Carpe Aeternitatem: Seize Eternity

"He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end." Ecclesiastes 3:11

Bloom Where You Are Planted

I was recently reminded that my life is not really my own. And...although I have the ability to make choices and "go my own way," God has a plan and purposes for my life. Therefore, I have the opportunity to utilize the gifts and abilities I've been given..."planting seeds, nurturing and sometimes even having the opportunity to witness full growth, or reaping the harvest."

I am currently fulfilled and having fun on the job. I feel like I've had the chance to put down roots and I'm enjoying working alongside teachers, answering questions, helping them plan and exposing them to new options for using technology in their classrooms.

MOOYAH!

Even thought MOOYAH Burgers & Fries opened a few months ago, I'd never taken the opportunity to stop by and grab one. However, all that changed tonight when a friend said she'd been craving a good burger and fries. We took a "risk" and we were definitely rewarded, YUM! If you like this kind of grub and haven't tried the juicy burger and hot, skin-on fries then you've got to put this one on your list of places to check out. I'm quite certain I'll be paying this location a visit again, in the not-so-distant future. :)

Chips & Salsa: The Essential Staples of Life

Forewarning, this post falls into the random thought category.

You know the old saying, "The apple doesn't fall far from the tree?" Well it is a very true statement about me when it comes to chips and salsa. You see, I am definitely my father's daughter. We both enjoy a basket of warm, thin, crispy chips accompanied by fresh salsa. In fact, there's absolutely nothing like them. Yum!

Quite honestly, I do think I might be able to live by chips and salsa alone. I could definitely eat them at least once a day, if not at every meal and snacks in-between as well. Basically, life is very good with this delectable "staple."

I guess to some this might sound completely insane, but maybe there are others that actually agree. Either way...I personally plan to continue enjoying them as often as I can.

What a Wonderful Surprise!

Earlier this week an anonymous individual sent me these beautiful flowers with the following note attached.

Michelle-

Thank you for all of your work for us this summer and the great new computers! We're looking forward to having you in our classrooms this year!

A grateful teacher

I wanted to take this opportunity to publicly thank this individual for going out of his/her way to express your gratitude. What a total and unexpected surprise and the fact that you sent them anonymously makes it even more special! :-)

Thank you for reaching out. I pray I will have multiple opportunities to "pay it forward" and bless others; quite possibly you too in return. ;-)

With sincere thanks; God bless.

Pressing On

Endurance -the ability to withstand hardship or adversity; especially : the ability to sustain a prolonged stressful effort or activity. Webster's dictionary

In an effort to boost my tennis game, I've been including running, walking and weight lifting, tennis drills and boot camps to my workout routine. I've also noticed that I have more endurance and what was extremely difficult and in some cases basically impossible, initially, are now easier to complete. I was a sprinter way back in the day; never any good at distance running. Therefore, I've surprised myself recently by being able to run a longer amount of time and distance than I ever have before in my life.

I'm trying to remain focused and hopeful that I can continue making positive progress.

Pressing on Toward the Goal
Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Philipians 3:12

Teaching/Coaching

A teacher affects eternity; he can never tell where his influence stops. Henry Adams

Recently I've been reflecting on how much teachers and coaches have impacted my life and I realize how much they all helped foster my love of learning.

I guess you could say I'm sort of a professional student in some ways, but maybe one day (in the not so distant future) I will complete the official degree on which I am working. :)

Upon completion of the degree, I do think I'll probably continue my quest for knowledge in some form or fashion, possibly including different kinds of continuing education classes like learning to play the guitar or taking lessons to improve my tennis game.

I definitely enjoy gaining and sharing new knowledge and skills. I also love the thrill of competition, so teaching/coaching students and teachers is right up my alley.

Last year I had the opportunity to help coach my school's tennis team and just tonight I completed a required online course, Fundamentals of Coaching, so I can continue to assist during the 09-10 school year.

I'm looking forward to this school year, continuing to coach and stepping back into an instructional role (it's been 5 years now)...collaborating with teachers, working with students and coordinating, designing and delivering professional development.