life beyond the well…

Tag Archives: Work


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First Day

It seems like every year the summer goes by faster and faster.  As a child, I enjoyed summers- they gave me time to read endlessly, play outside for hours, travel to see family members, go to camps to meet more new people.  Summer was a source of endless adventure, and I looked forward to it.

But…I also looked forward to going back to school.  I enjoyed the routine, I enjoyed the environment, and perhaps more than anything, I enjoyed learning.

I have spent all of my professional career in education, and I can honestly say that I STILL get the same emotions about back to school.  As much as I “needed” a break and a slower pace, after a little bit of travel and some extended quality time with Preacherman, I was ready to see the kiddos again.

Today, they were back.  And there’s absolutely no feeling like the first day of school.  This morning, I had the privilege to meet so many wonderful members of the Class of 2022.  This morning, I met so many little faces of hope, of possibility, of excitement; and I got overwhelmed with the same feeling I get every year when working with students: gratitude.

I am grateful that God called me to work in education.

I am grateful to have a job in education that I love and that contributes to my life’s purpose.

I am grateful for parents who trust me with their children.

I am grateful for previous students and parents who have shown me how to be better.

I am grateful for my current students who continue to defy statistics and prove what is possible.

I am grateful to work alongside (and to have previously worked with) some of the most caring, gifted, and talented educators.

Working education is tough. The days are long, but the years are short. It’s hard work, gut-wrenchingly tough work, that often times keeps you up far too late, or startles you awake far too early.  But it is SO worth it.  The time and energy spent investing in these lives is never wasted, and it is never in vain.  I can’t always see the results of the seeds that are planted, or being watered; but I can trust and believe God for the increase- in them and in me.

Day one down. 189 or so to go.

Cheers to the new year!


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Screeching Halt

The title of this blog describes exactly how my school year ended.  Loud and suddenly.

For most of the year, I’ve worked diligently alongside teachers and other support staff.  But since I work directly with 8th grade students and transitioning them to high school, the end of the year gets to be crazy as we plan events to celebrate their hard work.  I actually felt like I was reliving the planning of my wedding when planning our 8th Grade Awards Banquet and Dance, as well as our 8th Grade Promotion Ceremony.  My office became overwhelmed with vases, flowers, table cloths, table tents, seating charts, food orders, and many other things.

So for the last two weeks of the year, I felt like slightly crazy.  And then, it was over.

This past Monday, I sat in my office almost stunned by the quiet and the lack of busy.  It’s not that I didn’t have things to do–I had (and still have) several things to do, but it was the startling transition of going from doing everything right now to having the time to organize your day (and do important things like eat lunch and drink water).

Now I’m in summer mode–working diligently and slowly starting to restore balance to my work life and to my personal life.  Preacherman is in summer vacation mode, which has him much more relaxed, because he’s able to devote a significant chunk of time to church-planting activities.  We are excited to enjoy our first summer in Jacksonville, and look forward to meeting people, building our launch team, and growing together.

I’m grateful for the time to recharge and reflect, as well as move forward on some other projects.  I have much that I want to share here as well- I miss writing and processing my learning and growth with my few faithful readers here.  Thanks for sticking with me.  I’ll be back soon- I promise.

Until next time…

Be encouraged! Peace and Blessings!