Volleyball

Elise's volleyball season has been finished for almost a month now. While I was glad for it to be over and the running to be finished. I am sitting here tonight being a little sad. Sad that she will never again have a sophomore year volleyball game. Her team finished undefeated and won the MAC for Christian Schools. It was a fun season and a well deserved Championship.

Our Lives Revolve Around ...

Even though Elise only plays volleyball, our lives seem to follow sports around the calendar. We have not missed a football game once this year..yes, we are the fans that have been known to travel to away games that are 4 hours away. I laugh at some of the questions I have been asked when we show up at an away game (that really was 4 hours away). You first have to understand that our school is very small, the people that attend WC know us, know Elise. It is the look on their faces trying to figure out why we are at games so far away. Someone asked me this week with a puzzled look..."Mrs. Denney I thought you only had Elise. Do you have a son that plays?" I of course laughed and replied that Kim Watts and I are like family, therefore, her son plays, and well that would be my nephew out there. It is Mark that draws us there but it is also the other guys that have passed through my door in either first and second grade. I loved them then. I loved them like they were my own sons...even if it was only for one year. But it is more rewarding for me to watch their true character played out on the field. The students at WC are good guys, they have thier heads on straight. No, we are not perfect and we all mess up but it is a community that loves each other through those mess ups.

It has been rewarding for me to watch these guys grow up but more rewarding for me to see them grow into the men God wants.

This Friday the Indian will have the home advantage as we enter into the State Playoffs. Westminster was #2 in our division. Wish us luck! GO INDIANS!

Update on Etchings

Brian Colvin lost his life on the football field on August 14th. However, a teammate and his mother have gained eternal life forever and ever. Hallelujah! What a testimony!

Etchings

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Number 3, is embossed on the back of every players helmet for the season.



I guess sometimes you will never know what will forever be etched on your mind. Those etchings can be one of wonderful memories or one of those memories we would like to forget.

On August 14, 2010, Westminster met the Lewisville Lions on the football field for a simple scrimmage. A celebration of the opening of football season. Westminster and Lewisville had no commonality except for the fact that they were two teams who played football and ultimately wanted to win. What they experienced out on that field was only to be realized after the game and through the time still to come.

During the game one of the Lions, number 3, Brian Colvin, fell on the field. We learned after the game that he had passed away. I will have to stop right there, to let you know that this is something that burdens my heart even now. I wondered how it would effect our team and how in the world would his parent's survive this tragedy. What about his team members? So many questions, I couldn't answer. Still the biggest question of them all is God, why did You let this happen? That question is one I will not ever know the answer to on this side of Heaven.

A week has passed and the Indians took the field for their first home game. There was a different feeling about this game. There were tears glistening in every eye, lumps in every throat, and the number 3 held up by every hand. You see we had special guests. The Lewisville Lions and fans were invited to the game. The team departed from the bus with heart felt applause. Then they were part of us, a part of Westminster, a part of God's family, but most of all a part of God's plan.

The Westminster Catawba Indians and the Lewisville Lions praying at the rock before the game.

The Indians and the Lions taking the field as one team.

I may not ever understand the reasons behind this...I do know that God was very present last night. The way that our team reached out to the Lions and the Lions reached back to us was something that will be etched on my memory. God's plan in action.

Once again, I am reminded of how precious teaching is at a Christian School.

God Appears

Well, after a wonderful short summer....school is back in session. I will have to say that this year, more than any year, I have had a really hard time with the thought of the first day of school. I am not really sure why. I read a lot this summer, went to the beach, and slept late..really late. It was not an exciting summer by any one's standards, it was just good to be carefree for awhile.

So as summer came to an end, my head was not into starting the year again. I have actually been teaching 19 years, that means 19 first days of school. Everything I did to prepare for this year had to be done twice or maybe even three times. I just could not get settled on anything. Even this morning I had an unsettled feeling.

Then God appeared...My 16 tender hearts started to slowly fill my room. The chatter of 7 year olds excited about the first day of school and seeing each other, cluttered my room. Book bags, supplies, and Kleenex had to be taken care of. The first day, even through the confusion, seemed to be routine for me. As we worked, organized, and got to know each other, my heart swelled... it swelled with God's great love and grace. I can't describe that filling in words. And once again I was reminded that I am where God wants me to be. Even as I write my eyes puddle a little because God is such a huge God. Why would he care about a confirmation to me. He is so big why would he care about a little old me. That answer I will not ever fully understand.

