What's Up January

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?

I had some over for breakfast last weekend. I made biscuits and gravy, scrambled eggs, and breakfast potatoes, and then, some of the others brought things to go with it, as well. I love hosting people in my home. I haven't done so a lot this school year, as the first semester was a lot busier. But I'm hoping now that things have settled down a bit, I can start back having people over a lot more. And if I can combine some Southern style biscuits and gravy with that hosting... Well that's even better :)

 
What am I reminiscing about?

Earlier this month, I took a look back at my 2019 on the blog. Overall, 2019 was a good year, full of all sorts of memorable moments. If you missed my recap post, you can read it by clicking here.

Past that... I’m thinking back to a short, but super sweet Christmas Break, in Alabama, full of fun memories with my family.

 What am I loving?

I loved the reports I got of another successful Outreach with my Drama Team kiddos. I love having so many different staff members coming to me afterwards, telling me how hard my crew worked and how much they showed the love of Jesus throughout the weekend. And I loved seeing their smiling faces after, talking about how great the weekend went and how the Lord moved!

What have I been up to?

This week is Spiritual Emphasis Week at my school. And my crew has all enjoyed it so far. I love teaching at a school which views our students' spiritual life/growth as a high priority. It's such a blessing to teach in a Christian school!

What am I dreading?

Nothing :)

What am I working on?

Spring Break plans - A part of me would like to stay here, work on long-range lesson planning, and stuff like that. However, another part of me would like to take a mini vacation and travel somewhere and explore. One of the perks of living on this side of the world is that flights to most European cities are super, super cheap. So that makes taking a mini vacation/getaway a whole lot easier (and obviously, cheaper). Traveling by yourself isn't the most exciting thing, though...

Or if some relative/friend wants to visit me in Senegal, that'd be cool too :)

What am I excited about?

Honestly, there's nothing out of the norm that I'm just over the top excited about. I mean, life is good. Nothing is wrong. I just can't think of anything I'm over the top excited about at the moment :)

What am I watching?

My mom introduced me to Carol's Second Act while I was visiting last month. So I binge watched the first season on my last lazy day of Christmas Break. 

What am I reading?

I have read 4 books this month...

1. The Pioneer Woman - Black Heels to Tractor Wheels by Ree Drummond. I've been a big fan of The Pioneer Woman for years. I watch her show on Food Network. I read her blog. I use her recipes at least once every other week. So, when I saw this book on sale at Wal-Mart this past summer, I grabbed it. However, I left it in the US so my mom could read it first, knowing I could do so later. Since I had a couple others to finish up during the Break, I packed this one in my backpack to read on the plane back to Senegal earlier this month. I read it through on my first day of flying. It was such a good story. I absolutely loved it! If you're a fan of The Pioneer Woman, or sweet (true) love stories, I'd definitely recommend you read this book.

2. Ella Minnow Pea - A Novel in Letters by Mark Dunn. I bought this one a bookstore at the Atlanta airport. It was super discounted and looked interesting, so I picked it up. I read the whole thing because I'm not a fan of quitting books half-way through. But wow... This book was odd. I definitely didn't enjoy it and won't read it again. ...unlike most books which I'll read over and over again. Has anyone else read this book? I'd love to know other's thoughts on it.

3. Andy and Don - The Making of a Friendship and a Classic American TV Show by Daniel de Vise'. I've always loved The Andy Griffith Show. It's such a fun classic. My  family used to watch old reruns of any chance we could, and I still watch it today. It's just so rare to see a good wholesome show anymore. So I enjoy that aspect of it, especially. This story, written by Don Knotts' brother-in-law, gave such good background information about these two famous men, their childhoods and families, their working relationship, their friendship, and their famous TV show. I really enjoyed this book. I'm a big fan of learning about the lives of these famous people. So this book was right up my alley.

4. John Calvin Pilgrim and Pastor by W. Robert Godfrey. Before Christmas, I had read a different book, from our school library, about Calvin. However, it was extremely long and extremely boring. A co-worker told me to look for a better version, because that long one was known to be a bit of a difficult read. So I didn't feel so bad about abandoning it after reading less than half... Anywho - Fast forward to December. I was browsing the shelves of a local Christian bookstore and saw Godfrey's book about Calvin. It was smaller and, upon a quick glance, I saw that it looked far more interesting than the other one... And it was. I was (am) fascinated by his early life, his views on the Church, and more. This book was easy to read and was quite interesting and eye opening. I enjoyed it.

