An Open Letter to the High School Class of 2025

(Today is kindergarten graduation. It sounds silly but it is the formal ceremony where we as teachers get to say good-bye to our precious students that have been entrusted to our care for the past school year.)

Dear My Special 15 Students in the Future Class of 2025,

   Wow, I can't believe that it is May already!  And your Miss L cannot believe that today is graduation.  Our time has gone by so quickly!  I guess the old saying is true that time flies when you are having fun.  Which I have had so much fun with you all this year!  I hope that you have had fun with me.  Do you remember all the times we have laughed at each other?  Like when we read The Gingerbread Cowboy?  You all loved it so much we read it three times!  Or remember when we laughed so hard at recess that one day when you said I should dress up like a princess?  And Veggie Tales.  We always laughed at Larry and Bob.  Oh, and how can I forget that when I read Goldilocks and the Three Dinosaurs and the Norwegian dinosaur sounded like the Swedish Chef?  You all cracked up.
   Each one of you has a special place in my heart. In fact, each one of you has helped me grow as a person and in my walk with the Lord this year.  I'll never forget you!   To the child who had to endure such great loss this year- you have taught me more about placing my complete trust in God.  You have a beautiful and knowledgeable spirit, I hope that it only flourishes as you get older.  To the one who didn't think you could do it- I've seen so many successes in you this year.  Keep going and keep trying, you'll get where you want to be, I promise!  To the child who loves our school so much, you have taught me more about grace and second chances than you'll ever know. Go out there and show others too!  To the child with the sunny smile, you have shown me that even though you are six, you can still take a Bible story and apply to your life.  It really is about having faith like a child.  To the child with the fierce prayers, I have never heard someone, including adults,  pray with such boldness and confidence.  You challenge me when I pray.  To the amazing child who lets nothing stand in the way- everything about you warms my heart and cements God-given dreams in my heart.  I see bright things ahead for you.  To the child whose intelligence is sometimes hidden- you have shown me that if we continue to seek it, it can be found.  Don't ever give up!  To the child who greeted me with a laugh and a smile every morning, I love your jokes and your sense of humor.  I'll always think of you and how you brought the laughs to our class.  To the shy smiling child, I will miss those sweet hugs you gave me all the time...and all your rainbow artwork!   To the child with the infamous grin, you are so smart!  Continue to focus in first grade and you'll go great places one day.  To the child with a servant's heart- you were so encouraging to others all year long.  You have a thirst for God that is admirable- don't ever lose it.  To the child with joy- continue to bring that with you where ever you go.  Our world needs more joyful spirits like you.  To the child that was always so precise- I'll never forget your precious smile or your tell-it-like-it-is way of talking.  You are a truth teller, don't ever lose that.  To the child who was definitely the most hospitable to all- you made your classmates into instant friends and you made your teacher feel so welcome at her new school this year.  I'm going to be lost without you next year!  To the sweet child, we made it!  You have shown me that fear can be conquered!  You are such a brave child!  Never lose that!
   This week has been a hard week for your teacher.  You see, everything we do is the last of something.  I've wanted to be sad, but instead I've been praying a verse about God's faithfulness.  God will be faithful to cover your lives as you grow up!  His faithfulness will protect you and keep you safe from harm.  My prayer for you, this class of 2025, is that you will grow into becoming a light to the world.  You all are smart, you can read, you can write, you can do math.  But most of all, you all each have a thirst and hunger for God.  We have had special times this year where we talked about words how they matter to God.  My words for you this year is that you would have discovered you are mighty warriors and mighty princesses of God.  I pray that the seed was firmly planted and will take root as you begin to find your identity in Christ as you grow up.  So, even though my heart is sad, I'm excited to watch you all grow up!  You all are each amazing people, truly I have never seen the words of Psalm 139:13 in action until this year.  You all are each unique individuals with bright futures up ahead.  I will be praying for you, as always, and if you ever need anything, let me know. I will do what I can to help.  After all, it is what love does.  And as Ellie said to Carl in Up, "Thanks for the adventure, now go and have one of your own!"

