My One Thousand Gifts #35 - 40

Happy Thanksgiving! 

One Thousand Gifts

Each week, I'm highlighting new items I've added to my list of one thousand gifts. These aren't always big things. In fact, sometimes it's the littlest things that stick out the most. 

This week, I've added 6 new things...

#35 - Shutterfly

I use this company to make photo Christmas cards every year. Why? 1) They're cheap. 2) They're high quality products. 3) When they make a mistake (like last year), they quickly correct the problem and make up for it in a big way. 

In the last month... 1) I got a $20 gift card from them, which I used to order a fun gift for myself and pay for the shipping to send it to Dakar. I owed NOTHING out of pocket!  2) I ordered Christmas cards and address labels from them. 3) I used their free calendar special and got a free 12 month, 8x11, photo calendar and only had to pay the $7.99 to ship it to me here in Senegal. FYI... That's super cheap for shipping overseas! 

And in case you're wondering, Shutterfly has no idea I'm writing this post. But if anyone wants to tell them to hook me up with more free stuff or discounts I'm all for it :)

#36 - a short week at school

I love my job. I truly do. But let's be honest... After having to wake up super early 5 out of 7 days in a week, it's so nice to have a break! So this week, I am most definitely thankful for a short week (only 2 1/2 days) of school :)

#37 - people to spend Thanksgiving with

Today is my 5th Thanksgiving in a row (well, ever) spent away from my family. It's always hard to be away from them, but especially so on holidays. So it's nice to have people to spend the day with today. I'm going to be getting together with a group of about 20 people, friends and co-workers, and sharing a meal and time of fellowship together. I can't wait!

#38 - a can of pumpkin pie filling & a can of Rotel

Have you ever just felt "down" and got a random gift that helped to lift your spirits? I did this week. Who would've ever thought something as simple as a can of pumpkin pie filling and a can of Rotel could do just that?! I know it sounds silly, but it happened. And a little FYI to the person that gave those... You totally made my day Tuesday! :)

#39 - cooking

Cooking is fun for me. And it's a de-stresser. I love it! I'm so thankful for the knowledge passed on to me by my Mama and friends. 

#40 - "quick fix" meals from the States

I love cooking. I do. It is #39 on my list. But you know... There are times when I just don't feel like cooking. Sometimes if it's been a really long day at work, I'm just too tired and have no desire to come in and have to cook. So it's nice to get out one of the "quick fix," usually microwaveable options that I brought with me from the States and make that. These are such awesome investments and I'm so glad I have them!

And in case you want a recap of the items already on my list, you can find them by clicking on the links below...

 1 - 3  

4-16

17-24
25-28
29-34

Currently

I'm currently...

...thankful for all the kids that call me Miss Nichols (or Teacher). I truly love my job and consider it one of my biggest blessings at this point in my life. I'm so thankful that I get to do what I do every day.

...glad that this is a short week. We had a full day yesterday and today and will only have a half day tomorrow.

...looking forward to our school's Turkey Bowl tomorrow. I'm looking forward to watching American football and eating American food (brats!!).

...looking over my shopping list for my contributions to our Thanksgiving meal, I'll be making a pumpkin spice cake and bringing a veggie tray. Yay for easy things :)

...ready for this coming weekend. I'm going out to the village with some friends and co-workers. There will be roofing, painting, well digging, and food preparing (among other things) done.  And that's not to mention the biggest reason for going...sharing the love of the One True Savior with our Senegalese brothers and sisters.

...writing out my Christmas To Do List. These are things I plan to do in Dakar the first week of Break while I'm here solo. So far I only have 2 things on my list. Are there any Dakar people reading this? What would you recommend adding to my list?

...enjoying these unusually cold days we've been having, allowing me the joy of being able to wear long sleeves, socks, and clothes toed shoes again :)

...working ahead on my "homework" from my Bible Study on David. Normally I work on it over the weekend, but I figured I'd get a head start on it today since I won't be home next weekend.

...happy that I was able to work a cute Thanksgiving story and craft into my lessons with my younger kids this week. We read P is for Pumpkin: A Thanksgiving Harvest Story and made Thankful Trees.

