promises promises

So I'm sitting here in the hospital room, and I thought what a perfect time to keep my promise of blogging more.

I'm exhausted. Work has been busy this summer. It's awesome because we have so much amazing stuff with our sweet kids, but it's definitely tiring me out.. Please don't think I'm complaining- I'm not in the least. This is the best job I've ever had and I truly love every minute of it.

But when I'm not in the office, I'm down at the medical center with my mom. The 45+ minute long drive is definitely not fun, but there's this one part of the drive that makes it totally worth it. It's right when you go around this big curvy-loop thing (really technical term, I know), and I'm sure there's an exit or road or something I could name to identify this better, but I really don't know the names of anything in downtown because I avoid driving there any chance I can. But anyway, when you're going around this big curvy thing, there's just the most amazing view of the Houston skyline. It's breath taking. And there's this one specific moment when I look at all the buildings and I just feel so small. So insignificant. It's humbling and reminds me that there are so many things in this life bigger than my issues. Like maybe, just maybe, there's other people and places and things that matter more in this life than I do... shocking I know.

All of that to say, it reminds me of how great and magnificent our Creator is. And to think I'm just this small blip on his radar.. and yet He still loves me. Not much better than that.

---

I just went on a walk with my Mom down the hall. Please keep praying for her complete healing. We are going on over a week now that's she's been in the hospital..

However spending all this time down here has given me a chance to catch up on my reading list. I just finished The Pioneer Woman.. I love that book. I've always adored her blog, but the book was just wonderful. It made me want to marry a rugged cowboy and have his little rugged cowboy babies. I'm starting The Help next.. I've heard just perfect things about it.

Do you have any book suggestions for what I should read? Anyone? Does anyone besides my mom even read this blog?

xoxo

oops.

I did it again. (ignore the Britney reference). I deserted my poor little blog. Not that the four of you who read this have noticed, but I still feel like a terrible mom for neglecting my little baby blog.

So since my last post..

I've finished my sophomore year of college

I've started and finished a summer school class

I've started working as a Children' Intern for the second summer

We had an amazing sports camp with our kiddos at church

Spent the night with our 3rd - 6th grade girls

I turned 20

My mom had surgery

I began moving into my HOUSE

..all things that should are blog worthy and deserve posts, as well as a myriad of other things. But it's not gonna happen. Instead you're getting one giant post with all of the above in it.

I finished my sophomore year of college

okay. i blogged about this already. but its official. I'm on to my junior year of college. bring it on.

Started and finished a summer school class.

the beauty of community college is that I completed an entire semester's worth of american literature in 3 weeks, without working my tush off too much, and still managed an A. yes please.

Started my second summer as a Children's intern.

MAN I love this job. Seriously. I get to spend every day in an office of people that bring me such joy, and when we aren't working in the office, we are doing stuff with our amazing kiddos. Wednesday nights are my favorite. I get to teach the 2nd through 5th grade students with the help of my sweet friend Melissa. We spend 20 minutes of it just singing and dancing around and just praising God, and it is so truly amazing. We've adopted "the Potato Chip" song as our official song of the summer. Each week the kids add more and more verses to it, and it's possibly the best moment of my week. I leave each Wednesday night exhausted, hair in a messy bun, and so full of joy.

Sports Camp

And on the subject of sweaty, messy fun with our kids.. we had a Sports Camp a few weeks ago for the kids. This year we decided to have this Sports Camp instead of a VBS. Each night the kids got to go to two sports sessions, a bible lesson, and some fun group singing time. I was with our 4 and 5 year olds. Considering my lack of sports knowledge- that was definitely the right place for me. This week was SO MUCH FUN. It ran so smoohly and the kids had a blast. They learned about Breaking free from things of this world to the eternal. The best part of camp was the singing. We started and ended each night with some high-enegery singing and dancing to songs that said things like "You are the good news, good news! you are the dance in my shoes!" ,,The cd is still on repeat in my car.

