Burton's Blog

New Students

2008-02-15T14:32:00.000-08:00

Well, in the last week or two, I've gotten two new students. One in each district that I work in.
Both girls. One a Korean speaker, the other an Arabic speaker. One Asian, one African (Egyptian, actually).

Never a dull moment.

Latest Reading List

2008-02-15T14:10:00.000-08:00

This is for Rabia--because she actually asks me what I'm reading. :-) It's also for those of you who were wondering if I'd ever update my blog. ;-)

Lisa's Current Reading List:

1. The Bible--I've been working my way through Psalms. Today I read Psalms 115-117. Also slowly working my way through 2 Corinthians in Bible study.

2. A Farewell to Arms by Ernest Hemingway--I'm currently two chapters from the end. One of my students is (supposed to be) reading this for his English class.

3. Hamlet by William Shakespeare. Yes, that Hamlet. Yes, one of my students (the senior in high school) is reading this for English. I was impressed during the class I observed; she read the part of Ophelia and seemed to be following the class discussion pretty well. Still--not easy, even if you're a native English speaker!!! Not to mention, I haven't read it since A.P. English in high school. I'm currently at the beginning of Act 4.

4. The Story of Christianity by Justo Gonzalez. This is my "fun" reading. It's a book on church history that is easy for a layman like me to read. I'm enjoying it. I'm currently reading about the Imperial Church (4th century AD or so). Mostly reading it on Sundays.

5. Still reading the two U.S. History textbooks. In the 5th grade one, I've finished Chapter 3 (on European exploration of the Americas). In the 11th grade one, I shall soon start Chapter 19, on the Kennedy and Johnson era (excluding Vietnam, which gets a chapter of its own).

Lisa's Future Reading List:

1. Maus by Art Spiegelman. This is a graphic novel about the Holocaust which portrays the Nazis as cats and their victims as mice. So I've been told by an English teacher. Apparently, it also won a Pulitzer Prize. This will be read by one of my students after he finishes a research paper for English class.

2. Dead Man Walking by Sister Helen Prejean. Same English teacher, different student. A new one.

3. Into the Wild by ????

4. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee. I should say, I'll be re-reading this. One of my favorite books ever. Also the only book so far other than Hamlet that I studied in high school. Apparently, they're not reading the same books these days. Okay, maybe Shakespeare. . .

5. The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald. Okay, so I studied that one too. Only time I've ever read it. Don't remember much.

6. A Stranger in the Kingdom by ????

Sometimes it feels like I'm going through high school English all over again!!!

7. A Time to Die by Elizabeth Elliot. Hopefully, at some point I'll get to read this biography of Amy Carmichael. I've heard it's good.

Okay, gotta go read!

Driving

2007-10-28T14:14:00.001-07:00

I do a lot of driving for my jobs. I think I've seen more of rural Vermont in the last month than I had ever before while living in Vermont. Well, except perhaps for the 2 years I lived in Vernon. Then I lived in rural Vermont, so I saw it a lot. ;-)

You might be wondering, "What does she do during those 12+ hours a week that she spends driving?" Here are a few of my favorite things:

1. Leaf peep. Don't worry--I have been watching the road more than the leaves, but this has been delightful this year. The leaves have been beautiful.

2. Watch out for deer and moose. So far, I've seen one deer and no moose (not that I'm complaining about that!).

3. Check out what other animals I can spy by the side of the road. I've noticed lots of cows and horses, some pigs, some sheep/goats, and I think an Alpaca or two.

4. Listen to sermon CDs/tapes. I've caught up on a few that I missed this summer. I just got an Alistair Begg series on evangelism from the church library. I'll start that tomorrow.

5. Listen to music. I do this a lot. I'll put the radio on "scan" until I find a song I like. Then I'll stop and enjoy. I'm particularly happy when I find good Christian music or 80's tunes (for the nostalgia value). If I'm in the mood, I sing along.

If that doesn't yield good music, I'll hit the CD button and listen to mine. This is currently the Beatles' One CD, so I'm enjoying all their #1 songs. Before that, it was a Rebecca St. James CD.

6. Listen to NPR. That way I catch up on the news, or interesting stories about other countries. Or sometimes an interview with a celebrity.

7. Pray. Yep, I do that a lot, too. I pray about work. I pray for people at church. I pray for church ministries. I pray for my family; I prayed for my sister in San Diego a lot last week because of the wildfires. (She's fine, by the way!)

8. Memorize Scripture. Usually I just work on one verse, sticking it to the steering wheel and meditating on it while I drive.

9. Drink caffeinated beverages and/or eat. 'Cause I need to stay awake and/or I'm hungry.

So there you have it. I'm toying with idea at some point of picking up books on tape. However, I generally enjoy reading books rather than listening to them. If I need something new to do, though, this is a possibility.

What I'm Reading

2007-10-28T13:59:00.000-07:00

Well, since my life has gotten really busy (and a bit tiring, but in a good way), I realized that it's been over a month since my last post. So here I am again. :-)

There's quite a bit of reading involved in being an ESL teacher. Since I'm supporting students in their regular coursework, that often involves reading at least some of the things that they have to. So, here's an update on what I'm reading:

1. In the Bible--studying Job (on my own) and the life of Paul (for my church small group). The latter has lately taken me in quite a bit of Acts. Also memorizing Colossians 3. I'm up to verse 7 or 8.

2. I just finished The Giver by Lois Lowry. It was interesting. On tap next to be up-to-date with the 7th grade English class--Witness by Karen Hess.

3. United States History: Reconstruction to the Present (multiple authors, published by Pearson Education, 2008). High school U.S. History textbook. I'm working my way through the Roaring Twenties so that I can help my students get a sense of the important points (since this book is extremely difficult for them to read!).

4. Also recently read The Crucible by Arthur Miller for the first time. I need to compile some vocabulary for the students. For a high school English class. In the future, this class will also include works such as short stories of Poe, Huckleberry Finn, and The Great Gatsby.

5. Desiring God: Meditations of a Christian Hedonist by John Piper. This one is for my spiritual edification; I read a chapter each Sunday. Today I read the one on prayer. I highly recommend it--or anything by Piper.

6. Little Women by Louisa May Alcott. I use the term "reading" very loosely. Technically, I'm re-reading this just for fun. However, in practice, I don't have a chance to read for fun very often, so it's going very slowly.

7. My student's 5th grade math and science textbooks (I don't have them with me at the moment, so I can't quote the titles).

8. Various ESL books, vocab books, etc. For lesson ideas and materials.

Whew! No wonder my fun reading is on the back burner so often!

I'm back!

