Friday, October 18, 2013

Responsibilities

Our lives are filled with more and more responsibilities as we get older. We take on bills, careers, build families, and somewhere in all of that we are still responsible of taking care of ourselves. It can be very overwhelming at times and so much so that we forget the importance of some of the things we are called to do. 

I've noticed that through becoming a teacher I have really had to become more organized with my responsibilities than ever before. If not some things simply won't get done. But God has also been there to quickly remind me of tasks He has given me when I start to let them go. For me one of the easiest things to let go is prayer. It's probably the stupidest thing to stop doing, but somehow gets left out when my to do list gets to be too much. 

Last year as it was my first year as a teacher God reminded me that I need to make praying for God's strength and wisdoms a HUGE responsibility! I was constantly in new situations and felt a lot of pressure to be perfect. I had to really trust that God would begin to teach through me and remind me that none of this is about me. 

So far this year I have felt God gently nudging me to pray more for my students. These are kids that have been placed in my care not by the administration of the school, or as a chance, but by God! These are kids that live in this same fallen world we all do and heart aches at an early age! These are kids who just like everyone else need to feel safe and loved throughout the day! That's my responsibility when they are with me. 

As I began to focus my prayers more towards my students and their specific lives I have also noticed God opening my eyes to more oportunities to show them an example of grace. Today I read them You Are Special by Max Lucado and at the end of the book SEVERAL students started conversing with each other about how when God loves them, what other people think doesn't matter (funny how that later ended up being the theme of my devotional story this evening) I couldn't help but tear up a bit and smile. I might be limited in what I can say to my students regarding my faith but I can show them love and grace and continue to pray that God will meet their every need. 

God has blessed me with a huge responsibility to care for these precious babies. Today I am so thankful I have a job that allows me the opportunity for such responsibilities. 

Sunday, October 13, 2013

The War With Holiday Weight

Well fall is finally here and with it comes cravings. Foods that I have not given much thought over the last few months suddenly clog my mind. So I've decided, I need a plan! If I don't want to undo in 3 months what took 10 months to get then I'll need to walk cautiously into the holiday season. 

I've decided on 5 goals for myself that I want to pray about and with the Lords help will conquer over the next few months. 


Goal 1: drink more water. 
           I have had a huge issue with not drinking enough water lately. And this is nothing new. Usually at this time of year I start wanting only a hot cup of something.  Coffee, cocoa, tea... Anything but what my body really needs. I've got to hydrate myself so my body can function properly. (I think I can, I think I can)

Goal 2: run my butt off. 
            Lately my "running" (if you can even call it that) has been pathetic. I've hit a bump in the road and am slowing Jason down more and more each morning. I want to be able to encourage/push him the way he pushes me! 
***side note*** I love all things photography. So when I heard about this picture idea on Pinterest to take pictures of your running shoes in different places thoughout the year I was all in! I'm excited to get some more pictures taken before Dec 31st. 

Goal 3: make healthy the tradition. 
            I'm still learning the secrets to cooking. And I really like the idea of starting to bring more and more food to the holiday gatherings. This year I think I'll sign up for some healthy side dishes instead of the desserts. Then I'll be helping myself out in more ways than one. 

Goal 4: join in on the ACTIVities. 
            I would love to participate in things like turkey trots and Santa runs this year! My cousin has been telling me about a 5k in OKC that has you run at night through a lit up street of Christmas lights for years. This might just be the year I join him. 
Also, planning something other than eating for holiday get togethers. We use to go bowling every thanksgiving with my cousins. I would take a family outing of active fun over gifts and a stuffed belly any day!

Goal 5: start the planning for Jan 1. 
            This last year was the first time I ever completed my resolution. (Getting to a healthy/comfortable weight) 
I need to start praying, planning, and getting in the mind set for a new fitness goal in 2014! I think I might have 2 real resolutions this year. One being health related and the other being faith related. We'll see what God leads me to. 

Question: 
What will you be doing to stay healthy through the holidays?
 I would love to know what ideas you came up with!

Tuesday, October 8, 2013

What I'm Reading


Truth be told, I've never considered myself to be much of a reader. I always wanted to be able to get lost in a book but when I tried I've always came up bored.
I'm not really sure why this is. And it's definitely a well kept secret to all of my little students who think Mrs. G just LOVES good books. But...in reality...not really. 

Getting me to read non-fiction however is a completely different story. I have found myself getting obsessed with blogs lately and really love it when I have a question that I can research an answer for. I know I'm weird, but there is something about reading articles and other peoples comments that I find fascinating! So in case you're also enjoying a love affair with blog reading and are looking for some new good ones, here ya go! This is the list of blogs I love to read. 

She Reads Truth - a wonderful daily Bible study for women! Could it get any better? 

Abducted By Books - for those of you that do like a good fiction read! My sister Courtney is a lover of all novels and gives some great reviews. So when you're in the market for a new book to read check out her Blog! 

 All 3 are great blogs for tips on health, recipes, and workout ideas! I love that they usually post often so there is always something to read. 

The Chronicles of Ruthie Hart - daily happenings of a sweet Texan lady who loves to serve The Lord! 

The First Grade Parade - for all my teacher friends. This teacher could not be cuter. 

Those are just a few. If you would like more let me know! These are just the blogs that update on a regular basis. 

Happy Bloggin!