Realizing Fragility

This past Sunday, our pastor spoke on living in the moment and how in doing so we fully understand our God for who He is. The pastor gave a metaphor that described a set of keys one owns. This set of keys is to one house, one car, one anything that the owner of the keys has. The key will not open your neighbor's house, your coworker's car, or your dentist's office. Those keys are your own access points. In the same way, the moments in our life are our own. They are personal. They are phenomenally built for us, individually, by our Creator, so that we may fully experience our God. In the divine moments, and in the mundane moments, if we live in them, we experience God. Arguably, it is in the moments of despair, loss, sorrow, or deep core-splitting pain that we truly experience the full nature of our Lord. He shows us who he made us to be, and what He made us for. In the death of a loved one, He shows us it wasn't our time yet, but that it was time for our beloved to return home to Him. We have a purpose, and we haven't fulfilled it yet. It is my hope that when that moment comes, you take that moment. You grieve. You sob, you cry out that it wasn't fair, you lean on a friend.

But that you also learn to experience your Creator in all of your being. That you realize He loves you, He made you, He put people and circumstances in your personal path for a specific reason, and that He has a plan for your life. It is truly never what you expect, and often not what you want at all, but it is His will that you be surrounded by these people and that you live in the moment so that you can Experience our God.

He gave us each a set of keys, and asks us to open the doors.

Please pray for my brother. His heart is on my heart. He grieves, so I grieve.

Using Social Media in the Classroom

This is my pre-flective post regarding this topic. I haven't used social media in my classes before, and have only heard cautions and hesitations from colleagues and others. I step into this new year with great forethought in regards to my technology implementations. I have read several articles, hundreds of tweets, and have researched on my own the benefits and drawbacks. I am only beginning to understand the benefits of social media and other online tools, so I don't pretend to be an expert in the field. I am, however, intrigued to see where this heads. I will include a class web site, a twitter feed, google documents, and perhaps a wiki space as well. As soon as I can figure out a way to effectively use Stixy.com, I'll include that too.

I'll let you know how it goes. Until then, happy end of summer.

Summer 2010

Whew. It has truly been quite awhile since our last post. A few quick updates:

1. It looks like I'm going to get to go back to my job next year. This may be the first year I get to be at the same site! PTL! (And this after being laid off in a mass firing...)

2. I painted the second of the two bathrooms in our place.

3. I finish crocheting two afghans.

4. I plan on refinishing our kitchen table and chairs this week. :)

5. I am currently on season 6 of Friends...

6. The sun finally came out in San Diego! It is so lovely here now, I feel like napping on the beach every afternoon.

7. Levi turned 25...wowee. I'm married to a much older man...for another three months.

8. I am teaching technology classes to other teachers this summer- gotta love the extra income, especially in the tight months of summer. Being a teacher can be tough sometimes. ;)

9. Levi is fixing my laptop- YAY!

10. I need to take more pictures. I'll include them in the next post.

Love, Jillian

omigoodness

I have only days to the date I have been dreading for the past six months. On Saturday, I present the culmination of chaos that has run my life for essentially the past three years, though mostly since August. I will be in Davis for a total of seven hours, and after Saturday, there are only a few tasks left standing between myself and my fourth trip across a stage in what tangibly feels like a tablecloth, but intangibly represents an incredible amount of worth-it toiling.

My family is the only thing that truly kept me focused on what needed to happen, since they alone know my often seemingly insurmountable foibles. They tried valiantly to keep me from procrastination, less than my best work, stressed out messes, and countless nights where I would much rather have drowned my thoughts in something other than students, reading comprehension, and word analysis.

They'll sit, watching me and my table cloth, and I can't freaking wait.

I look forward to getting my own life back; I look forward to refriending friends I've regrettably ignored. I can't wait to celebrate my mommy's birthday (1/11) and being past that nagging feeling that I've forgotten an assignment due tomorrow night, or a class I forgot I had on Saturday morning.

So long Skype. I'll no longer be logging in each weekend, unless my Peruvian calls. ;)

Love to all who've helped encourage, inspire, prayed, and thought productive thoughts at me. I could not have done this alone, and this degree...

...belongs to you as well.

Resolutions: An Abbreviated Work in Progress

My New Year's resolutions:
(in the hopes that someone will keep me accountable)

1) Eat healthier. Specifically, less chips-more almonds.

