thankful thursday

This week I'm thankful for:

Good days with my 8th grade pre-algebra class. I've written about them a lot lately because they have been my most challenging class to teach. The majority of first quarter I felt like a total failure, but lately things have been looking up. Their attitudes have been improving and they have even said things like, "This is fun!" and "Whoa, this is so easy!" in the last week. Tomorrow is their first quiz of the new chapter, and I am very hopeful that it will go well for everyone...

EasyJet. Without it, I would not be able to travel to Germany so cheaply to spend Thanksgiving and Christmas with my "family." 

Rest days. As I mentioned in this week's Hello Monday post, I started doing Les Mills BodyCombat again. I'm currently following their recommended schedule for two rest days a week. So after three consecutive days of intense workouts, my shoulders are sore enough to make holding my hairdryer uncomfortable, and every time I sit down I feel the burn in my quads. There's something wrong with the fact that I am more sore after three workouts than I ever was after running a half marathon! I've even been taking the elevator because I just can't bear climbing the stairs up to the third floor! I know it's a good thing and my body will thank me for it later, but for now I am thankful that today, Thursday, is a rest day.

Chocolate croissants. I have a love/hate relationship with these bad boys and they have become part of my daily routine. The best ones are obviously in Germany, but I have found a suitable alternative (albeit not fresh) at the local Día (our grocery store). During second period each day I have gotten into the habit of pouring a cup of coffee and enjoying a chocolate croissant while I grade or read. My mouth loves them. My waistline hates them. So good and yet so, so bad.

What are you thankful for this week?

five things friday

I'm so excited to be in Greencastle, Indiana this weekend visiting good friends and sharing about my year at BFA with the Lifebuilder Community Church!! Here are five things that are on my mind right now.

{1}

This week my mom and I attempted to make the short version of this dress. The tutorial makes it look super simple, and for the most part it was. We just couldn't get the elastic thread to cooperate, so we improvised. Now that we've figured out our own tricks, we hope to bust out a few more of these in different colors before I head back to Germany!

{2}

Sesame Street has spoofed Carly Rae Jepsen's Call Me Maybe with the Cookie Monster. I can't stop singing this song. (Email subscribers may need to click on the title of this post to view the video)

{3}

Speaking of cookies, Happy Birthday, Oreo. If you like birthday cake and Oreos, you will love these special edition Oreos celebrating the cookie's 100th birthday! They are super yummy, and my pack was gone within two days. Don't worry, I shared!!

source

{4}

The game Zug um Zug (Ticket to Ride in English) is one of my new (within the last few years) favorite games. Alot of people think board games are boring, and I will agree - most American board games are boring because all you do is roll the dice and go in circles around the board. Europe sort of has us beat in that area. When playing Zug um Zug, no two games are ever the same, and there are expansion packs available to add even more variety! It's a strategy game with only a litle bit of the "luck of the draw" tossed in. My family now has the Europe, USA, Asia, India, and Switzerland maps and we have been playing a LOT this summer. If you're a local reader, you should come over and play with us sometime. :)

the Swiss map

 

{5}

Support raising continues to be a slow process. I know God is working and moving in people's hearts to generate generosity, and I know He is reminding me to trust in HIM rather than myself. Resting in peace is a daily choice, as I have always struggled with anxiety and the uncertainty of the next few weeks isn't helping. Just two days ago my mom commented on how much hair I'd lost in the shower - a physical indicator of just how stressed I truly am. I do not believe that God would call me to this ministry and then frustrate me by withholding the resources necessary for me to serve. Please continue to pray for me to find the people who will partner with me financially this year!

Lugano prayer requests - Day 3

This week I am in Lugano, Switzerland with twenty-two eighth grade students and four other staff members. The purpose of this trip is to stretch the students academically, physically, spiritually, and socially. Throughout the week they will be experiencing "school without walls" and completing activities related to their history, English, science, art, and physical education classes. I'll post a day-by-day update with pictures when we return, but while we are gone I would like to request your prayers for some specific things each day. Even though I am going "off the grid," I have scheduled posts so that there will be new prayer requests posted each day.

*****

Today we will venture to the Alprose chocolate factory, Schokoland. This is typically reserved for the last day of the trip but because Thursday is a holiday we will go today instead. There we will tour the factory, watch chocolate being wrapped up and checked for quality control, and gorge ourselves on a chocolate buffet, and all that for free! Then we will return to the hostel where students will work on a science activity right about the time when their sugar buzz wears off. After lunch they get a good chunk of free time to spend swimming, reading, playing sports, sleeping, etc. Dinner tonight is a cookout - bring on the hotdogs and s'mores!! Group games and our last night of devotions will follow.

the all-you-can-eat chocolate buffet

s'mores, Germanified

Ways to pray:

• Safety driving to and from Schokoland
• A fun and chocolate-filled time at Schokoland
• That the science activity goes smoothly - it is a challenging assignment for the students!
• Safety around the campfire as kids cook their hotdogs and marshmallows
• Meaningful conversations throughout the day and around the campfire
• That students will have taken something away from their nightly devotions and journal prompts