Experience Brings Improvement

I have a student teacher right now in my music classroom.  She is amazing and truly doing a wonderful job.  As I was talking to a friend about her this morning and going on and on about how great she is, I said to my friend, “And you know, the areas she does struggle in are just areas that will become stronger with experience.”  She is simply not comfortable in those areas due to lack of experience.

Sitting at my desk right now, I am reflecting on that conversation and how true that is for all of us, especially in living the Christian life.  We hear a lot about getting comfortable being uncomfortable.  Here is a thought…if we can get comfortable with being uncomfortable will we ever reach a point where we will not feel uncomfortable anymore?

I remember student teaching.  I got to teach in a second grade class and a fourth grade class.  It was a truly positive experience.  But I remember being nervous and uncomfortable to teach in front of the classroom teacher or whoever came in to observe me.  When I got the job I have now teaching elementary music, I was nervous and not completely sure what to do and how to do it.  While I have a degree in music, I did not student teach in a music classroom.  I felt a little thrown to the wolves and not especially confident that I was even doing the right thing.

This is my eighth year teaching, and I can confidently tell you that I would invite any person in to my room to observe me teach.  It does not make me nervous at all anymore.  What once made me uncomfortable is absolutely comfortable to me now.

What made the difference?  Honestly, it was last year when my school got so crowded that I had to go from room to room on a cart!  I felt very vulnerable and very exposed.  I had to be creative because I could not use a lot of the instruments I was used to my students playing on in my lessons.  The teacher often stayed in their classroom, so there was no getting out of having an adult in there watching me teach.  The thing was that this was all completely out of my hands.  I did not have a choice.  If I was going to keep my job, I had to get uncomfortable.

What about in our Christian lives?  How comfortable are we with bringing up Jesus in our daily talk?  How comfortable are we with doing things differently than others?  Things that might draw attention to ourselves?  But don’t you think this should be expected since God called us to be aliens in this world?  In 1 Peter 2, God laid out what is expected of us yet, too often, we live as if those things are a choice.  When we act without having a choice or a say, after a while getting uncomfortable gets easier.

Peter calls us a chosen race, a royal priesthood and a holy nation.  We are not supposed to do things the same as everybody else!  We are not supposed to live comfortably.  He calls us to a life of praising the One who has called us out of darkness. 

When we feel like we have no other choice than to live this life of praise and set apartness, we start to feel more comfortable and we see it as a get to and not a have to.  I have always felt that a lot of believers live the same way, but some see Christian life as a check list and to do list while others see it as a get to.  The Lord looks at the heart.  And He looks at what you make habit and become experienced in.

God calls us to hard, uncomfortable things, but He fully equips us for these things.  Let’s squirm a little out of our comfort zone and it will become more comfortable.  Dare to live and be different.  God made us to live in community and not live a life of nervousness and insecurity.  He allows circumstances to make us stretch and grow and make us better people. 

Student Teaching throws you into the classroom feet first, ready or not.  Life comes at you, ready or not.  It is up to you how uncomfortable your comfortableness can truly be before you start to feel comfortable again.  This is a lifelong process, but experience brings improvement.

The Creator and His Creation

As I sit here on the balcony at Navarre Beach, I cannot help but wonder how anybody can see the beach and question that there is a Creator.  How else would this jaw dropping phenomenon have come to be?  From up here I have watched waves crash to shore, dolphins jump and play along with many other various sea creatures, both on shore and in the water.  And the people!  Different accents and different personalities.  Big families and small.  All shapes and sizes.  Young and old.  It is quite amazing!

It breaks my heart to think about people who do not know God.  I know there are people groups who have never even seen a bible.  But there are people right here in America who do not know God, many of whom claim to not believe.  Romans 1 says, “For his invisible attributes, that is, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen since the creation of the world, being understood through what he has made. As a result, people are without excuse.”

People are without excuse!  What a scary thought!  What does that mean for me?  How can I convey to others the love of God when they refuse to believe it after seeing the ocean?  Or after seeing a tree change colors in the Fall?  Or after a beautiful snowfall?  He is EVERYWHERE.  His creation is awesome!

Not only is His creation proof of Him, He is such a personal God.  In my life, I have seen Him work in both big and little ways.  If people would take inventory of happenings in their life, they would see the same, I have no doubt. 

We like to take credit for things in our lives.  It gives us value.  It makes us feel in control.  It is a fake control.  Nobody has complete control of their life.  Nobody has any control.  It is all in God’s hands.  But He is a good, good Father.  He wants the best for His children. 

Does He work in such ways as to allow a close parking space at the store?  I totally believe He can.  I would rather give Him credit than just say it was good luck.  Many people do not believe He would care about such nonsense matters.  But if He cares enough to know the numbers of hairs on our heads, couldn’t He do something as simple as clear a parking space for us?

