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!

Remembering the Good

It is so easy to focus on bad things because they are usually more prevalent in your mind.  If you were to receive three compliments and one insult in a day, most likely (if you're like me) you will remember the insult for longer. It's sad that we are like that, and it can be a hard habit to crack! I look back on 2014 as sort of a really bad year. As I wrote my look back post, I noticed that there was actually a lot of good along with the hard times! I just didn't remember them or take time to focus on the good.

So for 2015, I want to focus more on the good things. Maybe some BIG good things will happen and I want to acknowledge those moments for what they are, but I also want to recognize the small ordinary good!

I have seen this pin on Pinterest many times and I have been waiting for 2015 to roll around to start!

What a great way to document the good things that happen in a year, and not only to document but to sort of force you to focus on those positive, great moments.

I am not super crafty so I went the easy route and actually am using an old kitchen canister. I just got some new ones for the kitchen and had these laying around. Not super cute, but it works perfectly!

I already have two "moments" in the jar and it's only day two of this new year! I hope this will cause me to be more grateful and thankful for the blessings God has given me and my family!

2015 Goals

Start Date: January 1, 2015

End Date: January 1, 2016

<< Career >>

1.

Make lessons for Teachers Pay Teachers.

2.

Organize folders on work computer.

3. 

See students get great scores on end of year test.

0/3

<< Spiritual >>

1.

Get organized for Children's Ministry.

2.

Find a set time each day to read the Bible.

3.

Find a sermon series to listen to on the way to work. 

0/3

 <<Home >>

1. 

Get back to following my cleaning schedule.

2.

Finish 3 home craft projects.

3. 

Host a game night in our home.

4. 

Create a great backyard patio. 

0/4

<< Marriage >>

1.

Go on a vacation together.

2.

Stay at a Bed and Breakfast.

3. 

Read the Bible together twice a week.

4. 

Establish a regular date night. 

0/4

<< Blog >>

1.

Blog everyday for a month.

2.

Make this a space for me... not others.

0/2

 << Personal >>

1. 

Find a form of exercise I enjoy and can stick with.

2. 

Lead a highschool girls Bible study group.

3.

Have a social media free weekend.

4.

Read 10 new books for pleasure.

5.

Send out a family Christmas letter.

0/5

0/21

Last Goals Update

Start Date: January 1, 2014

End Date: January 1, 2015

<< Career >>

1.

Be a teacher in my dream school district.  {Post}

2.

Collect 50 books for my class library. {post}

3.

Make lessons for Teachers Pay Teachers.

4.

Begin planning for getting my Masters.  

A rough timeline has been made!

3/4

<< Spiritual >>

1.

Get more involved in our church. 

Post to come soon!

2.

Find a set time each day to read the Bible.

Not proud that this was not accomplished. 

3.

Find another couples or women's small group. {Post}

2/3

 <<Home >>

1. 

Get back to following my cleaning schedule.

Not even close.

2.

Finish 3 home craft projects.

Nope.

3.

Display more photos in our house. {Post}

4.

Make a menu board. {Post}

5.

Buy all the kitchen gadgets I keep saying I need. [butter dish, bunt pan, servers]

Bought all of these!

6.

Begin looking for a house to buy.

Post coming soon!

7. 

Host a game night in our home.

Nope...

8.

Start a collection of Christmas house decorations.

Got quite a few new things this year!

5/8

<< Marriage >>

1.

Go on a vacation together.

This is in the works!

2.

Go to First Friday downtown more often.

Will have to wait until the spring.

3.

Go on more breakfast dates.

I wish.

4.

Set monthly goals as a couple.

Done a few times, but not monthly.

5.

Serve together in our community.

Done!

6.

Stay at a Bed and Breakfast.

In the works!

7.

Celebrate our anniversary in St. Louis.

2/7

<< Blog >>

1.

Blog everyday for a month.

Oops.

2.

Organize my blog folders. {Post}

3.

Start a blog linkup.

Not a goal of mine anymore.

1/3

 << Personal >>

1. 

Find a form of exercise I enjoy and can stick with.

Big goal of mine for 2015

2. 

Lead a highschool girls Bible study group.

Possibilities on this one!

3.

Have a social media free weekend.

Nope. 

4.

Read 10 new books for pleasure.

Got half of this goal!

5.

Subscribe to a magazine I enjoy reading.

