Forgiveness. It's Not What You Think.

I have been putting off writing this post for a while.  I didn't want anyone thinking they knew/trying to figure out who this post is about.  So, I've waited what I think is an appropriate length of time - let's call it a mourning period.  Besides, this isn't about any one person.  Well.  It is about one person.  Me.  And my journey of finding forgiveness through Christ.

It is not in human nature to forgive.  Our natural tendency is to want things to be even.  If we feel that we, or someone we love has been wronged, we want it remedied.  We simply do.

However, as Christians we are called to die to ourselves, and one of the very real outcomes of that is forgiveness.

I've heard unforgiveness (my computer just tried telling me unforgiveness isn't a word - let me reassure you, it most certainly is) described as drinking poison, and expecting your enemy to die.  It's true.  When we harbor negative feelings towards someone, it doesn't affect them - they either don't know, or don't care about the offense.  The only person it is hurting is yourself.  So let's talk about how we can make our way to forgiveness and healing.

People are not always nice.  People who say they are Christians are not always nice.  Christians are not always nice.  So, what do we do when we feel genuinely hurt by someone, especially someone who is supposed to be a brother or sister in the Lord?  Because as much as we would like to think that this sort of thing doesn't happen, unfortunately, I'm here to tell you that it does.  Even to people in ministry.  Especially to people in ministry.

Last week in church, we were singing a "new" version of Amazing Grace, when it dawned on me, that in the same way that Jesus died for my sins, he also died for the sins committed against me.  I'm not going to sugar-coat it.  Sometimes there truly are sins committed against us.  Not just someone being rude, or snippy, not just forgetting our birthday - real, painful, biblical sins.  But how can we expect/hope for God's forgiveness in our lives, and yet begrudge it from someone else.  Because that's where I was at.  I didn't want to forgive, and I didn't want God to forgive them either.  I wanted Him to punish them.  Because that's how our society works.  If you commit a crime (and are caught for it), you pay the fine/do the time.  And while there are consequences for all our actions, God is a God of grace - to us, and those who hurt us.

I was being Jonah.  I was hurt, and wanted those around me to hurt too.  I felt like these people needed to know how they made me feel, and suffer the consequences.  But you know what?  While confronting someone for their transgressions is fine, and healthy, it still can't come out of a place of unforgiveness.  Or else the motive is wrong.  We have to forgive the person whether it is asked for or not.  Whether they think they've done anything wrong or not.

Because at the end of the day, we will all stand before God, and I would rather be humbled, and forgive someone who probably didn't "deserve" it, in my mind - even though I don't "deserve" forgiveness either - than have to account for harboring ill-will towards someone.  God will deal with the sin in someone else's life, in the same way he would with ours.  He WILL come to our defense, but not on our schedule.  We have to be willing to do the right thing, even when it hurts so bad you want to throw your hands up and cry.  

Because forgiveness is hard.  It feels backwards and unnatural.  You know the song "Sorry Seems to be the Hardest Word"?  I respectfully disagree with Elton John.  "I forgive you" - whether said out loud, or in your heart - is the hardest thing to say.

And yet, I'm saying it.  I forgive you for mistreating me, I forgive you for using me, I forgive you for hurting me.  Not because you deserve it, not because I deserve it, but because it is a commandment, and because if I don't forgive you, I have no business asking God to forgive me (Matthew 6:15).  I am being obedient, even though it's hard.  We seem to forget that following Christ means we WILL be hated and persecuted (Matthew 10:22).  It's not the lovey-dovey part of being a Christian.  It's the nitty-gritty, real life stuff.  It's the stuff that makes or breaks you.  And my salvation is worth more than holding unforgiveness in my heart.

Fall Family Pictures 2.0 - 5 New Tips On What To Wear, What To Do

Fall is my favorite time of year, for many different reasons, but one of them is: family picture time!!!
After our pictures turned out beautifully last year, I wrote Fall Family Pictures: 5 Tips on What To Wear, What To Do.  This year, the stakes were even higher - since we were having pictures taken for our prayer cards, since we are becoming missionaries, and although I didn't think it was possible, our pictures turned out even prettier!  
I didn't want to repeat myself, so here are 5 NEW tips on what to wear, and what to do for you family pictures:

1. Combine Textures and Layer

I got a little more brave this year about what textures we used, and it's actually thanks to Dan.  He picked out his outfit first, and asked if I could come up with anything to compliment it for our pictures.  I was just excited that he came up with such a great outfit!  He chose a really nice burgundy button-up, navy knitted sweater and khakis (all from Abercrombie and Fitch) - which was actually genius.  Whenever you wear layers, it then adds layers to the textures, which makes for a more interesting and inviting pictures.  I wore a beige knitted top (Old Navy), with a white crochet knit top (Solitaire) and burgundy cardigan (Old Navy) and navy skinny pants (Max Jeans).  Aidan wore an adorable burgundy and navy printed white button-up with a burgundy bowtie and jeans.

