Do you have an extra $20 each month that you often ask yourself, "What should I do with this?"
I have an idea.
You should sponsor a child through SMI Haiti. Just $20 a month sends the child to school, which includes- uniform, supplies, tuition, books, and UP TO 4 MEALS A WEEK.
Visit smihaiti.org then click 'donate.' And then click 'sponsor a child.'
We sponsored a little guy last week, and then as I've kept checking the website to see if more kids are being added, guess who I found! Our little dude who would run around with no underwear, so proud of his light up shoes. So, we snagged him today.
I know about 4 people read my blog, but if anyone actually goes and checks this out, the kids in green uniforms had sponsors last year and their sponsors didn't renew for the upcoming year. Our naked foot stomper fell in that category. The ones not in green uniforms are going to be first timers to school.
Think about it. Pray about it. And then do it.
Going to school guarantees them a few meals, an adult showing positive, loving attention, and an education. This is life giving for these children in Haiti!
Saturday, September 22, 2012
Thursday, September 20, 2012
Love Your Neighbor
It has been a week!
Teaching preschool may sound super easy, and maybe it is compared to everything else. If that's the case, I'm not cut out to teach anything else.
Between all of the chaos of getting back in the swing of things at school, I've continued to think through the message from Sunday. Our pastor, along with one of the branch pastors, spoke on Jeremiah 29:5-7.
Our church is casting vision for the next several years, it's the 20/20 vision that will hopefully be a reality in 2020. See what they did there?
But the big push is for us as a church to not follow a messenger. But that we're about the message. That we not become spectators. But we're participants. As I've mentioned multiple times, the senior pastor is a really great teacher/preacher. And in order to maintain the health of the church, it's imperative that we're not about following him.
On Sunday, these pastors shared about the necessity of being present in the community. That our precise location is a place where we are called to be. Called to be more than space-fillers. The other dude talked about how him and his wife lived in a condo for two years and never painted a single wall because they knew it was temporary. At this moment, Adam and I looked at each other with a knowing look.
We've had this conversation before. I think my parents even witnessed it.
What's the point? We're going to move one day. We'll only have to paint it back. Blah, blah, blah.
But as we continue to make steps towards not putting roots down here, we're cutting off opportunities to be present right where we are. No, painting or not painting our walls makes no difference in the kingdom. But our mentality of what this place, this season, this time is can have a difference. We can be missing opportunities to point people to Jesus.
They said repeatedly, "Wherever you are, be all there." Which is originally a Jim Elliot quote. And I can tell you this, I'm not all here. I'm a little bit here. A little bit in Georgia. A little bit in North Carolina. A little bit overseas. I'm a little spread out. And I can only imagine that plays a part in my lack of deep, meaningful relationships here. When part of me is ready to jet in a moment's notice, it makes it hard for the other part of me to really connect with the people who are in my life right now.
But this isn't just a holding cell.
Or. I don't want it to be.
The thing is, we go to church in Seattle. We live in Bothell. The people we see on a regular basis, are not the people we see at church. And if we're talking about really loving our neighbor and being present with our community, then we need to look a little closer.
As they were talking on Sunday, I thought about where Adam and I currently live. Adam refers to it as Sesame Street because we have so. many. kids. on our street. On any given afternoon, there will be at least 4-8 kids out playing together.
For someone who feels more at ease with kids than peers, I should find this to be an ideal location to love my neighbor. How hard is it to hang out with kids? How much easier to get to know the people we live around when there's kids everywhere! Because I'll be honest, we refer to our literal neighbor, the door right next to ours as, "Creepo." Probably not doing such a good job loving that neighbor.
So, we gave it a try this week. One evening, when there were kids out playing, Adam and I just went and hung out outside. We already knew one little boy. But we met 2 more. And you know what? It feels weird at first. You wonder if people think you're the creep. But I know we have to start somewhere.
We can't keep residing here and not living here.
We (read: I) can't look ahead to what God may have for us down the road and miss the opportunities here. My friend that led our Haiti trip texted me and told me they wanted us to pray about moving to Haiti next fall for a year with them. I wanted to respond with a committed, "YES!" Adam looked at me and said, "Don't even think about it!" I'm quick to want to abandon this ship, and I know it's preventing me from stewarding this time well.
