tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-76020134079541760032024-02-06T22:33:07.699-08:00becoming confident, comfortable, and classyDGrissomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13711156139179928794noreply@blogger.comBlogger27125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7602013407954176003.post-4584534778463588022016-09-20T12:32:00.005-07:002016-09-20T12:32:42.335-07:00Flying, walking, crawling<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img alt="Image result for mlk jr walk crawl fly" src="https://scontent.cdninstagram.com/t51.2885-15/s640x640/sh0.08/e35/12407688_1059666187428343_133337290_n.jpg?ig_cache_key=MTE2NTMwNzg0MTYxMDkyNTQ5OA%3D%3D.2.l" /></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> My principal quoted MLKJr a couple of years ago at a staff meeting. He was encouraging us to KEEP MOVING (especially on our hardest days). Y'all, today was a barely crawling day. Full of progress monitoring, an IEP meeting, PLC planning, and oh yeah...teaching! With a room full of 5 and 6 year olds, my energy at the end of the day is no where near the energy I have when the day starts. They are so full of questions and want to explore and are eager to learn and I want to answer and lead exploration and am eager to teach, but sometimes <u>it's just plain hard.</u> I am challenged to keep reminding myself that even though they are expected to read and write and add and subtract at the end of the year, that they are just 5 and 6 years old.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> I also need to keep in mind that they are learning way more than I am "teaching". They are watching to see how I handle stress. They are observing how I handle confrontation. They are soaking in every word I say and mimicking every move I make. So if I put myself in their little shoes, would I like what I see? I would see someone who is rushing through a bunch of lessons (with 2 classes switching every day in the Spanish Immersion program, I only have 90 days out of a 180 day school year to teach reading and writing concepts to mastery). I would see someone who takes deep breaths when frustrated before reacting too soon. I would see someone who is overwhelmed by assessments, but uses those assessments to teach me better. I would see someone who laughs at kids' jokes. I would see someone who stops to pray over their lunch, even though they have 5 minutes to eat it. I would see someone who is so excited to see me grow, even if it is baby steps. I would see someone who is humble enough to apologize to a 5 year old for speaking out of frustration.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Yes, I'm frustrated that I have to go back to square one and teach my content differently and re-teach what has already been taught ... and that's overwhelming in itself... but I'm confident these kiddos will grow with the appropriate instruction. I'm thankful for a great team who is there to lift each other up. I'm thankful for wonderful administration who provides opportunities to collaborate and allows the leeway to re-teach for the best option.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> God promises us that He is by our side every moment of every day. He will not lead us astray. I firmly believe that He has placed me in this exact school with this exact group of kiddos as my mission field. I am leaning on Him and His understanding. I am crawling today, but after a couple of weeks of rejuvination (aka intersession), I'll [hopefully] be flying again.</span><br />
<b><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">[2 Chronicles 15:7 "But as for you, be strong and do not give up, for your work will be rewarded."]</span></b><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><i>On a completely irrelevant side note.... Is it time to put the Christmas tree up yet?</i> <span style="background-color: white; color: #424242;">🎄</span></span><br />
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<br />DGrissomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13711156139179928794noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7602013407954176003.post-12125955821715704762016-04-17T18:54:00.000-07:002017-01-15T10:36:56.212-08:00My Southern Chic Wedding!<div style="text-align: center;">
My mom encouraged me to write everything down from what I would call <i>the most perfect day ever</i>... so here goes!</div>
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I want to thank everyone who so graciously helped put things together piece by piece for this wonderful day. Here are the details on how to have a CUSTOM wedding on a budget ... and only planned in 5 months!</div>
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To start off, I will say that my mom and I met every Saturday for 5 months for 3-4 hours. We came up with a vision and made a list of things that needed to be purchased on the first Saturday, we bought the majority of what we needed on the second Saturday, and the third Saturday we began making things!</div>
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I asked my bridesmaids and Maid of Honor to stand by my side with a little burlap bag stuffed with a mini picture frame of the two of us together along with a torn off piece of notebook paper and a handwritten card. I hand stamped the C on the burlap bag -- a total of $10 (for 5 bridesmaids and 1 MOH? That's less than $2 a person!) The baggie, stamp, frame, and card came from Michaels.</div>
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(Thanks Leah for taking a picture!)</div>
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Both sets of our parents just celebrated 30 years of marriage! My parents were married in Oklahoma, and R's were married here in North Carolina. We were able to get married in the same church R's parents got married in 30 years ago! We were very fortunate to have been able to use the church free of cost because his grandmother still attends and does so much for the church. We wanted to get married at a venue that was sentimental and cost efficient -- and it turned out beautifully!</div>
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Berean Baptist Church - Hamptonville, NC</div>
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We were thrown a couple's shower by the sweetest Whitney and Ethan Chapmon about a month after R popped the question. We fell in love with the cupcakes at the shower, that we used the same person to do our cake and cupcakes for the wedding. She charged about $160 for a "naked" cake and nearly 100 cupcakes for the reception. Alice, Ethan's mom, helped Whitney make a corsage for me to wear at the shower. We thought it would be the perfect detail to add the corsage to the bouquet that my mom made for me. We used artificial flowers for three reasons: 1) they are cheaper 2) we could make things ahead of time instead of the day of; we did not use a florist 3)I could keep it forever We displayed the cake and cupcakes on wood that a co-worker chopped for us. (more free!!!)</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAAivX6h9WTHHH0PzzkNJI4NmzW2_0_dk2_YBzVPREuwl0LesoVbGLhbSgv3Nzl73k_XRjbAntaktNoMX0nqurOwzjbpjywnJz41N5LJVS1WFaTkc5-GoeA8IbLCgy1mfYE3YNDVPfYtw/s1600/ewrd2.jpeg" imageanchor="1"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicn25jgvLj2juJonRINSoHY-QoevCvfaXLyxSMTUqSXil4tBYH4kT93YdzyseLBCHZOt7-5GKWzlrNkSLawIyHO7yrXmDVuZgGXddq_C21vaPEGDbZbJvANW7giDsba3-Bp-XKuUFjD_w/s1600/EWRD.jpeg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicn25jgvLj2juJonRINSoHY-QoevCvfaXLyxSMTUqSXil4tBYH4kT93YdzyseLBCHZOt7-5GKWzlrNkSLawIyHO7yrXmDVuZgGXddq_C21vaPEGDbZbJvANW7giDsba3-Bp-XKuUFjD_w/s640/EWRD.jpeg" width="480" /></a><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAAivX6h9WTHHH0PzzkNJI4NmzW2_0_dk2_YBzVPREuwl0LesoVbGLhbSgv3Nzl73k_XRjbAntaktNoMX0nqurOwzjbpjywnJz41N5LJVS1WFaTkc5-GoeA8IbLCgy1mfYE3YNDVPfYtw/s640/ewrd2.jpeg" width="640" /></div>
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(cupcakes @ bridal shower -- yes those are edible antlers!)</div>
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("naked cake" with Willow Tree cake topper and cupcakes at wedding reception)</div>
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(corsage at the bridal shower)</div>
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(mom made the bouquet and wrapped a piece of lace from her wedding dress around it and attached the corsage to it)</div>
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The ribbon banner that hung over the baptistery was the most time-consuming project. My mom and sister helped me measure, cut, and tie ribbon onto the rope very early on in our planning. The ribbon banner was also used at a bridal shower! (and is currently hanging up in our dining room)</div>
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Here is the banner at bridal shower number 2 @ Sarah's. The 'Mr. & Mrs.' banner attached to the ribbon banner was made by Kenz and used at the head table at the reception. </div>
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(MR & MRS banner at the head table)</div>
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<span style="text-align: left;">We had a "light refreshments" reception with a couple of yard games (cornhole & giant jenga) so the only tables were those with drinks and food and our head table. Behind the head table we displayed pictures of R and I from high school all the way through engagement pictures. We used gifts given to us (large "C" tile, "Crouse" wooden sign ((used at shower #1)), and an engagement picture printed on a tree slice) mixed in with the pictures Kenz also gave us old window frames that we used on just about every table. Mom printed the pictures for the canvas from vista print and made our canvases for us.</span></div>
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<span style="text-align: left;">The same friend of mine from work that cut the wood for us, also let us borrow mason jars that were already wrapped in burlap and lace. Kenz and Mom made bows to hang them on the pews with and we picked up baby's breath from Lowe's food two nights before the wedding.</span></div>
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Alice did a wonderful job stringing magnolia to drape with the ribbon banner and she also made two wreaths for the doors. I wrote a song for R for our first dance and when she heard it she made a sign with the lyrics "together forever" and surprised us with it when she came to help decorate.</div>
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We were very fortunate to have had such amazing friends help us out with pictures. Lindzi took our engagement and reception pictures (and a few at the wedding, too!), Jeremy took my bridal portraits (both Lindzi and Jeremy did this out of the kindness of their heart) and a friend from church, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/hboydphoto/" target="_blank">Hannah Boyd</a> cut us an amazing deal -- a blessing, that's for sure -- for pictures of the wedding and wedding party.</div>
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(engagement pictures: Captured by LinZ photography)</div>
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(bridal portraits by Jeremy Gardner; PS-- this LOVE sign was used above the ribbon banner in the wedding)</div>
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(wedding pictures: Hannah Boyd Photography;; Mom made my calalily bouqet, the groomsmen/best man/groom's boutonniere, the mothers/grandmothers' corsages too! </div>
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And a quick story about the bridesmaids' flowers.... We originally had planned for each bridesmaid/MOH to carry one single calalily, but the calalilies that we had did not open in enough time, so we took the flowers that were on the table from rehearsal dinner the night before (R's mom handpicked them for rehearsal dinner centerpieces) and mom made all of the girls' flowers!)<br />
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reception hall (old school house turned into an event center through the ruritan club) BEFORE</div>
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reception hall AFTER (it was 1.5 miles away from the church)</div>
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(Reception pictures by: Captured by LinZ ;; The bubbles were leftover from one of Kenz's friends weddings and she gave them to us! The reception was held in an old schoolhouse about a mile down the road from the church. We paid $100 to be able to get in and decorate on Friday and to have it all day Saturday.)</div>
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For the bridesmaids/MOH dresses, I asked all of the girls to find a navy dress that fit their body type and their budget and to wear burlap toms. My grandmother hand beaded my veil and also made my niece's (flowergirl) tutu. Mom made the flowergirl's crown and she wore a ballet leotard under the tutu with her cowgirl boots. The guys were asked to wear khakis and a white button up and R gave them all silly bowties to wear as their gift. My cowgirl boots that I wore under my dress were a gift from R's mom and grandma for Christmas.</div>
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(flowergirl;; handmade tutu by my grandma)</div>
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(bridal party)</div>
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(hand-beaded veil and cowgirl boots)</div>
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(GRAMMA!)</div>
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I was fortunate enough to not need any alterations done on my wedding dress except to take a couple of inches off the bottom (5'5" bride - ha!). My grandma did a wonderful job with alterations, the veil, and Annie's tutu. I'm blessed to have had all of these things made with such care and love. My parents blessed me by buying my wedding dress -- but I still managed to find it on sale at David's Bridal!</div>
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Bridal shower #3 was thrown by R's mom and it was a sweet brunch in the Chapmon's packhouse.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyN-WRTRSHecGV7QwaXrlOf0DiQKv-nXSgw2zKDhIowrYxxJ73iXm2xPyp34f-_46ovNmVh5uX_nrNQEX6Y7Rp9IV1CWTIC47QwnJP1IwC46PZokSxvog63jIEBdvhvi5fAJIgHEif5iE/s1600/IMG_0402.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyN-WRTRSHecGV7QwaXrlOf0DiQKv-nXSgw2zKDhIowrYxxJ73iXm2xPyp34f-_46ovNmVh5uX_nrNQEX6Y7Rp9IV1CWTIC47QwnJP1IwC46PZokSxvog63jIEBdvhvi5fAJIgHEif5iE/s640/IMG_0402.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
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Bridal shower #4 was thrown by my mentor at school with another sweet brunch at Two for Tea.</div>
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[surprise] bridal shower #5 was thrown by amazing kindergarten team! They also blessed us with a knife set off of our registry. (We had an online registry through myregistry.com which allowed us to add things from different places.<br />
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We had a peanut table set up with take home bags for our favors (I can't seem to find a picture of that... /: )</div>