2007-09-09T11:35:00.000-07:00

Well, because a few friends have kidded me about the fact that it's been months since I last blogged, here I am again. Fortunately, my leg is no longer broken, and my nasty sprained ankle (which caused the broken leg--yes, the sprain was that bad!) is healing nicely. I'm almost back to normal. :-)

So, as far as what's been happening, let me explain. No, there's too much. Let me sum up. (Sorry, couldn't resist a "Princess Bride" quote!):

1. After a month on crutches and a few more months of PT, I'm mostly better.

2. I started a part-time teaching position as a high school ESL teacher. It's going well so far.

3. I've been offered another part-time ESL teaching position, which I'm considering.

4. I visited my sister with my mom in Alaska. Very fun. I may post pictures later. Alaska is beautiful, in a rather more rugged and wild way than Vermont. It's also huge.

There, I blogged again and got you caught up. How are things with you? Do comment, please. That way I know that people actually read this, and I might be motivated to post more often. ;-)

An Eventful Weekend

2007-04-11T11:38:00.000-07:00

In addition to celebrating Easter last Sunday, I had a very eventful weekend. First, I had a very good Good Friday. I received my teaching license in the mail. So, it's official. I'm certified to teach ESL in schools. Yay! Praise the Lord!!!

On the other hand, my Easter was a mixed day. On the "good" side: singing in the choir during the first church service of the day, enjoying a wonderful Easter dinner in the company of friends from church, and being encouraged by the sermon. On the "bad" side: I fell down the stairs at church and broke my left leg! I've never had a broken bone before, so this whole thing is new to me. Fortunately, I broke my fibula, which is the smaller bone in my lower leg--the "non-weightbearing" bone. So, I guess I broke the better of the two bones there to break. Also, I was able to drive home, since my right leg is fine. Thankfully, the Lord has been providing for me through my church family--an ice pack, ace bandages, crutches, a shower seat, and even some food. Please pray for me, if you think of it--that I would bear up well under this relatively mild (but fairly major for me) trial. Also, do pray that my bone would heal quickly and smoothly.

Thanks!

Encouragement

2007-03-03T12:32:00.000-08:00

To be perfectly honest, I've not had the best week. It's not that anything terrible happened; instead, I've simply felt kind of down. Yesterday, I called a friend and asked her to pray for me. She graciously did so, right then and there. One of the things she prayed for was encouragement for me.

This morning I read some good, encouraging words in or based on Scripture. I'll quote them here. I hope that they encourage you, too. :-)

" 'I have chosen thee in the furnace of affliction.' Isaiah 48:10
Comfort thyself, tried believer, with this thought: God saith, 'I have chosen thee in the furnace of affliction.' Does not the word come like a soft shower, assuaging the fury of the flame? Yea, is it not an asbestos armour, against which the heat hath no power? Let affliction come--God has chosen me. Poverty, thou mayst stride in at my door, but God is in the house already, and He has chosen me. Sickness, thou mayst intrude, but I have a balsam ready--God has chosen me. Whatever befalls me in this vale of tears, I know that He has 'chosen' me. If, believer, thou requirest still greater comfort, remember that you have the Son of Man with you in the furnace. In that silent chamber of yours, there sitteth by your side One whom thou hast not seen, but whom thou lovest; and ofttimes when thou knowest it not, He makes all thy bed in thy affliction, and smooths thy pillow for thee. Thou art in poverty; but in that lonely house of thine the Lord of life and glory is a frequent visitor. He loves to come into these desolate places, that He may visit thee. Thy friend sticks closely to thee. Thou canst not see Him, but thou mayst feel the pressure of His hands. Dost thou not hear His voice? Even in the valley of the shadow of death He says, 'Fear not, I am with thee; be not dismayed, for I am thy God.' Remember that noble speech of Caesar: 'Fear not, thou carriest Caesar and all his fortune.' Fear not, Christian; Jesus is with thee. In all thy fiery trials, His presence is both thy comfort and safety. He will never leave one whom He has chosen for His own. 'Fear not, for I am with thee,' is His sure word of promise to His chosen ones in the 'furnace of affliction.' Wilt thou not, then, take fast hold of Christ, and say--
'Through flood and flames, if Jesus lead,
I'll follow where He goes.' "
(Charles Spurgeon, "Morning & Evening", morning entry for March 3)

"You hear, O Lord, the desire of the afflicted; you encourage them, and you listen to their cry" (Psalm 10:17)

"The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and I am helped. My heart leaps for joy and I will give thanks to him in song."
(Psalm 28:7)

The Sign of Jonah

2007-03-03T12:22:00.000-08:00

Recently, I've re-read the book of Jonah. I've always liked it. It has a wonderful picture of the Lord's mercy toward sinners (both Jonah and the people of Nineveh). This time, I noticed something new.

Of course, I had been aware of the whole death and resurrection motif in Jonah, since he was swallowed by a big fish and stayed there for 3 days. Certainly, that's a great picture of Christ; Jesus referred to that himself in Matthew 12:40 ("For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of a huge fish, so the Son of Man will be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.").

What I noticed this time through was another way in which Jonah points to Christ. In the first chapter of the book, Jonah runs away from the Lord by sailing to Tarshish. Therefore, the Lord sends a nasty storm; all the sailors are afraid they're going to die. Jonah admits to being the reason for the storm. They ask him what they should do to him to make the sea calm down. Then he says, "Pick me up and throw me into the sea, and it will become calm." (Jonah 1:12)

In other words, Jonah voluntarily sacrifices himself--he "dies"--to appease God's judgment/wrath and save others' lives.

Hmm. . . where have I heard that before? ;-)

It's a great encouragement to me that the Lord uses obviously sinful people like Jonah--and like me--to proclaim the good news to the world.

Television

2007-01-26T18:40:00.000-08:00

Sometime during the last few years, I have discovered that I enjoy a number of TV shows. In fact, lately I've found myself much more interested in them than most movies. I think there are several reasons for this. First, TV is much cheaper than movies (in the theater). I can either watch on DVD via Netflix or rewatch shows I own on DVD, or watch online, or watch at a friend/cable owner's place. :-) Second, TV shows are shorter than a typical movie. While I was taking graduate school classes and and student teaching, I could get stuff done, watch one episode of a show while eating a meal, and then get back to work. Finally, there's actually some interesting, well-acted, and sometimes fun stuff on TV nowadays.

So, what do I like to watch? I've noticed that shows I like have several things in common: good acting, an element of mystery, and complexity (in terms of plot and characters). A fun online quiz I once took put it this way: I'm a "Thrill Seeker" and like "smart, sophisticated dramas". That's true--though I nitpick less than some folks; it's entertainment, after all.

Having said that, here's a list of shows I've enjoyed lately and would recommend (some with a caveat/warning or two), in order of network:

1. "Alias" (was on ABC; available on DVD only, unless it's syndicated somewhere). I really enjoyed this show. I got into it a few years ago. Basically, it's a spy drama starring Jennifer Garner. In reality, it's a lot more. The show is a fun combination of family drama, action-adventure, and comedy; I found it funnier than most sit-coms I've seen recently. Quite frankly, the first two seasons are the best, but I enjoyed all of them. Few shows are as fun as this one.

