Hello Monday

    Happy Monday, Y'all

Today I'm joining Holly and Sarah, and a few other bloggers, for today's Hello Monday link-up, where we say Hello to Monday with a look at what's going on in our lives at the moment.

 So what's on my mind?

A lot. But 'tis the norm with me, I suppose.

Things like...

Indoor Yard Sale - I had one this past weekend. While it was incredibly chaotic and overwhelming at times, it was still good. I was able to sell/give away so much stuff. I was able to make money to set aside for all the random things I’ll need to pay for at the end of the school year. And while I do still have some random odds and ends to get rid of, at least the big stuff is all gone now. 

 

The Sight/Sound of Waves - This is something I love. It's so relaxing and peaceful. A friend and I went out to eat yesterday at one of my favorite locations in Dakar. And the reason I like the location so much is because of the view of the water. And since I wasn't sure if I'd have the time to get back out there again before I'd leave, I went yesterday...

Jungle Book - Our school held their annual Spring Play this past weekend. It was so fun to see the talent of our kids (and their teacher/director, who is super talented as well). I loved the show!

Thai food - I went out for it with some friends the other night. I haven't been to this restaurant in a long time, but it was still just as good as I remember. And of course, since thinking of various memories is my new thing now... I thought about us having our elementary teacher dinners there a few years in a row. I thought about dinner with two friends there to celebrate one graduating with her master's degree. I thought about dinner with my former AGWM Area Directors and Supervising Missionaries. I thought about some friends and former DA co-workers who got engaged there, remembering how excited she was when he dropped her off at home that night and they told us the news. I even thought about the time a few friends and I drove all the way over there battling the crazy Dakar traffic at night just to find out they were closed, so we ended up at the restaurant just down from the school, eating ice cream for dinner and we talked and laughed for so long. Ah, memories :)

5 - That's how many weeks (minus a day) are left before I'm scheduled to leave Senegal. That fact is crazy to me.

Romans 12:11-12 - These are the verses God keeps bringing to my mind. Lord, help me not lose sight of them. Help me 

Rest - I've needed it. Boy do I. I didn't realize 'til I finished prepping for the "yard sale" and I had finally sat down. I may not have a ton of it the next few weeks. But I'm hoping to find a way to "get away" for a bit once school's out - to read my Bible and pray and to give my brain/heart a couple days to process the last almost 15 years of my life before shifting to whatever God has in store for me next. I've thought about heading to a hotel here in Senegal - one that's close to the airport, so I can take the few days between the end of school and the day I fly out - and spend a couple nights there and then take the shuttle to the airport. But they're a bit pricey. So I'm back to researching online, to find an option, either here or in the US, that I could actually afford...

And I guess that's about it for today.

What's on your mind today?

What's Up April

     Happy Wednesday, Y'all

Today, I'm joining Shay and Sheaffer for April's 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.

So let's get started...

What am I eating?

I made a big pot of pasta the other day and am eating that each day for lunch. I used bow tie noodles, some boursin garlic & herbs cheese, spinach, chicken, and some random spices/seasonings. It's super tasty and filling!

What am I reminiscing about?

The 9th anniversary of my dad's death was last week. So that's definitely been on my mind. I've been thinking a lot about him. He was always so incredibly supportive of me and my ministry here in Senegal. But he also made me feel like a million bucks when I'd come home for a visit. And I know if he were alive today, he would be so excited about me moving back to Alabama. Oh my, do I miss him!

 What am I loving?

I'm loving being back with my people after Spring Break ended a couple weeks ago. Whether that's teaching lessons, helping students in a Study Hall, watching their games, or attending events with them, I love it. I'm in my element when I'm with my people.

What have I been up to?

I've been applying to/interviewing for jobs for when I'm back in the US. I have a nice little set up at my dinning table that I use during the interviews and obviously, I only schedule interviews during the late afternoon/early evenings (my time), since I'm still teaching during the day. In that sense, the time difference works out well for me. Anywho - Since the beginning, my prayer has been that God would open the right doors and close the wrong ones and that if I received an offer of a job, He'd make it exceptionally clear what answer I should give. It's hard to turn down jobs, but I know what I'm looking for and I have to fully trust and believe that He knows what's best for me. Now, if the one that is best for me would finally just offer me a job :)

What am I dreading?

