Midweek Confessions || 6

I'm linking up with E @ E, Myself, and I for some midweek confessions!

*My students want to go on an officer retreat for their club and i really, really, really, don't want to go camping. I am not big on the idea of cooking on a campfire, sleeping on the ground, and not showering....while being surrounded by my students for three days. Don't get me wrong, I love them...but can't we just stay in a nice hotel or something? 

*Big Brother is my favorite show of the summer. Watching people live in a house and do nothing with their lives? Sounds like a winner. You'd think I'd have something better to do than watch it THREE nights a week and read spoilers online in between. 

*I want to put flowers/plants in my classroom but am afraid they will die && it will look bad since I'm the horticulture teacher. 

*I'm not the best driver and when I was on the highway the other day I was reaching for my chapstick and swerved really bad into the other lane. Thankfully I was in the middle of nowhere and there probably wasn't another car within a mile so nothing happened. EXCEPT that my car started beeping and yelling at me and a little car with swirly lines came on the dash. I've never seen that before. Lesson learned, chapstick isn't that important. 

*I haven't straightened my hair in like 3 weeks and it's the softest it's ever been. I might continue to rock the messy buns just because I feel like my hair is so much healthier and stronger. 

Anyways that's all for this week! Happy Wednesday! 

-J

Jesus' Miracles

If I miss church on Sundays I love to listen to the sermons in my car when I am making long drives. Yesterday since I drove for almost 4 hours I decided it was the perfect time to catch up on the messages I missed from the past two weeks when I was on vacation.

Right now we are reading through the Gospels about the life of Jesus. Whenever I read these stories I am amazed by the love that Jesus has and all that he did for the people around him. He performed multiple miracles to make people believe in who he was and what he came here to do. One of my favorites is the story of feeding the 5,000. My dad used to reference this story when I was a kid and when I saw it in my reading I instantly knew what he was talking about. Jesus will always provide. He provided those thousands of people with their fill, it was a miracle. When he was in a boat in Sea of Galilee with his disciples they came across a storm. They were all worried that they would sink and drown but Jesus told them not to worry, to have faith, and he calmed the storm. This showed how powerful he was. Yes he could heal the sick, make the blind see, rid people of demons, but he also could control nature which was even more impressive to the people around him.

These miracles are impressive to read about, but I know that some people have a hard time making them relatable in real life. If I stop and think about my life, I know that I can see many miracles right in my own life. I have a brother who was born weighing less than two pounds. It was a miracle that he survived and now he is healthier than ever, just ran a marathon last weekend, and is taller than me! I decided to become a teacher and in student teaching I found that I was at the perfect school. There wasn't an opening there and I was discouraged and sad that I'd have to leave. One day I found out that the teacher in my subject area resigned and I applied, interviewed, and was hired. It was a miracle. Miracles are all around us if we open our eyes to see them.

In the sermon my pastor was talking about how Jesus is not a genie, you can't just call on him when you want and ask him to grant your wishes. It doesn't work like that, Jesus wants to be part of you life all of the time, not just when you need something. It made me evaluate my life, am I only calling on Jesus when I need him? Lately I have been striving to make sure to be more thankful than ever. I know that there are so many things in this life that I have been blessed with and it is important to take the time to thank Jesus for each of those gifts. Without him, I would have nothing.

What miracles have happened in your life? Thank God for them. What are you feeling blessed with right now? Thank God for the blessings.

Happy Saturday!

-J

Five on Friday

I am linking up with Darci to join in the fun of 'Five on Friday!' Today my edition is the five top things from my vacation. It seemed too short but I also was excited to come back home and start getting ready for the school year! Anyways, my top five!

1. Getting Tan! I came home considerably darker than I was when I left. I attribute this to a couple days on the beach and my devotion to soaking up the sun. Even though it was 90 degrees with high humidity I sucked it up in order to get some color.

2. Walking the Boards! I was nervous to see the Boardwalk after it was devastated by hurricane Sandy bur surprisingly a lot of it was up and running again. It was heartbreaking to see where the pier was that is completely washed away. Also my favorite arcade was swept into the ocean. It's weird knowing it isn't there anymore but I love the memories I have from that place.

3. Pontoon boating! My dad rented a boat for the day and we went out with my cousins, aunt, and grandpa. We used to do this when we were younger and at my Uncle's Cabin in Upstate New York. It was always a blast then and I am glad that it was just as fun this time around. It was a gorgeous day to be on the water, laugh with my family, and swim in the bay. We saw so many gorgeous houses, I wish I could live on the water someday.

4. Harvard! This school has so much history and touring the campus was the coolest thing. Plus our tour guide was awesome and gave us so many fun facts to take home as trivia tidbits.

