Currently...

Happy Tuesday Blog Readers! I hope your Tuesday is going terrifically :)

I'm currently remembering just how much will power it takes to stick to a diet lifestyle change.

I’m currently experiencing a caffeine "high" from the attaya (tea) I drank tonight. Three rounds of sugary, caffeine-y goodness tasted great, but man am I wired right now...

I’m currently still full from dinner with friends. 

I’m currently grateful to a co-worker for switching after-school library duty with me so I could take care of some paperwork at the embassy this afternoon. I'm also currently grateful to another co-worker for going with me today EVEN THOUGH the embassy decided not to let me do what I needed to do. No. Now I have to TAKE MORE TIME off from work to go on Thursday, but it's ok because I can say that I'm also currently grateful to the sweet lady that's going to sub for me while I go BACK to the embassy Thursday morning.

I'm currently taking a break from grad school work to write this blog post. Why? ...because my brain feels fried right now. BUT I know that once everything's turned in this Friday, I won't EVER have to be a student again, unless I go crazy and sign up for another degree :)

I'm currently downloading the season finale of Bones from iTunes. ...love this show!

I'm currently planning a fun blog post. Some other Dakar ladies issued a "challenge" to document "What I Wore This Week." We're starting tomorrow. I guess that means I'll actually have to put effort into it, huh? :)

I'm currently looking forward to Kids Club tomorrow. We're talking about frogs, so you know it'll be awesome :) 

I'm currently smiling about a conversation I had with my mom a few minutes ago :)

Happy Anniversary to my Parents!

Today is my my parents' anniversary. They've now been married for 29 years. 29! They've been through so much, but have kept the faith through it all. They've...

• spent all 29 of those years together in the ministry (with about 10 separately before that).
• raised 2 children that love God and want to serve Him in all they do.
• welcomed a daughter-in-law.
• welcomed a granddaughter.

They've been senior pastors, youth pastors, children's pastors, lay people. They've been cashiers, grocery stockers, janitors, restaurant managers, jailers, insurance sellers, dry cleaners, childcare providers, math teachers, Special Ed teachers, and more. They've done anything they could to support their family.

There have been many different health scares with one or the other having to take on the role of caregiver. There have been countless doctor visits, trips to specialists and clinics, and operations. There have been hospital stays and nights of sleeping in the hospital waiting room. 

There have been 20 plus moves, countless boxes packed into u-Hauls, roads driven. There have been new people to meet and share the Gospel with. 

There have been some really good times. And there have been some really bad times. But through it all, these two have stuck together. They've toughed it out and held onto each other for strength. Their love has been like glue holding them together when the world around them might be crumbling. 

I pray that one day I can be blessed with even half of the love they share.

Happy Anniversary to my parents! I love you both so much!

The 59th Dear ____ Post

Dear Anniversary, You're what my parents will be celebrating tomorrow. 29 years... Wow! I can't imagine a couple that love each other more than those two :)

Dear Smile ( the noun), Did you know you can be a powerful thing? You can change another person's mood. You can set the tone for an entire day. You can brighten someone's day/life. I must say, you're a pretty nice thing.

Dear Longest Work Day of the School Year, You were yesterday. I got to school at 6:45 a.m. and didn't get home 'til right at 9:30 p.m. We had our Elementary "camp" yesterday after school, which was definitely a lot of fun, but man... It made for a tiring day :)

Dear Paul & Silas, Your story is the one I shared during Elementary Camp last night. Thanks to some pretty awesome high schoolers acting out the story, the kids were on the edge of their seats and mesmerized by the story. Afterwards, I gave an invitation and we had quite a few responses! Can you say AWESOMENESS? :)

Dear The Rainbow Fish, You're such a cool story. I used you with one of the very first lessons I taught back in my teacher education courses in college. And every year I do an activity with my 1^st graders using you. They love it! Then yesterday, I used you as the focus point for one of our activity stations during Elementary Camp.

