Three Different Behaviors: Which One Are You?

This was the sermon from last Sunday at my church. Here are 3 different behaviors for people from the book of Proverbs:

-Wise

-Foolish

-Evil.

I am going to tell you some characteristics of those three behaviors. First is the WISE.

-"Wise people seek wisdom."

-"The wise person sees the light, takes it in, and make adjustments."-Henry Cloud

-Traits of the WISE

           -listens to feedback

           -say thank you

          -own their mistakes

          -won't repeat problems

          -relationships are strengthened through instruction

           -Feeling: Remorse

The next behavior I am going to tell you about is the FOOLISH kind.

-"The fool tries to adjust the truth so he/she doesn't have to adjust to the truth."-Henry Cloud

-Traits of a FOOL:

            -Give excuses

            -Takes no feedback

            -shifts the blame

            -Feeling: lots of rage

-The FOOL wants more affirmation.

-How to correct the fool:

             -Truth and consequences

The last behavior I am going to talk about is EVIL.

-"The EVIL responds to the door."

-Traits of EVIL:

         -conspire at feedback

         -Feeling: rage into revenge

-How to correct EVIL:

           -Speration 

Proverbs 1:24-28 are the verses for this year. For 2020. They explain perfectly what it has been like. Yet Proverbs 1:29-30 should be out response to it. We should be wise and ask for forgiveness and repent as a nation. 

Let's be the WISE Nation and ask for forgiveness and repentance! 

Election 2020 Personal Prayer

          I might get a lot of hate because I am writing this but I don't care. You don't know me so you can't judge me and of you know me you won't judge me. 

Prayer:

         Dear Daddy,

                 So election day 2020 is finally over! Can we get back to normal now instead of worse? I've never been more scared or interested in the election then this year. Lord, I do agree that we need You though really bad. Please sweep through this nation and heal this land. Calm every mind and body tonight. Restore our strength so we can start anew. Renew our minds. Cast out anything that's not of You. Please lead our President whoever he may be. He is human too. People forget that sometimes. Lead us back to rightousness again. Makes us the strong country again with people who love no matter what. Heal broken families. Feed the pour. Take away the drugs. Take away the sins. Care for the children. Bring us together again. We are all humans with feelings. Red, yellow, black or white put us together and start with me again. Right where I am at because I know I could be used right there. You put us in places for reasons we don't understand at times but you have your reasons. Just show us the way.

In Jesus' name, 

Amen

And So It Happened

              I have been at home for 2 weeks now because a child at my job tested positive for Covid-19 so we had to shut the place down. During those two weeks, I have been doing virtual learning with my children. I don't like teaching virtual because I can't see the kids and make them do the things I want them to do. I know that sounds bad but I'm just worried that they're not learning like they should be.

             I'm also worried about how their home life is while they're at home. I think most of my kids are doing pretty good but I just wish they would get on or I would get a response from the parents of some kind. Last Friday I did a live circle time and I only had one kid show up to it. I had to tape it and send it by email to the rest of the kids. I have also heard from two,out of my three, kids. Then my co-teacher has heard from two out of three of her kids. 

              There are some parents that I still haven't heard from and that really discourages me. I just hope they are doing okay. And I've learned during these two weeks that the families like texts better and they like email or calling. If this is the way learning is going to be from now, I don't know if I can stand it. I know even if I touch one kid that's something but it is still discouraging at the same time and frustrating. 

               Virtual learning is also hard when you are thrown into it and no one shows you what to do or tells you how to get ready for it. It would be so much easier if I had the paperwork that I need to do it but no one told me until it was too late. I am getting the hang of it though. While doing vitual learning at home, I also got some housework done by organizing things that needed to be organized so that's good. It is the end of the two weeks and now I am bored out of my mind because I can think of anything else to do.

                I've sent out everything that I'm supposed to send out. I have got the lesson plans ready for the next month. I could print stuff off and get that stuff ready but I don't have a printer at home so now I'm just kind of stuck at home watching TV. Virtual learning is fine for a while but doing it all year or for a long period of time, I don't know how students or parents can handle it.

               I just know that I cannot so I hope it does not happen again. I also hope we will be done with all of this stuff soon. It would definitely be a new generation of learners if we have to keep going virtually. The world will definitely turn to something else when these virtual kindergarteners grows into adults. It is just crazy but that is just my opinion too. I will go before I get on my soapbox. I just wanted to write down what was going on these past two weeks that we had to shut down because of the virus.

Change-Good or Bad?

"Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever."

-Hebrews 13:8

"Forgetting what is behind and straining towards what is ahead."

-Philippians 3: 13 b

"For It is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose."

-Philippians 2:13

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            I cannot help but have these words find my friend long ago still ring in my ears.

            "It's good that we all changing/growing because if we weren't God can it work in us."so in that case change is good. And change is also good because Jesus is always the same so nothing really changes there. There's no change. He is always the same so why not think about that doing changes and you might not even notice the change.

             But what if the change is good and you do want to notice it? I mean changes from someone passing to changing styles to teach kids? How do you know when to remember the change and when not to? I think we remember whether or not we want to. It's not up to us. I know I've remembered some of the changes because of the life lessons I've learned from them. Here are just some to name a few:

-passing of grandparents

-losing or changing jobs

-letting go of people

-this pandemic.

               Through all of them I have learned a little bit more about myself and became stronger which is a good change too. I guess when I think about a bad change it is about this pandemic mostly. When I say bad I mean bad as in can't go to church, kids at home learning online, people fighting and dying, and staying distant and no more hugging and oh yeah the masks where you see no smiles.

                 This year (2020) there has been more chains than I can take. It's always back and forth. Nothing is routine anymore. No one can make up their minds. Nothing is set and stone. I miss those days. I miss the normal I know and was born into. This is the biggest change I felt in my whole 32 years. If not the biggest, definitely the worst because it affects everyone not just a region or a place.

                 It could also be a lot of little changes in one big change. I don't know how many little ones I've had in this pandemic yet one thing still remains the same and that is Jesus. So I still don't know if it changes good or bad. There is one thing I know though and that is God is still the same through everything. He is teaching me this for a reason but I'm still not quite sure what that reason is yet. I just know that I have to get ease to change whether it is good or bad because each one weighs out the other. I've always noticed if a bad change comes along It is for a good reason or a good change follows it.

                 All this to say that things will change whether we want them to or not. We just have to remember that Jesus is the same yesterday today and forever. We also have to remember that we don't look back but to look forwards. I know it's tricky but if we can remember those two things we can get through the hard and bad changes.

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.