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Tonnye Fletcher
Not if its any trouble It was someone in thе building f rinth of wind-shields that mirrored a dozen suns
__________
06.10.2014 16:03:00

My Personal Mission Statement

My friend, Julie, knows how to ask just the right questions. We are both deep thinkers, but not very structured and methodical, so our conversations typically are all over the map. Last week was no exception, as we met for an evening of writing, sharing, feedback...a "creative meeting", as she called it. And it was...creative, and lovely, and thought-provoking, and inspiring, and...she really does ask the best questions....so, during our meeting, she looks at me and says, so, Tonnye, what do you think God has called you to do? What do you think your calling in life is?" Wow! No one has asked me that before, and, sadly, I had never asked myself either. I don't know if I would have been able to answer at any other time better than right now. The answer came more quickly than I would have guessed, but as I thought briefly on her question, I knew it had to be words, and that was my answer to her...."Words..." when she asked me to elaborate, I began to talk about how God expects me to use my words to help people. As I thought further, and into the next several days about her question, my answer, my life, and my calling, here are some thoughts that provided clarity. -- 1- I learned to talk early, a lot, and well, and I've never stopped. :-). Some would tell you I never stop...present tense. 2-I learned to read early, well, and loved it! I still do! 3- I learned to write early, and have almost always processed problems, issues, and thoughts in writing, whether it was a list, a Poem, a story, a blog entry, or a letter. Then I thought about the roles I currently fulfill in my life... 1-Teacher. As a teacher, I constantly use words (along with much else) to instruct, inspire, manage, etc. my students' learning. I have to be an effective communicator and use words effectively to do that. 2- Prayer Team Leader. In my church family, I serve as Prayer/Care Team Leader. In this capacity, I serve people with great needs. A huge part of my role is to speak love, truth, comfort, peace, joy, and/or conviction into people's hearts and lives. 3- Songwriter. As a songwriter, God is blessing me with the capability to put words, music, thoughts, and ideas together in moving ways. The songs I'm writing now are mostly centered on Him or our response to Him. But there are others that speak of the process of life, honoring others, the struggles of life....many areas that could speak to people during difficult times. 4- Writer at large. I have so many projects in my head and in my heart that are designed to entertain, instruct, interest, share.... We need to laugh and work on our marriages, and read books about scripture, and know about the world around us, and appreciate the beauty we see, hear, taste, touch, and smell. Many of my writings bring one or more of these concepts to life. Then I thought about what the scriptures say about what we say, and think. Consider these scriptures: Proverbs 21:23. Whoever keeps his mouth and his tongue keeps himself out of trouble. Ephesians 4:29 Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up! As fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear. Proverbs 15:1 A soft answer turns away wrath, But a harsh word stirs up anger. Proverbs 12:18b. The tongue of the wise brings healing. Proverbs 18:21a Death and life are in the power of the tongue... There are MANY more. This is just a quick sampling...God wants us to guard our tongue and use it to bring healing, strength, encouragement, peace....and He has equipped me to do this. As I have pondered that this week, I realized, more than ever before what a huge responsibility that is. I also began to think about all the churches, schools, fortune 500 companies that have mission statements, and I thought, maybe we should have personal mission statements, too. Now, I have worked in schools where you had to have the mission statement posted....but no one ever went over it, never read it, never had professional development about it. It's very presence changes nothing. But, if we see it daily, read it daily, dissect it to understand it fully, commit to it and strive to implement it to its fullest extent, revisit it, and tweak it often, as new insight affects it, then we have in our hands a powerful tool for life change! Having said that, I have prayed about it over the last several days, thought deeply about it, talked with people who know me, care about me, and understand me. I have researched words, and thought about wordage. I have crafted my own personal mission statement. I went on to define for me, personally, what that might look like in my current roles. Might it change? Yes... Might I fail? Yes.... but I think having these guiding principles in place will help me to do my job better, shine my light better, and live for Him better. My Mission Statement My mission in life, (as revealed to me by God through the talents, interests, and abilities with which He has blessed me,) is to USE WORDS to: Educate, Enable, Encourage, Engage, Empower, Entertain, Equip, Edify, Embolden, Embrace, Enlist, Enliven, Enlighten, Excite,  and Evangelize people. I can fulfill the mission with which He has entrusted me by:  1) Listening and responding with words of prayer, encouragement, respect, advice, and love. 2) Praying for people daily of whose needs I am aware. 3) Teaching students, peers, interns, and anyone else God places within my path using the best words and best methods I know, and continuing to learn myself. 4) Knowing the scriptures well enough to share Gods words when people are in need. 5) Writing articles, poems, stories, songs, and books that minister to people on some level, whether through laughter, spiritual empowerment, information, emotional connection, or educational prowess, etc. This is mine, and even in the days that I've been crafting it, I've had some epic fails. But because I know my mission, I know when I am failing, and then, I can improve....by knowing the goal, I can move closer to achieving said goal... So, this is mine...what's your calling?

