Updates

I realized it's been a while since I've posted, so here's an update about what's happening these days. Since last week, I've been fighting yet another cold with a nasty cough. I was very hoarse for a few days (which makes it really hard to teach!). I'm hopeful that I've turned the corner now and will be back to normal very soon. It seems like I've had more colds since I've lived in BG than I have in a long time...I'm tired of it!

Otherwise, things have been going well for the most part at work. Sometimes I get discouraged/frustrated by some of the things that come up with students (like when they don't do their work, or when they aren't prepared for class...). But I had a really great moment in class on Friday morning while everyone was busily working on an activity when I thought, "Wow. This is my job! I'm so blessed to be doing this!" It was good to be reminded that despite the little things that don't go so well, I am in a great spot.

We also seem to have finally entered spring! I'm really excited to be done with the snow and bitter cold (I hope we're done, anyway). We've had a lot of rain lately, but that's okay. Today, the sun is out and we're supposed to hit 80 degrees! (way above average). The rest of the week should be in the 50s and 60s, and I'm thrilled about that. It is so nice to be able to go outside without getting cold. Yesterday I went for a walk with a friend since it was so nice. Then we went to dinner at a middle-eastern restaurant in Toledo. Yum. I also baked a cheesecake. It didn't come out perfectly, but we'll manage to eat it up. :-)

Also, there's less than 4 weeks left before the Uganda trip. We've been having team meetings on Saturday mornings, so I'm getting to know the other people who are going. I have a lot to do in terms of packing, but I'm sure it'll all get done. It's amazing how quickly this semester is going by! Well, I think that just about covers what's been going on here lately...

Verse 7

Here's another one from the book I'm working through to prepare for the Uganda trip.

Psalm 119:165

Those who love your law have great peace, and nothing causes them to stumble.

 

An Adventure!

Last night, a friend from work coordinated an outing to a spectacular bakery in Detroit, the Shatila Bakery. If you click on "Shatila Bakery Retail Store" you can see some pictures of this beautiful place! It takes an hour and a half to get there, but it was well worth the trip. Three of us carpooled up there, and despite being prepared with directions, we did get a bit lost. For one thing, one of the streets we were looking for wasn't marked; for another, we had the address of the factory not the actual bakery. We ended up in a pretty rough part of Detroit, which was kind of sobering. I mean, there were hardly two intact buildings next to each other on this street...anyway, thanks to a GPS and a phone call, we did find the right place (and it was in a better neighborhood). As we got close to the bakery, the signs in the area all had Arabic lettering, so there must be a pretty large number of Arabic speakers in the area. The bakery itself was clearly a hot spot--there was a steady stream of customers the whole time we were there, plus several big waves of people. If you look at the pictures on the website, you can see that it's a great looking place. The food was spectacular! We tried some mini savory pies (meat, spinach, and cheese); then we ordered two fancy desserts each. Everything was awesome. Before we left, we all ordered a little goodie bag to take home. I don't know how often I'll make the trip, but I'd love to go back. I'm already thinking next time someone flies in to visit, we'll have to check it out on the way home from the airport!

Verse 6

This verse comes from the "30 Days of Bible Study" list in the Basic Training for Mission Teams book by Jerry Rankin and Phyllis Tadlock. (Our team is going through this book together in preparation for our trip to Uganda in May.)

It also seemed to fit my mood today, after a few exasperating moments with my students. It's always good to be reminded about what really matters.

Psalm 51:12

Restore to me the joy of Your salvation and sustain me with a willing Spirit.

Spring Break Wrap-Up

Time sure flies! Here I am on the last day of Spring Break...being totally lazy. I'm sure next week will be busy enough to make up for it!

So here's how the break turned out. I got the car fixed (hooray!), got all my mid-term grading done (well, except for 4 presentations I'll have to do tomorrow morning because one student didn't turn in her self-evaluation...), I got my shots for Uganda, and I did plenty of relaxing. A few things on the list got ignored (like doing our Taxes), but I'll get to them soon. Overall, I think the break's been really good. Hopefully all the R&R translates to productive weeks to come.

Tonight, Mark and I are going out to dinner for our delayed Valentine's Day celebration, and tomorrow, we're back to the real world! I always have this weird feeling at the end of a break...ultimately, I know I'll enjoy going back to work, but I also don't want all the sleeping in and vegging out to end! The semester will be over before I know it, so I better get ready to take advantage of each day between now and then. It's a great job, with awesome colleagues, and fun students...what do I have to complain about?!

Spring Break Begins

Well, we've made it to spring break, which means we're more than halfway through the semester: only 7 weeks left. I can hardly believe it! On the one hand, I'm eager for the time to pass (I've got things to look forward to, like the Uganda trip); but on the other, I don't want to hurry past the rest of the semester. For one thing, there's tons to do!

Mark and I didn't make any major plans for the break, but we are both enjoying the change in our routine and the opportunity to relax (and catch up on some things that have been on the back burner during school). Unfortunately, my schedule worked out such that I had a TON of grading to do...but I'm through the worst of it now. I've got 4 more presentations to grade, and I've got to finalize and post mid-term grades, but I expect to be done tomorrow (or no later than Wednesday). That should leave me plenty of time to step away from school for a while before tackling the second half of the semester.

At the moment, I'm hanging out at Panera Bread while I wait to hear from the mechanic that our car's fixed. Rather than try to get a ride to and from, I decided to walk over here and grade essays. (Plus, I had a gift card to use up). It's been successful in that I got all the essays graded, but now I've been here at least an hour longer than I expected, so I'm feeling restless. I'm willing the phone to ring at any moment.

Well, I can't think of much else to post at the moment...in a few days I'll let you know how the rest of spring break turned out!

Verse 5

It's a day late, but here's Verse 5, 1 Peter 3:15:

"But sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence."