Hi everyone! I'm taking a quick reading break to bring you this bloggy update. I don't have much time, so here goes the random updates of life here....
*I finished my first grad school paper today!!! :) I am quite excited about this! I actually have 4 papers and one project due in the next 4 weeks, but let's not think about that right now and ruin the excitement over finishing the first one.
*I actually never ever thought I'd go back to school. Ever. There wasn't anything I was interested in enough to do the school thing again of studying and writing papers. Never say never though. Now that I am back in school, it's really cool to see how awesome it is to study something you are passionate about doing. And I've been reminded how much I like being challenged and learning new things. I LOVE SCHOOL! :)
*The Braves are killing me. The postseason was ours for the taking. And we still have a shot. But if we don't start playing better and win some games, the playoffs will not be ours to experience. 7 more days. C'mon guys!
*I am really tired. It's quite difficult to either be working, sitting in class, or reading/writing. I literally don't have much time for anything else. I'm trying to do one fun thing a week to make sure I keep life balanced. Pray for me though because I don't have any days where I can just relax and do nothing. Pray for amazing energy and strength to make it during this season of life and that I will enjoy each minute of it!
*I am making chili for dinner tonight. I know some of you are actually experiencing fall like weather and temperatures now. We are not - it's really hot here still. But since it's about to be October, I'm pretending like it's fall-like outside and will enjoy my chili immensely!
*Praise Jesus for the invention of ice cream and chocolate. :)
Love you all - have a great week!
Sunday, September 26, 2010
Sunday, September 12, 2010
The Power Of The Tongue
Happy Sunday everyone! I have SOOOO much work to do for school, but I thought I'd post a blog anyway because I have thoughts to share and it's Sunday and an update is kind of needed. So a really fast update before I get to the point of this blog....
*I LOVE school!! I've had 2 weeks of class now, and I'm so excited at the thought of continuing to go and really start getting into the depth and practice of counseling. It's cool to see even from the very beginning how God is going to use school to continue His refining and healing process in me. I'm starting to get to know some people, and I'm just truly thankful for the opportunity to do this and to see how God continues to affirm that this is what He created me for. Yay for school!!!!
*My mom is coming in town Tuesday night for a brief September visit, with the whole purpose of her trip being theme park visitation. She, Nikki and I have wanted to go to Universal and see all of the new Harry Potter stuff since it opened, but it's been ridiculously hot and crowded and we decided to wait until September to go after all of the tourists left. (As an aside, if you ever want to visit Disney and want to know a great time to come, the first two weeks after the week of Labor Day are perfect. NO lines, no long waiting - just how it should be!) On Wednesday, we shall be spending the day at Universal and on Thursday, we'll be at Disney. Fun times to be had!
*The Braves are currently tied for first place! And it's Sept. 12th! It's been a few years since we were in this position, and it's so much fun to be a part of. Nerve wracking, but fun. I feel like I need to apologize to my professor though - at random times in class, I try to check my phone for score updates, or people text me updates. I'm careful to not be distracting, but let's be honest people. We're in the middle of a pennant race. Class or no class, I'm cheering them on! :)
Anyway, on to the tongue. At church, we are going through the book of James. It's been an awesome series. It's one of my favorite books of the Bible and so challenging. Today we discussed the passage on the tongue and how damaging - or healing - our tongue can be. It was very convicting and a great reminder of the power we yield with our words. At the end of the service, the pastor challenged everyone to confess to God what needed confessing regarding our tongue and to ask forgiveness from a spouse or parent or child or whatever if they were there with you and had been hurt by something you'd said.
From where I was sitting, I had a perfect view of an older couple, at least in their 60's, standing together. As the music played, the husband leaned down to his wife (he was much taller) and whispered something in her ear. You could see her whole body respond to what he said as she just sort of softened. Then she pulled him down so she could speak in his ear. They took turns doing this a few times and then pulled away and looked at each other in the eyes. I couldn't see the man's face, but I could see the wife's face, and the genuine love and affection she had was beautiful. I was literally standing there with tears in my eyes as I watched this expression of love and the power of forgiveness and grace.
Enough time has gone by now and God has done such miraculous healing in my own life that there aren't many things anymore that prick my heart in a big way regarding my own journey and situation, but today was one of them. As I watched this couple relate, I realized I had never had the opportunity to do that. I never got to experience how to disagree or have good conflict or how to move forward from those times deeper in love. I've certainly gotten to learn how to forgive, but it's been without the person being present, which is a different experience.
So for all of you who are married - and even if you're not, we're all in relationship with others - I'd encourage you to love well. It is a privilege to be able to speak life into another person. Guard your words carefully. We all have the power to bring life or to bring death to another person. It's a weighty responsibility to carry.
I think about this as I am preparing to enter into a healing profession myself. I have a great responsibility and privilege to walk with others through often very dark times in their lives. I pray that I will speak life to them and very carefully guard my tongue. I'd ask for your prayers as well, even in these beginning stages of school, that God will continue to give me eyes to see others as He sees them.... That He will continue to expose my prejudices and deal with them.... That I will love and love well, and that He will speak words of truth and life through me so that I may speak hope and healing into the lives of those He entrusts into my care....both professionally and personally. May we all reflect Christ to the world around us, especially in the words that we use. Have a great week!
*I LOVE school!! I've had 2 weeks of class now, and I'm so excited at the thought of continuing to go and really start getting into the depth and practice of counseling. It's cool to see even from the very beginning how God is going to use school to continue His refining and healing process in me. I'm starting to get to know some people, and I'm just truly thankful for the opportunity to do this and to see how God continues to affirm that this is what He created me for. Yay for school!!!!
