Praying for the Persecuted

I don't understand persecution. I wonder if anyone living within the United States really can. One of the most important things we can do for the persecuted preach is pray... At least that's what I've heard. My head knows that this is true - that praying is the right answer to the anguish we feel for our brothers and sisters in Christ right now. But I'll be honest - sometimes my heart doesn't feel like praying can really help. Thankfully our God is gracious and He hears me despite my lack of faith.

I believe that the Holy Spirit takes my doubts and weakness and turns them into something beautiful. But it's powerful when someone takes your anguish and your confusion and puts words to it. That's what happened to me on Sunday. Our Archbishop (remember that Adam and I are attending an Anglican church) has called the Anglican community to pray and support our brothers and sisters in Christ (especially in Iraq and Syria). Our clergy wore red in recognition of the martyrs and we prayed special prayers for those persecuted. I've been using these prayers on my own this week and I've found them extremely helpful, so I thought someone else might as well. The opening prayer is written below. If you'd like to see the call to prayer from our Archbishop or if you'd like to have a copy of all the prayers we prayed on Sunday, you can visit the website for the Anglican Church in North America.

Heavenly Father, we bring before you today the people of Syria and Iraq, asking you to be their defender and help in their time of need. Walk with them in their suffering and loss, and give them strength to face the days ahead. We pray for release of the captives, and freedom for those held hostage. We pray that you would intervene against the violence and evil your people suffer. We pray for your provision for the hungry, the homeless, and the bereaved. We pray you to aid your people who are called by your Name, Jesus' Name, and is is in his Name we ask these things. Amen.

Stop, Continue, Start: 2014-2015 School Year Goals

It's that time of year again! Teachers begin in-service on August 25th and the first day of school will be September 3rd. It's been a great Summer, but I'm excited to see my kids and to get back into a daily routine! I'm again using the "Stop, Continue, Start" method for thinking through my school year goals. (You can read last year's goals here.) One thing I love (and hate!) about teaching is that you will never "arrive." There is always room to grow! So here we go...

Stop

• Allowing my students to give less than their best - specifically regarding their academics and behavior in class.
• Working from home. Well... at least not as much!

Continue

• Writing "main idea notes" on the white board and practice problems on the Smart board. I started doing this at the very end of last year. My purpose is that I want students to know where to look for certain types of information. There are certain things that I expect them to write in their notes word-for-word, so I want these things on the white board so that they are visible throughout the entire lesson.
• Math Games/Activities ... I do my best to keep our lessons as interesting as possible! This might include doing math on note cards posted around the room, Vocabulary Spin game, Round Robin practice, Math Toss, etc.

Start

• Unit Planning ... I am a lesson-by-lesson girl right now, but it has come back to bite me more than once. I don't expect that I'll plan every lesson from a unit before it starts, but I want to do a better job of looking at the big picture before diving in.
• Focusing each prep period on ONE thing. I'm working on assigning each prep period a task. There will always be fires to put out throughout the day, but I'm hoping that I can manage my time better by having these goals in place.

My classroom will be ready on Monday (we had renters all Summer and they've cleaned our floors), so I'm excited to put it back together and start decorating!

Why I want to Be a Runner

Earlier this Summer my sister, Kayla, sent me a text. It read something like "Download the 'Get Running' app now! Start running with me." My response was along the lines of "Uhh... Have you met me?!" I have never been a runner... Ever. I never even ran the typical mile in my middle or high school years. But, alas, what's one to do when her sister (who is quite literally a thousand miles away) asks for a partner and encourager? Well, in my case, you download the app and start running of course! The app talks you through a Couch to 5K program - three workouts every week. There's a wonderful British woman who tells you when to warm up, run, walk, etc. She even tells you when the halfway point is so that you can turn around if necessary. And she's awesome! Did I mention she's British?! So we started off week 1 with eight runs - 1 minute a piece with walking in between each one. Now I've completed week 5 which ended this morning with a 20 minute run - no walking in between. I'm really excited as this was a huge step for me!

As I've been going through each week, I started thinking about whether I even wanted to run or not. There are other ways to exercise, so was this really how I wanted to spend my time? Here are the reasons that I think I want to be a runner...