Oh and did I mention I got pied in the face? We made a deal that if all of our preschoolers said their memory verse (Hebrews 12:1) by the end of camp, Coco (the other intern) and I had to get pied in the face... well wouldn't you know that of course they all learned their verse!

Girl's night with the 3rd through 6th graders

i remember sleepovers when I was that age. All we wanted to do was stay up all night long giggling and doing hair, and any grownup who said we needed to go to sleep was so lame. I hate to admit that I am now one of those grown ups. The sleepover was fun- we made pizzas, painted nails, did facials, swam, baked cupcakes, and even "wrapped" a house.. if you can call it that. And at midnight we put on a movie thinking all the girls would fall asleep. Wrong. At 2am everyone- except for Co and I- were wide awake. They were wide awake at 3am also when one girl decided she was soooo hungry and just couldn't bear it. And they were wide awake at 7am when everyone wanted to jump in the pool for a morning swim. No thanks.

I turned 20.

Golly, I can't be that old. I'm still playing dress up in my mom's shoes and lining up my teddy bears and dolls on the couch to play school. But somehow I'm 20. It was pretty uneventful, my mom was in the hospital, so I spent the afternoon with her (after being totally embarassed at the office with birthday gear- thanks Co). Thank you everyone who made the day so special.

And speaking of surgery.

My mom went into the Hospital of June 28 for back surgery, for what should have been an in one day, out the other surgery. She still hasn't left. With one complication after another, we are a definitely ready for her to come home. But it's looking like it still might be a few days. Your thoughts and prayers are definitely appreciated.

I have a house.

I made a quick (I'm talking less that 48 hours long) trip to Abilene on Friday and Saturday. To begin moving furniture into my house. My roommates are both already moved in and living there, but this was my first time to get to be in the house now that it's ours. and it's perfect. Kelly went with me and we cooked dinner and emptied the storage room and had the perfect time in my perfect little house. Even the perfect teddy bear American wallpaper..

Okay, I think that should fill you in on my life for the most part. I promise to be a better blogger this summer. Really, I do. Until next time..

xoxo

if you can read this, consider yourself lucky.

I love classes at ACU because at their very core, they are about our spiritual relationship to what we're studying. And that's amazing to have that integrated into the classroom on a daily basis.. So with that in mind.. let me tell you a story.




In one of my amazing education classes, our teacher read us an excerpt from Thirty Two Third Graders and One Class Bunny by Phillip Done. Now, I actually haven't read this book. But I'm ordering it from Amazon (unless someone has a copy and would let me borrow it!?), and I've had a lot of friends who have read it and loved it. And the story she read to us was about a teacher (the author of the book) who had a student in his class, Ronny, who was struggling with reading. To improve his reading skills, the teacher suggested reading at home with his parents. But Ronny's mom seemed uncooperative. The teacher sent home articles about why reading with your children at home is important, made countless phone calls to Ronny's mother asking her to read with him, and lent him books from his class library to read with his mother. Well weeks and weeks went by, and Ronny still reported that his Mother wasn't reading with him at home. She was just "too busy" or was rushing off to a night class.


Well long story short, the teacher showed up to school one evening to help with registration for adult-night classes. And there is Ronny's mom. The teacher assumes she is taking a pottery class or something along those lines. Ronny's mom asked the teacher for help with filling out the registration forms because she had "forgotten her glasses at home." After she leaves for her class, the other lady helping with registration points out that actually, Ronny's mom is there for a beginning reading class, and she is just one of many parents who had also "forgotten their glasses at home."

That just makes me hurt. Like the kind of hurt that really gets me down in the pit of my stomach. And makes my eyes get all blurry.

And it just makes me realize, how truly blessed I am that I grew up in a family that values education. That I've gotten to go to school since age 4. That I can read. Women in our country haven't always been this fortunate. And yet I sit and complain and tweet about how annoying school is, and how I'm "soooo overrr" school, and how I just can't wait to graduate- when I should be so truly thankful for the opportunity I'm presented with.


