I was reading in the book of second kings about the Jewish prophet Elisha and I noticed something. Elisha was brought 20 loaves of bread and he told those who brought it to feed the 100 prophets that were with him. Of course the people who brought the bread new that the bread could not feed that many but at the prophet's encouragement went ahead and started serving. To their supprise there was food left over. Now for my thought. In the gospels Jesus Christ is brought 5 loaves of bread and two fish, a boys lunch. He then has the group of 5k men (and their wives and children) sit down. He blesses the food and starts breaking it into peices to be served. When he is done breaking the food into pieces all 5k men + are full and their are twelve baskets left over. Jesus did a repeat of a "great miricle". But he didn't just copy it so those around would say this man is as great as Elisha. He blew it out of the water. 100:20 vs 5K:7 is a huge difference. He was telling all of the witnesses there, especially anyone who had read the histories that not only was he as great as Elisha, but that He was so far above him that He was in a class all by himself. I just thought this was a neat parrallel. What do you think?

Looking back to Obama's Election

This is something I wrote soon after Obama was elected and it still hit me the second time so I thought It might be worth sharing:

Hope, Obama and Change

Wednesday, November 5, 2008 at 7:04pm

I watched a man try to exude joy, while mourning his grandma. I watched a man give a centrist message of cooperation, while being about as liberal as a man can be. I watched a family that is making history and heard the crowds rejoice.

As I listentened to Obama's speach, my mind went back to what I have been hearing the children say. It won't matter who is elected.... McCain will croak and Obama will get shot. I found myself praying, for this man that I disagree with and for a family I don't know. I did not pray for his success. I prayed for his safety, and his family, and that the secret service would be better this next four years than they have ever been.

American Culture does need to change. But as a preacher said one time... It won't change because I don't like it.... It won't change because I yell at it. The only way it will change is for each of us to introduce someone to Jesus.
You say your a baptist.... Great! How many souls have you intoduced to him lately?
A Pentecostal Wow! How many souls?
A Methodist Cool! How many souls?
You wear ties at your church. Ok. How many souls?
No ties? How many?

The point is it's not the label on the door, or the style of worship, or the idicincracy of your particular churches doctrine that the unchurched care about.
Is Jesus there? Can you be the love they need and want and are crying out for?
I took this lesson to heart recently. So If I seem a little harsh, I'm still preaching at myself.

I do want change in America.... I want an end to babies being murdered. I want a goverment with a balanced budget. I want leaders that have integrity and honesty.

but most of all... I want my friends, family, neighbors, co-workers, and everyone in my world to know that Jesus is real and able to be that friend in time of need. And that they need him more than anything else in this world.

I will continue to pray for Barrack Obama. For his safety and his soul. And do my part in introducing people to the knowledge of Jesus Christ and pray that the Holy Spirit will convict of sin and bring them into a relationship with God that will change not only their life, but the lives of all they touch also.

DW

A Pentacostal Experience

I've been raised pretty much in the Assembly of God Church, so hearing people speak in other languages that they don't actually know themselves is not really unusual for me. I pray in other languages daily and it's simply part of my life. I have heard over the years of people having a person speak into their life via another language (one the hearer knew and the speaker didn't). Members of my own family have had it happen. I've heard snippets of things that I thought I recognized, but never before have I experienced being let in on a conversation with God that I was not part of before. A minister has been visiting our church for the past week and I honestly don't know him personally. I do know English is the only language that he understands. He was praying in toungues next to me at the alter tonight and started repeating the same line over and over and over. It caught my attention. After the line had my attention I realized it was spanish, you know that really fast native spanish that we second language learners have trouble with. After about the third time I was starting to get the gist and after the twenty something time I finally understood. As soon as I 'got it' the person praying went on in another language. It was interesting to me that with my limited spanish vocabulary, God still took the time to have someone repeat a phrase again and again and again, until I understood. It wasn't an earth shattering revelation. It was simply that 'We all of us have a voice, don't let ours be average and lost in the crowd. Let our voices glorify the Lord'. A simple message really, but exactly what I needed. I needed to hear to speak out, don't just fit in, but to allow God to use me to glorify him. And God in a unique way, one of His ways, allowed me not only to hear it, but in a way that I can not doubt, and through someone who has no idea that God used them to speak to me. I don't know if I will ever see this person again. But If I do, I hope that before then I will be given opportunity to Speak up, not let my voice be lost in the crowd, but use it to Glorify the Lord.

