Yes, yes--I know that it has been FOREVER since I have posted anything on my blog. In my defense, though, a lot has happened and a lot has changed in my life! So I've been a little busy, as you can imagine. I'll give you a little synopsis of the past several months before I jump into what the Lord has been teaching me.
First of all, my last post was in July before the hectic "back-to-school" season of my life started. At the beginning of August I moved out of my mom and dad's house and into my first apartment! I was so excited. A lady at my church mentioned that another kindergarten teacher in my SAME district was looking for a roommate. I was amazed at how perfectly the Lord brought this opportunity into my life! I love having a place to call my own (well, partially!), that I can take care of and retreat to after a day of school and other things. Plus, I have gained another godly friend in my roommate--which is always a lovely bonus!
Next, my second year of teaching kindergarten started. By God's goodness and grace I felt much more relaxed and confident going into this year. I have a WONDERFUL class that came along with wonderful families! It has been so fun. Of course, some days are harder than others, and my kiddos aren't perfect, but I love them so much. They teach me new things all the time and make me laugh. They are so eager to learn and are making a lot of progress. January is such a fun phase of the school year because you can see a big difference in them. It makes me happy and sad all at the same time! This school year is going so quickly--it's crazy!
Thirdly (and perhaps my most favorite part of this whole blog post), I started dating my boyfriend, Jonathan. I'll try to answer as many questions that you may have in a concise way! Jonathan went to Clarks Summit University (formerly known as BBC) in Clarks Summit, PA. He's also from PA, about 3 hours away from CSU, and that's where his family lives. My best friend, Emily, and some of my other good friends, also went to college there, and that's how I found out who Jonathan was. So we have known OF each other for a while. We became friends on Facebook and started following each other on Instagram (social media....I know....but hey, it works out sometimes, right?? ;)) about a year-ish ago. Back in the spring, Jonathan posted about moving to Lafayette, IN to start a 3-year internship and seminary program. When I found this out, I couldn't help but feel interested in this boy. "I wouldn't hate it if somehow we ended up meeting each other..." I thought to myself. Long story short, that's what ended up happening. We started talking on Facebook (okay, I messaged him first...which, if you know me, is not something I would usually do!) and about a week and half later, he asked me to meet halfway between us to get coffee. We've talked every day ever since then. So now you know a little bit about the handsome boy that has been showing up in many of my pictures. Jonathan is one of the most godly men I have ever met. His desire to please the Lord is so evident and it challenges me all the time! Seriously, he's my favorite. On top of how wonderful he is, his family is so great, too. I got to go out to their house for a combination of Thanksgiving and Christmas, and I had a BLAST. Jonathan makes having a boyfriend, and pretty much just life in general, so much fun. The Lord has blessed me beyond measure with that boy!
The last time I wrote, the title of my post was Hope and Faithfulness. As I sat and tried to think of a title for this post, I really couldn't think of anything better than that! Ever since this school year started, I have been overwhelmed with the Lord's faithfulness in my life. I think this is mostly due to the Bible study I started doing this year. I joined BSF (Bible Study Fellowship) back in September. For those who aren't familiar with it...it's an international organization. The study goes through one book of the Bible from September to May. It is STRAIGHT UP Scripture, which has been so good for me! Up to this point, I had been doing a lot of book studies that were topical (these are NOT bad things--I just started to ask myself if I was relying too much on others' experiences and opinion instead of Scripture). My soul just started to hunger for His Word. I can honestly tell you that it's one of the best decisions I have ever made! I LOVE it. I look forward to meeting with my group on Monday evenings and then getting a new set of questions & notes to pour into over the next week. This year, we are going through the book of John. I have learned so much about God, Jesus, and His Spirit like I never have before. Learning about Jesus in this way has deepened my love for Him and my knowledge of His character. It has convicted my heart in new ways and I am constantly being challenged by it. More times than ever before, I finish my time with the Lord with such a FULL heart. I am experiencing a DEEP love and appreciation for the Word of God. It is SUCH a gift!
How often, though, do we neglect it? How often do we go to our own solutions and advice of others rather than the PERFECT and INERRANT words of our Creator? Is it a priority? Is it a joy to read and study? Or is it read just to make you feel better and get someone off your case? Oh, how precious is His Word. It is so valuable and relevant. I remember over Christmas break, I was sitting with Jonathan and talking to him about all this. Haha, I was going on and ON about how amazing it is that God gave us His very words and that it NEVER gets old and that we can read it EVERY DAY and always learn something. But isn't that amazing!? I hope I never get over it. I am so thankful for the guidance, comfort, knowledge, and truth that I receive through the Bible. Is it always easy and convenient to spend a good chunk of time in His Word? No. Is it always worth it? Yes. Absolutely yes.
As I sit and think more about the word "faithful," the more I want to kind of make it my word for 2017 (this was an idea given to me by my lovely roommate). Not only does this word remind me of one of my favorite characteristics of my Savior, but it also challenges me to be faithful in the things I am and am involved in. Most importantly, I want to be a faithful follower of Christ that pursues Him with all that I am. I want to be faithful in prayer and digging into His truth. I want to serve Him and those that He has put in my life, and I long to be more like Jesus at the end of this year. I want to be a faithful daughter/sister/aunt-- extending grace and patience to every member of my family, being a prayer warrior on their behalf. I want to be a faithful girlfriend to Jonathan--encouraging him in his studies and all the ministries he's involved in. I want to be a listening ear when he needs it and to be selfless as I continue to learn how to be a godly girlfriend. I want to be a faithful teacher who is committed to her students--showing them compassion, and teaching with my WHOLE heart. I want to be faithful friend who is intentional about spending time with the women the Lord has graciously given me. I want to put down my phone and be all there, listening to their words and understanding their hearts. I want to be a faithful small group leader--leading my girls in a way that is pleasing to God and in a way that makes them feel loved and valued. I also desire to be faithful in the small things, too-- being a good steward of my time, working out and taking care of the body the Lord has given me, keeping up with cleaning at my apartment and also staying organized!
I love the fresh start of a new year. I am excited to experience everything that's going to be going on in 2017. I will turn 24 years old in March. I will finish my second school year. I will be welcoming a new niece/nephew into the world in July, thanks to Nick and Lauren ;). Who knows what else will happen? I am confident, because I KNOW who knows what will happen. Because of this, I can rest in the fact that my God holds this new year, and that He will be faithful no matter what it looks like and no matter what happens. My God has never given me a reason to doubt Him. His ways are perfect, and so is His timing. For all these things, I am thankful...I can't wait to experience His faithfulness all the more.
No comments:
Post a Comment