Lately

I am horrible at blogging. I haven't blogged since April, and I slightly feel bad about that. However, these last few months my life has been crazy. Here is a quick recap of what's been going on:

1. I began working at a church for the summer in the nursery. Last week was my last week there, and although I will miss those sweet kiddos, I am looking forward to my new adventure (keep reading)

2. I am now working in the Pre K class at Piper and LOVE my crazy kids! I am with 13 kids in the afternoons, and absolutely love my job! I miss my old class, but since they are next door, I still see them all often.

3. I am babysitting almost every night (this adds into why I haven't been blogging as much!) I have several "regulars" and all of these kids keep me on my toes! I spent most weekends and mornings over the summer with kids at museums, swimming, bookstores...you name it we were probably there!

4. I began student teaching this semester! I am at Midway High School every morning with a freshman world geography class! I absolutely enjoy the time I have with these kids. I am constantly reaffirmed that this is where I need to be!

5. I have been praying for a way to be involved more with my church (Columbus Avenue Baptist Church) here in Waco. Last week at church, Josh, the youth minister, asked if there were any college kids interested in interning with the youth group. I immediately felt that this is where I need to be. So, in place of nursery work, I am working with the youth group every Wednesday and will possibly help on Sundays with a class!

6. The Lord is Faithful! My eyes have healed to the point of me wearing contacts again! God continues to provide for me and shows me that through anything, He is faithful!

So, basically, I am working with kids of all ages every day! I barely have time to breathe and am constantly moving. But, I love my life and all the craziness that my schedule brings. I will slow down (eventually) but until then, will cherish the moments of chaos. I promise to do better at blogging...or at least attempt to!

I hope that everyone is doing well and that your summers were wonderful! Until next time!

Blessed.

This weekend has been so hard. For one, I am missing my family so much. I have not been able to focus lately on anything because I miss them so much.

Then, yesterday, stress again set in. My mom and my aunt came to see me, and after visiting a store in downtown Waco, I went to start my car. However, it didn't start, and wouldn't after several attempts. We knew that the problem was not the battery and was something bigger than that, but it still appeared that it would have to stay there overnight.

Immediately, I started crying. I was so frustrated and even more upset with the fact that my parents were going to have to pay for something that they didn't plan on paying for. There were several people who were wanting to do stuff with me that day, and trying to explain that I couldn't just frustrated me even more.

Later, I got home and slowly began to calm down. Ty came over and asked if I was any better and I said no. We decided that just to try, he, Bubba and I would go and try to jump it off just to try and get it home. That didn't work, and again, I was stressed out.

I began telling Ty about my day with my mom and what I had bought at the antique store. As I got it out, I stopped and just stared at the word that I had spelled out right in front of me:

I want to have a bucket type thing of scrabble letters on my kitchen table, and I bought this to set in front of it.

I hadn't realized at the time when i was picking out my letters the impact it would have on me later that day. I am so blessed by so many things, and although the day did stress me out, God has blessed me beyond measure and is continuing to work in my life.

"Blessed are the poor in spirit,
   for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.  

 Blessed are those who mourn,
   for they will be comforted.  

 Blessed are the meek,
   for they will inherit the earth.  

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
   for they will be filled.  

 Blessed are the merciful,
   for they will be shown mercy.  

Blessed are the pure in heart,
   for they will see God.  

Blessed are the peacemakers,
   for they will be called children of God.  

Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness,
   for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

  Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you."

In Matthew 5, it mentions this passage, and I quickly found comfort in it. No matter what has happened in the day, I am so blessed by so much and have to take joy and refuge in that. Not in the stress, the sadness, the anger, or the hurt. But rather, the love, hope, joy and blessings that my God provides.

My life lately...

