Summer is just around the corner! I'm getting so excited for what God has I store for me. I was accepted to be an intern for Christ in Youth. They put on camps for different age groups. My internship is with the Move group which is for high school students. I get to go to Tennessee for 3 weeks then to California for 3 weeks! How awesome is that!
Right now, I'm to the point that I can't think about the summer. I have to think about now. I'm trying to get through this semester! Trying to remember every assignment, project, and up coming test is coming my way. This week is my last week of classes then I head into finals week. It looks like I will only have 3 finals but I'm scared about them!
God is in control of every aspect of my life. He is in control of my excitement and my anxiety. He is in control of my work life and my personal life.
Summer hurry up and get here!
Saturday, April 27, 2013
Monday, April 22, 2013
Everywhere is Where I Want to Be
This past weekend, I was lucky enough to attend a leadership conference with our BSU leadership team. It was an awesome experience. Not only did I get to hang out with some pretty cool people, I learned some pretty life changing stuff.
I have felt that God has been calling me to the mission field officially since January. I have felt this calling for many years but it never really clicked until then. While I was at the leadership conference in St. Louis, Mo, I was able to attend several break-out sessions pertaining to missions.
The first break out session was titled "Holiness, Hope, and Healing." I knew this session was going to be one about missions so I went. Oh my! It was so deep! The guy, Vernon Burger, was an incrediable speaker with so much to say. He went through the entire bible, pre-Genesis to Revelation, in about 30 minutes. My mind was blown. The one thing I got out of this session was this:
MISSIONS: Proclaim and live out the Gospel of Jesus Christ where the Kingdom of God has not yet been fully realized.
Wow! I had to start asking myself questions. Ok, where on earth has the Gospel of Jesus Christ been fully realized? Nowhere?!? Ok, So I need to be a missionary everywhere I am? Yes!
He went on to say that every Christian has a choice. Do you want to be a missionary or an imposture? My answer is as common as any other Christian. I want to be a missionary. Who wants to be an imposture to the Kingdom of Christ? I think not.
I think this is crucial for us to understand. When I was telling people that I wanted to be in the mission field after I graduated college, I was using future tense. I am going. I need to start using present tense. I am a missionary on my campus. I need to be a missionary on my campus. There are many people on my campus that are not living the life they should be and its plain as day. You don't have to observe long to hear what the guy next to you in class did this past weekend.
Ok so now you're asking, "Well ok Kristin I get your point but I don't know how to do this? It scares me!" Well, you want to know a secret? It scares me, too. I'm learning to get out of my comfort zone. I'm learning that being shy doesn't get you anywhere. I'm learning that the only way to get things done is by talking to someone. So my answer is go talk to someone. The only way to share the love of Christ is by choosing to talk to someone. Choosing to overcome you fears is key. I do not like talking to people I don't know but I know that it is crucial to form relationships with my fellow classmates is the only way I can help them see how I live and the reasons why I live the way I do. I don't have to go out and get drunk and sleep around to have fun. That isn't the only way.
While you are getting out of your comfort zone and talking to people outside of your little bubble, make sure that it is a dialogue. Make sure that you aren't just talking to them. You need to be talking with them. Make sure that they know that you struggle, too. Don't be overwhelming. The most important part of all of this is to pay attention. Pay attention and make sure you aren't being overwhelming. Pay attention and make sure you aren't having a monologue. Pay attention and make sure that you are inviting.
This stuff is so much deeper than what I went through here today. I hope this can help someone out there because I know that it has helped me understand what I need to work on.
Kristin
Isaiah 41:10
I have felt that God has been calling me to the mission field officially since January. I have felt this calling for many years but it never really clicked until then. While I was at the leadership conference in St. Louis, Mo, I was able to attend several break-out sessions pertaining to missions.
