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...

People - Spring Break was so quiet. I love having a couple days of down time, but I can't seem to enjoy going too long without seeing people. I guess that comes with being surrounded by people/noise all the time. You get used to it... Not to mention the fact that with me leaving, I'm feeling the desire even more to spend time with friends. I didn't get to do so as much over Spring Break as I would've liked. But I definitely enjoyed the couple of times I did.

My Mom - She's been my "secretary" the past few weeks, as places have called wanting to set up an interview with me. She takes their name and number and then I call them back. 'tis the best solution for me since I'm overseas, in a different time zone, and don't have a US number. Anywho - I told her I should be paying her for working so hard. 

My Dad - This Friday will make 9 years since my dad passed away. It's hard to believe that it's been that long. Boy, do I miss him!

My Apartment - It looks like a tornado hit. I've got piles everywhere, as I've started sorting through every drawer, cabinet, shelf, etc. There is a method to the madness. But I will be so very glad when this part of the big move is done. That is for sure!

Job Search - It's still going on. I've applied at a lot of places, interviewed at many of those, and even had to unfortunately turn down a couple jobs that just weren't the right fit for me at this point in life. I'm still praying that the right one will come along. And while I'd like to say I'm being patient in that waiting, I must admit, I'm not feeling as patient as I probably should. Ah, the unknowns in life...

Peanut Butter Cookies - I found THIS recipe for peanut butter cookies online the other day and I think I'm going to try it tonight. The best part of it is that it only uses 3 ingredients: peanut butter, sugar, and eggs. I'm a little skeptical, if I'm being honest. But we'll see.

Brooklyn 99 - I watched a lot of this show over Spring Break, in between sorting and packing. And sometimes, I just had it playing in the background to make a little noise. It's such a funny one. I'm not sure why I didn't get into it when it first came out.

My Students - School starts back today. And we only have 7 1/2 weeks left before this school year is done. I've always said that time seems to fly by after Spring Break. And I imagine it will even more so this year. This time is so bittersweet. I'm, by no means, ready to say goodbye to these kids who have stolen my heart (whether I teach them or are their class sponsor). But I'm so excited to see what God has in store for all of these kids - whether they're graduating this year or not. I've been so blessed to have had the opportunity to teach and/or work with such incredible kids. I really have been!

And I guess that's about it for today.

What's on your mind today?

Currently

    Happy Friday, Y'all

I'm joining Jennifer from Overflowing with Thankfulness, along with a few other bloggers, and sharing a look at what's currently going on in my life. The prompts for this month are:

* loving * looking forward to * planning * wearing * eating *

I'm currently loving the slightly cooler temps we've been having lately. Although, I'm sure I just jinxed us all by saying that. But seriously, y'all... Hot Season has drug on for a long time this year. So it's about time we had some cool breezes around here. Just saying :)

I'm currently looking forward to Spring Break. I love my students. I so love them. But y'all... Teaching during the time between going back to school in January all the way to Spring Break, which isn't until the very end of March/beginning of April with no breaks (unlike a couple that those in the US get) is HARD. It makes for a long long time. So yes... I am definitely looking forward to Spring Break :)

I'm currently planning out my next newsletter which will come out at some point in the next few weeks. I've got some big news that will be shared in this one. So if you'd like to hear my upcoming ministry update, let me know and I will add you to my list.

I'm currently wearing nothing terribly exciting. I did dress up for this first night of our Senior Cafe this past weekend though. Our seniors dressed up as various music genres. So thanks to my 80s girl t-shirt and a few cheap, neon pink accessories from Amazon, I was "80s Rocker." That was fun :)

I'm currently eating very boring, plain-ish foods and very little of it, since we're like 95% sure I have an ulcer (or at least, the start of one) or maybe some intense acid reflux. Partly due to gut issues. Partly due to anxiety/worry. Partly due to life and getting older and such. Partly due to other issues. It's also partly (well, more than partly) not fun.

And since it's my blog and I can, I'm including a few more currentlys in this month's post :)

I'm currently feeling thankful for a change of scenery while doing lesson planning this past weekend. There's just something calming/relaxing about sitting close to, and watching the water and hearing the waves crashing.

