Back on the bandwagon?

I want to get back to this blogging thing. I want to have an outlet. I want to do something for me. But right now, it just seems so difficult. It's been months since I've posted with any regularity. But how do I get back into it? There are days when I just feel like there are no words for this space.

This is my official notice for you that I want to jump on the bandwagon. I have a feeling that this space will become more of a mom space (even moreso than it already has been) and for those of you who don't want to stick around, I will not be offended. But if you choose to sick around, I hope you'll see and understand that as I change, this blog will too.

So for today, I'll leave you with a napping picture.

4 | My passions.

Today's prompt is to explain what I'm passionate about. And I don't know about you, but that's really tough for me. My passions are extremely varied and sometimes I have a difficult time deciphering between things I love to do and others that I would call a passion.

How do I decide where my passions lie and what I simply love?

To me, passion and love vary. They vary in that if I'm passionate about something, I do love it. I long to make time for this passion each and every day.

The Oxford English Dictionary defines passion (v.):

         a. To excite or imbue with passion; to excite

What truly excites me?

 I am truly excited to spend time with my husband. I'm excited about spending time with my family. I long to show them how much I love them.  

 But what really is my passion?

 I think it's investing in others. What do I do when we've had multiple nights at home, just the two of us? I ask Kyle if we can invite someone over for supper. 

 I love to cook, but I don't invite people over because I think I'm a wonderful cook and that they'll love my food. I invite people over because I long to know them and their hearts. I long to invest in their lives. If I can put a meal in their belly and hopefully warm their hearts, I feel like I'm doing my job. If others can know that I care about them, I've fulfilled my calling.

 I believe that my calling is to invest in others. God knows what He's doing and He put that desire in my heart for a reason. 

 I also believe that He called me into teaching to invest in the lives of my students. I work at an alternative school where many students long to have someone invest in them. If I can show them that I care about them instead of only my curriculum, I've done my job. I don't desire to just teach English. I desire to teach students. 

 Who knows, my passions might change and God's calling on my life might change. But until that happens, I'll live in peace knowing that I'm called to invest in those around me.

 

Check out Brave Love Blog for more updates on the 2nd Annual Blog-tember Challenge.  

 

 

Blogtember Challenge 2015. Day 1. Day 2. Day 3. 

Night--Elie Wiesel

The time has come! Our discussion of Night will commence right....now.

On Monday I listed some questions to think about after reading (or while reading if you started the book this week). 

First of all, what did you think of the book? Was it what you were expecting? Why or why not? Were you surprised with anything? If you've read it before, what new things did you notice this time around?

Wiesel describes his faith before the Holocaust. How does his faith change throughout his experiences?

What meanings could "night" have throughout the book? (figurative and literal)

Who are the victims, the bystanders, and the perpetrators in Night? Can these roles overlap at all? If so, how do they?

Which scenes from Night stood out to you most vividly? And why?

Wiesel describes himself as a "corpse" at the end of the book. How did he die during his trials and did he ever start living again?

Finally, in what way can you connect with Elie? How does he as a person influence us as readers in 2015?

And I've thought long and hard about re-reading this book. You see, my Sophomore students read this book for class and I just have a standard study guide for it. There are about a bajillion questions for each section and they get tired of answering them and I get tired of correcting them. So I'm very glad that Aubrey hadn't read the book and therefore wanted to add it to our list for Second Chance.

That being said, I was impressed with Night the second fourth time around. I recall reading it in high school and a few times on my own during college. It was one of those books I could pick up and read in a few days. But this time around, I was looking at it in a different way. I was using my teacher eyes and my student eyes at different times. Overall, I was impressed again with the sadness Wiesel evokes in his readers. One line that sticks out in my mind is from the end when the head of their block tells Elie "[h]ere, there are no fathers, no brothers, no friends. Everyone lives and dies for himself alone." And the thing that struck me, is that it seems like life should be the opposite. Don't get me wrong. I comprehend the meaning that this man was intending, but as a human being, as a Christian--aren't we called to live life together? After Elie goes on to try to only think about himself, his guilt returns.

That guilt is one of the reasons Elie kept returning to his father.

Through the entire story, Elie's spirit kept resonating with me. What about his spirit? While I wrote the questions above, last week--I found that I was drawn more toward that spirit than anything else. Elie's spirit has been defeated. He is completely broken by the time he looks at his "corpse" in the mirror. It was his spirit that died during his trials in WWII.

While Wiesel tells a horrific account of his experiences in WWII's concentration camps, I do not know if I could handle reading it again. Ultimately, it's his determination that keeps him alive. Once his father died, he had nothing to live for but food. He was determined to eat. That, for me, was heartbreaking.

I'm not sure what the rest of you thought, but it was good for me to read again as a teacher (from my perspective and my students' perspective). It's the "night" that haunted Elie and the others throughout their entire ordeal.

What did you think? Did you follow along with my questions better than I did? If nothing else, I hope a few of my ramblings and thoughts encourage you to read it again or at least to sit down and chew it over again.

