Where's my Coffee?

If you are my student (or if you have known me since my college days at Spring Arbor...thanks to my college roomie, Ryan L...) you know it's a rarity to see me without my coffee mug in hand or at least nearby. For years, coffee drinkers have been given a bad rap: "It stains your teeth, it gives you bad breathe, it dehydrates you, blah, blah, blah." But finally, Yahoo News has posted an article to defend those of us who are the most severe addicts--and PROUD of it!

Note: This post does not condone nor allow students or anyone else to drink coffee without the permission and guidance of their parents.

In the article, Coffee is not only good tasting, but it's good for your head, heart, and prevents cancer. Oh yeah, and coffee is loaded with antioxidants too. So, take that! Life is good!

Today, We Grieve Together

Today was probably the most difficult day I have ever had to experience as a teacher. I knew, before I left the house, that today would be hard, but I wasn't quite prepared to tell 100 students that "it would be Ok."
Johana was a true blessing to her sixth grade peers. It was evident today that not only will she be deeply missed, but that she has left a very inspiring legacy that will live on in the hearts, minds, and memories of her friends and family members.
Today was an example of a time in life when even adults don't know exactly what to do. I have only really experienced this one other time in my life--September 11, 2001. Unlike 9/11, today we didn't know what to do because we are all in shock that someone so young and talented would be taken away from us.
Whenever I don't know how to handle something, I usually look for advice. That advice, more often than not, comes from my favorite author, C.S. Lewis.
Lewis knew grief all too well. His wife died and left him extremely broken. In dealing with his pain, he began to write about the loss in his books--these passages would soon become some of the most inspirational writings of the 20th Century.
One of the elements of grief that Lewis mentions is how fear often accompanies our pain. He said, "No one ever told me that grief felt so like fear." I saw fear in my students' eyes today. Fear of the unknown. Fear for Johana's parents. Fear of death itself.
While I can't say that I am completely without fear, I can say that I am consoled by the overwhelming support I saw from the PCMS family today. Ms. Kubos was doing what she does best--being a mother to everyone. The eighth grade students were filling their role as the big brothers and sisters of the campus. And, the seventh graders rallied together to grief as one. It was truly beautiful in an otherwise terrible situation.
As I end this post, my prayers go out to Johana's family and friends. I am deeply saddened by the tragic events and pray that God's comfort and support would be with her family in these difficult times.

Blittle

Ms. Chin's Wedding!

This past weekend was a special one. I was privileged to attend the wedding of Ms. Chin and her (newly) husband, Trent. The wedding was in Chicago and it was a perfect weekend.
Yes, it did rain a bit (see picture), but the rain did not damper any one's spirits. Chicago is a great place and, rain or shine, Ms. Chin's wedding was set to be a great time.
The wedding took place in an Art museum on the out-skirts of the city. I traveled with Kiera, Ms. Robayo, Mr. Stocker, and Ms. Renard. Besides us, there were about 150 other guests.
Despite the fact that it was difficult for the PCMS family to say goodbye to Ms. Chin, there is no doubt that she has chosen a great path for herself. She will definitely be a great cook and do very well in culinary school, all while having a great husband supporting her and her endeavors.
Below are some pictures for the weekend.

Ms. Chin and Trent getting ready to say, "I do."



Even though it was raining, we didn't let it slow us down. We spent a good half-day site seeing and touring the Windy City.


A few of the guests, including Kiera, Ms. Robayo, and Ms. Renard

Celebrating a Great Year

Sunday marked my wife's and my first wedding anniversary! It's crazy to think that we have already been married a year. Time flies! To celebrate, we spent the day and night in New Braunfels to hit the slides and pools of Schlitterbahn. Now, it's not our first Schlitterbahn experience. No--Kiera and I went to the Galveston park a few months ago. Overall, I have to admit, I expected more. Both parks (Galveston and New Braunfels) were a bit dirty and under-decorated.

Maybe we are spoiled. We are used to going to the Disney theme parks where everything from the signs, to the sidewalks, to the rides are decked out in whatever theme they have. At Schlitterbahn, it's obvious there was no thought into the overall decor of the place beyond the iconic Schlitterbahn castle.
Nonetheless, Kiera and I had a blast soaking up the sun and getting away from Houston for a day.
The best part of driving to Shlitterbahn? Stopping at Buc-ees!!!