INDIA

           I am so excited to tell you about an amazing opportunity that I have coming up in November. Last March, I applied to be part of a short term mission trip to Visakhapatnam, India. Visakhapatman is a port city on the eastern coast of India. Here we are 6 months later and I am one of 8 members from The Village-Dallas Northway going on this journey! We are leaving November 20 and will return on the 30th.        While we are there we will be working alongside Vision Nationals and the great work they are currently doing there. You can check out their website and mission here: http://visionnationals.org/our-mission/in-india/. Vision Nationals serves in India by planting churches, equipping nationals through their seminary, transform lives through their christian school and orphanage, and something dear to my heart take care of widows in their area by providing medical clinics and other basic needs to women who could otherwise not afford them.
       I cannot begin to express my excitement to see what God will do not only while we are there, but afterwards as well. I am praying that God's will permeate this entire trip, each team member, those supporting and praying for us, and those that we will encounter. I pray that the experience and time spent will also make us better servants, wives, husbands, sisters, brothers, mothers, teachers, and coaches. I pray that my students and athletes will be served in a way I couldn't have done so before. I hope that all see the joy that can only be found in Christ, that is grace, that is mercy, that is redemption. Because through joy…the church multiplies.
     Saying all this, I wanted to share with you my support letter. I would love to have your support in prayer or finances and have you "walk" alongside me in this journey. Love you much. 

                 

      I consider you part of my dearest famiy and friends and because of that I am writing to update you on an amazing opportunity that I have been given. For the past 3 years, I have called The Village Church-Dallas Northway Campus my church home. I cannot begin to express to you the special place The Village has in my heart and life. I have been given an amazing opportunity through their short -term missions to be one of 8 traveling to Visakhapatnam, India. (I’m still working on that pronunciation) I would be so blessed to have you be part of the gospel-centered multiplication.

Details of the trip:

Who: 8 members from The Village Church North Dallas

Where: Visakhapatnam, India (A port city on the eastern coast)

When: November 20-30, 2014

What: Bring hope and restoration while serving alongside Vision Nationals sharing the gospel to widows and orphans in this area.  

There are two main reasons that I feel called to this trip. The first is theological, the Lord has been so gracious to me and shown his mighty love through his grace, mercy, and redemption in my life. I can’t shake the burden and responsibility of sharing this experience and gift of God’s grace. “…proclaim the excellencies of Him who called us out of darkness into His marvelous light” 1 Peter 2:9. Secondly, I believe this is an incredible point of growth for my own relationship and love story with Christ and the one’s I walk alongside each and every day. I am praying that this experience will help me serve my students and athletes well and portray a vivid picture of Christ’s love on their own lives.

However, I cannot serve these people in India on my own. I need a much larger support system built of people that will pray for us and those we will encounter before, during, and after the trip. I am blessed to be able to ask you to join in the trip to India. In order to go, each of are seeking 25 prayer partners and $2500. I would love for you to pray about your part in this trip to India.

As you pray about your role, be encouraged to know that your prayer and possible financial support is an incredible investment that truly goes to furthering the Kingdom. It is an investment in the people of Visakhapatnam and Vision Nationals, people that Christ loves and longs for.

Thank you for sharing in this incredible journey with me and praying about your role. Please feel free to e-mail me at timmi.burns@gpisd.org or call at (432) 935-2577 and let me know how I can be praying for you.

                  Love you Mightily,

                                   

Timmi

“When our grandchildren ask us where we were when the voiceless and vulnerable of our era needed leaders of compassion and purpose, I hope we can say that we showed up, and the we showed up on time”-Gary Haugen

How to Support Our Mission to India

Prayer Support-Just let me know by e-mail timmi.burns@gpisd.org, phone/text (432) 935-2577, facebook, etc. and I will be sure and send you prayer updates as they come.

Financial Support- Two options…

1.     The best way to donate is online at http://tinyurl.com/tvcmissions

-If you do not have an account, you can create one at this time.

