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Jesus Paid It All

Posted on October 31, 2010 by auburnchick

I don’t know about you, but when I attend church services on Sundays, one or two main points usually stick in my mind as I walk away.

Such was the morning.

My heart had been a little heavy.

If you’ve been reading my blog for very long, you know that I teach at a school that is geared primarily toward Muslim students.

You might also remember that I am a Christian.

For the most part, this has not been a big deal.  I teach English, and though we sometimes mention religion, we do not have deep discussions about it.

The challenge for me is making sure my beliefs and faith are demonstrated through my actions.

I cannot preach to my students, but I can show them God’s love.  I can show them that there are Christians who will not judge them.

I want so badly to share the Good News with them.  I long to tell them that I worship THE God who lives among His people today through the presence of the Holy Spirit.  I am forgiven, not by my works but through the redeeming blood of God’s Son, Jesus Christ.

The differences between my students’ religion and mine became even clearer this week when one of them paused while reading the song that she had selected to accompany the project we had just done in class.  Although the lyrics were only being read out, this student stopped at one point because she did not feel comfortable reading the next lines.

I later read those lyrics, and I realized that they spoke of Jesus’ redemptive work on the cross.

I understood her point, and I respected her.  Had I been in the same place, I would have done the same thing.  I remember a contestant on Survivor (several seasons ago) who refused to enter a Buddhist temple to pray with the other contestants.  She was the first person voted off.

I would have made the same decision.

So, when my pastor encouraged us to keep sharing our faith, whether it was by simply loving others or inviting them to church, or whatever, I sat up straighter.

All I can do is what I’ve been doing.  I can do that and pray.

Actions speak louder than words.  They can be the catalyst for questions that might lead to understanding.

We sang the song, “Jesus Paid It All,” and oh my word…it was a sermon all on its own.

Here are the beautiful words to this song:

I hear the Savior say
Thy strength indeed is small
Child of weakness watch and pray
Find in me thine all in all

Jesus paid it all
All to him I owe
Sin had left a crimson stain
He washed it white as snow

Lord now indeed I find
Thy power and thine alone
Can change the lepers spots
And melt the heart of stone

Jesus paid it all
All to him I owe
Sin had left a crimson stain
He washed it white as snow

It’s washed away! All my sin! And all my shame!

And when before the throne
I stand in him complete
Jesus died my soul to save
My lips shall still repeat

Jesus paid it all
All to him I owe
Sin had left a crimson stain
He washed it white as snow
Sin had left a crimson stain
He washed it white as snow

Oh praise the one who paid my debt and raised this life up from the dead (x6)

Jesus paid it all
All to him I owe
Sin had left a crimson stain
He washed it white as snow

My pastor dismissed us with a beautiful benediction.  Tears filled my eyes as he prayed that we would be energized this week.  That was exactly what I needed.

I am so thankful that God heard the unspoken mutterings of  my heart.  He is so good!

Filed under: Christian | Tagged: | 5 Comments »

Week 13 of Teaching

Posted on October 30, 2010 by auburnchick

Week 13 of teaching was B-U-S-Y!!

First, I would like to share pictures of the posters my 6th graders made last week.  I described the project in my last teaching post.

Pretty good, eh?  I was so proud of my students!

So…as I was saying…this week was crazy!  I had a lot that I wanted/needed to accomplish.

On Monday, I found this Pit and the Pendulum video on YouTube.  My students really enjoyed it…especially since we had just finished reading the story.

They used class time to work on their projects (mentioned in the last post).

My ninth graders were shocked when they walked in and saw this…

It was the week of the nouns, and they were in for a crash course.

Meanwhile, my 10th graders began a unit on sentences, and their homework assignments closely resembled the one above.  The only difference was that they did not complain.

Tuesday dawned, and I had decided to create a new blogging procedure.  My 11th and 12th graders are required to write two blog posts a week, and I’ve figured out that some of them put off the assignment until the last day (the week runs Monday through Sunday).  Because the purpose is to inspire creative writing, I feel like they were circumventing the parameters of the assignment.  Hence, they saw the following message (and yes, I realize I left out the word “day” at the end of one of my sentences.  Hindsight…

My sixth graders began reading the story, “The Sand Castle.”  It is kind of like a science fiction story, and it sparked a lot of discussion about global warming and other environmental issues.  This is also the story that I pulled this week’s vocabulary words from.

Tuesday was a short day for me.  The other English teacher, who had lost her voice, kindly covered my last two classes so I could march with the high school band in its homecoming parade.