Love,
Miss L
 

Ooo-Lala! Its fun to feel FANCY!!!

Today was a total gift day from God!  You see, our school had the pleasure of hosting the illustrator, Robin Preiss Glasser.  She has worked on many books, but what she is best known for is the Fancy Nancy series.  I love Fancy Nancy.  I think that she speaks to that five year old girl in me that loves to be fancy!  Last fall, after I was hired at my school, I heard that they had "Fancy Nancy" day because the illustrator has visited the school the previous year.  I was so bummed!  I missed the opportunity to see one of my favorite illustrators in person and dress fancy!  But because we have such an awesome and wonderful librarian at our school, Mrs. Glasser asked if she could come back!  So we got to have Fancy Nancy day again!  Perfect excuse for me to wear my ooo-lalala tutu and sparkley black dress!  Oh and my red suede ballet slippers!  So very fancy!  I loved hearing Mrs. Glasser  talk about how she gathers her inspiration for all of the pictures for the book.  I learned so much about the world of publishing and how a book is created.  It really is a very complex process.  I also was very much in awe of her because she had two of the four careers I wanted as a child.  Mrs. Glasser was a ballet dancer before she became an artist/illustrator.  The little girl and me was "Wooow.  I want to be you when I grow up!"  (BTW, the other two were teacher and doctor.)  I think I enjoyed it as much as the kids!  Total gift number one from God today!
       With Fancy Nancy in the house, you have to dress fancy, which included my class dressed fancy as well.  I loved that one boy wore a tie and dress shirt.. You don't have to be a girl to be fancy...ANYONE can get spiffed up!  I had lots of twirly skirts, sparkles and feather boas from the girls in class.  One little sweetheart even had a tiara on!  It some how made them all want to act fancy all day, including when we ate lunch in our classroom.  We each lunch in the classroom everyday and so we always pick an imaginary place where we are eating.  Today one of the boys wanted us to eat at a fancy restaurant that was "full of dark wood and candles."  After we decided on that, he wanted us to have some fancy music to listen to, so he asked me, "Miss L?  Do you have any fancy music?  Like Frank Sinatra?  Frank Sinatra is fancy."  I cracked up!  So very funny!  How in the world did a six year old know that Frank Sinatra would be totally appropriate for our fancy lunch?  Not to mention how he went on that he was a huge fan of Frank Sinatra.  His parents, you get an A in parenting today!  I told him that I didn't have any Frank Sinatra but I happened to have my favorite movie soundtrack, Return to Me, with Dean Martin on it.  I said that Dean was a friend of Frank's, so it was the same kind of music.  He approved and we listened to Dean and some classic jazz for lunch, and according to the aide, they loved it!  Total gift number two today from God!

    Finally, and this was such a little gift that went so deep within my soul.  You see, I've been reading through Captivating by the Eldredges, on this journey to truly heal some soul wounds and believe the truth as the daughter of the King.  In the book they talk about how when women are little, they just want to be told that they are beautiful and twirl the pretty dress they are wearing.  This desire to feel pretty doesn't go away as she gets older.  Instead, it can be channeled in a negative way, or repressed, Instead, they encourage women to embrace it and accept that as a woman, there is a need(and it is ok) to feel beautiful.  As I was walking out with my class to the car line, I ran into a co-worker who gushed at how fancy I looked.  She said, "Miss L, twirl around, let's see it."  I played along and twirled around, and then I had to giggle.  The little Amy inside of me was exploding from joy at this wonderful day, especially getting to pretend that for a minute as the happy, carefree little girl who twirls and delights in her fancy clothes.  As I thought about that random, silly encounter, I really felt God tell me that is how He delights in me.  I may not get to dress fancy all the time on the outside, but I can be that way on the inside.  I can carry myself with confidence because He sees me as that daughter.  The little daughter who can feel pretty and have joy.  Psalm 139:14- "I praise You because I am fearfully and wonderfully made.  Your works are wonderful, I know that full well."  Tonight, I'm still twirling in the presence of God, smiling all the way.  Total gift number three today from God!

