Artistic Musings

Minnesota Rain

2009-07-07T08:10:00.004-06:00

:) I was looking through some old e-mails, and I came across this one that I had written three years ago. I really like the images that it captures and it puts me back in the final days of my Jr. year of college. I just love thunderstorms... Enjoy!

For anyone who enjoys Minnesota rains as much as I do (especially if you miss them now, or have a flair for the dramatic):

As the sun began to climb over the midwestern plains, you could tell that it was going to be a humid day. The mist began to rise as the hours passed and the clouds parted to let the hot sun shine through. When you looked to the sky across this Minneota prairie land, you could see the front forming in the distance. On a small, distinguished college campus, students busied themselves on their study day... some with studying, others enjoying their "day off". Didn't anyone notice the increasingly darker horizon? I watched with anticipation and hope. Finally, the afternoon heat increased and the humidity level rose to a point where few could ignore. The clear blue dome overhead began to shrink as the thunderheads closed in above.

A group of students awaited their discussion in Biology when a crash was heard overhead. It had finally begun. Huge raindrops began to pelt the few that lingered on the mall as they were driven indoors. Sheets of rain were driven down upon the glass roof by the western winds of the prairie. The first thunderstorm had finally arrived!

As the storm continues to hammer its way around me, I wish that I could be outside, enjoying it to the fullest. Alas, it is the study of Biological Rhythms that keeps me indoors. What a shame I am unable to experience the rhythm of the raindrops and puddles instead. I hope that the storm continues and that I can walk home in the rain. What a joy to be lulled to sleep by the pitter-patter of rain and the sudden crash of a Minnesotan thunderstorm.

Oh Lord, let me build Your city!

2008-10-31T08:36:00.003-06:00

Since I started this blog, I chose the title line of this post to be the capstone of everything I write. It's from the song "City of God". When I was looking at it a bit ago, it struck me how it's a plea. That's exactly what I want to be doing. What an honor it is to be working alongside the Lord. No matter what it is that we're doing.

This morning at Division Morning Prayer, we said some of the things that we're doing with the Lord today: tests, work, class, a weekend conference, the National Guard, interviews, job hunting, walking dogs, missionary work, working on the Variety Show... and I am writing this post between Parent-Teacher conferences (in Spanish) at AMS. Glory!

All of these things are what building the Kingdom of God looks like. We've been having some awesome discussions in Dinkytown about what city-building looks like when you're 48 strong. See Collin's photos to see the fruits of our brainstorm on what the Lord has done in the first part of the semester.

And so I sit here, thinking of y'all and the Lord's work. Father, I beg You to allow me to continue working alongside these brothers & sisters as we follow You. Let me use all that I have and all that I own. "To You, Oh Lord, I lift my soul... Show us Your ways, Oh Lord. Teach us Your paths." (Psalm 25 rocks.)

Bike Attack

2008-09-12T13:35:00.001-06:00

News Report:
Tuesday, September 9th at about 5:00pm. Karen Coleman is just coming back from a long run through and along parts of the University of Minnesota campus. She completed her three mile run and has been walking for about a half of a mile to cool off. There she stands, at the intersection of 15th & University, waiting for a green light.

As she waits, she decides that upon the changing of lights, she will sprint the last 4 blocks home for a strong finish. The light turns green and she takes off of the curb. While getting 2/3 of the way through her first stride a biker crashes into her. She absorbs most of the impact into her left hip where the handlebars nearly take her out. Their heads also collide, forcing his glasses into her temple. The biker and Miss Coleman had been traveling perpendicularly, and despite the small moving profile of a target, the biker's precision enabled him to hit her right on.

Since she was mid-stride, she was standing solely on her left foot (also the leg that was hit). To prevent either her or the biker from falling into oncoming traffic, she instinctively grabs the handlebars at the pivot point and regains her balance as well as the biker's. They eventually look at each other in shock and try to understand the situation. The biker is an unidentified white male of about 19 years old. He apologizes profusely but she does not comprehend any excuses given.

Miss Coleman looks around her to gain her bearings and notices her friend Eric Smolensky (a Graduate student in the Chemistry department at the U of M) is less than ten paces behind her. He was on a run of his own and they had not yet noticed each other. They see each other and Karen yells "I just got hit by a bike!" He sprints forward to make sure that she is okay. Overwhelmed with shock, humility, embarrassment, and nervousness, she laughs and the three of them make sure that everyone is okay. The biker bends his glasses back into shape as Eric razzes Karen about the incident, much to her chagrin. Soon, the biker is off on his way, as are the runners. They run the final 4 blocks back to her house together and bid each other a farewell with laughter as she goes inside and he continues his run.

Karen later realizes that if she had not seen Eric, she still would have laughed about the situation. However, the Lord knows her heart and how her joy is increased exponentially by the presence of others to share in it. He therefore sent her a friend to share in and increase her laughter. She sustained mild injuries of a 5 inch long bruise along her left hip from the handlebar impact, mild headache, and slightly sore right knee.

She is very thankful that it was not worse for either her or the biker. Karen also stated her gratitude that she ran into Eric, but luckily that collision is just a figure of speech.

Gearing up again

2008-08-29T08:21:00.005-06:00

Right now is probably the biggest time of transition within the entire year. I'm getting ready for the start of another year of teaching (year two!) with classes starting on Tuesday. Last night was our Open House which is kind of a meet and greet for the parents, students, and teachers. We had a pretty good turn out and it was fun to bust out my Spanish again.

I'll be teaching 6th - 8th grade Lit-Comp at Aurora Middle School in Minneapolis again: six sections, 84 students. Whew! It's sure to be intense and I have to completely shift my planning to a different mode than last year, but I am so pumped!

This weekend is also kick-off for the new year of the Dinkytown Campus Division. We're starting with dinner tonight, and kick-off from tonight through Sunday morning. Immediately afterwards, all 48 of us will simultaneously move into our new spaces! (That's like moving 8 community families all at the same time. Woot!) We're having four work sections in D'town again this year: Missionary, Action, Business, and Property Management. I'm in that last one and am so excited that I can hardly stand it! (Pictures to come.)

The Lord has given us so much good work to do. It's really an honor that He trusts us to execute it all. "The goal of this instruction is love that flows from a pure heart, from a clear conscience, and from a sincere faith." (I Tim 1:5) Come, Lord!!!

Update 6/30

2008-06-30T06:41:00.003-06:00

I realize that I've been writing more about my weekend trips than the actual nannying and the reason why I am here. :) I guess the weekends are just more exciting for me. (Berlin blog post forthcoming.)

Things have been going well. I've had both kids for a week now that Filippo is back from soccer camp. They are quite the handful... but in general I think it's better and possibly easier to have the two of them together. That way we have the option of playing all together, I can play with him or her individually, they can play together, or all three can do our own separate thing. (Before, it got pretty intense when it was just Camilla and I together alone all day, every day.)

Filippo speaks very little English... so that makes things interesting at times. He only listens when he decides it's worth his time. Often, I speak to him in an interesting hybrid of English, Spanish, and Italian. (need to repeat a few times in different ways, but we make it work) Camilla's English is pretty good, and it's needing to get even better now that she needs to translate for Filippo sometimes.

As I said in a previous post, I really have to think in three languages when I'm here. The part that makes this especially interesting is the fact that I don't speak Italian! Nevertheless, my Italian comprehension is skyrocketing! I hear the kids speak it to each other and about half of the conversations between the family with the parents around me are in Italian. I haven't picked up on speaking the language a ton because I'm expected to be speaking to the children almost exclusively in English.

Last week I had an epic dream where most of us were all together in WW2-like Europe. I recall various snapshots of having a couple Lords Days, and one was cut short because the buildings around us were being bombed. It was clear that many of us were involved in the underground resistance. But the main reason I remember it (as opposed to most dreams which I forget upon waking), is because one of my friends was speaking to me in fluent Italian in the dream! I couldn't understand everything that was said, but it's evidence that I'm at least absorbing a good deal of the language while I'm here. Craziness.

Hope all is well with you wherever life has you at the moment. Ciao tutti! (Happy last day of June!)

Reflections on Traveling Alone

2008-06-25T06:08:00.005-06:00

Most of my travels that I have embarked upon over the last 3 1/2 years have been solo ones. (Wow, has it really been just that long?!) When thinking about what's next for Karen, the world traveler, I think that I am about ready to put an end to my solo travels. It's fun, but it's intense. It's just so much more fun to have people to share it with! But, while I'm thinking about it, here's some reflections on traveling alone & what it takes. I've learned a ton!

You have to be gutsy, adventurous, smart, resourceful, confident, fiercely independent, and ambitious.

I’m working on it.

There is a definite mindset that I get myself into when I’m traveling solo. You are only as lonely as you make up your mind to be.
I do a mix of both staying alone and trying to find new people to spend time with. Too much of either would wear me out.
I do more talking on trains (bus, metro, plane, etc…) and in hostals than while I’m walking around. You can jump in with a harmless question about the destination, route, travel tip or story, or something like that. There’s no daunting commitment this way. It might end when I get off at the next stop, when we finish our glass of wine, catch the next flight, or when you can’t answer because of the language barrier.
However, I also have some friendships that started this way, and have lasted for years!

Some stories from past travels:

Overheard three groups of people from various parts of Australia that were talking at the train station. I joined their conversation with a travel tip. Then sat by one of the women on the train afterwards. Eavesdropping is definitely a part of picking up random conversation.
Met a mom and 19 year old daughter from Montana who were traveling together before summer study abroad program in Valencia, Spain. I gave some advice and stories from my time in Spain. They said that I was the 5^th person from MN that they had talked to! Many said it had been a hard winter. Either that, or we’re just especially outgoing towards strangers in foreign countries. (I think this one started by talking about our Rick Steve’s travel books.)
I sat near family with three kids from Colorado on the train. The dad is originally from England and the mom is from Sweden. (sweet!) Talked to the kids about what they could see for a while.
I stayed in the same hostal as a pair of friends / sisters from Canada. One is from Manitoba and the other from Alberta. Amy Rice was my connection with this one!
A guy asked me a question about the bus we were riding in English. We were in Portugal, he was a Peruvian student at the University of Delaware traveling around. We toured a monastery, took pictures, and talked about art together. Kept in touch over e-mail and chat.
Met a guy in line for a sandwich in the Milano train station from Montana. He goes to the St. Thomas School of Law in downtown Minneapolis and was doing a summer abroad program in Roma.
Ate dinner with a mom, her son, and a seminarian at my hostal. Walked around the city with them that evening and met a local priest who gave us an in-depth tour & history lesson of the restored piazza. Awesome!
Asked people to take a picture of me in front of various landmarks (the trust-worthy looking ones) and struck up conversation with them afterwards while hiking or over a glass of wine.
Asked to borrow a travel book from the people next to me on the bus to learn about our destination. (Way to go to Portugal without any info on it, Karen... not the best move.)
Heard someone speaking English in Chinese grocery store and followed her to pick up some conversation. She was happy to talk as well since she had just arrived for an exchange program there.
Toured around Rome with two Austrian guys from my hostal for 3 days. Kept in touch by exchanging pictures through e-mail. Visited one of them over three years later in their home town when I was back in Europe!
Best story from this summer in Italy though is about Joyce & her husband Kelly:

They are a couple from CO who I sat next to on the plane from Sea-Tac to Amsterdam. They were traveling to Europe for business with a bit of pleasure mixed in. I ended up switching seats with Kelly for leg room because he’s about 6’3”. We talked for a while about traveling, and they were a really cool Christian couple.
Then, as we were getting ready to disembark, he misplaced his passport! The three of us started looking for it (and I prayed to St. Anthony, inspired by stories told by family members at the wedding I was coming from). He ended up finding it in the bathroom trash, between the bag and the container.
They helped me get through security quickly, we said good-bye in Amsterdam, and wished each other luck.
I was walking through the tunnel into my home base at Cinque Terre and the couple in front of me looked somewhat familiar. It looked like them!
I tapped the woman on the shoulder, and it took a second but then they recognized me too! We had said good-bye in Holland and now here we were in a national park in the Italian Riviera!I guess the knack for remembering people’s faces, names, and then running into them later on is genetic. Right, Papa?
The Lord was clearly doing something here, so we exchanged contact information and we’ll see if anything comes of it. Glory!

It's fun to travel alone and you learn a lot about yourself. But it's kind of scary. The Lord has been really gracious to me throughout the years on all of my various trips. I have learned how to trust people in a whole new way and also how to make quick, as informed as possible decisions. I can navigate an train station, airport, bus depot, and look up train schedules in a whole bunch of languages that I don't speak.

All Glory goes to the Father on those ones, because He's the one who brought me through it and taught me along the way! Who knows what we'll do together next!

