I really want to write something here but don't know what to say. There has been so much going through my head and moving around in my heart lately, but I'm not sure what I should and shouldn't say out loud for everyone else to hear.
I did see two movies this weekend and I highly recommend both of them: 27 Dresses and Juno.
Saturday, January 19, 2008
Wednesday, January 9, 2008
Do You Know What He Did?
Young, school age children will tell anything and everything that happens or is said at home. Like yesterday, I gave a group of 1st graders a chance to tell me about their Christmas and then told them about mine. After a few minutes, one of the little boys raised his hand. "Ms. Ammons, my aunt came over during Christmas and the adults opened their presents. You know what my Grandma got?" He starts grinning as I ask what she got. "She got some thongs! Some little bity underwear!" He was so excited to tell that story.
Tuesday, January 8, 2008
Hallelujah!
Today I got to visit with my favorite group of kindergarteners. I think part of the reason I love this class so much is because they LOVE me. I know this because every time I walk into the room, they run up to me and hug me (and if you have talked to me at all lately, you know my love language is physical touch). This is the most tender hearted group of 5 year olds I have ever known. I got a paper cut one time and India (she's the one in gray sitting on my lap in my last post) came up to me, laid hands on my cut and prayed, in Jesus' name, for it to feel better.
Anyway, as soon as I sat down, they all wanted to tell me what they got for Christmas. I quickly decided that to save my sanity and appease them, I would go around the room and let each one tell me about their favorite gift from Christmas. I heard everything from Optimus Prime and Bumble Bee transformers, to Baby Alive, Barbie, air hockey tables, and xbox/nintendo/game boy/wii stuff. Being the kind, inquiring people that they are, they wanted to know what I got for Christmas. I laughed as I thought about it and then went ahead and told them the truth. I told them I got a pair of shoes that I had been wanting. Their response was "aw;" not the "aw, that's good," but the "aw, that's boring." I told them I got some dishes. Their response was an even more boring "ugh." Then I told them that I got a new Bible. Without missing a beat, India sincerely and enthusiastically, replied, "praise Jesus!" It was the most precious, and hilarious thing I have heard in a few days.
Anyway, as soon as I sat down, they all wanted to tell me what they got for Christmas. I quickly decided that to save my sanity and appease them, I would go around the room and let each one tell me about their favorite gift from Christmas. I heard everything from Optimus Prime and Bumble Bee transformers, to Baby Alive, Barbie, air hockey tables, and xbox/nintendo/game boy/wii stuff. Being the kind, inquiring people that they are, they wanted to know what I got for Christmas. I laughed as I thought about it and then went ahead and told them the truth. I told them I got a pair of shoes that I had been wanting. Their response was "aw;" not the "aw, that's good," but the "aw, that's boring." I told them I got some dishes. Their response was an even more boring "ugh." Then I told them that I got a new Bible. Without missing a beat, India sincerely and enthusiastically, replied, "praise Jesus!" It was the most precious, and hilarious thing I have heard in a few days.
Wednesday, January 2, 2008
A Few of My Favorite Things
These are a few of my favorite photos from 2007 (in no particular order)!
My Year in Review
I ended 2007 on the beach, on a cold, but spectacularly clear night. You could see every star in the sky. For most of the last hour of the year I sat on the beach looking up at the sky and out over the ocean and thinking about God's love for me. It was incredible!
Like most people do this time of year, I've been thinking back over the past 12 months. It was a good year for me and the Lord did a lot of new things in my life. It was hard at times, but there was also a lot of laughter. If my 2007 had a sub-title, I think it would be "A Year of New Beginnings" (that may be redundant but it's what keeps coming to mind).
I'm pretty sure I've already written about this, but the most exciting realization for me this past year is that God loves me! I've lived most of my life thinking that God has to love me, that's His job, and so I never understood the big deal when people went on and on about His love. But this year, my Father slowly began to show me what His love is all about. It would take me way to long to put it into words but I'm beginning to get an idea of how deep and wide and long the Father's love is for me. I'm excited to see how He continues this in this new year.
Here are a few other things that I did in 2007:
Like most people do this time of year, I've been thinking back over the past 12 months. It was a good year for me and the Lord did a lot of new things in my life. It was hard at times, but there was also a lot of laughter. If my 2007 had a sub-title, I think it would be "A Year of New Beginnings" (that may be redundant but it's what keeps coming to mind).
I'm pretty sure I've already written about this, but the most exciting realization for me this past year is that God loves me! I've lived most of my life thinking that God has to love me, that's His job, and so I never understood the big deal when people went on and on about His love. But this year, my Father slowly began to show me what His love is all about. It would take me way to long to put it into words but I'm beginning to get an idea of how deep and wide and long the Father's love is for me. I'm excited to see how He continues this in this new year.
