Progress is an exciting thing. Today I finalized and submitted my applications to Southern and Philly. Exciting! I have a couple parts still to send, but it is nice to be really on my way and see that in a concrete way. I should be meeting with the candidacy committee as planned this January. . . These are good things.
Aside from this, I am extremely bogged down and overwhelmed with schoolwork. I should have put in a little more time with schoolwork over break perhaps, but I worked for about five or so days on it solid and otherwise decided to be good to myself and spend time with my family and Blake. Posted is a picture of me with my family on Christmas day. Schoolwork is overwhelming and stressful, but I am really enjoying and delighting in my relationships with my students and trying to make the best of and enjoy teaching as this will be the last time, perhaps, for teaching certain things. I continue to have students come to me having decided that they want to be Latin teachers, and that is such a joy.
At this point, I am actually looking forward to the day when I can share with my students my excitement and call toward seminary and rostered ministry in the church. I know that some of my students will keep in touch, at least for a little while, and that I have made some impact on some lives in my years of teaching.
Taking time in between undergraduate studies and seminary was without a doubt the best choice for me. I have grown up in so many ways, been challenged and tested in finding my own church, my own faith community and friends in a place where I did not know anyone, and working toward my call. Life has presented me opportunities and challenges which have given me more maturity than some of my peers at 24 years old. This includes working through a broken engagement and starting a new relationship with someone who better supports and rejoices at my call to ministry. This also includes working with students who view me as a trusted adult and counselor and come to me with struggles like thoughts of suicide and severe medical diagnoses, including cancer. It has been a joy to be a young adult in a congregation and find my place and meet new people - through this I have worked as a Sunday School Teacher, led bible studies when the pastor is absent, and working as the adult advisor for two years organizing the Virginia Synod's middle school youth retreat.
Teaching is such a valuable, challenging ministry, and my three years of teaching has taught me so much. As a teacher in a public school, respecting the regulations and separation of church and state, one of the most important things I have learned is how to live out and share my faith with my students though trying to work as a strong example and developing meaningful personal relationships with my students. I see it as a Spirit-driven work in having become a teacher who my students and peers respect, come to with their problems, and to whom they open up to conversation and thought as to my faith in conversations after school. My faith is an inseparable part of my identity, and the defining characteristic which I hope to bring to the world and I have worked on bringing to my duties and relationships as a teacher.
Amen!
