For the past few months I have really been feeling a pull from God towards Biblical literacy. As far as Biblical literacy goes at the moment I'm pretty far behind considering where I should be. I look at Muslims as a whole and have a profound respect for them- not only do they know their scripture but they know ours as well, often times better than WE know the Bible, and they have no problems proving that to us. How can we say that we believe in God and that we follow HIs will for us when we don't even know what He has to say about things. Pulling random verses from Sunday School out doesn't necessarily count either. That was fine as a child but now that I am an adult I must leave behind childish ways (hey maybe I do know my Bible!). It is time for a deeper understanding of the word so that I can pull out verses and actually understand what they mean in context. It is much harder to twist God's word to what we want when we take it in context!
Over the next, well, I don't know how long this will take me but I will be digging into the Bible cover to cover reading and studying the Bible for better understanding. I pray that I will be doing this out of love and not because I feel obligated. I want this to be a joy but I also recognize that there will be times that this will seem to be a tedious task and in those times I pray for the strength to "fake it til I make it" as they say, that I will have the strength to persevere through the hard times until it becomes a joy again. PLease keep me in your prayers and keep reading. I will be posting regularly on my progress and sharing my thoughts on what I read. PLease keep the feedback coming!
Monday, December 17, 2007
Tuesday, July 31, 2007
Food for thought
After reading Caryn's most recent blog I was inspired to write my thoughts on the environment/global warming subject.
I have often wondered why it isn't Christians that we as leaders in the fight for our world. Don't get me wrong- I am not completely naive and I recognize that our planet goes through cycles and phases but even so WE ARE doing damage to it. The effects of global warming are vast and the way we act is not helping the situation. As Christians shouldn't this be a concern of ours? Didn't God leave us in charge of the land and the animals?
I am not saying that we all need to be extremists and change everything about our lives and start wearing only clothing made from hemp but there are plenty of small changes we can make everyday to make a difference. Here are a few ideas I have and I would love it if you guys could share your ideas with me (the 3 or 4 of you that read this).
- Keeping your grocery bags and bringing them back to the store to reuse them or for small or moderate purchases bringing a tote bag to fill instead of using grocery bags. (Ikea has some cute ones and I have one from Whole Foods that not only has the two small handles for carrying but also a nice shoulder strap, and its cute!)
- Buying a Nalgene or other reusable water bottle and using it many times rather than using many plastic bottles.
-Recycling: whether that means putting bottles and cans in the green bin at your curb or giving clothes you no longer need to a friend or The Salvation Army box- every little bit helps.
- Using energy saver light bulbs
- Carpooling
That's all I can think of at this late hour but if I think of more I will be sure to post them!
I have often wondered why it isn't Christians that we as leaders in the fight for our world. Don't get me wrong- I am not completely naive and I recognize that our planet goes through cycles and phases but even so WE ARE doing damage to it. The effects of global warming are vast and the way we act is not helping the situation. As Christians shouldn't this be a concern of ours? Didn't God leave us in charge of the land and the animals?
I am not saying that we all need to be extremists and change everything about our lives and start wearing only clothing made from hemp but there are plenty of small changes we can make everyday to make a difference. Here are a few ideas I have and I would love it if you guys could share your ideas with me (the 3 or 4 of you that read this).
- Keeping your grocery bags and bringing them back to the store to reuse them or for small or moderate purchases bringing a tote bag to fill instead of using grocery bags. (Ikea has some cute ones and I have one from Whole Foods that not only has the two small handles for carrying but also a nice shoulder strap, and its cute!)
- Buying a Nalgene or other reusable water bottle and using it many times rather than using many plastic bottles.
-Recycling: whether that means putting bottles and cans in the green bin at your curb or giving clothes you no longer need to a friend or The Salvation Army box- every little bit helps.
- Using energy saver light bulbs
- Carpooling
That's all I can think of at this late hour but if I think of more I will be sure to post them!
Monday, July 30, 2007
The thoughts that fill my head...
It just dawned on me that I haven't blogged in quite awhile and there are so many things to write about. WARNING: this blog may come out in a completely random and haphazard manner so this is not for the faint of attention span: you may need prior experience in "Spider Webbing" (a term used by a Christian counselor to describe how women will start on one point, go off on multiple tangents but somehow by the time she is done will have completed all of her thoughts and points) to navigate this blog.