Come with me to el Parco Nazionale dell’ Cinque Terre

2008-06-24T15:08:00.001-06:00

We get up at 5:30am to gather my things, drive to Arona, and catch the early train to Cinque Terre. This is an Italian National Park within the Italian Riviera. In order to preserve it from tourism, the only traffic is train and pedestrian. I came here a little over three years ago, fell in love with it, and now we’re back. It is the one location that I will revisit on this trip.
Approaching Cinque Terre by train is fun. We pass through innumerable small towns, switching trains in Genova and suddenly our train is hurtled into darkness as we travel underneath mountains via the system of tunnels. Boom! There is a flash of blinding sunlight and to the West you catch the first glimpse of the Mediterranean Sea. Just as your eyes are getting adjusted to the sunlight, you are sent back into darkness. This pattern continue for about an hour. But as the bursts of light become more frequent, the levels of anticipation and excitement rise because you know we’re getting close. You can hardly contain your joy and a smile slowly spreads across your face without really knowing why. What is it about this place? Finally, we arrive at Monterossa dell’ Mare and you try to restrain yourself from running as you leave the station and head to the water, beaches, mountains, and tiny towns of Cinque Terre.
Cinque Terre (5T) means five lands, and it consists of five tiny towns that are smashed up against the mountainside and spill out into the Mediterranean Sea. It’s the birthplace of pesto and the air is heavy with the smells of the sea, basil, olives, and the mountains. The steeply terraced landscape spill over with flowers, vineyards, and trees weighed down by lemons, apricots, and olives. The towns are bubbling with the life of the natives patroning countless gelaterias, paninerias, and pizzerias. One of the reasons for the precarious nature of these towns was as protection from pirates hundreds of years ago. They tried to fortify their homes and make them hard to access… they succeeded!
Riomaggiore is the first of the five towns. It is the biggest non-resort town, and seems like the logical place to start our day. Murals on the walls greet us as we head to the waterfront. We climb out along the rock outcropping in the bay to eat a picnic lunch. I look at you to say that it’s almost reminiscent of Grand Marais and we’re reminded of bouldering with Team MIS as well. Despite our attempts to be careful, I get splashed by the waves twice and am drenched in the salty water of the sea. We laugh and I cling to the joy that the Lord gives along with humility and humiliations. People we pass on the hike give big smiles and ask in Italian for the story. I just smile back and take a little bow. It’s an easy walk to the next town, and one section is referred to as the “Via dell’ Amore”. We split off from the main path for a while and hike up to the old castle-like stronghold and tower. Across from the tower, I spot an elementary school and tell you that I’m tempted to apply.
We head back to the hike and wind our way over to town number two, Manarola. This is our home base while we’re here, so we follow the explicit directions to the hostal: “Go through tunnel, turn right, go up the hill, and take a left at the church”. The tunnel that is referred to there is painted a bright green and it’s a fun way to get from the train station to the town. There seems to be more of a neighborhood feeling here in Manarola, but maybe it’s because we know it’s home for the weekend. When we went to mass Sunday morning next door to our hostal, we were some of the only non-Italians there. The parishioners were all hanging around the piazza before mass started. Later on in the day, you spot those children who were altar servers that morning playing soccer in that piazza. The feeling of community is permeates this life.
As we head down the path towards town number three, you point out signs that say the path is closed. We hope that they’re out of date, and decide to see if we can maneuver our way through anyways. About half-way there, we discover that the path really was washed out by a landslide and we are forced to turn around and catch the train. I heard rumors of an upper trail later on that day, but we were unable to find it before leaving. Corniglia is the third city of Cinque Terre, and even though we took the train, it is still hard to get to! After climbing the 382 steps up to the city center, we discover the “city on a hill” of this place. It’s the only town not directly on the water, and it’s open to a little more traffic than the others. There are lots of motorcycles and Vespas parked nearby. It seems somewhat fitting the the middle city, the heart of this place, would be the hardest one to access. Talk about being on a remote hilltop!
I remember as we begin the next hike that this one (between #3 & 4) is the wildest, greenest, and toughest of them all. As our feet get splashed and muddied, you comment on the wet trail and how it’s not surprising there was a landslide on the other side of town. Finally, after an hour of arduous hiking, we spot Vernazza, town number four. This is my favorite town out of the five. I find it the most picturesque with it’s rambling staircases and reinforced walkway out into the bay. As we sit and take a rest, there are some ambitious swimmers in the bay, and lots of people sunbathing nearby. I recall that this is the town where I had the best gelato ever at “Gelateria Antigliari” so we visit it twice while we’re here. I’ve made a rule for myself that I can never try the same combination of flavors twice. Saturday brings me “Frutti di Bosco & Ciocolate” (Wild Berry & Chocolate) whereas Sunday is more adventurous with “Ciocolate con Pepperocini & Limon” (Jalepeno Chocolate & Lemon). Whew! Despite your grimace, I try to convince you that it’s really good… honestly!
Finally, we reach town number five, Monterossa dell’ Mare. This last one was another intense hike of about the same length, but it took us longer because I was tired. It’s the most resort-like of the five, and is clearly more touristy and upper class. There are many more people who are here for the beach and the shopping, not the hiking like we are. It does have the only sandy beach, and it reminds you of more typical beach resort towns that you’ve seen. Once we venture off the resort path and start taking back ways though, we both start to see how it’s very clearly still related to the other four.
We had mixed weather throughout the weekend, but it was nice in general. One thing that I couldn’t help noticing was how the scenery changes with the weather. This is most notable regarding the color of the water. When it was sunny on Saturday, the water varied from an amazingly brilliant royal blue to a true aquamarine. On Sunday however, the weather was cooler, cloudy, and brought some rain. The water then appeared a gray to dark blue-green hue. It was a packed weekend and we’re tired, but man was it worth it! Glory to God!

Tri-lingual outings and thoughts

2008-06-20T07:10:00.004-06:00

I live in Invorio, Italia which is a very small city of about 3000 people in the NW corner of the country. Every Monday is market day which is a lot of fun. I love going to farmers' markets anywhere, but foreign markets are especially fun. You aren't stopped by language barriers as much because you can point or follow the lead of the locals.

Petrona lives with the Bandera family as well, helping with their cooking, cleaning, and laundary. She is from Bolivia, which means one thing -> Spanish!!! She doesn't speak any English, so whenever we talk, it's in Spanish. It's great! Camilla has also learned a little Spanish in school, so sometimes we encourage her to practice with us as well. When the three of us go out together, especially to places like the market, we are a little tri-lingual trio! Camilla and Petrona speak to each other in Italian, Camilla and I speak in English, and Petrona and I speak in Spanish. It is so cool because we all find ways to express ourselves and understand each other.

I have never studied Italian, but with 4 years of Latin and 5 of Spanish, you can pick it up. I am not really learning to speak it (because I'm supposed to be speaking English with Camilla all the time), but my comprehension is shooting through the roof. It's really cool!

This week went well: Filippo is still at soccer camp, Camilla had her first couple of golf lessons for the summer, and we finally got some sun by the end of the week! I bought a journal /album / scrapbook this week that I'm filling out as I go along. That way, when I get back, I can just stick the pictures into the spaces I've designated for them! Good times...

Adendum 6/13

2008-06-13T07:37:00.005-06:00

1.) I finally got my luggage on Wednesday night around dinner time. Just in time for the first skirt Thursday of this Italian adventure. :) Oh man, I was missing my Chacos!

2.) For my first free weekend, I am headed back to Cinque Terre. It is the one place in Europe that I plan on revisiting this time around and I am so excited. I will take the train there early Sat morning, spend all day hiking between the 5 cities, spend the night in one of them (looking online for a hostal as I write this), and then probably hike all 5 towns again on Sunday before catching a train back here. I can't wait! It will be a great way to have my first solo adventure of the summer, by returning to a place I already know and love deeply.

3.) I got to eat lunch today with Camilla, Laura (the mom), Nonno Tezziano (grandpa), Nonna Grazia (grandma), and Tio Matteo. They have a family business (Effe 2) where they make the clothes for some of the top designers out of Milano... the fashion capital of the world. I am sitting in Grazia's office now, next to 2 racks of Gucci clothing awaiting their big premiere show on June 20 in Firenze. Oooh la la! :) Gucci is their biggest client. "Effe 2" makes all of their t-shirts, polos, and skirts. (Alicia, I'm thinking of you hard core while I'm here... you would go nuts!)

4.) Fragola e cioccolata gelato = a winning combo! (strawberry & chocolate... Italians put the various kinds next to each other on the same cone so you can eat both at the same time.) Stracciatella (choc chip) with Nutella is also a good one.

5.) Hope all is well with you wherever you are. Keep those e-mails coming, I love it! Ciao ciao!

Italian Update 6/12

2008-06-12T13:15:00.003-06:00

Well, I made it! After a wonderful weekend with my family in Seattle for Ross and Katie (Coleman) McClelland's wedding, I headed to Italia. It was a 9.5 hour flight to Amsterdam; add the Netherlands to my list of visited countries! Then I flew to Milano and everything went rather well... except for the fact that they lost my biggest piece of luggage. Yes, you read that right. I was picked up at the airport by Marco (the dad) and 9 yr old Camilla. (7 yr old Filippo is away for 2 weeks at soccer camp.) On our ride home to Invorio, I was told that I would NOT be living with the family at their house. I would be staying at a nearby hotel. NB: European hotels are very simple and I basically have a bed, closet, and small bathroom. But, it is nice and very close. I am actually very glad to have the blessing of my own defined space separate from the family.

Later on during the day on Monday, I went with the two of them to the grandparents' house in Stesa, on Lake Magiorre to show me the house, give me the key, and to pick up "my" car. It turned out to be a little Mercedes A140... I emphasize the little. It's a classic, black, European "smart" style car.

The two of us have been playing more volleyball than you can possibly imagine, which is funny because I really don't like playing volleyball all that much (little to her knowledge). By the end of my time here, I'll either love it, or dislike it even more. The two of us also ended up doing about a 4 - 5 mile hike (all straight up or down hill) with a gelato break in the middle. She was a trooper! Needless to say, those two things combined with getting over jet lag, adjusting to 12 hr work days, and a whole new schedule have worn me out! :) It's great though.

I have been thinking of you all constantly. I'm finally getting more used to driving here, but it is nuts! :) Some of you would particularly enjoy this part of my job. We got lost briefly for the first time today, but for having a 9 yr old navigator, I would say that's not too bad! Trying to interpret traffic signs and estimate speed are both interesting aspects of that. At least they drive on the same side of the road as the USA!

Be sure to check out my first video update on YouTube and my pictures on Flickr. More updates to come! Feel free to shoot me an e-mail... I love it. I just can't promise responses since my internet access is limited, but I'll see what I can do. Ciao!

End of my First Year of Teaching

2008-06-03T14:02:00.007-06:00

So, here I am, at the end of my last day of school. I don't know how it happened, but I do know that I continued to thrive throughout the craziness because of our gracious Father in Heaven. I have realized a few times this year how much I love teaching the Latino community. Last year in El Paso, I could see Mexico from my apartment, and it was a huge part of my life down there. Here's my 4th grade class:

This year, I was hired by a bilingual charter school in Minneapolis. For the first half of the year, I kept my abilities in Spanish under wraps from the kids because I wanted to challenge them. I have predominately used my Spanish in communication with the parents of my school. I had a great conversation with one of the staff members here who recently left the police force in Monte Rey, Mexico and came here. It's amazing what lives some of my young ones have led. Here's a picture of this year's 8th grade class, who graduated this past Saturday. (They're just a little bit bigger than last time.):I am so blessed to have known these young people. Come, Lord, and bless their futures in return, those I will and won't see again. Prepare those whom I will be serving next year. Let Your Name be glorified in all things!

P.S. If you haven't heard already, I am leaving for Italy later on this week. I will be living and working in NW Italia for 6 weeks as a live-in nanny for an Italian family. I will probably be using this blog as a way of regularly posting updates for people to read. Come, Holy Spirit!

updates

2008-05-21T21:46:00.002-06:00

I am finally getting caught up on my Flickr posts, got one video up on YouTube, and another one that will hopefully soon follow. :) Check it out.

Declaration of Humanhood

2008-05-06T14:42:00.004-06:00

Here is another piece of writing from one of my students. She is a very bright, outspoken, always-going-to-speak-her-mind young woman at age 13. Here's a glimpse:

Declaration of Humanhood

I hereby declare that I am human.
I am human in my joy and laughter, and I am human in my pain and tears. I am human in my need to love and help others, and in my need to be loved and helped by others. I am human in my dreams and accomplishments, but most of all I am human in my flaws and mistakes.

Being human, I am entitled to the following rights:

I have the right to be imperfect.
I have the right to make many (sometimes huge) mistakes.
I have the right to learn from my mistakes and then move on with my life.
I have the right to forgive myself.
I have the right to feel what I feel.
I have the right to laugh until it hurts, and cry until it stops hurting.
I have the right to live as I choose.
I have the right to happiness.
I have the right to my own beliefs.
I have the right to true friends and true love.
I have the right to be loved by others.
I have the right to be loved by me.
I have the right to be who I want to be, not what others expect me or want me to be.

She still has a lot of things to figure out, and she needs to work out her rebellious streak. But all in all, she has a good head on her shoulders. Catholicism is a part of her culture, but not of her individual life or choosing. Sometimes I am blown away by her, and I can't help but wonder about her future. She could go off and do so many things after graduating from AMS this spring. We shall see.

Staff Sargent John Henry Bell

2008-03-25T11:32:00.005-06:00

I had the opportunity to interview a man by the name of John Bell after Christmas of 2007. We exchanged stories for a while and talked about how life had been recently. At the time, he was 87 years old, living in an assisted living apartment. Over the past few years, his eyesight has dimmed, but not his wit or his intellect. Once he became comfortable talking to us, I started asking stories about the war, for he is a veteran of World War II. Slowly, but surely, the stories once again began to come out.

