Oh, What Joy!

God has blessed me with a precious church in which the pastor is God-fearing and preaches the truth, even when it's not popular. The Village Church has been a saving grace in my life and I cannot imagine being a part of any other body of believers. It challenges my thinking, gives me a place to serve, allows me to hold sweet babies while their parents hear the Gospel preached, introduced me to profound community through home groups, brings me life-lasting friendships, and provided the avenue in which my eyes were opened to God's love for the African people. It is simply home. 

Tonight my pastor, Matt Chandler, concluded our Advent series and I was overwhelmed by a specific text he read. He read from many texts in the Bible and said lots of convicting things, but this is what my heart held on to. 

"Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. ² And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. ³ And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He willdwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. ⁴ He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.” ⁵ And he who was seated on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.” Also he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.” ⁶ And he said to me, “It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. To the thirsty I will give from the spring of the water of life without payment."     ~Revelation 21:1-6 (ESV)

I don't know about you, but I am weary of the trivial things of this world. I am tired of the evil. I am sick of the sorrow and pain. I am worn down by the injustice. I am ready to be with my Lord. 

I am overwhelmed at how amazing the new heaven and new earth, that the Father talks about, are going to be. Can you even imagine? Well, neither can I because our finite human minds just aren't capable of imagining such glory. To be honest, that's okay with me. 

I am anxiously awaiting the day when He makes all things new. Oh, what joy! 

New Looks, New Books

Yay! I got a new position this year! We are now departmentalized and I get to teach JUST Reading/Writing! PRAISE THE LORD!!!!

So, with that great change I knew my classroom needed a great change as well. I pretty much live in my classroom so I wanted it to feel a little bit like "home". 

I moved things around, got a reading nook (duh, I'm a Reading teacher, we need somewhere comfy to sit), and changed some of my organization to accommodate 5 classes. 

Old...

 

New...

 

Old...

New...

(Not much difference.)

Old...

New...

 

 

Old...

New...

Reading Nook

Old "Welcome" Bulletin Board...

New "Welcome" Bulletin Board...

I must wonder aloud, "How in the heck did teachers make it before Pinterest???". Seriously. It is where I find many ideas for decorating, organizing, and lesson planning. This is one of my favorite ideas that I found this summer via Pinterest. 

Inspiration: Left......Real Deal: Right

This is a board that helps me keep track of where my students are located. I know that sounds crazy, but let me tell you, when a million people (okay, so twenty, but it feels like a million) ask you to go "here" and "there" while you answer a parent email, look at the lesson plans, think through what child is leaving early and what work they'll need, tell another child not to lean back in his chair, and stand on your head (okay, maybe not the last one) it can be difficult to remember who went to the Library ten minutes ago. Haha! This board is the solution to my problem and I love it!!! The kids love using the magnets and I "remember" everything I said "yes" to. ;)

Praying for a great year in a new position! 

 

Kenya: Round 2

Today is the day!!!! I get to return for TWO full weeks to the place that captivated my heart last summer! God is SO good to let me go back to Africa only five weeks after returning. He knows how my heart has been yearning to return from the moment I drove away from Naomi's Village. I love how intimately God knows us and cares about the little things that matter to His children! What an amazing God we serve!!!! 

Please pray for me as I'm there that the Spirit will speak to me and I will be obedient to His call! 

Much love,

The Wanna be Kenyan ;)

Quincy Cuteness

Need a smile today? Well have I got the sweetest video for you! 

One of my fellow Kenya trippers caught Quincy practicing "Happy Birthday" for that afternoon's "Bathday" festivities. He is seriously one of the cutest kids EVER and then to hear him sing this.......oh my gosh, melt your heart!!! 

I wasn't lying, was I? ADORABLE. You're welcome. 

I watch this almost every day because it just makes me that happy. Love.

Probably the Craziest Thing I Have EVER Done!

It's pretty obvious that I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE Africa. And I LOVED my trip to Kenya last month. I miss the sweet people of Naomi's Village every day. So, when an opportunity came up for me to go back to NV in Kenya, I of course jumped right on it. 

I am going back at the end of July for 2 weeks!!!!!!!!!

Can you tell I'm only slightly excited?!?! ;) Please pray that the Lord will graciously provide the money as He has done in the past. If the Lord lays it on your heart to give you can contact me here or through facebook.

