A Letter to My Students On the Last Day of School

It is Thoughtful Thursday and the only thing going through my mind is that it is the last day of school. I am so excited for summer break and having some extra time to do things that I enjoy doing. However, it is quite bittersweet for me. Each year, the last day of school becomes emotional. After being with my students for 36 weeks, we have grown together in many ways and shared many special memories. Thinking of them going off into 4th grade is hard for me. So... as a way to cope with these emotions this morning, I have decided to write a letter to my students on their last day of 3rd grade.

My sweet third graders,

I have so enjoyed having you in my class this year. I am so thankful that I was given the chance to be your teacher and get to know you the way that I have. You are a blessing to me. As you go off to 4th grade, I pray that you don't forget the joy we shared in our classroom and the things that you have learned.

When you came into my classroom almost 36 weeks ago, my first impression was "Wow! These kids really love each other." It has been a joy to watch your friendships expand and mature and the way you love one other is absolutely amazing to witness. I have often told you that we were a "classroom family". With that being said, we had times where we shared frustrations and joyous occasions, but like a family we stuck together through it all.

My favorite thing about our class this year is how you allowed your brain to think about God. You challenged me to think about Him in ways that I never thought about Him before. We were able to engage in some great, meaningful discussions about our Heavenly Father. I was always in awe of the insightful things you had to say during these discussions. I hope that you carry some of these discussions with you as you grow and mature in your relationship with the Lord.

As you become 4th graders, my hope is that you leave my class feeling one thing...loved. Because each of you are. Not only by me, but by our Creator. You are loved more than you will ever know. You were created to be exactly who you are and you are loved because of who you are. Don't let this world try to change you. Be you. You are beautiful, smart, compassionate, and hard-working. Work hard in all that you do and do everything for God's honor and glory.

And lastly, I want to thank you. You all are always thanking me for what I do, but I should be thanking you. You challenge me each day to be a better teacher and a better person. Thank you for that. Thank you for your sweet hugs and kind words, especially on days that are a bit harder than others. Thank you for laughing with me and putting up with my random thoughts and stories that I just have to share when they pop in my head. Thank you for teaching me what life looks like through your eyes. Many adults grow up and forget what it is like to be a kid, but I got to experience it each day because you shared it with me. Thank you for sharing the last 36 weeks of your life with me. Thank you for giving me the gift of your laughter and for sharing your excitement with me. Thank you for praying with me when I needed prayer and allowing me to pray with you when you needed it.

Are you crying yet? I know I am. I expect each of you to come back to see me at some point next year and share with me what is new in your life. I can't think of a better way for the legacy of our class this year to continue than to have you share at least a small part of your future with me. You may not all be in the same class next year or in my class, but a part of my heart is reserved for Mrs. Johnston's third grade class of 2017-2018...that's YOU!

With lots of love,

Mrs. Johnston

Writing Prompt Wednesday - Tears are Words

Thank you for joining me on our first "Writing Prompt Wednesday." I am so excited to see what words come out with this prompt. If you come across a prompt or have something you would like me to write about on a future Writing Prompt Wednesday, leave it in the comments or send it to me privately through the contact form. I would love to read your ideas. Thanks!

Prompt: Paulo Coelho has said, "Tears are words that need to be written." What always brings tears to your eyes?

I am a teacher and now an aunt-mom to three beautiful kids. Most recently, I have been guilty of shedding buckets of happy tears. When I first read the quote above by Paulo Coelho, it was like a light bulb went off. This quote rings so true for me. The moments that I am experiencing extreme pain or happiness, the moments that draw tears to my eyes, are the moments that I tend to write about. These are the moments that I need to write in order to work out my feelings and process what is happening in my life.

In my role as a teacher, this is the time of year that I tend to shed the most happy tears. Tomorrow is the last day of school. My class and I have now been together for the last 36 weeks. We have shared laughter, love, frustration, and yes...tears. Each year is like a new adventure. We begin the year as strangers and end the year as a piece of each other's hearts. When I look back on the year and I see how far my students have come and how much they have grown, tears are always brought to my eyes. Happy tears. Proud tears. Bittersweet tears.