The year was 1941, and John had recently enlisted in the United States Army. He was 21 years old. The war effort was underway, but the United States was not yet directly involved.
John was stationed near San Francisco, California. One day there was a Navy pilot flying above the city and decided to push the boundaries. So, he took the Navy plane, took a dive, and flew it under the Golden Gate Bridge. It was quite the dangerous stunt to pull off and could have gone disastrously wrong. The cost of this stunt? That pilot forever lost his wings. "Son of a buck!"

One Saturday night, he went to a football game with some buddies. They went out and had a good time, partying away. They received an order early Sunday morning to report back to base immediately: Pearl Harbor had just been attacked.

Their job soon evolved to include many new positions. One job was to "clear out the coast", so in following with orders, they moved all people of Japanese decent off of the coastline. It was a known fact that there were two little submarines patrolling in the bay. They may have been similar to two one-man Japanese subs that were found off of the coast of Australia. These were kamasaki submarines: the pilot climbed in, they clamped the door down, and "that was your casket".
(American B-25)

One day, John received an order to join a small grouping of soldiers on a mission. They were issued warm weather clothes, but no further details. They headed to their little B-25 plane with a group of 13 soldiers: an engineer, pilot, co-pilot, and 10 soldiers. They began to fly and headed into the night and began to island hop as they flew west. As they were flying, they headed straight into a huge thunderstorm with lighting shooting on either side of them. However, they were never struck by lightning because the plane itself was not grounded. This continued with close calls and constant lightning flashes for another half an hour. Then suddenly, the clouds opened, you could see the stars reflecting on the ocean, and they flew out into clear moonlight. (Japanese Zero)
"The Japs had planes called Zeros. They could take out B-25s right and left. But then we got P41s & P47 ad those could do something!"

(American P-41 & P-47)

"McArthur and Patton were tough SoBs. They were mean, but with good educations. There's smart people, and then there's intelligent people. Those two were intelligent." And speaking of education, John also mentioned that he had taken the pilot's test for the Air Force with no training to speak of. But, despite the fact that he passed, he was not accepted because he did not hold a high school diploma. John Bell served his country from 1941 - 1946. He was on his way to the Philippines when the war ended. Overall, there were 16 million soldiers who were drafted into the service.

Thanks, Grandpa.

Published Poem by a Student

2008-02-01T14:23:00.001-07:00

A got a letter this fall at school informing me of a poetry contest that my students were invited to enter. I recently got a letter informing me that one of my 6th graders has been selected to be published in the book of all the best poems from the contest! I don't think I can quite describe the feeling of having one of my students (my students!) published.. heck, I'm not even published. So, here is the poem, enjoy!

Love
My dove in the clefts of the rock
In the hiding places on the mountainside,
Show me your face,
Let me hear your voice,
For your voice is sweet,
And your face is lovely.

Each time he yelled about his spirit,
A part of his soul came out of him
And it was so painful.
It felt like a bird was eating
A little part of his heart every night.

When I see a smile as beautiful as yours,
I can go to space
And bring you every single star
Just to see a smile on your face.
And our love was so beautiful
That we can invent images of it.

Addendum August, 2008.
I am outraged. I was at a wedding and I heard the first stanza of this poem being read as one of the readings. It is Song of Solomon 2:14. The other 2 stanzas are original, but now I must figure out what to do about this. No wonder he wasn't very excited when I told him he was going to be published! He knew what he had done. I will see him in one week, now I must think about how to handle this situation. Argh...

Smooth Jazz

2008-01-08T13:10:00.000-07:00

Jazz Fantasia by Carl Sandburg

Drum on your drums, batter on your banjoes,
sob on the long cool winding saxophones.
Go to it, O jazzmen.

Sling your knuckles on the bottoms of the happy
tin pans, let your trombones ooze, and go husha-
husha-hush with the slippery sand-paper.

Moan like an autumn wind high in the lonesome treetops,
moan soft like you wanted somebody terrible, cry like a
racing car slipping away from a motorcycle cop,
bang-bang! you jazzmen, bang altogether drums, traps,
banjoes, horns, tin cans -- make two people fight on the
top of a stairway and scratch each other's eyes in a
clinch tumbling down the stairs.

Can the rough stuff... now a Mississippi steamboat
pushes up the night river with a hoo-hoo-hoo-oo... and
the green lanterns calling to the high softs stars... a red
moon rides on the humps of the low river hills.. go to it,
O jazzmen.

Aurora Middle School

2007-12-12T19:56:00.000-07:00

As of November 29, I have officially completed teaching my first trimester of Language Arts at Aurora Middle School. So, we are well underway with trimester 2... and Christmas break is only seven days of school away! Here's a quick overview:
- I am teaching Middle School Language Arts to five sections of students: two sections of 6th grade, two of 7th, and one of 8th. Every morning we have homeroom for 15 minutes and I have the privilege of having the 8th graders. They are an amazing class of young men and women and must be described as resilient. They have been through far more in their first 14 years of life than most people. They were the premier class, and have always been
- My school is a bilingual charter school. For our school, the younger grades are taught in Spanish and they gradually are introduced to more English. So, by the time they get to me in Middle School everything is in English. The practical side of things is to get them ready for high school. It's pretty cool being able to teach in English to a bunch of kids who are all bilingual.
- I haven't had the need to use my Spanish a ton, but it's still helpful. I teach completely in English, but I am surrounded by Spanish all day. The times when "Spanish situations" come up are mostly when communicating with parents.

Teaching in China, July 2007

2007-12-12T16:29:00.000-07:00

Whew! Let me think back to five months ago. There's no way that I'll remember everything, but here's a glimpse into that month of my life.I went to teach English in Zibo (tzee-bwah), China with my friend Sara Honetschlager from Morris. I was literally living on the other side of the world, with a 13 hour time difference. We spent our first couple days here in the huge city of Beijing (population around 15 million). We spent one day in the Forbidden City and at Tianamen Square. On the Fourth of July we hiked the Great Wall of China. We were only there for a couple of hours, but man was I beat! There are certain points along the wall where you can begin to climb. From where we were, you could go in either direction. I led the charge of 6 other people up the more difficult side. Whew! The steps were designed to make it difficult to climb for invading armies: they did a good job! Each step is at a different height ranging from a few inches to two feet. What a work out, but the view was worth it!
Zibo is a city of about 4.15 million, but is only considered to be a "medium-sized". I created an American-style classroom. I even had my students recite the Pledge of Allegiance every morning! Luckily my advocating "liberty and justice for all" did not get me into any trouble in this communist, socialist country! :) I taught twenty-two students all about 8 - 9 years old (2nd - 3rd grade). It was quite a bit harder than I had anticipated actually, but we had lots of fun. Some highlights: bonfires, teaching dance in the studio, nature walks, teaching about Oregon, playing Field Games, BINGO, crazy Olympics, puddle jumping, talent night, having two dresses custom made for me, and literally stopping traffic because the drivers were staring at me! (It was beyond crazy.)
On the first day of school, I gave my students all English names. By the end of the month, they gave me a Chinese one! So, my name is Man Yu Jie. Chinese names are reverse of ours, so I'll start the explanation from the right. I told them Karen meant "pure one", so my first name is "Jie" = "purity". My second name (Yu) means jade, as in the stone. My "family name" is taken from Coleman, and it (Man) means "full". So, I guess you could say that I am "filled with purity and a little jade on the side". :) I like it!The food took some getting used to and I was sick for a good while, but eventually I adjusted to the idea of having Chinese food 3 times a day for a month. They eat the same types of food for breakfast as they do for lunch and dinner! It was super difficult to be away from my life here in MN, especially my new roommates. But technology was a blessing, and this was clearly where the Lord wanted me for this month. Glory!

Scandihoovia Trip and Future Plans

2007-06-07T09:30:00.001-06:00

Three days after I graduated from UMM, I had an interview at Aurora Charter School in Minneapolis (follow link). It's a bilingual charter school, with a 99% Latino student body of all native speakers of Spanish. The interview went very well and the next day I left for Europe with 40 others from my Concert Choir.

Our tour first took us to Norway, which was beautiful. We were able to tour in Bergen, Alesund, Lillehammer, Otto, and Oslo. Well, you can't very well go to Norway and NOT see the fjords, so that is exactly what we did. It was not an infrequent experience for us to have to take a ferry across a fjord in between cities. We were also able to take a 1.5 hour long ferry ride throughout the Geiranger Fjord, the second largest fjord in Norway. We started inland and worked our way out to another mountain town. It was a great time of year to be there, because the melting snow caused the waterfalls to be spectacular. I could go on and on, but you'll just have to ask me to tell you more when you see me next. :) Lots of Scandinavia is covered in forests and their buildings are made out of wood. That is also why the countries have burned down a few times. Here's what Norway looks like (city view of Alesund, a bit o' climbing, the Geiranger Fjord, and having fun in Lillehammer):

While I was in Oslo, I got an e-mail from Aurora offering me a teaching position for Language Arts, grades 6 - 8. I am super excited and this is an amazing way that the Lord has continued to bless me. It was fun to celebrate having a job in Europe as well!

After a couple of days in Goteborg, Sweden, we moved onto Copenhagen, Denmark. It is such a beautiful city! My father has been to Denmark four times (once with my mom), and my oldest sister Sarah studied abroad there as well. It was fun to finally be there myself and explore the beautiful streets with friends. Here's a peek at Denmark (buildings near the Nyborg canal, with the Little Mermaid statue):

Then, we went back to Sweden, where we were able to tour Linkoping and Stockolm. I really enjoyed Sweden, it's just a beautiful country. The feeling of landscape that I get from all of these countries is if you were to combine Minnesota with Oregon (at the latitude of Anchorage, Alaska). That's the best description I can give. While we were in Stockholm, we were able to stay in a hostel that was on a boat (two actually)! We pretty much had both boats to ourselves... it was great. Take a gander at Sweden (Stockholm, bikes everywhere, a token "singing" picture, and a picture with my director at our last dinner):

We finished off our tour in Iceland. After spending a night in Reykjavik, we headed to the Blue Lagoon for a few hours. Since Iceland is a volcanic island, there are many natural, hot, mineral springs. The Blue Lagoon is basically a 2 acre hot tub in its natural setting. It is unlike anything I had ever seen, and it was a great way to end our Scandia adventure. Here's a final picture of that (notice the swimmers heads peeking out of the steamy water by the bridge):

So, now I am back in the states, anxious to start planning for this upcoming year. I moved into Dinkytown last night (at the Parsonage) and am very excited for everything that the Lord has in store for me. China will take up my entire month of July and then the school year will be here before we know it. Only this time, I'll be starting it as a teacher! Yes, I'm a bit nervous / scared, but I also know that I am ready, which makes me excited. Lord, come in power!

Graduation from U of M - Morris

2007-06-07T08:33:00.000-06:00

Sorry it has been so long. We'll just catch up with the craziness that is my life one piece at a time. The last three weeks of Spring semester found me back up in Morris, in the craziness of trying to finish everything before they would let us Education majors graduate. In the nine days that I had class, there were ten essays and two half-hour presentations to complete. But, I survived with flying colors, little sleep, and great memories. Here's a picture of the Elementary Education class of 2007 and our professors. (Yup, only two guys... they have put up with a lot from us and were a great asset to our class.)

May 12th proved to be a beautiful day. Beautiful enough, even, to have the Commencement ceremony held outside on the mall. It was so nice! Each year the seniors vote whether we will march in alphabetically or randomly (so we can sit with our friends). This year, as usual, we marched randomly, so I was able to sit with a bunch of my closest friends and it was an awesome experience to share.

Throughout my four years at Morris, each week I have gone over to my friend Dorothy Sayre's house for Christian fellowship, making good food, and having lots of fun. This year, there were EIGHT of us who graduated that call ourselves "Dorothy Girls". These are the ladies I was privileged enough to spend the last few years with, share amazing lives in the Lord, and also walk through graduation with. They are an amazing group. We're spreading all over the globe: throughout Minnesota, Colorado, and even Kenya! The Lord is good and will continue to bless us as we grow.

So, it was a great day. I was blessed to have my parents, sisters, and even my grandmother from Iowa there. The Lord additionally blessed me by letting me be fairly un-emotional. I realized what was happening, but was able to say goodbyes without breaking down. It felt weird, but I realized that this peace was from Him. That evening we had an Open House at my parents. That was a wonderful way to celebrate the Lord's goodness with all of my friends in the Twin Cities as well. Thank you all for your support and shared life that you have given me throughout my four years in the prairie. Glory!

A Decision...

2007-04-28T14:03:00.000-06:00

"Don't be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what is the good and acceptable and perfect will of God... Having gifts differing according to the grace that was given to us... or service, let us give ourselves to service; or he who teaches, to his teaching... he who gives, let him do it with zeal... Abhor that which is evil. Cling to that which is good. In love of the brothers be tenderly affectionate one to another; in honor preferring one another; not lagging in diligence; fervent in spirit; serving the Lord; rejoicing in hope; enduring in troubles; continuing steadfastly in prayer; contributing to the needs of the saints; given to hospitality." (Rom 12:2,6 - 13)

I spent a good chunk of time this week in prayer, which is always a good thing. But this week, I was very specific in my thoughts and intentions to the Lord. I wanted to know if the Father was sending me to China for a month this summer to teach. I asked Him for a word when I was at Eucharistic Adoration, and the above passage is what I received.

