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? :)

NaBloPoMo, Day 8

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

At my school this week, we're having Senegalese Awareness Week. All week we're experiencing various aspects of Senegalese culture. This is what our schedule looks like. 


Monday - no school (Muslim holiday)
Tuesday - chapel service with a missionary and a drum (djembe) demonstration
Wednesday - field trips to cultural locations & a traditional Senegalese meal
Thursday - Senegalese games, Senegalese art demonstrations
Friday - lunch and soccer game with the boys of a Talibe center, concert, and wrestling demonstration


And now for your reading pleasure... Here are 3 facts about the country I now call home. :)


1. The capital of Senegal is Dakar (where I live). Dakar is the westernmost city in Africa.
2. Senegal is bordered by five (5) different countries - Mauritania, Mali, Guinea, Guinea Bissau, and The Gambia.
3. Approximately 95% of Senegalese people are Muslim. The first president of Senegal was Catholic. 

NaBloPoMo, Day 7

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

A common site in Senegal - People have to be creative about how they get their rams home for Tabaski. :)

Day 7 - Today, I'm thankful that Jesus was sacrificed for me once and for all, because it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins. (Heb. 10.4)


Today is Tabaski (...known as Eid in other countries). This is one of the most important holidays to Muslims, where they celebrate the willingness of Abraham to sacrifice his son, Ishmael, who God replaced with a ram, thus sparing his life. Muslims will celebrate by sacrificing a ram to symbolize their obedience to Allah and then will distribute the meat to family, neighbors, and the poor, and will then have a large celebratory feast with their families.


Please join me in praying for Muslims around the world. Pray that God will reveal the truth to them. Pray that their hearts, minds, and ears will be open to Christianity, the love of the one true God, and the true path to salvation (...not good works, but rather the blood of Jesus Christ.)

NaBloPoMo, Day 6 (posted a day late thanks to brown outs most of the day)

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

When you're born in Alabama, you have to make a choice - Alabama or Auburn. You can't cheer for both teams. And if you don't choose people look at you like you've totally lost your mind. People live for Alabama (or Auburn) football. Some people plan their lives, birthday parties, even weddings around football games. 


Yesterday was a big game for Alabama. They played LSU. It was a sad day for dear ol' BAMA, as they lost to the Tigers. I didn't find out the results 'til the next day because I didn't feel the need to stay up until 4 a.m. to find out. (...There's a 6 hour time difference)


When I went on Facebook, though, I noticed a lot of people had updated their statuses (sp?) to discuss how loyal they are to the boys wearing crimson and white. I didn't count, but I know there were a lot of people posting about it.


So my question was... Do those same people spend as much time talking about their loyalty to God or their love and admiration to God, that they spend talking about their loyalty, love, and admiration of BAMA football? 


I'm not trying to criticize anyone. It just made me think a little.


Hmm... makes you think...

NaBloPoMo, Days 1 - 5

NaBloPoMo is short for National Blog Posting Month and the goal is to write a blog post every day for the month of November. Since I was feeling Blogger Remorse for not writing as faithfully as I "should," I thought I'd give this a try. :)

Post 1-5 (in one post...)

In keeping with the "5 Theme" (...5 posts in one)

5 People that Inspire Me...
1) God
2) my mom
3) my dad
4) Helen Keller
5) Temple Grandin

5 Bible Verses I Love...
1) Psalm 34:3
2) Philippians 4:16
3) Matthew 28:19
4) Jeremiah 29:11
5) 1 Timothy 4:12

5 Foods I Love...
1) grilled hamburger
2) salad
3) bacon
4) french fries
4) ...pretty much anything Mexican

5 TV Shows I Like...
1) 19 Kids and Counting
2) Psych
3) Bones
4) Lie to Me
5) Last Man Standing

5 Awesome Places I've Visited...
1) South Africa
2) Paris, France
3) Florence, Italy
4) Gran Canaria, Canary Islands
5) Dakar, Senegal

5 Dreams for the Future...
1) get married
2) have children
3) work with my family on the mission field
4) work in/run an orphanage
5) have someone (family, friend) visit me in Senegal :)

Hi. My name's Elisabeth and I'm a Blog Forgetterer.

Hi. My Name's Elisabeth and I'm a Blog Forgetterer (...fyi - I know that's not a word.)


