Foot in the Door

Last week I was hired as a building substitute for a middle school.  My first day on the job just seemed like any other day of subbing.  Nothing especially special about it.  But by the end of the week I had an email address, mailbox and school computer.

I go to the same building everyday.  If there isn't a specific room for me to sub in then I assist the 6th grade math teachers during the school day.  It's not my own room.  It's not the job I had hoped for.

But it's a job.  It's a start.

It's a foot in the door.

Remember to live life the best you can, love the most you can.  Moments are precious, many things can wait, The Sunset Won't.  

Wordy Wednesday

It's Wednesday.  For many, it's one of the busier days of the week.  You realize all the work that must be done before Friday.  Maybe you have commitments in the evening that tie you up. Maybe you are just tired after a couple long days at work.

Regardless, Wordy Wednesday here at 'The Sunset Won't' is a quote, short passage or verse that I enjoy and want to share with you.  Today I am sharing quotes that are found at the beginning of each chapter of "Call Me Mrs. Miracle", a novel by Debbie Macomber (and soon to be a Hallmark Movie!).  Enjoy!

Need a new life?  God takes trade ins.

If God is your copilot, trade places.

Lead me not into temptation.  I can find the way myself. –J.R. Finley

People are like tea bags—you have to drop them in hot water before you know how strong they are.

Forbidden fruit creates many jams.

Coincidence is when God chooses to remain anonymous.

Aspire to inspire before you expire.

May you live all the days of your life.

People are funny.  They want the front of the bus, the middle of the road and the back of the church.

Cars are not the only thing recalled by their maker.

When you flee temptation, don’t leave a forwarding address. –Shirley, Goodness and Mercy

The best vitamin for a Christian is B1.

Happiest are the people who give the most happiness to others.

God isn’t politically correct.  He’s just correct.

I think they're fun, cute and share a great message.  Even if you don't believe in a god there is something you can take away from some of these.

Fear Is a Natural Thing

Fear is a very real thing.  It's a normal thing.  Fears can be big or small.  Trivial or serious.  Unique or commonplace.  Recently in the youth group I work with we had a fun night surrounding the idea of fear and God's reaction to our fear.  At the end of the night we asked the youth to work on a "Post Secret" style project around the idea of fear.  

As I was ruminating on what my card would look like I realized the multitude of fears I have. Big and small.  Trivial and serious.  Perhaps unique, perhaps common.  My thinking is that if one writes down their fears, maybe that's the first step to confronting them. Maybe.  Let's see...

I fear that I will never live up to expectation.

I fear that I will end up alone.

I fear that I let expectation dictate who I have become.

I fear that I will disappoint.

I fear getting trapped in an elevator.

I fear dying a painful death.

I fear that I put on a mask that pushes people away.

I fear that I fear too much.

I fear that I will not find a full-time position in a school district that I love.

I fear that I will not pay off my student loans.

I fear the feeling I get when I am in a small space with lots of people.
I fear the disorganized.
I fear the unknown.
I fear.

I fear.  You fear.  Everyone fears.  Big and small.  Shared and not-shared.  I think its the talking about fears that allows us to begin to stand up to them.  So what are your fears?  Have you thought about them lately?

Remember to live life the best you can, love the most you can.  Moments are precious, many things can wait, The Sunset Won't.  

Wordy Wednesday

It's Wednesday.  For many, it's one of the busier days of the week.  You realize all the work that must be done before Friday.  Maybe you have commitments in the evening that tie you up. Maybe you are just tired after a couple long days at work.

Regardless, Wordy Wednesday here at 'The Sunset Won't' is a quote, short passage or verse that I enjoy and want to share with you.  Today's quotes are from National Treasure 2.

Ben Gates: Before the Civil War, the states were all separate. People used to say "United States are." Wasn't until the war ended, people started saying "The United States is." Under Lincoln, we became one nation.

Patrick Gates: And Lincoln paid for it with his life.

Mitch Wilkinson: I'm just a man, trying to make his mark on history.

Mitch Wilkinson: A man has only one lifetime. But history can remember you forever.

Riley Poole: Look at it this way - in a hundred years, no one is gonna remember anyone involved in the Lincoln assassination besides Booth.

Ben Gates: That's not true. Do you know the expression "His name is mud?"

Riley Poole: Yes, of course.

Ben Gates: You do? Do you know the origin of the expression?

Riley Poole: Does anyone but you?

