a month and a half...not good. must get back on track with blogging.
God has really challenged me with several situations over the past 42 days. obviously, the political mess that is wisconsin right now has put my heart through the wringer on more than one occasion. i have gotten angry, i have cried, i have asked God so many questions...but ultimately, it comes down to trusting that my steps are being guided daily and that God will continue to provide, no matter what that provision looks like or how it compares to what my life has looked like up until now.
i am an amazing teacher...not because of what i am paid or receive in benefits. i am an amazing teacher because God willed it to be so. He alone gave me my talent, passion, and ability to do what i do every day. and although i don't agree with what is going on in wisconsin, nothing that happens will take away any of that.
i'm still working on trusting that everything is going to work out in the end. i still have my days where i just want to cry. i'm frustrated with the unknowns and uncertain future of my career. but i know i have nothing to fear as long as i rely on God for EVERYTHING.
last night, eric took me to a matthew west concert. west is an amazing storyteller and one of his songs, "strong enough", really got to me. (i know it's not that shocking for ME to cry at music!) the song was inspired by a teenage girl who got in a fairly serious car accident that led to 13 surgeries on her leg. she was at the end of her rope during one of her treatments when her mom told her that God would never give her more than she could handle. her response was that God must have thought she was much stronger than she actually was. i feel like i have thought that exact thing almost daily through this whole ordeal.
the song is outstanding, so here it is since i can't say it any better than matthew west already did:
Monday, March 28, 2011
Monday, February 14, 2011
I AM THE LORD
i have fallen behind on my readings, but in many ways, i feel as though i was supposed to read day 4's reading today...
do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against anyone among your people, but love your neighbor as yourself. I am the lord. [leviticus 19:18]
i feel like God is saying SO much to me in this verse, especially in light of what has been going on politically in wisconsin. i have definitely taken a lot of time to read up on scott walker's proposal as well as handfuls and handfuls of the comments left by people who are applauding walker's aggressive move. it has been so frustrating and so hurtful to read some of what has been said about public workers, and especially teachers. but no matter what is said and no matter the end result, i am called to love everyone.
i need to be Christ to everyone i come in contact with, whether physically or through cyber-space. i know that God has it all under control, and so i need not consume myself with this issue. instead, i need to completely fill myself with Christ's love so that it overflows into the lives of the people i meet from now until His return. if i seek the love of Jesus for myself, i should be so overwhelmed with it that i can't help but draw others to seek His love, too.
i feel like the "i am the lord" at the end has a dual meaning for me. it's almost as if God is reminding His people of who He is. He has commanded this of us and because He is lord, we MUST obey. especially if we claim to love God. i also feel like this is God's way of saying "trust me...if you can't do it, i am the lord and i can". it is REALLY hard for me to love certain people. but God's love is infinite. it is undying. and it is unconditional. if i ask God to fill me with His love for people, i will be able to love them the same way God does.
wouldn't the world be an amazing place if we all did this?
do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against anyone among your people, but love your neighbor as yourself. I am the lord. [leviticus 19:18]
i feel like God is saying SO much to me in this verse, especially in light of what has been going on politically in wisconsin. i have definitely taken a lot of time to read up on scott walker's proposal as well as handfuls and handfuls of the comments left by people who are applauding walker's aggressive move. it has been so frustrating and so hurtful to read some of what has been said about public workers, and especially teachers. but no matter what is said and no matter the end result, i am called to love everyone.
i need to be Christ to everyone i come in contact with, whether physically or through cyber-space. i know that God has it all under control, and so i need not consume myself with this issue. instead, i need to completely fill myself with Christ's love so that it overflows into the lives of the people i meet from now until His return. if i seek the love of Jesus for myself, i should be so overwhelmed with it that i can't help but draw others to seek His love, too.
i feel like the "i am the lord" at the end has a dual meaning for me. it's almost as if God is reminding His people of who He is. He has commanded this of us and because He is lord, we MUST obey. especially if we claim to love God. i also feel like this is God's way of saying "trust me...if you can't do it, i am the lord and i can". it is REALLY hard for me to love certain people. but God's love is infinite. it is undying. and it is unconditional. if i ask God to fill me with His love for people, i will be able to love them the same way God does.
wouldn't the world be an amazing place if we all did this?