1. I want to be in shape.
2. It's cheap! -> Until it gets cold, I can run outside with no cost. Score!
3. My muscle tone is improving.
4. I can spice it up. -> There are a TON of trails and paths around here. And although I run close to home most of the time, running is a sport that can have virtually any scenery.
5. I can run almost anywhere. -> Visiting family?  Weekend away? No problem. I can still run.
6. I want to run with others. -> I've typically wanted to hide when I thought someone might ask me to run with them! I have always been afraid that someone could figure out how weak I was (notice the past tense ;)).
7. I want to BE a RUNNER. -> I know that sounds silly, but there's a certain respect that I've had for runners. I'm sure that respect is partially due to the fact that I felt like I couldn't run, but even still. It's a reason for me.

Writing out this post and thinking through these reasons is positive motivation for me. I can think about these things when the workouts get tough or the couch threatens to pull me back. Adam and I have learned a lot over the past few months about how our bodies and minds work together - either for good or for evil - so I hope I'm putting that into practice by completing this post. Week 6, bring it on!

#summerloving

There are just over two weeks until teachers return to CCA, which means my Summer is almost over! I can hardly believe it! Adam encouraged me to take the Summer completely off (i.e. not to take a part time job), so here's what I've been up to...

• Boston Outings: One day we rented bikes to ride along the Charles river. Another day we rented bikes again and rode to the Arnold Arboretum and Forest Hills cemetery. Then last week we visited the Museum of Fine Arts (free on Wednesdays after 4 p.m. -> score!).

• Trips: We met our Gosnell family in IN/IL to see extended family over 4th of July weekend. I also traveled to TN to help throw one of my best friend's bridal shower. I'm thankful to have been able to see both families this Summer and I'm already looking forward to seeing everyone again at Christmas! (Also, I'll be back to TN in September for the WEDDING!)

• Crafting (all for school, haha): I recovered several canisters for storage, made a poster for birthdays, and I'm working on a door decoration. I'll probably take pictures of everything once I get my classroom set up!

• Running: Kayla asked me to start running "with" her, so we're doing the same program from afar :) It's the "Get Running" app (literally the only app I've ever paid for) which follows the Couch to 5K program. I've completed the first four weeks and week 5 begins today.

• School-related: During June, I attended a week-long math conference. And one week in July, I taught part of a Summer class for a few of our incoming 9th graders. I've also planned the first couple of days of school, updated most of my 10-month plans, and created my syllabi. I've also worked on some changes to my lesson plan template,  HW policy, and grading.

• Reading: I haven't done as much reading as I probably should have. I finished "The Picture of Dorian Gray," by Oscar Wilde today and I'm hoping to finish "Adopted for Life," by Russell Moore before school starts.

Overall, it's been a great Summer! When all my activities are listed like this it makes me feel like I've accomplished something :)

God Doesn't Need An "Out"

(Note: I had outlined this post during the Fall, but it never made it to the blog for one reason or another. I hesitated to share because it seems so late, but God deserves continual praise AND he's brought this lesson back to my mine recently. More on that part at a different time.)

Last August, I shared that God had provided a job for me at Covenant Christian Academy, but God taught me something as I thought back through the series of events that led to my job. During the months of April and May of 2013, Adam and I officially announced that we were moving to MA. I began praying and searching for a teaching job. I was told that obtaining a MA teaching license could take up to 38 weeks.... This was devastating to me. After finishing one year of teaching, I felt so ready for a second year! I couldn't (and still can't!) imagine doing anything else.

In June, I began praying and searching for ANY job. A position opened up in financial services at Gordon Conwell (G-C). So I applied and changed my prayer... I stopped praying for a teaching job and began praying for this job in financial services. My prayers went something like this: I know I can't teach, so at least give me this job on campus so that I can be close to home and meet people at the seminary. I tried to give God some sort of "out." If you can't/won't provide a teaching job, then given me this one and I'll still praise you for answering my prayers. Eek!

Well the position in financial services was a no-go and I continued looking at other jobs. My sweet friend, Kaitlin, told me, "I'm still praying that you'll find a teaching job." "Thanks, but it's pretty hopeless," I thought to myself.

