"Something BIG done happened to me and I gotta tell the world about it!" Mary Mary

First, let me start by saying that if you haven't read my last post (or last few), maybe you should! It will give you some background information!

Over the last two weeks I have been having revelations about situations I am going through. I am positive it is God letting me know WHY I had to go through those situations! I understand that several people do not get those answers a lot of the time and for that, I feel blessed! He has pretty much validated to me why I went through all these bad things/obstacles! I am excited to share all this with you! So bare with me, it may be LONG!

Less than a month ago something terrible happened to me while I was working at the gas station. I mentioned this in my July 14 post-Trials and Tribulations. This thing had the power to affect my whole life! It could've affected my career in a negative way which is my means, my dream and it made me feel HORRIBLE. I am still not ready to go too much into it. (I know I promised I would but I am not sure I should.) Anyway, when this happened I felt horrible and my whole live became one big question mark. I had to realize what was wrong in my life and I am a big believer in Karma. You get what you deserve! I was trying to find out what it was I did wrong. I realized I had been telling God for a year that if He allowed me to not work on Sundays then I would go to church. Well I hadn't worked a Sunday for a month and never once went. Hindsight 20/20... he was making a path for me. He knew that the only way I would finally leave that gas station was to have something bad happen to me there to give me a "bad taste in my mouth" about it. He knows how stubborn I am. He wasn't punishing me, he was HELPING me!

Let me give you a timeline of my path:
**Friday, July 12, 2013- This is the day the bad event happened and I felt horrible. On that day I realized this was a trial and tribulation that God was giving me to guide me to where He wants me! I had been praying for God to help build our relationship and He gave me Trials and Tribulations so I would trust Him! It worked!
**Sunday, July 14, 2013- My first time going to church here in Florida. Amazing experience. That sermon was JUST FOR ME!
**Sunday, July 21,2013- I was reading a daily devotional on my phone (free app) and praying a lot! Just having faith in Him!
**Friday, July 26, 2013- I heard God speak to me and tell me to, "Be patient." I praised Him hard and I was SO happy to get a message!!
**Tuesday, July 30, 2013- This was an important day I had been waiting for all month. It came and God did not fail me although I did not have the answers I wanted THAT DAY. He delivered later! I went out that day and bought a daily devotional that my friend had recommended it! (Jesus Calling by Sarah Young)
**Wednesday July 31,2013- When I prayed to God on this morning and was talking with Him about wanting a teaching job this year He told me to send emails to Principals and mention my ESL experience. It turns out that all my praying and emailing the Principals worked because an hour later I had a hit for an interview that coming Friday! (That ended up being the job I got!) Later this day at church I had revelation/epiphany about why things were happening the way they were for me. This is when I came to the realization that the reason that bad event happened at the gas station was to get me out of the gas station. God wanted me to have a "bad taste in my mouth" about going back for several reasons! 1. So we could continue our great and growing relationship. Because if I went back to working there again I would surely be working 15 hour Sundays again in no time. 2. Because He already had this teaching job lined up for me. I am sure there are several more reasons I just do not know yet!
**Thursday August 1, 2013- I had another hit on my emails. I set up another interview for Friday morning! I was beyond elated!
**Monday August 5, 2013- I got my job offer at Northwood Elementary in Crestview!! This was the principal that responded to me RIGHT after I felt that God told me to email the principals! As soon as I accepted this job I got a call about the thing I did not get answers to on July 30! This is when He delivered later!!! And boy, did He deliver! He answered all my prayers! I was still worried about one little thing and continued to pray about it!
**Wednesday August 7, 2013- He answered that one little thing I prayed about!! I also signed my teaching contract this day!!!!

Today I had a HUGE revelation into God's plan... and it brought me to tears! As soon as it happened I called my mom to tell her! I had to tell someone and I knew she would share my excitement and enthusiasm and understand me!

This is what I told her in a nutshell:
I told her I realized today that I was meant to get that classroom assistant job at Silver Sands (which I really LOVED) because it made me meet a lady named Nora (and several other AWESOME people). I worked with Nora this summer and at the end of this summer about a week after this bad event happened to me- her husband started working at my old gas station (He kind of took my place.) And Bud LOVES him! When I talked to Bud last night he asked me for my key to the store back! Some of y'all should know how happy this makes me! It finally closed that chapter! I know God wanted me out of there to fulfill my purpose elsewhere. And it makes me feel AMAZING to think I am apart of something bigger! What if I never met Nora or her husband never went to work for Bud? What if I didn't take that bad event as a sign from God? What if I didn't listen to God when He was talking to me? Would I have been patient or would I have given up? Would I have emailed that principal? Would I have gotten this AWESOME 4th grade teaching job?!?! And what purpose do I have for being at this school, in this grade? I am excited to find out!! And I trust that in His time God will reveal it to me! Or maybe he won't but either way I WILL trust Him!

