The Heavenly Pillow Fight

My backyard, January 5, 2011 - Counting my blessings!

This is Grandmom and Papaw's house - just a few doors up the street - another blessing!

Not a great day for a picnic, but our Christmas tree seems right at home.

I love the contrasting colors in this picture!

This is what I found when I arrived home from school today.  Three kids hiding in the closet - So wonderful to hear the laughter of 3/4 of my kids (Drew was working) There are three of 'em under there.. Look closely!

Back porch

Front porch

Reach (Up) to Teach Them in 2011

Dreaming Big in 2011 - Five Goals and Ideas for Building a Dream
 
1. I know that God created me for a specific reason.  He has a purpose and a plan designed especially for me.  I feel pretty sure I know what His calling for me is, but I don't know exactly what it will look like when He's finished with me.  Jeremiah 29:11 promises me that "God knows the plans He has for AMY CRAWFORD, plans to prosper AMY CRAWFORD, and not to harm AMY CRAWFORD - Plans to give AMY CRAWFORD a hope and a future..."   Yee-haw!  That verse alone gets be fired up and ready to run into the game without spending time on the practice field.  God is getting me ready.  He uses challenges, difficulties, and even unexpected blessings to prepare me for what He's got in store for me.  I will take comfort in knowing that I am a tool in His hand.  I will seek and follow His leading in my life. 

2. In 2011, I'm going to look for divine appointments.  I will listen with ears that EXPECT to hear that "still, small voice" and I will see with eyes that LOOK for opportunities to serve Him.  This verse from one of my favorite praise songs sums it up:

These hands are yours (These hands don't need to be spending time on Facebook)
Teach them to serve (Opportunities are everywhere!)
As you please and I'll reach out (When I reach out, I will push my limits so that the greatest of God will be revealed)
Desperate to see all the greatness of God (I AM desperate to see all the greatness of God)
May my soul rest assured in you (No need to worry, stress, or be anxious.  It's not about me anyway)

And so, in 2011, I am desperate to see all the greatness of God each and every day!   

3. Shhh!  I will be a quiet servant, not calling attention to myself and as a result, I will experience joy and fulfillment like I've never known!
Start each day with other people in mind.  Lose the selfishness.  Live out Mark 9:35 "Sitting down, Jesus called the Twelve and said, “Anyone who wants to be first must be the very last, and the servant of all.”  
 
4. At least once a week, I will take stock of things that I am grateful for in my life.  I will develop at "attitude of gratitude" and because I have tangible proof that God's "got my back" my faith will increase, fear will diminish, and I will be able to look back and see that God is at work in my life.

5.  Putting off action is killing my dreams.  Reach Them to Teach Them is not in the place it needs to be due to my procrastinatic (yes, that's my made-up word) leadership style.  I am the founder and director of an incredible organization that is staffed by talented, gifted, and very busy volunteers who have many options when it comes to volunteering their time, and yet, they've deemed our dream worthy.  With this position comes a responsibility for me to step up and take action TODAY, not tomorrow, not when I feel like it...NOW!  My first step begins now with small steps toward the mountain.  I know that if I keep taking those small steps and others come along beside me, and I commit our decisions and direction to fervent prayer, then God Himself will direct our paths.  SO...here we go!  2011 is the year for me to take giant steps of faith by taking small steps right now.  My hand is reaching up for Yours, Daddy....Lead me where You'd have me go.

Goal Setting vs. Resolutions

I hate failure.  I detest the feeling that I could have, but didn't.  For this reason, I've determined NOT to set resolutions, but rather goals.  Goals are targets.  Things you shoot for-just ask Addie, my little soccer star.  I will set my 2011 goals in the following areas, and I challenge you set some too.  Care to share?

1. spiritual- This can include spending some time in reflective thought, getting involved in a church or Life group, praying, talking to your family about what they believe, etc.

