A Shift

Since August of 2010, I have been working on a shift in my career path. This shift included going back to school to become a teacher. I did so by attending an alternative licensure program called TILA. Through the program, I attended classes, workshops, read, and wrote thousands of pages on educational pedagogies and methodologies. Anyone who's been a first year teacher knows that it comes with a lot of challenges:  writing your first set of lesson plans for a section of a class, learning classroom management, and handling behavior problems. Did I mention learning how to cope when things aren't going as you planned and how to professionally respond to people and situations that are not always professional towards you? So combined with the challenges of the first year of teaching, I was juggling the ins and outs of TILA's graduate program. Needless to say, I did not have much time for anything else:  blogging especially.

Now that I have completed the program and my work is under review for my license, I am happy to say the desire to blog has returned! To have some connectivity between now and my last post, I will include a link to the website I built compiling my work from this past year's TILA experience:  my Final Portfolio. When I look back on this year, I am happy and thankful to say--it's DONE, I met a lot of amazing people who are working hard to educate our youth, I learned A LOT, and seriously...IT IS DONE!!

This year was seriously like trying to drink from a fire hydrant without drowning!

In an effort to retain some of the information and resources I learned about over the past 11 months, I have created several tabs on this blog. There is some overlap between the resources tabs (CREATIVE! and EDUCATION!) considering I am always looking for things in the "real world" to bring into my classroom. Which reminds me, I did not mention what I got my endorsement in:  K-12 Visual Art. The classes I teach at The Academy Charter School  are all technology-based Visual Arts courses (Junior High level Visual Presentations, Graphic Design, etc.). Therefore, a lot of my education resources are connected to either art or technology--or some combination of the two. I have also taken a huge interest in helping to stop cyberbullying among teens.

Other new things on this blog include my Twitter Feed, Facebook link, and YouTube Feed. I am especially proud of several of the videos I created this year for my school as well as for projects during TILA. If you have some time, and are interested, I suggest you check them out! I hope to add a lot more to the third tab on this page highlighting the places I've been, and things I've done over my lifetime. I want to add images and interactive components to that page, but it is still under construction.

As far as topics I will be blogging on in the future, I hope to share my upcoming traveling adventures to Central America (July 2011) and to Spain and France (March 2012). Although I've been to Central America on several occasions, I will be visiting some new places that I've missed on past trips. The Spain and France trip will be a totally new experience for me, and I am really looking forward to traveling with my school!

I am looking forward to returning to blogging! Thanks for reading and browsing through the new features of this blog!

Traveling Abroad...Again!

Hey everyone!
If you want to follow my adventures in Central America this summer, go to this blog. I hope to update often during the trip with pictures and stories along the way. Keep an eye out for video clips after the trip!

Pura Vida....

Whoa...coolness II

lost in a moment from dennis wheatley on Vimeo.

China Prayers: One World, One Dream-Five Days and Counting

Good morning my friends,

Yesterday, my family and I made sure we got our DV-R all ready for recording the Olympics, and I had mixed feelings about recording them. By watching the Olympics and not protesting them, am I adding to the injustices and injury of Chinese nationals being kept in jail unrightfully or without legal proceedings? This is not exactly clear in my heart, but I do know more than just Christian believers are suffering by the lack of Human Rights in China. I found this article on the front page of MSN today:

Defiant Chinese harassed, jailed before Games
The Olympic Games have become the occasion for a broad crackdown against dissidents, gadflies and malcontents this in Beijing summer.

I find it ironic that the theme for the Olympics this year is "One World, One Dream." Sounds a little too stifling to me. Yes, we are one world; however, in my opinion, our world should have countless dreams. By making us all "totally unique and unrepeatable," God created us to dream BIG (ToB). I wonder what dream the Olympic planning committee had in mind for our one world....was it love thy neighbor? world peace? or how about one UNITED world...

But if we become one UNITED world, under whose authority do we proclaim sovereignty? If we do not give honor and glory to the one whose blood was shed so that we could have life, we are nothing. I doubt the Chinese citizens who are sitting in jail waiting for the Olympics to end are feeling very loved, peaceful, or united to the rest of the world.

In Revelation 5, John shares about the four living beings and the twenty-four elders of the Church who sang of Jesus, the Lamb. They sang a new song with these words, "You are worthy to take the scroll and break its seals and open it. For you were slaughtered, and your blood has ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation. And you have caused them to become a Kingdom of priests for our God." Now, that's a Kingdom I want to be a member of...today, tomorrow, and forevermore.

