Layers

We live in layers. Tonight, while listening to the choir I'm in, I was struck with the utter beauty of all the layers of the music. And even as I felt the goosebumps run up my arm, and even as I simply soaked in the music--I thought of Thailand and over the thoughts of Thailand came the layers of my day: the shyness that I feel at work, the students that lingered in my classroom, a soccer match that I watched. Everything overlapped: my present, my recent past, and the music. Everything swirled up and overlapped. We live in layers.

Chris Rice Song

I heard this Chris Rice song "Punchlines and Galaxies" on Pandora today and I have to share it. It's a delightful combination of wonder and relaxation. :)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tQ5SeObCybo

Superpowers & Troubles

I've always wished I had superpowers. It would be cool to freeze time or become invisible, but more than anything else I wish I had the power to intercept trouble when it heads in the direction of my friends' lives. I can just imagine a big bad wad of trouble heading their way and I jump in front of it--KABOOM--I obliterate it. Now THAT would be cool.

This summer I was discussing with a friend some of the struggles she was going through. I told her that I wished I could come between her and those struggles and take them away. She responded that if the troubles had never come she wouldn't know what she knows about herself now.

Now that I'm having my own piddly troubles (they look about the size of a puddle next to other people's lakes), I've been thinking a lot about her words. What are these piddly troubles teaching me? What gift of grace is in them? What blessing should I grab from them?

Day Two

Teaching today was better than yesterday! Phew. There is hope. The day even had its funny moments. Like when I called on a student, Nina, and then another student said, "Hey, how come you know her name and not mine!" I had his name on the tip of my tongue so I thought I could bluff just a little until the name came to me. I said, "Well, uh..." As I was trying to buy time until I remembered his name, Nina looked at me and mouthed his name--"Keen--ney". "Well, Kenny," I said, "What do you think about the Portuguese. . . "

The Night Before the First Day of Class

I've written up my rules. Planned for the first day of class. Gone over and over in my head what I'll say. But I can't sleep. In fact, I rarely can sleep the night before I start teaching a new batch of students. Fifty-eight eighth graders face me tomorrow morning (thankfully, not all at once!). I looked at all their names and wondered about each one of them. What will they be like? I sat in their chairs. (It's good to get perspective.) I prayed in the classroom (It's good to get His perspective.) And well, I can't sleep. But this is a good can't-sleep. It's not anxiety driven as much as it is excitement driven. Hey, hey, I'm getting into this. I can do this.

Why I Like Sleepless Nights

I'm not fond of insomnia. I hate staring at the ceiling, counting sheep, twiddling my thumbs, or saying my ABCs. But I've come to discover that one of my favorite God-times happens typically on a sleepless night.

Recently, I had one of those sleepless nights. I was worried: worried about finding work, worried about my financial situation, and just plain worried (yeah for generalized anxiety!).

After several fruitless hours of moving from my side to my stomach then to my back in search of the perfect position to sleep in, I gave up and turned on my bedside lamp. I pulled out a book of quotes on God's promises and read and read until the spell of worry was broken. I prayed and recommitted my life to God and then I turned off the lamp and found that sleep came easy. In the early morning I was nudged slightly awake. I turned over and felt such a sweet contentment that I had to marvel at the goodness of God. He had turned a sleepless night into a peaceful slumber. What had started as anxiety ended in His comfort.