Diamond in the Back...

Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.
~1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 (NIV)

Like William DeVaughn said, I'm going to be thankful for what I've got.

The Lord spoke to me one day while I was closing up the library at work.

I realized that my current position was a 180-degree turn from the hellacious situation I was in just a few months ago.

Is it where I thought I'd be? Nope.

Is it where God wants me to be? Yep.

Long story short, KU's not happening any time soon for a few reasons.

1. They won't let me pay in-state tuition until I've lived in Kansas for a year. (Out-of-state tuition is twice the amount of in-state.)
2. Even though I've been accepted into the PhD program, I'll need another year and a half of CERTIFIED teaching before the PhD will matter towards my goal of becoming a principal.

So, Plan B: Librarian certification.

My new career equation is:

Librarian Certification + Teacher Certification = (Teacher salary + teacher benefits) x All kinds of opportunities

...I'll keep y'all updated on all of that.

In the meantime, I've realized that I need to be more grateful for God's preparation: all that He's done, doing and will do to make me into the person -- with the impact and the purpose -- that He wants me to be.

So, I'm basically bitch-slapping myself with remembrances of the many many many blessings that God's given me, provided me and covered me with since birth....

Like Daryl Coley said, "I can't tell it all"....but dammit, I'mma try.

Here are 10....and I make my boast in the Lord. I didn't do any of these things. He blessed me to allow them to happen.

1. I was born with my umbilical cord wrapped around my neck. My mother, a special education teacher, had numerous children in her classroom who were born the same way. Due to the lack of oxygen, I should've been mentally handicapped but the Lord didn't see fit.
2. My nephew.
3. My master's degree. I had it listed on my bucket list ever since I graduated -- with honors -- with my bachelor's degree. The Lord got that for me for FREE! (Glo-raaaaaay!!!!)
4. I no longer smoke.
5. My Grandma Minnie. She's a STRONG black woman in every sense of the word, and my role model.
6. My car is paid off.
7. My "Little Sister" Simphony.
8. My life....I've nearly died at least 3 times that I'm aware of, but the Lord didn't see it fit.
9. My teaching career. Despite the haters, or maybe because of them, I made a tangible impact on the lives of dozens of children.
10. My writing ability. Poetry, storytelling, blogging, making folks laugh. It's what I do.