Permission to Slow Down

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I’m a warm weather kind of person.  Anyone who knows me well is not at all surprised by that statement. I don’t like being cold and I always feel like I have more energy when the sun is shining.  I think I could be perfectly happy living in Southern California or Texas where the temperatures don’t fluctuate much throughout the year and the worst part of winter means you wear a hoodie outside.  Alas, that is not where I live and today, the second day of spring, March 21, 2018, we are getting blasted with several inches of snow here in Loudoun County.  I can’t say I’m thrilled about it, but one positive is that the snow forces me to slow down.  Knowing what was coming for us today, and that Loudoun Schools would be closed (therefore cancelling several huddles and meetings I had for the day) last night I felt permission to turn off my alarm for this morning and sleep in until (gasp) almost 7am.  For one reason or another, I haven’t been able to do that in weeks, and I woke up feeling so refreshed. 
I will still send some emails and reach out to students today, knowing that they are likely sitting at home watching Netflix.  And in a bit, I will head outside to shovel my driveway.  But I will also take some time to rest, and read, and maybe do something creative.  I’m not sure if it’s my personality or a product of living in this area, or a combination of the two, but I often struggle to relax as a voice in my head pressures me to “get going and be productive!”  After I get a few things done this morning, though, I trust that God will use this snow to dampen that voice enough so that I can curl up on the couch with a blanket, some tea, and a book.  I don’t tend to wish for snow now that I am no longer a school teacher, but today I will appreciate the rest and quiet it provides and the chance to reflect on God’s goodness lately, because He is so good.  Every day.
Here are some highlights from this past week:
Playing Train Wreck with the Huddle at Brambleton Middle School

Awesome discussion with the students at Farmwell Station Middle (see last post)
Wachichi (a favorite game) with the huddle at Potomac Falls HS
Character Coaching with the Potomac Falls Girls Lacrosse Team
 
Attending the FCA Remarkable Girls Conference with one of my BWHS Leaders 

Got to chat a bit again with Mo Isom, our speaker for the Remarkable Girls Conference.

The girls enjoyed hearing from University of Maryland soccer players who are balancing sports and faith in college.

Our Loudoun FCA staff and volunteers had a blast at the RGC, clearly!











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