Chocolate; By: Rose Bella

YAY YAY Chocyate
I LIKE Chock-yate
YAY YAY Chocyate
I LOVE Choc-yate

Blog Break

I'm sitting in a restaurant in Charleston called the Majestic. Their sandwiches are named after movies, they play movies, they have Hollywood memorabilia and they have free computers to blog on. My kind of [place.

We're on vacation right now and we won't get internet until July 9th.

I guess okaywong is on a blog break. =)

Frazee Center

Yesterday the youth group took a trip to the Frazee Center in downtown Greenville. The purpose of the trip was to help under-resourced children with reading and math skills. As I've found in many situations like this, the group that we came to "help" actually blessed us more than we "helped" them.

I didn't take my eyes off the volunteer teacher on site; he was strong in many of the ways I wish I was strong as a teacher. You could tell the children respected the volunteers - yes sir, no sir, was their reply to all requests. They waited their turn and stayed engaged for long periods of time.

It's not a myth that all children are born wanting to learn. It makes me wonder when it snaps in a person to not trust authorities anymore, or to lose hope in themselves that they can be smart. I wondered if that was reversable in my high school classroom for the better or even the worse.

One of the stories the teacher began class with was called "Beautiful" which featured a young girl living in an poor urban setting. The moral of the story was realized when the girl erased the graffiti "Die" from a neighbor's door because the girl realized that she had control to make some things beautiful again.

I'm grow more skeptic every day but the actual learning and growth I witnessed at the Frazee Center yesterday renewed my faith in the moral that things can be made "beautiful" again.

Super Rogers

Today as Rose was watching PBS and I was folding clothes she started jumping up and down shouting "Super Rogers! Super Rogers!" It took me a minute to figure out what she meant.....cute.

Hillsong United and Coldplay

Hillsong United are just like everybody else; they put their pants on one leg at a time. But when they do it, they drop gold records.



Also, here are my plans and handout for Wednesday night Bible Study on the Gospel and Power: Viva la Vida. Its the first of 6 studies on important Pop cultural statements. Viva was the top iTunes Downloads a week back.

Other topics to come via student popularity:

Napoleon Dynamite
High School Musical
Star Wars Trilogy

Country Strong

Was listening to the Official Granger Community Church Podcast featuring the Official Dr. Bob speaking a Thursday nigh New Community.

"It's 7:28 beloved, do you know where your Bibles are?"

He shared a story about a Whitesox batter - if you're a fan he was left-handed and had an open stance and used to point at the batter while warming up.

The announcer said that he was "country strong".

Instead of city strong? replied the other announcer.

That's right. The difference between country strong and city strong is that you have to do real work for country strength. You have to bale hay, cut down trees, shovel earth, and all the other things country people do. City people can only get strong in a gym staring at the wall or with the use of chemicals. Country strength, unlike city strength stays with you forever.

I think Dr. Bob is on to something.

You Go Girl

Some of you know my sister-in-law Ashley. Lately I've been suspecting her of having super powers.

Friday she got her dentistry liscense at noon and filled two teeth before coming home and helping set up the garage sale for the Ark Ministries. The next morning she was bumping and bruising with the rest of the fellas, helping us move house. Then she ran a 5K street race at 9:00pm?

What?!

She bought us bagels after church just to top it off plus made salmon for dinner tonight. Seriously, what juice is that girl drinking?

Do your thing boo.

Home sweet home

Kyra and I closed on our first home today. It was a blessing to see Rose RUN into the house and twirl around saying, "Look! I like my new HOUSE!"

Our prayers were for:

• our home to be a place of love and safety for our children.
• security in the structure and longevity of the house.
• that we would know and love our neighbors well.

You can see more photos of the house here.

Student Life 2008

Been at camp for the past 4 days. The constant coat of dirt and sweat makes me feel like I'm back IN middle school. There are many good things that have been going on which I probably won't ever get to blog about but my favorite story...

Dustin and I were at the Youth Pastor meeting when this woman approached me:

Her: Hey, how's it going? I'm Sandy Sanderton from Sandterton Church. I was wondering if you had the tabs for "Your grace is enough".

Oliver thinking: I just met her I don't know how she knows I can play guitar.

Oliver: Sure!

Her: Because we have really loved you guys playing that song this week and we have some talented musicians coming in next week and we really want them to play that song.

Oliver thinking: She does NOT realize that I'm not the Asian violin player from Todd Agnew's band.

Dustin leaves because he can't hold in the laughter

Oliver: Oh, ....um..... yup, just write down your e-mail and I'll give it to Todd.

Hey, you would have done the same thing.

