{I'm Back...}

Geez. It’s been so long since I last updated this blog. Much has changed in my life since…ummm, June.

After moving multiple times this summer, I am finally “at home” living with my cousin, her husband, and their adorable baby girl. It has been great and I am so thankful for their hospitality and generosity. I have my own little pink room (which will one day be Annie’s) and bathroom. Since my cousin is more like a sister, and I’ve known her hubby since freshman year at Auburn, it has been easy and fun living with them. I love getting to see them in the role of parents and learning from their example. You can see their adorable family blog and pictures here: http://abbasgirlandthefamily.blogspot.com/

The school year is back in full swing. I am in a 2^nd grade classroom this year, co-teaching with a wonderful teacher/mentor. We have 24 little darlings that occasionally make me want to pull my hair out. They are a talkative bunch! Very talkative. Trying to get them to listen, learn, read, follow directions, etc. is more difficult than pulling teeth. Literally! Some of the students have allowed me to try pulling their teeth. January is calling my name because our class will split and we will each only have 12 students. Yayyy! We have made the official decision of who gets whom, so for the next couple of months I can mentally prepare for the challenges that will certainly come my way. Just to clarify, I love teaching. I love children. I especially love these children!! They are fun, energetic, hilarious, kind-hearted, and pretty darn cute! This year, however, has been difficult. This group of kids has been far more difficult than I imagined. I thought moving from 4-year-olds to 7 & 8-year-olds would mean more independence and maturity. Not really the case. I daily question whether or not I am in the right career. Luckily, God (in His amazing plan) brought me to the teaching profession and Cornerstone in a way that I cannot question. He prepared my path in a way that makes it impossible to question the fact that I am where He wants me to be. So…I am enjoying (sometimes complaining about) the fun and busy time of preparing my classroom and getting ready to take on the responsibility of educating 12 young children. Pray for them and pray for me!

More updates to come...maybe. Check back soon.

Mastering the Art of Free Time

I had high hopes for the summer. I thought I would have so much free time and finish everything on my list. I thought I would use a lot of my time to make things and get a head start on Christmas gift making (I’m on a tight budget and “gifts” is a killer!). I know it’s still early, but so far I feel like I’ve had little free time. UNTIL…

I’ve actually had a little bit over the last week and a half! While last week was partly spent preparing for a weekend trip and the gifts it included (2 Father’s Day and 2 birthdays), this week is being spent relaxing! I am still working three days a week, but that leaves two week days for errand running, exercising, cooking, crafting, puzzle-smithing, or just vegging out. I’ve experimented with a few recipes…some successful and others not at all. I also got to make my grandmother’s birthday gift, which I think turned out pretty well considering it was my first try using a grapevine wreath AND incorporating cotton bolls. If you’re wondering why I put bolls of cotton in a wreath, I have two very good reasons. One: my dad used to be a cotton farmer, so the plant is special to my family, and two: I LOVE cotton. I love the memories of trumping cotton as a kid, the feel of cotton (esp in the form of a comfy tee), the look of cotton growing in a field, Cotton commercials, cotton used in floral arrangements, and what cotton represents (a simple natural resource, grown in the USA, used to make clothes for people all over the world). Anyway, I think it turned out pretty…

I like the simplicity of the colors and incorporating different fabrics, like burlap. So, what do ya think? Honestly. I’ve considered making these to sell, but I want to know if people would actually buy them…or even want them! I’d love your feedback.

Also, I'm thinking of trying my hand at embroidery. Let me know if you have any advice, warnings, or resources to begin.

Thanks all! Have a great weekend!!

-Stephanie

{Catching Up}

I have been a horrible blogger lately and done a poor job documenting my life! This is my attempt to catch up.

Here are a few pictures to catch you up on the end of school at Cornerstone...

Field Day

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Sean and Joshua, K4 Celebration

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End of the year class party at Railroad Park

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And some pictures of my trip to Florence to visit my dad…

Dad’s Garden

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Lunch on the Tennessee River

{Summer Job}

I thought working half-days at a local church pre-school would be a fun, relaxing way to earn money over the summer. Wrong. Two-year-olds are a handful! I won’t go in to all the details, but I will just say my first day included cleaning “#2” off hands, floors, and other surfaces. This coming from a child whose father said, “We’ve been working on potty training. She seems to have it, but I put a pull-up on her just to be safe.” This same parent wrote on the information sheet that he would love for her to learn potty training this summer. I’m not sure I get paid enough to handle that responsibility. Not at all. No, sir. Not gonna happen! I love all kids, but I don’t like this one very much. Awful, I know. Just being honest.

A plus side to this whole experience has been the confirmation of what my calling and passion is. I truly love and prefer teaching children with different backgrounds than myself. I miss students asking to “use it” and telling me someone “wasted their milk.” This summer job might not be enjoyable and something I look forward to, like Cornerstone, BUT it has me ready to begin the next school year! And I learned a valuable lesson: don’t get a summer job that includes working with kids. Next summer I may be working at Jack’s (the only fast food restaurant I can think of that children don’t really frequent), but I will make a point to separate myself from little people (except Annie, of course). Sometime you just need a break from kids. Apparently even your own since these parents can’t possibly achieve much in the 4 hours we have them, besides regaining their sanity. Anyway, enough from me. It’s gonna be a good summer, regardless of my day job.

