God has this great way of keeping us in suspense. We don't always get to know the plan far in advance, in fact, I would say we rarely do! But we know His plans are always good and right, because they are HIS!
It is hard for me to keep this in mind. A few things about me: I am very OCD, I love plans, and I love being in control. Great characteristics for a teacher, not so great for giving up control and trusting the Lord. And as far as my life plans are concerned, I will be the first to say my life has not gone as I had once imagined.
I attended a small, Christian college that is very marriage minded. Freshman year I thought I would meet the love of my life, date through college, and have a wonderful wedding after graduation! Then I would become a Christian school teacher in a small mid-west town, we would live in a precious little house, and live happily ever after. Yeah...this didn't happen.
Now this is not to say that I am not happy, because I am so thankful my life has gone the way it has. It just didn't go according to my 18 year old self's plan. I continued to make plans throughout college, plans to teach here, do this and that, live over there. Silly, silly me...
God must get so frustrated watching us try to control and plan out every aspect of life. I fried my brain and nerves trying to figure it all out. I should have relaxed and known that the Lord had an AWESOME plan for me!
This week marks one year of the three of us, Ryan, Julia, and myself, living here in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Pittsburgh definitely did not even come into my brain until a few weeks before graduation! Scratch that: the entire eastern side of the country was not even a possibility to me! Now I am a resident of PA, teaching at an incredible school, and I've met the most incredible people. God works in the most phenomenal ways!
Since my dear roommate has gotten engaged, lots of people have asked me, "What are you going to do after she gets married?! What is next?!" They all seemed rather nervous, worried, or concerned for me. Well I've learned better. I'm not going to worry about it! God will lead me to where I need to be, to do what He wants me to do to better serve Him and His Kingdom. I am blessed to be teaching another year of 2nd grade at RTCS. What comes after that, I don't know! But I know God does and I have peace knowing that He is in control and He has something fantastic in store for me.
Therefore I tell you, do not worry
about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what
you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than
clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life? But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.
Matthew 6:25-27, 33-34
Saturday, July 28, 2012
Sunday, July 22, 2012
Book Worm
You know what I love? Books.
I have this deep seeded love for reading and books. It does help that I am a teacher so I am constantly surrounded by and working with books. However, my love for literature greatly extends outside of my classroom walls.
I am going to admit something to you now. I feel like I should perhaps be ashamed of it, but I'm really not. I am actually quite happy about it! You ready? Alright, no judgement.
Since moving to Pittsburgh, I have bought somewhere around 70 books.
Yeeeaahhh...
Oops! I didn't realize it until a couple of months ago when I had to buy another bookshelf. It was that bad. I can't help it! Like I said, it's a deep seeded love!
Well with all this book buying going on and teaching going on during the year, I haven't had much time to enjoy my purchases! This summer I resolved to change this. I made up a summer reading list (nerdy, I know) and have been working on it since school let out.
I figured I would share some of my favorite reads as of late, some more recent books and other fantastic classics!
1. "Unbroken" by Laura Hillenbrand
This is the amazing story of Louis Zamperini, a World War II survivor that will hook you in and have you feeling like you are right there with the soldiers. I cried numerous times.
2. "Divergent" and "Insurgent" by Veronica Roth
If you have read "The Hunger Games", these books are right up that same ally. The book is set in a fictional dystopian world, where people chose from 4 factions in which to live. Each faction has specific characteristics and helps society to function.
I really don't do justice in explaining it. Also, the third book isn't coming out until next year. It is KILLING me.
3. "A Thousand Splendid Suns" by Khaled Hosseini
These books were talked about quite a bit a few years ago. I just read it a few weeks ago and it was a phenomenal story looking into the lives of women in the middle east. The same author also wrote "The Kite Runner", another wonderful book!
4. "To Kill a Mockingbird" by Harper Lee
This is terrible, but I didn't read this book until just a few weeks ago. LOVED it. An American classic that needs no explanation.
I realize I am no book expert, just a person who enjoys a great book! There are just too many books out there...I can't take not having the time to read them all! Currently I'm working at some Jane Austen and about to attempt Les Miserables.
