Love is...

Valentine’s Day was quickly approaching and there was one activity I knew for sure that I wanted my first graders to do. Our February Bible verse has been “God is love” so one day, I sat with my kids at station time to ask them a question.

Here’s what I said: “What holiday is coming up?...Yes, Valentine’s Day! What is our verse this month?...Right! ‘God is love.’ But now I have a question for you. If God is love, what is ‘love?’ When we talk about love, what do you think of?”

Here are some of their answers with no additional prompting from me: 

Love is caring for others.

Love is Jesus in our hearts and dying on the cross for us. 

Love is Jesus in our hearts.

Love is kissing goodnight and caring for someone.

Love is peace and helping.

Love is being nice and helping others. 

Love is peace and caring for others and not looking in your own interest.

Love is helping someone. 

Love is being kind and sharing.

Love is sharing food.

Love is peace and helping.

Love is kisses and helping.

Love is Jesus in our hearts.

Love is kissing goodnight and Christ.

Love is true. It is helping others. 

Love is life and Christ.

Love is sharing and giving kisses goodnight.

Love is God loves us.

Love is giving pizza and sharing pizza and playing together.

Love is Jesus in our hearts, sharing, and Jesus loving the world. 

Love is protection and peace.

If God is love (1 John 4: 8) then God is... patient and kind...He keeps no record of wrongs, does not delight in evil, and rejoices with truth. God always protects, always hopes, always perseveres. God never fails.  (1 Corinthians 13). 

                                                   

Discombobulated Thoughts

Discombobulated Thoughts

      Hello! First of all, I apologize for the lack of posting in 2017 so far. Every time I would start to write, something would interrupt or my thoughts would jumble. I am also currently on my third round of antibiotics since New Year’s for what was/is some sort of respiratory/sinus infection that just might have been walking pneumonia. Please forgive me! J  We are now on spring break and this the first actual  “pause” I have taken since December. 

   So… I thought about writing about embracing the “messy” parts of life, like building cross-cultural friendships, working with kids from hard places, or navigating tough decisions about the future without having my mom close by.

     I thought about copying my housemate Susie’s idea on writing about the verse that states, “How beautiful are the feet of those who share the good news.” Because, you see these feet?

They are almost always dusty, peeling, and mosquito bitten, and a little bit sore. Beautiful is not the word I would use for them. (And yes, I know that’s not what the Bible literally meant).

     But finally, as I walked home from school hand-in-hand with a couple of my girlies, I decided I would show some pictures of things that have made me reflect on what love has looked like the past couple months.

      Love is freshly picked flowers from my students.

      Love is half-birthday celebrations.

Love is notes from my mom.

      Love is friends taking you to get food when your lazy.

      Love is a “Sign if you love your teacher!” board.

      Love is fourth grade completing 100 acts of kindness.

      Love is chocolate from a stranger for loving on her kids when she can’t.

      Love is having personal hairstylists almost every day.

      Love is “Have you had enough water today, Miss Kacie?”

      Love is school supplies from pen-pals.

      Love is a picture drawn of my and student with the words, “This is me and my teacher. I love her and I know she loves me.”

      Love is long talks and Hawaii 5-0 with housemates. (We need more pictures!)

     Love is “Kacie! Eske ou manje ak nou souple?” “Will you eat with us please?”

      Love is morning hugs.

      Love is students praying for me and each other.

      Love is a “pixie dust holder.”

      Love is handmade dresses from mom & grandma for the orphanage.

Love is a happy face on my sidewalk “because you love everything cute.”

Love is this: