Well, it’s been about two weeks since I sat down to write. Even though I love to write, I’ve been writing and writing lately for school, and I guess I simply needed a writing break :) Last week I reached an important milestone in my life that I never thought would come. I was able to finish graduate school! It was a very long road with many ups and downs, and I know without a doubt that it is only by God’s grace and sustaining strength that I have been able to complete this goal! Although the school days are now behind me, the lessons I have learned will last a lifetime. Through my years in college (what seem like many!) I have learned more than just lessons in academics. I have learned some valuable life lessons. Here I would like to share just four of them with you. Whatever milestone you are trying to reach in your own life, I hope these lessons will provide the encouragement that you need.
1. Don’t let fear hold you back!
Life is uncertain and daunting sometimes but we must face our fears head on if we want to see God do great things in our lives. I am sometimes a shy person in group settings and when I’m first getting to know people. My greatest fear when beginning my graduate program was that my somewhat shy personality would prevent me from being the type of teacher that I hoped to be. I am not the type of girl that likes to be the center of attention, which means that sometimes it is difficult for me to stand in front of groups of people, not to mention a whole classroom of adult students. What God has taught me, though, is that rather than allowing my fears to dictate the path I take in life, I need to allow the passions that God has instilled in me to push me forward. When pursuing my teaching program, I decided not to let fear get the best of me. My passion for teaching and helping others is strong enough that I can put aside the fears that creep in. When God is by our side, no matter how much uncertainty we may be facing, we really don’t have anything to fear!
Psalm 27:1 says, “The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? the Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?”
God lights our way and gives us strength for the journey. A long time ago I heard a really good quote in a movie that has stuck with me ever since. It said, “Never let the fear of striking out keep you from playing the game.” If we always fear what could happen in a given situation, we never will go forward to accomplish anything. If you are presented with a unique opportunity in life, don’t let that opportunity pass you by because of fear. You never know what doors God will open if you just take that step of faith. Life is too short to live in fear. Trust God instead!
2. “If at first you don’t succeed, try, Try, TRY again!”
Don’t get discouraged in the process. For graduate school, my biggest challenge was writing my thesis. It seemed that no matter what I wrote my advisors would always find something I needed to correct. It was hard sometimes not to get discouraged when I thought I was doing a super good job, but then they’d send back my draft and it would have red markings all over it. What I learned, though, is that all those setbacks were actually blessings in disguise. They all prepared me to complete a project at the end that I can be proud of. The same is true in our lives. Things don’t always have to be perfect all along the way in order to reach a beautiful end. The difficult things along life’s journey are meant to prepare us for God’s plan for our lives. We need to thank God for the challenges. Just remember: “No pain? No gain!”
At the end of Hebrews 12:1, the Bible says, “Let us run with patience the race that is set before us.” Sometimes we just have to be patient and take some detours before we reach the destination.
3. Take time to stop and smell the roses.
While school was a very important part of my life for quite a long time, I learned that it was important to maintain other priorities in my life as well. God wants our lives to be balanced. Work is definitely important, but God also wants us to enjoy the journey that He has given us. Taking time out of the crazy-ness of life to do something fun with a family member or close friend is sometimes what it takes to give us that extra ounce of strength that we need to keep pressing forward toward the finish line. Sometimes in life we have to remember to set aside the work and focus on cherishing the other blessings God has given us.
One verse of Scripture that I think is very important to remember is Proverbs 27:17. It says, “Iron sharpeneth iron; so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend.” God intended us to take time out of our busy schedules to develop relationships that will build us up and “sharpen” us for what life may bring next.
4. Never become too busy for God.
College is often one of the most busy times of our lives, and we often need to make sacrifices in order to get the things done that we need to. One of the obvious things most college students cut is their sleep, but perhaps the biggest things that sadly get cut are the things that build our walk with the Lord—church attendance, time spent in prayer and Bible study, time with Christian friends, etc. To be honest, there are times when I’ve slipped in my own spiritual walk, and it was during those times that I felt like life was at its lowest. God has always shown me that I have the most strength and the most peace and contentment when I make Him a part of my every day life.
My favorite Bible verse without a doubt is Isaiah 40:31, “But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.” When I take time to make God a part of my day, my day goes a whole lot better! It’s like I have a new strength that can soar like an eagle above some of the things that would normally usually throw me off and leave me discouraged.