So, there have been a few people ask me things lately that I thought I would blog about. And, just an update for my family who reads this =)

1. I was asked the other day why I don't advertise my blog through facebook or other ways whenever I post a new post. And so, here is my answer:

My blog is an outlet for me on what God is doing in my life and how my family and friends are helping me through this time in my life. I want people to read my blog because they feel led to, and not because I have told them that they should. I want God to work through my blog and I know that he can bring people to read this when they need to. It's not my job to get "viewers". So, that's why you will not see me advertise this blog anywhere =)

2. I had a friend ask me why I dress up for church but I don't always dress up for class.

Well, for me, church is a time for me to reconnect from the busy week with God. And, we are often referred to as the bridegroom of Christ. And on a wedding day, a bride dresses up for her husband out of respect for the occasion. So, on Sunday's, I dress up not because it is just what is socially acceptable, but because I want to dress for respect of my Father and the love and joy that he brings me. So, again, there you go =)


Life Updates as of Now:

1. I have been keeping two other blogs for my classes here on campus, and it occured to me that some of you might be interested in my thoughts from those classes and the issues that we discuss.
One class is my marriage and family class, and you can access my blog for that class here. This blog mainly deals with the sociological aspect of a family and marriage. Some of the issues are rather controversial, and so through that, I hope that you can see your own views and enjoy reading mine.

The second class is my Social Issues class, and you can access it here. I love this class. Probably one of my favorite classes I have ever taken and I would gladly take it again if possible. We mainly discuss issues that as teachers we will encounter and how we can be prepared to handle them. This blog really reflects my views on education and more to the reason as to why I want to teach.

Enjoy!

2. Lately, God has been working in my life and has continued to reveal His love and plan for me. I have heard over and over how as a potential teacher, I should be worried about not having a job, but God continues to give me peace about this, and that peace has been incredibly encouraging!

3. An opportunity has come up for me to help lead a bible study on campus, and I am so excited about it! I have been praying and I truly feel God blessing this decision, and knowing that I will have the chance to meet more people next year is very exciting!

4. I miss my family. So much. And each day reminds me of that. The fact that I miss them also shows me how rare our family is and how much love our family has...makes me feel so so blessed =)


Ok, so that's all that I have for you currently. I hope you have enjoyed this mini life update. If you have questions over any of the blog posts or more on anything in my life, please feel free to ask!

Hero.

Today is my daddy's birthday. I know that most people in this world claim they have the best father in the world, but it is in fact true that you are highly mistaken. You see, you are not related to me and do not have my dad as yours.

My whole life, my dad has been one of the most important people in my life. He is my rock and without him, I would not be who I am today. Let me share just a few memories of my father and I that truly add to why he is the greatest man I know:

* When I was younger and I would pretend to fall asleep in my daddy's arms just so he could carry me to my room.

*Cheetos and how my dad is "the greatest dad in the whole wide universe"

* Having him comb my hair after my bath when I was itty bitty.

*Learning that you cook with a towel over your shoulder

*Having my dad robe me my senior year

* Playing endless games of basketball. I used to not understand why he wouldn't let me beat him, but now I do. Thank you for that.

* Going on a road trip just him and I before I left for college...that trip is something I will never forget.

This list could go on, and this doesn't even begin to cover who my father is.

I mean, really, my dad is everything that I see in my Heavenly Father:

*He is a picture of love
*He is forgiving and compassionate
*He is a friend to everyone he meets
*He doesn't hold past wrongs against anyone
*He understands the importance of life.

My father is all these things and more. I love you so much daddy and I hope that you have an awesome birthday. I will see you in a few weeks.

Love,

Your favorite daughter
=)

Provision

God's provision has been on my mind a lot lately. Recently, my hours at work got cut and I am now making $200 less a month than I have been. I have been worried about how to pay for my bills, rent., food, gas, and so on. But throughout all of this, yet again, God has captured my attention.

It says in Matthew 6: 25-27:
"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?"

I read over this and have had my mind completely changed. I know that financial provision is a big deal, but my God doesn't stop at that. You see, my God is the provider of peace. He is the provider of love. He is the provider of comfort. He is the provider of my joy. He is the provider of happiness. He is the provider of faith. He is the provider of life. 

And in a way, when I focus on the areas in my life that my provision seems to be lacking, it's as if I have completely forgotten the areas of great provision my God has given me. 


