Seasons of Change

The end of a season of my life is nearing...well by the time I post this, it is probably wrapping up. I have been writing on this post for a bit to make sure it is just right.

A private school was the last place I thought I would work because of financial reasons. I could blame it on the terrible economy I was "blessed" to enter into after graduating college, but I prefer to believe it was all in God's perfect plan. I wound up at Amite Christian School teaching 2nd grade. I thought it would just be a good place to get my feet wet. And while it was indeed that, it became so much more! I have learned so much as a teacher and in life in general. See each spring time, the question that would surface around my family went a little something like "So are you going to try to get in the public schools next year?" Each year I made an effort. Well, the first year you may not really call it an effort. The next year I actually looked at the applications for the public schools in our area. The next I actually filled them out and dropped some resumes off. And then this year, I went ahead and said from the beginning of the year that it would be my last year at Amite. I had to or I may never have left. Especially with the great things that the Lord is doing there. I have come to truly love the school not because they have it all together (no place is perfect), but because the people (students, faculty, administration, and families of our students) began to take more and more of a special place in my heart. It became a such a sweet place for me.

As students have begun to find out that I will not be returning next year, I have received sweet notes and tight, loving hugs! I have disappointed a kitchen worker or two who will have to find someone else to give a hard time about their hair or outfit or the way they fix their beverage at the break of dawn each day. Another reason I need coffee some days;). As a side note, these guys make me laugh each day...most days...and I will dearly miss them. They helped me remember to smile despite some rough days, and they didn't even know they were doing it.

I have been blessed to teach some of the sweetest, most precious children. I love to see them succeed academically and learn to be a friend to one another. This school is a place where children learn to love one another, to serve their classmates, teachers, and people they have never even met. We pray for unreached people groups, give to children less fortunate (compassion international), and so much more. Because of the efforts of our administration, staff, and parents, I witness daily my students showing genuine selflessness and care for others. I learn a lot from them!

Most importantly I love seeing their love for Christ. Friends, I tell you that the combination of great parenting and good schooling and most importantly God's sovereign hand on these children...He is raising up some beautiful people for this generation!

I will dearly miss getting to teach Bible. Getting to openly use God's Word as an instrument to redirect poor behavior. Reminding children to love all people as God loves them. Playing kids' praise as we work. Tuesday morning chapel.

I have thoroughly enjoyed each of my 4 classes. I have sweet memories from each of them, and from each student! And I couldn't ask for a sweeter class to end this season with. They are so loving and precious! I could go on and on but I will simply share a few highlights from this year and a few pictures.

*One student says this while another teacher's hand is in his mouth wiggling a tooth. I must have walked past and he said "Ah I wish she was my age" She believes he was talking about me. I don't care if that's true, I am just going to believe it is because I needed to be reminded that someone wanted to be my friend that day;).

* While discussing anything to do with the word "kiss", "love", and "being a gentleman" The boys shake their head and get uncomfortable...it throws me off my teaching game because I just have to laugh. I love their innocence! We recently discussed how boys should make sure a girl has a proper seat, you would have thought I had told them they had to hold their hands or something. I hope to always stay in the age-range where boys and girls don't have all of the drama of whose "dating" who!

*One student always compliments me on something I am wearing that day. I may or may not have been a little flattered when she compared me to Fancy Nancy. And I may or may not consider whether or not she would compliment my outfit as I select what I will wear that day;).

 Right before a group hug turned into a big pile of children;).

I receive the sweetest notes that make my day! I put these up to 1. show how sweet their precious hearts are 2. to save them because I don't want to lose them. I didn't post them to brag because trust me I am quite unworthy of such kind words, but I'll take them!

Despite the fact that I will dearly miss the season of life, I am not dreading the season of change to come. I am not a crier, even though I keep waiting for the day that it will hit me that I won't have this class stopping by next year on their way to their new classes to give me hugs, and I won't get to teach some of the precious 1st graders coming up. I am not really sad about leaving. I am, but the timing and all just feels right. I am not stressed even though I am facing uncertain unemployment. I am at complete peace! That is such a wonderful feeling. I feel like I should be stressed...like I am not doing something right, but I know that God has plans for my tomorrow. I look forward to being in a place where I am open to whatever opportunities He opens up for me. Side note: I may say I am stressed but it's more because I DREAD and DETEST the job search process!

