The waiting of Advent.

We are beginning a brand new study of the Advent season in our formation groups at church. I am very excited about this opportunity to learn not only from a couple in our church but also through a book written by a man named Dietrich Bonhoeffer, who only lived to be 39 years old during Hitler's regime but believed in much and was executed only weeks before freedom was his.

This study requires daily readings and touch bases with your inner thoughts. I thought what better way to do this than through my own blog. Share here and maybe just maybe bring folks along with this portion of my journey. I have neglected this blog for quite some time and sadly miss it very much.

SO last night we talked about "Waiting" and what that means for Advent. Nathan mentioned that we should treat Advent much like we treat Lenten season...a time of reflection and for fasting. A time when we wait upon the greatness of the arrival of the Christ child. Christmas has so quickly become the hurry up, hurry up and hurry up...go get this...for this person...who wants it NOW. We are living in the most selfish time of our existence. We want it, when we want it, and we want it now...and can pretty much get it at that pace nowadays with technology and speed.

We have even lost the message behind Thanksgiving, now that retailers have broached the "We might as well open up and fill our coffers with more sacred cash" rather than allowing our employees a day of rest and thankfulness. And sadly folks, we will never see that day go back to what it was. History is in the making this 2013. We will never go back to allowing this day for rest, good food, relaxation, and being thankful for what we have. Our communities walked out and stood in line and were ready when then the stores opened their doors and retailers will do so in years to come.

Can you imagine being locked up in a prison cell and forced to wait? How despairing this must have been...yet this man still finds, through his letters, the chance to find joy in the beauty of the message of what true Christmas spirit should be. Perhaps we should look forward with anticipation.

I will slow myself down and wait for God to speak to me about what he wants me to learn. I will take his message in and wait with anticipation in what the beauty of that shining night in Bethlehem has in store for me this holiday season.

Whenever the music track in my mind gets playing...

I love this woman!!
I love this song and what it has to say about being BRAVE in ANY situation. No matter what life sends you, no matter how difficult the situation, you have to muster that inner bravery and have the conversation, say the hard things that need to be said, so that things can get better. Or do the things that you know you need to do to get better.
Many of us are going through the struggles of life and just need for that theme song to play to know that there are folks out there cheering you on, knowing that you can beat this cancer, or to them, you are the bravest person they know! So its okay when the tears flow, just reach down and grab that inner bravery and know that you are not alone.
Much love~

The Duomo of Florence

Short and simple, Duomo is a term for a cathedral church and may be either a present or a former cathedral (the latter always in a town that no longer has a bishop nor therefore a cathedral). The first Duomo we actually saw and experienced was in Florence. It was truly breath taking and beautiful. The structure itself was filled with such details, with many many many different types of marble used in its construction. Many of the images are created in mosaic and just spending time thinking about how many HOURS it took to create this vision...mind blowing...

 This is the east doors to the Baptistery. There are three different sets of doors to this building made out of bronze and showcase many images and humans forms carved into. Michelangelo named the east doors to this Baptistery as the "Gates to Paradise"

 The details of the images on these doors...PHENOMENAL!!! Then you walk inside and it appears to be void of any grandeur that was expected. You can see that it is extremely simple and peaceful and gothic in structure. HOWEVER, as you continue to walk down towards the dome...this BREATHTAKING vision reveals itself. SO AMAZINGLY BEAUTIFUL!!! IT truly does take your breath away.

 

One of those life changing moments...

No matter what anyone says, grief is hard and when you watch a parent's grief as they say goodbye to their little one, there is NOTHING you can say or do that is going to soften the blow. I have only been through this a couple of times in my life and it does not get easier.

One of my mentors said that this is the hardest part of being a teacher is saying goodbye to a student who left us so soon. I would have to agree with this whole-heartedly.

This young lady brightened everyone's lives. I remember meeting Alexa on my first week of teaching and she was so supportive. She was a part of a crew of students who worked so hard of make sure that my first year of teaching was not so daunting and they helped me with the transition. I am so grateful to these kids, more than they will ever know. What struck me about Alexa was that she was an "old soul", with an amazing smile, a twinkle in her eye and her amazing ability to color the world wherever she went.

I never had her in any of my classes, but she was involved in Stagecraft, in Art, and was highly involved in my first spring musical at North Little Rock, Beauty and The Beast. To watch her paint the set and work her magic with color, she selected color like there was no other. She graduated and went to UALR for Art, which was absolutely logical. However, she came back year after year to help us with our sets and never complained when asked her opinion. She created our moon for Midsummer Night's Dream and it was glorious.

She worked at a local restaurant where she met my family. My family even commented on this young lady's amazing spirit and sweetness. She even agreed to paint a portrait we had asked of her of my Dad and neice. She cringed when I asked, but she did it and it is absolutely beautiful!!! It hangs now on my Dad's office wall for remembrance.