I'm currently enjoying looking back over the pictures and videos I've seen of this past weekend's Senior Cafe (a school-wide talent show put on by our senior class). It was such a fun weekend! I wish I could show you all the pictures I took of the kids. They were all dressed up and worked so hard, both in prepping before the event, during it, and then cleaning up after. 

I'm currently finding listening to hymns in the afternoons/evenings or when I'm working is a source of calm for me. There is just something so nice about these incredible songs - so many that were written long long ago. But they're just so incredibly peaceful.

I'm currently reading a book that I checked out from the school library. It's Cold Sassy Tree by Olive Ann Burns. I'm only a few pages in so far, but so far, so good. I'm hoping to be able to read a bit this weekend.

I'm currently gearing up for a busy day tomorrow. I'm helping with the proctoring of the SAT on campus in the morning. Then I'll probably bring lunch with me and finish up lesson planning/prep after that. And then we have a get-together with the other AGWM-ers here tomorrow afternoon/evening. But as of now, I have nothing but church and resting planned for Sunday.

I'm currently praying for God to move in big ways for my students - both current and former ones. Will you help me pray for these incredible humans that I call "mine..." Because whether I teach/work with them now or I taught them a decade ago, I still call them "mine" :)

And that’s about it for me.

What  about you?

What are you currently up to? 

Currently

   Happy Monday, Y'all

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. 

April's prompts are...

  * getting * going * planning * posting * thinking *

I'm currently getting back to school, after two weeks off for Spring Break. I can't say my break was entirely work-free. But still... I did get to sleep later than 5:30 each day, so that part was nice :)

I'm currently going, or should I say, I went, no where for Spring Break. I was supposed to go to Prague for a conference, which would have been quite awesome. But, between COVID and the stuff happening in the Ukraine, the conference got cancelled. I was definitely bummed about this cancellation at first. But I must admit... It was nice being home, having some quiet time, and resting, all of which will be especially nice, since April is going to be busier than normal for me. 

I'm currently planning lessons on the truth of Easter this week. Have I mentioned lately how much I love working at a Christian school? :)

I'm currently posting nothing terribly exciting... I did post the meme below on Facebook yesterday, as I was in the middle of pricing tickets for my flight to the US this summer. My oh my is flying expensive...

I'm currently thinking about two families who are hurting and mourning the loss of their loved ones. A pastor from a church in Alabama passed away. And then, a fellow AG missionary recently passed away, as well. I love the thought of both of these men hanging out with Jesus, swapping stories, and being welcomed by the people they helped lead to salvation. But even with that... My heart still breaks for two families mourning the loss of such great men, who so obviously loved their families and the people they ministered to. Will you help me pray for both of their families?

And that's about it for me at the moment.

So what about you?

What are you currently up to?

Currently

    Happy Wednesday, Y'all

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. 

April's prompts are...

  * arranging *  craving * discussing * enjoying * preparing *

I'm currently arranging plans for this summer. And part of that includes arranging to take the 3 Praxis exams I need to retake to renew my AL Teaching certificate. 4, if you count the one I need for my current program... Fun times y'all ;)

I'm currently craving Chick-fil-A, which is kind of sad since I’m obviously nowhere near one... But I found a copycat recipe that is supposedly pretty awesome. So I’m going to try it out later this week. If it turns out to be good, I’ll share it on here.

I'm currently discussing this book with anyone who will listen... While the author was “transplanted” into the bush of Alaska, the lessons she learned can easily be applied anywhere...

I'm currently enjoying still being on Spring Break. Ah, alarm clock, I do not miss you :)

I'm currently preparing my lessons for the next few weeks of school. I decided to spend one day of my Spring Break working in my classroom. That way I could get things done, but still be able to enjoy my time off from work. And today is that day... 

 And since it's my blog and I can, I thought I'd share a couple more :)

I'm currently planning to publish a blog post on this topic soon. I’ve been slowly adding to it and I think it’s almost ready...

I'm currently researching a fun topic for grad school. I printed off a huge stack of journal articles to pour through. And since I would prefer to highlight, notate, etc., directly on paper (versus reading them online), I’m willing to spend the money it takes to print all these journal articles. Sorry about that trees... At any rate, the teacher/learner nerd in me is loving this ;)

I'm currently thinking back to this time 6 years ago and missing this guy... 

