Where my joy comes from

A lot happened this last year, a lot personally and financially, a lot with my family and a lot with my friends.  After a few emotional breakdowns my family all decided that I needed to go back on my antidepressant...why? Too much to get into and none of it worth it really.

With the ending of one year and the beginnings of another, many people create new year resolutions, goals, and such but there is one thing a blogger, +Tina Reale did that I liked and I think I'm going to try this year...creating myself a theme for the year.  She did it by one word, joy. 

While joy is definitely something I could use also, I think I'm more going to aim for peace.  Really I want to work on all the fruit of the spirit, but this one especially.  With the attaining of peace I expect joy and balance to follow and both are things I could use.

This holiday season, I found out that nothing can replace a firm relationship and foundation in Christ or family in your life.  God is the only solid thing we have in our lives, the only true thing we can put our trust into. Thankfully I've also been blessed by Him with a family I can rely on to be there for me though, which is a huge blessing. Out of all the things I've brought them through they've been there for me, and that means more then they'll ever realize.

Work is starting something called the happiness advantage and I really recommend watching it

http://www.ted.com/talks/shawn_achor_the_happy_secret_to_better_work.html


in it he lists 5 ways to turn happiness into an advantage:

1. write down what you're greatful for (3 things)
2. journal for 2 minutes about something positive that happened within the past 24 hours
3. exercise
4. meditate (prayer) 
5. send a positive email first thing at work.

I've done a greatful for journal before so just getting me back into the habit, along with the journaling 2 minutes. That I wont do on a blog because I feel it will benefit me more if I physically write it. For me there is something about the act of penmenship that cannot be replaced. Exercise I've covered with the help of +Tina Reale & her Best Body Bootcamp. Meditate and prayer I need to work on doing more regularly. I'm thinking of trying in the car maybe on my way to work, along with stretches at least 3 days a week. After that it's the positive email first thing at work which sounds easy enough but after a while I'm not so sure...

Anyhoo I'll keep you all posted! 

Art & Exercising Faith

So quickie update: workouts going well, even for how crazy this week has been. Didn't end up doing the interval workout Tina & Best Body Bootcamp had planned and took Ride class instead, but I'm going to try and fit it in (at least partly) today...were going to see how I work things out next week with Thanksgiving and the MUST Ministries Gobblejog!  So excited by the way :). Side note my bodyfat has improved again with weight remining normal, so so far so good though!

Wednesday my lifetime best friend had her Fall Senior Art Exhibit at Kennesaw State University which I got to go to (after my very quick workout) and it was totally worth it!  She has such amazing talent and has worked so hard to get that far, with a soon-to-have degree (come December) and a beautiful, expressive, and curious little red-haired girl to show for it. 

Walking around taking in all the artists work, it was awesome. Taking in the different ways each one expresses themselves. Then we would stand back and observe how others examined her piece, took it in, absorbing it, and then their reactions afterwards. 

I'm so glad I got to be there for her and take part in this memory! As we talked and waited for her family to come, I wouldn't have traded my standing spot to anyone. 

On a different note, something that has been on my mind recently is joy and faith. I've been really praying for a more of a joyous, uplifting spirit (and I've probably blogged about it I'm sure) and working on choosing to have one. Something the Lord really revealed to me recently was that my problem was not just in choosing joy but in faith and trust, and my lack thereof. If I really had faith in the Lord, believed God really was in control, and trusted Him with everything I would have nothing to be down about. 

^" Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted in me? hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him for the help of his countenance." Psalm 42:5 KJV

"As for God, his way is perfect; the word of the Lord is tried: he is a buckler to all them that trust in him." 2 Samuel 22:31 KJV

"And they that know thy name will put their trust in thee: for thou, Lord, hast not forsaken them that seek thee." Psalm 9:10 KJV

 "The Lord is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler, and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower." Psalm 18:2 KJV

 "Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths." Proberbs 3:5-6 KJV

So now I guess that means I have a new goal! Not just to have a more joyous spirit, and to be more positive and uplifting, but also in trusting in my heavenly Father COMPLETELY and trusting in Him with all of me.

to end on a random note...I have a strange desire to sing old hymns...and also happy Friday!

