Sometimes life can get VERY busy. Time can speed by. And before you know it, a
season has passed. You realize you're another year older or even
a decade older.
Last week I celebrated my birthday and that caused me to
take a big PAUSE in the busyness. How
old am I now? I screamed at the calculation. Goodness. My students helped me celebrate and I took time to pause and
reflect.
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| one of many cakes my students gave me :-) |
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| 4th year IT students, sung me Happy Birthday, they made me smile :-) |
What had I learned on life’s journey so far? What was God
teaching me? How could I best maximize my remaining time on earth?
Pauses can be powerful. Sometimes life’s circumstances
can cause you to pause, to be still. Maybe a birthday or a new year causes you to look behind and plan ahead. Maybe an unexpected illness happens
and you pause to prioritize. Maybe a job change occurs. Or a child is
born. The change, the miracle, causes a
pause. Maybe a sunset or sunrise makes you catch your breath and be still. To
take it in. To look deeply. To think.
God has been reminding me as my fall schedule has gotten
extremely busy the past few weeks that I need to make sure I’m taking strategic
pauses in my day. That I’m taking time
to be still and place myself before God so I can see Him, hear Him, and lean on
Him to get His perspective, His peace. Also to make sure I’m still going the
right way and living each day to its fullest. I need God’s help to be effective in teaching here and to not get overwhelmed by all there is to do.
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| Environmental Science and Food Science Students |
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| Marketing and Management Students |
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| IS and IT Students |
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| Architecture Students |
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| my Intro to Missions Seminary class |
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| my Intro to Youth Ministry, Seminary class |
Sometimes in the busyness, you can forget to catch your
breath. But catching your breath is important. Maybe you take a walk or lay in a field and look at the
clouds. Watch kids play a game of futbol (soccer) or go for a drive. Maybe you get up early to
watch the sunrise or go outside and watch the sun set. To still your inner spirit is important. For in a pause, God can speak to you, refresh you in that
stillness. In these times, His peace, perspective, hope, and love can be
experienced.
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| Sunrise, one of my favorite times of day |
Psalm 46:1, 10
God is our refuge
and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear…; Be
still and know that I am God….
Isaiah 30:15
In repentance and
rest is your salvation, in quietness and trust is your strength…
I believe in a pause, God can help you SEE. Where are you? What
are you doing? How are you acting? What path are you going down? Pauses can
help give clarity to the road you’re on.
It’s so easy to end up down a wrong path before you even know you had
turned.
Proverbs 3:5-6
Trust in the Lord
with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways
acknowledge Him and He will make your paths straight
Exodus 15:13
In your unfailing
love you will lead the people you have redeemed. In your strength you will
guide them…
John 10:3
The Shepherd knows
His sheep by name and leads them out.
Joel 2:13
…Return to the Lord
your God, for He is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in
love…
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| God can help you see the path |
I believe in pauses, you can also HEAR. Sometimes we
get so busy and distracted, that we can’t hear God’s voice clearly. When we slow down and take a pause, God can
speak to us in those quiet moments.
Isaiah 30:21
Whether you turn to
the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you saying, “This
is the way; walk in it.”
Hebrews 3:7
Today, if you hear
His voice, do not harden your hearts…
John 10:3
His sheep follow
Him because they know His voice
God can also help you REFLECT in a pause. Do you remember where you’ve come from,
the lessons God has taught you, the seasons God has seen you through? These
memories can bring humility and gratitude.
In reflecting on my overall life this past week, I was
deeply humbled in remembering the times I had fallen down. Through so many seasons I remembered how God carried me through valleys and droughts and over
mountains and how He continues to be my God, my friend, in each day. He wants
us to remember the journey and that He’s with us.
Deuteronomy
8:2-11
Remember how the
Lord your God led you all the way in the desert all these years to humble you
and to test you in order to know what was in your heart, whether or not you
would keep His commands. He humbled you, causing you to hunger and then feeding
you with manna, … to teach you that man does not live on bread alone but on
every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord. Your clothes did not wear out
and your feet did not swell… be careful that you do not forget the Lord your
God…
Psalm 103:2
Praise the Lord all
my soul and forget not all His benefits…
In reflecting, I also remembered my family and felt great
gratitude for their years of love, support and encouragement through changing
seasons.
God can bring many things to mind in the pauses about our journey behind. And those memories can be for our good.
God can also give you CLEAR DIRECTION for the way ahead when you pause to seek His
leadership.
He is able to show you the way to go. Many days we sit at a crossroads of decision.
To continue or to stop? To end something or begin? To go or to stay? God has
the wisdom you need in all. For relationships, jobs, ministry…. He can show you His plan and the best way
ahead.
Matthew 7:7-8
Ask and it will be
given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.
For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the
door will be opened.
Jeremiah
29:11-12
For I know the
plans I have for you, …plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give
you hope and a future. .. call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will
listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all of your
heart….
Matthew 6:33-34
Seek first His
kingdom and His righteousness…do not worry…
Often in pauses, there’s the temptation simply escape from ALL. To disconnect from God and stress so you
don’t have to face the situation at hand. Maybe you don’t want to see, hear, reflect,
or get direction. Maybe you just want to
sleep in a pause or watch a movie, to put it all away from you.
May we not forget that God is WITH us and is FOR us. He
is able to help us past anything we're facing, get us through any season, any job, any discouragement. He can recharge us, renew us, if we allow Him to, if we seek Him. We can
come out of a pause with new perspective, a fresh word, humility, gratitude,
direction, and His strength.
John 15:4
Remain in me and I
will remain in you!
Isaiah 40:28-31
Do you not know?
Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God…He will not grow tired or
weary…He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even
youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope
in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles.
They will run and not grow weary; they will walk and not be faint.
May we take strategic pauses each day to look to our God! And continue to give Him our best on the journey!
Praises-Prayer Requests
- Happy Birthday this past week to my beautiful Mom (10-27)
and my sister Noel (10-29). We are all so thankful for another year of life on
earth!!! And a big praise for my Dad, he’s doing great and we love him so much!
-Please pray for my classes and teaching, that God will
give me good favor and wisdom in teaching the 210 students I have each week.
-Please pray for good health. Rainy season has ended, sun and dust have returned in full force.
-Please pray for a work-visa approval my school is processing for me. We hope to see that come through successfully this week.
-Please keep my sister in prayer as she continues to be
here through Christmas- that God will bless her time as she serves in different
projects and please pray God gives her direction for her way ahead. She is a blessing!
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| My sister Noel on a recent trip to South Sudan |
Thank you for your prayers! Blessed November to you!
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