30-33 of 52 in 52

What a past month it has been! I can tell you great stories of being busy with grad school, children's ministry, tutoring, preparing my classroom for 18 precious little ones coming my way (next week!), a crazy kitten, a jealous dog, and many other life things. I can tell you great times of a photography workshop with MckMama, s'mores with my sister's family, a day of deep cleaning the house before going back to work (it's already dirty now -- really, Ellen?), and having a 4.0 GPA the first semester of my grad school. But, I decided to tell you something different tonight! (er, this morning)

I haven't been sleeping very well lately. I wake up in the middle of the night rather often. Now being a prime example. :) I usually either just lie there until I fall back asleep, read on my Nook some, or just piddle on Facebook and Instagram until my eyes are droopy again. But a friend suggested that maybe God was waking me up for a reason, wanting me to talk with Him and spend time with Him. Duh, Ellen.

When I woke up about an hour ago, 52 in 52 came to mind. Ouch.

Remember those great stories and great times I mentioned earlier? Yeah. They've taken the place of my 52 in 52. Now they seem not so great.

So I have 4 scriptures to share with you this morning. Enjoy! :)

Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth.

1 John 3:18

Actions speak louder than words, right? What have you done today to love someone with your actions? Have you prayed for (with) them? Offered help or council? Brought someone needing some extra love a special surprise?

These questions are as much for me as they are for you! Teacher workdays started on Wednesday for us, and I've been so extremely focused on my own classroom, my own Meet the Teacher needs, and my own list of last minute craziness that I haven't been very available for the new teachers on our grade level -- or the "old" (not old in age!) teachers either. I need to leave my room and be of help to them. 

So then, just as you received Christ Jesus a Lord, continue to live in Him, rooted and built up in Him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.

Colossians 2:6

Our church has a new pastor now that started at the beginning of July. Friends, this man is amazing! He is so open, honest, personable, and challenging. After being without a pastor for awhile, it is so refreshing to have this leadership in our church! I am so very excited to see what God has in store for our church! (Side note: Our previous pastor was great as well, but then he left. :) And our interim was too, but there's something about having a pastor in the church.)

Okay, all of that to say...he's been taking us through Colossians lately. I don't actually get many chances to be in the service because I'm with the precious little ones about 2 or 3 Sundays each month, but I try to soak up and internalize as much as I can when I'm able to be in the service. This verse really struck me when he was walking us through it this past Sunday. (The following is what I took from this sermon after pondering it during the service and then after getting home and looking through my notes. The basic points are pulled from what our pastor said, but when I say "I", that's me. Not him.)

He started with the "continuing." The life and walk of a Christian is not a one time thing. It is not something you decide one day, and then the next you stray away from it. Of course, we all sin, but that's where "continuing" comes in. It's a continuous walk of seeking Christ, repenting from our sins, obeying God's Word, living out our faith in our lives. It's daily. Every minute of every day. Sounds daunting, eh? Just remember 1 Corinthians 10:13 (God gives us direction and ways out of sin) and Philippians 4:13 (our strength comes from Christ).

Then, he painted a picture of the "rooted and built up in Him" portion. Ever seen a large oak tree? There's one by my parents' house that has been there forever. It's huge. Ginormous, even. We used to have a tire swing hanging from one of the limbs when I was little. It's kind of one of those trees that we never ever (ever) want to see cut down. (Okay, I'm pretty positive it's an oak! ha) Actually, my parents had a neighboring tree cut down not too long ago, but I thought they were cutting down "the tree" and almost climbed it in protest. But I diverted my plan and kept on driving down the road when I realized they were cutting down a different one.

Anyhoo, so this massive tree that sits on my grandparents' (now my parents') property probably has just a few scrawny roots, right? Uh, no. The roots on this thing are just as massive as  the tree itself. Roots grow underground just as wide as the limbs on the tree. There's no way it would stay standing if it worked any differently. So if you're living a life for Christ, striving to please God in your life, it would be pretty difficult to stand in this faith without having roots that go deep into God's word, right? Without having roots that go deep into your faith, your prayer life, your continuous growth in Christ. Without those roots, you'd topple over like a rootless tree. 

Just like a tree's roots, a building has to have a pretty strong foundation, right? One of the most pivotal steps in the process of constructing a building is the foundation. If it isn't laid correctly, the strength of the building is compromised. When I was growing up, our church began constructing a new building. It would serve as a gym/sanctuary, and it was pretty big! Once they laid the foundation and did some other "constructiony" type things (I'm no architect!), we all met at the building site with chalk. Lots and lots of chalk. I think it was chalk! Maybe we used markers. Lots and lots of markers. 

In any case, we had a lot of writing utensils, and we covered that foundation with God's Word. We wanted the foundation of that building to be covered in scripture and prayer, because that is the foundation of our lives. Now, did our scribblings actually help the construction of our new building? Probably not. But was it a perfect example of our lives? Absolutely. When our foundation is built on and covered with scripture, prayer, obedience, and repentance, we are able to stand firm in Christ.

And then overflowing is something that has always just been a neat illustration to me. I usually think of an overflowing cup, an overflowing swimming pool (why in the world? lol I've always thought it'd be cool to have a pool that is just continuously overflowing for some reason. But then there'd be a ginormous sized water bill and lots of muddy/soggy grass. Sad.), or an overflowing bathtub. But a pot of boiling water came to mind this time for some reason.

I love mac and cheese. I seriously could eat it every single day and not tire of it! (kind of like my love of Chick-Fil-A, I reckon) Actually, I did eat it almost everyday during the summertime in highschool. Cheese and pasta. Two of my favorites, all mixed up together. Yum! (Hmm...early morning snack?...) But I have this problem in that I get very distracted very easily, and I sometimes (ahem...often times) have an overflowing pot of boiling water before I realize it! I step away for what I think is only a minute or two and return to a mess.

