Last time, I ended by saying that I’d share more about where I’ve been. Here’s the deal: there comes a point in time that the past is no longer a part of our story, at least not the part we share when we are getting to know each other. If we’d met twenty years ago, I would have shared the heartache of watching my parent’s marriage being torn apart. Fifteen years ago, I’d have told you all about the ex-fiance who turned out to be my stalker. And as recently as last summer, I would have expressed the disappointment in lost dreams and in an unexpected change of plans. And the funny thing is, those incidents were in the past. But I carried it with me as though it were a part of my identity. ”Hello, I’m Sharon. My Dad had an affair, my ex was a dangerous conman who used to stalk me, and my husband and I barely survived when he lost his job.” Read the rest of this entry
Tag Archives: inspiration
disappearing act
I have no doubt that my childhood influenced my decision to go into teaching. I wanted to be a positive influence in the lives of children by fostering a nurturing classroom environment. So, it made sense to me to specialize in Early Childhood Education. This gave me the platform to help young children establish a strong foundation not only in their education, but also in their lives.
I didn’t start out as an education major though. At first I was going to major in sociology, but had no idea what I wanted to do in that field…maybe social work. But at every family get together when my answer to the dreaded question, “what will you do with a degree in sociology” was met with disapproval, I was discouraged from pursuing a career in social work. Because there’s not enough money in it, it’s hard work and depressing….they would say. Ironically, people try to dissuade would be teachers with the same argument. If there’s one thing I’ve learned in life, it’s this: Read the rest of this entry
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stop and smell the roses
Hi! I hope you will enjoy watching this vlog I made for the Stop and Smell the Roses link party over at House of Rose.
Thanks for watching!
Until next time,
Sharon
rise up and walk
A couple of weeks ago, I introduced the Mother’s Day Out series. That first week, we talked about living according to our priorities and last week we filled in the blanks of this sentence: God gave me the pleasure of being a mother, but He also created me to be________and when I _________, I feel His pleasure.
The more I thought about it, the more I realized that I could fill in those blanks with a few different responses. I think that is the point. We are not one dimensional beings, and living a one dimensional life will leave us feeling empty, dissatisfied and maybe even resentful. When I say that your life shouldn’t be one dimensional, I am not encouraging you to “do it all,” nor am I saying that motherhood is unfulfilling. What I am saying is that your identity shouldn’t be wrapped up in one thing, and that one area of your life shouldn’t rob you of other joys in life. This is what I want to discourage or conversely, I want to encourage you to live a full life.
Yesterday, I got to spend Mother’s Day relaxing on the beach. (The pictures were taken with my cell phone.)
I have to say that I was feeling very blessed yesterday. Because of this girl,
I have the honor of being a mother. I love my daughter so much that my heart could burst. Years ago, my Pastor at the time used to routinely declare that being a mother is the highest calling we can receive. Amen to that! Now, if you are not a mother, your calling in life is no less than that of motherhood. I think what my former pastor meant is that if you are a mother, that is your highest calling. And accordingly, my top priorities in life are to be a good wife and mother.
I truly believe one way to do that is to live according to all that God created me to be. Yesterday as I walked along the shoreline, I asked myself, “what area of my life do I want to see change?” And my next thought was that I am the key to making that change. I believe we are largely responsible for our own circumstances. You can let them control you or you can control them. I’ve been guilty of letting circumstances rule my life, and in this one area that I’d like to see change, I hear that still quite voice inside saying, “Rise up and walk.” It’s time to take control of my weight!
I’m going to share more specifics about that area of my life in a future post. But for now, will you ‘rise up and walk’ with me? Consider your dreams, goals, and your gifts and talents. Is there something you can change that would allow you to fulfill your calling to your best ability?
Until next time,
Sharon
beauty from ashes
My passions for writing and homemaking weren’t the only things I discovered in Jr. High. I also discovered boys. I had my first real crush in eighth grade and I wondered if he was “the one.” I was consumed with wanting to know who my husband would be from that point on. Even though I made good grades, was on the drill team, and had great friends, the most important thing to me was whether or not I had a boyfriend. I didn’t have any ambitions for college after high school. My dream was to be married. If it weren’t for all of my friends making college plans and my boss at the time encouraging me to enroll, I don’t think I would have gone.
Like many college students, I didn’t make the wisest decisions. But there was so much more to my college experience than partying and skipping class. Read the rest of this entry
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Mother’s Day Out
If you’ve been following my blog for a while, then you’ve heard me say that my passion is to encourage others; particularly women. With that in mind, I really wanted to do something in honor of Mother’s Day.