Things to Do when you are sad

My sister posted a great little pin to her pinterest entitled: Things to do when you are sad. And since I'm having a particularly sad day today, I thought I would make my own list. So here's my version of things to do when you are sad:

1. Color in a coloring book.
2. Pick some flowers -- or some fruit.
3. Snuggle up under a blanket with hot tea and read.
4. Eat a healthy snack.
5. Watch funny movies -- or I Love Lucy
6. Count your blessings.
7. Think about all the people who love you.
8. Listen to happy music.
9. Pray.
10. Read your Bible.
11. Write a thank you note to a friend.
12. Play silly computer games.
13. Go to Pinterest and look at all the amazing things people have found.
14. Do a good deed for someone else.
15. Eat ice cream.
16. Play with a child.
17. Scrapbook it.
18. Bake
19. Cuddle a teddy bear -- or a significant other
20. Watch a ridiculously sad movie, and just give in to the sadness for a while.
21. Go outside -- take a walk; lie in a hammock, or in the grass
22. Take a nap
23. Eat soup
24. Write down your feelings in a journal.
25. Spend time with people you love.
26. Get out of the house!

I've done many of these today -- getting ready to do a few more. Next on my list: pick flowers and eat some watermelon. Later, color, snuggle with hot tea and a good book or a happy movie. . . we'll see. . . If you're sad, try some of these -- they'll help chase away the sadness.

The Climb

I was cleaning house today and ran across this poem I wrote 2/16/93 and it reminded me of Clay's lesson Sunday at Barefoot Church. I hope it provides some encouragement.

Lord, sometimes I might be selfish
When I come to you in prayer.
It may seem all I talk about
Is all my earthly cares.

So now I want to take the time
To give you all my heart
And tell you that I'm thankful
For the blessings you impart.

I realize I'm blessed
By the mountains that you give,
And every blessing from you
Helps me a better life to live.

I love you for the sunshine
And I love you for the rain --
I love you in times of joy
As well as times of pain.

I know they're all blessings
Though sometimes I don't show it.
Lord, help me more often
To show that I know it.

Sometimes I realize
We're strongest when weak.
Sometimes I forget
and long for that peak.

Lord, help me to know
That the valleys I need
To climb the tall mountains
With any good speed.

Times may seem hard
And we wish for the grand
Lord, help me to remember
To hold to your hand.

For your hands are strong
Even when mine are weak
And with your help and love
I know I'll reach the peak.

