Butterfly in the Sky

Hello friends and family,
This week has been a very good experience let's just say.  This past Monday was the first day of school for most  everyone here, a lot earlier than I'm used to, and my fellow intern and I volunteered to help the first week with whatever the school needed.  For me, that meant I had the privilege of helping out kindergarten.  I volunteered from 8am-3:30pm Monday through Friday.  In my head, I imagined a classroom of maybe 20-25 kids that may be a little out of control.  Upon arriving, I found out that there were seven kindergarten classrooms!  "Great," I thought as I anticipated a very long and stressful week.  I figured I'd get to have lots of interaction with the kids but for most of the week, I organized books, wrote name tags for all kindergarteners every day for dismissal directions (walkers, car riders, van riders, bus riders, daycare), and at one 5 hour period stapled 11,200 pages of test material together (I counted).  Although I didn't feel like I was directly loving on the kids and teachers, the mindless busy work was much appreciated by the staff.  At moments during the days, there wasn't anything to do, so I'd go in the back closet and organize the books (something I got good at at my previous bookstore job in Madison).  Going through these little kid books brought me back to times they were read to me in school or on Reading Rainbow (with actor Lavar Burton).  Bored and with lots of downtime, I wrote the names of all those I remember.  Hopefully this list, however long it may seem, reminds you of the books you read to your kids or had read to you at some point in your life.  (Thanks Mom for all those times you read to me, seeing these books again reminds me how much you loved me and continue to support me).

Caps For Sale
Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs
The Mitten
Sylvester and the Magic Pebble
Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile
Where the Wild Things Are
Make Way for Ducklings
Katy No-Pocket
The Giving Tree
The Great Kapok Tree
A Very Hungry Caterpillar
Seven Blind Mice
Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel
Corduroy
The Snowy Day
The Little Engine That Could
Chrysanthemum
If You Give a Mouse/Pig/Moose a Cookie/Pancake/Muffin

I worked primarily with Ms. Bissett this week, making occasional rounds to all the teachers, trying to serve with a loving heart.  I got to know the student's names, their personalities a little bit, but also got a small glimpse of imagining how they were raised.  If you know a kindergarten teacher, pray for them, help them out if you can.  In most cases, kindergarten is the first school experience for kids and it's the teachers of these students who have the responsibilities of instilling the discipline and creativity or the child.  Living in a poor neighborhood makes me wonder if Genevieve will get the opportunities to become a writer (she narrated a Mickey Mouse book without knowing how to read), or if Herschel will get the personal attention he needs to be able to succeed in school in the future (when ignored, he will hit students and run around the classroom, but when given help, he's the most creative and able kid in the class), or if Jamari will still be in school to join organized sports teams and get a scholarship (that boy is gonna be a baller).  Noah is going to be a construction worker or an architect (playing with a wheel barrow at recess) and might even build the next ark.  I'm obviously making all this up but it's cool to think about the kids futures and begin to focus on making an effort to love and serve in small ways now.

Thinking more long term about our own lives, like how about our eternity, might change the way we live our "now".  Due to a tiring and busy week, coming home from volunteering was not a time I intentionally spent time with the Lord.  My own discipline was shaken this week and I'm paying for it by losing fellowship with God.  He's been with me this entire week, but I would spend my time sleeping or eating or wasting time.  This morning, I read 1 John 1 and verse 9 might be the most beautiful thing I needed to hear this morning.  "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness."  I am imperfect.  I will never be perfect.  But if you have Christ as your savior, think about the day where you are face to face with your creator and He doesn't pour out His wrath on your sinful nature and sees Christ because of Jesus' blood which purifies us from all sin (1 John 1:7).  That's crazy awesome.

I only read one more chapter of Generous Justice this week due to the busy week.  It was titled "What Did Jesus Say About Justice?"  Keller states, "While clearly Jesus was preaching the good news to all, he showed throughout his ministry the particular interest in the poor and the downtrodden that God has always had."  If we are to live as Christ did, this should be prevalent in our lives.  The poor will not come to us, therefore.......  Jesus said whatever you do unto the least of these brothers, you do unto me.  Keller says that "this meant that one's heart attitude toward the poor reveals one's heart attitude toward Christ."  This is extreme stuff and I think tends to get overlooked a lot.  I know living in a poor community doesn't mean I automatically live for the poor.  Most of my cares remain on myself and how I'm doing.  Please dwell on these verses if you are still with me.
Luke 14:12-13, Matthew 11:4-5, Isaiah 1:17, Isaiah 58:6-7, Acts 20:35, and Acts 4:34-35

To end please pray for:
-Mrs. Thomas, Ms. Henson, Mrs. Reddick, Mrs. Johnson, Ms. Westcott, Ms. Bissett (who I think got stuck with most of the trouble-makers), and Ms. Peterson to lead their kids to the 1st grade with disciplines and good behavior.
-A vehicle for the after-school program.  God has blessed us with more committed students to the program!  Now we just need a way to get them there.
-More opportunities to meet people on the basketball courts.  So far I've met Akwon, Travon, and Smurf and man can they play.  Blessings.  Feel free to call me anytime to chat.  I'd love to know how you're doing.