With Eyes Lifted High

step by step

2010-10-03T20:33:00.002-05:00

It's a big place out there. Often unfamiliar territory awaits those who dare to venture. Sometimes there are no arrows pointing the lost in the right direction. There is no map marking the journey. Yet onward one goes, step by step, embracing the adventure and trusting it will all work out in the end.

Life scares me from time to time. Not in a nightmarish-post-horror-movie scare, but the unsettling and insecure sort of chills that keep me up at night from time to time. I question myself, my goals, my desires, my dreams, my travels, and wonder about the next step.

Don't get me wrong, I absolutely adore my Mexican life. I am surrounded by people who have left many an imprint on my heart and who fill countless memories. I thankfuly love what I do day in and day out and wouldn't change nearly anything about the life I'm blessed to live.

Yet as the days go by, there is a sort of restlessness within, not necessarily discontentment, just a tickle. A little itch in my mind as I think about my future. I sometimes find myself staring at the world map above my bed and dreaming of the next adventure, the next place to visit. Yet I find myself getting distracted with so many places to see. I am having a hard time coming to terms with a potential adios to Mexico and a possible hola to someplace that won't feel like home when I arrive.

Whenever I find myself contemplating unknowns and decisions yet to be made, I often recall the advice my high school journalism teacher (and best friend's mom) once shared with us seniors. "Whatever you do in your life, make sure you are doing something you love." I am so thankful for that nugget of wisdom that I've kept in my pocket for these last few years.

I love teaching. I love living in a foreign country. I love the cultural surprises, albeit frustrating at times. I love communicating in a different language. I love introducing new tastes and foods into my life.

And all those "loves" are feeding this craving for perhaps taking a step towards another adventure - maybe a new place to call home.

As scared as I sometimes am and as big as this world is, I am trusting that it really will all work out in the end.

Seven Days in Santorini

2010-07-24T08:29:00.000-05:00

Bliss. Paradise. Beauty. Fun. Chill. Pool. Beach(es). Car. Food. Amazing. Friends. Dancing. Sunsets. Volcanoes. Boats. Islands. Donkeys. Hills. Gyros. Moussaka. Wine. Patitsio. Incredible.

All words to describe my unforgettable week on the island of Santorini, Greece.

On the other (older) side of the world.....Athens Day #1-3

2010-07-15T10:58:00.008-05:00

Arriving in Athens with hardly a wink of sleep proved to be no challenge for Lu and I as we took the hour long metro to the area of town where our hostel was supposedly located....all the while wheeling our suitcases completely fitting the tourist profile. After a quick shower we hit the town to find a bite to eat.We tried some new cuisine at the restaurant.....actually I had no idea what I ordered, turned out to be a delicious sort of macaroni and cheese. And as has become custom, we finished off our meal with a dessert consisting of watermelon. Good stuff.

We have had a few run-ins with some Greeks who weren't the friendliest of folk, but thankfully our encounters are beginning to change for the better. It's about a 50/50 chance at this point when we meet the locals. One of the nicer fellows turned out to be our waiter at the cafe we visited yesterday, I learned that Greeks are known for their frappes...Yet another thing to love in this Mediterranean land.

I've never seen such old things in my life. Half the ruins and artifacts we've laid eyes on here are from 500-400BC. It's hard to even wrap my mind around those dates. My jaw has hit the floor more than a few times. I'll never forget the moment we walked off the metro and started wandering up the hill towards the acropolis and first caught a glimpse of the monumental wonder. It was one of those "immediate goose-bump experiences".

We got pretty lucky as we were making our way around the "Acropoli" and stumbled upon an outdoor cinema we had read about in our guide book but didn't plan on finding. They were showing "Charade", the old movie with Cary Grant and Audrey Hepburn....we fit right in with all the Greek locals and thankfully the movie was shown in English with Greek subtitles. Phew.

On our second day we decided to pay for a tour to Delphi, also known as the bellybutton of the world. It is said that Zeus sent two eagles in opposite directions and they met in Delphi, making it the center of the world. Here sits the remains of the Temple of Apollo where the wise Oracle was housed. People from all over the world have come over the last THOUSANDS of years to seek advice in this place. Famous kings of the past often made the journey to this very place to figure out what would become of their future, for better or worse.

We also went to the museum with our guide and our group from all over the world (Japan, India, Brazil, the US, Mexico - very proud were we, Australia, Russia....shared lunch with people from 3 different continents) and saw artifacts from the 6th Century BC.....it's hard to accurately put all of this wonder into words, but we're off to a great start on our Grecian journey.

I have also learned that it pays to say you are Mexican or at least travel with a Mexican....we have received free shots of tequila among other beverages while traveling around Greece. Salud or as we say here.....Yamas!

Day 9: Chichen Itza, a Cenote and Villadolid

2010-04-05T23:23:00.005-05:00

Today we took a tour to some more Mayan wonders in the Yucaton Peninsula. It was totally worth it, even if it lasted 12 hours and we returned quite exhausted to our humble abode. We did our best to highlight some of the history we remembered from the long day, check out these pictures!

This Mayan picture is ridiculously crazy. It depicts the athletic side of the Mayans. They played something called the "ball game" -which included a 10 pound ball and a hoop made of stone 15 feet in the air. The craziest part about this 1-score-win game is that the loser chopped the head off of the winning team's captain. They believed this would be a good fertilizer for the ground and saw the self-sacrifice as something noble. If you look closely at this stone picture, you can see the winning captain on his knees and in place of his head there is blood spouting out of his neck. Wow.

The Mayans were very mathematical. This pyramid represents the 365 days of the year and is perfectly placed N-E-S-W. The Mayans had 18 months with 20 days each and the 19th month had only 5 days to avoid the leap year issue that the Gregorian calendar makes for us.

This was the science laboratory and astronomy center.....it was once a dome on the top with 5 windows aligned with certain stars at certain dates of the year. They sure knew their stuff.

This building is believed to be the birthing center....hence the "W-O-W" I made for my sister-in-law Michelle who is a midwife and could've been working in this building once upon a time had she been born Mayan. Yup, that's a stretch, but wow.

This is another part of the birthing center...with the very Mayan architecture being displayed.

It really did take your breath away.

This is the Salon of Warriors, or something like that. Apparently the Mayan warriors would capture enemies and rip out their hearts from live victims.

This "cenote" (well or water pool) was the burial place for hundreds of innocent children as the Mayans drowned them in hopes of bringing more water to their very dry and hot land.

Chichen Itza.

We got to see an under ground swimming hole with fresh water on the surface and salt water towards the bottom.

It was bizarre swimming under the hanging tree roots in the cold and dark water!

But swim in it, we did.

Our last stop of the tour took us to Villadolid, one of the larger cities in the area. This is also where the Mexican revolution first started in 1910 (or around that time).

Day 7: Cozumel

2010-04-03T22:51:00.000-05:00

We decided to switch things up a bit today and jumped on a boat. We rode the ferry over to the island of Cozumel, which from first impressions seems to be a place that once saw better days. However, we made the most of our spontaneous boat journey and found a yummy little New-Orleans food place and made the most of it. We then contemplated renting bicycles to aid our exercise efforts (lacking greatly on this trip!) but decided we were a little too lazy to bike 12 miles today. Instead we got a taxi and headed North on the island to a beach recommended by our waiter called San Francisco. Little did we know we were about to arrive at a water park wonder in the middle of the ocean. This place had it all....free chairs to lay out on, sand that didn't stick to everything, and an aquatic wonderland including trampolines, climbable icebergs, and slick slides. Fear not, we tested out the equipment and had way too much fun laughing at ourselves as we climbed up the slide and shot down the other side. Cozumel wasn't quite what we expected but it was a pleasant surprise and mixed up our newly formed beach schedule at Playa del Carmen. :)

Off we go.

Our trusty sea-vessel.

Cool.

We made it....and weren't sea-sick!

Yummy food in Cozumel.

This shirt made me laugh.

Our Ocean Water Park.

Another beach day.

There were parrots all over the place.

Cozumel - done and done.

Day 5-6: Playa del Carmen

2010-04-02T23:22:00.003-05:00

So we are muy a gusto here in Playa del Carmen. Not too many complaints from either of us, however we thought it might be due time to share some of the most memorable beach moments and the ghost writer is enjoying her debut with some of these winners....

"I love the beach" - Angela on day 5, with burnt feet and random red spots on legs from poorly applied sunscreen. :)

"Stare straight ahead, keep your eye on the ball" - Dominique, day 4, while on the beach trying to avoid staring at nudey sunbathers :) Great choice of words Dom.

In congruence with that second quote, we accidentally parked ourselves in Playa del Carmen next to a group of Scandinavian topless sunbathers. Another awkward experience.....number of paparazzi shots taken of these young girls.....82.

Beach Day 2....still loving it.

woo-hoo!!

One pic from our nite out on Calle 12.

We spent the semi-cloudy afternoon reading at Starbucks.

I was purposefully in disguise....long story.

Day 4: Tulum & Playa del Carmen

2010-03-31T23:47:00.004-05:00

Our first full beach day, hence the #1.

Can't go wrong.

Our lunch.

Mojito with Statue.

Ooo, laa, laa!

Delicious Thai Restaurant....

And's that all we did today. Beached it, Ate, Drank and were Merry.

Day 3: Coba/Tulum

2010-03-30T19:56:00.004-05:00

The sun sets at 6:30. We are staying in cabins without electricity, which means they are lit by candles. We have a mosquito net around our bed (an absolute necessity). The reeds/bamboo that serve as walls in the bathroom offer a drafty sort of rustic feel. Thankfully we have hot water and are not suffering too much....it's basically just a step up from camping.

Today we took a bus to another site of Mayan ruins - Coba. It was amazing. The ruins are hidden amid the jungle and reachable by foot or on bike. We chose to explore on bikes and it was worth all $3. Here's some pictures from the day..... Tomorrow we'll be hitting up the beaches in Tulum.....known for their optional clothing policy....ahhh!!!!

We were loving the freedom on the bikes!

The ruins were all in the middle of the jungle.

Yes, We climbed that beast.....not the safest of activities.

Ang is trying to depict what "The Ball Game" was for the Mayan Athletes.

Another slab of stone the Mayans wrote/drew on.

We found Chivas fans in Tulum.

And we finally had our pineapple drinks on the beach.

Lovingly called a "Coco Loco."

Day 2: Tulum

2010-03-29T21:26:00.005-05:00

Our second day found us taking a 2 1/2 hour bus ride to Tulum. Tulum is a pueblo filled with ruins from the Mayan rule. We checked out the Tulum ruins as soon as we pulled into the city, went and found a yummy (but slightly expensive) Italian restuarant for dinner and ended the day at Cabanas Copal, which is our humble abode for the next 2 days - it's literally a rustic little hut by the beach. (sans electricity. ha!)

We made it!

Impressive place....with a great setting alongside the beach.

This little guy made his home sun-baking on the ruins.

We couldn't get enough of the white sand and beautiful water!

Blue, blue water!

A nice finish to a great day. :)

And yes, that's a full moon right there, not a sunset.

And no, we have still not had our ginger cocunuts.

Day 1: Cancun

2010-03-28T22:23:00.005-05:00

In Cancun when the moon is full, one might get lucky. For if you drink out of a coconut while walking along the shore under a full moon, you will find yourself getting hitched in this city of beachly wonder. If you mix a little ginger in with the the coconut, your man will be sure to be a millionaire. Also, one must add lots of ice.

And that was our first taste of Cancun. A recipe for a beachy romantic success story. 5 minutes later we realized that was part of the man's charming plea for a tip as he lugged our suitcases towards the bus stop.

Yes, we took a bus. We felt very intelligent buying a shuttle pass and paying only $4 for a ride into the city versus the $40 taxi rides into the city.

We did not feel very intelligent however locating our hotel. According to our map, our hotel looked rather close to the station with just a 50/50 chance as to which way to walk down the street. Angela claimed she is horrible with directions, so we went with my instinct. I forgot to tell her that I too am horrible with directions. After walking aimlessly 30 minutes down the supposedly correct street (while wheeling along heavy suitcases over sidewalks that had seen better days), we accepted our error and gave in to the hundreds of taxis that had been attempting to pick us up along the strip.

The taxis cost less than $2. Amazing.

Our hotel turned out to be a quaint and quiet little hole in the hall place with a man behind the counter who seemed to be more concerned counting his pesos than helping his customers. He did however try to sell us a spa package as well as entice our tastebuds with the breakfast option in the morning. He said, "We offer an American breakfast here - with eggs, freshly squeezed orange juice and chiliquiles." (yeah, how many Americans know what Chiliquiles is? haha)

The man then brought us to our room, turned the on the AC and television for us, showed off the Japanese doors which oddly are situated in the middle of a very Mexican hotel room and as we walked him to our door assuming that he was just doing his job, he smiled and inquired "And my tip?"

It was after that when we collapsed on the beds, just thankful to be here and I pulled out the bag of goodies from Guadalalara....which included homemade cookies. Angela couldn't help herself as she said, "These cookies are probably the healthiest thing I have eaten all day long."

She might have been speaking more truth than irony with that statement as food was pretty much forgotten throughout the crazy day of traveling. We decided to overcome that issue, quickly glanced at the tourist guide and picked a yummy Yucatanian restaurant.

After another cheap taxi ride to the restaurant and finding ourselves the only people eating at this establishment, we enjoyed a delicious and quick meal before walking ourselves back to the hotel. The day ended quite succesfully and calmly as Ang and I found ourselves both fighting off a slight food coma.

(p.s. No ginger cocunuts were enjoyed tonight.)

Sayulita

2010-03-23T09:09:00.000-05:00

On the way to Puerto Vallarta, there are a bunch of smaller beaches along the coast. Over the mid-March 3-day weekend, we ended up at Sayulita - a surfing beach. The weekend was spontaneous as I knew just one other person, was the only foreigner in a group of 15 and we literally had no plan until hours before we left Guadalajara. All that to say, it was one of the best beach trips I've ever taken. :)

The Market in this little surfing city.

One of the locals, right at home with his surfboard.

A juggling and balancing act on the beach.

Life on the beach. :)

Our home sweet home for the weekend.

How we feel when we get out of the city.

New friends.

Setting Goals

2010-03-15T09:34:00.000-05:00

Being a goal-driven person at heart, I always try to make a big deal out of setting goals in my classroom. From the very beginning of the school year, the kids wrote down goals and we are continually working towards those finish lines, which occassionally get adjusted as the year goes on. One of my goals this year was to run a half marathon. After lots of sweating, training and many hours outside counting up the miles, it happened. :)

This was about mile 6, I loved seeing people that I knew on the sidelines!

We were all so happy to be done!

My awesome supporters who cheered me on along the way! :)

gotta love it

2010-03-03T10:03:00.003-06:00

Fourth Graders sure have a way with words. Check out some of these brilliant notes they wrote me for my birthday (spelling errors and all).

Miss Dominique, you are a teacher.

I think you should write a book or make a movie about your life.

Miss Dominique you are the best miss I have ever had.

You are the funnest teacher in the world.

You are the gretest teecher in the worlddddddddddd.

I think you are the funiest and coolest teacher I've ever met, Happy b-day!

You are a very fun teacher and I love your stories.

Miss Dom, you are supper cool.

So even though I'm counting down the days till Spring break when I get a 2 week rest from the 20 of them, I have to admit that they are pretty cute. And I can't complain about the great birthday gifts I got from them either....I have it pretty good. :)

call it luck

2010-02-17T21:36:00.002-06:00

There's a saying in Mexico that claims a person is lucky when they get pooped on by a bird. If there's any truth to this phrase, I would be one fortunate person.

Something that I get to do almost every day is light my pilot light on the water heater. This is quite the experience as it involves a boiler that is past its prime and sits outside my laundry room window. Let me paint you a picture of what is involved when I light the pilot.

Normally, lighting the boiler occurs when it is dark outside. If I had the choice, I would prefer to take on this task in daylight, but as I usually shower in the morning or at night, darkness is what I am given. I grab the lighter from my kitchen (which I keep in there to light my stove whenever I use it) and I trudge down the hallway to the laundry room. I usually struggle finding the lightbulb which hangs from the wall and then try to make as much noise as possible as I slide open the window which has more than normal wear and tear. I then turn the dial on the boiler to the pilot setting and stick my hand out the window pushing the button and sticking the lighter through the broken piece of screen which serves as a weak excuse for the flame cover. Sometimes it is as easy as that, I just wait with my hand pushing the button for a minute while mentally humming or singing a song to pass the boredom.

But boring it is not always.....for there have been several occassions while performing this daily task that the pigeons living outside my window have decided to have some fun. This "fun" consists of my hand or arm or shirt getting pelted with poop. I kid you not.

Last week, the bird hanging out above my window decided to drop a bomb. Though I was able to move my hand out of the line of fire, the poop somehow hit the boiler, rebounded off and nailed my pajamas with a steady stream of whiteness. Disgusting.

This week, as I was innocently craving hot water and in the process of lighting my boiler, I suddenly felt something I hope to never again feel. My hand was instantaneously warm and oozing with something white. By the time I realized what had just happened, my entire hand was covered in the filthy evidence.

The birds are winning. It's probably about 5-0 at this point in the game. Though these past couple instances have been awful, I believe the worst (or luckiest) bird poop story happened two years ago. I was minding my own business, trying to use what little Spanish I knew at the time to talk to the person next to me. Out of nowhere, I felt something warm dripping down my face. As I tried to figure out what was happening, the warm sensation suddenly ran down my cheek onto my shirt and down my legs. It felt like it was the combined effort of at least 6 birds working on target practice.

The most ironic thing about each of these crappy encounters has been the reaction of the people around me or the people who listen to me share these unfortunate tales. After I was the recipient of bird droppings on my face, at least 5 strangers came up to me and commented on the LUCK I must have in life.

It's funny how a situation that could be perceived as no more than a horrible addition to a normal day is suddenly given such noble labels. It seems silly that anyone would even think to call all of this "luck".

Yet I can't help but think that maybe the people in this country I currently call home have figured something out. There are so many things that happen in life which nobody can control. These things can frustrate us, confuse us, inconvenient us and cause us to frown. Why not change our perspective? We all have a choice.

My hand, shirt and face were all covered in unpleasant stuff, but life too is often full of unpleasant things. We each have a choice as to how we react to what happens. Some call it unfair or get upset. Some laugh and keep going. Some point fingers and blame the birds. Others call it luck.

Lucky me.

laughing my way towards contentment

2010-01-26T09:07:00.003-06:00

"The person who knows how to laugh at himself will never cease to be amused." ~ Shirley MacLaine

Little did I know that the trip to the bathroom would be so tragic. After having a delightful conversation with my best friend via Skype at Starbucks, I was gonna make a quick trip to the bathroom before I started the 15 minute trek home. First of all, while I was in the public restroom, the power went out. Thankfully that only lasted a mere 30 seconds as I was trying to figure out the best plan of action. I thought that would be the worst of my woes, though I was about to be proven wrong with the following surprise waiting for me.

When I innocently pushed the button to flush the toilet, it made a funny gurgling sound before it erupted all over my pants and feet. It was a sudden burst of hydraulics, a mini geyser with me as the recipient of its fury. I stood in shock for a moment as I took stock of the wet floor, soaked pants, and dripping shoes. I literally had to take off my shoes to empty out the toilet water that had puddled in the soles. Of course there were no paper towels to be found, so I then had to strategically place my feet, one at a time, under the Xcelerator hand dryer before I finally accepted the fact that there was nothing more to be done. I was forced to squeak my way out of Starbucks, trying to be as inconspicuous as possible.

After relaying my latest comical misfortune to my 4th grade class yesterday, one student responded to the tale saying, "Miss Dominique, you have a funny life. I like your stories."

Little did this student know that his comment would give me some food for thought. Lately, I have had numerous conversations with friends about the going-ons in their lives. Everyone seems to be busy, yet everyone seems to be wanting something more to fill their plates. Everyone seems to be missing something.

I too feel like I am missing something.

It's not really a tangible object. It's something that pulls at me as I observe others. It's a feeling - a feeling that maybe the grass really is greener on the other side. A feeling that tells me what I have is not enough.

I have forgotten something. I have forgotten how to be content with what I have. I keep thinking that if I just wait for the next thing, then fulfillment will be found.

I am the first to admit that this is not a single battle. It's likely a lifelong struggle, but quite honestly it is something of which I have grown tired. And it took a conversation with a good friend last week to really put things into perspective. She reminded me of who I am and what I get to do in my life....

Here I am, living in a new country, single, traveling the world, feeding a crazed passion for running, enjoying coffee dates with friends, reading what I want to, eating fine Mexican cuisine at all hours of the day, working my dream job, entertaining all sorts of people for dinner, experimenting with new recipes in the kitchen, going out whenever I please, and overall living a good life.

There isn't much I would change if I could. In fact, it seems silly to even try to convince someone that I am missing something. Yet for whatever reason, I tend to focus on what I don't have instead of what I do have. It's so easy to complain.

