Statement of Purpose

Tonight I had to write my "statement of purpose" to complete my part of the application to grad school at Alabama... Here's what came out. We'll see what the Lord does or does not do with it... :)

Oh, and if you find any errors, typos, or mistakes - please don't tell me. I've already submitted it and can no longer edit or revise. I would just rather not know. Thanks!

Jamey Benton – Statement of Purpose

I always knew I wanted to be a teacher. I loved school from the very beginning and idolized the beautiful women who impacted my life on a daily basis throughout my elementary career. In my spare time, I would force my little sister to sit in a row with my dolls for “class” in my bedroom. I transferred to the Alabama School of Mathematics and Science for eleventh and twelfth grade, and it was the first time that my life was completely void of children. My longing for that missing element served as confirmation for my path toward a Department of Education.

I did everything right. I got accepted to the University of Montevallo and was awarded a good scholarship. I excelled in my classes. I impressed my cooperating teachers during practicums and student teaching. I got an excellent score on the Praxis and secured a teaching job before I ever even graduated. I was always supposed to be a teacher, but perhaps that’s not all I was supposed to be.

My life and the lives of my family members were changed significantly on April 24, 2006 when that same little sister who once sat under my “teaching” was admitted to Children’s Hospital and diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL). Though her diagnosis was somewhat favorable because of its status as the most common and the most thoroughly researched type of leukemia, she was facing at least two and a half years of chemotherapy treatment. During that time, I was on the outside looking in and falling in love with Children’s Hospital.

Student teaching and my first classroom kept me heavily occupied, and as the older sister who had already moved away from home, I was spared from the worst scenes of her battle. I accompanied her to Clinic Eight for treatment whenever possible. Unfortunately, those opportunities seemed to come few and far between. Even still, through my visits with her and due in part to the fundraiser that I organized to benefit some of the cancer patients at Children’s during the Christmas season in 2007, I observed some incredible servants who had positively impacted my sister’s life. They were called Child Life Specialists.

For almost four years, I have dreamed of becoming a Child Life Specialist at Children’s Hospital in Birmingham, Alabama. As I walked through the halls of that hospital on the most recent Christmas Eve, working alongside these helpful hospital employees and the families of former patients to deliver Christmas dinner to those missing their homes and families during the holiday, I decided to apply to make my dream a reality.

As I researched master’s degrees in Child Life on the website for the Child Life Council, I discovered that one of the only graduate programs in this field is located in my home state. I must confess that I am an Auburn fan and found it ironic that my hopes for a career in this area could lead me to the University of Alabama. However, I know that a good education at a well-respected university and preparation for the career that I feel called to do is much more valuable than an athletic rivalry.

I believe that I possess many strengths that will enable me to be a valuable addition to the Department of Human Development and Family Studies, and these abilities will ultimately help me to be an excellent Child Life Specialist. As a student, I am dedicated and self-motivated for success. I have always valued learning and I believe that I will appreciate it even more now after gaining some maturity and work experience that have shown me that education is not only about a good GPA. It truly is preparation for the future. I enjoy writing and seeking to improve myself and my talents. I only wish that my undergraduate background at Montevallo had exposed me to the experience of doing more research.

I am an excellent candidate for a career in Child Life because I love children of all ages and enjoy supporting them and building relationships with them. I believe that my experience as a teacher has taught me a lot about professionalism and responsibility and that I will be even more effective in the lives of kids in a one-on-one or small group environment as opposed to the large group dynamic of a classroom.

I know without a doubt that I was supposed to become a teacher. The fact that I had never heard of Child Life until my senior year of college was not a mistake. However, I hope that I will also be awarded the opportunity to utilize my strengths in the academic pursuit and career of Child Life.

Please don't be offended...

Just appreciate the humor and innocence of children learning a second language...

Quote of the day (so far...):

"Miss, is a$$ a bad word? There's a video on youtube of a little girl saying she's going to kick the monster's a$$."

Oh yes. This was a serious, straight-faced question. And I was miraculously able to appreciate the moment and return with a serious answer that it's not a nice word and she shouldn't say it.

There's no better teachable moment than when the kid just comes right out and asks, right?

The Obligatory New Year Post...

