What Keeps Me Going

Well, aside from caffeine, junk food, and counting the days until vacation... here's what keeps me going:

1.  God - I feel like this semester I've needed Him more than ever.  I need Him first thing in the morning, I need Him all day long, and I need Him when I finally lay down for the night.  It seems as though I am constantly asking Him to renew my mind and guide my thoughts, to fill my heart with love and understanding for others- especially for those who are so hard to love and understand - and to give me the strength I need to make it through the next moment, the next hour, the next day.  I feel like I have fallen on my face constantly as a wife, as a friend, as a teacher.   But He has reminded me over and over that He loves me, that He forgives me, and that He will never give up on me.

2.  Brent - He loves me.  He tells me every day throughout the day with his words and his actions.  He listens to me on good days.  He listens to me on bad days.  He always encourages me,  always has a word of wisdom, and always speaks the hard truth with love.  He runs with me.  He grocery shops with me. He rubs my back and my head until I fall asleep.  He makes early morning runs, middle of the day runs, and late night runs to Sonic for me.  He runs copies for me at his school.  He helps around the house.  He builds me cool things in his workshop.  He makes me breakfast.  That last one is probably my favorite... Hence the picture of bacon breakfast burritos this morning, wrapped in foil to stay warm until I got settled in my classroom early this morning... I don't know what I would do without him.

3. Family - My parents love us and support us in every way possible.  They open their house and feed us any day, any time of the week.  On the weekends, my mom will kidnap me from my lesson plans and house cleaning to take me shopping or out for lunch.  This weekend she took me to the Cheesecake Factory.  Lettuce wraps = guilt free amazingness.  :) My dad texts me throughout the week just to tell me he is thinking about me or a silly message to make me smile.  Will and Abby are as insanely busy as we are, but are always willing and eager to see us when we come to the mainlands on the weekends.    Brent's family, though they live farther away, keep in contact through phone calls and e-mails, and remind us that the holidays are right around the corner and we'll be celebrating with them soon.  Like my parents, they love us, celebrate our successes, and encourage us when we meet failures and frustrations.

4. Friends - Most of our friends are in the same boat that we are - one spouse is in school and the other spouse works to make ends meet for the both of them.  This season has really been a fun season of our lives - learning to live with and love each other more, learning to not just survive but thrive on small budgets, and growing in our relationships with God through worshiping together.  I'm very blessed that many of our close friends are also my co-workers.  Last week was a particularly rough week, that one day left me at a breaking point after rowdy classes, abrasive parents, and list of a million and one things to do after school.  When I came in the next morning, my sweet teammate put this on my desk: Cures for a Rough Day.  My favorite is the tea cup - every day when I have a cup of tea, usually before my rowdiest class, and before I take a sip I breathe in and I think about all of our wonderful friends and thank God for each one of them.

My God keeps me going.  My husband keeps me going.  My family keeps me going.  My friends keep me going. Truly I am overwhelmed by the number of relationships that God has blessed us with.  When we remember these days, these weeks, these years, we won't think about the long work hours, the small budget, or the smaller house... but we'll smile about memories shared with those we love most. :)