Sunday Thoughts: November 30th, 2008

“Our father's blessings are greater than the blessings of the ancient mountains”

Just a taste of home has made me consider the gifts and blessings that I have taken for granted for so many years: good home-cooking, friends & family, easy transportation, great fellowship, Monday Night Football, hot water from the tap, and toilets with water in them! We have been blessed with so many great gifts, but sometimes I wonder if we spend too much time focused on the gifts and not enough time focused on the Giver. Do we pursue the “blessings,” or do we pursue the Father?

An anonymous gift is never quite as sweet; we always want to know who to thank. The same is true of our Father. The blessings of life are never as sweet if we don’t know who is responsible for those blessings.

“Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.”

Why we are grateful this week:

1) This past week was extremely refreshing for Jessie and me. On Monday I had the opportunity to catch up with friends as we watched Monday Night Football. On Tuesday, we had dinner with one of my cousins, and Jessie got to see her doctor in Frederick. On Wednesday we had Thanksgiving dinner at Jessie’s parents’ home with my parents and her brother and sisters. Afterwards, we exchanged Christmas gifts, and then hurried to bed for 3 hours of sleep before we woke up and went the Dulles International Airport Thursday morning.

2) Our return flight to China was okay. We made our connection in San Francisco, and landed in Beijing on Friday afternoon at about 4:30pm. The turbulence didn’t help Jessie’s nausea, and she was sick the entire time. But we made it in one piece, and we were happy to see Tony’s friendly face when we landed.

3) For the Thanksgiving weekend the entire IECS team visited Langfang. We slept in Saturday morning, and around noon we played a game of flag football. After the game we all prepared different parts the meal, and 16 of us squeezed into our apartment for an amazing Thanksgiving feast!

4) On Sunday, it was great to spend the morning with the entire team as Newt taught and shared some words of encouragement. We really cherished this time since it is rare that we have the opportunity to meet as a large group.

Please continue to “think” about us:

1) Please keep Jessie’s health in your thoughts. She is still dealing with nausea. It has been difficult for her to eat consistently.

2) Tomorrow will be our third and final English club on the main Campus. Our “run-on” play will come to a conclusion, and Jessie will be speaking about the topic of “love.” We will go to the Western Campus on December 12th for their final English Club.

All in His name,
Brad

Sunday Thoughts: November 23rd, 2008

“For the wisdom of this world is foolishness in His sight”

Sometimes I wonder how wise I think I am. Lately, I have been reminded that my strength is weakness in His sight, my love is compassionless in His sight, and my wisdom is foolishness in his sight. However, it’s not my strength, love, or wisdom that are being questioned, but rather it’s my focus. It’s the word “my” that attracts too much of my attention.

“My” strength is weak compared to His strength. “My” Love is compassionless compared to His love. “My” wisdom is foolishness! In fact, I am learning that my weaknesses are much stronger than “my” strengths when they are in His hands. When it’s my weaknesses that are being exalted I can accept no credit; the glory is His.

Why we are grateful this week:

1) As many of you know, our travel plans changed at the last minute, and Jessie decided to come home with me on Wednesday. Our flight went extremely well. We decided to stay in the United States a couple extra days. Our return flight is now scheduled for 7am on Thursday morning. We will celebrate Thanksgiving on Wednesday night at Jessie’s parents’ home and then leave for China early Thursday morning.

2) My race went extremely well, and other than the bitter cold, I have no complaints. I finished in 9 hours 40 minutes and 43 seconds, more than one hour faster than my personal record. I placed 272 out of 922 runners, and now have the privilege of joining the “500 Club” for runners who have completed the race 10 times.

3) It was great to spend time with family and friends for the past few days. We played games, did some needed shopping, and ate good food!

4) We are also looking forward to spending Thanksgiving weekend with all of the other American English teachers in China. Newt will be visiting, and the other teams will come to Langfang for the weekend.

Please continue to “think” about us:

1) You can continue to keep Jessie’s health in your thoughts. She is dealing with daily nausea and fatigue.