These are just a few short and sweet things that I learned along my journey in the academic world. School is much more than the papers, assignments, exams, and getting the grade :) Perhaps they can help you on yours! Happy Monday everyone! :)
Photo Credit:
http://www.bubblews.com/news/74238-life-is-a-journey
Life is uncertain and daunting sometimes but we must face our fears head on if we want to see God do great things in our lives. I am sometimes a shy person in group settings and when I’m first getting to know people. My greatest fear when beginning my graduate program was that my somewhat shy personality would prevent me from being the type of teacher that I hoped to be. I am not the type of girl that likes to be the center of attention, which means that sometimes it is difficult for me to stand in front of groups of people, not to mention a whole classroom of adult students. What God has taught me, though, is that rather than allowing my fears to dictate the path I take in life, I need to allow the passions that God has instilled in me to push me forward. When pursuing my teaching program, I decided not to let fear get the best of me. My passion for teaching and helping others is strong enough that I can put aside the fears that creep in. When God is by our side, no matter how much uncertainty we may be facing, we really don’t have anything to fear!
Psalm 27:1 says, “The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? the Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?”
God lights our way and gives us strength for the journey. A long time ago I heard a really good quote in a movie that has stuck with me ever since. It said, “Never let the fear of striking out keep you from playing the game.” If we always fear what could happen in a given situation, we never will go forward to accomplish anything. If you are presented with a unique opportunity in life, don’t let that opportunity pass you by because of fear. You never know what doors God will open if you just take that step of faith. Life is too short to live in fear. Trust God instead!
2. “If at first you don’t succeed, try, Try, TRY again!”
Don’t get discouraged in the process. For graduate school, my biggest challenge was writing my thesis. It seemed that no matter what I wrote my advisors would always find something I needed to correct. It was hard sometimes not to get discouraged when I thought I was doing a super good job, but then they’d send back my draft and it would have red markings all over it. What I learned, though, is that all those setbacks were actually blessings in disguise. They all prepared me to complete a project at the end that I can be proud of. The same is true in our lives. Things don’t always have to be perfect all along the way in order to reach a beautiful end. The difficult things along life’s journey are meant to prepare us for God’s plan for our lives. We need to thank God for the challenges. Just remember: “No pain? No gain!”
At the end of Hebrews 12:1, the Bible says, “Let us run with patience the race that is set before us.” Sometimes we just have to be patient and take some detours before we reach the destination.
3. Take time to stop and smell the roses.
While school was a very important part of my life for quite a long time, I learned that it was important to maintain other priorities in my life as well. God wants our lives to be balanced. Work is definitely important, but God also wants us to enjoy the journey that He has given us. Taking time out of the crazy-ness of life to do something fun with a family member or close friend is sometimes what it takes to give us that extra ounce of strength that we need to keep pressing forward toward the finish line. Sometimes in life we have to remember to set aside the work and focus on cherishing the other blessings God has given us.
One verse of Scripture that I think is very important to remember is Proverbs 27:17. It says, “Iron sharpeneth iron; so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend.” God intended us to take time out of our busy schedules to develop relationships that will build us up and “sharpen” us for what life may bring next.
4. Never become too busy for God.
College is often one of the most busy times of our lives, and we often need to make sacrifices in order to get the things done that we need to. One of the obvious things most college students cut is their sleep, but perhaps the biggest things that sadly get cut are the things that build our walk with the Lord—church attendance, time spent in prayer and Bible study, time with Christian friends, etc. To be honest, there are times when I’ve slipped in my own spiritual walk, and it was during those times that I felt like life was at its lowest. God has always shown me that I have the most strength and the most peace and contentment when I make Him a part of my every day life.
My favorite Bible verse without a doubt is Isaiah 40:31, “But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.” When I take time to make God a part of my day, my day goes a whole lot better! It’s like I have a new strength that can soar like an eagle above some of the things that would normally usually throw me off and leave me discouraged.
These are just a few short and sweet things that I learned along my journey in the academic world. School is much more than the papers, assignments, exams, and getting the grade :) Perhaps they can help you on yours! Happy Monday everyone! :)
Photo Credit:
http://www.bubblews.com/news/74238-life-is-a-journey