28 Words.

I am a words person. I love words. I thrive from encouragement. I cringe from discouragement. I am my own worst critic. Over the last (now) 28 years of my life, there have been several words that have spoken Truth to me and others that have not. Listed below are 28... they're not really in any specific order... some serious, some not so, but they are words. May we consider how words change people for both good and bad. :) -newly 28 year old girl

1. Grace- Jesus's sweet grace and redemption to me. What a gift to be grateful for.
2. Faithfulness- The one word that describes Jesus to me... His faithfulness never changes.
3. Family- A close and crazy family who shaped my life growing up through trials and happy moments.
4. Teacher- One of the biggest choices I made in life and one I am most grateful for.
5. Paycheck- Who knew that a little extra money would mean extra bills? I regret that I wasn't told this sooner!
6. Africa- Part of my heart is on that continent in the eyes of some small, dirty faces and sweet friends.
7. Nations- God called my heart to them here in Las Vegas and across the world.
8. Kids- I dream about them, work with them, gripe about them, and ultimately love them.
9. Future- See next word ;)
10. Anxiety- A word that sometimes rules my heart and mind through fear... what is to happen?
11. Straightener- Thank you Jesus that my kids at school have never seen this frizz ball without it.
12. School- Student, Teacher, Student... I can't get away from it!
13. Friendship- Equivalent to Day Makers... so grateful for people who have loved the heck out of me.
14. Music- Singing in the shower, humming in Walmart loudly, defined me as a high schooler.. kept me away from things I may have been a part of otherwise.
15. Poverty- Social injustice at the root... my mind constantly thinks what do we do about it? How do I respond to it? How do people get out of it?
16. At-risk- A word used to define students in impoverished neighborhoods but we're probably all really this.
17. Mission- Daily, Weekly, Annually... not just a place a go, but a place I am.
18. Mentor- Men and women who have walked the path before me willing to pour their lives out to me so that I can give away my life to others.
19. Makeup- A little addicted recently...
20. Summer- This past one was the first time I've spent in the US time zones... a great reason to sleep, catch up on TV, take classes, read, and think that every kid in every public place you're in is saying, "Miss Gillespie."
21. Books- A student asked me last year how I became so smart. Read people, you'll become smarter.
22. Dandelion- Reminder that God is faithful and grants dreams that He placed to begin with.
23. Stars- Connections to something I don't often understand but another gift of His beautiful faithfulness.
24. Holocaust- A tragic event that changed the course of history that I am a little obsessed with... yearning question, How do people become so evil? More importantly, how do people stand by?
25. Genocide- Directly related to the Holocaust... I've learned of so much courage in fear of people who could have been killed at any moment. Again, how do people stand by?
26. Leadership- A crazy skill that I've for some reason been given and a class of 18 kids that sometimes makes me completely insane.
27. Me- My biggest enemy.
28. Believe- There is good somewhere in people. One of my goals is to help them find it and be that way. My belief in Jesus and His redemption is the only hope I have in this.