2) Get my masters. I'm on track to finish March 6th. Prayers appreciated!

3) Successfully complete my second year (and first full year) of teaching middle school.

4) Learn to get along better with people, and be less selfish in my relationships.

5) Work diligently at implementing spiritual disciplines in "real time"

6) Strive to decrease my habitual art of procrastination.

7) Fit in my jeans from two years ago.

8) Read at least ten great books by the new year.

9) Write at least five pieces on the educational-political sphere.

10) Secure a job for next year, set a goal for when we'll buy a house, and go on "my" honeymoon.

Also...HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOMMY! Have a great 36th birthday. ;)

a premature reflection of 2009

January:
Tough month, considering what I was going through with my classes. I was having particular difficulty returning from the two week vacation, and more than seriously considered not returning to school. At all. My students, as you can probably recall from my earlier posts, weren't making things easy on a first year teacher, and administration upon reflection, did little to support my situation. In the end, the knowledge that I would be destroying my career convinced me to return. We also bought our first car together, and the first one for both of us without any outside support. It was a very independent step and we were grateful to be able to accomplish what we did.

February/March/April:
The most poignant event that my mind most recalls was the day that Levi lost his job, which turned out to be a blessing and an answer to prayer, when looking from the final days of the year. Thank goodness he didn't draw out that news. I literally walked in the door, asked him how his day was, and he replied, "Well, it was my last at D____." He wasn't being fulfilled professionally or spiritually through his work there, and though we certainly needed the income considering our monthly expenses living in SD and the new car, we both knew he wasn't happy where he was. At school, I was receiving verbal threats from some students while others began to warm to me. Parents were harassing me, and some students were confiding in me their problems and joys and anxiety about moving onto high school. It was a difficult time, yet also one wherein I felt I was finally "getting the hang of it." This, I've come to find, was a false confidence. I'm still learning and making mistakes.

May/June/July/August:
Well, these months held diligence in job searching, my first promotion ceremony as a teacher for my eighth graders, Levi's 24th birthday and our first wedding anniversary (what a year to be thankful for!). Levi searched incessantly, applied to every job available, and due to the economy, never heard much back. My eighth graders graduated, acted like they were appreciative ;), and I received notification that the district may not be able to hire me back. That meant I would lose the coworkers/friends I was so thankful for and any guarantee for a job in the fall. It also meant no health care or salary for the summer. Thank goodness for the department of unemployment! This economy has taken a grave toll on the people in every job sector, and we were foolish to have hoped that we would escape unscathed. Regardless, the Lord kept us fed and well cared for so we have much to be thankful for. For Levi's birthday, I got us year passes to the SD Zoo, which we enjoyed that day and several since. Its a fabulous place, ideal for some pretty cool pictures. The first anniversary was a modest one that served to remind us that it is us and God that keeps our marriage what it is, and its not the material things that we tend to put value in that do so.

September:
I began a new job in the same district, and with this new blessing, my schedule filled and didn't stop for anything! This job has become some an opportunity for growth for me, complete with an amazing staff and administration, countless trainings for the new technology, high-profile visitors in my class (one came all the way from the UK!), magazine photographers, and excited kids enjoying a new kind of enrichment learning. Its busy and fabulous. So many things to keep track of though, and less time for concentrating on keeping everyone happy, but I've done it so far, by the grace of God alone. (and maybe a planner or two).

October:
Levi got a new job! He was called by an earlier-established acquaintance, and was offered a position at a fabulous firm about forty minutes north. Its been a blessing to be sure. We also got Oscar for my birthday. His training is improving, though he is still a puppy! :) He's also an absolute doll. :)

November/December:
Thanksgiving was nuts- three houses in one day. Talk about holiday weight. Luckily, since Levi and I are both exercising semi-regularly (I'm "semi"- aren't you proud of me!?) we were able to avoid this Christmas Cushion so far. :) We are so thankful for time away from our busy, consumed lives and time with family and friends who mean the world to us. Thank you for making this year what it has been. Thank you for those who have made the attempt to contact us, and those who stuck in there, knowing how crazy we've been this year. Thank you to those who have supported us through actions, words, and calls, and for those who've made the trek to see our new place. We are so thankful for all that we have and more for that which we don't have so that we can be more focused on those things that are more important in life.

See you in the new year,
Stay Safe,
Stay Close,

Jillian and Levi.