{"id":10344,"date":"2021-08-11T08:34:07","date_gmt":"2021-08-11T12:34:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/missionscatalyst.net\/?p=10344"},"modified":"2021-08-17T15:03:47","modified_gmt":"2021-08-17T19:03:47","slug":"you-think-you-had-it-bad-check-out-this-girl","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/missionscatalyst.net\/?p=10344","title":{"rendered":"You Think You Had It Bad? Check Out This Girl!"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><a href=\"https:\/\/missionscatalyst.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/Back-to-School.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"536\" src=\"https:\/\/missionscatalyst.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/Back-to-School-1024x536.png\" alt=\"back to school banner image with school supplies\" class=\"wp-image-10345\" srcset=\"https:\/\/missionscatalyst.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/Back-to-School-1024x536.png 1024w, https:\/\/missionscatalyst.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/Back-to-School-300x157.png 300w, https:\/\/missionscatalyst.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/Back-to-School-768x402.png 768w, https:\/\/missionscatalyst.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/Back-to-School.png 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h1 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Summer Short Shots: The Back-to-School Edition<\/h1>\n\n\n\n<p>By Shane Bennett<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In my world, it\u2019s back to school time. The three intrepid humans I\u2019ve been riding herd on this summer vacillate between fired up and frantic about returning to the classroom. Excited to see friends, concerned about new teachers, happy that masks are \u201cstrongly suggested,\u201d but \u201cnot required,\u201d and perhaps secretly glad to be ridden herd on by someone else for a change!&nbsp;<br>&nbsp;<br>To celebrate the season this is the first-ever back-to-school edition of Practical Mobilization. No back-to-school buzz at your house? No worries. These ideas, for the most part, travel beyond that sphere. Though I\u2019d also humbly invite you to forward this to your friends with school-aged kiddos.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">1. Surviving the \u201cMeet and Greet\u201d&nbsp;<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Depending on how tight the COVID clampdown is where you live, you may have a \u201cmeet and greet\u201d at your kids\u2019 school in the next few days. Does that several parts of your body to involuntarily clench? Does mine! Then here\u2019s some help for you: Treat it like a challenge to do what Jesus would. For starters, he\u2019d bless your kid\u2019s teacher. Ask how you could pray for them this week. (If you\u2019re feeling super feisty, pray right then and there!) And, he\u2019d probably talk to the people no one is talking to!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The handy acronym <a href=\"https:\/\/shanebennett.com\/2021\/06\/28\/forks-open-lives\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">FORKS<\/a> shows you one way to give that a go.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>2. This Girl Had It Harder Than You!<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Need a little pre-first-day pep talk? Try sharing the story of <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Nadia_Nadim\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Nadia Nadim<\/a> with your kids. Here are the bullet points:&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Born in Afghanistan in 1988.<\/li><li>When she was ten years old, her family fled for their lives after her father\u2019s execution.<\/li><li>As a refugee in Denmark, she began to excel at soccer.<\/li><li>Nadim now plays for the Danish national team and for <a href=\"https:\/\/www.racingloufc.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Racing Louisville Football Club.<\/a><\/li><li>She speaks nine languages.<\/li><li>Oh, and one more thing, she\u2019s one semester away from completing med school!<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Watching <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=7--dIvq8PiE\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">her TEDX talk<\/a> might give you a little boost as well!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>3. A Challenge on Another Level<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Gospel workers around the world face brain-bending and heart-rending decisions when it comes to schooling their kids. For some, boarding school several time zones away is still the best choice. For others, it\u2019s local school or home-schooling.&nbsp;<br>&nbsp;<br>One of the most poignant photos of any of my kids is that of wee Anna sitting in her Dutch kindergarten on her first day ever of school. New classroom, new teacher, new language! &nbsp;<br>&nbsp;<br>Since this challenge is real, I\u2019m wondering if as a community we can take a moment and share some prayer and encouragement for cross-cultural workers facing school decisions and the implications of the choices they\u2019ve made. I set up a Google doc where you can <a href=\"https:\/\/docs.google.com\/document\/d\/1rqsPtCX6zmwtuLncKerqLqZHuhbv0TwbHEHLm9vSdLU\/edit\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">share a brief prayer or blessing for our family members around the planet<\/a>. It won\u2019t take you long, but it might be the thing that gets them through a rough day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>4. Homeschool with Global Purpose<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Once you\u2019ve chosen to home school your kids, and some of you have, the question looms large: What curriculum do you use? I\u2019m the last person qualified to answer that for you! But here are a couple of options that have God\u2019s global purposes at their core: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sonlight.