I thought it was time for an update on what's been going on with me. I suppose I will start with work and from there just say whatever comes to my head.
We are finally moved into the new office! It was a very long and difficult journey to get there, but we did it. I spent the past several weeks emptying cabinets, sorting through folders, packing boxes, transporting machines, setting up machines, and transporting various items, and also physically moving stuff. It was a very tiring couple of weeks. The new office looks great and everything is going well. The commute is longer...15 minutes more. It's okay though. I am thankful that I have a job, I enjoy working there, I have wonderful bosses, and I feel like I am contributing. I am still preparing for hopeful upcoming interviews for the next school year. I'm pretty confident, but I also feel like a guppy about to dive into the ocean. Growing up, what can you do?
The good thing about work is I have been able to listen to various Podcast. I have downloaded several sermons from Kairos, Brentwood Baptist, John MacArthur, and Timothy Keller. They have been great to listen to and it keeps my mind occupied while I'm doing work that at times...doesn't challenge my brain. I have also started listening to Old Time Radio programs such as, "The Shadow." They are very exciting. It's funny because there were some episodes where I was like, "How is he going to get out of this?!?" It's funny because you know he is going to get out of it and that everything is going to turn out okay. It's almost the same feeling I get when I watch a Rocky movie and watch him fight. I mean, Rocky is going to win. We all know that. So why get worried?
That was a nice little tangent. In other news, the Lemons family has started on Nutrisystem! So far I have lost 8 pounds! I don't think I'm losing the weight off my body. I think it is just re-distributing itself. The food is pretty good. Breakfasts are my favorite. Dinner is more misses than hits. Lunch is okay. I feel like I am eating ALL THE TIME though. The human body is amazing. The good thing from this all is I feel that I am already learning how to eat healthy. Even though I would like to have some dark chocolate ice cream poured on top of a Hardees thickburger. Don't judge me!
I best be going now. I hope you all have a great rest of the day!
Thursday, April 08, 2010
Friday, February 26, 2010
Anvil Retreat, Work, and Olympics
Hey Everyone!
It has been almost a month since I posted last. The main reason being that I really didn't have anything to blog about. Now, I do have something to blog about! I'm going to start with Anvil Retreat that the guys in our youth group took this last week.
We had our annual Anvil retreat this past week. A common theme of this retreat includes smashing things with a big mallet, eating lots of meat, and talking about what it means to be a man. This past week was different. Instead of students leaving the retreat talking about the amazing meat and smashing, they talked about how they felt, christian community, and changes. So what happened? Well, we did a lot of things different. We didn't have any curriculum. As a matter of fact, us leaders didn't really have to do much except show up, participate, and step in when needed. There were two guy speakers for the weekend and they used a lot of symbolism, activities, engaged the students, and had students and adults participate in activities that helped encourage community and development. We all "checked in" with how we were feeling (anger, sadness, fear, or joy), and we looked each other in the eye and were brutally honest in answering the tough questions. In short, this retreat was about being true men. The exciting part is this is just part one. I think that we'll have a lot more retreats like this in the future.
In other news, I have been working. Mainly my work for the past couple weeks has been proofreading and entering data. It's not the most exciting thing, but it needs to be done. Since I am a "C" personality and details are my thing, it has been a little enjoyable for me. That sounds really nerdy, but it is what it is. I have been listening to a couple of podcasts. Some from my home church of Brentwood Baptist and some from John MacArthur on his Grace to You Ministry Podcast. I have also downloaded Steve Martin's new album, "The Crow" and have been listening to that. It is really good!
I have been satisfied with the Olympics. I have enjoyed Speed Skating, Skiing, Snowboarding, and even Ice Skating! I am proud of how America has been doing. It will be pretty awesome if we win the medal count...for the first time! I don't know what I am going to do without the Olympics. The Olympics helped me get my sports craving satisfied when NFL ended. I guess now I will just have to get really involved in March Madness. I might need to get involved in a competition or pool somewhere so I will become invested in it.
Anyway, I hope you all have a great rest of the day!
It has been almost a month since I posted last. The main reason being that I really didn't have anything to blog about. Now, I do have something to blog about! I'm going to start with Anvil Retreat that the guys in our youth group took this last week.
We had our annual Anvil retreat this past week. A common theme of this retreat includes smashing things with a big mallet, eating lots of meat, and talking about what it means to be a man. This past week was different. Instead of students leaving the retreat talking about the amazing meat and smashing, they talked about how they felt, christian community, and changes. So what happened? Well, we did a lot of things different. We didn't have any curriculum. As a matter of fact, us leaders didn't really have to do much except show up, participate, and step in when needed. There were two guy speakers for the weekend and they used a lot of symbolism, activities, engaged the students, and had students and adults participate in activities that helped encourage community and development. We all "checked in" with how we were feeling (anger, sadness, fear, or joy), and we looked each other in the eye and were brutally honest in answering the tough questions. In short, this retreat was about being true men. The exciting part is this is just part one. I think that we'll have a lot more retreats like this in the future.
In other news, I have been working. Mainly my work for the past couple weeks has been proofreading and entering data. It's not the most exciting thing, but it needs to be done. Since I am a "C" personality and details are my thing, it has been a little enjoyable for me. That sounds really nerdy, but it is what it is. I have been listening to a couple of podcasts. Some from my home church of Brentwood Baptist and some from John MacArthur on his Grace to You Ministry Podcast. I have also downloaded Steve Martin's new album, "The Crow" and have been listening to that. It is really good!
I have been satisfied with the Olympics. I have enjoyed Speed Skating, Skiing, Snowboarding, and even Ice Skating! I am proud of how America has been doing. It will be pretty awesome if we win the medal count...for the first time! I don't know what I am going to do without the Olympics. The Olympics helped me get my sports craving satisfied when NFL ended. I guess now I will just have to get really involved in March Madness. I might need to get involved in a competition or pool somewhere so I will become invested in it.
Anyway, I hope you all have a great rest of the day!
Friday, January 29, 2010
One of the coolest books I've read in a while
Hey Everyone! This was one of the coolest books I have read in a while. This book was so enlightening and fun to read that as soon as I was done reading it I said to myself, "I have to teach this. I have to teach this." My Lifegroup at church got to hear a small tidbit of it. I could have taught for another hour, but they probably would have tied me up or text death threats if I went over the allotted time, so I couldn't go as in depth as I wanted to go.
My intention of writing this post is basically because this book excited me and I wanted to share it with someone. Of the thousands of people that read my blog, maybe someone will like it :-)
Growing up Baptist, I have heard the story of the Prodigal Son many times. As a matter of fact, images of the animated video still run through my head every time I think about this story. After reading this book, I have a totally different perspective on it. I realized how important this story is concerning God/Sin/Repentance as well as how controversial it was in context with that day and age. If I could go back in time, I want to be there during those 5-10 minutes when Jesus told this story. After all it was a little over a month after hearing this story that the Pharisees decided they needed to kill Jesus. Why was this story so controversial?
John MacArthur said something very interesting about sin. He wrote:
"Sinners come in Two Basic Varieties. Some are straightforward and intrepid in their evildoing, and they don't really care who sees what they do. Invariably, their besetting sin is pride - the kind of pride that is seen in an undue love for oneself and uncontrollable lusts for self-indulgent pleasures. At the other end of the spectrum are secretive sinners, who prefer to sin when they think no one else is looking. They try to mask their more obvious sins in various ways - often with the pretense of religion. Their besetting sin is also pride, but it's the kind of pride that manifests itself in hypocrisy."
We know the story about how the son rebelled against his father, took pleasure in prodigal living, lost everything, realized his plight, remembered the father's compassion, pleaded the father for forgiveness, and was then was restored to new life. What we tend to overlook is the elder brother. The elder brother didn't delight in his brother becoming alive again. He didn't join in the celebration...he got upset with the father. He attacked the virtue, the integrity, and character of his own loving father. The elder son acted as if he would be happier if the younger son was dead. He was full of demands and devoid of any understanding. The elder son should have been the role model - but he was far from it. Do you see the contrast of the elder son to the Pharisees? The parable remained unresolved, but we know what would have happened next.
What can we take from this story? John MacArthur ends this story saying:
"The invitation to be part of the great celebration banquet is still open to all...and it doesn't matter whether you are an open sinner like the Prodigal Son, a secret one like his elder brother, or someone with characteristics from each type. If you know someone who is still estranged from God, Christ urges you to acknowledge your guilt, admit your own spiritual poverty, embrace your heavenly Father, and be reconciled to Him (2 Corinthians 5:20)."