But what if that mess was a glorious, thankful, God-praising mess? What if my love for Christ was so active, so hot and on fire that it bubbled up inside me, out of my daily living, and splashed all over the people around me? Of course, it wouldn't actually be scalding hot, so there would be no real physical harm to others (I couldn't hurt a fly! A spider, yes...I can do some serious bug spray damage there. But other creatures are safe), but there would be effects. Others would be splashed with my overflow, hopefully creating a bubble inside their own lives and hearts. I want to be infectious and overflowing. With thankfulness and love.

Phew! That's a lot more than what Pastor Dave said, but he of course expounded on the surrounding scriptures as well. I didn't expect to go so far with that, but that's why I love sharing my 52 in 52 on here. It makes me reflect and really think about the scripture, and sometimes more comes out than I had originally internalized about the scripture. 

So, with that, I'm going to share the remaining two later. It's not almost 4:00AM, and I have to be at my grad class in just 5 hours. Eek! Another 3 or 4 hours of sleep would be marvelous!

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friend of sinners

Jesus, Friend of Sinners
(by Casting Crowns)


Jesus, friend of sinners, we have strayed so far away
We cut down people in Your name, but the sword was never ours to swing
Jesus, friend of sinners, the truth's become so hard to see
The world is on their way to You but they're tripping over me
Always looking around but never looking up I'm so double minded
A plank eyed saint with dirty hands and a heart divided


Oh Jesus, friend of sinners
Open our eyes to the world at the end of our pointing fingers
Let our hearts be led by mercy
Help us reach with open hearts and open doors
Oh Jesus, friend of sinners, break our hearts for what breaks Yours


Jesus, friend of sinner, the One whose writing in the sand
Made the righteous turn away and the stones fall from their hands
Help us to remember we are all the least of these
Let the memory of Your mercy bring Your people to their knees
Nobody knows what we're for, only what we're against when we judge the wounded
What is we put down our signs, crossed over the lines, and loved like You did

Oh Jesus, friend of sinners

Open our eyes to the world at the end of our pointing fingers

Let our hearts be led by mercy

Help us reach with open hearts and open doors

Oh Jesus, friend of sinners, break our hearts for what breaks Yours

You love every lost cause; You reach for the outcast

For the leper and the lame; they're the reason that You came

Lord I was that lost cause, and I was the outcast

But You died for sinners just like me, a grateful leper at Your feet

'Cause You are good, You are good and Your love endures forever

You are good, You are good and Your love endures forever

You are good, You are good and Your love endures forever

You are good, You are good and Your love endures forever

Oh Jesus, friend of sinners

Open our eyes to the world at the end of our pointing fingers

Let our hearts be led by mercy

Help us reach with open hearts and open doors

Oh Jesus, friend of sinners, break our hearts for what breaks Yours

And I was the lost cause, and I was the outcast

Yeah...

You died for sinners just like me, a grateful leper at Your feet

This song has been on my heart so much today. It came on the radio, and I almost broken down thinking about the depth of the lyrics and what they mean.

This verse in particular hit me strong:

Jesus, friend of sinner, the One whose writing in the sand

Made the righteous turn away and the stones fall from their hands

Help us to remember we are all the least of these

Let the memory of Your mercy bring Your people to their knees

Nobody knows what we're for, only what we're against when we judge the wounded

What is we put down our signs, crossed over the lines, and loved like You did

In light of the current events going on, it's hard to remember that even the people we despise, the ones we long to see come to justice, are still loved by God.

He doesn't love their sin. He loves the person.

And I'm reminded... He doesn't love my sin. But He loves me.

My prayer for the victims of the CO shooting is that they will find rest, peace, comfort, and God's healing hand on their lives during this time. Physical healing, emotional healing, and spiritual healing. I pray that they will draw near to HIm.

My prayer for the suspect of the CO shooting is that He will feel conviction, guilt, shame, and sadness over what he's done.

But I also pray that through this, he will realize his sin and his need for God.

Our God is an amazing, outstanding, miraculous, and forgiving God. He is also a just God.

Praying for those whom we consider monsters is so hard.

But Jesus was a friend of sinners. Let us not be blinded by our longing for justice that we forget the need for God in every person's life.

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chasing the sunset

Izzy and I set out on a walk to chase the sunset tonight.

Well, I reckon we were really trying to find the sunset.

I could see above the houses in my neighborhood that it was full of pretty pinks and blues tonight. I couldn't wait to see it!

One thing that makes me want to live at the beach is the sunsets. An unobstructed view of God's beauty. It's so hard to catch in a subdivision.

So, Izzy and I walked. And walked.

I tried to choose the best no dog route I could think of. Since I run in my neighborhood so much, I remember where many of the dogs live. And since Izzy is not a dog type of dog (yeah, weird, eh?), I thought it'd be best to avoid the dog houses (ha!).

We had a hard time finding a good spot for a picture.

This was the best we could do.

We caught a few of the pinks!

And then we were racing the thunder and lightening back to the house.

Izzy insisted on pottying in every other yard though, so that slowed us up a bit. But we returned safely!

Have you chased any sunsets lately?

Whom have I in heaven but You? And earth has nothing I desire besides You. My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.

Psalm 73:25-26

Such a powerful scripture. In our weakness, we find God's strength. Out of heaven and earth, He is our constant, our purpose. Our portion.

Forever.

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What's been going on?

What a week!! We've had some serious fun at VBS this week!

We've had an average of about 30 kids each night, which is great!!

I challenged the kids to raise $125 for missions this week. We'll give the money raised to a girl in the church that is overseas right now.