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Sonlight Curriculum<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/catanddogtheology.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Unveiling Glory<\/a>.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>5. Middle School Survival Training<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you\u2019re a dad of middle school girls, you might suspect there\u2019s no way to navigate those years without tears, heartache, and seasons of moodiness. I agree and have observed that both girls and boys are their rawest, most sin-ridden selves during this time. Even so, I want kids to grow up to follow Jesus wholeheartedly and take the gospel to the most challenging and under-served parts of the world. <a href=\"https:\/\/docs.google.com\/document\/d\/1F4Es8RRRDgUiFb_uEBisbQ0iwt4SIVygwgN9eFerybE\/edit?usp=sharing\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">This one-page survival training<\/a> might help in a small way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>6. Life Inventory&nbsp;<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Finally, if on that first day of school, having dropped the kids at the bus or building, you sink into the sofa and go into some sort of human hibernation until pick-up time you\u2019ll get no judgment from me.&nbsp;<br>&nbsp;<br>Assuming your nap need will ease up eventually, though, here\u2019s something to consider that is just tough to do with kids writhing around you like a sack full of snakes: A life inventory.<br>&nbsp;<br>Not an \u201ceverything bad I\u2019ve ever done\u201d list, but more like you and the Holy Spirit asking, \u201cWhere\u2019s this ol\u2019 train headed?\u201d&nbsp;<br>&nbsp;<br>I like <a href=\"https:\/\/xsvengoechea.medium.com\/how-and-why-to-do-a-life-audit-1d8bfbe1798\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">the approach Ximena Vengoechea outlines<\/a>, starting with writing 100 wishes on 100 post-it notes. How fun might that be? Don\u2019t panic. Most people don\u2019t get past 30 or 40. (Ximena, overachiever that she is, was at 121 when she ran out of post-it notes!)&nbsp;<br>&nbsp;<br>A life inventory is probably not going to solve all our issues, but it might just be a fun and helpful way to put to use some of the time that theoretically will be freed up when the kiddos go back to school.&nbsp;<br>&nbsp;<br><em>Thanks for reading the Summer Short Shots. Before you head off to your next priority, please take a moment and <a href=\"https:\/\/docs.google.com\/document\/d\/1rqsPtCX6zmwtuLncKerqLqZHuhbv0TwbHEHLm9vSdLU\/edit\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">share a prayer or blessing<\/a> for missionaries and the kids going off to school. Thank you.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Summer Short Shots: The Back-to-School Edition By Shane Bennett In my world, it\u2019s back to school time. The three intrepid humans I\u2019ve been riding herd on this summer vacillate between fired up and frantic about returning to the classroom. Excited to see friends, concerned about new teachers, happy that masks are \u201cstrongly suggested,\u201d but \u201cnot &hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/missionscatalyst.net\/?p=10344\" class=\"more-link\">Continue reading <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">You Think You Had It Bad? Check Out This Girl!<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":4515,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[9],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-10344","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-practical-mobilization"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/missionscatalyst.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10344","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/missionscatalyst.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/missionscatalyst.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/missionscatalyst.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/5"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/missionscatalyst.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=10344"}],"version-history":[{"count":8,"href":"https:\/\/missionscatalyst.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10344\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":10373,"href":"https:\/\/missionscatalyst.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10344\/revisions\/10373"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/missionscatalyst.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/4515"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/missionscatalyst.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=10344"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/missionscatalyst.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=10344"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/missionscatalyst.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=10344"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}