At the beginning of the year, Ben found website called italki.com that connected people who wnted to learn a language with a tutor that is a certified teacher in teaching the language of their choice.
Ben has been interested in learning Hebrew since 2013 when we started learning Biblical Hebrew. Then last summer we got Modern Hebrew on Rosetta Stone. It was challenging to adjust to the letters and the completely different soundinh words, but the familiarity has become second nature for many words now.
When he found this site, and found some teachers that looked high quality and worth checking out, we decided to do some trial lessons and see how it went. It went really well and we have been taking lessons for a month now and we have improved drastically. The motivation level helps when you have a weekly or biweekly lesson and homework to prepare for.
There was another website, called memrise, that has a community that puts together flash cards with audio on some for learning vocabulary. This has been a great motivating tool for me because I love competition (you get points for learning and reviewing words).
During a lesson, we use Skype and a Google Doc that we can both contribute to and work through topics that we need to learn and new vocabulary words. Today we we working on numbers and shmichoot (which is construct state) and more vocabulary. We have conversation, sometimes scripted and sometimes attempted natural. We also talk about our lives in English and we get to know our teachers.
The cost ranges from 20/hr to 30/hr for a certified teacher, but most languages are affordable, and one can always choose a language partner or community tutor that is not certified and pay less or not at all.
The goal is fluency in the home (!) and to teach our children this language, so it will be interesting to see where we are six months from now and one year from now. We plan on using our tutors for as long as it takes.
Have a question? Ask me!
Saturday, January 30, 2016
Sunday, January 24, 2016
Being geniune and patient
What does it mean to be genuine as a Christian?
It means being kind when it's really hard, sometimes.
When we reach out to people, makes plans, and want to help change people to the right direction and there is no movement from the other side, it can be very hard to bounce back to, "That's okay, let's try again when you have time."
God changes hearts in his time, not ours. It is our calling to be Christ for them in the meantime. How would Jesus respond to someone who ignored your efforts to spend time with them? With grace.
So we must also have grace, even if we are very angry about it.
Let me just say, anger when someone cancels with no thought to your feelings is justified!
But do not act on that anger, or you will have shamed the name of Christ.
Think about it. If you have a developed friendship with a person, you may show them your frustration, but if this is someone you hardly know, when in doubt, show grace. If they do not apologize, still forgive them. They may not be in a place where they understand you are trying to help.
This is a great time to pull out that "Ya'll don't know me!" phrase. This is the front, the cover, the way a person protects themselves especially if they have been abused in their vulnerability before. This is the defense mechanism that has worked in the past, and gotten them through hard situations.
The most important thing is to admit that you really don't know what they are going through. Everything you see on the outside is multiplied by 100 on the inside. If they look hurt on the outside (or on facebook), know that that vulnerable human being needs and needs, but isn't ready for your Christianity yet.
Ugh ugh ugh
If someone is addicted to sex or drugs, you can show them Jesus but they might not take him seriously because they still have the needs they think they have for the sex or drugs. It's a hard road to walk with someone on. In my social work classes, we talked about meeting basic needs: food water shelter, then helping find a job, then working through their emotional deals, THEN (thenthenthenthenthen) spiritual needs can be discussed and paid attention to.
This is why we need to be Christ through food, water, shelter, clothing, and housing.
Now you understand.
So in my situation, there are other needs that need to be met. I need to be patient, and pray, because prayer is the most powerful thing we can do here on earth.
And show grace. and patience, and God will work.
It means being kind when it's really hard, sometimes.
When we reach out to people, makes plans, and want to help change people to the right direction and there is no movement from the other side, it can be very hard to bounce back to, "That's okay, let's try again when you have time."
God changes hearts in his time, not ours. It is our calling to be Christ for them in the meantime. How would Jesus respond to someone who ignored your efforts to spend time with them? With grace.
So we must also have grace, even if we are very angry about it.
Let me just say, anger when someone cancels with no thought to your feelings is justified!
But do not act on that anger, or you will have shamed the name of Christ.
Think about it. If you have a developed friendship with a person, you may show them your frustration, but if this is someone you hardly know, when in doubt, show grace. If they do not apologize, still forgive them. They may not be in a place where they understand you are trying to help.
This is a great time to pull out that "Ya'll don't know me!" phrase. This is the front, the cover, the way a person protects themselves especially if they have been abused in their vulnerability before. This is the defense mechanism that has worked in the past, and gotten them through hard situations.
The most important thing is to admit that you really don't know what they are going through. Everything you see on the outside is multiplied by 100 on the inside. If they look hurt on the outside (or on facebook), know that that vulnerable human being needs and needs, but isn't ready for your Christianity yet.
Ugh ugh ugh
If someone is addicted to sex or drugs, you can show them Jesus but they might not take him seriously because they still have the needs they think they have for the sex or drugs. It's a hard road to walk with someone on. In my social work classes, we talked about meeting basic needs: food water shelter, then helping find a job, then working through their emotional deals, THEN (thenthenthenthenthen) spiritual needs can be discussed and paid attention to.
This is why we need to be Christ through food, water, shelter, clothing, and housing.
Now you understand.