-Select your name.

-Select the trip from the dropdown menu (**India 2) and click continue.

-Select who you would like to sponsor and how much you would like to contribute and click continue.

-Select echeck as your payment option and enter your payment information.  *Please be sure you use a check and not a deposit slip as routing numbers can differ. Also, ensure you do not include the check number at the end of your account number.

-Double check your information and click submit forms.

2.     OR, the other way is to mail a check directly to The Village Church.

Make checks payable to: The Village Church

In the Memo Section:

India II-Timmi Burns

Mailing Address:

The Village Church

Attn: Financial Dept.

2101 Justin Road

Flower Mound, TX 75028

***Your contribution will be tax deductible, and please know that by mailing a check you authorize the church to use information from that check to process your payment electronically (echeck). Contributions are made with the understanding that The Village Church has complete control and administration over the use of the donated funds.

It's been too long...

I can't believe my last post was in December! I thought my life would slow down a bit after volleyball season, but it seems I only filled it with many other things to take up my time. I also took a bit of a break from my etsy shop and card making although a couple of custom orders have kept me busy here and there. In the past few months Clint and I joined a home group with our church The Village, and have enjoyed that community and those friends tremendously. Clint also became a Covenant Member at The Village, and we continue to be so blessed by the teaching and community more and more each week.

The Village really does a great job of offering different groups, and classes to its visitors and members on a variety of different topics. They had some great topics this past spring session, but unfortunately I was only able to attend one. However, it was much needed and has truly blessed my heart. It was a class focused on finances, what the bible says about finances, and how we should be prayerful in how we spend what God has so graciously given us.

I'm about to get painfully honest here. I only do so to rejoice in what Christ is doing in my own life and to encourage you in your walk, even if you don't struggle with finances, I hope it shows you no matter your struggle, God will transform your heart and your desires. I'll be honest I was really nervous about taking the class…I knew I NEEDED it, I knew my marriage NEEDED it, as my husband has loved me through this struggle with a patience that is definitely undeserved. I knew I needed it, yet at the same time I knew what was coming. I knew they would tell me I needed to save more, spend less, more importantly shop less. For those of you that do not know me…I like clothes…and shoes…A LOT. I also have an insane gift for being able to justify just about any clothing purchase…which is a very lethal combination. All that to say, I was nervous because I didn't really even have the desire to change…I wanted cute clothes…and I wanted to keep buying cute clothes, so how was I supposed to change when I didn't even want to? I think this can apply to a lot of things in our lives…not just finances. Things like getting really comfortable with our current jobs when God may be calling us to something not so cush. Or maybe even as simple as talking to that stranger we pass or stand in line with at Target…because well we're in a hurry or just naturally uncomfortable in those types of situations.

I started praying for the desire. I knew I wouldn't be able to make any changes with my finances if I had no desire…it's all about a true transformation of the heart right? So the first step for me was just simply praying for the desire. I'll tell you that first class, I said "ouch" out loud a few times I think. It was convicting, but in a good way. I'm going to go through what I learned and took away from that first class. Again, this was all given to us in the class so I can't take credit for what I'm about to share.

*Who is the Owner of our Property/Money?

"Yours, Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the majesty and the splendor, for everything in heaven and earth is yours. Yours, Lord, is the kingdom; you are exalted as head over all. Wealth and honor come from you; you are the ruler of all things. In your hands are strength and power to exalt and give strength to all." 1 Chronicles 29:11-12

If that doesn't sum it up for you, here are more verses on who owns all property:
Haggai 2:8
Leviticus 25:23
Psalm 24:1
Psalm 50:9-12

