This morning Pastor Roland began a new series looking at Healthy Living through the lens of Paul's first letter to the Thessalonians. As with most series he started at the beginning of the book, focusing on verse 3: We continually remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith, your labor prompted by love and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ. He spoke eloquently challenging us to reflect on whether this could be said of our lives. Were we passionately following our first love? Was our work coming out of our faith in Christ, our labor being prompted by our love for Jesus, and our hope in Christ allowing to endure whatever we were being challenged with in our lives?
I have been thinking about this verse all day wondering what our marriages would be like if this verse became a reality in each of our lives. How differently would we speak and act if we did everything to glorify God? What things would we say to our spouses? What tone of voice would we use when we greet them after we are apart? How would we feel when we are folding the thrid load or laundry or scrubbing the toilet once again. It is all in our attitudes. We have a choice. We can pity ourselves or we can be thankful that we have a husband or children to care for. We can be thankful for our warm houses and for the toilet that is indoors. We can call upon the Lord for the strength we need to get through the day. Labor prompted by love is our choice--every single day.
Sunday, February 21, 2010
Friday, February 12, 2010
A Well-deserved Day Off
It's officially Mid-Winter Break here and I am thankful to have a day off. I used to think Valentine's Day was exciting enough with school aged children, but if you want to experience hormones in the air, come hang out with me at my middle school for an hour on the last afternoon at school before Valentine's Day.
For the last couple of years, we have allowed students to send candy-grams to their friends as a fundraiser for ASB. They are all sold at lunch and are delivered all at once to the 7th period classes for the teachers to pass out just before the end of the day. Last year, it was pretty typical. The teens with money to spare and the most popular ones happily bought suckers for each other. Our principal who worried about how the ones who did not get a sucker, send some other candy out for all of the kids. (Just think about buying candy for 1000!)
This year, everything seemed to be heading in the same direction. There was lots of giggling about who was buying them for whom. The girls all bought them the first two days and on the last day, the boys were all gathered around the table. (How funny is that for a true picture of the female and male shopping strategies!) However, this year something changed. Quite a few of our teachers decided to order suckers for all of our 7th period kids. Additionally, in the 7th grade several of us chose to order suckers for all of the students we see throughout the day.
When I decided to buy suckers for all of my kids, I did not realize what this actually meant. Writing the check was easy, but then I had to address the 60 cards in my spare time. Then I realized that in addition to the writing on the front, I really needed to add a note on the inside for each one, sign them, and then fold them all. After wrestling with what was appropriate to say, I went with putting each of their names with some variant of have a great break and then Mrs. S.
When 7th period arrived, the ASB messenger arrived with a box containing four large manila envelopes stuffed with suckers and cards. My students were busy working on their geography as I began dumping out the envelopes and passing out the cards. As usual there were a few kids getting 8 or 9 suckers and most kids receiving none. Although they kept working,I could see on their faces that they were not happy they did not have a sucker.
Then I opened the envelope that had the cards I prepared. I started calling out names and the whole atmosphere of the room changed. Smiles and giggles broke out as they realized that they all were included. Many said thanks as they ripped off the cellophane to their suckers. Now they were all important. Now each one was remembered. Some were pretty shocked that their seemingly-tough teacher had actually bought them each a Valentine's sucker.
Soon the bell rang dismissing them for the long weekend. When I reached the hall, my morning kids clambered around me--grinning and saying thank you for their suckers. Hugs came from the girls but the ones that touched my heart were my boys. In particular were my 13 year olds who often did not have all of their assignments in. One said to me that when he opened the card he expected to see a message to do his work. Surprisingly instead he found a wish for a great break. Who would have thought? He definitely was thinking about my actions...
I had to turn away because all I could think about was how much these precious young teens needed to know that someone cared about them and actually liked them. But it was more than that. How much more they needed to know how precious they are to their Heavenly Father who most of them don't know. They need to know that He loves each one unconditionally, just like He loves each of us.
As I public school teacher, I can't just come out and tell them that I was being Christ's hands this week as I bought and wrote those cards. I can't tell them that there is a God who wants to have a personal relationship with them. But I can continue caring about each one of them even as I teach them. Helping them to each realize that no matter how their behavior is, or whether or not all of their work is done, I do care about them and want the best for each one of them.
Some kids just can't wrap their head around the fact that even if they do not do well academically in the rigorous courses I teach these 7th graders that I do have hope that their lives will change for good. Hope that because of their time with me, the lessons they learned here would impact their lives. One of my not-so-successful students from last year with a particularly unstable home life looked at me this week and asked why did I have so much hope that they would succeed in 8th grade--why didn't I just give up on them? I smiled at him and said that I have hope, great hope for each of them; hope that was new every morning; hope that each would succeed not only in 8th grade but in high school. He looked at me with a bemused expression and I left him thinking about it. They just can't even imagine that my bottomless fount of hope comes from someone other thatn myself.
