Travel back in time with me to July 2006. I had graduated from high school on May 22 of the same year. I had attended the same school for my entire life. I graduated with a class of 60-70 people (not sure of the exact number). So, we literally all knew each other and most of us had grown up together. So, here I am during the summer preparing for a major change-college. I was excited about this change, but also nervous. It helped to know that one of my good friends was going to be attending the same college. We also were both going to be members of the Sound of the South colorguard.
Due to being a member of the colorguard, I had to move to Troy early for band camp. I had a scholarship, so I was going to live in the dorm. My parents went up with me and we moved all of my stuff in the dorm. For band camp, however, I would be staying with my friend, Andrea and my soon to be friend, Ashley in their apartment. Band camp was an extremely long, hard 2 weeks. It was all worth it, though, to stand on the field for a home crowd and perform with the Sound of the South. I also had the opportunity to perform on FSU’s and Georgia Tech’s fields and in the Superdome in New Orleans. None of that has anything to do with my story, though.
I remember sitting in class on my first day of college and fighting back tears. I had been away from home for 2 weeks, but that had been for band camp and I had been so busy that I hadn’t had time to think about being away from home. While I sat in my math class, I decided I would be going home as soon as band practice was over that afternoon. Home was only one hour away from Troy, so this wasn’t a big deal. I drove home and made it there in time to attend my church’s youth group Wednesday night worship service. Aaah, now this feels right. This feels normal. This is where I belong. I remember thinking as I worshipped and hung out with my friends and fellow church members. Unfortunately, I had to go back to Troy the next morning.
Little by little, I got used to being in Troy. I got to know some people and enjoyed the benefits of being away from home. For me, these benefits included hanging out until all hours of the night and not having to keep tabs with my parents. I remember I spent many nights during my freshman year starting movies at 2 o’clock in the morning. Of course, this only lasted one semester because I soon discovered that I am not a late night person. Although I was getting used to college and I had some good times, I still was very unhappy. I missed the comfort and security of home and my circle of friends. I missed the familiarity of my life as it had been. Basically, I was out of my comfort zone and I didn’t like it.
On a good note, I found myself growing extremely close to God during this difficult time. I was beginning to have a relationship with Him like I’d never had before. I began to know what it was like to “pray without ceasing.” I found myself often meditating on scripture and thinking about verses throughout the day.
Adding to my college troubles were some relationship issues that I won’t go into details about. However, as I think back on any of my relationships, I realized something that I do want to go into a little bit. How often do people stay in a relationship simply because it’s comfortable? Deep down inside, where you’ve tried to suppress it, is a feeling that this isn’t the right person for me. They may be- and usually are- a great person. You may have a lot of fun together and enjoy hanging out. You feel like you can talk to them about anything. You even truly like them and care about them. However, way down deep is that feeling-this isn’t the person God has for me! There’s the hard part. Are you following what you want or what God wants for you? I remember how scary it is to think that you’re going to have to start all over with someone else. I also remember that sinking feeling you feel when something exciting or funny or even something bad happens and the first thing you want to do is call that person. Then, you remember-you can’t or you shouldn’t.
So, hopefully all of that gives you a slight idea of where I was in my life as I ended my first semester of college. Of course, I went home during my Christmas break. However, it wasn’t quite what I was expecting. Now, I didn’t feel like I really fit in there either. December 31, 2006 rolled around and I got a phone call from one of my friends who had gotten married in August. She and her husband were living in Graceville where they both attended the Baptist College of Florida. They were both Headland graduates and friends of mine. She was calling to see if I wanted to come to their house the next night. They were having a few of their friends over for supper. Of course, I jumped at the chance to go do something.
That night, I remember laying on the floor of my living room watching a countdown on TV. I remember being fed up with the way I was handling and had handled relationships in my life. I went to my room and broke down. I cried and prayed and cried and prayed. I decided in that moment that I wanted to give my relationships over to God. I told Him that I was tired of dating for the sake of dating. I was also tired of dating all the wrong guys. I prayed for Him to direct me in my future with relationships. I also did something that I had always wanted to do, but had never done. I wrote a letter to my future husband. Even though I didn’t know who he was or when I would meet him, I wanted him to know what had been going on in my life. I also wanted him to know that I was praying for him and praying for God to be preparing us for one another. I dated it January 1, 2007 12:01 A.M. Then, after a final prayer, I went to bed.