Perhaps it's easy to look at the lives of my friends and yearn for things they have, but I need to be thankful for what I have. Perhaps having a toilet explode all over my jeans isn't a convenient experience, but at least it makes me laugh and adds to the funny life I get to lead.

I may wish for a few changes in my life, I may long for things I don't have, but at least while I am waiting I can enjoy the things I do have.

It is still a secret I have yet to learn, but try I will. I was struck by the simplicity of Paul's words the other days regarding contentment.

"...I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do everything through him who gives me strength." Philippians 4:11-13

So here's to a life filled with laughter and a heart filled with contentment, Cheers!

For the record, I stepped in dog droppings on my way to school this morning and I did nothing but laugh.

It's quite simple...

2010-01-15T06:30:00.005-06:00

It almost feels like something you have to do. If you don't do it, you will probably not achieve nearly as much as you could. Yet, it felt slightly trivial realizing at the last minute that I was not ready to take the plunge. And since when have I actually come up with a great, life-changing goal in the 2 minutes following midnight of a New Year?

In that pensive spirit, I followed the lead of my grandmother and decided if "Christmas with the Cousins" could be postponed this year due to too much snow, then my New Year's Resolution could be postponed due to lack of inspiration.

I am almost embarrased to admit that I had to go to desperate measures while searching out the perfect goal - I actually researched the idea behind a New Year's Resolution. Really, what makes a person suddenly desire to change a huge part of their life as they throw out one calendar and open a new one? What is the point?

"Why it's elementary, my dear Watson," Holmes would surely say, "It's a way to improve onself with the idea of beginning afresh." (I still have yet to see the new Holmes movie.....)

Improving oneself.....is actually an overwhelming idea. The list was proving to be endless. While searching for a brilliant resolution, I began to ask those around me with the hope that one of their ideas would ignite my own.

One friend has decided to learn how to make cheese. Another has decided to abandon pop (or soda for those of you not from the midwest). In similiar spirit, a different friend quit smoking or so he said as he was desperately finishing up his last box. Several have joined the gym while others have decided to walk everyday with the idea of shedding a few pounds.

All of these ideas mentioned are great and somewhat typical of what gets thrown around the first of each year. (The only one that really made my jaw drop was the desire to learn how to make cheese.....really?) Yet none of these ideas seemed to align with me.

So the quest continued and was postponed until I found myself arriving home in Mexico once again after spending the holidays in the frozen tundra of Minnesota. And just as cartoons depict an idea with a lightbulb flashing over the character's head, I too had one of those moments. It was as I was unpacking and trying to put things back in their place that I realized the perfect New Year's resolution was right before my eyes.

Though that sounds picturesque and almost poetic, what was "right before my eyes" was nothing more than a mess. A big mess. The kind of mess that slowly develops as a person runs out of time to sort through things in life. I may try to tell myself from time to time that "it's really not that bad." But in saying that to myself (yes I do talk to myself at times), I am only lying. As I began to see my apartment and my classroom and my life in general, I realized that I don't really dedicate the proper time or fuerzas (which means effort, I also like to throw in Spanish words when they sound better than the English equivalent) t0 keep my life in order.

Hiding the mess or shoving it in the cupboard does nobody any good. In fact, it's almost embarrassing. My place may look clean and people have even commented on the "organization", haha, but really it's all surface.

And unfortunately I find that to be true with myself as well. Trying to be one person on the outside, looking like I got it all together, while not dealing with the mess on the inside is exhausting.

So with that mess in mind, my 2010 New Year's Resolution is to "Simplify my Life." I am the first to admit that I don't know exactly what that will entail or how that will happen. But for the record I did spend 5 hours cleaning out my closet last weekend. And I hope to attack the kitchen cupboards this weekend. Little by little with enough determination, I think this goal is manageable. One might still argue that it is slightly vague, but I am ok with that.

Sometimes I like not knowing the outcome or having a specific end in mind. I find that even when I do have a plan, life often veers in another direction. Let's just hope that as life takes me one way or another, my life will be a little less complicated or at least less cluttered allowing me to just enjoy the ride.

the right words

2009-11-22T16:24:00.002-06:00

I can't always form the thoughts I feel a need to say. But I am thankful when I stumble across the right words elsewhere....

Psalm 130:1-5

Out of the depths I cry to you, O LORD.

O LORD, Hear my voice.

Let your ears be attentive to my cry for mercy.

If you, O LORD, kept a record of sins, O LORD, who could stand?

But with you, there is forgiveness;

therefore you are feared.

I wait for the LORD.

My soul waits,

and in His word I put my hope.

tossing the limes

2009-11-09T20:10:00.007-06:00

The day always seemed doomed. The kitchen was off-limits. It overwhelmed me to even take a peek at the mess. But the task had to be done and Mom was the master. She put on the gloves and faced the beast. Somehow Mom always managed to miraculously clean out the fridge – giving it a complete makeover. It’s one of those necessary evils in life.

And one of those things I detest doing, especially since I haven’t seemed to arrive to the master status my mom achieved after all those years of expertly giving the fridge the needed facelift.

I don’t like this job, for one never knows what you may discover lurking behind the lemonade or hiding under the eggs. And this week I had the unfortunate experience of finding a couple moldy limes.

I normally love limes. They are flavorful, colorful and add the needed zest to so many things, especially down here in Mexico. But the rotten ones added nothing of the sort; rather they made me feel sick.

And I realized that my life might be lamentably relatable to those rotten limes.

The limes looked good for awhile. They just sat in the back of the fridge minding their own business. The limes went unnoticed, for too long.

And lately in life, I have overlooked certain things for far too much time. It's easier to hide things behind the milk or to "forget" that the limes are there. Rather than dealing with the parts of my life that have spoiled, I have chosen to ignore the limes. Initially it seems easier to disregard the warning signs...until the limes scream for removal.

The limes did their best to stay green on the outside, but one can only be deceived for so long. The hardening and discoloration can only hide for so long. My life has also been attempting to stay green on the outside. I'm still trying to be full of flavor and zest in what I do.

But it's getting harder. Hiding behind things hasn't worked. Half-hearted effort in relationships hasn't been enough. On the outside, everything might still look "limey" but on the inside, something is starting to harden and smell.

Something has been decaying. And someone has been letting it happen - letting my heart mind its own business and slowly rot away.

Mastering this mess may take a little longer than cleaning out the fridge, but it’s worth every minute.

I threw out the limes yesterday.

Now it's a matter of tossing a few bigger things.

It is time to take out the trash.

It’s one of those necessary evils.

the little things

2009-10-22T08:35:00.011-05:00

“Enjoy the little things, for one day you may look back and realize they were the big things.”
Robert Brault

Lately in life, I have been blessed incredibly by the little things - the things that often may go unnoticed. Life isn't always about major events that change one's perspective, it's about enjoying the simple moments that happen each and every day: laughable memories, reflective moments, serious times, and experiences in which to be grateful.

My list of little things:

laughter of Forest, Shen and Amara

cooking dinner with friends

french vanilla creamer for my coffee

(worth the extra pesos)

a burning candle

time with special people

fall weather

laughing at myself

stories that 4th graders tell me

running even if it's in the rain

unplanned evenings

e-mails from long lost friends

waking up with a smile

smell of fresh baking

natural lighting

laughing so hard my stomach and cheeks ache

come and go

2009-09-18T18:52:00.007-05:00

The rain has been pounding the pavement more often these days. There are some mornings I wake up to the torrential drizzling and start dreading the walk to school as I realize the streets are probably flooded or puddled-up. Yet it could be worse.

When the downpour begins in the morning, I have a chance to adequately prepare myself for it. Black rubber boots and a red rain coat are my manner of preparing for the wetness awaiting me outside the apartment door. So honestly, it's actually hardly a headache or setback at all when the rain is expected.

Call me crazy, but I think life can be the same way. When an expected trial comes along, it's easy to take in stride. When we're prepared for a huge avalanche of work, it somehow seems easier to swallow. What really causes the headaches in life are the the flooding of unexpected events that threaten to drown us in moments unaware.

Taking a nap and some aspirin won't cure these life headaches. The answers aren't always cut and dry. Though I often find myself saying that surviving a crisis "just takes time", it never seems to lesson the uncertainty of the awaited resolution.

There are times I wish I had a way to avoid the predicaments life finds us in or at least that I had a way to be prepared for all the curveballs thrown at us.

I wish I was able to wear a raincoat and rubber boots for all the storms that life throws my way. But I've been learning that life isn't about always being prepared. There are times that more is learned when the raincoat and boots are not worn.

Sometimes I need to get wet and caught off-guard to learn the lesson pouring down. Some storms last longer than others, but ultimately I know that the rain will come and the rain will go, whether I am ready for it or not.

aimlessly automatic

2009-05-13T08:20:00.007-05:00

Driving up the hill, I had to remind myself that it was I who needed to shift gears when I heard the engine spinning faster. The car was not automatic and took a little more thought while scooting around town in it. I had not driven a manual car in a while, let alone a vehicle at all in Minnesota for many months. While this sounds like a recipe or the beginning of disaster, believe it or not, I had no accidents while driving in Minnesota. :)

Driving while I was back home last week soley reminded me of a few simple life-truths. When I was lent the automatic cars back home, driving was a means to an end. It got me from one place to another without too much thought as I rounded a corner or came to a stop.

Behind the wheel of the little manual car, I actually had to pay attention to what I was doing. If I didn't shift gears when necessary, it would've been bad for the car. Speeding along in first gear probably isn't the smartest idea to employ.

All this talk of driving does have a point. As I was making my coffee today and going about my morning routine, I realized how often I "drive my life" in automatic. I hardly take the time to think about changing gears, stopping when I need to and taking a different road if necessary. This is the easier method.

Easier doesn't equal better. As often as I tell my fifth graders that mini-message, you would think it would be engrained into all I do too. Many times, we need to slow down or change gears as we go through our daily routines. We get so caught up in the norm that we forget to pay attention to the signs along the way.

Sometimes we do need to stop. Take a break. Rest.

Other times we need to simply watch our speed and keep it to a limit.

Perhaps we come to crossings and we need to decide which path to take.

There are moments that the traffic around us serves as a distraction.

I wonder how often we take the same roads without trying something new.

It is too easy to get caught up in a routine. Without even paying attention for the need to change, we continue down the road stuck in automatic. We may feel as though we have lost sense of direction. We may not know where we are to go.

Little do we know, or much do we forget, we do know where we are to go. We do have the directions, many times we fail to look. We get so caught up in getting from one place to another, we forget our ultimate destination...which ultimately determines our daily steps.

"Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. Therefore I do not run like a man running aimlessly; I do not fight like a man beating the air." (1 Corinthians 9:24-26

While the apostle Paul used running for his visual, it was driving that stopped me this week. I can't aimlessly drive my life in automatic. There is a goal at the end. There is a destination.

And it is towards that end that I drive.

swine influenza...taking the country by storm.

2009-04-28T10:34:00.004-05:00

Swine Influenza has forever changed the way things are done in Mexico. Or at least it seems like things will forever be changed. This week has been full of surprises and scares as swine influenza sweeps the nation with its nasty results. Being a resident of this country during this historic scare, it is only right that I write a bit about the current events.

Walking down the streets in Guadalajara, Mexico will find you staring into the eyes of hundreds of people who have covered their mouths with the encouraged "facemasks". We like to think of them as SARS masks. It's a sea of blue and white faces as you look around the neighborhood. Whether the people be in the line at the fruit market, riding down the street on their motorcycles, or taking their kids for a walk, nearly every single person is sporting a mask.

Going to the grocery store yesterday to stock up for a few days made me remember the scare of Y2K. There were numerous families running around the store filling their carts as fast as they could. The amount of milk people were buying looked as though it would last them a month. The store didn't seem able to keep up with the high demand as the store was looking more and more bare during the 30 minutes I meandered the aisles. (masks were also in use at the store!)

All schools in Mexico have been closed down until May 6th. Everyone is encouraged to stay home and stay put. It really is a bizarre experience and the only thing I can connect it to is......this sounds weird.....a snow blizzard. It is as if we have had a huge snowstorm and are stuck in our homes. We play games, we watch movies and we sit around. We are basically sitting ducks, waiting for the storm to pass. But it is beautiful outside, there aren't flakes falling from the skies, the roads are sitll drivable and people aren't out shoveling the sidewalks.

Rather, people are out raking the leaves, yelling greetings across the street (we have been told we aren't supposed to greet anyone up close), and wearing masks as if the germs are the snowflakes falling out of the skies. It's a surreal experience being stuck in the middle of the madness.

And at this point, there's really not much to do except wait for this storm to pass.

And wear a face mask.

...beauty holding hands with the broken....

2009-03-25T14:18:00.004-05:00

Words will never do life justice.

The things we feel will never be captured on a piece of paper.

Our hearts can't be described in a paragraph.

Yet, putting a pen to paper or typing out tidbits seems to soothe the 'something' inside that is screaming for a place to escape.

so here's the something that needs to come out of me...

my heart hurts. a lot.
it hurts for the sadness trying to hide.
it hurts for the despair of the hopeless.

my heart hurts. a lot.
it hurts for the loneliness of this world.
it hurts for the pain we cause each other.

my heart hurts. a lot.
it hurts for the unsaid words that do harm.
it hurts for the words that can't be erased.

my heart hurts. a lot.
it hurts for the blind eye so many turn.
it hurts for the hunger many can't fill.

my heart hurts. a lot.
it hurts for the nights that pass without sleep.
it hurts for the smiles falsely worn.

my heart hurts. a lot.
it hurts for the effort not recognized.
it hurts for the overwhelming pressure.

my heart hurts. a lot.
it hurts for the rejected.
it hurts for the unsettled.

my heart hurts. a lot.
the tears i cry, the path i walk, the load i carry
it's wet, it's long, it's heavy.

my heart hurts. a lot.
the emotions that come without warning.
the things that occur without telling.

my heart hurts. a lot.
the joy that gets nearly stripped.
the perspective that threatens to shift.

my heart hurts. a lot.
i can't say that i understand.
or that i ever will.

but these words need an exit.
and that's what this is.
a way out.

someone else can carry the load.
someone else can lead the way.
someone else can dry my eyes.

He has my heart.
He heals the hurt.

I am broken.
He is beauty.

and Beauty is holding hands with the broken.

like a hamster

2009-02-12T21:25:00.005-06:00

So many times the clock is chasing after me. Begging me to waste more of it. More numbers slip by than honestly ought to as I go through these short days we have in this short life of ours. This perpetual battle of balancing my schedule sometimes finds me drowning in good intentions and commitments I’ve confirmed.

This week has been one of those weeks. Heavy. Emotional. Draining. And I sit here desperate for a cause. A cause to run myself ragged thinking it’s all for the best. And my mind can’t let go of one word.

Worthy. (Webster says: deserving effort, attention, respect).

Just like a hamster runs around on that circular track, so too I find myself running around in circles. Initially the things I add to the circle are great, in fact, one could call them worthy. The problem enters the picture, when someone tries to do too many different “worthy” activities. The required effort, attention and respect are stripped due to the constant flurry trying to accomplish too much.

All the things we pencil in on the calendar while convinced we are doing the world a favor and trying to make it a better place pale in comparison to His worthiness. We try to add so much into our lives, we end up losing more than we gain.

In a study called “Knowing God by Name”, Mary A. Kassian, enlightens the readers on some royal practices from ancient days. Apparently if a monarch ruled more than one country, it entitled him/her to wear more than one crown. Each crown correlated with the number of countries ruled by the said monarch. Kassian mentions that when Ptolemy came into Antioch as a victor, he already wore three crowns atop his head: two for upper and lower Egypt and another for his conquest in Asia.

These crowns are symbols of conquest and victory. Yet a crown will not do anyone any good in of itself. We can continue adding things into our lives, convinced our lives will be enhanced. But it’s not what we do that matters. It is not about us at all.

The apostle John had some visions about these crowns the monarchs wore around proclaiming their “greatness” for all to see. In Revelation 4:4, 9-11 we read Around the throne were twenty-four thrones, and seated on the thrones were twenty-four elders clothed in white garments, with golden crowns on their heads. And whenever the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to him who is seated on the throne…the twenty-four elders fall down before him who is seated on the throne and worship him who lives forever and ever. They cast their crowns before the throne, saying, “Worthy are you, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power.”

John cast a vivid image of the crowns we gather on our heads and the importance we place on ourselves. It isn’t about what we do and how many “worthy” activities with which we fill our days.

This hamster lifestyle is not what God calls us to. Running ourselves ragged isn’t what life is about. In the end, we won’t be wearing our crowns we gather in this life with pride. We’ll be throwing them at His feet.

He is what we are not.

He is worthy.

Do, Re, Mi

2009-01-26T19:02:00.007-06:00

She loved it, perhaps due to the green hills of Austria or the stern father who released the bitter hold on his hurting heart or maybe it was the melodies which united a scattering family and won the hearts of everyone. For likely many reasons, my mom's favorite movie was (and I think still is) "The Sound of Music."

Because of that passion for the Rogers and Hammerstein classic, I became audience to the 1965 film over and over again. Somehow Mom's adoration for the film poured over into my life and I still find myself humming the catchy songs I heard so often as a child. When I was younger I dreamed of being Leisl and being able to someday sing "I am sixteen going on seventeen, I know that I'm naive...." to my own Rolf. (I quickly realized musicals aren't the best examples to follow for real-life romances). Though my Rolf has yet to appear, I still find myself humming "My Favorite Things", "So Long, Farewell" and "Do, Re, Mi".

It's the latter song that caught me off guard the other day. Maria (the young woman taking a break from her life at the convent to serve as governess for the rambunctious Von Trapp children) commences the song naturally with "Let's start at the very beginning, A very good place to start..." Though simply put, this one line grated my ambitions this last week as I pondered the start of something new.

Though the beginning may be a natural place to start, it's definitely not the easiest. Probably wasting too many moments of thinking on such a simple aspect of life, I couldn't help but wonder why it's so hard to start something new. Even though I love running, the worst part of it is getting out of the house and going. I relish writing, but the task of penning the first lines of a story overwhelm me. I am fascinated by meeting new people, yet sometimes it's easier to sit back and not take the first step.

The thing life seems to be plainly teaching me these days is that once you start, it's really not so bad to keep going. Is it that once we start something we are closer to finishing it? Or that we are running towards a goal, while before we were only thinking about the goal? Or is it because we know that once we've started there is no turning back and we've convinced ourselves that the goal is worthy?

Regarding the goal, Hebrews 12:1-2 encourages us in similar fashion to run towards it. "Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God."

All the things that make it hard for me to start something, all the distractions I hold within arm's reach need to be left behind. My old life will be left behind, my Austria abandoned as I run for the hills of Switzerland. :)

I'm starting once again at the beginning, a very good place to start.

And I'm running towards even a better place, with a better goal in mind.

memories being made

2008-12-20T21:27:00.005-06:00

Shaking her head just slightly and laughing, my mother often responds to ironic situations with "Oh, we're just making memories!" Whether that means the grandson has poured the entire box of dish soap into the dishwasher or we've got lost for the eighth time in Spain or a family game has turned too much into a competition, she knows that memories are being made.
I too have claimed this saying as one of my own. And I particularly like to recall this phrase of "making memories" during the many laughable stunts I and colleagues pull as teachers.
One of the most recent performances found me trying to be Baby Spice as 4 of us teachers experienced a flash from the past and performed "Wannabe" by the Spice Girls for the high school lip sync contest.
I swear I have too much fun in life. And don't worry Mom, many memories are always being made.

fortunate

2008-12-13T21:51:00.011-06:00

An interesting day was Saturday the 13th as we had our Christmas Posada (party) for the kids at Arenales. Read on to learn of the many unfortunate and fortunate things that happened on this very day.

Unfortunately, we were running a little late arriving to the church and 5 people were waiting for us.

Fortunately, due to all the people we had going with us to Arenales (the ministry site), we had 2 vehicles: the church van (named Hilary) and a little red truck, which I got to drive.

Unfortunately, as we were backing up out of the church parking spots, the truck died.

Fortunately, we were able to get ahold of our pastor and he talked me through the restarting of the truck with the special security thing.

Unfortunately, due to the late start, there were plenty of kids waiting for us at the ministry site.

Fortunately, they were all excited for the Christmas party and we were excited the truck made it all the way there.

Unfortunately, more kids came than we expected and we couldn’t take all of them. So a few piled into the back of my little red truck while all the others squeezed into Hilary (the church van).

Fortunately, we met up with a couple other church guys at a pharmacy next to the bosque (forest) where we were going to have our Christmas party.

Unfortunately, as I was backing up the little red truck smoke started hissing out of the engine and I turned the car off and ran to get Paul’s help.

Fortunately, the pharmacy let us leave the truck parked outside for the day and we were able to all sqeeze into Hilary and the additional car we just met up with.

And this part of the day carried on without any unfortunate moments. We had a blast in the forest with the 20 kids and us 6 adults. We played soccer, did relays, ate some amazing tacos (carne asada), guacamole, and salsa galore. We were able to explore the woods a little bit and happened upon another church group out there. They had just set up a zipline and allowed some of our kids to try it out (even if we were slightly worried about the safety factor…). Seeing the kids smile and hearing them call me “Maestra Dominique” made my day, but the best part of the day followed our little exploration into the woods. When we returned to our base, all the kids were asked to sit in a circle. And the time of gift-giving happened. (The week prior, all the kids made stockings and we handed them out to church families who filled them with gifts for the children!)

