Thankful Thursday 9/11/08

I really missed posting my thankful list last Thursday! To be honest, I was having one of those weeks where I felt like I was treading water and having a hard time staying afloat. Please, hear from my heart: I'm not complaining or whining I'm just keeping it real.

Before class dismissed this past Friday, the professor said, "Oh yeah! I almost forgot. I need you to write a 4 to 5 page New Critical essay of one of two poems and it is due Monday plus here is a new poem to read and type your answers to 5 questions. I hope you didn't have any plans for the weekend!"


Are you kidding me??? I had a HUGE weekend ahead and I was worried about fitting my assignments into the schedule. I already posted about Friday and Saturday in my Tackle it post from Tuesday. Sunday arrived with excitement for the first day of our new Children's Worship. We had 6 children out of 10 on our roll! I was ecstatic! They were such a blast. The theme for the week is: I obey God because I trust Him.
Hmmmm I don't think that was just meant for my little 1st and 2nd graders. I knew that after church, our chicken and rice would be ready at home, we could eat, take a short nap, and then I could work on my essay. Oh, that would have worked out so nicely, but it didn't happen.
The chairman of the Youth Minister Search Committee that I am a part of said he was moving our 5:30 meeting up to 4:00! There went my time for writing, but I felt like God was asking me to trust Him.
I decided that after the meeting I would skip church (isn't that terrible) and go home to Mr. Incredible, who wasn't feeling well, and then I could write my essay. Oh, that would have worked out so nicely, but it didn't happen.
God began to convict my heart that it might just become a stumbling block to other church members if they saw me at our committee meeting but didn't stay for church. I stayed at church of course. I had an hour between our meeting and church and God encouraged me to work on the following Sunday's media presentation.
I really enjoy this ministry. I went upstairs and began putting fall slides together with scripture for our pre-worship announcements and ran across this one:

I felt like God was reconfirming His call on my life to be a teacher and encouraging my heart that He is going to complete this work in my life. The day is coming, so hold on my child and be confident in Me. Isn't that just like our God!

I felt a peace in my heart that I hadn't felt for the last 2 weeks. I'm asking God to help me finish these classes well and I'm even asking Him to help me keep my 4.0 GPA in the process. Nothing is too difficult for Him.

I enjoyed Sunday night worship. I laughed out loud when we read in Ecclesiastes 12:12 But, my child, let me give you some further advice: Be careful, for writing books is endless, and much study wears you out. Amen to that! Worrying about time to study wears a girl out too.

God kept reassuring me that there would be time to write my essay and answer the homework questions. He and I worked on my thoughts about the poem until 11:30 Sunday night. I was tired and I felt like He was telling me to go to bed and that we would write the essay in the morning.

He woke me up a little before 5 on Monday morning and together we finished the 5 page New critical essay in 3 hours. Together we answered the homework questions and I was able to get to class with time to spare.

I'm thankful that He cares for every area of our lives even 5 page essays, homework questions, committee meetings, parenting, and this child's desire to do what He called me to do.

I love how perfectly our Children's Worship theme fits even my life: I obey God because I trust Him. He is so trustworthy and that is much to be thankful for!

Joyfully,

Kristi