Away in a Manger

Enjoy this Christmas song by my 7 year old niece, Amanda.



It was so nice to spend time today with my parents, my sister and brother-in-law, and my niece and nephews. We're all spending the night at Grandma and Grandpa's house. I have a feeling the two youngest kids will be waking Aunt Melanie up early tomorrow morning. We have lots of games to play and a snowman to build!

Our Christmas Eve services at church were wonderful. Although it was a very long day (we had to be at church by 2:15 for rehearsal and then three services...I got home around 9:30), it was a blessing to be part of such a meaningful service. What an awesome gift Christmas truly is - God's gift to us of His Son, Jesus.

May you experience the love and peace of God.

Twelve Days of Christmas Song

Need a smile - listen to this version of "The Twelve Days of Christmas" by the group Straight No Chaser.

Happy Anniversary

Happy Anniversary to my parents who are celebrating 48 years of marriage today. In these days when so many marriages don't last, I'm so thankful for their love and commitment to each other. This Friday morning my dad will have his fourth defibulator implanted - I'm also thankful for the medical technology that has helped him maintain his quality of life. What a wonderful example of a godly marriage - I wish them God's continued blessings and many more years together.

A Revelation

After recently celebrating a birthday, I just realized that 46 is closer to 50 than it is to 40. Oh my!

Thankful

I'm thankful for so many things! One of the things I'm thankful for is the pure joy I often see in both people and animals. I love watching my second graders as they play at recess and sing in class. I also love watching my dog, Tosca, as she runs and plays with the other dogs at the dog park. I loved seeing the joyful smiles on the faces of the African children I visited as we tried to communicate with each other. And I loved watching two herds of elephants splashing around in a large watering hole at Pilanesberg National Park.

One of the members of our mission team made a short video of some of the elephants. We stood spellbound for about twenty minutes as we watched the elephants rolling around in the water and playing with each other. I'm thankful God allowed us a peek at these gigantic creatures in their natural habitat.

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!

Saturday in South Africa

As I write this, it's early Saturday morning in South Africa. In a few hours the cemeteries in many of the black townships will be crowded with mourners burying their loved ones (most are AIDS-related deaths). If it's Saturday in South Africa, then it's Funeral Day. Before I went to South Africa I was told that many in the townships spend two or three Saturdays every month attending funerals because so many people are dying of AIDS. But when we actually drove through one of the cemeteries on a Saturday morning and saw numerous funerals already in progress and others setting up, and then we saw several busloads of people drive into the cemetery, it became more real to me the staggering number of people that are dying from this disease.




On another day we drove through Avalon Cemetery, the largest cemetery in Soweto. As we drove through this huge cemetery, we were focused on the many grave markers extending as far as we could see. So many of them indicated young people in their early twentys; there was also a large space reserved for children. And there were rows and rows of empty graves, already dug and waiting to be filled the following Saturday.




A common sight in the townships is advertisements for funeral parlors. Visiting the cemeteries and thinking about death was not a fun part of the trip, but I think it was an important part because it helped put a face on the AIDS pandemic in Africa for me. Along with interacting and holding children suffering from AIDS and listening to the stories of adults affected by the disease, the cemetery visit was a reminder that thousands of people are dying every day. It's a reminder that we need to do all we can to help. I'm so thankful that my church, as well as many other organizations, is trying to make a difference in the lives of those who suffer from AIDS and show them the love of Jesus.

Lebone Educare Center - South Africa

We spent a good part of our time working at the Lebone Educare Center in the township of Botshebelo, near the city of Bloemfontein. This daycare/preschool has a staff of 9 very hardworking, dedicated women who care for and feed about 100 children from the ages of 6 months to 5 years five days each week. All of the children have been affected by the AIDS epidemic; many have lost one or both parents to the disease and live with grandmas or other relatives. Some of the children have also been diagnosed with AIDS and receive medication at the center. But many of the children are healthy and enjoy playing, learning, and teasing each other - just like children here in the U.S.





