Back in 71

http://gjbgraphics.com/mylife/2008/05/11/my-mother-was-once-a-rookie/

More daily life

The mundane is taking up my mindspace lately. Today feels like an excellent day for ironing. It's coldish and damp and Prairie Home Companion will be on the radio this evening.

I'm keeping my mind away from worry about money. Last week's sermon was on worry and Pastor Martin had a string of great quotations which I'll post here if I can find them. Meanwhile Philippians 4:6 is the best:

6Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.

I avoid tv news and I follow current events with comedy shows - The Daily Show on TV and Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me podcasts (NPR). WWDTM is good dishwashing entertainment and it makes me laugh out loud.

Last week I was enchanted by adolescents. Now this week if I see an adolescent, I will probably cross the street. Last week a student's cruelty to another brought me to tears and reminded me of the hurt I inflicted on another kid when I was in the seventh grade. I can remember vividly how mindless my act of cruelty was. (Thanks to the internet I found the kid I hurt had died recently after raising a family and receiving honors at work.) I can also remember the hurts I had at that age.

I picked up some information about playing guitar in other tunings. I guess I'll listen to some music on Pandora today as I do weekend type home chores.

If I'm really industrious today, I'll water my three plants.

life

I left a message on my landlord's phone this morning. No hot water. That is very inconvenient. I'll have to heat bath water in my electric frying pan. Too bad my coffee maker isn't bigger!
Well, this will inspire me to get to the pool this week - free shower.

I had a lot of fun with adolescents yesterday. K. bought a friend and I taught her how to play Go while S. trounced K.. S. was being his extremely shy self. The girls were self-conscious and inane ... true seventh graders. In response S. was trying to be mature. I told him that he would have to become self-conscious and inane someday because that was part of getting to maturity.

At game night a man was interviewing on film people sharing reflections on our church. (It is the 300th anniversary of Church of the Brethren.) I made sure that my "Got Fruit?" shirt got into the picture.

Seventh graders in my life

An eventful past few days. I was rushed to the hospital yesterday on the recommendation of my school nurse and vice principal. I'd had a stomach bug and felt "faint" after 7th grade lunch duty. While they were calling 911, I was barfing breakfast and lunch and by the time I was riding to the hospital to ruin my son's day, I was feeling fine. 5 hours of tests later the hospital was convinced I felt fine too. I'm grateful that everyone was concerned enough to worry about me.

I used to get out of work by saying "I don't feel well" and then everyone would say "you look pale". That's because I'm naturally pastey and if people focus on it, people can convince themselves that I'm really really ill when I'm not. So yesterday that backfired on me.

Today I was back at work to get get well cards from kids which was nice. I wore my "Tell me I'm cool" button and really enjoyed getting kids to read it and when they told me I was cool I enthusiastically thanked them. This made them smile and for a moment they thought I might really BE cool! After work I went to a county wide picnic for mentors and mentee families. I saw lots of people I know... probably because I associate with really good folks. I really did my walking and standing in line muscles a work out.

Then as I left I realized I was just in time for choir practice which charged me up some. I found out our pleasantly geeky drummer is a seventh grader who loves anime and manga. I said "you're the girl for my grandson". He is really not interested in girls, so K. and I are going to pretend she's a boy (I thought she was a boy when I first saw her) and let him get used to the idea. I'm taking him to my church this Saturday when we're having a board game night and my grandson and I are bringing Go which K. knows how to play!


After music I went to the supermarket to buy a block of swiss cheese for a coworker's birthday tomorrow. I was cheerfully greeted my a seventh grader from my school. Seventh graders can be quite pleasant when they are out of the crowd.

When I got home I got my "Got Fruit?" T shirt which I look forward to wearing on game night!

