A Hammer and Some Nails

With each passing day, we have been given the opportunity to do something great with the hours we have. We pack various activities into these hours, sometimes without any proper organization of any sort.

I have to admit I have been found wanting when it comes to organizing my time. I mean, I do get extremely busy many times (especially when I have to focus on forms that require filling because for every form I fill I usually make a mistake sometimes somewhere in the second to last line and have to do the crazy thing all over again). If one has a job usually some kind of organization takes place. We have to get there at a particular time (for me it is 8a.m.) Then there are particular hours of the day that have assigned activity. Interestingly, for a work day when I do not have a lot of unassigned activities, I tend to want to pack it up with all kinds of things to do and end up so tired at the end of it all.

One day perhaps all I will need to have in my hand is a hammer and some nails. Something needs to be patched up and I will have the correct tools to work with. I would hope that I have a lot of good experience with hammering nails. The right kind of word to be placed in the heart of someone so that they can survive and thrive in the next phase of their life.

I have often thought about my drive and desire to minister. I am not particular about titles or about stuff like that. I just want to be able to help others and help them through the wisdom of the Bible. When people require advice they want you to be qualified. I am not sure how qualified one can be about life in four years of university. It is assumed however.

The same "nail" when documented can also touch lives. I want that word to be written so someone can read it and see how they can approach certain events in life. A lot of research has to accompany that however. I think I have been quite lazy in terms of gathering information for one of my projects that I so want to complete.

Finally, since yesterday, twice it has come up in the literature that I read of being a letter read by men. Say, can my life be that "nail" that will allow others to get help in their own daily lives. That even though I have struggles on my own, I can plan out my days and even when I do not I can still live a fulfilling life anyway. Can I find it in a hammer and some nails?

(I see the need for modification--This blog is allowing me to get my thoughts in print and help me to work out scenes)

A Fresh New Start

It has been soo long since I have written a blog. A month and little over a half. I felt a bit tired and stressed out after the summer and then coming into the new school term I have not settled down yet. There are some issues that need to be resolved and I haven't been dealing with them the correct Biblical way. I will need to. I did comment that I had a great summer and I did.

This school year is quite different. Many things are still unfamiliar. Having to form new relations. Needless to say I was correct about all those lofty plans I had for the summer. I hate saying, "I am going to..." I did read Galatians. The incubator is still needing to generate some reality.

What do I hope to achieve? My last post was about rest. I think during this mid-term break I should get some rest. I have been up all day checking stuff online and haven't slept. I did sleep last night though. I wanted to sleep from before I got to church. The preacher was not boring though so I did not not nod off too badly.

I bought a book--Invitation to Biblical Hebrew and I found a cool site also that gives information about the Hebrew alphabet. I hope to continue to work with it even when I go back to work. Work seems to be taking so much that my personal goals are not being put on the burner at all.

Books to write

Pastoral Ministry studies

Hebrew and Greek Grammar Study

Spanish and French study (I began to study Spanish again wheee! from 2007 (!))

etc.

Rest...

At the end of each day one is required to rest. I was watching a video clip of a young man inspiring young people to succeed. He said that some of the top performers want to succeed so badly that they don't remember that they haven't eaten or slept. You wonder how much would you give up to succeed when you hear those stories.

If you stretch too much, you might not have enough use for anything eventually but then again if you do NOT stretch too much you never become anything. The key is balance. I suppose we will spend the rest of our lives trying to find that place of balance or perhaps the key is to overstretch than to understretch. (I am of course rambling)

I made it to camp. It was really good. I had to let go off several mindsets that I had before. That made all the difference. While there, I realize that there are a few things that I do that could be changed so that I can be a better person. The theme was "Hope for Tomorrow". They did a tremendous play afterwards. It should have been recorded. I loved it so much. I realize more than every that I love to work with young people. I just feel my bowels of compassion move (perhaps that is not such a good analogy but) when I have to work with them. I don't claim to understand them and that is o.k. for me now. I just want to sow a seed in their lives and just allow myself to love them. I will see the areas that God will lead me into where that is concerned.

