Life update

Soo.. It's been awhile..

I knew I wouldn't be very good at keeping this up, but I didn't know I would be THIS bad.  Anyways, life update (This may be ALL over the place, but a lot has happened).

FIRST OFF, once again, God is ALWAYS faithful even when my faith is failing.  With everything life has given me lately God has made himself evident, and I am continuing to grow in my relationship with him daily.  It's been awesome and I love the encouragement from friends and family.  I have had enlightening conversations and experiences, which have helped my relationship and faith in God grow to capacities I didn't know I could ever reach.  I am excited to see how God continues to faithfully guide and direct my life so that I can serve him with everything I do!

Secondly, I have realized lately I have a REAL PROBLEM with selfishness.  I often times put my own wants and needs over others.. even though this is NEVER my intention it somehow has a way of coming out.  This is really a struggle for me, but now that I am fully aware of the problem I am completely focused on overcoming this.  In order to start with this, I have decided to start volunteering.  I have always enjoyed volunteering, but being busy with teaching, spending many weekends off doing other things, and just not being focused have taken me away from that.  I sent an e-mail off today to see if I can volunteer at a local women's shelter where women and children that have been in abusive relationships can stay.  LORD WILLING, this will work out and I will be able to offer my services to others who are in need!  Until I hear back, tomorrow I will be going to donate a turkey for Thanksgiving to a local radio station that is collecting them.  It's not much, but it's a start.  I would appreciate prayers for more opportunities.

And Finally, on to teaching!  Oh man, I'm about a third of the way through my first year of teaching.  It's hard to believe.  My year has been like a roller coaster.  Sometimes I'm so excited and like a thrill of a lifetime, and other times I just want to cry because I don't know what is going to happen next and I just want to get off.  THANKFULLY, God has helped me make it through.  It's a REALLY good thing I'm not a self-conscious person because if I was I would have some serious issues.  I have been told by my students that I am: gaining weight, need to find a boyfriend soon because I'm running out of time, and you don't really know how old I am because who knows what I look like under all that make-up.  It has become very clear to me that kids have no problem saying what is on their mind.  Even so, I still love them.  And HEY! at least a parent during a conference told me "you've got it going on!" haha, that comment helped make yesterday better :)

Teaching has been such an enlightening experience.  I have seen heartache in children that NO child should ever have to experience.  I have seen that different people need to be shown different kinds of love.  COMPROMISE is key.  You must put EFFORT in to build a relationship and you must FOCUS on that relationship in order for it to grow.  I have learned so many lessons on how to one day be a good mother.  Daily, I see how I can better support my own children one day and TEACH them and instill specific characteristics in them so they will be successful in life.  I am so blessed with this opportunity to teach and look forward for the rest of this adventure, both good and bad days!

Those of you that know me, know that I love quotes so here is a good one for the day:

God won't ask you to sacrifice anything that is bigger than the blessing He'll give you in place of it.

Until next time...<3

Where has the time gone?

I think my title about sums up my life lately.  I have NO idea where the past month has gone.  From new job orientation to actually beginning school, I really have no idea where each day goes.  

So, let me fill you in a bit :)

3 weeks ago, exactly, I began teaching in my very first 5th grade classroom.  WHAT AN OVERWHELMING experience.  I'm pretty sure I help my breathe and PRAYED all day the first day that the students would just get home safely and not hate me :)  MY PRAYERS WERE ANSWERED..that day at least!  I may not be as fun anymore, but hopefully one day they will thank my for it.  There were MANY times throughout school when I would question my decision to become a teacher, but the past 3 weeks have been such a blessing that with everything in me I can truly say that I made the right decision.  Do I teach everything I'm suppose to everyday?  Are my lessons always excited and engage so I hold everyone's attention?  Do I have the best classroom management?  Unfortunately, the answer to all of these questions are no.  BUT have I have students trust me?  Confide in me?  Question me?  Challenge me?  and laugh with me?  YES I HAVE! and what a wonderful feeling that is.  So far,  I have received an apple, a teddy bear,  a pack of graham crackers, various pictures/letters drawn for me, many headaches, and one bloody nose.  Was it all worth it?  YES.  I cannot see what the rest of the year has in store for me AND my students.  I love learning from them and cannot wait to see how they each grow throughout the year.



Right now I am wanting:
1.  a day to catch up on sleep, my reading, and vitamin D :)


2.  I need my food to digest so I don't feel so full.  Also, I NEED to get these data notebooks and files organized.  OH, I just never get a break :)


Until next time...

I'm leavin' on a jet plane...

Well,

The time has come for the first vacation/last vacation of the summer.  Off to Florida in the morning and I couldn't be more excited.  So excited in fact, that my younger brother and I have decided to stay up  attempt to stay up all night.  We will see how that works out for us...

Just a few things to think about...

Why do bad things happen to such good people?

A friend of mine lost his father about 2 years ago, and then yesterday, lost his mother.

Today, in Atlanta, there was a shooting.  One woman was killed. and 2 innocent girls we shot.  One in the leg and one is now paralyzed.  I met the girl who is now paralyzed at a wedding about 3 weeks ago.