I want to pray

First a prayer of profound gratitude for the people in my new church. Tonight was when the "praise band" practices. I hauled my guitar and played around with tunings. I haven't played in such a long time, and haven't had so much fun playing for an even longer time. There were a few young children running around and full of laughter. We shushed them when they got too distracting and they would shush. There were four of us playing and a patient husband and a patient mother waiting. I realize that besides the joy of making music I was experiencing patience, simplicity, and security. So I want to pray my gratitude.

I also want to pray, yet again, "I believe. Please help me with my unbelief." I'll be sixty in a few days. I am realizing that I most probably will not be alive in thirty years. None of my future years can be taken for granted. Am I ready for whatever lies beyond this life? Am I truly living my present life?

Blogging milestone

I just got this e-mail (from one of my three loyal readers) and I'm thrilled:

Cathy,

Just wanted to say congratulations to you for being the visitor to leave the 100th comment here at Got-Fruit(?)

Thank you for your support and loyal visits and comments.

God Bless you.

Christopher A. Stallworth
Got-Fruit(?)
http://got-fruit.net

Ray Stedman on unity

I so enjoy the sermons of Ray Stedman which have been available on the web for years. I refer to his exposition whenever I've studying a Bible book. Our church is going through Philippians now and what I've read today dovetails with a blog entry I stumbled across yesterday. The web has plenty of attacks on prominent Christians. Yesterday's "find" was attacking a prominent Christian for being polite to the Dalai Lama. In the past I've read sites that attack Stedman as well as every Christian author I've ever read. I wonder who these attackers think they serve?

2:1, 2 "So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any incentive of love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind.

There are three strategies of the enemy we can infer from this passage. The first one is what we might call the power of negative thinking, the snare of a critical attitude toward others. Do you ever catch yourself picking someone apart flaw-by-flaw? Perhaps you salve your conscience by interjecting the phrase, "Now don't misunderstand me. I think the world of him, but..." and off we go again. What's happened? Well, we're irritated, and unconsciously seeking some justification for not seeing this person again or breaking off relationships, by pointing out all the terrible faults in him that make it necessary. The trouble with this philosophy is that we treat it as though there were no alternatives left to us. You know how this works, don't you?

Paul says that is not true. We say there is no way to reconcile our personality differences. He says that isn't true. We say there is no way we can work together on a level because our spiritual maturity is so much superior to their immaturity. Paul says that isn't true. He says there are resources in Christ which make it possible. Believe me, I know what he is talking about because I've been wrestling with this problem this very week. Paul says you have forgotten something when you think that just finding fault is an excuse to break with them. You've forgotten what you share in Christ. You've forgotten the power of the life of Christ within you to overlook injuries and forgive insults, and be patient with weakness and immaturity. There is an alternative to breaking off diplomatic relationships. You can forget it. You can forbear it, you can bear with him.

Then he says, these are the resources and the ground on which you can do this: "Is there any encouragement in Christ"; that is, is the encouragement of Christ's presence and His example anything to you? Is there any incentive of the Spirit in you to love even the unlovely? Is there any participation in the Spirit of God so that you and the other person have something in common, and you know that God is at work from his end as well as yours? Is there any affection and sympathy for problems the one who is irritating you may be undergoing? Have you looked at it from his point of view? Have you tried to put yourself in his place, and sympathized with the pressures he may be undergoing? Paul says if there is any reality in these things, then act on that basis--not with the harsh, caustic, critical, negative attitude that tears someone apart, but stop that attitude which is one of Satan's best weapons for dividing Christians. Remember these things, which are inevitably true,

Paul is going to say this again in chapter four, verse 8:

"Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is gracious, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things."

That is not simply abstract. That has to do with a person. When you are thinking about that person, think this way about them.

current reading - Metamorpha by Kyle Strobel

I'm not sure I like his writing style and I have disliked the word "deconstruct" for years, since back in the the day when John Barth was called a "post-modern" writer. But I've been impressed with how the topics in this book speak to things that have come up in other areas of my life.