As of last night, we've collected $180!! WOO! We're hoping to reach the $200 mark tonight, which is Family Night!

Speaking of challenges, I challenged myself to run 30 minutes everyday for 30 days (Sundays being my rest days). It was going GREAT until I fell and skinned my knee last Friday.

I haven't run since. Sad!

But, my knee is healing nicely and feeling better, so I'm hoping on running today.

52 in 52 has been rough the past few weeks! No real excuses other than me being busy with school work and VBS prep the past couple of weeks. I didn't even realize that I hadn't posted about it last week until last night.

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Romans 15:13

joy, peace and hope

I want it to overflow!!!

Great is our Lord and mighty in power; His understanding has no limit.

Psalm 147:5

This is our theme verse for VBS this week! My prayer for them is that they've truly experienced God's amazing power as they learn about Him this week!

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InstaFriday

This has been a great week so far!

Of course, I started out pretty overwhelmed and under joyed, but I realized that it has a lot to do with how I'm spending my time and what I'm investing my time in.

I've been intentional about my quiet times and 52 in 52 studying this week. It's a breath of fresh air!

Just like these lovely wildflowers. Aren't they happy?

My friend Ashley and I were driving down a back road Monday morning, and these little beauties were growing on the side of the road. I said, "I want to pick some!!!!" So she pulled over!

Yay!! I picked some for myself and some for Ashley.

They're still on my kitchen table right now.

I had to shake out all of the pollen (or whatever it was that was falling off) today. I should probably throw them out, but they're too happy still to be tossed.

One of my tomato plants outside has a baby tomato.

But I think I killed the plant, therefore killing the baby tomato. Oops.

There's still another plant going strong, and it has flowers on it so far! Hopefully baby tomatoes are in the neat future!

The other flowers in my garden are doing pretty well. I may have a green thumbnail at this point.

Definitely not a whole green thumb though.

2 Chronicles 3l:20-21

In everything he undertook ... he sought his God and worked wholeheartedly. And so he prospered.

Love that passage. 

Philippians 2:14-16

This is so hard, isn't it?

Well okay. Maybe it's just me, but I find it hard!

I don't even realize I'm complaining sometimes until after it's done and time has passed.

But this is my prayer, my ambition. 

Remember when I said I was trying to be more intentional about my quiet times and my scripture memorization? Well, I'm trying to be more intentional about not complaining or arguing as well.

So this bitty kitty has kind of taken over the house. Her name is Chloe, and she's only about 5 weeks old now.

I know, she's supposed to still be with her mommy, but she didn't have one when she was found, so I've become her mommy.

She drinks goat milk. And sleeps in a little cradle formed from my shirt. And climbs the curtains like an American Ninja Kitten.

And...she drives Izzy crazy. For real.

For the first week that Chloe was here, Izzy hid under the bed all the time. This week, she has been coming out from under the bed.

She does well until Chloe decides to play Simba from The Lion King and pounce on Izzy.

Yeah. She's pretty feisty!

I discovered a "Documentary Network" on my TV tonight.

And I just watched an hour worth of a documentary about these four Irish women talking about their late husbands and their many quirks.

Wow.

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overwhelmed

Confession time.

I didn't pick out a verse for this past week. I will be doing two this week because of this.

I do believe I have hit the overwhelmed phase of my grad school, and I'm afraid it won't get any better.

I feel as if my life has been nothing but school work lately. When I'm not doing school work, I am either walking Iz, a feeding bitty kitty goat's milk (I should probably post about that, eh? lol), mindlessly watching TV and being a bum, tutoring little kiddos at the YMCA and my school, working out with a friend, or doing things for church (especially now since VBS is only a couple weeks away).

And then there are those other life things that happen - like actually seeing my family here and there, babysitting when needed, cleaning my house that seems to be overwhelmingly dirty these days, and sleep would be nice as well.

Yeah. I'm pretty worn out. I went to bed around 10:30 or 11:00 last night, which isn't exactly early, but not really late either since I've been staying up late doing school work this week.

This morning... I woke up at 9:15. I'm supposed to be at church at 9:30 for Sunday school, so I was late. Obviously. I reckon I needed some extra sleep.

Classes also keep me from family gatherings, which is extremely hard.

I missed my mom and niece's family birthday gathering because of class. I also missed our family's Father's Day gathering. And then I'll miss my dad and nephew's birthday weekend as well because of class. I haven't looked beyond that yet though. :)

I don't feel like I have to be present for these events to be complete for my family. Rather, I desire to be present because I need that time with my family.

Living by myself, I've really come to value family time so much more. Yes, I've always enjoyed it. However, now, I sincerely need that time because it's just me. I sometimes go several days running around doing things without having a chance to talk with my family. Not out of a lack of desire, but simply a lack of time and energy. So when I miss those precious times with my family, it really hits me hard.

Okay, so this is not me trying to have a pity party or gain sympathy at all. It's just me venting. :)

Crazy to think that I'm so overwhelmed with all of this when I don't even have a husband or children, eh? Yeah. God knew what He was doing when He orchestrated me getting my master's now and not later in life. I don't know how the moms of young children are handling the program, but they're rock stars for sure!

And in the midst of this craziness, I've noticed my time with God suffering more and more. This definitely doesn't help with my outlook on things either.

So, I'm asking for a bit of help from my friends! Our Bible study group finished up our study on Esther awhile ago, which was amazingly great with keeping me focused and on track with my time with God. Not that I can't just read God's word without a guide, but it's good to have some direction in my studies.

With that said, does anyone have any suggestions for great devotional books that I can work through? A precious mom of one of my students gave me a daily devotional that has a passage with a small excerpt about it for each day, which has been great! I'd like to add something with a little more depth to it.

------
EDIT after maybe 10 minutes of hitting post: So, I realized this post was pretty much all negative about my grad school experience so far. I want to make sure I intentionally say that the things that I have learned and the changes I am hoping to make in my classroom next year are totally worth these rough patches! I have met some amazing people, and I am completely excited about how God will use this program to reshape me as a teacher. So I'm whining tonight, but it's all totally worth it. And I realize that. :) But I'm allowed a post to vent, right? Sure!




3579

summer walks and undivided devotion

Izzy and I are enjoying our summer so far.

We went on a "long walk" last night and this afternoon. They're long walks because it's about 30 minutes as opposed to our walks of going out, Izzy doing her stuff, and then us coming back inside.

We're going to take a long walk everyday.

That's the plan anyway!

I've come to the conclusion that I am a stay at home mom during the summer. I just happen to have a baby with four legs that wears a harness while we walk instead of riding in a stroller.

That should help my, "I want a family"-itis...right?

Hope so! :)

So far, during the first week of summer, I have...

-Spent two mornings working out with a couple friends. Love them!! (the workouts...and the friends)
-Bought more [clearance] plants for my garden. Hope they make it!
-Spent an entire day...minus about 2 1/2 hours...devoted solely to grad school work. I got most of it done! Woo! About 2 1/2 more assignments to go for now.
-Challenged myself (and have already started) to eat healthier and be more mindful of what I put into my body.

And that's about it. Doesn't look like much, but it's been pretty busy so far!

Okay, so since I mentioned my "I want a family"-itis, I guess that's a good segue into my 52 in 52 for this week...

An unmarried woman is concerned about the Lord's affairs: Her aim is to be devoted to the Lord in both body and spirit. But a married woman is conceded about the affairs of this world-how she can please her husband. I am saying this for your own good, not to restrict you, but that you may live in a right way in undivided devotion to the Lord.
1 Corinthians 7:34-35

I apparently have a thing for the books of Corinthians. This is my 4th verse from these two books, which is the most from any book so far.

This isn't the first I've come across this passage, or the first that I felt compelled to camp out and store its words in my heart.

Not sure when I wrote that, but it is most definitely still my heart's cry today.

This season of being single (well, more like life since it's all I've known lol) can either be a blessing or a hardship. I pray that I allow it to be a blessing for me.

A time of growth in Christ, devotion to God, and learning to live for Him. 

And then when He blesses me with more than what I'm experiencing now, it will be all the sweeter.

Right now, though...

Undivided devotion.

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my life (aka craziness) ...according to Instagram.

Things around here have been crazy! Hence why my 52 in 52 updates have been running late for the past couple of weeks.

I started grad school in May! I am getting my Master's in Education in Divergent Learning.

It's only a year long program, but it is very intense.

It's not all serious business though.

Last night, we made cookie people, choosing the different toppings according to our personality styles.

I apparently have a yummy personality because all of my personality style toppings were among my favorite treats! Yay!

(my cookie didn't last long...obviously)

On a serious note, I am learning SO much in my classes. I'm glad I started in the summer and not this fall because I'm able to transition into the work load. However, it's a bit frustrating at times because I want to implement these strategies right now.

Patience, dear teacher. Patience.

My homeowner-ness is continuing to stretch my handy woman skills!

I put in a new doorbell several weeks ago.

The original one that "came with the house" had part of the plastic button part missing, so people feared for their lives when they came to my house, choosing to just knock instead of risk electrocution by ringing the doorbell. No need to worry any longer, my dear friends!

Right after I finished changing out the doorbell, the UPS man came by to deliver a package (containing a grad school book - woohoo...). I was so excited and proud that I very enthusiastically exclaimed to him, "I just changed my doorbell!!!"

Yeah. I get excited about small things. But it's just me. I don't have someone to run to for an impromptu celebration...because you know. Adding another notch in my tool belt as handy woman calls for impromptu celebrations! So this would be why my life is often on Facebook.

Just in case you were wondering!

But anyhow -- back to Mr. UPS. Upon hearing my jubilation in a new doorbell that I changed all by myself, he turned around, gave me two (not just one!) thumbs up and said, "Alright!!"

Yep. I'm a dork! At least I'm a smiley dork though, right? :)

So, along with my grad classes and my brand spanking new doorbell, I'm also experiencing empty nest syndrome...

Sad times.

I had become so accustomed to checking on my little feathered friends every day that I was super sad to see them gone.

Ever need a reminder of God's love for you? Yeah, me too.

The church down the road from my parents has this great reminder for all the world to see! It's on their ball field fence.

It makes me smile every time I drive by. And makes me wish I had an obnoxious chain link fence in my front yard to broadcast love to all as well.

Okay, maybe not to that extent. But it does make me happy. I love it!

And look what I have on the windowsill above my sink! 

Baby marigold plants! I've been plucking the seeds out of my [dead] marigold flowers in my flower boxes (another post about that soon-ish!).

I'm excited to see that the seeds I "harvested" are growing! Woo!

I also planted LOTS more, but they're on the deck rail in the back yard. I'm experimenting a lot with seeding flowers. We'll see what happens!

I also have some squash, sunflowers, morning glories, celosias, and forget me nots planted to grow some before putting them in my flowerbed.

Speaking of...

I now have a GORGEOUS flowerbed in my backyard! (Thanks, Mom and Dad!!!!!)

It has some of my grandpa's lilies (my brother had them in his yard, then shared them with me) along with some plants I bought at Walmart for 50% off.

Hope they don't die!

I have a knock out rose bush, two tomato plants, and two other perennials that I'm not sure of their names. 

So this has been my life lately. We finished up the school year this past week, so now I'm focusing on church, grad school, and my home.