When I have a long week at school and wonder why I do this job, I think about just Who it is that I work for. Colossians 3:23-24 is a good reminder--Whatever you do, work at it with all of your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that your will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving. Amen to that. He is the reason I go every day into the world of adolescents. This is where He has placed me and this is my work right now.
Days off are good. They give us a chance to reflect, to stop and recharge our batteries, to get powered up to take on the next adventure. Just don't forget that the rest is to prepare us for what is coming next. Enjoy your weekend but don't forget Who is sending you back into the routines of daily life next week.
For the last couple of years, we have allowed students to send candy-grams to their friends as a fundraiser for ASB. They are all sold at lunch and are delivered all at once to the 7th period classes for the teachers to pass out just before the end of the day. Last year, it was pretty typical. The teens with money to spare and the most popular ones happily bought suckers for each other. Our principal who worried about how the ones who did not get a sucker, send some other candy out for all of the kids. (Just think about buying candy for 1000!)
This year, everything seemed to be heading in the same direction. There was lots of giggling about who was buying them for whom. The girls all bought them the first two days and on the last day, the boys were all gathered around the table. (How funny is that for a true picture of the female and male shopping strategies!) However, this year something changed. Quite a few of our teachers decided to order suckers for all of our 7th period kids. Additionally, in the 7th grade several of us chose to order suckers for all of the students we see throughout the day.
When I decided to buy suckers for all of my kids, I did not realize what this actually meant. Writing the check was easy, but then I had to address the 60 cards in my spare time. Then I realized that in addition to the writing on the front, I really needed to add a note on the inside for each one, sign them, and then fold them all. After wrestling with what was appropriate to say, I went with putting each of their names with some variant of have a great break and then Mrs. S.
When 7th period arrived, the ASB messenger arrived with a box containing four large manila envelopes stuffed with suckers and cards. My students were busy working on their geography as I began dumping out the envelopes and passing out the cards. As usual there were a few kids getting 8 or 9 suckers and most kids receiving none. Although they kept working,I could see on their faces that they were not happy they did not have a sucker.
Then I opened the envelope that had the cards I prepared. I started calling out names and the whole atmosphere of the room changed. Smiles and giggles broke out as they realized that they all were included. Many said thanks as they ripped off the cellophane to their suckers. Now they were all important. Now each one was remembered. Some were pretty shocked that their seemingly-tough teacher had actually bought them each a Valentine's sucker.
Soon the bell rang dismissing them for the long weekend. When I reached the hall, my morning kids clambered around me--grinning and saying thank you for their suckers. Hugs came from the girls but the ones that touched my heart were my boys. In particular were my 13 year olds who often did not have all of their assignments in. One said to me that when he opened the card he expected to see a message to do his work. Surprisingly instead he found a wish for a great break. Who would have thought? He definitely was thinking about my actions...
I had to turn away because all I could think about was how much these precious young teens needed to know that someone cared about them and actually liked them. But it was more than that. How much more they needed to know how precious they are to their Heavenly Father who most of them don't know. They need to know that He loves each one unconditionally, just like He loves each of us.
As I public school teacher, I can't just come out and tell them that I was being Christ's hands this week as I bought and wrote those cards. I can't tell them that there is a God who wants to have a personal relationship with them. But I can continue caring about each one of them even as I teach them. Helping them to each realize that no matter how their behavior is, or whether or not all of their work is done, I do care about them and want the best for each one of them.
Some kids just can't wrap their head around the fact that even if they do not do well academically in the rigorous courses I teach these 7th graders that I do have hope that their lives will change for good. Hope that because of their time with me, the lessons they learned here would impact their lives. One of my not-so-successful students from last year with a particularly unstable home life looked at me this week and asked why did I have so much hope that they would succeed in 8th grade--why didn't I just give up on them? I smiled at him and said that I have hope, great hope for each of them; hope that was new every morning; hope that each would succeed not only in 8th grade but in high school. He looked at me with a bemused expression and I left him thinking about it. They just can't even imagine that my bottomless fount of hope comes from someone other thatn myself.
When I have a long week at school and wonder why I do this job, I think about just Who it is that I work for. Colossians 3:23-24 is a good reminder--Whatever you do, work at it with all of your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that your will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving. Amen to that. He is the reason I go every day into the world of adolescents. This is where He has placed me and this is my work right now.
