A Teacher In June

Oh, end of the school year...how conflicted you make me! I love that the school year is almost over and things slow down a bit (even if I am working all summer...seriously--last day of school is Thursday, in-service from 9-5 Friday, CPR training from 9-3 Saturday, in-service Monday from 9-5, and then the summer program starts on Tuesday...not much of a break, I'd say!). But at the same time, I hate this time of year because it means saying goodbye to my kiddos--some of whom I've had for two years in a row! I definitely personalize my job. I can sincerely say that I love each and every one of my kids. Their successes and failures are my successes and failures and I feel like a large chunk of my heart is leaving. I pour myself into those kids and they mean the world to me. I may not have any biological kids yet (hint, hint, God), but I feel like I've got 26 kids that come pretty darn close. They're my family during the school year. How do you say goodbye to 26 members of your family all at once and then just open your heart up to a brand new batch?
I guess that's just the nature of things. All the same, I'm going to be a basketcase for the next few weeks. Guess that's how I know I love 'em. For those of you who aren't teachers, this may sound like crazy talk. But some of you might understand. Man, sometimes I wish I worked in an office where there was minimal personal interaction and no major yearly changes. Oh well, enough emotional blah for now. I've got to give them up to the Lord and trust Him to watch over them.

I'm Moving!!

Well, on the advice of some good friends and family, I am moving to Yorba Linda in a few weeks! First of all, I must say that I have some serious reservations about being a resident of "the land of gracious living." I hate that motto/saying. How stuck up can you be?! Anyways, it was hard to resist saving nearly $300 every month. So if you have a pick up truck and are available the last week of June/first week of July, I'd love to enlist your help :). The time I'm moving will most likely oh so conveniently overlap with when my nephew is born...when it rains, it pours, ya know. Anyways, I'd love decorating tips. And if anyone can turn me on to a cheap place to buy furniture, I would be very grateful :). Have a wonderful day and thanks for caring enough to check this silly blog.

Opinions Welcome!

Hello again! I need your help, friends. I have the opportunity to move into a new apartment in Yorba Linda. I currently live in Anaheim and pay $1175/month for a one bedroom apartment. The new place would be only $900/month. The new one is a bit smaller, doesn't include a balcony, and isn't as outwardly appealing as my current place. However, saving $275/month is definitely something to consider. I would know everyone in the unit, but the drive time to church (now in Irvine) and to my folks' house would be a bit longer. Is the extra money saved worth the money spent in gas and giving up a balcony? What do you think? I'd love to hear your opinions/advice. Thanks!!

Happy Easter!

I only post something once every couple of months, so pay attention...Happy Easter, everyone! I pray that during this time, the Lord impresses upon your heart the magnitute of what He sacrificed and the miracle that is our salvation. It's so easy to lose sight of the severity of our sin and the freedom that was given to us through no merit of our own.
Totally off topic, but if anyone is interested...I have been hiking down in San Juan Capistrano every weekend for the past month and plan on going as often as possible. If anyone is ever interested, feel free to join me! It's absolutely gorgeous and just being able to stand still and listen to the sound of the wind (without any ambient noise or people talking) is breathtaking. So let me know if you would like to come sometime!
Well, to the few and the proud that actually read this blog--blessings!

My Drive Down Death Row

As most of you who know me can attest to, I love taking long drives. Well, I decided to take one tonight. This time I invited a friend to come with me. We started heading north on the 15 freeway and everything was going wonderfully. Right when we passed Fontana, the winds picked up in less than a minute and went from barely noticeable to very dangerous. All of a sudden, we see a line of big rig trucks pulled off on the side of the road. The line of trucks stretched as far as we could see. About every fourth truck had been blown completely over by the high winds. My friend and I pulled off pretty quickly because she was getting nervous (I was probably calmer than I should have been, given that the gusts of wind were making the car rock pretty badly). When we turned around and headed back--going much more slowly--I made the comment that it felt like we were driving down death row. Truck death is a sad problem, wholly ignored in modern society :). I think I'll take up the cause!
Weird story, I know...but someone (hint, hint Kristi) has been urging me to "return to the blogging world" and this is the best I could come up with. I know, it's a sad excuse for a post. What can I say? All of the stupid Christmas carols sucked the life right out of me. That and the though of going back to work on Monday.

Surrender

Hello, two people who read this (Hi, Kristi!! Thanks for being faithful!). So here's my question: What does it actually look like to "surrender" your plans to God? Does it mean ceasing to desire it altogether? Or is it simply drawing the bottom line that you want what the Lord has for you no matter how much that differs from what you want. Surrender is something we always aspire to, but can we even define it? Or give someone practical steps to do so?
Random, I know...but it's been on my heart a lot lately.
Totally off topic, I love teaching my preschoolers Scripture! We have been talking about one fruit of the Spirit each month (Sept.=love, Oct.=joy, Nov.=peace, etc.). With each fruit, we learn a Bible verse. I cannot tell you the joy it brings to my spirit when I hear little four-year-old voices saying, "His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:7b." Another great thing, hearing them explain what love, joy, and peace actually are. It's actually more difficult than it sounds coming up with preschool age-appropriate definitions for these character traits. Love is easy. Joy, a little bit more difficult but not bad. Peace--wow. How do you even describe peace to four-turning-five-year-olds? I really struggled with this for a few days in preparation for the lesson. Here's what I came up with (or should I say, what the Spirit gave me): Peace is knowing deep down in your heart that everything's going to be O.K. because God is in charge. That's basically what peace is, right? Hearing my kids define peace this way and tell me that they "prayed for God's peace to know it's O.K." when they were scared of the dark the night before is absolutely amazing.
Maybe you have to be a teacher to understand. Or a parent. But watching kids internalize and really comprehend God's Word and character is indescribable. Ok, gotta go eat lunch. See ya Tuesday, Kristi :)

School Year Jitters

Hello. Been awhile (then again, if you go by number of post comments...not many people read this anyways--oh well, it's a good processing tool for me). So our summer program here at Vineyard Christian Preschool is coming to an end and that leads me to think about the coming year.
A lot of things are changing for me. I am teaching a different level (pre-k instead of four's); I will have about 24 5-year-olds every day, as opposed to a max of 12; I will have a full time aide in the classroom with me at all times (I love to be goofy with my kids and the prospect of having a second pair of adult eyes in the room is making me nervous); and the preschool is the fullest overall that it has ever been. A lot to think about and bring before the Lord.
I am very excited for the Summer Program to end and to get back into the daily routine that the kids (and I) so need. I know that the Lord is going to show Himself in new and exciting ways as I begin the school year in a few weeks. Next week is in-sevice where we get all of the classrooms ready--so if you have any free time, I could definitely use some help. I'm dead serious. Call, email, or respond to this post if you can help. Putting up bulletin board paper should be a two-person job (but I'm sure it would be fun to watch me doing it by my lonesome...you'd hear a lot of "Oh...my...goodness!!!" and "Are you kidding me?!").
As always, I keep praying that God would help me be a consistent example of His character to the kids in my class. It's a lot harder than it may seem. But, after all, nothing is impossible with Christ. I'm banking on that. And I just know that He is going to bring me so much joy as I continue to strive after Him. With His help, my classroom will reflect His love and His PEACE! I covet your prayers as always and look forward to sharing more kid quotes with you. Sorry I haven't been keeping them up. Near the end of summer, the kids lose a little bit of their cuteness :).
Well, may God continue to bless you as you walk with Him. May we always awake eagerly expectant of what He plans to do with us and with our day!