Monthly Archives: September 2021

Life’s Game of Chutes and Ladders®

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Raise your hand if you remember playing the game of Chutes and Ladders®? 🙋‍ I don’t remember playing it as a kid myself, but I do remember playing it with my own children when they were younger and now with the grandchildren. Up and down, up and down we go as we move around the game board. Elated, deflated. Elated, deflated.

Sounds a lot like the game of life, doesn’t it?

Elated to go to the Rec Center to watch my 8-year old grandson play some basketball. Deflated when I got to the parking lot after the game and saw a dent in my back fender because someone had backed into my car and didn’t leave their name.

Elated to be voted as Homecoming Queen by my peers during my senior year of high school. Deflated when mean girls let me know how they felt about it in extreme mean ways.

Elated to get hired as a professor during the pandemic. Deflated to learn I had moved to an incredibly small town (only to learn it was exactly what I needed – LR).

Elated to have a play date together with my children on my 30th birthday after a quick doctor appointment for my 4-year old daughter. Deflated when we were sent to the hospital for a week because she was diagnosed with Type I diabetes.

Elated to get an elementary principal position. Deflated when my School Board denied me a one-year leave of absence in case I disliked the new job (which I did because of unethical expectations and chauvinism).

Elated to be blessed with another beauiful granddaughter. Deflated when she had to have major surgery at 10-days old. (She’s doing wonderful now).

Elated to be a teacher of future teachers, loving them like my own children, and giving high fives freely. Deflated when I learned of a colleague saying I was a “phony.”

Life can be hard, can’t it? Really hard. I don’t know what chutes and ladders, ups and downs, elations and deflations you are facing today, but please know this…there is hope! The bible tells us we will have many trials and many sorrows here on Earth (John 16:33), BUT the Lord will deliver us from them all (Psalm 34:19). Whew, so thankful for that.

When life is hard, the good news is we have a God we can run to. He will take hold of our hand and help us (Isaiah 41:13). We just need to take His hand and trust in Him with all our hearts so we can keep moving forward (Proverbs 3:5-6).  

Isn’t it comforting to know we can handle the ups and downs, the chutes and ladders, the elations and deflations of life because we have God walking by our side? I plan to hold His hand and walk humbly with Him (Micah 6:8) because I need Him through life’s chutes and ladders.

Stay Calm & Keep Moving Forward through Life’s Ups and Downs!
Profs Dr. Wendy & Dr. V.   

Whatever is Pure – Labor Day Laboring Fun

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A podcast I enjoy listening to is called The Conversation with Adam Weber. In Episode 124, Adam visits with author/pastor Louie Giglio about Louie’s new book called Don’t Give the Enemy a Seat at Your Table. After listening, I went to Barnes and Noble and bought the book. I’m not quite finished yet, but this book has earned the WOW award!

Just last night while reading, Louie recommended to use Philippians 4:8 as a compass, offering us many “categories to think about” (p. 135). We often defeat ourselves by thinking negative thoughts, and he tells us to take action and play offense by placing positive thoughts in our mind.

Philippians 4:8 says “Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.” (NIV).

Giglio (2021) says to place helpful thoughts into your mind by memorizing Philippians 4:8 and thinking about these things. Ask yourself, ‘what are truthful, noble, right things you can think about right now? He suggests to go on the offensive by thinking about Philippians 4:8 first thing in the morning and throughout the whole day. Or, think about one category each day. Or…take one a week and journal all those things that come to mind that go along with that one category.

I woke up this morning with ‘whatever is pure’ on my heart. While still lying in bed I thought to myself…hmm…what is pure?  Three things came mind…

*whole foods 🤷‍

*love and innocence of my grandchildren ❤

*and, being real and honest

Well, I was curious what the word pure meant so I jumped out of bed like a Poptart® out of the toaster and did a little word study on pure. Below are the fruits of my enjoyable Labor Day labor (laboring CAN be fun 😉)…

According to Dictionary.com, pure is defined as “not mixed or adulterated with any other substance or material; without any extraneous or unnecessary elements; free of contamination.” A pure person is defined as “without malice, treachery, or evil intent; honest, sincere, without deception.”

The Greek word for pure is hagnos or hagios which means “sacred (physically pure, morally blameless); properly clean, i.e. (figuratively) innocent, modest, perfect; chaste, clean, pure” (Strong, 2007, p. 1599).

Oh, how I desire to be pure. I’m in no way perfect, but I can choose to do my best to be honest, sincere, and without deception! Louie, I’m taking your advice. I’m going to focus on whatever is pure this week and journal about it. I’ve got a good start today…the sunshine, the gentle breeze, sincere smiles from others, healthy foods, fun text messages from friends, and an honest pure joy in my heart at this moment in time! 😊🙏

Anyone want to join me on this exciting discovery? Which Philippians 4:8 category would you begin with?

Happy Labor Day, everyone. Sending you pure good wishes! 🙌💪🤎💛

Stay Calm & Think About Such Things!
Profs Dr. Wendy & Dr. V.   

Giglio, L. (2021). Don’t give the enemy a seat at your table: It’s time to win the battle of your mind. W Publishing, Nashville, Tennessee.

Strong, J. (2007). Strong’s exhaustive concordance of the bible. Hendrickson Publishers Marketing, LLC, Peabody, Massachusetts.