So, yeah... I'm starting to feel it.
Half-time. Like part-time, but different. At our school, you have to teach at least 20 hours to be half-time and get benefits (which include a sweet little tuition discount and sick leave and stuff). Part-time has no benefits. It's fewer than 20 hours. I was part-time the first year. Full-time the second year. This year is half-time.
So I'm working on the whole being-thankful-in-all-things thing, after just having rendered a large check to pay the discounted tuition, and here's where my heart is now.
Thanks to a very wise Seasoned Sister who took time to read through some of my previous whining...uh... posts, I am thankful that this year won't be as brutal timewise. At half-time (and because my schedule is what it is) I have time in my school day to plan and grade. I can leave school each day by 1:15, if I need to. I am done on Fridays at about 11am because my little middle school treasures will be in PE. So I can spend time taking care of my babies and hubby with things like cooking and cleaning and laundry, the stuff I couldn't get done last year because I was working nearly 24/7.
And thanks to my momma, who said, "God USUALLY doesn't make mistakes, you know! He knows how much you can handle MUCH better than you!" I am seeing half-time as a blessing and not an obstacle. I see God's loving hand directing my days so that I don't totally melt down. Yes, He is good.
So, I planned menus today and did the "shopping." Even though we are on a little different budget, I'm still doing the Harris Teeter ExpressLane because it's $4.95 in exchange for an hour of my time, and THEY stick to my shopping list where I don't. (Actually, this summer it's only $1.95 to have someone else stick to my list and do all my grocery shopping for me. Sometimes I wonder if they have a secret personal-shopper section of the store. The produce they pick for me is always better than the produce I find when I go there.)
So thank you, friends and family, for your prayers! And thank you, Father, for directing my path.
3 comments:
So happy to read this! And, just in case you haven't had this thought run your head today....
Your older two are just that..'older'..and 11th grade is a big number..because there's only one more after that...and there are NO do-overs. ENJOY this year (and next)!
Hugs to you.
Hmm, you're not far from me... and Robbie naps at 1-1:30ish, and Jocelyn has quiet time them... and I'm here with no one to play with around the time you could leave. Just sayin' that could be an option. :)
YAY to God for going with His will rather than yours! He's kind of better at this whole planning thing than you are. ;)
It's a privilege to be used by God to give encouragement. It's also neat to see how He has "redirected" you & given you a positive outlook on it.
Post a Comment