On the shores of Gilpin Bay...

Summer has come and gone and my time at Camp Cherokee is done for now. Bitter-sweet, happy-nostalgic memories crowd the floodgates of my heart. It was an AMAZING summer! Being pulled and stretched in more ways then I thought possible was exhausting (as was lack of sleep) but being led by God made it totally and completely worth it!

I sang, I played, I acted (azariah), I swam, ran, hiked, I found my inner 10 yr. old once again, I laughed, I prayed, I smiled, I wondered how i could make it through some days. I was blessed with awesome campers and blessed to work with an awesome staff! The summer brought new friends, new experiences, many new and cherished memories!

High Peak Fever!!

Mud, rain, tress, and rocks are some of the most common sights I have seen while hiking my first few Adirondack high peak mountains. The weather has been less then ideal for 2 out of 3 of the hikes but the added weather element makes me feel more tough!
Sure days off are typically spent sleeping in and eating good food, but i believe that resting is for night time, so go hiking! My trusty hiking partner Andrew Whitlow, who has now climbed 39 out of the 46 high peaks, has done a great job of showing me the ropes of what climbing these mountains is all about. I could and should probably write a blog about each peak but for now I will just write short summaries!

1. Big Slide (4240 feet)---sunny, clear, and warm, great views during the entire hike and at the top,lots of hikers, muddy, super awesome first high peak!(hike time=4 hours)

2. Santanonni Peak (4607 ft)----hard hike, followed by Panther and Coucheachraga on same hike, wet and muddy unmarked trails, pretty landscape, ate Rollo's at the top, dinky peak marker, foggy at top.

3. Panther Mtn (4442 ft)---more unmarked and wet hiking, more Rollo's, water running low coming down, saw the same family several times, swamp crossing!

4. Coucheachraga Mtn. (3860 ft)---last peak for the day, no great views, slippery and rocky, had fun trying to pronounce name correctly, ran into 2 more hikers just starting out day, crazy decent, acquired very first scrapes coming back, ran the blue trail to main road, mud mud mud! (total hike time for 3 peaks=9.5 hours (avg. hike time from book for 3 peaks=16 hours)

5. Colvin(4057 ft)---Followed by Blake, long walk on main road to trail head, nice scenery along the way, no rain until about an hour in, unceasing rain for rest of hike, no great views at top, ate a few peanuts and nothing else, fast pace but a lot easier then last hike.

6. Blake Peak(3860 ft)--- super rainy but clean mud, challenging rock faces, fun hike, led a few times, didn't get left behind this time! ran the road back, only saw 3 hikers all day. Hike time for 2 peaks =5.5 hours; avg. hike time from book=12 hours

6 down----40 more to go!!!

Wish List #1

Daunting, cold, "illegal". My wish, goal, objective..... to swim to the middle island and back! Maybe I could finally overcome my open water swimming insecurity. At least there are no gators!

Summer Daze

Summer is already zipping by before my eyes and camp hasn't even started yet. It seems like forever since final exams and watching some of my nearest and dearest friends graduate.

I am currently residing in the rickety and rustic cabin at Camp Cherokee called The Pines. It is a drafty, dark maze-like place but i love it!! I am spending the next couple days here doing odd jobs such as mowing, weeding, eating, and cleaning the pool before heading off to the NY camp meeting in Syracuse.

I am simply amazed of the vast beauty of the North East; it is quite different then the south...who knew? :-)

It is good to be here, bring on the summer!

What do you think?

Competition: what is your definition? Good? Bad?

My opinion coming soon!

Mind Scribbles

Sunshine



Spring Flowers



April 5.

11 months back in America

I missed Ethiopia more then ever today.

I wonder if the kids hid eggs this year?

I never ever, ever want to stop learning

About life

Mostly about the things God has in store for me.

Chug-a-lug to the finish.

Almost Finished.

Pretty PRAXIS Preparation

MONDAY MARCH 15, 2010. 7:30 am (ARRIVE 15 MINUTES EARLY FOR TESTING INSTRUCTION).

As I read over my PRAXIS standardized testing entry ticket, my mind swims through a torrential sea of thoughts, worries, names, terms, and educational theories that are essential to have engraved into my mind for passing the PRAXIS with success.With the knowledge of these names and theories the idea is that that I Jessica, will be able to graduate and become a better teacher. Wow, where would I be in my life without the stamp of approval from all the standardized test makers out there?

I will not rant because I did A-okay (Praise the Lord!) during the last round of PRAXIS torture, I mean testing, so I at least have a strong dose of confidence going into it. I just hope that God, the ultimate teacher, will give me the clarity of mind to remember just what influence people like Bandura, Dewey, Maslow, and Erikson have had in the world of education and psychology. Apparently without them we would be lost because of their contributions of social learning theory, experience learning, human development, and the hierarchy of needs, just to name a few! Lost I tell you!

More then knowing the in's and outs of constructivism, scaffolding, Hunter's Model, and all the assessment types, I hope that in the end after the PRAXIS exams are done, after student teaching is behind me, and after I graduate from SAU and (hopefully) receive my first teaching job, that I continue to seek something better. More meaningful.

I hope that someday I can truly be the teacher Jesus has called me to be.I want to be the type of teacher who truly cares for and inspires my students to strive to do their best and most importantly seek Jesus to be their master teacher for the rest of their lives. Therefore above everything else I desire to show others through my actions and words that Jesus has been my life guide. Through continuous and diligent note taking, meticulous study of God's assigned text book, attentiveness in what he teaches me in class, participating in hands on learning tasks, and asking him questions maybe, just maybe I will become a 4.0 pupil on the ultimate class roster.

By lunch time on Monday, PRAXIS will be done and over with and it will only be a short 4 week wait to see the results. In the meantime I know that I have more learning to do. After all, comprehending and mastering all that God has to teach me takes a long time. A lifetime. All I can say is thank goodness for a God that doesn't write standardized tests. What can get better then a class that offers endless grace and mercy for slacking off and flunked quizzes? A class based on practical life learning and doing. Where believing and taking to heart the teachings of the instructor are the requirements for passing the class. A teacher who's office door is always open for those students who seek his will. This class has no prerequisites necessary, just the desire for a brighter eternity.

I better get to class early from now on!