Subscribed to HGTV magazine.

1.5/5

14.5/30

Almost Half! Yay, pretty good for such a long list. Check back tomorrow for a list of new goals for 2015!

Career Goals Update

I posted this post a while back about the goals I have for 2014, I want to keep updating it so that I can hold myself accountable and see the progress I have made. 

This time my update is about some career goals I made. I am excited to say that I accomplished two of them already!

Be a teacher in my dream school district.

Eeeeeek! This is by far the most exciting accomplishment so far! In August of 2013 I began my last semester of school student teaching for 16 weeks. I was placed at a school I knew very little about and was in a dinky town about 30 miles away. I was not particularly excited about being placed at this school but I put my best foot forward. Long story short, I fell in love with this school, the children in it and the teachers I worked with. It only took a couple weeks before I decided that was the school I wanted to be working at after I graduated. Since I graduated in December there were no openings at the time. Instead I got to do an 8 week maternity leave position in a first grade classroom and then regular subbing the rest of the time. During my time there some jobs came open and I got myself an interview. I was the first person to interview since I was working there at the time and I had to wait an entire month before I found out my fate. It. Was. Terrible. I wanted the job so bad I could taste it and it was killing met to wait. Finally late on a Tuesday night I got a call and I was offered a position! My dream has come true, I start working in an amazing district with the absolute best students and co-workers! Fourth grade here I come! 

{Crafting for my new classroom}

Collect 50 books for my classroom library.

I did a short maternity leave in another school and the classroom I took over had the most amazing class library. Hundreds of books organized by genre and labeled to perfection. I have always loved reading and encouraging students to read so that library became my new goal! I didn't know for sure what grade I was teaching so I help off on getting any books. Then once I found out I went to Scholastic warehouse sales, used book stores and even got some awesome donations from friends and family! I am proud to say that I actually have close to 200 books for my class library now! 

{Brand-new books I got from a warehouse sale}

Check my 2014 Goals post to see updates and all my other goals!

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.

Goals Update

Haven't blogged in a while, but not only that... I haven't even thought about blogging in a while. Guess that's what happens when you're busy!

I posted this post a while back about the goals I have for 2014, I want to keep updating it so that I can hold myself accountable and see the progress I have made. 

So here are three things I have already crossed off my list as of the end of January!

Find another couples or women's small group.
The Hubs and I were in an awesome couples small group for about a year but then The Hubs got his job at the paper and couldn't go anymore. I kept going but it got really hard to be in a newlywed small group without Collin every week. So I stopped going too. We were so sad to leave the group and really wanted to find another one, but because of Collin's work schedule it was nearly impossible. Well, when he changed jobs we were able to go back to our old group and we are SO happy!!! 

Make a menu board. 
I broke the menu I had been using since The Hubs and I got married. I shut the fridge door too hard and it fell and shattered the glass. So I was needing to make another one somehow. I planned on doing the same sort of thing as before but then I went to Ikea...

This is what I found for $14.99... yea, you read that right $14.99! I need to work on my writing with chalk and find something cute to put in the bottom slots, but this works for now! 

Organize my blog folders.
Done! It took an hour or so but everything is organized and even has cute icons! So much easier to find things on my computer now!

Check my 2014 Goals post to see updates and all my other goals!

32 Goals for 2014

Instead of a New Years Resolution I am making goals for the things I would like to accomplish by the end of the year. I have chosen things that are actually attainable and things that are important to me. I will update these and post when they are accomplished! I also have them posted in the format below my house as a reminder! 

Start Date: January 1, 2014

End Date: January 1, 2015

<< Career >>

1.

Be a teacher in my dream school district. 

2.

Collect 50 books for my class library.

3.

Make lessons for Teachers Pay Teachers.

4.

Begin planning for getting my Masters.

2/4

<< Spiritual >>

1.

Get more involved in our church. 

2.

Find a set time each day to read the Bible.

3.

Find another couples or women's small group. {Post}

1/3

 <<Home >>

1. 

Get back to following my cleaning schedule.

2.

Finish 3 home craft projects.

3.

Display more photos in our house.

4.

Make a menu board. {Post}

5.

Buy all the kitchen gadgets I keep saying I need. [butter dish, bunt pan, servers]

6.

Begin look for a house to buy.

7. 

Host a game night in our home.

8.

Start a collection of Christmas house decorations.

