Reflecting Inward First

As is the monthly tradition at my church, communion was taken today toward the end of our service. I find communion to be a very beautiful and mysterious activity, one which I feel is shared amongst myself and fellow believers surrounding me yet is also a very private and real moment of reflection and thanksgiving between me and God. Our time of communion today followed the pastor's message on the beginning of the book of Jonah. I was very touched by his teaching today because he really helped me make some personal connections to a story that had always seemed a little bit distant to me. (God calls Jonah to take a message to the evil city of Ninevah. Jonah doesn't want to go, runs from God, is thrown overboard, and is swallowed by a giant fish. Jonah realizes the mistake he has made in running from God's calling in his life and is given another chance.) As the pastor spoke, he helped me realize that virtually everyone has run from God in some form or fashion at one point or another in their lives. This combination between the message and a time of reflection in communion really made me think. It is so easy for us as humans to locate the flaws in another's character. "I can't believe he told a lie right to my face!" or "She really has no control over her words. I can't believe she said that." Yet just as I recently reminded my students, when you are pointing at someone else, you have four fingers pointing back at you. Today reminded me that it should be my priority to recognize areas in my life that I can improve on instead of sweeping them under the rug or worrying about anyone else. We can't ignore them and keep running away from this recognition. I also don't think we should be ashamed that we each have areas of weakness or ugly places in our lives that need fixing. The older I get and the more of life I live, the more I realize that people who act like they have it all together 100% of the time are just really good actors. We are all human and I am deciding that I am going to be real. I'm going to reflect inward first and not pretend that it's all perfect. I'm going to find those places that needs His refining and let the beautiful work begin...

Spring Fever

I am beyond happy that Spring is here. As I sit typing, I am soaking in the beauty of each ray of sunshine that is sneaking through my bedroom window. It seems that it was a rather long winter this year. Perhaps it was the abundance of snow and ice that continued to blanket the Midwest or the incessant winds that blew. Nonetheless, I think I can speak for us all when I say that we definitely had a critical case of spring fever that has finally been cured.

After a great morning of sleeping in, I was able to have a productive afternoon. I can now check grocery shopping, laundry, and cleaning off my mental to do list. This evening I will have some time to spend with my boyfriend and friends before preparing for another great week of teaching fifth grade.

Speaking of fifth grade, I got to experience my first fifth grade camp field trip the last three days. Our entire grade level spent several days at a nearby camp in the great outdoors. I felt so fortunate to spend a few of my workdays in the beautiful outdoors hiking, playing educational games, and learning right alongside my students as our trail guides taught about using compasses, birdwatching, eagle's nests, and wild mint to name only a few pieces of the fun knowledge we gained. It just helped to strengthen my belief that letting kids get outside and experience nature is so incredibly important. Suffice it to say, I had a blast and am already looking forward to next year's trip. It also make me rather antsy for summer to arrive so that I can make some trips down to my very favorite camp in the whole world, Indian Creek. Although I won't be spending this summer working on staff as I did last year, I am looking forward to volunteering as a cabin leader for a few days and popping in to see many of my close camp friends.

In addition to this wonderful field trip, I only recently returned from a fabulous Spring Break trip to South Padre Island, Texas with some of my prior coworkers. Although we had to battle some cloudy weather, we were able to spend countless hours in our beach chairs reading book after book and soaking up tons of warmth and sunshine. One unique highlight of the trip arrived unexpectedly as we were trying to pass the time the one day with unusually cool weather. As we drove down the main road of the island, we decided to stop at the sea turtle rescue center. I was able to see a number of injured sea turtles that had been rescued and which were either being cared for indefinitely at the center or being nourished for a future release by the scientists there.



Spring Break and being outdoors makes me anxious for summer to arrive. I can't wait for country concerts, outdoor get togethers with friends, helping my dad in the flower fields, and the many other nostalgic activities that the summer months bring. It will be here before we know it!

