Amazing August 2012

Hello friends,

I trust you enjoyed this week thus far, as I have (my school week is over, so the weekend starts tomorrow...).  Now that it's September, the weather is getting crisper, the leaves will turn soon, and the hot tea....wait....it's Florida!  Okay, so at least I'll be sipping hot tea (currently, peach is my fave :)  Though the summer doesn't officially end for a couple weeks, with school starting it feels like fall is right around the corner.  And I must say, August was a month full of awe.  Not awful.  How did we twist that word?  Here are some highlights:

~starting on J.R.R. Tolkein's masterpiece (Lord of the Rings) with hubby
~welcoming Florida friends back who were away for the summer
~beach trip
~Costco membership (yes, that place is great!)
~listening to One Thousand Gifts, again
~learning growing in contentment
~first few weeks with my sweet students
~easier transition (than I expected) into my *very own* classroom
~my patient, wise, and long-suffering hubby
~Starbucks dates and board games (I think Scrabble is the only one I can win, however...and that is because of Mom!!)
~surprise Panera lunch & chai tea with a friend (brought to my doorstep--can you believe it?)
~phone calls with old friends
~updates from the Perry Farm
~back-rubs!
~dinner guests
~visiting with friends
~forgetting my password to Pinterest (a hidden blessing!)
~and many, many more....

Blessings on your evening from sunny (and stormy) Florida,

Ruth

July 2012 Memories and Thanks...

Hello blog friends,

I trust you had a wonderful July, and that your summer is ending well (gasp...is it really almost over?!)  I have been moving, travelling, visiting with friends and family, and prepping for my new teaching job!  Here are some of my favorite memories & thanksgivings from the past month:

~all the help from our church friends for our move!
~finding the lovely place where we are now living, and at a great price, location, etc.
~celebrating ONE YEAR in Florida!
~my sister and her family visiting us
~Paul's high school and college friends visiting

My adorable nieces and nephews at our annual WI Perry Family Reunion

~eating too much pizza, ice cream and junk food
~having fun with my school-year prep/lesson planning, and presentation
~travelling up to PA to see friends and family
~getting all settled in our new place, including hanging up pictures and curtains!
~joining in long-distance games and Skype chat with my family reunion up in WI (hopefully we can go next year...and see the darling kids posted here in the pics!)
~killing lots of roaches in our new place
~setting up new routines, finding new places for cheap dates :)
~God opening doors for us to serve in our new church (have we told you how much we LOVE it?)
~discovering the Emeals service (you might love it too!)

Mom, brothers, sisters, and lots of cute kids at our recent reunion

~and much, much more!

Also, I wanted to let you know that because of my busyness with the beginning of the school year, I will try to post once a week at most, and then hopefully get back to more frequent posting as we get things running smoothly in my new classroom :)  Please pray for me with this new endeavor, as I am excited and nervous to have my own classroom!

Your blogging friend in Christ,

Ruth

Enough....more than enough.

with Mike & Nan at Aunt Catfish's

This morning I sat in my peaceful new living room, giving thanks to my Father.  The radio played popular Christian songs quietly, and my husband had just left for work.  I looked at the vacuumed carpet, that had many feet walking on it to help us move just days prior.  Light streamed into the kitchen, over my bridal-shower-tablecloth-gift, with names of friends embroidered, and more to come, gifts of grace.  I think of the forgiveness given and received before we said goodbye this morning, and the friends we saw last night.  I have enough.  More than enough.  My mind flits back to my very first apartment, and the book given to me by a friend.  Subject?  Contentment.  I've struggled with that, and its evil twin sister, Envy. But these years since 417 1/2 West Poplar have humbled me, caused me to praise and not protest.  To embrace grace and give glory.  To honor my Lord and not myself.  And for all those things, I am thankful.  In the eyes of those chasing the 'American dream', I am not wealthy.  But in Christ, and in the eyes of the people this blogger speaks of, I am rich beyond my wildest dreams.  Hasn't He given me all I need?  And more?  Sitting here in our office now, with books lining the oak shelves, I realize that these words, these books, they reflect the Word made flesh.  And as I look towards the task ahead of me this fall, to disciple and encourage young lives, I know that it is time to put flesh on words.  Though imperfect, I am ready.  By grace through faith, and not of myself.  


Run after contentment, or you will run after the world.  Find Christ, and your heart will be full.   

Blessings of grace and peace,
Ruth

Following Christ When We Think We Can't....

