Tell me about......your CHURCH

Lately I've been posting about school, mainly to have an outlet where I can filter my thoughts on the matter and blow off some steam. Other than possibly one or two more posts and I'll be done! Therefore, I've decided to start a few series on "Tell me about...." where I'll post about personal subjects and of course anything you have questions on. I've seen something similar to this on other blogs and figured it'd be good to blog about something new. So feel free to email me or leave a comment. So here goes.: "Tell me about...your Church."

Adam and I attend Redeeming Grace Baptist Church in Mathews, VA. I absolutely adore our church. Ever since I first visited it with Adam, way back in 2008 when we first started dating, I have enjoyed the fellowship with the people there. Their hearts are genuine and their faith is real. It is very much a solid church. Growing up, the denomination my parents raised me in lacked expository preaching and the sermons lasted all of 20 minutes. So needless to say, I became stagnant.  It was until I visited a church in college (very similar to the one we attend now) that I first heard expository preaching. It has captured my heart and left me in awe. I feel that I understand God so much better with this style of preaching and it's helped me greatly in my devotional time as well. I have gotten to know God so much better (that's not to say I'm where I should be in my walk (that's something I strive for daily)) but it is a style of preaching that has opened my heart and I highly recommend it to anyone.

Our church meets on Sunday mornings and evenings and Wednesday evenings for Bible study. The second thing that drew me to our church is the fact that it's very simple. We don't meet in a huge church with stained glass windows, we meet in a rented space that has the bare necessities. The room we meet in is very simple and the focus is simply on worshiping the Lord and delving into His word. I love it! Please feel free to check out our church here and while you're there check out some of the podcasts on some of the series our preacher has been going through (Sunday mornings: Mark, Sunday evenings: Apostle's Creed, Wednesday evening: Matthew).

World History II SOL in T-minus 9 hours!

So in less than 9 hours my students will be taking the creme-de-la-creme of the World History II course, the SOL test. My students must a) pass this test if they want an advanced diploma and b) will have to take my end of year final exam if they fail, so some students might possibly fail for the year if they don't pass this sucker. I know better than to be anxious because Philippians 4:6 reads "Do not be ANXIOUS about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God."

I have worked my rear end off this year. I know you're wondering where I'm going with this, but stick with me. I hate that student's performance is a reflection on the teacher. Yes, there are some teachers who are not pulling their weight and aren't truly in it for the children, however, I and many of my colleagues are not those teachers. I don't feel that it's fair to judge a teacher based solely on student performance. I say this because I have had two male students who have not put forth hardly any effort all year long (i.e., came to class and did no work) and on top of that, neither of their parents have returned any phone calls, allowed/signed-up their child up for after-school remediation (which they clearly needed), and have not attend parent-teacher conferences. So in all fairness, at any other job, when an employee is not pulling their weight, they get the boot, but as a teacher, when a student refuses to do the work, you cannot simply give him or her the boot.

I'm not saying that a teacher should throw in the towel, I'm just saying that when you've done all you can do,then it's simply in God's hands. Ergo, my students and this test are in His hands. God knows my needs and the needs of my students. I have laid this down at His feet and I know that His will, no matter if my students pass or not, is what matters most. Thank you Lord for giving me this opportunity to serve you and these children, despite my many shortcomings and complaints. Thank you for remaining my JOY these past few weeks when you know I've struggled to have a positive attitude. And above all else thank you for being good, always and forever.

Let's Be Honest

I love my job, but I am very much at the end of my rope. The month of March certainly came in like a lion and I'm pretty sure it ate the lamb. Ever since we returned from Christmas break, my students have been rude, repulsive, obnoxious, and the list goes on and on. I've had no intentions for my blog to be a "venting station" but tonight I cannot help myself. It is emotionally and mentally hard for me to physically get up in the mornings, knowing what awaits me. My principal has been supportive, but the assistant principal (who gets clean up duty on all the behavioral problems) isn't my knight in shining armor. Sure he's a decent guy, but c'mon who's really running the show? A kid literally ran down the next hall when I approached him about skipping his class and when the referral that I submitted came back to me, all that was written in chicken scratch at the bottom was "warning." That's it?! Are you kidding me?! A kid can get irate, disrespect me, take off running down the hall to an area he's not supposed to be, and yet he gets off free? I wish I were making this up. This is only one story of which I have tenfold to share.

Yes I am complaining, but don't pity me, and above all else please do not give me any advice about classroom management. I've seen these kids day in and day out since September and I've tried all tricks of the trade.  What I'm really saying is please pray for my sanity. I feel that during this challenging time I should be more focused on the Lord, and yet I constantly am getting distracted and discouraged. I realize that you do not know the fullness of my story and the situation or school I am part of, but anything that can take your eyes off the prize is not good. Above all else, I am worried that because I have not been diligent unto the Lord, that He won't take me out of my current situation either. Adam and I have been praying for direction for so long and we both feel that He is calling us out of this location, but no doors have been opened. I know better than to worry and if God truly wants me to remain here for His purpose then I will; it's just not what I want right now. So please say a little prayer for me and ask that I can keep my eyes and heart focused on what really matters.

