Friday, October 27, 2006

Busyness

I got my glasses back today. Whew! I missed them! I made it through the last week or so with a seven-year-old prescription. The other day I was eating in the cafeteria (I often eat there to be among the kids) when a 7th grader walked in...

“I wonder why she is wearing sunglasses...”

As she drew near I realized she had applied her mascara a touch thick.

Golly, I missed those glasses.

So the ol’ (new) trifocals are perched atop the ol’ nose and I have returned to the blogosphere (you know... I don’t think I like that word after all).

-----------------------

But the lack of glasses did not prevent me from blogging. (Though it made reading small print ridiculously difficult... try reading a teenager’s devotional with a tiny magnifying glass some time for a strange experience.)

The truth is I am busy. Really busy.

Now I’m not complaining, just explaining. All of this is my doing. Here’s “The List”:

Six classes in five periods (the sixth graders get only a half of a period).

The Canby Virtual Museum --130 7th graders herded in the general direction of producing approximately 60 internet exhibits on the history of our fine city. So many connections to make between students and resources!!!

Lego Robotics -- Four, yes four, teams of middle schoolers creating, programming, researching, and celebrating (arguing?) their way to the local tournament in December.

The Ackerman Television Studio --a technological wonder of used and hopefully new equipment where students will be able to recreate any scene from anywhere in space and time with their own green screen editing studio built in a storage room and (hopefully) funded with generous donations and grants (cross my fingers).

The Lord’s Prayer --I’m still working on that large painting for my church.

AMS TV --I’m the executive producer of a weekly television show created by a cute bunch of cherubs.

And of course... Dad, hubby, home owner, voter, and friend.

I’m told that I do too much. That I take on too much. There are always small side projects... the video for Randy’s brother’s 50th birthday, the taping of Tammy’s dad’s retirement party, making this, writing that.

I don’t think I am that different. Our culture loves to run at top speed. We make a real effort at going as fast as we can.

One I first started estimating demolition and earth moving, circa 1985, no one was concerned about an estimate coming in the mail in a week. Then came the fax machine. With a year or so the bids had to be in that afternoon. When the computer finally came into its own it wasn’t about making things easier. It was all about efficiency and speed. “Do more in less time.” The mantra of the information age.

So I rush to work... I rush through the day... a long day (10-12 hours)... I rush home.

It isn’t supposed to be this way.

Did you know that hunter gatherers have the greatest amount of leisure time of any form of society? They do a little hunting every few days. They pick berries, mash some yams. They nap a lot.

We were designed to fit into the world in a simple way, a casual way.

We should be spending a lot more time watching the clouds drift across the heavens. We should be spending a lot more time looking at the heavens. We should be spending a lot more time looking at Heaven.

Heavenly Father... I love You. I want to be Your servant. But Lord, I could be a better servant, I could love You more fully, if I spent more time watching sheep...


My friend has returned from Africa. In that land of poverty and misery. He had many stories to tell. I am so impressed by their devotion to faith and the richness of their lives.

They pray.

It is almost embarrassing to say that our church has been an answer to their prayers. It is embarrassing because what we have given is so small, hardly noticeable, but it has enriched them.

We send the Sesay family of Lungi $250 a month. Asmall amount of money for a congregation of over 300 people.

PARDON ME... I need to interupt this post.

I started this post two days ago and I have not finished it because I am so busy. There are even more things going on than mentioned above.

I feel guilty for some weird reason that I have not been posting regularly... That somehow I have an obligation to keep up to date on this online journal.

The direction I was headed with the post was some philosophical/theological point about busyness and spirituality. I could push on with that... but I won’t.

I love all of you. Many of you I wish I could meet in person, squeeze your hands, look you in the eyes. But this is just a little journal of mine and hasn’t any real value I suppose.

I’m not quitting it, you understand. I just don’t feel like finishing this post. There are some things on my mind, on my heart, and on my plate.

I feel like writing a different post, but I’m pretty sure I can’t get to it today, probably not tomorrow.

So... I’m going to just stuff this message into this bloggish bottle and throw it out into the internet sea.

I’ll get back to you soon.

14 comments:

Anonymous said...

:-)

jel said...

Glad you got your glasses back!

take care! :)

Anonymous said...

Welcome back, C.S!

Have you tried multi-tasking? Teenagers are best at this, computers run a close second.

We had FAX at NASA in 1964.
..
Keep up the good work, blogging, teaching, and elsewheres!
..

Jim said...

"Anonymous said..." was me. I had troubles posting, then Blogger decided I was "Anonymous" when it let me comment.

Did you switch to Beta or something?

Jim, http://jimmiehov.blogspot.com/
..

Curious Servant said...

No... no switches. As for multi-tasking... I'm a master at it. Every teacher has to be. When a class is in session I am teaching, watching the three boys in the back, answering email while a kid's project is be demonstrated and graded.


A frustration is in other not pulling thiershare on the larger projects.

I've had insomnia for four days now.

At least being up in the middle of the night is giving me time to get more work done!

Gotta go!

Anonymous said...

Even your jumbled up not completely finished posts are enjoyable!

Anonymous said...

Hadn't heard from you in awhile, so wanted to check on you. Lost my glasses a month ago--it was NOT fun. I'm with you on the tri-focals..heehee...

Take good care. And whenever you can post is fine. We love hearing about your life.

Jada's Gigi said...

You sound just a tad bit overwhelmed...:) hope things calm down for you soon...funny how we feel obligated to blogging isn't it? :)

Ame said...

actually ... i love the way you "lived" through this post. there are so many choices these days, aren't there. so much. and the amazing this is that we are made with such complexity that we can excell in many of them! just not all at the same time.

so many choices force us to over-exercise the word, "no." that's hard. so much, it seems, we could do for the Kingdom if only we had more time ..... hummmm .....

when all along it's not our work God wants ... it's us ... it's our time.

i suppose every period of time thoughout history has found satan's creative deception keeping their time full and away from their Creator, but it seems more intense now.

how much more we need to fervently ask God for wisdom and discernment when faced with so many really, really GOOD choices - all of which, especially when isolated, we are capable of fulfilling with greatness!

my first grader has homework everyday. our school makes the highest scores every year. they want to maintain those scores. i know of at least two other elementary schools in the district which do not require near as much homework as ours from kinder through third (my only experiences so far.) the kids excel already in so many activities. youngest stays after school twice a week for tutoring - they make it fun and she loves it - but she is still required to complete the same homework.

oldest began piano in the summer and takes a lesson once a week with a practice a day.

that's more than enough. they miss each other. they love playing together. they love vegging out and watching tv. they love just existing. i let them.

hummm ... i was interrupted by oldest in the middle of this and i think i've just written a novel :) but i'm not gonna re-read to check 'cause i know you won't mind.

i wish i had proven advice, but i don't.

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