Vacation & Timeshares

This past couple weeks has been a blast. It's summer time and like many families we went on vacation. First we drove over to Springfield, Mo., for James River A/G church's annual fireworks show. For those who don't know, this church puts on a day of events and fireworks that rival a small cities. This event, that draws upwards of 120,000 people, will always have a special place in my heart. My youngest walked down to the front last year with a multitude of others to ask Jesus to live in his heart. It was to use the venacular, way cool.
We left Springfield and headed south to the most patriotic town in America. Branson, Mo., is great for shows and food, but they also have about 30 different timeshare resorts. We stayed at the Wyndam Meadows (3 1/2 stars) and had a great time. The boys went swimming, we had a kitchen to cook in so food was not expensive. All in all a great time. Of course they wanted to sell us a timeshare for 20 to 60k, and this is what I wanted to blog about. While we were in Branson, we took in two timeshare and two travel club presentations. While we enjoyed the 150 dollars and free meal and show, we decided that 20, 10, 3, and 1 thousand dollars were not low enough entry fees join their programs. And yes some of those prices were from the same places as we kept saying no.
One of the things we learned is that the maintenence fees on a timeshare are unavoidable. They will come after you for them if you don't pay. (They won't take back the timeshare.) Also, because they are deedable, you get to sadle your kids with the same incrementally increasing fees. Now, if you and your decendents want to stay in condos and vacation yearly, this is not necessarily a bad thing. The ability to stay in a 3-5 star resort for the same cost of a super 8 for a week and spread the payments out over a year is a decent deal. If you do want to have a timeshare, just remember that there are many people who don't want theirs anymore. Ebay is a great modern tool for the consumer. 400 - 800 dollars will get you that same timeshare the salesman wants you to buy for 20 to 60k. If you do want to travel, but not necessarily to condos and you plan on vacationing each year a travel club may be for you. 1000k up front (keep saying no until the price goes from 10k to 1k), and 170/year fee and you can book 10,000 vacations for 2,000. I don't book 10,000 vacations, ok let's be honest, I don't book 500 dollar vacations. I would like to someday........... someday..........someday. So, anyway, We had a ball and I learned a little about vacations. Have a great summer! Only 22 more days of freedom and then back to work. If any school kids are reading this, school starts in 29 days. That's less than a month away! Later.

End of the Year

Cue music "It's the end of the school as we know it". and cut. No more work for five weeks. Unless I get one of my thrice yearly freelance calls. I found myself singing under my breath today. It was a song from my fair lady with a twist. Instead of singing 'I've grown accostomed to her face.' I was subvocalizing 'I've grown accustomed to this place. Like breathing out and breathing in.' Anyway a good day was had by all and we won't see them for six weeks. Did I mention that it will be five weeks until we have to go back? yeah, relax, enjoy, and then back to work. Just one of the perks..... 11 to 15 weeks of vacation each year. Until I write again. Later.

Summer School

When I was growing up I remember that only the students in jepardy of failing went to summer school. Anymore, that is no longer the case. There are still recomended or strongly recomended classes offered for Math and Reading, however there is also a buffet of choices for the acedemically non-challenged. Study dogs and cats and what it means to be a pet owner. Study the history of chocolate and explore it's many varieties. Study lifetime sports or ewey gooy science. The list goes on for a page. The other unique part of the district where I live is that the summer school program is part of the child hunger feeding program. Any child (wether they are enrolled or not) and their parent can join us for breakfast and lunch at no charge, and because of this grant all students and staff are provided with free meals as well. While part of me cringes at the thought of government waste, my heart melted this morning when I was monitoring the bus line. I asked a student, "are you hungry?" The student responded, "yes, I didn't eat last night." and skipped with joy to the breakfast line. Maybe it's a shotgun approach when all that is needed is a small pistol, but in this one instance, it worked. For eighteen more days, these students will be garunteed two meals a day and so will I.

