Livin' the life

I feel like I am living the dream. Living the way I was born to live. Doing what I was created to do. I've been teaching ESL. Teaching Grade 1's and 2's. Teaching women. And teaching students going into university. I've come to realize so many people never come to that place of being completely satisfied in life, and I am grateful.

I was watching a movie tonight about Afghanistan. The women in the movie were given so few educational opportunities, forced to wear burkas which covered their entire bodies and faces from head to toe, forced to even wash clothing under this heavy load, and nowhere to escape their grief or pain. I felt their sadness and cried inside. It's just so foreign to me and what I've experienced so far in my life. Daddy God, you are the only who could prepare me to be a blessing there. More grace and excessive love.

Miracles in the classroom

This week we spoke in class about the novel Charlotte’s Web and about how the farmer thought that the words written on the web were a miracle sent from God. I asked the students if they had ever seen a miracle or what they thought a miracle was. One little boy raised his hand and gave a response, which blessed my heart to no end. “First,” he started, “it began 2007 years ago when a baby was born in a manger. This little boy grew up and did miracles. He healed the sick and even raised the dead. When a little boy brought 5 loaves and fishes this man fed 5000 with it” (his words paraphrased but very close).

I just stood amazed, soaking up every word from this 10-year old boy as he spoke about the life of Jesus. Wow! Children truly are for signs and wonders, and I am so grateful to God for allowing to play a role in His working.

My school I love

So excited! I'm at a cute, little country school with a history of over 100 years. God, you are so good to me. Anyways, the enrollment has been really low, so they might have to cut some classrooms-not good news. I've been thinking about how I could be involved in helping out my school community, and I think I've come with a bit of a plan. I'm in a Grade 5 class that absolutely loves to talk, debate, and make their voices heard. Why not let these students have a voice about their school's future? Why shouldn't they share why Dunach Elementary is the best school in Abbotsford (and the entire universe-kid language)?

So I'm planning to get them to write a letter and then we might be able to send them to the editor of the Abbotsford News. Awesome or what eh? There's just some days when you know you were born for what you're doing. Today is such a day.

William Wilberforce and "Amazing Grace" Part 1

Rescue the perishing. “Open your mouth for the speechless, in the cause of all who are appointed to die. Open your mouth, judge righteously (with all morality), and plead the cause of the poor and needy.” Proverbs 31:8, 9.
Last night I had the opportunity to watch a truly wonderful film, “Amazing Grace.” It is the story of William Wilberforce, the British slavery abolitionist. One man stood in his parliament alone against 300 other Members of Parliament (MP)-all who were in utter disagreement with him about the lives of millions of slaves. I loved to hear him speak boldly and with great passion on the worth and equality of all people. He would not let down no matter how much they tried to “boo” him down. I also thought it was brilliant how he “insulted” his opponents in such a way that even his worst enemies howled with laughter at his wit.
To me the most powerful moment was when one of Wilberforce’s fellow abolitionists read a West Indies’ account of a mother and young child being beaten. In their moment of suffering the mother spoke with much hope to her child, “Do not fear, King Wilberforce is on his way to free us.” “King Wilberforce” was not an actual “king” (he was an MP), but he acted like a true king and fought ferociously on behalf of those who were weak and powerless in his day. His reforms did not end with the abolishment of slavery. He fought for education and societal reforms throughout his entire life. I want to be a king/queen in my day.

More Adventures in the Classroom

I knew I was walking into a dangerous situation-a Grade6/7 classroom. A substitute teacher's nightmare was about to begin. I asked for the class' attention. No response as they continue to chat, chat, chat. I asked for candy to go away(these kids were hyper). I asked for IPods to go away. No response. They did not care about a single thing I said. I asked them to go around and say their name as well as a hobby, which seemed to take an hour because they were constantly interrupting each other with rude comments. What to do? What to do? After that I asked if they had any questions for me. Of course they asked me my first name, my age, and then a question I was not, not, not prepared for. This seemingly sweet, little 11 year old girl with pigtails asked me with a smirk on her face the question: "Are you a virgin?" Whaaaaattttt?!?!?! How do I respond? As a teacher, as a human?? I didn't answer. I finally called the principal in as I recognized nothing I was attempting was bringing them into control. It was amazing how they calmed down with her there.

I knew I had another day, and as I thought about that girl's question, I knew I had to respond. This was an opportunity. So I bundled my courage together, faced the class a second time now with a strategy in place with the principal, I descended upon the class. Right before the math class began, I switched off the overhead, knowing this was the moment- now or never. "Well, boys and girls," I began, "yesterday one of you asked me a question I wasn't prepared for, but today I'm ready." I told them to talk to their parents about sex and then told them why I am a virgin. I couldn't believe how quiet they all were. I had their attention. The only question they had for me was whether I was going to be the 40 year-old virgin. I hope I answered appropriately, "Hopefully not cos when I get married I'm gonna have great sex!"

What started as a really scary situation, turned into actually a lot of fun and a new opportunity to speak about an issue I am very passionate about.

Afghanistan and Canada

Lately, I've been trying to figure out what I think about our soldiers in Afghanistan. I hate fighting, killing etc. as I'm sure all Canadians do. Then I realized though that the Taliban has been blowing up schools (obviously I'm biased in that direction) that Canada and other nations have been building. How can you negotiate with these groups and then how is it enough to only build up schools and infrastructure if others are just going to blow them up?

I had a nice, little chat with one of my favourite friends, a Mr. Darren Fleet. He challenged me that if the Canadian government actually did pour more amounts of money into the country (as nations did to Germany after WWII to see it rebuilt), the people of Afghanistan would be theoretically contented and not need to join and back groups like the Taliban. It would take a lot of money though. Where's all that money gonna come from? and am I willing to be one of those who lays down my comforts to raise others out of poverty? Something to think about.

