.
HALLELUJAH!!!! The republican, Scott Brown, won the election in Mass.!!!!
Watch out, Obama. You haven't pulled off your health care bomb yet.
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
Sunday, January 10, 2010
Putting into remembrance
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I have been intrigued for some time about the topic of "the development and history of knowledge". How, over time, even centuries, did this progress, starting first with early civilization, even before alphabets were created, (much less reading and writing)? These are "technologies" that have been part of the history of man. Adam, especially before the fall, was a very intelligent person. How could he not be? We know he had a language as he fellowshiped with God and he named the animals and woman. Language is a technology, putting thoughts and ideas into words. But the written language was still a long time to come.
Oral traditions were held high and valuable by many cultures. As these technologies, (e.g. alphabets and languages), were developed, they were decried as detrimental by others. The more man depended on these technologies, the less the brain was used, or not used as much, so they claimed. This cry has been a re-ocurring theme for centuries. It was posited when the Gutenburg press was created. The concept has been revived again in the last decades as the technologies of the computer have 'exploded'.
(The development and use of the brain is one road we could travel. The development of knowledge is another, seperate road, yet they run parrallel through out man's history. They go hand in hand, but it is this latter topic my mind dwells on.)
Keeping track and documenting the various tidbits that I come across on this subject have been difficult, at best, with no single means of gathering all these in one place. However, just today in church I was intrigued by a verse in the bible that plays into this thesis. So I made note of it.
Peter was writing to the church, "his children." Given that, we must realize that the NT was not complete at this point, as what he was writing later became part of that holy collection. This is one of the reasons he even wrote them. They needed to be reminded of the the things they had been taught. II Peter 1:12-15 discusses the concept that in their day and culture, they had to "keep in remembrance," i.e. memorize, what they were taught in order to keep track of it, make it a part of their lives, and pass it on to the next generation. Yes, they were holding in their hand something he had committed to writing. But this was still not yet a common occurance - having something in writing.
So here, even in scripture, we have evidence that knowledge - even as late as the early A.D. centuries the written word was rare and held only by presumably the privledged and the rich. Everyone else even yet, still had to commit to memory whatever they would need to learn. They still actively used and depended upon what they memorized. They didn't 'need' to put into writing what they needed to know because memorizing was such a part of their way of life. It wasn't part of their mindset at this point. It hadn't become a need, yet. On the other hand, the where-with-all to put knowledge into writing is still a long way off, in being part of every man's daily life, and common at the grassroots level of everyday life.
What difference does this make to you??? Maybe nothing. But in this world of secularism, and disciplines taught from a humanistic and secular world view, it is important the Christians maintain a biblical worldview, even in, or especially in, their professions.
Timelines from these opposing "camps" are probably the biggest and most obvious difference, as 'everything' else hangs on when they happened. Consequently along this line, I have been interested in collecting, collating, sifting, composing and in general, mulling over the development and history of knowledge from a biblical worldview and perspective. My profession, being librarianship, deals with records of knowledge and is what librarianship is all about.
Here, in this passage in II Peter, we see evidence in scripture, in New Testament times, how knowledge and learning was recorded, so to speak, by committing it to memory. Yes, language was already reduced to alphabets, and there are records of history that were put in writing. But yet at this point, memory was still the more common way of learning the knowledge of the day and passing it on to the next generation. Here in the days of the Romans, memory still played a vital role in the history of knowledge and how it was developed over the centuries. Here we have, in our bibles, a time and place of how knowledge was handled. Here we can peek into a portion of world history and see a portion of the history of knowledge itself, recorded in our very own bible - the "history of knowledge" not only presented from a biblical worldview, but recorded in the bible, itself. This realization was an "Ah-ha" moment for yours truely.
Hopefully as I continue to study and read I will find even more instances that can be culled from the scriptures. I would most gladly be interested in your input and discussion. You may email me directly at swguinn at gmail dot com.
This is also posted at www.arkansaspilgrim.blogspot.com
I have been intrigued for some time about the topic of "the development and history of knowledge". How, over time, even centuries, did this progress, starting first with early civilization, even before alphabets were created, (much less reading and writing)? These are "technologies" that have been part of the history of man. Adam, especially before the fall, was a very intelligent person. How could he not be? We know he had a language as he fellowshiped with God and he named the animals and woman. Language is a technology, putting thoughts and ideas into words. But the written language was still a long time to come.
Oral traditions were held high and valuable by many cultures. As these technologies, (e.g. alphabets and languages), were developed, they were decried as detrimental by others. The more man depended on these technologies, the less the brain was used, or not used as much, so they claimed. This cry has been a re-ocurring theme for centuries. It was posited when the Gutenburg press was created. The concept has been revived again in the last decades as the technologies of the computer have 'exploded'.
