Liebster Award :o)

I am so excited to have been nominated for the Liebster Award! It is an award given to bloggers with less than 200 followers. Thank you so much Patrice for nominating my blog! And if you're reading my blog for the first time, I hope you enjoy it! Leave me comments - I love to hear from my readers and to check out your blogs as well! XO

The Rules:

• Share 11 facts about myself
• Answer 11 questions from the blogger that nominated you
• Nominate 11 other bloggers for the award
• Create 11 questions for nominees to answer
• Link back to the person who nominated you (so I'll be linking back to Patrice)

Now, to follow the rules...

11 Facts about Me  

1. I am a third year special education teacher in Maryland.
2. I am so passionate about teaching little ones and making a difference in their lives. 
3. I am 24 years old. I'll be 25 in August.
4. I am the oldest child of three (I have one younger sister and one younger brother)
5. I love FOOTBALL :o) And currently love the Dallas Cowboys AND the Baltimore Ravens! 
6. I come from a close knit family, and hope to give that to my own children one day.
7. I love to travel - and hope to do more of it before I am old and married with kids.
8. I am a HUGE Maroon 5 fan! I am going to their DC concert in April! 
9. The beach is my safe haven. I want to move near the sand and waves one day.
10. My favorite quote is: "The cure for anything is salt water - sweat, tears, or the sea. - by Dinesen, Isak."
11. I want to be the mom of five kids one day. However, I have a low tolerance for pain - and no love interest - so I am not quite sure how this dream will play out.

Answers to Questions (Asked by Patrice):

1. What is your favorite bible verse or quote? Phillipians 4:13 "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me."
2. Are you what you wanted to be when your grow up? Since I was in first grade, I wanted to be a teacher. Wouldn't ya know that I have made that dream a sweet reality :)
3. What is your favorite joke? This *may be sick* but I LOVE someecards.com. I find many of the cards hilarious, and my favorite - currently- is "I just replaced the can of air freshener in the office bathroom with an air horn. And now we wait..." I feel like this is a joke I would play on my friends!
4. Ever had your heart broken? If so, how hold were you?I have, and it's something I hope to never experience again. I was 20 when my heart was broken by my first love. Yet, the agony and the pain from the heartbreak lasted with me until I was about 23.
5. What was your favorite childhood toy or game?Barbies. Legos. Bike Riding. Roller Blading. Playing with the Neighborhood kids.
6. Would you like to be buried or cremated? (I know, kind of morbid...)I would like to be cremated and to have my ashes spread over the Atlantic Ocean.
7. When was the last time you volunteered? Oh gosh ... I cannot even remember. Perhaps high school when I was a girl scout.
8. What is the first thing you do when you wake up? Check my iPhone for text messages and emails. Then I hope into the shower so that I am actually awake.
9. How did you come up with the name for your blog? I went through a *quarter life crisis* at least two times after graduating from college. I found an article about quarter life crisises and figured, it was a catchy plan on words to title my blog with. The year literally signifies how much time I have until I am 25 years old (or a quarter of a century old).
10. Finish this sentence: I wish I could stop racism and bullying.
11. Who haven't you told about your blog? EVERYONE! I am afraid to share my blog with friends and family ... I fear they'll think this is a silly hobby. 

Questions for my Nominees:

1. If you could change one thing about your life, what would it be? 
2. What are you passionate about?
3. What advice would you get to the 16 year old you?
4. What's your favorite quote? 
5. Who is the most important/influential person in your life, and why?
6. Do you think you could live a day without your cell phone?
7. If you could only eat one food for the rest of your life, what would it be?
8. If you could get a tattoo, what would it be of?
9. What's your astrological sign?
10. Who is your favorite musical artist?
11. Are you more of a kindle or an old fashioned book person?

Drum roll please for My Liebster Nominees:

1. Two is Better Than One
2. cuppa coffee confessions
3. Life with Joys
4. Success follows Happiness
5. Empirical Day
6. The Dwelling Tree
7. Pynk Krush
8. Prayers and Pearls
9. Still Deeper
10. The Satterlee Family
11. Stories of Us

Friday Letters

Dear God,

Thank you for waking me up this morning and being with me throughout the day. Thank you for your traveling mercies to and from work, and for the opportunity to go out to dinner with a friend. Thank you for blessing me with a loving, supportive and encouraging mother. Thank you for being in control and your plan to take me to new heights. Although I am back on the "potter's wheel," thank you for your grace and mercy.

