Those who believe

Have you ever stopped to think about all of the people who've been in your life who have believed in you?

I was thinking about it this week as I was talking with some students who are about 10 years younger than me. I hear them saying things like "I don't know if I could do that" or " I really want to do __________ but we'll see". I want to shout from the rooftops for people to go after their dreams! I firmly think that God gives us dreams and passions that come from Him, we just have to have the courage to step out and see ourselves as He does.

I've been thinking of James Skinner, Jason Blanford, Scott and Linna Martz, Liz Dewberry, Sean, my family, and my best friends who have been the ones who have believed in me when I didn't. Because of them I have had some amazing experiences that have shaped me in huge ways to become who I am today.

Sometimes people just need SOMEONE to tell them they can do it! The tongue has been compared to a rudder on a boat or a bit in a horses mouth- a small thing, but a huge affect which can change the direction a person or object is going in.

It's pretty crazy that we all have the opportunity to say small things each day to people that can potentially have a huge affect in their lives. Hopefully I can remember to use those opportunities and not miss them. Help me Jesus!

Transitions

It seems as though the longer I live the more change comes my way. Lately, I have felt as though my life is one big transition. Anybody relate with this? I’ve been thinking a lot on this idea of transition as I am about to make my fifth relocation all within the last two years. Besides changing where I live, I’ve switched who I lived with, what city or even country I was living in, living in the ghetto, living in a nice neighborhood, my job, my church, grocery store, gas station, bedroom, bathroom, freeways, having a long distance relationship, being engaged, getting married, changing my name on my drivers license, social security, bank accounts, selling a car, buying a car, selling that car, and buying my current car….the list just keeps going. I wouldn’t consider myself an unstable or inconsistent person who’s always changing their mind- but looking at my last two years I am almost questioning myself! Is this just what happens when you grow up? Or is this just what happens for a small portion of your life? Or is this just life?


Webster’s Dictionary
Definition of Transition:
a. passage from one state, stage, subject, or place to another
b: a movement, development, or evolution from one form, stage, or style to another

Synonyms:
alteration, changeover, conversion, development, evolution, flux, growth, metamorphosis, metastasis, passage, passing, progress, progression, realignment, shift, transformation, transit, transmutation, turn, turning point, upheaval

Antonyms:
beginning, conclusion, end, finish, introduction, sameness, stagnation, start

When I read some of the words that were just listed it dawned on me that this can be related or translated into my relationship with Jesus. Development, conversion, growth, realignment, shift, transformation. I mean, I could name a church or youth group off of those words! God must be at work in my life and doing something. In James 1:17 it says that our Father does not change like shifting shadows. Maybe all this change is to remind me that nothing is constant but Him, to only hope in my Father, to always depend on who He is. Bingo.

This is why I write…I have mini breakthroughs

Settled 19 days in

I have felt too overwhelmed to write a blog the whole time I've been here, in Panama. It's not that I'm upset or sad here, it's just that so much is happening every day all the time that I couldn't decide on what I should write on, this is also due to the fact that I can be perfectionistic. Finally today I realized that I just have to start, because the longer I wait, the more I have to write about, the more pressure. So here we go, the long awaited blog has begun to be written.

This is my third Sunday being here in Panama, so far I have really enjoyed it. The weeks go by extremely fast, as soon as it hits Monday it seems as though i blink and it's already Friday. We have things scheduled from about 7am-6:30pm Monday through Friday. My favorite part of the DTS is the classes. Our teachers are great, they have a ton of life experience and always bring tons of the word into their lessons. Our first teacher was from Costa Rica, named Kenneth and taught on Hearing the voice of God. Our second teacher, this past week was Tim from San Francisco, who spoke on ministry in the city. Besides classes I have been enjoying the people, the reading, sitting on the porch, laying on my bed, having consistent time with God, learning how to cook, intercession, talking to my boyfriend Sean on skype, writing emails with friends, the thunderstorms. The list goes on!

Things i miss:
Warm water for showers
cheese
my eyelashes curling
dry anything (clothes, sheets, sandals)
doing laundry in a house
dryer sheets! (which Sean is sending me in the mail!)
Sean
Girls night
So You think you can dance

One more funny story before I end this. My friend is from Norway and I make a lot of jokes and I have had to explain them to her. For instance: thats what she said (which is very hard to explain by the way) and then the drum sound you make after a cheesy joke.....you know- buh dum ch (with the hand motions)