Thanksgiving List

On this Thanksgiving Day, I have so much to be thankful for. I often think of the “things” I have, like food, clothes, house, car, etc. and I am thankful for them. I’m so blessed with conveniences here in the U.S. when compared to so many people around the world.

But this year I wanted to go further and think about some of God’s gifts that money can’t buy; things I don’t often think about and often take for granted.

So here’s my Top Ten list of things I’m thankful for.

1. Salvation – Number one on my list is the ultimate gift from God; that He has provided a way for me to be in His family through the atoning death of Jesus. I’m so thankful that Jesus is my savior, I can call God my heavenly father, and that His Spirit lives in me.

2. Hope – I’m also thankful for the gift of hope. When life’s circumstances get discouraging, we live in hope – that things will get better, that circumstances will change, that tomorrow is a new day. And the ultimate hope of eternal life in heaven with God and the reunion with loved ones who have died is an especially comforting gift from God.

3. Music – When I think about the variety of music we can listen to (and play or sing), it amazes me. I love the contemporary Christian music that plays on my radio station (91.3) as it keeps my thoughts Christ-centered throughout the day. But I also love the great classical music and the old hymns of faith. The gift of music with it’s various rhythms, tempos, note combinations, as well as all the instruments that have been created can set or improve my mood, and I’m so thankful that music exists.

4. Love – This is my way of showing thanks for my family and friends, but the fact that we can love other people is another gift from God. I’m grateful for the close relationships God has allowed me to create with both my family and friends, and I’m also thankful for the (different kind of) love for pets.

5. Colors – Every time I venture outside I’m overwhelmed by the broad spectrum of colors in nature. I’m thankful for the many shades of green on trees and plants, the bright blue sky and the shining sun, the brightly colored flower petals, the beauty of a morning sunrise or evening sunset, the various stripes and spots on animals, and the spectacular autumn foliage. I love the fact that God created a colorful world.

6. Communication – I’m also grateful for words and the gift of communication. From the simple “I love you” and “Thanks for being my friend” to the sharing of knowledge through voice, books, computers and internet, the fact that we can communicate with and encourage one another is a blessing.

7. Sight – I’m thankful God has given me the gift of sight. Although not perfect, with my glasses I can see fairly well and I love seeing the smiling faces of people I care about as well as the world around me.

8. Mind – I’m thankful for the ability to think, plan ahead, and make decisions. I’m thankful that I can form ideas, make predictions, deliberate various viewpoints and options, and come to conclusions. I’m thankful for the ability to remember good times and reminisce with friends.

9. Water – After traveling to South Africa and seeing firsthand how the scarcity of clean water affects people’s lives, I’m thankful for my easy access to water. We just finished a science unit in my second grade class dealing with the importance of water on Earth and we talked about how to conserve water. But I’m also thankful for the beauty of a mountain stream, the majesty of a flowing waterfall, and the steady rhythm of Lake Michigan’s waves. And the imagery of Living Water found in the Bible provides an added dimension to God’s gift of water.

10. God’s Plan for Me (Trust) – I’m so thankful for the assurance that God is in control of my life. Although it hasn’t turned out the way I thought it would, I know God is with me and I trust that His plan is best. I’m thankful for the places and people God has brought into my life and the experiences He has led me through. Although I sometimes worry about the future, at the same time I whole-heartedly trust in God’s promise that He will “never leave me or forsake me” and that “all things work together for good for those who are in Christ Jesus.”

For these gifts and so much more, thank you Lord.

Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; His love endures forever. Psalm 118:1

Relax

The last two weeks have been very busy with school - first working on report cards and then meeting with parents for parent-teacher conferences. I enjoy meeting with parents as we talk together about their child's strengths and discuss goals for continued growth, but it does make for a very busy week.

And now I can finally relax a bit. It feels good.

My school books sit on the kitchen table, beckoning me to work on next week's lesson plans. And the backyard is again strewn with leaves after I worked so hard earlier this week to finish the yard work (sometimes I think the big, old oak tree just laughs at me as it waits to drop the leaves until after I've finished raking). The laundry (from two weeks) is in piles, waiting to be carried downstairs to the washer. And the vacuum cleaner is still in the front closet.

There's always work to be done. But today I'm relaxing. I'm reading a book. I'm checking out blog sites I haven't visited since summer. I'm playing my favorite Facebook game: Pathwords. I'm making spaghetti for supper. I'm sitting on the sofa with my dog cuddled next to me and reveling in the quiet peacefulness. No immediate pressures. No looming deadlines (at least not this weekend).

There's a time for everything. Today is a time to relax.

Anyone for a cup of hot chocolate?

Guaranteed to Make You Smile

Blessings

I love those unexpected “wow” moments that God occasionally brings me. I had an awesome moment like that last night; actually, the entire evening was awesome. After attending a technology workshop all day, I was looking forward to a quiet evening at home. It was a great day of learning, but seven hours of computer workshops is enough to give anyone a headache.

After getting home, I began clearing a pile of papers off the kitchen table and discovered the ad I had torn from a newspaper announcing the Steven Curtis Chapman concert (“A Night of Music and Hope with the Chapmans”) which was…in two hours.

I hadn’t bought a ticket and had no one to go with, but I really wanted to support the Chapmans after praying for their family during the last two years (and I love Steven’s music), so I decided to just go and see if there were any tickets left.

