Beautiful September

 

I wish I never worried about people.

Abide

I write this on my wrist from time to time. It's there now. The word abide is a reminder of God's encouraging us to stay, remain, dwell in him. 1 John 4:16 says, "God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him." Jesus himself encourages us to "abide in his love" in John 15. The opposite of abiding is refuse, leave, and even to reject something. When we don't believe that we accept and soak in God's love for us, we are rejecting it. Jesus invites us to rest in his love. He wants us to bask and know how dearly we are loved. I have a hard time believing that God does love us. When Jesus is baptized by John in Matthew 3, God's voice from Heaven tells the world that Jesus is "[his] beloved Son, in whom [he] is well pleased." That is God's disposition towards me! I am beloved by him and he is pleased with me! Abide in that today.

This is by ee cummings

my father moved through dooms of love
through sames of am through haves of give,
singing each morning out of each night
my father moved through depths of height

this motionless forgetful where
turned at his glance to shining here;
that if(so timid air is firm)
under his eyes would stir and squirm

newly as from unburied which
floats the first who,his april touch
drove sleeping selves to swarm their fates
woke dreamers to their ghostly roots

and should some why completely weep
my father's fingers brought her sleep:
vainly no smallest voice might cry
for he could feel the mountains grow.

Lifting the valleys of the sea
my father moved through griefs of joy;
praising a forehead called the moon
singing desire into begin

joy was his song and joy so pure
a heart of star by him could steer
and pure so now and now so yes
the wrists of twilight would rejoice

keen as midsummer's keen beyond
conceiving mind of sun will stand,
so strictly(over utmost him
so hugely) stood my father's dream

his flesh was flesh his blood was blood:
no hungry man but wished him food;
no cripple wouldn't creep one mile
uphill to only see him smile.

Scorning the Pomp of must and shall
my father moved through dooms of feel;
his anger was as right as rain
his pity was as green as grain

septembering arms of year extend
yes humbly wealth to foe and friend
than he to foolish and to wise
offered immeasurable is

proudly and(by octobering flame
beckoned)as earth will downward climb,
so naked for immortal work
his shoulders marched against the dark

his sorrow was as true as bread:
no liar looked him in the head;
if every friend became his foe
he'd laugh and build a world with snow.

My father moved through theys of we,
singing each new leaf out of each tree
(and every child was sure that spring
danced when she heard my father sing)

then let men kill which cannot share,
let blood and flesh be mud and mire,
scheming imagine,passion willed,
freedom a drug that's bought and sold

giving to steal and cruel kind,
a heart to fear,to doubt a mind,
to differ a disease of same,
conform the pinnacle of am

though dull were all we taste as bright,
bitter all utterly things sweet,
maggoty minus and dumb death
all we inherit,all bequeath

and nothing quite so least as truth
--i say though hate were why men breathe--
because my Father lived his soul
love is the whole and more than all

Oh the deep, deep love of Jesus

Usually when people ask me what I'm learning in my Christian walk, I have a smattering of vague ideas that I'm working out in my mind. I can't pin down what is going on in my heart and mind, although I know that God is working. Lately, it's been very clear to me that God has been telling me that until I know how beloved and treasured I am I will not be able to love others the way I should. When we are reaching to others from a position of belovedness, how able to love people we will be! Last week Greg taught in his sermon that Jesus was not effected by other people's view of him. He didn't care whether they liked him or didn't like him. The only view that mattered to him was the view of his Father. When he was baptized in Matthew 3, his Father said “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” He was secure in knowing that he was beloved and he pleased his Father. This freed him up to love. Likewise, we are so deeply loved. We are not transformed by guilt or duty but by the love that we know the Father has for us. Don't be afraid to embrace that love. We think that we don't deserve love or that God couldn't be serious about loving us.

I want to let the love of God penetrate my entire being so that I can love people without fear or bias. I want to be secure in his love. I want to be free of what people think or don't think. I want God alone to possess my heart so that I can be free of feeling like I am never enough.

Zephaniah 3:17 The LORD your God is with you, he is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing.




Currently listening to: Satellite by Guster

This is among the top ten things that have ever been created in my class

I assigned my 10th graders a research project on India since we are about to do some work with the book Nectar in a Sieve. In the computer lab we have a really cool program that allows us to monitor what the students are working on from the computer that we've logged into. When I saw this, I couldn't help but laugh and quickly capture the image.

Without further ado:



It may be a long road to the writing test in March. I look forward to seeing my kids grow. and to collecting many more delightful assignments from them.

Today was the first day back at school. I was as ready as I was ever going to be. Seeing my kids from last year in the hall, and getting their hugs as they walked by was such a delight for me. I really invested and loved those kids. They were my first group of students and they will always hold a special place in my heart. I even miss them. I doubt they know how dear they are to me though I've told them. The funny thing is that each new class that I got filled my heart with deep love. How can my heart already be full with them after one day? I cannot wait to see how they grow and learn this year. I can't wait to grow and learn with them.

My job is a lot of work and energy but I know it is worth it.