I arrive at school before 7 on good days. Today when I pulled up there were 3 police cars in the teacher parking lot. I think hum, that's unusual and keep walking towards the door. When I get to the door instead of walking in the one door that is unlocked, a teacher meets me there and opens the door. Again, strange, but oh well. THEN, I run into Erika. "Apparently, there is a Crazy! lady in the school. Coach just told me." "Awesome." We talked about it more and walked to the teacher's lounge. We walk in and Senor is there. "Did you hear about the Crazy White lady that is running around the building?!" "Oh, so she's white?" Now that's funny. Sure the thought of a probably homeless person running around Whitehaven High is kind of funny, but now it's hilarious.
Warning: Teachers if you could please step to your doors and buzz the office if you see any person without a visitors pass. (AKA watch out for those crazy white ladies. They can cause you problems.)
Other note: Kids are funny. They say some of the most random things, such as "Girl if I wanted to see blue people I would find some midget to look at."
Thursday, March 18, 2010
Sunday, March 14, 2010
It's a girl thing
In the classroom, we had some downtime while I was transitioning some of my stuff. I had a class of 8 girls and 3 boys. We were missing two of the boys, so it was a class of girls. The girls started talking about the movie Taken. One girl explained the plot and then the rest of the girls joined in and the conversation took a turn. Girl 1 "Man, I wish my daddy would do that for me!"
All the girls: "Yeah." Girl 2: "Having a daddy that would take care of you like that would be awesome! That girl was lucky that she had them." Girl 3: "If my dad could do that stuff that would be great."
A lot of girls have Dad issues. It's different for boys. We don't need respect, but we need a Father that will hold us and speak to our hearts words of love and acceptance. We need a Dad that will whisper "you're beautiful" on those days we feel our worst. We need a protector.
Today in church Brian Loritts talked about prayer. He said some really convicting things that pierced my heart. However, the part of the sermon that made me tear up the most was when he told a story about a dad who's adoptive son is being a "prodigal son." Brian cried out recalling his friend's hurt over his son's betrayal saying, "The thing that makes my adoptive son so different is that I chose him! I prayed over him and I looked at picture after picture, but I chose him." (I started to tear up here)
This is how our Father loves us. He chose us! He gave his life for us. He is yearning for us to depend on him. Hearing this satisfies the part of my heart that hasn't been filled by my earthly father. I know that I will have my Father whispering in my ear even when I feel like I can't do it anymore. He is the most dependable being.
With this, I have to run to him. When I am not praying, I am saying I don't need to share my life with you. I can handle it on my own. Leaning on my own strength is not only not beneficial to me, but it is the worst betrayal I could do to my Father. Since the Father has chosen us, it only makes the betrayal cut deeper.
All the girls: "Yeah." Girl 2: "Having a daddy that would take care of you like that would be awesome! That girl was lucky that she had them." Girl 3: "If my dad could do that stuff that would be great."
A lot of girls have Dad issues. It's different for boys. We don't need respect, but we need a Father that will hold us and speak to our hearts words of love and acceptance. We need a Dad that will whisper "you're beautiful" on those days we feel our worst. We need a protector.
Today in church Brian Loritts talked about prayer. He said some really convicting things that pierced my heart. However, the part of the sermon that made me tear up the most was when he told a story about a dad who's adoptive son is being a "prodigal son." Brian cried out recalling his friend's hurt over his son's betrayal saying, "The thing that makes my adoptive son so different is that I chose him! I prayed over him and I looked at picture after picture, but I chose him." (I started to tear up here)
This is how our Father loves us. He chose us! He gave his life for us. He is yearning for us to depend on him. Hearing this satisfies the part of my heart that hasn't been filled by my earthly father. I know that I will have my Father whispering in my ear even when I feel like I can't do it anymore. He is the most dependable being.
With this, I have to run to him. When I am not praying, I am saying I don't need to share my life with you. I can handle it on my own. Leaning on my own strength is not only not beneficial to me, but it is the worst betrayal I could do to my Father. Since the Father has chosen us, it only makes the betrayal cut deeper.
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
Classroom Graveyard
The title sounds a little morbid and maybe it is, but it's what I thought of today.
It's the end of the nine-weeks which means time to check bellwork journals. I was going through the bellwork journals that the students keep in the classroom making sure they have doing their assignments. I get to the end of the pile and I find a journal that has not been picked up in a long while. I flip it open and read some of the words and reflect on the student who used the journal.
She was funny. Talked a ton, but it was always really fast. She loved answering questions in class and saying the most random things. The weirdest food she has ever eaten was cow tongue, and like most students her favorite thing to was dance. She got nervous when standing in front of the class, but once she closed her eyes could lay out a rap that blew me away.
I close the journal, get up from the desk, and walk to the back closet. In the back closet you will find a stack of 15 journals of students that are no longer in our class. Most have transferred or their class was only a semester. I wish each of these students success and hope that they lead a purpose filled life.
This particular girl's story is more sad than usual. She got into it with one of the teachers and somehow attacked him. I don't think there was any physical altercation, but I believe it was verbal. She was going to make something of herself, but now she's in alternative school. Hopefully she won't see this as a set back and will make better decisions in the future.
It's the end of the nine-weeks which means time to check bellwork journals. I was going through the bellwork journals that the students keep in the classroom making sure they have doing their assignments. I get to the end of the pile and I find a journal that has not been picked up in a long while. I flip it open and read some of the words and reflect on the student who used the journal.