If you would like to read the story again, it's found in Luke 15:11-32.
Thursday, January 14, 2010
Life is like a box of chocolates
Forrest Gump is one of my favorite movies. The thing I always thought interesting was whenever he was asked if he was stupid he would say, "Stupid is as stupid does." So, let's look at things this way. If life is like a box of chocolates (you never know what you're going to get), and stupid is as stupid does, what does that mean to us right now? Or to make it more personal, what does it mean to me?
As you may know, I graduated close to a month ago on December 19th. I went on a cruise, I got back home, and slowly have been thinking about my last 4.5 years, what's to come, and what is happening right now in the present. I am not substitute teaching (may not be...we'll see), I don't have any interim positions, and the real hiring for most school systems doesn't start for a couple of months. I got my diploma and a letter from my university telling me that I have completed everything necessary for my license, and it is currently at the state department getting processed. I am going to apply at Williamson County but lately I have been thinking about Rutherford County as well. I suppose it depends on who is hiring and what may make a good fit between the school and what I have to offer.
As far as what I have been doing, I have been helping out where I can lately. I've also read several books. My book study finally finished J.I. Packer's Knowing God (Shout out to Michael), and I have also read John MacArthur's The Truth War, Barbara Kingsolver's The Bean Trees, and I am currently reading another John MacArthur book, A Tale of Two Sons.
On a different note, I am also pretty excited about what Phillip and I are going to do for Lifegroups this semester. We have found out what they want to learn, and we're going to try to break it up and teach it. This will be good because it's something that they will be interested in and we will be too. Our church is also doing some really awesome things this year. The Church at Station Hill will be up and running soon, we will have more focus on discipleship/evangelism church-wide, and I think things will take a different turn.
Binks is crying at me right now, so I think I need to wrap this up. As a matter of fact when I just wrote that sentence, he shook his paw at me and knocked my computer over. Silly dog.
I hope that when you open your box of chocolates, that you will enjoy the experience of eating chocolate despite what flavor you get. Have a good one!
As you may know, I graduated close to a month ago on December 19th. I went on a cruise, I got back home, and slowly have been thinking about my last 4.5 years, what's to come, and what is happening right now in the present. I am not substitute teaching (may not be...we'll see), I don't have any interim positions, and the real hiring for most school systems doesn't start for a couple of months. I got my diploma and a letter from my university telling me that I have completed everything necessary for my license, and it is currently at the state department getting processed. I am going to apply at Williamson County but lately I have been thinking about Rutherford County as well. I suppose it depends on who is hiring and what may make a good fit between the school and what I have to offer.
As far as what I have been doing, I have been helping out where I can lately. I've also read several books. My book study finally finished J.I. Packer's Knowing God (Shout out to Michael), and I have also read John MacArthur's The Truth War, Barbara Kingsolver's The Bean Trees, and I am currently reading another John MacArthur book, A Tale of Two Sons.
On a different note, I am also pretty excited about what Phillip and I are going to do for Lifegroups this semester. We have found out what they want to learn, and we're going to try to break it up and teach it. This will be good because it's something that they will be interested in and we will be too. Our church is also doing some really awesome things this year. The Church at Station Hill will be up and running soon, we will have more focus on discipleship/evangelism church-wide, and I think things will take a different turn.
Binks is crying at me right now, so I think I need to wrap this up. As a matter of fact when I just wrote that sentence, he shook his paw at me and knocked my computer over. Silly dog.
I hope that when you open your box of chocolates, that you will enjoy the experience of eating chocolate despite what flavor you get. Have a good one!
Tuesday, December 29, 2009
I graduated! Now it's time to leave the country.
First off I promised to give a shout out so...ANDREW!!!!! YOU'RE THE MAN!!!!Now on to what's been going on. I finally did it! I finally graduated from College! I ended up graduating Cum Laude with a B.S. in education. We ended up having a really good speaker and the ceremony was about 2-2.5 hours long. I was very proud. My immediate family as well as my Nana and Papa were able to come. We ate at Demos' that afternoon and Cozymel's that night. It was great.
As part of a graduation gift/family gift for everyone, we went on a cruise of the Caribbean from December 20th-27th - just one day after graduation. We went on Liberty of the Seas which is the ship listed above. We made stops in Labadee, Haiti, Ocho Rios, Jamaica, Grand Cayman, and Cozumel, Mexico. There were a couple of days at seas as well. We ended up going on two excursions. The first excursion we went on we toured a plantation in Jamaica and then climbed Dunn's River Falls. Our other excursion was in Cozumel, Mexico where we toured the Mayan Ruins of Tulum. Both were really exciting. We ended up swimming in very rainy weather in Haiti and shopping in Grand Cayman. As far as our days at sea, we relaxed by the pool, ate at the buffets, played miniature golf, bet at the casino (fun, but as dad can tell you I freaked out a couple of times), and went to various shows on the shi
p. I could go into way more detail, but I covered the main points and you can ask for details later if you wish.My parent's anniversary was yesterday. They celebrated 32 years of marriage! Sarah and I took them to Red Lobster, had good intentions of paying, but mom and dad insisted on paying for all of us. I am a little offended by that, but at the same time it was a good gesture on their part since Sarah's income is that of a High School Music Teacher and I'm...well basically an unemployed graduate! I discovered something last night though. I may love shrimp, but the relationship isn't really mutual.
Over the next couple days, it's time to think about New Year's resolutions. I'm not sure what mine will be, I'll have to think about it. Regardless I hope that your New Year will be great and have a great rest of the day!
Thursday, December 10, 2009
Thanksgiving, Christmas, and other festive things
Hello Everyone!
I knew that I needed to update my blog when my sister told me that she updated hers. It is rare for Sarah to update before I do. This is another area in life where I can't let my sister beat me! So here I go to tell about what has been going on.
Thanksgiving was a lot of fun! It was sad because Nana and Papa couldn't come, but we were still able to be around family. We had a BIG Thanksgiving dinner with Aunt Sue, Cousin Julie, Great Grand-mom, Great Grad-dad, Dad, Mom, and Sarah. Sarah and I decided to take a walk after our meal which was good, but it wasn't that fun in the rainy, cold, Indiana weather. After we borrowed some scarves and big coats from the Grands, we were a lot better! It was good to just be around family and enjoy each others' company. Plus the smoked turkey, pumpkin pie, stuffing, orange salad, mashed potatoes, rolls, etc. were delicious!
Since Thanksgiving, I have just been focused on school and also praying that I passed my two other Praxis tests. I am happy to report that I passed my Curriculum, Assessment, and Instruction Praxis! I am just waiting on the PLT (Principles of Learning and Teaching), and I should get those results soon. I am going to stay positive! It seems to be working :-)
I am counting down the days right now. I have 6 more days until I am done with this placement, 9 more days until I graduate, and 10 more days until I go on the Cruise! Part of me wants to lose some weight before I go on the cruise, but I don't have the will-power. My cooperating teacher is on a no sugar diet, and I am in awe. I couldn't do that. I guess I should just work on developing a charismatic personality so a woman will love me for who I am! :-D
Well, I best be going. If I don't blog later on, have a Merry Christmas!
I knew that I needed to update my blog when my sister told me that she updated hers. It is rare for Sarah to update before I do. This is another area in life where I can't let my sister beat me! So here I go to tell about what has been going on.
Thanksgiving was a lot of fun! It was sad because Nana and Papa couldn't come, but we were still able to be around family. We had a BIG Thanksgiving dinner with Aunt Sue, Cousin Julie, Great Grand-mom, Great Grad-dad, Dad, Mom, and Sarah. Sarah and I decided to take a walk after our meal which was good, but it wasn't that fun in the rainy, cold, Indiana weather. After we borrowed some scarves and big coats from the Grands, we were a lot better! It was good to just be around family and enjoy each others' company. Plus the smoked turkey, pumpkin pie, stuffing, orange salad, mashed potatoes, rolls, etc. were delicious!
Since Thanksgiving, I have just been focused on school and also praying that I passed my two other Praxis tests. I am happy to report that I passed my Curriculum, Assessment, and Instruction Praxis! I am just waiting on the PLT (Principles of Learning and Teaching), and I should get those results soon. I am going to stay positive! It seems to be working :-)
I am counting down the days right now. I have 6 more days until I am done with this placement, 9 more days until I graduate, and 10 more days until I go on the Cruise! Part of me wants to lose some weight before I go on the cruise, but I don't have the will-power. My cooperating teacher is on a no sugar diet, and I am in awe. I couldn't do that. I guess I should just work on developing a charismatic personality so a woman will love me for who I am! :-D
Well, I best be going. If I don't blog later on, have a Merry Christmas!