(The development and use of the brain is one road we could travel. The development of knowledge is another, seperate road, yet they run parrallel through out man's history. They go hand in hand, but it is this latter topic my mind dwells on.)
Keeping track and documenting the various tidbits that I come across on this subject have been difficult, at best, with no single means of gathering all these in one place. However, just today in church I was intrigued by a verse in the bible that plays into this thesis. So I made note of it.
Peter was writing to the church, "his children." Given that, we must realize that the NT was not complete at this point, as what he was writing later became part of that holy collection. This is one of the reasons he even wrote them. They needed to be reminded of the the things they had been taught. II Peter 1:12-15 discusses the concept that in their day and culture, they had to "keep in remembrance," i.e. memorize, what they were taught in order to keep track of it, make it a part of their lives, and pass it on to the next generation. Yes, they were holding in their hand something he had committed to writing. But this was still not yet a common occurance - having something in writing.
So here, even in scripture, we have evidence that knowledge - even as late as the early A.D. centuries the written word was rare and held only by presumably the privledged and the rich. Everyone else even yet, still had to commit to memory whatever they would need to learn. They still actively used and depended upon what they memorized. They didn't 'need' to put into writing what they needed to know because memorizing was such a part of their way of life. It wasn't part of their mindset at this point. It hadn't become a need, yet. On the other hand, the where-with-all to put knowledge into writing is still a long way off, in being part of every man's daily life, and common at the grassroots level of everyday life.
What difference does this make to you??? Maybe nothing. But in this world of secularism, and disciplines taught from a humanistic and secular world view, it is important the Christians maintain a biblical worldview, even in, or especially in, their professions.
Timelines from these opposing "camps" are probably the biggest and most obvious difference, as 'everything' else hangs on when they happened. Consequently along this line, I have been interested in collecting, collating, sifting, composing and in general, mulling over the development and history of knowledge from a biblical worldview and perspective. My profession, being librarianship, deals with records of knowledge and is what librarianship is all about.
Here, in this passage in II Peter, we see evidence in scripture, in New Testament times, how knowledge and learning was recorded, so to speak, by committing it to memory. Yes, language was already reduced to alphabets, and there are records of history that were put in writing. But yet at this point, memory was still the more common way of learning the knowledge of the day and passing it on to the next generation. Here in the days of the Romans, memory still played a vital role in the history of knowledge and how it was developed over the centuries. Here we have, in our bibles, a time and place of how knowledge was handled. Here we can peek into a portion of world history and see a portion of the history of knowledge itself, recorded in our very own bible - the "history of knowledge" not only presented from a biblical worldview, but recorded in the bible, itself. This realization was an "Ah-ha" moment for yours truely.
Hopefully as I continue to study and read I will find even more instances that can be culled from the scriptures. I would most gladly be interested in your input and discussion. You may email me directly at swguinn at gmail dot com.
This is also posted at www.arkansaspilgrim.blogspot.com
Sunday, May 31, 2009
Moved - left "forwarding" address
Here is my new blog.
The URL is: http://www.arkansaspilgrim.blogspot.com/
As I am no longer at the college where I used to work, I have changed to a new blog that will be more incompassing to my life and what I do. This one will not be effected by change of vocation, only my "location".
When the time comes that I can no longer be located on earth, I will no longer be blogging. :-)
.
.
The URL is: http://www.arkansaspilgrim.blogspot.com/
As I am no longer at the college where I used to work, I have changed to a new blog that will be more incompassing to my life and what I do. This one will not be effected by change of vocation, only my "location".
When the time comes that I can no longer be located on earth, I will no longer be blogging. :-)
.
.
Thursday, October 16, 2008
change name?
Now that I am no longer at CBCTS, I am wondering if I should change the name of my blog. The down side is I can't change the URL and keep the same blog - I don't think.
If you have any ideas, suggestions, or help - let me know.
If you have any ideas, suggestions, or help - let me know.
New Job
After three months of unemployment and about eight months of looking for a new job, I finally have received a job as a cataloger at the Rogers (AR) Public Library. It is only 2 minutes from where I live and pays more than I was expecting to get. So I am excited. After a background check is done by the City of Rogers, I will be able to start work. Probably it will be on the 27th.
I am excited to be able to continue in the library profession and not have to take "just anything that came along."
So - any of you that are looking or "still looking" - take heart and hang in there.
Networking is what did it for me. I also tried job sites like CareerBuilder.com and Monstorjob.com and looking in the newspaper's want ads. But in the end it was word of mouth and networking that found me the job I received.
I am excited to be able to continue in the library profession and not have to take "just anything that came along."
So - any of you that are looking or "still looking" - take heart and hang in there.