The short version? I'm going!!! The above passage seemed very directed towards the desires of my heart and where the Lord is calling me. I am beyond excited! I also found out yesterday that the final cost to us volunteers is going to be a grand total of $500 for about a month. This includes our transportation (flight and travel within China), accommodations, tour fees, and our meals. More details to come soon. I can NOT believe that I'm going to teach English in China for a month. The program we're working with is connected to Concordia Language Villages, so it's a pretty prestigious / well-established deal. That brings my travel tally to an all time high = FIVE other countries over the summer (plus, I was just in Mexico). The Lord is ever loving!

To China or not to China, that is the question...

2007-04-24T17:20:00.000-06:00

Greetings from Morris! I'm back at it, full throttle for the next 2.5 weeks. Yesterday was the job fair. It went well, I got better at selling myself in 30 seconds, and I even had a couple of impromptu interviews. Come Lord! We drove back to Mo-town yesterday afternoon and stayed up until 3:30 am last night catching up with friends. The perfect way to spend an evening before our 8:00 am class this morning. :) Gotta' love it! Job hunt is still going strong, but there is something very pressing I would like some opinions on.

It's another discernment issue. My really good friend Sara (from UMM) just finished her student teaching at Burnsville High. Short version: one of the teachers she collaborated with has been working with schools in China to put on an English summer camp. It takes place in the month of July and they're in the process of selecting their summer staff. She's going. Bottom line? They've pretty much asked me if I would like to go to China for a month and teach English to students over there. In fact, it's a highly desired position (there are only 10 spots), and they've reserved a spot for me to go. The cost of the trip would be somewhere between $500 - $1000, including room, board, airfare, and some other expenses. We have to cover our visa, spending money, and very little else. A month... in China... for just that?!?!? It's a pretty sweet offer.

But, I'm already going abroad in May. Could I really go to China as well? Money is an issue: I would probably end up writing letters looking for people to sponsor me to teach. Time is also an issue: can I afford to be out of the country for another month of my job hunting time? Pretty much all of it is online, really. It's more a matter of interviewing in July. There's probably other factors as well, but my brain only got that far.

I need some advice. What do you think I should do? The Lord brought this to me... it is quite literally the opportunity of a lifetime. But, just because it's an option doesn't mean that I am supposed to do it. My heart is in it. I really think that I can raise the money and stay on top of the job hunt from abroad. I think that it would be extremely beneficial to travel to a non-Western European country and bring what I learn into my classroom. Plus, it's teaching... in my specialty area! So, please help me out and leave a comment or shoot me an e-mail. God bless and I'm very anxious to see what y'all think. I would like to make a decision by the end of the week. Come, Lord, make Your Will clearly known to me.

My Week

2007-04-21T15:07:00.000-06:00

In my discernment process for what the Lord is calling me to next year, I have been considering many options. I feel that the Lord wants me to be teaching in a branch while living in household. One of the forerunners among those living situations is Dinkytown. So I have been checking out life there this past week. (Well, I'm still here.) :) It has been a great week! The head of the women's house that I am staying at has made me a schedule for each day... it's awesome.

Each member of the household spends an hour of their time each week doing missionary work (affectionately called "mishing") This involves walking up to people (strangers or not) and talking to them about the Lord, getting together with previous contacts, and other activities of this nature. So, I went with Jen and Cara to experience this first-hand for the first time on Thursday. Jen led the first charge and Cara the second. Unfortunately, neither one produced much of a connection. Then Jen turns to me and says, "Do you want to lead the next one?" (pause) "Umm... sure!" Our opening line which I really like was "Hi, (introductions). We are looking for women who are interested in building Christian community..." We ended up talking to two friends, Kristen and Veronica, who are both strong Christians. A few minutes into our conversation they said "Well, we're both graduating this spring." "Really? So am I! And you know the best thing about living our life in Christian community? We form friendships that last a lifetime. We've come from all over the country and committed to live our lives this way, together." Their comment could have been a conversation ender, but the Lord opened a door there. Jen was really direct and asked if they wanted to come over for dinner that night. They were busy, but then we invited them to Lord's Day... this is the best part. (Kristen:) "I think I could probably do that." (Veronica:) "Well, I think we should at least try it out." Praise God!!! We kept praying for them the rest of the week, and they both came to Lord's Day. Glory!!! We had some great conversations and I know they enjoyed themselves. The Lord really blessed all of us in that and it was a great first "mishing" experience. Hopefully they can come to a dinner here next week or something.

Our King's blessings are never ending. He gives us desires in our heart that we may not even be aware of! He showed me that twice this week... but those are stories for another time. You'll just have to ask me about it. :) After our Lord's Day meal tonight, we had a cd release party for J-T Kelly. It was great! The house was full of Division members, guests, and Action team members. I bet that there were at least 70 people there. What a joyous occasion! I've been thinking about Allendale a LOT this week and really miss it. The Lord has united my heart with that place and those people. Rejoicing in J-T's efforts was a great way to end the week... especially since he was my boss in Allendale. Ah, good times!

Other random highlights of the week: playing soccer on the mall, free Ben & Jerry's ice cream, running into a number of friends from UMM and Trinity, roof of the Physics building, having lots of time in prayer and reflection, doing chores, hearing talks from the PTI, reconnecting with friends from grade school, Morning Prayer at 6:30 am, beautiful weather, many long walks, job hunting, getting asked to schedule my first interview, the "happy meter log"... But by far the best part of this week was being able to spend real, quality time with these sisters and brothers. There were so many great talks about life. I was inclined to distinguish between "life in general" and "life in the People of Praise" but then I realized that for me, they are one and the same. That has become clear. Come, Father, move in power!

Midway Point

2007-04-19T06:21:00.000-06:00

For the past four years I have had bits and pieces of my life in a few different worlds. This is not to say that I have lived completely separate lives, but the distinctions are clear. Care to take a gander into the trichotomy?

Obviously one of these worlds is that in which I go to school and live in Morris. Morris is a small, rural town in Western Minnesota amidst fields of corn and soybeans. The major features of the skyline poking out of the prairie are the Morris water tower, the ethanol plant (don't you just love the smell of ethanol in the morning?), and our really cool wind turbine. This 230 foot tall "windmill" provides about 60% of the entire campus' power. Since that is all renewable energy, it also makes UMM one of the greenest campuses in the country. I love my Morris life, but it's very different. I keep more than busy by studying Elementary Education, singing in Concert Choir, being involved in the local Newman Center, and forming many excellent friendships. Living in such a liberal learning community, I have been pushed way out of my comfort zone and learned a lot about tolerance and communication while still remaining true to my own beliefs. I am not afraid to be direct with people and provide a place where truth can be discussed. It was an adjustment to living the small town lifestyle, but it's been fun. I will miss these people a lot. I has been wonderful, but that phase is very quickly coming to a close.

Another huge part of my life is that in the People of Praise. I have my Women's group which consists of seven college women on four different campuses. Cathy Nordman (a wonderful woman in People of Praise) makes this unity possible. Evidence of this is seen by looking at her odometer. All of us are a part of the Campus Area, a vibrant illustration of area life in the Servant Branch. We do shared life really well: Lord's Days, social nights, works of service for one another, celebrations, etc... In our area, some things are very evident: we love good food, good drinks, and good conversation with good company. There is a vibrancy to our life in Campus Area.

However, I have also had a window into the world of Campus Division in the People of Praise. I love this way of life as well. This week, I'm actually seeing what day to day looks like here in Dinkytown / U of M (Twin Cities) Division life. It's been great having Jen make me a schedule every day... I don't have to plan anything! The life here is really full and rich. Ever since living in Allendale (Summer 2005) I have had a very strong desire to put life in common. That is how they live here: space, food, rent, cars, money, state in life, etc... It's a great way to live life too.

So, now I have some decisions and sacrifices to make. I know where my heart and determination lie, but it has been recommended to me that I go through this discernment slowly and methodically. So, that is what I intend to do.

Update on My Father's Job

2007-04-17T14:57:00.000-06:00

So, my Dad finally hear about the Dean's position at MCTC today. Read on (to hear it from him) and then see a note from me at the bottom...

Dear family and friends,
Today I got a call from the Sr. VP of MCTC, I was informed that they selected one of the other finalists for the Dean of Workforce Development and she accepted the position. I sincerely appreciate everyone's prayers, support, and encouragement. I can truly say that I gave it my very best effort. The other finalists had current direct experience in continuing education and customized training. They said they would keep me in mind for other opportunities. I am glad that I was able to stay under the radar here in Nevada and still have my job ... we are making great progress (on most days) providing employment services to people with disabilities. Again thanks for your prayers and support ... God has a plan ... it is a long and winding road. I'm reminded of Proverbs 3:5-6 a favorite verse of mine at times like these:
"Trust in the LORD with all your heart
And do not lean on your own understanding.
In all your ways acknowledge Him,
And He will make your paths straight."
God bless you all!
Mick

So, I would like to thank all of you from the bottom of my heart for your support during this process. No, it's not easy to hear this news, but after not hearing anything last week, I was preparing myself for this. Keep him and my family in your prayers and may His Will be done! I don't have anything to add to what my Dad said. God bless!

A Great Gift

2007-04-12T23:46:00.000-06:00

Tonight I was incredibly blessed by the opportunity to get together with a former classmate. We have literally known each other our entire lives, but have not seen each other in nearly two and a half years. I hate it when I lose contact with people, but I'm having to accept that it's just a part of life sometimes. I have kind of realized that there seem to be two main natures that friendships can take in this context. One, is that once contact is lessened or lost, it is extremely difficult to regain. The other path is where you can pick up again, right where you are in life without missing a beat. This friendship renewed tonight is certainly the latter.

I was able to go over to her new apartment and we spent nearly five hours together, just talking (plus exploring a favorite old bookstore and some delicious ice cream). We covered a gamut of topics and opened doors to many more conversations to come. I am hoping that with my upcoming proximity to her, that this renewal is able to be strengthened even further. We have both gone through a lot in our lives and have many exciting experiences and learned life lessons to share with one another.

But the biggest blessing? It was very clearly when I came to the realization that God has her in the palm of His Hand, whether or not she knows it. In the past, this dear friend of mine battled with a depression worse than many cases I have ever seen and she also struggled with eating disorders. Now she is healthy and stated to me enthusiastically, "Karen, I have never been so happy in my entire life! I am just bursting with joy and loving life." Her joy is my joy... I was elated. Lord, I would ask that You continue to draw her close and protect her as she continues on the path that You have set for her. Show her that You are still her God and her best friend. Whether or not she realizes it, I know the deep-seated love that she has for You. Show me the way to go and the words to speak. Let me radiate Your Love. Amen.

"We live, we love. We forgive and never give up 'cause the days we are given are gifts from above, and today we remember to live and to love." (Superchic[k])

Article on Steve Froiland

2007-04-09T20:39:00.000-06:00

Here's an article that Katherine Kersten wrote about Steve Froiland. It is a beautiful reflection on life and the way that Steve lived it.

Realization

2007-04-09T13:41:00.000-06:00

Dear Lord, help me to spread thy fragrance everywhere I go.
Flood my soul with Thy Spirit and life.
Penetrate and possess my whole being so utterly that all my life may only be a radiance of Thine.
Shine through me, and be so in me that every soul I come in contact with may feel Thy presence in my soul.
Let them look up and see no longer me but only Thee, O Lord!
Stay with me, and then I shall begin to shine as Thou shinest, so to shine as to be a light to others.
The light, O Lord, will be all from Thee, none of it will be mine;
It will be Thou, shining on others through me.
Let me praise Thee in the way Thou dost love best, by shining on those around me.
Let me preach Thee without preaching, not by words but by my example, by the catching force, the sympathetic influence of what I do, the evident fullness of the love my heart bears to thee.

~ Cardinal John Henry Newman

In addition to my job hunt which is well underway, I am also trying to use this month at home to start going through my room at my parents. I don't know for SURE what I am doing next year, but I do know that I most likely will not be living at my parents any more. I had this tacked up on my bulletin board with a couple of other prayers, and I had forgotten how much I loved this! It kind of echoes what I feel is the mindset I highlighted in my "Revolution of Love" post. I want to be open to whatever the Lord has in store for me and my future. He is my life-blood, my all. My existence means nothing without His, and I want to be the little tool, the little pencil that we uses in the world. I don't know whether or not He will use me for "big things" or "small things", but that's not the point. I want Him to use me for "His things", whatever that may be: His work in this world to further the existence of His Kingdom.

I am really excited for next year, and things are just starting to give me a glimpse of what life may be shaping up to be. This has been my time to really start in on my job hunt. I have 2 weeks left to really maximize on my free time before life speeds way up again. Next week I am going to Dinkytown to check out household life there, so I'm trying to make this week count for all that it's worth. I think I've got a list of about 32 openings for full-time teachers next year. I want to have my applications for all of them sent out by the end of the week, so I've got my work cut out for me! Plus, it's early for schools to be posting, so hopefully there's a lot more on the way. Keep me in your prayers!

Speaking of prayers for job hunts, here's a quick update on my Dad's situation. His round two, finalist interview was on Holy Thursday and it sounds like it went very well. We're hoping to hear within the next week or so. I appreciate all of the prayers more than you know, and I'll definitely keep y'all in the loop.

Feliz Pascua!!!