First some quoting that may be of interest to my son who is interested in "spiritual" things. I'm taking out some of the Christian references because he gets squirmy about such things.
"...' But a natural man does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually appraised. But he who is spiritual appraises all things.' ... we are called to be spiritual, not in an esoteric sense, but in how we see reality. [author's emphasis] Being spiritual in this sense is coming to see the way God would have us see. Being spiritual means finding one's view of reality in the Spirit of God rather than in one's own flesh."- p.101

And then I want to exclaim to my pastor, who has been preaching about RELATIONSHIPS, that I have been reading a lot about relationships in this book . Here's what I read today:
"When the Spirit is seen through a Western worldview, he often becomes an empowering force rather than an intimate friend. Failing to see our relationship with the Spirit in relational terms (marriage. union, intimacy) will typically lead to an impersonal focus on ourselves rather than then God." - p.96

I really like the website too (although us old ladies could be grateful for less pastel font colors)

taken 2

I'm just squeezing in a little first draft writing time here.
Another time of feeling proudly charitable. In 1969, I moved in with a coworker and another guy. An apartment in a very interesting building in Staten Island (Stapleton Station). I was getting ready to quit my job and go live on a commune. Talk about foolhardy! This may have been the most romantic, foolish time of my life so it is loaded with embarrassment. My stuff: I had a Martin 12 string guitar, a trunk which had my clothes and piano music, a bottle of Joy perfume which I bought hot from a coworker, and a bear skin rug.
Other tenants: a writer who had written a story about a cat that convinced its owner that the end of the world had come, owners of a Manhattan dance studio, and an antiwar activist who was wanted by the FBI. And there was a guy, I'll call him Leo, who occassionally would burst into the apartment. He didn't live in the building, but he hung around and harassed us.
It was a time of self-conciousness about race. People like me tried to maintain at least one black friend. In the case of Leo, folks in our building were maintaining one black criminal. We would not complain about his behavior, because we were doing too much illegal activity ourselves.
I first met Leo when I was tripping on acid and going through Timothy Leary's The Psychedelic Experience: A Manual Based on the Tibetan Book of the Dead . It was sort of a guide to tripping. I had used it for tripping twice before and was "guiding" my roommates through it this time. We were sitting in the kitchen area when a very dangerous looking black guy with knife burst into the front door. He started to say threatening things and I decided to take things in hand. In my most halucinogen induced enlightened state of mind, I asked him what he needed and what could we give him. I thought I was doing pretty well when he suddenly turned my perception upside down by turning to one of my roommates and demanded to know "Who IS this chick?" Dax introduced me.

This chapter of my life requires quite a bit of description ... and courage to relate. So I'll get back to this later.

"taken"

I've done a lot of foolish things in my life. A lot. And it's God's grace that I haven't been harmed in the process. I haven't done foolish things for thrills ... I'n really too timid for thrill. The most foolish things have been done in charity. Often involved with inviting someone into my home. Even as I write this, I'm embarassed to describe how naive I have been.
I'm going to do it though. As a writing exercise. And I'll probably revise online.

I was 18. Old enough to drink, not interested in voting. My first summer after high school graduation. Like my father before me, I was a camp counselor. I rode a bus home for my mid season break. Somehow I met a sailor at the Port Authority. There's a cliche. He indicated that he needed a place to stay , and being charitable, I invited him to stay at my parent's house. My parents were out of town, leaving me alone no doubt they trusted me.
It took me a few hours to get there. We lived had to take the ... train to its end and then ride a bus from Jamaica to the city line where we lived. When we got to the house I gave him my sister's room and said good night. In the middle of the night he woke me up and told me that I was a sweet kid and that he was leaving. I feel sorry for the poor guy. He thought he was going to find sex and all he got was several hours with the New York City transit authority.

Eddie Izzard on giraffes

Half of the fun in watching this is the audience.


Here's an old one to show that Eddie's been perfecting his giraffes for years.

Foot washing

In response to another blog (Matt again), I'm posting a report.

