God Gave Us Hands

When God made us humankind, God gave us hands:

God gave us hands to build ... but we learned how to damage.

God gave us hands to stroke ... but we learned how to hurt.

God gave us hands to help ... but we learned how to wound.

God gave us hands to give ... but we learned how to steal.

God gave us hands to invite ... but we learned how to reject.

God gave us hands to care ... but we learned how to be indifferent.

God gave us hands to protect ... but we learned to kill.

Gd gave us hands to pray ... but we learned to curse.

For this, God sent someone, whose hands:

build, stroke, help, give, invite, care, protect, and bless.

But the rest of the hands nailed him to the cross:

Pilate's hands,

powerful hands,

religious hands,

betrayer's hands,

our hands,

my hands.

For God loved the world so much, that He gave His one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him, will not perish, but will have eternal life.  (John 3:16)

The above was used a few years ago in my church and is from the Reformed Churches in Hungary.

Book Learning

I love to read. Whenever I have free time, you’ll find me stretched out on the couch or sitting on the back deck with a book in my hand. I also want to learn from the books I read. So I often look for books that will introduce me to new cultures, expose me to other points of view, and stretch my thinking.  Books like The Poisonwood Bible, Room, The Help, and even The Hunger Games trilogy all caused me to think about the world, society, religion, and good and evil.

But the last two books I read have gone beyond simply offering a new perspective on the world and our society. They have brought about both a sense of thankfulness for my blessings as well as a feeling of helplessness for people I don’t know and have never met; who suffer every day.

The books, A Walk Across the Sun and Behind the Beautiful Forevers: Life, Death, and Hope in a Mumbai Undercity, both take place in the land of India and deal with people who have little control over their lives.  The characters and their life-situations have troubled me and stuck in my mind.

The first book, A Walk Across the Sun (by Corban Addison), shows the prevalence of the sex trafficking “industry” not only in India, but around the world. The book is a novel; however the author spent several years researching modern-day slavery and spoke to activists and former trafficked victims before writing the book.  Although it’s a difficult read, it’s an important one in order to become aware of what’s going on in the world and how widespread this problem is (even here in Michigan).

The second book, Behind the Beautiful Forevers: Life, Death, and Hope in a Mumbai Undercity, is a true story, written by Katherine Boo, who spent three years visiting the Annawadi slum and interviewing residents in order to tell their story. I admire the perseverance many of these people have, but the widespread corruption throughout the government leaves them very little chance to improve their lives. The contrast between the wealthy (and even middle-class) and these slum dwellers is frustrating to read about; yet this contrast occurs even here in America.

I can’t get these books out of my mind. I think of how different my life is and how grateful I am for the blessings I have, including freedom. So many people in the world, especially women, do not have the freedom to live, work, vote, own land, and make their own decisions. I don’t take this freedom for granted.  But I’m also troubled. What can I do to help? As a Christian, I strive to live by the motto of “Love God and Love People.”  I need to take seriously Micah 6:8 – “What does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.” How can I make a difference? Even giving to charities that try to help these people is no guarantee as I realize that money is often used fraudulently (evidenced in K. Boo’s book). It leaves me with a feeling of helplessness.

And yet I’m glad I can’t easily shake these books off. I’m glad that I read them and have been introduced to these realities.  And I pray that God will continue to work in my mind and my heart - teaching me about this broken world and helping me to make a difference.

Stethoscope

This is awesome -- you need to watch the whole thing.

What's Up?

I remember thinking, right after Christmas, this is the year I’ll write a blog post every week.  Filled with optimism and good intentions. And then vacation was over.  I returned to work and was immediately inundated with things occupying my time and threatening to ovewhelm me (at times succeeding).

It’s nice to breathe again.

Committee Work

This year has been filled with extra obligations/meetings at school: writing committee, curriculum council, and school program committee. Then throw in the opportunity to plan a building update and visit by the school board. Who would willingly volunteer for all this?

New Curriculum

As part of a group piloting a new writing program, I’m committed to attending monthly training sessions (2 ½ hours one evening each month). The training is worthwhile and helpful, but tiring after a day of teaching.

I-Pads in Elementary Classrooms

The biggest change and time commitment, though, involved a new initiative in our elementary school buildings. I am part of a pilot program (2^nd and 4^th grades) – I received a classroom set of ipads in February to use with my students. It’s exciting and I’m amazed at how much the children have learned to do already; I’m so glad to be a part of it. But it also involves a lot of extra time trying to determine how to best use these tools.  Having a team of teachers from another school come to visit and see how it works in the classroom after only a week with ipads was also a little stressful (thankfully it went well).

Reading

I recently took a break from all the schoolwork and read The Hunger Games trilogy. Wow – what powerful books. They were so spellbinding I read them all in less than two weeks; reading the final book from 7:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. last Saturday.

Diversion

I also finally found a type of replacement for my Pathwords word game and succumbed to “Words With Friends.” Played my first game (actually four games) last weekend and I think I’m addicted. My competitive nature is starting to take over as I search for websites with “words with friends words with Q” or “words ending in low.” I even downloaded a Words with Friends dictionary. I justify the time I spend thinking about words as exercising my brain.