And with that, we'll see you in February with The Glass Menagerie, which I will be leading again! See you then!

Year Goals {By the Numbers}

I don't usually do resolutions for each new year. I've seen monthly goals and I've seen year long goals. I've been thinking about what my goal(s) should be for this year.

Do I want to lose weight?
Do I want to read (school books, self-help, my Bible, etc) more?
Do I want to foster better relationships?
Do I want to pay off lots of my loans?
Do I want to grow more as a teacher?

There are so many things that I want to achieve. But I've decided that I want to have just one goal.

Be the best that I can be.

That's my one goal for 2015. I want to be the best:

*wife, teacher, writer, friend, daughter, sister, cousin, aunt, sister-in-law, daughter-in-law, person*

that I can be.

The hardest part about this goal is trying to find ways to achieve it. So what's happening this year, is I'm setting small goals to help me achieve my ultimate goal.

One day a week, I'm going to send a message to a friend or family member letting them know how much they mean to me.
Two days a week, I'm going to sit down and have some me time. No distractions. For 30 minutes.
Three days a week, I'm going to the gym. It can be for 20 min or 120 minutes (hah!).
Four days a week, I'm going to bring my own coffee to work. No more buying coffees regularly.
Five days a week, I'm going to cook homemade suppers (seven if we're really ambitious).
Five days a week, we're going to bed earlier for school.
Six days a week, I'm going to read out of an actual book before I go to bed.
Seven days a week, I'm going to show my husband how much I love him (I'm sure there'll be a series of posts of how that's going...)

I know there are more things I'm going to do...if I want to be a better writer and teacher, maybe I'll commit to reading 4 teaching books this year and writing in this space a few times a week. If I don't write here, I'll have to write somewhere else too.

Stay tuned. 

I'm sure I'll have more updating to do on this goal. 

Goodbye 2014, Hello 2015!

As good as my intentions were over Christmas and most of school break, they did not come to fruition. Yikes! It's already NYE 2014! Where did time go?!

So today is the day where I finally post for the last time in 2014. It's been a fun year and a growing year. I'm sure most of you didn't start reading until May-ish...or after. And as much as I write for others, I write for myself too.

See, I've never been good a writing in a journal. Sure...I've kept one off and on since I was probably 10. But it wasn't until Freshmen year of college, that I had a strong desire to write. Some of my sweet friend bought me a journal...it was a small journal and it lasted my entire college career and single life. I started my second journal right before (or was it after...no matter) Kyle and I got married. It was a good time to transition from my college journal to my grown-up wife journal. Since we've been married, we've moved twice and I've lost misplaced my journal.

"Why is she telling us all of this??"

All of this to say, that this journal blog has been a great outlet for me over the last 14 months-ish. I love words, reading, and writing. And for me to have a place to write and have a creative outlet has been phenomenal. So, a big "Thank you!" is reserved for each and every one of you who reads in this little space.

Now, on to the good stuff. No, I'm not going to do a recap of this last year. I think I will save that for sometime in January when I'm just itching to recap.

But today...today is the final day in 2014 where I put in a plug for you to join Aubrey and myself on our book club journey! The Second Chance Book Club officially begins tomorrow! Wahoo!

It doesn't matter where you're at, if you have a blog or not, if you've read it before...we want you to join us! Follow the link above to see the list for the year. But to kick us off...we're starting with:

Night by Elie Wiesel 

Please join us in reading and come back on the last Thursday of the month (Jan. 29) for our discussion! I'm hosting Night this month, so come back here to get your discussion questions sometime the week before. (I hope to have the questions up by Jan. 22....please hold me to that!)

Now, go and enjoy your NYE2014 and we'll see you all in 2015!

Advice: What Should I Say?

 If you could give one piece of advice to a large group of people, what would it be?

Here's today's prompt for the #blogtemberchallenge. I had to think about this one for a while. I did post this a few months ago after I spoke at the Junior/Senior Prom Banquet. And while I do still stand by those words I spoke, there may be a few more I'd like to relay.

One of the best decisions I've ever made was to choose a profession I'd love and one that was rewarding. So...I chose to become a teacher.

Teaching isn't the highest paying profession. Shocker, I know! Teaching also isn't the most popular profession. Right now many schools in my area are in dire need of teachers.

But here's the thing. I have always wanted to be a part of a profession where I could make an impact on people. I've always wanted to be a part of a profession where I could support others the way I was supported all my life.

About a year ago, I had a very good discussion with my dad in regards to teaching. He asked how my job was going and if it was getting at all easier. Usually I don't have too think to long or hard about my response to such a question. But, I really had to think that night.

"Was work getting easier? I don't know. Have I been called fewer names than last year? I guess so."

"Was I happy? I don't know. Do I love waking up in the morning to go to school? Mornings, come again."

So I really had to think about it. Ultimately I responded with..."It's getting easier, yes. However, some days are just really tough. What do I do when I have a sophomore boy sleeping during classroom activities?? It's not like he has to sit and listen to a lecture all hour...good grief. What do I do when I have 300 assignments to correct before the end of the eligibility period in two days?!" Yes...there were times when I did have 300 assignments to grade. What?? When I see 120+ students every day and if they turn in 1-3 assignments in a 2-5 day time span...yeah, I got backed up!