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
heart, soul, and strength
love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength
ah, deuteronomy 6:5...love it :)
youversion is great because it includes little reflection questions to go along with the readings for the day. one of today's questions really got me thinking. it asked why i thought those three things were singled out...why heart, soul, and strength?
heart--if i sat back and thought about all the time and energy i put into crushing on my crushes throughout high school and college...and i suppose even post-college...i would be pretty ashamed to see how much of my heart was wasted on nothing. my heart is the wellspring of life. everything i am and have comes from the very depths of my heart...so shouldn't God be at the center of that?
soul--the soul. what exactly is a soul anyway? here are some definitions i found:
the immaterial part of a person; the actuating cause of an individual life; deep feeling or emotion; human embodiment of something; the eternal part of a living being, commonly held to be separable from the physical body
i'm going to go with my soul is the eternal part of my being, the part that will forever exist in God's presence regardless of whether my physical body is alive or not. i have always had a tough time thinking about eternity because it frankly makes my head spin just trying to comprehend FOREVER. but since my soul will live on eternally, the love that i have for God must be present there as well. my heart will eventually stop beating, but my soul will continue to breathe in God's presence long after my physical body wastes away.
strength--i think this is probably both the most abstract and possibly the most important one of the three. as much as i hate to admit it, i already know that i have a tendency to walk away from God for periods of time. i may not totally turn my back. i may not even realize my passion is dwindling. but it happens. i think this is because i live in a world that wants me to give in to my own musings, my own desires. and because i am human, it is so easy to fall into the temptations and pleasures around me. if i use my strength to hold on to someone i know i need to let go of or if i use my strength to find a way to fulfill my flesh, i am cheating God out of what is rightfully his. my strength is not infinite. it is in my best interest to use what little strength i have to fully love my Lord and Savior.
if i truly learned to love God with my whole heart, soul, and strength every minute of every day, think about what a different person i would be. my actions would completely change. i would see people the way God sees them. i wouldn't have fear or doubt or worry. i would be completely and utterly His. my world would change. and i would be a world changer. it's time to start digging in and loving my God.
ah, deuteronomy 6:5...love it :)
youversion is great because it includes little reflection questions to go along with the readings for the day. one of today's questions really got me thinking. it asked why i thought those three things were singled out...why heart, soul, and strength?
heart--if i sat back and thought about all the time and energy i put into crushing on my crushes throughout high school and college...and i suppose even post-college...i would be pretty ashamed to see how much of my heart was wasted on nothing. my heart is the wellspring of life. everything i am and have comes from the very depths of my heart...so shouldn't God be at the center of that?
soul--the soul. what exactly is a soul anyway? here are some definitions i found:
the immaterial part of a person; the actuating cause of an individual life; deep feeling or emotion; human embodiment of something; the eternal part of a living being, commonly held to be separable from the physical body
i'm going to go with my soul is the eternal part of my being, the part that will forever exist in God's presence regardless of whether my physical body is alive or not. i have always had a tough time thinking about eternity because it frankly makes my head spin just trying to comprehend FOREVER. but since my soul will live on eternally, the love that i have for God must be present there as well. my heart will eventually stop beating, but my soul will continue to breathe in God's presence long after my physical body wastes away.
strength--i think this is probably both the most abstract and possibly the most important one of the three. as much as i hate to admit it, i already know that i have a tendency to walk away from God for periods of time. i may not totally turn my back. i may not even realize my passion is dwindling. but it happens. i think this is because i live in a world that wants me to give in to my own musings, my own desires. and because i am human, it is so easy to fall into the temptations and pleasures around me. if i use my strength to hold on to someone i know i need to let go of or if i use my strength to find a way to fulfill my flesh, i am cheating God out of what is rightfully his. my strength is not infinite. it is in my best interest to use what little strength i have to fully love my Lord and Savior.
if i truly learned to love God with my whole heart, soul, and strength every minute of every day, think about what a different person i would be. my actions would completely change. i would see people the way God sees them. i wouldn't have fear or doubt or worry. i would be completely and utterly His. my world would change. and i would be a world changer. it's time to start digging in and loving my God.
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
for God so loved the world...
today's reading from my youversion plan is the often quoted john 3:16:
for God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life
i have heard this verse so many times in my life, so i looked up the amplified bible version to see what it had to say:
for God so greatly loved and dearly prized the world that He [even] gave up His only begotten (unique) Son, so that whoever believes in (trusts in, clings to, relies on) Him shall not perish (come to destruction, be lost) but have eternal (everlasting) life.
i think this gives us an even clearer picture of why God sent Jesus to earth for us. the phrase "clings to" really resonated with me when reading the amplified version because i feel like recently, that's exactly what i've been doing. i haven't been loosely holding on, slightly leaning on Jesus. i have been grasping for dear life because while there are so many amazing things going on in my life, there is plenty that i can't handle with my own strength.
i also find it completely amazing to look at how simple it is for us to experience everlasting life. all we need to do is believe in Jesus Christ death and resurrection. we don't have a check list of things we need to accomplish in this life. we don't have to be perfect people. God wants us just the way we are, no matter how broken or messed up we may be. He knew before the world was even created that we could never be the people he needs us to be on our own. we needed Jesus' sacrifice in order to even enter into God's presence. i know that God loved his Son...he didn't want to see Jesus suffer. but he doesn't want to be separated from his sons and daughters either.
i feel so unworthy of this kind of love, but if my God wanted to show his love in this way, then all i can do is accept this amazing gift of grace and mercy and live a life that shows this amazing love to everyone i meet.
for God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life
i have heard this verse so many times in my life, so i looked up the amplified bible version to see what it had to say:
for God so greatly loved and dearly prized the world that He [even] gave up His only begotten (unique) Son, so that whoever believes in (trusts in, clings to, relies on) Him shall not perish (come to destruction, be lost) but have eternal (everlasting) life.
i think this gives us an even clearer picture of why God sent Jesus to earth for us. the phrase "clings to" really resonated with me when reading the amplified version because i feel like recently, that's exactly what i've been doing. i haven't been loosely holding on, slightly leaning on Jesus. i have been grasping for dear life because while there are so many amazing things going on in my life, there is plenty that i can't handle with my own strength.
i also find it completely amazing to look at how simple it is for us to experience everlasting life. all we need to do is believe in Jesus Christ death and resurrection. we don't have a check list of things we need to accomplish in this life. we don't have to be perfect people. God wants us just the way we are, no matter how broken or messed up we may be. He knew before the world was even created that we could never be the people he needs us to be on our own. we needed Jesus' sacrifice in order to even enter into God's presence. i know that God loved his Son...he didn't want to see Jesus suffer. but he doesn't want to be separated from his sons and daughters either.
i feel so unworthy of this kind of love, but if my God wanted to show his love in this way, then all i can do is accept this amazing gift of grace and mercy and live a life that shows this amazing love to everyone i meet.
kids on being a kid
so today in third grade, i was telling them that camille saint saens composed "carnival of the animals" knowing that kids would probably love it more than the adults would...and i of course added that was probably because kids were so much cooler than adults.
one student got a horrified look on her face and said "but miss andrews...what about you? you are an adult. are you saying you're not cool enough?" i of course told her that i am just a kid trapped in an adult's body. and all was well again.
my favorite reaction came from the lovely little miss j. after i told the class that i considered myself to still be a kid, she said "well that's because you stay a kid until you get married. then it's just all adulthood from there."
i definitely didn't keep a straight face on that one :)
one student got a horrified look on her face and said "but miss andrews...what about you? you are an adult. are you saying you're not cool enough?" i of course told her that i am just a kid trapped in an adult's body. and all was well again.
my favorite reaction came from the lovely little miss j. after i told the class that i considered myself to still be a kid, she said "well that's because you stay a kid until you get married. then it's just all adulthood from there."
i definitely didn't keep a straight face on that one :)
Monday, February 7, 2011
my new "project"-love
today, i started a reading plan at youversion.com. over the next 16 days, i'm taking a look at some of what the bible has to say about love.
my reading for today was 1 john 4:16
and so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them.
