The 104th Dear ____ Post

Dear A Little Less Than 2 Months, You're when I'll be leaving Dakar and heading back to the States. While I'm ready to start a time of speaking at churches, budget raising, seeing my family, and soaking in life in America again, all the while preparing to come back to Dakar to work in a new form of ministry, I'm still sad about leaving DA. It's so bittersweet...

Dear Just Being There, You're what I wish I could give to my parents right now. I hate that they spend so much time in the hospital and don't see many people come and visit them (other than my brother and church people). I wish that wasn't the case... I wish my dad had more company. I wish my mom didn't have to sit up there by herself when my dad's in dialysis. I wish... I just wish I could be there for them. 

Dear Leaving Your Comfort Zone, You're the topic of a post I'm writing (...which will be posted next month) on the Skybridge Blog. *Check this blog out. You won't be disappointed! Anywho - It's perfect timing, since God's clearly pulling me from my own "comfort zone" at this point in my life. And thankfully, I'm able to see all He's teaching me through it. It's fun seeing God's hand at work. I love it!

Dear Chocolate Chip Cookies, Normally, cookie baking is not something I excel at. I'd like to blame my oven. But let's face it. Me and cookie making just don't see eye to eye. ...until Thursday, that is. That's when I finally broke the burnt cookie streak and made an AWESOMELY DELICIOUS batch of chocolate chip cookies. *And now I'll go find my humbleness that I clearly lost while baking said cookies :)

Dear Roundtrip Plane Tickets, Why were you cheaper than one-way tickets (which I needed)? That's crazy...

Dear Helen Keller, You've always been such an inspiration to me. Being a native of our state, you were someone almost all Alabamian children learned about in school. To see how you overcame the obstacles life placed in your path is inspiring, to say the least. And you were the subject of a book one of my elementary kids was reading this week. She was so excited to tell me all about you. I loved it!

Dear Maryland, Since I just drove through you last summer, it didn't count. But since I get to spend a couple days with friends and colleagues there (YAY!) on my way "home" from Dakar in June,  I'll get to add you to my list of states I've visited.

Dear Picture Below, I posted you on Facebook on Thursday. Sometimes it's hard to believe we're grown ups now. It feels like we should still be little kids. I'm a lucky (blessed) girl to have this guy as my bubba :)

Dear Jesus, A student and I had a nice conversation about you the other day - thanks to something brought up in a Bible class. What a gift to be able to talk freely about you with my students!

Dear Palm Sunday, You're tomorrow! Can you imagine what it must have felt like to be there when Jesus came into Jerusalem?!

5 on Friday

As if there wasn't enough randomness on this blog, I'm participating in a blog link up with Darci from The Good Life Blog and doing a 5 on Friday post, and listing 5 random things floating around in my brain on this Friday.

ONE - I've been helping one of my students with understanding To Kill a Mockingbird and it's bringing back all sorts of high school flashbacks. I LOVED this book. I think having an author from Alabama and having a setting in Alabama was the first thing that appealed to me. But past that, I just really like the book.

TWO - I took a tray of cookies out of the oven last night, placed them on the stove, and realized I didn't push them back far enough so they were about to fall off. Without thinking, I grabbed the cookie sheet with my bare hand and NOT the pot holder. While I did my best not to scream, I set the cookies down (further back on the stove) and immediately held my hand under cold water. Seriously... who does this?! I now have little blisters on each finger. The only positive that came from this... I saved the cookies :)

THREE - I went to the store the other day to get a few groceries and got probably the most excited for nice, clean-looking okra, green beans, green onions, and lettuce. Who would've ever thought a few green vegetables would make me so happy?! :)

FOUR - In my free time, I'm reading a book about Marie Antoinette. I've always been fascinated with her, so I knew I'd like this book. And hey - Go me! Reading books for fun... What?! :)

FIVE - Next week our elementary grades are taking their standardized tests. Since I'll be testing a few students, I needed some freshly sharpened pencils.  After doing my least favorite teacher "chore," I couldn't help but smile when I saw this quote because it's so true. Although, after seeing my first graders' excited reactions to the container of pencils, I'm thinking it should read "You know you're a teacher OR a little kid if..." :)

My One Thousand Gifts #'s 150 - 156

One Thousand Gifts

Each week, I'm highlighting new items I've added to my list of one thousand gifts. These aren't always big things. In fact, sometimes it's the littlest things that stick out the most. 

