Who loves me

Happy Thursday Y'all

I'm, once again, writing as part of the #PSLoveMe Challenge, a fun photo/writing challenge, which I'm using to help me stop being so critical of myself, and instead focus on loving, embracing, and learning who I truly am...

A beautiful creation of God.

Typically one would take a photo a day and share that on social media. But I'm changing it up a bit and instead, I'm  sharing one or two (or maybe sometimes more than that) of the prompts at a time on here.

And today I'm sharing Prompt #4

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Prompt 4 - Share who loves you.

I know people love me.

But it just feels semi-awkward to list all of those people :)

So, I was originally planning to just skip this prompt. 

But then, I was scrolling through Facebook saw the image below. 



They say You are your own worst critic. 

This has always been true for me.

I've always been incredibly critical of myself.

And it was as I was criticizing the way I looked in an outfit the other day, that the Lord reminded me of the image I shared above...

Why are you so critical of my creation? 

I made you.

I, in my infinite wisdom, grace, and love, CHOSE to make YOU.

Um...

Yeah. 

Oops.

So, I'm trying to improve in this.

I realize there are things about myself I could (and need to) change.

But y'all...

I've got to stop being so critical of me.

Why?

My God loves me.

He loves me so much, that He created me to live on this earth.

He created the beauty of the mountains and oceans and galaxies...


And He also created me.

Me.

I'm a creation of the Master Creator.

And that is a beautiful feeling.

So to answer the prompt for today's #PSLoveMe Challenge...

Who loves me?

God.

God loves me.

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Want to play along?

Check out the Prompts below.

A Word (or more) About Me

Did you catch my Coffee Date post the other day? 

If not, click here.

It's all about the #PSLoveMe Challenge, a fun photo/writing challenge, which Im using to help me stop being so critical of myself, and instead focus on loving, embracing, and learning who I truly am - a beautiful creation of God.

Typically one would take a photo a day and share that on social media.

But I'm changing it up a bit.

I'll be sharing one or two (or maybe more) of the prompts at a time on here.

And today I'm sharing Prompt #3

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Prompt 3 - Share a word that describes YOU. 

Choosing one word was too hard. 

So instead, I am sharing a little a few more than that. 

Who am I?



I'm a CHRISTIAN.

First, and foremost, I'm a Christian. I'm a child of God. I believe in Jesus Christ and the truth and goodness of Him. I believe He died on the cross and rose again on the third day, all for you and me. I'm not perfect by any means. But I strive to live my life as a vessel for the love of Jesus to shine through. 

I'm a DAUGHTER.

 

One of my greatest blessings in life is being known as the daughter of Ron and Debra. I couldn't have hand-picked a better set of parents. They raised me in church, with a love for the Lord, and with a desire to serve others. I am who I am today because of them. I was definitely a Daddy's Girl, so losing my Dad almost 3 years ago is definitely the most difficult thing I've ever experienced. My mom is my best friend and after God, Himself, is my biggest advice giver and source of encouragement and support. When I'm back in the States, she and I are rarely apart and I wouldn't have it any other way.

I'm a SISTER.


 

Growing up, I was pretty close with my brother. Moving around a lot does that to you. It's like a ready made friend. But I don't think I ever truly appreciated him until I started college and we weren't riding to school together every morning/afternoon. Oh my, did I miss him then. When he got married, I was blessed with a fabulous sister-in-law. 

I'm an AUNT.



In 2012, I became an aunt. Eventually, my oldest niece gave me the name Zizzie. And I realized that being an aunt was one of the biggest blessings in my life. The love I feel for my two nieces is like no other. They bring so much joy to my life! And one of the hardest parts of my job as a missionary is being so far away from them, missing out on the majority of their lives - birthdays, special events, school things, etc. But I'm so grateful for technology and the way it closes the gap of distance just a bit :)

I'm a MISSIONARY.



