The Need for Renewal

I am a busy person, sometimes CRAZY busy. I'm pretty sure everyone feels this way, and I don't think it's necessarily a bad thing. I always say, I'd rather be busy than bored. I like knowing that I've been productive and seeing all that I have accomplished at the end of the day. However, sometimes, I say "yes" too many times, do too many things and end up tired, overworked, and somewhat discouraged as I look an my endless list of things "to do".

This is why I need renewal. Thankfully, this weekend has been filled with opportunities to do just that. I got to take two days off work and go to a literacy conference in Salt Lake, I went to a regional YSA temple day at the Salt Lake temple yesterday, and I am currently enjoying some much needed relaxation time.

As backwards as it seems on the surface, we sometimes need to stop and rest in order to be more productive later. Stephen R. Covey calls this "sharpening the saw." I call it remembering why I love all the things I do in the first place. To "renew" is literally to make something new again. We have "renewable resources" and plants that are renewed to life each spring.

This weekend has truly made me a new teacher, disciple, and individual. I like my students again, and I am amazed at how much more capable I feel. I'm ready to take on the world and whatever chaos may come my way. Oh, what a little rest can do.

So, take some time for YOU this week!

The Joy of Live Theatre

I have been a "theatre nerd" my whole life. I'm such a nerd, in fact, that I spell the word with an "re" instead of "er" at the end because I think it looks cooler. Sadly, I don't get to perform on stage too often anymore (unless you count standing at the front of my classroom--which often IS like putting on a three-ring circus to keep the children awake and on task).

Once a year, however, I get to harness my inner performer and direct/facilitate the student talent assembly at my school. I have been working on this year's show for the majority of January, and our performances were Friday.

I am relieved that it is finally over, but I LOVE this experience. Despite the long hours of rehearsal and sometimes frustrating complications of getting everyone in the right place at the right time doing the right thing in the right way, the thrill of hearing the applause when the lights dim at the beginning of a performance is like electricity shooting through my veins. The immediate response from a live audience is exhilarating!

Now, there are some potential downsides to live theatre: like the fact that you can't just call "CUT!" and get another take if the first one doesn't work. You have to be able to cope with whatever problem might arise on a moment's notice. The whole goal is to make everything look as smooth as possible on stage so the audience has no idea what chaos is ensuing behind the scenes. Here are some of the FUN problems that came up this time (these did not all happen in the same performance, thankfully):

1) One boy's mom forgot to bring his guitar, requiring a frantic phone call home and all sorts of speed limits being broken.

2) One girl lost her sheet music, even though she "just had it a minute ago". Thank you to kind mothers who can drive to the school on a moment's notice.

3) The tech crew tried to use a new version of one of the minus tracks, but it WAS NOT the same song. It's always bad when you realize that AFTER you push play. Kudos to a girl who kept going even though I know she wanted to burst into tears and run off stage. (P.S. - Thankfully, she got a second chance at the second assembly, and it went really well)

4) One of the stage crew members was standing on the mircrophone cord so the performers were getting stuck half way across the stage and looking at the wings for help that never came because no one could figure out why the cord was so short.

5) One of the microphones cut out even though it was switched on...still not sure about that one.

6) A girl hit her electric violin on the music stand she was carrying and knocked it out of tune. Two minutes of off-key Bach is not pretty... (Thankfully, that was during dress rehearsal, not the show).

Despite all of this, after the show the students received countless compliments about how well they did and how much they all enjoyed the show. So, I guess no one noticed the frantic use of walkie talkies. That's the joy of live theatre!

P.S. - I'll post pictures from the show once I get them from my co-worker.

Welcome to a New Year!

I've been a little absentee for awhile, but I'm back in the blogging game for the new year now. Here's a brief update of what I've been up to:

*I went home to California for Christmas and LOVED having everyone home, even if only for a short time. It's wonderful to be blessed with a family that I just can't get enough of. We snuggled during many movies, made a gingerbread igloo, and enjoyed some wonderful food! Here's the igloo, complete with penguins!

*While in California, we celebrated Oma's 90th birthday. Here's the whole fam--all 24 of Oma's living descendants--crowded around her. What a woman! I admire her so much.

*I've been trying to keep on top of grading at school while acting as adviser for the student talent assembly. The show is a hodgepodge of a bunch of different acts--everything from stand up comedy to modern dance to classical piano. I LOVE this part of my job. It makes my life a little crazy, but there's nothing like spending an afternoon bonding with teenagers over spotlights and blocking. The whole thing will be over Friday, and I'll be happy to relax after that.

*I'm getting a new roommate this week. Thankfully, she's one of my best friends in my ward here, so I'm sure we'll get along just fine. I feel so blessed to live with my best friends right now! --At least all the ones who are in this state and not married :)

*Speaking of roommates that ARE married, Katie Johnson (formerly Barrus) had her baby boy on Monday morning at 3:08 AM. She and her husband, Drew, were at my house on Sunday night until 10:00, and she wasn't in labor then! Apparently, she wasn't feeling well when she went home that night, and 4 hours later...voila! She had her first child! I saw him last night, and he is SOOO cute.