I am waaaaaay into planning so this going-last-minute-thing is totally against my personality but I know I'm supposed to go, so I'm going! I know that He is going to do big things through this trip as he did a few weeks ago when I was there.

I am most looking forward to seeing the precious children and hugging them because I feel like I could never get enough time with them. Wouldn't you want to jump on a plane to see these beautiful faces?

Keeping It Kenyan: 1

My friends and I are all about traditions. So, naturally, I wanted them to eat with me and take me to the airport again this year. We decided on Chick-fil-a because I had to be at the airport at 9:30 in the morning. I got up at an un-godly hour (which I hadn't seen since school let out), finished packing, and was off on my Kenyan adventure. 

Me, Daniella, Kristy, and Deanna enjoying a Chick-fil-a breakfast! Yum! It was the perfect last American meal. :)

Then we swung by my parent's house and picked up my momma so that she could see me off also. 

We were each allowed two 50 lb. bags - one contained our stuff and one was STUFFED with supplies for Naomi's Village. With all of those bags plus carry-on bags, our group had about SIXTY bags!!!! And amazingly enough they ALL arrived in Kenya with us! Thank you Jesus! 

Side note: When packing I highly, highly recommend using eBags! I used them this year and last and seriously will never take a trip without them. While everyone else's stuff was everywhere, mine was neatly rolled in these handy bags. It made repacking when we left a breeze! Click HERE for a link to their website.

P.S. I am not a salesperson for this company, but I think I totally could be! ;)

My sweet friends (and mom) stayed with me as I checked my bags, got my tickets, and waited. It is SOOOO nice to have people "sending you off"!!!!! 

And then I was off to what turned out to be one of the best adventures of my life! Stay tuned for details of my time loving on the Kenyan people (and a few transplants too)! 

"Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to observe all that I have commanded of you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age."   

~Matthew 28:19-20 (ESV) 

Bittersweet

Well, I'm back in the States. While I am SUPER happy to be back in my comfy bed (especially because I am sick - and who wants to be sick in a third-world country), I am sad because I left the place that I love. My heart truly longs to be back in Kenya. 

God is good and He has a perfect plan for my life, so I know that He will sustain me here. I am excited to share the wonderful and unbelievable things that the Father accomplished during my trip. Like last year, I will post separate entries for each day once my body heals and the Lord helps me process all that I experienced. 

Thank you for your constant prayers and please continue to pray that the Lord speaks to me as I ponder all that HE has done. I'll leave you with this sweet saying that the orphans in Sudan and Kenya say: "God is good, all the time.......All the time, God is good." Yes and Amen!

Check It Out

Tomorrow is THE DAY!!! 

Visit our team blog while we are gone to check-up on us and how the Lord is working in Kenya. Thanks again for being prayer warriors for us! :)

ClickHERE for the link to the Kenya I Team blog.

What An Encouragement You Are!

Well, I leave for Kenya in about 2 1/2 days!!!!! I can't believe that I have waited an entire year for this day to come and it's almost here! I am overjoyed and thankful that the Lord is giving me this sweet opportunity AGAIN! He really is SO good!!!!! 

Okay, so now I need your help. More than anything I want this trip to be covered in prayer. Would you/your family please commit to praying each day or each time the Lord places it on your heart for me and my precious team? This would mean the world to me! Below are the specific things (in no particular order) that I'd like you to go to the Father about in prayer.

1. safety & traveling mercies (Our travel time from DFW to Nairobi will be about 25 hrs.)

2. team unity (We need to constantly honor and serve one another. This can be difficult because a. we are sinners and b. we will be together 24/7.)

3. strength & health (This gets challenging with the 8 hour time difference!)

4. changed & encouraged hearts for the precious people that we will be ministering to

5. our families in the U.S. (Many people on the team are leaving behind spouses and/or children or nervous parents. ;)

6. that time will not go by too quickly & we can soak up every amazing moment

7. for spiritual warfare to stay away from our team and those that we minister to at Naomi's Village

8. that I won't bring back a kid...haha! Just kidding! :)

 This is the one request that continues to weigh heavily on my heart each day as I prepare:

9. that the Lord will reveal to me if Kenya & Naomi's Village is the place that He wants me to go to do long-term missions (Please pray that my heart is sensitive to the Spirit & willing to obey)

Thank you SO much for walking along side me on this amazing, fabulous, life-changing experience to the place that God has burdened my heart for: Africa! I love and appreciate you! 

