. . . Tune My Heart to Sing Thy Grace . . .

Come, thou Fount of every blessing, 
tune my heart to sing thy grace; 
streams of mercy, never ceasing, 
call for songs of loudest praise. 
Teach me some melodious sonnet, 
sung by flaming tongues above. 
Praise the mount! I'm fixed upon it, 
mount of thy redeeming love. 

Here I raise mine Ebenezer; 
hither by thy help I'm come; 
and I hope, by thy good pleasure, 
safely to arrive at home. 
Jesus sought me when a stranger, 
wandering from the fold of God; 
he, to rescue me from danger, 
interposed his precious blood. 

O to grace how great a debtor 
daily I'm constrained to be! 
Let thy goodness, like a fetter, 
bind my wandering heart to thee. 
Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it, 
prone to leave the God I love; 
here's my heart, O take and seal it, 
seal it for thy courts above. 


Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing
  words by Robert Robinson

Caps, Gowns, and Tassels

Laura and I began on the same day - a hot August morning in 2004. She was new to a career in Higher Ed; I was new to this area of the state. Neither of us knew much about RSU, just enough to get the job. Four hours after starting, we were left on our own. We became skilled at winging it and had to learn fast.

The first year was one of the best. Everything was new; everything was a challenge.

It's in Claremore. That's by Tulsa.

If I said it one time per day, I said it twenty.

Somehow during that year of following paw printed roads to high schools, packing lunches for all-day trips, asking for directions, and using gas station restrooms, we figured it all out.

That year was the also beginning of two scholarship programs - Honors and PLC. We recruiters beat the ground looking for excellent students to fill the interviews. We could not have been prouder of the students - our students - who were chosen.

In four years, some of that original class have moved on to other schools, other lives. Many, though, are still around. The same, only different. One, so timid and nervous at his PLC interview, gave an address at Commencement; another, from four hours away, has studied abroad and is headed to law school; another, who we originally thought was too squirly, is preparing for med school; the list goes on.

These are my kids. I claim them.

My first students graduated a couple weekends ago. It was very special and yes, emotional, for me. It was their accomplishment, but I secretly claim the tiniest portion.

All I did was ask them to come. All I did was offer them an opportunity that changed their lives.

Four years can make a man. Four years can make a woman.


This is why I love my job.


Congratulations to the Class of 2009...You will always be special to me.

First Graduating Class of Honors & PLC

Sarah, my first Prague recruit
to walk across the RSU stage

Life Just Keeps Getting Wetter

This evening I was curled up in my chair, peacefully reading a book, when a quiet noise tickled my mind. It sounded like the old days of bathroom ceiling water drips.

But surely that couldn't be the case. That issue has been resolved. As I flipped through mental pictures of my bathroom ceiling, I came up with no water spots, no potential signs of a leak.

I could not deny, however, the distinct sound coming from that area of my apartment, a sound that was becoming louder and faster. I laid down my book and stood. Louder and faster, still. I rushed to hallway and was met by a water drip on my head. I can still feel it, even now. By the time I made it another four steps to the bathroom, water was pouring through my ceiling, through my bathroom light fixture, through my hallway ceiling tiles. Literally pouring. I grabbed my bucket - the infamous bucket that lived wedged between my toilet and tub for months and more recently under my bathroom sink when the pipes clogged - threw it on the floor under the most prominent stream of water (how to decide?), grabbed my phone to call Landlady, and rushed up to ask Upstairs Neighbors to turn off their water.

Rang the doorbell. Waited. Finally, an answer.

Hi, I have water pouring through my ceiling.

He turned and high-tailed it to the back of his apartment. (Him...) I left the water running! (Her...) Michael! You left the water running?!? Michael! Two inches in the bathroom?!?

Back to my apartment, where I was met by Landlady, Maintenance Dad, and Maintenance Son #2.

Maintenance Dad and Son #2 took a quick look, MD ran upstairs then to get a shopvac. As they were vac-ing upstairs, I sat in my chair, listening to the inside-rain, and catching bits of outside conversation.

{Interesting thing I found out tonight...When they fixed the leak a few months ago, they finally decided the upstairs overflow valve was the problem. So instead of going into the wall and actually fixing it, Plumber decided to save money and caulk the valve closed. Caulk. The valve. Closed. This works fine until 1) New Upstairs Neighbors move in (which will happen sometime this summer) and don't know to be careful, or 2) Current Upstairs Neighbors forget to turn off the water.}

Eventually Maintenance Dad and Son #2 returned. As they vac-ed my hallway and bathroom, poked holes in my hallway ceiling tiles so water could drain out, sat a fan in the hall, and promised to return in the morning, what could I do but

curl up in my chair, peacefully read a book, while a quiet noise tickled my mind. It sounded like the old days of bathroom ceiling water drips.

Let's Move Together

For my Leadership Dynamics class this semester, we were required to complete a group project. Historically, I have not enjoyed group projects. But this semester was awesome! I had a great group. After my first group defected (literally, I am the only one out of four still in the class), I got to join another group. Funny, the group I ended up in is the one I would have picked if I'd had the guts to do so when original groups were picked. Why? Simply because they made intelligent comments in the first class period and seemed like people I could click with. Anyway, I had a great experience this semester.

We picked the Arthritis Foundation as our not-for-profit to help, and the project centered around the Tulsa Arthritis Walk. The Walk (a whoppin' 1K) was today...so much fun! Before we started the Walk, we had a warm-up...Jazzercise! Haha, no joke. About half-way through, we decided to get us on video so we can use it in our presentation on Tuesday. As soon as Jazzercise was over, we looked up and saw our prof and his family walking toward us. It really meant a lot that he came...We hadn't even asked him to come, he just came on his own. He'd given us money, too. I love it when profs actually care about their students.

All-told, we raised around $800 for the AF!

Goofin' Before the Walk... (with our AF contact)

Favorite Jazzercise Move...

With Mr. Frazier...

At the Start Line...

And, yes, I did both buy and wear an OSU shirt...