Live Out Loud - Adventures of a mom

I have been volunteering to teach English to a group of Korean seniors at a local church.  I have had very few experiences with seniors myself so I was excited (and nervous) when this opportunity came up.  Here are a few things I learned. 1)  Some things never change.  My students are seniors but it doesn't mean I will have to lessen my preparation time.  I found the lesson preparation time and the foundations about running a successful class the same.  Underneath this dangerous mentality, though (Teaching seniors will be easier) there might be a dangerous underlying false mentality, which leads me to point #2 2)  Respect the seniors.  Unfortunately, I think I live in a culture where the value of the elderly is decreasing at an alarming rate.  Truth be told, many people believe, perhaps subconsciously, that seniors are only slow, stubborn.  They might view seniors as hindrances more than anything else.  Though seniors can be these (but why highlight them only?) we miss out

The LORD gives his people strength;  the LORD grants his people security.  Psalm 29:11 (NET)  And I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature.       I want to do what is right, but I can’t.  Romans 7:18 (NLT) Dear self, I know you've had a rough week.  I  know it was hard to hear people criticize your work.  I know you are letting that one person eat you up inside out even though you know you should not let anyone, let alone a stranger, define you. But I also know that the issue lies way deeper than simply someone being upset at your work.  This was meant to transform you from the inside out.  That critique, dear self, was just the last straw that broke out pandora's box for you. ************* What was inside Pandora's Box? Insecurities about who you are.  And Fear - crippling, condemning, critical fear. You feel you are caught up in this web, unable to get out of it - but what is holding you in?  Why do you feel trapped?  Wh