Break Time!

School closed four days ago and graduation was three days ago. I didn't realize how much I needed a break. I had noticed that students were telling me to "chill out" more often so I guess they noticed how my stress level was rising.

Today I actually laughed myself! (I was looking the other way and ran into a door that is usually opened.) It did feel good to laugh, I guess I don't do it enough...especially toward the end of the school year!

I guess I'll have to try harder to rest more during the next Christmas break because the second semester just had too many stresses: curriculum revisions, bombings in town, increased security concerns in town and at school, classroom challenges, and more.

Somehow I survived it all, but only by leaning on God. Without him I could not have held on to the end. The way the challenges just continued, crept up on me, and drained my energy so that I had little creativity kept me from fully recognizing how much I was ready for a break.

Now it is here and I pray I can find a pace that is refreshing and can re-invigorate my teaching for next year.

We don't have any big plans these next two months. I hope to read several novels, do a few things in the house, watch Food Channel and some detective shows, read some history books for fun and brainstorm ideas for next year. I'm teaching African History again and I need to get a fresh approach in my other classes too. We'll get out of town for a few weeks when we spend time in our own home in Adamawa State.

I also hope to start walking again. I fell a few months ago and have only been walking once or twice since then. Now my toe and knee have healed, but it's hard to get in the habit again.

Well, it's time to take a break from the computer and do something else. I don't think I have time for a walk since it will be dark soon, but I do have a novel to finish reading. See you later!

Surviving

Our soul waits for the Lord, he is our help and our shield.            Psalm 33:20

Are you just surviving in this world? So often there are times, or days, in our life when we feel we just have to get by or get through the day, next few weeks, or period. As a history teacher I find it takes less effort to focus on the past, but to really understand it we must make connections to today.

I don’t think it is God’s desire for us to just get by, but he understands our limitations so over and over in the Bible he offers us hope and himself to hold on to when we feel like we might otherwise just lose it and fall apart.

I think one of the reasons Jesus’ teachings were in story form is because it is much less demanding to focus on someone else’s story than our own. By listening to a story our defenses go down a little and we think about the characters in the story, but then so often we find we connect to someone or some event in the story, and realize we can learn something from it.

Once we begin to make connections to a story, we have to make a choice. Do we just think to ourselves, “Oh, that was a nice little story? Funny how it sounds so familiar.” and then walk away. Or we can say, “Wait a second, what is this really saying!” and then try to take correction, or hope, and apply it to our own life.

As we go through life’s many challenges, I hope you too are comforted and refreshed by the fact that God’s source of strength is waiting for us to grasp and hold close like a shield. He offers himself as both our protector and our personal source for courage.

May you claim his shield and raise it high so that you, and those around you, might breathe a little easier knowing we are not alone; if we claim God’s promises fully, we may even find ourselves dancing for joy at the end of the day or battle!

Bombs on Sunday, but still we seek God

It happened again, another church was bombed as people met to worship God. I guess you could say that some were called for a special appointment and church attendance wasn't quite enough. I am reminded of a funeral I attended in Adamawa state a few years ago for one of our Lutheran pastors. The archbishop commented on how it's odd that everyone wants to go to heaven, but no one wants to die.

Some sense their fear increasing today since this is the second blast in Jos in the past few weeks that occurred on a Sunday morning, but surprisingly more of us just see it as a prayer concern and go about our daily work.

Even our children don't seemed to be stressed, unless of course school is disrupted. That would actually increase their stress; it's better to keep busy and we have "spring break" at the end of the week anyway.

Those of you who read this that live in the West, probably can't understand how calm we are taking these attacks. Some how, we still sense that God is in control and the miracles of only a few deaths are noted more than the violence itself. Do pray for those that are affected, I know that some of our school community members have been present during both attacks.

As I said, some how we know that God still reigns in Nigeria, if not it would be far worse because all the military and police checks really do very little. I'd much rather trust in God anyway!

Twenty Years and Counting!