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For easy set up, mom and I put together tubs for each table at the reception and any other decor that was needed at the church and the schoolhouse. We set up everything on my dining room table, took a picture of how we wanted it set up, put all of the necessary items in the tub, and taped the picture we took under the lid. This was a great way for people who had volunteered to help us set up be able to take the bucket and match the table/room to the picture under the tub.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipgSfeiQ3a_9LoW6ElbxsRGbvNfGuaiOu0jDpXIbxV3CHkxtpFCCZ4hRMe3bh3cn3NSPXv4H4NSggZ0AoIDjAXbPadWFn4y4snW1i1nTelgTWdCSrNzl8CznKrPWA5ASPw17k_X0fjM-c/s1600/table2.jpg" imageanchor="1"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDX9bIGBAELvY0uyOOB1Kve1IjPbJVzcOUAh0lyj1nSpQSr7OlPywyPeNwPp52S8oxe_SyFuXs7jdebnVcTcw5JEC7wgERNH1p9qZEuha-qpyFm_yJIgd8jXbo6WbLxlD0ly0_xZZELHE/s1600/table+1.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDX9bIGBAELvY0uyOOB1Kve1IjPbJVzcOUAh0lyj1nSpQSr7OlPywyPeNwPp52S8oxe_SyFuXs7jdebnVcTcw5JEC7wgERNH1p9qZEuha-qpyFm_yJIgd8jXbo6WbLxlD0ly0_xZZELHE/s320/table+1.jpg" width="320" /></a><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipgSfeiQ3a_9LoW6ElbxsRGbvNfGuaiOu0jDpXIbxV3CHkxtpFCCZ4hRMe3bh3cn3NSPXv4H4NSggZ0AoIDjAXbPadWFn4y4snW1i1nTelgTWdCSrNzl8CznKrPWA5ASPw17k_X0fjM-c/s320/table2.jpg" width="320" /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAHd9HnJypaYQJ9XUI86vJhOVPfyQDNNWJmL5NB7wyz1xrj1X4lQxMTiu8KuYLioVCZB7vLGMFH7QDHmtK4T_zZqkfAUcBoFkax07UiWTgtwx7hOBr6VjTgX6cZC4m3oXnp9UANSQrjTQ/s1600/table3.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAHd9HnJypaYQJ9XUI86vJhOVPfyQDNNWJmL5NB7wyz1xrj1X4lQxMTiu8KuYLioVCZB7vLGMFH7QDHmtK4T_zZqkfAUcBoFkax07UiWTgtwx7hOBr6VjTgX6cZC4m3oXnp9UANSQrjTQ/s320/table3.jpg" width="320" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAz6dx1pK2iuwbOLvX2abJ8hhEzv7JU7WWIyux49uNapFYLb2cWsmbl5YJ-Dh2fmMT2uauWydZKsqNYUKvRVgyRss0vFPFl7RemgSOyXKJzbvAla5g66QPtb6xmUJK0aUL-c7M2U5rAak/s1600/table4.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAz6dx1pK2iuwbOLvX2abJ8hhEzv7JU7WWIyux49uNapFYLb2cWsmbl5YJ-Dh2fmMT2uauWydZKsqNYUKvRVgyRss0vFPFl7RemgSOyXKJzbvAla5g66QPtb6xmUJK0aUL-c7M2U5rAak/s320/table4.jpg" width="320" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij23GEJplt56qyhCg2S3L17NRIzq0f83CVoHszecoa1NnAthah6G8l2GZst9zQrsJp7D9F0sU4BPdCCxrswCvCHn0oJxyXU9JUuedFTXnuxXcgiktWNzisCaMvFDaFX__zqb69vJdQZDA/s1600/table5.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij23GEJplt56qyhCg2S3L17NRIzq0f83CVoHszecoa1NnAthah6G8l2GZst9zQrsJp7D9F0sU4BPdCCxrswCvCHn0oJxyXU9JUuedFTXnuxXcgiktWNzisCaMvFDaFX__zqb69vJdQZDA/s320/table5.jpg" width="320" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzxGRwxRpBccUJWN1_HtckfxfkqNgcd-zOanuoZqCKw8naaWSEdBR8Al2s-Tecoz30DkD36UyuyaVO1iApoxiKbtLy1aerGsdKhmy4t3IRlZbFgpw7VTak5ZiQaKT0vu0JyiegB8drgD4/s1600/buckets.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzxGRwxRpBccUJWN1_HtckfxfkqNgcd-zOanuoZqCKw8naaWSEdBR8Al2s-Tecoz30DkD36UyuyaVO1iApoxiKbtLy1aerGsdKhmy4t3IRlZbFgpw7VTak5ZiQaKT0vu0JyiegB8drgD4/s320/buckets.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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R and I were talking on the way back from the honeymoon that there wasn't one thing we would have changed about this amazing day. Our officiant, Richie, did an amazing job preaching the gospel and sharing with our closest friends and family about what marriage truly is about. His wife, Tricia, did a fabulous job singing. We are blessed to have such great friends in Richie and Tricia.</div>
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I cannot thank the people enough for making this special day so perfect! Thanks mom for meeting with me every week for 5 months (and the wedding dress; and the bouquets; and everything else you did)! Thank you Alice for all of your help decorating the church and helping us craft along the way and for stringing tons and tons of magnolia! Thank you Gramma for ALL that you made: my veil, Annie's tutu; the bridesmaids jewelry. Thank you to R's grandma for making baskets for all SIX of the bridesmaids. Thank you Kenz for EVERY.SINGLE.THING. you did -- If I tried to list it all, I would forget something! Thank you Beck for all that you did keeping me sane oh "most beautiful maid of honor of all the land". Thank you to Whit and Sarah for opening up your houses and allowing me to be showered with gifts and love. Thank you to Ms McBride for the wedding signs that we put on the road, the mason jars, and cutting the wood. Thank you to Ms Hall for the beautiful picture frame and stand and for throwing a wonderful shower. Thank you to Ms Kimbro for allowing me to borrow such beautiful wreaths and giving us the fabric to drape over the baptistery. Thank you to the Crouses for a special rehearsal dinner and for all of the food! Thank you to each and every one of our friends and our families for coming out to share this special day with us and for contributing various things that made the wedding even more sentimental!<br />
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We had our rehearsal dinner in the church's fellowship hall hosted by Richard's family. His mom made this beautiful cake topper that we have displayed in our living room now. We had a baked potato bar for rehearsal dinner along with soup.<br />
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-xoxo-</div>
DGrissomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13711156139179928794noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7602013407954176003.post-72170021995691331992016-02-17T13:19:00.001-08:002016-02-17T13:19:34.685-08:00FIRE!What is your first reaction when you see fire? Well, I think it depends on the circumstance if you ask me. If I see a flame on a candle, I would not act the same as if I were in my house cooking and the stove caught on fire. Honestly, I would try to put it out, then I would run away from it. Why would I react this way? Because fire spreads and if I am not quick to be cautious, I can do a multitude of damage.<br />
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As Christ followers, we tend to use the phrase "on fire for God" and sing songs that say "Lord, I'm running to your heart with a soul on fire". ON FIRE! Waaaaaaaaiiiiiiiiittttttttt a minute! FIRE!!!! STOP, DROP, AND ROLL! The world sees fire, spiritual fire, as a threat to the way they want to have control over their lives, so they try to put it out, and when they can't, they run from it. Our jobs, our relationships, money, "religion" all try to make us <u>stop</u> what we are doing for the kingdom, <u>drop</u> our preparation in the word and in worship, and <u>roll</u> over as if we give up.<br />
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Most of us, whether we grew up in church or not, have heard "This little light of mine, I'm going to let it shine, let it shine, let it shine, let it shine." What is that mysterious light you talk about? FIRE! Hebrews 12:29 says: For our God is a consuming fire. If we take the verse from Hebrews and replace the word "fire" with "God" in the popular children's church song, you get: "This God of mine, I'm going to let Him shine, let Him shine, let Him shine, let Him shine".<br />
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Let HIM shine in all that we do. I had a friend following me home one day to see if the way they were going was quicker than this route I was familiar with. My friend said to me, "Don't worry, I can keep up." (Implying speed and yellow lights were irrelevant) When I replied, "Trust me, I drive the speed limit. 4 over if I'm feeling brave." She immediately said, "Way to be spiritual in all that you do, even driving!" At first, I was offended. Very offended actually. But then I realized that I should be letting God shine through me in all that I do. Grocery shopping, driving, worshiping, praying, teaching, talking ... literally everything I do should be to glorify God.<br />
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Being <i>on fire</i> for God is an amazing thing, but just be aware your fire is meant to spread. Your fire will also have many attempts to be put out, so prepare yourself by staying in the word ("the word" = His promises = the Bible) and praying. Pray that unwanted fires in your life be put out immediately. Pray that you can show the love of God to everyone you come in contact with.<br />
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<b>Stop</b> being afraid of what others think. <b>Drop</b> the negative "what if" thoughts, and just let God breathe through every moment of each day. And <b>roll</b> into the pool of mercy and grace God, our fire, is constantly providing for us.DGrissomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13711156139179928794noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7602013407954176003.post-19369223476601202132015-11-11T18:58:00.000-08:002015-11-11T18:58:01.144-08:00EZER KENEGDO<span style="font-size: x-large;">Pursue</span>.<br />
What do you think about when you see this word?<br />
A group of girl friends of mine responded with:<br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: AppleSDGothicNeo-Regular, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif, 'Segoe UI Emoji', 'Segoe UI Symbol', NotoColorEmoji, EmojiSymbols, Symbola, Noto, 'Android Emoji', AndroidEmoji, 'Arial Unicode MS', 'Zapf Dingbats', AppleColorEmoji, 'Apple Color Emoji'; font-size: 13px; font-weight: 700; line-height: 20px; text-align: justify; text-indent: 27px;">• What you desire to be.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: AppleSDGothicNeo-Regular, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif, 'Segoe UI Emoji', 'Segoe UI Symbol', NotoColorEmoji, EmojiSymbols, Symbola, Noto, 'Android Emoji', AndroidEmoji, 'Arial Unicode MS', 'Zapf Dingbats', AppleColorEmoji, 'Apple Color Emoji'; font-size: 13px; font-weight: 700; line-height: 20px; text-align: justify; text-indent: 27px;">• Chase after something you desire.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: AppleSDGothicNeo-Regular, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif, 'Segoe UI Emoji', 'Segoe UI Symbol', NotoColorEmoji, EmojiSymbols, Symbola, Noto, 'Android Emoji', AndroidEmoji, 'Arial Unicode MS', 'Zapf Dingbats', AppleColorEmoji, 'Apple Color Emoji'; font-size: 13px; font-weight: 700; line-height: 20px; text-align: justify; text-indent: 27px;">• Go forth.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: AppleSDGothicNeo-Regular, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif, 'Segoe UI Emoji', 'Segoe UI Symbol', NotoColorEmoji, EmojiSymbols, Symbola, Noto, 'Android Emoji', AndroidEmoji, 'Arial Unicode MS', 'Zapf Dingbats', AppleColorEmoji, 'Apple Color Emoji'; font-size: 13px; font-weight: 700; line-height: 20px; text-align: justify; text-indent: 27px;">• What a guy should do when he likes a girl.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: AppleSDGothicNeo-Regular, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif, 'Segoe UI Emoji', 'Segoe UI Symbol', NotoColorEmoji, EmojiSymbols, Symbola, Noto, 'Android Emoji', AndroidEmoji, 'Arial Unicode MS', 'Zapf Dingbats', AppleColorEmoji, 'Apple Color Emoji'; font-size: 13px; font-weight: 700; line-height: 20px; text-align: justify; text-indent: 27px;">• Cop chase.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: AppleSDGothicNeo-Regular, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif, 'Segoe UI Emoji', 'Segoe UI Symbol', NotoColorEmoji, EmojiSymbols, Symbola, Noto, 'Android Emoji', AndroidEmoji, 'Arial Unicode MS', 'Zapf Dingbats', AppleColorEmoji, 'Apple Color Emoji'; font-size: 13px; font-weight: 700; line-height: 20px; text-align: justify; text-indent: 27px;">• To be chased down.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: AppleSDGothicNeo-Regular, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif, 'Segoe UI Emoji', 'Segoe UI Symbol', NotoColorEmoji, EmojiSymbols, Symbola, Noto, 'Android Emoji', AndroidEmoji, 'Arial Unicode MS', 'Zapf Dingbats', AppleColorEmoji, 'Apple Color Emoji'; font-size: 13px; font-weight: 700; line-height: 20px; text-align: justify; text-indent: 27px;">• Seek after something/someone.</span><br />
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The words that stand out the most? CHASE. GO. SEEK. DESIRE.<br />
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The word <i>pursue</i> is such a profound word in our culture. We are culturally programmed to think about the word <u>romance</u> to be between a man and a woman, but have we ever stopped to think about it referencing our relationship with Jesus? The bible tells us in <a href="https://www.bible.com/bible/111/jhn.4.niv" target="_blank">John 4</a> how God wants to romance us. This chapter in the bible tells about a woman, who was imperfect and flawed, asks Jesus for the water that will cause her to thirst no more. Our culture puts so much emphasis on pursuing SATISFACTION and IDEAS, but when we think about it - we should be focusing on allowing God to pursue our hearts over earthly satisfaction and ideas.<br />
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Sometimes it's easy to see someone we admire. When we like the way another woman dresses, or the career someone has, or even the family another woman has established, we have to be careful with what we are pursuing. We should not pursue to be that other person, but rather build on the qualities we admire and make them our own. Do not pursue her career because she is successful in it, rather aim to be a hard worker as she is and your career will blossom the way it should for you. Do not pursue a family with exactly three kids and a six-foot husband because someone you admire has that, rather aim to be the best wife and mother God has called you to be (if in fact he has called you to be a wife and mother). We do not want our pursuit to lead to being bound up because our priorities are skewed.<br />
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What is so alluring about a relationship that makes it so desirable anyways? We were created for relationships. We, as humans, were ultimately created for His delight and enjoyment. Have you ever stopped to think about why we, as women, were created? I saw something on facebook a few weeks ago that said: I, as a woman, was created to do what man couldn't. I think I snickered and kept on scrolling, but WOW that person is so right! We weren't made to be all that a man is, we were created to be and do what men aren't able to do. There are obvious differences between man and woman. Men are often seen as having strength, power, security and protection. Women are often seen for their tenderness, compassion, nurturing, serving, and inner and outer beauty. Now, that's not to say a woman can't be physically strong or a man isn't compassionate, it's simply saying men's strengths are often different that women's. There are things from God's very essence that can't be given by man and without one or the other, the world would be missing 50% of HIS beauty.<br />
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Ever think about this?<br />
EVE IS BREATHTAKING.<br />
EVE IS THE CROWN OF CREATION.<br />
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Man was created to glorify God, woman was created to glorify God with man. Woman was created to help man meet life's demands.<br />
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Genesis 2:18 talks about <a href="http://godswordtowomen.org/ezerkenegdo.htm" target="_blank">EZER KENEGDO</a>, which is God's word to woman. It kind of takes you aback the first time you think about God writing "She was to be his helper...". OUCH! I was created to be someone's helper? I think I initially missed the point. God uses this verse to help us realize when we desperately need Him to help us and we are to mirror God, so in that case ... YES! SIGN ME UP! LET ME HELP YOU!<br />
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We, as women, should be so humbled by the fact that God allowed us to carry beauty in the world! Our beauty is determined by our joy and our passions. We, as women, desire 3 things.<br />
<1> Romance - we long to be pursued!<br />
<2> Beauty - We want someone to find us captivating<br />
<3> to play an irreplaceable role in a great adventure to be shared<br />
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We need to keep in mind that we can't depict God's heart without a man or without a woman. What men have to offer and what women have to offer may be different, but it's what makes up God's heart. <br />
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So back to the relationship thing. Eve and Adam were created to have a relationship with each other and with God. Guess what? God was jealous of Adam and Eve. He was not jealous of their relationship, or their fancy garden, or their fancy fig leaf clothing. He was jealous of their hearts. Waaaaaaaaiiiiiiiitttttttt a minute! The Bible tells us in many verses not to be jealous! (Song of Solomon 8:6, 1 Corinthians 13:4, Philippians 2:3, James 3:14-15, Psalm 37:1-3, James 3:16, Proverbs 14:30)<br />
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God's jealousy over Adam and Eve's hearts, and over our hearts, is because our hearts are rightfully His! Righteous jealousy is when something that is rightfully yours is taken from you. Unrighteous jealousy is when something is not rightfully ours, yet we want it anyway.<br />
