More Stories from a Crazy Life

Having lived in a teeny-tiny, itty-bitty town my entire life, I have become accustomed to a quiet life.   In my teeny-tiny, itty-bitty town, there is a gas station, a bank, a small school, and a Family Dollar store.  That is it.  I'm not kidding.  It really is teeny-tiny and itty-bitty!  That being said, I still manage to get into adventures of my own, like losing my keys under a locked door in the school at six thirty in the evening, or  getting terribly lost in the next town over on the way to Walmart to get last-minute supplies for a project.  The most comical thing that has happened to me occurred a couple of Wednesdays ago.

After school it was a beautiful day outside.  Not only was the weather gorgeous, but I had finished my second AP test that day, which made the day seem even better.  However, there was not time to enjoy the weather.  I had to drive 20 minutes to have my annual physical and 20 minutes back before the Spring Band Concert.  Hopefully between things I would have time to eat supper (as I wouldn't be getting home until after the concert), and to change into dress clothes.  As it turned out, I had ample time after my physical to find something to eat in the refrigerator and to change clothes so that I would receive a passing grade for the concert.  I chose to wear black dress pants with a nice blouse, as I was going to wear a couple of dresses for other presentations that would happen later that week.

I ate quickly and got into the car to drive to the concert.  I had the perfect amount of time to arrive at the school, put together my flute, and get my chair and stand ready on time.  Upon parking the car, I started to unbuckle my seat belt.  I pushed the button on the buckle....aaannnnndd the seat belt remained latched.  I suppose now is a good time to mention that the seat belt in the car sticks on a regular basis, so I calmly pushed the button on the buckle again.  My seat belt remained exactly where it had been.  The warm weather no longer seemed so great to me, as the car was rapidly warming and I was feeling a bit trapped and claustrophobic.  I decided to try the buckle one last time, BUT MY SEAT BELT WAS OFFICIALLY STUCK!  At this point, I realized I had a few options: 

1.)  I could drive home and honk until my parents came out of the house.  (This option would probably make me late)
2.)  I could stop a random person in the parking lot by honking and beg for help.  (Despite it being a small town, I felt like this option could get a bit creepy depending on who heard me honk, not to mention I'm not sure what they really could've done for me.)
3.)  Climb out from under the seat belt. (This could prove to be difficult and annoying, given that I was wearing heels)

Clearly the third option was my best bet!  I quickly took off my shoes and wiggled out from underneath the seat belt and exited what was now a very warm car.

After all of this took place, and I had a few good laughs with my friends about it, I realized how grateful I was that I had been wearing pants for that whole escapade!  I had almost changed my mind and worn a skirt, but decided not to!  Thank God I was wearing pants the night my seat belt stuck!  And thank God for stories I can look back on and laugh about!

Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance.

James 1:2-3

I recently started a study of the book of James and decided to read until I was felt convicted, and then I would sit and ponder those verses and my life.  I made it to verse 2.  

Learning Joy in ALL circumstances,

Jo

Lessons Learned

As Holy Week came and went, my schedule picked up to an insane velocity.  Finally, after the craziness of huge exams, a band concert, and a final presentation, I can take a moment to type up a few of my thoughts.  A lot has happened over the past few weeks and I have a few stories to tell, but they will wait.  I had a realization after the Maundy Thursday service during Holy Week and I still haven't written about it.

As previously stated, my scheduled picked up at the end of April, especially through Holy Week.  I managed to make it to most of the normal church services that happen in that week, but while sitting in the service on Thursday I was not really in the right place.  Yes, physically I was sitting in the chair in the sanctuary of the church.  Yes, I was listening to most of what the pastor was saying.  But mentally I was thinking about everything I had to do.  I was going through the list of homework to be done, subjects I needed to study, and tasks that needed to be completed.  Afterwards I did not take the time to chat with anyone.  I pulled the car keys from my purse and headed out at a brisk pace to avoid everybody.

Simply stated, I was just "Going through the motions."  I was going to the church service because I knew that was what I was supposed to do.  In my mind, there were more important things to be done.  This is not okay.  It was then that I realized that I shouldn't just go to church to be there, I should go to church to worship God and have fellowship with Him and other believers.  In making going to church services my top priority, I had made it my idol.  I had made going to the service more of a priority than praising and living in pursuit of God.

Even what I was thinking about during the service had become my idols.  I want to do the best that I can do as if doing it for God, and not for men (Colossians 3:23).  However, when I just want good grades because they are my goal, that is a problem.  I should want them because I'm working hard to honor God, not to have a good transcript with my name on it.

I let this lesson take far too long to sink into my heart.  I now see that it was hardened and weedy in this area.  I pray that this will be a lesson that I remember for a lifetime, and don't let myself forget.  I pray that God will give me the ability to learn new lessons and discover new hope as I continue in this life so that I may become closer to him.