2007-04-08T00:38:00.000-06:00

Happy Easter, everyone! I have always loved Holy Week and the Triduum, especially after experiencing it abroad two years ago. While studying abroad, I spent part of Holy Week (or Semana Santa) in Spain, and then went to Italy. That was probably one of the most ambitious adventures of my life thus far: I went to Italy for 10 days on my own and it was great! During my time there I was able to visit Lisa Rumpza and Katie Loesch. I always think about that time there at this point of the Liturgical Year. So, here's what I was reminiscing about this past week:

I spent 3 days in Roma, venturing around one of my favorite cities in the world. I met a couple of great friends from Austria from my hostal: Michael (Michi) Zwantschko and Christian Granig. It was awesome because the Lord provided two "body guards" for me as we rode the Metro, bus system, and explored this amazing community... one on either side of me! :) We explored Classical Rome the first day, and finished with a walk so that I could see the Vatican for the first time. We got there at about 10:20 pm, with the gates closing at 11:00. Because of this, there was only one other person there. No tourist traps, people hawking rosaries, or horse-drawn carriages. It was just the Vatican as is: lit up, beautiful, in it's simple glory, with the lighted window of Pope John Paul II above in his final days as pope. It was perfect, and as I walked on my own, circling in prayer, I couldn't help but shed a few tears of joy and amazement at the Lord's goodness. (See Feb 18 post for picture. This one is of me and my Austrian buds with our respective flags.)

The next day (Holy Thursday) was dedicated to the more religious sites: The Vatican, Vatican Museum, Sistine Chapel, St. Peter's, and Holy Thursday mass with Lisa and other UST students. That mass was one of the most beautiful I have ever experienced: two hours, in Latin, with a freaking amazing choir! As is common for many Catholic parishes, there is often Eucharistic Adoration (when the Holy Eucharist is displayed for people to spend time praying in front of the presence of Jesus). Romans have a somewhat unique tradition where they go from church to church to church, visiting the Sacrament in all of these different places. So, we participated in this tradition and it was a great way to see a bunch of different churches! (This is the famous spiral staircase outside of the Sistine Chapel.)

I took the train up to Florence (Firenze) on Good Friday and was able to spend the Triduum with Katie and her Pepperdine friends. I also did a day trip up to Cinque Terre on Saturday for some hiking in the mountains along the Mediterranean (with a stop in Pisa en route). It doesn't get much better than that! To top it all off, we were able to go to Easter Sunday mass at the Duomo: the huge, gorgeous, very famous cathedral in Florence. The Florentines celebrate Easter like no other. .. ask me about that one! (Easter Morning in Duomo Piazza.)

I then continued this adventure / pilgrimage and headed to Siena, the hometown of one of my patron saints: St. Catherine of Siena. It was such a beautiful city with its central piazza of the "Il Campo". It is one of the best spots I have ever known for people watching, one of my favorite past-times. I spent a couple of hours there in the afternoon and then went back at night to enjoy a glass of wine while seated in a balcony overlooking the piazza. I met a middle-aged British photographer who was quite fun to talk to. Lovely!

Then onto Assisi, the city of peace. This is also the hometown of two of my other favorite saints: St. Francis of Assisi and St. Clare. I was able to visit a bunch of churches and just walk around. While abroad I developed a great love for olive trees... I know, it's weird, but they're stunningly beautiful! I was blessed by having my hostal located in the middle of an olive grove below the main city. I think one of my favorite moments was walking through the tradition-ridden streets and suddenly hearing music. I followed the sound into an unmarked church and proceeded to kneel and listen for a while. I then discovered that it was the local priest practicing his organ skills. Gotta' love it! I love Assisi... it served as the perfect retreat. I ate dinner at the hostal with a family from Turino and a seminarian from L.A. We ended up meeting a local priest that night who gave us a more in-depth tour of parts of the Cathedral of St. Francis.

Finally back to Roma for one more day of sight-seeing with Lisa and staying up most of the night before catching a 4:00am cab to the airport. Thus began my 17 hour day of travel back to Toledo that will live in infamy: a taxi to Ciampino airport in Rome's outskirts, fly to London (Stansted airport), go through customs, fly to Zaragoza (Spain), customs again, shuttle from airport to bus station, bus to Madrid, Metro to different bus station, bus to Toledo, walk to apartment with luggage, climb steps to 4th floor apartment, and collapse. Whew! For the record, JP2 died two days after my last day in Rome. I wasn't able to see him because of his frailty, but I was still there. What an amazing transition period to be in Europe! I'll never forget these ten days and the amazing ways the Lord showed his love and protection for me. Praise God!

One of my favorite parts about traveling, especially on my own, is being able to meet other travelers. This was a perfect example of that. Maybe I'll even see some of these international friends again... who knows. I think that this can be a real advantage to being in many situations where you put yourself out there to talk to new people with maybe only one other person that you know. Maybe I should try to keep this mindset in the forefront when talking to people about the Lord in our mission work. :)

(This semester is the only thing I have ever scrapbooked and that book is a sight to behold if I do say so myself. I always love sharing stories and pictures from my adventures.)

A Revolution of Love

2007-04-07T16:53:00.001-06:00

Not surprisingly, I have been thinking a lot about missionary work over the past few months. I decided a couple of weeks ago to go to the library and check out a bunch of books on my "to read or buy list". Sadly, they did not have Chasing the Dragon which probably tops that list. Oh well. I realized that I am guilty of severely underusing our public library system usually when I am at my parents'. Anyways, I ended up checking out a bunch of book on Pope John Paul II and Mother Teresa.

I took the time yesterday to read A Revolution of Love: The Meaning of Mother Teresa in its entirety. And, as it was Good Friday, it was a great way to use my time. It was an easy, quick read and it gave me some new perspective on things. I think that one thing I easily overlook in my daily life is how each of us are called to minister to the poor. Obviously this includes those with a lower socio-economic status, but being poor can mean a lot of different things: the depressed, the lonely, the hungry, the social outcast, the alcoholic, the drug addict, the victimized, the abused, the person lacking support, and many other people. It doesn't have to be something big or elaborate. It doesn't have to be something organized through a committee. We are called to be missionaries to the poor every day. It can be as simple as giving someone a smile. "Smile five times a day at someone you don’t really want to smile at... We can never know how much good a simple smile can do."

We are called to "do something beautiful for God" in every moment... every moment lived in and through love. Without love, life proves to be useless. We are lucky enough to experience this love constantly throughout our lives. It is our duty to share this love with every soul that we meet. I have always known this, but sometimes it doesn't always sit in the forefront of my mind. Especially in relation to the poor. We need to remember this... it's our mission! Live life through the little things, in humility, with respect for all. I love what Mother Teresa says about this: "No one thinks of the pen while reading a letter, they only want to know the mind of the person who wrote the letter. That’s exactly what I am in God’s hand – a little pencil." Addonai, use me as your tool, your instrument in this world. Put me where you want me, doing what you have called me to, working with those I am destined to share my life with.

Carlsbad Caverns from Spring Break

2007-03-31T15:16:00.001-06:00

So, over Spring Break (a couple of weeks ago), I went with my roommate Malorie and her boyfriend Pat to Carlsbad Caverns National Park. It was truly mind-blowing! I don't think that I've ever been in caves before. If I have, they have now paled so much in comparison that the memory is obsolete. It was about a two and a half hour drive through parts of Texas and into New Mexico. Along the way, we actually were able to experience another National Park: the Guadelupe Mountains. They are the highest point in Texas and are very beautiful... and very different from the Rockies. We spent most of the day at Carlsbad, hiking throught the caves.

For the most accessible (and most visited) part of the park, you have two options: hike in or take the elevator. There was no question about our preference. So, we began the hike which took us circa two and a half hours. You're on a paved path the whole time, and it's dimly lit. I was actually really impressed with the artistry behind the lighting. There is so much to take in while you're down there, but the lighting guides you through it. Highlighting this, backlighting that. It did make it quite dificult to take pictures. To do it properly, you would need a tri-pod and a long shutter speed without a flash to capture the colors and feel of it. But, pictures don't do it justice anyways. The sheer amount of space within this caves is unreal! But, I'm jumping ahead.

As you hike down, you are at a pretty steep grade, traveling throught the natural mouth of the cave, and down into the depths. Since you are the one guiding yourself into it, you are forced to realize the grandeur and the juxtoposition of this underground world. "Wait, weren't we just standing on top of this?!" You would have to make yourself look up and marvel at the vertical spaces. Almost like being in a cathedral but on a much grander scale, and way more beautiful (in my humble opinion). God is an artist that we aspire to be like. You hike from room to room of this cave, constantly working downwards until you get into the "Great Room". Oddly enough, it wasn't my favorite spot... I don't know that I had one favorite spot, but I really enjoyed the hike down.

The Great Room is where the elevator spits people out, so they would miss all of what we had seen over the last hour and a half! This part is quite level and even somewhat wheelchair accessible. We also saw some more water that was still forming active There were fun formations with names such as: The Lion's Tail, Rock of Ages, Whale's Mouth, Fairy Prairie, and the Bottomless Pit. (I had to say the last one in the same voice as "The Pit o Despair". That only resulted in the ensuing of hilarity Princess Bride style. Heck yes!) It was a fay full of fun antics balanced by revered and awe-struck whispered. Because of the immensity, they ask that you keep your voice down to prevent a cacophony of echoes. The only disappointment of the day was when we discoverd that everyone has to take the elevator out of the caves. The path is one way only, probably for some unknown safety reasons. Despite our hike being shorter than we intended, we still had a grand old time.

There are a grand total of 113 caves in this National Park, and those two and a half hours were spent only exploring one. They are also discovering more new caves every year! Apparently, you can pay to go on guided tours of other caves requiring some spelunking gear. Bring your own boots, gloves, and AA batteries, they'll supply the helmuts, knee pads, and headlamps. :) I would love to go back, camp there for a while, and do some more exploring... maybe someday. So, it was an adventure I would highly recommed to anyone. Plus, because we lived so close, it only cost us the price of gas (1 full tank) and $6 a person. A deal of a lifetime!

Stephen Froiland

2007-03-30T18:44:00.001-06:00

I received an e-mail today informing many of the alumni of Trinity at River Ridge that former art teacher Stephen Froiland passed away on Tuesday. To me, this proved to be quite the shock. He had been living with Crohn's disease for years and liver cancer apparently. From the sounds of it, I think the family knew it was coming... but I didn't. Needless to say, it shook me up. He was my art teacher at the end of my Trinity career and he was the one who helped me come into my own as an artist. I accomplished more than I could under his guidance. Seeing his passion in the classroom every day was a true inspiration of the power that creating visual art could have on one's life.

I developed my love of Bougereau, Waterhouse, and Leighton because of him. He encouraged me in my creativity and gumption within my own art form. He gave me ideas and ways to explore them. I still have a work that I have been piddling with since my senior year that he helped me with. (For those in my class, does "siren" ring a bell?) I have so many memories of discussions and true encouragement from him. Even after graduating, I would look forward to the conversations that I could have with him in the hallways during quick visits. He always encouraged me to keep painting, drawing, and creating art... and I have. It has been an outlet for emotions of all kinds: a way to grieve, a support to others, a celebration of joy, an expression of longing, an honoring for loved ones, and a transfer of feelings that can't be expressed in words.

He was an amazing artist and I always regretted the fact that I was never able to visit his rented studio space that was located near one of my favorite coffee shops. (Jeremy, I think it was by Black Dog Cafe.) So, I honor him for his passion in life for art, teaching, working with ambitious teenagers, his courage, and his steadfastness. I hope to be able to affect the lives of my own students as he affected mine. In his short forty-five years of life, he was able to accomplish so much.

As I write this, I am listening to the soundtrack of "The Mission". For some reason, it has occasionally reminded me of him. (Not the songs of impending doom, the serene ones.) Now it seems more appropriate than ever. The romantic, classical quality of the score just tears at your heart strings. It relays this mix of joy and sorrow, as does this time surrounding his death. He is with His Lord now, and is freed from the suffering that he endured for so many years. The tears stream down my face and yet I rejoice in the knowledge that he is finally resting at peace. Thank you for everything that you have taught me, Steve, you will be dearly missed.

Planned Part is Over!

2007-03-29T11:32:00.000-06:00

It's been great being back in Minnesota. It was such a joy-filled time to be able to be at the Community Meeting on Sunday and see everyone once again. The week has been good, very relaxing, and somewhat productive. After running around at a super high fast pace for the last three months, I'm trying to figure out how this slow-paced life at home works. I still want to be productive and there's a LOT that I want to accomplish during this time. I am now pretty much certified as a real, live teacher. Woo hoo! So, that means I need to find a teaching job for next year. That is what this month is about primarily. (I am in the Twin Cities for a month. I will head back up to Morris for the last three weeks of the semester, graduate, home for 3 days, and then head to Scandinavia for 2.5 weeks. Wow!) But, besides that month and a half spanning mid-April to the end of May, this ends the "planned part of my life". College is done, living situation is being investigated, jobs are being pursued, etc... That's a weird realization.

Since I've been back, I have finished my first draft of my resume and am starting on cover letters today. I have my eye on some different job posting sites, but will also be keeping track on individual school districts. I suppose I should insert some more details here. I have a few (loose) criteria for life next year. I need to be in a location where there is a branch of the People of Praise (any branch). Four years being away from a branch is more than enough for me! I feel the Lord is calling me to teach next year, most likely in a full-time teaching position where I have my own classroom. (Well, at this stage in the game, that's what I would like.) I would really like to live in some sort of a household with other singles or a family. And, I want to be more involved in the City-Building, Missionary lifestyle. I have been involved, and I consider myself to be a missionary already, no matter where I am. But I want to take that and make it my all... every day of my life, my mission in life.