I know that the change to the public school system will be good for me. I look forward to new challenges and learning and growing more as a teacher. I am very excited about the possibilities.
As sad as I will be to leave this sweet school, I am trusting that God has something great ahead. If you were to ask me what my 5 year plan was at my college graduation, it would look very different than where I am now...very. And while those hopes and dreams are still the desires of my heart, as I reflect on the past 4 years, I am overwhelmed to see that God knows just where I need to be. And as I enter into a time of change and uncertainty (As I have said,I do not have a job for the fall yet...it's just the way it has to work out sometimes if you know much about the school systems...), I am learning to trust in God's perfect plan. I am not a fan of not having a solid plan. Like I got nothing:/. I am a teacher, which makes me a planner...it's one of the big interview questions "How do you plan for your lessons/day?". Thankfully I had great teachers in college who stressed this, so I usually nail that question;).

My prayers are:
- that I survive the interview/job search process! I really, strongly, fiercely dislike the process of job searching, applications, and most dreadfully interviewing. Prayers are more than welcome!

- that I will be right where God wants me and that I will be patient in waiting for Him to lead me there. I pray that I will continue to not make my own  plans, so that I can see His plans more clearly.

- that I will push through when I am weary and worn from the process...or that God let's this process be quick and painless...ahhh a girl can dream! I am sure most people don't see this process as such a big deal, but for me it's the worst:/ I know there will be a lot of opportunities to learn and grow...there already have been but I would prefer to learn and grow with a secure job;).

Lastly...the truth of God's word that offers the strength and encouragement to begin a season of complete uncertainty...

" But those who wait on the Lord,
Shall renew their strength;
They shall mount up with wings like eagles
They shall run and not be weary,
They shall walk and not faint."
Isaiah 40:31

"For my thoughts are not your thoughts, 
neither are your ways my ways,"
declares the Lord.
"As the heavens are higher than the earth, 
so are my ways higher than your ways

and my thoughts than your thoughts."
Isaiah 55:8-9

There are so many more but those are 2 of my favorites. Thank you to all of those who have been encouraging me already through this. I look forward to this next season, but I will be doing all I can to stay present in my today because I still have to 2 sweet weeks and 2 days left. I know it will go by too fast! 

Joy in today!

When the worries of tomorrow tempt you away from the joys of today, it's exhausting! I am not a stresser...well maybe I am a silent stresser. It catches up to me before I even realize it, so I don't realize I am worried or stressed until I realize I have been a bit on edge. I inwardly get a bit grumpy. Inwardly because I try hard (and often times fail) to not let it show.

Anyways. My tomorrow was begging for my attention today, and I am fighting to stay in the present. The Bible has plenty to say about it, so I guess God sees how easily our hearts and minds wander to the future and miss out on the precious moments of today!

So I hope I come home exhausted everyday...not because I let the demands of the next approaching season of life stress me out and burden me with worries but because I loved hard, hugged tightly, listened closely, spoke encouragingly, worshipped deeply,  smiled widely, dug deep, and shared in every moment that today had to offer.

I don't want to look back and wish I had done more to share each precious day with these beautiful

faces. (In the above picture, I learned to take pictures before sugary treats...it's a miracle we got this one;)).

"But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough of its own troubles." Matthew 6:33-34

"This is the day that the Lord has made. I will rejoice and be glad in it." Psalm 118:24

I don't know what to believe...

Apples are the dirtiest produce because of pesticides....I eat an apple with peanut butter/greek yogurt dip almost every morning for breakfast.

Skim milk....what do they do to make it skim...that's all I have drank for years. Mom showed me an article, and I haven't been able to drink it since:/

Organic milk....the expiration date is much longer than regular milk...why is that?