The children receive two meals each day: a porridge in the morning and pap (made from corn) with fresh vegetables from the garden and occasionally a little meat for lunch. Sometimes they also receive a piece of bread or fruit just before they leave in the afternoon. It's hard to believe, but for some of the children that is the only food they eat during the day. When they left on Friday we were told that some children would not eat again until they arrived back the following Monday. There is just no food available in some of the poor homes, so the families are grateful the children can attend the center both to learn and to eat. I can't imagine going without food for a whole weekend! (I feel both guilty and grateful for all I have.)






After eating each child stacks his/her bowl and washes hands and face on individual towels hung on a rack. Then comes rest time.





They also have bathroom breaks throughout the day. The bathroom routine is begun with a chant: "Follow, follow, follow the leader" as they line up and walk outside: boys to a circle of rocks and girls to a series of colorful chamber pots. (The outhouses are only used by adults.) Each does his/her business and then returns inside. One of the projects our church is working on is adding inside bathrooms in the new addition to the building. Hopefully it will be finished next year.




My partner and I spent part of our time organizing a picture database of all the children. We took individual photographs of each child and matched them up with names and birthdates. I also spent a lot of time helping to care for the children. Other members of our team spent time painting the new office, reception area, and storage room. Still others were in charge of various construction aspects: laying out the areas for the new addition, repairing cracks in floors, putting together shelves and building a new desk for the director of the center. We worked hard and accomplished a lot. And I gained a deeper understanding of how hard the caregivers and cooks work. We ended our time at at Lebone by giving a party (braai) for the workers to show our appreciation to them. There was plenty of food, fellowship, and music!






I am so glad I could go and actually see and help out at the care center. I feel like I have new friends in Botshabelo and hope I can return to help again sometime. Unfortunately, the Sunday after we left a strong wind and hailstorm collapsed the original building at the care center (the building to the right). Thankfully the new building sustained very little damage, but now all 100 children need to fit in that single building (very crowded and noisy). That makes the addition even more urgent as it will double the space.




Before we left I wanted to purchase something for them to use at the center. The carpet the 2-3 year olds sit on was old and dusty, so I bought a new carpet and we set it up before we left on Sunday. One little boy was already using it after he fell asleep during the church service!



I have many memories and images in my mind of my time at Lebone. I'll end this posting with one of my favorites: friendship.

Pilanesberg National Park - South Africa

We arrived in Grand Rapids about 1:15 p.m. this past Friday, tired after being awake for over 40 hours and happy to be home! Now comes the adjustment back to "normal" life. The difference in time change is only part of the adjustment; more difficult is reconciling the difference in lifestyle and "comforts" back here with those in the South African communities where we spent time. I am so thankful that I could be part of this trip; God used us and taught us as well. It was an awesome experience! It's going to take some time for me to process all that I've experienced, but I did want to post a blog entry and begin sharing, so I thought I'd start with the easiest - our visit to Pilanesberg National Park. We spent the last day and a half at this beautiful game park, both to experience God's wonderful creation and also to begin to process our experiences before returning home.

Pilanesberg National Park is about 3 hours northwest of Johannesburg. We first went on an early morning (5:30-8:00) ranger led game drive and spent the rest of the day driving through the park in our vans, looking for animals. We saw three lions, two were finishing off a wildebeest they had killed the night before. Several hungry jackals were waiting nearby for the lions to finish their meal. We also saw quite a few impala, wildebeest, zebra, hippos (in the water), and warthogs, as well as an ostrich. Other than the lions, the most exciting thing we saw was two separate herds of elephants enjoying a late morning bathing time in one of the lakes. There were over twenty elephants rolling around in the water, having a wonderful time! I found out that elephants can go totally under water! We watched them for quite a while. Several of us took an early morning (4:30!!) four hour ranger-led walk on our final day. We saw two more lions right by the edge of the road at sunrise. One of the lions was only about 10 feet away from me - he was absolutely beautiful! (We were still in the jeeps, not out walking yet.) It was such a wonderful feeling to walk through this landscape and listen to the birds in the early morning. We ended our walk by observing a mother white rhino feeding with her baby. And on our drive back to camp we saw more giraffes and elephants! I was amazed at both the beauty and gracefulness of the animals (except for the warthog!) and also the way everything works together. A number of birds feed on parasites of the larger mammals and certain birds also warn other animals of approaching danger. It was also interesting to see how many of the animals in the park have adapted. They were not afraid of the jeeps or cars; they're used to those (at certain distances). But when we were out walking the animals felt much more threatened. A wildebeest way off in the distance saw us and ran farther away.