Ben Gates: Dr. Samuel Mudd was convicted of being a co-conspirator in the Lincoln assassination. The evidence was circumstantial, he was later pardoned, but it didn't matter. Mudd's name still lives in infamy, and I will not let Thomas Gates' name be mud.

 

Blog Award, Thanks So Much!

Thank you to Jess from "It's a Big Deal to Me" for giving The Sunset Won't the Blogs that Inspire award.  I am to pass this award to 7 people and share 7 things or people that inspire my life.  I feel like each week, somewhere I talk about things that inspire me, so forgive me if I repeat any. 

In no particular order here are 7 things/people that inspire me:

1. Sunsets

What a beautiful reminder that time goes on whether we want it to or not.  The beauty of a sunset and the promise of a sunrise inspire me to value my time, to live my life the best I can. (Image from Fliker)

2. The Words of the Bible

There are various bible passages and verses that inspire me.  Soon I am working on a blog about the passages that mean the most to me, right now.  The words of the Bible inspire me to keep on even when the path seems hard.

3. My Heritage

I love learning about my ancestors; where they came from, what they overcame to get where they did, etc.  Learning about my heritage, connecting to my ancestors, understanding their lives inspires me to do better.  To do more.  To be the best person I can be.

4. Traveling

Traveling around the world, experiencing new cultures, seeing culturally/historically significant sites... seeing the moon shine on the other side of the world... inspires me.

5. Music

Music, as I continually point out, is a big part of my life.  There is a song for almost every mood, every life moment.  It can be a comfort through a hard time, or a motivator when you need to push through.  Music inspires me as it is the soundtrack to my life. 

6. Education

Being a teacher I am surrounded by people with the desire to learn more.  And I love that.  While I may not know a lot about anything in particular, I know a little bit about a lot of things.  New facts, stories, teaching strategies... they all inspire me to be a better teacher.

7. Mentors

There are people in your life that aren't family, that typically are older than you, who act as a role model.  They listen, they share, they teach.  The mentors in my life, people who fill those roles, inspire me to be a better person.  To give back to others what I have received.

Here is my dilemma, I find that most of the blogs I read are inspiring in their own way.  So choosing just 7 is hard to to.  So I am going to cop out by saying that if you read this blog you should take this award.  Because the fact that any blogger takes the time to share some part of themselves is inspiring.  

Book Review: 1, 2 & 3 John

On occasion I review books and reading materials for various publishers. The following is a review on a Bible Study on 1, 2 & 3 John.

Life Application Bible Studies 1, 2 & 3 John is a very detailed bible study guide. If you are looking for something on the lighter side, this would not be it. However, if you are looking for a deeper understanding of the wonderful books of John, than this is indeed the guide for you. The intro to each book contains 'vital statistics' which I found helpful in my understanding of the context and purpose of each book. I felt that the questions in the back were good opportunities to reread, reflect and respond. This is a guide with 13 lessons to help you find certainty in your faith. It's a never-ending process, but this guide provides a good step in your faith journey. I would recommend it to someone looking to deepen their understanding of these books.

Tyndale was gracious enough to provide me with a complimentary copy for review purposes.

Wordy Wednesday

It's Wednesday.  For many, it's one of the busier days of the week.  You realize all the work that must be done before Friday.  Maybe you have commitments in the evening that tie you up. Maybe you are just tired after a couple long days at work.

Regardless, Wordy Wednesday here at 'The Sunset Won't' is a quote, short passage or verse that I enjoy and want to share with you.  Today's quotes are from Randy Pausch, a former professor at Carnegie Mellon University and author of the Last Lecture.

When you're screwing up and nobody is saying anything to you anymore it means they gave up.  You're critics are the ones telling you they love you and still care.

Freedom's just another word for nothing left to lose.

Experience is what you get when you didn't get what you wanted.

Brick walls let us show our dedication.

Don't bail, the best gold is at the bottom of barrels of crap.

Don't complain; just work harder.

Find the best in everybody; no matter how long you have to wait for them to show it.

Luck is where preparation meets opportunity.

Do any of these connect with you this week?  

If you have not yet seen "The Last Lecture" I recommend finding it and watching it.  It is just over an hour but is full of fantastic material.  Or it is also in a book format.  

Making Time

I have talked several times about my feeling that there is not enough time in the day to go around.  There are only 1,440 minutes in a day.  That may seem like a big number.  But considering that I prefer to sleep for roughly 500 of those minutes (thats about 8.5 hours), that only leaves me with 940 minutes.