Dear Mom,

Thank you for always being there for me. For listening to me whine, complain and vent for forty minutes straight on the phone every night. For giving me hope in the unseen. For encouraging me to be my best. For loving me unconditionally. For believing in me, even when I do not believe in myself.

Dear Students,

I love each and every one of you more than you will ever know. It is truly a blessing to be able to enter the workplace and work with each of you every day. I promise to be a better teacher - to put your needs first, and to stand up for each of you. Thank you for enriching my life and bringing a smile to my face each and every day.

Dear Coworkers,

You all have taught me MORE lessons in five days, than I have learned in the past five months of this school year. Thank you for those lessons. Thank you for unknowingly helping me become stronger and wiser. Thank you for building my character. You may push me past my limits everyday, but I know that God has a bigger plan for you and for me.

Dear Parents of my Students,

Please know that I love your child. I want the very best for him/her and I am trying to meet their needs any way possible. Do not give up on me because I promise not to give up on your child.

Dear Weekend,

I look forward to you. I am ready to visit Baltimore and Washington, D.C. I cannot wait to reconnect with friends, family and sleep. Thank you for being four days long. I am grateful for this mini break and for you.

Dear Blog,

I am sorry I have neglected you. I have been crazy busy with IEP meetings at work and planning for the diverse needs of my students. I promise to visit you more regularly ... although that may not be every day like in the past.

Sincerely,

Best Seller [Life]

I have a new site or "blog" of sorts that I am following daily! Have any of you heard of the website entitled thesinglewoman.net? The author of this blog is fantastic! I feel like each post is speaking directly to me when I read it!

Today I stumbled across this little gem on her page:

"The Bible says “As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another.” (Prov. 27.17) The people in your life aren’t there by accident. They’re there for a reason. To sharpen you. To polish you. At times, to break you down and then build you back up. Consider the fact that maybe you don’t know everything. Consider the fact that maybe that grain of sand in your life is there specifically to inspire you become a pearl. Then stop pushing everyone out of your life who challenges you and tests you and confronts you and realize that maybe, just maybe, they are the editors of your life."

I had a rough day today. My coworkers have been challenging me. My friends and family have been challenging me. Everyone has been getting under my skin to the point that I want to lock myself into a white padded room. However, I need to stop for a second and look at the beauty in this situation. God has placed this people - and annoyances or challenges - into my life to help shape me into the person he wants me to be. The individual that I am destined to be. Therefore I need to in fact stop pushing these people away and embrace them. I need to realize that maybe "they are the editors of my life." Of my "bestselling" life.

"Facing Giants"

I have been worrying about all sorts of giants that I may face this year. Will I loose a loved one this year? Will I be able to continue to afford my house this year? Will I maintain friendships with those I admire deeply this year? Will my pay checks be short due to this social security 2% raise? What job will I work over the summer? How will I make ends meet? Will I be in graduate school this fall? And the silly thing is that, I should not worry about these things as God has a plan for my next year of life. A perfect plan that will strengthen me and teach me all the things that I need for the NEXT chapter in my life. But the key is to trust in him, that he is directing my steps and will give me what I need.

I was going through emails and came across this excerpt in one of them this evening ...

"We stand on the threshold of a new year – a new beginning. If you are like me, you face 2012 with mixed emotions. Personally, I am thrilled that I survived 2012! There were certainly moments when I wondered if I would survive at all. I am so excited about a fresh start, a brand new set of days overflowing with new dreams and unmarked possibilities. But I also know that this year is crammed full of the unknown as well as a giant or two.  And if I am brutally honest, I have to admit that the unknown fashions a pocket of fear in my heart where questions and doubts thrive.
The good news is that what lies ahead is no surprise to God. In fact, He has already been where we are going. That reason alone empowers us to face every tomorrow with hope, knowing that whatever touches us passes through His hands, with His permission. It is not God’s plan for us to dwell in fear or for fear to rule our lives.  He has already set in motion the defeat and fall of every giant that we will ever face. Our responsibility is to step through our fear, facing every giant in God’s power and with His promises. The Holy Spirit will guide the path of His truth to its destined mark, taking down the giants lurking in each tomorrow.
Jesus is the same yesterday, today and forever. Determine right now to face each day with the memory of Goliath’s fall and trust in Almighty God, the Giant Killer. So then, my friend, I ask you, what is there to fear? Happy New Year!" - Girlfriends in God