It was phenomenal to see these kids open their stockings and hear the “oooohhs and ahhhs”. This time really put the whole fortunate/unfortunate day in perspective and reminded me why we’re doing what we’re doing every Saturday with these kids who come from roof-less homes and lives unlike anything I’ve ever experienced.

Fortunately, I was able to see smiles bigger than I’ve seen in a long time and realize that the things I have really are so often taken for granted. And life isn’t all about receiving, it’s about giving.

Unfortunately, when we got back to the little red truck still parked at the pharmacy, it still didn’t want to start.

Fortunately, we were able to find a mechanic next door who brought some cables to jump start the vehicle.

Unfortunately, as we were trying to jump start the little red truck, Hilary (church van) decided to get in on the action and her engine began smoking too.

Fortunately, the mechanic was able to check her out as well and determined that we needed to add water to the radiator.

Unfortunately while adding water to the radiator, the van started to erupt as if a volcano was about to blow and the 20 kids within were a little startled.

Fortunately the geyser eventually settled down and we were able to focus on the little red truck.

Unfortunately, jumping the little red truck seemed to not do the trick and it still wouldn’t start.

Fortunately, the mechanic determined that we were simply out of anti-freeze and the boys were able to go get some.

Unfortunately, while the boys went to go get some we realized that we could just add water to this vehicle as well.

Fortunately, we added water and after rolling me down the little decline and pushing the vehicle it finally started.

Unfortunately, we had to go find the boys who left to get coolant and in the process Enrique’s hat flew off which meant we had to turn the truck around.

Fortunately, while we turned around we found the boys and were able to follow them back to the church.

Unfortunately, I couldn’t find first gear and had to continue starting the car in 2nd gear every time we hit a stop light (which was too often).

Fortunately, we made it alive to church and the little red truck was able to be parked.

Unfortunately, I realized when we got to the church my backpack was not to be found. It must have been picked up by someone at the pharmacy during the chaos of trying to jumpstart the vehicle.

Fortunately, I had stuck my camera and cell phone in my pocket and didn’t lose either of those.

Unfortunately, as Paul and I were going to try and retrieve the missing backpack, the little red truck refused to start once again.

Fortunately, I realized that the stuff I lost in my backpack was really not of too much value.

Unfortunately, when I tried calling the pharmacy to check about my backpack, I called the wrong one.

Fortunately, they gave me the number for the right pharmacy.

Unfortunately, after all the time I was placed on hold, I ran out of minutes on my cell phone and was unable to call the correct pharmacy.

Fortunately, after this day that lasted much longer than it should, I finally was able to give it all up and realize I don’t need to worry about all these little things.

Fortunate am I that I have a family that loves me, a house to live in, food to eat and a God who continues to provide and protect me even when I am unaware of His presence throughout all situations. And after working with kids all day, who do not have all those things just mentioned, it seems silly to focus on all the things that go wrong when so many things are just right in my life.

Fortunate am I.

the little things

2008-11-30T10:04:00.008-06:00

As I look out the window and see the Christmas lights we just strung on our casa and look at the garland we have hung within the house, I smile. I like smelling the candle burning, appreciate the holiday cinnamon soap when I wash my hands and am thankful for the Navidad nightlight plugged into my bedroom wall.

Thinking about all these things that are not a necessary part of life, I am happy they still find themselves at home in my life. Too often I focus on the things that pull me down and the things that make me upset, while forgetting there are so many things around me for which to be thankful.

This last week, celebrating Thanksgiving in another country yet again is sometimes a hard day. Working all day and still not feeling very good put a slight damper on a holiday I've come to love over the years. And while I started out Thanksgiving day with a snippet of a poor "pity-me" attitude, things were quickly changed around, as usually happens. I was reminded of the little things which really do make a significant impact.

On Thanksgiving, I finally visited the nurse to take care of this cold that's been hanging around a little too closely for 2 weeks and got prescribed some antibiotics. I'm thankful for that as I'm hopeful they'll finally nip this sinus cold in the bud.

I was also thankful as I finished up the school day and knew the big potluck was close at hand. As I was packing up and laughing with a few colleagues, one of my friends said, "Dom, you need to go to the office." I had no idea what to expect, so I walked on over and there happened to be a package waiting for me! No one can hide the excitement of a package, especially when you had forgotten it was coming. So that put a complete twist on the day I had determined to be doomed when I woke up.

Granted, it was difficult working on Thursday and Friday while thinking about my family all together back home in Minnesota, but I was reminded of the effect an attitude can truly have. I sometimes find myself tongue in cheek as I remind my students of things like "Every day may not be a good day, but there's something good in everyday." (author unknown) or the cliche "Attitudes are contagious, is yours worth it?" (Dennis and Wendy Mannering).

I mention these well-known sayings only because I find myself at fault with encouraging my students to remember them when I myself fail to live by them. And the irony comes into play when I realize that my attitude heavily affects the atmosphere of our classroom.

Wanting to leave a trail of sunshine instead of a cloud of gloom, I am thankful for the ups and downs that happen in life. Through the little things in life, I can't help but smile. I can't help but be grateful.

Whether I'm thinking about the Christmas music filling my room, the lights on the house, the children in my classroom, I am reminded that life is full of good things. Little as they may be, they are good and for that I am thankful this holiday season.

Enjoy the little things, for one day you may look back and realize they were the big things. ~Robert Brault

Here I Come

2008-10-15T06:40:00.008-05:00

You know the kind of days when you are so busy you actually lose the to-do list you just made or you feel as though you are giving everyone about 100% of your time and it's still not enough or you wonder whether the trip to the grocery store is really a good use of your time (I'm going crazy, I know). Those three things are just some of the things that have been plaguing me for the last 3 weeks of my life.

Last year I always tried to convince people that my life down here in Mexico is relaxing and embraces the "hakuna matata" lifestyle. Yet this year, a switch was pulled and I find myself running around in circles trying to finish anything and everything I start. And while I sometimes crave the frenzied madness, it is starting to wear me down.

The lightbulb moment finally illuminated itself two weeks ago when I realized the missing component in this craziness. If only the component was a little less obvious, I would feel better about my ignorance to it.

Dun, dun, dun.....REST!

I have been failing to let myself sit down and haven't even allowed myself to think about throwing my feet up too. Frankly, I don't like living like this. I don't like who I become during these times in life. And I am simply trying to figure out how to reverse the mayhem my life has become.

One cannot enjoy life if one doesn't have enough strength to get through everything. It goes along with the quantity vs. quality argument. Though there are many great things occurring in life these days, the greatness of the things could be intensely upped.

It’s sadly funny how often we have to remind ourselves that Clark Kent is a fictional character. We are not all “Super-Human” with the inconceivable capacity to “do it all.” And when we comprehend our limits with time and energy and simply realize that all we are asked to do is to come to Him, life suddenly becomes brighter and a raw perspective begins to take shape. Simplicity is found within the coming and spending time with Him.

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” – Matthew 11:28-30

The command is simple and we really don’t need to “do it all” (even if my “easy to lose to-do list” falls on the lengthy side of things.)

Come to Me, says HE.

Here I come, say I.

Massacre of Many

2008-09-22T16:12:00.002-05:00

Frustrating. Trivial. Thousands. Menacing. All these words come to mind as I think about the party happening on my bedroom floor day after day. I normally don’t resort to violence, but these little creatures have caused me to go on killing sprees with the suffocating spray that claims certain death and no return.

Certain death is sure as the ants slowly squirm their last wiggle out after being hit by the Raid Ant Killer, but the part I question is the “assurance of no return.” The bottle states that the homicide spray not only murders the ants, but it prevents ants from returning time after time. This I have yet to experience.

No matter how many ant massacres occur in my bedroom, another group troops in the following day. One may think I am storing leftover picnic food in my bedroom, but this isn’t the case. I even sweep the floor after the dead little bodies are strewn about, so this reassures me that there is no food crumb playing culprit in this endeavor.

Yes, this is trivial and hardly worthy of writing down. But these unwelcome intruders are invading my space as they march one by one and it ain't no hurrah.

short and sweet

2008-09-03T21:12:00.012-05:00

Like that warm pan of brownies sitting in the kitchen begging you to take a bite, my blog has been desperately waiting for me to write. Yet I was afraid to even attempt the next entry since the last post was over a month ago. But just as brownies need to be eaten, so too do blogs need to be written.

So here’s a go at recapping the summer before I jump into writing about my second year in Mexico, which has busily begun.

The short & sweet of summer

1. Fourth of July with the family at Fish Lake was way too much fun seeing all the cousins, grandparents and great-grandparents.
2. Fish Lake itself was a joy and pretty fish-less while as many sun-filled days as possible were spent enjoying the water.

3. Countless trips up to the Twin Cities to spend time with friends there was way fun!

4. A fantastic five days were enjoyed in San Diego with my best friend Steph!

5. Niece and Nephews were way too much fun as were my lovely siblings.
6. Mom returned to Mexico with me for 10 days! ☺

My summer in the States was lots of fun. It was refreshing to see so many people that love and support me. Visiting with friends was so appreciated and I realized how full my life really is with all the great people involved. Though the summer went by a little too quickly, it was short and sweet. (kinda like the pan of brownies….short-lived and very sweet!)

a tug of heart

2008-07-10T21:44:00.002-05:00

I told the native Guadalajara man that one of the reasons I was so excited to go home is that there is so much "space" at home. I excitedly explained my love for running at home with no one around for miles. I can literally run for an hour straight and not see another soul. And I love that feeling of freedom and independence as I jog with nobody but my thoughts.

But the man didn't quite understand, he simply stared at me and said "What, you don't like people?" haha. Of course I like people, I love people. But I also love space. I need space sometimes.

And ironically, that is something I feel like I have been lacking a bit while being home. Even though my runs are fantastic and great times to ponder life, I have been nearly in a constant frenzy trying to squeeze too much in too little time. I do love people and I have been seeing a lot of people, but I have forgotten how to spend time by myself. Or more importantly time with Jesus. I've done a good job of packing my schedule and living life to the fullest these days as the summer quickly passes, but I find myself struggling to say anything in prayer without getting distracted. Additionally and ashamedly, my Bible sat in my disheveled suitcase for 2 weeks before I rescued it this morning.

Even if I am living out of suitcases these days, being home is such a blessing. I totally understand the necessity for a summer break. I thought I knew why I needed a break as a student, but being a teacher I really NEED the break. :) So while being a blessing, being home has also reminded me that my life is slightly like a tug of war. Mexico pulls me one way while home pulls me the other.

A large part of my heart remains in my newfound Mexican home as my heart rejoices in seeing the people in Minnesota I was surrounded by for so many years. Life takes us on so many interesting adventures. I realize this phase of "transition" is normal. Home with my family will always be home, but I was raised to leave and live. It's really ok that my heartstrings are being tugged at. It's normal that I don't always feel like I belong here.

It's acceptable to live out of suitcases and feel out of place, as long as I don't forget the "constant" in my life. Though I may be pulled here or there, the beautiful consistency in life can be found in Jesus. And that's what I have been missing out on these last 2 crazed weeks of life.

So here I am, once again with the right tools in hand to tackle these days and the tug of my heart, with all the space I need. :)

Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever. Hebrews 13:8

the taxi driver, our hero

2008-06-22T08:54:00.002-05:00

It all started like any Saturday night would.

Ok, that's a lie. But the day was beautiful, hardly a cloud in the sky. Jensine and I decided we were going to try out this new contemporary church service called Sozo located in an old movie theater in one of Guadalajara's many strip malls. We enjoyed a pleasant jaunt over to the mall by foot and may have even commented on the gorgeous weather.

The worship was phenomenal as dry ice floated throughout the dark room and the lights flashed in kaleidoscopic colors and we sang our little hearts out to our King. The preaching was great and touched on the need to "die to ourselves" before following Jesus. Jensine left a little early, so around 9:00, Traci, Christen and I made our way upstairs and to the door only to discover that it was raining. Not just sprinkling, but POURING BUCKETS as if the Heavens had opened in all their might.

The streets looked as if the Mississippi River had come to Guadalajara and we were left wondering what we ought to do. We were trying to find cover under the awning of a furniture store, but the wind kept whipping the awning this way and that; it was as if we were in a water park and standing under the mushroom fountain wanting to get soaked but screaming every time the H20 splashed us unexpectantly.

We were trying to decide if crossing the street would be safe as we were without rafts and without lifejackets. (i may be exaggerating slightly, but not much). To our great pleasure, a taxi turned down the street on our side. We hailed it as we forged through the parking lot trying to get his attention. I am pretty sure he had no idea what to think when three sopping American girls entered his yellow car, nearly hysterical and unable to stop laughing due to the saturated situation at hand.

When we told him where we needed to go, he nearly asked us to get out of the taxi. His explanation was that the streets were full of not only traffic, trying to get home, but the streets were flowing with water. (G-town has yet to implement a drainage system in the streets). We encouraged him to take the back roads, which we did, barely.

There were cars everywhere. By the time we got to the main street homeward bound, I felt like we could have been one of Oregon Trail's wagons asked to ford the river. There were cops everywhere trying to direct traffic by blowing their whistles from under their gigantic ponchos that kept blowing in the hurricanish wind sometimes blocking their own line of vision.

We made our way across the street, slowly and surely. I couldn't figure out if I should have my window open in case of evacuation or closed to prevent the water from infiltrating my lap. This first crossing of the flash-flooded street became the least of our worries.

We soon discovered that not only was the flash flood occurring due to the torrential amounts of rain falling from the sky. But at one point, when we were stuck in a "puddle". We looked out to the right of our window to discover that the flooded street was bubbling. I repeat, bubbling. It appears that some of the pipes had burst and were adding their share of water to the already hydrated streets.

It was at this point in the adventurous ride home, that we got stuck. We tried moving forward. We tried moving backwards. It wasn't working. A friendly police man in uniform came up to the taxi driver's window and more or less said. "Sir, you are not going to survive this street. You need to jump this curb in order to keep going."

So we did it. We somehow proceeded to reverse and then with barely a blink of an eye, we jumped the center curb. Our ride from here on out, was more or less painless. Although we couldn't help but notice the entourage of vehicles stuck in the flood. Christen reported that one of the vans swimming in the water had people climbing out of the windows to escape their unfortunate pitstop. There were city busses that were no longer carrying their passengers or themselves anywhere due to the water that was rising above the wheels.

When we eventually turned into our neighborhood, the 3 of us girls looked at each other and said with our eyes, "thank you Jesus. We made it home." It was only natural as we paid the cab driver, I told him in all seriousness, "Thank you sir, you are our hero tonight. Good luck getting yourself home."

And that was what started as a normal Saturday on the town and ended with an adventure to add to our crazy life in Mexico.

Viva.

(p.s. for the one time in my life, i had no camera on me to capture this evening, use your imagination please.)

what big eyes you have

2008-06-20T21:45:00.007-05:00

Today I said goodbye to a little girl who was voted "Most Smiley" for fourth grade. Every day after storing her books under her desk, she approached me with open arms and gave me a hug as we said "Good Morning" to each other. I cherished her daily greetings and frankly I didn't like saying farewell.

I am not very skilled at letting go. Whether I try to let go of people when I say good-bye or when I need to let go of things that pile up (like in my parents' basement...oops!). It's hard to bid adieu to something held so close.

Yet through the tears shed this afternoon, I was ironically encouraged at how our hearts work. So much joy can be found in the presence of others. My 14 little fourth graders delivered unexplainable amounts of bliss into my life every single school day this year. And my heart was filled anew so many times by the encouragement of 10 year olds.

As I was chatting with parents today, we covered the normal bases: "Wow, this year went so fast!" or "What a beautiful day for a pool party, the kids are having a great time!" But beyond the normal conversation, the moms spoke right to my heart and revitalized me with their outright love.

They encouraged and affirmed me with what they had to say. And I cannot tell you how much I am looking forward to teaching the same crew of kids in fifth grade next year. We will be able to being the year running because of the relationships that have already been built between the students, parents and myself. I really cannot accurately express the bursting of my heart for each and every one of my students. We have a community of care built that only continues to grow.

In my current read, "The Irresistible Revolution" by Shaine Claiborne, he touches on the importance of care when he says, "Looking into the eyes of people who love us may be the clearest glimpse of God many of us get in this world." (p. 265) For some reason, that rang a clear tone with my heart tonight.

Looking into the mostly big brown eyes of my fourth graders, I see a bond that I can't deny. And it so often through their simple antics and actions that I do see God at work. They teach me a great deal more than they may ever know. As my heart explodes with love for each and every one of them, I too hope they can see a glimpse of our great God reflected in my hazel eyes. (and yes my students have made sure I know that my eyes are BiG...ha!)

And God-willing, the goodbyes won't be for long. I too pray that every single one of them will never cease seeing God when they look into the eyes of people around them - that they too will always be surrounded by people who love them.

this and that

2008-06-16T23:11:00.000-05:00

Dear Blog,
My umbrella has once again become a permanent part of me these days. Rainy season is here and seemingly to stay. As I write this, it sounds like buckets of water are being dumped from the sky. I don't mind the sound so much, but am thankful to be inside at this point. A few days ago on our walk to school with umbrellas in use, we had to off-road it a little bit as the sidewalk seemed to be blocked by some fallen treeage. Not only were 2 huge palm trees resting side by side on the ground, they seemed to have fallen right atop a little 4-door vehicle. As I was attempting to keep my toes dry, I looked up to see who I presumed to be the owner of the vehicle. By the expression on his face, it looked as though he was seeing the damage for the first time. (note to self - i hope my face never needs to mirror his distraught and shocked one).

So beyond the umbrella re-entering my life, we are now at the 2 week countdown. Yes, I am still teaching. And yes, our last day of school is June 27th. Is this slightly ridiculous? Si (yes). But, being that I am the teacher and am supposed to sport the positive attitude, I try not to let my disdain creep out from behind my smiles.

The lizards that live on the wall with the orange flowers welcoming us home everyday have returned. Whether they like the rain or got sick of their vacation, they are back. One day, Marin and I hope to catch one. Somehow I think a lizard would be an easier pet than a dog. :)

Oh I finally made it to the notorious Guadalajara Zoo last week. And it was worth the trip, even with 25 kids in tow. :) My favorite part may have been feeding the giraffes, being my animal of choice and all.

If I was at all superstitous, which I am not, I may have been even more nervous for the 4th grade spelling bee on Friday, June 13th, 2008. We put on our first-ever 4th grade spelling bee. And let's be honest, I couldn't have been more nervous. Standing at the front of the chapel with the microphone in my hand feeding kids the words they had to spell into their microphone on a stand, I was sweating it out for each and every one of them. I suddenly felt like I was the nervous mom watching her child "show their stuff" for all the world to see. And it killed me every time I had to say, "I'm sorry, that is incorrect." I LOATHED telling the children who accidently added or missed a letter that they were "incorrect" only to see their faces fall with disappointment. Thankfully the kids and I made it through ok. Hopefully they are not too hard on themselves and hopefully they don't linger too long on their misspelled word. (although I will always remember how to spell "elephant" even though my 4th grade spelling bee was 13 years ago.)

There is something about the icecream (nieve) or popsicles (paletas) here in Mexico that make having seconds or thirds only necessary. Maybe growing up in a family that had a vehicle programmed to turn into nearly every Dairy Queen we passed makes me enjoy cold treats that much more. But seriously, people ought to take a trip down here just to experience a fruity or vanilla-y spread of nieve, paletas and bolis. Yummy.

Well, that's all the random tidbits I got for now and my nieve de fresa is starting to melt, so until next time,
Dommers

p.s. One of my fourth graders was trying to say one of our memory verses today and it came out like this: "All those who are wiggly and burnt, come to Me and I will give you rest." Matthew 11:28 (i laughed as most of the class could probably relate to the wiggly part and a couple of us to the sun-burnt part.....)

Passing through Puddles

2008-06-02T15:48:00.007-05:00

Nobody ever wants to set an alarm on a Saturday morning, especially after a late night and long week of teaching. But with plans to go to the water park, we met up with our friends and walked on over to the grocery store to pick up some food for the day: chorizo, carne asada, onions, and tortillas. Yummy. We then commenced our bussing journey with an hour and a half sweating on the plastic seats while holding our groceries and charcoal.

We eventually got off the bus. We were literally in the middle of nowhere, alongside the main road. We had to carefully maneuver our footsteps over the broken bottles, wayward tires, and 2 rotting dogs. (i kid you not). At this point in the adventure, we began to question our friend's knowledge of the "water-park" around the corner. He reminded us, "It's been 15 years since I have been here, but it was pretty cool back then."

When we finally entered the gates proudly wearing the sign "water park, open daily", our eyes were sadly greeted with a cemented pool carrying greenish water surrounded by brown grass and a family (presumably the owners of the water park which has seen better days). We decided to turn around and luckily found a taxi who took us to the actual water park we had initially planned on visiting.