Sleep is always nice too.

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be kind

Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with Whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Get rid of all bitterness, rage, and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.

Ephesians 4:29-32

Can we just say that God is teaching me about being an example? Having a tender heart, speaking truth and uplifting words to people, forgiving, and so much more. This goes for people I don't know, to people I work with, to even my own family members.

Sometimes, we are harsher on those that are closest to us than we are to anyone else. 

My prayer is that everyday that I live, my life will become more and more of a reflection of His love, grace, and forgiveness, to everyone that I come in contact with.

I totally wouldn't be able to even strive for His reflection unless I have received His love, grace, and forgiveness every single day of my life. Why I keep that only to myself?

I want to share it, show it, emulate it.

under His wings -- 52 in 52

He will cover you with His feathers, and under His wings you will find refuge; His faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.

Psalm 91:4

We had a really big thunderstorm the other night, which woke me up around 1:30AM and kept me up for a couple hours. Poor Izzy was plastered to my side and shaking because she was scared.

But do you want to know what kept coming to mind as I tried to comfort Izzy?

The baby birds!!

I found these little guys a couple weeks ago in one of the hanging baskets on my porch.

And it's been super fun to watch them grow!!

Of course, they started out looking a bit like aliens.

With mouths open wide begging for food.

So during that big storm, all I could think about was the baby birds. Three tiny little birds that are hanging in a basket on my front porch.

I actually thought about going out to put them on my porch so they would be a little more covered from the rain.

But that would have required me to get out of my bed in the middle of the night. Which I was not excited about at all.

So I checked on them first thing in the morning...

And they were fine!!!

I like to think that their momma came and covered them with her wings to protect them from the storm.

Do you ever feel like you're in a nest of twigs, dangling in a basket in the midst of a violent storm?

Do you ever wonder how you'll ever live to see the sun shine again? 

When that happens, God covers you with His wings. Just like these baby birds were covered during the storm.

He is our shield and rampart.

**I started this post on Wednesday of last week, but I fell asleep before finishing it up. So this was the 52 in 52 for last week, not this week. :) And sorry the pictures are so miss matched - I kept forgetting with Instagram filter I used for the pictures.

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seasoned with salt -- 52 in 52

Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.

Colossians 4:5-6

So my sister-in-law loves salt (hehe - if you're reading this, I hope you don't mind!). She told me once that she puts salt in the shaker with the most holes - that way, more will come out at once. ha!

I like salt as well, but I'm okay without it usually. However, some foods seriously require salt. And maybe more than just a grain.

Brustle sprouts. I love them! But, they need salt. Bad! Without, I'm not a big fan.

Potatoes. I'm a not a big potato type of girl. I don't mind a baked potato every once in awhile. I absolutely love sweet potatoes. But, if I'm going to have regular potatoes (in the form of fries, mashed potatoes, baked potatoes...), I want some salt!

Salt just seems to make things taste better. It can take a bland tasting food and add some spice to it (no pun intended...).

Sometimes the things we say are better received with a grain of salt. No, I'm not saying to butter your conversation up so as not to hurt someone. Not at all. However, be mindful of what you are saying and the impact it could have on another person.

Words hurt. It's as plain and simple as that. And sadly enough, sometimes the thing we remember most about a person is the negative words they've spoken to us.

Often times, we are judged by our words. People may watch us and look to see how we respond to certain situations. If we aren't careful, we may cause these people to stumble based on the way we've reacted. It hurts my heart to think I could cause someone strife with God because of my words.

Am I saying this because I think I'm perfect? No way, no how! I know I have to work at keeping my words full of grace, seasoned with salt, and glorifying God in all circumstances. That would be why I chose this verse for this week. :) But the first step is always realization, right?

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So, I'm sitting here in my hallway typing this post. Something about me heading to bed, deciding to write a post really quick, and then my dear dog wanting a late night snack/supper. She won't always eat if I'm not within sight, so I plopped in the hallway to finish up the post. I know. She's spoiled.

Anyway -- sitting here, I decided to open up the air conditioner filter thing (my own technical term). Dad mentioned getting a new thing to put in his, and it made me wonder if I needed new one for mine since it's been about 8 months since I bought the house. Hmm...

I think I am officially grossed out. Are they supposed to look that nasty? Or am I in serious need of a transplant? I snapped the picture to show the guy at the store when I go to get a new one. Classy, eh? 

I thought you'd enjoy the picture. Don't worry - it'll be changed soon (hopefully).



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the Lord is my portion -- 52 in 52

I remember my affliction and my wandering, the bitterness and the gall. I well remember them, and my soul is downcast within me. Yet this I call to mind and therefore I have hope:

Because of the Lord's great love we are not consumed, for His compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness. I say to myself, "The Lord is my portion; therefore I will wait for Him."

Lamentation 3:19-24

Honestly? I haven't started working on this passage memorization yet for this week.

It's been a bit of a crazy week with something going on each evening, and this evening I find myself still sitting in my classroom, which is now silent outside of the occasional person wandering the halls and the praise music I have streaming on Pandora. The stillness is rather relaxing.

Later, I will make my way to an ice cream place down the road to scoop ice cream for Panther Spirit Night. Maybe I'll see a few faces from my classroom.

The Lord is my portion; therefore I will wait for Him.

Wow.

As I memorize this verse, I have to really search myself and ask whether or not this is true reality in my heart.

Yes. I love God. I love Him with everything in me.

Does my heart long for things that I do not have yet though? Absolutely.

Talking with a friend a couple months ago, I realized the root of the feelings that I have in my heart and mind. They are not feelings of not being content. I'm content. I love living by myself, going home to a quiet house (aside from the barking of my little ankle biter of a dog), and the peace I find after a crazy (but fun) day at the school. I love it.