Dear Quarters, It amazed me how quickly the majority of my students caught on to counting you. Now they love to tell other students or teachers at school how to count you (up to a dollar). It’s still funny to me though, how counting quarters, nickels, and dimes were all fairly quick concepts, but counting pennies took soooo long. Funny…

Dear Teacher Certification Paperwork, I put you in the mail yesterday so I can have my teaching certificate updated to reflect my Master’s Degree (upon receiving it next month, that is). I prayed over it, asking the man upstairs to watch over it, let everything get there in one piece, and let it get processed quickly and smoothly. There’s a lot riding on that envelope, so I’m glad it’s in His hands now and not mine anymore :)

Dear Saturday Market, I went to you this morning with a couple friends. You were quite the successful trip. Thanks for treating me right today :)

Dear Crush (as in someone you kind of sort of like), You’re such an odd word. Why do we use you to talk about liking someone? Where did the term come from? A friend and I were discussing you the other day. Anyone have any thoughts on this?

Dear Better Shape, You’re what I obviously need to be in. So I’m starting today at making better choices. I’m going to be exercising more, eating a lot better, and working at trying to prevent what medical conditions my family history says I’ll probably end up getting…

Dear Shrimp, I got 2 kilos of you the other day. So now I’ve got to think of some shrimp dishes to make. As of now, I’m planning jambalaya, shrimp tacos, and maybe gumbo. Anyone out there have an easy shrimp recipe I could try?

Dear Hot Dogs, After having you for both lunch and supper yesterday thanks to events at school, I’ve decided I don’t want to even see another one of you again for a LONG, LONG, LONG time :)  
Dear New Teachers, We’re still looking for a couple of you here at Dakar Academy. We still need a 1 ^st Grade teacher and a High School Math teacher. Do any of my blog readers know of any Christians that are qualified to teach either of these areas? If so, give them my email address and I’ll forward their message to our principals.

Thankful Thursday

This week, I’m writing about some of the more unexplainable things in life that have left me feeling thankful, such as…

* the power of a smile.

* the happiness in hearing a truly distinct accent that’s native to your home.

* the effect a smiley face sticker can have on a child’s behavior.

* the hope felt in clinging to a promise that hasn’t yet been fulfilled because you know it will at some point.

* the instant mood lifter sometimes caused by putting on something “pretty.”

* the excitement over a plan coming together.

* the joy/pride for your brother & sister-in-law for hearing their daughter’s first word.

* the rush felt upon completing a workout video, even though said video kicks your tail.

* the helplessness felt over not being the perfect teacher that can help every single situation with a child. You know…the perfect teacher you dream of being.

And then 2 food related things that would fall into this category are…

* the deliciousness of the French onion soup packet I found in the store the other day.

* the deliciousness of a milk chocolate candy bar with PECANS (yes, pecans!) in it. FYI – Pecans are awesomeness in the form of a nut. They’re definitely a big staple in Alabama baking and I love them. They’re not so common here in Dakar, so it was definitely a treat finding this candy bar! And I’ve been savoring it slowly, only allowing myself a small square of it each night. So, go me keeping with my diet plan :)

I'm Currently...

After doing my "I'm currently" blog post last week, I've decided to make it a weekly post. ...because clearly I have a lot to say. Ha! :) Anyways, I had some time to kill this afternoon, so here ya go...

I am currently loving this picture! I'm usually not the biggest fan of pictures of myself. But this one... This one I love :)

I'm currently annoyed with people (especially Christians) who judge an entire religion based on the horrible actions of a few people that are a part of said religion.

I'm currently happy about a purchase I made yesterday. What is it? ...a secret, that's what :)

I'm currently looking for some new ideas on how to wear what's already in my closet. I'm soooo not a fashionable person. In fact, if I'm being honest, matching is difficult at times. That's why I tend to stick with a lot of black or brown, leaving little room for error :) But I've been inspired thanks to Pinterest and some fashionable "gazelles" from here. 