Mr. Opportunity, Welcome Back!

 Remember when I blogged about Mr. Opportunity here and here? Well if you remember, Adam and I have been praying for God to show His will to us. We know that change is in the air, we both feel it's coming and are trusting God. We have also shared these opportunities and bits of information with others, especially our parents, siblings, and close friends who have all said that they are praying for us as well! Well I now have an update.

The position for the upcoming history teacher at Mathews High School (Adam's hometown) was not approved in the budget and this evening I received an email from my old high school history teacher basically stating that another Bassett High School (from my hometown) alum has a master's degree in administration and will more than likely be offered a contract. As far as I know this is only contingent upon the remainder of this school year, not the next, but you know how these things usually turn out...I'm still hopeful that perhaps this is not the case and that it's only for the time being because goodness knows I would love to be near my family again!

And even though we'd both like the chance to be near my family, we're still interested in the possibility of the Air Force, we've simply hit some bumps in trying to get in touch with the Air Force recruiters. I'm not taking that as a sign we're not to talk to them, but to remain persistent and persevere. Please note however, that for someone who enjoys having a "plan" this is driving me nuts, I would love nothing more than to know where we're headed but as a friend of mine recently said, "Where's the fun in that?! "Somehow I feel that the subliminal message God is trying to send my way is to be patient. Oh if that were easier done than said! Anywho, as always please continue to pray for us and God's will as we know that above all else He is #1 and is to be glorified always!

Rejuvenation? Yes, please!

This week has drained me of any energy, which I truly need! With the changing of the time on Sunday, my body has had a hard time transitioning. On top of that, our car died Monday, and Adam was stranded in West Point. We were supposed to meet the Air Force recruiter that night but Adam got off work too late so the recruiter said to come back the next evening. So, we decided to make some last minute plans and meet with a friend of ours, Marcus. Along the way we decided to meet up instead of driving two cars out to his house. Adam parked at Nick's and I met him there. Well needless to say when I finally got my stuff outta my car and hopped into his,  the thing wouldn't crank! We spent the rest of Monday night trying to fix it, but left discouraged.

Last night, Adam and his dad (who drove all the way out there as well) were able to take off the starter and sure enough when they got to an Advanced Auto to test it, it was dead. So my husband bought another one, drives all the way back to West Point, gets the "new" starter on there only to find that it too doesn't work. He was able to take it back, but they said they'd have to order a new one. So now we're patiently waiting for the new starter to come in. So minus the fact that my body is not well rested, and now that our finances and time aren't either, I'm just ready for some rest, relaxation, and rejuvenation.....is it the weekend here yet? Hope your week (and Wednesday) are better than mine!

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!

Catch Up Time!

Wow! It has been incredibly too long since I last posted! I failed to post much due to the stress and overtake of my life because of my job: school! I got a job teaching World History II, Government, and Sociology at Charles City High School in Charles City, VA. It's located 30 minutes east of Richmond and 30 minutes west of Williamsburg. The school is extremely small; there are roughly 50 students that make up our senior class, altogether there are 298 students in the entire school! Because this is my first year teaching it has been more than stressful with the addition of having planned a wedding, too! However I don't think, well I know I could not have survived the rest of this year without my husband! (Catch up time on marriage is coming up shortly)!

Teaching has taught me so much about myself as a person, and it has truly pushed me out of my comfort zone. I remember thinking last summer that I would love for God to use me, and well He's definitely brought me to an area that needs His light. I am by no means perfect in attempting and facing this challenge, but it has been quite the challenge indeed and hasn't been the most pleasant experience. My students have toughened me up; I am no longer "fearful" of putting students in their place and writing referrals. But I have also learned to think WAY outside of the box so that I can bring new strategies to the table of differentiation. I so much desire to be a teacher that at the end of the year has students discussing how much they learned and enjoyed my class, but only time will tell. And thank the Lord above we only have 40 days left of school! I am overjoyed at the thought of having uninterrupted time to myself this summer without the worrying of creating lesson plans, developing and creating activities, etc.

But before I continue daydreaming of summer, as a little reminder or notification for those who do not know, SOLs are coming up in the next month so needless to say I'm a little anxious. I want all of my students to do well and pass 1) for themselves so they do not have to repeat this course and can earn an advanced diploma and 2) so it'll be a good reflection on me and all the hard work I've done this year! So please pray that on May 18th my students will not be intimidated and will achieve exceedingly good scores or simply put: will pass! What a joy it is to share my concerns! Until we catch up again, be blessed and rely on the Lord!