Shhhhh.....This Blog Is In Prayer

I’m in prayer today, and I hope if you have a notion you are too. However, it didn’t take my Governor to prompt me to prayer. I’ve been praying since early in the summer for a change in our weather pattern and so have many others.

I guess there are those who would be shocked to discover I have prayed in my classroom (gasp!), prayed in the hallways, and even placed my hands over that all important state test before it’s sent in for scoring. I have been known to stand beside a student while he or she is working and place my hand on their shoulder while I say a prayer. Prayer should be a constant activity…..a daily conversation with God.

My daily conversation with God, however, is a silent one. Most students never know I say prayers in the classroom and I certainly wouldn’t gather students and direct them to pray. However, I have given them the opportunity at their suggestion….one such occasion was 9/11 when a student wanted to say a prayer for the people in the towers. The student organized it, made sure everyone knew they didn’t have to join in, he led it, and I silently prayed with them. Sometimes public prayer is necessary.

Gov. Sonny Perdue’s call for prayer has once again placed our state in the forefront for those who like to write off Southerners as simple country bumpkins. You know….those “There they go again…..” types.

Religion is a part of the South and deeply embedded into our culture no matter how many critics want to ridicule it or even deny it. If your family has been in the South for over five generations and have more or less followed the Baptist, Methodist, or just the Christian faith in general there’s a good chance you have a long line of pastors in your family like I do.

It’s hard to shake that kind of dust from your shoes.

I guess some high-falutin’ educated folks manage to educate themselves right out religion even if they have deep Southern roots. I too have been faced to separate fact and faith. It’s a choice they make and I support their choice, however, I hold three pieces of paper that tell me I’m highly educated as well…. yet for me and my house I choose prayer and all that goes along with it.

News stories regarding the Governor’s request can be found here, here, and here.

This post also appears at Georgia on My Mind and Got Bible?

Some Notable Links for Weekend Reading

Well, as you can see things here in the great state of Georgia are dire….very dire. Our governor has finally resorted to prayer even though many of us have already been on our knees, and Florida has backed away from the water truce.

The image you see here is courtesy of the Atlanta Water Shortage blog via The Atlanta Journal. Amazing, isn’t it? All that we should see of the tree stump is the very top or not at all. Our area lakes are quickly becoming desert landscapes.

I find it ironic that here in the middle of an extreme drought my husband and I spending the day getting ready to cook at a fish fry tonight for our Sunday School group at church. Of course I don’t have to do too much….hubby handles the cookers, and I’m mixing up the hushpuppies with plenty of green onion and buttermilk.

In an about face from American History I was intrigued by a book mention from Uncovered History….The Fall of the House of Hapsburg. I’m putting it on my list to see if the local library has it. World of Royalty also linked to something I might be able to use with students…Sherwood Forest is in danger. You could use the article to open a discussion on historical places and people versus Disney and other media portrayals. Some places our young students see in the media really do exisit, but the history is skewed.

First things this morning I was hit with this interesting tidbit of discovery. I hope to have more time tomorrow evening to delve into this...for now the hushpuppies are a priority rather than DaVinci and music embeds.

Another link you could use for diversion is from Caffeinated Politics involves watching Atlantis land from inside the craft. NYCEducator hates it when I used this word but……NEAT-O!

The Wrens Nest Online (of Joel Chandler Harris/Brer Rabbit fame) have been working with middle schoolers regarding this whole blogging thing.

Carnivals abound for reading pleasure….The 58th History Carnival is here, the Georgia Carnival is here, and the Education Carnival is here in an agenda type format (neat idea or should I say NEAT-O?).

Walking in the Berkshires has proposed a new carnival I’m really excited about. It’s called the Carnival of Curiosities. It’s a great idea and I can’t wait to participate. Head on over and check it out.

Finally, in case you missed it I posted Grace for Faith: The Perfect Trade over at Got Bible, and I explain how I would rather remember fallen members of the Allman Brothers Band over at Georgia on My Mind.

Happy Weekend!