Days off are good. They give us a chance to reflect, to stop and recharge our batteries, to get powered up to take on the next adventure. Just don't forget that the rest is to prepare us for what is coming next. Enjoy your weekend but don't forget Who is sending you back into the routines of daily life next week.
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
Maren's Mama
What a delight it is to have a grown up daughter who is also one of my favorite people! Maren is in San Fransisco and hopefully will soon going to work once again for the Public Health Department while she finishes her medical school interviews and makes her big choice. She has been accepted so far at the University of Washington and at Boston University both and she has at least one more interview to come. We are very proud parents as you can imagine.
Over the years Maren has been an enthusiastic eater of the gourmet food that I have created and prepared for her, but rarely have I been able to entice her to join me in the kitchen as my sous chef. But recently that has changed. Since being on her own this past year, she has had to face the challenges and joys of cooking. Being a very smart girl, she can do almost anything she wants, the key is that she needs a reason and enough time to do it. Happily, since she has not been working since the start of December, she has been more willing to experiment in the land of culinary delights. (But she still wants EXACT amounts of everything written down carefully--which is a challenge for me who cooks most things without a recipe.)
Imagine my surprise last week when Maren asked me to send her the recipe for my cheesy chicken enchiladas so that they could make them for a combination housewarming and birthday party with her friends. By the end of the phone call, she had also decided to make my Avocado Chop Chop Salsa as well. I went over the shopping list with her off the top of my head and later that night dutifully typed up the recipes with helpful annotations to keep the girls on the right track and sent them on their way.
The party was on Friday night and late that afternoon I began wondering how she was doing. I knew that no phone calls meant that things were going fine. Being a cool mom, I waited to hear from her the next day. They had a blast! Although they made a mess making the enchiladas due to a less than adequate pan, they prevailed and conquered that recipe. (Yes, Stanford grads can cook, too.) The enchiladas were a big hit. Everyone was totally amazed that Maren could cook. In fact, they became so empowered that Maren called to suggest how they could modify the Chop Chop salsa next time--who knew I had a budding chef after all.
The cutest part was that the girls decided that they would all bring the recipes for the food they brought to the party. Maren said everyone was tickled to have her recipes carefully entitled, "Maren's Mama's Cheesy Chicken Enchiladas"and "Maren's Mama's Avocado Chop Chop Salsa" It's good to know that my culinary skills have a following among the 20-somethings in the Bay Area.
Over the years Maren has been an enthusiastic eater of the gourmet food that I have created and prepared for her, but rarely have I been able to entice her to join me in the kitchen as my sous chef. But recently that has changed. Since being on her own this past year, she has had to face the challenges and joys of cooking. Being a very smart girl, she can do almost anything she wants, the key is that she needs a reason and enough time to do it. Happily, since she has not been working since the start of December, she has been more willing to experiment in the land of culinary delights. (But she still wants EXACT amounts of everything written down carefully--which is a challenge for me who cooks most things without a recipe.)
Imagine my surprise last week when Maren asked me to send her the recipe for my cheesy chicken enchiladas so that they could make them for a combination housewarming and birthday party with her friends. By the end of the phone call, she had also decided to make my Avocado Chop Chop Salsa as well. I went over the shopping list with her off the top of my head and later that night dutifully typed up the recipes with helpful annotations to keep the girls on the right track and sent them on their way.
The party was on Friday night and late that afternoon I began wondering how she was doing. I knew that no phone calls meant that things were going fine. Being a cool mom, I waited to hear from her the next day. They had a blast! Although they made a mess making the enchiladas due to a less than adequate pan, they prevailed and conquered that recipe. (Yes, Stanford grads can cook, too.) The enchiladas were a big hit. Everyone was totally amazed that Maren could cook. In fact, they became so empowered that Maren called to suggest how they could modify the Chop Chop salsa next time--who knew I had a budding chef after all.
The cutest part was that the girls decided that they would all bring the recipes for the food they brought to the party. Maren said everyone was tickled to have her recipes carefully entitled, "Maren's Mama's Cheesy Chicken Enchiladas"and "Maren's Mama's Avocado Chop Chop Salsa" It's good to know that my culinary skills have a following among the 20-somethings in the Bay Area.
Being Obedient Brings Blessings
As usual I arrived in my classroom at school about 6:45am and turned on my computer to start my day. Teaching full time has taught me to prioritize my time and over the years I finally have figured out how to squish some devotional time into my early morning. Along with listening to Christian radio on my way into school, I have subscribed to my favorite radio pastor's daily email devotional. Some mornings it surprises me to find an email from Pastor Greg Laurie in my inbox with all of the others (which really makes no sense since I did sign up to get them!) Some mornings I don't have time to read the email before school but thankfully today I stopped and read...
