Chicken Pox

Many of you have called and asked how my first week is going. Thank you for all of your prayers! I love my class, and I have many interesting stories about my funny kids. I will include several funny stories at the end of this blog, but I want to begin with the latest info. This morning, I was sent home from school with the chicken pox. Yes, that's right, I never had them as a kid, and that finally caught up with me this week. That used to be my interesting fact about myself. You know, when you play "2 Truths and a Lie," or "I Never." What a bummer. Now I have to lead with, "I grew up on a blueberry farm." Bo-ring. When I was a kid, I remember my mom making me spend the night with kids who had them and playing with other kids at their houses when they were sick, just so I would "get it overwith" and not have it as an adult. Seems to me that "many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is the purpose of the Lord that will stand." If you remember anything about how to deal with them or speed the process along, please please oh please let me know. If I've been around you at all in the past 2 or 3 days, and you haven't had the chicken pox, you should really be on the lookout. I'm sorry. I didn't know. I blamed my sore throat on talking all day at school, my exhaustion and achiness on it being my first week with the kids, and the little spots/water blisters that started appearing on Monday on being stressed out. I thought surely they were hives. Everyone I asked about it said the same thing.

Just since I began this blog, I discovered a pock (is that correct?) in my mouth. This is no fun.

God is teaching me to trust Him, that's for sure. All week I was worrying about preparing and being ready, and today that pretty much got squashed into the ground. I am worried about how my students will respond to a substitute when we haven't even completely established the
routines and procedures well yet, and now I have no choice but to just wait and see how it goes. I suppose I'm thankful for the chance to rest and think and pray and read and try to keep my mind off the itching.

I just got off the phone with my dear friend Amy Hamm, and she is going to the store for me so I don't dehydrate... Thank you!

Ok, now on to how funny my kids are. Here are just a few of the things I've heard so far...

(after talking about the movie Hairspray)
"When I'm grown I'm gonna make a movie called HairButter."

(conversation between myself and a kid who missed the bus after school)
"My dad's name is Wilmer too. I'm a junior."
"That's great. Do you think you'll name your kid Wilmer too?"
"I don't know. (long pause) I don't know if I'll get married, I can't tell the future."

I also have a student who LOVES Mabel Simmons aka Madea, and he always quotes the movies. It's very hard for me to control myself and not jump in and start quoting too. They know I like Madea and that I have seen all the movies and some of the plays, but I think I'll let it stop there. There's a fine line between teacher and friend. :-)

Thanks again for all your prayers! If you want to pray more, pray that if the Lord wills it, I will have a speedy recovery and that it won't be a severe form since I'm an adult. Thanks so much!

First Day of School

Tomorrow's the big day... I've been preparing my classroom for a few weeks now, and now it's finally time for it to be filled by kids. Here are a few pictures of my room, the rules, and all 30 of the desks that will more than likely each be filled up soon. I currently have 27 students, but it looks like the numbers keep going up. I treasure your prayers that I will be consistent in my classroom management, show no favoritism, and do my best to teach each of these kids. Thank you!

Puritan Thoughts...

Tonight I was reading in The Valley of Vision, which is a collection of Puritan prayers and devotions. It's a great book, and it's really been amazing for me to see the similarities between my own heart and someone who lived hundreds of years ago. We are the same. Both longing for something greater than ourselves. Both steeped in our sin. Both wrestling with the same human nature and tendencies. As I was reading tonight, I came across one simple sentence that caught me offguard.

My trials have been fewer than my sins.

Recently I have been experiencing a sense of loss and sadness, thinking on the past, my family I once knew now being non-existent, and dwelling on the thought that I have not yet been given what I want for my future. How often (and recently) I have come before God with a sense of entitlement. Entitlement to His forgiveness, to an enjoyable and painless life, to receive the things I want. This prayer, lifted to God so many years ago, helps me to see that I have no entitlement. I should only stand in awe that He would choose to pour out His grace on me, of all sinners. Were the numbers of trials in my life equivalent to that of my sin, I would be unable to stand. I have not been treated as my sins deserve, not through any reasons of entitlement or my deserving it, but because God is gracious.

