Any Given Saturday by Sharon Watkins-Jones

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On any given Saturday in Texas, in the fall, families gather to cheer on little boys in full protective gear, as they battle it out on local football fields. Here, we start them early and make them tough. Most Texas cities, large and small, have youth football leagues with team members as young as 5 or 6 years old. 

Photo Credit: Google Images

Mothers wince as their babies hit or get hit. Fathers beam with pride and live out dreams deferred through the youthful arms and legs of their little men. Every parent in the stands expects that their son has the potential to be as great as their favorite Monday Night Football sensation. 

Despite the fact that my young son is fortunate enough to play for a Houston youth league which emphasizes the importance of good grades in addition to athletic ability and good sportsmanship, I can’t help but notice the degree of intensity on the faces of many parents, including my husband's, on Saturday mornings.  

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Meet Sharon Watkins-Jones, Author

 Sharon is a community college administrator, former special education teacher, wife of 17 years and mother of two school-age children in northwest Houston. Her primary interests are family-inclusive culture and arts, travel, politics, historical literature, Texas Longhorns and all things Disney.

Be Faithful and True * Proverbs 5

Thank you for joining us for Day 5! Thank you Mike Waters for use of your work. All photos credit: Google Images.

The verses highlighted in my personal study immediately follow. After that the entire chapter is listed for your viewing.  

May God Bless You Abundantly!

Proverbs 5

V1 Listen to me, my son! I know what I am saying; listen!

V2 Watch yourself, lest you be indiscreet and betray some vital information.

*

V7 Young men, listen to me, and never forget what I’m about to say:

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V 18 Let your manhood be a blessing; rejoice in the wife of your youth.

V19 Let her charms and tender embrace satisfy you. Let her love alone fill you with delight.

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V21 For God is closely watching you, and he weighs carefully everything you do.

V22 The wicked man is doomed by his own sins; they are ropes that catch and hold him.

V23 He shall die because he will not listen to the truth; he has let himself be led away into incredible folly.

It dawned on me that some readers might want to read all of this 5^th Chapter of Proverbs and not just the verses highlighted in my own personal study. For you, the entire chapter follows as recorded in The Living Bible by Tyndale House Publishers 1971.

PROVERBS 5

1 LISTEN TO ME, my son! I know what I am saying; Listen!

2 Watch yourself, lest you be indiscreet and betray some vital information.

3 For the lips of a prostitute are as sweet as honey, and smooth flattery is her stock in trade.

4 But afterwards only a bitter conscience is left to you, sharp as a double-edges sword.

5 She leads you down to death and hell.

6 For she does not know the path to life. She staggers down a crooked trail, and doesn’t even realize where it leads.

7 Young men, listen to me, and never forget what I’m about to say:

8 Run from her! Don’t go near her house,

9 lest you fall to her temptation and lose your honor, and give the remainder of your life to the cruel and merciless,

10 lest strangers obtain your wealth, and you become a slave of foreigners.

11 Lest afterwards you groan in anguish and in shame, when syphilis consumes your body,

12 and you say, “Oh, if only I had listened! If only I had not demanded my own way!

13 Oh, why wouldn’t I take advice? Why was I so stupid?

14 For now I must face public disgrace.”

15 Drink from your own well, my son – be faithful and true to your wife.

16 Why should you beget children with women of the street?

17 Why share your children with those outside your home?

18 Let your manhood be a blessing; rejoice in the wife of your youth.

19 Let her charms and tender embrace satisfy you. Let her love alone fill you with delight.

20 Why delight yourself with prostitutes, embracing what isn’t yours?

21 For God is closely watching you, and He weighs carefully everything you do.

22 The wicked man is doomed by his own sins; they are ropes that catch and hold him.

23 He shall die because he will not listen to the truth; he has let himself be led away into incredible folly.

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Importance of Effective Educational Leadership to Successful Student Outcome by Barbara Baggerly-Hinojosa

America’s high schools have an important role to play in preparing students for college and work in the 21^st century. In the last decade, schools have been impacted by such things as technological advances, changes in society, a shortage of qualified educators, and increased accountability pressures. Calls for dramatic reform in our educational organizations will no doubt change the way our schools will be doing business in the future.

School success is more important now than ever before for the health of our economy.  Due to our current economic conditions, high school reform is of particular importance as Federal, State, and Local leaders devote attention and resources to improving high school graduation rates and increasing the attainment of college and work readiness.  

 The definition of leadership adopted by Yukl and Van Fleet in their seminal literature review states that leadership is, “a process that includes influencing the task objectives and strategies of a group or organization, and influencing people in the organization” (Yukl, 1992). According to the American Educational Research Association findings from research on school leadership, the following claims were submitted:

1.         Leadership has significant effects on student learning, second only to the effects of the quality of curriculum and teachers’ instruction.

2.         Other potential sources of leadership exist besides administrators and teacher leaders.

            3.         A core set of “basic” leadership practices are valuable: articulating a vision, setting high expectations for performance, facilitating the acceptance of group goals, monitoring performance, communicating, offering intellectual stimulation, providing individualized support, strengthening positive school culture, building collaboration processes, and maintaining a positive environment.

4.         Successful school leaders accept policies that emphasize accountability as opportunities. These principals create a competitive school by empowering others to make decisions, providing instructional leadership, and performing strategic planning efforts.

5.         Successful school leaders understand the challenges of educating diverse groups of students. These principals see this challenge as an opportunity to build powerful forms of teaching and learning, develop strong communities in schools, and nurture the development of families’ educational culture.           

