October 30, 2011 - "O is for October"

And O is for "O my gee! It's practically November!" How in the world did that happen...

Life is never dull here, and October just confirms that. I think every weekend was packed down to the last minute. First it was work, then it was Romans outlines, then the DRAMA team was here and we did a lot at my church, then a couple from my school did a concert, I got a surprise visit with my old roommate Lindsey Kuyt, I went up to Lansing for Silent Word Ministry's Fantastic Saturday and got to catch up a little bit with my friends Jim and Terry Bracelin and brush up on my sign language too, and this weekend was the Tribal Cup which is where my school plays a whole bunch of sports against the other New Tribers from our Wuakesha, Wisconsin Campus. I guess it's been the month of catching up with people and I have loved that so much. :)

There were a few things this month that honestly have just been hard. First was that I ended up quitting my second job. It was way more than I could handle. So after two 36-hour work weeks and two all-nighter's and still not getting all my homework done on time, I decided it was not going to work. I know there was potential [not a guarantee] for the schedule to get better if I could just wait a week, but I really couldn't afford to do that, academically. So I told them that at this time it didn't seem like our schedules were going to work together very well and they were fine with that. I feel good about that decision but at the same time I realize that the repercussion is that my finances are not as secure as they could have been and as I wanted them to be. And I thought that I could get all these hours back at my old job since they had been asking me to take them, but the day I quit was the same day they hired some new staff, so the hours that I had before were no longer available. This means that I'm back on the morning shifts at Tee Tee's Place for now. Also last week I lost my cell phone and it still hasn't turned up. That makes life a little more complicated, but over all it hasn't been as much of an inconvenience as I thought it would be. I guess all of that combined with a few little things just had me pretty discouraged for a little while, but man, how discouraged can I get at a school that keeps me in the Word daily? I love this quote from my Romans textbook: "Sometimes the will of God leads you into places that you cannot see the reason for, and it seems that everything is going wrong. But remember that *His* will is perfect. No matter how devious the way may be, His will is perfect because "He knows the end from the beginning"." ("Romans: The Gospel of God's Grace" by Alva J. McClain, p. 209)

This last block of classes I was in Soteriology (the study of salvation), Romans, and 2 Corinthians. Man, God has just been really challenging all my preconcieved ideas and views on life and pushing me to evaluate - am I really, unconditionally, unselfishly, proactively ministering to those around me with grace regardless of what it might do to my "image"? Am I thriving or striving? And then encouraging me at the same time with the incredible freedom that comes from knowing that I'm justified before God, Identified with Christ in His death and resurrection, and all I have to do is appropriate that which is already mine because of those facts. I'm kind of sad to see this block end - especially Romans since I've had it for the last 3 blocks. It's been a mind-blowingly awesome class and I thank only the Lord for the work I see Him doing through it. I am excited though for the next block. I'll be in Pneumatology (the study of the Holy Spirit) and Hebrews, and I'm auditing and elective on the Love of God. It's going to be smashing :)

Outside of all that, youth group has been a mix of cool and confusing. We've been having a few more people showing up lately, our peak night being the night that the DRAMA team was here and I don't think most of them actually knew the team was going to be there. I'm really hoping that God spoke to them through that. I know a week later the girls were still talking about the team and singing some of the songs the team mimed to. So, that was encouraging. At the same time, last week we had some of the teens just being disruptive and hard to connect with. So just pray that God would help us as we build relationships with them and that they would have ears to hear and eyes to see the Truth they're needing.

Thanks as always for your continued prayers and encouragement.They honestly mean the world to me, and at times carry me through the hard days. God is faithful and He is good, and the more I learr about Him - the more I seem to love Him afresh.

Blessings,

Jessica King