2010 in Review

Ok, Friends, if you're interested in our annual news, here goes.  If not, feel free to delete :~P 2010 was a busy, blessed, and beautiful year -- with a few kinks thrown in to make us appreciate the rest! Shane is continuing with his doctoral studies at NCSTATE in Raleigh -- probably just over half done with course work.  It is a long process, and hard on our schedule and our finances!  I am so proud of him for doing this (and doing well, so far!), but I'll be absolutely thrilled when he is finished!!!!!! I have enjoyed a fringe benefit of getting to visit my sister in Durham more often and lots of special time with my nephew, Chandler, who will be 2 on March 30.  He loves Aunt Nene and the feeling is quite mutual.  I find him smart, funny, and fascinating!  I've watched him grow and change and learn and it is utterly amazing.  He'll be welcoming home a sibling late February/early March -- I'll love him/her regardless, but must admit my fingers are crossed for a girl.  Shanda and Stephen are doing well. We do have one other chance for a niece, as Shane's sister, Kelli, is pregnant -- due in June.  We enjoyed spending time with them in June for Wylder's birthday.  Unfortunately, we had an emergency when our best friend, Randy Spruill, ended up in the hospital with an aneurysm.  We left immediately for the Outer Banks.  Randy underwent a 12 hour brain surgery and was in the hospital/rehab from mid-June to mid-September -- not much of a summer for the Spruills.  We visited a weekend in August right before we went back to school, and Randy was still not talking, walking, or doing much else.  We had our regular Christmas weekend with them a couple of weeks ago, and he is walking with no assistance (no cane, no walker, or anything else!!!!!!)  His talking is (almost) completely normal, and his voice sounds basically the same.  His sense of humor is well intact, as is his zest for life.  He continues with various therapies to try to regain as much capabilities as possible.  His deficits are in his left arm/hand, vision, and some processing skills (mathematical stuff, for example).  We all appreciate your continued prayers for the Spruill family.  They are an amazing force in the world, and not surprisingly, they have faced this with grace, gratitude, and grit!  We are excited for all the miracles we've witnessed in this family this year, and are hoping 2011 is much LESS eventful for them. We are back in GA for our second visit of the year, and are enjoying our time very much -- Christmas traditions alive and well -- shopping, cooking, games, puzzle, family time. . . .we are blessed to still have Grandma Nita with us well into her 80s -- mostly healthy, mobile and living on her own with her husband of (almost) 2 years -- Papa Al.  We are bittersweet to be here with almost all the family.  Last year this time Randy was in Afghanistan and Josh was also there.  Both are home now, safe and sound, praise God!  Now, we have 2 new military family members, as Nelson Rey and Julia's boyfriend, Jonathan joined up.  Both of them will probably end up in Afghanistan or Iraq. . .Also, Randy, Marina, and Mason are leaving here directly for Alaska -- their new orders.  We will definitely miss them being so close!  We have enjoyed tons of backyard parties, date nights, playdates, ball games, etc. while they've been in Fayetteville.  The good news is perhaps we'll get a visit to Alaska -- the bad news is we will certainly not see them as often.  The other young nephews are doing great -- Wylder will be 3 in June and Braden just turned 2.  Josh and Sophia are still stationed in Italy, and that is the gaping hole this Christmas as they are not coming home.  We miss them very much. We are both still teaching at Union Chapel Elementary in Pembroke.  Shane is teaching 6th grade (language arts this year) and I am teaching 2nd grade.  I have a lovely group of  25 students that I am enjoying very much and cannot believe the year is almost half over.  Shane has two blocks of 21 -22 students and is team-teaching with my former assistant, Jolena Locklear.  As usual, he is stretched too thin with too many responsibilities, but it has provided opportunities for him to do some additional trainings throughout the county, which is good experience and (sometimes) provides extra income. . . so that is a positive.  We both presented at last years' NC Reading Conference and are both slated to present this year as well. I have been blessed with the same assistant for 2 years now, and she is a friend as well as a colleague.  We enjoy working together. We are also both still involved with the Robeson County Reading Council.  Shane is finishing his tenure as president of the organization and I am in my 4th year as Young Author Chair.  While it has been an interesting experience, we will be glad when his presidential time is over.  It is a lot of responsibility and requires a lot of time. I am serving as chaplain for the second time for my educational sorority, Alpha Delta Kappa.  We enjoy monthly meetings, doing altrustic projects, and fellowshipping/supporting each other. In April, Shane and I began making some drastic lifestyle changes in regards to health and diet.  We dove in full-force when school was out in June.  Due to the changes, Shane lost 30 lbs and his sugar is well under control.  I have lost 51 lbs!  We have cut out all wheat, no processed sugar, as much natural, organic and fresh foods as possible.  I have also integrated exercise, which has helped me in myriad ways.  Currently, I am doing zumba 1-3 days a week at work, and fitting in whatever other exercise I can.  We bought new bikes this year, too, which we have enjoyed. In November, we had our annual Thanksgiving Praise service, with about 25 folks coming to sing and pray and worship  and fellowship together.  We enjoyed a variety of soups/crackers/breads, and ended our evening with the traditional bonfire/marshmallow toast. We enjoyed our staff retreat in November as well, traveling to Kingsmill Resort in Williamsburg, VA.  We had some nice time with our friend, Jonah Doeller.  Shane presented for the retreat and had tons of schoolwork to do for his doctorate, so we didn't get a chance to do much else, but it was nice to get away. Also In November, we began attending a new church in Whiteville.  It is a contemporary, non-denominational church, with a worship band and over 1500 members on 3 campuses.  While it is very different from the church that Shane and I were raised in, and the change did not come easily, it has already been such a blessing.  We are beginning to get involved, and while we don't fully agree with everything, we find the overall spirit of the church to be very in line with where God has been leading us in our prayer and study.  It is very focused on showing God's love in the world, as evidenced by our mission statement "changing lives that change the world".  We find the services very motivational and Bible-based.  And the people we've met and fellowshipped with so far seem to have a wonderful zest for Jesus and his story in our world.  We enjoyed our very first candlelight communion service last Wednesday, which was absolutely wonderful.  Our hope is that God is going to use us in mighty ways in this new community called Barefoot Church (named after the community in North Myrtle Beach where it began).   While we will miss the Christmas Eve services in person, we are hoping to catch in on the Internet campus tonight, and look forward to Christmas services on Sunday and baptisms!  If you're interested, you can check it out at barefootchurch.com.  Or if you're local, we're meeting in the old Badcock building behind McDonalds.  Sunday services are at 9:30 and 11:15.   And while we realize that our Church of Christ friends and family will be disappointed in this decision, please know that it did not come easily or quickly, and that it was accompanied by lots of prayer and study.  We hope that we can still fellowship as friends and family, and still consider you our brothers and sisters in Christ, and hope you can do the same.  We wish you all the best as we journey together into 2011. Our prayer for you is good health, happy times, and more blessings than you can count.  If hard times come your way in 2011, our prayer is that God will grant you strength, patience, and perseverance to overcome your trials.  Our hope is that we'll find joy in each others' company, whether face-face, on-line or via written communication.  We love you all and thank you for being a part of our lives!  Many blessings, and much love, Shane and Tonnye   Blessed is the season which engages the whole world in a conspiracy of love!  ~Hamilton Wright Mabie

