Blessed

I'm always amazed at how easily we forget, how quickly our memory fades, and how quickly we adjust to a different routine or way of life. Summers illuminate my forgetfulness. The first week of summer vacation, I revel in my non-homework and non-school pressure life. Since those pressures are vivid and clear in my mind, I count my blessings of no school. As the summer progresses, I forgot about homework, papers, and the never ending days as I settle into my non-school routine, and I stop noticing that blessing. (I think of being out of school and all it's pressures as a blessing. I like having a life outside of school even though I love learning. But learning isn't contained in just a classroom.)

I may remember how much I have been blessed for a week or two, but then it fades until it takes more thought than I would like to admit to recall my blessings. I don't want to forget all the ways God has shown His faithfulness and care in my life. I don't want to forget those words of encouragement or little things which happen throughout a day. For Salaramie's wedding gift, I gave them a blessing box. I, well my mom actually found it, found a box, and I cut up colored card-stock. Salaramie were instructed to write a blessing on a piece of card-stock, date it, and store it in the blessing box, then when they were down and needing encouragement, they could read through their blessing cards and see how they have been blessed in the past.

While that may become my wedding gift for other friends because I love the idea so much, I think I need something like that in my life. Some place to record ways I've been blessed. I've been pondering my blessings because of specific ways I've been blessed in the past couple of days:

1. My current cooperating teacher JS encouraged me by saying she would write me a favorable recommendation even though I've only worked with her for two weeks because she says I'm doing a great job. I have the hardest time accepting compliments, but I'm working on that. Besides that awkward part, it was nice to be validated that I'm doing my job well.
2. I've been trying to build relationships at the different schools I'm student teaching at, but I wasn't sure if I was building those. This week, I received letters from my second graders saying how much they missed me and wished I could be with them. JS also said she would be interested in coming to church with me. She brought it up!
3. Peggy from work scheduled me Friday night because she knew I needed the hours. I also have fourteen hours this coming week instead of the four I had this week. I almost cried with relief when I learned both of those pieces of information.
4. I'm not getting ready to take finals, and I'm not finishing up all my projects this semester since I'M. NOT. TAKING. CLASSES!!!!! It's a great feeling to hear others talk about their final projects and exams, and I can just sympathize with them, but I'm not in their situation of all those lovely school demands.

Though I've shared these blessings with others, I needed to write them down because I know how quickly I forget how I've been blessed.