I don't know. Maybe it's just the teacher in me that has such high regard for the education system. But imagine trying to get by in this world without the ability to read.



In completely separate news: I'm HOME. And taking a summer school class- and I'm really trying to work on the no complaining thing when it comes to that! Work starts in a couple weeks and I couldn't be more excited!


..And I just got done watching the Grey's Season finale. So many tears. I won't spoil it for anyone.. but it was good.


xoxo

the show goes on

This is my last blog coming to you from Morris 111! I'm DONE with finals, the storage unit is packed for the most part- just a little bit more to do tomorrow. And then I'm headed HOME. It's been such an amazing, hectic, stressful, overwhelming, blessed semester, and I can't believe it's already over.

The thing about writing this blog is that I wrote a post (here) from the first week of school, and now I can look back at it and see how much I've grown this semester. I remember calling my mom that first week of school and being SO completely stressed out. I wanted to drop out right then and there. And I'm not denying the fact that I've had many, MANY, more of those moments this semester. But, somehow it's nearly DONE! And I couldn't be more relieved.

I'm so ready for everything this summer holds. I miss the office at Bammel and all of my kiddos so much. I'm so ready to be back there doing the stuff I love. I know that God has such amazing plans in store for this summer, and I can't wait to see what unfolds!

I don't really have much else to say. I just wanted to post a little blog saying this semester is ending.

xoxo

Abraham Lincoln had it right.

as abraham lincoln once said, "all that I am, or hope to be, I owe to my angel mother." he had it right.

So this weeks blog is about my sweet Mom. Bet ya didn't see that one coming, did you? I know I post a lot about how I have the best mom in the world, but it's because I do. So since it's Mother's day, I thought I'd share a little more about her with the world.

My mom is..

my editor.

I don't know how you people without super human english teachers for mothers got by in life. I have learned so much more about grammar and the english language from being around her than I ever did in school. Even to this day she lets me send her my papers and she edits them. And it's not that I can't edit a paper myself, because I can, but it's just that she's still willing to do it even when I'm 400 miles away that means so much.

my inspiration.

oh gosh, that's really cheesy to say. and I know she's rolling her eye's reading this. but there's not another word that means 'she's-one-of-the-reasons-i-want-to-be-a-teacher' yes, the reason I'm going into teaching is because I feel truly called to it, and I love being able to teach children. But I wouldn't know that if I didn't have that modeled for me my whole life. I remember my mom telling someone once that, she didn't know why I was becoming a teacher since I watched her do it my whole life. But that's just the reason I am. She's an amazing teacher, both in her classroom and at home. If I become half of the teacher she is today, my students would be lucky.

my advice-giver.

Growing up, I didn't always take time to appreciate all of her wisdom and advice (like: Necco candy hearts at valentines day- the Brach's ones taste like soap) But I think now that I'm older I'm able to appreciate her a lot more. She's beautiful and brilliant, and somehow still loves me after almost 20 years.

my best friend.

I've said it before, and I'll say it again- my mom is the best friend I can ask for. She listens to me when I'm upset, hurting, stressed (and goodness knows, thats all the time), joyful, or just bored. I don't know how my days would go by if I couldn't e-mail her constantly.

In Between the Trees' song "She Is" -which still makes me cry because it's completely the sweetest song about moms- he sings:

Love is an action that she shows me often.

Even when it's not in her kisses

Blessed with a mom who puts herself after her children.

It dosen't get much better than priceless

And that's so true. Love you, Mom! I hope you have a wonderful Mother's day! I hope you realize just how much of a blessing you to me and so many others. If I grow up to be half of the woman you are, I would be so grateful. I wish I was home to spend the day with you- but I can't wait to see you in a few days! Love you!!

time to grow

I know I'm a couple days late on this.. Or a couple weeks. Saying I've had a lot going on would be a complete understatement. School is really piling on- but only a couple more weeks! I'm so in need of a break from school. We had Easter holiday last weekend, which was so appreciated. But it just wasn't long enough! But enough complaining for now. On to why I'm writing this..

