It's Getting Better All the Time...

Okay, I think it's time to post a follow-up to my last post, so you guys don't think I went off the deep end into depression. I'm good now... I really wasn't terribly bad then, just really stressed out and swamped with work and life. I feel like I should be hitting my stride in the school year by now, but I'm just not. This has been the busiest school year I've had - I really feel like I'm just constantly trying to keep my head above water. Sucks. I need a break already and it's not even October. :/

In positive news... I was out last week for three days for middle school strategic planning - it was pretty awesome to be involved in that. I felt really honored for being chosen to be a part of the planning process. Took three days, lots of honest opinions (I made my big push for more problem-solving, creative thinking, and time for science), and actually very little clashing of view points... and now we've got an excellent strategic plan for the future of our Coppell middle schools. Very exciting!!

I'm also delving in deeper into my exploration of and participation in the Orthodox Church. Some of you may already know that Tim and I have been attending St. Seraphim Orthodox Cathedral (along with our church in Fort Worth, Mosaic... which is about as opposite on the spectrum as you can get from Orthodoxy! Leave it to Tim and me...). Tim discovered the church the summer before we got married, and has been going pretty regularly since about this time last year. I go with him sporadically, but haven't really thrown myself into it like he has. It's taken me awhile to get used to the liturgical church service, the prostrations, crossing oneself, venerating icons, etc. I would still say I'm not "used" to all those things, and I can't quite bring myself to participate in them yet, but I'm getting there. Their theology and history just really appeals to me... once you learn all about the history of the Church and all of the symbolism in EVERYTHING that the Orthodox Church does, it's actually kind of hard to resist its pull. All of the "things" they do that I always thought of as mindless and repetitive have such an incredible amount of meaning. It's pretty amazing.

Anyway... we have been going to a "newcomers" class for the past few months, and it's almost over. The ending of the class brings all of us participating in it to a place where we kind of need to decide what to do next. I've decided that I'm going to take a more intentional approach to involving myself, seeing if I actually want to take the steps to convert. Wish me luck - even with my excitement comes my familiar feelings of dread, knowing that everything I set out to do (large, life-changing undertakings, not just the day to day stuff) ends up falling by the wayside. I'm excellent at making lofty goals, and excellent at shelving them unintentionally shortly thereafter. So seriously, wish me luck. Maybe even say a prayer for me?

In other news, I got Andrea's "Save the Date" cards in the mail today. They are SO incredibly cute!! They look like plane tickets and have all the information needed for the wedding (or should I say, the Maui-age ceremony? hehe), even the response card is another plane ticket! Love them.

Okay, I have rambled on long enough. I am going to go take a nice, warm bubble bath and relax my stress away. Goodnight friends - and thanks for the concern from my last, quite dismal posting. :)

P.S. - Just found my old youth pastor on Facebook. Man, I really miss that guy. Seeing his pictures brings back so many fond memories of my time at FBC and the summer I worked there in college. Good times.