It's a New Season!

I have great news: I have finished my Bachelor's Degree!!

For those of you that have been wondering: no I am not beginning a Master's program right away.  My heart is not to stay in school forever, but my heart is for people: and I want to have some interaction with people outside of a classroom setting.  I am beginning to job hunt, and after just one day I can tell I have entered a completely new season in life.  Simply trying to find a job is work in itself.
I have never been "done" with school before--there has always been a few weeks of a break before next semester starts.  Needless to say I am ecstatic to have a break.  While completing a Bachelor's in 2.5 years is so exciting, it has left me exhausted on schooling.

For the Spring I will still be living in Cleveland, and working.  Beginning in the summer I have some plans--but am waiting for some finalization and application approval before I completely, officially announce those.
Stay Tuned!!

Don't get too busy in this Season and forget to lean on Him--He's where your strength and help are found!

May there be as much rejoicing in your camp as there is in mine!!

Believe the Dream!

One thing I love about this Season we are headed into is the festivity of it all.  Honestly, I have already begun Christmas shopping, and it fills me with joy to see stores beginning to decorate for Christmas.

To me, the Christmas Season represents a season of Fulfilled Dreams.  A time when anything is possible.  And I love that!  Dreams are so powerful and provide such hope and an optimistic outlook on life.  Children love this time of year as they begin to dream about the gifts they will receive.

What dreams are you dreaming in this Season?  This could be a season of fulfilled dreams in your life: you just have to believe the dream!  It's okay to dream!  Refuse to let discouragement creep in.  Don't let your schedule get too weighed down with the mundane to forget about your dream.  Of course it may be harder to pursue the dream than to live in the "comfort" of "normal".  Don't settle for where you are.  Don't let fear keep you in a rut.

Choose to dream in this season! Be intentional--dream big!!  If you follow your dreams I promise you will Learn to Lean to a whole new degree!

"Go boldly in the direction of your dreams: Live the life you imagined!" -Henry David Thoreau

New Direction

I am someone who does not like for plans to change.  Once I come up with a plan and begin working on it, I focus on plowing through to the plan's completion.  In this past season however, I have realized sometimes change is necessary.  How arrogant and silly to stubbornly hold on to an outdated plan; just because we thought it was the right when we came up with it.

For me this has meant re-evaluating my post-graduation plans.  I am graduating in December and am currently trying to figure out what I'm doing in January.  The idea of not sticking with a Marriage and Family Therapy Degree was challenging but I realized School Counseling was a much better fit.

After I adjusted to that change, the question began to arise of what if immediately going to Grad School isn't the right choice?  I am someone who loves when there is a right choice and a wrong choice.  However, sometimes there are choices and neither one is wrong: Grad school immediately or Grad school in the Fall?

When trying to make such decisions, everyone has an opinion they want to offer.  Sometimes though, you will know what the right choice truly is for you regardless of what others may advise.

My advice to you is to go with your heart.  Live the kind of life you will be proud of in 40 years.  Make decisions now that you won't regret.  Stretch your horizon and broaden your dreams.  Even if it means changing your plans: the joy in living your dreams is so worth the initial discomfort!

If you are attempting to live life leaning on The Lord for direction: He won't let you make the wrong decision. He just isn't like that.  He gives us the desires of our hearts!

Every Season has Purpose

Sometimes, when I look at the current situation I find myself in, I can't help but wonder if what I'm doing has purpose.  I do not want to spend my life busy doing things that don't matter.  Having big dreams can be overwhelming sometimes when I feel "stuck" in the monotonous day to day tasks I find myself engaging in.

This Summer is no different, for the first time in 3 years I will simply be at home: not traveling out of the country to help others or spread the Gospel.  I finally resigned that this would be a season of rest and there must be something I needed to learn from it.  (Rest isn't always bad and is definitely needed--which is a hard lesson for me).  I'm not one who listens to a lot of television preachers but I heard one say the other day that, "If you will sharpen your axe, you will cut more wood in less time".

Do you feel like you're in a season of rest, or being stalled?  Maybe you feel like you are "stuck" in a season of preparation.  I challenge you to lean on the Creator in this season.  There is purpose.  Use this opportunity to prepare yourself for what you see coming.  Use this season to get ready for what you dream of doing.  Dreams can be gradiose and sometimes it's easy to forget that there is a practical, step by step process to engage in daily to reach that dream one day.  Maybe those around you right now need to see the hope of your dream.  Maybe those around you simply need you to be engaged with them: you can spread joy, freedom, peace, and comfort to those around you, regardless of how "stuck" you feel.  Do not wait for a stage or a microphone or another country to afford you the opportunity to impact those around you.

Finish the assignment of the season!  The joy of every season is that at the end, you can look back and see the purpose that the season held.  At the end of this season you can be leaning harder on your Beloved: embrace this season and live it to the fullest.

Catching Up

Hey Everyone,

I am sorry over the amount of time that has passed since my last post.  So much has happened and so many things have changed.

"Change" certainly seems to be the word of the season I am currently in.  I am so thankful that so many of you keep up with me outside of the blog and thus understand what a whirlwind this past semester was for me.  In adidtion to an intense schedule academically I had a couple of volunteer options and am also very involved in the church that I attend.  I made it through successfully though!

2012 was a year of intense traveling for me, in addition to carrying a full load of classes in each semester as well as summer courses.  For those of you that don't know: I have carried such an intense load of classes that I will be graduating in December!  That means I will have successfully completed my 4 year degree in only 2.5 years.  By the time I finally reached May of this year I was quite tired and was very thankful to be entering a Summer of rest.  While some traveling opportunities were opened to me, I felt that, just as the Samaritan Jesus encountered at the well, it was time for me to do some ministry in my hometown and region.

A door to do some youth leadership has opened here in Virginia and I am so excited to be a leader of some discipleship this Summer with my home church here.  I will also get to help them host a youth conference at the end of July, which they have booked me to speak at!  I am very excited about this balance of rest at home as well as ministering to those around me, here.

Thank you for your love and support!

Where ever you find yourself living or stationed in this season: lean in and hear what His assignment is for you!