I thought I would share the top things that I have learned this year, moments I have had, and other things of interest (at least to me) as we take off from this year (that we never thought would happen, right?) so here goes.... classic list form, of course. :)
1. Realizing that what breaks my heart must break the very core of who God is and I have been sent to do something about it... in obedience to Him.
2. Obedience to God must be at the center of all that I do, without it I am completely lost, sunk, up the stream without a paddle, etc. I must also be obedient in the small things because this is where God uses me for the big things....aka my friend, Tony, in Reno and the friendship we have been able to have because of teaching, where we see students thrive and the desire that we both have for students to be able to dream again (as well as us).
3. God desires to use me exactly where He places me. I tend to question those places, He tends to challenge me in those places.
4. My students last year (I loved and adored!) and over this school year, I have seen and been a part of the following things in their life: Valerie's quince, Jocelyne's baby shower, them joining me for feeding the homeless again this year, seeing God completely change David's life, and getting to have some of their brothers and sisters in my class this school year (and their ex-boyfriends and girlfriends which becomes quite hilarious). Oh yeah, and the "in" with a family that I love dearly and now have the 3rd sibiling... holy cow, God has given me so much favor.
5. Sometimes I just need to stop and embrace the moment that I am in, rather than rushing ahead for all of the things that I can barely forsee happening.
6. Loneliness absolutely sucks in a million, trillion different ways... Yet God has used my greatest moments of loneliness to restore relationships and truly heal me of a broken heart. He has also been restoring my trust of the church with the faithfulness of those whom I have known before as well as so many people that He has placed in my path since then.
7. Reading through the first few books of the Old Testament and seeing how much God LOVES the details of my life and how much He desires me to glorify Him in everyone of them.
8. I have gotten to a place where there are so many things, as Jake would say, "that I am sick and tired of" and I learning where my passions truly are. Thanking God as well for placing people in my life who have seen my passions and encouraged me and called me out in the midst of it all.
9. Some things that I thought would happen just haven't and you know what? That's okay because as you can see above that I have been used, moved and changed in 2010 and I expect even more in the new year.
10. I wish I could show you pictures of the faces that I have seen changed this year, they are countless and numerous all at the same time. They would include my students, people in Africa, my family, my friends and most importantly, me. I have been changed by the things this year just as much as I have changed the people around me. Change truly is a full circle thing... and I know that I have another dose coming in 2011.
I'm excited for all that it holds and I'm keeping my expectations as well as letting go of some. May you be moved, changed, and turned around in the coming year as I know I will be. What a faithful God we serve. May you be called to action as I have been...
-Melis
Wednesday, December 29, 2010
Thursday, December 23, 2010
Faith and Deeds (and other life challenges)
You're probably so sick of reading the same things over and over again... I apologize for that in some ways, but in most ways I am not apologetic because I believe these things to be true and they are things that I am learning. I am also not sympathetic to your cause either, mostly because you yourself have chosen to come here and read this... no one's forcing you to do so. :)
Anywho, family time at Christmas always brings about interesting topics (to me at least) and I just like to rant and rave about some of it and some of it, I think nothing about. I will not bore you with the details of the comments made by some of my family members, they were never meant to be offensive or controversial (or at least to my knowledge, they weren't). However, there is something about knowing something and hearing something different and realizing that you are just at a different place. My parents were so lucky that I rode with them tonight because they got to hear me talk about half the way home. :) I am so tired of people complaining about things that do not change and they themselves not doing anything about it. REALLY!?!?! As if things were peachy keen before we got here? They weren't unfortunately and that is actually okay because we know a God who is in complete control and will handle all of it! He doesn't need us, He wants us... (just a sidenote) So the topic was about a presidential issue and how shocked they were to hear it and I just think to myself (and say aloud to my parents later), "What if we actually worried about people who need to be worried about?" What if you took a moment and changed the world of someone you are around, rather than worrying about how the president should spend his day? Now... on the other hand, yes the president will one day stand before God and have to answer for the things that he was given responsibility for. Honestly though, you (or myself) will not have to stand before God and answer questions about what the president should or should not have done. I will have to answer for the 1,000 or so students that have walked into my classroom over the past 4 years. You will have to answer for those you work with, that are in your family, and others around you (including your church!). Not that you will have to answer for them but more what you did with what you were given. What are you doing with the life that you have been given?? I mean, really what are you doing? Rather than saying how disgusted you are by the litter in your area, take a group of people and clean it up. Does it break your heart that people in your neighborhood are hungry? Feed them! It is time for us to stop complaining and start backing up what we think should be done with what is done. What will complaining ever do for anyone? Absolutely nothing. (This will be a very unfortunate reality for a lot of us, right?)
