God is Good!

God has placed so many sweet and loving people in my life! I am so thankful for the great friends, family and boyfriend that I have! Every time I feel like I am alone, God places one more sweet and caring person in my life! I think without caring friends, life would be kind of sad! Let's just say, there have been some rough times for me lately and some great things that have happened to me as well, and through and through, all of my loved ones, friends and Mark, are always there for me!!

Schools almost done..

The summer is winding down, and I am nervous, excited and anxious all at the same time. I am glad that my last semester of school is almost over, but now comes other things! Hopefully a job! I am so ready to get into my classroom to set it up, but I have to wait to be board approved! So, with that said, you can probably see why I am anxious! I will not know anything until probably the end of the month, but I think everything will work out! I pray that throughout these next few weeks, that everything goes smoothly and that I put all my trust in the Lord! I need prayers more than ever right now, so any would help! Hope all of you are having a great end of the summer! Be safe!

Needed Prayer..

So, I don't know if anyone of you have heard about the bombings in Uganda, but it is very sad. There were two different bombings in Uganda at two different places. Saturday, when I was in Birmingham my sister got a text message from one of her friends that her other friend that was in Uganda on a mission trip, was in one of the buildings that got bombed. All that my sister knows right now is that they are safe and their group got out without a scratch. But unfortunately there were around 60 people total that were killed. They witnessed a lot of deaths that day and I am sure it is tough. My sister is suppose to go to the beach with her friend that was there next week, so maybe I will have more to update you with. Their church is flying them home this week, so we need to just pray that they can make it through all the tough things they have just seen, and still not be too scared to continue to do things such as these mission trips that are much needed. You can google the bombing in Uganda and find much information and pictures on the bombing.
I am also concerned about a young girl and her children that live there in Uganda, that I follow one of her blogs. She is a great young woman that has been blogging about her journey as she has adopted 18 girls and now lives there ministering to the town. I hope that she is safe as well as all of her children. If you would like to read more about her amazing story her blog is kissesfromkatie.blogspot.com. I really encourage y'all to follow her, shes amazing.

Grandmother..

Yesterday, I had a great day with my sister, Mark and my niece. We went to Alabama Adventure water park and it was so much fun! Afterwards, we went to pick up my 94 year old Grandmother. She is the sweetest thing ever! She lives at her house by herself with her little dog. My Grandmother is the funniest person I have ever met. I do not consider her senile, but she does forget stuff. My sister made us all dinner last night, and my Grandmother kept saying how she could not believe how much work was put into the dinner! She is very repetitive but hilarious. Mark, my boyfriend, thought it was so funny how she says "yeeeah" to everything, so all night he was asking her questions, in hope that she would say just that. She loves Mark, and they are buddies because they both love the Braves. They can sit on the couch forever together as long as the Braves are on. I just love my grandmothers kind spirit and sweet heart! I don't know what I would do without her!

(BTW the pictures are done by my step sister, if you would like to check out her site it is jenniferoetting.com)

Birmingham Weekend with the Family..

Mark and I decided to head to Birmingham for the weekend to visit my family! So far it has been a full day! This we all woke up and headed to support my sisters, Mark and my sisters boyfriend in a 5K race. It was my two sisters first race ever and they did great! The race layout was miserable, it was nothing but hills and it was very hot! I was so glad that I chose not to run this race and just support and take pictures! I will post some for you all later. After the race we headed down to the Farmers Market at Pepper Place in Birmingham. It was so much fun! Mark and I got two pieces of art that I am really excited about! We enjoyed hanging out, though it was pretty hot. Then we ended our afternoon at my favorite place, Roho in Birmingham. We then went home, and all took a great nap! Now my mother is cooking a yummy dinner, Country fried steaks and mashed potatoes, and some other fixings! :)

Job Hunt..

So far, it has been a rough week! I have been getting pretty anxious about not being able to know as of yet if I will have a job in roughly a month! I went on my second interview with one school yesterday, and things are looking good, but the principals just can't tell me too much because they do not know if they are still going to be placed with mandatory transfers. There is still light at the end of the tunnel! Next week the board is meeting and hopefully I will know something then! Please continue to keep me in your prayers! Good luck to all of you that are out searching as well! It is not easy!! But God's plan is bigger than I can ever imagine! :)

Happy 4th..

