Butterflies

I'm starting my 4th year as a Kindergarten teacher and it's so hard to put this time of year into words!  We have been back for a week preparing the classroom, team building with our staff and learning new techniques that will make things easier this year. I prayed over my room and each individual little chair knowing someone's pride and joy will sit there scared or excited or nervous in a few short days.  I have eaten less this week just for the sheer fact that there just doesn't seem to be time and sleep decreases as my mind is unable to stop thinking of all the things that need to be done and all the possibilities this year holds.  The closest thing I can compare it to is the beginning of a new relationship. I get those same butterflies in my stomach just thinking about this upcoming school year! You should have seen us when we got our class lists! You would have thought it was Christmas morning based on how giddy we all were! I think all of that shows that teaching truly is a passion and starts in our hearts! 

But that is the romantic side of teaching!  Every relationship eventually hits the disillusionment stage and for kindergarten teachers, that is the first day of school!  I'm sure you've seen the memes comparing kindergarten to starting a blender with the lid off or the little boy trying to get all the kittens on the blanket or, my personal favorite, watching Arnold Schwarzenegger in Kindergaten Cop attempt to wrangle all those kids! Sadly, every single one of these is spot on!  

Kindergarten brings about challenges in those first two weeks no one can prepare you for!! Will I have any criers? Will the same tricks work this year? Will I have any parents that just won't say good-bye? How many of them will have an accident on the carpet? Do I have what it takes again this year? Best case scenario, they all come in sit quietly and are ready to start their adventure in school. Worst case scenario, they are all up out of their seats, not listening, tearing up my room, crying in the corner with a few parents still hanging around crying as well! Either scenario is completely probable and that uncertainty brings about the butterflies in my stomach!!  

Kindergarten has such a different start than the other grades, but I wouldn't trade it for anything! The babies that walk in next week will walk out completely different and it's a privilege to be a apart of it! So, extend a Kindergarten teacher a little grace, or Starbucks, the next several weeks! I guarantee she is a little frazzled!!

  

Welcome to our home!

Richard and I have the honor of hosting a youth group from Dodge, Tx in our home this week.  We have been on many mission trips where we have stayed in host churches and host homes, but never have been a host home, so we have been so excited for this week. 

As we sat together last night visiting and praying for their upcoming weekly activities God flooded my heart with humility and grace. In both of our previous lives neither of us had big families so a big house wasn't a necessity and therefore the space to host a multitude of people just wasn't available. When we joined together and realized a 3 bedroom 2 bath house was no where near big enough we started praying BIG! I know I've given our house testimony before, but I love it so let me share it again!

For over a year we prayed. There are not too many places that could fit all of us so we asked for something big and spacious and somewhere youth would enjoy.  I remember a lady at church coming up to me and praying with me and telling us she kept hearing the words "more than enough".  We clung to that promise so many times when we began to doubt! We found our dream house and looked at it several times. I knew it was built just for us, so much so that I prayer walked it every time we went to look at it!  But the house we were in just would not sell. 14 months later our house got an offer and we were excited only to find out that our dream home was off the market.  We live in a small community so we started asking around about it and found out it had not sold but just taken off the market. So, in my mind, there was still hope!

Our daughter ended up running track with the owner's niece so Richard found  them at a track meet to see if they were still interested in selling and they were!!  And 3 months later it was ours! Only God!

Our first month in the house we had our Lifegroup over and they prayer walked our home and gave us such sweet words. We know that we were given this home to bring joy to others. As I sat there last night hosting the first of hopefully many youth groups I was reminded of that and how He is so good and so faithful!  

Isaiah 62:4 is one verse that was given to us that I think fits perfectly:

"It will no longer be said to you, "forsaken," nor to your land will it any longer be said "desolate"; But you will be called "My delight is in her," and your land "married"; For the Lord delights in you, and to Him your land will be married."

Anniversary Trip

Richard and I were lucky enough to be able to get away for a few days to celebrate our anniversary! This summer has been filled with mission trips and youth trips and lock-ins, which all have been wonderful, but we needed some time to recharge!  Most relationships have those foundational years to connect, just husband and wife, before kids enter the picture, but we were not given that luxury. We hit the ground running with 5 kids, jobs, ministries, etc... Our alone time is paramount to keeping our marriage strong as we continue to lay a strong foundation, even 3 years in. We are blessed to have these opportunities  and don't take them lightly! 

Big D was our destination.  We checked into our hotel and our room number was 719...which is our anniversary! I love God's holy surprises! 

We went to dinner and a comedy show the first night.

Day two was a Ranger's Game and time at the pool. 

Day 3 was a lot of sleep!! This hotel had the fluffiest pillows and softest terricloth robes. It was so relaxing!

Then we went to dinner and to the top of Reunion Tower!  Neither one of us had been up there so that was fun to experience together!

With only a few weeks remaining of summer break this trip was such a treat! Happy Anniversay, Richard! 

Arkansas 2016

We returned to Arkansas again this year for the youth to lead a kids camp. They did an amazing job. They have been preparing for almost 6 months and to see the week play out was so rewarding.  They led bible studies, they led rec teams, they preformed skits and taught about missions. They truly were the Lord's vessel this week and I'm so proud of all of them.  Richard and I could not ask for a better group to lead and work along side!

We left early Saturday morning and Jasmine and I drove the truck with our three little ones.

Road trip are always fun with these girls!

We arrived at a host church Saturday night and it was nice to relax after a full days' travel. The boys loved playing ninja with the kids.

Troy and Kelby met up with their friends from last year and Troy was asked to help Wyatt with the offering! I love that they have made friends across state lines! 

The following day we arrived at the campgrounds and began to set up and decorate for the campers.

We spent some time that night praying and washing each other's feet as we prepared our hearts to spend the week serving others.

When the campers arrived the boys immediately hooked up with their friends. Troy and Kelby loved ping pong.

Teague loved dodgeball!

The week flew by filled with lots of activities, dress up nights, games, etc...

Luau night

Neon night

Richard with our camp pastor J-Flo.

The week was so much fun and completely draining, both physically and spiritually!

But after the campers left we decided to go over to Eureka Springs to watch The Great Passion Play.

We had a great trip and I know God not only worked through us to reach those campers in Arkansas but He also worked in us as we served like Jesus all week! 

Boot Camp

Today I had the opportunity to share my testimony at a boot camp that Tanna leads.  She asked several weeks back and I jumped at the chance given that my word this year is Lead.

This week the ladies were discussing different pressures that women place themselves under. Earlier in the week Tanna had them fill backpacks with a rock for each pressure that they feel they are under. Some were heavier than others, but all of them had multiple rocks in their packs.

This morning the ladies showed up with full backpacks ready to work.  I was able to share a few of the things God has done in my life and we talked about how those rocks, pressures, weigh us down, distract us, make us tired and irritable. We talked about the only One who can take those rocks but we have to be willing to lay them down...and how Holy Spirit can empower us to NOT pick them back up!

The last half of the workout the ladies took out one rock at a time and layed it at His feet! It was so amazing! Then we talked about how we have to choose Jesus daily. Choose to spend time with Him, choose to listen to Him, choose to obey Him! Otherwise we find ourselves reaching for that same bag of heavy rocks! And Christ did not come and die for us to tote around baggage!  The last rock the ladies had to actually go and get. It was at the top of the bleachers and it represented choosing Jesus.

It's not always easy to pursue Him, but it is always worth it!! All the ladies did an amazing job and I was humbled God would use my story to continue to reach others! It's always a blast doing ministry with Tanna and today did not disappoint! He is faithful to draw near to us when we draw near to Him!