All of my classes have taken or will take a test this week as we try to wrap up the semester and get ready for their semester exams. I've included the bonus question, "What is your favorite part about the Christmas season?" on each test. As I've begun grading, I was touched and convicted by several who wrote that "worshiping Jesus" or "celebrating Christ's birth" was their favorite part. Was my heart in a place like that in 7th grade? More importantly, is my heart in the right place now?
I've been so frustrated with the Christmas season this year, to be honest. I wanted to be excited about Adam's and my first Christmas together, but I've been tired and unmotivated. Our tree is up (thank you, Adam!), but I haven't decorated it. I've only bought gifts for 3 people (out of 10ish that I intend to buy for). I'm not counting down the days. I'm nervous about going home because of family stress. Etc, etc, etc... A part of me wishes that we could skip Christmas this year.
But my students reminded me that the decorations, the gifts, even spending time with family is not what Christmas is really about. Christmas is a time to celebrate and to remember the joy of Christ's coming. Jesus left heaven and became a little baby... He left comfort and glory to find cold and rejection... He chose to become flesh... Why? So that He could die. So that He could die and we could become sons and daughters of the King. That's what Christmas is really about. I don't need a tree or gifts to say "Thank you." I don't have to count down, because I can worship every day. I don't even need to worry about the brokenness in my family because the King of the World came and brought healing. He is the reason that Christmas is important.
So when Christmas is hard this year, I'll remember why Christmas is worth it. When Christmas is hard, I'll seek Christ's healing. When Christmas is hard, I'll look away from the presents and decorations and I'll look up.
Wednesday, December 12, 2012
Sunday, December 9, 2012
Happiness Is...
Having read these blogs, The Schelbs and The LPM blog, here is my own list!
Happiness is... couch time with Adam every afternoon.
Happiness is... hearing one of my students exclaim, "I get it now."
Happiness is... leaving work earlier than usual (before 5 p.m.).
Happiness is... spontaneous ice cream dates with Adam.
Happiness is... sweat pants and warm socks.
Happiness is... looking through our wedding pictures over and over.
Happiness is... watching our nephew ride his tricycle around the dining room.
Happiness is... a phone call from my little sister.
Happiness is... reunions with my favorite girls from OBU (Dec. 28, here we come!).
Joy is... grieving but WITH HOPE... knowing my husband's sweet friend is now worshiping at Jesus' feet with no more pain.
Joy is... praying and trusting that "the trials of this life are [His] mercies in disguise."
Happiness is... couch time with Adam every afternoon.
Happiness is... hearing one of my students exclaim, "I get it now."
Happiness is... leaving work earlier than usual (before 5 p.m.).
Happiness is... spontaneous ice cream dates with Adam.
Happiness is... sweat pants and warm socks.
Happiness is... looking through our wedding pictures over and over.
Happiness is... watching our nephew ride his tricycle around the dining room.
Happiness is... a phone call from my little sister.
Happiness is... reunions with my favorite girls from OBU (Dec. 28, here we come!).
Joy is... grieving but WITH HOPE... knowing my husband's sweet friend is now worshiping at Jesus' feet with no more pain.
Joy is... praying and trusting that "the trials of this life are [His] mercies in disguise."
Saturday, December 1, 2012
Recognizing Love in All Languages
I know that I have no business giving marriage advice :) We've only been married a few short months, but I believe that God showed this truth to me and I wanted to share it.
Adam was in the shower and I heard him call to me. He didn't hear my "Yes?" from the other room, but I quickly remembered that he was out of shampoo. So I pulled out the new bottle (still in the bag from my errands last night) and went to pass it over the curtain, "Is this what you needed?" "Yes," he replied, "I love you too!" I smiled...
I later realized that when I brought Adam shampoo, he recognized this as an act of service. By doing so, I communicated "I love you" to him and he responded by saying "I love you TOO."
I was so humbled by that. Do I recognize when he is communicating "I love you" to me? Too many times I just rush right on instead of taking time to stop and communicate "I love you too." I don't stop to thank Adam for cleaning up the apartment. Or I take over when he offers to cook dinner. Or I blow him off when he says I'm pretty. (That last one sounds much more terrible in print than I had imagined :/)
Love is a journey. It's humbling and scary and exciting all at the same time. I love you too, Adam Gosnell.
Adam was in the shower and I heard him call to me. He didn't hear my "Yes?" from the other room, but I quickly remembered that he was out of shampoo. So I pulled out the new bottle (still in the bag from my errands last night) and went to pass it over the curtain, "Is this what you needed?" "Yes," he replied, "I love you too!" I smiled...
I later realized that when I brought Adam shampoo, he recognized this as an act of service. By doing so, I communicated "I love you" to him and he responded by saying "I love you TOO."
I was so humbled by that. Do I recognize when he is communicating "I love you" to me? Too many times I just rush right on instead of taking time to stop and communicate "I love you too." I don't stop to thank Adam for cleaning up the apartment. Or I take over when he offers to cook dinner. Or I blow him off when he says I'm pretty. (That last one sounds much more terrible in print than I had imagined :/)
Love is a journey. It's humbling and scary and exciting all at the same time. I love you too, Adam Gosnell.
Wednesday, November 21, 2012
Young Theologians
Recently, I looked at Adam's bookshelf (very tall, very full, and very intimidating) and asked him to recommend something to me. I haven't enjoyed very much time to read since school started, but I decided that I just needed to make time! So Adam made a few suggestions and I fingered through them for a couple of days before deciding on "A Little Exercise for Young Theologians" by Helmut Thielicke.
Let me preface that I do not claim to be a young theologian... although I'm sure some would argue that all Christians are (in some sense) also theologians. Perhaps I should say that I don't claim to be a young theologian from an academic standpoint. In other words, I'm not taking theology classes and no one is waiting on me to translate Galatians 6. However, my sweet husband is. I chose this book in an effort to understand Adam more and to show my support for his calling. His calling (and as a result, my own calling) is very unique and, as I learned from Thielicke, presents some very unique challenges. I'd like to share with you the two that stood out to me the most.
Thielicke believes in a "theological puberty." He says that because young theologians are learning so much at once, it's almost like buying a young child pants that are two sizes too big. We expect him to grow into them, but we don't expect him to model! Thielicke goes far enough to say that "it is a mistake for anyone who is just in this stage to appear before a church as a teacher... During the period when the voice is changing we do not sing, and during this formative period in the life of the theological student he does not preach" (Thielicke, 12). There are several implications here, but there is one that particularly applies to my every day life - not everything my husband says is gospel. I know that those of you who have been married awhile are thinking "Well DUH!" And believe me, I know that he is not right about everything :) But Adam goes to class, studies the Greek or Hebrew, reads a million books, thinks about all these things, etc, etc. and when he forms an idea about something theological, it's tempting to accept it and move on! Please don't misunderstand, I'm not a pushover. I have plenty of ideas. But the fact remains that this is something that I struggle with and Thielicke seemingly "hit the nail on the head" for how I should think and react to my husband's journey right now.
The second point that struck me from Thielicke's book is that young theologians (and theologians, in general) face very specific temptations as a direct result of their theological journey. It was enlightening to become aware of these temptations and learn a) to support my husband through this struggle and b) to offer consistent grace in these areas.
If you are a young theologian or you happen to love a young theologian, I recommend "A Little Exercise for Young Theologians," by Helmut Thielicke. I think his thoughts will encourage you and perhaps help you understand this journey better!
Let me preface that I do not claim to be a young theologian... although I'm sure some would argue that all Christians are (in some sense) also theologians. Perhaps I should say that I don't claim to be a young theologian from an academic standpoint. In other words, I'm not taking theology classes and no one is waiting on me to translate Galatians 6. However, my sweet husband is. I chose this book in an effort to understand Adam more and to show my support for his calling. His calling (and as a result, my own calling) is very unique and, as I learned from Thielicke, presents some very unique challenges. I'd like to share with you the two that stood out to me the most.
