The 2nd Dear ____________ Post

Dear Internal Alarm Clock, I know you're used to waking up at 5 a.m. every day during the week, but you're allowed to wait a while longer on the weekends. I promise that'd be ok. I'm not asking for much. ...just to sleep 'til 7 would be GREAT. :)


Dear Bible Memorization, You and I have never worked well together. I have a really hard time memorizing things, even Bible verses. However, just recently, things have changed. Due to a pretty rotten few weeks, I learned to lean even more so than normal on the Word of God. I've started memorizing more verses. And it's actually sticking! See, there's hope for me yet! :)


Dear Rats Living Behind My Classroom, I do not like you one bit! I think it's time you leave. You're huge, disgusting, gross, and huge. Yes, you're bad enough to deserve repetition in my description of you. Ugh! 

Dear Money that Grows on Trees, Where are you? Why have I never found you? I think you should grace me with your presence. I really do.

Dear Pancakes and Syrup, Who would've thought that you're delightful combination would bring such joy to my first graders...and as a result brought such joy in my life too? It's the little things in life.

Dear Rain, I miss you. Please come back soon. A few times in June to October were not enough. 

Dear Praxis Test, I looked up the info on you today, since I'll be needing to register for you soon. Can I say how incredibly nervous I am because of you? I HATE, HATE, HATE taking tests. ...especially such big, important ones, as yourself. Please be kind to me. 

Dear London, I have always dreamed of visiting you. I have dreamed of visiting Buckingham Palace, Big Ben, riding a double decker bus, and meeting the Queen. But alas, you have always been too expensive. Now, that I live in Africa and can get super super cheap tickets to Europe, you dear London are something I'll be seeing very soon. This year, on my Spring Break, I'll be visiting all of those places I mentioned (...although I doubt I'll be meeting the Queen.). :) 

Dear Jeremiah 29:11, Thank you for reminding me that God has a plan for my life. His plan is to give me hope and for me to prosper. It's hard for me, sometimes, to just relax and remember that God is in control of my life. I don't have to know the details of my future. He, the One who created me, has it all figured out! 

And finally...Dear Late January to end of February 2012, you brought more pain, sadness, and hurt in my life than I've received in a long time. I lost my favorite uncle to a horrible fight with cancer, which led me to experience my first death of a loved one while being separated (by an ocean) from family. A really close friend moved away. One of my students moved away. My dad got some not so great results from his doctor. I had to make the tough decision to live by myself next year, which I'm not 100% looking forward to. And if I'm being honest, it was also hard having yet another Valentine's Day come where I was alone. 

....but even with all that, you weren't all bad. Someone blessed me with a printer/scanner for my classroom (and it's a 220v, so I don't need a transformer)! I began tutoring the sweetest fourth grader I know. I learned and cooked potato soup and pancakes, both from scratch, both for the first time, and they both turned out great! I found amazingly cheap tickets to London, England for Spring Break and booked them to go with one of my friends. I have an absolutely amazing class, who daily amaze me with their behavior, learning, and their sweet spirits. I poured my heart out to God and found (and still do find) myself closer to Him than ever before. 

The 1st Dear ____________ Post

I will now be doing a weekly Sunday post, entitled, Dear __________. 

This is where I write mini letters to anything my random, scattered mind thinks up. :) ...and who knows, maybe it'll give you, my faithful readers, a little glimpse into my life. * Oh and I, with permission, stole the idea for these posts from a missionary friend, Jenn. Check her blog out. She and her husband are missionaries in Senegal (and are pretty cool too). :)

And now, without further ado, for the 1st Dear ______________ Post...

Dear Strawberries, You are so delicious! Why do you have to only show up for a little over a month out of the year? I'm hurrying now to eat or freeze as much as I can before you disappear again.

Dear Hot Tea, I'm sorry I've missed out on your goodness all my life. Thanks to a sore throat that's lasted for what seems forever, you and I have been almost constant companions. I especially like you when you let your friends, lemon and honey, join you. Thanks for your help.

Dear 5:00 a.m., You are so early, but I've enjoyed getting to see you more often. Now that I'm waking up with you so I can go walking/jogging, my days seem to be going a lot better.

Dear Proverbs 31:25, I want to be the type of woman you describe. I want to be strong and dignified. I want to laugh, without fear of the future.

Dear Taco Bell, Oh how I miss you! Once or twice a year is definitely not enough. Thankfully, I have a few sauce packets left to use when I make tacos here. Otherwise, my :) would definitely be a :(.