A Thank You

There are only six weeks left of my high school career.  As such, I would like to pause and thank everyone who has helped me get here.  There are many people who go completely unnoticed.  There are janitors who have kept my learning environment clean.  There are lunch ladies who provide a hot lunch for 180 days of school for hundreds of grumpy and unappreciative kids.  People at my church have sent me notes of encouragement.  The IT department keeps the computer system up and running at school and I am thankful for that.   One particular member of the IT department who has proven himself to be a kind person, helping me think through a few issues on occasion, or just take a brain break from homework to chat with him.  He could have been working, but he has cared enough to sit and talk.

My best friend's mom who is also my swim coach and was my math teacher has been a great help through these past couple of years.  My parents have been a phenomenal amount of support through late night study sessions and long projects.  My senior mentor has been sincere and caring, but also laid-back enough to let me motivate myself.  My Sunday school teachers have been able to answer questions and talk through issues, guiding me to think more Biblically and morally.  My youth pastors, who are understanding of a hectic schedule, answer silly questions about whatever we are learning so that I may more fully understand Biblical concepts and apply them to my life (hopefully).

The people who wrote letters of recommendation for me are definitely appreciated.  I'm not sure what each one wrote about me, but it was good to know that they were willing to say good things about me.

My friends from when I was homeschoolled in Mexico who helped me learn how to speak their language and who were ever-patient as I stuttered through simple sentences in an attempt to communicate were helpful as I experience an entirely new world of culture.  When I moved back to the U.S. and experienced reverse-culture-shock my American friends were a great net of support for me.

My elementary and high school teachers have been a great help when I needed help understanding a concept, or when I just needed to talk. And yes, this includes both of my parents when I was homeschoolled.  They really were great.

My grandparents and extended family are always around when I need help, or just need a place to crash for an evening if I just want to be out of the house for a few hours.  The ones who live farther away have brought me smiles with Skype video chats and visits.  Sometimes it's nice to have an excuse to travel.

I am truly blessed by God to have these people in my life.  Without Him I would not be here, and I'm thankful that He has helped me push through every challenge and trial that has come my way.  As I move passed high school, most of these people will no longer be as readily available for me to talk to, but I know that my God will stay with me. He will show me the way.

***I'm sure I've forgotten one category of people or another, and for that I'm sorry.  As I wrote this, I would think I was done and then think of more people.  Please know that I do appreciate all of my viewers and seeing the counter rise is a lot of fun.  In that way and others all of my viewers have been helpful.***

Living in Reckless abandon for Jesucristo,
Jo

Motivational Posters

While sitting in my English class yesterday, I was looking around the room at the posters the teacher has hanging up in her room.  They had the same kinds of things as the posters in this picture.  However, there is one thing that bothers me about these "Pillars of Character."  These "pillars" have absolutely no foundation.

Over two years ago, I was living in Mexico.  Our living quarters were nearly 100% concrete.  However, when the place was constructed, the pillars that held the ceiling up had not been connected at the bottom.  As such, after the building was "complete"(the building itself was still in construction, but the part we were living in was complete) the pillars began to settle into the ground.  As they sunk in, they sunk at different rates.  It wasn't bad enough to cause the ceiling to come crashing in, but it was enough to cause a lot of leaks in our ceiling.  There was one leak directly above where I sat and worked on school work, which dripped just often enough to keep me awake.  The leaking was obviously a very bad thing.

The same thing is happening with these "Pillars of Character".  The pillars are strong.  They have good values, good lessons, and good morals.  However, if we do not provide a foundation for the pillars to stand on, the ceiling, at the very least, is going to have some leaks. If you continue building on a cracked and warped roof, you will soon realize that something is going to collapse. As more and more people grow up and have been taught to be a "good person," but have not been taught the reason behind being moral, we will run into problems until we somehow fix the foundation.

What is the foundation?  Or rather, who is the foundation?

Jesus replied: “ ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’  Matthew 22:37

Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock.

Matthew 7:24

The Bible tells us that God is our foundation.  Jesus sums up all of the "Pillars of Character" in one command.  It is good to have morals and convictions.  It is vital to know and recognize the foundation of these morals and convictions, for if there is no reason, there is no motivation. 

And while searching for a picture to post with this blog I ran across this picture.  It made me laugh, so I decided to end this post with it.

A Decision

To Whom it may concern:

Deciding what college to attend has not been as simple as I originally thought it would be.  My heart has been torn between two colleges of high standards and quality for sometime.  As a teenager, I didn't want to completely disregard my parents advise as an act of rebellion; nor did I want to blindly follow them, as it is not their life.

