Why do I Blog?

Welcome to my blog! There's really no theme here. You will find crafts, thoughts on teaching, contemplating on God's grace, college & home organization, story times, life lessons and other random posts. If any of that interests you then I would love to have you stick around. Today, I am going to talk about what inspired me to blog!

During my very first semester of college two years ago, I took English 101. I loved this class. I remember really liking it because it taught a lot of grammar, which has always been a favorite of mine. It was an online class, so I never met my teacher. I am not exactly sure what inspired me, but my teacher (or something we read in the class) suggested making a blog. I just remember falling in love with English and loving writing. It was November 11, 2014 when I posted my first blog post. It was the end of the semester, and I was losing motivation. So I wrote about how to get through finals. Sometimes writing about something can really clear your mind and help you to focus.

So I told you how I was inspired to blog, but why do I blog? I blog for fun. I blog to express myself. I blog to clear my mind. I blog so that I can go back and look at my memories in the past. I do care what others think about my blog, but I really blog just because I enjoy it. It's a place I can express myself and not really care if my grammar is spot on. I hope those that read my blog benefit from it too. I hope that they enjoy my crafts, my college organizational tips, my love of teaching, and my reliance on God's grace. It's a place where I feel more comfortable expressing my feelings. It's a place I express my love of crafts and creativeness. It's a place where I cherish stories and things I have learned. On my blog, I can go back and look at lessons I have learned and memories I have made. I can revisit the things I learned from my very first year of teaching, look up the methods I used for cleaning out my closet, or remember the compassion I felt after the terrorist attack on Nice.

You {Doughnut} Want to Miss This Story

The other day my sister and I went to Krispy Kreme with a few friends. The case was full of delicious looking donuts. Of course, I got one with colorful sprinkles on it. There were not many people in Krispy Kreme except for a father and his six young kids. After eating my doughnut, I went to the bathroom to wash my hands. However, the little girls (there was either three or four of them) who were there with their father beat me to the restroom to wash their hands. They struggled with opening the heavy door, so I helped them open it. Also, the light was difficult to turn on so I helped with that, too. I don't think they said anything to me. I don't remember a "thank you", but I do remember appreciative smiling faces. As they washed their hands, I waited outside the restroom. Their father apologized. Why did he apologize? I have no idea. They were there before me, so they have the right to wash their hands before I do. They didn't cut in line. They weren't rude or rowdy children either; in fact, they were quite the opposite. After they had left and I washed my hands, I passed by them to go back to my table and they smiled at me. Later, after we left, my sister forgot her bottled water so I went back inside to grab it for her. As I grabbed it, one of the little girls waved to me. I thought it was so sweet. They seemed overly grateful for my tiny act of kindness. It gave me so much joy that I could help them in a small way. I was only with them for one minute, but I kind of grew to love them and how sweet they were. As the day went on and I thought about our encounter, I actually missed them because it was such a joy to help them. So I prayed that God would bless and protect them. Helping these children also made me realize the amount of joy I receive when I have opportunities to help children. I love working with kids, and it's always a blessing to be able to help children or invest in their lives. Becoming a teacher, means that is the kind of stuff I will be doing every day! Thank you to the little girls at Krispy Kreme for filling my heart with joy. Thank you for reminding me how much I love helping children. Thank you for reminding me why I am studying to be a teacher. I need those reminders.

Thank you for reading my little story.

A Birthday to Remember

     My birthday was Sunday, and it was one to remember! My birthday was full of surprises. On Friday leading up to my birthday, Sarah, my sister, told me that she wanted to go shopping that afternoon. We went shopping at a few stores, got some popsicles, and then we headed for home (at least that's what I thought). However, we pulled into the Target shopping center in front of a frozen yogurt place. My sister asks "Do you know where we're going now?" I answer with a "no". Secretly, I am hoping that we are not going to have frozen yogurt right after having a popsicle. Thankfully, that is not where she is planning to take me. Instead she surprises me with a pedicure! We had to wait a while, but it was relaxing and fun. Once we finish, I barely have time to let my toes dry because Sarah is in a rush to go. So I clumsily march out to the car in my styrofoam flip flops trying not to trip in them. We listened to Hamilton on the way home. It was a fun day, but it got better.

   When we got home, I walked in the door and saw balloons. I was very confused why there were balloons. Then some of my sweet friends popped out of their hiding places and yelled "surprise"! I was shocked. I'd always wanted a surprise party! It was such fun getting to hang out with a small group of my ballet friends. I want to give a big shout out to Laura for the idea of giving a surprise party and to my mom and sister for doing the planning. Y'all did a great job because I didn't suspect anything, was very surprised and had a wonderful time!

