Marrying Off Best Friends Part 2

Coming Soon!

Marrying off Best Friends Part 1.

This past weekend I had the joy of marrying off two of my best friends.  Not just on the same weekend, but the same day! It makes me laugh that it happened this way just because it would happen to a wedding guru like me.  People make fun of how many weddings I either attend or am apart of, but its all good.  At first I really struggled with not being able to be apart of my brother from another mother's wedding.  Mr. Josh Lawrence has been one of my best friends since middle school.  However I would never ever trade the honor, privilege, and joy of standing beside my other best friend Sara on her wedding day.  I want to take a moment to reflect on these two individuals and that fact that im super pumped that they have now married really awesome people!  I guess I'll start with Josh...

As I said before, Josh has been one of my best friends since middle school. Since we entitled each other as best friends, or siblings we have been inseparable ever since. I have been blessed to have a group of friends that have stuck together all through growing up, and we still walk together even now.  Amazing, Christian friends! Josh is a part of that circle and I can honestly say the Lord has used both of us in each others lives in very significant ways. It really is a cool thing! We not only grew up together but we went to church together, worked at Caswell together, and visited each other all through college. God bless him for all the times I have called him crying, or had to tell this incredibly long story to get to one small point.  He always has a real perspective and is not afraid to be bold with me, and even tell me when im being absolutely rediculous...and he is not scared to hurt my feelings.  I think we all need iron sharpens iron type friends, and he has been that for me. I used to tell him that I was preparing him for marriage.  Whats funny is I guess that is kinda true.  When I was in college I made friends with a sweet girl named Janessa Long.  We met my first Senior year and became pretty good friends.  We would talk for hours, hang out over dinner, coffee, movie, whatever, and challenge each other.  We even went to Campus Crusade staff  training together....which has enough crazy stories within itself.  Long story short  Josh came to visit me and our friend Chad one weekend.  He came to visit and go to a football game with us.  Im also pretty sure it was my birthday.  Anyway Janessa always sat with the Crusade crowd at games, and I remember Josh asking me about the pretty blonde at the game.  Chad tries to take credit because of he got Josh the football ticket, but no.  Later at my apartment Josh and Janessa actually met.  I could tell that Josh was really diggin this girl.  Prolly one of the funniest things I have ever seen.  I began to have that "hmmm" moment in my head. yep "perfect".  Another long story short I did in fact try to play matchmaker but home girl was in to singleness at the time, Josh dropped it, Janessa went to China for a year with Campus Crusade....

That summer Josh was scheduled to go on a mission trip to China.  He called to tell me about it and I told him that he should email Janessa to see what part she was in, you know just in case they might be remotely in the same part of east asia.  Well he did, and even though Josh's trip fell through, he and Janessa began getting to know each other and the rest is history.  I know I pretend to take credit, but I know that it was the Lord!!!  How amazing they are as two separate people, and im so excited to see how they allow the Lord to use them and their marriage to glorify him!  Not to mention whenever I go to see them I get to see two dear friends at the same time!!! Love it!

Even though I was not a part of their day physically, I feel so blessed to have been able to talk with both of them on the phone, lord knows I lost it when I was talking to Josh.  Friends were also messaging me pictures on my phone.  I got all the highlights, it was great.  Not to mention my friend Whitney is very detailed when she tells stories, and she did a great job filling me in!  I also get to edit their wedding video so im sure I will see it at least 10 times through ;)  But I love these two people and I am thankful for what they have meant in my life.  Im praying for their marriage and I know God will use them in some pretty huge ways!!!  Lots of history, and awesome stories with both of these amazing people, and im excited about future memories. Friends like this are hard to come by but I can tell you that these two are good ones and there will be lots of memories to come!

....Part 2 coming soon: My Sara Veale now Hickman :)

Looking Back on Year 1 at SBHS

First of all, I hate that I have become an inconsistent blogger.  Hopefully I can change this. Because I do in fact like blogging.

Since summer started (basically a few days ago) I have had some time to reflect one this past year.  What a blessing it has been, and I can't believe I have year one of teaching under my belt.  This time last year, I didn't even know about what was about to happen.  Its a crazy awesome kind of story. One that happened in such a way that I knew, and still know that God's hand was all over it.  It has been amazing to look back on the journey and see how God allowed things to unfold the way they did.  I can attest to this throughout so many key moments of my life, and thats one thing I love about the Lord. He just hands me my next big steps.  Which is good because he knows I think way too much about stuff sometimes.  Anyways im not going to get into this story right now.  If you see me someday you can ask me.  Right now I want to talk about my kids! 