I am blessed to teach where I do. I not only get to witness my students grow physically and academically, but I get to guide them in growing spiritually as well. This is by far the most rewarding part of my job. When a student tells me at the end of the year that I helped them grow closer to Jesus, I know that I did my job exactly the way I was supposed to in spite of the long nights, parent meetings, and frustrations throughout the year. Pretty much every time a student says something along those lines, the tears start flowing. It is like each tear represents a happy memory and when I look at it like that, my tears are really gifts. In happy or sad times, when we cry, each tear is a gift from God. Our tears mean that we have experienced love. When I cry happy tears for my students it is because God has given me the chance to love and be loved by them in a way that fosters physical, academic and spiritual growth within them. When I cry sad tears, it is usually because a loved one has passed or that I am in the midst of a disagreement with someone. Those tears also mean that I have loved and have been loved. It means I care enough to be sad about that situation.

Many times tears are seen as bad, but I think that God has beautifully designed us in a way that our tears heal our hearts. I guess to give a straightforward answer to the prompt above, I would have to say... having experienced an overwhelming sense of love. This is what always brings tears to my eyes.

Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.

Matthew 5:4

A Year Later...and a Special Announcement

Let me start by being honest with you, and prepare to be shocked....I took a break from writing. Insert wide-eyed gasp here. It has taken its toll on me for sure. Writing is my outlet. It is the thing that allows me to feel and helps me to work through my feelings and thoughts in a healthy way. So, needless to say, as time went on without writing, I began to feel passionless and numb to a lot of things I would normally feel very passionate about. What bothered me the most was that I was beginning to feel numb in my relationship with my Savior. I could shrug off feeling numb and passionless about everything else, but this, to me, was just not okay.

Last night, I was feeling pretty down about this passionless me and I came across a blog post on Pinterest that talked about how to draw closer to God while writing. It was like God had started ringing a bell in my mind to make sure I understood that He was telling me that I needed to start writing again. And now, I'm sitting in front of my laptop screen at 5:30 in the morning with a renewed sense of passion and purpose typing out these words for you to read.

Before I get to the special announcement, let me fill you in a few things that have happened over the past year. This will help you to understand the announcement a bit better. My husband and I moved into our first home together in January of 2017. I was still writing then, but wasn't sure if you knew that. Then, in July, I began my third year teaching third grade. We have had permanent legal guardianship of our nephew (who will be referred to as A) July 2016 and in February 2018, we were given temporary custody of our two nieces (A's sisters), who will be referred to as H and K in my blog. H is a rambunctious and sassy 3 year old and K is a rough, but affectionate 4 year old. My life has changed drastically in the past year. I have transitioned from a bright-eyed newly wed to a coffee drinking, messy haired and pajamas wearing aunt-mom of three.

My writing style may be a bit different now as I begin to want to talk about how my life has changed and how God is working in the midst of the chaos that is the life of being a wife and aunt-mom. What hasn't changed is my reason and hope for writing. I hope that my words help someone out there who may be going through a similar season of life, who may feel like no one understands, or someone who may just want to laugh with me as God reveals some pretty funny thoughts through the lips of a three year old and cry with me when we have had time out after time out and major meltdowns in the span of one bad day. Regardless your reason for being here, I appreciate you. Thank you for reading my words and I pray that God would bless you today in ways that you never knew were possible.

And  now for the special announcement...

I like to write about many different topics, so instead of starting a different blog for each topic, which is not realistic with my chaotic life at the moment, I am going to be writing about a different topic each day of the week. Through this, I hope you will find something that really clicks with you and you should be able to follow the tags to find other posts about the same topic as I write more on that topic. The schedule is below.

