Greetings all,
Here it is nearing the very end of June 2020. The beginning of this month started me on a path which I began to think I might never travel again. June 2020 is the month of new beginnings of old desires of my heart.
I'm being blessed this month by reading through the book of Proverbs, a chapter
a day. It's gotten me back into journaling most days about something I read in
the chapter. I'm doing this with a Facebook group. We're encouraged to share our thoughts
and insights of what we read each day.
It was chapter 27 (for June 27th!! It’s One-A-Day, remember!) I was
especially struck by verse 23: "Be diligent to know the state of thy
flocks, and look well to thy herds.”
I need to be diligent
(perseverant) in all that I do. Whether it’s at home or away, at work or at
play, I need to persevere to do my best.
Sometimes, “good” or “good enough” is all right, but sometimes I need to
go the extra mile in what I’m doing. It reminds me of verses in the third
chapter of Colossians: “16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom,
teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs,
singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. 17 And
whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus,
giving thanks to God the Father through Him.”
As I look forward to this fall and new beginnings, I want to go
the extra mile in my new role as a teacher at Machias Valley Christian
School. I don’t know yet which grade (or
grades) I’ll be teaching, but I’m excited to know that God is leading me.
When I saw that they were looking for teachers for the '20-'21
school year, my FIRST THOUGHT was, “Here’s
my opportunity to apply. Maybe I can finally do something again that has been a
lifelong passion.”
THOUGHT # 2 soon followed: “Are you CRAZY? You’re going to be 17 (well, reverse the
1 and the 7, if 17 doesn’t work for you!) in
just less than a week!! Do you REALLY want to do this? Do you even think
you CAN do this? After all, you are NOT a so-called Spring Chicken any longer! Get
REAL, Self!!”
THOUGHT # 3 didn’t take very long to follow! “The
door is in front of you. This is a life-long passion. If you don’t knock on it,
you’ll never know if it would have opened for you! And if God is IN this, He’ll
give you the strength to fulfill what He asks you to do!”
When talking about it with my daughter in Texas, she asked, “Mum,
do you want to be working five days a week?”
I know she was thinking about my upcoming birthday, and SHE was not
reversing the digits! My heartfelt response was, “If it were at our local
grocery store where I worked several years ago, then I would not want to do
it. But working at a school, the answer
is a definite YES!” I had already thought that question through before talking
with her. And to work at our nearby
Christian school, it’s a resounding YES!
Teaching is a true passion of mine. I’ve taught Sunday School, Vacation Bible School, and Good News
Clubs many times over the years, starting when I was about fifteen or sixteen
years old. I taught K-4 at Glad Tidings Academy in Bangor one year just before
moving to Downeast Maine and absolutely loved doing it. I also subbed in the local elementary school
after moving here to Downeast Maine. I've also given piano lessons. I love teaching!
After subbing and then working as a one-on-one aide for a young
child here, I got up my courage to walk into the registrar’s office at the
University of Maine at Machias in 1993!!!
I entered UMM to pursue a BA in English and a minor
in Secondary Education. UMM ended up giving me thirteen (twenty-three-year –old!!!) credits from New Brunswick
Bible Institute in Canada from which I graduated in 1970!
I had a short one-year stint at Machias high school when
I was hired to teach English right after graduating from UMM. (But that’s
another long story!)
I love children and am always happy when working and playing with them. I really believe my heart is working with younger children, although I would have loved teaching high school English had it worked out. I love talking with children and hearing what they have to say. I’m looking forward with great anticipation to getting to know the children at MVCS this fall. One of my teaching goals is to show them how much fun learning is. To be a life-long learner is one of my personal goals. I pray it will also become the goal of each one as I endeavor to be diligent in teaching the children. My prayer is that I will be a good example to my students while we work and learn together.
And so for now, Good-bye and God Bless!
May the God of peace be with you all. Amen. Romans 15:33
Blessings from
Mona in Maine