So, I’m bringing you a new series. It’s actually a spin-off from my first series, “Making a House a Home.” This series will elaborate on the topic: “If Mama Ain’t Happy” and will delve into our lives as mothers.
Today, we’re going to try and answer the question, “What makes you happy?”
I hope you will meet me back here on Monday, May 7th for a thought provoking visit with Inspired by Family Magazine.
Until next time,
Sharon
discovering my passions
Last week I shared some of the cruelties of my childhood, but left off saying that there were some positive experiences too. Today, we’re going to hear more about those; the fond memories.
…by the time I was in Jr. High, my family was spending many a week night and most of our weekends at the ballfields. All four of us kids played and over the years, Dad took time to coach each one of our teams.
Looking back, I would say that God used my Dad’s love of the game to draw our family closer together. I think those years are when the hearts of my siblings and me were knitted together. We walked home from school together, we cheered each other on in sports, we even cheered each other on at the dinner table. It does take cheering on to finish your brussel sprouts. ;)
The love of a sibling and for a sibling is like no other. I am so very grateful for that blessing.
I’m also grateful for my eighth grade homemaking class. It was in eighth grade, too, that my love for writing really blossomed. So, it is no wonder that the school year that I remember most fondly is the year that I discovered my passions. I’m only just now realizing this connection as I write. It fills my heart with awe and wonder at God and His providence.
I’d like to share a post that I wrote previously about being in homemaking class.
Who remembers 8th grade homemaking class? I sure do. My teacher used to play a motivational tape by Zig Zigler in the background as my friends and I worked together to cook and create. I remember learning to make funnel cakes and parfaits. I was so excited about the parfait that I served it to my parents for dessert one night. They were good sports. :) Right around the end of the class period, we would be finishing up, and The Zig Zigler tape would come to an end. We’d chime in with him as he declared, “I’ll see you at the top!” My fondest memory, though, has to be the peach poplin shorts.
After days of laboring over the pattern and finally stitching the last seam, I was ready to take my pretty peach shorts up to show the teacher. I’ll never forget her encouraging words, “They look like you bought them at Foley’s!”
I went home with a smile on my face that was bright enough to light up the state of Texas. I couldn’t wait to tell my mom the good news! Of course, mom agreed.
After reflecting over my experiences in homemaking class, I’d have to say that’s where it all began. The feelings of joy as I prepared meals, exhilaration after a completed project, and pride in my newfound abilities were all such positive experiences. I think this is why I get such great satisfaction from homemaking even today.
Thinking about that time in my life makes me so grateful for the good times. They are like a glass of ice water on a hot day; refreshing and necessary. They are a time to rest and rejuvenate. That is where I find myself in life today. Enjoying being back home full-time, loving taking care of my family and having time to pursue passions.
Of course, there’s a lot more story between eighth grade and today. I’ll tell you a little more next time.
Until then,
Sharon
my first love
Circumstances as of late seem to be leading me to share my story with y’all. I think I will start with the present and then flashback to earlier days.
I really don’t enjoy talking about myself, but I do enjoy pointing people to Christ. I am not a bible thumping, hell, fire and brimstone kinda Christian. So, I hope I don’t scare you off with all of this Christian talk.
I may offend some people here, but in my opinion, what you see on t.v. and the media does not represent Christians well at all. In fact, if I were not a Christian and that public persona is all I had to go on, I most certainly wouldn’t want to be a one.
If you have been hurt or burned by the church, I am so sorry.
It is easy, even as a Christian, to be discouraged in the faith. I’ve been there. I was there for quite some time until recently. Read the rest of this entry
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lesson in contentment
I’d like to set apart a place on my blog for my musings, advice, wisdom, thoughts, and observations to share with you.
Down here, when we have something to say, we often start off with the phrase, “I’ll Tell You What”. I actually took a moment to elaborate on the ins and outs of this phrase back in early October when I had only been blogging a little over a month. Reading that post might help you set the figurative stage for this ongoing series.
Okay, now that we’ve laid the groundwork. Let me tell you what…I’ve made an observation.
Over the past few days, I’ve come to realize that I am very content with my life. I’m not trying to brag or rub it in if you’re having a hard time right now. I just want to share this delightful news with you because, I can’t remember the last time that I felt this way. I’ve spent the last several years, if not more, rejecting today for tomorrow. In other words, I was always waiting on the next thing.
