Thankful Thursday Week 13

I can't believe that I've stayed away from this blog for a whole week, it's been a busy one though! So here are my thoughts!

1.) Worship Bands: This weekend I went on a retreat with my college and career group and there was an awesome Worship Band and it was so cool to worship with them!

2.) Demo Lessons: I had an awesome demo lesson this past tuesday for a job for next year, and I was really excited to be working with middle school students again! I had a blast sharing a fun African piece with them, and they enjoyed the piece a lot!

3.) HULU: I've caught up on so many shows this week because I've been able to watch them on Hulu.

4.) Thunderstorms: We had a super awesome thunderstorm tonight. Now if you know me, I was ridiculously scared of them as a child, so I think it's awesome that I love them now! It was really warm today and the thunderstorm cooled off the earth so wonderfully!

5.) My new Business Cards: They are so pretty! If you'd like some just let me know!

6.) Lake Champion: It is just so beautiful and the weather this past weekend was fantastic! It is so easy to appreciate God's creation while you're sitting near the lake while the fog is rising off of it in the early morning!

7.) Getting Challenged Spiritually: This weekend was so awesome!

8.) My Roomates New Job: She's going to be 2.5 hours closer to me know! WOOHOO

9.) LOST: I've spent 3 years watching that show, and it ended this weekend. I'm not sure if I liked the ending, but I'm so glad I watched it! Plus, we had a great time at our LOST party.

10.) Each and Every day being a new day!

It's been a crazy week, but a great one! Someday I'll write about the weekend!

Thankful Thursday Week 12

I was so excited when I realized that it was Thursday because that meant that I was able to write down my thankful thoughts for the week

1.) Interviews that lead to Demo Lessons

2.) Lake Champion: Our College and Career group is going on their annual retreat this weekend and it's going to be amazing! I'm so expectant of what He's going to teach us this weekend!

3.) Job Opportunities: He never ceases to amaze me, just when I'm down about finding a job and worrying about my finances, something always surfaces!

4.) Playing French Horn: Last night my Middle School Band Director had her retirement concert and I was able to play my horn for the first time in 4 years! I was so excited to play again, and I was glad that it was just like riding a bike! I played for so many years that it was impossible for me to forget how to play! I had a blast!

5.) Cotton Skirts

6.) Beautiful Days for Wonderful Drives

7.) Playing with my cousins: They are so full of life, and are full of joy and never cease to make me smile and laugh!

8.) Curling Gel: I love being able to get up in the morning and decide that i don't want to dry my hair, but I get to wear it curly. It seems ridiculous, but I've enjoyed having options with my hair over the last year. Before that I always had to dry and straighten it, and that takes forever and gets boring!

9.) Mentors: It's hard to believe that a year ago I was just learning guitar and learning how to lead worship, over this past year I've undergone tremendous growth and I'm so thankful for my amazing mentors

10.) Books: I love getting lost in books and feeling like I belong in the story and feeling like I belong in the characters world! I've just started reading the Twilight books, I know, I'm behind, but I'm enjoying them tremendously and I can't wait to read more!

My goal for the weekend is to be quiet! Each year I go into the retreat wanting to become recharged, and this weekend is no different! I'm excited!

Thankful Thursday Week 11

Wow, what a day it has been!

There is so much to be thankful for today!

1.) Interviews that go well and produce demo lesson opportunities!

2.) Phone interviews

3.) Job Possibilities

4.) The possibility that I could be living with my roomate again next year! It what I'm praying for, so if it's in His will, it'll happen! Praying also, that I don't get too excited about it, so that if it doesn't happen I don't become disappointed, but encouraged that there is something else that He has in store for us!

5.) Email: I've spent all afternoon writing emails and responding to them, what would I do with out technology

6.) Ocean Grove Choir Festival: I have the opportunity to keep up my choral directing skills by working on this music for this festival that will take place in July!

7.) My Planner: If I didn't have a planner I'm pretty sure my life would fall apart

8.) Bologna from the German Butcher, it's soooo good

9.) Spicy Coconut Shrimp

10.) The Beautiful 75 degree weather that we had today! It was such a refreshing change after a series of cold dreary spring days!

I have an addiction

I need to admit this to the blog world, I have an addiction! I am addicted to finding new bands/artists and buying their music! I am addicted to finding out everything about their music and what their inspiration was and how the perform and what makes them stand out as a group!