So on the night of the first day of school...I look forward to seeing my little ones tomorrow. I pray that God will be seen in my actions. I pray that His compassion and grace will transform my students lives. I pray that He will work in each of them so that they can develop into the people that He wants. Lord, protect us. Keep us safe. Transform our hearts. Let us draw in and grow us in your wisdom. Thank you touching my heart as only YOU can. Lord, be with us. We love you!

Things We Will Not Understand--This Side of Heaven

Wow! There are a ton of things I need to do before students return on Tuesday. All which I cannot remember right now. I officially started back to school on Tuesday August 10. The four days that I reported to work were I think busy. It seems like I did a lot of spinning in circles. An example of this is...I was going to put up my bulletin boards, I need my stapler, I opened my desk drawer and then had to clean it out. After I finally dug my stapler out and started my bulletin board, I ran out of staples and had to unpack our supplies for the year. It was one little job after another. This year of all years I just feel scattered. I am not really sure why or if I can collect myself enough to be ready. But, ready or not...the students will return.





Although there are LOTS of changes in the school this year that are good and I am excited about there is a heaviness that my heart holds. We have found out that a dear fellow teacher's husband has leukemia and will begin treatment Monday. So pray for their family.



Another dear fellow teacher's mother has cancer and has taken a turn for the worse. Several of my fellow teachers have had to take their student's to college for the first time.



Then last night, at our football scrimmage, a player from the opponents teams fell on the field and we learned that he passed away from cardiac arrest a short time later. He was a senior, 18 years old. As a parent I cannot imagine the suffering that is to come for this family. It is a shame.



Then I pray, I pray hard, that the Lord will protect us, protect our school, protect our students from Satan's attack. My heart literally cries out for HIS comfort to descend like a blanket. I need to be covered with His grace.



So...I apologize for always writing about doom and gloom. But as I have said before, writing to me is a way to heal. Maybe you can understand about the heaviness of my heart. I know there is hope in Jesus Christ, I know what kind of treasure He is to us, to me. But sometimes I just don't understand all the hurt of our world. I know all of this is His plan but....I guess that is faith in action. So pray with me. Pray Hard! And of course, hold onto your fork the best is yet to come!

Memories!

As this sweltering heat consumes the air around us my thoughts drift back to a time when I was young. I have said more than once that I grew up on the water. No we didn't have a house on the lake but as far back as I can remember we had boats. In fact, my dad just sold his last one about a month ago.

The boat pictured is not our actual boat just an image that I downloaded that stirred up memories. Gosh, this post would be days long if I told every story about that boat that I have locked away. The funny thing is, I remember giving my parents an attitude about going to the lake because as a grew into a teenager we would go for every weekend and when dad took vacation, we didn't go to the beach, or to the mountains to ski we went to the lake. Usually dad would take 2 weeks off in the summer and away we would go either to Barren River or Cumberland Lake. Did I mention that this boat....didn't have a shower. We bathed in the lake with Ivory Soap!

As an adult I am really glad my parents loaded me and my attitude into the car. Some of my best memories with my parents and brothers were on that Gibson houseboat.

Troy was just a little guy. He wore his life jacket ALL the time. I wonder now if he slept in that thing. Troy had a water mishap as a real youngster and was afraid of water. I am not sure to this day if he loves the water. But boy he loved to fish. Every time he stuck his pole in the water he would pull up a bluegill or crappy. That would be pronounced "croppy" in Kentucky but "crappy"in South Carolina. It will always be "croppy" to me. The lake was where I learned to ski, lost my first ring, and memorized the routes to many hospitals. (Those stories are for another day.)

Back to the sweltering heat, I remember many summer days when we were in the lake, I mean swimming, from as soon as the breakfast dishes were clean to dark. We would only get out to eat and then we would be back in again. Thinking about these times, there was nothing really big it was just spending time together as a family. As I remember, it is bitter sweet. To have that time back....knowing what I know now. I would do things SO differently.

Go out and make memories with your family....I wonder what Elise will remember from her childhood. It won't have anything to do with a lake and well that just makes me SAD!