It's Friday evening. I'm recovering from the first part of a root canal. I'm lucky it didn't hurt, but I sure am tired!
I left the dentist today thanking God that for missionary dentists. Those who have been on the mission field know that it takes all kinds of people to serve growing churches and the support areas that the families of missionaries need too.
Now that I am teaching at an international school, I think some people think I am not a "real missionary" (like when I was teaching at a Nigerian school) but I am thankful that by teaching at Hillcrest I can be a support to both missionary parents and Nigerian parents who can afford quality education for their kids. I'm also thankful that my own kids can to there.
I remember that before I became a missionary I read that whoever wants to be a missionary should start where they were at that time. You can't begin serving when you decide to be a missionary, you need to start serving wherever God can use you. Even as a high school student I thought that made a lot of sense.
Today I pray that wherever you are, you allow God to use you in whatever way he can! You too are called to serve!
Dorthea
Friday, September 12, 2008
Monday, September 1, 2008
Beside still waters...
Last week my son Daniel came home with his first library book that he checked out himself. It's titled Zen Shorts by Jon J. Muth. In it the main character is a large Panda named Stillwater. When he moves into a new neighborhood he meets three children that he befriends. As each sibling goes to spend the day with him he tells them a short story that has a teaching moment.
After reading the book to Daniel and talking a little about the meaning of the stories we started reading the book again. Then, all of a sudden Daniel exclaims,"I know that one!" and he proceeds to recite Psalm 23 until he got to the place where it goes "...beside still waters". I was amazed to realize that he not only seemed to understand why the author chose to call the main character "Stillwater" but that he made the connection with Psalm 23.
Since then I have been thinking about the areas in my life where I have a sense of increasing peace. It has also been a topic in my history classes as we discuss the Classical Empires of India, China, Greece, and Rome. They too sought peace and harmony in a variety of ways. They all had different belief systems or religions. Most people who study religion include Christianity as a religion, but at our school staff retreat last weekend the speaker made the comment that Christianity is not a religion, but a relationship and that those who claim to be Christains are definitely "counter culture".
Seeking peace and harmony is certainly not a new thing, but choosing to be part of a counter culture is far more acceptable today than it was before Jesus walked on this earth. In the ancient past, social order was maintained by getting rid of any who challenged it; that certainly held true in Jesus' time too.
Choosing to follow in Jesus footsteps continues to bring its challenges, but I also find that it brings tremendous peace. A few minutes ago Daniel was reciting Psalm 23 again as he continues to learn a little more each day. I invite you to take time to meditate over Psalm 23 again, and may you find refreshment as God refreshes you with still waters in your own life.
Dorthea
After reading the book to Daniel and talking a little about the meaning of the stories we started reading the book again. Then, all of a sudden Daniel exclaims,"I know that one!" and he proceeds to recite Psalm 23 until he got to the place where it goes "...beside still waters". I was amazed to realize that he not only seemed to understand why the author chose to call the main character "Stillwater" but that he made the connection with Psalm 23.
Since then I have been thinking about the areas in my life where I have a sense of increasing peace. It has also been a topic in my history classes as we discuss the Classical Empires of India, China, Greece, and Rome. They too sought peace and harmony in a variety of ways. They all had different belief systems or religions. Most people who study religion include Christianity as a religion, but at our school staff retreat last weekend the speaker made the comment that Christianity is not a religion, but a relationship and that those who claim to be Christains are definitely "counter culture".
Seeking peace and harmony is certainly not a new thing, but choosing to be part of a counter culture is far more acceptable today than it was before Jesus walked on this earth. In the ancient past, social order was maintained by getting rid of any who challenged it; that certainly held true in Jesus' time too.
Choosing to follow in Jesus footsteps continues to bring its challenges, but I also find that it brings tremendous peace. A few minutes ago Daniel was reciting Psalm 23 again as he continues to learn a little more each day. I invite you to take time to meditate over Psalm 23 again, and may you find refreshment as God refreshes you with still waters in your own life.
Dorthea
Tuesday, August 19, 2008
Back to School
It has been a couple of weeks since I last wrote; life has been busy now that the kids and I are back to school. The year has started out amazingly well. After experiencing so much stress the first few years and never feeling like I quite knew what I was doing, it is such a relief to feel like I have entered my comfort zone and am really enjoying all of my classes.
I feel very fortunate that one of my classes, African History, was cancelled. (I had so many take it last year that it ended up with only one student and he didn't really need the course.)
