How true is this? 

I have seen that throughout my life, my friends have changed depending on which season of life I was currently in. This has been an amazing transition because now I truly feel that I have some of the best friends in the entire world!

Before you are born, friends:

     Yes, our families were friends even before we were born. Michelle has been that girl that has memories of our childhood birthday parties, almost dying in a Tornado stories, and we always catch up right where we left off. Even though our lives have taken us to different cities and jobs, we still keep in touch. Our families still go to church together and we are practically family. Love you, Shell!

High School Friends:

     These ladies are just a FEW of the sweet friends from my high school days. North Pontotoc High School was a wonderful place for me to grow up and learn how to have friends but most of all, how to be a friend. Most of my classmates went through our 13 years of "schooling" together and I'm forever thankful for that. We had a few come and go and that just made our 2007 graduating class so awesome. I'm proud of the accomplishments that all of these ladies have accomplished and I honestly CAN'T WAIT for our 10 year reunion. (We missed our 5 year, oops!)

Junior College Friends:

     The good ole' ICC days were the best! I will remember the fun I had for my entire lifetime. I took a million pictures and I have about that many memories. College was a great time in my life because I got to love on people and share the joy that I had with them. I was involved in the Baptist Student Union and it literally became my apartment. I lived there more than in my dorm and those memories are always the best! Amy Simmons was a huge blessing in my life during these two years! We ended up rooming together in the next chapter of our lives and I'm thankful that our paths crossed. These are just a few of the friends that I met at ICC and I'm thankful to have met my sweet, Claire Mattox who passed away last Summer. Her laughter and contagious love of life will always be in my heart. 

              

Ole Miss Friends:

     These two above, Emily and Haley, were my biggest two blessings at Ole Miss. Haley and I grew up in the same small town and became friends while at Ole Miss. Doesn't God have a sense of humor? LOVE it! Emily is from Brandon, Mississippi and it was awesome rooming with these ladies. I've stood by both of their sides as they walked down the isle and I can't wait for them to do the same for me one day! :) Ole Miss friends are the best friends! I made so many new friends and I'm so glad we still keep in touch. 

Sweet Landon was another blessing that I met through Emily at Ole Miss. She has been a blessing through Ole Miss Sporting Events, Emily's wedding and moving to D.C. and just being her sweet self. I'm coming to Nashville soon, Landon!

Southaven Friends:

     Once again, not everyone is pictured but so many of these people had a part of my story. I followed my dream of teaching to Horn Lake, Mississippi and lived in Southaven for three years. I loved it but knew that I wouldn't be there forever. 1,3, and 6 are all pictures of sweet Teacher friends who I shared life with each day at school. They all mean more to me than they know. Picture 2 is Jenny and Cory who were my parents away from home. Love these two! They took me in and loved on me along with their sweet baby, Maddie! Forever thankful! Leslie and Jenna (4&5) were my teacher/speech pathologist friends who I ate dinner with at least once a week! Loved their inspiration and their encouragement. God had a plan for Southaven and I'm so grateful that I got to share it with these treasures! There were so many others that I wouldn't have made it without.. (Marla.. I couldn't find our picture! :(

Oxford Friends:

     This season has been extra sweet! Moving back was one of the easiest things I had ever done. I knew that being closer to "home" and just being back in Oxford would be the best and it has been. Making new friends and getting started in my new norm has been a blast with these friends! I can't wait to add to this and see what new memories 2015 brings! 

This girl has been there through it all. Since meeting in Middle School, we've been tight! (Did I just use that word, really?) She's the best (literally) and has my back no matter what. Thankful for her!

This is encouraging!

I was doing some blog reading the other day and came across this article and it SPOKE life to me! I'm in this exact season of my life and I felt like this article was exactly on point. For the sake of time, I copied and pasted the article on my blog instead of leading you to the site. The link is at the bottom if you would like to check the site out!

Tell me this isn't the truth! God has a beautiful plan for my life and I can't wait to see it unfold even MORE!

You don't have to have it all figured out by 30 (or really by any age, because life is a constant journey). During our 20-something years, there can be a tremendous amount of pressure to figure everything out. We search for answers to important questions like "What do I want?" and "What do I want to do with my life?"