So the point of this post and my teachery advice for you today? Go read a book! Original, I know :)
I have this deep seeded love for reading and books. It does help that I am a teacher so I am constantly surrounded by and working with books. However, my love for literature greatly extends outside of my classroom walls.
I am going to admit something to you now. I feel like I should perhaps be ashamed of it, but I'm really not. I am actually quite happy about it! You ready? Alright, no judgement.
Since moving to Pittsburgh, I have bought somewhere around 70 books.
Yeeeaahhh...
Oops! I didn't realize it until a couple of months ago when I had to buy another bookshelf. It was that bad. I can't help it! Like I said, it's a deep seeded love!
Well with all this book buying going on and teaching going on during the year, I haven't had much time to enjoy my purchases! This summer I resolved to change this. I made up a summer reading list (nerdy, I know) and have been working on it since school let out.
I figured I would share some of my favorite reads as of late, some more recent books and other fantastic classics!
1. "Unbroken" by Laura Hillenbrand
This is the amazing story of Louis Zamperini, a World War II survivor that will hook you in and have you feeling like you are right there with the soldiers. I cried numerous times.
2. "Divergent" and "Insurgent" by Veronica Roth
If you have read "The Hunger Games", these books are right up that same ally. The book is set in a fictional dystopian world, where people chose from 4 factions in which to live. Each faction has specific characteristics and helps society to function.
I really don't do justice in explaining it. Also, the third book isn't coming out until next year. It is KILLING me.
3. "A Thousand Splendid Suns" by Khaled Hosseini
These books were talked about quite a bit a few years ago. I just read it a few weeks ago and it was a phenomenal story looking into the lives of women in the middle east. The same author also wrote "The Kite Runner", another wonderful book!
4. "To Kill a Mockingbird" by Harper Lee
This is terrible, but I didn't read this book until just a few weeks ago. LOVED it. An American classic that needs no explanation.
I realize I am no book expert, just a person who enjoys a great book! There are just too many books out there...I can't take not having the time to read them all! Currently I'm working at some Jane Austen and about to attempt Les Miserables.
So the point of this post and my teachery advice for you today? Go read a book! Original, I know :)
Tuesday, July 17, 2012
My Best Friends' Wedding
Yes, I did snatch that title from a favorite movie of mine, "My Best Friend's Wedding". However, if you were paying attention and are grammatically gifted enough to realize, I did place that little apostrophe after the s. Nerdy moment.
Nerdy as it may be, it is completely true. Last weekend I attended the wedding of not one, but two of my best friends, Adrian de Lange and Kaylee Engelsman, and now, de Lange! (It's going to take me a bit to get used to that...) I got to watch two of my best friends get married to each other. Crazy and awesome!
I met these two in college at different times. I became incredibly good friends with each of them individually. I spent a ton of time with each of them, being ridiculous and doing awesome college activities including chair races, office parties, baking bread, watching movies, and eating large amounts of deep fried cheese curds!
Well, college went on and then came the middle of junior year. Kaylee and Adrian met officially and hit it off, and eventually began to date. It was a strange time, when two of my best friends started dating each other. Once my brain processed it, I was super excited for them! I spent a lot of time with these two, hard core third wheeling it, which I hope they didn't mind too much! College was so awesome because of these two, and most of my memories from college involve the two of them!
So you can now imagine why this wedding was so special for me. It was such a blessing to watch these two become husband and wife! Adrian and Kaylee are two of the most kind, considerate, loving, passionate, hilarious, and wonderful friends a person could have, and I have gotten to be friends with them both! It was a wonderful day and to top it all off, I got to spend the week beforehand hanging out with them and their ridiculously awesome families!
I am so thankful God placed these two people in my life! They are the best-est friends a person could ever ask for :)
Nerdy as it may be, it is completely true. Last weekend I attended the wedding of not one, but two of my best friends, Adrian de Lange and Kaylee Engelsman, and now, de Lange! (It's going to take me a bit to get used to that...) I got to watch two of my best friends get married to each other. Crazy and awesome!
