What's been happening?

Whew! I'm so sorry for not posting in forever! I think I might stink at blogging... Oh well, another topic for another day.

So, this will be a catch-up blog for the last, slightly hectic, month of my life. First, the Master's Degree. Well, I've found that, yes, the classes will come to an end. There were times this last semester that I wondered. This is the first time that I have had a class RIGHT after school. This occured on Monday and Wednesday evening. Sociological Foundations of Education and Advanced Reading Development have come to a close. PowerPoint has been used at full speed and my flash drive is a bit overwhelmed, but everything has been handed in. Now the process of awaiting the final grade. ONLY ONE SEMESTER TO GO!!!!!

In my classroom, due to a desire to improve instruction and a research project for class, I have started a new reading program. This program required the organization of my books into leveled book boxes for my students. Each child has his/her own book box with books that are 'just right' for him/her. They are really excited and I'm impressed that they can read for 60 min. each day! Hooray! If you have questions about this approach I highly recommend The Art of Teaching Reading written by Lucy Caulkins! (For you homeschool Mommies, this is probably a better approach for a classroom setting.)

And now for the rest of life, wait, is there more? Just kidding! Due to some recent required questioning, I've been searching into my own heart more deeply. Isn't it interesting that others perceive us is certain ways. In the past two years, I've had some folks point out (sometimes rather harshly) that I'm sort of a Miss Perfect. Ouch! What do I do that causes others to view me that way? Whew, I want to be open enough to let others see my faults. I don't have it all together. If you do, please let me know how I can get to that point. Hee Hee.

Okay, on a much lighter note, some first grade funnies:
1. Miss Ryder, do we have a college in Neoga?
2. Written by a student: Dear Santa, I hav bin a willy good boy!
3. Miss Ryder, you have worn the same hair clips for four days now. We're tired of looking at them!
4. Yeah, Miss Ryder, I think your hair would look better if you would put flowers all through it.
5. I can't go to school, I'm conscious.
6. Miss Ryder, I think you've lost your mind! (I hear this one a lot.)
7. During free time one of my students made a paper cell phone, complete with carrying case and the works. I made a big deal about his creativity. Later we were writing spelling words. The classroom was quiet. All of a sudden, I hear "ring, ring." The little boy had his cell phone up to his ear. Being the crazy teacher that I am, I pulled out my own cell phone and said, "Hello." The young man respondes with, "Um, Miss Ryder, this is Travis. I just wanted to call and let you know that I'm finished with my spelling words. Would you mind to come and look at them?"

My life is rich and full of surprising moments. Humor was our character word of the week last week. I'm thankful that we can laugh and enjoy life!

I hope you are all having a great one!

Jo

Content

It was amazing!!! What, you ask, dear reader? Last night I went on a wonderful date! It all began with a decision to venture to St. Louis, MO. After stopping briefly in Greenville, IL for a brief venture down memory lane, the journey continued with the first destination being that of the St. Clair Square mall. The establishment dripped with the icing of Christmas decorations. Window-shopping and people watching, ahhh… two of my favorite activities. The warm cozy fire and a perfectly seasoned cup of broccoli, cheese soup waited patiently at St. Louis Bread Company. Upon warming both body and soul, the journey home began. A brief pause brought a delightful Pumpkin Spice Latte. The sounds of Michael Buble filled the car as the warm drink slid down my throat. Yes, friends it was truly wonderful. No, I do not have a boyfriend, but there is nothing like treating yourself to a little date now and then!

Resting Contented,
Jo

Sharing Him!

I have been turning the idea of evangelism over carefully in my mind. How can I help share Jesus with a lost and dying world?

Christians, equipped with the given guideline or manual, embark upon the large task of sharing the Gospel with others. Recently, during a visit with a relative, I observed the interactions between a fellow believer and non-Christians. Rather than kind words or deeds, a haphazard, “God loves you!” was tossed to the hungry souls. Although I am certain that this dear believer was sincere, I struggled with this approach. I remember my college days at my alma mater, Greenville College. We did not have an evangelism specific class, but during resident assistant training, we were encouraged to share Jesus with others. After loading ourselves into a school van, we drove to St. Louis, MO. There, at Union Station, we burst from the vehicle, plan in our pockets, eager to share with others. Our task included locating some dear soul in the mall and having a conversation with him/her. It was a rather scripted conversation leading to the person’s goals in life and potential prayer. Please understand I am not trying to say that this type of method never works; however, in a recent viewing of a helpful video series produced by Dr. Dobson I found an interesting analogy.