So in my situation, there are other needs that need to be met. I need to be patient, and pray, because prayer is the most powerful thing we can do here on earth.
And show grace. and patience, and God will work.
Wednesday, January 20, 2016
thoughties!
I drink a lot of coffee. nothing like other people who drink coffee, but to me, I do.
I am struck by the generosity of friends. I appreciate you!
I'm looking forward to the snow we will be getting... and getting some extra water at the store so we are prepared if the power goes out.
I started a food accountability group on facebook. It has been going well so far. We shall see how it does in the long run! There are a good group of ladies involved and I love each of their contributions.
I am still leading the Bible study at mom's group. next week, we begin the last portion of 2 Peter. We have worked all the way through 1 Peter, starting mid November. This has been a good challenge for me.
I am determined to do a read the Bible in a year program this year. So far, I have fallen off the wagon and had to do some bulk reading days several times.
I read, "The First hostage" by Joel Rosenburg for a couple days last week (and I finished it). Talk about an adrenaline pumping book. I moaned loudly on and off for the last hundred pages or so because it was so intense.
I am doing really well with my weight loss! This past Monday I weighed in at 185.4 pounds. That is exciting to me! I love having visible progress! The pants that I started having to squeeze into are now getting rather comfortable to wear!
Nobody has gotten sick yet this winter--we have had a very mild winter, and the snow this weekend will be the first that will stick! I hope to be able to build snowmen with Naisa and Yonah!
I got a fitness tracker watch that I have been using (it does not attach to an app--that's what I wanted, I don't have a smart phone). I have been challenging myself a couple of times to get more steps in, because I am naturally a competitive person. Yesterday I decided to stand and step in place while I was watching videos on the computer instead of sitting at the desk. I got in almost 21000 steps yesterday! (I watched Harry Potter #1... so I was stepping for an hour then, and an hour while watchign the tonight show).
Now I am having a conversation argument with Naisa about why she can't watch anymore of her cartoon, so shalom everybody!
I am struck by the generosity of friends. I appreciate you!
I'm looking forward to the snow we will be getting... and getting some extra water at the store so we are prepared if the power goes out.
I started a food accountability group on facebook. It has been going well so far. We shall see how it does in the long run! There are a good group of ladies involved and I love each of their contributions.
I am still leading the Bible study at mom's group. next week, we begin the last portion of 2 Peter. We have worked all the way through 1 Peter, starting mid November. This has been a good challenge for me.
I am determined to do a read the Bible in a year program this year. So far, I have fallen off the wagon and had to do some bulk reading days several times.
I read, "The First hostage" by Joel Rosenburg for a couple days last week (and I finished it). Talk about an adrenaline pumping book. I moaned loudly on and off for the last hundred pages or so because it was so intense.
I am doing really well with my weight loss! This past Monday I weighed in at 185.4 pounds. That is exciting to me! I love having visible progress! The pants that I started having to squeeze into are now getting rather comfortable to wear!
Nobody has gotten sick yet this winter--we have had a very mild winter, and the snow this weekend will be the first that will stick! I hope to be able to build snowmen with Naisa and Yonah!
I got a fitness tracker watch that I have been using (it does not attach to an app--that's what I wanted, I don't have a smart phone). I have been challenging myself a couple of times to get more steps in, because I am naturally a competitive person. Yesterday I decided to stand and step in place while I was watching videos on the computer instead of sitting at the desk. I got in almost 21000 steps yesterday! (I watched Harry Potter #1... so I was stepping for an hour then, and an hour while watchign the tonight show).
Now I am having a conversation argument with Naisa about why she can't watch anymore of her cartoon, so shalom everybody!
Monday, January 11, 2016
reflecting briefly on 2015
This year has been a year of lots of changes:
I went from nursing exclusively to weaning at the beginning of November--Yonah went from 6 months old to 18 months old! He's a big growing boy!
We settled into our apartment and worked for Lifeway for most of the year, then at the end of September, Ben resigned and we started looking for jobs. We found a job listing in a newsletter called the Fishwrapper for a sales position that sounded too good to be true: well paid, company car, small Christian company. Ben did two interviews, and they offered him the position. He started at the beginning of December, just finished training last week, and is selling now. So far he loves it!
I have some comparing pictures to show you. These compare photos that I took of myself in January and then in mid December. I decided I wanted to be really intentional about documenting my body changes (although not excessively).
Between these two pictures, I lost 37.5 inches and 26.5 pounds. Take a look.
Although I lost some weight at the very beginning of the year, the majority of the pounds I lost were in the second half of the year, from July, and then really starting in November, when Yonah weaned.
I also started using myfitnesspal to count my calories and watch my portions, but most importantly, allow myself to actually eat and not deprive myself too much.
It was very challenging for me to lose weight while nursing. It is not for some people, but my body would not let go of the weight easily, and I would not let go of my portions easily.
This year for exercise, I have continued to use T-tapp as my main exercise system. With videos ranging from fifteen minutes (and still effective to lose inches), to slightly over an hour, I have lots of options. I don't kill myself with exercise, but I do attempt to be active over four hours in a week.