2. Trust Your Photographer/Hire a Professional

This is our third time having our pictures taken by Hillary at Southern Sisters Photography.  We absolutely LOVE her, and highly recommend her!  She hears what you want, and does excellent work!  We always feel really comfortable around her, which is a huge bonus with kids.

So, find a photographer you love, and then trust them.  They know what they're doing.  Here's a great example of photographers knowing their stuff:

The photo on the left, is what the shot looked like before editing, and the one on the right is what it looked like after she edited it.  If she wasn't a professional, this shot would've gotten lost, but now, it's one of my favorites!!!

4. Location, Location, Location

I have to hand it to Dan, he picked this one out this year too!  He found this beautiful tree in downtown Jacksonville, called Treaty Oak.  We went right before sundown, so the sun was peeking through the leaves, and it was magical!  Choose somewhere that has appealing colors, is pretty easily accessible, and works with the overall look you're going for.

3. Candid shots

Of course, you want that perfect picture for your Christmas card, or to hang in your living room (or in our case - prayer card).  But, as Hillary later reminded of, especially with kids, when you let them roam, and follow their lead as far as their interests.  For example, one of Aidan's new favorite words, is "acorn".  Well, as you know we were at Treaty Oak.  What are oak tree seeds?  Acorns.  It was a match made in heaven!  For most of the shoot, we just followed Aidan around, and looked at acorns with him!

5. Beeee Yourself

Every family has different things that make them unique, or who they are, and at the risk of sounding mushy, what makes us us, is love.  We love spending time together, we love being the three of us, and we LOVE being parents.  So that's where the focus ended up.  

If your family is goofy, don't be afraid of a slightly-off-beat picture.  If you're adventurous, choose a location that reflects that.

We actually, originally were going to use a traditional family picture for our prayer card, but this more relaxed picture - that truly reflects who we are - ended up being the winner!  It was actually one of the first ones of the day too!

So... maybe family pictures are right up your alley, so this was all stuff you already know - I'm so happy to find a kindred-spirit!  Maybe family pictures are intimidating for you, and you don't know where to start - I hope this post gave you a little bit of direction!

Wherever you're coming from, I hope you enjoyed the post, the pictures, and have a wonderful time with your family taking your own pictures!

Family Star Wars Costume DIY

As you probably now by now, I love dress-up!  So naturally, I love this time of year.  Our sweet little resident all-boy is crazy about Star Wars, so naturally we decided to a galaxy far, far away...

If you want to recreate the looks, here's what you'll need:

Han Solo:

- My sweet husband indulges me, so when he asked if he could wear just a Han Solo T-shirt, I said yes.  :)  Your husband will thank you if you let him off the hook every once in a while. 

Princess Leia:

- I found the white turtleneck at Goodwill.

- The white skirt is from a dance costume website.  We bought them for a Christmas production one year (I actually layered two, because they were a little see-through).

- The belt is aluminum foil.  I didn't go crazy with all the accessories this year, but I think it turned out pretty cute. :)

- I wore some white flats that I had.

- I made two sock buns - which turned out adorable, if I do say so myself.

Ewok:

- We ordered a bear costume from amazon.com.  It was cute, and served our needs perfectly. 

- I bought a brown men's shirt for the hood.

- I cut the side seams and arms off the shirt, and placed the bear head piece on Aidan.  I then laid the shirt on his head, with his face in the head hole .  I drew lines for where the ears were going to pop out, and cut out holes.

Aidan had an adorable toy ewok from his Aunt and Uncle, so of course we had to get a picture of them together.

Family selfie!

I hope you liked our costumes this year!  Any ideas for next year?  What did your family dress up as this year?  Do you still do family costumes, and if not, when did your kids decide they were too old for them?  I'm already dreading the day...

Parade of Literacy - Book Themed Costumes!

I love how creative my students and their parents get every year for the Parade of Literacy!  Here are my top picks for this year!

1. Amelia Bedelia

2. Rainbow Fish

3. Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day

(Notice the "gum" [gel] in his hair!)

4. Charlie Brown

5. Cindy Lou Who

And of course, our teachers, who go all out every year!

The Adventures of Tintin and Captain Haddock DIY Costumes

It's the most wonderful time of the year... no, I don't mean Christmas.  PARADE OF LITERACY!!! 

It's my favorite day of the year, and pretty much my favorite part thing about being a teacher.  Two years ago I went as Ms. Frizzle, and last year Aidan and I went as Max and a Wild Thing from Where the Wild Things Are.

I totally plan a year in advance.  I know I'm crazy, but at least I channel it into something productive - costume making!

