What's Up April

Happy Wednesday Y'all!

Today, I'm joining Shay, and Sheaffer for their What's Up Wednesday link-up. 

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

The questions are...

 

What am I eating?

Nothing terribly exciting... 

 However, this weekend is a 3 day weekend AND grad school is finished for the time being, freeing me up a bit. So I'm planning to actually cook again. :) Anywho - I'm planning to make some broccoli cheese soup, tacos, breakfast sandwiches (on english muffins), and chocolate chip cookies. That way I'll have plenty to eat, share, and still have some to put in the freezer for later.
 
What am I reminiscing about?

My dad - Oh how I miss him.
The 19th was the 5th anniversary of his death.
The 20th would have been his 61st birthday.
And the 28th would have been my parents 36th anniversary.

 What am I loving?

I'm loving that my class (as a student) is finished. Because while I truly did enjoy this class, as it was on one of my most favorite topics/areas of education (research)... It was just so much extra work on top of a ridiculously full (over-full) teaching load. So yes, I am definitely loving that it's over. And I'm loving that I now have a break from being a student until July. Even better! :)

What have I been up to? 

Teaching online... And let me tell y'all something. It's a LOT of work. I have to plan lessons/activities for 10 different classes every single day. So I'm working 10+ hours every single day during the week, on top of time on the weekend. My brain is so so tired. BUT as hard as it is, it is 100% worth it. I love my job. And I love my people.

Online Teaching is, indeed, hard. But caffeine and cheerios help ;)

What am I dreading?

The fear of the unknown can be such a real thing... Airports closing, mission agencies telling you to stay put, schools/governments deciding whether or not to re-open, the risk of someone I love catching a disease, etc.

What am I working on?

Journaling more... I know I'm a semi-open book on here about most things. But all of the madness surrounding Corona Virus and airport closures and shifting to online schooling and government/mission/school restrictions, etc., have all led to a whole host of thoughts/emotions swirling around in my head lately. So it's been nice to have an outlet to get them out and process while I do. But even more than that, it has forced me to dig so much deeper in The Word, to pay even more attention to HIS words and how they apply to my life at this moment in time. 

What am I excited about?

We have the day off from school on Friday.

What am I watching?

Very little... After being on my computer all day at work, I really haven't wanted to watch a show on yet another screen when I get home each evening. However, now that my class is finished for the semester, I'll have a bit more free time on the weekends. Any suggestions for something to watch (via iTunes or Netflix)?

What am I reading?

We've been reading The Hobbit with one of our students. It's been fun to have virtual read alouds with him a couple days a week. And I love seeing how excited he is while reading the story. It's so much fun for a teacher when a student actually enjoys the book they're reading. So this has been a treat for sure!

What am I listening to?

Phil Wickham's song, "Living Hope," has been on repeat a lot for me these days.

What am I wearing?

We're now required (by the Senegalese government) to wear masks when we're outside (well, outside of our yards). I can't say that they are the most enjoyable accessory I've ever owned. But 1) it's the law 2) it's smart to protect each other's health and safety and 3) African fabric makes them more fun. :)

 What am I doing this weekend?

My grad school class finished yesterday. And my next class doesn't start 'til the end of June. So I'm finally "free" on the weekends. Friday, we don't have school. So since we'll have a 3 day weekend, I'm planning to spend one day doing lesson prep, one day at home doing a deep clean of my apartment and doing a bit of laundry too, and one day resting (physically/spiritually).

What am I looking forward to next month?

We have a day off on Friday, which is the first day of next month. 
 Does that count? :)

What else is new?

Unless something drastically changes with COVID-19 both here in Senegal and back in the USA, I will most likely not be going back to Alabama this summer. So there's that. This will be the first time since I arrived in 2009 that I will be here all summer. And while I know most missionaries do this all the time AND while I also know that it makes the most logical sense to not travel at times like this and risk exposing my people both here in Senegal and my people back home in Alabama, I'd be lying if I said it wasn't still a bit hard...

And that's what I'm up to this month.

What about you?

What are YOU up to this month?

5 years

5 years

My dad passed away 5 years ago.

5 years ago (Sunday), my heart was hurting worse than ever before.

It was the day before my dad's 56th birthday.

It was only 9 days before my parents' 31 anniversary...

And I'm not going to lie... It was hard. And I cried. ...a lot.

While he did continue working (pastoring his church and also teaching at a local middle school) until almost the end, my dad was so sick. He had suffered off and on for almost a decade. He was on dialysis, thanks to the effects of kidney cancer. And his heart slowly gave out on him, thanks to multiple heart attacks and other random heart related issues. So for right at a full decade, my dad was sick. So while it was hard to let him go, I also knew, deep in my heart, that I didn't want him to suffer anymore.

And as a result, when the end came, he reminded us of something he'd preached my entire life. As Christians, we are not exempt from struggles and suffering. Far from it, actually... But we know that if a person is saved, they have nothing to fear when it comes to death. They know they're going to a better place. The glory of Heaven and eternal life with our Heavenly Father is beyond compare.



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I've written memories-filled posts every year on the anniversary of his death, which can be found below. While still sad, it's nice for me to be able to look back and remember how God's been with me through the past 5 years...

1 year

2 years

3 years

4 years

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 Today, I'm joining Erika and Andrea, for their weekly Friday Favorites linkup and sharing about one of my most favorite people - my dad. And while the reason for this post is by no means a favorite, I still am so very grateful for all of the memories I have.

Technology and Gratitude

Happy Tuesday, Y'all

 

Today I'm grateful for technology.