I am taking this week to rest as i hinted at the before. I did make my list of things to do for the summer but that statement "Man plans and God wipes out" really came through for me. Now, a women's conference, two camps, VBS, etc later, I can say this was the most productive summer I have ever spent. I loved it!

I still have my dreams and still have quite a few things I want to do. I am listening for a call to get into that school. It will not be too much for me. I am giving You thanks Lord for all that You have done! Thank You!

In His Time...He Makes All Things Beautiful

It has been a little while since I blogged. So much has been going on. Eugene Peterson in The Message Bible said "Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you'll recover your life. I'll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me--learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won't lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you'll live freely and lightly." Matthew 11:28-30.

Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. You know for all the challenges that people have to face on a daily basis, grace is necessary to take you through. What we need is to know that we have a Savior (you know that some people get upset at our Savior(?)). Our Savior said in John 16:33 again from The Message Bible, "I've told you all this so that trusting me, you will be unshakable and assured, deeply at peace. IN THIS GODLESS WORLD YOU WILL CONTINUE TO EXPERIENCE DIFFICULTIES. But take heart! I've conquered the world." The KJV put is this way, "In the world you will have tribulation".

A pregnant mother at the beginning of her time many times undergoes morning sickness. Now when she has to keep losing her food, if someone is looking on they do not take her to the hospital and there is not much concern because this is what is supposed to be. If that woman was not pregnant then if she loses her food there will be cause for concern because what triggers it is not known and has to be identified as not life threatening.

Ease and relieve. The Message Bible again. Lord just bless Your word unto our hearts.

Working Tools

I am going to do a proper review of The Manual. I may even read it again before I do so. Tonight, I am looking at educational tools. I needed to make a list in one place so I can have them to share:
The overall resource site is:
http://www.protopage.com/web2point0forteachers#Web_2.0_For_Teachers/Welcome

• Wink ( http://www.debugmode.com/wink/)-Tutorial and presentation software on how to use software.
• Alice programming for students (www.alice.org)-A 3-D storytelling software
• Scratch (scratch.mit.edu) a programming language to create interactive stories, games, music and art.

I want to allow the students to create flash cards for definitions and I need a tool to record questions for them to be able to do.

What is the difference between a feature and a benefit? Let's take a $500K Ferrari sports car.

What are the features? Made by the best European car designers, hand-made Italian leather seats and expensive coverings, lifetime guarantee on all parts.

What are the benefits? You will have the most famous sports car in the world, you will be recognized as someone with style, flair and real class; and you'll be envied by your peers.
This information was taken from (http://www.klariti.com/business-writing/Difference-Features-Benefits.shtml)

Another site has information on the difference between features, benefits, and advantages.

FEATURE: A fact or a characteristic of a product.

ADVANTAGE: Something that makes your product better than that of your competitor product or a substitute product.

BENEFIT: What the customer is looking for [needs/wants] or something that will help your customer in getting the job done, easier or better or faster.

I just had to put that in there as well although the two topics are quite unrelated presently.

Here ends this night's search. I will continue at some later time. (More than likely a few hours from now)

Writing it into Being

On July 24, 2010, I went to "Auntie's bookstore" and was looking in "my" section of the bookshop--the Christian books section. Usually I do not look at the novels on the left or I do look but shield my eyes. I do not want certain things before my eyes. Somehow, however, I glanced up to the top shelf and this one book kept staring at me just like Karen Kingsbury's Return stared out at me at the parish library. (I need to be aware of the signs.)

The book had a white cover with a serene picture of a man and a woman standing arms crossed and at arms length (well not arms length but they might as well have been) looking at each other against a faded background of the sea (I assume..it is not that clear). The name: The Manual by Sherryle Kiser Jackson. I read the back cover copy and realized, much to my glee, that it was a Christian novel.

It was about a week before that I was wondering if there were any Jamaican authors and I found one Joy Campbell. Now it seems the Holy Spirit was leading me to find others. Christian authors in addition. I completed the book today. It was not the style of a certain female author and there were grammatical and spelling errors in a few places but the whole story just has motivated me to go ahead. It is time for me to write. So I will write.