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Psalm 139:18 says, "Were I count to them, they would outnumber the grains of sand; when I awake I am still with you".<br />
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God loves us more than each grain of sand. WOW! That's a lot. God gives us a fountain springing up into everlasting life - it's interactive in our lives, not just a one-time-thing. Oftentimes it's easy to think about how if God really and truly loved me, then why do I encounter rough times? Just remember, when worldly things get in the way of whole heartedly pursuing God, He finds a way to snatch our hearts back. We are all pursuing something all day, every day. The Bible is full of God pursuing us!<br />
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We (as women) have a purpose (as a gender). We were made for relationships, not just marriage/dating relationships, but friendships too. My challenge to you is this: Step out of your comfort zone and purposefully be approachable and inviting with our body language. In order to really pursue somebody, we really should think through scenarios and know that the Holy Spirit gives a lot of grace. I challenge you to pray with a listening heart that God may use you to serve, to nurture, or to shine His beauty through you. I challenge you for the next week, that every time you get in the car alone, to put everything aside and pray ... a 5 minute prayer, an hour prayer. Pray for God's will to be done through you. Pray for God's beauty to shine through you. Pray that God will use you to better His kingdom through relationships.<br />
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Remember, you're an Eve. You're breathtaking. You're God's very own creation. Without beauty the world would be .... DULL. They can thank us (really they should thank God) later.DGrissomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13711156139179928794noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7602013407954176003.post-10259227341252282042015-09-28T18:51:00.002-07:002015-09-28T19:01:56.593-07:00Want want want .....<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Why is it that we always want MORE? It's come to my attention lately that most of us aren't satisfied with what we've got and we focus on what we want more and more. Single ladies can't wait to find someone to date, then they WANT to be married, then they WANT to have kids, then they WANT this and that and as soon as one want becomes a reality, we want something else.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Psalm 23 plainly says, "The Lord is my shepherd, <u>I shall not want...</u>"</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />Someone once explained to me why a shepherd carries a staff (the one with the hook) <b>and</b> a rod (the one without a hook). When other animals would pose a threat to the sheep, the rod was used to defend them and when the sheep wandered off, the staff was to pull them back in. Our heavenly father is our shepherd. ("The Lord is my shepherd...") He guides me, directs me, steers me towards heaven. When I wander, He uses His staff to bring me back. And when the enemy is after me, He uses His rod to defend me. So if God's word, his promises to us, his children, says that our shepherd will take care of us and that we shall not want, then why in the world do we desire what we don't [yet] have?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We learn in kindergarten the difference between <i>wants</i> and <i>needs</i>. Some examples: I <i>want</i> a house -vs- I <i>need</i> a roof over my head // I <i>want</i> a brand new car -vs- I <i>need</i> reliable transportation to work // I <i>want</i> this new shirt -vs- I <i>need</i> to do laundry instead of buying new clothes. I [embarrassingly enough] have a pinterest board named *need this in my life*. The board has everything from custom cornhole boards, to shoes, to house decor, to chocolate chip cookie dough stuffed oreos ... and, to be honest, I do not have a single one of those things. Why do I not have any of the things on my *need this* board? Because I don't really NEED it. I <u>want</u> the new shoes, I have what I need -- too many shoes! I <u>want</u> the grey paint and picture frame arrangements, I have what I <u>need</u> -- a comfy roof over my head with pictures and coffee decor galore. I <u>want</u> the chocolate chip cookie dough stuffed oreos and the pumpkin white hot chocolate, but I have more than I <u>need </u>-- a fridge and pantry with plenty. Philippians 4:19 says, "And my God will supply every need of yours according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus". Meaning our God, our shepherd, our father will take care of every need that he sees as a true need. Wanting more could even be seen as not trusting our provider.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">At church this past weekend, the pastor mentioned something that has been hard for me to stop thinking about. Many have the belief that they don't understand why God would <i>allow</i> us to go through turmoil. Well the first book in the Bible tells us that God handed over his creation to man Gen 1:28-30 God blessed them and said to them, "Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground." Then God said, "I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food. And to all the beasts of the earth and all the birds in the sky and all the creatures that move along the ground -- everything that that has the breath of life in it -- I give every green plant for food." And it was so. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">When you keep reading, you realize that after God handed off "the whole earth" to man, man passed it off as well. Genesis 3 shows how man handed off his reigns to the serpent. So to answer the question of why God let's bad things happen or why he allows storms to be in our lives, the answer is: He doesn't. He gave us the opportunity to take care of his beautiful creation and we decided to WANT something that was not meant for us and give up our rights to a sneaky life-sucking serpent. So God sent His son to live in the world and die a worldly death followed by a heavenly resurrection only so that we may be forgiven for our inevitable failures. But He didn't stop there! He promises that if we remain close to Him and lean on His understanding and <b>trust Him</b>, that He will carry us through any storm the devil tries to throw at us. And when we allow the storm to flood our lives, we are already forgiven and given another chance.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A friend and I were talking about this earlier and she said to me, "I don't believe anything is coincidence anymore. It is either of the Lord or of the Devil and I need to strengthen my defense to be able to differentiate between the two." If you have not seen <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt3832914/" target="_blank">War Room</a> yet, GO SEE IT. And then go see it again. And again and again and again. And if you have the opportunity to read the book on <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Fervent-Womans-Serious-Specific-Strategic/dp/1433688670" target="_blank">Fervent Prayer</a>, do it. The movie and book both mention that we are in battle against our evil enemy who wants nothing more than to keep us away from our God. We should go to war against our enemy in prayer, in <i>fervent</i> prayer.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Our shepherd promised to take care of our needs even when we allow wants to cause storms in our lives. The only thing we should be WANTING is to be closer to God ... and when you think about it, that's really what we NEED.</span>DGrissomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13711156139179928794noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7602013407954176003.post-52447541781957960392015-07-07T12:02:00.002-07:002015-07-09T09:19:20.229-07:00change<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">When you see the word "CHANGE" what is the first thing you think of?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Some may think of the jingling sound in their pocket with different types of coins! My mom always told me never to think less of a penny, because pennies lead to nickels, nickels lead to dimes, dimes lead to quarters, and quarters to dollars.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Others may think of "change" immediately with Mahatma Gandhi's quote <i>"Be the change you want to see in the world" </i>or by the timeless Churchill song, <a href="http://www.songlyrics.com/churchill/change-lyrics/" target="_blank">Change</a>.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Time</b> changes things. <b>Life </b>changes things. <b>People</b> change too. I like to explain change best with the illustration of an apple. Some are red, some are yellow, some are green. Time makes apples not yet ripe and unable to give off their best flavor. Time also makes apples rotten when they've been left out too long. The one thing that remains constant? The core. The core of the apple is what the apple is all about. No matter what time, life, and people do to contribute to the wear and tear of the apple, the core remains the same. The core has more to give. We can take note from apples because our interests change over time. our style may change over time, but who we are -- deep down to the core -- doesn't.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In high school, I loved lifeguarding because it basically paid me to be tan. Now, I enjoy going to the pool to play with my niece, but it's usually too hot for me to want to even try to stay and get tanned. Growing up, skirts and dresses were my favorite until I got to my "adolescent" stage and wanted to wear jeans just like everyone else. Now that I rule my own little world, skirts and dresses daily for me please! I've lost people I loved, I've been sucked into poisonous relationships, I've been rejected -- and each of these hard things made me that much stronger. Even though my style has changed over the years and my interests shifted from "hardcore athlete" to "teacher leader", I'm completely okay with that. Just because my interests have changed over the years, that doesn't change the fact that if a friend was in need, I wouldn't hesitate to drop everything I was doing to go help them out. Another change in my life is who I choose to surround myself with. By constantly keeping people close to me who are running after the Lord and choose to share their joys and their trials and are just genuinely good people DOWN TO THE CORE, I have found myself in constant "good spirits".</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Life experiences have taught me to be more guarded. Time is teaching me to be more confident. When I feel like "just a penny", I know I'm just a small part of God's big masterpiece. And ..... people. People are teaching me to believe in myself more because when I don't, it seems as if there is a "please walk all over me" sign tacked to my forehead. People are shaping and molding me into the person I am becoming. Churchill says it best: "<span style="line-height: 23px;">you got nothing to lose, so change change change".</span></span>DGrissomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13711156139179928794noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7602013407954176003.post-21998680425358958062015-06-29T12:58:00.001-07:002015-07-09T09:19:11.738-07:00The light at the end of the tunnel<div style="text-align: center;">
It always seems to me as if things tend to get easier when I can see the light at the end of the tunnel. When I am unable to see the end nearby, things tend to be tougher. John 8:12 says: <span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); text-align: justify;">When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life." <u>Holllllddddddd on</u>! Jesus is the light of the world.... He's the light at the end of every one of our tunnels. Why do we have to go through dark tunnels to get to the light though? A tunnel is simply defined as a passageway surrounded by walls that have an entrance and an exit. They aren't meant to be forever long walkways, they are meant to go from one place to another with <b>JESUS AS THE LIGHT AT THE END OF THE TUNNEL</b>! Sometimes our tunnels have names like, "lesson" or "reason" or "season". Tunnels bring us from one place to another and it's scary to travel these tunnels alone and in the dark, but that's why Jesus walks alongside us and even a little in front of us guiding the way. Don't try to walk this life alone, we're not meant to (tenth avenue north says its best with their song No Man Is An Island; we're not meant to live this life alone). Sometimes it's hard to see the light at the end of the tunnel because we cloud our vision with things like work, money, and other "things" ... And when we have cloudy vision, it's hard to see the light at the end. I challenge you to really find out what is clouding your vision while walking through whatever tunnel you are in right now. One thing I know I need to work on is to stop trying to be who I think people want me to be. I really need to take pride in enjoying the things I enjoy and wearing the clothes I like to wear and drinking my coffee the way I like to drink it. Too often I want to be like someone else I look up to and adore, but my goal shouldn't be to be like them, it should be to be the type of person that other people look at and say, "I want that". If I don't wear a necklace every single day, but dwell on the fact that I wish I was the girl whose outfit looked cuter because she did wear one, I'm missing out on someone else thinking they wish they could pull off simplicity. If I choose prefer to listen to silence in the car when a friend is riding with me for fear that my Christian music is going to offend them, I'm missing out on the opportunity to witness to them. If I choose to not go dancing because I don't want to be the worst one there, then I'm missing out on a great night full of fun. I need to suck up my selfishness and ditch my cloudy view of the tunnel itself and put my eyes on the light at the end of the tunnel because "God won't bring you to it if He won't bring you through it!"</span></div>
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DGrissomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13711156139179928794noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7602013407954176003.post-71681827516392124852015-06-09T08:12:00.001-07:002015-06-09T08:15:21.303-07:00A letter from God<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">When my human mind tries to think about what a letter from God addressed to me might look like, I'm defeated. 1 Timothy begins with, "To Timothy, my true child in the faith..." WOW! I'm pretty sure I read this same verse about 20 times in awe! <span style="color: purple;"><span style="font-size: large;">"My <i>true </i>child<b> in the faith</b>..."</span> </span>That's powerful! Then my [human] mind begins to think about what the letter addressed to me might look like. "To Denise, my worry wort. Have I not told you to not be anxious?" Nah, I highly doubt God almighty would use the term "worry wort", but that would be a viable letter. Maybe Matthew 8:26 is a letter addressed to us all? "You of little faith, why are you so afraid?" If faith is believing in something we cannot see <span style="font-size: xx-small;">(thanks <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1oYt5b3F9E0&index=5&list=PLFcqYGfHKs3aF8DGjI208P2chtMCtL_PD" target="_blank">Super Kid Academy</a> ...definitely taking you back to my childhood), </span>it appears more times than not that it's easy to have FAITH when things are going great. It's the trying times that we need faith the most, but it's the trying times when it's the hardest to remain faithful. Matthew 17:20 says, <span style="background-color: #fdfeff; line-height: 20px; text-align: justify;"> <i>"Because you have so little faith. Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you."</i> A mustard seed! A tiny bit of faith will move mountains, yet we drop that seed sometimes and don't even bother to try to pick it up. We defeat ourselves. What mountains are in your way? Is it a job you hate, or a job you love too much? Is it an unhealthy relationship? Is it finances? Is it simply too much on your plate? Personally, I thrive when I'm busy. Working three jobs, getting home late, waking up early just to do it all over again, I consider that successful. Until stress hits me...hard. My back hurts, I have ulcers in my mouth so bad I can hardly eat, migraines every single day ... and then it's not success anymore. I'm not saying being lazy is a good thing, I'm not saying staying busy out of your mind is a good thing ... I'm saying my goal is to find that balance. The balance of working my hardest to be a successful teacher and building lifetime relationships instead of working 3 jobs and getting home in enough time to maybe eat dinner, shower, and go to bed ... all to wake up and do it again. It's a mind-shift. I'm shifting gears from what God made most important in my life for a season and building off of what He put in my life for a reason. Kutless' song <a href="http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/kutless/whatfaithcando.html" target="_blank">That's What Faith Can Do</a> says: "Life is so much more than what your eyes are seeing; You will find a way if you keep believing..." IF WE KEEP BELIEVING! Have faith and believe that God's got a plan for your life. He may throw obstacles in your way just to test your faith. Sometimes we wait a week for things to turn around and sometimes we wait ten years for perfect timing to be revealed. Whatever the "time" you wait is, actively wait in prayer and in the word because you are a child of God and what father wants anything more than success for His children?</span></span></div>
