June's almost over, and July's just one month!

I am currently listening to "Beautiful Things" by Gungor. :D

Well, the title, said in a hurried and exclamatory manner, describes how I'm feeling right now! May had no blog because May was ridiculously busy; June is almost over; July is just one month; in August I'm going on a trip, & then school starts--YIKES!

But I am LOVING summer. It is beautiful:). I love eating outside, throwing open windows, listening to night-sounds, waking up at 5 AM to light! (Of course, I go right back to sleep.)

Allow me to backtrack, though. If you are reading this blog, you most likely already know, but I'm not 100% positive whom I remembered to email. Drumroll please.......I have a job! (!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!:) I'm stoked! Next year I will be teaching pre-school to 3 & 4 year olds, and though I'm a bit nervous about it, I am confident in God's direction. Honestly, that's what's keeping me excited, because otherwise I would be too overwhelmed by how many new things I am learning and discovering and trying to remember, so thank You, God:).

I got to know my job a little bit by observing, subbing, and then doing year-end inventory (which involved a great deal of getting to know my classroom and supplies:)! Throughout the summer I hope to get at least a month of school tentatively planned (I'm sure there will be plenty to learn and change as I jump on in). Additionally, I am helping my church with VBS, babysitting two of my favorite little monkeys four Fridays in a row, babysitting 3 others of my favorite little monkeys 24/7 for either 7 or 8 or 9 days--something like that, still loving on kids at youth group and in a girls small group, and hoping to make enough money to pay the bills all summer long! One of the big deals of the summer (I don't think it quite tops a full week of babysitting 3 little monkeys, but it's a close second for biggest deal:D) is that I will be going on a missions trip for 16 days in August! Not saying where, but ask for details and I'll mail them to you:). It prob'ly doesn't matter, but I'm not sure if I'm supposed to say.

Anyway, the summer's filling up, and I am trying to maintain a balance. Hopefully it will be achieved! Trying also to surrender my life more to God, but I am finding out that I am even more stubborn than I had realized. Thanks be to God for His indescribable grace, truly.

Don't know when the next update will come; I'm feeling like this was rather dry, but informative. Something of interest? ... I finally finished reading Francis Chan's Crazy Love; it rocks; you should read it!:D Also read Impossible by Nancy Werlin. I loved it, overall, but I was warned that it was weird. It has 2 or 3 things I really disliked, but there were a lot more that I really liked, so it's a toss-up on whether I can recommend. But I can't really explain the dislikes without completely giving away a lot of the story. If you like well-written fairy tales, it is one, and a modern one, besides. Well-written modern fairy tales are rare, in my book. So take a chance. But if you don't like fairy tales or fantasy, just skip it.

Read/reading tons more; maybe I'll review some things next time:D. Adios, y vaya con Dios.

Hello!

Hey there, World :). What's up? This week seems like it has had at least an extra week squashed into it. My mom left last Friday so that she could fly out Saturday morning (early) to California to visit her grandma. Since then, I have mowed the lawn twice, made dinner three times (Dad helped on most of them, and they were rather simplistic), watered A LOT of plants, done some laundry, turned a composter almost daily (Dad did it once), done way too much homework (Thank God it's done! Yay!), and played a few games with my dad. It was a nice weekend-through Tuesday experience, but I'm so glad my mom's home! I still missed her. But I enjoyed being able to play the piano without using the damper pedal and being able to leave all my school work sprawled across the living and dining rooms without worrying about anyone caring AND not making my bed or cleaning my room (I just kept making more piles) for several days. That's how I roll under stress, so it was a good weekend for her to be gone.

And NOW, all the school stuff's turned in--HURRAY! I'm still a little paranoid. What if I did something wrong, somehow? What if they don't like the stuff on the CD I turned in? What if somehow I still fail? It's all prob'ly pretty silly, but I can't help it. But for now, I won't think about it. Come what may; soli Deo gloria.

This week feels extra long for another reason, besides my mom being gone. There have been all kinds of new experiences I've been jumping into! On Monday afternoon, I got to go supervise a 4th grade class, which was good practice. All week I've been making observations, and I have seen kindergartners (quite incidentally) in both music and P.E. I'm purposefully making it to all the classes in general, and I've seen the three K classes in their own rooms, but P.E. and music were added bonuses. They have helped me realize that I really am happiest working with kindies, and I am subliminally rejoicing at the kindergarten opening my school has next year. Well, theoretical opening--it depends on registration, which is really low at this point. Would they take me, even if they have the opening? Who knows, but I KNOW I want to apply for it if it opens in June, and that's a good thing to know. My love of kindergartners puts something a little more solid in the mass of "what-ifs" about my life. Thank you, Jesus!:)

Back to the supervising-rather-than-observing train of thought: I got to supervise 3rd graders starting their day yesterday and 2nd graders ending their day today and those same 4th graders eating lunch today. Really cool! It has given me more confidence, whereas before I was feeling like, "Oh, boy! I'm fine with 2nd, but how can I possibly sub anywhere else." Another praise:) Life is good, God is good. Plenty still up in the air, don't get me wrong, but unexpected blessings have been so wonderful to experience this week.

Also important: I began reading Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Thief on Monday (my post-stressful weekend veg-out session:), and it is fantastic! At the beginning I was kind of like, "Unhhhh--" because I was expecting Percy to be older than 12 and the style of writing to be a little different, but once I got started, I made it to pg. 93 before I stopped, and then I kept going. (Sorry, Dad, for the late dinner.......)

That's all for now; best wishes for a Thursday of Wonders:)
XOXO!