motivation for reading: super-soaker and a BA

Pretty sure that my present-day life is reading books. When I get finished with one, I write a paper about it and pick up the next one. After I finish a chapter or section I “reward” myself by changing my reading location (from the floor to the bed, from the bed to the chair, from the chair to the floor) or do other fun activities like go to the bathroom.

Coffee is my friend.

It's so much fun...especially since reading has always been my favorite thing to do…

I remember when my parents bribed (they would probably describe it as “rewarding” or “encouraging”) me to read x amount of books over the summer with $10 of spending money. It must have worked, because I remember buying a super-soaker water gun (I still have it too!)

But pretty sure I wouldn’t be going through all of this for a super-soaker. If only $10 would buy a Bachelors of Arts degree. Turns out a BA costs a little bit more money than that AND, wouldn’t you know, it requires reading!?

DON’T GET ME WRONG, I’m enjoying what I am reading and God is teaching me through it. I’m also thankful that people are supporting me during this time, so I am able to get this better-than-a-super-soaker-BA debt free!!

Enough about the college life (take 2)…

Two weekends ago I took these pictures while with some Greer’s in Springfield, MO area (Brighton and Silver Dollar City) MO.

Good times!

Back to College Life

Here I am in Kansas City, MO at College. To be honest, I haven’t exactly been excited about this “opportunity” to be back at College. I feel like I’ve been there and done that and would like to move on to “bigger and better” things than dorm life, dress codes and papers. God is still working on my heart to enjoy my time being here, because I know where this is where He wants me, for now.

I’m thankful for the opportunity to get my accredited bachelor’s degree – and move one step closer to getting credentials to teach English in Russia. Praise God for His provision of funds to go back to college (being a student is surprisingly stinkin’ expensive).

I am also thankful that CBC has a good non-traditional studies program (online classes, correspondence courses, independent studies and intensive night courses) that enable me to remain flexible to travel and be at home with family while working on completing 33 credit hours (needed to get my BA…don’t worry, I’m not taking all of these 33 at the same time). I will have to be here in Kansas City, on campus through September 27^th.

There’s some really neat students here – and although they make me feel “old” – it is encouraging to see their desire to serve the Lord.

God is using the classes to teach me more about Himself and myself. In my night class last Thursday God used the teacher and homework to show me that my focus was off. I realized that I was focusing on my goals, plans and tasks ahead of me (and finding myself over whelmed, exhausted and inadequate). You might be like me and think, “What’s so bad about focusing on your goals?” You’re right, it’s not “bad”, in fact I would say that it is “good”. The problem is that it is not the “best” thing to focus on. Because I was not focusing on Jesus, I was becoming overwhelmed and forgetting my purpose in accomplishing my goals and Who was my motivation in accomplishing them.

Praise God for His Holy Spirit that helps keep us inline. In Sunday School the teacher referred to the Holy Spirit as like the rumble strips on the high-way of life. He alerts us to know that we are veering off the path of God’s best, God’s will. May I be able to keep my focus on Jesus – who is going in front of me making the crooked places straight (a reference to Isaiah 45:2 - one of my Grandma’s favorite verses to quote to her grandkids).

Matthew 11:28-30 continues to be words of Christ that bring comfort and strength – “Come to me, all of you who are tired and have heavy loads, and I will give you rest. Accept my teachings and learn from mw, because I am gentle and humble in spirit, and you will find rest for your lives. The burden that I ask you to accept is easy; the load I give you to carry is light.”