Three weeks ago I marked twenty years in Nigeria. When I look back over the years I am amazed at how rich my life has been as a result of my accepting God's call. Sure, I've missed out on family events in the US, but in return I found a husband and we have formed our own family here. Yes, I have lost touch with many friends in the US, but I've also made many friends here and with the help of Facebook have reconnected with friends from years past and kept in touch with my extended family.

I am also very fortunate to have work that is rich and and rewarding. Granted, teaching is never easy and the workload only slows down when we have a long holiday, but I enjoy my colleagues and my students keep me young at heart and challenge me in ways that are never boring...frustrating at times, but never boring!

This past year I have also watched my children grow and mature in ways that make me proud. Both Nat and Annette are now taller than me and I love that Daniel still comes in from his play to give me a kiss. Nat is developing into a top notch soccer player and Annette has just become a teenager and is showing talent on the clarinet and becoming a more serious student.

I pray that God will continue to bless my family and our work here in Nigeria. Amson and I are often on the go with his pastoral duties and my teaching duties, but fortunately the lifestyle here reminds us to keep family as number one and allows us to slow down when needed.

God, it's started again...

Tension again, cars burning, people dieing,

Shots in the air,

What's happening out there?

"Stay at home, don't go out."

Shots in the air,

What's happening out there?

School cancelled, events postponed

God, why has it started again?

School work sits,tests and projects postponed,

It's hard to read today,

When there are shots in the air.

What's happening out there?

God, why is it happening again?

Don't shut down,

Keep the pessimism away.

Let optimism and creativity rule,

Even though there are shots in the air.

Remember, God is in control.

God, let our dreams of peace, when neighbors can live without fear and suspicion, become a reality again.

This poem was written during the August 30-31, 2011 crisis. After my summer in the US I returned to Nigeria with the determination to live with a more pro-active perspective. This was written after I realized I was starting to shut down and just go on auto-pilot where I just live by responding to comes before me instead of thinking ahead to what needs to be done and planning ahead with more creativity and purpose.

Home Is Where You Hang Your Hat

I don't know where this saying came from, but I tend to agree. I've lived outside of the United States for nearly twenty years now and Nigeria has become home. As I write this I am visiting my home of origin and am even sleeping in the same room that I slept in about 45 years ago with three of my sisters.

I've been back for over a month now and I have certainly enjoyed my time back with my mom and visiting other family members and sharing bits of the American culture with my kids and husband, but the thing I think I have apprecited most is the order I see in the institutions that are the social caretakers and the orderliness of most citizens living within the society. Most of all, I love my nearly daily walks around Lake Sacajawea, a lake and park system that has been such a part of my childhood.



As I walk around the lake I see how well it is cared for, as I observe the preperations for the Independence Day weekend I am amazed at how well the details are planned out. I see how people drive on the highways and how most follow the rules of the road. I see how organizations have concern for making positive contributions to the well being and education of the children it serves.



Granted, there are parts of the society that are not so great or seem so trite after my years in Nigeria, but I'm lucky to be a part of two cultures. It's funny, I'd say the US culture is one to be admired from a distance and the Nigerian culture is better close up. It's people that make the difference and I have great friends and families in both cultures

Family Memories

I received word last week that an aunt died. Living outside of my home country for nearly twenty years means that years can pass before I see some relatives; such was the case with Aunt Beverly. As such, when I was able to view a slide show of her life on the internet I found myself somewhat detached in the beginning.

Nonetheless, as I watched the slide show memories came flooding back from childhood experiences with extended family. I thank God for the many times we traveled back to the Midwest for holidays and family reunions.

It has been nearly fifteen years since I last attended a reunion so I look eagerly toward this summer when my family hopes to attend the next gathering. My kids only have memories from visiting the Northwest so it will be exciting to not only introduce them to extended family, but also more of the United States.

I'm thankful that my children know their Nigerian aunts and uncles well, but look forward to introducing them to their extended family on the American side. Memories are special things, but sometimes they take a lot of planning; I hope our plans work out well for this summer.