If you’re joining the Thanksgiving scripture challenge, the verse for today is Psalm 27:2:

When the wicked, even mine enemies and my foes, came upon me to eat up my flesh, they stumbled and fell.

You might try writing the first letter of each word for yesterday’s verse as a recall tool…I’m trying it out today!

T L i m l a m s; w s I f? T L i t s o m l; o w s I b a?

that you are being prayed for.  I’m feeling it, for those of you who have been praying, and I can’t tell you how I appreciate it.

Sometimes, you realize again how blessed you are.

He comes Friday for lunch, like always, and we meet in the doorway and, always, we wrap arms, me the daughter-in-law, him the worn father of the man whose ring I wear. He pats my back, and I brush his cheek.

He’s seventy-five and he takes my seat and I bring the dish of squash, the plate of pork roast. Children wash hands.

“I saw Pete today over at the home farm.” Opa smiles, nods. I serve potatoes. Pete’s our age, married to Opa’s grand-daughter. Farmer Husband smiles, nods too, the language of men.

“And how’s Pete?”

“Oh, we were talking of the things of the Lord, and I told him I was working on memorizing from Ephesians this week, another three verses this morning, and Pete, he just says, “Can I hear your verses?” He just asks to hear them right there in the farmyard!” Opa’s chuckling now, his cheeks blushing bashful child

“I didn’t have anything on me, not a Bible or cue cards or anything, and I wasn’t really expecting that…” He’s grinning. “But by His grace, I was able to say it, that whole chapter of Ephesians…”
And I grin, pat his shoulder, pass the water down to Farmer Husband.

“And then Pete… ” Opa looks over at me, wide-eyed, the child joy of man faith. “Pete, he asks me, “Would you mind listening to what I’m memorizing?” He was memorizing too and wanted to share! I wasn’t expecting that either!” He laughs, the joy of men spontaneously speaking ancient Words, dialect of Home.

-from Ann at A Holy Experience

I was inspired…so Psalm 27 it is, a verse a day between now and Thanksgiving, full of lots to give thanks for.  I’ll post my verse for the day each day.  If you want to join in, go for it!

Psalm 27:1 (KJV)

The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? the LORD is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?

(See an earlier post on Psalm 27 here.)

from my reading ’round the blogosphere:

On Bible versions: “It’s OK to prefer your Bible over others; just don’t blame its superiority on God.”

On seeking beauty as a follower of Jesus: “Lord God, You know how broken I am, how muddy this place. So here’s the perfect place for redemptive beauty. Let me thrill in the hunt”

and from my classroom:

On the contagious nature of research and the blundering of public figures’ names: “Can I go to the library to do research on Maraka Obama, Ms. Olson?”

After my post on practice, this question from a student left me re-thinking the practice we choose and the practice we don’t.  Sometimes, it varies.

Ms. Olson, can I practice the pledge of allegiance at recess since I didn’t get to do it with you?

I couldn’t believe my ears; I asked him to repeat his question, thinking that surely I had misunderstood him.  Nope, I hadn’t.  He had been running an errand, thought that we had done the pledge, and wanted to practice on recess.

I assured him that we hadn’t, and that he would be able to do it with us.

His relief was a little amusing!

So maybe…what I see as worth practicing further and what you see as worth practice are different.  Hmm…

When my kids don’t take the time given in class to practice appropriate behaviors and skills (waiting for a turn to talk, recording a math game, writing in their journals, etc.) I provide an opportunity for them to practice.  That opportunity comes at recess time, since the rest of our day is filled with pre-scheduled practice (i.e. assigned work).

Part of my job is to hold them accountable for using their time well.  The fact that they don’t always appreciate this accountability doesn’t make it any less important.

The same truths apply to my life…and sometimes my own need to practice patience, perseverance, faith, and hope means I get an extra opportunity.  Most of the time, I don’t appreciate the accountability as I should.  It’s a good thing that God cares so much about my spiritual formation and persists in providing the discipline I need!

1 kayak

1 warm sun + reflection of sun rays off the lake

1 smooth lake

1 paddle

many quiet moments of prayer

1 Sabbath afternoon

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Mix together until relaxed and refreshed.  Add the reflection of changing leaves and a slight breeze on occasion.

Top off with a nap.  Enjoy!

[Concerning the bodily resurrection of Jesus] The obvious fact that this remains hugely challenging at the personal and corporate level ought not to put us off from taking it seriously.  Or were we only playing when we entertained the question in the first place?

I read this last night in Surprised by Hope: Rethinking Heaven, the Resurrection, and the Mission of the Church by N.T. Wright, and it caught my attention.

What else do we consider but not take seriously?  How much of the truth do we ostensibly believe but not actually take seriously?

Lately, the well-known Golden Rule (do to others as you would have them do to you) has hit me hard.  How often do I act considering my own well-being at the expense of the oft-unknown “other?”  A few others include:

• Let no unwholesome word come out of your mouth (Eph. 4:32)
• Do nothing from selfish ambition or vain conceit, but…regard one another as more important than yourselves. (Phil. 2:3)

The resurrection of Jesus is clearly foundational to the Christian faith.  We may or may not find it easy to take this truth or any other seriously, but playtime is over.

After 11 hours (minus a lunch break) of Student-Led Conferences, I’m almost done.  My thoughts from the day are as follows:

1. I’m thankful to teach in a school where the building philosophy generally matches my own.
2. Homemade ice cream cake makes the end of a long day much more pleasant.
3. Student-Led Conferences can be slightly awkward to watch (especially for first graders doing them for the first time) but are pretty priceless when you get to sit back and observe.  The interactions between parents and their kids speak volumes!
4. The apple truly doesn’t fall far from the tree.
5. Negative comments between parents make for really awkward times.
6. This sounds horrible, but conferences remind me that my kids come from and go home to a specific context each day.  Part of my job is to help them to make that transition well.
7. Metropolitan Market’s Chicken Coconut Curry soup is worth eating at every chance.  And finally,
8. Thank you to parents who keep sick (H1N1) kids home!

“Ms. Olson, do you want to be skinny?”

“Why?”

“‘Cause my mom wants to be skinny.  She’s already skinny, like this: (pulls shirt tight against ribs and sucked-in stomach.)  She wants to be skinnier in 10 weeks, or even more.  She was eating food what makes you skinny for 10 weeks.”

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Also heard recently:

“Ms. Olson, are you sweating?  ‘Cause I sure am!” (post-PE)

and

“My life is getting so boring!” (from a second grader lamenting her lack of writing in her journal)