2) Please continue to keep our travel plans in your thoughts.

3) The Monday after Thanksgiving will be our third and final English club on the main Campus. Our “run-on” play will come to a conclusion, and Jessie will be speaking about the topic of “love.”

All in His name,
Brad

Sunday Thoughts: November 16th, 2008

“And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the His glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever increasing glory, which comes from Him”

Unveil me? …Unveil me!

Unveil me to reflect your glory; strip everything away, and transform me. Everything that is of me, strip it away. Everything that is pride, arrogance, envy, slander, and folly…strip it away. Everything that is unclean, strip it away! Strip it away, and replace it with “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.”

Strip it away and replace it with those attributes that best reflect your glory. Not my glory, but yours! Please Father, less of me and more of you.

Why we are grateful this week:

1) We had a game night with students on Tuesday, and we had a blast. 11 of us played “Signs” and “Spoons” (with chopsticks!) for about two hours. It was good to laugh and play together!

2) Tony visited this week on Wednesday and spent the night. The team went to dinner and lunch with him and the students. It was encouraging to spend time together.

3) Friday night’s English Club went well. About 250 students packed the room, and Shannon gave an awesome talk!

4) Jessie had a great time eating lunch with some of her favorite students this week: Catherine, Cassie, and Lily. After observing Jessie and I interacting in our home, Catherine told Jessie, “I think that you are the happiest woman alive!”

5) The heat has been turned on in our apartments! No more cold nights until mid-March.

Please continue to “think” about us:

1) I will be traveling to the United States on Wednesday the 19th for one week. I should arrive in DC around 7pm on Wednesday, and I should be landing in Beijing on the following Tuesday night. It will be a quick turn-around so please keep my travel plans in your thoughts. I am looking forward to the opportunity to reconnect with friends and family.

2) Jessie already has lunches scheduled for next week with Catherine, Joy, Sally, and Danielle. Please be thinking of her during these times.

3) You can keep Jessie’s health in your thoughts as she is often nauseous and finds most foods unappetizing. She continues to feel fatigued and coughs a lot due to a bad cold.

4) Next Saturday Jessie will be going to the Philip Hayden Foundation with Peter, Shannon, Jess Shamblee, and Wil & Courtney Corder. We know it will be a great experience for all involved.

All in His name,
Brad

November 5, 2008: Dailiness

“I work daily. For me, writing is a nonnegotiable. I do not wait for the right time or the right mood, I simply do it. It is like exercise. There are days when our body craves it and it is a joy. There are other days when the body resists and each step is a challenge. Writing is the act of motion. Progress, even if that progress is in baby steps, is what writing is about. It is a place of transformation. Daily writing doesn’t have to be fancy. It is my belief that any regular practice is a good practice. We can all do it. All that is required is that we show up on the page.” ---Julia Cameron, The Right to Write, “Dailiness” pgs. 149-153

Dear Friends,

Over the past few months I’ve been reading a book by Julia Cameron about writing. I’ve been impressed at so many points by how her descriptions of the writing life parallel our Walk with our Father. In the last few days, I’ve been reminded of a concept she describes as “dailiness.” Dailiness for her is showing up, practicing, exercising, progressing, doing, and witnessing life regularly. It’s not about getting every word perfect, or always using beautiful techniques. It’s about applying yourself daily to a task, whether it feels good or not. I like this concept. For me, it aptly describes my Walk. Some days are downright rotten, and some days I feel like it’s effortless. There are dry spells, and there are times of richness and depth. Sometimes I drag through the valley, and other times I enjoy the view from the mountaintop. Yet through it all, I continue walking. Learning. Growing. Transforming.

What follows is a breakdown of our daily activities for the month of October. Please be thinking of us as we daily read and study our Books, think about our students, grow our relationships, and live a life full of “dailiness.” We hope that we may make a habit of applying ourselves to our tasks daily, like a runner training for a marathon, no matter the weather or the mood. We hope to continue the discipline of moving forward to follow our Leader, wherever he leads. Thank you for all of your encouragement and support.

