ABCs on the Weekend

I...

...have had awesome admin. in every school I've worked in. What a blessing that is!

...bought some Swiss cheese for a class project two of my kids are doing. And while this cheese will do, I can't help but miss the "real deal" good cheese I was able buy while living in Senegal. 

...love cheese and after being bummed at Walmart's selection last night, I have realized that I've become a bit of a cheese snob :)

...drove through Montevallo the other day on the way to visit some friends. So many memories came flooding back from college and my first teaching experience!

...will eat olives on pizza. But to eat them any other time? Yuck. And yes, I know that's weird :)

...taught a couple French phrases to two of my kids for a class project they're doing. 

...gave, along with a few other teachers, a presentation in our faculty meeting yesterday afternoon. 

...am helping a couple of my students with a class Social Studies project today. Our country is Switzerland. Fun!

...thought this inspirational post by Lysa TerKeurst on Facebook last week was so good that I took a screen shot of it and saved it to my phone. And when I was scrolling through my pictures last night before bed, God told me to take notice of it.

...love my Africa jewelry, especially pieces that have memories attached to them, like the earrings I wore yesterday. Some friends/co-workers gave me these after I passed my Comps exam, signaling I'd graduate with my Master's :)

...like the song, Kings and Queens, by Audio Adrenaline. It always reminds me of my missions work. 

...have loved reading through the textbook for my February Berean class. It's on the New Testament and it's kept me intrigued the entire time. 

...miss Senegal. I really do :(

...never listen to this song from the Mulan soundtrack without laughing. It's such a fun song!

...often think I'm caught up on paperwork and it's usually at that point that God laughs and says Ha! Just kidding :)

...am praying for a financial miracle for my family. God knows the need and I know He'll supply it at the right time.

...love the quote below. It's such a good motto for life!

...enjoy my rides to and from work every day. I have a 45ish minute drive, which is just the right amount of time to have a nice conversation with God. I'm sure people think I'm crazy and talking to myself when they drive past me. Haha :)

...hate student loans. Or maybe I should say, I hate student loan payments. Ugh!

...am thankful for a good work environment. What a blessing this job has been (and still is) to me!

...had to untie a girl's shoes the other day since she chose to tie both shoes' laces together for some reason. Um, why??

...like the verse that says, "But as for me, I watch in hope for The Lord, I wait for God, my Savior; my God will hear me." (Micah 7:7)

...wish there was a Senegalese restaurant nearby. I could go for some cheb. ...or mafe. ...or yassa :)

...was eXcited to see a fellow West Africa missionary couple the other night. Yay for seeing Africa peeps on this side of the big pond :)

...might try making yassa poulet some time. I think it'd be the simplest Senegalese dish for me to make here.

...love the zeal for God that my dad has. A man who has so much sickness, pain, and suffering in his body. Yet he still puts The Lord first. He still preaches the Word. I love it!

Set the World On Fire

The opening lyrics of Britt Nicole's song, Set The World On Fire, are...

I wanna set the world on fire, until it's burning bright for you. It's everything that I desire. Can I be the one you use?

I put my Worship music playlist on shuffle every morning for my ride to work. And the other day, this song came on first and it got me thinking...

Shouldn't this be the prayer of all Christians? As a follower of Christ, we are called to help fulfill the Great Commission...

Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation. - Mark 16:15

Look back at the first sentence of the song...

I wanna set the world on fire, until it's burning bright for you.

Think about that. Our jobs as Christians is to share the Truth of Jesus. We are a vessel through which this Truth lights up the world. 

Or here's another way to think about it... How would you be moving if you were on fire? You wouldn't just calmly walk through life, would you? No. You would be excitedly moving about trying to get it out. 

As Christians, we should be so on fire for Jesus that we can't stand it. We can't sit still. We just have to tell someone about Him. 

God, let this be my prayer...

I wanna set the world on fire, until it's burning bright for you. It's everything that I desire. Can I be the one you use?

What's up

What I'm reading...

I just started George W. Bush's book about his dad. ...so far so good.

What I'm writing...

I'm in the process of writing a blog post about some thoughts I had while listening to Britt Nicole's song, Set the World On Fire.  

What I'm listening to...

I have quite the eclectic mix of music. So my morning ride, listener to my La Voiture playlist is quite entertaining :)

What I'm wearing...

Today is an African accessories kind of day. 

What I'm eating...

Look at this tasty lunch! The best part of it, though, was that it was free. Yay for co-workers wanting to bless each other :)

What I'm doing next...

I had to prepare for a presentation and grade a bunch of papers today, too. But since I got called out of my room right after finishing, I haven't had time to clean up yet. So as soon as this post is published, it's clean-up time!

What I'm quoting...

Today's "quote" is inspired by the current temperature outside. And it comes from a meme from everyone's favorite minions :)

The 50th Anniversary of the TEACHERS March

Everybody's heard about the big Civil Rights March that went from Selma to Montgomery back in March of 1965. 

But how many people have heard of the Teachers March that happened in January of '65? 

I'm ashamed to say that I hadn't heard of it before last week. 

On January 27, 1965, a group of African American teachers came together with one purpose. They deserved equal rights. They deserved to be able to vote. 

These teachers were teaching their students to do their civil duties when they grew up. But these teachers were being denied their right to do those civil duties, themselves. What a ridiculously ironic depiction of Alabama (and the South) at the time, huh?

Anyways, the (very) short version of the march is this... 

These teachers, along with others from the area, had tried many times to register to vote at the Courthouse, but each time they were told to wait in the back alley for their turn. But their turn never came. 

So on January 22, 1965, a group of teachers, and others, met together at Clark Elementary School in Selma and began their march to the courthouse a few blocks away. They were calm. They didn't hurt anyone. They just peacefully walked, two by two, to the courthouse to request their rights, as Americans, to vote. 

And they were met with strong opposition. Some were poked with cattle prods. Some were beaten. And even with the threat of imprisonment, the 100plus teachers tried three times to ascend the stairs of the courthouse. And each time they were brutally pushed back. 

What amazes me about their story is that these men and women did not receive the right to vote that day. After the third time of being pushed back, the leaders of the group felt their point had been made, so they peacefully left the courthouse and went to a local church. 

I teach at Clark Elementary School. Some of my babies are probably even related to some of the participants from that march. 

I get so angry when I hear about how white people treated black people back then. And they did it all because of the color of their skin?

How STUPID is that?! Yep, you heard me. I said STUPID! 

I've heard stories of people getting hosed off the street, of people being hit with cattle prods and 2x4s, of women and children being beaten while husbands were held back and forced to watch. 

I've heard stories of people being forced to use a separate bathroom and water fountains, of not being allowed to go inside a restaurant, of being forced to stand on a bus. 

I've heard of people being called horribly derogatory names, of people being arrested for no reason at all, of crosses being burned in someone's front yard.

And I've heard stories of sweet, innocent children being denied access to school - to an education. 

Why? ...because the pigment of their skin was darker. 

I just don't get it. 

How can someone have so much hatred in their heart? How can someone treat an innocent human being that way? 

And do you know what's sad? Racism still exists today. Granted it's not at the level it was in the '60s. But it is still going on. 

So how can we stop it?

It's an internal change. It has to be.

Until people stop judging others based on the color of their skin...

Until people stop making assumptions based on the color of their skin...

Until people stop following stereotypes based on the color of their skin...

Until we forget about race...

Until we begin to focus on the inner characteristics and quality of people...

Until we do all of that, our nation (our world) will never change.

I think we can all learn a lesson from the group of teachers that marched on that January day.

Even though they didn't receive their right to vote that day, they didn't fight the people restricting them. 

Even when they were hit and beat and prodded like cattle, they didn't retaliate. 

Even when they were treated like dirt,they didn't treat their attackers the same way. 

They were calm. 

They were peaceful. 

They stood up for what they believed in. 

They stood up for what was fair and what was right. 

They set an example for their students. 

And I believe, they set an example for all of us.

Monday's Mantra(s)

Here are some of my favorite "wordy" images found on the big ol' World Wide Web this week.

And my favorite...

** FYI - All images were found on Google Images. 

It's an Honor

It's an honor.

...a privilege.

...a joy.

...a right I don't take for granted.

...a way to return the favor.

...a chance to serve.

...a commandment from God.

...a calling in life.

...a gift.

...a blessing.

God commands, "honor your father and your mother..." (Exodus 20:12; Deuteronomy 5:16; Matthew 15:4, 19:19;  Mark 7:10, 10:19; Luke 18:20; Ephesians 6:2)

When God called me to "take a break" from missions and spend some time at home, helping my parents, I readily accepted the call. 

I knew what that would require. I would give up a career that I loved. I would give up living on my own. I would give up a portion of my finances. And I would spend more time helping them. 

No one (but God, of course) asked me to. I chose to.

And you know what?

I would do it all over again if I had to. 

God chose for me to be born into this family. God chose for these two to be my parents.

