Oops. It's been a long time since I last wrote. Since my last post, all I've found out is that they're reconsidering the German major budget cut idea, which is excellent, but we're still not 100% in the clear.
Since I last updated, here's what's been going on:
I spent Thanksgiving with my Grandma and Grandpa in sunny Sanibel Island, Florida, which was extremely relaxing and just the break I needed after such a long stretch between Labor Day and Thanksgiving. I met some really interesting and fun friends of my grandparents and enjoyed being with my grandparents, since I hadn't seen them in about two years!
The three weeks between Thanksgiving and Christmas break went by extremely fast. I drove home the first Saturday of Christmas break and spent the next two weeks at home. I didn't plan my time super well to see friends and family, but I managed to see a lot of people. I did a lot of relaxing and sleeping in and knitting and enjoying my family...and SNOW. I missed the ridiculous snow storm by about 6 or 12 hours, but I still enjoyed a white Christmas and real winter temperatures.
And now I'm back in SC, a week after the break and charging full speed ahead as usual. Last week I felt extremely unprepared all week, even though things were prepared...I think it was just trying to get back into the swing of things. This past weekend was really fulfilling--a Saturday of nothing (just how I love to spend my Saturdays!) and a perfectly timed message at church about finances, followed by a walk around my neighborhood on a perfect and sunny afternoon.
It's no secret that I'm buried under a mountain of student loan debt (the subject generally makes me want to crawl under my bed and hide for a long time) and while I was home for Christmas, my mom helped me figure out loan consolidation and my monthly budget (I swear, she's a wizard with finances!). It's tight, but I know it's not forever, and thanks to the generosity of family and friends and the grace of God, I'm getting by fine with my head still above water.
After the message at church, I was feeling very uplifted and happy, so I emailed the senior pastor, who had given the message that day, about how much I appreciated the message and how well it connected to my life. He wrote a short email back saying thank you for the email and promising to pray for me, which in and of itself was unexpected and sweet. I wasn't even sure he'd get the email, let alone respond on a Sunday evening. And then this afternoon, right as I was about to start the last bit of grade entering for this quarter, I got an email from his executive assistant saying that Pastor Greg wanted to give me two tickets for the upcoming women's conference (one for me and a friend!) AND pay for my hotel room. I was overwhelmed (in the best way) to the point of tears and am truly feeling God's blessings in my life right now.
So, that's where my life is at the moment. Teaching is still dominating my life, but things are good and I'm feeling good and happy. And today I can't stop smiling, which is probably the best feeling.