I'm a Missionary Associate with the Assemblies of God, serving in Senegal, West Africa. It's so humbling to know I'm in the place where God called me to go, doing the work He called me to do. My mission field is a classroom where I'm able to share more than the usual subjects and lessons. I'm also able to share about the love and truth of Jesus. It's such a blessing to be here doing this work!

I'm a TEACHER.

 
   





For as long as I can remember, I have wanted to be a teacher. I never wavered from that dream. For the past 9 years, I've taught a variety of grades and subjects. And each and every year, "my" kids stole little bits of my heart. Currently, I teach Special Education and have a class for students with moderate to severe special needs - the only one of its kind in our country, and possibly throughout all of West Africa. It took a lot to get to this point, but it was so very worth it. Being the teacher of these kids is definitely a ginormous blessing for me!

I'm a FRIEND.



Friendship is something I don't take lightly. Moving around so much left me hesitant to put down roots, to invest in serious friendships. It felt like I was always having to leave, just when I made a new, good friend. But as I've gotten older, I've come to realize just how awesome these friendships that God's blessed me with are. And the only reason I didn't include pictures of my friends and me below is because I didn't want to accidentally leave anyone out :)

I'm a READER.




I love reading. I do a lot of reading as part of my job as a teacher. So I don't get as much time to do so, for fun. But when I do, I can't get enough. The only issue I run into is that I tend to start a book and not want to stop it. So I can easily kill multiple hours, zoned out, reading a book. Thus, the reason I wait 'til the weekend or a school holiday to read much at this point in my life :)

I'm a BLOGGER.



I started this blog as a way to keep up with family, friends, and missions supporters, since I was about to move to Senegal. Since then, it's been that, and more. I've always enjoyed writing. And I've been so thankful to have my blog as a creative outlet to use in expressing myself more freely. 

And at this point, I'll say thank you to all of my readers. Thanks for sharing in this journey I call life. Knowing you're reading, and sometimes commenting too... Well, you definitely know how to make a girl feel good about herself.

I'm an AMERICAN, an ALABAMIAN, a SOUTHERNER.



I love Senegal. It's the country God placed on my heart all those years ago and is the country where I still live and work. But I am still proud to be an American. After having lived overseas for many years, I can now see more clearly just how free we are as Americans. What a gift that is!

And as for my ties to the South and my sweet home Alabama... Well, those are just added bonuses. I know that most people, including the Press, seem to focus more on the bad we're known for. And while I do agree that is bad, I think it's important to note that this is not all my South and my Alabama are known for. 

We are made up of incredibly beautiful people surrounded by incredibly beautiful landscapes. We're full of hospitality and would love to have you join in and sit for a spell on the front porch, while chatting the day away with a glass of ice cold sweet tea in our hand. We're good people with ginormous hearts. We're Southerners. And me? I'm a proud Southerner, Alabamian, and American :)

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And I'm so much more. I'm a COUSIN and a NIECE and a granddaughter. I'm a STUDENT. I'm a LEADER. I'm a LIFELONG LEARNER. I'm a CO-WORKER. I'm a DAYDREAMER. I'm a TRAVELER. And I'm even a DR PEPPER and REESE's LOVER even if I can't get them as much as I'd like here in Dakar :)



And I'm sure I could go on and on...

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Want to play along?

Check out the Prompts below.

April's Coffee Date

Today, I'm joining Erin for her Coffee Date link-up.

This is a monthly post where we pretend we're on a fictitious coffee date with a friend, sharing anything that's on our hearts/minds at the moment.

And if we were on a coffee date right now, I'd probably share with you about this fun Photo/Writing Challenge a friend recently shared on Facebook. 

It's called the #LoveMe Challenge.

Or, it's revised name - the #PSLoveMe Challenge.

So what exactly is this challenge?

According to the creator of the challenge, Pepperscraps.com...

"#PSLoveMe is a challenge to learn to love you. Everyday there are prompts for you to look at yourself, embrace who you are, and hopefully help you learn that you are beautiful, you are amazing, and you need to love who you are."