5. Family! Nothing beats getting together with my cousins, aunts, uncles, and grandpa who I haven't seen in a year. It's amazing that even though we are apart for so long we always pick up right where we left off and have an amazing time together. I am so fortunate to have such a loving, fun, and supportive family.

That's my five! Off to visit my boyfriend for the weekend!

Boston.

My brother and I made a little trip up to Boston for a couple of days and it has been a blast. I haven't been here before and since I am such a history buff it is really cool to see all of the sights. I have picked out some of my favorite pictures to tell a little bit about our journey. 

In Boston we traveled along the Freedom Trail which is genius. They literally have a trail of bricks (or red paint) that you follow the entire way. It's great because then you don't have to have your map out and constantly be checking it. We were able to leisurely walk it and enjoy looking up at all of the architecture surrounding us. I bought those sparkly silver shoes yesterday and I LOVE how they look in the picture. To the right is Paul Revere's grave. We also went in his house and visiting the Old North Church where he hung the lanterns to warn the colonists that 'The British are Coming!" 

Before we got to Boston we stopped at Yale! I am a sucker for visiting colleges (even though I'm already done with college) and exploring their campuses. We didn't spend a lot of time at Yale but we stumbled upon a copy of the Gutenberg Bible (circa 1450) and a dining hall that looks just like the one that Rory eats at in Gilmore Girls. I'm not going to lie, I spent most of my time at Yale trying to picture scenes from Gilmore Girls and I wasn't too successful. I'm not convinced she actually went to Yale. 

In Springfield, Massachusettes there is a Dr. Seuss Memorial Garden and we couldn't resist. They had statues of Horton, Sam I Am, Thing 1 and Thing 2, and the Cat in the Hat. It was cute. 

           

As I mentioned above we love college so of course we went to Harvard. It was absolutely beautiful. I was amazed by the brick buildings and how pretty the entire campus was. We went on a tour so we got to learn about some of the history and that really made the campus come to life. I decided that I definitely liked Harvard more than Yale (the campus was easier to navigate, it was in a better location, their color is crimson...haha jk) but maybe I'm biased since we didn't do a formal tour at Yale. Regardless I'm glad that we visited.

Tomorrow morning we have a little more sightseeing then it's back towards my Dad's for a couple more days before we return home. I don't want to leave, vacation is too much fun.

What I'll be doing for the next 10 days...

• Walking the boardwalk, eating salt water taffy, new york style pizza, and sno cones. 
• Laying on the beach for hours soaking up the sun and working on my tan! 
• Catching up with my dad who I only get to see once a year since he lives on the other side of the country. 
• Seeing my grandpa, step-sister, cousins, aunts, uncles, nieces, and nephew who I haven't seen since lasts summer. 

• Eating way too much yummy food that is not nearly as good where I live. I'm already looking forward to bagels, dunkin donuts, sweet corn, chinese food, and frozen yogurt. 
• Road-tripping to Boston with my little Brother 
• Reading a new book
• Relaxing and enjoying some time away.

I'm off to the east coast for the next 10 days! I might have a few updates but I'm not sure. I hope everyone has a fun filled middle of July! 

6th of July Party

My 6th of July Party was a success! I have always wanted to do something fun to celebrate the 4th but didn't want people to have to give up their plans on the actual day so my idea of a '6th of July' party was born. I had some of my friends from college over, my brother had friends from his school, and my mom had some friends from work. it was a good group. but what really matters...the food!

First was this amazing trifle that my mom made. It's red velvet cake layered with vanilla pudding, cool whip, strawberries, and blueberries. YUM. The only thing that would have made it better would have been to throw in a few chocolate chips.

 I saw these strawberries on Pintrest and had to try them out. They didn't all turn out perfectly but they tasted delicious. Cupcakes were an easy and fun dessert that are so simple to decorate. Throw on some blue or red sugar and you're set. The little flags came with the cupcake papers in a pack from the dollar stores! Such a steal. 

The last dessert were these red white and blue rice krispie treats. I wasn't as successful in making these becuase I didn't properly measure out all of the ingredients so they were a little crunchy (not enough marshmallows) but the younger kids that at them still seemed to enjoy them. It was a great time and I was so happy to actually be successful in my fun food creations! 

Christmas in July

I think I've mentioned before that at my church right now we are doing a 'Cover to Cover' series in which we go through the entire Bible in about 9 months. Tonight we finally reached the New Testament!

