessed to have gotten in touch with Calee and are very excited to have her help us.

Here are some of the favors, now, that I will be asking of you.

We are in need of sponsors and donors.

At the benefit concert, we will be holding a raffle, and those attending and participating in the events will be
able to purchase raffle tickets. What we need are people or businesses willing to donate services and or products to raffle off at the event. Things we thought of were iPods and iPads, gift cards, etc.

If you are in a position to donate these types of things or know someone else who is, please put them in touch with me or get in touch with me yourself through whatever means you have to get a hold of me.

As this continues to snowball, please watch for any other posts regarding this myriad of events.

Thank you for your compassion, prayers, and whatever else you are offering for these families. They need our love and support more than anything in this world. Thank you for allowing us to help make a difference in the lives of these people and their families.

Emily

Been thinking of these lyrics lately...

I heard this song on the radio for the first time a couple of weeks ago, and I loved it. The words continue to sing in my head, so I thought I would share them with you. Normally I don't seek out Jason Mraz's music, but here you go.

"I Won't Give Up"

Hmmmm ... Hmmmm ... Hmmmm ... Hmmm ...

When I look into your eyes
It's like watching the night sky
Or a beautiful sunrise
There's so much they hold
And just like them old stars
I see that you've come so far
To be right where you are
How old is your soul?

I won't give up on us
Even if the skies get rough
I'm giving you all my love
I'm still looking up

And when you're needing your space
To do some navigating
I'll be here patiently waiting
To see what you find

'Cause even the stars they burn
Some even fall to the earth
We've got a lot to learn
God knows we're worth it
No, I won't give up

I don't wanna be someone who walks away so easily
I'm here to stay and make the difference that I can make
Our differences they do a lot to teach us how to use
The tools and gifts we got yeah, we got a lot at stake
And in the end, you're still my friend at least we did intend
For us to work we didn't break, we didn't burn
We had to learn how to bend without the world caving in
I had to learn what I've got, and what I'm not
And who I am

I won't give up on us
Even if the skies get rough
I'm giving you all my love
I'm still looking up
Still looking up.

I won't give up on us (no I'm not giving up)
God knows I'm tough enough (I am tough, I am loved)
We've got a lot to learn (we're alive, we are loved)
God knows we're worth it (and we're worth it)

I won't give up on us
Even if the skies get rough
I'm giving you all my love
I'm still looking up

Sitting, Waiting, Wishing...

I'm here waiting for my work day to really start and have a lot of thoughts running through my head.

The past few months have been full of sitting and thinking, waiting for answers, and wishes for things to change or to make sense.

- Waiting to hear how my grandma's chemo treatments are going.
- Waiting to hear how my mom's test results are going.
- Wishing things could have turned out better in regards to JJ.
- Waiting to hear back from someone who could join us for a benefit concert for the Stones.
- Wishing for peace.
- Sitting up late at night, waiting and wishing for sleep to come.
- Sitting deciding how to help plan Ben and Jacquelle's wedding.
- Waiting for people to make up their minds.
- Waiting and wishing for answers.
- Sitting making plans for my future.
- Waiting for parts of my future to unfold so I can better plan.
- Wishing I could achieve my goal to become debt free more quickly.

I know that I may not get many of these answers when I want them or how I want them, and I'm just being incredibly impatient. Through priesthood blessings I've been told that the Lord is aware of the thoughts and pains of my heart, and that in His own time things will work.

In the mean time, I'm still hurting, sitting, waiting, wishing, for something to suddenly make sense. Thanks for your patience with me.

While I'm still hurting, I'll still be a little crazy. But, as I've said before, I try to only surround myself with awesome people, and they usually know how to help me feel better and learn the patience I need.

I know this is kind of a downer - post, and I apologize. I just needed to get a few things off of my chest. Thanks.

PolitiBlog Post #1 - Introduction and Sex Education in Schools

I'm going to straight up here. I am not the smartest woman on the planet. I know that and have accepted it.

But I do know one thing - I know enough that I can make an informed decision through study and discerning a situation.

As the presidential elections are quickly approaching I have been listening to the views of people I know, love, respect, and other things. Some I agree with, some I don't.

I am definitely okay with other people having opinions that differ from mine. If there were no other opinions life would be quite dull. I love a healthy conversation where I have the opportunity to state my opinion and hear someone else's. What a wonderful society we live in where this is possible.

Please, as you read this, if you feel the need to share your opinion please keep it clean and respectful. I do not post rude things on your posts I see on facebook or your personal blogs, so please refrain from doing that to me and anyone who comments on a possible thread.

On the Subject of Sex Education in Schools

I'm going to tell you a secret - I never attended the sex education portion of my high school health class.

*GASP*

And you know what? I turned out just fine. Why? Because I was taught about it at home.

I firmly believe that our children have no better place to learn than in their homes. Teachers are not hired to be parents. As a teacher, I have been thought of as a babysitter and a mom for other peoples' children. I was hired to teach band. That's all. Health teachers are supposed to teach students about a healthy lifestyle. That's all.