A few weeks ago I was on the phone with my mom. And can I just stop and take a minute to tell you what an awesome lady she is. She is always there with some brilliant advice or sweet encouragement exactly when I need it. And she is still always willing to edit papers for me. I don't know how anyone else gets by in life without a brilliant grammar teacher for a mom. She's the best.

Anyway, we were on the phone and we were talking about how, due to the recent budget cuts in education, pretty much every district across the state is having to lay off teachers or shift teachers around. Which is the most frightening thing to me, considering I'm an education major hoping to have a teaching job in two years.. with pretty much no back-up plan. yikes. Anyway, my mom was talking to me about that happening within her school district and she said the phrase,

"you've got to bloom where your planted"

she gets it. so of course it got me thinking.. we're not always gonna be dealt the greatest hand in life. So far, I've been so blessed to live where I live, go to school where I do, and know the people I know. But life isn't always a cake walk. But the way you handle your struggles is what's key.

I mentioned a couple weeks ago how I've been really praying for God to just send me somewhere. And that's still my prayer. For God just to use me for His glory. It doesn't matter where I am, as long as I can make the best of my situation and be a light for Him.

I'm really applying this to this up coming summer. I'm SO excited about my internship at Bammel and I'm just praying that God will be able to use me to bring him the glory.

so that's it for tonight. I'm off to do homework and play Dr. Roommate for Morgan- she's not feeling so hot! :(

xoxo

carry me through

So I had this big blog typed up, but I just wasn't really feeling it. Instead, let me tell you about my evening. Becca came in town this afternoon. It's always so good to see her.. it feels just like old times. So once she got in town, we grabbed some dinner, shopped around the mall some, and of course got froyo. Then afterword morgan told us she had a surprise for us and she drove us out to the zoo. And behind the zoo there is the most beautiful pond..

(That's not edited at all! How beautiful!)

We just sat here for a few minutes and soaked up God's awesome presence. It was just what I needed. This week, scratch that, this whole semester has been stressful. Lots of projects, lots of papers, and lots of teachers getting laid on in Texas right now (so why am I even bothering to become one?). All of that equates to one stressed-out little courtney!

And right behind that pond is a playground! So we spent an hour tonight just swinging. It was so peaceful. The cool thing about Abilene is you can actually see the stars, so getting to spend some time just chilling out and admiring God's beauty.

At the play ground there were these two little girls playing together. They weren't friends before hand because one of them just walked up to the other and said "what's your name? want to play?" ...I miss that! I think that's why I'm so drawn to being around kids. They have such an innocent view of everything.. It reminds me of the verse Matthew 18:3..

And he said: “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.

That's about it for this week. This next week I have quite a bit to think about.. so prayers would be appreciated it! But I think spending some time with God out at the pond is just what I need to get through it.

xoxo

the last five years

the title of this blog is not only the name of a fabulous musical on my must-see-before-i-die list, but its also a great topic of discussion my sweet friend Jessica and I had the other night.

think back to where you were five years ago. For me, I was a baby freshman in high school with blonde highlights and braces. It was a great look for me, I know. And if you had asked where I saw myself in five years I would have told you I saw myself going to Harding University, wanting to become a photographer, and in a serious relationship about to be engaged.

Um what?

And that was just five years ago! Look at how much life has changed! I'm now a sophomore in college (brace-less and highlight-less thank goodness!) I'm not at Harding, I'm not studying photography, and I'm far far away from being engaged.

It's crazy how much your plans for life can change in just a period of a few years. And its just crazy how much I've changed as a person over the last five years. I've learned so much, done so much, and become so much over the past five years.

