Are We Really Better Off Now?

           The title might sound like a political title but it's not. I'm writing this entry for myself so I can remember this feeling years from now. The USA has been on my mind lately especially since yesterday was 9/11. And just to the people know and in mind myself I was crying during writing this entry. Where has the unity of the America right after 9/11 gone today. I remember that as a country we were all together after the crashes.

               Even during the crashes, We were all watching it happen somewhere on TV or heard about it at least. It brought families, friends, neighbors, and all kinds of people together. I remember being in my 8th grade science class for watching the TV when this happened. I remember my dad, the superintendent, coming in the classroom and telling my science teacher about the first plane hitting. That is when my teacher turned on the TV for us to watch. Then I think it was later that day or maybe not too long after I heard about the Pentagon being hit and that is when I started to worry about my brother because he was living close to DC at the time.

              Just to let you all know I am I'm crying big time right now as I write this. That memory still gets me to this day. And it is worse this year because of how us Americans have acted out of hate and greed and differences. How can we forget the feelings of 9/12? The feelings of everyone just wanting to be at home, just people wanting to see people they haven't seen in forever, and so on. I'm going to say something that I might get hated for but to me it's how I see it. I'm not trying to dislike on anyone but this is how I see everything that's going on right now in today's world.

                We were United those 19 years ago. Now it is clear that we are not and that just breaks my heart. Here we are fighting against what some people will say a silent killer from maybe someone else or who knows. I'm not going into from where but it is a silent killer and as I see America right now it is torn upon and not helping neighbors, friends, families, and so on. This America today 19 years after 9/11 is watching out for themselves. We are fighting against each other. Thinking one is better than any other. Having all these rules. Staying home. Staying our distance. No more hugging. No more hospitality. No more unity. It just kills me that I am living in a world that is like that now.

                We passed, as a nation, 9/11 not talking to people, staying distance, wearing masks, not wanting to go to restaurants, not wanting to hang out, and not wanting to go to church but watch it on TV, because we are all a scared bunch of people that thinks about ourselves and not others. Yes, I know I'm going to get probably some dislikes and mean comments. 

                 "But if you really think about it 19 years ago something loud and devastating got our attention but yet here we are with a silent killer and all we can think about is me me me."

                 Shouldn't we be acting the same way today as we did 19 years ago? Shouldn't we be banding together as America instead of killing, fighting, and so on? Shouldn't we be checking on our neighbors? Shouldn't be calling on family members to see if they are okay and checking up on them? I'm not saying that I have done a very good job on all of that but at least I'm trying.

              And I'm sorry this is probably the strongest entry that I have ever wrote but it is true to me at least. And it is true all the way around no matter what political side you are on. I know people of all culture and background so coming from me it is not one-sided at all. Look at it and think about it and then you will understand.

Love Our Distance Neighbors Better

Love Better

-Loving the Diverse Neighbor

        -John 17:20-23

        -Gal. 5:13-15

        -Gen. 1:26-27

        -Acts 10:34-35

-God is showing me how to love Hispanics in AR, not just in their own country. 

-My mission field like I've always wanted. Now more then ever. Have that chance this year at Headstart. Few kids for now, all Hispanic. 

-God has me around at least one of every people group that I can love.

              -Hispanic

              -Singles

              -Homeless

              -Disabilties 

-Romans 15

-Live our distance neighbors better by:

            -In your diversity, live in Harmony.

            -Know your part in God's story.

            -Pary:

                  -"God, save more."

                  -"God, open doors."

                  -"God, send more."

Working Preschool Through and With COVID

                 I just got done with my first week of school at a preschool/headstart in 2020 with kids and it was hard at first but by the end of the week it got a little bit easier. I was so worried and anxious about how things were going to go. I think that is why the first couple of days were hard. I couldn't think about things normally like I know what and how to do them before this whole COVID because everything changed I had to rethink and retrain my mind. I had to remember all the things they trained us on weeks before through video chat. I mean how can you remember things that way. I know I can't. I am a visual learner. 

                  The major changes that the headstart where I worked at had to make were how the parents came in or didn't come in. Teachers had to wear masks all day even outside in the 90 degree weather for recess. We had to put our masks in a baby bottle drying containor while we ate breakfast, lunch and snack with the kids. We couldn't ever family style meals anymore. The teachers have to serve the children.  Parents didn't understand at all how they should pick up their child because none of them would get on video for a open house the week before. They had to stay at the front door at drop off and pick up. We had two children drop right before we started like the Friday before. We had to do vitual learning on Fridays for 10 children so I was worried about that too. 

                 Parents have 15 mins for drop off and pick up and if they are late at all the child can't come to school that day. They have to stay in their car and the teachers go around and take the child's tempature, ask health questions and have the parents sign in. That is at drop off. Then we have to hold up a green sign and they can get out of their cars and line up on a red X. Then we take the children inside with us. At pick up, they just sign the child out and we have to call in on a walkie talkie and tell them that so and so is ready for their child. We are the only class that has to go to the front door. The other classroom have doors in their rooms that goes straight out to the parking lot. 

                 We had parents complain about little things like why do we have to stay in our cars, why are we taking their temps. and why can't we come in later. We also had parents that kept getting out of their cars and we had to remind them to stay in their cars. We have to take all the signs, clipboard, walkie talkies, papers, and gloves with us too. The children also get shorter times because we have to have time to walk to and from the front door. 