I haven't posted anything in a LONG LONG LONG time. There's no big excuse. ...well, I guess there is. I've been crazy busy, but I think things may have finally slowed down enough I can join the blogosphere again. :)

P.S. To all my faithful readers, thanks for sticking it out and reading The Elisabeth Chronicles. The ego boost you give me is nice. :)

Water

My new "office" is the next to last booth in the McDonald's where my mom works. I come with her, pay 22 cents for a large cup of water, and stay all day working on teacher work, school work, and missions work.

Today I was looking at my cup and saw where it said, "Get quenched." And it got me thinking. I get the large, styrofoam cup full of ice cold water because 1) I want it to stay cold longer and 2) I'm thirsty. I need something to quench my thirst.

John 4:10 says, Jesus answered her, "If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water."


We, as humans, need water. We need it both physically and spiritually. The problem with physical nourishment is that this food and water only quenches our hunger and thirst for a short time and soon we're left wanting more. The living water that we need to quench the thirst of the soul is different, though. It is permanent. In God, we have a spring of living water flowing down and forever quenching our thirst.

But here's the kicker. God's not like the automatic drink dispensing machine at McDonald's. We have to ask God for his living water. God created us with the ability to make choices. We have to choose to serve Him. We have to choose to ask for this living water.

Are you letting God quench your thirst today?

Catch-up Time

The last post I wrote was almost 2 months ago, on April 2nd. I've been crazy busy and a lot has happened, like...

C25K "training" - I was doing pretty well while in Dakar. Then I came back to the U.S. and got a little behind. It was so hard to get back in the swing of things, but I did. I've found two different places to go running in town and one in the town where I'll be taking French classes in July. And I'll be running a 5K in late July. I'm not totally positive of the date since I haven't made up my mind on which race I want to run.

Travel - I was scheduled to leave Dakar June 3 heading back to the U.S., but in late April, I received that my dad was placed in the hospital for another emergency surgery (which then turned into 4 surgeries in a little over a week's time). I spent a lot of time in prayer and seeking advice from my mission supervisors, school administration, my family, and most importantly with my Jesus. And I truly felt it was God's will that I leave early to help my dad with driving, emotional support, and care, and to help my parents move into their new house. Therefore I left on May 4th and after 2 fairly short layovers, I landed in Atlanta. I spent the night with my aunt, uncle, and cousin, and rode with my aunt to sweet home Alabama the next day, arriving at my dad's school around lunch time.

My Dad - In early February, my dad had a heart attack. Then a month later, he had another one. Then, a month after that, he is taken to the hospital with severe stomach pain, later to be diagnosed as peritonitis (severe infection in the peritoneal cavity). He was in the hospital for 8 days with that, had 4 surgeries in a little over a week's time. He did go home from the hospital and went back to work. This time has been the hardest in my life. It's been so hard being so far away from my family, especially while my dad is in pain, severely sick, in the hospital, and fighting for his life. My dad is definitely my hero and to know that my hero was hurting and I couldn't be there was absolutely awful! But with all that said, he is so much better now. He still has a lot of restrictions, no heavy lifting (well nothing over like 10lbs). He gets tired pretty easily. He has to watch eating certain foods. But, he's ALIVE. He's at HOME. And he can do anything he did before this ordeal, just modified a little. :)

Tornado - On April 27, the state of Alabama (and other states too) was affected by the worst series of tornados in a long, long time. The death toll rose to well over 200. People lost their family members, friends, homes, pets, businesses, vehicles, and some even lost their hope. It was such a sad, sad day for my home state.

Moving - My parents moved to their new house this week. They chose to move for 3 reasons. 1) They're now be closer to my dad's doctors. 2) They're now closer to my mom's job. She works night/closing shift a lot and the thought of her driving a long distance in the pitch black dark wasn't nice. 3) They're now closer to their church, The Journey, which will be starting on June 12.

Working - I left Dakar 1 month before school dismissed for the summer. Therefore, along with the typical travel items in my suitcase, I'd packed curriculum mapping, lesson planning sheets, copies of important pages from my teacher's editions, and a flash drive full of important documents to fill out this summer. Since arriving in Alabama, my new "office" has been an empty desk in my dad's classroom ('til school got out last week) and now the next to last booth in McDonald's (where my mom works) thanks to their free (fast) wi-fi. :) I come armed with my backpack, computer, all necessary papers and books, and 22cents for a large cup of water in a styrofoam cup (because it keeps the water cold longer).

