Glorious Oxymorons

In case any of you have been curious about my life since I last posted about a century ago, please rest assured that you haven't missed too much big news. That's not bad, of course. I still love my career, still appreciate my class, still work hard to keep the class (and classroom) afloat, still tired by Friday, and still thankful for all of God's wonderful blessings.

Here's what's been on my mind I felt the need to share.....

Lately I've been thinking about where I live and how much I enjoy the contrast of what is to my left and what is to my right. I live in a town that's not too exciting by itself, but to my left is that big city of Mickey Mouse, and to my right is one of the most famous beaches in the world. It's fun to have both at my fingertips.

My church is awesome. It's contemporary and different....more different than any other church I've been a part of. I love it....so much! And yet, there are an abundance of people who love everything southern. I just find that quiet humerous.

The state where I have lived most of my life can never make up its mind on what temperature it wants to keep. It can be freezing one day and summer living the next. It can be cold in the afternoon and warm after the sun goes down. There is no AC in my class room, and so the Christmas decorations seem kind of silly when we're all aching for a cool breeze. Shorts one day and sweaters the next.

So far, I've listed some pretty well established oxymoronic situations. Town of big city and surf-worthy waves. Country loving contemporary church. Warm state pretending it's winter. Hot chocolate overlooking the beach.

What am I getting at?

Some things don't seem to go together. When things don't make sense, we (or at least I) get very frustrated. Yet God, who invented order, brings beauty out of chaos, and He has reminded me of this in the little things in my life. Crazy combos! Merry mixes! Wonderful wake up calls!

And what better time to remember this than Christmas, when we celebrate how the King of Kings, the Creator of the Universe, the Lion of Judah......came to earth by being born  inside a stinky stable filled with hay among lowly shepherds and a poor couple from nowhere considered important.How beautiful! How glorious!

So what's in your heart today?

Cute Classroom and Zany Z's

Hi all! I know...I know...it's been a long time. Not that you couldn't go a day without me or anything, but still - it's been a while since I've been on here, and that's a little strange for me considering the abundance of great news I've had coming at me.

I've learned a lot this past year (whoa! understatement!), and one very important lesson learned is to be thankful, thankful, and more thankful for the amazing blessings God showers upon us.

I'm still so thankful for my job! I'm teaching 6th grade and I love it. One minute they're kindergartners in big bodies, and the next, they're aspiring young adults. Most of the time in between, they are talkative and hilarious!

So I thought I'd share a couple of collages with you (from my picture-a-day project) to show the best two-part summary of my life right now:

This explains my week during new teacher orientation. I don't have many complaints; I love my work place (school) and the people. The Sunday before I began God gave me a picture to ponder (Weeds or Reasons), and then I began using whatever cheap resources I could find to prepare my room. Some were beautiful gifts, some were what others call garbage (hehe), and some were already supplied. When I finally was able to begin my Word Wall, I paused, jumped up and down with excitement while squealing, hoped that no one saw me doing that activity through my class window, and then shared my smile with facebook. It was a good beginning.

My first week of actual teaching is the subject of my second collage. I'll just tell the story 1 picture at a time (going down the rows):

1. Jotting down the madness.

2. Expectations with a fun rap.

3. Crafty bulletin board = check off dream list.

4. Scrapbook paper "Good job!" board.

5. Wonderful view looking on back.

6. Push the "boring" stuff to the corner. (j/k.....j/k)

7. Attendance/behavior/location tree. Works SO well!

8. Over abundance of snot rages.

9. 13 hour shifts.

10. Official stamp.

11. Chocolate from husband; message from God.

12. Oh so ready to catch some Z's!

Hope you had fun viewing! I had fun sharing

.......straight from the heart!

Thanks for the Weeds!

There's is no excitement like my family dog's when she knows she's about to go for a walk. It's the funniest thing. She knows the word "walk." She knows the signals like putting our shoes on or grabbing the leash. And when she recognizes them, she barks and jumps and runs until she is officially out the door. Any other time of the day, she's on the floor or the bed relaxing. I guess she saves up all her energy for that one special treat a day - her walk.

How does this apply to me? Well, cuz lately I'm the one who has to take her. I don't mind too much, though. It gives me a chance to observe, to listen to God, and to think.

This picture was taken today on our daily walk around the block. At first look (maybe even second), all you really see is overgrowth. However, this is actually a slope down into a tiny trail deeper into the woods. During my childhood, my brothers had some big plans for building a fort down there. They spent weeks digging and collecting wood and talking to their neighborhood friends about what they were going to do in it and who they were going to allow inside. But the plans never made it very far. Over the years, the beloved "fort" was left alone, and nature took its course in filling the dug up holes with weeds.

Was I ever surprised that the fort didn't actually get built? lol. Not really. No offense to my brothers, but none of them knew a thing at all about what they were doing. Isn't that kind of the popular theme with our childhood plans, though? Not panning out and (most of the time) for a good reason?

When I look at that spot, where weeds have come in to replace plans, God reminds me of His sovereignty. Weeds are supposed to grow in the woods. Unrealistic childhood plans are supposed to fade away as maturity is learned. My brothers did a lot of growing up during the time that they let the "fort" dream go.

