Silver Linings

A dear friend of mine
posted recently about
'Silver Linings'
about investing ourselves
now. in this moment.

What am I loving? Where can I invest my time? How can I be intentional with my time?

What are the silver linings?

• The 'expat' community - new friends that are making this transition easier than it should be.
• My Students - the ones who run up to me, just to say 'hello' because that's the extent of our common language.
• My new co-workers - their kindness and encouragement as I feel out this new experience.
• The beautiful people who didn't come to Korea but who comment of blogs, post on Facebook, send emails and make time for Skype chats.

I am not lacking in silver linings.
My hope now, is to honor those linings
those blessings
and give myself to them
with intentionality.

(Typed while enjoying a plate full grapes, tangerines, bananas and rice cakes after completing my first Open Class)

Final Friday

It's the final Friday of October.
Where did this month go?

This has been by far my most jam-packed week:
CouchSurfers
Masters Class
Chili Dinner with Friends
And today...
what I've really been waiting for
My Open Class

The day when other teachers
come to see a performance
hoping to learn some tricks for their own classrooms.

I'm not so much nervous
as I am ready to be done.

October was enjoyable
but honestly, I've just been waiting
for this day to come and go.

My Final Friday will look like this:
Teaching 4 grade 6 classes...
Lunch
Preparing the English Classroom
Teaching an "I can do it!" Lesson
Planning next weeks grade 6 lesson
And finally walking home.

What does your final Friday in October hold?

(Typed while enjoying a FABULOUS cup of oolong left for me by a recent CouchSurfer. It's made better by the fact it is held in my favorite brown bone china mug!)

Coffee Shop

I hear the sounds of
Kings of Convenience
About 4 minutes from our front door
at the OEC Coffee Shop.
I LOVE it -- the music and the coffee shop.

My favorite drink
is the Green Tea Latte

As I begin a Masters program
and continue to seek a peaceful place
to read
write
think
I will, I believe, become a regular.

***ing

Learning: How to balance on a moving, turning, speeding bus.

Loving: The colors of changing leaves.

Wanting: Brown boots, knit sweaters, scarves and leggings.

Needing: Parts 1, 2 and 3 of my Korean Love Affair. Because somedays are hard.

Thanks-giving: Good friends on this side of the globe. And the other side.

Starting: Masters of Arts in Education of English Language Learners.

Increasing: Korean vocabulary.

Reading: Everything is Illuminated by Johnathan Safran Foer

Anticipating: The discovery and exploration of a Korean Thrift Store.

Hosting: Our first CouchSurfer on Monday -- it's going to feel more like home

Praying: For the ability to be a good servant to my God, husband, employee, place in this world.

Writing: Lesson plans and blog posts.

Drinking: Rooibos tea from a precious little yellow teacup, one of the favorites.

Knitting

Watched some time lapse videos
Thought about my earlier post
Found this.
Enjoy.

Meditation: I

A couple weeks back
I committed to memorize.

Since the beginning of May
I've been reading
and reflecting on
Psalm 139

It 'should' be memorized by now
Yet, I have no regrets
It's been the most wonderful place for me to rest
while we've moved
worked
travelled
re-located
and begin settling.

I most recently worked on these verses:

13 For you created my inmost being;

you knit me together in my mother's womb.

14 I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
your works are wonderful,
I know that full well.

15 My frame was not hidden from you
when I was made in the secret place.
When I was woven together in the depths of the earth,

16 your eyes saw my unformed body.
All the days ordained for me
were written in your book
before one of them came to be.

These verses are THE reason

I connect to Psalm 139

If you know my personal story

you understand.

If not, suffice it to say

it is in these words I have

confidence

in my identity, purpose and creation.

If not, don't hesitate to ask

we can share a cup of tea.

Mid-October means I'm working on some new verses.

Psalm 139:17-18

I'll share more on those words

as I spend more time mulling them over.

Until then
~Grace and Peace

(Typed while enjoying a small bit of Angel-in-us-Coffee; Carmel Macchiato)

The Heart Breaks

Living and working in Korea isn't always
delicious food
adorable children
pampering haircuts and
festival adventures.

Sometimes it's discovering the
dirty little secrets
that make up a nation
a people
an individual.

It's learning about
suicides
shrouded by superstitions
of fan death
it's here, the heart breaks

about students
with disabilities
treated unfairly, as unworthy
such as dong-ghyu
it's here, the heart breaks

about husbands
and wives
living in separate cities
for the sake of a career
it's here, the heart breaks

about parents
and children
living in separate cities
for the sake of a career
it's here, the heart breaks
about the disappearance
of childhood
swallowed up by
the push and prod for
more and 'greater' education
it's here, the heart breaks

about discovering
we are all broken people
we are all breaking people
it's here, the heart breaks

(Typed while sipping Lichee Black Tea from a Brown Bone China mug)