Honoring the Unknown

Today I had the honor of spending a couple of hours at a cemetery in Hardin County that is rarely visited. The Fort McArthur cemetery has 16 graves belonging to soldiers from the War of 1812. These 16 men's names have been lost to history but that does not make their sacrifice less important. As I stood there today watching a group of reenactors fire off a volley in honor of these men and as tap began to play I began to think about why history is so important. What started out as an idea from a friend of mine has turned into a mission to continue to ensure that these men are recongnized. This 16 men along with many others helped to ensure that our county came into being. They left the comforts of their homes and families to venture into the wilderness to protect the newly formed United States. Without their sacrifice there would be no United States. In terms of history, the United States is a relatively young country. While we have come a long way, we still have so far to go. We are currently living in a culture that is working to destory any history that does not fit the current narrative. People feel that by hiding the ugliness of the past, we can make a better future. That is far from the truth. We need to embrace the ugliness of our past, the dark and shady bits of our history because by doing so we can learn from our mistakes. In the past year I have written more letters to my congressmen than I ever have. Why? Because I can not sit back and idly watch as our history is torn apart. I refuse to allow our history to be erased. By doing so I am allowing those brave men and women who have come before us, who sacrificed their lives to build this country to die in vain and be forgotten. Do I think we should glorify those who caused pain and suffering to others? No. Do I think we need to use their mistakes to teach our children to think critically and to choose a better path? Damn straight! For years, I've struggled with finding my path. I thought it was in a classroom, on the front lines of teaching our children about history but the more I see what is happening with today's cancel culture, my path is in the way of those who choose to destroy our history. I am determined to fight to preserve the lessons of the past, to teach the future to not make the same mistakes. The way I can do that is through my job as a museum director and continuing to hold events like today. We owe so much to the men and women of this country who have died for our freedoms. While we may not know all of their names, we can continue to ensure that their sacrifice has not been forgotten. That starts with helping to preserve the cemeteries of the unnamed. Today was a reminder of why I love history and why I need to continue to fight to preserve it. This is just the beginning in terms of honoring those who have gone before. I've already started to plan for next year. May we never forget those who have laid down their lives for our freedoms. PS. Thank you to Kathleen Aunspaugh for the pictures.

A Leap of Faith

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares theLord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” – Jeremiah 29:11

5Trust in the LORD with all your heart And do not lean on your own understanding. Proverbs 3:5

How true these verses are. A year ago today I had to put my faith in God's plan for my life and walk away from a job I loved. I had just been passed over, again, for a job I was the most qualified for. After 8 years, I had had enough of waiting. My heart was broken and my spirit was crushed. The job I had applied for was perfect for me and I would have been able to use my degree and my love of kids, but that was not the plan God had. As I sat and listened to my former boss telling me that they had chosen someone else, I knew it was time to leave. Angry and broken hearted, I told my supervisor I needed to leave, I called my dad and I come home. As I sat in from of my computer fuming about what just occurred, I felt defeated and ready to give up. My hands shook as I typed out my resignation (effective immediately) and hit the send button. That was it, it was done. I would no longer be working in a job I loved, no longer wishing and hoping that one day I would be the children's librarian. Now what?

I wasn't completely out of employment. I could still substitute teach, something that I liked but again I knew that it was a dead end. After years of trying to find a full time job as a teacher, I knew that subbing was just that. I would never be hired as a teacher either. 

Flash forward to now, I am working in a job I love, teaching as a sub for two districts, volunteering at the museum, and building a travel business. God works in amazing ways and His plan for my life is all that matters. I have been able to travel and enjoy the times with my friends. In the last year there have been many tears and lots of anger and frustration. It is so easy to allow myself to become bitter and resentful but what is the good in that. There were times when I wanted to call them up and beg for my job back, to try to go back to the way things were, but there was a reason I left. I believe that God removed me from that situation for a reason. After a year, I am able to walk back into the library without feeling hateful. I am able to talk to my former boss without wanting to scream and say all the things that have bounced around in my head for a year. My life is good. God is good. 

