It has been forever since I've blogged, but I am feeling the itch again to get back into it. Since starting my new job as a Kindergarten teacher, I feel like my job has somewhat taken over my life. For me, writing is an outlet, and right now I'm thinking some outlets would be helpful!
I hope to mostly post about my spiritual journey...what God is teaching me, how I am being challenged, what I am learning, etc.
Right now I am learning that God really cares about our character, and I know he is doing a mighty work on mine. On Sunday two of my youth girls got baptized. It was so inspiring to hear them talk about what God has done in their lives. Kevin got to baptize them which was so awesome. Our pastor talked about how if we want to do mighty things for God, we have to start with the small things. This is something I've been convicted about before, but I'm realizing the importance of it....the truth of it. God notices the small things....those little things we do... that we often think don't mean all that much. As a Kindergarten teacher, this is especially encouraging. It is easy to get discouraged and begin thinking that all those little things you do throughout the day go unnoticed...but God SEES. This summer I learned some of the Names of God (A Study by Kay Arthur)...one of His names is El Roi- The God Who Sees.
Lately I've been feeling pretty overwhelmed and pretty discouraged at times. What I've been sensing though is that God is trying to mold me and shape my character. I really feel that he is challenging me to be filled with the Spirit so I can bear the Fruit of the Spirit, especially that of PATIENCE and SELF-CONTROL. I can't imagine trying to do this on my own. God actually gives me the ability to display patience, self-control, and other fruits of the Spirit such as love, joy, peace, kindness, goodness, and faithfulness. This is one of those verses you hear a lot if you grew up in a Christian home or going to church. But to be honest, I don't feel that it really hits you until you are challenged to bear these fruits in your daily life. God doesn't just want us to be patient when we're waiting in a line-up....He desires patience in the deepest part of our hearts...Patience for those things we feel we've been waiting years for...or patience in the smallest of things that we may feel it's okay to feel 'impatient' about.
I am working on focusing on what God is doing in my heart...what He is doing in me that counts for eternity, not just here and now. It's so easy to focus on our momentary troubles...but they are "achieving for us an eternal glory that FAR OUTWEIGHS them ALL!" 2 Corinthians 4:17. Praise God. I pray that I will be able to keep an eternal perspective, rather than a wordly, momentary one. Because greater things are yet to come...and He wants me to be ready!
Romans 5:3-5 "We can rejoice too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation. And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us, because He has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with His love."
