Christmas Spirit

MERRY CHRISTMAS EVE!

This holiday season really made The Hubs and I begin talking about what we want Christmas to look like in our home as we start our family. Christmas has been so commercialized in our world and the real meaning (Jesus!) has been forgotten.

We don't want our kiddos growing up thinking that Christmas is all about gifts, Santa and earthly desires. So here are a few things we plan to do with our kids to help them keep the true meaning of Christmas in sight.


1. Read The Christmas Story

What better way to help our kiddos understand why we truly celebrate Christmas than to read them the story of Jesus' birth? We may start out with a book like the one below and as they get older we will read from the Bible. We want this to be something we do every year as a family, snuggled together on the couch reading the story together and praying together to thank God for the greatest gift of all!  

Buy

2. No Santa

Sorry, this might bother some people but we will probably not have Santa in our home. The Hubs struggled with this because he grew up with Santa and thought it was so fun. But after talking it over we decided we will tell the story of the real Saint Nicholas, because he was actually a pretty cool guy. Our kids just won't think Santa flew around the world to deliver their presents. We will also make sure they are respectful of those kids who do believe in Santa. 

3. Minimal Gifts

Christmas in this world we live in seems to be so much about gifts and spending WAY too much money! When kids are little they will have trouble understanding the true meaning so if you are buying them tons of gifts that will naturally overshadow Jesus. It just will. So we are going to adopt the Want, Need, Wear, Read policy for gifts to our kids. We do not want to go overboard and spoil them or break the bank so we will use the following guidelines to get our kids just 4 simple gifts. 

Want

Our kids get one thing that they really want! That toy they have been begging for and we keep saying no. Whatever item they have been obsessing over (unless it is incredibly expensive) will be their fun gift!

Need

We will buy our kids something that they have really been needing. Maybe new shoes or a coat or backpack for school. Something we keep saying they need but haven't gone out and gotten yet. 

Wear

Something for them to wear. A shirt, hat and gloves or something anything wearable. 

Read

A book! Something they will really love and be interested in and will also encourage them to read more! 


4. Family Time

While Jesus truly is the reason for the season, the holidays are also a great time to be with family and have special times together that you may not normally have time for. We want our Christmas mornings to be incredibly special for our kids and us. We talked about doing some kind of special breakfast that we only do on Christmas morning and then read the Christmas Story and open presents and spend our morning together, just our little family before we head off to big family events.

Whatever your family does this time of year I challenge you to keep God at the center of it no matter what! 

Every Hour I Need Thee

Time for some honesty.

Lately I have been terrible at spending time with God and reading the Bible. I have been through many different seasons of this in my life. There have been months where I read the Bible every single day, there have been months I was fairly consistent and then there is the latest season... non-existent.

When we were going through the miscarriage and trying to conceive again I was spending time with God daily because I didn't know what else to do to find strength. God blessed that time so much and truly healed my heart and then went above and beyond by blessing us with this precious baby! As soon as that happened I was pretty much done reading the Bible and spending time with God. I still went to church regularly and prayed throughout each day but that was the extent of it. I didn't have a "burning" need to sit with God after he gave me what I wanted. It sounds so selfish to type, but I did say it was time for honesty and honestly that was how I felt.

The school I teach at had a tragic bus accident because of fog years ago that took some children's lives. Because of this, on really foggy mornings we have school delays. This morning I find myself with three extra hours. I needed to do dishes or laundry and I wanted to watch Pioneer Woman, but I found myself unable to stop thinking about how I could use this extra time to be with God. So that's exactly what I did.

I love the She Reads Truth app for women's bible studies so I decided to start with the Hymns series they have. I began with the hymn "I Need the Every Hour" and it was exactly what I needed.

The simple line of this hymn just made me realize that I cannot pick and choose when I need God in my life or when I need to take time out of my day to spend quiet time with him. I wrote these words in my Life Lived Beautifully journal;

Why do I act like I don't need to spend time with God or in the Bible?
I need thee every hour. 

Why do I forget to thank him daily, for all I have comes from Him?
I need thee every hour. 

Why in times of need do I try to first solve my problems alone?
I need thee every hour. 

Why on normal, run-of-the-mill days do I neglect to even think of God?
I need thee every hour. 