I'm grateful for being able to be connected to my family back home.

I'm grateful for being able to continue teaching my students even though the government required all schools (school buildings) to close.

I'm grateful for programs that allow me to record videos of me teaching various lessons for my students who need that.

I'm grateful that I can still do "read alouds" via video conferencing.

I'm grateful for emails and chats with students, checking in on them, encouraging them, and answering all of their questions.

I'm grateful for the variety of resources available online, helping me not have to reinvent the wheel. 

I'm grateful for churches around the world sharing their services through youtube videos, Facebook/Instagram livestreams, and more.

I'm grateful for emails and Facebook messages from family, friends, and mission supporters back home, just writing to check on me.

I'm grateful for virtual "hangout" sessions with friends during this time when a face to face hangout just can't happen, for the change to laugh and talk and pray together, or even to vent or cry or sometimes both, when the stress/weight of the worldwide pandemic and online schooling feels like it's too much to handle.

I'm grateful for IT guys who keep our internet and computers running smoothly, for training us on various programs, and for being patient with those of us who struggle with technology at times.

I'm grateful for our students, positively dealing with this hand they've been dealt, powering through multiple online classes even when it's difficult.

I'm grateful for our teachers, sacrificing/spending far more time prepping because contrary to popular belief, it is NOT easy to teach online (if you've been teaching in the traditional manner).

I'm grateful for parents of our students, supporting their kids, helping them with assignments/activities, positively responding to teachers, and joining the "we are a team" mindset, even when faced with this new type of schooling.

I'm grateful for supportive teachers and administration, helping each other out, having virtual meetings, sending devotions through email, etc.

I'm grateful for government officials, making hard decisions, working to keep their people safe and healthy as best as they can.

And most of all...

I'm grateful that God has me in His hand. 

I'm grateful that when I struggle with the unknowns and I cry and ask "why," he gives me grace. He loves me. And I can know that, no matter what, He is still in control. And I can always trust in that.

So what about YOU?

What are you grateful for today?

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 In case you missed the past two months' Tuesday Talk posts, and you're curious, you can click on the link below to check it out.


 

January - Confidence

February - When God Gives A Girl A Brother

March - I Spy

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I started my monthly Growing in Gratitude posts, as part of the link-up fun, hosted by Julie from Fall into Life, where bloggers would share a bit of gratitude each month. Julie stopped hosting the link-up last summer. But I decided to keep posting a monthly gratitude-themed post. After all, there's always something for which we can be grateful. Right? :)

And, in case you missed last month's post..

You can click below to read it.

January - A Year of Gratitude

February - Gratitude for My Mama 

March - Smiling

Currently

 Happy Wednesday, Y'all

 
 
Today I'm joining Anne from In Residence for her monthly link-up, where we share what's currently going on in our lives. And each month, Anne gives us a list of prompts to use to guide our posts. 

April's prompts are...

  * sharing *  writing * wishing * investigating * buying * 

So what am I currently up to?
 

I'm currently sharing more on finding the positives from my day during this extended break from school. Thankfully, my school already had a 2 week long Spring Break. So we ended up letting our students have an extended Spring Break. And teachers were able to have an extra week of mandated lesson planning. ...which was nice. Anywho - In the midst of all the wide range of emotions brought on by living in a foreign country in the midst of a worldwide pandemic, I've found that taking a bit of time each day to focus on the positives has been helpful.

I'm currently writing, typing, highlighting, and reading a lot, as I work on my grad school assignments. That was my plan all along for Spring Break... I knew it was an ideal time to work ahead on assignments, so I wouldn't have so much to do when we went back to school. So I've been a good student and have knocked out quite a few assignments, as a result. Go me! :)

I'm currently wishing (praying) COVID-19 would go away. I'm wishing things could get back to normal. I'm wishing the fear of the unknown wasn't such a prevalent thing. And the fears are amplified when living in a foreign country, with family so far away. I worry about my family, friends, church family, students, etc. Even though I know I shouldn't worry. I know I should stop and just give complete control to God. But it's hard sometimes. So yeah... I am definitely wishing COVID-19 would go away.

I'm currently investigating topics I could study for an upcoming research paper for my class. Y'all... I love writing papers. I know it's probably weird. Make me take a test and I'll tense up, freak out, and probably not do so well. But let me write a paper and that's where you'll see me shine. I love it :)

I'm currently buying nothing (other than some fresh produce last week). Self-quarantining will definitely help with saving money. Although, now that I think about it, I did order some books for my nieces through a sale a friend was running. 

 And since it's my blog and I can, I thought I'd share a few more...

I'm currently feeling grateful for the gift of some beaded necklaces. Y'all, all Special Ed. Teachers know a good fidget/stimming tool is HUGE. And since a couple of my kids are absolutely OBSESSED with these, I quickly said a big YES when a co-worker asked if I'd like them! It may seem like a small thing. But it's huge for me!

I'm currently laughing at a lot of the COVID-19 themed memes floating around online lately. It's such a welcome distraction from the doom and gloom posts sometimes. After all, they do say laughter is the best medicine. Right? :)

I'm currently rotating through emotions here. And do you want to know something? That's okay. We're human. We're not robots. We're meant to feel things. But I will say... I'm thankful that the happy face/good days far outweigh the alternatives.

I'm currently clinging to the promises in this book. I'm thankful for the ability to read and study and then read and study some more. I'm thankful that I teach in a Christian school and am able to integrate little nuggets of Truth into the lessons I teach.

  So what about you?

What are your currently up to?