Long Time, No Blog

SNOW. SO MUCH SNOW.

I tried to leave today. I didn't get far. Chalk that up to me being a chicken driving on ice or the fact that I didn't have a whole lot of motivation to get to practice or that that I kept sliding and getting stuck, either way-it didn't last long.

The snow has been rather nice though.

So for my first blog in 3 months or so, I thought I'd leave you with some pictures.

This is Gracie and me sledding on 1st snow day :)

And this is me trying to leave...

Ice Skating with the boyfriend :)

Picking me up on the scooter. We got lots of laughs and honks and pictures taken.

Sweet fort we built while we were snowed in.

I hope everyone else who's had snow days have taken full advantage of your days off!

I've been sitting in a Jammin' Java for the last couple hours working on...stuff? Sorta. And I became painfully aware of how good I am at wasting time. So in light of this revelation, I started going through pictures on my computer from the last couple months. It's been a wonderful last couple of months. It's been insanely busy, emotional, challenging, and reflective. But it's been so much. And sometimes when I'm tempted to focus on the less than ideal parts, it's as though God reminds me, "Hey, it's ok! Look at all I've given you!" I am so blessed. Through everything, I'm learning and growing and changing and loving. And finding joy.

There's joy in hitting my ball in the water 8 times while putt-putting.
There's joy in doing cart wheels in front of the Alamo and getting lost in Tulsa trying to find a coffee shop and walking on the Riverwalk and going to baseball games in Kansas City. There's joy in the face of my 5 year old cousin. And there's an ultimate joy in knowing that God intended us to live a life focused on bringing glory to Him in everything we do. Life is so full of joy that isn't to be missed!

 

2 Our mouths were filled with laughter,
our tongues with songs of joy.
Then it was said among the nations,
"The LORD has done great things for them."

3 The LORD has done great things for us,
and we are filled with joy.

Make you smile.

I live with my grandma.
I love hearing stories.
My grandma is a phenomenal story teller. About 5 Christmases ago, my cousins, brother, and I were genuinely mad when we found out the stories she told us when we were little came from Little House on the Prairie.

But tonight, we are sitting here watching Sleepless in Seattle, and she starting telling me about her first husband who died in a car wreck when she was 24. She starting talking about him tonight. Turns out they met the day before her 21st birthday and were married 9 days after her 21st birthday. They eloped. And I can only imagine the chaos and the panic she put in my great-grandparents. I bet it was beautiful. And they were crazy in love. And I've decided we would have been very good friends.



I love hearing stories.

Right where I'm going to want to be...

This time of transition is on my mind a lot lately. I guess because I'm right in the middle of it. I've watched more movies made between 1930 and 1960 than I ever thought I would in a month (I adore them), I've eaten more home cooked meals than I ever did at my apt, and I freeze to death all the time (so I've started running again (this parenthesis can also apply to the previous point)). Perks of living with your grandma.

Tonight was the first fuel, and I pray that it went absolutely wonderful and that it will impact so many students the way it impacted me. And honestly, this time last week I would have completely bummed I was missing out. And while I still miss it and wish I could see everybody, I'm ok. Somewhere between watching my cousins and uncle play softball and fighting with my "daughter" in "Spanish" with my 5 year old cousin during a 25 minute car ride and a dozen hugs in the hallway today and laughing till I cried at something a 12 year old said, I realized that I'm not only where I'm supposed to be, I'm exactly where I'm going to want to be, too. And I think that's the trick. Make where you're supposed to be, where you want to be. I'm getting there.

I'm looking for churches. I found one I really like. We'll see where that goes.

Breathe in deep
Before I say
I can feel us slip away
You're almost gone
You're good as gone
August is over

My kids are writing their journal entry to this song tomorrow. "Choose a metaphor or simile to describe August. Explain in at least 3 sentences." GO!

Some things to be missed...







August is over...

When I was in middle school, every time I read a book, I would read the first chapter then the last page. I somehow had to know if it was going to be ok. I don't know when I stopped doing that...