I was on track to answering those questions in my 20's. I had a prestigious career, a man I loved who proposed, money, fancy clothes and so on. When I lost it all at 27, I judged myself as a huge failure. I went from having everything to believing something was wrong with me.

But nothing was wrong with me. And nothing is wrong with you, either, if you feel like you failed at something or like a failure because you haven't done enough. You're simply going through a normal rite of passage that you may even call your "quarterlife crisis." So, if you feel confused, like nothing is really "right," but nothing feels "wrong," either, don't worry, you're NORMAL.

This time of our life when we are supposed to be "having the time of our life" can be overwhelming and downright scary at times. It can also be a time of great discovery, freedom and exhilaration if you are willing to remove expectations from others, society and yourself to figure everything out on a certain timeline or according to a certain checklist.

Now I'm saying you don't have to figure out everything but you do have to do something. Your life purpose is not going to just hit you like a lighting bolt while you're sitting in Starbucks surfing Facebook. If you want to live a life of meaning and make a meaningful impact, it's time to redefine your version of "everything."

I spent the past month interviewing over 30 thought leaders and experts who are in their twenties and thirties as part of a free resource called the Quarterlife Upgrade. One of the questions I asked each one was "What do you wish you knew then that you know now?" Below I share some of the themes that emerged from the interviews to reassure you, inspire you and remind you that you are not alone:

1. You will fail. Allow yourself to make mistakes. You will learn so much valuable insight and information from failure so stop playing it so safe. Not risking is risky.
2. Don't try to be perfect. It's not only exhausting, it's impossible.
3. Your parents may want you to do things the way they did them or the way they think you should do them. Follow your own path even if they don't agree (and don't worry, they'll get over it).
4. There is huge value in "oh no!" moments. The things that don't go according to plan are often the biggest blessings in your life -- sometimes, it just takes time to clearly understand what the blessing is.
5. Do things to stand out, but don't just do them to stand out.
6. Live your life according to your deepest values -- don't make hot, rich and famous your goal, because you'll never be fulfilled.
7. Youth does not make you invincible, but it does give you the amazing opportunity to create habits for healthy living NOW.
8. SLEEP. Eat green foods and ditch processed stuff (if you do not know or can't pronounce the ingredients, don't eat it!)
9. Enjoy your body and stop punishing it with your criticism and yo-yo dieting. Breathe, meditate, say affirmations and exercise.
10. Ladies, get off a timeline! Let go of the pressure of your biological clock because stress has an adverse effect on your fertility.
11. Chemistry is necessary, but not sufficient in romantic relationships. Make a list of your values and top five non-negotiables and DO NOT SETTLE.
12. Friendships matter -- they contribute significantly to your health and longevity!! Ditch toxic friendships and put the effort into friends who inspire and support who you are and where you are headed.
13. Don't date someone's potential. When someone tells you or shows you who they are the first time, believe them.
14. ALL relationships teach us valuable things about ourselves and are a catalyst for growth. Even if they end, they are a success if you are willing to look at what you learned about yourself.
15. When it comes to break-ups, let go! No ex-stalking or obsessing. Move forward and do not shut down your heart. Getting hurt in love is something we all experience.
16. There is no one "soul mate." You will probably have multiple romantic relationships and the MOST important relationship you have is the one with YOURSELF. No one can complete you other than YOU.
17. The trick to personal finance is budgeting and SAVING, but be limitless in your money mindset. Learn ways to increase and appreciate your abundance right now. Abundance does not just come in form of money.
18. Answering the question, "What do I want to do with my life" is more often a process of elimination rather than a lighting bolt of inspiration.
19. Have patience because opportunity and success come in real time. Overnight success is not possible and you don't have to love your job to be happy at it!
20. The workplace doesn't tolerate slackers -- don't be one!! Be more than your job description.
21. Entrepreneurs: make sure the business you are starting is solving a specific problem. The most important ingredients to being an entrepreneur are initiative and discipline.
22. Burnout is not a badge of honor. Don't try to do it all, focus on the 5% you're great at and delegate the rest!
23. Develop your personal brand -- remember your passion makes you unique!!
24. Write down what you want to be known for. Make a list of your professional and character values and never sell out.
25. Your thoughts are creating your reality, so you are either attracting things to you or repelling them from you. Be mindful of your thoughts!
26. Stop comparing yourself to everyone else and being so hard on yourself. Don't use Facebook as a torture device. Quiet your Inner Mean Girl or Inner Mean Dude and be your own best friend. Seriously, be nice to yourself!!!
27. You're a grown up now, it is time to lovingly cut the umbilical chord with your parents and live YOUR life.
28. Learn the language of your intuition and how to recognize when your heart is speaking to you and then how to respond once it does.
29. Find a cause that you have an emotional tie to, educate yourself on the mission and get involved. Service is a key ingredient to happiness.
30. Adopt a "what can I give" versus "what can I get" mindset. That is how you truly make an impact on the world.

article here.

