Year Two Down - Lessons Learned from Teaching So Far!

I just finished my second year teaching third grade at a title I school in Florida. Craziness! My mom taught for 30 years, and I spent countless summer days and afternoons in her classroom while growing up. I watched her spend Sunday afternoons working on lesson plans for the upcoming week. I watched her invest so much of her own money to make her classroom a home away from home or buying materials to make lessons more engaging. I watched her connect with students and have them come back years later to tell her of her impact. I grew up in the shadow of an incredible teacher, and saw all of the difficulties of public education firsthand. But, nothing can fully prepare you for what it's like to be a public school teacher until you have your own classroom and you are the one responsible for those students walking in each morning.

I'll never be a first year or a second year teacher again, and the fact that I've packed up my classroom and I'm getting ready to close out this season in Florida that jump started my career blows my mind. There have been days where I have left my classroom so frustrated that I chose teaching, and other days where I couldn't wait to tell my mom or Alex about what happened at school and how much I enjoyed teaching that day.

Before I start my third year in third grade (but in a new state!), I want to make sure I reflect on some of the lessons I've learned during my first two years. Maybe a student teacher will read this or someone who is spending his or her summer dreaming and preparing about the group of students that will enter their first classroom ever in August. Either way, here's a glimpse into what I've learned during my first two years teaching.

1. Don't Compare Yourself to Others 

Ah man! This one is something that I think all teachers struggle with, but it can be especially debilitating for new teachers. You come out of college with a thousand different ideas and strategies that you want to implement. Your district will no doubt have new programs or assessments or whatever else that they're implementing. You will see ideas on Pinterest and teacher blogs that are phenomenal that you will want to implement right away. You will have veteran teachers on your grade level that are doing incredible things that you will want to make happen in your classroom too. As a new teacher, I have definitely struggled with wanting to be able to do it all, and then feeling defeated when my best efforts fell short and my classroom didn't look like so and so's or when my science block wasn't as "good" as the teacher bloggers. JUST STOP. One of the best pieces of advice I was given was to pick one thing at a time to become an "expert" on. Pick one aspect of your teaching that you really want to hone in on, and become really good at that before moving onto something else. Last year, I chose to become an "expert" on math small group instruction. Next year, I want to focus on integrating science and social studies into math and reading more. Never stop learning and growing as a teacher, but realize that comparing yourself to other teachers is a waste of time. You have a set of skills and strengths that are uniquely yours.

2. Don't Be Afraid to Ask Lots of Questions

How do I take attendance? What does DEA stand for? Where do my students go for rainy day dismissal? How do I look up STAR assessment data? What do I do to help a student who has TERRIBLE handwriting? What can I do to deal with a student with this type of behavior problem? How do I contact DCF about suspected abuse/neglect? You will have no less than a million questions throughout the year. Don't be afraid to ask them. Other teachers and people at your school are usually more than willing to help you in whatever ways they can. There was a time when they had to ask the same questions. It's how we learn. There is so much newness that comes with teaching, and you learn by asking questions.

3. Have Fun With Your Students 

There is plenty of time throughout the year when you're in "business" mode, so it is totally okay to take time to let them be kids. My kids love doing brain breaks (GoNoodle is the best!) throughout the day when we transition subjects. I always dance and sing along with my kids during the brain breaks. If you're using manipulatives (i.e. Geoboards) as part of a math lesson, give your kids a few minutes before you get started to "explore" and play with the materials. Plan lessons that are engaging and fun! Get your students up and moving frequently. Even if it's as simple as getting them up for 30 seconds to do jumping jacks or hopping like a frog. If I ask my kids what they remember about our year they often say things like "when we made ice cream!" or "when we had a rounding snowball fight" or "when we dabbed during a brain break!"

That one time I dressed up as Katniss for "Book Character Day." 

Brain breaks = awesome

Any lesson that is edible is a good one!

4. You Need a Personal Life

It's okay to turn off "teacher brain" on the weekends. In fact, you need this time! There are going to be times in the school year that are extra busy (back to school and February for some reason!) and require you to work extra on the weekends. But, for the most part, you NEED time to step away from thinking about teaching in order to really thrive when you are at school. Use your planning times efficiently so that you can take less work home with you.

5. It's All About Relationships 

Get to know your kids. Ask them questions about their home life. Find out what games they like to play or what shows they like to watch. Find out if they love Minecraft or Pokemon the most. Kids are forever telling stories so pay attention to their ramblings (at least some of the time, lol!) because they will teach you a lot about who that kid is beyond just being a student. Within appropriate bounds, open up and share about your personal life. Kids love to know what their teacher does outside of school. One of the coolest things this year was getting to share about my engagement with my kids because they had heard about Alex all year long. Being a teacher is so much more than just impacting their academic growth! You get to spend 180 days with them. Make them count.

One of the students that made my first year teaching so memorable!

One of the most fun days this year was when I got to bring Alex to work with me. My kids loved having him there

6. Always Look for How You Can Learn and Grow 

When a lesson goes wrong and then the fire drill goes off. When you get a complaint from a parent. When you get a new student in April that speaks zero English. When a student cries because a new concept is so challenging for her. When a student drops his pencil box and everything in it goes EVERYWHERE. When some sort of hot mess happens at dismissal and you end up crying in front of a grandparent.

Things are going to happen that no class in college could ever really prepare you for. One of the best things that my mom has done whenever I call to tell her these stories is to ask me "how can you learn from this?" Even in the situations where I'm frustrated and feel like I'm not in the wrong she'll have me reflect on how I can learn and grow from it. This has been huge! Everything that happens is meant to grow you as an educator and person. A fun bonus is that you can usually find some sort of meme or quote to relate to any situation that will make you laugh about the situation.