C25K

I'm thinking about starting a new exercise/diet program...

C25K = Couch to 5K ... basically you go from being a couch potato to running a 5K in 3 months. I'm past the couch potato phase since I've already started my own "program." I would definitely have to change what I'm doing. But it would totally be worth it. Now I just have to find a 5K near me in July. I'll be in Alabama then...if anyone has any ideas. :)


Cons...

• I'd have to (ugh!) wake up even earlier or walk at night in the dark, since I would rather go walk/jog/run/whatever when my "track" is clear... (I currently go and walk around the soccer field at school. Kids have to be in by 8, so I'd either have to go at 8 p.m. or go in the morning before school if I don't want an "audience.")
• I'd have to spend more time in food prep, meal planning, etc. School starts back tomorrow and we only have 1 off day (Easter Monday) between now and the last day of school which means I'm going to already be busy, busy, busy.
• I'd have to give up pretty much all yummy non-healthy foods. ...Ok, so this wouldn't be as big of a deal, but still...Living in a place that has yummy (chocolate) pastries pretty much everywhere is nice... :)

Pros...

• I'd get in better shape.
• I'd lose weight.
• I'd be able to fit into smaller clothes. ...FYI, I've already lost some and can fit into my "old" jeans so YAY for a little progress! :)
• I'd have a goal to work towards.
• I'd be proud of myself...in a non-sinful prideful way, of course. :)

Ok...so the PROS outweigh the CONS. Now to just do it...

Maybe I'll be like The Little Engine that Could. ...I think I can. I think I can...

3 Way Tie

I'm sure you're asking yourself...What's a 3-way tie? Let me tell ya...

It's a 3-way tie as to which areas of my life need to be changed. So, I'm starting tomorrow with...

1. Physical Change - Of course I want to lose weight/inches, but past that...I want to get in shape. I want to feel better about myself and just plain, feel better. 

2. Spiritual Change - I read my Bible, pray, and do my devotions every day. I talk to God. I praise Him. BUT I don't do enough. After all, He's my SAVIOR. He died on the cross for me, for pete's sake. Would it kill me to give Him more than just the "typical" amount of time spent on each. 

3. Emotional Change - This has been a hard year. I've had a lot of (major) stuff happening with my family back in the States. I've taken a super full load of grad school and A/G licensing classes. We've had the most ridiculous amount of power cuts! Seriously...like this week we've had 1 full week of power. I really don't think that's happened since I got back in August. And I'm teaching a new grade this year with a (loving, amazing, but...) challenging class with such an incredibly wide-range of ability levels and needs. Needless to say, I've been super worried or stressed a lot!

So... Here's what I'm going to do. ...and for all of you out there in blogger land wondering why I'm posting this... It's because I need to hold myself accountable. If I post it for the world to see (and by world, I mean the 3 or 4 people that actually read this...), I'll be more likely to stick with it.

1. Physical Change -- I'm going to start exercising more. I'm going to walk 30-45 minutes around the track at school AT LEAST 5 days a week. I'm going to eat better and do better with portion control. I'm not going to totally deny myself of all things sweet and salty :)...I'm just going to do so in moderation. I'm going to only allow myself to have coke 1 day a week (...this is my biggie). I'm going to have one "splurge" day, but still within moderation. I'm going to eat breakfast (...which I HATE) and try to eat 3 small snacks a day. I'm going to plan my meals on the weekend, so when I go to the store on Mondays I'll not buy JUNK. I've asked my roommate and another friend to help me. We're going to all 3 work together and keep each other accountable to all this stuff. 

2. Spiritual Change -- I'm going to (gasp!) wake up an hour earlier in the morning. I'm going to get up, get my shower, fix my breakfast, and do more than just read my Bible and quickly read my devotion and pray. I'm going to spend time studying the Word more deeply. I'm going to read books that have a Biblical application to my life. I'm going to tackle this like I do a class. I'm going to become a better student of Jesus.

3. Emotional Change -- I'm a big worrier. I stress a lot too. ...which I know is wrong. God should be in control of my life (and my emotions). ...not me! So, I'm going to change my outlook on life. I'm going to try and look for the good in all situations, even when it's hard. I'm going to purposely look for "God things" throughout my day...you know, the little things that just remind you that God's right there with you. :) I'm going to journal my feelings more instead of keeping them all bottled up inside. And here's the biggie...I'm going to try my absolute hardest to stop comparing myself to others...to the missionaries that do more work with the nationals. ...to my friends that are skinnier than me. ...to teachers that are better than me. ...to Christians that know the Word better than me. I'm going to worry about numero uno... after God, of course. :)

It all starts tomorrow. I'm setting little goals for myself. 