This week I added a new column to my itunes music list and it is "YEAR." I can now see how old my music is. It is May the 12th and since January 1st I have purchased 10 brand new CD's that have been produced this year. I don't know how many CD's in total that I've purchased since January! I'm sure my bank account could tell you!

Music is something that I love so deeply! I guess that's why I can't wait till I have my own classroom, so that I can teach music all day long! But, that's a tangent!

This year the world of Christian Music has produced some amazing albums thus far! Some of my favorites are: (in no particular order)

1. Mercy Me: The Generous Mr. Lovewell

2. Passion 2010

3. Meredith Andrews: As Long As it Takes

4. Tenth Avenue North: Light Meets the Dark

5. Vicky Beeching: Eternity Invades

If you haven't heard these albums yet, you're missing out!

I love New Release Tuesday, each week they have great updates about what new music is coming out and info about the artists!

So, I've now admitted it! I'm am addicted to new Christian music!

Thankful Thursday Week 10

It's not secret that Thursday is one of my favorite days of the week! It's nearly the weekend and I have worship team practice tonight and I get to write about the things that I've been thankful for this week! This thursday is no exception!

1.) Praxis Scores: Last week I received word that I passed the Praxis II test with a high enough score for the state of Virginia! What a relief! I honestly thought I had failed that test and was pretty bummed not because it meant that I couldn't find a job in VA but that it meant that I would have to waste more money on taking it again!

2.) The internet: I know, I was thankful for this a while back, but honestly there is no other way that I would be able to job hunt in a different state. I spent all day Monday on the internet researching schools, if I didn't have this resource I'm pretty sure that I would be in the dark and homeless.

3.) Real Friends: I'm talking about the type of friends who really ask you how you are, and who can read you and know when you're not okay and keep asking why. They don't let up until you confess what's been going on and then they listen! Those friends are the best!

4.) Headphones: Last night I stayed up super late preparing music for a rehearsal next week, and the only way I could do that without disturbing my entire house and hearing every part of the song was with headphones! I love my headphones, I carry them everywhere!

5.) Books: I love to read! I love reading about topics that interest me! I could be stuck in a book all day and feel so content!

6.) Window Screens: Silly I know, as we speak I'm sitting in my room enjoying the sun coming through my window and the breeze that is blowing without all of the bugs! Window screens were an amazing invention! They keep so many flying and creeping critters out of my house!

7.) Prayer: I know for sure that I wouldn't know what to do with my life if I didn't have prayer! I took about 2.5 weeks off and well, I could sense the difference in my life, and my friends were able to sense it as well! There is just so much that I miss when I'm not praying! BTW, today is National Day of Prayer. Did you pray for your country, teachers, students, schools, government officials, Armed Forces, or your family?

8.) Post it Notes: I have them all over my desk right now, they are helping me to stay organized! I have them all over regarding passwords for different employment sites and names of schools that I've applied to. Songs, that I love right now and want to learn how to play! Oh, I love how they come in different colors and they are sticky on just one edge! Genius!

9.) My Family: My family is back together for the first time in 4 months and it's fantastic! We've had 3 nights of family dinners, and I'm going to cherish them because well, let's face it, my family is changing...and I can't say that I'm a fan of that right now.

10.) Music: It is my passion 100%. I'm a nerd and got super excited yesterday afternoon when music for a choir festival came in the mail! As soon as I had time, I started researching the songs and finding recordings of them and planning out my rehearsals! I got super excited about it and I can't wait for Monday nights rehearsal! I can't wait to dive into the music! I'm a nerd I know!

Well, those are just a few things that I'm thankful for this week! What are you thankful for?

JMU grad for 1 year

This time last year, I was finishing up my final week of student teaching and I thought that in 1 year I would have a new car, a new apartment and a new job, well how foolish am I?

It's one year since I graduated and I don't have a new car, I'm still living in my parents house and I don't have a job! I have my diploma but it's still sitting in the frame in the frame box behind my side bed table waiting to go up in my new classroom/office. But, you know what, it's okay! Really, this past year has been such a blessing to me! I've built new relationships, I've seen old ones grow and I've had a great year of learning!