Here are a few pictures taken at Pilanesberg National Park:

News from South Africa

We arrived safely in South Africa last Saturday morning after a long flight - with an aisle seat!! :) We spent some time in Soweto which was very interesting before heading down to Botshebelo to work at the Lebone Daycare Center. I've met some wonderful people and spent time with all the children at the center. I can't wait to post some pictures when I return. I think the most important thing this trip has done for me so far is to put a face to the AIDS epidemic. I held a little child who is sick with AIDS and hasn't had the medication she needs since July. It's been a very moving experience. It's also been a lot of fun. I taught 2-3 year olds the song "This is the Day." Monday morning I'm going to visit a second grade class at a school in Soweto. Thanks for all your prayers - please continue! Love to all!

Where God Leads...Follow

Tomorrow morning I leave with a group from my church for a two week mission trip to South Africa! We'll begin and end the trip in Soweto, a township on the outskirts of Johannesburg. While in Soweto, we'll visit Orlando High School and deliver several (heavy) suitcases of books for their library. We'll also learn more about the AIDS crisis and talk to some home health care workers. We'll be spending a large portion of our time farther south in Botshebelo, near the city of Bloemfontein, working at a daycare center. Imagine: 120 children ranging in age from 3 months to 6 years with 7-8 caregivers! I'm sure we'll spend lots of time holding and playing with the kids - I can't wait! We have several projects waiting for us at the daycare center, and I also hope to visit a nearby elementary school.

I previously traveled to South Africa during the summer of 2005 and hoped to return someday, but I never dreamt that it would be now. In fact, when I renewed my passport this past February, I wondered aloud where God was planning for me to go next - never expecting this. However, as I served on a committee at church during this past summer, the idea was planted as I talked with the leader of the project and caught his enthusiasm. The idea was nudged along as I felt God telling me to pursue it with my principal and school superintendent. They agreed to the trip as part of my yearly professional goal; I'll be developing a unit of study dealing with the South African culture to share with my second graders this spring. Everything about this trip worked out so well that I can definitely see it was God's plan. I definitely want to follow His leading...even to Africa!

Now, as I think about what the next two weeks will hold, I'm both excited with anticipation and a little apprehensive about the "stretching" part. I will be in a completely different area of the country than I was in before and I'm sure there will be some surprises. I generally like to know "the plan" and be prepared for everything, but things might not all go the way I expect. I'm praying that I will be both teachable and usable for God's purposes. I know that God has things that He wants me to learn on this trip, and I also want to be His hands and feet to the people I interact with.

I'm praying for good health, safe travels, (an aisle seat on the long flight, no big and scary crawly things, seeing a lion on the safari at the end of the trip), positive relationships, tasks at the daycare to all be completed, encouragement to the African people, and a deeper relationship with Christ. I look forward to sharing the many "God stories" that I'm sure we'll experience!

Don't Leave It On The Desk

I received this story via email this summer. I don't know if it's true or not and it is rather long, but it presents the story of salvation in a beautiful, concrete way. Enjoy!

There was a certain Professor of Religion named Dr. Christianson, a studious man who taught at a small college in the western United States. Dr. Christianson taught the required survey course in Christianity at this particular institution. Every student was required to take this course his freshman year, regardless of his or her major.

Although Dr. Christianson tried hard to communicate the essence of the gospel in his class, he found that most of his students looked upon the course as nothing but required drudgery. Despite his best efforts, most students refused to take Christianity seriously.

This year, Dr. Christianson had a special student named Steve. Steve was only a freshman, but was studying with the intent of going on to seminary for the ministry. Steve was popular, he was well liked, and he was an imposing physical specimen. He was now the starting center on the school football team, and was the best student in the professor’s class.