Dear People That Write Me Encouraging Notes, You rock! My love language is definitely encouraging words. I love writing notes to people far more than receiving them, but man, is it nice to get a simple note that says, I'm praying for you or You're doing a good job or anything else! Talk about a mood booster! :)

Dear Senegalese Children Playing Outside My Window, I love hearing you laughing, talking, and playing. I have no clue what you're saying, but it's obvious that you're having the times of your life. You definitely make my afternoons/evenings so much sweeter by hearing your sweet voices.

Dear Flu/Cold/Whatever It Is I Had, I HATE HATE HATE being sick. So, the fact that you've hung around this past week has annoyed me big time. Feel free to leave ASAP! On another note, I am very happy that that bottle of cough syrup caught my eye on my last Target run before I left the States in January. :)

Dear Dirty Dishes, Washing you has always been my least favorite chore. But in the last week or so, I've started looking at my time with you differently. I pray. I sing. I listen to music. I listen to sermon podcasts. I spend time with my Jesus while washing you. Therefore I will say something that will shock my mother and any roommate I've ever had... I, Elisabeth Nichols, actually don't mind washing dishes anymore. You may all show your shocked face. I know. It shocked me too. :)

Dear People Wanting to Travel, Feel free to come and visit me! I'd love to show you my adopted home country. It may be hot and dusty, but it's a lot of fun! :)

A Lesson from God

I have been saved since I was a little girl. And sure I've sinned, but I've never strayed very far from the path. Throughout school I was labeled the "Good Girl" because of the stance I took against certain things. I went to church, prayed, read my Bible, did devotions, taught Sunday School and Children's Church, spoke in church services, and even became a missionary. 

So why is it that at 26 1/2 years old, I am FINALLY learning how to live in complete peace with God? Why did I wait that long to completely give all of my troubles to God? Why did I wait this long to stop relying on friends, mentors, and other humans, and to learn to rely fully on the One who created me? 

A couple weeks ago, I was literally crying out to God to remove loneliness from my heart. I was crying out to God that it just wasn't fair that I was all alone. It was when I finally stopped crying and just cleared my mind and listened for God that He directed me to Psalm 40:1-6.

1 I waited patiently for the LORD to help me, and he turned to me and heard my cry. 2 He lifted me out of the pit of despair, out of the mud and the mire. He set my feet on solid ground and steadied me as I walked along. 3 He has given me a new song to sing, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see what he has done and be astounded. They will put their trust in the LORD. 4 Oh, the joys of those who trust the LORD, who have no confidence in the proud, or in those who worship idols. 5 O LORD my God, you have done many miracles for us. Your plans for us are too numerous to list. If I tried to recite all your wonderful deeds, I would never come to the end of them. 6 You take no delight in sacrifices or offerings. Now that you have made me listen, I finally understand... (NLT)

This was exactly what I needed to hear at exactly the moment I needed to hear it. And now God has been teaching me with these verses for the past couple weeks. The first verse that caught my eye was part of verse 6, Now that you have made me listen, I finally understand. When God finally got me to shut up and stop my crying, I was able to listen to Him. I was able to finally understand. 

Then God told me the following... 

For too long you have depended on man. You have depended on people that will fail you. You cry to me that people hurt you. You cry to me that people leave you. But never once have you said I am enough. I, the God that created you, am enough for you. I am all you need. People will fail you. I will never leave you. Give all you have to me. Turn your heart to me. Let me heal you. Let me lead you. Let me love you. Let me be your friend.

Talk about putting me in my place! Parents discipline their children to help them. So does God. When we need to be corrected, He does so. When we need to be taught a lesson, He does so. And I'm so thankful that God taught me this lesson. ...even if it took him 26 1/2 years to get me to listen. :)

NaBloPoMo, Day 18

I love this song ( my new theme song) :) I think the lyrics speak for themselves.

"You're Not Alone" by Downhere

You feel the isolation, slowly take a toll
This season of waiting, is starting to get old
Looking for acceptance, and aching for a home
So tired of trying to make it out on your own

There's no easy answer, but one thing you should know

You're not alone, anywhere you go
You're not alone, hear the voice whisper to your soul
A promise you can always hold:
You're not alone, no

You're stuck in a dive and you've almost had enough
Because of what you've been through, it's difficult to trust
You're still barely hanging on, trying hard to fight
If anybody's listening, you want to know tonight

There's no easy answer, but one thing you should know

You're not alone, anywhere you go
You're not alone, hear the voice whisper to your soul
A promise you can always hold:
You're not alone, no

You're not alone
You're not alone

Reach out, don't reach within
I'm at the door, if you just let me in
Reach out for what you need
What you won't find in yourself, you will find in me

You're not alone, hear the voice whisper to your soul
I'll never leave or let you go

You're not alone, I'm with you to the end
You're not alone, I'm closer than a friend
You're not alone, and I'm with you to the end
You're not alone, closer than a friend
You're not alone...

