Year End Reflections

As I look back over 2010, I began the year in the S. F. Bay Area working with a group there. A fond memory. March 1 saw me depart for southern CA, where I helped my daughter and son-in-law move, spent time at a ministry to the homeless in San Diego, and began my trek back east. Spent time with my sister and brother-in-law in MO & wrestled with my tax return. April found me in Memphis in a long lasting community, and later in Atlanta in another that began decades rather than years ago. May began the E. Coast ascent, which deposited me back in New England in the beginning of June. By July I believed that God wanted me to stay for awhile rather than continue my peregrinations thru the U. S. Revisited eighteen different groups over the next six months, lived with friends for two, and then into a room in the city for the remainder of the year. In December completed an ESL teaching course.
During the year I found myself listening a lot, becoming more flexible, a little more loving (I hope). God graciously provided for my needs through a number of people.
I met quite a few new people and saw others I had not seen for thirty or more years. Thankfully I was able to keep up many existing friendships.
One phenomenon that I experienced a number of times was paying for someone else's sins. Whenever we don't allow God to heal us emotionally/spiritually, or we don't forgive, we begin to plant anger inside us. Then a catalyst, often inadvertent, triggers that unhealed or unforgiven place in our soul, and we take it out on someone else.
Fellow shipped with Gary yesterday, and had the privilege of observing what remarkable things God is doing in his life. When we allow the Holy Spirit to lodge the Word of God in our hearts, and begin to respond there is no limit to what God can do in us.

Pre Blizzard Reflections

After several days of relaxation following the completion of my TEFL course, God blessed me with the privilege of providing a ride for Caleb & his fiancee Jacki as we went to celebrate at his parent's home yesterday. Caleb is a godly young man whom the Lord is placing in the artistic community as a witness. Jacki is a sculptor, which reminded me of one of my favorite images of God, as one chiseling away the garbage from our lives to reveal Christ within. Caleb's brother Nic joined us along with his grandparents. Caleb's mother Debra prepared quite a feast for our delectation. His dad John, a friend of twenty-six years, read a passage about Simeon waiting for the birth of the Messiah from Luke 2.
Earlier in the day I had opened a gift from my daughter, a photograph of her and her husband depicting absolute bliss. I am thankful to God for their happiness.
As is my habit of many years, I am reading through the Bible in consecutive order and have just finished Romans. Truly the Bible is an inexhaustible treasure for those to whom the Holy Spirit reveals it.
As I glance out the sole window of my room I see occasional swirling flakes, the precursor of what the weather people say is a blizzard with at least two feet of snow and very high winds. I don't intend to venture out until it is over, and then I get to shovel out my car. Oh, the dubious joys of New England.

Graduation & Beyond

Graduated from a demanding and rigorous TEFL course yesterday that, at times, I thought I would never complete. It was a challenging, satisfying, and revealing experience. I worked together with a group of eight fellow students and two instructors whom I had not previously met, people of various backgrounds, ages, and ethnicities. Graduating opens many potential doors, many overseas. Time will tell which should be pursued.
I am thankful to get my life back. Just last night had the joy and privilege of worshipping with Brazilian brethren, courtesy of our brother Marcio. We in the U. S. have much to learn from their hospitality, strong families, joy, and fervor. Within a couple of minutes of meeting a brother visiting from Brazil, I received a genuine, warm offer to visit him at his home there. I am thankful that Marcio and his wife Jana have received a word from the Lord to serve as a bridge between the Brazilian and American church. We are all brothers and sisters of God's family.
Am also looking forward to visiting and fellowshipping with precious brethren whom I have not been able to get together with over the last month. At the same time I need to study English grammar daily so I can explain the mechanics of the language to ESL learners. "To the only wise God be glory forevermore through Jesus Christ! Amen." (Romans 16:27 ESV)

TEFL Town

As I complete my third full week of ESL teacher training, I feel like I on a long sea journey in a small craft (Captain Bligh's 4,000 mile open boat voyage after Fletcher Christian took over the Bounty comes to mind) with nine other people. One is our instructor, the most experienced "sailor" among us. The others are a random collection of people, only two of whom have taught ESL before. Prior to taking the course we had never met. We comprise seven men and two women, of varied ages and backgrounds, and we have been thrown together daily for the past three weeks except weekends. Each of the students has taught five times now, at least once to each of the three levels, and we are beginning to know the ropes (continuing the nautical analogy.)
I have personally received a tremendous amount of encouragement, for which I am very grateful. This has proved to be a difficult challenge for me, exercising strengths and revealing weaknesses.
While I look forward to getting my life back in a few days, I am thankful for the experience and all the training I received.

ESL

Am halfway through my TEFL training. Quite a roller coaster ride. I have always thought that I learn most things by reading but taking this course has revealed that I learn by doing. Once I reflected on forty years of working with my hands this made perfect sense. I find interacting with students fulfilling and enjoyable; it will take a long time to master the material. As a native speaker I practice English grammar every time I speak or write. The challenge is to explain it to someone else. A second reality is that many of the students understand the mechanics of grammar better than I do. So I must draw it out of them to help the others.
Good time with the Cambridge brothers Saturday morning. We continue to explore the theme of apostolic traditions. We have come to an overall consensus that we should follow the traditions of the apostles because of the lack of a Biblical alternative, while reserving the actual interpretation and application of the specific traditions to subsequent sessions.
Also blessed in fellowship with our brother Gary. What a precious saint he is in the sight of God. May he receive wisdom and discernment from our Lord Jesus Christ.
A special thank you for all who are praying for me.

Cultural Change

Having just received a week of intensive ESL language training in a major American city, I experienced first hand the avalanche of cultural change. As a child in school I was taught in what I would now call "Old Style," an amalgam of lectures, tests, note taking, memorization based on the premise that the teachers knew their stuff. The society had not yet lost its sense of propositional truth. Today's schooling is student-centered, entertainment based, incorporating many varieties of learning, and is much more feeling oriented. I suspect the the feminizing of our society plays a major role in this. But what does this say for teaching Biblical truth. Is it passe? Do those who know little teach one another? Do we need to feel good about something before accepting it? Personal observation says that most American Christians are Biblically illiterate, even after many years in the faith. Do we need to examine other methods of Scripture acquisition?
Thankful to get together with some of the brothers in our group this morning to update one another on our lives, pray, and look at some verses pertaining to the importance of apostolic traditions.
Appreciate any prayers for this month of schooling, all day, every week day plus homework. "God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord." (1 Cor. 1:9 ESV)