birthday project

My birthday is coming up.  Many of you who know me well know that I don't like to make a big deal of it.  And I have to confess that over the past number of years I haven't necessarily enjoyed my birthday.  The actual day makes no difference in the span of my life, but maybe it's the feelings of longing for more of life as one year fades into another that depresses me...  Whatever it is, I don't want to live that way.

I was talking with a friend here in Prague who put together a list of things she wanted to accomplish during her 40th year - 40 of them, in fact.  Some dreams, some ways to connect with people, some things she's been wanting to do but never got around to, some fun and random activities.  Her idea inspired me.  I love that it makes the year not another one to bemoan the passing of time, but to celebrate life for what it is and find joy in the moments.  I love that it makes it intentional and yet potentially spontaneous; making the year "full" in a satisfying sense.

And so I want to try it. I too easily get distracted by the mundane in life to enjoy it fully and even though I'm reminded every so often, I quickly forget.  I don't know how ambitious I'll be (so I might not have a list as long as my age!), but I want to enjoy the journey of the adventure it might bring.   And I also need YOUR help.  Because one thing I'm not good at is the brainstorming/ideas part.  So I solicit your ideas - how can I make the most of my next year of life?  Any suggestion is good, and if I can't use it, I will still love to hear your ideas!  Those that are less expensive/free are more likely to actually take place, but to dream of big plans is always fun, too.  :)  Email me, message me, post a comment on this blog.  In some initial thinking, one that will go on my list is enjoying a classical concert in one of theaters or churches in the city.  I'll post the list I decide on shortly after my birthday (November 14, for those who don't know)..

 Looking forward to dreaming with you!

I've got a lovely bunch of... beginners.

A few weeks I had the opportunity to teach Beginner English lessons to Czechs.  Now Czech people generally want to learn English, and these were no exception: 11 adult students, most of them over 40 (including a cute old couple), all Beginners.  Meaning they knew essentially no English.  Well, maybe a little bit:  they were enthusiastic about their "hello"s every night and most knew enough to say "My name is..."  the first night.  But basically anything we wanted them to say, we had to teach them in the lesson. Things like "Where is the milk?",  "The milk is in aisle 5", and "Is this an arm?" "No, this is not an arm.  This is a leg."  Fun stuff.  (And yet now I'm learning similar sentences in Czech.  How useful "This is a leg" will be in Czech, I'm not sure, but at least I'll be learning vocabulary!)  And then there was friendly Majka (pronounced like "Micah"), who at the end of the first night said, "Good-bye.  I will see you tomorrow.  Have a nice night."  What a fun surprise to be able to communicate with her!

I taught 4 lessons to them throughout the week, and though admittedly nervous about it, I actually enjoyed it by the end of the week.  Such a sweet group of people and I was so grateful for God's grace in calming any anxiety that could have surfaced.  Though it wasn't a perfect week, I've learned that the mistakes are helpful - they give me a goal to work toward, to better my teaching and to keep me humble!

Since then I've taught 2 more weeks of lessons, each night learning a little bit more about teaching English and about my ability to appreciate the feedback, as each night we were observed by a trainer and given scores and feedback.  A perfectionist by nature, I generally want to get it all "right" the first time around.  But as this teaching course progressed, I realized that somewhere along the way God has showered me with much grace, especially for myself. Grace to make mistakes, to be content with less than exceptional, to just do my best without being consumed by stress and anxiety about making it perfect.  I'm so grateful for this grace and the ability to recognize the grace.  And I'm so thankful that it's spilling into other areas of newness in Prague.  I can't say that I'm stress and anxiety-free, since this is most definitely a journey, but I praise God for what he gives as I need it.