student quotes

I've been subbing at the same middle school relatively often these days. . . During my first day with one of these classes, after I'd been talking for a bit, one of the girls asked me if I was a flight attendant...
because

"you sound like a flight attendant," she answered to my "why?"

:D I had to crush her hopes.  sad day.

oda a la paloma (see Solomon's letters - ch. 2)

***************************************************por Amanda E. Johnson  12/4/2010


i am a dove:
fragile, pure, silent.

no one can see me where i hide
(hiding in the cracks, on the unseen ledges-
ledges so high off the ground
no evil can find me)
and i feel safe.

everything outside my little home
(on the other side of my cliff)
is frightening,
frightens me
and keeps me inside
safe, and warm.

i venture out for food
(very briefly, but oh, so hungry am i)
and a bit of fresh air.
satiated,
i arrive back in my crevice,
safe.
nothing can harm me if i do not move
and nothing can make me move
from the safest place in the world.


***
something startles me
(it is not quiet any more)
and i begin to shiver
quietly, though
i shiver quietly  and listen
with trepidation
for whatever has broken my solitude.

a knocking
and a voice
gently, gently rapping
on the outside of my haven.

i take a curious step
(toward the entrance of my dwelling)
and am startled when a flash
(of rainbow color)
strikes my eye
and i look downward to see its origin-
caught by the sun, a bright diamond
with so many facets
has attached itself to my breast.

the knocking continues.
as i take another step closer
(closer to the outside world)
several more flashing jewels
appear on my soft feathers,
encrusting them with beauty.

by the time I reach the ledge
i am covered
(not a single feather is left on its own)
in jewels so bright that rainbows dance
with every step i take.

i can finally hear the words
(an not just knocking)
as they are being spoken -
a man is speaking,
with gentle tones and a soft voice.

"come out,"
says he.
"it's beautiful out here.
there is no more winter,
no more rain,
no harsh winds to buffet you.
(it is spring,
after all - everything is so very new!)
Come out,
my darling,
my love.

let me see your face,
for it has been hidden so long.

let me hear your voice:
i am sure it is the one i have always heard in my dreams.

come out, my love.

let me see you,
let me hear you,
and come with me.

come out."

with each loving word spoken
i barely notice what happens next:

a hand comes closer
(and closer)
and pauses at the very edge of the cliff.

when he stops talking
i look up,
up,
(up into his face)
and see the truth of his words
is true.

one more step -
no, two -
and i am in his palm,
sparkling, quivering and timid.

"behold, you are beautiful,
so beautiful,
my love!"
(his voice echoes
through my hollow bones
and the shaking stops.)

i realize he has spoken the truth,
and spoken my beauty into existence.

calmly,
quietly,
i rest in his hand,
listening for his voice,
awakened by beauty-
of the spring,
of new life,
of a love so true,
and of my own newly discovered beauty,
for the first time in my life
i begin to sing.

Zeal for Your House will consume Me. . .

As a follower of the Messiah, does zeal for God's house consume you? (Ps. 69:9, Jn 2:18)  (When I write you / we / us / or I, I mean all of those jointly...) 

I was reading this morning from John, and remembered the Psalm that ended up describing Jesus in that way from my study last week, and decided to share some thoughts. 

As Americans in a freedom-of-religion era (whatever that may mean), we have a responsibility to uphold the truth as highly and as steadily as we can. if that means taking extra time to take care of the church, what are we to do? As a follower - imitator - of the Messiah, the Rabbi, the Holy One of Israel, how are we to view God's house? 

I know we don't actually have The Temple in Grand Rapids / Chicago / Dallas / well, anywhere *Rob used slash in a meeting last night and credited it to me, but really, I blame Emily R. Smith...* but even though we don't have a physical Temple, what are we to view as God's house besides the place we go to partake in corporate worship? 

I know, I know - we have a few churches in each neighborhood. Rather, far more than that. 

