Friday, February 26, 2010

Ahead?

Well, it is Friday evening, and surprisingly I have had a productive afternoon. I almost always have good intentions for Friday afternoon, but rarely accomplish those intentions. My roommate from last semester is staying with me this weekend, so as soon as I got back from English this afternoon, I started cleaning the room (thankfully, it wasn't too messy). I then did a little bit of laundry, and got to homework. I got an extra credit paper written, and my prayer letter written. I have three assignments due this coming week: got two done this afternoon, and the other assignment I got done yesterday afternoon. What has come over me? I will tell you what though, homework isn't as bad when you are able to do it at your own pace, and not have a quickly approaching time frame. Something happened this week though, and I have been getting ahead on my homework. We shall see how long it lasts.

Another praise/prayer is a job possibility. I was asked to apply for a job in the business office. I turned my application in on Monday afternoon, and got an email today asking if I could stop by and discuss some things with them. I would love to get the job because it is almost the ideal college job. I would start out with five hours a week, working my way up to ten hours a week. I would work secretarial/front window doing office work. Another neat aspect of this job is that I would be sharing an office with a dear staff woman whom I look up to. I am not really that stressed though because I know if God wants this job for me, He will provide it for me, but if He doesn't want me to have it, He has someone else better for the job. I was just honored to be asked.

Weirdly enough, I think I am going to get back to some homework, and start working on some homework I plan to finish while on spring break (this time next week, I will be well on my way to NJ to meet up with my parents, and some close family friends!).

Tuesday, February 23, 2010

and you wonder why...

And you wonder why I have such a passion for teaching, and for children? Well, let me give you a few reasons why....

1) This is a God given passion of mine. I absolutely love children and spending time with them, and I love teaching. One of the greatest joys someone with this passion can have is when you have been trying to teach something to a student, and all of a sudden 'the light bulb goes off' and their face lights up. God gave me this passion and the gifts to carry it through. All glory goes to Him for this desire and passion.

2) I get to be a big kid. I have the opportunity to color, and cut, and glue, and everything else like that. I am constantly dealing with fun colors.

3) It is a challenge and delight when you accomplish that challenge to put this lesson on the level of the students you are teaching. Especially with elementary education, I get to think up creative activities for the students to do to instill the lesson in their mind. I have had the opportunity in Children's Church at church, and I have learned so much more about some of the Bible Stories because I had to think up 6-10 activities to get the story and application across to the children.

4) Have you ever thought of how technology can be a part of your classroom? I didn't so much until this semester in taking Introduction to 21st Century Classroom Technology. I have learned more practical applications for my future classroom in this class, then any other. Most of us think of Microsoft Word as a tool to type papers and documents, but that isn't even the beginning of what you can do on Microsoft Word. Even the kindergarten students can use it. If they are learning shapes, get them on Microsoft Word and let them use the shapes option to make pictures out of shapes (such as a person: circle for head, square for the trunk, rectangle for arms and legs and so on). Kids are learning the computer at an earlier and earlier age, and therefore they need to be taught earlier (they may be required to make a powerpoint presentation in third grade). With doing this, it teaches the child how to click and drag, how to open a program, and other lessons. As a teacher, I can use Microsoft Word to type letters home to the parents with pictures and up-to-date information. All over the internet are interactive games to help instill the lessons taught in the classroom. As a teacher, I can create a blog for my parents to check out where I can keep them up-to-date on what is happening in the classroom, without having to waste paper. This is just beginning on my excitement for the technology aspect of teaching.

These are just a few reasons as to why I am confident that I am to be in elementary education. God has been so good to me in making this clear to me. Many people switch their major several times throughout college, but elementary education has been my dream since fourth grade. Praise the Lord for His provision.

Wednesday, February 17, 2010

Prescription for Contentment

Never allow yourself to complain about anything
--not even the weather.

Never picture yourself in any other circumstance or someplace else.

Never compare your lot with another's

Never allow yourself to wish this or that had been otherwise.