We lost touch and from what I understand she spiraled down. It saddens me so much and wish she would have reached out so I could have somehow helped her.

Today we said goodbye to this sweet child. Gone too soon, taken from us before she could affect the world. And yet, she rocked our world by just being who she was. An accident that took her from us so soon.

She treated everyone with mutual respect, she helped those who were hurting, she provided the world with beautiful color and creativity and warmth and will be missed so much!!

Alexa, you are not hurting anymore. I could feel your presence today at the service. I know that it would be exactly how you would have wanted it to be. It had your hand all over it.

I am grateful to have known you, to have been able to work with you, and to have been able to call you one of my students. Sleep well, dear heart, and we shall see you soon. Paint something beautiful for us. I cannot wait to see what God has planned for you with Him.

Exhaustion

So I have completed my first week of my fifth year of teaching...
And you know what?
I am EXHAUSTED!
However, it is a great kind. Our district has made some changes that are shaking...but I think, with time, it is going to be the good kind of changes.
The biggest change was going from 90 minute block period scheduling to 7 period days, with class times varying from 45 minutes to 65... I cannot tell you how crazy it felt to be in the middle of lecture this week and have the bells go off. But what I love about this is that I think we are going to have fewer issues with heads down in class and faster flowing days, and we also get to see our kids EVERY day rather than every other, which is nice...I did find myself getting to Wednesday feeling absolutely worn out and thinking how am I going to make it to Friday???

One other awesome occurrence...as much as I miss our graduated seniors this year...many have texted, some have stopped in to say hello or goodbye...and to say they have arrived at their college campuses and are already succeeding in getting settled, or receiving callbacks for auditions they went to, or just to say how much they miss us. BELIEVE me we miss you all as well!!!

Going to be a great year. My students seem like a cool bunch of kids and seem to be fairly respectful, creative, and open to trying new things. Forensics team is going to rock and roll this year...amazing talent, great beginning to the tournament season, and seem like a wonderful bunch of energetic rock stars. Drama kids are always the question mark, but it seems that there is a great crew of folks here as well!!! Excited to be back, excited to be in drama class, and excited to begin work.

What does year number 5 have in store?? Only time will tell, but all arms point to good things ahead and for that I am thankful for it.

We head to PISA!!

What an awesome surprise!!! Pisa was really jolting and oddly hysterical. People are so funny...the tower is leaning...obviously...but the tourists all try to take their picture with their hands up like the are trying to push the tower back up. HIGH-larious to watch...and yes I had to try it as well...
There are three buildings on the grounds...all three leaning to some degree. The tower is most pronounced. The cathedral leans to the South, along with the tower. Awesome story I will share in the next few posts about the Cathedral and how you know it is leaning.
Oddly enough the Baptistery leans to the North. The Baptistery was really cool with the font right in the middle of the dome...3 steps leading up to the font, symbolizing the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit with a beautiful sculpture of john the Baptist in the middle of it.

 

The acoustics were PHENOMENAL!!! A man got up around the crowd and sang and it was chilling.

 

I had previously mentioned the floors...well as you walk around the fount, you notice and arrow carved into the marble on the floor. If you face the direction the arrow is pointing, you will notice carved into the top of one of the columns is a face with its mouth wide open. There is only one face like this in the entire place. If you sing, this is the spot where the best acoustics are. REALLY COOL!!

An odd post I know

One of the things I found so amazing from my trip to Paris, Barcelona, and Madrid a  few years back was the fact that my neck hurt. I posted all of the amazing ceilings I saw while on that trip of a lifetime...HOWEVER, little did I know that I would feel absolutely HYPERSENSITIVE going on this trip to Italy.

Hypersensitive in an amazing, breath-taking way. Not only were you trying to take everything in above your head with all of the amazing gold-flecked ceilings and paintings upon paintings upon paintings. The Sistine Chapel was smaller than I had imagined yet just as awe-inspiring and breath-taking....

But you also had to keep your eyes on the FLOORS. Carved marble designs were EVERYWHERE. The intricacies and colors and designed were absolutely BEAUTIFUL and you were almost afraid to walk on them. And you know, as I sit here reminiscing about this trip, never once did I see a dirty floor...the pride on display over our entire trip of Italy is quite the feat. They were so beautiful and thought-provoking and awe-inspiring. What was paintings and museums in France and Spain, became architecture, sculpture and paintings in Italy. Truly remarkable and memorable for sure!!!

