Wednesday, June 30, 2010

I love what I do.

Being a teacher can be very stressful. I have spent countless hours grading papers and preparing lessons over the past two years. I have had to say "no" to my husband, dogs, family, friends, and fun things to finish things for school. I have cried and prayed for hours over my students and their families. Sometimes I wonder why I do what I do.

Some people look at teachers and say, "You teach because of June, July, and August." While, yes, vacations are a great reasons to teach, I would never be successful at this job (or keep my sanity, at that) if I taught for the vacations.

I was reminded of the real reason I teach while at lunch on Monday. I sat across from Bekah Barr, GCS class of '09, and we talked about all the ways God was working in our lives. The words of John came to my mind, "I have no greater joy than this, to hear of my children walking in the truth" (III John 4). The reason I teach is seeing my students go on to live lives for God.

I've been part of Christian education my entire life--from Christian elementary and high school to Christian college to then teaching at a Christian high school--and I've seen too many times how Satan can get a hold of lives and turn them away from God. My heart has broken over friends and even family members who have succumbed to Satan's deceptions. But as I sat across from Bekah, I remembered all the students who have remained faithful to God and my heart overflowed with thankfulness.

I truly have no greater joy than to live Christ to my students (through His strength) and see them make their faiths real. I thrill to hear how God is working in my students and how they are striving to live for Him. I love teaching in Christian education, and no matter how stressful or dramatic things may be at times, I would never want to be in any other occupation.

Sunday, June 20, 2010

Happy Father's Day!



I am very, very thankful for my father, Robert Raymond Hopkins. God blessed me with an awesome dad who guided me in the way I should go. He beat the foolishness out of me so I could become a woman who loves God and serves Him. I love you, Dad!

Saturday, June 19, 2010

Smart cars are not smart for Michigan


The Smart car dealership in Bloomfield was offering a free 48-hour test drive of any Smart model. So Brad took advantage of the offer. We've been driving around this silly car for two days, and I have to say, this car is not smart for Michigan.

First, it's made very cheaply. I felt every bump in the road (and in Michigan, we have lots of bumps) and heard lots of road noise. The sound system is also really cheap. Sometimes I couldn't understand words to music because the bass and treble blended together. Our '99 Stratus has a better sound system. I say Smart should get rid of the heated seats and get a better sound system. Besides this, the dashboard is awkwardly set up, and the door is hard to open and snapped back at me if I didn't open it to just the right angle. With minimal trunk space, we constantly had to worry about things that would fit in the car.

Second, the car weighs about two pounds. Ok, not really, but it's really light. Last night, we got caught in pretty high winds and were being pushed all over the road. I realized very quickly that this car would be picked up instantly in a tornado. It also wouldn't stand a chance in snow and ice. The wipers were pretty useless, and the passenger side wiper smacked against the window frame.

The only advantage to this car is the gas mileage. We traveled about 600 miles on a 9-gallon tank of gas. That was mostly highway driving, but still, that's pretty awesome. If I had a job that I had to commute more than 30 miles one-way to and lived in a pleasant climate, I'd consider buying the car. But otherwise, this car is very, very impractical for Michigan.

Sunday, June 13, 2010

"Responsibility is the way to get things done..."

Tonight I was reminded of a Patch the Pirate song I used to sing while growing up. "Responsibility is the way to get things done/ Responsibility is the best for everyone./ To do the things that we ought to do/ to take a job and to see it through/ Responsibility is the way to get things done."

The situation that reminded of this song was an incident with a pitbull in a friend's neighborhood. I don't know the situation, so I'm not commenting on the problem or how it was handled. I've encountered a prejudice against pitbulls in recent weeks because I have two pitbulls, and I'm moving back to the Downriver area. I can't live in certain cities because they have pitbull bans, and I would much rather live in a different city that give up my dogs. My two pitbulls, Stella and Padawan, are the sweetest dogs you could encounter. They are patient and play well with kids and other animals. They are obedient, and they follow whatever Brad and I say. But the key behind their behavior is responsibility.

Responsibility is defined by Webster's dictionary as "the state of being responsible, accountable, or answerable, as for a trust, debt, or obligation." A growing trend in our society is the exact opposite--run from obligations; don't be accountable. The news screams of people's irresponsibility--dog bites, parents running from families, debts left unpaid (ie credit cards, taxes, or mortgages--and when I mention mortgage, I mean that people sought to live above their means not the misfortune of losing a job). Our world would be quite a different place if people would just buck up and take care of their responsibilities.

How does responsibility come into play with my pitbulls? I'm accountable for my dogs' actions. Therefore, Brad and I took the time to train them (painstakingly and heartbreakingly at times), and we take precautions like putting the dogs behind a fence and having them on leashes when out in public. Pitbulls are naturally a powerful breed, and they get a bad reputation because people are irresponsible and either neglect or take advantage of that power. If someone is going to have a pitbull or any other big and strong breed, he/she needs to make sure the dog gets lots and lots of good exercise so that the dog doesn't vent it's cooped-up energy on negative behavior. Pitbulls are sweet and loyal dogs when the owners are responsible with them. Any dog breed can turn vicious (I've encountered many a cranky Cocker Spaniel or Shih Tzu) if the owner is not responsible--except you probably won't go the hospital because of a Cocker Spaniel or Shih Tzu bite. All the more reason for pitbull owners to take care of their dogs! I get so frustrated when people automatically write off my dogs as vicious simply because of their breed. Punish the deed (irresponsible owners), not the breed.