To be continued…
Saturday, January 29, 2011
Thursday, January 20, 2011
O We're Halfway There....
……ooooOOOO…LIVIN’ ON A PRAYER
It’s a month of halfways.
I have made it through half of my first year as a teacher!!! This is exciting. Now, I am just praying that I can still have a job and continue teaching in the same school next year. Being a teacher has been stressful at times, but also very enjoyable. I never wake up dreading work and absolutely not wanting to go. Sure, I wake up most mornings not physically wanting to go because I’d rather stay in my pajamas and be lazy all day. Since I have to work, though, it’s great that I can do something I enjoy. Kids can be so much fun. They also can make you feel so special when they draw you a picture, hug you, or come in with a huge grin on their face because they can’t wait to tell you something exciting. It’s still scary to think that these children’s futures can be affected by me. I know I have plenty of growing to do as a teacher. I’m very blessed to work with a great staff that is so willing to help you out with anything. God truly blessed me when He provided me with my job.
So, I would like to share a couple of funny stories from my teaching experience. Hopefully they will seem as funny in print as they were to me when they happened:
One of the other teachers had gone to Disney World and made a photo book of the trip. I was looking at the photo book and one of my students was looking at it too. He was very impressed with all the pictures of the characters. He got especially excited when he saw Mickey Mouse, but then he said “My dad says Mickey Mouse is the devil. I like him though.”
One of my students asked to go to the bathroom one morning. He was in there a very long time and I honestly forgot he was in there. He came to me after coming out and said “I’m not sure if I need to flush the toilet. I um…I um…I…I was in there a really long time.” I was just nodding my head like…yeah I understand what you did in there. I told him that he did have to flush the toilet and it would be fine. He said again “But I was in there a really long time.” I assured him again that it would be fine to flush the toilet.
I sent one of my students next door to the other 2nd grade teacher. This student’s last name happens to also be Hall. While he was next door, the other teacher asked him what his last name was because her mind went blank and she couldn’t remember. When he said it was Hall one of her students said “I didn’t know you were Mrs. Hall’s boy.”
When you get married, there’s no better way to get used to a new last name then to be a teacher. I hear “Mrs. Hall” all day long. It’s really weird, though, because I know they’re talking to me and I respond to it, but it still doesn’t feel like MY name.
Along with being halfway through my first year of teaching, Lee and I are now halfway through our first year of marriage!!! I’m not even going to lie and say it’s all been bliss. A new marriage, new jobs, and living hundreds of miles from home can be very stressful. I am very happy, of course, and I know that all of the stress is only making us stronger. I was pleasantly surprised at how well we adjusted to living together. We have always had a long distance relationship. On average, we only saw each other on weekends. My family’s Christmas vacation in 2009 was the longest consecutive time we ever spent together. Living together has just been very natural to us. If only I can get him to consistently pick up after himself and always put things back where they belong…
So, here I stand at the halfway point of my first year in my first “real” job and my first year of marriage. I wouldn’t say there’s been any bad times, just stressful times. There have definitely been many happy and good times. In the next half year, I hope to keep my job, become a better teacher, accumulate many more funny stories compliments of my students, have less stressful times, become an even better wife, do some traveling around the area, and go to Disney World for our anniversary. Those are just a few things that popped into my mind as I look forward to the next six months.
Halfway There,
Mrs. Hall
It’s a month of halfways.
I have made it through half of my first year as a teacher!!! This is exciting. Now, I am just praying that I can still have a job and continue teaching in the same school next year. Being a teacher has been stressful at times, but also very enjoyable. I never wake up dreading work and absolutely not wanting to go. Sure, I wake up most mornings not physically wanting to go because I’d rather stay in my pajamas and be lazy all day. Since I have to work, though, it’s great that I can do something I enjoy. Kids can be so much fun. They also can make you feel so special when they draw you a picture, hug you, or come in with a huge grin on their face because they can’t wait to tell you something exciting. It’s still scary to think that these children’s futures can be affected by me. I know I have plenty of growing to do as a teacher. I’m very blessed to work with a great staff that is so willing to help you out with anything. God truly blessed me when He provided me with my job.