After listening to this song and letting the message sink in, I started working on a new schedule for my mornings. I am going to make reading my Bible and spending time with God a priority each morning.

Do you struggle with this as well? Join me in making it a part of each day!

What I'm Learning In This Season

It is sort of a cheesy Christian thing to say things like "in this season of my life" or "this has been a rough season of life" and sometimes "I am excited for this season of my life". And as much as I despise those cheesy Christian quotes (like these) I actually like this one. It really is so true! Just like the seasons change and everything around you has a different look and feel, life can be so much the same way! I have gone through many definite seasons in my 23 years of life.

>> New college girl
>> Growing in my faith
>> Engaged
>> Newlywed


and now...

>> Waiting

I feel like I am in a huge season of waiting right now and my un-patient self is less than loving it.

In marriage: The Hubs and I have been married almost two years, so among our friends we are almost the "old" married couple now, bye bye newlywed status.

We have discussions about when to buy a house or start a family but the answer to those exciting things right now is... wait.

I graduated in December with my elementary teaching degree and now I just have to wait until schools start interviewing for next school year. More waiting.

The Hubs and I have an exciting opportunity to get involved in something we are excited and passionate about (more on that in the future) but it also requires more... yep, waiting.

So I have deemed this season of my life, The Season of Waiting. And like I mentioned before, I was not so blessed with the gift of patience. So in many ways, this season is s-u-c-k-i-n-g!

Wouldn't it be nice if there was a book that provided encouragement for times like this, when we are struggling with a particular season in our life and we can't do much about it but wait? What's that? There is a book that provides encouragement for times like this, when we are struggling with a particular season in our life and we can't do much about it but wait?

The Bible!

While I am in this waiting season these verses will be my mantra[s]! So thankful that I serve a God who has a plan and knows exactly what he is doing!

Galatians 6:9

And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.

Romans 8:25

 But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.

Jeremiah 29:11

For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil,to give you a future and a hope.

Philippians 4:6

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.

My Bad Attitude

I woke up, with a terrible attitude Monday morning. I really wanting some extra sleep (I have 3 days off before I have some subbing scheduled) but Kira had other plans. She was up and crying at 5:45am and Collin was getting ready for work so that meant I had to be up too. As The Hubs is getting ready for work I was griping and complaining about how "I never want another puppy again" and "This is not fun at all, I can't do anything without worrying about her" I went on and on about how since he is working I have to do everything and I know it's not his fault but it's not fun to do all the work and to feel like I am tied to her. In true Collin style he responds "Fine, we can take her to a shelter" he knew that would get to me and make me defend her. So I explained saying "I love her and I want to keep her, I just want her to grow up already." We had a rough night with her the night before and I was home alone with her all evening the previous day and was just exhausted. It didn't help that it was literally 2 degrees outside with snow on the ground and ridiculously strong winds. 

This is The Hubs and I exhausted from our rough night with Kira.

Basically from 6am to 8am I was cranky and felt no love for this precious, little puppy because I was throwing myself a pity party. And don't even get me started on how it got me feeling about motherhood (which I am incredibly excited for, just not ready quite yet). We are confining her to the kitchen because the rest of the house is carpet so I have been parking it at the kitchen table all day, which also happens to be one of the coldest, least cozy spots in the house. I was cranky and getting annoyed with her because I was cold and tired and wanted to be snuggled on the couch. She was getting into things she wasn't suppose to and then crying for no reason. I was feeling sorry for myself, trying to enjoy reading blogs while watching her every move when she came and laid down right at my feet. She slept right on top of them keeping them toasty warm as I blogged and drank some cappuccino. Slowly my heart melted again and I realized that this wasn't so bad after all. In fact, this was a really sweet moment. 

In all the hard, exhausting, frustrating and down-right dirty moments of raising a puppy, there are really sweet moments tucked in between. This got me to thinking how this is a lot like life in general. There are so many crappy, tough moments and I have a tendency to just feel sorry for myself and focus on all the negative. I think about why things should go better for me and why bad things shouldn't happen to me. I love to have control and if it were up to me, my life would be all sunshine and roses. Well, I think God intentionally throws curveballs to show us that we are most definitely not in control! But, because he is such a loving father, he also, very thoughtfully places those sweet moments in there too!

