In Christ alone,

my hope is found. He is my light, my strength, my song.Lord, thank you for the onset of another week. Please help me to trust you moment by moment - to pray without ceasing, to rejoice always, and to be thankful in all circumstances. 'Cause I confess, 'tis a daily struggle to do so as my noggin is preoccupied with teaching, behavior managing, planning, prepping, grad school-ing, parent phoning, professional development-ing, etc. Lord, 'tis my desperate plea - calm my heart and help me to trust in you in all things, regardless of what happens, knowing that all things work together for good and that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, 'cause your love has been poured into my heart through the Spirit who has been given to us. I am weak and can do nothing apart from you. Thank you for your endless streams of grace and mercy though I daily fall and fail. Thank you that though I am unworthy, I am declared righteous in you and that my identity is found in you alone. Thank you for the work you've begun in me that you shall bring to completion. Thank you for who you are and what you've accomplished on the cross, through which all things are possible. In Jesus' name, amen.

What students want to know about their teacher

In another effort to refine behavior management and propel student investment, I proposed to all of my periods at yesterweek's beginning, "If you guys keep up the good behavior and stay on task this entire week, we can play Teacher Hotseat after the test on Friday."

And, so, this Friday past, 120 of my ever endearingly curious 8th graders dropped slips of colored paper with anonymously scrawled personal questions into a mason jar, in wide-eyed hopes that their inquiry would be drawn per chance, as I selected a mere 2-4 to answer per class period. "If the question is inappropriate, I will not answer it," I forewarned.

That hindered them not, per the following bombardment of inquiries (incorrect spelling and colloquial language preserved for the sake of originality):

• How old are you? Are you in a relationship?
• Do you have a boyfriend?
• Who was your first boyfriends name?
• What race are you?
• Have you ever been arrested or have been to jail
• On a scale of 1 to 10, how cute do u think u r?
• Have you ever had sex?
• What other option did you think about teaching?
• Do u have a boyfriend
• When was your first kiss?
• Have you ever did inapporite things.
• how old are you?
  
• Ms Wong are you married?
• How old are you?
• How was your day today? What happened? =P Are you married?
• How old are u.
• Have you ever got lost or diched by your friends before?
• How old are you =)
• Why do you always wear dresses and skirts? Is it because you're a teacher
• How old are you?
• Do you play an instrument or do you dance?
• How old r u?
  
• Are you & (name of my only Asian student) Related?
• How old are you.
  
• Have you ever been drunk at a college party
• Are you married or are you single?
  
• Where were you born?
• is my beanie the best beanie you have ever seen =P
• Why do you wear dresses and skirt all the time?
• Why do you always wear dresses or skirts?
• Why are you so pretty?
• ms wong, do you ever wear pants
  
• Have u ever gotten married and had kids
• Whoe's ur favorite student?
• Who is the ugliest in the class?
• Do you live w/ your parents
• Have you ever been drunk at a college party
• What did you major in at UCLA?
• Do you have a boyfriend, if you do what raise is he? =)
• Are you married? How old are you? What kind of car do you drive?
• Where were you born? Was it out of state?
• If the class does good for a whole week can we have a class party at the End of the week.
• Do u love us :)

Apparently, we've work to do regarding academic vocabulary, comma splices, homophones, spelling, punctuation, verb tenses, sentence fragments, pronouns, and subject-verb agreement. And their insatiable inquisitiveness about my age and relationship status.

Fancying year twenty-three

for these two weeks past and counting, as my soul is counted free. 'Cause of my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, who mercifully gave his life for me.

For I absolutely do not deserve it, or any of the following, you see.From a dizzying doozie of a midnight surprise replete with confectionery creations and birthday paparazzi pizzazz,to a surprise dinner al fresco bonanza within a beguiling Westwoodian courtyardamidst a score of congenial chummies.
Profuse thanks for the gargantuan group investment in the spankin' new digicam, better known as my proclivity to immortalize memorable moments all the way, right away, all the time.I am beyond blessed by y'all, indubitably. Thank you to the gazillionth power. I shall proclaim my gratitude by snapping an incessant stream of snapshots of ya.Though I shall confess that fresh-baked sweet treat concoctions augmented to the celebratory cheer.Thank you so much, dear friend, for nimbly orchestrating a most legendary birthday.And, oh, the ohana is oh too good to me.The twenty-three me yearns fervently for less of me and more of you, oh Lord. Thank you for the gift of another year to know you and make you known. Thank you for this newness of life of which I am a steward, due to your abounding grace that has caused my enslavement to sin to be no more. This is my desire: to honor you exceedingly more than ever this year. Thank you for unveiling to me true sacrificial love via the glorious cross, through which I am daily convinced that your love is better than (all twenty-three years of) life. You've captured my heart for who you are and what you've done. Thank you for how you've molded me life thus far and for the nooks and crannies in which you've placed me. Search my heart, oh Lord, and abolish in me any sin that hinders me from fully partaking in your lovely love. Help me to seek you and your righteousness first with humility and utter dependence upon your grace. Use me for your glory for the furtherance of your kingdom I pray, amen.

A fairest of evenings at the fair

Due to life's circumstantial bustle of late (colloquially deemed "teaching in the trenches"), I've beyond bushels (of blog posts) upon which to elaborate. Though the following immortalized eveningtide is currently a near month overdue, it stokes the fondest of memories still.Fairly captivating neonlit fairground-fostered diversions and frittered fair farecirculated amidst many as a merry means to tantalize all tastebudswhich were both conducive to an exceedingly swell eveningtidealongside genial gents and gals at the annual Angeleno lair dubbed the LA County Fair. Till next year!