So, I do want to do a better job of loving my neighbor. I want to be present in our community. I want to be participating with the Body, not spectating.
Teaching preschool may sound super easy, and maybe it is compared to everything else. If that's the case, I'm not cut out to teach anything else.
Between all of the chaos of getting back in the swing of things at school, I've continued to think through the message from Sunday. Our pastor, along with one of the branch pastors, spoke on Jeremiah 29:5-7.
Our church is casting vision for the next several years, it's the 20/20 vision that will hopefully be a reality in 2020. See what they did there?
But the big push is for us as a church to not follow a messenger. But that we're about the message. That we not become spectators. But we're participants. As I've mentioned multiple times, the senior pastor is a really great teacher/preacher. And in order to maintain the health of the church, it's imperative that we're not about following him.
On Sunday, these pastors shared about the necessity of being present in the community. That our precise location is a place where we are called to be. Called to be more than space-fillers. The other dude talked about how him and his wife lived in a condo for two years and never painted a single wall because they knew it was temporary. At this moment, Adam and I looked at each other with a knowing look.
We've had this conversation before. I think my parents even witnessed it.
What's the point? We're going to move one day. We'll only have to paint it back. Blah, blah, blah.
But as we continue to make steps towards not putting roots down here, we're cutting off opportunities to be present right where we are. No, painting or not painting our walls makes no difference in the kingdom. But our mentality of what this place, this season, this time is can have a difference. We can be missing opportunities to point people to Jesus.
They said repeatedly, "Wherever you are, be all there." Which is originally a Jim Elliot quote. And I can tell you this, I'm not all here. I'm a little bit here. A little bit in Georgia. A little bit in North Carolina. A little bit overseas. I'm a little spread out. And I can only imagine that plays a part in my lack of deep, meaningful relationships here. When part of me is ready to jet in a moment's notice, it makes it hard for the other part of me to really connect with the people who are in my life right now.
But this isn't just a holding cell.
Or. I don't want it to be.
The thing is, we go to church in Seattle. We live in Bothell. The people we see on a regular basis, are not the people we see at church. And if we're talking about really loving our neighbor and being present with our community, then we need to look a little closer.
As they were talking on Sunday, I thought about where Adam and I currently live. Adam refers to it as Sesame Street because we have so. many. kids. on our street. On any given afternoon, there will be at least 4-8 kids out playing together.
For someone who feels more at ease with kids than peers, I should find this to be an ideal location to love my neighbor. How hard is it to hang out with kids? How much easier to get to know the people we live around when there's kids everywhere! Because I'll be honest, we refer to our literal neighbor, the door right next to ours as, "Creepo." Probably not doing such a good job loving that neighbor.
So, we gave it a try this week. One evening, when there were kids out playing, Adam and I just went and hung out outside. We already knew one little boy. But we met 2 more. And you know what? It feels weird at first. You wonder if people think you're the creep. But I know we have to start somewhere.
We can't keep residing here and not living here.
We (read: I) can't look ahead to what God may have for us down the road and miss the opportunities here. My friend that led our Haiti trip texted me and told me they wanted us to pray about moving to Haiti next fall for a year with them. I wanted to respond with a committed, "YES!" Adam looked at me and said, "Don't even think about it!" I'm quick to want to abandon this ship, and I know it's preventing me from stewarding this time well.
So, I do want to do a better job of loving my neighbor. I want to be present in our community. I want to be participating with the Body, not spectating.
Sunday, September 16, 2012
Quick Update
We're in transition, yet again. In new territory, yet again.
For the first time since we've been married, Adam's working full time, and I've got my full work schedule plus my coaching demands. Not to mention, Adam is training the CP football team twice a week. We're figuring it out.
This is an exhausting part of the school year, as my classes and I are still figuring each other out. My team is definitely keeping me on my toes. This results in a very tired Marissa on most days of the week.
Last week, Adam talked to me about how he wanted us to balance our weekends to be productive yet relaxing, and to not let this season of our lives pass us by without taking advantage of it.