During this wonderful chat with my mom she helped me realize several things... in no particular order!

• It is always easy to take the nicely paved road that has several water stops along the way. But when you take the road less traveled you go uphill, downhill, come across rocks, holes, jutting branches, big trees in the way! But you must trust that God will be there to guide you when you feel you cannot go on, guide you when you don't know what to do or to just guide you because there is a better way. The road less traveled is A LOT harder but it is SOOOOOOO worth it once you get there!
• I am a lot more blessed that I give myself credit for. I, and my mom agrees, am blessed with intuition that a lot of people do not have! I am just really finding out how great it is!
• I am also blessed that God has just laid a clear path for me. When I accepted this job in Crestview (30 minutes in the opposite direction of Dustin's work) (We share a car.) I wasn't worried because I KNEW God would make a way for us and he did! The day I accepted the job him and another guy decided they would be carpooling together! All I have to do is drop Dustin off at his house in the morning! How awesome is that?!
• My mom and I have ALWAYS had someone to take us under their wing, to guide and help us when we needed it the most! I had several people growing up and even now! So blessed and thankful!! 

Praising Him like NO tomorrow!! So grateful, humbled, blessed and impressed!


P.S. If you want to know this even I will share it with you, I have no problem with that. But I did not want to put it on here.

What the teacher is, is more important than what (s)he teaches. ~Karl Menninger

In the last 2 weeks I have had a substitute job everyday! I have been to a few different Elementary schools, and a school for kids with special needs. Those students are from the ages of 4-23! When these students get their certificate they go to Pyramid! For just about 2 weeks I worked at this one school subbing for several teachers! It was fun, rewarding and trying all rolled into one. I have a few more jobs lined up this month and April for teachers in this school.

I have subbed for a Kindergarten class and WOW is all I can say! They are SO full of energy! They have a little LESS structure than what I like BUT I had a blast with them. I learned real fast that: 1. Members of the same family should NOT be in the same class. 2. Kindergarteners tattle on EVERYTHING. 3. Three boys going to the bathroom at one time is a MISTAKE! 4. Kindergarteners are so sensitive and sweet! But I loved every minute of it! (I also saw a student get picked up in a hearse which I thought was interesting!)

I worked with 5th grade Science and loved it as well. The subject area for 5th graders is fun and interesting to me!! The behaviors were a little outrageous especially since the day before I worked with Kindergarteners but it was still enjoyable! I heard a 5th grader say "She's got more cushion for the pushin'!" I thought to myself "WHAT THE HECK DID HE JUST SAY?!" LOL Never a dull day in substituting!!

I subbed for a 5th grade class this week at the Ballet school again. I felt confident teaching everything but when I saw the Math I thought, "Fractions, Decimals and Factors, OH MY!" LOL Luckily I had the book to refresh my memory and Math went without a hitch! I even helped a student and had an "AH HAH" moment! It made my day!!! I love 5th grade and fractions REALLY aren't that bad! I actually kinda liked it!! I really wouldn't mind a 5th grade position at all!!

When I was shopping in Wal-Mart today with Dustin I felt a little kid hug me. I turn to see who it is and it was a Kindergartener I had earlier this week. She ran up and hugged me! It was SOOOOOO stinking cute! My heart melted and I walked around the rest of the day with a big ol' cheesy grin on my face! I cant believe she remembered me! (I know it was this week but still.)

I noticed I have been getting calls daily and from some of the schools that I have been subbing more frequently! Hope they keep coming! It makes me feel good, makes me feel like I am getting really close to my dream of having my own classroom! I can feel it! It is SO close! Keep praying for me y'all!

Sometimes things must fall apart for other things to fall into place.

These last few weeks I have been praying like CRAZY! And I must admit, I feel closer to God than I ever have! It is a great feeling. I have been praying for friends,  family and even the people I am not too fond of and it gets easier. The people I used to have a hard time saying prayers for- it no longer leaves a bitter taste on my tongue. I feel like that is an accomplishment!