Saturday was a lazy day and we did not do much. Sunday came, and it was my 21st birthday. The plan was go to church and then go out to eat. There was a possibility that Sarah and I might work in the three and four year old Sunday school class. I didn't expect they would need our help, but I am glad they did. It really made my day getting to spend time with these sweet children. I got several hugs, and got in a few good laughs. While I was writing a boy's name on his paper he told me "You are someone who cares for me". My heart melted. That totally made my day.

These are the things that made my birthday so special! I wanted to write them down so that in years to come I can visit these sweet memories again.

Little Things in Life

As a child, I read inspiring stories of missionaries, people who were brave, and people who were remembered. I liked those stories. I always wanted to do something big, something that would be remembered, or written in books for future generations to read. I used to think you had to do something big to be important, but you don't.

Each and everyone in God's family plays an important role. I needed to stop waiting for the big amazing thing I hoped to do later in life and start doing the little things that are important, too. Things like helping a stranger, encouraging a friend, praying with the hurting, and loving the friendless. Maybe those things aren't going to be remembered years afterwards like the stories of brave missionaries, but they are important.

As I embraced this mentality, I think this is why I liked the idea of being an elementary teacher. Teachers can play important roles in children's lives. They help the child build a foundation on which to grow and learn. They teach and nurture individuals that will be our future leaders. It's a big job, but it takes the little things to get there. Things like helping students succeed, encouraging struggling students, and praying for and with students. These small actions may not be recognized by the public or make the front page of the paper, but they are shaping the lives of children, and that's big.

Prayer in a Fast Paced World

We live in a fast paced world. We have fast transportation like cars, planes, subways, and even Uber. I can get a meal to go in less than five minuets. Everyone seems to be in a hurry to get where they are going. Our world is constantly going, constantly staying busy.

In your busy world, how often do you stop and pray? If you are anything like me, you probably pray quite often. However, many of them are sent up hastily and frantically. So often I talk to my Father in heaven only when I need something like success, healing, forgiveness, love. Those are wonderful things, but how often to I pray to God just to praise his name and thank Him for all he has done for me? How often do I set a large chunk of time aside to talk with God? Not as often I as wish.

Don't misunderstand me, there is nothing wrong with sending up quick prayers to heaven. If fact, I think it's wonderful. It's pretty extraordinary that we can talk to the Creator of our world anytime and anywhere! However, let me tell you a story. During two days of spring break, I went to Lincoln Village with RUF. It was a fun time!  On our last day helping at Lincoln Village, we were directed to go pray for their organization in a room that held pictures of some of the kids from the school for about 30 minuets. At first, it was inspiring, but soon I started to feel tired. I could feel myself starting to want to drift to sleep. I felt like the disciples who fell asleep when Jesus was praying. I had a hard time concentrating for only thirty minutes, and it was then I realized that I too often approach God hastily and when in want.

Habits are hard to form, and time seems to be limited. Priorities get mixed up, and our world is in an impatient hurry. If you've gotten mixed up in the rush, slow down and take time to pray. I find it brings peace and helps sort through thoughts. Maybe you can't identify with me. Maybe you reverently pray every morning or evening, and that's wonderful! I look up to people who have that discipline. God's still at work in my life; I'm still learning and growing, and I'm comforted by that.

A Sister & Best Friend

Sisters make the best friends. It always breaks my heart to see sisters who don't get along and fight all the time, because you really can't have a better friend than a sister. I'm persuaded that my sister is the best, and here's why.

She's sympathetic: Recently, I was stressed, and my sister was very sweet, caring, and sympathetic towards my feelings. She encouraged me and showed me how blessed I am to have a sister like her.

She's encouraging: Like I mentioned above, my sister is very encouraging. I've watched her grow up encouraging teammates in basketball and friends in ballet. I've seen her encourage younger ballet company dancers before auditions, and be a wonderful role-model. 

She's enthusiastic: My sister is very outgoing and people oriented. She's very enthusiastic and tries her best to include everyone. She usually does a wonderful job at it too, but I'll never forget the day when she saw a new girl at dance and decided to make her feel welcome. A little too enthusiastically, she introduced herself and it scared the girl a bit. It was quite humorous.

She's funny: It could be a humorous comment at the dinner table or singing a silly song, but she makes me laugh. I enjoy getting to spend time laughing with her.

She's a beautiful and dedicated dancer: My sister has been dancing for about fourteen years now, and she's very talented. She has had several huge partnering roles, as well as solos that have displayed her strength and flexibility. She's been the Bluebird from Sleeping Beauty, the Sugar Plum Fairy from the Nutcracker, and many other roles. This Friday and Sunday, she will be Cinderella! She's worked very hard on this ballet. You won't want to miss it! Click on the link in my Facebook post to order tickets or get them at the door!