Thielicke believes in a "theological puberty." He says that because young theologians are learning so much at once, it's almost like buying a young child pants that are two sizes too big. We expect him to grow into them, but we don't expect him to model! Thielicke goes far enough to say that "it is a mistake for anyone who is just in this stage to appear before a church as a teacher... During the period when the voice is changing we do not sing, and during this formative period in the life of the theological student he does not preach" (Thielicke, 12). There are several implications here, but there is one that particularly applies to my every day life - not everything my husband says is gospel. I know that those of you who have been married awhile are thinking "Well DUH!" And believe me, I know that he is not right about everything :) But Adam goes to class, studies the Greek or Hebrew, reads a million books, thinks about all these things, etc, etc. and when he forms an idea about something theological, it's tempting to accept it and move on! Please don't misunderstand, I'm not a pushover. I have plenty of ideas. But the fact remains that this is something that I struggle with and Thielicke seemingly "hit the nail on the head" for how I should think and react to my husband's journey right now.
The second point that struck me from Thielicke's book is that young theologians (and theologians, in general) face very specific temptations as a direct result of their theological journey. It was enlightening to become aware of these temptations and learn a) to support my husband through this struggle and b) to offer consistent grace in these areas.
If you are a young theologian or you happen to love a young theologian, I recommend "A Little Exercise for Young Theologians," by Helmut Thielicke. I think his thoughts will encourage you and perhaps help you understand this journey better!
Monday, November 5, 2012
Facebook Rules
We recently attended in-service for the Ouachita School District. An AR attorney spoke to us about social media, ways to protect our students, and ways to protect ourselves. These are his Facebook "rules". He was very entertaining, but also extremely informative and I think these are good practices to adopt even if you are not a teacher. He reminded us that Facebook or any other social media becomes a permanent record of who you are (or were :/), what you are thinking, or doing. He's seen people's Facebook posts used against them in court as well as grounds for termination of their job. So here they are...
- Post happy! <Don't be critical of anyone or anything, ESPECIALLY your job.>
- Not at work... <Don't post while you're at work! The world doesn't understand that you have a lunch break or a free period. They only see that you're online posting instead of supervising/teaching their kid.>
- Do NOT post about your ex.
- NO threats! <To anyone or about anything! Even if you're "joking," it doesn't look that way in print.>
- Not about work. <Do not post about students, school-related incidents, etc. Winning a sports game or something that would be publicized in the newspaper would be exceptions to this rule.>
- No more than four! <Do not post more than four times a day.>
- No check-in or four-square... <Hello, stalkers and burglars!>
- N.W.K.A. <Not with kids around! Parents often do not spend enough time with their kids in the first place. Don't waste your few opportunities by being on Facebook.>
Tuesday, October 23, 2012
Stuffed Peppers: Trial 2
Confession: This dish isn't even out of the oven yet and I'm already writing a blog about it. It smells SO good! And we might have already tasted the filling :)
You can find the link to the recipe that I used here. I found it via pinterest, of course! We've tried stuffed peppers in the past, and although we thoroughly enjoyed the peppers, the filling was pretty dry and not very tasty. Not so with this recipe! It took less than an hour to put this together and that included cleaning my pan to cook the rice in. Haha. (Confession #2: We're not exactly the most prompt about our kitchen cleaning). So with no further ado... Here's my version. I changed very little except that we don't shop "organic" so I took all that out.
You will need:
olive oil (we use extra virgin)
1/2 lb. ground turkey, cooked
chopped onions (I only used half of a small onion. Honestly, I just hate chopping them and Adam doesn't fuss :))
1 tbsp taco seasoning
2 cups cooked rice (we like Rice-a-Roni beef flavor)
4 bell peppers, halved and seeds removed
1 can of black beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 cup frozen corn
1/2 jar of salsa (the original recipe called for a whole jar, but I'm not a huge salsa fan so I chickened out).