Week 1: DONE!

Well it's been my first week on Tina Reale's Best Body Bootcamp and it turned out as good as I hoped so far.  I was really worried at first because I didn't think I was going to be that sore after the circuit and that it would work my legs more then I wanted but I was wrong! My arms are killing me (in a good way) and I'm definitely being challenged in new ways, and learning new workout moves. I've always done better with someone else guiding my workouts so this is perfect for me, since she makes me do my weights, and in a way that I enjoy more. She did make me cut back on my cardio, but I'm working on being alright with that, I knew she probably would so it's just an accepting thing at this point.

Plus she gives us goals, and I've decided since she's giving me the physical activity goals, my doctor is kinda giving me food guidelines, I'm going to kinda do maybe one goal that is more physical/mental health, and one that's spiritual. In the grand scheme of things, spiritual health is very important I feel, and something I want to integrate fully in my workouts! 

I've not done the best these weeks with food. I've accidentally ate my allergies which put me in crazy pain, and then snacked way more then I should have (and probably ate more sugar then they'd like) but Monday is a new day!

Something God has really brought to my attention recently is choosing to be happy. Choosing joy. it's something Joyce Myers and others have discussed, but I guess He really made it real to me. I've asked for the joy of the Lord many times, and I think He helped me realize and accept that the only person holding me back from that is myself.  He can give me all He can but I have to accept it and act on it out of faith.  I have to choose to be happy, to have joy no matter the circumstances, knowing and trusting that it will all be alright. That He holds my future in His almighty hands and will not let them fall...or let me fall for that matter.

I guess I know what one of my goals for next week might be now:

Say one thing I'm thankful for, I like about myself, and/or that makes me happy! 

After this week I think I may narrow it down to one of these three and maybe 3 for each, but small steps!

Be Joyous

So my best friend Chelsi started this 100 things that bring her joy-picture list thing, & my sister Elena started one also.  Seeing both of theirs I wondered what I would put on my own.  So here part of it is!


1. God the Father


2. Jesus Christ my Savior

3. Holy Spirit who guides me


4. God's Word, the Holy Bible


5. Psalm 139


6. running in nature with God


7. Childhood forever friends-Marie Jernigan


8. hanging out with best friends, people who accept you for who you are


 9. Hikes or Nature walks (esp with my Chelsibabe)


10. Being with my sisters

11. accidentally falling asleep on the couch with my mom


12. veggies/ fresh produce

13. Salads














13. Salads



14. growing things


15. going to the theater/orchestra


16. musieums, especially art


17. Ballets


18. the night sky/star-gazing


19. Sunrises & Sunsets, whether outside running or in my car.


20. Cat head rubs

I've got the joy, joy, joy, joy...

Let them shout for joy, and be glad, that favour my righteous cause: yea, let them say continually, Let the LORD be magnified, which hath pleasure in the prosperity of his servant.

²⁸And my tongue shall speak of thy righteousness and of thy praise all the day long.

Psalm 35:27-28 KJV

I am a joyful uplifting person who speaks positive things, always giving glory to the Most High God.

You are my Joy

There is something about the moon that people find inspiring. We sing about it, poets speak romantic words regarding it, it's been painted, photographed, drawn, and gazed at.  Stars accent its beauty and whisper sparkling sweet nothings as the waters act as its perfect dance partner.

I started a joy collage a while ago, collecting photos online I wanted to print of things that brought me joy...when my mother's computer got hacked into and now they are hidden in a mass of files we saved before reformatting it.  Thinking about it a few days ago and wanting to finish it, I noticed my friend updated her blog with her joy list also, and this began me pondering again on what brings me true joy as I walked outside with the morning sun's rays hitting my shoulders and face.