It's actually better than I thought it'd be. I was honestly a little concerned about getting lonely and such. That's only happened a couple times since I bought the house about 7 months ago.

Even though I'm content, I'm happy, and I wouldn't change the fact that I bought a house last year, my heart is still longing.

I don't feel fulfilled.

I don't feel whole.

Someone is missing when I wake up in the mornings. Someone is missing when I cook supper at night (which is obvious since I usually have enough for another two meals after I eat my supper). Someone is missing when I have exciting news to share late at night, yet no one to share it with.

No, it's not about being content at all. I absolutely love my life. However, I am not fully whole yet. My heart longs for my husband. It hurts not knowing who he is or where he is. And sometimes I wonder if he is at all. Or if he is not. And that it's just me.

As I typed out the verse for this week's 52 in 52, I had to ask myself whether or not I truly meant what I was typing. I didn't start this journey at the beginning of the year just hoping to store away some random passages. No, I wanted to learn, grow, change, transform, and mold into someone new. My desire is that through these 52 weeks, the 52 passages I select would have an impact on my heart and my life. And in turn, I will be a new creation in Him.

So, can I truly claim the Lord as my portion?

I pray that I can. I pray that my longings do not draw me away from God and from my desire to live solely in Him. I desire to love Him with an undying passion that grows every second of my life here on this earth.

Yes, I am content. I have my God. He is my Father, my Lord, my Savior. He is my Companion.

And until He introduces me to the man He has hand chosen for me to love, marry, live life with, and die holding onto, I will continue to seek God with every ounce of my being, and I will pray for him, his safety, his walk with God, his family, and his life. And even after I meet my man, my prayer is that through my relationship with him, I will never cease to seek God's face.

Yes. I will say to myself, "The Lord is my portion; therefore I will wait for Him."

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a heart of flesh -- 52 in 52

I just realized this evening that I haven't shared with you my 52 in 52 verse for this week! It's been a pretty good week, but busy. I've made it a goal to get to bed by 9:00, which has worked for the past 3 work nights. Last night was a bit different (as is tonight), but I'll share about that in another post. :) Here's this week's verse!!

I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put My Spirit in you and move you to follow My decrees and be careful to keep My laws.

Ezekiel 36:26-27

A heart of stone can be present in a number of forms, however there is one basic underlying theme that is present.

Knowing that God is calling you to do something, but doing nothing about it.

Whether that is not taking a blind step of faith into a new career, continuing to sin in spite of your convictions, or not spending time with God through prayer and reading His word (or even spending time in His word and prayer, but not truly seeking Him through them).

The promising joy that God has given us is that He will turn our hearts of stone into hearts of flesh. The Spirit that God places in us is none other than His Own, which serves as our Counselor and Guide.

I must say, knowing that God loves me enough to continue chiseling away at my life, even when I've found myself cold as stone, is very humbling.

Stone is heavy and uncomfortable. I'd rather give it all to God so that He can change my heart of stone to a heart of flesh, which is a much lighter (and more enjoyable) load.

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my week, according to Instagram

The week after Spring Break always seem to be a tough one. Getting back into the swing of waking up early isn't always easy!

This week was no different! I spoke with about 4 other teachers that all said the same thing: Spring Break was such a glorious taste of summer that coming back was almost unbearable! Okay, maybe it wasn't that bad, and we didn't exactly say it was that bad, but it was rough! I have enjoyed being back on a "normal" schedule again, and I truly did miss my little kiddos, however I struggled with waking up early and having energy to last me through the school day. Yawns were in abundance, and afternoon naps were a constant threat. But we made it! And we only have 33 days left (I'm pretty sure that's correct).

So here's a peek at my week. ha! I'm a poet and didn't know it. ba-da-ching!

-On Tuesday evening, I helped throw a baby shower for one of my best friends Mary. Okay, so this is totally not a picture of Mary, but it is of my little dog Izzy. While I was at the shower, Izzy set the security alarm at my house off, which eventually called the police because they couldn't get ahold of me. Craziness! Thankfully, everything was fine, I didn't have to pay a false warning fee, and it was all chalked up to me rushing out of the house in an I'm-going-to-be-late frenzy. Oh, and when I got up Wednesday morning, in my very sleepy state, I pushed in the duress (emergency! Call the police now!!) code on my security system. Thankfully, I immediately realized it and called the security company to cancel the code. No police came on Wednesday morning, thankfully!

-This is actually from last Saturday, but we'll pretend! :) I finally planted flowers in my flower boxes outside. They make me so happy when I pull into my driveway! And I haven't even killed them yet!!! Score!

-One of my precious students brought me flowers on Thursday just because. Love!! She even said I could keep the vase (which stands about 6 inches tall) because her momma can get them at the store for $1. haha Can I just say, that as a single woman, I'm glad my students bring me flowers from time to time! Of course, this is not to say that I'm expecting my one-day husband to buy me flowers all the time, but I love how God romances me even through simple signs of love such as a student bringing me flowers. Makes my heart smile. :)

-And lastly, my new kitchen cuties! I got Mr. Salt and Mrs. Pepper today at a Come See Me (Rock Hill's spring festival) event, and I love them! So cute. I also picked up the small plate/dish beside the happy seasoning couple this week. I'm so happy about having something to put my spoon/spatula/whatever on while I cook! No more food-dirtied counters! Yay!

And one more picture! The number line in my classroom started falling on Monday afternoon, so I decided to hot glue it back up! Well, I don't exactly have a ladder in my room (it's at the top of my wall), so I put the spinny desk chair to the highest it would go, heated up my hot glue gun, and stepped up to glue my number line back into place. Easy peasy, right?

