Man meant it for evil, but I am grateful.

Today I am ending my summer break early to go be a teacher of teachers and it got me thinking, once again, about my journey. Many of you that know me, know that the last 10 years have been a turbulent, crazy ride for me...especially when it comes to teaching. I've had some super high high's and some incredible lows. But I look back and despite the bad, despite the ugly, I find myself grateful. I worked for a school where the same year that I was chosen as the Arizona Charter School Teacher of the Year, I was not asked back because I was "disloyal." I was considered disloyal because I took my kids out of the high school in their district because one of my children was being verbally and emotionally abused by the staff. But I look back and I am so grateful for my time there! I met some amazing people, some of whom are to this day some of my very best friends. I had the opportunity to spread my wings and get a taste of what it was like to be in front of teachers doing training instead of just the children, and a seed was planted. And had I not been treated unfairly, I would have stayed. I would have stayed until the end of next year, at the least, to let my youngest finish elementary school. And had I stayed, I would not be where I am today. I would not be in the position to follow my passion of training teachers. I would not be pursuing my Master's degree so that someday I can do this full time. What man meant for evil, God turned to good, and because of HIM I have been abundantly blessed. If I had not been treated unfairly, I would never have moved on and I would never have taught Jr. High, which I LOVE!! Crazy as that sounds, I LOVE these crazy kiddos and getting to hang out with them everyday! I moved on, to a new school, and I had a great couple of years there. I got some fantastic training in the new Common Core standards...I learned about IB and teaching to a global generation. It was training I could get no where else. I was successful in my teaching and things were going GREAT! But once again something happened...it was a little thing, not a huge deal to most, but my character was questioned, I was judged unfairly, and I was crushed...I could have stayed, but I wouldn't have been happy, I wouldn't have been successful. My student's learning would have suffered. I sought counsel, because having had this happen twice with administration really caused me to stop and look at myself and ask if I was doing something wrong. Godly people assured me that I had not. And, then, God opened a door. I walked through that door knowing that it was nothing short of the hand of God. I didn't do anything to deserve it, I didn't make it happen. He did. And I have landed here in a place where in the grand scheme of things I am supremely happy...sure there are days, we all have days, where I don't want to deal with one more kid, one more parent, one more essay! But, I love my job! I love that I get to hang out with crazy Jr. Highers all day, and then a couple nights a week I get to chat with adults about what I've learned about teaching them. I love that I have stories to write that make me laugh as well as my readers! What man meant for evil, God has turned to good in my life, over and over again. And for that, I am grateful.

Recipe: Cream Cheese Chicken Croissants

I make these in bulk and freeze them so I'm cutting down the recipe...for my cooked, diced chicken, I throw a whole chicken in a crock-pot overnight and then de-bone it in the morning...it yields about 6 cups of chicken which would make this recipe three times.

2 cups cooked, shredded chicken
1 cube cream cheese (8oz)
4 chopped green onions
4 Tbls chopped bacon (I use Hormel real bacon bits from Sam's Club)
1.5 tsp salt (I use sea salt)
1 tsp black pepper
2 cans refrigerated crescent rolls or similar

Directions:
Mix first 6 ingredients together in a bowl.  Set aside.  Unroll crescent rolls and put two triangles together to create a rectangle and pinch the centers together. (they make these in sheets now for recipes, which would preclude having to put them together but I'm too cheap to buy name brand unless I have a coupon!)  Put a large scoop (I used my Pampered Chef medium cookie scoop) of chicken mixture in the center. Fold up sides to enclose.  At this point, if you're freezing for later place "buns" as close together side by side in the freezer container of your choice and freeze.  When you use them later, let them come to room temperature, brush outside of bun with egg and bake at 375 degrees for 20 minutes.  If you're not freezing I don't bother with the egg wash...might not need it if you do freeze but I haven't tried that yet.  If you're cooking right away just place on a cookie sheet and bake at 375 degrees for 20 minutes.  These were a BIG hit with the kids!!

Yields: 8 "buns"