Inspired

I have been feeling like I need to focus more time on God and studying the Bible, but I come up with all kinds of excuses to keep pushing it to the bottom of the list. So, in the effort to try harder, I am going to add at least 2 posts to my DVT blog every week. This will be a fun and creative way to focus more on my relationship with God and studying his word. I am going to start with a collection of posts about Christian songs that inspire me.

I hope I can stick to it.  : )

Christian Music Series: Song #1 "Lead Me"

Often, on my drive to work in the morning, I listen to modern christian music. At times, this music seems written only for worship or the celebration of being God's child. But other times, the lyrics of these songs remind me of truths. They teach about the Christian life and remind me of the struggles and promises of this journey. Because of this, I decided to take my inspiration from these songs and create a series of responses to the best songs, the most moving songs.

The first one is "Lead Me" by Sanctus Real.

This one is a weird pick for me, you could say. I am not a father and certainly not a husband, but this is the first song in a long time that almost made me cry. It is so beautiful, in my view, for a father and husband to sing this - as a confession and as a prayer. It reminds me though that as Christ's children we are all meant to lead. No rather, to let God lead through us.

My favorite part of this song is the end when he calls on the Father for help, stating, "I can't do this alone." I think many families would be healed if husbands, wives, children, and all would make this same confession. So often we look at our "to-do" list and our obligations, our goals and our failures, and just push push push ourselves to keep reaching for that "perfect" organized whole. Its a stressful, shaky road that unless built on the rock of faith and in the firm belief in God's assistance, can possible crumble and fall.

So in honor of this song, I say, with reference to my relationships, to my destiny, to my family, to my career, to my students, to my future, "Father, lead me, because I can't do this alone."

I was reading C.S. Lewis last night and he said that true faith is trying your best, following the ways of the Lord, and giving the endeavor over to him, throwing up your hands he says, when you can't do any more.

"I will instruct you and teach you in the way which you shall go. I will counsel you with my eye on you." Psalms 32:8.

That's good to know, Lord.

Currently Reading...

"Little Bee"
By Chris Cleave

They literately tell you nothing of what happens in this book on the back because it says that they don't want to give any of the awesome plot developments away. Bold advertising move....that worked. I bought it off the shelf with no more questions asked...well the "#1 New York Times Bestseller" stamp on the front persuaded me a bit as well.

I am so glad I bought it. For the first time in a while, I can't put a book down. It is so clever. A definite interesting read and I am only 25 pages in.

Love Language

I was listening to the radio on the way to work the other day and the DJs were talking about compatible "love languages" in relationships. I was pretty sure I heard that cheesy spiel before, but there wasn't any good music on, so I listened. It was kind of interesting. They were talking about how people feel and give love in different ways. Like some people feel love the most when they receive thoughtful gifts, or through words, or through physical affection.

Yadda Yadda Yadda, right?

Well, I asked Kyle the other night about how he felt love and it was an interesting conversation. He said he receives love most through thoughtful gifts and gestures. I never really pin-pointed that, but it made perfect sense. Kyle always told everyone about the gifts I gave him, like he was proud of them. He also likes to buy me little things, like he will bring me home a parfait from Sheetz just because he knows I love them. Also, this one time he made me mad and I was being all moody, so he went to Walmart (not just for this) and came home with all these school supplies for my new job. It also made me realize that since I would rather hear the words of love than receive love through gifts (although I love a good gift :)) that I don't give him enough little gifts. So I made a mental note to start.

...hmmm I just thought of something else....

Kyle's mom loves to buy people little gifts. I wonder if he inherited his love language from her.

P.S. Happy Belated Birthday, Kathy!!! Sorry we are the worst at remembering birthdays. Kyle found you an awesome present though!!

Artsy Fartsy

The new art teacher at Stuarts Draft is a real sweetheart and because we are both new to the school, we have bonded. This is her first year teaching, but she came up with a great first project for her students in digital photography class. They were asked to go around the school and take pictures of letters to make the school's name. She encouraged them even to not take pictures of already formed letters, but letters found in the shape and architecture of the building and its furniture. How fun!

This is what I miss most about my high school experience. High school was a bit choppy for me, seeing that I went to three different high schools. I love bits and pieces of each one. I miss the homey feel of Northern Bedford HS in PA. I miss all my great dynamic and colorful friends from Laurel High in MD. And I miss art class from Chapelgate Academy. Art class got me through my senior year at CCA. I was a senior and new and hardly had any pride in that school. I felt like an outsider a lot and art class made me very happy.

Today, I have a job I love, but I feel like I am a creative jack-of-all-trades that yearns to dabble in all kinds of stuff. I want to be creative with food. I want to be creative with interior design. I want to be creative with words. I want to be creative on canvas. I want to be creative with my camera. I want to be creative with fashion. (I even have "what-I-would-have-done" sketches for Project Runway challenges).

I have a soul sewn together with crayola and Penguin classics.

So I think...I am going to attempt to devote more time to doing and less time to watching. No more sidelines couch dreamer...more oozer of creativity on every surface I can find.

In that effort, this post will be a kind of gallery, to celebrate what I can do. This is my encouragement to keep playing in paint, words, fabric, and shutter buttons.

Just some photography and paintings I have completed. I have many many more rolling around in my head, as well as in a pile upstairs. Maybe one of these days I can even put one of my short stories on here. Wouldn't it be awesome if one day my name was searchable on Barnes and Noble shelves? Just a thought. I hope this didn't seem to self-absorbed. I really am not that full of myself. Ha.

