Stories from the frozen north

Superpowers from the bible !

Mon, 23 Jun 2008 18:00:13 GMT

http://www.cracked.com/article_16429_5-superpowers-from-bible-that-put-marvel-dc-shame.html

A fire in Shaktoolik

Mon, 16 Jun 2008 23:21:07 GMT

This is an e-mail from my friends in Shaktoolik. If you can help or know someone who can please contact me.

Charm and Charlie's house burned down this morning...a total loss. Charm was home with the kids...it started as a chimney fire, they all got out okay. They need clothes and stuff. If you can get any donations, I'm sure they'd be greatly appreciated.
> Charlie: Pants 32/34, shirt large, jacket XL, shoes 9 1/2
> Charm Pants: 34/32 or 16 womens, Shirt large or xl, jacket large or xl, shoes size 8
> Brad: Pants size 8, shirt 7/8, jacket 10/12, shoes 3 1/2, underwear 10
> Amber: Pants and shirt size 6, jacket 7/8, shoes 11 or 12, underwear 6
> Mia, pants, shirt, jacket size 6, shoes 10
> Jacob pants, shirt, jacket size 5T shoes 9 1/2 or 10

Pretty much all they got out with is the clothes on their backs...and were able to pull the 4 wheeler and snowmachine away in time. Brad was in his underwear (the fire was at 6:30 a.m. so the kids were all sleeping). I let Linda G. know and she got some clothes and toys for the kids and is sending them up. Harvey emailed the Ellen Degeneres show and asked them to donate...even something as simple as new bikes for the kids...we're praying he'll hear an answer from them. Brad was so sad showing me his burnt up snowmachine (his little one) and Amber can't stop saying "our house burn down" over and over....

Remember it is not as it seems

Fri, 13 Jun 2008 19:37:26 GMT

A ship was wrecked during a storm at sea and only two of the men on it were able to swim to a small, desert-like island.

The two survivors, not knowing what else to do, agreed that they had no other recourse but to pray to God. However, to find out whose prayer was more powerful, they agreed to divide the territory between them and stay on opposite sides of the island. The first thing they prayed for was food. The next morning, the first man saw a fruit-bearing tree on his side of the land, and he was able to eat its fruit. The other man's parcel of land remained barren.

After a week, the first man was lonely and he decided to pray for a wife. The next day, another ship wrecked nearby, and the only survivor was a woman who swam to his side of the island. On the other side of the island, there was nothing.

Eventually the first man decided to pray for clothes and more food. The next day, all of these were given to him as the belongings from yet another shipwreck were washed ashore. However, the second man still had nothing.

Finally, the first man prayed for a ship, so that he and his wife could leave the island. In the morning, he found that overnight a ship had anchored on his side of the island.

The first man was welcomed aboard the ship along with his wife and he decided to say nothing of the other man, but instead leave him on the island. He considered the other man unworthy to receive God's blessings since obviously none of his prayers had been answered...

As the ship was about to leave, the first man heard a Voice booming, "Why are you leaving your companion on the island?"

"My blessings are mine alone, since I was the one who prayed for them," the first man answered. "His prayers were all unanswered and so he does not deserve anything."

"You are gravely mistaken!" the Voice rebuked him. "He had only one prayer, and I answered it. If it were not for his prayers, you would not have received any of MY blessings."

"Tell me," the first man asked, "what did he pray for that I should owe him anything?"

"He prayed that all your prayers would be answered."

wow... someone found out teaching was hard...

Mon, 09 Jun 2008 20:09:23 GMT

http://www.tampabay.com/features/humaninterest/article610874.ece?761

A few thoughts on my vakay

Fri, 30 May 2008 16:18:10 GMT

So I am here in Charleston the sisters wedding is over.

A few things of note that pertain to my trip over.

1. Don't think that just because the weather is good where you are your flight will lift off on time. Fog is a thief that makes you late for your flights even in the spring.

2. When gas prices are high everyone is more pissed off. Don't think your getting anything free, your not.

3. Family restrooms are great for letting a stressed out cat out of the travel bag and give it some quiet time when it is sending you the "I will get you for this" look

4. When attending shotgun weddings having a baby to hide behind (and enough alcohol) makes it all go smoooother

5. It's amazing how much you appreciate people who love you

6. O.k. I admit it.... Babies are fun! At least Indy is.. I think I may actually want one someday. Maybe...

7. When you are staring at a baby and trying to figure out why it's face is so familiar it's probably because her father is your brother. Duh...

