ceo for the kids
I thought it only happened to other teachers. I thought my kids would do what I asked them to do. Last week, I experienced outright disobedience in a school purported to be one of the best in the city. My senior bilingual students were required to give a 5 minute speech on a topic of their choice. One girl decided to give a speech on a topic she was not really able to speak about in a non-inflamatory way, so I suggested she find another topic. She did: Barbies. However, she pulled it straight from the internet. So, I assigned her a topic: the value that the local mall has for the city and the surrounding suburbs. Last week was D's chance to shine and wow us with her ideas and opinions. She began her speech by pulling out several Barbie dolls from her bag. I was, shall we say, not overly happy about her choice to disobey. I patiently listened to her "internet copied" speech and decided to think about what her consequences should be. A few days later, I spoke with D and asked her why she deliberately disobeyed my instructions. Her response floored me, but maybe it shouldn't have: "I couldn't find anything on the internet!!!" I told her that was the point; she should use her brain to come up with the speech on her own. She proceeded to break into tears and tell me "I can't think!" I probably should have been more compassionate; here is this poor girl age 17 who is crying in front of me; but I wasn't, and insisted that this week, she will submit the assigned speech or will receive the lowest grade possible. It struck me later that I'm really no different sometimes in my relationship with God; there are times when He is very, very clear about what He wants and I simply choose to disobey and "do my own thing." This was a good lesson for me, once again, of the significance of listening to His voice as He knows what is best for me.
Sunday, January 30, 2005
Saturday, January 22, 2005
Swimming and spirituality
ceo for the kids
I try to swim at least twice or three times a week, largely as therapy after my second back surgery in 15 years! I love it, and just this week, the Lord impressed a lesson on my heart while I was doing my usual 1000 meters of back stroke in the local pool. I wear swim goggles and usually, at about 600 meters, they begin to get foggy, making it difficult to see the roof above me...the dome which covers this pool during the cold winter months. Well, on this particular evening, I got water in my goggles on the first leap into the pool.......therefore, after 200 meters, my goggles were sufficiently foggy. Personally, I like being able to see, so this "early fogging" was a bit disturbing to me. It dawned on me that I could, with my peripheral vision, see the dividing lane marker between the lanes, and thus, could stay on the straight path in my lane as I and about 7 other people did our evening circles up and back in the same lane. This lane marker became an essential part of that swim that night, and the Lord, in His great mercy, drove home a very good point with me: My Word is like this lane marker; if you stay focused on Me and My Word, you will "swim" straight, without slamming into other people, veering off course, or hitting the wall and injuring yourself. The meters passed quickly after that as I rejoiced at focusing on the lane marker, even if the things "in front of" me were foggy. "Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith."
I try to swim at least twice or three times a week, largely as therapy after my second back surgery in 15 years! I love it, and just this week, the Lord impressed a lesson on my heart while I was doing my usual 1000 meters of back stroke in the local pool. I wear swim goggles and usually, at about 600 meters, they begin to get foggy, making it difficult to see the roof above me...the dome which covers this pool during the cold winter months. Well, on this particular evening, I got water in my goggles on the first leap into the pool.......therefore, after 200 meters, my goggles were sufficiently foggy. Personally, I like being able to see, so this "early fogging" was a bit disturbing to me. It dawned on me that I could, with my peripheral vision, see the dividing lane marker between the lanes, and thus, could stay on the straight path in my lane as I and about 7 other people did our evening circles up and back in the same lane. This lane marker became an essential part of that swim that night, and the Lord, in His great mercy, drove home a very good point with me: My Word is like this lane marker; if you stay focused on Me and My Word, you will "swim" straight, without slamming into other people, veering off course, or hitting the wall and injuring yourself. The meters passed quickly after that as I rejoiced at focusing on the lane marker, even if the things "in front of" me were foggy. "Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith."
Thursday, January 20, 2005
my ways or God's?
ceo for the kids
Each Thursday, I get to go out to a children's home near Szeged, where kids aged 14-24 live; some are parentless, and some are from situations where they would rather not live due to abuse and alcoholism or extreme poverty. My "goal" on these days is to hang out with some kids for about an hour and then teach English for an hour. Today, after waiting 1/2 an hour for any kids to show up for English, I locked up the room and went to the "Konditerem".....weight room, where two boys, both named Laci, were working out. I'm very close to one of them, and the other, has just recently started coming to church and is reading his Bible and seeking the Lord! We had a good conversation with difficult questions about God and the Bible being asked by both. I missed the bus I usually take back to the city, but it was worth it to have these very significant conversations with these young men. My way is to teach English; God's ways are much higher, and for this, I'm very thankful!!!