What am I listening to?

Have you heard Sanctus Real's song, Confidence? It's been on my heart a lot lately. I even wrote about it on here last week. You can read that by clicking HERE. It's amazing to me how quickly my confidence will fall when I take my eyes off of God and I stop trusting in Him. Ah, when will my stubborn self learn?

What am I wearing?

Definitely not a jacket...

 

Ah, Cool Season in Dakar... Where did you go?

What am I doing this weekend?

Softball, lesson planning, and whatever other fun things I can find to be a part of. Who knows? :)

What am I looking forward to next month?

February is full of all sorts of fun events at school. There’s a big softball tournament and a day off from school. We have our annual school Olympics. Plus there’s Valentines Day, which is always fun as a teacher. And it’s a Leap Year this year, so I’m going to figure out a way to incorporate that into some kind of fun (and educational, of course) classroom activity :)

What else is new?

My newest class started 3 weeks ago. This is a research based class on Behavior. And since I love both research and behavior disorders/management, it's making me totally love this class! But I do have to say one thing. Even though I am enjoying it, it's still quite hard. My professor is tough. But that's not all bad. Honestly, it actually is a good thing. I know I come out of her classes far better off than when I start them. So for that, I'm grateful.

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

What about you?

What are YOU up to this month?

Confidence

Happy Thursday, Y'all!

Today, I'm joining Ashley and Erika for their monthly Tuesday Talk link-up, where we, bloggers, come together and talk about whatever is on our mind at the moment.

 Except, I am posting this on a Thursday and not on Tuesday like I'd originally planned. Tuesday was super long. And then on Wednesday, it took me forever to get up in the morning, leaving me with just enough time to do a tiny bit of necessary work prep before staff devotions (which are before school). 

Anywho - Here I am. Better late than never. Right? :)

Want to know what's on my mind today?




I love Sanctus Real's song, Confidence. Have you heard it?

 It starts with

I'm not a warrior
I'm too afraid to lose
I feel unqualified for what you're calling me to do
But Lord with your strength
I've got no excuse
'Cause broken people are exactly who you use

The 3rd line is the one that first caught my ear.

I feel unqualified for what you're calling me to do

I know I've been trained for what I'm doing. I have 2 teaching degrees (almost 3). I've been through pre-field training (and all sorts of other training, too) for the missions side of things. Not to mention all the workshops and seminars and conferences I've attended or books I've read over the years.

But sometimes, I hear this voice in my head telling me that I'm not qualified for this job. Telling me that I can't measure up...

But the song doesn't end there.

But Lord with your strength
I've got no excuse
'Cause broken people are exactly who you use

How encouraging are those lines! 

I know that I literally canNOT do it without God's help.

I know that I literally NEED Him every step of the way.

And I know that with Him, I have no excuse.

I love that He has used (and will use) broken people. People who struggle. People who make mistakes. People who second guess themselves. People who are not perfect. People like me...

And then comes the chorus.

So give me faith like Daniel in the lion's den
Give me hope like Moses in the wilderness
Give me a heart like David, Lord be my defense
So I can face my giants with confidence

You took a shepherd boy
And made him a King

 I have grown up in church. I have heard the stories of Daniel and Moses and David and all the giants (whether literal or figurative) they fought. But when I heard the words to this song, it was like I was hearing these stories for the first time. 

It's such a beautiful reminder that God is, indeed, always with us. He will provide exactly what we need when we need it. Whether it be faith or hope or a loving heart or defense or whatever...

We just have to trust in Him.

So I'm gonna trust you and give you everything
I'll be a conquerer
'Cause you fight for me
I'll be a champion claiming your victory

We don't have to fight our own battles. We have someone fighting on our behalf. We know if we trust and believe in Him, He will do this for us, just like He did it for all of those men and women in the Bible and just like He's been doing for us, and others like us, throughout time.

So I will make this my prayer today, and every day...

Give me faith like Daniel in the lion's den
Give me hope like Moses in the wilderness
Give me a heart like David, Lord be my defense
So I can face my giants with confidence
I'll face my giants with confidence

 

I will continue to put my trust in Him.

I will continue to face my "giants" with confidence.