8. I missed Charleston - but not the hotness....

9. I love my friends.

10. I am in Alaska for a reason... no one could ever get me to teach in SC again :P

11. When traveling there are certain items they let me on the plane with that shock my brother... even though there is more aluminum in my underwire bra than in those items... I mean a girl's gotta keep her hands busy when waiting for the blasted plane. (Get you mind out of the gutter I was knitting)

12. Airtran is ontime... Holy cannoli... And Spare seats for me to sleep on... Whoo hooo

13. The flirting curl thing works well even in the lower 48.

14. God speaks even in the midst of what seems like a haze of crazy.

15. Apparently I need to write a book.... Who knew..

16. Now that I have money to spend I've become a complete cheapskate.

17. It's gonna cost me 120 a night at the least for the friggin hotels in Anchorage when I get back.

18. Apparently my brother has the cure for every symptom.. just ask him he'll tell you... hee hee hee hee Remember Tim? "You know what's good for that__________" for two seconds I though he was serious.

19. Alcohol + high heels ... bad... bad... bad combo....

20. Never ever piss off the security checkpoint ppl. They'll frisk you the rude way.

--- and so it goes.... I will enjoy the vacation until it's end and I will shop until I drop!!!-----

A moment by myself... 2 weeks to go

Mon, 05 May 2008 21:17:41 GMT

2 weeks to go until I fly away from this fair village to parts unknown (D.C)

I am so super stoked to be able to get out of the village and go shopping, see friends and family, but there is also a bittersweet happiness.

Three of my favorite people here in Shaktoolik will be leaving for their own pursuits. Next year will start out with new people and a new way of doing things. But my kids will pretty much stay the same thankfully. It will be interesting to be in Skk in the summer when things are above 60 degrees. Though it is funny... even 25 degrees feels tropical... Actually any temperature that is above 0 is great. If I can't see my breath it's hot. :) I'm probably going to die this summer under the heat of Charleston but I will love it. Maybe I can store some warmth.

Toy turtle kills 8-ft alligator

Fri, 02 May 2008 18:19:24 GMT

http://www.local6.com/news/16131896/detail.html

Way to go for the little guy!!! Teach him to be more careful about what he eats.

I made her

Thu, 01 May 2008 19:55:14 GMT

I made her...she is different. She is unique.
With love I formed her in her mother's womb.
I fashioned her with great joy.
I remember with great pleasure the day I created her.

I love her smile. I love her ways. I love to hear her laugh
And the silly things she says and does.
She brings me great pleasure. This is how I made her.

I made her pretty and not beautiful.
I wanted her to search out her heart and learn that it would be Me in her that would make her beautiful...
And it would be Me that would draw others to her.

I made her in such a way that she would need me.

I made her a little more lonesome than she would like to be...
Only because I need for her to learn and depend on Me.
I know her heart. I know that if I had not made her like this,
She would go her own chosen way
And forget Me...her Creator.

Because I love her, I have seen her broken heart... and the tears she cried alone.
I have cried with her and had a broken heart too.

Many times she has stumbled and fallen alone...
Only because she would not hold my hand.
So many lessons she's learned the hard way because she would not listen to My voice.

So many times I have sat back and sadly watched her go her merry way alone...
Only to watch her return to my arms, sad and broken.

And now she is Mine again.
I made her, and I bought her...
Because I love her.

I have to reshape and remold her
To renew her to what I planned for her to be
It has not been easy for her or for Me.

I want her to be conformed to My image.
This high goal I have set for her...

Because I love her

Thoughts on my current perdicament

Thu, 01 May 2008 05:08:25 GMT

I live in a village in northwest Alaska. I am a teacher here and that makes me one of the six non-natives in the village. I've been feeling very isolated which is par for the course up here. What's been happening lately is that I am feeling like I am alone. Not alone without God but alone without fellowship. I've tried to fellowship with the natives here. Many are Christians but our backgrounds and individual beliefs make fellowship exhausting and confusing and sometimes hard. I'm tired, I want my church back (The one I grew the most in and accepted the lord in), I want my weekly meetings back. I've tried to organize things here but so many roadblocks have come in the way (Most are related to the amount of work that I have to do regularly and the meetings I need to attend as part of my job here) I want to be in my home church again but here at the same time.

God sent me here for a reason and this I know. He would not have sent me here if I could not handle it. I've done alright so far, but with the end of the school year not 16 days away and the end of year work piling up it has been overwhelming. So what am I trying to pray for?

Please pray for me to find fellowship here that helps me to grow and does not make me feel like such an outsider. My heart hurts with the pain of missing my good friends and my spiritual partners. I long for meaningful conversation about God and his grace, and his love for us.