2. "Lost" (ABC). I added this to my Netflix queue because it was co-created by J.J. Abrams, the same guy who created "Alias". It took me a little while to get into, 'cause of the rather intense disaster scenario and some fantasy elements in the pilot--but I found that I got really interested in the characters. I've enjoyed it ever since. It's a bit uneven--some episodes are definitely better than others, but the multiple mysteries are pretty darn fun to try and solve--and again, it has really good acting.

3. "Veronica Mars" (CW). The title character is currently a college freshman who solves mysteries. In high school (seasons 1 and 2), she helped her P.I. dad with his cases. Currently, I think she just solves issues that come up at college. What's great about the show is the dialogue. It's really witty. Plus, the father-daughter relationship between the main character and her dad is fabulous. Well acted show, too. It's filmed in San Diego, where my sister lives. That's kind of fun, because every now and then I go, "Hey, I've been there!" In one season 2 episode, I spotted the park where my sister got married.

4. "24" (Fox). I've seen the first two seasons via Netflix. I think season 3 is next in my queue. I have mixed feelings about this show. I enjoy the quality of the acting and have really enjoyed some of the plot twists. I can understand why people get addicted to and love it. On the downside, this show can get a bit too intense for me and has already had noticably cheesy elements/plot twists. I also think I've enjoyed it less after watching "Alias" because it's simply one genre; it's a long action movie. Still, sometimes the ride is fun. We'll see what I think of the beginning of season 3. . .

5. "Prison Break" (Fox). I watched the pilot on iTunes and was hooked. Season 1 is quite fun overall--shades of "The Shawshank Redemption", fun to see the main character's plan to break out of prison evolve, etc. There were some great, entertaining plot twists, and as an added bonus--a few really good-looking men. :-) I've enjoyed season 2 so far, too. More like "The Fugitive". Still with lots of interesting characters. And plot twists.

6. "Heroes" (NBC). What can I say? I've always enjoyed superheroes. I think it has to do with seeing "Superman" (the one with Christopher Reeves) when I was a small, impressionable child. In addition to that, it has Greg Grunberg in it--Agent Weiss from "Alias" and the pilot from "Lost". It's a cool show. My favorite characters are Hiro (plucky, funny, a bit geeky--he's the most fun character), Mr. Bennett (a.k.a.--Horn-Rimmed Glasses, Claire's dad; I said I like complex characters--he's wonderful shades of gray--is he good? Bad? Who knows? Love it!), and Peter (just 'cause he's really empathic--he just wants to help, and he'll risk his life to do it--awesome!).
My main criticism of the show is that occasionally it's a bit too gory. I'm not fond of gore, so it detracts from the show as far as I'm concerned. Otherwise, I thoroughly enjoy it.

7. "Battlestar Galactica" (SciFi). I never thought I would like a show on SciFi. My stepdad likes to watch that channel, and it often has really bad movies on it. Not cool. I'm also not a huge science fiction fan, mainly because too often it dips into horror. However, I love the original "Star Wars" trilogy and can sit through "Star Trek" stuff (though I'm definitely not a Trekkie), so I thought I'd download a free summary of the show from iTunes. (The summary was made after the mid-season cliffhanger for season 2.)

Here's what I've discovered: "Battlestar Galactica" really is the best show on television. Why do I say that? Several reasons:

A. Excellent acting. It stars two Oscar-nominated actors (Edward James Olmos--"Blade Runner", "Stand and Deliver" and Mary McDonnell-- (Stands-with-a-Fist in "Dances with Wolves") and has some wonderful acting by the rest of the cast. Michael Hogan (Colonel Tigh) and Katee Sackhoff (Kara "Starbuck" Thrace) have especially stood out during season 3.

B. A compelling plot. The basics: The robotic Cylon race set off nuclear bombs on 12 planets and destroyed as many humans as they could. These Cylons were originally made by people and eventually "evolved" to appear human in every way possible. (As a result, pretty much anyone can be a Cylon--some without even knowing it. This was a major plot point in season 1, as one of the "humans" discovered she was in fact a Cylon.) The only humans alive are those who were on spaceships at the time, including those on an old warship that was going to be turned into a museum (Battlestar Galactica).
So, it becomes a chase and later a race to Earth between the Cylons and humans. Along the way. . .

C. It deals with big issues and questions. In other words, it's deeper than the average show. This is something I really love about it. In the 2 1/2 seasons it's been on the air, the show has dealt with: abortion, suicide bombings (and the ethics of them), relationships (father-son, co-workers, married couples, friends, etc.), occupation, insurgency, the treatment of prisoners of war, biological warfare, politics (an election was a key element of the Season 2 finale), and religion.

In fact, at its heart, the show asks these questions, "What does it mean to be human? Are we humans really worthy of survival, or do we deserve to die?"

Honestly, Ron Moore, one of the executive producers of the show, has one of the best concepts of sin that I've heard from someone who's not necessarily a Christian; during one of his podcasts, he came to the conclusion that any of us, in the right circumstances, is capable of becoming a person who believed in suicide bombing as a viable option. I was pretty amazed; it's true. We're sinners. There's no evil we're not capable of apart from the grace of God.

While the humans are polytheistic (and seem to worship Greek gods), the Cylons are monotheistic--kind of an amalgam of Christianity, Judaism, and Islam. Sometimes that bothers me a bit--but what I appreciate is that religion is central to the show. It's important. It's important to the characters, and a variety of religious views are portrayed. Some characters are atheists. Some are what we would think of as religious fanatics. Some--including several main characters--are simply people of faith. They are shown praying, reading scripture, and arguing for things based on the truth. How often do you see that on TV?

D. Fascinating characters. All of them are complex. Lots of shades of gray, usually (some are pretty much good/bad, but most are much more realistic than that). One of the most amazing things to me is that a character that I originally hated--Starbuck--has since become my favorite character. Sometimes I love her; sometimes I cheer her on; sometimes I just want to smack her. Sometimes I weep for her. Pretty amazing drama--and that's just one character!

E. Great, shocking plot twists and an element of mystery. This is just fun.

F. Eye candy. Lots of good-looking folks in this cast (and they can act, too!). For women, there's Jamie Bamber, Tahmoh Penikett, and Michael Trucco. For men, there's Katee Sackhoff, Grace Park, and Tricia Helfer. Then there's older characters--who look like real people. In fact, even the good-looking characters can look normal--they get dirty or injured, for instance.

G. On top of all that, it's got some humor (especially in the first two seasons). My favorite quote: "Okay, that's it! No more Mr. Nice Gaius!" (said by Gaius Baltar--dang, that's a good pun!)

H. Finally--cool special effects and space battles. The season 3 episode "Exodus, Part 2" is one of the most amazing things I've ever seen. Great effects, great acting, lots of action, powerful story.