She was funny. Talked a ton, but it was always really fast. She loved answering questions in class and saying the most random things. The weirdest food she has ever eaten was cow tongue, and like most students her favorite thing to was dance. She got nervous when standing in front of the class, but once she closed her eyes could lay out a rap that blew me away.
I close the journal, get up from the desk, and walk to the back closet. In the back closet you will find a stack of 15 journals of students that are no longer in our class. Most have transferred or their class was only a semester. I wish each of these students success and hope that they lead a purpose filled life.
This particular girl's story is more sad than usual. She got into it with one of the teachers and somehow attacked him. I don't think there was any physical altercation, but I believe it was verbal. She was going to make something of herself, but now she's in alternative school. Hopefully she won't see this as a set back and will make better decisions in the future.
Saturday, March 6, 2010
Ahas of Thursday and Friday
This week was rough, but Thursday night and Friday were amazing.
As a young girl with high hopes and dreams I often fantasized about different ways I could reach people all around the world for the gospel. At one point I had decided that if all of Hollywood (celebrities in general) was converted, it would cause a wave of revival to ripple through America. Everyone has contact with Hollywood. Celebrities fill the media, news, and is a high topic of conversation between people. During these dreams of spreading the gospel, I decided the two best people for me to convert would be Reba and Julia Roberts. If only these two women fully knew the gospel everything would change (fist pounding). As I got older I realized the fact that it takes more than just saying you are a Christian to make you a Christian, so my dreams have changed.
ALL of this to say....
I saw Reba and George Strait in concert on Thursday night with my little sis and Emily. It was phenomenal. Friday night I had the incredible opportunity to see Eric Clapton LIVE with Hopey. While sitting in these concerts I had an AHA! I was seeing these three people that I have loved as artist IN PERSON! It was (as I've already said) incredible. Then it hit me....
This is how the gospel is. We can hear about the gospel and admire it from a distance, but until we fully experience the gospel it doesn't have full meaning in our life. We have to live through it in order to have full effect and conversion. It doesn't change us until we confront the gospel face to face. This is why we have to be reminded of the gospel daily. Not long from now, while I sit at my computer posting a blog, I will forget what that felt like watching Reba dance across the stage, or George Strait serenading me straight to the heart, or watching Eric hammer away on his guitar as effortlessly as typing on the computer. It's only with running to Christ and living out the gospel daily and experiencing it that we truly understand what the Lord meant in all of this. It gives us a starting point. It changes everything.
As a young girl with high hopes and dreams I often fantasized about different ways I could reach people all around the world for the gospel. At one point I had decided that if all of Hollywood (celebrities in general) was converted, it would cause a wave of revival to ripple through America. Everyone has contact with Hollywood. Celebrities fill the media, news, and is a high topic of conversation between people. During these dreams of spreading the gospel, I decided the two best people for me to convert would be Reba and Julia Roberts. If only these two women fully knew the gospel everything would change (fist pounding). As I got older I realized the fact that it takes more than just saying you are a Christian to make you a Christian, so my dreams have changed.
ALL of this to say....
I saw Reba and George Strait in concert on Thursday night with my little sis and Emily. It was phenomenal. Friday night I had the incredible opportunity to see Eric Clapton LIVE with Hopey. While sitting in these concerts I had an AHA! I was seeing these three people that I have loved as artist IN PERSON! It was (as I've already said) incredible. Then it hit me....
This is how the gospel is. We can hear about the gospel and admire it from a distance, but until we fully experience the gospel it doesn't have full meaning in our life. We have to live through it in order to have full effect and conversion. It doesn't change us until we confront the gospel face to face. This is why we have to be reminded of the gospel daily. Not long from now, while I sit at my computer posting a blog, I will forget what that felt like watching Reba dance across the stage, or George Strait serenading me straight to the heart, or watching Eric hammer away on his guitar as effortlessly as typing on the computer. It's only with running to Christ and living out the gospel daily and experiencing it that we truly understand what the Lord meant in all of this. It gives us a starting point. It changes everything.
Wednesday, March 3, 2010
Husband List
I have a mental husband list. It is men who I admire and would want to live their life. Most of them are authors. One day when I am bored, I will write out my list so far on here, but today I only have one man to add.
Mosab Hassan Yousef
I haven't read his book, but I bet it's interesting. I have read part of his story, and I was convinced. He would be a good husband...
Mosab Hassan Yousef
I haven't read his book, but I bet it's interesting. I have read part of his story, and I was convinced. He would be a good husband...
Favorite Past time...
I have had a lot of downtime in the past months I have been in the classroom. My new favorite past time has become surfing the BBC headlines. Here is what I found today....
There is this really awesome dad who took amazing pictures. They sold for thousands of dollars. Museums made long lists of the several different galleries they were going to have highlighting the different photographs. Opening event finally came, and someone broke into a famous museum's computers, disabled security, and stole all the photographs. The museum fired the head of security. The bad guys were captured in a public dispute.
There is this really awesome dad who took amazing pictures. They sold for thousands of dollars. Museums made long lists of the several different galleries they were going to have highlighting the different photographs. Opening event finally came, and someone broke into a famous museum's computers, disabled security, and stole all the photographs. The museum fired the head of security. The bad guys were captured in a public dispute.
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