It was a different world found behind these trees. There were a dozen pools shimmering under the mountains surrounding the park with bright-colored slides zigzagging every which way. Grills were tucked into the stone walls among the many picnic tables. We found a little nook and began cooking our meat, grilling our onions and making our quesadillas. Though the day didn't begin necessarily as planned, it all worked out. After filling our stomachs to contentment, we made our way to the pools.

This water park has definitely been added to one of my favorite places here in Guadalajara. I loved feeling like a kid and enjoying the slides, the sun and the swimming. And it was definitely worth the 10 hour excursion, with nearly a 2 hour bus ride each way to arrive at this little aquatic haven.

This day reminded me of something I've been re-learning these last couple of weeks. The more days I experience, the more I realize how unlikely and blatantly unpredictable life really is. Not only is life unpredictable, it isn't always convenient. And that's ok. It was a little annoying arriving at the first "water-park" only to discover it was no more than a swimming hole. Actually, that little puddle along the way made the second water-park that much better. And I never would have predicted any of that happening. Though it was slightly inconvenient having to take a bus and then take a taxi to finish the journey, it all worked out.

In fact, it worked out better than I could have predicted. And that is often what happens in life. Even though I think I know what is best, I do not know what is best. What is convenient to me is not what life is all about. As one teacher reminded us last week, "God never promised to show up conveniently in our lives, He just promised to show up. He just is."

And so it is, The puddles are worth it.

And so is He.

We've got Spirit...yes we do!

2008-05-24T09:56:00.006-05:00

So we had spirit week at Lincoln School this week and I may have had a little too much fun! But my 4th graders and I rocked it out and came out on top with the most spirit for the elementary school - so proud of these guys! :) Here are some of the crazy pictures from this week! :)

Monday - Twin Day
We teachers decided to launch spirit week sporting our spirit/unity and wearing the black and white combos...

Tuesday - Retro Day
Pulling odds and ends out of the closets created these great outfits...loved it!

Some called us Axel Rose and Richard Simmons today.....ha!

Wednesday - Soccer Day
Sporting our favorite soccer team gear...Chiva's gear was dominating this day. :)

Thursday - Disney Day
Though I was uncertain of a costume until Wednesday night, I decided on Sully from Monster's Inc. :) And Marin made a fantastic Cruella Devil. (and yes, we did wear these costumes to parent-teacher meetings Thursday evening...ha!)

And here's Mike and Boo from Monster's Inc. as well! :) What a fun and warm day! (the fabric I was wearing started out white...I had to spray paint it and Marin helped me sew it up into a monster costume.)

Friday - Group Day
Each class had to chose a theme and come to school dressed accordingly. My fourth graders and I chose the "circus theme" and had WAY too MUCH fun! :) (marin's class chose "old people" as their theme...hence her large caboose).

Look at the spirit! I was beaming with pride as we performed our circus routine for the entire school....man, what a life and what a job I have been blessed with! :)

Nehemiah 8:10b "...for the joy of the LORD is your strength."

as the wind blows...

2008-05-18T09:11:00.009-05:00

Avoiding puddles while strolling down the streets of Seville, Spain with my study abroad group, I was fighting with my umbrella trying to keep it from turning itself inside-out. I jokingly mentioned to a fellow student and umbrella-fighter, "Man, one of my greatest fears is losing my umbrella to the wind." He replied, "Well, if that's your greatest fear, you are good to go."

Gulp. I felt like a moron. I really didn't mean that my greatest fear in all of this thing we call life is losing an umbrella's shape to the wind. I just meant I was tired of the struggle with Mr. Wind and didn't want to lose the battle.

Many more real and upfront battles have surfaced in my life since that rainy day so long ago. And many more fears have had a chance to show their faces. The latest has been surrounding the word "settle."

There is a poster that hangs in my classroom that says, "Never settle for less than your best." It's fuchsia and hangs near the ceiling. It has become one of those things I hardly notice anymore -similar to the dust-pile behind the couch that anonymously gathers more dirt and remains unnoticed until we have guests in the house. Things settle and become part of the normal routine. And that scares me.

It's become normal as of late for people to ask me, "So, what are your plans for the next few years?" Or "Where are going after your 2 years in Mexico?" I haven't a clue how to respond. Sometimes I say, "I have no plans." "Who knows?" or the answer I have settled on is "We shall see."

You see, I love my life here. I love my friends. I love the language. I love that being "late" to events is expected. I love the food. I love feeling a part of such a great school and feeling needed. I love it.

So maybe I'm going crazy, but I had this insane fear the other day. I thought, "What if I settle here?" It's as if my feet have been inflicted with the travel bug. They are scared to get chained down to someplace. As much as I love it here, there is a part of me that quivers with fear when I think about staying in one place. I feel like the woman and daughter from the 2000 film "Chocolat" who live as nomads obeying the North Wind. There's a part of me that needs to keep moving.

Or maybe the fear is that "I will settle" for something less than that which I have been called to. Or perhaps I fear that complacency will overtake me and everyday will be "normal". With most fears in my life, they really personify themselves without needing to. Though I was afraid of my umbrella turning inside-out, I quickly realized that it was an unjustified fear. (as a sidenote, my friend I confessed my anxiety to actually did lose the battle with the wind...hence the picture).

My heart too knows that my worry about "settling" in one place is also a feeble fear if I am really trusting the One behind Mr. Wind. And it's still ok to dream of far-away places like Florence, Barcelona and Sydney, right?

what you wish you had

2008-05-17T14:45:00.005-05:00

Alright, I know you have all been anxiously awaiting a glimpse of this fine wheeled machine and some have been lucky enough to already feast your eyes upon the latest addition to our life in Mexico...

So here you have it, the bicicleta. Here are some of the highlights of this 2-wheel wonder:

1. Please notice the fine floral detailing on the seat as well as the complementary design on the cross bar.

2. The basket up front is a wondrous contraption that can hold nearly anything, though was dealt a poor hand today as it flew off mid-ride and was nearly run over by yours truly. (good thing mom and dad left us a tool kit with a screwdriver....the basket will be just like new when i take some time to put it back on).

3. The rack on the back will come in handy someday, whether it be to carry passengers or bags, that is yet to be known.

4. We are working on the shock system as our neighborhood is known for its rutty and bouncy ride. In the few rides I have enjoyed thus far, the chain only fell off during its rookie debut and since served me well.

5. I have been told by bikers around the area that the wheels are "great wheels" and "very large". I like to think this too is a bragging point.

6. This bike is a great conversational piece. Not only do the vibrant colors attract the common eye, it has a great story behind it. Who else can say that they participated in a "Mexican triathalon: soccer, basketball and volleyball" and won a bike through the ordeal?

Please know, that anyone and everyone who visits us will now merit a ride on the great addition to our life here in Mexico.

what an oilcan can't repair

2008-05-12T16:03:00.005-05:00

Growing up, I walked down the yellow-brick road a time or two dreaming about the adventures of the girl with the red shiny shoes. I was scared at times by the obstacles she encountered yet I was enchanted by her hodgepodge group of silly friends. I simply thought their searches for "missing parts" comical and never really thought about the significance behind each quest. The Scarecrow was searching for a brain, the Tin Man for a heart and the Cowardly Lion for bravery. Each character is rewarded in the end of the film accordingly for overcoming their dilemmas.

I haven't seen this movie in years, nor do I have any desire to see it soon. But I couldn't help but think about the Tin Man last night and envy his heartless state of being. I realize that sounds ridiculous. Yet, there are times my heart gets in the way. It gets in the way of life and makes me wonder about it all.

And hearts can hurt. Sometimes I wish I could avoid it all. I wish I could turn my heart off and not feel the pain. But if I did that I would be turning into the Cowardly Lion and would rather balk at a problem than stare it in the face. And sometimes facing that fear is what it is about.

Because if I never did confront the apprehension or uncertainty life hands me on a lovely silver platter, I would never chance the possibility of enjoying what may be on the menu. Or I may not experience the joy or satisfaction in such a dish. Ok this is getting a little too metaphorical. (And I may be getting hungry right now...)

But lately in life I have had to puff up the courage that the Cowardly Lion discovered through the help of his friends and I have had to overcome a couple obstacles in my life. Hindrances that may have made me long to be like or have maybe already transformed me into the Tin Man, without a heart.

Yet, I also know that it is ok to hurt. It is ok to heal. According to the cliche so many have lovingly passed my direction, it will only make me stronger. And honestly, in retrospect, every ache in my past has only added to my story. The story I am not writing, the story I am living. The story He is scripting, expertly and without flaw.

I still have my flaws. The weaknesses are sometimes personified as the Cowardly Lion. Other times, I wonder where my logic went and can relate to the Scarecrow. And today I identify with the Tin Man. For I too am looking for my heart.

I question my sanity from time to time. (Marin may too. :) ) I wonder how I get so caught up in these side stories that twist my heart and my emotions. I ponder if it's worth it to take so many chances.

But life is all about chances. And choices. It's a matter of trusting even when we can't see. We're meant to be vulnerable. When questioned at the end of the movie by the Great Wizard, the Tin Man stands his ground.

Wizard of Oz: As for you, my galvanized friend, you want a heart. You don't know how lucky you are not to have one. Hearts will never be practical until they can be made unbreakable.

Tin Woodsman: But I still want one.

And I wholeheartedly agree. I still want mine. Even with the scratches, the bruises and the ache it may endure from time to time. For with the same heart that feels pain, it also feels unbelievable gladness. And it also delights in the friends in my life. The friends who remind me of the reasons I have to smile, the reasons I have to laugh and the ones who help me find my heart, just as the Tin Man eventually found his.

salt and pepper

2008-05-11T09:55:00.006-05:00

Our first week in Mexico required a trip to the grocery store, obviously. We had made a detailed list as we were trying to fill our single cupboard and shoulder-high fridge with enough food to last us the week and some staple items everyone needs around the house. We were about to start putting our items on the cashier belt, when we remembered that salt was on our list and it was still MIA at this point. I quickly volunteered to go grab some.

Now Marin and I are unsure what I was thinking when I grabbed the salt. For some reason my eyes did not notice the ample amount of salt shakers on the third shelf and only saw the bags of salt on the 4th shelf. For whatever reason, I grabbed a bag and ran up front explaining to Marin that this was the only salt in the store.

This little tale happened in August. It is now May and we are still using the same salt bag. It's actually a great conversation piece when we have people over for dinner and have to pull out the pail of salt. I like to tell people, "I prefer the realistic 'pinch' of salt, and this pail works to our advantage." In my mind, I'm thinking with a smile "This huge pail really is kinda annoying. And they probably don't like sticking their hands into it to grab a pinch of salt."

Knowing my preference for salty things over sweet things, there may be a psychological reason I grabbed the bag of salt versus the shaker, who knows? Either way, we have a lot of it and it's made for many a laugh this year. Speaking of salt, this last week during our 'book study', we girls listened to a sermon from Open Door Church in Maple Grove, Minnesota.

The man expounded on Matthew 5:13, "You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men."

I have heard this verse a lot as I've been growing up. I don't know if I have ever really understood it. It's hard for me to think of salt losing its saltiness. Apparently it can happen if its bogged down with water. And then it's no good for anything says the Word.

So if we are to be useful salt, we are to be sprinkling Him as we live. What we do and what we think should be filled with salt. It wouldn't be good for anyone if we just kept our salt piled up in a pail. Pinches of "Him" need to be peppered throughout our daily lives.

Salt adds flavor to life. It is in striving to live like Him that our lives will be filled with flavor. I'm not supposed to dump the salt over people's heads, just shake it out constantly, a little at a time.

Not only do I think salt is a necessary part of my diet, I know it's a necessary part of my life. For you and I are called to be the salt of the world. We are to spice life up by peppering Jesus into every part of it, everyday.

It Speaks VoLUmES...

2008-05-06T18:00:00.016-05:00

We saw his lips moving, but we couldn't hear a thing he was saying. His words were being swallowed by the continuous noise of the outdoors. As we walked towards the fence separating our lots, he jokingly said, "Just a minute, let me turn that down" as he pointed towards the waves plowing into the shore as the tide came in for the evening. We laughed as our neighbor was attempting to invite us over that evening for a little guitar concert on their porch. Little did we know all that was to be experienced on our second camping trip to Manzanillo, Mexico.

Upon arriving at our "land" in Manzanillo, we three girls had no idea what to expect. Last time we set up camp on the corner lot owned by our professor, we spent a lot of time cleaning up the surprises left by the neighbor's dog along with pulling weeds and clearing a spot in the sand for our humble abode, the tent. Not only was the dog next door leaving surprises, his owner too caught us off guard. He proudly hails from Minnesota and happens to rent the house next door 4 months out of the year. May is not one of the four he spends at the beach, but the truck with the Minnesota license plates was still next door when the taxi dropped us off at the corner.

And the surprises continued as not only was "minnesota-man" there, but his guitar-playing brother who some think looks like an elderly Leonardo DiCaprio was also in the house. And the fun didn't cease as the owner of the house and wife were in the area from Canada. So our one gracious neighbor turned into a houseful of people looking out for us - or something like that.

Being nervous before we left on this journey, I had e-mailed some family and friends asking them to pray for our safety. And I believe prayer is answered in funny ways. Never would I have expected a houseful of loony neighbors to be a response to the heaven-sent request.

And not only was prayer on my mind this weekend, but one can't help but sit back in awe while surrounded by such beautiful sights. My journal entry one morning literally consisted of:

"There are some things words cannot describe. Putting words or adjectives as the lyrics to creation demerits the song nature is already singing. There are times I look at things and feel like I can't help but praise God or say thank you, but neither feels adequate. Watching the waves crash into shore dumbfounds me. They're continuously powerful, yet nothing I write will ever do them justice. And that's how a lot of life is, I can never appropriately relay what's happening from a paper full of my words. Life needs to be lived to be understood. It's like the saying, 'you need to see it to believe it.' All these dreams in my life can be realized and now is the time to live them out. I won't understand the 'why' until I live. Yet, maybe the 'why' is never to be known, just as the words I write will never do what I experience justice."

There's a certain sense of bliss one experiences while surrounded by beauty. A sense of exhilaration and empowerment. Sometimes I think we need to get outside of our normal lives and be confronted with the splendor presented around us. Being sprayed with mist from the sea and covered with sand from nearly head to toe while squinting into the sun to see it slowly falling behind the mountains is much different in person than it is seen through a photo.

No matter how hard I try to share these moments with people or write them down for my own memory's sake, I really can't do it justice. Yet, there is no way to ignore what I see. All around me, God's grace is sprinkled though-out life. I can see His hand at work in my beautiful fourth graders and I can't deny His creativity when I unwind at the beach. I will forever be surprised at the way He provides and I'll always love the moments that take my breath away. The reality is I guess I cannot escape these moments.

Even though the neighbor teased us and said he was going to turn the volume down, the true beauty is found in the impossibility of such a task.

You can't turn the volume down on the ocean, it's too powerful.

Powerful, as is the creator of the waves and it is within that truth I am awed and very aware.

Everywhere I look or live, His creation speaks volumes.

Just for Fun

2008-04-16T09:39:00.001-05:00

Oh the laughs we have...enjoy these stories...

1) Language Barriers
Miss Alger: I'm pooped.
Student: Did Miss Alger just say she pooped?
Me: No (laughing) "I'm pooped" means I'm tired.

2) Spelling Test Blunder
While giving our comprehensive spelling test the other day, I thought I would bring some energy to the classroom as the kids seemed to be dragging. Number 17 was "dynamite" and when I see or hear that word I think of a basketball cheer from high school. So for the example sentence I decided to do the cheer for my kids without realizing that in the cheer I must spell out the word "d-y-n-a-m-i-t-e". oops. The kids appreciated the help and I laughed at my mistake.

3) Easter Rap
So Marin definitely scripted an Easter rap that we performed for our kids. If you know the theme song from "the fresh prince of Bel-Air", we rapped an Easter tune to this song for our kids. Hilarious. And another reminder of why I love my job.

4) Penpal messages
One of my boys has an interesting way with words, he wrote to his penpal in Minnesota "If you ever have problems with a bully, tell them that your friend in Mexico can beat up a 6th grader". :) In his second letter he wrote "Do you hate it when your parents give you haircuts? I do, because they make me almost bald." ha!

5) Please Walk
One of the best/funniest parts of teaching is watching students try to "walk" when asked to. When they are told to "walk" but are in a big hurry, the walk transforms into something between a speed walk and a jog with the head bent down like a charging bull and their arms swing like pendulums back and forth.

6) Field Trips
Best field trip of the year so far happened last month when we went to a place called "Bosque de los Ninos" (Children's Forest). Not since I was 7 years old have I enjoyed playing in the mud, climbing up hills, being blindfolded and riding a zip-line as much as I did this day.

7) Holes?
Student: Miss Dynes, why do you have holes in your cheeks?
Me: What?!?
Student: (points to my dimples)
Me: Oh, dimples. (laughing) You had me worried there for a minute.

8) Attentive...
Students are very perceptive. They always seem to know more than they let on. While I am in the midst of my Master's class this week, the students are very sensitive to my time. Whether or not it's a good thing, I am unsure. A student was about to ask me a math question at the end of the day and another student quietly warned the inquirer, "Shhh....don't ask her now, she's really busy."

9) Parrots
Students also pick up on things I say. Parrot-like would be an accurate label to stick to each of them. Whenever they ask me, "Miss Dynes is this going to be fun?" I respond automatically, "Always. We always have fun in fourth grade." They too repeat that after me, whether or not they truly believe it. I also use the words "shoot" and "bummer" a lot and so do my 4th graders.

I feel like I should have 10 items on this list, but because I'm lacking creativity at the moment and not sure what else is "fun-worthy" for this list, we'll save number 10 for another list, another blog, another day. But we do really always have fun in fourth grade. Always.

to fly

2008-04-09T20:55:00.009-05:00

He was a giant of a man. His dark rimmed glasses matched the shade of his moustache and hair which he swept to the right side of his face. A tie was normal attire and his dress shirt was always tucked in over his large midsection. Sitting behind his desk with his shoulders bent over the latest stack of papers to grade, he always played with his dress shoes under the desk thinking that none of us students noticed.

All these physical memories aside, he also showed me a lot about life. This high-school teacher once told me that "the more you learn, the more you realize you don't know."

It seemed ironic. The more I learn, the more I realize I don't know. I didn't understand that statement. It seemed illogical. Yet, I am living this nugget of truth out everyday

This physics teacher and his token of truth came to mind today while I was daydreaming during my master's course. We teachers were naturally discussing "teacher things" and "teachers who have impacted us." I waded through the mental list of my teachers and had halted on the "physics giant" when someone said something about a kite. At this point, I stopped paying attention to the teacher talk around me and got lost in thought.

You see, I did something ridiculous a couple weeks ago. I bought a kite. I don't know why I had such an urge to make such a purchase, but it seemed to make sense. Ever since I read "The Kite Runner" last fall and read of the struggles in Afghanistan through the eyes of a boy enamored with kite racing, I have had an urge to fly one. I don't know how to race kites, nor do I know how to really fly them.

Nevertheless, when I saw kites being sold at the beach, I simply couldn't hold myself back. So I bought a kite. A red one. And I named it Ruby. Ruby and I had a rocky beginning to our friendship as I kept crashing her into the ground with the failed take-off attempts. But I eventually got the hang of it and she was sailing high above the sandy ground I stood on.

It had been a long time since I had managed a kite. Once she was up and flying, I really had no idea what to do with myself. So I started to run. It seemed like the only natural thing to do, albeit it probably didn't look that natural given my age. But I had fun with it and was able to pass around the fun with some kids at the beach.

Buying a kite wasn't something I planned on doing while we were camping on the beach. The opportunity just presented itself. It seemed spontaneous and somehow rewarding after hoarding that desire to fly one for quite a few months. So thinking about kites and managing to waste some time tonight, I found out that not only can a person fly a kite, you can use one to drive.

I'm not even kidding. There are such things as kite buggies. These contraptions can travel at speeds up to 70 mph! The activity would be "kite buggying". Seriously, who does that? Who knows that? Had I not read a book referring to kites, not decided to buy a kite, not decided to waste time tonight, I would have never learned about kite buggies.

Not that I ever needed to know about kite buggies. But I think it's a worthy example of learning about one thing and leading me to learn another thing. I think my physics teacher in high school had some logic behind that nugget of truth he threw my way.

Somehow he was putting out the bait, hoping we would bite and be inspired to learn more. It's ok that we don't know everything. Or at least that's my take on it as I was distracted during "teacher talk" in my master's class today.

When I mentally checked back into the "teacher talk", I concluded he really was a good teacher. And he did inspire me. And I like to think my students don't notice, but I play with my dress shoes under my desk too.

p.s. i highly recommend reading "the kite runner" even more than i recommend flying a kite. :)

contentment, if only it was as easy as 1,2,3...