In 2011, I'm going to feed my soul as well as my body.  You'll find me at NorthStar Church on Sunday mornings.  I'll get ready for school by listening (and singing LOUDLY) to some praise music on my way out to the Locker Room, and I'll dig deeper into the "treasure book" that God sent for me. 

2. personal- This can be anything that YOU want to improve about you. Do you want to have more friends? Do you want to get involved in our community? What do you need to do to make that happen?

I want to be bolder.  To fear-LESS.  To chase lions.  To "go for it!" I want to be used up completely in my pursuit of my Savior and I want my "self" to become less and less each and every day. 

3. physical-How do you want to improve or maintain your health? Exercise and diet are obvious areas, but what about what you put into your mind?  Cut down on Cokes.  Walk as much as possible and run a little every now and then.  Keep an eye on that scale so my mid-40's body doesn't take on a life of its own (any more than it already has!)

4. professional- My job is to be an "effective teacher".  What is this exactly and how I can I work toward that end?  Be a student first, a teacher second.  Learn my subject(s) well.  Don't hold back.  If I see a need, don't hesitate, use what I have to meet that need and DO NOT BE LAZY!

5. intellectual- How can you improve your mind? What kinds of things interest you? How can you feed your mind? Read novels, poetry, articles, etc.  Listen to good stuff - podcasts, lectures, sermons, music...Watch.  Pay attention. 

6. relational- Do you want to keep in touch with friends more often?  Do you want to get to know them better? How can you improve your relationships with other people in your life?  Give the best of myself to those that matter most.  Don't put family on the back burner to chase a dream.  Keep family first and trust God to multiply the hours in my day to be more productive in less time.

Say, "Cheeeeesy Pictures!"

This is what happens when you don't use a flash...Dollywood on Wednesday, Dec. 29 with the Keeners!  Brrrrrr!

The Boy Crawfords went to Nashville for The Game.  Love that Sam is wearing his new PJ pants.

Yeah, it's the highlight of my New Year's Eve - A fresh, new, 8 lb. bag of the "good stuff!"

Sam and I are working our way through Book 1 - This is my "Oops! I almost forgot to take my 1st picture of the New Year" picture.  Thanks Addie!

NorthStar Church - January 2, 2011 - The "Bubble" Church

Chelcie, Addie, and I walked/ran (sorta) Lakeshore on Monday, followed by a reward trip to Long's.

Drew and Daddy put up the tire swing.  Sam has a new reading spot.  Just wish it was warmer-Brrrr!

I've committed to taking 365 pictures this year.  A MINIMUM of one picture per day.  No set guidelines.  Just a visual documentation of the day.  Rather than post one picture every day, I'll group them.  Some of them will likely be attempts at creativity.  Others will be attempts at keeping my commitment.  I hope that some of them will capture the "essence" of the day or serve as a sort of time capsule.  Here are my Daily Pictures for December 30-January 3rd.  Say, "Cheeeeeeese!"

Do-overs, Mulligans, New Beginnings and Redundancy

Here we are already.  The last day of 2010.  There's just something about a fresh start.  A chance to do it better this time.  A clean slate.  No mistakes.  No stains.  No failures.  No regrets.  No disappointments.  No bad decisions.  The possibilities are endless.  I can be a better person in the new year.  Eat less.  Exercise more.  Get up earlier.  Read more.  Be nicer.  Be more patient.  Give my all.  I think that's why I love a new school year.  THIS year I'll be more organized.  THIS year I won't procrastinate.  THIS year I'll pray for each student BY NAME every day...but, in time, I forget.  I fall.  I fail.  I slide down the mountain of expectation I've climbed in the hope of a better view.

I believe God knew what He was doing when He created me.  He knew my flaws, my defects, and imperfections.  I can't hide them from Him.  He knows.  Because He knows, I have the freedom to turn my mess over to Him and let Him do His work in me, perfecting me in the way He would have me be more useful to Him.  He also knows where I'm scarred, healed over from past wounds.  He knows how to pierce my thick skin in the places where I've been hurt and healed many times over. 