Sunday, November 08, 2009
Evening in November
I really didn't know what to title this blog entry. I was thinking of saying, "It's time for an update," but I decided to do a different take on a popular Christmas song and switch it around. You know the song"I'm so glad we're here together on this evening in December..." So I hope it is evening when you read this because it is evening while I am writing it at this moment.
Things have been going pretty good for me. I am in my third/fourth week of my second placement. I think I've gotten adjusted to everything now. It's still pretty new, but I am really coming to terms with the type of teacher I want to become based on the type of person I am. It's funny it took me long to figure this out, but you just got to be who you are when you teach instead of what they want you to be. Don't get me wrong, that doesn't mean I won't try to incorporate things that benefit the students. I will just conduct the classroom and lessons in a way that fits my style and personality (which I do have :-D).
My 9th grade Life-group is going well. We're doing a study on Andy Stanley's, "The Greatest Question Ever." Do you want to know what it is? The Greatest question ever is this:
What is the wise thing to do?
The book's premise is that if you ask this question, it will dramatically change your process of decision making. The good thing this year is that I have a co-leader who is teaching every other week so with all the stuff I am doing, I won't get too bogged down.
Well, I best be going. I hope you all have a great rest of the day!
Things have been going pretty good for me. I am in my third/fourth week of my second placement. I think I've gotten adjusted to everything now. It's still pretty new, but I am really coming to terms with the type of teacher I want to become based on the type of person I am. It's funny it took me long to figure this out, but you just got to be who you are when you teach instead of what they want you to be. Don't get me wrong, that doesn't mean I won't try to incorporate things that benefit the students. I will just conduct the classroom and lessons in a way that fits my style and personality (which I do have :-D).
My 9th grade Life-group is going well. We're doing a study on Andy Stanley's, "The Greatest Question Ever." Do you want to know what it is? The Greatest question ever is this:
What is the wise thing to do?
The book's premise is that if you ask this question, it will dramatically change your process of decision making. The good thing this year is that I have a co-leader who is teaching every other week so with all the stuff I am doing, I won't get too bogged down.
Well, I best be going. I hope you all have a great rest of the day!
Saturday, October 17, 2009
First Placement - Done
My first placement ended yesterday. Come Monday, I will not be returning to Blackman Elementary in the 3rd Grade Hallway to (in my opinion) the best third grade class. It was a bittersweet day. On one hand, I am closer to graduating and I will be getting a whole new experience with 5th grade. I will also have less of a commute. On the other hand, I have been with this group since the end of August. I know their personalities, their schedules, and what works and doesn't work as far as classroom management goes. Now, I need to re-learn it all with a different group.
It was a great day though. I got cards and gifts from my teacher and the students, I got a card from another teacher in the school, the Principal gave all of us Student Teachers a gift (including books and classroom supplies), and we even had a little party at the end of the day. You really couldn't ask for a better way to spend your last day. The most humbling part were the kids saying they would miss me and giving me hugs. That to me will be one of the hardest part about teaching. I can't imagine staying with a group a whole year and then having another group come in the next. For the teachers that looped, it will be really tough (like my teacher I just had).
Now on to Edmondson Elementary with the 5th graders. My first day will be the 21st, so wish me luck!
It was a great day though. I got cards and gifts from my teacher and the students, I got a card from another teacher in the school, the Principal gave all of us Student Teachers a gift (including books and classroom supplies), and we even had a little party at the end of the day. You really couldn't ask for a better way to spend your last day. The most humbling part were the kids saying they would miss me and giving me hugs. That to me will be one of the hardest part about teaching. I can't imagine staying with a group a whole year and then having another group come in the next. For the teachers that looped, it will be really tough (like my teacher I just had).
Now on to Edmondson Elementary with the 5th graders. My first day will be the 21st, so wish me luck!
Thursday, October 08, 2009
Celebrations
Hey Everyone!
I have been thinking about the holidays lately. I think if I watched some Harry Potter, Nightmare before Christmas, and ate some Candy, I could skip Halloween. I am looking forward to Thanksgiving. Lots of food, family, football, and drinking Starbucks in Indiana weather. However, I am looking forward to the month of December. Not just Christmas, but the month of December. As soon as Thanksgiving is over, I will start listening to Christmas music. I think my brain has already decided it wants to listen to it now. How do I know this? Because I have had Christmas songs going through my head - whether it be in dreams or just driving in the car. I even get a little nostalgic and think about all my Christmas Concerts in High School and wanting to sing with the group again. But...we are on to other things now. I haven't sung in a Christmas concert for over a couple if not several years. For someone that has grown up singing, that's pretty weird for me.
Right now I am about halfway through my Student Teaching. I have a week more with the group I'm with (3rd grade) then I move to 5th grade. I have really enjoyed working with this teacher, the students, and the school so it will be a little tough to move on to the next placement. I'm sure that it will be fine. I just need to finish this silly Teacher Work Sample before then. It's not fun at all :-(
Hope you all are having a great day!
I have been thinking about the holidays lately. I think if I watched some Harry Potter, Nightmare before Christmas, and ate some Candy, I could skip Halloween. I am looking forward to Thanksgiving. Lots of food, family, football, and drinking Starbucks in Indiana weather. However, I am looking forward to the month of December. Not just Christmas, but the month of December. As soon as Thanksgiving is over, I will start listening to Christmas music. I think my brain has already decided it wants to listen to it now. How do I know this? Because I have had Christmas songs going through my head - whether it be in dreams or just driving in the car. I even get a little nostalgic and think about all my Christmas Concerts in High School and wanting to sing with the group again. But...we are on to other things now. I haven't sung in a Christmas concert for over a couple if not several years. For someone that has grown up singing, that's pretty weird for me.
Right now I am about halfway through my Student Teaching. I have a week more with the group I'm with (3rd grade) then I move to 5th grade. I have really enjoyed working with this teacher, the students, and the school so it will be a little tough to move on to the next placement. I'm sure that it will be fine. I just need to finish this silly Teacher Work Sample before then. It's not fun at all :-(
Hope you all are having a great day!
Saturday, September 26, 2009
Chewing Gum
I was looking at the writing prompt of the day, and today it said that we should write a poem about something that annoys us. I have chosen people that chew gum. No offense to any of you that do, this is just something weird with me. I hope you enjoy
As I sit here at my computer thinking of what annoys me and how
I think the worst of it all is you chewing gum like a cud-eating cow
How I loathe the sound it makes as you chew it with delight
I want you to spit it out, put it away, or chew it out of sight
Do you think I want to see that? Do you think it makes me glad?
I may put a smile on my face, but inside I am really mad
Thoughts of evil circle my mind as I see you chewing there
Please don't make me sin, why don't you just be aware?
There are people in this world that you should consider once in a while
So take out your gum, pop in a mint, and then I'll give you a genuine smile.
The End.
As I sit here at my computer thinking of what annoys me and how
I think the worst of it all is you chewing gum like a cud-eating cow
How I loathe the sound it makes as you chew it with delight
I want you to spit it out, put it away, or chew it out of sight
Do you think I want to see that? Do you think it makes me glad?
I may put a smile on my face, but inside I am really mad
Thoughts of evil circle my mind as I see you chewing there
Please don't make me sin, why don't you just be aware?
There are people in this world that you should consider once in a while
So take out your gum, pop in a mint, and then I'll give you a genuine smile.
The End.
Sunday, September 20, 2009
"Are you the Assistant Principal?"
I was asked this question a couple of days ago. I guess I could be happy about that comment. I can be happy that these kids don't see me as a college student taking a shot at this teaching thing. I told my cooperating teacher, "You know what? Forget teaching, I'm just going to become an assistant principal!" Then I would have to deal with discipline problems all day, and that's not a fun job.
Teaching is going well. I'm enjoying it very much. I have a great class, a great teacher, my supervisor is very helpful and encouraging, and I just enjoy getting up there and teaching. Although I have become a little sad because you put so much effort into teaching something and it seems like no matter what you do, there will always be someone that fails. It's the same with other teachers that I have talked to, but it's still pretty sad.