I'm currently counting down to a lot of things. ...receiving my Master's degree, a trip I'm taking, summer vacation, seeing my family again, visiting a few new states I've never been to, and more.

I'm currently listening to "One Day" by Matisyahu. It's been a repeat on my ipod a lot since a friend recommended it last week. ...such a great song!

I'm currently daydreaming about my future. I wonder what the Master Planner has in store for me... :)

I'm currently writing my To Do List for tomorrow. I have quite a bit on there and I am wondering if there will be enough minutes in the day to get it all done. Hmm...

I'm currently looking at the calendar. I'm trying to map out the rest of the school year and make sure we get everything covered that needs to be covered. Plus, pretty soon, I'll need to start making sub plans for the time I'll be off.

I'm currently grateful for the team that's here from the States that is going to be leading Kids Club tomorrow afternoon. I love love love doing Kids Club. But it is nice to have a little break from the prep that goes into it. And of course, I'll still be there tomorrow. But I'm also currently looking forward to being able to sit back and observe and watch the kids enjoying themselves :)

I'm currently making a list of pastors to call to try and set up services for this summer. I still have a few openings left and hope to have those filled before leaving Dakar in 6 1/2 weeks. I love being able to share my heart for this place, and the people, God has called me to.

The 58th Dear ____ Post

Dear Dad, Today’s your birthday and I’m sad I’m not there with you to help you celebrate. I am so thankful for you and your life, guidance, love, encouragement, and support. I love and miss you so very much! See you in 53 days :)

Dear Packages, I got two of you in the mail this week. Talk about making a girl feel special :)

Dear Book of James, I’ve made it my goal to memorize you. Why? I’m crazy. No, believe it or not, I’m pretty sane :) Seriously, in the Beth Moore study I’m doing, Beth challenges us to 1) write out the book and 2) memorize it. Even before starting this Study, I was really intrigued by the life of James. And now that I’m digging deeper into/learning more about this man’s life, I’m even more intrigued.

Dear Shirts with Longer Sleeves, I went to the market this past Saturday in search of you and came away with 4 new shirts and feeling like I’d had a successful shopping trip. It’s the little things in life people… :)

Dear Coke, I like you. I really do. …especially here in Africa where you’re perfectly sweetened with the real deal sugar. But alas, you’re not that healthy of a beverage choice. …not to mention that reducing my intake of you will help me achieve a few things on my 30 by 30 list. Therefore, you and I are going to have part ways...

Dear Sunday Comics, My mom sent me you in a package this week. Your colorful funny-ness definitely made me smile.

Dear New Tennis Shoes, I'm definitely in need of you. My current pair is on it's last leg (foot?). I don't see this pair lasting much longer. Although, let's hope it lasts 'til summer when I can get a new pair.

Dear Cost of Plane Tickets, Why is it that the fees and taxes that go along with you are sometimes more than the airfare itself? That's something I think I'll never understand...

Dear Student that Told Me He'd Pray for Me to Get a Husband, How sweet are you?! I appreciate the fact that you'll now be praying for, in your words, "Jesus to give Miss Nichols a husband by her happy birthday day." And I must say, I wouldn't be opposed to that. However...considering my "happy birthday day" is only 3 1/2 months away, I'm thinking that might be a little difficult... We'll see :)

Dear Pictures of My Niece (like the one below), You always brighten my day. It's definitely hard being away from family so much, but with the help of technology, it makes it not seem so bad sometimes... :)

Dear Diaper Box, Did you know that you are a fun toy for this cute  8 1/2 month old?

Currently...

I love reading these posts, because it gives me a quick look into a blogger's every day life, and since my body seems to be fighting sleep tonight, I figured I'd go ahead and post. Enjoy :)

I'm currently watching a rerun of Chopped. I could watch the same episodes over and over again and never get tired of them. I've even gotten to where I take notes when good ideas for meals come up. I also think it'd be awesome to be a contestant on Chopped. Food Network, if you're reading this, you should make an amateurs episode and let me be a contestant. I think that's a great idea!