My first entry in this blog was about last year's Maundy Thursday. You might enjoy watching the neat video on foot washing I posted there from Youtube.

It took me a whole year, but I finally got the gumption to go to a foot washing at the Community of Joy Worship Center (Church of the Brethren). I was also more familiar with the place and its people. It was called a "love feast" and also included conversation, a meal, singing, communion, and clean up. It was wonderful.

Before I went I was mentally prepared by a slide show.

As I went outside my front door, I saw that nobody had taken yesterday's trash cans back from the street. I had to move one, because I had brought down trash. Then it occurred to me that since I was going to a foot washing I needed to have a servant attitude, so I moved the second one as well.

I arrived a little early so I was offered a seat and another woman came up and introduced herself. It turns out that it was her first love feast as well. She had joined the church this past January.

I sat at a round table with two older couples and one younger, who appeared to have been married a long time. My favorite sort of supper company. It turns out that most of us were present or past school teachers. The older couples were inlaws who told me a corny family joke about their mother having had four and a half dozen children. It took me more than a minute to get it. Ten children - four boys and a half dozen girls - get it?

A trio (including the new lady) sang.
The pastor led us in prayer.
The congregation sang a mixture of contemporary and old standard hymns using powerpoint displays on the wall.
Then we had a simple meal of water, fruit, cheese, nuts, rolls. We enjoyed conversation.
The pastor invited us to answer the question "who first helped you to see Jesus?"
Scripture was read. (I probably have the order of things mixed up)
More prayer.
We discussed another question.
Then we went over to rows of facing chairs, men on the left, women on the right. There was also a station for hand washing for people who were physically or otherwise uncomfortable with foot washing.
The towel was worn as an apron.
We sang from hymnals.
Two women each had tubs of water and washed the feet of the person next to them. After her feet were washed, she embraced the washer, exchanged blessings and then took the towel and put it on and washed the feet of the next person. I wasn't able to kneel on my fake knees, but I squatted down and the person I was serving raised her feet a little.
Music was led as the footwashing was going on and by the last song we'd developed some three part harmony that gave me goosebumps.
A very modern American touch: a woman gave us a squirt of waterless antibiotic handwashing liquid when we were done.
Then the pastor read from Luke 24 about how Christ was only recognized after he broke the bread at a meal.
We responded in a short litany and then had communion. The pastor led us in simple language. The wine was grapejuice and the bread was a cracker which I'm told is an "old traditional brethren unleavened bread (symbolic of the mana God provided)" which we broke with another person and shared. To me, it tasted a little like shortbread.
There was some more singing and short discussion about how we might plan to help others see Jesus. Then we got together and cleaned up the tables.
By the way, the dishes were washable! I really like this church.

Matt does it again

Matt , a blogger I've quoted before, sez:

• "2/ In speaking against the ways of Christian heretics, the Apostle Peter warned, “This is especially true of those who follow the corrupt desire of the sinful nature and despise authority. Bold and arrogant, these men are not afraid to slander celestial beings; yet even angels, although they are stronger and more powerful, do not bring slanderous accusations against such beings in the presence of the Lord.” (2 Peter 2:10-11)"

He goes on to say:

• "I don’t know about you but to me this suggests that, not only should we treat non-Christians with respect as I have argued elsewhere, but that we should also treat non-Christian gods and goddesses with respect - even though we deny them."

Before Christ drew me to Him, I believed in the Allah of the Baha'i Faith and, later, a hazy "HP" in twelve step programs. Those beliefs kept me away from unhealthy lifestyles that would have killed me before I had found salvation.

So I think it's my job to give a Faith to others, not take it away.

Obama's speech on March 18

Well, I guess the rumor that Obama is Muslim is finally dispelled!

I had pretty much decided that I was voting for McCain because I'm more concerned about the future of the unborn than the victims of American imperialism. I figure that the war will eventually be dragged to an end, but I am less optimistic about the unborn. So I have planned to vote to give whatever help there can be in reenforcing their right to life. Many years ago I voted against Carter for the same reason.

