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.
Friday, July 5, 2013
Thursday, July 4, 2013
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
"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
Wednesday, July 3, 2013
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
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
Monday, July 1, 2013
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!
Sunday, June 30, 2013
iTeach.
Sorry for being away! Thanks to Lauren who commented telling me to come back, you are so sweet. :]
The reason for my hiatus is that I was at a teachers conference all week. I am an agriculture teacher and all of the ag teachers from around the state got together for this conference. We spent a week sharing ideas, learning about changes happening in our state, and celebrating our success over the last year. This is the first time I got to interact with a lot of these teachers since I am new this year and just joining the ag teacher family. The knowledge that some of them have is incredible but their willingness to share that knowledge with new teachers is incredible. I left feeling excited for the upcoming school year and confident in my career choice. There are 10 other people who graduated with me this year and every year at conference it's going to be like a class reunion. It was an amazing week and I learned so much. I can't wait for September!
The reason for my hiatus is that I was at a teachers conference all week. I am an agriculture teacher and all of the ag teachers from around the state got together for this conference. We spent a week sharing ideas, learning about changes happening in our state, and celebrating our success over the last year. This is the first time I got to interact with a lot of these teachers since I am new this year and just joining the ag teacher family. The knowledge that some of them have is incredible but their willingness to share that knowledge with new teachers is incredible. I left feeling excited for the upcoming school year and confident in my career choice. There are 10 other people who graduated with me this year and every year at conference it's going to be like a class reunion. It was an amazing week and I learned so much. I can't wait for September!
Friday, June 21, 2013
Friday's Letters || 3
Dear Mentor Teacher: There aren't enough words to express how thankful I am to have been placed in your classroom and to have been able to learn from you. I have grown so much since meeting you almost a year ago. I know that I would not have been nearly as successful without you. I am thrilled to now be teaching alongside you and I hope to make your life a lot easier in the upcoming years.
Dear Sun: I am liking what you have been doing to my skin the past couple of days. I know that you are about to go into hiding but I would really appreciate it if you'd stick around. You make life so much more enjoyable and you make me look good.
Dear Candy Crush: Why must you be so addicting? It is a good thing that there are limits to the amount of lives that you can have because otherwise I would have a serious problem. Your levels are so challenging and make me feel incompetent. Ease up a little, okay?
Dear Mom: Thanks for taking me shopping today. I love scanning the clearance racks for bargains with you and then using extra coupons to get the best deal. Thanks for teaching me how to find the cutest clothes for the best price, it's a life skill. :]
Dear H: I'm glad we got to have a quality girls night tonight. Mean girls, wine, baking cookies, && painting toenails was a winning combination. I'm glad we got to walk through this crazy journey of student teaching together and now we get the even crazier journey of our first year of teaching. I'm thankful for your friendship!
That's all for this week. Happy Friday!
-J
Wednesday, June 19, 2013
Midweek Confessions || 4
Here are some confessions from this week!
-I took a picture of the sky last night because it was 10pm and still light out. I am clearly easily entertained...I also really like summer.
-My life is already so boring that I go and visit the lady I used to nanny for (who I consider a friend) and her three girls for fun. They are 6, 5, and 4 and absolutely adorable. They completely brighten my day and sometimes hanging out with them is more fun than hanging out with people my own age.
-I can't resist chocolate. If there are cookies, brownies, or any other dessert like items in my house I eat it. I swear I didn't used to be this bad but lately I can't resist them. I have a serious lack self control.
-I am going to my first official teachers conference next week as a school employee! It is on the other side of the state and I am super excited. I hope that I learn a lot and get to make connections with lots of other teachers who can help me through my first year of teaching.
-I told myself I'd work out every day this week and I worked out on monday and then skipped it yesterday. Talk about dedication...not. Good thing I'm heading to the gym in a few minutes for a workout class. I'm desperately seeking motivation.
Have a happy day!
-J
-I took a picture of the sky last night because it was 10pm and still light out. I am clearly easily entertained...I also really like summer.
-My life is already so boring that I go and visit the lady I used to nanny for (who I consider a friend) and her three girls for fun. They are 6, 5, and 4 and absolutely adorable. They completely brighten my day and sometimes hanging out with them is more fun than hanging out with people my own age.
-I can't resist chocolate. If there are cookies, brownies, or any other dessert like items in my house I eat it. I swear I didn't used to be this bad but lately I can't resist them. I have a serious lack self control.
-I am going to my first official teachers conference next week as a school employee! It is on the other side of the state and I am super excited. I hope that I learn a lot and get to make connections with lots of other teachers who can help me through my first year of teaching.
-I told myself I'd work out every day this week and I worked out on monday and then skipped it yesterday. Talk about dedication...not. Good thing I'm heading to the gym in a few minutes for a workout class. I'm desperately seeking motivation.
Have a happy day!
-J
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