ローマ 8:22 私たちは、被造物全体が今に至るまで、ともにうめきともに産みの苦しみをしていることを知っています。ローマ 8:23 そればかりでなく、御霊の初穂をいただいている私たち自身も、心の中でうめきながら、子にしていただくこと、すなわち、私たちのからだの贖われることを待ち望んでいます。ローマ 8:24 私たちは、この望みによって救われているのです。目に見える望みは、望みではありません。だれでも目で見ていることを、どうしてさらに望むでしょう。ローマ 8:25 もしまだ見ていないものを望んでいるのなら、私たちは、忍耐をもって熱心に待ちます。ローマ 8:26 御霊も同じようにして、弱い私たちを助けてくださいます。私たちは、どのように祈ったらよいかわからないのですが、御霊ご自身が、言いようもない深いうめきによって、私たちのためにとりなしてくださいます。ローマ 8:27 人間の心を探り窮める方は、御霊の思いが何かをよく知っておられます。なぜなら、御霊は、神のみこころに従って、聖徒のためにとりなしをしてくださるからです。
12/28/10
of sighs, groans and tears
12/15/10
a 50¢ book
The task of a modern educator is not
to cut down jungles
but
to irrigate deserts.
------------------
Clives Staples Lewis
The Abolition of Man
11/23/10
On Living With A Full Heart
When one is too hurt one cannot see others' pain, is too blind with one's own.
When one has many weights to lift, one cannot enjoy life.
When one has many expectations, one cannot be patient with others.
When one has fear, one cannot enjoy life.
When one does not give, one is making the heart lonely.
When one does not take, one is making the heart feel inferior
When one does not hope, one is shutting oneself into a tight closet.
But when one does not love, one is killing one's self.
(written by 12-year old Olivia, Berkeley, California, 2/12/02)
italics mine.
10/27/10
10/24/10
10/23/10
Teaching English Abroad
My brain food for today. A rather helpful article.
- - - - - - - - -
Teaching English AbroadWhat to Expect, How to Prepare
Realistic expectations, a good educational background, involvement in professional organizations, and a genuine desire to help pave the way to the rich rewards that can come from teaching English abroad.
 The author giving a lecture on cultural diversity to Chinese English Teachers in Nanjing, China. |
Myths and Realities
"Hey, you don’t even need a degree to get a good job. Schools will accept anyone who speaks English."
I’ve heard this statement many times before, but before you launch into a career in the field of TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages) you should ask yourself some important questions:
1. What are you looking for in a career in TESOL? First you have to determine your options and what interests you most. Talk to people in the field: your teachers, former graduates, and colleagues you might meet online. One place to explore options is an online jobs forum like Dave's ESL Cafe Job Discussion Forums (www.eslcafe.com/forums/job/index.php). Teachers and students from around the world post messages about potential job opportunities based on their experiences.
Next find out whether there is a market for the skills you want to acquire in the part of the world where you want to live. You have to be prepared to go where the jobs are.
Keep in mind that any job could lead you to other rewarding experiences that you hadn’t planned for. Over the past decade, I have been fortunate to have traveled (because of my work in Web-based language learning and technology) to Canada, China, Europe, Korea, Japan, Saudi Arabia, and throughout the US. In these travels, I have met many wonderful people and have been able to share many things with them. Few professions give you opportunities to be a part of other cultures to the degree that TESOL does.
2. Are you mentally prepared for teaching overseas? Too often, teachers who go to another country soon return home disenchanted because things did not turn out the way they expected. While the employer bears some of the responsibility for preparing the new recruit, this does not exempt the employee from gathering as much information as possible about the host country and the place where they will work. Study up and consider the following:
Anyone can teach English abroad. Until recently, this was true. Many foreign schools and companies, seeking to take advantage of the boom in students interested in learning English, tended to hire anyone who could speak English or had any post-secondary education. However, since the profession has come into its own and more qualified teachers are available finding a good job with no qualification is no longer a sure thing.
Go with a purpose in mind. Teachers who have clear professional goals and can sustain themselves by nurturing their professionalism through outside activities and (and don’t blame the foreign culture for personal misfortunes) have the best chance of a successful teaching experience.
Learn to expect the unexpected. I have found that no matter how well I planned things out, there were always a few surprises. For example, I have sometimes been asked to carry out additional teaching or administrative duties beyond the stipulations of my contract (this could happen anywhere). Under some situations, teachers who are willing to contribute beyond these contractual boundaries will be well rewarded by the company for which they are working.