TRUTH.

ALSO TRUTH.

7. The Full Moon Effect is LEGIT

I don't know what it is, but there is something about kids' behavior when there is a full moon. Also, the craziness before Halloween, Christmas break, Valentine's Day, and spring break is unparalleled. I don't need to say much more other than that you can pretty much always tell when there is a full moon. You'll understand once you've been in the classroom!

8. You Are Never "Just a Teacher" 

Most people will never see how hard you work and all the hours that you put in, and that's okay, but don't fall into the trap of saying "I'm just a teacher." There is no one else that can teach those kids entrusted to you like you can! You will mess up and make mistakes. You will have to apologize to your kids sometimes. You will fulfill a million different roles (nurse, counselor, problem solver, organizer, etc.). You will learn and grow and be stretched more than you thought was possible. But, you will also get some things right and it will make your whole year when a parent tells you that this is the first year that her son has loved coming to school.

Now to enjoy the rest and relaxation of summer vacation, and to get recharged for starting year three in August! 

Our Engagement Story

I've been wanting to sit down and write out our engagement story for a while now, and I should probably start with some of the background details. Alex and I have been doing the long distance thing since January when Alex moved to New Mexico, and I stayed in Florida to finish out my school year. I wouldn't trade these months apart for anything because they have strengthened our relationship in ways that I couldn't have imagined beforehand. We started talking more seriously about the future and started reading through a book called So, you want to get married? by Rick Thomas. We were having lots of conversations geared toward marriage and Alex really grew in his role as the leader of our relationship during this time. I knew that marriage was in our future, but I had no idea when or how he was actually going to ask!

On April 14, 2017, my best friend, Janice, was in town for one of our girls' weekends. Over the years, we have taken turns traveling to see each other. and it happened to be her turn to come visit me. This time was extra special though because this was the first time that she was able to bring her daughter, Charlotte, to join us for one of our girls' weekends. Janice and I have been best friends since sixth grade, and she has been such a constant in my life. I remembering us having a sleepover one night in high school when we first started dreaming about what it would be like to let God write our love stories one day. Since then we've been able to celebrate her marrying the love of her life, and more recently her becoming a momma. She has been there to encourage me in every season, and I had always secretly hoped that somehow Alex would involve her in the details whenever he proposed.

During the time that Janice was here, Alex was supposedly somewhere in southwest Texas on a land navigation field training trip. He told me that I probably wouldn't be hearing from him much while he was gone. Although I thought his trip was planned a little at the last minute, he went on field training trips like that all the time while we were dating, so I convinced myself that I was overthinking.

To make his field training trip sound even more convincing, Alex texted me at midnight to let me know he was going out on a night mission. Prior to this text, I had told Janice how strange I thought it was that they would have a training trip on Easter weekend. But, then I got these texts and I thought that there would be no way that he would be up so late texting me to check in if he wasn't really in Texas! 

Fast forward to Friday night, and Janice and I had plans to go over to my aunt and uncle's place for dinner. My aunt and uncle live right on the Bay in Fort Walton Beach, and their condo is pretty special place to me. Not only are they like a second mom and dad to me, but their place is where I first met Alex last May at a dinner party. It's so special to me that Alex had them in on the surprise, and proposed at the same place that we first met. 

Anyway, when we pulled up, my uncle met us down at the car and suggested that we go out on the dock to see Landon and Johnson who were fishing. We walked out there and made the different introductions and were making small talk. I saw someone with a hood on behind the gate, and I also remember noticing that there were white string lights on part of dock, and how it was kind of weird for those to be out still in April. Then all of a sudden, those white lights were being flipped on and the guy with the hood came walking through the gate, and it was Alex! I was in complete shock that he was there. He didn't waste any time, and dropped down on one knee and said, "Samantha Grey, will you marry me?" I was so surprised that I said "Yes!" three times. I didn't even look at my ring right away because in typical Samantha fashion, I started asking lots of questions. I was in awe that Janice and my roomies all knew about the proposal, and had kept it a secret. 

After I started to calm down, Alex pointed out my parents up in the condo balcony and showed me how he had his best friends from California watching on the Facebook Messenger video app. He had planned it all so we could celebrate with some of our family and closest friends right after it happened. I found out that the he formally asked my parents for permission to marry me back on February 1st, and that he had most of his family and friends  in on the surprise since January. His proposal far exceeded any expectations I could have ever had! 

I still stare at my hand sometimes in amazement for what this ring symbolizes!

There is also a video of the proposal here that makes me slightly embarrassed because of how distracted I was by everything until I started to calm down. But, I think it perfectly captures the joy and surprise of that moment! Gosh, I love this man and feel so privileged that I'm 62 days away from being able to call him my husband.

Engagement & Expectations

The Lord has done so much during our engagement season so far, and I don't want to miss what He is teaching me or forget the small details of how He has worked in my heart. I wrote about how I will be moving to New Mexico next month to join Alex when I first wrote about our story. He has been there since January while I have been in Florida finishing my second school year. We are just about three weeks away from kissing this whole long distance thing goodbye for a while! We will continue to live separately even once I'm in New Mexico until we are married on July 29th, so I'm excitedly counting down the days (70 days!) until we can officially start experiencing everyday life together as husband and wife.

