The first week of school

Well the first week of school is just about behind me and it has been an exhausting one. This new school year brings with it a new set of challenges... and a chance to start over once again. I love being a teacher it's the one job I know of where you get the chance to start over and try new things or reexperience things that you have done before. It's never the same. When you have a classroom full of 4 1/2 to 5 year olds to work with life is never boring. This school year promises to be an interesting one and hopefully one where I will continue to grow as a teacher. I have 1 new and 1 partially new staff members under my direction this year. I love new teachers they have such enthuasiasm that I can't help but get reenergized just by being around them.

This past week I welcomed 14 new children into my classroom. Some were excited to be there, others were scared because they didn't quite know what to expect from this new teacher and the other kids in the classroom. I watched their faces as they came in. It is always interesting to see how they react to being in a new classroom. For many of them walking into my classroom was nothing new they've been doing it off and on for the past several years.... Two of my new students are siblings of children I have had in the past so I have literally watched them grow from being babies to toddlers and now they get to be just like their big brothers and sisters and get to not only come into Miss Teale's class but they get to stay! I love teaching in a small private school... while the pay isn't as good as what I would make at a public school the small feeling of community in the middle of the big city feeds my soul. I love the fact that I am able to build relationships with parents who are actively involved in their children's education. I love being a part of this time in the lives of the children placed in my care. They are so full of life and so wonderfully eager to learn. I hope they never lose that eagerness to learn something new! And I hope I never lose my appreciation for their love of life or forget the importance of the job I have been given to do.

My Saturday

It has been a full day for me.. started out with a 2 mile walk with 2 of my favorite people. It was a glorious day in Texas.. the weather was relatively mild for an August day and by that I mean it was only in the 90's all day :) so I got the healthy stuff out of the way. What is it about walking with loved ones that helps to make the time go by faster? That 2 mile walk doesn't really feel like 2 miles when you are sharing in each others lives and keeping each other motivated! Then my silly boyfriend and I drove around for a while looking for a place to have "brunch" and ended up eating at a mexican food restaurant in Mesquite called Martinez. It was quite delicious. He actually had breakfast and since I'm not really into eggs I had a yummy chicken dish called Monterrey Chicken which is basically grilled chicken under melted cheese. Yummy! Then it was off to see the new batman movie "Dark Knight"! It was really good even though it was rather lengthy. After the movie he dropped me off at my place so he could go get some sleep before heading into work. :( Well since he was taking a nap I figured I'd do the same before heading to the hospital to visit a friend. zzzzzzzzz sleepy time! I love naps! After my nap I got up and headed to the hospital to visit my friend who is 7 months pregnant and on bedrest. She was having a rough time when I got there and God gave me the opportunity to sit with her and listen to her get some of her worries off her chest. We were able to pray together and then just spend some time hanging out. I firmly believe that the Lord places us where He needs us to be. For whatever reason I was put in this young woman's life I hope that I am doing the job He intended me to do.
I pray that my friend and the child she is caring continue to make progress and that the current health issues will be resolved. I pray that the child will be born healthy and whole and that my friend will learn to trust in God always but especially in the hours of her deepest need.
P.S. Now you know why my blog is called "Random Ramblings" :)

teenagers...well my teenager to be exact

Wow this weekend has definitely been a trying one... For those that don't know my situation... at the end of May (has it only been that long?) My sister M (who is 18) came to live with me(I'm um 30 something :))... now I've never had any children and really have had no real desire to have any children since I spend 8 hours a day with a group of 5 year olds. So I really have no child rearing experience...but the Lord in His infinite wisdom has sent M to live with me(in a one bedroom apartment, no less).. so I find myself thrown into the role of mother/sister and I'm really struggling with how to be both to the same person... This past weekend I found myself extremely upset with M... who basically sat around on Saturday playing on the computer while I emptied the dishwasher (which I had asked her to empty on Monday!), cleaned the kitchen and did the laundry.... fortunately my wonderful bf came and picked me up to go to the movies before I said something I know I probably would have regretted... (I'm not known for my diplomacy :o) anyways she left to go to a "party" on Saturday night @ 10 p.m. with the words "don't worry I'm not drinking and I'll be back in time for church services"... (how reassuring!) but at 3 a.m. ... yes I said 3:00 a.m.! I get a text saying that she is staying overnight at a friend's house...and then she doesn't make it to service and doesn't answer any of my texts and finally shows up at around 2 something Sunday afternoon...I didn't say anything just kept on folding the clothes (who knew one extra person could mean doing laundry every weekend instead of every other weekend!) and she was talking to me like she hadn't done anything wrong... she was babbling on (she is very good at babbling) about stuff she had done... no I'm sorry I didn't make it home when I said I would.. no apology for not responding to texts or anything... just acted like everything was ok... BUT she did start to fold the clothes with me and made some comment about helping me because she knew she'd upset me yesterday! LOL all I said was Yep... and just kept on folding clothes...and just kind of let it go...
So yep I have no idea what I'm doing... just taking it one day at a time... any advice on helping her learn to be responsible would be greatly appreciated.. anybody out there have any words of wisdom? Strategies you've tried that have worked?
Wow I just read back over what I wrote and I sound like Martha in the Mary and Martha story in the Bible!... ok this post has gone on for much longer than I thought it would... I would appreciate any help or constructive criticism you all can offer!
P.S. If any of you know me and M please don't say anything to her about this blog...this is my place to vent and to get things off my chest... if I want her to know about this blog I will let her know.. thanks :)

I've slipped

Ok... for those that don't know me and read this I'll give a little bit of background... up until January I had smoked a 1/2 to a pack of cigarettes a day. On January 13th I quit and up until last week I haven't had a single cigarette.. than came a really rough day and the desire for a cigarette was overwhelming... so I had one... and since then I have had one about every other night... and tonight I had 2... I feel so angry with myself and know that I have disappointed a lot of people who supported me during the process I went through to quit previously... so I am asking you all to pray for me and to help me to keep from smoking again full time.

Purpose - what on earth am i here for?

A person's purpose is something most people struggle with their entire lives. What am I here for? Is a question asked by many day in and day out. Many people put on a façade, a mask to hide their inner turmoil. They struggle daily with the one question no one can answer for them and one in which the answer changes daily, hourly and even by the minute. I think the answer to the question of one's purpose in life is a very simple one but one many of us have a hard time understanding or even admitting to… we are here in this time and in this place doing what we are doing for one reason and one reason only …. To give glory to God… if you had asked me about my purpose 10 years ago… 5 years ago… a year ago or even yesterday or tomorrow… maybe even in the next hour my response would be different but for now… in this moment … at this time from where I am sitting I know that my purpose is to live daily for God and to do my best daily to help those He has placed in my life. I know I don't always fulfill the purpose God has given me in that minute but I am always striving to do what He has called me to do.

Independence

Independence

Liberty and Freedom

Justice for All

Land that I love

Family and Friends

God and Country

Loyalty and Devotion

Happiness and Sorrow

Laughter and Tears

Free to Express

Free to live

The life that I chose

Blessed beyond measure

To live in the Land of the Free

Because of the Brave

I Support our Troops!

I am....

I am....

a child of God

an independent woman

a sister

a daughter of my earthly father

a friend

a lover of life and of love and of everything good in this world

a hand to those in need.....

one who worships the Lord

one who suffers for those in pain, who rejoices with those in times of truimphant

one who loves children and animals and will do all in her power to protect them

a teacher

a student

simple yet complex

happy and sad

loved and in love

confused and amazed each day by the awesome works of my Lord God Almighty.....

I am wonderfully and beautifully made... Psalms 139