The Lessons I Didn't Want To Learn

It's been a tough month for me...a tough two weeks especially.  God has been teaching me lessons that I didn't really want to learn.  He's been teaching me to fail.

I've spent the past 2 1/2 years in school - first taking prerequisites for the dental hygiene program, then working through the program.  Now, with a nightmare semester coming to an end, I'm not sure I'll move on the final semester.  I've dealt with numerous patient cancellations and patients arriving late for appointments.  I failed a skill test and had to retake it.  I've struggled to find the patients I need to meet requirements.  Now it all comes down to today and whether or not I can finish.  It's possible...but it's going to be hard.  It's scary that it's really completely out of my control.

I have no idea where I'll be at the end of the day today.  I have no idea what's next for me.  It's terrifying.  Before dental hygiene school, I held a life-long 4.0 GPA.  It was down to a 3.5 before this semester started, and it will drop lower than that once grades are posted.  Over the past year and a half, I've failed both written tests and skill tests.  It's hard.  It's humbling.  It's something I did not want to learn.  But apparently, God thinks it's important for me.

A couple of weeks ago, after I failed that skill test, I was praying, crying, and begging God for a reason.  "What are You trying to teach me?" I asked.  He didn't give me the kind of answer I was expecting...I'm learning that He seldom does...instead, He answered with His own question:

"Do you trust Me?"

 

Maybe that's the answer...maybe this is all so I will learn to lean totally on Him, doing nothing in my own strength or ability. Maybe I'll never really know why. Either way, all I can do right now is cling to Him and His grace.  It's all I can hang onto right now as I wait to see what the future holds.




Thankful for Thanksgiving

I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving!  We did.  I enjoyed a much-needed break from school, got some Black Friday shopping done, and got caught up a little bit at home.  I had to share pictures from our puppy's first Thanksgiving ever...I'm loving my new iPhone and all the fun Instagram apps!

The High Calling

I was recently introduced to a great website, The High Calling.  This site is so practical!  I checked out their newsletter and I'm very impressed!  The articles apply to my everyday life, covering many aspects of Christian life, from work to family to culture.  There are lots of great resources that are perfect for working moms.  I think The High Calling fills a much-needed gap.  I hope you'll stop by and check out their main page and their newsletter.

Time to Re-focus

It’s so easy to let life get out of focus.  When you balance family, home, work, church, and more every day, important things can slip off our radar screen before we even notice they’re gone.  We can get so wrapped up in the good things that we let go of the best things.

I sat down this weekend and really took a hard look at where I am in regard to my goals and priorities.  Let’s just say I’m not where I want to be.  My extreme stress levels and bad habits are taking a toll on my body, from aches to trouble sleeping to anxiety attacks.  My scattered mind is struggling to focus on anything for more than a few minutes at a time.  I have a lot of good things going – family, teaching children’s church, school, writing, and more – but I realized that some of the best things – like my times with God and my workouts - are slipping away from me.

It’s time to re-prioritize some things.  For me, that means time with God and time to work out are essential to every single day.  I’ve been struggling lately with old issues that I thought I’d moved past.  As I wondered why, it dawned on me that my time with God has gotten shorter and shorter as the past few weeks have rolled by.  No wonder I’m struggling!  My fitness routine has totally gone by the wayside.  I’m six months away from graduating as a dental hygienist – a physically demanding job (and mentally exhausting while I’m in school!).  If I don’t make sure I am healthy and fit, I may not have a long career.

My goals for this week are simple: (1) Daily time with God (2) Exercise 3 days (3) Write most days - I'm shooting for every day, but I know that's not always going to happen.  I’m going to start simple and stay simple.  The biggest change will be that I want to eventually work out 5-6 days a week.  I'm pinning workouts and checking out YouTube - it won't happen without planning!

When God Sings To You

I'm excited to post today at Must Love God!  I'm sharing about the that times that God has sent just what I needed to hear, at just the right time.  I hope you'll jump over to MLG and take a look.

Giving Our Kids a Heart for Missions

One of my greatest passions is leading our children's ministry at our church.  I got involved with kids ministry when I was kid myself - I was 12 when our pastor's wife asked me to help with puppets, and I've been involved with it ever since.

Missions is a huge focus of our children's ministry.  I firmly believe that if we instill a passion for missions now, when our kids are young, it will stay with them for life.  On the first Sunday of each month, we dedicate our entire lesson to missions, focusing on a specific country and the work being done there.  We have a snack from that country and hear a true story from missionaries there. 

Two amazing resources that I use every month are BGMC and Kids of Courage.  BGMC (Boys and Girls Missionary Challenge) is the Assembly of God kids missions program.  Kids all over the U.S. regularly give to missions through this program.  Not only does it get kids involved in giving, it also teaches them to have a heart for missions.  Kids of Courage is the kids portion of Voice of the Martyrs.  They focus on countries where Christians are persecuted for their faith, but they present the information in a kid-friendly format.  Both websites are full of great ideas!

Getting involved in missions may seem intimidating, but there are so many simple ways to do it.  A few ideas to get started:

1. Choose a missionary that your church supports and send them a care package and a note of encouragement.
2. Pack a shoebox for Operation Christmas Child
3. Choose a country from Kids of Courage to study together as a family
4. Set a goal as a family to give a certain amount of money for missions, then work together to earn it
5. Post a map somewhere in your home and pray for a different country each day

What is your family doing to focus on missions?  I'd love to hear from you!

Working Moms Myths

This is from a post that I originally wrote on my previous blog.  Have you dealt with these misconceptions about working moms?  How do you deal with criticism from others?

 

Working Moms Myths

1. Working moms choose to work.I heard that for years, and was even guilty of feeling that way myself - until I had to go back to work.  Most working moms work because they have to, not because they want to. Many of my friends are the co-breadwinner or the primary breadwinner in their family. Their husbands work, too - the wife just happens to be in a field that earns more money or is in higher demand. Or in some cases, she is a single mom, and is therefore the sole source of income for her children.  Some moms do choose to work and truly feel called to work, but at least in my experience, the majority of working moms don't have a choice.

2. Working moms could cut back their standard of living and stay home.
Again, most moms work because they have to. They struggle to stay within their budget, just like SAHM's. They clip coupons, shop from clearance racks, and plan their shopping trips carefully. They are working for living expenses, not extras and "toys."  Someone asked me recently why I don't just quit my job and focus on school.  I replied, "Because if I quit my job, I'll have to quit school - I don't work for extra money, I work because we have to have the money."

3. Working moms don't put their family first.
If staying home means your family going under financially, then going to work is putting your family first. As a working mom, I put priority on spending time with my family on my days off and in the evenings. Family mealtimes are important, and I spend every moment I can with my husband and kids. I even chose a career that allows a lot of flexibility so that I can be with my family more.

4. Housekeeping is easier for working moms because no one is home all day.
Same amount of chores - drastically less time to do them. Enough said.

5. Working moms have lots of support.
Do a Google search for Christian working mom. You'll find a great website by Kimberly Chastain on the first two links...on the third, you'll find an article stating that a woman's only roles in life should be to "get married, have children, guide the house, and live a perfect testimony so not once can the adversary (Satan) say anything reproachful about you." There is so little support out there for Christian moms who work outside the home. Critics are everywhere...support isn't.