Each Thursday, I get to go out to a children's home near Szeged, where kids aged 14-24 live; some are parentless, and some are from situations where they would rather not live due to abuse and alcoholism or extreme poverty. My "goal" on these days is to hang out with some kids for about an hour and then teach English for an hour. Today, after waiting 1/2 an hour for any kids to show up for English, I locked up the room and went to the "Konditerem".....weight room, where two boys, both named Laci, were working out. I'm very close to one of them, and the other, has just recently started coming to church and is reading his Bible and seeking the Lord! We had a good conversation with difficult questions about God and the Bible being asked by both. I missed the bus I usually take back to the city, but it was worth it to have these very significant conversations with these young men. My way is to teach English; God's ways are much higher, and for this, I'm very thankful!!!
Saturday, January 15, 2005
Dads and kids
ceo for the kids
I love watching dads with their kids. While waiting for the bus this morning, I was watching a dad with his little girl as they played "hide-and-go-seek" on the playground in front of me. The silly smile which plastered my face was, I'm sure, noticed by many as I simply couldn't help but smile broadly, and nearly laugh out loud seeing this dad so attentive to his daughter. I sensed a "safety" between them, that even though for about a minute, one had no idea where the other one was, they would be reunited and "alone no more." How often do we feel like God is hiding from us, or more likely, do we try to hide from Him? We cannot, because He is continually seeking to know us and be in relationship with us; and, unlike the dad with his daughter in the park, God does not run and hide. We are the ones running from Him while He is always right there, seeking us out. The loving care of the Father, who never loses sight of His precious daughter or son: this is something about which to smile!
I love watching dads with their kids. While waiting for the bus this morning, I was watching a dad with his little girl as they played "hide-and-go-seek" on the playground in front of me. The silly smile which plastered my face was, I'm sure, noticed by many as I simply couldn't help but smile broadly, and nearly laugh out loud seeing this dad so attentive to his daughter. I sensed a "safety" between them, that even though for about a minute, one had no idea where the other one was, they would be reunited and "alone no more." How often do we feel like God is hiding from us, or more likely, do we try to hide from Him? We cannot, because He is continually seeking to know us and be in relationship with us; and, unlike the dad with his daughter in the park, God does not run and hide. We are the ones running from Him while He is always right there, seeking us out. The loving care of the Father, who never loses sight of His precious daughter or son: this is something about which to smile!
Friday, January 07, 2005
New Books!
ceo for the kids
If you have ever spent any time in central or eastern europe in the winter months, you know that they are quite grey, and the days are rather short. Reading can become a favorite past-time since the chill of winter combined with the darkness lends itself to one lying under a warm comforter with a cup of hot tea and devouring a good book! I'm currently reading a very good book called Blue Like Jazz by Donald Miller. I got turned onto it by a friend in the U.S. who encouraged me to read this as a result of sharing some thoughts/struggles/experiences I'm having here in Hungary. As I was just about to fall asleep last night reading, the last sentence in a chapter grabbed my eye and jolted me awake. The chapter is on "Community" and includes many challenging thoughts for someone like me who is single, living alone, and enjoying my solitude, while, of course, still longing for community. The line that kept me awake and thinking and then rolled through my thoughts throughout the day today is this: "If we are not willing to wake up in the morning and die to ourselves, perhaps we should ask ourselves whether or not we are really following Jesus." (Blue Like Jazz, Donald Miller, p. 185) I can't really add anything to this, except to say that I think I'd like to make this sentence my "New Year's Resolution" in a way, because when it is all said and done, life really isn't about us; it's about Jesus and His glory!
If you have ever spent any time in central or eastern europe in the winter months, you know that they are quite grey, and the days are rather short. Reading can become a favorite past-time since the chill of winter combined with the darkness lends itself to one lying under a warm comforter with a cup of hot tea and devouring a good book! I'm currently reading a very good book called Blue Like Jazz by Donald Miller. I got turned onto it by a friend in the U.S. who encouraged me to read this as a result of sharing some thoughts/struggles/experiences I'm having here in Hungary. As I was just about to fall asleep last night reading, the last sentence in a chapter grabbed my eye and jolted me awake. The chapter is on "Community" and includes many challenging thoughts for someone like me who is single, living alone, and enjoying my solitude, while, of course, still longing for community. The line that kept me awake and thinking and then rolled through my thoughts throughout the day today is this: "If we are not willing to wake up in the morning and die to ourselves, perhaps we should ask ourselves whether or not we are really following Jesus." (Blue Like Jazz, Donald Miller, p. 185) I can't really add anything to this, except to say that I think I'd like to make this sentence my "New Year's Resolution" in a way, because when it is all said and done, life really isn't about us; it's about Jesus and His glory!
