Somtimes the sky falls down.
Just when you start to think everything is good, just when you thought you'd caught the perfect crest on the wave,
the tide pulls your feet out from under you, and all is swept away.
Pieces of sorrow, like shards of broken glass, litter the space around you,
and the hardest thing is finding a shred of good-a reflection of farway light off a mirror, a glimmer of sunshine through a drawn shade.

It is in these ravines of self-pity, misunderstanding, miscommunication, whatever, that you must pour everything into climbing back out.
Finding, accepting, gaining peace from obstacles you cannot control.

Search for the good-or something better than "there"- for truly it exists, waiting to be found.

"When the music fades-all is stripped away-and I simply come.
Wanting just to bring, something that's of worth, that will bless Your soul.
I'm coming back to the heart of worship, and it's all about You."

This is how it works: Wherever you fall, I'll pick you up.
Whether it's your body or your heart that's breaking,
I will be there to put the fallen pieces together.

Even now I am with you. Ready, waiting, knowing and expecting
out of truth-not disdain.
For I know as hard as you try, there will always be moments when

I receive you.

A favorite story.

One of my favorite devotionals tells this story:

Throughout life, I have walked next to Jesus, both our footprints in the sand.
But at one point, I looked back and only saw one set of footprints.
I turned to the Lord and asked "Why? Why have you deserted me?"
And his reply was:
"At that time, when you needed me most, I did not desert you,

I carried you."

Waiting and hoping go hand in hand.

And in the Bible, hope is not another word for maybe.

Hope--biblical hope, Christ-centered hope--is this:

the confident, alert expectation

that God will do what He said He would do.

Sometimes I forget to jump.

I forget that, in life, I have to take risks.

I have to put it out on the line-

and hope, pray, wish for the best.

I must pry myself free

from the tangled web of what-if's and why didn't I's?

I have to break out of the boundaries I set up-

why did I put them in place to begin with?

Sometimes I'll fall short,

but sometimes I'll get more than I ever could have imagined.

And when that happens,

I am reminded of the importance of the jump.

Life is an adventure; make the leap.

A moment's grace.

It is in our weakest moments that we show how truly strong we are.

When we prove that we face our fears head-on,

with a bold, understanding

heart.

There's something to be said for bravery. For facing your fears,

going head-strong into the eye of the storm. It speaks to your character,

your sense of drive, and your deep-founded passion to explore.

I want to explore. Big things. I've done a lot of exploration of little things

-my neighborhood, my stacks of Norton Anthologies, my Blackberry-

but now I want to tackle something bigger, something more unknown.

I know it's in me-it's in all of us.

I would like to thank my new-found pastime, etsy for this

piece of inspiration.

image via etsy

Today's trinket courtesy of : The Wedding Date

The hardest thing

is loving someone

and having the courage

to have them love you back.

Capture the moments...

All of them.

Because once they're gone,

you want the memories to hold.

You want to hear a song or see a picture

that sends you back to a moment that marked your life.

So capture all of them.

This is my theme for the week.

It is my last week of student teaching

and my second to last week of college ever.

I will be holding to the memories I already have

and continually learning how to form new ones when I leave.

Kindness is its own reward.

A student of mine said this to me today.

How do kids get so smart? Mental note: take more life advice from them.

They're full of pure, non-agenda-seeking, honest wisdom; it's amazing.

I am overwhelmingly grateful for the little moments that make me pause during my day;

for subtly forcing me to take a step back from the fast-paced, and learn something absolutely, beautifully inspiring.

March comes in like a lion and goes out like a lamb.

There's something unspeakably beautiful about Spring.

I love the way the sun shines through my classroom windows,

splashing patches of warmth around my desk.

When I look outside at the bright smiles circling the park, a piece of my heart melts.

Happy Birthday Kelly! And Happy end of March!

(I need some good teacher April Fools to play tomorrow)

Today is a very special day.

It's my favorite, prettiest, most loved person's birthday!

Happy Birthday Mom!

...I love you...

Here's to fresh starts and new beginnings.

Every day is chance to start anew.

Each year that passes is only a marker on your journey.

Make it an adventure!

I shall always believe in the quiet power

of the moment you realize someone gets you.

It’s a rarity- a thing to be cherished.

The instant you feel the shift from someone you talk to

when you run into each other at the coffee shop

to someone you call to grab a cup of coffee.

When the person knows the real you

and still wants to be with you.

Today, I understand the spark of a new friendship

and the knowledge to make it last.

Secrets.

There are two kinds.

“The ones we keep from others

and the ones we keep from ourselves.”

A ring of authenticity; raw, uncomfortable;

vulgar,

uplifting,

beautiful.

Grab my heart.

Can I be your secret keeper?

You don’t need to hide behind your secrets.

Everyone has them.

They are my life;

Uncover and share.

The world asks to know.

A lovely collage to capture the magic of the day.

Snow Day.

How my wonderful day of snow began...

4:40 Text from school. ‘No School’

4:41 Verify closing online

4:42 Exchange celebratory texts with co-teachers

4:43 back to sleep ZzZzZzzz...

Remember when you were a kid. You were soundly sleeping when your home phone rang. Too early to be just anyone calling. Could it be? Yes, a snow day! One of those coveted days with nothing to do but bask in the beauty of a pristine bed of snow. One couldn’t dream of falling back asleep and missing out on a single moment of this winter holiday. Warm slippers, overall snowsuits, snowmen, and hot chocolate (extra marshmallows). Neighborhood children flocked to the open park to play pretend. The cold never seemed to matter. The only thing chilling was the thought of this day coming to an end. Would everything have to go back to normal? Would everyone still get along when the white fluff returned to green and brown? With the snow, there came a peace, an unspoken bond between all children. I wish I could relive the wonders of those Snow Days again.

For the Girls.

Because, let’s face it, sometimes we just need to be completely surrounded by pretty things that make us Smile. And be reminded that we are thankful to be Girls.

Your Task For Life.

That it will never come again is what makes life so sweet.

Emily Dickinson

***

A little inspiration and small dose of laughter to start your week off right.

Sometimes acting like a KID is EXACTLY what is CALLED FOR.

A little Sparkle will go a long way. So go ahead, be the Princess, be the wizard. I’ll talke my sailor Mickey.

Because, really, there’s a little kid inside each of us.

Let her Out. Let her shine. Let her capture hearts.

Today, you have the

CHANCE

To make a DiFFeReNCe.

Just Pick a Place, AND