Dear sister, you are all of these five things and so much more, so here's to you my forever friend. I look forward to seeing you dance this weekend. I know you will dance beautifully; you always do. Take a deep breath, you're almost to graduation, and soon we'll be lying in the summer sun at the beach! I love you!

Life is like a Coloring Book

Many days I don't feel like I'm a very good example of what a Christian should be. I think of myself before others. I complain. I don't think before I speak. I try to take things into my own hands and forget to trust God. Is God really at work in my life? Does he have a plan for me?

I may be 20, but I still love coloring books! I love seeing a blank black and white page come to life. It's amazing to see the transformation. A once drab piece of paper is now full of color! It reminds me of the work God is doing in us. Philippians 1:6 says that "He who began a good work in you will bring it to completion." It's a comforting verse. Just like it takes time and care to transform a coloring page into a masterpiece, God is slowly growing us to be more like him.

Though we often mess up, we are assured that God is still at work in us. He's still molding us. He's still completing the picture. He cares for his children. He has a plan for my life if only I trust him! Growing in godliness a slow process, and it won't happen overnight. It won't happen if I just try harder next time. We need our forgiving and gracious heavenly Father to nurture us and grow us more like him.

Maybe you've heard this a million times, but it's something I need to be of reminded over and over again. I hope it is encouraging to someone. Trust that God can nurture and grow you. Trust that he will complete the good work he has began in you.


Caroline Stegman

Life Lessons

The semester is drawing to a close. I've finished two of my classes before Thanksgiving (yippee!), and there's more finals just around the corner. I have learned a ton of lessons throughout this semester. Here's just a few things I've found. 

1) You can’t do it on your own. You can’t tell yourself, “Today, I am going to be kind, patient, and faithful”. If you do, you will be disappointed. Growing fruit takes a long time. Can fruit be grown in a day? Of course not! A seed cannot grow by itself; it needs someone to nourish it. Let God nourish you, and pray that he will produce in you good fruit. This is something I've always known, but this was shed in a new light for me this semester. 

2) Trust God is in control. I worry a lot. I always imagine the worst case scenario. Yes, it makes me prepare more. However, most of the time worrying just drains me and makes me tired. I was sick this semester. It was so hard to balance school along with trying to get well. I had so much to catch up on after I felt better. I really learned to trust God through that.

3) Don’t get too close to just one person. Try and meet as many people as you can. As an introvert, I can’t begin to tell you how hard this is for me! Meeting and making new friends can be awkward. 

4) Don’t be afraid to confide in a friend. Don’t misunderstand me, your friends probably won’t like it if you always have drama and problems. However, I recently had a problem that I kept trying to fix, and it just kept unraveling again. I didn’t know what to do. I finally decided to confide in a friend, and she told me that she had gone through the same exact thing! She was able to offer some advice that really helped. God put her right there when I needed her most.

5) Do what you love, and use it to help others. My church doesn’t offer much for college-aged students, so this year I am helping in the 3's and 4's Sunday school class. I love it! I look forward to working with these little ones every week! It’s such a joy to do what I love and help out the children’s ministry at my church.

6) Relax, it can’t be perfect; go with the flow. Life throws curve balls all the time (like getting sick). I'm a planner by nature, and I like everything to be perfectly planned out. I have high expectations and am disappointed when they are not met. Life isn't perfect and it's full of unexpected surprises. If anything, teaching kids has definitely taught me the moral that things rarely go as planned.

7) Be humbled by your mistakes. Have you ever said or done anything that you wish you could have taken back? Maybe it was a snide remark or a selfish action, but it made you look and feel guilty. It happens to all of us, and it's very humbling. Let God use it to show you how much you need a Savior.

Maybe you can relate to something I've said. Or maybe you can learn and take something away from this. If something stood out to you, or if you have a lesson to share with me, please leave a comment!

Thanks for taking your time to read my blog!

The Doubts of a Future Teacher

At some point in life, everyone has doubts. Some days I doubt. I doubt whether I should be studying to become teacher. I doubt that I'll have the energy to get up every morning and teach kids. I doubt that I have the knowledge and wisdom to be a teacher. When moments like these overwhelm me, I step back and look at the lessons I have learned in life.

Everyone is asked the question, "What do you want to be when you grow up?" multiple times in their life. Kindergartners are asked. High school graduates are asked. It's a tough decision. For me, it has always been clear. Ever since I was a little girl, I told people I wanted to be a teacher. As I grew older, it became even more clear. God has given me a passion for teaching little kids. I enjoy getting to know children and their personalities.

