Tamales, Snow, Crocheted things

So the fieldwork semester for Teacher Credentialing has ended and TPA 2 has been successfully passed with 3 out of a possible 4. That was such a blessing and there was nothing but the sigh of relief heard throughout the education department. Well, that, and the sound of students rushing to turn in the last couple of assignments before Christmas break. There was a great amount of grace given to the secondary ed students (myself included) as we were given time to turn in the last assignments which are due Jan 3. Unfortunately, I took advantage of that opportunity and am still pushing to get them all finished. It has been a nice Christmas break in snow-filled Whitefish, Montana. It's all white outside and warm inside with the fire and the scent of homemade tamales and enchiladas in the air.

I have taken up a new hobby (which only took 16 years to actually persevere). I am practicing my Crochet skills and am doing pretty well if I do say so myself. I'm about 1/3 way done with a scarf, I've finished a flower (needs a little work) and I made a pan-handle cover for my mom's skillet. That was the first project (scarf turned pan handle cover). Even though it doesn't look too good, my mom loves it so that's all that counts right?

I'm just plugging along trying to finish this 3 week unit and then I should be done with the hw and completely finished with the semester. :)

TPA 2

This past semester I've been in the Credentialing Program at The Master's College. It has been quite the emotional/physical/mental roller coaster as I've struggled with deciding whether or not this teaching thing is really for me. I've dealt with issues that have pushed me to my limit, others that have literally broken me. And yet I still believe that God has called me to do this with faith and obedience as my tools to push through and succeed.

You'll notice my title is TPA- Teacher Performance Assessment. These are beasts. There are four of them in the year long program and we've finished the first and easiest of them all. The 2nd one which I am in the process of slowly tackling, is due on Monday and I have little motivation to continue.

I know that I need to be diligent and disciplined to persevere, I know that I can and will complete it whether or not I like it. But I also know the one thing stopping me from trying is fear. Fear is what brought me to this point and fear is once again holding me back.

God tells me that He has not given me a spirit of fear (timidity), but of power and love and discipline. Why don't I believe Him? Why don't I trust Him and obey Him and love him?

2 weeks until finals. two days until I find out the results of the CSET which will determine whether or not I continue in the spring with the Student Teaching Assignment. 2 hours until I go to bed.

"Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin that so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before Him, endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God." Heb 12:1-2