Prayer for the school year

The school supplies are brought. The lesson planning is in full swing. The classroom is decorated and ready for a dozen little ones to begin exploring. My third year of teaching has officially begun. I survived the first three days with my biggest class yet since student teaching and I LOVED it!!! I absolutely loved it. To be honest I was terrified coming back to Korea after last year- it was a year filled with too many challenges that completely overwhelmed me and left me exhausted, but my summer was filled with rest, healing and seeking after God. I know coming back this year is exactly where God wants me to be even though I fought it for many months. There is purpose in being here and there is nowhere I would rather be then where God’s will is for me and for whatever reason right now it’s here in Korea. I had a lot of time this summer to pray about this next school year. I laid down all my fears, failures, desires and hopes for the year and asked God to place on my heart what He has for me this year.  He filled me with peace, JOY and an overwhelming excitement to pour into my students. It scares me a little bit that I am experiencing the “honeymoon” phase, but I am praying with all of my heart that I will depend on God each and every day to fill me with grace, love, peace, understanding and JOY for teaching and mentoring and loving on my community. I really want this year to be done well- to commit all that I am to what God has called me to and to not be stuck in the wishing of being somewhere else. And now I feel like I am rambling, but I want to share with you with my prayer each day:

"God, crate a clean heart for me and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do NOT banish me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me. Restore the joy of your salvation to me, and give me a willing spirit." Psalm 51:10-12

And I am praying the ABC’s over my students this year. If you feel God laying it on your heart to pray over my class this year I would love that so much. I am a strong believer that prayer is so powerful. 

As I mentioned before I have twelve students this year and I am so excited. I know I know that class sizes in USA are bigger, but for my tiny school  in Korea twelve is our biggest class size and I am SO glad that I have the privilege to love on them and teach them. I have also had a huge ahha moment  that I am designed to be a teacher to a big class. It’s just the way I am. I love having twelve students. It was such a struggle last year having five students- of course I loved them, but it was so hard for me to be an awesome teacher. I love that I have received this realization to keep tuck away for the future. :)

Well, I am gearing up for our first full week of school with goals of going to bed by 9:30pm (oh, the teacher life of early to bed early to rise), running three times a week and quitting sugar (another blog post to come about this new adventure of mine).  Hope you have a beautiful week! 

Love, Daniella

P.S Here are some  pictures of my classroom this year...

Refreshing Summer

Summer was perfect. It was filled with laughter, smiles, beauty, love, relaxing, quiet moments, family, friends and much more. It’s all that I could have asked for for this summer. Yes, of course there were unpleasant moments, but the good moments far outweighed. 

A lesson I learned this summer is that I need to slow down and follow God. I want to rush things so badly in this world. I want things to go in my timing. My way. But when I attempt to take control instead of allowing God I bring a big fat mess. Oh, Daniella- let go and let God lead you. 

This summer started out in chaos of leaving Korea terribly sick and exhausted, but transition into the most amazing time with so many surprises by God. The very first was my best friend (who was also my college roommate) surprised me at the airport. And then we got to spend three sweet weeks together in Montana. Sipping on tea. Hiking. Running. Exploring. Talking. Baking. And much more. I wouldn’t trade those weeks for anything. 

I also got to go camping and hiking in Glacier National Park. You don’t even know how long I have wanted to go camping in Glacier Park. Let’s just say it has been ever since I was a little girl and I finally got the chance. It was beautiful. Breath-taking and everything that I hoped it would be. 

Spending quality time with my family was much needed. Each member of my family encourages and challenges me in different ways. And I am so thankful for that.

Never did I think I would go to the final ladies World Cup Soccer Game and see the USA team win or a Seattle Mariners baseball game with my siblings! Go Teams! Go!

Ice cream was basically my diet this summer. You can’t pass up homemade Sweet Peaks in Montana or Edaleen Dairy in Washington or the yummiest flavor ever coffee caramel oreo in Ashland, Oregon. You just can’t, but now I have started my no sugar kick and it’s going to kick me!

Sister dates are my favorite, but I think we have a hard one to beat from this summer. Our attempt to try something new and adventurous turned into a night of laughing and talking about “live” fish swimming in our stomachs. Yes, we tried to eat sushi! Haha! And ended the night with frozen pizza! 

Friends are just great and I loved being able to spend the night in my best friend from high school’s new home and talk to friends on Skype when the midwest is still just too far. Boo! 

My older brother got married this summer and it simply was the most wonderful and perfect thing. A day filled with so much genuine love and happiness. I now have the best sister-in-law ever!!!

In the past elven years I have not missed a summer of being at my grandparents. What a special and time I will always treasure. We have so many little traditions that I love! Birch Bay. Starbucks. Gardening and much more! 

It was an honor to be apart of YWAM Lynden and host Lorean and Darlene Cunningham. They are always such a beautiful encouragement to me.  And while I am talking about YWAM- seeing my “auntie” Amy and her husband as well as “uncle” Mac at my brother’s wedding was so good for my soul. Thank you for your kind words!

A “spontaneous” road trip to Ashland, Oregon with my sis and grandmama was just wonderful. I loved being able to listen to my grandmama go down memory lane the whole trip. And we had an oh, so interesting experience with the plays! Oh, my!

Huckleberry picking happen again which was exciting because it had been awhile since I have been in Montana for the season. You can’t beat fresh huckleberry muffins. And the hiking was just stunning!

My summer in the states ended with a night with my first friend I ever made in Korea, but has now moved away, Emma. It was a lovely night of catching up and encouraging one another in our walks in life.

And lastly I can’t get over how beautiful the sky was  this summer between early sunrises to start the day and late sunsets telling me it’s time to sleep. Breath-taking. It helps me to remember how  thankful I am for each and every day.

The past week has been spent working hard on getting everything ready for school to start from setting up my classroom to writing lesson plans. It’s a lot of work, but God keeps reminding me the purpose in it all- to use teaching as my mission to love on each child that enters into my classroom. One more teacher day. One day of open house and then it’s the first day of school round three. Oh, where has the time gone?! I have so many thoughts about this next year that I have decided to save it for another blog post! Your welcome! :)

Well I hope you had a beautiful summer!  In a way it’s hard for me to move out of summer mode into school mode again.  It’s not that I am not excited about this year, but I just loved this summer and think it would be wonderful if it could have lasted a little longer! 

Love, Daniella