So, overall, I've been enjoying being social and having lots going on to keep me busy. Life is wonderful. Hope your new year is getting off to a great start, too!

I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day

Merry Christmas, everyone! It's less than a week away; I can't believe it. I have a request from all of you. Don't worry; it's not hard, and it will take less than ten minutes. Here's what I want you to do:

1) Find a quiet spot, preferably near a fireplace or other warm spot. (This part isn't essential, but it sure adds to the ambiance.)

2) Make some hot chocolate or cider (especially if you don't have a fireplace).

3) Watch this video. It's the story of how the Christmas hymn, "I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day" came to be as told by Ed Herrman at last year's Mormon Tabernacle Choir Christmas Concert. Ever since I saw this last December, I have been trying to find a way to see it again. I finally found it today, and I feel compelled to share it. It is a powerful story of what it means to find hope on Christmas morning.



4) Think about your blessings. When I hear this story, I can't help but be grateful for my family, safety, warm homes/cars/clothes, good food, a stable job, and all of those things I often take for granted. Finally, I am grateful for Longfellow's beautiful verses that capture so much truth:

And in despair I bowed my head:
"There is no peace on earth," I said,
"For hate is strong and mocks the song
Of peace on earth, good will to men."

Then pealed the bells more loud and deep:
"God is not dead, nor doth he sleep;
The wrong shall fail, the right prevail,
With peace on earth, good will to men."

A Christmas advent calendar... without the candy

As a child, I loved advent calendars--the anticipation of opening a new box each day, the taste of waxy chocolate (any chocolate was great to a five-year-old), and the thrill of seeing fewer and fewer days until Christmas.

This year, I don't open windows with chocolate, but I have made a habit of reading a "Christmas Advent Thought" each day. This article from The New Era magazine pulls together songs, scriptures, quotes, and a daily challenge. It's been a great way to bring a little Christmas cheer into my day and remind me why I love this holiday so much. So, if you feel so inclined, download it yourself. I think it's definitely worth the 45 seconds a day.

Here is today's thought:

“Despite all we can do, we cannot have a fullness of joy in this world or through our own efforts. Only in Christ can our joy be full. This is why the angel proclaimed: ‘I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day … a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord’ (Luke 2:10–11). We are able to have a fullness of joy only when spirit and body are inseparably connected in the glorious resurrection to celestial glory. That joy, of course, comes only through the mercy of the Holy Messiah” (Dallin H. Oaks, Ensign, Nov. 1991, 74).

“And lo, he cometh unto his own, that salvation might come unto the children of men even through faith on his name. … And he shall rise the third day from the dead; and behold, he standeth to judge the world” (Mosiah 3:9–10).

Express your love and gratitude for the Savior in your prayers.

“It Came upon the Midnight Clear,” Hymns, no. 207.

The Light of the World

One of my favorite things about Christmastime is twinkle lights. There are few things more magical to me than turning off all the overhead lights, sitting on my couch with a mug of hot cider and a blanket, and losing myself in the glow of a Christmas tree covered in white lights. This year, for whatever reason, the symbolism of light has struck me as particularly profound. Representative of the star in Bethlehem, lights are a reminder of the coming of Christ, "the light of the world." Light is often linked to knowledge and truth (hence the dark ages were a time where little progress in knowledge and truth was made). It is also linked to happiness (why do you think smiley faces are traditionally yellow?).

How grateful I am for the many sources of light in my life: books, friends, my family, experience, church membership, and most importantly the Savior himself. His teachings bring light to the dark corners of my life, revealing things both good and bad that I hadn't known about myself before. He teaches me little by little, allowing me to clean out the dusty corners and making the beauty sparkle more brightly. Slowly but surely, he brightens the light inside of me, until someday I will be like him.

An enigma...

As most people know, my guilty pleasure is books. Picture books, novels, comic books, cook books, biographies--most any kind of book, really. The smell of the paper and the thrill of knowledge yet to be gained brings an indescribable giddiness to me. For the record, I know I'm a nerd. Also for the record, I am proud of it.

Accordingly, no one will be surprised to hear that I wound up at Barnes and Noble this morning buying a book. I wandered through the aisles for the better part of an hour, making a list of books I'd like to get from the library and those to keep my eye out for at book sales. I had a little birthday money to spend, and I decided to treat myself to a book unlike any that I currently own. It's called, The Big Book of Riddles, Puzzles, and Enigmas. I bought it because I thought it would be a good end of class activity for my students, but I am finding that I am intrigued by it. I love testing my logic skills and bending my brain. To help you join in the fun, here's an enigma from the book.

WOLF, GOAT, and CABBAGE

Accompanied by a wolf, a goat, and a cabbage, you must cross a river to get home. Unfortunately, you have a tiny boat which only permits you to transport a single load at a time. Therefore, during each trip, you must leave two unguarded on the riverbank while making the crossing. How will you manage to get all of them safely across, without one of them being eaten (the wolf will eat the goat, and the goat will eat the cabbage)?

Can you figure it out?