Sorority Girl

As a high school senior, the option had never really crossed my mind that I could choose to join a sorority in college. However, upon visiting Hanover for a scholarship competition weekend and staying as a guest of my hostess at a sorority house, I was intrigued by the sisterhood that I saw during my brief time there. When I arrived as a fresh face on campus the following fall, I found that Hanover offered four unique, vibrant sisterhoods of women. Each of these sororities were full of talented, smart, and involved ladies who were eager to get to know me and see if I might fit into their sisterhood as well. The thing that I appreciated so much was seeing how these organizations debunked the sorority stereotypes that are so prevalent in movies and TV shows. Instead, I learned of their focus on academics, traditions, philanthropy, and growing as a sisterhood. Throughout my freshman fall semester, I spent time weighing the pros and cons of each sorority for myself and had the privilege of joining Chi Omega the following January. At the time it was a bit of a decision to choose which house to dedicate myself to for the rest of my college career; in retrospect, however, I can't imagine my college days without very fond memories of time spent with my sisters.

One of my very favorite things within our sorority are the "families" made up of sisters of various ages. Each new member (or little sister) is given a big sister. These Big and Little pairs are kept secret as the big sisters shower their littler sisters with various gifts and snacks leading up to revelation. Long after the Big and Little pairs are revealed, family bonds can have a lasting impact on one's sorority experience. For me, I am still very close to my big sister. In fact, she is a fellow teacher at my school. Additionally, my little sister and I stay connected and visit one another even though we live a few hours apart from one another.

This past weekend, I was in for a real treat. I was able to meet the newest addition to my sorority family over dinner at the Cheesecake Factory. I was the oldest in attendance and spent a wonderful meal with five other generations of our family. It was so neat to me to see how connected we are even though we span such a range of years and ages at this point in our lives.



Although I am not as involved in my sorority as I was during my collegiate days, it has helped build me into the woman I am today. I am forever thankful for the times I spent in my chapter of Chi Omega and the ways that it keeps touching me in a positive way even now.

Sun, Sand, and the Waves Rolling In

The weather has been a bit fickle lately. One day it's warm enough to go outside without my coat or simply wear a light jacket. The next I find myself zipping up my winter coat and eagerly pulling on my gloves as I start my car in the morning. Nonetheless, the sunshine and springtime warmth bring promise of more such days to come. I'm currently on the countdown to Spring Break. I'm very thankful as a teacher to be blessed with some wonderful time of rest and relaxation throughout the school year. In only a little more than a week, I will be packing my suitcase and heading south to Texas with four of my good teacher friends. I'm very excited to be taking a trip somewhere new. The greatest extent of my experiences in Texas were summed up in an airport on my way to Mexico as a college student. This time I will be settling down for the week and taking in the ocean as it laps up on the Texas shore. I must admit that when I go to the beach, one of my very favorite pastimes is the pleasure of hours to read a good book. With such a love for reading, I try to make time in my usual weeks to read here and there, but there is something so fabulous and freeing to know that I can lay on my beach towel and read for as long as I like. And then of course there is the plane ride there and back. So much time to enjoy. In honor of this, I placed an order for three new books on amazon this evening. These include Blue Like Jazz by Donald Miller, Forgotten God by Francis Chan, and Bittersweet by Shauna Niequest. I chose these three books because of recommendations by others or because I have previously read and enjoyed a book by the author. (I just finished Cold Tangerines by Shauna Niequest and absolutely loved it. It was beautifully written and I suggest it to other readers.) As the days pass by and the trips draws nearer, I will be eagerly checking the doorstep for the arrival of these new books. Hope you are making time in your schedule to read or take part in the activities that bring you joy too!

Step Up and Make a Difference

As of late, I have definitely gotten into buying products here and there that help support a worthy cause. Back at Christmas, I bought jewelry for a few friends that was made by Ugandan women and raises money to send their young girls to school. Cool jewelry and support of a noble organization. Too neat, right!?

This morning I picked up a package that had been delivered to our door. Inside was a very unique pair of shoes I had ordered. The purchase of my new TOMS means that their company will give a pair of shoes to a child worldwide who is in need. Their website explains how many illnesses are picked up by these individuals in poor countries simply because they walk around without shoes. If I'm going to buy items anyways, why not choose ones that look cute and let me step up and make a difference too!