Impossible love
ceo for the kids
Yesterday, I made my weekly visit to see "my kids" at the children's home. I was excited to see them since we'd not met for nearly 3 weeks! Tony, my favorite gypsy boy, was just drying off his hair with a towel when I came upstairs to the "older kids'" floor and greeted me with a joyful "Boldog Uj Evet, Arden!" (Happy New Year!) and the traditional Hungarian kisses on the cheeks. Tony gets so excited about successes in his life and he begins to rattle them off in such fast Hungarian that it takes all of my concentration to understand just the gist of what he is telling me! Shortly thereafter, other boys came along with similar new year's wishes and plenty of cheek kisses and we slowly caught up on each others' holidays. As I made my way to the other areas of the children's home, I met, once again, some of the "new boys".....the "special boys". My heart was breaking for a couple of them who are mentally challenged and want so much to talk with me, but I simply cannot understand their Hungarian through their slurred speech. It's difficult enough for me to decipher the teenage slang that most of them use, much less these kids. I got to wondering if they have anyone to talk to; anyone who can understand them. Again, my heart was breaking, but the Lord gently reminded me today of two very important lessons I must remember: first, they have HIM to talk to and He understands perfectly. "Yes, Lord, but how can they know you if no one tells them about You? And for me, it is impossible to love them in this way!" Then God taught me the second lesson: "You are called to pray for them; THIS is a great love which you show for them when you lift them up before me!" So, I pray for F., the pyromaniac, T. the battered and abused angry boy, and M. the questioner who needs help with "boundaries." Nothing is impossible with God!
Yesterday, I made my weekly visit to see "my kids" at the children's home. I was excited to see them since we'd not met for nearly 3 weeks! Tony, my favorite gypsy boy, was just drying off his hair with a towel when I came upstairs to the "older kids'" floor and greeted me with a joyful "Boldog Uj Evet, Arden!" (Happy New Year!) and the traditional Hungarian kisses on the cheeks. Tony gets so excited about successes in his life and he begins to rattle them off in such fast Hungarian that it takes all of my concentration to understand just the gist of what he is telling me! Shortly thereafter, other boys came along with similar new year's wishes and plenty of cheek kisses and we slowly caught up on each others' holidays. As I made my way to the other areas of the children's home, I met, once again, some of the "new boys".....the "special boys". My heart was breaking for a couple of them who are mentally challenged and want so much to talk with me, but I simply cannot understand their Hungarian through their slurred speech. It's difficult enough for me to decipher the teenage slang that most of them use, much less these kids. I got to wondering if they have anyone to talk to; anyone who can understand them. Again, my heart was breaking, but the Lord gently reminded me today of two very important lessons I must remember: first, they have HIM to talk to and He understands perfectly. "Yes, Lord, but how can they know you if no one tells them about You? And for me, it is impossible to love them in this way!" Then God taught me the second lesson: "You are called to pray for them; THIS is a great love which you show for them when you lift them up before me!" So, I pray for F., the pyromaniac, T. the battered and abused angry boy, and M. the questioner who needs help with "boundaries." Nothing is impossible with God!
Wednesday, January 05, 2005
Family time
ceo for the kids
I was blessed this year to be able to visit with all immediate family members during the holidays, and on the evening of the 26th of December, as we sat at my parent's dining room table laughing and reminiscing, I looked around at my 3 brothers and my mom and dad and thanked the Lord for this precious moment; Lord only knows when we will all be together around a table again. It was on that same day that we heard about and saw the devastating news of the Tsunamis in the Indian Ocean region. What a stark contrast of situations: I sitting there enjoying my entire family being together, while others were being completely ripped apart by the forces of nature. Thousands of families will never sit down together again around a holiday table; yet there is beauty in seeing the entire world come to the aid of these desperate survivors, working together to try to piece things back together for them. I heard a report today on CNN about 3 little boys, none over the age of 3, found on one of the beaches, arms interlocked, obviously trying to help each other to survive. However, they died and were found with arms still interlocked; herein is a precious picture of what we need to be doing daily: locking arms and coming alongside those who need us, with the realization that we need them as well.
I was blessed this year to be able to visit with all immediate family members during the holidays, and on the evening of the 26th of December, as we sat at my parent's dining room table laughing and reminiscing, I looked around at my 3 brothers and my mom and dad and thanked the Lord for this precious moment; Lord only knows when we will all be together around a table again. It was on that same day that we heard about and saw the devastating news of the Tsunamis in the Indian Ocean region. What a stark contrast of situations: I sitting there enjoying my entire family being together, while others were being completely ripped apart by the forces of nature. Thousands of families will never sit down together again around a holiday table; yet there is beauty in seeing the entire world come to the aid of these desperate survivors, working together to try to piece things back together for them. I heard a report today on CNN about 3 little boys, none over the age of 3, found on one of the beaches, arms interlocked, obviously trying to help each other to survive. However, they died and were found with arms still interlocked; herein is a precious picture of what we need to be doing daily: locking arms and coming alongside those who need us, with the realization that we need them as well.
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