Truth.

source: http://inconsequential.tumblr.com/post/6317304556

This week has been awesomely productive 

and awesomely tiring.

Please excuse me while I do a large amount of snuggling with my pups on the couch while dozing off tonight instead of absolutely nothing productive. 

...although I'm actually hoping I'll magically get a second wind so I can work on lesson plans while Hubby works so I can enjoy the rest of the weekend with my boys. 

Music Monday: "The Stand"

I will praise you, O Lord, among the nations;
I will sing of you among the peoples.
For great is your love, reaching to the heavens;
your faithfulness reaches to the skies.
Be exalted, O God, above the heavens;
let your glory be over all the earth.
[Psalm 57:9-11]

Yes, this was today.

I ached today as I felt my plans slip out of my grasp to make room for Your plans. 
[I tried not to panic, but You know how much I like to make an effort to manage my time well.]

Being honest about my responsibilities: what's really important, and what's really selfish.
What "need tos" and "have tos" can be bumped from my To Do list to make room for more important things:
the love-your-neighbor-things
bigger-than-myself-things. 

And I realize
maybe taking things too personally is a chance
to --take a deep breath--
recognize my shortcomings and pride, 
both of which sting when they are exposed.

I let those voices convince me that I will never do well enough or be more than lousy.

But then
I'm reminded of Your plans for me 
and how you use me to bless other despite all the ways I fail

I rally 
and battle back with Truth:

I am redeemed
I have worth
For I have

l    o    v   e     &    g    r    a    c    e

and what more does a girl need? 


Because this is what it's all about:
Your love being bigger than I can comprehend and bigger than I deserve...
and sharing that love.

And oh, what a luxury to be surrounded by it so freely
in my family, friends, work, home...without being called to risk my life to hear it or share it.
I take that for granted each and every day, and I am ashamed.

But this is what it's all about, friends --
This love that's so graciously given
For me
For you
For all.

A New Kind of Nerdy

I had a roommate in college who got up early to go bird watching sometimes. I admired her passion because let's be real, to get up super-duper early on a weekend to go out in the cold morning to wait quietly to see fast-moving little buggers through binoculars takes a lot of love. Personally I preferred to be snuggled up in my nice warm bed or savoring some serious pjs and coffee time.

I've got plenty of nerdy tendencies, though, but I never thought I'd relate to bird watchers.

Last March I was enlightened about sandhill cranes and their migration route that brings them right through this part of Nebraska. Even better than being enlightened about it, though, was getting to witness it firsthand on almost a daily basis on my way to and from work. I also found myself watching a nature preserve's "Crane Cam" at sunset to see them return to the river for the night more often than I'll admit to here. 

The time is here where they are going to start showing up again, though, and I've found myself searching the skies to find them on my commute. I haven't seen any yet, but I couldn't help but look around a bit online and read that someone started seeing them in this area over the past few days. I'm SO excited about this, guys!!! It was incredible to see it all last year. 

I've already begged my husband to take a trip to buy some binoculars with me AND to go to the nature preserve to watch them fly in one night night. I'm hoping to get some good pictures. I'm also hoping to go to work a little early a few days to stop and take some pictures in the mornings since I drive right over the Platte. 

Consider this a big NERD ALERT!! because I'll definitely be watching the Crane Cam again this year and watching the skies. 

But seriously, watch this video and then try not to marvel at this. I dare you. That magnitude of birds in one place is just amazing. 

Just a Friday Morning Drive

The Friday commute starts out hustled -- late again. I decide it's still a victory, though, since I'm only 5 minutes behind the time I'd planned to leave...and yes, I would be on time for the staff meeting. I just will have to find another time for what I'd planned to work on beforehand. 

I'm reminded already to give my plans to the Lord. Let His plan be at work. 

I sing along to MercyMe's Welcome the the New, the soundtrack of my year so far. The words of God's grace and immeasurable love combine with the honesty of how we feel like we aren't strong enough, good enough, capable enough -- it serenades my heart and mind with the Truth. 

The sun is coming up, and I think back to the dark drives just a month ago at this same time, and I'm grateful because the rays lighten my heart and mind. The way the blue sky begins appearing with strokes of purples, pinks, and a streak of orange clouds fills me with joy. You painted a masterpiece this morning, God. I know the colors will morph into a different-looking masterpiece every few minutes until the sunrise melts away and the day truly begins -- many masterpieces it will be. Oh, how awesome to have such a loving Creator who spoils us with beautiful things to look at. 

Yes, I'm tired from getting into bed way too late and being woken up way before my alarm and the kind of tired that comes from a week demanding my time, energy, and especially my emotions. I'm looking forward to the weekend and the extra day off on Monday, and I'm hoping not to bomb the day by focusing on the tired. No, I want to give my kiddos joy and curiosity and knowledge today. I think through my plans for the day and marvel at how much we need to fit into our day -- with a Valentine's party to boot. And there are copies to be made, Friday Folders to fill, lesson plans to fill in for next week...the list seemingly doubles as I think.