10 Things I Love

1. Coming home to the person I love cooking for me. Oh and Kyle cut his hair all crazy like. Haha.

Hahaha....He aged 30 years while I was at work.

And he washes up afterward!!

2. Always having God in my corner and him coming through for me every time. 

3. Getting presents in the mail and flowers at work! Oh and being loved so much by people who aren't even blood relatives. 

4. My students. 

5. Discovering awesome antique trinkets to decorate my house. 

6. White board stickers. 

7. Adults playing harder than the kids. 

8. Pioneer Woman's chicken pot pie (from her cookbook). With Honey Butter Biscuits on top instead of pie crust.

9. Chocolate chip cake. 

10. Prayers that are answered...even if it is last minute. Congratulations Rachel Wade!!!

Exhausted

I am pooped. I have been a ball of nervousness and excitement for the last two days and it all just flowed out of me today. And that kind of eruption led to some pretty stupid comments. Don't get me wrong, I had a great first day...the kids were great, my lesson went well, and the drive wasn't so bad. But man I say some dumb stuff when I am wound up. 


Case and Point:
Ms. Dillon: "I would like to introduce Nona. She is a foreign exchange student. Nona tell us a little bit about where you are from."
Nona: "I am from Georgia."
Ms. Dillon: "That is Georgia the country, not the state, right? You all were in the Olympics."


"You all were in the Olympics??!?!" That one just popped into my head and then right out my mouth. 


Example #2: (This one I knew was dumb AS I was saying it)
Ms. Dillon: "If you could be anywhere else in the world right now, where would you be?"
Girl Student: "I would be in Georgia with all my chocolate people." (the state this time)
Ms. Dillon: "Those poor chocolate people in Georgia, they are going to melt."


WHAT?!?! That might even be a little racist...I don't even know. Haha. 
I just noticed, both comments were about Georgia. Stupid Georgia (not the cat).


I blame the early morning. I was much more coherent and put together after 1st block.
All in all the day was great. However, I must go to bed soon. I am worn out.

Here are even more bloopers  : )

Things we learn from these pictures:
1. Kids make great faces.
2. Kids make the best bloopers.
3. Kyle Wade lost the sides of this shirt.

A Great Visit

For my last weekend before school starts, I could have gone to the beach or slept 24 hours a day, but I got something better - family time! Kori, Briana, Jack, and Kaya came into town to visit and they stayed with us! Woo hoo!

On Friday: Kyle and I watched 24 and I made the best meatloaf ever. I also made blueberry cobbler and it was delicious. Best dinner I ever made. Poor Kori, Briana, and the kids were stuck on 95 in bumper to bumper traffic and didn't come in until pretty late in the night. It was great to finally see them when they got here.

On Saturday: Kori and Briana had a job taking pictures of a family friend and so Kyle and I watched our favorite niece and nephew. We don't really have many toys around, so I blew up some old water balloons I found. Fun times....I hope. : ) Then we visited with the family out in Swoope and came home to hang out with Zach and Kacey until we couldn't stay awake any longer.

Kaya liked the balloons. 

On Sunday: Troy, Kim, Cayxie, Zach, and Kacey brought over bagels and donuts and we had a house full. It was a blast. Kacey's kitten Cinci and Jack and Kaya had a contest chasing a lazer pointer around the kitchen floor. It just solidified my theory on the similarities between babies and cats...but I will save that for another time. Then, we all took Jack and Kaya to the awesome playground near our house. Besides all the sweat it caused, that was probably the most fun we had all week. Finally, Kori, B, and the kids and I met up with Zach and Kyle at the river. They just had to go fishing. The Marylanders left after that and Kyle and I stopped by Kacey's house for Zach's "Going-Away-to-College" barbecue. We ate some really delicious food. Now, I am back here, Kyle is on his way back from fishing again, and I have to go to work tomorrow. Boo that the summer is over.

Either chasing a kitten or the lazer pointer.

We play like children. 

I will post more of these pictures later. There are some funny ones. 

At the river. 

Food Food Food

Kyle and I have decided that every Tuesday or Wednesday, whatever day he isn't working, we will have "dinner and a movie" night. Last Wednesday was our first movie date. I made Zucchini Quiche and Kyle picked the movie. He picked Fast Times at Ridgemont High because I never saw it before. He said I HAD to see it. Honestly, I really didn't HAVE to see it. Ha. The best part was Sean Penn as a pot loving surfer dude. He was pretty hilarious. I give it 2 stars.

 Zucchini Quiche - very cheesy. I give it 2.5 stars.

Tonight for dinner though, I decided that recipes take too long...all that measuring. Ha. So I just decided what I wanted to eat and threw what I had together. I made one of the best salads ever and some pretty great stuffed peppers.

Pretty Awesome Salad

arugula
baby spinach
fresh basil
lemon juice
garlic salt
tomatoes
red onions
avacadoes
hard boiled egg

Oh man...delicious!!!

Pretty Awesome Stuffed Green Peppers:

Green Peppers

Fresh Sweet Corn 

Ground Beef

Onions

Can of Tomatoes 

Rice 

Tomato Sauce

Worcestershire Sauce  

All the seasonings you want

Sometimes, we gotta throw the recipe book out and experiment, because sometimes it turns out great! 

Here are some silly pictures we took  : )