Speaking of flexibility, teachers may become perplexed because their attempts to initiate positive change are sometimes misinterpreted or shunned. Remember that resistance to change is often the result of underlying cultural factors that we are not aware of. Therefore teachers have to approach a new teaching situation with their eyes and ears open and be patient for their ideas to take root.
Study the language and culture of the host country. Although many training programs focus on the linguistic elements of the profession, an equally compelling reason should lead us to focus attention on diversity training to help teachers in the acculturation process they will need to undergo in a foreign land. Teachers themselves should make an earnest attempt to learn something about cultural adjustment and training that will lead to successful experiences abroad. Learning the language is a key step to adjustment, so you are able to become an active participant in everyday life. Tapping into what is "hot" and "what's not" with our students shows them we are not removed spectators.
Contribute to the local culture through volunteer, social, and educational activities: So much could be said about a teacher’s involvement in the lives of the people beyond the day-to-day teaching responsibilities at work. When we lived in Japan, our family enjoyed serving in a local Japanese church even though we didn’t speak the language in the beginning. We also enrolled our children in local Japanese public schools so they could develop friendships with children in the area and understand the culture in which they lived.
3. How can I better prepare myself to teach overseas? You can start planning for the future even during the first year of your program. Here is a brief list of possibilities, with references for each:
Read up on the profession. Understand what kinds of opportunities are available. Make sure you know the qualifications for specific jobs. Here are some of the best places to begin your homework:
Starting Your Career in TESOL: www.tesol.org/careers. See the TESOL Career Counsel Guidebook at www.tesol.org.
Common Qualifications for ESOL Teachers: www.tesol.org/careers/counsel/qualifications.html.
Dave's ESL Cafe Job Discussion Forums: www.eslcafe.com/forums/job/index.php.
Become an active member of TESOL and your local affiliate. Volunteer. Attend a conference. Give a presentation on any teaching idea you have. Getting your face out there is important as you prepare for your job search, and you can do this by becoming involved in a local TESOL society or organization. Because many conference attendees are looking for practical ideas for the classroom, you (or perhaps a group of TESL colleagues) could present some teaching ideas on any of the skills areas (e.g., how to use comic strips to teach listening and speaking skills). In addition to seeing your name on the conference program, you can add this presentation to your résumé.
Find out what jobs are available where you want to go. Talk to people. Ask questions. Consider all possibilities. A number of web sites carry information about jobs overseas, but try to talk personally with people who have spent time in the field. Remember that each person’s experience will be colored by their own expectations, perceptions of the world, and their working situations.
Job Seekers: www.TESOL.org
Job Opportunities and Information: www.linguistic-funland.com/tesljob.html
O-Hayo Sensei (the newsletter of teaching jobs in Japan): www.ohayosensei.com
(Web editor's note: see www.tesall.com for excellent info on jobs teaching English abroad).
Publish an article in a newsletter, magazine, or journal. If you have been a student of TESL or other related study, what are you going to do with all those papers you wrote for your university classes? Why not put them to work for you? Often, students don’t see the potential usefulness of their ideas—a teaching tip or article that educators are looking for to spice up their classes.
A good place to begin is to write a book review. Many TESL-related journals and magazines encourage and welcome submissions from students as well.
Besides sharing your ideas with others, you can add this effort to your résumé. Few recently-graduated students or other prospective teachers will have done this, so publishing can set you apart from the crowd. Here is a short list of publications:
TESL Reporter, a bi-annual publication of the Division of Languages and Linguistics at Brigham Young University-Hawaii with feature articles, tips for teachers, and reviews (www.byuh.edu/academics/lang/teslr.htm).
The Language Teacher Online, a monthly publication of the Japan Association for Language Teaching (JALT) containing full-length articles, teaching tips, perspective pieces, and book reviews (www.jalt-publications.org/tlt).
The Internet TESL Journal, a monthly online journal containing articles, research papers, lesson plans, teaching techniques, and thousands of links (www.teslj.org).
TESOL Matters Online, a publication by TESOL containing practical articles and news for language teachers and administrators in a variety of ESL and EFL workplaces and situations (www.tesol.org/pubs/magz/et.html).
Teaching English with Technology: A Journal for Teachers of English, a web-based journal focusing on the use of technology in language learning and teaching, which also includes teaching tips and web site reviews (www.iatefl.org.pl/call/callnl.htm).
Work toward advancing your degree if TESOL is your goal. Having a bachelor’s degree in TESL or in any other field is usually the minimum requirement for teaching jobs in most countries and a master’s in TESL or a related field is needed for some jobs, particularly in higher education. There are a variety of options for securing an MA. Distance learning is becoming a realistic choice for many who are working overseas, far away from schools that offer such degrees.
Consult TESOL Graduate Schools, www.gradschools.com.
Prepare yourself for your job search. Despite the best preparation, a poor interview can jeopardize your chances of landing your ideal job. Web editor's note: please see The TEFL Job Interview: The Ten Most Important Questions to Ask for more.
A career in a TESL-related field can be extremely satisfying. You can have a meaningful impact on so many lives. Understanding the profession and preparing yourself adequately for an overseas position will go a long way to ensuring positive experiences for you and your students. Good luck.
----------------------------------------------------------------
A section of the text above came from an earlier article published by Randall Davis in the TESOL EFL-Interest Newsletter, (14), 2, pp. 9, 12. 1994.)
10/22/10
10/11/10
10/6/10
Serenade her
------------------------------------
Oh, her eyes, her eyes, make the stars look like they're not shining
Her hair, her hair, falls perfectly without her trying
She's so beautiful, and I tell her every day
Yeah, I know, I know, when I compliment her she won't believe me
And it's so, it's so, sad to think that she don't see what I see
But every time she asks me do I look ok, I say
When I see your face, there's not a thing that I would change
Because you're amazing, just the way you are
And when you smile, the whole world stops and stares for a while
Because girl you're amazing, just the way you are
Her lips, her lips, I could kiss them all day if she let me
Her laugh, her laugh, she hates but I think it's so sexy
She's so beautiful, and I tell her every day
Oh, you know, you know, you know, I'd never ask you to change
If perfect's what you're searching for then just stay the same
So, don't even bother asking if you look ok
You know I'll say
When I see your face, there's not a thing that I would change
Because you're amazing, just the way you are
And when you smile, the whole world stops and stares for a while
Because girl you're amazing, just the way you are
The way you are, the way you are
Girl you're amazing, just the way you are
When I see your face, there's not a thing that I would change
Because you're amazing, just the way you are
And when you smile, the whole world stops and stares for a while
Because girl you're amazing, just the way you are. Yeah
------------------------------------
beautiful girls all over the world
i could be chasing but my time would be wasted
they got nothin' on you baby
nothin' on you baby
they might say hi and i might say hey
but you shouldn't worry about what they say
cause they got nothin' on you baby
nothin' on you baby
not not not nothin' on you babe
not not nothin' on you
i know you feel where i'm coming from
regardless of the things in my past that i've done
most of it really was for the hell of the fun
on the carousel so around i spun (spun)
with no directions just tryna get some (some)
tryna chase skirts, living in the summer sun (sun)
this is how i lost more than i had ever won (won)
and honestly i ended up with none
there's no much nonsense
it's on my conscience
i'm thinking baby i should get it out
and i don't wanna sound redundant
but i was wondering if there was something that you wanna know
(that you wanna know)
but never mind that we should let it go (we should let it go)
cause we don't wanna be a t.v episode (t.v episode)
and all the bad thoughts just let them go (go, go, go, go)
beautiful girls all over the world
i could be chasing but my time would be wasted
they got nothin' on you baby
nothing on you baby
they might say hi and i might say hey
but you shouldn't worry about what they say
cause they got nothin' on you baby
nothin' on you baby
not not not nothin' on you babe
not not nothin' on you
hands down there will never be another one
i been around and i never seen another one
look at your style I ain't really got nothin' on
and you wild when you ain't got nothing on
baby you the whole package plus you pay your taxes
and you keep it real while them other stay plastic
you're my wonder women call me mr. fantastic
stop.. now think about it
i've been to london, i've been to paris
even way out there in tokyo
back home down in georgia to new orleans
but you always steal the show (steal the show)
and just like that girl you got me froze (got me froze)
like a nintendo 64 (64)
if you never knew well now you know (know, know, know, know)
beautiful girls all over the world
i could be chasing but my time would be wasted
they got nothin' on you baby
nothin' on you baby
they might say hi and i might say hey
but you shouldn't worry about what they say
cause they got nothin' on you baby
nothin' on you baby
not not not nothin' on you babe
not not nothin' on you
everywhere i go i'm always hearing your name (name, name)
and no matter where i'm at girl you make me wanna sang (sang,sang)
whether a bus or a plane or a car or a train
no other girls on my brain and you the one to blame
beautiful girls all over the world
i could be chasing but my time would be wasted
they got nothin' on you baby
nothin' on you baby
they might say hi and i might say hey
but you shouldn't worry about what they say
cause they got nothin' on you baby
nothin' on you baby
not not not nothin' on you babe
not not nothin' on you
yeah and that's just how we do it
and i'ma let this ride
9/7/10
Gone too young
I hate feeling unsure. I hate how insecure I am.