So, as a result of all of these elements, I believe that I will most likely be in the Twin Cities metro area next year. This is exciting to realize and I'm finally starting to get glimpses of what life could be next year. I have talked to numerous people about this, and it seems pretty clear that this is where the Lord is calling me for now. In addition to that foundational call, it's even more exciting for many reasons: I grew up here, but haven't really come into my own as a full member of this branch; my family and so many of my friends are here (inside and outside People of Praise); there are many possibilities for household life here; my teaching licenture is in the state of MN, so no re-licenture is necessary; there are many districts and types of schools to pursue employment opportunities in, I'm not limited to one or two districts.

Many things are unknown, but it's all quite exciting. Even though this is the end of the "planned part", I know that Someone Else has an even greater plan for my life. That's all I need to know in order to have peace and trust in Him. Amen!

Way Overdue

2007-03-27T19:40:00.000-06:00

I apologize for the severe lack of posts lately... it has been crazy chaotic and then sleep took over. Such is life! If you don't know already, i write this from the homeland of Minnesota. I don't think I ever realized how much I enjoy being able to come back to this beautiful state until I flew from the desert into this land filled with lakes and trees. Yes, El Paso has mountains, but still doesn't win my heart over completely. So, it is good to be back. However, it wasn't an easy last couple of days with my students.

I have really created a strong bond with my students in El Paso, my first real class that I've ever had where I felt that they were mine. This responsibility for them was obviously in the classroom, but it also spread to all parts of their lives (as it should). I wanted to figure out a way to say goodbye to these little people who have been my purpose and my livelihood over the past three months. I decided I would write each one of them a letter. I was able to get most of the twenty hand-written letters finished over Spring Break. However, I saved the ones that would be the hardest to write until the end. I had intended my students to bring them home and read them there, after we had already said goodbye.

I prepared myself for a fun, but assuredly emotional day on Friday and that's what I had. Short version: they ended up reading their letters at the end of the day as I passed them out. Some of them began to cry because of the truly heart-felt and encouraging notes that I had given them. They came up to hug me ("Group Hug!") and I started crying because they were crying. And because I was crying, even more of them started crying! I know, it was indeed a vicious circle of love. :) I would bet that within that last half hour of Friday when we said our goodbyes, that at least 3/4 of my students cried. I guess I know that they love me and I hope that also means that I made a difference within these few months.

During these few months, I really bonded with a few of my boys, often times the bigger trouble-makers out of the group. They need stability and to learn responsibility, so I admit that I gave them a bit more attention. I took the time to individually pull aside the three who I grew closest to at the end of Friday: Ricardo, Alfonso, and Angel. I reiterated some of what I had written to them in their letters, and it is certainly a tall order: "Promise me that you will always take the time to make good decisions. Never take the easy way out, because it's never worth it. Don't ever let anyone push you around and don't ever push anyone else around. Promise that you will always be a gentleman. Never let your anger get the best of you. Don't fight with others. You know that you're better than than, and I know that. Now show them that you're better than that. Choose your friends carefully and help each other make good decisions. Never let anyone tell you that you can't do something. Work hard, and you can do whatever you set your mind to."

So, I hope they stay in touch. These are the ones whose futures I am slightly concerned about, but I think they'll be ok. Well, I pray they'll be ok. God has taken care of them this far into their little lives, He's always got them in His sight. So, after some tears and more hugs than I can count to my kids, I did what I came to Texas to do. I taught them everything I could (not just academic content either), I spent time with them, I loved them, and then I let them go. It was a great three months and I will never forget them, my first real class. Here's some pictures:
Here's some of my kids playing a Spelling game to review for their test. Sparkle, anyone? It was great fun and we're clearly having fun.

This is Angel. You'll notice the tears visibly streaming down his face. And yes, I was crying too. But, the picture taken immediately before this one was too sad to post. He's bawling. It's the saddest picture I've probably ever seen.

This is my class... well, almost all of them. Pretty cute, hunh? That's Alfonso with the attitude standing on his desk upper right. Ricardo is the one lurking in the background. I miss them already and love them tons. Father, watch over them and bless their futures. Give them the strength that they'll need to follow You and make good decisions each day. Amen!

A Bribe

2007-03-22T22:40:00.000-06:00

So, today was my second to last day in my classroom. Many of my student have been quite vocal about not wanting me to leave. One of my boys who is a bit of a trouble-maker came up to me this morning and said "Miss Coleman, why can't you stay? I want you to. If you stay, I promise I won't be bad any more. I'll be good!" Something like that just breaks my heart, how can it not?! (His behavior has actually improved drastically within my time here through meetings with his grandma (his legal guardian) to get all of us on the same page.) Tomorrow will be an interesting and emotionally-draining day, I am sure.

By the way, here's a story from Nightline that I just saw... interesting indeed. http://abcnews.go.com/Nightline/story?id=2935819&page=1

Perspective on History and Other Thoughts

2007-03-20T16:07:00.000-06:00

It is interesting how timing works because I was just talking to one of my roommates / fellow teachers about this and then I read Rus' post from 3/19/07. Here's my thoughts.

Because I am licensed to teach all subject areas Kindergarten through sixth grade, we have a lot of variety in the classes that we take in the Elementary Education program at Morris. This past fall I took a class of teaching methods in Social Studies. A shift in my thinking clicked into gear: Social Studies is not just history and geography like so many of us were taught throughout the years; it is the study of ALL things social: sociology, psychology, political science, anthropology, history, geography, and more! (You would think that this would be obvious, but it wasn't to me.) We need to teach it like that, and there are so many opportunities there. So often SS is seen as the most boring subject, but I see it as the subject with the most opportunities. (It's not always automatic, but I keep reminding myself of it.) By teaching it this way, it can be integrated into any of the other subjects: math (population growth, country statistics, travel, dates, life expectancy comparisons), science (pollution, ecology, renewable energy, engineering / architecture), reading (primary document, texts, everything), art (archeology, art history, pottery), music (well, that one's pretty obvious).

By viewing the world with all of these pieces intact, you see a more complete picture of how things work. It makes everything more relatable both to us and between all of these parts. Rus was talking about seeing the nation of Israel in a few different lights (from both the Israeli and Palestinian perspectives). One of the books from our school library that I read over Spring Break was called "One More River". It is the story of a Jewish family who move from Canada to Israel to join the life of the kibbutzim along the banks of the River Jordan (the former border between Israel and Jordan). It's a book of young adult literature, so an easy read but packed with stuff to think about. I recommend it!

This ties into why I really want to teach upper Elementary to Middle school (grades 4 - 8). I realized a while ago that there is an important distinction. So much of teaching at the primary level is building the foundation for their future education. This is part of why I want to teach at this level: get 'em while they're young! :) But, I want to be able to introduce really "meaty" topics to my students and incorporate that into my everyday teaching. I want to be able to really discuss what we're talking about in class. It's hard to do that with twenty-two 7 year olds. Yes, it's possible to a certain extent, but you can go so much deeper with students as they begin to mature.

Especially when you begin to delve into the genre of Social Studies, the possibilities become endless and can be very challenging. I want to incorporate current events into my teaching, for both my students' benefit and for my own. I want them to see the connections between what occurred in the past and what continues to happen in the world today. I haven't had the opportunity to teach much SS since I've been here in TX, only a week on the Texas Revolution. (yeehaw!) But, there has been other things that we have done with reports on Martin Luther King Jr., various presidents, different states, and other topics. I think my favorite moments were the conversations that we had centered around the Civil Rights Movement. These kids are still pretty young, and it's really interesting presenting those sorts of topics for the first time that they really start to get it. So, there's some of my thoughts for now. A bit random, but that's how my brain works today to give you a tiny little insight.

Reflections on Fear

2007-03-18T20:17:00.000-06:00

At the first Missionary Conference with the People of Praise this past New Years, I was being attacked more than ever before by the spirit of fear. I kept praying against it on my own and with others, but I couldn't seem to shake it. Finally, a word came forward that shot straight to my heart. I have held tight to that word for the past few months. It keeps me in the right frame of mind, where I know the Father wants me to be. Here's what I wrote as a reflection on it:

I hear Your Voice calling,
I feel Your heart-prodding,
And I wonder
What is this fear?

Never have I known one,
Never has one known me,
Like You.
And yet, what is this fear?

You call out "You are My joy, My love."
Your existence makes me possible.
We yearn for one another, that coexistence.
But, what is this fear?

And so I turn, to open surrender.
Through shaky tears,
Amidst the shadows,
I cast aside all fear.

Any challenge or price,
Any risk or sacrifice,
I stand firm with my Love
And will not choose fear.

And a prayer I wrote a few months ago that still rings true:
No matter what the cost. No matter how hard it is or how uncomfortable it may be. No matter the sacrifice... I have pledged my life to You, my Lord and King, the love of my life. No walls or barriers, whatever You want. No turning back. My life is different now. I see the world through new eyes. I have a lot of work to do and many things to pray about. But, I cannot, will not be afraid. You are my strength. You are my all. You are my Lord, my Shepherd, my Guide, my Master. You are my love... literally. All of the love that I have ever been capable of feeling or showing to others is because of You. Amen!

Prayer Request

2007-03-13T12:53:00.000-06:00

Many of you have gotten e-mails from me over the last couple of weeks regarding my dad's job situation. Very brief synopsis: he's been working in Nevada for the last 3.5 years after being laid off in MN. Great job, bad location. Under the radar from NV, he applied for a Dean's position at a Minneapolis college where he used to be a professor. Read on...

Hot Off the Press!

I just got a call from the Chair of the Search Committee at Minneapolis
Technical and Community College related to the position I interviewed for
last Friday: Dean of Workforce Development.

They interviewed 8 people and have narrowed the field to 3 finalists ... I
am one of the finalist. The follow up interviews with the President and Vice
President of the MCTC will be in a couple of weeks. Since I "serve at the
pleasure" in my existing job ... I'm trying to stay under the radar as long
as possible. The finalists are public information, but they are not
broadcast.

I sincerely appreciate your support and prayers ... I will keep you posted
as we go to the next level.

God bless!
Mick
So, prayers are needed now, more than ever. When I got the e-mail a few minutes ago, I started freaking out. (Just ask Jeremy Osterhouse) :) He likened it to being in a state tournament, now he has to be the best out of the top 3 competitors. God can do this if He wants to though. Lord, I'm handing this over to You even more than before. Hold my family in Your hands and move in power. Bless and guide all of those who are involved in this process. (But, oh Father, You know how badly I want this, how much we need this.) Take it, Lord, and move... Amen!

A Toast to my brother

2007-03-12T13:20:00.000-06:00

Today is my brother Johnny's 20th birthday. I have a lot of love and respect for that man. He has grown a lot over the past couple of years and really come into his own element. Like me, he has a lot of passion for life and the relationships therein. I'm proud of his initiative for going way the heck over to George Mason to study Sports Management. Sports have always been a huge part of Johnny's life ever since he was about five or six years old: T-Ball, Biking, Baseball, Soccer, Roller-Blading, Ice Skating, Basketball, Golf, Lacrosse, Tennis... just not running! He'll be great at it once he finds his niche. He's got a great girlfriend, Erika, who is already starting to be a part of the family... she fits right in!

Johnny and I have always been close: both while growing up and now. I love that bond that I'm able to share with him. Part of it was probably the fact that we were the same size and everyone thought we were twins while we were growing up. (Because I was so small, he caught up to me in height and weight when he was two years old and I was four.) I cherish those countless talks that we've had late at night. Some of my favorite memories are probably the times he would come into my room during high school and sit on my bed, just wanting to talk. We obviously don't see each other that much right now, but we'll still talk on the phone. It's not as much as I would want or an ideal situation... but it works.

Happy Birthday, Johnny, I love ya'!
(Photo courtesy of Bob Cunningham)

Kick off to Spring Break

2007-03-10T12:25:00.000-07:00

So, it's officially spring break here in El Paso (as it is in many other locations around the country). We have the whole week off from teaching, which is honestly a little weird. You see, after Spring Break I only have 1 more week of teaching and I'm flying back to MN (for good) two weeks from today. I know, it's nuts. So, honestly, I would just as soon not have break now and get home a week earlier instead of staying here. (It's not that I don't love being here... but I think you see where I'm coming from.)

So last night was a great way to kick off spring break, we had a lot of fun. Alicia Mendez is a Morris alum living and working here in El Paso. She's the one I went to Mexico with. She wanted to hang out with us, so we met her for dinner at "Taco Cabana" which was really good for being a fast food place. (I had a delicious shrimp quesadilla.) Then we went to Marble Slab for ice cream and hung out for a while. We wrapped up the evening by going to the cheap theater and seeing "Stomp the Yard". I was mind-blowing! I love any form of dancing and this was radically different from what I'm used to. I have a lot of respect for those people. It also made me really glad that we don't have any Greek Society at Morris. I have enough sisterhood (and brotherhood) without it. The best thing about the night though? All of this came to a grand total of $5.00. Heck yes!

So, the Spring Break week begins. Mary and Kirsten are both heading to MN for the week and the significant others of Cara and Mal are down here. And then there's me! Hopefully there won't be many awkward situations. I want to do some hiking while I'm here and get to White Sands National Monument (1.5 hours) and maybe Carlsbad Caverns National Park (3 hours). I would like to go with some people, but if there's no interest, I'll probably go solo. Yeah for hiking and national parks! I may hang out with Alicia some later on this week too. She's down here with a program called the Master's Commission which she described kind of like a Christian Peace Corps. This upcoming week is their big spring festival and there's a lot of speakers coming in. It would be great to have some more Christian Fellowship down here, so we'll see how it pans out. Keep me in your prayers this week and God bless!