One day, Dr. Christianson asked Steve to stay after class so he could talk with him. ‘How many push-ups can you do?’ Steve said, ‘I do about 200 every night.’ ‘200? That’s pretty good, Steve, ‘ Dr. Christianson said. ‘Do you think you could do 300?' Steve replied, ‘I don’t know.... I’ve never done 300 at a time.’ ‘Do you think you could?’ again asked Dr. Christianson. ‘Well, I can try,’ said Steve. ‘Can you do 300 in sets of 10? I have a class project in mind and I need you to do about 300 push-ups in sets of ten for this to work. Can you do it? I need you to tell me you can do it,’ said the professor. Steve said, ‘Well... I think I can...yeah, I can do it.’ Dr. Christianson said, ‘Good! I need you to do this on Friday. Let me explain what I have in mind.’

Friday came and Steve got to class early and sat in the front of the room. When class started, the professor pulled out a big box of donuts. No, these weren’t the normal kinds of donuts, they were the extra fancy BIG kind, with cream centers and frosting swirls. Everyone was pretty excited it was Friday, the last class of the day, and they were going to get an early start on the weekend with a party in Dr. Christianson’s class.

Dr. Christianson went to the first girl in the first row and asked, ‘Cynthia, do you want to have one of these donuts?’ Cynthia said, ‘Yes.’ Dr. Christianson then turned to Steve and asked, ‘Steve, would you do ten push-ups so that Cynthia can have a donut?’ ‘Sure!’ Steve jumped down from his desk to do a quick ten. Then Steve again sat in his desk. Dr. Christianson put a donut on Cynthia’s desk. Dr. Christianson then went to Joe, the next person, and asked, ‘Joe, do you want a donut?’ Joe said, ‘Yes.’ Dr. Christianson asked, ‘Steve would you do ten push-ups so Joe can have a donut?’

Steve did ten push-ups, Joe got a donut. And so it went, down the first aisle, Steve did ten push-ups for every person before they got their donut. Walking down the second aisle, Dr. Christianson came to Scott. Scott was on the basketball team, and in as good condition as Steve. He was very popular and never lacking for female companionship. When the professor asked, ‘Scott do you want a donut?’ Scott’s reply was, ‘Well, can I do my own push-ups?’ Dr. Christianson said, ‘No, Steve has to do them.’ Then Scott said, ‘Well, I don’t want one then.’

Dr. Christianson shrugged and then turned to Steve and asked, ‘Steve, would you do ten push-ups so Scott can have a donut he doesn’t want?’ With perfect obedience Steve started to do ten push-ups. Scott said, ‘HEY! I said I didn’t want one!’ Dr. Christianson said, ‘Look!, this is my classroom, my class, my desks, and these are my donuts. Just leave it on the desk if you don’t want it.’ And he put a donut on Scott’s desk. Now by this time, Steve had begun to slow down a little. He just stayed on the floor between sets because it took too much effort to be getting up and down. You could start to see a little perspiration coming out around his brow.

Dr. Christianson started down the third row. Now the students were beginning to get a little angry. Dr. Christianson asked Jenny, ‘Jenny, do you want a donut?’ Sternly, Jenny said, ‘No.’ Then Dr. Christianson asked Steve, ‘Steve, would you do ten more push-ups so Jenny can have a donut that she doesn’t want?’ Steve did ten....Jenny got a donut. By now, a growing sense of uneasiness filled the room. The students were beginning to say, ‘No!’ and there were all these uneaten donuts on the desks.

Steve also had to really put forth a lot of extra effort to get these push-ups done for each donut. There began to be a small pool of sweat on the floor beneath his face, his arms and brow were beginning to get red because of the physical effort involved. Dr. Christianson asked Robert, who was the most vocal unbeliever in the class, to watch Steve do each push up to make sure he did the full ten push-ups in a set because he couldn’t bear to watch all of Steve’s work for all of those uneaten donuts. He sent Robert over to where Steve was so Robert could count the set and watch Steve closely.

Dr. Christianson started down the fourth row. During his class, however, some students from other classes had wandered in and sat down on the steps along the radiators that ran down the sides of the room. When the professor realized this, he did a quick count and saw that now there were 34 students in the room. He started to worry if Steve would be able to make it. Dr. Christianson went on to the next person and the next and the next. Near the end of that row, Steve was really having a rough time. He was taking a lot more time to complete each set. Steve asked Dr. Christianson, ‘Do I have to make my nose touch on each one?’ Dr. Christianson thought for a moment, ‘Well, they’re your pushups. You are in charge now. You can do them any way that you want.’ And Dr. Christianson went on.