One of the biggest things that the Lord has been teaching me is that our marriage is a total gift, BUT I can't be holding onto my expectations for it so tightly that I miss how He wants to work. When I'm relying on my expectations to bring me joy, I'm always going to be disappointed and let down. Alex called me a couple of weeks ago after I got home from school, and started the conversation off by saying, "so I have some news that I want to share with you...I got a spot to go to SOTAC school, and I'll leave mid August."

My first reaction was total surprise because this was a different team than what he was supposed to be assigned to. My second reaction was disappointment because thinking about my new husband leaving was less than desirable. I'm not proud of my initial reactions, but I want to be honest with how I felt and share my thoughts.

"Lord, this isn't fair! Other new wives get to keep their husbands home with them."
"But, why does he have to go then?? I never imagined my husband of  two weeks having to leave."
"I know being separated is part of the military, but the timing of this just sucks."

Writing some of those thoughts out makes me want to cringe for how limited my perspective was. Instead of celebrating an incredible opportunity for Alex, I let my disappointment of unmet expectations take over. I was really struggling with thinking about already being a part so much this year, and then having him leave our home once we're finally able to start our lives together. It may not seem like a big deal to more seasoned military wives, but the thought just made me ache.

Alex was very gracious with me as I worked through my emotions, and the Lord is using this to teach me about laying my expectations at His feet. Outside of my salvation, Alex is the best gift I’ve been given, and yes, our soon to be marriage is a total gift too. However, Alex and our marriage ultimately belong to the Lord. Our marriage is meant to glorify God and it’s an opportunity for us to model God’s grace and redemption to others. It isn’t something that is there to fulfill all of my needs and meet my expectations. If that’s how I enter our marriage, then I am always going to be let down.

God has a purpose for choosing to send him off for training at that particular time. What I initially see as sucky timing, the Lord sees as the BEST timing. It is an opportunity for us to grow our dependence on Him. It is an opportunity for me to learn more about how to be my new husband’s helpmate. It is an opportunity for us strengthen our communication skills and to grow our spiritual intimacy. It is as an opportunity for me to develop relationships with other girls in my new community.

It reminds me of Psalm 84:11, and a quote that I wrote in my journal years back…“I realized that because the Lord God is my provider (the sun) and my protector (a shield) and because He knows best as my Father – if something is good and right for me to have today, He would give it to me. He does not withhold any good thing. And therefore, I can trust Him.”


Even though I will never like being separated from my soon to be husband, I can trust that God’s timing for sending him off is GOOD.

Our Story #BenkoOrBust

Quite a few things have changed since I last wrote and shared anything on this small space of the internet almost three years ago. This biggest change of all has without a doubt been the introduction of this blonde hair, blue eyed California guy into my life! Throughout college, I wrote a lot about my season of singleness and waiting, but since then the Lord has started to script a new story. I was hesitant to share and even write in my own journal about it for a while. I have been hurt and disappointed in the past, and I guess there was a small piece of me that didn't want to write about this story yet for fear of being hurt again. I want to make sure that I write about our story and share how the Lord has had His hand all over it. If someone would have told me a year ago that a year later I would be getting ready to move to New Mexico, buying/renovating a house, planning a wedding for this summer, and preparing for marriage with the man I love most...I wouldn't have believed her. BUT GOD. The only way I can think to explain it is with Isaiah 43:19..."Remember not the former things, nor consider the things of old. Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it. I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert." 

Before I get to the night that we met, I want to make sure to include some of the background details. Alex grew up the youngest in his family of four kids in Santa Cruz, California. He spent time surfing, ski boarding, playing sports, getting involved with Boy Scouts and becoming an Eagle Scout. He worked odd jobs such as manning the local Christmas tree lot every year, and was even voted Homecoming King. He never loved the academic side of school, and after deciding that community college wasn't for him either, he joined the Air Force. The particular job that he chose to go into in would take him over two years to complete the pipeline. Over those two years, he spent time training in several different states, and settled in Florida for the last and longest portion of his training. 

While Alex was in California, I was over 2,000 miles away growing up as an only child in Tallahassee, Florida. I spent countless days swimming in our pool, riding bikes around my neighborhood, and having sleepovers with friends. I enjoyed school and academics came pretty easily to me. I never went to prom and only went to two Homecoming dances. After graduating high school, I decided to move to a small town in Tennessee to attend college where I didn't know a single person prior to moving into my dorm. Those four years shaped me and stirred my passion for teaching more than I imagined. I learned that I could move to new places, and build a life there. So much so that once I graduated I decided to move back to Florida, but to a completely different area from where I grew up. I got a job teaching third grade in the small town of Crestview, Florida, and the Lord used that year in mighty ways. No one can really prepare you for what first year teaching is like! The Lord taught me about being faithful in the small things and pressing into Him in new ways. 

At the end of my first year teaching, my aunt and uncle invited me over to have dinner at their house on a Friday night. This was a normal thing for us as I usually had dinner with them at least once or twice a month. However, this time was slightly different as they had also invited two young men from their church over for dinner. I had heard my aunt talk about the group of church guys in the Air Force over the year, but didn't think too much about it with the busyness of first year teaching. So that night I walked into their place wearing my blue floral dress and the first thing I saw was Alex sitting at the head of the table in his khaki pants, blue long sleeve t-shirt, and all black converse. I remember thinking to myself "oh my gosh! He's handsome. And so blonde!" We were introduced and managed to carry on a conversation across the table all throughout dinner. Once we finished eating, we ended up talking more out on the balcony of their condo. We realized that we were overlooking the pool when we could have been facing the Bay the entire time we talked. When we walked out together we made small talk about the weekend and our church plans, and he eventually managed to get my number with the help of his friend, Landon. I watched him ride off on his moped that night wondering what in the world I was possibly getting into. 