If I'm being honest, the goodbyes that are coming at the end of the school year are weighing on my mind. I always hate the normal end of year goodbyes when students leave or friends move away. But this year, I'm feeling the weight of this even more since I'm leaving. I'm leaving students. I'm leaving friends and co-workers. I'm leaving my school/ministry. I'm leaving this country that I love so much. Yes, I'm excited about what's next. But the goodbyes will still be hard. Boy, will they!

What am I working on?

I'm working on sorting and packing. There's just so much stuff. I guess that's normal when you've been in a place as long as I have. But seriously, I had no idea I had so much until the time came to pack to move back to the US in just a few suitcases... People have no idea.

 What am I excited about?

I'm excited about getting some fabric and having a couple things made before I leave. That is one thing on my "bucket list" and I'll soon be able to check it off. A couple friends and I are going to the fabric market this upcoming weekend. Then I'll visit the tailor at some point, maybe the week after that. Here's the style inspiration picks I've been looking at... I'm planning to get a dress, a skirt, and a jacket (not pictured) made. I'm not really sure what color, or even design, of fabric I want. So really, I'm just planning to look around until something catches my eye. So we'll see :)

What am I watching?

Nothing - I watched my way through Brooklyn 99 during Spring Break. But I'm back to ignoring TV shows/movies again. My brain enjoys the quiet in the evenings, more than the thought of watching a show.

What am I reading?

I was reading Romans 12 earlier, realizing I want this to continue to be my guide as I finish out my time here in Senegal. Then our school chaplain shared these verses with us in our staff devotions time this morning. So it was like a little further confirmation for me. Such a great group of verses!

What am I listening to?

Nothing new - Anyone have any suggestions? I'm not terribly picky :)

What am I wearing?

Nothing new or exciting - I've been slowly sorting through my clothes, as I get ready to head back to the US. My plan is to do one last sort next week, keeping out the ones I'll need for the rest of my time here in Senegal and go ahead and pack up any I'm taking to the US with me when I go. Then that'll be one more (well, more than one) thing I can get rid of...

 What am I doing this weekend?

I'm doing a CPR/First Aid training on Saturday morning. Then on Sunday, I will have church and afterwards will go to the fabric market with a couple friends. Then I'll need to do a bit of lesson planning and meal prep at some point too.

What am I looking forward to next month?

All the end of year fun with our seniors (especially the senior trip), along with other stuff happening at school. I'm also looking forward to finishing the big sort and packing for the US (minus the clothes I'll be wearing between now and then). I'll also need to sort through/pack up my classroom since I don't know what's happening in it. And since I purchased a lot of what's in there, I'm planning to sell a lot of that stuff as well. And yes, I'm also looking forward to the random Wednesday we'll have off from school in May, thanks to Senegal having Labor Day then. I'm also planning to take the two days after that off to do that last big sort/pack that I was talking about earlier. 

May is always a super busy month for us at school. But this year, it'll be even more so with all the graduation related events, since I'm one of the senior class sponsors. And while the thought of that causes a roller coaster of emotions in my gut and heart, I'm choosing to embrace it all, deal with/work through the hard times as they come and live in the moment, enjoying the time I have left with the people (and in the place) that I care about so much.  Here's to May!

Favorite recent Amazon find?

I ordered this "belt bag" off Amazon for someone to bring out to me. Yes, I'm about to leave but the smaller purse I use all the time is slowly unraveling. Clearly, I use it every single day. Anywho - I needed something new. And this one met all the criteria: small, nothing fancy, cheap good/safe for travel, and black so it'd go with everything. So yeah... When I realized someone was coming this way, I asked if he'd be willing to bring it out for me.

What's new this month?

