New schedule!

Here's my new schedule. Sorry it's so small... but any bigger and it cuts off. This past year, my classes were all spread out: teach one hour, off one hour, teach one hour, etc... But this time, it looks like I have some good chunks of time for work.

Tuesdays and Fridays are going to be tough, especially with long blocks in there. Friday's "3rd period" is a 20 minute chapel, so I really go all day. Wednesdays are always short days, ending at 2pm. I'm a little bummed about Saturdays, only because I have the last two classes instead of the first two. That means I won't be able to leave early to go anywhere. Mondays look great. Thursday looks cruel: first and last!! But remember that Mondays and Thursdays are family style dinner from 6:30 to 7:30. Dorm faculty haven't decided on duty nights, but I'll try to shoot for Tuesday, Wednesday or Friday nights so that I can sleep in just a bit the next day.

Over the last few weeks, I had been thinking about how life will be different now that my personal life has crashed into my work life. I had been dreading it. I had a bad attitude over loosing some of our privacy, loosing our personal space, loosing the peace and quiet that walls should provide (the campers have made it clear that this dorm and the circular stairs echo), loosing my free time, and loosing my precious sleep. I've worried about the gossip that happens in such a community. I've wondered what it will be like to discipline the girls when they break curfew or don't sign out or leave their room a mess. It'll be too weird to have them over and let them into my personal house where they can see (and judge?) my style, my mess, my pictures.

Then it hit me: all of these thoughts are centered around ME. The dread I feel in what I'M going to lose takes nothing else into account (except Matthew).... such as, oh I don't know... purpose? It occurred to me that I hadn't once thought about this new role and new lifestyle as purposeful, ordained by God, since after all He is the One who provided this housing when we needed it. And He is the One who gave me this job in the first place!

Oops.

So I had to confess my bad attitude and start thinking of the upcoming school year (coming all too quickly) as a chance for God to use me in ways I hadn't been used before. Yes, it will be uncomfortable, and yes, I will have to sacrifice, and yes, I will want to run away at times. But yes, also, He is the source of all things: energy, patience, wisdom, love, rest, joy and compassion. I'm trying to prepare myself for that instead of clenching my teeth and making fists in order to bear through it all.