It's been an interesting week. It started with two meals on Sunday at a new restaurant in town. Once at lunch, and once at dinner. The dinner was an early birthday dinner as Tuesday night was reserved by a friend of mine. Dinner was me and four friends and we had a really good time sitting and joking and just forgetting where we were. The restaurant even gave us all brownies and bananas for desert!
Monday was nothing special.
Tuesday was a busy day that ended with dinner at my friend's place. She had made me a fabulous cake that morning and the department sang to me and it was just wonderful. All day long was just good. Students saying happy birthday (how they found out, I have no idea), singing to me, hugs from the most unlikely of places, and just a general good time. Wednesday was another normal day, followed by an interesting night at a friend's and then back for bed. Thursday was Earth Day and so the day was just weird. We had appreciation day from the seniors and all got a card and a rose. Kind of sweet.
Friday was a busy day. Teaching and meetings and getting things done and getting other things fixed...
And today is Saturday. I woke up this morning, sat around for a while reading and just having a relaxing morning. I went to school for rehearsal after lunch, and it turned out to be good. If they can remember everything for their last two rehearsals, we'll be fine for the concert.
THEN, I went to a shop nearby the gate. He sells jewelry, and it's where I got my nose done and my ears repierced. He's awesome and is actually going to teach me a new language this summer while I'm here. I've been trying to get an earing stand from him for months and he finally had it! He also remembered that I had mentioned my birthday when I saw him the other day, so he gave me a pair of earing for my birthday. He cracks me up.
I waited for a friend to show up, and then we proceeded to the hospital for our eye exams. The ophthalmologist only comes up once a month, so you get in now, or you have to wait. We were the second people there, and the doctor was supposed arrive at 4 (we got there at 3:30 since it's first come, first serve), and he didn't show up until 5:30!!! TII. Got my eyes checked out, and found out that my right eye has indeed gotten worse, so I have my new prescription and will be getting new glasses soon. I talked to him about contacts, but he didn't have his stuff. So, next month he said he'll bring it up, so I'll go see him again. It's about time I got some contacts. Glasses make me made on more than the general occasion.
Anyway. That's my life right now, it was a fast, and yet really long week. Tomorrow morning, the music department is taking over chapel. The band is playing the prelude, brass ensemble playing hymns, choir is singing the offertory, and then the brass is playing the postlude. It should be good. Well, I hope it will be good. We've worked too hard for it to be bad.
And then, next weekend, the concerts (April 30/May 1)
On May 8th (the weekend), I am getting out of the village for a day or two. It will be expensive, but totally needed at this point.
The next weekend (15th), I'm going off the mountain with a friend to hit the import store and see what we can get there so she doesn't bring back things that are available here.
And the next weekend is graduation and we finish!
The next week I will be taking a trip down to a temple city so that will be good.
And now, apparently, I am officially a leader for the 9th grade field trip next year. We will be going to a few places I haven't been, so I'm excited.
Word.
Saturday, April 24, 2010
Saturday, April 17, 2010
God-incidence
Learning this week about God putting people in our lives at certain moments and those moments speaking to us. Beth Moore discusses this in the Bible study this week about King Xerxes realizing after five years that he hasn't thanked Mordecai for saving his life, and asking his right hand man, Haman, what to do for someone whom the king wishes to honor. Haman, of course, thinks of himself only and goes into elaborate details about the robe of the king being put on the man and for him to be led through town on the king's horse with everyone bowing to him... God worked all of that out together to save the Jews from the edict Haman had sent out...
Wednesday night, I came home ill from school. I didn't want to eat, I didn't want to take medicine. I just wanted to sleep. And sleep I did. After a bit, I got a phone call from an unknown number, and while I don't usually answer, I thought I should this time. It was a woman from our Bible study who had heard God tell her to pray for me and wanted to share some scripture with me. God truly sent this message to her and it was enough to get me going to at least make something to eat that night.
