Oh What a World!

A disturbing occurrence earlier this week. I was home alone - almost night; on the phone with my daughter.  Suddenly I’m hearing this big commotion on the outside, someone shouting, my dog barking his head off.  So I hang up the phone to check what’s happening and there’s a man at my door - no shirt, bloody or sweaty (not sure), and shouting for me to call the police as he needs help badly.  So I’m hesitating because I’m so shocked, and he keeps shouting, pleading with me now to open the door, so he can use the phone as he’s hurt so bad – he was beaten by some guys. Please, please ma’am. I’m still hesitating, and finally I tell him that I will call the police. So I turn away to do so, and I’m explaining to the police that there is a man outside my door who says he’s hurt, but that I’m hesitant to open the door. The police tell me not to open my door and they’ll be there shortly. So I turn back to let the man know the police are on the way, and he’s not there!  He’s gone! Apparently it was a scam!! And the police did come (within about 10 minutes) and could find him nowhere!

Now don’t give me credit for being smart!! What made me not open the door was that I am a rather finicky/fastidious person and the thought of how I was going to be able to clean the phone after the man was finished with it was what stopped me!!  And now today, I’m listening to the local news and the police are commenting about an increase in forced entries and advising the public, especially persons who are alone, not to open their doors to anyone they don’t know.

Oh what a world.  What was this man’s intention?  Surely it was not meant for good. Thank God whom the Lord keeps is well kept. 

Making sense

Sermons can be s-o-o long! Sometimes to keep myself awake I’ll read the “good book” (or some other good book)!! Jon Paulien in his book “Letters to the Thessalonians” (a companion guide to this quarter’s Sabbath lessons) outlines some steps to “get real” with God and other people.  These include the usual, such as spending time with God’s word, and practicing authentic prayer.  But what caught my attention was the suggestion to use some form of journaling.  According to the author, “when I journal, God uses the writing process to draw up the depths of my being in ways that nothing else can.  I can use journaling to pray, to record God’s answers to prayer, and to take note of the various ways in which God has been at work in my life.  In our search for authenticity it is particularly helpful to invite God to probe whatever areas of our lives He wishes to examine and to expose us to it in what we write.  Many of the greatest Christians of all time, including Ellen G. White, have practiced journaling as a tool of self-awareness”.  Hmmm!!

Another article from Priorities magazine (Year 8-September 2012) entitled “The Amazing Ant” stressed the necessity for teamwork and directs attention to the ability of ants to work together as a community in orderly collaboration and cooperation.  “Without this, you will lack the ability and skill to work in today’s globalized and integrated economy.  The lone ranger model seems to be a thing of the past, and now those who are able to listen and comprehend and communicate effectively with others in order to achieve common goals are in demand”.  Hmmm again!!

Now some things in my online classes are beginning to make sense!! The blog!! The team projects in each and every course!! Go HFU!!!

Keeping a Promise - Sharing a Testimony

Okay, so I live in the Bahamas but was not born here - I'm bicultural!  When I came to this country, I was 'adopted' by an older couple who just loved me and later my children.  When I was critically ill, they prayed and cried over me and fed me.  The husband has since passed away, but the wife continues to be my trusted advisor.  Now her daughter-in-law has just passed away from cancer - so sad!

So today (Sabbath) I stopped by to drop off some food for the family, as per the custom here. But I was also the Sabbath School Superintendent for todays program - a big day (Bahamas Independence Sabbath), so I'm hurrying! On leaving I pass a woman on the street, who is asking for a ride.  But I don't stop since that would make me late!  But as I'm driving I'm chiding myself for being unchristian.  So I stop, reverse (around a corner) to the woman and ask her where she's going.  In turn she asks me where I'm going - so I give her the general vicinity of where my church is.  So she says that will be fine, gets into my car (with difficulty - she has bad knees), buckles her seatbelt, and we start off.

Then she asks me if I'm going to the Seventh Day Adventist Church!  I say yes!  Then she says "You don't remember me do you Sister Johnson!"  O-o-o-h!  I felt so ashamed.  She knew me by name! I had to apologize!  She explained that she used to attend my church, but has since moved to another one.  That she was not going to church today, because she would be traveling later today to seek medical attention for her knees and was on her way to collect some money that had been promised her. And my focus had been just to hurry to church!

