OKLAHOMA

Today Oklahoma is celebrating 100 years of statehood. To honor our grand old state (which technically is not as old as other states), we watched the musical "Oklahoma." I love this movie. It's hardly historically accurate but it's fun. What made my day is hearing my students sing along with the movie. The movie facts may not be accurate but there are aspects that represent our grand old state.

On another amazing note, I must applaud my students. They have genuine hearts. This week they collected money for Invisible Children. I highly recommend reading more about it. Check out http://www.invisiblechildren.com/. But to put it simply part of what the organization does is raise money for schools in northern Uganda. In the 7th grade class alone they brought in over $500. I know this may not seem like a great amount. But when you consider that the majority of the kids don't have money and the money was mainly in change (i.e. pennies galore), you know it has impacted them in a great way. Even now tears come to my eyes as I think about how many of them asked what more they could do. They want to bring more money in and have more fundraisers. They would also really like to write letters to the students in Uganda. I am going to do my best to help make it possible for them. You never know what fire is burning in the hearts of young people. Most of the time they just need the opportunity to see beyond themselves.

In the end I must simply say Happy Birthday Oklahoma!!!!

Home

I am so blessed. Most people no matter who they are have a place they call home. For me home is more than one place. Home is where I am right now. I love having a place of serenity, safe, full of warmth and fellowship, where I serve the Lord. Home is also where my family is. My folks live only a few hours away where I spent most of my growing up years. Most of my extended family live in a few states away. In all those places they are home to me. Not because of where they are but because of who is there and the memories that go along with the people. There is a family here that I lived with for 9 months. I find myself hanging out with them because they are like family to me. I love my family and friends. I love the fellowship that I have with them. Even when I visit friends far away there is a since of home. So I truly believe that "home is where the heart is". What fills your heart should fill your home.

This weekend I was reading in Lamentations 3:22-26
"The Lord's lovingkindnesses indeed never cease,
For His compassions never fail.
They are new every morning;
Great is Your faithfulness.
'The Lord is my portion,' says my soul,
Therefore I have hope in Him.
The Lord is good to those who wait for Him,
To the person who seeks Him.
It is good that he waits silently
For the salvation of the Lord."

Oh how my heart cries out and I shout these words to the Lord. GREAT IS HIS FAITHFULNESS. He is my portion!!! If you look up the meaning of the word portion you will find that in some translations it says inheritance. But the definition means so much more. In short, God is enough. Oh that I would truly know that my God is enough for me, that He is my all in all. So this is simply my prayer that wherever I am, my home would know the fullness of God. As I wait for Him may I know that He is enough for me, my portion. That my home will be wherever my heart is. AMEN!

"Ah ha" moment

Today has been one of those rare yet wonderful days were I've seen an "ah ha" moment form for my students. I simply love these days. We've been learning about Africa and all the many problems that the people deal with on a daily basis. Yesterday they learned about AIDS, which just so happens to be a wonderful lesson as well, but I'm writing about today. So in talking about AIDS I guide them to the conclusion that to be able to talk about ideas for helping the problem we must have more understanding about each country and to do so we must be able to learn about human development and being able to measure that development. Oh I am excited all over again. Yes I'm a geography nerd. So in any case we discussed what a "good life" might include and how what we value, someone else in a different culture might value differently depending on where they live and who they are. I must stop here and say that this discussion included a great deal of participation, which is always great. If you were looking in my class today you would see productive chaos. Yes this truly happens. They may all have something to say in the discussion but when it came time to write their responses all were quite and actively writing. Oh what delight. We went on to discuss how to measure development. For example the literacy rate can be used to help measure knowledge in a society. I love when students have to think out side their knowledge box for new information. We concluded with realizing how many countries in Africa are developing and comparing population pyramids. So to follow up we will look at current development in Africa and the issues that many countries face with improving the lives of Africans. This will hopefully lead them to be able to come up with their own improvement plan for the growth of human development. It will be exciting to see how this goes. I can only hope they will have another "ah ha" moment.

I truly hope that I did not bore you with my exciting lesson plan about human development. I was just so excited about the productive chaos going on in the classroom today I just had to share.

My new home

The clouds have rolled in, the wind is blowing and the temperature is dropping. I love the fall. The leaves turning all brilliant colors. The mums blooming. Pumpkin carving. Wearing sweaters. I could go on and on.

I have finally come to a moment where I can take a breather and take it slow for the rest of the night. I am sitting in my new home. I've put everything in it's place, planted mums outside, and even cooked dinner. It feels simply wonderful. I am so blessed by God. He has given me this home and roommates to be able to afford it. He has given me a family so unique and willing to help. I could not have accomplished all that I have in such a short time (I completely moved everything out of my apartment on Friday) without them.

Fall is here and as my heavenly Father says there is a season for everything under the sun. I look forward to this season.

