After a very busy year, I am going to know what it is like to only have two jobs to juggle.  In January, I started to realize that my job requirements kept increasing.  My priorities need to be my teaching and my graduate program.  My students have started asking to meet outside of class, and I wanted to be able to meet up for coffee or for a meal with them.  I kept not having time to do so.  I missed writing, in my journal, on this blog, writing just for the love of writing.  I wanted to be able to sit through church without being poised to dash out if my phone rang because I was on call.  For that matter, I wanted to only be responsible for one phone number!

I had to have a few solid days/weeks of thinking, praying, and journaling (which is part of how I think!) to balance what I wanted to do with what I needed to do.  I wanted more time, that was undeniable.  But the challenge was to decide if I could manage it.

As it often does, it comes down to my own faith.  Will I look at the lilies of the field?  I have Matthew 6:28-34 on a little post card on my mirror because I need that reminder.

The final decision was to turn in my notice at ML and to keep my job at the gym and of course, my teaching job.  Today is my last day at ML, and I'm rather excited to turn in my badge.  It has been bittersweet at times.  Although this job has been demanding and incredibly far out of my comfort zone, it has been a blessing to me financially and relationally. The response to the news of my departure has been touching.  I've gotten sweet emails, thoughtful presents, and kind cards from the people that I've worked with for the last ten months.

It is undeniable that this was a good decision at the right time.  The journaling and thinking and praying always pays off!  I feel peace.  I feel anticipation.  I feel the thrill of a new challenge ahead of me.

My "spare" time will quickly be accounted for in the next few months.  I'm reaching the point where I need to make concrete plans for my thesis, which I will be writing in the autumn.  As part of my thesis work, I'm committing myself to language study.  Ideally, this needs to begin now for me to have any semblance of usable language by the autumn.  I also have been itching to begin the research aspect of my thesis.  And then, there is my current class, which promises to be one of my most challenge grad courses yet.  "Advanced Instructional Design and Assessment."  Yep, that doesn't sound easy.

There is also some travel in the works!  I'm in the process of sorting visas and plane tickets for countries 35 and 36, and there may be a few more border crossings in the not too distant future.  But for right now, it is time that I get ready to head into ML for my last day.

For everything there is a season, and time for every matter under heaven.  

Ecclesiastes 3:1