Right now, I have this insatiable urge to write, to express myself in any way possible. I fear for my sanity.
I don't know what is wrong, I'm not even sure if something is wrong.
My mind is a mess, a big blob of emptiness.
I feel incompetent and stupid.
I don't know.
Rette mich..Mein Gott..
8/16/10
Harlotries painted on white silk sheets
The most beautiful love story that just hits too close to home.
-----------------
Hosea and Gomer
By John PiperDecember 23, 1990
(The audio of John Piper reading this poem is from 2004.)
The old man and his wife sat by
The winter fire and looked out high
Above the plains of Ephraim,
And saw around the last regime
Of Israel the shadows snake
Their way from east to west and take
Possession of Samaria.
"How long until Assyria,'
They thought, "would break Hoshea's rod,
And violate the wife of God?"
But strange as it may seem, the doom
They saw across the land left room
For hope. And when they looked into
Each other's eyes, as they would do
At night, they knew, as none could know
But they, that God would bend his bow
Against the charms of foreign men,
And take his faithless wife again.
They knew it could and would be done,
As surely as the rising sun
Drives darkness back unerringly,
And drowns it in the western sea.
They knew, because they had rehearsed
The tragedy and played it first
Themselves with passion and deceit.
"It's true that life is far more sweet,"
Hosea thought, "when it is lost,
Then bought again at dreadful cost;
And love grows strong when it must wait,
And deep when it is almost hate."
Such things as these he often said
To Gomer as they watched the red
And crimson echoes of the sky
Descend Mount Tabor's cliffs and die
In darkness far below. And she
Would say to him, "Your love for me
Was like a mountain waterfall,
And I the jagged stone. Of all
The knives and hammers once applied
None made me smooth or clean. They tried,
But harlotry was in my blood,
Until your love became a flood
Cascading over my crude life
And kept me as your only wife."
They knew as none but they could know
What it would mean that long ago
The Lord allowed his love to swell,
And married faithless Israel.
The passing of the years now found
The children grown and gathered 'round
This night: Jezreel and Loammi,
Hosea's sons, and at his knee
Loruhamah. The room was sweet
With memories, and each replete
With pleasure and with ample pain.
Among the memories one main
Experience above the rest
Embraced them all. It was the best;
Indeed it was the mountain spring
Of every happy stream from which
The family ever drank, and rich
With hope. It was Hosea's love.
The children stood in wonder of
The way he loved, and Gomer too.
But this had not always been true.
Hosea used to say, "It's hard
To be a seer, and prophet bard.
The price is high when he must sing
A song of ruin over everything
In lyrics written with his life
And lose his children and his wife."
And so it was, Hosea heard
The Lord. It was the strangest word
A holy prophet ever got:
And every pointed precept shot
Like arrows at Hosea's life:
"Go take a harlot for your wife,"
Thus says the Lord, "And feel with me
The grief and pain of harlotry.
Her father's name is Diblaim;
He makes fertility with cream
And raisin cakes. He will not see
Her go without a price, for she
Has brought him profits from her trade.
Now go, and let her price be paid;
And bring her back and let her bear
Your son. Call him Jezreel. For there
Is coming soon a day when I
Will strike and break the bloody thigh
Of Jehu's brutal house, and seal
With blood the valley of Jezreel.
And after that, though she's defiled.
Go in, and get another child,
And make your tender face like rock.
Call her Loruahmah and lock
Your heart against all sympathy:
`Not pitied' is her name. No plea
From faithless Israel will wake
My sympathy till I forsake
My daughter in the wilderness.
Now multiply once more distress:
Hosea, go beget a son,
For there is yet one child to shun,
And call him Loammi, in shame,
For `Not My People' is his name."
Hosea used to walk along
The Jordan rim and sing the song
His father Beeri used to sing.
Sometimes the tune and truth would bring
Him peace, and he would pause and look
At all the turns the Jordan took,
To make its way down to the sea,
And he would chant from memory:
Think not, my son, that God's great river
Of love flows simply to the sea,
He aims not straight, but to deliver
The wayward soul like you and me.
Follow the current where it goes,
With love and grace it ever flows.
The years went by, the children grew,
The river bent and Gomer knew
A dozen men. And finally
She left and traveled to the sea,
And sold herself to foreign priests
Who made the children serve at feasts
Until they had no shame.
