i knew my life was too peaceful.
i also knew my life was going to be hectic this week and the next 8 or 10...
but really...i just wanted to teach...
however, amidst the chaos there are blessings.
For example, the Bible Study I am now attending.
This week was over Romans 9:6-29. Hehehehehe...what a place to jump into for a Romans Bible Study.
I was really impressed blessed though. I thought the questions were trying to lead toward a certain point of view on God's Election and Predestination. However, I turned out to be wrong and I was grateful. *goes to fetch notes for further explanation.
Somehow, i came to a happy, peaceful understanding of the principle of election:
"Spiritual birth does not happen naturally"--to which I start to thing, so what does naturally include? human aspects
The example used in the scripture to show this was the choosing of Jacob to receive the birthright--Jacob was chosen to show that it is God who plans and not "natural" tradition of firstborn. Now I do have questions about what looks like a self-fulfilling prophecy by telling Rebekah that the older would serve the younger...to make this happen...but God is God.
This inspired more thoughts in terms of defining supernatural--the ways of God: predestination and election are supernatural. We cannot explain supernatural in human ways...because supernatural means to beyond human logic (science)
God is sovereign over ALL's Destinies and has a purpose in everything he does. Election exalts God, not man, by being supernatural. God will use every person to display his Glory.
This, along with an interesting point of connection for the definition of love/hate between Romans 9:13, Matthew 6:24, and Luke 14:26. Love/hate isn't a feeling in these verses, and not quite how we think of love. Love is shown to mean the choice to serve another and hate would be choosing not to serve another. It really made Dr Watson's sermon last week on 1 Corinthians 13 come together so much more as the he explained that the love chapter is defining how we are to using the gifts God gives us--the gifts are useless if we do not love. In our gifts, we are choosing to serve God and others, which is love. If we aren't choosing to serve with our gifts, than we're not reallying using our gifts in love but probably instead to glorify ourselves.
Anyways, it was a really nice night of Bible Study after another long day of school and stress although right now school is stress.
that's me for the last two weeks, and for the next six weeks, and than the next seven after that....
three words: UIL, taks, subpops (hiss hiss boo boo)
i'm swamped by paperwork in all three dimensions between home and school. oh yeah. i also have to teach students who don't know how to learn and expect me to learn for them... and work miracles in their lives. some days.... i have to keep reminding myself that at least a few think i'm inspiring...
I got a new computer at school today!
It takes up less space! (flat panel monitor!!...maybe 17 in even...hmm.)
WINDOWS XP!! >>>> Windows 98
it even has a DVD-CD-R drive!!!! (no more copying of c.d.s at home...)
I haven't fully investigated the niceties of it yet, but i appreciate a new keyboard, mouse (not optical) and mousepad too. The printer still sucks, but hey, I can always print in the computer lab for that.
The math teachers are looking forward to a brighter future of using the programs that we are being given.
All I need now is to copy the one thing they missed in the imaging of my old HD...my personal email folders (organized emails) that aren't on the server but the HD.
I can never spell commitment right on the first try..
Anyways.
So by the invitation of a teacher at school, I attended a BSF Women's intro class tonight. While getting used the thought of a fairly regulated Bible Study, they do emphasize a few aspects that I believe are important--such as thinking for one's self, and commitment. So, we shall see how I do with this new commitment. I'll have to figure out a good time for myself to do the daily lessons...I'm a horrible morning person, but I get so distracted after I get started with school...but I'm not really truly awake until my first class starts generally (unless it's even after that :-) )
We will be studying Romans.
So, inspired by the thought of various friends pursuing or about to pursue a master's degree, I did a little bit of google browsing of master's programs for math education.
It made me drool and it made me think. It also gave me a few insights as I think about when I'll want to start this course of action.
First, for some reason, I think I'd prefer a Masters of Science over a Master's of Arts. I'm not fully sure why, I am quite well-rounded with the whole right-brain, left-brain thing, but just pondering the courses offered for each degree...something seems more appealing about the M.S. I don't know, I'll have to do a bit more studying and comparing.
