I didn’t see it coming, didn’t know what I had done to earn it, didn’t know how to fix it!  I sent emails daily since New Year’s Eve … hoping to learn what offensive thing I had done!

I use “Recommendations powered by Zemanta” to find related links and pictures for the content I write.  I scan through those … click on ones that look interesting … that I think might interest my readers.

Who knew that I would click on a link that would shut my blog down … instantaneously … no warning!  

Funny about feelings!  I’m a sensitive gal … perfectionist type … type A … want to do right!  I felt awful!

Anyway … take note … can’t tell you what to avoid exactly but reread the terms of agreement

So between December 31 and January 4, I had time on my hands to think, and create, and re-create!  I have decided to separate my reflective inspirational writing and my math work in 2 blogs!

You can find my work at these two NEW addresses …

• http://instillnessthedancing.com/    …  (now my own domain name, self-hosted!)
• http://algebrasfriend.blogspot.com/  …  (just for math!)

Please bookmark them, add them to your reader …

I hope to hear from my friends soon!

It will take a few days to get back up to speed … but I’m on my way … again!

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I’d love for my blogging friends to join me in choosing 3 words for the new year!

I haven’t had much success with resolutions.  

We make them, tongue-in-cheek, knowing that we will break them before a month or two have passed.

Instead it seems more appropriate to choose a focus for the year.  For some, that focus might be summed up in a single word.  For others it might take 2 or 3 words to give our year clear parameters.

What are the one, two, or three words that create a vision for your future?  How do you want to define the year 2013?

I’m choosing these three words for 2013:

Expectant:  I want to expect the best from myself, from others, from life! I want to be looking for the unusual, the beautiful, the unexpected or inexplicable!  I want a greater sense of wonder!  Ephesians 3:20 – 21 says, Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory…!”

I’m looking expectantly for God to do more, immeasurably more than I can ask or imagine this year!

Adventurous:  By some standards I am approaching the label of  “senior citizen.”  It is easy to “take it easy!”  But I don’t want to slow down too soon!  I want this quote to define my days,

“Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body,but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming — WOW– What a Ride!”

Intentional:  Daily I have 24 hours … just like everyone else.  I want to be intentional about how I use those hours.  You  might say I want to be purposeful about how I use the time allotted.

“Teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.” Psalm 90 12.

Resolutions (Photo credit: Ontario Wanderer)

If you are thinking about New Year’s Resolutions, or if you are interested in declaring words to shape your year, please share them!

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So I’m joining the NaBloPoMo group this month – making a commitment to blog daily in January!  The theme is “energy” which too often is in short supply.

There are daily prompts … here are the ones for yesterday and today:  From where do you draw your energy?  Which daily tasks take up the most of your energy?

On the scale between extroverts and introverts, I lean far to the introversion scale.  I gain energy from the inside, from downtime, from time to think, pray, process, meditate.  I require quiet to energize.

Teaching requires enormous energy for me … not just the act of delivering lessons.  No, the energy drain is the interaction, the barrage of stimulation that comes from interacting with people (students, colleagues) all day.  That’s not a negative for me … I intentionally choose teaching … but it is one that I have to carefully balance with enough quiet time to re-fuel.

Today, my last day of the holiday break, I am reminded that Isaiah writes:

Do you not know?
Have you not heard?
The Lord is the everlasting God,
the Creator of the ends of the earth.
He will not grow tired or weary,
and his understanding no one can fathom.
He gives strength to the weary
and increases the power of the weak.
Even youths grow tired and weary,
and young men stumble and fall;
but those who hope in the Lord
will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles;
they will run and not grow weary,
they will walk and not be faint.

As I look to tomorrow, gearing up for this next semester, I purposefully remind myself that my strength (energy) comes from knowing my creator and the desires, the calling he put within me.  I am eager for school to begin again, into planning already.  And at the same time, today I want to pamper myself with quiet activities … a little reading, a little blogging, maybe even a little gardening … creating an oasis through which I am energized!

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My students need choices!  I’m hoping they will get excited about these four mini-projects!  Students need to choose only one.  One project is a review of graphing; a second project combines problem solving with graphing; a third combines art design with graphing; and the fourth invites students to write creatively.

Students will complete their work (maximum 2 pages) and affix their work inside file folders.  (I might choose to use 12 x 18 construction paper instead of file folders).

These mini-projects are variations of work shared online by awesome teachers!  Thank you!

God Knows

And I said to the man who stood at the gate of the year: “Give me a light that I may tread safely into the unknown.”
And he replied:
“Go out into the darkness and put your hand into the Hand of God. That shall be to you better than light and safer than a known way.”
So I went forth, and finding the Hand of God, trod gladly into the night. And He led me towards the hills and the breaking of day in the lone East.

So heart be still:
What need our little life
Our human life to know,
If God hath comprehension?
In all the dizzy strife
Of things both high and low,
God hideth His intention.

God knows. His will
Is best. The stretch of years
Which wind ahead, so dim
To our imperfect vision,
Are clear to God. Our fears
Are premature; In Him,
All time hath full provision.

Then rest: until
God moves to lift the veil
From our impatient eyes,
When, as the sweeter features
Of Life’s stern face we hail,
Fair beyond all surmise
God’s thought around His creatures
Our mind shall fill.

Written by Marie Louise Haskins 1876 – 1957

This poem was quoted by King George 6th in a speech, Christmas 1939

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