Thou hast done for me all things well,
hast remembered, distinguished, indulged me.
All my desires have not been gratified,
but thy love denied them to me
when fulfilment of my wishes would have
proved my ruin or injury.
My trials have been fewer than my sins,
and when I have kissed the rod it has fallen
from thy hands.
Thou hast often wiped away my tears,
restored peace to my mourning heart,
chastened me for my profit.
All thy work for me is perfect,
and I praise thee.

“Behold, blessed is the one whom God reproves;
therefore despise not the discipline of the Almighty.
For he wounds, but he binds up; he shatters, but his hands heal."
Job 5:17-18

"If you, O Lord, should mark iniquities,
O Lord, who could stand?
But with you there is forgiveness,
that you may be feared."
Psalm 130:3-4

Every ounce of pain, sadness, joy, sorrow, frustration, gain, or loss is - as His child - meant to bring me more intimately to Him, pointing me to His grace, His goodness, His love, that I may abide in the shadow of the Almighty.

When I am tempted to complain that my life is not what I think it should be, may I remember that my trials are fewer than my sins, and be thankful and humbled before our great God.

The Big Apple

Nicole, Erin, and I just returned from our trip to New York City. I really liked it. Here is what our week looked like, in words and pictures...

Day 1: After landing at La Guardia, I found Nicole and Erin with much difficulty, but nonetheless, I found them. A man told us that he would take us and an older couple all with him to our hotels. We were wondering how that would work, seeing as how there were 5 of us, at least 2 bags for each person, plus purses/briefcases, as well as the driver. He assured us we had room. "I have a limo!" He repeated that phrase a lot. We found out how much it would cost and then we followed him. This was our limo, awaiting us like a chariot:


This wasn't actually the one, I didn't have time to take a picture of it. But it was an Expedition and he definitely called it a limo more than 4 times. Funny.

Once we got to our hotel, we couldn't check in for a few hours, so we checked our bags, ate lunch, and walked around Times Square. I didn't have my camera at this point (it was in my carry-on bag at the hotel), but I really think that Ted Danson was sitting at the table next to us. I kept thinking the guy looked like a really old Ted Danson, and when I got home and looked up what he really looked like, I realized that it turns out Ted Danson is really old. So I think it might have been him. Or someone that looked a lot like him.

We walked around some more, taking in the chaos that is Times Square like the tourists we were. Then we stumbled upon a TKTS booth (half price Broadway tickets), that happened to be on the same street as our hotel, and we decided to wait in line to see a show that night. We got tickets for Hairspray, and it was great! It was my first Broadway show ever. We were up in the way back, far left balcony, but we could still see well and really enjoy it. We waited around to watch the cast come out after the show, and I got my picture taken with ... drumroll please ... Jerry Mathers. Aka, "The Beaver" from Leave it to Beaver! I love meeting famous people! Especially ones that were in shows I watched growing up. After we were finished posing with the Beav, we were hungry so we walked around for about an hour to figure out where we wanted to eat dinner. We were so tired we ended up just going to McDonald's in Times Square because it was so close to our hotel. Those were the best chicken nuggets ever.


Day 2: We started our morning at 9:30 with a Dean and Deluca bagel. Afterwards, we made our way to the Hudson River to get on the Circle Line Boat tour. We got to see the Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island, where the World Trade Center was, the harbor where the Titanic would have docked, the Empire State Building, and a lot of other historical things. I bought a commemorative mug on the boat, because it was the only place in NYC where you could get free refills if you bought it. I was thirsty. Afterward, we decided to wait in line again for another Broadway show. Erin walked around the corner and bought us some pizza and some drinks and we ate in the line. We decided to see Rent. We got our tickets and then walked around some more, before going back to the room to get ready. We saw that our tickets said "Orchestar R," and we just thought we were probably in row R. Since the tickets were half priced again, we thought that was fine. At least we were on the floor this time. As Erin looked more closely though, we realized we were actually sitting in Orchestra Right and we would be in the 2nd row. Crazy! We called to make sure that was right, and it was. We were about 5 feet from the stage and from the performers. Sometimes you could smile at them and they would smile back. That was a fun, but slightly awkward game. Afterward, we again went to Times Square to walk around.