So we have a new addition in the MacLean household. My friend Cait was kicked out of her house recently and my parents took her in. This has been a great cause for concern on my part. How will she adapt to our lifestyle? Will she be able to abide by the rules set out by my parents? Will she be able to accept what has happened and have the maturity to deal with it? Lastly, will I be able to deal with having her around 24/7? I know that last question sounds selfish considering the situation but it is something I worry about- it has taken me 17 years to figure out how to live with my sister and we still have problems occasionally! Will our friendship be able to survive living together? The last time we lived together was in college and that was tough on our friendship- mind you I was her R.A. so that was added strain but still. I also feel for my dad who is now the only male in house with four women! (Maybe he and Alistair can start a support group!)
On a completely separate note- I miss Matt. We were definitely spoiled having apartments right across the hall from each other. We had our boundaries but we were able to see each other whenever we wanted to. I always had someone to watch The Office with and play games with and laugh with and as much as I am enjoying the freedom to hang with my friends I miss him terribly. He only lives about an hour away but having to work around both our busy schedules is not easy.
I went back to the corps last Sunday and it was fantastic. I hadn't realized until I walked through the door how much I had missed it. Being welcomed by the corps members, listening to the band and even babysitting all felt like a piece of my heart that had been missing had finally been put back in place. It's good to be back and I look forward to getting to know the corps all over again.
I am mourning the end of the Harry Potter series. I read the first book ten years ago when it was published so for an entire decade I have had the anticipation of finding out what would happen next to Harry, Ron and Hermione. THe last book was the perfect ending to the series but still- I am sad to see them go. (This is almost as sad as when Friends ended)
So we have a new addition in the MacLean household. My friend Cait was kicked out of her house recently and my parents took her in. This has been a great cause for concern on my part. How will she adapt to our lifestyle? Will she be able to abide by the rules set out by my parents? Will she be able to accept what has happened and have the maturity to deal with it? Lastly, will I be able to deal with having her around 24/7? I know that last question sounds selfish considering the situation but it is something I worry about- it has taken me 17 years to figure out how to live with my sister and we still have problems occasionally! Will our friendship be able to survive living together? The last time we lived together was in college and that was tough on our friendship- mind you I was her R.A. so that was added strain but still. I also feel for my dad who is now the only male in house with four women! (Maybe he and Alistair can start a support group!)
On a completely separate note- I miss Matt. We were definitely spoiled having apartments right across the hall from each other. We had our boundaries but we were able to see each other whenever we wanted to. I always had someone to watch The Office with and play games with and laugh with and as much as I am enjoying the freedom to hang with my friends I miss him terribly. He only lives about an hour away but having to work around both our busy schedules is not easy.
I went back to the corps last Sunday and it was fantastic. I hadn't realized until I walked through the door how much I had missed it. Being welcomed by the corps members, listening to the band and even babysitting all felt like a piece of my heart that had been missing had finally been put back in place. It's good to be back and I look forward to getting to know the corps all over again.
I am mourning the end of the Harry Potter series. I read the first book ten years ago when it was published so for an entire decade I have had the anticipation of finding out what would happen next to Harry, Ron and Hermione. THe last book was the perfect ending to the series but still- I am sad to see them go. (This is almost as sad as when Friends ended)
Wednesday, April 25, 2007
Updates
So I have a few things to post about today...
THe first is that I finished teaching my unit on Friday. The whole week went SO well and I received a lot of praise from other teachers. It was so much fun and I really can't wait to have my own classroom.
The second is that I had a presentation in my science class today. My partner and I took a big risk in making our presentation exciting and funny rather than dull and boring but it was fabulous! The whole class was laughing including our professor- he loved it and we have an A+!
Even with both of these exciting moments I am really stressed out. It is the last week of classes which means billions of projects due and then next week is finals which means exams and presentations. I am excited to be so close to done but I feel like I will never make it across the finish line. I am so overwhelmed- last night, thanks to working on projects, I only got 4 hours of sleep instead of my usual 8- it does not feel good.
THe first is that I finished teaching my unit on Friday. The whole week went SO well and I received a lot of praise from other teachers. It was so much fun and I really can't wait to have my own classroom.
The second is that I had a presentation in my science class today. My partner and I took a big risk in making our presentation exciting and funny rather than dull and boring but it was fabulous! The whole class was laughing including our professor- he loved it and we have an A+!