Never dwell on tomorrow
--remember that tomorrow is God's, not ours.

Monday, February 15, 2010

Isaiah 1:18

Once again, we are getting snow. Nothing new with that. According to one of my professors, this is a record for Beckley, WV for total snow accumulation for this winter season. While I was on Christmas break, they got 2 feet plus. Last week, it snowed Tuesday afternoon, was blizzarding (is that even a word?) all day Wednesday, and heavy snows on and off throughout Friday. Rumor has it we had a total of about a foot and a half accumulation from those three days. We had a little break over the weekend, and it started back up again today. At times, it is snowing so hard you can barely see across the parking lot, but other times, it is just a very graceful snow.

It is fun though to hear everyone here on campus go crazy about how much snow we are getting, and how ready they are for it to be done. For the most part, I am loving the snow. It is so beautiful though. It does make it a little more difficult though to walk from class to class though in dress shoes and a skirt, but it is just absolutely beautiful. Another minor disadvantage to this snow, is student drivers- agh! I am used to being home where if it was really bad, my Dad would spoil me and drive me to work, or we would take his 4x4 truck where we needed to go. But here at college, hardly any students have 4x4 and they don't know how to drive in the weather. Oh well, it is teaching me trust.

I have to laugh a little bit though too, because at home, they are almost totally bare, and here I am getting it in WV, and they are getting it in TX, but not in VT.

When you think of snow, and the beauty of it, remember how God has washed us white as snow: Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool (Isaiah 1:18). We do not deserve to be washed as white as snow, but God has, and I know I need the constant reminder to thank Him for washing me as white as snow!

Thursday, February 11, 2010

don't forget Haiti

Shamefully, I find myself not thinking of Haiti as often because it is no longer all over the news, and new and fresh in my mind. Even if all of the destruction from the earthquake were fixed, they would still need prayer. These people are lost, most of them do not know the Lord. Please don't forget the Haitians and their most important need--Jesus Christ.

A friend of mine, who I went to Haiti with, shared this with me, and I found it be a great encouragement. I hope you do too:

Tuesday, February 9, 2010

SNOW

I was bored the other day in between studying.

Apparently this has been a big year for WV in getting snow. Last week we got a ton of freezing rain and slush, and then over the weekend some snow. This morning, I walked to class through an inch and a half (or so) while wearing my flats. It is snowing pretty good today, but is so beautiful. On my way to class (which ended up being cancelled), I had like three snowflakes fly into my eye- yikes! A couple of weeks ago when the same thing happened to my friend, I joking told her that that wasn't possible, because that is why God created eyelashes. So when I was walking to class with that same friend this morning, I made sure to tell her that my eyelashes had failed me, lol.

While going through a storm, I am commonly reminded of how no two snowflakes are the same. What a creative God we serve. I might be able to be creative enough for a handful of snow throughout my lifetime, but all the snow that ever existed, exists, and is yet to exist, wow! Enjoy these snow pictures from campus.




(it was really hard looking into the snow.)

Check out the lyrics to the song "SNOW" sung in the movie, "White Christmas":

Monday, February 8, 2010

kids say the cutest things

The little boy asked his teacher, "Do you think Noah did a lot of fishing while on the ark?"
Another student responded, "How could he? He only had two worms."

Monday Morning

Not feeling well this morning. Praying that I will get to feeling better soon, and that I will make it to spring break- hooray. Everyone have a nice day.

Saturday, February 6, 2010

Watching God at work

I am so excited. Today has been such a good day, and I am so thankful to the Lord for it. It has been fun being inside watching it snow outside. It has been a productive day. One of my tasks for today was to study for my lesson for Children's Church tomorrow. I must confess that it has been a little exhausting lately. I work with the children on Wednesday nights, and am supposed to teach the first Sunday of the month, but because last Sunday was the fifth Sunday, it was my week to cover, and then of course I have this Sunday. I enjoy teaching and working with the children, but I have been missing the fellowship with adults.

