What a week it has been! Last ten days of school, birthday blessings, Patriotic Program, prepping for a house closing, to name a few things that have been events of the past week! I am so tired, but I am rejoicing in so many things that God is doing.
God is faithful- so faithful! While the world around us squabbles, erupts in chaos and confusion, and blatantly disregards God and His Word, there is lasting peace in Jesus.
Just last night, (Friday) our school performed a Patriotic Concert. The Patriotic Program is one of my very favorite school events, so I was thankful and blessed to be involved in some small ways. We had our first all school practice on Monday afternoon, and wow -we had a lot to do bring everything together by Friday evening. But by the grace of God, patience, persistence and hard work, I do believe that God was glorified last night. I found myself in tears several times as the students sang “God bless the USA”, “Father, I adore You”, “How many Kings?” And so many other songs and quotes. It’s hard to believe that this was the last Patriotic Program that I’ll be involved in. When I approached the school board with the idea of a Patriotic Program four years ago, they were immediately supportive and enthusiastically backed the idea. We missed a year due to Covid, but each time we’ve had a Patriotic Program it’s close to standing room only in the church building. All Glory To God! It’s been a fantastic opportunity to reach into our community, teach our students, and glorify our Heavenly Father. I’ll miss it!
In a day and age where patriotism seems to be frowned upon, we MUST be diligent to raise up a generation of citizens that recognize that patriotism and Christian beliefs go hand in hand. Our Founding Fathers recognized their need for dependence upon Almighty God and upon the principles of the Bible, wrote the Constitution. I know this is my opinion that no one asked for, but I believe that every family, church, and Christian school has a responsibility to educate children in both the Bible and the history of our country. It’s easy to say that “we teach history” but are we equipping and preparing the next generation to become involved in city, state, and national politics? I know that I feel like I was not adequately equipped to understand local and state politics and I want to do better with our own children. It is not enough to just tell them to “go and vote”, we must be diligent to prepare them to be in the battles that war against our freedoms! We cannot falter or be lazy in raising our children! Voting is SO important, so is preparing the next generation! Okay, stepping down off my soap box now, but you get the idea!
Also, this past week I celebrated another birthday! It does seem like the years are picking up speed! I hardly have time to remember how old I am and another birthday is upon me! It was a full day as we celebrated my birthday in my classroom with a pizza party! My students made me lots of homemade cards, and I received several gifts from my friends. I had lunch with Allison on Monday, but it was a short lunch! I had to run off to program practice, but thankfully she understands my craziness! My friend, Hannah, made me a cheesecake for my birthday that was greatly enjoyed by all my children and myself. Roger and I decided that we would celebrate my birthday as a family when we are all back together again, as I don’t need one more thing to pack! It was a good day, and I’m thankful for another year of life.
These last few days/weeks of school are LOOOOONG! We are all looking forward to being done, and we are approaching the finish line. I say that the days are long, but they are both long and short at the same time. I find myself with many things that I’d still like to teach them, but I find that my methods of teaching become more and more unconventional. We had a students birthday on Friday, and his parents brought an excavator to school. Super fun for the students and some hands-on learning! A few more days of assessments, field trips, fun projects and field day, and another year will be done. I’ve found myself in tears more than once this past week as I’m going to miss my class of 16 kindergartners. I’ve been so blessed to teach them this year, and while at times I’ve felt like throwing in the towel, God has been so faithful.
We are preparing to close on our North Carolina property on Monday! Wow! Again, God has done “exceeding abundantly above all we could ask or think”! We are rejoicing in His provision and goodness, and we are SO excited about being back together as a family agin. I’ve started packing up the apartment, and I’m just flabbergasted by all the stuff we’ve accumulated in almost 9 months! Whew! It’s a big job and one that I can’t focus on much until school is over. The kids have mixed emotions about the school year ending. A few of them enjoyed almost the entire school year, a few had rough classrooms and the year was long. Through it all- God has been faithful!
I know part of it is just plain fatigue, but as we get closer to moving, I have my own mixed emotions. According to Chandler, “Why are you crying about everything these days?” Haha! I’m always emotional at the end of the school year, but this year is a little different as we prepare to say good by permanently. The kids have been in the local Christian school for six years, and I’ve taught in some way for the past five years. The school is dear to my heart, and I really do love teaching. I don’t know what the future holds or what the next school year will bring for our family, but I am very thankful for this local Christian school. I’m thankful for the opportunity to invest in the lives of children. This past week, I asked my kindergarteners if they had any questions that they would like to ask the pastor next week. They were so excited about the opportunity to ask questions and I could hardly keep up with writing them down! I was amazed at the depth of some of their questions! Here are a few: “How do we do great things?” “How does my soul live forever?” “Why do good people go to hell?” “Do babies go to Heaven?” “Are the streets really gold in Heaven and do we get to drive a gold car?” “What age will I be in Heaven?” I’m excited for my kindergartners to have an informal time of discussion with our pastor, and please be in prayer for both him and my students. So many of my students have asked deep questions about salvation and heaven, and I know that they really do want to know about Jesus. I am so privileged to have the blessing of teaching them, and I certainly do not take that lightly.
In closing, we appreciate your continued prayers as we finish the school year, pack up and prepare to transition. Chandler will be graduating from 8th grade, and while he’s excited about being done for the school year, formal events are not his thing! According to Chandler, dress clothes feel like fiberglass and they give him a rash! Ahh Chandler! It’s hard without Roger being here for these last few school moments, but we know that God has a perfect plan in His perfect timing. Just a few more weeks, and we will all be together again! Thank you for your love and prayers!
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