For so many years, they took care of me. So when the time came, and God placed this new call on my heart, I jumped at the chance to turn the tables so to speak. And I realize what a blessing this time with my parents has been in my life.

My dad was having a rough morning, so I chose to go to church with my parents today, as to drive for them and to help my mom in taking care of my dad. 

My parents pastor a home church with a small group of sweet believers. It's more like a family than a church. I always feel like I'm at home when I visit there.

And as I sat in church, watching my sweet Daddy preach his heart out this morning, I felt such immense pride. He shared the Word of God as part of an awesome sermon. He led us in worshipping our Savior. And he prayed such a sweet prayer to help usher us into the presence of the Holy Spirit. 

At once during his sermon, he felt a little light headed, and we all jumped up because he was about to pass out. It's something that happens sometimes with him these days. When he recovered, I watched my dad, with tears in his eyes, rebuke the devil's attack on his body. 

I see a man who has always put God first in his life. I see a man who, for as long I've been alive, has preached the Word of God. I see a man who has lived a life of sacrifice for his Savior, his family, and his ministry. 

And now I see a man who, at times, is struggling to move around, to breathe, to live his life. I see a man who is nearing the end of his life. Now whether that's a couple months or twenty years, we don't know know...

But what I do know is this...

No matter how weak he is... No matter how tired he is... No matter how rough of a day he's having... 

He continues preaching the Word of God. And I must say... He does a mighty fine job at doing so!

And me?

I continue to be proud of this man that God chose to be my Daddy.

I continue to be grateful to God for calling me to help my dad.

I continue to look at this time with my dad as a blessing and honor from above.

They have a dream...

In honor of Monday being the day we celebrate him, I dedicated my reading assignments this week to MLK.

And it was Dr. King's famous speech that inspired this assignment, where my students wrote (and read to their peers) their own speech, using the prompt, I have a dream that one day...

I have 13 students and while they each wrote more or less depending on their grade level, the content on each and every one's was AMAZING. 

For kids who typically hate writing, their finished products made me so very proud! They made me so proud that I wanted to share a few here...

I have a dream that one day all men will work together to make the USA a better place. 

Or what about this one? This kid clearly has seen and heard a little too much in his young life.

I have a dream that one day all men and women and boys and girls will be nice. No more shooting or robbing or stealing or fighting. All people will obey the police and not get arrested.

This next one is sweet. 

I have a dream that one day all black and white people will be sweet to each other. We all God's children and we need to love each other.

This little guy's response was good too...

I have a dream that one day all of my friends will be safe. And I have a dream that bad guys will stop doing bad guy stuff. The bad guys will become good guys and only do good stuff.

And my favorite one of all...

I have a dream that one day all mens and womens will be equal peoples. Nobody will be mean to anybody. And everybody will love Jesus.

So what's your dream? Think abouthow  you'd complete the sentence...

I have a dream that one day...

4 on Friday

1. We had an assembly yesterday to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Selma Teachers' March for Civil Rights.

Did you know that in January 1965, a group of teachers in Selma, AL marched from Clark Elementary to the Dallas Co. Courthouse? They deserved the right to vote and they chose to march to peacefully fight for that right. And what'd they get in return? ...pokes with a cattle prod, beatings, trips to jail, and pure hatred.

2. My oldest niece is a ham for the camera. Lately she's began to love taking "pish-ers." Proof? See below :)

3. I saw a post about a Christian Comedy Cruise the other day. I checked it out. It seems pretty cool. Who wants to go on a cruise in June? :)

4. A friend posted some Senegal pictures on FB the other day and it made me a bit homesick. I so miss living in Senegal :(

The 129th Dear _____ Post

Dear Alabama Weather, You are so bizarre. It'll be freezing cold one week and then burning up hot the next week. It's no wonder people are sick so much.

Dear New Bible Study, I started you this past weekend. I'm reading, praying, and journaling through the entire Bible. I can't wait to see how God works through this time of more deeply studying the Bible.

Dear Coupon, I got one of you last week from Shutterfly for two free 8x10 prints. I so love that company!

Dear Day Off From Work, I had you yesterday and I must say... You were quite nice. I love my job. I love my students. But having a day off, being able to sleep late, and just hang out in my pjs all day is pretty great too :)

Dear Reba (the tv show), I laughed my head off, watching you yesterday. You're such a funny show. And you're actually clean, which is a rare characteristic in t.v. shows today.

Dear Measles, Apparently, there's been a outbreak recently. The problem? So many parents continue to decide to not vaccinate their children, so it will most likely continue to spread. Scary knowing I work with kids...

