Two weeks to take off!

So, as usually, I'm sitting around, re-organizing my Pinterest board on a wonderful Friday night. Don't worry, I also watched Easy A with some friends earlier tonight, so there is no need to be concerned for my social wellbeing. However, now, in my head, I am pretending that I am Emma Stone because I think she is the most hilarious human that has walked the earth. So, Emma Stone, if you are reading this, this is my confession of love for you as well as my confession that I will never be as drop dead funny as you.
As much as I love Emma, I love the fact that I'm going to India even more. (Emma, if you're still reading, I'm sorry. You are certainly a close second.) In two weeks from today, I'll be in India. Like have landed in New Delhi! No matter how much I try, I still cannot wrap my head around this. Two weeks. 14 days. 10 business days. One paper, one book review, 3 journals, and a first draft of a project away from India. I have so much to do and no idea where to start.
PLEASE help my team by praying for us! We are having our second to last prep meeting this Sunday and then we'll be on a plane for 16 hours. As much bonding we've had, nothing can prepare you for a whole day of travel with twenty other individuals.

You guys are the reason why I'm able to go. Seriously, I have been blessed with an amazing group of friends, awesome support from my work and the best family in the world. You are incredible. Yes, you, reading my little post. I think you are phenomenal.
So, now that you know you're phenomenal, go make someone else's day great. Bake cookies for a neighbor. Call an old friend. Write a letter. Actually listen when people are talking to you. Put away your phone at dinner. By making people feel like the special individuals they are, we invest worth and meaning in other's lives- something that is missing in the Other Backwards Caste in India. Love people! People are the coolest!

This is a little jumbled, but I'm just so happy for the astounding support and encouragement in my life and I want everyone to share it! Go forth and love!

Here's why I'm not getting an endorsement.

Dear North Park education program,

I would like to state my reasons for not becoming endorsed in ESL or Special Education.

1. By getting an endorsement, I am saying that I am capable of teaching children who, in all honesty, I can't.

2. I am not patient. At all. ESL and Special Education teachers have to have patience and I lack that quality a whole lot.

3. I do not want to teach. I'm sorry for crushing your dreams of molding me into an exceptional teacher, but my dreams are to work in non-profit. I'm going to take what I have learned about here and apply it in a non-profit setting.

So please, stop making me feel guilty for not getting an endorsement. Thank you ever so kindly.

Love on love on love.

Art room lovin'

Here's a fun fact: I love Valentine's day. It is one of the greatest days of the year.
The art room is covered in hearts on hearts on hearts. I guess I go a little overboard but that's only because I think it is so great.

Now, here's a little background on my Valentine's history. I've had two Valentine's days when I was in a relationship and two when I was single. I'm going to be honest, I love spending my Valentine's day with my girls so we can spoil each other. For example, my date for one Valentine's was to a fabulous Italian restaurant with a dear friend and the next year, I ate ice cream from a fast food restaurant. You can see why I'd choose my girl friends over frantically finding a date.
Ok. Now for the explanation. I do not like Valentine's day because Halmark invented overly pricey cards for us to scribble down our names in a declaration of love. No. I love Valentine's day because I love LOVE. That's right. I love God's love. He is so great. I am beyond madly in love with the Creator. Having an entire day set aside to purposely love one others is the best way God is bringing the Kingdom on earth. Think about it: this is the day we'll be a little kinder to that jerk who cut us off in traffic or we'll smile at the bus driver.
And what's even more exciting is someday we'll be living in a world that is always Valentine's day! (well, minus the guilt of not yet snagging Joseph Gordon-Levitt as my Valentine) We will live in a New Earth and everything will be made right between humanity. There will be love on love on love. Love will be spilling over everything and it will be perfect.

Halfway there and back on track.

GUYS I AM AT 50% OF MY FUNDING FOR INDIA! GOD IS INCREDIBLE!