Several weeks ago, I accepted a job to teach a 5th-6th grade class in the fall, and am waiting for the class to be filled so I can be offered a contract.  In the meantime, I've been all over the place in my thoughts and actions, doubting more than I'd like to admit.  Today at lunch my husband's questions both pierced and healed me:  'Why don't you think you can do this?'  'I don't want to fail, to disappoint anyone.....,'  I trailed off as I thought of how ridiculous that must sound....knowing I am able to do all things through Christ who strengthens me.  I have heard the opinions of others.....and I have to go back to what God is calling me to, for this season.  I will keep you posted on what happens, but will leave you with some thoughts from my journal, and my thanks on this Multitude Monday.

"Thank you for speaking to me [Lord]....You are helping me to trust my husband……and therefore trust you.  I’ve met with the love of my husband, and unconditional acceptance and support that I have known no where else.  He gives it to me freely, and shows me Christ in this.  I waver, and he stays true…..moving forward every day towards Christ.  I doubt and fear and wonder...and he keeps loving me, u.ntil I believe that I am loved.  

Lord, help me to do this job you have called me to!  Help me to prepare, believing that You will give me all I need to do this job.  I have wavered....You’ve already gone before me and prepared the way.  Why would I not come?  Why do I trust my own understanding more than your perfect will....Oh that you would crucify my flesh and make me new in you again, my Lord.  That you would kill the part of me that resists your goodness and grace.  That I would rise with confidence in all you are doing.

I come to you empty-handed, expecting a feast as I sit before the enemies that plague me—doubt, fear, unbelief, stubbornness, sloth, the opinions of others, and so many more.  Feast with me, my Lord, let us fellowship together at the table of Love.  Amen."

Inspired today by this Chris Tomlin song....

My multitude of thanks:

~my dear husband, who can speak to me with confidence, grace, and truth, always in love guiding me towards Christ

~the job that is waiting for me in the fall

~the ability to do what you have called me to

~this season of rest that I am in right now

~new friends who accept me as I am, encourage me to be more

~the fun Segway tour this weekend--happy birthday to Paul and anniversary to us both!

~evenings reading and watching BBC Planet Earth, TED talks, and Ray VanderLaan with hubby

~my new HCSB iPad app--can't wait to dig into this more!

~the chance to sing in this River Oaks Easter Choir this past Sunday, See What a Morning, indeed!

~my Science student passing his semester test missing only 1/2 point out of 40....and the encouragement on this from Paul
~the eternal life brought to us through the sacrificial death and resurrection of Christ

And some photos of our weekend:

Our first stop on the Segway tour....yummy bakery!

Outside the resort where tour was offered

Ron Jon Resort Lobby

Paul takes a break while I snap photos at the beach

A small jet flew over the beach to wish us all Happy Easter!

Planting Seeds, and Trusting in God's Perfect Plans

It's been an up and down week here in our home (and that should explain my scarcity here).... But I wanted to share a story that may encourage your hearts as you work through your own life and struggles....


The words cut this past Monday morning:  "I'm sending my boys to the private school."  That, after gearing up with new curriculum, canceling other commitments, and praying over the best ways to share the Gospel.  "It seems that the boys really miss the classroom experience, you understand, don't you?"  I do, of course, and there is nothing I can do to change the family's decision to no longer need my tutoring services.  It had seemed like the perfect arrangement....I was curious about homeschooling, had prayed for a chance to give it a try, and then met this family through my tutoring company....a match made in heaven, right?  Well, apparently God had an end date in mind that I did not know about.  And though it does sting a bit, I am trying to look to the future with a smile in my heart, knowing that my Father is always up to something good.  What I am glad about is this:  I have had chances to share Truth with this family...so perhaps it was a match made in heaven.  


It didn't seem like the opportunity to share the Gospel would ever come.  We had our arrangement concerning the academic needs, and there wasn't space for talk about spiritual things, or so I thought.  Turns out, the boys have been interested in learning about God, and just a couple of weeks ago I received this email from mom:  "We're not overly religious, but the boys want to know the Christmas story....we thought you should be the one to tell them....its such a beautiful story...."  And I was whirring with excitement in my heart, thinking of all the things I could say to share my love for God, and His love for this family, expressed through His arrival on Earth as a babe, that cold night in Bethlehem.  


So the day came to tell the story, and tell I did, with a glad and thankful heart.  There were questions that day, that I happily answered, and then questions came the following day, such as:  "Mrs. Ruth, did you know that in the song 'Joy to the World,' the Lord is really God??"  Well, that one caught me off guard, so I'm not sure that my answer was sufficient, but it made me realize that God was at work.  So when the news came that my job would be ending soon, I wanted to take every opportunity I could to plant seeds.


Some planting happened just this past week as well, when our chapter book, Shiloh Season, lead us to a conversation of forgiveness.  It was my Fighter Verse for the week (and the Holy Spirit) that prompted the conversation....just when we finished the last chapter of our Shiloh book, and the story was leading towards a forgiveness theme, Romans 10: 13-14 popped in my head, and I couldn't deny that God was moving me to speak.   And so out of my mouth came this:  "Do you know what God did, when He came to Earth, died for us, and forgave our sins?"  Little Johnny (name changed) did not know, but listened intently.  And although I do not know what will grow from the conversation we had, God does....and that is infinitely better than if I was the one in control of this story.


