Thursday's Thoughts

Today I'm joining Annie at Home of Malones and Natalie from East Coast Chic for a new link-up, where we share a few thoughts...

So what's on my mind on this Thursday?

Pretty much all movies these days come with Closed Captioning or subtitles. Why doesn't Youtube? Yes, most do. But not all. And even with the ones that do have it, it's often wrong. In fact, after a particularly frustrating search for a specific youtube video that yielded no CC options, I wondered how hard it was to add in that option. As it turns out, it's fairly simple. Want to know how? Click here. Anyways, my point is... It's this annoyingly frustrating for me - a teacher who uses only videos with that option for her class - to find CC-enabled videos. So I can only imagine how frustrating it is for someone who actually NEEDS that option to enjoy a video. 

I am so tired of hearing about Alabama's governor and all he's done. Yes, he did wrong...really, really wrong. And in my opinion, he isn't really doing that great of a job as Governor of our state. And even more than that, he's setting a bad reputation for a state that already only seems to get in the news for bad stuff. But I am so tired of seeing his face all over my Facebook newsfeed.

Couldn't we focus on the good coming from Alabama right now? How about Gina Locklear?

*Source*

Gina helped to revive the once booming "sock capitol of the world" of Ft. Payne? Her story's pretty cool. She saw the need in her hometown and jumped at the chance to help.


Or what about Janice Stallworth?

*Source*

She's a Fairfield Board of Education member, who volunteers her time, teaching music to kids at one of Fairfield's elementary schools. Why? ...because there was no one else to do it. So she stepped up to fill that void. And what a difference Stallworth (and the music) is making in the lives of these kids!

I'm thankful for friendship. I'm thankful for meals shared, homes opened up, and chats held. I'm thankful for kind words, sweet hugs, and handwritten notes. I'm thankful for understanding ways, prayerful emails, and sweet Facebook messages. I'm thankful for movies watched, games played, and fits of laughter. I'm thankful for open invitations to come over whenever, for plans made, and for spur of the moment trips. I'm thankful for acceptance, encouragement, and love. I'm thankful for friendship.

What's Up March

It's now time for March's What's Up Wednesday post. Aren't you excited?! :)

*Linkup with Mel, Shay, Shay, and Sheaffer. 

Every month we answer the same questions based on how things are currently going in our lives. The questions are...

What am I eating this week?

Since I've been on Spring Break, I've had a little more time on my hands. So, since we have very few other forms of entertainment here, we save up our money and go out to eat instead. And going out to eat lunch or dinner with friends will give you such yumminess as this...

What am I reminiscing about? 

I've been feeling super homesick lately, missing those two little girls who call me Zizzie :)

    

What am I loving?

It's Spring Break! 2 glorious weeks of not having to set an alarm clock, reading "for fun," hanging out with friends, taking naps, being lazy, and exploring this city God's led me to. Oh and did I mention spending a few days at the beach, falling asleep to the sound of waves crashing?  I love it!

What have I been up to?

I've been reading up on speech and language learning and all that kind of stuff. It all started with a student who made me want to learn all I could about this topic. Now, I'm just fascinated by how our body works together to produce speech, language, communication. And yes, I know that I'm a total nerd. But seriously y'all... It's so cool!

What am I dreading?
Next month will contain the 1 year anniversary of my dad's death. I already get sick to my stomach thinking about it. Easter was tough in itself, as it was the first one without him. I'm so not looking forward to that date in April...

What am I working on? 

Newsletters, thank you cards, and contacting pastors... I'm working to get the last of my monthly missions support raised.

 Want to donate to my ministry in Senegal. Just click here and follow the prompts to give.

What am I excited about?

I'm so excited for my 4th graders to come back on Tuesday. I have so many new ideas I want to share with them. I can't wait! :)

What am I watching?

A friend told me about Sue Thomas, F.B.Eye. And I may or may not have spent an insane amount of time watching it this past week as a result. I loved it and am sad that it ended after only a few seasons. Major bummer :(

What am I reading?

I'm reading and journaling through the book of Acts right now. Acts has always been one of my most favorite books in the Bible. So

What am I listening to?

I say this all the time, but I truly do have an eclectic taste in music. If it has a good beat and clean lyrics, then I'll listen. I even wrote a blog post on this topic last week. Did you miss it? You can read it here.

What am I wearing?

Spring Break = Pajamas all day long... Seriously, it may be sad. But I don't care. I change out of my PJ's to get dressed to go to town. When I get home, back to PJs, I go :)

What am I doing this weekend?

As of now, I have no plans. And sometimes that's good. But after 2 weeks of being at home, I've realized I thrive on structure and my work. And I must say... I sure do miss those squirrely kiddos :)

What am I looking forward to next month?

I'll be speaking at elementary chapel in a couple weeks. And my class will be prepping throughout the month for 4th Grade's Chapel service in May. I'm praying that both of those go awesomely. I can't wait!