Aunt-Mom Monday: On Mondays, I will be writing posts about my life as an aunt-mom of my three amazingly rowdy kids. This will include fun activities I do with them, parenting wins (and fails), and a journal of our legal journey.

Teacher Talk Tuesday/Bible Truth Tuesday: On Tuesdays, I will be writing about one of two things. I may be writing about my life as a teacher. This could include things that have worked in my classroom, reflections on lessons or other teaching topics. I could also be writing about a Bible truth that God has revealed to me in the past week.

Writing Prompt Wednesday: On Wednesdays I will search for a writing prompt online and respond to it through my blog post. I would also encourage you if you are a writing to respond to it as well. Some prompts may be just for fun and others could be seriously thought-provoking.

Thoughtful Thursday: On Thursdays, I will be writing about something that has been weighing on my mind recently. This could really go in any direction and could get quite interesting I think.

Freebie Friday: On Fridays, I will be sharing with you a helpful document that I have made to organize the craziness of my life. This could be something related to being a wife or aunt-mom, being a teacher, or could just be something to help with Bible study and drawing closer to God.

I am so excited to begin this journey with you and share with you more about my life. I will begin this journey tomorrow with Writing Prompt Wednesday. No matter what day it is, I will be including Bible truths and Scripture that applies to each topic and situation I am writing about. God is everywhere and can be found in everything. So, I hope that in returning to writing I will draw closer to God and that by you reading these words you will too. Or at least that you will be inspired by something that I write to do something that you are passionate about in an attempt to draw closer to Him as well.

Remember to...Rejoice in the truth of God's grace and love each and every day!

Hugs and Kisses,
Brianna

He Brings Us Through It All

"Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God."

Philippians 4:6

Source: minutemanups.com

If you are anything like me, there are times when it feels like the worries of how I am going to make it through the next week or month become overwhelming. These thoughts consume me to the point that I cannot enjoy the blessings God has planned for the moment I am living in right then. For me, most of these worries revolve around finances and how to juggle the funds around to pay for each bill or the unexpected repair or the forgotten field trip money due date.

This is not the first time in my life where I have felt that I am living day to day and I am sure it will not be the last. However, looking back on all the times of struggling to make ends meet, I have realized that there is one thing that is constant and reassuring. God brought us through it. He provided everything we needed in each situation, but something just as amazing is that God gives us just enough. He gives us what we need for each situation, for each day, but He wants us to rely on Him every single day. What would happen if God gave us everything we wanted or needed for the rest of our lives today? We would begin to feel that we didn't need Him. Why pray to God when He has already given us everything we need or want? 

When you feel like you cannot get ahead, maybe there is a reason. God wants to be with you. He wants a relationship with you. He wants you to come to Him every day and ask for the things that you need. He will provide for you every day, every single time. It just may not be exactly what you expected, but He WILL bring you through it. My life is living proof of it and I am sure if you look back on your life, no matter what you are going through right now, you can see all of the times you have struggled before and guess what? You are still here. That is God. He did that. He cares for you and He brought you through it all.

It is an amazing revelation when you realize that God really has brought you through every struggle you have had in your past. He is faithful and worthy of our praise and trust. It can be hard to put all of your trust in someone's hands other than your own. Sometimes we cling to situations because we want to be in control, but the reality is we are NEVER in control of everything. God is. He is the God of the universe. He created all of it. He is in control and trust me, He knows what He is doing. 

Jeremiah 29:11 says, "'For I know the plans I have for you,' declares the Lord, 'plans to prosper you and not to harm you, to give you hope and a future.'" God promises us that His plans for us are good. It is the choices we make and our sinful nature that brings the bad things into our lives. By God's amazing grace and unfailing love, we can have hope that when we put our trust in Him and rely on Him good will come out of every tough situation. So, don't be anxious. Focus on God and His word, put Him first and an incredible peace will fall upon you when you realize that the King of the Universe is in control. He's got you in His hands. He WILL bring you through.