I believe God’s hand is in everything.  It is in creation.  It is in knowledge.  It is in memories.  It is in day to day tasks.  It is in the mundane.  It is in the celebrations.  It is in vacation at the beach.  It is in a normal day’s work.  It is in laughter.  It is in deep despair.  God cares.  And He is personal.

I think that is why I get so excited when I see the dolphins come up out of the water.  I am in awe that God would provide that incredible scene for us.  We could live in a total black and white world, both figuratively and literally.  God cares too much for us to be bland.  Our God is not bland.  He is not plain.  He is not vanilla.  He is a neapolitan ice cream sundae with colorful sprinkles and whipped cream and a cherry on top!  He wants to be King of your world.  Truth is, He already is.  He wants you to realize it.  And He’ll use any means necessary…creation, a close parking space, that personal thing that only you know about.

I still do not have answers how to fully convey to others the love and wonder of God, but I’m willing to be used by Him to try.  My heart’s desire is to help others know they have a loving and personal Creator who desires their heart in exchange for an heir to the Crown.

Praise be to the King of Kings and Lord of Lords!! 

Things I Want My Tribe To Know- #4

Things I want my tribe to know…

4. God wins!

John 16:33 says, “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”

The main theme of the book of Revelation is God triumphs over evil.

These days, it so easy to live in fear.  I did not think that in my lifetime I would see the things that I have.  Things such as our society blatantly going against the bible and challenging Christians as not having tolerance.  Also, the senseless violence is outrageous that we see now.  Just this morning, we woke up to a mass shooting in Las Vegas with the loss of so much innocent lives.

We constantly question what this world is coming to.  Once we travel down that road of questioning, our hearts turn to fear and anxiety.  But Jesus says, “Take heart!”  What does take heart mean?  If you take heart, you are encouraged and made to feel optimistic about something.  I also think He is saying, “Do not be surprised.  Bad stuff is going to happen.  But never fear!  I am in control.  Victory is already mine!”

God does not want us living in a constant state of fear and worry.  In fact, He says, “Be anxious for nothing.”  He wants us to consistently pray and trust in Him.  God does not command us to do something that is impossible for us to do.  In fact, He equips us for His commands.  It excites me to think that He tells me not to be anxious because I know He has made it possible to be able to not be.

Jesus was a fitting example of this when He was sleeping on the boat during a storm.  When the disciples woke Him afraid of dying, He asked them, “Why are you so afraid, you of little faith?”  Then He got up and calmed the storm (Matthew 8:25-26).  Do you ever wonder if God looks down on us living in fear and anxiety and thinks, “Why are you afraid, you of little faith?”  I wonder if He thinks, “Why don’t you trust that I’ve got this?  You claim to live for me yet you worry constantly over everything.  Be still.  Trust.  Take heart.

It is human to worry.  It is giving into the flesh and letting the feeling of being out of control that drives us to fear.  When we fully know who is in control, we live a life of being okay with not being in control.  We must accept and surrender.  

Accept and surrender.  

Two very difficult words.  

Words that, once we give in to, lead to a life of contentment and trust and hope in Jesus Christ.

The good news of the gospel is that Jesus came to save the world.  He overcame evil and He gave us all that is necessary to live a hope of faith and hope and not one of despair and mental anguish.  Praise be to God who has overcome evil and wins!

Things I Want My Tribe To Know- #3

Things I want my tribe to know…

3.  Don’t just believe IN God, BELIEVE God!

We serve a mighty God.  A God who created this magnificent universe.  A God who sent His only Son to die on the cross then raised Him from the dead.  A God who knows every single detail about each and every one of us down to the number of hairs on our head (which I find especially amazing because we are losing strands of hair constantly, yet at every second He knows).

A lot of people believe there is a God.  In other words, they believe IN God.  I do not know what the latest statistic is.  Sadly, it is probably lowering all the time, but I would venture to guess it is still a significant number.

But, how many people actually BELIEVE God?  Believing that there is a greater Being that created everything and is convenient to pray to every now and then is not as big a commitment as actually believing God.

I do not mean to say this is in a mean way towards these people.  I feel sad for them.  It’s like they are half way there but don’t truly get the full magnitude of God and how much He loves us and wants a relationship with us.

For a lot of people, it is not a matter of not wanting to; it is a matter of not knowing how.  Faith is a funny thing.  The very definition of faith is believing in something you cannot see or prove.  This is so hard in a society that is so in your face all the time with real tangible stuff.  It is hard in this fast paced world where the moment you are made to wait, you start to doubt.  Last week, I wrote about not always getting our way.  We live in a time that tells us not getting your way should be out of the question because we deserve or are entitled to all.