...thankful for a team that came out this week that brought out the shoes I ordered. I'm also thankful for the gift of someone buying those shoes for me. Shoes are great, but free shoes are even better :)

...double-checking my list of Christmas gifts I need to buy. I'm thankful for Amazon.com, one of the few sites that will let me purchase items while being in Senegal. This way I can just have them shipped to the person's door.

...thankful for the Christmas card and stickers that came in the mail yesterday. Yay for my Mom mailing me cards :)

...praying that God will fully heal my dad. His open heart surgery last month has really taken its toll on him. I wish he could be back to how he was before all this heart trouble started. I wish all the pain, tiredness, and frustration would leave his body.

...realizing that I never fully knew how hard it would be to not see my family at Christmas this year. I knew it'd be hard. But I guess I thought it'd hit me on Christmas day. But it's a month a way and it's hit me hard...

...thinking that anyone that downplays the pain of homesickness as being "no big deal" has probably never truly felt it themselves. Just sayin'...

...finding way to distract myself from the homesickness/loneliness that's kicking my tail. It helps that my teaching schedule got busier this week, my to do list got even longer, and that I'm making a list of things to do at the beginning of Christmas Break.

'Tis the Season

'Tis the season for Christmas movie watching...

Here are my top 10 (in no particular order)...

1. Elf - "I like to smile. Smiling's my favorite."

2. Home Alone 1 and 2 (I'm counting series as 1...) - "You can mess with a lot of things, but you can't mess with kids on Christmas."

#3 - The Holiday - "I have found almost everything ever written about love to be true. Shakespeare said, journeys end in lovers meeting. What an extraordinary thought."

4. Flintstones Christmas Carol - "Well Scrooge, it sounds like your daughter needs her diaper changed. Uh sorry Wilma, I need to rehearse."

5. Christmas with the Kranks - "You're skipping Christmas! Isn't that against the law?"

6. The Santa Clause Movies (I like them all, but #1 is my favorite.) - "Seeing isn't believing. Believing is seeing."

7. Four Christmases - "My childhood was just like Shawshank Redemption, except I didn't have some old, warm black man to share my story with."

8. A Christmas Story - "You'll shoot your eye out kid."

9. The Polar Express - "Seeing is believing, but sometimes the most real things in the world are the things we can't see."

10. My absolute most favorite Christmas movie is A Charlie Brown Christmas. - "Sure Charlie Brown. I can tell you what Christmas is all about... And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were so afraid. And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for behold, I bring unto you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the City of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men."   

This was just my top 10 list. There are many more Christmas movies I like, such as...

Sunday's Stories

1. Stores are going to be open on Thanksgiving and people are freaking out.

News came out this week that Wal-Mart would be starting its Black Friday shopping early, by opening on Thanksgiving day. The Huffington Post wrote an article about this issue here. Another site listed all the stores open on Turkey Day here. People are complaining in news articles, Dear Abby posts, on Facebook, etc. But here's my question...

Do people realize that the only reason stores are open is because people go and shop???

If no one came and shopped on Thanksgiving Day, they'd have to close. 

Duh...

2. Duck Dynasty men overcame drugs, drinking, and depression.

A video on a few of the men from Duck Dynasty quickly became viral after coming out this week. In the video, America's favorite bearded men talked about some of the issues they faced before turning their lives over to God. Phil drank. Jep did drugs. Reed contemplated suicide. The video's a bit long, but is definitely worth watching. It makes me like them that much more. It's refreshing to hear them open up, be honest about how like all of us, they are simply sinners saved by grace.

3. There's a online dating site for Pentecostals. 

I saw someone post about Pentecostal Match on Facebook and thought it was a joke. But after browsing their site, I found out that it's been going since 2006. Go figure. 

So, since I had time to kill, I thought I'd look up some of the other dating sites out there for a specific characteristic in mind. I found quite a few...

• Interested in farmers? Try the U.S.'s popular farmer's dating site, Farmers Only. Or if you'd rather the U.K. version, try Muddy Matches.
• Like Star Trek? Into Sci-fi? Check out Trek Passions.
• Attracted to Redheads? There's a site for you. It's called Redhead World.
• Are you tall? Are you looking for a significant other who's tall? You're in luck. Tall Friends in the place for you.
• Love the ocean? Then Sea Captain Date is the place for you.

