Long

Long Time Coming:

This past weekend our church participated in day focused on being the church. So often church is the place to talk about the right things to do, but it's not known for going out and helping the people who desperately need an encounter with God's incomparable love. So our church came up with a wide variety activities for our members to participate in and instead of having church we went out and served. This was a project that had been in the works for a while and was very much anticipated. Some of us went to the hospital to talk to people who wanted a visitor, others cleaned up a house on the verge of being condemned. We visited local agencies like the police, fire, and EMT departments and shared our appreciation with gift baskets. Kids went up and down the streets picking up trash and mowing lawns. We also had a group who helped another church by cleaning and organizing their clothes closet. Most everyone in the church participated regardless of age and while it was similar to community service, the purpose was to share God's love and serve with hearts aligned with the heart Jesus has in the Bible. I had the opportunity to go the hospital and meet with a couple of guys. I think the coolest thing about it was that we weren't there as doctors or obligated relatives. We didn't have to feel sorry for the people or advise them of the treatments they should pursue. We were simply there to live life on life with people and be an encouragement. The CEO of the hospital greeted us, we talked with one man who was getting to go home, and another who was probably not going to leave the hospital alive. Regardless of their situation each of the gentleman share that this is what the church was about. In a world where the values of the church seem undermined by the hypocrisy of its followers it was refreshing to be part of something that was faith in action. So if I may climb onto my soapbox, please go and be the church. Don't just go to church to learn about what the right thing to do is, DO IT! Share your faith, fix a broken relationship, seek to align your life to the Bible not the Bible to fit the needs of your life, and seek ways to love because you were first loved. Okay I'm off my box, but seriously...

Long Week:

Despite being Thursday and almost the end of the week I feel like it has been a longer than normal week. Daniel is battling poison ivy from our church work day on Sunday and I'm dealing with a scratchy throat Daniel brought back from his work trip to Dallas last week. Both of us have felt fatigued. Last night I asked Daniel if he had lost his job because he looked so dejected and tired. Luckily the answer was no and some homemade ice cream perked up both of us.

Long Term Sub:

I found out this week I will be finishing the year as the English/Speech teacher at Fredonia. I'm excited to see some of the lessons I've started to the end. I'm basically getting a second student teaching experience but with pay and no portfolio! We're watching Oklahoma! in the advanced drama class. When I asked them if they had ever heard the theme song from it they looked at me like I was nuts. I thought singing a little bit of it would help...nope just more "you're crazy" looks and I felt like I was some out of touch 85-year-old. And just to solidify the fact that I'm a weird adult one of the boys in speech class asked if I was a partier. Another boy responded, "Dude, does she look like she was partier?" I told them I was a big Dr. Pepper fan. Somehow this conversation gave the green light to the boy who had asked the question initially to seek my advice about what would happen if he wore a camelback (see picture below) filled with beer instead of water and wore it under his graduation robe. I recommended getting out of high school in peace and not testing the school's administrators more than he already had. So it's official. I'm an unadventurous teacher who knows about movies, songs, and shows that these kids have never heard of. So this is what it's like to not be mistaken as a middle or high schooler? I like it.