At the end of his entry this morning Pastor Greg wrote, “Don't worry about what God has called someone else to do. Focus on what God has called you to do, because the key in that final day is not how much you did, but why you did it. God is far more interested in our faithfulness than He is in our success. It is all about faithfulness. It is all about doing what God has set before you and doing it well, with all of your might.” As I sat there and pondered this message, the Lord brought to mind two of my dearest friends. I quickly emailed Greg's words on to them with a quick note. Not an hour later came a message back from one gal, telling me that she needed exactly that specific encouragement from the Lord today. It reinforced what the Lord had been telling her. How amazing is that!
So what did I learn today? If I had not been obedient this morning and instead had chosen to skip over the email to get on with my day, I would have missed Greg's powerful words which gave my day focus and provided food for my thoughts throughout the day. Additionally, my dear friend would not have been given the affirmation of what the Lord was calling her to do--to stay faithful with what the Lord has given her to do. She would have missed out on the must needed encouragement and so would I have missed the opportunity to be Christ's hands. How cool is that? Jesus spoke to Greg, who was obedient in what Jesus called him to do. I was obedient by sharing what I had learned and because of that, my precious friend was encouraged. What could be more awesome than that! We serve a mighty God.
At the end of his entry this morning Pastor Greg wrote, “Don't worry about what God has called someone else to do. Focus on what God has called you to do, because the key in that final day is not how much you did, but why you did it. God is far more interested in our faithfulness than He is in our success. It is all about faithfulness. It is all about doing what God has set before you and doing it well, with all of your might.” As I sat there and pondered this message, the Lord brought to mind two of my dearest friends. I quickly emailed Greg's words on to them with a quick note. Not an hour later came a message back from one gal, telling me that she needed exactly that specific encouragement from the Lord today. It reinforced what the Lord had been telling her. How amazing is that!
So what did I learn today? If I had not been obedient this morning and instead had chosen to skip over the email to get on with my day, I would have missed Greg's powerful words which gave my day focus and provided food for my thoughts throughout the day. Additionally, my dear friend would not have been given the affirmation of what the Lord was calling her to do--to stay faithful with what the Lord has given her to do. She would have missed out on the must needed encouragement and so would I have missed the opportunity to be Christ's hands. How cool is that? Jesus spoke to Greg, who was obedient in what Jesus called him to do. I was obedient by sharing what I had learned and because of that, my precious friend was encouraged. What could be more awesome than that! We serve a mighty God.
A Normal Tuesday Night
Last night was a very precious time at our Women's Bible Study at our church where we have just begun Beth Moore's awesome study on Esther. Since this was just the second week of our small group's meeting together, we took the time to share basic information about ourselves and something else about each one of us that no one in the room would know. This led to an hour of sharing, hooting and hollering as we were touched, surprised and even dumbfounded with revelations about our lives. We worked hard to dredge up something that no one knew which was hard since some of us had known each other for decades.
When one member confessed that she was a certified power lifter judge and even had the badge to prove it, everyone totally lost it. (Since I have known this young woman since she was about 10, I was especially surprised.) What could be more joyous than a group of Christian women bonding through sharing & laughing together about our lives. We did eventually go through all of our discussion questions together but we were the last group finished! We all decided that it was worth it to stay late because our heart strings had definitely become entangled through our extra time together.
When one member confessed that she was a certified power lifter judge and even had the badge to prove it, everyone totally lost it. (Since I have known this young woman since she was about 10, I was especially surprised.) What could be more joyous than a group of Christian women bonding through sharing & laughing together about our lives. We did eventually go through all of our discussion questions together but we were the last group finished! We all decided that it was worth it to stay late because our heart strings had definitely become entangled through our extra time together.
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
Welcome to Beth's Blog
How exciting it is to write my first entry on my new blog.
As a longtime teacher of writing, I am thrilled to put into practice what I teach every day. I am not sure what exactly you will find here on a regular basis, but you can be sure that it will be an honest reflection on what is happening in my life.
Life is a little simpler since our youngest son left for college in the fall, but Tim and I haven't seemed to slow down. Between work and activities at church we have had a busy fall and winter. We have been challenged with new adventures--like acting & singing in the church musical at Christmas. And we have enjoyed spending more time together. It is a great blessing to genuinely like the person who joins you for dinner even after 28+ years together.
I hope you will stop by to find out what has been going on in my life. I also hope that you will be encouraged in your walk with Chirst and in your marriages as we spend time together. I'd love to hear what you are thinking about.
Blessings to you, Beth
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