Today is a day that I will never forget! I have been waiting in anxious anticipation for it, and quite honestly just wanted to get it over with because I had no clue what would hit me in the face today!
I had what I thought would be my "final interview" at Triton this morning, so when I (A) walked in, I am greeted by the principal (P) saying, "Are you ready to get started?" Let me just give you the conversation. The stuff in parenthesis is what my brain was saying inside my head:
P: Are you ready to get started?
A:(Started? What am I supposed to begin if I have no idea what it is?) Yeah, definitely!
P: Well, do you have any questions for me right now?
A: (Questions about what? Like "do I have the job?") I think the main thing would be I would just like to know what I'll be doing next so that I can get started on planning and everything! (Double meaning: either where I'll be school-wise or where I could be within THIS school-wise)
P: Alright, well I have you down for Freshman Seminar in the Fall for 3 blocks and then 4th block planning; then in the Spring you'll have planning 1st and 2 regular and 1 Honors English I.
A: Oh, wow! That sounds great! (Do I look super surprised or is this ridiculous grin just giving away my professionalism?)
P: Wonderful. So, I will send in for your contract and we'll be on our way! New teacher orientation will begin August eleventh and last three days, then the rest of the teachers come back the 17th. School starts the next week. Any other questions?
A: Do you have the curriculum for me to look over before the school year starts? (Wait, he didn't say "You're hired," but I'm pretty sure he just hired me. My name is on all of his charts. I'm an English teacher--it's official!!!)
P: Yes, I will walk you over to the lady who has those and she can make you some copies. Great to see you again!
And that was it. I had my job in my pocket (the whole time, it seems, doesn't it?). The crazy thing is, my summer was so forlorn at times and I felt as though nothing was going to come together for me at all. I had finally come to the point where I realized that if I didn't get a teaching position, I would have to be okay doing something else for a while, and things would work out in time. Many of my friends still do not have jobs, and I feel very honored to have this opportunity. It's all so surreal! I can't believe it happened in one day!
So here's what I think about this whole situation: if it were an easy summer and I had known the whole time that I had it in the bag and I didn't have to strive for my goal and search everywhere that I could for a position and be rejected a few times (all the while working at Food Lion which is just indescribable how much it makes me yearn to feel purpose in my work), I would not have appreciated this as much as I truly do right now. This job is a gift. My "birthday wish" ten days ago was to get a job. But on top of that silliness, I cried and prayed many a day and night this summer in expectation of what would occur in the end. I wanted to bring glory to the Lord in whatever work I ended up doing, and I didn't want to give up on what I thought he had gifted me in doing. So I pressed on.
This morning before my interview, I read a little in Isaiah when he says, "Here am I! send me" (6:8), and then I happened across 1 Corinthians 15:58, "Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain." These verses were a perfect reminder of His grace in my life. I started my day saying "Lord, I'm yours. I do not know what's coming, but send me to do what you will have for me. My work thus far has been hard hard hard, but I will work for you. If it be teaching or something else, put me where you will." I'm not saying that the Lord will give you whatever you want on a given day, but if we realize that His grace is sufficient for each day, we also know that "sufficient for the day is its own trouble," (Mt. 6:34)and the Lord cares for His beloved. Not that I am in any way deserving of that, but because He is love, he loves me. I do not love, or serve, or teach, or do [anything] without Him. [Yes, I am screaming and singing halleloo, and you can too!]
So, I acquired my job and set off for home. I drove all the way down 421 to the exit to 40/85 and heard this strange noise. A car pulled up beside me and the driver started motioning to my back tire and mouthing, "IT's FLAT! YOUR TIRE!" So I pulled over. The car stopped a bit in front of me and a guy walked up with a bottle of air in a can or something crazy and pumped it up for me. He said the tire looked fine, I just needed to get the valve fixed. Wheew! I just had a flat not too long ago at the end of last semester, and now here's another! Well, I started driving again and realized that poof my jankety jank tire was down again, so I called home and sent Dad to the rescue. What a crazy end to a perfect day! I was feeling so good about myself, and then I sat in a hot car all sweaty in my pretty blouse and skirt till Dad came and helped me put the little donut on my back left wheel and we drove home.