2 Corinthians 4:18 says, “So we do not focus on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.”  That is HARD!

There are so many promises in the bible from God.  He promises a plan for our life to make us prosper and not be harmed.  He promises good works for us to do that He has established ahead of time.  He promises us strength and wisdom and fruits of the spirit and a place at the table and a spirit of power and love and sound judgment.  He promises He is always faithful.  He promises all this and so much more.

He also promises that all things work together for those who love the Lord.  This one is one I think we possibly have the hardest time with.  In those hard moments, He whispers to our hearts, “Trust me.”  Sometimes it is really, really hard.  But He would not say to do it if it was not possible.

Maybe the problem is not fully with believing God, but the question I have struggled with for a while now is, will He?  I constantly say I believe God can do anything, but will He?  Recently, I have come to determine that that question is planted by the Enemy as a way to make me doubt God.  Or at least doubt His judgment and timing.  I am trying to take it out of my heart and out of my vocabulary.  I determine to believe Him.  Period.  End of story.  No matter what.  And I pray that my life and actions reflect that.

Believing in God is the easy part.  Believing God takes day after day, moment after moment, of intentional living.  But the outcome is so worth it!  It is beautiful.  It is surrender.  It is a lifetime of I am not in charge but I serve and glorify the One who is.  All is good because He is good.  I believe.

Things I Want My Tribe To Know- #2

Things I want my tribe to know…

2.  Life is not fair, and that is okay!

Over the years, there has been a shift.  I have seen it in my lifetime.  It has always been there, I’m sure, but it has become more prevalent.  I have even seen it rear its ugly head more and more over the last 7 years of teaching school.  It is the idea of entitlement and making sure that everything is fair.  Even good people have been affected by this epidemic.  I have been affected by this epidemic.

You have probably heard it said that we live in a microwave society.  Everybody wants everything fast.  And easy.  May I also propose that everyone also expects to fairly get their way?  All. The. Time.  It is what we are teaching when we give every player on the team a trophy.  It is what we are reinforcing when give parents their way in school because it is easier to give in then to stand up for what is right.  We cater to the masses out of one side of our mouth while grumbling about fairness out of the other side.

I know people that make sure every single thing that concerns their children is fair.  I am not sure that is helpful or even really possible.  Life is just not fair.  When did we start expecting it to be?  Have we been taugh,t and are we teaching ourselves that it is supposed to be? 

Here is a question to ponder…is God’s definition of fair different than ours?  The bible states over and over that He is a fair and just God, and I truly believe He is.  The truth is fair does NOT mean equal.  And too often we equate the two.  We are not entitled to being treated equally.  That statement may not be popular, and there may even be some of you reading that ask how can I say that? 

Think about it.  Here is a small example of fair but not equal.  Two siblings have different bedtimes.  One child is 15 and goes to bed at 10:00.  The sibling is 8, and goes to bed at 8:00.  Is this fair?  Is this equal?

God treats us fairly according to what HE deems to be fair.  He does not always treat us equally, at least not when it comes to life’s details.  And the details are what we complain about.

This world does not revolve around you.  To make a point, I ask my fourth graders when teaching them recorders, “Does your mom ever tell you, ‘This world does not revolve around you?”  Then I say, “In music class, it revolves around me!”  I am trying to get them to see the importance of watching me for every little direction. 

I also tell them that when I direct during a performance, I will not talk like I do in class.  Yet, I still communicate.  Sometimes, we feel like God is not speaking to us.  He is always communicating.  When we make our world revolve around Him and seek His face, we better understand His will and can follow where He is guiding.

When we stop worrying so much about whether we are being treated fairly or equally, we take the focus off ourself and are better able to focus on others and even more so, on God.  We put our eyes on Him and keep them there.  If we can do this, we’ll be less likely to even realize when we have not been treated the way that we think we should have been.

Here is an exercise to try when feeling overwhelmed and like life is not going the way you would have it go (with you at the center of everything!).  Take a few minutes to take some deep breaths in.  As you breathe in recite the words (out loud or to yourself) “More of You.” As you exhale, whisper “Less of Me.”  Try this a few times and see if it doesn’t shift your focus back to where God would have it.

Also, pray about it.  Praying to not get your way is a dangerous prayer.  Denying ourselves on purpose sounds dreadful, but when we realize that life is not really about us and what can get and achieve and accomplish, it is truly freeing.  We stop expecting things to go our way.  We look for ways to go Gods’ way, and we look for ways to share His glory.

Life is not fair and it is not about you being the center of it.  That is okay!

I am participating in a writing challenge that explores the things I want my kids to know before I die.  Even though I have numbered these posts, they are not in any particular order.  I would love your thoughts and comments here on what I have written and also, what are the things you want your tribe to know.  The following writers are also participating in this challenge.  Please visit them and show some love:

Renee
Terri
Stephanie
Jessi
Rachel

Things I Want My Tribe To Know- #1

I have not written on my blog in a few years, but I feel God is calling me back to some writing.  As I look back on my past posts, it amazes me how faithful God is and how He allows our faith to grow and evolve.  I would love your comments and feedback on my posts.  Let's learn and grow together and explore these faith and spiritual and LIFE matters authentically (hence my title...Just Keepin' It Real).  Thank you for reading!

