And another year goes by.....

The whole gang hanging around my house these days!HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE! Welcome to 2007! Its a beautiful sunny morning to a new year and I thought I'd take a few minutes to sit here and reflect a bit on the year and consider what God might bring into my life this coming year. I enjoy reflecting a lot actually and often come to realize it's an essential part of growth. Sometimes I do it too much, I admit, and end up over analyzing, but for the most part, I think that God desires us to sit quietly and consider the things he has brought us through and how we should live and think and react in response to it.
So where do I begin? The year 2006…hmmm…well, its been a full year that’s for sure; a year of many changes and growth. 2006 began as I was half way through my year of teachers college at Brock University. I enjoyed my time in teachers college for the most part, although it was quite a different experience than my previous 4 years in Kineseology. I made some great friends who some, although we were on the same playing field then, would later become my competition when the search for jobs began.
In March, Brad and I decided to take a spontaneous trip down to Florida where my parents were staying for a couple weeks. We found a cheap flight down and enjoyed a fun filled 3 days down in the Florida sunshine. It was a great way to relax before I began my last 7-week long teaching block at Vineland Public School. I felt so privileged to be able to have taught in my own elementary school, with some of my own teachers!! I loved my grade 5/6 class and learned so much as I was able to teach almost full time for most of those weeks. Looking back now, its cool to see how much I have grown as a teacher already. When doing a math lesson was once a huge deal, I am now able to teach almost on the spot as a supply teacher. I love the relationship I was able to establish with so many of my students at Vineland. Some teachers would say that they would prefer to live outside of the community in which they teach, but I actually really love it the other way around. I love knowing my students outside of school, knowing their families and what they are involved in. This has been my experience with so many students at Vineland already since I know many of them from the youth drop-in centre I am still involved with.
In May, after completing my teaching block, the search for jobs began. To work in the Niagara District School board is quite a big process and so I began one step at a time. After a very nerve-racking interview, I was fortunate enough to be hired by the school board. It didn’t mean I had a job yet, it just meant I was qualified to teach within the school board. Now, it was up to me. I was added to the school boards ‘to-hire’ list and later on in the summer, added to the boards ‘supply teaching’ list. Jobs are very few and far between in this board, but I was set on finding some work since moving out of the region was not really an option as this time in my life. A few contract positions opened up at the end of June, and although I applied, most of those positions went to teachers already within the system. And so, the summer of waiting began….
Sometimes I feel God teaches us in themes. You know when so many things in different aspects of your life seem to all come down to the same lesson? I guess a theme for me this year has been learning to wait. I love to plan, organize, efficiently complete things and know what’s going on ahead of time. Well, I think God wanted to teach me otherwise since for the first time in my life, I really had no idea what the next step was going to look like. Not only that, I was learning to appreciate waiting in other areas of my life and consistently give up areas of control over to the One who ultimately controls them anyway! And so, I was able to find some work on a friends family fruit farm and bakery. Obviously this wasn’t teaching, but I love being outside in the summers and knew this would probably be my last chance to work at job like this. I decided that since I wasn’t sure what the fall would hold for me, I would take the opportunity to enjoy a relaxing summer. I felt I needed to learn to trust the Lord more in the big areas of my life and to give my uncertainties up to him. I knew He would work out His plan for me in His time.
Looking back on the summer now, I can see how God used that time very specifically for me in my life. It was a unique summer, but the things I experienced allowed me to rest in the Lord and wait on His timing. Brad’s work provided him with the opportunity to go up to Peterborough for a month long contract working on EMS helicopters. He works as an avionics technician at a company called Eurocoptor in Fort Erie. For those of you like me who had no idea what that was at first, he basically puts together all of the electrical stuff on helicopters (pretty impressive stuff, I might add!). So as Brad went off to Peterborough to work a crazy amount of hours, I spent some time here doing VBS at my church, working at the fruit stand and hanging out with friends.
At the end of August, I was able to spend 2 weeks out at Capernwray on Thetis Island to work as kitchen staff. Oh, and on my way out, I was able to stop over in Calgary for my friend Jen Boehlig’s wedding in the mountains… a definite highlight to the trip! It had been several years since I was out to Thetis last and I figured the summer would be a great opportunity to serve out there again, especially since my brother Jay was on staff there. It was so fun to be able to work on staff WITH Jay, something that I didn’t ever imagine happening several years ago. When I returned from B.C at the end of summer, I knew the job search would begin again as contracts opened up.
The first couple weeks of September were a little crazy and uncertain. Jobs were opening up here and there and I could sense the pressure as teachers all in my position literally raced around the region to be the first to apply to a job. But in the end, supply teaching turned out to be my path, for right now anyways. And so, its been several months now I have been busy driving all over, teaching all different grades and learning a lot. I am glad to experience supply teaching for awhile though, as it gives me a chance to further develop my teaching skills and strategies, gain exposure to a ton of teaching styles and ideas as well as make connections all over the place. Who knows what those connections will bring in the coming year! I have been blessed with almost a fully booked schedule and have enjoyed being in some of my favourite schools more often.
So I’m almost at the end of the year here and its seems as though I talked a lot about teaching. It’s true, it has been a huge focus in my life for the past year. But, I figured that some of you may be wondering why I didn’t go on and on about the wonderful man in my life. Don’t worry, he’s still in it! Actually more than ever! He’s been a consistently great support and wonderful friend in my life amidst all the changes. I don’t have any big announcements at this time, but I’ll be sure to inform you all should anything significant develop in our relationship in the near future!! I’m sure some of you are cringing at my vagueness!! I guess you’ll just have to talk to me personally ☺ Anyways, I wish you all an amazing 2007. I hope that you take the time to reflect on your year and all the blessings you’ve received. I appreciate my friend Rebecca Farnell who instigated the ‘year in review’ process in my life….you never know what will happen on a long road trip on New Years Eve with a bunch of friends!! Thank you all for your friendship and role in my life, whether big or small. I am so blessed because of it!