But. This was a superb speech. It had compassion and intelligence. It was made by someone who would do this country credit as president. It was about race, something people don't often speak about in mixed company. It was about unity. It was made by someone I would be proud to present to the world as our head of state.

Now I wonder. Will my vote help the unborn? Did the "religious right" accomplish anything when it was in power? I would vote for Jimmy Carter in a hearbeat now. We need true compassion and intelligence.

What book am I? What animal am I?

You're The Mists of Avalon!

by Marion Zimmer Bradley

You're obsessed with Camelot in all its forms, from Arthurian legend to the Kennedy administration. Your favorite movie from childhood was "The Sword in the Stone". But more than tales of wizardry and Cuban missiles, you've focused on women. You know that they truly hold all the power. You always wished you could meet Jackie Kennedy.


Take the Book Quiz
at the Blue Pyramid.

I suppose I ought to read it, then.
And here's another test result that fits me to a T! I knew where it was going when the last question asked me if I preferred "New Orleans" or "the mist".

You're a Gorilla!

Highly social and group-oriented, you like hanging out with the same people constantly. You have either black or gray hair and spend a good deal of time grooming it or getting others to groom it for you. Sleep is a big part of your daily routine and you like to either make very loud noise or no noise at all. You have more skills with language than most, however. One of your absolute favorite drinks is hot cocoa.


Take the Animal Quiz
at the Blue Pyramid.

Every morning

first draft
I drive a beautiful drive to work in the morning. I see the sunrise, misty pastoral scenes, birds - water fowl, raptors, turkeys, trees in their changes. I drive at the speed limit - it's an exercise in humility. In order to defeat my character traits of defiance and arrogance.

This beauty is a morning gift to make up for the morning news. The father/stepfather of several of my students is arrested for murdering an elderly man who owed him three hundred dollars. The memory of this beauty is a respite from the sound of a coworker repeatedly tell others "he was nothing but a junkyard dog". The aftertaste of this beauty holds me over through contempt and misunderstanding.

This beauty is a free gift that comes in spite of my financial troubles. A free gift that comes despite my sloth and avarice. A daily free gift that comes on days when I have forboding, or sorrow.

Exercise

I'm told that exercise is an important way to pull out of depression. The catch is that it's hard to get started exercising when I'm depressed. Last week I think I went to the pool once. Today I went. Like pulling my own teeth. But, of course, once I was in the water, I was committed and active. One lady who I exercise with often is a gym teacher, so I bounced ideas off her. She reminded me that I had a stationary bike at home. And I actually don't need to dry clothes on it all the time.

Feeling down, no doubt

I've had a cold on and off for a few weeks.
I haven't played a musical instrument for several months.
I earn less money than I spend. And I don't spend much.
I haven't seen important relatives for almost two years.
I haven't sewn or done any oregami in over a year.
I don't feel close enough to anyone to have a rambling telephone conversation.
I have lost interest in teaching ESL.
I sleep too much.

What if...

I muddle along with my lack of standing on many spiritual issues. I happen to think that homosexual sex is sinful behavior, but I don't think that people who practice this sin are any more sinful than people who indulge in gluttony, materialism, heterosexual sex outside of marriage, or pride. So I enjoy the company of homosexual friends and relatives and hope they enjoy my company.

I also have friends who have had abortions.
But I would not participate in helping a friend have an abortion.

So what if my cousin invites me to a wedding? Or my ex-husband? I want to celebrate my friends' joys but not behaviors I count as sin.