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DGrissomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13711156139179928794noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7602013407954176003.post-60713603937094780972015-05-15T08:22:00.006-07:002015-07-09T09:20:54.376-07:00my prayer is this ...<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Bradley Hand ITC"; font-size: 15.5pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">My
prayer is this: God I thank you for safety, for love, and for guidance. I ask
that you continue to remind us that "gut feelings" are really
"God feelings" and that tough decisions are really a test of our
trust and faith. I pray that we not only pray to ask, but that we listen with
ears of faith. God I thank you for sending your son to die on the cross to save
an undeserving child like me. I ask that I see others through eyes of grace and
that I continue to lean on you. I pray that your will be done, even when the
choices and decisions don't make sense to me. I know that you have a plan and I
am a part of that plan, on your time, not mine. God I thank you for loving me
and for allowing people to be in my life to love and to show love and I pray
that our hearts stay so close to you that we grow closer to each other. I love
you and I thank you and I ask for guidance, patience, and gratitude. Amen</span><span style="font-family: "Bradley Hand ITC";"><o:p></o:p></span><br />
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DGrissomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13711156139179928794noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7602013407954176003.post-59027805892657074902015-04-22T13:01:00.000-07:002015-04-22T13:01:09.377-07:00"that kid"<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">To my teacher friends, </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Take a minute and think about "that kid". You know, the one who grinds your gears because he refuses to <i>try</i>. What about the boy who is defiant and thinks it's funny? How about the girl who is just (for a lack of better words) plain <b>mean</b>? Yeah, "that kid" (let's be real ... this is a plural thing -- KIDS) These are the tiny humans that make me want to cry during the day and the voices I hear as I'm restless and trying to go to sleep each night. Describe them in one word -- no adjectives please! Describe them in one NOUN. Girl would be one. Boy could be another. Person is a definite. Human is a good one. And what do humans have? Feelings? Wants? Needs? Oftentimes, when our wants/needs aren't being met, our feelings are portrayed the only way we know how. What about the parent that honestly scares you with their not-so-timid personality? I'll be honest and let you know I've found myself taking my "your parent hurt my feelings" out on a student/a part of my family/a human being. People are also notorious for making mistakes, so when I was conscious of the fact I was getting irritated with the child for something beyond their control, my attitude changed. I started intentionally calling on him for positive things and soon the other children in the class saw him in a different light and then he began to bloom. I'm struggling though. Defiance gets to me like no other! I'm so frustrated ... because I care! I guess I should be more worried if it didn't effect me at all.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My first go-to when I'm feeling frustrated is "patience". While patience is good, and very much needed, there's got to be something more. </span><span style="color: purple; font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">Galatians 6:9 says, "And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up." </span><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Basically, as hard as it is to point out the good in the most frustrating moments, who's to say they won't eventually <i>get it</i>? Get what? The seed you are planting, that's what. You know what's really humbling? Apologizing to a five-year-old. Sitting on my knees, I sat eye to eye with a defiant little human, who also has feelings. It's my responsibility to show God's love and ask for his guidance (and yes, patience) in trialing times. It's also my responsibility to thank God for the good times. And when you think about it, those hard times make the great times so much sweeter.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">You were chosen. You were chosen by God almighty to love on little people. They will get the academic stuff (or they won't), but they'll really get how you make them feel (good and bad). I challenge you to pray over "those kids" and I challenge you to make them feel good before they go home. A simple "bye, love you, see you tomorrow" as they're stepping on the bus. A comment about their really cool shirt (because sometimes compliments are a stretch if we're being real). A high five for the 5 seconds they were on task. We can't begin to put ourselves in their shoes for many reasons, but we can choose to either leave the laces untied, or tie them neatly for the .5 seconds until they're falling down again. I challenge you to see the good in every hard situation and I challenge you to really rely on God for the strength we need when we are weary.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Chris Tomlin's song, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yubLGTOcm8c" target="_blank">Everlasting God</a>, says: You're the defender of the weak, You comfort those in need, You lift us up on wings like eagles.... because You do not grow weak or weary ... BECAUSE HE DOES NOT GROW WEAK OR WEARY ... because we are teachers, we are conquerors, we are children of God, we are <u>human</u>, and we do grow weak and weary because <b><span style="font-size: large;">we care</span></b>. Fully rely on our God above, because He's strong.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Sincerely,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">your teacher friend in Christ who's feeling the end of the year struggles</span>DGrissomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13711156139179928794noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7602013407954176003.post-46628625998072914842015-04-11T21:00:00.001-07:002015-04-11T21:09:36.978-07:00Beauty is in the eye of the beholder ...<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;"><span style="font-family: Comic Sans, serif;">other than hanging from a tree in Atlanta and white water rafting in West Virginia ... all of the other pictures were taken in the beautiful state of North Carolina! (and I am mildly obsessed with the NC "home." decals right now)</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> If you weren't hiding under the "patience is a virtue" rock, hopefully you aren't hiding under the "beauty is in the eye of the beholder" rock either... BUT if you are, go ahead and come on out! Anything that has to do with the outdoors or with nature is a pretty sure way straight to my heart. One of my other weaknesses? Something different, or special. Every sunset is beautiful in it's own way because each one is different. I grew up with my father's love for the outdoors. From fishing, camping, and hiking at the beaches or in the mountains of North Carolina, to white water rafting in West Virginia or lake trips to the mountains of Virginia, my dad was the one who spoiled me with showing me God's unique masterpieces in nature. My mom still tells me to this day that when I was little, I refused to wear dresses that did not allow me to climb trees. I've always loved the very special sounds, smells, and feels that add to the beautiful sights for as long as I can remember. <span style="color: purple;">Special, different, and unique makes something beautiful to me.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> For the longest time, my dream was to be a special education teacher. My heart will always have a special place for those who are what we would call "different" or "special". Now that I look at it, I have 20 very different from each other kiddos in my regular education classroom. Each of my students has their own special needs. Whether their need is for a daily hug or they need me to make sure they get extra sight word practice, each of my babes have their own unique, special, and different needs -- and for that I am grateful. While my kiddos have my heart,<b> there will always be a special place for those whose every need is "special"</b>.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> I had the opportunity to work on an 89 acre farm where the first of several group homes for adults with disabilities is located. Oh. My. Gosh. </span><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">While many people close their eyes and see the Bahamas or some other far away land, this is my happy place.</span><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> I felt the warm air blowing the dirt into my face, I smelled the wonderful scent of manure-compost mixed topsoil, I saw land that stretched on and on and on, and I heard laughter and singing from people who didn't think twice about what others thought, they were having fun -- and this, this is my happy place. Every Saturday morning, people have the opportunity to volunteer on this self-sustained farm, and afterwards they share a potluck lunch. While the first couple of hours of my day was spent shoveling dirt into a wheelbarrow and dumping the wheelbarrow into raised flowerbeds, I was thankful that God had created such a beautiful process (the growing process that is). My second hour and a half included evening out gravel on the side of the driveway so that when it rains, people can still park and it not be muddy. And for this I was thankful for strong men who did the shoveling of gravel into the wheelbarrows so that I could spend time spreading it all out. One of my absolute favorite parts of the day was the fact that everyone voluntarily gave their time to come out and enjoy God's beautiful work AND everyone came with the knowledge that "special needs" just means "different needs". No one was critical, no one laughed AT each other, no one made fun or got frustrated ... everyone looked out for each other, and that--to me--is beautiful.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Colossians 1:16 says, "For by Him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities -- all things were created through Him and for Him."</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">"...all things were created through him and for him."</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> God didn't create these <i>beautiful</i> things for him to look at and admire his own handy-work. Nor did He create them for us to admire selfishly. He created earth and everything on it with His very hands so beautifully and precisely so that He could share it with us. He gave me the ability to move dirt to a wheelbarrow and into a garden. He gave me the physical strength to level out gravel. He gave me a heart that loves Him first and foremost and that holds a special place for special people. He gave me the desire to spend time admiring the sight, smells, sounds, and feels of nature. All things were created through and by God himself and for Him ... and I am very thankful He shares with us His masterpiece.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> What do you see beauty in? In picking strawberries? In tubing behind a boat on the lake? In white water rafting on a river in West Virginia? In hanging upside down from a tree in the zoo of Atlanta? In loving your family on the beach? In standing at the top of a mountain after a 3 mile hike upwards? In working for hours on a farm with the most carefree people in the world? I challenge you to find where you see beauty and thank God for it. I also challenge you to soak in as much of it as you can!</span><br />
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<br />DGrissomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13711156139179928794noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7602013407954176003.post-34061509244818294732015-04-07T21:15:00.000-07:002015-06-09T07:38:04.620-07:00Patience is a virtue<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If you haven't heard the saying, "Patience is a virtue", please come out from under the rock you've been hiding under. If we replace "virtue" with synonyms, we might have phrases like: Patience is ethical. Patience is moral. Patience is righteous. Patience is worthy. Patience is respectable. Patience is honor. Patience is simply ... good. So why is it easy to have patience with certain things and harder with others? I had a friend recently say, "Why can't we be content where Jesus has us right now? I hate that we do that!", and how true are her words? (too true.) Our conversation led to talking about dreams and goals and wants and desires and she ended up saying something that really resonated with me: "There's a fine line between dreams He puts there and becoming unsatisfied with where we are." So I did what I should have been more consistent about doing and I picked up my Promise Book and the first page I turned to said: WHAT TO DO WHEN YOU NEED ... PATIENCE. And then I just knew God must've been with His palm on His forehead, because He has promised me the exact thing I am struggling with.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I need the most patience when I <i>want</i> something. Things I need, God never fails to deliver ... but things I want are a different story. Garth Brooks sings it best when he says "some of God's greatest gifts are unanswered prayers" because more times than not, I am thanking God for knowing the difference between what I needed and what I wanted. And it always seems to me that the more I want something, the more patience I need, but I must be <u>actively waiting</u>. [insert some sort of transition here ... maybe a pick up line because they're my favorite? Okay, here goes ... <b>You put the "stud" in Bible study.</b> Yep, that just happened. On we go ......]</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I love to write, thus I love taking notes. (mind you, most of my notes are pictures and bubble letters, but a visual learner has to do whatcha gotta do!) Anywho, the young adults group at church did a series this past summer where "actively waiting" was one of the biggest things that grasped a hold of me. Just a little background knowledge, I date all of my notes and I underline and date the scripture in the Bible that my notes refer to. So when I look at the notes from August 7th, 2014 and see we were talking about Psalm 37:4, and then I look in my Bible at Psalm 37, I see the 8/7/14 date along with a 2/9/14 date. So now I look in my notes at February 9th, 2014 and compare the August notes to the February notes and then the cycle just goes on and on and on. Well, that being said ... at the top of the page of my 8/7/14 notes, highlighted and in capital letters I wrote WAITING IS ESSENTIAL and bulleted 3 main points I would like to share with you because I feel like this is what I needed to re-read while facing my battle with patience.