When I arrived home, I walked into the living room to find streamers and a big "Congratulations Teacher Ab!" sign in yellow. Mom made a chocolate cake with chocolate icing (my favorite food, by the way!) and we all celebrated--complete with mint choc chip ice cream!
The next couple of weeks will be crazy--next week will be my final week at Food Lion, and then the first week of August my family is going down to AL/FL to visit "the cousins" (yay!). I will need to move to Harnett County that next weekend, because I start the 11th! That's less than 3 weeks away!
And thus, I have a title. I am officially an English Teacher at Triton High School. Go Hawks!
Thursday, July 23, 2009
Sunday, July 19, 2009
Grammar to the Glory of God
Soli Deo Gloria. If we as believers must truly desire to give glory to God in all aspects of life, then why should we forget what some would call "minute" details? Come along with me on this one; I think it might be an eye-opening Sunday afternoon drive.
I have been slowly chewing on the ideas in a book called Eats, Shoots and Leaves by Lynne Truss. She bestows quite a hilarious approach to grammar and encourages the reader to "unleash your Inner Stickler" when it comes to grammatical atrocities. I have to admit, a little part of my heart dies every time I see any of the following (which is not an all-encompassing list, believe me):
The dog took it's bone to the grass.
You're sister is so sweet.
Him and I love going to the park.
The darker it gets, the more I love the star's.
But why do mistakes similar to these matter in the whole scheme of things? In an ever-changing world of texting/internet/twitter/facebook/etc. where fewer and fewer people know how to write or speak correctly, I must insist that grammar is an imperative aspect of taking hold of our postmodern (or post-postmodern) culture.
Anything goes! If it's right for you, then it's good; just don't hurt anyone else (or splice anyone's comma). I beg to differ. As Christians in this time, we are compelled to set ourselves apart as fellow sufferers for the gospel--and if the gospel permeates us, it envelopes everything in our lives and causes us to yearn to glorify God in all things. Thus, we must hold on to the knowledge that we know to be true, and realize that through it we might glorify the Lord as we "set the believers an example in SPEECH, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity" (1 Timothy 4:12).
Think about the way that language affects us on a daily basis. If not for communication--in multiple aspects--we would not be able to share in conversation, write out our thoughts, discuss valid aspects of life, and the list goes on. Each culture shares its own language complete with expressions through words along with gestures. English has come a long way in the manner that it has adapted due to necessity with culture or simply adding new words because of the mixture of varying cultures. I am not against the morphing of language due to the increase of usable words (without this English might have been a dead language by now anyway); I am simply advocating for the correct usage of the grammar that is currently in place and its importance in our global society. [However, I will add that some of our current "new" words are less-than par: "pwned" and "noob"? I'll pass.] I will also point out the importance of grammar in the spread of the gospel as the scriptures have been translated to other languages because scholars have exhausted countless hours studying and converting words and syntax into the original tongue of other cultures so that Christ may be known. The same can be said about missionaries who study language to carry the gospel in word and deed...and how beautiful it is! If we have a lack of consistent communication in our own language, how are we to learn to share the gospel effectively to other peoples (or, even others in our own language)?
Thus, I leave you with this thought: how captivated are you by the glory of Christ and how he reveals himself even in the minute details? Have we slipped so far from the core of the gospel that we forget that the Lord does not neglect details? Of course I am not negating His grace and how powerful that is in our lives, but we are called to be holy--and that is a lofty calling. Today, pay attention to the details that come together to create a beautiful picture in the realm of the gospel. Do not neglect to glorify the Lord by holding onto the beauty that is in structure, just like he has patterned the universe.