I think we embodied that balance this weekend. Lots of laundry, some wood chopping, a movie watched, a date night, and a great time hiking this afternoon. Church was really great and thought provoking this morning, and I have a whole different post for that.
As we're approaching the 9 month marker of marriage for us, we keep remembering where we were at last year at this time. It's usually accompanied with heavy sighs and comments like, "I'm so glad we're married now." I don't think I could ever say it enough; I'm so thankful for my husband.
Even though everything about where we live isn't ideal, we do live in a beautiful city that provides lots of parks and places to explore.
We know that fall is coming, and that means the rain is coming, too. So we have to take full advantage of our last few weeks of basically perfect weather.
It was a good weekend. Not to mention (but definitely worth mentioning), my nieces and sister in-law made me a video, and I will watch it everyday this week because I miss them like crazy.
For the first time since we've been married, Adam's working full time, and I've got my full work schedule plus my coaching demands. Not to mention, Adam is training the CP football team twice a week. We're figuring it out.
This is an exhausting part of the school year, as my classes and I are still figuring each other out. My team is definitely keeping me on my toes. This results in a very tired Marissa on most days of the week.
Last week, Adam talked to me about how he wanted us to balance our weekends to be productive yet relaxing, and to not let this season of our lives pass us by without taking advantage of it.
I think we embodied that balance this weekend. Lots of laundry, some wood chopping, a movie watched, a date night, and a great time hiking this afternoon. Church was really great and thought provoking this morning, and I have a whole different post for that.
As we're approaching the 9 month marker of marriage for us, we keep remembering where we were at last year at this time. It's usually accompanied with heavy sighs and comments like, "I'm so glad we're married now." I don't think I could ever say it enough; I'm so thankful for my husband.
Even though everything about where we live isn't ideal, we do live in a beautiful city that provides lots of parks and places to explore.
We know that fall is coming, and that means the rain is coming, too. So we have to take full advantage of our last few weeks of basically perfect weather.
It was a good weekend. Not to mention (but definitely worth mentioning), my nieces and sister in-law made me a video, and I will watch it everyday this week because I miss them like crazy.
Monday, September 10, 2012
Ding! Round 3!!
And just like that the chaos of school is back in my life. Getting to the school around 7. Getting home around 6. The first week was exhausting. To top it off, we had an away football game on Friday and a 4 hour practice on Saturday. What crazy coach planned that?!
My preschoolers look tinier than they did last year. The sixth graders definitely look smaller. The beginning of the year takes so much effort to establish our routine and make my expectations clear. And I’m at this place where I’m asking, “Did I really sign myself up for another year of this?”
When parents find out this is my third year, they seem to have some confidence in my abilities as a teacher. Thinking, “Surely if she was terrible at this, they wouldn’t ask her back for a third year.” I’m operating on the same assumption, people.
One of my preschoolers has special needs and requires a personal aide in the classroom. Upon learning about this, I had a minor panic attack. What if they find out I have zero formal training in early childhood education? What if they asked for my “professional” input regarding his progress? What if the aide reported back to the parents that their child is, in fact, in the care of a crazy person? What if, what if, what if?
When I expressed my concerns to my lead teacher who has like 3 degrees (seriously, she’s got 2 undergrads and a masters and 30+ years of experience), she told me she was confident that this little boy was placed in the right classroom. I stared back at her unconvinced.
And so, I’m looking to the Source to fill me to overflowing with love, patience, kindness, and gentleness. I’m trusting that He will fill in all the gaps along the way, and we’re going to have a wonderful year together.
On the way back from our football game, my team was on this little bus, exhausted from the week/day, but they were having a great time. They started singing worship songs together, and in that moment, I was 100% confident that I was right where I was supposed to be. As I coach these girls- their hearts included- I’m grateful for the opportunities to point them to Jesus and speak Truth over their lives. I’m grateful for my senior leadership who know the importance of leaving a legacy. I’m grateful that it’s only September, and I have 6 months ahead of me with this team.
As I stood at church yesterday, I once again was filled to the brim with thankfulness that God has positioned me to have this team entrusted into my care. To have these preschoolers in my classroom. To have this school year to be a person of influence in all the students’ lives that I work with. And I hope I steward it well.
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