And as for me, we shall see what God has in store for this next chapter of my life....but I am certain that He has good things planned...my part is to TRUST, as He lays out the plans.....to SURRENDER....as He moves in our hearts....and to be GRATEFUL....as our needs will most certainly be provided for, in the most miraculous of ways.


Blessings to you, 
Ruth

Positive Marks

We like to laugh at the monkey calendar....

  My sweet boys from Holland are doing well in school....J and P, I will call them, to protect their innocence a bit from this hectic world....but today, again, P looked over at me, blonde hair all a mess, having woken up just in time for classes to begin...and tells me,

I like school!

And so, we have a happy teacher, happy mom, and two boys who are learning.  I couldn't ask for more....except to be ready for my Chemistry class tomorrow!!  (Moving takes it out of you....)

J's desk, and the map of the world....this family is a bunch of world-travelers!

Our books:  still figuring out the curriculum we are using...

The lovely Venus fly-trap.  Doesn't every elementary boy need one of these??

Wilbur spins a web?

This past week, while reading Charlotte's Web to my sweet class (and laughing a lot along the way), I found a little lesson nestled inside of the story...not spoken out loud...but there nonetheless.  Wilbur the pig, one of the story's main characters, is noticing how different his friend, Charlotte the spider, is from him.  Below is the excerpt, straight from the barnyard (although lengthy, it is a worthwhile read):

Wilbur's Boast--Chapter IX

"You have awfully hairy legs, Charlotte," said Wilbur, as the spider busily worked at her task.  "My legs are hairy for a good reason," replied Charlotte.  "Furthermore, each leg of mine has seven sections--the coxa, the trochanter, the femur, the patella, the tibia, the metatarsus, and the tarsus."  Wilbur sat bolt upright.  "You're kidding," he said.  "No, I'm not, either."  "Say those names again, I didn't catch them the first time."  "Coxa, trochanter, femur, patella, tibia, metatarsus, and tarsus."  "Goodness!" said Wilbur, looking down at his own chubby legs.  "I don't think my legs have seven sections."  "Well," said Charlotte, "you and I lead different lives. You don't have to spin a web.  That takes real leg work."  "I could spin a web if a tried," said Wilbur, boasting.  "I've just never tried.  "Let's see you do it," said Charlotte.  Fern chuckled softly, and her eyes grew wide with love for the pig.  "O.K.," replied Wilbur. "You coach me and I'll spin one.  It must be a lot of fun to spin a web. How do I start?"  "Take a deep breath!" said Charlotte, smiling.  Wilbur breathed deeply.  "Now climb to the highest place you can get to, like this."  Charlotte raced up to the top of the doorway.  Wilbur scrambled to the top of the manure pile.  "Very good!" said Charlotte.  "Now make an attachment with your spinnerets, hurl yourself into space, and let out a dragline as you down!"  Wilbur hesitated a moment, then jumped out into the air.  He glanced hastily behind to see if a piece of rope was following him to check this fall, but nothing seemed to be happening in his rear, and the next thing he knew he landed with thump.  "Ooomp!" he grunted.  Charlotte laughed so hard her web began to sway.  "What did I do wrong?" asked the pig, when he recovered from his bump.  "Nothing," said Charlotte.  "It was a nice try."  "I think I'll try again," said Wilbur, cheerfully.  "I believe what I need is a little piece of string to hold me."  The pig walked out to his yard.  "You there, Templeton?" he called.  The rat poked his head out from  under the trough.  "Got a little piece of string I could borrow?" asked Wilbur.  "I need it to spin a web." "Yes, indeed," replied Templeton, who saved string.  "No trouble at all.  Anything to oblige."  He crept down his hole, pushed the goose egg out of the way, and returned with an old piece of dirty white string.  Wilbur examined it.  "That's just the thing," he said.  "Tie one end to my tail, will you, Templeton?" Wilbur crouched low, with his thin, curly tail toward the rat.  Templeton seized the string, passed it around the end of the pig's tail, and tied two half hitches.  Charlotte watched in delight.  Like Fern, she was truly fond of Wilbur, whose smelly pen and stale food attracted the flies that she needed, and she was proud to see that he was not a quitter and was willing to try again to spin a web.  While the rat and the spider and the little girl watched, Wilbur climbed again to the top of the manure pile, full of energy and hope.  "Everybody watch!" he cried.  And summoning all his strength, he threw himself into the air, headfirst.  The string trailed behind him.  But as he had neglected to fasten the other end to anything, it didn't really do any good, and Wilbur landed with a thud, crushed and hurt.  Tears came to his eyes.  Templeton grinned.  Charlotte just sat quietly.  After a bit she spoke.  "You can't spin a web, Wilbur, and I advise you to put the idea out of your mind.  You lack two things needed for spinning a web."  "What are they?" asked Wilbur, sadly.  "You lack a set of spinnerets, and you lack know-how.  But cheer up, you don't need a web.  Zuckerman supplies you with three big meals a day.  Why should you worry about trapping food?"  Wilbur sighed.  "You're ever so much cleverer and brighter than I am, Charlotte. I guess I was just trying to show off.  Serves me right.  Templeton untied his string and took it back to his home.  Charlotte returned to her weaving.

