Happy Birthday to the Bard

I cannot say it better than Ben Jonson.

"He was not of an age, but for all time."



We are studying Merchant of Venice in 8th grade right now.
Below is one of my favorite passages from the play.

The quality of mercy is not strain'd,
It droppeth as the gentle rain from heaven
Upon the place beneath. It is twice blest:
It blesseth him that gives and him that takes.
'T is mightiest in the mightiest: it becomes
The throned monarch better than his crown;
His sceptre shows the force of temporal power,
The attribute to awe and majesty,
Wherein doth sit the dread and fear of kings;
But mercy is above this sceptred sway,
It is enthroned in the hearts of kings,
It is an attribute to God himself;
And earthly power doth then show likest God's,
When mercy seasons justice. Therefore, Jew,
Though justice be thy plea, consider this,
That in the course of justice none of us
Should see salvation: we do pray for mercy;
And that same prayer doth teach us all to render
The deeds of mercy.
~Portia, Act 4.1

Hymn Meditations

Pass me not, O gentle Savior,
hear my humble cry;
while on others thou art calling,
do not pass me by.

Let me at thy throne of mercy
find a sweet relief,
kneeling there in deep contrition;
help my unbelief.

Trusting only in thy merit,
would I seek thy face;
heal my wounded, broken spirit,
save me by thy grace.

Thou the spring of all my comfort,
more than life to me,
whom have I on earth beside thee?
Whom in heaven but thee?

Refrain
Savior, Savior, hear my humble cry;
while on others thou art calling,
do not pass me by.

Words by Fanny J. Crosby, 1868

Poem

Introduction to Poetry
by Billy Collins

I ask them to take a poem
and hold it up to the light
like a color slide

or press an ear against its hive.

I say drop a mouse into a poem
and watch him probe his way out,

or walk inside the poem's room
and feel the walls for a light switch.

I want them to waterski
across the surface of a poem
waving at the author's name on the shore.

But all they want to do
is tie the poem to a chair with rope
and torture a confession out of it.

They begin beating it with a hose
to find out what it really means.

Celebrating Poetry and its Inspiration

Pied Beauty
by Gerard Manley Hopkins
Glory be to God for dappled things-- For skies of couple-colour as a brinded cow; For rose-moles all in stipple upon trout that swim; Fresh-firecoal chestnut-falls; finches' wings; Landscape plotted and pieced--fold, fallow, and plough; And all trades, their gear and tackle and trim. All things counter, original, spare, strange; Whatever is fickle, freckled (who knows how?) With swift, slow; sweet, sour; adazzle, dim; He fathers-forth whose beauty is past change: Praise Him.

An original Haiku

high stacks of papers
red pens running out of ink
ready for a break

New wheels for GRMR RLZ

Well, if you're interested, here are the promised pictures of my new car--a 2002 Ford Escape.
I'm thankful that the Lord provided not only a car in my price range but also the kind I really wanted. I'm certainly looking forward to making some trips, hopefully soon.

Making changes

"People are always saying that change is a good thing, but what they really mean is that the thing that they didn't want to happen has happened." You've Got Mail

Change is a word that describes my life very well right now. I am thinking about changing jobs; I'm changing cars; I'm hoping to change addresses this summer; and I've changed my cell phone number. (I'll be emailing all those who I know will want the new number, but I wanted to draw your attention to it in this post in case you don't see the email or read this first.)

I'm facing some big decisions, and I am trying not to lean on my own understanding, but it sure is hard sometimes. I'm thankful, however, in all of this change and uncertainty, that I know One who never changes. He is always the same.

Blessings, Basketball, and Birthdays

Well, to start I want to say how grateful I am to have such wonderful friends and family. I have felt loved and appreciated by so many this year. As for the reference to basketball, I was able to go with several of my students and players from my team to an ODU girls' game today. It was lots of fun and a good memory for a birthday.

Finally, I would like to wish two special people a very Happy Birthday today.

My grandmother had a birthday today too. I love being able to share a birthday with her. Sadly, she lives in TX so we usually can't share it in person. She is the sweetest lady and a wonderful grandmother. I love you, Mema!

The other birthday wish is for my dear friend Sommer. I wish her many blessings in the coming year. Happy Birthday, Friend! I miss you!

Aging...almost gracefully

I saw this quote and wanted to share it, partly because I love Lucy and partly because getting older has been on my mind a bit more as the end of this month approaches.

The secret of staying young is to live honestly, eat slowly, and lie about your age. Lucille Ball

I doubt I'm the only one who becomes introspective because of birthdays. This year's isn't a milestone by any means, yet it does bring me that much closer to one. So I start dwelling on the choices I've made and, of course, on my future plans too. Am I where I expected I'd be at this point in my life? To be honest, no, but then again my ways are not His ways. I have realized though more so than ever how precious time is. The years do go by faster as you get older.

So here's to birthdays and the reminder that they bring.

A Presidential Respite

I've never been more thankful that Washington and Lincoln were born in February. We have Monday off for President's day, and I am so excited that I'll be able to sleep in! It is that point in the school year where the students (AND teachers) are so weary of school but spring break is still a month a way, which of course feels like it's a year away. Thankfully we have this weekend to catch up a bit in order to stick it out until April.

