Exciting News

 I am delighted to announce that I will be spending next year on the island of Pohnpei in the Confederate States of Micronesia. I am thrilled at the opportunity to teach 3rd grade and am excited to see what this next year holds. I encourage all of you to follow me as I go on this journey! I will keep you all posted on what is happening and share stories and pictures of my experience. I would also appreciate your support and prayers!

When We Are Tested

           Sometimes we are tested. In these times I pray that we will cling to what is important and we will remember just how fragile life is. We need to always remember what is important in life. We need to take advantage of every minute and live life to the fullest, with no regrets. We need to cling to the people around us and love them with everything we have. Love with your whole heart. Count your blessings. Never lose a chance of saying a kind word. Never lose a chance of telling someone you love them because well, life is just too damn short. Most importantly cling to God with everything you have.

Printed Words

        Can we just talk about how sad it is that newspapers are slowly fading away? The printed newspaper is a thought out and purposeful art form. It is about sharing ideas and stories and creating dialog between different kinds of people. It is thought provoking and interesting. It is about gathering facts and stories and presenting them to the public. It is about working together on a team to provide the most interesting news that you can.
       There is nothing like going to a coffee shop and reading the newspaper. No matter who you are or what you are interested in there is something in there for you. Yes, granted you might be able to find the same stories and information online somewhere but there is something to be said about the actual printed paper. The smell and texture of the paper, the way the ink rubs off. It is an art form!
       The process in which it takes to get a paper printed is incredible it takes time and energy and it has been around for decades! It is something that links us to the past. It is not just about reading the information or stories. It is about the experience of picking up the newspaper and feeling the paper, turning the pages, knowing what it took to get you this copy. It is fascinating and something that I would love to be apart of someday!

I Won't Apologize

          I am not going to apologize for my past. It has made me who I am. I am not going to apologize for the way I am. I am proud of all that I have overcome and accomplished. I am far from perfect, I make mistakes, but I learn and grow from them.  I am not ashamed of where I come from or what I have done. It is a part of me and it has made me who I am. I will never apologize for that.       

Take a Backroad

     There is something so freeing about driving around in the country on a sunny day. Driving back roads and singing country music at the top of your lung is so refreshing. I have to say this is one of the small things in life that I appreciate the most. No matter what is happening in life at that moment if you just drive the backroads everything seems okay for a while.

Spring Quarter

      Today is the second day of third quarter, spring quarter. Again I am looking at a new start, a new unknown, and a new chapter. This one is somewhat bittersweet as it is my last quarter of my freshman year of college. I have come to realized that no matter how slow and overwhelming and terrible college may seem at times, it is going to fly by and there is nothing I can do to stop it.