And then
The God of grace came down again,
And said, "Hosea, go, embrace
Your wife beside the sea. And place
Your hand with blessing on the head
Of Loammi, and raise the dead
Loruhamah to life in me,
And tell Jezreel that I will be
For him a seed of hope to sow
In righteousness. Hosea, go,
The gracious river bends once more."
And so the prophet loved these four
Again, and sought them by the sea,
And bought them with the equity
Of everything he owned.
That was
The memory tonight, because
Hosea loved beyond the way
Of mortal man. What man would say,
"Love grows more strong when it must wait,
And deeper when it's almost hate."
Jezreel spoke softly for the rest,
"Father, once more let us be blessed.
What were the words from long ago
That gave you strength to love us so?
Would you please bless us with your rhyme,
And sing it for us one more time?"
"Think not, my son, that God's great river
Of love flows simply to the sea,
He aims not straight, but to deliver
The wayward soul like you and me.
Follow the current where it goes.
With love and grace it ever flows."
"And children," Gomer said with tears,
"Mark this, the miracle of years."
She looked Hosea in the face
And said, "Hosea, man of grace,
Dark harlotry was in my blood,
Until your love became a flood
Cascading over my crude life
And kept me as your only wife.
I love the very ground you trod,
And most of all I love your God."
This is the lamp of candle four:
A bride made ready at the door.
A shabby slave waits her embrace,
Blood-bought and beautified by grace.
(italics mine.)
8/11/10
sonnets of the midnight sky
Your eyes are full
Full of the future of us
The air changes as you look across
At me in that wondering way
It is as if
I knew you before we spoke
Do our hearts know something we don't?
Conspiring, converging without giving us any say
You, sing me to sleep
Talk down my walls
Look through my windows as I wait
You could be the thief
I give the key to
You're ruining me
With secrets and gestures and looks
With sonnets from second-hand books
Playing the chords in me nobody knew how to play
It fits in your hand like water in rain
It unlocks our two different selves
And shows we are the same
Rather than wait `til I put me out for the taking
You're breaking
You're breaking
You're breaking into my heart
And I'm letting you
7/30/10
music-soaked brain cells in a toyboat.
Ok, now I am inspired all the more.
Wooot Wooot!
These ladies are all A-W-E-S-O-M-E!
And I asked each of them come over and help me wash away the boredom.
They did a great job!
I recommend you google the lyrics of each song and devour their goodness. Yumm-o!
Good day.
7/28/10
future tense
It may not be red as the roses yet
It may not be strong as the old oak trees but
Love planted deeply becomes what it ought to be.
It may not be strong as the old oak trees but
Love planted deeply becomes what it ought to be.
struggle
To the strongest yet the most vulnerable person we know. - Olivia
--------------------------------------------
l
–verb (used without object)
1.
to contend with an adversary or opposing force.
2.
to contend resolutely with a task, problem, etc.; strive: tostruggle for existence.
3.
to advance with violent effort: to struggle through the snow.
4.
(of athletes and competitors) to be coping with inability toperform well or to win; contend with difficulty: Afterstruggling for the whole month of June, he suddenly caughtfire and raised his batting average 30 points.
–verb (used with object)
5.
to bring, put, etc., by struggling: She struggled the heavybox into a corner.
6.
to make (one's way) with violent effort.
–noun
7.
the process or an act or instance of struggling.
8.
a war, fight, conflict, or contest of any kind.
9.
a task or goal requiring much effort to accomplish or achieve.
—Related forms
struggler, noun
strug·gling·ly, adverb
pre·strug·gle, noun, verb (used without object), -gled, -gling.
un·strug·gling, adjective
—Synonyms
1. oppose, contest, fight, conflict. 7. endeavor, exertion. 8. encounter, skirmish. Struggle, brush, clash refer to a hostilemeeting of opposing persons, parties, or forces. Struggle impliesvigorous bodily effort or violent exertion: a hand-to-hand struggle. A brush is a brief, but smart, and often casual combat: a brushbetween patrols. Clash implies a direct and sharp collisionbetween opposing parties, efforts, interests, etc.: a clash ofopinions.
1. oppose, contest, fight, conflict. 7. endeavor, exertion. 8. encounter, skirmish. Struggle, brush, clash refer to a hostilemeeting of opposing persons, parties, or forces. Struggle impliesvigorous bodily effort or violent exertion: a hand-to-hand struggle. A brush is a brief, but smart, and often casual combat: a brushbetween patrols. Clash implies a direct and sharp collisionbetween opposing parties, efforts, interests, etc.: a clash ofopinions.
----------------------------------
Struggle is a jagged,bittersweet pill.
Suffering and Sorrow.
Peace and Joy.
Contentment.
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