Above All Else Love: Feature Post - Banner Apparel

Good Friday to you all!! What a crazy week this has been! VCS went through accreditation. It basically means we have to prove that we do all that we say we do. One this I learned through this process: No single person runs the whole show, and ultimately, if it's good, it's God that does it. It's been a long year of paperwork, committee meetings, and in-service days. The process began last spring, intensified through the school year, and is now over. WE did it. VCS is a fantastic place to work, and go to school. Being a teacher is such a labor of love.

Which actually brings me to my next thing, which I am beyond excited about! I have partnered with a great company called Banner Apparel as a brand ambassador! they're stuff caught my eyes a few months ago, and I've just fallen in love with their brand. Everything is based on scripture (which my being a Bible Teacher, you can imagine my delight). Their whole line and purpose for being is to glorify the Lord, and that is something I can totally get behind. Not to mention, this may be the softest tank top ever worn by mankind.

There are so many verses in Scripture that tell us to love above all other things. It's something we so easily let go of in the distractions of life. Even when we're doing something we love. As Christians it's so important that we remember why we love...at all! It's because of Jesus. The response to his love for us poured out on the cross. Our only response, our only WORTHY response is to love Jesus, try to be more like him, by loving those around us. It's not a ladder of love that we climb to Jesus, but the hub from which we operate. Because of Love, I do (enter your thing here). For me it's teaching, music, blogging, get coffee, wash the laundry... Because of the cross, I live, and I love.

Cute and Apropriate: What To Wear On A Field Trip (To Disneyland) As a Teacher

Hi Everyone! I'm taking my students on a field trip to Disneyland in three weeks. It's something I've done every year since I've taught, and its something everyone looks forward to.  I put together a "dress code" presentation for them every year, and this is year is no different. It's pretty important to me to spread the word that you can "flaunt it" without actually flaunting anything! If you're confident, that's the cutest thing you could wear! If I had an unending budget, I think this is what I would wear.

What about you?!

Since this is first and formost a Choral Festival, this is along the lines of what I would wear when we actually go on and perform. My students have dresses and suits that they wear. All-black is concert etiquitte, so I think would world just fine. I really do wish that bag were mine...

Disneyland Bound by rachelparrish featuring leather bags

Santa Cruz, Not Beach Day: Battling Busyness

Hi Everyone! I know what you're thinking: ANOTHER beach trip?! The Answer is a loud and resounding and unapologetic, YES YES YES. Living in Napa, Santa Cruz is way more accessible than it used to be (and it still didn't stop us).  

The fact is, during the week, as a teacher there is no real down time. This sounds like maybe I'm not making an effort, but I can't leave work at work. I think and talk and live about my students. When I get home, I think and talk about school. So, weekend day-trips really do make all the difference for us. It allows us to get away and be a couple and talk about music, and Jesus, and life, and laugh and not wear work clothes or sweats. We get to catch up. If we're not very intentional about this kinda stuff, it's easy to slip away from each other and not even know it. Busyness gets the better of the both of us, and it really gets the better of me. This is how we battle it.

We did, however, venture out of our comfort zone! We went to this little cafe that I don't remember being at the end of Pac-Ave last time we were there. It's Called LuLu Carpenter. Nate isn't a coffee shop person (I know, very sad), so I knew I was taking a risk. It was so worth it. I had one of the best mochas I think I have ever had. The in-house whip cream is the perfect amount of sweetness (which for me isn't very sweet). And Nathan liked it too! It was so wonderful. 

Nate and I are also Boba or Bubble Tea fans. Some people don't like the texture, but I say, if Boba is wrong, then I don't want to be right! Also, How cute is this little cat, and the picture in the back! The shop is so bright and colorful! I just love it!

Northern California people! Do you have a place you love? I want to know! Do you have a coffee shop that you can't live without? Where's "your place"? Where do you go to get away for the day? I would love to hear about your favorite date places :)

See you soon!

Words of Wednesday

Hello Folks! I hope this Wednesday is going awesome for you. I wanted to share a little bit of what the Lord is doing in my life. We heard from Sasha Ivanovic, who runs Teen Challenge Serbia, and while he did talk a little bit about his ministry he mostly gave a message that really struck me. God has been teaching me a very hard lesson this year as a teacher, but it has grown my faith so much.

Isaiah 43: 18-29 “Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.