1/8

<< Marriage >>

1.

Go on a vacation together.

2.

Go to First Friday downtown more often.

3.

Go on more breakfast dates.

4.

Set monthly goals as a couple.

5.

Serve together in our community.

6.

Stay at a Bed and Breakfast.

7.

Celebrate our anniversary in St. Louis.

1/7

<< Blog >>

1.

Blog everyday for a month.

2.

Organize my blog folders. {Post}

4.

Start a blog linkup.

5.

Guest post for a blogger.

1/5

 << Personal >>

1. 

Find a form of exercise I enjoy and can stick with.

2. 

Lead a highschool girls Bible study group.

3.

Have a social media free weekend.

4.

Read 10 new books for pleasure.

5.

Subscribe to a magazine I enjoy reading.

6.

Send out a family Christmas letter.

0/6

6/34

10 Things I Wish I Were Better At

1. Crafting. I see so many cute DIY projects I want to do on Pinterest and my sister is always doing some awesome craft project. I just really am not that crafty, and really a lot of it is that I don't have the patience either. The few times I have truly crafted something, I wanted instant gratification and rushed through it and ended up with a mediocre finished product. Maybe my summers off as a teacher will get me inspired... oh and the paycheck that will buy me the craft supplies!
2. Sending thank you notes. I am TERRIBLE at this. It's not that I am not thankful, or grateful for things I am given or things people do. I am just forgetful and honestly, sometimes lazy. I am not someone who has stamps at all times so I don't ever want to run to the post office. I also do not have people's addresses stored in my computer or in a book. So basically I would have to ask anyone for their address if I wanted to send them a card. Maybe I should add to the list "Organizing friends and families addresses."
3. Running. I hate running and even the idea of running. But, I see all these women my age who are so into running and they have rockin' bods. They wear cute running clothes and get new running shoes all the time and not to mention... they actually ENJOY it. It is an escape for them and they look forward to waking up at the butt-crack of dawn to run. Sounds crazy and terrible to me, but I wish it sounded good and was something I desired to do. 
4. Handwriting. I have terrible handwriting for a girl and always have had bad handwriting. Many times when I am in a hurry and write something on the board for my students I step back and look at it and it looks like one of my students wrote it. Also, it really bothers me when I write a note to one of my student's parents and it looks like a high schooler wrote it, not a professional teacher. And I even try extra hard on those notes. 
5. Keeping in contact with friends and family that are far away. I live 45 minutes away from my sister and that is the closest I am to any family. An hour and a half from The Hub's family and over 8 hours from everyone else. So, it's not like we can just pop on over and visit very often. Because of the distance I know it is important for me to keep in touch but I am very bad at it. This blog is one way I can keep people updated but not all my grandparents have internet and I really need to work harder to keep in contact with them. I even have friends who live in the same town as me and I am not great at keeping in touch. Not cool, not cool at all. 
6. Taking pictures. Now I take a million pictures of the cats on a regular basis but I always forget to take pictures when we go to events or have friends over. I have a nice camera that The Hubs bought me for my birthday and my iPhone takes great pictures, but still I forget and am always mad when I do!
7. Doing my hair. I have always been told by hairdressers that I have great hair. Not too thick, not too thin, holds style pretty well. But the only things I know how to do with it are put it down and put it in a ponytail. I would love to learn to do some nice simply styles but alas, I cannot. Partly because I don't care enough and partly because I don't have the skills! 
8. Writing. I love to write (hence the blog) but I know I am not that great at it. I wish I could convey my thoughts more clearly or eloquently and I wish I could write more cleverly. Hopefully all the writing I do here will help me to become better. Or maybe my mom could give me some pointers! 
9. Doing my make-up. This goes along with hair, I love to watch youtube beauty videos and reading beauty blogs and many times I will buy the cheap products they suggest. But no matter how much I follow the tutorials I just can't make my face look as flawless. Again, partly because I don't care enough and partly because I lack the skills. 
10. Reading the Bible. This should have been number one on the list (even though they are in no particular order). I am terrible at reading my Bible, I go through times where I do a great job and read consistently for a month. Then BAM I stop cold turkey and don't read it at all for a month. I am very good about being conscious about God and his work in my life, and giving him the praise he deserves. However, I am very bad about spending quiet time with him and getting in His word. That will have to REALLY be improved on.