As is often the case, I can't find a "policy". I need to rely on prayer for guidance, once again, as always, ....

church shopping

I'm officially church shopping. Today I went to Melesa's church. I like that everyone is lively and there seems to be a good diversity. I like that the pastor doesn't give us the same old same old (with a few exceptions noted below). I really like that they have cell groups and they grab newcomers and assign them a cell. I like that they have missionary connections to Haiti and one member speaks Haitian-Creole.
I did not like the music. Sure I expected praise chorus stuff, but it hurt my ears. I didn't like that abortion and homosexuality were mentioned as sins, (same old sins) but neither gluttony nor idolatry was.
The jury is still out on the theology. Is it "prosperity" gospel? Can't quite tell. The sermon was on Isaiah 54 and it left me a little confused. He said it was a promise, not a prophesy. I am unconvinced. The altar call was effective although during the meeting after the service to meet the newcomers, a woman who was "with" a guy who declared for Christ sort of muttered that she might be interested in salvation and whammo, she got assigned to a cell group and there was prayer and praise.

Thoughtlessness

I haven't had a lot in my brain lately. I'm only writing to prove I haven't abandoned my blog. I've read a lot of other blogs and have been appreciative of the thoughts which are torrents compared to my driblets. Since the chapter this week has been about Solitude (and silence), and because I usually have too much chatter in my head, I rather welcome this emptiness of head.

Simplicity

As I crawl through Foster's Celebration of Discipline I'm thinking about simplicity. Yesterday I was substitute teaching sixth grade students and had the chance to think about driving at or under the speed limit.
I didn't tell them my first reason - it's a spiritual excercise to combat two of my character defects. When I obey the law I am letting go of being defiant and arrogant. I do NOT know better than the law makers and I comply with what they would have me do. I didn't tell the kids this because it's personal and more than that, complicated.
My second reason is that it saves petroleum. My mileage is quite good. It was 40 mpg last time I took a long trip. I'd like to do my bit to conserve non-renewable resources and to give my country a little less reason to rationalize war. This I discussed with the kids. I showed them the math.
Another thing that came up with the kids was to respond to "it gets us there faster" with "WHY?" I'd like to bring up the question because it seems we all hurry without any reason.
I found myself doing an Eddie Izzard mime of driving along with the wind in my hair. The kids were in stitches (and I'm pretty sure they've never seen Eddie Izzard.) They probably think I'm just loony. I like to think they think I'm cool. It's possible they just think I'm foolish, but as long as I act like I think they think I'm cool, they suspect I may really be cool.

Ooh I'm in the game!

Here is the game. It's like tag.

Pick up the nearest book of 123 pages or more. No cheating!
Find Page 123.
Find the first 5 sentences.
Post the next 3 sentences.
Tag 5 people.

Here's my sentences:

None of the neighbors would interfere. Why she did not know for certain. Perhaps out of respect for her grey hair. - Rohinton Mistry, Tales from Firozsha Baag

Now for the hard part. Who to tag? Who reads my blog that hasn't been tagged?

Miss Daisy Anne
ShaneBertou.com
Got fruit?
¿Yhate?
Matt Stone

I may have to cheat and point some of these folks my way.

Why go to church?

I can't stand to see myself blogging about it over and over, so I'll refer you to PistolPete's  excellent comments on it for today. (I did rant at length in his comment section.)

ground hog day

One of my favorite holidays is ground hog day. It's a day without any obligations - no presents, no cards, no sentiments. I also remember a particularly good drunkalog where the speaker described using any excuse to drink, including ground hog day. Yesterday during ESL I had fun drawing one and learned that a ground hog is a large prairie dog.

Fasting with a friend

A woman I work with is also doing a Daniel fast, so I asked where she ate her lunch. Today I joined her. She is a great encourager. Some weeks ago I had mentioned that I lost my stagefright when I first became a Christian and she responded with one word "Boldness!" That one word showed me that it wasn't as trivial a gift as I'd often thought.
So today at lunch I was telling her about my continuing efforts to memorize Ephesians 6:13+ and I was telling her that I would have to think a lot to understand the part about my feet being fitted with the readiness that comes with the gospel of peace. And she said "You're doing it now, by memorizing scripture and being ready to use it." She's quick. It's a blessing to know her.