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 I typically share links to my previous Tuesday Talk posts of the year. And since this is only January, I'll share one last look at last year's posts. If you missed any, or you're curious, you can click on the links below to check each of them out.

January - Introduction to Me

February - The Little Things

 March - You Might Be A Special Ed Teacher If...

April - Spring Break in America

May - Home Assignments  

June - He's here.

* No post in July *

August - A Lesson on God's Provision and Love

September - Who Holds the Future

October - Do It Again by Elevation Worship 

 * No post in November * 

December - Oxygen Masks

A Year of Gratitude

Happy Monday

On the first Monday of each month, I share a bit of gratitude here on the blog. Sometimes I share gratitude for a certain person or a certain thing. Sometimes I share a random list. And sometimes, I share a lesson God is teaching me. And today...

Today, I'm taking a look back at 2019.

I started January off with a look back at 2018, followed by a look ahead as I shared my words of the year, which took the place of the more traditional New Year's Resolutions. I also made an introduction to new readers, among other posts.



February started off with a look at My Why - as in why I do what I do. Later in the month, I took a look at reading and shared a bit about this past time that I love, but definitely don't devote as much time as I'd like to. Towards the middle of the month, I shared my top 5, in regards to my brother. And then towards the end of the month, I wrote a sad post, in which I talked about my dog.



In March, I started off with a look at my family. Not long after that, I wrote about my first love, as discussed in Revelation 2. Later, I wrote a pretty popular post about writing, followed by one entitled You might be a SPED Teacher if... Towards the end of the month, I shared about our school's first Service Day and about World Down Syndrome Day. A fun post from March was my 1,000th blog post. 



April started off to a letter to my "adopted homeland" on Senegal's Independence Day. I also wrote about my Spring Break in America. Later in the month, I wrote about some of my favorite memories of my dad, in honor of the 4th anniversary of his death. I wrote a few other posts. And then I ended the month with a recap of a fun event I host at our school every year - Elementary Camp.



In May, I started off with a letter to teachers needing energy at the end of the school year. I also shared 10 things I wish I'd known before becoming a teacher AND 10 things I wish I'd known before becoming a missionary. I shared a fun writing project I had my students complete. And I also shared about the sometimes confusing nature of Home Assignments. I took a look back at the 16 years since graduating high school. And then, I ended the month with a description of my 5 favorites.



June started off with a look back at the 2018-2019 school year and later, with a look at a missions related favorite. I also wrote another post, discussing a reminder of how even in the midst of truly painful/scary situations, God is still here.

I spent all of July in the US with family. And apparently, I enjoyed myself a lot, because I wrote next to no posts throughout the month. My main post of note was the one in which I reflected on my move to Senegal a decade ago.

August saw more posts to the blog. I started the month off with 34 reasons for which I'm grateful. On the first day of school, I wrote a list of things I wanted my students to know. And then towards the end of the month, I discussed a lesson I had learned on God's provision and love.

September was a slow month on the blog, due to some major busy-ness in my life outside of blogging world. The two main posts of note were the one which started the month off with a bit of hope, followed by a post on The One who holds my future. 

As per usual, after a slow month in September, there was a definite rise in posts in October, starting with one on impactful books. There was a post on Jesus wept and the songs, Do It Again by Elevation Worship. Towards the middle of the month, I shared some thoughts about my dad, and how I wish I could go to him with some questions I was having about the Bible. And then I ended the month on a far less serious note, by talking a bit about coffee.

November was another slow blog note. started off on a happy note, sharing my excitement over our class "family" finally being all together. And then, among other posts, I shared a bit of gratitude for the best book out there - The Bible.

I started December off with a recap of my Thanksgiving weekend, followed by a post shared on Giving Tuesday. I shared a bit of my heart in my post, entitled, I'm A Teacher. Then towards the end of the month, I wrote a post about applying an oxygen mask. December was a full month, both while in Dakar and back in Alabama during Christmas Break, full of all sorts of Christmas fun.

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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 this past 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 my previous month's posts...

You can click below to read them.

February - My Why

March - Photos from February  

April - Random List of Gratitude 

May - Lessons Learned

June - The 2018-2019 School Year

July - Random Bits of Gratitude

 August - 34 Reasons Why I'm Grateful

September - Hope 

October - Impactful Books

November - Gratitude for The Bible

December - My Thanksgiving Weekend

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So what about YOU? 

What are you grateful for today?

