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Monday, September 16, 2013

Personal Relationships & Reflections Part 2


I wrote a few months back about how hard it was going to be to be the boss in certain circumstances.


I have found out now that I had absolutely no idea how hard it would be! I wasn't even close. Refocusing my efforts and re-centering my spirit and mind is now the priority as I jot down the following ideas. I am going to take things day by day and make sure every step of the way that I am right where I should be. "Where should I be," you might ask? Matthew chapter 5 of course! 


Anger

22 But I tell you that anyone who is angry with a brother or sister will be subject to judgment. 
  • I should be serving life in prison for all the feelings I have had in the last month or so... Still working on this one.  


Distractions

23 “Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother or sister has something against you, 24 leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to them; then come and offer your gift.
  • This is such a great reminder of how I am not turning to the one place that gives me peace! When I do, am I clearing my head of any and all distractions? Am I leaving it all behind when I worship, pray, or fellowship? 

Disagreements

25 “Settle matters quickly with your adversary who is taking you to court. Do it while you are still together on the way, or your adversary may hand you over to the judge, and the judge may hand you over to the officer, and you may be thrown into prison. 26 Truly I tell you, you will not get out until you have paid the last penny.
  • This one is tough! I am, by definition, working in  a position and for an institution that does NOTHING quickly. I am in the eye of the bureaucratic storm... I have a few penny's left though, I suppose. 

Promises & Worthless Speech

33 “Again, you have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘Do not break your oath, but fulfill to the Lord the vows you have made.’ 34 But I tell you, do not swear an oath at all: either by heaven, for it is God’s throne; 35 or by the earth, for it is his footstool; or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the Great King. 36 And do not swear by your head, for you cannot make even one hair white or black. 37 All you need to say is simply ‘Yes’ or ‘No’; anything beyond this comes from the evil one.
  • My hope this year, a goal, if you will, has been to "talk less and say more."
  • How much worthless chatter comes out of my mouth on a daily basis? 
  • How many stupid texts do I write? 
  • How many empty promises do I make? 
  • Ouch. That's all I can say.  

I think I will save the "love your neighbor" part for another night, I am feeling pretty terrible already! This will be be my daily routine, if I can remember... This chapter, these few versus, will be my guide. In the Bush having a strategy for psychological wellness is the only way to make it out with your sanity. 

Re-centered. Refocused. Ready for the week. 

Thursday, September 12, 2013

Educational Winter Pursuits: Book Club Anyone?

I have been thinking about the time I spend on non-productive and non-education-related activities in the last few weeks. With football season starting up and winter closing in, I plan to be inside more and more in the coming months. 

Thinking about the hours of darkness looming ahead, I wonder if a book club may be in order. If you are interested, please comment below or contact me otherwise. I would like to read Three Cups of Tea first, a recommendation from a respected colleague. 
Here is the link if you choose to join me. I will blog as I read and share thoughts on this blog's "comments" section. 

Three Cups of Tea


If you don't want to read Three Cups of Tea with me, take a look at the following titles, some of my favorites: 
The Hard Way Home: Alaska Stories of Adventure, Friendship, and the Hunt (Outdoor Lives) Steve Kahn 

Fifty Miles from Tomorrow: A Memoir of Alaska and the Real People by William L. Iggiagruk Hensley (Mar 2, 2010)

 A Place Beyond: Finding Home in Arctic Alaska by Nick Jans (Jun 1, 2003)
There are many more titles by this author and all are entertaining and informative as well as pertinent to the cultures and geography of LYSD…. 

The Kids from Nowhere by George Guthridge (Oct 15, 2006)
 
Counting Coup: A True Story of Basketball and Honor on the Little Big Horn by Larry Colton (Oct 1, 2001)

 Julie of the Wolves (rack) by Jean Craighead George and John Schoenherr (Paperback - Sep 16, 2003)


 Good Time Girls of the Alaska-Yukon Gold Rush: Secret History of the Far North by Lael Morgan (Aug 1, 1999)

 Gold Rush Women by Claire Rudolf Murphy and Jane G Haigh (Jun 1, 2003)


 Fools Crow by James Welch and Thomas McGuane (Oct 25, 2011)


 Black Elk Speaks: Being the Life Story of a Holy Man of the Oglala Sioux, The Premier Edition by John G. Neihardt (Oct 16, 2008)