The Pursuit of Teaching

Hi, and welcome to my blog! I decided that my first post should be an explanation of where I have been and where I am going. Most importantly, however, my relationship with Christ and his affect on my pursuit of teaching. As a young child I would always play "school" with my friends (needless to say, they weren't always as excited about it, as I was). I even remember my first weeks of school when all I wanted was some homework! It seemed that I was born to be a teacher. Then, my younger brother was born when I was 9. Having him around I realized that teaching was something I wanted to actually do, rather than play. During these times in my life, my family had always taken us to a Lutheran church in the area I grew up in. God had always seemed a part of my life, but never close at hand...always far away. But in attending the Lutheran church, I thought if I went through the routine of going to church Sundays, having communion and later getting confirmed would do the trick to get me into heaven. This went on through my father's struggle with cancer, and later death. I decided to get confirmed, altough I felt something tugging at me to not succumb to that, because I felt that it is what my dad would've wanted. I later figured out that this was God starting to work in me. Although I did not have Jesus in my heart at the time I felt God filling a void in my life once my father passed away. Then, when I was 14, I met the love of my life, Aaron. God knew exactly what He was doing, when He put Aaron in my life. Every week we were dating Aaron would go to his church on Sunday and I would go to mine. But we alternated on Wednesdays and went ot youth group together. All the while he was urging me to attend his church for good. I don't remember why, but at the time I was very hessitant and pushed it off for a few months. When I finally started attending his church full time, I realized how much I learned! I learned more there in one day than I did at my old church. I started listening to the local Christian radio station, KSBJ, and the youth group started studying Revelations. God shortly revealed to me that I was unsure where I would go when I died. One evening I went with my mom to Walgreens and she said she only needed 2 things. I turned on KSBJ and just sat there waiting and listening. All of a sudden the radio station cut out, I looked around and saw that the sky was red, and my mom had been in the store for at least 30 minutes. I put two and two together and started to frantically search for cars wrecking and other signs of the second coming. I began to pray to God that He would take me with Him and not leave me here. I thanked Him for His son, and the sacrifice He made to save me from a life of unresolved sin. Right then and there, I asked Jesus to come into my heart and take over my life. Once I finished praying, KSBJ came back on, the sky cleared and my mom came walking out. I was relieved that the second coming hadn't actually happened and that I was now SAVED by grace! Over the years God continued to work in me and feed my desire for teaching. He led me to Stephen F. Austin State University in Nacogdoches, TX, which was the perfect school for me. He also continued to draw Aaron and I together. We got married in August of 2008, in between my Sophomore and Junior year. He has been very supportive of my drive to teach. This semester I will be student teaching at Lakeshore Elementary in 2nd grade and in Kindergarten. I will be using this blog to chronicle my process from student teaching, to finding a job, to my first year teaching. This is the pursuit of teaching.