I think that our state legislators were doing their job - representing the people of Utah. Many Utah parents are teaching abstinence only in their homes. I can't imagine what an attack it would be for me to teach my child abstinence and then for that child to learn all about things I had no control over at home.

That may make me sound like a control freak, but I don't think so. It keeps my child from being confused if he/she learns things from one source and then can ask questions. All of the views of all of the people who could be teaching my child are different. I want mine to get one and then be able to ask me questions and do his or her own research (through studying books and articles with me and my spouse) and see for his or herself the dangers of unprotected sex.

If your school districts and legislators have decided to remove curriculum from certain subjects, don't throw a fit about it. Take the initiative, become informed and educated on the subject, and teach your children yourself.

The only 100% guarantee that someone will not become pregnant or get an STD is abstinence. If you would like to dispute that then go ahead. But if you really understand contraceptives, you will know that I speak the truth.

If you think your children will still experiment with sex in their younger years, you take the initiative and teach them about contraception. Teach them the benefits and the side effects. Help to make them as well rounded and understanding of an individual as you can. Because that is your calling in life. Teacher of your own children.

I feel there is no greater calling in life than being a parent. Please, if you plan to be a parent, take it seriously and teach your children the things you want them to know.

Last Night

What a long but rewarding day yesterday was!!

I spent several hours at school yesterday with some of my favorite people - my students. Truly, they are my reason to wake up in the morning. They are learning and growing so much it's amazing!

I think one of the most rewarding comments I have ever received came from one of my boys last night. This is a student that doesn't try in any class, and until recently didn't even try in mine. He told me that I was his favorite teacher. I am so grateful that I am teaching the subject that I am, that can really change lives. Because he likes band, he is now starting to turn his work in, in one class, because he knows if he doesn't do well in that particular class he can't come to band. YAY!

Another wonderful part of yesterday was our band concert. Our students have been working VERY hard since the beginning of February, and it really paid off. They played beautifully and put their little hearts and souls into everything.

They also really want to help Melissa, and that is the last miracle of last night. We had a little table set up to collect donations for her, where 2 students and another faculty member stayed. The parents of APA collectively donated almost $1240.00. INCREDIBLE! I am grateful for their example to me.

We are continuing fund raising efforts on their behalf. If you wish to donate, let me know, and I can send you some places to go or some people to contact.

Tender Mercies

This week I have been pondering the term so often used in our society - "tender mercies". To be completely honest, I have never truly understood the phrase. It was something I heard that sounded nice and made other people happy, and that was good enough for me. Until the end of January rolled into February, and life kind of became a mess.

I have realized that my Heavenly Father has truly blessed me with little tender mercies that have been saving graces for me and have prepared me for a lot of the things I have had to go through in this life. I thought maybe I would share a few.

1. I was placed at American Preparatory Academy to meet Melissa Stone and Demya Murdock, my incredible coworkers and now friends.

2. I was blessed to know many amazing people in my life that have passed on - to name a few - Blake Eggett, Donna Jones, Chris Bernardo, Heather Christensen, Don Jones, and more.

3. I was placed at American Preparatory Academy to be there for my students as they went through the tragedy of Melissa's accident because I have been in their shoes many times before.

4. I was placed at American Preparatory Academy to help Melissa through this trial, to be her friend and buoy her up and give her long, heart felt hugs when she needed them.

5. I was blessed to spend the last 22 years living with my brother JJ - getting to know him and love him, and learn how to deal with different kinds of people.

6. I have been blessed with incredible grandparents who face challenges head on and are filled with so much faith and strength that it absolutely floors me.

7. I was not scheduled to work the morning of Ethne's funeral - I didn't have to try and find a way to be there, because my day was already open.

8. I have been blessed with incredibly patient and loving friends who are helping me get through several of my trials right now.

9. I have been blessed with strong family ties that run very deep - that when I come in crying after a hard day my dad will just hold me and let me sob until I can't anymore, or that I can call my mom and throw a raving tantrum about something stupid that happened in my day.

10. I was blessed with an inspired bishop who knew the exact right time to release me from a calling that was becoming too much to handle.

11. I have been given musical talent that I can use as a healing agent. The night I found out about Melissa's accident I had rehearsal for Salt Lake Symphonic Winds, and I was tempted not to go, but Demya off-handedly mentioned that maybe I needed it...and she was right. Playing music is one of the healthiest ways I know of to handle stress and depression, and I am glad that I have that in my life.

I could go on, but I have other things I need to be working on. I needed to outwardly express some of the thoughts I have been having, and remind myself that even though I am going through some hard times that I will be ok and that everything will work out.

Amen.

What a week...Please send your thoughts, prayers, and support to this amazing family.

As some of you may know, one of my co band teachers was in a car accident with her two babies on Monday. It has truly been a heart-wrenching story and experience for those of us who know her and her family, but it has also been amazing to see their strong examples and the outpouring of love from people in our community and especially our incredible students.

If you have a moment, please read their stories. I'll provide a link for their blog with Melissa's progress with a link for monetary donations to help with these horrendous medical and funeral expenses, as well as the story from KSL. Some of the info in the KSL story is incorrect, but you'll get the basic gist.

Thank you.