1. June 4th, 2011 - ...my cousin's wedding. I want to have lost enough weight to wow my family. ...P.S. I am not planning to steal her thunder AT ALL though. Please don't think that.

2. August 3, 2011 - ...the day I land back in Dakar. I want to have lost enough weight/inches that I can buy some cute, smaller (inexpensive of course since I totally don't make the big bucks) clothes to come back to Dakar with :)

3. September, 2011 - ...our Staff Retreat and the dreaded time to be in a swimsuit in front of almost all of my co-workers...eek!

4. March 27, 2012 - ...one year from tomorrow ... I want to have gotten down to my goal size.

So in all seriousness, pray for me. Pray that I kick my butt in gear. Pray that I stick to my plan. And pray that I see results! :)

Confessions

I confess... that I've gone through a wide range of emotions/feelings today. ... sad, excited, lonely, homesick (yes, that counts), fear, nervousness, boredom, hopeful, and happy.


I confess... I miss going to work. I miss (gasp!) waking up at 5:30 every morning, getting ready, working on plans, and then being at work by 7(ish). And most of all, I miss those 10 hyperactive kiddos that make my life so incredibly fun!


I confess... I HATE sitting at home all day. It was nice for the first 2 days of Spring Break and then boredom crept in. I want to get out. I want to go do the things that I can't normally do because I work during the week.


I confess... I don't like going places by myself. To be such an independent person, I really do like people around me. (shocking, I know) ...which is why the confession above is hard for me. I don't really want to do those things I want to do because I'd be by myself. (I'm weird. I know.)


I confess... I love wearing pajamas. I come home from work and put on pj pants. If I go to town, the minute I get home, I change into pj pants. Seriously...I'm most comfy in comfy pj pants. (...because who would be comfy in "non-comfy" pants. ...good one, I know.) 


I confess... I am a big procrastinator. I will wait 'til the last minute to get things done. ...not always a good thing. BUT I totally kicked procrastination in the rear this week and worked ahead on a lot of my grad school and A/G licensing classes. (Take that procrastination!!)


I confess... I'm out of shape and want/need to lose weight. And I'm starting on a new "change of life plan" Monday. (There. I said it in a public forum...which means I'll hopefully stick to it. I'm giving myself 6 months to kick my rear in shape.) ..........P.S. Notice I didn't use the word "diet." If I use the "d" word, I'll totally not do it.


I confess... I could totally use French more often than I do. But if someone's with me that can speak French better then me, I totally let them handle it. It's like my crutch.


I confess... I miss drive-thru restaurants. Seriously, people ask me what food I miss the most. It's not a food. It's the drive-thrus. Why? ...convenience, super-quickness (like that word?), and nice tall styrofoam cups filled with ice I can actually eat! 

I've become one of THOSE...

Yep, it's true...

I've become one of THOSE... You know, one of those people that follow EVERYONE's blogs. Yep, that's me. :)

Ok, so maybe I've exaggerated a little, but still...I just realized that I follow a lot of people's blogs. Most of them are people I know, but some aren't like...

The Journey
The Nie Nie Dialogues
Miracle Mason
I am your Pancreas - (This blogger is a mom of a child with Type 1 Diabetes, hence the title.)
Pink Moss
The Larson Lingo

...just to name a few.

...and these don't even count the blogs of people I do know.

Randomness

My mind is a great big bowl of randomness right now. How's that for a description? :) Anyways...instead of this being a one-thought post, I thought I'd list out the random thoughts I'm having right now. So without further ado, here is your portion of my randomness...

1. I am so very happy that I FINALLY caught up on my grad school work. I've been a little behind for the past month or so ever since some stuff happened with my family and it's just been building and building slowly by slowly. But tonight I finally caught up! YAY! :) And not only did I get caught up on my overdue tasks, I also worked ahead some and finished things due for the next 2 weeks! So double YAY! :)

2. I went walking around the field at school tonight with my roomie. Can I just say... I absolutely positively HATE going. I dread it. I grumble and complain to myself. But then it's like magic...I start walking and begin feeling GREAT! Then when I'm finished I feel totally AWESOME! I love it! Is that weird? Am I the only person like that...who absolutely dreads the thought of working out but absolutely loves the feeling afterwards?