Always,
Jessie

October Update

September 27-October 5: National Holiday Vacation

October 2: Hot Air Balloon Festival & Fruit Picking (Wayne), Motor Cross Demonstration, Big Lunch with Officials

October 3-5: Andy & Daniel Visit, Wil & Courtney Visit, Granola Baking

October 5: Chongwenmen All-IECS Meeting, Birthday Cake for Peter, Pearl Market, Xu Mei English Faculty Dinner

October 7: English Club on the Main Campus (Bubble Boy Skit!)

October 8: Peter’s Birthday (Popcorn Party, Gifts, & Cards)

October 9: Tony & Lily’s daughter Xi Mei is born by C-section

October 10: English Club on the Western Campus, Brought Danielle & Pan, (Bubble Boy Skit!), Taught Business Students about Table Manners using a Table Setting

October 11: Peter’s KTV Party (Allie, Allen, Jonathan, Carol, Forrest)

October 13: Shopping for Paint, Roller, Brushes, etc. with Cassie (3 hours!)

October 14-16: Took Sophomore Students to Yuan Chen Super Market for “Super Market Sweep” Scavenger Hunt for American Foods

October 18: Beijing English Club, All 12 IECS Teachers together, Team Meeting—Shannon Shared Her Story, Overnight in Qianmen Hostel (Allie, Allen)

October 19: Beijing Marathon (Brad & Peter ran and achieved Personal Bests), All 12 IECS Teachers together to run or cheer! (Allie, Allen)

October 24: I gave an Education Lecture to the English Faculty: “IECS Oral English Education”

October 25: Pregnancy Test Positive! Philip Hayden Foundation Orphanage for Special Needs Children (Felix, Laura), Halloween Ball (Dancing, Performances, & Jack-O-Lantern Contest)—Brad Performed a John Denver Song

October 27: English Association Club (Olympic Oscars)

October 29: Haircut & Wal-mart with Lily & Cassie (Shorter Hair Than I Expected!)

October 30: Lunch with Vivian

October 31: Brad tutored a math student in Calculus who needed to know some English Math Vocabulary for acceptance into a Canadian university.

November 1: Jess Shamblee’s Birthday—Dinner, KTV (Sunshine, Victory), & Cherry Cheesecake!

Weekly: Sunday Team Meeting & Lunch, Monday Meeting with Carol & Sunshine, Tuesday Girls’ Lunch, Tuesday Team Dinner with Students (Vivian, Forrest, Lindy), Thursday Team Meeting & Dinner, Friday Lunch/Art with Danielle, Friday Guys’ Lunch with Pan & Forrest, Friday Chinese Chess with Wayne (Brad), Friday Date Night

“Reality happens in daily doses. Writing gives me the chance to see past my first perceptions. We find ourselves witnessing life. We find ourselves learning. In writing about my life I cherish it. I value it. I see it. Writing is the act of opening the eye to the absolute beauty of ordinary things. That is dailiness and dailiness is sanity.” ---Julia Cameron, The Right to Write, “Dailiness” pgs. 149-153

Sunday Thoughts: November 9th, 2008

Day to day I wait. Eight more months! Who can wait that long? For me, it’ll just be eight month to fester worry. Do you ever wonder why we worry? I saw the first picture of my child yesterday, and a flood of worries came over me. My concerns were not for myself, but for my wife and the young child growing inside her. What will happen in the next eight months of pregnancy? What will our children be like? As I stared at the sonogram for the first time I was filled with joy, but later I looked at the picture, and I was anxious about everything.

I wonder how the Father looked at his children during the creation? Did he worry about anything? Did he worry about a creation that would not trust him, but betray him? Did he worry for his Son while he was in this world--his Son who would bear the pain of the world? Did he worry about everything, or did he worry about nothing? Did he worry about the loneliness that his son would feel in the final hours when no one would stand by him?

I’m sure I will learn more from my children than I will ever be able to teach them. I’ve already learned more about prayer in the first six weeks of pregnancy than I have in the past ten years, and it is my petition that I would never stop learning about the Father with my family. The greatest gift my children will ever give me is the fact that I will understand the Father better by being a father. As Thanksgiving approaches, this is why I am grateful.

