Back To The Future

This is a little long but here are some things I took away from this month’s Lifeline and Oasis series.

WEEK 1: DC & DR. BOB (I Kings 3:5-13)
- We all have our own kingdom of people we influence.
- Pick one thing and be good at it. (This I seem to be unable to do.)
- Don’t be afraid to fail. (Still working on that.)
- The eraser comes out. I’ll just erase that. I won’t walk through that valley. (Done that SEVERAL times)
- I am who my mistakes make me.
- Ask for the wise thing to do than look to God to show you.
- What have I stopped because I failed?
*Personal Reflection: I don’t feel like I have ONE thing that I’m really good at but several things I’m kind of good at. I feel like I have lots of clubs. I know what they do but I don’t know how to use them.

WEEK 2: DC (I Kings 3:16-28)
- Ask. Receive. Use.
- Don’t focus on the ground afraid to fail. Pick your eyes up, focus on Jesus and pursue him.
- What am I going to do with what I asked for?
- Am I asleep to the influence God has given me?
- Prepare yourself now for what to do when God gives you what you ask for.
- My heart encourages others. Am I allowing that to happen?
*Personal Reflection: What do I need to do to get my eyes off the ground? Am I prepared for a ministry position?

WEEK 3: Corey & MARK (Excerpts from Proverbs 2-3)
- You won’t have your family like you do now. (True statement)
- Speech affects mood and relationships
- Figure out what is going on before you try to make changes.
- Think before you act. Is that who you want to be known as?
- Sin doesn’t hurt just the sinner
- In the long run how is this going to change how I live my life. (From Brandon, a student at my table)
- The future is yours. Go with Jesus and make a good movie.
*Personal Reflection: Circumstances and relationships in life change so quickly. Take advantage of the time you have with friends and family NOW. I’m scheduling some coffee and Wendy’s dates this week and going home this weekend!

Confession

I have a confession to make. Every time a church does a parenting series, I get a bad attitude about it. So when GCC announced "The Thing From Another Planet!" series I groaned and complained about how it seems like we just did one of these. I don’t really like the way the series is packaged and I am content being single. I put off going to this weekend until the very last service. While I was the God decided it would snap that bad attitude out of me.

Today Rob talked about “The Creature that Played 10,000 Sports,” also known as “Time Management 101.” Well that title in and over itself is convicting. Take that subject and thrown in a simple music concept and God’s got my full attention. Check out some highlights from Rob’s message or listen to it for yourself.

- Am I becoming relationally poor to become experience rich?
- We run, run, run, run, run but never look towards each other.
- “Velocity and intimacy are enemies” Mark Beeson
- There are sacred patterns we need to put into our lives.
1. Weekly Rhythm (Genesis 1:31 – 2:3)
-- We don’t find anything wrong with breaking the Sabbath (Exodus 20:8-11)
-- If we don’t find the space to “be” we start to violate relationships.
-- Withdrawal Weekly
2. Daily Rhythm (Genesis 1)
--Sleep Sarah!
--Divert Daily
3. Annual Rhythm (Leviticus 23)
-- vs 30 – He won’t have to destroy us because we will destroy ourselves.
-- Abandon Annually

Rob didn’t talk about this (if he did I missed it) but there is another level of this rhythm in the Hebrew calendar. It is called the year of Jubilee, a year of not planting any crops and traveling to be with family Read about it in Leviticus 25:8-23. Imagine what our society would be like if we put this into practice!!!!

Yea, I live here

Many of you know that I work at a pretty tought school, but I bet you didn't know my apartment complex is as well. There has been a little bit of excitment around here today. I'm not really sure how comfortable I am knowing this happened just down the road.

Visit from the Parents

My parents just left my apartment a few weeks ago. We had a productive day of Christmas and birthday shopping. I even convinced Dad to by some new dress shirts! (Anna and Lois that was for you!) My dad spent more time in Barnes and Noble than he wanted. Mom and I loved it. I also took them to the teacher store. Mom loved it and the toys amused Dad more than anything else. I spent more than I was planning but purchased some great gives for my nieces and nephew.

We also worked on some plans for our trip to Anna’s in December for her college graduation. That means more fun pictures with my little sisters. My desk is in my room and already covered with things. Dad was nice enough to hang the amazing jazz quintet above my desk. I have such amazing parents.

It looks like I’ll be heading home next weekend because my Grandpa will be visiting my parents. Then may be mom and I can finish that baby quilt for Cael, who was born a month ago! My not-so-prompt gift giving was inherited from her. I love my family!

Looong week

I am completely exhausted. I spent way to much time at school and didn’t get enough sleep. Praise God for coffee.

My parents are coming tomorrow to bring a few things I still have at their house, most importantly my desk!!! Mom and I are going to go shopping for a few Christmas gifts they can’t get back home. I’m not sure Dad will come. He hates shopping even more than I do, and this will be the first big trip he has taken since his surgery.


Here are some completely random quotes from the last few weeks.

One of our teachers talking to a group of students who have severe behavior issues…
Ms. B: I wish I could say something to you in Polish right now that you wouldn’t understand.

Conversation in choir this week.
Student 1: I can’t read music.
Me: I know. This is why we are taking the time to learn it.
Student 1: I’m not going to be able to read it. I can’t.
Me: Well, with an attitude like that you will never learn.
Student 2: Man, what does reading music have to do with choir anyway?