Shredded cheddar cheese
---Lightly coat the peppers with olive oil and then roast on 400 degrees for 20-25 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool.
---In a large bowl, combine cooked turkey, cooked rice, taco seasoning, beans, onion, and corn. Add salsa to your liking and mix well. Spoon this mixture into the peppers and stuff carefully. I also added leftover mixture around the peppers. Place back into the oven for about 20 minutes. Remove peppers and liberally spread shredded cheese over the top. Cook until cheese is melted (seriously about a minute; 400 degrees is HOT).
We didn't top ours with anything, but sour cream would have been delicious! Also, the turkey and the rice can be made a couple of days in advance. I had cooked our turkey on Sunday night and just left it in the fridge. Let me know if you try this or if you have any suggestions for improvement! Happy stuffing!
You can find the link to the recipe that I used here. I found it via pinterest, of course! We've tried stuffed peppers in the past, and although we thoroughly enjoyed the peppers, the filling was pretty dry and not very tasty. Not so with this recipe! It took less than an hour to put this together and that included cleaning my pan to cook the rice in. Haha. (Confession #2: We're not exactly the most prompt about our kitchen cleaning). So with no further ado... Here's my version. I changed very little except that we don't shop "organic" so I took all that out.
You will need:
olive oil (we use extra virgin)
1/2 lb. ground turkey, cooked
chopped onions (I only used half of a small onion. Honestly, I just hate chopping them and Adam doesn't fuss :))
1 tbsp taco seasoning
2 cups cooked rice (we like Rice-a-Roni beef flavor)
4 bell peppers, halved and seeds removed
1 can of black beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 cup frozen corn
1/2 jar of salsa (the original recipe called for a whole jar, but I'm not a huge salsa fan so I chickened out).
Shredded cheddar cheese
---Lightly coat the peppers with olive oil and then roast on 400 degrees for 20-25 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool.
---In a large bowl, combine cooked turkey, cooked rice, taco seasoning, beans, onion, and corn. Add salsa to your liking and mix well. Spoon this mixture into the peppers and stuff carefully. I also added leftover mixture around the peppers. Place back into the oven for about 20 minutes. Remove peppers and liberally spread shredded cheese over the top. Cook until cheese is melted (seriously about a minute; 400 degrees is HOT).
We didn't top ours with anything, but sour cream would have been delicious! Also, the turkey and the rice can be made a couple of days in advance. I had cooked our turkey on Sunday night and just left it in the fridge. Let me know if you try this or if you have any suggestions for improvement! Happy stuffing!
Saturday, October 13, 2012
Thanksgivings: The Weekend Edition
- Time with my husband ... Can't beating the opportunity to spend my whole day in the same room with him! Even if we're not doing same thing, I just love being with him.
- SLEEP!!! I have become a firm believer in the concept of "sleep deficit." I can work efficiently and confidently on 7-7.5 hours of sleep during the week, but Friday and Saturday nights I usually sleep 9-10 hours! Plus a Sunday afternoon nap every once in awhile :)
- K-group ... These are our church's small groups that meet on Sunday evenings. I cherish this time with other believers to encourage and pray for each other as we dig deeper into God's word.
- Cooking! I've had a hard time cooking during the week since school started, so I try to cook well on the weekends to make up for it.
- Adult conversation. I love my kiddos at school, but I take advantage of any time that I can spend with people my own age!
- Cleaning ... Although I tend to put it off as long as possible, I do enjoy a clean home!
- Did I mention time with my husband? Of course we spend time together during the week, but between his classes for Senior year and my first year of teaching, we're a little distracted Monday - Friday. The weekends are our chance to really focus on and enjoy each other.
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