Those were words I needed to hear and I am thankful for reading them. I am going to continue strengthening my faith walk and trusting in him ... because with him, what have I to fear?

Have a blessed week everyone!

-Snap Shots from New Year's Eve -

"Cheers to a new year and another chance for us to get it right."  ~Oprah Winfrey

[H O R O S C O P E]

I typically do not put much stalk into horoscopes. However a fellow blogger shared her horoscope overview for 2013, and I became intrigued. I have only posted my 2013 for laughs and giggles ... I am ready to see what GOD has in store for me this year! 

Get ready to dig deeply in 2013, Leo. You're going into a phase of complete and total metamorphosis. This will require considerable self-analysis and probing into your past patterns, but all the work will be more than worth it. You're on the verge of discovering just how powerful, strong and resilient you are at your very core. If you have ever doubted your strength, after 2013 you'll never question your resourcefulness again.   

Saturn, the great karmic lord of trials and tribulations, will be camping out at the base of your horoscope until 2015, so you'll have plenty of time to delve into the depths. Family issues and psychological patterns inherited from your parents will come to the surface this year, making your more aware of -- and able to avoid -- negative patterns. Wake up, Leo! Get ready for a major rebirth. 

Lucky Jupiter will continue to bring good fortune to your social sector and help you dream big until June. You've been so blessed with the amazing people you've met over the past year who have helped you reach your goals. The second half of the year, you may want to pull back when Jupiter enters your retreat zone.   

This is a time of dreaming and scheming before launching into the next chapter of your life in 2014. So the first half of the year will continue to be incredibly social, but give yourself permission to come back to a more internal and creative space during the latter part of 2013. 

The eclipse patterns of 2013 will shake up both home and career sectors, so get ready for rapid advance and decline in both arenas. Don't get too attached to any of the gains or losses in either of these life departments, as they will constantly be in flux until you reach a healthy middle ground -- and you will! 

[horoscope source]

Happy New Year!

I have been doing a lot of reflecting and soul-searching the past couple of days. I have been reevaluating my life and how I've chosen to live it the past year. I have been meditating on how I will choose to live it this year forward. There is so much that I would like to change about how I am living and who I am as a person, but I also know that "Rome was not built in a day."

More importantly, I NEED to work on my faith walk. I need to trust that all everything happens for a reason and that "...all things work together for the good of those who love God." (Romans 8:28)

I am one of those people who ALWAYS likes to be in control. I like to know what is coming my way. I like to have everything ALL planned out, and for all situations to occur accordingly. However, I am no fool to think that this is healthy and/or possible. Let's be real - nothing ever goes according to plan. I plan and God laughs. Literally.

So I am going to try my hardest to allow 2013 to be a different type of year. I need to trust that God is working behind the scenes in my life. I need to recognize that "each and every trial is an opportunity to trust Him more."

Jean-Pierre de Caussade said it well:  “You would be very ashamed if you knew what experiences you call setbacks, upheavals, pointless disturbances, and tedious annoyances really are. You would realize that your complaints about them are nothing more nor less than blasphemies—though that never occurs to you. Nothing happens to you except by the will of God, and yet beloved children curse it because they do not know it for what it is.” 

His ways are higher than our ways and His thoughts higher than our thoughts (Isaiah 55:9).

So as we all go into the New Year, let us meditate and reflect on that. His ways are higher than our ways. His thoughts are higher than his thoughts. God's got a plan and he is in control. And all experiences that each and everyone of us go through this year, will work together for the good.

Happy New Year! Aim to put God first and to trust in him. Everything else will fall into place accordingly.