Turkey...I have seen the process for making turkey dogs on one of those how it's made shows...can't do it!

Microwaves...I enjoy leftovers and popcorn....apparently microwaving isn't good for you...I always figured nuking your food couldn't be doing great things for you but now there's an article for it.

Oh and the list goes on.

I mentioned before that I want to be more educated on nutrition. Now I am not sure I really want to know. I am scared to eat much of anything the more I learn about stuff! With the popularity of blogs and pinterest, there are so many fads out there, (gluten free, vegan, dairy free, oil pulling, carb free, high protein, etc.) and I don't want to jump on a "fad wagon".  Or jump from one fad to the next. I am such a sceptic when it comes to blogs and pinterest and things. It's so hard to know if the source is reliable. I just don't know what to believe! I just want to be healthy and put good things in my body, so I can run and play and have energy and be the best me.

I must say, sometimes I get a bit discouraged when trying to eat healthy. I really am not doing it to see instant results because I know if I want it to last, it needs to be slow and steady and more about a change that will last. I want it to just become who I am. When I started working out, it was slow and gradual with many set backs along the way, and now it is just a part of my life. I hate missing a workout. I am healthy. I enjoy healthy foods, and I am in shape. So I won't be discouraged by set backs or lack of instant results. But it's always nice to see results;). I will say that each week it gets easier. Plus I truly do feel better the better I eat! 

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So I go back and forth on whether or not to post things. I enjoy sharing life with people. I feel our generation is slowly losing the desire to be truly intentional with one another. And for someone who naturally struggles with that, I try to be aware of things that are hindering me from being intentional. It doesn't have to be face to face, although that is always my favorite and my sweetest time with people, but it can be as simple as making an effort in some way or another to be more intentional with people on an individual basis. BUT I spent some time reading back through some random posts of mine, facebook and blogs, and I was so encouraged to see how God has been with me through the many different seasons of life. (I feel vain looking at my own facebook timeline so much, but sometimes I enjoy a walk down memory lane.) It is so refreshing to be reminded of what God has taught me. And when I began writing this blog about 4 years ago, I was in a very similar season of life that I am currently in. A season of uncertainties. I will do my best to share more on that soon. So I say all this to say, I write this blog for 2 reasons.

1. I am terrible at keeping a written journal. So I write for myself. To allow me to keep a journal of sorts of my life to look back on and be reminded of the faithfulness of God during the different seasons of my life. It's always good to look back...laugh a little, cry a little, thank the sweet Lord a lot:)

2. To hopefully encourage a friend or 2 along the way. Maybe even make a friend or 2 along the way!

Fire breathing dragons

Winter's chill always fools me into thinking I will enjoy the warmth of summer. Well actually, I crave spring, but we all know how spring in Louisiana is...short if you are even lucky to get it at all. I belong in a place where there is spring and fall...they are my favorite!  The polar vortex of a winter we had this year definitely made me crave some warmer days. Sure, I enjoy certain parts of the cold weather...like leggings, boots, scarves, fires, warm drinks... but after a while of that, I crave the warmth of spring...shorts, sandals, flowers and greenery.  I was reminded today what Louisiana summers are like! I went for a run this afternoon, and it was like running in the mouth of a fire breathing dragon... ugh. So begins my early morning runs again, where I race to beat the sun. I do enjoy the quiet of the mornings though, so it's not too terrible.

I did enjoy the cool runs this winter. As long as it wasn't windy. I didn't even get thirsty on my longer runs. I ran my entire half-marathon without a sip of water. I am aware that isn't super great for me, but drinking while running makes me queazy sometimes. So, I am going to work on drinking more water while working out. Apparently it's important;). And when my Bro-in-Law told me it could make you bloated when you don't drink water while working out, well, that's all I needed to hear. I hate feeling bloated.

Oh and as a side note, I have really enjoyed my lemon, mint, cucumber water. But I definitely would suggest investing in one of these. I plan on investing in one someday soon because I don't really enjoy the things floating around in my water:).