Thoughts while bored and in a training

Mon, 28 Apr 2008 18:15:37 GMT

It’s kinda scary I feel like I look good today. Amazingly enough. I feel like my clothes are too tight which drives me crazy. I keep feeling like I’m gargantuan when I put my clothes on but then I’ll be lighter on the scale or another piece of clothing will fit me better. It’s amazing though I think it has something to do with hard water and putting my jeans through the crazy dryer. Apparently there is a gremlin in my dryer who shrinks my clothes. I did not believe it until I put one pair of jeans on and they were shorter than my cankles. Ha Ha there is a Gremlin afoot. And it’s stealing my good jeans. Araghh.

Why is it only times like this that the other teachers actually tell me when the kids can’t do something I said they could do?
Why do I get aggravated when two teachers state that my kids can’t do what I know they can do.. I guess it is because they end up making me second guess what I know to be true. I know that I’ve been stretched this year and I know I’ve been expected to fulfill too many roles as a sped and reg ed teacher and I know I have done my best but I just feel like there is so much more I could have done and didn’t do because I didn’t have the time. Father God please help me to be stronger and wiser than I am. Please help me to deal with my failings as well as my triumphs.

Answers to prayer

Fri, 25 Apr 2008 21:37:31 GMT

So I got an answer. And at the same time I realized that my habit of praying "In God's will" was semi- giving up. Like my prayers by themselves meant nothing and my opinion meant nothing. What I wanted meant nothing... Now that is true in a sense. But what is also true is that God gives us the desires of our hearts. So instead of feeling bad about the fact that I needed to pray for something.I should feel blessed to be able to pray to my Lord.

So I will pray with abandon. For everyone and everything. Not second guessing the prayer but believing. Praying to get through feelings, praying to be better, praying for favor, praying for love.

Why

Thu, 17 Apr 2008 20:56:30 GMT

Why?? Why?

http://www.yaledailynews.com/articles/view/24513

Whether it is true or not
Life imitates art.

God please help us find our way in this fallen world...

Is Joel Osteen really that bad?

Wed, 16 Apr 2008 21:31:19 GMT

Is Joel Osteen really that bad

I was in a smallgroup (Online) last night (4:30 pm my time) and the leader took exception when I mentioned something I had heard Joel Osteen say.
He basically made Joel out to be the anti-christ who is leading people the wrong way. Now whatever is true or not, whatever is accurate I want to know. They urged me to see the Youtube thing about him on Larry King live telling people that all religions lead to God. I saw him on Larry King with his wife and I totally agreed with what he was saying that time so I'm not sure what the problem is. Is he really that bad?

I need a Christian Math teacher

Thu, 10 Apr 2008 17:42:27 GMT

The only position that has yet to be filled here in Shaktoolik is that of a math teacher. Whoever ends up with the job will be working closely with me so I pray that we get a good one. For the kids sake as well as mine. They need a good math teacher. I need to be able to share the room with someone who will not make me nuts.

Sat, 05 Apr 2008 00:32:21 GMT

Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond imagination. It is our light more than our darkness which scares us. We ask ourselves – who are we to be brilliant, beautiful, talented, and fabulous. But honestly, who are you to not be so?

You are a child of God, small games do not work in this world. For those around us to feel peace, it is not example to make ourselves small. We were born to express the glory of god that lives in us. It is not in some of us, it is in all of us. While we allow our light to shine, we unconsciously give permission for others to do the same. When we liberate ourselves from our own fears, simply our presence may liberate others.’

- Marianne Williamson in Return to Love: Reflections on a Course in Miracles

Inspiring my spirit

Fri, 04 Apr 2008 20:44:29 GMT

Oh my goodness...

There is nothing that "Inspires my spirit" more than a good looking man quoting scripture with emphasis and great knowledge (Only single men)
I was watching the X files, of all things, last night. There was a part where Mulder quotes and talks about some of the parts of scripture.... drooool.

Single men quoting scripture with authority and passion...... sigh.... sigh..... sigh.....

Fri, 04 Apr 2008 16:56:19 GMT

Spelling errors aside I kinda like it

Expounding on an earlier thought... bear with me.

Thu, 03 Apr 2008 18:35:12 GMT

people don't have something come up and bite them on the keister they don't know or care. Maybe they care, but they mostly care about their own problems. Or what's on tv. I mean how long did it take this country to use different technologies to power cars? It's flipping crazy.