As things begin hitting my mind...how the sun was hitting me warming me, the sound of rain and how it falls on window panes and drips off my nose, a gentle breeze and the warm smell of honeysuckle, the moon and stars, nature, trail running, hikes, John Denver songs, dancing alone like an idiot in a shirt and undies, painting, piano, symphonies, theater, museums, lace, my hands hugging a hot cup of tea where the warmth flows through and the steam squeezes out the tiny hole upon my face, cooking and creating a new healthy dish, gardening, growing and eating vegetables, a really good hug, the idea of my fingers entangled with my love, gazing in a porch swing, quilts, cuddling, making my mom's coffee in the morning, the release of myself of feelings and emotions as pain hits my fingers holding a pen upon finishing a letter...

What exactly was it that attracted me to these things, what attributes? And as I continued to walk in the morning sun it hit me, quite literally, it was Him that attracted me to all of it.

Whenever you are generally discussing art with someone, many times you will ask what is their favorite artist, what style or technique do they enjoy the most.  This is because art, especially painting, is such an emotional thing. You cannot create art without leaving a piece of yourself behind, lost within the birth of the new creation. Its the you-ness that makes art so unique.  There has been and never will be an artist like Picasso or Van Gogh or yourself.  This is also like when you have a child, there is a piece of yourself and your partner that forever goes into that child. And there will never be another child with the same characteristics.  This is what each of us are, this is what the world is, for God.

The moon in and of itself is quite cold and ugly, a gray dusty rock that spins and revolves around this world, and yet without the light from the sun reflecting upon it, we would have no idea it was there for the most part.  This is a perfect example of us!  We are each a moon, an ugly, cold, rock, that spends its time revolving around this world.  Christ is the Sun, and it is His holy light that when we reflect brings about the true beauty created within each of ourselves that the world could never reveal. 

This concept is also how I've began to look at all the creations, all of my favorite things.  As I sat outside swinging on our porch eating my raw snack veggies I realized that it was the characteristics of God and His art.  The qualities I enjoy of nature shine of Him and His love. The pieces of Himself He put in each of them.  The joy I feel as I was swinging outside gazing at our Japanese Maple, are both aspects and characteristics of Him, each one unique to the individual enjoying them. 

God used immense emotion when He created the world, when He created us.  Christ used immense emotion when He came down in the form of a man to save us all, so He could gaze upon His own artwork, His own moon, and find joy.

Cleansing Your Temple Through Christ

*Originally written on January 12th, 2011*

With this time of the year comes diets, diet pills, weight loss surgeries, healthy eating shows, 'magical' weightless clothing, reattempted new year's resolutions, crazy-packed gyms, & probably the highest profit scales make all year...its a constant reminder to me of a mindset I have to battle with, feeling like I'm a fat tub of lard of a failure and need to go crazy on cutting out everything unhealthy I eat and redesign my eating habits, eat less, workout more, push myself harder and try to achieve more and make myself actually feel proud of myself for once.  But God is gracious enough to remind me every time that there is no amount of my mental 'law' I can achieve, I can accomplish that will bring true joy. It's only through Christ, His sacrifice and grace, His unmerited favor upon my life that gives me anything, any joy or peace.  So let's refocus this health craze into proper perspective...lets go biblical!

Abraham: lived before the law was ever made & was the man God made a covenant with.  He gave Him health and the world, & that was before the law was ever even established!  This alone should show us that there is no power in the law with taking care of yourself. 

Joseph Prince mentioned that there are only 2 people in the bible that Jesus Christ calls having strong faith:  the Centurion and the Canaanite women.  Now what do these 2 people have in common?  That they are both gentiles and were never taught about the law!  All they knew was Jesus and His power and glory, no law telling them how they failed and what they didn’t achieve…This is the kind of faith we need to have!  Faith that Christ can do all and that through Him, so can we as long as it is in His will!

Next some bible verses!