So, I would like to share a couple of funny stories from my teaching experience. Hopefully they will seem as funny in print as they were to me when they happened:
One of the other teachers had gone to Disney World and made a photo book of the trip. I was looking at the photo book and one of my students was looking at it too. He was very impressed with all the pictures of the characters. He got especially excited when he saw Mickey Mouse, but then he said “My dad says Mickey Mouse is the devil. I like him though.”
One of my students asked to go to the bathroom one morning. He was in there a very long time and I honestly forgot he was in there. He came to me after coming out and said “I’m not sure if I need to flush the toilet. I um…I um…I…I was in there a really long time.” I was just nodding my head like…yeah I understand what you did in there. I told him that he did have to flush the toilet and it would be fine. He said again “But I was in there a really long time.” I assured him again that it would be fine to flush the toilet.
I sent one of my students next door to the other 2nd grade teacher. This student’s last name happens to also be Hall. While he was next door, the other teacher asked him what his last name was because her mind went blank and she couldn’t remember. When he said it was Hall one of her students said “I didn’t know you were Mrs. Hall’s boy.”
When you get married, there’s no better way to get used to a new last name then to be a teacher. I hear “Mrs. Hall” all day long. It’s really weird, though, because I know they’re talking to me and I respond to it, but it still doesn’t feel like MY name.
Along with being halfway through my first year of teaching, Lee and I are now halfway through our first year of marriage!!! I’m not even going to lie and say it’s all been bliss. A new marriage, new jobs, and living hundreds of miles from home can be very stressful. I am very happy, of course, and I know that all of the stress is only making us stronger. I was pleasantly surprised at how well we adjusted to living together. We have always had a long distance relationship. On average, we only saw each other on weekends. My family’s Christmas vacation in 2009 was the longest consecutive time we ever spent together. Living together has just been very natural to us. If only I can get him to consistently pick up after himself and always put things back where they belong…
So, here I stand at the halfway point of my first year in my first “real” job and my first year of marriage. I wouldn’t say there’s been any bad times, just stressful times. There have definitely been many happy and good times. In the next half year, I hope to keep my job, become a better teacher, accumulate many more funny stories compliments of my students, have less stressful times, become an even better wife, do some traveling around the area, and go to Disney World for our anniversary. Those are just a few things that popped into my mind as I look forward to the next six months.
Halfway There,
Mrs. Hall
Sunday, January 2, 2011
2010 Recap
Wow! I can’t believe it’s a new year! Last year was so crazy. I started off the year with my internship. On top of internship, I had to plan a wedding, prepare for marriage, search for a job in a new state, and get things situated to move. Looking back, I’m not sure how I managed to keep my sanity during all of this. Then, in May, I graduated from Troy University. Looking back I realize how many great memories I made in college. It was so much fun to live with friends and always have someone to talk to, hang out with, or make crazy videos with.
During the summer, I was blessed to be given many showers by my wonderful friends, family, and church family. In May, two of my friends got married. Both had beautiful ceremonies and fun receptions. I also began working at the daycare for the final time. The wedding was getting closer and closer so we were getting busier and busier making wedding plans, attending pre-wedding counseling, and packing to move to NC. I had always lived in the same house, so I had never moved before. I learned quickly that it is not something I want to do often.
On July 17, Lee and I got married. It was an awesome day! We put a lot of work into it and I think it went perfectly. We kept our ceremony very simple and focused on God and our desire to honor Him in our marriage. Then, we had a fun reception with food, dancing, an ice cream bar, and a photo booth. Looking back I honestly only remember bits and pieces of it, but I love looking at the pictures and watching the video from it. Being married has seemed very natural, not easy, but natural. I admit, I was worried about how Lee and I would do living together because we’d never been around each other for long periods of time. However, it has gone very well.