I found out that the book was published by a publisher Urban Christian (I am getting happy about it). I guess I will give a better review of it later since it is late in the night. I could not relate to some of the mannerisms in the book except by what I have seen on television... behavior from urban America I assume. The plot was quite lovely though. I actually smiled at some points. I am not sure but I did not flow with it like I usually would. And yes, I was playing the critic. I actually expected that Deidre was going to write a manual on child-rearing but I saw that it took another twist. I loved how the sermons were written seamlessly into the book and how Andre took responsibility of his child eventually finding Christ. I wonder if I will reread it to get a better view of it.

I perhaps will...

Yesterday is gone...tomorrow will soon be here...

Today was a good day. I went at 10:00 to assist some people to complete their project or just to lend presence to the matter. I turned in my transcript form so it can be sent off to where I want to go to study. Lord make all things new.

Bill Burns said that we needed to draw near to God. I will come away.

I haven't written anything yet and I realize there is more research I can do. I wrote out some things in my little black book but I want to do some more study on Chemosh. I will keep working on it.

I am going off to camp. I am to help out with the children. I need to keep my spiritual ears open to the Word of the Lord so I can minister well. I am not sure how much I will be asked to do. It will go well though. Learning experiences...

I may feel comfortable writing some shorter passages. I need to edit that short story also. It will work out if I put in information that paints a picture of where he has been and so I will work on it. It might not be true to life but that part is missing.

I need to go to sleep now. . (full stop)

Training in Godliness

A new day with new possibilities and it is almost done. Church was really good today. It was one of those day when you just get ready and go. Pastor gave us some more insight on some things that he was going through to overcome (that is the way I will put it). The message was about Training in Godliness. I wish I had the sound file for it. I would love to repeat it in my head for the next two weeks or more. Circumcision of the heart! Remember that? It was such a message. Love of God and love of neighbor. It is training to get us to do what is necessary to do the right thing. Repentance is what Jackie McCullough preached about as I listened to her message "A Call to Repentance" but they called it "A House Visit". It is about preaching Jesus Christ. That is presently a bad word and for all who hate the name, what had Jesus ever done to them? I mean come on...the guy comes and dies for us sacrificing Himself so we can be in right relationship with God and we hate Him? I don't understand. Let's leave that for a while tho...

I have to put a plan in place with the Word as the primary base in order to do what I need to do to live godly. Training plan...I must work out a training program...I don't want to do it "my way". I want to do it Your way. So help me to work out this plan. I think it will be exciting. We are back on 30 days of thanksgiving and praise.

If when I go through this program I am better to be around who will be upset about that? Do you know that people will be? I don't understand. Let's leave that for a while too...

Last night I was able to write some more objectives. I can't wait to begin to put the activities in place. In the past I loved to work on content and work everything around it but I am changing my strategy.

I am wanting to wrap my mind around the "video" of my book. You know if you can see it then you can write it and I want to write it. I am going to work on some more objectives.

I will be going to Intecessors Camp to help with the children. God will give me the grace to help. That is not an area that I feel I am strong in and that might be the best thing so that You can do You work in me.

Until tomorrow...

Yesterday's gone and I am looking forward to Tomorrow

Yesterday was a good day. I spent the day helping out so I can collect my projects to be marked. The A/C was on and I got an opportunity to work on the objectives for my lesson plans for Module 1. I actually finished up when I got home.

Today I had hoped to get back on it but I was up and down walking. I bought Where Yesterday Lives and said that I should have read it a long time ago. I am trying to catch up. I haven't done any farming. I am just out of it for a while. Mi clide a hit. I should be up and running in a few days thought.

Amos 3:6 Shall a trumpet be blown in the city, and the people not be afraid? shall there be evil in a city, and the LORD hath not done it? 3:7 Surely the Lord GOD will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets. I think these verses are very instructive and yes I did change the subject abruptly. You see, I do that sometimes.

Finally, (and I am not really following writing protocol) I want to complete some of the things that I had hoped to do today. Tomorrow.

The Continuation

Today was a good day. If I can give God thanks at the end of it then it was good. I did get upset over a matter today but I asked God for help and God sent someone with the right advice for me and so I will have to get on it tomorrow.