Hot so much. The hot glue dripped, and the dripped glob of hot glue landed right on my foot! Ouch! And turned it yellow!! Strange, huh?

Just kidding. The hot glue didn't turn my skin yellow, but it did burn it pretty bad! And one of my dear teacher friends insisted that if I put yellow mustard on the burn, it would stop burning. She almost talked me into getting some mustard from the cafeteria, but I decided to wait until I got home since I needed to run a couple errands, and I didn't think it would be very attractive for me to walk around with mustard on my foot (however, I'll snap a picture and post it on Instagram/Facebook? Weird, I know).

Well, I tried it when I got home, and it WORKS! I was so stinking amazed that the mustard just pulled the burn out completely! I let the mustard stay on until it was just about dried (yes, gross. lol), and I had to make sure Izzy didn't decide to have a mustard snack that afternoon. Now, the spot is sloooowly healing. Hopefully there won't be a nasty scar there.

Well, there are about 40 minutes left to this week, so I better hit the sack so I can start next week bright eyed and bushy tailed! How was your week? Drop any hot glue on your foot? I wouldn't recommend it.

(Oh yes! I was supposed to run in the Come See Me 5k race this morning, but I slept late. Arg! I've run it the past 2 years, and I was excited about keeping the tradition going! I think God was telling me to slow down and take it easy some. My body listened this morning, I reckon. Oh well. Next year!)

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wake up! and read about this week's 52 in 52 -- and click an ad!

But everything exposed by the light becomes visible, for it is light that makes everything visible. This is why it is said: "Wake up, O sleeper, rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you."

Ephesians 5:13-14

So I'm thinking I need this as a recording to use as my alarm clock in the mornings! I definitely feel dead to the world as I turn off the 4 alarms that I have set. Yes. 4 alarms. And I still wake up late!

But I'm not sure they mean me feeling dead in the mornings.

No, I think Paul meant spiritual death. Death that comes from sin.

When we wake up from the sin that has us trapped in disobedience and allow Christ to shine on us, we are finally able to see God's calling again. It's so easy to be blinded by sin and lose sight of what it is God has called to. Opening our eyes and becoming aware of Christ and His sacrifice can help us see what was once invisible. Christ, the Light, makes all things visible.

On a side note, take a moment to click the link on the right!! Scroll down a little....it's down there. On the right side of the page. I get couple pennies or nickels each time someone clicks an ad! :) 

Yay! You clicked it. Thanks. :)

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be still

I wonder what Jesus' closest friends, His mom, and His faithful followers felt on the days after His death but before His resurrection. Did they feel a sense of defeat? Maybe confusion? I can only imagine there was much heartache during this time.

What was God whispering in their ears on these days? As Easter approaches this year, one verse has been in my mind a great deal.

Be still, and know that I am God;

I will be exalted among the nations,

I will be exalted in the earth.

Psalm 46:10

I don't know this to be true, but I imagine God whispering words such as these to the people mourning and confused over Jesus' death in those days.



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He died for us -- 52 in 52

You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

Romans 5:6-8

I don't know what is more humbling than thinking of my sin and knowing that Christ still died for me. Nothing I did warranted this display of love towards me. It had nothing to do with me, but everything to do with who He was...and still is.

As this Good Friday comes to an end, I'm reminded of God's goodness and His unfailing love towards us. I hope you've come to know this love.




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a porta potty adventure + a late race + a terrible time = a great weekend!

We had a great trip to Charleston! I loved spending time catching up with Cindy, my cousin that lives in too-far-away-Charlotte. Okay, she's only about half an hour away, but that's just too far! It was also fun to meet her new roommate, Britney. The three of us drove down on Friday morning and spent some time bumming around the expo, and then downtown Charleston.

We were stuck in traffic for awhile on the way into Charleston (something about 40,000 people running the race causes traffic. Odd, eh?), and I REALLY had to potty. Bad! So, as we were stopped beside some porta potties lining the road (for the following morning's race, of course), I hopped out to potty really quick hoping to get back out to the car before the cop at the light decided to let our lane drive.

Well, half way through my, uh, potty break, I heard cars moving. Sad times. I came out to new cars in front of the porta potty parade, and my cousin's car nowhere in site. I wonder what the people in the cars thought about the girl that randomly came out of a porta potty with a confused look on her face. Anyhoo, I ran down the sidewalk trying to find her car, and thought that maybe they just went on to the expo, which was only about a block or so away. So I give them a call, and finally found them (yay!). They had pulled up on a sidewalk the next block down and was waiting for me. Apparently Cindy tried waiting for me at the porta potties, but multiple cops came running towards her car in an attempt to get her to move, so she had to drive on. Of course, this all happened in a span of maybe 3 minutes. Fun times!

Oh, and I can officially say that I've used a sparkling-clean porta potty! The seat even had plastic wrapped around it, saying it was newly sanitized. God bless the porta potty sanitizer people. I couldn't do it, I'm afraid. But I'm glad someone did!

I had another interesting porta potty experience the next morning before the race. This one included me wearing a tutu in the teeny tiny porta potty. But we won't go into that experience. *shudder*

Anyways, the run was fun, however not my best at all. Lack of sleep (I randomly woke up at 1:15AM and didn't get back to sleep), starting the race an hour late (yes, they started an hour late - more on that in the next paragraph), standing around for almost 3 hours before the race ever started, not eating for 4 hours before the race, a crazy sharp cramp, and some lady issues didn't make it my best time at all. At. all.

