So, here it is December and I have been accepted to the September 2007 World Race team. I have 9 and 1/2 months to wait. On the one hand, it great because I have plenty of time to prepare and do fundraising. But on the other hand, it’s only December and I’ve already been looking at rei.com for gear ideas and I’m so anxious to know what countries we will be going to!
We are, right now, in the season of Advent. My childhood pastor always described advent as a time of housecleaning for your heart to prepare room for Jesus, when He comes at Christmas. Just like the month of December usually involves lots of housecleaning and preparing at your home for the holiday parties, your heart needs some prep work to fully accept Jesus. So, I guess I am about to enter a realy long Advent to prepare for the World Race.
Enough of that though, this is my bio, so you are reading it because you want to know me. Ok, here we go… I have been a Texan for almost two years now and I am beginning to get used to the strange weather. I grew up in Indiana, where there are still four seasons. I was raised relatively near to Lake Michigan and have always had a love of the beach and “big water” (as opposed to things like ponds). I really hope I will get an opportunity to try surfing while I am on the World Race.
I am a teacher. I teach English/literature/writing/grammar/etc to 11th and 12th graders who, on most days really really wish I’d be quiet and let them watch a movie. I teach at a small charter school which has it’s issues but it also has it’s benefits. I do enjoy small classes and time to get to know my students. I work with some great teachers and have learned a lot from them. I feel sorry for my students sometimes though, since I am learning and experimenting on them every day!
I belong to a wonderful church called Sunnyvale First Baptist Church . I am very happy to be there and feel like there is a place there that has been specially designed for me. I have made wonderful friends there and it has become a big, extended family. I belong to the Elevation Sunday School class, which is just awesome!
As far as things I like to do and ministry work and that kind of thing… I love music, though I don’t play any instruments. My iPod will definitely be traveling the world with me! I love to read and read a crazy amount of books. I read a lot of nonfiction and young adult fiction, Christian fiction and a few secular books that are “clean.” I live my life very much by the principle of “garbage in, garbage out” and try to keep my mind as clean as possible. I have enough garbage in my past to fill my mind with unpleasantness at time, I don’t need to add to it! So, this principle also limits my movie watching. I rarely go to the theater, since I don’t want to spend $8 for something I may be offended by and have to walk out.
So, now you think I’m totally boring and no fun at all. Wrong! I love to play games, go see live theater and concerts, play with my nephew, drink loads of coffee with my friends, do “crafty” things (knit, sew, make stuff), and just generally have fun.
I work with AWANA at my church and let my kids challenge me to learn verses with them and I do various other small things at church as needed. I helped serve a Thanksgiving dinner to one of our mission churches, I am helping with childcare for a conference, I made a comfort/prayer quilt for a friend awaiting a lung transplant and I LOVe to host parties for good fellowship time for my friends. I just love to help people, however I can. I put myself and my heart into everything I do.
As far as the World Race – I always tel my friends to use their singleness to take risks and do things they won’t have time to do once they are married and have kids. So, that is exactly what I am doing. I can’t wait to get to know my teammates and to embark on this great adventure!
