Hoyt House & English Tea

Deep down inside I wish I could have lived back in the days where ladies sat and had tea every afternoon and when special company over. Tea time, cucumber sandwhiches, fancy pasteries, and clots of cream are things I have only read about in my Jane Austen books and seen in the BBC/Masterpiece Theatre movies. There are even times I think I was born in the wrong era. A dream of mine was to have a tea party...a REAL tea party with loose tea leaves, fancy pasteries, and piano music in the background.

Last year I mentioned to a friend that I wanted to go to a tea room for my 29th birthday. I have to be honest I totally forgot about it...until Lori told me to "doll myself" up for a special surprise. I was thinking maybe she is going to take me to garden so she can take pictures of me.....or the beach.....

So the Sunday after my birthday I got up and curled my hair...put it halfway up....carefully applied my makeup....painted my toes to match my dress...and put on my ruffly sleeveless teal dress. After church Lori and I got into her car and headed north toward Fernadina Beach. We pulled into this beautiful yellow house which is also a Bed and Breakfast. A few times a week they have a English tea--complete with your own tea pot, tea cups and saucers, clots of cream, sugar cubes, and a tray of food including cucumber sandwhiches, egg salad sandwhiches, salmon, pasteries, and fruit.


I am thankful to have such a wonderful and thoughtful friend! :-)

Waiting for the one....my prince charming

Written June 22, 2012. Edited 5-13 This past week I turned a year older. My last year in my 20's...it is hard to believe. I still feel like I should be this little girl sitting on daddy's knee, playing with my Barbies, running barefoot down the street, and running through the sprinkler. It is also that time of year I begin to reflect on my singleness of life. This year it has been harder to be fully content about being single....mainly because I have already gone to two weddings this summer, one more wedding in a few more weeks, then another girl in my single's group is getting married in October. So that for one makes me want to get married even more. I had a coworker be blunt and ask why I was still single Nd why I wasn't asking guys out or flirting with them....I was stunned. I told her I really don't want to get a guy that way. She was surprised to hear that I didn't flirt. I got to really thinking about it that evening and decided I don't want to be known as a girl who got her man by flirting. The Lord brought to my mind some verses I studied in college on the unwise woman vs. the wise woman. I decided the unwise woman flirts and throws herself at a guy to get his attention. The wise woman waits on the Lord and lets the guy pursue her. This is what I want I want to be pursued....

Five years down...many more to go

Last Thursday, May 31st, I completed my fifth year of teaching. It is amazing to see how the Lord has allowed me to get this far in my teaching career. I admit there have been times I wanted to "throw in the towel" but the Lord {and I haven't let myself} do it. This past year, if I can give it one word, was INTERESTING. I know everything the Lord allowed me to go through was for a reason...it not only made me stronger as a teacher but also grow as a Christian.

I have been able to talk to my kids about Christ and what He did for them. How each child can serve God at home, church, and with their friends. We learned how to read and write stories. We learned how to count, fill in missing numbers, add, subtract, and measure things. Now my precious five year olds are moving on to 1st grade. I hope and pray that they will remember "the best teacher ever" (as they call me) and remember me as teacher who loved them and loved God.

The highlight of my year was directing my first kindergarten graduation program. I admit I was overwhelmed with the huge responsibilty. The Lord defintly helped me along the way. When it came to the week before the program I thought it would never come together. At the last minute on the last few days it came together beautifully. The program went great!!! My students did an awesome job--I was one proud teacher beaming from ear to ear.

When it came down the the last three days of school it was hitting me that some of these kids weren't going to be my students anymore. We had fun on our rainy field day with musical chairs and some other fun games. Wednesday the sun came out and we enjoyed an adventure at the zoo. Then Thursday I hugged my kids one last time....well as my kids at least. I am sure going to miss them!

I am so thankful for my fifth year of teaching and can't wait to do many more in the future if the Lord allows.

Something New

A dream of mine since my Patch Club days was to be like my mom and direct a children's program of some kinds. To me it looked like fun. Well this dream is defintly going to become a reality.  My administrator who has done kindergarten gradution for a long time....has handed over the torch to me. I get to direct my first children's program. How do I feel about it....well....excited and overwhelmed. I tend to be a perfectionist and want my kids to do a great job. I also feel a big resposibilty on my shoulders in having the opportunity and priviledge to be able to do this. I will have to admit I will msot likely have some stressful moments and Starbucks runs...but I know my kids and I will do an awesome job. This will also be a time for me to really trust the Lord.

I am a Dreamer

I am a bonified dreamer. I have all these little ideas in my head of things I want to do. Things from going skydiving to getting married. I always was getting in trouble at school for daydreaming too much. As years passed my dreams get more and more scarse....I do not know if its because I am getting older and less hopeful or coming to a sense of reality in my life. But I think deep down inside somewhere I still have dreams of being a concert pianist, getting married, going to Paris, etc. etc. etc.

One of my heartfealt dreams have always been to be a teacher. Not just a teacher but a teacher on the missionfield---oh and how I still dream that way today. My hearts desire is to someday go on the missionfield and teach---mainly teaching how to read. I also wanted to teach homemaking skills to villiage woman---like I said I have BIG dreams.....dreams that at times seems impossible to reach.....so I just keep on dreaming.

But, a "dream" or wish or hearts desire came true this past week at school. I have to admit I have been struggling alot at why I am a teacher....wondering if I am doing the right thing...wondering if I am a good teacher. I think its mainly the misbehavoir and discipline aspect that makes it hard for me. But, this past week a school parent told me something that her grand daughter said the night before---
"I wish I can read better so I can read the Bible and be a teacher just like Miss Page." What a blessing to my heart this was....especially after a very rough afternoon. This made all the hard situations with students {and parents} worthwhile in the end....I am doing what my heart has always desired to do. Teaching kids how to read for the sole purpose so they can read the Bible! Hearing and doing this makes my ministry and my job WORTH EVERYTHING in the end!!!!

I am going to keep dreaming and praying about going to the foreign missionfield someday, but for now Jacksonville, is my missionfield!!!! =D

Five Minute Friday: Real

Its Friday. Friday means the end of a busy work week, late night, and also Five Minute Friday blogging. I enjoy linking up with The Gypsy Mama, and joining in the wonderful unedited five minutes of writing. I love letting my fingers dance across my keyboard wondering deep down inside of any of my words are making sense. So now that my pandora radio station is playing, I am propped up against a pillow under my covers I am now ready to write.

Real

What is real in my life?
What is my life?

I am a teacher. I am a student (yes my students teach me a lot to). What is my purpose in teaching my fifteen students (10 boys, 5 girls) every Monday-Friday. Do I show them my real self---I have to admit they have seen me in ways that not even some of my friends have seen me. Am I being a true and real example to them and though my life showing them Christ.

What Do I Know About My God?

This past week my roommate (and friend) Joanna and I have started to do a weekly Bible study together. We talked about what we should do, and looked through my shelf of books. I happened to have the book by Mardi Collier What Do I Know About My God"  on my shelf. I have only read the first chapter and for some reason stopped reading it (bad habit of mine). This book so far has been a blessing and I cannot wait to really dig into it with Jo. This week we talked about Why do I NEED to Know God.  You know as a older Christian I have to admit I take the reasons why I have to know God for granted. I grew up in a Christian home, went to church when the door were opened, started ministry in the church at a young age visiting with my dad on the bus ministry, etc. I will have to save a whole other post for this topic that the Lord also has been working on in my life. But the Lord really showed me that God really wants me to get to know Him. There were six reasons (or points) why I need to know God.

1. Because God Wants Us to Know Him.
2. We can't love someone we don't know.
3. Because if we don't know the truth about our God we will believe Satan's lies
4. Because we need to make sure we are telling others the truth about God.
5. Because God has all the answers to life
6. Because life is ALL ABOUT GOD not me.

I will expound a little more on this this weekend.....good night friends~