This week I felt like a grown up. And it scared me a little bit.Until now I think my semi-adult-self has had  self-care somewhat confused with laziness. But after my second week at my big girl job, I'm incredibly aware that weekends and holidays were created and set aside for the sanity of humanity. Or maybe just the sanity of Stacie. I've learned so quickly that I must be a good steward of the rest I've been given. Shauna Neiquest, a self-care GURU, wrote a great blog about boundaries and self care this week. CARE ABOUT YOURSELF AND GO READ IT NOW. BE CHANGED. THANK ME LATER.

The past week is a blur of new faces, new ways, new emotions, new thoughts, new spiritual questions, and new marital tension. My tired level is high. But so is my hope. More now than ever, my faith is "sure of what it hopes for, and certain of what it does not see."  How enlightened I have been this week by the brokeness of the world around me. My streak of never working for non-Christian organizations or attending non-Christian schools has ended. For the FIRST TIME EVER in my life, it has ended. I am challenged DAILY in what it is to be Christ-like, not just do kind of Christ-like things. I'm challenged in when it's okay to verbally say what it is to be Christ-like, as well as when to verbally say what I believe. As questions arise from my students about who I am, who Brett is, and how we live our lives, it's my hope that we can be open about our commitment to Christ and our belief in our one true God. A whole new meaning has been given to the phrase, "To know Christ and make Him known."

"To love another person is to see the face of God." -Les Mis

Today I'm asking my jumbled and "vocationally culture shocked" thoughts to not go away, but to slow down long enough for me to sift through them. I'm taking time to quiet my anxious and tired soul, and process the new role I find myself in. Is there something in your life you've been avoiding thinking about that you need to sit and reflect on?

Here are a few things I have loved about this week:

1. I've already been arrested by kindness this morning. My morning was rushed, fast paced, and stressful, but as I stood in the Starbucks line waiting for my drink, I saw an every day mister be a hero. An older woman ahead of me in line took her hot tea from the barista but struggled walking it to her table because of heavy trembling. All eyes noticed her, and it probably would have taken her twenty minutes to walk five feet trying not to spill her tea. It seemed everyone was frozen waiting for someone else to offer her help. A man waiting for his drink saw her, hesitated asking, not wanting to embarrass her. But his eyes set and compassion exuded. He asked her if he could take her drink to her seat. Grateful and girlish was her smile. Oh, to strive for kindness. To confidently offer kindness as he did. To embrace grateful humility as she did. Moments we were created to acknowledge as good and take part in.

2. Cuddling close under cold blankets with freezing feet made warm by a hairdryer. Lots of giggling.

3. Sobbing into his shoulder after the end of a long week. Grateful to release pent up emotions. Grateful for listening ears.

4. Cleaning and organizing an office I call "mine".

5. Taking care of a NEEDED donut run at 10:30 PM a few nights ago. And because I know you're wondering... I got a chocolate with Bavarian Cream and a Vanilla with raspberry filling. I'm hoping this becomes a weekly tradition. Or bi-weekly if I'm having a healthy eating week... or not.