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…

one

Somehow we're saying Hello to the 3rd week of school with students. On one hand, it feels like time has flown by and on the other, it feels like it's dragging... My position is always a bit of a challenging one. And this year I have a few more responsibilities than I typically would have, so I've been navigating that and trying to stay on top of things as best as I can. Wish me luck :)

two

I said Hello to starting an ASL class last week. It's a once weekly class so doable with my schedule. And more than that, it's helping me learn a language I've always been interested in, it's helping me with one of my nonspeaking students now, and also, I'm looking forward to being able to better communicate with friends and others God placed in my path as time goes on. I know it won't always be easy. But I'm grateful for the opportunity to take this class.

three

Since school started back, I’ve been, once again, saying Hello to my daily morning pictures. I started taking these my last year in Dakar, in the midst of feeling lots of big emotions as I prepared to leave the place I’d called home for the majority of my adult life. It all started with a message the pastor at church had given, using Lamentations 3:22-23 as his primary verses.

four

So I guess my next Hello is to Lamentations 3. I say verses 22-23 to myself every morning, in an effort to remind myself that no matter how hard or stressful the day before might’ve been, today’s a new day. But just now, when I went to screenshot those verses, I read the ones before/after and I was reminded yet again of what a blessing it is to have a Savior who loves me, who is good to me, and in whom I can place my hope. I love how I can reread a passage I’ve read a zillion times before and God will allow me to see it with fresh eyes again, knowing I needed to see/read it at this very moment in my life. So yes, I’m saying Hello to this passage and the hope that God knows I needed in my heart this morning.

five

I said Hello to 40 a few weeks ago. I’ve never been one to really care about getting older. It is what it is. It’s a part of life. And my mindset has always been that Getting older beats the alternative. So there’s no sense in complaining. Right? Then 2025 arrived, and with it came the realization that I would be turning 40 in August. And here we are.

I think part of why this birthday is so hard is because my life hasn’t fully turned out the way I thought (hoped? dreamed?) it would. I always thought that at this point in my life, I would have a family of my own - a husband and children. And at times, the knowledge that that has never happened (and the knowledge that it may never happen) is a bit of a sucker punch to the gut.

I love what I do now. I love the work I did overseas. In both of these, I have worked with children. I have celebrated, and obviously still celebrate, friends who have started their own families. But it’s still hard. It feels like you’re always standing outside a window looking in at what your life could have looked like, but God had other plans.

So yeah… Turning 40 was a little hard.

six

I will be saying Hello to an all-day meeting/training today. Today is our quarterly AAS (Alabama Alternate Standards) Teachers meeting. I can’t say I love being in meetings/PD sessions all day, I do love getting to collaborate with teachers who understand the “controlled chaos” that is being a Special Ed Teacher. And getting a guaranteed lunch break/being able to go to the restroom anytime I want is another perk too. Ha! 

seven

I haven’t been saying Hello to writing on the blog as much as I used to. I have lots of post ideas and even a few drafts typed up. I suppose I need to get around to finishing them and hitting that publish button. Here’s hoping that’ll happen soon…

And that’s about it for my scattered brain today. 

What about you?

 What’s on your mind today?