There are times when God makes things happen that just speak right to us. This has happened numerous times to me over the last few months, and I am so thankful that He is sending messages through various people in my life. It keeps me going and pushing. It also helps me correct myself. I am thankful for the people in my life who will tell me when I am wrong. Only by being told can I fix it, and I am grateful.
God is good.
Wednesday night, I came home ill from school. I didn't want to eat, I didn't want to take medicine. I just wanted to sleep. And sleep I did. After a bit, I got a phone call from an unknown number, and while I don't usually answer, I thought I should this time. It was a woman from our Bible study who had heard God tell her to pray for me and wanted to share some scripture with me. God truly sent this message to her and it was enough to get me going to at least make something to eat that night.
There are times when God makes things happen that just speak right to us. This has happened numerous times to me over the last few months, and I am so thankful that He is sending messages through various people in my life. It keeps me going and pushing. It also helps me correct myself. I am thankful for the people in my life who will tell me when I am wrong. Only by being told can I fix it, and I am grateful.
God is good.
Friday, April 9, 2010
God's Cake
I just want to share with you something a friend of mine sent me this morning. It really encouraged me as I work through a rough time in my life...
God's cake...
This is about the best thing I've ever read as an explanation.
Sometimes we wonder, 'What did I do to deserve this?' or 'Why did God have to do this to me?' Here is a wonderful explanation!
A daughter is telling her Mother how everything is going wrong, she's failing algebra, her boyfriend broke up with her and her best friend is moving away.
Meanwhile, her Mother is baking a cake and asks her daughter if she would like a snack, and the daughter says, 'Absolutely Mom, I love your cake.'
'Here, have some cooking oil,' her Mother offers.
'Yuck' says her daughter.
'How about a couple raw eggs?' 'Gross, Mom!'
'Would you like some flour then? Or maybe baking soda?'
'Mom, those are all yucky!'
To which the mother replies: ‘Yes, all those things seem bad all by themselves. But when they are put together in the right way, they make a wonderfully delicious cake!
‘God works the same way. Many times we wonder why He would let us go through such bad and difficult times. But God knows that when He puts these things all in His order, they always work for good! We just have to trust Him and, eventually, they will all make something wonderful!
God is crazy about you. He sends you flowers every spring and a sunrise every morning. Whenever you want to talk, He'll listen. He can live anywhere in the universe, and He chose your heart.
God's cake...
This is about the best thing I've ever read as an explanation.
Sometimes we wonder, 'What did I do to deserve this?' or 'Why did God have to do this to me?' Here is a wonderful explanation!
A daughter is telling her Mother how everything is going wrong, she's failing algebra, her boyfriend broke up with her and her best friend is moving away.
Meanwhile, her Mother is baking a cake and asks her daughter if she would like a snack, and the daughter says, 'Absolutely Mom, I love your cake.'
'Here, have some cooking oil,' her Mother offers.
'Yuck' says her daughter.
'How about a couple raw eggs?' 'Gross, Mom!'
'Would you like some flour then? Or maybe baking soda?'
'Mom, those are all yucky!'
To which the mother replies: ‘Yes, all those things seem bad all by themselves. But when they are put together in the right way, they make a wonderfully delicious cake!
‘God works the same way. Many times we wonder why He would let us go through such bad and difficult times. But God knows that when He puts these things all in His order, they always work for good! We just have to trust Him and, eventually, they will all make something wonderful!
God is crazy about you. He sends you flowers every spring and a sunrise every morning. Whenever you want to talk, He'll listen. He can live anywhere in the universe, and He chose your heart.
Tuesday, April 6, 2010
Meanderings on the beach...
6:20pm:
Looking out through the rain, the sun shines through the clouds and onto one spot of the distant ocean. The fish beneath the surface, unaware of the storm surrounding them, keep swimming; oblivious.
The body around suffers. There is rain, thunder, lightning = storms. Clouds abundant. One ray peering through, untouched by the storm. God's peace. In the midst of everything, the soul is calm. No fear. No worry. His Grace is more than enough. Amazing love. So good. There is nothing like it. Life storms around, but the eye of the hurricane is perfectly calm. Nothing can shake a center anchored by God. Isn't that what they say? is it achievable? A reminder on the ocean this evening to be at peace. To strive for contentment. God is good.