Yeah.  I know.  I owe her.  Big time.

Wednesday finally arrived.  I was tired because this 40 year-old body is not used to walking a mile in 90-degree humidity.

I wasn’t in the best mood, but my first two classes changed that immediately.  It was the day they would be presenting their projects…

My little Tigger, who I’ve told you about before, was incredibly excited.  She had made up her own rap song to accompany the project, and she had agreed to perform it in exchange for bonus points.

One of the biggest rewards as a teacher is seeing a student blossom.  That is what is happening to this girl, and I am incredibly honored to be a part of the process.

She had the four of us (this is a very small class) laughing the entire way through the song, and her smile afterward was PRICELESS.  She is a cute, spunky kid who has hated school to this point.  I have made it my mission to change that (at least in my class).   I am so proud of her.

Here are pictures of the movie posters that my seniors created (click on the images to visit their blogs)…

Ok…so this is not a poster, but because Tigger did it, and because of her enthusiasm, I am taking liberties to grade lightly.
This is Stereotypical Geek’s poster…such a wonderful pencil drawing!
This is CoreofLore’s poster.
SeekingLife’s poster…I just love the use of red in it!

Next, it was time for my juniors to present their projects.  “Y,” who doesn’t have a blog, did an incredible job on his.  He went the extra mile and researched the Spanish Inquisition, even pointing out something I had told the class in error (he apologized before correcting me…too cute!).  I was impressed that he had taken the time to select actors who were the same nationalities as those in the short story.  He selected Antonio Banderas to play the narrator and Gerard Depardieu to play General LaSalle, general of the French army and the person who rescues the narrator from his demise.

Here are the rest of my 11th graders posters, except for MartytheSmarty and GiggleButton, whose posters I forgot to photograph!  Oy, but those girls are gonna have my behind!  I think I forgot because I had already graded their projects and set their posters aside.

Nusi presented her project and was in the for hard sell, repeatedly telling me frequently how I needed to invest in her movie. I apologize for the blurry picture.

BigTimeGleek's poster

M's poster

Although Wednesday got off to a good start, it had a rough ending.  My 9th grade class is my most rambunctious group.  As the weeks have passed, their behavior has loosened up quite a bit, and I am finding myself struggling a bit to reign them in.  I’ve never had classroom management issues, and I was determined not to let this be the first time.

Of course, as a first-year teacher, it is to be expected that I am going to have my ups and downs.

Such was the afternoon.

From my subbing experience, I have learned that students who want to learn become very angry when teachers allow other students to distract them from the learning process.

On Wednesday, I had two students who simply could not control themselves.  I tried a new tactic.  I asked one to leave the room when his behavior became more than my threshold would allow.  After a few minutes, I popped my head out of the door, had a brief talk with him, and then allowed him to return.  He was contrite and cooperated afterward.

The second student, though, was another matter altogether.

This child simply would…not…stop.  No matter what I said, he continued making poor behavioral choices.

So, I sent him out as well and nailed him when I caught him wandering down the hallway.  He quietly came back to my door, where he remained for the last five minutes while I finished teaching my class.  I then pulled him into the office where I could speak to him privately.

To my credit, I never yelled at my students.  I was firm and let them know, in no uncertain terms, that I would not tolerate interruptions.

Fortunately, my day ends with my tenth graders…of which there are only two of.  Both are incredibly bright and high-achieving students, so I was able to teach them without any issues.

Thursday arrived…vocabulary testing day…

My first two classes did not have vocabulary tests this week (I administer theirs every two weeks) reviewed for their Pit and the Pendulum tests.

It was a fairly quiet day because of the tests and reviews.

I was glad for the peace because it was the day of the high school’s homecoming game.  My heart was heavy when I went, though, because I had graded papers, and my ninth graders had not done very well.

Teaching five grades is such a challenge in so many different ways.  Not only do I have students in each class who struggle academically, but I have classes of differing levels altogether.  Rooster’s high school has an advanced educational program.  Students who struggle are in another program where reading and math issues can be addressed.  Because I work in a small school, students are grouped together.  I find myself struggling with adjusting my teaching to each level from class to class.  But, as this is only my second nine weeks, I am confident that I will get there.  I am open to learning about new teaching methodologies, which is a definite plus for me and my students.

Finally, it was Friday, and I woke up to a sick Rooster.  Leaving him at home was very tough.  He was sicker than he’s been in a while.  But, I had a job to do…four tests to administer…so I left him with a bucket and his cell phone.