Not only will we have a break on Monday, but after tomorrow I'll be done with basketball season. Yes, of course I love coaching but having back my Saturdays and afternoons will be nice. Things have been hard to juggle.

To celebrate this new freedom in my schedule I'm going car shopping. The one I've been driving has finally started giving out. I could put more money in it and keep it on the road, but I'd rather just put the money toward a newer car with fewer problems to worry about. So be looking for pictures of my new ride sometime in the near future.

Happy President's Day! I know I'm happy!

Hymn Meditations

I Could Not Do Without Thee
Frances Havergal, 1873

I could not do without Thee
O Savior of the lost,
Whose precious blood redeemed me
At such tremendous cost.
Thy righteousness, thy pardon
Thy precious blood, must be
My only hope and comfort,
My glory and my plea.

I could not do without Thee,
I cannot stand alone,
I have no strength or goodness,
No wisdom of my own;
But Thou, beloved Savior,
Art all in all to me,
And weakness will be power
If leaning hard on Thee.

I could not do without Thee,
For, oh, the way is long,
And I am often weary,
And sigh replaces song:
How could I do without Thee?
I do not know the way;
Thou knowest, and Thou leadest,
And wilt not let me stray.

I could not do without Thee,
O Jesus, Savior dear;
E’en when my eyes are holden,
I know that Thou art near.
How dreary and how lonely
This changeful life would be,
Without the sweet communion,
The secret rest with Thee!

I could not do without Thee;
No other friend can read
The spirit’s strange deep longings,
Interpreting its need;
No human heart could enter
Each dim recess of mine,
And soothe, and hush, and calm it,
O blessèd Lord, but Thine.

I could not do without Thee,
For years are fleeting fast,
And soon in solemn loneness
The river must be passed;
But Thou wilt never leave me,
And though the waves roll high,
I know Thou wilt be near me,
And whisper, “It is I.”

Hymn Meditations

Jesus! I am Resting, Resting

Jesus! I am resting, resting
In the joy of what Thou art;
I am finding out the greatness
Of Thy loving heart.
Thou hast bid me gaze upon Thee,
And Thy beauty fills my soul,
For, by Thy transforming power,
Thou hast made me whole.

Jesus! I am resting, resting
In the joy of what Thou art;
I am finding out the greatness
Of Thy loving heart.

Oh, how great Thy loving kindness,
Vaster, broader than the sea:
Oh, how marvelous Thy goodness,
Lavished all on me!
Yes, I rest in Thee, Beloved,
Know what wealth of grace is Thine,
Know Thy certainty of promise,
And have made it mine.

Simply trusting Thee, Lord Jesus,
I behold Thee as Thou art,
And Thy love, so pure, so changeless,
Satisfies my heart,
Satisfies its deepest longings,
Meets, supplies its every need,
Compasseth me round with blessings,
Thine is love indeed.

Ever lift Thy face upon me,
As I work and wait for Thee;
Resting 'neath Thy smile, Lord Jesus,
Earth's dark shadows flee.
Brightness of my Father's glory,
Sunshine of my Father's face,
Keep me ever trusting, resting,
Fill me with Thy grace.

...And I'm back.

I've been planning to post for some time now, but other things (well, life in general) keep coming up and before I know it, it's late and another day has passed. I'll admit too that often I don't know what to share on my blog so rather than ramble on about the mundane I don't write at all. I should probably come up with a purpose statement or something, but that would involve more time than I have at the moment.

All that said, in this post I'm still only going to write about the mundane to update my faithful readers of what I've been doing over the last few months.

The holidays went by in a blur, especially as I realize today starts the last full week of January. Most of my break was spent traveling or going to weddings, as you'll see from the list below.

• Dec. 15 School vacation begins
• Dec. 16 Drive to and from DC for a friend's wedding
• Dec. 18 Fly to TX to visit with extended family for Christmas
• Dec. 23 Cousin in TX gets married
• Dec. 28-29 Drive back from TX to VA with family
• Jan. 3 Return to school

The 2nd quarter ended Friday which means grades are due soon. I gave my first high school French exam last week. I was as nervous as the students, I think. Teaching French has been much harder than I thought it would be.

Basketball season has officially started for me as well. We lost our first two games, but won our most recent; I think we have a good chance of winning a few more too. I only have 7 girls again this year, some of which are far less experienced than players I have had in the past.

One last update, my best friend is now a mom, which makes me a proud aunt (pronounced like ant if you're from the south like me). Here's one picture of my "nephew" Keagan Burns, the first of many.

This Day in History

Today in 1512, Michelangelo finished his masterpiece on the Sistine Chapel ceiling. Italy is the next place on my list of places to visit.

coming up for air

My apologies to my (few) readers for the long absence. I nearly drowned in the workload I've had since school started. Not only did I take over a French class the 3rd week into school, but I was also taking a grad class on the weekends in Sept. I've spent the last few weeks desperately trying to catch up but making very little progress unfortunately. This weekend I will be finishing 1st quarter grades and hopefully, finally, making a dent in the very large pile of essay tests and papers.