3. I went to the fabric market with some friends today and found 4 (yes, 4!) different styles of fabric I like...for AWESOME prices, I might add! :) That never happens, so YAY! :) And I already have a dress style in mind I want 3 of them made into and I'm going to venture out of my normal outfit making realm and get (wait for it...) pants! (big gasp!) I know...I said I wouldn't ever do that out of African fabric, but you know...I'm really liking the long shirt/tunic look, so I think I'm going to do it. :)

4. I bought a pair of Chanel sunglasses today...and only paid about $3 for them! :) ...P.S. They were total knock-offs, but hey, who cares? :)

5. I just got an email from someone that hurt my feelings. I really want to call my mom and cry "on her shoulder," but I'm trying to be a big girl about it. :(

6. I miss having a balcony. Honestly, that's the only thing I miss about living on the third floor of my building. I wish I could just sit outside, read a book, feel the wind blowing, and just enjoy relaxing outside. But alas, our one outside place is a small courtyard with really high walls and above the walls are other people's apartments and clotheslines, so it's totally not fun to sit out there... Maybe I'll go up to the roof and sit up there... I don't know though. Is it really worth it to go up those 4 flights of stairs? :)

7. I've been making a list of things to do in my classroom next week. I'm so excited to rearrange my room and get lots of new fun activities set up! I think my kids are going to LOVE it! :)

8. I'm worried about my dad. I know he says he's doing ok, but I'm worried. And before anyone preaches to me, I KNOW! I know I shouldn't worry. I know I should give it all to God. I know that. Trust me. ...but you know, that's easier said than done sometimes...

9. It's 12:05 a.m. here right now. That means it's WAY WAY WAY past my bedtime. Therefore, Elisabeth is now signing off. Goodnight Blog World. :)

Spring Break Reading

Spring Break Reading…

I’ve always loved to read. I still do. I just don’t have time for it much anymore, other than the required readings for grad school, A/G licensing classes, and teaching. So I made plans to do a lot of FUN reading over Spring Break. Here’s my list…

1.     Little Women

2.     Little Men

3.     Crimson Tide

4.     Life of Pi

5.     Three Cups of Tea

6.     Daughters of Islam

7.     Mere Christianity

8.     The Foolishness of God: A Linguist Looks at the Mystery of Tongues

9.     Teach Like Your Hair’s on Fire

10. Teaching Students with ADHD (…and yes, this is fun for me)

What are you reading?

“Everyone eats and drinks, but few appreciate taste.” Confucius (551-479 BC)

Post 1 of my 5 Senses Posts...Sense of Taste

“Everyone eats and drinks, but few appreciate taste.” Confucius (551-479 BC)

I absolutely LOVE this drink...caffeine free diet mountain dew ... liquid gold, I tell you, liquid gold! :)

...my favorite holiday treat - candy canes 

Almonds

Salads = Yum! I could eat salad 3 times a day and not get tired of it! :)

French Fries are definitely my biggest comfort food item. I love them! ...I guess it's a good thing I don't live in the US then, since I'd totally be at the drive thru getting these way too much if I was! :)

Grilled Hamburger...my absolute most favorite food!

Key Lime Pie...my favorite dessert!

Peanut Butter M&M's...my favorite candy!

Pecan Pie...how can you be from the south and NOT like this yummy goodness? :)

...my favorite restaurant...I like pretty much everything from Taco Bell! ...which presents yet another reason why it's probably good that I don't live in the US. :)

Today I am...

Outside my window... There are kids playing. One's African. One's Middle Eastern. They are giggling and talking and having what looks like a really fun time.

I am thinking... about how I really should be studying, but am not since my brain really needs a break.

I am thankful for... electricity. I will never again take electricity for granted.

I am eating... nothing. I'm full from the salad bar, corn dog, and peanut butter m&m's from Junior Carnival tonight :)

I am wearing... jeans. PTL for Jeans Friday! :)

I am wishing... that the electricity situation in Dakar would get better, but it doesn't seem likely.

Tomorrow I am... going to be studying ALL day for my midterm, barring a short break somewhere in there for sanity's sake. :)

I am reading... all about the fun-filled world of Multicultural Education. Seriously, this exam is consuming my every free moment (outside of teaching and lesson planning of course).