7:27pm:
Writing in a ten rupee book. A cafe on the beach. Fresh fish on the stand, brought in after a days work. Thunder in the distance, a flash of lightning. The power that surrounds us. Red dresses, orange saris. Black hair, blonde hair, and some crazy green hair. All these people coming together in the unlikeliest of places. We are on an adventure, destined to cross paths and become a sentence in another story. A shared cup of tea, war stories and battle scars. A few laughs and we part ways, joyful for the momentary eclipse of our paths. When the sun's light is seen again, it brings a new view of the world, a fresh perspective. New light shining on a new journey.
That, among other things was this weekend. The train ride back included three kids who were just too cute that I got to share biscuits with. I did not know any of their language, but bonding over sweets is something every kid is good at in any corner of the world. It was a good weekend. Refreshing. What I needed to keep going strong for the remainder of the semester.
Here we go!
Looking out through the rain, the sun shines through the clouds and onto one spot of the distant ocean. The fish beneath the surface, unaware of the storm surrounding them, keep swimming; oblivious.
The body around suffers. There is rain, thunder, lightning = storms. Clouds abundant. One ray peering through, untouched by the storm. God's peace. In the midst of everything, the soul is calm. No fear. No worry. His Grace is more than enough. Amazing love. So good. There is nothing like it. Life storms around, but the eye of the hurricane is perfectly calm. Nothing can shake a center anchored by God. Isn't that what they say? is it achievable? A reminder on the ocean this evening to be at peace. To strive for contentment. God is good.
7:27pm:
Writing in a ten rupee book. A cafe on the beach. Fresh fish on the stand, brought in after a days work. Thunder in the distance, a flash of lightning. The power that surrounds us. Red dresses, orange saris. Black hair, blonde hair, and some crazy green hair. All these people coming together in the unlikeliest of places. We are on an adventure, destined to cross paths and become a sentence in another story. A shared cup of tea, war stories and battle scars. A few laughs and we part ways, joyful for the momentary eclipse of our paths. When the sun's light is seen again, it brings a new view of the world, a fresh perspective. New light shining on a new journey.
That, among other things was this weekend. The train ride back included three kids who were just too cute that I got to share biscuits with. I did not know any of their language, but bonding over sweets is something every kid is good at in any corner of the world. It was a good weekend. Refreshing. What I needed to keep going strong for the remainder of the semester.
Here we go!
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
Some quotes...
"Pray hardest when it is hardest to pray"
"There are more than 2 billion professing 'believers' in the world today. Think about that, two thousand million people who say they follow Jesus Christ! So why then are there so many needy countries and areas of spiritual darkness in the world today? The problem lies in the kind of Christianity practiced by the majority of believers today... Instead millions of Christians are asleep snoring away while they wait for the Lord to return." ~ Brother Yun
Can you really think about that?! That means that if every professing talked to and discipled two people, the entire world would be saved! I mean, please, really think about that, and then ponder why on earth there are still non-believers in the world!!!!
"There are more than 2 billion professing 'believers' in the world today. Think about that, two thousand million people who say they follow Jesus Christ! So why then are there so many needy countries and areas of spiritual darkness in the world today? The problem lies in the kind of Christianity practiced by the majority of believers today... Instead millions of Christians are asleep snoring away while they wait for the Lord to return." ~ Brother Yun
Can you really think about that?! That means that if every professing talked to and discipled two people, the entire world would be saved! I mean, please, really think about that, and then ponder why on earth there are still non-believers in the world!!!!
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
In a world without God...
... there is much to be hoped for.
Today, there was a lot of discussion among people about the health care bill (or lack there of?). Many people came to me to ask my opinion as I am a citizen of that great country. I explained that I am not for it. While I think there is reform that needs to happen, I do not think the government stepping in is the solution.