I met these two in college at different times. I became incredibly good friends with each of them individually. I spent a ton of time with each of them, being ridiculous and doing awesome college activities including chair races, office parties, baking bread, watching movies, and eating large amounts of deep fried cheese curds!
Well, college went on and then came the middle of junior year. Kaylee and Adrian met officially and hit it off, and eventually began to date. It was a strange time, when two of my best friends started dating each other. Once my brain processed it, I was super excited for them! I spent a lot of time with these two, hard core third wheeling it, which I hope they didn't mind too much! College was so awesome because of these two, and most of my memories from college involve the two of them!
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| Good times in college! |
So you can now imagine why this wedding was so special for me. It was such a blessing to watch these two become husband and wife! Adrian and Kaylee are two of the most kind, considerate, loving, passionate, hilarious, and wonderful friends a person could have, and I have gotten to be friends with them both! It was a wonderful day and to top it all off, I got to spend the week beforehand hanging out with them and their ridiculously awesome families!
I am so thankful God placed these two people in my life! They are the best-est friends a person could ever ask for :)
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| I was blessed to be maid of honor in their wedding! |
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| Love them so very much :) |
Sunday, July 15, 2012
Peace and Quiet
This post was actually written over a week and a half ago, when I was in WI, but I have been crazy busy and unable to post till now! So it's a little post from the past :)
I was watching TV with my mom and dad last night when a delightful breeze came through the window. The smell of fresh cut hay wafted through the living room and my mom closes her eyes, takes a deep breath and says to me, "Mmm...hay! Just can't get that smell in Pittsburgh."
It's true! I have spent the past two weeks looking around me and having a renewed perspective on my hometown. My parent's house is surrounded by fields and woods. I spent last night just sitting and listening to the quiet. There were various insect noises, an occasional moo from a disgruntled cow, and every once and a great while a car will go by. For the most part, it was peaceful and quiet. Living in the country blesses you with lots of beautiful moments such as these.
In that moment I realized that more than anything, I need to take more moments like this for myself. In the crazy busy that is life, I don't take near enough time to pause and enjoy what is going on right at that moment, I'm always looking at what is next on my calendar.
Getting to spend 2 weeks back in Wisconsin gave me that time of peace and refreshment that I needed after a year of teaching and living in a brand new city. I spent lots of time catching up with family, laughing and crafting with friends, cuddling with cats, and enjoying the beauty that is Wisconsin.
I am spoiled in that I get the entire summer off. Don't worry, I have lots of work that I will be doing yet this summer. I'm not rushing off to it quite yet though. I have lots more of my summer to soak up and enjoy yet!
I was watching TV with my mom and dad last night when a delightful breeze came through the window. The smell of fresh cut hay wafted through the living room and my mom closes her eyes, takes a deep breath and says to me, "Mmm...hay! Just can't get that smell in Pittsburgh."
It's true! I have spent the past two weeks looking around me and having a renewed perspective on my hometown. My parent's house is surrounded by fields and woods. I spent last night just sitting and listening to the quiet. There were various insect noises, an occasional moo from a disgruntled cow, and every once and a great while a car will go by. For the most part, it was peaceful and quiet. Living in the country blesses you with lots of beautiful moments such as these.
In that moment I realized that more than anything, I need to take more moments like this for myself. In the crazy busy that is life, I don't take near enough time to pause and enjoy what is going on right at that moment, I'm always looking at what is next on my calendar.
Getting to spend 2 weeks back in Wisconsin gave me that time of peace and refreshment that I needed after a year of teaching and living in a brand new city. I spent lots of time catching up with family, laughing and crafting with friends, cuddling with cats, and enjoying the beauty that is Wisconsin.
I am spoiled in that I get the entire summer off. Don't worry, I have lots of work that I will be doing yet this summer. I'm not rushing off to it quite yet though. I have lots more of my summer to soak up and enjoy yet!
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| Members of the Ongna family playing corn hole |
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| Taz, one of our many, many cats |
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