Even with both of these exciting moments I am really stressed out. It is the last week of classes which means billions of projects due and then next week is finals which means exams and presentations. I am excited to be so close to done but I feel like I will never make it across the finish line. I am so overwhelmed- last night, thanks to working on projects, I only got 4 hours of sleep instead of my usual 8- it does not feel good.
Tuesday, April 17, 2007
My life soundtrack
I found this on Caryn's blog and thought it looked like fun so here goes..
IF YOUR LIFE WAS A MOVIE, WHAT WOULD THE SOUNDTRACK BE?
So, here's how it works:
1. Open your library (iTunes, Winamp, Media Player, iPod, etc)
2. Put it on shuffle
3. Press play
4. For every question, type the song that's playing
5. When you go to a new question, press the next button
6. Don't lie and try to pretend your cool... and alot of the songs fit with the setting
Opening Credits: (I Can't Get No) Satisfaction by The Rolling Stones (Wow. Let's see where the rest of this goes...)
Waking Up: Mama Said by The Shirelles
First Day At School: Alright by Supergrass
Falling In Love: 100 Years by Five for Fighting (I can't make this up!)
Fight Song: Whip It by Devo
Breaking Up: Walk On by U2
Prom: Beautiful Disaster by Jon McLaughlin (I didn't go to prom but I LOVE this song)
Life: The Song of the Heart by Prince (from the Happy Feet Soundtrack, this is a perfect song for this one- I love it)
Mental Breakdown: Where Did You Go? by The Mighty Mighty Bosstones (nice)
Driving: No Particular Place to Go by Chuck Berry (this song is nothing if not a driving song)
Flashback: Cry Ophelia by Adam Cohen (umm wow)
Getting back together: I've Got to See You Again by Norah Jones
Wedding: Tiny Dancer by Elton John (a few months ago I would have said this didn't fit but recently I discovered that Matt does an amazing rendition of this song karaoke style- I love that man, he makes me laugh like no one else can!)
Birth of Child: Baby's Got Sauce by G. Love and the Special Sauce (okay- technically this is about his girlfriend being better than everyone else's but you know I can take it as my kid being cooler than all the others, at least in my eyes, to everyone else s/he will probably be a big dork just like me)
Final Battle: Footloose (awesome)
Death Scene: Always Something There to Remind Me (haha! nice)
Funeral Song: Season of Love from Rent (perfection)
End Credits: All Right Now by Free
I really like this mix... try it and post your results
IF YOUR LIFE WAS A MOVIE, WHAT WOULD THE SOUNDTRACK BE?
So, here's how it works:
1. Open your library (iTunes, Winamp, Media Player, iPod, etc)
2. Put it on shuffle
3. Press play
4. For every question, type the song that's playing
5. When you go to a new question, press the next button
6. Don't lie and try to pretend your cool... and alot of the songs fit with the setting
Opening Credits: (I Can't Get No) Satisfaction by The Rolling Stones (Wow. Let's see where the rest of this goes...)
Waking Up: Mama Said by The Shirelles
First Day At School: Alright by Supergrass
Falling In Love: 100 Years by Five for Fighting (I can't make this up!)
Fight Song: Whip It by Devo
Breaking Up: Walk On by U2
Prom: Beautiful Disaster by Jon McLaughlin (I didn't go to prom but I LOVE this song)
Life: The Song of the Heart by Prince (from the Happy Feet Soundtrack, this is a perfect song for this one- I love it)
Mental Breakdown: Where Did You Go? by The Mighty Mighty Bosstones (nice)
Driving: No Particular Place to Go by Chuck Berry (this song is nothing if not a driving song)
Flashback: Cry Ophelia by Adam Cohen (umm wow)
Getting back together: I've Got to See You Again by Norah Jones
Wedding: Tiny Dancer by Elton John (a few months ago I would have said this didn't fit but recently I discovered that Matt does an amazing rendition of this song karaoke style- I love that man, he makes me laugh like no one else can!)
Birth of Child: Baby's Got Sauce by G. Love and the Special Sauce (okay- technically this is about his girlfriend being better than everyone else's but you know I can take it as my kid being cooler than all the others, at least in my eyes, to everyone else s/he will probably be a big dork just like me)
Final Battle: Footloose (awesome)
Death Scene: Always Something There to Remind Me (haha! nice)
Funeral Song: Season of Love from Rent (perfection)
End Credits: All Right Now by Free
I really like this mix... try it and post your results
Confirmation...