I'm still shocked to admit that it's 2010. I remember the 1999/2000 New Year so clearly that it seems impossible that it was ten years ago. Not only that, but I'm still unsure how to say the year out loud. Will we say "two thousand ten"? Or "twenty-ten"? Or will it ever just be "ten"? At times I've slipped and thought, "oh-ten." Then I realized I'm an idiot sometimes. Hahaha...

So what was the first meal of 2010 for me? Chickfila!!! Maybe it will be a good year after all. :)

My thoughts about this upcoming year just keep developing more and more positively. One of the main reasons is Platt's last sermon in the He Came series that closed out the Christmas season and spoke forward to the approaching new year. It probably made the list of one of my top five favorite Brook Hills Sundays, and I found such encouragement in it as I was reminded that my hope is secure when it is in my Father's hands because He is constant and faithful. If my hope is in my plans or ideas, I will be utterly disappointed, but He cannot and will not disappoint.

I know that I have recently been given excellent advice about my life in Honduras, and I want to honor it. I was even encouraged by Platt's sermon as I was reminded that my time here isn't supposed to be easy.
"As long as we as Christians, and as long as we in the church, live to make the glory of God known among all the peoples of the world, and try to figure out how to live Christianity in Birmingham, Alabama, to be the church in Birmingham, Alabama for the sake of all the people groups in the world - as long as that is our purpose, it will not be easy. It will not be easier at all - it will be harder. It will be more difficult. Satan will not sit idly by while the people of God pursue the glory of Christ among the peoples of all the world... But I am finding great hope in the reality that as long as we are giving ourselves to the purpose of God that has been there since the beginning of creation, that it may be tough and it may be difficult and it may be costly, but it will be worth it. God will use our lives to accomplish His purpose. So hope in this. Hope in this when it gets hard. Hope in this when it gets costly. Hope in this when it's not safe. Hope in this when the way of thinking, the way of life, goes against everything in our culture and even in our church culture around us. Hope in this: God from the beginning has been making his glory known among all the peoples of the world and as long as you and I are in on that purpose, we are guaranteed to see that purpose finished. It's going to happen and it will be worth it..."

So even when I'm stuck wondering why He sent me here: to a people group that is considered "reached" with the Gospel; to children who are much wealthier than I've ever been and than I probably ever will be; to a life that is comfortable and very similar to the one I led in Birmingham - I will hope in the fact that God knows what He's doing; He's using me even when I don't understand and even when I can't see it; and He will make His glory known to these students and to Honduras...

And now, coming off of that plane and into the warm tropical temperatures of this strange city serving as my home for a year, I know that "my cup runneth over". The time at home, though busy, was restful. Many of the people that I love reminded me over and over again that they love me and they're proud of me and that I can do this.

Five and a half months.

That seems like a long time. But I'm going to be here for that amount of time regardless, so I'm thinking I might as well look at it with a positive attitude. Wishing for home and even planning for the next steps will not change the timeline or make it pass more quickly. Besides, I was called here for a purpose, and I have not yet completed my task. I'm working on focusing on the reason I'm here in the first place and trusting the Lord to work all things for good even when I can't see what He's doing.

In the last few days, I have really been thinking about family. In this season of my life, I feel like my love for and attachment to my family is growing stronger as time passes. Many people do not feel this way about their family, and I wonder if I am wrong. I wonder if I am growing more immature in that area. After all, aren't I supposed to grow farther from them and more independent with each passing year? But then I remembered a conversation that I had with my friend Stacy a couple of months ago.

She is also a teacher here, and at that time, she was struggling because she felt like she was slipping back into her old ways of life. She had once again gotten caught up in fashion, shopping, and celebrity gossip, and she wasn't very pleased by her return to those things. Then she talked to another friend who pointed out that because Stacy's heart and soul long for and seek God, then she longs for and seeks beauty. Unfortunately, she was merely finding a false substitute for real beauty. I loved that explanation of the root of her desire because it seemed to make sense to me in a way that very little had before.

I think it may also relate to my current obsession with my family. My heart and soul long for God. In longing for God, I long for love. The best expression of love that I have ever found in my life has come in and through my family. I hope and pray that God will help me to know Him more so that I will continue to grow in love for my family and to love Him and desire Him and long to please Him infinitely more...

Finally, before I go to bed early after a very long day, today is the first day of The Radical Experiment. I'm really excited about it... Check it out. :) www.radicalexperiment.org

Goodnight moon.

