Thursday Thoughts

This post won't be one about things I've been favoring lately but it has to do with big news around here. Drum roll please.... I got my first job!!! I'll be teaching high school math in good ole Arkansas! Not only that, but I'll be able to visit my sister and nephew on the weekends! 

And, to add to the exciting news, I ordered my first Erin Condren planner! If you know me, you know I've been waiting for this day for over a year now and I'm so happy that it has finally arrived!

P.s. If you want to order anything from EC, you can use this link

https://www.erincondren.com/referral/invite/staceydicken0214

and save $10 on your next purchase! Ummm hello, their notebooks are less than $20 so you pay for the notebook and your shipping is FREE 

(it's a constant $10 fee for any order.)

 I was waiting on the final word from the superintendent saying I got the job before I tacked the school name on the front of it. Ideally, I would have waited until I signed the paperwork, but that was going to cut too close to school starting and I want it here ASAP so I can start planning. 

Here's what it will look like:

I debated about this cover because I'll be teaching at a public school and thought that it might be too out there. But I was drawn to it from the beginning so I decided to go for it. Faith not fear, right?? ;)

That's all for today. Now I'm off to start packing (and stare at the picture of my planner because I just can't believe it's actually happening!) It was perfectly timed because I haven't been keeping up with my "Thursday Thoughts" lately. Oops. But now I will have more things to talk about now that I'm a (almost) official teacher!

What I've Been Listening To...

Up until about last week, I felt like everything was starting to fall apart again. Nothing major, just the little things that don't usually bother me. Let's just say God is teaching me how to live out the name of my blog ;) But I'll spare you the details this time.

Instead, I want share what I've been listening to and reading. I've really dedicated myself to listening to audio books and took the plunge and purchased a membership on Audible. So I have loved using it! It's so easy to download books, have them sent straight to my phone, and use the controls while I'm driving. 

I've made three purchases and haven't regretted buying a single one. Here they are...

1.  Make It Happen by Lara Casey

Source (click here)

I'm  just going to throw this out there because it's true. I love self-help books! I like how they make me think deeper about things and process what's really going on and how I feel about it. I was raised in an environment where "Suck it up and just do it" was the M.O. so I need some help when it comes to talking about my feelings and emotions. I also LOVE to organize and create structure. You can see why I loved this book if you know anything about it.

Basically, it gives LC's life story and her journey to faith. And not just that, but overcoming her fears by way of faith. When her magazine was struggling. When her husband was overseas. When work was taking over her life. She talks about her choices and how they were (and were not)
glorifying God.

She decided to make some changes so that the things that mattered the most could happen. She realigned her schedule with things that were important to her and her family. She surrendered her fear, took the leap of faith, and started living on purpose.

**This book is also full of practical suggestions on how to make this happen for you. Check it out!**

2.  So Long Insecurity by Beth Moore

Source (click here)

I was hesitant about this one just because of its title but I'm glad I went ahead and got it.
I didn't feel like it particularly spoke to me but it helped me see how insecure people are around me. I realized that I can play a role in affirming their character instead of focusing
on physical characteristics.

There was one section which I related to and that was the chapter talking about loss and grief. Beth specifically talks about dealing with those things at a young age and the effect it can take on your perception of yourself. I had several people I was close to (or people who were close to people I knew) who passed away when I was in middle school. Trying to cope with their absence and living life after their deaths was near impossible for someone my age. To be honest, to this day I still struggle with it. I go through phases where everything reminds me of them and the grief reappears. I question if I will see them again one day. The list of questions goes on and on, but not things stays the same: God.
He has never left me to figure it out on my own.
I've never had a shortage of people to talk to about it. He has always provided.
I don't believe that God took those people away to make me miserable. He had a plan.
And He HAS a plan. I just have to trust Him.

I will never know if I will see those people again. Not until my dying day.
Until that time, I have to trust Him and have faith that
His will for my life is good, perfect and pleasing. (Romans 12:2)

An another note...my third audiobook purchase was...


3. Allegiant by Veronica Roth

Source (click here)

This book has been on my list of books to read for a few weeks and the minute I received my first credit from Audible, I purchased this one. It was SO good! I've only watched Divergent and Insurgent so Allegiant started differently than I expected but it was easy to catch up.

I have always been interested in geography and maps of cities. The fact that this series takes place in Chicago, which is one of my favorite cities, makes it more intriguing because I can visualize what everything looks like without a director calling the shots. It's just me and the author.

I won't give anything away but I will say, there are a lot of new characters and the ending was shocking. Actually, not that shocking, but I saved the last couple chapters for my Monday drive and it was an interesting way to start the week ;)


So there you have it. These are what I've been listening to via Audible for the last few weeks.
Any suggestions for my next audiobook? I think I have time for one more before school starts.
And that's a post I'll save for later.