 Cool and interesting fact about the below picture. While on our tour of Rome and the Coliseum, our tour guide asked the kids to tell her what color the actual Coliseum would have been, to which they responded white marble. "Correct", she replied, "but why do you think the Coliseum is now only brick and rubble, removing the fact of wear and tear?" No one could respond. She then told us that the answer would be revealed later in the day.

Once we got to St. Peter's Basilica at the Vatican, the fact was revealed. Roman culture is that of recycle and reuse and always has been. They even recycled sculpture!! But the fact is that ALL of the white marble used in the Coliseum was removed and was placed in the flooring of the Basilica!!!! HOW COOL IS THAT??? Never knew that!! (and truth be told, kinda eerie as well begin that so many Christians died in the walls of that horror and now we are walking in a sacred place one the very materials that created that horrific, yet jaw dropping structure)

Where does the time go??

Today is the day before I begin my fifth year of teaching. I am in awe of how the time flies and yet look back and see all the amazing lights that have graced my classroom walls and am in awe of all of their adventures and accomplishments. It always warms my heart when one steps back into my classroom to say help.

But what is disconcerting is that this time flew by. I guess that catch phrase is absolutely true and it is important to make the most of what time we have.

I am actually looking forward to this year very much! I am traveling more with my Forensics students. I am directing a version of Macbeth that I am very excited about which will open on Halloween. I am excited to see what my students have in store for this year. They are a VERY talented group who have within them the capacity to accomplish many great things this year on the tournament circuit. I am going to step back from directing the Spring musical, but that does not make it any less exciting. We are doing Shrek: The Musical- a HUGE technical challenge...going to be AWESOME!!!!!

We also have a brand new superintendent that I am very enthused to meet and see what he has in store for us. He is a past band director and I can sense has a strong sense of what he wants for our district. He has a vision and goals set and that makes me very excited!!

We also begin our new construction this year...with hopes that 3 to 4 years down the road we will have a brand new campus with new facilities to work in! I love that!! Gonna be a chore getting there....but I think well worth it!!

Can you sense the excitement and enthusiasm?? Ah that beginning of the year excitement...I wonder if this will be the same feeling when it comes to ten years? It is my sincerest hope...

One disapppointment from our trip...

Being with an art teacher on this trip of a lifetime had its immense opportunities. What a wonderful experience to have been able to share this with Suzzette. We travelled so well together. I would do it again in a heartbeat.

I think we would both agree that one of the biggest disappointments of our trip was not being able to tour two museums. We were outside the Museum de Uffici in Florence but were not able to get in, It was not part of our tour sadly.

This amazing museum houses the largest collection of Michelangelo and Da Vinci's paintings. Obivously, the Medici family had their hand in this development as well, which I am thankful for. I am sure that many Italians of the time period would have felt differently during the time period...but so thankful for the creation of this museum.
The other museum we wished would have been part of the tour is the Academie Gallery, which houses a large amount of Michelangelo's sculptures.

 The courtyard of the Uffici Museum was lined with artists and sculpture of all the greats. It was here that I bought a few watercolors from some of the artist and marveled at the sights. A few of the sculptures were of lined along the courtyard area and were so detailed and beautiful.

Giotto- an Italian painter and architect from Florence in the late Middle Ages. He is generally considered the first in a line of great artists who contributed to the Italian Renaissance.
Donatello- a world-reknowned Italian sculpturist and of Ninja Turtle fame

 Francesco Petrarcha- Italian scholar and poet and one of the first known humanists.
Macchiavelli-was an Italian historian, politician, diplomat, philosopher, humanist and writer based in Florence during the Renaissance.  He was a founder of modern political science, and more specifically political ethics.






Gallileo Gallilei-was an Italian physicist, mathematician, astronomer, and philosopher who played a major role in the Scientific Revolution. . Galileo has been called the "father of modern observational astronomy", the "father of modern physics", the "father of science", and "the Father of Modern Science". There will be more about this adventurer coming up...We learned a really cool fact about him as we toured a Duomo, which I will talk about in the future.

I wish we could have gotten inside these two museums. Was kind of a let down. However, when comparing everything we did get to experience and see, this fact pales in comparison.

 



Eye-opening...

Today was a great day in church with a eye-opening message. It centers around the Bible verse involving a man with a withered hand coming to Jesus for a miracle. The Pharisees were in the same area waiting for Jesus to do something wrong, especially on the Sabbath. Sabbath was meant to be a day of rest and had been since the time of Moses. It appears in Mark 3:4-6 and spoke volumes to me on a deeper level, thanks to Will's breaking it down and providing insight into what he thought it said.

It reads:

Then Jesus asked them, “Which is lawful on the Sabbath: to do good or to do evil, to save life or to kill?” But they remained silent.
⁵ He looked around at them in anger and, deeply distressed at their stubborn hearts, said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” He stretched it out, and his hand was completely restored. ⁶ Then the Pharisees went out and began to plot with the Herodians how they might kill Jesus.