Jesus Cleanses the Temple 

Matthew 21:

12 Then Jesus went into the temple of God^[f] and drove out all those who bought and sold in the temple, and overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who sold doves. 13 And He said to them, “It is written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer,’^[g] but you have made it a ‘den of thieves.’”^[h]
14 Then the blind and the lame came to Him in the temple, and He healed them. 15 But when the chief priests and scribes saw the wonderful things that He did, and the children crying out in the temple and saying, “Hosanna to the Son of David!” they were indignant 16 and said to Him, “Do You hear what these are saying?”
And Jesus said to them, “Yes. Have you never read,

      ‘ Out of the mouth of babes and nursing infants
      You have perfected praise’?”^[i]

I would also like John's perspective on this:

John 2:

13 Now the Passover of the Jews was at hand, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. 14 And He found in the temple those who sold oxen and sheep and doves, and the money changers doing business. 15 When He had made a whip of cords, He drove them all out of the temple, with the sheep and the oxen, and poured out the changers’ money and overturned the tables. 16 And He said to those who sold doves, “Take these things away! Do not make My Father’s house a house of merchandise!” 17 Then His disciples remembered that it was written, “Zeal for Your house has eaten^[a] Me up.”^[b]
18 So the Jews answered and said to Him, “What sign do You show to us, since You do these things?”
19 Jesus answered and said to them, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.”
20 Then the Jews said, “It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and will You raise it up in three days?”
21 But He was speaking of the temple of His body. 22 Therefore, when He had risen from the dead, His disciples remembered that He had said this to them;^[c] and they believed the Scripture and the word which Jesus had said.

Paul said:

 1 Corinthians 3:

9 For we are God’s fellow workers; you are God’s field, you are God’s building. 10 According to the grace of God which was given to me, as a wise master builder I have laid the foundation, and another builds on it. But let each one take heed how he builds on it. 11 For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. 12 Now if anyone builds on this foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, 13 each one’s work will become clear; for the Day will declare it, because it will be revealed by fire; and the fire will test each one’s work, of what sort it is. 14 If anyone’s work which he has built on it endures, he will receive a reward. 15 If anyone’s work is burned, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire.
16" Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? 17 If anyone defiles the temple of God, God will destroy him. For the temple of God is holy, which temple you are." Glorify God in Body and Spirit. 

1 Corinthians 6:

12 All things are lawful for me, but all things are not helpful. All things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any. 13 Foods for the stomach and the stomach for foods, but God will destroy both it and them. Now the body is not for sexual immorality but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body. 14 And God both raised up the Lord and will also raise us up by His power.
15 Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? Shall I then take the members of Christ and make them members of a harlot? Certainly not! 16 Or do you not know that he who is joined to a harlot is one body with her? For “the two,” He says, “shall become one flesh.”^[b] 17 But he who is joined to the Lord is one spirit with Him.
18 Flee sexual immorality. Every sin that a man does is outside the body, but he who commits sexual immorality sins against his own body. 19 Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? 20 For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body^[c] and in your spirit, which are God’s.

Ephesians 2:

14 For He Himself is our peace, who has made both one, and has broken down the middle wall of separation, 15 having abolished in His flesh the enmity, that is, the law of commandments contained in ordinances, so as to create in Himself one new man from the two, thus making peace, 16 and that He might reconcile them both to God in one body through the cross, thereby putting to death the enmity. 17 And He came and preached peace to you who were afar off and to those who were near. 18 For through Him we both have access by one Spirit to the Father.

Christ Our Cornerstone

  
19 Now, therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, 20 having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone, 21 in whom the whole building, being fitted together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord, 22 in whom you also are being built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit. 

I think its clear that we are indeed the temple of God.  When Christ died for our sins, tearing down the old temple and He was resurrected and brought up a new temple within each of us, within our hearts.  How we care for our temple is obviously important!  Christ is living within YOU!  His clensing blood, His redemptive blood that brings grace and washes us flows continuously through us once we accept Him into our hearts!  That is quite an important job, that is a very important reason to take care of your temple, if there even is a better one. And not because its by YOUR power or YOUR ability or awesomeness or law or whatever, for nothing is done by you, but by Christ within you!  He is the reason to and the way to!