Happy 4th of July! I am so thankful that yesterday, I was able to celebrate such a special day! I went over to my friends house yesterday and had a blast. As we were sitting there in the front yard, with a huge slip and slide, we realized how crazy we looked, but we had a blast anyway! We cooked out and played on the slip and slide! The boys all over the age of 25 had the most fun, I think. After they got done playing, the children actually got a chance to play on the slide as well. We hung out ate burgers, shot fireworks, and then after all the kids were asleep, the adults played hide and seek in our friends house! It was the most fun! We play it in the dark inside the house, and it will make you laugh for days! We had such a great time hanging out with each other, here are some fun pictures! By the way, I think everyone should try to play hide and seek in the dark, even though we are a little older, it is still so much fun!!

Blueridge, GA

I had the most relaxing time during my trip to Georgia. I was able to hangout with my family and boyfriend and take in the beautiful nature that surrounded us. As we strolled through the mountains, hiking, we had some great conversations! I just love my time with my sisters and niece, and of course my boyfriend. My sisters and I really got to catch up on our lives and what new is going on. My niece also was there and she is the sweetest thing ever. She is just so curious, all the questions she was asking were so sweet. It was fun to see her amazed of all the deer and the water. My niece is seven and is just an angel. I think her favorite time was when she got to sit around the fire with all of us and roast yummy smores! It was a great weekend in all! Here are some pictures to share! :)

Job...

So today I am very excited because I received an email this morning for a follow-up interview for next week! I am so thankful for the opportunities that God is placing in my life. Right now, things are really looking up for me! Also, I hear that the board is meeting tonight to approve all transfers, so hopefully principals will be able to request for teachers if they have openings! I am super excited and hope to hear something soon! Please continue to pray for me!

Midway through Summer..

I feel like summer is almost already over, but there is still so much to do! I have three more weeks at my job as a graduate assistant, then head for the beach for graduation for a week, then its over! I am sad that it is flying by but kinda excited as well. I hope that by the time I am at the beach, I will have a job and be preparing for my classroom! I can only pray! As far as the job searching is going, I have had some opportunities, but it is really just a waiting game! I hope to be working at this great school, but again, the principal cannot guarantee anything at this point because all of the transfers have not been placed. I just pray each day that God will place me where I need to be! Until then, I will be enjoying the rest of my summer!

The Mountains..

We have had a great time so far here at the Mountains! Yesterday we went on a hike to the river and played there for a while! Then when we got back we took the mule out, the mountains are beautiful and the weather is perfect! Today we went down the river tubing for a couple of hours! It was a great time as well! This afternoon we sat out on the backporch and watched all the deer feed on our corn! I was amazing to see how they were not even scared of us! There is a creek that runs in our backyard that is just so peaceful! I love it! Now we are about to eat some curry chicken for dinner! I will post some pictures as soon as we get back! I hope everyone else has a great weekend!

Weekend Gettaway...

It is only Wednesday and I am already looking forward to the weekend. My weekend starts tomorrow! :) I am heading to Blueridge, GA tomorrow with my family! My sisters and I bought my stepfather a trip to the mountains for fathers day! It was a great gift all around because we all get to go! I have never been to Blueridge, but am looking forward to relaxing in the mountains! We are staying at a house that is right near the river! My sisters and I are planning on going tubing one day down the river! I think that is going to be so much fun! I will be posting some pictures as soon as I get back! It is a much needed break and perfect timing! Hope all of you have a great weekend as well! :)

Father's Day..