Tonight I read about the birth of Jesus, a story we've all heard endless times, but I think it meant a lot more as I came across it quietly in my own personal reading. As I read about Mary I was struck by one of the verses when she said simply, 'I am a servant of God.' This was so powerful because she is a young woman who was just given news that meant her life was forever changed. She was going to become pregnant and give birth to the Son of God. Did she ask questions? Did she complain? Did she turn to Joseph and seek advice? Nope, she simply said that she was a servant and accepted the news.

Wow.

To me this really stood out and it made me think about times in my life when God might have been leading me somewhere. Was I willing to drop everything and serve the Lord? I honestly don't know if I have always been willing to do that. Reading this tonight made me see another example of someone so whole heartedly following the Lord and how beautiful it is.

But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.” - Luke 10-12

Happy Christmas in July. 

Nehemiah

I read this book a couple of years ago before I ever really studied the bible and when I returned to it in my reading this week I found some things that really stood out that I wanted to share.

"Do not grieve for the joy of the Lord if your strength." - Nehemiah 8:10

Joy is something that comes from the Lord. Even in the hard times it is important to remember that even though we are in the midst of hard times, the Lord still loves us and wants to see us full of joy. There are many things that we can allow to interrupt our joy but we have to push past them to see all of the things that we have to be joyful for. I pray that I keep my eyes fixed on the Lord, on all of my blessings, and on the joy in my life.

"Don't be afraid of them. Remember the Lord, who is great and awesome, and fight for your brothers, your sons, your daughters, your wives, and your homes." - Nehemiah 4:14

I pray that if I am given a task by the Lord that I have the strength to complete it no matter who my enemies are. I pray that I will take time first, in prayer, to ask for support and guidance and that once it is clear that this task is meant for me that I will be steadfast. Nehemiah did not give up on his task to help restore Jerusalem. Even when he was facing opposition and his enemies were right before him he first "prayed to out God and posted a guard day and night to meet the threat." (Nehemiah 4:9). In my life and I am working to make my prayer more intentional and constant throughout the day and Nehemiah is a reminder of the importance of this task. Whenever I face something in life, big or small, prayer should be the first thing I do.

"We will not neglect the house of our God." - Nehemiah 10:39

I pray that God is always first in my life and that I always provide him with a home in my heart.


Anyone else read Nehemiah lately or have any thoughts on this book? I'd love to hear!

-J

Midweek Confessions || 5

Linking up with E this week and loving this cute new button!

1- I am so tech savvy that I don't know how to make the button a link. I'm guessing it's in the html section and an easy little code but for now, I'm clueless. Brownie points for anyone who wants to fill me in so I don't look silly with the image that is just an image and the link in the words.

2- I have been saying that I would clean out my closet sine school got out an I still haven't gotten around to it. There are so many things in there that I haven't even worn in a year, if not longer, yet I can't bring myself to throw them away. It's the endless cycle of, 'well it' kinda cute...maybe i'll need it for something' and the something never comes.

3- Speaking of clothes, I decided today that i'm definitely stuck between being able to wear juniors clothes and women's clothes. You'd think that at 23 it would be easy to find cute clothes but I seriously struggle hardcore. It doesn't help that i'm super cheap and hate spending more than like $10 on a shirt. Even when I plan to go shopping and spend money I struggle to spend the money on clothes for myself. I need a shopping buddy with good fashion sense and who can make me buy things, asap.

4- I have no plans for the 4th of July but I'm having a party on the 6th and am way too excited. I bought all sorts of silly decorations and I can't wait to try out some pintrest recipes. I'll be sure to post pictures of anything that turns out. Usually when I try to have little parties like this they never turn out as fun as I am hoping so I hope that this time it's a little more successful. We shall see!

Have a safe and Happy 4th!

-J

Weekend Shenanigans

I'm linking up with Sami's Shenanigans to talk about my weekend!

I had the pleasure of experience Drum Corps for the first time this weekend. My boyfriend is super involved in it and has been for many, many, years. Music is his passion and seeing him in this environment makes my heart swell. I spent the day helping out wherever they needed me and then we got to go to a performance. For those of you who dont know, Drum Corps is, it's basically professional marching band. These kids (they have to be under 21) practice for weeks and then tour all summer spending most of their time sleeping on busses and gym floors when they aren't outside marching for hours in the summer heat. The shows that they produce are of such high quality. It was a blast to be a part of it, even though it was only a couple days, and to see what it's really like.

On Sunday my family went to the horse races. This is one of my favorite family activities because it is always a lot of fun. We bring a big picnic lunch, get a table, and snack all day in between betting on the races. The last two times that I've gone I have lost all of the money that I gave myself to bet with. This time...I got lucky! I won almost $100 on a $2 bet. For some people that might not be all that exciting, but I was stoked! I never win, and especially not win that big, so it was pretty neat. 

It was a pretty fabulous weekend and start to my summer!