A comment on Miss Emilia's blog which felt rather important in its own right...

Maybe I should read that book... More and more I become frustrated with the traditional Christianity in general, now and in the past. Our country and world need a revival--a complete, total, thorough revival--of true Christ-seeking. Think about Abraham, wandering the world. He was not a Jew, not a Christian, not affiliated with any religion. He was a seeker of the one, true Living God, Jehovah, Yaweh.

I was raised in a school whose mascot is the Crusaders, and it wasn't until 10th grade World History that I learned, "Hmmm, the Crusaders were, for the most part, pursuing wealth, not God. The Crusades were a form of genocide." And my grandfather's grandfather was a missionary in the time when a lot of missionaries were, with good or ill intentions, and I can't see whether he was one of them, trying to force Native Americans to be "Americanized"--to take on the culture of the white man. Bleck!

I want to see a world where Christians stand up for social justice and love this world and its people unconditionally. But how does that happen? It's a lot of changing that needs to go on. And, I'm afraid that this all just me being stereotypically "young and idealistic." I want to be realistic and idealistic. Is that possible? And I want it to last my whole lifetime. I want to care about people and potential for change forever and always. I don't think it's too much to ask, but I do think it takes a lot of work, and I think it's easier when it's not just me--when there's a whole network of world-changers held together in the common pursuit of God's plan.

What do you think?

Hi. :)

Note: Haha--I wrote this at about 2 PM, and I didn't realize I hadn't posted it until I was looking back at my blog after posting the one posted at 2:30 PM. Hahahaha. I laugh at myself:)

Hi. Things are feeling really good. Megan, Colleen, Meg's friend Erin, and I went to Todd Aud last night to watch UP. It was amazing, but I'm not going to give away the plot in any way, shape, or form, except to say that it's coming from a perspective that's not usually taken in mainstream films. You should watch it--really. I'm going to make alllll my family watch it, either at Thanksgiving or Christmas Break, whether they want to or not. It'll be worth it, and chances are they'll love it:)

I'm not feeling particularly eloquent or word-friendly right now. I'm in this tired-but-happy land of slow-moving thoughts and brain cells. The week was above-average in that I got stuff done earlier than usual (some stuff), and I am looking forward to the half-sabbatical of next week, in which I HOPE to get a lot of things done ahead of time: book analysis due 12/8, Performance-based Pedagogy Assessment Rationale due 11/18, and I don't remember what else. But I haven't had time to get ahead since I got here, because everything takes time that isn't available ahead of time. So now that I've got the ahead-of-time time, I'm going to take advantage of it--see? Get it? Got it? Good!:)

For lunch, about 1/2 an hour ago, I made a lovely meal of 1 egg scrambled with a green onion and 3/4 a slice of pepper-jack cheese, plus applesauce and a Co-Jack cheese-gooseberry melt on the side. Food is so delightful!

That's all for now.

~Complete Bliss

I am incredibly tired but very awake. (You know how that is.) Bethlehem Heckman is reading us Stone Soup. We wanted Mike Mulligan, but it seems to be lost or misplaced or in someone else's room, so we settled for Stone Soup. We had to fight for the right for any story at all, though, because Beth is a brat; however, she succumbed to our arguments.

When you listen to Beth read stories, you have to interrupt--frequently. You have to ask questions. This is how we learned that the red quilt on the bed has a star design and that the star design happens to be a friendship star. We also learned that the mayor shaved his mustache in order to look more respectable, and, very unfortunately, he will will not grow it back because his wife says she likes kissing him better without him having a mustache. EW! We didn't need to know that, Beth.

...and to all a good night.
:)
~jennifer

Snigglers

I figured the world should know. Ever heard of a sniggler? Neither had I. But then I read Good Masters! Sweet Ladies! Voices from a Medieval Village, and I met Nellie the sniggler who spent her days sniggling for the nuns to earn her family some income.

So, what is a sniggler? (*Giggle!*) To sniggle means....well, now, that'd be much too easy--your eyes might jump down and see the answer before you've read the rest. That would be very disappointing. Thus, I shall make you find it yourself, but first, I'll give you a clue: I am a snig. And chances are, if we're related, you might be, too!
:)
*Giggle, giggle, giggle*
Alright, just click this link to find how to sniggle:)
Definition of sniggle.