If I ever actually become a grown-up...

Someone please remind me that a "fixer-upper" is NOT a good idea! Remind me that although old houses are full of history and charm, they are also full of imperfections and frustration.

Today was a full-on work day at the Benton household, and that made for four very edgy workers. I'm starting to gain a better understanding of all the things I've been hearing about over the last few months. Honestly, I'm starting to think the biggest frustration isn't the old house with crooked corners, unlevel floors, and oddly designed rooms. It isn't even installers or builders or painters who do poor work. (Those are definitely problems, but maybe not the biggest ones.) Instead, it's all about the different opinions residing under this roof. God did not design any of us with gifts of mercy or encouragement or even laid-back and helpful spirits. Instead, as the Benton, Vandiver, Newman, and Wilkinson bloods run through our veins, we all become VERY strong-willed and opinionated - especially during tense and stressful times.

Oh yeah. And those four opinions often point in four different directions.

So instead of coming home to help and ease the tension, I've basically just thrown another strong set of opinions into the mix.

Me? Bossy??? Controlling?!?!

Never!

So in that aspect (and possibly only that aspect, or maybe that one and just a few more) I may be happy to board that plane in about a week.

I can't believe I've already been here for a week. I feel like I just got here... (This is me - trying not to cry.)

Of course, I know that in that other country that I claim to love, there are some ten and eleven year olds who I am proud to know. Pablo must be very bored at home over the break. He's been sending me funny messages and posting silly things on Facebook. As much as that kid drives me crazy when I feel like he's distracting from my goals and plans (see? controlling...) - I love him and think he's a great one.

Grad school has really been on my mind in the last few days. I'm hesitant to share or make grand statements about the future, but I'm still considering some applications for next year.

It's funny because I feel like God has really humbled me over the years when it comes to speaking about plans for the future.

Sidenote: My mom just walked through and said, "What are you doing?"
I told her that I am blogging.
Her reply: "On the Honduran Happenings? You're not in Honduras. You can't happen. Don't you know?"
Haha... :)

Anyway, as I was saying... First of all, I have pride issues and I LOVE to be right. Second of all, I've been wrong A LOT. So now I am filled with hesitation when it comes to making predictions and even decisions regarding plans.

All I know is that there already IS a plan. It's not uncertain or unknown. It's usually pieced together just a little at a time for me to see, but I like knowing that God knows EXACTLY what He's doing...

As for tomorrow, I will gather with my faith family for coorporate worship, enjoy a little more time with precious friends that I love dearly, and hopefully be a bit more helpful than contrary on the home front...

After all...

"Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends."
1 Corinthians 13:4-8 (ESV)

Feliz Navidad

"The Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us. We have seen His glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth." John 1:14

I love realizing what Christmas is really about. I've been taught all my life that it's not about gifts or Santa or decorations or carols or cookies... I think many would insist that it's "Merry Christmas" instead of "Happy Holidays" because it's about Christ. But I'm coming to see that it's so much more than a baby in a manger. The Word became flesh. It's Emmanuel. It's God with us. That's life-changing. That's eternity-changing for those who believe.

My dad doesn't really like Christmas. Because of that, it's never been a big deal in our house... One aspect that I've come to enjoy in relation to that is that we don't feel tied to December 25th. It's not uncommon for us to exchange our few gifts on a different day. In fact, I would say it's uncommon for us to open presents on Christmas day. We decided yesterday afternoon to forego the time, effort, and materials for wrapping - and to just trade our gifts last night... That was really fun because (of course) I had been stocking up on things from Honduras for them, and I was excited to share the things I had chosen. I also received not one, but five Cubs shirts. I am now an official fan, thanks to my mom's talent for thrift store bargains!

Anyway... I enjoy the fact that we exchanged gifts before many people had even finished their last-minute shopping. For me, it took an emphasis off of those things. We by no means consider our holiday to be over just because the presents have been received. Instead, we can move on and focus on things of much greater significance.

Mom, Logan, and I spent a few hours at Children's Hospital today. Apparently much of the hospital shuts down on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. The families who are stuck there over the holiday are often forced to eat food from the vending machines because the cafeteria is closed. In response to this, a few families who know what it's like to face a terrifying diagnosis, an uncertain treatment, and extended time in a very small hospital room have gathered together to organize the delivery of holiday meals to any and all patients, families, and staff members that they can find and feed.