I am terrible at informing myself: reading articles, watching documentaries, etc. Mostly because I don't know who to believe or how reliable the sources are.  I am becoming a big believer in informing yourself. The more I learn about nutrition and fitness, the more motivated I am to make the changes toward a healthy, all-natural lifestyle. I am a teacher, so I guess I should educate myself a little more.

Lastly I have tried to work on my cooking skills. I am not, I repeat, not an expert cook. I am a messy, clumsy, and often times failure of a cook:( But I enjoy spending time in the kitchen trying to cook and hopefully eventually all the trying will result in me being one of those cooks. You know, the cooks where they look forward to your dishes...like my nanny! So I am not throwing in the towel! I have tried a couple new healthy dishes, and they are good but they need some work. Hopefully I will work out the kinks and be able to share them with you soon.

Dirt Don't Hurt

 When hanging with a 2 year old, you quickly learn that a little dirt won't hurt. Several times I caught  little munchkin with her well played-in and unwashed hands in my drink or my food or my face. I figured she eats with them and she's doing just fine (but other times I had to tell myself "just don't think about it";)). And when they are this cute, you just don't seem to care.

Being Aunt Morgie to this little ball of fun, is a beautiful blessing. It has been such a joy to get to spoil her and play with her. But I must say, I'm going to let Nanna take care of the spoiling for a bit. "Bribing" her with treats all the time will break the bank fast when you are out and about. (Bribery is not my preferred way to get good behavior, but I am her aunt not her mom:) And she was kind of drug all around at times.)

When you sleep with a 2 year old on an air mattress, coffee is a must! So I will work on that whole cut back on the caffeine thing as soon as I am back:) I completely agree with this picture. You could also substitute teacher with "mom"(I assume from what I see and hear) and "aunt". 

  One sleepless night (sleepless for a multitude of other reasons, but more on that at a later date), I found some great motivation for my healthy living journey on Netflix. Let's just say I will definitely be gradually making the transition to all-natural foods after I watched it.  It was a documentary on processed foods. And while my eating hasn't been perfect, I would give myself a high five for enjoying the trip while not over doing it.

I am not typically a huge fan of selfies (for myself...I am not photogenic...trust me these are the best taken out of several attempts), but I just couldn't resist getting in a few with these pretty ladies.

So I will let the pictures do the talking now... 

The party has begun!!

 We did a little bit of this and a little bit of that. Thankfully, despite her short 2 year old attention span, she is usually quite content and easily entertained by the world around her. She was very good considering all of the running around town we have done this week...for the most part...we all have our moments...

She loves to be outside. We have spent a lot of time out in this beautiful weather. Unfortunately, I have reached the point where my allergies are begging for the indoors. Sneezy McSneezerton has arrived. I rode pretty much the whole way with my sun roof open...don't think I'll be able to do that on the return trip tomorrow. Or I may just tough it out and enjoy it because this nice springish weather won't last long.

We got to spend some time with the beautiful Witte ladies. What a sweet day it was with them! Happy Early Birthday to my best and closest friend. I always treasure our time together, and I love getting to see you be a mommy! You are one amazing lady in every area of your life! 

It's a miracle! In 2 takes we got this picture. All smiles:)!!

And when you have done your job right as an aunt: play hard! You get rewarded with some snuggle time.

Or even just a few minutes to slow down and rest;)

Thank you Mrs. Peggy and Mr. Philip for letting me stay with you! I always enjoy visiting!

Spring break has been a bit of an interesting time for me, but overall it was wonderful to take time to slow down and not be on a schedule and simply enjoy time with people I love but don't see often!

Pre-Spring Break Prepping

Spring Break is here!! It felt like it would never arrive. Granted, I already miss some sweet hugs from some of my favorite little people;). But I am so thankful for some time away in North LA with some more of my favorite people (It doesn't take much to make my favorites list and each is near and dear to my heart)! I thought before I headed off for the break I would give you a bit of an update of my journey towards healthier living becoming simply who I am.

