Happy birthday, Mama!

A tribute to a dear gift from God: my mother, Barbara Lynn

(And as I have to tell my little boy students, it's not proper to tell a lady's age...so I won't)

A few months ago, my tribute to my mother would have been entirely different than the one I bring to her today. Back then, I would have written about how she is so fun, my best friend, a great teacher, and has always “been there” for me. And all of that is still very true. However, I've discovered (even just a tiny glimpse) through carrying the burden of young ones, while having my own school, that the most amazing thing about my mom is that she did so much for me with no applause. She did so much that no one noticed. Day in. Day out. Every day. And not only was she not bathed in praise, but many times she was jeered at, snubbed, and ridiculed for her amazing profession as a homeschool mom.

Sometimes these days the word “homeschool” is used as a joke—even I do it, occasionally. But the education my mom gave me was not a joke at all. When I graduated Magna Cum Laude from Bryan College, there's a reason I handed her my cord—not because she wrote my papers—not because she took my tests, but because SHE was the one who pushed me to be my best and put that fire to my behind and said, “Do it.”

My mom went against the raging cultural current in order to protect me from the wicked ideologies of this age, whether they be obvious, or subtle. Ideas have consequences. She didn't pretend to have all the answers, but she pointed me to the One who does.

And with that, I'll leave you with a few things I learned from my mama, funny and stoic. :) Enjoy.

• It's totally okay to tell your children that their dad won a trip to Disney World, and while they're jumping and shouting in sheer glee, say, “April Fool's Day!”

• “A Walk to Remember” is the worst and saddest movie in existence.

• Math, math and more math.

• Mowing the lawn is alone.time.for.mom.donotdisturbher. “Yes, you can have a popsicle, now go away.”

• Socks and shoes are essential for proper homeschooling.

• Shoes and coffee are essentials of life.

• Summers should be lived outside.

• It's cool to be best friends with your daughter and do crazy things like dress up your large dog in people clothes.

• Financially supporting missionaries is a must. 

• Learning is fun!

• The Bible is the most important book you'll ever read or study. Period.

• Dishonesty is disgusting and whining is not tolerable.

• It's important to dress classy—how you dress is how you'll feel, and how you feel is how you'll act. 

Our song: "Together" with Judy Garland and Liza Minnelli

She is...

beautiful—has been called “chocolate eyes," and I had to [angrily] remind my college guy friends that she is 1. married and 2. WAY out of their league  ;)  Want to make my day? Tell me I look like her. : )

dedicated—to the Lord and His Word, to my dad, to my family, and to developing as a photographer.

A firecracker—my mom knows what she believes, and if necessary, she will defend it. 

hilarious--her impersonations are the best. "Nemo's swimming out to SEA!"

honest and sensitive to the Holy Spirit—Mama will tell me the truth, even when I don't want to hear it. She protects me from one of my worst enemies: myself. And even though she was sad to see me go, it was so wonderful to hear her say, "It's time."

As the little poem goes, "Mirror, mirror on the wall, I am my mother, after all." I find that in teaching, I continually say things that my mom said to me. I'm thankful that she didn't let us get away with things, and she encouraged us to continue our education...to be lifelong learners.

Sorry for all the times I ran off at Walmart. Thanks for all the walks, coffee, dancing in the kitchen to Abba, and being real with me...especially with regard to young men. We've raised our voices; we've clashed. But in the end, I know that you're the one who is indeed my best friend and will always be there for me. I hope you have the happiest birthday. Wish I could be there. Finally, thanks for having a worn Bible, and thanks for reminding me that it's all about God's glory. I love you.

"It is the supreme art of the teacher to awaken joy in creative expression and knowledge." ~ Albert Einstein

bowling pins found in the trash + $5 bowling ball from the Salvation Army Store =

our very own bowling alley! :)

the day of the toad...

Well, at least he's being creative. ; )

Chapel with Pastor Bill (He's a great pastor and principal!)

Theatre Class with Miss Audrey

hilarious drills...these are moments of gold

"This is a towel, or this is a..." theatre class game

This is that dimple under the eye I was telling you about.

Honor Roll trip to Chuck E. Cheese--where we almost didn't get in, because they didn't think I was eighteen...one day I'll like that...at least, that's what people tell me. ;)

Aren't they beauties? I love my girls. May they be handmaidens of the Lord Jesus. Amen.

Oh, these two are the cutest.

Submariners came to visit--I was so proud that my students used proper protocol. :)

Let's raise those funds! Car wash time.

This picture makes me laugh for many reasons. HA!

Art class with Ms. Michelle

Jesus, I pray that the Holy Spirit would reveal Himself to all these students and their families,

and they would surrender and live for You. Thanks that many do, and thanks for the immense blessing they are to me. Mostly, thanks for teaching me what it means to love...by giving me them.

tiring love

I’ve been afraid to write. Yes, very afraid. When I write, I relive and pour out—and sometimes I just want to bury myself in something “mindless,” or just chat with someone here about the day.

I feel absolutely hopeless in the quest to explain everything that goes on here. And I worry that if I only share certain parts, then people will get a warped idea.