So thankful for growing up and knowing that not everyone has to follow the same path. 

Relax.

Hello ladies!

I'm still soaking up the sun, laying out, and enjoying time with my family. 

Can I live here and NOT come back? 

please. say. yes.

I was thinking tonight about how God made EVERYTHING in this beautiful world and how he formed it all and put it exactly where he wanted it. I find that so interesting because God could have just made this world and not planned it intricately. Thank him that he loves details and loves to make his children wonder and thank him!

He's got the whole world in his hands!

p.s. if someone would like to guest post for me, email @ lauren_patton@hotmail.com

Useful.

 So, I'm currently sitting at school with absolutely no kids and figured.. why not blog? Maybe I shouldn't be admitting that but here goes. Other kiddos are packing up to go home and it's got me thinking about my circumstances. This time last year.. I was preparing for another year in 1st grade with my sweet firsties and dwelling on the possibility of a new assistant, new ideas, new students.

 Then, in November my world was rocked. And thank the good Lord above it was. I was called in to the office, given the news that I was the new K-SPED teacher and that was that. New adventure, new kids, new opportunity. 

Here I sit at the end of this crazy ride and I couldn't be happier. I was starting Graduate school in January and was planning on getting  my Masters in Special Education. God had other plans and luckily his grace is abundant in my life. He took me from my comfort zone and put me in the middle of the ocean and led me into the path that I am on now. 

I am now in Elementary Education for my Masters Degree and can't imagine being any where else. Isn't it wonderful that God uses circumstances to show us what's best for US.

I've enjoyed my year with my sweet babies and getting to love on them and I will NEVER regret getting my SPED endorsement. But, in the moment, Regular Education with some inclusion children trickled in is where my heart is at.

God's grace makes me happy and I love telling people that God has a plan throughout my whole changing process. Man. that's some good stuff.

With that being said, I am EXCITED to say that I am a new General Ed Kindergarten teacher for next year and with that comes a brand new excitement. :)

I am so excited to be with the same group of teachers (most of them) and can't wait to see who ends up in my class for me to love and teach. 

“Well and good if all things change, O Lord God, provided I am rooted in You.”
― Juan de la Cruz

Just something REAL.

What's on my heart is this. 


TEACHING.


It's all I've ever REALLY wanted to do, what I used to play growing up, what I couldn't wait to do when I was little, and the degree that I received in college. 
I'm an educator with a big responsibility and a bigger heart!


Enter, January 2012. It's been a crazy week. I'm overloaded, stressed, and burned out. It's only my first year of teaching people. This shouldn't be happening. But, I've been given great peace today about how God already knew this would happen but that he made me to teach and perseverance is key!  Things are way different from the environments back home but that's okay. God works wonders when we are away from our comfort zones and that's what I'm banking on.


Sorry for the downer post. Please don't think that I don't love teaching I do, but this week has very much brought me down a little and shown me that life isn't always how you think it will/should be.


Thank you Lord. Help me be the teacher that I want to be! :)

Source: imgfave.com via Lauren on Pinterest

{one}

I'm so thankful that it's becoming nicer weather this week! Life is more enjoyable when it's sunny and cool. This teacher LOVES recess! :)

{two}

I love these bracelets. Alexandani is the name of them. Aren't they so cute and anything stackable, I'll take! :)

{three}

Every experience God gives us, every person he puts into our lives, is the perfect preparation for a future only he can see. 

                                                                                                  - Corrie Ten Boom

I'm loving that quote! It's been my Facebook status all week. It's powerful to me. 

So long, 2011.. a little late!

It's that time again when we share all of our memories from the year. My, my.

2011.

Where have you gone?