But what do I really think is going on? I think that there is a lack of God in our lives. I feel this is what is going on throughout the world, in small communities and big communities. I feel that a lack of God's guidance in our school influenced the situation that took place two weeks ago. A lack of God's guidance has influenced the turn America has taken. A lack of God's guidance has caused so many things that were once great to fall by the wayside and deteriorate.
God needs to come back into our lives, our homes, our communities, our schools, our courts, and our leaders. I pray for my home country tonight in this time of turmoil. I pray for everyone I know who is moving back there in the next few months. I pray for everyone who is going to be penalized under this new bill. I pray for everyone who will no longer have freedom over their own care. I pray for everyone who will deal with the negative consequences that Pelosi and Obama and the rest of the Democrats are forgetting to tell us about.
I pray for all of you still over there, whether you were for it or against it, that God comes back and shows you that He is still in control and wants what's best for us.
<3
'It is impossible to govern the world without God and the Bible. Of all the dispositions and habits that lead to political prosperity, our religion and morality are the indispensable supporters... Reason and experience both forbid us to expect that our national morality can prevail in exclusion of religious pr...inciple.' - George Washington - September 19th, 1796
Today, there was a lot of discussion among people about the health care bill (or lack there of?). Many people came to me to ask my opinion as I am a citizen of that great country. I explained that I am not for it. While I think there is reform that needs to happen, I do not think the government stepping in is the solution.
But what do I really think is going on? I think that there is a lack of God in our lives. I feel this is what is going on throughout the world, in small communities and big communities. I feel that a lack of God's guidance in our school influenced the situation that took place two weeks ago. A lack of God's guidance has influenced the turn America has taken. A lack of God's guidance has caused so many things that were once great to fall by the wayside and deteriorate.
God needs to come back into our lives, our homes, our communities, our schools, our courts, and our leaders. I pray for my home country tonight in this time of turmoil. I pray for everyone I know who is moving back there in the next few months. I pray for everyone who is going to be penalized under this new bill. I pray for everyone who will no longer have freedom over their own care. I pray for everyone who will deal with the negative consequences that Pelosi and Obama and the rest of the Democrats are forgetting to tell us about.
I pray for all of you still over there, whether you were for it or against it, that God comes back and shows you that He is still in control and wants what's best for us.
<3
'It is impossible to govern the world without God and the Bible. Of all the dispositions and habits that lead to political prosperity, our religion and morality are the indispensable supporters... Reason and experience both forbid us to expect that our national morality can prevail in exclusion of religious pr...inciple.' - George Washington - September 19th, 1796
Saturday, March 20, 2010
Transient Life
There are many ideas for blogs running through my head at the moment, but I have settled on this one for today: Transient Life.
Life is about stages and about changing and growing. Part of that changing and growing will be discussed in my next entry, but today is about how moving changes things.
I spent my afternoon with a group of people that is spectacular. Three sets of parents, a single mom and then myself... the kids were there as well... when it comes down to it, I think that there were seven kids there. After lunch, somehow the women ended up in the living room having discussions about family, family units, and home. We were discussing how some people are chameleons, with no "home" to go to. There is not one place they think of that is home. And others, their whole family lives on one compound together and cousins are like brothers and sisters.
There is something to be said for having lived around the world. It is an amazing experience, and you can't learn many of these lessons in any other way. But there is also something lost when you are away, or when a family is separated. When I lived up north, my family was all pretty much living on one street. There was always somewhere to go, someone's house to walk into uninvited, and a dinner to be shared. When we moved south, there was no longer family around. When we visited, things were different. We visited often, but it was not the same as it was before.
As I grew up, neither place was 'home'. I would go up north for vacations and say I was going 'home', and then I would leave after the holiday was over and go 'home'. I hadn't been out of the US yes, but was already what is considered a "third culture kid". At 20, I moved to New Zealand for a while, and learned so many things there and eventually left huge parts of my heart there. Relationship-wise, that has been a huge 'home' in my life. I think fondly of that place and the people I met there. I miss them often as much as I miss my own biological family.
