My 2007 in Review

The Christmas cards from friends and family got me thinking. I haven't ever written a "Christmas letter" type summary of my year. So, I thought I'd give it a try on my blog. If you aren't interested in this sort of thing, that's fine. You can stop reading now and wait for the next post, probably on Wednesday. (Caveat: I don't normally think in calendar years, so I won't reference much from the first part of the year simply because to me it was "last year." For me, the new year begins the week before school starts.)
Major events of 2007
1. Buying a house. Motivated by the rapidly decaying condition of the apartment complex I lived in, I was able, by God's grace and help from my family, to find an affordable house here in town. The month-long sprint that was the process ended in early July when I finally took possession of the house and moved in--for one day. The next day saw me off to Sioux Center for three weeks. [A huge thank you, by the way, to my friends the Catlins as well as my entire family for helping me move into my house. And a second thank you to my family for re-doing my bathroom while I was gone. I still love it six months later!]
2. Starting classes for a Masters degree. The three weeks in Sioux Center (and indeed, the two months of preparation work) were the most stressful weeks of my entire year. The work was intense and detailed, although I enjoyed it. By the end of three weeks, though, I was ready to leave and start living in my house.
3. CPLS Graduation in May. It was a privilege to watch a class of 29 seniors take their final walk across the stage. This class and I have a long history: some of the students have had to put up with me as a coach and/or teacher since they were in 7th grade. It was a bittersweet yet joyous moment for me. To see these kids begin to take flight on their own after all the years of working with them was wonderful.
4. Running in the first CPLS 5K in August. I've always been (and probably will be) more of a sprinter than a distance runner, but I decided to try the 5K that the school sponsored. I finished in exactly 24 minutes, not exactly fast, but for me a great time. And the extra endurance that I gained from training for the race certainly made refereeing easier.
5. School Tour (to New York). For the second time in 6 years at Cair Paravel, I was able to go with the juniors and seniors as the traveled to New York City for a week. It was great to travel one last time with both classes.
6. Visiting Ames. On my way down from Dordt to Topeka, I made a side trip over to Ames. It was good to see all of my old friends one more time, and as nostalgic as always to roam the campus of Iowa State.

Normal events of 2007
1. Teaching. What else? I am truly grateful to God that I get to do what I do. I can't imagine doing anything else. Cair Paravel is a great place to be, and I enjoy the privilege of working with the students. I could go on for hours....
2. Coaching. I spent this year as an assistant coach for both the boys' and girls' teams. Like teaching, coaching is tiring work, but it is a chance to interact with my students outside of class, making teaching them in class easier. The girls' team won the inaugural Kansas Christian Athletic Association girls' tournament in the Spring. The boys came close this Fall, taking second after an exciting championship game.
3. Refereeing. It's my excuse to get out and run while still getting paid for it. This year, I did a few high school games and enjoyed doing that. There's nothing like a little refereeing to give one practice in handling irate people. :-)
4. Bible Study. I am part of a multi-generational study that meets weekly (for the most part). It's a blessing to be able to sit in there and learn from people older and wiser than myself. I also hosted a small (very small; we need to find more guys) single men's Bible study at my house.
5. Scholars' Bowl. Our 2007-2008 team took first place in our classification at one tournament. We also participated in another. The team had a lot of fun at both tournaments, no matter if we won or lost. This coming calendar year promises to be the most active ever in the history of Scholars' Bowl at CPLS: we are headed to two more high school tournaments and hosting a small high school tourney of our own, not to mention the two middle school tournaments that we're hoping to do in February.

As always, God has shown Himself faithful in my life in many ways. I know that I could not survive a year of teaching without His grace. It is simply too demanding a job, and I would burn out, becoming the ultimate grumpy teacher. From financial provision (tuition for graduate school, help with the down payment on the house) to the blessing of being able to spend time with my family over breaks, God constantly provided what was needed when it was needed. Soli Deo gloria!
Thanks for reading! May God make your 2007 a year of great joy and of knowing Him more deeply!