Time

I am constantly watching the clock and thinking, "Where did the time go?!" But, part of me wishes I wasn't like that. Looking back, I feel like I am constantly rushing through time, and in turn, rushing through life. I need to take more time to sit back and relax - live my life. So in an effort to do so, I took the day off yesterday. I already had to go to the dentist, so I used the rest of the day as a mental health day. And oh, how amazing it was! I got to sleep in (until 8am... rock on!!), go to the dentist, and then I got to have brunch with a very dear friend. While I had planned on coming home and reorganizing my closet to house all of my fall and winter clothes, I decided to take a nap. It was raining, so I thoroughly enjoyed it!! AND, since it was only 1:30 when I woke up again, I still got things done! I ran errands, met one of my girls to help her out, and I even got my closet reorganized and my room cleaned (not just picked up - CLEANED!) And, I still managed to meet some friends for dinner. It was pretty nice. This might sound terrible to some, but I didn't even think about my students at all (except when asked about school). I think I needed a break that bad to remember that there is a life outside of my school. While I wish I didn't have to work and could just pass the days by meeting friends for lunch and taking naps, I also know that I wouldn't feel productive - EVER - and I also wouldn't get the feeling of JOY I get from walking out of my classroom most days. Of course, it has challenges and it has bad moments, but I don't think there is anything more rewarding than knowing that you are touching the life of a child.
I am excited about this upcoming weekend - and not just for the break it will provide me from my students. Because in fact, I will still be working on Saturday with my high school girls. We have another band competition and I am excited about how very far we have come since our last one. The girls have really started to click with their work, and they get it. Things are really looking great, and I hope they can be consistent with the things they've learned and the work we've gone over and cleaned. They have all worked incredibly hard over the last few months in preparation for this weekend, and I sincerely hope their efforts truly pay off. They deserve the best. On Sunday, I am going with some friends to visit a new church, and then we are going down to the Taste of Atlanta. I'm excited about the entire day. I hope that we will go in with open hearts and open minds when we go to Johnson Ferry. I pray that the Lord would bless our time together as we go on this new venture to find a church home. I know that He has a place for us to fit in so we can serve Him and find fellowship with others, but I do hope that we truly listen and find it quickly. We need the wisdom to discern what it is that He is telling us through this process. I have no idea what to expect from Taste of Atlanta, so I'm sure that will prove to be very interesting, but we'll have fun no matter what - of that I am sure! So, hoepfully, this weekend will be one that I can truly enjoy the time I have with those around me, and I will not be constantly looking at my watch to check the time.