What is it with me?  Why do I ever question Him?  How can I ever wonder if He knows what He's doing?  God never, ever wastes a hurt.  He can and will use my biggest hurt to make the biggest difference for His glory...IF, there's always an "if" - IF I will let Him.  My decision on this last day of 2010 is to turn it all over.  All of it.  The whole mess. 

I was reading a little book tonight that has sat on my coffee table for a few weeks.  It's a sappy, little gift book called "God Thinks You're Wonderful" by Max Lucado.  Here are a couple of the lines that jumped off the page at me:
-He sends you flowers every spring and a sunrise every morning (Why do I ever miss a sunrise?)
-"I have written your name on my hand."  Isaiah 49:16 (Think of all the crazy things teenagers write on their hands...God has "Amy" written there in a bold, black Sharpie and that makes me smile)
-The next time a sunrise steals your breath...or a meadow of flowers leaves you speechless...remain that way.  Say nothing and listen as heaven whispers, "Do you like it?  I did it just for you."  (Sometimes I really do hear that whisper, and it never ceases to stir my heart and often brings tears to my eyes - God, I want more of you!)
-Why give a flower fragrance?  Why give food its taste?  Could it be He loves to see that look upon your face? (Wow.  I never thought about all the things He has done that I've completely taken from granted...blue in the sky, funny chicken struts, the smell of fresh cut grass, the satisfying crunch of leaves in the fall...)
-You were deliberately planned, specially gifted, and lovingly positioned on this earth by the Master Craftsman. (Being me is looking better all the time!)

On that note, I'll close my introspective New Year's Eve, 2010 post, full of hope for an exceptional year filled with divine appointments and snow-covered pitted lions. 

'Twas the Week AFTER Christmas...

Sam has decided to sleep on his beanbag in his closet.  This is one silly boy!

Christmas morning breakfast buffet - So much for which to be thankful!

Sam, Tom, Chelcie, Drew, and I went to see "Secretariat" on Christmas night.

Chelcie battles Natalie for the sled

Sam does a face plant!  His hands were FREEEEEZING!

This is what happens to Sam when he's left with his sister without supervision!  Poor child.

Sam and Evan use their creative ingenuity in the first annual "Battle of the Gingerbread Houses!"

The girls decide to work slowly and carefully in order to defeat the boys.

My 2010 Christmas poem and one of my favorite gifts of all time!

Another favorite gift - Peace Like a River

This is the screen of my iTouch after surviving the washer and dryer but BEFORE I burned it beyond repair on my bedside lamp in an attempt to dry it out. 

The reason for my rededication to the Couch to 5K program effective January 1, 2011

Why the Name Change?

It has to do with my search for voice, audience, and purpose.  I want to document significant moments in the lives of my children; I want to share insights I learn from my teaching experiences, and I want to share my thoughts, hopes, struggles, and dreams.  Not exactly "The Crawford Chronicles" because some of my posts will not be about my family at all.  Not exactly, "Because They Matter" because it's not always going to be about my students either, and I still tremble in fear after having been "reprimanded" and called out with no warning for my first attempt at sharing my heart as I learned the ins and outs of "urban teaching."  That's why I'll continue to vent on my own private blog and perhaps someday those candid ramblings will develop into a book someday, even if it's only for my daughters and sons.

Hence, I thought my postings would center on my quest to be a lion chaser in this world that runs from lions.  Basically, I'm a wanna-be.  There's nothing about me that makes me courageous enough to be called a lion chaser and there's nothing that scares me more than no knowing what tomorrow brings, BUT there's also nothing I'd rather do with my life than follow God with reckless abandon- like nothing else matters, like a lion chaser.

So here we go...read between the lines and maybe you'll find divine inspiration to be a lion chaser too.  We can't have too many in this crazy world of ours.  There are lots of lions to chase.  Grab your snow boots and your sense of humor and let's head out on a journey together.