A Dream Come True

  As this year draws to an end, I can't help but reflect on what God has done in my life. A main highlight would be my college graduation. It was only through His grace and mercy that I was able to complete four years of education. The road was not always easy, but His grace is all sufficient. I am thankful for my time at Appalachian Bible College, but what a blessing to be done!
   Growing up I have always enjoyed being around children. I was that child who always asked to hold babies, and I love entertaining the younger ones in whatever circles I hung out in. Baby sitting was my favorite job in secondary school. I looked forward to the time when I could serve in the church nursery, and I always tried to visit my mom's kindergarten class when I could. I knew for a long time I wanted to work with children when I grew up. Even when I went through my horse crazy stage my dream was to work at a horse camp or give horse back riding lessons. Eventually I felt the call to be a teacher, and my years at college confirmed my passion and calling for this ministry.
   The odd thing about college was how isolated I felt from my calling. I had observations to go to, but that just meant I sat and watched the children. We had a little interaction, but it was in and out. I did have opportunity to serve at my church in various children's ministries for which I am grateful. My 2 years in Cubbies are part of the confirmation in my heart that teaching is what God called me to do. I had a few other opportunities to serve, but with all the back and forth between home and college never really let me get settled in one place. I always felt like something was missing, but I could never put my finger on it.
     Now that I am home, I think I figured out what that was. I was just looking for consistency and chance to put my calling to use. These days I teach pre-kindergarten, help in an elementary after school program,  teach a toddler Sunday School class, serve in the baby nursery and help with children's ministries at church. This has been consistent since graduation and has been over the course of what would have been a semester at college.
     Some days I must admit is can be a little overwhelming. On Wednesdays I go form preschool to after school to church, and kids can be exhausting as parents would know much better than me. However all the variety provides a great blessing in some many ways. I am thankful for all of these opportunities the Lord has blessed me with even when it is difficult. My dream has always been to work with children and now I get to experience it every day.
    Thank you Lord for an amazing year and the chance to serve in the fields I love!

My Hero, Mentor, Inspiration (aka Mom)

 Today my heart breaks for the families in Connecticut who have lost so much. It is another reminder of our human depravity and our desperate need for Christ. My prayer would be that many would come to know Christ as their Savior and the hope and peace which only He can bring through this tragedy. In these dark times may He be glorified.

   Though I do have hope in Christ my Savior, my heart still aches. When I first heard that 18 kindergartners lost their lives in such a horrific way, I couldn't help but think of the 27 little lives I interact with everyday. I actually have more students in my care, but my pre-kindergartners are so close in age. I must admit I feel angry to think of anyone harming children of this age. Harming children in any way is enough to make me angry, but this is so close to home.

      Not only did these children loose their lives, but their teacher did as well. Yes, I do teach pre-kindergarten, but I am only there because of my mother. My mama is a kindergarten teachers, so to think of her being there breaks my heart even more. I have always had a love of children, and I have always wanted to spend  my life working with them.

      However, I must say it was the influence of my mother that led me to be a teacher. After going through college and now teaching in a classroom of my own, I believe this is exactly where the Lord wants me. My mama always included me in classroom preparation  I remember helping her set up her room each year even when I was in elementary school. Many of her bulletin board objects were colored with my help, and I have done much prep work on craft projects. When I was praying about career choices, I wasn't convinced that I wanted to be a teacher. I was afraid I was doing it just because my mom was one and perhaps it was expected of me.

      Now I would not have it any other way. My mom has always said she could not imagine being anything else besides a teacher, and I know just what she means. Now looking back I believe that her love and enthusiasm for the ministry God have her inspired me to take part. She was always encouraging and helpful to me in college, but always encourages my own work and ideas. She has also been a wonderful consultant in my new role as a pre-kindergarten teacher and second grade tutor. I greatly value her input and seek her advice daily.

        The Bible tells us that all things work together for good. I know the Lord placed me in my family for many reasons, and I am so thankful to be blessed with my mother. She has been a great help to my journey of becoming a teacher and starting my own teaching ministry. Many others have been a huge blessing in this venture, but my mama has a special place in my heart.

