What is your heart's desire?

What a loaded question, right?  
There are days when I am traveling from home to a work destination on which my answer would be, "Just let me make my connecting flight and not let me sit by someone stinky."  Sorry, you knew you were going to get honesty from me, right?
Other days, all I want is a big 44 oz. Diet Dr. Pepper (is that REALLY my heart's desire, some of you are asking?)---YES! I need it! 
Other days, my desire involves intimate time with Dave, as we spend a bit of time apart due to my work.  No, you don't have to warn me to "get a room"---I just mean I need TIME with him.  
But the last few days, I have had the distinct pleasure of working with some of the most dedicated school leaders.  For four days, I spent time talking about what good teaching looks and sounds like and becoming better and more objective observers of teachers. We talked, in depth, about how trust is built and maintained between teachers and administrators, and we had some tough conversations.  I might add that, two years ago, this same group made me a t-shirt that said "Best Group Ever!" because I kept telling them that. Despite the long hours and the difficult cognitive work, they continued to persevere in an effort to hone their craft of assisting teachers in being the best they can be.
Meanwhile, I am teaching three online courses at Grand Canyon University, and I keep walking (not literally, of course, but that would be funny) into the students' conversations and poking my head in, asking probing questions.  They are thinking deeply about their own work.  I adore being a part of their conversations as they journey towards school leadership in their own districts.  
I get a chance to go work with one of my favorite schools in NYC in another week, and I am over the moon about the deep conversations we are going to have with teachers after doing some paired/guided walkthroughs in teacher classrooms.  
So, WHAT IS MY HEART'S DESIRE?   Honestly, every morning, I get down on my knees and I ask God to direct me in the way I should go, to let my will be His will (and not the other way around, but wouldn't that be cool and SO very selfish of me??), and simply to let me be the Shelly that God intended me to be.

Personally, for me, it means being the best wife and Labbie mom I can be. Honestly, when I lose my temper with Dave, a day later, I am questioning my sanity.  He is my rock, my best friend, and my forever-partner with Christ.  
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Professionally, my heart's desire is to continue to do EXACTLY what I am doing right now----work with amazing groups of educators to spread the good news that education is the single best profession in the entire world!  No offense to any other profession, but as Charlotte Danielson often says, "Without teachers, what other professions would actually exist?"  Certainly, we can talk and debate that (and I would love to, because I love having my own thinking challenged---it always opens my mind to diverse views), but that would fall within my heart's desire too.  I just want to keep learning and growing as an educator. The more I learn, the more I want to learn.  

So, what about you?  What is your heart's desire?  Please share with me via commenting here or on Twitter:  @shellyarneson, LinkedIn (Shelly Arneson) or on Facebook (Shelly Armstrong Arneson)
I cannot wait to hear your thoughts.

In the meantime, Happy Communicating!

Shelly

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