You can probably tell by my board that I was all business.  Fridays are short days for us.  Classes are only forty minutes long.  The bell barely rang before I handed tests out.

It was also a quiet day.  I needed this.  So did my students.

My 9th graders finished their exam with time to spare, so we had a good discussion about new classroom procedures.

I spoke from my heart, and I feel like they really listened.  They offered feedback about the things that are helping them, even admitting that the vocabulary tests, as much as they despise them, are proving relevant.  Several of my students are attending PSAT practice at the school, and they recognized a couple of their vocabulary words!  They are starting to see the words outside of the school environment as well.

We discussed the heavy homework load from the week, and they surprised me by saying they understood why they needed to do it.

I could not believe my ears.

As I said, the dialogue was wonderful…mostly because it went both ways.  They were relieved to have the old me back…the one that was not so stern and grumpy.  I think they know that I care for them deeply and want them to succeed.

That is the only reason I became a teacher.  I recognize the potential that lies inside of every student…especially the ones who do not believe in themselves.

Week 13 is in the record books.  On to Week 14!

Filed under: Teaching | Tagged: | 2 Comments »

Why Can’t Boys…

Posted on October 29, 2010 by auburnchick

…find the toilet when they are sick?

I ask this question because this morning, I awoke to the sound of Rooster calling out, in a weak voice, “Mama…”

It was 6:25, and he was not at the kitchen table, as is the morning routine.

This was not looking good.

I warily opened his bedroom door and poked my head in.  He lifted his head a couple of inches and announced that he was sick.  In fact, he had been up all night…throwing up.

That’s when I saw it…

On the floor…

One of the things that grosses me out more than anything else…

Puke.

Not just any puke, but someone else’s puke.

Sigh.

What was my first thought, you might wonder?

You might be surprised.

My first thought was that the first thing I’m going to do when Rooster leaves for college is replace his carpet, for you see this is not the first time this has happened.

It has, in fact, happened quite a few times.

I wish that each child came equipped with a road sign, similar to what you see when you travel:

Warning, sickness is five hours ahead.  Put a bucket by this child’s bed and go to bed early in preparation for the long night ahead.

Sigh.

Why, oh why can’t boys make it to the toilet when they feel the need to puke?

Chicky never upchucked in her bed or in her room, for that matter.  Somehow, she dodged a vanity and dehumidifier in her haste to eliminate her waste (upwards, not downwards, but that too).

Sigh.

Filed under: children | Tagged: , | 3 Comments »

A Scary Random Dozen

Posted on October 26, 2010 by auburnchick

So, this could be the last Random Dozen…forever or for a while…Linda hasn’t decided yet.  To help wean us from our daily dose of fun, she’s gone ahead and posted two random questions.  Play along since it will be the last chance you have for a while.

1. What scares you the most

A) Physically
B) Emotionally

Why does it scare you, and how do you cope?

I don’t think I can answer this question separately.  What scares me the most is being in the midst of a tornado.  I do not know why.  I have never been in one, but I do remember being a youngster and sitting in the hallway at school many times with my hands over my head when the weather was really bad.

I have had many dreams where I’m just about swept away by tornadoes.  The dreams are paralyzing, and I wake up with my heart racing and a despondent attitude.

Now, let me share a funny story…sort-of.

Just today, I was on the phone with a customer service rep from Louisville, Kentucky.  In the middle of the conversation, she interrupted me and apologized for the fact that she had to cut our call short because her building was being evacuated for a tornado warning.  She promised to call me back.  Two hours later, I still had not heard back from her, so I tried calling.  The message on the company’s voicemail claimed that the office was unavailable.  I freaked a little, thinking that the building had possibly been blown away.

She called me back an hour later and assured me that all was well, but that things had gotten very scary.

Weird, huh?

2. What comes to mind when you read the phrase, “Nothing gold can stay?”

I am not sure exactly.  With me being an English teacher, I suppose I should give it a valiant go and try analyzing it.

Let’s see…gold signifies finery and permanence.  After all, when we marry, we typically exchange gold rings.

However, according to the quote, even gold will not last forever.  Thus, nothing in this life is permanent, even the finest of things.

Now, I’ll take this a bit further and argue that the only thing that is permanent is the relationship you have with God.  That is something that can never be taken away.  Its worth is of more value than the finest jewels or metals.  His gift of mercy…the sacrifice of His Son for our sins – cannot be taken away from us either.  Once we believe and confess that Jesus died for our sins and was resurrected, then we have that forever.  It will never ever tarnish or disappear.