Imagine that one of my girlfriends and I were at a gathering of some sort. We were close friends and I had met a young man at this gathering. Immediately I thought that the two would be a great match. I asked my friend to walk over and meet the young man. The conversation might go like this, “Sally, I’d like for you to meet Bob. Bob, this is Sally. Do you guys want to get married?” Wait a minute! This would never work!

When we ask people to simply pray and make the profession of faith, in essence we may be doing the same thing. There are definitely times of harvest when souls are ready to repent and receive, but there are also many stages in the process.

In my younger days I wanted to win souls for Christ, but frankly it scared me to death. Privately, with those that I knew closely, it was easy, but going up to a perfect stranger. Unthinkable! However, overcoming some of those obstacles, I went on two missions trips to both China and the Philippines. Both trips were wonderful and I came home a changed woman. Upon self reflection, I realized that rather than me helping the people of these countries, Joana’s heart was changed.

So, that leads me to the present. I must say, the daily grind is not nearly as exciting as a mission’s trip or full time ministry. No, sometimes it is difficult to treat my colleagues with love and patience, but I think that this is where my true mission field is. When day in and day out relationships are built and they see reactions to every circumstance, their hearts can slowly be plowed, molded, planted (repeatedly), and someday harvest will come.

I’d love to hear your thoughts about this. I have more to say, but the time has come to ‘hit the hay.’
Jo

Another Day on the Path

Yes, the time in my classroom is currently 9:35p.m. You heard correctly, I'm still here. I ran home for a quick supper tonight and came back to prepare for another day in First grade. The smell of little bodies that have been playing outside in the final, hot days of summer lingers here. I like being here at night. Bulletin boards look brighter in contrast with the dark night sky peeking in the window.

Sometimes the end of the day comes to a sudden and abrubt stop. Today was one of those days. We're trying something new with discipline. My plan had been in place for some time, but changes were necessary to comply with a new plan for a school-wide discipline program. This resulted in several changes in the way I handle the class. So, by the end of the day our freight train of new learning coupled with the challenges of a new program came to an abrupt end as the 3:05p.m. bell rang.

At the end of the day my feet were requesting a brief hiatus, my head was aching a bit and a faculty meeting was calling for my prescence.

Please don't misunderstand, I love what I do. Teaching, I'm afraid, is closely connected to parenting and there are some days that require more of me than others. I have the wonderful joy of having 19 boys and girls for approx. 6 hours each day. It is truly a blessing!

Well, there you have it, a glimpse into my life for today. Thank you for posting about your lives. It is good to look over at you, fellow traveler, on this pathway and give a little wave. It's closer.....I can almost see it.....One day we'll be home....Rest for our bones....Fellowship beyond compare!!!

Trust

I know that it has been a long time since I have sat down to blog. There are reasons, but I won't go into them here. Instead, today, I will choose to focus on the blessings of life...

1. I have a God who loves me with an undying love, giving me the only true hope that exists!

2. I have been blessed with a wonderful first grade class! What great boys and girls!

3. I have a wonderful group of friends and a great family.

4. I have my health.

The list could go on and on. What a blessed woman I am! Tonight I want to give praise and honor to Jesus for all that He has done! My heart is bubbling over with gratitude. I have entitled this blog "Trust." Each day I'm learning to get my sticky fingers off of my life and simply trust God. He is definately worthy of my trust!

Thank you for sticking with me throughout the long absence. I'll hopefully have some pictures from my visits to Cincinnati, Florida, and Holiday world soon. Until then.... Jo

Keenly Aware of Speed

Please don't fire me from blogging, I simply have been too busy to take time. As the end of our ten day camp in Mode, IL came, I became aware of the speed of time. When I was younger, I remember camp lasting for a long time. I am beginning to understand those who are older and wiser. Yes, time does seem to fly and I need to stop a savour the sweetness of the precious time we have with those that we love.
Why the dog, flightlight, and man? I had the joy of teaching the children at our church camp this year. Our theme was "Quest for Truth." Some of the songs were very precious. Sitting on the front row, watching/listening to the children sing "I want to trust Christ" brought tears to my eyes. Oh, how I hope that they give their lives to Jesus.
Faith Finders came to an end one week ago. It was sad to say good-bye to the precious children. Our last Sunday we had 25 children! We gave each child a Bible. They were all so sweet.
This next week we (Rachel, Lucas, and I ) will be heading to Florida. We're going to help Rachel move into her new apartment and we'll spend some time just "hangin." I'll also get to visit my wonderful friend, Kelli and her sweet family. I'm very excited!
It will probably be awhile before I report again. Try to stay cool! ;)

Pictures of Faith Finders and Trip to the Zoo

Lucas singing with the boys and girls at the trailer court.


