ICS farewells founder

By Frank Rai Families sharing pork meat and other foods from the mumu during the farewell party in L

http://ohepng.wordpress.com/2012/02/09/ics-farewells-founder/

In Complete Surrender

It’s not because of what I can do… It’s not because of my intelligence… It’s not because of my charms… It’s not because of my talents… It’s not because of my doings… It’s all because of what YOU, my, LORD, can do!

Yesterday was a very challenging day for me. I went to do my demo teaching at the Christian school I was hoping to get in to. I am not an education graduate, but I have the passion for teaching since my university days. I came from the corporate world and was used to presenting to heads of companies. In my presentations, I was always confident – I never felt nervous before doing any of them. I was just so used to talking to people of higher stature that it was a part of me already.

Yesterday, I had to face about twenty-five  5th graders, the school’s head master, the vice head master and the class’s teacher. I was informed of this audience a week ago as I was advised to prepare my lesson for the demo teaching. However, I never felt the kind of anxiety I had the week, especially that of yesterday, in my entire working life! I was never nervous prior to a presentation. But yesterday was very different. I was jittery, excited and anxious all at the same time. I can’t calm my nerves and I kept praying for grace. I just felt that it was a very big responsibility to face these children because I’m gonna affect their education. I felt like I’m gonna impact them big time with what I’m gonna do and I better not screw up and make them understand the lesson – their actual scheduled lesson for the day!

And so, I did the teaching demo. The kids were great! They were very participative and smart as well! But I only had 30 minutes to discuss a very rich topic about history – which, mind you, I had already cut short from 65 slides to just 35. After the class, the kids were asking me if I’m gonna be back to teach them. It was heart warming actually since I felt that they liked me. The question is, did the school heads like me?

When I got out of the classroom, the vice head master was waiting for me. She told me that I seemed very nervous during the class. And I told her that indeed I was but that I felt the class was great. And with that, she gave me the usual lines of employers: “We’ll give you a call, alright?”

And now, all I can do is fervently pray that somehow, God will sway them to hire me But then as I was praying, I thought that “Hey, you can stop worrying about the results. You’ve given it your best shot and so now trust the Lord to do the rest. After all, He’s the Big Boss of all Bosses!” I was comforting myself with that thought so I won’t go gaga over thinking when I’ll get the call.

I had to remind myself that it’s not about me, it’s about Him up there. I don’t have to fret nor worry for I know that He knows my heart. I just want to surrender to His will. That’s why I kept telling myself “Wherever you want to plant me, Lord… It’s all up to You!”

Lord, I don’t want to nag You anymore about that school hiring me. I just want to let go of it and just rely on You. I surrender it to You, God. You are the Master Employer of all and so it’s up to You whether You’re gonna hire me there or not.  I will still honor and worship You even if things don’t go my way. Like what You said in your word: “But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you as well…” Matthew 6:33 (NV) 

I will continue to seek You, Lord and lay my worries upon the foot of Christ‘s Cross. I will be liked the Israelites in Jericho who obediently kept their mouths shut for 6 days, just believing in the breakthrough awaiting them. I put my trust in You, Lord. I believe in Your plans for me and my family – plans to prosper us and give us hope

To You, my God, I surrender this concern. In Jesus’s name. Amen.

Related articles

• Through You, Nothing is Impossible! (momentswithabba.wordpress.com)
• Surrender (arirjames.wordpress.com)

http://momentswithabba.wordpress.com/2012/02/09/in-complete-surrender-2/

How Polly Flinders Ruined My Life

Not My Private School. Not Even Close. Not Even A Little. (Image via Wikimedia) I was a private scho

http://paltrymeanderings.com/2012/02/04/how-polly-flinders-ruined-my-life/

All Is Natural In Kenya

In my wildest dreams, I would not have thought I would be writing to anyone from Kenya.  However, here I am! In the far reaches of very rural Kenya, just a hop, skip and a jump from the Uganda border.

About 7 months ago, my friend, Nancy, was sharing her experiences in Kenya with our women’s group at church.  One thing lead to another and I have now been here for 3-1/2 weeks.