Free me from pretense

I just finished reading AW Towzer's The Pursuit of God and am absolutely amazed by his deep insights into the heart of man especially around pride and how hard we work to protect it.

He talks about meekness and says "The meek man cares not at all who is greater than he, for he has long ago decided that the esteem of the world is not worth the effort. " He describes a "sense of humor" that the meek person has learned to say, "Oh, so you have been overlooked? They have placed someone else before you? They have whispered that you are pretty small stuff after all? And now you feel hurt because the world is saying about you the very things you havee been saying about yourself? Only yesterday you were telling God that you were nothing, a mere worm of the dust. Where is your consistency? Come on, humble yourself, and cease to care what men think." Then we can rest in God and let Him defend us. Wow! Does that go against the pride or what? But talk about freedom.

Then he attacks our pretense-our continual desire to put our "best foot forward and hide from our inward world of poverty." He describes the fear we so often have of being found out- perhaps the fear of not being as smart as we appear, as spiritual as we appear or the fear of meeting someone who is better than us in whatever gift we might think we have. He goes on to say the only solution is to become like little children. Little kids are happy with what they have without relating it to something or someone else, unafraid of what others think of them.

God's been really knocking me with this, because as a teacher I try to appear to other teachers that I am fully competent/got it all under control when really I have soooo much to learn. I think even with friends we try to appear in control, but we desperately need each other and we can't allow our fear of "being found out" keep up those walls that separate us from loving each other.

Here's a little prayer that goes with it: Lord, make me childlike. Delver me from the urge to compete with another for place or prestige or position. I would be simple and artless as a little child. Deliver me from pose and pretense. Forgive me for thinking of myself. Help me to forget myself and find my true peace in beholding You. Lay upon me Your easy yoke of self-forgetfulness that through it I may find rest. Amen.

A break: longer anyone?

Here's my house that's been blown by the wind in the biggest snow storm for a November in a very, very long time.
Today I've realized how very lazy I can be. I really don't want to go to school tomorrow. I'd much rather stay home and read quietly, do some art, play some music for the rest of the week. I think my real reason is that sometimes I really am afraid of substitute teaching. I never know what classroom I'm gonna end up in. It's hard to always have to take charge over new students (or any students for that matter). I think I'm just far too "kind" for my own good. Grrrrr.... I can be tough. Oh yes, I can. Well, at least no one can accuse me of being a workaholic. That's a good thing.
All I can say is thank you for a warm house with warm food. I always enjoy a good break.

Pro-life: for my sistuhs

Yeah, I'm pro-life and "feminist." I heard a great definition for feminist before: One who believes woman should be first recognized as human beings and then by their female gender. Yup, I'm one of those. The words on the shirt say a feminist is "powerful, compassionate, and a balanced woman" Good words to describe who I'd like to become. What woman doesn't want to and need to feel like she is powerful in life, lives compassionately and balanced (now there is the challenging one for me). The "compassionate" word is the one I think feminists need to think about even when it refers to their unwanted babies.

I'm kind of one of those quieter pro-lifers. I believe that taking the life of a child in their mother's womb is wrong, but I rarely do anything to speak out about this belief. My sister is the vocal one on this topic. I generally don't like talking about topics that might separate me from people I love and care for. Today I was reading in my Bible about Jesus' birth and how Herod, the king of the time, had all the baby boys in Bethlehem under 2 killed. He was jealous of the new "King of the Jews" (Jesus) and wanted to have him destroyed at all cost. Let's just say I got challenged. I was so disturbed about this story. How awful! What a massacre! It made me sick. Suddenly, though, I realized in our nation the same thing has been happening for quite some time through abortion. How could I be so angry about one and not the other? I realized for me it's because abortion is out of my sight, out of my life. I don't have to deal with it on any kind of regular basis.

I want to be one who protects "little ones" (fetus), but also (and perhaps even more) one who fights for young (or old) mothers who have to deal with devastating circumstances around "unwanted pregancy," "negligent fathers" "family disapproval"etc. Sistuhs, we gotta think twice before we let any boy take sex from us. It's just not worth taking that risk for ourselves or our children.

I'll have to write more sometime soon.

Keep on dancing

So I've been taking some dancing classes lately-trying to become the "dancing queen. " I've been paying the price for it too. I've had a pinched nerve in my right leg for about three weeks now, basically limping everywhere I go and feeling like an elderly woman.

So I've asked God why? I just wanna have fun with it and get good at something I've always liked to do. I think I've come to realize I actually wanna get good at dance, so people will look at me and be like "Wow, she's good!" (Kinda sick, but I'm sure if you look kind of deep in yourself, you'll find some of the same pride).

I've also finally noticed God likes to keep me humble, because it keeps me looking at Him. He is a whole lot more interesting than me. Most people don't recognize that dance is God's idea. He loves it. There is actually a verse in Zephaniah 3:17 that says "God will rejoice over us with singing. " That word rejoice in the Hebrew actually means to "spin around" and "dance with intense, even violent motion." Please don't tell me my God is boring, because I will not believe you.

If God wants to send some supernatural grace on my body to help me dance (not only have I been in pain, but I do tend towards downright clumsiness) that would be absolutely wonderful. If not, I'm gonna keep on dancing like those ladies shaking their barn skirts around and teaching Grade 3's how to do that, cos it just brings joy

I love dance from different countries. The pictures show some dancers from China (in the Green) and Kazakhstan (in the pink). [I haven't seen the movie Borat, but I must say Kazakhstan does win the prize in my mind for having beautiful dancing ladies and costumes].