School Days

One of the benefits of being an educational interpreter is getting to look forward to the end of the year. Tonight I will take my boys camping. We will pitch a tent, light a fire, and fish in the lake. On Monday they won't have to wake up until their eyes open. For me, summer school calls. But it is a change of pace and a welcome month of work. I will admit that some freelance interpreters or VRS interpreters have a more diverse job, however I trade a little routine for summers and holidays and time with my family. Have yourself a great day and don't forget to stop and smell the roses. With twenty rose bushes in my yard that's an easy thing to do if I just remember to slow down. Until next time. DW

Family

The last few weeks have been a blur of good times and I look at this blog and realize that I have been neglecting it. If this were a person, they would feel slighted; however, as this is only a place for me to express my thoughts only my ego is slighted. How do you slight your own ego?
Last Friday I went and saw a play about relationships. The boy/girl kind. Tonight I went and saw my sons in a play and a chior. A different relationship. The thing is everything is relative and they are my relatives. I'm tired and this doesn't make any sense. I'll probably change it in the morning. Maybe not. I might just leave it up to show how my brain works when I'm ready for bed. Adios and later gator and all that jazz.

The Generosity of Friends

I wanted to share with you all about the generosity of some of people with whom I attend Church. Our youth group sent twelve contestants in nine different events to the district Fine Arts competition in Springfield. They competed in a drum solo, trio, chior, human video, small ensamble, large ensamble, puppets, and two male solos. All the twelve of the students were invited to the National competition in Orlando, Florida, in six of the events. They decided not to have 'fundraisers' to pay for their trip to Orlando. Instead, they have been ministering out to other congregations all around the area. The impact on the churches and the students lives has been amazing to watch. The cost of the trip for twenty-one people would have been around six thousand dollars; however, two families in the church who own time shares have donated their points, effectively cutting the cost in half. They were able to secure three two bedroom condos for the youth group. One is two miles from the convention center and the others are five miles. I realize that this may not have the same wow factor as someone writing a huge check, but in a church of about twenty-five families; this to me is amazing. God is good all the time. All the time, God is good.

Life on the sidelines.

One of the side effects of being an interpreter is an accumulation of knowledge. Not all of it is useful. We learn the details of the personal lives of friends and strangers. Things they wouldn't share with their own family, the interpreter is privy to. We are in a unique possition to see things that others can't and yet because of this uniqueness are asked to never input into the process any of the conclusions our outside view has afforded. In my life over the last ten years, I have been "part" of ball clubs, football teams, wrestling, art, drama, anime, and various other organizations. I have also had the opportunity to observe teachers. I remember the best, and the worst. The average tend to get lost in the shuffle. Having been through middle and high school more times than most people gives me an interesting perspective. Even though I am an adult in the building, because I am often the 'voice' of the teen or preteen, the students grow comfortable with their friends and begin to discuss everyday life. In the ten years I have learned a few things. Students haven't really changed. Adult expectations have changed a lot. Zero Tolerance has made the school a safer place. I have yet to see a knife brought to school: However the boys know how to gossip and stab each other in the back better than when I was in school. At least they are not trying to stab you in the front anymore. Some things are better and some are worse but school is still teachers trying to teach and students trying to skate by or do their best. I'm starting my fourth passage through the teen years. I wonder how much I will see this time.

Denial

There is in all of us a desire to improve or at least maintain. In college I learned that one of the five stages of grieving is denial. As an interpreter I ran into this issue head on with a late deafened individual. In a role reversal from what is normally seen with an infant or toddler diagnosis, the family accepted that their relative would be Deaf. The individual refused to accept it. In spite of doctors, therapist, experts, family, and friends their resolve was unshaken. Being a Christian I am used to seeing someone wait for the 'Lord's report' before accepting the doctors verdict. Healing is generally the rule, not the exception for most of my friends. This denial was not based on an understanding of God's power, but was simply an unwillingness to accept the facts presented. I was and still am baffled. This post isn't about how I learned some truth about life. I just wanted to share that people are human and will not always behave in what the observer would percieve to be a logical way. Bet some of you already knew that, but it still puzzles me.