The point I am trying to make is this: you may be in a situation where it seems like God had turned away, that He has forgotten you. That is the furthest thing from the truth. In these times Satan begins to whisper in your ear, "You are not good enough, you will never be good enough". I know, I've been there. I've been to the point of questioning why everyone else seems to get to do what they love and I don't. Know this: God has a plan for your life. It may not be what you plan but His plan is all that matters. He wants only amazing things for you. I think of David and how God continued to protect him from King Saul, how He helped David to be patient until the time was right for him to become king. God is working in your life, whether you see it or not. We all have a choice about the situations we are in; you can either let it defeat you or you can trust in God and claim the victory in Him. The past year has taught me that God is working and moving. I see it in my life and I see it in the faces of the kids at church. He is so amazing and He had a plan for all of us. Trust in Him and He will give you the desires of your heart.

A Heart Problem.

Abraham Lincoln once stated that a house divided cannot stand. The United States of America has become a house divided. No longer are we "One Nation Under God" instead we have become a country of labels. We have become a nation of hyphenations and that has become all that we are worried about. We no longer look at each other as fellow countrymen but as members of "that group". We label ourselves and others as black, white, Christian, Muslim, Gay, Straight, Democrat or Republican. What happened to just being American?! That's what used to make this country great. We were a melting pot of cultures and religions. Now our nation has become a group of hateful, arrogant mudslingers. 

We live in a country where people scream in outrage when an animal is killed to save a child's life and yet every day babies are cut from their mother's womb and there is no outcry because it is seen as a woman's choice. We have presidential candidates who scream about gun control and call each other names while groups of citizens are killing each other in the streets. We continually send money and support to other countries and yet we have veterans who can't get the services they need to adjust to civilian life. We sue everyone for everything causing medical costs to skyrocket. There are protests about blacks not being represented in film and tv while people with disabilities continue to be left out completely. The film industry continues to make movies more and more violent while the tv industry continues to air disfunction everywhere. Old shows are removed because they display the Confederate Flag while others shows that use derogatory terms towards whites are still aired. 

The bottom line is that we have a heart problem in this country. We are so busy pointing fingers at each other that we have no time to look at what the real problem is. There is a God shaped hole in our country. We have turned away from the values and principles that once made this country great. We have taken God out of our schools and Christian values are continually mocked. No longer to we have a "greatest generation". Instead we have a group of people who have a sense of entitlement.  We as Christians are in the fight of our lives for our country. We, now more than ever, need to be praying for the leadership of this country and for its citizens. The coming election scares me to no end and I pray every day that God will be at work to bring HIS person to office. We need to pray for our country. We need to pray for our soldiers and our first responders. We need to pray for our leadership and most of all we need to pray for each other. 

Missing Matthew

They say that time heals all wounds. While this may be true, there are some wounds that while healed leave behind a scar that forever serves as a reminder of what was lost. Its been a year since Matthew left this world and while the wound his death made has begun to heal there will be a scar that will always remain. I can't believe that a year has passed since the last time I saw his face or heard him laugh. I remember our last night working together, it was the same night he died. We had sat and talked and laughed and I never for one second thought it would be the last time I would ever speak or see him. If I would have known there would have been so much more that I would have said. I would have told him how much he meant to me, how important his friendship was and how happy I was to reconnect with him in the 9 months we worked together at the library. I would have told him how much he was loved not just by me but by all those in his life and what his loss would do to those left behind. I would have hugged him and begged him to stay with us.

My last memory of Matthew is of him walking out the back door of the library after we had locked up and thanking Sandy and myself for a good day. I remember his smile and his laugh. There are days still where whenever I hear the back door of the library open I listen for his voice and I expect him to walk around the corner. I still find myself wanting to tell him things or share my thoughts on the latest episode of our favorite show Downton Abbey. I can hear him now doing his best snobbish British accent and I makes me laugh and want to cry at the same time. I miss his unquenchable thirst for knowledge and how he would ask you question after question about something until he had exhausted your knowledge of the topic. I miss our history talks and just talks about life in general.

