'Twas the Night Before Homecoming Week

The day came where the sheet that told you what you must wear to show school spirit was passed out. I explained to the students what the different days meant and then lined them up to be dismissed for the day. It was so fun talking to the other teachers what we could do for different days, figuring out how far out of dress code we could go, and if mustaches should be involved.

Then comes the night before the first day of dressing goofy. 

Many thoughts go through my head: 

What if I get the days mixed up?

What if I am the only teacher to dress up? 

I wonder if I could dress normal? 

Should I bring a change of clothes just in case? 

I am going to be the one person to take this too far.

Am I the only one to get ridiculously nervous to dress up for homecoming week? It is all fun and games until you actually have to go through with it. 

This  kind of reminds me of a couple years ago on my birthday you could get free food at Chic-fil-a for dressing up like a cow. I was so excited. Aaron and I worked really hard on our trash bag costume. He didn't really want to do it but he was a sport to go through with it, anyway. We got ready, took the obligatory facebook picture and headed that way. As soon as we got within a mile of the establishment, I was willing to forget the whole thing and pay for food somewhere else. Aaron made us go through with it and I didn't melt even though we saw people we knew. 

When I was in ninth grade, someone told me they liked how I didn't care what clothes were cool to wear. Well, to them I say I did care, I just wasn't very good at it. And to you reading this, I shall be school spirited and wear goofy clothing because that apparently is how to show you support your school. Just know that I would rather be wearing my plain, unfashionable clothing. 

A New Kid in Our Lives

Made you look! I apologize for the deceptive title and for the inevitable rumors that will be running around. There are no little Hills just yet. To explain the attention grabbing title, let's start from the beginning:

In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. 

Okay, maybe not that far back. A couple of weeks ago, Aaron and I had the opportunity to go to our Alma Mater (Hardin-Simmons University) for a worship conference with the Gettys. If you don't know who they are, basically they are the most influential hymn writers of this century. 

In the evening, they had a concert. I say concert, but it was an amazing worship service. They are from Ireland so they had an Irish folk meets bluegrass kind of sound. And no, it was not a strange combination because bluegrass comes from Ireland. 

Anyway, they had a presentation for Compassion International. Basically, they work with children in poverty all over the world. Taken from their website: 

Compassion International is a Christian child development organization dedicated to releasing children from poverty. Our ministry is twofold: We work through local churches to provide child development programs to deliver children from economic, physical, social and spiritual poverty, enabling them to become responsible, fulfilled Christian adults. And we speak out for children in poverty – informing, motivating and equipping others to become advocates for children.

Basically what sold me was one of the people in the video that was a sponsored child came out on stage and talked to us about his experience. He talked about how the program gave him hope in a country where there was none. 

We are now supporting a child from Bangledesh with letters, money, and prayer. 

So yes, we have a new child in our lives. He just happens to live in a different country. 

I write this not to brag, but to encourage you to support a child. There are several kids waiting! Their website is compassion.com for more information.

Left, Right, Write

Outside of school, here are things I googled today: 

How often do dogs steal rings

While in my home uniform of sweat-pants and naked feet, I hear my husband calling me to check out Lucy's collar to make sure her tags weren't missing. Confused as to why he couldn't look himself, but obliging anyway, I discover a ring connected to her collar. My sweet husband replaced the ring the same dog stole a couple of months ago.

That's right, he liked it so much, he put a ring on it twice. 

Statistics of people who wear their watch on their dominate hand

Last blog-post, I wrote on how, as an introvert, I am very observant. As an observant one, I have noticed that I seem to be the only one who wears a watch on their right-hand. After minutes of searching, I have found that most people wear their watch on their non-dominate hand. So that's why I've been getting all of these judgemental glances aimed towards the old time-keeper...

I hold my pen with my thumb out 

Along with admitting that I can't dress myself properly, I have to admit that I can't hold a pen properly. I hold it with my thumb out and it motions what I am writing. Another way to say this is my thumb wraps around my index finger. It's called an "inefficient grip." I am now convinced that I have poor visual-motor integration.

I guess I am done internetting now. Any longer and I might think my pale skin is a symptom of mad cow disease. 

If Ears Could Talk

Do you ever have those times when God has put something on your heart and then the pastor talks about it in his sermon? It happens all the time for me! I think it is great that pastors tailor their sermons after my life, but there are other people in the congregation.