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">(1)Waiting on God is an active thing! When we settle, we miss God's best for us.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">(2)Waiting on God is a sign that He loves us very much! This is the time we should be asking ourselves, "What does God want to grow in me while I am waiting?"</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">(3)We are not waiting alone! Waiting builds our faith. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">When I look at Psalm 37 and see the date 2/9/14, the notes for February 9th say: "God created you needy on purpose." </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As humans, we automatically want to be defensive and say that we are not needy, but in all reality our heart is the biggest need of our life (also in my notes!). We want unconditional love, to be valued, happiness, freedom, purpose, and hope. God created us with all of these needs so that they could be met. Now I didn't say God created us with all of these needs so that they could be met on our time... I said that He created us with wants and needs and desires and goals and dreams so that when His timing is right and when our desires line up with His plan for our lives, our needs will be met. I struggle with patience not because I want something, but because I want something instantly. Patience takes time, and with time all things are better. I can cook instant mashed potatoes in a solid 90 seconds flat, and they are alright, but if I take my time and mash real potatoes and go through all 50 million steps, my potatoes won't be just alright, they will be FREAKING AWESOME! Why should we want an "alright" life when we have been promised a FREAKING AWESOME life? God will give us what we want and what we need when our wants/needs fall into His grandeur plan for our FREAKING AWESOME lives. (apparently He's not a huge fan on instant potatoes when He knows the real deal is so much better)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I am praying for patience. I am praying for guidance. I am praying for God's will to be done in my life. I have been challenged to do this, and I'm passing the challenge onto you. I challenge us to look in Bible when we want something and find where God promised it to us. If it's not in His word, then maybe that's not part of His plan, but if it is, then He's already promised it to us and we can speak it into being <i>in His perfect timing</i> through prayer. I challenge you to pray, to be patient, and to listen. I challenge you to take a deep breath, pick the potatoes, and hand them over to the man upstairs to clean them, boil them, mash them, season them, and serve them ... because I promise you as hard as it may be to wait, He's the best chef in town.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If we change the "patience is a virtue" saying around to use synonyms for the word patience, we get: Self-restraint is a virtue. Understanding is a virtue. Calmness is a virtue. You didn't know that when you said that common four word phrase that you were really saying a lot more than four little words, did you? I'll leave you with my absolute favorite pick-up line (because if someone actually used it on me my response would be "Yes, I will marry you") ... I was looking through the book of numbers, and I realized I didn't have yours!</span></div>
DGrissomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13711156139179928794noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7602013407954176003.post-33506548888259531112015-03-29T18:58:00.001-07:002015-03-29T19:08:20.928-07:00SPEAK!<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I started my first draft of this post on March 1st, but things just didn't seem to be connecting the way I wanted them to. After church this morning. it was clear that I knew what direction God was leading me in to finish this post.</span><br />
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We've all heard the saying, "If you can't say anything nice, then don't say anything at all", and it's GREAT advice. We don't like it when others say hurtful things to us, so we should try and not say hurtful things to others. The other side of this saying is often overlooked though. If we do have something nice to say, we should, in fact, say it! Everyone loves a compliment. If you're anything like me, responding to compliments is actually kind of hard. When people are genuinely appreciative and let you know, that's just an awesome feeling. (And ... it's even in the Bible!)</span><br />
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<b>Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable -- if anything is excellent or praiseworthy -- think about such things. (Philippians 4:8)</b></span><br />
<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Bible digs deeper into the Power of Words.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Since we have the same spirit of faith according to what has been written, “I believed, and so I spoke,” we also believe, and so we also speak. (2 Corinthians 4:13)</b></span><br />
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If we are walking with God and are able to truly hear Him speak, then His words become our words. How many times has God placed it on my heart to go up to a stranger and tell them how beautiful they looked or to tell someone who encouraged me "thank you". It would be so humbling of myself to just act upon that and build someone up through God's love, but more often than not, I am caught quieting that voice and just doing things my way. I've been encouraged by others coming up to me, strangers and friends alike, who tell me that my hair looks good that day (probably on a day I was so frustrated with humidity and curls and just whipped it into a braid), or how they love my writing (when I was just thinking "Does anyone even read this?"), or even when someone says "I believe in you" (especially on the days I question everything I'm working towards). What if the day my unruly hair had me so frustrated and the person God put in my path to encourage me said no? I would have gone the whole day frustrated and with low self-esteem. How many times do I have the opportunity to tell someone their skirt is beautiful? How many times do I have the opportunity to tell someone their laugh is adorable? How many times do I have the opportunity to love on someone through a genuine compliment, but don't obey? Too many times is the answer.</span><br />
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If we have the power through God to speak things into existence, why don't we? I know when someone pays me a compliment, I try to embrace the beauty they see and it becomes a part of who I am. When someone tells me they love my braid, I promise you I'm rocking that braid for the next two weeks. When someone tells me they see my talent in and passion for something, I promise you I'm going at it enthusiastically. When someone confirms something I've been on the fence about, I take it and run! I need to be more obedient and build others up, even if it seems minute to me! In all reality, it's not actually what I say that's important, it's what God wants them to hear. I'm not the captain, I'm a vessel. I'm a stubborn vessel most of the time, but nonetheless, God doesn't give up on me, and for that I am grateful.</span><br />
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<b>So shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it. Isaiah 55:11</b></span><br />
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In order for me to love others through God's eyes, I must remember to SPEAK!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">S</span></b>-say it! Just say it! Don't ask why, don't second guess yourself. If it builds someone up, SAY IT!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">P</span></b>-pray! Pray that God will let them hear what He wants them to hear, no matter how bad you stutter through the smallest compliment.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">E</span></b>-eye contact. I am the WORST at making eye contact, especially when I'm in uncomfortable situations. I feel so vulnerable, but I do have to admit, when someone makes eye contact with me, it makes whatever they are saying seem genuine.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">A</span></b>-authentic. Giving true and authentic compliments on something you notice means so much to someone else. It could just be the little boost they needed before giving up!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">K</span></b>- Kindness goes a long way. If you're thinking about criticizing someone's every move, that's not at all what I was aiming for. If a kind thought is placed on your heart, that's where the money is. Kill 'em with kindness? Sure. But we should lift 'em up with kindness too!!</span><br />
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Just think ... God took the power of words from Zechariah because he didn't use them for good! <b>And now you will be silent and not able to speak until the day this happens, because you did not believe my words, which will come true at their appointed time. (Luke 1:20) </b> AND <b>Ezekiel 3:26 says </b><b>I will make your tongue stick to the roof of your mouth so that you will be silent and unable to rebuke them, for they are a rebellious people. </b>If we have the opportunity to use our words for good but don't use them at all, that's just as bad as using them for evil. (same concept as "lying" includes omitting pieces of the truth) Even if your "words" are written with ink on a paper, if you're encouraging, God's happy. It's not our job to criticize others, it's our job to love them. Whether they are five years old and the most defiant one in your classroom, or they are an adult and someone whose company you cherish, find <u>something</u> they do well and tell them. God doesn't want able people, He will make the willing more than capable.</span><br />
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I challenge you to give a compliment this week. Humble yourself and obey God and SPEAK.</span>DGrissomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13711156139179928794noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7602013407954176003.post-76698739550727640602015-02-24T13:20:00.002-08:002015-02-24T13:23:33.499-08:00Own it... OWN YOU!<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">So often I am afraid of really being
me. I omit things that could potentially lead to being made fun of or thought
of "differently". A question I am beginning to ask myself is:
"Why not be different?" Why should I hide what truly makes me happy
just so that I can have a mediocre time with mediocre people who live mediocre
lives for fear of being different? Well my answer is, I shouldn't. And not only
that, but I'm not going to do it anymore. If I enjoy watching children's
animated movies as a twenty-something year old because there is a hint of adult
humor and life lessons hidden in music and cartoon characters, then I should
own it! Especially because if I do enjoy this and decide to surround myself
with those who turn their noses at this, then will I ever experience something
that brings me genuine happiness? NO. I will get to experience mediocrity, and
I wasn't born to live out a mediocre life.</span><span style="line-height: 115%;"><br />
</span><span style="line-height: 115%;"><br />
<b></b><b>Romans 12:2 says,
"</b></span><b><span style="line-height: 115%;">Do not conform to the
pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then
you will be able to test and approve what God's will is--his good, pleasing and
perfect will." (NIV)</span></b><span style="line-height: 115%;"><br />
</span><span style="line-height: 115%;"><br />
Let's break it down.</span><span style="line-height: 115%;"><br />
</span><b><span style="line-height: 115%;">Do not conform to
the pattern of this world</span></b><span style="line-height: 115%;">- I
know the first thing that comes to mind is to not follow worldly patterns that
are sinful. But let's think beyond the big categories that are obvious things
to steer clear of. Let's think day-to-day stuff. Like watching, enjoying, and
appreciating Disney movies. Or how about OWNING my teaching style. As I had to
[painfully] video tape myself and watch it (with my mentor) in order to better
my teaching, we answered reflection questions and I was honestly embarrassed. I
felt as if watching this tape from the outside looking in was chaotic. 10 kids
sprawled out on the carpet, the other 10 at their desks. We were learning about
math mountains, partners of a number, and addition. Everyone was engaged, but
no one was sitting criss-cross-applesauce or in their chair. Embarrassed. But
my mentor looked at me and explained that she was watching what worked for my
class and to own it. Clear routines and transitions were in place, even if it
wasn't "traditional". Why should I conform to the pattern of the teaching
world of having my whole class sit on the carpet and get 10% of what I'm trying
to teach when it's proven to be beneficial to split them up, let them stretch
out, talk to partners, and actually understand 80% or more of what I'm
teaching? I shouldn't. I should own it. I am owning it. I am proud of what a
"crowd-control" vision has evolved into.</span><span style="line-height: 115%;"><br />
</span><span style="line-height: 115%;"><br />
<b></b><b>Be transformed by
the renewing of your mind</b>- this goes hand in hand with not conforming. Let
me explain to you the joy I've found since beginning to OWN IT. I went to grab
coffee/cheesecake with a new friend who I look up to greatly and absolutely
adore. Owning the fact of loving Disney movies, the Lord, volleyball, and
cheesecake led to a wonderful meetup where we lost track of time and just truly
enjoyed each other's company. Had I been afraid to really be me, I would have
missed out on so much. My mind was renewed because my heart was allowed to be
free.</span><span style="line-height: 115%;"><br />
</span><span style="line-height: 115%;"><br />
<b></b><b>Then you will be
able to test and approve God's good, pleasing and perfect will</b>- Hey guess
what! God gave me desires that make both He and myself happy. So liking Disney
movies is okay with Him. And choosing to try and reach all of my students in a
non-traditional way is also okay with Him. Which must mean God's will for me is
to not try and hide what I enjoy if it is not sinful. It also must mean that
God's perfect will for my life does not mean that I am to be perfect, it means
I am to look towards the One who is. So often we think of asking for the BIG
things and brush off the "small" ones. Who chooses what is big and
small anyways? I was driving the other day from my parents house to mine with
my niece who was just so exhausted all she could do was cry. As we were driving
back to my house, I prayed to the Lord to just give her peace of mind and let
her rest. Before we were out of my parent's driveway, she was asleep. When we
arrived at my place, she couldn't even wake up enough to help me unbuckle her.
How often have I been frustrated with something I consider to be small instead
of just asking God for peace and patience? (too often is the answer to that
question)</span><span style="line-height: 115%;"><br />
</span><span style="color: #001320; line-height: 115%;"><br />
I am challenging you (and me) to really own who you are! If
you love to do something that is against the norm but isn't harmful to you
physically, spiritually, and emotionally, then own it. Don't be afraid to be a
little different because you never know who else is afraid to show it. And once
you own it, others will own it, and then you will have others to enjoy this
"different" thing with, and then it isn't all so different after all.
All that you do, do for the glory of God. Watch a movie you like - and own it.
Keep your students safe, but teach them in a completely different manner - and
own it. Play the saxophone when you're bored - and own it. Write a blog about
whatever God places on your heart - and own it. Own it all ... OWN YOU!</span></span></div>
DGrissomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13711156139179928794noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7602013407954176003.post-41843760857293479692015-02-04T20:05:00.001-08:002015-02-24T13:24:20.444-08:00WORD!<div style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">
<span style="color: #c27ba0; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: medium;">Just a little something to think about ...</span></div>
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<span style="color: #c27ba0; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: medium;">An "ah-ha" moment for me has to do with promises. A couple of weeks ago, a dear friend mentioned that we are to speak God's promises through our prayers. Along with an amazing conference, a few motivating podcasts, some in depth devotionals, and talking with more than admirable people, I came to the realization that the Bible is God's word. Ok, let me state that again ... the Bible is God's WORD. Get it? Let me put it into context for you the way I had my ah-ha moment. Do we have any reason to doubt God? My roommates in college had every reason to doubt me when I told them I was baking cookies. It never failed that every single time I turned the oven on, I burned them. I don't mean just a little bit, I mean scrape them from the cookie sheet (maybe even throw the sheet away too) burned them. They had every reason to not want me to bake cookies, even if I promised to do my best the next time. God gave us His word, His promises, the Bible, to guide us through every nook and cranny of this thing we call "life". He gave us His word. He promised to take care of us, even when we think we've got it all under control. He gave us the Bible! HE GAVE US HIS WORD! Do you get it now? Yes He wants to give us the desires of our heart (Psalm 37:4), but when we are so busy getting to know our savior, our heart longs for the same things He wants to give us. His word, the Bible, promises to guide us through life. Thank God, you gave us your word!</span></div>
DGrissomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13711156139179928794noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7602013407954176003.post-12698766870636372242015-01-10T06:27:00.001-08:002015-01-10T06:27:18.933-08:00Read the Bible FOR a year.<p dir="ltr">    I've never been one to look forward to sitting down each day and enjoying quiet time reading through the word. I think it may be for the simple fact that every plan I tried was just over my head and not really relevant, therefore I was not interested. I met with a dear friend a few weeks ago and she said "I'm not here to tell you this and that are wrong, because you know that. And even if you have the knowledge that something isn't the way it should be, Satan knows too. Satan does this thing to God's people, where he knows what is right and wrong and does everything he can to pull you away from what is right. One way to fight the devil off is to know that the Bible is full of people just like you and me - people who make mistakes. The people in the Bible find a way to set their eyes on God in the end no matter how far away they were pulled. Reading God's word is supposed to be engrained in your brain so that you have the ability to say STOP, I know there is hope because the word tells me so." Well, I left the conversation feeling great and overwhelmed at the same time. Figuring out another reading plan? That's where I fail every time. Two days later I was at church and the pastor talks about his reading plan and it was eye opening and very do-able.<br>
     Reading the entire Bible in 365 days would give me what? Probably a certificate because it wouldn't sink in for me. Reading the Bible FOR 365 gives me what? Knowledge, power, grace, hope, confidence. I shouldn't be reading a plan that isn't relevant to my life and experiences, I should be reading the word that is designed to help me fight off the devil when he tries to pull me away from God. Pastor Brian gave us his plan and every single day I honestly can't wait to get home and open up my bible and write down how relevant it is to my life. So here it is:<br>
Start with prayer (thank God for all He is and has done, speak wants and desires into practice, ask Him to speak through the words you are about to read, amen)<br>
Read a part of all 4 sections every time--</p>
<p dir="ltr">Psalms (They don't have to be new ones every day, they should be something your heart connects with. Stick with a few favorites and get to know them inside and out.)</p>
<p dir="ltr">Proverbs (There are 31 of these meant for each day of the month, if today is the 8th, read Proverbs 8. You will get to read each one approximately 12 times over a year.)</p>
<p dir="ltr">The Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, John ... These guys tell some of the same stories from different viewpoints. Search for a heading that's relevant and really apply it to your life.)</p>
<p dir="ltr">The Epistles (GEPC- Galations, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians. Yes there are more epistles, but start with these four and really learn what the church and what children of God are meant to be.)</p>
<p dir="ltr">Then you pray, pray, pray.</p>
<p dir="ltr">Reading the word this way is so relevant to my life and experiences and even if I'm not able to quote exactly where a verse comes from every single time, I'll be able to fight the devil by telling him I know the truth.</p>
<p dir="ltr">I'm not saying this is everyone's plan, but it's mine right now and it seems to have taken the overwhelming frustration out of my reading of the word, so I'm going to keep on learning. I don't want a certificate, I want a relationship.</p>
<p dir="ltr">We are all in the world, but let's really come together as children of God and let's not BE IN THE WORLD, let's be salt and light!</p>
DGrissomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13711156139179928794noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7602013407954176003.post-48779412718904424212014-12-27T14:35:00.000-08:002014-12-27T14:38:25.323-08:00Labels have their place ... you aren't one of them!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Labels are ah-mazing. One of my favorite things that I own is my label maker. Everything has it's own place, and that makes me smile. While pinteresting (yes, that's a real word) last night, I searched "organization", and my screen was quickly filled with label after label after label ... and it was awesome.</div>
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Labeling my classroom and my students' work is necessary. Labeling my kitchen, pantry, and closet was pretty fun. Labeling the label maker was actually the highlight of my night. Labels clearly have their place, yes? I shouldn't be one of them though. I came across a post-collegiate-athlete-slump blog that reminded me of the fact that DOING what I do does not make me who I am. Any ex-collegiate athlete that has now entered the real world of grown-up land should seriously go read this ... STAT! <a href="http://onceandalwaysanathlete.com/" target="_blank">http://onceandalwaysanathlete.com/</a></div>
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Too often, I define myself by what I do. In college, I didn't just play volleyball, I labeled myself as a volleyball player (despite the fact that I was also an honor student, an RA, a waitress at a local restaurant, a babysitter, the best joke teller in the world, a friend, a music lover, a music maker, a daughter of the king, a lifeguard, a sister, daughter, aunt ... the list could go on forever). I chose the most dominant (and time consuming) label and stuck it to myself. When I graduated, I quickly replaced the athlete label with a new one. I soon became a kindergarten teacher (even though I am also a swim instructor, an iced coffee addict, a YMCA membership services person -- what is my official title? -- a wino, a technology guru, an even funnier joke teller, a blogger, a church lover, an aunt, sister, daughter ... again, the list goes on and on.) It's easy to take the most time consuming thing that we do and tell ourselves, and others, that's who we ARE. Yes, I teach kindergarten. But when I tell you "I am a kindergarten teacher", you miss out on the big heart I have to offer, the corny jokes I could tell you, the fact that I work 3 jobs and love being around people. The salt and sugar containers NEED labels. If my iced coffee is salty, I may cry. My closet appreciates labels ... it's easier to get ready in the mornings. My life, however, could afford to lose the labels altogether. What I think of myself is portrayed to others and how they view me. I have goals, dreams, and likes that are just as much a part of me as teaching is.</div>
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I want to have brunch dates with friends (brunches are pretty baller. kind of like sporks. they're baller too. yes I'm indecisive and like the best of both worlds). I want to travel ... more! I want to read another good book. I want to volunteer with middle school kids. I want to not hate working out. I want to like red wine, too. I want to do a mud run. I want to take a class. I want to find a Netflix series to be addicted to. I want to wear a skirt and braid my hair every. single. day. I want to make picture captions lyrics from an unfamiliar song. I want to play my saxophone and go swing dancing. I want someone to ask me who I am and I want to respond with something other than what consumes most of my time. I want to shop at local markets and ditch the franchises. I want to be me AND be comfortable in who I am.</div>
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Thanks for reading, you crazy people. Until next time ...</div>
DGrissomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13711156139179928794noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7602013407954176003.post-65548972309258313362014-11-08T22:10:00.001-08:002014-11-08T22:26:09.614-08:00I can't be you ... I'm too busy being me!<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">WOW! This was a week full of revelation for me. I finally realized (somewhat) my "worth". </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
Worth (n): usefulness or importance, as to the world, to a person, or for a purpose. (thanks dictionary.com)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: blue;">Matthew 10:29-31</span> <span class="note">ESV</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? And not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. But even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not, therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="color: blue;">Luke 12:6-7</span> <span class="note">ESV</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? And not one of them is forgotten before God. Why, even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not; you are of more value than many sparrows.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: small; font-weight: normal;">I'm sure you've heard that you should pick a penny up if it's on the ground heads up because it's lucky. I believe that the only reason a tails up penny on the ground is unlucky simply because someone didn't pick it up and now it has to stay there. Thank goodness God doesn't look at us like a tails up penny on the ground. In the book of Matthew, we are told that TWO insect eating, noisy flocking, untidy birds are sold for a penny -- a heads up or tails up penny. Doesn't it seem crazy to you that Jesus seemed to be the only one who really cared for them sometimes? Doesn't it seem crazy to you that Jesus seems to be the only one who really cares for us sometimes? When we fall short of the glory of God and are tails up on the ground, our heavenly father does not look down at us and leave us there simply because we are 'unlucky', He does one of two things. He either picks us up and puts us back on the path we strayed from; OR he flips us over to be heads up and sends someone at the perfect time to pick us up. If we were just a penny, we would be worth a couple of filthy birds, but Luke tells us that we are worth so much more than a penny. We are worth so much more than a few birds. We are worth so much more than we could ever imagine... but why?</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I've had an eye opening week this past week and I thank God for flipping me back to heads up and sending wonderful people to pick me up. I was able to hold my own, in a sense. People who I initially met and thought, "Wow, they are smart. I'm going to hold my tongue so I don't sound like a complete and total idiot" actually opened my eyes to a world I was blind to. I was not afraid to voice my opinion and share my experiences, but I was also not afraid to take in their wisdom and build from it.</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
The dictionary of Denise defines "smart" as such:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">smart: (adj) catching onto and building off of concepts quickly and effortless</span><br />
<i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">How did she even know that answer? She is so smart.</span></i><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The dictionary of Merriam-Webster defines "smart" as the following:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">smart: (adj) very good at learning or thinking about things; showing intelligence or good judgment; causing a sharp stinging</span><br />
<i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">That was a smart investment.</span></i><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The Bible defines smart as ... wait a minute! The term "smart" is non-existent in the Bible.</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I have never in my life considered myself to be a very smart person (based on the dictionary of Denise definition). Some things came naturally and effortlessly, but I still continued to better the effortless things to make them even better than they were. This week, part of my wake-up call was ditching my definition of the word because that was tearing me down. The Bible doesn't even use the terminology "smart", so why exactly was I wanting to fit into a mold of something that doesn't really exist in my father's eyes? I am, in fact, very good at thinking about things and showing good judgment, which makes me somewhat "smart" according to the published dictionary. Miriam-Webster's definition also points out that SMART people cause sharp stinging, and in that case I don't even want to be in the <i>smart</i> category.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">A conversation this week brought up new thoughts on living as if we are mimicking Christ's image. Was our heavenly father "smart"? Did he show good judgment and was good at thinking about things? (Keep in mind that He was and is the judge and He provides and directs our thoughts.) Does He cause hurtful, painful, sharp stings? I personally don't think the Messiah's goal was to be smart, so why was that my goal?</span><br />
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Everything that has been placed in my path thus far and will continue to be placed in front of me (obstacles and celebrations alike) are building and shaping me into the person my God wants me to be. Yes, I will fail. I will end up tails up on the ground. But I have no doubt that He is going to pick me up and show me that the few sparrows that I feel I am worth is such a skewed view. When I am picturing a few sparrows, a penny, the cheapest metal tails up on the ground, He isn't even picturing a gold coin, the finest metal of all. My Lord, thankfully, is picturing fruit. We all know that fruits differ from vegetables because they have seeds. God pictures us as fruit and leads us to moments to spread those seeds. He will water them. He will give them His light. We must sow the seeds of the fruit He is giving us. We can't take copper or gold through those gates made of pearl, but our fruit-filled hearts (our loving, joyous, peaceful, patient, good, kind, self-controlled hearts) will be the perfect key to open the gates.</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
I'm worth so much more than a definition that is honestly a worldly concept and very much based on people's opinion. I'm worth so much more than a few sparrows. I'm even worth more than gold. I am being given the opportunity to grow and sow, and if I really embrace the fact that I am in fact good at thinking and making good judgment, then Miriam and Webster could tell me "job well done". If I'm being honest though, I would rather my heavenly father look at my heart and say "job well done". Miriam and Webster can't unlock those gates made of pearls, but growing and sowing fruit will make that key more attainable. There will be days I will continue to feel like a penny tails up on the ground. There will be days I will also feel like a penny heads up on the ground. I'm looking forward to the days where I feel like the finest piece of fruit. God's apple a day keeps the devil away!</span><br />
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</span>DGrissomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13711156139179928794noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7602013407954176003.post-28204749513808077522014-08-09T14:49:00.000-07:002014-08-09T14:49:02.435-07:00I CAN'T STAND IT!<br /><div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> I can't stand it! I can't stand the fact that I let people influence so many of my decisions and then leave me to deal with the repercussions by myself. I can't stand the fact that I constantly let people walk all over me. Being nice is a curse sometimes. I can't stand the fact that people judge a book by it's cover without even <i>trying</i> to read the story. I just can't stand it!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> There was a description a friend gave me about a month ago that when we have a problem, God is stretching out His arms saying "I've got this ... just hand it to me ... come on ... just give it up and I'll take care of it!" This image stuck in my head and it hit me last night that too often our relationship with God is like that of a Cobbler (a "shoe fixer"). In most cases, we try to fix things ourselves and then when we "give up" and hand it to our heavenly father, then the only thing that we've done after He takes control, is put ourselves through unnecessary pain. If we compare our trialing times to our relationship with a Cobbler, it looks something like this: the sole of my shoe is coming apart. I know my shoes aren't <i>necessary</i>, but they do make things a little more do-able and comfortable. I think instead of taking it to a Cobbler (who is a professional and has the proper tools and <b>knows what he's doing</b>) I'm going to super glue the broken part myself, and then just go on my merry little way. Guess what happens a few weeks later? Your shoe breaks, and now your shins hurt because you've been walking on broken shoes. So now you have to make the decision to try and fix it again, throw it away, or take it to the professional. When you take it to the Cobbler, who fixes it quickly and efficiently, you have a shoe that is fixed, but could have been fixed weeks ago. And often times, it's a little better than the original because it's got a little extra to it. Why do we superglue our problems for a temporary fix when we know we need to take them to the professional in the first place? Instead of handing over my worry and anxiety to the professional, I try to convince myself it's not there and super glue it myself. In time, it comes back to hit me ten times harder, and then I choose to take it to the one who could have fixed it in the first place, but I was too stubborn and selfish.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Sometimes I find myself using superglue, then taking my shoe to a mechanic, then finally to the Cobbler. I rely on the wrong sources which put me in a place of hurt and then the Cobbler has to undo someone else's work (because that's not their expertise) and then do his. Why do I put myself through turmoil that could be avoided in the first place? I can't stand it! I'm sick and tired of letting other people's choices and decisions for my life determine what I do. Everything I do should be because I want to do it, not because someone else has influenced me in some form or fashion. I want a backbone. I want to stand on my own two feet. I want to stand up for myself. I want to be the person I was made to be. I want to hand my broken shoe to the cobbler the first time, even though I know it will cost me because I guarantee you the cost I pay up front is nothing compared to what will come back to me later. Maybe we don't take our brokenness to the professional first because we know it is going to cost something. Well, that doesn't really make too much sense because in the end we pay more because we had to pay for temporary fixes along the way. Why are we so quick to take our car to a mechanic and not tamper with things first? What is so different about a shoe? Is it because a car is more convenient and comfortable? Our shoes protect us. They allow us to get from one place to another. They often are even a status symbol. You can tell a lot about a person by the shoes they are wearing. So why do we wait? I can't stand it anymore. I don't want to wait. I want to give it up the first time and save myself from my heart and head hurting. I want to save myself from paying more in the end by trying to do things myself in the first place.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> This past week it has really hit me that I just need to let go and let God. God is holding this big present in His hands and He's shouting to me, "Put down what you have so I can hand you this!" I can't receive what He has for me until I put what I'm trying to hold onto down first. It's like having a handful of bubblegum and someone offers you a candy bar. You can try to balance the candy bar on top of the bubblegum, but how are you going to open it and enjoy it? By putting down the little pieces of bubblegum and opening what's bigger and better. I can't stand it when I refuse to put down MY problems because I'm trying to fix them first and then hand them over to the professional. And who gets to determine that the problems were MINE in the first place? ME? Well that's not working out too well for me, so this is me laying it all down. Giving it up to the one who has His hands stretched out and begging me to give it all to Him because not only does He have the proper tools, but He also has that giant gift with polka dot wrapping paper and a big red bow that He just wants to hand to me. I need to put down the itty bitty box that is so tattered and torn that a big red bow wouldn't even make it look appealing again which will allow me to accept the actual big red bow gift.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I can't stand the fact that I am the one hindering myself from letting go. I want to change. I want to make a change. I just can't stand it.</span></div>
DGrissomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13711156139179928794noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7602013407954176003.post-76157552847876549602014-07-08T16:22:00.000-07:002014-07-08T16:26:44.097-07:00[insert title here ...]<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This is one of the hardest posts I've had to write thus far. Not really sure of a title because there is no "theme" in this one ...but some very important things happening my way. I typed "goals quotes" into Google and when I looked at the images for a little inspiration as to where to even begin, I found this picture...and it is definitely worth a thousand words. Right before a dear friend sent the reminder of <i>you only fail if you don't get back up</i>, she really sent something that I needed to hear, even though it would sting for days later. When the words popped up on my screen, it really hit me that I "can't run from adversity, I have to face it!" She told me to stop blaming someone else for my decisions and own them....learn from them, don't make then again, and move forward. This was something I needed to hear more than she knew, because that's exactly what I was doing. I was wallowing around in this self-pity party where I was the hostess, and the only guest, and I was ready to call a cab and get out! When I met her and her family 5 years ago, I never would have fathomed the idea that our relationship and friendship would be that of which I would depend on so heavily. But I am constantly reminded that "God knows what He's doing after all," and He sure sent the crutch I would soon lean on. She is such a wise woman and I am blessed for our paths crossing years ago. She also made a statement months ago that also made this picture stand out. She told me that I couldn't be half of a whole, until I was a whole half ... and she encouraged me to be the best ME I could be ...not for someone else, but for myself. Making me a better me is the toughest, but most needed thing to do. I can't thank you enough for yours and your family's unconditional love for each other, and for me.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Wow! Okay ... where to segue from there? I <i><b>finally</b> </i>was able to meet up with a friend this week. While we were sitting at a coffee shop downtown, I realized how important her friendship to me is. We may have not known each other forever and ever and ever (yet), but her love for others and for God and her sweet spirit is contagious! She is someone who you just WANT to be around and someone who is a great listener! I just feel so blessed these days ...even with a semi-chaotic life most of the time, here lately it seems as if things are starting to look up. Once I finally let doors shut that needed to be shut, bigger and better doors are being opened. And we even talked about ripping off bandaids so healing can begin, so here's to a friendship that I can tell is for a reason.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And I don't even know where to begin this one. When I first started teaching, a co-worker invited me to church. I was new to the area and was looking for a church, so it was perfect timing! Little did I know how wonderful of a woman she really is, but I know now how beyond amazing she is! She knew when to leave encouraging notes and scriptures on my desk and she knew when to send a short message letting me know she was thinking of/praying for me ... but I don't think she knew how much of a blessing it was when she introduced me to her daughters. They are amazing women with so much love and compassion, and one of them challenged me to write down one of the hardest things I have ever had to think about. She has been on my heart for a while now, and I reached out to her just to send a little encouragement when I had no idea she would be challenging me to "become a better me" (ties in to the beginning of this post ... hmm maybe that's the theme?). She gave me homework Sunday night and told me to have it written down by the time we would meet up for lunch later this week. I've been enjoying my time at the pool this week with the beautiful weather and summer break, and have had PLENTY of time to think about this assignment. That makes it even harder. Her instructions were to write down any goals I have. Wow! Sounds simple, right? WRONG! Her statement after she said to write down goals that I have was along the lines of most of the time we have a dream and we push it aside because it seems out of reach or unlikely to happen, but if we have a goal, then we are turning our dreams into reality because WITH HIM ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE! Told you it was harder than it seemed! So here is my writing of goals... *insert deep breath here* (and exhale).</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1) I want to change the face of education. I am a kindergarten teacher with many who do, but a select (and important) few who don't, believe in me as an educator. My goal is to not only prove them wrong, but to prove to myself that I can do it. I want to work my way up to a job in administration that will allow me to better the lives of students and educators and the only thing <u>not </u>on my side -- is time. I know I have to have more education (which takes time and money), and I know I have to, in general, let time run it's course and teach me more life lessons. Quite frankly, I know I can't do anything to change time, so I will do everything in my will to change what I can and push myself to do this.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2) I want someone to want me to <i>want </i>them, not someone who needs me to <i>need</i> them. I want to find the guy who is currently bettering himself with his relationship with Christ and working hard in his career and getting himself to the better him he can be while I make myself the better me I can be and when we find each other we WANT each other's company, we don't need it. My goal here is to find someone who compliments me and who I can compliment as well, to put myself out there, make myself available, all while staying guarded ...and definitely not settling for less than I deserve.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">3) I want to travel the world! I want to go to different countries, different states, different counties and meet people, experience culture, and take in God's beauty from every angle.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">4) I want to stop putting my faith in the world and in people, and really focus on my relationship with the man upstairs. I really want to be able to worship without reservation and read the good book and be able to relate it to my life. I want to have faith so strong it can't be shaken, and I want to share my love with others. Music does something indescribale to me ...whether it's the radio or playing an instrument, it just does something almost paralyzing and rejuvinating all at the same time -- so maybe that's something to look into? Maybe it's time to form a clear dream and make it a goal ...and achieve it.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">5) I want to be fit and healthy again. I know this takes dedication and commitment, but it's time for me to stop playing the blaming game and own up, right? I've joined a former teammate in the Herbalife journey, and I'm hoping this is the first stepping stone to a healthier life which will soon lead to a more confident me.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Okay, so now I have 5 goals listed ... I am officially being held accountable. It will be hard. Everything in life worth something is hard, because if it were easy, everyone would have achieved it, right? Here's to making moves! Feel free to make up a title, I'm going to go with "A whirlwind of emotions, thoughts, dreams, goals, and advice".</span>DGrissomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13711156139179928794noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7602013407954176003.post-53714084525371476132014-06-27T22:06:00.000-07:002014-06-27T22:06:15.238-07:00Identity Crisis?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">My name is Denise and I am in the middle of an identity crisis. (Isn't identifying the problem the "first step"?) Part of me wishes this was like an AA meeting where I could figure things out step by step, but the anonymous part is kind of silly when referring to identity crisis, right? Because you are trying to figure out who you are ... so staying anonymous would be hard? #FoodForThought</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Anyways ... moving on.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I'm stuck. I'm stuck in between the person I am, the person I want to be, and the person I can ideally achieve to be. After watching <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2528814/" target="_blank">God's Not Dead</a> for the second time, I got to thinking about how I would react if I were in the student's shoes. Something in my brain tells me "that's not your personality and you would never defy authority", but something in my heart tells me that I should stand up for the one who sent His son to die for my sins. I see myself as a pretty passive and relaxed person, but the person I want to be wants to stop letting people walk all over me. It's just as much my fault for letting them as it is them doing the act itself. The person I can ideally achieve to be ... well I'm still trying to figure out who I want that to be. That's where the crisis all comes in! I don't know what's worth putting in effort to change and what really matters. I know I need to change SOMETHING ... and I've figured out part of that. I need to change my surroundings. While Christians should not separate themselves from non-believers because that's who we are ultimately here to witness to, it is very hard to keep strong in one's faith when their support system is not strong. I go to church on Sunday mornings and even the young adults group on Sunday nights, but I can't count on one day a week to be my support system. The people I am constantly around are just negative and selfish people who definitely do NOT have my best interest in mind -- as they have shown time and time again. A simple "thank you" goes a long way; so do encouraging words; so does prayer; so does a clean and genuine conversation!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I love Sundays and I look forward to them every week, but I am not doing all I can do! I am not diving into the word daily; I am not thanking my Lord and Savior enough; I'm not worshiping with no reservations; He didn't forget to wake me up in the morning, I sure as heck shouldn't forget to take time out of my day to devote to Him! And that leads to my next point ...I shouldn't have to "take time out of my day" ... I should be living a life as such that everything I do is done for the glory of God! (Side rant: it is very frustrating to not even have a place that I can use for quiet time to really get closer to my Lord because I am automatically frustrated with the constant messes and screaming kids, so I'm sort of at a loss of where to go to really DO ME!)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">My mind is constantly going a million directions at a time ... What do I wear today? What would I consider my style to be? I want to be more fashion oriented, but I know I couldn't pull THAT off, nor do I have the time to spend on getting ready. I want to cook dinner tonight, but I know others will have either a)eaten/thrown away/used the things I would have used or b)there will be some complaining (not because of my cooking, just because I'm surrounded by negativity) not to mention c)I don't want to clean up the space BEFORE i cook just to turn around and clean it up afterwards. I guess I'll buy lunch and dinner out ...again! More money (that I don't have) coming out of my pocket. I wish I could say no sometimes. I am going to say no next time I'm asked to go somewhere/do something that I have no interest in doing. Wait, I just agreed to do that again. I was going to say no. I guess I'm picking and choosing my battles, right? This constant battle sucks. I want to go workout today, but I'm just not motivated and I know something will be said ... back to the negativity. -- those are my thoughts...in the first five minutes of the day...and the process continues. I know this is the devil trying to keep me down, but I seriously just want to get back on track! I want to be on fire for God again; I want to be FIT again; I want to just be me. I want to figure out who me is and what I can do to better myself which will in turn better those around me. <u>I want to not care what others think.</u> (<--that one's a long shot, buddy!)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I am stuck. I'm stuck between wanting to better myself and actually bettering myself. I'm stuck between knowing I'm the daughter of the one and only God and the lies that satan fills my head with. I'm stuck with my surroundings and not knowing how to change them. That's my "first step". Now when do the other steps come into play? I'm ready. Waiting. Wanting. Yearning. Bring it!</span>DGrissomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13711156139179928794noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7602013407954176003.post-10340271240910419682014-06-18T23:10:00.000-07:002014-06-19T13:05:59.053-07:00top 10 reasons to not date me.Yep! That's right ... Don't date me. Please. In all reality, I don't want to date you either. Sorry I'm not sorry. I guess this deserves some explanation? Ok, here goes. This is not, however, a "bucket list" ... It IS, in fact, a list of goals that I will acheive at some point or another, and I don't need you to get in the way of that. If you would like to tag along, we can possibly make arrangements.<br />
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10) I haven't traveled enough yet. While I've been to 19 of the 50 US states and London, I still haven't seen all I've wanted to see. I haven't backpacked through Europe yet, or seen where my family is from in Mexico and Jordan. I haven't seen the beauty of Thailand in anything other than pictures. And I haven't lived in Africa for a year teaching kiddos and living their life.<br />
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9) I am not educated (enough). I don't have my doctorates yet, but I will. The thing with my profession is I can't even begin getting my masters for what I want until after my third year teaching. I need (and WANT) more education. Even though I'm in my own classroom daily, I'm itching to be on the learning side again.<br />
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7) I don't have a published book yet. I don't even have a rough draft yet. I honestly don't have an idea of what to even write about. But I love literature. I love the way reading takes you to another world. I want to open that world up for someone else.<br />
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6) I'm a pushover. I would like to blame it on the fact I don't know how to stand up for myself, but in all reality I choose not to. I would take the weight of the world on my shoulders if that saved someone else from feeling an ounce of pain. I let people walk all over me. I shouldn't, but I do. So I need to find that fine line of sticking up for myself and not caring what others think and do.<br />
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5) I don't care where we eat. I'm not just saying that because I don't want to choose. I'm just not a picky eater and if going to your favorite restaurant makes you happy, then let's go! I'm indecisive sometimes, and that question is just pressure... So you can choose!<br />
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4) I'm a grammar nazi. I know online chatting and texting is an informal way of communication, but improper spelling and comma use may be a deal breaker. You're and your are different. So are there, their, and they're. Because if you're over there with your friends, they're in great company, right? It's a big deal.<br />
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3) I'm competitive. It's in my nature. While the Bible says for wives to submit to their husbands (granted that husbands are loyal to their wives), quite frankly I want to see what you're made of first! If you cook a mean steak, I will try to out cook you, indeed. If you are outside throwing a football with your buddies, I will want to throw it better. I can't help it, its my athletic nature. If you prove time and time again you can take a challenge, then I'll consider submitting, but prove it first.<br />
