The Magic of Ordinary Daze

I don't know about you, but for me life has a way of whizzing by at lightning speed! I cannot believe it is already mid-October. With all there is to do each day and each week, it is hard to slow down and actually enjoy all that I do. A typical day for me begins early - usually between 4 and 5 am. I get up, curl up with my Bible and coffee for a few minutes to start the day off right and then quickly transform myself into a stylish masterpiece...er...or at least something that doesn't hurt someone's eyes to look at (hopefully!)! :) Then, depending how early I got up, I practice piano for an hour or two (after I shut everyone's doors!). The more I can squeeze in in the morning, the better because it is hard to get all of my practicing work done in the evening when I get home. At seven, I grab a quick breakfast and then run (literally!) out the door to leave for work. I work from 7:30- 3:00. My job includes teaching computer, Spanish, and library to the elementary students, cataloguing and organizing books, helping with computer and other media issues, and other random tasks such as planning the book fair. At 3:00, I either rush home (Tuesdays and Fridays), have a faculty mtg (Mondays), or teach a piano student at school (Wednesdays and Fridays). On Tuesdays when I get home, I teach two piano students.  Whenever I do get home and am finished teaching, after changing clothes and grabbing a snack, I buckle down to some serious practicing. I take a break to go running with my siblings and to eat supper. Sometimes, if we can persuade Mom, she lets us eat in the family room and watch a show like Get Smart or Hogans Heroes. We love the old shows! After dinner, I go back to practicing. I try to get in between four to six hours of practice a day (hopefully closer to six). I also try to squeeze in studying some music history, music theory, and ear training because I am thinking and praying about going back to school to get my Masters degree in Music, in which case I will have to take entrance exams in those subjects. I am trying to figure out how to squeeze in Zumba, but that hasn't worked out very well yet because I am usually exhausted by this point in the day! This is what my week days look like. On Saturdays, I leave at 6 am and drive 3 hours to Macon for my piano lesson which usually ends up being around an hour and a half. Then, I drive back and spend the rest of the day trying to get everything that didn't get done during the week completed, in addition to those special weekend activities like cleaning house and doing laundry! :) I try to spend some time with my family as well. Sundays are busy with church, finishing up weekend projects, and occaisonally, an afternoon nap, trip to the beach, or family activity. Whew! Just like that, my week is gone and a new one has begun. I am beginning to see why 90 year old people always say their lives went by just like that. My goal is just to find a way in the midst of all the stress, craziness and pressure to enjoy what I get to do, to cherish each memory-in-the-making, to really "see" the beauty all around me, to appreciate the little things like coffee in my favorite mug, to love with all of my heart, to infuse each moment with all of my energy, passion, and joy, to take time to notice all the little gifts and surprises God sprinkles in my day, and to glimpse  the magic behind the mundane.

Higher than Mine, Part 2

So, when I went in to the school on that Friday afternoon, they explained that one of their enrichment teachers had unexpectedly had to quit. They spoke with me about what was involved in the job, and amazingly, all of  the things that she had done were areas I had experience in through either my actual "job" or through times when I had just volunteered at the school to help out with tasks that there was no one else to complete. The school offered me the job and told me to come Monday to sign the contract. Praise God! I could not believe it - He had truly answered my prayers! I mean, I knew that He could - I just was not sure that He would answer them the way I wanted them to. I thought He might want me to go through something that would be good FOR me but I might not really like. I mean, I am sure that I would build a BUNCH of character working at McDonalds. Sometimes, God does answer our prayers in ways we do not particularly like. However, this time, He saw fit to provide me with a good job and answer my prayers in a way that was quite satisfying to me.

Of course, it has been hard leaving my friends, school, church, and life in Albany. However, I have enjoyed starting this next phase of my life. God has taught me so much through this entire experience and built my faith in ways I would never have expected. In addition to this job, I also have four piano students, and God has opened other doors with music that I would not have had if I had stayed. I cannot believe all that God has done and I look forward to what the rest of this adventure will hold. A few months ago, if you had told me all that was going to happen, I wouldn't have believed you. God didn't do anything the way I expected Him to. But, I guess that shouldn't have surprised me. After all, He does say "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are my ways  your ways. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts." His plan for me? Better, higher, more wonderful than mine could ever be.

story.of.my.life.

So. um. yes. I found this on a friend's facebook and it pretty much sums up the way I view life. So............yes. I'd better sign off now ---------------------to go practice.

The Sea

I stand at the edge of the shore
Endless blue reaches to touch the sky
Crashing waves sweep
The gentle foam tickles my toes
I giggle.
Seagulls swoop
A warm breeze kisses my cheek.
I close my eyes.
I breathe.
My troubles melt away.
here.
i.
am.
at.
peace.

