"It's not unusual.........."

That's actually the beginning of a Wayne Newton song. But what IS unusual is for me to go several days without posting.

I actually wasn't planning to post tonight. Its almost 11:30 pm. I went to bed around 10:30. But I took some Pregnazone (sic) meds for some poison ivy I caught (the experience of which I might post about tomorrow), and it winds me up. So for about 40 or 50 minutes I've been trying to sleep. ...What was going through my mind as I resisted sleep? I was thinking/dreaming about when Pope John Paul II died and they had that slow procession toting his body around and into St. Peter's Basilica. And then I wondered if the previous Pope, which only "ruled" for about a month, if his body still looked good. And then I imagined what it would be like if for hundreds of years they had put Popes in liquid nitrogen, and every time a pope died, they pulled them all out and dressed the up and made them stand around in the Vatican court yard while the latest Pope was carried around and sat with them. ....gotta love that dreamstate; where wierd things happen.

Today has been a very nostalgic/sad type day. It was my last day at my school. I was done with my kids Friday, that was a nostalgic/sad day too...but so was today. I finished putting in my grades, filing away permanent records, and then came the job of cleaning out my classroom for the last couple of years.

Unloaded files and files of papers from my filing cabinet. Cleaning out my desk. Cleaning out the closet. It became somewhat sad. I was the only one left at school. It was kind of dark, because alot of the lights were turned out in the building. I drug my bags of trash out into to hall. Boxed up my stuff and put it in the truck. It hit me the hardest when it was time for me to take out the podium. I doubt everyone could understand that, but that was tough. I've had that podium for about as long as I've taught. I remember the funny feeling when I took it out of my last school's classroom. And then that feeling again today. ...because it represents what I do. I teach. ...so taking it out and putting it in the truck is kind of like........when a wrestler leaves his shoes in the ring the last time he wrestles, or maybe when a cop turns in his badge. Its always sad to take that podium away. I loved those kids...I loved that school. I had this big speech about God and their lives, the last time I had them in the class (the kids I had for two years), but I started to get a little choked up with the first group, so that got cut pretty short. I did better with the second group and got more of my main points in. It's kind of funny to see 14 year old guys who are the "cool guys" fight the awkwardness and give their teacher a hug anyway. You have the same kids day in and day out for two years and they kind of become your kids. There are a lot of good future Christian leaders in that group.

But thats life, and now its on to God's next location on Tour de Life. NHSGA (North Habersham Sixth Grade Academy). Think its got enough names? There's no rest for the weary....today I pack up at Westminster and tomorrow at 10:00 am I have to meet with the new faculty to discuss next year at the new school.

It's kind of funny, 'cause when I got to Westminster Christian School, I thought I'd be there for 30 years. But...."In his heart a man plans his course, but the Lord determines his steps." So true. ....I wonder how long I'll be here.