P.S. In case you couldn't realize these sites, indeed, truly are dating sites real people use these days. And if you're a fan of online dating, that's great. I'm not saying I'm for or against it. I'm just saying I think the above options are pretty hilarious :)

4. The latest issue of Dakar Academy's newspaper, Lion Eyes, came out this week. 

Our school's journalism class is AMAZING! They are all great writers and their work in the school newspaper is no different. You can find issues from 2009 until now here. And this past week they let us know that the paper is now going digital and having its own Facebook page. If you're a friend of DA, look them up.

To see the latest issue, click on the picture below.

5. A group of approximately 80 people, including staff and students from DA and the surrounding mission community and staff and students from a high school in Colorado, are going out to the village next weekend and could use your prayer.

We will have 8 different "teams" doing various ministry projects...

• Camp Crew & Drop Ceiling
• Cooking
• Irrigation System
• Painting
• Roof Installation
• Well Digging (2 teams)
• VBS (Children's Ministry)

We will be working in 10 different villages (possibly more). 

Please pray for...

• health & safety
• supplies needed
• workers needed
• good attitudes
• open doors
• open hearts/eyes/minds

The 86th Dear _____ Post

Dear Weekend, I'm so very glad you're here! This has been such a long week. 

Dear Cold, You're how I'd describe the past week. It's been amazing! I loved getting out my long sleeved shirts, socks, and my blanket. Although, I must say... I do think its a little funny that I'm feeling so cold when it's only in the low to mid 70s. I told someone yesterday that this was God's way of helping me since I won't be going to the States and experiencing real cold this year :)

Dear Difficult, You're how I'd describe what it's like knowing I won't be able to go to the States for Christmas this year. It's sad. It finally hit me this week. Wow...

Dear 1st Semester, You're almost over. It seems like we just started school yesterday. Time has just flown by...

Dear Christmas Bazaar, You're where I'm headed with a friend in a little while to check out some inexpensive handmade goodies. 

Dear Shady Shack, You're what I plan to have for lunch today. ...awesome Lebanese food!

Dear Internet Company, Due to you being frustratingly annoying, I haven't been able to use Skype to call my parents in a while. If you're reading this Internet people, you stink! ...just sayin'

And on a much happier note...

Dear Christmas Decorations, I'm planning to put you up tomorrow. Yay for colored lights, fake snow, and sentimental ornaments on my tree :)

Dear Thanksgiving, Don't worry. I'm not forgetting you :) I just know that I'll be gone the weekend after you so I want to have the decorations up when I get back. I still say you're one of my favorite holidays, and I look forward to spending you with friends and co-workers and giving thanks for all I've been blessed with.

Dear "My Beloved" by Kari Jobe, You are such a beautiful song!

Dear Financial Supporters of my Ministry, You're amazing! Thank you for your continuous giving. Thank you for helping me to stay on the field all this time. Thank you for providing the resources for me to do what God has called me to do. Please know just how incredibly appreciative of you (each and every one of you) I am. 

Dear Missions, You're a great line of work. I'm glad I get to call you mine :)

Dear Bible, You're such a great book. I've recently felt convicted by how I read you, but don't do so with the same excitement as the latest popular book that just came out. You should be a book I can't put down. Thanks to that conviction, I've started feeling that way. You've been in my purse ever since when I go places. You're what I pull up on my iPod while I'm sitting and waiting somewhere. You're the first thing I see in the morning and the last thing I see at night. You're pretty awesome Bible. Thanks for being available to me :)

Dear God, Thanks for loving me always. Thanks for protecting me, providing comfort when I'm sad, correcting me when I mess up, wrapping your arms around me when I'm lonely, and rejoicing with me when I achieve success. Thanks for all you have done for me in the past, are doing for me now, and will do for me in the future. You rock God!

My One Thousand Gifts #'s 29 - 34

One Thousand Gifts

This week, I've added 6 new things to my list of 1,000 gifts...

#29 - Cool Season 

Praise Jesus that Cool Season is here! I'm so thankful for cooler temp's staying around for good! 