This was the verse our speaker spoke on. This verse just hit my heart so hard. Every year I have taught (only three, I have a lot to learn) has had such huge and very different challenges. Forget the former things, defeats of course, but sometimes the Lord calls us to forget about our victories! God is doing a new thing... It's one thing to learn from your past, but live in it and feed off of it, that can be very unhealthy. Even if the past was award winningly awesome. The Lord fills us to empty us again. This has been a year of emptying. 

I love being a teacher. It gives me purpose, motivation, and a creative outlet. Just like every year it has been filled with new and difficult challenges. The last two years, the challenges were more tangible. They were objective. Most of the time it was time and intentional organization that would fix them. This year the Lord has brought spiritual challenges. Not so objective. Not at all black-and-white.

God has been saying to me for a while,  "Forget last year. To do lists can wait. It's time to pray. It's time to read. It's time to prepare. Open your door and let students sit in the 'real talk' chair." I obeyed, and they started to come. The "real talk" chair gets a lot of use. There's no walking kids through the sinner's prayer or anything, but there is a lot of listening. 

It's like a light bulb went on. "Now it springs up, do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland" We just obey, and he brings streams of live to the lands that are dry, and to people who are thirsty. It's amazing what prayer, listening, and obedience brings.

Friday Night

Hello Everyone! I may have shared with you before that Nate and I serve as the heads of our college/young adult ministry at our church in Napa. Nate and I have been at our church for about 9 months. When we first got to Hillside, there was a college ministry, but no Pastor. There was fellowship, but no leader. We were burdened for this group that wanted to grow and come together, and also serve the young adult community, but really didn't have anyone to steer the ship. Nate had a meeting with our lead pastor, and in October of 2014, We began to the lead the group/

Since then we've seen serious growth! Not only number wise, but in worship, in enthusiasm, in responsibility and vision, its been so very excitign! We're seeing people excited about their walk in Christ, and excited to see other people come to know Him, and start growing themselves!  

It's been a wonderful and challenging season for us. Running a ministry is such a fun and hard thing to do. God has been taking care of us this whole way! He has blessed us with new friends, who also have a passion and desire to see the young adults come to Christ! He has blessed us with His Word. He has blessed us with confirmation after confirmation that we were really hearing from the Lord and moved out of comfort and safety into unknown territory.

These are a few pictures of the Friday afternoon routine: 

Coffee (recipe coming soon), Worship practice, Prayer, Message. 

 I actually ended up being exact twins last week with my friend Marissa. I only have a polaroid of it to document it, but we were really feeling the denim on denim.

If you do find yourself as a young adult, having nothing to do, and you live near or in the Napa Valley, you should come out! We would love to meet you and be your friend!  See you soon!

I'm a 'bound book' kind of girl

Hi Everyone! I got a new toy that I'm absolutely smitten with! The Polaroid 300 camera. It's virtually the same as the fujifilm instax camera except different colors. They also use the same film. I take it with me everywhere!

Nate and I went on a little walking date to Small World Cafe in Downtown Napa, Look at Nate's face! He's such a doll!

Aren't these so fun! I love the ones of my students. My chapel leadership kids were playing Mafia as a bonding game. Let's just make perfectly clear, I'm awful at being the mafia!They love each other so much, it does my heart so much good to be such sweet people to one another. Being a teacher is the best!

I count these last few weeks (only ten left) as fleeting blessing. This senior class means so much to me, I always say that is this is the class that taught me how to teach. I'm not emotionally prepared to see them move on. Oh no! I'm getting all proud and mushy, I have to stop. Have a fantastic weekend! I'm going wedding dress shopping with my brother's new fiance! I love adding girls to our family! Yay!

Before you go though... I am all about this song right now! This is Mount Zion by Cageless Birds. The end... Jesus is so awesome! See you soon!

Real Talk with Mrs. Parrish

Hey Everyone! Have you ever wondered where fashion/lifestyle bloggers find the time to look cute every day? I really do.Especially the one's that have jobs. I actually do make an effort every single morning to do my hair, and put on something cute, but when it comes to really doing my make-up, it just doesn't happen. I hate feeling like I have to rush, so I go to work bare-faced. I will say, my skin loves me for it. Maybe if I didn't have to work until 9am, I would have the time/energy to do my make-up, but since I commute, and school starts at 7:40, good skincare is all I've got.

So today I say, "If it's wrong to to post pictures of your outfits while not wearing make up in your classroom, then I don't want to be right!"

Here I am, not wearing make-up! This is how I normally look at school. I wear these glasses to appear like I kind of made some sort of beauty effort. To be truthful, I am in no way trying to make a statement by not wearing make-up, It's just that, in the battle between having coffee and wearing make-up...coffee always wins!

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