Life as I know it

My life has been crazy the last month. I'm certainly not delusional to realize that it will continue to be so.

One of the many things that has kept me busy has been looking for a house to rent. God opened an amazing door with another teacher I work with to be a room mate. It would be great if we could find another person to rent with us. As for the house it has truly been a whirlwind. We found two houses and one we were a day too late and the other only five minutes too late. But this week that all changed. After a whole day of looking at more than a dozen houses (mind you most of them looked the same, cookie cutter type) we found one. It is truly exciting to be able to live in a home instead of an apartment. It's also amazing that I've been doing a bible study about faith. You know when ever you begin to be stretched you will certainly be tested. And so I have been for the last few weeks and I know it's far from being over. But through our times of testing and perseverance we grow and change. Praise God. I know pray that I will come out of the testing and stretching more refined and more like Him.

School continues to be busy without exception. But I love teaching and I love my students. The day is always new and I can never predict how the day is going to go. I always hope for the best, it is most definitely not perfect and I find myself frustrated at times. But this week has been nice. I haven't taken work home once. That's very rare. I keep thinking that someone should do a show titled "My life as a teacher". It would be rather entertaining and surprising.

This past weekend I went over to Branson with my family to have a weekend with my cousin who will be going to Iraq soon. It was a blast. Short and full of lots of exciting memories. It was great to go to Silver Dollar City. My family had not been since we were little. My mother just wanted us to go on all the rides so she could see us laugh and smile afterward. I love moments in our life like that. Certainly it was exhausting making a quick trip there but so worth it.

I think I have exhausted my thoughts for the moment. I will try not to wait almost a month before I write again. But you never know what the month is going to bring. Speaking of October I love the fall!!!!

What thoughts I have....

If you wanted to know what kind of week I've had all you would need to do is have seen my home. I did not make my bed all week, clothes were everywhere (in my opinion), and many dishes remained in the sink dirty, mind you. And if you know me you would know that I like things around me in order. I wouldn't consider myself annal or obsessive about being neat, but for me as long as my world has some order to it I can handle the stress or overwhelming feeling of not being adequate. But this week it was a long week. By the time I got home everyday after work, and usually after running numerous errands I had no energy to work on keeping my place clean. Today was a long day. I did not want to come home and get my house in order, but I'm going out of town this weekend so I was not about to leave it this way before I left. I like coming home to a clean place. So I took the time to clean and straighten up, and yes unload and reload the dishwasher. How long did this take me, you might ask. Less than an hour, and I even watered my plants, while talking with a friend. So, the point of complaining makes no since. Although I must complain that not sharing the load is at times frustrating but nothing I can do about that at the moment, except for continuing to trust and obey.

There are times that I feel completely scatter brained. And by my ramblings on I'm sure you can tell. I really do love what I do. In many ways I'm learning the art of being a teacher. From watching my coworkers, friends, and my own sister I now realize that I will always be learning that art. Never will one day be the same, nor will I ever truly be able to predict what might occur during that day. And on top of that every hour will be different, every student will be different. The blessings and joys of being a teacher cannot be replaced. The exhaustion is at times surprising. The learning on going. What will it take to master a thing that is always changing? I have no answer, but to keep going, sharing, and never ever stop learning or trying to be or do more than the day before.

Life hardly ever goes the way we plan it to. But I know a God who knows the plans He has for me and I believe Him. "He who promised is faithful." So even though it was a long, hard, and even lonely week. I'm not alone in any of it. Just as I will always be learning about being a teacher, I think I will always be learning about my Jesus, the Holy Spirit, and my heavenly Father. I honestly do not know how people keep moving forward without faith. I wonder at the work God is doing in my life and hope in His promises. He carries my burden when I give it to Him. He is faithful.

My thoughts continue on but I will stop here for tonight. May you not forget how great the small things can be.

Don't bother the snake

There is a snake outside my door and for the time being I am completely content with it just staying where it is. I am sure after the tropical storm that just went through here it was trying to find a dry place to rest. I suppose if there was a man in my life I would ask him to take care it for me but being that there is no man currently the snake can stay where it is in hopes that it moves on soon. Aside from the snake we had a spectacular sunset tonight. Tropical storm Erin came through this morning with lots of rain, wind, and humidity. The area is facing flooding all around here but even after such a fierce storm the sun shines through. How much in our lives do we experience storms that cause much damage and after they are gone we are blessed beyond measure in ways we never expected.

This week was our first week of school. At the end of it like most teachers and students I was completely exhausted. I did not go anywhere as soon as I got home Friday night. I did not want to talk with anyone or do anything really. I love what I do, I love the people I work with, but at the end of the day it does take a lot out of me. I need to be refreshed before I can go at it again. I can truly say at this moment I am so looking forward to the year ahead of me. The challenges will be interesting. I have this feeling that although it will be hard at times the joys will be without measure. So my storms may come but I know that there will be breathtaking sunsets waiting.