This year, I decided to dress Aidan and I up as Tintin and Captain Haddock.  In case you don't know who they are, don't worry, you're not alone.  If you DO know who they are, I am so happy we are friends!  The Adventures of Tintin is a comic series, created by Belgian cartoonist Herge.  Since Dan and I met, and went to college in Belgium, plus my mom is/was a huge fan, so growing up, liking the comic series wasn't really optional, it felt like a perfect fit!  Plus, while Aidan isn't a ginger, he definitely has some red tones to his hair.  Let the planning begin!

Tintin's costume:

(Especially for Aidan's part, I wanted to get things that he could wear anyway.)

- Khaki pants (found mine at Target)

- White collared shirt (found mine at Old Navy)

- Light blue long sleeved shirt (found mine on Burt's Bee's website)

- Dark brown/black shoes

- Alfalfa-esque hair spike

Optional:

- Stuffed Snowy dog toy

- Light colored trench coat

- Leather backpack/satchel

Captain Haddock's costume:

- Navy pants (mine were ones I already had)

- Royal blue shirt (found at Goodwill)

- Navy blazer (found at Goodwill)

- Captain's hat (found it online)

- Black booties

- Fuzzy craft fabric (found at Michael's)

- Black felt

- Hot glue gun

- Ribbon

- Anchor stencil

Tintin's costume was pretty straight forward.  Captain Haddock's took a little work. 

1. I cut out a beard from the fuzzy fabric, and hot glued ribbon to the corners.  I also cut a long strip of it, and hot glued in to the inside of the captain's hat.

2. I printed out a large picture of an anchor I liked (in the comics, Captain's Haddock's anchor is pretty small, but I wanted it to be noticeable, so I took some artistic liberties.  I cut out the anchor, pinned it to the felt, and cut the anchor out of felt.  I then hot glued it to the front of the blue (Goodwill-find) shirt.

Ta-da!

Then, we took Aidan outside, and got a few pictures.  Because, seriously - he looked way too stinking' adorable not to have photographic evidence.  Besides, he'll need proof when he needs to see a shrink once he's an adult.

 

And... just for reference sake, here are the original Tintin and Captain Haddock:

Reading Street Kindergarten "Smash! Crash!" Week

Yay for Smash! Crash! week!  The boys always love this week - trucks and tractors galore!  So, let me show you what we did in our centers this week:

1. Math Center

I really went all out in the math center this week.  In math we're learning about one-to-one correspondence, and I wanted to tie in the trucks and tractors.  I found this great free bundle on vehicles at homeschoolcreations.com.  One of the games was these cards that had a certain number of vehicles, with three numbers at the bottom, then the kids put a clothespin on the correct number.  It reenforces one-to-one correspondence, number recognition, and fine-motor skills.

I caved, and actually bought a packet on teacherspayteachers.com.  It was totally worth it!  It had a few different games.  The first one was a domino game, using tractors instead instead of dots.  Big hit!

It came with a matching game too.  Again, great for one-to-one correspondence!

I also used a game from the first game, where the kids put numbers 1-10 in order.  They used orange and green train cars, which was also great for reenforcing patterning.

2. Literacy Center

I found some great sight word practice sheets.  

I used part of the first packet to practice sequencing (which could've gone to math also, but I thought it might help visual learners, when we're talking about sequencing our stories).

I made a fun sight word practice.  (One of our words this week was "a", so it was super easy, but it'll get more interesting.)  You'll need an old cookie sheet, some tape, sight word cards, magnetic letters and white board markers.

 

I made a great, differentiated CVC word practice game.  You'll need a picture of a Weiner dog, and a clip art of a bone.  For your below- or on-level students, you can cut the bone into three pieces. This way it'll help them know it the letter is a beginning, medial or ending letter.  For your advanced students, you make the bone smaller, and they have free range of the order they put the letters in.

3. Science Center

I found a worksheet on motion; where the kids had do decide if the action in the picture was "pushing" or "pulling".

4. Complementary Books

We read Little Blue truck one day, and Little Blue Truck Leads the Way the next.  We then compared (what's the same), and contrasted (what's different) them.  THE KIDS HAD SO MUCH FUN!!!  And, we were using our vocabulary words.  Score!!!

Compare:

- Same main character.

- Same author.

- Same illustrator.

- Someone was rude to Blue.

- But he showed them kindness.

- Same opening line,

Contrast:

- Little blue is a lighter color (haha, my artistic kiddo).

- Different setting (country vs. city).

- Different supporting characters (animals in first one, vehicles and people in the second one).

That's all for now, folks!

Next week is Dig, Dig Digging, so some of the center games will stick around for one more week.  

Hope I was able to give you a few ideas for your own kiddos.

Let me know if you have any thoughts, ideas or questions!