So, "soli Deo gloria en grammaria"?
(Don't be alarmed; I made that up)
(P.S. A special thanks to my brother Joel for giving me the initiative to author this post!)
I have been slowly chewing on the ideas in a book called Eats, Shoots and Leaves by Lynne Truss. She bestows quite a hilarious approach to grammar and encourages the reader to "unleash your Inner Stickler" when it comes to grammatical atrocities. I have to admit, a little part of my heart dies every time I see any of the following (which is not an all-encompassing list, believe me):
The dog took it's bone to the grass.
You're sister is so sweet.
Him and I love going to the park.
The darker it gets, the more I love the star's.
But why do mistakes similar to these matter in the whole scheme of things? In an ever-changing world of texting/internet/twitter/facebook/etc. where fewer and fewer people know how to write or speak correctly, I must insist that grammar is an imperative aspect of taking hold of our postmodern (or post-postmodern) culture.
Anything goes! If it's right for you, then it's good; just don't hurt anyone else (or splice anyone's comma). I beg to differ. As Christians in this time, we are compelled to set ourselves apart as fellow sufferers for the gospel--and if the gospel permeates us, it envelopes everything in our lives and causes us to yearn to glorify God in all things. Thus, we must hold on to the knowledge that we know to be true, and realize that through it we might glorify the Lord as we "set the believers an example in SPEECH, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity" (1 Timothy 4:12).
Think about the way that language affects us on a daily basis. If not for communication--in multiple aspects--we would not be able to share in conversation, write out our thoughts, discuss valid aspects of life, and the list goes on. Each culture shares its own language complete with expressions through words along with gestures. English has come a long way in the manner that it has adapted due to necessity with culture or simply adding new words because of the mixture of varying cultures. I am not against the morphing of language due to the increase of usable words (without this English might have been a dead language by now anyway); I am simply advocating for the correct usage of the grammar that is currently in place and its importance in our global society. [However, I will add that some of our current "new" words are less-than par: "pwned" and "noob"? I'll pass.] I will also point out the importance of grammar in the spread of the gospel as the scriptures have been translated to other languages because scholars have exhausted countless hours studying and converting words and syntax into the original tongue of other cultures so that Christ may be known. The same can be said about missionaries who study language to carry the gospel in word and deed...and how beautiful it is! If we have a lack of consistent communication in our own language, how are we to learn to share the gospel effectively to other peoples (or, even others in our own language)?
Thus, I leave you with this thought: how captivated are you by the glory of Christ and how he reveals himself even in the minute details? Have we slipped so far from the core of the gospel that we forget that the Lord does not neglect details? Of course I am not negating His grace and how powerful that is in our lives, but we are called to be holy--and that is a lofty calling. Today, pay attention to the details that come together to create a beautiful picture in the realm of the gospel. Do not neglect to glorify the Lord by holding onto the beauty that is in structure, just like he has patterned the universe.
So, "soli Deo gloria en grammaria"?
(Don't be alarmed; I made that up)
(P.S. A special thanks to my brother Joel for giving me the initiative to author this post!)
Tuesday, July 7, 2009
The job search ensues (and other news)...
This morning, I had an interview at Western Harnett High School (in the boonies of Lillington, NC). Last night I could not sleep at all...I got so nervous for some reason! I don't know why, but this one just seemed really imperative to me and I kept thinking about all the questions and how I might respond honestly, clearly, and intelligently to each one. I wore my new black and white birthday skirt (which mom let me use even though my birthday is next week), my new turquoise ring from Cherokee, and my pearl necklace. Everything felt exactly right for me to walk in there and show them my love of teaching (but more so the students). When I arrived, I was greeted in the little board room by the principal, and assistant principal, and the chairlady of the English department. The interview went quite well, I must say. I felt very confident and comfortable with them, and I enjoyed gleaning from their insight as well as sharing some of my own experiences thus far. My roomie from Campbell's mom teaches there, so I was able to do a little name-dropping as well, which I was fo'sho' gonna do!