2008-04-03T10:51:00.006-05:00

As a youngster, marking dates off on the calendar was exciting. When mom brought out the advent calendar and we got to count down the days until Christmas, I could hardly contain myself. Or knowing that my birthday was just around the corner, my life would revolve around the countdown, telling everyone around me as if it really was the latest piece of news they were truly yearning to hear. To this day, I love having things in life to look forward to. Recently, using my mad math skills, I mentally kept a tab of how many days until Spring Break while anticipating those two weeks.

Why do I do that? What is "it" that keeps me counting? How do I always manage to have something in life to look forward to? I'm not saying it's a bad thing to anticipate the future....but I have realized that I sometimes miss out on the present. I can't blame it on genetics, although thinking about this struggle makes me think about wrestling. My dad was a wrestler, and while those genes may have missed me, I do feel like I often wrestle with the idea of contentment.

I pray for it. I seek it. Yet I count down the days. I lose patience while waiting for things to happen in life. I expect the students in my classroom to patiently sit still every morning while some are just staring at the clock, counting down the minutes until lunch. :) Hopefully, not TOO many of them are just staring at the clock, but I completely understand them.

I relate to my students. I relate to the wrestling, even if it's not a physical fight. Sometimes "patience" just seems to elude me. It's dancing in front of me, begging me to tango, but I refuse. I am convinced my own two-step must be a better routine.

As I sit here, pondering and flushing out my thoughts, I see this pitiful picture of myself tripping over my own feet while trying to dance on my own. Dancing to my own timing. How many times have I been told or been reminded that my timing is not actually accurate. Shocker. Yet, I have a problem throwing out my mental watch or calendar I create for my life.

This quote captured me the other day: "Contentment is the not the fulfillment of what you want but the realization of how much you already have." My contentment cannot be found in the future, it is better found within what I already have and have been given. And with patience, I need to wait for His timing.

In Psalm 37:7, it says, "Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him." Rather than waiting for specific days to arrive or events to occur, I need to enjoy the days I have been given and wait for the Lord. Wait for His timing. His good and perfect timing.

While easier said than done. I know it's possible. If patience wants to tango, I'm willing to learn. I'll still trip over myself from time to time, but that's ok. Life is good, I like where I am and what I am learning, even if I sometimes allow myself to linger on the calendar. And though I can't wait to see what happens in the future, the truth is that I can wait.

I not only think I can, I know I can.

With His help, I can.

Spring Break with the Fam!

2008-03-29T11:57:00.006-05:00

I was so blessed to have my family visit me over my 2 week spring break. They came for the first part and were here to celebrate Easter with me.

Though the beginning was a little rough as all the flights got mixed up and the grandparents were MIA for a time being, everyone did finally make it here. :) And the rough beginning just helped us enjoy the rest of the time together that much more. So fun and so many memories. These are just a few pictures from our time together.

Eating with the Bravo family (like my second family in Mexico...we ate some delicious pozole and had lots of fun translating everything)

A little VIP theater action with the fam. :)

Our visit to Tequila, Mexico

A family pic in front of the Zapopan cathedral in Guadalajara...

The few days would not have been complete without some Chiva's action and they won 2-1! :)

A picture with our abuela in front of the restaurant named "La Abuela" where we ate our Easter breakfast before church.

my favorite things

2008-03-13T10:55:00.005-05:00

Spending every day with 10 year olds has some perks. I get to be a kid at heart. I get to play from time to time. And I get to talk about my favorite things. Literally. A day doesn’t go by without a question such as, “Miss Dynes, what is your favorite color?” (‘Red’ is my answer) or “Miss Dynes, what is your favorite animal?” (I respond ‘giraffes’) or “What is your favorite type of cake?” (Without needing to think, I say ‘carrot cake’.)

I have a new favorite to add to the old list. If I was asked, “What is your favorite surprise?” I would say with a wide smile, “My friend in New York and the visit that took me to see him a couple weeks ago.”

To give some background on this fairy-tale-like trip, I met this friend four years ago. We had both just graduated from high school and found ourselves as assigned seat buddies at a conference in Colorado. He hailed from Texas and I from Minnesota. For the two weeks in the Rockies, we talked, hung out, climbed a mountain and then went separate ways.

And I didn’t hear from Randall again until 1 ½ years later. I received an e-mail from him, which commenced two years of a pen pal friendship.

Sometimes the messages were weekly and sometimes monthly, but always long, detailed and encouraging. Through most of college, we kept tabs on each other’s lives and prayed for one another. Not until this last November did communication really pick up its pace as chatting and phone conversations joined the entourage of letters already passed between the two of us. During this time, he surprised me with an invitation to visit him in New York. After nearly four years of consistently living in another state or country, I was amazed that we’d actually get to see each other again. So we started counting down the days until February 21st would arrive.

During this time of anticipation, we continued the communication and praying for one another. One thing we were specifically praying for was the lasik surgery he’d been waiting for and needed to get in before March came around.

Ten days before my plane was to leave Mexico, Randall started a conversation with these five words, “Dominique, I have a dilemma.” The dilemma was ironically an answer to prayer. His eye surgery had been finally scheduled, praise Jesus. Unfortunately it was scheduled to occur on the one and only February 21st. Though we weren’t sure how everything was going to work out as he was going to be in DC for the surgery and I was flying into NY, six days before I was to leave he let me know that all was well. The weekend was still going to happen and I would simply be at the mercy of some of his friends while he was hurrying back from surgery. This slight hiccup in the plans only served to help us appreciate the beautiful weekend in New York all the more.

The weekend in New York will forever be etched in my memory as a grand time that will be hard if not impossible to top.

So speaking of favorites…these are some of mine from the weekend…

-The dinner cruise on Friday night was great: wonderful company, yummy food and wine, incredible sights of the city and Lady Liberty. It was a lot of fun meeting his friends and being a part of all the funny conversations that took place.
-Our lodging for the weekend consisted of a cabin in upstate New York that looked picture-perfect covered in white snowy fluff. And it was a blast packing it full with the 18 of us.
-On Saturday, we ladies woke up to a scrumptious breakfast prepared and served by the nine gentlemen who invited us out for the weekend. Quite the treat.
-Randall and I may have initiated and won a snowball fight on Saturday afternoon. Somehow it ended up being 2 vs. 4, but we held our ground (for the most part).
-The formal banquet occurred on Saturday evening as we all got dressed-up and went to dinner and a senior show with our dashing cadets.-On Sunday, we had a chance to visit the legendary Woodstock and check out some of the hippy hot spots and meet Grandfather Woodstock.

My favorite thing about the weekend was not found in the events, rather discovered in the people that made this weekend happen. I was in a near state of awe just appreciating all the people in Randall’s life. I once heard that “One can know who you are by the friends you choose.” If that’s the case, and in this case I believe it is, it made me appreciate this friendship with Randall that much more.

It’s funny how life surprises us and how it is forever unpredictable. Whether we are uncertain of our plans because of a last-minute scheduled lasik surgery or bewildered by the way God works through friendships, life never ceases to astonish us.

“Many are the plans in a man’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails.” Proverbs 20:21

No matter what happens, what surprises may come and what friendships may grow, none of it is or can be my doing. Someone else has the steering wheel and I am enjoying the ride.

I still like the color red, am all about giraffes, would eat a piece of carrot cake any day and will always appreciate my summit seat buddy. For these are indeed just a few of my favorite things.

Unfinished Scraps

2008-03-01T10:17:00.007-06:00

When I think of the word domestic, I think of Martha Stewart or Betty Crocker (or my roomie Marin). Some may think of pets or of national items of interest. But Betty Crocker is my take on domestic. And domestic and Dominique have not always gone hand-in-hand. Every year I am learning more about this desired trait in life but every year I realize I have much more to learn.

To attain a higher level of life domestically driven, I once took a quilting class in high school. Our task for the class was simply put: make a quilt. I took this challenge with a smile and began cutting my fabric. It just so happened that the year was 2000 and my fabric proudly screamed patriotism with red, white and blue pieces of cotton. Not only were the colors loud and proud, the quilt has "2000" written all over it, literally, along with silver stars speckling the empty spaces.

The class was great. My domestic skills grew in leaps and bounds, though the quilt remains unfinished. To this day, 8 years later, I have yet taken the time to bind the edges. The quilt is folded neatly on a hanger in a closet in my parent's house. It's another unfinished piece of my life. Thinking about quilting, my thoughts often fall to my mom.

My mother has been a picture of "domestic" and has set high standards in every area of life. When I was in grade school and had to pick a life hero, my mom's name always ended up on my paper with a poorly but proudly drawn picture of what she looked like to me. My mother has a knack for keeping our house spotless, entertaining people, listening to joys/sorrows, taking time to call people, making a mean enchilada casserole (along with any other hotdish one would desire), and many other things I could only hope to attain someday. She also has a love for quilting.

This love has transformed our basement in Minnesota into a sewing haven at times with fabric strewn over the chairs and her sewing machine dominating the retro table she purchased as antiques are also a love of hers. Looking at all the fabric when I go home, I often wonder "will she ever be able to use all of it?"

But my thoughts also fall to another tidbit of wisdom she once blew in my direction. "You never know how the fabric will go together. Sometimes the best things come from the scraps of fabric you decide to hold on to. Some of the best quilts come from pieces you never thought would blend together."

Sigh. I don't know how she always does that. Something that could be left with a simple answer turns into a profound take on life. My mom's gentle perspective on life drives me to understand life through her eyes.

Looking at the events in my life, I am constantly throwing out "fabric" or wondering why the "scraps" of life still surface. I question what has happened in life and wonder how anything beautiful can come out of the ugliness I dwell upon occasionally.

Yet, in spite of or because of the glum experiences that have happened, I see the patchwork quilt of my life being enhanced. It's almost comical to reflect on the lows in life and see how the highs in life so easily rebut those experiences.

The canyons (rough times) that seemed to prohibit an exit now look like dehydrated puddles from the past. And each of those puddles contributes to who I am today. The circumstances of my life today are based on what has happened in the past. And never would I have been able to predict any of it.

Every scrap from my life in the past is part of my life today.

Every high, every low is being sewn into the quilt.

Every surprise is a stitch that only enriches the pattern.

And it's ok if I'm still no Betty Crocker. I am learning.

And it's ok that my one attempt at a quilt is still unfinished.

I am unfinished.

"love" in little words

2008-02-13T08:23:00.009-06:00

"I think that love is when someone says thank you and you're welcome. Love is when God saves us and protects us. Love is when someone hugs another person. Love is when we are happy and have friends."

"Love: the kind of feeling you know you want"

"God gave us his love when he died on the cross. We should love one another."

"In the Bible it says that love means God. God gave us His love. Love also means to show an interest to others and not because of what they look like. If they are blonde or if they have brown hair, it is ok. If they are pretty or not, if they have pretty clothes or not. If they have Nike or Adidas shoes, if they have Guitar Hero or not, we don't need to focus on things to love."

"Love is when you fall in love with someone who is kind, helpful and funny."

"Love means you like a lot. Love means my favorite things. Example: I love my family. We love Jesus and God. I think love means you really like it or someone a lot."

"Love can be a feeling about someone. Ex: I love Pancho"

"Love can be feeling something great. Ex: I love you, you are great."

"Love is something that you like. God is love. Love is giving something without force. Love is not shouting. Love is being kind."

"Love is to be kind to someone or to be obedient."

"Love is when someone helps you or gives you something. When people take care of you or have an interest in you, they love you."

"Love is when you like a person. When you have a very good friend or a good feeling. Love is when my mom gives me a cookie."

"Love is when you like something. I like soccer. Love is when my mom punishes me or when she prays for me at night. Love is something that you do for someone."

Words of honesty. Words of truth. Words from the mouths of my 4th graders.

And I think I am teaching them, little do they know.

And lots do I learn.

By Faith: Part Three - Surrounded

2008-02-05T18:44:00.000-06:00

This may be in the running for the longest awaited blog yet from me. It's funny how life gets in the way of itself. Or how I get in the way of myself. Or something like that. But I do have some parting thoughts on Hebrews 11.

And though life did get in the way or rather my busyness caught me short-handed, it too may have assisted the thought process on this one. As I was scrambling around trying to teach and take a master's course for two weeks, I had plenty of time on the crowded bus trips to gather some thoughts. And my thoughts often fell on the people I spend life with or have spent parts of it with in the past.

People. Friends. Family. Colleagues. Teachers. Roommates. Pastors. Leaders. Coaches. People who have all played an impact on my life. Reading through the names of the people found in Hebrews 11, I was encouraged and intrigued by their lives. Letting my eyes travel past the chapter mark, I found my underlined Hebrews 12:1-3 verses. The first time I remember hearing these verses was 3 1/2 years ago sitting on a floor in the Dominican Republic. I was surrounded by people I came to love. People who helped shape and strengthen me.

These newfound friends were people I did not previously know before spending 2 weeks in the DR with them. But these people and these 3 verses still impact me today. As we were sitting on the floor in some sort of a circle, we went around and encouraged each person in the circle. Never will I forget what my friend Vanessa said as she read these 3 verses:

"Therefore since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart."

Wow, what a way to sum up some of Hebrews 11 and begin the next chapter. Vanessa encouraged me that day saying, "Dominique, never forget that as you are running this race called life, you are surrounded by people cheering you on. People who love you and will support whatever avenue of life God leads you down." Those words could have gone by forgotten and may have been neglected from time to time in my life. But to live a life of faith, I find these words necessary.

Whatever aspirations my heart holds or hopes I have yet to discover, whatever persecution yet to come or hardships happening in my life, life is still doable. There are people surrounding me, near and far, who encourage and support me. And as the verse finishes it says, "Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart."

Living by faith ultimately requires obedience. It involves trusting. I may have to be blind. I may not know what is to happen, but that is ok. My eyes are fixed above and can sincerely say that I will forever be thankful for the people in my life.

My family who never fails to support and love me.

My friends who love me on the good and bad days.

My teachers who inspired me.

My mentors who lead by example.

My coaches who motivated me.

My students who give me joy.

My colleagues who challenge me.

My roommates who care.

My God who never gives up on me.

By Faith: Part Two - Blind

2008-01-17T11:52:00.000-06:00

"Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see."

Starting this blog "series" I had high hopes that brilliant ideas would suddenly materialize. The contrary occurred as I have sat pondering this very blog entry trying to figure out a thought worth writing. My thoughts were in a traffic jam and my fingers refused to write any way out of the jam. All this goes to say that I was feeling blinded as to anything I was hoping to learn.

But blindness isn't always so bad. Or at least referring to what I gathered about the life of one the "great's" found in Hebrews 11. The numerous moments I pored over this chapter my eyes couldn't help but linger on the life of Abraham.

Now I have heard about Abraham since a young girl (in fact some of our first pets were goldfish named Sarah and Abraham), but he was always an old man in my mind who was somehow important in Biblical history. I never really tried to imagine what it would be like to wear Abraham's shoes or rather his sandals.

Listen to this: "By faith, Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going." Whoa. That's the part I got stuck on. That's the part my thoughts refused to pass over. Traffic jam.

So if you know me, you know that I am a fan of control. I am a teacher, it may be part of our profession. My profession isn't an excuse, I'm just putting it out there. But I like control. And although I love surprises, I like to have a plan.

To think about picking up all my stuff literally and leaving with no idea of where I am going quite frankly scares me. To not have a plan in place and to walk by faith is hard to comprehend. But it is by faith that Abraham obeyed. He literally was "certain of what he did not see". He had a blind faith.

Abraham is someone to be commended. I feel like he and I could maybe sit over a cup of Caribou (holla for the midwest!) and chat it up about the fears and worries about picking everything up and going somewhere new. Or perhaps he didn't have those second guesses that I struggle with. Or maybe he could give me some insight on how to actually not worry about the places my feet will go in the future. Maybe he could divulge the secret of his blind faith.

The chapter goes on to say, "By faith, he made his home in the promised land like a stranger in a foreign country: he lived in tents as did Isaac and Jacob, who were heirs with him of the same promise. For he was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God."

Hmmm...another moment passed when my thoughts refused to continue. I too often feel like a stranger in this country. But surprisingly I also felt foreign in my own country. But Abraham lived by faith "being sure of what he hopes for." The little insecurities that pop up in this life are insignificant in light of what's to come. But that eternal mindset isn't often being sported in my life. I beg to know what's gonna happen in the near future forgetting that it's the eternal future that matters.

I forget that it's ok to be blind. Just like Abraham, we can trust in the One who is leading us even though the destination remains unknown.

For when we are blind, then we will see.

And when we live by faith, we begin to live.

By Faith: Part One - Cultural Amnesia

2008-01-07T10:43:00.000-06:00

The two weeks surrounding Christmas I was blessed to head up north to spend some time with my family and friends. It was wonderful being in the white winter wonderland I once called home. But there are many things I had forgotten about life in America. To give you a glimpse of some of the problems I have encountered, read on...

In public restrooms, I forgot that I did not need to spend a few minutes searching for a wastebasket. You are allowed to throw toilet paper down the toilet.

I forgot that you do not need to ask for the bill at a restaurant in Spanish.

In the States people expect you to be on time for things and that does not mean an hour late is on time.

It is sometimes hard to breathe in Minnesota. Yes, it is that cold.

Going to the grocery store means actually driving your car to the store and loading the bags in the car not on your shoulders as you walk home.

Dollars are green. Pesos are not.

Roundabouts are not very common in Minnesota.

I don't need to take a public bus to get places including church.

The radio is in English (for the most part).

Almost everywhere I look I see fair skin, eyes and hair.

I can understand all the conversations around me and have a harder time zoning English out than I do Spanish.

There are not soap-operas on whenever I turn the television on or change the channels.

The ground is covered in white fluff.

Our dog doesn't go around biting people (for the most part).

Being in a small-town can make people claustrophobic.

Here I get honked at because people recognize me and the vehicle I am driving versus the random honks I get in Mexico.

I don't have to cook every other meal I eat here in Minnesota.

We have a dishwasher.

There is a dryer in the house which means we get to use soft towels.

I don't have to talk on the phone using my computer as a phone.

All this amnesia I experienced while I was in Minnesota gave me a funny foreign feeling in my homeland. It was strange to feel out of place in a place I thought I knew so well.

Feeling like a foreigner in my own country found me searching in my Bible for some comfort. I stumbled upon Hebrews 11, “the faith chapter”. Though this has been a well-read chapter over the years, the people and the sacrifices they made became more real to me. I struggle sacrificing simple things in life. The people listed in the 11th chapter are likely unconcerned about the silly cultural differences found in our temporary homes. They trust in the One who has promised them a heavenly home. These people live by faith.

The chapter begins, “Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. “ Simply stated. It only requires a simple step.

A step of faith…so join me on this journey as I try to discover more about living a life of faith like so many that have paved the way.

follow me

2007-12-13T09:03:00.000-06:00

If I could take each and everyone one of you by hand and lead you through a day of our life here in Mexico, I would do so in a heartbeat. It's hard to give you guys a realistic picture of this crazy vida we call normal. :) So without having you here, I am going to try to recap some of the events in the past couple of weeks.

For those that know me well, you understand that I do not have a huge welcoming heart towards animals. I don't know why, but I never feel the need to pet or go out of my way to embrace a furry dog or any of those things that people normally feel. I like to think that for whatever affection I lack towards animals, I show towards people. Anyways, my level of love for animals has fallen drastically this last week as I was....dun dun dun...bitten by a dog. I am not even kidding around here, our neighbor's dog got loose and bit a hole in my brown pants last week. Not being very quick in the reaction department, I simply screamed and ran and thankfully the dog let go of my pants. This little scare and the lack of the neighbor's responsibility causes us to walk a different direction to school at times, not chido. (cool)

A pastime as of late seems to be fiestas, of the surprise kind. Last week we were able to be a part of 2 surprise birthday parties! So fun as we enjoyed tamales, pizza, serenades, photos and laughs.

On the same day of the dog attack last week, I was assaulted by a parking lot arm. I may be coming off as clumsy or unaware or both, but shortly after the attack of the perro (dog), Marin and I were walking around one of the outdoor malls here. Both of us were exhausted and slightly out of it. As I was following my beloved roomie, she jumped out of the path and once again I struggled from a slow reaction and got pelted by one of those huge parking lot arms that allow cars in/out of the lot. My shoulder is nicely bruised now.

One of the best nights last week was when we found ourselves at Teatro Diana to see "The Nutcracker" ballet. One of our students had a part in the show and her parents gave Marin a couple tickets and I got to be her lucky date. I had never seen a ballet before and I was amazed at not only how much can be portrayed without words but how graceful some people are! Wow!

Friday night was our first staff Christmas party. Marin and I were priviledged to be a part of the teacher's choir and got to stand up front and croon a few bilingual Christmas carols. This was probably Marin's favorite part of the entire Mexican experience so far....she'd be the first to tell you with the rolling of her eyes. :) We also did our best to dress up as frankenscense, gold and myrth (notice the letters on our shirts).

Another thing I cannot escape in Mexico is the sport of soccer. Almost every week we have a fun little soccer game with some of the students and staff. And never did I think I would enjoy this sport, but I find myself looking forward to it every week. And especially looking forward to next summer when I can actually prove myself worthy to my siblings who have played soccer more than the average joe.

