So said Ryan Hayden at UCC this last Sunday! It was so great. It was a wonderful sermon, as always, but that little phrase was what really stuck with me. Sometimes we get so caught up in worrying about what other people are doing and if they are living their lives right that we stop keeping up with ourselves. Instead, we (okay, I...I tend to talk in "we's" when I start talking about myself and my hang-ups in hopes that they are someone elses, too!) need to stop being stagnant and standing still and start walking with the Lord! Walking the walk, talking the talk, and living a life that shows people Christ's love for all of us and how he brings about a huge change in the heart and soul and mind of a person who has accepted Him into their life! (My grammar, run-on sentences in particular, gets a little rough when I get excited like this. I don't really go through and proofread my blogs because I don't feel like I need to. So don't hate!) Discipleship has always been difficult for me to do, so to make up for it I have at least tried to constantly live a life that reflects Christ. I hope I'm doing a good job! I don't think that was the point of Ryan's message, but I think it's okay if it leads us to thinking about ourselves and our personal walk with the Lord.
Also! I felt something at church this weekend that was both exciting and convicting. When worship started, I just wanted them to hurry up and get done so that we could get to the preachin'! I love worship and I love our praise band, but I was really just hungry or something to learn something! The exciting part was how much I felt the pull on my heart to hear, listen, and learn. The convicting part was that I couldn't remember feeling like that before. Even worse, sometimes I didn't even want worship to end because it was my favorite part and sometimes the message just got in the way. I hope I continue being excited for the message...I know I could use more time in the Word. During communion time I prayed for several things, and thanked God for many things, as usual, but I also thanked Him for letting me feel that hunger, that fire, to learn about Him. I ask that you put me and that fire in your prayers, too! We all need a little help! (There I go with the "we" again!)
This just in! My English content exam scores are in...and I think I did pretty stellar! Out of 200 possible points, I got 191! I was pretty worried about it, actually, and whaddayaknow...I did above average!! I don't usually toot my own horn, but...*toot toot*!! Now I can apply for my KS license and then my TX license and I can start really applying for jobs! I won't lie, I'm pretty terrified about finding a job. It seems like all I hear about is education budget cuts and teachers losing their jobs. How am I supposed to get a job when teachers can't even keep the ones they have? And its not like they're only firing crappy teachers...they're firing good ones. My Mammy's niece was told, all in the same day, that they were not going to renew her contract and that she had won New Teacher of the Year award. I'm sorry, but WHAAAAT?! That doesn't even make sense to me. So, needless to say, worried and scared. This is when I refer back to my last blog about worrying, haha.
By the way, if you have read my blog before then you know it didn't look like this last time...is it pretty? I can't decide. Thanks :)
Okay, well, that's it from me. I don't have anything cute to end with...so there! Yeah, Swan Lake! (Despicable Me quote people, come on!) Ciao!
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
Sometimes, it's okay if things don't work out.
Because, after all, something not working out can lead to something even better working out! No, it's not always fun when something you put time into doesn't go like you hoped it would, but really it's just God's way of prepping you for what's to come. He wants us to be comforted by knowing something is coming that is just what He planned, so we need to relax and let Him work. Or at least I need to relax. Maybe other people aren't having this problem right now, so maybe I shouldn't say "yall, us, or we" because it's really not fair to assume (hope?) that I'm not the only one struggling with trusting the Lord's plan and just letting go.
Letting go. Sounds like the simple thing...but it's easier said than done. I don't know why, but I've always had this incredible desire (sometimes it feels like a need) to plan. I feel like there always has to be a plan, no matter what's going on. "Oh, day trip to the lake? Sure sounds great! What time are we leaving? What time should we be there? Are you picking up so-and-so because if you are then I'll get so-and-so and if you aren't then we'll have to call so-and-so so that they can go get them and then where should we meet? Which suit are you wearing because I was going to wear my black one, but if everyone's wearing black then our pictures might look like an aquatic funeral. Should I bring a cooler? Because I won't if you do, but if you don't then we still need one, so I'll bring one. Who's buying stuff to put in the cooler? What vehicle are we taking? Where will everyone be before and after we go?" It's almost crazy how I feel like everything needs to be planned in order to be fun. I have a hard time with just doing the "throw-and-go." I wish I didn't...so I'm working on it.