Day 3: We ate at this place called Roxy's Delicatessen on Broadway. I wasn't a big fan, and it was super expensive. But then again, everything in NYC is. We went on from there to go on our NBC studio tour. That was pretty neat. We went into Conan O'Brien's studio, and also the SNL studio. It was a Saturday though, and the summer, so no famous folks were milling around. Afterwards, we began the Rockefeller Center tour. Note that I said began. We had the worst tour guide ever. We had to wear headphones on our head to listen to him, and he smacked his mouth and made noises like that a lot. Not only that, but he would say something and be completely silent for about 4 seconds, and then look at us like he was mad, and thrust his arms out toward us, as if to say, "Are you telling me you didn't know that?" He did this about 15 times in the first 5 minutes of our tour. Oh, and he was a heavy breather. Two girls handed him their headphones and said, "We have to go back to our rooms." That tipped us off that it wasn't just us. This guy truly was an awful tour guide. We hung around about 10 more minutes, and then when the group went around a corner, we took off in the other direction. After we returned our headphones and breathed HUGE sighs of thankfulness that we didn't have to endure an hour of his tour-giving, we bought hotdogs from a vendor. After that, Nicole and Erin graciously walked back to the room with me, since I had forgotten my camera that morning. On our way back, we ran into the naked cowboy. That was funny. He was pretty creepy, actually. I only took his picture from afar. After that, we bought tickets to get on the double decker touring bus (we were straight-up unashamed tourists on this trip). That day we took the uptown tour (Central Park, Harlem, 5th Avenue). We saw where John Lennon was shot (the picture to the right).

Here are some of my favorite pictures from that tour:

After the tour, we went back to the hotel to get ready for dinner. We went to a revolving restaurant on top of the Mariott Marquis. It was good food, and the view was incredible. You could see the Hudson, the Empire State Building, the Chrysler Building, and we went at sunset so it was extra nice. Afterward, we walked across the street to watch people come out of the Beauty and the Beast show. There was a girl there who was a bit too enthusiastic about the show. She definitely wore her yellow Belle ballgown to the show. She was probably about 15 years old. We got a kick out of that. Then we walked back to the hotel and witnessed a drug deal. Well, kind of. A guy had poured out pills from an empty bottle and was holding them out to a girl saying, in an angry Donald Trump accent, "Take whatevah ya want!"

Day 4: We took the downtown bus tour this time (Greenwich Village, Chinatown, Ground Zero). We had our day planned out perfectly, but then we missed our first stop because the tour guide was talking SO fast. So we got off in Chinatown at 9:30 am. The only place to get breakfast was Starbucks so we headed that direction. We shopped for a while, bought a few things, and then got back on the bus. The next stop was Ground Zero. In front of that is St. Paul's Chapel, which is where relief workers would rest and eat between shifts. The building was untouched, even though it sat right across the street from the building. It was so neat to be there, and to be able to thank God for preserving the building, so that there could be such a close place for the workers to go. It is literally right across the street. We went to see the actual site after that, but for me, seeing it from the plane was the real moment of shock. Seeing the buildings all around it, and the hole where it once was, and all the people that died that day. It's very difficult to process and grasp the terror of it.

When we left Ground Zero, we got back on the bus and went back to our hotel to change, since it was SO hot that day. We decided to try to find John's Pizzeria, a place that Dan and Casey told us about that's in Greenwich Village. It was about 2:00 when we decided to try to get there. After 2 hours of getting on buses and creeping along with tour guides that stopped every 5 seconds, we finally decided to get off and just buy a metro card and ride the subway there. We got lost in the maze of the system, but we finally made it there around 5 pm. So much for lunch! The picture of Nicole waiting on the subway (to the right) accurately portrays our feelings on being hungry and lost. When we finally got there, the food was super. We were so hungry, and it was such a great meal. Afterward, we walked around and found the cutest little neighborhood where all the apartments looked like the Cosby Show house.


Here are some of my favorite downtown tour pictures:





After the pizza fiasco, we went to Serendipity to have some frozen hot chocolate. SO GOOD. If you're ever going to NYC, make reservations a couple of weeks in advance, and go get some.


