Things Coming to an End

I know it isn't really the end of summer; after all, next week is supposed to be HOT. Still, it feels like the end of summer and such.

Summer classes have ended at work. On Monday we switch to fall hours (and since most schools go back Tuesday and Wednesday, any bets on how many children show up anyway?). I'm always happy when summer classes end and things go back to normal. People wonder what I do all day now: catch up on everything that got neglected all summer and keep up. There's always a pile of paperwork and new kids and parents and all sorts of stuff going on.

I wrote an exam today and I'm glad that's over! There were 7 essay questions and 2 hours to answer them. After I'd answered 5 questions I thought I'd better hit the "save without submitting" button just in case, then answered the 6th question. Then I went up to the first question to add in some things I'd forgotten before I answered the 7th question (which was really the 4th question but I'd skipped it)....only to find that the my answer to the 1st question had vanished! There was nothing we could do to get it back and the elder (who was proctoring) assured me that he would email them and say that I had answered it. After answering the last question, though, I saved again and the answer reappeared. I still don't know what had happened, but I had just enough time to add in the extra bits I'd remembered. I'm glad, because I didn't do well on that last question; it was to briefly discuss the Herods in the Bible. I had a Bible with me and I still only came up with 3 (it seems there were 5; I turned 2 of them into 1 person and I still don't know who Herod Philip is....anyone?). Oh, well, the other questions weren't so bad.

And last of all....this week marks my last week teaching Junior Church. I'll still run the program and I might fill in once in a while but I'm encouraging the teachers to trade with each other when they can't teach. I've been teaching this age (3-6 year olds) for 6 1/2 years now and I love them dearly. They're my babies! But in the spring I asked the elders if there was any way I could teach an older class for a change. I just wanted a break from the small ones and I like teaching older kids too. The elders were delighted to have me teaching Sunday School this fall (especially since I convinced them I didn't want to give up Junior Church altogether; I still have plans and a vision for that ministry) since the pastor's wife had been teaching the grade 4-6 Sunday School class and she needed a break. I think they had tried to get her off the previous fall but her replacement hadn't worked out so she had been teaching all year. Granted it's a pair of teachers and they take turns actually teaching but she has a lot of other stuff to take care of. So in September I switch classes and everyone is happy.

So there you go....I always think the new year should be in September!