It turned out to be one of the sweetest summers of my life. I thought that I would get lonely and restless while being out of school, but the Lord brought so much newness into my life. Two days after meeting Alex we made plans to meet up at the beach with two of his friends. One week later I asked him if he wanted to join me and two of my friends at the beach to celebrate the end of the school year. My friends left early, and the two of us stayed for several more hours talking before he asked if I wanted to get dinner on the beach at Rockin' Tacos. Two weeks later we met for dinner at Mary's Kitchen and shared the best blueberry cheesecake ever for dessert. That night we continued to talk and danced in the parking lot by my car, and while I danced standing on his feet he leaned in to kiss me for the first time.

Throughout the summer, my respect and affection for this man grew. We had the best time together and hours would go by without us realizing it. We went shooting at the gun range. Went to the beach. Got my first tattoo (!!!) together. Played Goofy Golf and made wagers over it. Bought our favorite candy at Dollar Tree and ate it by the Bay. Set up our own photo booth. Showed him my classroom. Started going to church together. I remember driving to a 4th of July party, and him initiating the conversation about our relationship. He said, "Just so we're on the same page, I will be introducing you as my girlfriend." My heart sang!l

My second school year started, and what started as a summer crush was continuing to develop deeper roots. He asked about meeting my parents for the first time, and my dad even mentioned that he "wasn't the normal father-in-law" that night and Alex stuck around. We went on night walks at the beach. Made dinner together often. We went rock climbing and found new spots to hammock. I baked him blueberry muffins and cheesecake. We went to church together and really started to make our faith the foundation. He helped me with school work on Sundays.

In September, we had two huge conversations in the development of our relationship. On September 10th, we were driving back from playing Goofy Golf and we were playing the word association game that we liked to do a lot. We would say a word and then the other person would have to say the first word that came to mind (i.e. "Thanksgiving" -- "Turkey", "Beach" -- "Sunscreen"). It was my turn to give him words, and halfway through I said,"Sammy" and he looked over at me, and said "I love you." I remember just staring at me him because I was so surprised before I told him that I loved him too. A week later, we had another huge conversation about where our relationship was going. What I haven't mentioned much about yet is that Alex is in the Air Force, and about a month after we started dating he found out that he would be moving to New Mexico once he finished training in Florida. We didn't talk about it in depth at the time because he was going to be in Florida for seven more months before moving, and we figured we would address it once our relationship was more serious.

Well, on September 17th, we were talking about the seriousness of our relationship and Alex asked me if I would be willing to move to New Mexico in the future. When I shook my head yes, he said, "well, that's exciting to know."

During those fall months, we also learned more about how the military impacts relationships, and spent a lot of time apart. Alex would have field weeks where he would be gone from Monday until Friday, and wasn't allowed to bring his phone, so we didn't have any sort of communication. I especially loved the weekends during that time. 

December was a whirlwind month for us! Alex's best friend got married and he was the best man. I got to fly home with him to California and meet all of his friends and family for the first time. It was the sweetest getting to see where he grew up and getting to meet all of the people who loved him. One week later, his family flew to Florida for his graduation. Then we started the road trip of a lifetime together! We loaded up a Penske truck with all of his things, and we drove from Florida to New Mexico to get him moved into his new apartment. We left New Mexico and drove up to Colorado to hike Pike's Peak. We drove through Colorado, Utah, Arizona, and Nevada before making it to Santa Cruz, California on Christmas Eve. We spent Christmas with his family, and went to Yosemite before New Years with a big group of friends.

On January 3rd, we started the long distance portion of our relationship as I flew back to Florida to finish my school year, and he moved to New Mexico. I wouldn't trade these months apart for anything because they have strengthened our relationship in ways that I couldn't have imagined beforehand. We have learned more about communicating well, making Christ our foundation, appreciating the time we do get together, etc. During this time, we started talking about preparing for marriage and buying a home together. Alex really grew in his role as the leader of our relationship and made me feel so valued by the way that he was preparing for our future.

In a span of five months, we've been able to see each other in person twice. I flew to New Mexico to spend my spring break with him, and I never want to forget what it was like seeing him in person for the first time in two and a half months. I never really got butterflies when we first started dating, but I had them like crazy that day when I was waiting for him to meet me in baggage claim. When he walked up to me and pulled me in close for a hug and kissed me on the forehead, I felt like I was dreaming. I'm pretty sure I didn't stop smiling that entire first night we were back together.

Not only did that week provide the best quality time, it turned out to be extremely productive for us as well! By God's grace, I was offered a teaching position for next school year AND we found a house that we both loved, and put an offer in on it. I flew back to Florida with a renewed sense of excitement for the future, and a determination to finish out the second half of our long distance season.

When I said "see you later" to Alex at the airport, I didn't think that I was going to see him in person again until mid June. That assumption turned out to be entirely wrong because one month later on April 14, 2017, Alex surprised me by showing up in Florida at the same place we met to propose! He formerly asked my parents for permission on February 1st, and had his family and friends in on the secret since January. It's the sweetest story, and I can't wait to write out the details.