And I can't begin to imagine what my life will be like five years from now. Sure I have a nice life plan laid out for the next five years consisting of graduating and becoming a kindergarten teacher in a lovely little suburb of Houston or the metroplex, but who knows? I could be doing something completely different. And that is so cool. Ultimately it's not my decision at all where I am in the next five years. I can plan and make lists all I want.. but it's all in God's hands. My prayer recently has been for God to just send me somewhere. Do something with my life. Use me in some way to bring HIM the glory. If thats in a kindergarten classroom in suburbia with a husband and 2.5 kids- wonderful. But if not, I'm excited for that too. I'm just ready to see what God has in store for the next 5 years!

In their hearts humans plan their course, but the LORD establishes their steps.

Provers 16:9

On another note. I'm thinking about making blogging a regular thing. Like once a week, you can expect a blog from me. It may not always be this wonderfully though provoking or deep (please laugh at that). But just fill you in on my life. Current things I'm loving or stressing over. Or just whatever is on my mind, which usually isn't much. We'll see how long I actually stick with this. My hopes aren't extremely high.

But to start, my current obsession is Adele's new cd. I know its been out for a month of so, but it is just so darn good. Download it. Love it. Sing along in the shower to it.. I surely do.

See you this time next week?

xoxo

God Makes No Mistakes

Oh hello lonely and deserted blog..

I wish I could explain to you how ridiculous life has been lately. School has become my life (nerd) and when I'm not writing a lesson plan or doing a big project, I'm catching up on sleep (which is ALWAYS in shortage). But I'm writing now, and will be a lot soon. I just have lots of ideas all in my head that need to be written down! But this is just going to be a quick little post about something on my heart.

This weekend I went to fort worth with my roommates (morgan and katherine) because katherine's sister is having a BABY and we went to the baby shower (awwwww). We spent most of the weekend giggling, sleeping, and of course lots of shopping. It was so nice to get away from a-town for the weekend and just chill. This morning we went to church at North Richland Hills.. man that church gets it.

The lesson this morning as about judging people. And I will be the first to say, I am so quick to judge any and everyone. But seriously- who am I to judge any single person on the face of this earth. Not only to I not know their entire back story, but I am just as flawed and screwed up as anybody. Jesus' message isn't about judgment- it's about love.

Morgan and I got coffee tonight and spent a lot of the time talk about the message. So often we just sit in the campus center critiquing outfits and talking about who did what this weekend. And goodness gracious- where do we get off saying stuff like that? I am no better than anyone standing on a street corner or smoking a joint. That's extreme, but it's real.

Woah. Sorry about the rant.. but it was just something that needed to be said. Have a blessed week!

xoxo

i have never

i have the flu. for real. the flu. stuffy nose, fever, horrible cough, headache, achy body FLU. So currently I'm sitting on my couch, not in class, resting and watching a marathon of all of the greatest chick flicks known to man, or woman rather. (Notting Hill, Love Actually, The Holiday, You've Got Mail.. you get the picture). And though it's nice to be on date with Hugh Grant rather than in class, I'm dreading the mountains of make up work I will be coming back to.

But you wanna know the worst part of having the flu? I've never had it before. Now normally this would be cause for celebration- I've never had the flu until my sophomore year of college? yay! How lucky I am to have a healthy immune system! But it's frustrating, too. You know the game "I Have Never" where you hold up 10 fingers and go around in a circle and say something you haven't done, and if you have done it, you put a finger down? (yes, I know this is a drinking game as well.. but I don't do that..) Well "i have never had the flu" was ALWAYS the card I played! EVERYONE has had the flu, and that was always sure to get someone out. Well gosh darn it, I can't say that anymore.

Okay, so maybe that's a little dramatic. I do feel very blessed that my immune system has held up until now.

