The iceburg is used so frequently as motivation and analogies - so allow me a moment to use the overused analogy of the iceburg again... :)

You can only see the very tip of the iceburg; below the part we see above water are miles and miles of ice that support the tip of the little portion we do see. Hence the phrase, the "tip of the iceburg" usually used when describing just the beginning of something. As in, his drinking was just the tip of the iceburg in the murder of his wife - there were many more underlying problems that we didn't see.

To take a twist, our relationship with God is like an iceburg thank goodness! We see just the tip that God allows us to see. That's our extent and vision of life. But, God knows and sees the whole big picture! Would we want to see the whole thing at once? At first response, yeah, show me all that is going to happen... but, think about the last 10 or 15 years of your life. I know for us, we've faced some pretty tough things. I don't know that if God had told me everything we would struggle through and face that I'd want to go forward. Of course there are so many blessings, but often the fear of the bad can overcome the reward of the good, can't it? God, in His wisdom, only allows us to see the tip of the iceburg, just a tip of life. We have to trust that God sees the whole big picture and knows what's best.

That is a picture of our life lately... going back to teaching is not at all how I wanted God to answer our prayer about these houses and our financial situation. But, God sees the big picture. He knows all! I know this is where He has placed me at this time also because once I surrendered to that choice, He has opened doors quickly for me and blessed this search and the timing. God is so good. He is not our genie in the bottle, thank goodness, because just as the old show demonstrated, we would mess up life in a heartbeat wishing for things and getting them at our heart's desires... Here's a copy of the email I sent out:

Hey, I had gotten the job offer and accepted over the weekend, but the principal had said she just had to make sure she could actually hire me. There were teachers displaced from other schools from low numbers and they had to get placed first before they could hire someone new. I was still kind of wondering... I talked to admin yesterday and am going in to do paperwork tomorrow, and I worked on my room for a few minutes yesterday and met my team. So, I'm in! It's a fourth grade position which will be a change from my middle school background.

God has worked things out so smoothly! Here are some of the ways God has confirmed this choice in my life:

I decided on Wednesday to go back to teaching, by that afternoon I had gotten two phone calls and one email wanting me to interview. Twenty seven hours after deciding on Wednesday to go for a job, I had an offer. Twelve hours after that I accepted! So, within about 48 hours, I had a job two weeks into the school year. That's only God!

The principal is the wife of one of my high school teachers whom I really respected. She is a Christian, and she recognizes the importance of family. During the interview I told her I would want to come early and leave almost as soon as school is over unless there's a meeting or something special going on. She confirmed that she did the same when she had little ones, and even later she talked about traffic and said if I left somewhere between 3:15 and 3:45, I'd get home in plenty of time. School gets out at 3. For a principal to say you can leave within 15 minutes of school releasing is huge. Most principals really have some expectations about being there and putting in a lot of time. She is very laid back, and doesn't make us even turn in lesson plans - that is HUGE for a elementary school especially. Her philosophy of being a principal is that she will be around observing, but as long as I am in my classroom d oing my job, she is not going to micromanage. But, she'll be there anytime if I want her to observe a child or ask advice. This is like the IDEAL principal. And other teachers have confirmed this without me even bringing up the subject. That is only God!

In talking to my team yesterday, both women are moms and the other member is a guy on his second year of teaching. All were so willing to help out with whatever even offering to decorate my bulletin boards for me! (I'm going to do it myself, but still a nice offer). One of the teachers has a student teacher, and she is already going to make my copies and plans for me next week and have them ready. That same teacher encouraged me not to stay long after school when I told her Katie Beth and Everett's ages. She encouraged me to go home ASAP and to not take work home - to find a way during the day to get it done. To be on a team where people don't all stay after school to plan is huge. And taking out the "competitiveness" on some teams of look how much I got done last night and how late I stayed up is so refreshing. That's only God!

Our biggest concern were the kids. We had Tues, Thurs covered, and I "happened" to find the one of the few programs in Hendersonville that does MW and they "happened" to have a spot for each of them! THEN we were worried about trying to find a student who could come over for a couple of hours after MDO until we got home. We were worried about finding someone mature enough that we trusted, and we hoped for someone who could help pick up the kids to take some pressure off of Jason. His cousin's wife, Lori, who we know so well, has spent lots of time with our family and our kids, and I would trust to take our kids to the end of the earth is going to keep them!! (She's going to try it for a while to make sure it works schedule wise, but it gets us through the beginning if nothing else! And she can start this week!) We have no fears or worries about their care! That's only God!

I was talking to Carrie Sunday night and she asked when I started actually teaching. Most of the time in a situation like this they want you in the classroom ASAP. I did this my first year teaching and had about a day to get ready. I told Carrie my ideal would be to start the Tuesday after Labor Day, but I knew that wouldn't happen. Sure enough, the next day I got the email that I start the Tuesday after Labor Day! That gives a full week to transition the kids and get my room ready and spend time with my Mamaw as she comes in this weekend. That's only God!

I know this has been long, but I just see so clearly God's hand in this. I have been feeling I needed to go back to teach for a while, but I attributed it to my own stress and my own desire to fix things. It's so amazing to me how God has just confirmed all of this in my heart as soon as I surrendered. I don't understand why God has called me away from the home for now, but I believe whole-heartedly that this is where He has called me for now. I'm looking at the school as my mission field and just want to find a way I can share Christ in my new environment!

Thank you for all the prayers, and please continue them. I have no doubt that God has heard and has responded in a mighty way through this. Every aspect of this, outside of leaving my babies and the drive, is absolutely ideal. Praise God and thank you to each of you. Pray for the next couple of weeks as our family transitions from a one parent working family to a two parent working family. It has changed our entire family dynamic in just one day!

I love you!
Sarah