*What Do I Own?
NOTHING? Now  this is where I had gotten a little big for my britches in the finance area. I had the mindset that I go to work everyday, and on top of that I work really hard so my paycheck is mine and once obligations are taken care of I am able and free…actually it was my right to do with it what I pleased…and as I mentioned above that meant spending it on myself and on things that I didn't necessarily need…more clothes! But in order to really be in relationship with my God…"There must be a conversion of the heart, mind, and the pocketbook."-Martin Luther
This applied during those times, and it still very much applies today. I had to have a harsh reminder, that it's not about me, or as Matt Chandler says "Get over yourself, celebrate Jesus". I wasn't celebrating Jesus in my financial habits at all…

*Provision
Matthew 6:33
Matthew 7:11
2 Chronicles 1:11-12
Proverbs 8:18-21
Isaiah 26:12
Philippians 4:19
1 Timothy 6:8
Philippians 4:11-13

So this was definitely one of my "Ouch" moments…I guess a little like an Oprah "Aha" moment just a lot more painful. Some may think that the listed verses would seem contradictory, but mainly yes you need to provide and save…BUT when you put all of your satisfaction, worth, and trust in those provisions that is where you have gone astray. Someone in the class asked what the speaker would suggest as far as retirement savings goes…his answer completely blew me away. He said "that needs to be a prayer and constant conversation you have with God…to see if retirement is even in His plans for you." Wait, whaaaaaat?! You mean he could have me work for the rest of my life? It was a mind blowing thought…but you know what? It's so true. Who are we to assume or expect that right? Don't get me wrong for those that God has that in store for, I think it is a beautiful thing. However, I don't think we should put our happiness or trust in something that just may not be ours to have or plan for.

*Praise
Matthew 6:20-21
1 Timothy 6:18-19
2 Corinthians 8:12
Mark 12:41-44
2 Chronicles 29:16
1 Corinthians 16:2

The speaker told us "Your bank statement is a record of worship". Insert another "ouch" moment. I wasn't in the habit of tithing…actually I'm being honest so I had never tithed. Ever….besides that handful of change my dad would occasionally give me to toss into the plate as a child. I had never made it a priority. Clint had always been pretty faithful in his finances with  tithing and giving to friends and their ministries. However, we had never tithed since we had gotten married to our church. It's funny before you get married you think you'll have all this extra money laying around everywhere because I mean now you'll only have one set of bills right?! Well for you single people…let me crush that dream for you right now, and for you married people you know exactly what I'm talking about. We weren't ending up with much leftover at the end of the month to feel like tithing was really even an option. I had a huge tug on my heart that this had to change. I guess that whole prayer for a heart transformation was working. I just really felt like God was telling me and showing me through these scriptures that if we gave faithfully…we would be in line with what God calls us to do…and in that would find joy. I didn't say He would multiply and somehow turn our bank account into an overflowing well…but nonetheless we needed to be faithful. And oh yeah you know that 10% thing?! Yeah the New Testament is very clear that it is ALL His. This is another conversation we have to have with Christ…how much are we supposed to give? Once Clint and I prayed and talked about it, we decided on an amount, and The Village allows you to pay online, and I can't tell you the joy I found in clicking that submit button. To think that just a few weeks prior this was a heart that didn't even want to change…didn't even want to want the desire. God's pretty faithful right? Oh and guess what? We also made it that month…it was tight…but we made it.

Now I'm not saying God has completely transformed me and my bad spending habits overnight. I still struggle with making good spending decisions no doubt. However, He has given me an outlook that is not based on me, but based on Him and He has put things into a much better perspective. I can spend frivolously, or it could be used to build something eternal. I have to continuously remind myself of this when I get those pesky e-mails from Madewell and J.Crew…but I'm making progress, and I'm making progress with my God and my sweet patient husband walking with me. Did I mention my husband teaches personal finance and business?….And yet he still shows patience, love, and understanding through my struggle.

