Five Minute Friday - Real

Real. 

For real?

That is the prompt for Five Minute Friday.  

Stop it. 

Is all the world coming together to send me a message? 

Folks, it just got real.  What is real is that we don’t have time to be messing around with stuff that isn’t meaningful, and powerful, and important.  We no longer have the option to play – unless playing is your real and important.  Mothers, teachers, artists – you keep playing.  Dreamers keep dreaming – but let’s start moving at the same time.  Let’s start making these dreams into realities.  How?  Yeah, I don’t have that part yet.  It’s coming.  I’m not just leaving that part out.  But it is go time.  For real.  What is it that you wish was real in your world?  Let’s make it happen.  

Five Minute Friday is five minutes of writing from the heart.  Without worrying about editing, and without fear.  Just write.  Join us at http://katemotaung.com/five-minute-friday/

      Last week, I got a rejection letter.  A kind, gracious, funny letter that explained that 5000 people had applied for 500 positions and I was one of the 4500.  So bummed.  I had applied to be a part of Jen Hatmaker’s launch team.  Jen is an author and has a book called, For the Love, coming out in August.  I desperately wanted to read it early and be a part of her team.  Disappointment flooded over me.  Until I re-read the letter.  First, as a bonus, the 4500 received four chapters of the upcoming book.  Four chapters is a pretty good consolation prize.  Second, the letter was encouraging and even uplifting.  In fact, it made me smile.  I was touched that this author would take the time and energy to make us feel like we were important to her.  Ignoring the fact that it was 10:40 and I should be going to sleep, I decided to try and send her a shout out on Twitter.  While tweets are not really my thing – 140 characters is almost never enough for me to share my thoughts – it is also the easiest way to connect with someone.  So, I tweeted.  Twitter then showed me the latest tweets that others had made that had a connection to my tweet.  Several women were tweeting about their similar feelings – and getting a response from our beloved Jen!  Megan Card, Megan Hall, Katie Curry, and Rosemond Cates were cracking me up.  Wanting to be a part of this group – I joined in.  I was more than a little giddy when they included me in their little group of awesome.  I was stunned when Jen Hatmaker included me in a tweet.  The whole thing pretty much rocked my world. 

     My world continues to be rocked every single day.  The 4500 has turned into a whole thing.  A hashtag bearing, Facebook group creating, thing.  And it has been phenomenal.  Every day I meet more women who are authentic and brave and strong.  I have met people who think just like me and people who think drastically different from me – and they are all working towards making this world a better place.  I am so unbelievably honored to be one of #The4500.  Oh, and the book – LOVE IT!  Hysterically funny, thought provoking, and important.  Jen Hatmaker addresses topics from fashion disasters to the importance of being around people who get you and care about you.  She discusses the craziness of back to school and writes an open, candid letter to churches.  I will warn you – do not try and read For the Love while someone in the room is trying to sleep.  The laughing kinda keeps them awake.

Thanks Teachers

     In the midst of all the controversy of state and national testing of students, there is this: my children have had amazing teachers. As a teacher, and a mother, I believe I have a pretty significant understanding of what makes a teacher effective. So I make that statement with a clear understanding of its meaning. My children have been provided an education that is significantly above just good. These teachers have taught my children the academic information they need to become successful. They have come early and stayed late to spend time with my kids to ensure that they understand the material. They have altered lesson plans, materials, and presentation formats to make sure that my children are learning at the highest level. They have inspired, encouraged, and pushed my kids. My kids are better people because of the influence and effort of these teachers. Teachers who invested so much of themselves into their students. Teachers who cared about each and every student who entered their classrooms. Teachers who taught my kids how to learn, not just facts. Teachers who taught my kids to explore, and be curious, and enjoy learning. In this season of high stakes testing and even higher stress levels, I want these men and women to know how grateful I am for what they have given to my children and to our family.