Rachel telling the story!



Aren't they sweet?!!

Hee Hee Hee!

Faith Finders at the Municipal Building

The whole gang (front) Kelley, Ana, Caelan... (Back) Kelsey and Christian.

Ana taking care of the little goat. She made sure he had something to eat.

Watching the animals!

Ana, Kelsey and Christian on the swing! :)

After a time of slumber, the blogger wakes...

Oops! It's been some time since I last posted. It is amazing how busy life can be. Last week was a rather eventful week. On Thursday, my aunt called to ask if we could babysit her 3 girls. After confirming that we could, we made plans to go to a nearby zoo. To make a rather long story short, we ended up adding my uncle's two boys to the mix. The three Ryder children took all 5 little ones to the zoo, and what a trip it was! We had tons of fun and laughter! They all did a really great job. (I'll post a picture later.)

Faith Finders is continuing to grow! Some of the boys and girls have such sweet tender hearts. One little boy hugged Lucas and said, "I'm so glad I came today. My Mom will be so proud." (He was the winner of the quiet seat!)

My days are pretty full of a variety of tasks, but I've managed to pick up a couple new books.
1. Set Apart by Bruce Wilkinson
2. The Five Love Languages for Singles by Gary Chapman
Both have been very interesting.

Lucas is gone this week to a band camp. We miss him, but it is great to still have Rachel home for a couple more weeks! I have such wonderful siblings.

Hopefully it won't be so long before I can write again! Have a great week!

Here is a fun picture of the whole family!

Picture

Sorry, I had to move to a new computer to post the picture.

Hopefully you are having a good day!

Another Busy Sunday!

I think that Interstate 57 has some ruts from my tires. Sunday I traveled across it 4 times. :) It was a great day! We had 5 children at our first Faith Finders meeting in the trailer court. We had 6 children at our meeting in town. A total of 11 children! Wow! The children at the trailer court were so sweet and sincere! I'm excited about next Sunday!



Here is a picture from our church camp last year! Aren't the children so cute!

Double the fun!

Yesterday was our second "Faith Finders" meeting. We doubled our attendance. Instead of one, we had two. A little girl came. She was so precious! After picking her up from her house, we walked to the building together. She grabbed onto my hand and held it for the four block walk. So sweet!! Lucas told the story of Adam and Eve. Both Caelan and this little girl were very interested. It was great! :)

Today I've been working in my new *First Grade* classroom. I'm so excited! I'll have to take a picture and post it for you all when I'm finished.

I've been thinking, mostly due to the Psychology class that I'm taking, about my personality. I've taken a few personality tests and it seems that I am indeed and introvert and an idealist. Interesting... Although some may look at a personality test and then claim to be a certain way, requiring others to 'deal' with it.... I think it is more a highlight of some of my areas of weakness. Okay, so I'm an introvert. Does that mean that I shut out relationships with others just to stay in my comfort zone? I think not. So, my new challenge is to alter my personality. Now, this may sound a bit rash. I don't mean that I'm trying to be someone that I am not; however, I want to recognize and begin the process of changing.

Here's to a rambling post.... I hope you're all having a splendid day!
Love,
Jo

I've Fallen and I Can't Get Up!

Yes, dear friends I followed in the footsteps of my mother. Today was day two of summer college classes. I left my dear zip drive in the computer I was using for my Research class this morning. I arrived for my evening Psycological Foundations of Education class an hour early so that I could retrieve the drive. Upon exiting the education building I waited patiently for a brief recess in traffic so that I could cross the street. Some dear soul paused to allow me to cross. I anxiously began rushing to get out of the way. I tripped, careening my body toward the heavens. As we all know, what goes up must come down. I landed on my knees an promptly fell forward, landing/sliding on my left arm. Boy, where are you all with the video cameras when I need you? ;) We could all be rich! Well, I have some pretty cool battle scars. Hopefully the old wives tale of things coming in threes will not occur! Be careful, you could be next! Hee Hee!

Happy Moments in Stressful Circumstances

I don't even have the good excuse of a monkey on my head! ;) (I loved that one, Sonja!) I've blogged a few times since my last post, but I didn't publish. I think I was trying to be profound, or something. After a wonderful, brief chat with my dear friend, Juwah, I was encouraged to write about the normal "stuff." So, here goes...