I have talked to many people who are older and wiser than me.  I have talked to people my age.  I've asked almost anyone who would listen and offer advice.  I've received advice from people I didn't want advice from (Sorry, sometimes I just have to end a sentence in a preposition).  Through the many conversations I've had regarding this decision I've learned a few things:

1.  Everyone has their own biases.
 This statement might seem rather arbitrary and biased in itself, but as I continued to try to find a source that would only tell me the facts about which college was better, I discovered that every source and every person is biased.  Everyone perceives things differently, and when asked about that particular subject they will share with you their perception, which isn't necessarily the true reality of the matter.

 2.  This choice really is a matter of opinion, and you should make it based on your own, educated opinion.
This statement may seem very obvious, but it took me a long time to come to this conclusion in my head, even though people and articles told me that statement many times.

Upon realizing this second point and due to recent events, I have chosen where I will attend college.  Through God prodding at my heart and reassuring me through the scripture (Jeremiah 1:5; Deuteronomy 31:6), and through prayerful consideration (I Thessalonians 5:17; Psalm 145:18) I have concluded that this coming fall I will attend Purdue University as a Biology major.  Hopefully (and with a lot of hard work), in four years I will know where I will attend medical school.

Between now and then I pray that I may be a light before men, that they may see how I act and praise my heavenly Father (Matthew 5:16)

Living in Reckless abandon for Jesucristo,
Jo

P.S. "Real gold fears no fire." -Randy Alcorn

Near Sighted

I was recently having a conversation with a friends mom about how the game "Peek-a-Boo" works.  To adults, who have more developed brains, they know that the person is simply behind the hands.  However, when a baby sees someone's face disappear behind their hands, the baby sees the person as gone.  What is interesting about this topic is that it takes awhile before the baby learns that the adult playing Peek-a-Boo with them isn't gone, they're just hiding behind their hands.  As I had this conversation I was thinking about the parallels that a baby's behavior and an adult's behavior have.

Quite simply, there are a lot of distractions in this world.  Every where we go, we are bombarded with sights, smells, sounds, tastes, and feelings.  We go to restaurants. smell food, eat food, participate in conversation, listen to the music that is playing.  We walk along a street and smell car emissions, see signs and billboards, and hear people's conversations.  We get into our cars and listen to the radio.  Even now, I'm listening to music as I write this.  Our senses are bombarded nearly all the time.  Among all of this, it is very simple to wonder if God is gone.  It easy to wonder if He has left us high and dry in a moment of struggle.  Sometimes, in the hardest moment of struggle we get a glimpse of God, and they seem to amaze us.  We are left in awe, just as a baby is left giggling when an adult emerges from behind his hands.

 However, God is never gone.  He is behind the distractions.  We have to take the time to push away the sights, sounds, smells, tastes, and feelings to see him.  We have to trust that He is with us.  We should be in awe of him all of the time, because He is an awesome God.  He wants us to be in awe of Him, but He also wants us to know that He is with us.  He is not an adult playing games with babies.  We are forgetful babies.  We forget where He is.  He is right here.  He is with you.  He is with me.  Take the time today to pray and read the Bible in quiet solitude.  Fast from a meal.  Kneel in awe of a God who chooses to love all people. 

The LORD said, “Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the LORD, for the LORD is about to pass by.” Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the LORD, but the LORD was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake.
After the earthquake came a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper.

When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave. Then a voice said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”

 I Kings 19:11-13

God is speaking to you.  God loves you.  God has plans for you.  God is with you.  Are you listening?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UoXT4vfZDks

Written in Reckless Abandonment para Jesucristo, Thanks for Reading!

The End? Or Just the Beginning?

The last Spring Break of my high school career is coming up.  This has a lot of meaning behind it.  It means that I'm nearly eighteen years old.  It means my high school career is coming to an end.  It means that soon I need to know where I am going to go after high school.  It means more responsibility and pressure than I've ever felt will fall on my shoulders soon. This Spring Break, although offering a break in the day-to-day chaos, means the end of many things.  I'm not going to college with any of my friends from high school, so it means the end of many of my high school friendships.  These are all relatively sad things.  But there is hope.

With my last Spring Break of my high school career coming up, it means that my high school career is coming to an end.  But it means that I'm getting closer to college.  It means I'm closer to bigger and better things.  Not only am I close to ends, I'm close to new beginnings.  I will have more responsibilities, but I will use these to learn to trust God more.  The ends of my current friendships mean the beginnings of new friendships.  It means the beginning of learning new things.

Sometimes change hurts.  Trusting God is scary.  Believing that He will take care of me through these new challenges is hard.  But, even though I'm turning eighteen soon, I will try to have the faith of a child.  Not blindly trusting, but attempting to follow Him with a humble spirit.

And he said: “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.
Matthew 18:3

Written in Reckless Abandonment para Jesucristo, Thanks for Reading!