My decision to take a picture each morning on my walk to my classroom isn't necessarily new. But the picture below was new, as I took it yesterday. My goal a couple months back was to take a picture each morning on my walk to school. It forced me to stop for a second, take a breath, and look at the sky, marveling at God's handiwork. I'm currently in a busy, stressful, emotional roller coaster time of life, as I finish up another school year and prepare to wrap up my life in Senegal, a place where I've lived and worked for the majority of my adult life. And even though I know that I am 100% lead by God to make this change, it's still hard y'all. So hard. And I don't want to get so caught up in the busy-ness and stress that I forget to notice the seemingly little things that God is doing in my life and the lives of the incredible people He's placed in my path. I want to stop and smell the roses, so to speak. Or in this case... I want to stop and marvel at the beauty of the clouds or the sunrise.

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

What about you?

What are YOU up to this month? 

9 Years

  On this day, 9 years ago, my dad passed away.

It was the day before my dad’s 56th birthday and only 9 days before my parents' 31st anniversary. My heart was feeling the intense weight of such a painful loss. And as time has passed, I can't help but wonder what if... What if he hadn't died so young? What if he'd been around for all that's happened in the past 9 years? 

As I prepare to move back to the US, I'm realizing one thing I'm missing in this process is my dad. I'm missing his advice and his prayers. I'm missing his support and encouragement of my ministry here and I'm missing his excitement over me coming back home too. There have been so many times in this process that I have wished I could talk with him about what I've been thinking or feeling and to get just a small bit of his wisdom, and to hear him pray for me again. I always knew I could count on him to do all those things.

By the end, my dad was so sick, though. So even though, I do so desperately miss him, I wouldn't dare call him back. Heaven is such an incredible place, a place where he's no longer sick, no longer hurting. He's whole again. And Heaven is for sure better than the mess of a world we're all living in now :)

 

While I had a few months shy of 30 years with my dad, I'm secretly (or maybe not so secretly) annoyed that that 29.5ish years was all I got. 

And sometimes, I truly wonder why... 

I wonder why he had to pass away so young. I wonder why our family had to deal with this huge loss. I wonder why, if I ever get married or have children, he'll never get to meet them. I wonder why my mom has to be a widow. I wonder why my nieces will only have just a few memories of my dad - a man who absolutely, positively loved being a Pawpaw to those girls. In fact, I've known few other men who were made to be a grandparent like my dad was :)

But even in the sadness, I'm still thankful for all the time and memories I did have/do have. I'm thankful for a Christian heritage he continued with our family. 

I'm thankful for the love of learning he passed down. 

I'm thankful for the memories of his laugh and his joy for life.

I'm thankful for 29.5 years worth of happy memories.

I'm thankful, that even though, I'll never get to experience having him at my own possible wedding or births of possible future children, I was able to see the immense joy/pride/love he showed on the day of my brother and sister-in-law's wedding and of all the time he joyfully spent with my beautiful nieces.

I'm thankful for so much.

And yes, I do still miss him terribly. 

But, I can smile, thinking of him hanging out with Jesus and talking to all the people from the Bible whom he loved to read/study/preach about for all those years. What a fun time that must be! 

My dad loved the Lord with all his heart. And he loved sharing about the Lord with anyone who would listen. In fact, my dad preached his last sermon from his hospital bed exactly one week before he passed away. Using Romans 8:18 as his primary verse, he reminded us that, though we may experience suffering and pain here on earth, we can trust in the hope of our Savior. We can trust in the knowledge that if we are saved, we will experience that glory that is beyond compare.  And now, today, I am so incredibly thankful that his words are permanently etched into my memory. 

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

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 years' anniversaries...

1 year

2 years

3 years

4 years

5 years

6 years

7 years

8 years

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

Today, I'm linking up with  Erika and Andrea for their weekly Friday Favorites link-up. Because, while thinking about my dad's death isn't necessarily a favorite, thinking about him is. After all, my dad was one of my favorite people.

What's Up November

 Happy Wednesday, Y'all

Can you believe that it's almost December?! I feel like this year has just flown by! It's hard to believe that it'll be 2024 in just a little over a month. I feel like I blinked and this year just zoomed on by. 

