And so we were HOME in a new state, new rental house, new job, with old friends left behind and new friends to be made. Athens, Ohio, and Ohio University, were places of calling and deep fulfillment. Though my health continued to be a challenge, I especially loved the scenery driving from OU to our rental place on the mountain.
Plus, it was a great place for our kids to visit as you can see in some candid shots below. During this year, Jonathan continued his work in Oklahoma and Jenny got a job in Chattanooga at a group home with "clients" of varying disabilities and mental health issues. She could tell you lots of stories about physical and even sexual assault by the clients and the equally "interesting" staff. And yet she says it was one of her favorite jobs. Due to some personal challenges, however, she ended up moving home, which we loved, where she prepared for the next adventure--living in Brussels, Belgium.
It turned out that friend Paul Petrie had helped start a church in Brussels and they needed help in their office. So Jenny, the highly gifted nomad and daughter of a nomad, volunteered for a move to test out her French and wanderlust. It also meant we would have some chances to visit her there as well as seeing good friends Paul and Rebecca.
Back to my first year at OU. Before I tell you all I did during these years, all the publications, presentations, travels, etc., I want to make it clear that this job was an assignment I had been given from my Heavenly Father. Working in academia, in any university, has its own set of challenges, but both Bill and I felt that God had called us there to plant seeds of His kingdom, to demonstrate His love in each relationship. And, like the apostle Paul said, "I eagerly expect and hope that I will in no way be ashamed, but will have sufficient courage so that now as always Christ will be exalted in my body,whether by life or by death. For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain." (Philippians 1:20-21)
In this new and great assignment, I had opportunities to make and love many new and wonderful colleagues. Dr. Alice Blake-Stalker welcomed us, even putting us up while we waited for the moving truck. Dr. Joan Safran was one my first friends and also a suite mate. She's also the first one to encourage me to begin swimming regularly, something I still do today. We became good friends with her and her husband Dr. Steve Safran, and were soon to be next door neighbors on "the ridge" for the next 12 years!
Many more colleagues were to become good friends too. Plus I loved teaching classes in reading, children's literature and gifted education. Being engaged with the students was a privilege--in spite of all the "other" work, like advising grad and undergrad students, serving on committees, going to meetings, and learning the Language of Academia. All that plus continuing an active research agenda was a challenge I enjoyed.
Based on my dissertation research, and the continuing study of children's literature, I had become increasingly fascinated with the "gray genre" that I renamed the informational storybook. It's really just a parable story where informational truth is embedded in a text. It's how Jesus did it. By now I had published several articles on the topic and had met with Joanna Cole and Bruce Degan, creators of The Magic School Bus books, several times as I wanted their thoughts as well. Here are a couple pics of us together after having breakfast together at one conference. If you're really interested in more details, I can send you links for lots of papers written on this!
Michael Kearney (see my previous post) was also intrigued with this crazy genre and we decided to together explore its benefits to kids. We ended up publishing a paper called, "What’s So Magical About Those Magic School Bus Books?" We, including younger sister Maeghan and their parents, and also presented at conferences together. Plus I co-authored a paper on giftedness with his parents, "The World's Youngest University Graduate: Examining the unusual characteristics of profoundly gifted children." Below you can see Michael and Maeghan helping me get ready for a presentation on giftedness. You can tell they were having fun, and maybe a little bit apprehensive about talking in front of a large audience!
We also had fun while waiting!
It was also a year of finding a home at Central Avenue Methodist church where we began some friendships that have spanned more than two decades. Bill and I began teaching Sunday School for kids 2-10 and loved that. Then I was invited to teach a Bible Study for women. 40-50 women met each week to study together what God said about women following Him in today's crazy world.
We also began a lifelong friendship with Keith and Darlene Wasserman. We much admired their work with Good Works to help the homeless in southeast Ohio. Bill later became an active part of their board, including serving as chair for a time. Early on we met Nadia Mitchell who later became one of my OU doctoral students and now works with Jonathan at Milo's! The list goes on and on, as you will see in postings to come.
Bill spent this first year applying to OSU and taking some math stat courses at OU so he could help me with my research data. He also spent the year taking good care of me in this life transition. How deeply grateful I am for my loving, supportive husband. Father knew exactly what I needed in life to follow Him all my days. Here he is, thinking deep thoughts no doubt, in my new office.
