Teaching and Flexibility

I have now finished the first "week" of teaching on my own (it really was only two days!). I am having fun even though it is hard work to keep up with everything and I am learning all over again how to be flexible. I knew this from my other teaching experiences but I am having to learn it again! Especially when my plans don't fit the time slot! Actually that has not really proved to be a problem as of yet but I am sure I will have to face it sometime!
Where I am facing the flexibility issue the most is in a new class that I am teaching. Not only is it new for me - it is new for the school and I feel like I am finding my way in the dark. Everytime I think there might be light ahead it turns out that it is just another bend in the tunnel. I think that God is helping me to stay humble, that I might be a blessing to the nine kids in that class and that they might be a blessing to me. I have to remember that I am not the authority on the subject of praise and worship but I also want to challenge them to step out of their comfort zones, to explore new areas of worship. That means that I have to do the same.

Beautiful

Wow! Every day that I walk out the door I am amazed at how beautiful it is here. I know, I know - a picture is worth a thousand words! I will put pictures up eventually but I don't have anyway to download them right now. Hopefully I will be able to get a computer before too long.
Back to how beautiful it is here - when I look out across the cul de sac I see the ocean - blue as far as you can see - meeting the sky - also blue as far as you can see. And when it's cloudy it still is beautiful because there are multitudes of brilliant flowers all around. God sure is amazing to create all of this for me!
It reminds me of a song that I listen to on occasion - Beautiful One by Tim Hughes. The second verse and chorus describe what God's beautiful creation does to my heart.

"Powerful, so powerful
Your glory fills the skies
Your mighty works diplayed for all to see
The beauty of Your majesty
Awakes my heart to sing
How arvelous how wonderful You are

Beautiful One I love You
Beautiful One I adore You
Beautiful One my soul must sing."

He truly is Beautiful!

Howlie?...

I have been told that's what I am here in Hawai'i! A Howlie is a person whose ethnicity is caucasian. Hmmmm-I'm not sure what I think about that. The word can apparently be used as a descriptor or as an insult - it all depends on the tone of voice in which it is said!
I have been trying a lot of new foods since I have been here. I have had Kalimari, Seaweed Soup, Spam Mouselbi (spelling? - its a slice of fried spam sandwiched between two rice patties and wrapped in seaweed), a dried plum with some type of oriental seasoning on it that turns your tongue orange (I don't remember the name of it!), and a few other things. Everything that I have tried has been pretty good and some of it has been downright delicious!
I am adjusting to the time difference slowly but surely and I have been trying to make myself wake-up a little earlier each day. The first couple of days it didn't work too well because I had accidently set my alarm for pm instead of am! I thought my phone wasn't working until I remembered to check that setting!
I am gearing up for school to start - making lesson plans and decorating my room (classroom, that is). It's fun - I never expected to have my own classroom to decorate! I just have to be careful that I don't spend too much money - I don't get my first paycheck until September 15th - I have to make what I have stretch until then.
I am still looking for a car that I can afford. I am really praying that the Lord will provide one that is ten years old or less and under $4800. I would personally prefer a small SUV but I am willing to take whatever the Lord provides.
He has always taken care of me in the past, so I will continue to trust in Him.

Now I am an Island Girl!

So...this is my first of (hopefully) many posts. I have always wanted to start a blog and let people know what I am doing and now I finally have the time and energy! Granted - it is 3:05 am but I couldn't sleep! I just moved to Hawai'i last Wednesday so my sense of time is still off a little.
It is beautiful down here and I think I am getting a bit of a tan! (Yaayyy!) I haven't been in the ocean yet but that will happen before very long. I am looking forward to my new teaching job and meeting all my students, although I think I will probably have met most of them before school actually starts! It's a small community atmosphere here.
Right now I am staying in the home of one of the school board members and three of their boys will be in some of my classes.
Classes? Oh right...you want to know what I'm teaching! No? Well I'm going to tell you anyway! I am teaching two eighth grade english classes, a lit and comp class, a ninth grade drama class, and a praise & worship class this semester. Sounds fun doesn't it? Actually I am very excited about it all!
Of course I will miss all the people I have left behind on The Mainland (that's what the people here call the lower 48) but I know that God is faithful and He will provide opportunities for friendships here.
So I am trusting in Him.