This week, I've added 7 new things...

#150 - finishing a long To Do List

I'm thankful that I finally finished my long To Do List over Spring Break. My plan had been to get everything finished over our break so I'd have my last two months "free"...well, as free as I could considering I still have to work :)

#151 - British flag flip flops

A friend went to London with her family over Spring Break and brought me back this awesomeness. I love flip flops and London is probably my most favorite city in the whole wide world, so score! :) 

#152 - a working copy machine 

You don't realize how many copies you make in a week until the copy machine goes "out of commission"...even if only for a couple days. I'm so thankful for this piece of office equipment!

#153 - photographs

I have photos hung up around my apartment. There are photos on the wall. There are photos on the fridge. There are photos in frames on my desk, my coffee table, my dresser. There are photos in my Bible, in my desk at school, in my purse. It's safe to say... I have a lot of photos. As I was sorting through all of my stuff over Break, going through desk drawers, books, journals, etc., I gathered all of my photos into one pile. And then of course I had to stop and take a break just to look through all of them. I'm so thankful for these photos and the memories attached to each and every one.

#154 - a spontaneous pizza night with friends

Last night as I was heading home for school, I thought, Hey, pizza would be good for supper. So since I was walking with a friend, I invited her and then invited another friend and once we combined all our pizza toppings, we ended up with a nice, spur of the moment, pizza night. What a fun night! 

#155 - a bittersweet plane ticket

I finally bought my plane tickets. I had a voucher to use through one airline due to a cancelled flight from last year, so I had the first leg of my trip already purchased. But then today I finally bought the tickets that'd get me the rest of the way home (to Alabama). The flood of emotions that hit me at the moment of purchase were unreal. I was excited about 1) going home to Alabama and getting to see my family and supporters and 2) taking one more step towards this new adventure/ministry God's called me on. But at the same time, I was sad. This is one step closer to leaving DA, the place I've taught at for 5 years. So I'm definitely thankful I was able to buy the ticket, but at the same time, it was a little bittersweet.

#156 - a relevant quote

I was chatting with a friend last night about how things will change when I come back to Dakar and she shared this quote with me. I'm so excited to see the NEW that God's going to bring in my life as a result of the changes coming in my ministry and my life. Leaving the familiar can be a little scary.

And in case you want a recap of the other things on my list, you can find them below...

1-3

4-16

17-24

25-28

29-34

35-40

41-43

44-48

49-55

56-59

60-64

65-69

70-74

75-84

85-89

90-96

97-105

106-110

111-123

124-129

130-142

143-149

The 104th Dear ____ post

Dear Spring Break, You started last Saturday's post and you're starting this one too. Thanks for being a long enough time to get all of my sorting/packing (well...pre-packing) finished. Thanks for giving me times to rest and relax, times to study, research and continue plugging away at that paper, times to spend eating meals and hang out with friends. Thanks for giving me time to call pastors and friends and to start scheduling services for my upcoming time in the States. You were great Spring Break. I'll miss you :)

Dear Dad, You and hospitals need to stop meeting. Just sayin'... Seriously, though, I'm glad you're home and feeling better. My prayer is that strength and healing come as soon as possible. I'll be home in 2 months and you and I have lots of stuff to do :)

Dear 2, You're the number of nieces I'll have by the time I get back to the States in June. How is that possible?! I was telling my mom the other night that it just doesn't seem real yet. What a blessing Niece #1 has been. I can't wait for her little sister to get her :)

Dear New Prayer Cards, I've been playing around with designs for you (on paper) this week. Some time this coming week, I'm planning to email the company that will be making you for me. (*Shout out to Missions Linked!) I'm so thankful for Anna Wight taking some photos for me last summer because I know they'll go great with the design idea I have in mind. I can't wait to see how they turn out!