My Word for 2020

Happy New Year from Senegal

For the past few years, in place of the traditional New Year’s Resolutions, I’ve chosen certain words to focus on throughout the year. In 2017, I chose the words joy, move, write, read, and rest. In 2018, I chose the word growth. And then in 2019, I chose the words grace and rest. 

For 2020, I’m focusing on only one word...

God brought the word, care, to my mind a few weeks ago.

He takes such good CARE of me. 

So I have a good an amazing example to follow.

I want the word CARE to be an ever-present part of my life in 2020.

So what will this look like?

I want to take better CARE of my physical health. 

I want to take better CARE of my mental health.

I want to take better CARE of my spiritual health. 

I want to take better CARE of my relationships with others. 

I want to take better CARE of my students.

I want to let God to take CARE of me and not try to do it all myself.

I want to show CARE in all I say and do.

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I feel like the word, self-care, is tossed around, sometimes to justify doing whatever one feels like whenever one feels like doing it. 

But I think it can, indeed, be an important thing.

I work a lot. And sometimes, I do tend to forget to take care of myself in the process. So part of my "goals" for this year is to take better care of myself (in the ways listed above). But it's more than that. It's more than just taking care of myself.

It's letting God take care of me.

It's relinquishing that tight grip of control I have on my life. 

It's giving it all to Him.

...which I should have already been doing.

Hello Stubborn.

I want to allow Him to guide me, in taking better care of myself, my students, my relationships and interactions with those around me, and most importantly - my relationship with Him.

I want the word CARE to be an ever-present part of my life in 2020.

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So, what about you?

What's your word of the year?

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Today, I'm joining Erika, Andrea, and Narci and for their weekly Friday Favorites linkup and sharing my word (in place of a New Year's Resolution) for 2020. Planning and writing are both favorites of mine. So this totally fits :)

Anywho - You can click on one of their names above if you would like to join all the favorites fun, too.

Currently

 Happy New Year

 
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. 

January's prompts are...

  * resolving *  reading * cleaning * creating * planning*

I'm currently resolving to do better at self-care this year. I know that's a term people toss around a lot. But I'm realizing it's definitely needed. I work a lot. And I am responsible for a lot of things outside of the classroom, as well. And because of that, I have a tendency to ignore myself as I get so busy focusing on the work at hand. So this year, I'm planning to do better at that. In fact, my word of the year, which I'll write more about later, is going to be CARE. And while a big part of that will be the care of others... It will also include taking care of myself.

I'm currently reading a stack of books. Or rather, I will be later today and tomorrow. I have 2 long layovers and 3 flights. So I’m looking at all that travel time as a blessing, knowing it’ll give me the opportunity to relax, sit with my feet propped up, and read or write while I wait.

I'm currently cleaning out my pictures on my phone. I took so many over the Break. I love the memories associated with each and every one. The Break was short, for sure. But it was so very sweet :)

I'm currently creating nothing, to be honest. But I am writing more. So who knows what creativity might be showcased soon? ;) 

I'm currently planning to be healthier in 2020. Healthier physically, of course. But I also want to better my mind and better myself, spiritually, as well. I want to spend far more time reading and studying God’s Word. I plan to better myself, all around. I plan for 2020 to be my year!

And since it’s my blog, and I can, here are a few more Currentlys :)

I'm currently flying back to Senegal. It's been a nice Christmas Break in my sweet home Alabama. But it's time to get back to the work God's called me to do. I'm flying out of Alabama this morning and I'll land in Senegal tomorrow night.

I'm currently thinking back to this book about the life of Lillian Trasher, who went to Egypt, with basically nothing in her pockets, all to follow the call of God on her life. She started an orphanage that saw (has seen) thousands of children loved and cared for over the years. And y’all... She had more faith than anyone I’ve ever met. This book stirred something in my heart and it reminded me of dreams God placed on my own heart years and years ago, but I gave up on along the way. It’s rekindled a fire in my heart that had been dormant for so long. This book was a good one!

I'm currently enjoying hearing my sweet nieces turning into such great readers. We spent a lot of time over the Break, reading books. 

I’m currently laughing at this Christmas book purchase I made for my classroom library. It is a funny addition that’s making me super excited for next Christmas to get here :)

I’m currently feeling ready to see this group of people again. Christmas Break is, indeed, wonderful. But I still miss my people :)

  So what about you?

What are your currently up to?