I'm currently looking forward to sleeping late tomorrow

I'm currently reading the book of James for a Bible Study I'm in. It's an awesome book, I tell you. ...simply awesome :)

I'm currently eating nothing. I'm still stuffed from dinner. I was invited to the home of 2 of my students (siblings). We had this amazingly cooked chicken with peanut sauce, fries, and green beans AND chocolate ice cream bars. YUM! :)

I'm currently planning a secret. Hmm... What could it be? :)

I'm currently "window" shopping for some new skirts. Target has some really cute stuff. Window shopping is great because 1) I can shop in my pajamas. 2) I'm not spending any money...just looking. P.S. Is it still considered window shopping if it's online? :)

I'm currently looking forward to the month of May. Why? There's lots happening and places to go and people to see and school finishing up and graduating with my Master's degree and all sorts of fun-ness :)  

I'm currently missing my family. Tomorrow's my dad's birthday. It makes me sad that I'm not there :(

I'm currently loving this cooler weather we've been having in Dakar. It's been so nice getting to wear long sleeves, pants, and socks and getting to use a blanket at night. I love it! :) 

What are you currently up to? 

Thankful Thursday

This week I’m listing some of the little things I’m thankful for, like...

• a team that's here from the States being able to take back mail for me. I’m sure the Alabama Teacher Certification office will be happy for this one too.
• that same team being willing to teach Kids Club next week!
• finally finding a way to teach "counting American coins" so my students would understand.
• a friend who's fluent in French helping me by making a couple phone calls and helping me figure out some paperwork (some of it in French) for something I needed help with.
• 4 new long sleeve shirts found at the market this past weekend :)
• a new workout video I downloaded on iTunes. Oh my goodness, is it kicking my tail...
• 2 packages that came in the mail this week. 

30 by 30

Dear 30 Year Old Me,

I'll meet you in about 2 1/2 years (...actually 2 years, 11 weeks, 6 days as of Sunday). Here's a list of things I hope to have accomplished by that point.

1. Graduate with my Master's Degree.
2. Receive my Certified Minister's Status with the A/G.
3. Receive my Licensed Minister's Status with the A/G.
4. Teach ESL.
5. Pay off (or drastically reduce) my student loan debt.
6. Lose ___ pounds. Yes, I left the blank there for a reason. I know how much I want to lose. But I don't feel the need to post the actual number for the world (...or whoever reads my blog) to see :)
7. Wear a size ___ or smaller. And yes, I realize I left the blank here. I did so for the same reasons as #4 :)
8. Run a 5K (...as in, not jogging/walking like before).
9. Run a 10K.
10. Visit New York City.
11. Visit Washington, D.C.
12. Go on a road trip with my mom.
13. Go to Disney World.
14. Visit New Orleans. (...well, as an adult, I mean. I really don't remember a lot of our time living there when I was a kid.)
15. Spend Christmas Break in Africa.
16. Experience a real winter, complete with snow (and lots of it). :)
17. Start driving in Dakar. It's not that I can't. I have just chosen not to drive here. 
18. Read more books for fun. I read a lot for my job (both parts - missions and teaching). I read for my own schooling. I just don't read a lot for fun.
19. Start being willing to say "no" more. Stop saying "yes" so much. I agree to do/help with a lot. And usually I don't mind. But sometimes, I agree to it even when I know I don't have the time to do so. Then something else ends up suffering. I've got to realize that it's sometimes okay to say "no."
20. Do better at meal planning/grocery shopping. Why? It'll help me save money and time. Plus it'll help me with reaching #6 and #7 on this list.
21. Invite people over more. Since living by myself, I've been able to do this more often. I love hosting dinners at my apartment. I love cooking for people. I love spending time with people. However, in the hustle and bustle of work and life in general, I've gotten where I don't do this as often. I need to fix that.
22. Read the entire Bible twice (once a year). I've done this a few times already, but it's always fun to see how God teaches me something new through passages I've read many times before.
23. Journal through the entire Bible twice (once a year). 
24. Teach a class, lead a devotion, Bible Study (something...) totally in French.
25. Make homemade bread.
26. Get re-certified in CPR/1st Aid. I had this, but let it lapse. I need to get it again.
27. Take a sign language class.
28. Try at least 30 new recipes (and blog about them).
29. Get rid of clothes that are too old/faded (thanks to the harsh sun and dust here) or are too big. Quit keeping things thinking I'll want them one day.
30. Blog my 30 by 30 achievements.

