Sigh

Education has been in the headlines fairly consistently for a long time. People talk about No Child Left Behind (NCLB) and its ties with standardized testing. People also talk about poorly performing schools and bad teachers. People are outraged that bad teachers have tenure (good ones have it too). Most of the blame regarding the poor state of education in our country is blamed on teachers. And honestly, our hands are tied. We must administer these tests, and therefore must do what we can to make sure our students are prepared for them. However, some students cannot speak or read english, or have a mental disability preventing them from doing as well as other students. And although teachers have been saying these things for a long time, no one listens. And people started listening today because Matt Damon started talking. Don't get me wrong, I'm glad that he's on our side, but he's saying exactly what teachers have been. Yet, the public listens to him because he's famous. Sigh. Maybe his words will spur change, because ours haven't.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/answer-sheet/post/matt-damons-clear-headed-speech-to-teachers-rally/2011/07/30/gIQAG9Q6jI_blog.html

Soap-box side-note: Part of what is so frustrating about all of this is that everyone has had teachers invest in them and encourage them and challenge them. So why can't people listen to them?

Blog Entry

I read this and liked it a lot. Especially the part about teachers.

http://www.lauraziesel.com/2011/07/barbs-hidden-in-honorifics.html

Blessed

I am blessed.

I have an incredible husband and son.

I have a fabulous job.

I have a safe place to live.

I have a church family that is part of my community.

I have some incredible friends that are also part of my community.

A Tribute

Camp has started and summer is a crazy time in our family, but we are on break and this is a post I've wanted to write for some time. It's directed to those in my life who have played a significant role, either good or bad, and mostly in my past. Please don't read into things too much; this is mostly for me. Here goes . . .

S. D. - You are one I can point to who first really encouraged me to have a personal relationship with Christ. To spend time reading His Word everyday and to ask questions. You were always willing to listen to my questions (no matter how silly) and to answer them as best you could.

The Juniors - You welcomed me and allowed me to be myself. You all accepted me for who I was and encouraged me to grow in Christ.

T. M. - I try not to have regrets in my life. There are days when I would change some things, but then I remember that those things helped to make me who I am. That being said, I wonder what happened to you and I pray for your wife when I think about you.

T. G. - I'm still not sure what brought us together, but I hope that I made a difference in your life. I am proud of you and grateful for our friendship even though it was only for a season.

C. G. W. - I wonder what I would say to you if I ever saw you: "I'm sorry I never believed you." "I'd love for you to meet my husband." "Thank you for protecting me." "I would not be who I am today if it weren't for you." Bottom line, I'd say thank you for always trusting God about me.

J. P. - Thank you for being the first person I could really confide in. I don't think I'll ever forget the loft at that retreat center.

B. W. - Thank you for teaching me an important lesson in self control.

FBC Girls - I hate that we live all over the country and rarely see each other. I will never forget our sleepovers and videos at AD's house.

A. D. - I wish I could have helped you more. Been more encouraging. In some ways I feel like I've let you down: then and recently. I am glad that you seem to be in such a good place.

M. E. - I'm curious about the higher power you've found and how you got to where you have. I also feel like I've let you down. It looks like you're happy though.

K. M. - You have always been there for me. You responded to all my notes in school and listened patiently to my ramblings/rantings. You are always honest and that inspires me.

K. F. - I am glad you're back in my life. You also have always been there for me. You listen and respond and answer and challenge.

J. S. - I love that you not only know my name, but my husband's also. You saw things in me that I didn't see in myself and provided opportunities for me to grow.

R. N. - Thank you for challenging me and encouraging me to "work out my salvation."

J. S. - I'm grateful for our reconciliation.

Floating

I've got a lot of posts floating around in my head.

I'd like to write sort of a tribute to the people in my life and the influence they've had on me, both positive and negative.

I'd like to write an update about my life. My son turned a year old this past week. It's crazy to think that he's only been in my life a year. I cannot imagine life without him. He is amazing. I can't wait to think how much more he's going to change in this next year.

I'd also like to write one about my current frustrations in teaching. We are approaching exams and although I have some wonderful students who care about learning, I feel like this semester I have many more who don't. It's frustrating that I prepare lessons and teach and answer questions and some rarely pay attention or take notes. And then we come to where we are now: a few days before finals. Kids start becoming concerned about whether they will pass the class. They learn they have somewhere between a 68-72 and inevitably tell me something like this: "If I do really well on the final, will I pass the class?" And depending on the day or my mood, my response is varied. But the reality is, that although the test is multiple choice, chances are they won't even make a 50. And do you know what's even worse? Many of these kids are very smart, yet they choose to waste their brain power and not pay attention. But they start caring at the very end, when it's (practically) too late. They also blame me. I recognize that they are 15 and (obviously) immature, but that doesn't mean their words don't hurt.

So, apparently, I wrote a blog about my current frustrations in teaching.

A Continuation of Thoughts

I wrote a blog last night about this same subject and today at work found a blog on CNN about Osama bin Laden's death. It's a pastor who's been praying for OBL for 10 years. In the blog, which can be found here (http://religion.blogs.cnn.com/2011/05/03/my-take-bin-laden-died-long-ago/?hpt=T2):

"I have been praying for Osama bin Laden for 10 years. I was not surprised by news of his death. As I asked myself why, I suspect it is because, in my eyes, bin Laden died long ago. He died to goodness; he died to mercy; he died to peace. He died to the things that God cares most about. He was alive until this week--but he died to life a long time ago.

I have wondered over the years what God tried to do to win him back to love. I wonder about the confounding ability of human beings to resist the love of God. I wonder about these things for Osama bin Laden and I wonder the same things with respect to my own life. Today, as I have many days before, I pray for my enemy--I pray him into the hands of the God of justice and mercy."

The truth is that God wants everyone to come to Him; He wants no one to perish. He desires for each of us to come to Him. He does things to love us to Him. Some are big and some are small. He sent Jesus to die in our place. He gives us the sights and sounds of the ocean and the views from the mountain tops.

Bin Laden's heart was hard and he resisted God's love. I hope that I have what it takes to pray for my enemies and to pray that their hearts will become receptive to God's efforts to win them back to His love.

Justice and Fairness

I really want life to be fair--just ask my husband, it's true. But as much as I want life to be fair, it never will be.

And justice will never truly be just. No one will get what he/she really deserves. And that's the beauty of grace.

"An eye for an eye and the world will go blind." Is it really just to kill a man because he's killed before? Jesus says, "You've heard that it was said to the people long ago, 'You shall not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.' But I tell you that anyone who is angry with a brother or sister will be subject to judgment" (Matthew 5:21-22). If we take Jesus at His word then we should all face the same punishment as Osama bin Laden (OBL).

People rejoiced over the death of Jesus just like people rejoiced over OBL's death. The difference is that Jesus was a man who did many incredible things and who committed no wrongs. OBL hurt many people.

I'm not really sure where my thoughts are going tonight. Murder is wrong. OBL did many bad, horrible, awful things. But he was unarmed and killed in cold blood. I understand that taking him alive is a big, nasty can of worms, but is that reason enough to kill?

Regardless, people rejoiced over a murder. I cannot be alright with that. Two wrongs do not make a right; they never have and they never will.

My guess is that God's heart hurt as He watched this drama unfold. It hurt on September 11 and it hurt Sunday evening. It hurts as people rejoice over this death. Although OBL was a bad man, he was still made in God's image.

As Christians we need to be careful how we react to all of this. We need to not glorify murder or judge others, no matter what they have done. We are always being watched and our every action affects how others perceive Christ. That is not a light burden.