By the way, the wedding a couple weeks ago went alright. I don't know if I'll ever be an official greeter again, as it may have been the most awkward job ever standing by the door and saying hello to all the natives. But we enjoyed the moment and survived with a smile.

Well those are a few of the things I would show you if I could, but for now, follow me and enjoy the read. And if you're curious, it's just 7 days until I head home to the frozen tundra of Minnesota! :)

All I wish...

2007-12-09T15:27:00.000-06:00

Well it truly is beginning to look a lot like Christmas, even here in Mexico. We may not have the snow as many do back home in Minnesota, but the typical Christmas trimmings are loud and proud. Even our little house here is decked out as my mom sent Marin and I some sort of garland and battery-powered candles. The classrooms are transforming from white-walled rooms to red and green adorned rooms. And while all this is happening, I am amazed that in just 11 days I will be home.

Home, the place I have thought so much about while I have spent months here in Mexico. Home, the place where so many of the people I love I left behind. Home in 11 days. Wow.

Thinking about home so much lately with the anticipation of soon being there, I started walking down memory lane. I remembered that typically for every holiday season I made a "Christmas Wish List." On this list I made sure not a thing was missing. Everything that could ever fulfill my happiness was listed on that page in alphabetical order with the catalog page number alongside the item. I loved making those lists knowing that Santa or mom and dad would be sure to come through on some of the "necessities" of my life at that point.

Though I haven't made a wish list for sometime now, I begin to wonder what my wishes would be these days. In the past I never would have put "see my siblings" on my wish list, for we fought way too often for that. But I think that is one that would be on my current list, so Mom you were right when you told us kids that we would be best friends someday.

In the past, I didn't realize all the things I had around me. It's funny that the things I wish for today would never have made the cut in the past. The things that make the cut today aren't material items. Never would I wish for a discman or a pink Barbie convertible.

My present wishes don't come in the form of presents.

And the wish list of my life today is no more than to be with those I love.

Funny how simple life can be.

Funny how little I really do need.

Funny how I often forget the little I do need and often do get lost in lists of unnecessary things. Maybe this holiday season, as red and green as it may be, can be enjoyed in the abundant simplicity of all I already have.

oh the iRony

2007-11-28T08:12:00.000-06:00

Once upon a time I was a figure skater. Starting at the age of 4, my mom helped me lace up my skates and I scooted around at the ice arena. This was a hobby of mine for close to 8 years until other things got in the way. I often had big dreams of my my fame to come while wearing those skates. But I kept running into a problem as I skated the days away. I got frustrated with myself. I kept saying "I can't!" when I ran into a difficult move or when my pants became laden with snow from falling so many times.

Never will I forget what my instructor Renee said on one particular taxing afternoon. "Dominique, the word can't cannot be in your vocabulary. Every time you run into a problem, say "I can" and eventually you will say and do it with confidence." Those little words of encouragement sprouted a seed I still carry today. The words "I can't" seldom leave my lips. But I am learning of a new "I can't" here in Mexico.

This is not earth-shattering, nor is it significant, but it is present. I was also told as a child that either one has or doesn't have the ability to roll their "r's" while speaking Spanish. I have always found myself on the negative end of the spectrum. As much as I practice and as hard as I try, I sound like a dope when I try to roll the "r's" My tongue gets lost in my mouth and I lose whatever momentum I had when I started the word.

However, I have learned as of late that perhaps it may not be something hereditary. I have heard a couple real-life stories that prove people can roll their "r's" after relentless practice and daily exposure and usage of the language. So I have once again decided to carry the torch and say "I can."

This means that my roommate may hear me sounding like a fool and practicing the many words with "r's" in the spanish language. This also means daily laughs as I make more failed attempts. But the best part of these rambling thoughts are that I get some serious practice this weekend as three of us are part of a wedding!

So y'all may have heard that the "hasta manana" culture in Mexico is alive and well - it gets better. Three of us teachers found out last week that we are the official greeters at one of our new Mexican friend's wedding this coming Saturday. Unfortunately the wedding is in the afternoon, which means the main greeting will be "Buenos tardes". Notice the "r" in the second word - it is usually accompanied with a crisp roll of the tongue. For those that cannot crisply roll or roll the tongue at all the word comes out sounding ridiculous. How iRonic...I'll let you know if ever again I am asked to be an official greeter at a Mexican wedding.

Grateful

2007-11-23T12:10:00.000-06:00

Though none of us were able to be with family back home, we did enjoy Thanksgiving here in Mexico with a potluck of some 50+ people. Here are some pics from the fun evening together after a long day of work. :)

We were pretty proud of our homemade dishes to add to the large spread of Thanksgiving food...

Yup, we had a fun table...

Mi amiga Traci and I

Teachers and friends

My crazy fourth graders after our "say what?" project...

Thanks to all my family and friends whom I love so much and who continually provide encouragement and support!

For the Record

2007-11-20T11:46:00.000-06:00

Thinking about the two mice in my bedroom that were captured in plastic bags the other night by my skillful friends Marin and Chris, I realized that I should maybe start a tally sheet of some of the unique experiences we have endured here in Mexico. So here the list goes...

Number of/Amount of...
...mice captured in our house: 2
...mice seen in our house: possibly 5 (we are unsure if some were repeat visitors)
...spiders slain: 2 big ones and several small ones
...black widow sightings: 2
...tacos eaten: innumerable
...walks to the grocery store: approx. 24
...hailstorms: 1 and it was loud
...visits to fix our fallen curtains: 3
...visits to fix the drain: just 1
...things that have fallen off the wall: 7 and counting
...dishes that have broken: 5
...times we have used city busses: around 57
...times we have had dinner guests: 11
...days we have called Mexico home: 100
...days until we go home for Christmas: 30

So there's some unimportant information for all who were curious. Yup, none of this really matters but it's just for the record. (And I still hate mice, especially when they are in my bedroom)

The Intruder

2007-11-16T12:03:00.000-06:00

Weaknesses. We all have them, perhaps in different forms or in various areas, but we all have them. Personally, I have a weakness when I go shopping and pass the greeting cards. I love cards and could spend far too long perusing that aisle trying to find the perfectly put greeting.

Tonight I was reminded of another perhaps trivial weakness. I hate mice. No matter how cute they may look, I think it would be crazy to ever house one for a pet.

Last night we had a little rodent sneak into our casa not once, not twice, but three times. Each time I unconsciously screamed and ended up on top of one of our kitchen chairs. It's as if I can't even help it, and not only do I scream, I stop breathing momentarily.

As I sat writing this, I was having a hard time focusing on the screen because my eyes kept drifting to the door and the unfortunate gap between the door and the floor in our house. One of the times I glanced that direction, the rodent was creeping along the wall...until I screamed and it scurried back out the space under the door. The space has now been stuffed with towels hoping to prevent any other unwelcome intruders.

Isn't it funny how life is a constant reminder of our humanity? Not only are mice found trespassing in our casa, but I let too many other things invade my life. There are times I feel as though I try to fake it. I pretend that I am OK sans help. I tell myself that I have everything under conto. I don't need to take time for reading the Bible or I am just fine without conversing with the One I call my Lord. The lies and the weaknesses start small but end up suffocating the One I claim to serve and praise.

Weakness is a part of who I am. It is only with Christ's grace and help that I get through the days. Through the big things and the little things (such as mice) He gives me the needed strength . It's actually amazing how small of a space that mouse snuck through. I didn't know that a mouse could force its way through such a small area. Though its a bit of a stretch, I wonder if that is how the "lies" start to enter our heads.

We think that we have the door covered. We think that the towels will hold back the mice. Just like we think that we have everything under control in our life. We think that we can do it by ourselves, and that we needn't worry God about the little things in our lives. But the reality is, the mice are gonna come and the lies are gonna sneak in if we aren't living in His truth. If we aren't spending time daily with our Lord, our weaknesses are going to shine. He says that in our weaknesses, that He can use us. "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." (2 Corinthians 12:9)

While shopping for greeting cards and being scared of mice are petty weaknesses and they may be permanent in my life, I pray that I won't let the desire for control permanently weaken who I am. I pray that I will take the time to be strengthened day by day as I meet with my Savior. It is He who uses our weaknesses and He who strengthens us even when we pretend we are OK.

So, Lord, as much as it hurts to say this, thanks for the mice. Thanks for the reminder that in all things it is in You I can find my strength. It is you I seek. And it is You I trust (and hope that never again will we have to share our home with such a critter.)

precious sight

2007-11-08T08:25:00.001-06:00

I don't remember a morning waking up and being able to see clearly. Getting glasses in 5th grade was awful or so I thought. Now it is normal. I either need my contacts in or my glasses on to un-cloud the blurriness in my eyes.

They say that vision is 20/20 in retrospect. Things that once seemed to boggle the mind suddenly turn pristine clear as you take a second look behind you. Reflecting on the past is sometimes like me putting on my glasses - things are seen much clearer.

I too think perspective is another form of eye-wear that helps make life less hazy. Earlier this week I learned of something which selfishly saddened me and made me feel the need for pity. Why? Because I was thinking about me. ME - the "thing" that gets in the way way too often.

I wasn't able to sulk for long. Soon perspective slapped its heavy hand across my face. That same day I was throwing myself the pity party, I learned that one of my friends is dealing with the recent news that her dad is dying of cancer. She is trying to wade through the emotions of survival and grief while I was pitying my sorry self. My vision soon corrected itself. Enough pity. Enough questioning about my own life, a friend was in need.

The following day I learned of a couple I know dealing with a possible miscarriage. Another slap reminding me of what's important in life. My selfish wants don't have a place to call home. There are other things to tend.

Perhaps I heard this phrase before I had "four-eyes" for it often comes to mind - "Pride goeth before a fall." Sometimes I think my 'glasses' are on straight as I line my ducks in a row. But it often requires tripping over my own feet before I actually put the 'glasses' in the right place and lose the blind pride. I usually have to fall before I realize my mistakes.

It's moments like these that I am thankful for grace.

Thankful for people who care enough to let me fall and then help me back up.

Thankful that when things are blurry I have been given an example of how to walk and how to love when others are hurting.

And thankful that we are all precious in His sight.

Snickering, Etc.

2007-10-31T09:25:00.001-05:00

Giggling, Chuckling, Chortling and especially Guffawing are expressions held close to my heart. My recent favorite laugh happens when I am standing up and laugh so hard I literally double over in laughter. I never used to understand what that phrase means. I get it now and I love it.

Do you ever have moments when you have no idea why you are happy? Moments that could pass insignificantly by but somehow joy gives the moment substance.

Wearing an upside down smile last week was no fun and wore me out. This week I can't seem to keep the dimples in check. I don't know if people are praying extra hard this week for me or what, but I have been reminded that when I am weak, "The joy of the Lord gives me strength." So I'm living it up and loving the joy that keeps surprising me this week.

Perhaps it was the extra caffeine and lack of sleep affecting me last night, or perhaps it was the fact that Marin was giving Chris a haircut in our "foyer" (that is the 15 1/2 floor tiles in front of our door) last night. I could not stop laughing. Maybe it was also because Marin decided to wear her fake teeth. Or that Chris was super nervous about the scissors in Marin's hand. Or perhaps it was because I was procrastinating grading my math papers and decided to throw the popcorn for my 4th graders' party at those in the foyer.

Whatever happened last night was amusing. I guffawed. I doubled over. More than once.

And I said some thanks for joy. And for people to share it with.

nada nada

2007-10-29T13:42:00.000-05:00

43, 21, 22, 42, 26, 32, 65....these were the ages of the 7 women I spent the weekend with. Ironic? Maybe. A blessing? For sure.

It's funny how women from all over North America (Indiana, Mexico, Minnesota, Texas, Colorado...) could find so much in common in the middle of the beautiful mountains surrounding the pueblo of Mazamitla, Mexico. It's funny how going into the trip I was a little nervous as I hardly knew any of the travel companions. But it's more funny how blessed and refreshed I feel coming out of the trip.

On Friday after a long week and a long day of teaching, I got home, packed, ate, ran to the grocery store, showered, and walked the 15 minutes to our meeting place with my 2 small bags in hand. I was tired, exhausted and frankly I was missing home, A LOT. Who knows why the waves of homesickness hit strong sometimes and hardly appear on the radar at other times? I was questioning my decision to go on this trip. One I was without my Marin, whom it seems I hardly do without these days and two, I was exhausted and wondering if financially it would be a wise decision. Little did I know the remedy for my tired and homesick self was about to be discovered within our cabin in the mountains.

Imagine a wooden haven enclosed by all sorts of greenery overlooking a picturesque mountain framed by flowers. Our quaint home for the weekend came with a fire and marshmallows (inside), some shared meals, a game of cards, many laughs, solid conversations and lots of guitar and singing. We were able to spend Saturday in the village walking the cobblestone streets and making our way through the shops. Not only did we find some treasures along the way, we were able to make some memories on the back of four-wheelers. Six of us shared 3 four-wheelers and drove our way up the mountain taking pictures and avoiding the wasps, cows and potholes that made their home in our path. It was way fun! :) Even more fun than the bumpy ride and the experience was the people with which it was shared.

I wish everyone had an opportunity to take a break from the busy lives we lead and take some time on the mountain as I did and realize how great our God truly is. I had no idea going into this weekend that I was going to be blessed so greatly by God's creation of nature and His creation of the women I was with who have given their lives to His service. After a week of feeling down and out without my family I was reminded that I do have family in Christ here in Mexico. Even though I miss home sometimes and wonder about my life, God has provided once again.

One of the provisional blessings was found in my boss. She is 43 years old and a blast. Her life is a tangible testimony of God's providence. She has been single her whole life but trusts that God will bring someone into her life at the right time. I often ask God why I am single at this time in life, and I am only 21. I am young and God is faithful. I needn't question His ways, as different as mine they may be. My boss is living life to the fullest as she drives four-wheelers up the mountain side and still has a huge heart for her Lord as she daily waits upon Him.

Waiting upon the Lord and a perspective can change many things. My perspective of life on that mountain was much different than the one I brought into the weekend. Clarity shone through as I realized my insignificance without Christ and the providence He doles out for us on a daily basis. I needn't worry, rather I must trust. He will provide the unknowns and give me what is needed. In Isaiah 40, it says "He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint."

So though life seems to be ironic, it brings many blessings while trusting in Christ. Though it gets tiring, He promises to renew my strength. Though I miss home and family, He is providing me with family here in Mexico. All I am left asking is, "What else could I possibly need?"

And the answer is "nada" because of the One who gave it All that I may live freely.

No More Penciling

2007-10-25T09:02:00.000-05:00

It was a good thing that the lunch trays had 5 distinct compartments to keep the food separate. When I was younger I could never allow my food to touch. And I always ate it in a certain order. I ate the thing I liked the least first and the thing I liked the best last. This way the very last taste in my mouth would be the best one - which is why the corn would often come before the pineapple. Insignificant as this may be, I realized I have either grown up or gotten sloppy these days. I often purposely mix my food up and make the different flavors blend. So either I have grown up and realized my dad was always right when he said, "It all goes to the same place anyways." Or perhaps as I tried to convince my parents long ago, my taste buds have just begun to die like the taste buds of most adults. Mixing the food doesn't taste as strange or foreign as it once did.

Not only did I like eating my food in a certain order, I have always felt as though there is a certain order in which things must happen in my life. I have a tendency to "plan" my life and try to figure it all out before life happens. This doesn't work so well; I have been wrong many a time. I knew that I wanted to go to college and graduate early and I knew that I would love to someday teach abroad. Now what? The attitude I carry pushes me to think that I need to know what happens next in life. It is like a movie needing a sequel. When I make one decision, I need to know what the next step is not so I can take it just so I can "know." There is something sick about this "thinking fetish."

Thinking about the future welcomes many feelings into my everyday life that probably shouldn't be given room to breathe so freely. I get anxious and nervous. I ponder the "what if's" and I try to piece the puzzle of my life together before it has even happened. Perhaps I am pulling a "Bruce Almighty" with the intent of playing God in my life. Apparently I didn't take too much from the movie as his life didn't necessarily get better as he carried all the cards in his hands. It's sadly comical how often I worry about what I don't need to and don't do what I ought to do with my time. The genre of my thoughts is too often a satirical piece confusing my actions in the process. We are given such clear directions as to what we ought to do when we worry that it seems silly to have such apprehension in our lives. Matthew 6:34 says, "Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own." There is no need to pencil in our future on our calendars.

What if I would live as if my life truly were a page-turning adventure novel - not trusting in myself but trusting in Someone greater? What if I gave Him my worries and stopped pondering where I will be after my "two years" here? What if I didn't make decisions based on my "plans" but allowed my plans to be based on His desire? Life would be different. My thoughts would be less hazy. I'm learning that it's OK if everything doesn't happen in the order I think it should. It is ok if my "food" gets mixed up from time to time. Because however things happen, as long as I am following His direction, I will have the best taste in my mouth in the end as I sit at the banquet table worshipping my Savior. Bon appetite!

Am I the only one?

2007-10-18T09:56:00.000-05:00

This thought surfaced last night as I suffered from yet another awkward greeting. "Am I the only one?" I don't know what my deal is, but I have a lot of awkward moments. I am reminding myself of a friend who once said about herself. "Is this awkward? I am awkward, I am so awkward." I don't feel that way all the time, but this Mexican greeting thing is throwing me for a loop.

You see, just as I was startled by the "kissing of the cheeks" greeting in Spain, so too I am struggling with the kissing of the cheek greeting here in Mexico. I am just not natural about this at all. I hope you are laughing, because that is how I deal with this. Let me try to paint the picture of my reality for you.

Every time that you see people and greet them or say "hola" you also put your right cheeks next to each other and "kiss the air". (this also occurs every time you say goodbye...so it's a double whammy) This seems like a simple concept, maybe a little overwhelming as there are so many people to greet sometimes, but it's doable, right? I don't know how I have managed it, but I have bonked heads with the other person, I have entirely missed their cheek and one time I may have kissed the wrong part of the face, all because I get nervous! And I get awkward.

This reminds me of a phase in my life when I was unable to shake someone's hand. Now you are probably thinking I am crazy, but I honestly went through a phase where I froze up every time I tried to shake someone's hand and a handshake suddenly would turn into a "hey buddy let's do our cool basketball handshake" instead of the sweet and simple shake. Somehow I got over that issue and now revel in the handshake and shake from head to two with the "kissing the air" greeting.

So this morning, as I was rethinking the awkwardness, I wondered "Am I the only one?" Either way, this too shall pass, right? By the time I see most of you, I hope to have the latest awkwardness I have attained remedied and I hope to say it is a thing of the past.

Until next time, adios! (without the goodbye kiss)

A Sneak-Peek...

2007-10-15T10:52:00.000-05:00

Here are some things that have made us laugh as we live in Mexico, deal with our house and teach our days away... we hope these tales bring a smile to you too...

LIFE IN MEXICO...

• When 2 girls (aka Marin and I) are walking down the street and see a mariachi band (instruments and all) walking towards them, little did they know that the entire band would step off the sidewalk in order to let them pass by.

• Not only do men look and whistle as girls walk down the street, but dogs bark like crazy. I honestly feel at times as though I have stepped into the scenes of "101 Dalmatians" where all the dogs are barking across the city to communicate Pongo's actions.

• Going to the grocery store means walking 10 minutes to the store and carrying all of our bags back with us. To envision how ridiculous we look, picture two girls with backpacks stuffed so full the zippers don't work, 2-3 bags in their hands and possibly a frown or two on the faces. This may be one of our least favorite parts about living in Mexico as we have no other way to get our food home. :) At least we can laugh about it after the fact.

• Marin and I have been trying to run more these days. I repeat try to run as a couple weeks ago I definitely took my first bite of the sidewalk as I somehow tripped and scraped up the knees. It would have been a little less embarrassing had 5 of the other teachers not witnessed the fall...oh humility how I love it.

• Getting anywhere beyond a place we can walk to means taking the bus. There are times we abhor the bus....imagine 60 people stuffed onto one bus. 35 people are sitting while 25 or more depending on the sanity of the bus driver are standing. Imagine being so squished that you have no idea who is pushing you and you occasionally knee a person or hit someone over the head with your bag as you try to exit off the bus.

OUR COZY LITTLE CASA...

• One night upon returning home, I opened the door and turned around to set my bag down as I heard something fall. the door had indeed fallen off of its hinges and we had to "set" it back in place.

• Marin and I try to have people over every week to share a meal with us as we experiment with our culinary skills. Note that we can only have 2 people over at a time as we only have 2 extra chairs in the house and only 4 chairs will fit around the table as we pull it from the wall to accommodate the company.

• Killing spiders (together - it takes some serious teamwork) and discovering dead cockroaches is a common part of daily life.

• When finished with a load of laundry, some people might hang it outside to dry or throw it in the dryer, but Marin and I get to decorate the inside of our cozy home with our clothing hanging from every possible place to hang them.