It was an incredible experience to see God meet needs through this ministry. Many of us fought tears as some of the survivors tried to share faith and hope and the real sight of life after cancer and hair after baldness. One mom wept because of her son's recent diagnosis only to find out he has the same name and cancer as my sister and to feel the support and encouragement of other parents who have been there and want to help. I couldn't even count how many people were blessed with a hot holiday meal today in all areas of the hospital - on 4-Tower (the cancer floor), in the bone marrow transplant unit, in the ICU, and in other areas. Even though there are many strict regulations in healthcare these days, I hope and pray that things like this will continue to be allowed because I know they are important to all who are a part of that community.

Sidenote: As we entered the hospital, my sister said, "I hate this place..." The memories that she associates with that building are not positive. However, I see it differently. Every time I step foot on the premises, I can't help but dream of working there. Some see it as a place of sickness and death, but I see a place of healing and hope. Sometimes I wonder if I should go back to school to be a child-life specialist...

Tonight was the Christmas Eve Service at church, and I thoroughly enjoyed a simple time of worship, hearing the Word, and taking the Lord's Supper. I love the way that I feel perfectly at home at a worship gathering there, even when I'm in a room with almost 2,000 people that I don't know. And I love that in the last year and a half, I have gotten to know and to love many people there...

So while many children spend tonight thinking and dreaming of presents or staying up to track Santa online - my family will sleep soundly. But tomorrow does not bring disappointment. With it comes an abundant feast, a time of family worship, possibly a movie, and hopefully a lot of cooperation and productivity in the area of turning this house back into a home.

Have I mentioned the house looks great?!?! I definitely love the new flooring and the wall colors. I'm excited that my mom has a functioning laundry room once again... This has been and still is a lot of work, but I am praying that a day of completion and rejoicing is just around the corner. :)

Good night all!

"For to us a child is born,
to us a son is given,
and the government will be on his shoulders.
And he will be called
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace."
Isaiah 9:6

This is the Honduras that has stolen my heart...

Tonight, I rode in a truck, that was crowded in the cab and in the back, pretty far out of the city up onto another mountain to pass out food to a very poor village. It was so nice to be reminded of why I fell in love with Honduras in the first place... We bounced up the dirt roads. Then we pulled off the "road" past a gate made of barbed wire and drive through a corn field to find about 50 Hondurans joined together to worship. Their village has no electricity, so as our headlights illuminated the previously dark scene, we were amazed to find them standing in a circle on and in front of a shabby porch to sing. The children warmed up to us quickly (and literally) as we placed our arms around them and tried to protect their bare arms from the cold temperatures. It was obvious that they had not bathed in awhile, and I was pleased to realize that many minutes after I began to touch and love them without hesitation. I'm thankful that I had no reservations in giving love... We sang a few songs in Spanish and a few in English, and I did my best to speak in Spanish to a little eight-year-old girl named Erika who wouldn't leave my side until we all gathered around the back of the truck to pass out the food to the families. This village sustains itself by farming and selling produce (mostly cabbage). I feel like God is constantly opening my eyes to poverty in new and different ways. I was blessed to be standing in the right spot so that I ended up being the one to greet each mother, ask her how many children she has, find out how old they are, and hand her a bag of rice, lard, toothbrushes, toothpaste, toy cars, and balloons. I don't know much Spanish, but I used what I knew and it was enough... I'm thankful that hugs and smiles are universal. :)

In other news, I'm confused about how ear drops are supposed to work if you put them in and then it feels like they all come pouring back out as soon as you stop tilting your head... I've read a lot about flying with ear infections, and I think I'm as prepared as possible for terrible pain - but I would really appreciate a miracle right about now...

Time to catch up...

I feel like I've been writing (and thinking) the words, "I should..." a lot lately. Perhaps I'm not satisfied with the things I am doing and the moments in which I choose to do them. For instance, right now, I should be using this brief appearance of stillness and quiet in my classroom to grade papers or work on lesson plans [for January!]. However, I also know that I should share my life with others - especially since phone calls, emails, and Skype dates have been few and far between as of late.

So this post will be a long one - a multi-day endeavor, to grow and to change whenever I catch a moment or think of an anecdote to share.

