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Thursday, May 17, 2007
 I'm done. 100% completely done with Calvin College. Today I handed in my last paper to my professor and sighed a big sigh of relief. I know it has not fully hit me yet. I have a Teacher Commissioning Ceremony tomorrow (of which I've been asked to lead worship - a true honor) and then I graduate on Saturday...and then...the real world - crazy!
The first time "the end" really began to sink in was this past Sunday evening - my last LOFT of 3 years. That afternoon, our team had an early afternoon practice then hung out by Johnny's (the campus food/coffee/hang out place). We ate pizza, drank pop, listened to Paul say his thanks to our team for a year done well and to say good-bye to all the seniors :(, and then we played frisbee until practice #2. Our worship team - made up mostly of seniors that evening - had an amazing rehearsal. We could not explain it, but knew without a doubt that the Holy Spirit had a little (LOT) something to do with it. We were not just practicing - we were truly worshiping and giving God our all before the actual service even began. We even had to refrain ourselves at the end so we would still have voices and "chops" for the service.
So, as usual, we made our way to the chapel basement to have our final time of pre-service  prayer as a team along with Chaplain Cooper - who would be preaching for the last time as our Chaplain - and elders from a local church who were helping us serve communion that evening. Again, we felt the Spirit move mightily in that time of prayer. We gave God that year and we gave God that service and ourselves to be used for his glory. We offered up to him our humble offerings of praise and surrendered the next year(s) of LOFT to him as well.
8:00 rolled around...we made our way up onto the platform, waited for the drum click-off...and then all started "The Lord Be With You" - the classic song of gathering for the LOFT community...
I will miss this place. I will miss this place that has given me the room to grow, that has challenged me to think about and articulate my faith in ways I had never been forced to do before, that has provided me with the knowledge to go out into the world and be a living example for Christ. I will miss this place that has helped me find myself in a crazy and changing world, that has provided me with life-long friends that will forever be ingrained on my heart, that has shown me what true Christian community is, this place that has helped me better understand the depth of worship and has molded me into the worship leader I was striving to be.
This phenomenal establishment...this amazing community...this irreplaceable experience will forever be a part of me and will continue shaping me and molding me into a young woman of God through the power and operation of the Holy Spirit.
...at the end of the LOFT service Sunday evening, I was very emotional. It was all starting to hit me: all the amazing people I have been honored to meet and have had the privilege of working with and worshiping God with...all the rich ways that God has blessed me by being at Calvin College. God is SO good.
If I have been this blessed in these past four years, I can't wait (Lord willing) to see what he has in store for me in the next four years!!!
 
Tuesday, May 08, 2007
This is my last week of student teaching. On Friday, I will come to KCHS for the last time as a teacher and will begin preparations for graduation a week from Saturday.
I cannot believe that it is already done...
I remember this past fall when I was freaking out about student teaching. A few of my thoughts were: "I can't do this! I'm never going to be good enough...I don't know Spanish well enough...it's been a while since I've been in high school - am I going to remember what it is like? Will the students be able to relate to me? Will they respect me? Will they care whether I'm there or not?" And now the 4 months of student teaching is done and I am already starting to miss my students here. Now I am able to say, "I did it! I can do this again...."
Today I was sitting in the back of the room watching my students do some oral presentations with a partner and I was just so proud to be a part of it - to be a part of the life of a teacher - to be a part of the lives of these students - to see the ways in which they have grown throughout the semester and to know that I had a little hand in it.
Last night I was sitting around a dinner table with my professor and about 12 other world language student teachers discussing the biggest things that we felt we learned through this semester. It was just phenomenal listening to these other young women and talking with them and, all throughout the semester, experiencing the life of a teacher with them...struggling with them, praying with/for them, rejoicing for/with them...we really were a support group for each other. Each and every one of them has been such a blessing, encouragement and an inspiration to me this semester (I wish I could take them with me to Washington this fall!).
I could go on and on about the things I have learned and the things that have impacted me greatly, but there is not room for that. If you know me personally, ask me about it sometime - I'd love to talk with you!
In short:
- the life of a teacher is challenging but awesome
- students are blessings and amazing gifts of God...and just absolutely crazy!
- it's been a difficult, fun and busy semester!
- I'm ready to move on to the next chapter of my life...but I will never forget my experiences over the last 4 months or the students and staff of KCHS who have encouraged me and have helped me verify that a teacher is what I want to be! :)
Monday, May 07, 2007
If you are one who still checks my blog from time to time (despite my lack of consistency lately), then perhaps you have come across my sister's blog as well. If so, you would know that she hasn't been feeling well lately (for over a month) - she's been having some crazy/awful symptoms...and the doctors don't seem to know what is causing it, so she is going to Mayo Clinic this week.
Please pray that the doctors there will be able to give her some answers and be able to tell her certain things she can do (or medicine she can take) that can help fight whatever this is.
Pray for safety as she and Mike fly to Mayo...for the girls as Grandma takes off of work to watch them while their mom and dad are gone...for peace of mind for Sonny especially, as well as for Mike...and, Lord willing, that Sonny will regain her strength and be able to return to her "normal" daily tasks.
Tuesday, May 01, 2007
...when you are as busy as all get-out!
I am just about done with student teaching - next Friday is my last day...I can't believe it! Part of me doesn't want to leave because I've grown attached to my students and will miss them like crazy; but at the same time, part of me is ready to embark on a new stage of my life: a new marriage (less than 2 months!!!), a trip to Guatemala, a new job (for those of you who don't know, I got a job teaching Spanish at a Christian high school in Washington state) and a new place to live...therefore, I will be making new friends and learning how to live in a city other than my hometown (that I have lived in for my entire life).
So...many changes are just around the corner. Might as well do them all at the same time, right? (That's what I'm hoping for, anyway :). For now, I just gotta keep on keeping on - taking one day at a time and trusting that God will lead me in the way he wants me to go!
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