So what does faith and deeds have to do with this? You have faith? Pray for more... and then ask God to convict you of things you should do with your faith! Do not ask God to make you busy, rather more aware of the people and things around you that needs to be changed. He knows we do not need another event.. however things that we are passionate about do not become events, instead they become places for our lives to be completely and radically changed by Him! We don't need more people to claim they have faith or more people to just do things... we actually need people to have faith and because of that faith, change the world around them!
I was given one of the greatest compliments a month or so ago when I was given a letter from a previous student, Ramon, who said, "Thank you for being the change you wish to see in the world." This is not bragging, more asking... are you actually being the change you wish to see in the world... or are you so concerned what others are and are not doing that you have forgotten what change you wanted to see? May this be a challenge to you and a challenge to myself... as well as conviction that I must live my life with actions and words.
"Spread the love of God through your life but only use words when necessary." -Mother Teresa
-Melis
Anywho, family time at Christmas always brings about interesting topics (to me at least) and I just like to rant and rave about some of it and some of it, I think nothing about. I will not bore you with the details of the comments made by some of my family members, they were never meant to be offensive or controversial (or at least to my knowledge, they weren't). However, there is something about knowing something and hearing something different and realizing that you are just at a different place. My parents were so lucky that I rode with them tonight because they got to hear me talk about half the way home. :) I am so tired of people complaining about things that do not change and they themselves not doing anything about it. REALLY!?!?! As if things were peachy keen before we got here? They weren't unfortunately and that is actually okay because we know a God who is in complete control and will handle all of it! He doesn't need us, He wants us... (just a sidenote) So the topic was about a presidential issue and how shocked they were to hear it and I just think to myself (and say aloud to my parents later), "What if we actually worried about people who need to be worried about?" What if you took a moment and changed the world of someone you are around, rather than worrying about how the president should spend his day? Now... on the other hand, yes the president will one day stand before God and have to answer for the things that he was given responsibility for. Honestly though, you (or myself) will not have to stand before God and answer questions about what the president should or should not have done. I will have to answer for the 1,000 or so students that have walked into my classroom over the past 4 years. You will have to answer for those you work with, that are in your family, and others around you (including your church!). Not that you will have to answer for them but more what you did with what you were given. What are you doing with the life that you have been given?? I mean, really what are you doing? Rather than saying how disgusted you are by the litter in your area, take a group of people and clean it up. Does it break your heart that people in your neighborhood are hungry? Feed them! It is time for us to stop complaining and start backing up what we think should be done with what is done. What will complaining ever do for anyone? Absolutely nothing. (This will be a very unfortunate reality for a lot of us, right?)
So what does faith and deeds have to do with this? You have faith? Pray for more... and then ask God to convict you of things you should do with your faith! Do not ask God to make you busy, rather more aware of the people and things around you that needs to be changed. He knows we do not need another event.. however things that we are passionate about do not become events, instead they become places for our lives to be completely and radically changed by Him! We don't need more people to claim they have faith or more people to just do things... we actually need people to have faith and because of that faith, change the world around them!
I was given one of the greatest compliments a month or so ago when I was given a letter from a previous student, Ramon, who said, "Thank you for being the change you wish to see in the world." This is not bragging, more asking... are you actually being the change you wish to see in the world... or are you so concerned what others are and are not doing that you have forgotten what change you wanted to see? May this be a challenge to you and a challenge to myself... as well as conviction that I must live my life with actions and words.
"Spread the love of God through your life but only use words when necessary." -Mother Teresa
-Melis
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