Although fun, working with kids can be exhausting and energy draining. If it is God's will for me to teach, he will give me the energy I need. I know this from experience. Let me tell you a story. During my senior year in high school, the role I wanted most in the Nutcracker Ballet was the Sugar Plum Fairy. I was thrilled and surprised to be given the part. However, what concerned me most was the level of stamina it takes to dance Sugar Plum. I wondered if I was really cut-out for the part. I prayed that God would give me the strength and stamina to dance my part well. God gave me the strength I needed, and I made wonderful lifetime memories dancing that coveted part. All that goes to show, that God will provide.

There is so much I don't know about teaching. Some days I doubt that I have the knowledge to explain well. Others, I doubt I have the wisdom to know how do handle difficult or emergency situations. I have learned a lot in my first year of teaching ballet classes, but I know I still have a lot to learn about teaching. I must apply myself and ask God for wisdom.
I believe doubting oneself is not uncommon. Everyone at some point in life experiences it. Sometimes a little bit of doubt can be good. When I doubt my choice to be a teacher, I pray. When I doubt that I will have the energy needed to be a teacher, I am reminded how God provides. When I doubt my abilities and wisdom, I think of ways to improve and gain knowledge. What things in life do you doubt? How do you handle doubt? When in doubt do you turn to God and know that He has a plan for each one of His children?

Thanks for reading the doubts and thoughts of a future teacher.

A Ragged Old Treasure

I want to tell you about something that is old, imperfect, flawless, beautiful, unique, and thrifty. It is a blanket; such a beautiful quilt. It was made, I believe, by my great grandmother, which makes it a special quilt. Its many worn holes show its imperfections, and yet that’s what makes it flawless to me. The holes show it’s been loved for many years. It has probably seen rough years and that adds character. Despite the few holes, which I have learned to love, it is really a gorgeous quilt. At first glance, it is very colorful. So many beautiful patterns dance all over the quilt! This is what makes it so unique. There are so many patterned fabrics that normally I would not have thought to put together. This is probably because the fabric squares of the quilt were once fashionable clothes before they were worn out and made into a quilt. There is even a square from the skirt my Mimi wore in the fourth grade, which makes the quilt all the more special. This beautiful quilt, in some ways, reminds me of individual people. Individuals are all unique and beautiful in their own ways despite their flaws. God has created us in unique and intricate ways that I know we would have never thought about if it had been up to us. Thank God for making you the beautiful and unique person you are today! 

Six Lessons Learned for Teachers

This was my first semester to teach a class! I learned so much! I want to thank each one of my sweet students for teaching me these six important lessons.  This is for any of you future teachers out there or any of you who enjoy young children. I'm sure other teachers and even mommas can relate to this. Hope you enjoy.

1) Very few things go as planned. It's true, things will run a whole lot smother if you are prepared, and preparing is vitally important. However, don't expect things to go exactly like you planned, because I guarantee they won't. I hate to burst your bubble of joy, but be ready to be flexible.

2) You will learn to think on your feet. Children have a way of throwing the unexpected at a teacher. Be ready to make quick decisions. 

3) Prayer time will turn into story time. In my K-2nd class I have 12 students. On a normal day we probably have about 8 to 10 prayer requests and before I know it they all have stories to tell me. I love hearing all their prayer requests and stories, but it takes up way too much class time. I finally found a solution. Every week I take only 5 prayer requests at the beginning of class, and I write them down. Then, we say a prayer and start class. Writing them down helps if one of the students would like to pray, but has trouble remembering the prayer requests. Then after class as they leave the classroom, the children that were not called on tell me their prayer request and I write them down in my book. This way I can pray for them over the week.

4) Don't be afraid of correcting misbehavior. I want to be their friend as well as their teacher. So when I had to correct a child it was sometimes difficult. I initially thought they may not like me as a teacher anymore since I had to correct their behavior. However, I learned that this is not the case. Generally, the children want to please the teacher and they will improve their behavior. If that doesn't work they will straighten up if something they enjoy is on the line. 

5) Consistency is key. Don't be discouraged if  your students don't understand what is required of them immediately. I remember trying to get my 12 twirling students into two straight lines facing the mirror. As I tried to give them instruction they would either make a line perpendicular to the mirror or face the wrong way. It was frustrating for me. I tried so many different ways. You see that was the problem. Since I tried so many things, they didn't know what to expect. I soon discovered that if I used the same technique over and over they soon knew exactly what to do. 

6) Stay firm in what you say. Don't let your students persuade you into something you told them not to do. One of the little girls in my class has really taught me to stay firm in what I say. It's difficult when she asks over and over and over again. Many times I just wanted to give in so she would stop asking. However, I didn't. I knew that if did, she would most likely end up questioning my authority more often. I didn't want to make that mistake.