Iditarod

Every year I follow the Iditarod Sled Dog Race (in Alaska) with my second graders. We have a winter reading incentive tied to the race and the kids track individual mushers. It’s a fun way to incorporate geography, math, and literacy skills. The race began last weekend and the first mushers should reach the end sometime this Tuesday or Wednesday. The owner of the kennel where I went over Christmas vacation is in the race too.

List

Knowing I work better with a list of tasks I can cross off and realizing I keep putting off cleaning my house, I made a list of tasks for today. Unfortunately, writing a blog post wasn’t on the list. So, after I quick post this, I’m going to add it to my list, cross it off, and move on to the next thing!

What a beautiful day - love the sunshine!  (Glad taking a walk is on my list.) 

Turtles

Some days are Butterfly Days …

   when you flit from activity to activity, 

   happy and confident in what you’re doing and accomplishing, 

   and everything (or even most things) goes smoothly.  All is right with the world.  

I love those days.

Some days are Turtle Days …

   when nothing seems to work out right and you want to give up, 

   go home and crawl under the covers 

   and just hide from the world.

Today was a Turtle Day.

Winter Driving

I gripped the handlebar tightly, placed my feet on the drag pad, and yelled “Let’s Go!”  The four dogs eagerly bounded off as I hung on trying to steer the sled. My feet remained on the drag pad for several minutes, using it as a brake to slow the energetic dogs. I tried to remember all the instructions: lean into the turns, twist my feet on the runners/drag pad, and never let go. I looked up into the wooded landscape and could hardly believe it – I was actually dog sledding and driving my own team. I smiled, filled with excitement for what the next hour would bring.  

We went slower at first, my team following behind my guide and her team as we twisted around bends in the trail. About five minutes into the ride I began to think this wasn’t so hard and began imagining what a pro I was. Ha! As we rounded the next curve, I leaned out a little too soon and the sled tipped to the side. As I felt myself falling with the sled, I squeezed the handlebar. I was not going to let go! The dogs stopped as I yelled to the guide, but I quickly righted the sled and we were off again. Besides, even Iditarod mushers have fallen off their sleds, so I figure I’m in good company. 

We spent the next hour traversing the woods, moving easily from one trail to another. We went up and down slight hills and several good-sized bumps; my guide, Lyndsie, always warning when a turn or bump was coming up. The dogs often reached for the snow along the side of the trail, grabbing mouthfuls the way runners gulp water during their runs. Remembering to control the sled, I took time to look up and enjoy the beautiful winter scenery surrounding us. Alongside large barren trees grew tender beech saplings, their golden leaves shimmering in the breeze. The snow and grey, cloudy sky accentuated the beautiful leaves and trees. It was truly a winter wonderland. 

We stopped about halfway to give the dogs a rest. They rolled around in the snow, their long tongues panting. One even used the opportunity to relieve herself by the side of the trail. (Note: I did find that dogs will poop when they’re running; nope, they never stop!) After hugging and petting the dogs, we took a few photos. And then the dogs were ready to get moving again – with renewed energy after their little break.

I made it past the spot where I had fallen when we started – I leaned into the turn just like a pro! As we neared the kennel, the rest of the dogs howled out their welcome, and I glided the sled to a smooth stop, shouting out a “Whoa!” to my dog team.

This was a once in a lifetime experience.   I can’t wait to come back and do this again!

Anyone want to do the overnight trip with me?

Here's a video I put together of my experience. Unfortunately, the camcorder didn't work quite the way we wanted, so the video clips don't show up full-screen (the camcorder is now labeled correctly). I highly recommend dog sledding, although I hear it can be addicting.

Christmas 2011

What a wonderful week this has been! Time spent with family, traveling, and chasing dreams as I enjoyed an extra special Christmas gift from my parents. My gift was a trip to the Upper Peninsula to go dog sledding at Nature’s Kennel near the town of Newberry. The kennel is owned by Ed & Tasha Stielstra; my class has followed Ed for several years as he’s participated in the Iditarod sled dog race. I’ve wanted to go up and visit for a while, but never dreamed I’d be able to go in the winter and dog sled myself!

Monday morning my parents and I took off and drove north to the Upper Peninsula. The weather was perfect for traveling: clear roads and sunny sky. We crossed the bridge around noon, had lunch at one of the few restaurants that were still open, and headed northwest to the Newberry area in search of snow. We finally found a thin covering of snow at the charming inn where we stayed overnight. 

We spent the next morning at Nature’s Kennel, in McMillan, where (thankfully) there was a little more snow. I learned how to harness a small dog team, maneuver a dog sled, and then drive my own team of dogs twelve miles through wooded trails (following a guide).  It was such an incredible experience – and deserves a complete blog post coming soon – I loved every minute! We also got to hold two-week old puppies. 

We took a little detour and stopped at Tahquamenon Falls on our way back to the bridge and then stayed overnight in Mackinaw City. The next morning we made a quick stop to check out the wintery beach near the bridge. This whole area is a lot quieter in the winter than during the busy summer months.

On Wednesday we met my sister and brother-in-law with their kids in Traverse City at the Great Wolf Lodge. They had arrived the previous day, so my niece and nephew showed me all around. The spacious lobby was beautifully decorated for Christmas. We had a great time at the water park going down the water slides, tubing on the lazy river, sitting in the hot tub, and getting splashed when the 1000 gallon bucket tipped over. It was great to spend time relaxing with family.

Thanks, Mom and Dad, for such a special gift! What a great way to end the year!