Psalm 86

I am still wrestling with my job situation and the anxiety attached to it.    I opened up my bible.  In the front of the bible I see a post-it note that reads: Psalm 85:12.    I turn to the scripture and read:

“The LORD will indeed give what is good, and our land will yield its harvest.”

~Psalm 85:12

It was a great scripture and I needed to read it.  So I kept reading.   I love reading the Psalms.   Have you ever noticed that David always starts off the Psalms by being anxious and asking GOD where he went or asking for help, and he finishes by proclaiming the Glory of GOD?    I read Psalm 86, and it was exactly what I needed to hear.   What a powerful passage from the word of GOD in my time if need. 

Here is Psalm 86:

“Hear, O LORD, and answer me, for I am poor and needy.  Guard my life for I am devoted to you.  You are my GOD; save your servant who trusts in you.  Have mercy on me O LORD for I call to you all day long.  Bring joy to your servant for to you, O LORD I lift up my soul.    You are forgiving and good, O LORD, abounding in love to all who call to you.  Hear my prayer, O LORD; listen to my cry for mercy.  In the day of my trouble I will call to you, for you will answer me.   Among the gods there is none like you, O LORD.  No deeds can compare with yours.  All the nations you have made will come and worship before you O LORD.   They will bring glory to your name.  For you are great and do marvelous deeds; you alone are GOD.  Teach me your way,  O LORD and I will walk in your truth.  Give me an undivided heart that I may fear your name.  I will praise you, O LORD my GOD with all my heart.  I will glorify your name forever.   For great is your love toward me; you have delivered me from the depths of the grave.    The arrogant are attacking me, O GOD; a band of ruthless men seeks my life- men without regard for you.  But you, O LORD are a compassionate and gracious GOD, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness.  Turn to me and have mercy on me; grant your strength to your servant and save the son of your maidservant.   Give me a sign of your goodness, that my enemies may see it and be put to shame, for you O LORD, have helped me and comforted me. “

~Psalm 86

Great Compromise

I have several unmarried friends who are playing with fire when it comes to dating.  They are Christian women and they are compromising their beliefs and devaluating their walk with Christ.   I am going to call this the great compromise.  Women desire marriage and will settle for less than GOD has planned.  The words in purple are actual things that have been said by friends of mine. 

GREAT Compromise #1:  The married man.

 “He is still technically married, BUT he and his wife have not lived together in 4 years and she lives in a different state.”

“He is married BUT his wife and him are having trouble.  He and I both feel this chemistry.  I am praying for him to leave his wife.”

            SERIOUSLY!?!?!?!?  GOD does not want you anywhere near a married man.  This is a very bad idea ladies!  It does not matter how cute he is, he is MARRIED.. so he is off limits!  I limit my interactions with married men and I typically prefer the company of their wives.   Married men are BROTHERS in Christ.   That’s the end!  GOD does not want you to pray that a marriage ends because of your weird affair with some woman’s husband.   If a married man is flirting or show you attention, RUN.. That’s a red flag!

GREAT Compromise #2:  The guy who is not an equal

“He is currently unemployed, BUT he treats me so good.”

“I know I have a PhD, BUT he works really hard with his job at Friday’s and he would like to go back to school someday”

            I often get called an “Elitist” because I desire to marry a guy who has the same level of education and pay I do.   I must admit I am a teacher so it’s not like I am making 6 figures here, but I struggle to find a guy who offers the same things I do.   I understand why these ladies compromise.  They don’t want to be alone and would rather settle than take the chance of staying single.   I must admit I have done the same thing in the past, and I have found it never works out.   It’s hard to respect a guy who does not have the same level of education you have.  It’s hard to respect a guy who does not make the same amount of money you do.    Instead of feeling blessed by the relationship, it will feel like a burden because you will spend your days picking up the slack of someone who is not your equal.

GREAT Compromise #3: He’s not a Christian

“He is not a Christian BUT he is willing to go to church with me.  Maybe GOD wants me to bring him to the Lord.”

