Thursday, February 24, 2011

Lately

I haven't had much to blog about recently, hence my brief hiatus.  I'm staying busy, as always, but looking forward to a day out of school tomorrow to catch up on cleaning, laundry, and most of all...SLEEP! 

I just got back from a youth conference this past weekend.  Some friends and I were asked to help lead worship at Winterfest in Gatlinburg.  I was super nervous prior to the trip because I knew we were going to be singing in front of 6500 people.  Ummm, that's a LOT of teenagers.  I told myself to focus on my worship and not where I happened to be standing, who would be watching, etc.  Many prayers went up on our behalf, and we felt God's presence and His hand over the entire weekend.  I was completely calm, actually not even nervous.  Only God himself could have done that.  And I'm thankful He did.
Cort and Sarah Taylor came up last week to visit.  It was so awesome to be able to come home after school and see them everyday.  I've never loved anyone like I love this precious baby.  She's my little sunshine and I've never felt more blessed.
I've been painting....and painting...and painting lately.  A friend of mine is opening up a gift shop in town and several vendors from the area are coming together to create a store full of cute and fun gift ideas.  Here's some of what I've been working on so far.

We've booked our reservations for the beach this summer!  I'm p-u-m-p-e-d!  We weren't able to go last year because of the oil spill and Cort being pregnant.  We just didn't want to risk being there with possible fumes that could have been dangerous.  It's been two years since we've been so needless to say, we're ready.  All 22 of us are going, so it will for sure be a great time!

That's it for now.  I must go back to painting.  I hope all my blog buddies are doing well!  Happy almost spring!!


Tuesday, February 15, 2011

Love is...

Love….According to my 4th Graders:


One of my favorite things about being a teacher is getting the opportunity to read my students’ writing. Every year around this time, I have them write their own definition of love. Some of them are funny (actually, HILARIOUS) while others are very deep and show signs of real maturity and wisdom. I hope you enjoy these as much as I did. Happy Valentine’s Day!

P.S. These are left in ‘student’ form, complete with misspellings, incorrect punctuation, and all. We’re working on it!


• Love is when you do something nice for someone. Love is when people go out on a date. Just like the last one, love is sometimes romantic. Sometimes when you hug somebody that is also love. And you don’t have to tell somebody you love them, you can show them by your actions, be nice to them, share with them, and that’s what love is. ***(This one has been listening in class!)

• Love is kisses, hugs, and presents. Sometimes my teacher says that she loves me and she always gives me hugs. And I like that. ***(Bless….)

• Love is helping people in times of need, like donating things like clothes and food to orphanages, poor people, and to other countries, like Nigeria. Love is also rescueing a damsel in distress then picking her up on your handsome black stallion and riding off into a beautiful sunset. Love is also sitting in a convertible on a grassy cliff overviewing a big city.

• Love is when you have a soul mate for the rest of your life. When you go on dates and drink one milkshake with two straws.

• Love is when you give your girlfriend candy or a cute teddy bear like I did. Also, it is when you ask a girl to marry you. If she loves you she’ll say yes. It is when you go to Kay’s jewelry store and get her a expensive ring or necklace.

• Love is when you take someone to a fancy place like Paris or France. You go to Demos’ and order the noodles and then the man puts a noodle in his mouth then your lips get closer and closer.

• Love is when you kiss or go out to eat or get married. Love is when you take her to a ballgame and buy her whatever she wants. Love is special.

• Love is when Juliet rides into the sunset with Romeo.

• Love is undiying never ending sometimes angry or mad. It makes them all big and stuffed with chocklate unlike how they were in collage. It’s giving them a strawberry in the kitchen. It’s making them gane a few pounds. It’s getting kicked at night and hearing all that snoring. If it’s that bad I never wanna fall in love!

• When you decide to have a boyfriend when your to young and then ruin your brain with a bunch of mushy goop then you get old enough (but not adult yet) and you think all love is is smooching and hugging and all that blubbery stuff. Then, you get older and realize love is more than blubberry grossness. You realize it’s compassion and caring and risking your life for someone you really like a lot. Then, you get married and it goes back to the blubberry stuff. Then, you get to be an old, wrinkly, cute, elderly person and know that love is caring and sweet and everything else that makes the person you like happy.

• Love is when two people get together and hang out. I think that love means that you really care about someone. Then Valentine’s Day comes and I guess you can tell them. But I’m not for sure you can, but if you want too I guess it’s ok. I don’t know who came up with Valentine’s Day and love and stuff like that but I don’t think it was that bad of an idea. But this guy may have really liked stuff like that cause everybody likes Valentine’s Day.

• Love is when two friends become closer with one another. Love is patient. Love is kind. Always protects always…

• Love is when two people kiss. My mom would do cartwheels if my dad said because they are in love. Sometimes people think love is gross. I think it’s funny.

• When you’re in love with someone, I don’t think you need to put off your friends and spend too much time with your girlfriend/boyfriend, but you don’t need to put off your girlfriend/boyfriend and spend too much time with your friends, either.

• I see my dad trying to kiss my mom in walmart. I guess he really loves her.

• When you love someone it feels like you are happy and nervous at the same time and it feels like a little farie touching you.

• Love is like when you LOVE chicken, you love it because its good.

• Love is when your heart feels good, when someone shows compassion or cares about you deeply. It can also be that romantic stuff.

• Love is disgusting.

• I think love is something shared between two people. Something you can feel. When you feel love, you get butterflies. Love, however, is NOT that mushy-gushy stuff in the movies. When you’re in love, you get married, and have kids. The love in the movies is just acting, it’s not real at all. I would never follow the movies. Be careful who you love, sometimes they’re not at all what you think.

• Love is when you feel that there is a connection between you and that person.

I’m way impressed with their answers. They know a lot more about love than I think I did at their age. I’m feeling I should save this until their Senior year and then bring them out...

Wednesday, February 02, 2011

6000 Hearts

In just a few short weeks, some close friends and I will be on stage in front of 6000 people worshipping God at a youth rally.  I am tremendously excited but out of my mind nervous at the same time.  I cannot wait to experience what God has in store for every single heart in attendance.  One of the songs we will be introducing is "O The Blood."  The lyrics are beautiful, as well as the music.  I hope you will take a second to listen and we can all continue to allow HIS BLOOD to change our lives.

Gateway Worship - O the Blood

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