WILW: Fort Worth Edition

 

Well, a lot has changed since my last “What I’m Loving Wednesday” post. I am now living in Fort Worth, TX with my honey, so this post will include what I’m loving about this move. It’s time to link up with Jamie for WILW.

First and foremost, I am LOVING our new apartment. I can’t show pictures, because I’m not quite ready yet. A few things had to stay in Mississippi, because they couldn’t fit in the trailer. As soon as I get it “homey” in here, I will post some pictures. We are in seminary housing, and it is brand spanking new. We are the first tenants, and it is nice. We have two bedrooms, and I”m LOVING that we have two bathrooms! All of that, and we’re paying less than what we were for our ghetto one bedroom, 1 bathroom back in Mississippi. The bedrooms are carpeted, and the rest is hardwood floor. The appliances are all modern, and there is so much storage that I don’t know what to do!!! I am LOVING it. Come visit!

 

I’m also LOVING that we got a guest bed from Craig’s List for CHEAP! Then, we went to Ross and got a steal on the bedding, and I actually think it’s quite cute. I’m LOVING me some Ross.

You see that? That’s the bed, my friends, that you will sleep on when you come VISIT! Please. :)

I’m also LOVING that I got to experience small group with Fort Worth City Church tonight. Zach was here during his time in Fort Worth before we got married. The technical term is city group. Anyways, it was a sweet time. I feel loved vicariously through Zach. I can deal with that.

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Also, I am LOVING that I drove to this city group, and I made my way home with only one hint from Zach. This may seem like a small feat, but it’s quite a big deal for me. I’m kinda excited about it. I am the most directionally challenged person in the entire world, AND those big interstates with 6 lanes going one way kinda stress me out.

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I’m also LOVING that we had so much help on both ends of moving. Our move was so easy because of all the wonderful friends and family that we had helping both in Mississippi and in Texas. Have I ever mentioned that I have wonderful in-laws? We couldn’t have made the move without them. They were so wonderfully helpful.

I think my WILW posts are always the longest, because I have so much to love and appreciate. What are you loving this Wednesday, reader friends?

Shaped by Grace,

Jessica Hardy

Deadly Poison

Have you ever said something that you wished you could take back? Have you ever felt the sting of words that were directed your way? Have you ever been around one of those people that seemed to never have their mouth closed? Are you one of those people that never stops talking? I have felt the sting of words, and I have likewise shook my head in regret of letting the words fly. We live in a society that says, “Say whatever you are feeling, say it when you feel it, and say EXACTLY what you’re thinking.” I believe that there is some wisdom that can be found in this philosophy, but I also believe that it can be very dangerous. I will explain.

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We have to speak to make it through our every day. We rejoice at our children’s first words. Speech is wonderful. I believe that the breakdown in our freedom of expression is when we do it despite how it affects others around us. We have come to applaud these people:

*Those who “have no fear of saying what’s on their minds”

*Those who “tell you like it is”

*Those who “don’t hold back”

I  believe that if there is a breakdown in communication, there is a breakdown in relationships. The key is how we communicate. All of the above sayings are simply excuses for being rude. Don’t get me wrong, I have used these excuses! I wouldn’t be writing this blog if it weren’t a lesson learned and still learning by myself.

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I do an awful lot of working with children, and although I have none of my own, I have the privilege of seeing great parents training up their children. I think it’s pretty much across the board that all parents and teachers teach about the same basics: (1) Share. (2) Be respectful (3) Don’t hit…you know…the basics. I teach the children that I interact with that it is OKAY to disagree, but you CAN do it respectfully! I hope that I gave my students many avenues to practice that, and I hope that I modeled it with them and when they saw me interact with my coworkers. That will be one of my goals as I continue to teach and become a mother one day.

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Ha! Just a little funny.

It saddens me to see relationships around me deteriorate because of the tongue. Zach tells me that if  I were a dog, I would be one of those yappy ones that thinks they’re monstrous. Yes, I know. I know. It was just last week that I let my tongue go on a guy that was speaking disrespectfully to me. I immediately regretted it. (Don’t get me wrong. I am in NO WAY justifying his behavior.) There is no power in letting your tongue speak whatever is on your mind. There is power in restraint. There is power in love. Be creative with those you disagree with. Are you in a position of authority? The people under your authority will be much more willing to please you if you treat them with respect. That goes for any relationship. I have NEVER regretted keeping my mouth shut, but oh so many times, I have regretted letting it open.

