Friday, March 31, 2006

Spring Break

Need I say more?

posted by CP @ 5:19 PM 1 thoughts

1 Comments:

At 3/31/2006 7:16 PM, Blogger kate said...

wahoo, that's what I say.

looking forward to hanging with you. k

 

Post a Comment

<< Home

Monday, March 27, 2006

WHY?

When I was a sophomore at Florida State, my roommate and I wrote all over our walls. There were quite a variety of scribbles and when, as juniors, we came by to see who lived in our room, much of the marker was bleeding through the layers of paint we had tried to cover it with. I remember many of the things that were on our walls, but one sticks out most right now. In between the closet doors, vertically, Crackhead wrote in huge block letters, "WHY?"

That is the question of the day today. I learned yesterday that an acquaintance, a believer, had taken his own life. A 23 year old, who seemed to have everything in the world going for him, and who was literally in the same place in his life that I was 5 years ago. And so I ask, Why? Why does a Christian take their own life? Why did he do something that I, in the same position, never considered? Why wasn't his belief in God's goodness strong enough? Why did God allow this to happen to someone when it will have such far-reaching effects in His kingdom?

These are not theologically sound questions. I can give you a pat, theologically sound answer to a few of them, but that's not what I want. I want it all to be right; I want things to be the way they are supposed to be. I want people to really know the love of God; I want to really know the love of God. I want there to have been signs and someone to have seen them. I want all the hurt related to this to be healed, now.

I keep coming back to 2 things: But for the grace of God, so go I. And, as I was driving shortly after receiving this news, I heard a song for the first time. Though I can't remember the exact title, the gist of it is "Do you know how deeply you have been loved?" No, I don't. But, by the grace of God, I am learning. But why does it have to take suicide to make me see more of it?

posted by CP @ 9:35 PM 3 thoughts

3 Comments:

At 3/28/2006 10:38 AM, Blogger Laura said...

I'm so sorry about this, Courtney. I don't think any answer to "why?" will be enough, because someone is gone, and it's just not right. This world is so fallen and death is so wrong. One thing I know is that it does make us long for Christ and for Heaven more. I'll be praying for this guy's family and for you and others affected. 2 Cor. 5:4

 
At 3/28/2006 10:38 AM, Blogger Laura said...

This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

 
At 3/31/2006 8:35 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

WHY? - I'm still asking that same question. Hope you are well, Court.

 

Post a Comment

<< Home

Saturday, March 18, 2006

March Madness

I bet you thought this post was going to be about basketball. NOPE! More like the madness in my life.

Lately, I have been REALLY frustrated by a number of things going on at school. Fortunately for you reading this, I have also had a number of opportunities recently to fully articulate those things to people who actually have a chance of doing something about it, so you don't have to read it here. My principal asked me to please tell him why I was discouraged earlier this week. I don't think he was expecting the 2 page typed response. Now I'm pretty sure he thinks I'm a little unstable... Anyway, these frustrating things range in nature from teachers who are selling donuts in the hall at 8:30am when both they and the students who buy them should be in class, to more systemic issues like the fact that teachers who try to rise above minimum levels of competence are not only NOT rewarded for this, but even made to suffer for their strivings. If you want to know more, just ask; I am more willing to talk about it than you are willing to listen, I'm sure!

Anyway, when my parents were here a few weekends ago, they got an earful. They really do understand though, as they kept me in urban public schools (at least 15 miles away from any silos) and were actively involved in my education there. I spent sometime verbally evaluating the future of my career in education and the various paths it could take. Then my dad made a comment. He told me that basically what I am choosing between is whether to stay in the classroom where I KNOW that I will have an impact on the students that I teach and have a real opportunity there to change a few lives but not save the world and whether to go into policy/political stuff where I would have the opportunity to really change things on a wide scale and maybe save the world, but no guarantees of real impact or change.

How on earth am I supposed to choose between such options?! Seriously, any insight, comments, suggestions from you who know me well would be greatly appreciated. For now, however, I remain in my classroom, working to redeem my corner of the Kingdom, with the students that I love and look forward to seeing each morning, praying that the Lord will use me in their lives to not only change their worlds, but that he will change their hearts.

posted by CP @ 11:11 AM 1 thoughts

1 Comments:

At 3/20/2006 10:35 PM, Blogger jane. said...

* hope you have a rewarding day tomorrow.

 

Post a Comment

<< Home

Saturday, March 11, 2006

Dodge Neon

That is, the type of car I will be driving for the next week or so. Why, you may ask? No, not because I finally got busted for having had a 30 day tag, for nine months, but because I was awakened at 1:30 last night by Amy because neighbors were banging on our door to let us know that my car had been hit in the parking lot. Turns out, BOTH of our cars had been hit, along with 3 others, by someone who (clearly drunk) had driven off. The police and tons of our neighbors were out there when we finally staggered downstairs. Thankfully, there was a witness and they found the car parked a few buildings down and towed it. This morning, they found the guy and arrested him. I suppose he had to go to the leasing office to ask where his car was, thereby turning himself in. Apparently he was "very apologetic." Doesn't make me feel all that much better.

