To the High school teacher...

In high school I had a lot of great teachers. So many who taught me history, math, english.. all while I groaned about this "learning" thing.

There is one teacher that so bravely taught me an amazing lesson...

During finals (or midterms.. whatever they are called back then) the class was coming to a close and this teacher got up and began telling us our goodbye's before the Christmas break. At first, I thought he was just going to say have fun, be safe, Merry Christmas... But he did SO MUCH MORE THAN THAT. This man, this teacher got up in front of the class and began sharing a testimony of his faith. I was already a believer in Christ at that point, but his words were so sincere so incredibly well spoken that they stuck with me. He risked a job in a public school system to share his Faith in Christ with a bunch of rowdy teen-age kids and I admired that more than he will ever know.

I have no idea where this teacher is now, or what he is doing, but I hope someday to let him know the impact he made on my life through that one day.

I am thankful today that he was my teacher, and I got to experience some of his kindness. 

Thankful

It's November... I've noticed a trend on Facebook. During the month of November people tend to post something that they are thankful for everyday. I love this, and have participated in it in the past. I feel though, that a lot of people tend to put "family, spouse, children, etc".. Of COURSE.. those are wonderful things to be thankful for.

For me this year, I felt a twinge to re-direct my "Thankful list"... I felt like I needed to dig deeper. I feel called to recall past persons/events that I am thankful for.

There are teachers, friends from the past, that I feel shaped who I am today. There are moments in my life that have been impacted because of these relationships. Many people come into our lives, or fade away because of time or busy schedules, but the feelings you had around them, the impact they made, doesn't quickly fade. So I think I'll start there.

I won't be doing a blog everyday (as it's the 10th of the month and I haven't even done 1) but I want to do a few to help recall how the past came come forward with us.

Encourage

As part of our Life Group exercise a few weeks ago, our group all shared their "word" for 2014. We all picked out a word that described something that God was putting on our heart to put our focus on for the year.

My word for 2014: Encourage

I was sort of taken back by this word at first, but the more I began to focus on it... the more perfect it was for me.

I often worry that I don't have the right strengths, talents, hobbies, to be of use to people. I can't sing. I'm not creative. My athletic ability died when I was 16.... you get the point.

But... this word. Perfect. While I may not have a special gift to offer people, I can offer this.. words. I can choose to build up or tear down people by simply opening my mouth.

I can be the cheerleader for the person running the marathon, I can help build up a mom who's having a hard time with the kiddos, I can tell someone when they say or do something that speaks to me in a profound way.... I can encourage people to continue on... to be great... to survive.

"24And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, 25not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching." Hebrews 10:24-25

My goal this year is to live that out in the people around me... There's enough negative in the world. I can make a difference by putting a little positive encouragement out there.

What's your word?

Twice in 1 week

So after spending the first day of 2014 feeling crummy and hanging out with my sick little girl... only a few days later I was hit with some weird stomach virus. Not cool immune system. The kicker... I barfed up a meal that I was LOOKING FORWARD to digesting for several days.

Sorry Mahogany... you're officially on my "do not consume" list for a while. Bummer huh? That food was AMAZING going down... not so much coming back up.

BUT... with two illnesses in less than a week... I feel like I've spent the better part of 2014 playing "catch up".

My dining room is covered in a Christmas explosion awaiting boxes and a trip to the attic, my office at work is filled with stacks, my office at home.. stacks.

I'm still praying about what my word, verse, and thought for 2014 are  going to be.. stay tuned for more information about those in a future blog.

Deep breath-- I.Can.Do.This.

New Year... New Post

I've attempted to blog a million times and I always quit. This might also be the same... deal with it. :)

As I start out this year, I have so many things that I want to accomplish, and so many things from last year that I am trying to finish.. EEK!

On New Years Eve... I got sick. Terribly crummy awful sick. As a crazy type A person, this didn't go so well. My instant thoughts were... OK, but tomorrow I have to finish up my billing at work for the year, take down the Christmas tree, do 7 loads of laundry, sweep the back porch, build Anthony's birthday present.... The list went on and on and on.. until I finally drifted asleep.

Two hours later I was awoken by my sweet little baby: "Mommy, I have yuckies... " In my delirious NyQuil induced state-- I simply shrugged her off to my poor sleeping husband, and my immediate thought was "Great.. there goes tomorrow".

When I woke up, a little less delirious, I checked on my poor sweet baby and we both felt yucky together.

We spent the ENTIRE day cuddled up on the couch. During this lazy relaxing time I felt great. I know there were a million things I should have been doing.. or that needed to be done (thanks to my sweet husband some of them did get done), but God was revealing something to me. BE STILL, It's OK to not always have everything done. 

I think that's going to be an ongoing trend with me in 2014. Finding the right balance between God, family, kids, work, friends, and self.

May 2014 be the best year yet!! :)