This actually seems to narrow my options a bit as the M.S. doesn't appear to be as widely offered as an M.A.
Second thing I noticed is that I probably need at least another year of teaching to qualify for any decent program. Even U. of P. online wants at least three years of experience...hehehe. I'd like to go with the online route, but then, I really do love education for learning too and I think I'd get too bored and not think as much with online.
I really like the initial look of the Berkley and Syracuse programs. They make them so pretty looking and sounding! But I'm sure, depending on where we end up in the future, that there will be other options closer to where we could end up living...although you never know...maybe we could end up in NY or CA...if josh's dreams come true...
So for a little while longer I shall wait and ponder what I want my next degree to be like, to mean, and what really honestly interests me and "fits" me.
Nyquil cough syrup is the devil. at least te green stuff that tastes like BLACK LICORICE
So 1st period was manageable.
2nd Period was bad. so very bad.
the rest of the day was just plain busy. But somehow the awfullness of 2nd period triggered three really neat little things that made my day all better.
1st, I figured out how to make Excel do something I wanted it to do to save our UIL tabulator some work at the March meet. Now, it is only so smart as i have to use the "ConditionalSum" wizard about 84 times.... instead of just copying the formula down and changing the one piece of information...but hey, I figured out how to make it do something complicated (total the points for a school for each place they win in each grade level for about 21 contests...)
I was quite proud of myself.
2nd, two carts of "dell" boxes rolled down the hallway--it appeared to be many new computers? I asked myself, is it possible the teachers are about to get new computers. Rumor says it is true--with FLAT PANEL monitors!!!
3rd, at the last minute I heard about another wine and dine math textbook dinner (ADOPT OUR TEXTBOOK PLEASE) schmooze. Well lo and behold, not only did i get to enjoy a free meal with a free cosmopolitan, but I won a t.v. The one drawing they did. Is it something about having a hard to pronounce last name? has my luck turned? I don't know, but we now have another t.v. Now Josh can quit wining about wanting to move his computer to the living room. The second t.v. can move to the office :-) Tis quite terrible really...but hey, we don't always agree on what we want to watch... We even cleaned up the office a bit and there's room for the t.v.! Crazy!
and oh so many to go.
School began again today. I had a stress headache at the end. I felt like I was this teacher who knew nothing about control and how to explain and demonstrate simple concepts like finding an equation for parallel and perpendicular lines without using point-slope method...seriously, plot point, count slope, see where it crosses the y-axis or you can plug and chug....
I feel like I'm just wasting my time explaining to the whole class at once. Because I have to go around and help them get started and show them individually how to work the problems.
educational self-sufficiency people!!!! whatever happened?
this if for one of my cousins Douglas and a group he just left on a mission trip with, the camp mentioned is the one my older brother works at 2 hours south of us.
Please keep Douglas in your prayers this week.
He arrived in Haiti this morning as part of a small Mission Trip.
The group is from Frontier Camp, the Christian Youth Camp my kids have grown up attending and now work at each summer, and they are working with a local missionary to help start the first Christian Youth Camp in Haiti.
They will spend 9 days working to train workers and prepare the camp sight, they will also conduct 2 days of a day camp, to model and train their workers.
This will be a challenging trip, the area is rural and very poor. It will also be rewarding; to help begin a tradition of Christian camping in a country that has had
such turmoil and hardship.
The Frontier Camp website has more information,
http://www.frontiercamp.org/Haiti/schedule.htm
Thank you for keeping Douglas and the others in your prayers! Your love and prayers will protect him and comfort me!
They will return Jan. 10.
Happy New Year Everybody!
I personally and ready for a fresh new year....no car accidents, no surgeries, no being majorly sick... of course, there is no telling what the new year will bring for the Scholls. I can't even imagine what life will be like a year from now. Crazy isn't it.
Trust God.