In this selection I see Wilbur's determination, like many of us, to be something we are not.  Why do we do this?  We have the love of our Father, just like Wilbur had the love and provision of his owner Zuckerman, and barn-yard friends, Fern & co.  What 'webs' are we trying to spin, when our Father is calling out to us...."I've already taken care of that!"...(Matthew 6)  I know I do this all the time.  Perhaps control, pride or insecurity lingers within me, but nonetheless, I see myself in Wilbur, as I try to force myself to be someone I am not, rather than celebrating who God has made me to be.  Could we all think on this a bit, and have more joy and peace?  Resting in the love of our Savior, who has 'fearfully and wonderfully' made us?  (Psalm 139).  Jesus, thank you for making each one of us an original.  Help me, help us, to reflect YOU back to the world, by simply being ourselves, perfectly imperfect, just the way you designed us.  We love you.  

J is for Jesus...and Joyful...

He's always listening.  Jesus, that is.  I spent my 50-minute commute to work this morning listening to the beginning of Francis Chan's Forgotten God, 

in audio-book format (yes, another way to feed my addiction) :)  It brought many things to my mind, but most of all, left me with a sense of God's presence as I entered the day, that I have not felt in a while.  I couldn't put my finger on why I was having such a 'good day' (translation:  Jesus-day), but by the end of the day, I remembered that I had very briefly prayed or maybe even just had the thought:  "I would like Jesus to restore my joy"... Apparently, He was listening.  Nothing was able to steal my joy today, which is a feat, considering the challenges that 12 students with behavioral, emotional, spiritual, and academic issues bring me every day.  I found myself laughing where I would normally be frustrated, and offering love and grace where selfishness usually takes up residence.  None of this is my doing, let's be clear!  The chocolate stash in my desk remained relatively untouched (a must-have for those crazy days) and I went home singing in my soul.  The kids are just so darn cute, honestly, and many of them don't have a single soul who loves them like Jesus would have them to be loved.  This verse regularly comes to my mind, when I look on their (sometimes) innocent faces, and realize how broken and in need of genuine love they are:   

Matthew 18:6 (NIV) 

⁶But if anyone causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a large millstone hung around his neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea.

"Let me not be the one to cause them to sin, Lord!," I think, as I go throughout the day.  But rather, "May I show them just a glimpse of the perfect love you have shown me, time and time....and time....again."  I do have to leave you with just one 'funny':  I just couldn't resist coming back with a silly response to one student today...I asked him why he was 'gobbling' when he should have been doing his work..."Are you a turkey?  Is this a farm?,"  I was a bit frustrated, but seriously, he couldn't have been cuter.

Letting Go

Every year, as the school year ends, I face the same bittersweet feelings of letting go....letting go of the schedule I have gotten used to....letting go of the worth I derive from what I do....and most of all, letting go of the sweet children the Lord has given me to care for over the previous year.  This year, I was blessed with a wonderful class (I unfortunately cannot post any pics of them here!) and it is harder to let go than it usually is.  Granted, the end of the school year usually brings a lot of relief, and I am also glad for the summer to come...but these children go home to very hard situations.  I teach an inner-city population, and I do not know if what I have taught them will take root and grow, or if it will be snatched away by the Enemy, never to blossom as it should.  Several of them made heart-breaking comments yesterday..."Do we have to go home now?"...."Can I come home with you?"....and "Can we have school for another month?"....to name a few.  Many of these children do not have safe, structured, loving environments in which to grow and be children.  They are faced with the harsh realities of life far too soon in their young lives.

But I must let them go, as their lives belong to the Lord, in some senses, whether or not they will ever call Him their Father.  Oh how I wish they would!  My job is only to plant seeds, to nurture and keep them safe while they are 'mine' and entrust them to the Lord when my job is over.  Thank you, Lord, for the chance to love this group of children.  Thank you for the many conversations we had about life, hard work, and caring for one another.  Thank you for giving me the grace to restrain from strangling them on occasion....*smile*....help them to fly, broken wings and all.  I love you.  Amen.