Sunday morning dawned bright and sunny! Beautiful weather for a restful day. Ahhhhh! I jumped in my car for the hour drive to service. I read a story on the way...(Yes, sometimes I read while driving.) It was an encouraging story about a little girl who began reaching out to other boys and girls in her neighborhood. After many days of hard work and patience they listened to the storied that she told about Jesus and gave thier lives to Him! I also listened to a wonderful song by Sandy Patty. Okay, I have to admit, I'm not a huge Sandy Patty fan, but her song, "Falling Forward" is wonderful!



I had the wonderful priveledge to once again teach the wonderful children at my church. I'm so blessed to have such a great group of children with wonderful Mommies and Daddies! They were full of questions this Sunday. It's exciting to see their little minds beginning to grab onto truth!



Right after morning service, I drove back home. Lucas, my brother, and I had our first "Faith Finders" meeting. This is a new ministry that we have started in our hometown. For the past few years, my heart has been aching to share Jesus with these precious little ones who do not have positive influences on their lives. This past Thursday evening, Lucas and I visited several homes and invited the children to come. As I drove/walked the same paths on Sunday, I found several were not home and others were not allowed to come. As I rounded the corner of the last street I saw Lucas, expectant face smiling, awaiting my arrival with several children. This was not the case. We had no children. I sat down in our decorated room and tears flowed freely from my eyes. How could it be that these parents don't want their children to know Jesus? Was I wrong in thinking that this was something that we should do? Lucas stood and looked out of the front door. My Uncle, my father's brother, and his young son were exiting their vehicle. We proceeded with our plan for Caelan. We had a wonderful time. My Uncle stayed for the entire time. This was such a blessing, since they have not been faithfully attending church. Today, my Aunt called. She is going to bring her girls and some other children from their town. My Uncle had called her and expressed the program in detail, stating that his son had a wonderful time! Wow! Maybe we are in Neoga to reach our family! We can do nothing without God's help! Please pray for us, if you have the chance. :)

A HUGE THANK YOU TO THE HOARD FAMILY FOR THE LOVELY TREAT BAGS!!!!!



After our service, I went back to church in Salem. It was a wonderful time of discussion and fellowship. Two of the Gilley girls followed me home. We had a fun group visiting from GBS. They are taking Lucas to a youth camp this week.



We were getting ready to eat the yummy food that my mother had fixed when the phone rang. My Mom, in a rush to answer to phone, tripped and fell. To make a long story short, I took her to the emergency room around 11:00p.m. She broke her arm, close to her elbow, and badly sprained her ankle. We got home around 2:30a.m.



My parents are in the process of remodeling their house, so tonight Dad and I moved out all of our appliances so that the an Amish man can come tommorrow to redo all of the hard wood flooring.



I entitled this blog Happy Moments in Stressful Circumstances...



1. Micah Thomas praying in Sunday School.... I wish you all could hear him! It's precious! All of the children's prayers are precious, but he's so little! :)

2. Happy unexpected beverages from friends!

3. The fun umbrella hat for "Faith Finders"

4. Singing "Elevation" to the tune of "Celebration" in the emergency room with my mother at 1:30a.m.

5. A nurse with a great sense of humor.

6. Gas for $2.99!

7. My father laying hands on our fridge and praying that God would help us get the blessed thing out of our house in one piece! :)

8. Happy notes from visitors!

Until next time....

Well watered garden...

And the LORD will continually guide you, And satisfy your desire in scorched places, And give strength to your bones; And you will be like a watered garden, And like a spring of water whose waters do not fail. Isaiah 58:11

My life is pleasantly packed with a variety of tasks that are calling my name! Therefore, my blogging will be less than consistent. In fact, I set up this blog quite some time ago. After much thought I did retrieve the password from the long term memory files. :)

As I contemplated a title for this blog, one of my favorite scriptures came to mind. Several years ago I was in one of my rather dry spots when I came across this passage. Continual guidance. Thank goodness! As a single gal, I'm so thankful for a Heavenly Father's willingness to guide me by the gentle nudging in the quietness of life.

Strength. The King James Version says 'make fat thy bones.' Okay, this is not an end that I am seeking, but strength, awwww. Courage to push through the mundane and sometimes the insane! :)

A well watered garden...A stream whose waters do not fail! During my Junior year of College, I had the privilege of taking a 10 day hike through the Smokey Mountains. Midway through the hike we spent a day and night alone, fasting and praying. My leaders chose a beautiful spot for me. I was placed in a valley of lush, green moss. A bubbling, joyous brook wound its way through the bottom. Moss islands stood in the middle of this brook. I remember the awe of the beauty of God's creation. My deepest desire is that my life my be like a well watered, bubbling brook of the love of Jesus to those around me.

I hope you all have a wonderful and joyous day! I may come and read your blog, but it will be some time before I blog again. : ) Toodle-oo.