Don't get me wrong, I still want all of those things, and I want them so badly, but when I reflect upon all of the amazing things that have happened this last year, I can't help but have a smile on my face! I took a few road trips back to school and realized that yes, my time at James Madison University came to an end and that I do need to grow up. But, how scary is that thought? Growing up, who actually want's to grow up.

Personally I am the sort of person who is always looking forward to the next event. If you ask anyone who really knows me, I always have some sort of countdown going, but as of recently I have not! Not that there hasn't been anything to count down to, but I've been excited for what's happening here and now! There are so many sweet things that happen to me each and every week. I never know when I'm working so I don't know what life I'm going to come in to contact with that day, but I can also know that I spend time with a lot of the same people, and I get excited to see where our relationship is going.

With that being said, I finally had some quiet time with God this afternoon in the park, and I can truly say that I missed it. I haven't been very consistent with that over the last 2.5 weeks or so and my friends were beginning to recognize that fact, so what did I do, I made a change. I changed the way I was feeling by sitting in His presence and just pouring my heart out to Him over the pages of my journal. I love talking to God, but I am terrible at listening to Him. So, that is one of my goals this summer, listen to Him better, to shut my mouth and just listen.

Are you happy with where you are in life? If not, why? What do you want to change? How do you think you can make that change happen? Can you make that change yourself, or do you need a supernatural force make that change for you? Do you listen, or do you talk the whole time? Do you even know that answer? If not, I urge you to take some time and evaluate your conversation life with Him!

Feeling Defeated

It always seems like I get into funks after school hours, when I'm home on my own time doing my own thing. The other day I was talking with Robbie and he said, "I love reading your blog, because most of your blogs are so upbeat."

Since that conversation, I've been thinking. Have I just placed another mask over my face? Instead of this being a mask that I wear in public, is this a mask that I've been wearing on the internet? My conclusion is that for the most part I am very upbeat and positive and that's only because of the work that He's been doing in my life, but I also have battles where I am not feeling upbeat, but quiet the contrary, and for the most part I feel sorry for myself.

I'm fighting against being dragged down into my own pity party more often than not recently. I'm getting sucked into the world again. It's almost the beginning of May and colleges are nearing the end of their semesters and well, I still don't have a job, and not only for right now but for next year. If I didn't think that this process of finding a job was hard already it's only going to get harder because an entire new graduating class is going to be seeking employment as well.

To add to my feeling of defeat my dad arrived home today and told me that he had some bad news. He told met I am going to need to begin researching individual health care plans. Well, dang it! He says, "Be prepared to pay $525 a month." To which I responded, "If I had an extra $525 a month, I would be buying a car."

I thought that this new health care plan was suppose to aid people in obtaining health care, not make it harder for them. Honestly, I'm unemployed (for the most part. I'm not a full time employee therefore I do not qualify for benefits) so how am I suppose to pay $525 a month for health care?

I must say that health insurance is very low on my list of things that I want to spend money on. I have 2 student loans, car insurance, day to day expenses and a car that is constantly needing something fixed. So my immediate response in how to spend my money would to be to pay off my bills as quickly as possible because well, I don't want to pay any more money in interest than I already am, and then when I'm finished with my student loans then I'm going to buy a car that does not make funny noises when you first start it, have a broken glove box and a leak in the floor so that when it rains it looks like I have a pond in the passenger side of my car. After I get a new car or at least a newer car, I NEED TO MOVE OUT! I mean don't get me wrong, I love my parents, but I need to move on with my life. I miss being able to cook what I want when I want and doing what I want when I want, having friends over what I want, making noise till 1am if I want without having to worry about waking Do I have my priorities lined up correctly? I can't say that they are perfectly lined up but, I would like to think that I have a pretty good handle on them. (Please respond if you think otherwise, to help me understand that I'm wrong.)

I was encouraged this afternoon when I received a phone call for an interview for a job next year! But, then I realized that it was for a maternity leave position and then I wasn't as excited as I had been before. If you asked me to fill that spot last year I would have been jumping for joy, but I've been a long term sub already. I want a full time job in a classroom that I can call my own, where the students aren't asking me why I have to leave. I'm feeling so selfish, but at this point, I can't really help it.

Well, there it is, that's how I'm really feeling right now! It's all out there, I'm taking the invisible mask off and exposing my thoughts to the world!