21 days… it will change you.

Posted on January 31, 2011 by melody

I feel as if I keep getting hit. Over and over again. The kind of hits that blow you backwards and have you gasping for breath.

I love every minute of it. I hate some of it. But mostly, I love it. God is really opening my eyes and challenging me.

Saturday night I went to Jerusalem Ministries monthly prayer meeting. I tutor my boy Han Wool at Namsanwon Children’s Home through this organization. The pastor who founded this ministry, John-Michael (also known as JM), shared a little bit on the history of Cambodia because we had sent four ladies there on a mission trip this past winter break. I was shocked. I had heard of the Killing Fields just this past year, but I didn’t know what they were.

Have you ever heard of Pol Pot? Until last Saturday, I had no idea who this man was. Now I know he is responsible for killing almost 1/4 of the population in Cambodia during the mid 1970s.

Right after the Vietnam War, Pol Pot had a vision for the nation to go back to the basics, where they ‘lived in harmony’ working the fields and eating off the land and having nothing else. He went in and split up the population in this way (to put it as basic and simple as possible from what I was told). If you were educated you went to the right, if you were not, you went to the left. If you had smooth hands, to the right. If you had calloused hands, to the left. If you wore glasses, to the right. If you went to University, to the right. The right side was destroyed, murdered, sent to death camps. Mostly they were executed and buried in large masses. These are what became known as the Killing Fields. Pol Pot wanted to get rid of all the intellectuals. He wanted what I have learned is called a “collectivist agrarian utopia”. Though I am not exactly sure what that means…

Here is a man, described to be worse than Hitler. And yet I have never heard of him. One reason (as JM explained) could be because Cambodia has nothing to offer the world, no natural resources, and so the powerhouse nations have ignored it because they gain nothing from them.

a picture from the mission trip to cambodia. took it from jy's fb, thanks girl!

What else don’t I know about this world? How can people like Pol Pot exist? I was really upset after Saturday night. Part of those hits I am experiencing, from the beginning of this post, I could label with one word: “empathy”. I am in anguish thinking about the people of Cambodia. I have never been so cold in my life this winter in Seoul and therefore want to weep when I think of the North Koreans, who are experiencing even colder temperatures and have no roofs over their heads. I want to mourn with all of the mothers who have ever lost a baby, my heart is breaking.

And then, on Sunday, JM got up to preach at church, New Philadelphia , and what did he talk about? Love.

He focused on three of the words for love found in the Greek language (the New Testament was first written in Greek).

Eros (click on the word to read Websters definition)=selfish love (where the word erotic is derived from). The kind of love Hollywood is really good at portraying in movies. Satisfy yourself. Pornography. Prostitution. All Eros love. The word eros is mention zero times in the Bible. Yep, it is not mentioned even once.

Phileo= brotherly love. This word is used most often by the disciples in the Bible. You love someone as a friend, as a brother. When Jesus asks Peter if he loves him he responds with this word, “Jesus, you know I phileo you”. Jesus is searching for a different answer.

Agape= The way God loves. God’s love towards his son, Jesus. God’s love towards us. When we love with agape love, we are showing people God. Agape love is 1 Corinthians 13. Agape love is free, undemanding, unconditional. Agape love expects nothing in return. You. Just. Love. This is the kind of love we are called to give. It goes completely against human nature, the opposite of eros.

1 John 4:16 say “God is love” that word love, is agape. God is agape.

This message JM preached really helped me. The hits will keep coming, and I want them too… as long as I always remember that above all, God is good. He is Agape.

my 21 day fast is almost over. it was life changing.

change

Posted on January 29, 2011 by melody

I have been unhappy with my blog layout ever since I wanted to display my adorable niece, after she (aka her mom) sent me these pictures last fall.

AND NOW

I finally found a layout that I like ^^, not too sure about the background color yet. We shall see how I feel tomorrow. I am currently learning sign language, with a couple other amazing girls, to this song.