Of course, there is no rest for the wicked or weary; basketball season will start in just a couple of weeks. As much as I love this opportunity to mentor and influence my students in a different setting, I don't know if I'm ready for this year. I guess I need to get ready soon!

FRENCH Grammar Rules

Although I haven't ever posted regularly, the start of a new school year has kept me from posting at all, at least for the last few weeks. I have a stack of papers to grade even now, but I wanted to update anyone interested on my newest venture in the academic world.

My school has decided not to offer French any longer, but there were still eight students who needed to finish their third year to get the credits for graduation. After going two and a half weeks into the year without a teacher, the superintendent heard about me. I am a last resort but the new French 3 teacher nonetheless. I admit it is a bit overwhelming, since I don't feel confident speaking French, despite having been to France twice and taking two years in college. (I need to remind myself that I still know more than the students.) I know that I will learn so much from this experience, and the timing couldn't be better. After visiting France, I came back wanting more than ever to begin studying French again. What better motivation than to teach it because if there's one thing I know about teaching, it's that you must first know the material before you can teach it to someone else.

Happy News

Warmest congratulations to my dear friend Andrea and her fiancé Jeff. I'm so happy for you both. Best wishes in the coming months as you make plans for the wedding and as your relationship continues to deepen. May you continue to know God's grace and His leading in all that you do.

Hymn Meditations

Jesus, Thy blood and righteousness
My beauty are, my glorious dress;
’Midst flaming worlds, in these arrayed,
With joy shall I lift up my head.

Bold shall I stand in Thy great day;
For who aught to my charge shall lay?
Fully absolved through these I am
From sin and fear, from guilt and shame.

The holy, meek, unspotted Lamb,
Who from the Father’s bosom came,
Who died for me, e’en me to atone,
Now for my Lord and God I own.

Lord, I believe Thy precious blood,
Which, at the mercy seat of God,
Forever doth for sinners plead,
For me, e’en for my soul, was shed.

Lord, I believe were sinners more
Than sands upon the ocean shore,
Thou hast for all a ransom paid,
For all a full atonement made.

When from the dust of death I rise
To claim my mansion in the skies,
Ev’n then this shall be all my plea,
Jesus hath lived, hath died, for me.

Jesus, the endless praise to Thee,
Whose boundless mercy hath for me—
For me a full atonement made,
An everlasting ransom paid.

O let the dead now hear Thy voice;
Now bid Thy banished ones rejoice;
Their beauty this, their glorious dress,
Jesus, Thy blood and righteousness.

~Nikolaus L. von Zinzendorf, 1739
trans. John Wesley, 1740

Reality Check

Yesterday morning, as I sat through the annual faculty lectures on "The Dangers of Blood-borne Pathogens" and "The difference between an HMO and PPO,"I could not ignore the fact that summer was officially over. Reality hit me hardest as I went to my classroom to begin doing my bulletin boards and saw the stacks of desks and books.

While at this point I'm more overwhelmed than excited, the excitement is mounting. One big change for me this year is that I will be teaching only literature but for both 7th and 8th grade. For the last few years, I have taught only 8th grade, both lit and grammar.

Since I prefer teaching literature more than teaching grammar, (I know. That makes my blog title a bit ironic, doesn't it?) I love the new arrangement. The challenge for me will not be the new material as much as the new grade level. I'm not quite sure what to expect from 7th graders, most of whom will be 12 years old. I can hardly remember what I was like when I was 12--and it wasn't that long ago! The only thing I know for sure is that they will seem very young.

I'll be meeting many of them on Thursday during our open house. I've already been looking over last year's yearbook. I had a professor in college who knew almost everyone's name in the class the first day--even if she had never met you before. It certainly set a tone in her class and that is one thing I need to do in my classes, especially in jr. high classes.

A bon voyage

I know I promised many posts and lots of pictures of my travels after my return from Europe. I am working on modifying my pictures, and I'll post a link to them when they are finished. As for telling about my trip, I think I'll take my time on that and organize my thoughts a bit more first.

I will say that I enjoyed my trip immensely, especially the time spent with friends. The trip taught me some valuable things about myself, and I surprised myself in some instances with what I accomplished while traveling on my own.

As I left to "Go A Journey," I quoted some from William Hazlitt's essay. I think the following passage that concludes his essay is appropriate now that I have returned.


Dr. Johnson remarked how little foreign travel added to the facilities of conversation in those who had been abroad. In fact, the time we have spent there is both delightful, and in one sense instructive; but it appears to be cut out of our substantial, downright existence, and never to join kindly on to it. We are not the same, but another, and perhaps more enviable individual, all the time we are out of our own country. We are lost to ourselves, as well as our friends. So the poet somewhat quaintly sings,

"Out of my country and myself I go."

Those who wish to forget painful thoughts, do well to absent themselves for a while from the ties and objects that recall them; but we can be said only to fulfil our destiny in the place that gave us birth. I should on this account like well enough to spend the whole of my life in travelling abroad, if I could anywhere borrow another life to spend afterwards at home!