The hardest thing for me had definitely been the sleep factor. I have to get up at 5:00am in order to be at school by 7:00am (factor in getting ready with driving and then you have it). I am really tired by the end of the day. I try to get to sleep by 10pm so I have enough time to sleep, but it doesn't always work that way because of preparing for the next day or just not physically being able to do it. Goodness, being an adult is crazy...
Other than that, there's nothing real exciting happening with me. I'm continuing doing my book study of, "Knowing God" with a couple of my friends Andy and Michael (I gave you a shout out!), I am teaching 9th Grade Boys (I moved up with them again) with my co-leader Phillip, and...I am currently addicted to FarmVille and Pet Society on Facebook.
I hope you all have a great rest of the day!
Teaching is going well. I'm enjoying it very much. I have a great class, a great teacher, my supervisor is very helpful and encouraging, and I just enjoy getting up there and teaching. Although I have become a little sad because you put so much effort into teaching something and it seems like no matter what you do, there will always be someone that fails. It's the same with other teachers that I have talked to, but it's still pretty sad.
The hardest thing for me had definitely been the sleep factor. I have to get up at 5:00am in order to be at school by 7:00am (factor in getting ready with driving and then you have it). I am really tired by the end of the day. I try to get to sleep by 10pm so I have enough time to sleep, but it doesn't always work that way because of preparing for the next day or just not physically being able to do it. Goodness, being an adult is crazy...
Other than that, there's nothing real exciting happening with me. I'm continuing doing my book study of, "Knowing God" with a couple of my friends Andy and Michael (I gave you a shout out!), I am teaching 9th Grade Boys (I moved up with them again) with my co-leader Phillip, and...I am currently addicted to FarmVille and Pet Society on Facebook.
I hope you all have a great rest of the day!
Sunday, August 30, 2009
My First Week
I will describe my days by this little story.
Little Scott Lemons got up very early in the morning. He took a shower, put on his clothes, and headed to the kitchen where he made himself lunch to take with him to school. He got everything ready smiled at himself in the mirror and said, "You're going to do great!"
Little Scott Lemons then got in his car and started driving toward his destination. The world is a lot different at this hour. Yet with determination he began to venture forward. Then, he finally made it to the school. He got out of his car, walked straight, and said, "Good Morning" to all the adults he passed.
Then Little Scott Lemons signed in, and met his Cooperating Teacher. "Hi, I'm Scott Lemons" he said with a grin. The teacher began to smile back and say, "Welcome! I want this to be a great experience for you!"
Little Scott Lemons began to survey the classroom until the kids came inside. They all looked at him with curiosity in their eyes.
The days went on, he began to take notes, and the kids got used to Mr. Lemons. It was then something happened. Little Scott Lemons discovered...
He is not Little anymore.
The End!
Little Scott Lemons got up very early in the morning. He took a shower, put on his clothes, and headed to the kitchen where he made himself lunch to take with him to school. He got everything ready smiled at himself in the mirror and said, "You're going to do great!"
Little Scott Lemons then got in his car and started driving toward his destination. The world is a lot different at this hour. Yet with determination he began to venture forward. Then, he finally made it to the school. He got out of his car, walked straight, and said, "Good Morning" to all the adults he passed.
Then Little Scott Lemons signed in, and met his Cooperating Teacher. "Hi, I'm Scott Lemons" he said with a grin. The teacher began to smile back and say, "Welcome! I want this to be a great experience for you!"
Little Scott Lemons began to survey the classroom until the kids came inside. They all looked at him with curiosity in their eyes.
The days went on, he began to take notes, and the kids got used to Mr. Lemons. It was then something happened. Little Scott Lemons discovered...
He is not Little anymore.
The End!
Friday, August 21, 2009
Placements for Student Teaching
Hey Everyone!
The reason I haven't mentioned anything about my placements is because it was still up in the air. I had information for my second placement, but I still didn't have my first placement. The letter told me to wait until on or after the 19th to contact the office about it. On the 19th I contacted the office and got a response the next day. I then called up the placement coordinator and received news that the reason I didn't have a first placement was because of some issues/problems with the Williamson County administration and faculty that offered to have student teachers. Basically it looked very improbable and very unlikely that I could have Williamson County for my first placement. However I could get a placement in my second choice, Rutherford County, very quick. I went ahead and said that was okay, and I just got the information a little bit ago.
My first placement will be third grade at Blackman Elementary School
My second placement will be fifth grade at Edmondson Elementary School.
I really like this because I did my SOAR experience at Blackman Elementary, so I know the school and administration and really like both. I've never been to Edmondson Elementary, but it looks like a pretty awesome school too. I have my all-day seminar next Monday and then I start the next Tuesday on August 25th! Crazy!
I'll keep you updated on what's going on with teaching and everything. Have a good one!
The reason I haven't mentioned anything about my placements is because it was still up in the air. I had information for my second placement, but I still didn't have my first placement. The letter told me to wait until on or after the 19th to contact the office about it. On the 19th I contacted the office and got a response the next day. I then called up the placement coordinator and received news that the reason I didn't have a first placement was because of some issues/problems with the Williamson County administration and faculty that offered to have student teachers. Basically it looked very improbable and very unlikely that I could have Williamson County for my first placement. However I could get a placement in my second choice, Rutherford County, very quick. I went ahead and said that was okay, and I just got the information a little bit ago.
My first placement will be third grade at Blackman Elementary School
My second placement will be fifth grade at Edmondson Elementary School.
I really like this because I did my SOAR experience at Blackman Elementary, so I know the school and administration and really like both. I've never been to Edmondson Elementary, but it looks like a pretty awesome school too. I have my all-day seminar next Monday and then I start the next Tuesday on August 25th! Crazy!
I'll keep you updated on what's going on with teaching and everything. Have a good one!
Friday, July 31, 2009
Hong Kong -Day 6 & 7
Hey Everyone!
I'm sorry I didn't blog earlier, but I just didn't have any time. I was trying to think of what I did yesterday morning and for the life of me, I can not remember. So I will start with VBS yesterday, what we did that night, and then move on to today.
Day 6:
Today was the day after we gave the plan of salvation. This is usually an interesting day because you are still following up on those who have questions and trying to clarify things that were a little confusing the day before. My drama went pretty well. This week I have really tried to use props and play around with "the stage." I used chairs in a circle to represent me talking with the disciples, I used two chairs (one-on-one) when Peter was supposed to be talking with Jesus, and I used the net and the entire stage. I think it went pretty well. As Zach said, "Scott and I are supposed to set everybody up for the Bible Study." Our Bible Study went pretty well. I have just gotten used to the fact that we need to teach between the disruptions and repetition and games are the best ways to do it.
That night, I went with several people from our group to a Mexican restaurant. Several of the people in our group were craving Mexican food, and that sounded good to me. I enjoyed eating Chinese food don't misunderstand, but I would be okay if I didn't see Dimsum again. After we ate, we went to the Ladies market which is this outdoor market that spans 3-4 blocks. It has practically everything imaginable to purchase there. I got some things. I haggled once bringing it down 4 Hong Kong Dollars and then other times they haggled with me. There was this one item I was looking at and I asked, "How much for this?" She said, "250 Hong Kong Dollars." I walked away. She shouted, "225....200......150......100!" When she said 100 I said, "Okay, you got a deal!" If you think of it in American dollars, that is basically like going from 36 dollars to 14 dollars. Part of the fun is the deal. I don't like to haggle, but it was fun to do once in a while.
Day 7:
Today was our last day of VBS. As I am writing this we are waiting to go back for Family Night, and there we will present ICM with our mission offering. I will tell you what it is another time because I want to wait for it to be official.
I started off my day with an adventure. Pete, Vanover (Jason), Courtney and I all went to Lama Island today. Basically what happens is you go to Hong Kong Island, take a fast-boat/ferry to there (25-30 minutes) and then you hike around the island. This is a nice place to get away from the city and see the mountains, trees, and nature. So we got there and we HIKED up and around this mountain. I think we agreed that it was close to 3 miles and believe me when I say this. When I say, "We hiked up-hill, both ways" that is not a lie! Once we got closer to the Pier it started going downhill, but most of the hike was up the mountain. I got some B-E-A-UTIFUL pictures here, and it was a great experience. Although I feel almost dead today because of the workout.