I woke up today and my roommate and I where having a super rough morning. I burnt the bacon, she forgot about her laundry, we didn't make enough coffee and there was no milk for french toast. Those are some serious issues right there. We really wanted to throw in the towel and just crawl back in bed, however, there are just somethings you can't get out of, like class and work.
Begrudgingly, I sat down and read my devotional for the day. It talked about how when we seek God, He provides peace. He gives us as much peace as we need, no matter what. There is so much to worry about but His peace transcends any worry we concoct. Psalm 46:1-2 says that God is our strong refugee and that HE is our helper in times of trouble.
I've been running so much. Right now, I am confused about most things in my life so, naturally, I think I can just solve everything. How wrong am I. After praying and repenting and meditating in God's mercy, I went to the mailroom. There was just enough money so that I was at 50% of my India funding.
GOD. IS. SO. GOOD.
So now I'm halfway there (to India) and back on track (in my life). God is my coffee- I need Him to wake me up in the morning, I need Him to function during the day, and I need Him to give me just enough energy to last til night.

Women.

Right now, I am feeling like a woman. Let me explain.
I am sitting in my living room of my apartment that I cleaned top to bottom after going to the grocery store to buy food to make lunch before I do my returns. Today has basically been a girl to-do day and I'm ok with that.
I was put in charge of a bulletin board on my floor. I wanted to make something that inspired kids to be great, the moto of the club. I'm all about quotes so I chose one by Dr. Suess: “You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself any direction you choose. You're on your own. And you know what you know. And YOU are the one who'll decide where to go...” 

On Friday, I was having the kids draw what they wanted to be when they grew up. We were talking about music and the kid's favorite song. All the girls started singing "Girl on Fire" by Alica Keys. I'm not sure if it was the little voices singing off key or all the smiles on their faces but in that moment I was so glad to be in the presence of such strong women. These little 7-year-old girls are the future women and if they can be so proud of themselves and have dreams and aspirations, I'd say that we are in capable hands. They can choose where they want to go and if they choose to be powerful women, so be it. After all, they are on fire and there is not slowing them down.

Bring the art room rules home

Soon, I'm going to start teaching an art class. (This may end up being a huge fail, but I'll keep you updated on that ha!) And I've already started implementing rules in the art room. While I am becoming more in control of my work life, I have been abandoning any growth in my personal life. Here are my rules for the art room as well as my life.
First and foremost, I will work on loving others. Romans 12:10 says to love one another with brotherly affection and outdo one another in showing honor. This is something that I have always displayed to my kids. For instance, if they say something mean about another, they are expected to say three kind things about the person they were rude to. When I am rude to my friends, I hardly notice it and certainly do not try to amend my actions. I need to seek to show kindness and gentleness in everything I do.
Second, I need to clean up after myself. When situations arise that are too difficult for me to handle, I like to stick my head in the ground and wait for it to go away, which is a slightly childish action. In the art room, I expect the kids to clean up after themselves. They have to identify what is their mess and take the necessary actions to put away said mess. While these steps seem elementary, more often than not, I end up cleaning up the majority of the room. In life, I expect someone else to come to my rescue and clean up my messes.
Finally, I need to identify what is worth my energy and what I need to let go of. There are parts of life that are just not worth stressing out about. Like I tell my kids, maybe I need a minute to calm down and figure out what is really bothering me. Pause and think- can I fix this? Is this even in my control? More often than not, there is nothing I can to about situations; therefore, there is nothing worth stressing over.

So, here's to 2013: the year I grow up and learn how to bring the art room rules home.

Oh happy day.

I have a new job. Well, it's a week-old. I'm working at the club near my college and it is kind of the greatest thing ever. My boss is so chill and gives each of us (almost) total freedom to do whatever programing we want. And the kids I work with are the greatest kids on the planet. (Well, most of the time!) My staff is amazing and it is such a great fit for me.
I was helping a kindergartner with her homework the other day. She was learning about body coverings on animals- fur, feathers, etc. She had to draw another animal with the same body covering as the one pictured. The first picture was of a bird, so I asked, "What is on a bird?" She answered, "Brown? Black?" I suppose the idea of feathers was a little confusing. A boy across the table looked at her, shook his head, and explained that we all have things that cover us. Humans have skin, dogs have fur, and birds have feathers. The kindergardener looked up at me, smiled, and said, "Birds have feathers. So do dinosaurs!" Right on, kid.
Basically, I am happy. It's this one-on-one (or even15-on-one) interactions with kids that make me realize how amazing life is. Taking the time to listen to how a child processes ideas and thoughts is one of the greatest parts about my work. I have no idea how they can manage such creative and unique responses to homework questions, but it brings such joy. And fueling that joy can keep a child learning and discovering and making other people happy.