It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year!

Inside Macy's

Serendipity!!

Nativity in St Patrick's

Rockefeller Center

I'm in the middle of packing so this won't be long but here's a little update on things...

Last week was the music show. The students did an amazing job and I was so humbled to be a part of such a great show! It was incredible to see the kids get up in front of people... not easy, especially for some of our students. One of our seniors has an awesome voice and it's so fun to be able to work with her and listen to her sing.

This week has been flying by-- it seems there are more things to do each day that need to be finished by the end of the week! Yikes! But, nonetheless, the Christmas spirit keeps us going and the week is almost finished :) My community-mate/roommate has been working on a holiday video that we filmed over the past month (staff members dressed as elves, santa, etc doing various things) so we'll have an assembly tomorrow to show the students the video. After the video, we (4 teachers and me) will play "Santa Claus Is Coming To Town" Bruce Springsteen style, and santa will come in bearing gifts for all the students... he gives each student a Collier High School hoodie! The administration at our school is very generous! I'm sure it will be a fun and emotional day tomorrow and I'm looking forward to all of it :)

Ok... I gotta run and get my laundry, eat, pack, etc.... Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to everyone! I feel incredibly blessed by the family and friends I have been/will be surrounded by! Wishing you a very wonderful holiday and many joys in the new year. xoxoxoxo

Reflections

I felt moved to reflect a little on the readings from mass this weekend.... I've included the second reading and the gospel, just because I felt more inspired by these two... here we go...


"Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. Do not quench the Spirit. Do not despise the words of prophets, but test everything; hold fast to what is good; abstain from every form of evil. May the God of peace himself sanctify you entirely, and may your spirit and soul and body be kept sound and blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. The one who calls you is faithful, and he will do this."
-1 Thes 5:16-24

Thus far in my life, I've found most situations (even the bad) to be good in hindsight. In the moment, it's difficult to remember this. Some things in life simply suck! I also believe that sometimes we do not get to see the good in our situations... the will for our life may impact someone else's life and we will never know. I know there are people in my life who have made such a positive difference in forming who I am, or have told me an inspiring story about someone else they know, but I may never get to tell them how much I appreciate them. Whether moments in our life impact us directly or impact those around us, there is a purpose for each moment. Therefore, "refrain from every kind of evil" and "may you entirely (spirt, soul and body) be preserved", for God is faithful :)


"There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. He came for testimony, to bear witness to the light, that all might believe through him. He was not the light, but came to bear witness to the light. And this is the testimony of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, "Who are you?" He confessed, he did not deny, but confessed, "I am not the Christ." And they asked him, "What then? Are you Elijah?" He said, "I am not." "Are you the prophet?" And he answered, "No." They said to him then, "Who are you? Let us have an answer for those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?" He said, "I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness, make the way of the Lord,' as the prophet Isaiah said." Now they had been sent from the Pharisees. They asked him, "Then why are you baptizing, if you are neither the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the prophet?" John answered them, "I baptize with water; but among you stands one whom you do not know, even he who comes after me, the thong of whose sandal I am not worthy to untie." This took place in Bethany beyond the Jordan, where John was baptizing."

-John 1: 6-8, 19-28

I was talking with my Aunt Bern about this passage this weekend. First, we talked about the verse when John says "He was not the light, but he came to testify to the light". Aunt Bern was telling me about being an instrument and simply being. She was saying that all we need to do is be still and steadfast in our faith/instrument and God will create the music. This gives me hope when I feel like I've failed to be a witness... It's so counter-cultural and at times 'uncool' to live out your faith at my age, but I have to be honest with others and myself. I truly treasure my faith and relationship with God. That being said, I often feel conflicted when I try to live my faith in a world that doesn't always support it. Soooooo back to my original point, I love what Aunt Bern said about just being the instrument and letting God do the rest :) (I've heard this analogy a hundred times but for some reason it really struck a cord with me this weekend)I was also moved by the rest of this passage because the priests and Levites asked John who he was... By the way he lived his life, they became curious and asked if he was a prophet, Elijah, etc. When they asked, he told the truth and stood up for what he knew. I don't expect that anyone will ask me these questions because I am definitely not that holy, but I can hope that the way I live is a witness to God. And thank God for His forgiveness because I know I mess up. A lot ;)

Anyways, these are my thoughts... maybe you were inspired too... or maybe not... But either way, I hope you're enjoying the holiday season and can take some time to reflect or do something that speaks to your spirit :)

At Christmas, all roads lead home. ~Marjorie Holmes

Things are getting very hectic here at Collier. Next week is the music show... All of the students are busy getting their songs together. Some of the kids are playing songs as a band (one student on drums, one on guitar, one on bass, one singing etc.), some are singing solos/in the choir. I took head shots of all the students in the show today and we'll hang them in the lobby next week so everyone can see who's in the show.

I started teaching health last week. It's going well so far! I have four students and they're all very well behaved. They're all quiet so it can make teaching difficult... it's tricky to keep them engaged. We've been talking about exercise and we'll probably move on to nutrition next week followed by stress management. Any teachers out there with suggestions for high school students? Comments and suggestions are more than greatly appreciated ;)

We are also in the midst of lots of rehearsals for our play in January. The students rehearse during school hours because they are all bused from all over NJ. Rehearsing in the evening isn't possible for some of them, since the bus is their only transportation to/from school (parents working/not in the picture/etc). Because the show is next month, we've begun rehearsing 3-4 periods twice a week. They get pulled from classes, but they are expected to keep up with their work. It's been really neat to work with the drama students... They're almost different people when they can do what they love to do during the day :)

Last weekend we went on a bed and breakfast tour in Spring Lake, a shore town about 45 minutes from here. The B&Bs were all old victorian houses and were all decorated for Christmas. It was a TON of fun!! I LOVE that stuff. Makes me reconsider design and historical preservation. Anyway, we had a great time with our support people and another teacher from our school. One of the B&Bs was chosen to be on Design star! The design was really beautiful. Here are some pics!

The next 3 pics are from Design Star rooms

Outside one of the B&Bs... love

This one backs right up to the shore... so pretty!

I'm soooo excited to go home for the holidays and see my family!! To be totally honest, I'm not sure how I'm going to visit with all of my friends. I know I won't see everyone I want to see. So please bear with me... I'm only home for a verrrrry short period of time. But we're having a holiday party at our house on the 27th so hopefully I'll get to see lots of friends there :) I'm just so so excited to see everyone!

Well I gotta run... I have chicken parm in the oven while I sit here blogging and listening to Christmas music :) Cider and rum while watching home alone is on the menu for later tonight... It's beginning to feel a lot like Christmas!