Day 5: Our last day! We started by waking up at 4:45 am and going to stand in line for Good Morning America. Little did we know, that once we were inside, with our tickets in hand, we would still be standing. There are no seats! I did not know that. None of us did. It's a good thing. We probably wouldn't have gone if we would have known. Diane Sawyer wasn't there, she was interviewing John Edwards in New Orleans via live feed. Strike One. We stood for 2 hours not counting waiting in line. Strike Two. That's all the strikes. The rest of it was kind of fun. The audience coordinator was really funny, and she cracked jokes about the show being number 2 and not having enough money to buy chairs. There was a funny kid there who held up a sign for his grandma who is "83 years young" according to his sign. The most intriguing part came in the beginning when we were in the line when they took the people with no tickets out and made them stand outside. This one particular kind of "thug life" kid had to be a "stand outsider," and it clearly upset him. He was so sad. At the end of the show, I saw him leaning over a rail, looking so dejected and depressed. I took his picture (he didn't know). Erin, Nicole and I went to Starbucks and had been gone at least 10 or 15 minutes, and when we walked back that way, he was still there, still looking sad! We don't know what his story was, but it must have been a sad one.

After our GMA adventure, we went back to our hotel, checked out, did some more sightseeing, and then went to the airport.

Good bye New York!
I want to come back soon.

Laughter, the Best Medicine

I recently found several quotes I like by this comedian, Demetri Martin. Turns out, he's very funny, and I thought you all should be able to laugh. So read on, and enjoy yourselves.

“I think that when you get dressed in the morning, sometimes you’re really making a decision about your behavior for the day. Like if you put on flipflops, you’re saying: ‘Hope I don’t get chased today.’"

“I saw a guy at a party wearing a leather jacket and I thought, ‘That is cool.’ But then I saw another guy wearing a leather vest and I thought, ‘That is not cool’. Then I figured it out: ‘Cool’ is all about leather sleeves.”

"I was in a store and I saw a pocket dictionary and that made me laugh because it’s such…a specific item. I don’t know that many words and I’m going out…and I have pants. Perfect!”

“I wanna make a jigsaw puzzle that’s 40,000 pieces. And when you finish it, it says ‘go outside.’”

“The worst time to have a heart attack is during a game of charades.”

“I like when good things happen to me, but I wait two weeks to tell anyone because I like to use the word ‘fortnight.’”

"Employee of the month is a good example of how somebody can be both a winner and a loser at the same time."

"I got some new pajamas with pockets in 'em. Which is great, because before that, I used to have to hold stuff when I slept. But now I'm like, 'Where's my planner? There it is. Keep sleeping. All right, perfect.'"

"A lot of people don't like bumper stickers. I don't mind bumper stickers. To me a bumper sticker is a shortcut. It's like a little sign that says 'Hey, let's never hang out.'"

"I keep a lighter in my back pocket all the time. I'm not a smoker, I just really like certain songs."

“I like video games, but they’re really violent. I’d like to play a video game where you help the people who were shot in all the other games. It’d be called ‘Really Busy Hospital.’”

“I think vests are all about protection. You know what I mean? Like a lifevest protects you from drowning and bulletproof vests protect you from getting shot and the sweatervest protects you from pretty girls. ‘Leave me alone. Can’t you see I’m cold just right here?’”

“I like the beach. I like to get there really early before everyone else shows up and take like thirty bottles with notes in them and throw them into the water. Then I wait for everyone to come to the beach and when someone goes to pick up one of the bottles, I go up behind them because when they open it there’s a note saying ‘I’m standing right behind you.’”

“I used to play sports. Then I realized you can buy trophies. Now I’m good at everything.”

“The digital camera is a great invention because it allows us to reminisce. Instantly.”

"Graffiti’s the most passionate literature there is, you know? It’s always like 'Bush sucks!', 'U2 Rocks!' I want to make indifferent graffiti. 'Toy Story 2 was okay!' 'I like Sheryl as a friend, but I’m not sure about taking things further.' 'This is a bridge!'"

"A quick way to start a conversation is to say something like “What’s your favorite color?” A quick way to end a conversation is to say something like “What’s your favorite color…person?”

Are You Smarter Than A 5th Grader?

After several weeks of wondering, I found out yesterday that I will be returning to the same school next year - this time to be a 5th grade teacher.