Along with the church tithe, I have also found immense joy in donating to ministry-driven organizations like Jesus Said Love, Sole Hope, and Preemptive Love. If you haven't heard of these organizations, I urge you to look them up. Preemptive Love provides life-saving heart surgeries to children in Iraq. They are a beautiful picture of what our lives as Christians should look like on a daily basis…maybe not all able to provide life-saving heart surgeries, but loving others first even when they have nothing to give back…loving everyone as Christ loves…no borders or boundaries. Please look them up when you get a chance. I had an eye-opening thought the other day when they posted that you can provide one of these surgeries with a $700 donation…It made me realize that my typical Madewell purchase is 2/7 the cost of saving a LIFE. Definitely puts things into perspective…as much as it hurts.

All that to say…in whatever your struggle I hope you find encouragement in hearing about mine and the work God is doing in being faithful and transforming my heart…one non-purchase at a time. It gets easier…I still struggle, but my God is Faithful to Finish.

That Time of Year...

I absolutely love this time of year around Thanksgiving and Christmas. Clint and I had a great week off of work relaxing, decorating, doing some much needed cleaning and most importantly spending some good time together. We both coach fall sports, so it was much needed, well deserved, and thoroughly enjoyed. I was also able to go to the State Volleyball Tournament and do some fun Christmas shopping with my mom. I absolutely loved having her in Grand Prairie for a few days. No matter how old you get or how far away you are…you always need your mom. I am truly blessed to believe that anyway. I made a short trip to Austin to see my sweet sister in law, brother, and new niece Margot. It was a trip full of naps and baby staring.

This is Margot in all her goodness and glory-now you understand the baby-staring.

Clint and I made a short trip to Ardmore for Thanksgiving to see his family. His parents are so gracious and giving, it is a humbling experience just to be around them. Last Christmas Glen (Clint's Father) saw what terrible shape my boots were in, and spent the next hour cleaning and shining them for me. Almost a year has passed, and again he insisted on fixing them up for me. I continue to be amazed at how well I am loved and taken care of by his family. Something as simple as boot shining means an incredible amount…even though if you know Glen you would know he doesn't cut any corners and the shining job he gave my boots and what they looked like beforehand you would know it was no simple feat. We had a great meal with his parents, brother and sister in law, and their baby Elizabeth (EJ). Our "boys" had to make camp outside and perfected their "pitiful looks" at the door.

This is the "after" shot of my freshly shined boots... 

The boys (Rooster and Owen) begging to come in and join in on Thanksgiving with the Burns'.

I spent most of the week Christmas shopping and decorating the house. It is our first Christmas married and my first in a house, so it was exciting to be able to decorate the house! With two dogs I am just hoping it makes it to Christmas that way. I know that none of the plants in the backyard have survived their terror, so I may build a fence around our tree :) Here are some decorations of the house,…

 Yes those are dog stockings. Stop judging. 

 I got these little measuring hedgehogs from a dear friend as a wedding present…so happy to have them hanging out on the counter with my gold trees!

 I painted the Joy to the World on a cheap piece of wood from Home Depot. The letters were found at Joann's and I simply spray painted them with metallic spray paint…attaching a nativity scene ornament with a ribbon in the center of the "O". 

 I am loving this vintage nativity scene my mom gave us this Christmas. I painted the black canvas with a white paint pen to give it the "chalkboard look". 

 This tree was almost the death of me. I decided to try and save money by getting a non-lit tree, but I think the frustration more than made up for the money saved…according to me. If you ask Clint, any saved money was worth it :) At the end of it all, I really love it and glad I did the lights myself. The star is from Target, and I love how it all came together. Big thanks to my mom for helping me get the majority of it done! 

 The "wreath" my mom and I made for our front door. I am loving driving up to this door and wreath everyday! 

 I decided to use old books as our stocking hangers by writing our names on the binding of each book…and yes that is one for Owen and Rooster, even though Rooster's was cut out of the shot. We are officially "those people". But if you ever met them you'd understand. 

This is hanging over our bed. I really like how it turned out. To really irritate Clint I often use my "West Texas" voice when I say things…which could also be called "Texas football coach voice". I'm pretty proud of it and use it as much as possible, so when I came up with "Merry Freakin' Christmas",…just imagine it in that voice. It makes it much better…believe me. 

