Week One!

Well the first week is done! Wow! That flew by without so much as a see ya later. I loved every moment so much. I think i finally found my "calling" in life. To teach 8-9 year old what society deems necessary. And what the Father calls for as well. It's all a big juggling act. And this "clown" is only getting started.
Me on the first day -------->

If you had told me a year ago that I'd be a teacher, I would have had a good laugh. But I have learned that God has a good way of silencing me. A year ago, I was wetting my feet in the area of dating. It was all fun and exciting and I had grand ideas of spending the next summer(that would be this past one) in Ohio since that is where he was from. That continued until January of 2012. It ended with a huge crash. I went home to California, from a Ohio Christmas visit, with a broken-shocked heart. A broken heart that soon had mile-high walls built around it from betrayal after betrayal. Then I was immediately thrust into college classes that I did not want to be taking. I wanted to nurse my wounds, hold a grudge, and feel sorry for myself. God had other plans. He used those classes to help me heal. He used the energy I put into the homework to get my mind off myself. I shall refrain from gushing about all He used in my life. :) You see, God is amazing like that.

It's true that sometimes you can only see one set of footprints in the sand(like the poem). All I know is that God carried me. He also had a way of providing that only He could have done. I didn't have a job for about 8 months before I started teaching. Just when I needed money, a babysitting or cleaning job would come along and I'd have enough. I learned He provides. In a way that humbles me. Now I like the privilege to be able to give back to Him. Things were placed into my life that I didn't think were fair. "God, why me?" I wondered. I learned that God has a way of answering prayers that is truly wonderful. Only He knows how He will answer them. rarely are they answered with a yes or a no. They aren't audible. But He does answer. I picked up things along those places that I hold dear. I learned the tremendous blessing of friendship. They are the ones who lifted me up when I was so low and licking my wounds. I love them. I enjoyed this past summer with "reckless abandon" with those friends.

When this opportunity came along, I thought "I'll give it a try," because my tentative major in college is elementary teaching. God opened the doors and I began preparing myself for the fact that I would soon be responsible for the education of 11 little people. 11 little people that need education and Godly instruction. I am not worthy. I had and continue to have the blessing of learning from and working with the previous teacher. She has been a true blessing and example.

I love the eager eyes I see in the mornings when they all sit in their desks and write down their daily goals. I love the questions they ask. I love how they are eager to learn. I love them. You could say that I have a peace about where GOD has brought me. The road to this point has been in no way smooth. It was filled with wrong turns, detours, and plenty of potholes. I'm sure God shook His head at me more than once, and said to himself, "Lydia, why do you rush. Why are you not waiting on Me?" Like I said, He carried me. He also drug me from the bottom of those potholes, filled with doubt and anger, and set me on my feet and pointed me in the right direction.
"Dear Lord, please keep helping me."

Already, my students mean the world to me. I know there will be hard days when they just don't seem to understand long division no matter how many times I explain it. There will be days when the attitudes are smelly and they don't listen. But that's when I fall to my knees before the God of the world and plead for His help. And patience, lots of patience.
Until next time,
                      ~Miss Kelley

(I'm sorry if this was bit scattered. I keep rambling.)