I am a first time puppy mom and I knew it was going to be hard work, but it is way more work than I expected. I know that things will get easier, but until then I am going to soak in those sweet moments and also... work on my attitude!

She really is worth all the hard work though. 

A Closer Walk

Isn't this the truth? I am in a season of my faith where I have a strong desire to spend more time with God. I am working hard to spend time reading the Bible every day. I find that when I do this I start to think more throughout my day about God and to really lean into him and what I have learned from his word.

What an awesome God we serve!

She Reads Truth

Let me be honest. I am not good at reading the Bible.

There. I said it. 

I know as a follower of Christ it is so important to be in the word daily and there is so much good that comes from reading the Bible. I just don't even know where to start sometimes. I have trouble just picking it up and starting to read. I have asked people about certain books that are great to start with, I have tried reading plans and other guides and I still just struggle. I have found that if I do a devotional that has commentary along with reading I do much better. I have looked high and low for the perfect one and have found some good ones. But, the same thing always happens. I stick with it and LOVE it for about a week and then I start to struggle to get through it. It really is sad because I have a desire to be spending time in the Bible. 

Well ladies, if you are sitting there thinking "this sounds just like me!" Let me tell you that there is hope, I have found the perfect study and it is blessing my life so much! 

She Reads Truth

She Reads Truth is an online Bible study for women that offers a variety of reading plans that are absolutely amazing. Each day is written by one of 6 women (who all happen to be bloggers) so you get a different perspective and writing style each time. They are not super long and involved, for those of us who are incredibly busy. But, they are not boring and only scratch the surface. Each is an awesome look at the Bible and really stirs your heart. 

I encourage all women to at least try this out. Right now they are going through a series all about women of the Bible and gosh is it good. I encourage you to give it a try, especially if you struggle with just straight reading the Bible. Great news is, there is also an app for it so you can take it with you and do it on your lunch break! 

Who I Am

I am reading this amazing book and let me tell ya, it has a lot of notes in the margins and underlined words. 

This book is all about how we all have God-Sized dreams, meaning things we dream about for our lives but think will never happen or are hard to attain. But they can happen with God as the guide through the dream! It is written by Holley Gerth, who works as a life-coach and encouraging speaker. She sure does her job well because I find myself absolutely inspired after I read a chapter in the book. I get excited about my dreams and making them come to life with God as the center of it!

I was reading earlier this week and was stopped by something she wrote. It was so simple and in a way a “duh” moment but for some reason the way she put it into words was just exactly what I needed to hear.

Pg. 30 - You’re Made For A God-Sized Dream

“You are who you are for a reason. God could have designed you in any way that he wanted. After all, he spoke the world into being. Customizing you wasn’t a challenge. So why would he create you in a way that didn’t match up with the biggest dreams he has for your life?” 

Wow.

I mean really, think about that. God created you exactly for the purpose he has for your life. This really encouraged me with all the doubts I have been having about teaching lately. I have a passion for working with children and not only that, but I feel God has blessed me with the gift of teaching. A tough semester at school and an “un-encouraging” professor made me doubt that I had any gift at all with kids. But I do, and God specifically designed me that way because his dream for me was to stand in front of a classroom of precious children and teach and inspire them. 

I was made with the tools I need to become my dream, a teacher. And not just a teacher but an encouraging and affective teacher. That was not an accident. God is a smart guy and sometimes I forget that. He knows what he is doing and has his strong hand on me the whole way. I pray that I remember this everyday as I complete my degree next semester.

What an amazing God we have.

P.s. I highly recommend this book if you couldn’t tell. Buy here

Faith

Trust. Faith. God’s Plan.

These are all things I have really been struggling with in life lately. As I am approaching  my last semester in school I will be student teaching. I will be in a second grade classroom in a little elementary school in a town about 20 minutes away. I am so excited to student teach but I know that after December, I will graduate and soon be looking for a job. Because I graduate in the middle of a school year, I will substitute teach until Summer. In the Summer, I will be looking hard for a teaching position and this is where all my doubt and fear comes in. I have heard countless superintendents, principals and other school faculty talk about how hard it is to get a teaching position right now. One principal said that she received over 200 applications and out of those 200 she was only interested in 8. Out of the 8, 2 got actual interviews. Scary. Through the program at my school I have gotten my name in many different districts and elementary schools but I am terrified about the fact that I have to somehow make myself look good on a piece of paper. 