I’m currently telling myself I should listen to this fridge magnet a bit more...

 

And that's about it for me.

So what about you?

What are you currently up to?

What's Up March

   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 could live my life without most sweets. I rarely eat dessert. And candy is never my first choice of treats. But, ice cream... Ice cream breaks all of those rules, especially when you live in a climate that is hot more days than it's not. So yeah... Give me ice cream and I'm a happy girl :)

What am I reminiscing about?

Easter 6 years ago... My brother and sister-in-law brought my nieces over to see us. We spoiled them with all sorts of Easter goodies, loved on them, and enjoyed our time all together. And what makes it even more special is now knowing that was the last time my dad got to see my nieces before he passed away just a few short weeks later. I remember my oldest niece sitting next to her Pawpaw, talking up a storm. And my youngest niece, who wasn't yet talking, just staring lovingly into his eyes, giving the sweetest hugs and kisses before leaving. My dad was born to be a Pawpaw. That is for sure. So when I think back to memories like these, I think of the joy he had and I can't help but smile :)

 

What am I loving?

I'm loving not having to set an alarm clock at the moment. 

What have I been up to?

Well, two days ago I went on a safari drive. I know I've lived here for over a decade. But y'all... It doesn't matter how long I've been here. It still occasionally boggles my mind that I actually live in Africa and can do stuff like this... Past that, I'm been resting, relaxing, and enjoying Spring Break.

What am I dreading? 

I semi dread the middle of April each year. This year, it will be the 6th anniversary of my dad's death.I recently had a conversation with a friend about how I still miss being able to pick up the phone and call him. I miss going to him with questions I have about the Bible. I miss swapping book recommendations. I miss asking him advice about life and ministry. I miss receiving those periodic texts and emails saying he's praying for me and he's proud of me. I miss landing at the Birmingham airport and seeing him waiting by baggage claim, ready to give me a hug and to ask about my flight. I miss sitting in church and hearing him preach a sermon full of truth and grace and love. I miss our spontaneous roadtrips and adventure seeking times. I just miss him so much...

What am I working on?

Embracing the concept of "rest"...

 What am I excited about?

Nothing terribly exciting at the moment... Although, I was pretty happy to find some sunglasses at a random little store we stopped in yesterday, especially since I forgot mine at home. And seeing that they said they were Gucci glasses just made me laugh ;)

What am I watching?

I watched the series finale of Superstore last Friday. As someone who has watched every single episode, I was quite pleased with how they wrapped everything (and everyone's stories) up so nicely. After all, a happy ending on a show makes me a happy girl :)

What am I reading?

I'm currently reading my 16th book of 2021.

What am I listening to?

Someone told me about Carrie Underwood's new gospel album. So I found it on Apple Music and I've been listening to it ever since. I love her voice. And I love these hymns. So it was a win win. 

What am I wearing?

All the comfy, non-work clothes, thanks to it being Spring Break

 What am I doing this weekend?

I'll get back home on Saturday. Then, Sunday is Easter and I'm planning to go to church. But past that, I have nothing planned. We'll see what I can get into :)

What am I looking forward to next month?

Well, it's still Spring Break for another week and a half, which is quite awesome. So there's that. But past that, there's Easter. There's also some fun stuff happening at school along with some fun projects and lessons I have planned for all of my classes. So there's that as well.

What else is new?

I'm in the middle of my newest Educational Research class. As someone who loves doing research and writing papers, this class is perfect for me. So I'm definitely enjoying myself. And since I have a nice view to enjoy while I study this week... Well, that's just icing on the cake for me :)

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

What about you?

What are YOU up to this month?

Randomness on a Tuesday

Happy Tuesday Y'all

Ready for some randomness?

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Here's your funny kid story of the day...

Yesterday a student told me I had a lot of "glitter hairs."

Glitter = Gray

What I wanted to say...

Thanks, Kid. I'm pretty sure it's your fault I have them.

What I actually did...

Laughed

After all, what else can you do? Laugh at the craziness. It makes life much more enjoyable/tolerable after all. Laugh at the craziness. I think that's going to be my new motto in life. 

