Sand and Surf

If you know me, you know I haven't ever been a huge beach goer. I do like walking along the beach, the scenery, the sound of the waves, playing games (volleyball, throwing the football,etc.) and soaking up a little sun. I enjoy going, but I don't  just have to have a beach trip every year. Mostly because I used to be terrified of the water! Like really we have videos to prove it;). I mean they say your chances of being bitten by a shark are slim, but people will tell you anything to get you in the water. Then there is the sand everywhere...all the time! And the sunburns. And the heat.

But as I have gotten older, I enjoy going with friends. It is a nice relaxing way to get away from the craziness of life and spend sweet time with friends. Make little memories. Catch up on life. Simply be together with out the business of life.

Well I just returned from a sweet beach vacation with 2 of my college girlfriends. I enjoyed it most because it was simple and laid back. We simply hung out, came and went and did as we felt. It was so sweet to be together again and catch up on life and pick up right where we left off.

As I have gotten older, I have also begun to brave the scary ocean waters. Which is probably one reason I wasn't a huge fan of the beach before. I mean it gets HOT out there when you won't get in the water! Last time a giant raft (king sized air mattress:)) helped me to go out into the frightening depths and this time I went out with nothing and very little fear. 

Well here are a few beach trip tips for any future beach goers this summer:)

1. Re-apply that sunscreen. I won't do it unless I am dry completely and have no sand on me, so I had to wait until we went in for lunch. I got a little burnt, but if I had done it sooner I probably would have just tanned :/

2. If you burn, don't put clothes on after you put aloe vera on. I learned the hard way that it sticks to your clothing. Peeling stuck clothing off of a sunburn is a bit painful. 

3. Some great places to eat in Gulf Shores: 1.Tacky Jack's is a fun little restaurant and the service was so fast and great! 2. Lambert's: Most people know about this one, but it is a fun and delicious place to eat! The waiters play jokes on you and stop and talk to you. There is always at least an hour wait so get there early.

4. Take advantage of the beach and go for a walk. It is great exercise and that way you don't feel guilty about going out to eat  ;).

5. If you can't pass up a good deal, don't go to the outlet malls on a holiday weekend:). They always have great deals on holiday weekends. I always get things from places that I would never be able to afford otherwise! Banana Republic and JCrew were my hot spots this year.

Cravings...

Crave: to long for, want greatly, desire eagerly (dictionary.com)

I crave:
*Chocolate and peanut butter. Together and separately:)
*Cold drinks in the summer and hot drinks in the winter.
*Sleep:)
*Seafood
*Fruits and veggies
*Love
*Affection
*Time with family
*Time with friends
*Alone time;)
*A challenging run
*Pedicures;)
*Massages, but so far I have only dreamed of those...this craving is yet to be met lol...I am talking about the professional kind
*Road trips/traveling
*Fresh air

These are only my top cravings...I am sure there are a few more...and please don't misunderstand what you are about to read if you dare to continue...I don't think any of these cravings are bad....especially #1;) (do your research).

The book "Made to Crave" is a wonderful book that I am sure many (if not all) women and probably men as well could relate to, but it is written to the ladies. :)

I am an awesome book starter, but a terrible book finisher. So I have only ever made it to chapter 7ish. As summer approaches, I picked up the book again to remind me of the healthy way of satisfying any craving. The healthy way = the Godly way. Most of the time we think of cravings as food related, but there are many things we crave.

The title of the book says that we were made to crave. In a perfect world, before sin, we were created to crave God and only God. The things of God. The will of God. The righteousness of God.

"How lovely is your dwelling place,
Lord Almighty!
My souls yearns, even faints,
for the courts of the Lord;
my heart and my flesh cry out
for the living God."
Psalm 84:1-2

I want this to be the picture of my heart! That my soul YEARNS to be in the presence of my God.

