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Wednesday, September 16, 2009

Bright Idea

Upon noticing the iPhone on my desk, one of my students expressed his jealousy and informed me that "my dad said I have to weigh 88lbs before I can get that phone".

I think that's genius. Especially since his size is on the smaller end of the class. :)

Monday, September 14, 2009

Perspective

Since I started back up working, life seems to be restricted to the following regime: early rise, work, gym, eat, spend a little time with Matt, sleep, and wake up to do it again. Nothing says a fruit-filled life like routine. :)

The school year has started off to be challenging (more to come on this later probably). I had high hopes for a great year and was determined that God wanted me to return to my current school. So here I am. But it is not completely what I expected nor hoped for. There have been ups and downs, but each day I wake up and know I need to spend time with God before I go to work (something I've never routinely been able to keep up in the mornings) which has been such a blessing. I can tell by my thoughts and immediate responses when I start the day with eternity as my perspective and days when the five feet in front of me is my limited perspective. I have to take each day at a time and chose to be content with my circumstances. I've been continually reminded that God put me in my job for a reason and I need to rejoice in it and look for the opportunities available to me while I'm here. He's growing me and reminding me of the mindset I once had not too long ago, about the joy found in life despite circumstances and situations - about focusing on God alone and finding my rest and peace in Him.

This past week, a friend and co-worker, was telling me about a high school friend who at age 26 had just passed away from a 2 year battle with melanoma, leaving behind her husband. Her blog is an incredible example of God's work through an individual - www.fisherags.com. Gregg Matte did the memorial service and spoke about it on Sunday during church. What a reminder of how short life is. What a conviction about the reality of the small problems that I think are so big and complain about. What an example of the way Christ can work through someone in such hopeless situation. What a reminder about the joy available to us.

I feel like I have been learning a lot recently, and being convicted of even more. I've decided transitions do that to me. Maybe that's why I like change so much, because it makes me grow. But I guess staying at the same job for 3 years is also making me grow, so God is not limited. Anyways, here are a few areas that the Lord has been teaching me:
  • what it is to be a godly, loving, selfless wife (obviously, a work in progress)
  • how to be patient when I have 26 8 year olds not paying attention...again
  • how to be a good friend while being married and learning to balance my time appropriately
  • what it is like to not be my own anymore, but the joy of sharing life and decisions with the man that God gifted me with
  • that my job is not just where I have to spend the majority of my day, it's a ministry and I need to allow Christ to reflect in my attitude
  • year after year (going on now the 6th year...) that God's plan is bigger than man's and He has a purpose for every decision and timing of freedom
  • that the circumstances provided are exactly what God is using to shape and mold us and we need to rejoice in that, whether it is true suffering or not