You know when...

you're feeling emotionally drained and you can talk about it, so you know you're still o.k.? Then, sometimes, you're so emotionally drained that it kicks into the way you feel physically and you can't really talk about it 'cause it takes too much energy? Well, I've been feeling so weary emotionally here over the past month, that I've just been putting one foot in front of the other and not had much joy, certainly not enough to write an entry in my blog.

So, my sincere apologies to the likes of my sister who was telling me yesterday that she checks my blog everyday, and she's been beyond bored with me lately...I've been bored with me lately, too. Show me a teacher who isn't at the end of their rope in May each year, and I'll show you the exception to the norm. It stands to reason that as we near the summer, the kids are getting more excited about the break and so are the teachers and administrators.

It is no different here in Taiwan, where we maintain this schedule year round, but still long for a break at this time of the year. I am exhausted, AND it's that time of the year, AND I'm not anticipating being off in four short weeks, so my attitude wavers from positive to negative on a daily basis.

Saying all that, TODAY is a good day! This is the day that the Lord has made, I will rejoice and be glad in it.

It's Sunday, June 1st for me, and I'm getting ready for worship. It's communion so we're singing songs about how much Jesus loves us. I'm looking forward to the day because I've missed the fellowship. Last weekend, I went camping with some friends and wasn't at church. Then yesterday, I had a pretty solitary day, staying home, talking on the phone, running a few errands, baking banana bread and watching movies. I needed it, and I enjoyed it, but I'm ready for the fellowship today will bring.

After church, today, I will scoot over to Chudong to give out the awards at our school's annual speech competition. I am the M.C. and have to give a "short speech", at leas that's what the organizer of todays event has told me no less than two times a day for the past two weeks. (These people repeat themselves A LOT!) So, today will be a little different than normal, and also a day to be proud of my students and others at the school. I need this day. Sometimes I feel I'm not making a difference, as I think I'm too close to the process to see significant changes, and the process of language learning is so slow at times it seems like nothing has changed. But when you hear a child that speaks very softly in class with his peers, standing on a stage with a couple hundred people looking at him, and he recites a speech by memory, strong enough to be heard and judged, you can see something's getting through.

Well, must get going here. Rehearsal begins at 7:45, so I'm dashing.

Until next time...sooner than last time, let's hope...LC from the TW!