I was talking to a good friend, Katie, yesterday, contemplating the irony of this whole situation. Just 2 years ago, I was living in Florida, ready to go overseas (and would not be satisfied with anything "less"), definitely not wanting to teach in America or really teach anywhere. God is crazy good to allow my heart to be changed in the ways that it has. First of all, by His grace, I am now a part of a local body who seeks to spread a joyful love for Jesus Christ to all people for the glory of God. Until Treasuring Christ Church, I had personally never seen ministry, pursuing racial harmony or loving people really done well or efficiently in America. Thus, the reason my heart was so jaded toward "here" and inclined toward "there" (so long as "there" was in another country). Through God's word and His Spirit, I am learning that it's not so much where I go, or what I am doing, but that I am seeking to joyfully obey Christ in all He commands. Whether in America or overseas. Whether in Florida or North Carolina.

For all those who knew me several years ago, I'm sure you each heard me say (more than once), "I will never teach in America. I just don't want to have a 'normal' life. I can't see being content staying here, teaching, when I could be going and sharing Christ overseas." Looking back, I think that what I really wanted was adventure and for people to look at me and think, "Wow. She is amazing." Of course I would tag on an "It's only by His grace..." but my heart would be relishing in the praise of men for my boldness to go to a foreign land and share God's wonderful news. Praise God for a church that doesn't tolerate this kind of false humility! And praise Him for those who have learned this and are able to go in true humility to share the love of Christ overseas and in our own nation.

Though I don't know what my future holds, I know that God has brought me to a place of contentment in Him as I teach next year. I am so thankful for learning the importance of joyful obedience to Christ, no matter where I am or what my life looks like.

There are many reasons why I am so excited to move forward into teaching:

-I will be able to daily fight for social justice.
-I will be able to teach the kids that free breakfast comes from tax payers.
(See my blogging friend Ben Robinson's recent blog about the public school system...)
-5th grade math is way more interesting than the 2nd grade math I've been teaching.
-I will be able to attemp modeling/teaching character and integrity, and wise decision making.
-I will be smarter than (or at least as smart as) a 5th grader by the time next June rolls around.
-I have the benefit of the Spirit of God living within me to give me constant wisdom, comfort, and discernment in the classroom. I could not teach apart from Him.

I am still looking for any advice or ideas for creative consequences, loving discipline (and what that really looks like), and ways to not get walked all over by these precious little jewels. (These will be the same group of kids that I blogged about last month -"Freedom Writers"). Any ideas? Let me know! Even if you're not a teacher or a parent, I would appreciate any input you can give. A big thanks to all of you who have labored with me through this process of learning truth, and especially to Kristin and Nicole who daily listen to my stories.

God is ever so faithful!

FLORIDA

Sometimes I really miss the sunshine state. Especially after I've just been there on a visit. I came across some funny statements, and they made me think of the unique place where I spent the first 23 years of my life. Enjoy!

You know you're from Florida if...

Flip-flops are everyday wear.

Someone has named a boat after you.

An alligator once walked through your neighborhood.

You measure distance in minutes.

You get annoyed at the tourists who feed seagulls.

All the local festivals are named after a fruit.

A mountain is any hill 100 feet above sea level.

You think everyone from a bigger city has a northern accent.

The 4 seasons are actually: almost summer, summer, not summer but really hot, and Christmas.

You know that no other grocery store can compare to Piggly Wiggly.

Anything under 95 is just warm.

Anything under 70 is chilly.

You've hosted a hurricane party.

You pass on the right.

You understand the futility of exterminating cockroaches.

You understand why it's better to have a friend with a boat, than have a boat yourself.

You get annoyed when people say "Florida isn't really part of the South."

You've worn shorts and used the A/C on Christmas.

Your parents caught and sold fish in order to be able to feed you.

You know what the "stingray shuffle" is, and why it's important.

Socks are only for bowling.

A good parking place has nothing to do with distance from the store, but everything to do with shade.

You can tell the difference between fire ant bites and mosquito bites.


You dread lovebug season.

Every other house had blue roofs in 2004-2005.

You are on a first name basis with the Hurricane list. They aren't Hurricane Charley, Hurricane Frances...but Charley, Frances, Ivan and Jeanne.



You know that anything under a Category 3 just isn't worth waking up for.

You were twelve before you ever saw snow or you still haven't.

You could swim before you could read.

Most of all... when you live anywhere else, you miss the beach!