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God told Solomon that He would give him anything that he asked of Him. Solomon asked for wisdom. God was very pleased with that request, so He gave Solomon wisdom. He was so pleased that He also gave him riches. Solomon, was given abundant wisdom, wisdom from God. He wrote the book of Proverbs so that “we could know wisdom and instruction”. So this very wise man has this to say about our tongues:

“When words are many, transgression is not lacking, but whoever restrains his lips is prudent.” –Proverbs 10:19

“Whoever guards his mouth preserves his life; he who opens wide his lips comes to ruin.” –Proverbs 13:3

“A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.” –Proverbs 15:1

“Whoever restrains his words has knowledge, and he who has a cool spirit is a man of understanding. Even a fool who keeps silent is considered wise; when he closes his lips, he is deemed intelligent.” –Proverbs 17:27-28

 

Wow. That’s pretty straightforward. There are no clauses in those verses. This even applies to those difficult people, those people with different opinions, and even those people that come lashing at us. My prayer for myself if that in my speech I would encourage others and be loving. The difficult people are the ones that need it the most. The reason for my title is because in James 3, the lack of controlling our tongue is described as a deadly poison among other things. Go check it out. I’m not there yet, reader friends, but may we aim to keep that in mind in our every day.

 

Shaped by Grace,

Jessica Hardy

The Hardys in Hardy

 

Before I begin to tell you about our trip, I must say that I have had an internal battle about whether or not last names made plural receive an apostrophe. I feel like it is wrong to put one there, because the name is neither possessive, nor is it a contraction. If you know the answer for a fact, feel free to correct me.

 

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So, we went to Hardy, AR and stayed in a BEAUTIFUL cabin that a family friend let us reside in for our trip. Did I mention that it was beautiful? I think I wouldn’t mind living there.

We set out.

We arrived, and we saw historic downtown and all of the cute shops.

Then, there was this…

It makes perfect sense, doesn’t it? It made me laugh.

 

We went kayaking down the Spring River, next to the notorious railroad tracks of Hardy. I don’t think there is anywhere that campers and residents can escape the sounds of the train.

We started out in the river in our kayaks, and we noticed two things quickly. Number one: The water was COLD! Number two: There was lots of greenery (sorry, I’m not really sure was to technically term it) at the bottom of the river. Where the greenery was, there were also dragonflies. At first it was almost whimsical. Then, it started getting annoying, because they wouldn’t get off of us, and that greenery was everywhere!

 

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There were two other things that we didn’t notice right off the bat, but very soon came to our attention. One: This is sort of a lazy river. There aren’t many rapids, and you do much paddling to get you to the takeout. My arms hurt. Two: The clouds were getting dark. Yes, we looked at the forecast, and we knew it predicted rain. The percentage was low, and the sky looked great when we started. We were told by the company that we rented from that the bad weather was supposed to pass us. I told Zach that I thought going in the morning was a better time, but he insisted on the afternoon. About an hour and a half into our supposed to be four hour journey, the clouds became very dark. I voiced my concern to Zach and said we need to get to paddling faster. He smiled, turned his kayak around to go down a fall once more, and said, “Maybe it will miss us”. About 30-45 minutes later, the rain began. Then, so did the lightning. I gave him an “I told you so” look, and we paddled faster. We made it to our destination an hour earlier than predicted sopping wet. He hugged me, laughed, and said, “See, I told you we were going to be alright”! He got another look. After we had changed into dry clothes we could laugh about our adventure. We even came up with an embellished story to tell the grandkids when we’re old and they’re so intrigued by our adventurous lives together. Ha ha I’m just kidding. It won’t need embellishing.

I hope you have had a wonderful Monday, reader friends!

Shaped  by Grace,

Jessica Hardy

Anniversary

Well, I still have 18 days until my one-year anniversary. We just took our anniversary trip though, so I feel that it is a good idea to share about it on this Wednesday. We’re linking up with Jamie for What I’m Loving Wednesday!

