Walk in Love 44/100

Gratitude...

Today I am grateful for field day.

It made my last day a cinch!

The Word...

Ephesians 5:2

"And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet smelling savour."

Walk in love.

I love that.

I want to walk in love

and become more like the Savior.

Sometimes I feel like I don't

have much love in me.

As I lose patience with someone.

As I lay around instead of

finding someone to serve.

Obviously I'm not perfect, 

but this is something I'd

like to work on.

Walking in love.

Walking is moving

and doing and acting.

And do it in love.

See others as He 

sees them.

See myself as He

sees me.

Love others in my 

imperfect ways.

Love myself in my imperfectness.

Become like He is.

(Insert random picture that has nothing to
do with this post. It's just cute. L decided
to have a wrestling match with her elephant
the other day. She is so full of love and
laughter!  I'm so thankful for her!)

On my heart...

My job has been one of the
areas of my life that I
fell that I have learned
to walk in love.
I'm not perfect at it,
but being a teacher has
been one of the ways
I've learned to love better.

Today was my last day at work.

It was field day so I didn't have to do much.

Part of me is sad to be leaving.

Another part of me is excited for the 

adventures ahead for me.

Another part of me is nervous

for this new season of my life.

It feels weird.

I'm so exhausted right now

I know there was something

I was thinking of writing about

tonight, but I can't remember 

what it was:0)

I'm so thankful for the time I

had to be a teacher.

I've learned so much from

all of my students.

I've taught and loved 

hundreds of kiddos

since graduating from high school

fifteen years ago.

I fought being a teacher

for a very long time.

And then I got a little flyer

in the mail from the International

Language Program that changed my life.

It took me a long time to save up the

money to go, but I did it.

I went to China.

I taught many children

to speak English.

It is one of the hardest things

I have ever done,

but also one of the most

rewarding things I've ever done.

After I got home,

I still fought being a teacher, 

but the more I prayed and 

tried to figure out what

Heavenly Father might

want me to do with my life.

The more I realized that the

answer was to be a teacher.

It took me 7 years

(minus the semester in China)

to complete my degree.

A dual degree in 

Elementary Education

and Early Childhood education.

My work at summer kids programs

and before and after school programs

prepared me in a special way

to excel in my studies.

Things came a lot easier for 

me than for many of my fellow students.

I graduated, found a job quickly

and began my life as a teacher.

That first year.

Oh that first year!

It was an amazing learning

experience!

It was a test in my abilities,

but I succeeded.

I spent way too much

time doing all sorts of 

cutesy stuff in my room.

I was at work until all hours.

Preparing and reflecting.

I learned.

I learned that it takes

true patience to be 

the kind of teacher

many students need.

I learned that I do not

like teaching first grade.

Then I got moved to third grade

for a while.

My first class was difficult,

but it prepared me for 

a class I would have four years later.

A class that would test my

commitment to being a teacher.

I had two angelic classes between

these two difficult classes.

To this day, I still think of 

them and smile.

They were with me at the

beginning of  my journey 

in shifting my body and mind

to create my best life.

I learned that I had an

even bigger impact on them 

than I thought.

I tried to teach them to believe

in themselves no matter what.

I got an email from one parent

thanking me for all I did to teach

her daughter to believe in herself.

She had come to me telling her

mom all the time that she was dumb.

But while she was in my class,

her attitude changed and she

began to believe she was brilliant.

She went from having a hard time

learning to being able to keep

trying and in turn learning more easily.

I could go on and on about it all.

Eight years is bound to be full

of so much I could tell you.

This last years has been a challenging year, 

but for different reasons than before.

I have had a fairly well behaved class.

I've had to learn to adapt to a new school's ways.

Even when they didn't make sense to me.

Syracuse will always be my home, but

I've enjoyed everything I've learned at

Bluff Ridge, and all the new friends I've made.

Congratulations on getting this far

in my very long post!

I love my life!

I love my career and

am thankful for all I've learned

through it that has helped

me to be a better person.