Today I went to help wrap gifts and do anything I could to help. One of my assignments was to assist with a party, this has become something I'm getting good at...it's my 3rd party to help with in the last week or so there. This was a little different because the party was being thrown by the Rockets. Now I am not really a person who claims to know anything about the Rockets team, but I am a new fan of Luis Scola. I think so highly of him after observing how great he was with the kids today. The rest of the guys were handing out gifts, taking pictures, but Luis was very attentive. He was so connected to one of the little guys and would not put him down. He even stayed later than the other players to talk to the little guys mom and take pictures on his cell phone. Here's just one photo that was snapped when he was hanging out. When he left little Mauricio cried...it was so sweet.
It was a great time with lots of excitement for some of my sweetest friends from this year.
Speaking of cheer, my roommates bring so much cheer to my heart. I arrived home from school today with a heart warming "YOU DID IT" poster on my back door. That's right I've made it 1/2 way through my fifth year of teaching at Yellowstone. Sometimes I wonder how this is possible. Then they had a beautiful flower arrangement for me on the table with this adorable little poem...
Congratulations on a semester well done! Now it's time to have some fun!
First things first, take a nap: sit back, relax, get off your feet; next, pick your favorite place to eat.
Wine, dine, do it all, we'll get ready to party by making cake balls.
Lesson plans, crazy kids, lack of sleep...all clear; get excited for rest, good food, and cheer!!
We love you, Sarah and Megan
I love my roommates. I love the opportunity to spend my days with some of the coolest kids in the whole world. I love being on Christmas break! It's only been one hour and I love it :)
Snow in Houston! * it was so beautiful and i apologize that i have no evidence of the beauty because my camera no longer functions and that makes me sad, but you will have to believe me. it. snowed. all. day. super fun...although would have been more fun without a classroom full of craziness, but twister and a little Christmas music made it bearable.
Christmas markets! * i loved walking around 2 of houston's fun neighborhoods this weekend to experience how gifted so many people are. loved seeing art, jewelery, crafts, it was fun. everyone had smiles, joy, and some great music...or okay music that just set the tone of the season.
Christmas programs! * i seriously love the production our church does every year of the african telling of the birth of CHRIST. it's so much fun to watch. it was especially fun to see some good friends, their kids, and some students of our school starring in this years production.
Discovery Green! *i am not a fair weather fan. i love discovery green. it was so much fun to watch the ice skating on friday night, when the temperture was actually cold and seemed appropriate to be skating outside. i love the lights and the atmosphere. i love houston's parks.
Advent! *hope*peace*joy*love*CHRIST last year we started a really sweet time of devotion and preparation to really embrace the season leading up to Christmas day at our house. although we are divided by the equator this year, the tradition continues. thanks skype. we have so far been discovering WHO to put our hope in and in putting our hope in HIM gives a certain peace that is incomprehensible. it creates an atmosphere where there are lions and lambs being still and loving one another. this is contrary to what we see in this world, but not in HIS kingdom...it really is deep rooted in my heart. this is the kind of peace that can still the hearts of children in the face of poverty and adversity. it's the kind of peace that makes us understand hope. i love advent!
"My purpose is that they may be encouraged in heart and united in love, so that they may have the full riches of complete understanding, in order that they may know the mystery of God, namely, Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge." --Colossians 2:2-3
So my class has been out. of. control. Like serious 10 commandment crazy. Stealing. Killing. Lying. Lack of respect for authority. So after taking 2 days of seriously stepping back and me becoming for a moment a preacher, not a teacher, we have started to spend about 5 minutes each morning after saying the pledges to do a class devotion. I bought a couple resources at 1/2 Price this summer after realizing we were now going to be responsible for teaching Bible...with no curriculum...anyways I digress.
This verse from Colossians was our scripture. We also talked about how much God treasures us, as HIS children, how he promised Israel that he treasured them for doing what was right. I don't remember what that scripture was...sorry. But I asked them, "What does it feel like to be something that God treasures? Think about how special a treasure is? How does that make you feel that the LORD of the universe treasures you?"
"Sweet."
"Beautiful."
"Powerful."
They were answering, with such seriousness, then it happened. My heart melted and I was paid more than I've ever deserved but all the reward ever needed.
One of the little boys who's been really the most out of control, who is the second of the family to be in my class in the past 5 years, and who with his brother has probably contributed to my rising blood pressure, increase in gray hairs, and at the end of the day building my character and reliance on God. He said, "It makes me feel the way that I feel when I come to school."
"Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." Matthew 6:19-20
I love getting to spend time with these treasures, hidden away in the most surprising places just waiting to be dug out of the rough, shined, and displayed for the world to see. I pray for their future, for them to live as the treasures they are. I am most encouraged and also scared when I think of all they have to give and what we will lose if they don't grab ahold of God and use their gifts for HIS glory. If you have a second, just pray they would continue to seek first the kingdom and would have some people to lean on and look toward as they grow up seeing so much that is not from HIS kingdom.
* i like that the student sitting next to me in chapel this week, which was about being careful about what you watch, said, "oh...so it's like your eyes are the newscasters to your brain."
* i like that december is coming, and that means megan is coming.
* i like that there is nothing required of me this weekend and i'm finally getting some much needed rest.
I absolutely love that one of my students brought an Elmo coloring book to school, and said, "Miss Elmo I brought you something. It's yo daddy." He was super excited about it, and completely serious. Yes, my brother was right...I was adopted.
So I was thinking I would do a weekly top ten list of highlights from my week. Since I'm a week behind this is technically for last week, meant to do it last night, but got busy and didn't have time before bed.
1. Hanging out with friends outside at Empire over 1/2 price cake. 2. Megan getting a box we sent her in the mail; I love sending mail, but am getting worse and worse at actually getting things sent. 3. Going for morning walks/jogs in the neighborhood before school. Although quite muggy and humid so peaceful and quiet, which you need when you spend most of your day with six year olds. 4. Great dinner with friends at a lovely home with lovely hosts. 5. Talking to friends who have moved away on the phone, hearing updates on life. 6. Talking to my Mom and Dad after my first day of school. No matter how old you are I think this is necessary. :) 7. Taking a nap on a Friday afternoon and waking up Friday night to a cooking roommate. 8. Exchanging hilarious e-mails with Megan Breed. 9. Getting a pedicure on a Saturday afternoon. 10. And of course....having brunch with Michael, at LePeep.
I feel like I should post something, but don't have much interesting to say. My brain feels a bit like mush. I have not been remembering things lately. It's a little embarrassing. Like last Sunday I went to see a movie, that I realized after it started playing I had already seen, but couldn't remember where, when, or with whom? Oops. That's not good. I try to be put together, but sometimes I'm just not.
Today I got to spend my day with my family. My niece Eva turned one and she was dedicated this morning at church. It was a precious time and I'm so glad I got to be there. We kept saying, "How much difference a year makes." True story. I will post pictures at some point, but my camera isn't cooperating and I have to go to school tomorrow. I can't believe I'm starting my 5th year at "the stone"...
I have really enjoyed summer. I almost feel like I got to be a kid again this summer. Not because I didn't have responsibility, but because I felt truly alive. I got to really remember what it feels like to truly love what I am doing. I got the opportunity to do things that make my heart happy. I got to eat lunch with friends, hang out with some of my favorite people in the city, serve, work for really cool people, experience things that I forgot make me feel alive. There are still people I wish I would have seen, things I would have done, trips that would have been taken, conversations that would have been had, friends I would have seen more, but it's over. Time to be a teacher again. I'm praying for there to be more joy and life as the seasons change yet again in my life.