Networking is what did it for me. I also tried job sites like CareerBuilder.com and Monstorjob.com and looking in the newspaper's want ads. But in the end it was word of mouth and networking that found me the job I received.
Monday, October 13, 2008
Job Interview
I have a job interview Tuesday, Oct. 14th, at 3:00 pm, in the local library. Actually two positions are being offered. I also saw where there's one at the museum. But I haven't checked that one out yet. Hopefully I'll get one of these. I have been putting out applications like crazy. Last week I submitted 10. Three of them are for library positions. The rest for non-library ones. Hopefully something will open up soon.
Friday, September 19, 2008
Fireproof!
Do you remember the movie Facing the Giants? The producers have come out with a new movie called Fireproof. I hear it's a great movie! It's rated PG and christian reviewers give it a "two thumbs up" (so to speak). I would like to say more about it - but I don't want to get something wrong and my memory fails me. I do know it has helped a lot of previewers already especially in areas of marriage. Want to see a good movie this weekend? This is the one!!! And safe for everyone in your family to see.
PS - Guess I have the date wrong. Release should be next weekend: 26h.
PS - Guess I have the date wrong. Release should be next weekend: 26h.
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
Remembering September 11th
It has been 7 years (tomorrow) when tragedy struck our land, on our soil! We forget too quickly. Stop to remember about this when you vote this year in November. I truely expect that if we elect the wrong person, what inroads that may give terrorist that we won't even know about.
Here's a poem I received by email and thought you would enjoy it.
'MEET ME IN THE STAIRWELL'
You say you will never forget where you were when you heard the news On September 11, 2001. Neither will I.
I was on the 110th floor in a smoke filled room with a man who called his wife to say 'Good-Bye.'
I held his fingers steady as he dialed. I gave him the peace to say, 'Honey, I am not going to make it, but it is OK..I am ready to go.'
I was with his wife when he called as she fed breakfast to their children. I held her up as she tried to understand his words and as she realized he wasn't coming home that night.
I was in the stairwell of the 23rd floor when a woman cried out to Me for help. 'I have been knocking on the door of your heart for 50 years!' I said.
'Of course I will show you the way home - only believe in Me now.'
I was at the base of the building with the Priest ministering to the injured and devastated souls.
I took him home to tend to his Flock in Heaven. He heard my voice and answered.
I was on all four of those planes, in every seat, with every prayer. I was with the crew as they were overtaken.
I was in the very hearts of the believers there, comforting and assuring them that their faith has saved them.
I was in Texas, Virginia, California, Michigan, Afghanistan.
I was standing next to you when you heard the terrible news.
Did you sense Me?
I want you to know that I saw every face. I knew every name - though not all know Me. Some met Me for the first time on the 86th floor...
Some sought Me with their last breath.
Some couldn't hear Me calling to them through the smoke and flames;
'Come to Me... This way. Take my hand.'
Some chose, for the final time, to ignore Me.
But, I was there.
I did not place you in the Tower that day. You may not know why, but I do. However, if you were there in that explosive moment in time, would you have reached for Me?
Sept. 11, 2001, was not the end of the journey for you. But someday your journey will end. And I will be there for you as well. Seek Me now while I may
be found. Then, at any moment, you know you are 'ready to go.' I will be in the stairwell of your final moments.
God
Here's a poem I received by email and thought you would enjoy it.
'MEET ME IN THE STAIRWELL'
You say you will never forget where you were when you heard the news On September 11, 2001. Neither will I.
I was on the 110th floor in a smoke filled room with a man who called his wife to say 'Good-Bye.'
I held his fingers steady as he dialed. I gave him the peace to say, 'Honey, I am not going to make it, but it is OK..I am ready to go.'
I was with his wife when he called as she fed breakfast to their children. I held her up as she tried to understand his words and as she realized he wasn't coming home that night.
I was in the stairwell of the 23rd floor when a woman cried out to Me for help. 'I have been knocking on the door of your heart for 50 years!' I said.
'Of course I will show you the way home - only believe in Me now.'
I was at the base of the building with the Priest ministering to the injured and devastated souls.
I took him home to tend to his Flock in Heaven. He heard my voice and answered.
I was on all four of those planes, in every seat, with every prayer. I was with the crew as they were overtaken.
I was in the very hearts of the believers there, comforting and assuring them that their faith has saved them.
I was in Texas, Virginia, California, Michigan, Afghanistan.
I was standing next to you when you heard the terrible news.
Did you sense Me?
I want you to know that I saw every face. I knew every name - though not all know Me. Some met Me for the first time on the 86th floor...
Some sought Me with their last breath.
Some couldn't hear Me calling to them through the smoke and flames;
'Come to Me... This way. Take my hand.'
Some chose, for the final time, to ignore Me.
