Bloom!

It's the beginning of 2016 and already I've experienced so much joy.  But there's been some rough days of the new year, too.  I just recently  found out that my school's beloved nurse went Home with Jesus.  Lily was my Taiwan mama and we were really close, so it's been a hard week.  There's so much sorrow but so much joy too.  My Taiwan mama was diagnosed with ALS and battled it for one year.  She's now dancing in the presence of her Savior and I'm so glad. Lily was someone who overflowed with the love of Jesus and spread it every day.  She nursed me when I was suffering from intense nerve pain.  She often sat me down at her desk and gave me amazing massages. She took time to listen and see what was really bothering you.  She always hugged tight and smiled big and prayed a lot. I saw her pour out herself over and over again for our students.  I never saw a single student scared or nervous in her presence and that's because Jesus was so present

“As for God, His way is perfect: The Lord’s word is flawless; He shields all who take refuge in Him.” – Psalms 18:30 I remember my first year in teaching private school. My hair was tied up in a perfect ponytail, and I had remembered to wear some earrings on my ears. My outfit was neat and freshly-ironed, and every bit of it was perfect. My co-teacher and I had spent most of the week getting each area ready. We had hit some stores to get some themed decorations for our room. We wanted the children to feel welcome and enjoy every day with the new toys and activities we had planned for the first few weeks. Two weeks into the school year, and one fine day, our classroom looked like a hurricane had run smack into the middle of the classroom, two kids were having an argument, and another child was crying because she needed a hug. It was a struggle, and it was stressful. I worried we would look unprepared to other teachers. I worried we weren’t building enough rap