Father's Day Across the World

In honor of Father's Day I'm posting the translation for father in 108 languages:

* Afrikaans : vader
* Albanian : baba ; atë
* Apalai (Amazon) : papa
* Arabic : babba ; yebba ; abbi (classical)
* Aragones : pai
* Bangla : Baba ; Abba
* Basque : aita
* Bolognese : pèder
* Bosnian : otac
* Brazilian Portuguese : pai
* Calabrese : patre ; patri ; pa ; papà ; papallu ; patra
* Caló : batú ; bato ; batico ; dadá
* Catalan : pare
* Catanese : pattri ; opà
* Chechen (Caucasus) : daa
* Chechen : da
*Chinese : baba
* Cree (Canada) : -papa
* Croatian : otac
* Czech : táta, otec
* Dakota (USA) : ate
* Dutch : vader ; papa ; pappie
* East African : baba
* English : father ; dad ; daddy ; pop ; poppa ; papa
* Esperanto : patro
* Estonian : isa
* Faeroese : faðir
* Filipino : tatay, itay, tay ; ama
* Finnish : isä
* Flemish : vader
* French : papa
* Frisian : heit
* Galician : pai
* German : banketi, Papi
* Griko Salentino : ciúri
* Guaran : túva ; ru
* Hebrew : abba(h)
* Hindi : Papa ; Pita-ji
* Hungarian : apa
* Hungarian : apa ; apu ; papa ; édesapa
* Icelandic : pabbi ; faðir
* Indonesian : bapa ; ayah ; pak
* Irish : athair ; daidí
* Italian : babbo
* Japanese : otosan, papa
* Judeo-Spanish : padre ; baba ; babu
* Kobon (New Guinea) : bap
* Kurdish Kurmanji : bav
* Ladin : pere
* Latin : pater ; papa ; atta
* Latvian : tevs
* Limburgian : vader ; vajer ; pap
* Lithuanian : tevas ; pradininkas ; protevis
* Lombardo Occidentale : bubà
* Luo (Kenya) : baba
* Maasai : papa ; paapa ; olaiiu
* Malagasy : ray
* Malay : bapa
* Malay : bapa
* Maltese : missier
* Mandarin : bà ; bàba (informal)
* Mandarin Chinese : baba
* Mantuan : upà ; papà ; babbo
* Maori : haakoro ; kohake
* Mapunzugun : chaw ; chao
* Modern Greek : babbas
* Moravian : tata
* Mudnés : pèder
* Nadsat : Pee
* Nahuatl (Mexico) : ta’
* Napulitano : pate
* Nepali : buwa
* Norwegian : pappa ; far
* Persian/Farsi : pedar, pitar ; simply Baabaa
* Pipil (El Salvador) : tatah
* Polish : tata ; ojciec
* Portuguese : pai
* Quechua (Ecuador) : tayta
* Quechua : tata ; churiyaqe
* Romagnolo : bà
* Romani : dad
* Romanian : tata
* Romanian : tata ; parinte ; taica
* Romansh : bab
* Russian : papa
* Samoan : tama
* Sango : baba
* Sanskrit : tàtah ; janak
* Sardinian (Limba Sarda Unificada) : babu
* Sardinian Campidanesu : babbu
* Sardinian Logudoresu : babbu
* Shona : baba
* Sicilian : patri
* Slovak : otec
* Slovenian : ôèe
* Spanish : papá ; viejo ; tata
* Swahili : baba ; mzazi
* Swedish : pappa
* Swiss German : Vatter
* Tagalog : tatay ; ama
* Turkish : baba
* Turkmen : däde ; kaka
* Urdu : Abbu ; Abbu-ji ; Abbu-jan ; bap
* Valencian : pare
* Venetian : pare ; popà ; 'opà ; pupà ; papà
* Welsh : tad
* Xhosa (South Africa) : -tata
* Yiddish : tatti ; tay ; foter ; tateh
* Zeneize : poæ

Rose

We just got done celebrating Rose's second birthday party. I have to agree with Kyra that kids grow up VERY fast. Here are some of my favorite moments from Rose's first three birthday - I'm pretty sure that according to the Chinese she actually IS three today.

From the time she was born Rose has been sweet and brought joy to our lives. We prayed before we ate and thanked God for her safety and health and asked that He would make her rich in all ways for birthdays to come. I think she had a great time.

How to Kill a Lion

Mark Batterson uses an obscure passage from scripture to illustrate the possibility of finding purpose in our greatest challenges and fears.