Remember how I said they started the race an hour late? Yeah. Apparently there were some issues with the shuttle buses taking people from the Charleston side of the bridge (finish) to the Mt. Pleasant side (start) and people were still on buses at like 7:30 (30 minutes before the race). Then, the buses had to clear the bridge before we could start. So, instead of starting the race at 8:00, they started at 9:00. Which means since we got there round 7:30, we had to stand around for an hour and a half before we started. We also stood in line for the buses for about an hour before we loaded our bus to be taken to the start. I think I was mentally done before we ever started. lol

So, my time. My goal was under an hour. Last year, I did it in 1 hour and 3 minutes. This year, not so much. I finished 1 hour and 10 minutes (+ some seconds). I am honestly proud that I was able to run and finish the race in the time that I did. However, I am so competitive with myself that my time totally bummed me out. But that's okay! I'll do better next year. :)

Okay - done complaining!! I really did have fun, and although it wasn't my best run, I most definitely will do this race again next year. The experience is always completely worth it.

Cindy did an EXCELLENT job during this race! This was her 2nd 10k, but I don't really count her first one since she had a broken tail bone. She ran it in an hour and 18 minutes! Yay!! So proud of her. :)

-Cindy and I finally made it on the bus, after waiting forEVER! All smiles here though. :)
-Everyone was wondering what was taking so long to start. The people behind us were making jokes like, "I never practiced standing around for an hour before running 6 miles before! I'm not prepared for this!" I decided it was a good sit down and rest your legs time.
-One of my favorite pictures from the weekend! Cindy and I are waiting for the race to start. And the guy standing behind us totally photobombed our picture. Nerd! Funny nerd though.
-LOVE the bridge!! This picture makes the race totally worth it. Such a pretty run!

Lesson learned? God can humble us even through regular life experiences. I was so pumped up about running the race in under an hour, yet I was completely knocked on my rump with everything that lead up to the race. I don't exactly deal well with failure, but I'm learning to slap on a smile and clamp my mouth shut! Not sure I did a great job at that this weekend though. lol

How was your weekend? :D



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time to beat my time! ... and some precious promises (52 in 52)

It's Spring Break for me now!! Yay!

That also means I run the Cooper River Bridge Run in 2 days! Woo!! :D I looked up my time from last year. I ran it in 1 hour, 3 minutes, and 38 seconds.

My goal is under an hour. Think I can do it? Yeah. I have my doubts too. lol

My cousin Cindy and I are going down together (with her roommate Britney) and staying at a hotel tomorrow night. It'll be a fun little getaway for the evening, and we'll have plenty of time to catch up on the juicy cousin news! Can't wait. :)

Have you watched the new show Touch that started last week? I'm hooked! Jake, the little boy in the show, is absolutely adorable. His hair just melts my heart! Maybe I'll have a little boy with curly hair like that one day. ...maybe.

I was also watching the other new show Awake, but I'm not sure I can watch it anymore. It's become a bit too scary for me. But I may just be a wimp.

My grandpa's birthday is on Saturday. I'm not sure I'll have time or enough energy on Saturday to work in my yard, but I'm planning on doing some planting next week to celebrate his birthday.

I miss his smile and his blue eyes. And his voice. Such a rich voice.

His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and goodness. Through these He has given us His very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.

2 Peter 1:3-4

I'm drawn to this verse for some reason. I can't quite put my finger on it though.

God's very great and precious promises. Promises that some day, we will be able to see our loved ones again. We'll be able to see our Savior face to face. Promises of a life without tears, sickness, pain, or sorrow. A life filled to overflowing with worship and praise to our Father. Promises of life with Him.

Maybe I just put my finger on it. Promises of seeing my Uncle Mike, Grandma, and Grandpa again. Thoughts of that day are certainly very great and precious in my mind. 

It's almost midnight. I better hop in the bed before I turn into a pumpkin! I'll let you know if I beat my time on Saturday! :)



2020

booming visits, my run, and an undivided heart ... in reverse order

Teach me Your way, O Lord, and I will walk in Your truth; give me an undivided heart, that I may fear Your name. I will praise You, O Lord my God, with all my heart; I will glorify Your name forever. For great is Your love toward me; You have delivered me from the depths of the grave.

Psalm 86:11-13

What do you feel your heart is divided between? Maybe it's between following God and continuing a habit you've developed. Maybe it's trusting God, but also feeling as if you can't fully trust Him. Maybe it's between wanting to be obedient to God, yet still have that "little sin" in your life. Whatever it is, having a divided heart is terribly hard, isn't it?

I want to be undividedly (I made up that word!) devoted to God!

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I went running tonight at 7:00 again. It's SO much nicer running in the evenings than in the afternoons! First off, and obviously so, it's much much cooler in the evenings. An added bonus is that I've been able to see more people while I'm out running. Although I feel disgustingly gross when I run, and I feel like I look like a dying cow at times, it's still nice to see people outside going for an evening walk! And something about knowing people are around and can see me running makes me run just a smidgen faster. lol

I did 3.8 miles tonight in 38 minutes and 22 seconds. Pretty good pace! I'm getting closer to my goal of running 10 minute miles again. Once I accomplish that, my goal will then be to run under 10 minute miles. I know I can do it! Just have to keep working...er, running.

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So, I like to track how many people are visiting my blog between posts. Usually, I'll have about 40 or 50 people visit my blog in a span of about 3 or 4 days. However, since my last post (which was Sunday), I've had almost 200 people visit my blog. That's crazy! I'm seriously wondering if I really have had almost 200 people visit my blog since then, or if there is some crazy internet machine or something that's kicking the count up.

I'd like to think I've had that many people in that short amount of time because that would mean they're reading Scripture, being encouraged to get out and run (do I encourage people to do this?), and that my thoughts are being heard (a bit of a scary thought sometimes lol).

I'll just let myself think there really are that many people reading. A nice confidence boost, right? :)

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