E-18 and E-GG

Just before we go to Thailand for the first time in our lives, my camera breaks! It acted funny a week ago, but I got it working again. Then today I turned it on to take a picture and the lens wouldn't open. The welcome screen appeared but then it was black and said "E-18".

I suppose E-18 is an error of some kind. Does anyone know what E-18 is?? Anyway, I was planning to buy a new camera (Lord-willing) next summer a year from now while we are in the U.S. because to buy one here is two or three times as much. Now I can't buy one and I don't know how to fix mine!

Praise the Lord for my friend, Rachel! She is letting me borrow hers for two weeks while we are in Thailand! So hopefully if there is a lull in blogging it is because we are taking lots of pictures of a place I have never been and a place where we won't have our computers constantly logged on. Pray for us as we travel--for health and safety and for lots of learning and growing and God's grace.

E-GG==you might be wondering about the second part of the title there. Well that stands for "egg" and more specifically for my precious Cadbury creme eggs that just arrived in a package in the mail from the U.S. today!! Just ten minutes ago I received a long-awaited package (one month) from a loving and generous prayer partner in the U.S. Inside was something we cannot find here but I love--Four Cadbury creme eggs! Of course I ate one right away and let each bit of the sweetness melt on my tongue. I can't wait to show Nate! Since he is teaching now I decided to blog my excitement! Yay!

That's What I Call Carpooling to Work!

Spring Break

After a very busy end of the quarter and parent-teacher conferences we were at last able to enjoy one week of spring break. We had some seminary papers to work on, but we also were able to rest and relax. My favorite day was Wednesday, when I got to take a boat trip to a small island with some friends (Nate stayed home to work on papers =( ). You can see the boat in the background there, which is the same boat Nate and I got engaged on two years ago. We got to snorkel and see tons of beautuful tropical fish and coral. Then I spent the whole afternoon relaxing in this hammock.
There's something about being in God's creation that makes is so easy to spend time with Him. When I see the beautiful ocean and enjoy the peaceful setting I can't help but meditate on all His wonderful deeds. Our God is a great God!
Thursday my friend, Shannon, and I drove her motercycle up the mountain to a garden place called Eden. There we ate a leisurely lunch and then spent time alone with God in the prayer garden. I'd say this week was a bit of a spiritual retreat and renewal for me. What a beautiful view it is from this spot in Eden. You can see down the mountain into the city below and the ocean beyond. What a great place that one day you can go to the beach and the next day to the ocean! Thank you, Lord, for your grace and for the rest.

Track and Field Day

This is my award-winning photo-finish shot of my three 7th graders. It's fun to see best friends racing each other. If only I had a better lens the shot would be more clear.
Yes, today was track and field day at school. The breeze was blowing and the kids were running excitedly.
Nate ran against some of the fastest guys in a 300 m race. There he is in red on the right of the photo. He's off to his mark! He's set!
Look at these guys go! Nate and Michael are both in mid-air. So fast! As you can see Nate got second place, but I was so amazed to see him catch up to Michael. What a strong determined athlete my Nate is! Go, Mr. Becker!! Yay, Honey!
My student, Casey, congratulates my husband after the race. God has blessed me so!
Here are all the fans and spectators enjoying a day outside. The whole community was involved, and it was a success! Now we are finishing the quarter with parent-teacher conferences and at last it will be SPRING BREAK!! Praise the Lord! He is faithful.

My Idol--by Jessica Becker

Here is a poem I wrote today after God revealed an idol in my life. My explanation follows.

MY IDOL--by Jessica Becker

I say, "There is but one God,"

Yet daily I serve another.

I wake up early

and my idol is on my mind.

I look to my idol to find guidance for the day

Anytime someone asks me,

"Can you do such-and-such?"

I consult my idol first.

My idol is always with me

It never lets me rest--

it only makes me a slave

and drains my soul.

My idol is always demanding more of me

and I keep giving it.

I want to accomplish all my idol asks

and if more is added

I will do it too,

even if my strength is gone.

When the day is finally over

I look to my idol to make sure I pleased it--

to make sure I did all it asked of me.

I lay my head down at night

thinking about my idol

and all I will do tomorrow to serve it.

Will I ever do enough to please my idol?

Or will my idol keep demanding more of me

until I crumble

and am left with nothing?

O God, why did I not inquire of you?

Why did I let another become my god?

Why do I become a slave

to one that is not my loving and gracious God?

Lord, you only ask me to so

that which you strengthen me to do.

You don't expect more from me

than you gave me grace to do.

Please take away my idol and burn it.

Let it not become my god again.

Please forgive me

and be my one true God

today

and every day

In Jesus' name

Amen

My idol=My schedule. Read my poem again and see if you can relate.

We read Isaiah 44 and think it is obvious how silly the man is who carves and builds his own idol then worships it. Yet we do the same thing! We are even more silly and blind with our piece of paper--looking at our schedule and making it ourselves, and then becoming slaves to it and wearing ourselves from it. I look at it constantly and make sure I did everything, then I think about it and keep going again without looking to God, whom I serve.

Isaiah said:

"The blacksmith takes a tool and works with it in the coals;

he shapes an idol with hammers,

he forges it with the might of his arm.

He gets hungry and loses his strength;

he drinks no water and grows faint."
~Isaiah 44.12

This sounds silly to us if we think of a wooden image to bow to. But we do the same thing--and that was me last week. I was so stressed out and running around trying to do everything on my schedule. I forgot a meeting and let down some people. Then I decided to make it up by working even harder, but my strength ran out.

Then it says:

"No one stops to think..

"Shall I bow down to a block of wood?...

Is this thing in my right hand a lie?"

~Isaiah 44.19-20

God says:

"Remeber these things, [O Jessica],

for you are my servant...

I have made you, you are my servant."

~Isaiah 44.21

It is the Lord we are serving. I pray that I will no longer look to this idol but to God who is the only God.

"All who make idols are nothing,

and the things they treasure are worthless."

~Isaiah 44.9

"This is what the LORD says--Israel's King and Redeemer,

The Lord Almighty:

'I am the first and I am the last;

apart from me there is no God.'"

~Isaiah 44.6