Now I can focus on my two main classes; US History and World History. Plus I have my favorite course, AP World History. It actually takes most of my planning time, but it's a fun class, well, I don't think the students are having fun yet, they're still getting used to frequent quizzes and a variety of assignments (often more than one a night!)
It's also a lot of fun to just enjoy students, even the ones I don't have in class right now are fun to connect with in the hall or in the Canteen/Student Lounge.
In many ways I can really identify with the school theme for the year, "Be transformed" from Romans 12:2.
In so many ways I feel my teaching and my attitude towards teaching has become so much less stressful and more ... joyful I guess! I thank God I can enjoy teaching and guiding my students. I only hope that they too can enjoy my classes and see God in me.
It's not easy to be the one to set the example, especially when I still have my own issues to work on, things like getting to school on time (I haven't been late yet!), keeping up on my marking (I need to get some tests marked tonight if I am going to keep to the three-day turn around goal), staying organized (my desk is still a mess, but I'm keeping to my new syllabi) and the list goes on.
I pray that you too might find yourself transformed in a way that your goals can be met and that your relationship with God is at the top of that list. May your transformation be a time of movement; moving closer to God and letting Him infiltrate and be in charge of every aspect of your life. I hope you find it as fun and yes, as joyful as I do!
Dorthea
I feel very fortunate that one of my classes, African History, was cancelled. (I had so many take it last year that it ended up with only one student and he didn't really need the course.)
Now I can focus on my two main classes; US History and World History. Plus I have my favorite course, AP World History. It actually takes most of my planning time, but it's a fun class, well, I don't think the students are having fun yet, they're still getting used to frequent quizzes and a variety of assignments (often more than one a night!)
It's also a lot of fun to just enjoy students, even the ones I don't have in class right now are fun to connect with in the hall or in the Canteen/Student Lounge.
In many ways I can really identify with the school theme for the year, "Be transformed" from Romans 12:2.
In so many ways I feel my teaching and my attitude towards teaching has become so much less stressful and more ... joyful I guess! I thank God I can enjoy teaching and guiding my students. I only hope that they too can enjoy my classes and see God in me.
It's not easy to be the one to set the example, especially when I still have my own issues to work on, things like getting to school on time (I haven't been late yet!), keeping up on my marking (I need to get some tests marked tonight if I am going to keep to the three-day turn around goal), staying organized (my desk is still a mess, but I'm keeping to my new syllabi) and the list goes on.
I pray that you too might find yourself transformed in a way that your goals can be met and that your relationship with God is at the top of that list. May your transformation be a time of movement; moving closer to God and letting Him infiltrate and be in charge of every aspect of your life. I hope you find it as fun and yes, as joyful as I do!
Dorthea
Friday, August 1, 2008
New Beginnings, New Challenges
I reported back to school today and have a few days to get ready for the first day of classes on August 6th. It was good to be back.
I am fortunate to work in an environment where we have the dual purpose of educating our students and showing/teaching them how to live for God. These past years I think I have learned even more than my students!
It looks like it will be a good year. I thought I would have a lot of students, but my class numbers are much lower this year, which is good because last year I couldn't spend as much time on skill building, like giving essays and other assignments that took longer to mark.(Last year I had about 83 students 2nd semester and this semester I'll have around 50. Plus I had two new classes)
Even so, there was one point today where I started to feel overwhelmed when I was trying to focus on what needed my attention first. I had to just sit down and remind myself that it was God who called me to the task and trust He would continue to show me how to carry out my work. I really believe that it is Satan that fosters doubt in each of us and if we don't contradict him right away, those doubts will just build and build until we can't do anything!
So, if you start stressing out about any new challenge, just trust that the God who brought that challenge your way has already given you the tools to tackle the challenge, you just have to pick up those tools and start using them! Not only that, God knows our needs even before we ask them, so trust the solution is in sight!
I am fortunate to work in an environment where we have the dual purpose of educating our students and showing/teaching them how to live for God. These past years I think I have learned even more than my students!
It looks like it will be a good year. I thought I would have a lot of students, but my class numbers are much lower this year, which is good because last year I couldn't spend as much time on skill building, like giving essays and other assignments that took longer to mark.(Last year I had about 83 students 2nd semester and this semester I'll have around 50. Plus I had two new classes)
Even so, there was one point today where I started to feel overwhelmed when I was trying to focus on what needed my attention first. I had to just sit down and remind myself that it was God who called me to the task and trust He would continue to show me how to carry out my work. I really believe that it is Satan that fosters doubt in each of us and if we don't contradict him right away, those doubts will just build and build until we can't do anything!