It is powerful.

that is all. happy saturday!

I am not defined by my status! Really!

Posted on January 28, 2011 by melody

It’s Friday.

I came to work today when it was actually already light outside.

and…

It’s Friday!!!

I am working my way through my first year of teaching, in my own classroom. This. Is. Not. Easy. But, you know what makes it easier? Having amazing co-workers and mentor teachers.

One of my really good friends, and the person who recommended me for the job I have now, is also my mentor teacher. Ms. Kim teaches 5th Grade. Ms. Kim and Ms. Welton (that’s me! yes I am speaking in third person, get over it) decided that it would be a great idea to have our class create reading buddies together. Today, 5A came down to 2B’s room, and we split our kids up into pairs. We decided that our first activity would be a Venn Diagram so that the reading buddies would have the chance to get to know each other before they dove head first into a book.

Being the awesome teachers that we are, Ms. Kim and I modeled what we wanted the students to do. Ms. Kim held up a Venn Diagram and asked the students what we might put in the middle circle (where both circles inter lap to show similarities). We are expecting “You are both teachers, you are both woman…” but as Ms. Kim calls on one of my little girls she says, “You are both not married.”

haha.

Why, thank-you so much for pointing that out.

smiles

Posted on January 27, 2011 by melody

Fact: Kids get bored easily.

Fact: Kids can be entertained by the same thing over and over and over again, not tiring (or getting bored of it) easily.

interesting.

I recently read about this blog that is dedicated to what makes people smile. Those deep, warm, melts you from the top of your head to the tip of your toes, kind of smiles. It got me to thinking about how often I smile, and what I smile about.

I smile at my students, who are constantly saying ridiculous and funny things (I wish I had a mental tape recorder to plug into my computer- aka a better memory- if I don’t write them down right away I forget).

I smile over a fantastic cup of hot chocolate with whipped cream and chocolate drizzle. There is a coffee shop right by my apartment that I frequently go to because they warm their hot chocolate to JUST the right temperature. I am impatient (when it comes to eating and drinking hot things, when it comes to my students…well, I am working on it) and want to drink my delicious cup of chocolately goodness RIGHT AWAY and the good folks at Sugar Rings know how to hand out the cup of hot chocolate at just the right temperature for me to start drinking it and it STAYS warm until the very end. Yeah, I smile deeply over my cup of cocoa.

I smile when I worship, nothing compares to my intimate time with the big G-O-D.

I smile at the thought of my family and friends, because I love them.

I smile, really smile, when I see a father in public interacting with his son or daughter… there is something about it that tugs at my heart-strings every single time.

What makes you smile?

this boy make me smile. i took my students outside to get pictures of them looking up at the clouds. there were no clouds (the one time I want them, come on Korea...)

one came softly, the other blew a trumpet.

Posted on January 20, 2011 by melody

This week I welcomed two new students into my classroom. A girl from Georgia (the state not the country) and a boy from Brazil. The girl came on Monday in a calm, sweet way, and quietly raised her hand to answer questions after the first hour or so… and did this only a couple times throughout the day. The boy came on Tuesday with bells and whistles and an attitude of, “zip up my coat, now.” He treated me as if he always knew me and I was around to “do things for him”. The girl was showed her spot on the rug and sat down obediently, listening to my teachings and whit and giggling appropriately (what? I am funny). The boy was showed his spot, immediately turned around and started talking to the student behind him, did not listen, and now calls out answers regularly and does not bring his homework home.

Do not misunderstand me, this is not me pointing out that the girl, because she is a girl, is acting one way and the boy, because he is a boy, is acting another. The genders could be switched and it would make no difference to me. It is just really interesting to me that I received two new students who are acclimating (is that not a word? I thought it was, someone tell me) into my classroom in two completely opposite ways. And I will admit, I very much enjoy the way the girl is adjusting verses the boy. But it is all about understanding your students, so I will have to wait and see what makes my Brazilian boy tick.