Hope After the Rain

For those of you that were in Oklahoma City this past Saturday, there was a torrential downpour around 2:30 in the afternoon.  I've never seen so much rain pour!  Especially when in the car...it is not my favorite thing to have try to navigate and trust that the road is still there, even when you can't see it.  At the end of the day, God painted a beautiful picture across the sky.  First, the golden sun started to barely break through the grays and the cobalt blues.  My mom called it a "Jesus Returning" sky.  She said she loves it when the sky looks like at any moment He will break through with all His glory.  Then the sky moved from the dusty blues to a brilliant gold color as the sun slowly sank down.  An hour later, this was the scene across this sky.  Isn't this amazing? Name a color in creation, and I'm pretty sure it is in this mind blowing sunset.  This picture doesn't even begin to describe the joy and wonder in my heart as I saw this definite gift from Him to my heart.  Remember my blog last week about masterpieces?  God gave me a wonderful gift after I had a long week of work at both of my jobs and fighting off this yucky virus.  I felt Him telling me, "See, this day started off rainy and cloudy.  You had no idea that I was going to end the day on this note."  God was right.  If you would have asked me at 2:30 if I thought I would see the most brilliant sunset in my life that night, I would have told you that it was impossible.  How could you see such a sunset when it is raining so much you wonder if you would see an ark float by?  But God is the God who makes all things possible!  The sunset was a reminder of His hope after the rains of life.  Even though it may be a downpour in your life right now, He is working to give you hope and a future, more than you can imagine.  Just like I couldn't dream the sunset, we can't dream how things are going to turn out.  We just have to trust and obey His leading.  One day, you will see the sweet and magnificent sunset too.  Just keep believing in the One who will create beautiful things in your life.

Psalm 126

The Message (MSG)

A Pilgrim Song

 It seemed like a dream, too good to be true,

    when God returned Zion’s exiles.

We laughed, we sang,

    we couldn’t believe our good fortune.

We were the talk of the nations—

    “God was wonderful to them!”

God was wonderful to us;

    we are one happy people.

 And now, God, do it again—

    bring rains to our drought-stricken lives

So those who planted their crops in despair

    will shout hurrahs at the harvest,

So those who went off with heavy hearts

    will come home laughing, with armloads of blessing.

Saturday's List

This week's theme: Some of my Eucharisteo Gifts of 2013

1. Starting off the year by sleeping in until noon. (No, I didn't stay up late partying the night before.  I think 2012 was just that tiring!)
2. George, my little Italian Greyhound snuggling with me!
3. My new prayer journal for my future husband.  This is the second year I've been intentionally praying a verse over him weekly.  It has changed me for the better and I hope he is changed as well, even if I have to fill up ten of these journals before we meet! (I hope not...but who knows what God has planned.  :-) )
4. Thankful that I got to see a doctor and got on some new medicine to help out my stomach.
5. A free slice of cheese from the deli counter one day.
6. Catching re-runs of Reba's old sitcom on TV
7. White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Clif Bars.  Those things are delicious!!!  
8. Unexpected chai tea lattes from parents on a cold day while doing carpool duty.
9. Reminders that God's delays produce a greater way for Him to show His power on display!
10. The day I was running late for work and ended up avoiding getting trapped in a really bad wreck.
11. Seeing a beautiful sunrise with the most vibrant colors- if only I could paint with that power and majesty!  I just love the creative heart of God.
12. Watching the Veggie Tales, "Josh and the Big Wall" with my class...it also includes my favorite silly song "The Song of the Cebu."
13. Getting seven hours of sleep on a weeknight.  (I actually could probably do it every night, I'm just not that disciplined in that area. But I'm working on it.)
14. The sunlight making a prism in the sky in the twilight hours.
15. Apparently the ability to run and be relieved of stress and pray is important because it is in my journal multiple times.
16. My friend, Miss K's daughter, C, seeing the YouVersion reminder pop up on her phone and saying, "Mom, the Bible texted you!"
17. My letters from my Compassion kiddos!  I love reading about their lives in the Philippines and Ecuador.
18. Having a student say, "School is better than Chuckie Cheese and McDonalds because school is about God."
19. Fun panda slippers in the mail from Miss A.  They are so cozy and I haven't taken them off!
20. Psalm 103: 2-5

Pursued by Love

One of my favorite books is Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen. I read it back as a freshman in high school, loving the determined pursuit of Elizabeth's heart by Mr. Darcy.  He gently wins her heart by being a servant and loving her despite the fact both were very prideful to one another.

