Take it Easy

As the Eagles would say, "don't let the sound of your own wheels drive you crazy."

I'm learning to slow myself down right now! Some people tend to live in the fast lane, but others tend to be more laid back and just go with the flow. I've been stuck in the fast lane for too long now! Sometimes I blame it on life as a teacher- life in a big city- or just my personality. I have to remind myself daily to take a deep breath and move a little bit slower so I can enjoy the time I have on earth. God didn't put us here to "get in, get out, and get on with it." He put us here to build relationships, learn from each other, and LOVE.

Excerpts from Luke 10:25-37
"What must I do to inherit eternal life?"
"Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, strength, and mind. And love your neighbor as yourself."

Some of the most powerful words in the Bible!

Miracles Happen!

I'm not even sure where to begin.....
Basically- I'm pregnant! We just found out last week that I am about 5 or 6 weeks pregnant- and we've been "trying" since last Christmas. I knew it would take my body some time to get back to "normal" - whatever that means - but I never thought the road to getting pregnant could be so emotionally tolling. I've heard of stories about infertility issues, trying every treatment the doctors can think to give, and then praying it all works out. I kept hoping that wouldn't be my story.

Let me share my story. I started journaling and blogging last April- and I didn't know what had gotten into me. My husband thought I was going crazy, and I couldn't put my pen down! I started seeing the world with a new perspective (which you can probably tell from my previous posts.) Then life got busy again, and I didn't journal or blog as much. School started back up. I had a new job (still in education). My high-strung personality started creeping back in- slowly but surely. My mind would frequently daydream about starting a family. What would it be like? How would life change? I tried not to daydream- but that's inevitable for a girl like me.

Then one day, I had an epiphany as I was listening to a sermon or something (not quite sure of the time, date, or whereabouts.) I needed to "let go and let God." I'd heard this phrase before, but I had never tried to FULLY let go of the stress of a situation and say, "God, take this burden from me. I fully trust You because You are the creator of the universe. I have faith that you have a plan for me and my family. Prepare me for whatever that plan may be." I wanted so badly to ask for it to be a baby! But I reigned in my control as best I could. I'm way too controlling sometimes, and I needed God to help me give up that control.

Some time went by and I just kept praying. Then I went through a series of blood testing and consultations with my doctor. I was told that I would need to be put on a medication that would make me ovulate. I struggled with the news. I couldn't hold myself together one day so I just started praying again. That very night, we were out eating dinner with my in-laws and a baby at our neighboring table kept looking over at me and laughing. I couldn't help but laugh! I had this strange feeling that God was speaking to me through this small child. I left dinner with a renewed HOPE. I never cried about it again. It's almost like it vanished from my mind. Looking back, I think God was taking away my pain. He was calming me......for the storm.

Literally one week after this calming experience, we went to Broken Bow, Oklahoma for a nice relaxing weekend camping. (I know what you're thinking. Camping? Relaxing? Well- we stay in a cabin and the girls get massages while the guys go fishing. It's more of a "diva" camping experience for the ladies.) I was so relaxed, in fact, that I couldn't stay awake all weekend! I am a huge Rangers fan, and I couldn't stay awake to watch Game 1 of the American League Championship Series! In the back of my mind I kept thinking I should take a pregnancy test.

We drove home Sunday and sat around the house some more. Monday morning I went ahead and took a pregnancy test only to see a positive result! My mouth dropped and my heart started pounding. I slung the bathroom door open and waited for my husband to turn over and ask what I needed. When he finally responded (after coming out of his coma) I said, "Babe, the test showed two bars this time......" I tried not to get too excited because I really didn't think this could be possible.

Mind you- I never even had the chance to start that medication the doctor told us about. We had an appointment the following Thursday to meet with the doctor about test results and discuss the next steps.

Was this real? Did God provide a miracle?

After a few days of crying out of excitement, questioning God if this was real, and getting a "real" test from the doctor- I had pretty much run out of energy! I couldn't sleep because my mind would not shut down. How do I do everything in my power to keep this baby healthy while it grows? I laid in bed at night researching the healthy habits for pregnant women, calculating the due date, and searching baby names. Once again, my husband thought I was going crazy. But that's life, right?

I have so much to share in future blogs- but let me end with this for now. God provides miracles if we fully trust Him.

IN the world but not OF it

How do we enjoy the things IN this world without "conforming" to the world?

I love so many things about life on earth! Let me list a few REALLY good ones:
Sunsets, Cool Breezes on a hot day, Oceans/Rivers/Lakes, Mountains, Fall for football and the changing of the trees, Winter for Christmas and snow, Spring for new blooms and sunshine, Summer for baseball and vacation, Spending time with family and friends, Good Conversation, Laughter, Good Books, Good Music, Walking the dogs, Chocolate.

And you're not going to believe this one - History. Yes - I hated history classes all my life but I can say that it's growing on me and I'm starting to appreciate it more and more. Maybe it's because mom and dad moved to such a historic city, and learning about the history of Charleston makes me want to learn more.

Life is so good, isn't it? God has provided such beauty on this earth to enjoy and be reminded of His magnificence. Notice that my list left off things such as fashion, celebrity gossip, and television/movies. This does not mean that I don't indulge myself with these pleasures. I watch The Bachelorette. I love to shop for clothes and jewelry. I like to see what's in the headlines of People and Us Weekly. But these things are so trivial in comparison to the above list. (in my opinion, anyway) I try to keep these "guilty pleasures" to a minimum. (Just as I should probably try to keep my intake of chocolate to a minimum....lol) Why do I limit myself? Because I feel as though the command in Romans 12:2 is referring to such "worldly" matters as these.

We should not "conform to the pattern of this world." To me, this means we should not do things the way the world is telling us to. We should follow God's commands, not the world's. We should think for ourselves and use our best judgment. We should not let the pleasures this world has created to overpower the pleasures that God has created for us. If we let worldly pleasures take control over us, then we forget about the greatest pleasures of all! (And the greatest TREASURE of all.)

I'm sorry for getting on a soapbox.
I'm not a Bible scholar, and I don't have any formal training in teaching or preaching the gospel.
I'm just a follower of Christ who is trying to find my place in this world. (as Michael W. Smith would put it)

Thank you for reading. Please feel free to comment and turn this into a discussion!
:)

New Name!

I've changed the name of my blog to reflect what I truly want my thoughts to be centered around- living for Christ in a world where we are tempted daily to win others' approval by doing or saying things that go against His commands. We are all guilty of falling into this trap, and my recent reflections have helped me pinpoint the areas in which I, personally, need some improvement.

One thing I'm working on is remembering that "my way" is not the only way! All of us have unique personalities and unique gifts. When I begin to judge others, I try to remember that we are all made differently - created uniquely by God for a special purpose.

Envy vs. Gratitude

This was the title of today's sermon. Our pastor talked about how ENVY robs us of happiness, fills us with resentment, causes conflict, leads to other sins, and distracts us from God's plan for us. I believe that envy is rampant in our society, and it's made worse by all of the advertising and commercials that surround us. We desire to have all the "stuff" they are selling but we also compare ourselves to other people and desire to have their good qualities. Sometimes we lose sight of the blessings God has given us. We must learn to be content with "who we are" and "what we have."

To avoid letting envy take us over, we should be grateful for the gifts/talents/blessings God has given us. "Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful." (Col. 3:15)

This is just one of the 7 Deadly Sins featured in this sermon series - you can access more information at http://www.ovbc.net/
1. Pride vs. Humility
2. Anger vs. Patience
3. Gluttony vs. Self Control
4. Greed vs. Generosity
5. Sloth vs. Faithfulness
6. Envy vs. Gratitude
7. Lust vs. Purity

Life is a Balancing Act

There are so many things we must balance in life...so I decided to list some of them out.

• Balancing Love and Discipline (and giving natural consequences)


• Balancing Work and Family


• Balancing your different circles of friends


• Balancing Service to others with your Personal time (when/how to say "no" when you have too much on your plate already)


• Balancing Empathy with Advice (when to stand up for something and when to be quiet and listen)


• Balancing Intrusion and Concern (all about gossip)


• Balancing Diet and Exercise


• Balancing a Laisse-Faire attitude with Structure


• Confidence vs. Arrogance


• Trust vs. Skepticism


• Your Future: Taking Risks vs. Letting Go and Letting God take care of things
• Worldly vs. Godly

Let me expound on the last one - Worldy vs. Godly. We should take delight in learning about the world around us, discovering our heritage, history, and the creatures that inhabit it. However, Romans 12:2 says "Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is- His good, pleasing, and perfect will." I'm still working on finding the balance between enjoying the world without conforming to the way society wants me to think about things.

Society says, "Be sexy by wearing these types of clothes/makeup/jewelry and be as skinny as possible because that's what is sexy." God says, "Do not worry about what you wear or eat." My interpretation: Our focus should be on things that MATTER - things that affect our future and our eternity. Our role, as women, is to help our men live for God - not tempt them into sin.

Society says, "Movies, TV shows, and media in general can promote any type of behavior and language they want to." God says, "Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouth."

I'm not saying I'm "above" what society promotes - I fall into the trap like everyone else! But I try my best to remember how Jesus would act and follow His example.

God is always at work!

Do you ALWAYS feel God working in your life? Probably not. However, when you do FEEL Him "working" on you - what's your response?

Right now, I can totally feel God working in my life. He's helping me find a path for my career (by opening doors and letting me shine.) He's speaking to me through sermons and Bible Fellowship lessons. He's helping me remember to hand over my stress and let Him take care of things. He's helping me see things in a new perspective, too. I feel like I understand the "bigger picture" of life - more so than ever before! When I listen to people, I'm taking the time to REALLY listen and try to understand so that I can empathize better. I still catch myself reverting back to "old Katie" sometimes - but at least I'm catching it before I totally revert back. I'm even watching and enjoying the History Channel now! I've realized that TV (and multimedia in general) is such JUNK sometimes. It's a waste of time and energy! (Now don't get me wrong - I love to "veg out" and be entertained every once in a while...but too much of a good thing can be bad in the long run.) I'm enjoying LIFE and LEARNING more. I'd rather take walks, enjoy good conversation, or read a book.

