La Sonya

I went to the beach yesterday. I had been wanting to go for a long time. A LOONG time. It was great because I looked up surfing competitions going on this summer and found out that the Vans Surfing US Open was starting this last weekend. So obviously I went! To make things even more exciting we got up really early to get a head start and score a sweet parking spot. It all paid off. We were able to get to Huntington Beach in an hour and found a great spot by the beach entrance. Winner! While my friend went biking I headed over to the grandstand and pier to watch the competition. I don't know much about surfing or competing but I love it none the less. It only fueled my passion to surf and soak up the salt water. It was only the beginning of the men's trials that I saw but it was gnarly all the same. I was a nerd and even bought a sweater from the Vans store. Ha! I developed several more freckles during the day and my hair, sigh, was magical. Seriously, I lov...

I get lost in tiny details. Please don't ask for a tiny detailed play by play. It's too much for my brain to plan things out so finite. This is the burden I find in planning out lesson plans. In my classroom I have my own way of lesson plans that I can read. I don't need to put a script in them or a play by play of what will happen next. I'm good enough to figure things out as I go. Because of my background in improv and a natural ability to read the audience I can see if things are going well and change it in a moment. Also my own personal struggle is that I am also a principal and so I don't always take time to fully write out my lesson plans but I know what I am doing for the most part. Blech. Anyway, all of this is coming about because I am in a class that is requiring me to write out full lesson plans. No thanks. It's one of the reasons I avoided the Education Department all together. Over all I'm not sure I can make it much longer this summer. I am...

I'm at La Sierra these days. I hate not knowing where anything is. I find it frustrating trying to understand the way things are run at a new school. I just got used to things at PUC. I think the last two days I've just wandered around looking for classrooms, offices, study locations, friends, important people and parking places. Mainly I feel like I just wander. In case you have been on campus the last three days don't be alarmed by the lady who looks perpetually lost. I'll finally figure out where everything is by next Thursday. Until then just point me in the direction of the Communication office cause that's where my all time favorite teacher from Southern now works! Lynn Caldwell was THE best teacher EVER. EVER. EVER. She'll be around next week and I can't wait to visit. From here

A while back I asked a friend for some good book titles. One of the ones was Safe People by Henry Cloud. I devoured the book and took lots of notes and underlined lots of quotes. I thought I'd immortalize them in the interwebs for the rest of my life.  Here are a few of them. (I do recommend the book!) "Safe people, for example, admit their weaknesses. They are humble. And they prove their trustworthiness  over time." Pg28 We grow in part by confessing our faults and weaknesses to each other (James 516; Ecclesiastes 410) All close relationships hurt, because no perfect people live on the earth. 31 Love, however, depends in part on our ability to own and share our faults. The one who is forgiven much, loves much (Luke 7:47) 36 In a relationship, honesty is bedrock foundation of a safe relationship. 37 We were created for intimacy, to connect with someone with heart, soul, mind. Intimacy occurs and we are open, vulnerable, and honest, for these qua...

Sometimes in life I need to distract my mind from things. So to do that I recently decided to make a list of things to do the next time I visit Collegedale/Chattanooga. Spend unreasonable amounts of time and money at the Samaritan Center Buy cookies from Piece of Cake Bakery Eat large quantities of Chinese food from China Kitchen Buy a vegan pizza from that great place on the corner of Four Corners Wander around the Biology Trail Pay my respects to Dr Beitz Have an Earth Day/Birthday picnic (even if it’s not April 22) Gossip and snub all the changes to campus Visit Maria & Dean Sager (I tried calling him John a couple times but it was too weird) and ask him to cook something amazing while Maria gives me wisdom Visit the Livanos family Capture the Little Debbie factory smell in a bottle (but not on a burned day) What else should I do? Any ideas?