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Do Your Best

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 In this season of my life especially, I have been saying this to others, but also hearing others say this to me. In every season, we should do our best. For me, this month of May has been filled with new beginnings and opportunities 😊. It has also been filled with preparation 🙏. You see, my students have been preparing for a state test in Reading. We call them the Standards of Learning (SOL) in Virginia. Students were provided a study guide at the beginning of Quarter 4 of school (April 15th to be exact 😉). Their Reading SOL was on May 15th. Exactly one month before the test, my students were given the study guide and were encouraged to review at least 15 minutes every night at home. In class, I was still reviewing. The week right before the SOL, I went over different passages (nonfiction, fiction, a poem, and a flier) and questions each day. We talked about content and test taking strategies along the way. Before SOL testing, I would share different strategies in the lessons. I al
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Watch The Root

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 When you think of the word root, several things may come to mind. First, you might think about a part of a plant that is attached to the ground. Next, you might think about the cause or source of something. At one time or another, you may have found yourself saying that you were going to get to the root of the problem. I know I have said this before! For those who really like math, you may have even thought of a number that can be multiplied by itself. Regardless of what context you are referring to root in, the root is something that has to be watched closely. Right now, I'm definitely thinking of the math example as math is not my strong subject. I'm better at math now, but I would still be double and triple checking my math for any possible errors😊!! Just like we would be checking, we have to watch the source of things. As God's children, we have to especially be careful about what we are letting in our space. We also have to be careful where we're getting our info
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Jen's Spring Break Recap

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Hello everyone!! I'm back!! It seems like forever since we last caught up. I missed you all, but know you have been in my thoughts and prayers💕. April has been a busy month!  I have been enjoying life and opportunities God has placed in my path😊. Today, I want to share about a memorable and exciting week in my life from this month 💖. As a teacher, I am grateful that I get to have a spring break. My spring break was the first week of this month. Normally for spring break, I stay close to home and don't really do a whole lot. However, this year, I decided to do something different. I was actually visiting my cousin for a weekend in January when I got the idea. I remember talking to my cousin and telling her I wanted to spend my spring break week in Richmond. So, when the first week of April came along, I did just that 😊!! The week away in Richmond was just what I needed to be refreshed and enjoy new adventures. Newness was my theme all week! My week with my cousin started off
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Get Excited Again!

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 What gets you excited? What makes you smile just thinking about it? Who motivates you? Who uplifts you by just being in their presence? These are the questions I want us to think about today. You see, life has a way of getting us down and making us feel like we're not doing enough. It has a way that can make us feel like we're not enough. Life circumstances can be disappointing and discouraging. I'm here to tell you that even in the hard times, we can find something to get excited about. Every day of our life may not be exciting, but we have to find something that will make us smile. We have to find something or someone that will remind us of our purpose. All of us here today, young and old alike, have a purpose 😊. For those who may not know, I am a 6th grade English teacher at a middle school. In addition to teaching, I am also an advisor of the Bible Club that meets after school twice a month. I love teaching and advising Bible Club 💜! This month of March has been good
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Show Up!

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 Many tasks and routines can fill up our 24 hour days. Some of those days are definitely busier than others! We are presented with opportunities and moments to be present at an event or attend a function. We are presented with moments to support others, but also take care of ourselves. In this season, I have been learning the importance of showing up 💖. I am learning that it's important to show up in our present lives, but also for ourselves and others 💖. There is power in showing up! Do we always feel like showing up for others? No! Do we always feel like showing up for ourselves? No! Do we always feel like showing up for life? No! Let me tell you, life can be hard. There are certain life circumstances that will rock and shake us to the very core 🙏. Yet, it's in those moments that we have to rely on God and those who has sent in our lives even the more to press through and show up. We can be encouraged to be present even when we don't feel like it and it seems like ther
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Change The Narrative

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 Do you like telling stories? Do you like listening to stories? I love listening to stories 😊. You know what my favorite stories are? Stories of people overcoming! Stories of people who face the odds and take risks! Stories of people who refuse to compromise their authenticity! These are the stories that excite me and draw me in 💖. You know what my favorite part of the story is? The plot twist 😊. When something happens that I didn't see coming, it draws me in even the more! Sometimes, the plot twist is good, but other times, it may not be so good. I especially love when the plot twist is good, but I know every story doesn't have a good turn. In ways, our life is like a narrative. Our life is like a story. In this life, we meet lots of people (characters), travel to different places (settings), see events and actions unfold (plot), and experience challenges in some form (conflicts). In all that, there's an important message that can be learned (theme). I just took you thr
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Keep Going Anyway

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 Have you ever felt like you were working towards a goal or vision you had, but it seemed like no or very little progress was being made? Perhaps, you were making progress, but it seemed like obstacles and people kept trying to get in the way. Maybe, it wasn't even the people or obstacles, but it was your own thoughts that you had doubting you could accomplish the goal. I can relate to all of the above! In the midst of all of the things mentioned, I am learning to push through the things that try to come up against me. I am learning to overcome them daily. It's not easy all the time, but I can keep going anyway 🙏. In fact, I was recently encouraged in my morning devotional time to persevere and keep going by a story in the Bible. Now, I had read the story several times before, yet that particular morning, the Scriptures hit different 💖! Can anybody relate?!! The story I'm referring to is found in the book of Nehemiah in the Old Testament. It's in that book that we fin
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