Yes, Teacher!

Wednesday, December 7, 2011

Celebrating Advent

One of my favorite parts of the Christmas season is counting down to the big day. When I was young, we would get the cheap chocolate advent calendars... like this one:

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I would look forward to eating that tiny square of chocolate all day and then look longingly at the rest. When I was a freshman in college, away from the rules of my parents, I bought SIX chocolate advent calendars all for myself. I was such a goodie-two-shoes, it felt like such an act of rebellion to eat SIX squares of chocolate instead of just one!

Nowadays, there are so many beautiful ways to countdown to Christmas. Here are some of my favorites:

Vintage Style Advent Calendar from Vintage Modern Mix

Printed Pouches from Terrain

Pottery Advent Calendar from A Bit Off Center

Advent Calendar Elf from Garnet Hill

Someday when we have kids, I'm totally getting that elf!! In the meantime, I'll stick with my cheapo chocolate advent calendar - it brings back such nostalgia for me!

How do you celebrate Advent?

Monday, December 5, 2011

Tickle Me Tuesday, 47th edition

Welcome to the latest edition of Tickle Me Tuesdays, where we all share what's been tickling our fancy!

If you'd like to participate (and you know you do!!), here are the rules:

1. Write a short post with anywhere from one to five items that have been tickling your fancy recently. Please include pictures and links :)

2. Make sure to link back to the party in your blog post (you can grab the button or include a text link)

3. Come back here and link up your blog post!

4. Visit some other links and HAVE FUN!

Orla Kiely Travel Set

Pepper Berry Wreath

Nativity Hurricane Candle Trio

Now it's your turn! What's been tickling your fancy lately?

Missionary Kid Monday: Realizing the Awful Truth

{For more on this series, click here}
The way it worked is that for every four years on the mission field, my family had to go back to the States for one full year. (There were a few reasons for this but the main one is that my parents needed to reconnect with our sending churches and individuals who supported us financially.)

The only thing that mattered to me as we prepared for our year back in California was that I was going to be in sixth grade. AND! I was going back to the school I had attended for kindergarten and first grade. A lovely Christian school.

And I was going to see all of my friends!

In my innocent mind, we would all pick up where we left off.

But that didn't happen. In fact, my "friends" had all moved on to much more grown-up things. They didn't want to play on the playground or jump rope like I had been used to doing with my French friends. Nope. My friends... who were GIRLS... just wanted to play soccer and talk to boys.

They didn't care that I had been gone for four years. They called me "Frenchie". They didn't really want anything to do with me unless they wanted someone to tease.

I was ostracized. I was confused. I clearly didn't belong here anymore.

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I couldn't understand why I did not fit in at home anymore.

And the more the year progressed, the more I began to understand that my life was changed forever and I would never be able to go back "home" again. Yes, I understand that sounds quite dramatic, but it was the truth. A hard truth to swallow.

I knew that when we went back to France after the California year was up, we'd be going to a different region. I'd go to a different school and have to make different friends. I wasn't going "home".

So there it was, my awful truth: California wasn't my home. France wasn't my home.

Where is my home?

It's a question that all missionary kids struggle with (and I can imagine military kids do too!). It's the question that has tortured me and defined me for more than a decade.

Having to even ask and deal with that question..... started as a shock, then turned into bitter acceptance, then turned into a matter of pride, and then (I'm sad to admit) even arrogance.

But that's a post for a different time. Today I just wanted to share with you my pivotal sixth grade year!

Friday, December 2, 2011

Overwhelmed Much?

I'm a bit stressed out at the moment. Feeling quite overwhelmed, actually.

There's lots I NEED to do, but can't find the time for. There's lots I WANT to do, but it's taking a backseat to my need-to-dos.

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Ever feel like that?

And when I look at all that I meant to accomplish and didn't... it makes me feel like a failure. Like an ineffective teacher. Like a sub-par housewife. Like a bad blogger.

Fortunately, my self-worth isn't wrapped up in how many things I've crossed off my to-do list!

When I get to heaven, no one is going to ask me what my students' test scores were.

No one will ask how many times I vacuumed.

No one will ask if I was faithful in blogging five times a week.

The only thing that matters is if I've loved and served the Lord.

Let this be my number one priority!