Before I had kids, I would run as my main exercise and I have not been able to run (except for a very brief period in 2013 with Laura) since having kids for various reasons, the main one being they are heavy and need to be entertained and so we have not run. When I found T-tapp, short videos that do not injure but instead heal the body and encourage spinal alignment and muscle density, I knew that I needed to try it. I love the videos and that I never reach a plateau with the exercises because they continually challenge.
I also have been dry brushing, which exfoliates the skin, stimulates the lymph, reduces cellulite, and can tighten skin. Let's be honest, I am banking on the tightening of the skin! Two pregnancies, and so far, sixty pounds gone and thirty to forty more to go, I need the tightening of the skin.
Dietarily: I have started going lighter on the gluten (and grains in general). Now, when I plan the menu, we will have rice or pasta for half the meals and the other half will have potatoes, either white or sweet. We buy organic whole wheat pasta, but I have started trying to decide if we should just get the brown rice pasta instead, because the kids like it just fine, and it doesn't take as much energy to cook (you boil for two minutes, then let it sit covered, in the pot for 12-20 minutes, off the heat).
If my husband were writing this blog, this blurb of information would have been first and the focus. We are studying modern Hebrew with several tutors, with the goal to be fluent and the goal to use it in some way with a job, and to teach it to our children.
!שלומ! אני והבּאל שלי לֹומדים עִברִית! אנחנו ללמידים לילדים שלנו
Yes I did just write that with my Hebrew QWERTY keyboard, so if it's not grammatically perfect, waa waa. I am learning.
Ben had a cyst cut out of his side this year, and we took a beating for the bills, but we were blessed financially this year, so it wasn't anything we couldn't bear.
I memorized James and the beginning of the year and have been working through 1 Peter with my mom's group (but not memorizing it at this time) and am going to start 2 Peter on Wednesday.
I think that's all the summary you need!
Be blessed this year!
Grace
I went from nursing exclusively to weaning at the beginning of November--Yonah went from 6 months old to 18 months old! He's a big growing boy!
We settled into our apartment and worked for Lifeway for most of the year, then at the end of September, Ben resigned and we started looking for jobs. We found a job listing in a newsletter called the Fishwrapper for a sales position that sounded too good to be true: well paid, company car, small Christian company. Ben did two interviews, and they offered him the position. He started at the beginning of December, just finished training last week, and is selling now. So far he loves it!
I have some comparing pictures to show you. These compare photos that I took of myself in January and then in mid December. I decided I wanted to be really intentional about documenting my body changes (although not excessively).
Between these two pictures, I lost 37.5 inches and 26.5 pounds. Take a look.
 |
| January 2015 (left) through December 2015 (right) |
Although I lost some weight at the very beginning of the year, the majority of the pounds I lost were in the second half of the year, from July, and then really starting in November, when Yonah weaned.
I also started using myfitnesspal to count my calories and watch my portions, but most importantly, allow myself to actually eat and not deprive myself too much.
It was very challenging for me to lose weight while nursing. It is not for some people, but my body would not let go of the weight easily, and I would not let go of my portions easily.
This year for exercise, I have continued to use T-tapp as my main exercise system. With videos ranging from fifteen minutes (and still effective to lose inches), to slightly over an hour, I have lots of options. I don't kill myself with exercise, but I do attempt to be active over four hours in a week.
Before I had kids, I would run as my main exercise and I have not been able to run (except for a very brief period in 2013 with Laura) since having kids for various reasons, the main one being they are heavy and need to be entertained and so we have not run. When I found T-tapp, short videos that do not injure but instead heal the body and encourage spinal alignment and muscle density, I knew that I needed to try it. I love the videos and that I never reach a plateau with the exercises because they continually challenge.
I also have been dry brushing, which exfoliates the skin, stimulates the lymph, reduces cellulite, and can tighten skin. Let's be honest, I am banking on the tightening of the skin! Two pregnancies, and so far, sixty pounds gone and thirty to forty more to go, I need the tightening of the skin.
Dietarily: I have started going lighter on the gluten (and grains in general). Now, when I plan the menu, we will have rice or pasta for half the meals and the other half will have potatoes, either white or sweet. We buy organic whole wheat pasta, but I have started trying to decide if we should just get the brown rice pasta instead, because the kids like it just fine, and it doesn't take as much energy to cook (you boil for two minutes, then let it sit covered, in the pot for 12-20 minutes, off the heat).
If my husband were writing this blog, this blurb of information would have been first and the focus. We are studying modern Hebrew with several tutors, with the goal to be fluent and the goal to use it in some way with a job, and to teach it to our children.
!שלומ! אני והבּאל שלי לֹומדים עִברִית! אנחנו ללמידים לילדים שלנו
Yes I did just write that with my Hebrew QWERTY keyboard, so if it's not grammatically perfect, waa waa. I am learning.
Ben had a cyst cut out of his side this year, and we took a beating for the bills, but we were blessed financially this year, so it wasn't anything we couldn't bear.
I memorized James and the beginning of the year and have been working through 1 Peter with my mom's group (but not memorizing it at this time) and am going to start 2 Peter on Wednesday.
I think that's all the summary you need!
Be blessed this year!
Grace
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