About the "Teacher Feature"
The Teacher Feature is designed to acquaint you with "another side" of our Academy teachers in addition to their professional lives. Each month, an interview and a few photo clips of a teacher will appear in the Teacher Feature. We have great people serving here at the Academy, and we want you to get to know and appreciate them. - Mr. Zimmerman
The following article was published on Apr 13, 2010.
Miss Lindsey Longstaff
What do you do for fun?
I love, love, really love Scrabble though I'm not so fond of the prospect of losing the game! In the summer you can find me in my vegetable garden. It makes me feel more connected to my Creator to have a hand (actually two) in cultivation. Sit me in front of a piano and I'm as "happy as a clam at high tide." Let me talk to my best friend for a half an hour and I'll end up laughing 'til it hurts. Writing letters, listening to some anointed Christian band, horseback riding, fishing for brook trout, swimming in a lake...a lot of summer-friendly activities.
What books or books have you recently read?
One Month To Live: Thirty Days to a No-Regrets Life by Kerry and Chris Shook is a new study into which all of the Sunday School classes at HWC are delving. It's going to be an amazing study from what I've seen. The whole premise of the book is, "What if you only had one month to live?" It covers four major principles: live passionately, love completely, learn humbly, and leave boldly. Once you work past the silly things you'd do such as take a trip to Italy or go skydiving, you really have to look at what you're not doing with your life and ask yourself "why?" What is it that keeps you from being everything God wants you to be? He has put Godly dreams and desires in our hearts and He wants to fulfill them (see Psalm 37:4)! What are we waiting for?
I also finished Sarah Palin's autobiography Going Rogue earlier this year and came away from it with a lot more respect for the former vice presidential candidate. It should be interesting to see how the political landscape changes within the next few years.
How did you spend the summer?
As restfully as possible! Aside from playing in the dirt in my veggie garden, I watched an overabundance of TV (I've now seen every NCIS episode up to this latest season). I'm always available to meet the needs of my family, my grandparents, and my elderly neighbor. When any of them need errands run or rides to/from Bangor, I'm the go-to girl. I'd like to say I also did a lot of practicing on piano, violin, and mandolin, but that would be stretching the truth 'til it snapped.
Of what church are you a member and in what ministries do you participate?
I attend Houlton Wesleyan Church and I visit the Old Fashion Revival Center in Blaine whenever I get the opportunity. (There's a shout out to the Carters!) I've been the mixed adult Sunday School teacher at HWC for going on four years now. I typically play piano for the children's Sunday School class and as a prelude before services. When I'm asked, I play offertories and sing specials. I'm also involved in the nursing home ministry as a pianist.
Someone once asked me why I serve in these ways. My response to that is, how can I say "no" to my Saviour when He gave everything for me? I'm not doing these things to please man, but to honor God with my time and the talents He's given me. We're blessed in order to be a blessing to someone else, right? God also told us that if we're faithful in/with the little things, He'll entrust much more to our care (check out Matthew 25). That's not to say that I don't know my limits, because I do. When I stretch myself too thin I get run down and, usually, sick. "Faith without works is dead," as we all know. I want my faith to be alive, showing, and growing.
Do you have a life verse? Why have you adopted it?
The first verse I memorized was 2 Timothy 2:15, "Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth." I've always been a studious person, but never have I been called upon to "rightly divide" God's Word as I have these past four years! It has been an awesome privilege to teach the Word of God to His children ranging in age from 10 to 80+ years old. Little did I know that the first morsel of His Word that I hid in my heart as a child would be one that would apply so fully in my adulthood.
I also love Revelation 12:11, which tells us we have overcome the evil one (the future of that snake is written!) with the Blood, the Word, and by not loving our lives to the death. That ought to make you shout "Hallelujah!" There's Revelation 19:11-16 (my Prince on His white steed!), and John 15 (gardening, fruitfulness. love, joy)...oh, the Word is beautiful!
What have you done recently to better yourself professionally?
At the beginning of February, GHCA's faculty had the opportunity to visit Concord Christian Academy in New Hampshire and attend an ACSI conference in nearby Epsom. It was a great experience; being able to observe other teachers in action and "pick their brains" as it were.
Whenever GHCA conducts workshops I try to come away from them with as much information as I can. I'm constantly looking for new ways to get students interested and involved in their subjects. I've been trying to incorporate more peer evaluation, self-directed research, hands-on projects, skits... anything that piques their interest in learning!
I recently applied for certification from ACSI and, Lord willing, I'll be approved. (Prayers are most welcome!)
What makes you want to get up in the morning?
Great question. It's certainly not the balmy tropical breezes outside my door! It's all God. Knowing that He has placed me here, that it is His will for me to be at this amazing school with a fantastic staff and young men and women who desperately need to know and live in the love of Christ, makes me put my feet on the floor. I would never even pretend that it's not the Holy Spirit I'm relying on for strength because "without Him, I could do nothing"!
What do you like about GHCA?
The fact that the staff are committed to the students. Knowing that born-again believers are pouring their lives into young people and consistently praying that each one will give her/his heart to Jesus and develop a walk with Him -- that's amazing.
If you could design your dream school, what would it look like?
The building itself would have everything needed and desired by students and staff...a gymnasium, a library, well-equipped science labs, a cafeteria, a large playground, and a track/field. It would be accessible to people with physical disabilities. The campus would also have several large shade trees and benches--I know some students that would love to have class outside once or twice when the weather's nice. The staff and students would look quite similar! They'd all be 100% sold out to Christ and actively reaching their communities for the kingdom of heaven.