And did I mention that the episode where many humans are rescued from a Cylon occupation/enslavement on a planet is called "Exodus"? *grin*

So what's the downside? Sex. For some, that's not a downside, but for me it is. There's too much of it, and it's often a bit more graphic than a typical network series ('cause SciFi is on cable). I'd appreciate it if they'd cut those scenes, or tone them down. There is also some violence, most of which is intense but not overly gory (so I can tolerate it pretty well). The show is also a bit dark--so if you want lighter fare--watch something else. It's definitely an adult show. There--that's my warning.

However, it's definitely one of the most thought-provoking and interesting shows I've ever seen. "Exodus, Part 2" just might be my favorite episode of anything ever. Now that I've talked way too much about TV, it's time to end this blog and go to bed.

What do you like to watch?

Reading List, Part 2

2007-01-26T18:29:00.000-08:00

So, now that I've finished my portfolio for my teaching license, I have actually had time to do a few things--spend time with friends, start putting addresses in my new address book (a Christmas gift from my cousin--I did A-E today and discovered that I know a lot of people whose last names end in "B"), catch up on sleep, and blog. :-)

While I was talking to a friend today, she asked me what I have been reading lately. Not much, sadly. I have found myself with a strong urge to just veg by watching a DVD. I suppose that's because it takes less thought than reading, and my brain is rather tired because of all the teaching and writing and general thinking I've done recently. :-)

However, tonight I think I'll actually read before bed instead of veg (maybe I am getting caught up on sleep!). Here's what I'm reading currently, and the next thing I plan on reading:

1. The Bible (yes, that's a given for anyone who knows me!)
*Genesis (studying this with folks from church--we're about to start chapter 37; just finished a study of chapters 1-11 on my own)
*Various verses/books, using a study called "Cultivating Contentment"
*Next up in the book I primarily use for my quiet times, a two-week tour of Romans. I'm looking forward to reading and pondering it again.

2. Aesop's Fables--just for fun

I bought a used copy of "The Iliad" a while ago. I'm planning to start that after Aesop; I guess I'm on a classics kick.

Not too long ago I borrowed a Terry Pratchett novel called "Interesting Times" from friends. I highly recommend it; it's hilarious.

What are you reading? Do you have any recommendations for me?

One Greater Than Solomon

2006-12-21T03:50:00.000-08:00

This morning I read about the queen of Sheba's visit to King Solomon in 1 Kings 10. In the past, I've often been struck by the astounding descriptions of Solomon's wealth. I mean, the guy used eating utensils made of gold and sat on an ivory and gold throne. Wow! I can't even imagine that kind of wealth. The Lord certainly kept His promise to give Solomon riches (1 Kings 3).

However, that's not what struck me today. What struck me was the queen of Sheba's reaction to all this and to Solomon's ability to answer all her difficult questions. Check out what she says:

"How happy your men must be! How happy your officials, who continually stand before you and and hear your wisdom! Praise be to the Lord your God, who has delighted in you and placed you on the throne of Israel. Because of the Lord's eternal love for Israel, he has made you king, to maintain justice and righteousness."
(1 Kings 10:8-9)

Many centuries later, Jesus referred to this incident after the Pharisees and teachers of the law asked him for a miraculous sign (as if he hadn't already been giving them many of those!). After telling them about the "sign of Jonah", Jesus said, "'The Queen of the South will rise at the judgment with this generation and condemn it; for she came from the ends of the earth to listen to Solomon's wisdom, and now one greater than Solomon is here.'" (Matthew 12:42)

Who was this one "greater than Solomon"? Jesus himself. How was he greater than this wealthy and wise king, who provoked such an awed response from the queen of Sheba?

Solomon sat on the throne of Israel, one nation among many on earth. Jesus sits on the throne of heaven, ruler over the true Israel, both Jews and Gentiles--and ruler of everyone and everything else.

In spite of all his wisdom, Solomon sinned; the very next chapter of 1 Kings tells of how Solomon married foreign women, a direct violation of God's Law, and was led astray by them so that he started to worship their gods rather than being wholeheartedly devoted to the Lord. Jesus, in spite of great temptation, never sinned.

Solomon's reign lasted 40 years, and then he died (1 Kings 11:42-43). Jesus also died, but he rose again three days later (the "sign of Jonah" he referred to in Matthew 12). Now Jesus lives and reigns forever.

Jesus is the one whom the Lord referred to as "my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased." (Matthew 3:17) He is the true Son of David and King; Solomon was just a type.

Lord Jesus--praise be to the Lord God the Father, who has delighted in you and placed you on the throne of heaven. Because of the Lord eternal love for his people, he has made you king, to maintain justice and righteousness.

"Joy to the world! The Lord is come; let earth receive her King. . . He rules the world with truth and grace and makes the nations prove the glories of His righteousness and wonders of His love."

"How lovely is your dwelling place, O Lord Almighty. . . Blessed are those who dwell in your house; they are ever praising you. . . Better is one day in your courts than a thousand elsewhere." (Psalm 86:1, 4, 10)

"Whom have I in heaven but you? And earth has nothing I desire besides you. My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever." (Psalm 73:25-26)

Elementary Students

2006-12-17T16:04:00.000-08:00

Students--Worth a Thousand Words

2006-12-17T16:00:00.000-08:00

I'm finished!

2006-12-17T15:37:00.000-08:00

I finished student teaching on Friday. I had a great experience and learned a lot. On Friday my cooperating teacher even threw a small farewell party for me, complete with cookies and juice. I went around and got pictures of a number of students, which I'll upload in a moment.

I have so many memories of student teaching. . .

Teaching a student the world "apple" and learning the Somali word for apple ("tuvah")
Receiving a book of poetry from the Bosnian translator on the second day of student teaching
Sharing a Thanksgiving meal with students who are new to the U.S.
Wrestling with issues of classroom management
Joy when students "get it", or when they ask great questions
Visiting a student when she was hospitalized
Watching the schools deal with Muslim students who wanted to pray during the day
Giving up the classroom for a few minutes at the end of lunch so students can pray
Observing and getting to know other teachers
Listening to the Somali translator's story about how he had to leave one refugee camp for a different one because his life was in danger

Never a dull moment.

Apple Picking

2006-12-17T15:17:00.000-08:00

I went apple picking with friends this fall. We had a great time, so here are a few pictures.

David, Rabia, and Miriam

David and two-year-old Isaac

Karin and I

A Day in the Life of a Student Teacher, Part 2

2006-11-04T18:49:00.000-08:00

Well, I have finished my student teaching stint at the elementary school. For the last 2 weeks, I've been at the high school. It's quite different, as you might expect, especially in the content of the lessons and the language proficiency of the students. In particular, for the most part, they are much more literate than the elementary school students were.

So, here's what my day looked like on Thursday (for those of you who are interested):

7:30--Faculty Meeting. This one was especially devoted to teaching English Language Learners. My current cooperating teacher and the middle school ELL teacher led the discussion, and I passed out various handouts, making sure to take copies for myself.

