What Makes You Angry?

What Makes You Angry? This was the writing prompt that I used today with my high school students. I always write when my students are writing. As I wrote each hour, I added to what I had written before. I started out with big picture, governmental, societal issues that make me angry. Then, I moved to injustices that have happened to me, personally, which I never seem to get closure on. By the time I got to my last class of the day, my final writing was very eye opening to me. Don't get me wrong, not eye opening like I didn't know I DO this, but just eye opening about what a whiner I can be. It went like this:

Not getting my own way makes me angry. Truth is, deep down, I really like to get my own way. Let's face it, don't we all like to get our own way? I wonder if this is actually a true statement, aren't there some out there who truly like to give and give? Well, not me. I think to pout, either internally or externally (or both sometimes) when I don't get my own way leads me to rather passive aggressive behavior....childish, ridiculous behavior. Performances not quite fitting to a 44 year old. I pout, pull away, pretend. Why? I truly only hurt myself in this process. To top it off, I am not very good at holding grudges, so then it just turns into short term pouting. Even less effective!
So, there is my confessional...a full day's worth of pondering things that make me angry.
So, I pose the same question to you: What Makes You Angry?

Church On Saturday Night! AMAZING!!

Acts – Chapter 17A from Hosanna! Church Lakeville MN on Vimeo.

HUNGER GAMES: KATNISS & RUE

Probably Still Nick Swansen Look

Nick Swansen pretty much knows what it means to be Special Ed.: You can't drive, even if you're sixteen and your parents have two cars; the regular kids in school don't talk to you much; and even if you can memorize every fact about amphibians, it's hard to make sense of all the other stuff swirling in your mind. What he doesn't know is whether being Special Ed. means you shouldn't go to the prom. But since no rule says you can't, Nick decides to ask Shana.

But the prom doesn't turn out at all the way Nick expects it to, and everything bad seems to get all mixed up together: the prom, what Shana does, and the terrible thing that happened to Nick's sister nine years ago. Nick doesn't want to think about any of it, but he begins to realize that unless he makes peace with all the memories that trouble him, they will haunt him forever....

Psalm 34:18

Today in my quiet time, I read Psalm 34:18. The Lord is close to the brokenhearted; he rescues those who are crushed in spirit.
Yesterday I had a particularly difficult day, on the back of a difficult few weeks. My daughter has decided to live full time with her dad, again. My youngest son is making some decisions that are poor, and I feel his dad should be steering him more closely. When I sit back and reflect on how much my hands are tied, and how I have no control over the situation, I feel crazy. These children who I love so much, are in some ways lost to me right now. As a mom, it's the most frightening thing to just sit and watch. I also end up feeling so sad, lost and alone. I berate myself that I should have been more...tried harder. Some days I just want to move away. Move far away where I am not so close to the pain. Some place where distance makes the heart grow fonder.
Yesterday was a difficult day. I was feeling depressed and alone. Out of the blue I got an text message from my oldest son telling me that I am a good mom, and that he always felt loved by me, and that he loves me so much! OUT OF THE BLUE???? I think not. It was FOR SURE God's voice. I have no doubt that God was saying: Look Kari!! All is not lost. Don't forget about your oldest child!! All is not lost!!
Today the verse from Psalm telling me that the Lord is close to the brokenhearted. He was close to me last night, in the midst of my despair. I am so certain of this!!

