Hello, deviantART.  Looooooong time, no see.  (And it's going to be awhile still.)

But to you, the people with whom I used to converse and those who I befriended here, I wanted to give another hello.  I do truly care about you, think about you, and wonder where life has taken you.

First, let me tell you where life has taken me.  I am in my sixth year of my chosen career as an elementary school music teacher.  This career looks different depending on where you live.  Where I live I work seven hours a day for five days a week just like any other elementary school teacher, with all the extra outside-hours time as well.  The difference is that I don't teach one class of students.  I teach all of the students.  And I work at two schools (thankfully; last year I worked at three!).  So I have approximately 900 students between the ages of 5 and 11 to whom I teach music.  This includes vocal music, recorders, and band.  The choir I teach before school one day a week is an extracurricular, and I get paid...a little bit for that.  I am paid on salary and have good benefits.  The school district I work in has strict professional development requirements, and so I have no less than four meetings a month after school due to those, in addition to monthly Parent-Teacher Association meetings.

Outside of work I volunteer heavily at my church.  I am head of the sound engineering team, I occasionally play an instrument on Sunday mornings for the worship team (whatever instrument they need that day), and until two months ago I was director of the youth worship team and a regular youth volunteer.  I have done all of these things for approximately ten years with little to no variation.  Outside of work I also play with a semi-professional wind ensemble.  I say "semi-professional" because while we are comprised of professional-quality musicians and have been overseas on concert tour, we don't get paid.  This group rehearses once a week.

Additionally, I volunteer with an educational non-profit group that holds classes in three countries currently.  It is called Education Through Music and is sponsored by the Richards Institute of Education and Research.  I am heavily involved in that group and take their classes annually, as well as help coordinate some of the classes.

Needless to say, my days are full.  I am busy.  Any spare hours I do get in a week are spent collapsing in bed and trying to sleep.  But usually, the stress of every day life keeps me up at night.  Things like... 'Why does that parent complain about me all the time?  Their student is excelling!' or sometimes, 'What can I do to help that kid who won't stop hitting everyone?  Discipline means nothing to him,'  and the ever-so-common, 'How can I be a better teacher?'

All this sounds like complaining and excuses I'm sure, but actually, I am thankful for everything in my life.  As it happens, I have my dream job!  I have wonderful co-workers, wonderful bosses, and not only do I now work at the very school I dreamed of working at, my second school is less than a mile away.  That isn't to say my five-and-a-half years of teaching have been perfect--far from it, in fact!  But what amazes me and what I am grateful for is that God has taken me out of each bad circumstance and made my life better than it was before.  I could talk for hours about why I shouldn't have my job and how God has not only come through for me in my career, but has made it better and me a better person.

I have so many trains of thought I could follow, but I'll go on with the one now that I think matters most.

I never received a divine appointment or advice that I should be a music teacher.  I just sort of...picked it.  I'm not naturally gifted with kids (30 years old and still haven't baby-sat for a single day of my life), I'm not naturally gifted with people, and I'm about as blunt and black-and-white in my conversation and viewpoints as it gets.  I'm not nurturing, I have no maternal instinct.  Nothing about me says "teacher of children."  And yet...it's going great!  Not only am I actually doing my job well, but the position I have is "too good to be true."  No teacher ever gets the school they want.  And music and art teachers are usually at the bottom of the ladder in status.  And besides being a music teacher, no new teacher gets any kind of status or sway.  ...But I have some!  And I am an equal among my peers!  I could go on...  But the point of all this is...God showed up.  I picked a career that no one thought would work, and God made it happen.  And again, I could go on and on and on with reasons why it shouldn't work.  Maybe I'll write a journal about that one day...  But it's not only working, it's almost inconceivably great!

God shows up wherever we are.  Even when we don't deserve it.

I could go on and on for hours too about why I deserve nothing from God.  To this day, I can't fathom the love of God.  I don't have any of those miracle stories about myself that you sometimes hear.  All I can say about myself is that I was a sinner as a child, as a teen, as a young adult, and I am still a sinner today.  Some sins are "little" and some are "big" as most humans rank good and bad.  But God has no ranking system.  Sin is sin.  And as the Bible says in Romans 3:23: "For there is no difference; for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,"

Note the comma.  It goes on.  It doesn't stop with the bad news.  Romans 3:24-26: "being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God set forth as a propitiation by His blood, through faith, to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance God had passed over the sins that were previously committed, to demonstrate at the present time His righteousness, that He might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus."

Let me break that down.  Everyone has sinned and falls short.  No one makes the grade.  If the hard and fast rule is God's law, heaven will be empty.  BUT--He sent Jesus.  God knew no one could measure up, and sent Jesus to die for us and take our punishment, and give us the get out of jail free card.  Isaiah 53:5:  "But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement for our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed."

By the 39 stripes caused by the cat-o-nine-tails on His back, we are set free.

Back in Romans it goes on to say that God has basically forgotten all of our sins because of Jesus, thus demonstrating that He is just.  And all we have to do is believe in Jesus to have eternal life.  I'm going read a scripture now first just as it's written, and then I'm going to add my own emphasis.  It's the emphasis I believe God intends us to hear, but people seem to miss it because the verse is so often quoted.