One of the verses I've always landed back on since I first started praying for my future husband in high school is Psalm 127:1 where it says, "Unless the Lord builds the house, its builders labor in vain." I've seen this verse come to life in the development of our relationship. When Alex joined the military he didn't think that he would meet anybody during that time. He thought that he was committing to singleness for the six years to avoid "dragging" somebody else into the military lifestyle. I never thought that I would end up growing in love with a man that has to leave a lot. BUT GOD. His hand has so clearly built every part of our relationship, and we are humbled and grateful that we get to learn more about this gift of marriage together.  

five for friday…on saturday

Just a whole bunch of randoms from the past week…

{one}

I spent the week in Raleigh, North Carolina helping a friend (Beth) in her very first kindergarten classroom. It was the sweetest. Beth discovered my blog nearly two years ago and sent me an email to introduce herself. We’ve exchanged too many emails to count since then and a handful of handwritten letters. She has been a steady source of encouragement so I jumped at the chance to finally meet in person and to spend time working in her classroom. We had the best time and I know her 19 kindergartners are gong to be blessed to have such a passionate, creative, and invested teacher.

{two}

I finally came up with a name for my soon-to-be teacher blog! It may be a little cheesy, but I’m loving “Field Trips and Paper Clips.” I plan to really get it going by the time I start student teaching in January. Stay tuned for updates! ;)

{three}

{Blue Ridge Parkway in North Carolina}

Driving through western North Carolina on the way to Beth’s couldn’t have been any prettier! Mountain drives will always be my favorite.

{four}

Falling asleep to the sound of rain is the absolute best. It’s been raining almost every night for the past week and it’s been so calming.

{five}

{source}

I can’t stop listening to Johnnyswim. Y’all, this husband and wife duo can’t be beat. Check them out and enjoy!

Happy weekend, friends!

{five for friday}

 

 

{one}

 

I can't stop listening to Mandolin Rain by Josh Kelley. It's the best country summer song to sing along to while out exploring or driving back roads.

 

{two}

 

Organizing the children's books and supplies {this isn't even half of it!} I've collected over the years.

Speaking of teaching, I'm making plans to start a my own teacher blog to use during student teaching and into my first year in my classroom. I've been faithfully reading teacher blogs for the past four years and I've been so inspired by the creativity of teachers around the country. I'm brainstorming blog names to try and come up with something that truly represents me as a {future} educator.

 

{three}

 

I'm roadtrippin' to Raleigh, North Carolina next week to help a sweet friend set up her very first KINDERGARTEN classroom. Y'all I feel like a kid at Christmas! I'm so excited to spend the week talking about all things teaching, Jesus, life, etc.

 

{four}
 

 

I started reading the Harry Potter series for the first time ever. Ohmygoodness. I've been missing out all these years! I can't put the books down.

 

{five}

 

 Skype dates are my favorite. So thankful technology has allowed me to connect with so many other girls who encourage me to keep chasing after Jesus.

Have a joy-filled weekend, friends!



declaring what we love

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“one of the ways we grow up is by declaring what we love" -Shauna Niequist

It's my 21st birthday and this quote from Shauna Niequist has been on mind the past couple of days. I thought one of the sweetest ways to celebrate my birthday was to be intentional about documenting where I am in this season. I want to declare what I love and what fires me up to inspire to keep chasing after these during the next year.

 

I love quiet mornings with Jesus.

 

I love sitting on the front porch listening to the creek. Hearing the wind rustle the leaves. Simply being still.

 

I love connecting with other girls who challenge and encourage me. Genuine conversation is my favorite.

 

I love being in the classroom and working with kids. That's my element.

I love connecting with teachers and other future teachers. Their passion and creativity ignites something in me.

 

I love dancing silly and laughing and singing along to the radio.

I love living in the mountains.
 

I love praying for my future husband.

 

I love hearing and learning more about adoption. It gets me going in a good way.

 

I love hearing about other people's dreams and passions.

Wishing you the sweetest day, friends!

 

July Goals

Hello again! I feel like I need to reintroduce myself...I'm Samantha and I'm no good at blogging consistently. I've let so many things go undocumented and that's okay, but I'm wanting to get back to sharing pieces and parts of my heart and life on this little space. So here's to fresh starts! I decided at the beginning of the year that I would do monthly goals to be more intentional about making things happen. Although I kept myself accountable for the first four months, I let May and June pass by without even writing down a single goal. So I'm jumping back into it wholeheartedly with the start of July!

Now for my goals...

1. Participate in the blog Bible study .

 I'm so stinkin' excited to work through Lord, I Want to Know You: A Devotional Study on the Names of God. Not only will I be able to learn from other girls online, I'm going to have weekly Skype dates with a sweet friend from high school to have a virtual Bible study/coffee date. I'm praying that we're able to encourage and challenge each other as we dig into this study together.

2. Send six letters snail mail style.

I have such a love for sending handwritten letters and connecting with other girls through this old fashion form of correspondence. I've gotten behind the past two months, but I intend to get caught up during July!

3. Blog 2-3 times a week.

I missing sharing what I'm learning and what's going on in my life, and I plan to get back to documenting here. I love looking back over my posts from the past two years because this small space is sort of like my online journal. I'm able to tangibly see how the Lord is working in my life.

4. Starting putting together a teacher portfolio, brochure, resume.

Y'all, I will be getting ready for my first year teaching this time next summer! So crazy that my dream of teaching and  being in the classroom is getting SO close to becoming reality. I'm reading different teacher books this summer (Whole Brain Teaching, Daily Five, Math Work Stations, etc.), but I also want to begin the process of getting a portfolio and resume together. I know I will be adding to them as I student teach so they certainly won't be finished products. I just need to start prepping for the job application and interview process as early as I can.