A few moments later, Jason, a recent transfer student, came to the room and was about to come in when all the students yelled in one voice, ‘NO! Don’t come in! Stay out!’ Jason didn’t know what was going on. Steve picked up his head and said, ‘No, let him come.’ Professor Christianson said, ‘You realize that if Jason comes in you will have to do ten push-ups for him?’ Steve said, ‘Yes, let him come in. Give him a donut.’ Dr. Christianson said, ‘Okay, Steve, I’ll let you get Jason’s out of the way right now. Jason, do you want a donut?’ Jason, new to the room, hardly knew what was going on. ‘Yes,’ he said, ‘give me a donut.’ ‘Steve, will you do ten push-ups so that Jason can have a donut?’ Steve did ten push-ups very slowly and with great effort. Jason, bewildered, was handed a donut and sat down.

Dr. Christianson finished the fourth row, and then started on those visitors seated by the heaters. Steve’s arms were now shaking with each push-up in a struggle to lift himself against the force of gravity. By this time sweat was profusely dropping off of his face, there was no sound except his heavy breathing; there was not a dry eye in the room. The very last two students in the room were two young women, both cheerleaders, and very popular. Dr. Christianson went to Linda, the second to last, and asked, ‘Linda, do you want a donut?’ Linda said, very sadly, ‘No, thank you.’ Professor Christianson quietly asked, ‘Steve, would you do ten push-ups so that Linda can have a donut she doesn’t want?’ Grunting from the effort, Steve did ten very slow push-ups for Linda. Then Dr. Christianson turned to the last girl, Susan. ‘Susan, do you want a donut?’ Susan, with tears flowing down her face, began to cry. ‘Dr. Christianson, why can’t I help him?’

Dr. Christianson, with tears of his own, said, ‘No, Steve has to do it alone; I have given him this task and he is in charge of seeing that everyone has an opportunity for a donut whether they want it or not. When I decided to have a party this last day of class, I looked at my grade book. Steve here is the only student with a perfect grade. Everyone else has failed a test, skipped class, or offered me inferior work. Steve told me that in football practice, when a player messes up he must do push-ups. I told Steve that none of you could come to my party unless he paid the price by doing your push ups. He and I made a deal for your sakes.’ ‘Steve, would you do ten push-ups so Susan can have a donut?’ As Steve very slowly finished his last push-up, with the understanding that he had accomplished all that was required of him, having done 350 push-ups, his arms buckled beneath him and he fell to the floor.

Dr. Christianson turned to the room and said, ‘And so it was, that our Savior, Jesus Christ, on the cross, plead to the Father, ‘Into thy hands I commend my spirit.’ With the understanding that He had done everything that was required of Him, He yielded up His life. And like some of those in this room, many of us leave the gift on the desk, uneaten.’ Two students helped Steve up off the floor and to a seat, physically exhausted, but wearing a thin smile. ‘Well done, good and faithful servant,’ said the professor, adding, ‘Not all sermons are preached in words.’

Turning to his class, the professor said, ‘My wish is that you might understand and fully comprehend all the riches of grace and mercy that have been given to you through the sacrifice of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. He spared not His only Begotten Son, but gave Him up for us all, for the whole Church, now and forever. Whether or not we choose to accept His gift to us, the price has been paid.’ Wouldn’t you be foolish and ungrateful to leave it lying on the desk?

Wonderful Movie

I rented the most wonderful movie tonight and heartily recommend it. It's called Bella (2006) and won the People's Choice Award at the Toronto Film Festival.

Sniffles and Cough, It's a Cold...Oh My!

It seems it's that time of year again - sore throat, cough, sniffles - yes, it's the dreaded cold! Last Saturday I woke up with a sore throat that gradually turned into a cold this week. It's amazing how a "little" cold can wear you out. I think I've been in bed by 8:30 every night this week. Even the vitamin C and echinacea didn't get rid of it. It's now Friday evening, almost a week later and the sore throat is gone, but the cough and tiredness are still here. I was hoping to go camping with a group of teachers this weekend (perfect weather for camping!) but decided I needed to stay home and rest. Hopefully, with a quiet weekend, this cold will be gone by Monday.