John 3:16:  "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life."

Now, with my emphasis:  "For God SO LOVED the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life."

The depth of God's love is incomprehensible.  All we have to do is believe.  I'll let a song say it better:  



I didn't set out with this journal to write a sermon.  I just wanted to explain where I've been, and a few other things.

That cheetah group?  I took it on because I was in a stressful period of life and severely needed distraction.  But such a big thing is too much for one person.  Sorry, to all those I disappointed with that group.  And to anyone else I disappointed in anything else.  I guess that goes back to the 'sermon.'  We can never be enough, do enough, or earn enough to make it to heaven.  It is only through Jesus.  And distraction is only temporary.

I meant what I said back at the beginning of the journal.  I think about you and care about you.  Clutch45, you always made me feel so cared-for.  Thanks.  Treni217 (or whatever name you go by now), I'm sorry I didn't answer that email you sent me awhile ago.  I meant to.  Kai, you know I love you.

I had intended to go on with this...about my continued health problems (they're worse) and all my other personal life-issues, but...that's not what matters.

I used to fear being forgotten.  I used to fear that I'd die and no one would care or remember.  I suppose that's common enough...  But back then I didn't have anything of value to be remembered by.  Or, I had placed value on the wrong things.

If you're reading this journal, then the only thing I want to leave behind is a request.

Ask me about Jesus.  Or open up the Bible.  Or find someone else and ask them about Jesus.

He loves you.  Did you hear that?  He loves you.  He died so that you could live.  You matter to Him, and what matters to you matters to Him.  My job success, among so many other things, is testimony to that.

God loves you all.  

TTFN, ta-ta for now.
~bcbdrums 

What is a cheetah?

The cheetah is the fastest land animal, capable of accelerating from 0-60 miles per hour in only three seconds.  It's top speed has been recorded as 70mph!  A single stride of the cheetah's run can be over 20 feet long, and it can take five strides per second!
It is the smallest of the big cats, but it has a couple of differences from the rest of them: it cannot roar, and its claws are only semi-retractable.
The cheetah is designed for high-speed chases in every way, it's heart, liver, and lungs being three times larger than those of a lion in relation to their body size!  It also has enlarged sinuses and can take up to 150 breaths per minute.
Cheetahs have incredible eyesight and are able to see clear details up to three miles away!  They use this ability when hunting their prey in the vast savannahs of Africa.

Why is the cheetah endangered?

Cheetahs have been captured and kept as pets worldwide since antiquity and were used in sport hunting the way dogs are used today across two continents.  India captured all of its cheetahs for this purpose, and they are now extinct there and the rest of Asia.
In the 1900's farmers in Africa began blaming cheetahs for the deaths of livestock and killed them whenever possible.  The cheetah population dropped from 100,000 in 1900 to just 2,500 in 1990.
Due to the efforts of the Cheetah Conservation Fund, the Ann van Dyk Cheetah Centre and other conservation groups, the wild cheetah population has risen to almost 10,000 in the last 20 years.
Cheetahs are still at risk for extinction due to low genetic diversity, decreasing habitats and food sources, and continued hunting by humans.

What is the Cheetah Conservation Fund?

The CCF is a non-profit organization that works to protect the cheetah and ensure its future on the earth!  They are in their 23rd year of operation and have partners worldwide to support the conservation effort.  They take regular censuses of the cheetahs left in the wild using camera traps, and they rescue hundreds of orphaned cheetah cubs and release them back into the wild whenever possible!  They educate farmers and other people who share their homeland with cheetahs and have provided a guard dog program so farmers can keep their livestock safe from any predator.  They are working to restore the natural habitats of cheetahs by stopping the bush encroachment on the savannahs and have created an international market for bush-based products.
The CCF was recently struck by lightning and they lost their entire Visitor's Center, which housed many irreplaceable educational materials.  In the wake of this recent catastrophe they are not discouraged, and are rebuilding and ready for International Cheetah Day 2013!

What can I do to help?

Use social media to spread the word!  On Twitter and Tumblr, use hashtag #SavetheCheetah and #IntlCheetahDay to share information about the cheetah with the world outside of deviantART!  Get cheetahs trending!  Also, download images from CCF's ICD page to share on your Facebook, Twitter, and other pages!  And psst!  For those of you who didn't have time to make art, you can upload one of their infographics today to take part!
Sell your cheetah art and donate money to a conservation group!   We have all of this fantastic art submitted for the ICDC to raise awareness, and you could take the next step and sell that art and give money toward actually saving a cheetah!
Start fundraisers within your school or community!  If you're in the younger age group, you can get ideas for raising awareness from Kids4Cheetahs at the CCF.
You can purchase items from the CCF store or other conservation groups such as calendars, posters, books, clothing, DVDs, or even the CCF's new wine label, and the proceeds all go toward conservation!
You can sponsor a Livestock Guard Dog through the CCF or the Ann van Dyk Cheetah Centre, which helps reduce human killing of cheetahs!
You can sponsor an individual cheetah through any conservation group or simply make a donation to save all wild cheetahs!

