Well, this week has been much longer than anticipated! It feels very "Friday" to me, and it's only Wednesday! Sigh.

I took a look at our pastor's blog (Lee's Laud) and saw some of the great work that our ministry team is doing in Mexico. It is an interesting view though, because every one of the pictures makes it look like they are building a church in the middle of the desert! I'm sure there must be houses somewhere in the area, but each picture has this great looking church frame, and in the background is sand, some bushes, and a mountain. I guess it's on the edge of town (cue the Mancini music)...

Well, I finished VELVET ELVIS last week, and started TEACH LIKE YOUR HAIR'S ON FIRE, but I haven't been nearly as successful in reading this week. I don't feel like I can read in the classroom during my lunch when I have a student teacher there, and evenings have been busy and/or long. I haven't given up on my book a month, though. I'm just glad that I read the first book in two weeks --give myself some breathing room.

VELVET ELVIS was a good read. The overall concept of the book being that we cannot simply accept Christianity and everything that is said from our pastors. Our faith was built on discussion, question, and dissection. We are not lemmings, and we shouldn't just accept everyting on the word of others. The Bible was a living, breathing book in that it was an oral tradition for hundreds of years before it was written down. If it was oral, and quoted, then it stands to reason that it was argued as well. So shouldn't we now still get together to read and dissect scripture? Surely I don't understand everything that is written in the Bible! (and those of you that know me at all know that to be true!!!) I questioned some of his thoughts at the end of the book (don't ask what, I don't have the book with me, and I'm a bear of very little brain. I just remember disagreeing), but overall, Rob Bell continues to be a pastor/teacher that I am excited to hear words from. If you get the opportunity, you should check him out (or the NOOMA videos)

So now I'm learning to teach like I have hair...or like my hair's on fire...or something. :) No, actually, I've enjoyed the first couple of chapters. Unlike the Essential Fifty-Five or the Excellent Eleven, or even the FIRST DAYS OF SCHOOL, this book feels like it's written by someone who's been in the classroom, struggled with the same struggles that we deal with as teachers daily (tardies, testing, discipline, respect, screaming, ...you get the idea), yet still loves what he does. He's still a teacher in LA (as of the writing of the book anyway), so that holds some credibility with me. He didn't write a book, get rich, and run away to show others how it's done. He's still doing it. Ooops: "he" is Rafe Esquith. Sorry about that.

I should point out that Ron Clark is trying to open an academy in Atlanta, and Harry Wong is highly respected and knows what he's talking about. I just like the fact that Rafe is still teaching. To me, it shows someone that still loves what he does.