The first break out session was titled "Holiness, Hope, and Healing." I knew this session was going to be one about missions so I went. Oh my! It was so deep! The guy, Vernon Burger, was an incrediable speaker with so much to say. He went through the entire bible, pre-Genesis to Revelation, in about 30 minutes. My mind was blown. The one thing I got out of this session was this:
MISSIONS: Proclaim and live out the Gospel of Jesus Christ where the Kingdom of God has not yet been fully realized.
Wow! I had to start asking myself questions. Ok, where on earth has the Gospel of Jesus Christ been fully realized? Nowhere?!? Ok, So I need to be a missionary everywhere I am? Yes!
He went on to say that every Christian has a choice. Do you want to be a missionary or an imposture? My answer is as common as any other Christian. I want to be a missionary. Who wants to be an imposture to the Kingdom of Christ? I think not.
I think this is crucial for us to understand. When I was telling people that I wanted to be in the mission field after I graduated college, I was using future tense. I am going. I need to start using present tense. I am a missionary on my campus. I need to be a missionary on my campus. There are many people on my campus that are not living the life they should be and its plain as day. You don't have to observe long to hear what the guy next to you in class did this past weekend.
Ok so now you're asking, "Well ok Kristin I get your point but I don't know how to do this? It scares me!" Well, you want to know a secret? It scares me, too. I'm learning to get out of my comfort zone. I'm learning that being shy doesn't get you anywhere. I'm learning that the only way to get things done is by talking to someone. So my answer is go talk to someone. The only way to share the love of Christ is by choosing to talk to someone. Choosing to overcome you fears is key. I do not like talking to people I don't know but I know that it is crucial to form relationships with my fellow classmates is the only way I can help them see how I live and the reasons why I live the way I do. I don't have to go out and get drunk and sleep around to have fun. That isn't the only way.
While you are getting out of your comfort zone and talking to people outside of your little bubble, make sure that it is a dialogue. Make sure that you aren't just talking to them. You need to be talking with them. Make sure that they know that you struggle, too. Don't be overwhelming. The most important part of all of this is to pay attention. Pay attention and make sure you aren't being overwhelming. Pay attention and make sure you aren't having a monologue. Pay attention and make sure that you are inviting.
This stuff is so much deeper than what I went through here today. I hope this can help someone out there because I know that it has helped me understand what I need to work on.
Kristin
Isaiah 41:10
Thursday, April 18, 2013
Crash and Burn to Awesomeness
Ok so your probably wondering how can you crash and burn and it be awesome. This is my experience with what I'm meaning but I have to start from the very beginning:
In high school, my friends were trying to get me to stay in my little hometown and go to the local community college. It sounded great. I wouldn't have to get out of my comfort zone. I wouldn't have to try and make new friends. I would just stay in my own little bubble.
God had a different plan though. He wanted me to go to school in Joplin. When I was trying to decide what major to pick, I finally settled with Special Education but I still wasn't 100% satisfied with my choice.
I started taking classes still questioning what I wanted to do. Then my sophomore year, my dad was diagnosed with stage 4 cancer and I had to make a decision on whether to stay in Joplin or whether to move back home and help my mom and dad out while he was going through treatment. Of course, I moved back home. I started questioning what I wanted to do even more. I started going to dad's doctors appointments and started thinking nursing could be my thing. I love taking care of people and nursing is just so perfect for doing just that.
During Dad's final days in the hospital, I decided that I should change to nursing. I felt God telling me that I care for people in that way. I started taking pre req classes for nursing but my grades were not showing how much I was learning. I mean my grades were not terrible but not good enough for the program.
In the mean time, I moved back to Joplin. Still a nursing major but it just wasn't cutting it. I finally changed back to education. It has been the best move that I have made. I absolutely love teaching kids. I love interacting with kids. I was right God was telling me that I can take care of people but i was wrong about nursing them back to health. I can take care of people by teaching children and showing them my love. I think this is another reason why I'm being called to the mission field but that's a whole other story.