Dear Pain in My Side, You've gotten some better. But boy do you still hurt, especially when I bend over or I pick up something heavier than I should. Ouch!

Dear Quotes, The ones of you that I used in yesterday's post on MLK were all good, but one definitely stood above the rest in my opinion...

Dear Prayer, I've received so many emails containing requests for you this week. My heart breaks for so many of my friends and colleagues (both current and former) dealing with sickness, death, civil unrest, emotional trauma, and so on and so forth. I write down each and every one and spend time talking to my Savior about each of them. 

Dear Soup, You are such a nice meal this time of year. It's still cold outside, so eating a bowl of nice, hot soup totally hits the spot.

Dear New Bible, I started using you yesterday. I'm so glad I bought you. What a great purchase you're proving to be!

Dear Senegal, I was doing good. I hadn't had any intense homesickness lately. Then you hit me pretty hard at one point last week. I wonder if that feeling will always be there...

Dear Lunch for This Week, Each day I'll be having veggie wraps with roasted garlic hummus, celery, radishes, and carrots all wrapped in whole wheat tortillas. Yum!

Dear Cute Grin, You're what my youngest niece has in the picture below. It's hard to believe this little girl is already 8 months old. It seems like just yesterday my brother was calling me to tell me she'd been born :)

Dear Whatever You're Doing by Sanctus Real, You're a good song. You know, I've heard you many times, but I finally stopped and took the time to truly listen to your lyrics the other day. Thanks for the lesson you taught me then. Sorry it took me so long to truly listen to you.

Dear American Sniper, I so want to go see you. Anyone up for a trip to the movies next weekend? :)

Dear Mom, I think you're Superwoman. Just so you know :)

Dear Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., I wrote a blog post on you yesterday. You were such an influential man. I just wish more people (of all races) followed your philosophy of people getting along and working together. The U.S. (and beyond) would be a much better place.

Dear God, Send peace to this land. We so desperately need it.

Happy Birthday Dr. King

His birthday was actually this past Thursday. But today is the day we celebrate him. Kids are out of school. Civil offices are closed. Mail doesn't run. It's a big deal. And it's all because of who he was and what he did...

I grew up in the South. ...more specifically, in Alabama. So I grew up hearing about the fight for Civil Rights and how African Americans were treated at one time here.

I've heard stories about how white people hated black people so much that they would choose to not sit in the same restaurant, or drink from the same water fountain, or use the same restroom, or let their kids go to the same school. 

I've heard stories of how some white people would beat a black person just as soon as they'd look at them. Or how they'd turn on the high powered hoses and spray the water on them so violently, that it'd push them off the street. 

But I also grew up hearing about a man who gave a famous speech, entitled, "I Have A Dream." ...a man who believed in peace, not hate. ...a man who believed that the way to win the war of racism was through peaceful protests and not violent fights with guns and weapons. ...a man who believed all men should be equal.

That man was Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and he had a dream that one day his children would live in a nation where they would not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character.

Dr. King wasn't trying to make black people better than white people. Rather, he wanted all people to finally be equal. He wanted all people to live together in harmony. ...to live together in peace. ...to live together as brothers.

He wanted Americans to open their eyes to the injustice going on around them. ...to stop hating each other. ...to stop separating themselves from people who were different from them. 

...to take that critical first step towards a life of peace with their fellow man.

It's now been 50 years since that famous march from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama. Things are definitely not as bad as they were then. But unfortunately, racism does still exist today. And unfortunately, some people do still treat others badly simply because of the color of their skin. 

But you know... I look at the sweet babies entrusted in my care as a teacher. Not one of them are the same race as me. And I don't care. 

I pray daily that these boys and girls I call mine will grow up to be model citizens. And you know what else... I pray the world they grow up in gets better.

I pray men and women and boys and girls, stand up and unite against hate, prejudice, and plain ol' ignorance and finally put a stop to the racism that still exists today. 

I pray we, as Americans, take the example of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. 

I pray we see there is something wrong with the world and we decide right then to do something about it. 

...not with guns and weapons and violence.

...not with dirty language and inappropriate music and movies.

...but with our minds and our hearts.

...with our knowledge of peace and justice and our love for our fellow man.

I pray we stop hating someone because their skin is a different color or because they serve a different god or because they come from a different part of the world. 

I pray we love good and hate evil. 

I pray we treat others the way we would want to be treated.

And I pray that by his birthday next year, Dr. King can look down from Heaven and say,

Hey God, Look at how well your children are getting along. They finally listened to you.