The truth: God is moving—people are changing—and it is the most wonderful and exhausting existence.

Each day is a crazy dance in which I stumble around, tripping in the pursuit of chin-up grace—but I am getting stronger—love muscles contract—trust lungs learn to breathe. In my dance, I reach, touch, ripping the labels off the students and praying no one sticks on any more.

JESUS. They need Jesus. All my toil is for nothing if they don’t know Him. Squeezing—He squeezes my heart, now bloated with young souls I love—oh, let NOT the serpent touch these little ones. Some of them are little only in years, not exposure and experience.

But His love is strong.

So many gifts Jesus gives.
smiles—that little dimple under the eye—patting my hand to get my attention—the way they love to water the plants and are happy in a little one-room schoolhouse with me—teaching someone how to read who has fallen through the cracks—parents grabbing my arm and saying, “Thank you; it’s working” and “He used to not even care about getting a job, now he cares more and talks about it.”—the quiet after a chapter of Proverbs—hard faces softened—their trust—their dreams—their love, even through the continual correction—nose to the fish tank—little fingers on the globe—random conversations about Shakespeare—oh, I love them. This life of 5:30am to 4pm, but in reality 24/7, is worth it.

What a privilege it is, and how humbled I am to be entrusted with it.

On a personal note—the Lord has gently lifted me and ushered me into the flames of His refinement. I thought it just might kill me—and it almost did—and that’s the beauty! He is opening my eyes and giving me new senses, an awakened touch and thoughtfulness. One moment at a time—that’s how He’s calling me to serve Him—not with worry and anxiety about tomorrow. I will never be satisfied in myself, but I AM learning to be satisfied in Him.

Freedom!

The Gospel--a video by Eric Ludy

This is what I am learning.

Straight Talk with AA

Cursing. Clubbing. Cleavage. Alcohol. Christian.

One of these things is not like the others...right? Well, according to what I'm seeing...I'm not so sure.

"Don't judge."
"Stop being so critical."
"That's legalism."
"I'm not weak in that area; it's not a stumbling block for me."
"The Bible doesn't say it's wrong."

May I ask...
Why are we bragging about the fine brand of alcohol we drank?
Why are we (ladies) taking seductive pictures of ourselves showing only what our husbands should see?
Why are we grinding in a mini skirt on Saturday and raising our hands in praise on Sunday?
Why are we using curse words with our reasoning being alleged relevance?
Why are we so caught up with ourselves and so stuck on proving how awesome and "FREE" our lives are? WAKE UP. This is bondage, folks, not freedom.

On the altar of "artsy," "cool," "intellectual," and just plain "it doesn't matter" we are sacrificing the freedom for which Christ died.

^{Read this:}

¹³ "For you, brethren, have been called to liberty; only do not use liberty as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. ¹⁴ For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”^{[a] 15} But if you bite and devour one another, beware lest you be consumed by one another!  

¹⁶ I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. ¹⁷ For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish. ¹⁸ But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.
¹⁹ Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery,^[b] fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, ^2021[c] drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.
²² But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, ²³ gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. ²⁴ And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. ²⁵ If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. ²⁶ Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another." Galatians 5:13-26

Wow. This scripture hit me. Bam. No, legalism is not the answer...CHRIST is. And if we are living a Holy Spirit-led life, our freedom is CHRIST, not alcoholic consumption. It's the motive that matters. Where is your heart, dear reader? May we look at everything in our lives and analyze it not on the basis of, "Is this okay?" but "Will this glorify the sweet Savior?" And analysis isn't even always the answer. Many times, I have no clue what to do, but I am learning to surrender to the Holy Spirit. Do I mess up? Oh, yeah. But He is here, and I am so completely humbled. Oh, may we not mock Him or put Him in a box. 

Oh, let us be consumed by Him. And then...perhaps all this other stuff wouldn't be such a big deal, because we'd be too busy about His will and Kindom work to worry about making our selfish, sinful lives look polished and Christian.

"It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery." Galatians 5:1

On a personal note:
I write this because I love the body of Christ and want us to live a full life in Christ, not because I think I have it "all together." I know I don't.

Prayer Request:
We all have issues, right? I do. But what if you have young lives looking to you for answers and stability? Then what? Well, then you look to YOUR stability, and ultimately their stability. His name is Jesus. Every morning I remind myself why I'm here, and surrender it to Jesus. Do I do it perfectly? No way. But I do love my students with a real love that I pray points them continually to the true Love, Jesus Christ.

Thank you for your prayers.
with love, AA

"Fight the frump!"

There was a time in my life when I was a cutesy college gal, leaning on my handsome, godly beau. There was a time I could wear whatever I wanted, and I was told every day how cute I was.

Now I am a teacher, wearing skirts past the knees with professional tops, hair pulled back, no bright nailpolish, no hippie sling bag, no TOMS, or green chucks. My job is marvelous, but in this role I have struggled in my personal life. Who am I? Me. I used to think about myself a lot, and desired for people to cater to my plans and whims. The gentlemen at Bryan College were great about getting the doors, carrying things, etc...my brothers and dad, too. But now I am the carrier, the door opener, the one people depend on. And I love it and am thankful for it, however, sometimes I forget that I am still a young woman, and that I shouldn't despise my femininity, but, like everything else, offer it back to Christ, for His glory.