And honestly, I'm just looking forward to having that routine of teaching back. Y'all, I love my breaks as much as the next teacher. But I really do enjoy my time in the classroom. I love teaching!

What else is new?

I've registered for my last Berean (Global University) classes. When I'm done with these 6, I'll only need to take a test, sit in an interview, and somehow get back to Alabama's District Council in April 2017 and I'll be Ordained! Who would've thought? Little ol' me from small town Alabama would make it this far?! Not trying to brag or be prideful, but y'all... I honestly never thought I'd make it this far. So this is HUGE for me! :)

And since I don't have a picture to go with this answer, enjoy this one of my nieces that my brother sent me the other day :)

The Mixed Tape of My Life

When I was younger, I could've cared less about music. I listened to the radio and had a favorite song, but even so, in all honesty, I could've lived without it. But then one day in college I met someone who made me realize what a gift listening to music truly was (is).

There was a girl in one of my education classes who was (is) Deaf. That semester, I believe we all learned more from this girl than the professor. One of those lessons came one day when the professor led a discussion on the power of music in teaching. After quietly soaking in some of the conversation, the girl said, Listening to music is a gift. Don't take it for granted.

That hit me so hard that day and has stuck with me. We, with ears that allow us to naturally hear music, have a gift. ...one we often take for granted. So from then on, I listened to music with a different perspective.

I find myself playing it all the time. It is hard to drive without the radio on. If I am washing dishes or cleaning up, I have my iPod going. I catch myself humming tunes throughout the day. And it's all because a classmate opened my eyes one day way back when...

I say all that to say... I really do love music!

So when I saw Andrea's link-up, I was all in.

The idea was to pick the songs that would be on the mixed tape of your life. What songs bring you back to specific times in your life?

When I think of my early years, most of my memories involve church events. Children's Church, Kids Crusades, VBS, Lock-ins Camp Springville, etc... Well, we had so many of the Psalty The Singing Songbook VHS tapes that we'd watch at all of these events. I loved them. And I could quote almost every song... :)

Another fun childhood memory was of Billy Ray Cyrus's Achy Breaky Heart blaring in my best friend's bedroom as we sang into our hairbrushes and danced like we were pro's. Oh my word, we had the biggest crush on him.

By Middle School, my tastes in music had changed and this band of brothers was my favorite. I just knew I'd marry a Hanson. This song made those awkward middle school years a little more bearable. After all... This was my jam. Ha! But oh my word... Y'all when I was looking a video of them singing MmmBop, I realized just how annoying catchy this song is after it got stuck in my head forEVER... ;)

Vitamin C came out with her song, Friends Forever, while I was in high school and I didn't realize how true to life it'd become. Now when I hear that song (and yes, I do have it on my ipod... Don't judge), I think of my time at good ol' Florala High. 

Pocketful of Sunshine was released my last year of college and I loved it. Still do... And now when I hear it, I'm instantly taken back to those brick lined streets on the campus of the University of Montevallo.

I went on a 2 week long mission trip to South Africa in 2005. It was there that God revealed to me that I'd be back in Africa full time one day. I can picture it now, sitting in the little outside dining area at the lodge we were staying at and watching a presentation by some local dancers. I was so overcome with emotion, that I almost had to leave. I felt the Holy Spirit's presence so strongly that night and was so excited at the thought of how He'd use me in this calling He'd placed on my life. It was an awesome feeling!

Anywho - While on that trip, my teammates and I did various puppet shows and skits and human videos for local churches and schools. One human video we did was to the song, People Get Ready. And now... Now, that song transports me back to that night in South Africa when God placed on my heart, a love for this continent I now call my 2nd home.

Fast forward 4 years and I'm in the airport in Atlanta, GA having just said goodbye to my parents and brother and left security. I wipe the tears out of my eyes and put my earbuds in, turning the sound on my iPod all the way up. Bittersweet was the main characteristic I'd use to describe how I was feeling... I was so sad to be leaving my family and life in America. But at the same time, I was so incredibly happy and excited about heading to Senegal and doing what God had called me to do all those years ago. Well, the first song that came on was Coldplay's Vida la Vida and when I heard the words, "like missionaries in a foreign field," I stopped. I felt like I was meant to hear that song and that very moment. And now, any time I hear that song, I am instantly transported back to the busy Atlanta airport and the feelings of that moment...

On April 6, 2015, I wrote a blog post entitled Beyond Me. You can read it here. We knew my dad was nearing the end and I had reached a low point and decided to be super real and share the truth of what I was feeling. I had no way of knowing just 13 days later, he'd pass away. But it was around that time that God led me to the song, Beyond Me by TobyMac. And now when I hear that song, I think back to the grace and mercy and love of a Heavenly Father who takes care of all that's beyond me...all that I can't even fathom. This song is a constant reminder of the goodness of my Heavenly Father. I love it!

