Dr. Larry Pittman Goddard Blog

INteresting Folks: CHRIS PARCELL:   LIFE’S BIGGEST FAN By Larry Goddard Chris Parcell is someone everyone would like to know—friendly, positive, laughs, involved in many activities, and, just as a side note is mentally challenged.   He has been told someone is coming over to his house to write a story about him and he is pacing and folding his arms and unfolding his arms—I see him from the street as I get out of my car and hear “He’s HERE!   He’s HERE!”   It was the best welcome I have ever encountered. Chris’ parents are Vera and Greg Parcell and their lives are complicated. From the first step inside their home, one can see and feel the love of a close family.   Fully decorated for the holidays, the home is full of photos of Chris and his older brother, Cory.   In the living room, there are two couches; a new one in front of an old one; same for recliner…well, just about every piece of furniture.   I’m thinking I must ask—and before I do,...

So here is what teaching can teach you about God.... Teaching is funny. It’s just a little bit less glamorous that the movies make you think. It’s a come-home-with-you, all-consuming, heart breaking & heart growing kind of job. Sometimes it feels like the most important thing in the world, and you are looking into the eyes of our world’s future leaders, and sometimes you’re trying to figure out how one of your students is soaked, head-to-toe, when he comes back from the bathroom. But the most true thing about this job is that it teaches you how much you pale in comparison to Jesus. SERIOUSLY. Teaching has made me love God so much more, simply because I am so unlike Him. (Even though I am an ENFJ, and there are rumors that he was also an ENFJ.) Anyway, here are 5 things that I adore about God that I did not adore nearly as much before. 1. God wants us to come home even when we are dirty. I teach middle school in an old portable. My room smells like spilled soda, body odor, ...

I arrived in Cape Town after about 20 hours in a charter flight from New York—it was supposedly the charter plane that the Buffalo Bills football team uses. We had major problems refueling in Ghana—seems the airport official wanted a cash bonus payment—took over 4 hours to settle—we couldn’t leave the plane.  Toured Cape Town yesterday. Took a cable car to the highest point, Table Mountain, for a beautiful view of the city and seaside. Shopped at the Waterfront area of Cape Town and, yes, I will be throwing away clothes that I brought with me in order to bring back all the souvenirs.  More later. We are now sailing for Tristan da Cunha, which is the most remote island in the world. The inhabitants are all descendents from shipwreck survivors.  December 24, 2003 Will Santa Find Me?  Today is Christmas Eve and we were scheduled to get off this ship--we've been sailing since Saturday and today is Wednesday--but the island of Tristan da Cunha has not been dredging their ...