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I drove past you in the dusky light of a fading day this evening. You were hanging onto your life – the life you long to live – but your face told me you’d reached the end of your rope

I remember the exact truth I try to embrace in every social situation: I’m not here to feel included; I’m here to love others well. While it’s tempting to walk into social situations with eyes scanning for the group that will make me feel included, the calling on my life is to constantly watch for opportunities to extend love and kindness to others. I see God’s hand in the whole morning, and I wonder why all women can’t just be honest about their struggles. Let’s not let our concerns about appearances stop us from growing in authentic relationships, reaching out to women who are vastly different from us, and being the love of Christ to those who need it most.

As the tadpoles grew legs, we switched from fish food and lettuce to reptile food from the local pet store. We fed the frogs reptile food and enjoyed them for several months, at which point we set them free in the same pond where we had collected the eggs months earlier. If you would like to spend more time in nature with your kids but aren’t sure where to begin, click here to download your free toolkit, Raising Outdoor Enthusiasts: 10 Practical Ways to Teach Your Kids to Love Nature. This 30-page resource offers 10 detailed descriptions for outdoor activities with your children, including all you need to know before your first family fishing trip, how to raise tadpoles, what to take hiking, how to make your child’s first overnight camping experience a success, ideas for outdoor fun in winter, and much more.

I contemplated the small impact I’d made throughout my varsity athletic career, and I knew God could use the gifts he’d given me to make an even greater impact if I committed to a career as a classroom teacher. Every time I questioned the calling, I was drawn back to these truths about what a calling actually entails: Your Calling Is More about “ Your Calling is to Love God and Love Others Your Calling is where Your Passions for People and Your Gifts Collide For a follower of Christ, a calling will always involve using your God-given talents and gifts to love other people.