I might not have that large amount of money in savings, but I have something greater that my Father has given me. 


I have love. 
I have joy. 
I have hope. 
I have comfort. 
I have strength. 
I have family. 
I have peace. 


I have my God. 
And that is the greatest provision I could ever have.

The Following is filled with extreme awesomeness-not for the faint of heart.

You read that correctly. This post might be too much for some of you to handle. In case you die from the amount of awesome that is to follow, I apologize; however, you were fairly warned.


This post is about the two people who mean more to me than anyone else I know. They have been my best friends through the best of life and the worst. They are without a doubt two of the most amazing women I know and I am beyond blessed to know them and call them my best friends.

And, my sisters.

Rebekah and Leah.

If you don't know them, you truly are missing out on life. Seriously. They are the greatest people I know and you might say I'm biased, but the reality is I didn't choose to be their sister, but I did choose to be their friend.

And that is the second greatest decision I have ever made.

Let me take a few seconds to briefly tell you about these two:

Rebekah:
She is my older sister and is completely amazing. I am constantly overwhelmed by her grace and beauty. She is a mother of two fantastic children and married to an incredibly Godly man. She is strong and very determined. She doesn't give up. She always has something positive to say and is never shy of a smile. When you are down, I promise that she is the one to contact. She is creative and artistic and is very musical. I am always amazed when I hear songs she has written, especially ones for her little kiddos. She forgives. She loves with all she has. She never turns her back on you. She is always there for you....no matter what.

Leah:
She is my sweet little baby sister. She means the absolute world to me. Just talking to her on the phone brings a smile to my face while also bringing tears because just hearing her voice reminds me of how much I miss her. She is very passionate. She loves to help others and desires to serve people in whatever way she can. She loves to be informed. She is constantly searching for more knowledge and is involved in several bible studies to help feed that thirst. She loves South America. If she could, she would be there right now. She is completely hilarious. Seriously, she is the funniest person that I have ever met. She can easily make you laugh in any situation. She is the sweetest person that I know and is completely genuine...always.

Both of them have completely changed my life. They will never know how much they mean to me and the impact that they have had in me. I will always look at them and be completely amazed at the fact that for whatever reason, God found me worthy to be their sister. Me. I still am so amazed that God chose me to have the relationship I have with them.

I could go on for years talking about my sisters and how much they mean to me. They are truly the most incredible people I know and I am so blessed to have them in my life. This past week was hard for me because I wasn't able to see or talk to my sisters much. Some people say that I should grow up and just deal with the distance. But my response to them is that they obviously have no idea what it means to be best friends with your sisters. No matter what. They are always there for me and I love them both so so so much.

Jesus loves the little children...

There have been a lot of things on my mind lately. I have been stressed so much with classwork and lots of personal things that have been going on. However, I have still found comfort. Let me take you through a day from work just this past week. In case you are unaware, I work at a child development center and work with children ranging from 18months to 3 years old.

For the safety of the children, I will only use initials for their names.


*When seen walking up to the doors of the school
S: Look everyone! Miss Hannah's here! Miss Hannah's here! Do you see Miss T? She's Here!!
(The entire time jumping up and down. She's two)

C: Miss Hannah, if I could reach you right now, I would come up there and kiss your face!
(He is also two)

C-a little girl about 1 and a half, has started saying my name. To her, I am : Miss Nana

E- hearing a little boy adopted from Ethiopia, who has only been in the US since January, laugh for the first time. That sound will always grab my heart.

T-Miss Hannah will you hurry up and get over here so that I can play with you? You have the best games
(He is almost 3)

A-Miss Hannah as soon as you get in the door I'm going to give you the biggest hug of your life!
(She's two)

K- You know Miss Hannah, you're really big. But I like you still cause you sit on the floor with me.
(He's two)

You see, regardless of the stress that I have going on in my life, the moment I am around my kiddos, all of that disappears. All of these conversations happened in just one day. You can probably tell why I love my job.

And I can definitely tell why Jesus loves the little children.