8 AM--TA, which is basically homeroom for several juniors.

8:15 AM--Our first class of the day begins. It's called "Current Events", but it shouldn't be. It's really a social studies class for ELLs. They've learned some basic U.S. geography, and they're working on writing reports on the state of Vermont. Next week, they'll write reports on other states; each student has picked a different state to write about. After I take attendance, I circulate and help students as needed. It's a nice chance to get to know the students a bit and interact with them as individuals rather than as a group. The class ends at 9:45, and then the students start a break.

10 AM--Intermediate ESL begins. I have written several sentences containing idioms on the board. The students copy them and try to figure out what the idioms mean. After a few minutes, I ask for their ideas, which are quite logical. I affirm a student if he/she comes up with the correct meaning, or the logic of the response even if it's not quite right. Then I write down the actual meaning on the board. Then Inge, my CT (who is German, by the way--she grew up near Munich), teaches grammar.

10:45 AM--Part 2 of Intermediate ESL. This portion is devoted to literature. The students are currently studying poetry. They've read several poems (a published version and student poems from previous years) entitled "Where I'm From". Today they brainstorm so that they can write their own poems about their home countries and cultures. Inge has given them a worksheet to help facilitate this. I again circulate and help students as needed.

11:25 AM--Lunch, until noon. I get a cup of coffee from the cafeteria and then return to the classroom to eat my lunch with Inge.

12 PM--A math class for ELLs meets in our room. I serve as "push-in" help for a student who is at a lower level than the others in the group. This has been really interesting, because many in the school believe that she really needs some special education services. However, the special educator has let us know that we can't meet all of the legal requirements for that, simply because she hasn't been in the U.S. or in school long enough. That's a bit sad.

On the bright side, this student has a delightful personality. She's friendly, works hard, doesn't get easily frustrated, and has a great sense of humor. Not to mention, a wonderful smile, which I always enjoy seeing. I review counting by 1's, 5's and 10's with her, and then we work on some money skills using play money.

12:45--Prime Science begins. Inge is teaching the water cycle. She guides the students through a condensation experiment and write-up.

1:30 PM--This time is devoted to planning for the next day/several days. Whenever I have a little "down time", I read a bit of the book which I will need to start teaching next week. I also notice that Inge has some grading to do, so I volunteer to do that; it's grammar exercises, so it's relatively straightforward. After explaining to me her grading system for homework, I get to work.

3 PM--The school day ends. I continue grading for a few minutes.

3:15 PM--Inge and I go to a meeting of the Educational Support Team (EST) because they're meeting to discuss and try to help one of our students. The meeting is really interesting. There are a LOT of people there--the school guidance counselor, the principal, two ELL teachers, me, the reading teacher, an Instructional Assistant who works with the student in math, and several others (including a special educator). Not to mention, the student and his father. They're all there to try to figure out how to help the student be a little more successful in school.

I come away from the meeting with several important pieces of information:
1. The student's father is very concerned about him and his education, but is at work when his son is at home (so can't be as involved as he would like).
2. This student is clearly a kinesthetic learner--benefiting from manipulatives, hands-on activities, and some opportunity to move around.
3. He's also quite hard-working.
4. He loves soccer.
5. I really like the principal's concern to do what's best for the students whenever possible. I also appreciate the guidance counselor's point that the student's problems paying attention may very well be due to fatigue and the language barrier rather than ADHD (which one person brings up as a possibility).

5 PM--I get home and relax a bit.

7 PM--Home Group (small group Bible study with folks from my church).

Student Teaching Update

2006-10-17T18:56:00.000-07:00

Today I had my Mid-Semester Review. It went well. The biggest area I need to grow in is classroom management--no big surprise to me. Lots of strengths mentioned, which was encouraging. I also had a chance to sit down with my soon-to-be cooperating teacher, Inge. Inge is the high school ESL teacher. Tomorrow is my last day at the elementary, and then on Monday I'll switch to the high school. Should be interesting.

After my discussion with Inge, I brought home two social studies textbooks and an interesting-looking novel about a Spanish-speaking immigrant to Vermont. That's what the intermediate ESL class will read next, after finishing a poetry unit. Meanwhile, I can start working on the unit that I need to do for my portfolio/seminar. I'll be doing it on Native Americans (a little) and early settlers in the U.S. Two things already excite me about this:

1. Essentially I get to teach about the first immigrants and refugees to come to the U.S.--a great connection to my students and opportunity to learn about their experiences.

2. I get to talk about the Pilgrims/first Thanksgiving and the Puritans. *grin*

My first day of student teaching at the high school should be pretty easy; Monday is Id-al-Fitr, the end of Ramadan, the biggest celebration of the year for Muslims. Apparently, a lot of students will be absent so that they can celebrate.

Believe it or not. . .

2006-10-17T18:31:00.000-07:00

. . . I'm still alive. :-) I've just been extremely busy, so I haven't posted on here in a while. I know--bad me. Since a few folks have commented on my lack of postings (e.g.--see Rabia's comment for my last entry), I thought it was time to write again. Plus, I don't think I have the mental energy to write anything I am "supposed" to write, like my "reflective teaching journal" for my seminar class, or the lesson plan I think I need to give to my cooperating teacher tomorrow.

So, what have I been doing lately? Well, I've been working a lot. Last week was my "solo week" in the elementary school, meaning that any planning and teaching that my cooperating teacher would normally do, I did. I was fortunate because we have also been doing the state standardized testing (NECAPs, pronounced like "kneecaps") for the last few weeks. Therefore, I've had less planning to do. Unfortunately, I had to administer the NECAPs to students who are not yet fluent in academic English, which means that the test is really rather hard (imagine going to China for a year or two and then having to take a big test in Chinese on reading, writing, and math and you'll get the idea).

Okay--I'm going to stop myself before I start ranting. ;-) Although I think I already started up there, briefly. :-) In addition to working--both actual teaching duties and working on a portfolio for the state--I've also started attending a few church ministries. One is my home group, which started a few weeks ago. I am so thankful to the Lord; I'm in a group with mostly the same people as last year. With all the busyness and stress of student teaching, plus the fact that I have to look for a job in the winter/spring, it's nice to have some relationships already established; it takes less energy than getting to know new people. Plus, I do get to know one or two new people. :-)

The other ministry is College & Careers, our church's singles ministry. I really like that the focus this year is maturing in Christ. There'll be Bible studies on this topic and times when we get to hear from older, wiser folks. Plus, there are nice service and social aspects to the group. I'm very excited because I actually get to go away briefly this weekend. I don't have school on Thursday or Friday due to a teacher's conference. Therefore, on Friday and Saturday I'm going to a retreat for young adults. It'll be nice to get away and relax, fellowship, and spend some time focusing on the Lord and my relationship with him.