Six Flags Over Texas

2007-03-09T11:28:00.000-07:00

As I previously mentioned, this week I have been teaching (and learning) about the Texas Revolution. Next week is the Alamo! So, we were having a discussion about it today and its relation to the Texas state flag. Anyways, my teacher brought up the information about where Six Flags (yes, the amusement park) got its name from. There are many Six Flags, but the first was in Arlington Texas and its full name is "Six Flags Over Texas". It derives its name from the SIX national flags that have flown over the state of Texas. Six! The lovely line-up of this national identity crisis in the making goes: France, Spain, Mexico, Republic of Texas, United States of America, and the Confederate States of America (and then back to the USA). Gotta' love that Texas pride! (Yes, it's a different world over here.)

After our field trip on Wednesday, we went to a park near the school for lunch and to play. I ended up reffing my first football game ever. It was pretty hot out (it's been in the mid to upper 70s all week). So, I borrowed my Ninah's baseball cap... Texas Longhorns! So, I'm running around with my kids, yelling, laughing, having a great time, in jeans, a T-shirt, hair in a pony tail, Texas Longhorns baseball cap on my head. "Do I look like I belong in Texas now?" "Yeah, Miss Coleman, you look cool!" "You look different!" :) It was quite fun. We got back to school and I was still wearing the cap. I ran into one of my roommates in the hallway and she said she didn't even recognize me! Well, I guess I don't wear that many baseball hats, especially not with my professional teaching wardrobe. Almost the weekend!

Thin Line between Trust and Mistrust

2007-03-07T19:52:00.000-07:00

We went on a field trip today called "Kids, Kows, and More" it was pretty fun to experience with them and an amazingly gorgeous day outside. (I even got my first sunburn of the year... gotta' love this complexion!) :) It's funny to come from Morris, the land where cows live next to the football fields and horse stables. Some of these kids had never been that close to cows before! I don't think I had realized how much I actually know about agriculture while being a city girl. I guess that happens when Mom grew up on a farm, Grandpa Bell raised hogs and other animals, my uncle Larry still farms in Iowa, my uncle Mark has an acreage with horses and and hay crops in Washington, and 3 of my cousins (Mike, Bill, and Tony) run their own Millenkamp Cattle Company. I guess going to Morris helps, too.

As I have mentioned before, I have started to really bond with some of my students. Some of my boys who like to cause a stir are actually the same ones who have been working their ways into my heart. The thing about bonding with students when I'm only gonna' be here for 2 more weeks is that I get attached. Because I have emotionally invested in my kids, it sometimes gets complicated. I trust them through that bond, but today that was tested. I found out at lunch today that two of my favorite boys apparently beat up another boy from a different section of 4th grade. Obviously I was upset to hear this and surprised nothing had been mentioned. So, I casually asked one of the offenders if anything happened after school. "No." "There's not anything you want to talk about or tell me?" (confused look) "No. Why, what happened?" "I heard that there may have been a confrontation between you, Alfonso, and another kid." "What, like we jumped him?" "I'm not accusing you of anything. I just wanted to know your side. I'm trusting you and would really hate to find out that you weren't telling me the truth." I left it at that for then.

The 3 boys involved talked to one of the other teachers after school and I guess that the accuser (one who had a bloody nose) started changing his story. "Maybe it wasn't them... I don't remember..." When I heard this, I guess there should have been some relief, but I was equally upset just in a different way. There are mixed stories being told, but the accuser is not the most trust-worthy. I guess we'll just see how it pans out. But I was upset because throughout the day I was flirting with that thin line between trust and mistrust. I wanted to trust my boys, this other kid impacted me, and I started to cross that line. However, I was immediately relieved that I never formally accused them of anything. Keep your head at all times, be fair, listen to all stories, and trust your gut I guess.

I made sure that I talked to my boys about it before they left for the day. They're not incapable of doing what they were accused of and I was concerned that their anger may tempt them to retaliate. I talked to one of them at length about how he deals with anger and what should be done. I expressed concerns about how some of the boys joke about beating people up or getting into prison. "You're so much better than that. You are above that kind of behavior. I know that and you know that, but you need to show them that, ok?" So I told him to have a good night, not to let his anger get the best of him, and I would see him tomorrow. I "gave him a pound" (knocking fists) and sent him on his way. I was still upset, but doing ok. All in a day's work.

I guess this somewhat minor situation just got me thinking about trust and mistrust in general. I want to be able to trust my students and those who I surround myself with in life, simple as that. However I also realized that who I trust lies in my own hands. Yes, we're obviously impacted by other people's actions. But when it comes down to it, I make the decision of who I am going to trust.
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Update as of 3/9/07:
Nothing has really come of this confrontation as far as discipline or other academic affairs go. When talking to the boys about what should be done, they said that they were just not going to hang out with this kid any more. Good plan!

One of my other students reported to me today that there was a near confrontation between the younger brother of the accuser (from the other class) and one of the accused (Angel, the one I talked to at length about being above such things). I guess that this kid was basically trying to pick a fight / taunt Angel before school this morning. But what did Angel do? He continually ignored him and kept walking away from the situation. Way to go, little man! There's one of my first good examples of what I can teach these kids beyond the classroom.

Taking Chances

2007-03-06T19:50:00.000-07:00

One of the great things about my teaching here in Texas is working with my cooperating teacher, Sandra Perez. She has been working with student teachers for many, many years. When we were talking together, she mentioned that she had an awful cooperating teacher during her own student teaching experience. So, she's made a commitment to take in as many student teachers as she can to "give back". And let me tell you, she's great at it. She said that she sometimes takes in up to three student teachers a year. That's a huge deal!

Some of my roommates here have kind of struggled working with their teachers because many of their teachers do not want to give up control in their classes (which is totally understandable; these are their classrooms). We're supposed to teach full time for at least 2 - 3 weeks while we're here. However, Sandra is really good about letting me do / try pretty much whatever I want. I started teaching on my 2nd day here! I've also been full time teaching for six weeks already... this is my last one. I think that because of this, I've really connected with my students. I'm gonna miss them like crazy!

I've had to figure out the delicate balance between not knowing much about something and knowing a lot about other topics. Both my university supervisor and advisor have made comments regarding my teaching and the knowledge that I bring into the classroom. Because I have had so many diverse experiences (in great part due to my education through the classes I have taken at Trinity and chose to take at UMM). My advisor said that as a student in class, in my conversations, and while I am teaching I stay on track with the topic, but I also draw information from everywhere that enriches or expands on the idea. This is great, but when I'm teaching I have to be careful... my students may not see where I'm coming from right away. It was great to hear that distinction.

On the other end of the spectrum, I'm not afraid to try something new with these students that I've never done before. For example, this week I started teaching to these native Texan students living on the Mexican border about the Texan Revolution. (Bring it on!) :) So, it'll be a fun last week and a half... lots of new experiences and adventures still left to be had. Huzzah!

Mexican Adventure

2007-03-03T18:25:00.000-07:00

I went to Mexico today! El Paso is literally right next to the border between the USA and Mexico. You can see Mexico from outside of our apartment and drive along the Rio Grande on I-10. It's nuts. One of the UMM students who student taught down here last spring (Shelly) has an uncle living in El Paso who does mission work into Ciudad Juarez (in Mexico). She crossed over with him and another teacher (Alicia) many times to help out with his work there. Alicia is actually still living down here, working and studying. Today Malorie, Alicia, her friend Heather, Ed (Shelly's uncle), and I went over to Juarez for about 8 hours.

It was a great day, started off with great music by Manu Chao (courtesy of Joshua and Naomi Caneff) in Spanish, Portugese, French, and English... gotta love it! We met at the mission house in El Paso, loaded up into Ed's H3 (yup... a Hummer 3) and drove across the border. It's really easy to get into Mexcio, you don't even have to stop, just drive on through! Despite the fact that it only took us a few minutes to get into Mexico, the difference is immediately noticeable. Houses are falling down / over... actually, I would not call them all houses. Many are shacks, boards in a pile with a tarp or tin roof over them, and a fence around it if they're lucky. We went through many parts of the city and it was amazing the difference that a mile or even a few blocks could make.

So, we're driving around, looking for someone to tell us where to find our first delivery point, and it started to hit me how akward this was. We're driving around an extremely impoverished area, and even though it's cool to be in a Hummer... this doesn't seem right. It's not like I don't already stand out enough in these Hispanic communities. :) We visited the first children's home briefly, got some lunch at a restaurant downtown, and continued on to our next location.

We arrived at our final destination at the end of their lunch time. We walked into the main dining area and found about 30 children eating their noon-time meal. The four of us women ended up sitting down with the kids as they finished and began talking to them. None of them spoke English, so for the first time since I've been here, I was really able to use my Spanish! (Malorie and Alicia also speak Spanish.) One of the staff said that they have from ages 2 - 18 sometimes, but the majority are from about 5 - 10 years old. While introducing ourselves to one another, I started talking with some of the little girls about names. They wanted to know my complete name (I usually go by Karina when I speak Spanish) and they loved saying it over and over again: "Karina Maria Isabel Coleman" It was a lot of fun. Some were fascinated by my blue eyes or my freckles, but mostly by my hair. At one point in time I had two girls and one little boy playing with it... it was an experience!
Malorie's digital camera proved to be a big hit, as is the usual case. All of these pictures were actually taken by an 11 year old girl from the Home who we spent most of the afternoon with. It's amazing how much can be translated through pictures and how exciting it can be to have your picture taken. They wanted to be remembered; they wanted to be in the camera, on the screen. For a while, they were all lining up so we could take a picture of each of them on their own... their moment to shine.

It was great just to be able to play with these kids and give them some love and attention. I think that they're pretty much on their own for playtime and don't interact with adults too often. You could tell that they loved every minute of it, and so did we. I was bouncing some of the little ones around, tickling them (see new profile picture), picking them up, carrying them around, and giving LOTS of hugs. I was talking to 4 year old Jose when they came over with the camera. I scooped him up and threw him on top of my shoulders. You could tell that he had no idea what was going on, and had probably never sat on someone's shoulders. He was squirming all over the place, so you can tell I'm cautiously holding him in the picture. He was all smiles though!
We were only able to stay for a couple of hours at this Children's Home, but it was worth it! We said our goodbyes to the kids and gave another round of hugs. I don't know if I'll get back over in the last 3 weeks that I have here, but I'm glad I was able to go at least once.

When we were headed back towards the Mexican-USA border, the traffic was nuts (as we expected). As previously mentioned, we didn't even have to stop to get into Mexico, we just drove through the gates. However, it was about 1.5 hours that we sat in the car, waiting for our turn to get through the gates, talk to the border patrol, and be on our way. Whew! It was interesting to say the least. But, it was worth every minute of that wait to bring the children their needed supplies. More importantly, it was great to give them some love as we are supposed to live our lives. This was painted on the wall of the dining room... not only should we let the little children come to the Lord, but we should bring Him to them through our actions.

Team El Paso

2007-03-02T17:28:00.001-07:00

Here's a picture of my and my Texas roommates (known to our professors as "Team El Paso"). Cara and I only have 2 weeks of teaching left (plus a week for our Spring Break). Mal, Mary, and Kirsten are staying another month to teach Spanish in the high school near our apartment. (They're double majors with Spanish Secondary Ed.) Good times!

From Left to Right: Malorie, me (Karen), Mary, Cara, and Kirsten.

And here's Scotsdale Elementary School where I teach 4th grade!

True Gratitude and Growth

2007-03-01T17:57:00.001-07:00

Sometimes I cannot help but stop and look around at my life. It is times like this when I am able to stop and breathe, and I am filled with true gratitude for all that the Lord has given me. The best thing about birthdays is getting to talk to everyone! So, even though I should have been doing lesson planning, I was on the phone for most of the night with people in Minnesota, Virginia, Nevada (that's just my immediate family), Texas, Indiana, Colorado, and Costa Rica!!! Technology is a beautiful thing... for more reasons than one.

This past year was a crazy one, mostly one of growth. I don't consider twenty-two years to be very many to have been on this planet. But, I did catch myself in the mirror today and was fairly pleased with what He's been up to in that short amount of time, especially recently. Within the last year, the Lord has really been working in my life, in my heart. I especially have a fresh perspective on some of the relationships in my life. I truly cherish those who He has brought into my life both at Morris, through the People of Praise, and also from other areas of my life. They keep me in check, in perspective, balanced. I always have a number of people who I can talk to at any time about anything. The Lord has blessed me immensely in the last two months as well through my roommates in El Paso. We've known each other for a few years and had all of our classes together for the past two years in the El Ed Program. But, I never expected it to be going as well as it has been. It was immediate, no akward period of adjustment or anything. It's odd though because I realize these months here will provide us with a bond, but it doesn't mean that we're going to be great friends or even stay that close after graduation. I'm sure we'll keep in touch in terms of teaching, and I'll think of them often... but you know what I mean.

That is one thing that I have been thinking more about recently, which I should have been expecting. There was a time near the end of my senior year of Trinity that I realized that I would not stay in touch with everyone from our small class of 55. This was a hard realization because I had kind of fallen / put into the role of "class organizer" -> the one who knew everyone, where they were going to college, most of their birthdays and middle names, their possible majors, one of the seniors on yearbook, etc... I am the only class representative for our class, I'll coordinate things in the future. I think that because of this, I held onto people for longer than many do. For the first two years of college, I stayed in touch with most of my class and would give the "Christmas / Summer updates" to people. I've gotten away from that in recent years to a certain extent. I still really value these people and it is truly my pleasure to serve them by being a link between them and Trinity.