Things I want my tribe to know…

1.  People will disappoint you, but God will NEVER let you down.

God did not intend for other people to be your Savior.  He did not intend for you to rely on people to make you happy.  He intended for you to fully rely on Him and for you to find your joy in Him.  The joy of the Lord is your strength.  Easier said than done, right?

How many times have you been let down by someone you thought was your person?  Maybe your best friend?  Maybe a relative?  Maybe someone you have shared your deepest secrets with?

It’s so hard when that moment happens.  When they say or do something that cuts you to the core and makes you question the relationship.  Do they not know me as well as I thought they did?  Don’t they know how I feel about that?  Why don’t they care enough to…? Perhaps these thoughts have gone through your head as you rethink this person’s place in your life.

I must confess.  I have had these things happen more often than I care to admit.  But you know what I have come to realize?  It is not them.  It is me.  I place too much pressure on that person, and the moment they hurt my feelings, I am ready to jet.  Ask my husband…it has happened time and time again.

When we put too much stock into people, we lose sight of what is truly important.  We take our eyes off God, and we place the target on someone else to make us happy or, even worse, to fulfill us.  And when the arrow does not hit the bull’s eye, we grab our arrows and go home in a huff because frankly, we are making life all about our self.

And here is the biggest secret of all…most of the time that person did not even mean to hurt your feelings. So, as a side note, why not give people the benefit of the doubt more?  Before being ready to throw the towel in on a relationship, step back and examine what has happened.  Pray about it.  If it seems right, talk to the person about it.  I wish all those times I got my feelings hurt, I had been brave enough to just have a conversation with the person about what I was feeling and then comparing that to what the person actually meant.  I really believe it would have saved a lot of heartaches and some relationships.

God never meant for us to find our value in people.  Our value is in Him and Him alone.  He wants us to constantly seek His face.  To find our worth in Him.  To share our deepest, darkest secrets with Him.  To seek His advice, His wisdom, His will.  With Him, we cannot go wrong.  With Him, if our feelings get hurt or our hopes get let down, we can rest assure that it is because He knows all and sees all and is working out things bigger than we can ask or imagine.

Romans 8:31 says, “..If God is for us, who is against us?”  God is so for us.  He is so for you!  He is faithful.  He works all things together for your good.  People will disappoint.  There may be times when it seems like God is disappointing you or letting you down.  Rest assured in this.  God knows all.  He sees all.  He has His reasons for allowing things to happen.  He does not let you down.  He sent His Son to die a cruel death on the cross.  A death He did not deserve.  Do you think Jesus was disappointed with God?  No, He said, “Into thy hands, I commit my spirit!”  May we be people who fully trust in God and with great confidence shout, “Into thy hands, I commit my spirit!”

Enjoy your earthly relationships.  There is truly something special about heart ties here on earth.  Just be careful that you do not invest more into them then you do into your relationship with your Heavenly Father.  People will disappoint, whether on purpose or unknowingly, but God will NEVER let you down.

I am participating in a writing challenge put on by my friend, Renee.  She has titled it "Things I Need My Kids to Know Before I Die."  The following links are others who are participating in this challenge.

Renee

Magdalena

Stephanie

Sarah

Join us each week as we explore this topic.  Hopefully, it will get you thinking and maybe writing?  We all have a voice!!

Hold

"I wanna hold you!"

From the time a child can put it into words, she expresses her need to be held.  My own children both used this expression, which I thought was just precious.  Now they are 9 and 11, but when I hear other children say it, it takes me back to when they were little bitty.

Children aren't afraid to ask for what the want, are they?

Especially when it comes to meeting needs.  Often times they are so persistent.  As adults, I think many of us aren't afraid to ask for things either, but are they the things we truly want or need?

I think of how much I love for my husband to hold me.  When he just puts his arms around me and I feel close to him, it makes me feel safe and protected.

How many of us need to feel that love and protection?  How many don't have that special person that can fulfill that need?

We all have One who can do that for us.

One time, I heard a lady describing how she felt when she prayed.  She said she envisioned herself drawing close to the Savior as He put His arms around her and listened to her heart.

Being held is very much a physical act, but I believe it can be a feeling as well.

How many of us are being held by loved ones?  How many of us ask for it when we need it?  I ask my husband to hold me, but sometimes I need others to hold me in prayer or thoughts, but they won't know that if I don't ask.

We all have the One who can hold us.  And a lot of us have somebody in our life who can "hold" us.  Most of the time, all we have to do is ask.


I'm linking up!