Too Cute Tuesday

I am excited to be linking up with Megan and Kenzie for the first ever Too Cute Tuesday.  This is like the perfect excuse to post cute pictures of Jude ;)  As I'm sure all moms linking up are thinking.  This picture was such a sweet moment from this weekend.  I mentioned in my last post that Jude and I made a pirate campout tent this past weekend.  He spent his Friday night and his Saturday nap in the tent.  It was perfect because I was able to snap this sweet pic of him sleeping.  It is Too Cute to be able to watch sleeping children.  I love the way it immediately transports you to the first time you saw them and all those days of holding a sleeping baby to your chest.  Nothing sweeter :)

 

70s boho weekend

Jude and I have a tradition we do every Friday called "Pirate Campout".  This basically just means that we throw some blankets on the ground and watch TV.  This weekend though, we went all out.  We took all our kitchen chairs, several sheets, and made a true, glorious pirate tent.  Jude actually spent the night in the tent.  Super fun.  I think my favorite part may have been his motivation to clean up his toys ;) but in all seriousness, there is just something about tents that is magical.  I remember as a kid being quite convinced I had been transported to another time, place, and world when I stepped into a tent.  What is it about chairs and sheets that makes the child feel so alive?  It's amazing and completely #1000gifts.

Jude has woken up the past weekends ridiculously early the past few weekends.  I'm talking 5:45 or 6:00 early.  Miserably early.  The only positive is that I have an excuse for extra coffee.  And my grocery shopping is done early, as mentioned last week.  Saturday though, we went and got kolaches and donuts before our excursion.  Jude was excited and gave it a peace sign.  Or as one of my friends said, a double barrel guns up!!!  Both are awesome :)

I know there will come a day when you readers will get sick of the fact that all my dates are involving church.  But it is so much easier to go on Saturday night.  So, so be it.  I just really love worshipping with Jimmy.  And I love going to church.  We were kind of in the mood for a low key weekend I guess.  I didn't feel like going overboard.  And he requested my boho hat, which was perfect because it gave me an excuse to be comfy And make him happy.  Winning!

We rented Moonrise Kingdom after church and watched it once I got Jude in bed.  I swear I heard lots of people talking about how great that movie was.  All I can say is I'm not hipster enough for that shiz.  I like the funny indie movies.  Like a lot.  We rented Safety Not Guaranteed not too long ago.  I thought that was funny and enjoyable.  It was pretty weird.  But this movie?  This movie was beyond weird and I spent most of the time with my jaw dropped in a huhhhh kind of way.  It's one of those hipster movies that I think hipsters make to assure themselves that they are in fact elite and the rest of the world can't understand them and they are so beyond normal society.  No offense.  I didn't like it though.  Maybe someone can enlighten me?

Sunday I got to hang out with my sister.  We ate Mexican, watched a chick flick, laughed, and gossiped.  It was pretty snazzy.  Also some grading was thrown in there.  Life of a teacher.  Anyway, how was your weekend?

Outfit deets:

hat: gift, Target

sweater: TJ Maxx

Tshirt: Urban Outfitters

Jeans: American Eagle, thrifted

Shoes: can't remember, but same from last weekend

this will be linked up for Monday

Shappy Apple Sale!

I just got an email saying that Shabby Apple is having a Buy 1 Get 1 50% off on all of their new Ferris Wheel collection.  This collection is adorable 50s vintage, and I for one, am loving it.  Here are my two picks for what my buy 1 get one half off.  What would you choose?  You can access the collection through the link in my side bar.  Use the code TAKETWO at checkout to claim your deal.  

Happy Shopping!!!

 This dress is my favorite.  There is just something about mint green that is so cheerful.  Easter dress perhaps?

By far the thing I love about this is the pattern and color mixing.  If you know me, you know there's little more I love than combining the unexpected.  This definitely does that!  So cute!

For all you new readers

Throwback: Jude at 4 mos.  He is my atonement child.

About a month ago, I wrote a post on having had an abortion.  It was one of the single most defining moments of my life, and definitely one of the darkest.  However, through that moment about 6 years ago, I learned more about the reality of grace and forgiveness.  The blog is being featured at The Identify Shift.  If you want to get to know more about me, that post will take you straight to my soul.  And whatever opinions you have on abortion, I promise that it will change your thinking- not in a way to judge the situation from any side, but as a way to understand the hurting and the broken of this world.  I hope you read it.

Also, don't forget to enter that GAP giveaway here!

Coffee Date Vlog- My Mission, My Week

I'm linking up with Rags to Stitches today for Coffee Date.  I'm gonna tell you all about my week and how God rocked my perspective through some sad circumstances which reminded me "all is grace".  I hope you will comment and introduce me to your blog, because I would love love love to get to know YOU better.  Yes, you!  I'm completely in this thing for building relationships and community :)

Also, have you entered the GAP card giveaway?  You should.