Awakening

Deep, dark sky warms to soft blue

Gradually, gently paling, and then,

The sun splashes on the horizon

Vibrant colors dancing

to the music of the morning

Higher than Mine, Part 1

It all started in May. Things had finally been going smoothly, when something happened that shook up my comfortable little world and pierced my sensitive soul. While I cannot share the details here, suffice it to say that tears and questions flowed as I sought to process what had happened. I discussed the situation with my parents and as they grieved with me they offered this advice, "Maybe it's time to move on. Maybe God is trying to tell you something. Maybe you should look into relocating." While this may seem a bit drastic of a response (leaving town?!), the truth was moving wouldn't be an out-of-the-blue decision. I never wanted to stay in Albany - actually scratch that - I never wanted to even move there in the first place! I only moved there after college because my family was there. And now that my family had moved, there wasn't much to keep me there. I didn't like the atmosphere, location, or mercantile opportunities, and certainly it wasn't the most artistically stimulating environment either. However, until that point, I hadn't sensed God saying it was time to move on. Now, though, I wasn't sure.

I began praying about relocating and submitting resumes to schools in various places - Brunswick, GA (family and beach), Greenville, SC (sister, grandparents, friends and just generally wonderful place), and Macon, GA (piano teacher and close to Atlanta). I had not yet signed a contract for the next school year, and as the summer stretched before me, I prayed and waited for the Lord's direction. I was fine with either leaving or staying - there were pros and cons to each - I just wanted to know what HE would have me do. Now, I just have to say, waiting isn't exactly my strong point. I like to know exactly what I need to do and what I am going to need to do and make a plan accordingly. However, even though I explained to God that I wasn't very good at waiting, He decided to have me wait anyway.

Well, I waited and waited (and waited and WAITED) as the summer sped by. At the end of the summer, I still hadn't heard anything from any of the places to which I'd applied, so I assumed it must be God's will for me to continue living in Albany. Around the beginning of July, something happened that changed all of that. Now, I have not mentioned this yet, but one large factor in considering moving was my finances. A teacher's salary isn't very large to start with, then add to that the fact I was a teacher at a Christian school and that we had already taken a large pay cut the previous year - basically, I was hardly making anything. Well, that's fine if you can make ends meet, but all of my insurances (car, health, etc.) were going up, student loans were coming due, and quite honestly, the only way I had even making it thus far was because of large tax refunds each year which I had saved and used to live off of. However, I knew the Lord was able to provide, so I assumed if I stayed in Albany, He would stretch my resources, give me a raise, drop money from the sky, or provide in some other way. Anyway, one day I looked at my bank account and realized I was broke! It had happened suddenly due to some unexpected expenses and also a business mistakenly taking some money from my account. Well, when this happened, shock though it was, I felt that it was the Lord showing me that I was going to HAVE to make a change. I realized I was not going to be able to make it even another month living on my own as it was, and since I did not see a raise forthcoming, I made plans to move in with my family.
Now, this was very difficult for me. I felt like I had failed in some way, even though I knew I had been as careful and thrifty as possible. I didn't want to resign my job to say that I was going to move in with my family with no job prospects in sight. It did not fit my human reasoning at all. However, I felt clearly that this was what I was supposed to do, so I went on. I have to say, this was just not at all how I thought God would show me his will - by emptying my bank account. I thought a wonderful new job would open up and it would just be clear that I should move from one job to the other. It sounded so nice and easy and comfortable. But God's thoughts are not our thoughts, and He did things HIS way (Surprise!).
I resigned my job, moved in with my family, and kept beseeching God for a job that would match with my education, experience, and skills. My faith seemed to grow by the day as I fought a moment by moment battle to not worry, to trust, to let go. I thought surely God would provide. But a whole month went by, and still I had nothing. Bills were coming due; I tried not to panic. "Trust, just trust," I reminded myself. Still, nothing came and it was getting to the point where I felt I should go out and look for anything at all - the mall, Longhorn's, Chick-fil-A, the government - just to pay *some* of the bills. I asked God to provide a job for me by the end of the first week of August - if I had not heard anything by then, then on Monday morning I would start looking for just "anything."

It was Friday afternoon, and I was resting on my bed, taking a small break from practicing, when the telephone rang. It was the principal from one of the Christian schools in the area, one of the schools I had applied at and had a mini-interview at. They had been interested but had not had any openings at the time. "When can you be here?" she asked. "Give me an hour," I said, and then flew through the house screaming, "Mom, Mom! That school just called and wants me to come in as soon as I can!" While my mom began praying, I danced through the shower and headed to the school just as fast as I could.


To be continued... (Dun-duh duh-duh)

Keep On

"Do not be weary in well doing: For in due season we shall reap, if we faint not." Galatians 6:9

~ With a heart for any fate, learn to labor and to wait. ~