Let us pray that all of our neighbors, from Colorado to China be united under the love, grace, peace, and unity of Jesus Christ the Paschal Lamb whose life was given for you, for me, for them.

"Proclaim this among the nations: Prepare war, stir up the warriors. Let all the soldiers draw near; let them come up. Beat your plowshares into swords, and your pruning books into spears; let the weakling say, "I am a warrior."" (Joel 3:9-10)

May Your Dreams be Countless,

Joyous

China Prayers

Dear Friends,
As the 2008 Olympic Games approach, the whole world is getting a unique and unprecedented look into China. We will undoubtedly see her beauty, her culture, and her history via the media during the Games; however, we will not be shown the underbelly of the government's attempts to persecute the Christians in the country.

Many individuals are in danger (or have experienced persecution) from the government because they have interacted with Christian Americans who are encouraging these brothers and sisters. These Christians refuse to register with the government to indicate they agree with the Chinese PSB's (Public Security Bureau) version of Christianity (which upholds that there is no lordship higher than the government itself). Click here to see a recent story of a believer's persecution.

If you would like to join me in praying for China-for the Christians, for those who do not believe, for the government, for the time foreigners have while visiting for the Olympics, Voice of the Martyrs has created a prayer band. I have several to share, but you can also order more from their website.

Let me know if you'd like one of these prayer bracelets (if you're out of Colorado, make sure I have your address), and I'll send one your way.

May Christ Jesus be Glorified!

Joyous

P.S. Feel free to pass this along to your friends!

Columbine Elementary

It is always a blessing to see a community come together to help its members out. Each year, First Pres. Church in Boulder does a work day with a nearby elementary school, Columbine. The unique ethnic minority make-up of this school is severely drastic from the ethnic majority of Boulder. Most of the student there are ESL with Spanish being the first language these students speak. It was so amazing to go around the school seeing entire projects all in Spanish and then right next to it, an entire project in English. These kids are getting the best of both worlds and I am in awe!

I do believe the Lord wants us to be diverse and share in all things HUMAN...not just one language or culture. Therefore, watching these two communities come together for the benefit of these kids was really a blessing.

I made a video to share the work and outpouring of love from the members of First Presbyterian Church to the kids and families of Columbine Elementary.

Egypt Pics...Finally

Back in October, I got to spend an amazing week in Cairo with my friend Sarah. It was so awesome to see all of the details of her life. Although, the heat was definitely a factor, it was also stunning to see the "Things of Old" (i.e. Coptic churches, The Pyramids, Valley of the Kings, etc.). Things are just really OLD there!! It's fantastic! Nothing compares to the "old" stuff we have here in the States!

I also found it very amusing that I kept on being mistaken for Arab. It was pretty cool. Everyone would ask me, "Do you speak Arabic?" and I'd respond, "La-a" which is "no" in Arabic. They'd all laugh and laugh.

I found the people to be warm and lovely. The culture is obvious very different than the little bubble I live in, but that's what makes a traveling experience so great! They don't stand in lines, personal space is non-existent, and everything from McDonald's to the local restaurant delivers! When ordering an Oreo McFlurry be sure to say it with an accent, or else they won't understand what you want!

Click on the link to see pics from Egypt as well as all of my other travels!

I DID! I BOUGHT MY TICKET!

Well, I've been talking for sometime now, of how I wanted to visit my friend in Egypt. Finally, today, I took the plunge and spent the bucks on my ticket to Cairo!! I'm soooooo excited!

Um, I am still in shock!! I can't believe it! I have wanted to go to Giza, Cairo, etc. since I was a child, milling over ancient history books. I sat in awe and wonder at the ancient language engraved in tombs made up of symbols.

Oh how exciting!

Accents

I just had to throw this out there for everyone...

FACT: I absolutely LOVE accents when people speak! It's like an amazing button that someone pushes inside of me...and I melt. It can make the most physically unattractive person become gorgeous--all of a sudden. With the movement of their tongue, words come out of their mouth, and BANGO! Instant beauty.

However, this made me realize how shallow I really can be! I mean, God sees us for all of our beautiful parts...and even the parts that aren't so beautiful are gorgeous to Him. This is *really* how I want to see people.

Lord, give me your eyes that I might learn how to love as You do. Christ, send Your Holy Spirit so that I can have the foresight to love wholly and not piece-meal.

Amen.