Yesterday in Personal Evangelism and Discipleship, we watched a movie by Ray Vander Laan talked about what a disciple is. I was really impacted by this movie that I am not living the life of a true disciple. A disciple would ask to follow a Rabbi. If the Rabbi allowed, this young man would watch everything he did, and mimic it. Take for instance in the Bible: when Jesus went off to pray, his disciples went to follow him. The disciples spent all of their time with the Lord. Why do I find it so hard to give God just a small portion of my day? Towards the end of the movie, Ray Vandar Laan asked, "How badly do you want to be like Jesus?"

What would you know, tomorrow's lesson for children's church comes from Matthew 4:18-22; 10:2-4. I think God is trying to say something to me. These passages have to do with Jesus choosing his disciples.

At the beginning, I was kind of bummed to be put with the 4s and 5s because they don't understand things as deeply as say, a fourth grader. God is definitely softening my heart though, and I feel this experience is helping me grow more then if I were working with older kids. I am having to stretch myself and become creative on how I will present the lesson to the kids so that they can understand the truth of the Bible, and then be able to apply it throughout the week. I am having fun (most of the time) trying to find activities to get the point across. One of my goals is that every activity we do throughout that time, that it relates to the story. Sometimes it is a bit challenging to find a craft that has to do with the story. Some of my challenges have been a craft to do with offering (Mark 12: 41-44), and the story of Lydia (Acts 16:11-15). I didn't particularly like the book's craft idea for tomorrow because it was just something like decorating one of the disciple's names. So I got to thinking and decided to make my own coloring sheet. It was a lot of fun thinking up, and watching as the thoughts evolved into a more in depth craft. Here they count the fish and count that there are twelve, their memory verse is on there, and they can remember how God said, "I will make you fishers of men". I am pleased with the end result and can't wait to share this excitement with the children in the morning. To God be the glory, great things He hath done!


Friday, February 5, 2010

Chapel

When you go to chapel three times a week, sometimes it can grow monotonous. I came into college making it my goal that this not happen. One specific thing that is hard is the fact that I am constantly being challenged from the Word, and it can be hard to apply things when you are not only being spiritually challenged three times a week (I am usually challenged one way or another during each class too). Well, I wanted to go over some of my chapel notes, and share some of the funny stories, inspirational quotes and so on. So enjoy and allow yourself to be challenged.

"The heart bone is connected to the mouth bone" -Rev. Craig Hartman

"If you are going to persevere at anything, you must: (2 Samuel 23)
1) Join a cause greater then you
2) Learn to push yourself when you are tired
3) Never see obstacles as insurmountable
4) Don't follow a coward, especially a whole crowd of them
5) Do what is right, and not necessarily what is easy
6) Give God a chance to do something great
7) Get back up" -Dean Childs
Application: Try not to use the word 'busy' for one week, but instead, do the tasks joyfully

"Death is the most certain thing in an uncertain life." -Rev. Bobby Sizemore

"Isn't it wonderful to be loved by The Father?!" -Rev. Stephen Zimmerman

"How to pray for a missionary:
1) Contacts (Colossians 4:3)
2) Clarity (Colossians 4:4)
3) Courage (Ephesians 6:18-20)
4) Conversions (2 Thessalonians 3:1)
5) Care (2 Thessalonians 3:1)
We need to be involved in the air war before we can ever be involved in the ground war. " -Rev. Paul Seger

"What one generation tolerates, the next generation propagates." -Dr. Daniel Anderson

Story told by Jody Stevens: There was a raging storm outside and the mother was tucking her son into bed when he asked, "Mommy, I am scared. Will you sleep in my room tonight?" The mother gave her son a warm hug and said in a soft voice "No honey, I have to sleep in Daddy's room." The little boy sat there for a few moments and then said, "Big Sissy".

Story told by Dean Childs: A little boy asked his mom, "Mommy, what is a lie?". The mother replied, "An abomination to the Lord, and a very present help in time of need."