940 minutes.  That has to include getting ready for the day, eating, getting to work, working.  Some days there are meetings or events we must attend cutting into our already minuscule amount of time.  But we still need to have time for two major things... time for ourselves and time for our relationships.

I find that taking time for myself is a must.  On days when I don't allow myself to "turn-off," I get slightly cranky.  I am worn out and need a recharge.  After a day of substitute teaching I drive home and need at least 20 minutes of alone time.  Time to unpack my things, change into comfier clothes, and unwind from the day.  More time is always better.  Then I have other things in the afternoons and early meetings.  For me the TV shows I watch in the evening are also 'me time.'  Time for me to shut off my mind for the day and enjoy the crazy story-lines that network television has deemed entertaining.

While time for myself is a necessity I have found that so is time for our relationships.  And I'm not talking about romantic relationships, though those should be included as should family relationships.  I am specifically talking about relationships with friends.  Every week or so C and I get together.  We often do dinner, but sometimes its watching Grey's Anatomy or working on a project.  But it's for the most part a consistent part of my schedule.  We have plans for dinner this week and yesterday I got a call from her.  Her shift at work changed and she was no longer on the early shift, so she asked if we could go later.  I said absolutely not a problem.  We needed to catch up.  I realized that while I will probably be more tired later, and I prefer to eat dinner earlier, I still need to make the time to get together.  To stay connected.  My friend B and I get together every few weeks, recently planning something absolutely last minute so we could chat.  Again, I knew that time needed to be made.  It needed to be found.

I sometimes end my blog posts with something like: Remember to live life the best you can, love the most you can.  Moments are precious, many things can wait, The Sunset Won't.  

We make time for those who are most important to us.  

Are you spending your 1,440 minutes wisely?  

Tick... tock...

Wordy Wednesday

It's Wednesday.  For many, it's one of the busier days of the week.  You realize all the work that must be done before Friday.  Maybe you have commitments in the evening that tie you up. Maybe you are just tired after a couple long days at work.

Regardless, Wordy Wednesday here at 'The Sunset Won't' is a quote, short passage or verse that I enjoy and want to share with you.  Today's quotes are from the amazing J.K. Rowling.  She was recently on Oprah and provided the following words of wisdom:

Well you’ve got to believe, haven’t you?

In magic, man has to rely on himself.

And so, rock bottom became a solid foundation on which I rebuilt my life.  It is impossible to live without failing at something, unless you live so cautiously that you might as well have not of lived at all.

I’ve often met people who are terrified.  In a straight jacket of they’re own making because they’d rather do anything than fail.  They don’t want to try, for fear of failing.

(Oprah asked her, what do you know for sure?)  

I know that love is the most powerful thing of all.

The happiest man alive would look in the mirror and see himself exactly as he is. 

(HP and the Sorcerer’s Stone)

Sharing Pockets

I don't think you ever learn everything about anyone, no matter how long you know them, or how well.  There's always another pocket somewhere. -Nora Roberts, Bed of Roses

Pockets.  We all have them.  Some are shallow pockets.  Right out front.  Ones that are easy for people to see.  It's where we keep the little things.  Maybe a tub of chapstick, some loose change, a bobby-pin.  There are medium pockets.  Tucked into the sides of a shirt or the front of a favorite pair of jeans.  It's for our cell phones or iPods, where we keep that extra $20.  

But then there are those deep pockets.  That spot that holds a picture of a loved one, our ID, maybe a small token that means a lot.  It's a pocket that doesn't often get shared.  It's hidden in the lining of a jacket, deep inside a purse or briefcase.  It's ours.  It's safe.  It's secure.

I am not someone who has a ton of friends.  And in those relationships that I do have I often feel I take on the role of listener, of helper.  But how much do I really know about these people?  And how much am I sharing?  Am I just sharing that outside, shallow pocket?  Or am I making the effort to dig deep?  To reach inside the lining, and sharing something of value.  How often do we really listen?  How often do we really share?  

In the age of text messaging, emailing, skype-ing it seems we are always connected.   But are we connected or just dialed in?  How much do you know about the people in your life?  I am challenging myself to really plug in to my interactions with people this week.  To really listen.  To share new pockets with them.

Remember to live the best you can.  To tell the people you love that you love them.  If you're waiting for a sign, this is it.  Many things in life can wait, The Sunset Won't.