Teaching is the....

The door to my classroom!

Student's desks and my ActivBoard

best job ever! Now grant it, those of you who know me well, know that my experience at Charles City has been tough, and I haven't thoroughly enjoyed every minute of it. Of course each school district will have its problems, that comes with the territory, so I'm not so much as naive to believe that any other district will be perfect. I do however, love my job! I enjoy preparing lesson plans, looking for new material, but most of all I enjoy the impact that I can have on students, as a Christian! Day after day students come up to me telling me their problems, asking for guidance and time and time again I always point them back to the cross, to Jesus Christ. Because without that relationship everything else is minuscule and futile -- exactly how teaching WOULD be if it weren't for the fact that the Lord has called me to do this.

My desk and bulletin board

Bookshelves/Closet

Chalkboard/TV

I don't blog much about my career. I guess I'd always been afraid of the idea that someone from the district or school would see it. But after stumbling upon some of my friend's blogs and realizing that I could blog without invading privacy I think I'll be more open to the idea. Of course if I ever do blog I will not use the real names of my students (if I use any names at all) and I will not post pictures of them. However, I do want to share with you what my classroom looks like. These pictures were taken at the start of the school year so ignore the bulletin board, it has since been updated and is a beautiful spring picture with a rainbow and a leprechaun chillin' with a pot of gold at the end. You'd think that by that description I teach at the elementary level, but in actuality I teach high school history.

About a week ago I posted about opportunity and the fact that Adam and I are looking for direction. Well not too soon after that, I actually had received notice that there's an anticipated high school history position in Mathews County and yesterday (I'll tell you about this later) I discovered that there's an opening at my old high school for a history position as well. I can hardly believe that both schools have anticipated positions open. Adam and I had already been praying about Mathews and now we're praying about Bassett, too. We would just ask for you to be prayerful with us, that God would blatantly open or close the door where we should or should not go because above all else we want to remain faithful to Him. Let me leave you with my favorite verse:

Psalm 25:4-5 (New International Version, ©2011)

 ⁴ Show me your ways, LORD,
   teach me your paths.
⁵ Guide me in your truth and teach me,
   for you are God my Savior,
   and my hope is in you all day long.

Knock Knock

Knock knock! "Hi, it's me, Mr. Opportunity knocking at your door. Aren't you gonna open the door and let me in?"

Lately Adam and I have been discussing where God's leading us. We're not exactly sure. Due to our financial situation, it would be such a relief if I could get in a job in what the Southside Tobacco Forgivenss Loan considers to be "southside" Virginia. If we moved to one of the 24 localities it considers, then the money I borrowed against for three and a half years, to help pay for school, would be forgiven for the same amount of time put back into the system. It's really a great opportunity: borrow money from people who are willing to give it to you and then go back to help encourage and build up that region/area. However, due to the economy and budget cuts, schools aren't exactly hiring because teachers are staying put so they have an income, and I can't say I blame 'em! However.....

My experience at Charles City High School has been a bumpy ride. I've grown a lot and have learned ten times what I thought I knew. However, I'm ready for a change. I feel that my time here is coming to a close. I feel that God is leading Adam and I somewhere else. The only problem is, where? You see, Adam graduated from high school, but never enrolled in a college/university. He did enroll in an electrician apprenticeship but discovered that that was not for him. When I met him he had just left the apprenticeship and was offered a job at a local hardware store that paid him decently and offered benefits - no complaints there. When we married though, he moved to be with me and had to leave that job behind, which brings me to the present. After job hunting for 9 months, he finally got a job working for a small business...can you guess what in......yep! electricity! I thought, huh it's funny that this is the opportunity God brought to you.

I call electricity an opportunity because literally you are turning on the lights for people. Remember what Matthew 5:16 says, "In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven." What an opportunity it is that we get to serve the Lord, that He so loved us to go die on a cross and we can live out His precious will for our lives today?! Never ever take that opportunity for granted!

So to sum it all up, we're not sure where we're headed....maybe I'll be teaching in another district, maybe I won't. Maybe Adam will stay in electricity, or maybe he'll enroll in a college or serve his country in the AirForce....those are just some of the possibilities we're entertaining. Whatever we end up doing, we know it's because that's where God wants us to be, and He'll keep and place you right where you're meant to be, until knock knock, Mr. Opportunity is at your door!

Love: Friendship

When February rolls around we all think about Valentine's Day and love. Over the next few days I'd like to look at love from different angles. The first being that of friendship.  I have been truly blessed to have some of the best friends anyone could ask for. I hope to blog about each and every one of them as the year goes on. I simply decided to choose my friend Kelly whom I just got off the phone with about an hour ago.

I first met Kelly in the fall of 2005 when I started my freshman year at Bluefield College. She was the RHD of my dorm. I remember my father (being too friendly) and sharing the story of how he hurt his back (as well as proceeding to show her his scar--sorry Kel) and would she help us with whatever it was we were doing or putting together. And being Kelly, she jumped right in and offered to help. Kelly is the kind of friend that when you really need someone to be there for you, there she'll be. She's quick to offer advice and especially a listening ear.  She'll watch endless hours of a TV show on DVD just to catch you up, she'll let you wear her apron and run around shooting water guns at each other, she'll help you pull pranks on guys,she'll pray for you at a moment's notice, she'll forgive you for being late, she'll endure a bike ride session with a Jewish boy pushing you to your last ounce of patience, but she'll keep you encouraged and will live room for you if you're in the neighborhood. Kelly has truly been a light in my life and I am so thankful that God allowed her to be in mine.

So this Valentine's Day, remember to be thankful for the love of friendship and remember: "Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends." -John 15:13