Then we went to VBS. The Nepalese women said they would cook lunch for us. I will tell you this right now. I didn't know what Nepalese food was or if it was any good but if it is like anything I had this afternoon, it may be my favorite. There was lamb with curry, rice with vegetables, Nepalese spaghetti, apple pie, rice pudding, bread, chicken wings, it was delightful. (I promise this whole blog won't be about food. It's just close to dinner time here, and it was what's on my mind). Then we started VBS. I felt like my drama was kind of going through the motions, but Jason told me that he thought it went well. I had to do it over Acts 12 where Peter gets arrested, an angel breaks him out, he goes to a friends, Rhoda doesn't answer the door because she's so excited, Peter sees them, tells them about stuff, and then leaves (those are the Scott-notes). It was kind of hard to figure how to do it, but it happened. I also did lead-teach today where we did a balloon game and a couple things with scripture. I won't lie...teaching this week has been exhausting. But I think they got something out of it. Even if it is just the fact that Jesus loves them, that's good for me.
I am about to head out now. Please pray for our family night. Also pray for our trip home. It's a L-O-N-G flight. "How long is it?" "Why it's so long that I was able to read the dictionary and still have time to hit myself with a frying pan to see if I can see stars!" I'm sorry that was bad. I'm kinda tired.
I hope you all are having a great day, and I will see you soon in the states!
I'm sorry I didn't blog earlier, but I just didn't have any time. I was trying to think of what I did yesterday morning and for the life of me, I can not remember. So I will start with VBS yesterday, what we did that night, and then move on to today.
Day 6:
Today was the day after we gave the plan of salvation. This is usually an interesting day because you are still following up on those who have questions and trying to clarify things that were a little confusing the day before. My drama went pretty well. This week I have really tried to use props and play around with "the stage." I used chairs in a circle to represent me talking with the disciples, I used two chairs (one-on-one) when Peter was supposed to be talking with Jesus, and I used the net and the entire stage. I think it went pretty well. As Zach said, "Scott and I are supposed to set everybody up for the Bible Study." Our Bible Study went pretty well. I have just gotten used to the fact that we need to teach between the disruptions and repetition and games are the best ways to do it.
That night, I went with several people from our group to a Mexican restaurant. Several of the people in our group were craving Mexican food, and that sounded good to me. I enjoyed eating Chinese food don't misunderstand, but I would be okay if I didn't see Dimsum again. After we ate, we went to the Ladies market which is this outdoor market that spans 3-4 blocks. It has practically everything imaginable to purchase there. I got some things. I haggled once bringing it down 4 Hong Kong Dollars and then other times they haggled with me. There was this one item I was looking at and I asked, "How much for this?" She said, "250 Hong Kong Dollars." I walked away. She shouted, "225....200......150......100!" When she said 100 I said, "Okay, you got a deal!" If you think of it in American dollars, that is basically like going from 36 dollars to 14 dollars. Part of the fun is the deal. I don't like to haggle, but it was fun to do once in a while.
Day 7:
Today was our last day of VBS. As I am writing this we are waiting to go back for Family Night, and there we will present ICM with our mission offering. I will tell you what it is another time because I want to wait for it to be official.
I started off my day with an adventure. Pete, Vanover (Jason), Courtney and I all went to Lama Island today. Basically what happens is you go to Hong Kong Island, take a fast-boat/ferry to there (25-30 minutes) and then you hike around the island. This is a nice place to get away from the city and see the mountains, trees, and nature. So we got there and we HIKED up and around this mountain. I think we agreed that it was close to 3 miles and believe me when I say this. When I say, "We hiked up-hill, both ways" that is not a lie! Once we got closer to the Pier it started going downhill, but most of the hike was up the mountain. I got some B-E-A-UTIFUL pictures here, and it was a great experience. Although I feel almost dead today because of the workout.
Then we went to VBS. The Nepalese women said they would cook lunch for us. I will tell you this right now. I didn't know what Nepalese food was or if it was any good but if it is like anything I had this afternoon, it may be my favorite. There was lamb with curry, rice with vegetables, Nepalese spaghetti, apple pie, rice pudding, bread, chicken wings, it was delightful. (I promise this whole blog won't be about food. It's just close to dinner time here, and it was what's on my mind). Then we started VBS. I felt like my drama was kind of going through the motions, but Jason told me that he thought it went well. I had to do it over Acts 12 where Peter gets arrested, an angel breaks him out, he goes to a friends, Rhoda doesn't answer the door because she's so excited, Peter sees them, tells them about stuff, and then leaves (those are the Scott-notes). It was kind of hard to figure how to do it, but it happened. I also did lead-teach today where we did a balloon game and a couple things with scripture. I won't lie...teaching this week has been exhausting. But I think they got something out of it. Even if it is just the fact that Jesus loves them, that's good for me.
I am about to head out now. Please pray for our family night. Also pray for our trip home. It's a L-O-N-G flight. "How long is it?" "Why it's so long that I was able to read the dictionary and still have time to hit myself with a frying pan to see if I can see stars!" I'm sorry that was bad. I'm kinda tired.
I hope you all are having a great day, and I will see you soon in the states!
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
Hong Kong - Day Five
Hey Everyone!
I was just able to read the comments section of my blog, and I want to say thank you for those of you that responded! I am trying to be consistent in updating my blogs. The funny thing is in my mind I think I'm late in talking about Day Five but when I post this, it will actually show as Wednesday Night instead of Thursday Morning as it is here. Doesn't that just blow your mind?
For those that have done VBS, you know that the day you present the gospel seems to always be the hardest. The kids may be extra hyper, there may be more distractions, things may go wrong, there's just a lot of spiritual warfare going on in which you need to be aware. For me, I hardly got any sleep the night before (Melatonin can be your best friend or sometimes your worst enemy) and I was nervous about my drama. We did not have the same amount of time to prepare because we went to lunch with Bonnie (one of the heads of the center we are working at with the ICM - Inner City Ministries) so the team's focus was not as good as it could have been.
Now here comes the part where we start VBS. I first made sure everything in the classroom was okay and that Courtney and Lynette were prepared with what they were doing. We prayed as a group, and then when I was working (I must have looked really stressed out) Lynette asked if she could pray for me. That helped a lot. So then in my mind I was going through the four scenes that I was going to play (Jesus telling Peter Satan was going to sift him like wheat, Peter's Denial, Jesus' crucifixion, and Jesus' resurrection), and getting all my props ready. I used two chairs, a sword, a hammer, a railroad spike, and a white garment. Then came time for the drama. I started off by saying something like, "Following Jesus was one of the best decisions I made in my entire life. Because of what he did for me and who he is, I worship him. Now I am about to tell you a story that has to do with me, you, and everyone in this entire world. This is the most important story I will ever tell. I want to start with a conversation I had with Jesus..." Then I went into the drama. I was just playing out the scenes in my head, but the kids eyes were glued to me, there was hardly any if no noise, and it went pretty well. Although for me when I get serious into character, I can't bounce right back. I had to take almost 10-15 minutes to collect myself and come back to reality. But God worked through me, and a lot of people told me that the drama spoke to them. So praise God!
Lynette did the ABC's of becoming a Christian for our group. She has been working with children for many years and she has a way about speaking at their level but not dumbing anything down for them. She seemed perfect to do this (this would be something that I would have done) and Courtney agreed with me. The kids were attentive and responsive. Then the rest of the day happened and....let me just describe it in this one word. CHAOS! When Courtney and I did the closing, it was probably the worse-behaved the kids have ever been this entire week (spiritual warfare). However, we got through it. After everything was said and done, I was exhausted!!!
After we did VBS, we headed to see a Taoist Temple. I had to turn my VBS shirt inside out before I went inside. When I went inside the temple, I saw true idol/misdirected worship. It was very interesting and sad. They worship this certain God in this temple. This God they worship will give them anything that they ask for. They burn incense, and then they have this ritual where they have this sticks in a cup. They shake the cup and they see which stuck comes out first. This stick will have a number or something on it and they take it to be interpreted. The person interprets it, and that it comes up with a phrase that is supposed to have some kind of meaning in your life. However if you don't like the phrase, I believe you can do it again and get a second opinion. We talked with Janice about this and one of the main questions that was asked was, "Why don't they figure out that this isn't working? That they keep asking for this stuff and they don't get it?" Janice told us, "They interpret it as, 'maybe I'm not praying hard enough' or 'maybe I am not coming here as often as I should.' " It was really sad because these people are very sincere. They are praying hard, trying to do everything right in the hopes that something good will happen. Unfortunately, their worship is misdirected. It just went to show all of us that there is a spiritual hunger in China, and the people are ready to hear.