5. Commit to praying for others everyday.

I want to intentional about lifting up others who I have told that I would be praying for them. I'm going to keep an index card in my journal filled with specific prayer requests written on it to make sure that I am diligent about this practice.

Happy July, sweet friends!

March & April Goals

As I shared at the beginning of January, I’ve decided to have monthly goals this year in order to truly be diligent about making things happen. Before moving into April I want to revisit my March goals to keep myself accountable…

1. Limit my trips to Starbucks.

Success! I only stopped at Starbucks twice and both times were while I was traveling over spring break.

2. Learn more about adoption.

Adoption has been on my heart for a while now. Every time I hear another story something within me gets excited and I want to learn more. I started to learn a little bit more this month. I watched Stuck, a documentary focusing on international adoption. I’m barely scratching the surface, but I’m slowing becoming more aware.

3. Road trip to Florida to see one of my best friends.

Oh goodness. This trip was the best! I’m so thankful for the time I got to spend just hanging out with one of my best friends and her hubby. They opened up their home to me and I felt so welcomed. We explored Jacksonville and St. Augustine. We talked about anything and everything. We chased sunsets. We baked cookies and made face masks. Ahhh. It was just too sweet. We’re already talking about them spending some time with me in the mountains this summer.

{Exploring St. Augustine}

{Chasing Jacksonville sunsets}

4. Be intentional about giving at least one compliment every day.

This one is a work in progress.

5. Learn more about slavery.

There are 27 million men, women, and children still trapped in slavery today and that just in not okay. I need to become more informed about what’s actually going on. And I know that I need to be intentional about praying specifically every day. I’m not really sure about what this goal is going to look like. I just know that because I have been set free by Jesus I have a responsibility. You can learn more about the End It Movement as well.

I was not as intentional about this goal as I should have been. I did pray specifically, but it was not every day. I am still very unknowledgeable which is not okay.

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Now for April’s goals…

1. Eat more fresh fruits and veggies.

I notice such a difference in my skin and energy when I’m intentional about my diet. I’ll often leave fruits and veggies out of my meals which is no good. I plan on making sure to include lots of fruits and veggies in my diet this month.

2. Go exploring on mountain adventures.

I’m going home two weekends this month and I’m bringing friends each time. So fun! When I’m not at school in southeastern Tennessee, I go home to western North Carolina. I actually live right in the corner of North Carolina, Georgia, and Tennessee so it’s a gorgeous area. I plan to explore new places and old favorites with some of my best girls.

3. Start making it a priority to manage my checking account with a register.

I’m awful when it comes to keeping track of my receipts. I never write it down when I use my debit card…I just keep track online to make sure I don’t overdraft. My mom convinced me that I need to start keeping a register as good practice. So I’m making it a priority from now on so I’ll be in the habit when I have a greater amount of money to budget in the future.  

4. Remind myself to speak life.

Words are powerful and I need to be using mine wisely. I need to think before speaking. I need to remind myself to SPEAK LIFE. When you’re intentional about speaking life, it’ll be hard to complain or speak negatively.

{Source unknown}

5. No social media after 11PM.

I had this goal in January and it was so good to “shut down” after 11. I don’t need to be staring at a screen before I go to bed. However, after January ended I slowly started to ease back into my old routine of checking Instagram/Facebook before falling asleep. Without having it as an ongoing goal, I was not purposeful to keep the habit up. So I’m bringing this goal back for April.

Happy April, friends!

Creator, not Duplicator & Comparing Stories

Catching the sunset at Jacksonville beach over the weekend. I love watercolor sunsets.

I’m sitting in a corner at Panera in Jacksonville, Florida as I write this. It’s spring break and I came down to see my best friend, Janice, and her hubby. Janice is in class for a few hours so I snuck away with intentions of writing a little and exploring Jacksonville on my own. I’m having the sweetest time adventuring and simply getting to hang out. We go exploring. We bake cookies and dance in the kitchen. We go for beach walks. We talk about anything and everything. We have genuine conversation and I love it. I never imagined when we met in gym class in sixth grade that we would still be building our friendship ten years later. I’ve seen her romance with Stuart, her hubby, grow deep roots. I’ve see how excited she gets when we talk about kids and the future. I could go on and on.

I really want to share my heart and what I’m learning from the Lord right now. Being here has been such a fresh reminder that the Lord is faithful and that Janice’s story is not my story. I love seeing the way that Stuart looks at Jan. I have never seen her as happy as she is when they are together. They laugh and kiss and hold hands in the car. They know each other fully and love each other completely. They are best friends. But above all their marriage is rooted in Christ.

I remember when Janice and I first read When God Writes Your Love Story in tenth grade. We sat on her bedroom floor talking and dreaming. We started to realize just how much the Lord cared about this area of our lives. God isn’t stoic, distant, or detached…He is anything but! We started to realize that the Lord is in the details of all things. He has better stories for us than we could imagine ourselves. We started to dream about the men who would one day become our husbands. We didn’t have to settle. We also started to realize just how intimate our relationships with Jesus could be. The Lord used When God Writes Your Love Story to reveal just how much more He pursues me in a fresh way. Although I had believed in Jesus before that, I hadn’t really thought about how close and real He was. I could and do have a vibrant and life-giving relationship with the Creator of all things.

That revolutionized the way I approached spending time with Jesus. My identity is deeply rooted in Christ. I am a sinner in desperate need of the grace that He covers me in. I am messy and broken, but yet He still pursues me. This continues to draw me to want to know Him more. This year especially I’ve pressed into Jesus in a fresh way. I’ve been genuinely thankful for this season of singleness. My heart hasn’t been distracted and I’ve been given this time to be reminded over and over again that my roots need to be deep in Him. I’ll never be prepared for a future relationship with my man if I’m unaware that my security and significance can only come from being in Christ.