Proverbs 27

"Just as water mirrors your face, so your face mirrors your heart." Proverbs 27:18

This Is Why We Cannot Root for the Steelers

Football Super Bowl Winners

	Year	Winner	Opponent	Score	Location
XLIV	2010	New Orleans Saints	Indiana Colts	31-17	Miami, FL
XLIII	2009	Pittsburgh Steelers	Arizona Cardinals	27-23	Tampa, FL
XLII	2008	New York Giants	New England Patriots	17-14	Glendale, AZ
XLI	2007	Indianapolis Colts	Chicago Bears	29-17	Miami, FL
XL	2006	Pittsburgh Steelers	Seattle Seahawks	21-10	Detroit, MI
XXXIX	2005	New England Patriots	Philadelphia Eagles	24-21	Jacksonville, FL
XXXVIII	2004	New England Patriots	Carolina Panthers	32-29	Houston, TX
XXXVII	2003	Tampa Bay Buccaneers	Oakland Raiders	48-21	San Diego, CA
XXXVI	2002	New England Patriots	St. Louis Rams	20-17	New Orleans, LA
XXXV	2001	Baltimore Ravens	New York Giants	34-7	Tampa, FL
XXXIV	2000	St. Louis Rams	Tennessee Titans	23-16	Atlanta, GA
XXXIII	1999	Denver Broncos	Atlanta Falcons	34-19	Miami, FL
XXXII	1998	Denver Broncos	Green Bay Packers	31-24	San Diego, CA
XXXI	1997	Green Bay Packers	New England Patriots	35-21	New Orleans, LA
XXX	1996	Dallas Cowboys	Pittsburgh Steelers	27-17	Tempe, AZ
XXIX	1995	San Francisco 49ers	San Diego Chargers	49-26	Miami, FL
XXVIII	1994	Dallas Cowboys	Buffalo Bills	30-13	Atlanta, GA
XXVII	1993	Dallas Cowboys	Buffalo Bills	52-17	Pasadena, CA
XXVI	1992	Washington Redskins	Buffalo Bills	37-24	Minneapolis, MN
XXV	1991	New York Giants	Buffalo Bills	20-19	Tampa, FL
XXIV	1990	San Francisco 49ers	Denver Broncos	55-10	New Orleans, LA
XXIII	1989	San Francisco 49ers	Cincinnati Bengals	20-16	Miami, FL
XXII	1988	Washington Redskins	Denver Broncos	42-10	San Diego, CA
XXI	1987	New York Giants	Denver Broncos	39-20	Pasadena, CA
XX	1986	Chicago Bears	New England Patriots	46-10	New Orleans, LA
XIX	1985	San Francisco 49ers	Miami Dolphins	38-16	Stanford, CA
XVIII	1984	LA Raiders	Washington Redskins	38-9	Tampa, FL
XVII	1983	Washington Redskins	Miami Dolphins	27-17	Pasadena, CA
XVI	1982	San Francisco 49ers	Cincinnati Bengals	26-21	Pontiac, MI
XV	1981	Oakland Raiders	Philadelphia Eagles	27-10	New Orleans, LA
XIV	1980	Pittsburgh Steelers	Los Angeles Rams	31-19	Pasadena, CA
XIII	1979	Pittsburgh Steelers	Dallas Cowboys	35-31	Miami, FL
XII	1978	Dallas Cowboys	Denver Broncos	27-10	New Orleans, LA
XI	1977	Oakland Raiders	Minnesota Vikings	32-14	Pasadena, CA
X	1976	Pittsburgh Steelers	Dallas Cowboys	21-17	Miami, FL
IX	1975	Pittsburgh Steelers	Minnesota Vikings	16-6	New Orleans, LA
VIII	1974	Miami Dolphins	Minnesota Vikings	24-7	Houston, TX
VII	1973	Miami Dolphins	Washington Redskins	14-7	Los Angeles, CA
VI	1972	Dallas Cowboys	Miami Dolphins	24-3	New Orleans, LA
V	1971	Baltimore Colts	Dallas Cowboys	16-13	Miami, FL
IV	1970	Kansas City Chiefs	Minnesota Vikings	23-7	New Orleans, LA
III	1969	New York Jets	Baltimore Colts	16-7	Miami, FL
II	1968	Green Bay Packers	Oakland Raiders	33-14	Miami, FL
I	1967	Green Bay Packers	Kansas City Chiefs	35-10	Los Angeles, CA