Hopefully it will be worthwhile.

Today (Wednesday) is chilly here on the mountain. It's overcast and just lacking the 85-degree warmth that we have grown accustomed to in the last week. However, I guess chilly is relative, right? Because the thermometer in my classroom is telling me that it is 68-degrees. That's practically a dream for many of my friends and family this month - and yet my feet (and my students) tell me it is cold. It makes me question how well I will handle the two weeks and two days that I will spend in the States. Of course, many of my friends here are going home to places like Indiana, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Iowa, and South Dakota. I certainly can't complain! :)

Last Thursday night, we had our annual Academia Los Pinares Elementary Christmas Program. It was one of the craziest things I have experienced in Honduras so far... I know the Lord was gracious to me that night - giving me flexibility, joy, and contentment beyond explanation. I felt his grace in the form of a sort of divine Prozac on a night when I would ordinarily be mad at

• the children running around outside in the dark when they should have been meeting in their classroom...
• the poorly planned program, before which the music teacher (that I thought was in charge) came to me to ask what time we were supposed to be there...
• the parents who stood up, walked around, and talked THROUGHOUT the presentation
• the parents who came up to the stage to take pictures of their beautiful hijos (children) before, during, and after the singing..
• the fifth graders who, when asked to sit on the floor under the basketball goal, proceeded to talk, move around, play loudly, and do almost everything but respectfully and attentively watch the K-4 program...

I can only give credit to the Lord for the fact that this ordinarily high-strung teacher was able to laugh and relax and just roll eyes at all the disorganization and chaos. :)

Last weekend was a busy one... Friday night I stayed with Emily in the city. I still thoroughly enjoy the fact that we're both from the Birmingham area, both from Shelby County Schools, and both from Brook Hills - and yet we met in Honduras. We listened to the recordings of the most recent Secret Church about angels, demons, and spiritual warfare and had good discussions... Things like that are almost like professional development for us because we sometimes receive questions from students about such matters. For instance, one of my kids recently asked if Lucifer was an angel who chose to sin and rebel against God, then do or could the current good angels choose to sin? I love the way children don't just accept things and move on like I do so often at this point in my life - but sometimes they process and analyze and ask questions.

Saturday morning, we got up pretty early for a Saturday to have breakfast with some of our friends and two Honduran women that go to our church. Although I didn't hear from her for a while, Emily and I have been "adopted" through our church by Doña Ruth... (In Spanish, Doña is like saying "Mrs." when you don't feel right calling a woman who is older than you by only her first name. For instance, my mentor at home is and always will be Mrs. Leigh Ann to me... I never just call her Leigh Ann. It doesn't feel right!!!)

Anyway, Doña Ruth and her sister met us at a coffee shop to pick us up. Then they drove us to her house where we explored in her garden, chased her pet (more about that in a second), ate waffles, and felt like we were in a real home for a little while. They have a bird in their yard that is supposed to be very loud when strangers approach. The only problem is, this one is timid and just runs and hides... Sounds like a great guard-bird, right? We had never seen anything like it before, and they were unable to tell us an English equivalent for the name. It had legs like a road-runner, a body like a quail, a neck like a duck, and large eyes that were set pretty far back on its head. It was funny.

That afternoon, I made homemade banana pudding and sweet tea to take to the Christmas parties that I was attending that night and the next afternoon. I love to bring a taste of the south to these Yankees in Honduras. Haha... :)

That night, we had our Christmas party at our principal's house. We all brought terrible White-Elephant gifts to exchange. (That's when you re-gift something awful that has been given to you.) It was pretty funny. Teachers are usually good at this kind of thing because we get lots of wonderful goodies from students with sweet hearts and good intentions!

Sunday was full with a Christmas pot-luck in the afternoon (which actually made me a little sick, so instead of grading papers as I had planned - I just stayed in bed reading for the rest of the afternoon) and a Care Group Christmas party that night. I think most of us could have used a day off after our weekend!