I'm about to exit the interstate when I notice waves in the sky. The birds' bodies are a black outline to waves criss-crossing and flowing up and down in the rich blue sky. So many birds, so much moving, and yet the group moves fluidly together. And the waves move forward in the sky as their journey continues -- to food? to a spring home? I'm not sure -- onward. 

I think of Matthew 28:26-27:

Look at the birds of the air: they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?

I want to remember this, share this, and cherish this sight longer. I exit the interstate towards school, excited nobody exits behind me. I take advantage of my time at the stop sign to take a quick picture of the amazing sight, but I don't dare take more than one. I don't want to explain that I was late because I was taking pictures of birds. 

I'm disappointed it's blurry, but what can you do when you've got just enough time for one quick photo? 

This sunrise and the birds are like love notes from God. My worries about the day have become a sigh of joy and thanksgiving as I leave the stop sign for the last leg of my drive. 

I am loved, and today I hope I can make everyone else feel that love, too. 

The Little Things Bring Thankfulness

Guys, today's training class was an exam, and it was rough. Scout once again did his best, but I didn't. I didn't give firm enough commands, didn't remember where to start the exercises, and had to give up our original #2 slot because he had to go potty -- he was whiny and wiggly,  the puppy equivalent to the young child potty dance -- but WOULD NOT go. I know he knows more than what he showed the judge tonight, but we bombed the test.

Oh, and I smushed his paw in the door to the building. His scream-cry broke my heart. That was right before the test. Epic Momma Fail.

The thing is that he was still such a happy, loving guy. He laid his head on my hand in the car on the way home then came and snuggled right up with me on the couch. It doesn't matter to him that we bombed it. He doesn't care about the number of points we got (or didn't get.....).

Dogs are awesome because they really don't care about that stuff. You are their human and they adore you. Even when our dogs get squirted with water because they are being too naughty and "no" isn't cutting it...they sulk for a few minutes and are back to being our shadows. Dogs forgive and move on quickly because they know you love them.

I think we could all take it to heart when our dogs think we are awesome.  Sometimes we are more awesome than we can see because we let our mistakes blind us and bring us down.

Tonight I am glad my dogs are more loving and forgiving than I have been to myself. I am thankful for their snuggles and sloppy kisses, and I am thankful for how their very presence is calming and encouraging. They believe in me when I have trouble believing in myself.

Long story short: I love our dogs, and I would be a sadder, grumpier,  lonelier person without them.

The "Top Dog"

Scout has been in a weekly training class since mid-January. We have missed 2 sessions out of the 5 (one due to finding out the night of the first class, one due to illness), but we've learned so much during 3 sessions! He'll be doing the next set of 6 sessions immediately following this set, too, so I'm looking forward to that. 

What a whole new adventure this has been for me! I have been loving every bit of learning about dog training and seeing Scout master big and little skills along the way. I'm no professional, and I certainly know that I am probably making some mistakes along the way, but Scout is a pretty good dog. We still are learning how to channel some of this puppy energy into positive outlets rather than ruined pillows and making holes in blankets, but training is a process that takes patience, time, and repetition. We heard about the trainer from a few people, and they raved about how great she was, and I've loved it. She explains things well, helps where you are having trouble, and has been a huge asset in Scout's training. 

To keep a long story from getting much longer, I am totally having a proud dog-momma moment over here. The class has a traveling trophy each week to the most improved dog from one week to the next. Tonight Scout got to bring it home! It's embarrassing to admit, but I almost cried because it was so uplifting to know that we aren't just biased in seeing his progress. Then again, it's not that hard to get me to cry. (I won't even tell you how many Superbowl commercials this year made me cry. I'll give you a hint: it was at least 3. Especially you, Nationwide.) The lady that ran it tonight said that he really is responding well to commands and that I'm doing a good job with commanding him clearly and firmly. (I was really quiet the first class!) He even worked on doing his work tonight without a treat until the end of his exercises rather than little nibbles throughout. Yup, he's been a hard worker! 

So here it is, Scout's trophy for the week! 

In all fairness I have to say that for all of the times we've gone I have hoped and prayed that he would neither be the "naughty child" nor the "class clown", and he's done pretty well....until tonight. He was so whiny the first half of class, and he was letting out his big ol' obnoxious pterodactyl yawns. The whole class actually laughed at him while I was sitting there going, "Hush, puppy!!" As if the whole world needed to know that the same 7-8 slot of the class is his usual nap time...but I guess I'll take class pterodactyl over the naughty child any day. Ironic that THIS would be the night the trophy comes home, but that's our boy!