For the Love of Money

I always knew that this world revolved around money and that most people go into professions for the sole purpose of making money, nevermind whether they enjoy it or not. Well, this was all reiterated at my student teaching observation and online. At my observation one of my co-op teachers was talking about how if he could do it all over again, he'd chose a different route cause this is the only profession where you cannot keep moving up the ladder. Once you're at the top, you're at the top and it's not that much money considering your degree. I just sat there thinking to myself, "Wow....you're teaching for all the wrong reasons." I'm teaching because I feel 1.) God has called me to teach because 2.) He has gifted me with the ability to teach; 3.) I love kids; 4.) I want a family and teaching allows you the freedom of having a job and still being able to be at home and 5.) money's not an issue to me. Then I think about my second co-op teacher at the same school who has his ph.d. and yet loves teaching high school. I'm sure he could have worked his way up in someother job biology related but no, he chose to teach and that is commendable. Then while hopping on the internet last night, msn pops up with one of the titles reading something to the effect of: "Do what you'll love......and starve. Why 'follow your heart' is bad career advice." Is that what we've amounted to?!?!?! Screw what you love to do and thoroughly enjoy and do something you hate and dread doing all for the sake of the almighty buck?!!! Sheesh. The love of money really is the root of all evil.

Paul Bunyan

So I'm back at IWU and I have to visit my student teaching placements before classes start so yesterday, today and tomorrow I'm at my first placement. Very boring. I sit there for 7 hours. Today I brought a few books and read most of the day. His lunch the past few days has consisted of dried peaches and yesterday he used a pair of scissors to scratch his back. The man is weird...nice, but odd. Can't I have a normal co-op teacher?!?! Oh ya, I'm in Indiana....that won't happen. Once again, I'm learning what NOT to do when I teach.

A Look at August

August has flown right on by. In looking back, so much has happened, it's unbelievable. God's done some amazing things and some things that make me wonder what He's up to.

1. Nissi....this is where I worked this summer. It's basically a factory/warehouse where we do piece work....in other words, the faster I work, the more I get paid. It's a very repetitious job but God blessed me with a job that was mon-fri and, more importantly, where there were other Christians. The owner and supervisor are Christians as well as a good 1/2 to 2/3 of the people that work there. I met some really cool Christians girls that are my age which really helped make work go faster. It's definitely a job that makes me go back to school.

2. My shins.....many of you knew that I was having a lot of trouble with shin splints. I went to the doctor and eventually physical therapy and started running again. Things are much better, praise God!

3. Ben....ok, this is probably the biggest thing. Ben's an incredible Christian guy I met through a mutual friend of ours that I've known for many years. We met up again and remembered we lived in the same town...ironic....so Ben gave me a call later that next week and we started just hanging out together. Well, eventually things developed into more. It's been awesome to have someone to hang out with, run with, etc. It's all so incredibly random that we both went, "Ok God, whatcha doing here??" It's really taught me not to put God in a box and limit him with my own expectations and timing. He's God....I'm not.

Unexpected blessing

The last few weeks have been so far from what I imagined this summer would bring. I mentioned my friend Ben in the previous blog, well, he and I have hung out almost consistently every day for the past few weeks. We've ran together, hung out, talked, even done work together. I was not expecting to find such a great person to hang out with. It's been so encouraging....and then some......I'll let you ponder that. Ya, Ben, you'll probably read this some time...haha....but really, it just amazes me how God knows our wants and needs and our desire for companionship and meets those needs in ways we never imagined. Over and over God is teaching me not to put Him in a box; not to limit him by our human intellect. We think we know what's best but we really aren't even close. Praise God that He does.