AFI Dallas

I had a first today. My friend and I attended a movie as part of the AFI Dallas film festival. Each year that I've lived in Dallas the opportunity to attend has been missed, until now. This year I was determined to take advantage of the local opportunity. What's the point of living in the land of cement if you don't capitalize on it's high points?

At about 11am we set out to pick up vouchers I had purchased earlier this week online. It dawned on me this morning that we might have to get our butts in gear on the ticket situation, or we might not get to see some of the movies that were on our list. Sure enough, the movie I wanted to see was tagged "close off" online. Unfortunately, I had no idea what that term meant, but it sounded bad.

After driving downtown to Victory Park, hunting for a parking place, digging around for loose change to pay the meter, and battling our way through the crazy wind tunnel created by the tall buildings (did I mention the small children who were clinging to their parents to avoid being swept away by the strong gusts?), we finally located the box office where a nice, somewhat unorganized man, proceeded to explain the process for getting into the movie. He was able to change some of our vouchers into tickets, but the others will have to be exchanged in a "rush line", which is a whole other situation we dealt with later in the afternoon.

Tickets and vouchers in hand we set off for the movie theater hoping to get into a movie titled "Whatever it Takes." I drove us to Mockingbird Station where the nice box office clerk looked at me cross-eyed when I asked her for thickets to the 1 o'clock showing of the movie. We were at the wrong theater (go figure). She said we need to go to North Park Mall and that we probably had no chance of getting tickets in the rush line because she had stood in line for a movie the night before with no success. So, with Negative Nancy's advice in hand, we proceeded a few exits North on 75 and made it to the theater about an hour before the start of the movie. We stood in line the entire time wondering if our waiting would be in vain.

I am happy to say the hand of God granted us entrance to the movie. It was a great movie. Following the first year of a new school in the South Bronx the movie documented, with great honesty, the struggles individuals face in the public education system. After the movie the director was on hand for Q&A. It was really cool to hear his insights. When asked about distribution of the film he stated that parents and preservice teachers are their target audience. They want parents to see that there are people offering quality education out there. The film offers preservice teachers the opportunity to see some of the issues they might face in what I'm convinced is one of the most challenging careers on the planet.

I truly believe that God is raising up a generation of people who are using their gifts and talents to openly spread Truth. The director and the main character, the principal, are both followers of Christ. The movie flashes back in the principal's personal history to reveal how God changed his life plan and career path from the pursuit of a high-profile job with Saks to a life-long commitment to educating youth who are underprivileged. It was a powerful, though not perfect, story.

All this to say, despite the run around and standing in line, my expectations for the film festival were not let down. Who knew I would have an overtly spiritual experience at AFI Dallas? God works in a amazing ways.

Isaiah 55

Haven't blogged in a while, so here's where I'm at....

Come, all who are thirsty,
come to the waters;
and you who have no money,
come, buy and eat!
Come, buy wine and milk
without money and without cost.
Why spend money on what is not bread,
and your labor on what does not satisfy?
Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good,
and your soul will delight in the richest of fair.
Give ear and come to me;
hear me, that your soul may live.
I will make an everlasting covenant with you,
my faithful love promised to David.
See, I have made him a whitness to the peoples,
a leader and a commander of the peoples.
Surely you will summon nations you know not,
and nations that do not know you will hasten to you,
because of the Lord your God,
the Holy One of Israel,
for he has endowed you with splendor."

Seek the Lord while he may be found;
call on him while he is near.
Let wicked forsake his way
and the evil man his thoughts.
Let him turn to the Lord, and he will have
mercy on him,
and to our God, for he will freely pardon.

For my thoughts are not you thoughts,
neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord.

As the heavens are higher than the earth,
so are my ways higher than your ways
and my thoughts than your thoughts.
As the rain and the snow
come down from heaven,
and do not return to it
withough watering the earth
and making it bud and flourish,
so that it yields seed for the sower and bread
for the eater,
so is my word that goes out from my mouth:
It will not return to me empty,
but will accomplish what I desire
and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.
You will go out in joy
and be led forth in peace;
the mountains and hills
will burst into song before you,
and all the trees of the field
will clap their hands.
Instead of the thornbush will grow the paine tree,
and instead of the briers the myrtle will grow.
This will be for the Lord's renoun,
for an everlasting sign,
which will not be destroyed.