“There are no Christian guys out there and this one at least has some things in common with me”

  The bible is very clear when it warns us to stay away from non-believers. You know that verse about being unequally yoked.  (2 Corinthians 6:14)  What does righteousness and wickedness have in common?   I have seen many women date men who are not Christians in hopes of helping the man become saved, but often the man leads the women into doing things that are not very Christ-like and the women is left in a pile of sorrow and regrets.                                                                                   

                                                                                                                                                Ladies, we need to learn to wait on GOD to bring us the perfect man!

~Sunny :D

Anxiety

I am searching for a new job.  In my heart I believe that GOD wants me to leave the school I am currently teaching at and move to a new school.              I love my students and I like the other teachers in my building but things between my principal and I have gotten increasingly worse.   We are like oil and vinegar~ we don’t mix.

            I had a promising interview on Wednesday and I was supposed to hear back from the principal on Friday.  He promised to call me even if I didn’t get the job.  I waited and waiting and the phone never rang.   I suspect I did not get the job~ or perhaps I am his second choice and he is waiting to hear back from his first choice.

            I cried.  I worried.  I was filled with incredible anxiety.  I was filled with fear that I would have to stay somewhere that makes me unhappy.    Right now there are NO good positions available in my district other than the one I interviewed at.  I sat there crying for almost two hours thinking up all of the worst-case scenarios I could possibly think up.  I continued to spiral into deeper and deeper depression as I determined that my career was over; therefore my life was not worth living either.

In short~ I forgot who I belong to.

I am a child of the one true King!    How quickly I forgot the promises of GOD:

“The LORD himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.  Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged”

~Deuteronomy 7:8

“If GOD is for us, who can be against us?  He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all- how will he not also, along with him graciously give us all things?”

~Romans 8:31-32

“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear.  Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes?  Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them.  Are you not much more valuable than they?”

~Matthew 6:25-26

            How silly my anxiety seems when it’s compared to the glory of the King!  How short my life is on earth?  GOD has always provided a job for me.    He promises to go before me and make a way for me.   I should not be discouraged because the GOD of the universe calls me beloved and will help me in my time of need.   I don’t need to be afraid or discouraged.    Instead of getting upset that I didn’t get this job I need to rest in GOD’s grace that I did not get that job because there is something better coming up!  He knows what is best for me and I need to lean on HIS throne and find my peace!

~Sunny :D

Christians over-think the will of GOD....

I think Christians over-think the will of GOD.  I am guilty of this too, especially when I am making life-changing decisions.   Which car should I buy?  Which house should I live in?  Which job should I take?

            What is the will of GOD?  It is very simple:  LOVE JESUS, follow JESUS and tell others about him.  TA-DA!   There is no mystery, the bible is very clear.  The will of GOD is for EVERYONE To learn about JESUS.  

            Anything else in life does not really matter as long as you hold onto this fundamental point.   I don’t think GOD cares about which car you buy as much as he cares about how you act when you are in car.   I don’t think GOD cares which house you buy as much as he cares about how you act in that house.    Solomon was correct in Ecclesiastes when he stated: “Everything in life is meaningless”.   It does not matter.   The only thing in life that really matters is JESUS!

            When I reach heaven, I won’t care which job I worked at, or which college I attended.   I will just be happy to be with JESUS.   Our life on earth is just a short piece of eternity.    Christians need to remember that our life is not about us, but it’s about JESUS.

THE WILL OF GOD

LOVE JESUS:

“Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.  This is the first and greatest commandment.”

~Matthew 22:37-38

FOLLOW JESUS:

“If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.”

~ Luke 9:23

TELL OTHERS about JESUS:

“Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation.  Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.”

~Mark 16:15

“Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing the in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.”

~Matthew 28: 18-19

~Sunny :D

Dr. Seuss

      I was reading the book: "Many Colored Days" by Dr. Seuss to my students today.    Each color is supposed to represent a different feeling or emotion.  Pink is happy, blue is calm, stuff like that.

 I read this:

"Grey day, everything is grey.    I watch but nothing moves today."

I know that feeling.

I have decided to leave my school and teach in a different location.  I turned down a position because I believe that GOD wanted something else for me.   I felt lead to take a different job in a different school.   I was excited to work in this new location..

Until...

I found out...

The position has already been filled.

This is the  SECOND time this has happened to me in the last two weeks.