Needless to say, that caused me angst. I didn’t enjoy being in the moment. It didn’t live up to my hopes and dreams. I’ve been a lady in waiting. I better look that up before I claim that. ;) (Just looked it up…doesn’t apply here.) So, I’m more like Charlie Brown waiting on the Great Pumpkin because I KNOW it’s supposed to be there. What I see before me isn’t the it for which I’ve been searching. I don’t about you, but I think Charlie Brown lives a sort of miserable life.
Well, without even knowing it was happening, my Charlie Brown ways have been kicked to the curb. I’m living in the moment and loving it. My sights aren’t set on the future wondering what it holds nor waiting for the “real” plan to unfold.
This is it.
My husband is in a field of work completely unrelated to what he has worked towards for the last 15 years. I am no longer working, which means a significant cut in our income level. I can’t afford to pay for all of the extra curricular activities my daughter would like to be involved with. And I’m okay…more than okay…I’m finally experiencing what it feels like to be content.
And you know how important it is for Mama to be happy.
So in my journey to contentment, I feel I’ve picked up a few pieces of advice that I’d like to pass along to you:
~know what your priorities are in life, and live according to them
~Carpe Diem: sieze the day and live in the moment
~trust in God’s plans for you
With that said, I do not believe for one moment that I have ‘arrived’. I will most likely fall off the wagon, struggle some more, and get back up again. The journey is a process with many bruises and stops along the way, but it’s the only way to get where you’re going.
I want to be on that ride! How about you?
Until next time,
Sharon
when my blog grows up…
I’ve been giving this some thought ever since the hostesses of this party first posed the question: What do I want my blog to be when it grows up?
This blog began after several months of ignoring the quiet voice inside me that kept repeating, “start a blog.” (If I keep talking about hearing voices, y’all are going to start to question my sanity 
. ) I had no idea what it would look like and spent FOR.ever trying to come up with a name. I admit that while I didn’t 100 % love the name, it stuck because something about it resonated with me. Only now, as I have finished my first series, is the name of my blog starting to make sense to me.
During these last several months, I felt like I was just wandering around aimlessly as I transitioned from working full-time to being at home. There have been lots of thoughts of throwing in the towel on my blog. Honestly, I questioned if blogging was the best use of my time. I prayed for direction on how I should be spending my new found time and over the past week or two, my prayers have been answered. I’m very thankful for this renewed sense of purpose and the peace that comes with it. And so, Mrs. Hines’ Class will continue. And as it grows,
~I want my blog to be more about you, my readers, and less about me.
What do I mean by that? I want this blog to encourage you, inspire you, and challenge you. I want this blog to be life giving. In other words, when you come here, I want you to leave feeling refreshed and replenished. I hope that you feel warmly welcomed every time you visit and genuinely appreciated not as a reader, but as a person and as a friend. Simply put, I want my blog to be hospitable.
~Another desire is that I wouldn’t hurry the growing process.
I have been so guilty as a mom of always having my eye on the next stage and not really taking the time to appreciate the beauty and wonder of each stage as we were in it. I sometimes look at my daughter’s baby pictures with regret.
While I was still teaching, at the end of every school year, I would reflect back over the year and wish for more time with my students; hoping that this time, I would be able to enjoy the process more.
My blog is 7 months old. With each passing month, I get more excited at the prospect of the 1 year milestone. That’s okay as long as I can enjoy the journey between now and then.
~I’d really like to buy my domain and lose the .wordpress part of the URL address.
It just seems like a wise investment to make since I plan on blogging for years to come and have hopes of future growth.
~A very big goal I have in mind for this blog as it grows, is that it open doors for me to pursue other creative outlets-even if the only door is one of courage to pursue lifelong dreams.
I’ve always dreamed of a being a mult-faceted free lance artist. One where I get paid to help people decorate or organize their homes. And which includes being a contributor to magazines and even writing a book. And in this free-lance dream, I am also a public speaker. Photography plays a role in my dream too…just not sure what role.
Here’s to dreams!
~While I have several more ideas of what I want my blog to be when it grows up, the one that stands out the most is a word: partnership.
I’d love to have a working partnership with other bloggers. Perhaps co-hosting, guest posting, bartering, dialoguing, sharing….whatever opportunities arise. I have a feeling they might be bigger than I can imagine. That’d be alright with me!
I’m linking this to:
Until next time,
Sharon
Just a reminder:
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