My challenge for you today is to think about struggles you may have encountered in the past and reflect on how God brought you through them and worked them out for your good. Pray to Him and thank Him for working in your life and bringing you through every hardship.

If I can pray for you in any way, please let me know. I would be happy to do so. Send me a message using the contact form or if you have my personal contact information via Facebook or phone number, you may send me a message there as well.

Rejoice in the truth of Christ, today!

A Servant's Heart

"Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ."

Ephesians 5:21

My husband and I praying with Pastor Joe at our wedding in October 2016.

The past few days have led me on a journey to discovering what this verse and the two verses that follow really mean for me. Every time I read the word submit, I get a really bad taste in my mouth. I believe that this is a result of how our society in today's world views this word. The world's definition for submit is to give up everything that makes you who you are in order to be able to cater to the needs of someone else. God's definition for this word is so much different. Submit, as it was used in the Bible, means to have a servant's heart and put first the needs of others.

I was primarily studying these verses as it applies to the roles of husband and wife within a marriage. It is truly beautiful how God created man and woman to compliment each other and provide for the needs of each other within the context of a marriage, but the verse above, which preceded the verses about family submission, applies to every one. God wants us to submit to each other out of love and respect to Jesus and what He did for us.This means submission within and outside of the family. We are to submit to each other in a way that shows love and servitude in our daily lives with everyone we come in contact with.

My husband will tell you, with him, I can be very opinionated and outspoken. This is not something I am proud of as it relates to our marriage. Each day, God is giving me opportunities to grow in this area and to trust my husband's leadership. In this way, I am also having to grow in my faith of God's authority and leadership. It is a challenge that I am faced with each day, but it is one that I know will only bring good to the life that my husband and I are building together. 

Sometimes, it can be so hard to follow the selfless example Jesus gave us. We are humanly inclined to be selfish. To think of ourselves and our needs first, as I mentioned in my last post about loving on others who are hard to love. It may be easier to be selfless when we are dealing with family members who we know love us. However, I know I have been guilty of feeling bitter when when it feels like I am doing so much more for my husband that what he is doing for me. That is the selfish self-talk that Satan uses to derail us from living on a right path with God and with our family. He uses situations within our own households against us. 

My plan is to be more aware of when this is happening, pray for God's voice in my heart rather than Satan's, and to realize that my husband has a different role than I do. It is not his job to do all of the things that I do I was doing some research while studying these verses and I came across something that really clicked with me. It was talking about how Paul, in these verses, was describing how each person in a family has different needs and how God created each person to satisfy these needs for the others. It said that children need instruction (provided by the parents), women need to feel cherished (provided by the husband), and men need to lead (provided by the submission of their wives).

My challenge to you today is to think about an area or relationship in your life where you need to be more submissive. Ask yourself How do I feel about this? Am I bitter? Do I truly have a servant's heart in this situation? Pray and ask God to help you to have a servant's heart as it relates to your relationships with others.

Rejoice in the truth of Christ, today!

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Second Chances

"If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? And if you greet only your people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that?"

Matthew 5:46-47

Source: Pinterest

Last night, I had a genuinely God-given opportunity to speak life into someone close to me who had been going through a really hard time. He shared with me the struggle of getting back on track to having a right relationship with God. He also shared with me how difficult it had been for him to gain people's approval and trust back after making the choices that he had made, mainly that of his own family members.

I truly felt that the words that came out of my mouth to him during this conversation came straight from the Holy One himself. I said, "I loved you through all of it. I may have been sad or disappointed because I didn't want to see you having to go through what you did, but I was never mad at you and I loved you the entire time." When someone repeatedly makes the same poor choices and hurts you over and over again, our hearts become hardened and it is so challenging to forgive. We think, I have forgiven this person once already, do I really need to forgive them again? What's the point? They're just going to keep doing it again.