We have talked a lot about the Cheetah Conservation Fund, but any conservation group is worthy of your time and money in the effort of cheetah conservation.  Saving an endangered species is a joint effort--not something that a single group can accomplish, but something that will take the collaboration of everyone, from the CCF's hard work to the child selling lemonade to raise money.  However you choose to be involved, anything you do to help save the cheetahs will make a difference!

What is the ICDC?

The International Cheetah Day Challenge is today: the successful raising of awareness about cheetah endangerment through art!
The simple idea of the challenge was that if there was a massive influx of cheetah art to deviantART on one day, people would take notice!  If you found this journal through cheetah art, then you are witness to the success of the International Cheetah Day Challenge!
Hundreds of deviants have come together on this one day to show their support for saving cheetahs by spending their time to create art.  They do not get anything out of this except the satisfaction of knowing they have helped raise awareness for an endangered species.  You can view the art created for the challenge here at Save-The-Cheetah in our challenge folder in our gallery.  Also, take time to look at the fantastic art created for last year's ICDC!
When we work together, we can accomplish great things.  Today we have used our creative talents to make a difference in the world for cheetahs.  Imagine what more we can do when we come together as a community of not only artists, but people who care about protecting the world we live in!

The International Cheetah Day Challenge would not have been possible without the generous response and support from the deviantART community!  Here follows a list of all* Deviants and Groups who helped promote the ICDC!

*If you did not receive a personal "thank you" message from bcbdrums it means your support was not found.  Please link to it here and your name will be added to the featured list!  If another form of support was overlooked, please inform us so we may feature you too!  If your journal was written on or after December 4th it is included in the ICDC gallery rather than listed here.  Blog is updated regularly.

Updates:  Tomorrow is ICD!!!  If you haven't had time to make your own art, you can download an infographic from the CCF here and upload it to help make deviantART's homepage explode with cheetahs!
Put this link to ICD in your deviation description! http://sta.sh/08c8g1fqc0k

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December 4th isn't that far away...

Last year, over 400 people participated in the International Cheetah Day Challenge on December 4th to help raise awareness and help save the cheetah!  This year we have even more planned as we approach the big event.  Read on to learn all about what's in store for ICDC 2013!

What is the International Cheetah Day Challenge?

The International Cheetah Day Challenge (ICDC) is the day when all of us use our art to raise awareness about this endangered species and maybe even raise money for the cause!  The idea behind the challenge is that deviantART's front page will be filled with cheetah-themed art for one day, and through this people will be made aware of the plight of the cheetah.
To get involved, all you must do is submit cheetah-themed artwork to deviantART on December 4th, which is International Cheetah Day!  See details below.
You can also help by promoting this challenge to others on deviantART in any way you can!  People who do so will be featured in the ICD journal on December 4th.

FAQ'S:

How will the challenge work?

On December 4th, submit cheetah-themed art to deviantART!  Any and all cheetah art is welcome!  Submit as many deviations as you like, the more the better!  But you cannot upload your art any earlier than December 4th, or the front page won't be filled!  You can however put it your art in Sta.sh until the 4th if you like.
In your deviation description, please state that your piece was created for the ICDC.
Also include links to the Cheetah Conservation Fund and to the official ICDC journal: sta.sh/08c8g1fqc0k

What can be included in the artwork?

You must include a cheetah in some way.  The other content of the artwork is up to you, as long as it is respectful and in support of cheetah conservation!
Your submission must be your original work.  Your submission must comply with all deviantART rules.
Any medium is accepted!  Any skill level is accepted!  Quantity is the key to the challenge's effectiveness!

How else can I get involved?

Promote promote promote!  Write a personal journal about the ICDC!  If you own a group, promote it there!  Tell your friends!  Raising awareness is all about telling others, so tell anyone in any way you can.
Donate to the cause yourself at the the Cheetah Conservation Fund.  There are many was to get involved in conservation that aren't financial as well.
After your art is submitted, sell it and donate the profits to a cheetah conservation group of your choosing!

What's in it for me?

If you submit art on December 4th, it will be included in a special gallery in this group.
Your name will be featured in a special ICDC journal posted to this group on December 4th.
People and groups who help promote the ICDC will also be featured in a special journal.
You will have the satisfaction of knowing you are helping raise awareness to save a species!

What's coming between now and December 4th?

Special deviant, group, and deviation features highlighting amazing art and dedicated conservation efforts.
Special features of various conservation groups and what they're doing to save the cheetah.
Features about cheetahs themselves with facts you may not have previously known.

On International Cheetah Day we will have a special feature journal including facts about cheetahs and endangerment, mind-blowing videos, fantastic art features, and ways you can help save the cheetah!

We are setting a minimum goal of 500 deviations!  Together we can make it happen and use our art to raise awareness!

Visit the Cheetah Conservation Fund to learn more about cheetahs and how to help save the species!  Visit our About Us page for links to numerous conservation groups!

Please comment with any questions, suggestions, and let us know how you plan to get involved so we can add your name to the list of participants!  Keep an eye on the group and this journal for updates!