bluffton

this was taken over the christmas holiday in ohio. in bluffton - where my parents live..not to mention where my eldest sister, sarah, her husband, and her two children live, as well.
I used to live there, too - in sixth grade, tenth grade, and for several summers after highschool graduation. actually, you may notice a sort of 'dot' in the lower right portion of the photo.. this is my bird-friend. gnarles. he says, "greetings from the midwest."

on another note, it's just slightly past 9:15 and i'm about to go to bed!! i must say - this teacher business that i've been involved in - for about 2 weeks now - is pretty tiring. or it's more that I need to become better about getting more sleep - namely I should go to bed at a decent hour and/or such. I've been enjoying the job, though, so far. :) my particular goal for the rest of this week is to lovingly interact with my students... yes, amen. that is what it will be. for me, this means to: smile, converse, and laugh with them, keep a never ending bowl of patience, support their learning successes - emotionally, socially, cognitively..., provide and show interesting lessons to them, and listen to them. i'm sure there's a lot more i could do. so, if you have suggestions, do tell. :)

ultimately this source of loving interaction comes from God - hopefully, at least, on my part. that said - as always, i need to be mindful of his presence and power! ra. :)