Women Of Influence...

As many of you know, I'm a substitute teacher which I love doing!! I've been subbing for about 15 years. I was given the opportunity to finish out the year in a second grade class because the teacher had a baby. She was done at school on Friday, the 22nd of May and had the baby the next day!! It was a boy!! All is well!

So Thursday was the last day of school which was exciting. I got to be in on all the things that tie up the school year in a nice little package. One of those things was the awards day. It is always neat to see the kidds get the awards they have worked hard for all year long. This year they also had a special presentation for Mrs Karilyn Metcalf because she is retiring along with Mrs Laurie Graham, too. But because Mrs Metcalf was the music teacher for all the students for the last 38 years, a few teachers helped the kidds all practice a song that the music teacher from Syracuse Elementary rewrote the words to. Well, let me tell you, the first time I played it for a classroom to practice, I cried because Mrs Metcalf was my four kidd's music teacher and some were in the 5th gr Special Choir. Among other things, I've worked with her just recently when there was a community push to 'Save The Dixie'!! So I had to make sure to have kleenex when we went to the awards program cause I knew I would cry there. On my, it was so cool when they got her a chair to sit down in front and the 5th gr Special Choir turned to face her and the whole student body stood up to sing. The choir had learned the verses and then the whole school chimed in on the chorus. Unbelievable!!

I tell you all this because the last few nights I've been thinking about the women in my life that have influenced me. First off, we had our pottery night at The Creative Fish on Tuesday. It was fun to see what everyone chose to paint and see all the creative juices flowing. The gals working there are very helpful and as the evening went on we were all singing each others praises. Everyone did such a neat job on their pottery!! There was about 15 of us, some that I knew and some I didn't but we all encouraged each other 'cause none of us thought we knew what we were doing. Surprise, surprise, I think we did!!!

Then on Thursday I had bible study with some gals and we watched a video of Anita Renfro. The title was 'something about your thyroid' which was part of what she talked about. It was pretty funnie, talking about things that happen to women as they age and that alot of it can be blamed on your thyroid. At the end she shared about remembering the women that are an influence on us and it really made me think. She read from Hebrews 12:1 where it talks about us being surrounded by a cloud of witnesses, all the women that surround us in our lives and support us, some that are here now and some that have gone on before us.

I think of many of the teachers that have taught at North Webster that have influenced me as I subbed. I thought of the women at my church I have worked along side of and been involved in ministry with. I thought of the women that are working together on this blog and probably even the ones reading it. I think of my daughters as they have grown. I think of my mom, my grandma, and my sisters and all the time they put into me as I was growing up and even as I was married and had my own children. Then the women in my husband's family that have influenced me while Mike and I have been together. Friends, neighbors, other coworkers and the list goes on!! You would all have your own very unique list with some of the same names maybe as mine.

As women we need each other, for many different reasons and I think the new group we are calling G.L.O.W. ministry is a way for us to help each other, work together, grow in our relationships with each other and most importantly, with Jesus Christ!! I think we need to remember and maybe even let others know how important they are to us. We need to try to influence and encourage other women every chance we get! I thank God for many of you and all you are to me. :)


Dear God, I do thank you for all the women you have placed in my life to help me. It is a marvelous world you have created for us. Thank you that your plan was for us to encourage and help each other. Help us to grow closer to you as we do this. I thank you for the new opportunities we have to work together in the glow ministry, please guide and use us for your plan. Help our group to grow so that more women can be reached for You. In Your Precious Name we pray, Amen.