January 11, 2012 - "Only the Beginning"

I've fallen behind and skipped my November and December updates! (at which some of you probably thought you were off the hook) :) And now it's January. Let me get everybody up to speed.
--------Where I'm at:
I am beginning to pack my bags to head back up to Michigan for my final semester at New Tribes Bible Institute. I have been telling everyone here that my time there has been the best 2 years of my life. And truly, I have been forever altered. I treasure now more than ever the Gospel which is the power to salvation - not just initially but every day as I walk in the power of the new risen life of Christ by the Spirit. Man, how many times in my life have I tried to improve myself - the "old man" - rather than walk in the new? and then only been able to produce the "fruit of Jessica" instead of the fruit of the Spirit. My mind is blown by the realization that this awesome God in the Bible I've devoted 2 years of my life to studying is the same God who has been providing for me endlessly and loving me unconditionally.
--------What I've been learning in classes:
I'm going to give myself a one sentence limit for summarizing November and December - be prepared for the longest sentence you've ever seen in your life. haha Pneumatology was a great class in which I most appreciated the amount of scripture we covered to give me a good sense of what the Word really says concerning the Holy Spirit, Hebrews has never made so much sense in my life! and I loved the teaching style of my prof for that class, and then I started the final block with Ephesians, 1&2 Peter, and Galatians which taught me about the urgent necessity for unity among the Body of Christ, encouraged me in regards to suffering in the life of the believer, and hammered in once again the power of the gospel and the duty we have to keep it from being corrupted - respectively.
--------What's been going on outside of classes:
If I may add a little more to that, at Thanksgiving we renewed our cell phone contract again, so I was able to get a free new phone (Some of you knew that the whole month before Thanksgiving I was phone-less. So, big sigh of relief!), and mid-December I came home and have been able to work a good bit here as well as catch up with friends and family. A few highlights: my Aunt & Uncle came in from Chicago for Christmas and we got to take a day trip to Philadelphia and see the Wanamaker Organ play as well as a number of local sights there and back here in good ol' Lancaster. Then within the next few days all my siblings came trickling in and we were able to have a belated family Christmas this past week with the entire family together for the first time since Michelle got married a year and a half ago - first entire family Christmas since my niece Emma was a baby (she's 9 now).
--------What lies ahead:
It's been a great break and now I look forward to starting a great semester next week. I pray that God will continue to transform my mind with the Truth of His Word, and by His Spirit may that flow into every aspect of my life and relationships. I appreciate your prayers too. I have a lot to think about as I approach graduation in May. The question everyone has been asking me is - so what's next? and I wish I knew. I'm bouncing many ideas/options around in my head. Please pray that this semester will be a very telling one as far as what would be a wise course. I trust that God will continue leading and making my path straight before me as I seek to be obedient and honor Him in all my ways. And prayer too for financial provision. My job situation in Michigan has not improved and so I know that on my own I will never be able to earn enough to keep up with the payments. But two things God has been hammering into me while at school is that 1. if He wants me at school, He will make a way for me to be at school. and 2. I can work my wide-behind off and still fall short because I am not the one to be depended on - He is. I thank Him for the many many times I have had to go running back to His side because I have found myself not as self-sufficient as I thought I was, and I learn to depend on Him alone all over again. I am super humbled and grateful for those who have supported me financially these past 3 semesters and the many more who have encouraged me with their letters, emails, phone calls, and prayers. Those seriously mean so so much to me. Thank you for that and for reading this long update. I am not oblivious to the fact that I am one blessed kid. And all y'all - my friends and family are my blessing. :)
Stepping out into the end of the beginning with Him,
Jessica King
"Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come." - 2 Corinthians 5:17

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