*Don't forget to "like" my status about this post on Facebook if you will commit to pray for me. My trip is June 14-25, but start praying now, please!*

Some More Pinterest Love

A few months back I had a post (check it out here) that shared some of the recipes I've tried and liked from the almighty Pinterest (okay, kidding about the "almighty" ;). Below are some things that I've since tried from Pinterest. 

I made these cute cupcakes for Chelle's lingerie shower. The decor was all pink/black zebra, so these matched perfectly! 

*Brownie/Strawberry Cupcake* 

I made these fun cake-in-mason-jars for Chelle and Martin's couples shower. I made one with chocolate cake and the other with strawberry cake. I also made my own cream cheese butter cream frosting to go along with the cake and I must say, it was the bomb! :)

Eventually, I want to try all of the recipes on my Pinterest boards. Obviously I can NOT eat all of these recipes by myself, so my home group members have become my guinea pigs. They are oh so sweet to try everything! 

*Chocolate Chip Cookie bars with a Caramel & Peanut Butter center.......absolutely sinful!*

 *Red Velvet Cheesecake Brownie*

I used Pinterest to give me ideas for my "end-of-the-year gifts" and it was a success! Here are the things that I've made.

 

*It "mint" so much to me that you provided snacks for our class during testing week!*

 

*Thank you for being an "ade" for our class*

 

*I gave these to my kiddos at the end of the year because we always checked our Math problems with Skittles.*

*This was SUPER easy to make, cheap, and works great!*

 This one is probably my favorite.

*It is cream cheese/caramel/heath bits apple dip all wrapped up cute. This taste amazing!!!*

You can check out the links to these fabulous desserts and gifts on my Pinterest under the "Tis Better to Give" and "Sweet and Tasty" boards. Enjoy and get to Pinteresting (hmmmm, is that a word???).

End-of-Year Fun

A few weeks before school ended we had Field Day, and it was one of my favorite days of the entire year! It was SO fun to just "let my hair down" and be a kid with my kids! ;) 

My girls thought it was HILARIOUS to hug me when they were wet.......oh how I love them!

 I'm only slightly competitive ;), so when it was our turn to play tug-of-war I was all about strategizing. Unfortunately, this little event led to really sore hands and back. Gosh, how old am I???

Such a memorable day! 

I can't wait for Field Day 2013!!!!!! 

Ready & Willing

I am ready to go to Africa.
You were willing to send me.

Thank you to everyone who is helping me get to Kenya in few weeks (16 days to be exact!!!). I was completely overwhelmed with the outpouring of financial support from friends, family, and co-workers. God is SO good because He pressed upon your hearts to send me to do His work in a place that I love so very much! Thank you for responding to that call. I am very happy to report that I have ALL of my money raised and I am simply waiting on the day to arrive!!!! Isn't that exciting?!?! :)

Just a reminder that once we are on the trip we will be blogging at this address: http://kenyateam2012.blogspot.com/

A Renewed Desire

Summertime!!!!! It is FINALLY here! I wasn't sure that I'd make it, but I did! 

As I look back on my first year of teaching I am amazed. Amazed by God's goodness. Amazed by the amount of work it takes to be a teacher. Amazed at how expensive this career is. Amazed by all that I accomplished and all that I did not accomplish. Amazed by all of the knowledge that I thought I had but actually gained this year. Amazed that I juggled teaching about 7 subjects each day. Amazed by the wonderful 5th grade team of teachers the Lord gave me. Amazed by how the Father hand-picked 20 precious children for me to shepherd. Amazed at how quickly it went by and at how slowly it drug along. Amazed that I am finished and I live to tell about it. Amazed.

These past 10 months have been a challenge. Of course, all good things take work and sometimes a little heartache. And pretty much every teacher I know says that your first year is always the hardest. (I'm praying they aren't lying!!! ;)  I had moments when I questioned why the Lord had lead me to teaching. There are many reasons why I love being a teacher, but let's not lie, this is a stinkin' hard career! The Lord answered my prayers and re-affirmed His will for my life on the last day of school. 