I am not a bad student, I have good grades and a good GPA but I don’t have straight A’s and a 4.0. I have always struggled in Math and as a result my grades for math courses are not stellar. I worked in day cares for 4 years, but so have most other girls applying to be teachers. I think the interview process really stinks, because on paper I don’t know that I look too good. Or at least I don’t look like anything special. 

It is in person and in a classroom that I feel I can shine. Without bragging (honestly, I don’t want to sound conceited  I believe that God has blessed me with the gift of being a good teacher. Not only that, but I have a passion for the career and children in general. I know that teaching is where God wants me to be, I just know. I dream of my future classroom, the management strategies that I will use, the engaging lessons I will teach, the projects my students will complete. I just cannot wait to get a class full of amazing little kids to teach and inspire. 

But fear and doubt has set in recently.

Will I get a job?

Am I really that good of a teacher?

Do I have what it takes to truly teach children?

Will I be able to convey my talent and passion in an interview?

Real life and a big-girl job is scary. I think for me it is more scary because I have worked so hard for this. Becoming a teacher is my most sought after goal in life. I constantly worry about if I will find a job. I mean literally. I have been up late at night trying to go to sleep with thoughts of doubt turning in my head. I have cried when I had a cold, hard professor seem not impressed with me (she really didn’t seem impressed with anyone, but it stirred up a lot of doubt in me). I have looked at my resume time and time again to see if it reads impressively. 

I worry.

Then, about a week ago I was laying in bed. It was midnight and I couldn’t sleep. It was one of the nights I was up worrying about the future and if I would ever find a job and a place to pursue my passion. All of a sudden, it hit me. God has his hand on me. God not only has his hand on me, guiding me, but he has a plan. And from past experience I can almost guarantee that his plan is way better than mine! This whole time I had been worrying about what I would do to make myself look better on paper, how I would find myself a way to get a job. When all along I needed to quit relying on myself and trust in God. I don’t need to depend on the job market to get a teaching position, I need to depend on God and his plan for my life. 

I wholeheartedly believe that teaching is where God wants me to be and if that is true, then he will provide children for me to teach! 

Since this realization I have really dug into the Bible and what it has to say about trusting God and relying on His will and plan for my life. I still struggle with the doubt and fear from time to time, but I can easily get myself back on track and turning my thoughts towards God and away from doubt. 

In my time digging into God’s word here are some of the verses I found encouraging. 

Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.
-Isaiah 41:10

You do not realize now what I am doing, but later you will understand. John 13:7

It is better to trust in the LORD than to put confidence in man. Psalm 118:8

For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Jeremiah 29:11

Seek the LORD and his strength, seek his face continually. 1 Chronicles 16:11

I know that some day I will look back at this time in my life and laugh about how doubtful I was. I will probably be thinking about it just as my new group of students walks into my classroom. I cannot wait for that day, I know that it will be such a sweet, sweet surprise.

Make A Difference

 Kalyn at a blog I follow has been doing a Monday morning series called Coffee and Conversation. I decided to join in!

"What does it mean to you to have made a difference in this world? What are you doing to achieve that change, and how has it been made possible?"

When I think of people who have made a difference in the world, I usually think of people who have done big, grand things. Mother Teresa type people, who have devoted their lives to making a difference in our world. Missionaries also come to my mind when I think of this topic. They drop everything to move to a foreign land and they are many times risking their lives to tell people about Jesus (the one who can make the biggest difference in this world). 

Now, I am no missionary and I don’t plan to be one in my life. I am far too comfortable in my own little world. The great news is... I can make a difference in the world right where I am in life! In fact I have chosen a profession (for which I will get my degree in December... ahhhhhh!) that allows me to make a difference in the world every. single. day. I wholeheartedly believe the age-old saying “Children are our future.” As a teacher I have the ability to make an impact on many young children. A child who may one day become president, or one who might be the pastor of a church that reaches millions, or even just a little girl who becomes a stay-at-home mom. No matter what my students become one day, I believe that my job as an educator makes a huge difference in the world because it makes a difference in a child’s life. 

I feel great knowing that I don’t have to go across the world or change my life drastically to make a difference in the world. I have chosen a rewarding career, that I love and that allows me to make a difference in what is one of the most precious things on earth.... KIDS!