The rest of the night, we had dinner with the owls/howls/haus (I am so sorry, but I am terrible with names). It is a doctor and his wife. The doctor is a professor at the Science and Technology university that Clearwater Church is located. He was also the man who translated the sermon into Chinese while we were there. It was a GREAT dinner. Amazing Chinese food. I was told that I would lose weight on this trip. THESE ARE LIES! I'm going to have to go on a diet or something when I get back. I don't remember what my toes look like anymore. :-)
That's about it. Please continue to pray for our group as we do the next two days of VBS. I ask that you pray for these three things;
I was just able to read the comments section of my blog, and I want to say thank you for those of you that responded! I am trying to be consistent in updating my blogs. The funny thing is in my mind I think I'm late in talking about Day Five but when I post this, it will actually show as Wednesday Night instead of Thursday Morning as it is here. Doesn't that just blow your mind?
For those that have done VBS, you know that the day you present the gospel seems to always be the hardest. The kids may be extra hyper, there may be more distractions, things may go wrong, there's just a lot of spiritual warfare going on in which you need to be aware. For me, I hardly got any sleep the night before (Melatonin can be your best friend or sometimes your worst enemy) and I was nervous about my drama. We did not have the same amount of time to prepare because we went to lunch with Bonnie (one of the heads of the center we are working at with the ICM - Inner City Ministries) so the team's focus was not as good as it could have been.
Now here comes the part where we start VBS. I first made sure everything in the classroom was okay and that Courtney and Lynette were prepared with what they were doing. We prayed as a group, and then when I was working (I must have looked really stressed out) Lynette asked if she could pray for me. That helped a lot. So then in my mind I was going through the four scenes that I was going to play (Jesus telling Peter Satan was going to sift him like wheat, Peter's Denial, Jesus' crucifixion, and Jesus' resurrection), and getting all my props ready. I used two chairs, a sword, a hammer, a railroad spike, and a white garment. Then came time for the drama. I started off by saying something like, "Following Jesus was one of the best decisions I made in my entire life. Because of what he did for me and who he is, I worship him. Now I am about to tell you a story that has to do with me, you, and everyone in this entire world. This is the most important story I will ever tell. I want to start with a conversation I had with Jesus..." Then I went into the drama. I was just playing out the scenes in my head, but the kids eyes were glued to me, there was hardly any if no noise, and it went pretty well. Although for me when I get serious into character, I can't bounce right back. I had to take almost 10-15 minutes to collect myself and come back to reality. But God worked through me, and a lot of people told me that the drama spoke to them. So praise God!
Lynette did the ABC's of becoming a Christian for our group. She has been working with children for many years and she has a way about speaking at their level but not dumbing anything down for them. She seemed perfect to do this (this would be something that I would have done) and Courtney agreed with me. The kids were attentive and responsive. Then the rest of the day happened and....let me just describe it in this one word. CHAOS! When Courtney and I did the closing, it was probably the worse-behaved the kids have ever been this entire week (spiritual warfare). However, we got through it. After everything was said and done, I was exhausted!!!
After we did VBS, we headed to see a Taoist Temple. I had to turn my VBS shirt inside out before I went inside. When I went inside the temple, I saw true idol/misdirected worship. It was very interesting and sad. They worship this certain God in this temple. This God they worship will give them anything that they ask for. They burn incense, and then they have this ritual where they have this sticks in a cup. They shake the cup and they see which stuck comes out first. This stick will have a number or something on it and they take it to be interpreted. The person interprets it, and that it comes up with a phrase that is supposed to have some kind of meaning in your life. However if you don't like the phrase, I believe you can do it again and get a second opinion. We talked with Janice about this and one of the main questions that was asked was, "Why don't they figure out that this isn't working? That they keep asking for this stuff and they don't get it?" Janice told us, "They interpret it as, 'maybe I'm not praying hard enough' or 'maybe I am not coming here as often as I should.' " It was really sad because these people are very sincere. They are praying hard, trying to do everything right in the hopes that something good will happen. Unfortunately, their worship is misdirected. It just went to show all of us that there is a spiritual hunger in China, and the people are ready to hear.
The rest of the night, we had dinner with the owls/howls/haus (I am so sorry, but I am terrible with names). It is a doctor and his wife. The doctor is a professor at the Science and Technology university that Clearwater Church is located. He was also the man who translated the sermon into Chinese while we were there. It was a GREAT dinner. Amazing Chinese food. I was told that I would lose weight on this trip. THESE ARE LIES! I'm going to have to go on a diet or something when I get back. I don't remember what my toes look like anymore. :-)
That's about it. Please continue to pray for our group as we do the next two days of VBS. I ask that you pray for these three things;
- Biblical Drama: I have two more days of being Peter. Pray that I represent the scriptures accurately and that I make good use of visuals for the kids
- Bible Study: Courtney is lead teaching today, and I lead teach the next. Pray for the kids to be attentive and that distractions are to a minimum
- Strength: Even though we do VBS for three hours out of our day, it is pretty exhausting. Pray that we may keep a high energy level and that we get a good amount of sleep.
Thank you!
Tuesday, July 28, 2009
Hong Kong - Day Four
Hey Everyone:
Today was a really great day. Lynette and her mom finally got in last night! They were stuck in Tokyo for a couple of days, and we were worried that they would not be able to make it. Yet when I went to breakfast this morning, I saw both of them. So that was good thing #1 that happened today!
I was just planning on relaxing, getting on the Internet, and going over today's lesson. What ended up happening is Pete and Jason (we call him Vanover) convinced me to go with them to Hong Kong Island and look around. At first I was like, "I don't know about this..." but Pete reminded me that it's not like I am in Hong Kong a lot. So I went with them. Good thing #2 that happened was I was able to see the Subway system. LOTS OF PEOPLE but it was a fast rail and everything was very efficient. When we finally made it to where we were going, we went exploring around. Good thing #2 that happened was we went into this meat market like-place and saw this couple who were scaling, de-gutting, and preparing a fish. The man put the fish-head up so I could take a picture, and then he held an entire fish for me. Because this couple was so nice, they took pictures with all of us. It was crazy seeing him prepare that fish (sent some shivers done my spine to be honest), but it was awesome. Good thing #3 that happened (other than seeing all the business shops and people) was going to Victoria Park. I took a picture of me doing some Tai-Chi as well as a picture of some people doing the same. It was a lot of walking that entire trip, but it was well worth it.
However VBS on top of the morning I had was amazing. Today we tried out a new type of arrangement where the kids did not have to be in the classroom for an hour or more, and the music rotation did not fall into the closing celebration. We also played some intentional games before we started so the kids would not be too hyper when we began Boomerang Express. This helped tremendously. My Peter portion was a lot more dramatic than yesterday. Some of the younger kids didn't respond as well, but I was told the older ones did.
As far as the classroom goes, I thank God for Lynette getting here, for Courtney's leadership, and for all the adults that have given their time to help volunteer. It has been a great help especially since we have a very spirited classroom with some excited children!
We are about to eat at the Peak in a little while. It's a very nice restaurant that overlooks the place. Here are some things that you can pray for me about
Today was a really great day. Lynette and her mom finally got in last night! They were stuck in Tokyo for a couple of days, and we were worried that they would not be able to make it. Yet when I went to breakfast this morning, I saw both of them. So that was good thing #1 that happened today!
I was just planning on relaxing, getting on the Internet, and going over today's lesson. What ended up happening is Pete and Jason (we call him Vanover) convinced me to go with them to Hong Kong Island and look around. At first I was like, "I don't know about this..." but Pete reminded me that it's not like I am in Hong Kong a lot. So I went with them. Good thing #2 that happened was I was able to see the Subway system. LOTS OF PEOPLE but it was a fast rail and everything was very efficient. When we finally made it to where we were going, we went exploring around. Good thing #2 that happened was we went into this meat market like-place and saw this couple who were scaling, de-gutting, and preparing a fish. The man put the fish-head up so I could take a picture, and then he held an entire fish for me. Because this couple was so nice, they took pictures with all of us. It was crazy seeing him prepare that fish (sent some shivers done my spine to be honest), but it was awesome. Good thing #3 that happened (other than seeing all the business shops and people) was going to Victoria Park. I took a picture of me doing some Tai-Chi as well as a picture of some people doing the same. It was a lot of walking that entire trip, but it was well worth it.
However VBS on top of the morning I had was amazing. Today we tried out a new type of arrangement where the kids did not have to be in the classroom for an hour or more, and the music rotation did not fall into the closing celebration. We also played some intentional games before we started so the kids would not be too hyper when we began Boomerang Express. This helped tremendously. My Peter portion was a lot more dramatic than yesterday. Some of the younger kids didn't respond as well, but I was told the older ones did.