The story begins about 1 year ago when I returned from Africa. I LOVED my time in Sudan but I wasn't sure how the Lord could really use me and my experiences there. I was expressing this frustration to God one day and I felt Him tell me that my job is to share my heart with the children who would soon be my students. Hmmm. How was this going to make a difference? But, I obeyed the Lord's direction and pretty much talked every day about my love for Africa, missions, and the fact that there are children all over the world who need a home, love, food, and the sweet saving grace of Jesus. I had no idea what impact this would have on the 20 kiddos the Lord let me lead each day, but I knew that this was what I was called to do. My class seemed pretty interested (They even raised about $500 to help feed orphans around the world!!!), but the tediousness of the job began to shake my confidence in my ability to make a difference. 

Fast forward to last Wednesday at our Christian Character Awards where I presented each student with a character quality and Bible verse that I believe describes them. This day was such a blessing for me because it allowed me to focus on each child and how the Lord has uniquely gifted them. What a blessing to be able to encourage these children to use their gifts to further the Kingdom!!! I also asked the students where they see themselves in 10 years. This was SO fun (and sometimes hilarious) and the parents loved hearing these goals! The biggest blessing of the year comes when 7 of my students say that they want to be missionaries. I was blown away! I know that they are only 11, but I believe that I have done what the Lord wanted me to do by planting a seed of awareness in their hearts about missions. I had a few parents come up to me and say that their child had never spoken about an interest in missions until this year. This is when it hit me; the Lord was answering my prayers! He was reminding me why I became a teacher. He was showing me that the desire he put in my heart at the beginning of the year to share my love and His love for the nations with my students had paid off. He was renewing my desire to make a difference through teaching. 

What a mighty and faithful God we serve!!! Never give up on the dreams that the Lord has put in your heart. 

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."   ~Jeremiah 29:11

Almost There

Wow! My first year of teaching is almost complete! What a blessing. I am SOOOOOOOO ready for summer but I'm going to really miss my first group of babies. Okay, they really aren't babies anymore.......they are almost 6th graders! CRAZY!!!!! I would really covet your prayers during the next 3 weeks as I wrap up the year and tackle all of the stress. It is going to be an emotional time as this has been a challenging growing process this year. 

Here is the craziness I have to accomplish in the next few weeks.

1. Character Awards

2. Field Day

3. Zoo Field Trip

4. 3 more birthday celebrations (1 is mine, yay!)

5. Plan/create End-of-Year awards

6. Gifts for kiddos

7. Gifts for precious parent volunteers

8. Plan and execute an awesome lingerie shower and bachelorette night for my sweet cousin

9. Pack up my classroom

10. Finish grades for the year

11. Write letters to my kids

12. Help work on a baby shower

13. Keep preparing and planning for Kenya trip

14. Get my bridesmaid dress altered

15. Help with wedding stuff (Very exciting because we are SOOO close!)

16. Say goodbye to my students (definitely the hardest)

I am sure there are more things that I need to do but for now this is all that I can think of. When you think of it, say a prayer for all of your teacher friends as they enter a challenging and rewarding season. We are blessed to have this career but it is also one of the most difficult, in my opinion. 

My challenge to you: Pray for and hug a teacher this week! :)

Ahhh, Pinterest Love

I'm pretty much in love with Pinterest and all of the AMAZING ideas that exist there. My momma calls it the best free magazine. Agreed. So, here are some of my favorite recipes that I've found, tried, and loved from Pinterest. 

1. Biggest Loser Pancakes

   

 Recipe Link

2. Potato Bacon Casserole

 Recipe Link

3. Nutella Croissant Rolls

 Recipe Link

4. Peanut Butter Brownie Cups

 Recipe Link

5. Pumpkin Rice Krispies
(My kiddos loved this Fall treat.)

 Recipe Link

6.  Nutella Cupcakes 
 (A BIG hit with my home group last week!)

Recipe Link

7. Pretzel Hugs
(My students loved these at Christmas time.)

 Recipe Link

8. Chocolate Chip Cookie Cheesecake Cups
(Probably my favorite.)

Recipe Link

Now to get cookin' more new Pinterest recipes!