Here are a few other things that I did in 2007:
- moved to a new part of town;
- started going to Sunday School again (after 3 years of not going);
- made some wonderful new friends;
- sang karaoke for the first time;
- went on a "real" mission trip;
- saw lions, tigers, and bears, oh my! (really it was giraffes, elephants, and rhinos, but still, Oh My!!);
- learned what "dispensation" means;
- actually began to like working with elementary school students;
- learned what it means to weep with those who weep;
- began to put the waltz into action;
- fell in love (with about 18 five year olds);
- learned how to order the really good drinks at Starbucks;
- took tennis lessons;
- discovered the many puzzle pieces of my life;
- worked my 9th year of Alabama Governor's School;
- learned to watch what I say because everything can be misunderstood;
- let some friends down;
- began to long for Home.
Tuesday, January 1, 2008
It Could Have Been Devastating
I just got home from a great weekend at the beach. A few of us went to Pensacola to get away for a few days and ring in the New Year. New Year's Eve has lost it's excitement for me. Since I'm over the hype of needing something really exciting to do, the thought of going to the beach with just a few people was extremely inviting to me. I'm not exactly sure how many people were supposed to be there, but as always happens when a group gets together, people dropped out for one reason or another. So, at final count on Saturday morning, 6 girls and 2 guys set out on the road.
Two guys in the midst of 6 girls, for 4 days, might not sound very fun to begin with, but imagine being one of those two guys, and not really knowing anyone. Not only did Russ brave the trip, but I honestly don't think we would have laughed quite as much had he not been there. I will even go so far as to say he "made" the weekend. It was so much fun to watch him interact with everyone and then feel completely free to do his own thing, like: telling complete strangers that he liked some article of clothing they had on, meeting the neighbors and hanging out with them (I think he may have gotten a little bored with us a couple of times; did I mention he's 21?), going to the beach at 3:00 in the morning just because he wanted to, or swimming in the ocean even though it was freezing. He was just fun to be around and talk to and watch.
It was a good weekend and unlike any beach trip I've ever been on. There are several funny stories, one or two embarrassing moments, some good memories, and we gained a new appreciation for the word "devastating", but the best part for me was to watch each person in our group interact with Russ. I don't know much about his life (I know more now than I did), or his background, or where he is spiritually, but I saw the Body of Christ act as it is supposed to; we just loved on him, took an interest in him, and accepted him, no questions asked (honestly though, it wasn't hard to do). I hope Russ will continue to hang out with us. In one way or another, I think we all benefited from meeting him this weekend.
On another topic: if anyone reading this has ever been to Pensacola with me, or knows who I went with, please let me know...either I've been there in the past few years or I had major Deja' Vu. I didn't think I had been to Pensacola since I was a child but as we were driving into Pensacola Beach, things began to look incredibly familiar. I think we ate at McGuire's Pub also. Please tell me I'm not losing my mind!
Two guys in the midst of 6 girls, for 4 days, might not sound very fun to begin with, but imagine being one of those two guys, and not really knowing anyone. Not only did Russ brave the trip, but I honestly don't think we would have laughed quite as much had he not been there. I will even go so far as to say he "made" the weekend. It was so much fun to watch him interact with everyone and then feel completely free to do his own thing, like: telling complete strangers that he liked some article of clothing they had on, meeting the neighbors and hanging out with them (I think he may have gotten a little bored with us a couple of times; did I mention he's 21?), going to the beach at 3:00 in the morning just because he wanted to, or swimming in the ocean even though it was freezing. He was just fun to be around and talk to and watch.
It was a good weekend and unlike any beach trip I've ever been on. There are several funny stories, one or two embarrassing moments, some good memories, and we gained a new appreciation for the word "devastating", but the best part for me was to watch each person in our group interact with Russ. I don't know much about his life (I know more now than I did), or his background, or where he is spiritually, but I saw the Body of Christ act as it is supposed to; we just loved on him, took an interest in him, and accepted him, no questions asked (honestly though, it wasn't hard to do). I hope Russ will continue to hang out with us. In one way or another, I think we all benefited from meeting him this weekend.
On another topic: if anyone reading this has ever been to Pensacola with me, or knows who I went with, please let me know...either I've been there in the past few years or I had major Deja' Vu. I didn't think I had been to Pensacola since I was a child but as we were driving into Pensacola Beach, things began to look incredibly familiar. I think we ate at McGuire's Pub also. Please tell me I'm not losing my mind!
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