my summer reading list

With it being summer, I want to do some reading! I have this bad habit of buying books before reading the ones I already have…thus my to-read pile never gets smaller. But I want to make a dent in that stack over the next few weeks. And part of that is finishing some that I've started - I have a bad habit of doing that as well :)

I've read Shauna's other book, Bittersweet and am excited about reading Cold Tangerines.  She tells all of these individual stories but they come together. She shares from her life - the ups and the downs - and it's that honesty that makes me like her writing. 

I've started Let's All Be Brave and like it so far! Each year I pick a word that is my theme and this year, my word is brave. 

I've read Praying for Your Future Husband twice already. I like that there's space to make notes and questions at the end of each chapter. It's interesting to see what I've already written and what my thoughts about each chapter are now. Each chapter has a different thing to pray about for your future husband - it's a really good book and I love that by praying for him, I'm preparing myself as well. 

Other People's Children is a book I'm reading for work. I'm reviewing Fifty Shades of They by Ed Young. It's about the importance of the right relationships in our lives. I've started T.L. Lowery's Walking in the Supernatural but am not very far into it. Whew! That's lots of reading but I'm looking forward to it! 

time to breathe

It's summer! I'm ready for some time to relax, do some diy projects, maybe try a few new recipes and just enjoy some time off! I'll be doing some work as well. I know some people think teachers have it made by being off in the summer but in a few weeks I'll be back in my classroom, working on getting it ready for my next group of kiddos. I'll be planning and going to some trainings so I can be an even better teacher next year. I love that I'm never done learning. In my classroom, we are "eager to learn" and I want to be an example of that to them. Saying all of that to say, even though I'm not at work in June and July, it doesn't mean I'm not working. But that's part of my job and I like the preparation. I like making fresh name tags and the chance to start over each year. 

So summer is my time to regroup. It's my chance to take a deep breath and have time for more than just work. One thing I want to focus on this summer is growing closer to God. You can't hear someone if you're too busy either talking yourself or constantly moving. Summer is a chance for me to slow down and be with the One who knows me better than anyone else. This was my second year teaching so I'm still adjusting to the constant-ness of the school year versus the downtime of summer but I want this summer to be productive. I don't want it to feel like I accomplished nothing. And I don't think it will be.  I think this summer is going to be the best yet! I've got some things planned but I also want to be open to the unexpected. It's going to be good :)

burning bushes

Life is crazy busy but awesome right now! I'm wrapping up my second year teaching, preparing for another trip to Guatemala this summer and a lot of other things :) I'm ready for my schedule to slow down some this summer but really, it'll just be a different kind of busy. I felt God today in a way that hasn't happened too often. I don't know how to quite explain it but I'm just wanting to be open to whatever He is up to. I want to do a better job of not being too busy for God. Of not being so focused on what I need to do that I miss what He might be trying to do. I love the story of Moses and how it wasn't until he turned away from his path that he noticed the burning bush (Exodus 3). I don't want to miss any burning bushes in my life. A friend shared Steffany Gretzinger's "The Undoing" on Facebook the other day and it caught my attention. I started listening to her music tonight and wow, it's beautiful. There's a simplicity to it and it so worshipful. I think it's what I needed today. I like all of the songs but "Out of Hiding" might be my current favorite. I love how it talks about how God sees us and thinks of us.