I've done a lot of growing up, too. Recently, I had plans, and I ignored the unrealistic aspects of them because I was focused on the wrong things. For instance, I thought my dream job awaited me in South Florida this school year. It seemed like God was leading me there. But He wasn't. He showed me the truth about my circumstances and my heart's desires, and then He shut the door. I was devastated and ashamed. My "fort" was closing in, and soon it would be unrecognizable due to all the weeds taking over. But then God opened up some doors right here in Central Florida. He's been molding and shaping my heart as well. The growth that I thought were weeds were actually reasons. When I left my "fort" alone, God took over. I believe that God is providing me with something better.

When we look at our failed plans or dreams, do we see them as forts strangled by weeds? Do we think, "Oh  God, how could You let such a thing happen? Don't You love me God? I guess not." Or could we look at them again and see reasons instead of weeds? Dreams fade. Plans break. People pass. Places change. And although I'm not trying to say that this world is not cruel (for it is due to sin), I am saying that God lets these things happen to His children for good reasons. Could we not thank Him for the weeds reasons? 

I hope you enjoyed peering into what's in my heart today. I pray You think about it.

24 Skies...(Let Me Explain)

So these past 2 weeks have been full and awesome! A huge answer to prayer = I got a TEACHING job! I real one. Seriously. And here's a funny twist that God threw in there.....it's 6th grade!

(Why is that funny? Well, because I was terrified of my peers in middle school. And that phobia never really left completely. There's still a small 6th grade Joy inside, and her heart beat still accelerates a little faster when around that age group. But it's ok. I'm confident that I can do this....anyway....back to my blog. lol.)

If you're a friend or follower on fb, you've probably noticed my picture-a-day-for-a-year challenge I've been keeping up with. If you don't have me on fb, then you may have read about it from my last entry. Well, my title might seem a little strange to you. The photo album is called "24 Oceans." The title of this blog is called "24 Skies." Strange? Poetic? Both? Good. But I can't take credit for it. It's inspired by one of my FAVORITE Switchfoot songs - "Twenty-four."

I won't post the lyrics here 'cuz you can easily look them (and the song) up on your own. But if you've never heard of it, I'll explain the meaning.....or at least how I've come to interpret it:

The whole song is centered around the number "24." Why? Probably because of the line, "Life is not what I thought it was 24 hours ago, still I'm singing, 'Spirit, take me up in arms with You.'" Changes happen. Life comes at you. You start to grow up. By age 24, truth starts to sink in with you. The most challenging and prominent lesson you learn by now, the wisdom that has finally brought you to maturity, is realizing that life is not about you! That's another repeated line in the song. "I am the second man now." We're second. We're certainly not first. And for those of us who have decided to follow Jesus, we know that HE is first. It's one thing to say and another to live, and I think 24 is a good age to realize that.

I came to that realization a long time ago, but the meaning becomes stronger the longer you live. When talking to my supervisor at work the other day, he said to me, "I think I finally have grasped the true meaning of wisdom: it's admitting that I don't know anything." LOL! Funny....my nana said the same thing, and she's one of the wisest women I ever knew.

We are second. Not first. The number 24 reminds me of that, and oh am I living that truth! Life is definitely not what I thought it was many moons ago. Part of knowing I'm second is feeling like I'm last. That's ok. That's life, and that's learning.

So....all that said.....in honor of my 24th year, I'm using that song as my anthem. It's a great reminder to me, and I hope it will be a great reminder to you. We are second; God is first.

Every so often, about every week, I'll be posting collages of my "24 Oceans" pictures on here. So if you like 'em, be sure to look for the title, "24 Skies"! (It's the second line of the song....oceans is the first.)

I hope you enjoyed reading what's in my heart today. I'd love to hear about what's in yours!!!

Challenge Accepted

It's back!

I know that this blog seems familiar. It's true. I deleted my formal blog. I did it because of something personal and private that God was teaching me. I also did it because I didn't like having 2 separate google accounts, and I wanted my blog and my email to coincide. I also wanted to take the time to fool around with my layouts. I like it better now.

Finally, I had hoped to have a better understanding of where my life was going when I reopened this. But I don't. Although I've been in interviews (my husband and I both) and there are possibilities looking pretty bright, we still are at the mercy of many companies and schools. Of course, we are in the hands of God....and I am praying everyday for the faith to remember that God's hands will not squash us like bugs. lol.

Today I'm 24, and I have no control over what kind of year it will be. However, I CHOOSE to love life despite its pivotal circumstances and challenges.

Along with that choice, I've given myself a few more challenges.

I want to start a "Picture a Day" challenge for a year. Every day I will take a picture and then I will upload it to facebook as quickly as possible. Every week I will try to post a collage of my pictures on here as well.

There's another challenge I'm taking on. For now, I'm labeling it "Lookin' Good!" Maybe you've already got it figured out. Maybe not. If the picture's still a little fuzzy, then good, and stay tuned for more clues.

These are the only challenges I can control right now in my current living circumstances. But the main challenge I'm accepting this year is to choose to love and choose joy. Happiness is a reaction but love and joy are ways of life. So here we go.