When I have cravings...and let's just say all girls know what it means to crave things...let's just use chocolate and pb as an example since it is a chart topper:) When I crave things, it consumes my thoughts. I may not be able to really enjoy or focus on anything else until that craving is satisfied. I may think "OK if I get some fruit that will fill me up, satisfy my need for a little something sweet and then I will be able to move on". NOPE not happening!. I will dream of reese's and peanut butter cookies with chocolate kisses on top and peanut butter m&ms! Now most cravings do pass (food ones at least), but man is it impossible to truly satisfy a craving with anything other than that one special yummy thing! It's like you could eat a boat load of everything else and be full as a tick but not truly satisfied. When the whole time, if you would have just had one little taste of that one special yummy thing, you would have been done with it already...Ok sorry I totally chased a rabbit trail there:)

When we are genuinely craving God, nothing on this earth could possibly satisfy that craving! No relationship. No amount of success. No amount of money. No amount of food. Which, if you think about it is why the world is filled with so many unhappy people. They are searching for that satisfaction to the craving that has been in mankind from the beginning of time. Everyone craves all that God can offer...all that God is...all that God has ever been! Holy, righteous, loving, beautiful!

 I realize that the more healthy things I take in, the more I crave healthy things, and I begin to really not enjoy those not so healthy things I used to crave. I see this a lot in my relationship with the Lord as well. The more time I spend in the Word, the more time I spend in worship, in prayer, in serving...the more I hunger and thirst and crave it!

In order to crave the good though, you have to eliminate the bad. Really that about sums it up. If I want my heart to be a reflection of Psalm 84:1-2 I have to kick somethings to the curb and allow God to consume my heart and life.

I am clearly not doing this concept justice so I am going to let the Word speak for itself...God doesn't need my help;) and encourage the ladies to check out this great book! Lysa is a professional and does a much better job!

"My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever." Psalm 73:26

"Blesses are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled." Matthew 5:6

"As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When can I go and meet with God?" Psalm 42:1-2

"I spread out my hands to you; my soul thirsts for You like a parched land." Psalm 143:6

Teacher appreciation...

Man I cannot believe I am wrapping up my 2nd year of teaching! I feel like I should still be teaching my sweet little MawMaw how to spell and add;) I will say MawMaw was as much a handful as some of these kiddos I have now...haha jk...well kind of kidding at least :).

These first years of teaching have definitely been quite the challenge! I come home exhausted most days! There have been some rough days and some beautiful days! Thankfully most days, even the bad ones, I still come away saying that I have the best job!

Teacher appreciation week is this week, so I would like to take a moment to share why I appreciate the privilege God has given me of being a teacher...

* I get to see the sweetest smiles every day. I love 2nd grade! They just love to love and laugh!

* I love their innocence! You know that child like faith we are supposed to have. If you aren't quite sure what that looks like, spend sometime with some young ones! They aren't afraid to ask God for the big and small. They don't try to figure God out. I mean sure, they have questions, curiosity, but not really doubt. They just believe! They haven't been tainted by the world.

* I have grown quite a bit in my fear of confrontation. I cannot tell you how scared I was of parents when I first started. I panicked at the thought of dealing with parents. Sweaty palms, mushy brain, heart racing, word scramble, the works! But confrontation has actually become something I encourage now not only when dealing with my students' parents, but with my personal relationships as well. I have seen how much it helps to just talk about things, even if it may be awkward or uncomfortable or scary at first! And trust me it isn't always the most fun thing to do! But it often times helps in most situations. Even though I have grown a bit in this area...I still have a LONG way to go:) LONG LONG WAY!

*I love seeing students learning and wanting to learn. I teach reading and English. So to see students reading for fun is the best! They will come to my desk to show me something "cool" that they have read about. Or when they are writing an assignment that is supposed to be 5 sentences, they ask if they can write more. It is so exciting!

* I have the privilege of being apart of their little lives! I can't express this one in words, but it is just an awesome joy and privilege!

* I won't ever be working my way up any corporate ladder, which for me is wonderful because I am not competitive!  But I have a job that is constantly challenging me and teaching me and growing me in so many ways! One of MANY is that I am daily challenged in the area of patience. Compassion. Love. Joy. Choosing my battles. Communication. Organization. Oh man. Sorry, I couldn't stop myself...there are so many others!

* I have a job where I must pray everyday... all throughout the day! Trust me days where I get too distracted for this are never good. It is an incredible place to be...God has placed these children in my love and care, and I want to honor and glorify Him.

I still have a lot to learn and many challenges ahead, but I welcome them! I see every challenge as an opportunity to grow, to be stronger, to learn more... or I try to at least...sometimes thats hard to see!

These are only a few of the many reasons I appreciate being a teacher...most you just have to experience!There is never a dull moment:)

Don't you see that children are God's best gift? Psalm 127:3 (The Message)