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12 years ago, I was offered a job at Dakar Academy. How in the world has that much time passed? Some days, it seems as if that were just yesterday... In that time, I've taught Elementary School (1st, 3rd, 4th, 5th), ELL (all grades), and SPED (all grades). I remember telling people before I left that I was just going for a year, maybe 2 years tops. And I'm thinking that God just laughed at me when I said that...

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It's almost Spring Break. We just have to finish out this week and next week. Then we'll have 2 weeks off for Spring Break. I love my job. I rally, truly do. But oh my word, Y'all... I'm so ready for Spring Break!

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I'm working on trusting in truth of the verse shown above. The thing is... I know it's true. But y'all, sometimes it's hard to connect what we know and what we feel. Sometimes the mind/heart don't work as closely as they should. Last week was intense. Between fears for safety in our country to the stress/added work load of switching back and forth between online learning and in-person learning to worrying about issues with my students to stuff going on back home and on and on... It's been a lot. But at the end of the day, I do know that Jesus is in control. I do know that He knows what's best for me. So I will continue to push through on the hard days and cling to the promises He's given me.

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 Happy Tuesday, Y'all

Today, I'm joining Ashley and Erika for their monthly Tuesday Talk link-up, where bloggers come together and talk about whatever is on our mind at the moment. And today, for me, that was a random assortment of things.

What's Up February

   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 ordered a pizza to be delivered last night, knowing I would be busy working on a grad school project when I got home and wouldn't want to cook. And because I got a large one, I also knew I'd have leftovers for the next day (today). This pizza, topped with goat cheese and honey, is the perfect mix of savory and sweet. I tried it once and now it has become my new favorite. So good!

What am I reminiscing about?

Sweet memories like the ones below... These pictures popped up in my Facebook memories the other day. I still remember this day. My dad was in the rehab clinic after a bad fall. And seeing his girls definitely brightened his mood/spirit. It was so fun watching them with him, too. ...especially Daisy, who spent the majority of her time in the chair beside his bed, chatting away. My dad absolutely positively loved being a Pawpaw. He was born for that role. And I'm so so glad that he got the chance to meet and love on both of my nieces before he passed away. Memories like this bring so much joy to my heart :)

 

 What am I loving?

I'm loving the seemingly ordinary, every day stuff that goes along with my job. The stuff that doesn't always have a picture added on Facebook, but still holds such a big place in my memories. After all, sometimes it is the little things that take up the most room in your heart.

What have I been up to?

This past weekend was fun. On Friday, some friends and I went our for lunch after the school's olympics events were over. Then on Saturday afternoon, we had a welcome to Senegal get-together for one of our new AGWM-ers. And then on Sunday, some friends and I went out for lunch after church and then I came home and did a bit of computer work. It made for a full weekend. But it was so fun :)

What am I dreading? 

Honestly... Nothing.

What am I working on?

Newsletters - Want to know what's up with my ministry? Watch your inboxes/mailboxes. Something fun will be coming your way soon.

 What am I excited about?

My people were quite excited about the Science experiment we did yesterday. It was fun watching their creative minds at work. Experiments can sometimes be a little chaotic and potentially messy and not always the easiest to undertake. I hate I didn't get a picture. But that's okay... Y'all, I just love seeing my people get excited about learning! And times like that always make teaching so very exciting!

What am I watching?

I've been re-watching a couple of Big Bang Theory episodes each night. Although, in the spirit of full disclosure, I haven't really been watching it all that closely. I've actually just had it playing in the background as a way of having a bit of background noise while I'm doing working around the apartment or on the computer or something like that. I would like to find a new show to watch, though. Any suggestions?

What am I reading?

I'm currently reading my 9th and 10th books of the year. I've started reading two books at one time... One is always a "for fun" type of read. And the other is always a "for learning" type of read (so, either about teaching, missions, theology, or bettering myself in some way). I'm finding that I'm spending far more time reading than before, as I'm trying to spend less time on my phone. And since I keep the iPad on "airplane mode" while reading, I'm not being bombarded with notifications like I normally would be. And while I didn't intend for reading to simply take the place of my phone, it's been a "happy coincidence." So I'm not complaining :)

What am I listening to?