But, I was there.
I did not place you in the Tower that day. You may not know why, but I do. However, if you were there in that explosive moment in time, would you have reached for Me?
Sept. 11, 2001, was not the end of the journey for you. But someday your journey will end. And I will be there for you as well. Seek Me now while I may
be found. Then, at any moment, you know you are 'ready to go.' I will be in the stairwell of your final moments.
God
Thursday, September 04, 2008
Results
I got the job interview a week ago last Friday, Aug. 22nd. It went well, - I could see how well suited I am for the position. Tuesday I received a letter being turned for the job. So, now its back to "square one" to see how the Lord is going to provide the income we need to live in Arkansas. We were really depending on my getting a job in order to make the new house payments. So we'll see.
Tuesday, August 19, 2008
I have applied!
News was finally received regarding the position's announcement at the library in Arkansas. I have sent my application by fax and my vita and cover letter by email. (How nice this digital age can be.) So now it's back to waiting again. The library director was also on vacation for the first 2 weeks of August. She was to return back to work yesterday (Monday, Aug. 18th). Hopefully I will be hearing soon from her asking for an interview.
In the meantime, it has been beneficial to have this summer off because of the transition from Kansas to Arkansas. We have a house, finally. We are now painting, cleaning in Ark. and packing and cleaning in KS. What an overwhelming chore. Now if we could just figure out a move date and actually follow through with it. This has not been the case so far, for a variety of reason, one was my husband's bout with pneumonia! The most recent obstacle has been M's change in his schedule at work.
There have been a plethera of problems to deal with to make this happen: money (always!), timing, help, injuries (I fell) and sickness (M's), bills, and new bills, and some circumstances completely out of our control. There have been blessings as well: God's provisions like a loaned trailer, money from unexpected sources and waiver of other expenses; also help from family and friends with packing, loading, running the stairs, cleaning and painting.
But we're not done yet - not till 'this' fat lady sings. And I ain't singing yet.
:-)
In the meantime, it has been beneficial to have this summer off because of the transition from Kansas to Arkansas. We have a house, finally. We are now painting, cleaning in Ark. and packing and cleaning in KS. What an overwhelming chore. Now if we could just figure out a move date and actually follow through with it. This has not been the case so far, for a variety of reason, one was my husband's bout with pneumonia! The most recent obstacle has been M's change in his schedule at work.
There have been a plethera of problems to deal with to make this happen: money (always!), timing, help, injuries (I fell) and sickness (M's), bills, and new bills, and some circumstances completely out of our control. There have been blessings as well: God's provisions like a loaned trailer, money from unexpected sources and waiver of other expenses; also help from family and friends with packing, loading, running the stairs, cleaning and painting.
But we're not done yet - not till 'this' fat lady sings. And I ain't singing yet.
:-)
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
dog days of summer
time is dragging along - in some ways, at least. I'm still waiting to hear about the job opening I was told was coming. However, in the mean time, my husband has started a new job in Arkansas and we have a contract on a house. So, there is progress. He is staying with friends so he can work, and I am in Kansas at our home there.
At the moment as I write, my dog is staring at me and keeps putting his paw on my arm, trying to tell me he wants something. Guess I'll sign off for today and see if I can figure out what he wants. I'll post more later, as life develops. I do know that I've got to start packing, now. Ugh.
At the moment as I write, my dog is staring at me and keeps putting his paw on my arm, trying to tell me he wants something. Guess I'll sign off for today and see if I can figure out what he wants. I'll post more later, as life develops. I do know that I've got to start packing, now. Ugh.
Sunday, June 22, 2008
job hunting
I have been seriously job hunting now since April, and watching even before that. I have applied to I-don't-know-how-many-jobs and have come up with nothing. There have been 3-4 really serious attempts to some positions I found, even spent some money on transcripts for one job. None of them have reaped anything - most of them didn't even bother to send a response they had received my application. A couple of positions got filled just as I was applying - day late and a dollar short.
Now I have, as of last week, been interviewed for a museum job. I would love to work in a museum and this would get my foot in the door. I probably would have a hard time getting a professional position unless I had some sort of history degree. If I could get into archival/preservation I may not, however.
After the above interview took place I learned of a professional position that will be open in a couple of months to which will be in the town we are moving. It will probably pay twice as much if not more than the museum job. So, what do I do??? take the fun job and get paid less, or the professional job and get paid more. I would really enjoy either one.
I thought I wanted the museum job - really bad; even called them twice about it. But that was when I didn't think there was any chance I would get a library position. If I turn down the museum position, there would be no guarentee that I would get the library one. So, it's "ifey". I"m not sure yet what I'll do. I'm hoping the Lord will take care of the delimma for me.