Insect Instruction - for the Teacher

I love cute, furry, cuddly animals - like dogs and cats, bunnies and even horses and sheep. But I'm not as excited about slimy, scaly, or creepy crawly creatures. However, our science curriculum at school says that students must learn about insects in second grade, so I've learned enough to teach and even appreciate (most) insects. I actually enjoy the experience of hatching butterflies with my students each fall and am awed by the way God has created them. This past week, however, I shared a new (and unexpected) insect experience with my students.

We brought our newly hatched butterflies outside to a patch of bushes and flowers earlier this week and watched as they flew off into the world. One butterfly's wings didn't work very well; since he wasn't flying off I picked him up and brought him into the bushes where he could rest. As I walked back on the sidewalk I felt something under my skirt on my leg. I thought it must be some grass or something, but when I lifted my skirt to check I saw a HUGE praying mantis crawling up my leg!! Although I am the teacher and should set a proper example to my students, I immediately did the typical girl thing: I screamed and shook my leg trying to get it off. Of course all the kids came running up to see and then most of them screamed as the (probably frightened) praying mantis jumped on some of them. Finally we all calmed down and got the praying mantis on the sidewalk (away from me). Then I actually did the "teacher" thing and we watched the praying mantis, identified his three body parts, examined his legs, etc. It was the closest I think I've ever been to a praying mantis. Of course, most of the kids couldn't wait to tell their parents that their teacher screamed when an insect crawled on her. I think I'll stick to butterflies!

As a Child

It was a day to be thankful that I get to work with children. Last Friday reminded me of the joy of childhood. It was an exciting day in second grade as our Painted Lady butterflies hatched. I listened to the excitement in the children's voices while they watched the butterflies unfold their tiny wings, unroll their slender pieces of tongue, and begin climbing to the top of the cage. Later, on recess duty, I watched a child exuberantly chasing a butterfly across the playground, trying to catch it. The look on her face was pure joy. I know there are also days that remind me of the challenges children can bring, but this was a day to focus on the innocence, curiosity, and joy in life that children tend to have more than adults. So often I, as an adult, am weighed down by the challenges of life. Friday was a wonderful reminder for me to take the time to be awed by the little things - such as the hatching of a butterfly. God is so good!

Sandi Patty Concert

Sandi Patty, an award-winning Christian singer, gave a concert at my church this evening. It was a wonderful time filled with praise to the Lord. She sang some great "old" songs, including one of my favorites, Via Dolorosa, and mixed in some newer ones as well. She also shared several stories from her life. When she was in high school, her goal was to perform at Disneyland and she was crushed when she wasn't hired. But later she realized that God wasn't saying no to Disneyland. He was saying yes to something better. I really like that - what a neat twist of thought. It puts things that disappoint us into the proper perspective. God doesn't just say no. When it seems like He's saying no to something that I want, he's already said yes to something else I just haven't seen yet. I love the fact that God sees (and plans) the big picture! Speaking of pictures, I don't have any of Sandi Patty for the blog because our church choir was able to sing four songs with her (how cool!!) during the concert; it's a little hard to take pictures when you're singing. We ended the concert with one of my favorite songs: How Great Thou Art. It was a great evening.

Circus

Last night I relived my childhood by attending the circus with my dad!  We had a great time watching the acrobatics, clowns, and animal acts.  Although I have mixed feelings about the whole animals in circuses debate, it was thrilling to see the tigers and elephants, as well as horses, zebras, and dogs.  The acrobat and aerialist acts were spectacular.  It was also interesting to watch all the workers setting up and taking items down in one area while an act was going on in another area.  Everything moves like clockwork.  I even got to pet a couple of the dogs and talk to the ringmaster before the show began.  The entire circus was very well done and definitely entertaining.  