Nancy had come to teach music at a school founded by another friend.  The school is in a very poor rural area where $ 1 a day is above the average wage.  The people at the school, Heritage Academy, work constantly to give an education to the children of the area, many of whom come from the poorest homes in this area.

The women and widows are doing their best to support their children by taking whatever work they can get here and there to provide food and shelter. Many of the men have died of HIV-related problems, as have numerous women, leaving children to be cared for by grandparents or other extended family. Day to day living is a monumental chore. Children and adults alike may or may not have a meal today. The women give whatever food they can afford to their children, often sacrificing their own welfare in the process. We all would make whatever sacrifice would be necessary for our children or grandchildren, but to actually see the sacrifices on this scale defies anything I could have imagined before coming here!

This falls under all things natural because what could be more natural than giving all for your children?  Yet something inside me asks “Could I really do this?”  I want to think I could.  But could I really?  Could you?

And then I look around.  The men, women and children think nothing of walking miles to get to where they can get a few hours of work. They walk to a little local shop and buy ground maize to make ugali, a dish roughly similar to our Southern grits, but usually thicker and eaten with the fingers. It is the staple here, but still often not available if one cannot find any work.  We’re not talking do with less until the paycheck comes of Friday.  We’re talking literally starving unless Mom can get a little work sewing, cleaning or whatever.  I can hardly imagine!

But on a little brighter note, Heritage Academy is about 5 years old and is run by people who truly care about the kids; but they also care about the rest of the family & their welfare, too.  The school is run and staffed by people, mostly from Kenya, who share a Christian faith and live it daily.  They give 110% and more to the kids and their families.

The families who can pay for the children’s education do so. All schools here (and there are many), charge for their services. Government education is available, but it is not free as we Americans are used to.  Those who cannot pay face the dire prospect of little to no work when they are old enough, work which pays barely enough to survive, if that.

Heritage Academy is working to reverse this all too common situation for as many families as they can.  All of the children are given lunch every day at school.  That is NOT the situation in other schools.  The smaller ones here get porridge in the morning.  For many, these meals here are the only food they will get.

Their education is above average and is carefully monitored by the staff, all the way to the school’s Headmaster, Director and President/Founder (the friend of my friend, from the US).  If a child is doing poorly, the issue is addressed and steps are taken to help.  These people really care about the kids!  Theirs is not just lip service.

Often, children’s progress is school is linked to issues at home …. just like in schools everywhere.  But the problems here may be that Mom is ill and the child must take over care of younger siblings instead of being able to concentrate on school.  Or worse.  The stories are never ending.

Enter Heritage Academy.  And this brings us to my part of the story.  The outreach begins by giving training, and in some cases, jobs to the mothers of the students.  The theory is that if Mom can be given a skill she can use, she will be able to better care for the kids.  What a concept!  Teach someone to fish instead of just handing them a fish for dinner tonight!

And these women are eagerly learning “to fish”.  With the loving help of many people, both Kenyan and American, they are becoming very good “fisher-persons” (for my seldom-seen nod to political correctness)!

Another lady came when I did who is a retired school teacher from the US. She holds 3 Master’s degrees and is teaching sewing to mothers of the children so they can have a marketable skill.  The classes have been meeting in a dormitory on campus.  The classes use treadle machines since no electricity is available.  But we are all thankful for the classes and this chance for a better life for these women.  After school, this dorm houses several girls both from families of privilege and those who are so very disadvantaged that there would otherwise be no hope for their future. All are treated alike. They have school uniforms, 3 meals a day, a warm bed, a “dorm mom” who sincerely loves each one of them and one of the best educations they could receive.

My classes are a little more varied.  In the morning, I first teach art to the children. The instruction is rotating to different classes, giving the children a little different look at the world.  Just to let the teachers among you know, the average class size is well over 40 students.  Then I walk a half mile or a little more to the site of the outdoor classroom we are using to instruct mothers and grandmothers in pottery and soapmaking.   These are skills they will be able to use to produce goods which can be sold.  The school also helps to market the wares they produce.  They are bright and avid students.   A website is available, but under renovation, for some pictures and information about the school:  www.VillageProjectAfrica.org.