How often, though, do we really care about the building? Jesus was zealous for His Father's House - so much so that he caused a ruckus, a hullabaloo, an ordeal. He didn't like the changes that were happening, and took action. Some people might not have agreed with Him - or profited from His actions - but He took action.

So when a church that you've chosen as "My Father's House" - even though you may not speak or read Hebrew or give sacrifices - has meetings, and people do not show up, should we also take action? 

How do we act about keeping the church clean?

How can we help support His House financially, or supervisionally? (I know, not a word, but it is, now...) 

Just some thoughts to get you started.




REFERENCES: JOHN 2, PSALM 69

3.15.2007

Going through old writingness while trying to find a novel I'd started a few years ago, and thought I'd share this :) 

enjoy! 

March 15, 2007

I am a people-watcher and a keeper of secrets. I spent many wonderful moments with my mother during my childhood doing just that – people-watching. 

            The people you observe come in all shapes and sizes and colors; no one is left out, and every single person has a story all their own.  I’ve often wondered what might happen if I were to actually write down my observations as they play out in the reality of life. 

            Take now, for example. I am riding the bus to campus.  The buses that take people here or there – from campus to home, home to work, or random, sundry appointments – are often more colorful that a midsummer sunset over Lake Michigan.  White-skinned people are a minority here, and the most beautiful shades of brown, olive, and peach surround me – me, a blonde-haired, green-eyed twenty-something with skin that tans easily in the few summer months Michigan claims as its own. 
            I like watching how people talk on the bus.  There are two women about my age towards the front of the bus; both are talking with their hands and eyes, and laughter occasionally erupts from their mouths.  I’m not really eavesdropping, but they’re discussing how difficult it is for one of them to get a raise at the job where she works. 
            I love watching the Asian women on the bus when they’re deep in conversation.  The younger woman has her hair parted in the middle and pulled back with a plastic barrette, and the older woman has her hair in a fashionable haircut.  Their eyes are the most attentive, and these two women barely raise their voices above a library appropriate level.
            Then there is the occasional serious-type student, the person-in-the-crowd you don’t notice when they’re in-the-crowd, but as soon as they step away from the masses of humanity surrounding them, you can see them for who they are. This man-my-age across the aisle from me, for example; he’s reading a textbook full of built-in highlights, and nothing seems to be distracting him from studying – nothing, and everything.  From what I can see, he’s just as interested in the conversation of the two ladies in the front of the bus, which has shifted from job raises to blood pressure, and has moved on to talking about someone joining the Peace Corps.
            This is where I get off to wait five minutes for the next bus.  

manly men, and sheep

It was encouraging tonight - especially tonight - to see an auditorium full of men. Assuredly, there were also women present (myself included), but a room almost full of men brings such ... hope. What a future to have so many manly men of God in the same room, thirsting for the words of the Creator / Shepherd, and desiring to be strengthened for better toolship. How encouraging to know that, like Elijah, there are "others out there." Although I am not a man nor am I a pastor, it was a blessing to be a part of such a large group of men seeking Him this evening, and being part of what will be infinitely better some day soon. What a blessing to be a part of the Body, when voices lift souls up to the throneroom, and the one Voice that needs to be heard is heard ever-so-clearly by the ones He has chosen. Praise Him for being such a Creator, and such a shepherd that - foolish though it may appear-  chose to die for the creatures for whom He was caring, or, as Carson so humanly put it:

"I am the Good Shepherd... [Christ] gives His life for the sheep, then comes back from the dead and secures them!" 

Post 124 - Unintentional Restaurant Review

For Labor Day, I went to linner at the Twisted Rooster with Dan (who drove all the way up from Illinois) and then to the Frederick Meijer Gardens. The Twisted Rooster - where O'Charley's used to be right next to Applebee's on the Beltline - is a unique restaurant. It reminded me of the restaurant Lester, Jenny, and I went to in Mexico in our condo - not nostalgic, but trendy, hip, individualistic. The music was pretty modern and sports-barrish, but not too loud to have lots of great conversation with a neat guy. We arrived at the TR around 3pm and were promptly seated. We had about a 10-minute wait before anyone came to ask us about drinks, though. bua haha... Our server, when he came (yay!) was very friendly and helpful. We both ordered the Twisted Mac'n'cheese, a penne with asparagus, tomatoes, and a parmesan crackery crust on top. It was fantastic - not spicy, really, but quite filling. The best part was the several times when our server came by to check on us and Dan took his time answering - I think that made him nervous or something, and before we left he asked if we were food critics or something and if I was going to write about it on my blog. I said no I'm not a food blogger, but a teacher ... (he's going into secondary ed, hurrah teachers!), but now I feel like I have to write about our experience.

