Why????

So, I have tried my hand at blogging before, and I have decided to try again.

I'm not sure why I am trying this again, other than there are days where I have the most amazing stories and it would take to long to call everyone up and share, or there are days where I just need to get something off my chest. So, I guess I want this blog mainly for my friends and family who I can't always catch up with and who may want to keep track of my life. Not that my life is always entertaining or necessarily interesting, but it does seem to stay crazy and exciting (ok, at least for me). I hope to keep up with this and to be able to share with those near and far away the adventures I am having and experiencing as a teacher, a musician, a child of God's.

So, here we go. Where am I at this point in my life now? Well, I am 26, but I spend the majority of my time with 12 to 18 year olds, so sometimes I feel closer to 40 and other times I feel closer to 16. I am teaching at a wonderful Christian school with some AMAZING co-workers and some pretty INCREDIBLE teenagers. I'm not sure how I ended up here, other than I was graduating from college four years ago and needed a job. I alway envisioned myself teaching elementary school music and molding little Mozarts and Bachs and eventually opening up my own piano studio. Then this Christian school called and said they needed a teacher to start a high school choral program and eventually take on the middle school choral program. Oh, and they needed that teacher to also teach freshmen Bible. So, I talked with my hubby, Jeff, we decided this sounded like a good option (afterall, I went to a Christian school, so teaching Bible wouldn't be a big deal, right?) and off we went to interview and apartment hunt.

And that is how, four years later, I am now a full time teacher, teaching freshmen Bible and Middle and High school choir. Not quite what I envisioned, but since when does what I envision and what God plans always match up?

I do consider myself blessed. I had the AMAZING (and I do mean amazing) opportunity to START a choral program. That meant not stepping into anyone else's program, but creating my own. Picking my own music, planning my own trips, designing my own curriculum. And I have literally put blood, sweat, and tears into this program. Hopefully, I have managed to bring glory to my Father along the way. At least that's what I'm always telling my kids (I currently have 78 of them!), "all I ask is that you do your best to glorify God."

Each year has brought new challenges and new steps for me. My first year meant figuring out what I wanted in a choral program and learning a new Bible curriculum (I'll save that story for another day). My second year meant taking on the middle school choral program and working with a small high school choir (that year, I planned my first choir trip; again, more on that one later). My third year meant continuing both programs and taking my students to two competitions (Disney included!). This year has meant juggling two full choral programs, starting a new women's ensemble, and learning another Bible curriculum. I have loved every minute of it and wouldn't go back and change anything.

So, for those of you who decide to follow this blog and peak into my world of music and students, I hope you will be blessed and that my lessons that I have learned will maybe help you out as well. If anything, I hope you will see God in my life. Like I said, all I ask is that what I do glorifies my Maker.