After a weeklong honeymoon in Gatlinburg, we returned to Graceville to take care of some business and finish packing Lee’s apartment. Then, we stayed with my parents for a few days before moving to North Carolina. Moving to North Carolina was another completely new experience. The farthest I’d ever lived from home was when I was in Troy, which was only an hour away. On top of moving to a new area, I didn’t have a job. Lee would be attending school at the seminary and working part time at the church. I needed a job. Lee and I had been very proactive in trying to get me a job. I had sent out countless resumes, made numerous phone calls, sent many emails, and went to several interviews. I’ll admit we were getting a little discouraged as the days in August kept going by. About a week before school started, I got a job! I am now a second grade teacher at Woodland Elementary School.
For the past four and a half months, we’ve been pretty busy with work, church, and school (for Lee). Lee surprised me a week before Thanksgiving and told me we could go home for Thanksgiving. I was so excited! Lee’s parents had visited us in October and my parents had visited us at the beginning of November. This just wasn’t the same as going home. So, during my Thanksgiving break, we took a quick trip to Headland. When we returned, it was nice to know there were only a few more weeks left before Christmas break.
During my Christmas break, we went to Orange Park first to spend time with Lee’s family. Then, we stopped in Tallahassee on our way to Headland to visit Lee’s brother and his family. We arrived in Headland in time to attend the Christmas Eve service. Then, we spent Christmas day with my mom’s side of the family. While home, I also had the opportunity to sing with my Simple Offering friends, hang out with my girl friends, and have some good girl talk. We also watched some home movies and I caught Babbles up on Glee. I was not ready to come back. Now, that we’re back-I’m not ready to go back to work!
Well, 2010 was an exciting year full of a lot of life changing events. As 2011 begins, I look forward to seeing what God has in store for me this year.
During the summer, I was blessed to be given many showers by my wonderful friends, family, and church family. In May, two of my friends got married. Both had beautiful ceremonies and fun receptions. I also began working at the daycare for the final time. The wedding was getting closer and closer so we were getting busier and busier making wedding plans, attending pre-wedding counseling, and packing to move to NC. I had always lived in the same house, so I had never moved before. I learned quickly that it is not something I want to do often.
On July 17, Lee and I got married. It was an awesome day! We put a lot of work into it and I think it went perfectly. We kept our ceremony very simple and focused on God and our desire to honor Him in our marriage. Then, we had a fun reception with food, dancing, an ice cream bar, and a photo booth. Looking back I honestly only remember bits and pieces of it, but I love looking at the pictures and watching the video from it. Being married has seemed very natural, not easy, but natural. I admit, I was worried about how Lee and I would do living together because we’d never been around each other for long periods of time. However, it has gone very well.
After a weeklong honeymoon in Gatlinburg, we returned to Graceville to take care of some business and finish packing Lee’s apartment. Then, we stayed with my parents for a few days before moving to North Carolina. Moving to North Carolina was another completely new experience. The farthest I’d ever lived from home was when I was in Troy, which was only an hour away. On top of moving to a new area, I didn’t have a job. Lee would be attending school at the seminary and working part time at the church. I needed a job. Lee and I had been very proactive in trying to get me a job. I had sent out countless resumes, made numerous phone calls, sent many emails, and went to several interviews. I’ll admit we were getting a little discouraged as the days in August kept going by. About a week before school started, I got a job! I am now a second grade teacher at Woodland Elementary School.
For the past four and a half months, we’ve been pretty busy with work, church, and school (for Lee). Lee surprised me a week before Thanksgiving and told me we could go home for Thanksgiving. I was so excited! Lee’s parents had visited us in October and my parents had visited us at the beginning of November. This just wasn’t the same as going home. So, during my Thanksgiving break, we took a quick trip to Headland. When we returned, it was nice to know there were only a few more weeks left before Christmas break.
During my Christmas break, we went to Orange Park first to spend time with Lee’s family. Then, we stopped in Tallahassee on our way to Headland to visit Lee’s brother and his family. We arrived in Headland in time to attend the Christmas Eve service. Then, we spent Christmas day with my mom’s side of the family. While home, I also had the opportunity to sing with my Simple Offering friends, hang out with my girl friends, and have some good girl talk. We also watched some home movies and I caught Babbles up on Glee. I was not ready to come back. Now, that we’re back-I’m not ready to go back to work!
Well, 2010 was an exciting year full of a lot of life changing events. As 2011 begins, I look forward to seeing what God has in store for me this year.
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