God has made it so that if we know Him, we know love. and when we know what love is and live in it, we grow even closer to Him. i have been blessed lately in that i have no doubt in my mind that God loves me. He has blessed me with amazing friends and family who encourage me and support my dreams. He has given me a job that i love more than most things in my life. i have never known what it is to need something and not be able to get it. i have a church that i can serve in and be served by. there is no question at all that God loves me.
over the years, i have come to know God in so many ways. and because of this, i know what love is. over the past month or so, i have drawn even closer to God, and because of it, i have felt His love in so many ways. everything in my life is more rewarding. my interactions with people, both little ones and adult, have been more enriching, more inspiring, and just so awesome!
God is my first love. if i lost everything or everyone i hold dear in this life, i would still have a life worth living because i have God. everyone deserves to feel true and unconditional love. i have the answer. just know who God is. time to start sharing that with the people who need Him most!
my reading for today was 1 john 4:16
and so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them.
God has made it so that if we know Him, we know love. and when we know what love is and live in it, we grow even closer to Him. i have been blessed lately in that i have no doubt in my mind that God loves me. He has blessed me with amazing friends and family who encourage me and support my dreams. He has given me a job that i love more than most things in my life. i have never known what it is to need something and not be able to get it. i have a church that i can serve in and be served by. there is no question at all that God loves me.
over the years, i have come to know God in so many ways. and because of this, i know what love is. over the past month or so, i have drawn even closer to God, and because of it, i have felt His love in so many ways. everything in my life is more rewarding. my interactions with people, both little ones and adult, have been more enriching, more inspiring, and just so awesome!
God is my first love. if i lost everything or everyone i hold dear in this life, i would still have a life worth living because i have God. everyone deserves to feel true and unconditional love. i have the answer. just know who God is. time to start sharing that with the people who need Him most!
Saturday, February 5, 2011
more joy from my job
a few AWESOME interactions with my kids this week made me remember once again that i have the BEST job in the world!!!
-on tuesday, i went down to the 7th grade choir rehearsal to work with some kids on solo/ensemble stuff. one of my former students, r, came up to leslie and i and proceeded to tell us about the origins of the phrase "mad as a hatter". typing out what he said could not possibly do the story justice, but it did involve a crazy laugh and an aside of "i would have said out of their freaking minds, but i didn't think that was appropriate to say to teachers."
-my 2nd graders were having a little dance party at the end of class and the whole class was having an absolute blast. they were dancing their little hearts out when one of the cuties came up to me and said "miss andrews...watch my dance. it's got robot arms and leprechaun feet!!!". and he proceeded to flail his feet around while keeping his arms stiff...amazing, t...amazing!
-a kindergartener who is basically non-verbal said "goodnight, miss andrews" as he was leaving school with his mom and brother.
-one of the 6th graders who went to see "hairspray" on our field trip this week told me that his favorite character in the whole show was prudy pingleton...who is on stage for a few short, short scenes. a told me "i just don't understand why she wasn't on more...she was hilarious!"
:)
-on tuesday, i went down to the 7th grade choir rehearsal to work with some kids on solo/ensemble stuff. one of my former students, r, came up to leslie and i and proceeded to tell us about the origins of the phrase "mad as a hatter". typing out what he said could not possibly do the story justice, but it did involve a crazy laugh and an aside of "i would have said out of their freaking minds, but i didn't think that was appropriate to say to teachers."
-my 2nd graders were having a little dance party at the end of class and the whole class was having an absolute blast. they were dancing their little hearts out when one of the cuties came up to me and said "miss andrews...watch my dance. it's got robot arms and leprechaun feet!!!". and he proceeded to flail his feet around while keeping his arms stiff...amazing, t...amazing!
-a kindergartener who is basically non-verbal said "goodnight, miss andrews" as he was leaving school with his mom and brother.
-one of the 6th graders who went to see "hairspray" on our field trip this week told me that his favorite character in the whole show was prudy pingleton...who is on stage for a few short, short scenes. a told me "i just don't understand why she wasn't on more...she was hilarious!"
:)
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