Don't you love it when it dawns on you that you are doing exactly what God has planned for you? Yesterday was the first time that I had to teach an actual class of children. Sure, I have written billions of lesson plans before but those have always been presented to my peers in a college classroom, never to the real people group I will be teaching.
I am taking a class right now and I am the only one who signed up for it, one on one attention is amazing when learning how to write lessons! Since I was the only one I had no outlet to present it so we asked the director of the nursery school where I work and she and the teacher invited me to teach for a week! I had to write an entire thematic unit and am currently teaching it.
I was so nervous yesterday morning. I had planned for weeks and arrived at the classroom an hour early to set up but could not calm my nerves- I was not nervous with the children or even with my plans, I was nervous about my professor, the teacher, and the director all observing me. It is tremendous pressure to not just have one master teacher observe but three!
Well, the day went off without a hitch! The kids were cooperative and loved the activities I had planned and I got compliments from the director, teacher, my prof AND other teachers in the building.
Growing up an officers' kid you always feel that pull that you HAVE to be an officer or at the very least go into ministry, for a long time I had felt that I might be making a mistake considering the officer to civilian ratio in my family but every time I step into a classroom I am reminded why I didn't go to the training school.
I love my job and I love that someday I will have a classroom of my own (though I don't always enjoy all the work that goes into getting there!).
I am taking a class right now and I am the only one who signed up for it, one on one attention is amazing when learning how to write lessons! Since I was the only one I had no outlet to present it so we asked the director of the nursery school where I work and she and the teacher invited me to teach for a week! I had to write an entire thematic unit and am currently teaching it.
I was so nervous yesterday morning. I had planned for weeks and arrived at the classroom an hour early to set up but could not calm my nerves- I was not nervous with the children or even with my plans, I was nervous about my professor, the teacher, and the director all observing me. It is tremendous pressure to not just have one master teacher observe but three!
Well, the day went off without a hitch! The kids were cooperative and loved the activities I had planned and I got compliments from the director, teacher, my prof AND other teachers in the building.
Growing up an officers' kid you always feel that pull that you HAVE to be an officer or at the very least go into ministry, for a long time I had felt that I might be making a mistake considering the officer to civilian ratio in my family but every time I step into a classroom I am reminded why I didn't go to the training school.
I love my job and I love that someday I will have a classroom of my own (though I don't always enjoy all the work that goes into getting there!).
Monday, March 12, 2007
Update
Today was Pajama Day at work (I work at a Nursery School by the way). It was a beautiful thing being able to be THAT comfortable at work.
Also, as of last Friday I am down another 2.6 pounds- so I am at a total of 5.2 pounds lost! I am very excited and feel so good about getting into shape. I did Pilates recently and the burn felt SO good!
Also, as of last Friday I am down another 2.6 pounds- so I am at a total of 5.2 pounds lost! I am very excited and feel so good about getting into shape. I did Pilates recently and the burn felt SO good!
Sunday, March 04, 2007
Embracing Change
So I finally did it. For Lent this year I decided to give up all of my excuses for letting myself go and being so horribly unhealthy and out of shape- it was definitely time for a change. On Feb 23rd I joined Weight Watchers- having accountability is a beautiful thing. I weighed in again this past Friday and I am down 2.5 pounds! I have so much further to go but I know I can make it. I am determined to be a good steward of this body that God has given me.
I am not doing this to look cute and be able to wear smaller clothes nor am I doing this because Lindsay Lohan or (insert celebrity name here) is a size negative 2. I am doing this because:
- I want to be healthy
- I am an example to all of my students and kids I babysit and I would prefer to be a good example.
- I will someday have kids of my own and before they get here I would like to know a thing or two about hwo to take care of myself so that I can teach them how to take care of themselves.
- The body is a temple and should be treated that way.
So I am embarking on a new journey and I am really excited about it! I will try my best to update more often!
I am not doing this to look cute and be able to wear smaller clothes nor am I doing this because Lindsay Lohan or (insert celebrity name here) is a size negative 2. I am doing this because:
- I want to be healthy
- I am an example to all of my students and kids I babysit and I would prefer to be a good example.
- I will someday have kids of my own and before they get here I would like to know a thing or two about hwo to take care of myself so that I can teach them how to take care of themselves.
- The body is a temple and should be treated that way.
So I am embarking on a new journey and I am really excited about it! I will try my best to update more often!
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