I have a few more final touches and other things not seen here, but I've really enjoyed the house decorations and can't wait to have my family over for Christmas. I am a covenant member at The Village in Dallas, and on Sunday Matt spoke on the season and basically not buying in too much into the "feeling" this time of year brings. He spoke of the Christmas blues, which occurs once Christmas is over and all that spending and good feeling is gone…and we are just as unfulfilled as we were beforehand. I hope we stay mindful of the meaning, and what God did for us. He provided a way for us to be with Him…which was His perfect son. Otherwise, we would have been separated forever from his love. He loved us and continues to love us that much. It's huge…it makes the miraculous birth of Christ that much more beautiful. The birth and the cross are the perfect image of his unfailing love. It is the perfect image that He is Faithful to Finish. One message from Matt that I love and listen to time and time again is when he mentions that sometimes we get lost in this belief that "if God knew what I would struggle with, my pain, the disappointment, the reoccurring sin, that maybe He wouldn't have gone to the cross…but our ugliness, struggles, sin, it's not a surprise to Him. Instead, He says I won't leave you, I won't give up on you…you are MINE." That's why the birth and the cross mean so much, there is no larger picture of unfailing love and redemption. I hope you take in this season. I hope you make sweet moments with those that are important to you. I also pray for those of you that this time is difficult for you and yours year after year. But hold on and find hope in the love that God has for you,…and no matter what season you are going through I hope you find a chance to "shine someone's boots" in a way,…and never forget that He is Faithful to Finish. 

Open for Business!

I really wanted to title this post "Guess what day it is….", and end with "Etsy opening day…". However, I think that joke has run it's course so I spared you and went with boring "ol "Open for Business" instead :)

Well I have to admit, I'm a little disappointed I didn't reach my goal of 50 cards….BUT I did get to 36 original, hand made, cut, written, and constructed cards! I will be adding more in the next couple of days, especially Christmas cards so check back in the Etsy shop every now and then and see what's new!

If you like a card but want a name added, or different colors just message me on Etsy or Facebook and I will make it happen. I can't really express how excited I was to see my shop officially open and all of my products listed online! A small step…but a success I felt none the less. If you know of anyone that would be interested in buying wholesale get them in touch with me! Contact info is listed below.

Here are some examples of my cards, not all our listed but these are some of my favorites :)

 Each of these hearts are punched and placed individually by hand, truck drawn and colored all by hand…lots of love going into this one but as you can probably tell…my all time favorite. I think I should call it my "T-Pa Card"as I will always have a love for anything construction/trucks thanks to my dirt moving dad. 

      Inside of the "T-Pa Card"

 Again, each of these punched and placed individually by hand.

 This one 1 John 4:19 on the front "We love because he first loved us". The hearts are raised from the card. 

 "Thank you for all you do for me"

 These candles are each cut and placed by hand. "Happy Birthday" is hand written in a small banner at the bottom.  

 "It's only a flesh wound" is hand written on the front of this card with a raised "band-aid" and a red cut paper heart is placed on the band aid.

 "Get Well Soon" is written on the inside of the card, and a matching paper heart is added. 

This is a Thanksgiving card. "Blessings" is written on the front on a raised golden circle. The inside reads "To you and yours this Thanksgiving". Two feathers are added for you to insert into the card as well. 

I would love to hear your feedback and/or suggestions for new additions! Please take a look at the new shop! www.etsy.com/shop/mimiandopals Thanks again for your support of the blog and all things Timmi Burns.

Instagram @timmiburns
Twitter @timmiburns
www.etsy.com/shop/mimiandopals
mnocards@gmail.com

I hope you have a great Wednesday and never doubt that He is "Faithful to Finish".

Two Seconds...