As far as the classroom goes, I thank God for Lynette getting here, for Courtney's leadership, and for all the adults that have given their time to help volunteer. It has been a great help especially since we have a very spirited classroom with some excited children!
We are about to eat at the Peak in a little while. It's a very nice restaurant that overlooks the place. Here are some things that you can pray for me about
- Biblical Drama: Peter is giving the story of the last supper, Jesus' Crucifixion, and his Resurrection. It's some deep stuff and it needs to keep their attention as well as be understandable and meaningful.
- Bible Study Hour: We are going over the ABC's of becoming a Christian.
- Strength: Physical/Spiritual strength for our group.
Thank you, and I hope you have a great rest of the day!
Monday, July 27, 2009
Hong Kong - Days 1-3
Hello Everyone,
I'm sorry that I haven't updated in the past couple of days. It is hard to find time to get on the Internet, and you either have to pay by the minute or a good amount all at once. I am writing this 35-40 minutes before we go onto our nightly activity. So I hope that this doesn't seem rushed, but I did pay by the minute and I don't want to hold the group up.
Day One:
Day one was all about travel. We took this bubble gum airplane from Nashville to Newark, and then we took this fantastic, awesome, lovely, I'll be having dreams about this airplane from Newark to Hong Kong. I do have to say that if I had to spend 15 hours (14:45 to be exact), I'm glad that it was on this plane. I got to watch movies, shows, listen to music, and experience all the plane had to offer. It was crazy because we flew basically near the top of the world and there were parts when it was like, "Degrees outside: -75F" What in the world? We got into Hong Kong at a good time that night, checked into the hotel (which is very, very nice) and basically ate at a mall and went back to the hotel.
Day Two: Part One
Day Two for me was let's see how Scott reacts when bad stuff happens to him in a foreign country...day. When I woke up, I went to get a deposit from an ATM that was near our hotel. I put my card in, and then the screen just froze. I tried to pressing every button, but nothing worked. Finally it said, "This machine is temporarily out of order." Now mind you, we had to be leaving to go to church in a couple of hours. So copied down the number, tried to call the company, and 1st I got it in Chinese, then I kept getting a busy signal. Finally I decided to check back to see if it spit it out or something. You know what happened? The machine was in perfect working order, and my card was no where to be found. So I went back, had breakfast, and e-mailed my parents to call and cancel my card. Luckily, I am with a group of people who are supportive and I am blessed that they are willing to loan me some money for fun/pleasure. I currently owe some money to the church, but it will all be taken care of. So, no worries :-)
Day Two: Part Two
We had worship at the Hong Kong College of Science and Technology...or something like that. I apologize that I cannot remember names that well. We had worship at Scott Harris' old church in Clearwater there. It was really cool. The preacher preached in English, then it was translated at the same time into Chinese. The same happened in worship except the worship leader sang in English, then Chinese, and then at times we sang together. After the service, we all had lunch together. It was a medley of Dimsum (I am probably not spelling that right) which was pretty good. It was great having conversation with the people from the church. Very smart, very fun, and very compassionate people. If they ever come to Tennessee, I would definitely ask them to come over for dinner. That's saying a lot too because my hospitality meter on a scale from 1-10 is probably a 2. The rest of the day was spent shopping in this one market which I can't remember the name (Stanley maybe?) and I got some good stuff there.
Day Three:
I am writing this at 6:40pm Hong Kong Time on Day three, so I have a pretty good grasp on what is going on. First off, let me say that there is an INCREDIBLE breakfast buffet here. I am not a big breakfast person, but this is heaven. Anyway, today was our first day for VBS so we had to get to the place, set up, eat, and then do it. If you take St. John's church and rooms, put them all together, and eliminate anything outside, that is kind of like the room that we are dealing with for VBS. We had a good amount of kids there. Zach has the official number...there were 14 in Courtney and I's group of 3rd-4th grade. This VBS is unlike any that I have ever done before. The whole dynamic with the kids, the language barrier (they speak English, but I think they struggle with some of it), and just the home-life and life situations these kids are in make it to be a very different environment and a pretty tough one to figure out how to effectively do something. However, the women that are leaders there (including the one that's helping us all week Janice and the women in charge named Caroline) are amazing. They display extreme leadership and they are great witnesses to the kids as well as role models.
For me, I have been worrying about what the group was going to be like, and how my Peter drama will go. At first when I came out as Peter, they all started laughing. They have never seen anything like that. However, I believe they were listening and somewhat intrigued as the drama went on. I pray that God continues to work through me in that. For the main Bible Study teaching, the group is very different. Thank goodness we have a volunteer in there because I am finding it difficult to get their attention. I think my goal for the week for them is that they know the themes, bible story, and the verses. I am having some communication troubles, but kids are kids. I expect kids to act like kids. But everything I am thinking as far as behavior management goes now is like, "Are these really universal?" I may have to figure out what's going on with that.
If you could please pray for my Bible Study Group, For my co-leader Courtney Coyle, The whole Brentwood Baptist Team for strength, and also some understanding of how to coordinate and use time effectively. Also if I don't update before Wednesday...that is the day we give the plan of salvation. So (to be a little selfish) please pray for me as I do the drama for Peter in telling the story about Jesus crucified and resurrected.
I know this is a lot, there is a lot more that I didn't say! I'm sorry if that was frazzled, but it's what I got. Have a great rest of the day and thanks for reading the blogs!
I'm sorry that I haven't updated in the past couple of days. It is hard to find time to get on the Internet, and you either have to pay by the minute or a good amount all at once. I am writing this 35-40 minutes before we go onto our nightly activity. So I hope that this doesn't seem rushed, but I did pay by the minute and I don't want to hold the group up.
Day One:
Day one was all about travel. We took this bubble gum airplane from Nashville to Newark, and then we took this fantastic, awesome, lovely, I'll be having dreams about this airplane from Newark to Hong Kong. I do have to say that if I had to spend 15 hours (14:45 to be exact), I'm glad that it was on this plane. I got to watch movies, shows, listen to music, and experience all the plane had to offer. It was crazy because we flew basically near the top of the world and there were parts when it was like, "Degrees outside: -75F" What in the world? We got into Hong Kong at a good time that night, checked into the hotel (which is very, very nice) and basically ate at a mall and went back to the hotel.
Day Two: Part One
Day Two for me was let's see how Scott reacts when bad stuff happens to him in a foreign country...day. When I woke up, I went to get a deposit from an ATM that was near our hotel. I put my card in, and then the screen just froze. I tried to pressing every button, but nothing worked. Finally it said, "This machine is temporarily out of order." Now mind you, we had to be leaving to go to church in a couple of hours. So copied down the number, tried to call the company, and 1st I got it in Chinese, then I kept getting a busy signal. Finally I decided to check back to see if it spit it out or something. You know what happened? The machine was in perfect working order, and my card was no where to be found. So I went back, had breakfast, and e-mailed my parents to call and cancel my card. Luckily, I am with a group of people who are supportive and I am blessed that they are willing to loan me some money for fun/pleasure. I currently owe some money to the church, but it will all be taken care of. So, no worries :-)
Day Two: Part Two
We had worship at the Hong Kong College of Science and Technology...or something like that. I apologize that I cannot remember names that well. We had worship at Scott Harris' old church in Clearwater there. It was really cool. The preacher preached in English, then it was translated at the same time into Chinese. The same happened in worship except the worship leader sang in English, then Chinese, and then at times we sang together. After the service, we all had lunch together. It was a medley of Dimsum (I am probably not spelling that right) which was pretty good. It was great having conversation with the people from the church. Very smart, very fun, and very compassionate people. If they ever come to Tennessee, I would definitely ask them to come over for dinner. That's saying a lot too because my hospitality meter on a scale from 1-10 is probably a 2. The rest of the day was spent shopping in this one market which I can't remember the name (Stanley maybe?) and I got some good stuff there.
Day Three:
I am writing this at 6:40pm Hong Kong Time on Day three, so I have a pretty good grasp on what is going on. First off, let me say that there is an INCREDIBLE breakfast buffet here. I am not a big breakfast person, but this is heaven. Anyway, today was our first day for VBS so we had to get to the place, set up, eat, and then do it. If you take St. John's church and rooms, put them all together, and eliminate anything outside, that is kind of like the room that we are dealing with for VBS. We had a good amount of kids there. Zach has the official number...there were 14 in Courtney and I's group of 3rd-4th grade. This VBS is unlike any that I have ever done before. The whole dynamic with the kids, the language barrier (they speak English, but I think they struggle with some of it), and just the home-life and life situations these kids are in make it to be a very different environment and a pretty tough one to figure out how to effectively do something. However, the women that are leaders there (including the one that's helping us all week Janice and the women in charge named Caroline) are amazing. They display extreme leadership and they are great witnesses to the kids as well as role models.
