Surprise!

Hey Long Lost Friends!

Sorry it has been a while! Things have been a little all over the place recently! It's been so sweet to hear updates from y'all and be guilted into realizing I've only posted once over these last 8 months...o dear, has it been 8 months already?!?!?!?

Let me tell you a little story...It's a sweet story of God's providence, perfect timing and the fears that paralyze us so easily.....
A few months ago, I sent my resume to a principal in Williamson county about a 5th grade interim opening that I thought nothing of and knew in reality I wouldn't take it because I was still going to be in graduate school but still saw it as an opportunity to get my resume out there...so didn't hear anything back from the principal for two or three months and thought nothing of it. Then on Monday (this past Monday), I got a call from one of my professors at Vanderbilt who informed me that I should be expecting a call from this principal about the 5th grade job opening. Knowing that I wasn't super interested in 5th grade, especially an interim position, and the fact that I have class on Tuesdays and Thursdays during the school day, I wrote it off and figured I would just politely decline any conversation about coming in for an interview or being considered for the interim position. But...then she called....and she told me they had an unlisted 2nd grade opening...hmmm....I had thought through my argument/way to get out of it pretty extensively and laid out my case and preached it... I would have to miss the last few days of school because of a trip I just planned to France (which I thought would get me out of the interview/avoid all of my fears of having to give up the frivolity of being a graduate student prematurely). However....she kept asking questions and saying that it would be fine if I had to miss a few days of school...so I agreed to go in for an interview. The hours between Monday and the scheduled interview time of Wednesday morning were crazy...I was overcome with tons of different emotions.....excitement, fear, anxiousness...... The thought of completing graduate school and teaching full time overwhelmed me and the thought of losing my control over my own time paralyzed me. The morning of the interview I was reading in my Bible Study about how the Holy Spirit speaks through people, circumstances and instincts when we are willing vessels of the Spirit....I also came to the realization that what was holding me back was my fear of losing my ability to be selfish....of my time, my community, my friends, coffee dates, my time to be by myself, my time at the gym....all the silly things of life that as a teacher you no longer have full control of and that I'd become so used to having control of (and really enjoyed that control!)l. I prayed that the Lord would simply bind me of fear if I was supposed to take on this seemingly overwhelming task. (Did I mention that this school was the first school on my list of "schools to target" for a job next year? This is the school where I dreamed of teaching due to it's awesome international community and principal!) When I walked into the interview, the principal instantly reminded me of my first grade teacher, Mrs. Anderson, who was the first teacher to ever have faith in me, pray for me and all of the other students daily, stood by me before my first ever solo, talk to my parents about my needs and potential....and is the only elementary school teacher I still am in contact with. The interview was a whirlwind, ending after 3 hours complete with an observation of the 2nd grade classroom of the teacher who is leaving on maternity leave. I left excited, passionate and enthusiastic of the opportunity ahead, confident that with either a "yes" or a "no" to this job the Lord was (and continues to be) in every moment. An hour after my interview, I received a call offering me the job and responded with a confident and enthusiastic, "YES!"....and so now, I'm a second grade teacher!!!!!!! There's more to the story, but that's the short and sweet of it :) I'm excited, nervous, giddy, anxious...but not fearful. :)

that's all for now! love hearing from you guys!

liz :)

ps. If you want to skype in with my class/be a pen pal/come into my class, let me know!!!!!!!!!