How’s that for an analysis?!

Linda, I’ll miss the Random Dozen.  I hope this break is temporary and that you breath new life into it after you’ve had some time to rest.

Filed under: This-n-That | Tagged: | 8 Comments »

Secret Project Revealed

Posted on October 25, 2010 by auburnchick

Oh my goodness, but I have been sitting on a secret for several months and can FINALLY tell you about it!

It all started early last summer when I responded to an email requesting test knitters.

I eagerly responded and crossed my fingers.

Much to my surprise, I was selected, and the instructions and pattern followed shortly afterward.

What resulted was this…

So, I’ll bet you want to know more information, right?

Ok.  Hold onto your horses.

The test knit…

Was for…

Cookie A!!!!!!

Can you believe it?

Her new book, Knit. Sock. Love., is now available for pre-ordering (she has cleared me to finally post pictures and other info)!!  It has a whopping nineteen (19) patterns and comes out on November 20th.

Now you KNOW how much I love Cookie A. and her patterns.  To have the opportunity to test knit a pattern for her was, quite honestly, the experience of a lifetime.

I was assigned In and Out, and the pictures above were taken of the right sock that I was asked to knit.

I used Lorna’s Laces Shepherd Sock.  The colorway is Periwinkle.  I used size 0 needles, and the entire pair took me just over two weeks to finish…

If you’ve never been a test-knitter before, I highly encourage you to give it a try.  It was really interesting to work with other knitters and the designer (Cookie A.) as we worked out some kinks and fine-tuned the language.

This pattern was surprisingly easy, but then again, I love intricate designs…

You want to know what else is so cool about this experience?  Well, there are actually two things.

First, I get $10 off of her new book.

More importantly, my copy will be AUTOGRAPHED by her!!!  I hope she says something like, “To my sweetest, most faithful fan.  Love, Cookie A.”

heehee

I hope you’ll indulge me while I post a few (ahem) more pictures…

I should probably get my rear in gear and make lesson plans to take me through Christmas.  I want to have time to knit up the other patterns in her book!

BTW, if Cookie just happens to read this, I promise you (Cookie) that I am not a stalker.  I am simply one who appreciates brilliant pattern writing.

And don’t go asking the Yarn Harlot if I’m a stalker…just because I already have plans for her youngest daughter to marry my Rooster.

But, that’s another tale for another day…

Filed under: Knitting | Tagged: , , , | 3 Comments »

Week 12 of Teaching

Posted on October 24, 2010 by auburnchick

How much time does it take to prepare for five classes?

A lot!

I spent 15 hours working on lesson plans the weekend before starting Week 12.  Although I was tired, I felt good about what I had in store for my kids…

I should have warned them, though.

See, intermingled with those 15 hours was a whole can of refried beans and six hours of DVR’d Hell’s Kitchen episodes.

Um…yeah.

Lesson #511:  Never eat an entire can of refried beans, mixed with salsa, the night before you have to teach.  It can lead to a misery worse than any faced by an Edgar Allen Poe protagonist.

Just sayin’.

So, what did all of that work produce?

This wonderful assignment…

Followed by this rubric (click both sections to view the larger versions)…

To say my students were freaked out would be a slight understatement.  I had originally planned for the project to be due the following Monday, but my Juniors were beside themselves because of prior obligations.  In the end, I moved the due date to Wednesday.  They were visibly relieved.

Their blogging adventures continue to amaze me, and their creative writing is becoming just that…creative.

Tigger is one of my seniors, and from the first, she has loathed the blogging assignment.  In fact, one of her posts this week yammed on about how she had nothing to say, blah, blah, blah.

And then something magical happened.

As she continued her rambling, she began talking about herself, her family, and her pets.

And she posted pictures.  Here’s one, just to give you a taste (please visit her blog and comment…she could use the encouragement)…

 

Oh.

My.

Word.

I was floored.

This is a student who has not opened up much in class.  I’ve seen the sparkle in her eyes, but she has continued to hold back during class discussions.

I learned more about her from that single post than I had in the eleven weeks of school.

The next day at school, I told her how proud I was.

She beamed.

And then she went and shocked me again.

She posted on Friday…with more pictures…more glimpses into who she is outside of the school.

I am blown away.

This assignment is turning into everything I’d hoped it would.

