Pace of Life...

School is underway, I think we're in week three... Tonight is the Fall Party. The theme: TV or Movie Characters (last year it was advertisements). I'm in a group with a bunch of other teachers and a few RAs. We are going to be the Von Trapp family. I'm Maria! It'll be interesting to see what my outfit will end up being, especially since I don't have my full costume yet!

I've got a really full schedule. I have six students I meet with twice a week for 80 minutes and another who I meet with three times a week during her study hall. (I have seven students in total.) In talking with my roommate last night she pointed out that that basically means that I have 15 different sessions I need to plan for each week. Putting it like that I realized how it was that I was so tired by the end of each day! Today is Friday and because of a chapel schedule (with shortened classes) I only meet with two students. This has become a day that I catch my breath a little, plan, plan, plan, and (re)organize my office!

On Monday nights I volunteer at Palmgarten dorm, since that is the day off for the RAs. I love being able to hang out with the girls, help them with their homework and be someone they can talk to when there are issues.

Something I'd like to do more frequently this year is open my house up to dorm students for meals or a place to hang out. Typically Tuesdays are the days my roommate and I have dinner together, but she was busy this week. Instead I invited two girls over to my house for dinner. I love being a host, so I enjoyed throwing together this meal (Chicken with mushroom sauce, green beans and cous cous with an apple pie ala mode for dessert. A simple meal, but delicious!)

Small groups are offered for the entire high school and middle school. I was talking with a lady who has been doing it for years here, but needed another person since her group was a bit larger. She, turning 40 this year, also wanted a "younger person who would have a better pulse on life". I'm not sure who has a better pulse on life, her or me! I'm glad to be co-leading with Theresa. The girls in the group are all sophomores some of whom I started to get to know last year already, so that was the Lord!

Being back for a second year makes a huge difference from the first year when I didn't know any of the students and they didn't know me. This morning when I entered the school one of my small group girls saw me came and gave me a hug!

...you can see how the speed of life goes at warp speed here at Black Forest Academy!