2. The Song You Sing

Black lines white pages
Are waiting to be filled in
The right notes arranged
Are only a beginning
Into the silence
Your spirit breathes
Strike up the chorus
And sing to Me

I'm just words and melody
'Til you're here with me
An unfinished symphony
'Til you breathe in me
All the parts yet incomplete
'Til you move in me
Oh let me be the song you sing

I have tried to make a life
But I cannot create it
Soaring high in solo flight
And I cannot sustain it
Voice strains chords ring out of tune
There's no music without you

Oh I'm just words and melody
'Til you hear with me
An unfinished symphony
'Til you breathe in me
All the parts yet incomplete
'Til you move in me
Oh let me be the song
Let me be the song you sing

I can do nothing without you
How I've tried it on my own
I have fought this all my life but
Now I feel it now I know

I'm just words and melody
'Til you're here with me
An unfinished symphony
'Til you breathe in me
All the parts yet incomplete
'Til you move in me
Oh let me be the song you sing
Let me be the song you sing
Let me be the song you sing

('Til you're here, 'til you're here with me)
You sing
('Til you breathe, 'til you breathe in me)
I'm just words and melody
('Til you move, 'til you move in me)
Let me be the song you sing

NaBloPoMo Days 11 - 17

NaBloPoMo is short for National Blog Posting Month and the goal is to write a blog post every day for the month of November.

Oops. I'm just a little behind in my NaBloPoMo postings, huh? :)

So, for all of my faithful readers, here are 7 random things you may not know about me (in honor of the 7 days I've missed in blogging.)

1. I get queasy at the sight of loose tooth. ...not great since I teach a class full of wiggly teeth owners :)

2. I've just recently started liking Oreo's. ...as in the past week.:)

3. Cooking is a de-stressed for me. I love it!

4. I'm named after my grandmother.

5. I really miss teaching Special Ed.

6. I hate grading papers!

7. I'm horrible at memorizing things! ...study items for exams, Bible verses, anything...

NaBloPoMo Day 10

NaBloPoMo is short for National Blog Posting Month and the goal is to write a blog post every day for the month of November.

The Duggar family announced yesterday that they are now expecting their 20th child. This family has their own show on TLC, "19 Kids and Counting" (...which will obviously be changed next season). I absolutely LOVE their show! It's so refreshing to watch a show where God is the focus...where there is no cursing or immoral acts going on. While, I'm not saying that I agree with everything they do, I am saying that I enjoy their show and if they want to have 20 children (or more), that's there business. I personally think all the people calling themselves Christian and judging the Duggars' decisions are not really acting very Christian-like, are they?

The most frequently asked question the family is asked is, "Why do you have so many children?"

(...some info about the Duggars, copied from their website http://www.duggarfamily.com/...)

Jim Bob & Michelle Duggar married July 21st, 1984. At that time, they chose to use the birth control pill. They thought, “We don’t want children right now. We can’t afford them. We want children in our timing, when we’re ready.” Four years later they decided to have their first child. Then, Michelle went back on the pill, but she conceived and had a miscarriage. At that point they talked with a Christian medical doctor and read the fine print in the contraceptives package. They found that while taking the pill you can get pregnant and then miscarry. They were grieved! They were Christians! They were pro-life! They realized that their selfish actions had taken the life of their child. They prayed and asked God to forgive them, and to teach them to love children like He loves children. They asked God to bless them with as many children as He saw fit in His timing.

NaBloPoMo, Day 9

NaBloPoMo is short for National Blog Posting Month and the goal is to write a blog post every day for the month of November.

Do you ever feel like the guy in this picture? Do you feel like you have the stress of the world resting on your shoulders? Do you feel like you've got so much going on that you can't seem to catch your breath? Do you lie awake at night, unable to sleep, stressing about the things going on in your life?

If so... welcome to my world. :)

I have lately been feeling so incredibly overwhelmed by stress. I have been feeling like I'm just like the guy in the picture. I feel like I have so many things to do, so many people expecting so many things from me, that I have the weight of the whole world on my shoulders.

However, I'm trying to remember these three things...

1) My God is bigger than any problem I'm facing.
2) My God will not give me more than I can handle.
3) My God is in control.

Isn't it great to know that God's in control? :)