Speaking of blogging…CoreofLore told me about a scholarship that is available for students who blog!!  Although the deadline just passed, it was interesting to learn that there is money available for students who use this type of forum to express themselves!

Getting back to The Pit and the Pendulum…

After reading/discussing it out loud, we began watching the movie version that I had borrowed from Rooster’s school (it’s nice to have connections)…

This movie was made in 1964, and it stars Vincent Price.  Although the movie strays greatly from Poe’s story, Price is fabulous!

Meanwhile, my 6th graders had to turn in “Why Read” posters.  We had read the poem, “To Young Readers” by Gwendolyn Brooks and discussed various reasons why people read…

To Young Readers
by Gwendolyn Brooks

Good books are
bandages
and voyages
and linkages to Light;

are keys and hammers,
ripe redeemers,
dials and bells and
healing hallelujah.

Good books are good nutrition.
A reader is a Guest
nourished, by riches of the Feast,
to lift, to launch, and to applaud the world.

Students had to select four metaphors, illustrate them, and explain how what the metaphors meant (reading is a key that unlocks the door to knowledge, etc.).

I wish I had taken pictures of the posters, but I forgot.  They were wonderful, though.  Trust me.

Next, we began studying functional documents…

Sound like fun?  Not really, but I did my best to make it interesting, tasking the kids with making their own applications for organizations of their choosing.  Most of the students made applications for being on soccer teams.  We had discussed text features, their purposes, and how they aid readers in understanding what information is being requested.

My ninth graders read and discussed Mark Twain’s “Life on the Mississippi.”  Then, they were tasked with the job of illustrating their own Vocabulary Bingo cards, which contained words from the reading.

“M” did a fabulous job on hers…

 

I was disappointed after this class took its vocabulary test on Thursday.  With the exception of “M,” most of the students did not do as well as I had hoped.  Plan B will commence…one that is a little less hard-core and suited to the class’s academic level.  I think we will be going back to the basics, which should only serve to build confidence as they achieve success one small step at a time.

This class and I also had a bit of a set back on Friday, which leads me to share another lesson.

Lesson #512:  Always come to class prepared (as a teacher, I mean).

I have my ninth graders right after lunch, and about ten minutes before the bell rang, I realized that I had not made the copies I needed for class.

Well, of course the copier wouldn’t play nice, so it took forever to finish the job.  Meanwhile, the bell had rung, and I had run to my classroom and gotten my students settled.  The routine is that they are supposed to answer the Bell Ringer on the board and sit quietly for class to begin.

After nine-plus weeks, I figured they had it down by now.

Boy was I wrong.

When my copies were finished, I went back to my room…only to discover that they were throwing stuff around.

My fuse, being short because of the copier issues, completely blew, and I…yelled…at my students.

I had promised myself that I would never be one of “those” teachers who yelled, and there I went and did it!

Although I was justified in my anger, I certainly should not have acted that way, but it took me a few minutes to cool off.  In the meantime, I heaped work on them.  They sat, arguing with every sentence I uttered.

I was so angry that I didn’t care.

Then, we “officially” began class.

Once I got them settled down, we actually had a good discussion about Mark Twain.  Although sullen, the students participated.

With five minutes left in class, I looked at them, dramatically inhaled deeply, and did what I knew was right.

I apologized.

I explained that I had treated them just as disrespectfully as they had treated me (it wasn’t just the throwing of items, but it was the arguing and talking over me too).  This class knows that I care.  They know that I have never yelled at them.  So, I hoped that they knew that I was sincere in my apology.

I explained that they would have an extra day to do the work I had assigned them, extending mercy so that they could study for a Monday math test.

This was a very humbling experience for me.

I’m finding teaching to be this way.

Moving on…

My Sophomores have been doing a unit on grammar.  The focus for the week was nouns, and let me tell you…they are a little more complicated than we thought!  I taught them about changing singular to singular possessive and plural into plural possessive.  We also worked on collective nouns…definitely a confusing topic for even the best of bloggers!!

These kids ate it up, though, and we did board work to review for the massive test I gave them on Friday…

 

After doing the above exercise, “M” went so far as to say, “I get it, and this time I really mean it.”

He had been telling me he understood everything when, in fact, he didn’t.

Silly boy.  I told him not to ever do that because I do not mind spending more time explaining.

On Thursday, all of my classes took their vocabulary tests…

It was the first time my 6th graders had taken one of these boogers in my class.  Because we had played Vocabulary Charades the day before, I had full confidence that they would do well.

