The School Year Begins...

Okay, so this has been a tremendously busy week! Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday I had district meetings and training. It was tons of information, I required lots of caffeine and sugar to power through but I met tons of super awesome people! Monday was a whole district day, which meant that we had all the teachers for the entire district in training together for the day. I loved this! Being a middle school teacher, it is always fun to learn about what the elementary and high school teachers are doing in their classrooms and with their curriculum. 
Tuesday was meetings and working with just the other teachers in my building. I also spent some time working with the other eighth grade teachers (from now on, I will refer to these people as my team). I have to say, I am working on the best team in the world! They are fantastic people! Wednesday, I worked with my team, met with my sped co-teacher (I teach three sections of Language Arts, one of them is co-taught with a Sped teacher) and finished things up in my room.
Thursday was the big day!!! I was at school by 6:30 a.m. getting things in order. To make the day a little less scary for the new sixth graders, eighth graders did not come to school until 11 a.m. The whole day was a whirlwind! Classes for me (I run on a block schedule, my classes usual run 90 minutes) were 45 minutes long, and I spent that time running my students through my expectations, cell phone/iPod/kindle/iPad policy, materials needed in class, some of the things we will be studying, etc. I liked them all a lot and I think they are a pretty good bunch for the most part. 
Today, was the first day of full classes. I was so worried I wouldn't have enough planned to do, but I actually had too much! Last night, one of my coworkers and I used Google presentation to lesson plan for today from home. I had never used it before and it was really cool to be able to create it together even though we weren't in the same location. Technology is really amazing, don't you think? My classes ran pretty smoothly today and I hope they continue to. I am feeling exhausted tonight, but I am also so happy to have found a home in this school and with the incredible people I get to work with each day. I am so abundantly blessed.

To celebrate my first day of school my Mama, Daddy, sister Emily and brother Joe sent me flowers on Thursday. They are lovely! Sunflowers, roses and daisies are my favorite flowers and I adore the Fall colors!

For the last few months, I have subscribed to Love God Greatly (formerly, Good Morning Girls) for their uplifting, faith affirming blog posts, prayers and Bible studies. I love their Bible studies because they are well organized, user friendly, and FREE! The next Bible Study begins September 1st and is focused on the book of Esther.

Esther was a Jewish orphan who became the wife of a King after he banished his first wife. She (Esther) was hand chosen by the King for her beauty and intelligence Queen Esther hid her Jewish faith. Time passes and one of Esther's relatives refuses to pay homage to the King's high official, Haman. Haman gets angry and plots murder for all the Jews in his anger. Esther learns of the plot and the Lord moves her to do something. Long story short, Esther saves the Jewish people by outwitting the high official, Haman, by going to her husband to petition and plead for the safety of her people from the wicked Haman. Angry with Haman, the King has Haman hanged in the gallows he (the King) constructed to destroy all the Jews. It is Esther's faith and courage that save her people. 

I admire Esther. She has a strength, perseverance and steadfast faith that I aspire to emulate. She is unshakable.   

This Bible study is going to be so cool! I am looking forward to growing in my faith, learning more about my Lord, and deepening my understanding and hunger for His word. If you are interested in doing this study you can sign up for it here! All you have to do is sign up with your email and then you will receive emails with the Bible study for each day in your email. You can print them off and study away!

This week, as I read Scripture this week the story of Peter walking on water and then getting scared and beginning to sink really spoke to me. So often, I fall victim to my own doubts and fears; I forget to keep my eyes on Jesus and trust that He will keep me walking. I have been working diligently on not succumbing to my own self doubt and fear. Even when things become overwhelming I take a deep breath, remember Peter and fix my eyes on Jesus. I can do this, He tells me so! He knows His plan for me and all I must do is trust in Him and work each day for His glory and my betterment. Great things are in the works, and I cannot wait to see where this path is taking me!

“I will lift up my eyes to the mountains; from where shall my help come? My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth. He will not allow my foot to slip; He who keeps my will not slumber.” ~Psalm 121:1-3

I am praying for each and every one of you! I pray that you feel the love of Jesus and that He blesses you richly!

Love in Christ,

Teresa