New Beginnings

Needless to say, my transition to a working mother of four did not go as smoothly as I had expected. I am not sure where to begin in recapping the past school year. There have been many highs and lows. The best moments have been taking day trips with the kids. Nearly all low points have been related to school, particularly with the school leadership team. Perhaps I'll elaborate more on that another day, though I'd just as soon put the past behind me.

Today seems like a good day to resume blogging, because it is a day with new beginnings.

After meeting weekly for two years, the work of our Pastor Nominating Committee is finally coming to a close. Our new pastor signed the contract today and will begin working in August. Serving on the PNC for our church has been a far greater time commitment than I anticipated. I am so thankful to have a new pastor in place!

I received an email rescheduling our next Session meeting for this upcoming Tuesday. This will be my last meeting as an Elder! I have served on the Session (the governing body of a PCUSA church) for over two years now. My time on Session has seen us through the resignation of our pastor of 14 years, pulpit supply, interim pastor, and will conclude with ordaining and installing a new pastor. I also served as youth director for two of those years and continue to help with Christian Education. There have been numerous retreats and three-hour meetings. While I've learned a lot about the policies and behind the scenes work in a church, I look forward to installing new elders and rotating off the Session.

The most exciting news is I have accepted a job at another school teaching 5th grade math and science. The principal called this morning to offer the job I had interviewed for on Tuesday. To say that I am eager to leave my current environment is an enormous understatement. I have never departmentalized, so I'm excited to spend my energy and time specializing in my two favorite subjects. The new position will require new training, which I welcome.

The final opportunity for a new beginning is one I hesitate to mention because it is at the very beginning stages. After years of desire and prayer, I feel ready to pursue my doctorate. I have selected the program of study and contacted the admissions counselor to prepare for a start date this fall. There are a lot of steps I must take before acceptance can become a reality, such as taking the MAT again, acquiring transcripts and recommendations, and enrolling in financial aid.

I am more than ready to close out certain chapters and begin new ones. Hopefully, I'll do a better job documenting along the way!