So, I decided that I better get back to blogging so
Whose ready for day 5???
What a blessing this day was! This was the day I realized how fortunate I am to teach in America no matter how imperfect it is.
My turn was up on day 5. That means that little ol' me stood up to teach a room full of Zambian teachers. I basically did an entire lesson like they were children from beginning to end. No one fell asleep, threw things at me, or protested that the little red-headed Texas teacher sit her caboose down. When I first started, one teacher did raise her hand and ask me to talk slower. Go figure. This was an issue for all of us the entire time. We even had to remind each other with hand signals like we were air traffic control from the back of the room. Apparently, we Texas folk talk real fast. I have been told that I have an extra thick accent, talk extra fast, and tend to have an extra high pitched voice. Not to mention I talk...ALOT. I have indeed mastered the art of talking really fast but with a loooong Texas draaaaw and the enthusiasm of a Kindergarten teacher on steroids (I was a Kindergarten teacher).
All was well and the teachers completed their own lessons that we would get to see them try out in the classrooms in the coming days. This was a challenge because they had to come up with ideas on how to complete these lessons with minimal materials. No seriously, like NOTHING. And (ooh I just started a sentence with "and" like I tell my students to NEVER do) apparently they liked my teaching because everyone in my group asked me to teach a lesson in their classrooms after I observed them. Wait to hear what the students had to say about my talking. It's a hoot!
After training was complete we presented the teachers in our groups with gift bags full of various items that were donated by other teachers, schools and companies here in America. I have to say this was one of the most rewarding experiences of my life. Megan (our leader) and Teddy (their leader) slowly pulled each item out of the bag to show them and I was suddenly transported to Oprah's Favorite Things Show. I mean they hooted and hollered and shouted "Praise the Lord", thank you thank you thank you like we were giving them all brand new houses and cars! We gave them 1 package of crayola markers, notecards, rubberbands, 1 sharpie, 1 highlighter, a Dolch phrase test kit that we made, number strips for multiplication, a timer (see funny story at end of post), stickers, a teaching book, and a super cute bag to carry it all in. It was crazy! I mean they literally jumped up and down with excitement! I have a cabinet at school full of those things that I complain about having to store. Talk about blessing your heart and making a girl grateful. I wanted to burst into tears of joy for them because I knew this was the equivalent of the Oprah Show for them. Good thing the Oprah show is ending because I am pretty sure they would all pass out and go to be with the Lord in front of our very eyes if they ever went there. Seriously folks, they were that excited!
The last thing they pulled out was a certificate in a frame that stated they had completed the 2 day Lifeway Leadership Institute. It was like they got their freakin college diploma and were going on to that big high-rise office to make bookoos of bucks! Megan and Teddy said, "Oh and look who signed your certificates..." a girl in my group jumped up and shouted, "JESUS!?" We all looked stunned for a minute and then burst into laughter. I said, "Umm no girl. We're connected but not THAT connected. It was just Greer (the founder of Family Legacy)." I began to wonder...
"Do they think we are that close to the Lord?"
"I mean Jesus is my homeboy and we're tight and all but really?"
This was the first time that I felt like through example and through my career I was able to touch another life deeply with my faith. It wasn't, "Hey let me talk to you about Jesus..." it was just through simply serving Christ. I did however remind them of the verse Proverbs 22:6 "Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it." Let me tell you how important this verse really is. As a mother and teacher I have seen many children from many different walks of life and parental situations but no matter where they are from...
Children Learn What They Live
I have always known that God led me to teach but I have had a difficult time understanding why when I felt like I had so many other talents that he could have chosen to use.
Once upon a time I had decided I was going to be an attorney. Real Estate law to be exact. As a kid I told my grandparents and anyone who would listen that I was going to grow up, be an attorney and move to Malibu. My Papa (Mom's dad) would say, "Don't you know that place is gonna fall off into the ocean?" I didn't care I just wanted the high life. It was gonna be all about me! Now, I'm not sayin all attorneys are selfish. I do know a few with families and a few that are single and they all manage to be good giving people. But those were not my intentions. I was gonna be a royal pain in somebody's arse.
As I grew up I started to feel God's call. I struggled immensely with what God was calling me to do and I refused to be obedient. I was determined to do things my way. I started noticing that every job opportunity that came my way had to do with children and teaching. I loved kids but I didn't want to be a teacher.
When college time rolled around I decided to attend SMU over other schools because it was the prime place to be for a MEGA career. I had it all figured out. I thought.
I decided to major in real estate finance and business. I began my course work and I HATED EVERY MINUTE. I freaked out! How on earth would someone that likes to talk as much as I do be able to sit and read contracts and crunch numbers ALL DAY LONG???
