Planned Part is Over!

It's been great being back in Minnesota. It was such a joy-filled time to be able to be at the Community Meeting on Sunday and see everyone once again. The week has been good, very relaxing, and somewhat productive. After running around at a super high fast pace for the last three months, I'm trying to figure out how this slow-paced life at home works. I still want to be productive and there's a LOT that I want to accomplish during this time. I am now pretty much certified as a real, live teacher. Woo hoo! So, that means I need to find a teaching job for next year. That is what this month is about primarily. (I am in the Twin Cities for a month. I will head back up to Morris for the last three weeks of the semester, graduate, home for 3 days, and then head to Scandinavia for 2.5 weeks. Wow!) But, besides that month and a half spanning mid-April to the end of May, this ends the "planned part of my life". College is done, living situation is being investigated, jobs are being pursued, etc... That's a weird realization.

Since I've been back, I have finished my first draft of my resume and am starting on cover letters today. I have my eye on some different job posting sites, but will also be keeping track on individual school districts. I suppose I should insert some more details here. I have a few (loose) criteria for life next year. I need to be in a location where there is a branch of the People of Praise (any branch). Four years being away from a branch is more than enough for me! I feel the Lord is calling me to teach next year, most likely in a full-time teaching position where I have my own classroom. (Well, at this stage in the game, that's what I would like.) I would really like to live in some sort of a household with other singles or a family. And, I want to be more involved in the City-Building, Missionary lifestyle. I have been involved, and I consider myself to be a missionary already, no matter where I am. But I want to take that and make it my all... every day of my life, my mission in life.

So, as a result of all of these elements, I believe that I will most likely be in the Twin Cities metro area next year. This is exciting to realize and I'm finally starting to get glimpses of what life could be next year. I have talked to numerous people about this, and it seems pretty clear that this is where the Lord is calling me for now. In addition to that foundational call, it's even more exciting for many reasons: I grew up here, but haven't really come into my own as a full member of this branch; my family and so many of my friends are here (inside and outside People of Praise); there are many possibilities for household life here; my teaching licenture is in the state of MN, so no re-licenture is necessary; there are many districts and types of schools to pursue employment opportunities in, I'm not limited to one or two districts.

Many things are unknown, but it's all quite exciting. Even though this is the end of the "planned part", I know that Someone Else has an even greater plan for my life. That's all I need to know in order to have peace and trust in Him. Amen!