Hey guys!

I'm a married, newly pet-owning, teacher of foreign students, and I have learned so much patience and so much about grace in this short year since our last trip.

Currently, I've been married a little over one year. I have a wonderful, diligent, hard working husband, yet I'm still learning how to respect him. I take after my dad, a very logical engineer, so when my husband does things illogically in my mind, I really need to be patient to understand the way he sees things.

As a new pet owner, training our new puppy has been nothing short of frustrating. Granted, he's adorable, sleeps in the most ridiculous positions, and has a crazy hangry dance (hangry = so hungry you're angry), but I find that I'm needing extra doses of grace and patience everyday to stay sane with this little guy!

Lastly, I'm sure any teacher, even non-teachers know how much patience and grace and mercy is required for any level and any subject of teaching. Some of my students come from a cultural background where they haven't had to work for much, if anything. Translating that into work ethic means ZERO work ethic in class or out, which is the absolute opposite of American culture. Dealing with these students also requires me to be patient and gracious with their varying attitudes and aptitudes. 

Through these different experiences, I've been having a constant battle with myself and God, being logical and having high expectations for my puppy and students, but then striving to be patient, gracious, and merciful, just like God is, how He is to us, and calls us to be to others. I'm happy to say that staying in His word and in constantly being in prayer with Him has helped me achieve small victories with this battle! But there's still so much I have to learn from God's example, and so many ways that I still need to change, which can only be accomplished with God. I look forward to what God has in store for me this year!

James 3:17 But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere.