A year ago, my life seemed full. A year ago, I knew God was calling me to something more, something bigger, to step out on faith and believe. There was this emptiness that needed to be filled, this promise He wanted for me but I was too afraid to follow. I was in the comfortable. I built a life around the comfortable. A decent job, ministries, church, even enough friends to keep me busy. From the outside, for a single girl in her 20s, that was enough...but I knew God's call for me, I was just nervous to leave the comfortable.
A year ago, I participated in PLACE bible study to find God's place for me. Boy did God speake to me in those 5 weeks. He spent that time shaking me awake. I spent 6 years waiting on the next steps... I knew what I was called to do since I left CofC, I was just waiting for the next steps. He was giving them to me. Through this bible study and SO MUCH PRAYER, I took that next step. A year ago, I listened to God and my life changed... I followed Him and I transformed into a person that loves Him more, loves people more, each day He shows me something through His eyes and not the lenses of the world or others. I have learned not to let rules others set for me dictate my life, but let His love and guidance lead the way. He is not steering me wrong.
A year ago, I took the plunge. I began school full time and work full time. The transition was difficult and I had to figure a lot out. I had to learn balance. and not to procastenate. Also to spend a lot of time by myself to study, which was one of the biggest challenges of all. The biggest challenge though was stepping back from ministry, I had to step back from serving completely because i didnt have time to work, to study and go to class, take care of my self, and serve so I knew what I had to sacrifice temporarily so I can serve fully in the future but it has been the hardest thing for me to ever do and I still miss it. I have also learned what true friends are this year. I thought I had a good perception on trust and people but this year has been challenging because I have seen some dear friends walk away and it is not as much as one side is wrong or right as it is a loss because of the friendships I cherished. I thought they were liftetime friends but I have changed in the last year and sometimes we can't explain how or why things, we just have to trust God....Sometimes I dont want to accept that, but I do because I do trust Him.
A year ago, within two or three weeks, I interviewed, applied and began a masters program at a college 30 min away. For Marriage and Family Counseling. With a Play Therapy Certicate (this has been added on just recently, amazing story). With this, I am going to go work with youth and young adults who have been abused or abandoned, primarily in the foster care/childrens home system. Also work with families with individuals with disabilities (another God story). These are just ideas, plans. I truly believe God will shape and form them how HE pleases, but don't you see, something amazing will be done? God's light will shine. This was His plan when I was at CofC, I just had to wait, to grow up, to mature, to learn life lessons. I love the program, I love my friends. We are all so different, from different backgrounds and different perspectives. I love them all. I thank God for them. God brought me here, I am suppose to be here right now in this time in my life. I am excited for what He will show me during this program. I have know officially completed my first year of graduate school :)
Jul 23, 2014
Jul 1, 2014
I survived June ;)
We are 6 months into 2014... the year is flying! I have so much to say and never enough time. I need to use my time more wisely than on this blog these days. Time is becoming a precious entity. However, certain things are important to record and remember... and today I want to take a moment and highlight on the humor that I just found a list of things that I learned in 2013 that I started January 1 but I was once again in a hurry that I decided to put in a drawer and inish later... Well 6 months later, does it still apply?
What I learned in 2013? (Now it is July 1, 2014)
`Sometimes I am selfish-even if I do not voice it, i May think it--- but God is catching me more and more and I do truly genuinely love people and that what I want to do with my life
`I hate lying and dishonesty- trust is what I value in a relationship above anything else and it gets to me quicker than anything when people do not tell the truth. Just be honest! It is easier! and
`Gossiping probably is my #2 - if you are going to say it behind their backs-respect them enough to say it to their faces or just reconsider your friendships with them. It is about respect and trust. this is a lesson that I learned over 2013 and I have quickly learned to apply to my life.
`Work for what you want. Hard work will pay off in the end. Pray about it and take God's lead. It may not be wasy but it will be worth it. Dedication and hard work.
`Sometimes walking this road might be a very lonely road. But do not doubt God, He is bedide you, you may feel alone but you can push through and ersevere and it will be worth it :) At the right time, He will bring the right people in your life.
`Even when I do not feel it, I am blessed, It is easy for me to remember the things I do not have or that I struggle with but honestly I am blessed with a stable job with wonderful co workers, an amazing opportunity in graduate school, a home, people I call my family that I can trust.