Typically one would take a photo a day and share that on social media.

But I'm changing it up a bit.

I'll be sharing one or two (or maybe more) of the prompts at a time on here.

And today I'm sharing Prompts 1 and 2...

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Prompt 1 - Why are you doing the #PSLoveMe Challenge?

My goal in doing this is that it will hopefully force me to stop being so critical of myself. And instead hopefully seeing myself for the person God created me to be.

Am I perfect?

NO WAY

Could I change? Should I change?

Yeah, there are totally things I could/should change about myself.

But, do I have to be so critical of myself?

NO

There's a saying which says You are your own worst critic. That is so true for me. I am so bad at putting myself down, nitpicking different things about myself, comparing myself to others. And it's just not good. It's not healthy.

I am the way my Creator God made me.

I am me.

Prompt 2 - Share a photo of YOU.

A friend took this photo of me at our AGWM Continent-Wide Conference this past January. I'm typically not a fan of selfies of just me. Remember my critical nature of myself? But this one? This is one I actually liked. Plus, I was wearing our One House shirt, proudly supporting this organization I'm a part of. An organization I so dearly love and appreciate.

  

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Want to play along?

Check out the Prompts below.

5 Friday Favorites

Happy Friday Y'all

Spring Break is almost over.

And I'm all like...



Just kidding :)

I'm back in my classroom working today, rearranging, planning, prepping, etc., getting things ready for my crew to come back to school tomorrow. 

I must say, I've missed these faces...



Anywho, I've been working for a few hours and I've gotten tired of looking at my To Do List. So, I thought now would be a good time to take a break and share a few of my favorite parts of my role of Teacher to these kiddos :)

~ one ~ 

Their smiley, positive, upbeat attitudes are definitely a favorite. For the most part, our classroom is always a happy, happy place. I love that about my crew :)



~ two ~

And speaking of upbeat, happy faces... Their goofiness is definitely a favorite as well. I love getting to see their unique personalities. They can almost always bring a smile to my face. They're pretty awesome like that :)

 

~ three ~

Seeing their love for reading is a favorite as well. 

 

~ four ~

Seeing their friendship and love of one another is a definite favorite as well. I love seeing how much they each care for each other. It makes my teacher heart so happy :)

 

~ five ~ 

I just love being their teacher. It is definitely my most favorite position I've ever taught. It took a lot to get to this point, to be in this classroom. I'm so incredibly grateful for all the Lord did to provide for these kids through the opening of this class. And I absolutely cannot wait to see what all God has in store for these kiddos.



After all...

They're my favorites.

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Today I'm joining April, Natasha, and Christina for their 5 on Friday linkup. 



And I'm also joining Erika, Andrea, and Narci and for their weekly Friday Favorites linkup.

Currently

Happy Thursday Y'all

I may be a day late, but...

Today I'm joining Anne and Jessica, and sharing what I'm currently up to.

Want to know what I'm up to?

Keep reading :)

I'm currently showering the dirt off my feet ALL. THE. TIME. Oh my word, it's so dusty this time of year here in Senegal. Hello Harmattan winds and constant dust/dirt. I'd say welcome back. But let's be honest. I'm not really happy to see you. So yeah... Feel free to leave just as quickly as you arrived. Just sayin' :)

I'm currently (trying to do better at) cultivating relationships with the Senegalese people I interact with on a regular basis. School workers, grocery store cashiers, fruit stand vendors, restaurant staff, etc. It takes such a little bit of time to greet someone in their heart language and ask how they're doing or how their family is doing. Yet, it clearly means so incredibly much. 

I'm currently expecting to start my class through Southeastern in May. But y'all... Oh my word is it expensive. This is my only chance at keeping my teaching certificate updated. But after seeing the total cost a bit ago... The thing is, I really don't want to let my certificate lapse. But I just don't know if I am afford this tuition. I tell ya, this is a time when I wish money really did grow on trees. :)

I'm currently making plans for the rest of the school year. I've got lots of fun ideas for this last quarter with my kiddos. I so love working with this group. I can't wait to finish out this year with them. What a blessing this year's been!