The Twisted Rooster is a great place to eat - we only looked at the lunch menu, but prices were reasonable and the restaurant is tastefully and fun-ly decorated.
Go check it out!

Barefoot / Helper By Design

Yesterday I walked 1 1/2 miles down the road with no shoes on.  How exciting it was to finally put my flipflops back on when I got to the end of the road : )  If it wasn't for dirty roads, i'd totally be doing that more often!
(Side note- one of my friends in college went barefoot all over the place. She is one of my heroines :)  okay, un-sidenote)

I've been reading "Helper By Design" by Elyse Fitzgerald (borrowed from Jeri), and it's a great book so far. The author is very learned, and well-written. Basically (though I'm not that far in) it's an extrapolation (although I am not quite sure that is quite the word I want to use there) of the word "helpmeet" (KJV translation) in Genesis as referring to Eve.

:)

More to come, if I remember.
Also, my online class started, and I might have to buckle down and do very well in it this time around, seeing as the last class-and-a-half I wasn't even able to log on... ick.

Praising God for the summer "break," though. :) ..among other things.

6 Workout Mistakes that Slow Down Results (from Prevention)

6 Workout Mistakes That Slow Down Results

Busting your butt without any progress? It's time to tweak your routine

By Liz Plosser

1. You Sacrifice Good Form

High-intensity exercise may burn loads of calories, but not if you're hanging on to the handrails for dear life. It is important to focus on your form, even if that means lowering the intensity. "You recruit fewer muscles and burn fewer calories when you're slouched over," says Coopersmith.

Same goes for strength-training, says James Levine, PhD, a scientist at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN, whose research has found that standing while lifting weights boosts calorie burn by about 50 calories per half hour. Best of all, one study shows that good posture allows you to take in more oxygen so your workout feels easier, even while you're blasting more calories.

Do: Slow down and stand tall
The Results: Burn 50 extra calories per session

2. You Exercise While Parched

Experts are constantly back and forth on the merits of the 8-glasses-a-day guideline. However, when it comes to working out, the importance of drinking up is clear. "Nearly every cell in the body is composed of water--without it, they don't function efficiently during exercise," says Dan Judelson, PhD, an assistant professor of kinesiology at California State University in Fullerton. Translation: You'll fatigue faster and your workout will feel tougher than it should.

In recent studies, he discovered that exercisers who were dehydrated completed 3 to 5 fewer reps per set while strength-training. Part of the problem is that dehydration decreases the body's levels of anabolic hormone that are necessary for strong muscles. On workout days, drink an ounce of water for every 10 pounds of body weight (i.e., 15 ounces if you weigh 150) 1 to 2 hours prior to exercise. Then keep sipping during and after your session to replenish what you lose through sweat.

Do: Sip 15 ounces of water 2 hours before working out
The Results: More energy to lift weights and firm up faster

You Read on the Treadmill

"If flipping through a magazine keeps you motivated, by all means do it," says Coopersmith. "But reading while exercising is so distracting that you're probably working at an intensity too low to burn a significant number of calories." Magazines and books are just the tip of the iceberg--1 in 10 of us reads texts or e-mail on a cell phone during workouts, reports a new survey by Standard Life, a health insurance company.

Instead, turn on some tunes to increase the duration and intensity of your cardio bout: Researchers at Brunel University in London discovered that runners who listened to motivational rock or pop music (think Queen or Madonna) exercised up to 15% longer--and felt better doing it. You don't have to nix TV shows, cell phones, books, and magazines every workout--just leave them behind a couple of times a week so you can focus on intensity.