But it is everywhere. I love the people up here but their personal concerns are not the best things for their enviorment. These people can save enough food during the summer to last them until the Ice breaks. But these are the same people who get a PFD (Alaska oil dividend) of over 1500 for each person in their household but blow it all in about two months if that. We're talking households of at least 5 or more most times. And they aren't spending it on neccessities. There are too many toys they can buy... Too many diversions that can be had in a dime bag or a bottle. Don't get me wrong I love these people. But it is everywhere. There are kids in this village who don't have heat in their homes outside of a wood stove. Think about that... Where we had at least 2 weeks this year of 40 below.. Only a wood stove. You can't keep a house warm in that. So in all this I ask the people who they'd vote for.. what they want. They don't care... People don't care.. So those of us who do care have an even greater responsibility.

Johnathan and David

Wed, 02 Apr 2008 21:41:02 GMT

Their relationship fascinates me. I guess I've never really seen two men have that kind of loving loyalty and partnership without it being something more. In the world as it is that kind of friendship is easily mistaken for homosexuality. We always assume that if men are that friendly with each other then they must be gay or something. Funny part is that it is the same for girls. Take Ruth and Niaomi, they had a loving partnership and friendship based on mutual respect and loyalty. It's hard to come by in this day with women as we are. I've been blessed by a few friendships like that and they are all too rare.

It's as Anne Shirley said "Kindred spirits" And that's the truth.

So why do we always assign the other meaning to this kind of friendship? When a man and a woman share this kind of partnership we always assume. As a matter of fact most of the shows on tv use this type of ploy. The tension between two characters... are they in love aren't they in love and etc. I catch myself falling for it all the time.... All the time... It makes me angry that my feelings can be manipulated like that.

Then when I think of David and Johnathan or Jesus our lord and the men who followed him I have to face the fact that many of my ideas about love and it's expression are tied up in sex. But that's not love.

God feels the love for us of a father to his children. But in our fallen world a father's love doesn't seem to carry the right weight and respect. We live in a world of abusive fathers. Fathers who abandon their children. Fathers who neglect them. So many of the bad examples outweigh the good. How do we reconcile this vision of fatherhood. How do we know what it really feels to be the father of the world. If we are honest we have no idea about this and are just guessing based on our own experience.

Finally a pretty day

Thu, 27 Mar 2008 22:15:07 GMT

Yesterday was a beautiful day in Shaktoolik. The sun was shining there was no wind and it was about 40 degrees out. I took the opportunity to get some pictures since there was nothing that would ice or snow my camera up. So here are some lovely pictures of my house after we dug it out enough so we could have some access. It's really amazing out there. I never thought that snow would be this bright but it is. The bright sunlight strikes the white snow until it seems as if all around you is light. Then your eyes adjust and you realise that it is the same old Shaktoolik. Shaktoolik with all of it's faults and triumphs is so much more beautiful when covered by a lovely sheet of snow on a sunny winter day.

My front door dug out from the snow dune. Have I mentioned that I have three steps and a railing?

The mound of snow that used to cover the front of our house. Patricia and I got frozen into our house the other day. It was interesting.

And I wondered why I was having trouble getting satellite service in... note the gigantic pile of snow.... snazzy.... My neighbor rocks though... he shoveled it out for me. I kinda like this picture you can see my silouette.

This gives a better idea about the depth of snow still there... scary..

My porch

My neighbors conspiring

Elementary ski team practicing

Shaktoolik on a beautiful spring day.. Much like today... I got to wear a skirt to school!

Practice tests... Same as regular tests just more frustrating!!

Wed, 26 Mar 2008 22:33:28 GMT

Practice tests... Same as regular tests just more frustrating!! It’s amazing how long it takes you to do something when you really don’t want to do it and you would rather do anything but.

It’s not that my kids hate writing... They like to write they just want to write what they want to write not what you want. That makes me the writing Nazi. Much as I love these kids they way they are I’m not content to keep them that way. They need to learn and grow in school and in the Lord just like I do.

You never really figure out how to do something until you teach it. That is the truth. I could never figure out half this stuff while I was in school but now I can do it easier than falling off a log. That’s why it’s great when you can get your students to teach each other. It’s a true test of what they know.

I was sitting here in my medicine headdyness thinking about various things. About how quickly the day goes when I am super busy. About how irritating it is when people you care about and have invested a lot of time in make dumb decisions and do what seems to ruin their lives. (Those of you who know can understand)
And what I found most frightening is how your feelings for some people can change. For example- My roommate. She’s still as crazy as she was before. She still argues with me over the bible, and makes things difficult. But now that I know that she is coming back next year and I have to deal with her as another teacher (Luckliy I’m moving OUT) I feel different about her. The same way that a teacher that I had once admired and respected the opinion of... is now not quite what I first thought of her. Perhaps the inital feelings were misconceptions on my part but some of it is behavior over a period of time.
Sadly I still care about Jess just as much as I did in the beginning... but it is tempered by the wisdom about the reality of the situation. I know I’ll be friends with him for a long time but I will not probably be more than that because he’s just not ready. I’m ready. I just pray that the wonderful man God leads to me is a mixture of Jess, Daddy, Tim and Harvey. Handsome, caring, intuitive, and ... fun. Tall order. I know