                  We had one child drop out because they just couldn't do all of this. We thought two more children were going to drop but they haven't yet. We now have 6 kids in the classroom and none vitual. We should have 20 children. 10 in class and 10 doing vitual but we have none doing vitual right now. Fridays are just teacher working days and days were we do vitual learning if we have children which we don't have yet. Now that is just getting and ending the day. That isn't even anything to do with during the day with the children. That is so strange too since we get out at 2:30 so we have a hour to really clean til 3:30. 

                  I feel like I can't get anything done in the classroom. There is no time for a long art project. Barely no time for naptime. The children get a hour and a half nap instead of a 2 hour nap time now and that is if they go to sleep right away, which we all know they don't. All I feel like they are doing are playing in centers, listening to books, and singing, which isn't bad but boring when that is all you do everyday. The day also goes by slower then I would like with only 6 children. We try to sing or do different movements when we are going outside and coming back inside. We read 2 or 3 books a day. We play in centers for about 3 hours a day. We do get calendar time in so we do some counting and letter learning there. We also watch an educational show before naptime like Sid the Science Kid or Wild Kratts. we also have recess for about a hour. I also try and fit in a question of the day like this week they were: What are your friend' name and do you know how to use a paintbrush. 

                  The days go by fast and we really can't do much but at least I am back with my children and have something to do instead of just sitting around home.I know I will look back on these days and enjoy them someday, the children part that is, but right now it's slow. I hope things will get better and  faster though.I know be careful for what I wish for but it's true to some point. I don't think I can do this the whole school year or for headstart the whole calendar year.  

                   

COVID-19 for Headstart/Daycares/Preschool

Here is what my headstart center is changing and doing so far: 

-10 out of 20 children in classroom

-other 10 children on computer

-hours changed 7:30-2:30 for children

-still 7:30-3:30 for teachers

-extra hour for teachers to clean

-4 days a week for children

-all week for teachers Friday without children for planning and AMI

-CPR training over the computer-teaching part

-Some will come later and do in person training with dolls

-doing art boxes for each child

-parents can't come in to drop off, using different doors then the front door

-teachers wearing masks all day even outside

-teachers can get written up for not wearing masks even when children aren't there 

-little containers to out masks in during lunch

-schudle change because hours have shorten

-break the room in half but children can go everywhere

-no more family style lunch

-parents have schudle times to drop off and pick up

- if parents are really late, can't let them in

-have to clean outside toys once a week

-one sibling sent home, other is not

What else is going to change in a short time?

Quotes About prayer

"Pray as if it depends on God, and work as it all depends on you."-pastor

"Prayer is profoundly simple, yet simply profound."-pastor

"After valleys come mountain tops. Keep working towards the mountain tops! It's worth it!- said by my Mom

How to be People of Peace during Hard Times

     Today's church sermon while listening online. 

          There are two roadblocks to Peace. They are: 

         -When noise drowns out wisdom.

                     -"It's time to TURN OFF the noise of the world, and TURN UP the wisdom of God." 

         -When Passion goes over principal.

                     -"Most of our fights are driven by our passions. War starts on the inside of a person and shows on the outside."

-James 1:7- the Wisdom of God.

-James 3:16- the wisdom of the world.

        There are 5 steps of how to be people of peace. Those 5 steps are in James and they are verses 7 and 8. Here are the 5 steps:

-Get out of the driver's sit.

-Silence the lies.

-Nuture your relationship with God.

-Remove the dirt.

-Realign your heart with God.

All this to say that we need to listen to the wisdom of God . That is how to live a life of principal!

Prayers of Jesus in Luke

          Jesus prayed a lot in Luke. He was teaching people to pray during that part of his ministry. He prayed for a lot of different things. He was lonely, for friends and mean people, to his Father, etc. He went to a place where He was alone to pray. He didn't want to show off. Here are 7 of His prayers from Luke: 

-"Yet the news about him spread all the more, so that crowds of people came to hear him and to be healed of their sicknesses. But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed" (Luke 5:15–16).

-"One of those days Jesus went out to a mountainside to pray, and spent the night praying to God. When morning came, he called his disciples to him and chose twelve of them, whom he also designated apostles: Simon (whom he named Peter), his brother Andrew, James, John, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James son of Alphaeus, Simon who was called the Zealot, Judas son of James, and Judas Iscariot, who became a traitor."- (Luke 6:12–16).

-"Therefore he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them" (Hebrews 7:25).

-"Eight days later He took Peter, James and John and went up on the mountain to pray (9:28) and while praying He was transfigured (9:29).

-" One day Jesus was praying^(C) in a certain place. When he finished, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord,^(D) teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples.”

² He said to them, “When you pray, say:

“‘Father,^[a]
hallowed be your name,
your kingdom^(E) come.^[b]
3 Give us each day our daily bread.
⁴ Forgive us our sins,
    for we also forgive everyone who sins against us.^[c](F)
And lead us not into temptation."-Luke 11

-"Jesus prayed for Simon that his faith might not fail" (22:32).

- Only Luke tells us that Jesus prayed for His crucifiers (23:34) and committed His spirit into the hands of Father (23:46).

"Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing" (Luke 23:34).

We need to learn to pray like Jesus! We need to pray for what Jesus prays for. We need to make it as important as Jesus did!