They did.

Now, let me tell you about a neat thing that happened this week.  My high school classes got to attend a local political forum, which was held at another school.  Nusi and Seeking Life were selected to sit on a panel comprised of students from local high schools.  Students were given several opportunities to ask the panel of candidates questions, which they had worked on beforehand.  The forum was broadcast live on our local television station.

My girls were poised, and their questions were very well thought out, as were all of the students’ from other schools.

It was neat to be up close and personal with those running for office, and I actually learned about some issues that I had never heard of before.

You’ll forgive me for not being in the know, but I scarcely have time to watch the news, much less read the newspaper.

And so, Friday finally arrived.

I was beat.  It had been a very long, tiring week.

I had homework…

Oh, and before I close the book on Week 12, I had to share a few funny quotes from my students (things they actually said to me).  You know, it was a full moon this week.  Perhaps that affected everyone…

You don’t act like you’re 40.  You act like you’re 26.

 

You showered this morning?

 

Adverbs are adjectives for verbs.

 

You can have my lunch if you want.  My mom doesn’t cook very well.

 

Don’t think I’ll share that last one with the mom during any parent/teacher conferences.

Filed under: Teaching | Tagged: , , | 2 Comments »

Random Dozen Gets Some Help

Posted on October 21, 2010 by auburnchick

Poor Linda.  She’s had a rough week, so Mocha with Linda stepped in and helped out with the questions.  Yay for bloggy friends!!

So, we have Random Dozen questions this week, and I have an easy blog post for the week!  Everyone wins!

1. Do you prefer to read the book or see the movie?

I prefer to read books rather than see movies about books.  Movies do not adequately describe the setting and characters.  There are just so many extra details that you miss in movies.

2. What is your favorite holiday and why?

My favorite holiday is Christmas, although I will say that the last few years, I’ve been a bit humbug.  I think that not having much money has made it kind of depressing.  And, in my heart, I know that this holiday isn’t about buying gifts, but it’s hard to get out of that mentality with all of the materialism in the world.

This holiday reminds me of how Jesus humbled Himself and came down to earth as a baby.  The story of the prophetess, Anna, recognizing Jesus in the temple when He was but a babe and praising God for allowing her to see the Promised One before she died simply blows my mind.  THIS is what Christmas is about!

3. Which do you like better – the mountains or the beach?

I do not like heights or cliffs, so the mountains are not my thing.  I live 15 minutes from the beach.  Although I don’t go much, I am so thankful that I can.  The smell of the ocean and the sound of the waves puts my heart at peace.  The sight of sunset over the ocean is breathtaking.

4. If money were no consideration, what vehicle would you drive?

I don’t need a fancy car.  I have a Jeep, and I love it.  Given the choice, maybe I’d take a fixed-up Jeep…one in which there are no dents, and the paint job is fresh.

5. What is your favorite cold-weather beverage?

I love, love, love hot chocolate!!!

6. How do you communicate most often with your friends: phone, email, text, face-to-face, or Facebook?

I communicate more by Facebook.  It is so convenient!!

7. How do you receive your mail? Mailbox on the porch, at the end of the driveway, down the street, or post office box?

I have a mailbox at the end of my driveway.  This is the first house in my 21 years of marriage where I’ve had my own mailbox!!

8. Of the four basic personality types – sanguine, phlegmatic, melancholic, and choleric – which is your strongest? Which is your least evident? (See definitions below.)

I am a combination choleric/melancholic.  I am a doer, to the point of forgetting to take care of such things as fixing dinner and whatnot.  But, I do not consider myself very creative (despite the fact that I can knit, I don’t stray from patterns).

9. What do you miss the most about being 20?

I celebrated my 20-year birthday as a woman who had been married for six months.  I had just moved to north Florida and was working full time for the state of Florida.  I miss the freedom of that time…the innocence of it.  Although I had barely any money (some things don’t change), I don’t remember feeling overly stressed.  It was a happy time.

10. How long from the time you get up, does it take you to get ready to walk out the door in the morning?

I’m usually out of bed by 5:45 each morning.  Rooster and I hit the road by 6:45.  I need that hour to take care of myself (30 minutes) as well as my dogs.  Rooster and I have continued the routine of doing devotions on school mornings, and this usually takes ten minutes.

11. Who handles the car maintenance and pays the bills in your family?

I usually take the cars in for oil changes, but the Mr. handles big things like new tires and other repairs.  He and I pay different bills out of our checking accounts.  This is a long story.