*My mom is coming in town Tuesday night for a brief September visit, with the whole purpose of her trip being theme park visitation. She, Nikki and I have wanted to go to Universal and see all of the new Harry Potter stuff since it opened, but it's been ridiculously hot and crowded and we decided to wait until September to go after all of the tourists left. (As an aside, if you ever want to visit Disney and want to know a great time to come, the first two weeks after the week of Labor Day are perfect. NO lines, no long waiting - just how it should be!) On Wednesday, we shall be spending the day at Universal and on Thursday, we'll be at Disney. Fun times to be had!
*The Braves are currently tied for first place! And it's Sept. 12th! It's been a few years since we were in this position, and it's so much fun to be a part of. Nerve wracking, but fun. I feel like I need to apologize to my professor though - at random times in class, I try to check my phone for score updates, or people text me updates. I'm careful to not be distracting, but let's be honest people. We're in the middle of a pennant race. Class or no class, I'm cheering them on! :)
Anyway, on to the tongue. At church, we are going through the book of James. It's been an awesome series. It's one of my favorite books of the Bible and so challenging. Today we discussed the passage on the tongue and how damaging - or healing - our tongue can be. It was very convicting and a great reminder of the power we yield with our words. At the end of the service, the pastor challenged everyone to confess to God what needed confessing regarding our tongue and to ask forgiveness from a spouse or parent or child or whatever if they were there with you and had been hurt by something you'd said.
From where I was sitting, I had a perfect view of an older couple, at least in their 60's, standing together. As the music played, the husband leaned down to his wife (he was much taller) and whispered something in her ear. You could see her whole body respond to what he said as she just sort of softened. Then she pulled him down so she could speak in his ear. They took turns doing this a few times and then pulled away and looked at each other in the eyes. I couldn't see the man's face, but I could see the wife's face, and the genuine love and affection she had was beautiful. I was literally standing there with tears in my eyes as I watched this expression of love and the power of forgiveness and grace.
Enough time has gone by now and God has done such miraculous healing in my own life that there aren't many things anymore that prick my heart in a big way regarding my own journey and situation, but today was one of them. As I watched this couple relate, I realized I had never had the opportunity to do that. I never got to experience how to disagree or have good conflict or how to move forward from those times deeper in love. I've certainly gotten to learn how to forgive, but it's been without the person being present, which is a different experience.
So for all of you who are married - and even if you're not, we're all in relationship with others - I'd encourage you to love well. It is a privilege to be able to speak life into another person. Guard your words carefully. We all have the power to bring life or to bring death to another person. It's a weighty responsibility to carry.
I think about this as I am preparing to enter into a healing profession myself. I have a great responsibility and privilege to walk with others through often very dark times in their lives. I pray that I will speak life to them and very carefully guard my tongue. I'd ask for your prayers as well, even in these beginning stages of school, that God will continue to give me eyes to see others as He sees them.... That He will continue to expose my prejudices and deal with them.... That I will love and love well, and that He will speak words of truth and life through me so that I may speak hope and healing into the lives of those He entrusts into my care....both professionally and personally. May we all reflect Christ to the world around us, especially in the words that we use. Have a great week!
Sunday, September 5, 2010
The Cat & The Lizard
There once was a very cute cat named Ellie. She meowed a lot, ate food, and liked drinking cold water the best. Ellie loved people, especially her Mommy. She slept with her Mommy every night and at the first light of day, she felt it her responsibility to make sure that she woke her Mommy up with loudly meowed greetings. And as if this wasn't enough, there came a day when an enemy approached her home in the form of a great and scary lizard. Ellie wanted to protect her mother and her own safe home so it seemed only natural in her mind to attack the terrible lizard with great ferocity and strength. Only one problem stood in the way......the window.
This window stood between her and the lizard, and no matter how hard Ellie tried, she could not get to the lizard. He knew this and it made him brazen, taunting her with his many tricks. Ellie believed that perseverance was key, so she kept trying every day to get to him. She rattled the blinds, she tried to go through the window, she meowed.....all very early in the morning. And just in case the lizard might make an appearance, she checked the window EVERY. SINGLE. DAY. Early in the morning. Rattling the blinds. Standing on her tiptoes to look out the window. Meowing.
Unfortunately, this is the closest she will ever get to the lizard (the brown thing she is leaning over would be her Mommy's bed)...
And if the lizard does not soon find a new home to torture, Ellie's Mommy may have to find a way to destroy the lizard so she can get more sleep. Or the cat's life may be in grave danger if this continues.
The End.
This window stood between her and the lizard, and no matter how hard Ellie tried, she could not get to the lizard. He knew this and it made him brazen, taunting her with his many tricks. Ellie believed that perseverance was key, so she kept trying every day to get to him. She rattled the blinds, she tried to go through the window, she meowed.....all very early in the morning. And just in case the lizard might make an appearance, she checked the window EVERY. SINGLE. DAY. Early in the morning. Rattling the blinds. Standing on her tiptoes to look out the window. Meowing.
Unfortunately, this is the closest she will ever get to the lizard (the brown thing she is leaning over would be her Mommy's bed)...
And if the lizard does not soon find a new home to torture, Ellie's Mommy may have to find a way to destroy the lizard so she can get more sleep. Or the cat's life may be in grave danger if this continues.
The End.
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