eeeeeeeek!

I must be really rusty at this teaching stuff or it just stirs up old emotions from when I taught before. I had a great experience when I taught school, (didn't enjoy homeschooling...but that's another story), but there are just some things that I do not enjoy about teaching. Today, I just got in the car and cried all the way home from the school. I feel overwhelmed (I'm such a wimp). Then I think, "Why are you feeling overwhelmed? It's only 3 classes!" We started this week and a lot of stuff is thrown at you. Do this and do that and have that done by this date and this how to do this and don't forget that..... I feel so inadequate, which isn't necessarily a bad thing. I feel like everyone else knows what they are doing and I feel like I am stumbling in the dark. Then I think "Emily, this will pass it will get better as the year goes on and you get the hang of things. The first time doing anything is an adjustment. " So I need Jesus to remind me once again of who He is and that His grace is sufficient for today. I belong to Him and He is not going to leave me. The picture above is how I feel right now. My friend, Jennifer, looks beautiful!

Sunday

Here is the nicely posed picture picture where everyone is doing what they are supposed to do!

Here is the crazy picture of my kids at the beach last Tues. We got there early...like 10. It was a gorgeous morning.
We have church in the afternoon on Sundays for now until our building is finished. So we sleep in on Sunday mornings and have a big breakfast. Today we had the traditional grits, eggs, bacon, and biscuits...oooooooeeeeee....it was good! David got to preach this afternoon and that was almost as good as my big breakfast!! :) Actually, it was really good. He preached on battling unbelief. Sometimes I think white people are too quiet in church because this afternoon I wanted to stand up and shout at a couple places in the sermon! My man was on fire today!

Maryland

I have become a big fan of the eastern shore, crabs, and Maryland. Yesterday we got to go pick up my niece on the western shore. When we were crossing the big Bay Bridge, the view was awesome with lots and lots of beautiful sailboats on the bay. The bridge is really high and about 4 miles long. I enjoy it when I am not driving...not so much when I am driving and it is two-way traffic. We took a beautiful drive through the countryside to Edgewater,MD. The summer camp that she worked at was right on the water. It was a beautiful day, so we enjoyed walking around the camp while she said her good-byes. The day before we went to Galena, MD to swim and visit a friend (finding grace). We also love visiting our friends in Chestertown, MD. It seems like whenever it is a beautiful day, we like to take a drive to MD, enjoy conversation with friends and being in MD. Now if I could just have some crabs for dinner.....

summer food

We had some good summer food last night...yummy. Then afterwards we were entertained by our neighbor friend...he's 9 but has a crush on the girls. He is so funny. He was showing us some of his dance moves and teaching them to Jacob.

friends

Today was such a good day. Last night I took Katelyn, Mary Ellen to the movies with some of their friends. We spent the night at our pastor's house (they are out of town on vacation). Then today the plan was to play in their pool. I called a good friend and spent part of the afternoon with her while the girls played in the pool. The time with my friend was so good. I love her so much and it was so good to sit and talk for almost two hours...time flies. Friends are such a blessing from God. We have helped and encouraged each other through good and bad times. I left her thinking, "That was so good and I wish I lived closer so we could do that more often!" It is so good to have people in our lives who pick us up when we fall down, comfort when we are sad, confront when we are wrong, laugh when we are happy, etc...you get the picture. I remember when I moved up here and left my good friends in SC. I wondered who I would connect with in a deep way. God has blessed me with several deep friendships up here and I can't imagine life without them. You know everyone wants to be loved....everyone. I have never met anyone who didn't want to be loved. We all have quirks and imperfections, warts, shortcomings....When we love others through all their imperfections we reflect the love that Jesus has for us. He loved us even when we hated him....talk about imperfections! Jesus knew ALL of ours and loves us anyway. When we feel like we have to "measure up" with people, it builds walls and prevents us to love others genuinely. I know I have made people feel like that before and I really don't want to be like that anymore. I remind myself all the time that I am not better than anyone else. Once I start thinking that I am better than someone else, it prevents me from loving them. Of course, my love is not perfect, but Jesus takes even my sin-tainted love and can use it for His glory. :)wow. I was in a situation about a year ago where I felt like I always had to measure up, say certain things, act a certain way,etc. The bar was set and it always kept moving. It was sucking the life out of me. Once I was removed from that situation, it took awhile for me to come out from under that condemnation, but God used people who understand the gospel and God's love to help me. My friend that I spent time with today is one of those people. thank you. Okay, so this is my blog and I just had to write my thoughts down. If you don't agree it's okay. I just needed to write what I have been thinking....sorry if I rambled or didn't make sense. I warned you at the beginning that I am not the best writer in the world. Sometimes it just feels good to write it all out and get it out!
So today was sweet. Time with a good friend is like a cold glass of water on a hot day! :)
One more thought. My daughter loves being with her friends. In fact, kate's friends have become Mary Ellen's friends as well. They have so much fun together! I love there zeal for life, their love for each other and their times of laughter. It is SO fun to listen to them laugh! Sometimes I just sit and listen. I don't have to be in the same room, or be a part of what they are doing at all to be blessed by their laughter! You know how good you feel after a good laugh...it's a good thing!

yikes

I had two moments today when I felt a little bit of panic and I was saying "YIKES!"
1. when I stepped on the scales at the gym! not good.
2. when I was thinking about school starting in 3 weeks!
SO....
This week we need to go to the beach at least once, hopefully twice. I need to fill out a teacher application. I need to fill out an application for church membership at our church.....and the list goes on and on. I need to redo our budget since we are taking a significant pay cut and our lifestyle will have to change. We are hoping to try to rent our house since we can't sell it and find something close to the school to rent. One thing that is sure in life is CHANGE!
I am looking forward to seeing our school family. I really miss seeing them on a regular basis during the summer....on with the day!

to teach or not to teach

So I am going to bite the bullet and teach three elementary classes this fall. I am also going to tutor kids who need extra help. Christian school pay isn't that great; so it is a lot of work for a little paycheck. David and I will be working at the same place which saves gas. We will also be on the same schedule as our kids...the advantage of teaching. David is teaching HS classes and is the Dean of Students, student gov't advisor. Now I need to decide if I want to be the running club coach. I am not a runner, but do it occasionally if it is the only way to get exercise. I figure it's better than not exercising at all. The athletic director asked me if I would (you know they must be desperate) and I didn't know what to do. Maybe she found someone else by now...that would be fine by me! I ran 3.4 miles yesterday which I hadn't done in awhile. So today I am sore. There is something about running that works different muscles than an elliptical machine or exercise class. I don't know what it is, but I am always sore after running even though I exercise regularly. Last spring I ran quite a bit with the running club kids and didn't get sore after awhile. I enjoy being with the HS kids and will need that outlet after being with 1st and 2nd graders all afternoon every day. So this year there will be no trips to the beach for David and I after the kids go to school. It was fun while it lasted! Gotta go to the store and clean up a little. We are having some friends over for dinner. The menu: grilled teriyaki chicken, black bean salsa, grilled veggies, maybe some corn on the cob, and she is bringing dessert (peach pie). I'm not exactly sure yet who all is coming, but it will be fun.