Of course, I'd love to be able to add "get married" and "have a baby" to the list, but those are pretty much out of my control at this point in my life. I can't really make those happen like I can the others. But ideally, they'd be pretty close to the top of my list :)

30 Year Old Me, The most important thing is to live a life that glorifies God. And if you've accomplished the 30 items on this list, that's just a bonus :)

Sincerely, 

27 Year Old Me

The 57th Dear ______ Post

Dear Comps Exam, I found out this week that I passed you. What a relief that was!

Dear People Magazine, You’re my guilty pleasure. I love reading you. You’re one of my first purchases in the airport when I get back to the U.S. So imagine my delight when a sweet co-worker brought me 3 (yes, 3!) she’d bought and read while on a trip over the break. Yay for light-hearted-no-thinking-necessary reading :)

Dear Psych (the t.v. show), Can we say HUGE cliffhanger?! I mean, we all knew it was coming eventually, but still…

Dear Counting Pennies, Did you know that you’re sometimes a difficult concept for kids to understand? Almost every year, I find that counting nickels and dimes are easier for my students. Odd...

Dear Saturday Market, You were good to me today. Normally I'm lucky if I can find one thing that fits and is in my price range. But today, I racked up. I found 4 long sleeved tops and a skirt. And I only paid about $12 for all of them. Yay for cute and cheap clothes! :)

Dear Strawberry Cake with Strawberry Frosting, You are my favorite cake and you're my dessert of choice tonight for dinner. 

Dear Cooler Temps, We've been having you the past couple weeks. It's been so nice having temps in the low 70s, allowing me to break out our long sleeved shirts, socks, and blankets. Thanks for giving me a break from the heat. I know you won't last long, so I'm definitely going to enjoy you while you last.

Dear James 1:5-7, You are verses I've read many times before, but for some reason you stuck out to me this past week. Thanks for opening my eyes a little more. Thanks for being the reminder that I needed.

Dear This Week, You have been really, really good. Thanks for that :) 

Thankful Thursday

This week I’m thankful for…

First, the BIG…

I passed my COMPS exam! Woohoo! :) My brother emailed me this picture of the letter the school sent me informing me of this awesomeness.

He then called me to make sure I’d seen it. I am so thankful for my brother and this little act of kindness. He made an EXPENSIVE international phone call just to tell me the results of my test because he knew how important it was to me. He didn’t have to do that, but he did. And it meant so very much to me to see how much he cared :)

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

As always, I’m thankful for a lot. However, I’m trying to be more intentional about being thankful for the “little” things too. So, here are some of the other things that have happened this week. I’m thankful for…

• my microwave and crockpot. My cooking gas ran out earlier this week and I was either too busy, or simply forgot, to get more. So I’ve been especially thankful for these two appliances this week.
• 2 different people telling me this week to be expecting packages in the mail in the next few weeks. Yay for surprises and care packages :)
• all the congrats I got on passing my Comps exam and being that much closer to graduating.
• a good first week back in school after our long Spring Break.
• a sweet co-worker that's brought me some People magazines she bought while on a trip over the break :)
• the amazingly cool temps we've been having lately. 
• supportive parents. It's nice knowing that I have their full support, love, and encouragement while doing what I've been called to do
• the book of James.
• the Master Teacher (which isn't really a little thing - more like a huge thing).

