Learning Still

I haven't been "in school" since 2008. One thing i learned while in school, however, that learning never ends! We learn our entire lives. Which is exactly why I have taken an interest in all the iTunes University content! 

My alma mater, Biola University, has so much content that I can't wait to listen to it all but totally realize that there aren't enough hours in the day! I did get a chance to listen to/watch one group of programs that i truly enjoyed and learned from. 

I watched "Hipster Christianity" which was a few sessions all about the book with the same title. The first session was a talk that the author gave to explain the book and his reasons for writing the book. The second session was then another professor adding his comments and then a final segment was a panel of several Christian professors giving their take on the whole thing. 

I learned a lot and even without having read the book! It was really a great amount of information that I was intrigued by. It gave food for thought even for this 33 year old who has long left the college classroom! 

If you are at all interested in this program it is available on the Biola University iTunes U page within the app. But there really is such a wealth of programs that are out there and mostly FREE!

Have you listened to or watched any of the programs on iTunes U? 

An Experiment to Share!

About 3 months ago our church began what was called a 60-60 experiment. It was truly a new idea for me. The goal in mind was to create a constant connection with our Lord. Here's the concept: for 60 days, we (as a church) would check in (AKA pray) every 60 minutes while we were awake. We were given different questions weekly to ask during these check in times such as: "how can I love in this moment?" and asked to turn the moment God-ward.

Today I thought I would share some of my reflections on this experiment. Let me begin by stating that this is definitely a good idea for some, but not for all people. I then begin to wonder how is it that those that don't/can't/or the "its too difficult for Christians" have that constant connection with God? What is it that helps to check in with our Lord and Savior? Well, I then revert back to the concept of habitual recollection that I once heard about. Habitual recollection is the concept that whenever your mind is not focused on something particular or when there is a pause, your mind would habitually remember to pray or speak to God in some way. This could also include having God incorporated into all your thoughts as well. This is something that I have tried to work on and feel that before the 60-60, it wasn't as effective. I was ready for something new.

The 60-60 experiment was a welcome idea for me. At first it was difficult but I was truly committed to giving it a real try. I found an app on my iPhone that helped to remind me of whatever I could type in every hour at a certain time. I chose to have my phone remind me at 10 minutes to the hour. By the end of the first week, I had definitely noticed a difference in my attitude. I felt excited to go through my average days to see what the Lord would put in my lap when I was in at least more of a constant connection with Him than before. Over time I cannot say each day was filled with me stopping each hour to connect. The truth is as a teacher, life can get CRAZY hectic and so often at the end of the school day i would look at my phone and see several reminders to "Talk to God." (See photo below of a that build up of reminders) And so at the end of the day, I would. Before I would write an IEP or beginning prep for the next day or week, I did. I prayed for my students and my stress level and really so much. I would also pray for personal situations as well.

I really enjoyed the 60-60. I feel it has helped me to stay connected to God in so many ways. It has even helped to create more of a habitual recollection for me and given me that umph to continue. So, my phone will continue to remind me to check in. I feel that i check in more often than before the experiment and now i am working on both, habitual recollection and staying connected! Let me know if you gave it a try, even if for a day or two. I would love to hear your thoughts! Also, for all you teachers out there, how do you incorporate prayer into your day? There is nothing like a teacher who prays. I hope you would become a praying teacher if you aren't already!

Life Group and a Clean Apt!

What's bringing me joy today? 

2 things .... its so hard to limit myself now that i have been doing this every week. I am now finding myself looking for the things that truly are bringing me joy each week! 

1. The first thing that is bringing me joy is my life group! My husband and I have been blessed to lead this group for a little over a year now and we really have enjoyed leading this small group of couples. We have grown and learned so much in a year and I am so excited about what is to come this year! My husband and I are welcoming another couple to lead with us and WE CAN'T WAIT! It is so neat to invite someone in who is so excited to learn, lead, and help in so many ways. Its also really great to have a new set of friends! With that said we are also expanding in membership which excites me and brings me much joy. I think of it all as this new horizon to learn and grow together as Christian adults living in a crazy mixed up world! So, our life group is really bringing me joy! (Everyone is coming over in approx 20 minutes!!!!) 

2. The second thing that has brought me joy this week is MY CLEAN APARTMENT!!!! I am loving how it looks so much better and is way less cluttered. I have to say my husband has really kicked it into high gear and has said enough is enough for both of us. So we cleaned and stuffed Christmas stuff into storage bins on Saturday. We also straightened up our garage! It is also really cool that we finally got a brand new vacuum all our own! (We had been using difficult-to-use "hand me down" or borrowed vacuums before now!) It makes vacuuming so much easier! I love my new Dyson! 

So that is that....tomorrow I will be participating in my first "Linky Party" and you will get to hear about "A Day in my Shoes"!  Can't wait! 