I moved back to the states at 21, only to leave when I was 22 to a foreign land. This split my life up quite nicely. I spent about 11.5 years in NY and then 11 years in NC with a six month stint in NZ. Now I've been here for almost two years. My life is split up pretty neatly. But it has left me with an altered sense of 'home'.
There is a Kyle Matthews song that has a line that says: "My heart knows where home is". I may have written about this song before, but increasingly, it is a song that means a lot to me. While some people might consider it a burden to not know where 'home' is, I consider is a blessing. I ascribe to the burden idea at certain times, but it truly is a blessing. I have two towns that I could fly back to right now and have open arms and homes waiting for me. I could fly to New Zealand tomorrow and have dear friends to stay with. And of course, there is here. I have friends in all corners of this country. I have been blessed with people all over the world that I love.
And then I come back to a word that H* said during our conversation this afternoon: chameleon. Chameleons can blend in wherever they are. In a way, that is a huge blessing in itself. People able to adapt to the different cultures and surroundings is a huge benefit. ESPECIALLY if God is calling the people that were in that room to work overseas. Having that ability really changes how you adapt and grow in a new place. It has allowed me to be really comfortable in a society that many people find stifling.
What about you? Are you a chameleon or are you "set in your ways" as far as life goes? Did how you grow up influence the way your life is structured now?
Life is about stages and about changing and growing. Part of that changing and growing will be discussed in my next entry, but today is about how moving changes things.
I spent my afternoon with a group of people that is spectacular. Three sets of parents, a single mom and then myself... the kids were there as well... when it comes down to it, I think that there were seven kids there. After lunch, somehow the women ended up in the living room having discussions about family, family units, and home. We were discussing how some people are chameleons, with no "home" to go to. There is not one place they think of that is home. And others, their whole family lives on one compound together and cousins are like brothers and sisters.
There is something to be said for having lived around the world. It is an amazing experience, and you can't learn many of these lessons in any other way. But there is also something lost when you are away, or when a family is separated. When I lived up north, my family was all pretty much living on one street. There was always somewhere to go, someone's house to walk into uninvited, and a dinner to be shared. When we moved south, there was no longer family around. When we visited, things were different. We visited often, but it was not the same as it was before.
As I grew up, neither place was 'home'. I would go up north for vacations and say I was going 'home', and then I would leave after the holiday was over and go 'home'. I hadn't been out of the US yes, but was already what is considered a "third culture kid". At 20, I moved to New Zealand for a while, and learned so many things there and eventually left huge parts of my heart there. Relationship-wise, that has been a huge 'home' in my life. I think fondly of that place and the people I met there. I miss them often as much as I miss my own biological family.
I moved back to the states at 21, only to leave when I was 22 to a foreign land. This split my life up quite nicely. I spent about 11.5 years in NY and then 11 years in NC with a six month stint in NZ. Now I've been here for almost two years. My life is split up pretty neatly. But it has left me with an altered sense of 'home'.
There is a Kyle Matthews song that has a line that says: "My heart knows where home is". I may have written about this song before, but increasingly, it is a song that means a lot to me. While some people might consider it a burden to not know where 'home' is, I consider is a blessing. I ascribe to the burden idea at certain times, but it truly is a blessing. I have two towns that I could fly back to right now and have open arms and homes waiting for me. I could fly to New Zealand tomorrow and have dear friends to stay with. And of course, there is here. I have friends in all corners of this country. I have been blessed with people all over the world that I love.
And then I come back to a word that H* said during our conversation this afternoon: chameleon. Chameleons can blend in wherever they are. In a way, that is a huge blessing in itself. People able to adapt to the different cultures and surroundings is a huge benefit. ESPECIALLY if God is calling the people that were in that room to work overseas. Having that ability really changes how you adapt and grow in a new place. It has allowed me to be really comfortable in a society that many people find stifling.
What about you? Are you a chameleon or are you "set in your ways" as far as life goes? Did how you grow up influence the way your life is structured now?
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