Lessons Learned (and Learning)

After publishing the "Come Now" post, I immediately started thinking of hypothetical people sitting in their hypothetical living rooms, judging me. "Ohhhh, that's just what she's telling herself. She's going to burn out eventually, and find her whole life was a big sham." I got a bit annoyed with the hypothetical people and their nerve in assuming they know anything about me and how I live my life. And then I was reminded of a conversation I had with TJ not too long ago.

We were driving up to Fairwood (prime conversation time, as long as one of us isn't planning on the time to get work done), and chatting about this and that. We got talking about differences of standards and such, and I said, "I just hate that other people might think that I'm judging them, because I'm not!" And he replied, "Isn't it kind of judging them to think that they're thinking of you as judging them?" I was quite taken aback, and have thought of it often since then.

My job isn't to think about how other people are perceiving me, or "judging" me. My job is just to live my life as God has led me, and not worry about what other people think that I'm thinking. How ridiculous is it to worry about what other people think that I'm thinking about them?! It takes "fear of man" to a whole new level. Good grief.

So the lesson to me was (and continues to be) digging a little deeper into what it means to walk "before the face of God." I need to be living for Him, and following His commandment to love God and love my neighbor. Anything beyond that is simply none of my business.

I just need to keep my eyes fixed on Him! Let those hypothetical living room dwellers think what they may...

Come Now...

...When did it become such a crime to be a people pleaser?

In defense of people pleasers the world over, I'd like to make two statements:

#1. People pleasing is not wrong. It's okay to think of others!
#2. I do have a backbone. I can say no if I need to.

And no, no recent episode made me need to state this:) I've just been thinking of it off and on recently, and was scrambling for something to blog about. I decided on the short version of this post in order to, you know, not displease people.

Summer Vacation Begins!

Now that my major responsibility (Girls Week) is behind me (and, by the way, it was the best GW yet!), my summer vacation has officially begun!!!

How, you may ask, will I fill the 48 days I have stretching before me?

Perhaps I shall go horseback riding, or attend a baby shower, or try out some zip-lining, or host a tea party for my high school girls, or canoe the Concord River to see the "rude bridge that arched the flood," or stay in a B&B in the White Mountains, or eat at the world's best pancake house, or consume vast amounts of American Lit (ha! you thought I was going to say pancakes, didn't you?), or zip over to 6 flags for a day, or go to a surprise birthday party, or get together with my juniors and seniors before my senior leaves for college, or check out Robert Frost's home, or visit The Hills, or have my 8th grade over for a game night...

Or maybe I'll choose option D, all of the above! Wheeee haw!

Re: Robert Frost. I have decided that a noble ambition for an English teacher would be to visit at least one author's home each year. Here is my list thus far:
2006 - Louisa May Alcott
2007 - Shakespeare, Bronte sisters
2008 - Longfellow
2009 (projected) - Robert Frost (and I'll probably go to Hawthorne's for American Lit...)

Yay for New England (and Old England)! Way to be historic!