And lastly... Oceans by Hillsong is one of my most favorite worship songs. I remember hearing one of the teenagers at my home church (Temple AG in Clanton, AL) and hearing her sing the words, Spirit lead me where my trust is without borders. Let me walk upon the waters wherever You would call me, and feeling like someone had punched me in the gut. It was as if God was saying, This is what I need you to do. Trust me. Trust me completely.

Y'all, life is tough sometimes. It's hard. And while it'd be awesome if we could stay at home, or where things are comfortable (easy), that's not what God wants us to do. We need to trust in Him wholly and completely. We need to say to the Holy Spirit... Lead me where my trust is without borders.

And that Ladies and Gentlemen, is the current mixed tape of my life. 

And honorable mentions go to all the songs that make me laugh, like Veggie Tales - His Cheeseburger...

 
The Muppets - Mahna Mahna...

I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas...

The Monster Mash...

And last, but certainly not list in the category of Songs that Make Me Laugh is Mississippi Squirrel Revival...

11 Months

Saturday will be make 11 months since my dad passed away.

When I'm working and busy, I'm fine... When I'm at church, I'm fine... When I'm hanging out with friends, I'm fine... 

But let me get still and quiet for any length of time... Well, that's when I have the time to think. That's when my mind wanders and those painful thoughts come flooding in. 

I guess living so far away wasn't always a bad thing. I was spared from seeing, first hand, a lot of the painful things. ...waking up from open heart surgeries with tubes everywhere, him being loaded onto stretchers and carried off in an ambulance, begging for relief from pain caused by all the various illnesses and procedures.

But the last 10 months, I had the gift of living back in the house with my parents. I had the gift of time spent with my dad. ...time that I know I'll always cherish. 

Yes, it was sad to see him suffering after the last open heart surgery and having tubes everywhere. But, I was there. I got to hold his hand and hear him whisper, "I love you baby girl." 

Yes, it was hard to get a text while in a meeting saying he wasn't doing well. But when I walked in the front door after work, and I saw him smile and say "Welcome home baby girl," I was once again, reminded of the gift of time spent with my sweet Daddy.

Those two thoughts and others ran through my mind that evening. I had an overwhelming amount of emotions flooding my brain.

Honestly, I was angry. I was angry that God would take my dad away.

I was sad. I mean, duh... My dad had just died.

But y'all... 

As crazy as it sounds, I was relieved. Hear me out... I was relieved that, for the first time, in years, my dad wasn't hurting anymore. He'd been suffering from kidney failure, and being on dialysis for 10 years. He'd been suffering from heart disease for 4 years. He'd been, basically, slowly withering away for the past 2 years. And that last year... The last year his body slowly started failing him. 

And I thanked God.

Even though I was hurting even more than I ever imagined to be possible... 

Even though I knew I'd miss him more than I could imagine... 

Even though I cried, and knew I'd cry even more, than I'd ever cried before...

I thanked God. 

I thanked Him for his grace and mercy and comfort. 

I thanked Him that He knew what was best.

I thanked Him for the 56 years (minus 1 day) my dad got to live on this earth. I thanked Him for the lives my dad touched in that time, for the people he ministered to, for the love he shared.

And I thanked Him that He would never leave me, nor forsake me, but rather stay right by my side, holding me in the palm of His hand.

   

   

Life Lately

Life lately has included...

...being reunited with Senegalese food. Glorious, delicious Senegalese food.

  ...eating nems with some friends after work.

...embracing Star Wars, thanks to a few of my 4th graders who planned a fun act in our school's Senior Cafe (talent show).

. ..watching The Little Rascals with my students and laughing right along with them. Oh and laughing at their reaction when they found out that when this edition of the movie first came out, I was the same age as they are now.

...wishing my baby brother a Happy Birthday and missing him and his family so very much.

...searching out stores, full of overpriced (and not that great quality-wise) toys to find a fun gift for a kid I know.

...babysitting two stuffed animals belonging to one of my friends while he was at recess because "they might get lonely while he's gone."

...helping out in Kids Club again and being reminded about why I pushed to start it back all those years ago.

...cheering on my friends during our school's Olympic Days.

   

...buying one of my favorite candies and laughing at the translation of their name.

...hanging out with a friend/co-worker and her babies during lunch one day while they visited the front office and laughing later at how her 11 month old somehow managed to take a selfie while looking at himself on my phone.

...taking naps at the end of the day sometimes because boy, oh boy, is teaching sometimes exhausting :)

...bleaching my fruits and veggies and praying I don't get sick from all the who knows what that's on them.

...spending a few hours on a Saturday morning making 3 pots of soup, just so I could stock my freezer for those nights when I'm too tired to go home and cook. Soup, anyone? :)

...realizing that more than 10 months has passed since my dad's death and knowing that 11 months is almost here.

...learning a valuable lesson all because of a journal article I read when someone shared it on Facebook.

...feeling thankful and grateful for the 10 blessings God's placed in my life and being presented daily with ideas of why He sent me back here early.