The other day my lovely roommate and dear friend got asked this question:
"What are you going to do with Nicole?"
A very good question! It got me to thinking...what AM I going to do once Julia gets married? I decided to make a list of my options. A lot of people seem very curious, so I am laying it all out there for opinion! Feel free to add ideas if you have an good ones! I am open to suggestions.
Here they are! In no particular order:
1. Move into the basement of our current house and become a personal maid/chef for Julia and Peter. I really enjoy cooking and cleaning AND I wouldn't have to move. Double win! What newlyweds wouldn't want their friend living in the same house as them??
2. Become a cat lady. My sister and I already have a plan in place. In fact, she currently has 2 cats! Purrrrrrrfect :)
3. Take up residence in my classroom. My students already think I live at school, so why not make it official? I can totally hide a futon somewhere. Plus it makes for a super convenient commute! I could literally live and breathe work.
4. Go and snag me a feller so I can get hitched. Random guy off the street? Sure! As long as he fits the requirements. I would hate to still be single when I turn 24. The horror! (Just don't tell my Grandma. She specifically told me not to grab a guy off the street.)
5. Simply crawl into a hole somewhere. I obviously will not be able to face life without my dear roommate. Independence? Ick. If you need me after July, I'll be crying my eyes out somewhere.
That's my list thus far! I'm really working on keeping my options open, as you can see by the wide variety. I'm feeling pretty good about these choices! Only 2 more months to narrow it down...what am I ever going to do??
Friday, March 22, 2013
Sunday, March 17, 2013
Those awkward middle school years...
This past weekend my cousin and roommate, Ryan and Julia, held a lock in at their school for their middle school students. So, of course, who did they sign up to help chaperone? Me! So lovely of them. But I was excited! I love hanging out with kids, which is good because otherwise I should really into another profession. It was also fun because Julia, Ryan, and I actually went to middle school together and were in a lock in together in 5th grade. We've come full circle, awwww! :)
What made me nervous was when they asked me to give my testimony to the students.
Annnnd cue my stomach sinking to my feet. I talk in front of people all the time and I enjoy talking to people, but in front of all these kids? Like a formal/serious talk? And what would make my testimony anything special for them?
I couldn't not do it. I needed to. I thought back to when I was in middle school for some perspective on what I would want to hear from someone and it jogged up some not so great memories.
My middle school and early high school experience was not enjoyable. I was a unique and weird kid. I got teased, picked on, and left out on a daily basis. There were days I had to try my hardest to keep it together and then go home crying. I would walk into conversations where people were talking about me, read notes where people were discussing my actions, or even run into a group of people that were planning sleepovers or a get together where I was purposely being avoided and left out. There were pranks pulled on me that bring back tears to my eyes still today.
It's easy to say middle school was not my favorite time in life.
So that is what I talked about to those students. But more importantly I talked to them about how I was able to trust God and get through it all. I trusted He had a plan and a path for me. Then He sent me to Dordt College. The most fantastic years of my life! I made the most amazing friends and had the BEST time! I felt like I finally found where I belonged, people who loved the weird, crazy, unique me for being just that! It was the best. I was also able to mend a lot of those broken relationships from middle/high school and become great friends again. I have continued to trust God since then and He has blessed me for than I could even imagine, eventually sending me to Pittsburgh where I have been overwhelmingly blessed again! God's plans are better than we could ever imagine.
I ended with that and hoped and prayed that even if it was a message that only person listened to and took to heart, that God could use it for good.
When I finished, a girl came up to me with a question. She asked me how long it took me for forgive those who picked on me. I talked about it with her and my heart broke, because clearly she was asking for a reason. I discussed it with her and was thankful that God used my message for someone that needed it. The best part of it all of this though? This adorable 7th grade boy was waiting right behind this girl, ran up to me and said, "Yay for being weird!" gave me a high five, and then ran off. The best thing ever! Yay for being weird! And yay for growing up since middle school and for God being an awesome God and helping me to grow and change since those years and enabling me to learn from all those experiences. Would I ever want to go back? Absolutely not. But I can look back and realize God had a purpose for it all and a purpose for everything in life. A lesson not easily learned but very much worth learning.
What made me nervous was when they asked me to give my testimony to the students.
Annnnd cue my stomach sinking to my feet. I talk in front of people all the time and I enjoy talking to people, but in front of all these kids? Like a formal/serious talk? And what would make my testimony anything special for them?
I couldn't not do it. I needed to. I thought back to when I was in middle school for some perspective on what I would want to hear from someone and it jogged up some not so great memories.
My middle school and early high school experience was not enjoyable. I was a unique and weird kid. I got teased, picked on, and left out on a daily basis. There were days I had to try my hardest to keep it together and then go home crying. I would walk into conversations where people were talking about me, read notes where people were discussing my actions, or even run into a group of people that were planning sleepovers or a get together where I was purposely being avoided and left out. There were pranks pulled on me that bring back tears to my eyes still today.
It's easy to say middle school was not my favorite time in life.
So that is what I talked about to those students. But more importantly I talked to them about how I was able to trust God and get through it all. I trusted He had a plan and a path for me. Then He sent me to Dordt College. The most fantastic years of my life! I made the most amazing friends and had the BEST time! I felt like I finally found where I belonged, people who loved the weird, crazy, unique me for being just that! It was the best. I was also able to mend a lot of those broken relationships from middle/high school and become great friends again. I have continued to trust God since then and He has blessed me for than I could even imagine, eventually sending me to Pittsburgh where I have been overwhelmingly blessed again! God's plans are better than we could ever imagine.
I ended with that and hoped and prayed that even if it was a message that only person listened to and took to heart, that God could use it for good.
When I finished, a girl came up to me with a question. She asked me how long it took me for forgive those who picked on me. I talked about it with her and my heart broke, because clearly she was asking for a reason. I discussed it with her and was thankful that God used my message for someone that needed it. The best part of it all of this though? This adorable 7th grade boy was waiting right behind this girl, ran up to me and said, "Yay for being weird!" gave me a high five, and then ran off. The best thing ever! Yay for being weird! And yay for growing up since middle school and for God being an awesome God and helping me to grow and change since those years and enabling me to learn from all those experiences. Would I ever want to go back? Absolutely not. But I can look back and realize God had a purpose for it all and a purpose for everything in life. A lesson not easily learned but very much worth learning.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)