Today I heard these statements:

"Miss, I thought I saw you last night...but the girl who looked just like you was with four guys, so I knew it couldn't be you."

(During a girls dress code/modesty chat)
"My mom said that she wants to dress like you, but that my dad would hate it."

Am I an utter frump?! AH! Internally I scream and want to curl up and hide away. No. So, here is a letter to me from me:

Dear Audrey Ann,
            You need to let it go. Don't be afraid anymore. Weight and wardrobe do not define you, and besides, you can alter those as needed. It's for Prince Jesus. Everything. All of it. Breathe, girl.
              
My sister, Abby, always says, "Fight the frump!" We can be stylish and modest. The focus must be Christ. If I get caught up in all the legalities, I become no better than the pharisees. May I wear clothing that I wouldn't be ashamed to meet Him in, because He's with me, anyway. And I can always lean on Him, cutesy or not. Hallelujah.

quotes

"Ms. Audrey Ann, what was it like during your childhood?"--as if it was sooooo long ago.

boy student: "Ms. Audrey Ann, how old are you?"
me: "Now, you know that I've told you boys, it's not polite to ask a lady's age."
boy student: "Are you thirty?"
me: *big smile*

little boy attempting to recite the NT books: "...Galatians, Ephesians, the Philippines, wait, is that right?"

same little boy:  "But Ms. Audrey Ann, I hate minusing!"

An ESL man at our school car wash: "You a teacher? You don't look like a teacher."
me: "Yes, I am a teacher. And yes, I know I look young."
him: "No. You don't look like normal teacher. You looker better than normal teacher...you go on dates?"
me: "Well, we have church at 10am on Sunday."

from a facebook message: You're a GREAT Teacher! I just feel so comfortable with you and that does NOT always happen with me & my teachers! You kinda remind me of my sister that's why, but she's not on Guam. So being with you every day makes it seem as if she was here with me, & I thank you very much for your warm kind heart. God has REALLY blessed me with such a person as You. Looking forward to seeing your BRIGHT pretty smile.

A Different Sort of Fairy Tale

Once upon a time, I was a dreamer. One of my dreams was to have a one-room schoolhouse overseas, where I could share Christ's love and truth as well as quality academics. Through a series of events, the Lord entrusted me with one in the village of Mangilao, Guam. It is additional to the larger location in Tamuning (which is a large house--I live on the second floor).

Sometimes it overwhelms me. Some days I've been so internally terrified that when I get home I can barely function. But as I've been told by those who love me enough to verbally spank me, it's time to grow up and step into the destiny the Lord has given. I've been shuffling foward with my head looking back, my heart beating for yesterday.

My students are gems--gifts from God--each one in their own way. Chills come over me, when I step back and watch them. Somehow the Lord entrusted them to me. And I love them all so much. Currently I have fourteen students ranging from seven to eighteen. What a joy it is to teach them, play with them, laugh with them, and seek to encourage them in the Lord. Oh Lord, lead me, please.
And though I'm no Cinderella, dreams do come true. Enjoy a few snapshots of my life.

One of my students was in the Asia Pacific Little League tournament! Guam beat Hong Kong, the Philippines, and the surrounding Micronesian islands.

A darling, local fruit stand

She was so sweet and let us try her delicious fruit for free!

But then I bought some, of course.

A balanced diet? Why, of course. ; )

The crazy things girls do to style their hair...

Look who we saw at the mall!

Honestly, the parfume did smell good...but I just couldn't bring myself to wear it...

It's all a gift from God. Remember?

Crazy hat day!

She wanted to wear Ms. Audrey Ann's hat.

My current home: PICA Tamuning

Japan! (on my way back)

Japanese students

Guam Liberation Day Parade! Biba Guam!

A lady I met at the parade--people just welcome you into their family--it's great

I love this family.

Messy Game Day!

Oh the fun I had filling this pool with oatmeal and leftover picnic foods! We played a relay where the students had to search for spoons in this mess with their toes! Haha!

And of course there was a food fight following...

yummiest treat...ever...got sugar?

These people are the best. I love them so much.

I made a friend on the flight back from Japan. She came and did a science experiment at my school!

He is an excellent student: diligent, determined, and I pray that the Lord uses him in a mighty way.

Lunch...nom nom

Capture the flaf was a hit! I haven't laughed so much in well...a long time. : )

They are always playing their ukes. I love the sweet and chill music on Guam.

Catching bugs (This guy here is our school mascot, haha!)

Discovery. I love it.

: )

I think we counted thirteen creatures.

Our principal (Pastor Bill) came by for a visit!

I love the different ages having fun together!

"Me, me! I want to do it next!"

Uh oh. ; )

Oh lands.

The ladies were much more calm about the whole thing.

This is the Tamuning location during staff training

The view from my balcony

The view from my yard

But my favorite view? I love to see the faces of my family on Skype.

Thank you all for your support. Please continue to pray for me. I know that the Lord is working.