8.31.2011

Blessings.

Since starting my year as a 2nd grade teacher, I have been overwhelmed. I've been stressed out, worried, anxious, fearsome, nervous, tired, exhausted...you name it, I felt it. This job is unlike any other. Not only mentally demanding, but physically and even spiritually too. 

I've honestly been questioning God on His reason for bringing me this oppurtunity. I've been stressing over whether or not this is where I need to be. 

Trial after trial, day after day, I couldn't get a break from the craziness.

I took a day to crawl into my Father's lap. I talked to Him like He was sitting next to me. 
I laughed. 
I cried. 
I yelled. 
I broke. 

I started reading the book of Jeremiah. In the first chapter, one phrase kept repeating itself. 
"Do not fear. I am with you always." 

I realized that through the depressing, busy, crazy month I've been having, I began to blindly hide from God. As soon as one storm came, I ran right into another. I slowly built a wall of stress between myself and The Peacemaker. I was blind. I was hiding from Him. Knowing He could take away my burdens, but questioning why He gave them to me in the first place.

That same day, I was driving home and I heard a song on the radio. I only caught the last verse and chorus, but that was all I needed to hear for God to really smack me in the face. I cried, right then and there. It was as if I had written the song without even knowing it, and someone put it to music. I have never heard of the artist and I certainly never met her before, but I know this song was written for me.

We pray for blessings
We pray for peace
Comfort for family, protection while we sleep
We pray for healing, for prosperity
We pray for Your mighty hand to ease our suffering
All the while, You hear each spoken need
Yet love us way too much to give us lesser things

Cause what if Your blessings come through raindrops
What if Your healing comes through tears
What if a thousand sleepless nights
Are what it takes to know You’re near
What if trials of this life are Your mercies in disguise


We pray for wisdom
Your voice to hear
And we cry in anger when we cannot feel You near
We doubt Your goodness, we doubt Your love
As if every promise from Your Word is not enough
All the while, You hear each desperate plea
And long that we'd have faith to believe


Cause what if Your blessings come through raindrops
What if Your healing comes through tears
What if a thousand sleepless nights
Are what it takes to know You’re near
And what if trials of this life are Your mercies in disguise


When friends betray us
When darkness seems to win
We know the pain reminds this heart
That this is not, this is not our home
It's not our home

Cause what if Your blessings come through raindrops
What if Your healing comes through tears
And what if a thousand sleepless nights
Are what it takes to know You’re near
What if my greatest disappointments
Or the aching of this life
Is the revealing of a greater thirst this world can’t satisfy
And what if trials of this life
The rain, the storms, the hardest nights
Are Your mercies in disguise







ohmylanta

I'm alive!
I promise!

We lost the internet at our house for about 2 weeks now and I haven't been able to sit and breathe for about a month!

I will return.
Promise!

I miss reading your blogs and hate not being able to blog myself!

P.S. When I do return, I will have wedding pictures!!

I hope you all have been grand!

8.15.2011

Mini Messages



Dear Second Graders,
Please take it easy on me. It's a new position and school for me...I need your cooperation.

Dear Food,
Quit being so darn addictive. We really should tone things down a bit. My body would really appreciate it.

Dear Little Girl Lauren,
I miss you. "Being Grown Up Lauren" is scary. Where's my Peter Pan?

Dear Cosby Show,
You make my life. Thank you for always showing up on my Netflix, just waiting for me when I get home for a long day. I love you.

Dear Christmas,
I'm ready for you. Never too early to start the holidays!

8.13.2011

Mrs. MIA

Ok, so maybe I didn't breathe 
until right now.
I had NO idea 
what this week had in store for me.
Meetings after meetings. 
Inservice after inservice.
My classroom: 
a complete hot mess.
One week before 
students arrive.



I don't think I'll be breathing any time soon.


P.S. I miss you blog family!
I won't be MIA forever.
Promise!

8.07.2011

slow down, please.

(Sweet Littlegirl and I on our weekend roadtrip. Can I just stay on vacation forever?!)


Life got crazy. Really fast and without my permission.
(Like God needs my permission...ha!)

I should first say, God has blessed our lives tremendously in the past few days and in the days to come!


It all started last Wednesday.
I was helping a friend move into her dorm (Shout out to Kayla!) and we talked about a teaching position open at the local elementary. 
I laughed at the information because I had truly and honestly given up on ever teaching there.
After 5 interviews at the same school...you just stop putting yourself out there!

Now rewind to Thursday morning, 9am.
My phone when off, saying I had a missed call and voicemail (dumb cell service.)
Who called? None other than the principal from said elementary school. She was unusually happy telling me to call her back.
So, I did.
And what do you know?


I got the job.


Whaaaaat?!

Yep, that's right. I am no longer teaching middle school. God answered my prayers and put me back into my element. Mrs. Crews will be teaching 2nd grade. Sigh.

Well, after crying, praying, and talking on the phone, things sped up.
-Drove to school to get my key to my room.
-Had to hurry because the youth were all going bowling.
-Car wouldn't start in school parking lot.
-Husband to the rescue.
-Car stopped/died/hated me on the way to the church.
-Bowling with youth.
-Towed car to safer destination.
-Moved classroom around.
-Friday: Left for In-loves.
-Saturday: Tampa wedding for my cousin.
-Sunday: Back home (6+ hours driving...for Husband)
-Monday: 8:30am sharp begins my journey as a first year public school teacher! Files, papers, fingerprints, I.D.'s, orientations, etc.
Tuesday: Breathe.


So, blog friends. I may not be posting much. Seeing how I cannot breathe until Tuesday.

If you do, pray pray pray for me! There is "minor" personal issue with the job but I know that if God brought this into my life, His strength will help me get through it!

8.04.2011

Goodness, I'm behind. Honeymoon Part 3!

So, I've been slowly putting the pictures up a month at a time.
Not on purpose!

Here we go again!

On this day we started with lunch at Husband's favorite, Red Lobster!


Obvious reason to eat here.






We spent the day walking around downtown Gatlinburg!

Our tickets to get into 3 of the 8 parks!

Probably my favorite.






Ugly little thing!



Shark Tunnel!

Sweet girl ahead of us.







Scuba Steve!

I want a little penguin to follow me around. One that tap dances.







Husband touched a manta-ray!


I don't want there to be a million pictures in one post.
There's still MORE to come!

Guinness World Records, Biltmore, and more shows!

8.03.2011

just because...

i dont feel like capitalizing anything.
dont tell my students.

i dont want to unpack one more box.
even if theres something i need inside of it.

just because.

i dont want to take a shower.
i took one this morning, do i have too?

i want to eat my weight in mexican food.
all the time.

just because.

i want to go to the zoo.
and see the animals.

i dont want to ever have to work again.
just travel with husband every day.

just because.

8.01.2011

Husband...


brought home flowers.
Just because.


He's been doing that ever since we started dating.
And I hope he never stops.

Children's Church and Mini Messages

Being sick all week caused me to wake up Sunday morning with no voice. It wouldn't have been such a big deal, except that I teach Children's Church and we happened to be FULL with 9 kids and myself. So it's easy to understand why I wanted to cry when I saw this handsome man walking down the hall to help me. So what do you do with a class full of kids and no voice? Play-Doh of course!














Love these precious kids! Thanks for your help, Husband!

------------------------------- Mini Messages----------------------------------




Dear Summer,
You came and left way too fast. Teacher work week in 2 weeks? Yuck.

Dear Running,
Take it easy on me! I've been fat and lazy for way too long!

Dear Shins,
Quit hating me while I run.

Dear "New" Car,
Please make everything work out so I can get you.

Dear Hair,
Grow faster.