The first round interview was completed today, lasting nearly two hours on the phone with two gentlemen with whom I would be working if I got this job. I like what the job is: student and teaching mentoring and discipleship, teacher development and evaluation, curriculum integration with biblical worldview, and teacher-parent communications.
We'll see where the process goes next...
Friday, August 20, 2010
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
Hmmm...
I've received an inquiry from a school that has an opening for Upper School Principal. My understanding is that the position opened rather late in the hiring season, so they are taking their time to conduct a proper search. That's good.
After some back-and-forth e-mails in which I requested a point of clarification on a matter important to me (and to them, as it turns out), they have expressed interest in talking with me. I've offered some days and times.
I must admit a certain excitement in my bones for this possibility, even though it would require moving out of Maine. I guess it's partly the fact that someone out there finds my resume appealing, as well as the first real possibility I've had in several weeks. Only God knows where this will lead, and my times are in his hands.
Let me clarify this: God is not my "co-pilot". He is my Pilot. He is not the "top priority in my life". He is my life. I begin and end in Christ. All else in my life flows from my being in Christ. Church, wife, kids, work--all find their fulfillment and satisfaction in who I am in Christ.
Man is treacherous; God is faithful and true. "Let God be true and every man a liar."
After some back-and-forth e-mails in which I requested a point of clarification on a matter important to me (and to them, as it turns out), they have expressed interest in talking with me. I've offered some days and times.
I must admit a certain excitement in my bones for this possibility, even though it would require moving out of Maine. I guess it's partly the fact that someone out there finds my resume appealing, as well as the first real possibility I've had in several weeks. Only God knows where this will lead, and my times are in his hands.
Let me clarify this: God is not my "co-pilot". He is my Pilot. He is not the "top priority in my life". He is my life. I begin and end in Christ. All else in my life flows from my being in Christ. Church, wife, kids, work--all find their fulfillment and satisfaction in who I am in Christ.
Man is treacherous; God is faithful and true. "Let God be true and every man a liar."
Monday, August 16, 2010
Are you gonna be sick again?
He's asleep, at least. Lord, is there any way you could see fit to let the two episodes from earlier this morning be the only two he needs with this round of sickness? I mean, does he really have some flu bug? Or is it something else? What else could it be? Well, he knows the routine more or less by now. Sleep, wake up, throw up, sleep. Lord, let it be a mild case. Please.
I can't do this, God
Not without you. I don't want you as my Co-Pilot. I don't need you as the Number One Priority In My Life. I can't do this without you. I don't want to surrender every part of me to you, but I need to. I. cannot. do. this. life. without. you. I can't find a job, I can't do a job, I can't feed my family, I can't do grad school, I can't play with the kids, I can't have time with my wife, I can't fix the house, I can't have just one car WITHOUT YOU. Can't do it. Please, help me.
Friday, August 13, 2010
Midnight shower
The Lord that provides the majesty of a meteor shower tonight (saw 18 in 40 minutes; peak shower to be around 2:00 a.m., eastern horizon) can certainly meet my needs. He knows I need a job. He knows I need a car. He owns it all, and he will supply all. I don't know how, but he does. I rest in his grace and providence, and I marvel at the beauty of his creation.
A cold hotdog at 1:00 a.m.
I'm eating a cold hotdog. It's one o'clock in the morning. The hotdog was truly hot seven hours ago... .
Yesterday--technically now two days ago--on my way to work, the oil light came on in the van. Not being the best around mechanical issues, I simply stopped at a gas station and put in two quarts of oil. The light did not turn off, and the "check engine soon" light came on. I drove the last mile to work, figuring I could get it checked out, if necessary, at the end of my workday.
When I left work I had to go to the bank, and then, since I had not eaten lunch yet, I bought a burger and small drink from the BK drive-thru. By that time, the "click-click-click-click-click" of the engine told me something was wrong. I headed for my regular garage. The owner, Tom, was in the parking lot when I arrived. "Somethin's not right!" he helpfully commented. "That just ain't right."
No kidding.
I understood the problem when it was explained to me, but I wouldn't be able to repeat it here intelligently. The bottom line is that the van needs a new engine, and I don't want to spend three grand on a twelve-year old car when I've got friends who could probably find me a decent beater for that price that'd get better gas mileage till I can afford something more permanent. Anyway, Tom graciously gave me (and all the camping stuff still in the van from two weeks ago) a ride home, offering suggestions (drive it home and sell it for as much as someone'll give you for a car that needs a new motor; wait and see what the next few weeks bring in your job search--you can park the van at the garage for up to a month). He also offered a name and number of someone that might be able to employ me. I've known Tom a long time, and I really appreciate him.
As a result of having just one car now, I took the wife's car to work this morning. Then I drove home at 11:30 to take elder son to school. I spent the afternoon sitting in the nearby Tim Horton's, eating a sandwich and some sweets and drinking a huge iced coffee while using the free WiFi to do work for the school and for my grad school assignments. Then I picked up said son and went to Bangor to run a couple of errands, one for the school and one to clean the rest of anything I really wanted or could use out of the van. The garage will park it in a less conspicuous place while I decide what to do with it. C and I were both pretty weary upon arrival home. He played a while, then he woke up his brother and mother from their afternoon naps.