I cannot describe how blessed I was this year with my students.  One of my students jokes with me about how I should just retire because I prolly won't even have a class as good as them.  I don't know if he is right, but I think they all knew they were pretty special to me.

First semester I had a Broadcasting level one class, and Advanced Broadcasting class, and some career management class. It was such a privilege to have these students.  They taught me so much, made me crazy, but most of all I grew to really care about them and loved seeing how they soaked up knowledge. This was indeed a special group.  They were sponges for production type stuff. They couldn't get enough!  And I learned quickly that they were creative, and talented.  Semester one was a huge learning curve for me.  Im thankful that they were either oblivious or patient when I messed up or did stuff that didn't make much sense.  And I found myself having to turn around several times per class because they would make me laugh so much. Haha.  One of my favorite stories comes from a day when I was giving a lecture on the history of production (its my favorite lecture)...I overheard a "side convo" about Star Wars.  I looked over to that row of students and said..."whatchall know about Star Wars?" One student's reply was, "Pshhh Miss Lloyd, you are a girl you don't know anything about Star Wars"...I told them that they were wrong and that they were talking to the girl who watched the ORIGINAL trilogy once a week for several years with her brothers.  This student began to quiz me and I must have impressed them because they said they had a new respect for me.  It was hilarious in real life.  I have so many funny stories from that group, they were a blast!

Halloween Special on the Cougar View

Real Copy of the
Breakfast Club script

Second semester was much different.  I had two classes of level one, both with about 24 students (which for a class like mine, can be difficult)....and one level two class (about 16 students).  My level ones this semester were a little more difficult to engage.  They were also sweet, and hilarious.  They really taught me a lot about patience and the fact that classroom management is KEY in trying to maintain control of your classroom.  They would get so excited about the weirdest stuff...for example, I would "DJ" music for study time or note taking.  My 4th period would always request Adele and they would get so excited, haha...even the boys sang.  As much fun as that was let me say that they did in fact get lots of work done during those times, but you have to keep it interesting.  It would also quite funny how they all denied their love for Justin Beiber, yet the entire class would sing along. 

Level 2 Seniors

Then there is my level 2's.  What a special bunch.  Half of them were students from my semester one class.  This class really tried my patience at times, but I can honestly say that I loved every second with them.  They are amazing! So talented and eager to learn.  My level 2 class is more hands on.  We produce the daily announcement show called "The Cougar View".  The weird thing I was a part of producing the same show when I was in high school (full circle, life teaching at my old high school).  They also work on their individual projects. Some of those projects actually air on the Cougar View.  They all pretty much came into the class knowing at least somewhat about shooting video.  But one reason im really proud of is that they all learned how to edit on Final Cut Pro (professional editing software), as well as title editors such as Motion.  That is huge. I didn't learn stuff like that until I was in college, and these kids pretty much touch it and can figure it out.  What I loved most about this class is the opportunities I had to just pour into them.  This might sound funny, but I really feel like they really looked up to me. I love those kids with all my heart.  I can't say enough about them.  They are all wonderful and have amazing futures before them.  I will have to opportunity to teach about half of them again, but the other half I had to say goodbye to at Graduation.  That was a bitter sweet day.  I am beyond proud of my Seniors.  All of their hard work, and who they have already become as people.  I will continue to pray for them, and I hope each of them knows that God has a huge plan for their lives, and that they have amazing potential! They really do!

I call them visits from the "Whiteboard Munchkins"...the Tebow illistration on the upper left is one of my favorites! That was hilarious!

  

Our new baby :)

*Link to our Cougar Broadcasting portfolio page https://vimeo.com/user9637042

Take a look at some student work!!!

I think I could go on about my students, and my job for days.  But I am just immeasurably blessed to be at South Brunswick High School teaching a production class, teaching my passion, and teaching amazing kids at one amazing school...my alma matter!

Over the summer I plan on recuperating and revising my curriculum.  But I also want to continue to pray for God to open doors for him to be made know throughout those hallways next year.  That the gospel will have a presence on that campus.  I fully believe that this place is my mission field, at least for now, and im excited to see wat he does next year! I can't wait to meet my new students!!

This was my theme scripture this past year:

If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believein your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved. As Scripture says, “Anyone who believes in him will never be put to shame.” For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile —the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him,  for, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”  How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? And how can anyone preach unless they are sent? As it is written: “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!”

-Romans 10:9-14