#30 - cards and notes in the mail

Since the addition to email and Facebook to our lives, people don't seem to write letters and cards and send them the old-fashioned, "snail mail" way much anymore. For someone who absolutely LOVES getting letters, cards, and notes in the mail, this is a sad, sad thing. So imagine my surprise when I got two (2!!) cards, with sweet handwritten notes in the past week! And one even included some Thanksgiving stickers. I don't think people realize how much little things like a handwritten note or letter can really mean for someone. It's pretty awesome for this girl. I can say that :)

#31 - Christmas decorations

I finally decided that I will decorate for Christmas this coming weekend. I'll be gone the weekend after Thanksgiving, so I want it to all be up when I get back. I can't wait. I'm feeling incredibly homesick and sad about not getting to spend the holidays with my family this year and haven't really been in the Christmas spirit yet. So I think having the pretty decorations, my little Charlie Brown tree, and colorful lights all put up will help lift my spirits. I can't wait! :)

#32 - noise cancellation headphones 

There are times when I'm trying to study/read/whatever and all I can hear outside is the dogs barking, the people talking (loudly) outside, the goats "talking" (what is the sound that goats make called???), horns honking on the highway, tires squealing, sirens sounding, vendors walking by yelling out the products they're selling, construction on the new apartment next door (at 7 a.m. on Saturdays!!!), and more. So at times like those, I'm so grateful for this fabulous invention (in the earbud form) and that there was a great sale at Best Buy this summer when they were on sale for half off the regular price. 

#33 - a gift card from Shutterfly

I use Shutterfly for my Christmas photo cards to supporters almost every year. Why? They're cheap. They're cute. They have good customer service. So imagine my delight when my brother writes to tell me I got 2 $10 gift cards in the mail from them. I've had my eye on something cute from there for a while, but wouldn't buy it since I didn't want to spend the money on myself and since money's pretty tight at the moment and I'm only buying the bare necessities. So yay for a chance to treat myself (for free)!

#34 - the Bible 

I'm so thankful for this book. I'm thankful that my parents raised me, taught me, modeled for me, to love this Book. I'm thankful that I can own and read it without fear of persecution. I'm thankful that I can have multiple copies of it and multiple versions of it. I'm thankful I can have it on in paper form, on my computer, and on my ipod. I'm thankful I work in a school where I can have it sitting on my disk, where I can teach about it, where I can decorate my room with verses from it. I'm thankful for the lessons I learn each and every time I read it. I'm thankful that God has ordained the Words inside it long ago, but that it still applies to my life today. I'm so thankful for this awesome book!

And in case you want a recap of the items already on my list, you can find them by clicking on the links below...

 1 - 3  

4-16

17-24

25-28

Currently

I'm currently coughing up a lung, or so it feels. This cold that's going around is no joke. Ugh!

I'm currently drinking my 4th cup of (hot) tea of the day. It seems to be the only thing that will help my throat. Thank goodness it's decaf...

I'm currently frustrated with whatever's causing Skype not to work. But at least I know it's not just my computer, which I feared for a little while. It's just incredibly annoying not being able to talk to my parents. Too bad they live so far out in the boonies that Internet won't work, so email's even a little hard... P.S. "Boonies" means way, way out in the country for all you non-Southerners :)

I'm currently glad I had a rare free Tuesday afternoon today. It gave me time to do prep work for my classes and to have a long chat with a friend.

I'm currently watching and laughing at episodes of The Beverly Hillbillies. ...so funny!

I'm currently thankful for the rain and lower temp's making it cooler today. This is such a great time of year :)

I'm currently looking forward to watching tomorrow's basketball game, especially since I have a student playing. I'm sad we had to cancel Kids Club due to a required staff meeting. But I'm looking at this as a blessing in disguise since I never get to watch our Wednesday games.

I'm currently thinking that it's funny that many of my friends in Alabama are still experiencing summer-like weather and we're actually having much cooler weather here in Dakar :)

I'm currently reading through Psalms. Right now I'm on chapter 119. I'm learning all sorts of new things. It's such a good feeling when I read something that feels as if God put it there just for me. Thanks for all the personal touches God :)

I'm currently planning ahead for future blog posts. I've got some fun ideas in the works :)

I'm currently feeling homesick. I knew it'd hit me at some point. Well, it happened this week. Even the idea of decorating for Christmas doesn't feel as fun as it normally does. I'm planning to make myself decorate this coming weekend. I know it's early, but 1) I think it'll boost my spirits and 2) I'll be gone the weekend after Thanksgiving, so I won't be able to decorate then. So it'll be nice to come back and have a nicely decorated apartment.