We are humans and I think at some point, we have all thought this, but this is not the example Jesus gave to us. How often was He caught spending time and showing His love to those who had done wrong and had hurt Him? Ultimately, He was doing just that when He suffered and hung on that cross. We put Him there. Every sin that we have committed put Jesus, the only sinless man, on that cross and He did it WILLINGLY because He loved us that much! How amazing is that?

It is true that many people are in the low, hopeless places that they are in because of their own choices and actions. We know all actions have consequences. However, which do you think is more powerful and will bring more glory to God...turning your back on that person and judging them for everything that they have done wrong or loving that person through it, being there for them, believing the best in them when nobody else will? 

Judging someone based on their past and the actions they have done (and maybe even continue doing) will only push them away from the joy and fulfillment that only Christ can provide. God uses us as tools to speak life into these people who need Him the very most. Don't turn your back on them. Love them, through all of it. After all, we have ALL made mistakes and choices that we are not proud of. Everyone needs a second (or third, or fourth, or fifth...) chance at some point. That's when we can make the biggest difference in someone's life...when we give them a second chance, a chance to do what is right, a chance to have someone believe the good in them.

In Matthew 12:31, Jesus commands us to love our neighbor as ourselves. Many times when we turn our backs on those who have hurt us and continue to hurt themselves or others, we are doing it out of self-preservation. We feel that we have worked hard for the things we have, why should we help those who don't work hard for what they have and continue to make the same choices that led them to this place to begin with? We do this because we are thinking of ourselves and the needs that we have, but Jesus wants us to think of others in this same way. If we want something good for ourselves, we should want that for others as well. We don't usually want bad things to happen to ourselves, so we shouldn't want bad things to happen to others either.

You may disagree with someone for the choices they are making or the things they have done, but those things do not change the fact that they are still a child of God, just like you. God loves them through all of it and He would love to use you to show these people in need just how  much He loves them.

My challenge to you today is to ask God to soften and open your heart to loving on others who are not easily loved. They may not love you back, but love them. Send a kind text to them just to let them know you are thinking of them or when someone tries to spread rumors or gossip about them, try to help by saying that you don't really know what they are going through and they may be doing what they are doing for a good reason. Be a light for others today. Show them the love that God has in store for their lives. You may be the only one who is showing love and kindness to that person today.

Find the joy in the truth of Christ, today!

Press On

"I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus."

Philippians 3:14

http://www.differencebetween.info/difference-between-an-award-reward-and-prize

It has been a while y'all, but my heart has been with you readers the entire time. Many things have happened during the past two months that have led me to writing this post today. I am so excited to share this with you!

We all have goals. Whether we sit and write them down, talk to our friends or family about them, or just think about them in the depths of our minds. We all have something that we are working toward at any given moment. For me, there are usually several goals swirling around in my mind that I am constantly working toward. I have recently had the goal to survive my second year of teaching (and I did!), to lose 25 pounds (only 1 pound away) and to become a mother (more of a long term goal). I tend to be a very goal driven person, though, and sometimes I have to remind myself to enjoy the moment I'm living in now because my eyes are constantly on the goal ahead.

There are times when my mind is so focused on the goal ahead that it feels unattainable and I become extremely discouraged my normally positive self-talk becomes negative and dark. Yes, we need to be aware of the attitude we have when we have goals, but goals are a GOOD thing. As Philippians 3:14 tells us, we need to PRESS ON toward the goal set before us.

God calls us to work for and achieve earthly goals, but in everything we do and every goal we set we cannot lose focus on the one, most important goal. The goal of reaching heaven to spend eternity in the presence of the one Most High, the creator of the universe, the one who loves us so much He would come to the world to suffer and die for us. That is our true goal and when we have achieved that goal by accepting Jesus as our savior and striving for a relationship with Him, we will be rewarded the most amazing, eternal prize. Jesus is our prize!

My challenge to you today is to write down one or two goals that you have been thinking about or working toward. Then answer this questions, how does working toward this goal glorify God?

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Find the joy in Christ's truth, today! 😉