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2) I haven't seen Star Wars. Nor do I have the desire to. I haven't seen a lot of classic movies which will explain why I will not understand a lot of life references and jokes. And I'm okay with that. It also takes a lot for me to force myself to sit still for about two hours to watch a movie. I would rather be outside hiking or fishing or just gazing at the stars.<br />
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1) I care too much. I will jump in whole heartedly in everything that I do. If it's a relationship, friendship, job, or hobby, I'm all in. I want to be great at line dancing, and playing my saxophone, and making sure all my kids know they are loved and that I believe in them, and worshipping the man upstairs, and writing, and traveling. I want to be the best me I can be before you get the best me I can give you. So if you're up for a journey of making memories in this thing we call life, then let's start living it! But if you're going to try to change my mind or alter my plans, no thanks. These things have made me (and will make me) the ultimate prize of a deserving man of God. So wherever you're hiding, don't feel pressured to come out anytime soon, because quite frankly I don't need you to.DGrissomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13711156139179928794noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7602013407954176003.post-35161043184514149932014-06-14T09:17:00.000-07:002014-06-14T09:17:50.483-07:00What you do (and don't ) know ...part 4!<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I probably should have titled today's post "pity party" ... so here's my disclosure: if you're easily offended, stop reading now. Let's start by saying I urban dictionaried the term hopeless romantic, and after that created a youtube playlist of songs that would contribute to my pity party...and now here I am! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>What you DO know ...</b> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Heartbreak SUCKS!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Well I don't even know the answer to this question, but is it even possible to find such happiness again? I understand the whole "If you'll let happiness in again, then yes it is posssible" but in all reality, loving without any reservation (again) seems out of the question. Now PLEASE don't get me wrong, I don't need <i>or want</i> you back in my life to be happy, I simply want the feeling I once had to happen again, hopefully stronger, and definitely with someone who I'm not settling for. Lady A says it best in their song Ready to Love Again, because I am in fact ready to love again, but I'm not going to settle, no way!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>What you DO know...</b> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Music speaks when words can't.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>What you don't know ...</b> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We all have different tastes in music, and we find that a song 'speaks to us' when we seem to need it most, but here's another question for ya! Does it really happen? Like when Luke Bryan (yummm) talks about knowing she was the one after the first night sitting on a tailgate, or when Billy Currington talks about his small town girl conquering the night ... does that really happen????? It's such a sweet love story we yearn for it to happen, but I guess if we're yearning for it then maybe that's why it's not happening? I don't know!!!! But I do know I want a one of a kind, "awww", story too ... I mean what gal doesn't? </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>What you DO know...</b> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It's easier to recognize what we <u>don't</u> want than it is to figure out what we <u>do</u> want.</span><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">What you don't know ... </span></b><br />
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I've figured out what I do AND don't want (...sort of). While the 'don't' list was much easier, the 'do' list is just as important. Also, neither of these lists would necessarily disqualify someone, maybe they disqualify me for being so ... <i> picky </i>. Just to name a few: I DON'T want someone who is lazy, I DO want someone who is driven, hardworking, and while athleticism shows non-laziness (and is very much preferred), someone who is goal oriented is definitely someone I would need not only to push and encourage me, but quite frankly to keep up with me! I DON'T want someone who is self-absorbed, I DO want someone who will compliment me as a person as well as grow our relationship together and grow our relationship with Christ. Regarding relationships (friendships in particular) I DON'T want someone who is simply pretending. There are so many times when I really reached out and opened up to some that not only shut a door in my face, but slammed it, and slammed it hard and apparently locked it because it hasn't been opened since. I DO want someone who may be placed in my life for a reason or a season to actually stay for a lifetime. I would bend over backwards for any one of my friends, give you the shirt off my back, despite the fact that you wouldn't do the same, I just can't help but feel frustrated.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>What you DO know...</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Clearly </i>I'm in this hopeless romantic stage ...</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>What you don't know ...</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It leads to a lot of questions regarding self-worth. While other people's opinions and actions should not determine a person's self-worth, let's be real -- it definitely does! Questions of why I've never been a part of someone's special moments whether it's a wedding, birthday, new job, and so on, but I'm the one they call when they need help with something/when crisis strikes? It sucks. It just plain sucks. I know I'm a pushover, but I give you the opportunity to not push me over, and when you do, I sure do expect you to at least help me back up, but (much to my dismay) that's not the case. And please don't think my sometimes "negative nancy" attitude is anything more than carrying the world on my shoulders not only for me, but for you, and you, and you, and you, and it sometimes takes a toll on one, believe it or not, especially when the ones you count on walk out of your life and slam that door.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I also understand that putting my trust in worldly things, such as other people, and not on the man upstairs leads to these feelings of heartbreak and hopelessness, but I also realize God sends people into one's life when it's the right timing, and also removes them, but here's my pity party; take it or leave it ... I have!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>DGrissomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13711156139179928794noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7602013407954176003.post-59504095624678594532014-05-27T18:47:00.002-07:002014-05-27T18:50:39.676-07:00#22yearsofdenise<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> That's right! Switching it up from what you do (and don't know) on the night before my birthday! (I will probably look back ten years from now and think "Did I really think that? OH. MY. GOSH!", but for now I will live in the moment) ...so here is my "wisdom". <span style="color: magenta; font-size: xx-small;">[I also stole the hashtag from Zandi and Erin who are Catawba alum and I really liked it, so thanks (= ]</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> I'm writing with a lot of emotion, some good, some not so good, but nevertheless it's pretty strong! So here goes .... Let's start with my biggest pet peeve. Sometimes I think it's when someone is smacking gum in my ear (and this thought normally takes place when someone is smacking gum in my ear), and sometimes I think it's when people are "know it all's" (whether they do or don't know anything at all ... cockiness is a huge thumbs down!), but in all reality, it is when people lie to me. <strong><span style="font-size: large;">You don't have to earn my trust.</span> </strong><span style="font-size: xx-small;">(WOAH! Did she just say what I think she said?) </span><span style="font-size: small;">That's right. Trust comes with the package of: me! You don't have to earn it, but <em>trust and believe</em> once it's broken -- it's done for!!!!! There are times I think to myself that maybe I should just lower my expectations and then I won't be as disappointed. If I am told "I'm going to <em>blahblahblah</em> tomorrow after work", then shame on me for fully expecting you to <em>blahblahblah</em> tomorrow after work. It does not need to be followed with "I promise!", it automatically comes across as an unspoken promise. And when time and time </span><span style="font-size: x-small;">and time </span><span style="font-size: xx-small;">and time </span><span style="font-size: small;">again you don't follow through, you are not only lying to me, you are showing me how much you value me as a person. So from here on out I will highly doubt much of anything you say, and therefore will not put as much effort into something that is clearly not important to you <u>at</u> <u>all</u>. You are a selfish human being who is not worthy of all I have to offer, but me having the big tender heart that I do, will continue to give you chance after chance, hoping you will prove me wrong ... but this time this big tender heart will simply go into each situation doubting what you said is actually true (because if it actually happens -- then it'll be a good surprise)!</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;"> So I guess the wisdom from a 22 year old is simply: You can't fully trust anyone, but instead of avoiding people thinking their automatically an enemy ... give a chance, or two or three, but each time guard your heart more and more until your brain and your heart finally agree that you deserve more than what you're settling for (because you know deep down inside you are in fact settling). We've all heard the saying "forgiven but not forgotten"; for me , though, it is in fact forgotten (in time) to the point to where I can't tell you exactly what happened and when. But even though it has been forgotten, my instincts tell me NO and without hesitation I follow them. Those "gut feelings"/"God speakings" are more than a hunch, they are the bars that have been built around my heart to guard me.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;"> I'm going to finish up my night lesson planning and listening to the Lion King station on Pandora and wake up to another year full of laughter, tears, lessons, mistakes, and hopefully more wisdom.</span>DGrissomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13711156139179928794noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7602013407954176003.post-75602108247447465932014-05-15T18:04:00.001-07:002014-05-15T18:09:14.313-07:00What you do (and don't) know ... part 3!<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Today I have
loved my job more than any other day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Now don’t get me wrong – I absolutely LOVE what I do; and even on my
worst days, I couldn’t imagine being anything else/doing anything else. But
today it hit me that I really do <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">love</i>
what I do.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If someone asked me to SHOW
you how much I love someone/something, I couldn't.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>How would I?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I can try to describe everything about it
that is great, I could try to hug someone, but that doesn’t show
LOVE, that just shows reasons that led to love.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>So if you asked me to show you how I know I love what I do, I couldn’t,
but I darn well will try.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">What you do know:</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Today was a
great day.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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</span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">What you don’t know:</span></b><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So the kinder teachers, our literacy coach, and our AP are all doing a book study on the book <em><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Word-Solvers-Making-Letters-Sounds/dp/0325004560/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1400196808&sr=1-1&keywords=word+solvers" target="_blank">Word Solvers</a></em> by Michele Dufresne. It is about making sense of letter sounds and building words and what not -- pretty much how to better our ways of teaching the kiddos how to read. I led the discussion today and was more in my element than I have ever been (considering my "audience" was over the age of 10...). I showed up with a half sheet 1-minute task to complete, and then followed it with a 30 minute <a href="http://prezi.com/hgnqrp26kklp/?utm_campaign=share&utm_medium=copy&rc=ex0share" target="_blank">Prezi</a> (I <strong>love </strong>Prezis!), and then brought it all back to the task in the beginning. When The 6 person audience applauded me at the end and said "Wow! You did great!", the rest of my day was set! I was confident. I was happy. I was doing what I love, and I felt as though I had rocked out! So that was number one of happy today. Then came number two. My babes have been working on phoneme segmentation (I say the word "cat" they tell me the sounds are "c"/"a"/"t"and they aren't allowed to see the word) ... and we have been struggling hardcore. Well I did a mini lesson, gave some examples, felt like I was repeating myself, and then gave them some words to practice ... and they more than blew me out of the water! One of my kiddos (who couldn't tell me A made the /"a"/ sound YESTERDAY) gave me the correct sounds on <u>every</u>. <u>single</u>. <u>word</u>. today! I was ECSTATIC! (I even tried to trick them with words that have "sh", "ch", "th", "wh", and "magic/silent e" words ...and they got them!) YAY! Numero tres: the kinder team met after school today. We compared our data to see where we needed to guide our instruction. We are doing beyond what we ever could have imagined and are making GIANT steps! (1st grade teachers-we're trying!) Good things come in three, right? =D</span></div>
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<strong><span style="font-family: Arial;">What you do know:</span></strong></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">I don't watch much television.</span></div>
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<strong><span style="font-family: Arial;">What you don't know:</span></strong></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">When asked the common question "What is your favorite TV show?" I normally don't have an answer. I love watching some shows (Criminal Minds, The Voice, Golden Girls, Hollywood Game Night) ...BUT I don't watch them religiously. I was never a big TV watcher because I was always busy and rarely home long enough to watch anything (nor did I have the patience to sit still long enough), but here recently I'm addicted. What show you might ask? The news. (WXII to be exact!) I wake up in the morning and it's on in the background while I'm getting ready. I get home and get things ready for the night and next day, and it's on in the background. I'm addicted. Can't get enough. I have no idea why. Normally it's full of negativity. I started watching it in the mornings to find out what the weather was going to be like for the day so that I could dress accordingly, and then became semi-attached to the stories. Now don't get me wrong. Some of the things on the news do not interest me one bit, BUT some things are really informative. And as a teacher, it's good to know what's going on out there so that I can answer a question one of the kiddos might have. I decided to make a very mature decision last week and go to work when I knew the WXII crew was at the local park all day. That was a tough decision, but I decided to be responsible. Yup, it's official. I'm growing up. I no longer rush home to watch Rocket Power or Lizzy McGuire, I rush home to listen to Wanda Starks and wake up early so I can get the D-L from Austin Caveness. Hello adulthood. (hello adult bills and adult responsibilities too =/)</span></div>
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<strong><span style="font-family: Arial;">What you do know:</span></strong></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">We all want to be rich.</span></div>
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<strong><span style="font-family: Arial;">What you don't know:</span></strong></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">We have heard time and time (and time <span style="font-size: x-small;">and time</span> <span style="font-size: xx-small;">and time</span>) again that money is not necessarily what makes someone rich. Friendships, relationships, an education, things we cherish are what make us "rich" because that's what we invest in. I 100% agree with this, but how do I explain that I want to <em>look rich</em>? I do have relationships, friendships, strong faith, things that I cherish and people I have invested in that no doubtedly make me a "rich" person. But how do I look rich? How do I get to the point of a stranger looking on from the outside that thinks to themselves "She's got it all together"? Well, I guess the answer is: I don't. I don't have it all together. I would like to portray myself as having it all together, but in all reality I don't. I would like to think I am a fairly smart person, but if I walk into a situation with no confidence, then it doesn't matter how much I know, I am automatically the weakest link. I would like to think that someone I have never met can look at me at any given moment and think "She has got it going on!", but in all reality, I more than likely have glue in my hair, my shoes probably have paint on them, my hair is probably in a pony tail, and the day's makeup is slowly but surely fading (and it may have been left over from the day before). I would like to think that I'm not just treading water as the person who falls asleep on top of the covers at 10pm with work clothes still on after a long day at two jobs. I'd like to think I can keep afloat without looking disheveled, but let's be real ... sometimes I feel as if I would lose my head if it weren't attached. But it doesn't matter whether or not I put two different shoes on, if I notice my watch battery is dead halfway through the day, or if I have yesterday's makeup on, because I am rich indeed. I have a God who loves me. I have a family and friends who would do anything for me. I have 20 babies who hang onto every word I say. And I have an education that will open doors for me that I don't even know exist. So to that stranger looking in: I may be treading water, but I'm sure you'll need a swim lesson or two at some point in your life.</span></div>
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<strong><span style="font-family: Arial;">What you do know:</span></strong></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">I love the news.</span></div>
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<strong><span style="font-family: Arial;">What you ...probably know:</span></strong></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">It's almost time for the news to come on. So I'm going to wrap things up for the night and get to watching my favorite TV show! You rock for reading this :) ta-ta-for-now!</span></div>
DGrissomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13711156139179928794noreply@blogger.com0