12. For those in the US, how many states have you visited? For those outside the US, how many provinces/other countries have you visited?

As the child of divorced parents, I traveled frequently during my early years (when my mom allowed my dad to see my sister and me).  He lived in several different states.

Hence, I have probably visited most of the states in the West and Midwest.  I’ve also been to all of the southern states.  I’ve visited New York and driven through many of the northern states on the way to New York.

I am a well-traveled woman!

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Personality type definitions courtesy Wikipedia:

Sanguine

The Sanguine temperament personality is fairly extroverted. People of a sanguine temperament tend to enjoy social gatherings, making new friends and tend to be quite loud. They are usually quite creative and often daydream. However, some alone time is crucial for those of this temperament. Sanguine can also mean very sensitive, compassionate and thoughtful. Sanguine personalities generally struggle with following tasks all the way through, are chronically late, and tend to be forgetful and sometimes a little sarcastic. Often, when pursuing a new hobby, interest is lost quickly when it ceases to be engaging or fun. They are very much people persons. They are talkative and not shy. For some people, these are the ones you want to be friends with and usually they become life long friends.

Choleric

A person who is choleric is a doer. They have a lot of ambition, energy, and passion, and try to instill it in others. They can dominate people of other temperaments, especially phlegmatic types. Many great charismatic military and political figures were cholerics. They like to be leaders and in charge of everything.

Melancholic

A person who is a thoughtful ponderer has a melancholic disposition. Often very considerate and get rather worried when they could not be on time for events, melancholics can be highly creative in activities such as poetry and art – and can become occupied with the tragedy and cruelty in the world. A melancholic is also often a perfectionist. They are often self-reliant and independent; one negative part of being a melancholic is sometimes they can get so involved in what they are doing they forget to think of others.

Phlegmatic

Phlegmatics tend to be self-content and kind. They can be very accepting and affectionate. They may be very receptive and shy and often prefer stability to uncertainty and change. They are very consistent, relaxed, rational, curious, and observant, making them good administrators and diplomats.

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A Quickie Project

Posted on October 20, 2010 by auburnchick

The last time I went to visit Chicky, I gave myself treat:  a break from lesson planning.  I needed the day and a half to simply “be.”

So, I took a skein of yarn, a crochet hook, and a simple pattern book and got to work.

First of all, I did not make a typo.  I did mean to say “crochet.”

I had just overseen a divorce proceeding…unmarrying the yarn I had chosen from the pattern I’d paired it with.  Just like people, some knitting notions are not meant to be together.

So, I was in need of a quick project.

When you combine that need with very little time and a dog who has chewed up almost every dish rag I own, my pattern choice was easy.

I selected the Simple Crochet Dish Cloth…

While the Mr. drove us ever closer toward my baby, I crocheted and frogged…crocheted and frogged.  Finally, though, I got the hang of it (these were single crochet stitches all the way through).

By the time I got to Chicky’s school, I had completed one third of the cloth…

I had to put away the project, though, because we got busy watching the game and cheering on the girls.

I resumed working on it the next day, during the ride home, and finished it within a very short time.

I am so happy with the finished product!

The texture of this cloth is PERFECT for washing dishes!!  I used one entire skein of Sugar n Creme (Pastel Delight).

The quick project lifted my spirits and my intense need for a project fix.  I can’t wait to make more of these…whenever I have time again!

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Is There a Medic in the House?

Posted on October 19, 2010 by auburnchick

So, you might remember that on Tuesdays, after I leave work, I drive directly to Rooster’s school so I can help out at band practice.

I get there as quickly as I can…usually by 3:10…and the kids are usually already lined up, waiting for some AuburnChick love.

During the last two weeks, I have performed the following triage duties:

  • Sprayed Benedryl on several sets of legs to help with the itching from various bug bites
  • Administered Pamprin, Advil, and Benedryl (caplet form)
  • Squeezed out dollops of lip balm onto several fingertips (not touching the container to the skin, of course)
  • Checked the foreheads of several kids and deemed said children fever-free
  • Listened to kids detail how they upchucked pop tarts and how they are having bowel issues
  • Devised impromptu ice packs for sore knees
  • Passed out napkins to children who had nosebleeds
  • Called moms and dads when children sounded croupy and/or thought they had strep (all the while putting parents on speaker phone so they could converse with their children…the result of my fear of catching the germs said children were complaining about)
  • Applied bandaids to blisters
  • Closely monitored a band member who “fell” out when she kept her knees locked too long and, thus, deprived her lower extremities of oxygen (this was a little scary)

I believe I have fulfilled all requirements for the official First Aid Certification.