For me, I have been worrying about what the group was going to be like, and how my Peter drama will go. At first when I came out as Peter, they all started laughing. They have never seen anything like that. However, I believe they were listening and somewhat intrigued as the drama went on. I pray that God continues to work through me in that. For the main Bible Study teaching, the group is very different. Thank goodness we have a volunteer in there because I am finding it difficult to get their attention. I think my goal for the week for them is that they know the themes, bible story, and the verses. I am having some communication troubles, but kids are kids. I expect kids to act like kids. But everything I am thinking as far as behavior management goes now is like, "Are these really universal?" I may have to figure out what's going on with that.
If you could please pray for my Bible Study Group, For my co-leader Courtney Coyle, The whole Brentwood Baptist Team for strength, and also some understanding of how to coordinate and use time effectively. Also if I don't update before Wednesday...that is the day we give the plan of salvation. So (to be a little selfish) please pray for me as I do the drama for Peter in telling the story about Jesus crucified and resurrected.
I know this is a lot, there is a lot more that I didn't say! I'm sorry if that was frazzled, but it's what I got. Have a great rest of the day and thanks for reading the blogs!
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
I passed ECC & RAC!
I am excited right now, so please give me some time to brag a little and enjoy this moment.
Guess what?!? I PASSED! I am required to take four tests in Praxis II in order to be fully licensed and accredited in the state of Tennessee. I took two of those tests on June 13, 2009. Those two tests were; Elementary Education - Content Knowledge & Reading Across the Curriculum - Elementary. I needed a score of 140 for Content Knowledge and I got 161. I needed a score of 151 for Reading Across the Curriculum, and I got 170.
The cool part of the results is that it breaks down how you did on each part.
Lots of Prayer went into these tests, so thanks family and friends. Now let's pray for the next part of the journey - these tests as well as Student Teaching!!!!
Guess what?!? I PASSED! I am required to take four tests in Praxis II in order to be fully licensed and accredited in the state of Tennessee. I took two of those tests on June 13, 2009. Those two tests were; Elementary Education - Content Knowledge & Reading Across the Curriculum - Elementary. I needed a score of 140 for Content Knowledge and I got 161. I needed a score of 151 for Reading Across the Curriculum, and I got 170.
The cool part of the results is that it breaks down how you did on each part.
- On Content Knowledge I am in the average range for Science, Math, and Language Arts, but I am above average in Social Studies.
- On Reading Across the Curriculum, I am in the average range for Problem Solving Exercises, Assessment of Reading, Reading Comprehension, and Reading Materials & Instruction/Reading Environment. I am above average in Theory of Reading as a process; Language Acquisition and Early Literacy & Vocabulary, Spelling, and Word Study.
Lots of Prayer went into these tests, so thanks family and friends. Now let's pray for the next part of the journey - these tests as well as Student Teaching!!!!
Tuesday, July 07, 2009
I Need Thee Every Hour
I have been doing a study about Praying with the Psalms for a while, and tonight I read Psalm 91. This Psalm says that, "Those that live in the shelter of the Most High will find rest in the shadow of the Almighty." It goes on to say that God will rescue, protect, shield, and shelter those who trust in his name, and he will give them his salvation.
Looking at this Psalm, it is really interesting that the one before it was talking & begging with God to take pity and replace their evil years with good. When I got done reading Psalm 91, it reminded me of this hymn. I am going to post a little background about this hymn (words by Annie Hawks) along with the lyrics. I hope that you get something out of this like I have.
Story:
Lyrics:
Looking at this Psalm, it is really interesting that the one before it was talking & begging with God to take pity and replace their evil years with good. When I got done reading Psalm 91, it reminded me of this hymn. I am going to post a little background about this hymn (words by Annie Hawks) along with the lyrics. I hope that you get something out of this like I have.
Story:
"Annie Hawks wrote:
One day as a young wife and mother of 37 years of age, I was busy with my regular household tasks. Suddenly, I became so filled with the sense of nearness to the Master that, wondering how one could live without Him, either in joy or pain, these words, “I Need Thee Every Hour,” were ushered into my mind, the thought at once taking full possession of me.
After writing the lyrics, Hawks gave them to her pastor, Robert Lowry, who added the tune and refrain. The hymn was first published at the National Baptist Sunday School Convention in Cincinnati, Ohio, in November 1872. Some years later, after the death of her husband, Hawks wrote:
I did not understand at first why this hymn had touched the great throbbing heart of humanity. It was not until long after, when the shadow fell over my way, the shadow of a great loss, that I understood something of the comforting power in the words which I had been permitted to give out to others in my hour of sweet serenity and peace."
Lyrics:
I need thee every hour, most gracious Lord;
no tender voice like thine can peace afford.
Refrain:
I need thee, O I need thee;
every hour I need thee;
O bless me now, my Savior, I come to thee.
2. I need thee every hour; stay thou nearby;
temptations lose their power when thou art nigh.
(Refrain)
3. I need thee every hour, in joy or pain;
come quickly and abide, or life is vain.
(Refrain)
4. I need thee every hour; teach me thy will;
and thy rich promises in me fulfill.
(Refrain)
5. I need thee every hour, most Holy One;
O make me thine indeed, thou blessed Son.
(Refrain)
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Move
I said in my last post that I would be leaving for Camp in a couple of days. I just got back yesterday afternoon but since I was so tired, I couldn't really articulate very well what happened. I still may not be able to put into words everything that happened at camp, so I will just give an overview and hope that it gives you a small picture of what happened from June 21-June 29th.The theme of our camp as you may see from the image on your right was a faith to Move. We focused on having a faith to let go, the faith to go into the unknown, a faith to wait, and having faith to its fullest. We focused on the story of Moses from the time God appeared to him through the burning bush that wasn't consumed until Moses presented the Israelite people with the Ten Commandments. We did a lot of the in depth Bible study in our small groups. For High School it was Coed and combined people from different cabins, and for Middle School it was whoever was in your cabin. We had worship in the morning and night led by Michael Boggs, and the message was by Chris Brooks. We also had a rec time everyday, three hours of free time where they could ride jet skis and Pontoon Boats (with an adult leader), go on aquacycles at the beach/lake (That's were I was most of the time...making sure kids weren't doing anything stupid), go to the pool, play on the rec field, go horseback riding (only available one day for each camp), or just relax and hang out with people near their cabin.
My experience was very good. For High School, I was paired up with a friend of mine named Troy. We joked around about this because our personalities are almost exact opposite. The High School camp can be best described by one of our leaders. "They came together in groups, but they left as one." There was great unity in this camp like I haven't seen before. There were some great and honest conversations, and it went very well.
I have been looking forward to Middle School camp because that is where my guys are right now from my Lifegroup. Want to know something cool? I had the same cabin I had last year! It was great to continue to build those relationships. The Bible Studies for me I felt were more in depth and personal than those of the past. There was more intention for prayer as well as practicle hands-on activities toward learning the concept than before. If nothing else, it forced them to think about some things that they believed. The greatest part of this group at camp was how honest they were about where they were. I had a conversation with practically all of the guys in that cabin about where they were in their faith. The openness of them and their willingness to take a deeper look led God to do some great things inside of them. I can say with confidence that the question has been answered about what they believe, now it's a question of will they take the next step in developing what they believe into a relationship.
For me, I knew coming into this that I really had to prepare myself or I would get burned out very easy. So I was very intentional with making sure that didn't happen. Because of that, camp was a lot easier than it was the year before. You can ask any High School or Adult leader that was there...it was pretty exhausting, but it was worth it.
I'll leave you with a couple of illustrations that I liked from Chris Brooks about faith.
- Do you have a sneaker faith or a suit faith? (i.e. do you bring it out on special occasions, or wear it all the time)
- When you think about yourself as being the light, do you imagine yourself as one of those lights you have to crank to power up (which is from your own power, only lights up a little bit, and is misused)? What about the flashlight you only use for emergencies? Or are you plugged into a power source?
- Are you a God Wrestler? Or are you a Poser?
Thanks for reading, and have a great rest of the day!
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