Well, we are in the midst of chaotic end-of-a-school-year stuff, and I am currently feeling like I'm buried up to my eyeballs with things to do! When someone asks me these days, "Megan, how are you doing?", my typical response has become, "I'm surviving." That really about sums up our lives right now.
Rather than telling you about all the things that go wrong, in the spirit of the last post, I would like to update you on the things that we have been grateful for in the last little while:

1. A student's birthday - the family is taking us and a whole bunch of other teachers out to dinner tonight at a delicious restaurant, which we normally eat at only once a year. Did I mention that it's really, really good food? And we get to eat it for free?

2. The return of our administrators - two of our three administrators left for most of February in order to do some traveling around the US to advertise for the school and interview teachers for next year. As important as that is, it's always nice to have them back again to reestablish some stability!

3. Nearly all of the teachers that we need at our school next year have already been hired, including all of the high school teachers! I'm looking forward to meeting and working with a new group of people.

4. Despite the overwhelming frustrations that tend to attack us at the end of each school year, we are grateful for our jobs. Teaching is so very frustrating sometimes, but it's also extremely rewarding. The same thing goes for working with teenagers. One of my students actually told me one day this week, offhand as I was walking by in the hallway, that I looked beautiful. *melting heart* (And yes, that came from a high school student!) I'm so thankful for those little things that push me through a difficult day.

Last night was the final concert of the year. The middle and high school students performed really well! As I was listening to the last songs, performed by the high school choir, it suddenly hit me that the end of this school year is really close. Graduation is a week and a half away from right now - I can hardly believe it! I've spent a lot of my time recently being frustrated at my students over various behavioral problems (mostly made up of, but not completely limited to, laziness), but as I walked away from the concert, I had this thought of, "I'm not going to see some of these kids anymore after March 20." That thought makes me sad every year, but it makes me especially sad this year. I'm really going to miss some of my current 12th grade students. (But, of course, I can't really tell them that)

Outside of school stuff, we have a lot to look forward to. Less than one month from now, Michael's family will fly out to visit us! We're still working on the itinerary of what we're going to do...but we can always figure that out after they arrive, I guess! A few weeks later, we will be heading back to the States for several weeks of rest (?), visiting, and enjoying the company of our families and friends. Coming back to visit the States is a highlight for me each year; I feel blessed to be able to visit every year, and that time sort of acts as the "light at the end of the tunnel" at the end of the school year!

Anyway - I guess that's not a whole lot to report, but since I've failed at updating the blog for the last month, I thought you ought to know that we are still alive and well. Just busy! I'd like to leave you with a few verses, which Michael and I have been talking about lately. When life gets stressful and crazy, and you just don't know how to deal with it, God always has something to say:

⁴ Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! ⁵ Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. ⁶ Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. ⁷ And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:4-7). 

"the peace of God...will guard your hearts and your minds..." - I love that part. May God's peace guard your heart and mind today as you go about your work for Him.