Do: Listen to music
The Results: Burn 15% more calories

4. You Hate Your Workout

No matter how many calories an activity promises to burn, if you don't enjoy it, you'll be less likely to do it and won't reap the benefits. Think of it this way: If you burn 300 calories every time you exercise, but you dread it so much that you skip one session a week, it adds up to 1,200 calories a month--or more than 4 pounds a year.

Instead, find a workout you want to do, rather than one you feel like you have to do. When University of Nebraska-Omaha researchers polled women who'd been exercising regularly for longer than a year, they found that one of the top predictors of adherence was choosing enjoyable activities. Study author Jennifer Huberty, PhD, also suggests experimenting with ways tomake exercise more appealing: For example, if walking is your workout of choice, try recruiting a friend to join you.

Do: Pick a cardio routine that's fun
The Results: Lose 4 pounds a year

5. You Skip Strength Training

Over 80% of women forgo strength-training, says the latest survey by the Sporting Goods Manufacturers Association. If you're one of them, it may be the number one reason your scale is stuck. You've probably heard that strength-training can boost metabolism, but here's something you may not know: People who pair aerobic and resistance training eat less--517 fewer calories a day--than those who do only cardio, reports a new study in the Journal of Sports Science and Medicine. The combo workouts may increase satiety hormones more and boost the body's ability to break down food and stabilize blood sugar, so you feel full longer, says study author Brandon S. Shaw, PhD.

Do: Swap aerobic exercise for weights 3 times a week
The Results: Lose up to 12.5 pounds in a year

6. You Trust Calorie-Burn Estimates

Oh, how sweet it would be if 20 minutes on a cardio machine really did blast 400 calories. But like most things in life that sound too good to be true, those digital displays broadcasting mega calorie burn are often bogus. Recent research presented at the National Strength and Conditioning Conference found thatelliptical trainers over-estimate calorie burn by an average of 30%.

If you're trying to create a calorie deficit to lose weight, those thought-you-burned-'em calories can add up over time and thwart your success. To ensure you're burning the number of calories you want, consider investing in a heart rate monitor. We love the FT40 by Polar because it's a cinch to set up and use ($180; polarusa.com). Input some basic info (weight, height, age, activity level, and so on) and the gadget will accurately track your heart rate to compute the number of calories you torched. Or, for a free check of your cardio machine's readout, cross-reference your calorie burn by logging your session at prevention.com/fitnesstracker.

Do: Track your burn with a heart rate monitor
The Results: Lose 3 pounds this year 

the kite runner -

This weekend I watched the movie "The Kite Runner" (based on the book). The Kite Runner is one of Those Movies that evokes all 1200 possible female emotions. It is about a boy growing up in Afghanistan who is friends with a boy from lower-society, and their friendship that undergoes quite a bit. That's all I am going to write about it, actually, because until you have seen it for yourself, anything I write here will be a spoiler and might ruin the movie for you. (Or read the book). 

So... this is a recommendation - especially if you are American! - to go read the book/watch the movie. It's PG-13, and has its reasons for being rated so, so beware, but it is an excellent, excellent story, and has some very beautiful cinematic scenage. 

Name

Ever since Andy mentioned the importance of the Name in the book of Acts (in establishing the church), I've been noticing it more in scripture...

for example,
Tim Sommers was talking about Malachi and the whole time he was talking to us, I couldn't really concentrate on what he was saying because the Name seemed to be trying to get my attention (sorry, Tim,... or am I?)
and we sing about this Name, and we tell stories about it - but is it really everything to us me?
I was thumbing through a (well-written) Bible story book for young, young children and noticed that this version of the story of "David and Goliath" didn't even mention that Goliath was bashing God's name (via the army's Name representers) in front of David... and that made me sad.
When such a powerful one-behind-the-Name exists, by ignoring or slandering or slighting His Name do we really think we are making Him any less?