Last week, I interviewed with Dudley High in Greensboro, and at Wesleyan, where I went to High School. Both of those went okay, but I didn't hear anything back from either school, so I am assuming I didn't strike their fancy. But I am okay with that, because anywhere that I do not get a job offer is a door that the Lord is closing so that he will put me in the place exactly fit for me. I want my first year of teaching to be a great experience where I can learn and grow and really settle down and enjoy what I am doing. I want to be organized and involved in every way that I can without drowning...and that is exactly what I intend to do!
I am a teacher. I know in my little heart that if I were not a teacher deep down inside, then I would have no desire to teach; I would throw it all behind me and look for the quickest way outta this profession. But I simply cannot do that. There are days when it is and will be the longest and most frustrating job that I will ever encounter, but there are also moments when I will see the look in my students' eyes and understand why the Lord has placed me in this position. Yes, I will teach literature, but I will also teach applicable lessons about life. I will love my students even when they hate me. I have been reading The Freedom Writers Diary, and it's been very encouraging to see the way one teacher impacted her students' lives to spur on change in their community. I am learning from the way that she challenged each student individually and encouraged them to learn because she believed that they could. I will not give up on my students; I will expect the best from them, because I know that they can and will succeed.
Other than that, I went camping in the Smoky Mtns. this past weekend with my family and it was great! We hiked up to Mt. Laconte, an 11 mile round trip! My legs hated me, and I realized that chacos are not meant to take the place of hiking boots but I wore them anyway :o) I didn't shower for 4 days, and I enjoyed the beauty of creation.
And so, I look forward to what's coming in my life. I have no idea what the next moment brings, but I trust in the faithfulness of my savior. I will not get caught in moments of fear when I think I will be stuck at food lion forever. I will believe that the Lord's provision is sufficient for each day. And I will glorify and thank him for his mercy and grace that lasts beyond what my mind can comprehend.
To Him be the glory forever! Amen.
Last week, I interviewed with Dudley High in Greensboro, and at Wesleyan, where I went to High School. Both of those went okay, but I didn't hear anything back from either school, so I am assuming I didn't strike their fancy. But I am okay with that, because anywhere that I do not get a job offer is a door that the Lord is closing so that he will put me in the place exactly fit for me. I want my first year of teaching to be a great experience where I can learn and grow and really settle down and enjoy what I am doing. I want to be organized and involved in every way that I can without drowning...and that is exactly what I intend to do!
I am a teacher. I know in my little heart that if I were not a teacher deep down inside, then I would have no desire to teach; I would throw it all behind me and look for the quickest way outta this profession. But I simply cannot do that. There are days when it is and will be the longest and most frustrating job that I will ever encounter, but there are also moments when I will see the look in my students' eyes and understand why the Lord has placed me in this position. Yes, I will teach literature, but I will also teach applicable lessons about life. I will love my students even when they hate me. I have been reading The Freedom Writers Diary, and it's been very encouraging to see the way one teacher impacted her students' lives to spur on change in their community. I am learning from the way that she challenged each student individually and encouraged them to learn because she believed that they could. I will not give up on my students; I will expect the best from them, because I know that they can and will succeed.
Other than that, I went camping in the Smoky Mtns. this past weekend with my family and it was great! We hiked up to Mt. Laconte, an 11 mile round trip! My legs hated me, and I realized that chacos are not meant to take the place of hiking boots but I wore them anyway :o) I didn't shower for 4 days, and I enjoyed the beauty of creation.
And so, I look forward to what's coming in my life. I have no idea what the next moment brings, but I trust in the faithfulness of my savior. I will not get caught in moments of fear when I think I will be stuck at food lion forever. I will believe that the Lord's provision is sufficient for each day. And I will glorify and thank him for his mercy and grace that lasts beyond what my mind can comprehend.
To Him be the glory forever! Amen.
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