Speaking of Thanksgiving, I'm currently looking forward to Thanksgiving weekend. I'm eating lunch with my fellow American and Canadian A/Gers on the big day. Then I'm leaving the day after to spend the weekend in a (somewhat) nearby village with some friends and a team of people from the States. FYI...I'm so not the "roughin' it" type. I've never slept outside. I've never taken a bucket bath. I'm so stepping out of my comfort zone here. Yay for growing up! :)

P.S. On a Thanksgiving related note... Guess who's currently excited about having turkey on Thanksgiving. Yep. That'd be this girl :)

Sunday's Stories

"There's a story behind everything. How a picture got on a wall. How a scar got on your face. Sometimes the stories are simple, and sometimes they are hard and heartbreaking..." 

Mitch Albom, For One More Day

Reading is a big part of my life. I love to read. I read books for work, for school, and for fun. And I love a good book/story. I love to be drawn into it and feel connected with the story.

I'm starting a new series on my blog. Every Sunday I'll write a Sunday's Stories post. These Sunday posts will include a variety of story related topics. It might be reviews of recent books or magazine or news articles I've read. Or it might be a new (or maybe an old) story about me, my family, my work, etc.

So without further ado, here's the first set of Sunday's Stories...

(1) Jase & Missy Robertson were interviewed by K-Love Radio earlier this year. In their interview, they both talked about the importance of God, faith, and family. They also talked about putting God first in all areas of their lives, especially in their relationship - while dating and now as a married couple. I saw the link for their interview here. I'm always impressed when such a public figure takes a stand for what is good and right in the eyes of God.

(2) Speaking of the Robertsons, Duck Dynasty fans' favorite uncle is in the news. Si is the voice of a narrating okra in Merry Larry and the True Light of Christmas, which was released last month. According to the story, the main theme taught through this movie is that "Christmas shines most bright and true when you give the love God gave to you!"

(3) Erin, at Blue Eyed Bride, wrote a post about her love for Christmas music, but what struck me the most in her story was the highlighting of 4 words from O Holy Night that I don't think I've ever paid much attention too. In the song, we hear the words, "...a thrill of hope..." Did you notice that? We don't just have hope. No we have a thrill of hope. ...a thrill. In case you missed it, I repeated that part for emphasis. :) I'm so incredibly thankful for the thrill of hope they had back then for the Savior's birth and I have now for His return!

(4) One of the harder blog posts I've ever written was on a time when I was afraid. It was back in the Spring of 2011. My dad had 2 heart attacks, stent put in, and developed a severe case of peritonitis. I ended up leaving school a month early so I could fly back to the States to be with and help out my family. He bounced back from those health scares, but has, unfortunately, had quite a few more since then. But he seems to bounce back from each one. God has such a big plan for my dad's life. I know it. And I'm just so grateful that I get to be a part of it! :)

(5) And now for a random picture and story... My friend and I had some computer work to do yesterday, so we decided to work in the same room, so we could keep each other focused and motivated (which we did - go us!). Anyways... After being in her classroom for a while, I look over on the shelf and notice this guy hanging out.

I realized who this stuffed awesomeness was and said, "I love your stuffed Jesus." She then told me about a former student (from a non-Christian family) who loved holding, hugging, and walking around with Jesus all day. While I laughed at the cuteness of the story, it made me think. Of course Jesus is with me all day, but do I hold/hug him close to my heart all day? Or do I push Him to the side and only hold Him close when something goes wrong? Do I only call on Him when I need something? Or do I spend my day talking with Him? Isn't it amazing that a stuffed child's toy could make you think that much...

The 85th Dear ____ Post

Dear Senegal, We’ve been celebrating you all week at school for our Senegalese Appreciation Week. Thanks for being such a nice host country. Thanks for providing such hospitable people, such delicious food, such awesomeness. Thanks for being such a great country to so many people!