What else have I been doing? Honestly, I've been vegetating a bit--enjoying some TV shows on DVD via Netflix or on my computer via iTunes. Teaching requires quite a bit of thought. I like it--being rather a thinker naturally, it's a good fit--but sometimes I need to just not think for a bit. Otherwise, I think my head would explode. Seriously. Too going on up there for my little mind to process.

This is getting long, so I'll end and then add a shorter, more random post. Hopefully, that will be followed by a post with pictures of the apple-picking trip I took earlier this fall. :-)

Little Things

2006-09-19T15:42:00.000-07:00

It's the little things that mean the most. This morning a fifth grader hugged me when she saw me. Then she said that she'd missed me over the weekend. That surprised me, because she's never been that affectionate before. It's true that one day last week I helped her work on a writing piece, but I had no idea that I had made such a strong connection with her. However, perhaps that small kindness mattered more than I thought.

Today another girl shared some concerns with me about her schoolwork. She's not even one of my students, but I met her when Nancy assessed her English level. Anyway, she told me that she has trouble getting her work done because she has to come to ELL class. She's clearly worried about it, so I mentioned her concerns to Beth, her ELL teacher.

Then there was the boy singing along happily during one of Beth's lessons this afternoon. He was in an accident in the spring, and many people have said that they're surprised he's alive. Yet there he was, singing and participating well.

It's the little things that matter most.

A Day in the Life of a Student Teacher

2006-09-13T16:30:00.000-07:00

7:25 AM--Arrive at school. Make a few copies. Get materials ready for classes this morning--several apples, pencils, crayons, scissors, glue, various kinds of paper, and post-it notes with the students' journal topic for the day. Then I help Nancy (my cooperating teacher) cut out pictures of the kids which she's laminated.

I talk with Mrs. Johnson, a first-grade teacher across the hall, to find out how Abdi A. is doing. He's a very recent arrival, and I'll be teaching him this morning. After our conversation, I decide to change my lesson plan a bit. I also greet Aftaba, Dalib, and Lan--the translators--when they arrive.

8:10 AM--The newest Somali family arrives for their kids' first day of school. I watch as Abdi A. takes Abdi N. by the hand and shows him where to put his backpack. I can tell that these two will be good friends. I also see Abdi N.'s teacher, Mrs. Thompson, greet him and welcome him to her classroom.

8:30 AM--The first grade students arrive for ELL (English Language Learners) class. Nancy takes most of them onto the rug and begins a unit on apples with them. Meanwhiles I sit at a table with Abdi A. and Abdi N. I show them an apple and teach them its name in English. Abdi N. teaches me that in Somali, "apple" is "tuvah". Then I teach several classroom objects--pencil, crayon, and glue. We review them a lot. Occasionally they forget the names or confuse them, but most of the time, they get them right. Abdi A. has a tendency to say "ball" instead of "apple", which amuses me. Native English speakers start out doing things like that--generalizing the word "ball" to everything round. At the end, I give them pictures of apples to color. They enjoy that, coloring enthusiastically while chatting with each other in Somali. I'm really happy with how the class went. We had fun, and I think they learned some vocabulary.

9:30 AM (or so)--The third grade students trickle in after taking a test. We chat with them for a while and then they share writing that they have done with the group.

9:45 AM--The second grade students begin to arrive. Unfortunately, they arrive in groups of 2 or 3, several minutes after each other. They're supposed to share their writing with each other, too, but I don't know whether to start or wait for the others. I finally decide to start. At first it goes okay. As the group gets bigger, they get antsy and misbehave a bit--mostly talking out of turn rather than listening to each other. Fortunately, though they're not behaving well, I keep my cool rather than getting annoyed. They continue to misbehave when Nancy takes over as lead teacher, so she reviews the rules with them. Eventually, they finally settle down and do a sorting activity with cards with pictures of spiders and insects on them.

10:15 AM--The fourth and fifth graders arrive. We all introduce ourselves, because Abdi N.'s older brother, Abdi K., is in this class. Then Nancy reads them a book about finding a good rock and tells them to bring a rock to class tomorrow. During the course of the class, students teach how to say "rock" in Bosnian, Somali, and Lingala--though I miss writing down the Lingala word.

10:45 AM--Three students leave; the others stay for some phonics and spelling work. I assign the journal topic and help two girls do several worksheets which are puzzle or game-like. When Fatuma finishes them all, I let her draw. She draws hearts and a beautiful rose. She tells me that her neck hurts because she bumped it on the playground this morning. I'm sorry to hear that, but happy that Fatuma is starting to trust me and open up to me a bit.

11:00 AM--Anne, the afternoon ELL teacher, arrives.

11:15 AM--I assess fifth grade student Saed's letter name and sound recognition, because we've noticed that he's having some trouble reading. The assessment was my idea, and I found a good one online last night. He knows most letter names and sounds, but he seems to have some trouble with vowels. I also notice during a dictation that he tends to write from right to left. This causes me to wonder if he's literate in Arabic.

11:35 AM--The phone rings. Lan answers it; it's the nurse's office calling for Aftaba. Aftaba's doing recess duty, so she's not around.

11:40 AM--Nancy returns, says that Aftaba's daughter has a broken nose. Nancy leaves to cover Aftaba's recess duty.

Noon--Lunch! I eat lunch in the teachers' room. For a few days, I've sat at a table with a guy who works in the math lab and several women in the speech and language department. I enjoy lunch and just hanging out.

12:30 & 12:50 PM--Two St. Michael's freshmen arrive to tutor ELL students. Nancy and Anne show them to their classrooms.

For the rest of the afternoon, I plan what to do next with Abdi A. and Abdi N.; Nancy and I plan for the next few days of the other classes; I share the results of my assessment of Saed and she confirms that he probably has some literacy in Arabic; and I work on the computer to prepare some materials for tomorrow morning. I also help Anne walk the kindergarten class back to their classroom. She leads them and I follow at the end of the line. Merase decides that he only has one leg, so he must hop on one foot down the hall. So he doesn't fall and hurt himself, I hold onto his hand. Otherwise, I'm quite amused to be walking down the hall beside a hopping African kindergarten student.

The highlight of my day? Abdi N. and Abdi A. had a class in the afternoon with Anne. Afterward, Abdi N. played with an alphabet puzzle. I noticed that the picture for "A" was an apple. So I said, "Abdi N., what's that?" He thought for a moment. Then he said, "Apple." I felt ridiculously proud. I taught him that, and he really learned it. :-)

Prayer in the Public School

2006-09-06T17:33:00.000-07:00

Apparently a new Muslim family has moved into the school district where I'm doing my student teaching. According to Islam, Muslims are supposed to pray five times a day. One of them falls during the school day, at about 1:30 PM. The father and head of this new family wants his children to be allowed to pray at that time.

My cooperating teacher consulted the principal about what to tell this parent. The problem is that all the children are in class at that time. The principal said that the two boys in elementary school can pray in the library during lunch/recess at about 12:15. The school was willing to make some accommodation but was also understandably concerned about the boys missing class. The hope is that the father will accept the time change.