• Trying to be more domestic, I have made a couple cakes while I have been here in Mexico. One was to celebrate Marin's birthday, the other was to celebrate High School Musical 2 coming to Mexico. Let's just say that Saray and Jesus Bravo (my Mexican "parents") have told me that when they first got married, she couldn't bake very well either, after about the 20th time something turned out...so anybody want to be my guinea pigs with the next 18 cakes? (they usually taste good they just don't look so good)

• When watching TV, we must not make any sudden moves after we get the antenna in a good place. If we move too much, the clarity disappears...and we see a few too many pixels.

• Walls disintegrate here in Mexico as both of our bedroom curtain hooks have fallen out of the wall.

• We usually go through one 20L water jug a week as our faucet doesn't pour out drinking water. To get our water jug into its holder which sits on top of our fridge, we have to use some team work to lift the jug above our heads. One time when we were doing this, we started laughing and lost it half way up to the fridge. We suddenly had a mini pond in our kitchen and after screaming we started laughing very hard. Our cute little landlady ran over and asked "Muchachas, estan bien?"

MY CLASSROOM...

• During a spelling test, I had a moment when I wasn't sure what to do as a teacher. On #13 "thrill" one of my students stood up and sang "thriller" by Michael Jackson (with the dance moves). I decided laughing was appropriate before I told him to sit down so we could finish the test.

• One day when I got to school I noticed something staring at me from atop the water jug outside of my classroom. After yelling for Marin to come and look at whatever this thing was, we turned the light on and realized it was a peacock! Yes, I repeat a peacock was on top of the water jug...go figure.

• Marin and I may have been the coolest teachers ever this very morning as we dressed up like world travelers (I was an eskimo and she was an Oriental woman) and performed a song from the play "Around the World in 80 Days" which we will be attending next week! Let's just say our student's eyes were as big as saucers while we laughed our way through the performance...so fun! (Check out the "FOURTH GRADE FUN" video in "links of interest" at the top right of this page...)

LATEST AND GREATEST...

• Our latest adventure took place this weekend as we went to the "barranca" (mountainous valley). After taking an hour bus ride to the top of this valley, the rain was coming down lightly. By the time we got ourselves together and started walking down the 5K path down the side of this mountain, it was raining cats and dogs. We honestly felt as if we were walking down a waterfall as the water rushed between the stones we were hiking on. By the time we got to the bottom, the rain had stopped and we rested down by the river at the bottom. On the way back up someone in our group had the "brilliant" idea to climb back up the railroad tracks. Imagine a railroad track at an angle more vertical than horizontal...after making it halfway up this torture track we decided to jump back on the trail and leisurely climb back up. We then took an 1 1/2 hour bus ride to get on another 45 minute bus ride to arrive home...a long and wet day indeed. :)

Well life here in Mexico never ceases to be an adventure and never ceases to make us laugh. I hope you can enjoy some of these moments as much as we have as you read away. Much love, Miss Dynes

stolen time

2007-10-11T08:12:00.000-05:00

So I quote...

"Someday I will go to the biggest mountain of icecream in all the world and it will be named 'Evercream'".

"I dream that the only food was pizza and it wouldn't make anyone fat."

"I hope that I'll return to Korea and eat some delicious sushis"

"Someday I hope to know 10 languages"

"Sometimes I wish I could meet Zac Efron".

These are some of the hopes and dreams of my 4th grade students. While I may have selectively chose the wishes to share with all of you - these were some of my favorites. Many made me chuckle and many made me look twice. As of this week I too have a wish I could throw in with the pile, "Sometimes I wish I could throw my watch away."

Maybe Mexico is rubbing off on me a little too much, but I am really enjoying this laid-back schedule even though I get caught up in my tendency to use the watch. This week I had a conversation with an older gentlemen who works at Lincoln School. He confessed his problem of keeping track of time. "I don't even know why I wear a watch. It does me no good, because I forget I have it on and I forget to even look at it." This made me laugh as I confessed to him my over-usage of a watch. Since being a teacher, I steal too many glances at the numbers during the day.

I was once again the thief on Saturday as I was hanging out with kids at the orphanage all day. After playing and helping in the kitchen for 7 hours (not that I was counting that closely or anything....), my hungry and tired self was ready to go home. But then "it" hit - you know that guilty and sick feeling deep in the gut. I realized that I couldn't even spend part of my day helping others without looking at my watch and thinking of "my needs" above the obvious needs of those around me.

It is ok to chill and enjoy the company. Sometimes waiting to do something until tomorrow is ok. But I can't take too big a bite of that idea, because being a procrastinator at heart, I would never get anything done. And somethings do need be done sooner than later.

I finally got around to watching a movie I had put off for many months, "End of the Spear". This piercing movie depicts the effects of 5 men who gave up everything - comfort, family, friends and their lives - for a cause greater than themselves. They left the basic luxuries to live in a jungle in a foreign country to bring the word of God to people who knew no life but cannibalism. These five men risked everything because "they were ready to go home" and had no fear.

These men abandoned the "later" and embraced the "now". Their time was spent in a worthy manner. Days were lived with purpose beyond themselves. They did not die in vain, nor did they spend their time in vain. So my amigos, it is not about the watch, it is about the time we have been given.

Jesus, help me use my time for your glory. That it won't be "me" ruling the watch but that you'll be working through me all the time. With your grace am I anything, gracias.

What Will Come

2007-10-04T08:18:00.000-05:00

Soccer. It's one of those things I never did as a youngster.

I don't know what happened, but I missed the boat. Many of my friends loved playing this game during recess, but I was distracted counting flower petals in the shade of the big tree.

It seems silly to write a blog about soccer. But it is such a dominant part of life down here in Mexico, it feels silly not writing about it. I went to my first professional soccer game this week. It was a blast. And the Chivas won!! (sorry for those of you who support D.C. United).

Some people, like Marin, will probably chuckle at the reflective line of thought surrounding soccer. But thinking about soccer as something I never did and maybe should have done, I started thinking about the "shoud've done's" in my life and thankfully couldn't come up with very many. So I started thinking rather of the goals I have for my life and the potential "should've done's" in my life. :)

So here is a skeletal list of some goals for my life. With you all as my witnesses, read on.

1. learn a 3rd language
2. write a book
3. sky-dive
4. visit China
5. speak to adolescent girls about the importance of purity
6. have a house with doors always open with hospitality
7. become fluent in Spanish
8. start a youth center (safe after-school place for adolescents)
9. fast for an extended period of time
10. run another marathon
11. adopt children
12. serve single moms and their children
13. meet my Compassion child
14. live every day intentionally

While those are some things I am aiming for in life, I do not know which on the list may become "should've done's". But I hope that the things placed on my heart will come to play if truly they are of any value.

The least I can do right now is live every day intentionally with the hope that by doing so, what will come should happen and what doesn't happen shouldn't happen. Not being sure if any of this makes sense, I better get going and get some grading done (notice that this is not one of my "top 14 in life" - i detest grading!), because believe it or not, there is another soccer game happening tonight...play ball!

to what I succumb

2007-09-27T10:05:00.000-05:00

As a child, I was afraid of the dark. I didn't like sleeping with my door shut, because it closed in all the potential monsters lurking about. I was reminded of this past anxiety this week as I struggled falling asleep a few nights ago. Earlier that day while I was making my bed, I unpleasantly discovered a spider within my sheets. After this little uncovering, my imagination was running wild as I tried to count sheep, willing myself to sleep that night.

Though I am now able to snooze soundly, I still have other fears that I hold close to my heart. I am afraid of rejection and often afraid of what people think about me. I am scared about the possibility of being alone for the rest of my life. I am scared of the responsibility of parenting that may someday come my way. I am also selfishly frightened to have a child as a child will forever change my life and my body. I dislike stepping on a scale as I am afraid of the numbers staring me in the face and sometimes I am even afraid to look in the mirror, admitting to the reflection on the other side. As I write this, I am afraid of the honest words I write and the honest light I am shedding on who I really am. So often I depict myself in a different way appealing to those around me.

But honesty is good, right? We are all real people with real fears and struggles. Some of my other fears are a little less intensive as I once claimed to have a "deathly fear" of having my umbrella flip inside out during a rainstorm. Really I don't know what I was thinking as I would much rather have that occur on a daily basis than my other fears that plague my days. A fear that materialized in my life this week happened after viewing a movie. I watched "Blood Diamond" for the first time and did not feel well after the movie realizing the innocence I often choose to live by.

The movie touches on the atrocities of a civil war and the way greed manifests itself in our lives. A rock is valued above the life a human being as men are dying for diamonds or the need/greed for diamonds. This movie made me sick and made me afraid of the innocence in my life. I often don't look past the problems in my own life. I am content not knowing aout the horrors of this world and I am content not attempting to care. Something is wrong with that and something about that makes me afraid. As I sat covering my eyes for parts of the movie, my fingers drifted to my ears where a pair of mini diamond earrings make their home.

As I watched men die for diamonds and as I felt the diamonds in my own ears, the sick feeling hit home. It really sunk in as I realized that I affect many people without even trying to understand. So often I live my own life for me and for no one else. My petty fears are often at the forefront of my mind as many other people fear for their lives everyday. How many people in this world do not know where they will safely lay their head tonight? How many girls in Cambodia have to fear the foreign men who travel to "visit" these girls as the innovent are exploited in a market of sex-trafficking? How many others are fearing for the life of their family while I simply miss my own?

It is amazing what perspective does. It is amazing how loudly a film can talk and how easily we are reminded of our selfishness. I daily succumb to my fears as I daily live with "me" as the most important person in my life. Funny that before I had any of these ponderings on paper or before I even saw this film, this week's memory verse I chose for 4th grade is Phillipians 2:3 "Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. In humility, consider others better than yourselves."

Once again, I think Someone knows what I need to hear and what I need in my life before I know it myself. And that Someone can truly take care of all the fears to which I succumb, if only I let Him.

Viva Mexico!

2007-09-18T11:50:00.000-05:00

On the 16th of September, Mexico celebrates their independence from Spanish rule. To give you an idea of what this weekend looked like, just imagine white, red, and green flags covering everything possible. Imagine nearly every corner plastered with signs that say "Viva Mexico!" and "Independencia". There are people walking in and out of traffic at red lights trying to sell flags, noise makers, dolls and signs declaring the freedom Mexico celebrates on this day. Though a naive oustider may feel like singing "Feliz Navidad" with the green, red and white everywhere in town, all this color found is for Independence Day.
To celebrate the exciting weekend, we were able to participate in a flag ceremony at school that concluded with a live mariachi performance. Though it lasted 2 hours and proved to be a little on the lengthy side for standing the entire time, our students survived and we enjoyed the time in the courtyard. We were able to share in one of the traditions of Mexico Independence Day called "Los Gritos". (This is when someone rings a bell yelling "Viva Mexico" and the crowd chants it repeating the routine a few times with a plethora of excitement building!)

We also had a special cena (dinner) at our Friday night youth service at church which even included a big bouncy boxing ring for all of us competitive at heart people. :) It was a fun time hanging out with our friends and hearing a message asking "Where are all the heroes in our world?"

While all this red, white and green stuff was fun and we felt the Mexican pride loud and clear, the best part of the weekend was found in an invitation we received from a family we hold close to our hearts. (This family was the one I was able to stay with in January and they treat us as their own daughters.) They invited Jenny, Marin and I to join them on their weekend excursion to El Rancho. Little did we know what was in store for us in this pocket of beauty found in the midst of mountains 45 minutes outside of the city.

This "ranch" is a huge piece of land surrounded by looming mountains, fields of tequila plants, palm trees, walnut trees, and a painted piece of the sky as never seen before. There were also cattle and horses roaming the land which added to its authenticity. Not until we arrived at the ranch did I realize how much I missed being outside of a city. It felt as though we could breathe anew as we soaked in the surroundings. Along with the beautiful scenery, we were blessed immensely by the beautiful people who invited us to join them for the weekend. I didn't realize how much I missed being surrounded by family until this weekend happened. How refreshing and fun to feel a part of huge family and be loved immediately by those at the ranch.

It's funny how when life seems to take extra strength to get through the days and when we feel a little on the tired side, we are given just what we need even though we did not know "what" we needed. This weekend served as a reminder of God's faithfulness in the little things. It was a blessing to be surrounded by such people and such sights. Like a second wind in a run, this weekend was a "second wind" for me and my time in Mexico. I am still loving my job as I teach a lively bunch of 4th graders and I am loving the country I call home. So with all the pride I can muster, I can yell with the crowd, "Viva Mexico!"

In my Shoes

2007-09-10T09:28:00.000-05:00

Well...in reality if you would wear my shoes these days, you would have very wet feet. It is currently the rainy season here in Guadalajara, and my feet are often damp as I traverse the streets in my flip-flops. But a day in my shoes is really not so bad. I have been amazed by how many incredible people continue to enter my life. After such a blessing of a summer being surrounded by irreplacable buds who immediately bonded, I was uncertain of what I would find when I came to Mexico. But to give you a taste of some of the people that are now a part of my life, I thought I would tell you about my life outside of school and teaching as I have now been here in Mexico for over a month - wow!

Wednesday nights - we are always invited by our new Mexican friends to the movies because Wednesday nights the movies only cost $4! So we usually try to go and enjoy a good film during the week.

Thursday nights - we either go home and make some good grub or we have gone out with our new friends to play some basketball and soccer! (I love being active even if I nearly die every time I attempt any activity with this altitude of 5000 feet!)

Friday nights - On Fridays we go to the church we have started calling home and we attend the youth service. We love this time as this service brings a bunch of 20-something year olds together to worship and get a challenging word of encouragement from the Word. The night doesn't end at the church though, we usually find ourselves going out someplace for cena (supper) - usually we go to a taco stand or if it is raining Burger King is ironically the place of choice. Lately we have been going to a lit-up park to play soccer on a basketball court there. Note that this game of soccer usually starts around 11pm and finishes around 2am. :)

Saturdays - We like to try to sleep in, but have been waiting for our water delivery guys to show up (which hasn't been happening - ugh!) between 8am - 10am. We usually try to get to the market to buy our fruits and veggies since they are much cheaper there than at the store. We often make a trip to the grocery store as well to stock up our one cupboard at home. Also note that going to the grocery store does not mean driving there, it means walking and trying to walk home with arms full of bags. :)

After the morning errands we usually receive a phone call from one of our new friends and we go with them wherever they decide to go. This past Saturday found us at the orphanage that we have been able to visit a few times. It was fun as we went to the park with all the kids and just played in the sun. We then helped serve the meal and cleaned up. A trip that was very much worth it as we made some new friends with the kids who do not know what it is like to have a family that loves them and takes care of them. They are so sweet!

After the orphanage trip we went to a fun pueblo called Chapalas. Here we were able to see the lake here by Guadalajara which is full of lilypads and little fishing boats. They also had a mariachi band performing Saturday night - so fun! By the way, if you don't want to stick out in Mexico as a tourist, please avoid sailor hats, Hawaiian shirts, cameras around your neck and fanny packs. They are dead give-aways to anyone with an eye to see that you are not from here. :) quite humorous though!

Sundays- Our church service here doesn't start until 11:30 which is nice as Saturday nights usually get a little late. We love going to our church as that is where all of our new friends attend as well and we have gotten to know some of the older crowd too. The people are so welcoming and generous to us. It is a blessing to see God's faithfulness provide for us once again in the hearts of the people at the church. After the service we spend time visiting and greeting everyone (which means a kiss on the cheek and a big smile saying "hola"), we then slowly make our way to some place to eat, usually for tacos. This week we also went for a stroll around a park full of paintings for sale and found some delicious snow cones. Never do we feel as if we are in a hurry here in Mexico and never do our friends either. This can be a good or a bad thing, it just depends on how you look at it.

Life here is fantastic and a nice break from the busyness found back in the States. Relationships are savored and placed as the number one priority. I hardly ever look at my watch and feel the need to hurry as we hang out with our friends here. I am learning a lot about patience and about taking it easy. So though my shoes may be wet down here in Mexico, they are enjoying the slow pace of life as we quickly pass through the days.

as I was told

2007-08-31T08:59:00.000-05:00

As a child I remember the phrase, “this is harder for me than it is for you.” Little or nothing did I understand of that motto as my only thought was of the discipline I was receiving at that moment. But Mom and Dad, I believe that I am beginning to understand a tad more about the complexities of parenting.

You see, as a teacher, I have thought the very same thing you once told me. I do not like being a “mean teacher” and I do not like being someone who has to “punish” her students by sending home a discipline slip for the parents to sign. But I now understand something I never before grasped, it is for the greater good that I am doling out a discipline slip or two (or three or four).

My heart was breaking this week as I had to send home a discipline slip two days in a row to the same little angel in my classroom who has a tendency to talk more than necessary. With tears in his eyes, he accepted the second and said, “I’m sorry Miss Dynes, tomorrow will be better.” I was holding back the tears myself as I said, “Yes, I know it will. Tomorrow will be a great day, and you are a great kid.” In my head I was rehearsing the speech I know I received at least once as a little girl. “Dominique, know that this is harder for me than it is for you. And know that I do this because I love you.” It seemed torturous at the time to be sent to my room or given a refusal to my request, but parents know best, right? And teachers know best, right?

Or we try our best. I too am beginning to appreciate the world of humility more than I once did before. Being a teacher, I find that I have 13 pairs of eyes watching my every move. If I forget to do something or do not follow through with something deemed important, it is only a microsecond before I am told. It is a bit daunting to stand in front of all those eyes knowing that they expect a great year and a teacher fit to the task.

At the same time standing in front of those eager students, I feel empowered as I know this is where I am supposed to be. And being in a classroom is a dream made reality in my life. Do you ever have those moments when you think, “Wow, this is what I was made to do?” Or “I could never imagine doing anything else with my life right now?”

Thankfully through all the newness and all the changes here, it is those thoughts that dominate my feelings and overcome the feelings of inadequacy. For I know that I trust in Someone who can and will utilize those who are willing. I am willing and I know that above all He knows best.

Lord thank you for grace and for giving it freely. Lord thank you for the opportunity to work with children every day. Thank you for the joy that they bring me and for the things I am learning daily from those I am attempting to teach. And Jesus give me what I need to “train a child in the way he should go, so that when he is old he will not turn from it” as your Word says in Proverbs 22:6. A higher calling I could not have asked for and such faithfulness and love from you I do not deserve. So with gratefulness and that taste of humility fresh on my tongue, Jesus I am yours.

this old house

2007-08-29T09:11:00.000-05:00

Well Marin and I would be fooling ourselves and y'all if we told you everything was perfect in our little house. But we almost like it that way, it keeps things interesting as things continue to go wrong and we continue to laugh it off. So the latest woe we have suffered or enjoyed depending on how you look at it is what I would like to share with everyone today.

Sunday night after Marin and I returned to our house quite tired (Marin was also sick) after a great afternoon of visiting an orphanage, drinking coca-cola with new friends and playing pool at the billiard hall with new friends, we only wanted to go to bed.

So as we were getting ready for bed the unthinkable happened. I was washing my face with my eyes shut when suddenly my feet started getting very wet with the hot water we now get to enjoy in the house. Unsure of what was happening I opened my eyes to see that a pipe had burst under the sink. I quickly turned off the faucet which stopped the water from flowing but did not stop the sink from its descent off the wall. The sink slowly eased its way off the wall and ended up hanging by one screw. As all this was happening, I was yelling "Marin, help me!". The poor girl had gone to bed being sick and all but came out to see the pool of water we now had on the floor. After sopping up the water with a towel we both went to bed laughing about the latest incident we would have to relay to the landlady. About 5 minutes after retiring for the night, we heard a loud crash as Marin yelled, "Well there it went..." Our sink ended up on the floor and we ended up with another good story to share with anyone who cares to listen. I hope you guys can enjoy our life as much as we do....until next time! Adios!

P.S. I might have committed another one of those "nevers" yesterday as one of my students brought "a lunch for the teacher" and it was sushi! You can see how much I liked it from this photo, though I hope to start liking it at some point in the near future...we shall see.

Never say Never

2007-08-26T10:30:00.000-05:00

As I was sitting at our cute table with the plastic yellow tablecloth drinking a cup of coffee (yes I was drinking coffee), I couldn’t help but think about how much has changed in my life. You know how there are things in life that you say you would never do, but they still seem to happen whether your will is for or against that something. What brought this thought to mind was the fact I was drinking coffee. Never did I think I would ever try to drink a cup of coffee and never did I think I would willingly pour myself a cup.

Some other “nevers” that I have succumbed to are bell-bottom jeans. Once upon a time in 10th grade I actually wore a pair of jeans more than once that closely imitated the style of bell-bottoms. To this day, I don’t know exactly what I was thinking. Another “never” in my life is that I told myself that I would never stop running. Here I am in Mexico having run once in the last two weeks. A few good excuses come to mind for this mental line I have crossed as I am still learning my whereabouts here in Guadalajara, the altitude of 5000 feet causes me to tire easily, I am unsure as to whether I should run alone and with teaching it is hard to find a good time to put my Asics on and go. But excuses are that, excuses.

Do these “nevers” come to play because of circumstances or because I am changing who I am? Granted these “nevers” mentioned in this little essay are hardly of import in the grand scheme of things. But it is something that stopped my thoughts this morning and I thought worthy to write a thing or two.