`I need to love more, give more, talk less, remember more, do more, watch less tv, gym more, take more adventures, etc ;)
`I sometimes talk too soon and say things the wrong way so I want to sit back and think and articulate things better
`There is more to life than Black and White- God is okay with us figuring out life in the gray areas as long as we dont lose sight of Him
`Biggest, shocking lesson--I miay actually be smart enough for graduate school--- God's plan is so much better than mine and I can succeed regardless of what other people or don't believe
So looking at this list, I can say I have applied a alot of this to my life, I am very forth coming to what I think about you, if I am not going to be willing to tell you what I thing then I shouldn't be willing to tell others. I think this is one of my favorite adopted philosopies. But also I am realizing more importantly just not to say anything... Sitting back and biting my tongue and not giving my opinion about everything is golden, Sometimes it shouldnt matter what I have to say, silence is a wise tool.
Graduate School has gotten harder and I have learned a whole new meaning to working hard. But I have taken so many adventures so far this year and so many are being planned for the next half of the year.... I am learning to seize the moment and take advantage of each moment I can. This has definitely been a a wonderful year of many great things so even though I forgot this list, most of it has been applicable to me. God continues to challenge me and nurture my growth and relationship with Him and most of these lessions are biblical reflections and I am in awe of His Love and Grace.
What I learned in 2013? (Now it is July 1, 2014)
`Sometimes I am selfish-even if I do not voice it, i May think it--- but God is catching me more and more and I do truly genuinely love people and that what I want to do with my life
`I hate lying and dishonesty- trust is what I value in a relationship above anything else and it gets to me quicker than anything when people do not tell the truth. Just be honest! It is easier! and
`Gossiping probably is my #2 - if you are going to say it behind their backs-respect them enough to say it to their faces or just reconsider your friendships with them. It is about respect and trust. this is a lesson that I learned over 2013 and I have quickly learned to apply to my life.
`Work for what you want. Hard work will pay off in the end. Pray about it and take God's lead. It may not be wasy but it will be worth it. Dedication and hard work.
`Sometimes walking this road might be a very lonely road. But do not doubt God, He is bedide you, you may feel alone but you can push through and ersevere and it will be worth it :) At the right time, He will bring the right people in your life.
`Even when I do not feel it, I am blessed, It is easy for me to remember the things I do not have or that I struggle with but honestly I am blessed with a stable job with wonderful co workers, an amazing opportunity in graduate school, a home, people I call my family that I can trust.
`I need to love more, give more, talk less, remember more, do more, watch less tv, gym more, take more adventures, etc ;)
`I sometimes talk too soon and say things the wrong way so I want to sit back and think and articulate things better
`There is more to life than Black and White- God is okay with us figuring out life in the gray areas as long as we dont lose sight of Him
`Biggest, shocking lesson--I miay actually be smart enough for graduate school--- God's plan is so much better than mine and I can succeed regardless of what other people or don't believe
So looking at this list, I can say I have applied a alot of this to my life, I am very forth coming to what I think about you, if I am not going to be willing to tell you what I thing then I shouldn't be willing to tell others. I think this is one of my favorite adopted philosopies. But also I am realizing more importantly just not to say anything... Sitting back and biting my tongue and not giving my opinion about everything is golden, Sometimes it shouldnt matter what I have to say, silence is a wise tool.
Graduate School has gotten harder and I have learned a whole new meaning to working hard. But I have taken so many adventures so far this year and so many are being planned for the next half of the year.... I am learning to seize the moment and take advantage of each moment I can. This has definitely been a a wonderful year of many great things so even though I forgot this list, most of it has been applicable to me. God continues to challenge me and nurture my growth and relationship with Him and most of these lessions are biblical reflections and I am in awe of His Love and Grace.
Jun 12, 2014
A year Later
Oh my! If anyone would have told me how much my life would have changed in a year just a year ago, I may not have believed them. I do not even have time to sit and think anymore, so many triumphs and challenges, so many adventures and so many friends met along the way. I think I have come to truly understand what friendship really means and how to cherish it because true friends are very far and few between. I never realized how blessed I am to have ones I have in my life there until I started leaving my comfort zone and even leaving the country.
I can never really put down into words the adventures of this last year. But over a couple of entries I shall try. That is if I do not get distracted again. Right know I am in my most trying month of graduate school. I just got back from the UK and had to jump into summer classes. From the moment I began the masters program, I knew ethics and stats would be the most difficult classes for me so jumping straight into them from a trip outside the country on top of coming back into work without blinking an eye and having one month of compacted studies... Well if I survive, I will be amazed. ;)
In less than a month, I will have completed my first year as a graduate student. I never in a million years thought I was smart enough to get my masters but after the series of events that led me to Stetson, I felt ready. In the first orientation meeting, we were told we will not leave the same people that we entered and I smiled at that because it just sounded like another speech that you hear at any beginning of any program. But I should have considered that this was a counseling program and a year later, I really have changed. My view on people have changed, my view on myself have changed and even my passions in life have changed. I still love Jesus and still love people and babies and pets but I have developed into a stronger person. I am not as submissive and passive, I am not a doormat. I will stand up for what I believe and I won't let people take advantage of me. I also stand up for others that I see people take advantage of and I want to protect them (hence my passions changing). I see people who have disabilities differently and I want them to have a voice, I want to be a voice for those who don't have a voice and I will figure out how to make that happen.
I still want to work with children but I know how I want to do that now. I know the theories I want to prescribe to (person centered, Gestalt, and Adlerian mainly) and I want to use Play Therapy to work with the children and youth who have been abused and abandoned and are traumatized. I understand other training I will need to go through to understand what they have been through but my empathy and caring persona will help me go far in therapy. I know I do not respond well to REBT so I will not use it in counseling but I am glad I had that experience of figuring that out as well as I met a REBT therapist.
I have had to dissect my family and understand my roots. I have found out so much about both sides of my family and have learned so much about myself through that. It was amazing and intriguing at the same time.
I even went to London and Edinburgh in May for 10 days to a conference. That was an experience and a half. Without this program, I may never have been brave enough to take that adventure. (that is a whole post within itself).
A year into the program, I can tell you who I am becoming as a counselor (kind of) and who I want to be as a person.... but hopefully I am living it out to those that are in my life. When I am not so swamped with my busy schedule that is ;)
More next time ;)
I can never really put down into words the adventures of this last year. But over a couple of entries I shall try. That is if I do not get distracted again. Right know I am in my most trying month of graduate school. I just got back from the UK and had to jump into summer classes. From the moment I began the masters program, I knew ethics and stats would be the most difficult classes for me so jumping straight into them from a trip outside the country on top of coming back into work without blinking an eye and having one month of compacted studies... Well if I survive, I will be amazed. ;)
In less than a month, I will have completed my first year as a graduate student. I never in a million years thought I was smart enough to get my masters but after the series of events that led me to Stetson, I felt ready. In the first orientation meeting, we were told we will not leave the same people that we entered and I smiled at that because it just sounded like another speech that you hear at any beginning of any program. But I should have considered that this was a counseling program and a year later, I really have changed. My view on people have changed, my view on myself have changed and even my passions in life have changed. I still love Jesus and still love people and babies and pets but I have developed into a stronger person. I am not as submissive and passive, I am not a doormat. I will stand up for what I believe and I won't let people take advantage of me. I also stand up for others that I see people take advantage of and I want to protect them (hence my passions changing). I see people who have disabilities differently and I want them to have a voice, I want to be a voice for those who don't have a voice and I will figure out how to make that happen.
I still want to work with children but I know how I want to do that now. I know the theories I want to prescribe to (person centered, Gestalt, and Adlerian mainly) and I want to use Play Therapy to work with the children and youth who have been abused and abandoned and are traumatized. I understand other training I will need to go through to understand what they have been through but my empathy and caring persona will help me go far in therapy. I know I do not respond well to REBT so I will not use it in counseling but I am glad I had that experience of figuring that out as well as I met a REBT therapist.
I have had to dissect my family and understand my roots. I have found out so much about both sides of my family and have learned so much about myself through that. It was amazing and intriguing at the same time.
I even went to London and Edinburgh in May for 10 days to a conference. That was an experience and a half. Without this program, I may never have been brave enough to take that adventure. (that is a whole post within itself).
A year into the program, I can tell you who I am becoming as a counselor (kind of) and who I want to be as a person.... but hopefully I am living it out to those that are in my life. When I am not so swamped with my busy schedule that is ;)
More next time ;)
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