On average, teachers spend $1,200 annually out of their own pockets for classroom materials and supplies.

In Idaho, the public schools budget was cut for the first time in the state's history.
My school took a 15% hit; all of our staff suffered a 3% pay cut.

We are expecting a 10 to 15-percent increase in enrollment this year.  And we have less money with which to serve these students (all of whom have special needs).

 

 

Please forgive my shameless plug.

Oh, and if you don't click the link, that's fine. 
But, if you feel so inclined, could you support my classroom through prayer?

This week, I stumbled across the a xanga post that left me feeling distressed.  The poster had posted an email forward/political essay, essentially stating that she (being a Conservative) wanted a "divorce" from liberal America.  I understood the frustration behind the post, as the two polarized sides of our political scene tend to create butting-of-the-heads rather than meetings-of-the-minds.

Despite understanding the emotion behind the post, I could not find a single point that I agreed with.  The premise of the post was this:  Like a typical divorce, the parties involved would split the assets.  Essentially, the "right" side would get all the Christians, the military, and the awesomeness.  The "left" side would get abortion doctors, Scientologists, Muslims, the homeless, and peaceniks... and I assumed since all the Christians were on the right side, the lefties were all going to hell.

My distresses are as follows:

1. Labeling those with whom we disagree does nothing to solve the problem.  It just drives the wedge deeper.

2. Christ's ministry was a ministry to the homeless, impoverished, and those abandoned by the Empire.  The Way (early church based on Christ's teachings) was based on non-violence, and redistribution, and community.  So, while Jesus would be ministering to the homeless and broken, his followers would be on the opposite side?

3. In responding to my comments, I was labeled naive, silly, and complacent.  Why is it naive to try to follow Christ's teachings?  I was told that I was taking the "let it pass" mentality towards sin and evil in the world.  I got the feeling that the orignal poster was concerned for my soul...

My gut hurts from thinking about this and turning it over in my head.  I don't consider myself "liberal," but someone said my comments "smelled of liberalism."  I am left pondering some questions to myself... How has American Christianity become so separated from Jesus' teachings on the Kingdom of God?  How can I better represent Jesus to people who are quite disenchanted with the way Christianity appears in many (but not all) mainstream, conservative circles?  Why is it so easy for me to love people outside the church, but so challenging to love other Christians who don't understand how I try to live the gospel?  How do people reconcile to themselves the marriage of militarism and Christianity?  (I might address the last question in a later post).

*sigh*  I tried to be respectful and I got blasted.  I tried to be reasonable and was called silly and naive.  I guess that's why it doesn't pay to get into a xanga-debate...

I hate to start my post with a cliché, but it has been way to long since I've posted.  I guess working between 50 and 60 hours a week will do that to my posting motivation.

Spring has sprung, which means more sunlight to beat down my seasonal affective disorder.  School is almost done, which means I'll have 2 months of minimized stress.  And, today was the first day of the local farmers' market (huzzah!).

So why am I feeling down?  (Don't worry, I'm not about to get emo on you, ... just maybe a little personal)

In December, only three days after Christmas and two days after announcing the news to our parents, I had a miscarriage.  Boo.  I was devastated, even angry (that's the grief cycle for ya).  Then someone in my family got pregnant, and I was terribly confused.  Boo again.  At this point, I was sad, angry, bitter, confused, and just plain exhausted from trying to navigate all these emotions, plus from the physical toll of everything.

One night, I reached my limit, and I finally broke down.  I sobbed, shaking and crying, and called out to my Healer Jesus.  He answered, and although I woke up the next morning with really swollen eyes, I felt a sense of peace.  Still sad?  Yes, but definitely more peaceful.

Now it's spring, and animals everywhere are procreating like mad.  I have two friends who are currently at the point in their pregnancies that I would have been.  I see their growing bellies, and look down at my flat stomach, and I feel a sort of emptiness.  I guess that's why it is called the grief cycle... sometimes you find yourself back where you were before.  And I don't really have anyone around here I can talk to about it.  So it gnaws at me. 

I'm not irretrievably depressed.  I am still happy and full of His Joy.  I guess I'm still waiting to figure out what the point of it was.