Sweet Home Alabama

I left Sunday afternoon. My car was stuffed with luggage, an assortment of pillows, one queen-sized air mattress, my backpack, a large pink polka-dotted bag that held a smorgasbord of household necessities, a Swiffer, and, thanks to my sweet mother, a steam mop for my hardwood floors. 7.5 hours and one audiobook later, I pulled into the driveway of my rental in Greensboro, Alabama. I arrived just before dark, unloaded the stuff in my car into the kitchen, and then went around to each window and door to assure that each was locked. The house was eerily quiet. Too quiet. I didn't have Internet or T.V. at this point, so I dug through my stuff to find a radio and surfed through station after station until I found music that didn't pain my ears. For the next 1.5 hours, I packed my stuff to my new bedroom and Swiffered and steamed mopped the entire house. It was weird being in a house all alone. Scary, even. Every time I heard a creak or a noise, I would shiver. By the end of my mopping escapade, I decided to make my bed on the air mattress, shower, and go to bed. Before doing so, though, I went through the kitchen to pour myself a glass of water. While walking I heard some thing hit the window, causing me to jump so high that I almost hit the chandelier above me. 

... My first night was, needless to say, disconcerting. 

Yesterday I had training downtown from 8:30-3:00. I enjoyed seeing smiling faces and talking to other new teachers and personnel. Throughout each session, I couldn't help but feel so blessed to have the opportunity to be a teacher in Hale County. I left the meeting overly excited and anxious to begin the year at my new school. 

 ...

**Warning** the next paragraph is slightly graphic! 


After the sessions, I jumped into my car and headed to the local Dollar Store to pick up a few things for my house. I was driving on an unfamiliar country road and listening to the GPS give me directions when all of a sudden a small deer (with spots...it must have been a baby) ran out in front of me. I then heard a loud CRUNCH! I had ran over an animal for the first time in my life. If you've experienced this, you know what it feels like. It's gut-wrenching. I frequently teared up last night thinking about it, but I knew I had to shake it off.


Today was a better day. I finished new personnel training, grabbed lunch, and came home to a very friendly man waiting to set up my Internet. I also haven't been frightened or scared all evening. GOD IS GOOD! On another note,  I was perusing through a site earlier that posted some inspirational quotations by Max Lucado, and I jotted down some that particularly touched my heart. One of them reads "Lower your expectations of earth. This isn't Heaven, so don't expect it to be." I thought about this quotation for a while, and I think there's some major truth to it. As much as I believe we, as believers, are supposed to relish in the joys of this earth and look for the good in every possible situation, I also love knowing that this JUST earth, not Heaven. We will have trouble here on earth, and that's okay. We just need to sit back and realize that Heaven will be different! 

Happy Tuesday, friends!