An important way to look at taking care of your temple is to see how Christ cleaned up the earthly temple. In Matthew it reports Christ comparing the temple to a den of thieves, that's powerful.  How do you steal from your temple?  What are you buying and selling within your temple?  Instead of giving a true sacrifice of yourself to God, what is it that is taking the place, what selfish and perhaps unhealthy habit are you giving into?  And this does not remain within the physical boundaries, what selfish habits or things do you have that you know you should stop that you keep putting before God?  That's taking place before Him...it could even be some sort of religious act, remember the doves were for sacrifices! 

What did Christ say the temple was supposed to be…a house of prayer!  This just shows even more how it’s not by our own strength but God's that we can truly care for our temple in the way He intended!  It first and foremost is about our communication, love, affection, and relationship with God our Heavenly Father-which we do though Jesus Christ, His son and His sacrifice that allows us to be called sons and heirs!
Right after all that, Jesus began to heal those who needed it...this shows me that once you get your temple in proper order, then and only then will you see miracles and healings. Then you will have true health and wealth. First comes cleansing and then comes healing and miracles but you limit Christ by the condition of your temple.

After that, we shall sing praises to Christ and our Heavenly Father for all His mercy, grace, & love and this will bring the last of the trio: happiness. For true happiness comes when you stop looking at yourself, your limits, and what you can and cannot do and begin to keep your eyes on the prize, on the light, on the Son of God Jesus Christ and the Father Almighty!  Then His amazing overpowering joy will come over you!

One part that John brings up also is that this was during Passover.  Passover is a time of remembrance of the story of Exodus...and the creation of the law. Christ was showing that none of their sacrifices were good enough for their sins, and their heart behind them, the most important aspect, was also totally wrong!  It took His death upon the cross to completely 'cleanse' the temple, and tear the veil of separation between God and man so that He could afterwards always have a connection to keep the temple clean!  Jesus will do all the work!  Through His awesome glory and power, through His amazing love I cannot begin to fathom, He not only cleans our temple and makes a way for us to reach the Father and be called His son, AND He'll help to keep the temple clean! 

The Son of God became the Son of Man and died for all our sins and transgressions, our sicknesses, our pains, our dirt...so that we can change from being just a son of man into a son of God and spend eternity with the Father and Him!  Now that's love!

So how do we keep our temple clean?  Not by our works but by His work! Does this mean I can do whatever in the heck I want and Christ will just act like a maid and clean it all up?  Not so much people. Christ still expected them to try and keep the temple clean, keep their hearts in the right place.  And when Christ lives in your heart, He’ll guide you and keep your heart in the right place if you truly listen to Him through prayer, meditation, and a relationship with Him.

Paul mentions that how we build our temple, what it’s made of, is very important so that when we are tested we can withstand.  This applies spiritually and physically. We need to be strong in all 3 of ourselves, Physical body, Soul (emotions and mind) body, and Spirit body.  When we are tested by fire, when the world throws things at you, what we are made of will show! Remember we represent Him!  He also mentions while he can do all things, that doesn't mean he should do all things. Yes, there is a difference. He then names food and sexual sins, physical sins!  And then reminds us that we are not our own and were bought at a price, and that price was the cross!  Let’s make sure we are worth the purchase! 

Through Christ we have a peace between the law and grace, He achieves the law which we could not for us, and brings peace between us and the Father! And we are all in this together!  We are all, as Christians, the temple of God-singularly and collectively-and we should help lift each other up! We are His body!  Be a blessing to one another and inspire one another to keep taking care of themselves, reminding each other of who we are, of our identity in Christ and strengthen each other...With Christ and as a team we can achieve a true health and happiness!