Yesterday I wrote out some goals that I wanted to accomplish today. I did not do the laundry but I think I might just get it done tomorrow. I wrote a few sub-objectives (if there are such things) for the objectives of the sixth form syllabus.

Back to my initial subject. I learnt an important lesson today. God will send help. I was really upset but in spite of that God sent help that I asked for. Lord I am grateful! Thank You!

A lady whose book I read spoke about visual stressors. Those are things that lie around reminding you of what needs to be done and she says that every time you see it your brain actually goes through the process of getting it done and so it can cause you to be tired. I have to get rid of the visual stressors from around me. I guess that is why I felt that way about that project. Tomorrow what do I want to do?

• Laundry
• Sixth Objectives
• My project to be done (will remain nameless)

Getting it all Done

Someone once said that the journey of a thousand miles starts with one step. I have decided to make a plan for each step for this summer of mine. Professor McKeegan indirectly gave me some advice through his YouTube video. He said, do something for the person that you will be in the next five years. I wont say what I want to be doing in the next five years but I do know what I want to be.

Already I have accomplished a lot more today than I thought I would. I had me my list of four things to do. As I said yesterday, I would normally complete one and beat myself up over not finishing everything but I have a new strategy. This was my list:

• Why Study Doctrine 1 - print out the sheet so that the listening can be done
• Complete the cooperative Learning Activity
• Make a better outline for the Ruth Story
• Galatians 5-6

I printed out the sheets already. I got up to lesson 8 I believe. I completed the cooperative learning activity. Didn't think i would. I did not get to the outline for the Ruth Story and I still have time either listen to or read Galatians 5 & 6.

I think I have taken too much time "if-ing" and "but-ing" about making mistakes in any form of artwork or writing. I just need to step out, get my techniques, follow them and then since I love to edit especially writing then I can always do the editing.

Tomorrow what should I do?

• Perhaps laundry
• Go to Bishop.. to do the collection
• Re-read Galatians in its entirety
• Do the course outline for the sixth formers Phylina D. style

It is time to do the work!

Summer Holidays are Here?

I have been sitting for a while wondering how to organize all I have to (that means what i want to personally) do this summer. Obviously, I am supposed to be resting since I have been working non-stop since September 2008 but you know me. I haven't been labelled as a work-a-holic but I just like to have my time occupied doing something worthwhile. You may never hear me complain that I am bored. I still think that boredom means that you don't want to do anything. There is so much to be done!

Here is what I want to do this summer:

• Study Pastoral Ministry Content
• Calculus Review
• Sixth Form Lesson Plans
• Read Book 4 of the Sunrise Series, Burden of Freedom
• Begin reading Galatians - Colossians
• Listen to the children's CDs
• Write my novel and outline the rest of the books.

Knowing me I may get through at least one of these and feel like I haven't accomplished anything.

What I have to do is to set a goal for each day to get some of this done without it being tedious. Already I am finding a lot of cool links for writing:

• http://storysensei.blogspot.com/2008/08/top-ten-mistakes-i-see-in-fiction.html
• http://storysensei.blogspot.com/2009/12/excerpt-novel-idea-by-chilibris.html

are some that I have found. Also, I had been wondering if there were any good Jamaican authors out there and from the Sunday Observer I found this article on one of them and got a link to her website.

• http://joylcampbell.com
• http://thejamaicanwriter.com/wordpress/
• http://charsunleashed.wordpress.com/

That is a lot so far. I will keep posting as of today so that I will keep track of my progress.

New Beginnings...

Today is a day of new beginnings. Today is a day to keep believing in your dreams all over again. What have you let go of from your past that you should be holding on to for dear life...then pick that thing back up and go again...

Computers et al..

Using computers is fun when you know what to do but one of the cool things is experimenting even when u don't know and finding some cool shortcut way of doing things...

Welcome

Welcome to the wonderful life of me! I am a teacher with a wide variety of interests... I have a passion for table tennis but will be a couch potato (sitting in front of the television) with other sports that i love to watch.