When I arrived, there was a long line and the person I asked thought the line was for buying and picking up tickets, so I went to the end and waited. When I was near the front, I found that there was a different line for purchasing tickets, so I moved to that line. It was much shorter, but there were still four or five people in front of me when I happened to turn around and saw someone asking people behind me if they were buying a single ticket. They weren’t but I caught the lady’s eye and said I was. I thought she had an extra ticket and I could buy it – it had to be a better seat than what I would get at the ticket counter.

Well, she did have an extra ticket, but she handed it to me and said “It’s free. Come and sit with my sister and me.” I couldn’t believe it; she was giving me a ticket! Their seats turned out to be way better than any I could have purchased at the ticket counter – right near the front; in fact, we ended up in the front row! I’m so glad I first waited in the long line or I would have already purchased my ticket before they arrived. Wow – what an unexpected blessing. Thank you God.

I thought I would be sitting by myself in the balcony, but God’s plan was so much better. I met two wonderful women, Jill and Wendy, and enjoyed getting to know them. In fact, Jill used to live in the same Grand Rapids neighborhood that I had grown up in. They were so much fun to be with that I felt kind of like their extra sister. They had purchased an additional ticket for a friend who couldn’t attend the concert and then prayed that God would show them who to give the ticket to. Wow – God chose me to be the recipient of their gift. Thank you God.

The evening was filled with wonderful music by Steven and also by his sons’ band (Caleb), as well as testimony by Steven’s wife, Mary Beth Chapman, about how God has been working in their family’s life, particularly during the past two years since the accidental death of their five-year-old daughter, Maria Sue. The evening ended in worship to God, who is always with us: in our mountains and in our deep valleys.

The Chapmans and their friend, Jeff Moore, also shared how their foundation, Show Hope, which provides orphan care in China and assistance to families adopting children throughout the world, has grown. They shared pictures of “Maria’s Big House of Hope,” a care facility in China for special-needs orphans and challenged those in the audience to respond to Christ’s call to help care for the orphans. Although I already sponsor a child through Compassion International, God was working in my heart and I signed up to sponsor the Show Hope foundation as well. I had not intended to do this when I arrived at the concert, and honestly, I’m not sure I would have if I had purchased my concert ticket. But God’s plans are so much better than mine, and I’m glad I will be able to help out every month. Wow - I was blessed in order to bless others. Thank you God.

I came back home filled with gratitude and blessed by God – through the gifts of Jill and Wendy, the Chapman family, and the presence of God in my life. So much better than a quiet night at home. Thank you God.

Stairs or Escalator?

It's a busy week, but this is a great (short) video. Would you take the stairs or the escalator?

(And yes, the "Fun Theory" has implications for both education and life.)

Enjoy!

Update Note:

I've been trying for a half hour to adjust the size of the video, so you can see it here completely, but I can't figure it out. What I thought would be a quick, fun post is turning out to be a pain. Maybe I should find a set of stairs to climb ... note, this would only make sense if you can actually watch the video. So - hopefully the link will work. (Otherwise, copy and paste: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2lXh2n0aPyw)

It Never Really Goes Away

The news caught me off guard. Two little sentences in the middle of the 6:00 a.m. radio news update, which wakes me up every Monday through Friday. I heard his name and instantly froze. It was a just a simple announcement that the federal appeals court was hearing arguments in his case today, and then the announcer went on to the next news story. No big deal; life as usual.

Except for me. I was surprised at my reaction. After all, it’s been eight and a half years since the trial. I thought I was over it, that his name wouldn’t affect me so deeply anymore. But as I got out of bed and prepared for school, the memories of the courtroom came flooding vividly back.

I was a member of a federal jury for a murder case in February/March 2002. Although there have been a number of important and defining events in my life, the experience of this trial has probably had the most profound and lasting affect on me. It was more than “just” a simple murder case. For three weeks I saw and felt pure evil in a way I have never experienced before or since. I could sense the spiritual warfare taking place in the courtroom. It took a long time for me to work through and process the entire experience. For several months I had trouble even going for walks outside by myself. I wrestled with spiritual issues of good and evil and free will. Even five years later, I would think about it on March 16, the anniversary of our verdict. But gradually I shelved the memories in the back corner of my mind and moved on with the new and exciting adventures God was taking me on (trips to Russia, Alaska, Israel, and South Africa, precious second graders to teach, time spent with family and friends). In fact, during the last couple of years I hardly thought about the trial at all and could finally enjoy the month of March again.

Which is why my reaction yesterday morning totally shocked me. Because I thought I was over it. I thought I had moved on. But as I began crying uncontrollably in the car on the way to school, I realized it really hadn’t gone away for good. The experience permanently changed who I am, and it will always affect me in some way when I hear a news story about it. I’m very thankful for my parents and friends who prayed for me yesterday morning and for my students who kept my mind occupied throughout the school day. Today was better; more numb than teary, but still images occasionally flitted through my mind. I guess it will take a few days to work through it again. And hopefully I’ll be more prepared when the next story hits the news.

Because I guess it will always be there. It will never completely go away, no matter how much I wish it could.

Autumn Beauty

What a perfect day for a hike through the woods to see the beauty of God's creation.

Blessed are you, O Lord our God, King of the universe!