I guess I have been realizing the value of relationships being two-sided. They have to be two-way streets. I don't want to have to put all of the effort into my friendships. There has to be a mutual commitment to something or someone for it to work. I've been realizing that I shouldn't feel bad about not putting myself through the agony of exhausting myself over things like this. I'm not giving up, I'm not going to change who I am, who I love, or what I value. However, I've had to convince myself that sometimes people float in and out of our lives, it is natural. It's a hard reality to swallow, but as a result of the choices that we make, it is true... it is what we choose, all of us. And I'm OK with that now.

And that is one reason why I love my life in the People of Praise. It is how I am choosing to live. It is what I am inviting others to live with me. It is who I am choosing to live it with. Won't you join us?

Dinner in New Mexico

2007-02-26T11:13:00.000-07:00

This past weekend was great. My roommates and I celebrated my upcoming birthday. Since we've been in Texas we haven't gone out to a steak house or for BBQ yet, and as a lover of good BBQ, I decided that's what I wanted to do. I found this place online called "The State Line Smokehouse & Grill" that sounded great. About 15 - 20 min from our apartment, with their own smokehouse on the grounds. Good reviews, so it was decided. They also said online that it was near the state line between TX and New Mexico (about 5 minutes or so). So, it sounded fun.

We got there and the food was great! Talk about huge portions. I decided to go all out with a combo plate of brisket, beef rib, pork ribs, peppered chicken, and their house recipe sausage. All that plus potato salad, beans, and coleslaw. I could eat about half of it. (Do you see the size of that beef rib?! It's bigger than my head... and boy, was it delicious!) Add onto that a big scoop of homemade vanilla bean ice cream that they gave me to celebrate the big 22 and I was beyond satisfied.

As we were leaving the restaurant, we walked through their beautiful patio and out to the parking lot. We noticed something interesting on the patio archway, though. "Now leaving New Mexico" What?! I knew we were near the state line, but this restaurant actually straddles it! So, we parked in Texas and ate in New Mexico. It was great. I stood there with one foot on either side of the arch: "Woohoo, 2 places at once!" (Not quite as cool as being in four places at once at Four Corners: New Mexico, Arizona, Colorado, and Utah... but still.) :) We came home, goofed around for a while, and then decided to play a game. So, amidst laugh attacks involving tears and side aches, we played a raucous game of Phase 10. I won! (It's only my second time ever playing.) It was a great night!

Crane Crash & Cager

2007-02-23T16:06:00.000-07:00

Every day spent teaching is filled with new experiences, but today was an even more extreme case of that. We heard last night on the news that a "wind storm" was blowing in, literally. I didn't think a whole lot of it because, let's face it, I'm coming from Morris - the land of all that is windy. But throughout the day today it definitely did blow in! I'm in the desert, also surrounded by mountains that are really quite beautiful. But the way that the wind picks up that sand can hurt when it hits your face and gets in your eyes! Apparently, it can also be pretty dangerous.

Currently at Scotsdale, my school, they are doing construction. We're adding onto the school to make a bigger & better cafeteria with an improved kitchen. (Then the old spaces will be converted into classrooms.) Lately, they've started working on the roof, which they continued doing today. It seems that this may have not been the wisest choice with the forecast. About an hour after we got back from lunch our principal told us over the PA system that we had to leave our classroom and to bring what we needed for the rest of the day. My kids were just finishing their weekly math test! So, we got everything that we needed for their remaining assignments and moved to the gym.

It was then that we heard what happened (plus what I've heard since then): a crane fell on our school! One of the two cranes located on our site was lifting a large piece of aluminum to be used on the roof. It must not have been cantilevered enough / at all because the wind caught hold of it and started pulling. It pulled with such force that this multi-ton crane actually tipped over and fell on our building (and the construction site)! Thank God that no one was hurt. They evacuated 2 of the hallways near the damage. So, we spent the rest of our afternoon on the stage in the gym with two other 4th grade classes. Whew! It was very interesting to give a spelling test with 120 screaming 3rd graders next door and 40 other 4th graders 5 feet away. Ah, the joy of being flexible! It was mostly just entertaining, I couldn't help but laugh. I also attempted to read out loud to them from Maniac Magee, my pick for our read aloud.

The other exciting thing that happened today was that we had a visitor in school: Willie Cager. He is a former basketball star from the first integrated team in NCAA history: El Paso's own Texas Western University (now University of Texas - El Paso: UTEP). This may sound familiar to some people... it should. This is the team that the film "Glory Road" was made about. He is actually one of the players who was more featured in the story of the team. We were walking to lunch and a couple of my boys started freaking out. We saw a tall, older, African-American man coming towards us in the hallway in his wheelchair. "Ah! That's Willie Cager! Oh my gosh! It's Willie Cager! What's he doing here?" I think that some of my students had seen him at UTEP Miner games. (A lot of the players and former coach Don Haskins still attend the games.) When I came home, I did some research and found out that he's been hired by our district to help lead the after-school basketball program for 3rd - 8th grade. Pretty cool! Maybe we'll see more of him. :)

Presidential Knowledge

2007-02-21T12:01:00.000-07:00

My students (4th graders) had to do reports and presentations on an assigned president. Here's some knowledge that I acquired. Gotta' love it! Did you know that...

"John Adams made a piece of Great Britain with the help of his friend 'Frank' "... I think he meant made peace with the help of Benjamin Franklin. I didn't know that he was ever called Frank. (according to Isaac)
"Harry S Truman was a slave in World War I." I started laughing out loud when he was conferencing with me about it. "What, Alfonso?!" Then I realized what he meant... "Do you mean that Truman served in World War I?" :) Apparently, not all 4th graders know that "serving" and "slavery" are not the same things, even in terms of serving in a war. We cleared that up right then and there. (Alfonso)
"Herbert Hoover's the man!" (Ricardo)
"Theodore Roosevelt died when he was shot at home when he was president." Teddy Roosevelt actually died in his sleep at home (technically from a coronary embolism). (Jonathan)

More reports tomorrow... we'll see if there are any additions to this. (From the looks of it, my 8 girls are more accurate than my 12 boys. haha) Here's something I just found. It's a site listing all of the ways that our presidents have died. No, I'm not just morbid... it's actually pretty interesting. Some of them are kind of funny (especially Zachary Taylor's).

And here's another anecdote from about a month ago: "Martin Luther King was the president and a king. He got married and had 2 children with Rosa Parks." I laughed out loud with that one too and before we cleared that one up as well. Gotta love the life of a teacher!

College Culmination

2007-02-19T19:15:00.000-07:00

Life is always difficult when things begin to change, and it always brings with it an amount of uncertainty. I am really bad at good-byes. You never know the permanence of things. I realize that it's a part of life and things are not meant to always stay the same. That's the beauty of it, right? But, that doesn't mean that it's always easy. One of the reasons that friendships and relationships change is because of a shift in what is shared: that common ground, environment, those experiences, stories, etc...

That is one reason why I love my life within the People of Praise. I still have to say my good-byes and things are constantly shifting. But, we're doing it together. We're following God's will for our lives both individually and as a body, through discernment and prayer. Our good-byes are never forever because we're constantly being present to one another. I remember thinking about a friend in high school. "I don't know where either of us will end up in the future or how our interactions may change. But as long as I have him in my life as a friend, I will be happy." Now I am blessed to call him my brother! I have met so many amazing people in this life and even if I only see them once every couple of years, we are connected. We share that life.

As I think about the next few months of my life I see uncertainty and yet I am peaceful. I know that He will take care me as He always has. I am excited for this new adventure, wherever it takes me. I am ready for anything. Well, maybe not anything... but with His help I can be! Immediately following graduation from U of M - Morris in May, I am traveling abroad with my choir (Norway, Sweden, Denmark, & Iceland). I look forward to this blessed time of adventure and culmination with these wonderful people the Lord has brought into my life over the past 4 years. Here's a bit of a preview!

My Favorite Places in the World

2007-02-18T10:23:00.000-07:00

Some of my favorite places in the world that I have seen thus far (in no particular order):

The gardens of the Alhambra in Granada, Espana
Allendale, a section of the city of Shreveport, Louisiana
The Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness in northern MN
Canadian Rocky Mountains (Banff and Jasper National Parks)
The rooftop of my piso (apartment) in Toledo, Espana
Dorothy Sayre's house in Morris, MN
Columbia River Gorge near Portland, OR
Anywhere where I can sit and pray in front of the Blessed Sacrament
Upstate New York, the Hudson River Valley
Quebec City, Quebec
Roma & Assisi, Italia

My uncle's small farm / acreage in NE Washington state
Cinque Terre, Italia (National Park of 5 tiny cities smashed between the mountains and the Mediterranean)
Anywhere that I can sing beautiful music with good friends... especially performing with my Concert Choir
South Minneapolis, near Lake Harriet
The Humanities and Fine Arts Center in Morris, MN (specifically the Choir Room and Ceramics Studio)
The branches of People of Praise that I have visited or lived in: Minneapolis & St. Paul, MN; Shreveport, LA; South Bend, IN; Northern Virginia (Washington D.C.); Saskatoon, Saskatchewan (Canada); Colorado Springs, CO; Portland, OR / Vancouver, WA; and New Orleans, LA
I would love to visit the other 13 plus our new starts as well!
Vatican City, specifically within St. Peter's Cathedral

I am a Teacher

2007-02-17T20:27:00.000-07:00

I wrote this on Feb 11 while my students were testing... it works. :)

I am in a land of learning and adventure. A place where children come to feel safe from any harm and to learn about the world that they live in. They are protected and yet not isolated. The outside world enters in so that we can examine and discuss it. This outside world comes in through books, lessons, experiences, stories, but mostly through these little people. These small, beautiful, bright people are the world that we live in. They reflect the world now and show us a glimpse as to how the world may end up being in the future. I stop and find myself surrounded by their beautiful faces: their round, warm faces with eyes set like the dark sky sparkling away. Cascades of long, straight, shiny hair brush past my girls' shoulders, sometimes reaching their waists. And my boys, my little men, are unlike any other. They have smiles that show their mischief and their inner workings. They are living in a world where they are gradually developing their little machismos. I would love to be able to instill in them a desire to be little gentlemen, where their charisma and personality may shine as brightly as possible.

My students have ambition, they have spunk, they are alive and bursting with potential. Most of them have already begun to succeed, but the ones falling behind worry me. There seems to be no way to scoop them up and put them ahead of where they should be... if only we could figure out a way to jump their hurdles! They are becoming more sure of themselves, but it is not always easy for them. That is one beautiful thing to see. So often when they are figuring out something new, how it works, and the potential solution to a problem, they are so precise and careful with each action. We must encourage more of this: methodical thinking and problem solving. They should not be afraid to tackle a big task, but learn how to break it into smaller, more manageable ones. When there is so much unknown information that they are faced up against, it must be hard to be confident and keep pushing onward. But we must; they must. That is what this is all about, this teaching.

Teaching is a way in which we are able to propel the minds and leaders of the future forward. Without trying to be overly idealistic, this is just true. They learn how to look at the world, and begin to see the possible role that they can play in this grand scheme. Now all I have to do is figure out how to get them to do this! I am a teacher, and my world is my classroom.

My Name is Karen

2007-02-17T17:27:00.000-07:00

My name is Karen and I am an artist. I am a dancer, a photographer, a painter, a singer (soprano, thank you!), a writer, a poet, a motivator, and my current art form... teaching! For the first three months of 2007 I am teaching 4th grade in El Paso, TX. This is through my university where I am a senior majoring in elementary education. I study at the University of Minnesota - Morris which is a part of the U of MN system, surrounded by the prairie of west-central MN (about 3 hours from the Twin Cities). Being at this university has provided me with amazing experiences and opportunities. I have been tested more than I could have imagined throughout my four years there. But, because of this I have become stronger, smarter, and I have discovered who I am and what is important to me.

I love to travel and see new places. This is something that I grew up with as a born and bred road-tripper. We have taken some amazing family vacations together all over the U.S. and Canada. I hope to cross the border into Mexico while I'm here in El Paso. There is something about going to a new place for the first time. It freshens your perspective on the world and how it operates. I was able to study abroad in Toledo, Spain for the spring of my semester year. It was a full immersion program which meant that I spoke only Spanish for 3.5 months. I learned more about myself than I could have imagined and God showed me that He is ever-faithful. I was able to travel around Spain and also into Portugal, Italy, and have a lay-over in England... haha. I graduate this May and will then go on my next international adventure: touring Scandinavia with my choir for two and a half weeks (Norway, Sweden, Denmark, and Iceland). What an amazing way to end a college career... among the fjords!

I am a part of the People of Praise, an ecumenical, charismatic Christian community that is my life. With them I am a sister, a city-builder, and a missionary. They are my life support. When asked to imagine and describe my dream job, the answer was clear. I want to live in one of our People of Praise cities, and teach in one of our elementary schools. I can't imagine anything more amazing or rewarding. I would love to be a part of our first elementary school: teach our children, the children of those in our cities. How amazing to be able to have parent-teacher conferences with those who I live my life with and who I am inviting to that life as well. We shall see where He calls me for this upcoming year.