Thursday, January 19, 2012

Encouraged

He will have no fear of bad news; his heart is steadfast, trusting in the LORD. (Psalm 112:7)

For those of you who don't know me well, I am an anxious person. Okay, to be honest, I am ridiculously worried about ridiculous things. I let "what ifs" take over and I seem to think glass-half-empty thoughts quite often. It's hard to get ready in the morning and read this verse from Psalms on my bathroom mirror. Sometimes I feel confident that I will breeze through the day. Other days, I feel like I could puke from the sense of dread that sits in my tummy.

Today I had coffee with a friend of mine who I have not seen in a couple of years. God's wisdom is amazing. The way He knows what each of us is going through is awesome enough. The fact that He connects us with others who can relate? Or the way He puts folks in our lives at exactly the right time? It reminds me that He has me in the palm of His hand. Today I was able to listen to someone tell me about their life, and all the intensely wonderful things that God is doing. It was so inspiring. As I listened to her tell me all about their family's adventure, I realized that I am not the only person who dreams big and feels like crazy things are possible. More than that, crazy things are what God desires for us....Take risks, He tell us. Get UNcomfortable. Let go and I will steer.

I'll show up and take care of you as I promised and bring you back home. I know what I'm doing. I have it all planned out—plans to take care of you, not abandon you, plans to give you the future you hope for.  (Jer. 29:11, The Message)

He will show up and take care of us. And then to top it off, He will bring us back HOME to His house one day. He has it all under control; it's all good. He will give us the future that we hope for- maybe not in the form of what we expected, but He will meet the desires of our heart one way or another.

Someone once called me "flighty" and it wore on my nerves. I immediately started to question myself. WAS I indeed someone who could not remain on one path? Or someone who could not make a decision and stick to it? I prefer to think that I am a follower. A follower of my Father God, that is. I go where He leads. I don't always go without questioning (or without whining, for that matter) but I try to listen to Him and follow. This may cause me to up and move in the middle of something, or it may cause me to change my mind. If this makes me flighty, then so be it. Spending time with this friend today made me realize that I'm not the only person who knows that with God, the impossible can indeed become a reality.


Wednesday, January 4, 2012

The Simple Life

Everything I need to know, I learned in kindergarten...

I remember this poster from when I was itty-bitty. I was barely old enough to read when I first saw it, and I figured it was just a joke between adults. It is not until NOW- at 30 years old and teaching small souls- that I realize the truth behind such a statement.

Here are my classroom rules- we created them together, my students and I:

1. Be nice to each other.
           This seems so obvious, but adults have a hard time doing it, myself included.

2. Don't talk when someone else is talking.
            Wouldn't it be so wonderful to finish a statement without being cut off? Or, even better, wouldn't it be awesome to listen to someone else and really HEAR what they were saying?

3. Keep your hands to yourself.
         Less crime, less hurt, less heartbreak. Enough said.

4. Don't say bad words.
         Although kindergarten bad words differ from our own version, adults could definitely benefit from this one. You don't always know what offends me, and I don't always know what offends you. Goes back to that old adage...If you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all.

5. Clean up after you're done.
         Can you imagine?? Less trash littering our earth, clean homes and yards. Most important- no more shopping carts littering the parking lot because slackers are too lazy to walk fifty feet and put them back where they belong. Seriously, this is one of my pet peeves. This kind of careless, "someone else will do it" attitude is pitiful to me.

6. NO whining!
          Suck it up. I've heard that so many times in my life; sometimes I can actually keep moving and other times, I have to whine about my circumstances. Granted, SOME circumstances are worth whining about. Then, at other times, I think about someone that has it worse off than me and I realize that I need to shut my mouth. Last year, in second grade, my kids would whine and I would play the violin for them and sarcastically encourage their lament. They would stop focusing on what they were upset about and giggle (usually, at least). Not sure if kindergarten students would respond well to this tactic or even understand it. But I think it delivers a message: try to find the humor in your situation or focus on something else and just keep moving. 

My students do a pretty decent job of following our rules. Five year olds could sure teach the rest of the world a thing or two.

Monday, January 2, 2012

Firetrucks and Cheerios and Drool- Oh My!

Welcome to our home. I will be your tour guide, commonly known as "Ma Ma" or "Baby", depending on who is speaking. When you enter our home, you will notice some of the regional wildlife and literature.

Beloved "Doggy" (of which we have four...you know, just in case) and one of many books. This book, in particular, is Trafton's current favorite. Trucks was a gift from Uncle Dave. According to T, Daddy drives every truck that's inside.

As we continue on our tour, you may spot some food that is native to the area...

We leave a trail behind us, just in case we get lost. Please note the drool spot- not sure if this is from my son or my dogs. Either way, it's a nice reminder that I am surrounded by sweet boys.

Next stop, the Cranford transportation museum, where you may find cars, tractors, backhoes, and most importantly- FIRETRUCKS!


Finally, as we approach a heavily-populated zone, we spot the infamous inhabitant of the area...the mess-making monkey!

We all live off His generous bounty,
Gift after gift after gift.
(John 1:16, The Message)

Don't need lots of money or a fancy car. I'll take drool-covered floors, cheerio trails, and my little monkey :)