Give Me FAITH
In February, I was told that my position was being cut at school, because the district only wants 3 sections of K in the school, and I was section 4. This was actually kind of an answer to prayers. As much as I would love to have one more year in the same spot with the same curriculum and same staff, Brandon wants to go to school in Winona, so we would have to move the following year anyway. So, with this, I won't have to make the decision to quit a job. But now I am on the hunt for a job! Job applications are no fun, and the waiting is tough!
So, now that we decided to move to Rochester, we are trying to figure out what to do with a living situation. It seems to make a lot more sense to buy a house. We are thinking we will be there for five years or so, at least. But, that is also stressful as we are on a tight budget trying to pay for the wedding as well.
And then there is the wedding. We are both excited, but our guest list grew a lot more than we expected it to! We knew it was going to be a big wedding because we both have large families, but I guess we also have a lot of friends, and I have a hard time deciding who to invite because I want everyone to be a part of our special day!
With all of this personal stuff, I cannot forget about my students!! They must come first and foremost, but that gets harder and harder as everything else piles on. At school though, I am all on for those kids. Every day, every moment, has it's challenges. One student always seems to be in her own world, another cannot sit still, and yet another gets upset over every little thing. And then there is the one who refuses to do what he is supposed to because, well, he is on his own agenda. The list goes on.
Now that sounded like a rant and "poor me", pity pleaing, but please keep reading because God is doing absolutely amazing things in all of this!!!
JOB: I trust God that He will provide a job, even if it is not a teaching position. I am ready to follow where He leads me. I am excited for the possibility of what is to come. I found out with my job this year, that God really know what is best for us and He uses each experience to shape us for whatever He has planned next for us.
HOME: The young adults group that I am a part of through my church has been going through the book Crazy Love by Francis Chan. It is an amazing book and I would highly recommend it. It is about falling madly in love with our amazing God! Anyways, one of the points that He makes is that everything that we have is God's and how can we be good stewards of our stuff. How can we use all that we have to glorify Him and to build His kingdom? This is something that I have struggled with for years. I do not want to give up the nice things that I have and my comfortable lifestyle. I look at pastors and Christian leaders, and I see that they have nice houses, car, clothes, things, etc., so it must be okay. But, Francis said, yes, he has a house, but he sees his house and God's and that anyone who needs a home is welcome there. (He did say that he has a relationship with the people, so people from his congregation, or friends etc.). I really love this idea of using all that we have to give God glory. As we are looking at making this big purchase, what can we do so that it is not a selfish purchase, but one that brings God's kingdom to earth? Just this morning Brandon and I were looking at a couple of different house that are on the market. The two that we were talking about are a little out of our price range, but may be attainable if the sellers are willing to cut the price a little bit. One of the houses is tiny, and the other one is huge (almost 4x the size). We were talking about how we really do not need a ton of space, we just need a nice starter house and the first one definitely would be. But then, I eventually would like to do relief care or foster care. I feel that this would be one way that Brandon and I can serve God with our time, money, and resources. We still won't be thinking about purchasing for a couple months, so who knows what may happen in that time, but whatever it is, I want to make a purchase that we can use to serve God.
WEDDING: Today, in church, we we singing some great worship songs, and while this is a thought that I've had before, it really hit me today. I want our wedding to be a time of worship. I want our guests to see the beauty that our Creator has made as we get married outside, to see the blessings that He pours out, to hear the gospel, to see what a relationship founded on God looks like, to see how our God works in amazing ways! For this, I am willing to put out the money so that people are comfortable and can enjoy the day, and then my prayer is that God will be working in their hearts that day!
SCHOOL: I love my students and I have been striving to make sure that they know how much they are loved. There have been times when I get so upset with them, and when I yell. But lately, I have been working really hard about giving those frustrations to God, and praying that He helps me to address my students with a calm spirit and out of love. God is working in amazing ways in those students and in me. It is going to be so hard for me to say good-bye, especially since I won't be in the building next year!
God is at work, and I've made the step to trust Him with my life and my money, by tithing, even when I feel like I have no money (the sermon series at my church has been about how to be rich and to trust God with all that we have, because really, it is His!). This may mean that we cannot have lots of flowers at our wedding or that we will have to cut back in some other areas, and it may mean that we might not get as big of a house. But, it does not matter. The things of this earth are not what are important. What is important is that we are shining God's love everywhere we go and to everyone that we meet! What is important is that we trust God with everything! God will provide for our needs and He will get us through our troubles. What is important is that we love the Lord our God with all our hearts, all our souls, and all of our minds and that we love our neighbors as ourselves!
Proverbs 3:5-6
Trust in the Lord with all your heart
and lean not on your own understanding;
in all your ways submit to him,
and he will make your paths straight.
Psalm 143:8
Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love,
for I have put my trust in you.
Show me the way I should go,
for to you I entrust my life.
Hebrews 13:5
Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.”
Philippians 4:19
And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus.
Proverbs 3:5-6
Trust in the Lord with all your heart
and lean not on your own understanding;
in all your ways submit to him,
and he will make your paths straight.
Psalm 143:8
Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love,
for I have put my trust in you.
Show me the way I should go,
for to you I entrust my life.
Hebrews 13:5
Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.”
Philippians 4:19
And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus.
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