H is for...

  
   is for hope.



It's hard to believe that Christmas is over and both December and 2011 are nearing an end.  I'm in the middle of Christmas break right now and I have to admit that I am enjoying every second of it.  I'm sleeping in and snuggling back into my warm blankets instead of getting up to my alarm.  I'm sitting on the couch for hours enjoying the friendship of characters who greet me in the books that beckon to me.  I've been losing myself in lesson planning and getting excited about returning to the classroom next week.  I'm savoring the deliciousness of meals with dear friends and the even more sweet conversation that we have time to share.  Christmas break and December most certainly rank as one of the best times of my year.

December is a month of hope.  It's greatest sense of hope comes in remembering the arrival of our Messiah that very first Christmas.  I can only imagine the great expectation that Joseph, Mary, the shepherds, and the wise men felt as they gazed lovingly at the Christ child.  Jesus chose to step down from His throne in heaven to come live amongst us: the broken, the sinners, the needy, the weak.  Immanuel, God with us.  Such hope he brought to humanity with his birth.

December is also a month of hope for so many who begin planning changes in a new year.  2011 was a year filled with both happiness and sadness, hard work and play, and new beginnings and endings.  I am ready for the fresh start that 2012 will usher into my life.  I'm not too keen on making specific New Year's resolutions anymore.  Instead I'm setting some flexible guidelines for myself and a philosophy to live by these next twelve months.  I'm going to push myself to explore, to grow, to succeed, to fail, to love, to live with fullness, and most importantly to rely on God.

(www.pinterest.com - source unknown)

2011, thank you.  2012, I'm ready.
 

G is for...

is for growth.


God has been stretching me in a lot of different ways lately.  To be quite honest, it's rather uncomfortable and I'm not sure how much I like it.  I'm also quite aware that I don't have to like it, but it still is. 

I believe that God has a really big plan for each of us, and that sometimes He lets us hurt, be confused, and even ache because of that beautiful something that is around the corner that we simply cannot yet see.  I have absolutely no doubt that God loves me as His precious child.  I hold firmly in my heart the promise that He has "plans to prosper [me] and not to harm [me]" (Jeremiah 29:11).  Like a gardener who lovingly cares for each plant, I imagine my Father tenderly reaching down and pruning me so that I might grow as His child.  I'm really not sure what I'm supposed to look like when it's all finished.  A brilliant sunflower?  A mild daisy?  A fragrant rose?  I pray that He might make me a Proverbs 31 woman with such beauty as these reflecting from within her.     

I'm having some growing pains these days, and it's not because I'm getting any taller.  (Unfortunate, I know...)  I'll admit I'm highly curious as to what the Master Artist has in mind, but He isn't giving me a peek at the canvas just yet.  So I'm going to try to stop fighting it.  I will set my roots firmly in the fertile soil and foundation of His strength and the supporting individuals He surrounds me with.  I'm going to stop analyzing life so much and spend more time on my knees praying about it.  I desire that He stretches me, that He lets me grow to the potential that only He can see He has placed within my being.  One of these days I know I'll look back on this season of growth and be thankful to what brings me to that place.

F is for...

is for friendship.



The past few months, I have been relishing the beauty of meaningful friendships.  God has given us so many blessings in life, and I think that friends are truly one of them.  I'm continually grateful for my friends who have known me long enough to understand my greatest strengths and weaknesses and accept my totality with open arms.  They span the country from Virginia to Colorado, but they are always at most simply a phone call away.  They are teachers, students, stay at home moms, financial advisers, clerks, and nannies.  They are brilliant women who inspire me, support me, talk with me, and bring me many smiles and laughter.  They teach me that life, success, and adventure can take on endless forms.  We work hard, we play hard, and we know that no matter how divergent our paths might seem on a daily basis, I can be confident that they too will walk with me in both my celebrations and struggles.

On the other hand, I never cease to be pleasantly surprised by the joys that unexpected and unplanned friendships can bring.  I appreciate those individuals who have walked into my life and found a place in my heart.  It is such a beautiful gift to watch a new friendship grow before your eyes.  Perhaps we find that we are very much alike or that we are polar opposites.  I really think that God connects us to many types of people to help us learn to love one another in our many unique, wonderful versions.  To my incredible friends both old and new, thank you for the happiness you bring to my life!

E is for...

  is for energize!


This fall semester, three of my fellow teachers and I brought a fantastic, energetic program to over thirty third-fifth graders at our elementary school.  The non-profit organization and program, Girls on the Run, was developed to help girls develop self-esteem, good values, and healthy habits all while training to participate in a 5k race.  After weeks of activities and practice, our race day finally arrived.  We participated in the St. Nik Lauf 5k downtown yesterday morning.  It was a brisk, clear race day.  I am happy to say that 26 of our girls participated and all crossed finish line.  What an accomplishment!  I am so proud of their hard work, efforts, and overall dedication throughout the programs.  They were little shining stars yesterday!

Lined up to begin the race

Off we go!

Crossing the finish line with my two little buddies!

(Photos courtesy of www.racemyplanet.com)