Who KNEW that was in her future?

It really doesn't seem fair, does it?

But then again, that is the age old saying.  Why do bad things happen to good people?  Thankfully we know God is in control, even if we may not understand the way things are at time.

It reminds me of the song by Laura Story - Blessings.  If you haven't heard it definitely listen to this.

Unfortunately, the misfortune of others often help us to once again remind us of all the blessings we have to be thankful for.. even if they may not always come in the forms we may hope for.

Today I am:

Wanting:  Vacation to hurry up and get here.

Needing:  To finish packing.. its already 2 am!!! Oops!

   

Already bad at this...

OK. So, it's official.  I'm already a bad blogger! It's been about 2 weeks since my last post.  OH WELL, maybe that means I'll actually have something to say.  We'll see where this goes.

To BEGIN - I just got off work, and YES, it is 2 am. Ah, got to love it... only so it's not so horrible :)  I just ate some delicious left over dinner that my mom left in the fridge because she is gone to Ohio for a week.  MISS HER!  Anyways, tonight at work was wing night.  Pretty hectic/crazy night.  I burned my thumb and probably have a 2nd degree burn! Well, maybe not, but it looks like I have a growth coming out of my thumb :( I'm sure it will heal quickly though, so I will be completely healthy for our FAMILY VACATION to Florida this weekend :) YAY!!

Now, in order for me to enjoy this vacation there is one MAJOR and I mean MAJOR thing I need to get done so I can completely relax and that is... DRUM ROLL PLEASE....

OFFICIALLY DECIDE IF I'M GOING TO TAKE THE JOB I'VE BEEN OFFERED .

AH - I haven't heard from the school in a WEEK. SO, It's very annoying.

Oh and just to let everyone know...

LIFE IS CRAZY.

I graduate college, and I'm afraid no one will want to hire me. So, I wait.

I get offered a job, but don't know if I want to take it.  So, I wait.

I make up my mind (in my head) and hear NOTHING from the school. So, I wait.

So, this is me, just waiting....

An interesting day..

Hmm.. So, what happened today?  Or more like what didn't.  Today was probably one of the most eventful/noneventful days of my summer, so far.  

I woke up this morning and ran errands with my mom.  I really appreciate the time I get to spend with her/my family.  I see all my friends moving, getting married, or even crazier, having children.  I don't see any of those happening in the near, really near future, but I do see them happening, so I'm trying to appreciate the time I with them.

After running errands, I began getting ready for work.  While getting ready I got a phone call from the first and only teaching job interview I have had so far.  Unfortunately, I did not get the position, but the principal said I was in the TOP 3!!  I was pretty excited about this since it was my first interview and she said I was the only top 3 candidate with no teaching experience.  So, although I was complimented, I still felt disappointed because I just want to be a TEACHER!

Lucky for me God has specific plans for my life... and later on in the day he would reveal another opportunity for me.  

While at work, I got a call from another school asking me for an interview for a 5th grade teaching position.  God is so faithful, and I need to work on trusting him.  When one door closes, he always seems to have something else lined up waiting for me.  I'm not saying I'm confident that I will get this job, just very thankful for another opportunity.

So today,

I want ... to see my friends

I need ... to go to bed!!
 

Just another day..

Unfortunately, for me, it seems that Mondays are NEVER fun days.  It's always difficult to get the week started again, especially after such wonderful weekends.  This weekend, I got to spend a lot of time with one of my sweet, sweet friends, Kacie, who married the love of her life on Saturday.  It was quite possibly the sweetest wedding I've ever been to.  I would post pictures, but I left my camera at home... so, maybe in the future.

Anyways, today was just a lazy day.  I slept in, which was HEAVENLY after such a busy (but wonderful) weekend, ate lunch with my wonderful mother, watched Step up, read a little bit, and then spent my evening at work. Other than that, nothing exciting.

Today,

I want ... a sunny day tomorrow so I can lay out at the pool and catch up on my reading.

I need ... tomorrow to be busy at work, so I can make some moneyyy :) (that may be more of a want than a need, but money is needed, so we will leave it like that for now)

Wow, my first blog ever...

I cannot believe the day is finally here.  I OFFICIALLY have my own blog! I've always wanted my own, but life usually got in the way and for some reason or another I never got around to it.  Well, I'm trying out a new motto:  "There's no time like the present."  So, I figure I better not waste another second.  

I was really nervous coming up with a name for a blog.  I feel like that's a pretty big deal.  I decided on the name of "What A Girl Wants" after finishing the book "What A Girl Wants" by Kristin Billerbeck.  

 

It really helped put things in to perspective for me.  If you haven't read it, but are feeling down about your love life, confused on life decisions, or pretty much anything for that matter - it's a great read. My goal with this blog is to say 1 thing I WANT every day, and then distinguish the difference by saying 1 thing I NEED depending on what I may need that day.  I feel like often times we get so wrapped up in the craziness of life that we forget to distinguish the difference between our wants and our needs.

So, for today:

I want... to fall in love.

I need... to figure out my work schedule for the week.

Well, until next time...