I'm currently buying far more fruits and veggies than before and less comes. I'm trying really hard to eat healthier and make better choices. So the first step is bringing in better/healthier options for meals and snacks. 

So, what are YOU currently up to?

Dear Senegal...

Dear Senegal,

Today, on your Independence Day, I'd like to thank you for a few things.

Thanks for giving me a second "home" almost 9 years ago.

Thanks for being full of welcoming, beautiful people.

Thanks for being the home of Dakar Academy, the school where I work.

Thanks for producing delicious food.

Thanks for terranga - the incredible hospitality shown by your people.

Thanks for generosity and sacrifice.

Thanks for fun and excitement.

Thanks for laughter.

Thanks for bright, beautiful colors.

Thanks for sunshine and rain.

Thanks for churches, overflowing with people.

Thanks for openness to hearing the Gospel.

Thanks for so graciously accepting those of us from elsewhere.

Thanks for being "home" to so many.

Thanks for being you.

Sincerely, 

Me

March 2018 in Photos

Happy 2nd Day of April!

At the beginning of each month, I'll share the previous month's photos. I'm sharing, if for no other reason, than to help me remember some of the memories and thoughts that went along with each of my 365 photos from the month at hand...

Here are March's photos.

Days 60 - 63

60) On Day 60, they put in my new balcony door.
61) Day 61 ended with a friend and I enjoying a tasty dinner with a view.
62) On Day 62, I took a picture of these beautiful flowers.
63) Day 63 ended with dinner and the last bit of prep work for the week ahead.

Days 64 - 68

64) Day 64 ended with an ice cream run with a couple friends.
65) On Day 65, we did a fun experiment in Science.
66) On Day 66, I grabbed this picture of these two buddies :)
67) On Day 67, our Kids Club lesson was on the One True God.
68) On Day 68, this guy won our Hangman game at the end of the day.

Days 69 - 70

69) Day 69 started with breakfast out with friends.
70) On Day 70, I picked up these goodies, with visions of social/conversation skills lessons in my head.

Days 71 - 74

71) On Day 71, I overheard one of my students telling his friend all about the goodness of the Bible.
72) Day 72 was PI DAY so we dressed in Math related costumes.
73) Day 73 included the purchase of 7 kilos of apples for our Kids Club lesson on the Trinity.
74) On Day 74, this guy asked for me to take his picture learning about US money :)

Days 75 - 77

75) Day 75 included leftover Southern goodness and report cards.
76) On Day 76, I left notes on my kiddos' desks for them to find upon arrival to school.
77) Day 77 included an early St. Patrick's Day party complete with all things green.

Days 78 - 81

78) Day 78 included a bit of Scrabble as part of our English lesson.
79) On Day 79, we had an Easter party in Friendship Club.
80) Day 80 included a silly picture of these three :)
81) Day 81 was World Down Syndrome Day, so I was wearing blue & yellow.

Days 82 - 85

82) On Day 82, my crew and I enjoyed some Reese's sent from America. Yum!
83) On Day 83, I celebrated Spring Break's arrival with a friend at a local restaurant for lunch.
84) On Day 84, I brought home a stack of books to read over the Break.
85) Day 85's breakfast was a bit odd. Salad while working on my missions newsletter :)

Days 86 - 89

86) Day 86's lunch was at a place with a fun looking menu.
87) Day 87 was spent poolside with a book in my hand.
88) On Day 88, I noticed this cute looking plant.
89) Day 89 ended with this deliciousness on my plate.

And last, but certainly not least...

Day 90

90) On Day 90, I tried Perrier (fizzy water) with lime and decided it's pretty tasty. 

And that was my March.

And in case you missed them, here are the links to the previous months' photos.

JANUARY

FEBRUARY