Anywho...

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.

So let's get started...

What am I eating?

I'm currently eating through my freezer/pantry, in an effort to clean out/up and also, to not have to go grocery shopping again (minus a bit of fresh fruits/veggies) before leaving for Christmas Break in a few weeks. So since there's nothing terribly exciting to show for that, I'll instead show some of the deliciousness we had on Thanksgiving...

 

What am I reminiscing about?

In November 2016, I wrote THIS blog post. In it, I wrote about a dream God had laid on my heart, to reach a group of kids that had no other schooling option in our country, including at our own school. I wrote about the excitement I was feeling, knowing this was about to happen in the upcoming school year. And I asked for prayer for all the logistics to be worked out. And it did. I remember being told that I'd have to raise the funds necessary to outfit the class and I said "no problem." And in just 2 months (actually less), I raised close to $8000 which I used to buy books, supplies, shelves, games/toys, chromebooks/ipads, and more for this class. I remember that first day of class in August 2017, taking a first day of school picture in front of the door hanger that said "Miss Nichols," and then stepping inside to wipe my eyes because I was crying. While the dynamic of this program and my classroom have changed since that day, I can still think back and remember the joy I felt in welcoming 3 incredible students into my room that school year. And to think of how we went from only 3 that first year to eventually "overflowing" with students. Ah, what a truly incredible gift it has been to be the teacher of those three originals and all the others who have joined them along the way. It's such a blessing to take the time to look back and reminisce on how God's hand has been so evident in this all the years.

 What am I loving?

I put up the Christmas tree in my classroom earlier this month. I'm loving being able to enjoy the multicolored lights brightening up my classroom. And I might have even gone home after school a time or two and then brought dinner back to my classroom to work there, just so I could enjoy the lights a bit more. I typically will not decorate my apartment for Christmas if I know I'm going back to the US for the actual holiday. So I really am loving having it in my classroom, seeing the lights shining in the background while we’re going about our day.

What have I been up to?

We had a senior class lock-in a couple weeks ago. And boy did I realize (or maybe not realize) just how tiring it could be staying up almost all night with a bunch of 17 and 18 year olds. Ha! In all seriousness, it really was a fun night! I loved seeing how happy/excited they were to have this time together, to hang out and play games, make attaya (a hot, super sugary tea), eat together, sing karaoke, watch a movie, and stay up all night long. Well, not all made it the entire night. But still... We have such a truly great group of kids. And I love that I have the opportunity to be able to work (and have fun) with them.

What am I dreading?

I have a bit of a cold. It's nothing major. But if I talk a lot and/or my throat gets dry, I cough. Makes teaching a bit difficult. So I guess I'm dreading the symptoms of that. And just in case anyone is wondering, it's not C*vid :)

What am I working on?

This morning, I worked on mapping out the midterm exams my high schoolers will be taking. I only have to administer two exams of my own. But since many of my people will take their exams in my room, I need to know who's coming/going when. That way when exam week comes, I'll be ready. Plus, by keeping track of who's taking which exams, I'm able to better help them study in the days before exam week. It's hard to believe that we're almost at this time. I feel like time has just flown by this semester!

 What am I excited about?

I bought my plane tickets for Christmas Break. I'll leave in just 16 days (from the day I post this). I will only have a short time and will be using this as a vacation time. So I won't be able to see many people while there. But, I am grateful for the chance to take a mini vacation and visit my family, to put some thank you cards in the mail to my amazing supporters, and to buy a few supplies I will need for the last few months of school.

What am I watching?

I've been re-watching old episodes of Guy's Grocery Games from the Food Network. I watch very little TV anymore. But that show is still a fun one. I'm planning to start watching some Christmas movies though :)

What am I reading?

I'm currently reading Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus. I saw a preview for the movie version on Facebook a week or two ago and thought it looked interesting. So I decided to read the book first. It's not, necessarily, the type of book I normally go for. But it's a good read so far...

What am I listening to?

Christmas music, of course :)

What am I wearing?