The 56th Dear ____ Post

Dear Senegal, Your Independence Day was this past Thursday. I celebrated by taking the day off, staying home, watching a movie or two, reading a book, and doing absolutely nothing productive :)

Dear Staying Home for a Few Days, You're not as enjoyable as I thought you'd be. Don't get me wrong. I love being able to sleep late and then hang out at home in my PJs all day, doing work from home. But, I think I'd started going a little stir crazy and was ready to get out...even if just to the school for a couple hours to work in my classroom :)

Dear Kraft Mac & Cheese, Oh my goodness... I forgot how incredibly delicious you were. Thanks for the tasty reminder.

Dear Cooking Gas, I wish there was a way to know in advance when you're about to run out. It's a little frustrating to be in the middle of cooking supper and have it go out. There's an invention for someone to make. Anyone up for it? :)

Dear Scheduling Services for this Summer, I'm in the middle of you right now. I'm not going to lie. You haven't been easy. But I am so grateful for the contacts I've made, the yes's I've received, the services I've been able to schedule. Now if I could just schedule a few more...

Dear Anna Karenina (the book), I'm thinking about reading you. I'm trying to decide if I want to tackle you, though. You are pretty long...

Dear James (the book of the Bible), Starting this week, I'll be involved in a Beth Moore Bible study on you with some ladies in our community. I'm so looking forward to it!

Dear Tonight's Plans, You didn't work out like I'd hoped. I'd been invited to a wedding, but had to turn it down due to dinner plans I'd already made. Then my dinner invite called and asked for a rain check. So I ended up being stuck at home. But that wasn't all bad. I got to make myself a yummy dinner (via the microwave), watch a fun movie (via my laptop), and have a long chat with my mom and 2 different friends (via Skype and Facebook). Thanks technology. You made my night pretty awesome :)

Dear 1st Graders, I've enjoyed my Spring Break, having time off from work, and being able to sleep late, but I've definitely missed you. You 8 make my life so much more fun. I'm excited for school to be starting back on Monday :)

The 55th Dear _____ Post

Dear Weight Off My Shoulder, You're what I felt once my test was finished a little over a week ago. Now I just wait to get my results back, so I can see how I did...

Dear Ivory Coast, I got the chance to visit you this past week. The little that I saw in the city where we were staying was nice. Thanks for a good trip and another stamp in my passport :)

Dear Co-Workers Working Around West Africa, It was nice getting to know a lot of you. It's so exciting hearing all the awesome things that God is doing around our area of this continent.

Dear Bible, You're such an awesome book. As a Christian, I already know that you contain the answer to any issue that comes along, good or bad. I feel blessed to know what an awesome resource I have in you.

Dear Easter, You were really nice this year. I got to attend one of our Senegalese churches. I got to eat lunch and spend the day with an awesome family (that reminds me a lot of my own family). I got to have a long chat with my mom. And I got to chat for a few minutes with a friends I haven't talked to for a while. ...not to mention the fact that I got to celebrate the resurrection of my Savior! All in all, I'd say it was a great day :)

Dear Sugar Cookies with Peanut Butter M&Ms, I made you yesterday using some M&Ms my sweet parents sent me from good ol' America. You were quite delicious and a cute Easter treat too.

Dear Watermelon, I heart you. Thanks for being a sweet, tasty treat.

Dear Elbow, I'm not sure how I managed to scrape you, but man do you hurt. It's amazing that such a small body part can hurt so much. Ouch!

Dear Future, God's been talking to me quite a bit about you. I can't wait to see what God has in store for my life. It's like a movie leaving you on a cliff hanger, leaving you in excited suspense... I can't wait :)