I am questioning GOD.   I am asking him what I am supposed to do.  In my heart I know he wants me to switch schools and I don't know why or how it is going to happen.

Then I begin to question myself..Maybe I am being to hasty or picky?   Maybe I need to change my attitude?  Then something happens at my school to reinforce the idea that it is time to leave.

All I am seeing is closed doors.   I drove home from work today in tears (again) and I actually said out loud: "Oh, look, McDonalds is hiring."

What a silly thought..

I trust GOD~  But I don't trust myself.  I am afraid I will miss the job the LORD wants for me because I keep chasing after the closed doors.

I am sitting here watching life... and nothing is moving.

I don't want to rush GOD (GOD's timing is perfect right?)   Contracts are due in 2 weeks.  I have 14 days to find a new job. I don't want to sign the contract I have UNLESS I can find a different school to go to.

I am chasing after all the opportunities I hear about, but finding that I am always "Just a day too late".

"Trust in the LORD and lean not on your own understanding.  In all ways acknowledge him and HE will direct your paths."

~Sunny :D

Job Switch

      Teaching contracts came out on Friday~ and with them a host of available jobs have become open at multiple schools.   I am going to be honest and say... I had a panic attack.  I am not very good at making decisions and due to the fact that the last time I "switched" schools I ended up in such a bad situation only made me trust my decision making skills less.

     The temptation to go to a situation I am familiar with was very strong.   So strong that I contacted the principal and practically signed the contract to work for her next year.  I worked with that principal at a different school.    I know what the expectations are.  I was excited that it was so easy for me to find a new job and thought: "Good, now I can go back to my regularly scheduled life."

Then I prayed about it~ and GOD did not agree with me.

     Rather, I am feeling led to take a different job.  A job where I don't know what to expect.  Teaching something I am not very familiar with.  I am good friends with one of the women who works at that school and her room will be right next to mine.

      She is not a Christian. She is Jewish, but we have had some intense conversations about why I believe that Jesus is the Messiah.    This made me think of when Apostle Paul said this:

"I have become all things for all people so that by all possible means I might save some.   I do all this for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in it's blessings"
~1 Corinthians 9: 22-23
     
I truly believe this is the school GOD wants me to teach at.   LORD, open that door!

~Sunny :D

Lead me... But please don't lead me on!

      I am a strong women of GOD.   I am also very old fashioned.  I don't ask guys out on dates.  I don't even really form friendships with guys unless he is the one to initiate it.  I don't believe it is my job.   My job, as a lady is to WAIT.

     I am a strong women of GOD.  I am also very picky.  I won't settle for just any old guy who shows interest.  I am seeking a guy who shares similar education, values, and income level as me.    If the friendships I seek require those traits, than why should I seek to marry a man who does not met these requirements?

    I am a strong woman of GOD.  I also hate it when guys play games.   It is not ok to act like you want a relationship from me for your own agenda~ and then drop me when I have served your "purpose" for me.    It breaks my heart when I feel led on by you.

That behavior leads to this:
 
    I am a strong woman of GOD~ and I am also very hesitant about love.    I have been burned too many times~ I am afraid to try again.

It also leads to this:
   
     I am a strong women of GOD~ and I have lost my intuition when it comes to love.  I can't tell by your "hints" that you are interested in me.  I am not a mind reader.

What do I need?

 I need more than hints.  I need more than hesitations.   I need a date.   I need you to be strait with your intentions.  I need the truth from you.

Why?
     I have been led on too many times.   I have gotten my heart thrown into a blender too many times.  I have been hurt too many times.  I am afraid to try.  I am hesitant to believe that something good could come along.  I am hesitant to trust your pursuit unless I fully understand the context behind it.

So..

If you "just want to be friends" please tell me.  (But do so gently)
If you want a relationship, please tell me.

If you are not sure, please leave me alone until you figure it out.  But above all else

Please....


Please....

DO NOT LEAD ME ON!

I am better off when you leave me alone to be with my Savior.   JESUS loves me and he leads me beside still waters.   He leads me into his loving arms!

I am a typical girl.   I do not appreciate being led on.... But I long to find a man who loves JESUS and loves me enough to lead me!