ASL & Open Doors

One of the things that I have been privileged to do this year is continue an American Sign Language class.

Back in August, some of our neighbors started taking an ASL class from a local public school teacher. They offered to let me come with them.

I agreed. I couldn't believe that after years of reading ASL books and wanting to learn more, I was really going to learn ASL.

What followed was an excellent learning  experience. In two months, I learned brought that I was able to communicate with some deaf people I met. Within four months I had had my first ASL performance where I signed a song.

My teacher is very passionate about ASL and teaches with excitement and patience. Even when I make mistakes or sign things wrong, she just laughs over it and shows me how to do it right. It makes the class fun and exciting.

One thing that she encouraged all of us to is to wear ear plugs off and on for a month. This was a tough project for me. In one sense it did cut down on a lot of distractions, but for the music loving girl inside me, I found the silence hard sometimes. And I missed hearing my families voices. But it gave me an appreciation for sound and for some of the struggles that deaf people have. It also helped me to realize that if I was deaf and someone was willing to communicate with me in sign instead of making me come into their world, it would mean the world to me.

This year, my vocabulary has improved and I'm able to have conversations with other deaf people. It's wonderful. It's opened up doors for me that I would never be able to think about before.

What do I hope to do with ASL? Apart from taking to deaf people and encouraging others, I'm not sure. It's one of those passions that God put on my heart, but I don't know all of what He wants me to do with it. For now I am content with what God has given me. And I'm sure that when God wants me to do more with ASL He will let me know.

For now, I'm enjoying the adventure of learning a new language and seeing what God has for me.

Audiobook Review: The Blessed Woman

source

I received this audiobook for the purpose of writing a review. 

Narrator Thoughts - To be perfectly honest I didn't finish this audiobook partly because the narrator wasn't very good. She didn't put much feeling into the words. She seemed to be just reading it, not putting her heart into it. It put me off. 

Book Thoughts - Like I said, I didn't finish this book. Maybe it got better after the part that I left off, but I didn't stick around to see. It was pretty boring. The subject was good, but the way it was presented wasn't engaging. Maybe it was just my perspective, but it was kinda dry. 

It could also be that the author writes from the married woman perspective. Being a single-girl, I felt like this book is more geared for married women. 

So this book won't go on my favorites list, but I do think that you can gain encouragement from this book if you stick with it.   

Audiobook Review: Operation Screwtape

I received this audiobook for the purpose of doing a review.

Narrator Thoughts - If I could have picked a voice for this audiobook, I would have chosen someone like David Heath. His deep voice adds the sinister touch that blends with the book to make it believable. He got into the character so well that I was trying to remember that this was just a fiction book based on spiritual realities.

Book Thoughts - The book itself was very good. I thought that Andrew Farley did an excellent job of explaining some of the ways in which the enemy deceives and manipulates us. It was an excellent book for that. It also helped me to remember that I need to rely completely of God. Some of the ways he puts things are brilliant and eye-opening.

The only note I would put on this is that it's not as good as The Screwtape Letters. C. S. Lewis in my opinion wrote the best book on how the enemy of our souls wages war. This book is good, but as far as passing the Screwtape Letters, no it comes in a close second.

To read more on Operation Screwtape, please visit Christian Audio or Amazon

Encouragement

God goes before you today
and His presence is with you.
He has a life for you to live,
a plan for you to follow,
and a purpose for you to fulfill.
He has allowed you to be here,
at this time in history,
to be His watchmen for this generation. 

Love Like That

Source

By Rose H.

I like this song. To me it summarizes what I want to do this year. I want to live my life in such a way that when people see me they see the Love of God.

Am I love to the least of these? In all my ministry and striving, am I showing love to others? I pray so. I pray that my life screams LOVE.

                                                     Live Like That
                                                             By Sidewalk Prophets 

Sometimes I think
What will people say of me
When I'm only just a memory
When I'm home where my soul belongs

Was I love
When no one else would show up
Was I Jesus to the least of those
Was my worship more than just a song

I want to live like that
And give it all I have
So that everything I say and do
Points to You

If love is who I am
Then this is where I'll stand
Recklessly abandoned
Never holding back

I want to live like that
I want to live like that

Am I proof
That You are who you say You are
That grace can really change a heart
Do I live like Your love is true

People pass
And even if they don't know my name
Is there evidence that I've been changed
When they see me, do they see You

I want to live like that
And give it all I have
So that everything I say and do
Points to You

If love is who I am
Then this is where I'll stand
Recklessly abandoned
Never holding back

I want to live like that
I want to live like that

I want to show the world the love You gave for me
I'm longing for the world to know the glory of the King

I want to live like that
And give it all I have
So that everything I say and do
Points to You

If love is who I am
Then this is where I'll stand
Recklessly abandoned
Never holding back

I want to live like that
I want to live like that

Ministry Of The Month

This month I decided to make hats for cancer patients. I've always enjoyed making these. Sometimes, if I have the time, I like to put a crocheted flower on the side. It adds a nice touch and I hope it gives the cancer patient a little cheer.

What are some little extra things that you do to make your projects more cheerful for the recipient?

March Ministry Update

March was a wonderful month. We had a lovely family Easter celebration.

All during March I made scarves. It was so fun.

In all I made 4 scarves

I had fun creating these.