AM~Erica Will Be Your Coffee Surrogate

So anyway...

Today is Ash Wednesday. We begin our journey to the Easter season.

I hope everyone has recovered from Mardi Gras & has prepared to begin their resolve for Lent. (I heard it put that way & love it!)

Let us not forget what Lent is about & some things we can do to help us thru the season for the right reason.

With that being said, I will be happy to give some ideas of things I have done in the past.

* I have given up chocolate before. That was torture & back in a time when I didn't fully understand giving something up for Lent.

* I gave up ALL caffeine one year. That was an ugly, Ugly, UGLY year! I don't think God really wanted that for me. Again, it was before I fully understood the full meaning of Lent.

* There was the year I gave up caring. I wish I was kidding about that. I'm not. I guess you can tell that this was also before I really understood the whole Lent thing.

* Oh! I gave up meat one year. Not so bad, but there was a misunderstanding with my hubby where he thought I said he should give it up to. But it wasn't clear why he was mad, so I would save up my dinner meat, hide it in the fridge & eat it on Sunday. Not the best approach either. Still...not the understanding of Lent then, either.

During those times, I was like many, many others announcing what I'd given up for Lent like I was a saint, martyr, or victim. All the wrong, Wrong, WRONG approach to take!

So, I do plan to offer some help. For anyone who is giving up their coffee (hopefully for the reason that you felt it draws you away from your Christ-focus & it is truly a spiritual decision), then I have been known to step in a few times for those, for various reasons, who need a jolt of coffee/caffeine & cannot consume it right then. I, essentially, become a Coffee Surrogate. If you are in need of my services, please Facebook message me, direct message me on Twitter, or email me (erica.williams74@gmail.com). Do NOT comment on your needs here or on my Facebook wall. I will keep your needs secret & am always happy to step in with some coffee for you.

If it is not coffee you are resolving to give up, then I hope you prayerfully enter your resolve to bring you closer to God. In secret...as possible.

Have a blessed Lenten season, all. Enter in for the right reason.

Stay tuned...

God Bless, AM~Erica

AM~Erica's View on Facebooking Teachers

So anyway...

Right now, in Missouri, there is a great debate on a law trying to be passed about the teacher/student interaction on Facebook. Due to the few that have abused this convenient form of communication, it has really screwed it up for other teachers & their accessibility for students to ask for help from them. Now teachers, one of the most under appreciated professions right now, may be forced to not even be able to communicate with their own children & family members who are minors. Some educators feel they are being put into the same category as sexual predators. So sad that it has to come to that.

I know that there are educators trying to find ways to make this work so they can remain safely accessible AND trying to lax the law, or at least make it more focused. I do know that there are very public loopholes to get around this. One of them is posting updates on Twitter while inviting students AND parents to follow so both parties can receive the information. Why not? The law seems to be focused on Facebook & not other social sites, right now. I think this is a brilliant move!

I do have an idea for teachers on Facebook: how about setting up a fan page for the teacher & have students & parents "like" the page for updates. It doesn't help with one-on-one help, but it's a start. I understand that all email communication between the teacher &/or student needs to go through school administration, too...so also include a lawmaker on them, too. Then see how many of the emails build up for the lawmakers. How quickly would their minds change?

Teachers should be able to use technology to advance their teaching & keep up with society & learning abilities. How sad that a respected career that is already underpaid & under-appreciated continues to be thrown under the bus. (no pun intended)

It's so disheartening to know that a small handful of educators that abuse the system make extreme measures happen.

Anyone agree?

Stay tuned...

God Bless, AM~Erica