While reading, I'm reminded how odd it is that we tame and control lions in the first place. As a child, my parents had to EXPLAIN to me that man would invent tools and weapons to confront beasts such as these and thereby enforce the rule of nature that an intuitive mind will always overcome brute strength and raw instinct.

Today, this book is helping me realize that if our fears and failures are our greatest "lions", then the only weapon we have/need is preparation, not strength.

I know this sounds askew at first. There is a man in the desert that confronts a lion. The lion can run at 30 miles/hr. and leap up to 30 feet. The man doesn't stand a chance. Reverse this confrontation to 6 months ago. Provided the man knew he would soon come to terms with a lion he might fashion a weapon (preferably a gun). Now the lion doesn't stand a chance.

Among other things, teaching has taught me to prepare for things. I've found it helpful lately to spend a good deal of time praying over the week/day/month. I've been visualizing who I will see and what I will do. This time has helped me plan with God - or perhaps allow God to plan for me - to make my actions and choices more prepared and reviewed than instinctual.

Lions will always win in terms of instinct and reaction. Pro-action is my only chance.

Measuring Up

I took Rose and Leo to the pediatrician yesterday for their 2 month and 2 year check-ups.

Rose is now 2.5 ft tall and 31 lbs. BIG girl! And little Leo is now 12.5 lbs.

When Rose was a newborn many parents would stop to look at her and often say to me "enjoy these times, they go by fast!" How absolutely true...

iPhone

Apple has just announced it will release a faster and cheaper version of the Apple iPhone in July. The new phone will carry 8 Gigs and cost $199 down from $599.

My thoughts:

1. How has a company managed to make me want something that I don't need so much?
2. How fast is this "Every mode of information, media and data" stored in ONE device thing actually arriving?
3. Will you buy me one?
4. I think they choose hand models for these things because the MOST amount of people in the target audience either have hands that look like the ad or want hands that look like that ad.
1. I frankly have neither and this guys fingernails have ALWAYS grossed me out. Anyone with me?

Myyalahooo hoooo

Success

In the three years since Oliver and I have been married we have had seven jobs between us, two college graduations, two children, our income level had changed from working poor to middle class back to working poor, and we are about to move for the seventh time. It has been the best and most trying time of our lives and I wouldn't take a day back. Sometimes though I wonder if we've fallen behind too far or just flat out failed in some areas. I came across this quote today and was encouraged. I hope you find renewed confidence and strength by it also.

"The person who succeeds is not the one who holds back, fearing failure, nor the one who never fails - but rather the one who moves on in spite of failure."
Growing Strong in the Seasons of Life, p370

Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and your plans will succeed. Proverbs 16:3
being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. Philipians 1:6

It's Business Time

Zoo

I love doing stuff with Rose because a lot of the time its the first time she has ever tried it. You should have seen her face when we first saw the giraffes.

Da alook adat!

What is that Rose?

Adon know!


Although I'm going back for summer work Monday I think the summer has officially begun! I mean, for one, it's hot as the dickens. Plus, my AP training course got canceled at USC Upstate which gives us a couple more days in July to play with.

We'll be moving into our new house soon. I'm excited about friends and family visiting. Much to be thankful for.








If you too are enjoying summer vacation and have some time to read check out my Dad's blog. Mostly legal/political issues and I'm sure strongly opinionated =) and well written as always.

Anyways, happy summer. Call me.

Rose and Mommy

These are the loves of my life. The puzzle you see Rosie working on she can COMPLETE by HERSELF. This is appauling for me because I suck at puzzles.

Seriously, she get's it from her mom.

The reason why Rosie is so verbal, emotionally aware, and creative is because her mom talks to her. From the moment Rose wakes up in the morning Kyra is WITH her. Kyra responds and dialogues with Rose. She speaks a couple levels above her head - slowly - and gives Rose the confidence she needs to try things on her own.

Kyra listens to Rosie and praises her enough that when she is corrected, Rose doesn't wonder if she is loved. She knows she is great and has value because Kyra values her.

I'm so proud to be part of their family.

New Pics

Our camera has been broken but we borrowed Papa Bears!

Hot Pocket

Well our specials tonight are a Chilean Sea Bass which is cooked over an open flame and a Hot Pocket cooked in a dirty microwave. The center is frozen solid and the rest is lava hot.

- Jim Gaffigan

Google

Shhhh , no one tell Google but if they started charging me $29.99 a month to use all of their services I would happily pay.

Most recently I've discovered that Google offers something called Google Apps which allows members of a domain collaboratively work on documents, produce a web site, syncronize calendars and more. This is perfect for our teaching teams at Southside High School.

Spent some of the weekend drafting a site for next years Freshman Academy. Pretty Stoked.