*Comments from old blog:

Yet again thank you biblegateway.com! (me)

Becca, this is really good! I really needed to read this It is always a good reminder of how important it is to take care of our bodies God’s way rather than “our” way, and how we don’t need to live by the law. I wonder when I’ll ever truly get that through my head! Love you

Chelsi

http://runningdisciple.blogspot.com/

 

Thanks! It was all Him because I needed it myself lol! Glad it could help somebody besides myself (^-^) (Me again)

 

Wildflower, by Elena Wrevhn

*Originally written on December 29th, 2010*

my sister wrote this poem for me and it has meant so much to me that I wanted to re-post it on this blog...I'm starting an art project my psychologist suggested, to make a joy collage.  The first two things that came to mind was this poem and GIR.  I don't think I could ever find words to express how much this poem has meant to me, that she, anybody really but especially my sister, would think of me that way, would be inspired to write something like this to me.  I think it was her first poem about someone-to someone.

Wildflower
By Elena Wright Wrevhn
She is no rose,
With vicious thorns,
Nor common daisy,
Far to quaint,
They call her wildflower,
They call her beauty,
They call her heaven-sent,
I call her angel,
She is a lady,
With silken petals,
Her blossom dreams,
In every color,
They call her wildflower,
They call her beauty,
They call her heaven-sent,
I call her friend,
She is so sweet,
With whispering perfume,
That forever kisses,
Your fondest memory,
They call her wildflower,
They call her beauty,
They call her heaven-sent,
I call her sister,
She is of strength,
With soil so pure,
And roots so deep,
She cannot be moved,
They call her wildflower,
They call her beauty,
They call her heaven-sent,
I call her Rebecca

This fits with what Joyce Myers just preached on this morning, identity theft.  She preached on Ephesians Chapter 1

Redemption in Christ

  
³ Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, ⁴ just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, ⁵ having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, ⁶ to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He made us accepted in the Beloved.
⁷ In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace ⁸ which He made to abound toward us in all wisdom and prudence, ⁹ having made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure which He purposed in Himself, ¹⁰ that in the dispensation of the fullness of the times He might gather together in one all things in Christ, both^[a] which are in heaven and which are on earth—in Him. ¹¹ In Him also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel of His will, ¹² that we who first trusted in Christ should be to the praise of His glory.
¹³ In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, ¹⁴ who^[b] is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory.

This also goes along with the book I've started by Joseph Prince, Unmerited Favor. The first chapter he mentions Joseph and how:

"God's definition of success is contrary to the world's definition...From Genesis 39:2, it is clear that success is not what you have, but rather who you have! Joseph literally had nothing materially, but at the same time, he had everything because the Lord was with him...We need to learn to stop pursuing things and start pursuing Him. God sees your relationship with Him as the only thing that you need for every success in your life."

Genesis 39:1-2

^"1Now Joseph had been taken down to Egypt. And Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh, captain of the guard, an Egyptian, bought him from the Ishmaelites who had taken him down there. ² The LORD was with Joseph, and he was a successful man; and he was in the house of his master the Egyptian."

Every morning and as I've ran on the trail recently with the Lord, He has brought to mind how everything about me, everything about life, within life, everything that has breath speaks of Him and His majesty and grace and redemption.  All that I do, all that I am becomes and shows more and more of Him rather than me as I grow closer to him. Every powered stride I take on my runs, every mile I manage to go with Him, by Him, through Him, every quilt I make, every loop I crochet, every stroke I paint, every tree and piece of nature, and every piece of me that finds joy within nature. He lives within my heart and His cleansing blood is constantly washing over me.  His light shines from me, His joy radiates out of me.  All that I am, truly am, is really Him.  That is what makes me and all that I am so amazing, is its not me!  Its what gives me a true confidence.  The love that Christ has for me is truly amazing and I cannot wait to learn more and gain a deeper true understanding of His amazing grace that saved a retch like me!

Who's the real butt head here...

*Originally written August 20th, 2010*

God has really put upon my heart the search for true joy, happiness, and contentment.  I want to shine His light unto all the world & show them His love that is much needed...& part of this process is realizing who you really are, who you've become when you weren't looking.

