lessons & legacies

Last week I attended Sunday school at church. The theme is lessons & legacies. The question was :who has gone before us, to teach us life lessons? Who has left a legacy?
What kind of legacy do we want to leave?

We have so much to learn from inter generational community. How can we allow for relationships to form in this way?

Education & Expectations.

I am doing my clinical practice( fancy new education word for student teaching)in a first grade classroom. Today the school had an assembly to watch the President give an address on education. The Star Tribune, and quite a few other media outlets were present at this event. Our school was featured in the paper!

One particular student in my class is quite defiant. He has had to go to the behavior room on several occasions during the first week of school. He was taken out of his home last year by child protective services. He is six years old and has already been dealt some rough cards. This same kid is at grade level in reading and can count to 100.

My neighbor began kindergarten last week. He missed the first day because he wasn't registered. Last night I got home around 10 p.m. and he was still up. He peered his little nose through the screen window and said he couldn't fall asleep because his Mom and her boyfiend were fighting. This morning the doorbell rang and this five year old boy was standing there with his older sister asking if I could give him a ride to school. I had to leave for work in 10 minutes. I couldn't give him a ride. He missed his bus. This is only his 3rd day of kindergarten. His Mom gave him a ride, and he got to school two hours late.

My good friend works at a high school in North Minneapolis. One of her students was in a pretty serious fight today. She sat him down and they talked about what happened. He is pretty high up in the world of gangs. He shared with her the struggles he faces each day.

After president Obama's speech we asked the first graders what they would want to tell the President. We also asked what they are supposed to do in school, and what the speech was about. The students said they would like to tell the President he is "handome, brave, smart, kind, he has nice hair, and that he has a beautiful family." While I am sure older students may have had opinions on what the Presidnet should do for; education, immigration, health care, and the array of issues, the answer that had the greatest impact was that he is "brave." President Obama talked about the challenges he faced growing up, and how hard he had to try to succeed. He had to show courage. So many students in our schools have external factors beyond their control. They have had to be "brave", and their audacity amazes me every day.

You can read an excerpt from the President's speech below. The full speech can be viewed here.

' Now I know it’s not always easy to do well in school. I know a lot of you have challenges in your lives right now that can make it hard to focus on your schoolwork.
I get it. I know what that’s like. My father left my family when tI was two years old, and I was raised by a single mother who struggled at times to pay the bills and wasn’t always able to give us things the other kids had. There were times when I missed having a father in my life. There were times when I was lonely and felt like I didn’t fit in.
So I wasn’t always as focused as I should have been. I did some things I’m not proud of, and got in more trouble than I should have. And my life could have easily taken a turn for the worse.
But I was fortunate. I got a lot of second chances and had the opportunity to go to college, and law school, and follow my dreams. My wife, our First Lady Michelle Obama, has a similar story. Neither of her parents had gone to college, and they didn’t have much. But they worked hard, and she worked hard, so that she could go to the best schools in this country.
Some of you might not have those advantages. Maybe you don’t have adults in your life who give you the support that you need. Maybe someone in your family has lost their job, and there’s not enough money to go around. Maybe you live in a neighborhood where you don’t feel safe, or have friends who are pressuring you to do things you know aren’t right."

here on earth

In brokeness, in suffering, in joy, in the spectrum, God's kingdom can be found here on earth.

I ran across this quote today and really liked it.

The kingdom of God
is justice and peace
and joy in the Holy Spirit.
Come, Lord, and open in us
the gates of your kingdom.

- Hymn from Taizé,

an ecumenical monastic community in France

lookin' up to you....

Lacy (4th gr/9 years old) 2007


Lacy now




Last week the DinoMights had their annual academic Powercamp.

We had 18 new students attend the camp. Often when we recruit kids, if their siblings are in elementary school we invite them to join as well. One of the new kids had an older 4th grade sister who decided to join DinoMights. The other 4th grade girls were not being very inclusive during game time. They all attend the same school, and this girl does not.

I have hope for these 4th grade girls.....

I began tutoring/mentoring Lacy when she was in 4th grade. She is now going into 7th grade. This past week at camp she asked this new 4th grade DinoMight to play a game with her. I observed this interaction and welled up with emotion. Throughout the week she continually included this girl. Lacy has 3 younger siblings looking up to her, but also many other eyes watching and admiring her actions. She is such a beautiful girl and I am continually grateful to have her in my ife.

neurobics

Little did I know that doing routine tasks with your non-dominant hand helps with brain development. Yes, it seems like common sense that it would help stiumulate the brain in different ways. Apparently this is called neurobics., which is essentially doing things you normally do but done differently. Like brushing your teeth with the other hand, taking a shower with your eyes closed, writing with the opposite hand, taking a different route to work, etc.
Writing a paragraph a day with your non-dominant hand supposedly will make you ambidextrous over time.