{It's been too long}

I know, I know. Two weeks!!!! Ridiculous. In my defense it has been a crazy, hectic two weeks. Last week was the last week of school, which included lots of tiring days of crazy children, field day (exhausting!!), and cleaning the classroom. On top of that I was packing my apartment to move out by the end of the month…and I have accumulated many things in my 26 years. While it was super busy, it was also two of the best weeks of my life! God keeps amazing me with His blessings and provision. He always seems to provide in an unexpected way that I’m not praying about or even considering an option. With that said…

I got a job at Cornerstone!!!!!! Woot, woot!!! My plan for next school year was a huge question mark that was causing a little stress and A LOT of dependence on God. If I’ve said it once, I’ve said it a dozen times…we serve a powerful, good, perfect, and gracious God. I knew that whatever my future held would be sweet, but this was out of my scope of imagination. Which, I’ve learned, is usually how He works.

Other than that I’ve been packing, moving, and trying to fit my belongings in storage and a friends room. I feel like I’m living out of a cardboard box (okay, maybe I’m exaggerating) so give me a little slack this summer with cards, gift-wrapping, etc. I’m trying to make do.

Wedding season is in full force, so I’ve enjoyed saving money in my food and entertainment budget! Seeing friends join together in life has been pretty cool too, I guess. (kidding). It’s been great!! It has been another way to see God exalted and hear of the great love He has for His church.

I start my summer job tomorrow, which I am not exactly looking forward to. Not that I think it’s going to be a bad gig, I just don’t feel like I’ve had enough of a break. I’m teaching pre-school from 8:30-1:30 everyday. Not a bad schedule, and maybe the structure will give me diligence to spend my free time on worthy things rather than wasteful ones. We’ll see.

Again, my apologies for the long break in writing. It’s been frustrating that I haven’t found time to sit down and type, but hopefully this summer will allow me lots of free time to do the things I love best. I hope you are having a great summer (so, it’s technically spring but whatev) and finding ways to stay cool in this scorching heat!!!

Rebecca Black - Friday (OFFICIAL VIDEO)

Woke up with this song in my head. Geez...it's gonna be a l.o.n.g. day.

{The Character of Our Creator}

I am a slightly inconsistent person. What I mean by that is I start many things and finish only some. I don’t really like this about my personality and often attempt to better myself in this regard. The best example I can think of is a gift I began for a friend for Christmas of 2009 that I have yet to complete! Sheesh! One of my goals for the summer is to finish the bag (right, Honey!?).

Another area I am inconsistent in is my quiet time/Bible study. I never can find a study I enjoy doing on my own so end up playing Bible roulette with no consistent theme or study. It’s a little frustrating. Well, about a month ago I came across a devotional guide given to me in 2008 that I never began. I decided to give it a shot. While it’s only been three weeks, I’m still going strong…which is kinda a big deal for me. Week one began with the creation story and at first I almost skipped it, thinking I knew the story well enough and had nothing else to learn from it. But, I decided if I’m gonna begin a new study, I’m gonna do it right. I started in Genesis 1, but decided to do the scripture reading from my new ESV Bible instead of the NIV I’ve always used. Well, as usual, God used an old passage to speak truth to me in a new way. The verses read:

“To the woman he said,

 "I will surely multiply your pain in childbearing;
 in pain you shall bring forth children.
 Your desire shall be for your husband,
 and he shall rule over you." And to Adam he said,
 "Because you have listened to the voice of your wife
 and have eaten of the tree
 of which I commanded you, 'You shall not eat of it,'
 cursed is the ground because of you;
 in pain you shall eat of it all the days of your life;
 thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you;
 and you shall eat the plants of the field.
 By the sweat of your face
 you shall eat bread,
 till you return to the ground,
 for out of it you were taken;
 for you are dust, and to dust you shall return." The man called his wife’s name Eve, because she was the mother of all living. And the LORD God made for Adam and for his wife garments of skins and clothed them.” Genesis 3:16-20 ESV

Adam and Eve did wrong. They sinned against God and were given consequences for their sin. What I never noticed before was the last verse I included, “And the LORD God made for Adam and for his wife garments of skins and clothed them.” He blessed them! In the midst of their sin, He didn’t withhold His provision and love. That’s not to say they did not experience the consequences of sin, but at the same moment they were allowed to experience His blessings. How completely opposite is this from the way we discipline?! In my experience “blessing” is definitely withheld if expected behavior is not achieved. Not that I think we should reward bad behavior. I do think, however, there is something to be learned about the character of our Creator in these verses. It has taken me weeks to put this in writing because I am still mulling over it in my head. One thing I have most definitely figured out is that He is good all the time. There will be consequences for my sin, but His love for me does not change. He does not punish me as the world punishes me. I do not have to be perfect to experience His blessings and presence in my life.

“The Lord is merciful and gracious,
 slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.
 He will not always chide, 
nor will he keep his anger forever.
 He does not deal with us according to our sins,
 nor repay us according to our iniquities.
 For as high as the heavens are above the earth,
 so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him;
 as far as the east is from the west,
 so far does he remove our transgressions from us.
 As a father shows compassion to his children, 
so the Lord shows compassion to those who fear him.
 For he knows our frame; 
he remembers that we are dust.” Psalm 103:8-14