I'm still alive!

I hope to do an ACTUAL post (crazy, I know) this weekend complete with PICTURES and everything--we shall see. These are my last few days of 'light crazy' before heavy duty 'full metal' crazy takes over my life. I start student teaching on September 8th, and while I think its going to be a crazy fun ride, I'm not kidding myself that its going to be one of the most challenging falls of my life. I'm going to be at school all day, teach two evenings a week at the Mobberly Academy of Performing Arts, and working at Michale's most other evenings as a Front end supervisor PLUS keeping three of my private students. The crazy train is about to leave the station...

I am so incredibly blessed though. I have an AMAZING teacher to work with this fall, a great university supervisor, no more of the online classes I HATED, my car doorhandles aren't falling off anymore, and I know I am in the palm of my Father's hand. Bring on the crazy--by His Grace I can do all things!

"I'm a doubting Thomas
I can't keep my promises
Cause I don't know what's safe
Oh me of little faith

Can I be used to help others find truth
When I'm scared I'll find proof that it's a lie
Can I be led down a trail dropping bread crumbs
That prove I'm not ready to die

Please give me time to decipher the signs
Please forgive me for time that I've wasted

I'm a doubting Thomas
I'll take your promise
Though I know nothin's safe
Oh me of little faith"
~Nickle Creek

This weekend I passed my practice PPR, so I am now cleared to take the actual PPR exam. After that, all I need is my student teaching to finish out my certificate! I'm still looking into tacking the 4-8 Generalist certification on--that will depend on having a supervisor who is willing to work with me, time, money, and my ability to pass the practice test (this content goes WAY beyond 4-8 and I am rather handicapped in the math and science department). One small step closer to Zambia!

I had another 5am truck this morning, and I'll have another one Friday. While 5am is not my very most favorite hour to be awake in, I'm so grateful to be able to put in a few extra hours and earn that much more before I can't work as many hours because I'll be student teaching, working at Michael's, (hopefully) teaching at a music school here in town, and teaching my own students. Oh yeah, I'll be doing lesson plans and hopefully having an hour or so to sleep each night. This fall is shaping up to be insanely busy, but I keep telling myself that a) I survived Target--I can do this!, b) you can do anything for a short period of time (see a), and c) this is all for Zambia and the Lord--if I'm no willing to sacrifice to make this happen, then I need to rethink my plans.

Ha, living in a third world country is going to seem downright relaxing after this year! I miss it so much--its hard to say how a place gets into your heartstrings, but I'm already getting a little teary thinking about flying into Lusaka. Last time the sun was just rising as we were coming in, and looking out the window I could see plains and trees with the red sunrise just lighting up the magical, empty landscape, and then suddenly in the middle of all the nowhere there was the airport! Getting off the plane we went down a ramp in the cool, smokey air (because they are such a small airport they don't have the tunnels) and into the terminal proudly proclaiming, "Zambia, the real Africa!" I'd better stop--I'm getting homesick all over again!