What happens in your brain while you’re doing this becomes a brain exercise because different, underused nerve pathways and connections get activated. This stimulates the growth of new brain cells and brain connections.

I have been attending physical therapy twice a week. Yesterday I showed up with a list of questions.. While it is difficult each day to come to terms with parts of my independence being taken away, I am learning a great deal.I may not be able to drive until mid to late August. Since the break was so bad, I will have some type of splint/brace until October. I will be able to student teach and I will be able to write with my right hand starting mid-August. Each day it gets a little better.



The most difficult parts about this experience are:
-learning to ask for help/having to rely on other people
-figuring out how to do activities that seem so natural with your dominant hand
-certain tasks taking 3X as long as usual
-not being able to quickly get somewhere biking or driving

Things I am thankful for:
-phenomenal friends
-amazing family
-understanding professors & co-workers
-that this has strangely taught me A TON

4th o' July

On Saturday our house had a bbq & a small fireworks display.
It was a lovely evening. At first the kids who live below us, and our friend Angel's kids were all sitting together on a blanket watching the fiery display. Then, some little neighborhood kids began to watch through the fence. We invited them in to join the group. 9 kids who had never met each other were dancing around the backyard with their sparklers. Native American, African-American, and Latino kids enjoying the moment. Children are our greatest teachers and examples of beauty.

summer lovin...

Now that got your attention with that title, or I got you singing the hit from "Grease."

I recently broke my arm rollerblading. I was listening to one of my favorite Lauryn Hill songs on a beautiful summer afternoon and three miles into my workout I was on the ground. I keep replaying the accident in my head and cannot piece it all together. I can say that I am grateful to God for the Andersons. They were driving along, also enjoying the beautiful day and witnessed the accident. This beautiful couple, whom I had never met brought me to the ER. The doctor on call at the U of M was a hand surgeon which is pretty fortunate! I ended up getting a compound fracture, and needing surgery/hospitalization.

Prior to this accident life was going "as normal." I had recently gotten back from a vacation to Seattle. I went with my good friend Laura to spend time with a mutual friend, Brea. At work we had just finished our summer "hockey in the hood camp" with 18 new DinoMights!




This situation has been entirely humbling. I would say I can be pretty stubborn and independent. I have had to rely on others for some of the most basic things we take for granted. I am becoming quite skilled with the left hand. I will keep you posted on my journey to ambidexterity.

Prior to this accident I had been really stewing in my brain, and having conversations with people about entitlement. This has made me think all the more about it. What are we entitled to here on earth? Especially if we consider ourselves followers of Jesus. He came to this earth demonstrating love, and desiring that we "love him with all our mind, heart, and strength, and love our neighbor as ourself." We make it complicated. We fail. We say it's hard... But what if each day that was what we actually did? What if we attempted to love well with our whole being.

In my group of friends from college 3 friends have had parents die at a young age. Four friends have had parents battle cancer. 1 friend lost her brother at the age of 21. I think of those instances and my heart grieves. I think of the many broken, unjust things of this world and have trouble making sense of it all. The beatitudes were written as a promise of God's kingdom to everyone, regardless of status, circumstances, or condition. God comes alongside people and somehow displays his mercy, justice, and comfort.

I am only in a cast for 6 weeks. I will learn to ride the city bus (kelsey, maybe you can give me a tutorial...) I did an entire math assignment with my left hand today. 6 weeks is just a teeny, tiny fragment of my entire life.

We belong to each other. Yet, in American/Western culture we often say "I deserve this, or I want this for my family or friends." I admit that I think these things. Meaningful, life giving experiences are something everyone desires and needs. Yet, their is too often an imbalance. Some kids get too much attention. Some kids are neglected and crying out for love. Some families go on summer vacations, some parents wonder where their next meal will come from.

What would happen if we recognized how much we need each other? What if we recognized people's gifts and skills and used them in beautiful ways?

My friends are not ultimately mine, neither is my community, nor my church, or my family. We are all on this earth passing through. We do belong to each other, but more importantly we belong to God. How are we going to love well on this earth each day? Even when its hard, even when things don't make sense, even when we feel like we failed the 1st, 2nd, or 3rd time? I can tell you personally that it will continue to be hard to do, but that is our first and greatest commandment we have been given... TO LOVE.