We are all working toward one goal: bringing a bit of sunshine into the lives of the people of this little corner of Kenya by helping them to help themselves.  What more rewarding occupation could I have chosen to spend two months doing in the cold of January and February?  By the way, it’s near 90 degrees daily here and I have a little bit of a sunburn!  But that hasn’t kept me from my appointed rounds.  Sunshine and new friends that I can help to give a new start in life.  Is this perhaps what has been part of my purpose for being put on earth to do all along???

More from Kenya later … please come back!

http://itsanatural.wordpress.com/2012/02/03/all-is-natural-in-kenya/

PowerLaunch — Raising Leaders From Cradle To College

We are here at the 2012 Ultimate Blog Party! We’re Jody and Jenni:  two moms with nine children between us (ages 24 to newborn — from law school to cradle), who also run a non-traditional private school in Florida, and are deeply passionate about raising leaders who will impact their generation for Christ.

Aside from blogging about Christian parenting, we also write magazine articles and homeschool curriculum and we speak to parents and teach parenting seminars. We are currently co-authoring a book about empowering parents to raise world changers, discover the direction of their child’s calling by age 12, rethink socialization, and disciple their children for a new world.

We just moved into a new cyber home at jenniandjody.com. So stop by, but don’t mind the blank walls; we haven’t finished painting and decorating yet! LOL

You can, however, peek into the store and order one or more of our recent parenting workshop DVDs.

Here at PowerLaunch, we are dedicated to helping parents LAUNCH their kids into a powerful adulthood. We teach parenting with the end result in mind, and cover a wide range of topics from discipline and character training to infant potty training and baby wearing.

Here’s a peek at a some of our favorite posts:

Raising the Head of a Household

Raising a Proverbs 31 Woman

I Don’t Have a “Thing”

Connect Powerfully With a Co-Journal

Without Anger or Excuse

Can They Say It With Confidence?

Can’t wait to meet new mom bloggers at the 2012 Ultimate Blog Party! Drop us a line in the comments below, and also visit us on Facebook and Twitter!

http://powerlaunch.wordpress.com/2012/04/13/powerlaunch-raising-leaders-from-cradle-to-college/

Books We Read: Colonists and Native Americans (and some special fun)

This week, we studied Colonists and Native Americans (we’re continuing that for a couple more

http://thinkingkids.wordpress.com/2012/04/13/books-we-read-colonists-and-native-americans-and-some-special-fun/

Deuteronomy 6:7

You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up.

For more about Christian Parenting, see the Christian Parenting Blog.

http://seasonslife.wordpress.com/2012/04/12/deuteronomy-67/

Storytime with the Little People ~ Christian Picture Books

One of my favorite things about having preschool-aged kids was our storytimes.  What could be better

http://thinkingkids.wordpress.com/2012/04/11/storytime-with-the-little-people-christian-picture-books/

Daddy Lesson: We’re All Selfish

My son is four years old and he’s got a ton of energy.  I love him to death, he’s just amazing and great… and exhausting.  He doesn’t really like to share his toys with his little sister and isn’t the biggest fan of having to obey his mom and dad (even though they’re amazingly brilliant and wise, of course).  We’ve been talking a lot about needing to share and be gentle when you don’t get what you want.

This leads to a conversation he had with my wife (his mom) the other day, completely out of the blue while they were doing something:

Son: It’s really hard for me.
Mom: What is, honey?
Son: I’ve been thinking about it.  It’s hard for me to when my friends at school say “no” when I ask if I can have their toys.
Mom: Oh… (dumbounded that a four-year-old was psychoanalyzing himself like that)…

Yeah… that conversation actually happened the other day.  But it got me to thinking – how much different is he really from the rest of us?  I’m just as selfish as he is – I don’t like it when I don’t get my way; I don’t like to take orders from other people when I’m in the middle of doing something I like doing; I want what I want when I want it.  I’ve just learned how to cope with the reality that I can’t actually get/do what I want all the time, and I’ve learned how to mask my selfishness so it doesn’t look as ugly as it really is.

