A Sad Ending & an Exciting Beginning

Wow!  Is the school year really over?  Yep, it's come and gone and with it some HUGE momentous changes for me and some of my friends.  The 2011-2012 school year could very well be the last year I am a classroom teacher!  With this understanding comes fear, trepidation, and jubilant celebration! That's not to say that I don't love teaching and haven't loved spending the last 9 years (WOW!  9?!) of my life dedicated to "stomping out stupidity," but I now have the opportunity to try out one of my dreams.  It's gonna happen!

This year in CISD, something quite remarkable occurred.  Three librarian positions opened up.  THREE!  In the world of education, this is perhaps as common as Haley's Comet.  It just doesn't come around all that often.  I knew this was my chance to stay with a district I love and fulfill a dream I have had since beginning graduate school four years ago.  So, I took those first few steps and started the process.  After four interviews, I was wiped!  And I was disheartened.  I had not been accepted.  Excuse me?  Did they not see how amazing I am!??  Sheesh!!  I was bummed and was trying to come to terms with another year in the classroom when a good friend of mine reminded me of something I knew but had forgotten: "Alicia, God has a plan.  And His timing is perfect.  When He closes a door, He opens a window."  Debbie...you are an incredibly faithful and wonderful woman!  Ah ha!  Now I could see!    I couldn't yet see what was in store for me, but I could see that I needed patience.  Which was difficult I have to admit!  I was so close to being a librarian, but yet so far.  So, I waited and suddenly, I was smack dab in the middle of God's great plan.

Long story short...a 4th opening suddenly appeared, I got an interview the next day, (thanks completely to my INCREDIBLE principal) I had a call-back interview that same afternoon, and I had a job offer 15 minutes later.  It was there all along!  God's plan being built right in front of me!  But I was acting all human and impatient-like and not noticing it.

Sidenote:  Thirty seconds after getting the call and accepting the job (and after jumping and screaming and celebrating at Chili's with my two amazing girlfriends) the other school called me and offered the job there.  It was a scene from my life I will never forget.  I should really find a way to get this into a movie at some point.  It was that incredible!  Jenny...Kate...I'm so glad you were there to see it!

So, I had to say goodbye to a campus I have come to think of as my home for the last six years, and make my transition to my new campus where I am already being welcomed with open and loving arms.  I am still floating on a cloud I think.  I am in for some big changes, but knowing that God has a plan for even those things gives me comfort.  I don't know if you have ever been in the middle of God's wakeup call before friends, but it's life-changing.  He truly is there watching over us, preparing great things.  I hope that the next time I am faced with such a moment, I will be able to put my humanity aside for a moment and see it.  But if I can't, I hope that I have a friend there next to me, reminding me and supporting me the whole time.

Love!