Nursing was a total crash and burn experience for me but it has brought me to a complete awesome place. I wouldn't trade where I am with anything. God has showed me that trusting and listening to him is the utmost important thing I can do. If I would have listened a little harder, I would have known that nursing wasn't for me.
I'm ecstatic that God has truly revealed to me my purpose and what I'm suppose to do and I can't wait until I can fulfill it.
Kristin
Isaiah 41:10
In high school, my friends were trying to get me to stay in my little hometown and go to the local community college. It sounded great. I wouldn't have to get out of my comfort zone. I wouldn't have to try and make new friends. I would just stay in my own little bubble.
God had a different plan though. He wanted me to go to school in Joplin. When I was trying to decide what major to pick, I finally settled with Special Education but I still wasn't 100% satisfied with my choice.
I started taking classes still questioning what I wanted to do. Then my sophomore year, my dad was diagnosed with stage 4 cancer and I had to make a decision on whether to stay in Joplin or whether to move back home and help my mom and dad out while he was going through treatment. Of course, I moved back home. I started questioning what I wanted to do even more. I started going to dad's doctors appointments and started thinking nursing could be my thing. I love taking care of people and nursing is just so perfect for doing just that.
During Dad's final days in the hospital, I decided that I should change to nursing. I felt God telling me that I care for people in that way. I started taking pre req classes for nursing but my grades were not showing how much I was learning. I mean my grades were not terrible but not good enough for the program.
In the mean time, I moved back to Joplin. Still a nursing major but it just wasn't cutting it. I finally changed back to education. It has been the best move that I have made. I absolutely love teaching kids. I love interacting with kids. I was right God was telling me that I can take care of people but i was wrong about nursing them back to health. I can take care of people by teaching children and showing them my love. I think this is another reason why I'm being called to the mission field but that's a whole other story.
Nursing was a total crash and burn experience for me but it has brought me to a complete awesome place. I wouldn't trade where I am with anything. God has showed me that trusting and listening to him is the utmost important thing I can do. If I would have listened a little harder, I would have known that nursing wasn't for me.
I'm ecstatic that God has truly revealed to me my purpose and what I'm suppose to do and I can't wait until I can fulfill it.
Kristin
Isaiah 41:10
Monday, April 15, 2013
Don't Stop the Chaos
I would consider my life to be absolutely chaotic. Everyday I have more and more things to do. I go to school. I have two part time jobs. I'm on the leadership team for the local Baptist Student Union. I'm getting ready for a summer internship. I have so much stuff that needs to get done and not a whole lot of time to do it. For school, it's getting down to the nitty gritty. I'm currently studying to be an elementary school teacher and with that comes a lot of projects, presentations, teaching lessons, and observation hours. It gets a little hectic to say the least. But with all of this going on, I wouldn't pray to God to stop any of it.
I love what I do. I love the school I go to (most of the time). I love the BSU. I love the degree I'm pursuing. I wouldn't change my jobs. Everything is working out to the best it has ever been.
God is opening doors for my life and it is absolutely awesome. He is giving me the opportunity to be apart of this great organization this summer. I will be helping put together church camps for high school students. It's going to be incrediable. I'm also getting the opportunity to put together an international mission trip.
I'm super excited of what God has in store for me. I know that he has a great plan for me and I wouldn't Stop the Chaos right now.
Kristin
Isaiah 41:10
I love what I do. I love the school I go to (most of the time). I love the BSU. I love the degree I'm pursuing. I wouldn't change my jobs. Everything is working out to the best it has ever been.
God is opening doors for my life and it is absolutely awesome. He is giving me the opportunity to be apart of this great organization this summer. I will be helping put together church camps for high school students. It's going to be incrediable. I'm also getting the opportunity to put together an international mission trip.
I'm super excited of what God has in store for me. I know that he has a great plan for me and I wouldn't Stop the Chaos right now.
Kristin
Isaiah 41:10
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