I'm still wearing tennis shoes. Every now and then (mostly just to church or to take out garbage or for a quick trip to the store or something like that), I'll wear my sandals. But I'm finding the only relief I get is when I wear tennis shoes. So alas, I believe these will be a regular addition to my wardrobe from now on... 

 What am I doing this weekend?

At this point, I have nothing definite planned, other than going to church on Sunday and doing any last minute lesson prep and meal prep for the week ahead. I might go to watch some of our kids play basketball on Friday night or some of our guys play softball on Saturday. But I'm not sure. If I'm being honest, the thought of staying home and doing nothing sounds pretty appealing too. I love having that option, after all. So we'll see.

What am I looking forward to next month?

Christmas, of course - Christmas fun in my classroom, seeing Christmas lights and decorations, various Christmas parties with classes and small group and friends, the actual holiday of course, Christmas Break (no alarm clock), traveling to see my family... All the things! I love Christmas time! :)

Favorite recent Amazon find?

I haven't ordered anything on Amazon lately. However, I am looking for a dress I could wear at either the Junior Senior Banquet (our school's version of a prom) or Graduation this year or maybe both since the dates are further apart this year. So I might order that if I can find one on there. Shopping online isn't always the easiest, though... So I actually might just wait 'til I'm back in the US over Christmas Break and can shop in person. We'll see.

What's new this month?

Starting Friday (which I realize is actually not this month, but whatever...), I'm going to be doing my annual study of the "Christmas Story" from the book of Luke. I love reading a chapter a day, reminding myself of the goodness surrounding the story of the birth of our Savior.

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

What about you?

What are YOU up to this month?

8 Years

 On this day, 8 years ago, my dad passed away.

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

And only 9 days before my parents' 31st anniversary.

8 years ago, my heart was broken worse than ever before. And you know... Some days, it feels just like yesterday while other days it feels like it's been an eternity. 

This year, it's been much harder. And I can't figure out why. I just find myself grieving stronger than in years past. And that's hard. So hard.

I wish, more than anything, that I could call my dad and ask him for advice about various situations, to ask for help with finding a Bible passage to help me with whatever issue I'm facing, or even more than that, that I could call and ask him to pray for me. Because I knew I could always count on him to do all of those things. He'd drop whatever he was doing to help me with that. And I miss that.

And while I had a few months shy of 30 years with my dad, I'm secretly (or not so secretly annoyed that that was all I got. And sometimes, I truly wonder why... I wonder why he had to pass away so young. I wonder why our family had to deal with this huge loss. I wonder why, if I ever get married or have children, he'll never get to meet them. I wonder why my mom has to be a widow. I wonder why my nieces will only have just a few memories of my dad - a man who absolutely, positively loved being a Pawpaw to those girls - who's life goal was to be a grandparent ;)

And then, I think about what I did/do have. I'm thankful for a Christian heritage he continued with our family. I'm thankful for the love of learning he passed down. 

I'm thankful for 29.5 years worth of happy memories.

I'm thankful, that even though, I'll never get to experience having him at my own possible wedding or births of possible future children, I got to see the immense joy/pride/love he showed on the day of my brother and sister-in-law's wedding and of all the time he joyfully spent with my beautiful nieces.

I'm thankful for so much.

And yes, I do still miss him terribly. 

But, I can smile, thinking of him hanging out with Jesus and talking to all the people from the Bible whom he loved to read/study/preach about for all those years. What a fun time that must be!Because you see... My dad loved the Lord with all his heart. And he loved sharing about the Lord with anyone who would listen. In fact, my dad preached his last sermon from his hospital bed exactly one week before he passed away. Using Romans 8:18 as his primary verse, he reminded us that, though we may experience suffering and pain here on earth, we can trust in the hope of our Savior. We can trust in the knowledge that if we are saved, we will experience that glory that is beyond compare.  And now, today, I am so incredibly thankful that his words are permanently etched into my memory. 

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

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 years' anniversaries...

1 year

2 years

3 years

4 years

5 years

6 years

7 years