Plant a tree in your state parks

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Blessings,
Tonnye Fletcher

 

We can only be said to be alive in those moments when our hearts are conscious of our treasures.  ~Thornton Wilder

The Fishing Trip

It was a lovely vacation until the day of the fishing trip. I was excited; hoping to see whales or dolphins or something amazing, but I also felt very anxious, since I had never been on the ocean before. Some family told me I should take some medicine, but my husband didn’t want me to, because he was afraid I would get sleepy and not enjoy the day. It was a beautiful day and the warm summer sun shone down, yet there was a cool breeze from the water. We went to the wharf to board the boat our family had chartered. There were six of us, along with two crewmembers. It was supposed to be a half-day trip, but Capt. Bryan said we might have to go out further to get any good fishing in, so we agreed to a full day trip. The ride out was incredible. The boat went so fast and the spray felt cool and refreshing. I wasn’t bothered by the motion – the boat virtually flew across waves. We saw a school of flying fish --nothing – then, suddenly several flashes of silver would erupt from the waves like fireworks. They would sail through the air, sometimes for quite a distance before diving into the water once again. It was a sight to behold! We rode for miles into the ocean – no land visible in any direction. It was a little disconcerting, but I was okay – until we stopped. When the boat was still, it wasn’t still. Suddenly I understood The Pirate Ship I’ve ridden so many times at Six Flags. Only this was worse – much, much worse! Soon I wasn’t feeling very well. . . I took a Dramamine, knowing it was already too late. I ate crackers to no avail. I went inside the cabin. That didn’t help either. I was seasick! What a terrible feeling! It was miserable on a thousand different levels. Somehow I survived the day, although I didn’t enjoy it. It was eleven very long hours on the ocean. No whales, no dolphins, and we only caught one fish– a mahi-mahi that ended up costing us over $1,000! However, it was an experience from which I learned. As I reflect now, I consider the day and compare it to my reading experience. Like the day, I began my reading experience with both excitement and trepidation. Like the boat ride, there is sometimes excitement, sometimes fear. The waves carried us far out into the world as reading has always done for me. There have been highs and lows in my reading over the years, as the boat rode high and low in sync with the waves. However, unlike the fishing trip, reading is an adventure I will choose over and over again in spite of uncertainties. I don’t know when – if ever – I’ll go on another deep sea fishing voyage. For some things, once truly is enough!
Tonnye Williams Fletcher
Forever Young Author
Union Chapel Elementary School
Robeson Reading Council