What do you think about this issue/incident? What are the implications, if any, for Christians or people of other faiths in the school system?

What a Day. . .

2006-09-05T17:26:00.000-07:00

Today was quite a day. I can't think of a more intense, challenging, interesting, or badly needed job than being an ESL teacher--and we haven't even started pulling kids out of their mainstream classes to teach them yet!

The day began with a kindergarten English language learner from Africa ran away from his classroom and refused to go back. He seemed more afraid than defiant to me. After all, here were all these big people--not his parents--speaking to him in a language that he wasn't fluent in, all in this really big, strange building. I think he was experiencing some serious culture shock. He finally returned to his classroom with his older brother and my cooperating teacher.

The day ended with an afterschool meeting with both my cooperating teachers (elementary--whom I'm working with now, and high school) and a professor from the college who will be supervising my student teaching. That was brief and went well.

In between those two events, a lot happened: English proficiency testing of two kids; some planning for the first day or two of teaching; a special education meeting which I thought earned the translator a medal for just following the conversation (nevermind translating it!); a discussion of the problem of child abuse (or accusations of it) among refugees; another conversation about life in refugee camps in Kenya, during which I learned that our Somali translator had to move from one camp so he wouldn't get killed.

That's not all. . . there was one more very interesting topic of conversation. I'll save that for my next post. . .

First Day of School

2006-08-30T16:25:00.000-07:00

Well, I survived the first day of school. :-) The last few days have been busy, especially today. My Cooperating Teacher assessed the English skills of several new kindergarten students while I sat in and observed. I had the chance to talk with a two of these--a Somali girl who was pretty quiet but started chatting with me and a very active boy from Burundi. He seemed to like to sit on the floor, so I directed him to the carpeted area where there were more toys and books (since he had trouble sitting in the chair at the table). I also met several families--Bosnians, two Somali families, a few Vietnamese grandmothers, and the mother of the boy from Burundi. I started taking down her information for the emergency contact form.

I also spent a while this morning watching/playing with several African preschoolers (younger siblings of the Somali kindergarteners). They were all really cute. One boy especially charmed me. He started out quite shy, hanging back and watching the baby crawl around and explore. Eventually he started playing with a toy and clearly enjoyed himself. He would play a little and then look at me with the most winning smile possible. Later he sat at a small table and "helped" his older sister do a puzzle. I think I taught him the word, "Yay" when he correctly put the pieces in. So then he started lifting up his hands and saying, "Yay, yay!" A lot, smiling happily. Maybe you had to be there, but it was really adorable.

I haven't met the older children yet--the ones I'll actually teach--but if they're anything like the ones I met today, I'm going to love them.

Wedding Pictures, Part 2

2006-08-27T18:05:00.000-07:00

This is my sister, Brooke, with her new husband, Mark.

Brooke and I at her wedding reception in June.

Wedding Pictures

2006-08-27T17:30:00.000-07:00

This is my sister, Kara, and my new brother-in-law, David, at their wedding reception in April.
I had the privilege of being Kara's maid-of-honor, so I'm wearing the bridesmaid gown and holding flowers in this picture with my lovely cousin, Laura.

Student Teaching

2006-08-23T08:25:00.001-07:00

Wow! I just spent about two hours at the elementary school where I'll be student teaching. It's an inservice day for the teachers, but it was pretty informal. Therefore, I had a good chance to sit down with my Cooperating Teacher and learn some things about the students, the schedule so far, and some units she usually teaches. I'm a little tired; there's a lot to think about. I also met two teachers (Angela--the first grade teacher across the hall, and Andrea--the new middle school ESL teacher) and was reintroduced to Dalib and Aftaba, two of the three tutor/translators in the school.

As for the students, they're a diverse bunch. Grades 1-5, with the possibility of sitting in with the kindergarteners. They speak more than 20 different languages at home. They're Congolese, Russian, Chinese, Rwandan, Somali Bantu, Vietnamese, Bosnian, Sudanese, Burundian, Albanian, and Puerto Rican. Whew! I need to start thinking about a unit to do (with one age group, either a science or social studies topic). I also may have the opportunity to work on writing with a small group of students in grades 3-5. There's at least one student who is a behavioral challenge, 3 or 4 who are brand-new in Winooski, and one who will have an IEP. It's going to be a busy and interesting semester. I definitely have a lot to learn.

Good News

2006-08-22T08:21:00.000-07:00

This morning I spent some time reading and pondering Luke 9. After observing that Jesus came to suffer, die, and be raised again on the third day (verse 22), the study guide I was using asked this very good question: "Why does it matter to you that Jesus came to suffer and die?" Here's how I answered that question in my journal:

"Because He did it for me. He suffered the punishment for my sin and died my death. His resurrection proved that His mission was successful and gives me confidence that God will also raise me from death and has already raised me from spiritual death.

Also, because he suffered, He sympathizes with me when I suffer (Hebrews 2:18; 4:15). He understands how it feels because He experienced it too.

Finally, it gives my own suffering meaning. It shouldn't surprise me that I'll suffer; even Jesus, the perfectly obedient Son, suffered. I'm not above Him; I'm not above suffering. But His resurrection gives me hope in my suffering. There is always a resurrection with God; death is not the end. There's always a morning after a dark night. God always wins."

I needed that reminder. I've been struggling with some anxiety about student teaching. I'll start soon--possibly as soon as tomorrow if the inservice day sounds helpful. Definitely next Monday (my official start date). I've also felt a bit discouraged recently. So the reminder of the Lord's great love for me, His great kindness and mercy, His sympathy with me in my weaknesses, and the hope I have in Him was very sweet this morning. I love you, Lord. Forgive me for my lack of faith and for my pride in thinking somehow I shouldn't have to suffer. Thank you for loving me so and for Jesus' suffering, death, and resurrection. Thank you that I'm alive in Him, that He always lives to intercede for me, and for the hope of resurrection and glory in Him. I pray that like Jesus, I'll learn obedience through what I suffer, and that it will accomplish your good purpose for it in my life. Please make me a woman of noble character, for your glory and your name's sake.

Never a dull moment. . .

2006-08-15T18:50:00.000-07:00

Well, as the title of this post suggests, several notable things have happened, are happening, or will happen. Come to think of it, they're all notable events in the lives of people I care about rather than in my life. Still, since I care about the people involved, they do affect me. So here they are:

1. Yesterday I went to visit a friend. While I was there, her older son requested a peanut butter sandwich for lunch. Since I was there (i.e.--since she wasn't alone in the house with the boys), Mary-Margaret decided to give her younger son peanut butter for the first time. Turns out that he is allergic to peanut. He developed a nasty rash, and we had a few minutes of concern that it would get worse and she'd have to call 911. Fortunately, the Lord was very gracious and he never had trouble breathing at all. In addition, Benadryl helped. :-) For more details, including pictures, you can click on the "Mary-Margaret's Mutterings" link in my sidebar. Hey, I also gained valuable diaper-changing experience and if I ever need to know what said peanut allergy rash looks like. . . now I know. ;-)

2. My mom and stepdad are moving. They're moving from one town in Ohio to another. I recently learned from my mom that they're moving to a college town, and that Paul Newman graduated from the college (I think my mom is hoping to see him sometime!). I don't really know where it is--I need to look on a map. Anyway, I hear from her more often as she sorts through stuff and wants to know if I want a particular item.