Adam's admissions counselor at G-C suggested that I contact his friend who was a high school principal at CCA, saying "I don't think they have any openings, but it won't hurt for him to see your resume." Well at some point during the week or so before I e-mailed the principal, CCA lost a math teacher. The principal was quick to respond to my e-mail and asked me to come in for an interview that same week. I just knew that God was going to give me this job! And He did. Within 10 days of my first e-mail to CCA, they offered me the position and I accepted.

God is so good! I am so thankful that He chose to provide for us through a job that I love so much. In looking back, I am reminded that God doesn't need an "out." He doesn't need for me to change my prayer when it doesn't look like He's going to answer the way I wanted. Even if He had chosen to say "no" to my prayer for a teaching job! He deserves the glory in ALL answers. Part of the beauty of prayer is the opportunity to "work out my faith," to grow my trust in God's sovereignty. I didn't do that with this situation. I'm so thankful He chose to say "yes" anyways.

Jesus Above All

Several weeks ago, the women's Bible study that I am apart of here on campus studied John 5:1 - 17. John 5 recounts the story of a man who had been an invalid for thirty-eight years... Longer than I've been alive he had been lying on a mat. This man spent his days stretched out beside "the Sheep Gate a pool... called Bethesda," hoping and waiting for someone to put him inside while the water was stirred. But then came JESUS. Jesus enters the scene, asks the man if he wants to be healed, then says, "Get up, take up your bed, and walk." "And at once the man was healed, and he took up his bed and WALKED." He WALKED. After thirty-eight years, Jesus enters the scene and the man WALKS. After people passed him by over and over again, Jesus enters the scene and the man WALKS. Oh and did I mention this was the Sabbath? Sabbath or no Sabbath, Jesus enters the scene and the man WALKS.

Jesus is above all.

8th Grade Trip: Washington, DC

It feels like forever ago when Kim mentioned that I should accompany the 8th grade to Washington, DC. Yet before I knew it, we were on our way! Two and half years ago I was the girl who never wanted to teach Middle School and now I willingly travel out of state with 17 of them for five days of touring and fun. God is so good!

We stayed in Arlington, VA and traveled to and from the city by Metro. Each chaperone (there were 4 of us) was assigned 4-5 kids that we were in charge of throughout the trip. We flew into DC on Thursday morning, May 1 and stayed until Monday evening, May 5. We were also given the day off on Tuesday to recover (THANK YOU, CCA!). Here are a few highlights...

* Touring the White House (pictured below) ... It's truly beautiful! Just thinking about the people from history that have sat in those rooms is awesome. The tour is self-guided, but the Secret Service posted in each room are very willing to talk to you and we found them to be quite knowledgeable!

 Kim is our Middle School team leader and my best buddy at work. She took care of me when I first arrived and we've found a wonderful friendship. She did a great job of putting this trip together and making sure it ran smoothly. I'm so thankful for her!


* Newseum. A museum of news and journalism. We learned about the photographers and writers who capture history in the making. There was so much to see and do here - pictures, videos, etc. Our students had the chance to be news reporters, to think through the ethics of journalism, to see hundreds of pictures and videos, etc. This is a "must see" on my list!

 

 The picture above and on the left is of the four chaperones. Kim, Tim, Andrew, and I made a great team. I enjoyed getting to know each of them a little better! The picture to its right is of our whole group (minus myself because I was taking picture) sitting in a box at the Washington Nationals ballpark with our personal tour guide, Bob (man on the top left, wearing a white shirt). This particular box is where the news reporters sit. The ballpark was another highlight of our trip - such a fun place!

* Ford's Theater ... The theater was also one of my favorite places. We saw a one act play that described the night Lincoln was assassinated from the point of view of the theater's owners and the actors performing that night.

It is impossible to detail all of the many highlights from this trip. I've left out the Botanical Garden, the memorials, Arlington National cemetery, the Capitol, etc. We packed a lot into a short time! I'm so thankful for the opportunity to go on this trip and the memories I brought home. Many thanks to Kim for planning and leading our trip, to our students for being so well behaved, and to God for providing energy and beautiful weather for us!