Technology - Good and Bad

I introduced my second graders to the concept of blogging yesterday afternoon.  I had a great lesson plan: explain what a blog is, show samples of individual and classroom blogs on our class computer, and then set up our own class blog.  In an ideal technological world, everything would have worked great.  Unfortunately, I do not live in an ideal technological world!  The first part of the lesson did turn out well.  Only one student had heard of a blog before (his family already has a blog); most of the kids thought it was a "blob" at first.  They liked the idea, though, so I started to show some blog examples which I had bookmarked on my computer.  We had just begun looking at the first example when our classroom lost it's internet connection.  After trying to work through it - using both Safari and Firefox - I finally gave up and we decided to move on to math and come back to the blog later.  Of course, once the kids were all working on their math activities, our internet connection came back.  Talk about frustrating!  Anyway, we only looked at a couple of the examples, but we did get our own class blog started.  The students chose a name:  Second Grade Scotties, and a layout, and then we added a class picture, and their first post (dictated to me).  The lesson turned out fine, but it sure would be nice to live in a technologically perfect world when you're trying to teach a lesson dealing with technology.

New Glasses

Yeah!  I picked up my new glasses this afternoon.  They're much smaller than my other ones, but I can see much better with them.  

Routines

I've been waiting for some really profound thoughts before adding a post, but nothing's come up and I'm thinking I need to update as we've now been in school for two weeks.  It's getting a little easier to get up in the morning (although I really love sleeping in on Saturdays), and we're beginning to develop some routines in the classroom.  My students are really sweet and social; we're still working on the social part.  Our new reading curriculum has arrived and almost all of the supply order is here, so things are moving along well.  This week we're reading stories about "Frog and Toad" and learning about the life cycle of a frog in addition to our insect study, so we're getting a lot of science in.  Thankfully the rain stopped today, so the kids could have outside recess (and I could get my cup of coffee).

On another topic, Christian singer Sandi Patty is coming to my church on Thursday, September 25 for a free women's concert - if you're near Holland, check it out at Christ Memorial Reformed Church.  Our church choir is going to sing several songs with her, which should be fun.  We've definitely gotten into the singing routine to practice for the concert.

My dog, Tosca, is also trying to help us follow a routine of a daily walk after work.  Most days it's working.  We'll see how it goes when the weather gets colder.

All in all, I think routines are good.  They give me a sense of belonging - of finding my place. After a more relaxing, routine-less summer, it feels good to fall back into a routine.   But the most wonderful routine is the fact that God is with me every day.  I'm thankful that His routine doesn't take a summer "break."

School

Summer is officially over; we had our first day of the new school year today.  Although I love the relaxing pace of summer, there's something nice about getting back into a routine again. It will, however, take a little while to get used to getting up with the alarm clock.  There's an excitement about a new school year: new faces, eager children, a fresh start.  Each year as I pray for my new students and their families I'm awed with the trust I'm given to teach these children about God and His world.  I love teaching second graders and enjoyed meeting them today.  After only one day I can tell it's going to be a great year!

How Great is Our God

What an awesome afternoon!  After winning tickets on our local Christian radio station, I attended a concert by Chris Tomlin to celebrate the release of his new CD.  He has written many wonderful praise and worship songs, including "How Great is Our God."  It was so cool to sit in the lobby of a movie theatre listening to and singing praises to God with other Christians!  Chris sang many of the songs on his new CD and shared some of the backstories - how the songs came to be written.  All the attendees also received a free CD which he autographed after the concert!!  It was a wonderful transition from a relaxing summer to a new school year.

Good Friends

This past April my next-door neighbors got a black lab puppy.  It's been fun watching her grow, and Tosca is thrilled to have a new friend.  The dogs get along so well and love to chase each other around our yards.  In fact, the first thing they do when they go outside is look to see if the other dog is out.  Once, the neighbor dog even came right up to my back slider door as if to say, "Can Tosca come out to play?"  I love watching them run and play together, and it's also great exercise which tires them out!

Pedicure

This afternoon I treated myself to something wonderful - a spa pedicure!  After a week of backpacking in June I decided my feet deserved to be pampered a little.  About an hour total: first soaking in warm, bubbly water followed by lotion and massaging and finally trimming and applying new nail polish, my feet now look and feel brand new!  If you've never had a pedicure, I definitely recommend it!

LOST . . . and Found

Usually I love a good mystery.  The only TV show I watch regularly is LOST, which began as a show about a group of survivors from a plane crash on an island, but has turned into a show about faith, science, and relationships, with lots of questions and mysteries.  I'm even spending time this summer re-watching the past four seasons (24 hours plus each season) to try to solve some of the mysteries and figure out the clues before the new season begins.