I work in a library at a college & there are occasional students who are, perish the thought to them, difficult to say the least.  They either want you to do all the work for them & refuse any other type of assistance. Then there are the ones that just seem to always carry that 'deer in headlights' appearance, no matter how many different ways you find to explain even the simplest task.  They're are also the students who have already decided that they want to be a butt head, & then act upon that decision for no real reason at all besides there either just not happy, or a true butt head.

Most times you can tell what kind of person they are just by looking at them or the initial contact words...but sometimes, as everybody does sadly, we misjudge who the real butt head is.

I had a student who, to say the least, looked like a 'deer in headlights' type of student. One that was never going to get my instructions and just become confused to the point that I would end up doing it myself...Sweet but maybe a little special in the inner-head department.  She came and I lucked out that there weren't any available computers at the first time and she left. I secretly thanked the Lord God above and prayed she didn't return, but thank our heavenly Father He knows what is best and doesn't always answer us.  She returned, while I was in the middle of a situation with the wonderful lady I have been blessed to work under and alongside, and low and behold but who walked in but whom I deemed the 'special' student.  Pam let me handle it since I had already talked with the student on what it was she was wanting (which I was soooo excited about) and grudgingly walked with her to the computer...

Well I had a surprise blessing and lesson that day!  She was such a joy to work with, understood what I told her, and was so amazed and exceedingly grateful for my help! She just had to show me her finished presentation's printout and happily went to her class to present it.  It really spoke to me about the Joy of the Lord and shining the light of Christ within us and left me feeling His love for us and everyone. It also made me look at myself and realize that I could definitely be categorized as a 'butt head'.

A few weeks later this was read during our morning power-up-a campus-wide daily ritual where we get news updates and thoughts to ponder upon and discuss, and sometimes a WOW story...boy was this a wow story to me! And I had the joy of helping create her presentation! I always make a point to greet this wonderful girl, daughter of the Most High God who helped me see how bright someones light can be. Helped me stop looking and judging what category everyone else was and look at myself and which one I could file myself into.

Here is her WOW story:

WOW:
PASS Advisor Jasmine McMillan gives her First Year Experience students a project to present their “brand.” It could be a tag line, an item, a mission statement, or a picture that represents what they want to say about themselves to the world. When the students were making their presentations, the last student stood up with a picture of a bench. She began to tell her story with her tag line “Remember the bench”.
She then went on to say, “A few years ago, I was homeless and living on the streets. I had three children and nowhere to go. I finally got tired and reflected on my life. I knew there had to be something better and I wanted a better life for my children. I was lost and had no direction so I went online and typed the word “Life.” Life University came up in my search. I looked at the website and got excited about what could be and the opportunity it would bring for my children. So here I am now, a student before you. I am a living example of what could be and what you can achieve if you only believe. When times get hard, I always tell myself, “Remember the bench”. When times get rough in class, I say, “Remember the bench.” I encourage all of you to look at this picture and realize what you have and what could be…and remember the bench.” When she finished, no one in her class remained unmoved.

Each of us would also do well to remember our blessings…to remember the struggles…and remember the bench. 8/16

Life University Daily Power up-Monday 8/16/2010

I walk blindly forward in the palm of your hand...

*Originally wrote on May 21st, 2010*

God has definitely guided me the last few days, I feel him around me, and although I don't know what I'm doing or where I'm going, I have FINALLY learned to trust Him and just let it go!
Don't you just love when God really reveals himself to you?  He has really taken control and as my father, and shown me things about myself I don't like and made me get to a point where I had to give up control and hand it all to him.  And while that doesn't sound like a fun place to be, it is actually!  There is a sort of joy of 'letting go and letting God' that I guess comes from the fact that for most people its so hard to do!  When you reach that point in your life where you can truely hand it to him...gives me such a peace that I really do wonder why I didn't earlier!
the amazing ways that he has been moving in my life has me and all those effected really looking out to see what's next!  I look forward to new revelations and new little signs that are his way of saying 'I love you'!   It also has me looking at other areas of my life that maybe I haven't handed to him like I thought previously