LIVE, FROM CHICAGO, IT'S PLEASANTLY DISTURBED VOLUME 17!!!

This week, it is my honor to host Pleasantly Disturbed Thursday Volume 17.  The application process was absolutely grueling (consisting of being on the twitter at the same time as Duane), but I WON!   Eat your hearts out, bloggers!

So let's see... What is disturbing me lately?  Well, for one thing, my computer keeps booting me off of the Internet.   It did so just a moment ago, then wouldn't let me back on for a couple of tries.  I was worried for a moment that this post wouldn't go up at midnight, since I have it in draft mode!

I suppose there are bigger fish to fry than my Internet connection woes though.   Still, I don't want to blog about disturbing political situations across the ocean for PDT, because it would definitely NOT be pleasant.  

I've started yet another blog, although this one does not have any posts yet.  It's called "Happy Lent", and will be about politics.  PSYCH!  It will be about Lent.  I'll tell more about it in another post, but for now, I'll explain how I came up with the title "Happy Lent".

I taught at a Catholic School for thirteen years.   I spent nine of those years teaching second graders.  That is a very sweet age.    At this age, children will draw a picture for you and / or make a card for you for any reason.  Sneeze.  Cough.  Pass gas.  It doesn't really matter.  They will also make cards for your loved ones.  When my mom was in the hospital when I taught, she got dozens of cards every day.   I waited until she was out of intensive care to bring them to the hospital though...

Anyway, I spent a bit of time teaching children each year about how much Jesus loves us, and the proof being His great sacrifice.   We talk some about that.   Then I talk to them about how they can "fast"  by sacrificing something to say "I love you" to Him.   We talk about the meaning of sacrifice, and what sort of things we can sacrifice (no ice cream is a sacrifice, no broccoli,  not so much.... ) 

Inevitably though, Ash Wednesday comes along, and at least half of the children present me with "Happy Lent" cards they made during lunch.   For a while, I felt like I must have missed the mark in these lessons, because the tots thought of it like any other holiday...

But praying about what to call my Lent blog, it seemed I kept coming back to a picture a sweet little girl drew of flowers and smiley faces surrounding the words "Happy Lent" in bubble letters (No, that's not my header.  I have NO clue how to do that, because it would be if I did!)  I realized that those kids were teaching me something:  don't forget the joy.   His great sacrifice is given out of His love, and our small one to show our love.   I need to focus on the joy that love brings me, even as I solemnly remember the great cost to Him.

So there you have it!  The disturbance of my computer woes, and my choice in blog names.

Happy Pleasantly Disturbed Thursday!

A big thank you to our regular host, Duane Scott for allowing me to host this week! MWAH!