Dear Sorting, You’re what I’ve been doing with my stuff this week. I’ve been slowly weeding through my clothes, getting rid of things that no longer fit (yay for losing weight!) and things that are faded or stretched out from the harsh elements and daily wear and tear. It’s been such a great feeling to see things finally looking more sorted and organized.

Dear 1000 Gifts, I’m still listing you. As of this past Thursday’s post, I have 29 items on my list. Thanks for being such a nice reminder to stop and offer thanks for all of the “little” gifts God places in my path.

Dear Bacon Cheeseburger, You’re what I had for supper last night, thanks to a fundraiser one of the classes at school had. Thanks for being so deliciously awesome!

Dear Waking Up Earlier, I’ve been praying that God would help me with you – that He’d give me the extra energy needed to be alert first thing in the morning so I can focus my full attention on Him. I seem to have gotten in a bit of a rut with my personal devotions and Bible reading, leaving it feeling like more of a chore than something I actually enjoyed. So I asked God to help me to wake up earlier each morning. And you know what? It worked. Thanks God for helping me with this.

Dear Saturday, You’re the one day of the week where the item above doesn’t really apply (since I don’t really have a schedule on Saturdays). So it was nice to not have to use my alarm clock this morning, but instead, just wake up whenever :)

Dear Catch up, You're what I'll be playing today, catching up on some work I've pushed to the side 'til I had enough time to do it. Well, today's the day... 

Dear Sore Throat, You seem to be hanging around. I'm trying really hard not to get sick. I'm trying really hard not to get the nasty cold that's going around amongst my germy kids, but alas, I think I may be getting it anyway... Boo :(

Dear Christmas Break, This year will be the first time ever that I won't be spending you in America (or more importantly, the first time I won't be spending you with my family). I think it's finally hitting me, though, leaving me feeling kind of sad... :(

Dear Coloring, I did quite a bit of you the other night, trying to hurry and finish a picture one of my youngest students asked me to draw for her. I must say... Coloring, you bring out the inner child in me. There's something fun and child-like about using crayons.

My One Thousand Gifts #'s 25 - 28

One Thousand Gifts

I'm reading Ann Voskamp's book, One Thousand Gifts. According to her website, simply put, this book is a celebration of grace and a recognition of the power of gratitude. It's all about being so thankful for the little things, that you become a person full of joy. As part of the accompanying devotional, Voskamp encourages readers to make their own list of one thousand gifts, which I've started. It's been fun becoming more aware of what's going on around me, of what gifts the Lord has put in my path.

For my Thankful Thursday posts each week, I'm highlighting new items I've added to my list. These aren't always big things. Sometimes, it's the littlest things that stick out the most. 

This week, I've added 4 new things...

#25 - air conditioning

Since moving to Dakar 4 1/2 years ago, I've never had A/C at home. And as of this year, I no longer have it in my classroom either. Needless to say, I definitely miss it and have become aware of just how thankful of this fabulousness I am. If it wasn't so expensive to install, I'd totally have it at home. But alas, it's quite a bit out of my price range. They say absence makes the heart grow fonder. Well my heart is definitely fond of this coolness!

#26 - sleeping late

It's rare that my internal alarm clock allows me to experience #26. But when it does, I am definitely thankful. There's just something so gratifying about knowing you've been able to sleep late :)

#27 - construction paper

I know this seems like a weird thing to be thankful for, but as a teacher this is a product I use a LOT of. Most crafts call for at least one color of it. It makes great posters and book covers, and can be cut into little mosaic pieces. It makes beautiful cards and stationery for kids to write letters to friends and family. It's a quick substitution to use in place of wrapping paper. It has so many uses! So yes, indeed I am thankful for this colored wonderfulness. Now if I could just find a place in Dakar that carries it...

#28 - Skype

This fabulous invention allows me the chance to talk to, and see (via video),  family and friends from around the world. I'm thankful for its free video chats and it's incredibly inexpensive, 2 cents a minute, phone calls. I'm thankful that it allows me to feel just a bit closer to my loved ones.

And in case you want a recap of the items already on my list, you can find them by clicking on the links below...

 1 - 3  

4-16

17-24