So here’s my latest daddy lesson that I think is good for all us parents to remember (whether your kids are young like mine or teenagers, or older): You’re just as selfish as your kids are.  Maybe you’ve learned to suppress your selfishness and God has changed your heart, but by nature you’re every bit as selfish as your kids are… they get it from you!  It’s our job as parents to model SELFLESSness to our kids.

While our kids need to learn to obey their parents, we also need to show them what selflessness looks like when we don’t get our way either.

 

http://ebccrosswalk.wordpress.com/2012/04/11/daddy-lesson-were-all-selfish/

Rooted

The other day I wrote down this thought on my Mom2Mom Christian Parenting FB page:

“With God all variables are just possibilities in the scenario.” ~ Renee’ …. I am going to continue to think on this thought He has given me …. I think there’s a blog entry in there

It is true.  All the variables in our lives are possibilities in God’s hands … to mold us and shape us into His perfect plan for us.  We have a habit of messing things up.  We try to “plant” ourselves where and how we think we should be at any given time.   We make our lives comfortable and God has to make us uncomfortable to get us back where we need to be.

Life has a way of redirecting the “streams” that feed us.  Sometimes we end up in a “desert” place.  Circumstances can make it seem that the “water” has redirected out of reach, or gone underground too deep to reach.  That is when and where we find out how we are rooted.

The Redwood trees are the grandest trees, towering above all others.  Yet their root system is shallow and should not support the mighty trees. The secret to their strength is that they tie in with their fellow Redwood trees and are linked together in an underground system.  They are strong from the little seedling to the oldest tree in the forest.  They share their roots, their nourishment.  The ones furthermost from the streams and lakes are nourished through shared roots by the ones near water.

As Christians, we connect with our family and fellow Christians through churches and prayer groups.  We support and nourish each other.  We are never alone.  We intercede in prayer for each other.  We encourage and lift each other up even if the circumstances we are going through have left us feeling like we are way out in the desert.  God uses the variables in our lives as possibilities to make us strong if we allow Him to use them.  He will bring  fellow Christians along side us to aid in our trials as well as in our growth.

Tanya Tucker sang a song many years ago … “There’s a tree in the backyard that never has been broken by the wind. And the reason it’s still standing is it was strong enough to bend.”  Sometimes storms come and threaten to destroy us.  Our “roots” are strongly anchored, but the winds are threatening to crack and break our limbs and level us to the ground, leaving us useless … just roots with no visible life.   During these storms we need to be bendable.  Rooted, yet strong enough to bend.  Life kicks up some mighty strong winds.  Are we willing to bend as He allows the winds to blow?  Or do we stiffin’ up and fight back, as though we can change the storms of life.  Can you thank Him for the storm … the  rain and wind that ultimately makes you strong?  Do you keep your roots attached during bad weather to your underground network, allowing others to be blessed by interceding on your behalf with Him? Or do you give up and try to go it on your own?

Driving around you pass millions of trees you do not notice, but then there’s that tree you pass that has “character”.  It may be a little bent, or show signs of storm damage, yet it is strong and beautiful, producing fruit or flowers even though it is scarred by life’s storms.  You may even see its roots here and there showing it’s strength in its surroundings.  While other trees will be cut down without opposition,  THAT TREE … it will be considered.  It will be noticed and preserved,  maybe even singled out as a center point for a park.  It has survived, it has character, it is strong.

Today there are all kinds of variables facing you, many harsh.  Will you thank Him, remembering that “all things work together for good”?  Are you going to try to handle it all on your own?  Will you reach out to family, even your children … to fellow Christians and secure your “roots”?  Will you allow the variables to be the possibilities in His hands?

James 1:3 “Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials..”

Romans 8:38“And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.”

http://mom2momflorida.wordpress.com/2012/04/11/rooted/

« Previous Page — Next Page »