Check out the TOMS website by clicking here.

Here is a picture of the beautiful TOMS I ordered. I contemplated choosing a more neutral color to add to my spring and summer shoe collection. Then, I decided that life's too short not to buy the pretty pink ones that will make me feel like a ballerina. Even if I'm grown up, I still like to feel like a pretty princess. I can't wait to sport them in warmer weather when I head to Texas on Spring Break in a few short weeks!



How are you stepping up and making a difference? Please post and comment if you have found any other great items or products that make a difference for others in our world and are stylish too. I'd love to hear about it!

Birthday Blessings

I turned another year older just the other day. It's funny how once you reach a certain age, a birthday is nice but it just isn't quite such a big deal anymore. I once read a great quote that I think about when it comes to birthdays and age. It said, "If you didn't know how old you were, how old would you be?" Age is only a number; it's the life and fullness that you allow into you day that determines your inner age. Some days I think that I might fall right there with a little kid, yet in other moments I'm pretty sure I'm the age of a grandma. I can't help that I like going to bed early and crocheting!

Anyhow, I had a really wonderful birthday weekend. On Friday my mom came up from home and I went out to eat with my family and boyfriend. The food at Bravo was absolutely delicious. I completely recommend it to anyone who enjoys Italian. There was nothing better than finishing it off with birthday dessert of creme brulee. Yummmm. On Saturday I headed out of town to Cincinnati to visit a few friends. It was great to catch up with an engaged couple I know well who recently bought a home. After that, I drove to my sorority little sister's house who took me as her guest to the Cincinnati Pop Orchestra's concert called "Pop Goes Celtic." We had a wonderful time listening to the orchestra accompanying a fantastic Canadian Celtic group called Leahy. This group consists of eight very musical siblings who play instruments ranging from the guitar to the drums, to the violin. They also are all very talented at a style of dance called French Canadian step or something of the sort. It was really fascinating to watch their feet and legs moving and tapping in such amazing unison. Finally, I ended the weekend by again going out to eat with family and friends. We enjoyed a wonderful lunch of sushi. Although it was a fast paced weekend, it was such a blessing to spend it with such special people in my life.

Written from Heart to Heart

I always feel a little bit disconnected from people who tell me that they don't really like to read. I'm not saying that there is anything wrong with this. I'm sure, say an excellent basketball player, doesn't really get me when I say that it just isn't a game that I have fun playing. It just isn't my sport. I definitely enjoy watching it and loved cheering for it, but the ball and hoop just aren't my friends when I'm the player shooting. So when someone tells me that reading just isn't something they enjoy doing, that's alright. I, however, can't quite connect with that feeling because reading DEFINITELY is my thing. Ever since I was little, I have had a love for books. I can recall my mom encouraging the inner reader in both my brother and me as she lovingly took us to the local library and let me sit in the bean bag chair while reading those books that had very little plot and depth but were very readable for young minds such as mine. As a few years passed, she continued to feed this hobby by agreeing to buy us books at the bookstore if we were reading them. What a mistake on her part. If she still kept that up today, we would have broken the piggy bank.

Sometimes I pick up a book and am challenged by it. Whether it be a difficult plot, characters so unlike myself, or written in an old time style unlike today's language, I may feel that I fight my way through the chapters as if I were in a wrestling match. Now and then I might give up on it and put it down. This past summer I read a book about teaching reading to children so that they can truly learn to love to read. It really spoke to me when the author suggested that we teach kids that it's ok to put a book down and move on to a new one. Every book isn't a good book, and every book is not for me. I like that thought.

Other times though, I pick up a book and feel that I'm reading a letter straight from the author that was written just for a heart like mine. Yesterday as I sat curled up reading little anecdotes by an author about experiences in her life, I found myself laughing, smiling, and almost in tears as I connected with the feelings and dreams that spilled onto the pages. I love reading when you can't help but feel that after spending time in the pages, you've just spent time with a dear friend. I won't say that every book or even the majority of books do this for me, but that's what makes the experience such a treasure. Now and then, I find in the pages of a book a little gift written from heart to heart. It's those moments that make reading my kind of thing.