I am hoping... that I can get a good night's sleep tonight. I've forgotten what that's like.

I am hearing... nothing at the moment. It's almost "too" quiet...

I am looking forward to... being done with my midterm this weekend.

I am dreaming of... the future.

I am not liking... the incredibly AWFUL power cuts we've been having. Having an average of 4 to 6 hours of electricity a day is a big huge PAIN, just so you know...

A few plans for the week ahead... midterm, 4 page paper, grading, report cards, parent-teacher conferences, spring break...and hopefully some sleep somewhere in there

Honestly speaking...

After seeing a similar post on a friend's blog, I started to think about the things that we often hide from one another. God’s been dealing with me on honesty. I tend to hide things from everyone. I don’t let people see the “real me” per se. So here goes… total honesty about yours truly.

To tell you the truth...

• Contrary to what people believe – due to my frequent FB status updates – :) I don’t like sharing my feelings. In fact, I absolutely HATE doing so. I would rather keep everything bottled up inside and let it “eat away” at me than share it with someone else, whether that be family, friends, whoever.

• I have a really close friend here in Dakar. …probably (no definitely) the closest friend I’ve ever had. This is such new territory for me. We moved so much growing up (like every 1 ½ years or so) that as soon as I’d get close to a friend, we’d move again. Because of that, I developed this fear of getting too close to someone. And as a result of said fear, I tend to push people away when I see that happening. But I don’t want to lose the closest friend I have just because of my insecurities and fears.

• I’m not a hugger. If you want to hug me, fine, but don’t expect me to come up and hug you. It’s nothing personal. I just don’t go around giving out hugs. I’m not a good sympathizer (is that the right word?) either. I feel extremely awkward in situations where people are hurting and crying, etc. I tense up. I don’t know what to say. I don’t know what to do. Therefore I usually leave the room. *P.S. I do write notes to people. I do offer encouragement that way. So I’m not totally heartless. :)
• I despise darkness. I slept with a nightlight in my room even through college. I just HATE the dark. …ironic since I now live in a place where the power’s off more than it’s on most of the time.

• I’m 25. It bugs me when people say things like… “You’re still young. I didn’t get married ‘til I was X years old.” or “Maybe God just wants you to be single.” or any other variations of those phrases… Don’t get me wrong. I’m happy with my life right now. I’m enjoying being my own person, doing what I want, when I want (mostly), and not having to worry about someone else. But I would like to get married. I truly want God’s will in my life and I truly believe that He has someone out there for me. I really just don’t think God would let me keep wishing and hoping and wanting for this to happen, just to have me be single for the rest of my life. After all, my absolute biggest fear is that I’ll never get married.

• I get incredibly nervous speaking in front of people (well, in front of adults). I will worry so much about it that I will literally get sick before I go up to speak. It never fails. But put me in front of a group of kids and I’m fine. :)

• I’m insecure in my status as a missionary. I’ve had “well-meaning” people tell me that I’m not really a missionary, that I’m just a teacher. …and this has come from people both on and off the mission field. I want to say, Don’t you realize the mission field that is my classroom? You don’t see the Muslim girl I pray with every day…the one begging for a Bible to take home, even though we all know Mommy and Daddy wouldn’t approve…the one praying that her family would know Jesus since, in her words, He loves everyone even when they’re bad…the one that sits quietly and attentively through every Bible lesson, soaking it all in. No. They don’t see all of that.

11 in 2011

We are 8 days into the year 2011, so I thought I would finally blog my New Years Resolutions.

Yes, I am "one of those" people who does New Years Resolutions. I sometimes wonder why I do them because it seems as if I've totally failed at most of them every year, but here's hoping that 2011 will be different.

So, instead of calling them Resolutions this year, I am calling them "Hopes," since I hope I follow through with these Resolutions/Hopes. :)

1. Read the entire Bible (again). 

2. Fit in fitness. 

3. Get organized...home, teaching, grad school classes, Berean classes, etc.

4. Read more books.

5. Be more confident in speaking French. 

6. Get better in French. I'm not able to take classes right now, but I can at least practice more at home...practice more with the local shop owners, church members, random people I meet on the street. 

7. Limit coke. I'm not saying completely cut it out...just limit it. :)

8. Journal more.

9. Eat better.

10. Manage/Eliminate stress. I know Christians shouldn't be stressed about things. We've got God on our side after all, but this is something I struggle with a lot. 

11. Get more sleep.