Philippians 3:7-11: "...whatever were gains to me I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God on the basis of faith. I want to know Christ—yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, attaining to the resurrection from the dead."
Plus, it was a great place for our kids to visit as you can see in some candid shots below. During this year, Jonathan continued his work in Oklahoma and Jenny got a job in Chattanooga at a group home with "clients" of varying disabilities and mental health issues. She could tell you lots of stories about physical and even sexual assault by the clients and the equally "interesting" staff. And yet she says it was one of her favorite jobs. Due to some personal challenges, however, she ended up moving home, which we loved, where she prepared for the next adventure--living in Brussels, Belgium.
It turned out that friend Paul Petrie had helped start a church in Brussels and they needed help in their office. So Jenny, the highly gifted nomad and daughter of a nomad, volunteered for a move to test out her French and wanderlust. It also meant we would have some chances to visit her there as well as seeing good friends Paul and Rebecca.
Back to my first year at OU. Before I tell you all I did during these years, all the publications, presentations, travels, etc., I want to make it clear that this job was an assignment I had been given from my Heavenly Father. Working in academia, in any university, has its own set of challenges, but both Bill and I felt that God had called us there to plant seeds of His kingdom, to demonstrate His love in each relationship. And, like the apostle Paul said, "I eagerly expect and hope that I will in no way be ashamed, but will have sufficient courage so that now as always Christ will be exalted in my body,whether by life or by death. For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain." (Philippians 1:20-21)
In this new and great assignment, I had opportunities to make and love many new and wonderful colleagues. Dr. Alice Blake-Stalker welcomed us, even putting us up while we waited for the moving truck. Dr. Joan Safran was one my first friends and also a suite mate. She's also the first one to encourage me to begin swimming regularly, something I still do today. We became good friends with her and her husband Dr. Steve Safran, and were soon to be next door neighbors on "the ridge" for the next 12 years!
Many more colleagues were to become good friends too. Plus I loved teaching classes in reading, children's literature and gifted education. Being engaged with the students was a privilege--in spite of all the "other" work, like advising grad and undergrad students, serving on committees, going to meetings, and learning the Language of Academia. All that plus continuing an active research agenda was a challenge I enjoyed.
Based on my dissertation research, and the continuing study of children's literature, I had become increasingly fascinated with the "gray genre" that I renamed the informational storybook. It's really just a parable story where informational truth is embedded in a text. It's how Jesus did it. By now I had published several articles on the topic and had met with Joanna Cole and Bruce Degan, creators of The Magic School Bus books, several times as I wanted their thoughts as well. Here are a couple pics of us together after having breakfast together at one conference. If you're really interested in more details, I can send you links for lots of papers written on this!
Michael Kearney (see my previous post) was also intrigued with this crazy genre and we decided to together explore its benefits to kids. We ended up publishing a paper called, "What’s So Magical About Those Magic School Bus Books?" We, including younger sister Maeghan and their parents, and also presented at conferences together. Plus I co-authored a paper on giftedness with his parents, "The World's Youngest University Graduate: Examining the unusual characteristics of profoundly gifted children." Below you can see Michael and Maeghan helping me get ready for a presentation on giftedness. You can tell they were having fun, and maybe a little bit apprehensive about talking in front of a large audience!
We also had fun while waiting!
It was also a year of finding a home at Central Avenue Methodist church where we began some friendships that have spanned more than two decades. Bill and I began teaching Sunday School for kids 2-10 and loved that. Then I was invited to teach a Bible Study for women. 40-50 women met each week to study together what God said about women following Him in today's crazy world.
We also began a lifelong friendship with Keith and Darlene Wasserman. We much admired their work with Good Works to help the homeless in southeast Ohio. Bill later became an active part of their board, including serving as chair for a time. Early on we met Nadia Mitchell who later became one of my OU doctoral students and now works with Jonathan at Milo's! The list goes on and on, as you will see in postings to come.
Bill spent this first year applying to OSU and taking some math stat courses at OU so he could help me with my research data. He also spent the year taking good care of me in this life transition. How deeply grateful I am for my loving, supportive husband. Father knew exactly what I needed in life to follow Him all my days. Here he is, thinking deep thoughts no doubt, in my new office.
Philippians 3:7-11: "...whatever were gains to me I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God on the basis of faith. I want to know Christ—yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, attaining to the resurrection from the dead."