Several other things have been in the works for me as well.
I have completed ALL my substitute paperwork and actually subbed 2 days last week, would of been 3 but more on that later! I HOPE I will receive more calls this week. This is how it started: On Monday, January 23- I got a phone call at 6:30 in the morning. As you know I work 15 hours on Sundays and I was planning on sleeping in and enjoying my day off. But when that phone rang and I accepted that job I had energy like no tomorrow! I literally had 45 minutes to drop Dustin off at work, come home, shower and get to the school. I made it! That day I taught music at an Elementary School. It was amazing to get back in the schools again! I LOVE teaching and I love those little kids! I do have to say THANK GOD I took band or I would have been screwed! I taught the recorder, played rhythm bingo, taught a new song and played xylophone! None of this would have been possible without Mr. Thomas, Mr. Kuzero, and Mr. Washburn! LOL I had a blast!

Then on Tuesday, January 24- I was prepared to go into Pyramid  but I got a phone call at 8:00am. I was SOOOOO excited. So I let Pyramid know that I wasn't coming in and told them I would explain later. The job I got called in for was 3rd grade at a Ballet School. And I am not going to lie when I heard this I freaked a little and thought to myself- "Self, as long as you are not teaching Ballet you are good to go!" This ended up being a fantastic day! I had huge breaks because the students went to French for a while, then went to Ballet and lunch. After lunch we came back and did math, reading and social studies. It was great! I love the 3rd grade curriculum. I didn't get a call on Wednesday and Thursday and was super sad about that. Then Thursday night I got a phone call from Pyramid asking me to drive the van Friday morning and to decline a job if I got a sub call. I said I would because they said I would be driving then put in the art room. I got a call an hour later from the school I interviewed at and the Principal personally put me on the sub list. So when I had to decline it it hurt my heart. Then as I am driving the van the next morning I got another call. Then on top of all this!!!! I get put in a DIFFERENT classroom. One with several behaviors. This made me mad at first because I was like, "I missed out on teaching jobs for THIS!??" But I realized as I thought more about it and the day progressed that THIS is what God is teaching me. I felt like he was telling me to no longer LET people walk all over me and that it was MY time to do what I wanted. I needed to "DO ME" in a sense and stop putting my needs/wants on the back burner. I want to teach and that is what I plan on doing!!

I look forward to the up coming weeks and jobs I get. I just hope I didnt ruin my chances of getting more substituting jobs because I declined two this week!

LIVE, LOVE and PRAY!

Time is what we want most, but... what we use worst. ~Willaim Penn

Wow... So my last post was 2 months ago!!! Since we have moved to Florida time is passing by so fast. I cannot believe I am 27 years old. I am so close to 30 it scares me. I haven't even accomplished close to all the things I plan to do by 30. Because I see time ticking by so quickly, now you better believe I will be knocking those things off my list at a rapid rate!

2011 is coming to a close. I can say that this year was pretty good to me, definitely better than 2010 but I am looking forward to the new year of 2012!

I had my first teaching interview in Florida today. It went well. During the interview they asked me a question about Fluency and for a split second I forgot what it was. I was so nervous.... but I recovered. I am hoping I receive a good call next week. It is for a 3rd grade position and the school seems absolutely amazing, all the staff are nice. It was just a great experience and I want to work there! I have all my paperwork turned in for 2 counties now so I am hoping I hear something soon. I put packets in for teaching and/or substitute teaching in both counties and have been praying hard for one or the other!

Dustin started his new job on October 18. He loves it so far and it's good pay. It is pretty much a tie between his electrical background and Papa Johns driving background because he delivers electrical supplies all over the panhandle and Alabama area. I am glad he likes it! He is also looking into going to school to pursue a degree so he can be a park ranger! I think that is a good choice, he loves the outdoors so he would be GREAT at it.

I am still working at the gas station for the time being but I picked up another job on October 19 (my birthday). I work at a "school" for disabled adults. I give mad props to everyone who works there. It is NO walk in the park. I have had to see/hear/do things that are not pretty. My heart aches for some of these people. In the 3 weeks I have been there, I realized that this is not something I can do for much longer. I would have quit but I was taught never to 'burn your bridges' and I just cannot being myself to quit after only 3 weeks. So I am in a dilemma. Like I said, I admire everyone in any "care-giving" field. It is just not something I can handle.

The time change has got me all messed up. Here in Florida it is bright at 6:30am and getting dark by 4:30pm and it is CRAZY!! LOL I guess we will get used to it! Still, I love it here in the "Sunshine State!"

Unless I get this teaching job, we will be going home or to our hometown as Brandon would say, for Thanksgiving! (Because Florida is our new home!)  Also, Dustin's best friend is getting married and he is the Best Man. :-D I know I am excited to see some friends and family! Oh and my kitties!! :-D

Well, that is about all that is going on here. I guess I will get off here and finish this Bears vs. Eagles game with my boo! Go Bears! (Only time you will ever here me root for them is when they're not playing the Packers!)

P.S I wanted to share this link. It is Awesome!