Thankful- kids books, myself, my mission

I am grateful for:
* I read "I Love You Forever" to my students this week, and one of my little girls cried.  I mean the sensitive, I am so moved by this story cry.  It was adorable and beautiful.
* A conversation between two of my crazies.  In which one was annoyed and the other said, "I'm sorry, you know how much I care about you!!!!"  What an adorable way to apologize
* Rain in NTX!!!!
* I managed to roll with Plan B joyfully!  (Huge deal for my control freak self)  Our power was out like all day at school yesterday.  Seriously.  We managed to do all our subjects - somewhat loudly and wildly- but we did it.  Normally, that stuff spikes my anxiety.  But I just flowed.  Such a big deal for me yall!

I enjoyed:
* the Bachelor, because I roll like that.
* learning about my personality type in Missions class.  Mainly learning that its normal for my personality to be introverted and need alone time.  I've always kind of been insecure because I'm not the popular type.  Like I needed to change myself.  But I felt so free because thats not it at all.  I'm fearfully and wonderfully made with this exact personality.  I can accept the person I am with joy.  God has a plan for my overly sensitive, perfectionist self.  Do I need to learn to let go of the perfectionism?  yes.  But that doesn't change the fact that my personality has a purpose and should be celebrated for its own uniqueness.

I learned:
* I have to trust Jesus so much with my kiddos sometimes.  Teaching is crazy because you pour your heart into 20+ kids a year.  After 6 years, there are pieces of my heart walking all over Texas.  Some weeks they are crazy.  Some they are awesome.  And sometimes they come in and break your heart.  It's so hard because my instinct is to write about those things, but I can't.  Luckily, I serve a loving Father who loves the little ones the most.  I am so thankful that when I release my 2nd grader babies to their homes, God goes with them.  And I just pray and pray and pray that they know His Presence.

I accomplished:
* I have my first giveaway on my blog here.
* My post on teaching the ABCs as missional was linked here.
* This weekend my abortion testimony will be running here.

This is listed under "I accomplished" but that's really not the case at all.  I just want to briefly say that the # of doors God will open really, really increases when you humble yourself and allow your darkest spots to be used.  Honestly, He has done so much with my blog since I blogged about my abortion.  No words.  Except- surrender and allow God to use your shame for His glory.

I am looking forward to:
* getting grades into the computer (not :))
* hanging out with my fellas
* continuing to learn about Nehemiah at church

Teaching the ABCs is Missional

Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly... ~ Colossians 3:16

Friday I got a new student, which in low income schools happens pretty often.  Their lives are so transient.  I teach 2nd grade.  The average 2nd grader should be able to read things like Magic Tree House easily at this point in the year.  At a school like mine, that's not usually the case.

I read with this student that afternoon, just to try to gage where I wanted her to be as far as reading groups go (they are ability grouped).  Started a few levels below where she should be.  And we had to keep going back.  And back.  And back.  When she came to the word 'have', she tried nav/mav.  And so I stopped her.  I asked her what the first letter in that word was.  She thought and thought and finally came up with H.  I asked her what that letter said.  She said /n/.  And suddenly I realized why she had just completely bombed an end of kinder book.

On Monday I will have to pick up reading with her, but it's pretty safe to say if she doesn't know her consonant sounds, she is barely reading.  It's heartbreaking.

And then when I was in church last night, Chandler was discussing the importance of reading parts of scripture and just stopping to think about their meaning and impact on your life.  And my heart broke for all these students like "Tay".

I have always known the importance of reading for a life skill.  And in the back of my mind I know the historical reality of Christians starting schools and what not.  But it never occurred to me how vital it was for children to learn how to read for their spiritual good.

Think about it.  If students like "Tay" never learn to read, they can never read the Bible.  If they can never read the Bible, they can never truly intimately come to know Christ.  If they can't understand and think about what they read, they can never make sense of how the words on those pages apply to them.  They can't make sense of the God who desperately loves them and desires to know them.  If they can't read it, they will be forever dependent on someone else to feed them spiritually and can never grow.

Reading is foundational for being prepared to know Christ.  I don't know who out of my class of public school students will ever become a Christian.  I do know I pray for their salvation.  And I do know God is sovereign.

But now I know that I have been entrusted with the gift of building up their tools to access God.  How humbling is that?  And it just nourished my heart in so many ways.  It spurred me on.  I'm not just teaching letter sounds or chunking or character traits or inferencing.  I'm teaching kids the skills they will need to hopefully one day understand who God is and what He's done for them.

Reading is a mission field.  And for that I am so very thankful

::This will be linked up for Into the Word Wednesday::