Most people wake up each morning with schoolwork ahead of them, a 9-5 job with a fixed hourly wage or salary, or are unemployed, about to spend hours searching for that perfect job. My question is, is it all for the right reasons?
In my phone conversation with a lovely friend this morning, she referenced "good work," "a good kind of busy" and "work that was worthwhile" as a description for what I was doing in Florida City currently. I do not think she could have been more correct.
When I first arrived here, I had a job. Now, after 2 and 1/2 months of being here, I have work to accomplish.
When we set out to do the work God has given us to do, it is the work of a servant to Him. God has no set hours to be confined to, but will provide us with the energy we need for that day to get His work done.
I am a big person when it comes to lists, planners, and planning for the future. Recently, with the scheduling I have had, God has shown me what it means to be humbled in doing His work. While I continue to make lessons for phonics, figure out recreational games for the Kindergarten through second grade, and strive to make the high school group a great environment, God has made it clear that I am not supposed to see further than what the light He shines makes visible. His work is timed perfectly, distributed evenly, and encouraged by faith.
So, when your work has its moments of frustration or can seem like it is too much to handle, refocus, and consider asking God for strength and assurance that you can complete what He has given you to do.
Friday, October 21, 2011
Tuesday, October 11, 2011
The Good Choice Desk
So, patience has been a continued location of growth for me since school began in the end of August. My honest self-evaluation at this point is that I have grown to be more patient, but still have a great amount of work to do in that department.
One first grade boy has been the true test of that patience, in a way that has permitted me to get to know him on a level I did not know could exist. He has shown anger, frustration and sadness towards me many times these past two months, but has yet to go one day without running into me to provide an excessively large hug to start the afternoon. How does a boy of such struggle and internal pain show love so easily?
I wanted to be patient with him, so I had to come up with a way for him to express his anger effectively, without hurting himself or others in the process. With this in mind, I created the "Good Choice" desk, based on the art therapy principles that someone who has pent up emotions should release them in an artistic way. This desk was officially put into effect last week and has changed the life of this child. Typically, playground time ended with sand being thrown or kicked because he did not get the same amount of time on a swing as someone else, and classroom time would sometimes become disrupted with this boy kicking under the table because his blocks fell or he did not like the snack that day and wanted something else. This boy had plenty of great moments in my classroom, as he worked hard on homework and did his best to participate when he could, but these strong, negative emotions seem to give him a bit of an image most of the time. This "Good Choice" desk has changed him.
Instead of throwing sand, he goes back into the classroom and rolls play doh on the desk. Instead of kicking a desk, he puts headphones on for 10 minutes to relax. Instead of throwing toys, he colors pictures of how he feels and shares them with me. This child is making his positive emotions finally outweigh his negative ones.
If I did not have patience with him and faith that this would work, I do not know where I would be. Patient is definitely a virtue and I have a great respect for all those working with children.
So my challenge for those who read this is, instead of assuming the worst of those around us when they appear to be a certain way, ask them why they appear that way instead.
One first grade boy has been the true test of that patience, in a way that has permitted me to get to know him on a level I did not know could exist. He has shown anger, frustration and sadness towards me many times these past two months, but has yet to go one day without running into me to provide an excessively large hug to start the afternoon. How does a boy of such struggle and internal pain show love so easily?
I wanted to be patient with him, so I had to come up with a way for him to express his anger effectively, without hurting himself or others in the process. With this in mind, I created the "Good Choice" desk, based on the art therapy principles that someone who has pent up emotions should release them in an artistic way. This desk was officially put into effect last week and has changed the life of this child. Typically, playground time ended with sand being thrown or kicked because he did not get the same amount of time on a swing as someone else, and classroom time would sometimes become disrupted with this boy kicking under the table because his blocks fell or he did not like the snack that day and wanted something else. This boy had plenty of great moments in my classroom, as he worked hard on homework and did his best to participate when he could, but these strong, negative emotions seem to give him a bit of an image most of the time. This "Good Choice" desk has changed him.
Instead of throwing sand, he goes back into the classroom and rolls play doh on the desk. Instead of kicking a desk, he puts headphones on for 10 minutes to relax. Instead of throwing toys, he colors pictures of how he feels and shares them with me. This child is making his positive emotions finally outweigh his negative ones.
If I did not have patience with him and faith that this would work, I do not know where I would be. Patient is definitely a virtue and I have a great respect for all those working with children.
So my challenge for those who read this is, instead of assuming the worst of those around us when they appear to be a certain way, ask them why they appear that way instead.
Sunday, October 2, 2011
Church Shopping
How do you define your worship style? It was not until I started exploring the churches in Miami that this concept really hit hard.
Since being in Miami, I have been to Branches United Methodist Church, Christ Fellowship Church, Miami Vineyard, United Methodist Church of Coral Gables, and Calvary Chapel. Not one church was the same, which is to be expected, but all of them brought out a different style that made me question how God was speaking to me in a church setting.
When I walked into a church building years ago, my positive or negative impressions would come from the aesthetically pleasing environment, the friendliness of the individuals there, and if coffee was served, it was an added bonus. Wrong motives for finding comfort right? Well now, my main focus above all is the message provided. How is the pastor preaching the word? How is he inviting me into the service? But most of all, how is God speaking through the pastor and the congregation in the service?
This is where style has come in. Each church had a pastor that yelled, or cried, or made jokes, or gave life story examples, but all of them were lacking something for me. No matter how much I was feeling the Lord's presence during worship music while amazing bands were playing or how welcoming the congregation was to newcomers, the message was not there. This is not to say nothing sunk in or there was no depth to the messages, but I was not understanding how the Lord was communicating during that time.
So my question is, do we worship expecting a message that speaks to us, or do we worship with willingness to receive a message that may not be to our "expectations" but could possibly provide a challenge? Coming from the perspective of only worshiping with the narrow-minded viewpoint of everything relying on the work of the message, I plan on revisiting these churches, and allowing myself to receive them with open eyes, open ears, and an open heart.
So, the next time you are at church, be open to the message, and try your best to not be overcritical like I have chosen to be very recently.
Since being in Miami, I have been to Branches United Methodist Church, Christ Fellowship Church, Miami Vineyard, United Methodist Church of Coral Gables, and Calvary Chapel. Not one church was the same, which is to be expected, but all of them brought out a different style that made me question how God was speaking to me in a church setting.
When I walked into a church building years ago, my positive or negative impressions would come from the aesthetically pleasing environment, the friendliness of the individuals there, and if coffee was served, it was an added bonus. Wrong motives for finding comfort right? Well now, my main focus above all is the message provided. How is the pastor preaching the word? How is he inviting me into the service? But most of all, how is God speaking through the pastor and the congregation in the service?
This is where style has come in. Each church had a pastor that yelled, or cried, or made jokes, or gave life story examples, but all of them were lacking something for me. No matter how much I was feeling the Lord's presence during worship music while amazing bands were playing or how welcoming the congregation was to newcomers, the message was not there. This is not to say nothing sunk in or there was no depth to the messages, but I was not understanding how the Lord was communicating during that time.
So my question is, do we worship expecting a message that speaks to us, or do we worship with willingness to receive a message that may not be to our "expectations" but could possibly provide a challenge? Coming from the perspective of only worshiping with the narrow-minded viewpoint of everything relying on the work of the message, I plan on revisiting these churches, and allowing myself to receive them with open eyes, open ears, and an open heart.
So, the next time you are at church, be open to the message, and try your best to not be overcritical like I have chosen to be very recently.