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Me and My Shadow

Posted on October 18, 2010 by auburnchick

Moralistic Therapeutic Deism (MTD)

This title entered my vocabulary on Sunday morning.

At first, church goers might have thought they had entered a seminary class.  However, this was not the case.

The newest pastor at my church, a young and very intelligent man, was standing in the pulpit (or on the stage, if I am going to be accurate) and sounding a bit like the Baptist preachers I had grown up listening to.

This phrase was coined by Christian Smith and Melinda Lundquist Denton, two sociologists who studied what, exactly, it is that teenagers call “religion.”

Please allow me to copy the basic points, which were posted on the screen at church and which I found on this site…

1. A God exists who created and ordered the world and watches over human life on earth.
2. God wants people to be good, nice, and fair to each other, as taught in the Bible and by most world religions.
3. The central goal of life is to be happy and to feel good about oneself.
4. God does not need to be particularly involved in one’s life except when God is needed to resolve a problem.
5. Good people go to heaven when they die.

Now, these things don’t sound particularly bad, do they?

Or do they?

That, my folks, is what I am going to call watered-down Christianity.  It loosely resembles something religious, but its true heart is NOT Christ.  How can it be?

Compare MTD to what Jesus says in Matthew 16:24-26…

24Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. 25For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it. 26What good will it be for a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul? Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul?

Do you notice any differences?

The MTD creed is “me” centered… that  God exists solely to make sure “I” am happy and all of “my” problems are fixed.

Let me fill you in on a little secret.

God did not create us so that He could serve us.

It was the other way around.

He created us so we would glorify Him and serve Him.

SHOCKER!  Especially in this world where there’s nothing better than to be waited upon hand and foot.

You know what’s even more shocking?  The fact that He KNEW we would screw up the single task He gave us, and, thus, He provided a way back to Him through the sacrifice and resurrection of His blameless Son.

DOUBLE SHOCKER!

It’s no wonder, then, that Jesus’ direct words were for us to deny ourselves, take up our crosses, and follow Him.  I mean, this man spoke these words with the full knowledge of what He was about to do, so He wasn’t asking anything that He wasn’t willing to do Himself.

Denying myself…now, that’s a novel thought, eh?  This has the makings for a new “me” creed – one that is Christ-centered.

We live in a very self-centered world, where it’s every man/woman for himself/herself.  You better look out for #1 because nobody else is going to.

Have you ever heard these words said?  I’d venture to bet that you’ve probably spoken them too.  I know that I have.

Jesus calls us to take up our crosses.  What does this mean?

That cross represents suffering.  He carried His own cross to the site where nails were driven into His hands and feet, and where He died for us.

He suffered for us.

He suffered for me.

He calls me to suffer for Him.

Jesus calls us to lose our lives so that we might save them.

This seems quite the paradox, doesn’t it?  How on earth do you save something by losing it?

I wonder about this sometimes, but then I just had this thought.

What if we’re following Christ so completely that we completely lose ourselves in Him?

Imagine that you are walking behind someone outside on a sunny day.  What if you step into that person’s shadow?  Don’t you completely lose yourself in that moment?

To stay in the person’s shadow, you must follow that person step-for-step, never trying to run ahead, always allowing yourself to be led.

I think it must be the same way with Jesus.

To lose ourselves in Him means that you cannot separate one from the other.

Do you walk that closely with Him?

I am ashamed to say that I do not.

I am all about me most of the time.

I am not alone.  The sociologists’ study revealed one very interesting fact.

The creed that the students were following was one passed down from their parents.

Gulp.

How convicting is that?

I’ve gotta tell you that I took the basic idea behind my pastor’s preaching and ran with it, adding my own twist and, what I believe, God spoke on my heart as I pondered my way though this post.

I will say that at the end of the sermon, when “T” gave the benediction, I could feel the Holy Spirit.  The words that came out of his mouth were unplanned and unrehearsed.  And yet, they spoke volumes.

If we profess to follow Christ, we must stop following the old “me” creed and adopt the “He” creed where Jesus is the center of everything we do…every thought, every decision, and every action.  Honoring God by serving Him and following His commands must be our life mission.

My personal prayer is that I will follow Him ever so closely, keeping time with Him, and one day completely lose myself in Him, never to reemerge the same again.

That is my prayer for you as well.

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