Reasons why I'm not complaining today.

In all honesty, the past couple weeks have rough. I mean tragedy, heartbreak, brokenness rough. It's hard to go through days like those and not just yearn for a place with no more sorrow, pain, or suffering. But fortunately for us, in the midst of all of the junk, we come face to face with a loving God who is willing and ready to take our burdens from us. All we need to do is surrender. Easier said than done....but I'm learning that it's ok to take small steps in letting go of the control that we pretend we have. And a small step is better than no step at all. So a step in my surrendering, acknowledging the goodness in the every day. Because the more that I realize that God has every.thing. under control the more I learn to appreciate how good He continues to be.

These are clearly not high quality pictures here, but I'm definitely ok with seeing this as I get to school every morning. I'm convinced that Salt Lake Valley is one of the most beautiful places I've been privileged to call home. New mercies. Snow capped mountains, beautiful city lights, a reminder that God is in control of everything even while we sleep.

Despite the fact that this pile continues to grow with papers to be graded over the weekend, I'm so grateful for my job. I'm grateful for incredible coworkers that are real people, who aren't afraid to talk about real life, and who force me to ditch my pile of work to go see terrible movies with them. I'm grateful for the 200 kids that make me laugh so hard I cry almost every day. I'm grateful for the kids that come in before and after school, during lunch, in between classes just to tell me they made the basketball team, that they got into their dream school, to tell me they missed me on their two week vacation in Florida (I still don't completely buy this one, but it made me smile anyway), just to say hi, or even just to know that they have some place safe to go, to sit and cry and laugh, and to remind me that, for this season and for right now, God has me exactly where He wants me.

Is this getting redundant yet? This is where the magic happens. Or really where sometimes I feel like each kid in each of these desks is actually teaching me something every day.

And obviously this. Anybody who knows me knows that this actually does have the ability to make any bad day much better.

And this album by The Workday Release that has been on repeat all week.

Here's to hoping and praying that the weeks get better...and knowing that if they don't we're still a part of a greater God's greater plan. Here's to knowing that ::Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change:: 
James 1:17

An unchanging, good, gracious, loving Father whose plans are better than mine. That's Hope I can rest in for the days to come.