Monday, May 1

1. 5:30 wake-up call from Kristen Browning. I really don't want to start my day.

2. Turn all lights on in the house. Make hot caffeinated beverage. Sit down with Upmost for His Highest. Read about daily, unremarkable servanthood in comparison with fleeting mountain-top emotional highs. I am comforted. 5:30 in the morning feels a lot like servanthood and not anything like mountain-top emotional highs.

3. Think back to an argument that I had with a friend yesterday. I begin to think that the argument is more my fault than I at first realized.

4. Grade a couple essays.

5. Get dressed, make-up, hair, jewelry, yada yada...

6. Get to work on time, even a couple minutes early.

7. Make copies for the day.

8. Go to get a Dr. Pepper from the soda machine and hear a teacher complaining about how students standing in front of the entry doors don't even step aside for her when she walks in. I go outside and give a short lesson on how to hold doors open for people. They don't take me seriously, but they are amused. One boy opens the door for me as I go back in. I tell him he's my favorite student.

9. Discuss emotional problems of student with special ed teacher.

10. 7:50, time to start class. Explain why a writer should not use all caps in formal writing. Explain why three exclamation points after a sentence is not a professional move. Threaten students that if they don't have their essay done on Friday their grades are in danger of dropping two letter grades. Trust me - it's not an empty threat.

11. - 152. Pass out ballots for class elections, collect ballots for class elections, go upstairs to teach class there, come back downstairs to teach class there, act out Brutus' death scene, deal with angry student failing because of plaigarism, tape a student's paper to his desk because he can't stop rolling it up long enough to write down any answers, lunch duty, track down drama president, make drama president mad, counsel a girl that it's okay if she is not sure what she wants to be when she grows up, tell Jane it'll be okay, eat lunch, substitute teach for home ec. teacher, lose class election ballots, find election ballots, check email, go to visitation, come back, drama banquet, get sound system to work, make drama president mad again, eat food at banquet, help clean up banquet, organize papers, write emails, come home.

153. There was a spectacular lightning show as I was driving home tonight. Shards of light jumped from one cloud to another around the entire sky's rim. When I walked into the house dancing light was pouring in on all sides. I've heard several friends talk about electricity in their romantic relationships lately. I smiled as I watched the flashing light reflect over my pictures, books, and dirty dishes. Electricity on top of material blessings on top of relationships on top of God's presence with me throughout the day. Perhaps a mountaintop moment was in store after all.