I'm not a perfect match for the museum job, but as I've said before, it would get my foot in the door. The other one I am perfectly suited for, but it isn't a shoe-in.
Now I have, as of last week, been interviewed for a museum job. I would love to work in a museum and this would get my foot in the door. I probably would have a hard time getting a professional position unless I had some sort of history degree. If I could get into archival/preservation I may not, however.
After the above interview took place I learned of a professional position that will be open in a couple of months to which will be in the town we are moving. It will probably pay twice as much if not more than the museum job. So, what do I do??? take the fun job and get paid less, or the professional job and get paid more. I would really enjoy either one.
I thought I wanted the museum job - really bad; even called them twice about it. But that was when I didn't think there was any chance I would get a library position. If I turn down the museum position, there would be no guarentee that I would get the library one. So, it's "ifey". I"m not sure yet what I'll do. I'm hoping the Lord will take care of the delimma for me.
I'm not a perfect match for the museum job, but as I've said before, it would get my foot in the door. The other one I am perfectly suited for, but it isn't a shoe-in.
Saturday, June 14, 2008
librarianship - the foundation job to all others
I've been thinking... (alright, dangerous, I know.) Just what is librarianship all about - the basic "about", the underlying reason of all other reasons...?
Well, organization of information, of course! - ALL information! What are other jobs about? Well, construction jobs are about constructing buildings, roads, furniture, - putting things together. But they aren't about medicine. Medicine is about illnesses, anatomy, cures, drugs, procedures. But medicine isn't about farming. Farming is about growing food and animals, producing a product for human consumption and getting rid of anything that inhibits a good end result.
Do you see what I'm getting at?
You go to a farmer to ask what's the best weed killer in wheat fields in Kansas, or what keeps insects out of orchards in New York. But you don't go to a medical doctor for that information. You also don't ask a corporate CEO in the auto industry how to make a dress without a pattern. They will know a little bit about patterns because they design cars. But they don't design dresses.
But who is the one person, or where is the one place you can always get the answer to, for any question? Your information specialist, the Librarian, or Library! Your One Source Information Provider!!! Want to know about Stocks and Bonds? Go to the library and look up the Standards and Poors report. Want to know what's the best camera to buy? Look it up at the library in Consumer Reports. Want to know when is the best time to plant potatoes? Go to the Library and check out books on vegetable gardens.
Now you could track down the experts round about town and find these answers. Or you could go to one place and get all these answers!!! [Another bonus, its all free!]
Left to our own devices we all would live in a house with some level of chaos. But down deep we as a society have a desire to organize - whether its our thoughts, our things or our lives. We want some kind of order, so we can derive some kind of meaning out of life.
Even very primitive tribal man had a desire for this. And, by the way, the two most important things they organized were religion and family lines, whether they organized anything else or not. They coded their lives with rules. They created what information they knew into organized segments. It is within our nature to do so.
Okay. So what? What difference does that make to me? Well, I'm glad you ---at least wondered. Librarians are the ultimate organizers of information. Pure and Simple. Just think about it for a minute. Each discipline is organized within its own world - astronomy, physics, mechanics, music, medicine, philosophy and so on. But what do the librarians do? They take all these disciplines and organize all the small individual categories into one great big total.
To a librarian that is called classification. There are several different methods used. The most common in the United States are Dewey Decimal System and Library of Congress Classification System. But they all do the same thing. Its the ultimate grouping of groups, a system of systems. It is the Library!
So the next time you want to know where to find a good Italian restaurant, or how to improve your picture taking, or what types of clothes go together - stop and think what you are doing. You are looking for information. You may ask a friend, or you make check the internet, or you may ask a specialist. But ultimately, its your librarian that helps keep this available, keeps this organized and keeps your world still turning. They are the gatekeepers of gatekeepers. And they've got the best job in the world! I'd even go so far as to say, if it weren't for librarians, the rest of society just might fall apart.
Want the best job on the world? Become a librarian. You can learn a little (or a lot) about anything and everything and help someone else do the same.
Well, organization of information, of course! - ALL information! What are other jobs about? Well, construction jobs are about constructing buildings, roads, furniture, - putting things together. But they aren't about medicine. Medicine is about illnesses, anatomy, cures, drugs, procedures. But medicine isn't about farming. Farming is about growing food and animals, producing a product for human consumption and getting rid of anything that inhibits a good end result.
Do you see what I'm getting at?
You go to a farmer to ask what's the best weed killer in wheat fields in Kansas, or what keeps insects out of orchards in New York. But you don't go to a medical doctor for that information. You also don't ask a corporate CEO in the auto industry how to make a dress without a pattern. They will know a little bit about patterns because they design cars. But they don't design dresses.