But then I came down to see Janice and Stuart and if I’m being honest I got a little jealous of what they have. I started to wonder when will I meet my man. When will I have someone to grab my hand as we’re walking down the sidewalk. When will I have someone pursue me with intention and honor all the days before and after marriage. When will I get to do everyday life with my best friend. I know that marriage is tough and challenging in a way that I can’t picture now, but I know that it is sacred and beautiful.

It may sound crazy, but I got jealous that I don’t have what Janice has yet. I’ve flashed back to dreaming in tenth grade of the stories that the Lord would orchestrate one day. Now I’ve seen each stage of Janice and Stuart’s relationship grow and develop. I have seen just how faithful the Lord has been with every aspect of their relationship from friendship to dating to engagement and now in marriage.

Sometimes singleness is just plain hard. Especially when I start to compare my story to others and take my eyes off of Jesus. Then I read a quote by Francis Chan that convicted me in the best way possible.

“Be careful not to turn others’ lives into the mold for our own…We have a God who is a Creator, NOT a duplicator.”

Y’all I needed to read that. My story is not Janice’s story and that is a good thing. My story is uniquely my own. The Lord is far too creative to script duplicate stories for anybody. And my goodness I am thankful for that! The Lord is Creator and He is faithful in all of the details. Janice’s story is uniquely scripted just for her by the Lord who loves and pursues her passionately. My story is uniquely scripted for me by the Lord who loves and pursues me passionately.

In Isaiah 43:19, the Lord says “Behold, I am doing a new thing!'” He doesn’t say that He is recycling something old, but that He is doing a NEW thing. That means we each have our own stories tailored just for us by the Lord of infinite creativity!

I am so thankful for how patient Jesus is with me. He is always growing me in the midst of my story. He is faithful. He is close and intimate. I’m beyond excited to meet my man some day soon and see how the Lord scripts every detail; he will be one of my biggest blessings and our marriage one of my greatest joys. BUT the Lord is reminding me that the absolute greatest part of my story is my relationship with Christ. He is the foundation of my story.

My heart pretty much just spilled out on the page as I sit here in Panera watching people come and go. May it remind you that the Lord is Creator and not a duplicator. Happy Monday, sweet friends!

February & March Goals

As I shared at the beginning of January, I’ve decided to have monthly goals this year in order to truly be diligent about making things happen. Before moving into March I want to revisit my February goals to keep myself accountable…

1. Read two books.

I finished reading Jesus + Nothing = Everything and it was so full of truth. I kept coming back to how the gospel continues to impact every aspect of my everyday life. I started to read A Million Little Ways, but I’m only a chapter in. So I only half accomplished this goal

2. Go hiking.

This didn’t happen. I had planned to take a few friends home with me to the mountains over Valentine’s weekend, but we got snowed in at school. So hiking didn’t happen, but we are definitely making plans to go on a different weekend.

3. Be intentional about living in and embracing the ordinary moments.

I’m growing more in this habit daily so I would say this is an ongoing accomplishment

4. Have at least four coffee dates with friends.

I wanted to spend time with my girls and be intentional about continually developing rich friendships. I had exactly four dates although only one of them was actually over coffee (one was a lunch date and the other two were frozen yogurt dates). So this goal was accomplished.

5. Pray for my future hubby and marriage consistently.

I can’t say that I’ve prayed for him every single day, but I have been consistently praying for him. I’ve also started to pray more specifically and to pray scripture over him. This is a habit that I always will be growing in.

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Now for March goals…

1. Limit my trips to Starbucks.

I love coffee. I make coffee everyday at home, but I can also easily spend an additional $30 at Starbucks each month. I need to be more aware of where I’m spending money and Starbucks is definitely not a need. With the money that I would normally spend on Starbucks, I bought coffee from Just Love Coffee Roasters. When you purchase this particular coffee blend, 100% of the proceeds go to support America World Adoption. Making a difference starts with the small things.

2. Learn more about adoption.

Adoption has been on my heart for a while now. Every time I hear another story something within me gets excited and I want to learn more. I want to become more knowledgeable. I plan to read Orphanology: Awakening to Gospel-Centered Adoption and Orphan Care. There is also an adoptive mother at the preschool that I work at…I plan to ask her if she would be willing to have lunch with me. I want to hear her family’s story with all the challenges and triumphs of adopting.

3. Road trip to Florida to see one of my best friends.

Hello spring break! I’m driving down to Jacksonville to spend time with one of my best friends, Janice, and her hubby. I’m excited for lots of adventures and laidback moments.

4. Be intentional about giving at least one compliment every day.

There have been so many times when I’ve thought something, but then I didn’t tell the person. I’ve let moments pass where I could encourage someone. Words can be life-giving and I plan to be intentional about giving genuine compliments.

5. Learn more about slavery.

There are 27 million men, women, and children still trapped in slavery today and that just in not okay. I need to become more informed about what’s actually going on. And I know that I need to be intentional about praying specifically every day. I’m not really sure about what this goal is going to look like. I just know that because I have been set free by Jesus I have a responsibility. You can learn more about the End It Movement as well.