Cowtown 10K

I registered for the Cowtown 10K today! Training starts January 5th. The race is the February 28, the day after my birthday. Don't you think that's a great way to start out my 28th year? ha.

Anybody wanna join in the celebration? You can register too! Consider it a birthday present to me if you do.

Happy New Year!

A New Version of Sad

Today I told my principal that I will not be returning for the 2009-2010 school year. His reaction was that of shock and disappointment. I guess that's a good response, better than indifference or joy. : ) It was one of "those conversations." You know, the kind you'd do anything to get out of, but there's just no way around it. I really struggle with people pleasing, and I know he had no clue this was coming. It was hard to let him down.

It's even harder to think about leaving the kids, though half of them will be moving on to 9th grade. They expect me to be there. They always ask, are you coming back next year? I'll have to answer that question differently this year and that breaks my heart! I'll probably end up crying in front of them and then they'll know for sure that I'm a lunatic.

Telling my boss that I'm leaving after next semester was the next logical step towards working as an artist and sharing my talents with a broader community. I have never lived life this way before. I'm afraid of what I don't know and there's A LOT I don't know in this situation. It's the perfect opportunity for me to learn to really trust God and allow Christ to lead me in ways I have not allowed him to in the past. NOT EASY!

One Holiday to Another

I sincerely apologize to my blog whom I have neglected for over a month now.

It's time to follow up on the sugar skull extravaganza. As you can see we had many a successful sugar skulls. However, I was lazy and didn't make as many colors of icing as I could have. It was an extremely messy undertaking and I decided to simplify for my own sanity. The party was enjoyable. I was especially pleased that Sheila made the trip over. She is a kindred spirit!

Thanksgiving 08 has come and gone. I am sad to see it go because I had such a memorable holiday. My good friend Tandy and her husband Dwight live in Anchorage, AK where he has been stationed in the army. He is in the process of transitioning out of the army and they are packing up to move back to Houston. When I bought my plane ticket to Alaska I didn't know if they'd be moving or not. So, I'm glad that I was able to take advantage of their last holiday there as I have never been to Alaska before.

The trip was a quick one, but who can complain about good food and good fellowship? I missed being with my family on the holiday, but I am so thankful that God has blessed me with friends who are as close as family. I could not have invented better people than Tandy and Dwight in my own imagination!

So, in honor of Thanksgiving and the spirit of giving in this holiday season I want to say THANK YOU and I LOVE you to all of the people that God has put into my life. You are the experience. You are part of the abundant life that Jesus promises.

So... I'm the WINNER! (and other sugar skull non-sense)

Ha ha. I found out a few weeks ago that I did receive the Teacher of the Year award. CRAZY! I was very honored and shocked. It seems humorous to me in light of the fact that I'm not planning to return next year. None-the-less, God is good and it's all because of Him that I've made it this far in wild and wooly world of public education.

On a completely random unrelated note... I made sugar skulls earlier this evening! I'm having a Dia De Los Muertos party on Saturday night. We're going to decorate the skulls which is part of the holiday tradition. I would have taken a picture to accompany this post, but alas, I left my camera at school. I'll be sure to take photos after they're decorated. I snagged this photo from the web link up above.

Adios!

Affirmations from God

While I was in Lubbock this weekend I randomly picked up a real estate guide. Low and behold... on the front page was a listing for a retail space with apartment units on top (exactly what I envision for Sparrow Nest). The address was 701 Broadway and I figured it had to be somewhere near downtown, so I decided to go and see for myself.

I found the building and slowly pulled my car over to get a closer look. The cornerstone caught my attention and I remember it almost like I was experiencing tunnel vision. I could not believe my eyes when I realized the the name on the cornerstone was "Stewart". CRAZY!!

Don't get me wrong, I'm not jumping to conclusions here. I have no idea where I'll move to start the studio. I'm completely relying on God to open those doors for me. I do believe 100% that the building was God's way of saying "stay the course... you're headed the right way!" It was an experience that will be forever burned in my brain. Thank you, God for this adventure!

On another note, I was nominated for "teacher of the year" by one or more of my colleagues. The leadership team at our school will make the final vote in the near future. The list of nominees includes some AMAZING teachers who have many years experience on me. I'm just happy to make the short list!