I've found, however, during the last few weeks that Lost mysteries can be quite frustrating when they apply to me personally.  They can also show evidence of God's faithfulness - even in the little things.  Either I'm getting older and more forgetful or  ? ? ?  (there has to be another explanation; I just can't think of it yet) because I keep losing things lately.

The first item to disappear was my summer reading chart from our local library.  I've been reading a variety of books this summer in the hopes of snagging one of the $50 reward gift cards and was ready to record the final (16th) book, but the chart paper wasn't in the kitchen drawer where it's been all summer.  I checked and rechecked that drawer and then every other place in the house, but it was nowhere to be found.  Now I know it's not real important in the scheme of life, but since I worked so hard on this all summer I really wanted to turn it in, so I prayed and asked God to show me where it was.  I woke up several times that night and each time asked where the paper was. Early in the morning the thought came to me:  maybe it slipped out the back of the drawer and is in the cupboard beneath.  When I got up to check, there it was, sitting so nicely on top of my pots and pans!  I definitely believe it was God giving me the thought to look under the drawer.

I also lost a library book - again checked over and over all throughout the house.  This one actually went on for over a week.   I guess God was teaching me patience and persistence.  The sad part was that I never even read it; so I really didn't want to have to pay for it.  This afternoon, after praying again, I thought to check under the front seat of my car - there it was. It never even made it into the house!!  (I have 2 days to actually read it before it's due).  I now will have much more sympathy for my students who misplace library books.  :)

But it never ends!  This morning, while working at school, I couldn't find my calendar pocket chart.  Last June I stuffed things all over because my classroom was going to be painted; the tricky part now is remembering where I put everything.  After checking every cupboard and closet, I gave up.  But my mom didn't, and she thought (with a little Godly direction) to check in the bookshelves.  Why I put it there, I'll never know.  

And finally, while rushing out the door this morning to get to an appointment with an optician, I couldn't find my car keys.  As I was praying, I wondered what the Lord was thinking about all my forgetfulness!  I eventually found the keys in the bottom of my purse and was only a few minutes late.

I'm very thankful that God answers prayers for even these little things that are Lost.  Every time I (finally) find something again, it reminds me of God's love and faithfulness.  And - 

If God cares enough to help me find my little lost things, how much more does He care about saving Me:  I once was Lost, but now am Found.

Tosca's 10th Birthday

Ten years ago on August 8, 1998, I got my dog, Tosca, from an animal rescue organization.  She was about a year old then, so she's really 11 now, but I'm counting our years together.  She's gone from a dog who was uneasy around strangers (and terrified of men) to a friendly dog who thinks everyone wants to say hi to her.  She loves to run and be chased by other dogs as well as go for walks and receive her nightly bedtime treat in her Kong toy.

We had a great day together.  We first spent time at the local dog park where she could run and jump off her leash.  After a quick stop to school we went to Lake Macatawa for a swim - well, she doesn't really swim, but she loves running and splashing (and drinking) in the water.  We ended our special birthday time with a trip to our favorite ice cream place, Captain Sundae.  I got the hot fudge sundae; thankfully, Tosca was happy with an empty cone.  I also bought her two new bandanas - she is definitely a "girly" dog and loves her bandanas!  Plus, she'll get an extra special bednight treat tonight.

American Girl Place

This past Tuesday my mom, sister, and I took my niece to the American Girl Place in Chicago to celebrate her 7th birthday.  The weather was beautiful, the store was filled with little girls and their dolls, and we had a great time.  We explored all three floors - filled with various dolls, furniture, clothes, and accessories, and Amanda chose birthday gifts from my mom and me.  Her doll, Kirsten, had a busy afternoon also.  We dropped her off at the Doll Hair Salon to get her hair done and a facial (cleaning any dirt and smudges off).  There were quite a few dolls in line, so it took quite a while.  The highlight of our day was having afternoon tea in the cafe.  Everything was very elegant and we enjoyed little sandwiches and scones with pink lemonade and tea.  In addition to the dessert tartlets,  Amanda received a heart-shaped birthday cupcake with a candle and we sang "Happy Birthday" to her.  It was a great "Girls Day" birthday celebration!