Have a great night! 

Recent YouTube Finds

I thought I would post this tonight. I know there is some critique out there and that this man's opinion may not be completely sound, but I thought what he has to say is pretty profound. What hits me the most this the part about church being a "hospital for the broken." If you have thoughts or comments, please feel free to share! 

On a lighter note ... here's another video of some really talented musicians. 

Have a great night! 

What do you want to read?

So by now I think you have figured out that I am trying to be a responsible blogger and post daily. So far this has been a fun/overwhelming adventure where I realize I have much to learn. 

There's so much I could cover and  wonder what people want to read. Truly, I would like to avoid meaningless posts. I am aspiring to be like the bloggers that I have followed that have inspired me and kept me wanting to know more and more.  So with that being said, does anyone have anything they would like to know about? A topic you would like me to focus on or even information you would like to learn about that you think I might have even an inkling about? Comments, suggestions, specifics, and general musings are welcome..... Please leave behind a kind comment below!

PS. The picture above is one of my husband (Brandon) and I at the Orange County Fair this summer. They had a refrigerated room that had really awesome ice sculptures. It was fun and QUITE cold! They even offered blankets for people to use. Just thought I would share! 

What's Bringing Me Joy Wednesday!

So it's Wednesday and it completely felt like a MONDAY! That's cause it was the dreaded end to Christmas Break. (I can see the storm clouds rolling in and the organ playing some daunting song!). That's right I went back to work and my classroom which was completely ignored for all of break! Though I went back kind of dragging my feet, I realized how much i missed my little kiddos. This leads me to my content for today... 

So, my thoughts are that Wednesdays on "Busy as a Honey Bee" will be all about what has brought me JOY for the week. So there it is "What's Bringing Me Joy Wednesday." I am hoping to find something every week to remind me that I have so much joy in my life. I feel that often times I can truly get so bogged down in the mundane stresses of life that I lose sight of what has brought me the most joy. I may not be the only one in this, but regardless, Wednesdays will regularly be about what has brought joy to my life. 

Today, my students are what brought me joy. They are so awesome! I went to work almost kicking and screaming and left feeling like I know exactly why I stay late, drink too much tea, and stress about making things better than the last time. My reminders today were when one student randomly said "I love school" and then a small conversation continued with another student about how they loved the school too. Another reminder was when a student winked back at me after i winked at him. It was adorable and he looked so much like a pirate when he did it! I hope and pray every day for moments where I made an impact educationally or even emotionally. Maybe today was one of those days! 

My FIRST Post

Hi Everyone! 

So here it is my first post on my very FIRST blog! (Oh how I am already realizing how much I need spell check!) This blog is definitely been in my imagination for a very long time and I am excited to get started. I do have to be honest though that i am a bit overwhelmed by this new adventure. I am still trying to figure out what my blog content and structure will be. So far, I feel I am as busy as a honey bee. I am a wife, daughter, sister, teacher, friend, Christian, cook, and really so much more! I figure I have enough to share so this is my beginning! I do hope you enjoy my musings.... 

First of all, I will begin with what was in my kitchen today.... I made Chicken Tortilla Soup (a Pinterest find) in the crock pot! The recipe (from  www.disneyfamily.com) is below:

Chicken Tortilla Soup

Ingredients

4 boneless, skinless chicken thighs

1 4-ounce can chopped green chilies, drained (hot or mild, depending on preference)

2 cloves of garlic, minced

1 yellow onion, diced

2 15-ounce cans of diced tomatoes, including juice

1/2 - 1 cup chicken broth

1 teaspoon cumin

Kosher salt and pepper

4 corn tortillas, sliced into 1/4 inch strips (I skipped adding these to the crock pot and just served tortilla chips on the side)

2 tablespoons chopped cilantro

1/2 cup shredded Monterey jack cheese

1 avocado diced and tossed with lime juice to prevent browning

1 lime, cut into wedges

Directions

1. Place chicken in Crock-Pot® slow cooker.
2. In a separate bowl, combine chilies, garlic, onion, tomatoes, 1/2 c chicken broth and cumin. Blend and pour over chicken.
3. Cook on high for 3 hours. When chicken is tender, use the tines of 2 forks to shred. Adjust seasoning and add additional chicken broth if necessary.
4. Just before serving, add tortillas and cilantro to Crock-Pot® slow cooker. Stir to incorporate. Adjust seasoning to taste.
5. Serve in soup bowls, topping each with shredded cheese, diced avocado and a squeeze of lime.

Serves: 4-6 Size: 3-6 quarts 

Mine looked a little more like this.... 

Either way it was yummy and really easy! My husband said the soup was good but offered constructive criticism... it needs some more spice..... so I have a little research to do the next time I make this. 

So that's my first post! So much more to come!