And as I thought about it...as stressed as I was and as exhausted as I was...I was happy. I got to be in front of a group of students who would roll their eyes at me when I made funny faces, talked in funny voices, or just did something ridiculous. I was fortunate enough to influence the lives of students who may or may not have had a good reason to go home. This all may be wishful thinking, but I told my dad this, "If I have made a difference in one student's life in the time I've been at this school, all of the work, stress, tears, long hours, and headaches will have been worth it."

And that's when I realized it. I wasn't supposed to be in any profession other than teaching. Sure, being a teacher is about delivering content and all that jazz. But it's also so much more than that. Teaching is about being consistent when your students might not have consistency anywhere else. Teaching is about setting expectations for your students because he/she might not have anyone else to help them succeed. Teaching is about helping students be successful citizens after they leave the education system (and yes...even before that).

And I know it's been said before and I won't be the last to say it, but teaching really is all for the students.

So when I think about the advice I'd give to a large group of people, it would have to be this...

It doesn't matter if you're 18 or 81. If you are unhappy with where you're at in life, take a look at what you are passionate about. If you can identify what you desire and what your passion in life is, chase it down. It's never too late to find a passion.

Sure, I certainly do not like mornings. But once I get to school and start having conversations with my students, I realize it's worth it. When I see a student's eyes light up when they finally understand what we're working through, I realize it's worth it.

The reality is this. I might not be making a lot of money and I might not be so glamorous, but I get to go to my job and do something I'm really passionate about.

How many of you can say that?
Find your passion.

Welcome to the Blog-world!

 Okay, okay, okay. You may think this title is a little bit deceiving. Head on over to Bailey Jean's Blog to check out her Blogtember Challenge. I haven't been participating very long, but on the days I've participated, I've really enjoyed it.

So...her prompt for today is "When did you start blogging and why?" And...to be honest, this is my third (?) blog I've written on. My answer to the question for the day, I'm not entirely sure when I started.

This particular blog began last fall. My husband and I got married July 2013, so I figured it would be a fun way for people to keep up with what has been going on in our lives. I sure hope it's been fulfilling that purpose. So keep up with the Blogtember Challenge and see what else will appear!

Ch-Ch-Check 'em Out!

I've been on a reading kick. I mean, I usually am reading blogs/magazines/articles often. But the last week or so has been amped up QUITE a bit! So I wanted to share my top 5 articles I've read this last week. Some are from blogs and others are from magazines (that stemmed from blogs) and I hope you like them as much as I did!

1. Camp Patton
Grace definitely has a way with story telling. I came across her blog one day as I was perusing the blogosphere and fell. in. love. She's the sweet mama to four precious children. Click on the blog title to go right to her blog homepage!
The post she put up this last week is called "too much ado about absolutely nothing". I loved it. In it, she talked a little about their newest baby, Phoebe, who has the SWEETEST, chubbiest cheeks around and proceeded to relate a story from a weekend event while her hubs was working overnight. Go read it. Thank me later.

2. The Life of Bon
Bonnie teaches English too! I started reading her blog about six months ago and was hooked. Her personality shines through her writing and I feel like we're friends! She talks about her progressing pregnancy, her students, her marriage, and her faith. She's a well-rounded blogger and I keep coming back for more.
I recently read her post about how she got scammed in preparing for her trip to Hawaii. It's called "Scams and vacation mishaps". It piqued my interest as they (she and her husband) are currently traveling in Germany. Read it!

3. Bedlam Magazine
I know, I know, I know. This is my blog. I'm supposed to be sharing other blogs for you to read. Sorry. This is a great magazine. It was created by authors Cory Copeland and Cassi Clerget. I've read both of their blogs and have enjoyed their writing immensely. But...I read an article discussing the impending, dreaded (for singles), wedding season! *bum bum bum!*
Molly Chambers wrote a hilarious piece for Bedlam Magazine entitled "I Do (Not Have Enough Booze for This)". She discusses the three "Bs" to keep in mind during wedding season.

4. youaremyfave.com
I've never read this blog before and I loved it. A friend was tagged on Facebook and it dealt with breakfast. So...what's not to love? It's called "a breakfast club is my fave" and unfortunately it left me hungry when I was done reading. Since that was the only "downside" to this post, I decided it must share.

5. be.do.say.go
Aubrey is one of my favorites ever. I'm not even kidding. She's encouraging, real, funny, inspiring, and a great friend. Last night she posted "Bless this new week." and I needed to hear it as a reminder. The song on her blog last night was such a great reminder that God gives so many blessings and I always have a reason to praise Him. Check it out. You'll be glad you did.

I do have to say, this post ended up being longer than anticipated, but that's okay. Check these blogs out. They're just little pieces of my life I'm able to share.

*No, I was not sponsored to post about any of these fine writers. I chose their posts of my own accord. Now go read and be happy.