What Will shared was this: are we  not to help others just because it is the wrong day? He imagined that as the tortured man with the withered hand reached out his hand, the Pharisees began to clench theirs. The Pharisees held tight to their teachings, to their beliefs, and to their hardened ways and be damned if anyone opposed their beliefs. What Jesus asked was, "Are we to turn our backs on those who are hurting, in pain, who are clearly struggling because they are different, or the day is wrong?" I believe the answer is no. As the times change and we evolve, are we not to embrace those who are different? Are we not to reach out to those who are hurting and struggling? Or are we to turn our back, entrench ourselves in the ways things have always been, entrench ourselves in what we think should be and dig our heels in and ignore their hurt and suffering?

I found this very eye-opening because of where our society is leading to this very moment in time. People are clenching to the Old Testament and holding everyone's feet to the fire for what the ancient teachings say, ignoring what Jesus actually did and did not say.

We need to reach out to our fellow man, ignoring the hard of hearts and folks who continue to dig their heels into the sinking sand  by being selective as to what verses they will hold true to and ignoring the other ones because they are "ridiculous". If you are going to believe one and ignore the other, then is that truly not hypocrisy? The world is full of those folks and I think it is going to get worse before it gets better...but there is hope and a glimmer of light in the distance.

Embrace the different and support the suffering. Lead the good life friends.

It was all about the Gelato!!

Okay, for those of you who have never had this amazing dessert, you have got to go to ITALY just to have true genuine gelato!! Not the stuff out of the freezer case, but glorious GELATO out of the ice cream hutch, hand-scooped for you.This stuff should have its own food group named after it. It was SOOOOOOO bad for you, yet oh so good!!! You name it they had it. The flavors of lemon and fresh mint. The sweetest pineapple, mixed with triple berry.

The above was a mixture of dark chocolate with chocolate chunks, coconut with chunks of fresh coconut mixed into it, and crème de mint. So it was your own gourmet slice of heaven...like an Mounds Candy bar mixed with Junior mints. You can see the result of the combo...sheer bliss and empty bowls...perfection!

 

So now you can wipe the drool off of your chin...and know why I am going to have to head to the gym or something to get rid of this excess weight I put on.

 

Crying out for love

 

LOVE LOVE LOVE this video and what it has to say!!!
 He is a relatively new artist, at least to me, but I really like what he has to say. In today's world of hatred, ridicule, and injustice, this anthem rings true.
Thank you Nathan Leigh Jones for this amazing message!!!

A mixture of modern and ancient...

What I found truly interesting was a mixture of modern and ancient. Walking down the street and looking down an alley and seeing columns and archaeology just thrown in for good measure...very jarring but also very interesting and cool.

Ruins intermixed with modern...quite well preserved. History...made palpable and ready for consumption. Many of the Italian cities have their medieval walls still intact or the towers are still standing on the main thoroughfares...

These walls were erected for protection of their cities

It takes a strong sense of trust...

From our first day of touring, I found myself heading towards my journal as the landscapes rolled by our bus window. It was mind numbing...jet lag loomed heavy on my head and heart...yet I found some really great words rolled out of my head onto the page
What was most overwhelming was to have to trust instincts greatly...in a land where you are so far our of your comfort zone, where yes there are many who speak English or broken English, but signage and customs and culture are all in Italian. Nothing is the same...and it was jarring. I first felt it walking off the airplane and trying to find our way through baggage and winding our way through the crowds and finding our way to our tour bus.

First lesson: You just have to trust that you will get where you need to be.

I was so thankful for my two years of Latin in high school and found myself thinking about Mr. Souther, my Latin teacher, SO MUCH! It flooded back to me in small doses and I  found myself dusting off the cobwebs and trying to recollect the lessons he taught. I thought about him throughout the entire trip.

I look out the bus window and was amazed at the view. Waking up to visions beyond my imagination, waking up to my own "Under the Tuscan Sun" and it is truly amazing and inspirational and inspiring beautiful. Patchworks of fields, crops, trees, and vineyards, with homes built on top of hills...

Artists EVERYWHERE!!!!

One of the coolest things about Italy is that there are artists working and selling everywhere. What a freeing environment to live in where you can create, where you can see inspiration at every avenue you turn through. What an awe inspiring country!!! So many beautiful regions, each so very different. This became very clear after our first night in Florence.
Gorgeous watercolors, carvings, leather goods, glass blowing...so much more to come.

ART WAS EVRYWHERE!!!! What an inspiring, creative, joyful thing to see. I loved seeing this. So many different genres of artistic styles represented... in oil, in watercolor, in sculptures, in architecture, even the floors were works of art...More to come!!