I present my life and my family as an offering, servants to be used for Your requests, and my worry is replaced by Your peace. So day to day I wait. It will be another eight months, but I can’t wait to know Him more, and I can’t wait to meet my child.

Why we are grateful this week:

1) We had a great time celebrating Jess Shamblee’s Birthday last week! We had dinner at Jade Harbor (the Rainforest Restaurant), then went to KTV, and then we came back home for cherry cheesecake and gifts.

2) English club went well on Monday night. We sang songs, played silly games, and Shannon gave a great talk. I’m hoping to post a video of club by next weekend, after our trip to the western campus.

3) I had fun sharing some of my favorite movies with our neighbor Joseph this week, and Jessie helped her student Sally to prepare for an upcoming job interview.

4) Jessie and I went to Beijing yesterday for our first checkup on the baby. The hospital was great, and after filling out the paperwork we had our first sonogram. It was an amazing feeling to see a small child growing inside my wife. The doctors told us everything looks great, and we are scheduled for another checkup in five weeks.


Please continue to “think” about us:

1) We are counting down the days until November 15 when the heat will be turned on!

2) The semester is rapidly coming to a close. Most of our final exams are conducted like interviews during our class time. That means we only have about one month before our regular classes are complete. We do not want to allow this time to slip away from us; we want to make the most of every opportunity we have with our students.

3) Next Friday night we will be heading to the western campus for English Club! It will be the same club that we just organized for the main campus, but there will be many more students.

All in His name,
Brad

November 6, 2008: Dear Baby

“Get comfortable and then number from one to five. List five trite, cliched, and heartwarming topics that are very ‘human.’ The goal of your list is to come up with what you might call the ‘Reader’s Digest’ quotient, that is, a topic almost anyone can relate to. Choose one of your topics. Set pen to page and allow yourself to be detailed and human for one hour. Do not worry about being hip. Do not worry about being sentimental. Recall to mind in precise detail what is memorable and lovable about your subject.” --Julia Cameron, The Right to Write, pg. 192

Dear Baby,

Today you are only the smallest of things…a little ball of cells gradually becoming more human (and less tadpole-like) each day. Circulatory system, heart, kidneys, lungs, brain, spinal cord…dents for eyes and ears, buds for arms and legs. You’re not much to look at yet; in fact if I didn’t tell anyone, they’d never even know that you existed.

I know you exist. I am reminded every time I race urgently to the bathroom, drag myself out of bed with fatique, or struggle to find a comfortable position for sleeping because of my changing shape. I notice you when my moods swing, and when common smells give me uncommon feelings.

Your Dad and I are so excited for your arrival! I’m not even showing yet, and he kisses my belly and talks to you. I think he’s going to like you a lot. I don’t know if I’ve ever seen a happier father-to-be. He talks about teaching you soccer, and spending all his spare time with you. I spend my spare time reading books, studying the Internet, asking questions, and pondering your name. We can’t wait to meet you for the first time!

We are so excited to teach you all that you will need to know. From speaking and walking and tying your shoes, to the love your Father has for you and the great plan He has for your life. You will be an amazing child, with unique gifts and a unique personality. We look forward to helping you discover who you are and what you want to do and be. Whatever you choose, we will always love you, because you are our child—a blessing from our Father.

We are already making preparations for you, even thought you are only six weeks created. We think of you daily, and hope for your health and safety before and after birth. We’ve scheduled an appointment with the best hospital in town, to see that you get the best care possible. We’ve talked to my parents about staying with them when you are born next summer, and we’re trying to decide where to live and work next year that will be best for you and for us. I want you to know that our Father’s will for us is our first priority though, and we will go wherever he leads us. I also want you to know that your Dad and I will always love each other—even more than we love you. You are a dream come true for us, and a wonderful result of our love for each other, and our Father’s love for all of us.