A facilitator in one of my online courses told me that the course would make me a better teacher.  Now I agree.  But it has also made me a better Sabbath School Superintendent and a better christian, because I went to church (on time) and presented probably one of the best Sabbath School programs I've ever done!  Lord help me to always be open to see the need in others, and to help wherever I can.

Keeping a Promise

Great - courses 2 & 3 are complete!  The new Instructional Media Tools was especially tough, but wonder of wonders everyone passed!  Thanks to the willingness of HFU and our facilitator to make adjustments to the course in response to all the complaints, otherwise the passing rate might have been dismal.  Another plus for online courses – their flexibility.  Y-E-S!!

So I’m talking to my son and I’m like, I passed! I got an A! And he’s like “well duh”!  I'm glad he has some faith in me :) but it certainly was not easy.  This course really necessitated us digging a whole lot deeper within ourselves.  Good luck to persons who take this course in the future – especially if it is combined with another course!

So far though I’m loving HFU and their course offerings!  Looking forward to what’s next.  Graduation 2013 or bust!

Punto finale!

End of courses.  Thank God!  The first course ended today - I submitted the cumulative project!  I hardly know what to do with myself now with all this extra time on my hands! (joke!) It's been such a constant going, going, going over the past weeks.  Perhaps I could get some needed sleep, or sit down to eat a decent meal!  Course #2 should end in 2 days, with the team project - unfortunately we are not quite ready!  It's going to be a big push for those 2 days.  Okay, so I understand the rationale behind team projects - building a learning community and a community of practice (interacting/sharing ideas/problem-solving/enhancing critical thinking skills, etc. etc. etc.), but honestly my feeling is still "Down with team projects"!  Apparently though no one in HFU shares this feeling!  But I find it is s-o difficult to correlate team projects and member roles in the online learning environment.  Someone has internet problems, or someone has another important meeting, or someone has to work on yet another submission for HFU, and no matter whether the allotted time is 6 weeks or a few days, the project always seems to get done in the last sleepless day or two before it is due!

Very interesting though to see the course reflections posted by fellow classmates for both courses.  Our facilitators must feel gratified, that despite all the noise and complaining, the students learnt so much, are appreciative and will use the new information and technologies learnt. (I'd like to continue to blog! I'll continue to refine my techniques for digital storyboarding, I'd like to continue to use mind maps!) Great job by our facilitators. They are the best! Yeah!  I'm looking forward to the next 2 courses, with God's help.

The Digital Story - another difficult thing to do in this intense, but interesting course.  Not difficult in terms of the technicalities, but in terms of moving me out of my comfort zone; something this online course seems to have been doing from the very beginning.  Perhaps this technology tool should be used simply to teach a lesson (as in a Science lesson), or a particular educational concept! Telling a real story about a real person (as myself) turned me inside out and drained me, making me question what I thought was me, as well as my reasons for choosing to do this online course.  Perhaps this is one more case of fools rushing in where angels fear to tread?

I had a bad weekend! I hate my job! I hate the students! I didn't want to talk to anyone!  I didn't want to blog!  I was wallowing so much in my pity party that I put my foot into the professor's little trap! Now he is gloating and I'm being punished with extra research on one of his pet topics! He's even willing to watch me struggle to find the resources on my own!  As if I didn't have enough work already! But fair is fair - if you do the crime, you do the time!

One of my favorite little stories that keep me inspired is called "The Cross Room".  In this story, a man carrying a cross approaches God and complains that the cross he's been given is too heavy, he can't carry it anymore.  So God tells him to take the cross to the cross room, place it in through the front door and choose another one from the back door.  So the man goes around to the back, looks in at all the large crosses in the room, returns to God and says "I'll take that little one there by the front".  And God replies "but that's the one you brought in"!

This is really what got me out of my pity party, along with talking with some good friends.  I'm reminded always that when I think I have so much to complain about, others have far more burdens to carry and they carry them without constantly questioning "why me".  I'm sorry.  Give me back that same little cross!