Dear Sorting/Packing, Ugh! I'm so tired of you! But thankfully, I was able to check everything off of my To Do List that I'd planned to do over Spring Break. Praise Jesus for the strength and determination to get that all done. Now, I only have little things to do here and there before leaving in June.

And speaking of which...

Dear Finding All Sorts of Awesomeness, You're what I did throughout this emptying-drawers-I-never-use and sorting process. I found a $10 itunes card, 3,500cfa (about $7), the Thanksgiving decorations I thought I'd lost, a couple new cds I still hadn't opened, a zillion and one mini bottles of hand sanitizer, and so much more!

Dear Amazing Race, BLTs, and Dr. Pepper, You're what I'm using to celebrate being finished with my massive To Do List. I know, I know. It's exciting. Ha! :)

Dear Staying Up AND Sleeping Late, I've so enjoyed you both during Spring Break. But alas, all good things must come to an end...

Dear Monday, You're the day we have professional development/teacher meetings all day. And then on Tuesday students come back. While, I'm not thrilled at the thought of having to set my alarm again, it is nice knowing I'll get to see "my" kids again and will be able to get back to a routine again. So it's not all bad :)

Dear God's Word, I think you'll always be my favorite book. You have it all - action, comedy, love, and most of all... Truth, Hope, Encouragement., etc.

Dear Ariel, I thing this line that you said in The Little Mermaid is awesome.

My One Thousand Gifts #143 - 149

One Thousand Gifts

Each week, I'm highlighting new items I've added to my list of one thousand gifts. These aren't always big things. In fact, sometimes it's the littlest things that stick out the most. 

This week, I've added 7 new things...

#143 - an email about "my" missions team

How cool to see the names of my fellow team members in writing...to see a glimpse of the new adventure that's beginning in West Africa! I love it!

#144 - a new book to read

I've said it a few times on my blog... I don't often read "for fun." I do a lot of reading for my job, so to sit down with a book and read "for fun..." Well, that doesn't happen very often. So it was nice to finally read a book I bought in the States at Christmas time. It was nice to just escape and spend time reading and not sorting/packing, making phone calls, responding to emails, etc.  :)

#145 - medical professionals

Sometimes God chooses to use medical professionals in the healing process. I'm thankful for the trained men and women that have been working on my family members in the past couple weeks. My dad was in the hospital for a week, had surgery and other procedures. My grandmother had a heart attack and major heart surgery. My dad's uncle was in the hospital. My dad's cousin was receiving another round of chemo. And more... There was a lot going on in our family. But you know... I'm thankful that God chose to use these medical professionals and the training He's given them to help my loved ones. 

#146 - ear plugs

This past week and a half, I've been so thankful for these foam pieces of awesomeness. Since I knew I wouldn't have to listen for an alarm clock, I gladly took the chance to wear ear plugs to bed. There is all sorts of noise going on at night - the guards talking, the construction of a new building right next door, and living in a building whose stairways has a HUGE echo, allowing you to hear your neighbors coming and going (and talking). But I've enjoyed the gift of sleeping late - all thanks to wearing ear plugs. I never realized what a light sleeper I used these and slept through the night, not hearing all the noise outside my apartment's doors.

#147 - Psalm 55:22

I'm thankful for this verse. A sweet friend emailed me a note including the verse this past weekend, knowing I was a little worried about my dad's upcoming surgery. I'm so thankful for the truth it contains.

#148 - a list of names

I wrote out a list of all the churches/pastors, families, and individuals that support my ministry in Dakar and then I added some more pastors I could contact to that list. ...all of that to get ready to make phone calls to set up services for my upcoming time in the States, looking to raise my increased missions budget. Before starting, I prayed over my list and thanked God for every name on it. What a blessing these men and women have been in my life! I'm so grateful for each and every one of them!

#149 - services scheduled

I'm thankful for the services I have scheduled so far and am thankful, in advance, for the others I'll have soon. It's so nice to look at my calendar and see those church names typed in. I love it!

And in case you want a recap of the other things on my list, you can find them below...

1-3

4-16

17-24

25-28

29-34

35-40

41-43

44-48

49-55

56-59

60-64

65-69

70-74

75-84

85-89

90-96

97-105

106-110

111-123

124-129

130-142