Of course we all know that yesterday was father's day, and I was thinking about the importance of my father, I came to some great understandings. I know that there are many people out there that can't say they they have ever known their father or that their father is not in their lives. I think that this circumstance could be for me too, but I don't look at it that way. My "real" father has never really been in my life. He calls sometimes, but usually I have to call him. Yesterday I struggled becuase I did not want to call my "real" father because I did not feel like he was really a father to me at all! The man that I consider my father is a man that has been in my life since I was seven. This man has been there for me no matter what struggles we have encountered and never forsaken me or my family! This man is my stepfather, but in my eyes is my father! A lot of people think I am silly because I still call my stepfather Mr. Jeff, but that is only because I am use to calling him that. He knows that if we could break that habit we would call him Dad. Mr. Jeff has been the most loving a caring father that I could have ever asked for. He is always the one that I can call to get advice when I feel like I cant get my head right! He loves me and my family with no end! The sweetest thing that I have come to love about Mr. Jeff is that he is the best grandfather! I don't have any children but I have one niece and to see his love for her is so sweet! I can't wait for the day that I will be able to have children and let them play with their Grandpoo as well.

So though yesterday I struggled with not wanting to call my "real" dad, I came to quickly realize that I did not have to and that my father (Mr. Jeff) was the first one that I called to share my love and thankfulness with. I love you Mr. Jeff!

God's word is for everyone..

This week Vacation Bible school was a great success! It was a very exciting and tiring week, but it was well worth it! I am very tired at this point because I had to work all week and did not make it home each night until ten! My children in my group had a great time and learned so much about God's word. Throughout the week the children learned that God's word is true, surprising, comforting and that God's word is for everyone. I had some really great conversation with my children about God's word and how it impacted their lives. Throughout the week we talked abut all the places that we saw God in our lives, it was so sweet to hear the children talk about where they saw God in their lives. The Biggest God sighting that I had throughout the week was seeing God's love in all their faces! Here are some pictures of my sweet group!

God's Word is True....

So last night was the first night of vacation bible school. We began last week knowing that we would have around 60 children. We prayed throughout the week to at least reach 100 by the time the first night actually came. Guess what happened, we had exactly 100 children for the first night! What a blessing that is! I have five girls and one boy! It is so fun! I have three girls that are from Trinity Gardens and the rest are children of members of our church. Last night we learned about Peter while he was in jail and how an angel came to wake him in the night.. and well you know the rest! :) Throughout the night, we went on to learning about how God's word is true! We also were able to see God sighting throughout the night! This was a very fun part for the children because they got to express the many times that they saw God throughout their day! I am looking forward to many more nights with these sweet children. If you would like to pray for us, you can pray that God would mold the hearts of these sweet children as well as grant me the patience and love that I need to model for these children.

Oh and as far as the job searching is going, I had an interview yesterday and felt that it went very well! I also received a call from another principal from another school! Things are looking up! Please continue to pray for sure guidance for me! :)

Busy and exciting week!

This week will be a fun week to share with you all! I will be very busy, but will try to take some time to share with you in detail my great days ahead. This week VBS starts at my school! I am very excited about the opportunity to lead my own little group of three boys! I think that it will be great! I have two boys that are in third grade and one that is in Kindergarten. I think this should be interesting and fun! Not only am I excited about leading my own group, but I am excited to see my boyfriend who will be leading a lot of the teachings throughout the week! Our theme for the week is taking a voyage into God's word. (I don't know the exact title but it is something like that) So, the theme is really pirates and ships, but of course we are not saying that they are pirates because of the negative connotation. Anyway, so I have heard for a couple of years now how great the Spivey boys are with the children, (One of the Spiveys is my boyfriend, they are brothers.) but I have never seen them in action. So this should also be fun and exciting! I have posted a picture for you to be able to see them from last year in action!

But my week does not stop with vacation bible school, I will be working all week, and on top of that I have an interview on Tuesday! I am so excited and nervous about that! We will see how things go! :)

Most importantly I am most excited about finishing my week up with taking my comprehensive exams for graduate school! Just one step closer to being done! :) I will catch you all up throughout the week to let you know how everything goes! Busy week, and need prayer!

GOD is Faithful...

Time and time again God shows me how faithful He is to us. After blogging about my worries with finding a job, I am now more at ease. I have finally received some opportunities to meet and interview with some principals. I never had doubt that God would answer prayers according to His plan, but it amazes me how quickly and effectively He can do just that. Next week I will be meeting with some principals and am very sure that God will place me where he needs me to do his work. It is so great to know I have such a big God that is so faithful! So I leave you today with peace and thankfulness! To all that have been praying for me, thank you, and please continue to pray for sure guidance.
" I sought the Lord, and he answered me, and delivered me from all my fears."
(Psalm 34:4)

Anxious....