M.A.P. Testing

Oh the joys of being an educational interpreter! There are many little and great things that happen over the course of a year working within a school system. In missouri, the MAP test (Missouri Assesment Program) is not one of them. I am fortunate that the grade level I am assigned to only tests for three days. Imagine if you will. 'This is the test' 'These are the directions.' 'Go ahead and start.'. Do this 6 times in one day and then sit (or stand) and wait for someone to say something that needs interpreted. A normal wait is around thirty minutes between sentences. I am not saying that this is hard. But you may want to bring a good book to read on this assignment. They'll (the teachers) probably make up for it next week by all deciding to lecture on the same day. Then you won't be bored, just tired. I realize that this test has improved the schools here in this district. I don't know what the % is in the state, but at the district level, the level of proficient (A-B) students has gone from about 30% to around 50%. That's a big improvement. All of the teachers that I know are working hard and teaching the state mandated grade level expectations with an emphasis I only saw in the best teachers when I first started ten years ago. I don't agree with everything in the 'No Child Left Behind' bill, but this has made this district a better place to learn.

construction site signing

For the last three days I have been working with my father on a project for my church. We have been leveling the parking lot and covering it with gravel, so members won't be parking on a grassy hillside anymore. While running a backhoe and digging up dirt seems far from the field of an interpreter, I did find that a knowledge of classifiers and spacial awareness is quite usefull. There were many times over the last three days where signs were used to clarify an idea or convey directions. In an all hearing crew this may seem odd; however when surrounded by two front end loading tractors, a backhoe, and a dump truck, turning off the machines every time someone wants to say something is ineffecient. A quick 'you'...(classifier car) 'pull up this way and back over there' seems to work great. Having an entire conversation is out of the question. 'A' , each person is focused on their work and it might cause a distracting accident, and 'B', I was the only person on the site that actually knew sign language. I did find however that it gave me a feeling of satisfaction that I could use the visual language skills from my 'normal' job and transfer them to a completely different environment and still use them.

Songs

For the past few years I have had the opportunity to help judge a sing language competition. The students bring a CD and play it while they interpret the song. Some of the students know what they are doing and some have had no help at all and it is obvious. No matter how they do, there is always a group in the room cheering for all they are worth. Today was a day that made me cheer. We were singing 'God is so good' in church this morning and I looked over and my five year old son was signing: God... good.... God... good... God .... good ... me. The hand shapes were not perfect. The facial grammer was non existant. I was beeming. When he saw me he grinned and stopped for a second. I pretended to ignore him and he started up again. Aaahhhh. Life is full of little joys and today one stopped and said hello to me.

Pronouns and Philosophy

I was using some spacial referencing today and a thought crossed my mind. While I continued to interpret my brain took a rabbit trail and considered how visual languages are the only languages that can use an overabundance of pronouns and still not confuse the 'listener'. I can talk about Dad, Mom, my brother, his wife, my wife and my kids and continue to refer to them in the rest of the conversation without having to repeatedly clarify which him/her I am talking about. My kids are down and to the right in a them pronoun. My wife is directly right. I place Mom and Dad on my right front side and my brother and his wife on my left side and off we go. For those beginning signers out there remember God is up and the devil is down. And whichever side you put God on (right/left), leave him there. I'm confused if He moves around too much. Anyway, I also was using a grouping of good things on my left and unpleasant things on my right. I realized that I always put the good on my left and the bad on my right. I wonder why that is. Maybe I'm stuck in a rut. But if I change, would I be able to remember which is right and wrong, left and right? I wonder what other ruts I am in that I don't recognize? You? Something to think about.

Learning American Sign Language

At school when I meet a substitute for the first time, I get the 'wow sign language; that's so amazing; I want to learn that' speal. They don't know that I've heard it six hundred times, so I smile and nod and wish them well. Occasionally someone supprises you. When 'it' happened, I was so glad that I had smiled and nodded. This someone actually learned some sign language, then enrolled in a night course to learn more. Then they did what any normal person who wants to learn sign language does. Moves away. It's really simple. I am the only interpreter in my county. Learning sign language here would be like moving to Atlanta, Georgia, to learn Greek. If you are stuck out in the boondocks and want to learn sign the internet is wonderful. If I had to start all over and didn't have someone to teach me (not a good situation), I would go to Lifeprint.com and study under Dr. Vickers. He has a completely free online program for learning sign language. I would probably go ahead and buy some of his support CDs to help me study at home and maybe even pay and get college credit. I would also frequent youtube.com. If you type in 'ASL Vlog' as your search. Viola! Deaf people like to talk. Video logs are amazing ways to improve, but there is a learning curve. It may take as long as the second semester to actually understand what they are saying. Since the speaker is not in front of you, asking them to slow down doesn't work;however, rewind does. If I had to start again, I would want someone to point me that way. Of course, the best way is simply to move to where Deaf people live. It's so much easier to learn that way. Btw, if you do go to youtube, make sure you type in ASL and not sign language. Americans aren't the only ones that use the site and you may be completely lost trying to understand something and not realize it's one of the other 500 or so sing languages that are out there. I remember watching a song and not understanding anything. I then read the caption about how this group of teens from London was competing...... BSL and ASL don't mix, sorry we're French. (see previous post). So, my advice is to move and if you can't move take a class. Then find someone to talk with. That's the best part.