I've struggled with the reason for his death and at times I've been angry, angry at him, angry at God, and angry at myself for not doing more. I know now that there is nothing I could have done to prevent his death and I know that God has a plan for everything. I know that Matthew is at peace and that he would not want me to be angry or sad. He is with his Heavenly Father and someday I will see him again for he was a follower of Christ. I'm sure he has spent the last year questioning every historical figure who is there about everything. I can't wait to see him again, to be able to hug him and tell him how much I've missed him and how much he is loved. I will forever miss him and I don't think a day will go by where I don't think about him.

A Year of Books

It's a new year which means its times for trying new things. I'm not big into resolutions because I never seem to follow them. I do however like to try new things and challenge myself in ways that I haven't before. I am an avid reader and for the last few years I have been a part of Goodreads.com's reading challenge. This is an awesome website the helps to keep track of books that you've read and books you would like to read. It also shows what you are currently reading which I love. I've got it posted on my book review blog and on my Facebook page. I've met my challenge every year so far and this year I am hoping to do the same. My goal is 85 books for the year 2015. I don't think this will be too difficult since I am in a book club and I no longer have to read books for my Masters program (thank the Lord!). I do however what to do something a little different, broaden my reading horizons if you will. A friend of mine posted on her Facebook page, Popsugar.com's Reading Challenge. This is a list of different types of books to read within the year. I've looked through the list and I'm intrigued. It appears to be such what I am looking for. So I have accepted the challenge! Here is the list:

This will be fun and I don't foresee any big challenges. Working in a library will help. If you would like to take the challenge I would love to hear about the books you've read! Also, I'm open to suggestions for any of the categories!

Hardin County Museum Barn Project

I am a huge history nerd. If you've known me for more that 10 minutes you will know this. I've been working on getting a Master in History degree to go alone with my Master in Education degree because well I'm crazy. This is my last semester and I am down to this week and next and I am done. One of my classes is Public History Administration and I absolutely love the class. I've learned so much and I am hoping someday to be able to use this information. Part of the class was we had to partner with a local museum and develop some kind of project with them. Of course I chose the Hardin County Museum, because why wouldn't I? When you live on one of their properties its kind of  a given. My project for the semester was/is to raise money to have the floor of the barn here at the farm museum concreted. Last year a new roof was put on the barn and now it is time to turn attention to the floor. The back of the barn has several supports that are crumbling and need to be replaced as soon as possible. The rest of the floor needs to have the old concrete removed, the floor leveled, and new concrete poured. The purpose of this project is first and foremost to preserve the 100 year old barn. Secondly, it is to make the barn more usable for the museum and the community. Finally, it is to make it more handicap accessible for visitors in wheelchairs and those who have other physical issues.

The cost of the concrete work is $37,893.00. My fundraising goal however is $45,000.00. Why more? The museum would like to be able to use the barn for not only its own programs and events but also be able to rent it out for events such as weddings, reunions, and company picnics. The extra money would allow for a water line to be run to the barn which in turn would allow a sink with running water to be installed in the kitchen area of the barn. My purpose of all this is to ensure that the barn is as usable as possible and will help to generate some much needed income for the museum. Also, if in the future the museum decides to build a brand new museum and move from its facility uptown, the barn will be ready for more events. The barn and the property itself is currently being used as the site for the Kenton FFA Chapter's learning lab and it also is used for their farm education day. By fixing the barn, more events such as these will be possible.

To help raise money for this project I have created a gofundme.com account. This link: http://www.gofundme.com/hchmbarnproject is that page. If anyone is interested in giving you can do so here or money can be send directly to the Hardin County Museum who's link is: http://www.hardinmuseums.org/ marking it Barn Project. Any little bit will be greatly appreciated and will help. Thanks and wish me luck!

Top 10 Favorite Books

A friend recently put forth the question of what were my top ten favorite books and why. I am an avid reader and have a wide variety of tastes so narrowing down my huge list of read books to just ten is extremely difficult but I am going to give it my best shot. Some of these will not just be a single book but a series. These are by no means in any particular order and are subject to change at any give time depending on the day but for now this will have to suffice. I've listed the book, author, and my reason for liking it. So enjoy!

1) Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Albom- If you have not read this book, pick it up and read it. Its not very long but it is extremely powerful. It is the story of a man (Morrie Schwartz) who is diagnosed with ALS (Lou Gerrig's Disease) and how he comes to terms with his impending death. This book will make you laugh and it will make you cry but most of all it will make you look at yourself and gets you thinking about how you would handle death if it was staring you in the face. I absolutely love this book. Morrie himself wrote a book entitled Letting Go in which you are able to really understand his thoughts, hopes, and fears. Both are excellent.

2) Beauty by Robin McKinley- This is a retelling of Beauty and the Beast. I first read it when I was in middle school and it has forever been one of my favorite books. I don't know what it is about this version of the story but it just strikes a cord with me. I've probably read it a dozen times or more and every time I read it its like reading it for the first time.

3) Lies My Teacher Told Me by James Loewen- The author of this book looks at 12 different high school history textbooks and the ways in which they teach history. This book looks at the continued "lies" we teach our kids about history. For example, Christopher Columbus being the first to discover America. I like this book because the author gets to the truth behind some of the most untrue historical stories. As a teacher, this book pushes me to not fall into the trap of continuing this trend.

4) The Lady Emily series by Tasha Alexander- This is a mystery series set during the Victorian Era in London, England. The series is set around Lady Emily, a woman who's husband of two weeks comes up missing in the first book and her journey to discover what truly happens to him. This is a great series because for one its got mystery and history rolled into one. What I also like about this series is Alexander does a great job of describing the society constraints placed upon women of this time period and Lady Emily's rebellion against what was deemed as proper.

5) The Grimke Sisters of South Carolina: Pioneers for Women's Rights and Abolition by Gerda Lerner- I read this book as part of my women's history class and loved it. It is a biography about Sarah and Angelina Grimke, two women from a slave holding family who left their home, moved to Pennsylvania, became Quakers and worked with abolitionists. They would be the only white, Southern women to do so. Both women were steadfast in their beliefs and it would be Sarah who would become one of the first women to connect the abolition of slaver to women's suffrage. Both women would work tirelessly for both.

6) The Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling- I know, its cliche but I absolutely love this series. Every time I read them I find something I didn't catch before. I've read them all at least 3 times.

7) The Book Thief by Markus Zusak- When I first picked up this book and started reading I was a little disappointed because it wasn't what I thought it was going to be. I kept reading and the book became so much more than what I expected. I couldn't put it down and loved every page. So often times we read stories about Jews children being taken in to protect them from the Nazis but this story is about Leisel, a girl who's parents were sympathetic to Communism. Such a powerful, powerful book. Someday when I have my own classroom, this book will be required.

8) Forever Queen and I Am The Chosen King by Helen Hollick- These two books are part of The Saxon series by Hollick. The first book is about Emma, a young girl, married to a brutal Saxon king who is overthrown by Viking invaders. To save her crown and her kingdom, Emma married Cnut the son of the Viking invader, saving her neck and her crown. The second book is a continuation of the first book but focuses on Harold Godwinnsen and his reign as the last Saxon king of England. While these books are both almost 850 pages it doesn't feel like it. Hollick is an amazing writer and I love both of these books. Its a time period that isn't talked about much and even though these are fiction, it is obvious that Hollick did her homework.

9) Charlotte's Web by E.B. White- I remember reading this book when I was in elementary school and loved it then and love it now. Its truly a short of unconditional love and acceptance.

10) The Adoration of Jenna Fox by Mary E. Pearson- I had to read this book for a class and I am so glad I did. Its the first book in a trilogy. The story is about Jenna, a girl who wakes up from a coma following an accident to find that she and her parents have moved across country and she has lost a year of her life. Soon Jenna discovers things aren't what they appear. What is great about this book is that it brings up so many great ethical questions. I don't want to spoil anything if you decide to read it but its very very good and it makes you think, what if that was my child?

Wow that was harder than I thought! Like I said at the beginning this is subject to change because I'm always reading new stuff. Hope you enjoyed!