As I began this week, I felt good about my position in life right now. By that I mean I am comfortable and know that my plan is not my own, but God's and it is a great one. I still know that, do not get me wrong, but as the week goes on I am getting a little anxious. I am anxious because I still do not have a job for the upcoming year. I know that many teachers tell me that they got their jobs a week or so before school started, but I cannot even fathom that. I am a planner and that really just makes me anxious. Of course, if it gets to that point I will still be so excited but also probably very scared! Today I spoke with some great people that have been trying to help me get some interviews and of course the ladies gave me great news that they had shared my name with a principal, but for some reason that still was not enough. I don't know why, but I think it was because at the end of the conversation, one lady told me that principals were interviewing all week! That makes me scared because I have not had one interview this year.
Now, I have had all my paperwork and everything done with the county since last year, and have delivered about ten resumes to different schools that I heard were possibly hiring, but now am just at a stand still. The struggle for me now is to be calm and to pursue all schools that I know and do all that I know and know that God has his perfect plan! To be in a situation that you feel like you have little control over is scary. All I can do is do my best in pursuing all jobs and be grateful for every opportunity I have. I know that I will make the best and most effective teacher I can be! This is and always has been my dream to teach and reach children, and I know one day I will be able to do that, and really hope it is soon. It is just so scary to think that the jobs out there are really so scarce. I don't even know if it is the idea that they are so scarce, but maybe the idea that if you don't know someone out there to put your name out, then you are just another resume on someone's desk. Again, don't get me wrong, it is tough to be a principal and have to search through those resumes, I have seen the piles, but it is tough when you are not from this town and don't know many people to get your name out there. I can't say that I am alone in this process and I cant say that I have the worst disadvantage, because I do have some great professors out there that are helping me, and without them, I think I would be even more anxious.
All in all, I think during this time, I just have to know that no matter what there is a plan for me and it is a great plan! It is just so hard for me to not be naturally anxious! So if any of you would like to, you can pray that I would not only get a job soon, but also that in the process I would not be so anxious.
Really hope this does not come off as being angry, because I am not that at all! Just really want to live my dream as a teacher! :)

As I begin to write to welcome you to my blog, there was a special person that came to my mind, that I often think about but don't communicate how much i think of him. This man has only been in my life for about four years, but the impact that he has made has made it feel so much longer. This man serves our country right now in Afghanistan while flying Chinook helicopters! He is a man of gold that I have so much love and respect for. The person that I am speaking of is my oldest sister's husband, Jeff.

Jeff has been serving in Afghanistan since August of 2009. I love to think about all the great things that he has done for me and our country! But I also love the way that he makes my sister feel so loved. Throughout this year that he has been away, my sister and I have become closer than ever. We have spent many hours on the phone talking about life, love, hope, and faith. My sister has been so strong throughout this whole process and has grown even more in love with her husband, family and God. Through this time, Jeff and my sister have seen God be so faithful in giving each of them love and comfort through such a difficult time! As I sit back and watch all that has come to be throughout the year, I think of how promising love really is! True love, that is!

Though the situation of Jeff getting deployed was not the happiest time to many of us, I am glad to be able to say, that through this time, I myself have learned so much through their love, God's love and faithfulness! I pray everyday that God will send our soilder home to us! Safe and soon!

Welcome

I hope to share some things that I encounter as a 24 year old student getting my masters and pursuing a job as an Elementary teacher. I will be taking you on a journey through my life at the present time. There is so much that I can share with you, but I am limiting it to Faith, Love, Family, and Job searching. I will share with you some of my spiritual growth while I talk about my time with the Lord! I will also be sharing with you how great it is to come from such a large family but also how sad it is at times to be so far away. I come from a family of four sisters, a brother, a wonderful niece, and the best brother-in-law that anyone can ask for. I hope that I am not too all over the place for you all! I love to talk, but at times, find it hard to write my thoughts! So we will see how this works!
**Above is a picture of my sisters and me. It goes in order from left to right of youngest to oldest! (Jennifer, Me, Megan, and Ashley)