I've been on a Greatest Showman music kick lately. It's the perfect music to accompany paper writing for grad school. Just saying :)

What am I wearing?

I'm wearing my hair down a lot more lately. The main reason for that? Well, it is most definitely more enjoyable to wear it this way when it's not ridiculously hot and humid outside, causing my hair to instantly frizz. So yay for cooler and less humid days! My hair and I are both thankful for that :) 

 What am I doing this weekend?

We're having a handball tournament at my school this weekend. So I'm sure I'll be out a bit, watching that. Past that, I'm planning to stay after school on Friday and finish lesson prep for the upcoming week. That way I can get it done before handball starts and hopefully not have to come back and work over the weekend. Then on Saturday and Sunday I plan to do a bit of grad school, go to church, and rest/relax or maybe hang out with friends or do whatever else I end up finding to do this weekend :)

What am I looking forward to next month?

Spring Break is at the end of next month!

What else is new?

I had a big Literature Review assignment due last night. And y'all... I love these types of assignments. Seriously. I love researching online and in various books. I love pouring through journal articles. I love watching the process go from a blank page to 10+ pages of information. I absolutely hate taking a test. But I  100% really do love writing papers. And yes, I do realize how nerdy that makes me sound. It's okay. I fully accept it :)

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

What about you?

What are YOU up to this month?

Currently

 Happy Wednesday, Y'all

 
 
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. 

April's prompts are...

  * sharing *  writing * wishing * investigating * buying * 

So what am I currently up to?
 

I'm currently sharing more on finding the positives from my day during this extended break from school. Thankfully, my school already had a 2 week long Spring Break. So we ended up letting our students have an extended Spring Break. And teachers were able to have an extra week of mandated lesson planning. ...which was nice. Anywho - In the midst of all the wide range of emotions brought on by living in a foreign country in the midst of a worldwide pandemic, I've found that taking a bit of time each day to focus on the positives has been helpful.

I'm currently writing, typing, highlighting, and reading a lot, as I work on my grad school assignments. That was my plan all along for Spring Break... I knew it was an ideal time to work ahead on assignments, so I wouldn't have so much to do when we went back to school. So I've been a good student and have knocked out quite a few assignments, as a result. Go me! :)

I'm currently wishing (praying) COVID-19 would go away. I'm wishing things could get back to normal. I'm wishing the fear of the unknown wasn't such a prevalent thing. And the fears are amplified when living in a foreign country, with family so far away. I worry about my family, friends, church family, students, etc. Even though I know I shouldn't worry. I know I should stop and just give complete control to God. But it's hard sometimes. So yeah... I am definitely wishing COVID-19 would go away.

I'm currently investigating topics I could study for an upcoming research paper for my class. Y'all... I love writing papers. I know it's probably weird. Make me take a test and I'll tense up, freak out, and probably not do so well. But let me write a paper and that's where you'll see me shine. I love it :)

I'm currently buying nothing (other than some fresh produce last week). Self-quarantining will definitely help with saving money. Although, now that I think about it, I did order some books for my nieces through a sale a friend was running. 

 And since it's my blog and I can, I thought I'd share a few more...

I'm currently feeling grateful for the gift of some beaded necklaces. Y'all, all Special Ed. Teachers know a good fidget/stimming tool is HUGE. And since a couple of my kids are absolutely OBSESSED with these, I quickly said a big YES when a co-worker asked if I'd like them! It may seem like a small thing. But it's huge for me!

I'm currently laughing at a lot of the COVID-19 themed memes floating around online lately. It's such a welcome distraction from the doom and gloom posts sometimes. After all, they do say laughter is the best medicine. Right? :)

I'm currently rotating through emotions here. And do you want to know something? That's okay. We're human. We're not robots. We're meant to feel things. But I will say... I'm thankful that the happy face/good days far outweigh the alternatives.

I'm currently clinging to the promises in this book. I'm thankful for the ability to read and study and then read and study some more. I'm thankful that I teach in a Christian school and am able to integrate little nuggets of Truth into the lessons I teach.

  So what about you?

What are your currently up to?