Cruisin'

My friend Carrie and I finally took a long planned and awaited cruise two weeks ago. Literally, we had been talking about this for over five years. Anyway, we left out of Charleston and sailed to the Bahamas and back. It was a nice trip. Actually, I'd be fine if I could do this every year, but alas, the budget does not allow for that! So here are some pictures and stories from Day 1:

We drove to Charleston on Saturday morning and arrived at the pier at 12:30. I was highly impressed at how efficient the parking process was. After making sure we were not security threats (and had all our documents), we left our luggage with porters to be carried on ship for us. After parking my car, we then proceeded to a shuttle bus that took us to the terminal. Once at the terminal, we went through more security and then checked in. We were given a card that was our key and way to pay for anything on board. This card also had a photo of me and anytime I left the ship it was logged and then when I came back on board, it was also logged. I thought that it was a neat way to make sure all the correct people are on board.

After checking out our room (which had two portholes), we went to find some lunch and do some exploring. Man these ships are huge! It took me most of the cruise to figure out all the decks and where everything was.

We stayed up on deck for departure. How exciting it was to be sailing out into the ocean. I think I might have inherited some of my Navy dad's genes because I just loved the feel of being completely surrounded by water. It was a bit windy, but a great start to a fun trip!

Leaving Charleston:

Here's our towel critter for the day: We think it's a seal.

Stay tuned for day 2: "Fun" day at sea!

And another chapter closes . . .

Tonight it just occurred to me that I'm closing one more year of teaching. One more year of blessing and being blessed by six/seven year olds. How can tomorrow be the last day of school? Wasn't I just getting to know them and sharing my expectations for first grade? Wasn't yesterday open house? This year seemed to go by fast. It's had its ups and downs like every year. We've shared the joys of really "getting it" in academics and we've shared sorrows of sad things that happened in our life. Tomorrow I have to say goodbye to them. I'm sad, but I won't deny them the excitement of growing older and maturing and learning new things. Today I had the fortunate privilege of being told that I had been a blessing to someone's child and they were thankful they were in my class. Wow. How humbling is that, that God used me to further one more child in academics and spirituality. Sometimes throughout the busyness of ending a school year, I forget to sit and count my blessings. I'm gonna miss this class like I do every year, but I'm excited to see what new challenges and experiences God will bring with a new class in August.

I can hardly believe that with the closing of this year begins the opening of my tenth year of teaching. TEN YEARS. How exactly can I be that old? I currently have more teaching experience behind me that the teacher I was under for student teaching. Could I have the kind of wisdom I saw in her? Am I looked up as a role model? I don't know . . . all I know is that I fail and that I'm a sinner saved by grace and that I need His help/grace daily. I would not have ever thought I would be back in Dillon teaching year ten. I did a quick estimate and realized that God has allowed me to touch over 135 children in the past nine years. What a huge task to be accountable for. May God continue to be with me in the future! Not only that, but next year marks my very first graduating class. DUDE . . . now I feel old! :) I can't wait to see what's going to happen in the future, and I'm glad to rest in the security of knowing my Jesus has the best future planned for me and my students.

Oh speaking of blessings, have you heard Laura Story's latest song, Blessings? What an encouraging message this song has.

Hey, hopefully, I'll have pics up of my trip soon!!!! Excited yet?!

What I've been up to and why I haven't posted lately:

Can you guess?

If Only . . .

I was thinking about "if only(ies)" today. Now, my solid theological training (thanks Dad and Mom!) tells me that God doesn't work that way and He's got my future planned. But sometimes, it's fun to think about if only . . . .

If only I was married . . . I'd see my sin more. :)

If only I was a mommy . . . I'd have sweet babies of my own to cuddle (and discipline!)

If only I could homeschool my children . . . I'd get to unveil the mysteries of teaching more than one grade at a time.

If only I could adopt babies from Africa . . . they need mommies and daddies, too

If only I could visit Uganda again . . . I'd move there if I could commute home for weekends, holidays, and summer vacation.

If only I could live as a missionary wife in a closed country . . . yeah, I know this one isn't normal. I think my mom must pray daily for me to be single just to avoid this one. Just kidding Mom!

If only I could realize how blessed I am even though I don't have these things I "want". They would be the top of my "bucket list", but I'm glad to rest in the assurance that my heavenly Father knows what I need and will give me exactly what is best for me each moment.

Delight yourself also in the LORD,And He shall give you the desires of your heart. Psalm 37:4

Reason 513 why you really don't want to know what your first grader tells the teacher:

"I love roaches to kill. I have some at my house I kill."

Forgiveness and Peacemaking

So I have devotions this week in our morning staff meetings and while I know what I want to share, my thoughts are still kinda jumbled. Fortunately I have until Wednesday to get it together! Therefore, you guys are my guinea pigs.

Don't you just "hate" it when God is trying to get something across to you and everywhere you go, you're getting the same message. Yeah, me too. Right now God's been teaching me that we are not our own, we are dependent on God. We must deny ourselves, take up our cross and follow. I'm learning that taking up our cross does not mean dealing with those annoying people in our lives and being long-suffering. It means revealing our sinful selves, giving away our pride and selfishness and being kind and gracious instead. Man, that's tough! Being sanctified is not always easy, but it does have a sense of satisfaction that I am growing more like Christ. Which, of course, is the ultimate goal.

Now you may be wondering what all this has to do with forgiveness and peacemaking. Obviously, when people hurt us, we are called to forgive. Forgiveness is also tough, but we are called to do so because otherwise it will eat us on the inside. On the flip side, once we forgive them we have to be peacemakers as well. Sometimes I don't want to do the right thing, but I know this is what is expected of me as a believer. I teach this concept to my first graders and they really struggle with this. Why should they be nice back to someone who has been mean to them? As the teacher, their "petty" little quarrels seem so easy to overlook, but I bet God sees the same with our disagreements. So this week, let's work on giving away our pride and being gracious and kind instead. I shall leave you with the young peacemaker poem and a verse:

Good thought, hurt you not, gossip never, friends forever

When He had called the people to Himself, with His disciples also, He said to them, “Whoever desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. Mark 8:34