In 1 Corinthians 12:12-19, Paul compares the church to the body of Christ. 

Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ. For we were all baptized by one Spirit so as to form one body—whether Jews or Gentiles, slave or free—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink. Even so the body is not made up of one part but of many.

Now if the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason stop being part of the body. And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason stop being part of the body. If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be? But in fact God has placed the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be. If they were all one part, where would the body be? 20 As it is, there are many parts, but one body.

I have really been struggling to come to terms with being an introvert. In our culture, if you are not an extrovert, you are considered weird and awkward, and in my case, mistaken for being a snob. 

My true personality has always leaned toward that of an introvert. When I was younger, I was always drawn to extroverts. I love how they can liven up any room they are in, everyone walks away smiling, and everyone wants to be their friend. Being the true introvert I am, I studied extroverts. 

I would take notes on what they would talk about, studied their body language, mannerisms, and even inflections in their voice. I wanted to be an extrovert so badly. I would even try to mimick the extrovert ways. But being an introvert with a mask on always seemed awkward to me. 

Lately, though, God has really been working on my heart. I really need to embrace the personality given to me by Him. 

According to psychcentral.com, here are some benefits about being an introvert

As an introvert you may find you have a greater appreciation of subtlety and understatement — talents that, when harnessed, can become great strengths. Taking longer to answer questions is not a personality flaw, but means that you’re making more mental connections and your answers are likely to contain more substance. Extroverts would have to make an effort to think as deeply as you do naturally.

Your self-sufficiency also can be an advantage, as you don’t habitually judge yourself in terms of how others rate you. On the contrary, you are able to focus clearly on your day’s achievements.

Without the pressing need to be sociable or gain attention and approval, you can spend time on relationships and close friendships, which are often more profound than those shared by extroverts.

I have come to appreciate my gift of being able to pick up subtle things about people. Maybe I am an exception to the rule of introverts, but I do enjoy being around people. I just like listening. In group gatherings, I don't mind not being in the middle of the conversation as long as I can observe. 

So if I am a part of the body of Christ, I guess I am the ear. This whole time I have been frustrated that my ear cannot talk. Now I am ready for God to use my ability to observe to serve others.

Chelsea of Seagraves

"Perhaps she had not succeeded in 'inspiring' any wonderful ambitions in her pupils, but she had taught them, more by her own sweet personality than by all her careful precepts, that it was good and necessary in the years that were before them to live their lives finely and graciously, holding fast to truth and courtesy and kindness, keeping aloof from all that savoured of falsehood and meanness and vulgarity. They were, perhaps, all unconscious of having learned such lessons; but they would remember and practice them long after they had forgotten the capital of Afghanistan and the dates of the Wars of the Roses." 

I have been reading my childhood favorite, the "Anne of Green Gables" series. This specific quote comes from "Anne of Avonlea," the second book. And this quote captures my heart, exactly. So many lofty goals comes with teaching- reading level goes up three grades, all the students are engaged all the time, everyone has a passion for learning and becomes doctors. 

When you get there, you have one kid who everyday tells you he is bored and would rather just play video games, thank you very much. One student hasn't forgiven you for getting on to her back in September. Another student doesn't speak English and you are rusty on your pantomiming. 

The group of students I tearfully said goodbye to at the end of May will always be special to me because they were my first set of students. I fondly look back on each of them, despite frustrations we have had wiith each other. Let's be honest. The students knew how to try my patience.

I have learned so much my first year. No matter how good your college education program is, and mine was great, nothing prepares you for your first year. 

I have made so many mistakes but as I told my students, as long as you learn from them you have not failed. (Thomas Edison is such a good example of that, no?)

"Isn't it nice to know that tomorrow is a day with no mistakes in it yet?" 

L.M. Montgomorry

I am ready for my next batch of kids I will adopt for the year. Ready for the sweet moments and the "Mrs. Hill needs caffeine" moments. 

Maybe I will not inspire lofty ambitions in my students, but hopefully they will unconsciously learn how to hold "fast to truth and courtesy and kindness."  

P.S. don't forget to subscribe just in case you miss the post on Facebook. 

The Vlog to End All Vlogs

I'm back! (sort of)

I'm working on getting the blog back! Until then, I will be posting a couple of vlogs. Here is one to explain what's going on: