It has been quite the week! To begin the week on Sunday, I went to Mass with my family. I always love the peace, joy, and centering that comes from being present in the Mass. It is one of my happiest places. Also, this Sunday was extra joyous because our music ministers resumed playing for Mass; each year they take the whole month of July to rest and enjoy Summer. It is always wonderful to have them back as their ministry adds such breathtaking, exuberant, happy touches to Mass. I am very thankful for their talents. On Sunday afternoon, I attended a picnic given by the School Sisters of St. Francis; my time with them is always fun filled and cheerful! I am a lay associate for the SSSF which means that I am third order religious life (that means that I am allowed to get married and have children and that I am in no way financially supported by the order) I love my role in the order and am thankful for each time that I get to spend time with and learn from the Sisters and other associates. I got to spend time with my lovely friend, (she is really like a second Mama), Pam. She is such a blessing and inspiration. Pam taught for many years and so she has been very supportive of me and has given me so much advice and help in getting my classroom ready, she is such a wonder and I am thankful for her each day.
Monday began my "new teacher" training. Talk about overwhelming! So much information, so many things to remember! I got a crash course in Google docs, the different testing procedures, the phonics program I will be teaching, and the mentoring program that I will be taking part in over the next two years (in Iowa, as a new teacher, I must be mentored for two years by a veteran teacher in my building and complete a program called Journey to Excellence to receive my Standard License). When I wasn't in training, I was at home with my family's puppy, Bosco (see the pictures below) or in my classroom getting things ready. It has been a super busy week! I will be going to my classroom tomorrow (yes, I know it will be Saturday) to set up my microwave, mini fridge, and a few more organizational things for the students and myself. I will post pictures of my classroom sometime this weekend, I promise.
I feel the need to introduce the people who will be "appearing" in my posts quite often. The following is my "Cast of Characters". I hope you enjoy!
My parents, Chuck and Melissa, are simply the most marvelous people. They are shining, beautiful examples of Christ's love and compassion. They have taught my siblings and I, by example, the importance of serving others and loving those around us. My Daddy is a Lieutenant on the police department and my Mama is an administrative assistant at an elementary school (she says that title is too fancy, and that she is a school secretary). Daddy and Mama have taught me so much and have been the most supportive, loving, kind parents imaginable. This last year has been a really rough one for me and they have loved and counseled me through it all. Simply put, they are awesome. Here they are (I think they are pretty darn cute!):
Bosco is our nine month old Hungarian Viszla. We call him "Little Red" or "Baby" or "Little Dog". He is bred for pheasant hunting and is already showing talent in flushing and retrieving. We love him to pieces!! Bosco has A LOT of energy and can be very hyperactive. Overall, he is very sweet, loving and happy. He fits right in with our loud, crazy, fun bunch! I will post lots of pictures of him as time goes on. He is also, pretty darn cute!
Emily is my younger (albeit taller) sister. She is amazing. A former college soccer player, she has a love of almost all sports. She is an athletic trainer at a local college and is working on her Master's degree in Sports Psychology. Emily is adventurous, quick witted, a little sarcastic, hilarious, and loving. She has short, sassy hair and she is just gorgeous! "Big Dog" as we call her, seems tough but she is really a softie and we love her humor and wit! Note: We call her "Big Dog" because when Bosco was first in our family she would rough house on the floor with him and he seemed to think she was a dog too. Emily calls Bosco "her baby", so naturally her picture includes him.
Joey is my younger brother. He just graduated high school and has plans to be a History teacher. Joey is a hard working, funny, awesome kid and I love him to pieces! Joey is the best brother ever! Here is a photo of the three of us last Thanksgiving.
Ashley is my best friend. She is the sweetest, kindest, most helpful person ever. Ashley has seen me through some pretty dark moments. As I was coming to terms with a bad situation last winter it was Ashley I turned to; she helped me find my courage and keep my faith. Ashley has done more for me than I can ever express and through it all she has been hopeful, positive, kind, cheerful and loving. She truly is my sister from another mother. I love her dearly. In this photo, she was carrying her precious little boy. He is fast approaching his first birthday!! So crazy!
Aly is my cousin and other best friend. We were in the same grade in school and she grew up right up the street from me. She lives in Idaho now and I miss her so much! She just came home for a visit and these two pictures are from last night (Aly is on the right, with the bun and then on the right being squished in a group hug). She flew back to Idaho this morning and I started counting the days till she comes home for Christmas!
Pam (mentioned earlier in this post), really is like my second Mama. She worked as the librarian in my high school and I became and have stayed really good friends with her. It is because of her that I became an associate for the School Sisters of St. Francis. She is a source of constant love, encouragement and happiness. I love her very much!! The picture below is from a trip in 2008 Pam and I took to Red Cloud, Nebraska to see Willa Cather's home town.
I will close with a verse, that resonated in my heart this week. It comes from 1 Peter, Chapter three, verses three and four: "Your adornment must not be merely external—braiding the hair, and wearing gold jewelry, or putting on dresses; but let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the imperishable quality of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is precious in the sight of God." To me, this is a reminder to me that above all things I need to be gentle; I must speak, act, and think gently. Sometimes this is hard. I am human, there are times when I am tempted to be quick with a harsh word, a critical response or reaction. That is not the way that the Lord desires for me to be. I have worked hard this week to really focus on being gentle in all things. Some people would say that in this verse God is saying that we don't need to pay attention to our outward appearance and that it is that message I should be taking from this verse. In 1 Timothy, Chapter two, verses nine and ten the Lord does address clothing: " Likewise, I want women to adorn themselves with proper clothing, modestly and discreetly, not with braided hair and gold or pearls or costly garments, but rather by means of good works, as is proper for women making a claim to godliness." The Lord wants us to dress appropriately and modestly, but not vainly. This is touched on in the verse from 1 Peter, but it is not the sole focus. The focal point of the verse for me is "...but let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the imperishable quality of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is precious in the sight of God." It is in this portion that I really felt Jesus speaking to my heart and telling me of how He desires me to behave. While it is sometimes hard to do, I really am working to keep my gentle, quiet spirit in the forefront of my mind and heart.
I hope that this post has been an encouragement to you and that the Lord will bless you in all you do! I will post again this weekend with photos of my classroom as it is coming together.
With Jesus' Love,
Teresa
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