So, if you start stressing out about any new challenge, just trust that the God who brought that challenge your way has already given you the tools to tackle the challenge, you just have to pick up those tools and start using them! Not only that, God knows our needs even before we ask them, so trust the solution is in sight!
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
Abide in Me
Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself , unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. John 15:4
These past days I have been waiting for some great insights to share with you, but it dawned on me yesterday that my walk with God is spent more in the valleys and climbs than on any mountain top where I feel jolted by God's greatness.
Instead, I have been reminded that our walk with God should be a daily occurrence, a daily "plugging in". I am realizing that the act of plugging in is not just an act of daily devotions, but an act of centering ourselves on God.
I remember when I first came to Nigeria and was teaching English at a Lutheran seminary in Yola, Adamawa State. One assignment I gave was for students to write a paragraph to share the first things they do each day.
I was amazed that the replies were almost 100% uniform: "Sit up (while still in bed), thank God for seeing me through the night and ask him to be with me in the new day, wash my face, get dressed, greet my family and neighbors."
Meeting God from the moment we open our eyes to the time we close them again at the end of our day is what it means to abide in me.
Throughout the day that means reading His Word, seeking his will in decisions big and small, living out our faith when we connect with our children, spouse, family members, colleagues, people on the road, in the store, at school, on the phone, as we decide what to watch on TV or listen to in the car...etc. Centering ourselves in God's will starts with us meeting God one on one in prayer and reading the Bible, but most of our time is spent in our daily activities. How we carry ourselves in our daily activities is the true test of whether or not we are abiding in Him.
I pray that as you abide in Him you can remember that, as great as those mountain top experiences can be, we live down in the valley and it is there we live out our faith and testify of His greatness to those we meet along the way. We need the constant source of encouragement, comfort and guidance that we gain from abiding in Him to get through each day So let us meet him first in His Word and again and again in our prayers of thanks and our petitions for encouragement, comfort and guidance so that we can stay on track throughout the day. Then, when those mountain top experiences do occur, we will treasure them even more because we will have a better understanding of all aspects of what it means to abide in me.
Dorthea
These past days I have been waiting for some great insights to share with you, but it dawned on me yesterday that my walk with God is spent more in the valleys and climbs than on any mountain top where I feel jolted by God's greatness.
Instead, I have been reminded that our walk with God should be a daily occurrence, a daily "plugging in". I am realizing that the act of plugging in is not just an act of daily devotions, but an act of centering ourselves on God.
I remember when I first came to Nigeria and was teaching English at a Lutheran seminary in Yola, Adamawa State. One assignment I gave was for students to write a paragraph to share the first things they do each day.
I was amazed that the replies were almost 100% uniform: "Sit up (while still in bed), thank God for seeing me through the night and ask him to be with me in the new day, wash my face, get dressed, greet my family and neighbors."
Meeting God from the moment we open our eyes to the time we close them again at the end of our day is what it means to abide in me.
Throughout the day that means reading His Word, seeking his will in decisions big and small, living out our faith when we connect with our children, spouse, family members, colleagues, people on the road, in the store, at school, on the phone, as we decide what to watch on TV or listen to in the car...etc. Centering ourselves in God's will starts with us meeting God one on one in prayer and reading the Bible, but most of our time is spent in our daily activities. How we carry ourselves in our daily activities is the true test of whether or not we are abiding in Him.
I pray that as you abide in Him you can remember that, as great as those mountain top experiences can be, we live down in the valley and it is there we live out our faith and testify of His greatness to those we meet along the way. We need the constant source of encouragement, comfort and guidance that we gain from abiding in Him to get through each day So let us meet him first in His Word and again and again in our prayers of thanks and our petitions for encouragement, comfort and guidance so that we can stay on track throughout the day. Then, when those mountain top experiences do occur, we will treasure them even more because we will have a better understanding of all aspects of what it means to abide in me.
Dorthea
Wednesday, July 9, 2008
Pizza or Shinge?
In Nigeria we have a kind of long-winged termite that comes out during the rainy season. Many people like to eat them. Kids especially like to catch them in a big bowl of water and drown them before frying them. In Yola, Adamawa State where we used to live, they even sell them in the market and women can make a fair amount of money. Tonight my daughter and her friends were catching them and now she wants to fry them.
