The 20 Best Things about Christmas

1. Thinking about what to make or buy for others
2. O Holy Night lyrics
3. Blue Outdoor Christmas lights-- every time I look at them I become instantly peaceful
4. Hanging up Christmas tree ornaments and remembering...
5. Eggnog
6. Having homemade Orange Julius on Christmas morning
7. Wondering which daughter will be the first one awake on Christmas morning. (They are all grown up and still wake us up before 6:00 a.m.)
8. Watching others open their presents
9. Homemade fudge with walnuts
10. Huge, fluffy, slow-falling snowflakes
11. Pinning new Christmas ideas on Pinterest
12. Reading the story of Christ's birth and being amazed in the humble, profound wisdom of God's plan for rescuing the world
13. Our annual gingerbread roadkill cookie contest-- I have no idea how this started, but it gets grosser every year :)
14. Christmas stocking gifts
15. Christmas music-- especially songs by Ray Charles
16. Watching "It's a Wonderful Life"-- great movie and Jimmy Stewart is the man!
17. Wearing Christmas jewelry at school
18. Working on our "Light of the World" puzzle-- Simeon's facial expression when first seeing the Messiah is beyond moving. The verse on the puzzle says it all, "For my eyes have seen your salvation which you have prepared in the sight of all nations: a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and the glory of your people Israel.”
19. Ham gravy and mashed potatoes for Christmas dinner
20. The new year is just around the corner with all kinds of wonderful possibilities

20 Reasons I am a Christian

1. There is nothing and no one who brings profound peace like Jesus
2. Jesus never changes; yet, there is always more to learn about Him
3. God is faithful
4. God is patient beyond what I understand
5. God not only loves me, He enjoys me
6. Creation reflects God's glory and His glory blows my mind!
7. Holy Spirit is the most creative force in heaven or on Earth
8. He is my Friend
9. He is my Beloved One
10. He loves me when I am weak and when I'm strong in Him
11. He is God, Creator of Heaven and Earth
12. He is a good Father
13. He is kind
14. He is generous
15. He is not a tyrant
16. He is worthy of all my love, affection, and devotion
17. He is like no one else who ever was or who ever will be
18. He is staggeringly beautiful
19. He is THE Poet; the Word
20. He is Truth

20 Reasons Teaching is the Bomb

1. Watching kids run on the tops of huge snow piles at winter recess
2. Making anchor charts
3. Reading students' stories
4. Markers, pens, pencils, sticky notes
5. Read-alouds after recess
6. Field trips
7. Science Notebooks
8. Pizza celebrations in the classroom
9. Art projects
10. Scholastic book order boxes with my name on it in the school office!
11. Planning for the next year
12. Hopes/dreams for the next school year
13. Big, satisfying piles of corrected student work
14. 3rd grade drawings of most anything
15. Bites of chocolate eaten directly after school
16. 2nd, 3rd, and 4th cups of coffee
17. Decorating the classroom before school starts for the year
18. Introducing students to School House Rock clips on Youtube and singing along!
19. Seeing the "lightbulb go on" during a lesson
20. 3rd graders enthusiasm for learning