Monta with 37 points. And thundersticks!
Bibimbap burrito & the amazing Creme Brulee man!
Whenever people ask me why I want to be a teacher, I almost always give them the generic answer of, “I love working with kids. It’s fun, it’s challenging, and it’s not a routine job.” All of that is true, but still there are other reasons why I love teaching and consider it such an appealing and rewarding profession. It is a blessing to have the huge responsibility of impacting young children’s lives, especially by playing a big role in their character development. To take it one step further, God has been challenging me to question what my role will be as a teacher, and to really ask myself why I want to be one.
This semester in my credential program I have been taking a course on social justice. Aside from the fact that the class is 7-10pm, and it comes with a fat stack of reading, the class is depressing to say the least. Although I’ve grown up in San Francisco my whole life, my eyes have never really been opened so much to see how unjust our society is. I knew that there were, and always will be, several things wrong with it, but this class has really allowed me to think critically about the reality that we live in. While social justice is something I’ve been concerned about before, taking this course has really sparked a growing interest in me. We like to believe that we live in a society where you are rewarded in this world for being honest and doing good things – but are we really? Is every wealthy person in power really there because they worked hard? Isn’t that what we teach our kids? We also like to believe that racism doesn’t exist anymore, and everyone is considered equal regardless of the color of their skin – but why is African history before the slave trade left out of the school curriculum? In the past several weeks I’ve been able to uncover prejudices that I personally have, that I wasn’t even aware of (partly because that’s how we’ve been socialized growing up, but mostly/all because of sin). It’s also allowed me to look at myself, and see how issues like racism have led me to develop internalized racism, where I’ve begun to believe the negative things said about me because of my race.
Anyway, all that to say.. with my new knowledge and concern for social justice, I’ve really been trying to figure out how it relates to God’s calling for us as Christians. I’ve been doing some “research” (it’s still a work in progress), and I’ve concluded that while we are called to love others and care for the oppressed, it cannot take priority over sharing the gospel. Ultimately, getting rid of racism and bringing people out of poverty will not have an eternal effect for the souls of the lost. As Christians, it is our responsibility to go out and share the gospel with those who don’t know Christ – to make disciples of all nations.
However, the Bible does instruct us to care for the poor and help those in need, and as a teacher I’ve come to realize that I do not only need to actively pursue it in non-work life, but I need to take on this responsibility in my classroom as well. I am committed to exposing my students to these issues and openly discussing it with them, so that they can be aware and choose to make changes. I want to teach them to think critically about the curriculum we are given (which is oppressive in itself) so that I am not just teaching for the purpose of “social reproduction”, where the pattern of oppression only repeats itself. Whatever I teach or don’t teach makes a statement – even if I choose to not speak up about an issue at all. If I become a teacher, it looks as though there is a lot of work ahead of me to be done.
My friends in my cohort are such blessings to me.
Mine is the heart-shaped balloon.
“And, I guess the answer here is, certainly things here need to be rebuilt, but worse than this suffering is eternal suffering, and for some people who don’t know Christ, this is the best their life will ever be. And for those who do know Christ, this is the worst it will ever be.” -Mark Driscoll on the earthquake in Haiti one year ago.
The same can be said about Japan today. Please keep those who are suffering from the earthquake & tsunami in your prayers.
God is our refuge and strength,
an ever-present help in trouble.
Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way
and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea,
though its waters roar and foam
and the mountains quake with their surging.
- Psalm 46:1-3
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2010 was the year that I attended eight weddings (one of which was my sister’s!), the first (and second) time I was in a wedding party, the year that I was accepted into and began my credential program, the first time I’ve gone to a Jay-Z concert, the first time I’ve gone to a Backstreet Boys concert (where Brian Littrell touched my hand, which I’m sure was my dream when I was 11), the year that I had to say goodbye to my dog who I’ve had since I was seven, the first time the Giants won the World Series since coming to SF, the year I met and shook hands with Cody Ross (NLCS MVP), the first time I’ve gotten into a car accident while driving, the first SFBC family retreat I’ve attended since high school, and so many other things including new friendships being built and old friendships being strengthened. 2010 was definitely a year full of so many blessings.
Through the good and the bad I can confidently say that I was able to see how so many different events and experiences worked together under God’s sovereignty to teach me the things I’ve learned in the past year and to bring me to where I am today. One of the biggest lessons I learned was that even though we live in a sinful world, God ordains even the bad things to happen, so that it can ultimately work for my good – and how thankful I should be for that! I’m glad that everything works according to God’s perfect plan, though I may not understand why certain things happen at the time and though it can be painful. I am so thankful that everything is not left up to me or my own strength, because I am so weak on my own and would fail miserably. I hope that this is a lesson I continue to learn and know more deeply throughout this year.
I have never been one to make New Years resolutions, but this year I decided to make one and hopefully stay faithful to keeping it. My New Years resolution is to read more. I own several books which I hoped to read in the past, but I haven’t gotten through any of them because I’m a horrible reader due to impatience and lack of discipline. I haven’t enjoyed reading since the first grade when I read books like Franklin and Curious George. I hope that this year will be different. I hope that I will be more disciplined in my reading and that it won’t become something dreadful, but something that I enjoy.
Happy New Year friends! May it be a God-glorifying and fruitful year for both you and me.
“You know we couldn’t find a better dog. You know what made you such a great dog – is you loved us everyday, no matter what. That’s an amazing thing.”
When I was in the second grade, I remember coming home from school one day and hearing my mom talk about a dog she saw at the SPCA. Years before this, my sister and I had always asked our parents for a dog, but my mom didn’t want to get one – until one day she accompanied her friend on a trip to the SPCA. Goldie changed my mom’s mind.
We went to the SPCA as a family to take a look at Goldie. I remember the moment we walked in and stopped at Goldie’s kennel. Goldie immediately started wagging her tail, jumping around, and licking the bars. Never had I seen a dog so excited and friendly that they would start licking the bars of their cage as strangers walked by. That’s the moment I fell in love with her.
Then we took her to the “acquaintance room” where you get to spend time with the dog to see how they interact with you. I was just standing there at seven years old, when suddenly Goldie quickly pranced by and licked my hand. It made me so happy, and that’s the moment we became best friends.
We’ve had her ever since then. For the past 18 years she’s faithfully followed me around the house and through our neighborhood. She’s been there through all the different stages of my life. She’s always been there to joyfully greet me when I got home, and to sit by me when I was sad.
Exactly two weeks ago we had to take her to the vet because her health was declining and she had an infection in her mouth. That’s when we heard the news that the time to say goodbye was approaching. Today I finally had to let go, as we made the decision to put her to sleep. Even though I knew she was really old, and that one day the time would come, a part of me just didn’t believe it. It’s painful and never easy to say goodbye to someone who’s been such a huge part of your life for the past 18 years, but for those 18 years I am incredibly grateful – for the faithfulness, the laughter, the comfort, the company, and the unconditional love.
“A dog has no use for fancy cars or big homes or designer clothes. A water log stick will do just fine. A dog doesn’t care if you’re rich or poor, clever or dull, smart or dumb. Give him your heart and he’ll give you his. How many people can you say that about? How many people can make you feel rare and pure and special? – How many people can make you feel extraordinary?” – Marley & Me.
“It’s easy to be on the straight and narrow when you in the joint because it ain’t no temptation,” he said. “You don’t really got too much room to roam. Now, once you leave up out of them gates, walk back out there in that free world, breathe that air, your mentality then — that’s what counts.” – TI