"The blood of Jesus covers every inch of my mind, soul, and body. Because I have been painted red by His blood, I go out to set others free..." -Christine Caine // It starts by raising awareness and shining a light on the fact that slavery still exists.

life lately

Hello friends! I can’t seem to keep up with blogging, but that’s okay. My spring semester is in full swing and that plus work fills my weekdays. I’m trying to be purposeful in finding joy in the everyday so here’s a glimpse into what those days have looked like lately…

Friday nights with these two girls are one of my favorites. We cook dinner and bake yummy desserts. We take silly pictures. We talk and laugh. We study scripture and push each other to press more into Jesus. I’m just grateful that I get to do life with friends like this.

I have the biggest love and appreciation for snail mail. I’m constantly in awe of how the Lord uses others to uplift and encourage me and I hope I’m being intentional about doing the same.

Cozy nights spent inside with friends as the snow starts to fall.

Cooking dinner and baking sweets on Valentine’s night. SO yummy.

I walked out to my car on Monday to head to work and caught a glimpse of the sunrise. I just wanted to stop and whisper “thank You Jesus.” The colors faded fast and I kind of viewed this as a special gift just for me. I felt like the Lord was reminding me that He is real and near and intimate. I can’t think of a sweeter way to start a new week.

I was able to get off campus on Wednesday to spend time with a friend. We sat on her back porch talking and drinking coffee. Ahhh. Evenings like that are perfection. And it was 70 degrees in Tennessee.

Hope your weekend is full of relaxation and joy-filled moments!

January & February Goals

I’m not sure the source of this print, but I love it. I want to embrace each day with an excitement and expectation. There is joy in the ordinary!

As I shared at the beginning of the month, I’ve decided to have monthly goals this year in order to truly be diligent about making things happen. Before moving into February I want to revisit my January goals to keep myself accountable…

1. No social media after 11pm.

This goal was just what I needed. I had made such a habit of lying in bed and scrolling through Instagram for 20 to 30 minutes before falling asleep, and that’s not what I want to fill my thoughts every night. I plan to keep this habit of unplugging from social media after 11pm going strong in February.

2. Write down simple joys each day in my journal.

One of my favorite habits! Every day I write down two or three things to my list of 1,000 gifts. I’ve become so much more aware to the beauty in ordinary moments through this practice. I also plan to keep this up!

3. Send five letters snail mail style.

Handwritten letters and encouraging cards get me fired up. I met this goal by sending six during January. Yay!

4. Clean the entire house for my parents.

Mission accomplished. I loved being able to serve my parents in this small way and I know my mom appreciated it when she came home from being out-of-town.

5. Be intentional about speaking to store cashiers when checking out. {AKA say more than just “How are you? Good.”}

I didn’t succeed at this one every single time, but I always made it a priority to smile and make eye contact when checking out. I plan to continue working on being more intentional with this goal in the next month.

Now for my February goals…

1. Read two books.

I’m currently working through Jesus + Nothing = Everything and I would highly recommend it. I’m learning more about how the gospel continues to impact every aspect of my everyday life. Next on my list, is Veneer: Living Deeply in a Surface Society. It focuses on having real and genuine relationships which is something that I want to continually be intentional about cultivating.

2. Go hiking.

I haven’t been since the fall and I miss it. I have a day planned with a few friends over Valentine’s weekend and I’m so excited for it.

3. Be intentional about living in and embracing the ordinary moments.

This builds on my habit of writing down the simple joys (AKA 1,000 gifts). There is so much beauty to be had in the ordinary and I don’t want to miss it.

4. Have at least four coffee dates with friends.

We don’t necessarily have to get coffee…lunch, frozen yogurt, dinner, etc. I want to spend time with my girls and continually develop rich friendships.

5. Pray for my future hubby and marriage consistently.

This is another things that gets me fired up! I want to honor him before we even meet and this is one way that I know I can do that. Although I miss him, I plan to live fully in this season of singleness. Instead of “pining” for him, I will use my time to lift him up. That is one way to pour into him and our future marriage before we ever even meet.

Happy Friday!

lately & celebrating life

I’m just going to go ahead and jump right into this…

Friday night. Such a sweet and fun night! It was rather chilly so I went grocery shopping with a couple of friends and we got ingredients to make homemade pizza. Yum! We made pizza while talking about anything and everything. Jesus, teaching, gratitude and 1,000 gifts, families, and so much more. We had the best time and ended the night playing a card game that got pretty intense. I love laidback nights spent talking and laughing with my girls. Be intentional in your friendships!

One of my favorite old photos.

Monday night. My grandpa passed away. He left his earthly body that was failing him and traded it in for a NEW and GLORIOUS body in heaven. It seriously overwhelms me when I think about the fact that he’s now fully healed and with Jesus right now. There’s such beauty and joy in that. I’m so thankful for my roomie because she sat with me after I got the news and let me share memory after memory. Also, one of the last coherent conversations I had with him, he told me how proud he was and that he loved me. Y’all I’ll always be grateful for that.

Tuesday morning. A reminder that His pursuit is relentless and I don’t want to become numb to that. It was also such a sweet reminder that my grandpa is experiencing the fullness of Christ’s love in an unimaginable way.

Tuesday afternoon. It started snowing! It was magical and everybody on campus seemed to be extra energized. It was gorgeous to see campus blanketed in white and students out enjoying it.

Wednesday morning. I work at the early learning center on campus and I usually would get there at 7:15am. BUT there was a two hour delay and then I had a snowy view from my classroom. So cold but so beautiful. Once I left work, I checked my email to see that all of my afternoon classes had been cancelled. Hooray! I was perfectly content with a cozy afternoon free of classes.

I’m so thankful for everyday moments. There really is beauty in the ordinary and I’m embracing the here and now.