So I started teaching last week. It's a little different adjusting to the reality that the majority of my conversations are with 12 year olds these days. And today, when teaching analogies and metaphors, I had to specify that nothing could be compared to any bodily function after a boy in my first class used pee, poop, doodyhead, and fart. I promptly threw his paper away and made him start over. I also had to ban saying Justin Beiber because it sparked an intense argument in one class. I think I may be in over my head.

Transition is a weird. I have mixed feelings. But the one thing I keep reminding myself is that this is exactly where God wants me. I can't focus on what I could be doing or used to be doing because then I would completely miss out on what I'm supposed to be doing. And I love my 7th graders...well most of them. But they are so awkward and unsure and in this limbo in life between a little kid and a teenager. I know how much they are going to grow up right before my eyes, and if I can help in even a little way, it will be worth it.

I finally know, how you stand
against the worst there is
I finally found,
The strength you've tried to tell me about

Oh, even when the sky is crashing down
You, You locked your knees and stood up straight
You, Are the strength inside my veins
Oh, I want to feel the strength you know

And what does it take to believe
In all the things you believe
And maybe I need to listen more carefully

I think maybe the trick is to get through the first chapter...the rest gets easier.

Recap...

I've been home 3 days, so I wanted to do a short recap of what has happened...

Tuesday-My flight got in around 8 a.m...I got home around 1:30-went to sleep around 3. Slept for 15 straight hours.

Wednesday-Woke up and my dad told me about a job in Pea Ridge that was for a 7th grade English teacher and jr. girls bball coach. Now if you've had a conversation with me in the last 3 months, you'll know that I have had little to no interest in finding a job. I just didn't really want to, but something about this really sparked my interest. Before I knew it I was on the phone with the superintendent and they wanted me to come to an interview at 2. I scurried around and went. It went amazingly well! So I was off to wait for a call back. As soon as I got home Tara and Steph came up-it was so good to see them. We spent the night catching up...

Thursday-Somehow my email didn't go through to the lady about my references, so I didn't hear from the lady until after 2. So I re-sent the email. I was frustrated bc they had originally said that they would want me to come back up on Friday, but I didn't think it was possible now since it was so late in calling. But waking up at 5:45 that morning after going to bed at 1:30 proved that my sleeping schedule was still really off, so I slept until Brittney got here!!!! She came to see me for the weekend-so excited! :)

Friday-Today I spent the day shopping with Britt and Katie. It was good to just hang out and spend time with them. Sidenote-it's July. Still summer. There should still be swimsuits out. Around 3, Pea Ridge called and offered me the job! I will be signing the contract early next week. So me, mom, and Britt went to celebrate!

3 days. God is so good. His timing is perfect.

Oh and somewhere in there I got a bad haircut.

I'm almost convinced that most things in life are at least a little bittersweet.

Right now I'm sitting in the airport in Taiwan for the first of two 4 hour layover this in the next 24 hours! But I figured once I get to LA, my time will be spent on the phone that I have neglected for the past 6 weeks :)

The last few days have been filled with goodbyes and promises of keeping in touch on facebook and plans to return someday. It was hard to leave. It's going to be hard to go home. But it would have been hard to stay. As I sit here, I keep thinking of the so many different experiences from the past 6 weeks. It's like my mind has been playing a continuous movie since I got on the plane. I miss my friends.

But at the same time, it will be good to be home. I miss my family...BAD. And I miss my friends.

God is so good. And He is so powerful. And beyond my comprehension. And I think the more I learn about Him and grow in Him, the more of a mystery He becomes. And I think the mystery is good. Bc it makes us have to work in our relationship with Him.We are attracted to things that don't always come easy. We want to be challenged bc then we place importance on the knowledge we do gain bc we worked for it. I think God wants us to search His heart. He wants us to search His will. He wants us to see things and people through His eyes. He didn't lay everything out for us bc then there would be no challenge-therefore, less value. You dig and you dig and you dig...and you keep learning more! It's so exciting!