But who is the one person, or where is the one place you can always get the answer to, for any question? Your information specialist, the Librarian, or Library! Your One Source Information Provider!!! Want to know about Stocks and Bonds? Go to the library and look up the Standards and Poors report. Want to know what's the best camera to buy? Look it up at the library in Consumer Reports. Want to know when is the best time to plant potatoes? Go to the Library and check out books on vegetable gardens.
Now you could track down the experts round about town and find these answers. Or you could go to one place and get all these answers!!! [Another bonus, its all free!]
Left to our own devices we all would live in a house with some level of chaos. But down deep we as a society have a desire to organize - whether its our thoughts, our things or our lives. We want some kind of order, so we can derive some kind of meaning out of life.
Even very primitive tribal man had a desire for this. And, by the way, the two most important things they organized were religion and family lines, whether they organized anything else or not. They coded their lives with rules. They created what information they knew into organized segments. It is within our nature to do so.
Okay. So what? What difference does that make to me? Well, I'm glad you ---at least wondered. Librarians are the ultimate organizers of information. Pure and Simple. Just think about it for a minute. Each discipline is organized within its own world - astronomy, physics, mechanics, music, medicine, philosophy and so on. But what do the librarians do? They take all these disciplines and organize all the small individual categories into one great big total.
To a librarian that is called classification. There are several different methods used. The most common in the United States are Dewey Decimal System and Library of Congress Classification System. But they all do the same thing. Its the ultimate grouping of groups, a system of systems. It is the Library!
So the next time you want to know where to find a good Italian restaurant, or how to improve your picture taking, or what types of clothes go together - stop and think what you are doing. You are looking for information. You may ask a friend, or you make check the internet, or you may ask a specialist. But ultimately, its your librarian that helps keep this available, keeps this organized and keeps your world still turning. They are the gatekeepers of gatekeepers. And they've got the best job in the world! I'd even go so far as to say, if it weren't for librarians, the rest of society just might fall apart.
Want the best job on the world? Become a librarian. You can learn a little (or a lot) about anything and everything and help someone else do the same.
Saturday, June 07, 2008
Neither Will Be The Same - a mini short story
She sat at her desk, finishing up the last of her duties, checking her email just before leaving for the day. There the thought struck her, "I really am leaving this place. I really am leaving." It was 6:30 in the evening, on Friday the 23rd. School had been over for a week and a half now, and graduation the weekend before.
She gathered her things, pulled out her car keys and work keys, and shut the office door one last time. When she turned off all the lights, and walked out the front door, she noticed how deserted the campus was. Not only were the students all gone, but it was 2 hours after all staff leave for the day, as well. The wind picked at her hair, and cooled the wet lines on her face. The quiet campus was deafening. The goodbyes, the recognitions, the gifts - they had all been said and done. They echoed in her ears.
What had she done, she second-guessed to herself. It was suppose to be timed like a neat little package to have something to move on to. A new job, a new home, a new life. But none of that had transpired as planned. Tears streamed down her face as her feet propelled her numb mind towards the car. What lay ahead the Lord was yet to reveal.
One thing was certain, she did have some loose ends to tie up. She figured it would be at least a couple more trips back to the city to get it all done. But, it just won't be the same. Yet - will anything be different? It will be so natural to walk in and catch up on the day.
How you can walk away from something you have invested yourself in for the last several years? Thoughts raced through her head. It's not possible to just let go, no longer care, no longer call and check on things, no longer give advice on what should be done. There will be a time gap in leadership. how could she do this?
She really should have stayed a little longer, she chastised herself. But plans had been "put into stone." After much prayer and bestowed advice, the decision had been made. This was what she and her husband thought the Lord's leading was.
Besides, who said it would be any easier to just put off the inevitable? It wouldn't. She drove up the one-way past the library, and past the campus apartments where she had shared an apartment for the first 3 years with her son, past the cafeteria where many lunches had been shared with coworkers in joy and in sorrow, in laughter and in stress; past the dorms and the athletic field where different kinds of battles had been won or lost.
The car turned right at the stop sign, and for one more time headed out for that 90 minute drive home. She felt in her purse for a kleenex. Where would she go from here? She didn't know. Down deep inside, she knew the Lord did. What she knew was a part of herself was being left behind. Life goes on, (it always does) both for those she left behind and for her as well. Hopefully, neither will be the same again.
.
.
.
She gathered her things, pulled out her car keys and work keys, and shut the office door one last time. When she turned off all the lights, and walked out the front door, she noticed how deserted the campus was. Not only were the students all gone, but it was 2 hours after all staff leave for the day, as well. The wind picked at her hair, and cooled the wet lines on her face. The quiet campus was deafening. The goodbyes, the recognitions, the gifts - they had all been said and done. They echoed in her ears.