Fasting

The thorn in my side goes by the name of gluttony. If it can be overdone, I can do it. Food, books, ... I even think of my thirst for skills as a form of gluttony. As a brand new Christian, I was intrigued when I heard about fasting. And after hearing Chuck Swindoll do a series on Esther, I started to notice how often fasting went hand in hand with prayer in the Bible.

At Shelfari, in the Spiritual Formation Group, we are discussing fasting in Chapter 4 of Spirit of the Disciplines. I may have come across Foster's Spirit of the Disciplines when I was searching for fasting in the public library. (My fellow Southern Baptists wouldn't have recommended anything unless it was published by Lifeway!)Now 12 years later, I'm diabetic and don't fast from food completely. But yesterday I started a 10 day Daniel fast and that seems like it may be a good way for me to go.

Yesterday morning I had a strange experience in church. A lady I like to sit with had just recently come out of the hospital. She had been prescribed steroids and was commenting about how much she had been eating and how even her grandchildren were making comments. She has never been one to do good things about her health - she makes me look like a health nut, which is hard to do. (I fear and pray for her health.) During the entire service on this morning she ate an entire bag of pork rinds and a large box of good'n'plenties. I was aghast and speechless (which is unusual for me) Last week I'd read PistolPete's blog entry about public gluttony compared with private sexual behavior and that's all I could think about. She offered me some of her stash and I turned it down ... if I hadn't been fasting from meat products and sweets, I might have had some.

Foster on Prayer

"To pray is to change. Prayer is the central avenue God uses to transform us. If we are unwilling to change, we will abandon prayer as a noticeable characteristic of our lives." - Foster Celebration of Discipline p. 33

I see this too much in my own life. Right now my life is approaching a state of emergency, but I still am resisting change.

I'm listening!

On Monday I started working on memorizing the Ephesians 6: 13 verse about putting on the whole armor of God. I have not had great success in memorizing in the past, but this week I've made good progress doing the one thing that has worked. That is writing the verse longhand, over and over.
On that same Monday, as I was helping a third grade class with their reading lesson, a sweet little boy walked up to me and said "This is for you" and he handed me a cut out paper soldier (circa 1812) with a red uniform, boots, a tall hat and a sword. I put it on my bulletin board by my desk and find it is great encouragement.
Then today I was asked to substitute for the eigth grade history teacher. He said "It'll just be a video" because the regular class was scheduled to be something that needed his assistance ... looked like making oral presentations on the Holocaust. The substitute video had nothing to do with what they were studying. It was "Knights and Armor"!!

scripture to memorize

Ephesians 6:(NIV)
13Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. 14Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, 15and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. 16In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. 18And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.

Back to the "mission field"

I opened shop for ESL class today after having taking a year's sabbatical. I figured I'd enjoy it if I had a couple of dedicated students, maybe five or six adults. I had two terrific volunteers show up and no students at first. Then Mrs. Kim came. She has been a faithful student (and a prayer warrior!) for several years. Then things went into the realm of the inpredictable. Pastor Kim arrived with twelve adolescents age 11 to 20. I think the 20 year old was supposed to be the chaperone. I'm here to say that 13 year olds are the same all over the world! The picture's not my class. I just found a google picture so you can picture Korean adolescents. Add two and you have my class.

Turks and pizza

Here's a post by someone who understands why I love to teach ESL. Once again, it's relationships that are important. That's an idea that's difficult for Americans who think "Git er done" is the most important thing. It has been work that goes against my cultural and tempermental grain - I used to be concerned over how to get my students to arrive on time and how to maximize acquisition of language and vocational skills. I'm learning to remember that my mission is centered on relationships ... with my students and with my God.

Which theologin am I? quiz results

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You scored as Anselm Anselm is the outstanding theologian of the medieval period.He sees man's primary problem as having failed to render unto God what we owe him, so God becomes man in Christ and gives God what he is due. You should read 'Cur Deus Homo?' Anselm