Clumsy me...

I forgot--I also wanted to post these lyrics and the link to the song. It's by a girl I knew in high school, though not very well. I have found it particularly inspiring as of late, and I thought it worth sharing. I've loved this song since it first appeared on Amanda's Myspace. I made a transcript of the lyrics, cuz the ones on the myspace page are incomplete.


When You Rise
by Amanda DuFord

Can I tell you you're amazing, as you stand through suffering
Clinging to the Father when all other hope is gone
Can I see you lift your head up, raise your hands, surrender all
Your remedies forgotten, self-inflicted lies no more

An heir to the Kingdom
In victory you stand
Loved by your Maker

Do you know, how much you're worth?
Do you know, the lives you will touch?
When you fall, it's okay to cry
But when you rise,
He's mighty at your side


Do you know you hold the power, of the One who raised the dead?
When strongholds keep you binded, He'll destroy them all instead
Do you realize He knows you, and He makes no mistakes
The future He holds for you, He already knows your days

An heir to the Kingdom
In victory you stand
And loved by your Maker

And do you know, how much you're worth?
Do you know, the lives you will touch?
And when you fall, it's okay to cry
But when you rise,
He's mighty at your side

And there is joy for the hopeless,
Grace for the fallen,
And peace for the fearful,
And a love that overwhelms

There is joy for the hopeless,
Grace for the fallen,
And peace for the fearful,
And a love that overwhelms

And do you know, how much you're worth?
Do you know, the lives you will touch?
And when you fall, it's okay to cry
But when you rise,
He's mighty at your side

Do you know?
Ohhh, when you rise
And when you fall
It's okay to cry
But when you rise He's mighty at your side

(Harmonizing)
Do you know/An heir to the kingdom
In victory you stand/Do you know
Loved by your Maker
Loved by your Maker/When you rise
When you rise
When you rise

Hmmm.

A new post is easier than editing. I don't know how I posted the previous one, but somehow it happened. Pretty sure I just pressed enter--a little confused at the moment. Anyway.

Today:
School happened. Finishing touches on my lesson plan for tomorrow, met with my supervisor, was involved in what felt like all kinds of chaos. I feel so sorry for new kids. They need constant attention and explanation of what the rest of the kids have been figuring out and told for the last two weeks. We're already flying through work at warp speed, and they don't understand what's going on. But I also feel sorry for the teachers, cuz suddenly--2 weeks into the quarter--everything just got more complicated and people are confused, whereas the day before things were flowing much more smoothly. GAH!

Alternate jobs: hopefully I'll be writing about the hundreds of jobs I could and would like to be doing that may or may not relate to my degree. But all in good time. Don't automatically assume I won't be a teacher, but don't automatically assume I will be. I've been frustrated lately by people saying, "What!?!?!?! You might not be a teacher?!?!?!?" Please bear in mind that I NEVER wanted to be a teacher to begin with. I chose a major in high school because I had to choose a major (and at that point I chose English teacher, not elem. ed). It's just what you do when you're a middle class high schooler. But all I've really ever wanted to do is get married, have children, and be a stay-at-home mama, cuz a) I really want to and b) I think that's the best thing I can do for my kids. I wish my mom wouldn't have had to work. I liked her pre-working days better. But that's another REALLY LONG story. Just don't judge me too much, okay?

Today:
After school, I dropped off books at the library, walked over to Wray's to check out some produce, skipped on down to Inklings to browse for a certain series and came away with a used copy of My Father's Dragon (for $1.50!), ran back to the library for a movie, drove over to Safeway for Pain Francais, and came home.

At home, I tried an absolutely delectable treat: a hunk of French bread with a French truffle in the middle, heated in the microwave for 10 seconds:)! It was soooo delicious, and I got the idea from Molly Wizenberg's book A Homemade Life: Stories from My Kitchen Table. She writes the blog Orangette, in case you're wondering:).

Much more has happened since, but I must get ready for bed. I'm teaching a lesson first thing in the morning, and I need a good rest before that!

Fare well and luvs,
~jee

Hi.

As it says above: Hi. When I envisioned myself blogging tonight, I somehow pictured a much earlier blog. I'd also pictured myself getting a few more things done tonight. But I didn't, and I haven't, and it's okay.