What had she done, she second-guessed to herself. It was suppose to be timed like a neat little package to have something to move on to. A new job, a new home, a new life. But none of that had transpired as planned. Tears streamed down her face as her feet propelled her numb mind towards the car. What lay ahead the Lord was yet to reveal.
One thing was certain, she did have some loose ends to tie up. She figured it would be at least a couple more trips back to the city to get it all done. But, it just won't be the same. Yet - will anything be different? It will be so natural to walk in and catch up on the day.
How you can walk away from something you have invested yourself in for the last several years? Thoughts raced through her head. It's not possible to just let go, no longer care, no longer call and check on things, no longer give advice on what should be done. There will be a time gap in leadership. how could she do this?
She really should have stayed a little longer, she chastised herself. But plans had been "put into stone." After much prayer and bestowed advice, the decision had been made. This was what she and her husband thought the Lord's leading was.
Besides, who said it would be any easier to just put off the inevitable? It wouldn't. She drove up the one-way past the library, and past the campus apartments where she had shared an apartment for the first 3 years with her son, past the cafeteria where many lunches had been shared with coworkers in joy and in sorrow, in laughter and in stress; past the dorms and the athletic field where different kinds of battles had been won or lost.
The car turned right at the stop sign, and for one more time headed out for that 90 minute drive home. She felt in her purse for a kleenex. Where would she go from here? She didn't know. Down deep inside, she knew the Lord did. What she knew was a part of herself was being left behind. Life goes on, (it always does) both for those she left behind and for her as well. Hopefully, neither will be the same again.
.
.
.
Friday, May 16, 2008
New Link
I lied. : - ) Here’s a link I just found: Citizendium. So I had to list one more post.
It is an online encyclopedia that requires editors to use their real names when adding or changing information. This site was established because Wikipedia does not require identification and they’re an unreliable source. Therefore they cannot be used/cited in research papers.
Citizendium is in Beta format.
It is an online encyclopedia that requires editors to use their real names when adding or changing information. This site was established because Wikipedia does not require identification and they’re an unreliable source. Therefore they cannot be used/cited in research papers.
Citizendium is in Beta format.
Thursday, May 15, 2008
Another school year comes to an end.
Sometimes, life happens very slooooooooooooowlllllyyyyyyyyyyyy......... Then, there are times that life happens so fast you don’t have time to catch your breath.
At the moment, - in some ways, my life is whirling by me so fast I can’t keep up with everything, especially the peripherals like blogging. There have been a variety of things I have wanted to post – links and other information helpful to the library world. But this will not be the case, at least for a while.
Graduation and all its flurry of activity was this past week culminating with the graduation ceremonies on Saturday morning and yes that is Mother’s Day weekend to boot. (see what I mean?) So it has been hectic to get all the year end tasks done, the year end parties and events attended (of course), and good byes said. This year takes on an even more significance as this will be my last time to participate in the academic pageantry of graduation. And I love pageantry! But I don’t like goodbyes.
Life does not stand still. It may seem to stall sometimes, or at least stop in one place. But inevitably it does change. So I am facing a change in my personal life that will take me away from this wonderful place. [I don’t have rosy glasses on. No place is perfect and this employment has had its trials to endure but it has still been the best place I have every worked.]
In the next month or so my family will be moving to another state and another life. I am not sure if I will even be able to stay in the “Library World,” at least from an employment stand point. Time will tell. So after today, I may not be posting for a while. For some reason I am not able to write and publish any blogs from my computer at home. It is temperamental.
I will post three new links here I just recently came across regarding typos in library catalogs. Make that one. Others were in the same blog.
Well – here are a few more I recently learned about.
Library vocabulary: - something you always wanted to know, I’m sure!
I’ve had this one a while. Wish I would remember about this one: bible subject headings
Lot’s of helps here.
Here’s one for some humor.
This one really is a standard but I just recently bookmarked it. You probably already know about it.
Enjoy! And “Carry On”!
At the moment, - in some ways, my life is whirling by me so fast I can’t keep up with everything, especially the peripherals like blogging. There have been a variety of things I have wanted to post – links and other information helpful to the library world. But this will not be the case, at least for a while.
Graduation and all its flurry of activity was this past week culminating with the graduation ceremonies on Saturday morning and yes that is Mother’s Day weekend to boot. (see what I mean?) So it has been hectic to get all the year end tasks done, the year end parties and events attended (of course), and good byes said. This year takes on an even more significance as this will be my last time to participate in the academic pageantry of graduation. And I love pageantry! But I don’t like goodbyes.
Life does not stand still. It may seem to stall sometimes, or at least stop in one place. But inevitably it does change. So I am facing a change in my personal life that will take me away from this wonderful place. [I don’t have rosy glasses on. No place is perfect and this employment has had its trials to endure but it has still been the best place I have every worked.]