Most effective schools studies have identified school leadership as a key characteristic to being a successful and effective school. Most of these studies also indicate that good schools have good principals. These principals are considered good because they are able to articulate a common vision (U.S. Department of Education, 1996 embraced (Hodges 2000).

For public school systems in the United States, high school graduation rates represent a key indicator of school performance. Schools and districts in which more students earn high school diplomas are generally regarded as better performers than those school districts with more students dropping out of school.  Engaging students in school and helping them work toward graduation is a critical task for many educators at this time.  We all can play an important role in providing quality school leadership in our schools.  Key points to keep in mind related to school leadership are:

·         Everyone should take on a leadership role in educating our children.

·         Be active in local school decision making.

·         Volunteer your time and expertise to local schools.

Barbara Baggerly-Hinojosa is a mother, educator, and wife living in the Rio Grande Valley in Texas.  She is a PhD student with Our Lady of the Lake University in Leadership Studies.  Mrs. Baggerly-Hinojosa is the President of the Leadership Empowerment Group, LLC and is currently researching the relationship between the leadership of the high school principal and the high school drop out rate.  Mrs. Baggerly-Hinojosa is the author of Are You A Ten?  The Ten Characteristics of a Servant Leader.   For ordering information, please contact Mrs. Baggerly-Hinojosa at Barb313679@aol.com.

Home for the Holidays by Barbara Baggerly-Hinojosa

It is that glorious time of the year again.  It is time for family, food, and fun.  The weather is getting cooler and the smell of fallen leaves and crisp air abounds.  It is time for us to unpack our cozy blankets, rich candles, and fool proof family recipes.  

We gather together this time of year to celebrate the bounty and blessings of this entire year.  In order to fully take advantage of this gracious and special time, we need our homes ready to receive friends and family at a moments notice.  Keep the following tips in mind when preparing your home for holiday entertaining.

1.                  Pull out the good stuff

Get your favorite china and silver out of storage.   Clean it, polish it, and enjoy it.  Even when you are staying in for pizza and a movie, serve your pizza on a pretty plate with nice cloth napkins.  Pour the soda into crystal glasses filled with crushed ice. Instantly, you have the makings for a special evening.

2.                  Stock up on candles

Everything looks better in the glow of candlelight.  There is nothing more warming and inviting than the flicker of candles.  Place them on your dining room table, fire place mantel, side tables, and in your bathroom.  Turn down the lights and turn on the candles.  Make sure to use scentless candles so you won’t have competing smells in your home.

3.                  Sift through your Grandmother’s recipes

There is no better time of year for comfort food.  It is a perfect time for you to learn how to make that delicious pecan pie that your Grandmother makes every year.  Ask for the recipe (or write it down by dictation if no written recipe exists).

4.                  Clean out the fireplace and stock up on fire wood

Nothing says warmth and comfort like a roaring fire in the fireplace.  If you have a wood burning fireplace in your home, use it.  A warm fire instantly turns any room into a warm, cozy place.  Keep fire wood ready for building a fire at an instant.  If you have a gas burning fireplace, turn it on every evening and every morning and enjoy.

5.                  Change your bedding

Replace your cool, cotton sheets with warm flannel ones.  Layer your bed with warm quilts and blankets.  Pile on the pillows – the more, the better.

6.                  Take a look at your window drapes

It is time to take down the cotton sheers and replace them with warm, textured drapes.  Thick, lined drapes will help keep the draft out while creating a cozy and warm environment.  Drapes made out of velvet make for a great seasonal change.  Look for details such as beading, ropes, tassels, etc.

7.                  Stock up on coffee

Really, nothing makes for a more inviting home than the smell of fresh brewed coffee.  With cooler days and longer nights, a warm mug of coffee is so inviting and relaxing.  Make sure you have a variety of flavored coffee on hand.  Decorative mugs should be placed close to the coffee pot for ease and convenience.

8.                  Replace your bath towels

You can replace your bath towels with warm, colored, lush, thick new towels.  Infuse your bathrooms with the rich colors of the season.  Browns, warm reds, oranges, and spice will add warmth instantly and at a low cost.  Put out decorative soaps.

9.                  Rearrange your living room furniture

To promote conversation and create coziness, look at your furniture placement and determine how you can rearrange to create cozy areas where conversation can take place easily.  Make sure there is a small table next to each seat so that your guests can rest their drinks close by.  Take care not to have a centerpiece on your coffee table that prohibits guests from seeing each other.  Place a few light blankets or throws on the sofa.  It is always a good idea to add some throw pillows.  Throw pillows and blankets should serve to create an area of comfort in the room. 

10.              Cover up your bare floors

To keep your feet warm, throw some small rugs on the floor.  This is a great way to add some seasonal color to the room as well.

11.              Make sure you have plenty of party items on hand

Take this time to stock up on party planning items.  Have your pantry stocked with party essentials like nuts, candies, and party snacks.  Make sure you have some bottled wine, water, and sodas.

12.              Set up a guestroom

Make sure the guestroom has books, fresh flowers, water, and small containers of lotion, soap, etc.  It is always a good idea to have fresh fruit and nuts available for your guests to snack on.  An inviting room always has a place for guests to store their suitcases, coats, and bags. 

13.              Prepare a great playlist of songs appropriate for the holidays

Have music that will play from the beginning of the party until the very end.

14.              Document, document, document

Finally, make sure you take lots of pictures of your family, friends, and your home during the holidays.  Include pictures of your table setting and other holiday details around your home.  Place all photos in an acid free scrapbook in order to document your memories.