Ferial-topia

Last week I was teaching "city" vocabulary in a few of my ESL classes. 

I like to do supplemental activities on top of my curriculum, 

so I hopped on over to Google and searched for some city-creating projects. 

One of the first results was citycreator.com and I'm so glad I found it. 

It's a simple, Sims-like program where you can design and build your own city. 

My students loved it. 

We spent the bulk of our time last week thinking up our cities 

and implementing our designs. 

As the hubs and I were driving home the other night, I was reflecting on these city-creating experiences. We were coming from the home of some dear friends who had filled our eveningwith delicious food and wonderful fellowship. Just the night before we had also spent the evening with some other dear friends who had shown us equal hospitality. AND the day after all this reflecting we were planning onspending time with yet another two families in celebration and fellowship. Needless to say, we were on the receiving end of a lot great hospitality. 
Getting back to the scene of my passenger-seat-reflections, I was thinking about all of the dear friends that God has put into our life in the last four years spent in Korea. And all of the dear friends waiting for us at home. Not to mention our beloved family andthose dear to us who are living all over the world. And I considered my city-creation lesson plans. 
 Wouldn't it just be WONDERFULif I really could create my own cityand populate it with all of those dear ones? We could all live and work together for the glory of our God and the benefit of the entire community. Living together, working, eating, creating, singing, playing, building, laughing, crying, and bearing each other's burdens. True community. Doesn't that just sound marvelous? 
And as I continued to think about my utopiaI realized that my city dreams will one day come true, but thank God, it won't be my city, but His. 

And if that isn't something to look forward to, I don't know what is. 

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Work

I dread Mondays. 

It's a sad reality of my life right now. 

My work situation is very difficult

and frustrating at the moment. 

As most of you know, 

I am an ESL teacher at a Korean community center. 

And as the resident specialist in young children, 

my days generally consist of the ABC's, 

storytelling time, and lots of hand sanitizer. 

Doesn't sound that bad, right? 

And to be perfectly honest, it's not. 

It's not that bad. 

But, 

it's been not that bad 

for a long time now. 

It would be very hard for me to explain

how exactly my job sucks, 

and I really don't want this post to turn into complaining, 

even though I'm really good at complaining about my job. 

I just wanted to be able to document this part of my life, 

for remembrance's sake and also in light of 

the commitment I made at the beginning of this year 

to choose love. 

While reading through my Google Reader this morning

I came across a quote that my dear friend posted on her blog. 

The quote is from a man named Steven Furtick 

and it was exactly what I needed to hear today: 

“The situation around you may look nothing 

like the vision God has put inside you.

But by the power of faith,

you can turn your small beginning into a grand finale.

Here’s the way Jesus put it in Matthew 17:20:

‘I tell you the truth,

if you have faith as small as a mustard seed,

you can say to this mountain,

“Move from here to there”

and it will move.

Nothing will be impossible for you.’”

In this frustrating, cross-cultural, unfulfilling, mundane, ever-shifting, and unstable jobI want to choose faith. I want to choose love. 
 O LORD, help. 

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Paint the rainbow

I'm in a watercolor phase. 

They're just so wonderful to paint with; 

they're beautiful and not easy to mess up. 

Perfect for me. 

So, when my manager found these 

lovely white paper fans in a back closet, 

my Kinders and I went crazy with the water colors. 

Linking up all over the place.

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Count On Me

This week I've got my precious Kindergarten students on my heart. Here's a video that I made just for them! 

Linking up all over the place.

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Teacher John and the Sparklers Incident.

read more "Teacher John and the Sparklers Incident."

Jesus loves the little children

I never thought I'd be a teacher. To be honest, I never even wanted to be a teacher...

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The Magic Tree

This past autumn [2010] was a difficult season for me. Especially with work. There were a lot of changes happening, and to make a long story short, I found myself in a position that was extremely difficult. I was working long hours, doing extra things, burning myself out, AND not receiving any appreciation or even "thank yous" for it all. Needless to say, I was stressed...

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"Out Play"

I love it when my boss says, "Let's not teach this afternoon. 

Let's go outside and play with these bubble toys instead." 

Assah! 

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Views from {Today}

One of my Kindergarten students wanted to draw a picture during free time today. 

So, he said to me, "Teacher, I want to picture it." 

I explained to him that what he needed to say was,

"Teacher, I want to draw a picture." 

His cute mis-phrase inspired me to give you a picture of my day. 

read more "Views from {Today}"