I really do believe I've gotten a little better about this recently. I'm still not really flying by the seat of my pants, but I do feel like I've gotten better about cutting out about half the questions listed above when an event is coming. I know that women are genetically programmed to worry about things (after all, if we didn't, who would worry about things? In my experience, men don't worry about much. Not the things women think deserve being worried about, anyway. Haha!) but at the same time, I've always known in the back of my head that worrying is the same as lacking trust in God...right? If I'm worried about something, I'm not leaving it in God's hands and trusting He has it under control. If I know this is true then why do I continue to do it? Why do I struggle so much with letting go of things and resting assured that it's already taken care of?! Sheesh. I feel like this makes me sound a little crazy...but, I'm not. Not the bad kind of crazy, anyway.
In any case, the 'thing that didn't work out' for me that even brought up this blog isn't even that big of a deal, haha. It's funny the things we discover about ourselves through small events. Maybe, like I kind of said in the beginning, those small events that kinda stink sometimes are there for that reason: to make us think about ourselves and our lives. And, to be little reminders that everything is under control. Not under our own control, but Gods, as much as I try to be in control of things.
So, in essence, I guess the advice I'm giving that I am also trying to follow is: Relax, don't stress out and worry about everything, remember that God is in control, and don't be afraid to fly by the seat of your pants sometimes! Like the song goes, "You make all things work together for my good!"
My prayer right now is: "I trust you are in control Lord, so help me put that into practice every day!"
Until next time... off I go, attempting to follow my own advice! :)
Letting go. Sounds like the simple thing...but it's easier said than done. I don't know why, but I've always had this incredible desire (sometimes it feels like a need) to plan. I feel like there always has to be a plan, no matter what's going on. "Oh, day trip to the lake? Sure sounds great! What time are we leaving? What time should we be there? Are you picking up so-and-so because if you are then I'll get so-and-so and if you aren't then we'll have to call so-and-so so that they can go get them and then where should we meet? Which suit are you wearing because I was going to wear my black one, but if everyone's wearing black then our pictures might look like an aquatic funeral. Should I bring a cooler? Because I won't if you do, but if you don't then we still need one, so I'll bring one. Who's buying stuff to put in the cooler? What vehicle are we taking? Where will everyone be before and after we go?" It's almost crazy how I feel like everything needs to be planned in order to be fun. I have a hard time with just doing the "throw-and-go." I wish I didn't...so I'm working on it.
I really do believe I've gotten a little better about this recently. I'm still not really flying by the seat of my pants, but I do feel like I've gotten better about cutting out about half the questions listed above when an event is coming. I know that women are genetically programmed to worry about things (after all, if we didn't, who would worry about things? In my experience, men don't worry about much. Not the things women think deserve being worried about, anyway. Haha!) but at the same time, I've always known in the back of my head that worrying is the same as lacking trust in God...right? If I'm worried about something, I'm not leaving it in God's hands and trusting He has it under control. If I know this is true then why do I continue to do it? Why do I struggle so much with letting go of things and resting assured that it's already taken care of?! Sheesh. I feel like this makes me sound a little crazy...but, I'm not. Not the bad kind of crazy, anyway.
In any case, the 'thing that didn't work out' for me that even brought up this blog isn't even that big of a deal, haha. It's funny the things we discover about ourselves through small events. Maybe, like I kind of said in the beginning, those small events that kinda stink sometimes are there for that reason: to make us think about ourselves and our lives. And, to be little reminders that everything is under control. Not under our own control, but Gods, as much as I try to be in control of things.
So, in essence, I guess the advice I'm giving that I am also trying to follow is: Relax, don't stress out and worry about everything, remember that God is in control, and don't be afraid to fly by the seat of your pants sometimes! Like the song goes, "You make all things work together for my good!"
My prayer right now is: "I trust you are in control Lord, so help me put that into practice every day!"
Until next time... off I go, attempting to follow my own advice! :)
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