January

I celebrated my 22nd birthday with great friends! We went to The Grill and had a blast. I just love the friends in my life. My roomates also threw me a SURPRISE party at the apartment. So. much. stinkin. fun!

This photo collage customized with Smilebox This baby, Lynlee Maxine Chrestman made her entrance into the world.  :) February Create a picture collage DiscipleNow Leader, Snow Day, and Valentines Day at School. Such sweet memories. March Photo collage made with Smilebox April Planting Flowers with the Kinders. Royal Wedding. Got to hang out with my little prince @ school. :) Personalize a free digital collage May I graduated from the best University ever, Ole Miss. Got my 1st teaching job in 1st grade at Horn Lake Elementary. I will never forget it. They called at 6:30 in the morning and offered me the job! Best graduated from ICC on the same day. Free picture collage generated with Smilebox June Celebrated Merle's Birthday at Don Julio's.  Had New Teacher Orientation that lasted WAYYYY tooo long! Mother/Daughter Banquet at Church. My mama is the best coordinator. I also finished my last undergraduate Special Education class at the Scott Center in Oxford. Those children stole my heart. :)

July

• Moved into my new Grown-up apartment. Such an exciting time for me. 
• Went on the trip of a lifetime to NYC with mama for graduation. Oh, the fun we had. We are going back soon! 

August

• Harper met her cousin, Lily for the first time. :)

• Finally got my teaching License in the mail. It took forever and had me sweating bullets.

• Had my first substitute report because I got deathly sick the first week of school. I didn't mind coming back to THIS! :)

September

• Back to Heaven on Earth- Game Day. Ole Miss. Oxford.

• Celebrated Birthdays. 3 in one month, wow!

October

• First field trip. Memphis Botanical Gardens. 
• Ate at Texas de Brazil for the 1st time. Thanks, Adam! 

November

• Thanksgiving Break- Shopping and waiting in line for a tv for 4 hrs on Black Friday.
• Meals with family and friends and catching up on lots of important gossip. :)

December

• Mrs. Richie passed away. God gained an angel on Christmas Eve.
• Had a wonderful, relaxing Christmas with my sweet family.

• Went to the Christmas house at Olive Branch with mama. Crazy, crazy.

Okay, this year has been wonderful and exciting! I've lived through some hard times and had some of the happiest in my life. God had a wonderful plan in showing me what he wanted me to do with his gifts that he blessed with. I'm thankful for a job that I LOVE, new friends, new fellowship in my faith, and new beginnings. God has even bigger plans for 2012 and I couldn't be anticipating them anymore than I am. For every season.......

Tuesday Topics.

It's Tuesday November, 8. 2011.

The VOTING day that we have all been waiting for. It's been all over Facebook, Twitter, and everywhere for that matter. I don't like the way that people are plastering their views for everyone to see. Vote how you wish, talk about it, but don't harp others for what they how they are voting. 

I saw this quote today and agreed with it. All I'm going to say. Just 1 comment. That's all.

Will you be comfortable arguing your objections as you stand before God while he holds broken and mangled bodies of aborted children in His lap?

My morning consisted of no firsties, a cup of joe, and a Guided Reading conference. A day of difference  was needed and I feel like I'm ready for them tomorrow! :)

I'm  seriously considering putting up my Christmas decor next week! Any thoughts? Too early?

My mama's prized Christmas possession. :)

last year's tree.

Source: shabbychicks.blogspot.com via Lauren on Pinterest

Happy Tuesday! 

I just LOVE Wednesday!

{one)

Today I had that one of those "I'm so glad I became a teacher" moments! One of my firsties read 13 words when before today, reading was non-existent to him. Oh, how my heart smiled. He was so excited too! We'll see where it goes from here.

{two}

I got a FLU shot yesterday. YUCK! I hate those jokers. Now, look what it got me. 

Doesn't feel too great but hopefully no flu for me!

{three}

Our Very Hungry Caterpillar door for Drug Free Week!

Our kiddos had fun coloring the plates. We didn't win but it's the trying that counts, right?

{four}

I visited a new church Sunday and I thoroughly enjoyed it! Going to Wednesday night church tonight and praying that it's exactly where God would have me be. I'm ready to find where I belong here in Southaven!

Source: imgfave.com via Lauren on Pinterest

Just to see you smile!

Source: sororitystace.tumblr.com via Lauren on Pinterest