Carmel apples

Tis the season! Apple season that is! Today I went apple picking with Marguerite, Heidi and Annie and Annie's son Isaiah. We had beautiful weather and the orchard practically to ourselves. We picked jonagold, golden delicious, fugi and jonathons. I also got some honeycrisp apples (a new fav. in Michigan).

I thought it would be fun to make some carmel to accompany the fresh apples. There's a really simple recipe online with three ingredients: sugar, butter and heavy whipping cream. You can check it out online at: http://www.elise.com/recipes/archives/001979caramel_sauce.php. The carmel sauce turned out perfectly, rich in flavor and creamy in texture (I give God the credit b/c I prayed over it first as everytime I've tried to make a sauce it turns out either runny or rock like;).

Thanks be to the Lord for his many blessings today: friends, apples and beautiful weather. His grace is sufficient!

Teaching

Not sure where to begin...it's been so long. I've been teaching music at a school in Lansing, MI. I teach middle schoolers how to sing (or should I say coax them to sing:). What a fascinating age: in and out of emotion, full of excitement, so eager to find an identity and all the while hungry for challenge after challenge. I feel like I've failed miserably when the students leave the classroom without questions or a lite up smile. I love my students; they are my jewels.

Teaching is so full of challenges, perhaps the biggest for new teachers is not letting yourself become shaken when things don't go according to plan. In these moments I'm learning to stop and take a deep breath, pray for stillness and set a careful watch over what words to speak to steer things in a positive direction. I say I'm learning because no two situations are the same. Another thing I'm learning is that you have to teach kids EVERYTHING: how to stand, how to sit, how to walk, how to talk, how to listen, how to respond, ect... Then, within the structure of rules and discipline, real learning takes place.

Teaching is my life during the day, my life during the night is a stormy sea. My Lord has been graciously giving me 8-5 each day. His grace is sufficient. I look at the hurdles ahead and shiver with fear of the unknown. But then, I'm driven to release my fear and walk forward in faith, believing that He has a plan, trusting and waiting.

"Wait on the Lord, be of good courage, and He shall strengthen thine heart; wait, I say, on the Lord" (Ps. 27:14). He is so good, so faithful and always reigning on His throne. He is the only teacher who can say that NOTHING catches Him by surprise!