In the next month or so my family will be moving to another state and another life. I am not sure if I will even be able to stay in the “Library World,” at least from an employment stand point. Time will tell. So after today, I may not be posting for a while. For some reason I am not able to write and publish any blogs from my computer at home. It is temperamental.
I will post three new links here I just recently came across regarding typos in library catalogs. Make that one. Others were in the same blog.
Well – here are a few more I recently learned about.
Library vocabulary: - something you always wanted to know, I’m sure!
I’ve had this one a while. Wish I would remember about this one: bible subject headings
Lot’s of helps here.
Here’s one for some humor.
This one really is a standard but I just recently bookmarked it. You probably already know about it.
Enjoy! And “Carry On”!
Monday, May 05, 2008
End of Year Party!!
We had our last student staff meeting today. So it was party time. The gals had succeeded in shifting the entire collection in just this semester. It was a big push but they got it done!! So we celebrated today with Pizza and Pop while we had we our regular meeting. It was a fun time of taking pictures, eating food, telling of plans for the summer. Another year is (virtually) over and next year will be different than this one.
Another chapter has been written!
Another chapter has been written!
Thursday, April 24, 2008
NCA Visit
There was a huge gust of wind that originated from the Richards-Gebaur Air Force Base where Calvary Bible College and Theological Seminary’s campus is located. We had our 2 year focus visit from the Higher Learning Commission, a Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools – or NCA for short.
The team was here Monday through Wednesday, April 21-23. At the end of their visit they reported to the institution’s cabinet that they will recommend that NCA does not need to come back for a visit for seven years! It could have been 5, 7, or 10.
Given that the property issue is still unresolved but in the hands of the city of Kansas City, MO and not ours, was somewhat to our advantage. They realize that this issue is unsettled because of circumstances beyond our control. When that is resolved, our financial condition should also improve.
They also noted that strides that have been taken to improve the institution from retention, to library holdings, to mission content and it’s application to curriculum, and more.
That gust of wind mentioned at the top? It was the huge sigh of relief from the top down. Preparations for these visits are exhausting, even though they are enlightening and beneficial. We are much relieved!
The team was here Monday through Wednesday, April 21-23. At the end of their visit they reported to the institution’s cabinet that they will recommend that NCA does not need to come back for a visit for seven years! It could have been 5, 7, or 10.
Given that the property issue is still unresolved but in the hands of the city of Kansas City, MO and not ours, was somewhat to our advantage. They realize that this issue is unsettled because of circumstances beyond our control. When that is resolved, our financial condition should also improve.
They also noted that strides that have been taken to improve the institution from retention, to library holdings, to mission content and it’s application to curriculum, and more.
That gust of wind mentioned at the top? It was the huge sigh of relief from the top down. Preparations for these visits are exhausting, even though they are enlightening and beneficial. We are much relieved!
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
National Library Week 2008
We had a low key celebration this year, but here were our plans.
Monday: Balloons, cookies and a handout of staff’s favorite cookie recipes.
Tuesday: T-N-N-T Day: Tuesday-NO-“no-talking”-Day.
Wednesday: Amnesty Day
Thursday: Funny Hat Day
Friday: Jelly Bean and Quiz contest deadlines.
Monday, it turned out, I was being discharged from a weekend visit to the hospital. That put some work and planning behind. But the cookies and balloons did get put out. (Thanks to AE and EB). The advertisement for T-N-N-T day was late in coming. We did get a poster up that afternoon and games out on a table. But no one used them. Thursday was fun. Friday we had two winners who received Gift Certificates to our Coffee Shop.
One prize was for the best guess in how many jelly beans in the jar and the other for the highest score on the quiz we put together. We also got a nice bulletin board put up, thanks to JT. She did a great job. Now if I could only figure out how to post pictures!
Monday: Balloons, cookies and a handout of staff’s favorite cookie recipes.
Tuesday: T-N-N-T Day: Tuesday-NO-“no-talking”-Day.
Wednesday: Amnesty Day
Thursday: Funny Hat Day
Friday: Jelly Bean and Quiz contest deadlines.
Monday, it turned out, I was being discharged from a weekend visit to the hospital. That put some work and planning behind. But the cookies and balloons did get put out. (Thanks to AE and EB). The advertisement for T-N-N-T day was late in coming. We did get a poster up that afternoon and games out on a table. But no one used them. Thursday was fun. Friday we had two winners who received Gift Certificates to our Coffee Shop.
One prize was for the best guess in how many jelly beans in the jar and the other for the highest score on the quiz we put together. We also got a nice bulletin board put up, thanks to JT. She did a great job. Now if I could only figure out how to post pictures!
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