Lacking his own afternoon nap, and having had a very full day that included playing with friends in the morning, he got pretty cranky and ornery and ended up sitting in the rocking chair in his room with me. I talked quietly with him and prayed with him. He fell asleep. I tried to wake him when the hotdogs were grilled, but he would have none of it. Now it's 1:00 a.m. and his hotdog was sitting on a paper plate in the kitchen, begging to be eaten. So I ate it. It was cold. Waste not, want not.
Yesterday--technically now two days ago--on my way to work, the oil light came on in the van. Not being the best around mechanical issues, I simply stopped at a gas station and put in two quarts of oil. The light did not turn off, and the "check engine soon" light came on. I drove the last mile to work, figuring I could get it checked out, if necessary, at the end of my workday.
When I left work I had to go to the bank, and then, since I had not eaten lunch yet, I bought a burger and small drink from the BK drive-thru. By that time, the "click-click-click-click-click" of the engine told me something was wrong. I headed for my regular garage. The owner, Tom, was in the parking lot when I arrived. "Somethin's not right!" he helpfully commented. "That just ain't right."
No kidding.
I understood the problem when it was explained to me, but I wouldn't be able to repeat it here intelligently. The bottom line is that the van needs a new engine, and I don't want to spend three grand on a twelve-year old car when I've got friends who could probably find me a decent beater for that price that'd get better gas mileage till I can afford something more permanent. Anyway, Tom graciously gave me (and all the camping stuff still in the van from two weeks ago) a ride home, offering suggestions (drive it home and sell it for as much as someone'll give you for a car that needs a new motor; wait and see what the next few weeks bring in your job search--you can park the van at the garage for up to a month). He also offered a name and number of someone that might be able to employ me. I've known Tom a long time, and I really appreciate him.
As a result of having just one car now, I took the wife's car to work this morning. Then I drove home at 11:30 to take elder son to school. I spent the afternoon sitting in the nearby Tim Horton's, eating a sandwich and some sweets and drinking a huge iced coffee while using the free WiFi to do work for the school and for my grad school assignments. Then I picked up said son and went to Bangor to run a couple of errands, one for the school and one to clean the rest of anything I really wanted or could use out of the van. The garage will park it in a less conspicuous place while I decide what to do with it. C and I were both pretty weary upon arrival home. He played a while, then he woke up his brother and mother from their afternoon naps.
Lacking his own afternoon nap, and having had a very full day that included playing with friends in the morning, he got pretty cranky and ornery and ended up sitting in the rocking chair in his room with me. I talked quietly with him and prayed with him. He fell asleep. I tried to wake him when the hotdogs were grilled, but he would have none of it. Now it's 1:00 a.m. and his hotdog was sitting on a paper plate in the kitchen, begging to be eaten. So I ate it. It was cold. Waste not, want not.
Wednesday, August 4, 2010
Blessings
God has blessed me. Truly. I have a dear wife and two dear sons. We have our own home and many dear friends. One friend's sister brought us a combination bunk bed/futon couch yesterday. We've been wanting bunk beds for the boys; now we have them, and God sent them to us free of charge. He's good to us.
My elder son just got up (after a long trip home that followed a Portland Sea Dogs baseball game attended by one of my aunts, a cousin and her two sons, another cousin's daughter, my brother's family--visiting from WI--and my two Maine sisters' families--what a blast!). The younger son was up by 6:00.
C came to me just now and said, "Where are we going?"
I replied, "Well, you're going to school today."
C: "Oh, okay." Then he went off to play with M and watch a video about trains.
A glance at the clock tells me I really can't spend any more time on this today; gotta get ready for work.
My elder son just got up (after a long trip home that followed a Portland Sea Dogs baseball game attended by one of my aunts, a cousin and her two sons, another cousin's daughter, my brother's family--visiting from WI--and my two Maine sisters' families--what a blast!). The younger son was up by 6:00.
C came to me just now and said, "Where are we going?"
I replied, "Well, you're going to school today."
C: "Oh, okay." Then he went off to play with M and watch a video about trains.
A glance at the clock tells me I really can't spend any more time on this today; gotta get ready for work.
For my best
It's one thing to say that you agree that a change is best, but it's another thing to find yourself agreeing with it deep down. In April, I agreed to step aside from the job I have held for the last ten years, and to some extent I even believed it was the best move for the organization and for myself. Now, though, I believe that it really is the best move for me. Whether I become "top dawg" or just a good follower in the next job is up to the Lord and his placement of my gifts and me.
So, prayers are being said and applications and resumes have been submitted (even as they were all spring long), and I am looking forward to what God would have me do next. I admit that I wouldn't mind knowing sooner rather than later what that is--and certainly my wife wouldn't mind having some reassurance in that area, too! But here I am. What next, Lord?
So, prayers are being said and applications and resumes have been submitted (even as they were all spring long), and I am looking forward to what God would have me do next. I admit that I wouldn't mind knowing sooner rather than later what that is--and certainly my wife wouldn't mind having some reassurance in that area, too! But here I am. What next, Lord?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)