IN S EP TEACHERS CHRISTIAN FELLOWSHIP MALAYSIA CONNECTING HEARTS AND MINDS 2013 VOL 25 ISSUE 1 Live by the Spirit Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. Galatians 5:25 PP6303/09/2012 (030561)
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2013 TCF Calendar (May-August) MAY Penang Teachers Day Celebration Date: 4 May (Sat) Time: 3.00-6.00 pm Venue: Georgetown City Hotel Topic: Dealers of Hope Speaker: Ms Seah Jiak Choo Contact person: Mr Tommy Toh Mobile: 012-424 0596 Muar Teachers Day Date: 6 May (Mon) Topic: Dealers of Hope Speaker: Ms Seah Jiak Choo Klang Valley Teachers Day Date: 11 May (Sat) Time: 3.00-5.00 pm Venue: St. Paul s Church, Petaling Jaya Topic: Going the Extra Mile Speakers: 1. Brother Anthony Rogers 2. Ruth Cheah 3. Abel Cheah 4. Jacob Mathew Contact person: Ms Goh Hai Fong Tel: 5637 5623 (O) TCF Annual Conference Date: 24-26 May (Fri-Sun) Venue: Highlands Christian Centre, Tanah Rata Topic: From Despair to Delight Contact person: Ms Goh Hai Fong Tel: 5637 5623 (O) JULY TCF Sarawak Annual Conference Date: 20-21 July (Sat-Sun) Venue: Purnama Hotel, Limbang Topic: Leaving a Legacy Speaker: Mr Phua Seng Tiong Contact person: Ms Mary Ng Mobile: 013-8167883 AUGUST 17th SPM BK Quiz Date: 3 August (Sat) Time: 7.30 am-1.30 pm Venue: SMK Katholik, PJ
Staying Focused Teaching is a very demanding vocation today. The school-based assessment, paperwork, endless filing and keying in of marks have robbed many good teachers of much joy and fulfilment in teaching. I fully empathise with such tedious work. 1 Kings 19 carries the story of Elijah s dark night of the soul experience. The prophet called on the Lord in great anguish saying, I have had enough, Lord, he said. Take my life; I am no better than my ancestors! Then he escaped in sleep and was woken up by an angel to arise and eat. After eating and drinking, he fell asleep again. Such was his exhaustion. The angel woke him a second time and said, Get up and eat, for the journey is too much for you. With the physical rest and nourishment, Elijah travelled the next 40 days to Horeb where he spent the night in a cave. Interestingly the Lord asked Elijah the same question twice, What are you doing here Elijah? This needed an honest introspection and diagnosis of his state. Disillusionment, self-pity, bitterness, a defeated spirit and paranoia answered. Like Elijah of old, many teachers can identify with his I have had enough moment as indeed the journey has often just been too much. The lack of enthusiasm of students to want to learn despite the great effort put in by teachers and the lack of appreciation from various quarters are two major contributing factors to this melancholy. Some quit and many opt for early retirement. When we are toying with the idea of throwing in the towel, perhaps it is good to ask ourselves why we chose to become teachers in the first place. We all started with a desire to truly care about our students and make a positive difference in their lives. We want to be a part of something bigger than ourselves. When we begin to see genuine transformation and progress in our students, we experience tremendous joy and fulfilment in our vocation. This keeps us going despite the challenges and heartaches that we face in our schools. Elijah s restoration came by being in God s loving presence. It is crucial for us to pause, create the space and silence for the Lord to speak to us. It was the Lord s still small voice that finally penetrated Elijah s self-absorbed mind. The Lord s final therapy came with a new special assignment to Elijah: the anointing of two kings and the ordination of Elisha to succeed him as prophet. Some questions to reflect on:- * What is the Lord saying to me in my current state? * What is the Lord s special assignment/s for me as a teacher? * What do I need to do/not do to stay focused? * What will keep me faithful in my calling when the going gets tough? Vocation is the place where our deep gladness meets the world s deep need. - Frederick Buechner In Partnership