When I got my new car in June, the front bumper got a good scraping about a week later while it was parked. I remember thinking to myself, "Its just a car. Cars are replacable. Your treasure is in heaven" and thinking that having it damaged wouldn't be the end of the world. And it's not. But I still have this gross feeling in the pit of my stomach. Not to mention that of the 5 accidents my cars have been in in 12 years of driving, only one, 11 years ago, was my fault and in all 4 other accidents, the other driver has either driven off or not had insurance. WHY? A plus is I did get bumped right before Thanksgiving on the way home from work and that guy drove off and had no tag, so now that will be fixed...

Here are some pics of my cars. Amy's wouldn't upload. I'll try again later.



posted by CP @ 1:42 PM 4 thoughts

4 Comments:

At 3/12/2006 2:31 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

so very very sad. Can definitely relate to the car being hit by drunken neighbors in the night...glad they found the perp!

 
At 3/13/2006 10:15 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

sorry about the car. i guess it's a good thing no one got hurt.

 
At 3/15/2006 4:53 PM, Blogger Allison said...

yuck. i sympathize. once a DELIVERY VAN of some sort hit our car while it was parked in front of the apartment and though we filed a police report and there was one witness nothing ever came of it. I'm glad they arrested the guy that hit yours!

Neon. heh. I once test drove one in high school. Don't get into an accident with that one-- it's like a tin can.

 
At 3/16/2006 1:49 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

ah, court, sad! once i had my car hit at work...he chose mine over the other one, but i'm sure that's not comforting. well, at least you don't have to look out for cops the next couple of weeks!

 

Post a Comment

<< Home

Thursday, March 09, 2006

My Favorite Poem

by Walt Whitman

When I heard the learn'd astronomer,
When the proofs, the figures, were ranged in columns before me,
When I was shown the charts and diagrams, to add, divide, and measure them,
When I sitting heard the astronomer where he lectured with much
applause in the lecture-room,
How soon unaccountable I became tired and sick,
Till rising and gliding out I wander'd off by myself,
In the mystical moist night-air, and from time to time,
Look'd up in the perfect silence at the stars.

posted by CP @ 4:15 PM 1 thoughts

1 Comments:

At 3/11/2006 10:26 AM, Blogger kate said...

there definitely should be thoughts on this poem, so I'll share mine. I love it too. I especially love sharing it with my students, and seeing their confused, delighted expressions to read something that debunks the value of formal education. Good old romanticists.

 

Post a Comment

<< Home

Wednesday, March 08, 2006

Poem of the Day/ Week

I've started teaching poetry to my ninth graders. It is amazing the range of reactions I get from them when I tell them that is what we will be studying next. I LOVE poetry and I really want them to enjoy it as well, or at least find some poem that they don't totally hate. So I've been reading a lot of contemporary poetry of late and marking poems that I am initially drawn to at first reading. Here's one of my new favorites...

Did I Miss Anything? by Tom Wayman

Nothing. When we realized you weren't here
we sat with our hands folded on our desks
in silence, for the full two hours

Everything. I gave an exam worth
40 percent of the grade for this term
and assigned some reading due today
on which I'm about to hand out a quiz
worth 50 percent
Nothing. None of the content of this course
has value or meaning
Take as many days off as you like:
any acitivites we undertake as a class
I assure you will not matter either to you or me
and are without purpose

Everything. A few minutes after we began last time
a shaft of light suddenly descended and an angel
or other heavenly being appeared
and revealed to us what each woman or man must do
to attain divine wisdom in this life and
the hereafter
This is the last time the class will meet

posted by CP @ 4:15 PM 0 thoughts

0 Comments:

Post a Comment

<< Home

Sunday, March 05, 2006

the radio in my head

First, an aside... Thank you Bank of America for offering me a free home equity line of credit. My question is whether or not that comes with a free home?

So my parents came into town this weekend. Having them in town generally turns into a game of "eat your way through Atlanta." This trip was no exception. I ate enough that I don't think I will need to eat again until Wednesday. But, oooh, it was good.

As soon as my parents arrived on Friday, my mom handed me a present wrapped in Christmas tissue paper and told me that they had a late Christmas gift for me. Like a small child, I immediately tore into it, only to find a stuffed hippopotamus. Why, you may ask? While I was home over Christmas, I did quite a bit of singing along to the radio that plays in my head. Unfortunately for those around me, my head was tuned to The Hippo Song. My kind parents granted my wish, only a few months late. To continue the misfortune of those around me however, now the Hippo Song is stuck in my head again.

We had a good time though, it was a whirlwind of a weekend, and I only made them listen to me sing the Hippo song once.

posted by CP @ 5:14 PM 1 thoughts

1 Comments:

At 3/07/2006 12:52 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

props to mom and dad preston. what a thoughtful gift. i'm also in the corner of anyone who feels no compunction in giving a christmas gift in march. we need more of that.

 

Post a Comment

<< Home