French Sign Language

I have been told many times in the course of interpreting that sign language is gramatically French. I learned how adjectives follow nouns and various other grammer specific examples. Recently, I attended a workshop given by a Deaf priest. He gave us an actual symbol that American Sign Language has kept. In ASL the index finger pointing straight up is a classifier that represents a person. This "person" can go up the stairs, down the elevator, "meet" another person, meet and greet a lot of other people, kiss, fall over dead, and many other actions without changing the hand shape. In French Sign Language this same concept is represented with a thumbs up. In ASL the sign for basement is a 'thumbs up' going under a flat palm (orientation down). So the 'person' is going under the 'floor'. The words: with, pass, backslide, race, Babtist, crash, sweetheart, challenge, and pride are all concepts in ASL that are expressed with the FSL classifier for 'person'. The small group I was part of at this workshop come up with over 40 of these 'French' signs in about five minutes off the top of our heads. This was an amazing concept for me. Many of the signs that I simply knew by rote have a visual meaning that I was completely missing. This information may or may not make me a better interpreter, but it did make this language more alive as I can look and see the influences that have shaped it into what it is today.

Beef Stroganoff

Today the boys and I were home "alone". They played outside with the dogs for about an hour. We watched an hour of T.V. We went to Arby's and ate lunch with Mom and the debate team. And then came dinner. I can cook, but sometimes I just don't 'feel' like it. Tonight was one of those nights. I opened the freezer and what did I see. Stoufer's Stroganoff staring at me. Now I haven't had this dish in ten years. Tonia doesn't like it, so it doesn't get cooked. It was the perfect day to spring a new dish on the boys. Eleven minutes and a few micro-waves later I dished up three bowls of stew and sat back to watch. My oldest boy Wain ate it without complaining. But I could tell this would not be a favorite. My youngest, Richard, took a few bites. He ate some noodles. He ate some beef. He said he didn't like it not in the least. Me being my father's son, I had a simple answer. Eat it. He did...... I took a bite. Wow. Ten years was too long between. It won't be an everyday thing, It may not even be an every month thing. Beef stroganoff is honestly not very healthy, but it will be a sometime food. Hope my miandering didn't bore you. There was a little bit left. I think I'll go warm up a bowl.

Working eight to three.

In this world I have rich friends and poor friends. I have friends on both sides that are alternately struggling or doing just fine. It kind of depends on their money skills. Now, my money skills are not the best. If I see something I think my wife will like, I tend to buy it first and figure out how to pay for it later. Most of the time this works out great, because we have good jobs. My job..... I work one hundred and eighty three days each year and get fifteen weeks of vacation. You should see the time share guys jaws drop when I tell them how many weeks I have off. I usually work an additional four weeks in the summer, so in reality I generally average eleven. I used to work about 60 hours each week and make double what I do now, but as my children have gotten older, I have discovered something. If I am home to eat dinner with them, read to them, pray with them, and tuck them into bed. Life is great. If I have to out of the house until ten because of something that makes money. Their normally great behavior disappears. A child phsycologist would probably say it was because their routine was messed with. I like to think it's because they miss me. Anyway, I may never be rich. I may never have millions. But, I have a wife and two children who love me. I wouldn't trade that for a trillion.

An interesting Day

As an Interpreter sometimes when I work with hard of hearing people I feel ignored. I try not to let it get to me. I know I still need to do my job to the best of my ability even if the client is reading the persons lips more than they are watching me. One day started out to be one of those days and then an interesting thing happened. The battery in the hearing aid lost its charge. On a positive note, I last longer than a battery. I was paid attention to and felt like I "earned my keep" as it were. If this seems a little self centered, I realize it probably is; however, this is a blog about feelings and not realities. It sure made for an interesting day.