You know, it's a little weird to think that when I go home for Christmas, I will have to find their home. I'm beginning to think that (here on earth) home is where your parents are and/or wherever you happen to live at the time. Probably the main way it will affect me is that I'll now have to drive about 40-45 minutes longer to get there from here. *sigh* It was already a very long drive. . . all the more reason to stop at my cousin Holly's place to visit on the way and spend the night and break up the trip. :-)

3. Recently my sister Kara married David, who is in the Air Force. Then they moved to Alaska because he was transferred there from Dayton. Tonight when my mom called, she said that David is going to be deployed. Apparently it won't be 'til February or later in the spring. I hope it's a bit delayed; it'd be nice for them to be married for a year at least, I think, before he has to leave. Anyway, the news made me rather sad, even though it wasn't terribly surprising. Here's hoping he get deployed somewhere relatively safe like Germany or safe and exotic like Japan. Perhaps it's too much to ask that he won't end up in Iraq or Afghanistan. . . it's good to be able to trust in the Lord at times like that. I know that wherever he goes, the Lord is in control and will be glorified and can use it for good in both David and Kara's lives. Or perhaps it's just a good reminder to pray for them. . .

A Little Glimpse of Heaven

2006-08-13T16:49:00.000-07:00

This afternoon was wonderful. Not only was it a gloriously beautiful summer day--blue skies, few clouds, warm but not too hot sun--but we had a church picnic and first ever outdoor baptismal service at North Beach. Wow! It was a blast. It was a great day for a picnic, a wonderful beach day (I did go swimming after getting nice and toasty warm sitting in the sun--the water was refreshing), and the baptismal candidates' testimonies were all really encouraging. Even more encouraging, one of my college friends and her husband were in town. I'd been praying for him, and it turns out that he became a Christian and got baptized recently. He shared his testimony, too. That was really fun to hear.

I love it when the Lord is kind and says "yes" to my prayer requests. :-) It's always a nice reminder that He really is listening, and that my prayers really are "powerful and effective" in Christ (partial quote from James 1, I think). Plus it's always fun to hang out with my church family.

I also had a nice time connecting with my roommate on the drive there, back, and during dinner (we went out for Chinese). We've been busy and going in different directions this week--or tired and a bit anti-social--so it was nice to connect and catch up. What a great day--a nice foretaste of the joy of heaven--just enjoying the Lord and what He's done and enjoying my brothers and sisters in Christ. God is so good.

Reading

2006-08-12T16:58:00.000-07:00

Anyone who knows me knows that I love to read. When I was a kid, I always had a book in hand. I was definitely a bookworm. :-) Just so you know, I'm open to suggestions. If you have a book you love and you think I'd enjoy it too, feel free to mention it in the "Comments" section.

So what am I reading now? Several things, actually (it's normal for me to have several books going at once).

1. The Bible--various parts, based on a book called "The Quiet Time Companion". Most recently, I've read several chapters of Acts. Next week I plan on reading Ruth.

2. "Fires in the Bathroom: Advice for Teachers from High School Students" by Kathleen Cushman.
This one is for my Student Teaching Seminar in the fall. I'll be student teaching in the Winooski Public Schools. Official start date: August 28. I'm working toward a K-12 ESL Teaching License, so I'll teach K-5 from then until mid-October, and then high school from October 23rd until mid-December.

3. "Did I Kiss Marriage Goodbye? Trusting God with a Hope Deferred" by Carolyn McCulley. This was recommended by a friend, so I looked it up on Amazon.com. I've been thinking a lot about the general topic of this book, which is what it means to be a godly woman who is single. It's written by an "older" single woman especially for those who have been waiting a while for Prince Charming (as opposed to college students or recent grads). So far, it's pretty encouraging.

4. "Merlin" by Stephen R. Lawhead. See, I also read fiction. Fantasy, even. :-)

5. "Morning and Evening" by Charles Spurgeon. It's a devotional, and I usually read it daily (once, sometimes twice a day). Good stuff. I REALLY like Spurgeon.

I told you I read a number of books simultaneously. ;-)

Why a Blog?

2006-08-12T16:50:00.000-07:00

Hey, look! I created a blog today. I thought I'd write a quick post about why. First, I've recently discovered that a number of my friends have them. Second, it's seemed like a fun way to process what's happening in my life and what goes on in my brain while simultaneously keeping in touch with friends and updating them. That, of course, assumes that someone than me reads this. ;-) If you do and you find something interesting, please comment. That way, I'll know that someone has actually read it and is interested. And I'll keep rambling, rather than stopping as I glumly conclude that this was a silly idea and a waste of time.

One final reason for blogging: simply to explore a new technological and literary medium. It might come in handy in teaching at some point; I might want to create one for or with my students. Actually, I like the idea of creating a class blog with my students. We'll see if I continue to like that idea as I do this, but I am an English teacher after all. If it allows kids another opportunity to read and write, particularly in authentic communication, hooray!

The Best Thing About Working in a Toy Store

2006-08-12T16:28:00.000-07:00

So, if you're wondering what the best thing about working at Toys R Us is, that's easy: cute children. I see lots of them. Babies, too. It's always really fun, but I have two short stories to illustrate the way that the Lord recently used two little girls to bless and encourage me--which of course, made them especially endearing. :-)

First, I was walking around the store with a co-worker. I saw a girl browsing in the preschool section, and I said "hello" and smiled. She said, "Oooh, you're pretty." Now, I can honestly say that was a new comment from a child. Who knows--maybe she appreciated my smile. ;-) Since I have been pondering issues of beauty lately (and can occasionally struggle with that issue, as many women do), that was a particularly sweet comment to me. My co-worker and I chuckled a bit. It was just such a kid comment, if you know what I mean. Spontaneous, excited, and uncensored. It was also kind.

Another kindness really warmed my heart yesterday. I was serving as a cashier and an Asian woman and her daughter came to me to be checked out. The woman bought her daughter some orange Tic Tacs. Once I'd finished checking her mom out, she opened the Tic Tacs and then offered me one. I thought it was such a nice gesture of budding generosity that I accepted, and she handed me one. I enjoyed it, partly because it tasted good, and mostly because it was yet another spontaneous act of kindness from a child.

I love kids. They're cool. Hopefully, I'll still feel that way once I start student teaching in a few weeks. ;-)