After school on Monday, I went to a Honduran, hole-in-the-wall salon to get my hair trimmed. It was quite an interesting experience... It felt a little like Steel Magnolias meets Honduras. Of course, it's always intimidating to put your hair in the hands of someone you don't know, but that feeling intensifies a bit when that person doesn't speak your language. It went just fine, although it's a little shorter than I had imagined for a trim - but it doesn't really matter. I'm just glad that I'm finally getting to the point where I feel like I can really live life here instead of saving so many things to be done at home where it will be familiar and comfortable. For instance, Twana and I are planning to go to a dentist when we get back from the break. And I'm getting used to the fact that you pharmacies sell medicines over-the-counter without a prescription. I haven't bought anything yet, but when I run out of something from home - I think I will!

After school on Tuesday, I went with Erika to meet a friend at Dunkin Donuts. She was buying a computer from a Japanese friend who is moving back to Japan, so Erika, her brother, and I all went to meet the girl. It was such a weird experience to be sitting at a table among such different cultures where three languages were intermingling for a conversation. After that, we met our other roommates for Erika's birthday dinner at a large Chinese restaurant called Mirawa. The food was good and reminded me of PF Changs, and I particularly loved reading a menu and ordering Chinese food in Spanish!

Yesterday was very long... We have faculty meetings on Wednesdays after school and are all required to work until 4:30. After that, my care group rode the bus down the mountain and then took two taxis to the only bowling alley in Tegucigalpa. This was what Erika requested for our care group celebration for her birthday. We were the only ones there for awhile, and it looked and sounded like we were at home... We put the bumpers up to help Erika (because she can't see), but we were all glad to bowl with bumpers! I actually won the game with a whopping total score of 117... Even with bumpers, we weren't that great! We finally got home at 8:30 and then grilled hot dogs and made s'mores (also requested by Erika...). It was all good, but I would have been pleased to get home and go to bed earlier than ten.

So here I am today (Thursday), trying to make the best of my last full day with my students for this year. Tomorrow is a medio dia (a half day!) full of Christmas activities, a class party, and what I'm sure will amount to pure craziness!

They've actually gotten off to a great start today. They have a few assignments that need to be finished before the vacation, so they've been working diligently in their seats. It's like a Christmas miracle! Haha...

Speaking of a Christmas miracle - my lowest student, who failed four subjects on the last report card, got an A on his last reading test! PTL!!! I'm so proud of him. His mom has been exhausting herself and working with him every night, and he's showing some improvement!!! She was thrilled when I told her about it, and she said it was like her Christmas present... :)

I'm actually excited to be staying on the mountain today - or at least, that's the plan. I'm going to go to the nurse (actually - we have a school doctor. I know... It's a hard-knock life.) during my next break because my ear hurts. I'm just wanting to see if it's infected and if I need an antibiotic. If I don't have to go into the city for medicine today, then I plan to stay after school to get some work done and then I will PACK to come home on Saturday!!!

Tomorrow, I will be leaving at 2:30 and going with a group to a poor Lenca village to help pass out food and clothes to the people for a Christmas celebration... I got really excited about this opportunity when I received an email from my friend Sarah that said, "They have no electricity, so bring a flashlight, bug spray, and a sweatshirt...". We'll be back late Friday night, and then I'll be heading to the airport for a full day of travel on Saturday. It should be fun though because a lot of us are flying to Atlanta together, and then we can hang out during our layovers in the ATL airport... I really enjoy the fellowship that we have in this community of sojourners...

Update: I went to the nurse/doctor and was diagnosed with an ear infection in my right ear. She gave me antibiotics and ear drops and told me to put a cotton ball in my ear when I fly on Saturday. Please pray that it all goes smoothly in that department. My flight is scheduled to leave Tegus at 1:25 and I am praying that there will not be a delay. I have heard of eardrums bursting while flying, so pray that the medicine will start to work over the next two days and that my ears will be safe.

Finally, I want to praise the Lord and rejoice because of the good things that have been happening recently. For instance, my parents just got new flooring put down in their house, and I can't wait to see it. I hear it's GORGEOUS! They have been working hard to get things done, and it's so great to celebrate the victory that comes after the battle... That's another thing I've been learning in my Esther Bible study. After the Jews were saved and defeated the Persian enemies, they rejoiced with a holiday, had food, and gave gifts to each other and to the poor. I know we're not commanded to celebrate Christmas or Easter - but I think we can look at the examples of feasts of remembrance in the Bible and see that our God is pleased when we remember what He has done by celebrating together.

(If you've read all of this and made it all the way to the end, then I'm sorry if there are spelling and/or grammatical errors in this... It's too long to proofread!)