So back to my question - Do you always feel God working in your life? Probably not - but I believe He's always working in our lives and in our hearts....we just might not always realize it until later. However, during the times that you can definitely see Him at work - PRAISE Him for it! It's nice to know that we have Him on our side, and it's comforting knowing that He is looking out for our best interest all the time.

Communication = Trust

In every aspect of life, it is imperative to communicate with others - openly, clearly, and delicately sometimes. With your spouse you share your joys and daily triumphs as well as your concerns and daily struggles. Holding these conversations help you to understand each other better AND you will be able to help each other learn and grow. Often times my husband listens to me ramble about something and he provides a different perspective for me to consider. This has helped me become more of a global thinker and I've learned to contemplate things more completely before forming an opinion and making a decision to take action on things. Forming opinions too quickly can lead to eating your words later and regretting what you said. I've discovered that taking back words is NOT easy!

This is one reason we need some type of armor ready when people say hurtful things to us. "Grow some thick skin" my dad always said. In the workplace, communication between co-workers (and between boss and employee) must be present so that you know what to expect of each other.

With God, we should communicate daily (actually, we should never cease praying!) I try to turn my radio off and talk to God on my way to work each morning. This is difficult sometimes because my first instict is "I wonder what Kidd Kraddick (insert your favorite radio personality here) has to say this morning...something funny and entertaining I'm sure." I've noticed a difference in my daily walk with God when I turn the radio OFF and listen to HIM instead.

So how does Communication equal Trust? Being completely open and honest with someone builds trust. When we hold back information or present it in a manipulative way, we are hurting our relationships in the long run - this actually makes us less trustworthy. I have experienced this first hand in many different kinds of relationships. I have been the one who cannot be trusted (unfortunately) and I have been on the other side as well - not knowing who I can trust. Neither feeling is good! I hate myself for not being completely trustworthy in the past, and I resolve to become someone that others can rely on and feel comfortable talking to.

Nothing Matters More to God than People

First Commandment: Love God.
Second Commandment: Love Others.
Loving God is easy for me, because He's never given me a reason not to love Him. Loving others is not always so easy! We meet people who aren't like us and we immediately begin judging them from head to toe. Even if we don't intend to do this- it just happens. It's human nature. There are certain people we may not get along with (and never will)...BUT God calls us to love others. ALL others. I believe that we don't have to be friends with everyone we meet - but we can at least be cordial and nice to them.

I've also discovered that it's tempting to turn conversations "all about me!" I have started making a conscious effort not to do this! I am trying to be a better listener (without sticking my two-cents in everything.) I want to be more empathetic and understanding. When someone comes to me to pour out their feelings, then I need to take the time to stop whatever I'm doing and really listen. Doing this will help me deepen my relationships with others. I've found out the hard way that multi-tasking while "listening" just doesn't work. (Maybe for some people it does....but I'm just not the best multi-tasker!)

If nothing matters more to God than PEOPLE....then nothing should matter more to me than people! It is difficult to put others first in a world that preaches selfishness - where being a "material girl" is the thing to do. Don't get me wrong - I love new clothes, shoes, jewelry, and getting my hair done! But I don't want those things to get in the way of what matters most. There are times when I need a moment to REFOCUS on my purpose in life.

Love God and Fear God

I've always been taught to "Love the Lord your God with all your heart, mind, and soul." In my Bible Fellowship class recently, we discussed the importance of Fearing God also. Is it weird if I don't fear God? I mean- I know that He is all powerful and there are major consequences if we deny Him.....but I try to live my life to serve Him and please Him. So should I still have that fear? I came to God as a new believer when I was very young, and it was His mercy and love that drew me close to Him- and that same mercy and love still draw me close to Him today!

Maybe different people are motivated differently. You see, I always hated getting in trouble. I am a people pleaser. My dad could just look at me with a stern face (and not say anything) and I would start crying. My husband, on the other hand, would dare his mom to keep spanking him when he got in trouble. He reminds me of some of my 6th grade students! How many buttons can I push before she REALLY goes off the deep end?! (Like that would be funny or something.) I guess there's a balance needed between LOVE and FEAR. Sometimes, love is not enough. Sometimes, there must be consequences for our actions. Sometimes, we just need to be reminded of Judgment Day!

This concept of balancing love and fear is also true for teaching and parenting. Our kids need us to love them unconditionally, believe in them, and encourage them. We can help them learn how to make good decisions for themselves...but sometimes this love is not enough. That's when discipline comes into play. I believe in giving natural consequences. I feel fortunate that my experience teaching has helped me learn (a little bit) about parenting.

About My Blog

This blog is intended to be a place where I can pour out my thoughts and share them with my closest friends and family members. I feel that I have been learning so much recently that I need an outlet of some sort. I hope that others find it intriguing, uplifting, and .... enlightening!

Please feel free to join in conversation any time!