I will start by saying right now it is all about the journey;) I had one week where I am pretty sure I would give myself a sad D-. But as long as you are learning and making changes in the right direction, then it's progress and you deserve a pat on the back...handing myself a little of that grace I talked about in the previous post.  So I learned that it is no fun to eat like you don't care! I felt terrible! Bloated. Grumpy. Fatigued. I enjoy a little indulging...everything in moderation and for special occassions, like Easter (but I never felt icky, so I must have did good).

Not to mention I really do love healthy foods.

When I choose to just throw caution to the wind and not make wise food choices, I lose an opportunity to fuel my body well. I know it's a "duh" concept, but I don't consciously think that when I am choosing my foods all the time.

So in preparation to have a healthy spring break away here's the plan:

* I have killed it with 3 days straight of 6 mile runs. 6 is standard for me but three days in a row isn't I usually spread my runs out a bit throughout the week. Getting my workouts in before helps me to better  focus on the people I am with (one less thing on my plate), and my exercise will simply be all the play time I can get in with this cutie!

* I am going to pack some healthy snacks so I won't be tempted to pick up a quick treat if I get hungry along the way or while out and about.

* I look forward to some sweet girls day out meals with my favorite ladies and little ladies, so if I know where we are going, I can check the menu online for nutrition info to help me make the best choices. If not then I will just do the best I can from what I know about food. Portion control as well. I love left overs anyways! 

Most importantly I hope it just a time to get a way and be refreshed! Stay tuned for the Post-Spring Break post because I expect it to be full of fun times with fun friends and family:). 

I am a work in progress;)

Much like so many things in my life...I'm just a work in progress. If we are honest, aren't we all:)?!?

This said after I just had a mug of froyo and did everything I could to get every last little lick of chocolaty goodness. BUT I am making progress. I did not completely go sugar free this week, as I would have liked, but I did make much better choices and was much more disciplined in the amount of snacking I did. Coffee was also more about discipline and limiting the amount I drank. Just 2 days friends...that's amazing for the week I had!

I am not a fan of completely eliminating things that you love from your "diet". I have tried that before and it just makes me want it more, so I cave and it gets out of control! My lifelong goal is for sweets to be a treat once a week or for special sweet occassions;). I also found myself snacking on alot more than I needed to in an effort to try to fill that little craving for something sweet this evening. As for caffeine, it will be a treat for those days I know I need a pick me up (I'm not sure it's possible these days to grade Penmanship papers without a cup of coffee). I don't think caffeine is terrible but I don't want to rely on it to function well.

The strength training aspect of last weeks challenge was a success. I enjoyed the challenge and had a great strong run yesterday morning!

This week challenge numero uno:
Continue to make wise choices in the snacking area. Last week was definitely a step in the right direction, but I would like to do more to find new fruit, veggie, or nut options for snacking. I love to try new healthy treats. Here are a few that I will be trying this week. (Yep I am in bed...don't judge)

We also tried spaghetti squash. It's a bit crunchy for spaghetti, but I think I will experiment with it again in the future. 

Challenge numero dos: 

Remember to allow myself grace, and in turn give grace to others around me.  It is so easy to grow discouraged in the journey of life. You want so badly to be better in _______ area of your life. Each day you wake up determined that this will be the day. The day that you get it together. Maybe for you it is eating healthier and exercising. Maybe it is holding your tongue if you speak before thinking. Maybe it is being on time if you are consistently late. Whatever it is I hope there is some area we are all working to improve in our lives because we all know that no one is perfect. But often times when I miss a workout day one week or get frustrated at work when those little ears just don't seem to want to listen to "my very important instructions",  I beat myself up. I grow discouraged in the lie that I will never be able to get it together. I forget to offer myself grace. I am going to mess "it" up...whatever the "it" is...because well I am a bit of a mess most days. Thankfully God is grace. After all, we are all pretty much a mess, but God brings order to our chaos and makes us beautiful messes;). I want to be more like Him, so I will strive to be more gracious towards all people and that includes myself. 

"My grace is sufficient for you for My power is made perfect in weakness" 2 Corinthians 12:8