The Countdown to the Etsy shop opening is pretty exciting, but not quite as thrilling as my countdown to Thanksgiving break! I don't know what it was about this past work week, but it was one of those where the days seemed like weeks and the week seemed like a month! I caught myself the other day thinking I really didn't want to be at work. I think it was easy to realize because honestly it was the first time this school year I had honestly thought that. Unfortunately, I've continued to feel that way all week. No specific reason…I think it's just getting to that time for a much needed break. I also think it's a time when I need to really focus on God and allow him to work through it with me and get me to the other side.

Last volleyball season I decided to fast every Monday. I knew that once season started and I got extremely busy my relationship and time spent talking with God would suffer. As much as I hated to admit it, I also knew the reality of being "in season". For those of you that have never coached high school girls before, the best way I know how to explain being "in season" is herding cats that suffer from ADHD, forgetfulness, moodiness, and all the day-to-day stresses that come from being a high school girl…oh yeah and you need to fit teaching volleyball, winning, getting along, being responsible, a good student/teammate, and dealing with severe parent blinders and e-mails in there as well. I'm sure one day I'll have a pair of those blinders myself. Don't get me wrong, it's also one of the most rewarding experiences and time of the year for me as well. Which leads me to believe cat herders must feel pretty good about themselves at the end of the day as well.

For the fasting, I would allow myself coffee, water, and juice but nothing else. It really was a growing experience for me, and one that brought me closer to God. Through the fasting, I allowed allotted time to spend in the middle of my day for reflecting on things but the effects did't just stop there. I am a fairly little person, but don't let that fool you…I love to eat. Mondays were no fun…but as my stomach growled or felt incredibly empty, it would remind me why I was hungry…why I hadn't eaten…and in that 2 seconds it reminded me to say "Thanks", or "I'm dragging, you're going to have to sustain me" to my God. It was a constant reminder of my God, and how good He is, how faithful. Those 2 seconds spread throughout my day over and over again became such a sweet and frequent reminder and turned into some of the sweetest moments with my God.

I think sometimes I/we get caught up in needing all this "time", we need to set aside an hour..30 minutes or we haven't done an adequate "quiet time". I've realized that sometimes unfortunately that schedule doesn't work for me…I've realized that sometimes 2 seconds really add up to something significant and special. I often have to remind myself to not get caught up in the legalism of the relationship…just get caught up in the intimate moments or even seconds with my God. I may not fast anymore, but I am learning to take things and feelings like "not wanting to be here" as my reminder to spend those next 2 seconds just saying "thank you"…or maybe even "I need you to help get me through…"Those 2 seconds begin to add up and have become very meaningful to me.

*Our devotion to God isn't measured by how extravagant we behave when we feel Him, but rather how we behave when we don't.

He is faithful to finish…

instagram@timmiburns
twitter@ timmiburns
faithfultofinish.blogspot.com

What is M 'n O?

Well it looks like I am getting extremely close to opening up my Etsy shop and having items listed. I am up to 15 cards so far and one small painting. I am listing items on Tuesday,…my goal is to have about 50 cards and 4 paintings listed! Keep a look out for the big announcement Tuesday when my Etsy shop is officially open for business!

I have really enjoyed the process so far, and look forward to creating more cards and paintings everyday. The past two nights I haven't been able to work on them because of other obligations, so I am literally counting down the minutes until I can be at home…in our "office" sitting on the floor cutting, painting, and making a wonderful mess. Clint walked in the first night of working and his first response was "o.k. there needs to be an organizational strategy put into place here…". Needless to say I am still working on that part of it. And by "I", I mean he is frantically searching for cheap storage ideas.

I have felt incredibly blessed by all of the support from family, friends, and coworkers and cannot wait to see where this venture leads. If you are one of those people…I thank you, and I love you. Clint has been incredible throughout the process and so supportive. I am lucky to have a husband that is my biggest fan and allows me to be a bit of a dreamer.

My goal is to have my 50 samples and some marketing materials ready within the next couple of weeks. I have researched some local, and not so local businesses that I am hoping will be interested in purchasing my cards wholesale to carry in their businesses. I am really excited about the possibility and also preparing myself for some closed doors and hard "no"'s.