Lately, God has been reminding me of my own selfish pride. I was reading Battlefield of the Mind by Joyce Meyer. She says, "...impatience is the fruit of pride." I was blown away by conviction of the root of my impatience. I am impatient because I am not trusting in the Lord's timing and due to my pride, think I know better. My flesh wants to be a "do"er, while God is asking me to be a "wait"er. If I wait on His timing, He will give me what is the best for me.

Back to P&P. God has also been very clear to me that he wants me to learn how to be pursued. He wants me to accept it when He chases after me with His great love. The only way that can happen is if I lay down my pride and humble my heart. Then God can pursue me on a deeper level and continue to gently win my heart each day,  Imagine that,  the Servant King, always loving me purely and covering me with grace. Sounds too good to be true.  I'll admit, my pride doesn't want to allow myself to be pursued, especially by God because I think I don't deserve it.  It is true that I don't...BUT GOD wants me.   He wants me more than I could ask or imagine.  With that,  God has been also very clear to me that as I learn to be pursued by Him, it will open the way in my heart for that Godly warrior He is preparing for me to do life with.  God has shown me that I can't be pursued by my future two if I am not even letting God in all my heart.  So, I lay me down, take away my pride...pursue me Lord, pursue me. I will wait for You each morning and evening.  Let me be surrounded in your amazing love.

Eucharisteo. What is it?

     Eucharisteo. This word came into my life last November through Ann Voskamp's book, One Thousand Gifts. I had heard about her story and the challenge to make a list of daily thanks to God. I started a list last July, but it wasn't until I read Ann's book that a seed planted deeply to start to produce an attitude of gratitude.
     The Greek word eucharisteo means thanksgiving and encompasses grace and joy. A powerful word God demonstrates over and over in His word. We are to live in the present moment, live with the I AM now. We turn our eyes upward to The Lord instead of downward on ourselves. It allows us to see His daily grace for life and enables us in return to give grace to others. Ann challenges the reader to go on their own joy dare, searching for eucharisteo, searching for a deeper relationship with God. The question you may ask yourself: Does it work? Does collecting gifts, being aware of the here and now of God's goodness change your life for the better? As Ann says, "Does thanksgiving really proceed the miracle?" I'm here to say that I'm only one month in as an intentional gift collector, but I know my life is better. I know thanksgiving proceeds the miracle.
     It's an exciting time for my family right now. My younger sister, The Nurse, is getting married! She is over the moon happy! I'm excited that she has such a good person to spend her life with. Lately, we have bridal faired, dress shopped, planned, and talked about how to make her special day come together.  I was worried that through all of this, I would wallow in self-pity. You see, if things were going according to my plan, I would have been married for two years. Instead, I'm not married or even dating anyone. Ungrateful Amy would be bitter and filled with jealousy. Ungrateful Amy would have complained it wasn't fair her younger sister was getting married first.

     Instead, The Gift Searcher Amy, the one seeking God's goodness everyday, is  happy for The Nurse. Last weekend we found her dress, and let me tell you she looks so fabulous and grown-up! Not to mention radiating with joy! She is bursting with excitement! The Gift Searcher Amy can honestly rejoice with her! I am so thankful for her and her future husband. I can't wait to see all the wonderful things God has in store for them.

      In all this thanksgiving, the miracle has happened; I am no longer that jealous, panicked person whose life is not going to her plan. No, now I'm praising God for The Nurse's happiness and resting in the promise that I know that He has a plan for me and it does include an "Ephesians 3:20" man in His time, way, and place.
     If you are facing hard times, I encourage you to look upward, give thanks in the storm, and let The Lord change your heart and life. Thanksgiving does proceed the miracle.
     Here's the special couple! Look how adorable they are! Can't wait for June 29th! Love you so much sister!!