Me, I made pizza today and much prefer it to shinge!
But then, I guess we all have our preferences. Some people can't imagine traveling to Nigeria and these days just leaving one's country is harder than it was before 9/11. As for me, I now feel like a foreigner in the USA.
Soon I will start teaching US History again and have realized that I need to find a way to enjoy it more so that my students can enjoy it too, I much prefer world history and diversity it offers.
Perhaps that's one reason we can have so many different preferences, we live in a diverse world, but diversity can be scary at times, just as the unknown can be terrifying, or at least uncomfortable. Change is like that too.
One of the things I like about living in Nigeria is that it is harder to get in a rut here. Ruts tend to choke me and stifle my creativity.
I guess that's why one of my favorite Bible verses is, "Behold, I am doing a new thing;now it springs forth, do you not perceive it?" Isaiah 43:19
There is so much going on around us that it seems crazy to me not to appreciate the diversity, whether it is people or new food like shinge. (I have tried them in the past, and did today too when Annette insisted!)
My prayer for you today is that you can take time to enjoy something new in God's creation. May it bring joy in your heart and may you find a way to share it with others. If you want, you could even come to Nigeria and try shinge!
Dorthea
Me, I made pizza today and much prefer it to shinge!
But then, I guess we all have our preferences. Some people can't imagine traveling to Nigeria and these days just leaving one's country is harder than it was before 9/11. As for me, I now feel like a foreigner in the USA.
Soon I will start teaching US History again and have realized that I need to find a way to enjoy it more so that my students can enjoy it too, I much prefer world history and diversity it offers.
Perhaps that's one reason we can have so many different preferences, we live in a diverse world, but diversity can be scary at times, just as the unknown can be terrifying, or at least uncomfortable. Change is like that too.
One of the things I like about living in Nigeria is that it is harder to get in a rut here. Ruts tend to choke me and stifle my creativity.
I guess that's why one of my favorite Bible verses is, "Behold, I am doing a new thing;now it springs forth, do you not perceive it?" Isaiah 43:19
There is so much going on around us that it seems crazy to me not to appreciate the diversity, whether it is people or new food like shinge. (I have tried them in the past, and did today too when Annette insisted!)
My prayer for you today is that you can take time to enjoy something new in God's creation. May it bring joy in your heart and may you find a way to share it with others. If you want, you could even come to Nigeria and try shinge!
Dorthea
Sunday, July 6, 2008
Give us patience to endure life's challenges!
Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing praise. James 5:13
Yesterday I was reading a news article where Americans were wondering what they had to celebrate about on the 4th of July. I was relieved when, at the end of the article, the writer did mention that some were turning to the church.
So often the way we move on after, or in the midst of life's challenges is determined by our attitude and where we turn for comfort and encouragement. If we turn to a bottle, it will finish, if we turn to a person, they might leave us, if we turn to work, it might one day end, but if we turn to God, He is ALWAYS there!
I finally started learning that when I discovered Matthew 28:19-20 back in my elementary days. I consider it a fact that God will be with us until the "close of the age"! That fact has stayed with me as I studied in Norway, travelled to Colombia, toured in Europe and now as I live and work in Nigeria. Situations may change, but God doesn't! People may come and go, even we ourselves change, but God is constant and never-ending and God is SOOOO big that His Word speaks to us in every new situation and every new stage of our life.
As I dwell on this, joy fills my heart. I pray that you too might recognize the joy that is offered to you!
Dorthea
Yesterday I was reading a news article where Americans were wondering what they had to celebrate about on the 4th of July. I was relieved when, at the end of the article, the writer did mention that some were turning to the church.
So often the way we move on after, or in the midst of life's challenges is determined by our attitude and where we turn for comfort and encouragement. If we turn to a bottle, it will finish, if we turn to a person, they might leave us, if we turn to work, it might one day end, but if we turn to God, He is ALWAYS there!
I finally started learning that when I discovered Matthew 28:19-20 back in my elementary days. I consider it a fact that God will be with us until the "close of the age"! That fact has stayed with me as I studied in Norway, travelled to Colombia, toured in Europe and now as I live and work in Nigeria. Situations may change, but God doesn't! People may come and go, even we ourselves change, but God is constant and never-ending and God is SOOOO big that His Word speaks to us in every new situation and every new stage of our life.
As I dwell on this, joy fills my heart. I pray that you too might recognize the joy that is offered to you!
Dorthea
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