Before I officially open my Etsy store and post item pictures on the blog, I wanted to talk a little bit about my card line and Etsy store name. The name I've chosen to represent this little venture is ……."M 'n O". I've had a couple of people ask what it was and wanted to tell the story, because I think it is important to what I do, and the purpose behind it all.

M 'n O is short for Mimi and Opals, named after my two grandmothers. Mimi is the name Shane and I gave my mother's mom and Opal was my dad's mom. I wanted to name my venture after something and someone that I love and admire. I wanted to reflect on things handwritten, because I think these are the things that stand the test of time. There is something oh-so special about handmade and handwritten things. I think they tell incredible stories years down the line. I believe my grandmothers have pretty incredible stories as well and have led successful and loving lives leaving incredible legacies behind. I hope to do the same. I pray that this be a venture that shows God's grace, mercy, and redemption every step along the way.

Let the countdown to Tuesday begin…..

mnocards@gmail.com
twitter @timmiburns
instagram @timmiburns
faithfultofinish.blogspot.com
www.etsy.com/shop/mimiandopals

First Post

In my 5 years of coaching and teaching, I have always had the lingering idea that I wasn't doing what I was "meant" to do. I have always loved coaching and building those relationships with my girls. Last year was the first year I really concentrated on praying over my girls, giving them handwritten notes for each game, and telling them I love them at the end of every practice. After 3 years, I had finally figured out the coach I wanted to be. Remain positive, reinforce and build up their self esteem, serve them well with dedication, loyalty, structure and discipline. This combination ended up working so well in my last position as a head coach. I believe great things can happen when you love and serve people well.

At the beginning of my career, I thought they needed to earn your trust and respect. However, a couple of years later while I was an assistant at Richardson High School, it came to me that maybe it was the other way around...maybe I needed to give it from the beginning and not only would they respect me in return, but they would become someone I would trust and respect anyway. It works. Yes, they are teenage girls, so yes they will make mistakes, they will disappoint. However, provide the discipline and the structure and it will lead to better decisions and not just for the present, but for the future which is even more important to me as a coach. All of this to say, I love my job. I love my athletes. I love seeing kids succeed and even more watching kids see themselves succeed.

This year, I decided to make a move and take an assistant position at South Grand Prairie. It was a good move for me both personally and career-wise, considering my goal from the beginning has been to be a head coach of a 5A program. I also recently got married, and am at the same school my husband teaches and coaches as well. It is a huge school so it's not like we see each other constantly, but the random wave or hello is really nice. I also love the fact that we are living and serving the same community, students, athletes, and high school.

We had a great volleyball season that wrapped up Tuesday night, and I really believe helped girls have a meaningful season. Every year towards the end of volleyball season I have noticed I go through a "depression period", I don't really like using the term depression in the casual sense, but it's just a weird feeling that overwhelms me, which I think comes over anyone after such a long period of time of pouring yourself and all your time into something that is suddenly over and no longer in existence. This is when I generally really start to hear that lingering questioning again of if I am doing what I am really supposed to do.

The other day, a student that walks by my room everyday asked if I went to church. I told her I was a covenant member at The Village in Dallas. The next day she mentioned that she had asked me that because "she could tell",...it made me realize I'm right where I'm supposed to be. I pray that I don't grow satisfied with this one comment but strive to make that same impact on many other students especially those that are non-believers.

So...why did I do all that rambling? I say all of that to tell you I know I am in the right place, for now. However, I do still have that need to create and use my artistic talents (not sure I can go as far to say they're talents), maybe more artistic interests....and make art! I have always had to coach more than one sport and never found the  time or energy to do much during the school year. Well, this year I am only a volleyball coach! So I am going to fill my "free time" with this blog, an etsy shop soon coming, and lots of artwork and handmade cards for sale! Lots of things posting soon :) Welcome to my life, and I hope you never doubt that He is "Faithful to Finish".