        In the days to come I will be keeping these families from Connecticut in prayer. I can't begin to imagine the pain they must feel right now. At the same time, I am going to be thanking the Lord for my own 4&5 year olds in my classroom and also for the best kindergarten teacher I have the honor to call Mom.

Baltimore Harbor Trip

Sometimes during my senior year of college (and it may very well be a year ago and this time) I thought I needed a trip to the Baltimore Harbor. It is one of those places that people ask me if I have been to, and though I have, it is not as often as you may think considering the amount of times I travel to the Baltimore area in a year's time. My cousin Kati graduated from college last December, so I thought this would serve as a nice gift to ourselves after 4 (and 4.5 for her) years of hard work. We both graduated in elementary education, so I smiled when Kati suggested we explore the Maryland Science Center while we were there. I began to get excited for this trip, but then life happened, you know....student teaching, the actual graduation, job hunting, buying a car, new jobs, etc. Summer came and went and though we discussed it all summer long, it just never happened.

Maryland Science Center at Baltimore Harbor

   The great thing about this year is I am home, so anything that did not happen this summer is eligible for fall activity. Kati and I finally picked a date, so I took my first road trip to Maryland all by myself and we hit the harbor. We ended up spending most of our day at the Science center. It was so much fun! We also enjoyed lunch at the Cheesecake Factory and walked through Barnes & Noble. It was a bit chilly, but the day was lovely otherwise. Here are some pictures from our experience.

Kati tackled the arc challenge fairly well

Hoisting myself up

Lying on a bed of nails which is not as painful as lying on 1

A great last stop for 2 bookworm teachers such as ourselves

We're freezing cold here, but it was a fun day!

I am so thankful to be blessed with a cousin close in age. I have many dear friends, but Kati is certainly my longest dear friend. We obviously have known each other all of our lives, and we also have quite a bit in common. I'm really glad this trip worked out for us because it was a super fun day. I stood amazed at all of God's wonderful works of Creation on display at this museum. The planetarium there wasn't the greatest, but seeing the galaxies and hearing about them always blows my mind. Hopefully I won't wait so long to visit the Harbor again!

Hindsight

Lately the phrase "Hindsight is 20/20" has been on my mind especially in this season of Thanksgiving. Looking back on this past year has been a blessing. The Lord has guided each step to get me where I am now, and I am so grateful for His guidance.
Many days I still struggle with whether I am making the right decisions. Being home this year has brought much pleasure as I can participate in family activities, get around freely on my own and can work paying jobs. However there are still challenges I face each and every day. Lately I've noticed that whenever I begin to doubt the Lord does something to show me I am right where I belong.
I really do love being a teacher. I never expected to have 40+ students in my first year of teaching, and though some are harder to love than others, I truly to love each and every one and am thankful for them. Each child is teaching me something different, and I know the Lord has them in my classroom for a reason. I can also see the hand of God in my life as past experiences have provided me the patience and wisdom I need to work with some of my children.
I always said I wanted to work with kids when I grow up. The Lord brought me there, and I feel so blessed that my desires were a part of His will for my life. Looking forward to new opportunities on the horizon and watching my kids learn and grow through the rest of this school year.

Experiences

This week I....
1. Baked cookies with PreK class 1 because we are learning about Creation and the letter C
2. Baked cupcakes with PreK class2 for the same reasons stated above
3. Went to the zoo as part of my job requirement because it was a field trip, and well I am the teacher
4. Did a spur of the moment trip to Kitchen Kettle Village with my brother because....well I can
5. Made arrangements for a trip to Baltimore Harbor with my cousin that we were going to take in the summer but never got around to it
.....all because the Lord has blessed me with some wonderful opportunities and jobs after helping me through college. I do miss those days, but I am thankful for His guidance and these new adventures. This week also presented several challenges mostly through my teacher point of view, but these experiences are molding me to become the teacher He wants me to be.
     Mostly though, I just want to be the woman He has for me. Hoping for a better week with a little less craziness and some fun with the cousin at the Harbor. Either way, He is faithful and my heart is happy.