Well, I'm off. Time for another nap.. prayers for fast healing would be greatly appreciated! :)

my hot valentines date: campbells and cough syrup

dancing dirt into the snow

Today is Saturday. The last time I went to class was Monday.MONDAY! We've had the past four days off from school because of SNOW. How fun is that? I think last year we had two snow days, but they were a couple of weeks apart. This year we've had a whole week of it! It has been so fun being able to just relax and look out the window to pretty things like this:

But the snow has definitely had some drawbacks. Since it hasn't gotten above freezing here, none of the snow has been able to melt. So, we've been stuck inside for the past few days. Can you say cabin fever!? I've watched more movies this week than I have in a looong time. (I think the count so far is 9!)

None the less, I LOVE the snow. It's so beautiful on the ground, and it feels AMAZING outside. Seriously, I think I was made to live somewhere up north instead of hot and humid Houston.

That's all I really wanted to say.. Not much has been going on due to the snowpocalypse. Sing song is really started to come together, and I can't wait for the show! School is going well.. the break this week was definitely needed though. I'm still getting used to balancing my time with my workload. I'm definitely read for classes to start up again.. not because I'm excited for school work, but because I'm ready to see people and see other things besides my dorm room!

I Get A Little Bit Stronger

Well, I've finished my first week of second semester sophomore year! And what a week it was. This semester is going to be crazy, and exciting, and trying, and stressful to say the least.. but I'm ready for it. I'm taking 18 hours which makes me want to throw up just thinking about. But it's 18 hours of classes that I'm totally passionate about. Not like you care all that much but I'm taking: integrated math & science for preschool-2nd grade (try abbreviating that one to write in your planner..), early language and literacy, an intro to reading class that is totally going to kick my tush, art for elementary teachers (no judgements, no laughing.. it's not the blow off you think it is), introduction to special ed, and Christianity in Culture. All classes that I know I will learn SO much in.. but I will definitely be working hard. But that's part of growing up, right?

Now to add even more.. I'm doing sing song this year with the sophomore class! I am so excited.. we've had a couple rehearsals so far, and they have made me realize how much I really, really miss being in choir. Plus we are trying to deal with finding a house right now. I'm going to be living in a house next year.. how crazy is that? I'm not old enough to be doing things like renting houses and paying bills. I'm definitely still a little kid playing dress up.

But all of that adds up to one stressed-out little Courtney. And if you know me at all, you know I seem to worked up over the tiniest little details. So I'm already anticipating the amount of hair that I will pull out of my head this semester. But I just need to keep reminding myself that I'm doing what I'm supposed to be doing..

I called my Mom wednesday night.. I was already overwhelmed by all of my classes and I just was freaking out about my workload and other stuff going on right now and she said to me "Courtney.. Remember, You are doing exactly what you're supposed to be doing." And she's so right. I spent ALL last year freaking out about whether I was doing the right thing, or if I was following God's plan for me.. or just trying to figure out what that plan was. Well, I'm still not totally sure of what that plan is. But until I have a more definite answer, I know I'm doing the right thing for me. And through all of the craziness this semester holds, I just need to hold on to that.

ps. blog title is from the Country Strong soundtrack. If you haven't seen this movie GO. I'm obsessed!

happy hour hope

So last Sunday Rick preached about hope and having hope when there really isn't anything else to hold on to- which is such a great message, especially around this time of year. And as a church we are starting this new project where, when we're going through a drive through, ask to pay for the person's meal behind you and then have the waiter or whoever give them a card with Bammel's website and mission statement on it. And when this was first explained I was just like, great this is just another way to advertise Bammel, and I wasn't too keen on it. But when people go to the website there is supposed to be a link for people who have been given the cards. There it's supposed to have some little message of hope or something. Pretty neat deal.

So I hung out with Kelly today- which is always a good time. We've been best friends since we were in osh-kosh and we still haven't run out of things to talk and laugh about. At about 3:30 We decided we were craving some sonic happy hour. On our way there, I realized we needed to give out one of the Bammel cards (hence the extremely cheesy title of this blog). I didn't have one with me, but Kelly did. So we pulled through up to the drive thru and there wasn't anyone behind us to pay for. And by this time it's like 3:55.. So we decided to wait until right before happy hour was over and if no one came, then we would just move on. And literally at 3:58 a car pulled in behind us. So we got to pay for this guy's diet dr. pepper and give him one of the cards :) And it felt SO good! I have no idea who this guy was and he has no idea who we are, which is kind of beautiful about it. It's not about Kelly or me, or even Bammel. It's about giving a little bit of hope.