PETA can bite me

Mon, 24 Mar 2008 21:06:51 GMT

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/23/sports/othersports/23iditarod.html?ex=1207022400&en=9cc3fe38f86f6ea7&ei=5070&emc=eta1

In the New York Times there is an article about the deaths during the Iditarod. Three dogs died this year. But we had a whole lot of dogs. That is less than 1% of the total number of dogs who ran the race. Oh and did I mention that the dogs absolutely love the running? Just like atheletes in any other sport or those fru fru groomed dogs in the dog shows they love to show off.

Sometimes people make me sick... I really wish that PETA would start lobbying for the better care of children rather than animals. Too many kids have worse lives than dogs and cats. In a world where we treat our pets better than our kids it's disgusting.

Urgh...

http://www.adn.com/news/alaska/newsreader/story/354525.html

Better story from the ADN

Pics from Iditarod

Sun, 23 Mar 2008 07:51:31 GMT

The mushers come in and lay straw down for their dogs. They get their dogs checked out and feed them then they make the decision to either stay awhile and rest or move on.

As soon as the dogs stop they usually go straight to sleep. But they are ready to go at a moments notice.. It's pretty cool... Though these pictures cannot even begin to show you how much they and the mushers stink,... I thought Oliver was bad ugh :X

This is an example of a sled that is typically used. They make them much more aerodynamic than I had thought they would be.

The bags are drop bags that get dropped from planes during the race. The silver thing is an oven that is used to heat the food that they give to the dogs usually a mixture of protein and grains. The dogs burn a lot of calories during the day so it is important to fill them up with lots when you can give them some time to digest it.

A view from over the Norton Sound.

Tyler, note the red cheeks

Sven caring for his dogs... Ahhh Sven.....

He was telling me that he was one of the mushers that Discovery was following this year. It seems they gave him a camera on his sled that he was supposed to talk into. It's interesting. In these pictures he's putting an ointment on the dogs' paws to keep them from cracking and bleeding. The dogs all have booties but it is still rough on them.

"Drop bags" Each musher has them sent to the checkpoints with the supplies they will need for the next leg of the journey. While at the checkpoint this is also a time that the sick or injured dogs are taken out and airlifted.

It doesn't look like much but it's the trail. It goes down from the end to a dropoff where the river is. They travel along the river and out of town. The snow should be yellow in this area I am surprised it is still white with all the dogs who came through. Just think about it about 90 mushers X about 12 dogs each.... Woa

No those are not orbs there was snow that night.

I

Iditabikers, Iditawalkers and permafrost surveyors

Sat, 22 Mar 2008 00:04:55 GMT

It has been an exhausting week here at Shaktoolik school. The funny part about living here is that even in a small village there is always something going on. There were the Iditabikers - Guys who bike the Iditarod trail. (They say they have to push the bikes through snowdrifts 1/2 the time)

I thought these guys and the Mushers were real tough customers but then I met this guy

This man is amazing. He is an Iditawalker from Spain. He speaks a little English and he was able to talk with the kids for a while. It was really nice. His Website is http://porelcaminodelviento.blogspot.com. Jess thought that site name meant the horse on Friday or something like that but Jose said it meant the way of the wind. Either way this man has done everything. He climbed Everest By Himself. Kayaked down the Amazon, climbed just about everything and now he is going to the North Pole. He has done the Iditarod trail on foot... Crazy but Visit the website and scroll down to the bottom of the page there are some awesome pictures.

He left our kids a parting message that I thought was nice.

The only thing that was unsettling was that the man wore skintight walking shorts all the time. And there were things that I'm sure the kids never saw before coming through his pants. Interesting... Not!

A Psalm that tells how I feel

Thu, 20 Mar 2008 17:57:11 GMT

Psalm 13

For the director of music. A psalm of David.

1 How long, O LORD ? Will you forget me forever?
How long will you hide your face from me?

2 How long must I wrestle with my thoughts
and every day have sorrow in my heart?
How long will my enemy triumph over me?

3 Look on me and answer, O LORD my God.
Give light to my eyes, or I will sleep in death;

4 my enemy will say, "I have overcome him,"
and my foes will rejoice when I fall.

5 But I trust in your unfailing love;
my heart rejoices in your salvation.

6 I will sing to the LORD,
for he has been good to me.