This Wednesday I want to talk about how much I love marriage and my wonderful husband. Marriage is for sure one of the best gifts God has given us. It’s a beautiful picture of Christ and the Church, and it will sure teach you a lot about God’s unconditional love. There are many pieces of advice that you will receive, much unsolicited, when you are engaged and/or newlyweds.These are a few of the things that I have learned about marriage and my husband in my one year of marriage. Some were expected. Some were just plain surprises.
1. I’m a morning person. He’s not.

2. Selflessness towards your spouse promotes selflessness in your spouse. Demands and expectations promote resentment and division.

3. He has never ending energy…truly.

4. Communication is MORE than important!

5. He does many things in his sleep. He walks, talks, smooches, cuddles, snores, sings, elbows, takes orders, coaches basketball games, carries Olympians’ luggage…the list goes on and on and on My husband could sleep through absolutely ANYTHING! I’m also convinced that he’s narcoleptic.
6. It’s hard to be mad at each other when you’re praying together and you’re in the Word together. True story. Try it!
7. His driving is not therapeutic for me.
8. His song blunders are quite funny. 
9. We’re both really competitive. It’s good for our marriage that we’re on the same team.

10. Men aren’t mind readers. Don’t expect that. Say what you think, want, or feel. It’s helpful…really.
11. Although I am quite wonderful to spend time with, he needs his guy time. Let your man have his time with the guys, as you don’t forget to take time with your girls.
12. It’s VERY important to speak kindly to one another and to encourage each other. Point out your spouse’s strengths, and try to be creative/gentle in telling them about things that bother you. It’s not the easiest, but it’s so worth it on both ends. Don’t speak poorly to or about your spouse. The Bible says that a nagging wife is like a continual dripping faucet and that it is better to live in a desert land than with her. I don’t want to be like that to my husband!

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13. Laughter really is the best medicine. My husband is really good at making me laugh, and most of the time he doesn’t mean to. He’s just crazy, and he has a carefree attitude.

14. It is so wonderful to continue getting to know each other more deeply. We can complete each other’s sentences and know what the other is thinking before they even speak. I know that there are still many things to learn about my husband, and I have  many years to do it. I also know that we will both change over the years, so it will be a constant study of one another. Getting to know each other more intimately has by far been one of my favorite things about marriage.

I will share about our trip in my next post. I’m loving marriage with my crazy man! What are you loving this Wednesday?

Shaped by Grace,

Jessica Hardy

Summer!!!

 

It’s Wednesday, so it’s time to link up with Jamie for WILW! I’m first and foremost loving that it’s actually Wednesday when I’m doing my “What I’m Lovin’ Wednesday” post! During the school year, I was always so busy that that rarely happened.

As I wrapped up this school year, it was a mixture of emotions as I left my little home of Hope Sullivan Elementary. I am grateful for the start that I got there and all the many things that I learned from the staff and administration. I’m loving that I survived my first year of teaching! I learned MANY things that I will do differently in years to come. As one of my sweet professors said during my time in the education program, “Go ahead and forgive yourself for all of the mistakes that you will make your first year of teaching.” Ha

That would be a fun shirt. :) It just really bothers me that the i isn’t capitalized, and there’s no punctuation.

I’ve never been big on getting pictures of Mississippi everywhere, getting shirts with Mississippi on them, or all of that hoopla. I mean, it’s Mississippi… Now that I’m moving away though, I understand all of that, I guess. I told Zach that I wanted something with Mississippi on it so that I could put it in our new home and something for my new classroom. Well, in my last week as a Mississippi teacher, I received two items with Mississippi on them. Perfect!

This is my Mississippi pottery from my school. I’m  loving it!

This is from a coworker and her daughter. I taught her daughter this year. She cut out the wood and painted it, and she says she’s not artsy/crafty. Pssshhh! I’m loving it!

We had a family gathering last weekend, and if you don’t know, I have a twin brother. We obviously have the same birthday, but our mom’s birthday is the day before ours. My uncle’s is a weekish before hers. So, we did a little early birthday celebrating, and my mom got me a digital picture frame that I love! As I was loading pictures and taking a stroll down memory lane, I couldn’t help but be reminded that I have been blessed with awesome opportunities and people in my life!

It was great to see everyone. Some family I had not seen in years.

I’m loving that it is SUMMERTIME! I love the water, sunshine, and flip flops! What are you loving this Wednesday, reader friends?

Shaped by Grace,

Jessica Hardy

I Ain’t Yo Princess, Leave Me Alone!

 

It’s Thursday, and that means I’m a day late for WILW! I’m still going to talk about  what I’m loving even though it is not Wednesday, because there is a LOT to love right now! Have I ever mentioned that I love Thursdays? They are the my down days. I’ve turned in lesson plans. Tomorrow is Friday. There’s nothing to rush off to. They are just good days.

I didn’t know Zach as a child, but I have a child in my class that I think is pretty close to what I envision him being like as a child. He can’t sit still, and he CONSTANTLY bursts out in song as if no one is around him. He is completely unaware of others around him when he starts singing and dancing. He’s a sweet little thing, too. You just can’t help but love him. Last week during my classroom station rotations when he was at my guided reading table, I loved the compliment he gave. He said in his rambunctious little voice, “Mrs. Hardy, I used to be really bad at reading, but now I’m good at it. I even like it now, and I love reading back here with you.” Then he went straight back into reading the book. I had a big grin from ear to ear.

 

Speaking of reading, it is time for those end of the year benchmark assessments to see the children’s reading level. I had two children this year that came to me on a kindergarten reading level (I teach second grade), and those babies are both now only one level away from where they need to be right now! I am loving their progress, and I am thrilled that I have gotten to see their growth. It makes me super happy! Today was one of those rewarding teacher moments. 

I’m loving that tomorrow is our second grade Grandparents’ Day. We made crafts to give them when they come tomorrow. Of course I had to model with a craft for my own grandparents. Yes, I will be making a trip to give them the craft! Ha You’re never too old to love on your grandparents.

Below are a couple of my favorites from the kids.

You see that comma and conjunction usage? That’s what I’m talking about! I’m loving when kids actually use what they are taught. We don’t start sentences with and, but that’s not what we’re talking about here.

I love my sweet babies, and it has been a joy to teach them this year. I won’t lie, I’ve lost some hair, but this year has been wonderful. 

I’m also loving that Zach watched the Pixar movie Rio, and now he understands some of the funny quotes I have said.

What are you loving on this Wednesday Thursday, reader friends?

Shaped by Grace,
Jessica Hardy

It’s True

It is. I don’t know how I feel about it, but it is. This summer Zach and I are moving to Texas. He cannot complete his seminary in Memphis, so we will be heading west.

These last couple of months have been a big ball of emotions for me as we decided that that’s what we needed to do. My coworkers probably think I’m crazy, because I’ve cried like a baby a couple of times. Then, there are those times when I’m very excited because of the newness aspect. Then, I freak out thinking about Texas traffic, and I want to curl up in the corner and rock. I hop back to being excited because I abhor apartment living and can’t wait to get away from my obnoxious neighbors. I think about the wonderful school and staff I am a part of now, and tears well up in my eyes every time. It will be great to live by Zach’s sister and her soon-to-be husband, but we’re leaving so much family and so many friends here. I am just a mess!

Zach and I went to Texas this weekend and got to stay with Lydia and spend time with Jose as well.

Don’t they look precious together? Thanks again for letting us stay with you, Lydia! I accepted a position at ACI Academy in Fort Worth. I will either be teaching 2nd or 4th grade. That will be decided closer to August. ACI stands for academics, Christ, and integrity. They centralized Christ in their name because the goal of the school is to keep Christ at the center of it all. I am excited for all of the changes that private school will bring. It’s going to be a big adjustment, but I think I will enjoy it.

 

We don’t know where we will be living yet, but we’re already planning a guest room. This means you MUST come visit! PLEASE!

 

In all of this newness and unknown, God is teaching me to trust Him more. He is gently reminding me that He has never failed to provide or lead in a loving way. My prayer is that my emotions are trumped by my trust in God. I hope all of you had a lovely Easter, reader friends.

Shaped by Grace,

Jessica Hardy