Responsibility is ultimately a Biblical principle (isn't it interesting how Biblical principles, when followed, make the world a more pleasant place?). God calls us to be good stewards of what He's given to us (Matthew 25; I Peter 4:10). That means I need to care for my family by paying for/keeping up my house, cars, and even marriage, or paying my electricity/gas bills, etc. I need to exercise my powerful puppies. I need to pay my taxes (whether they are high or low is a whole different topic) and be an informed voter. I need to develop the talents God has given me.

Responsibility, though tough at times, is very much worth it in the end. As the song states--"Responsibility is the best for everyone."

Friday, June 11, 2010

Padawan

On Sunday, Brad and I adopted this 7-week-old pitbull puppy. We tossed around ideas for her name for a few days until we settled on Padawan. For those of you who have not seen Star Wars, a Padawan is a Jedi-in-training. Originally I thought this name was dumb, but it completely fits her. She's been learning everything about life from our 3-year-old pitbull mix, Stella. My Stella and her Padawan have taught me several things this week.

1. I am selfish and impatient.
Now, I knew this already. But to successfully train this little pup, I need to get up at 4AM to let her out, keep my eyes on her at all times, and be consistent though she whines through the night. To stay calm through all of this is a challenge as well. But if she's going to be a good puppy, I need to keep up every part of this training.

2. A dog knows more than I do sometimes.
Stella has been invaluable in training Padawan. She has been calm. She has been patient. She has been a good example of what a dog in our house should act like. Padawan loves Stella, so she'll do whatever Stella does. (On a side note, I'll never get a puppy without an older, well-behaved dog.)

But overall, and on a more serious note, 3. I am a Padawan in God's eyes.
I think of all the things that frustrate me about Padawan--no matter how many times we praise her, she still goes potty in the house; no matter what time we take her outside, she may still go potty in her cage; no matter how much food we give her, she still tries to eat Stella's food; no matter how many times we stop her, she still chews (gently) on things she shouldn't--and I think, that in someway, I do that to God. God encourages me in the right way; He corrects me when I do wrong; He cleans up after my "messes"; He provides for all my needs and many of my wants--and I still fail Him. I'm a sinful human who will never be perfect until Christ returns.

But praise the Lord, He is patient with me. Oh, how patient He is. No matter how many times I mess up, He lovingly sets me on the right path. My dogs are consistent visual reminder to me of how my heavenly Father keeps training me, the Padawan.

Thursday, June 3, 2010

"When will we use diagramming outside of English class, Mrs. Schick?"

For once, I was excited when one of my students asked me this question because I had a fabulous answer! I never realized how useful sentence diagramming was until I sat under Sue Hermes at Clearwater Christian College. I endured her Advanced Grammar class my senior year, but she influenced me to study a new way of meditating on Scripture--diagram the verses. This idea has resurfaced in recent weeks when Pastor Moreno has discussed the grammar behind the texts of his sermons. I diagrammed the verses in my notes, and Brad thought I was a huge nerd. "Yes, I am a nerd," I told him, "But I am a nerd who now understands her Bible more fully."

I shared this answer with my seventh grade English classes, and both of them just stared at me like I was crazy. However, I've used several verses as examples for their diagramming review sheets, and some of them have begun to see what I mean about the value of diagramming verses. I was encouraged by my review with them today because I found myself meditating not on adjective and adverb clauses, but on the content of the verses.

First, I meditated on Colossians 3:4, "When Christ who is our life is revealed then you also shall be revealed with Him in glory." This verse was more than an excellent example of an independent clause with both adverb and adjective dependent clauses. I thought, "Wow, one day I'll be revealed with Christ in His glory." As I've been reading through John, I've noteced Jesus constantly reminded his disciples and listeners about the importance of God's timing. He wouldn't perform miracles or disclose certain information simply because it wasn't God's time for Him to do so. This verse reminded me that Christ is just waiting for the perfect time when He will reveal Himself to the world as the King that He is, and I, His child, will come triumphantly behind Him. I'll get to physically follow my Savior and proclaim to the unbelievers, "See? We Christians were right all along!"

Second, I was encouraged by Romans 5:6, "For while we were still helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly." Again, God's timing is mentioned. The more I think about this verse, the more excited I am for what Christ did for me. I was helpless; I couldn't please God on my own and certainly couldn't seek Him. Yet Christ died for me, the ungodly, so that He could lift me out of this helpless state. I can now live for Him, find my hope, joy, and peace in Him, and seek to glorify Him with my life. I can love my jr. highers only because of Christ's work in my life.

So to my English students, sentence diagramming does have a purpose. It has an eternal purpose, and I love that I can point you to Christ through it.