I love you,
Mom

October 12, 2008: Sketching

Take 10 minutes to describe where you are and how you are. Sketch the room you are writing in, the mood you are writing in, anything delightful or interesting that catches your attention. Julia Cameron, The Right to Write, pg. 75

I’m sitting in our living room, listening to the Dave Matthews Band covering the Almond Brothers, while the college computer hums steadily. Brad clicks away on the mouse, and the sun casts the pointed shadow of my pen across the paper. It moves quickly across the paper, scratching out my seismic motions in neat cursive rows. A cat, and then two cats, cross the tiled terracotta rooftops on the other side of our enclosed garden. Jess Shamblee calls one “Pancake” and the other “The Mean One” because it bullies all the others. The sun already seems close to setting, and it’s only 2pm. It goes down early these days—before 6pm. It’s warm here, and a nice slow Sunday afternoon. Brad is haggling with videos and photographs that he’s trying to load, with a frustrated remark now and then directed at the ancient computer. The easel in front of me overflows with sixteen drawings, four photographs, and a newspaper article from the China Daily about a Chinese photographer. I’m in one of our two living room chairs, resembling a piece of lawn furniture. I’m wearing baggy blue jeans, a favorite cream-colored t-shirt with a screen-printed bird, and comfortable socks. My shaggy bangs are held back with bobby pins and a hairband, my neck is encircled my a necklace of pink, brown, and white polished stones…

Sunday Thoughts: November 1st, 2008

“But if I say, ‘I will not mention him or speak anymore in his name,’ his word is in my heart like a fire, a fire shut up in my bones. I am weary of holding it in; indeed I cannot.”

Sharing our lives with our friends in China is a little different! We can tell them about hope, love, peace, and joy. We can talk about the “Fruits of the Spirit,” and we can discuss the purpose of life, but how can we separate the creation from the Creator?

“For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him.”

I have found it difficult to share about topics such as “joy” without sharing about the One who first created joy. The same One who first smiled, laughed, and cried for the joy of his creations.

“He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.”

However, our words are not our proclamation, our lives are! Our lives are the words that we cannot use. Our lives speak when he are mute. Our lives reveal the “fire that is shut up in our bones!” And we share our lives so that our friends might know Truth.

“We loved you so much that we were delighted to share with you not only the Truth but our lives as well, because you had become so dear to us.”

Why we are grateful this week:

1) The student-led English club went well last Monday. We played games, acted like Olympic Champions, and I spoke about setting goals and having dreams.

2) There have been many blessings that we have been thankful for since we arrived in Langfang in September. Here are a handful:

• It has been great to have a new member on our team, Jess Shamblee.


• I have enjoyed seeing many of my students on the main campus rather than only seeing them on the western campus like last year.


• I have loved the opportunity to organize our own clubs on both campuses this year.


• We are also excited that our team has grown from four teachers to 12. We have been blessed by the presence of Ryan Bettwy, Jon Allison, Tim Phillips, Amelia Martin, Emily Green, and Wil & Courtney Corder. We also enjoy reading all of their blogs!


• Most of all I am grateful for the opportunity to share deeply with a couple of students.

Please continue to “think” about us:

1) I have been getting frustrated by the cold nights and mornings. It got below freezing at night this week, and we’ve still got a couple weeks before the heat will be turned on. We are still battling minor colds but, the good news is that next week is supposed to be warmer.

2) My math tutoring has turned out to be a lot more difficult then I realized. As it turns out the student is not a boy, but a high school girl who will be taking a college level Calculus class next semester in Canada. I will be spending Friday afternoons trying to help this student understand Calculus, and I will be spending the rest of the week trying to relearn Calculus.

3) Tomorrow we will have our second IECS English Club on the Main Campus. Shannon will be speaking.

4) Finally, as many of you know by now, Jessie is pregnant! She is about seven weeks along. We are very excited about this, and we are also happy that she is due in July, when we can be around family. Other than a minor head cold and a few random pregnancy symptoms, Jessie has been feeling great! We are hoping to go into Beijing next weekend for our first checkup.

All in His name,
Brad