What if bigger “nevers” start to happen? I say that I will never deny my Lord but so did Peter. He denied Christ three times after refusing the thought to enter his mind. I pray that He will give me the strength to do what I may be incapable of doing myself. And I trust that He who can change lives and make some “nevers” absolute “yeses” as He draws us sinners close to Him, that He too can hold me up daily as I am unable to do so. Funny how I so often put limits on Christ, I limit Him as I think of my life in terms of me instead of opening up my eyes to what He has in store for me. His ways are not my ways and His ways or vision is much grander than mine will ever be. I may try to plan my life and believe me, I have tried to do this, but as it says in Proverbs 19:21 "Many are the plans in a man's heart, but it is the LORD's purpose that prevails."

Never did I think 4 years ago that I would be teaching at a school in Guadalajara, Mexico, but Christ knew. Never did I think that I would feel called to be a missionary and I honestly don’t know even now what that looks like. Two years ago never would I have thought that I would be graduated from college and single. But as I sit here and ponder life, I would never want it any different. And change is good, of that I am sure as I have witnessed it many a time in my life. So with these thoughts I better get back to the now cold coffee that I said I would never enjoy. Cheers!

Happy Birthday Marin!

2007-08-24T09:03:00.003-05:00

What a fun day this was...full of laughs and birthday songs. Here are some of the photos from Marin's 22nd Birthday in Mexico! It can't get any better than this!

So my class decided to surprise Miss Alger and one my kids surprised me by bringing in a cake from home - it was delicious!

My class was a little crazy after the cake and the surprise party we threw for Miss Alger, but it was a fun time being in her room with the cake and party tunes!

So Marin and I found this hole-in-the-wall pizza place where the owner pulled out his accordian and crooned a few songs out for us...so funny!

The pizza was delicious and without tomato sauce...

These days through photos

2007-08-23T08:54:00.001-05:00

So I have had a few people ask me where I am living and where I am working these days....
some of you may know that I have a thing for taking pictures, so enjoy some of the things I get to see everyday as I live in Guadalajara, Mexico and teach at Lincoln School....welcome to my life

This is my bedroom in our casa

This shows our main living/dining room

Here you can see our kitchen/dining room

Though I once joked that I was no Betty Crocker in the kitchen, I must say my cooking is not so bad these days...

Marin obviously agrees with this face!

This creature is what greeted us upon coming home the other day. We kill at least something everyday and we have found 5 dead cockroaches...one of them was in the freezer...who knows how it got there??

Sometimes we may have too much time on our hands down here in Mexico...

Here's a look at part of my classroom....love it!

This represents day 3, if you can read the sentences on the board they are purposely written wrong as the students are supposed to correct them each day. And the sentences tell the truth....Miss Dynes has a very sore throat and doesn't really have a voice...let's just say it made for an interesting day of teaching...the kids have never been so quiet! :)

Today is Marin's Birthday! This is one of our many pictures to remember the special day!

Here's a look at the Minnesota girls! Marin, Jensine, and I!

I write on the board a lot....

This is a flower that adorns our door...there are plenty more where this came from, they are so pretty!

Well I hope you enjoyed some of the pictures from my life these days....there will be more to come!
Bendiciones desde Mexico (Blessings from Mexico!)

Like a Child...

2007-08-19T14:53:00.000-05:00

I sit here with a bit of a queasy stomach, and no it is not from my lack of knowledge in the kitchen that my stomach feels this way. It is due to the fact that I will be teaching my first day of school in just 2 days! Thirteen students will be coming through my door on Monday and it will be my responsibility to teach them all they need to know and control the classroom while doing so. It is a little daunting to think of the year ahead. While I have some nerves surfacing, I too feel excited. This is a dream of mine turning into reality as I will be a true teacher. If only I could put my trust in the One who promises all if we have faith in Him.

This week as I was preparing my classroom, I couldn’t help but think of faith and trust. Not only the trust that so many are putting in me, but the trust children give so freely to so many. The faith of a child is a marvelous wonder to me. When I reflect on the depiction of the faith of a child, the words that come to mind are simple, curious, vulnerable, unabandoned, trusting, unquestioning, alive, apparent, and vibrant. These are great descriptors, though I don’t know I can apply any of them to my own life of faith. Though I read the verse “I can do all things through Him who strengthens me” in Philippians 4, I still question my competency and the near-coming day when I will be in front of a class. I still look to myself for strength when I know all strength does come from Him and not from me.

I also am reminded of the conversation the disciples had with Jesus in the gospels concerning the greatest in the kingdom of God. In Matthew 18, the disciples ask, “Who is greatest in the kingdom of Heaven?” Jesus responded by calling forward a little child and said, “I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.” Hmm..makes me wonder how I can become more like a child. Perhaps part of the answer lies in the blind faith so many children have. What if I had unabandoned faith? What if I shed every piece of reliance I place on myself and hand it over to God? It is easy to raise these questions, but is it possible to actually do what I hope and say? Well I can just run to Philippians 4:13 for another answer here as still says, “I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.”

So those ramblings of thought pieced together in this blog, I find myself falling short and relying solely on His grace as I continue preparing for the big day. Lord I pray that it will be you who guides me through this year. Yes, I am excited to teach and excited to meet all the students coming my way, but I have a feeling that I may be learning more than I will be teaching this year. Thank you for children and the example in faith they can be to me. Lord make my faith like that of a child, unashamed and solely alive because of the strength found in you Lord. And when I question my shortcomings Lord, remind me that in your strength all can be accomplished.

Goodbye to Life as We Knew It...

2007-08-15T14:28:00.000-05:00

How many farewells can one person say? This is the question that was plaguing my mind as I prepared to leave the country for a couple years. There were so many people I wanted to hug and say an official adios to before my feet no longer called Minnesota home. This is a sad process and to be honest, I started to feel a little calloused or desensitized to the process. Though in the process I found myself re-amazed at God’s faithfulness in the people He has put in my life – the people who continually touch me and care for me with words of encouragement and experiences to last in our memories for a lifetime. So thank you for all those who took the time to say bye in the last days, weeks or months. You are already missed and more appreciated now that I am living without you in my life. (I want to throw out a special gracias to my roommates Amber and Becca who stayed up the entire night with me the night before leaving helping me pack, laughing with me and preparing a fun surprise before taking me to the airport at 4:20 am – incredible! Also thanks to mom and Michelle who made a special trip to the cities to help me prepare my things – love you!) Upon arriving in Mexico, I discovered a note lodged in the bottom of my suitcase written 2 years ago by my friend Stephanie before I embarked on another travel journey to Spain and in this message, she wrote a quote by Richard Bach that says, “Don’t be dismayed at good-byes. A farewell is before you can meet again. And meeting again after a moment or a lifetime is certain for those who are friends.” This thought was just what I needed as I was saddened by the lacking presence of so many in my life, so don’t fret friends, it is ensured that someday we will meet again…Christmas reunion, anyone?

Ok, enough of the sappy stuff, how about some of the crazy adventures Marin and I have experienced upon arriving in Mexico? Not knowing how to logically organize these pieces of the puzzle of information, I shall simply tell you some of the things we have learned before we have started our days of teaching.

1. When you have a layover of 20 minutes, do not expect your luggage to show up at your final destination. Along with this nugget of truth, be prepared and bring an extra set of clothes in your carry-on. Granted it was a brilliant idea to pack all of our schoolbooks and heavier items in our carry-ons, books do not suffice as a replacement for pieces of clothing. ☺

2. Remember to eat. For some reason on the day of our arrival, we did not eat a thing until 5:30 when after arriving at our apartment we walked as quickly as our malnutritioned bodies would allow to a restaurant for a quick meal. Burger King may not be the best ease into eating something for the day unless your system is used to all that grease.

3. When walking down the bumpy streets with arms full of toilet paper, boxes food and tissues, don’t expect to not be noticed. You may get an excess of whistles or stares as you stick out a little more than normal in this state of being.

4. When attempting to wash clothes in the sink with dish detergent, be prepared for the bubbles that come along with this process. And remember, Marin, that jeans may not dry as quickly as other items of clothing.

5, After grocery shopping, it may not be the smartest idea to squish grapes into a bag and then run home trying to see if the MIA luggage has arrived. Grapes that look like deflated balloons are honestly not as tasty.

6. With the stoves in Mexico, you need matches to light the pilot. Remember this and be prepared with a Plan B of cereal and milk when all your other meal ideas go out the window.

7. Learn to appreciate being clean even if the water doesn’t know how to get near warm.

8. Don’t flush the paper down the toilet…we haven’t done this one yet, but have enough issues with flushing that I can’t imagine what would happen if the paper would slip its way down the drain too. (by the way, when you have plumbing problems such as our ‘casa’ does, air fresheners are a plus, and thankfully we do have one!)

9. Beware of making mac ‘n’ cheese in a pan that is losing more paint than keeping it. Paint adds more crunch than may be desired.

10. Remember that when people say your lost luggage will arrive at 5:30 in Mexico, they actually mean 8:30, so waiting an hour and a half on the curb because we don’t have a doorbell may not actually be the best use of our time in Mexico.

11. Always keep a shoe handy. Not only do you need to wear them around, they also make the best fly swatters and bug destroyers we have discovered. If you have ever pondered the insides of a cockroach, they seem to ooze something white and brown. Sorry for the graphic thought, we didn’t want to know either.

So though we have had a lot of funny moments here in Mexico, we have also thoroughly enjoyed the people we have met. The school is full of teachers from around Mexico and around the States. Everyone seems to want to be here and has been a joy getting to know. Each day this week is filled with meetings at the school to help us understand the schedules and the way things work here in Mexico. We are also having time to set up our classrooms, which has been fun. The rooms are small but will suffice as we creatively arrange them and get them ready for the students to come in just under a week. Our little house/apartment is perfect for the two of us. We have had a few problems arise here and there but are learning to be flexible and laugh it off! So thanks for your prayers and I would love to hear tales from each of you too. Adios amigos until we meet again…

Genuine?

2007-07-08T22:49:00.000-05:00

The day came when the hardest test of the year was upon us and we all knew that we weren’t ready and had not studied enough on the topic to do well on this exam. But what could we do, we had to take this test to pass 10th grade Bible class. So after many essay questions and a handful of multiple choice question, I leisurely placed my exam on the counter and slunk back to my desk feeling that ugly certainty of failure. The next day a surprise curve ball was thrown our way as we blinked worried eyes at the teacher. He simply said, “This test was tough. No one did really well and though I am saddened I have a deal for you.” At this point our hearts sunk and a small ray of hope was wiggling its way through the gloominess as we heard the word “deal”. The teacher went on to say, “Today though no one deserves it, everyone gets an A” The class unanimously said, “What? Are you serious? Why?” And then everyone soon was expressing gratitude with wide smiles across every pair of cheeks in the room.

Grace. That is what happened that day and that is what I experience everyday. It is a little thing yet a big thing. It is something that too often gets forgotten and always used. I still struggle with understanding why and completely accepting that I am forgiven and knowing that I do not deserve to be. What an incredible thing to be given a clean slate for no reason. In 2 Corinthians 12, Paul writes “Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it [thorn in flesh] away from me. But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.”

It seems a little backwards, huh? It sometimes seems to me as though God could use me more if I was perfect or I could be more self-sufficient. I find myself saying in not so many words, “Don’t worry God, you take care of this problem and I’ll take care of this one.” It’s as though I tell God what to do and expect Him to appreciate my taking care of everything else. Whoa, this is not how it works. Rather than taking it on myself to accomplish what only God can do, I need to let Him take care of things. It is ok if I am weak. God can use me more if I choose to rely on Him more. When I choose to need God, it is then that He can provide far more than I can imagine. We do not need to come bearing amazing talents, lots of money or success, all we need is ourselves. What an incredible concept. I don’t need to impress God, he knows me inside and out. He knows my weaknesses and He can use them. He knows my strengths and He too will use those for His glory. The step just needs to happen. What if I could let go of everything in life? What if I truly lived as though all I needed was the Lord? What kind of radical changes would take place?

Talking with a friend lately, I have been encouraged to abandon much of who I am sans God and live as though He is the number one in my life. Though this is always easier said than done, why would I not choose to make that transformation? Taking the road less-traveled is difficult, yes but it is possible because of the strength we receive through God’s grace.

Another question drumming the surface is, “What if I treated everyone else with the grace God has given me?” I sometimes find myself compartmentalizing who receives grace in my life and who does not. It may be easier to love some versus others, but grace covers all and shows love to all.

At the end of Paul’s thought mentioned above he talks about delighting in things that normally cause us displeasure. He says because of God’s grace He revels in hardship, in persecution, in insults and in weaknesses. I will be the first to admit that this is not a readily tendency for me by any means. I often find myself disguising my weaknesses by using my strengths as the coat of camouflage. I struggle with pride as I compete, as I speak and as I act daily. Never wanting to disclose my true self and the things I struggle with, I show people what I want them to see. The point of this routine gets lost in the process as I forget what God asks us to be – genuine. (I think this picture helps show a little natural joy)

I think that if I lived with the grace I know I have received and treated others with the grace I have been given a genuine person may emerge from under the sugar-coated person I often portray. Knowing how much I appreciate seeing the real person rather than the person so many want others to see, I feel as though it is only right for me to dish back the same loyalty to others and ultimately to God. He delights in weaknesses and is ready to use me, broken as I am.

So God thank you for the grace you have given me without reason beyond your unconditional love for me and your faithfulness I live by everyday. It is in you that I can rest and you I can confide. You know my heart and my struggles, you know my desires and my need, may I only long for you in my life. May I give up the distractions and the things that drive a wedge between the time I spend with you and the time I waste doing other things. Jesus this is my desire to love you and to live for you with everything I have, thanks for giving me a renewed chance daily and for never loving me less Lord. All this for you Lord, thank you for the amazing grace given relentlessly.

And since 10th grade I have learned that grace is more than an A on a test, it is the ability to live freely everyday with the love of God sustaining me and forgiving me without reason.

Hydration: Is it necessary?

2007-07-08T22:43:00.000-05:00

Though in all honesty I am not blonde, I sometimes have moments where I question my brunette state of mind. You see, I am staying at this wonderful house this summer and in a sense am house-sitting as well as paying rent. All in all, it is a great deal. While my friends and I are living here, we have a couple responsibilities as we watch over the home. One that we painstakingly try to remember is water the plants. Ideally we try to get the outdoor and indoor plants hydrated daily. While we have great intentions, sometimes the water gets lost in the communication between us roommates or gets forgotten amid the crazy schedules. Anyways, after I was able to squeeze the process of irrigation into my morning routine, I started to notice which plants were looking great and which ones appeared to be suffering. After three consecutive days of getting that hose out and wetting down those plants, I was beginning to feel a sense of pride at how great the flowers appeared to be thriving. Then upon further inspection, I realized the beautiful blooming pots of flowers were….dun dun dun….fake! I had been watering both the real and the fake flowers outside and didn’t even realize it. And one more time to reassure you, I am brunette, not blonde.

Now that story could go down in the books for a chuckle or two, but I actually started thinking about what had happened. And some may say I just think too much after reading on, but this is where my thoughts led.

Thinking about the flowers needing water to grow, I started to ponder the similarities found in us. As people we need certain things to grow. We need to be weeded out occasionally and we need consistency. Or what if we think of the flowers as things in our lives? What if we are the gardeners (hopefully with greener thumbs than my own) and we can choose what to water in our lives and what to leave dry? What if the fake flowers represent things we irrigate in our lives that don’t need to be irrigated and really don’t need to be there at all? The fake flowers may symbolize worrying or wasting time, which are very appealing but they don’t need the moisture.

It is said that the hard things in life may reap the greatest rewards. I believe maintaining relationships with people may be a hard thing yet people are a huge asset to life. I am a people person and love all I can learn from those around me. But there are times I choose not to make that phone call or encourage a friend when in need and during those times, that relationship begins to shrivel. To maintain any relationship it takes work or in our case water. Or what about our relationship with God? To not water that relationship daily or not sharpen myself with His word daily, I will start to wilt (like some of the real flowers outside…oops!) While this is a simple metaphor and it talks about a basic concept, I was struck by the importance of watering my life and watering the right plants as I live everyday.

These meanderings remind me of a story I heard a year ago while getting my hair (brunette in color) trimmed at the salon. Little did I know I was about to be challenged as I sat in that chair and little did I know it would all start with tomatoes. Tomatoes are simple things yet represent a simple truth. Here’s a little ode to the tomatoes…

Red,
Green on top
Growing, Ripening
Simple, Yet Profound
Growing, Ripening
Changing Shape
Growing, Ripening
Ready To Go
Dying, Losing The Battle With Life
Tomatoes
That is their life
They ripen
They die
With no time in between
So like the tomato
Let us always ripen
And never give up
The struggle for growth
As we wait
For His time
To be picked.

So whether I am crazy to write this little diddy inspired by a tomato or not, I appreciate the thought this stylist planted in my head. Tomatoes are always ripening until they are picked and then they begin to die. Many things grow in our lives, it all depends where we pour the water. We too will always grow as we are watered by what we place in our lives. May I be like a tomato, ripening until the time the Lord brings me home and may I hydrate the stuff in life that matters and forget about watering the fake stuff.

the start of the end...

2007-06-20T14:59:00.000-05:00

Here I sit, pondering the huge "HOW?" as to how I ought to start this journal for any and all to see. I have always been told that when telling a story one should begin, naturally, at the beginning. Whereas with a journal one should compose whatever thoughts or feelings come to the surface. Now with a blog, being unsure of whether this will come out as a story or a journal, I am simply going to begin with some scribbles of thought and if we get lucky, the tidings may be of interest to the both of us.

In life we all have things we love to do. My guess is that each of us can name at least one thing in which we can lose all track of time because of the enjoyment we find partaking in that thing. All of us have passions for different things in life. One of us may lose himself with a fishing pole in hand while another may lose track of time within the pages of a good book. Someone may find pure enjoyment sitting solitary in front a sunrise while another may be invigorated surrounded by people and conversation abundent.

While there are many a thing that cause many of us to smile and many a thing in which we may lose ourselves, there too are the things we don't like. Someone may not like all the work required to spend a day fishing, while someone else may not like how long it takes to get through a book, whether it is good or not. Another may not appreciate rising early enough to see the sunrise, while someone else may not enjoy listening to so many around him. With everything in life, there are two ways to look at a situation.

As such, that is often how I looked at this blog. One of the reasons it was hard to begin was knowing the reason behind the beginning. While I know the obvious reasons for scribing my thoughts and journeys to come, it was difficult getting the motivation to commence this initiation into the technological journal world. You see, what comes in just a few weeks is the departure of all that is familiar for me and the arrival into my new world.

While this sounds more melancholy than intended, I do truly see the glass half-full in nearly all circumstances in life. In just 8 weeks, I will be embarking on a journey unknown to my feet. I will be living in a country different than my own and will be teaching in a school far away from many I love here in Minnesota. This blog has been created with the intention of bridging those in my life now with those in my life to come.

In all honesty, I am very excited about the ucoming 2 years in Mexico. Being immersed in a new culture, learning new ways of life, eating new foods, and traveling to see more of this world God created thrills me. It is part of who I am. When I mentioned earlier how we all have things we love in life, this teaching job in Mexico encompasses much of me. I thrive on meeting new people and am fascinated by the wealth of stories that reach my ears. Traveling and missions are great things for which I have been given much passion. But just as the things mentioned before, it comes with a flip side....goodbyes on the other end. Ugh, even saying the word makes me slightly cringe with the idea of actually having to follow through with the "Adios's" that will soon be happening. This is what has caused the hesitation in even beginning this blog....the dawning of this blog symbolizes the start of my new life and the end of this current comfortable life in Minnesota, right? And often I find myself not wanting to do something in order to help stall another step in life. This aspect of me comes out strongly in regards to farewells. I hardly thought about saying goodbye to people in college because I firstly was unsure of the "how" and secondly because I hope to see people again. And unfortunately or perhaps fortunately that is how I am feeling about the ta-ta to come in just a few weeks.

As I think of this matter of delaying the inevetible even when I know it is going to happen and things could be better off if I just deal with them and continue, I have begun to ponder the possibility of treating my relationship with God the same way.

Though I know it is good to start off every day with God, it is not every day that it occurs. Though I know that it is good to lift up everything to Him in prayer, I still find myself worrying about tomorrow. Though I know that reading my Bible is important, its contents remains untouched for days at a time. Why is that? Why when I know so much do I allow so little to happen? What is it in me that postpones the leap of faith required to believe in God? There is no reason to wait, no reason to not do something because of fear of what is on the other side. And there is no benefit to knowing and not doing.

In the book of James we are urged to not only listen to the word of God, but do what it says. He goes on to say "Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror and after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like." (James 1:22-24) Though an obvious visual contradiction in those verses, it gravely is too often what I do. Rather than being half-hearted about my faith it is time that I be whole-hearted, focused on the doing and listening aspect. Instead of just knowing what I need to do, the words need to be put to action especially as I am Mexico bound. So here is the beginning of something new my friends...happy reading.