One another note- my winter break is finally drawing to a close! I'm going back to Abilene on Sunday and I'm so excited. You're completely going to judge me for this- but I'm so excited about my classes this semester! I officially got accepted into the teacher education program (ahhh!) so I'm finally beginning lots of coursework for my major. I'm so so so excited about it. I realize I'm a total nerd for saying that, but I don't even care. And I'm excited to be back with my roommate (Just one roommate :( B is leaving for a semester. But she's being a grown-up and I'm so very proud of her!) I'm not gonna lie, I'm going to miss being home! I've gotten so accustomed to staying up all night and sleeping all day- which is a horrible habit. And I love being home with my family. They will definitely be missed.

Sorry this was such a novel!

in a relationship

So tonight was Lifegroup at the precious Maddox house. I have absolutely loved having this on my Sunday nights over break. It's like a sweet little way to get my week started every Sunday night.. love it. Well, Matt came tonight and our lesson or discussion for tonight, was that we had to go around and say one thing we can be praying for to improve or resolve our relationship with God. I was amazed as everyone went around the circle that I could seriously apply every single thing to my life. Things like

-spending more time in the word

-spending more time in prayer

-being intentional with our relationships

-seeing people through God's eyes

-being a light to others

-putting God first

-having patience

-knowing that God is in control

...seriously. I need help with every single one of those! Before it was my turn to talk I honestly wasn't sure what I was going to say because I could think of SO many things I could to do to improve my relationship with the Lord. And that just bothers me so much. I am SUCH a perfectionist in a lot of aspects of my life. Seriously, ask my roommates. When it comes to school work, everything has to be in apple-pie order. but when it comes to my relationship with God- the MOST IMPORTANT part of my life, I'm not so serious. And that's pretty not okay. I'm supposed to have a relationship with him- and I think sometimes I view it as something much more distant than that. But being in a relationship requires work on both parts.. and trust me, God's sure doing his part. I'm just not always doing mine.

So this semester I am focusing on renewing and rebuilding that oh-so important relationship. Don't freak out, mom. School isn't taking a back-seat. I'm just going to do a LOT better job of being a part of my relationship with the Lord.

....one week until I'm back in Abilene and back to work!

all you need is love

So it's 5 days into the new years and I'm not going to tell you how my goals are coming along, because I know you'll be disappointed. But that's why I made GOALS and not resolutions. But I did buy 2 books today, so I'm doing well on the reading thing so far :)

Speaking of reading-- I was reading the newspaper this morning (..let that sink in. Someone please be impressed) and I was reading an article on the death of this little boy Jonathan. If you live in the Houston area, I'm sure you've heard about it on the news. This little boy was kidnapped on Christmas Eve and murdered. I don't know all of the details. The memorial/funeral was yesterday or Monday and the article was all about it. It was very sweet and well written, and of course there was something that stuck out to me that I had to blog about. This was a quote from the guy who did the service: "Love people. Forget what they look like. Forget what they act like. Forget what you think you may know about them. Just love them. Jonathan did."

Oh goodness, why do Children teach us some of the greatest lessons in life. So often I think we limit loving people to those who are most similar to us. Those who share the same beliefs, clothes, paychecks, etc. But that's so hypocritical of us! And i'm saying us, because I am SO beyond guilty of us. God loves ALL people. He sent his son to die for ALL people. And all he expects of us is do to the same- love people. ALL people. No matter what they may think, believe, or do. We need to love them.

So that's what I'm working on- seeing people through the eyes of Jesus and just loving them.