The Birthday Boy...er Guy

This guy turned 20 today. When I turned 20 it really wasn't a big deal. Actually I was told I was a nothing, lol. I was no longer a teenager, but I wasn't the legal legal adult age either. However, with Matt here it's different. None of my siblings are teenagers any longer.

    Sometimes it gets on my nerves when people go on and on about their age. Matthew certainly has not made a big deal about it, and I realize we all have to grow up sometimes. However, I am loving the fact that we are growing up. This past weekend was a great example.

       My parents were blessed to have a chance to get away for the weekend. They had a great time while my brothers and I stayed home. I really wasn't concerned about where my next meal was coming from or whether the laundry would get done. I did think about all the times when we were younger and I would baby sit referee fighting matches between my brothers. There was none of that this week though. Instead Matthew made breakfast for us, I made dinner, Jonathan did the laundry and absolutely no screaming matches took place. I think we are growing up. (About time right ;-))

       Matthew is also in his first year at college, commuting 35 minutes everyday to reach his dream of becoming a mechanical engineer.  Jon & I are also working 2 jobs each in fields that we love. Our new found independence and doing what we love have brought us together. We have 3 distinct personalities, but we seem to work well together. I have always looked forward to the time when your siblings become more of your friends rather than someone to annoy.

       All this mushy gushiness which will probably make both boys puke to say have the happiest of birthdays Matthew Benj. You are loved!

Showers of Blessings

My cup truly runs over with joy these days. Life has thrown some curve balls, but God has been so good to me. I love being a teacher, and I am so thankful for this phase of life. Doubts swarmed my mind near the end of my college career, but now that I teach everyday, I am at peace with the Lord's calling in my life.
  Pre-K may not have been specifically what I studied for, but I love it all the same. So far we have enjoyed a Teddy Bear Picnic, writing our letters in shaving cream and play dough, various crafts, fun songs and poems, sensory table experiences and much more. I am excited about opening up some pumpkins this week and learning about fire safety. Teaching preschool has opened up creativity I never knew I had. My director and fellow teachers have been wonderful as I learn the ropes so to speak. I look forward to learning and experiencing much more over the school year. Lately my kiddos have gotten into the "I love you, Miss Lake." Many of them love to come up and hug me at random times too. Melts my heart every time! So blessed to have such an awesome job! It doesn't even feel like work.
       Though I miss my coworkers at K-Mart, I can't say I am sorry I traded it in for tutoring. This is another experience I am learning a great deal from. I am thankful to have opportunity teaching on an elementary level. I have only been at it for 2 weeks, but I know I will learn much from this experience as well. I also feel blessed to get a taste of both private and public education. I now have a total of 37 students in my care (both schools/ 3 classes combined). A bit overwhelming to think of the influence I have, but a blessing to have such a responsibility from the Lord. My prayer is that I would be a good example to the children, teach them well and all would see the love of Christ through me.
      In other news, I am blessed to be living at home. I also am grateful for my own car. It is crazy to think I can just take off whenever I need too. My car did have it's first tune up this week since I needed it. The bill was a tad large for my liking, but some of the problems were due to a lack of judgment on my part. So thankful that the problems were not worse and most importantly, my car still runs. I am also thankful for a great mechanic. My family has always appreciated his work, and he had encouraging things to say about Freya. ;-) Being at home also allows me so many opportunities I have missed over the college years. I finally returned to the fairs I have been missing. Last weekend was my family's annual trip to Hershey Park in October - a tradition begun my sophomore year of college (possibly freshman, anyway, you get the point.) I had so much fun! Since my schools had off for Columbus Day, I got to go on one of my mom's field trips. I could go on forever about all the blessings happening right now. God is so good, and I think this time of year just has me happy in general. Beautiful weather, changing leaves, chai tea, pumpkin spice - the atmosphere and smell of autumn - what a wonderful time of year! The showers of blessings keep coming and my heart is happy!