UH OH... It must be the boy (JB). His dream of wanting to spend FOR-FREAKIN-EVER with me must be cloudin my brain up and makin it all domestic and stuff. I can't focus with him around. OH HE HAS TO GO.
OH YES...I was prepared to toss away the love of my life for a big fat career that I wouldn't even like. The only man (other than my dad and grandpa's) on God's green earth that would ever be willing to put up with this crazy, bossy little red head. I mean let's be real folks...most of the time I don't know which way is up because I am soooo ADHD, I despise laundry, I can't cook, I spend too much money, I ALWAYS run late and did I mention I'm a bossy little heffer? He musta seen something in me that I didn't see in myself at the time. OR maybe he just thought I was hot and couldn't get past the physical attraction. Who knows.
I was gonna walk away from the love of my life, the best man I know, an amazing father just so I could make a little money that would still leave me empty and lost. Thank goodness he was patient with me. Thanks babe! Sorry, I don't mean to make you all jealous. Now don't get me wrong, I don't want to put him on an unrealistic pedal stool and he certainly has his share of flaws, but any man who can put up with me deserves an award and some recognition. In the words of my father in law, "I could never be married to you." I laughed. He finished with, "You redecorate your house and make JB hang up 100 things every few months." In my defense...it isn't that often and I'm working on being more content and less impulsive. Now before you all go "ahhh"...I'm not hatin on myself. I'm just telling God's honest truth and after all HE is my creator and HE's supposed to know what HE's doin so HE's got a plan for all my flaws.
Anyhow I figured it all out and ended up graduating with a degree in psychology (which you can all clearly see I needed to figure myself out) and education. And guess what? I'm a teacher... and I talk all day long :)
Disclaimer: I had a fabulous education but I do not recommend going to SMU to be a teacher. Teachers make no money and SMU is expensive. Just sayin.
So I say all this to tell you that God called me to be a teacher and even though I was determined to be disobedient HE is always in control. You can take as many detours in life as you want but HE will always bring you back to HIS divine plan. Don't waste your time with your own plans. They always lead to heartache and trouble. If I had never followed God's plan I would have missed all of the blessings that have walked through my classroom door year after year and I would have missed out on the biggest blessing of traveling to Zambia and serving. Oh, and my fabulous husband and awesome kids!
THE STORY OF THE TIMER...
While in Zambia we gave the teachers timers to work on time management. I could totally live in Zambia because they don't worry about time. JB will tell you that I have this issue. If I am not at school I have no clue what time it is and I run on slow motion Amber time. In fact Brad Paisley even made a country song about me but somebody musta forgotten to tell JB...
Waitin On a Woman
Sittin' on a bench at West Town Mall
He sat down in his overalls and asked me
You waitin' on a womanI nodded yeah and said how 'bout you
He said son since nineteen fifty-two I've been
Waitin' on a woman
I told her I'd be there at eight
And she came down the stairs at eight-thirty
She said I'm sorry that I took so long
Didn't like a thing that I tried onBut let me tell you son she sure looked pretty
Yeah she'll take her time but I don't mind
Waitin' on a woman
He said the wedding took a year to plan
You talk about an anxious man, I was nervous
Waitin' on a woman
And then he nudged my arm like old men do
And said, I'll say this about the honeymoon, it was worth it
Waitin' on a woman
And I don't guess we've been anywhere
She hasn't made us late I swear
Sometimes she does it just 'cause she can do it
Boy it's just a fact of life
It'll be the same with your young wife
Might as well go on and get used to it
She'll take her time 'cause you don't mind
Waitin' on a woman
I've read somewhere statistics show
The man's always the first to go
And that makes sense 'cause I know she won't be ready
So when it finally comes my time
And I get to the other side
I'll find myself a bench, if they've got any
I hope she takes her time, 'cause I don't mind
Waitin' on a woman
Honey, take your time, cause I don't mind
Waitin' on a woman.
I dream of the day that JB will say that last line to me. I might be waitin a while.
For the first few nights we had a cook come and prepare our dinner in Zambia. He ALWAYS showed up 2 hours late and by 7:00 we would start asking when it was gonna be ready. He would say, "20 min." At 8:00 we would ask again and again he would say, "20 min." So by 9:00 we finally ate dinner...EVERY NIGHT. Clay even started telling us, "Be ready in 5 min. and I don't mean 20 min." By the end of the week I asked a teacher what time knock off (get outta here) time was and she said, "About 20 min." I finally said, "What's with all this 20 min. stuff? What does that mean?" She told me that 20 min. is like saying "later" kinda like we say "just 5 more min." when we really mean "in a little bit". At that moment I decided
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