It is also reminding me of my ninth year of life. I entered fourth grade at the same time my two new students entered their second grade class, halfway through the year. Only I had never been to school before (at least in a building with other students, I went to school in my kitchen). I wish I could remember the way I acted those first couple days. I have a feeling I jumped right in to answering questions and acting as if I knew Ms. Carlson my whole life. I liked her, I liked my classmates. I remember one time I accidentally called her “mom”. It was devastating, I was so embarrassed (yeah, I know… you probably thought I never got embarrassed… well, it’s rare).

I will keep reflecting on my two new students and their behavior. I know you are all biting your nails in anticipation.

feeling a bit peckish.

Posted on January 14, 2011 by melody

Intermediate Banking. Is. Not. My. Friend.

I am very busy. I started graduate school.

Masters of Art in Education

-Curriculum and Instruction

-English Language Learners

with an emphasis on Leadership*

Yeah.

Not only do I already have a gazillion papers due and chapters to read. Uh…. Report cards are due next week.

Good thing I freaking love being busy^^

also, eric, my love… DON’T LEAVE US AGAIN. great to see you -nonetheless- big law school boy!

i like to do things.

Posted on January 6, 2011 by melody

after two amazing fun-filled weeks of visiting family and friends and hosting a friend from korea (minkee was in michigan? yes, yes he was) and driving open country roads in the rain and snow (love michigan) and celebrating holidays -merry christmas and happy new year!- i left the mid-west and headed all the way west for a pit stop in california before coming back to seoul. i love the city of san francisco and happen to have many friends there whom I do not get to see very often (who says whom? this girl). the first day i spent hanging out with four of my boys back from the highschool days, it was hilarious to see middleville invading SF. we plan on taking over.

they took me to the pirate store.

things i did in san francisco:

i went to trader joe’s. i felt californian. (i went there purely for the purpose of buying a bottle of vanilla extract for a friend back home who specifically requested trader joe’s vanilla extract and then i proceeded to leave the bottle at my friend’s place in SF, oops…)

i ate a lot of healthy food including many vegetables. i felt very californian.

i went to the pirate store. 826 Valencia Street. Go There.

i saw a lot of dogs. my friend recently read a statistic saying that there are more dogs in san francisco than children. i totally believe that.

i took the Bart. muni. a bus. after living in seoul i am such a city girl it is laughable.

i accidentally discovered TCHO’s chocolately workshop. my sister wrote a blog post about them a while back and if she hadn’t i probably would have walked right by this place because the storefront wasn’t even finished (come on people, it’s all about appearance). but she did write the post and i did check out the store and tasted all of their samples until they kicked me out (okay, no… that didn’t actually happen). it was incredible.

i went to pier 39 (fisherman’s wharf) and saw a seal. one. it was neato still.

i walked china town.

i went up a glass elevator in one of the nicest hotels i have ever been too (erin kemp: “just act like you own the place and no one says anything”) and had a view of the entire city.

i saw two sunsets at the beach. TWO. they were pretty.

i ate indian.i ate mexican. i ate thai. i ate pizza. i ate cafe sandwiches. i ate. and ate. and ate.

i biked over the golden gate bridge.

i broke my foot (that was before china town AND the golden gate bridge… i just taped it up, no big deal) or somehow managed to seriously injure it and i dont know how.

besides the randomly damaged foot i had an amazing time. i was hosted by the greatest friends and i will go back. california, it is the place to be. what a vacation.

and now. for some pictures.

you have to try it. so so good.

this is me, before I biked across the bridge. it was a gorgeous day, i got really lucky ^^

on the bridge coming back...

it can be months or years, but we will always come back together, missed the rest of you durban peeps!

typical.

they have it so good in california... they don't even know.

spit on the street

koreans do it. i don't.

Monthly Archives: January 2011